Welcome to the City of Lancaster

Chapter Nineteen

Sam's POV

"I assume you guys are well rested?" Ranger Ripley asks them all the question.
Sam and the others murmured their answers, he kept his eyes on his hands and focused on keeping his emotions locked away.
"Are you up for some questions?" The female ranger asks.
Sam looks away not giving them an answer, did he even feel like talking right now?
"I'm up for it," Sam glances up at Abby, she didn't look scared but more determined. He admired her in this moment.
"Yeah, I should be up for it too," Sam adds wanting to be brave as well.
Calum didn't say anything, he just nodded his head.
"Okay," Ripley turns to Abby. "I'll be happy to speak to you Miss Johnson."
"Actually, I would like to speak to Miss Johnson, if that's all right with you," Ranger Ace moves over towards Abby. Sam glances at Calum who also was watching the exchange between the two rangers.
Something felt off.
"Are you well enough to go for a walk?" The ranger asks Abby who nods, Sam quickly looks away so he wasn't caught watching but from the corner of his eye, he could see Abby looking back as Calum also follows the female ranger from the room.
"Hello, Samuel," ranger Robin takes a seat in Calum's chair. "Are you sure you are up for some questions?"
Sam just nods.
"Whose idea was it to go out there?"
"Mine and Calum's," Sam says.
"Why did you want to go out there?"
"To see if it what was said is true or not and obviously, it was true."
Ranger Robin was jointing down on his notepad what Sam was saying, he waited for another question.
"Why did you bring Abigail with you?"
"We asked, she came," Sam says. He did not need to drag Liam into this.
"You do realise that you three have been missing for three days, correct?"
Sam blinked. "Three days? You can't be serious."
"The maze may seem like it has been hours and sometimes time may not even pass at all. It is quite a scary place."
Sam shivered.
How could three days have passed? He closed his eyes to control his breathing, he exhaled and looked forward.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Do you want to continue?"
"Yes."
If they continue, it'll be over and done with.
"It is our understanding that you were the one who found Miss Johnson?"
Sam snorts. "More like I watched a purple portal open up and her falling through it. She fell into the river not too far from the academy and I saved her."
Robin nodded. "How well do you know her?"
"I know the basics. She's not exactly one who likes to go around sharing her life story."
Robin nods as he continues to write. Sam narrows his eyes. "Why do you want to know about Abby?"
"We've been meaning to come speak to Miss Johnson but due to our mission having to be extended, we arrived later than expected and how surprised we were that Miss Johnson and the two young men are missing. Anything could have happened."
He closes his notebook and looks around as if he was afraid of being overheard.
"No one can know about Miss Johnson," he whispers. "It's not safe."
Sam frowns. "From who?"
"Anyone. Not even ranger Ripley knows, there are a few who are trusted and those who are deemed untrustworthy will have their memories wiped."
"Only vampires can do that."
"You'd be surprised on what people can do," the guy winks.
"And why doesn't your comrade know?" Sam asks.
"The less people know the better."
Sam nods slowly. "And how would you know who is trusted or not?"
"We have files on everyone, anyone who knows about her. If someone spills, we will find out and they will be thrown into prison."
"Good."
Calum returns with the other ranger behind him.
"Are we finished?" Sam asks.
"Yes, if there is anything else, I will contact you," ranger Robin smiles. "Rest easy."
He gets up and goes over to the other ranger, the two spoke in low voices to one another. Calum sits back into the chair.
"You okay?" He asks.
"Wish people would stop asking me that," Sam responds.
"Well, you did use a lot of your power and you were out for a long time."
Sam smiles. "I was badass out there."
Calum grins but it drops. "How did the questioning go?"
Sam looks over at the two rangers who seemed deep in conversation, probably about the questioning so Sam leaned in closer to his friend.
"I think there is more going on here than what we know," Sam whispers. "We will need to talk as soon as possible."
"As soon as they let us leave, we'll meet back at the dorm in my room."
Sam frowns. "What about Abby?"
"What about her?"
"She was with us, she is with one of the rangers right now and has information as well."
"Information?"
"It involves her too."
Calum rolls his eyes looking annoyed.
"What is your problem?" Sam was confused by Calum's words, he thought there was something between those two, clearly he was wrong.
"Right now I don't a shit about her so how about you and I just focus on getting out of here and then we will talk."
Ranger Ace comes walking interrupting the conversations on both sides and stops looking around confused.
"Where is Miss Johnson?"
"She was with you," Sam says frowning.
Ranger Ace frowns and looks up motioning for his comrades to follow him. Sam throws off the bedsheet to get up, he staggers a little but regains his balance.
"Sam!" Calum calls out.
"Something is wrong here," Sam says turning to his friend. "Something feels really wrong,."
"Samuel, get back into bed right now," demanded an angry Amara.

Abby's POV

I should've been back at the room by now, I turned another corner.
"What in hell?"
Someone had to be playing a prank, a prank that wasn't even funny.
"Seriously," I muttered. "It's not funny."
I turned another corner but it was the same thing, I suddenly felt like I was back in the maze, turning every corner and getting no where. I felt my chest tighten and it was a struggle to breath, I leaned against the wall trying to swallow but my mouth was dry.
"I need to calm down," I tell myself. But it was a struggle, I sank down against the wall until I was sitting on the floor.
Flashbacks from the maze continuously kept popping into my head, I closed my eyes. I cannot let some stupid prank get the better of me or whatever was happening, any minute that ranger Ace guy was going to come and help me go back into the infirmary. I opened my eyes and looked around, I focused on my breathing. My greatest fear is Shawn, I beat him in the maze. He tried to hurt me and god knows what else he would've done but I beat him. That feeling of triumph made things easier. And we escaped, we were not in the maze anymore. We are free and back in the academy. Slowly I felt myself being released from the hold and once I felt calm, I stood up.

I started to walk towards the end of the corridor until my body felt like someone had taken control over me. I stopped and when I tried to move, I couldn't. I tried forcing my my legs to move but I couldn't. Even when I tried speaking.
What the hell?!
Something cold brushed along my cheek causing shivers to go down my spine.
"You have been chosen," whispers a voice. "Bear the mark of Damodar and when the time comes, you will come to us," the voice whispers in my ear sending a shiver down my spin. The voice begins to chant in a language I couldn't understand and my vision began to fade, I felt like I was about to throw up.
"You won't remember this until I tell you too," the voice whispers. "For now, go about your day as normal."
A white light flashed before my eyes and pain exploded in my forehead.
I had no idea what had happened next but ranger Ace was hovering over me, well, he was quite blurry.
"Abigail..." he was calling out to me.
I blinked trying to clear my vision.
"Abigail?"
"What?"
I slowly sat up with the ranger's help.
"Are you okay?"
I groaned. "I'm fine, just got a splitting headache."
"What happened?"
"I don't know, I think I passed out."
Ranger Ace looked at me like he didn't believe me.
"Can I please go back to the infirmary, my head is killing me."
I rubbed my forehead hoping to ease the pain of it but it was not subsiding. He helps me to my feet and the other male ranger puts his arm around me.
"No, I'm fine," I tell him.
He backs off a little.
"Ripley, take her back to the infirmary, Robin and I will search the area."
"What for?" I questioned.
"Just a precaution," ranger Robin assures me.
"Come along Miss Johnson," ranger Ripley says and we both start walking back towards the infirmary.
As we walked, she asks, 'what happened?' But I just shook my head.
"I don't know," I tell her.
"Okay, let's get Amara to check you out."
I nodded. I did not feel bad at all for lying by the voice said I wouldn't remember what had happen but for some reason I did remember. I was scared and did not trust any of them, I couldn't even tell if it was a male or female. I walked back into the infirmary, Sam was still in his bed and Calum was now on his bed.
I took a deep breath. "How did we all go?" I ask not liking the atmosphere of the room.
"I bet it was the same as you," Calum snaps at me, I looked at him in shock.
"Calum!" Sam snaps at him.
"What?"
I felt the tension in the room. I could take a hint, I pressed my lips together and hopped into my bed, I rolled onto my side with my back the both of them because I didn't want anyone to see the tears.