Kids In the Dark

Explosions Are Fun

Patrick's P.O.V.

Lovely morning! I think as I look out the window.

I sigh, admiring the beauty of the outside world,  then go back to fiddling with my bomb. This one's taken quite a while, not counting the breaks needed for eating and bathroom. I've survived purely on cans of Redbull mixed with coffee and 5 Hour Energy shots. I haven't slept in two days, and I can feel my body ready to shut down. But I can't sleep until I've finished my project, the groups depending on it. I'm fixing the wires when I hear my electric door swoosh open. I glance at it, seeing Tatum bounce in, before shifting my gaze back to the problem at hand.

"Just leave them on my dresser, and get out." I say tersely.

I can hear Tatum's soft bouncing stop, and she grumbles as I continue my work. A few minutes later, I'm just about to complete the final part and insert it into the whole thing, when someone slams my door open. I slip up, and cut a wire accidentally. I stare, gaping at the ruined work, before I slam my fists into the table and yell.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU WANT?!?" I shout at the unlucky person who disrupted me. I swivel around and see Aidan in the doorway. I stare at him, then march forward.

"Outta my way. I gotta get new supplies." I grumble as I push past him.

He just looks at me wide eyed as I push past, then sighs.

"Look, Patrick, I'm sorry. Didn't know you were working on something that important." He says sympathetically.

"Yeah, whatever. Can you at least help me carry some supplies up?" I ask grumpily.

"Of course, it'd be the least I could do."

I smile wickedly, then make my way down to the basement. As I'm descending, I press a couple buttons on the portable control panel I carry with me. When Aidan reaches the bottom of the steps, I press the button to start the practice course. Smoke fills the room and barricades rise out of the floor. I grab a belt of explosives, then slide behind a barrier. A grab a couple of motion sensor mines and scatter them to cover my left flank. Then I grab a couple of grenades and toss them into the middle of the arena. Aidan has already hid, as we have practiced thousands of times. I peek out over the wall, and see Aidan holding one of my new prototypes. One of the real ones, not these stun explosives we're using.

I cry out "NO! NOT THAT ONE! WATCH OUT!"

He flings the bomb and ducks. I watch as it soars gracefully though the air, landing in the middle of the arena. I hit the floor, probably bruising a couple of ribs. When the explosion goes off its like being in the same room as a jet turbine. I get up off the floor and blink a couple of times to block the blurry dots out of my vision. After I've almost completely recovered, I run over to where Aidan was, coughing and waving away the smoke. I see Aidan crouching on the floor, hands over his ears and eyes squeezed shut. I nudge him with my foot and he cracks open one eye, then gets up.

"Idiot! We might have needed that!" I shout in his face.

He flinches back at how loud I was, and probably his now damaged hearing. I grab his wrist and drag him to the stairs.

"Aidan? Patrick?" A female voice calls into the haze, "What the hell guys!?"

They figure of Chloe comes into view through the smoke.

I smile guiltily and say "Ohhhh, hey Chloe! Ha ha. Oh, these? Ha, these are nothing, don't worry!"

I see Aidan out of the corner of my eye sliding a couple of grenades behind a barricade. Chloe grabs us both by the collars and drags us to the stairs. I've accepted my fate, but Aidan struggles and wrenches free.

"Why can't we stay downstairs?!?" He yells at her.

Chloe gets this evil grin on her face that sends shivers down my spine.

"Shannon wants to see you." She says evily.

And with that, I am officially fucked.