Chapter 7

The air was so dry and stale that Micheal had to fight the urge to clear his throat. They couldn’t risk making a sound; but that was easier said than done when surrounded by warm, dusty air. In addition, the vents were dimly lit. The only light came from the occasional grated covers they passed along the base of the air ducts. Micheal remembered seeing people sneak through ventilation ducts in comics and spy movies; he envied those people. After they had crawled some distance from the classroom, the vents became smaller. Now, they were just large enough to crawl through on his hands and knees.
“I feel like a human sardine,” Micheal whispered.
“We’re almost there,” Asante whispered back, “We’ll be coming up on the door and the guards soon. Try not to make so much noise, alright?”
LaNiya nodded. Micheal took a deep breath in, feeling the frustration rising. Both Asante and LaNiya had less trouble moving through the vents in silence. They both had smaller frames. Meanwhile, he could feel the weight of the vent closing in on him. The majority of his body was pressed up against the walls, making a soft brushing sound with every inch forward. On multiple occasions, both of them had turned back to shush him. But it was the constant micromanaging that was getting on his nerves.
“Watch where you place your hands.”
“Keep your head low.”
“Careful going over the grates.”
“Don’t drag your knees too hard.”
Their voices merged into a single, annoying whine in his head. He understood the reasoning. They had to remain undetected. And the metal walls around had the unexpected effect of amplifying every sound they made. The faintest bump would seem like a gunshot. His classmates were laser-focused; their movements were precise and calculated. Micheal wasn’t as graceful, resulting in the constant suggestions and his increased irritation.
BANG!!!
Asante and LaNiya snapped their heads back towards Micheal, all of them frozen in place. The sudden sound had made his heart skip. He lifted his hand from the caving metal beneath him, but it just repeated the sound.
BANG!!! BANG!!!
“What are you doing?” LaNiya asked, her voice a faint whisper.
“It’s not my fault. The vent warped,” Micheal whispered back.
She looked terrified. He thought she too nearly felt a heart attack by the sudden noise. But Asante just shook his head. He didn’t even seem too caught off guard. He just looked annoyed.
“Just…try to be more careful,” he said.
“I can’t control the metal. What do you–”
“Shhh.”
Asante continued moving again. LaNiya followed. Micheal took another moment to take a calming inhale and exhale. He was starting to feel the dust coating the back of his throat and tongue; he resorted to swallowing his own saliva to help combat the dryness. Then he pulled his shirt over his nose, and trailed after the other two.
They soon slowed down. Asante started moving at a snail’s pace.
“We should be close now. Keep your voices down,” Asante whispered.
“And control your breathing, Micheal. It echoes,” LaNiya added.
Nag. Nag. Nag. He wasn’t responsible for every single noise. Unable to hold back his frustration, Micheal gave a heavy sigh. Although aiming for silence, he unfortunately released a long, drawn-out exhale with enough force to properly showcase his irritation. The sound resembled a loud, exaggerated yawn; but it quickly morphed into a haunting wail, echoing off metal walls and reverberating down the ducts.
Asante and LaNiya faced him, their eyes wide open. They looked like their eyes would bug out of their sockets. But no one said anything. No one moved a muscle.
“D-did you hear that?” Carl stammered.
“Nope,” Ryan answered swiftly.
“I kinda sounded like–”
“Carl, I swear if you bring up ghosts again, I’m going to start requesting solo shifts. Now just stand there and be quiet.”
Micheal locked eyes with his classmates, as they listened to the two guards bicker beneath them. He hadn’t realized just how close they actually were to the tech lab door. Turns out, they were right above it. And the guards had heard him.
“B-but you heard it,” Carl continued.
“Creaks and groans, trust me. It’s an old building,” Ryan added.
“That wasn’t just creaks. And this isn’t the first time something weird has happened. Doors slamming closed, lights flickering, and now ominous moans from the vents? Y-you think this school is haunted?”
“I think you need to take a break from night shifts for a while.”
They needed to keep moving, but Micheal was still tense. He worried about making any motion forward, fearing it would trigger another loud sound and reveal their location. But he saw Asante waving back at him and LaNiya. Although it was still too dark to fully see his face, he could make out his silhouette pointing ahead. He saw the shadow start to slowly move forward. LaNiya started moving too. Micheal followed, trying to make as little noise as possible. But the soft brushing of his shoulders against the walls seemed to further agitate the guard. He felt more comfortable moving while they talked.
“Listen, you hear that?” Carl asked, “This podcast talked about the top ten haunted schools across the country, and the host said that vents, like these, are just prime real estate for spirits.”
“Sure. Because every malevolent spirit dreams of living at school for the rest of existence. Nothing says ‘eternal rest’ like listening to the same algebra lecture every single day. What podcast is this?”
“Sabrina’s Sanctuary. She’s a well-respected and talented medium from New Orleans.”
“Remind me to check up on you more often.”
After crawling further down, past the guards and door, the group found themselves in a wider spaced shaft. They could move a bit more freely now. Micheal stretched his arms out, but he accidentally bumped into LaNiya in the dark.
“Hey, watch out. You could hit the walls,” she warned.
“Are we there yet, Asante?” Micheal whispered.
Asante was focused on the metal grate up ahead. Micheal and LaNiya scooted over, peering down into the classroom below.
“This is it,” Asante said.
He began lifting the metal grate, ever so slowly. But it still creaked with every inch moved. It sounded like a speeding car whose brakes were grinding to a full stop. Asante paused each time the sound started. LaNiya kept her focus on the classroom and the door. If either guard heard them, they would need to quickly shut it back. But nothing happened. And after much too long a time, the vent grate was finally opened.
“Okay, so long as we’re quiet, we should be able to–”
Asante was quickly cut off by the sudden sound of scrapping metal. No one them could see much of anything, but Micheal was sure they all understood what was about to happen. Asante’s face filled with shock as realization dawned on him. He moved around in the dark, trying to find the metal grate. But it was too late. Micheal felt his body once again tense up, as he listened for the sound of the metal grate crashing onto the classroom floor.
There was a sharp ding at first, followed by identical sounds as it seemed to bounce off of something before hitting the floor. Micehal wanted to thump Asante on the back of his head for not being as careful as he kept insisting him to be. But before he had the chance, the door to the tech lab cracked open. The two guards could be heard.
“You heard it that time, right? I told you, they’re in the vents.”
“Let me check. Where’s the damn light switch?”
“Hurry up. Just use your phone.”
The door opened further, and light from the hallway poured into the classroom. Heavy footsteps echoed as they approached the vent opening. All three of them all seemed to have the same idea. They all leaned back away from the opening, their backs pressed up against the metal walls. A soft light swept across the room. It became brighter as the guard approached the area under the vent where the kids were hiding, his foot unknowing kicking the metal grate across the floor.
“What? What is it?” Carl called from the hallway.
“The vent grate came down,” Ryan said.
The guard pointed his flashlight up towards the hole above him. The kids tried backing further away, once the light shone in.
“Do you think you can put it back?” Carl asked.
Micheal tried not to make a sound; he didn’t even want to move. He tried to calm his rapid breathing, but each breath felt like labor. He took a deep breath, gathering air in his cheeks, and quickly breathed through his nose. Hopefully that would take care of the sound. The light flickered, as though the guard was trying to peer into the vent. But it soon vanished, and Micheal saw both his classmates visibly relax.
“Nah, it’s too high up. Besides, I was paid to stand watch. Not going to start doing repairs for free,” Ryan said, heading towards the doors.
“Fine. But if I end up getting sucked into these vents tonight by evil spirits, I’m haunting you for eternity.”
The door finally slammed closed, and the room was once again silent. Micheal poked his head through the opening and saw that the coast was clear.
“Odd duo, don’t you think?” LaNiya asked.
“Not really. Seems pretty average for guys,” Micheal said.
“This isn’t good,” Asante said, “Other than Dr. Reed and the STEM Club, no one comes down here. To everyone else, there should be nothing of considerable value down here. So, who told them to guard it?”
“Could Dr. Reed have asked them to?” LaNiya asked.
“Unlikely. I’ve never seen either of them down here before.”
“Does that mean you know if there actually is something worth guarding down here?” Micheal asked.
Asante remained silent. Without another word, he began lowering himself down into the classroom. His feet made a soft thud as he landed. LaNiya and Micheal shared a look. What was that reaction?
Micheal followed behind Asante, slowly lowering himself down from the vent opening. As he dangled from the vent, he wondered how Asante got down so quickly. The room wasn’t as dark as the vents, but he couldn’t see how much distance there was between him and the floor.
“It’s a bit of a drop,” Asante whispered.
“Now you tell me,” Micheal groaned.
But going back up wasn’t an option; his arms were not strong enough to pull himself back up. So, he braced for impact with the floor and let go. He wasn’t expecting to land on top of a desk; he almost lost his balance. It was one of those wooden lab tables that you mostly saw in science classrooms. It blended into the darkness, so he hadn’t noticed it. He guessed this was what made the grate bounce. He slid himself off the side.
“You could’ve mentioned the desk.”
“I thought it was obvious,” Asante said, turning back towards the vent, “Are you still coming, LaNiya?”
“I’m right here,” LaNiya answered, popping up behind them.
Micheal and Asante nearly jumped into each other’s arms. LaNiya was already on the ground. When had she done that? And how had she gotten down so quietly?
“Where to next, Asante?” she asked.
Realizing he was still holding on to Micheal, Asante quickly released him.
“Over there,” he said.
The kids tip-toed across the classroom and over to a door labeled “Office” and located behind the teacher’s desk. The door had a large, turn handle with a number pad above it and a blinking red light. Micheal attempted to turn the handle, but found it was locked. Asante walked up and pushed in a code, turning the red light green. He pushed open the door and walked inside.
“Get in, quick,” Asante said.
LaNiya and Micheal quickly dashed into the darkness of the office. Asante quietly closed the door back; he flipped a switch and an overhead light flickered to life, revealing the state of the office.
The room was a chaotic mess. Two desks and four chairs were flipped on their sides. Drawers had been pulled from the desks and tossed about the room, haphazardly. Two bookshelves were tilted over, their contents spilling books, binders, and folders into a sea of papers across the floor. There was a fan left on; its soft breeze caused most of the loose paper to flutter about the room. It looked like someone was desperately trying to find something, or get rid of something.
“Does it always look like this in here?” LaNiya asked.
“No,” Asante answered, “That door is usually hidden.”
Paying no mind to the mess, Asante walked past them. His eyes focused on another door. It looked out of place. Where most of the school doors were made of wood, this one looked like a steel door. There wasn’t even a door handle; there was just a number pad.
“Would you happen to know this code as well?” Micheal asked.
Without answering, Asante began punching in a number code. But the door blinked red. He tried again and again, but the door remained locked.
“Hey, Asante, How long have you known Dr. Reed?” LaNiya asked.
“Is this really the time?” Micheal questioned.
“About a year now. Until today, I was the only member of the STEM Club,” Asante answered, his attention still on the number pad.
“Okay, but how close are you? Because you seem very concerned and connected to …whatever this is.”
“I just know a few things. Things nobody else is supposed to know about. But somehow they do. Which can only mean bad things.”
“What kind of bad things?” Micheal asked.
“Things you can ask Dr. Reed about when we’ve found him.”
The light on the door blinked green, and Asante rushed to swing open the door. There was a stairwell that seemed to descend deeper underground, a soft light emanating from below. Micehal prepared to continue their journey, but Asante held out his arms. He blocked the doorway, turning to face his classmates. He sounded serious.
“What’s wrong now?” Micheal whined.
“It’s just…no one else is supposed to know the code.” Asante said.
“So Dr. Reed has to be down there.” LaNiya said.
“Yes, but he’s likely not alone. And I don’t know who’s down there with him. So stay close to me, and stay quiet.”
“So, nothing new?” Micheal said.
“The stairs and hallway are metallic down here. Any sound you make will echo down to the bottom. We don’t want them to hear us coming.”
“Again, I reiterate. Nothing new.”
Micheal was a bit caught back. Sure, the guards were odd, and the fact that their teacher hadn’t shown up was troubling, but Asante’s tone was making him concerned about their safety. Where exactly were they going? Wasn’t this supposed to just be a basement for school-related projects? But what also worried him was Asante’s mentioning of a “them.” Who else was down there?
“You’re welcome to stay up here. But just be sure to hide where no one can see you.”
“Asante, what exactly is going on here?” Micheal asked.
Asante stared back at him. He looked as though he wanted to say something, like he wanted to tell them what was going on. Micheal could see the confusion crossing his face, a mix of fear and desperation. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a computer voice coming from the bottom of the stairs.
Temperature and Pressure Resistance Analysis Initiated…
“They’re testing the prototype?!” Asante shouted.
An even louder, mechanical sound soon followed. It sounded like an old machine roaring to life for the first time in forever.
“No, no, no. I’ve got to stop them,” Asante said, dashing off down the stairs.
Micheal and LaNiya chased after Asante. After stepping through the threshold of the door, they were hit with a wave of cool, musty air. The sounds of the machine had subsided, and they had to be more careful about making noises.
“Asante?” Micheal whisper-yelled, missing a stair and slipping onto the next step.
“Quick, get over here,” LaNiya said, “Try walking along the sides of the stairs. Closer to the railing. It’ll make less noise.”
She took Micheal by the hand and guided him to the railing. She was right, the steps made less noise this way. As they proceeded down the rest of the stairs, LaNiya seemed to voice her concerns.
“Micheal? You think Dr. Reed is in trouble?” she asked.
“Not sure. But Asante sure knows something about it.”
“Hopefully there is nothing to really worry about. I’m just—”
“Hang on. Do you hear voices?”
“Fifty thousand dollars wasted on this piece of wreckage? It barely moves!”
Having reached the bottom of the stairs, Micheal and LaNiya hid behind some nearby boxes. LaNiya looked around the area, looking for Asante. Micheal thought that they should at least try to see what was happening. He tried to poke his head out from above the box, but LaNiya stopped him, pulling him back down to crouching position.
“We need to see what’s going on,” he complained.
“And we can, without being so obvious.”
She pulled out her phone and opened the camera, switching it to mirror mode. Then, she moved to the far edge of the box they were hiding behind, using the camera to see behind them.
The room was an enormous, underground laboratory. There were various computers, gadgets, machines, and technology scattered about. In the center of the room, was an old-looking, mechanical suit. Micheal guessed it was what made the loud stretching sounds earlier. It was suspended high in the air by spider-like metal arms. It also looked heavily damaged and covered in rust. It creaked whenever
In front of the hanging, mechanical suit, was an older, rich-looking man. He was surrounded by guards in dark shade, similar to Carl and Ryan from upstairs. The rich-looking man was dressed in a more luxury suit, but still wore the same black shade as the guards. Micheal wanted to guess he was their boss.
“Micheal, look,” LaNiya said, tilting the phone towards the corner of the room.
There, next to the rich-looking man, was their teacher. Dr. Reed was being held with his hands forced behind his back by two other guards.
Temperature and Pressure Resistance Analysis Completed…
“Sir,” one of the guards shouts to the Boss, “the suit is nearly ready for demonstration. Shall I have another subject brought in?”
“No,” the Boss said, “Ready the doctor. It’s time he finally served his purpose.”