Academy Murder Party

~:Chapter 23:~

The group stared at the small TV resting on the middle table. It was cubical, thick, like a black box with a screen. It had no cord, so Yuki assumed it must've been running by some battery. She had no idea how it could get a signal down in the morgue. Yuki stared at it, watching the green icon of a singular gear slowly rotate on the screen as classical strings emitted from it.

"What the hell is that?" Brent asked.

"A TV." Jake dryly responded.

"Okay, smartass. Got that much."

"You asked." He said with a shrug, crossing his arms as he kept his eyes on the strange device in the middle of the room.

"Wait... Something's happening." Mikey said, garnering the attention of everyone, who sent their gaze straight onto the screen. Yuki watched as the rotating gear slowly faded away before all that was left was a green screen. An arrow gradually replaced it.

"What?"

"Please enter the experiment room." The TV instructed, and the voice was lifeless, robotic even. It sounded more like a simulated voice than a real one, heavily distorted with the questionable pronunciation of the words. It repeated again and again. On the opposite side of the room, there was a click. Everyone's eyes darted to the locked door, then at each other, silently signaling who would be the one to open it. Finally, everyone rested their gaze on Brent.

"Why the hell are you all looking at me?" He asked. "Fine!" He said with a sigh. He was slowly approaching the door. He hesitated as he placed his hand on the handle, wrapping his fingers around the cold metal. Yuki could only watch in anticipation as he gulped, pausing once more.

"Jesus Christ, we're going to be here all day," Jake spoke up, motioning him to step aside, and he happily obliged that request. Jake immediately tugged open the door, leading a draft of cold air into the room, causing Yuki's hair on her neck to prick up.

"Oh god."

* * * 

"Wait... You're not going to slaughter me?" The boy asked fearfully, standing in front of a careless boy who reeked of nothing but marijuana and other substances. He fully expected to be killed for his story to end, yet, it didn't. He was prepared to beg for his life and offer bribery and other material things in exchange for life, but thankfully, he didn't have to. At least he would spare his dignity, he supposed. After all, character development can be harmful, can't it?

"Nah, bro." The boy shrugged, flicking a lighter out of his pocket, watching the flame. He slipped out a brown cylindrical object, one of which the boy had never seen. Curiously, he watched as he set the end on fire, bringing it to his lips and then removing it, exhaling a large cloud of smoke directly into his face. He coughed at the disgusting smell. "Want a hit?" 

"N-No, thank you. I'm alright." The boy shakily responded, glancing around in the hallways. It seemed the two of them were alone, for now. "Perhaps somewhere safe would be a better place to do... this?" The boy motioned towards the blunt. 

"I guess." He sighed in response, eyes bloodshot as the boy led him into a classroom, carefully shutting the door behind him. He sat down in a chair, slow and sluggish, continuing to smoke as the boy curiously watched him. He was the furthest thing for sober, that's for sure, yet,  the boy had to wonder... how had he made it this far? "So... what's up?"

"Oh... Uh... Nothing?" The boy responded, caught off guard by his sudden calmness. The boy stared at him; he didn't even seem remotely nervous. Instead, he sat there, staring at a wall while occasionally exhaling out puffs of smoke.