Chapter Two: Curtains Are Closed

Song: Slow Dancing In The Dark by Joji

"Hey, uh . . . Lucian? Wake up!"

"Huh? Wha—" I rose up from my bed as soon as consciousness hit me. I had fallen asleep. Looking around our room, I wished that I had never woken up. In my dreams, everything was normal. Now my stomach twisted as I relived the helicopter crash in my head. "What's wrong?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Your watch is ringing," Vincent said as he sat next to me on the bed. "Or, well, it was until a minute ago. I think it's something important."

I raised my hand and stared at the bracelet. It was currently flashing an alert message. I tapped it once and a robotic male voice spoke loud and clear, scaring the both of us.

"Due to a large amount of residents, we have released a schedule to all of the members of The Widow's Web to keep order. You will be notified thirty minutes before you can leave your rooms to visit The Center and have breakfast, lunch and dinner or to visit the convenience store to get any supplies you need."

"We really got the short end of the stick, didn't we?" I said as our times popped up. Web 1 started an early breakfast and us on 6 were basically going to have brunch.

"I'm just grateful to be alive," Vincent muttered.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, looking at him. His eyes were still red and sad. "Did you get any sleep?"

"No."

"I don't know how I got sleep, honestly." I wasn't going to lie, I cringed when I saw the time. I had slept through the entire night. How did I ever manage to do that? My thoughts were running forever. The opposite should have happened.

"Crying does make you sleepy," he said.

I pondered if it was a good idea or not to be open with my feelings and my thoughts. He and I were strangers, but we were going to be roommates for a long time until it was safe to go back to the surface, and who knew when the fuck that was gonna be. I was positive I wasn't going to know anyone in here, so I should start making friends, right?

"My parents died on our way here," I confessed. "So I don't know how I passed out. I haven't stopped thinking about it and it hurts in every way possible."

"I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "We were so close . . ."

"I want to believe my family is alive, but I don't know," he said as he stared at the ground. "My parents weren't here but my sister was. I don't have to wonder about that one. I know she's gone. I tried calling her so many times but she never picked up. I hope that means she was asleep. It makes me feel a little better."

Vincent had a very soothing and deep voice, but he was having trouble keeping his emotions under control. I didn't blame him, nobody in this life knew how to prepare for this.

"We have a few hours until breakfast, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you up before it's time," I told him.

"I'll try." He left my bed and went to his, pulling off the sheets and wrapping himself up until he was camouflaged in all the warm comfort.

I picked up the duffel bag and dropped it on my bed. As I unzipped it, a few envelopes fell out. Curiously, I went through the bag and was disappointed to find nothing important. There were books, medicine for my mother, clothes, and a mysterious little case that was locked with a code. I opened the envelopes and a bunch of papers flew out. I looked through them and found blueprints, something I was used to seeing a lot. I tossed them aside and opened the next folder, hoping for something good, but it was just more blueprints.

I sighed deeply.

How could my parents not tell me about this? I was old enough to understand. It could have prepared me better. Maybe it could have even changed their fate if I knew what was coming. But now I was alone and there was nothing left of them. Not a single note or answers except stupid books and blueprints.

Then again, it wasn't all too surprising. My parents had been secretive all my life. Many questions were now forever buried in the wasteland above our heads and left to never resurface. It irked me to the point that my hands turned to fists and my eyes watered.

I put everything away and pushed the duffel bag under the bed. I laid back on my bed, hands behind my head, staring at the ceiling, and wondered what the rest of the bunker looked like.

☢

When it was time, my bracelet vibrated and startled me. A television appeared on the wall just over the bathroom door and turned on. It was showing the breakfast schedule and had all of the webs crossed out, leaving six.

It was time.

I walked over to Vincent, who was still asleep, and gently shook his body. He moved a little but ignored my touch for the most part.

"Vincent, wake up," I said quietly, then remembered I was trying to wake him up not keep him in his dream world. "Vincent, it's time to eat!"

Finally he heard my voice and turned on his back, opening those unforgettable eyes. The grays landed on me and we looked at each other for a few seconds, neither of us saying a single word. Maybe he had dreamt that it was all just a nightmare, and now that his eyes fixated on me he was upset that it was real and not some sick joke his mind came up with.

"What time is it?" he asked as he swung his legs over the bed and planted his feet on the ground.

"Ten thirty."

"Ten thirty?"

"There's a lot of people in this web," I explained as he rubbed the sleep off his eyes. "The first half starts at ten, we start at ten thirty."

"How do you know that?"

I threw him the pamphlet I had read for the last two hours. "Read it when we get back."

He tucked it under the bed sheets and got up, stretching his arms. Although he hadn't slept that long, he looked better and the red in his eyes was gone. Now I could properly appreciate them without being reminded of the sadness that surrounded us.

"I'm ready," he said.

I took a deep breath before opening the door, expecting a great deal of people marching down the halls with profound suffering engraved on their tear-stained faces, but there was no one.

Vincent matched my worried expression. We looked around until we met the main hall that lead straight to The Center. We sighed in relief when we saw a couple of women walking back.

"Perhaps we're late?" Vincent suggested.

"We're on time," I assured.

We took the main hall, which we shared with section 5, and walked for what seemed an eternity. We passed by the other webs but couldn't view inside for they were guarded by massive black doors and a scanner. One woman who was walking back from The Center opened one of the metallic doors and we managed to peek inside for a couple of seconds before it closed again. Web 6 didn't have the same luxuries that the others had, but to be fair it hadn't been completed. If they had more time, Web 6, although small in comparison, would have been just as clean and pleasant.

The Center was written in bold letters over a futuristic door. The door was wide and had the same design as the one protecting the other webs. Slowly, I approached the scanner and hovered my bracelet under the blue light. It beeped, signaling that it was approved. I stepped back as the door split in half and the two halves got pulled into the wall.

"Whoa," Vincent said as he walked in first, his eyes wide and his mouth round like a child walking into a candy store.

The Center was a hundred times more than I thought it was going to be. It was everything. Inside was gloomy and cold, the floor and the walls were transparent with images and videos plastered everywhere, containing information about the bunker, which clearly was more than just a simple bunker.

"Please move to the left if you're here for your breakfast," said a woman who had been standing nearby watching us gawk at the map of the bunker right below our feet.

Only a couple of steps in front of us was a railing aimed to stop anyone from falling over the edge of what seemed to be five floors below. And when I looked up? Another five floors. Was this a mall?

"We should go, the lady is staring at us," Vincent said, nervously moving around me to start exploring.

To the left of us was a simple wall with a dozen screens. The screens flashed numerous of food options, and included the ingredients used. Since we were underground with no natural way of creating food, nothing was organic and undoubtedly wouldn't taste the same.

"When you've selected a meal, simply hover your bracelet in front of the screen and continue moving to the right," said the same woman from earlier, who was just as kind looking as Calista and the booth lady.

There was a price under every screen. Fifty credits for the strawberry pancakes, syrup, eggs with bacon and a glass of orange juice. I wondered how similar they would taste to the real thing. I chose that one and waved my wrist in front of the screen. It blinked in green, accepting the order. Vincent wanted the same, so I waved a second time.

Next to the screens was a counter with a complex machine hovering above. It moved its robotic arms without a sound, pulling out two trays out of thin air and effortlessly placing plates and other silverware on top.

"This is the breakfast station," the woman said. "It cannot be used for lunch or dinner meals. If you look around, you'll see two other stations meant precisely for those."

When the machine finished filling our cups with cold orange juice, we took our trays and moved further in, spotting empty tables. As we sat down, I noticed that there was a small bridge in the middle, leading into an elevator that was constantly being used to go up, but never down.

"Excuse me!" I waved a hand at the same woman, who was standing around the railings smiling.

"Yes?" she said, scurrying to our table.

"What are the floors? The pamphlet didn't give a lot of information about The Center."

"No one is allowed under, but to make sure we have a good relationship with all of our citizens, we've made the floors transparent so you can see everything that goes on."

"But what's down there?"

"The heart of the spider, or more commonly known as our generator. It's what will keep this place flowing for many years to come. There are also floors dedicated to producing food, supplies and clothes. Another floor was also designed for our scientists to continue working, improving our lives here in The Widow's Web, and making sure that we have a future outside once it's safe."

"And above?"

"The floor right above us has little stores where you can buy supplies you may need like clothes, toothbrushes, shampoo, and even snacks!"

"Really?" Vincent said.

"Yes. It's best to eat then go upstairs to get the supplies you need then go back to your rooms. Everything is chaotic right now so we're trying to establish a proper schedule that everyone is happy with."

"Why are there no people around?" Vincent asked.

"You were the last people in the schedule. I apologize, I know it's not very welcoming, but I assure you it will be fixed. There's actually people upstairs right now. I'll leave you to your breakfast, if you need help, don't be afraid to ask any of the attendants." She walked away with her hands behind her back and disappeared through a door.

"Ready to see what the food looks like?" Vincent asked as he held his hand over the lid protecting what was inside.

I sighed. "I'm ready."

We pulled the lid off and then looked at each other.

"This looks normal," he said.

I chuckled. "Yeah, what a let down. I'd be much happier if we got mystery meat."

"I can . . . hear your sarcasm."

I stabbed the pancakes with my fork and took the first bite. As I chewed and savored, Vincent leaned forward and moved a strand of hair out of my face and tugged it behind my ear.

"Okay?" I said, confused and a little stunned.

"Sorry, it was bothering me."

It distracted me from the fact that the food tasted odd, which in a way I was thankful for. The syrup wasn't as sweet, the pancakes were bland and heavily depended on the flavor of the strawberries. The bacon . . . it hurt my soul. The eggs also had a distinct taste, but could pass. The orange juice was too sweet, the kids would love it though.

When our stomachs weren't empty anymore, we got up and left everything on the table. A sticker on the clear glass said to leave it, an attendant would tend to the mess. There weren't even any trash cans in sight.

We walked over the little bridge and waited for the elevator to come down. There was no button to call it but seemed to function by a trigger that you stepped on. We watched the elevator bring down a family of five with happy smiles and bags in their hands. I tried not to think about my family and failed. I cleared my throat and blinked til my eyes were dry.

We stepped into the elevator and began to observe the screens around us. A woman I'd never seen was speaking about the bunker. She was young and beautiful, with natural red hair and brown eyes, wearing a uniform far superior than that of the attendants. She was important.

When we got off the elevator, the screen simply followed us by riding the floor we walked over. My attention was quickly pulled away by the strange memories of being in a mall. I was right, this looked like a mall. There were stores everywhere and people walked in and out like nothing was wrong. Had we all gone mad?

"This is weird," Vincent said. "But cool, I guess."

"You're not a man of many words," I said.

"I'm easily pleased, especially when there's nothing left."

"You got me."

The first store that caught our eyes was a clothing store. I wasn't gonna lie, I was curious as hell, and we also needed clothes. We entered and were instantly hit by hypnotizing techno music. The attendant in this store had wild blue hair sticking out in every direction. She was dancing by herself.

"I don't have any clothes, do you?" Vincent asked.

"No."

I kept my eyes on the attendant while we searched through the racks. The clothes were soft and new, no brands, only appeared to have been made for this bunker. They were plain with no designs or exciting pictures. I took some simple shirts, pants and two grey sweaters. Vincent picked out a few packets of socks, briefs and beanies for us. We didn't spend too long in the store as we didn't know how much time we had left to be in The Center. I paid with my bracelet and we moved to the next store, a convenience store.

This place was messing with my mind. It appeared so normal and my mind accepted it easily as if we weren't in a bunker. Maybe that was the point. Who knew how long we'd be in here? A year? Ten years? Twenty? We were going to need normality in a place like this.

The convenience store was just like every corner store you visited with your friends after getting your allowance and spending it all on junk food. It truly did have everything. The snacks were questionable, but we avoided those. We got what we needed and left in a hurry.

"Thanks again, by the way," Vincent said when we were in the elevator.

"You don't have to thank me."

"I do. I don't even know where I'd be if you hadn't agreed to help me."

"Well, I'm happy I had the opportunity to help you," I said, smiling back awkwardly as the elevator stopped.

"Hello, boys." A girl stood in front of us, blocking the little bridge. My eyes were immediately attracted to her brown impeccable skin, her curly bob brown hair, and the big fur coat on her shoulders. She wore a pencil skirt and a crop top underneath that huge coat. "We haven't met yet. My name is Aura."

"Vincent."

"Lucian."

"Since it's officially our first day, I'm throwing a party at my place and you're invited."

"A party? Where?" I asked.

"Show me your bracelet," she said, waving a finger. She did something with hers before holding them side by side. "There, now you have access to Web 1 in Section 6." She went to do the same with Vincent but lost her smile when she saw he wasn't wearing a bracelet. Instead of asking about it, she turned back to me. "It's at midnight. Don't come early, don't come late. See you both later!" Vincent and I moved aside to let her through. She jumped into the elevator and waved at us, a cute smile on her face as she vanished into the next floor.

"I'm glad there's people our age, at least," Vincent said as we left The Center.

"Do you want to go?" I asked.

"If you want to."

I'd been to plenty of parties in my lifetime and I wouldn't mind going to one here in the bunker, I was just nervous. Aside from Vincent and I, everyone seemed to have a pretty good idea of what was going on. We were the only two in the dark. I was afraid of looking stupid. I was afraid that I wouldn't make any friends. What if no one liked me?

When we were back in our room, we put away our new things and tested out the bathroom. It was a really nice bathroom with all things considered. It had a shower, a bathtub, a double sink with a wide mirror and another closet. Best part? There was hot water.

"I'm gonna shower," Vincent said as I laid back on my bed with one of my mother's books.

"I'll be here."

I began to read the first page of the book and stopped before I even finished the first paragraph. These books were the last thing I had of my mother. No photos, no sentimental objects, nothing but my memories. I wanted to save these books and read them when things became too difficult, when I felt lonely or depressed. This was my only way of being close to her again.

The books were tossed back under my bed. I went to Vincent's bed and retrieved the pamphlet. It didn't have a whole lot of information. I knew I skipped a few pages, so I went back to those. At first they looked uninteresting, but once I read through them, I learned that the television had channels. I found the remote in one of the closets and pressed the power button straightaway.

A woman appeared, the same one from before. She was stunning to look at. Her ginger hair was long and wavy, cascading down her small shoulders. Her eyes were dark and serious. She was speaking, but the sound was on mute. Right as I unmuted, the screen faded to black. Now it was giving us a countdown to the start of a movie.

I groaned and sat back on my bed. She must have been talking more about the bunker. I missed everything and I knew it was important, it had to be.

Vincent came out a few minutes later, dripping wet with only a towel wrapped around his waist. My eyes went straight to the bump between his legs, but I looked away mortified as Vincent raised his brows.

Without a word spoken, I grabbed a few things and went straight into the bathroom. My heart was racing. Probably because of the embarrassment I was feeling. Either way, I shook it off, removed my clothes, and got in the shower. The water was so warm on my skin. It was the most relaxing and pure thing since joining the bunker. I had no idea how any of this worked, but I didn't care anymore.

I was alive and that was all that mattered now.

I spent quite some time in the shower. Eventually I had to turn the water off. Even if I didn't know where it came from, surely it could run out, right? Logically? For all I know they could turn off my water if I kept wasting it.

Before I left the bathroom, I made sure I was dry and not naked. Vincent was on his bed laughing while he watched the movie on the television screen. He had a cute laugh. Not contagious, just something you could appreciate in these dark times.

☢

When lunch time came, it was cancelled, sort of. Instead of us going to The Center, the attendants came to us. Dozens of women wearing the same uniform walked in unison down every hall, every section and every web. They captivated us with their beauty and gleeful smiles as they handed out trays of food.

"Our apologies," they said before moving on to the next room.

"What do you think is going on?" Vincent said as I handed him his tray.

"I don't know. You can prepare, store things away, but when it comes down to the real thing, everything is different. When the end of the world is just above your head, how easy could it be maintaining order?"

"You're a man of many words, aren't you?" he said, smirking from across the room.

"I didn't even know about this place until yesterday," I said as I sat on the edge of my bed with a tray on my lap. "My parents never told me a single thing."

"Maybe they didn't want to scare you. I wouldn't like to hear about a nuclear bomb. I'd never sleep again."

We pulled off the lid from our plates, it was a burger with a bottle of water. I picked it up with both of my hands and went in, expecting some kind of veggie burger or fake meat, but it was real.

"How are we eating this thousands of feet underground?" I asked once I had swallowed.

Vincent shrugged. "I'm not gonna ask questions. I'm gonna enjoy this because I know it won't last."

The attendants came back half an hour later to collect the trays and any other trash we had laying around.

Vincent and I took a nap after eating and it lasted through the entire day until my bracelet woke me up, alerting me it was time for dinner. We had to walk back to The Center and repeat the same thing we had done during breakfast. The side with dinner was wider and had more options. There were hundreds of tables and at least half of them were taken. It was nice to be around so many people. It made things feel a little more normal.

We headed back to our room without visiting the other upper floors. The party was starting in three hours and the excitement was running through our veins. We were more relaxed, although the black hole still lingered in my chest like a cold reminder, but like I said before, I handled things differently than other people.

Back in our room, I had the urge to ask Vincent about himself. I wasn't sure how to approach him.

"Uh, hey, can I ask you something?" I asked him as he was folding his clothes back in the closet after picking out something to wear for the party; we didn't have many options anyway.

"Yeah?" he responded, his lips pressing together at an attempt to make a smile.

"What were you doing when it happened?"

His expression changed. He wasn't angry, but not happy to talk about it. I was going to backtrack and tell him he didn't have to share, but he started talking and I couldn't find it in me to stop him.

"My parents left to visit our family in South Korea. My sister and I wanted to come, but we were packed with school. I was going to college, she was a senior in high school. Even though I'm twenty years old, my parents were strict like hell. They wouldn't ever let me stay with friends or even move out of their house until I finished school. Once they were gone, my friend convinced me to stay with him, since he was closer to our college. His parents were there, they didn't care, and as you could probably assume, they were rich. Fast forward a week, my friend's parents barge into his room while we're playing video games, their eyes were glistening, hands shaking, they were frantic like nervous animals. They had no idea what to do with me so they just took me with them instead of leaving me behind. We got on a private jet, traveled all the way out here and that's it."

"Did you know we were going to be attacked?" I asked.

"They mentioned it once."

"Do you know where your friend is?"

He shook his head. "I don't know where Paul is. They were still in line when you came and got me. I'm hoping to run into him, but he's probably in one of the webs closer to the middle. It might be hard to see him with this stupid schedule."

"Gotta split the rich people from the even richer people," I muttered.

"What about you?" Vincent was now sitting on the edge of his bed right in front of me.

"I never suspected anything was wrong. I thought they were surprising me with a gift. We came to Bellumstone, this dumb town in the middle of nowhere, and went straight to a mall." Talking about this made me start shaking and my lips began to bleed as I bit them. All my parents had to do was trust me and let me in. Not sure it would have made a difference, but if I had known, even just a little bit, the timeline and their deaths could have been avoided. Or it was just wishful thinking. I was so angry. "We got on a helicopter when sirens blasted and then somehow, it went down, we crashed, they died, and I escaped. I found the pyramid out in the forest and here I am."

"I'm sorry."

I tried to smile, but my lips quivered. "Do you know who attacked us? Or why?"

"No. It's been tense between countries for a very long time. It could've been any one of them."

"My parents have been all over the world, even South Korea. Were you born here?"

"I was born in Oregon, but all of my family is Korean."

"Do you think a war is happening?"

"I can't even come up with a fake answer," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm just as lost as you are."

"I think the fact that a bomb hit all the way out here, where there's nothing significant, means that most of the United States is gone, or all of it."

Vincent sighed. "I'm gonna rest my eyes. Tell me when you're ready to go to the party, okay?"

"I will."

I watched him lay down on his bed and become still as stone. His parents had to be alive, but his sister . . . it pained him. She didn't make it, neither did my parents, and there was a good chance no one but the people in this bunker survived. I wondered if before turning to dust, we at least retaliated and caused some damage. I didn't want our history to be deleted without a fight. If we were given the chance, I would have totally joined the ARMY. Sad to say none of that mattered now.

This party was my chance to ask questions and hopefully get those answers I desperately needed. I stayed awake, going over the questions that boggled my mind, and made a list I was happy with. I wanted to know more about the attack, I wanted to know who was in charge and why I hadn't met anyone but attendants and regular people, and most importantly how long we were going to be down here for.

I went to wake up Vincent when it was time to go. He rose right away, his eyes red once again. Without thinking, I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed, giving him reassurance.

"You don't have to go," I told him. "You can stay here if you want."

"No, I don't want to be alone."

"Alright. Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

We left before midnight. The walk was long and tedious. The main hall was quiet and desolate. Lights flickered now and then, sending unnecessary chills down my spine. I inched closer to Vincent, hoping if anything it would make me feel less anxious. He was wearing the grey sweater I got him with one of the plain black pants and his black boots, which were really nice. I wore the black jacket I came in with, a grey shirt underneath, black jeans and a pair of expensive sneakers my father gave me last month. We kinda matched.

"I don't hear anything, do you?" Vincent asked when we were in front of the intimidating black door known as a gate. They should just rename the webs as gates.

"Are you hoping for a club-like experience?" I joked as I hovered my bracelet over the scanner.

"Anything to make me forget we're in a bunker."

The gate opened and let us through. This was our first time seeing inside Web 1. The hall itself was already different than ours. While our hall was plain and unpainted, theirs was essentially a long and narrow living room. It had white, oddly shaped furniture, carpets, lights, and even a drink machine. The hall only had two doors, one close to the gate we entered and the other on the opposite side. The first door was open wide.

I was going to take a wild guess and assume Vincent was just as scared as I was. It really felt like we had stepped into another dimension. Our home in Web 6 was depressing as hell and this . . . this was truly a sight. It didn't make me jealous or wish I hadn't given away my family's place. I just couldn't comprehend why all of the bunker didn't look this nice. Everyone paid millions to be here, so shouldn't everyone be treated equally?

I would have designed the entire bunker differently instead of trying to be aesthetically pleasing with the spider theme.

We walked to the door and casually walked inside. The first thing I noticed was how freezing cold the temperature was. Second was the large staircase in the middle of the humongous place—I wasn't going to call it a room, it technically wasn't. I'd describe it as an expensive studio apartment with a second floor. Parts of the walls were granite stone of various warm red colors, the floor was black marble with the infamous spider logo and other creepy designs. Lastly, the music. It was . . . so chill.

There were at least twenty people inside. Five were huddled around a fireplace, laughing and drinking. The rest were scattered.

"Hey! It's you!" A girl I didn't recognize pointed directly at me. I was sure I never met her in my life, but she knew who I was. She was pretty, with short brown hair and blue eyes.

I was going to ask who she was, until she hit me with her smile. It was Calista.

"Wait, you're—"

"We almost died together, yes," she said, laughing. "It's nice to see you. How are you?"

"I'm fine, and you? What happened with your hair?"

"I'll tell you later. Come, and bring your friend." She was so different without the yellow hair and unique uniform. Even her personality seemed to have changed. Her smile was pure and genuine, not at all trying to shield a moment with lies just for comfort. She was a happy person.

This place had four sections on the ground floor. One had the fireplace and was cozy, another had the kitchen and was full of food and snacks, and the last two had a pool table and a mini bar. She took us to the mini bar.

"Hi, I'm Vincent," he said when she turned back to us.

"Calista, nice to meet you. I'm one of the attendants."

"An attendant? I didn't even think you guys were human, honestly."

She chuckled at him as she poured us a drink. Since it was the end of the world, it didn't matter that I was only eighteen. Maybe the apocalypse had its perks.

"Keep your voice down, I'm not even supposed to be out of bed," she said playfully.

"Where do you guys sleep?"

"It's a secret." She winked at him. "Now grab your drinks and follow me."

I grabbed a glass and gave it a tentative sip. It was strong as fuck and so gross, but I took another swig anyway. Vincent didn't even make a face with his drink.

Calista took us to the fireplace and sat down on a pillow, testing the flames with her alcohol-free hand. We joined her on the ground, Vincent almost tumbling backwards and spilling the drink on the floor, but managed to successfully save himself.

There were five others close to the fire. A couple, two other guys and a person who was extremely androgynous, so I didn't assume. They were quiet, their eyes glued to the dancing flames, almost if the swaying was a performance with the music.

I lost track of time. The amount of alcohol in my drink was my clock now, and it slowly drained until there was nothing at the bottom of the glass. Being in this moment was like a remedy. I forgot everything outside these walls. The drink made me feel warm inside, the fire made my skin toasty and cancel out the icy air — I felt human again.

Not much had happened, but this was the best party I'd ever been to. A song once played, full guitar, soft deep voice, something about being as light as a leaf floating in the wind. It was therapeutic. And everyone was so chill. I'd been judging people since I first got here, I didn't stop think that everyone lost everything. We were in the same boat. We were humans with the same flesh and bones, the same heartache and the same pain.

"Anyone drunk enough to play spin the bottle?" one of the girls said.

Aura, the girl who had invited us, suddenly appeared and joined this side of the place. "Nobody wants to make out with you, Lindsay," she said, dropping her white fur coat on the couch the girl was sitting on. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope," Calista said, too mesmerized by the fire to put much effort into talking.

"Oh, hey," Aura greeted when she spotted Vincent and I on the floor. "Glad you both could come."

"Thanks for inviting us," I said.

"If he plays, I play," Aura told Lindsay.

"Don't do it, dude," the guy with the girl on his lap said. They were the only couple, besides parents, that I'd seen around so far. "They just want to make out with you."

"I don't need a bottle to make out with you," I jokingly told Aura.

"Oh? Really now." She moved over to me and took a seat on my lap, her face close to mine. "Kiss me."

She was gorgeous, but I wasn't expecting this to happen. A part of me wanted to tell her no, but another wanted it. Her lips looked full and soft and so inviting. My lips searched for hers and we kissed, closing our eyes. She let me have full control and I took advantage of it. She gasped and her body arched as my hands wrapped around her waist, feeling nothing but skin as her top rose slightly.

"What's all this talk about making out over here?" Another person joined us by the fire and the sound of the couch sinking made my ears twitch and unfortunately break the kiss. "And why wasn't I invited?"

Aura glanced to the side, giving the guy an annoyed look. "Do you want to kiss Lucian?"

"Sure, as long as I don't have to sit on his lap."

"This is Hunter, by the way, and he will kiss you," Aura warned me as she left my lap and went to sit on the couch.

Hunter was really tall and handsome, and looked very similar to the other guy with the girl on his lap. They were both tan, same brown eyes adorned with dark circles, same brown hair, same height. The only difference was their facial structure, which although were similar, were still distinct enough to not be classified as perfectly identical. They had to be brothers. Fraternal twins was my guess.

"I don't mind," I said, holding a need to laugh as Aura glared at me.

"Oh, baby. I'd love to kiss the new guy." Hunter moved away from the couch and sat next to me, leaning back on his hands as his lips moved in for the kiss.

His lips on mine felt eager and dominant, while mine, I hoped, felt innocently curious to him. The kiss turned intense when his hands went up to caress my face. His tongue entered my mouth and sent a bolt of nerves down to the pit of my stomach. His fingers traced down until they wrapped around the back of my neck, craving more of my affection. When I didn't give it, he pulled back with a smack of his lips, his tongue savoring my lingering taste. His thumb brushed over my bottom lip as he carefully studied my face.

"Never thought I'd like the taste of blood," he said.

"Y'all are so weird," Calista said, who was still watching the fire with her arms over her knees. Nothing could pull her away.

Hunter wasn't weird, in fact, I got to know him a little more over the next few hours. I didn't make out with anyone else, but I danced with every person near that fire until my skin glistened and my legs felt like noodles.

Vincent was quiet and seemed more interested in the fire than anything else, but it didn't stop me from trying to get him to dance with me. Was I drunk? Negative. Something inside me just felt good.

"I can tell you're on fire," Vincent said when I grabbed his hands and pulled him up on his feet.

The music was blasting and no longer tranquil. The mood had changed over time, the music was good and hypnotic, filling my ears with euphoria. Vincent wasn't keen on dancing, especially in front of everyone, but no one was watching him; the couple danced in the darkness, far from the fire, Calista swayed side to side on her own, Hunter laid on the couch with a hat over his face, Aura danced with two girls, we were invisible.

The song playing mentioned something about lips, and my eyes naturally went and looked for Vincent's. He had nice lips. They were pink and perfectly kissable. I'd kiss him right then and there. Somehow I knew his would be better than any I'd ever tasted. He was just that beautiful.

"Oh, shit," Calista whispered, her hand covering her mouth as she looked towards the front door.

All of our heads turned. The girl from the television was standing there, watching us with concerned eyes. She was wearing a military looking jumpsuit and high boots. Another girl was by her side, she was older but not by many years.

"Calista," the girl said.

"Captain."

Captain? She was the captain? The one I heard over the speaker when I first came in? Also, what the hell was a captain?

"Explain yourself," the captain demanded.

The music was turned off. Calista nervously made her way over to the captain. She toyed with her fingers, her head bowed down, slowly shrinking like a child being punished.

"I don't have an excuse."

"Go back to the dormitory," the captain said harshly. Calista nodded and quickly left. "Party is over everyone. Go back to your rooms."

Nobody dared make a sound of protest. The captain disappeared and the room slowly emptied until we were the last to walk out.

"What just happened?" I asked after a couple of minutes passed and I couldn't handle the creepy silence tightening around us in the main hall.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Enlighten me."

"The attendants have a special role here," he said. "Calista must have broken a rule. Have you seen any of them without their strange hair and even stranger clothes? Judging by the captain's reaction, they're more than just attendants."

"But why are they all women?"

He shrugged. "Women make people comfortable in times of distress. They can be kind, comforting, and we're able to trust them more easily."

"I guess, but some girls are really evil. I've met a few."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, keep holding on to that idea. The girl that was with the captain? She was an attendant, probably told on Calista."

"Gross. I'd never ever snitch on someone."

"How drunk are you?" he said in an accusing tone, his eyebrows raised judgingly like a pair of cop brows.

"I'm not. I only had literally three drinks."

"That doesn't mean much when the cups were huge."

"Can a drunk person do this?" I ran out in front and imagined a straight line ahead. I successfully walked the line without wobbling, falling or throwing up. I turned around with a victorious smile.

"A talented one, yes."

"Are you saying I'm talented?" I said, returning back to him and playfully punching his chest. "Are you complimenting my skills?"

"Yup."

I was starting to seriously hate walking through these halls. We had a robot that made us food, but we couldn't have one of those flat escalators? I used to be on a track team, so I wasn't exactly complaining about the walking, but I also wasn't going to start sprinting any time soon. If the halls were nicer, prettier, colorful, maybe with some pictures and more of those screens, I wouldn't mind them, but they were long and dark and creepy.

When we were back in our room, I laid on my bed and stared more at the ceiling. I thought about all the questions I never got to ask. I wasn't even mad about it. The people I met were so nice and it made this hell feel a million times better.

"Are you going to sleep?" Vincent asked from his side.

"No." I propped myself up to look at him. He was also laying down on his back. "Can I ask more about you?"

"Like what?" He rolled over on his side to watch me.

"If we're going to spend a lot of time together, then I want us to be real friends."

"Okay. Ask away."

"When's your birthday?"

"I'll be twenty one next month on the first."

"What kind of music do you like?"

"Anything that makes me think."

"Me too."

"Can I ask you questions?"

"Sure, go ahead," I said, relaxing my elbows as I laid back down, hands under my head.

"How long do you think we're going to be down here for?"

"Years."

"Do you think you'll get lonely?"

"I have you, why would I?"

"I mean, won't you miss falling in love? Going on dates? Etcetera."

"I don't see why it can't happen in here."

"Are you gay?"

"Because I kissed the guy?" He nodded. "No, I'm bisexual. You?"

"Pan."

"What's that?" I was back up, sitting with my legs crossed, back against the wall.

"Pansexual."

"Doesn't that mean you like everyone?"

"It means I don't care about their gender. I like people for who they are, not what they identify as."

"Hm. I like that," I said, smiling.

He sighed. "If we never get out, I'll probably die alone in here."

"Why do you say that?"

"I just feel like I don't belong here. It's been stressing me out. I'm here by accident. But you guys, you have your place."

"Don't say that. You do have a place. I didn't even know about this bunker. We're here together for a reason. We lived, tragically, but we're here."

"I didn't even get to live up there, and now I don't get a chance down here either. I've never been to a party before, never been to New York, never been to Disneyland, never been to a beach, never had a relationship, never kissed anyone, never had sex, never seen a dolphin, and I didn't even get to tell my parents I loved them one last time."

The waves of emotion overwhelmed me. Was he breaking? I could only imagine what was going on in his mind. I feared this for myself. I never wanted to break because I'd never be able to recover from it, but I could still help him.

"Well, you just came from a party, so you can check off the first one." I started laughing, a laughter that came from a place of intoxication. "We're gonna have to postpone a few of those, but if you want, I could kiss you."

"You'd kiss me?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I don't know."

"Come." I beckoned, tapping the empty space next to me on the bed. He didn't move at first, was very hesitant. "Come, let me make out with you." I was laughing again because I sounded utterly ridiculous.

"You sure you aren't drunk?" Vincent said as he crawled out of bed and finally came over, taking the space next to me, our backs pressed against the same wall. "I don't want my first kiss to be with a drunk person."

"I'm good, I promise."

"How are we gonna do this?" He was being awkward about it. It was his first kiss, so I cut him some slack.

"What kind of kiss do you want?" I asked.

He quietly snorted. "What does that mean?"

"I could give you a simple kiss, just two lips colliding, or I can make out with you, give you my tongue, make you squirm, make your body tingle, make your dick hard."

"Oh." He was blushing. "Surprise me."

I leaned in first, only closing my eyes when our lips were an inch apart from clashing. Vincent's lips were slightly parted when I went to grab them with my own. His lips were as soft as I imagined and so perfect against my own that I forgot I was meant to seduce him and give him the best kiss he'd ever receive in his life. The taste of his mouth slipped through and turned my body hot like fire. Our tongues joined together and savored every breath and every wet drip that threatened to escape our fighting mouths.

Vincent moaned into the kiss and my lower parts reacted almost immediately. He was doing to me what I had planned for him. I was losing at my own game. We continued kissing and I placed a hand on his leg, squeezing hard as it gradually moved up. My brain wasn't working at all for some reason. I grabbed a handful of his groin and stroked him through the fabric of his pants. I was getting carried away, but I couldn't stop, it felt too good.

Then we stopped before it went too far, because a scream had echoed down the hall outside our door.

______

[Author's Note]: Thank you to all of you who took the time to read the first chapter AND continuing on to the second. I hope so far you're enjoying the story. I don't have much to say, I'm just very excited LOL. I'm sorry about the cliff hanger! <3 How are you feeling so far?