Both children sat shocked and confused. They both stared at the coffee mug with confusion radiating off their faces.
"What... does that mean, Ody?" Penny whispered as she watched the mug as if she were reading it like a book.
"I-" Ody began, but they were both interrupted by the sound of a voice just outside the wood of the door.
"Ramona," was all the deep voice said as, on the outside of Devlin's office, he pointed at a screen on the wall that Penny and Ody could've never seen.
"Zere are five?" Ramona's strong accent gasped.
"It says five."
Sighing, Ramona replied, "Go find zem."
That's when the reality of the situation hit Ody and Penny. They barely had the time to plan an escape route before the door swung open. The light from the main room came and swarmed their faces and they had to blink to see Damien's face staring down at them.
The children simply stood there. They watched the man's face and tensed in fear of what he might do. Yet, instead he did nothing. Not having to say a word, Ramona came over. Her thin, uptight figure commanded respect as she glared at the children.
No one spoke to each other. Instead, they stared into each other's eyes in surprise, frustration, and fear. Minutes went by before anyone moved. When someone finally did move, the Winters still stood dumbstruck. This is what their luck had brought them; perhaps their luck had run out.
Ramona leaned over to whisper something in Damien's ear. He nodded. He didn't move a muscle, instead he watched the children, fearful that they would run or something.
Walking over to a 1900s home phone, Ramona dialed a number and left a message at the tone. She purposefully spoke in Spanish so the children wouldn't be able to understand it. The woman walked back over to the children and leaned on one hip as she crossed her arms.
"I didn't want it to come to zis but tou children leave me no choice," she sighed. "Come with me."
The children followed her to a room furnished with a long conference table and several black chairs.
Ramona, too, sat down and gestured for Damien to stand up and speak. Both children sighed internally. They had trouble making out what Ramona said due to her thick accent.
Walking to one end of the table, the large, bald man sighed as he began, "Children, this is top secret military information." Damien's voice cut through the tense silence abruptly.
Both children leaned in, eyes bulging in hopes of finally getting answers to all their questions. Out of the corner of their eyes, they could see Ramona give Damien a look. He sighed and nodded back with disappointment.
"You're in a lab that was once an experiment itself. This lab is used by the military for-"
"No, za time," Ramona interrupted with a stern look on her strict face.
Sighing, Damien continued, "Welcome to the eighth day of the week. This is Post Sunday—the 24-hour period between Sunday and Monday only the US military have access to."
Both Winters froze in confusion as they stared up at the man and then at Ramona who sighed and beckoned for Damien to elaborate.
"Post Sunday was created for the military to use for experimentation. It's where time... "freezes," so to speak, the world above except for those who make their way into this concrete lab. For 24 hours they can work in secret. That's when we work on the-" Damien paused. He noticed the way Ramona was looking at him and knew he must proceed with caution. "Well, it's when we do what Mr. Aldrich instructs us to."
There was an uncomfortable pause in the room where no one dared to speak. Penny and Ody could see the disappointment that radiated from Ramona's eyes at the fact that Damien had let another important name slip.
"And what is it that ya have to work on?" Penny spoke with such innocence in her voice that Ody figured she could probably charm just about anyone. Ramona sighed and silenced Damien just as he opened his mouth to answer.
"Zat, ustedes dos, cannot know. Tou must understand zat if tou knew, tou would be a slave to za work. Za Post Sunday Experiment is a trap for za well-educated. It finds tú and geets tú to dedicate your life to it."
"But why can't ya just leave?" Penny asked.
"Zey would find us. We signed a document promising we would work until it was understood."
"Well, why can't ya tell us then?"
"Because if tou knew, tou would have to be dragged down with us too! Listen, niños, tou must stay out of it."
That is when Ody stood up and looked at them all. "But what do you expect us to do then? Just sit here until Monday morning and then go back to our non-existent lives? I'd rather be trapped here with a purpose than tossed aside. My life's been too unpredictable and chaotic for my liking as it is."
"Yes, I do expect you'll need to leave here," Ramona glared at the rude boy.
Feeling the tension between Ody and Ms. Ammon rising, Damien spoke. At the tone of his deep voice, they all halted their tongues.
"Her word is final. We'll take you home tonight and you'll wake up tomorrow and act like this was all a dream. You do that for us, and a few years from now, we'll tell you all about everything. Secrets will stay secret and no one will get hurt."
Ramona nodded and stood up. Both of the children's hearts sank to their stomachs as they obediently followed Ramona outside the lab and into the shed. They felt like they had no other choice but to obey. Carefully making their way through the dark, Ramona took the children back to Devlin's old house. Reiterating her message, she reminded them not to go back or there' be hell to pay.
Standing outside their house, they watched until Ramona and Devlin were out of sight. Ody began to head back towards the lab but Penny grabbed his wrist.
"Wait."
"What? They can't really expect us to just sit here and forget that!"
"No, look..." Penny's voice trailed off.
Both children's heads turned to face the headlights of a black van that shone as the car drove to them. Not having the time to properly understand what was going on, they observed the car stop in front of them.
"Get in," was all the driver said.
"Why would we just hop in your car like that? We don't even know ya-"
"Because I know about the PSE, Penelope Julie Winter."
YOU ARE READING
The Post Sunday Experiment | COMPLETED 2020
AdventureAfter his parent's divorce, Ody Winter moves to New York City with his mother, leaving behind the rolling hills he and his sister grew up on. Two years later, they learn that Ody's father, scientist Devlin Jax Winter, died from a peculiar suicide...
