"When do you think the others will be coming back?" Miriam asked as we washed up in the fountain, her burn…wasn't even getting close to better. "I dunno," I shrugged "Usually when we go it's only a few days" I commented. Miriam glanced at me with confusion, her wet hair plastered against her face. "What?" She was visibly confused "I said we only usually go out for a day or two? We usually go out as far as we can, sleep, then head back" I clarified. "Usually me and the rest get a few sleeps in before you come back?" Miriam's face scrunched up in confusion, we just sort of…stood there looking at each other for a few minutes before I burst out laughing. "Okay that makes sense, I always thought it felt weird that we barely went out that long. I guess Penelope just always wanted to push us as far as we could go" I shrugged. I smiled softly, pushing my head under the water. I scrunched my hair around, blowing out of my nose. My dad always said that the thing that hurt when I held my breath wasn't the lack of air, it was the large amount of carbon dioxide or something. I'd been pretty damn good at holding my breath since then. I pulled my head back up out of the water, clearing my eyes and looking at Miriam with soft eyes. She'd sat down on the rim of the fountain, ringing water out of her hair with a torn piece of the bedding, we'd gotten a good bit of stuff today. We'd made a shifty sort of bed out of the sleeping bags and bedding as well as tearing a few thin sheets apart to use as towels for after we washed up and eating. We were out of food…and I didn't doubt the others had run out too…were they alive? Had they starved, I…wasn't sure if I even wanted to know. Miriam and I dried off, I didn't look at her out of respect, she did the same. Maybe…for another reason as well…the changing rooms at school are the worst. We have to change for gym class and it was…always bad, I don't think it would've been too bad if the girls in my class didn't…know. It wasn't like I'd ever even like any of them, they could be solid tens and I'd still never like them. I never liked most of my classmates, and most of them are straight anyways. And also I will never see any of them ever again so I guess it's not like it matters…damn I'm gonna die without ever kissing anybody. That's…depressing. Why are we talking about this? I can never remember. Miriam and I just sort of sat and stared at each other, luckily now both clothed. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence which was broken by Miriam's voice, "So…what now?" She asked. I shrugged "I…kind of thought they'd be back by now" I admitted "Same, wonder what's taking them so long" Miriam questioned. We had another moment of silence. My mom used to talk about something she called the seven seconds of silence, she said it meant that around every seven seconds in a conversation there would be a few seconds of silence. Honestly I call bs, it doesn't even make sense…but I miss hearing her say things like that. I wondered how Mom was…doing, and Miriam's parents. Oh Gods knowing that everybody can see everything we're doing is so creepy. "You ever think about how thousands of people are seeing everything we're doing right now?" I said suddenly "Unless something interesting is happening somewhere else" Miriam commented. "Can't you tune into cameras following certain players? That's what we did when your cousin was in, remember" I retorted "Our parents are probably watching us…" Miriam said quietly. I sat down next to her on the rim of the fountain, her head resting on my shoulder, I put my head on hers as we sat in silence. A silence which was interrupted by echoing footsteps, coming from the right passageway. Me and Miriam both shot up, I bent my knees in anticipation though I wasn't quite sure what I would even do. I'd given Basil my knife, leaving me and Miriam defenceless. Miriam tried to stand next to me but her knees buckled. She steadied herself on the rim, her arms and legs shaking. I glanced back at her but was caught off guard by seeing Basil, he carried…Mckensie? Her neck was red, her face bruised and beaten. I saw the rest of the group walking behind him but my eyes barely skimmed over them. What had…happened?
