I am the storm

Chapter 35 | The preparations

After I left Sean's house I walked home alone uneasiness threaded in my every step, even though Shadow had broke the veil of privacy over my mother's letter, I still felt nervous and scared for his safety.

Why wouldn't he come back?

I asked myself that question all night long, but the only theory I could come up with that seemed most plausible was that after Mister Crow found The Bunker (presumably by following me), then the next thing he did would be decipher Shadow's clues he left behind. Next Mister Crow would've locked away the clues in the closet then ruined the The Bunker, after that he would have recorded the video message. Finally, he would've delivered the closet key to Patricia's house then gone to the dam and done 'something' to Shadow.

My mind wandered all night to dark places each of them progressively more horrible that the last but all of them relating to Shadow's unknown fate.

Was Shadow dead?
Was he killed by Mister Crow?
Or by the people who orchestrated The end of days killing game?

After the tortured night of restless sleep I awoke on a dreary Friday morning with dark grey clouds covering the entire sky in a blanket of darkness that encompassed any light that would have otherwise penetrated the otherwise light sky.

I dragged myself up and got ready. I got dressed into: a dark blue hooded raincoat that went down to just below my hips with white trimmings on its edges of pockets and it's buttons, a white long sleeve shirt, a pair of black pants with a black belt and a pair of black boots that went up to just above my ankles. I then grabbed everything I gathered yesterday and selected what I needed: the baton and it's holder which I threaded on my belt, the new taser and it's holder that I also threaded on the belt, the combat knife that I also threaded on my belt. Whilst I placed: the pepper spray, the LED flashlight, my phone, the PTD all inside the pockets of my backpack which I placed and fastened on my back.

I then walked downstairs and made two slices of buttered toast before walking out and eating them on the way to Sean's home, with less than ten minutes to spare.

I rasped hard on the door and within a few seconds the door opened and I walked in to see Sean and Patricia already waiting for me. Patricia wore: a white dress shirt with long sleeves, a dark brown waistcoat, brown pants with a brown belt with a golden buckle and a pair of black boots that went up to just below the knee. Along with what she wore she had a short katana looking weapon on her back held on by a black strap and a baton and a combat knife on her belt.

Meanwhile Sean wore: a light grey t-shirt under a black bullet proof vest, a pair of dark blue jeans, a black leather belt with a silver buckle and a pair of black walking boots. On his belt he had an expandable baton and a taser each attached to his belt.

Sean spoke up first "hi Alexis Patricia got here earlier and now that you're here we can leave at anytime!" He gave a friendly smile.

Patricia spoke next "is that all you're wearing it not much protection," she added as she motioned to the coat I was wearing.

I retorted quickly "well you're only wearing a shirt and a waistcoat so you can't say much!" I motioned toward Patricia sense of clothing.

Patricia gave a cocky smile before she replied with "actually this waistcoat has plating in the weave so it's basically a fashionable protective vest!" She motioned to her waistcoat with a proud look upon her face which was a nice change from her emotionless demeanour she frequently shifted into.

I conceded and decided to change the subject, "well when are we going and have you heard anything from Shadow?" Both Patricia's and Sean's faces changed to ones of thought.

Sean responded "no. Neither of us have heard anything, we have as much clue as you do" he explained in a somber tone.

I replied quickly "oh okay, umm are we ready to go?" In a quiet tone feeling slightly sick to my stomach due to the uncertainty of Shadow's fate.

Sean turned and grabbed something off a table from behind him before turning back and speaking to me and Patricia "well I was thinking last night and Shadow could be hurt so I recommend we take one of these each." Sean held up three small packages that had a red cross on each of them, they were obviously first aid kits.

"Seems fair" Patricia replied nonchalantly and I nodded in response. Me and Patricia grabbed one each and all three of us threaded them onto our belts ready for use.

"Well if that's it we should get going" Sean replied suggesting we should get going.

Patricia spoke up "well I think we should probably walk to the dam, because I think any taxi driver would probably be suspicious of us," she said as she motioned to the various weapons we were carrying.

"Agreed," I responded honestly and Sean agreed as well.

We decided it was best to do as Patricia suggested and walk to the dam. We strayed away from the roads and took mostly side roads through woods and away from most of civilisation.

Eventually, we reached the dam which honestly looked like a large light grey wall made of concrete with a few hydro-electrical turbines built inside of it. The wall would occasionally let massive amounts of water rush through from the other side which was like a large reservoir of clear water.

We looked closer at the dam and at the top was a grey door that led to a slope leading into the dam itself. The three of us walked up to the door and Patricia fearlessly tried to open the door to no avail.

Sean explained why "Look, it's electrically sealed" he motioned to the lock on the side of the door and a wire leading to the edge of the dam and a control booth about three metres by three metres and two metres tall with a flat roof.

Sean led us up to the small control booth, he pressed on the door it didn't budge. Patricia walked up to the door tapped lightly on the wood and took a few steps back. She inhaled and exhaled then within a second she bounded forward toward the door with an unnatural force, the door shuddered under the impact of her shoulder but remained closed as Patricia fell back.

I rushed over to her but not that surprisingly Patricia responded with "ah damn it didn't open." As if she hadn't just ran into a door!

"Let me try" Sean requested and me and Patricia moved out of his way as he took a few steps back and sprinted forward toward the door. Sean hitting the door splintered the wood shards flew from the door and Sean broke straight through on his first attempt as if the wooden door was nothing to him.

Sean looked back his face full of astonishment with a small cut on his right cheek probably from the wood debris from the shattering wood of the door. He gave a slight smile as me and Patricia manoeuvred our way inside the control booth inside was a panel filled with various buttons and levers.

Sean spoke first "how do we open the door then?" He asked as if we would know more than he did.

"Try them I guess" I suggested as Sean began to fiddle with the controls.

I waited until Sean gave up and I moved to the panel, I flipped a small lever, pressed two buttons out of a selection of two and pressed a green button and from outside there was a small buzz and a click of something opening, but that was drowned out by the sudden crash of a long blade sinking into the metal of the control panel with an annoyed Patricia at it's handle.

Patricia removed her blade and sheathed it before walking out and to the now open door leading into the dam itself.

We walked down a flight of stairs barely illuminated by white celling lights in long bulbs. We were descending into what could be considered hell itself, a hell on Earth created by whoever created The end of days killing game every nightmare I had suffered could be traced back to here this dam. This dam so obvious in plain sight hiding something so important in view of everyone yet everyone so clueless of its existence.