Pandora's Box

Chapter 16

Jennifer’s Point of View

It’s been hours and I am catching my breath right now because until now I can’t see my sister, still missing. I tried to search every corner of this place.

And since we arrived here, nothing followed up except for us. I looked at Alexander with my worried eyes.

“She will be fine,” he said.

“Fine?” I asked him disbelief. Then his eyes widened.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized immediately as he quickly realized what he just said to me.

“It’s okay,” I told him. “We need to find a way to reach my sister,” I added.

“But we can’t get past through those guards,” he said.

“Did I say that we will go through there?” I asked him, and I looked to the vents.

“Oh no,” there is no stopping me right now Alex.

“Oh yeess,” I said as I look towards him slowly.

“We are just putting ourselves in trouble,” he told me.

“I am ready to be killed,” I said with pure dedication. “If you want to stop me, just remember that I will not forget it, and I will forever resent you for that especially if something happened to my sister,” I threatened him. I slowly walked towards the vent, that is a hope for me to get outside of here. “You can stay here if you want, or come with me,” I added.

This part of the area has no people since they are so scared, the only thing that they can do is stare at that big rounded door, hoping something will happen.

Well, if something worse happened, they are just waiting for their deaths here, and I am not okay with that.

I looked back, and I was surprised that Alexander is still following behind me.

“Thought you peed your pants,” I teased him.

“If you made up your mind, then I will help you,” he said and that’s what I like to hear from you, my friend. Honestly, I thought that he is one of those cowards, that put their tails in between their legs like a dog.

“Then let’s start by helping me with this,” I told him.

We will be noticed soon, if we don’t act fast, we will be noticed and I don’t want that to happen.

He walked towards me and I grabbed the big metallic cover of this vent, and then he grabbed the other end. We used all of our strength to pull the cover and despite its size.

It is heavier than I thought. But we manage to remove it, and as much as possible I don’t want to create any kind of noise, that will tickle someone’s curiosity.

I looked at him and I can notice in his face that he is trying his very hard to pull the cover. With both our efforts joined, we are successful and I pointed my hand to the vent. I looked at him.

“What?” he asked me.

“Ladies first,” I told him with a smirk on my face.

“But you are the lady here,” he protested.

“Op op,” I stopped him before he can say anything, by putting a finger on his lips. His eyes widened when I did that and I noticed that his cheeks blushed.

I quickly realized what I did so I quickly pulled away my finger away from his lips.

“S- sorry,” I apologized to him and I saw him sigh.

“It’s okay,” he assured me.

“But that won’t change my mind,” I told him as I point both of my hands towards the vent.

“What? You are dead serious?” he asked me and I nodded. I emphasized my actions about him going first. I will feel very uncomfortable if there is a dude behind me tailing.

That will be very awkward for me.

Again I saw him sigh.

“I don’t have any choice?” he asked me. Yes, you don’t have.

I did not answer him because silence means yes as I stare dead straight at his eyes. For the third time, he released a sigh.

I am very sorry my friend but there is nothing that I can do for you.

Because I have my mind straight regarding with this matter.

He then slowly walks towards the vents, and me having complete dominance over this guy who made my dream possibly made me feel so great but for only a brief period of time, as it is my time to go next.

I put myself down, like a four-legged animal, and both my hands serving as my front legs.

Then I started to crawl inside the vent and we did not bother to close the vent. Because by the time that they notice that. We are gone.

Minutes later, we are crawling inside this vent quietly. The gust of wind blows strongly towards us. This is a vent after all.

I felt the chill throughout my body.

I looked at him.

“Dude, you know where this vent will take us?” I asked him curiously and I saw him look back.

“I- I don’t know,” he replied.

That’s okay, I did not expect him to know that he will know.

I just hope that the exit we will find will be a safe place for us.

“Okay...” I said with an awkward tone in my voice. “I am sorry for making you feel that earlier,” I told him.

“It’s okay,” he straight up replied to my statement and that is a good thing that he does not mind. Then silence came next and I can imagine the cricket noises around us, but there are no crickets here.

I want to break the silence. Oh, a question came inside my mind.

“If the situation is not that dangerous as your sister claimed it to be,” I tried to start a conversation. “Then why there are so many people there locked up?” I asked him.

He stopped for a moment, and that made me stop too.

“Well, the Prism State is not just some kind of joke, all people that lived here are trained and came through many seminars, before they get their spot here, and there is something my sister that mentioned about me taking precautions,” he answered my question, err- he just started to answer my question. “Even the smallest error in this place, is not to be underestimated because even the safest creature in this place can turn this place into pieces,” he added. “Remember this Jen, the reason why I am stopping you to get outside because the world outside here, will be very dangerous and our lives will be at stake here. Terra Formers are very unpredictable,” he said with a serious voice.

My throat dried up.

I felt goosebumps when he said that.

His words are not to be taken as a joke.

“Well, if you say so, I guess I can rely on you in case something may happen to me,” I said and well that dominance I was talking about was nothing but... just a fluke.

This time, for a moment, he completely stopped.

“Did I say something wrong?” I hesitantly asked him.

“Oh,” it’s like that he has been snapped out to reality when I said that and again, he started moving. “Nothing, I am just a bit surprised,” he said.

“On what?” I asked him again.

“You having so much trust on me,” he told me.

“Well, I do from the very start of our friendship,” I honestly and happily replied to him.

Alexander’s Point of View

Woah, well I am Alexander, the younger brother of Sarah, a researcher in this place, and also a future researcher here. Not just because of my biological connection to my sister, it is because I have the intellect that surpasses most of the researchers here.

So, I secured my spot here, and they are just waiting for me to graduate.

Also, I am a classmate and her best friend.

But there is no denying it how I feel towards her. I am not ashamed to admit that I have feelings for her. Well, it started from the moment I met her.

In a library, I was quietly reading a book about Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, when she tumbled and fall behind me. With a loud bang of her crash, she did not fail to catch my attention.

The kind hearted I am, I decided to help her gather the books that she dropped because of that fall.

“Here,” I handed her the book and that is the first time the spark inside my heart glinted.

“Thank you,” she told me back. I smiled at her.

Her eyes, I was attracted for some reason and for a moment there, I cannot take my eyes off her. She is too good to be true.

She does not have that fashion of a super model, but her eyes were like a star shining in the night sky, glimmering with beauty and lighted by her determination and passion.

That moment was fast...

Very fast that I didn’t realize that moment had passed.

I was there enamored by her charisma and beauty. Something that I can’t forget...

I have this habit, where I space out and if there is someone or something that will bump or pinch, I will snap back to reality.

That was one of those moments when it happened to me.

The librarian told me that I was staring at the floor, for minutes. I was embarrassed at first but the thought of that moment.

The first time our eyes met brushed off that feeling.

That moment passed by, all I did was think of her and since studying was more just like a hobby, since I already know mostly everything about biology, I can proudly say that my academic performance was not affected negatively.

Then a blessing happened, turns out she was one of my classmates. Yes, I was happy, and approaching her was not that easy since she is too focused to be the top of the class, and I pave way for her to be at the top.

Ranking is nothing to me, since I already proved myself to everyone. There is no need for any show off.

It was not easy but here I am, in this situation- uhmm a dangerous situation, and her best friend. Well, I didn’t admit my feelings that quick, she just doesn’t have any time for romance and I respect that.

Butterflies fluttered their wings inside my stomach, and I felt flattered when she said that she trusts me. Well, trust is not that easy to earn and too fragile to be kept, so I need to secure her trust and not matter what happen from now on.

I will try.

To protect her from these dangerous creatures that lurks inside this facility.