Sealed

Part 3 - Before

 Lindsay's eyes fluttered open. She was lying on a blanket, her head against a cushion, facing up at the ceiling of the mall. For a moment, she was confused. How had she gotten here? Then she looked to her right and saw Jason there, looking over her.

Lindsay sat up with a start her heart beating rapidly. She looked around the fort, breathing heavily.

"Where are they?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Where are they? Where are they?"

"Easy," Jason said, grabbing her shoulder.

Lindsay started to steady her breathing, then she noticed Leonard and Alex standing guard beside two of the cushions. Alice sat down across from her, facing away. Lindsay looked at her for a few moments, then leaned back on her hands.

"Are we safe?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Jason said.

"The monsters?"

"Ran off. They're probably in their hiding place."

Lindsay sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. The low moans greeted her in response.

"What did you say to them?" Alice asked.

Lindsay looked down at her in time to see her shift in place so that the two were looking eye to eye.

"You said we could kill them," Alice said. "And that they knew it. Why?"

Lindsay shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. "I just... I just know that they're afraid of us. Afraid of you. They took me because I was some sort of... some sort of weakness. And they didn't want you holding onto me."

"Well, it's great that we know that," Alex said. Everyone looked to him now. "But shouldn't get to work on those orbs? You know, those things we spent our time trying to get?"

Leonard nodded in agreement.

Jason looked to the fountain. Lindsay pushed herself up and looked into it. The orbs glittered up at her. Lindsay reached out, then stopped.

"So, do we just take them?" she asked.

"You just touch one," Alex said. "Then you'll fall asleep and wake up where you were before. That's what it was like for me, anyway."

"We shouldn't do it all at once," Alice said. "They didn't want us to have these orbs. There's a good chance they'll come after us now while we're using them."

"One at a time," Alex said. "With everyone else taking guard."

"Then, who goes first?" Lindsay asked quietly. She didn't look away from the orbs.

"I think we all know the correct answer to that question," Alice said.

Lindsay tore her eyes away from the orbs and looked around. All eyes were on her.

"You think... those things have a connection to why I'm here?" she asked.

"I think they're connected to all of it," Alice said. "But you especially. We should have you go first so we can find out what they're hiding ASAP."

Lindsay leaned against the fountain. For a few seconds, she said nothing. After seeing Alex just lying there, seemingly dead, she was afraid of touching the orbs. She was afraid of leaving herself at everyone's mercy. But they were right. She had important knowledge about what's going on, even if she didn't remember it. She was the most important person to touch the orbs.

"Okay," she said, closing her eyes. She opened them again after a few seconds. "Okay. Just... don't let them get me, okay?"

"Of course not," Alex said.