Firefly

|Ch. 23|

Even though I had only been in this dungeon for three days, it felt like an eternity. Every night was left for me to imagine that the ceiling was the stars and that I was perfectly okay with Alex by my side. But, every morning I woke, I was growing weary and desiring to escape. I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling awaiting the moment that Megan would come crashing through the vent. Tonight, I was hoping that I could just escape and leave this place because I knew everyday was closer to my death.

Suddenly, I heard the twist of the screwdriver in the vent and immediately got up to help her open it.

"Thanks," Megan began as she stepped out, "You are getting the hang of it already."

I chuckled and looked at her awaiting for what she planned tonight.

"We have a longer time to adventure out tonight. The guard won't be back for 30 minutes. I saw that he had a coupon for some free donuts on his desk so I think we are good," she declared.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

She looked at me smirking with a risk-taking look in her eyes. I stared at her wondering what was going to happen next.

"You want to see?" she questioned pointing to the vent.

I looked into the dark crevice and shook my head stepping back. I didn't think that I could even last a few minutes in there. Who knew what was waiting ahead of me when I couldn't even see what was in front of me?

Megan grabbed my arm and tugged it saying, "C'mon. You won't know what awaits unless you try."

I hated to admit it but she was right. At this time, I had to trust my gut.

"Only if you go first," I replied motioning for her step in.

"Deal."

She heaved head first into the box shaped hole motioning for me to follow her. I pushed up into the small hole with my hands and wriggled my legs in afterwards. Megan partially turned her head around to make sure I got in. We crawled in the vent making turns left and right.

"Well the one good thing about this is that we are there personal cleaners. No need to thank us," I said laughing.

Megan released a force laugh as we stopped over a vent looking down into the soulmate chambers that I had been in with Mrs. Collins. I stared at the fewer amount of people looking at the soulmates and continuing to write down notes. The monitors lit up the room glowing.

"So, who did you fall in love with?" I asked.

Megan silently heaved out as she stared down at the blinking dots not moving considering that most people were in their beds sleeping. I heard both of our steady breaths as the silence grew.

"His name was Matt; he wasn't the kind of guy that I thought I would fall for. He was a huge party guy in a fraternity. I came in when the parties were almost over and we would sneak upstairs," Megan proceeded.

This couldn't be a coincidence. All the puzzle pieces seemed to fit together. Maybe that's why Matt was acting awkward during dinner that one night? Did he know that I was distant with Brian? Could he sense the way I felt too?

"Is everything okay?" Megan questioned.

"Brian was my soulmate. He was Matt's best friend. I guess I just never saw you considering that I was with Alex during those times," I mentioned.

"Oh, Maddie I am so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. It's just that...I didn't know," she stammered.

"It's okay."

Nothing was said as we both stared at the blinking monotonous dots. My eyes aimlessly searched for his dot in the sea of thousands. I located Alex's situated in our usual spot by himself. Maybe he did believe in us after all. I wondered if he went there every night since I disappeared hoping that I would appear, but what if he was awaiting his soulmate, Sally? He could have easily forgotten about me, I was the one that broke his heart.

"Matt's a great guy. I know he misses you," I said after a long silence.

"I don't think he does. I'm feeling now that I was just one of his flings."

"I don't think a guy who mopes around and doesn't respond when we ask him about his soulmate thinks of you as a nobody. I could sense in his eyes that he was deeply hurt, and now I know why. He loves you more than you could ever know. I know that because that's the way I use to look at Alex," I said.

"I'm guessing Alex is the one you fell for other than Brian. I can tell you still love him."

I let out a little sigh confirming her statement.

"Well this isn't the only place we are going to, I have to show you the other rooms," she replied.

We continued to crawl into the darkness as Megan popped out a small flashlight from the back pocket and shone it in front of her.

"Are you kidding me? This whole time you had that thing and we haven't been using it?" I demanded.

"You have to be prepared for anything Maddie," she said back.

We crawled on stopping at a chamber I had never seen before. There were four guards situated outside of the door as we crawled above them and I got another view of the inside compartment. I looked down at the empty room with the glittering floors and saw a spotlight situated in the middle. I gulped and tried to clear my mind not thinking of anything. I didn't want to hear the next words out of Megan's mouth because I was already sensing what this room was.

"This is where it happens. I've came up here to watch it one time but I couldn't stand it any longer and had to close my eyes," she said as her voice trailed off.

"I don't want to know what happens," I said.

"You don't have to," Megan replied.

I stared at the spotlight wondering how many fought for their lives or helplessly stood there awaiting their death. I wanted to fight for all the other people who didn't get to. Most importantly, I wanted to fight to prove to everyone how much Alex truly meant to me.

"When are we doing this?" I asked.

"Now that's the kind of attitude I was hoping for. Not yet. I still have more to show you. You need to know what every room holds and where all the guards are located so you can know an alternate escape route if we get separated."

"Can we not just escape through this vent?" I questioned.

"No there is a dead end eventually. They all seem to connect together but none of them lead outside. I don't know what waits outside these doors and that's what scares me."

"Matt. That's who awaits outside and we are going to show these people how much these guys and our love for them means to us. Now, I am ready to learn anything that you throw my way. Just tell me what I need to do and I will do it." I responded confidently.

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And another shocker just came you guys' way! I don't think any of y'all could have guessed that plot twist that Megan went after Matt. And Dang I think Maddie has some fight in her, huh?