⊹ ｡ ﾟ⁖✦ •𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘈𝘜⁖ °✦ ･ﾟ⋆

Chapter 11

This knock was authoritative and firm. Still not Cesar's. It made Jonah jump. Now who could THIS be?
Adam rolled his eyes and got up to answer. One of the two casino/hotel's security guards was there; Thatcher Davis, to be exact.
"Do you have any idea how late it is?" He said.
"Uh...yeah?" Adam said back.
"What are you two doing?"
"Why does it matter?" Adam crossed his arms.
Jonah got up to stand next to Adam.
"S-sorry, I just needed some comforting.."
"Why? Did something happen?" Thatcher asked.
Jonah and Adam looked at each other, deciding whether or not Jonah should tell the truth. It could make him feel better.
"Um...I just..saw something I probably shouldn't have. I guess."
"Like what?" Thatcher got even more serious.
"Like...I d-don't know, something crazy...I don't know what it was."
"You mind if you come talk about it with me? It's either that or you go back to your own suite. You know you can't stay together."
"Yeah, whatever." Adam sighed.
Jonah looked back at Adam before stepping out of the room with Thatcher.
"He's in good hands. You'll see each other tomorrow. Now go to sleep Murray, it should've been lights out two hours ago."
"Yeah, yeah.." Adam trailed off and closed his door.
Things like that just made him feel like a caged animal. Or even a convict in a jail cell. Why were there rules here? It made no sense. Being treated like a kid also pissed him off. But regardless, he got ready for bed and fell asleep relatively quickly.

"I'm sorry!" A familiar voice said.
Cesar. Or...he thought it was Cesar. Mark couldn't open his eyes at first. Once he did, he saw Cesar kneeling right in front of him, looking down as Mark himself was flat on his back. He had the worst migraine imaginable.
"What..." Mark's voice was unintentionally hushed.
His mouth and throat felt like a desert.
"Shh Shh Shh!" Cesar hushed, looking around.
Mark still couldn't tell where they were. The corners of his field of vision were still shadowed, but everything looked gray. The same shade as his shoes.
"What..happen.." Mark almost passed out.
"I can explain later," Cesar responded, still looking around the area, as if he was looking or waiting for someone.
There was a low growl and the ground shook.
"ENOUGH!" Cesar yelled.
The movement ceased.
Mark groaned.
"Don't worry, Mark! I've got you."
Mark obviously had no clue what was going on. Has he officially passed away? If so, why was Cesar there? Where were they? What happened to Adam and Jonah and why weren't they there?

Finally, a gurney was rolled out to the boys. It was pushed in by a shadowy figure that almost appeared to be wearing a nun's habit. The figure was shrouded in a black fog. The only features that stood out were the habit and its skeletal, bleached white face. Naturally, that scared Mark. What was that thing? Did it have good intentions? He doubted it even though it seemed to be coming in to assist.
"Thank you," Cesar whispered.
The figure floated away back the way it came in. There was a door with a singular circle window. Mark tried to speak again, but no intelligible words came out.
"Shh, we won't be here long. Try to relax, okay?" Cesar said, while securing Mark to the gurney with seatbelt-like buckles. Mark wanted to jump off of this thing and run. He had no clue as to what was coming next or anything. But he didn't have the energy. It was as if his brain woke up before the rest of his body.
"Am....I...dead?" He managed to ask.
"I'll explain, just hang on." Cesar replied.
That didn't answer anything.
Cesar pushed Mark's gurney through the same door that mysterious figure went through. The door opened into a cramped hallway stocked with cabinets and countertops full of medical supplies. It reminded Mark of a doctor's office. Or maybe even a hospital's emergency room.
The figure saluted Cesar as they pushed past. The hallway was long and Mark could barely see an end in sight.
"That was our hospitality specialist," Cesar explained, "she does a lot of things! Kind of like the superglue holding things together maybe?"
Mark could care less.
"When will you tell me what happened?" He asked weakly.
"When we get to your suite. Everything is fine! As fine as it can be..."

Adam was already at breakfast, sitting alone. He didn't really mind it, but it was pretty strange. Jonah walked in, rubbing his eyes.
"Hey," he said, pulling up a chair.
Adam nodded. "Took you long enough to get here!" He teased.
Jonah kicked Adam's chair leg and looked at the breakfast menu on the table.
"So...what happened?" Adam asked.
"What do you mean what happened?" Jonah said, not even looking up.
"Uh, how did Thatcher make you go with him?" Adam said, slightly annoyed.
"Oh, yeah! That."
"Yeah."
Jonah ordered his breakfast.
"So what was it?" Adam pushed on.
"Basically just told him what I saw. It's not really a big deal, I guess."
"Well what did he say?"
"Mmm...I forgot."
"Damnit!"
"Pfft, sorry!" Jonah giggled.
Adam took a bite of toast and Jonah sipped some coffee.
"I just think it's kind of ridiculous." He said
"What is?"
"You! I don't understand it. You're just as obsessed with alternates now as you were before. Why can't you just let them go?"
"Why should I?" Adam got defensive.
"Dude, I don't wanna argue."
"Neither do I!"