The Monolith: Chapter Eight

They rested and life felt good. Not in the same sense of leaning against a tree on a bright sunny day but like digging a hole for hours, only to find the tiniest bit of shade behind a sun wrmed boulder kind of good. It was better, that was for sure. They ate and it felt filling. They laughed and exchanged stories, even though they didn't remember anything. But they felt good.

"Mendy, sit with us," Marina yelled at the girl from across the room.

Jack passed around a sandwich that was in a plastic bag to Mendy.

"How do we know they aren't poison?" she knocked the sandwich out of Jack's hand.

Jack turned to pick up the sandwich and pushed it into her waist. "Because that would be too simple."

The food wasn't poisoned and neither was the water. There were no traps in the room and that made Mendy uneasy. She had already traced the wall with her fingers, she even experimented with the water and food, but she didn't eat it.

"There's no way that someone intended for us to go through such trials and then poison us here," Marina added.

Jack knew that the food had come from the team of people who put them into the room. They had filled the room with many supplies but it somehow vanished before they awoke. "Trust me. Eat, you need to fuel yourself."

Mendy bit into the sandwich, it was the best sandwich she had ever eaten. And the water was beyond refreshing, it was reanimating.

George fell asleep first, his body pretty much shut itself down as soon as it touch the blankets inside the tent. He snored loudly but everyone who was still awake found it amusing and oddly comfortable. The rest joined him when the lights that glowed from the ceiling stones had begun to dim.

There were exactly enough tents and even food yet it didn’t seem odd to anyone.

"Jack?"

There was a silhouette outside his tent. Jack had felt tired. His muscles ached and his skin was sticky with dried perspiration. He was surprised he had even left the state of slumber he was in. "Mendy?"

She moved into his tent like a ghost, pulling at his clothes and lightly clawing at his chest. They were quick and when theirs bodies had given up; they fell together in a sweaty heap. She was gone when he awoke and he wondered if it was all a dream, a beautiful, erotic dream

***
Paul was ahead of the group, far ahead. He had swung through the chains, with one shoe I might add, and he grabbed a sandwich on his way through. It tasted like honey, and fresh cut deli meat; but there was no time to enjoy it. The door opened by the stairwell began to close and he didn't want to be stuck in this room with the others.

"I'm not getting stuck with those idiots."

Paul stared at that one item in the room and pissed himself. He slumped into a corner of the room and slept.

***

Steve was in charge of the food, carrying them in a tent that they had fashioned into a sling. Brandi had gathered the tents and together, with George and Raven, created an easy way the can carry three at a time over their backs.

Marina, talking with a girl named Connie, waved and smiled at Jack. Jack waved back and as Marina turned away, Mendy approached him. "Here."

"What is it?"

"Leather from one of the tents. Wrap it around something and it will act like a glove, keeping your hands from blistering."

"The others?"

"There's only enough for us two. Shh," she said placing her finger over lips, smiling. Come on, let's go."

The group formed a line slowly advancing through the door. Marina ran up to Jack, grabbing his hand as she walked besides him. He stuffed the leather into his pockets as quick as he possibly could.

George walked beside Connie, talking about how scared the place makes them, yet they smiled. They approached the door and George said, "After you," staring at her butt as she walked passed him, through the door, with tents slung on their backs.

Steve, pushed the extra bracelet he had been hiding back up his sleeve.