Hostel M2

M2-Part XVI

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Under the grey clouds pregnant with rain stood a congregation of people in an all-black dress code. An air of gloom hung around them and it was evident in the expressions of those gathered around the rectangular space dug 6 feet into the earth. The first drops of rain broke free from the clouds and dark umbrellas plopped open almost in unison.

There was the resounding beats of rain upon the umbrellas as everyone cleared aside, creating a path for Henry who moved towards the dug space over which a man whose face was hidden under a faded face cap stood. His heart flapped in his heart like a frightened bird when he looked into the six feet hole only to see himself in there and with the signal of the man, two men appeared out of the blue and started heaping sand back into the hole, closing it up.

Of a sudden, his breath seized and he struggled for air but no one came to his aid, as if he had suddenly become invisible to everyone present there. The men steadily heaped sand into the hole nonetheless, Henry fell to his knees, clutching his chest and that was when the man took off his cap to reveal the sinister smile on his face, Mr. Jones.

"Henry!"

Henry woke with a start, jerking up from his slumber with a long sharp gasp. His heart beat was unstable, like a worn out engine trying to rev to life. There was a shot of numbness across his body, a drop of sweat trickled from the back of his ear down his neck as he tried to stable himself.

"You good there boy?" asked Mr. Parker, still looking at his student.

Henry turned to the man, only noticing his presence again. He nodded slightly and then tore his eyes away from the professor's gaze before wiping off the moisture which had formed on his temple.

"I'm fine," he said in between breaths, "just a bad dream."

"Come on, we've been out all night." Mr. Parker rose from his seat, his jacket hung over his shoulder, "time to hit the roads."

"What happens to them?" Henry asked, looking in the direction of the emergency room down the hall.

"Staying here doesn't change anything; we'd be back by morning."

Henry nodded and then followed Mr. Parker out. It was pretty dark, and colder than usual. They spent the next 30 minutes or so on the road, heading back to Mr. Parker's residence. The clock turned 11:26 p.m. by the time they pulled up in front of the condo. The lights in Parker's room were still on so it was quite certain that his wife was still up.

"Hey kid," Mr. Parker called out to Henry just as they stepped on the front porch, "I'm sure the news' gotten to them but if Lara asks any questions, it was just an experiment gone wrong."

He turned the door's knob but it was locked, his hands wandered in his pockets before he found the keys.

The apartment was utterly quiet and dark when they stepped in. Henry managed to find his way to the room he and Chris had occupied the last time they had visited. Mr. Parker made his way to his room, stopping a split second before he opened the door. A sigh escaped his lips and he tried to remain calm before finally he pushed the door open.

The dim lights glowed from a corner of the room. The air was crisp and fresh and even with the dim lights, Parker could tell his wife had replaced the flowers. He flicked the switches, turning on the brighter lights and turning off the dim ones. On the bed laid Lara, covered up to her waist and her head, propped up in her palms.

"Hey," Parker mumbled as he tossed his jacket into the laundry bag.

It took a moment longer before Lara returned his greeting. She sat upright on the bed, her eyes running over her husband's bandaged arm. Parker walked towards the bed with sluggish steps as he undid the buttons of his shirt.

"Are you fine?" she asked when he sat on the edge of the bed. He simply nodded while he carried on undressing.

"I saw the news and was worried. You weren't even answering your phone."

"I'm sorry Lara." He bent forward and placed a kiss on Lara's forehead, "I was in a fix."

"What happened out there today?"

Parker remained silent, and then sighed. His mind was too disorganized to think of a response, whether to say the truth or not or to just stall the whole discussion all together.

"It was nothing," he finally answered, avoiding his wife's look.

"Nothing?" Lara repeated in surprise at his reply. She scoffed, "Parker it's all over the local news. There's a hostel in ruins, your arm is all covered up and what, it's nothing?"

"Lara, do we have to do this now?" he answered in a worn out note.

"Yes!" she snapped, "we both know there's something you're not saying. There were only four people in the entire hostel and then two unconscious ones so I'm guessing it's you and then the students. Who was the last guy? "

"Lara, please!"

"No Parker, this isn't about you anymore." She paused in a moment of realization, "did this have to do with that experiment thing?"

Parker remained silent.

~~~

Henry turned to the door, halfway through unbuttoning his shirt, called by the knock he had heard. The knob twisted and Alex's head appeared through the slightly open door.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered, "I'm the visitor here, remember?"

She gave a quick smile and then stopped at the bedside.

"I saw what happened on the news," she paused, "sorry about your friend."

Henry nodded after a sigh, quite unsure of how to explain to her that Chris wasn't dead, or at least he hoped so.

"It's alright, he's being attended to at the hospital now."

"What was the cause of the fire, and is it just fate that the hostel was empty but for 4 of you?"

Henry sighed then swallowed, was that Detective Mile's cover up story this time?

"It...it was the experiment thing. Some-something went wrong and all."

Alex nodded wordlessly as she glanced at Henry for a moment before rising. She folded her arms around her chest as she eyed the room for a moment.

"I hope he gets better," she said and then made for the door. The door opened just as she reached for its handle and standing there was her father. She gave him a quick hug and then left for her room.

"You all good there?" Mr. Parker asked, standing in the doorway.

Henry nodded, "yes."

"Hungry? Lara made-"

"No thanks, I'm- I'm fine sir," Henry answered and then there was a second of silence between the two people.

"Get some rest now, clear your head." Mr. Parker paused for a moment, "we got a lot of work figuring what this is all about or at least we could give it a shot."

Henry remained still as he watched Mr. Parker leave. Figuring what this is all about, to Henry sounded more like joining the devil to play in his own playground but then; he could at least give it a shot if it was all he got.

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