The Post Sunday Experiment | COMPLETED 2020

Chapter 17

Both children looked at each other, unsure as to what they should do. They wanted an adventure and weren't satisfied with sleeping in a house that would only be theirs for a few more hours.

Ody climbed into the back seat of the van.

Penny, looking at him as if he were insane. She opened her mouth to accuse him of stupidity but was cut off by the driver.

"Are you coming, Penny? We only have 6 hours left until the Monday morning sun fills the sky since you left the PSE lab."

What the heck. Penny sighed as she climbed into the back seat of the van, shaking her head all the while in disbelief at what she was doing.

Sliding the door shut, Penny and Ody buckled themselves into the sides of the large empty van. As soon as their eyes adjusted to the light, they looked about the back of the van with creased brows.

The walls were made of a strange concrete and foam, so very different from any other van they'd seen; that was the first detail that made them uneasy. That's when Penny noticed the strange pipes that led to the roof.

"Ody, we need to get out of here." Penny's whisper trailed off as her eyes shot to the smirk of the driver in the rear-view mirror.

She caught sight of the driver's hand darting towards a switch. He flipped it and a white smoke came pumping in through the pipes like mist.

Unsure of what was going on, she whispered to her brother, "Hold your breath, Ody!" Penny panicked as she tugged on her seat belt that didn't seem to want to let her go.

"Hush children." The driver spoke in a calm, monotone voice. "Breathe. It won't be long before you're safely in Washington DC."

That was the last thing the children heard before they were forced to breathe in the melatonin smoke. They fell into a deep sleep that lasted the entire six-hour drive.

***

Hours later on Monday morning

Eric paced back and forth as Mae spoke on the phone with the police as she discussed the report for her missing children. Since they hadn't come home, they had begun to wonder if the children had run away at all. It was possible that someone could've kidnapped them, but they couldn't imagine why someone would take the children.

It wasn't long after, when the doorbell rang. Ms. Ramona stood behind the wood to talk to Eric like promised. Her slim, frail figure shone delicately in the sunlight, yet her face reflected no such softness or delicateness.

Her clenched jaw and stern eyes bore into Eric as he opened the door. It felt as though she were trying to read his soul.

"Come in," he gestured warmly. "Do not mind the mess. The movers will be coming in a few hours to haul all these boxes away."

"Eric, is it?" her strong accent filled the room. "Eric Bhurr?"

"Yes ma'am," spoke Eric with the utmost respect though he was at least five years older. Looking into her deep brown eyes, he had a feeling that paled in comparison for her. By the way her hard face looked at him, he knew that she had a story.

"So, tou are a botanist that studied under Devlin?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hm, and tou are willing to take zis job?" her stern gaze as if he would say no. "Tou know zat tou must give up much for zis."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well zen, I'll have tou read zis, zink zis over, and sign here." Ramona handed him a ten-page stack of papers with tiny black text covering them. "At za bottom, tou will find an address. Go to zat at za time and date presented when you have decided whether to accept after reading zis or not and we will show tou what it is tou will be doing."

Nodding, the woman rose and turned to leave. Before she reached the door, Eric called after her.

"Ms. Ammon?" She turned to face him. "You... haven't happened to have seen two children? Devlin's perhaps? One tall and skinny with black hair and the other with long brown braids? I understand if you haven't, but they were looking for you-"

"Yes," she interrupted, her countenance not telling him anymore. "I have seen zem. Did zey not come home- last night?" She hesitated as her eyes showed her fear.

"No, they didn't. Do you know where you saw them last?"

The woman simply sighed and walked up to Eric.

His whole body tensed as she stood three inches away from his face. Then, she simply looked down and pointed at the address and time on the sheet.

"I tell tou zen." She turned to leave without another word.