Despite the shortcomings of last night, Ryan fell into a deep sleep shortly after getting into his sleeping bag and slept the night away. The sleeping bag was still uncomfortable, and the wind was noisy. That didn’t change. But his brain shut down for the night as exhaustion finally settled in and took its toll on him.

  Ryan had a lot on his mind before, but talking helped clear it, and walking around also helped in making him feel tired again. He didn’t have lingering doubts or nightmares, but didn’t get any pleasant dreams either. Ryan hoped he’d wake up back at the office, and that everything would turn back to normal, just like that. Still though, after everything that happened before, his mind and body desperately needed the recharge.

  Ryan woke up to the sunlight creaking through the window and hitting him squarely in the face. He wiggled his arms out of the sleeping bag to shield his eyes. He yawned when the door creaked open, perking his ears up. Ryan snapped over to find Mike entering the room, already fully dressed.

  “Oh, you’re finally awake,” Mike said, showing no hint of emotion in his voice.

  “Huh?” Um, good morning to you too? What’s with the greeting? “What do you mean? How long was I asleep for?”

  “Quite a while. I’d say you were out all morning.”

  “No way...”

  Ryan didn’t think he needed the extra hours of sleep. Yeah, his body and brain had zero energy left that day, for a number of reasons. That much he couldn’t deny. But at the same time, wasn’t sleeping all he did yesterday? Aside from exerting a lot of energy running around the place and screaming. If he remembered correctly, he took naps and passed out several times in the span of one day. Then again, because Ryan didn’t have a working watch or keep track of time anywhere in the city, it was hard to tell how long he’d been out for. It could’ve lasted for hours or minutes.

  Either way, it didn’t feel like he slept for long; didn’t seem like hours went by. Even after the hours—if what Mike said was accurate—Ryan felt exhausted.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Ryan looked around the place again, since there was more light in the room and he could see clearer. Not much had changed. It was just an ordinary brown classroom with a red locker and desks on the side. Now that he thought about it, Taylor was nowhere to be found. The same went for the other sleeping bags. Where could he have gone?

  “It happens,” Mike said with a shrug. “If you need the rest, you need it. Now, how long do you plan on sitting there?”

  “Oh, right.” Ryan scratched the back of his head. Hard to believe his body was adjusting to the tight space so soon. As he got up and folded his bed, he glanced over at Mike. He had his back against the wall and crossed his arms. “So, what are you doing?”

  “What does it look like?”

  Wow, I just wanted to have a conversation here. “I mean, want to give me a hand?”

  “It’s one bag. It shouldn’t be that difficult to manage. And you know where to put it. The storage room’s downstairs.”

  Ryan’s blood boiled as he gripped the sheets. He didn’t experience this kind of behavior often at his workplace, but when he did, it got on his nerves quick. Normally, he’d walk away from that individual, but he couldn’t do the same in this scenario. Ryan had no choice but to put up with him for the time being.

  “So, why didn’t you wake me sooner?”

  “Well, to be frank, your body needed the rest. When Karin and I stumbled upon you, you looked like you were ready to collapse.” Mike kicked his leg off the wall. “We all agreed as a group to give you space. Taylor and I took turns checking in on you, seeing how you were doing.”

  Ryan thought about asking why only the two of them checked on him, but he already had a hunch about the answer. It was mostly about gender dorm rooms, code rules, and privacy. His brain was still trying to wake itself up, but even he could put two and two together that quickly.

  “So, I take it everyone else is downstairs already?”

  “Well, obviously,” Mike replied as he placed his hand on the doorknob. “Brush your teeth, freshen up, and meet us at the lounge.” He left the room shortly after.

  Alright, alright. Who are you, my mom? Ryan sighed. It wouldn’t do him any good to have such negative thoughts, especially on the folks who saved his life. He finished folding the sleeping bag and held it close to his chest. He walked over to kick the door open and headed outside.

  It may have been the afternoon, but Ryan still had plans for today—at least, he thought he did. It was best to stay optimistic in these trying times—better than yesterday, at least. He survived to live another day, which? was a good thing in his mind.