Priar jammed himself into his small dorm. The walls were stone, much like the rest of the basement. The covers on his bunk were coated in a thin layer of dust. The light in their room flickered each time it came to life. The smell of rat droppings wafted through the air as if it owned the space. There was barely enough room for the boys to move around. Walls of cracked stone crunched their belongings together as they stood awkwardly in the doorframe. This was his new room.
Slug had hopped up to his bunk above Priar, taking his bags with him, unpacking his belongings. He linked a thin gold chain around his neck, falling back onto his pillow. A gift he'd gotten from his brother. One of the only things he'd made sure wasn't forgotten. Lance, and another trainee, Seth, were getting set up in the bunk across from them.
Seth's hair was shaven to a shine, he had barely a hint of hair on his body. He cut it all ceremoniously to counteract the anxiety he'd feel when encroaching on a new experience. He'd been told time and time again by his therapist, to "do what made him feel good," shaving was about the only thing he could look to.
Every breath Lance took ended in a wheeze. Priar watched him carefully, worried that something had happened during orientation. Lance quickly dragged his old sheets from the mattress and left the room.
Seth, laid on his bed with an exhausted groan. Despite being in such a drastically new environment, he took no time getting accustomed to the new habitat, promptly throwing his clothes over the bed frame, draping down onto Lance's bed.
Priar refrained from unpacking his bags. He hadn't planned on staying long enough to get comfortable anyways. He got out of bed, reaching up and tapping Slug's leg.
"Hey, I'm gonna look around. Wanna join?"
"After the day I've had? Mm- maybe. I'll let you know when you get back." Priar chortled, flicking him the finger.
His hands found warmth in his pockets when exiting his room. The halls resonated with life. Trainees were still getting set up in what would be their new home for the foreseeable future. Jolie wandered the halls as well, making way for the staircase. Priar curiously followed after her. She'd gotten to the door at the top of the steps, jiggling the knob only to find that it'd been locked. Priar watched her from the bottom of the steps, she turned to see his silhouette looking up at her. Understandably, her body tensed believing he was a threat, instinctively flexing her arm, but flinching at the sharp pain in her shoulder.
Priar gave a friendly wave and asked,"What are you up to?"
Jolie unballled her fist, stomping down the stairs, "Leave me alone." moving around him and continuing to explore on her own. She'd hated how attached Priar had become. Hated how once again someone would look to her for an answer she wasn't sure was correct. To think that she'd be put in a position of leadership brought a frown to her greasy face.
Priar sighed. He knew for certain behind that curtain of anger, a good person would be hidden away. He'd wanted to reveal it, but like all things, it would take time, time he didn't have.
Bright locked the only way out of the basement, but it did not phase Priar. He'd had a plan and as long as he stuck to it, things would look up from then on. He turned around, jumping when a hand was thrown in his face
"Cadet-in-training, Lance Lefraun. It's a pleasure to meet you!" he squeaked awkwardly. Lance had rehearsed that several times in the mirror before orientation, he'd been waiting all day for the perfect opportunity and thankfully, it had arrived. He stood much shorter than Priar, the top of his head only coming up to his chest at a measly 5'4. His ginger hair freshly cut down to small curls that stood as rigid on his head as he did. His wheezing continued as he spoke. "I hope we can work together well!" Priar wondered if this was some kind of joke. Lance was dead serious.
Priar slowly took his hand and shook it, confused. "Me too…I'm Priar by the way"
His grip tightened around Priar's hand "I know. You're the trainee that knocked out the Corporal."
Priar had felt embarrassed, he just got lucky. The attention and. "I wouldn't put it that way-"
"I've read that rivalry was a great way to form allies. I ask that you don't get complacent. We might be on the same team, but I'll take out a corporal too!" Lance challenged with a salute.
"You really don't need to-"
"I'll be introducing myself to the rest of the team, if we are to climb our way to the top, then I hope they are all as gifted as you!" Priar had been taken aback. He believed he was sub-par at most things outside of football. Truth be told, he had believed that this place would solidify his role in the world. He'd been born to be forgotten. After he stopped playing for his school, he pictured the rest of his life behind a cash register. To hear he held some level of talent in this field made him question if leaving was really the right choice.
Lance ran after Jolie. Priar tried to warn him of her sour mood, but he'd already gotten up behind her by the time he could get a word out. Lance scared her and caught a fist to the face, but that wouldn't be Priar's problem. He could tell by the way her eyes sparked with concern, he was right about her. She had a heart after-all.
SCREE "Will all fish bait report to the classroom. I repeat, will all fish bait report to the
classroom." SCREE click
Trainees peeked from their rooms, exhausted. Priar skulked back to his dorm where Slug had been stretching at the door. They gave each other a nod. Slug raised his fist; Priar tapped it with his.
"So much for resting up." Priar stated sarcastically.
Slug rubbed his eyes, "I was starting to doze off too." Lance, with a big red mark across his cheek jogged by,
"C'mon guys! We shouldn't dilly-dally!" Priar raised a curious eyebrow.
"Did he just say dilly-dally?." Slug asked. "cute," Priar smirked, glancing down the hall to where all of the trainees were gathering. At the end, shrouded in dim light, stood Sergeant Bright, his hands behind his back. Slug sighed and sauntered down with the rest of the class.
"I think I'll sit this one out." Priar stopped, standing in the doorway.
Slug shrugged. "Your funeral, man" leaving him to his own devices. Priar waited until everyone had left before making his escape. He grabbed his bag from his bedside and cautiously made for the staircase. The locked door was an unexpected variable in his plan, but it wasn't something that he hadn't dealt with before. They'd searched his bag before delivering it to his room, only he knew better than to leave his blueprints out so openly.
He stooped down at the door, taking a paperclip from his shoe, carefully inserting it into the keyhole. The only light he'd get on the staircase would be from the cracks in the door. Working in near pitch-darkness proved harder than expected, but he'd picked enough locks to go off of the sound alone. The lock clicked and with a twist, a beam of light broke the veil. He crept out from around the door into the light of those gold trimmed halls he'd missed so much. The smell of roasted chicken replacing the mold that had grown in his nostrils. It was a perfect cover for his escape.
He stealthily peeked corners, his breath as calculated as his movements. He'd planned every step, going as far as remembering which floorboards creaked the loudest. Priar had gotten away from the mess hall, meaning he could walk without caution to the very same entrance he'd been ambushed at. He'd had it in his mind that the boards on those doors were removed since the orientation had concluded, but he could never know for sure. Then again, what plan doesn't have its uncertainties?
Dorms trailed the walls as he crept by. Priar had reasoned that with so many rooms there'd be at least a few hundred students that called this hell, "home" He'd assumed all the cadets had left their quarters from how quiet the halls had been. Which only made things easier for him, so he didn't mind.
He'd rounded yet another corner when he'd heard a very silent chewing coming from the collection of dorms ahead of him; it was disgustingly loud. The munching resonating from within the rooms on his left, its door wide open. Priar crept closer to it, peeking his head in and seeing the very same curly headed attacker from before, 'T'. He twirled his finger around one single curl repeating the same motion, staring into his phone screen. He'd been sitting in his chair, his knees pressed to his chest, chewing on a piece of gum without a care in the world.
This wasn't at all part of the plan. He'd need to improvise, which wasn't something he'd never been known to do well. Thankfully, his biggest threat hadn't noticed him yet; although that would soon change if he stayed any longer.
He quickly passed to the other side of the doorframe, fearing he'd been spotted. His heart quickened to a panic. If he was caught now, there was no telling what they'd do to him. Priar rapidly took off down the hall, his heavy footsteps giving him away immediately.
POP
Priar glanced behind him to see T standing in the doorway, the remains of his gum stuck to his cheeks. He leaned on the frame and said, "I don't care that much, you know?" Priar, not wanting to test his luck, turned back ahead continuing his sprint to safety, only to crash into the wall that was Eyepatch, behind him, Malcolm. T's eyebrows raised, knowing what was to come next and quickly shut his door.
"How did you escape your cage, little mouse?" Malcolm teased. Priar's heart dropped into his stomach, of all people he could've ran into, of course it was them. He kicked away from the two, scrambling to his feet.
"Sorry, man" Eyepatch said, stomping toward him, preparing himself for yet another fight. Malcolm put an arm ahead of him.
"No no, I can deal with this one. After all, I am a firm believer of karma." Malcolm took off his coat, handing it to Eyepatch. "'You get what you deserve' that's what I always say." Priar took a cautious step back, "Well…what are you waiting for?" he smiled, Priar knew he wouldn't win, not after what happened with Jolie. All he could do now was- "RUN"