CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Are we going to have cake on our birthday?" Mina asked as she jumped on her bed.

Jet was tacking his little siblings for the night along with the other children their age. All of them waiting for his answer with bated breath as if it was all that matters in the world. Jet gave a soft laugh as she caressed Mina's hair gently.

"Of course," he answered. "I'm sure the sisters will be baking you guys' one big cake like always,"

"Yay!" all the kids cheered.

At the noise, the door opened and one of the sisters in charge of the orphanage poke her head in to see. She smiled at the kids and at Jet. Despite that she was only a few years older than Jet, he saw her as well as the rest, as his parents.

"Sorry," Jet apologized with a sheepish grin. "I'll put them to sleep right now,"

She smiled at him. "No, it's alright. Thank you for helping us. Now, kids, goodnight,"

"Goodnight, Sister Lynn," the children simultaneously answered.

When the last of the children started snoring, Jet walked out of the room silently. He stopped at the door to turn the lights off and for one last check at the children. Satisfied, Jet clicked the switch. But as soon as he did, he saw the shadow standing in front of the window. Wide-eye as his heart jumped out of his chest, he quickly turned the lights on once more but there was no one else in the room.

He quickly checked the window and made sure it was locked. Then, he peeked under all the beds to make sure no one was hiding. When he turned the lights off for the second time, the shadow hadn't appeared. Thinking it was only the trees making it, Jet closed the bedroom door and walked down the hallway.

-"Wake up!"- A voice screamed and Jet spun around in shock. It sounded so far away; faint and so familiar.

-"You have to wake up,"-

"Hello?" Jet called in the empty hallway but silence answered him. "Who's there?"

The lights at the end of the hallway started flickering. And every time it turned dark, there was a shadow; a figure of a girl with blue eyes that shone like crystals. It was just standing there. Despite that he should be afraid, Jet found himself slowly walking towards the strange shadow.

-"Wake up, Jet. You have to wake up!"-

Jet stopped on his track as goosebumps run down his very being. The voice, either it was the shadow or not, was filled with obvious trepidation.

"What are you talking about? I'm awake," Jet answered, raising his arms to the side to show it.

-"This is not real. Nothing here is real!"-

Jet could hear the urgency and insistence in her voice but before he could ask more, the lights turned on permanently and the shadow vanished without a trace.

~oOo~

Alec only answered with a laugh. And as silence befalls them a cawing of a crow took both their attentions. Alec and Ronnie both jumped to their feet and looked around. And out of the trees come flying out a murder of crows, almost blocking the sun.

"Well, shit," Ronnie murmured. "What now?"

The circled on top of the lake while continuously cawing. Alec and Ronnie quickly told the clean-up crew and the teenagers to move away from the place in case something goes down. The teenagers left using their cars but Alec saw a few of them taking a video of what was happening.

"Do you think this is your sister, Alec?" Ronnie asked as they continued to watch the crows.

He shrugged. "I don't know. But—the last time I saw these many crows at one place was at the Abandoned Avenue,"

Ronnie turned to him wide-eye. "You don't think what happened there will happen here too, do you? I mean, there's only us here,"

Alec nodded. "It's unlikely. But—be prepared for anything,"

As the crows continued to block the sun, the whole lake was dark. And it gave an ominous feeling to the whole place. But as sudden as their appearance, the crows scattered and left.

The place turned quiet that Alec and Ronnie could hear even the rustle of the leaves. They looked around but nothing happened. Nothing appeared. Even the water in the lake had calmed down. The two of them turned to each other in confusion.

"Okaaayy. That was . . . a bit . . . anticlimactic." Ronnie slowly started, unsure of what just took place. "But! At least nothing happened," Ronnie added optimistically.

But Alec wasn't satisfied. His gut was telling him something wasn't right. That unholy number of crows gathering at one place definitely wasn't a coincidence. He just wasn't sure if it was Alice. And if it was, what was she trying to say?

The ringing of a phone disturbed the sudden silence of the place. Ronnie and Alec jumped in shock before the former laughed out loud. Alec shook his head and took his phone out of his pocket. It was from Clinton and he quickly answered.

"A murder of crows was just spotted flying around the hospital," Clinton stated without a word of greeting. "More specifically, at our hospital,"

Alec felt dread seize him at Clinton's words. "Jet," he muttered in realization.

"What?" Ronnie asked, not hearing him properly.

Alec dropped the call and put his phone back in his pocket. "What you say about teleporting again?"

Ronnie adamantly shook his head. "No way in hell, mate. If you need to go somewhere quick I can take us there," he answered, taking his pill case out of his pocket and taking one Alpha pill before he removed his earphones. "So, where to?"

"The Hospital," Alec answered with apprehension.

With a nod, Ronnie raised his right hand in front of him and made a circle in the air; his fingertips leaving a trail of dark, misty hue. And from it appeared a horrifying, black hole. Ronnie glanced over his shoulder and gestured for Alec. The two of them stepped into the hole.

And as it devoured them, it slowly dissipated; leaving no trail whatsoever.