Zone Albrecht

10. The Memoirs

Author's Note: Jordan and Julie R. POVs in this one. Shoutout to goonbaggie 'cause she's awesome. Don't forget to vote and comment on Zone Albrecht if you enjoy the story! And make sure to add it to your reading list so you receive all the updates! :)

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My eyes widened in shock along with those of every single other student in the room as they all turned to me. I swear all those eyes peering at me only added to how uncomfortable I already felt, but most of all the damn shock.

"That explains the voices," I thought at that moment. Yes. It did explain the voices, it explained it all too well, and at the realization that I could have been Jordan number two, my bones were ultimately chilled, my whole self paralyzed in horror. All this as Lila watched me silently, almost as if I was responsible for everything.

"His name was Jordan indeed, and he died inside the Door. The fate of those entering the Door is rumored to be much worse than that of those in the Zones, even." There was a slightly longer moment of tense silence before Julie spoke a bit shyly. My eyes were stuck on her hand, the one with the missing fingers. It was repulsive and disturbing, of course, but such is human nature that it can't help but be fascinated by anything horrible, considered 'taboo', or out of the ordinary. Angela would have told you that better than I would have. She had ... unique interests, though interesting I suppose.

"You mentioned dangerous rooms, didn't you?" Julie asked. Lila nodded solemnly before answering.

"Indeed: 'the Rooms', I'm sure some of you have already had the misfortune of experiencing them. The institution is full of them. Most of these quarters are occupied, mostly by memories, if not by toys of the Zone itself, or even a few spirits. Angela has had the opportunity of seeing one of these this very day, so you can perfectly ask her what the encounter was like. Julie R. also has a few stories to share about the Zone's particular 'sense of humor'. There have been many cases of teenagers disappearing inside the rooms. Now I'm warning you: some of them may seem very convincing. They'll tell you –"

"Who?" Logan interrupted.

"The voices of the spirits, ghosts, toys of the Zone or whatever, they'll tell you that if you get in, all your friends will resurrect to life, that you'll finally escape this place, that all will be okay. Some will even show you illusions of those people: IT'S ALL FAKE!" she suddenly shouted, making us bolt upward. "IT'S ALL A LIE! Don't be like all the ones before you, don't do this, don't believe what they tell you because it will only accelerate your end!"

"Wait a minute!" someone suddenly exclaimed. I saw with no surprise that it was Maxence the retard. Angela was busing shooting him a pissed off and embarrassed 'SHUT UP YOU DUMBASS' glance, but he wasn't subtle enough to catch it. "YOU'RE WORKING FOR THE ZONE! So how do we know that this isn't a trap and that you're not hiding something from us?!"

Lila flared, making Maxence flinch, and if she had been human, her cheeks would have probably turned a crimson-like color.

"You idiot! Stop believing you're better than everybody else! The Zone does not care one way or the other what I tell you for, no matter what I say, you will still die! Or fall into the endless traps it holds! I'm only doing this to inform you, to make you last a while longer, but you're a fool if you think that this information will permit you to escape or live, one way or the other! It is merely to try to aid you a bit! But my patience with your person is seriously growing thin, and by continuing to act like that, you just might precipitate your own death! Now shut up, because if I hear one more word from you, I swear I will drag you to one of these Rooms myself!"