Operation SOE

Chapter 1

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"Uggh. Would you shut up already?" I muttered in annoyance, reaching over to silence my blaring alarm. It was already 7:30 AM.

"I really hate waking up early," I grumbled, wondering if everyone else felt the same way. It seemed like just another day in the dorm. My roommate had already left, as was their usual routine. My mind began to navigate through the tasks and responsibilities awaiting me that day.

With a struggle, I managed to pull myself out of bed, determined not to succumb to another bout of sleepiness. I hurriedly made my way to the bathroom before it closed for cleaning. To my surprise, there were no signs of the janitor or anyone else inside.

Returning to my room, I switched on my laptop and logged into Facebook. As I scrolled through the newsfeed, I noticed that all the posts were from the previous night. I lingered online for a few more minutes, but all I came across were old updates.

Grabbing my towel, I headed back to the bathroom to take a shower. It remained empty, which was unusual for that time of day after the cleaning schedule. As I contemplated the absence of any fresh scent of cleaning chemicals, I checked my watch—it was set correctly. Regardless, I decided to proceed with my shower and returned to my room.

"What a refreshing feeling," I thought, relishing the rejuvenation. I got dressed and realized my roommate hadn't returned yet, which began to feel increasingly peculiar. I packed my backpack and set off to grab breakfast before class.

Making my way to the dining hall, I couldn't shake the growing unease caused by the lack of people and ambient noise. Normally, I would have crossed paths with someone by now. A strange sense of loneliness and isolation settled upon me.

I approached the doors of the dining hall, only to find them locked. The lights were off, and there was an eerie absence of anyone inside. "Is there a holiday that I forgot about?" I pondered, quickly checking the calendar. Today was just an ordinary day. Something peculiar was definitely happening.

I managed to procure a snack from the vending machine and started jogging towards my first class. Yet, as I scanned my surroundings, I saw no one. The bus stops stood empty, the roads devoid of cars and bikes. I should have encountered numerous individuals by this time of day.

Finally arriving at my destination, I soon discovered that the entire building was deserted. Not even the lights were on. Panic began to set in as I frantically ran through various scenarios in my mind. Was it an unexpected holiday that had slipped my mind? Impossible. Could this be an elaborate prank for a TV show? But why go to such lengths, solely for me? No... it had to be something else entirely. Was I trapped within a vivid dream? No, my dreams always had bizarre occurrences that vanished as abruptly as they appeared. Could it be an alien abduction? Yet, if they were capable of missing me, then there must be others.

All my theories seemed feeble and irrational, as panic started to gnaw at my nerves. Discarding my backpack, I began to sprint wildly, desperately calling out for anyone, striving to locate a single soul. I attempted to call and message a couple of friends, but received no response. Checking my phone notifications, I discovered they were all automated. Placing my phone back in my pocket, I stood there for a moment, feeling my head spin and my breathing grow heavier. Tears welled up in my eyes as I searched desperately for answers.

"Where is everybody?" I thought, the words echoing in my mind.

Seeking solace, I plugged in my headphones and immersed myself in my favorite playlist. As I wandered through the campus, I surveyed the serenity surrounding me, momentarily detaching myself from the mystery of everyone's disappearance. The campus appeared eerily tranquil and beautiful without the bustling presence of people. It sent a shiver down my spine, yet I tried to cling to that sensation, cherishing it as much as I could.

Eventually, hunger gnawed at my stomach. Obtaining food would be a challenge without anyone to serve me or open the dining halls, but breaking in seemed like my only option. A thought occurred to me—why not call 911? Surely, no prank or holiday would deter emergency services from their duty. Hope surged within me as I retrieved my phone, dialed the three digits, and pressed the call button. However, my hope waned as no operator answered on the other end. If there were others besides me, the lines must be overloaded. It must have been a catastrophic event if even emergency services were unable to handle it.

I trudged back to my dormitory and made my way to the dining hall. Having worked there last year, I knew the loading dock was padlocked, but I also remembered the combination. Unlocking the doors, I entered, futilely calling out for anyone, just in case. Silence greeted me, and I descended downstairs to the cooler. It contained everything necessary to appease my hunger. I prepared some omelets, despite my less-than-impressive cooking skills, hoping they would do the trick.

Sated, I returned the remaining food to the cooler, washed the dishes I had dirtied, and retreated to my dorm room.

Once again, I powered on my laptop, aimlessly scrolling through Facebook. I found no posts from the past five hours. It felt as if, by some twist of fate, I was the last human on Earth. Although I had no concrete proof, I knew deep down that I had no one left to interact with, except for Siri.

Hours passed as I watched anime and played video games. Eventually, I reopened Facebook, and this time, something caught my eye—a post at the top of my feed, shared just two hours ago.