Eternal Flame

Chapter 4

Kyle

I find the place the guard had told us to store our bags in. It's a large boys changing room, with lockers standing near the middle. The rest is just benches and a bathroom near the back. Gray walls, like the Dome, brown tiled floor, and a floor-length mirror at one end of the room. It looks as if no one has ever been here, judging by how clean and gum-less this place was. But from what I've heard, kids from school who get into a sports team get to come here once in a while to compete with each other.

I find a bench near the bathroom and drop my bag, slouching from the weight it. I sit down next to it, waiting for something. The place is eerily quiet, with water dripping from the faucet occasionally and the wind coming from an open. I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes, my mind spinning in every direction. I've been trying to keep things light all day, but when I walked into the Dome, everything just seemed to pour down on me. Looking around at the other contestants was the worst, since I knew that some people here are still underage, and yet attempting to seize the prize to be their own. Does the government really believe they're doing the right thing? Do they even see what is going on with this country?  Maybe that's what they wanted: a lifetime of hard work since the day you learn to walk.

Now that I was sitting here in the quiet, I realize my body was slowly releasing the tension I didn't know I had. It felt nice to be in here alone, as if the world is far away, where the problems are nowhere near my reach. I'm glad Jack asked me to step away, because I don't know how much longer I could've kept things afloat before breaking into a bubble of anger and desperation myself.

Everyone has a reason for doing this: Jack is doing it for Rose, I'm doing it for my mom and my dad, and Taylor is doing it for-

My thoughts stop when I hear a thump coming from the direction of the open window. It was so faint I didn't think I heard it at first, but then a second drop sounded, and I was on high alert. My body froze, my ears struggling to hear more, but nothing else came after that. The only thing that could be heard was the wind whistling in the background and the dripping of water.

Who would sneak into a boys' locker room? And mostly, why?  I was glad to be out of the view from the window, but as I scanned the room for any weapons, there was nothing. Panic started to rise, and my mind was franticly searching for a place to hide. The lockers were too small for me to fit, and way too much noise would be created, and under the benches would be too noticeably. I reach up for my bag and weigh it in my hands. Not much is in there; maybe some snacks and a water bottle, but it will have to be enough.

I listen for any sounds that could be made by the intruder one last time, and even though I knew I wouldn't be able to hear anything, a sinking pit is set in my stomach. Someone is here. It could be a guard or a thief or a murderer. In any case, that person has a motive for coming in through the window, and will probably have weapons to fight.

I peek around the corner and see a shadow of a figure moving behind one of the showers. The silhouette isn't large, maybe a girl. But looks can be deceiving, as I have learned in the past.

From the corner of where I was standing, not much could be seen, so I start to make my way to where the figure seems to be. The plan I had in my head wasn't the best, but it was the only one I could think of in the seconds I had.

As I'm walking on the blue tiled floor, I notice that the bathroom is quite large, perhaps for twenty people. I stop behind one of the showers closer to the mysterious intruder and peek out.

It was a girl for sure, now that I was only a few feet away and could see her body shape. She was dressed in all black, with a hoodie over her head. The girl has already moved on to the few lockers at the end of the bathroom, and is now stuffing the belongings from one of the lockers into a black and red duffel bag.