Part Three: Dammit Janet

You make a break for it. The Bird Watchers had started to move your way, through the woods, but they seem almost taken by surprise. You dart out from your hiding spot, and race for the Pumping Plant area proper.

Should one of you take a second to look back, your pursuers are giving chase. You note that they aren’t the most athletic looking people. A small, spindly woman picks her way through the final bits of foliage clinging to the outskirts of the plant. She’s followed, unsteadily, by a man who is mostly gut and little neck. Top heavy.

You hear a whistle go up a distance away, and another from even further off. It’s thin, and you’re not 100% sure that you actually even heard it. There’s distance between you and it.

You scramble through the busted wire fence that offers little protection these days. One by one, you clamber under it, with only one or two of you having to untangle yourselves on a stray piece of wire.

And then there’s the Pumping Plant One building. Buildings.

You’re among them. Surrounded on all sides by run down old buildings. Broken glass and rusted metal on all sides. You don’t yet hear the scratching of others trying to navigate the wire fence.

It’s quiet here. No gang… that you can see.

You take a moment to situate yourself. The construction?

No! There’s very little cover and Jaden’s ankle might not handle the clambering through. The last thing you need is another injury. Especially one with all that rusted metal around.

And so it has to be the main building of the plant then. You burst towards it, not even trying to hide your progress. Jaden leads up the rear, trying to keep weight of that rapidly swelling ankle. Faye, on the other hand, reaches the door quickly. She braces herself for the job of busting it down, or getting out of the way for George and the others to do so. But the door swings open handily. A sharp metallic sound, half a second of screeching, is the only resistance it gives, as the door scrapes against its frame.

You spill into the almost darkness. There is some light, spilling through from some broken windows around, but not enough for you to rush through haphazardly.

They must be in the parking lot out front by now. Will they wait for others before entering? Are they sure of where you went? You aren’t sure, and so you resolve to be as quiet as possible.

You encroach into the Pumping Plant One building. This had obviously been the foyer. You creep towards the main desk with doors at either side. You notice a distinct lack of clutter on the ground. You had been watching for broken glass and loose rubble, as to avoid it giving away your position should you kick it.

You wind your way through the complex, shuffling forward in the darkness, punctuated by steady progress made in more well-lit rooms. You hear muffled sounds of talking and clattering coming from somewhere behind.

Andy takes up the rear, ensuring that Jaden doesn’t they left behind as you weave your attempt to lose the Bird Watchers. The sports star covers the groups tracks by quietly closing off doors so as not to leave an obvious route to be followed.

As the young man busies himself with the work, the other four comb through the Pumping Plant. Room after room after room. You all come upon a similar kind of realization all at once.

Jaden, the slowest of the four, taking a moment to rest his ankle, leans against a desk. Idly, he lifts a photo frame from the desk. It shows two proud parents, beaming with pride. A child stands between them, dressed from wrestling and holding up a trophy that reads ‘First Place’. On the dusty old desk, the photo frame seems positively new.

Faye as Jaden rests, you wander a room further. Just to the door, to get a read on where you are and where you’re going. You’re approaching the corner of the L now, you think.

In the next room, you see a clearing. Desks and cabinets pushed to the walls, with an assortment of office chairs arranged in a circle around a kind of accumulated heap. A faint hint of smoke hits your nose as you peer into the next room.

Em you wait for Andy as he finishes making it look like you all took a different route. Then he enters and closes the door to this space. As you idle near Jaden, out of the corner of your eye, you spot something. Under one of the desks that make up this administrative space, there’s a bundle of cloth. Closer inspection let’s you make out a sleeping bag, and a pillow. The pillow is adorned with a colorful rainbow upon which a unicorn flies. Under the desk, you see some drawings affixed to what would serve as a bedroom wall in this instance. A similar theme of rainbows, sunshine and unicorns fill the papers.

George, accompanying Faye as she scouts the next doorway, you stand off to the side. As she steps back, wrinkling her nose, you retreat a little. Your foot bumps something behind you, in the almost dark. It rolls, and creaks a little. You turn, and look down to see a wheelchair rolling every so slightly from your bump. It clangs into a desk and comes to a halt. It looks well maintained, and in good condition. It sits empty, and the seat itself is adorned with all manner of stickers, a personal touch. Favorite bands, shoe brands and a rainbow flag give a hint of the person that used to occupy the chair.

Andy the hair on the back of your neck stands up as you move into the room and see the others giving the place a once over. Noise. But not from behind, and not agitated.

From ahead somewhere…