The Eden Projects (EDITING)

Chapter 37. Monkeys paw.

- Zak -

The ground shook and the lights flickered. Zak caught himself on the wall, "Did you feel that?" He stopped, listening to the building settle. "Was that an earthquake?"

Topher let go of the railing. "We should go back." 

"Toph if it was the failsafe there is nothing we can do." 

Topher looked to Zak. 

Zak waited. "We're at the top. There's no point in all of us going back right? That's the logical thing to do... Caleb, could you start heading down?"

Caleb nodded and turned.

"Don't do anything stupid."

He nodded again before disappearing around a bend.

They waited, listening to him open the steel door they had walked through moments before, his footsteps muffling in the carpets short pile. "Let's go." Zak continued up. It was just a tremor in an old building. That's all it is.

It took them another ten minutes to reach their final landing. Cutting across another office space before stepping through the final door. 

They were at the top.

Rook stepped ahead and fanned his wings to block the door. "Wait." 

Zak attempted to shove past. "What now."

"Ace is up there-"

"ROOK."

"Shut it, he deserves to know what's in there."

Zak felt a mixture of feelings. "You knew this whole time and you didn't say anything till the last freakin' second-" He gritted.

Topher rubbed his face with one of his hands. "We didn't think we'd actually come this far while he was still using the place. How were we supposed to know the stairs were good the whole way up?"

"You should have just told Kasper when we were together. This is gonna cause some massive problems when he finds out." He lingered, and Rook steadied. "Move, and let me deal with this."

"He doesn't have to find out, we can all turn around and go-"

"HE'S NOT STUPID, he'll know. I'm not a liar either. Now move." 

Rook stood still. "Isn't lying all you do?" 

Zak bit his lower lip and furrowed his brow. "If you don't get out of my way I'll sic him on you like a damn dog-" 

Topher nodded to Rook who stepped aside. "Fine. Your funeral."

Zak twisted the nob, trying to hide his nervousness. Well. Things can't get any worse than this. The door opened with a heavy push, at once, a soft breeze hit him, he squinted, and heaven laid open to him.

Birds, all birds. 

In a place so packed with supplies that it looked more like an army surplus store than a camp. So many eyes looked back at him; his own settled far ahead. Whether he knew it or not, he was searching for the only man that mattered amidst the flock. If he had seen this six years ago, he would have pissed himself. The whole room was a threat. He knew it, and surely, they knew it too. The door let out a protestant whine as is knocked into the wall at its side, startling him into motion. 

"What a surprise..." 

He heard that oh so familiar voice come from somewhere deeper in. He leaned forward and Rook shoved him the rest of the way. Zak's feet shuffled to catch up with his upper half. Topher closed the door behind them and slowly the trio moved forward. There were wings in colors he hadn't seen before. Feathers pinning sharp, and others rounding softly. Some of them were small, and some were impossibly large. Sweeping the ground as their owners moved.