Chapter 211: 211-So Many Unanswered Queries
Clementine:
After that, we all went back to our dorms, and I’d finally stopped crying. It was just an outburst, and I felt guilty about it. Once inside the room, I paced around anxiously, clenching my fist. My hair was still wet from the shower I’d just taken. The others were finishing theirs one by one, taking turns in the bathroom. Ian was the last one still in there.
"Clementine, you need to rest. It’s been so stressful up North," Troy reminded me, bringing back memories of the sleepless nights we had every time we went there. But this time had been worse.
"No. I have a few questions," I told the three of them.
Yorick was sitting on his bed, hunched over, fiddling with his shoe. It had broken last time, and even though Miss Rue promised to design him a new pair, he was still determined to fix the busted one himself. That’s what we’d all become. Every time something broke, we’d just start looking for ways to fix it.
"Shoot us with your questions," Haiden urged, lying on his stomach with his pillow rolled under his chest, his face tilted up.
"How the hell did the ringleaders know about Wendigos? And before you say it was from our statements, why did they claim they already knew those things were killing crusaders before us? They said they’d be able to finish the task, but before they could return, the Wendigos would tear them apart and eat them alive. So how did they know?" I asked, waiting for a response.
"Maybe someone must have told them from the previous squads," Troy replied.
The disbelief on Yorick’s and Haiden’s faces matched mine.
"Alright, I get it. They were dead. They couldn’t give statements." Troy slapped his forehead, sitting back against the wall with one knee up and his arm resting on it.
"Exactly. And that’s not even the concerning part. Okay, fine, maybe they figured out the monster was a Wendigo. But why didn’t they warn us when they sent us there? Shouldn’t they have given us a heads-up that something that dangerous was out there? At this point, I don’t believe they actually want us to clear the North. It feels like they’re just sending us to die." I muttered.
That’s when the door opened and Ian stepped out, wearing only black pants. His body was ripped with broad shoulders, narrow waist, abs so prominent. I instantly looked away, trying to refocus on the conversation, while he walked between me and Yorick’s bed to reach his own. He grabbed a towel and rubbed his hair, then tossed it down just to shake his head, sending water flying everywhere.
"Dude," Yorick and Haiden complained together, while I stayed quiet.
"What were you guys talking about?" Ian asked.
I just glanced at the towel on the floor, and Haiden rushed to pick it up. After that, Haiden sat down this time, hugging the pillow in his lap, legs hanging off the bed.
"Clementine was just telling us how awkward it was that the ringleaders never mentioned any monsters to us," Haiden mentioned, eyes on me before landing back on Ian.
"And now you guys are surprised?" Ian questioned with a scoff.
"I’ve been saying this for a while. These people are sketchy as fuck," he added as he returned to his bed and sat down.
He spread his legs and leaned forward, slid the trunk out from under the bed with his body hunched down and opened his trunk. He pulled out a diary and a pen. Then he pushed the trunk closed and went to sit at the table, giving us his back.
"What do you guys think they did with the leader of the brown house?" Ian asked from his seat without even looking at us.
"Oh right, we almost forgot about him," Haiden said, snapping his fingers.
"They never mentioned anything. They never do." I complained, grunting.
"Well, I’m telling you, there’s something sketchy going on," Ian mumbled.
I had questions for him too, but I stayed quiet. I tapped my foot on the floor and looked up, Yorick was staring at me. It was like he had questions too. Not for me, but for Ian, yet somehow he seemed to know I had questions as well.
"Anyway, we should rest. The ringleaders said they have something for us tomorrow," Troy said as he began to lie down.
"Hope not," Haiden muttered. "If they send us on another mission, that would just confirm they want to get rid of us." He flipped onto his stomach and hugged his pillow under his chin, then closed his eyes.
Yorick got up and snapped his fingers at me almost silently. As he walked past, he leaned close and whispered, "Come outside. I want to have a word with you." Then he left the room.
Ian only turned his face sideways to acknowledge that someone had left. Troy glanced over his shoulder, while Haiden opened his eyes for a beat before shutting them again.
I drew a deep breath and stood to follow. That’s when I felt Haiden’s and Troy’s attention lock on me. They didn’t say anything, but as I stepped out and turned to close the door, I watched them, each in a different position in his bed, share a quick glance, like they were talking with their eyes.
I closed the door and went after Yorick. I already knew what he was going to say.
He had been waiting for me in the corridor, and once he saw me, he started walking toward the spot where we always met to talk. Our meet-up point.
I followed him silently, and as I quickened my pace, the distance between us closed until we were almost shoulder to shoulder. When we arrived, he turned around and pulled something out of his pocket.
It was a piece of chocolate. I stared at it without saying anything.
"It came in the basket they gave our squad for doing a good job. I realized you hadn’t touched any of it. Come on, have it," he mumbled, holding it out to me.
It was true, I hadn’t touched anything either. I just couldn’t eat.
"I’m not really hungry."
As soon as I said it, he unwrapped the chocolate himself and held it out again.