They Are Watching

Chapter Two

There was a lethargic drag of his feet as he placed one large foot in front of the other. He’d told himself that while he was away on vacation, he was not going to be the lumbering man he was in his day to day life. Though he was content to remain reserved, he wanted to still project some form of confidence that wasn’t impeded by him being jet-lagged.

That was the only reason he could think of that would cause him to feel as drained of energy as he did. As far as he knew, when he saw the date of departure after he got his acceptance letter and freaked out a little, he made sure that he got a full night's rest before leaving for the airport. Even on the flight, after he ordered a ginger ale, he fell asleep almost as soon as he finished the beverage.

He didn’t wake until it was time to exit the plane, so that’s another ten hours of sleep he received. Maybe he overdid it and that was why he was so tired.

Too much rest could be draining, especially for someone like him.

He hiked his duffle bag higher on his shoulder as he walked through the doors of the resort. There were people everywhere to greet him, making sure he had everything, asking if they could do anything for him. 

It was overwhelming.

And nice. 

“You must be Adam,” a man in a tan-colored suit greeted him near the front desk. “Congratulations on being picked for this two week, all expenses paid, paradisaic vacation. For both physical and mental restoration. As always, sponsored by WIC.”

It was a mouthful for the man to say and an earful to take in, but he smiled nonetheless and shook the man’s hand, “I’m happy to be here.”

“Happy?” The man replied, a tight smile on his weathered face. “Of course you are! Your experience will be one to be remembered for a lifetime. We promise. Come, let Cozbi grab your bags and lead you to your room.”

Adam followed the shorter man to the elevators, brushing off the chills that climbed his arms after interacting with the man at the front desk. 

According to the bellhop, he was on the tenth and last floor. According to Cozbi, there was no access to the roof from that floor but he would have a balcony. Breakfast was complimentary every morning and it could be delivered or picked up, however he wanted. Instructions on how to contact room service were on the phone and so was the wifi password. He needn’t worry about dinner that night as he had a reservation in the formal dining hall at 7:00 pm that evening. 

He simply nodded along to everything the man told him as he led him to his room and handed him a gold key.

“Also,” the man turned to face him before he left. “I suggest you eat some lunch before dinner. The portions served are basically nonexistent.”

Adam laughed with the man who was chuckling at his own joke. 

Of course, as fine dining tended to be, Adam expected the portion sizes to be small, “thanks for the heads up man, I appreciate it.”

“No problem. Enjoy your stay.”

As soon as he shut the door he threw his large body onto the bed. His bones and joints relaxing simultaneously caused him to let out a deep sigh of contentment as he sunk into what felt like firm clouds. He had only been awake long enough to leave the airport and be driven to the resort, but he already felt like he was beyond sleepy.

He knew, however, if he gave in and slept, he wouldn’t wake up until right before dinner. Yet, despite his best efforts, his eyes refused to open and his brain refused to try and force them.

~

It was the glare of the setting sun shining through the suite’s large windows that rose him from his slumber.

He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees so he could back out of the bed. Once his feet touched the floor, he realized they were still covered in his socks and heavy-duty boots. How he managed to sleep with them still on his feet was beyond him.

A quick glance at the clock let him know that he only had forty-five minutes to freshen up and make it down to whatever floor the main dining hall was on. 

He set out a plain, soft blue t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts to change into after he had a quick shower. He pulled his dark hair into a ponytail so it wouldn’t get wet before stripping out of his clothes and turning on the hot water. 

Even the water felt incredibly soft against his skin as he washed off. He’d never felt anything like it and would have preferred to linger in the shower longer if not for the time constraint he was under.

He’d forgotten about having something to eat before dinner, so he settled his mind on making sure he got something to snack on afterward. Besides, it was an all-expenses-paid vacation, he could order whatever he wanted and not have to worry about troubling his own pockets.

After he rinsed his mouth out and ran his hands through his thick feathered hair, he pulled on his clothes and slid his feet into a pair of black flip flops.

He cringed slightly as he looked down at his plain clothes. It was inappropriate for fine dining, but there was nothing he owned that was a suitable outfit. 

The last ten minutes he had left, he’d use to try and find what floor the restaurant was on. As soon as he opened his door, there was a bag attached to the outside with a note. Inside of it was a keycard and instructions to use the card in the elevator so that it would take him directly to the restaurant floor. 

He had no idea the restaurant would be so posh that a person would need a special keycard in order to gain access to that floor. It made him feel just that bit more special, but he kept in mind that he’d probably have to order three meals if he planned on feeling full after dining.

As soon as he entered the elevator he saw where the keycard went though he hadn’t noticed it before. 

Not wasting any time, he slid the card in, and immediately the lights dimmed, “Welcome, Adam. We are happy to have you with us on this journey. WIC is happy to sponsor your vacation and we know your experiences will be something that will be remembered for a lifetime.”

The doors slid open again as soon as the voice finished her sentence. 

He was on the dining room floor even though it didn’t feel like the elevator moved at all. His eyes glanced about the dimly lit dining room as he decided on which table to sit at. There was no one else there, only him. It was weird being the only person in the restaurant but he supposed it was a private event, hence the keycard.

That was something he couldn’t complain about. 

Slowly, he pulled out his chair and took a seat, glancing around for a waiter or waitress, but seeing none. There was soft jazz music playing throughout the place setting a certain ambiance he was unfamiliar with. The whole area looked regal and he couldn’t help feeling like he didn’t belong. But he continued to remind himself that no one knew him. He was in a new place and all that mattered was the impression he gave to anyone he met. 

So he sat up straighter, resolving to do just as he said though that thought was interrupted by the ding of the elevator. 

He quickly turned to see who was entering onto the floor. 

There appeared a woman who was wearing what looked like a floral cotton dress and white tennis shoes. Adam let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding when he noted how dressed down she was as well. She was glancing about the room looking just as confused as he felt.

She paused walking when her eyes spotted him which made him aware of how hard he was staring at her.

It wasn’t until she sat down and the dim light hit her in a different way that he realized who she was. Before he could confirm by asking her, two waiters appeared, ready to take their orders.

“Good evening, Adam. What can I get for you this evening?”

“How-,” he held up a hand to cut himself off. “Nevermind, I’m sure there are plenty of reasons for why you already know my name. I’ll take a steak, three orders. And some water, please.”

The man didn’t bother pulling out a notepad, he simply nodded his head, “Did you want your steak done in a particular way?”

Adam hadn’t even thought that far. He never had steak before, but it always seemed like a meal too expensive for his parents to order when he was growing up. It eventually became a meal he could afford, but he chose not to spend his money on, especially when he had more pressing things to buy that supported his terrible habits.

And now? He only made enough at the warehouse to pay bills, but definitely not enough to learn how to order steak according to his own taste, “Um, what do you recommend?”

“I’d say you only have two choices,” the man began to explain. “Rare or well done. There is no in-between.”

Adam wasn’t so uneducated on steaks to know that what the waiter said was untrue, but the man was so stoic he assumed the waiter was speaking about the chef’s skills on preparing steaks, “Well, let’s go with well done.”

He smiled uncomfortably as he handed the waiter the menu that was sitting on the table. Once the man turned to leave, he noticed that the only other person in the restaurant had also finished ordering. 

It didn’t take her long to meet his eyes and when she did, he was able to remember her name as well.

Terrie. 

The tired, drab-looking woman with the short-cropped haircut. Also the other person Donna was insisting needed a vacation.

What were the odds that both of them were sponsored by WIC for the two-week getaway? Donna must have had connections with someone.

He nodded a greeting to the woman, who gave a small smile back in return before she looked away. It was awkward meeting new people, something Adam especially hated doing.

When she looked away, he continued to observe her as she looked around the dining hall. The slant of her eyebrows was a dead giveaway that she was worried about something.

Maybe she had problems relaxing as well? 

All Adam knew was that he was trying his hardest to not overthink, and to not be who he usually was. He wanted to enjoy being away even if he had to be around a bunch of strangers.

Both waiters returned at the same time, each holding one plate in their hands. Once Adam’s waiter reached his table, he sat the plate down in front of him. 

It didn’t take long for Adam to realize something was wrong, especially when his server said, “Enjoy,” and began to walk away.

“Wait, excuse me. There isn’t anything on my plate. Where is the food?”

The server only continued to walk away, not bothering to acknowledge him or his questions. 

It wasn’t until he heard the other woman asking the same thing that he got up and walked over to her table. He quickly noted her plate was as empty as his and that she was obviously uncomfortable with him towering over her.

“I’m sorry,” he backed up to give her space. She immediately stood, taking a few steps away from him. “I only wanted to see if your plate was empty as well.”

“Yes,” she was quick to answer, her tone light. “So is yours.”

“Maybe something is wrong with the kitchen?” He suggested, looking in the direction the waiters disappeared. “I ordered steak, what did you order?”

“Salmon,” she ran thin fingers over her closely cropped hair, ruffling the tight coils atop her head. “I don’t know what is going on, but things have been weird since I exited the plane.”

Adam knew he couldn’t agree with her, not when he took every opportunity to brush off the fact that things were weird. He just accepted those slightly off moments as the usual kind of things that happened when you willingly leave your comfort zone.

“I’ll go to the back into the kitchen, maybe I can get some answers?” He wanted to reassure her, maybe then he’d feel less nervous if she relaxed her shoulders.

He began to walk in the direction the men went after she nodded her head for him to go. His long legs and quick steps got him to the double doors in a fast manner so he could peek inside. 

The first thing he noted was the lack of sound. He didn’t know what a bustling kitchen was supposed to sound like, but he was sure it was supposed to be louder than the nothing he was currently hearing. The next thing he took notice of was the fact that there wasn’t a soul in the kitchen, “Hello?”

He walked further in when he didn’t get a reply, “Is anyone in here?” 

He tried to think of his waiter's name so he could call it out, but he remembered the server never gave his name. The man never introduced himself, which was the basics of waiting a table. Adam would know because he bussed tables as a teen.

Eeriness was starting to seep over his frame and crawl around his skin, making his joints stiff. Where in the world was everyone?

“Terrie!” He called, waiting for the woman to arrive in the kitchen. “Terrie-,”

“How do you know that name?” 

Adam spun to see the woman barely standing in the doorway. She was looking around while cautiously keeping her eyes on him as well.

“You attend the same rehab institute that I do, I’ve heard Donna shout your name a few times,” he hastily explained. “My name is Adam, by the way.” He paused to allow her to process the information he just shared with her, studying the mistrust she held in her eyes as she looked at him, “Do you see anything wrong here?”

She kept her eyes on him a little bit longer until she looked around the obviously empty space before muttering, “It’s only getting worse. The strangeness.” 

“Where do you think everyone is?” He asked her, walking further into the kitchen to take a better look around.

“Hopefully they are playing a practical joke on us,” she answered, not moving from the doorway. “Maybe that’s what’s happening. It’s all a joke. If we go sit back at our tables they may yell surprise and it’ll all be over?”

He turned to look at her as she backed out of the door, looking every bit frightened. 

Maybe she was right. If he sat down and showed patience, they may get confetti and cake.

So he left the empty kitchen, walking past the table Terrie was sitting at to sit at his own. The plate was still empty and his glass was much the same even though he only asked for water. 

Every ten minutes it seemed he locked eyes with Terrie before they both looked away. Eventually, it became painfully obvious that no one was waiting around the corner to yell surprise. And when his watch showed an hour had passed, he was sure.

“Ok, I’m leaving,” he stood. “I don’t know why I waited here this long anyway. I’ll order room service or something instead.”

He didn’t bother to wait for the woman, stomping his way toward the elevator so he could go back to his room. As soon as the doors dinged and opened, he entered, placing his keycard in the slot. He was expecting a voice over the intercom but there was none. The doors simply shut and reopened. 

When he stepped out, he was back on his floor, but he was sure the elevator had not moved.