The Haunted Orphanage

Chapter 47

Dan's POV

The four of us continued making our way through the gymnasium-sized laboratory. Nate and Jason seemed like they might vomit if they had to stay here much longer.

It was understandable, considering that they had spent the past thirty or forty minutes looking at kids their age drenched in blood.

Phil and I had managed to swallow our squeamishness while searching for tables thirty-eight and forty-two. I looked to my left and saw table twenty-three.

"I don't think we're anywhere near our tables and I haven't seen Percy yet," Phil whispered.

"We'll find him, don't worry. Right now, just focus on finding our tables. If we don't even check in with the kids, someone's going to get suspicious," I replied.

"Dan, can I see the notebook for table thirty-eight?" Nate asked.

"Sure, why?" I responded as I handed him the notebook.

"I think I'll faint if I have to look at blood much longer. Besides, someone should probably read what we're supposed to do to the kid."

I smiled to myself as I watched Nate open the notebook. However, upon opening the book, his facial expression changed from a small smile to one of panic as he inhaled sharply.

"Oh no, what happened?" Phil asked.

"This–she...Jason, isn't this–"

Jason peered over Nate's shoulder at the notebook. "I've never seen her before. She looks about the same age as us, though. Maybe a year younger."

"Maybe Jason doesn't recognize her because he doesn't live at the orphanage?" I commented, remembering what we were told right after we got here.

"She looks really familiar, but I can't see her clearly because of all the blood on her in the picture," Jason explained.

"Does the file have a name?" Phil asked.

"Alex," Nate whispered.

Jason stopped walking and stared at Nate in shock. Phil and I glanced at each other quickly before Phil asked, "Who's Alex?"

"I don't really know anything about her other than the fact that she's one of Reagan's friends," Jason mumbled. "I've only seen her once."

I looked to Nate. "Why'd you freak out so much?"

"One, her and Percy are here. That's two of the orphans from this orphanage. I'm willing to bet that I know everyone here from one place or another. Two, she's covered in blood, just like everyone else here. What do you think we're supposed to do to the people here?"

"Doesn't it say in the file?" Jason asked.

"There's no way I'm reading that right now."

I sighed as we continued weaving our way through tables. Nate seemed to be trying extremely hard to not look up at the kids, keeping his eyes glued to Alex's file.

After a few more minutes passed, I saw table thirty-four. "We're getting close," I announced.

"Do you see table thirty-eight?" Phil asked.

"No, I see thirty-four, though–"

"Have the tables been in numerical order?" Phil questioned, slightly surprised.

I started to facepalm but stopped myself after realizing that several people had started staring at us. I sighed and whispered, "Did you just figure that out?"

"Sorry!" Phil whispered back. "I think I see thirty-eight up ahead, though."

After hearing this, Nate and Jason looked up. Nate peered around the room, searching for table thirty-eight, while Jason asked, "Is Alex on the table?"