Endless Summer

One of us Isnt Supposed to be Here

Twenty stories up, you and your friends survey the island from The Celestial's rooftop garden. All is quiet.

"Any sign of them?" You ask.

Beside you, Sean scans the horizon through binoculars. "I think we're safe."

"For now." Jake adds. "Y/N heard what they said.
They're coming for us."

"Then why are they leaving us alone now?" Grace asks with fearful eyes.

Estela glares at the trees. "The sun is going down. They could be waiting 'til dawn."

"I'm sorry, but who exactly were they?" Michelle looks around wildly. "What were they?"

You close your eyes. The strange, muscular figures loom toward you out of your memory. The leader's golden eyes bore into your soul. His words, known only somewhere deep in your subconscious, echo in your skull.

"You cannot hide. You cannot run. We WILL take you... We MUST."

Quinn holds her arm. "They seemed pretty human to me."

"And pretty stylish." Diego jokes. "What were they doing wearing masquerade masks?"

"They might be the islands inhabitants." You suggest.

Lila nods. "One thing's clear. They must have been here a long time... I just don't know how nobody noticed them before."

Michelle folds her arms. "Just because nobody told you about them, Lila, doesn't mean they weren't noticed."

"What we do know is that they've been watching us for a long time." Jake gestures with a hand. "They seemed to know me. To know Sean."

Craig stands beside Sean. "Well, whoever these... these 'Watchers' are, they're coming for us. And we'll be ready."

Sean nods. "Craig's right. We've gotta barricade ourselves in. Block the entrances. Gather
weapons, anything we can use to protect ourselves."

"Oh, sure, great plan." Michelle rolls her eyes. "Then what? We just established that we've got no help coming, and a giant sea monster won't let us leave."

"Current analysis does project a zero point four percent chance of survival." Iris states.

Grace shakes her head, running her hands through her hair. "We can't hold these Watchers off forever... so what's the point?"

"I'm not giving up." You say. "I'm not lying down. I've never quit on something in my life, and I'm not about to start."

Iris tilts her head. "I cannot say your rationale is logically sound. Weighted calculations suggest the best option is to 'Capitulate and Welcome Death.'"

"Who programmed this thing?" Zahra asks no one in particular.

"I say hell no." Michelle nods to you. "I'm with Y/N. And we're not going down without a fight either."

"Stay focused, everybody." Sean gathers everyone's attention. "Let's split up and get to work. We cant be caught unprepared."

As Sean leads the group back toward the elevator, Furball nuzzles at your ankles. You reach down and rub between his ears.

"Yeah. I'm scared too."

You notice Diego biting his lip, not moving.

"Diego?" You stand beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Besides everything?"

You nod. "Yeah, besides that."

He sighs. "It's just... sure, I get the plan. We're sealing ourselves in... But who are we sealing ourselves in with?"