CHAPTER 51: Survival Training (2)

[George's POV]

Professor A went through the whole process of building a fire from digging a fire pit and getting kindling to making a bow drill for using to start your fire.

He paused and the whiteboard screen went to normal.

"There is only one more thing to tell you. Eat late, cover yourself with dirt, debris and leaves when you go to sleep. That should be all you need to know."

He walked slowly towards the door.

"This will be the last time you will be seeing me this year and quite possibly for the last time in your lives. Good luck in your future endeavors. Maiot."

Maiot? What is that?

Professor A's departure and his final words to us really made me realize that the first year was almost over. There was a collective atmosphere around all of us that made me feel weird.

We can't all be sad, can we?

I didn't want to think it was true, but the air really felt sad.

I shook my head and stopped thinking about it.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that I realized that none of us had moved from our seats since Professor A left.

-----------------------

Professor A knocked on Warden's station door before entering.

He saw Warden and the new Assistant looking at the monitor that had the kids he just left on it.

Warden spun around in her chair to meet his eyes.

"Professor A?, that's right, I called you here. Sit down."

She raised her hand a chair was formed out of purple particles right in front of her.

Professor A sat down gingerly. Warden say this and chuckled.

"Why the nervousness? I won't bite."

She leaned towards him, getting nearer to his body while peering into his eyes. She spoke in a pleasant, agreeable voice.

"Why do you think you're here?"

Warden replied, his voice betraying his perplexity.

"Honestly, I really don't know."

"You don't, do you? I actually don't believe that. I think you know exactly why you're here, so don't lie and tell me."

Professor A kept silent, the picture of nonchalance, but Warden could hear the sound of his heart beating wildly within his chest.

She smiled beneath her mask and continued her assault.

"Answer me, will you? You know why I called you here, but your brain refuses to accept it. So I want you to say it with your own mouth and hear it with your own two ears."

Professor A kept silent.

Warden said it again, but with a touch more of force this time.

"SAY IT."

Professor A jumped and said it with a hoarse voice.

"To kill me."

His voice had turned shaky and his body was trembling.

Warden clapped her hands and laughed.

"You finally said it, was that so hard? But I have to tell you, you are very wrong."

Like he had seen a glimpse of hope, Professor A voice recovered its usual flatness.

"You're not?"

Warden giggled.

"Of course not. Why would I kill you? I have no reason to. But there's one thing I want to do for you. Ask me something right now."

After thinking for a bit, he spoke.

"Then why did you ask me to withhold information and tell them wrong things?"

Warden seemed a little surprised that he chose that as his question but answered him anyway.

"Management. It's what they wanted."

"Of course."

Warden turned back to her monitor.

"You can go. Have fun with your free time."

Professor A got up and walked to the door. He grabbed the handle and opened it, when he suddenly coughed up blood.

He looked down at himself to find a spear protruding from of his chest.

He collapsed on his knees and looked towards Warden.

The spear pulled itself out of his chest and flew back towards Warden's hand before dissolving into nothingness.

Warden's voice had lost its earlier pleasantness and was now icy cold like metal.

"Did you really think we would let you go just because you had kept your end of the agreement? Don' be naive."

Professor A coughed up more blood and talked. His voice carried an edge of malice to it, directed towards Warden.

"Why? WHY?! I would've never said anything or mentioned to anyone ever in my life!"

"Is that a reason for us not to kill you? Just because you know is enough."

Professor A fell to the ground with his front facing the ceiling.

His mind was a mix of anger towards Warden, resentment towards the system, but most importantly, a deep sadness.

Flashes of memories went through his brain. A baby being held by someone while he watched by the side.

A small girl holding his hand and calling him 'Daddy'.

The girl next to a hospital bed where someone who looked very pale and had no hair was stroking her hair softly. She was crying.

The same girl was a little older and in a hospital bed. She looked like the woman who had beens sick.

The blood was rising in his throat and choking him, causing him great anguish. But the pain his body was going through was nothing compared to the turmoil his mind was going through.

He screamed at his body to get up, he couldn't possibly die here! But little by little, his consciousness got fainter and fainter and he grew detached from his surroundings.

He closed his eyes for the last time and spoke his last words.

"I-I-I'm sorry, C-C-Clarisse. Daddy c-c-c-couldn't protect y-y-you."

A tear rolled down his face, filled with all the emotions and all the things he couldn't say. One final exhale came out of his mouth, and he stopped breathing.

Warden and Assistant watched from the sidelines. Assistant spoke up.

"You can't help but feel sorry for him, can you? All he wanted to do was help his daughter. What's going to happen to her anyway?"

Warden spoke apathetically.

"I don't know. That's not my department. At best, she may get sold to a slave trader or we might just dispose of her immediately."

Assistant sighed.

"How did we get into this business? I certainly didn't want to be this when I was growing up."

Warden replied with the same tone.

"Who knows? Get someone to remove the body."

"As you wish."

[Author's note: How tragic. If you have anything to say about Professor A's death, leave a comment and don't forget to support me at my patron account. The link is in the synopsis of the book.]