In Between | Eren Jaeger

chapter 9 | reunions

Week 1

There were 20 volunteers altogether, 10 of us in pairs were dispatched to explore separate areas. Hitch and I, fortunately, decided to stick together and explore district three.

The brisk decision that I had made gradually settled in as I grew more anxious the more we searched around. I guess I had always been impulsive with my decisions and was the 'adventurous' type when I was younger. Always wanting to test my limits and push past them, making choices that often led me to trouble, and coercing others into joining my escapades.

At least, that was what I'd been told. Ant narrated me to be this type of courageous individual that was capable of defying all the odds, but throughout the years, I'd always been the exact opposite. I avoided confrontation at all costs. I was the type of person to not correct someone if they got my name wrong on several occasions. I liked travelling around and visiting new places because it was easier than sticking in one place for too long and getting attached. I was the type to avoid developing any sort of permanent attachment to anyone other than Ant because I was afraid of what that would mean for me in the long run. I hated relying on others because all people do was disappoint.

Yet, even now, I wondered what Sasha was doing because I enjoyed her presence and I enjoyed her company, and I wanted nothing but to hear her talk about all the times she'd gotten into trouble with Connie during their high school days. Instead, all my boundaries were undoubtedly going to be pushed to its limits, especially in a place like this, and I was afraid of the moment I'd be confronted with the skeletons I abandoned in my closet.

"So far, we haven't encountered anything too bad." Hitch groaned, stretching her arms above her head. Unlike me, she adored the thrill, thrived in it and was awaiting action at any given moment. "I was half expecting those hired actors to pop outta nowhere and scare us."

"It's not a horror house, Hitch." I muttered, growing annoying by the sound of our tireless footsteps clicking against the ground. "It's a prison made for us."

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, loosen up, will you? You've been so tense the entire time, it's making my skin crawl."

I wonder why.

I stayed silent as a response.

This place was built exactly what the warden said it was intended for: survival. I had deduced that it was some sort of 'WWII bunker-turned-modern-facility' made for humans to be able to survive in for prolonged periods of time. I even suspected that the perimeter of this place was shaped somewhat like a pentagon. According to my calculations, if there were five districts that housed 100 people each, then altogether there were 500 of us- 500 people, humans, maybe even ghouls, all compacted together. It was a recipe for upcoming disaster.

But that was the pessmistic side of me speaking. Humans were built with an innate sense of belonging, Maslow's hierarchy of needs stated that the need for companionship was ranked closely to basic human needs such as food, shelter, and water. I wouldn't be surprised if this place was designed after a psychological study, it had eery similarities with the Stanford Prison Experiment so the probability of this being a mock, prison simulation wasn't low at all and I feared that the outcome might be the same, or worse. After all, the warden made it clear that ethics weren't a cause of concern, they didn't care about our well-being, only our reactions and our behaviour.

"How do we remember which room is ours?" I asked.

"Our assigned numbers are written on the doors." She answered.

Assigned numbers?

Sensing my confusion, Hitch raised a brow. "You mean you haven't noticed the number branded into your wrist." She showed me her wrist.