The Estate [ONC 2022 Longlist]

Part 10

Alex's head poked out into the hallway.

"Looks clear," he said.

He and Teji stepped out into the quiet, foreboding hallway. Everything was so silent and still—the walls seemed to loom over them, an empty tunnel made of royal tapestry and fancy paintings of a different era, like walking through an abandoned, upscale hotel with corridors that went for infinity.

"This way," Teji said quietly.

They walked in silence for a bit, the faint sound of rain tapped on the metal shutters whenever they passed one. Alex's head was on a swivel as he looked for robot dogs— although, he wouldn't have known what to do if he saw one. He didn't even have anything to defend them with...

They'd have to run.

Be chased, you mean.

Alex shivered.

"So, how did you end up here?" he asked Teji, trying to distract himself.

Teji almost seemed startled when he spoke aloud. "Oh, I received an invitation."

What's up with that? Alex thought. How come I was the only one given the Secret Mystery Special?

"Must be nice," Alex mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing," Alex said. "But an invite from who? Was there a name? What did it say?"

Teji's eyes narrowed a bit at his rapid-firing questioning, but she responded in the same low voice.

"It came through my father's company," she said. "I work for him as a network security analyst, you see. It said my presence was requested for the reading of a Will, or something like that. There was no name; it only said 'Corporate Sponsored.'" She shrugged. "Baba said it was fine—this was a good thing."

I doubt he knew it was going to be like this.

There was still nothing useful Alex could use. Just focus on getting out. But what if he couldn't? He'd have to figure out what the—

Teji said something.

"Sorry?" Alex said.

"You are very confident," Teji said.

Alex almost laughed. "I'm not—trust me."

"You seem like it." Teji shivered, crossing her arms. "I am willing to admit that I am truly terrified right now."

"So am I." Alex checked around a corner before they passed. "I've just gotten good at pretending I'm not—one of my coaches used to tell us that's all confidence really is, anyways."

Teji fell silent for a moment. "I guess that makes sense... in a weird way."

"Maybe." Alex sleuthily peered around another corner. "It's the only way I know of, anyways."

"Yes." Teji fell silent again, taking a few moments before speaking again. "You must have been good in your sport.

"Was," Alex said. "Enough to get a full scholarship, at least. Beyond that, I guess I'll never know."

She seemed puzzled for a moment before a flit of recognition danced across her face. "Oh, because of your injury, you mean. You don't want to play anymore?"

Alex looked away. "No."

The truth was he couldn't play anymore, even if he wanted to. The injury wasn't the worst part; everything his life had culminated to, everything he had planned and designed and dreamed about—it all collapsed that day. From the long summer nights as a boy with his friends, playing in the shabby, run down forgotten baseball field as the dusk sun set over railroad tracks that ran nearby, to the pressure and practice he had devoted all of his free teenage life to, missing the parties and friends and romance and hobbies—all of it in dedication and preparation and sacrifice for achieving the bright future that he had been building his entire life towards.