A few days passed and the strange man did not reappear and neither did his fear and hatred of the students. Charlotte fell back into her normal routine, reassured by her conversation with Ethan. It gave her a great strength knowing that they were far more than physical strength. She had almost forgotten her upset when finally a change to the monotony of their life at the compound came.
The day had dawned bright and cold. The sun was only a watered-down impression of what they had known at Kingston. It never rose very high in the sky, skimming across the horizon as if hiding from the icy chill that pressed upon their surrounds. The mountains were clear in the distance, the grey stone harsh against their bright white peaks.
The students had been ordered to go to auditorium for an update on their current situation and their continued presence at the compound. At least that was what had been explained to them over the intercom. Charlotte however, had the innate sense that it would be something more than that. Thoughts of the strange man returned to her and she wondered if there was not going to be a more threatening announcement given to the students. She forced herself to trust in Ethan's words and followed the others to the hall.
The auditorium was more dated than some of the other areas on the compound. It was a long rectangular hall with a rough, blue, tile carpet on the ground. There was a stage with a podium at one end and behind it there was a large screen mounted against the wall. The only natural light in the room came from a dozen small, rectangular windows high up by the ceiling, allowing barely enough light to filter in to remind the people gathered that it was still daytime outside. The seats that may have once occupied the hall were long gone and the students found they had to sit on the floor to listen to the speaker.
Charlotte sat with James in the middle of the auditorium. He had wrapped his arms around her waist, allowing her to lean back against his chest. She linked her fingers with his as Maxwell Smith shuffled out to the podium.
"Okay, can we settle down," he grumbled, as he approached the microphone.
Charlotte frowned. The moment he had step onto the stage the room had fallen deathly silent. He just seemed to enjoy reminding them of his cantankerous temperament at every given opportunity.
"We're here to enlighten you all on your current transition into society. My colleague, Mr Ramsey, has joined us and is here to talk to you about the particular intricacies of your rehabilitation to civilisation". That was enough for Maxwell. He turned with a grunt and strode from the microphone.
"He is beyond charming," James breathed into Charlotte's ear.
"That's my Maxwell," she said, forcing a smile. She was more focused on the person taking to the podium, the man Maxwell had referred to as Mr. Ramsey.
"Is that him?" James whispered, as the man Charlotte had encountered in the yard appeared on the stage.
"That's him," Charlotte nodded, frowning as her probing alteration failed to sense the fear that had almost pushed her to the point of breaking only a few nights ago. He seemed to be an empty shell once more.
James seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Is your alteration okay?" he whispered, pressing his lips against her hair.
"Yeah – I can't get a sense of fear from him now, even though he's surrounded by us. It's weird".
"Well maybe he has realised we're not such a threat. Maybe he realised we were human after all," James suggested. Charlotte pressed her lips together, already knowing that that would be almost impossible, but not willing to try and explain that to James. In any case, Mr Ramsey had approached the microphone and was now smiling down upon them.
YOU ARE READING
Feared
Fantascienza'Play the game, she thought, remembering the only three words that had helped her to survive at Kingston. Only back then she had known the game, she had known what they wanted her to be, what they had wanted her to do - this man was different. She d...
