《The Watchers at Greenport Academy》 Chapter 1 Thank you for choosing to read the debut chapter of ¡°The Watchers of Greenport Academy.¡± This is the first story I have published online, after writing for several other ventures. I just graduated college, and am excited to share these stories with you. Please consider sharing your feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also take your support to another level by becoming a Patron: https://patreon.com/FlameStories845 Any resemblance of real people or events is coincidental. Please be aware this story depicts homosexual themes. I plan to publish new chapters each week, but financial support will help me publish more often! _______________________________________________________ My thumbs pressed hard against the creases of my navy blue uniform pants. I drew small circles into the fabric as I waited for my application to be finalized. I glared past the admissions officer and up toward the top end of the walls. Framed pictures and awards lined the upper end of the walls. It read like a painted history of the academy. Championship games, visits to the capitol and Nobel Laureates. The men in the photos all had stoic looks. Each wore a blazer embedded with the crest of Greenport Academy. My eyes drew back down to the man across from me. He wouldn¡¯t make eye contact. Instead, he shifted his weight as he flipped to the next page of my file. ¡°And these are your fitness test scores?¡± he asked. I cleared my throat, ready to spin the focus to anything else. ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± said Loyd, breaking his attention away from the papers for the first time since I sat down. He folded my file and dropped it on his desk. ¡°Not every first year student is ready to meet our athletic expectations. But your aptitude in certain areas otherwise demonstrates your qualifications.¡± I let out the breath I had been holding. ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± I replied, but still anxiously tracing patterns into my pants. A thread was coming loose from between the seam. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. You¡¯re a late enrollment. We expect you to match your academic competence with competitive rigor.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°We want you, but we will not allow your boyish outlook to setback our image.¡± Loyd pushed back from his desk. He circled the edge of his office. I could hear his feet landing on the rug just behind me. I kept my focus ahead of me. ¡°If you ask me, you¡¯re not an academy man,¡± Loyd said. ¡°You are not talented, or capable. But, we all follow orders.¡± He paused. ¡°Fucking Christ, would you look at me?¡± I whipped around in my chair, creasing the rug and scraping the side of his desk. The man-monster groaned. Suddenly, he held a handful of my blazer and I spun off my feet. A whiff of Whiskey-scented cologne greeted my nose. Stubble dotted his face. Too much sun had clearly leathered his skin even beyond his already old age. ¡°You might think you¡¯re special because you have connections,¡± he said, as his other hand slipped across my chest. He spat as he power tripped. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His fingers rested right below my belt. His liberties didn¡¯t stop there. An index finger plainly felt for my balls through my pants. My mouth ran dry. ¡°But we all do. And who you know on the outside can¡¯t rescue you now.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to cheat the system,¡± I winced. His fist loosened. I made contact with the floor again¡­ thank you, gravity. ¡°This is your schedule,¡± he said; handing me a leatherbound book. ¡°Our student manual. Treat it as you would the bible.¡± He walked back to his desk. He adjusted his belt. ¡°Leave.¡± I backed out of his office like I was escaping an apex predator. Hallway traffic swallowed me whole. I headed for the dormitory wing across the quad. Every guy who passed me shoulder-checked me into another dimension. Dumb jocks. ¡°Welcome to the jungle¡­¡± I said to myself, barely a mumble. I figured no one would hear. ¡°You¡¯re him?¡± A voice came from nowhere. ¡°Hello?¡± The voice said again. I spaced out and was standing outside my dorm. The guy in the room next to me was standing in his doorway, leaning out to the hallway. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are? You? Matthew?¡± He punctuated each word of the question with curt sarcasm. ¡°Uh,¡± I licked my lips. ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± ¡°Damn, Loyd must have done a number on you,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Honestly, you do look like a runt though.¡± I stiffened my entire body. ¡°Relax. I don¡¯t care. About your puny weakness, at least.¡± I glanced at his Blazer. His name was stitched into his lapel. I followed the lapel all the way down to his pants. It was a¡­very form-fitting uniform. Unlike mine. ¡°Nice to meet you, Adam,¡± I tried in response, but my sincerity to be nice teetered on the edge. ¡°Cute. It¡¯s not nice to meet you. I worked for my place to be here.¡± Again with this shit. What is with smug jocks and asserting their dominance? ¡°I earned mine.¡± ¡°Like hell you did. You¡¯re just a number for the committee. They want proof the academy pipes out innovation.¡± I fumbled for my key. My hands were shaking. ¡°Where¡¯s the respect? Are you trying to dip on me?¡± Adam said as he moved on me. This damn key. ¡°Please,¡± I said as he towered over me. ¡°You don¡¯t ¡ª¡± Adam turned his body to be facing the opposite end of the hall. He made an emphatic face, and his eyes got big, but his overall demeanor softened. Pursed between his thin lips, he mouthed a silent ¡®Shh!¡¯ ¡°I ¡ª what?¡± His hand flew up just above his belt. Like a conductor, he signaled me to shut up. His eyes motioned to a blinking red light just above us along the ceiling. He took the key from my hand, and slid it effortlessly into the door and turned the lock open. His strong hands brushed up against my jacket. ¡°And remember RUNT,¡± his demeanor reverted again, ¡°you gotta make it past birth. And THIS is your rebirth.¡± It sounded almost intentionally like he was projecting his voice toward the blinking red light. He shuffled back to his door. But his eyes dropped with a depth of sadness, and he caught one more glimpse toward me as I opened my door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he mouthed. He sunk into his room and shut the door. I looked back at the red blinking light. It stopped. I retreated into my own unfamiliar territory. I dropped my bag in the wardrobe. I¡¯ll unpack later. My eyes dressed and undressed my new room. Its sun scorched wood-paneling and unfinished floorboard radiated age. I could be the first guy to call it home this century. I collapsed onto my bed, which seemed new. The August heat beamed through the rotted windows. My eyelids weighed heavily after traveling all day. I should ¡ª no, I¡¯ll do that lat¡ª My chest rose and fell. I inhaled one more sharp, hard breath. The rhythm of my sleep brought me back. My parents. Praying in the pew at church. The ride home. My bags are already packed. ¡°You¡¯ve done this to yourself,¡± my mother said. My father stood in silence. His back turned to me. Tears fell down my face. ¡°Dad,¡± I begged. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. Please.¡± Nothing. ¡°Dad?¡± My mother turned me back around to face her. ¡°Don¡¯t ask your father to pretend this isn¡¯t an issue, sweetheart,¡± she said. ¡°He and I have arranged for you to repair your manhood.¡± No goodbye. The love I once had for my parents drained from my body. I shot up in bed, barely catching my breath. My tears collected in a reservoir in the corners of my lips. I choked on the words I wanted to say, but with nobody to share them with. I checked the time. Just after 1 in the morning. Prepared to go back to sleep, I twisted my body. But I was still dressed in my uniform. I went to hang up my blazer. A note stuck out of the inside pocket. SORRY FOR THE SHOW. MORE TO COME. A A show? I scrunched up the note and tossed it toward the wastebasket. But, that¡¯s when I saw it again. The red light. Blinking. illuminating the hallway just outside my door. Some of the light spilled under my door. I stopped just short of trashing the note. Each blink of the red light revealed a silhouette. Blink. I moved closer, and crouched down. It looked like a pair of shoes standing right outside my door. I slowed my breaths, trying to capture the moment. Was I sure of myself? The stillness of the night felt like I could hear anything for miles. But I was pressing my ear hard to the door, searching for an answer to who was on the other side. The closeness nearly froze me in time. I was almost sure I heard someone else trying to be just as quiet. Moments like these made me feel at peace with my thoughts. Finally, there was no one to antagonize me. I was so lost in my own solace, I didn¡¯t notice the doorknob starting to turn. Chapter 2 Thank you for choosing to read the debut chapter of ¡°The Watchers of Greenport Academy.¡± This is the first story I have published online, after writing for several other ventures. I just graduated college, and am excited to share these stories with you. Please consider sharing your feedback via email at [email protected]. You can also take your support to another level by becoming a Patron: https://patreon.com/FlameStories845 Any resemblance of real people or events is coincidental. Please be aware this story depicts homosexual themes. _______________________________________________________ Tiredness stirs in your system like a drug. It makes you doubt your perception of reality. But suddenly, my eyes opened wide. Moonlight glared on the twisting brass doorknob. A small rush of adrenaline flooded my body. Not sure what to do, I backed away like a timid prey. My eyes stayed on the mystery in front of me as I fixed myself with no escape up against the other side of the room. The latch finally clicked as it cleared from the doorframe. My anxiety shot up through my nose as I inhaled one more deep and resounding breath. The hinges on the door began their chorus, making way for what was next. Something tickled. I wanted to stifle it, but I couldn¡¯t silence it. I let out a blunt sneeze as the dust from my vintage wood-paneled walls showered over me. My mistake was echoed by the sound of the doorknob springing back to its upright position. The door, though, continued to sway open. Whoever it was made a silent retreat. As I looked through the growing crack of me to the world beyond, I saw nothing but darkness. Except for the faint red light, which turned off again as soon as I saw it. I didn¡¯t have plans to linger in the hallway all night. I gently closed the door, and went for the lock this time. Deadbolt, too. Nearly stubbing my toe on the footboard, I stretched out on top of my bed. My sleepy thoughts diluted the rush I just lived through. The second act of my sleepless night brought peace I hadn¡¯t felt during the first. I rested, until I heard loud fraternization coming from the quad outside my window. ¡°Can you believe they had him as their fullback?¡± One of them loudly yelled to the rest of their pack. A familiar voice responded. Adam was down there, walking in the center of the group. My clock beeped. 6 a.m. ¡°You would have landed flat on your ass if you thought you could do any better,¡± he said. Most of the guys had gym bags slung over their shoulders. They were all in only shorts, dripping head to toe. The morning sun bounced right off Adam¡¯s bicep as he gripped the football under his arm. ¡°Coach would be stupid to go through with this new plan of his,¡± someone else said. Adam spun around. ¡°You know he¡¯s got to,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, of course!¡± One of the others said mockingly. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± he started to say, lowering his voice to sound like a coach. ¡°I know Greenport Academy has been national champions for two years. But, I¡¯d like you to take a charity case.¡± The guys were all laughing. Slapping each other¡¯s backs. Suddenly, Adam launched the ball at the ground. His two hands white-knuckled with clear anger. ¡°He¡¯s not my first choice either,¡± he spat. ¡°But if you care about your own spot, you will see things differently.¡± Several seconds punctuated the silence. Adam had clearly put this other guy in his place, and there was an intense staredown. ¡°Dude, relax.¡± Adam did not relax. He split off from the rest of the group and started to turn toward our dormitory. I went back to my morning. Being late for what was actually the second day of classes would¡¯ve cost me a vital organ or two from the appearance of things. Boys from across the hallway all stirred awake. Like a herd of animals, we migrated to the showers. I kept my eyes down, trying to save myself from any trouble. But the moment I walked in, it felt like parading down the middle of a battlefield. It roared with grunts, and the wet moans of some guys helping themselves in their showers. Guys who wrapped up were slapping each other¡¯s butts and yanking towels. One of the stalls toward the end of the row was open. Halfway there, everyone seemed to stop and look at me. ¡°Fag!¡± One guy yelled. No one else said anything, but the words they didn¡¯t speak still carried the same message. Some shower heads turned off, and more guys stepped into the middle of the room to join the show. A couple of them I recognized from this morning. They were the guys Adam argued with. I didn¡¯t hear the door open behind me, but a hand did slap my ass. ¡°This is no fag,¡± the neighborly voice said. ¡°He¡¯s a fucking idiot, though. Move your ass.¡± The added insult couldn¡¯t have been wrapped around a more meaningful gesture. All the other guys turned back to what they were doing. I gave a half-nod to Adam, who just finished his shower as a display of my thanks. Condensation dripped along the rusted divots of the shower tile. A disgusting amount of pubic hairs collected near the drain. This was going to be quick. Back in my dorm room, I dropped my towel and went for my unpacked bag in the wardrobe. A voice inside the room cleared its throat while I fumbled the waistband of my underwear and dropped it. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I swallowed hard. ¡°Adam?¡± He was sitting near my desk, but stood up and closed the blinds of my window. My hands dropped to cover my dick. Next, he came up to me. ¡°I wanted to thank you,¡± I said. A shot up finger to shush me. He reached past my bare ass to lock the door. ¡°Have you read your schedule?¡± He asked, while undoing his blazer and laying it across my bed. ¡°Yes, I have it.¡± ¡°I asked if you¡¯ve read it,¡± he said, holding up a folder paper. I realized, I hadn¡¯t. ¡°No.¡± He flicked the paper at me. I went to catch it, leaving my flopping cock exposed. In a pivot, I bent back down, inadvertently mooning Adam, to grab my underwear. I hopped around, struggling to stick a foot through the leg hole. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I said to Adam, finally snapping my waistband over my hip. He frowned. I squatted on my bed and unfolded my schedule. MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 8 - 10 AM: COMPUTER PROGRAMMING TUESDAY-THURSDAY 9 - 11:45 AM: BIOCHEMISTRY APPLIED SCIENCES MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 3:15 - 4:30 PM: SYSTEMS AND DATABASES FRIDAY 11 - NOON: ORGANIC LABORATORY The classes seemed more advanced than the college back home I was supposed to attend, especially for a freshman. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Check the bottom,¡± Adam said. MANDATORY ATHLETIC CREDIT - FOOTBALL DAILY PRACTICE, EXCLUDING SUNDAYS, 5 - 8 PM ¡°Uh,¡± I glanced at Adam, who had a deeply serious look on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t play football.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°But now you do. It¡¯s part of it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to play football.¡± ¡°And?¡± I still looked a bit shocked. He got very close to me. ¡°I know why you¡¯re here.¡± I shook my head, as I had been told to do. ¡°But you need to hide it. Things will happen if you don¡¯t,¡± Adam said. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the guys in the showers.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he said, then got so close to my ear, a chill ran through me. ¡°But I¡¯m talking about something else.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± ¡°The academy fixes guys who¡¯ve had issues with the law, or who have racked up debt. Stupid decisions. But each of them is still a genius in one way or another. That¡¯s why they still get an opportunity to learn.¡± I kept quiet, like Loyd and my parents said to do if this conversation came up. Adam tapped me on my hip and motioned to sit down with him. ¡°I¡¯m not describing you, am I?¡± Adam asked. No response from me. Adam leaned in again. ¡°I know who you are, Matthew,¡± he said. His voice was filled with reassurance. ¡°And it¡¯s ok,¡± he continued. Suddenly, his watch beeped like a timer. ¡°Oh, fuck.¡± ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°Quick, get dressed.¡± Adam threw back on his blazer and slicked back his hair with his fingers. I dug for my second uniform from my bag. I hastily put it on, and screwed up the tie. Adam opened the blinds, took a step back over, and spun me toward him. ¡°You look like shit,¡± he said. ¡°But we¡¯ll make it work.¡± He loosened my tie and adjusted the knot. ¡°That¡¯ll have to do. Ready?¡± I grabbed my backpack, and checked to make sure my tablet was inside. Adam still had his gym bag from earlier. He opened the door to my room and gave me a push into the hallway. Suddenly, he had a football in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t lose this, FUCKER!¡± He shoved the ball into my chest, and I fell backward a bit. He walked off down the hall and never turned back to look at me. I was left all alone to catch the breath he just partially knocked out of me. The red light was blinking again. I threw the ball through my doorway and onto the bed, then shut the door and locked up. I had a class to get to, but a general sense of anxiety made it difficult to focus. Biochem really wasn¡¯t my strength, but not impossible. I thought I would be enrolled in more computer science classes, since that was my emphasis, but that was the consequence of an eleventh-hour ¡°let¡¯s fuck up your life¡± decision from my parents. I wasn¡¯t really sure what to do with the rest of my morning, and wasn¡¯t excited to sit in my musty dorm room. So, I went toward the library. I figured it might be somewhat empty, since most of the guys I¡¯ve seen so far seem like nothing more than fragile meatheads. But I was wrong. Virtually every table inside the reading hall was full. So, I started walking toward the stacks. It was a lot more confined, but I found a tiny desk to sit down at. Just before I pulled out my tablet, I noticed a guy searching for a title between two shelves. That¡¯s when he turned toward me, and I quickly acted like I wasn¡¯t staring. I unlocked my tablet, and began to load the app for my e-textbook when I felt a tap on my shoulder. ¡°Mind if you move?¡± It was the guy I had just finished staring at. ¡°Oh, yes, I am sorry. Of course,¡± I said. I began to pack my bag. ¡°No, you¡¯re good to stay here. I just need to grab that one, Foundations of Nuclear Isotopes.¡± I bent back, reached for it, and handed it to the guy. ¡°Thanks, man. I¡¯m Artemis.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m Matthew,¡± I replied. Artemis was the first Black guy I had seen on campus. And actually, the only one who wasn¡¯t white at all.¡± ¡°Are you new?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a freshman from Texas,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m a freshman from Atlanta. How¡¯d you end up all this way North?¡± ¡°My parents thought ¡ª we thought ¡ª this would be the best place to study computers.¡± That wasn¡¯t anywhere near the truth, but I remembered what Adam told me earlier. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re pretty good at that here. And other things,¡± he said, while holding up his textbook on nuclear engineering. ¡°How¡¯d you end up here?¡± I asked him. ¡°My dad is an alum. I know, a legacy kid. But, it actually wasn¡¯t as easy as that. They rejected me for ¡®reasons¡¯ and he had to sue to get me in. I had better aptitude scores than 97% of the other guys that are here.¡± ¡°And the reasons they rejected you?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re staring right at me.¡± Damn. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got 5 minutes to book it across campus, but it was good to meet you. Don¡¯t be a stranger.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± I said back. I turned my attention back to my tablet and noticed the front-camera indicator light was on. But, my camera app wasn¡¯t open. Probably a glitch I can tinker with later. After a couple hours, I decided I would make the trek back to my dorm. My legs could barely squeeze into this desk. When I returned, I reached for the door, but it was already unlocked. A bit odd, but maybe I forgot. Inside, there was nothing strange. So, I dropped my backpack and went to the wardrobe and unpacked what little I brought with me. It wasn¡¯t much, beyond my uniforms and a couple shirts and shorts I could get sweaty in. For just a short while, I laid down, staring at the ceiling, hating my life. But that couldn¡¯t last long, because I was supposed to attend football practice. And honestly, I had no idea where the field was. I grabbed a change of clothes, and went back out into the wild. Growing up, my dad took me to plenty of football games. I never understood it. He played a year at Texas A&M before having to quit for an injury. He always said he wanted me to follow in his footsteps. Probably not this way, though. An uphill path took me from the dormitory, around the quad, past the student center, and to the football stadium. It wasn¡¯t much of a stadium, though, because the academy played in a smaller division. To the side of it was the practice facility. Inside, it was less wild than I expected. I saw some of the other guys; a couple of whom I saw with Adam this morning, some who I encountered in the showers, and a few who I passed in the library. I didn¡¯t get nearly as many disapproving looks as I did when I started my day, but the welcoming atmosphere, if there were one, had been sucked right out of the room. ¡°Guys!¡± Adam said as he came running in from the outside. ¡°Get your shit together. Let¡¯s go. Coach says we run if you¡¯re not out there in five.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to be that guy, so I hauled ass out to the field. I hung out near the back of the guys, not wanting to draw attention. But, Adam found me. ¡°Matthew, you should meet Coach R. He¡¯s in the Tri-State Hall of Fame, and has 7 total national championships.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor, coach,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t kiss my fucking ass,¡± he said. ¡°Show me some hustle today.¡± Clearly, he¡¯s just as down-to-earth as every other person I¡¯ve met so far. He walked back up toward the front of the squad. ¡°Alright, listen up! First game is in 3 weeks. A lot is being expected out of us this season. Now is not the time to hit the brakes.¡± Coach R¡¯s pep speech droned on a bit. As I looked at all the other guys, I noticed how stiff they were. They all looked like they were standing at military attention, hanging on every word coach was saying as if it were gospel straight from Jesus Christ. ¡°Now, meet your team captains, Adam Johnson and Derek Finemore.¡± I figured as much that Adam was a team captain of sorts. But I became more surprised to see the guy standing next to him, Derek, was the guy he almost beat up on this morning. ¡°We¡¯re in it to fucking win it,¡± Derek started off. ¡°We will practice every fucking day, rain or shine. And you guys will condition yourselves to be killers. Our duty to this legacy doesn¡¯t end when practice does.¡± Adam totally rolled his eyes. ¡°But,¡± he started, ¡°There¡¯s no excuse here to be an ass to anyone else. We play like a team, we treat each other like a team.¡± He should¡¯ve just directly called me out by name. Every eyeball landed on me when he said that. ¡°Break off!¡± Coach yelled. The squad started splitting off with a few of the assistants for some strength and conditioning. My feet took me nowhere, but luckily Adam elbowed me as he jogged past and I took the hint to join him. There was a small hill just outside the chainlink fence of the practice field. It butted right up against a wooded area. One of the assistants stood near the bottom, timing us as we busted our asses in fast sprints up and down. I was winded like hell. There was zero juice left in my tank, the other guys were eating me up by a mile. ¡°Alright, time!¡± The guy yelled. Half of us were at the top of the hill still, and the other half were at the bottom. I threw my hands up behind my head, propping my skin and bones up against one of the trees. ¡°Hey,¡± Adam came up to me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y ¡ª yeah.¡± Jesus, I was panting. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Think you can handle more of this?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like an actual choice,¡± I said back. ¡°At least you¡¯re catching on.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything back, because I was still preoccupied with not vomiting downwind of the hillside. But as we both caught our breath in that moment, something happened. Deeper into the woods, Adam and I heard a grunt. Then, a loud pop which ricocheted across the open skies above. Growing up in Texas, I knew what it was. A rifle shot. ¡°Was that ¡ª¡± I asked. ¡°Fuck,¡± was all Adam said. Adam and I looked back down the hill, and no one else seemed fazed by what we thought we just heard. He and I locked eyes and started moving our weight toward where the sound came from. It was hard to tell exactly how near or far away it was, but the canopy of August trees was especially thick, and it was impossible to see more than 20 yards in front of us. We kept going until we reached a short drop to a creek below. We could hear nothing else beyond the weak flow of the summer drought beneath us. ¡°Do you see that?¡± ¡°See what?¡± I asked. ¡°Hold on.¡± Adam motioned me to come with. We angled ourselves down a steep bank, kicking up rocks along the way. Near the bottom, Adam was crouched down. He found something. When I came up behind him, I noticed a trail of blood. But when I followed his gaze, I saw what he saw. The book was settled in a small patch of now red-streaked weeds. Adam picked it up, turning it around to show me. A bloodied handprint obscured part of the cover, but I could still read it. ¡°We need to go,¡± I said. I knew exactly who it belonged to. Chapter 3 Only the pounding of my heart interrupted the silence between Adam and me. Immediately, I felt the rush to run back to safety. To be normal. But, I also sensed what was to come. From the look on Adam¡¯s face, I knew this wasn¡¯t some elaborate ruse or hazing ritual. He looked genuinely concerned, and not surprised. Several more moments passed, and none of us said anything. Adam looked like he was biting down hard on his lip. Whatever outer layer of macho energy he dressed himself with each morning had washed away. He looked like a person. He looked like me. ¡°Adam,¡± I said again. ¡°We need to go. We need to tell somebody!¡± He threw his hands up to his forehead and aggressively rubbed his temples. ¡°Adam?¡± In a snap movement, he broke out of his episode of overwhelming anxiety and faced me. ¡°You need to know something,¡± he started to say. ¡°It can wait!¡± I argued back with him. ¡°Some serious fucked up shit has happened here!¡± Hesitation stretched all across his face. The tension in his lips recoiled in preparation of his next words. I got up in his space. ¡°You are impossible!¡± I told him, sharply poking at his chest. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go, NOW!¡± I couldn¡¯t believe the same guy I¡¯d seen bossing half the campus around earlier that day was now stricken with so much pause and indecisiveness. How could he be so unhelpful? ¡°Somebody needs our help!¡± I finally spat out at him. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T KNOW THE FUCKING HALF OF IT!¡± He started to yell back at me, but cut the climax of his anger short, and yanked my arm. He took me closer to the edge of the bank, overshadowed by an oddly-shaped tree growing sideways toward the creek. The full force of his strong hands shoved me to the ground, out of view. He crouched down next to me. ¡°I know,¡± he said in a softer voice. ¡°I know, somebody needs our help. But, you need to trust me.¡± ¡°Really? Trust the same guy who¡¯s been playing mind games on me all day? No, thank you.¡± I reached for the book and started to climb back up the bank. That wasn¡¯t the wisest decision, because suddenly a muscled mass tackled me from behind, wrapping around my legs. My arms flailed like noodles, and instead of breaking my fall, I smacked head first into the rocks. I tried to shake him off, but his grip squeezed like steel pliers. Something salty started to run between my lips. I ran a finger across my mouth, and realized I was now bleeding. I didn¡¯t have much leverage to hit him with my arms. He was straddling me. So instead, I jerked up my knee and hit him as hard as I could in the balls. ¡°Fuck, man!¡± he screamed and started to fall sideways, but his feet were still wrapped around me. As he toppled down the side of the bank, he pulled me with him. We both grunted as we got mouthfuls of rocks and dirt. And then came the splash. His weight landed me face down in the creek. Bubbles sputtered out from my mouth, I couldn¡¯t breathe! My feet and arms were swinging as fast as they could to get up. Panic shook inside of me. After a couple seconds, my waterboarding experience was over. His weight turned off of me, and I flipped my body. A deeply embarrassing gasp for air came out from my mouth. Despite the wetness of my entire body, I knew some of it was tears. Adam wasn¡¯t sounding much better; he was gripping his balls and wincing like a terminally-ill animal. We both were stretched out on our backs, unable to stand or move. I craned my neck to see him. ¡°That was fucked up! You¡¯re fucked up!¡± He sorted out the kinks in his neck to look back at me after my verbal ambush at him. Then, he just burst out a laugh. ¡°Are you laughing?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± He tried regaining his composure, but another giggle escaped his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s just, you, you¡¯ve got something on your face.¡± I felt for my face and discovered what seemed like a cake of mud rubbed all over me. I could only imagine how I looked. ¡°Thanks a lot,¡± I said back. I threw my left leg over my right and started to twist myself to roll to where Adam was. I army-crawled near him, meanwhile he still nursed his bruised ballsack. Any defensive wall either of us had was now gone, for the moment. ¡°What¡¯s your problem with me? And don¡¯t bullshit me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who has a problem with you,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°I was trying to tell you that right before you surgically transplanted my dick to the inside of my stomach.¡± ¡°Sorry about that.¡± He tried to compromise his position and meet me halfway in our situation. ¡°I can help you,¡± he said. I shot daggers of distrust with my eyes right back at him. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been through hell,¡± Adam continued. He kept scooting a bit closer. ¡°I have too.¡± There¡¯s a fat chance any of that is true. Still, I finished coughing up a lung full of creek water and stood up. I reached out a hand, which he took to get back on his feet. ¡°I promise I will answer your questions,¡± Adam said. He was still walking a little funny, but stopped in his tracks and turned again to look at me. ¡°But if we¡¯re not back to the field soon, they¡¯ll know we know.¡± His words got hung up inside my head. He reverted his face back to his scared look. I don¡¯t know that I trusted him. ¡°We can¡¯t take that with us,¡± he said, pointing at the book. ¡°But, I know where we can put it.¡± Out of other options, I quit my protest. In a broken march, we returned the way we came. Coming out of the woods and seeing the practice field again was like stepping between different worlds. For a campus full of incredible minds, everyone here absolutely lacked any sort of awareness or observational skills. But instead of going straight for the rest of the squad, Adam revealed a detour we would take. ¡°The old shed in the back corner is locked,¡± he said, motioning toward the other end of the field. ¡°But, I can get you in.¡± We ran along the outside of the fence. Adam still limped like he was escaping an active warzone. Where we ended up was overgrown by weeds taller than me. There was no doubt the shed hadn¡¯t seen the light of day since the last century. Most of the paint was peeled off, and moss grew up across the walls to compensate for the lack of detail. Rotted plywood criss-crossed some of the dilapidated holes which suggested imminent collapse could be coming any second. Yet, there it stood. ¡°Stand here,¡± Adam said, pointing toward a concrete slab next to the shed. A rusty padlock tied the backdoors of the shed together. Luckily, there was some give in it. He strained himself as he tugged on the chains. The doors bowed open. Slowly, a narrow gap less than a foot wide emerged down the middle. I hesitated for too long, because then his foot graciously kicked me in the ass. My feet stumbled inside. At first, I couldn¡¯t see anything. My nose filled in the picture, as odors from years of sun-baked sweat assaulted me. When my eyes adjusted, I saw that nearly all color had been drained from inside. Cobwebs were proof of the only sign of life. As I scanned what little I could see, the shapes of rows of shelves and stacked boxes repeated endlessly in front of me. ¡°MATTHEW,¡± Adam urged from outside. After taking in my surroundings, I noticed a barrel filled with old practice jerseys. I carved out a path with one hand and guided the book down to the bottom with the other. It¡¯s the best I can do right now. When I came back out, Adam was anxious. Without saying anything, he started to move again, completely ignoring our situation. ¡°Are you being for real?¡± The veins inside of me twitched from how fast my heart was pumping. I pulled him back by his shoulder. I think his sense of cockiness stayed with him always. But as he lowered his chin to speak down to me, his muscles became tense and he seemed like he lost some of his confidence. ¡°We can¡¯t do this right now,¡± he said. Before I had the chance to push him further, a loud voice came up on us. ¡°There you fuckers are,¡± the person said from somewhere. ¡°Is this where the losers hang out?¡± I immediately dropped my hand off of Adam, and we both turned to meet our company. Derek was calling out to us from the other side of the fence. ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± he said. ¡°Did you guys just finish fighting a grizzly bear?¡± ¡°Got to make sure the kid is broken in. He¡¯s pretty tough,¡± Adam replied. I felt oddly complimented. ¡°Don¡¯t sell me any of that bullshit,¡± Derek said. ¡°I bet you¡¯re just two queers locking hands and picking daisies, aren¡¯t you?¡± Derek shot a look at me during the last part of what he just said. I glanced toward Adam, but he was unfazed. Well, except for one of the veins in his neck, which looked like it was juiced up with rage. Or steroids. But, probably rage. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°You sound jealous,¡± Adam said, smirking his way toward Derek. I watched as his posture grew, and he made himself big like a predator. ¡°Envy is the sign of a sinful man.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fence between them, I swear they would have actually butted heads with each other. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± I said to Adam, finally interrupting the nuclear tension about to take us all down. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°You should listen to that pathetic boytoy of yours,¡± Derek said. Clearly, my attempt to diffuse the situation only fueled his fire. He knew he was poking a bear. And judging from the way Adam snapped and reached through the fence, those words had the chance of being his last. ¡°I will pay this whole league to break your fucking legs,¡± he said, while gripping a fist full of Derek¡¯s jersey. Adam showed no signs of letting go. Derek¡¯s face had started to turn some shade of red. He tried to fight back through the fence, landing only a childlike slap to the side of Adam¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re lucky this fence is keeping me from bashing your faces in,¡± Derek said, taunting us. When Derek tried to land another hit, I noticed the gravel rash on his hand. I stared down at my own hands, which looked the same. I ran up to Adam and nudged him in the side. With some reluctance, he shoved Derek back and let go of his grip. We darted off to the locker room. Even behind my back, I knew Derek¡¯s eyes followed us all the way on our retreat. I felt broken. The heat beat down on my neck, taxing me of all my energy and ability to focus. It also hardened the film of mud which covered me. Back home, I never cried. Even when life got difficult. It wasn¡¯t an option. Especially in front of my family. But also, I didn¡¯t need to. I expected all the troubles which made me sad and depressed In Texas. Everyday was a practice of holding back my true feelings. But when you¡¯re broken, everything inside of you breaks. No part of your body is left untouched. When Adam and I reached the doors of the locker room, that¡¯s when I broke. Muscle spasms shot up through my entire body. What was left of my tears rolled down my face. A pit inside of my stomach opened up, and started gnawing at all of my thoughts. Tightness spread across my chest, and my ears started ringing. For as loud as my feelings felt, it was entirely silent to anyone else. ¡°Adam,¡± I wheezed. I felt numb all over. My skin color drained and became paler than the pale I already was. My rapid panting couldn¡¯t draw in the air I needed fast enough. My vision started to cloud and my head was losing its sense of weight. Everything in me went limp. Even my remaining teardrop seemed to freeze right before it planned to curl over the top of my lip. Right as I began to fall, I was caught. I couldn¡¯t see or hear anything. But I felt. I felt his hands cradle me. I felt our bodies cut through the air. I felt him lay me down along the cold tile floor. I felt my shirt lifting away. I felt the cool water rinse across me. A damp towel held against my face. The strong hand cushioning my head. Over the course of however many seconds or minutes, he made me whole. The cloudiness in my eyes was clearing. My ears stopped ringing. Now, all I heard was the sound of the shower and the pumping of my heart. But, I still whimpered and shook. ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± he said. ¡°Just a panic attack.¡± I stared into him, exercising my jaw, trying to share my thanks. All of my words were backed up somewhere deep inside of me. Softly, he took a corner of the towel and began to wipe away the blood, sweat and tears. His nursing drained away all my apprehension. With each touch, my heartbeat went from thumping to fluttering. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± is all I could say. I felt so embarrassed. ¡°Nah,¡± he smiled. His confident, sometimes cocky, but reassuring attitude had come back to him. ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± When he stood up, I was left on the wet floor staring straight up at him. With the sleight of hand, he turned off the shower water. The drops of water which pooled off his body continued to rain on me. In the next breath, he bent back down and gave me a hand. As I took it, he pulled me up. All the blood rushed right back to my head, and I swayed a bit too hard for his comfort. ¡°Woah there,¡± Adam said. While I tried to tell up from down, Adam grabbed my hips and centered me. ¡°Got your legs back?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Good. You were headed south there, just for a second.¡± My hands gripped the sides of the shower stall, but he still held onto me. I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°I¡¯ll go dry off,¡± I said. The innocence in his eyes fell back inside of him. ¡°Right,¡± he said. He swung open the door to the shower. My shorts were sopping wet, and Adam hadn¡¯t taken off any of his clothes. He tossed me a towel from a stack. I felt obligated to turn my back to him, even though neither of us had another change of clothes we planned to get into. I threw back on the shirt Adam had removed. The rest of the clothes we still wore were now only damp at best. A few minutes outside would take care of the rest. When we walked back out, we were in for an upset. Coach was waiting for us. Derek was there, too. ¡°Good on you guys to join us!¡± Coach started strong with his healthy bout of sarcasm. ¡°Funny thing, usually the team captains lead by example. And that includes not disappearing for a GODDAMN HOUR!¡± Derek scoffed, but a bit too loudly. It only set coach deeper into his warpath. ¡°And where the fuck do you think you were?¡± It was a rhetorical question. ¡°Both my captains disappeared for almost an hour!¡± Silence. ¡°Drop and give me push ups until I tell you otherwise.¡± And then there was me. ¡°And then there¡¯s you.¡± Coach looked at me squarely in the face. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to remind you of the politics it took to get you a spot on this squad in the first place. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re smart, otherwise this place would want nothing to do with you. And I don¡¯t care if your daddy is some major donor.¡± I wanted to defend myself. ¡°Coach, we heard something. I ¡ª,¡± he cut me off after that. He stepped right into my personal bubble. I could smell the chew coming off his breath. His untrimmed nose hairs were nearly brushing my face. ¡°You heard something? You know what I heard?¡± I didn¡¯t dare answer what was another rhetorical question. ¡°I heard a bunch of men acting like fucking men. Sweating their asses off. Busting their balls. Not taking a mini-vacation, like you three.¡± His face hung in front of mine for several more seconds, for dramatic effect. ¡°Drop,¡± he said. I joined Derek and Adam on the ground. Both of them were ripping out push-ups without any effort. I got five in before my arms started trembling. I hit six. I went back down for my next one, shaking with hardly any strength in me. Suddenly I felt a foot push down on me. ¡°COME ON,¡± coach said. ¡°MY LITTLE GIRL DOES MORE PUSH UPS THAN THAT.¡± I tried pushing up against the force of his shoe, but it was impossible. I winced and groaned and pushed up as hard as I could. I got about halfway up to the next rep before my face smacked back down into the asphalt. ¡°Coach, give me his,¡± Adam said. ¡°I¡¯m the reason we were missing.¡± When I looked up, Adam reaffirmed me with a head nod. ¡°Kindness just warms your heart, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Coach said, then looking back down at me. ¡°I suggest you learn how to survive, son. He¡¯s not going to be able to save you in every situation.¡± He redirected his attention back to Adam again, ¡°You¡¯ve got 80 more.¡± ¡°And you, you¡¯re coming with me,¡± he said, pointing at Derek. He wasted no time jumping up from his misery on the ground and joining him back on the practice field. It was, again, just the two of us. I could hear Adam quietly counting his reps out loud. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adam grunted through his umpteenth push up. ¡°I wanted to,¡± he said as his breath exploded out from him and he busted out several more reps. ¡°I have to learn,¡± I said. A few more push ups. ¡°And you will,¡± Adam said. He showed no signs of quitting. Coach wasn¡¯t even watching at this point. There was nothing left to say. So, I sat there. The least I could do was be there with him as he accepted my punishment. It took him hardly long at all to finish. When he did, he sat up and spent just a few seconds catching his breath. ¡°Ok,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get back out there.¡± We still had about an hour of practice left. As we hustled back, a sense of urgency burned through me. What was I involved in? And could I trust Adam? From the look of the rest of the squad, there was also a deepening sense of frustration. Not surprisingly, coach had made them run sprints until we rejoined them. That¡¯s a quick way to make some enemies. Once we got back to the practice field, Adam immediately broke off from me without even a heads up. He ran off to another end of the field with one of the assistants. That¡¯s when the other assistant I was with earlier slapped my butt. ¡°GOODWIN, LET¡¯S MOVE.¡± I ran with him. But my mind stayed behind. It was impossible to focus. Everything after what I just experienced was a blur of emotions. I was on autopilot. I¡¯ve always faced threats head on. In fact, I¡¯ve never felt safe. I didn¡¯t expect things to be any better at an all-boys college, but I also wasn¡¯t prepared for what the past 24 hours has brought me. I might be smaller, but I will survive. The core of who I am is a survivalist. That¡¯s why I thought I would be fine. I almost took offense to the coach suggesting otherwise. But now more than ever, I needed to focus. I snapped out of it right as the coach called the end to our tackle drills. I¡¯m lucky the first week was with the dummy and not the real deal. While I was hunched over, and catching my breath, I felt a shadow come over me. Immediately, my guard went up. ¡°You¡¯re pretty fast on your feet,¡± a teammate said. He gave me a quick smile, then ran off back toward the locker room with the rest of the guys. I was chronically paranoid. The setting sun finally offered some relief. While I watched the team hustle off to the showers, my miserable afternoon was painted with a vibrant backdrop of the coming night. Preferring to avoid another confrontation, I chose to head back to my dorm. The return trip was more familiar, but I noticed different things I hadn¡¯t seen before. Everywhere I looked, the campus was trimmed to an impeccable standard. It was very well-maintained. But as I studied more of the buildings, I realized just how uninspiring it all looked. It reminded me of the rigid way my grandmother organized her house. And how she would lash you with a belt if something was misplaced. Or unwelcome. When I got back to my dorm, I peeled off all my clothes. I changed into one of my only other shorts and a t-shirt. After getting dressed, I stopped in front of the mirror in my wardrobe. Bumps and bruises dotted my face. A small gash grew from my chin to the bottom of my lip. Not exactly the look I wanted for myself. Combing it with my fingers, I tried to make my matted and greasy hair look a bit more presentable. I needed to stop by the dining hall, since I hadn¡¯t had anything to eat all day. Racing out the building, I jumped to a stop after almost colliding with a ladder. I stepped back, and saw a maintenance man doing repair work on the ceiling. A closer look revealed he was putting up the same device I had seen outside of mine and Adam¡¯s doors. The same device. The one which kept blinking red. When I got outside, it had finally become dark. The dining hall wasn¡¯t far at all, though. It seemed like most everyone else was in for the night, because campus was empty in every direction I looked. In my limited time here, I at least expected there might be some weird war cries or generally loud and obnoxious immaturity. But tonight wasn¡¯t like that. Every bit of my evening walk was peaceful. That was, up until I turned the corner and saw his body. Chapter 4 His hands were soft and pale. Light from the streetlamp painted over his face. And between his lips, I saw a moment paused in time. There was no blood, and no bruises. Everything about him was nearly the same. Except for him laying in the street without a breath in his body. Derek¡¯s eyes were pointed up. Their petrified state tried to tell me what he last saw, but it was of no use. The stillness of his resting fate urged a deepening curiosity. Then, a rush of hyper awareness came over me. As I looked in every direction, I saw nothing. There were no packs of tall and built men cruising through the campus. No shadows or figures of people stirred inside the windows. Ringing in my ears made it impossible to listen to the nothing all around me. Palpitations in my chest thundered with more cautionary warnings. I felt the blood drain from my face. Right before I turned back to find help, a bag came over my head. Without a second to think, a hand wrapped around my mouth. I jerked my wrist to fight back, only to feel another set of hands hold me back. Unable to see, I tried hard to listen. All that I heard were my feet scuffing along the pavement. Then I heard more feet. I twisted my body, attempting to free myself or catch someone¡¯s attention. My attempt only tightened their grip. Not a word was spoken. After being yanked to who knows where, I felt the temperature change. Suddenly we weren¡¯t outside in the hot and dry air. Instead, an obnoxiously loud air conditioner revealed the change of venue. I darted my eyes around, trying to make out any details. Through the bag, I could only see the general sense of light or darkness. The inside was dim. It was entirely different from the bright fluorescent overhead lights that were a hallmark of every other room across campus. Each breath I sucked in, the fabric stuck closer to my face. For a while, I stood there. Over time, I felt the grip on me loosen. Eventually, the grip was gone. That¡¯s when a door opened, and someone new had clearly stepped in. I heard a flurry of shuffling and what sounded like people standing up. The footsteps of this new character came closer to me. Each step teased me with equal parts of anxiety and nausea. I held my breath, hoping I wasn¡¯t served the same fate as Derek. The man had stopped just in front of me. His breath showered through the cloth veiling me from his identity. But his scent betrayed the attempt at secrecy. ¡°Adam?¡± I said, failing to gather myself with a single bit of confidence. My voice broke and the rest of my body squeezed itself to avoid shaking in its place. Then, in one fluid motion, the bag that had been draped over my head flew off. There, in front of me, was Adam and only a small handful of other guys. At least a couple I recognized from the team. The room we were in lacked any windows. The floor was a patchwork job of cobblestone and brick, entirely unlevel. The walls arched inward, meeting at the epicenter of where a single light hung overhead. The air conditioner rattled in a corner untouched by where I could see. Gently, Adam reached out to me. His approach was slow. The expression on his face melted into a puddle of sympathy. How twisted, I thought, for a psycho killer. I flinched immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt me.¡± Adam looked like he had just been dealt a blow. His emotions became wounded. ¡°Matthew,¡± he started to say. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t.¡± I looked around the room at a small chorus of reaffirming nods which echoed his words. But my trust was only a figment of anyone¡¯s imagination at this point. ¡°I saw Derek. I saw his body.¡± I paused, not exactly wanting to relive the trauma from just moments ago. I hoped I could force a confession. Nobody volunteered the clarity to finish my thoughts. ¡°And, I saw what you did to him.¡± My words planted a field of tension between me and the rest of the room. That¡¯s when a new hand suddenly hung on my shoulder from behind. ¡°They aren¡¯t the ones who hurt him.¡± I turned around. It was Artemis. Understandably shocked, I examined his face to verify it was him. Not every detail was visible, but I saw scratches and bruises covering nearly the entire right side of his face. He was in poor shape. He looked a lot different from earlier in the day. Still slow to understand, I stammered as I tried to press on. ¡°Adam hates Derek,¡± I said. I protested, and explained my obvious rationale that Adam had all these guys fooled. They had no idea a wolf was among the sheep. ¡°I promise you that¡¯s not what happened,¡± Artemis said. Naturally, I looked back to the others for validation. Nobody gave any disapproving glances. But the rest were clearly following Adam¡¯s lead. Adam seemed in charge. His shoulders relaxed, and I felt his warmth provoke the questions and mystery brewing among us. ¡°Will you follow us?¡± Adam asked me. Despite him asking, I didn¡¯t feel empowered to decline. ¡°Come on,¡± he said. Slowly, unsure if this was all a temptation to wade right into a trap, I followed Adam¡¯s steps. He guided the group of men straight into a dark hall. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I heard only a whisper of Adam¡¯s soft-spoken words to the others as he led the way. Someone shined a light. I couldn¡¯t see the other end of where we were going, but the patchwork floor repeated almost infinitely ahead. The place smelled. Silently, Adam stopped and motioned to one of the guys behind me. He stepped forward into the darkness, producing a large and almost comical-looking key. The key-bearer gave a nod to the flashlight-wielder, who adjusted the light directly in front of us; which revealed an unassuming and rotted wooden door. The unlatching of the door gave way to another revelation on the horizon. If Adam had killed Derek so brazenly and openly, I didn¡¯t believe he would then go through so much extra effort to take me deep into wherever just for the same. But my imagination went quiet when the door opened. From the other side, light flooded out. After a temporary moment of blindness by the sudden adjustment, I saw everything. The space beyond the door wasn¡¯t exactly impressive. But, it was less depressing than the antique hideaway we just journeyed through. Everything inside the room reflected its shape, which was a small dome. The floor was sunken in the center, with a mixed assortment of older furniture roughly organized in a congregative group. It reminded me of old family friends who had houses built in the 70s. A display of hastily plugged-in laptops on card tables caught my attention next. Most of the monitors displayed camera shots from around campus. One of the monitors showed the outside of my room. ¡°You¡¯re spying on me?¡± I accused everyone in the room, for their clear complacence, but directed my attention firmly at Adam. Everyone else was unmoved, but Adam accepted my rightful anger. ¡°No, we are not,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s not what it looks like!¡± I pointed right at the monitor that had the image of my dorm. ¡°We understand your anger.¡± Adam motioned to the other guys in the room as he spoke. His brows were furrowed deeper than ever before on his face. Stress had eaten away at his demeanor. ¡°We understand it, because each of us is also like you.¡± I looked at Artemis, who had glanced down at his feet. In a nervous tic, he rubbed his thumb while averting eye contact. All the guys found a place to sit down. Adam perched himself against a ledge buried in the wall while he stared at us. But first, he spoke directly to Artemis. ¡°We need to tell everyone what happened.¡± Adam seemed to ask his permission, but it felt more like a courtesy. So, Artemis nodded. Another long pause punctuated the intermission before Adam began. ¡°The committee killed Derek,¡± Adam said. ¡°And they tried to get Artemis, too.¡± A small, almost indiscernible tear, rolled down Artemis¡¯ cheek as Adam spoke. His eyes darted, a tell-tale sign he was replaying the moments of what happened. Adam ate his remaining words. He lowered himself off the ledge, and spoke softly to Artemis. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he said. Then, he gracefully took a step back and allowed Artemis the room, and space, to apparently get something off his chest. ¡°We were in the woods,¡± Artemis started to say. ¡°We thought we were alone. And safe.¡± He took another pause. ¡°We met last spring,¡± he said. His words held me in suspense. But somehow, everyone else in the room seemed like they knew where the story would go next. ¡°When I visited campus again this summer, we started talking.¡± His story gradually caught up to today. ¡°We met up again. We were so careful,¡± he said. Emotion welled up inside his chest. But then, the light in his eyes went completely out. ¡°We were near the creek. He said he only had a few minutes because of practice.¡± Tears broke across his face as he thought back to earlier in the day. Adam gave him a pat on the back, suggesting he didn¡¯t need to go into further detail. Artemis fought hard against the rush inside his head. He was silently crying, but the rest of his face looked so stoic. Other guys in the group hung their heads. But Adam carried on. ¡°Do you remember your orientation yesterday, Matthew?¡± I nodded yes. ¡°Then, you might have been given a certain impression about the academy,¡± he said. Again ¡ª the answer was yes. The rows of photos of boring and self-important white men had impressed upon me many things, but never the threat of death. ¡°Officially, the academy rejects men who don¡¯t fit their slim standards of excellence,¡± he said as he gestured to the rest of the room. He paused as if I had caught on. ¡°But, some exceptions are made,¡± he finished saying. ¡°Each of us, unknown to the academy or the committee, is an exception.¡± ¡°An exception?¡± ¡°Guys who were forced to be here by their unhappy parents. Parents with money and influence. Influence that bought a less serious examination of who we are.¡± Adam came and sat next to me, with a serious and accusatory look in his eyes that convicted the certainty behind every word he spoke. His confession wasn¡¯t entirely shocking after everything else that had happened. But more importantly, my focus was brought back to Artemis. He was slumped over in his chair, almost catatonic and stricken with grief. ¡°So, Derek and Artemis?¡± I asked Adam directly. ¡°Were together, yes,¡± Adam said, before standing back up and pacing back to his original ledge. ¡°Just like Derek and I saw each other before that.¡± Naturally, I wanted to know more details behind that. But, it would have to wait. ¡°Ok,¡± I started to say. ¡°But what exactly happened to Derek? He looked a normal amount of agitated after practice.¡± I thought back, trying to remember if Derek had the fear of God in him. But, he didn¡¯t. ¡°He got spooked,¡± Artemis said, breaking his lull of sadness. ¡°He started back before somebody shot at me, and I tripped.¡± Apparently, I was the only one hearing all the details for the first time. Everyone else seemed at a loss to say anything that could bring any comfort to Artemis. He fell back into a reserved position, with his hands folded under his chin and eyes staring blankly. ¡°I know this is a lot,¡± Adam said out loud, but directed to me. ¡°But, the police are already on campus.¡± He pointed to one of the monitors which showed a Sheriff¡¯s car in front of the administration building. Still, the question of who killed Derek was unanswered. ¡°Adam,¡± I urged. ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± he said more plainly, but firmly. ¡°But the committee has put targets on all our backs. Some of them have ideas about us.¡± He stood up again, and this time so did the rest of the guys. Artemis and I looked at each of them from our inferior positions. ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± Artemis just shrugged in response to me. We hustled off past the way we came in from, through the creepy hallway. At the foot of the entrance, all seven of us split in different directions. I worried, initially, watching Artemis walk off into the night by himself. But the callous mystery of Adam¡¯s warnings was not lost on any of us. Looking back as I left the musty labyrinth, I realized where we were. It was the old storage cellar of one of the abandoned warehouses in the business district for the town, just a few blocks from campus and separated only by a thicket of trees. I stared off at the glow of the emergency lights in the distance. Silhouettes of the rest of the guys faded as they journeyed back toward campus. All the guys, except one.