Against All Odds (Silent Moments Series: Book 2)

Chapter 3

"Hey," I said, joining Clarke, Monty, and Jasper for dinner in the communal dining area. The room buzzed with the quiet chatter of Mt. Weather's residents, a stark contrast to the tension I felt within.

"Kegan," Jasper acknowledged with a nod as I approached.

"Sit down and pretend like you're happy to see me," I whispered to them, trying to keep the mood light despite the swirl of suspicions in my head.

"We are happy to see you," Jasper replied, his smile genuine but tinged with a hint of concern for my evident unease.

"You should try the chocolate cake," Monty interjected, attempting to lighten the mood. His laughter was a brief respite from the heavy atmosphere.

"Oh, it is so on," Jasper said playfully, his words eliciting laughter from Clarke and Monty, a moment of normalcy amidst the uncertainty.

However, I couldn't shake off my apprehensions. Leaning in, I spoke in a hushed tone, "I'm not eating their food. Look. They gave us a map with no exits. I need you to tell me everything you've seen. Every room, every hallway, every way out."

"Way out? Look around you, Kegan. There's no one hunting us here. For the first time in our lives, we're not hungry. Why would we want to leave?" Clarke asked, her voice reflecting a mix of confusion and a newfound sense of security.

"Because we have friends out there who need our help," I stated firmly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"They're looking for survivors, and they're way better equipped to find them than we are," Jasper reasoned, trying to rationalize our situation.

"This place is too good to be true," I mumbled, my distrust of our comfortable surroundings growing stronger.

"You're bumming me out. I'm gonna get more cake," Jasper said, his tone light but his expression showing a hint of discomfort with the direction of the conversation.

As Jasper left the table, I watched the people around us, their faces relaxed and content. It was a stark contrast to the survival mode we had been in for so long. The ease of life here at Mt. Weather felt unnatural, almost surreal. My mind raced with questions and doubts. What secrets did this place hold? What were the true intentions of its inhabitants? The laughter and conversation around me faded into a background hum as I pondered our next move. We needed to stay alert, to understand the true nature of Mt. Weather. But first, we needed to find a way to reconnect with our friends outside, to ensure their safety in a world that was constantly shifting and full of unknown dangers.

A few minutes later, my attention was drawn to Jasper, who had struck up a conversation with Maya. The sight of them talking stirred a mix of curiosity and guilt within me. I excused myself from Clarke and Monty, navigating through the bustling dining area to where Jasper and Maya stood. As I approached them, memories of our previous encounters with Maya surfaced. I couldn't help but feel a pang of remorse. Our initial interactions had been tense and fraught with misunderstanding. Maya, as I now realized, was a victim of circumstance, caught in the complex web of our arrival and the existing dynamics of Mt. Weather.

She noticed me approaching and paused mid-sentence, her expression a mix of caution and curiosity. Jasper turned, giving me a look that suggested he was trying to bridge gaps and mend fences.

"Hey," I started, trying to sound as non-confrontational as possible. "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry about how we met. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I... I misjudged the situation."

Maya's expression softened slightly. "It's okay. Things have been... complicated since you all arrived," she said, her voice carrying an undertone of understanding. She seemed genuinely nice, a stark contrast to the guardedness I had come to expect in our interactions with others.