Control

Death

Hereafter, I walked into school the next day and gagged when I heard the sound of regurgitating bouncing off the walls. Unfortunately, I had to go that way to get to class, and I saw Presley puking her guts out in one of the big black trash cans.

Taehyung was there behind her looking fairly annoyed. Hoseok walked out of his office and that's when I ducked around the corner so he wouldn't see me.

The majority of their conversation was unintelligible whispering, but I did catch snippets:

"Is she the one scurdefurdefure...?"

"Yeah, dklajd sasldkrj puking alksejrio this morning."

"Paraspilkdf aklsddjf skldfj didn't work."

"Lkfad 'fraid so."

WAIT. She was one of the people that got called to the auditorium yesterday. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

I soon scurried off to class so I wouldn't get caught.

First period started off as normal as it could when the intercom called out, "I need Alice Caldwell to report to the principal's office."

My hands started to shake. I hadn't done anything wrong, so I don't know what I would get called to the office for. I was scared something bad had happened.

When I walked in there, instead of our principal Mr. Stinger, Namjoon was in there. He was sitting in a swivel chair with his feet propped up on the desk like he owned it. His hands were folded over his lap, and I knew it wasn't going to be good.

He beckoned me in and I sat down in a chair. He started off with, "So you saw some stuff you weren't supposed to, huh?"

I've got to be the dumbest person alive for what I am about to say, "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"I have it on camera!" he exclaimed.

I gulped. He knew I was lying. I was a bad liar anyway.

"You know things you aren't supposed to know. Do you know what I have to do to you now?" I shook my head.

He pulled out a drawer from the desk and held up a solid gold revolver. He's gonna pop me.

I laughed nervously. In fact, I couldn't stop laughing. I giggled continuously as I retreated in fear.

"Just kidding," he said, putting the gun back in the drawer, "I would never do that to you. But just be careful, you might get hurt. You can go back to class." I bolted out of the room as fast as I could.

"Alice - Alice - pay attention!" I snapped back to reality as Jungkook snapped in my face.

That whole scene with Namjoon I was daydreaming. I groaned and slapped my hand to my forehead.

Stupid.

The bell rang to go to second period. I was walking towards the door when I ran into Jordan. His eyes were wide as if he had seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?" I inquired, fearing the worst.

"D-don't go out there!" he begged. I walked farther down the hall sure that he was overreacting, and part of me was filled with a curiosity I wanted to satisfy.

However, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me backwards. "You can't go out there!" he pleaded.

"Why?" I asked.

He looked around with pure terror in his eyes and whispered, "There are s-snipers o-on the r-roof..."

No. Impossible. Snipers? No.

"There are guards, too," he continued, "stationed outside every entrance and exit. Even some of our own students were recruited by those people."

"Who are 'those people,' Jordan?"

"That Jackson guy and whoever else he's working with." I knew Jackson was trouble. I should've expected something like this.

"Jordan Richards, get to class!" one of the coaches yelled. I guess he didn't see me because I was behind a wall. Jordan stared me in the eye before trudging off to class.

Now I have a whole new problem. I walked cautiously towards the door and opened it just a crack.

Holy smokes. There really are snipers on the roof. How? Why?

I don't know if I can say luckily, but thankfully, one of the guards posted at the door was actually someone I knew. It was Randy. He was holding an assault rifle.

I whispered, "Hey, Randy."

He glanced over at me. "Yes?"

"Why are you here?"

"Our orders are to shoot anyone who tries to leave campus, but you're safe to go to class."

He had a robot-like essence as if he was being mind controlled. I was very careful with the words that were coming out of my mouth.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

I slowly inched out if the building and all the way to the band hall. I made it safely there and safely back.

When third period came around, I didn't even bother to go there. I went straight to Hoseok's office and stated, "I need to talk to Namjoon."

"He's teaching right now," he said with half a biscuit in his mouth.

"I need Alice Caldwell to report to Mrs. Samantha's room," Mrs. Samantha announced over the intercom. She knew I was skipping class, but I wasn't budging from my spot.

Hoseok looked at me pointedly, "Go on."

"No," I said firmly, "I need to talk to Namjoon."

Hoseok looked at me like I was crazy for defying his authority, but he grabbed his phone and (I assume) texted Namjoon to come down here. The man appeared less than a minute later, not surprised that I was standing there.

I didn't waste my time with greetings and got right to the point, "What did Jackson come here for?"

"Oh..." he sighed and looked around the room. "He came to review the coursework."

"Then why are there now snipers on the roof?!"

He rolled his eyes and huffed, "Look, we've been having problems with threats and students trying to leave campus, so it is in your best interest and safety that we station guards at every door and snipers on the roof."

"Wait-" I exclaimed, "Randy was one of the people you called into the auditorium the other day! What are you doing to them in there?"

He completely ignored me and turned to Hoseok and said, "Email Mrs. Samantha and tell her that she's in the counselor's office."

He snatched my arm and said to me, "You're coming with me." And he dragged me all the way to the restricted area.

I wanted so badly to just start kicking and screaming, but I didn't want to cause a scene lest Namjoon get angry and harm me.

He threw the door open and yelled, "Come quick! Tie her to a bed, we've got another one!"

ANOTHER ONE?! OH, HECK NAW! I'M NOT DYING TODAY!

Several Chinese men grabbed me by the arms and legs and forced me into a classroom. They handcuffed me to one of the hospital beds. I screamed and hollered and wailed trying to get away. I thrashed and clawed and cursed as one might if they were demon possessed.

I momentarily lost my will and strength, and that's when Namjoon walked in with a syringe filled with that blue serum I saw the last time I was in here.

"No...no..." I whispered with tears streaming down my face. It was the end.

I don't want to die. I'm going to die.