"Hey Mom," Scott said, putting his rifle down.
"Scott!" Mrs. Smith hugged her own son.
"Oh my God. What happened to you? I have been so worried about you. I thought I lost you after the military came in."
"It's okay mom, I was with my manager for my internship. He took care of me and fed me well."
"What kind of manager is this person?"
"Look mom, I don't think you want to learn more about my personal stuff. Anyways, what happened to the town? I know the military just suddenly came here, but I never knew how bad it was inside of Sunshine Valley."
"It was horrible. Ever since last week, soldiers were searching every house to find this 'terrorist' that they kept mentioning."
"I know." Scott thought to himself.
"What about my friends? Have you gotten any updates or messages from them?"
"No. The phone lines are dead. We can't even leave our houses. We were under martial law for nearly a week. Now I don't know whether we can leave or not."
"I see. Well Mom, don't worry. Since I came back, no matter what happens, I will protect you. I will be better than how dad treated you." Scott picked up his rifle.
"Thanks Scott. I'm happy to have a son like you." Mrs. Smith hugged her son one last time.
"Do you mind if I take a shower mom? I was out of town for an entire week."
After Scott got out of the showers and unloaded the bullets out of the magazine, Scott laid on his bed looking up at the ceiling, worrying about what the future of this town will undergo. He hopes that he and Dan can persuade the military that John was the one who caused the "Terrorist Attack."
The next day, it was Saturday and the roads were still filled with soldiers roaming in the streets. Having no choice, Scott had to put on his military uniform and picked up his empty loaded rifle to blend in with the others. While packing his military bag with his clothes and black jacket, he realizes that there was a loaded pistol as well as a military issued combat knife. The pistol seemed like an M17 new issued service pistol with the combat knife being sharp, but very durable. With the circumstances around him, Scott packed both the pistol and knife in his bag for self defense or if the military finds out he isn't one of them.
Heading outside, even under the heavy mask and googles, Scott could smell the heavy air with the scent of sadness and sorrow now being a full week of the sun never coming up. Students were terrified of the situation being constantly raided into their houses and check through the very bone. All the sunshine and laughter that this town initially had was now gone. A place full of panicked students, parents dying in the bottom of the town, and God knows where the children under the ages of 14 are. Scott gripped his rifle and decided to head to Jim's house.
Heading to Jim's house, Scott knocked.
Walking towards the door, Jim looked at the 'peephole.' "What the hell? Didn't you guys check me out yesterday?"
Jim cautiously opened the door with a modified pen behind his back.
"What the hell do you want? Don't you guys had enough of searching this town?"
"Let me in."
"Or what? You think I'm the terrorist now?" Jim was ready to stab Scott with his pen.
"Stab me with that and I swear things won't end that easily." Scott pointed his rifle at Jim.
Jim dropped the pen.
"Now let me in." Jim moves a couple of steps back to let Scott in.
After closing the door from behind, Scott stopped pointing his rifle at Jim.
"What?" Jim had his hands up.
Uncovering himself. Scott revealed himself to Jim.
"Scott? But how?"
"Let's just say this gear doesn't belong to me."
"My God. Scott, we thought you couldn't come back."
"Me and Dan couldn't, but since we couldn't enter, we decided to disguise ourselves."
"Smart. But Scott, what the Hell is going on here? One day we are just enjoying our high school lives and the next, we got the whole damn military up our asses. Bryan mentioned that a terrorist resides in our area. Because of some SWAT situation and now a plane crash?"
"It was John."
"What?" Jim questions Scott.
"You heard me. He's the reason why we are in this mess."
"How can you tell?"
"Well, it's all starting to add up. John was the person who crashed the plane. I couldn't believe it either, but this torn cloth said otherwise." Scott gave Jim the burnt cloth from John's varsity jacket.
"B-But that doesn't make any sense. How the hell could he crash a plane if he was still in jail?"
"I don't know, but it seems like he escaped. Don't know how, but in a some unique way."
"This town is getting weird."
"It sure is."
"I should get the group in here to discuss the situation." Jim brought out his phone to call on the group.
Later, Scott, Jim, Natalie, and the others were all together in Jim's living room after Scott had helped his group catch up on the situation.
"So John caused all of this?" Natalie was surprised.
"Yeah. He probably went psychotic, stole a plane from the nearest airport and was so incompetent to fly it that he jumped out of the plane before it crashed." Scott ate one of Natalie's macaroons
"I wouldn't be surprised. He is full of himself." Jim next to Scott.
"I still can't forgive him. He killed everyone that I loved in the archery club. Just because he thought of them as a burden." Isabelle laying next to Dwayne.
"So Bryan, how are you and Liam doing during this circumstance? I heard you were interrogated by the general of the military." Scott looked at Bryan.
"Me and Liam are fine. It's just that I'm so paranoid of the military being in this town."
"We all are. But what about our other peers, the teachers, and other faculty members of our school?" Scott looks at Natalie
"They're probably surprised about the situation and pretty uncertain on what to do." Natalie suggested.
"Honestly, guys, when we come back from break. It is most likely that the school won't be the same as always. The peers we see, the teachers who enable us to work hard in school. All of that is gone now that the military has seized the happiness that we are supposed to pursue." Natalie spoke in her poetic tone.
"Damn. For me, I guess I have no choice, but to go to school in this outfit." Scott looked at himself.
"Na man. Why not just come to the window of the janitor's closet?" Dwayne suggested
"You mean the one where we exposed the old newspaper room?"
"Not that one. I mean the other one. We got two janitor rooms. I hope the other one is still intact."
"Thanks for the idea Dwayne. But guys. I think we have a job. We need to find a way to ensure that the school should find out who John really is."
"What?" The whole group said at the same time.
"Because Agent Dan showed me something and I think I know why there are less people than expected in this town. It is because the adults or those who are older than teenagers are currently being malnourished and starving to death. They became savages and started to kill each other for their own survival. John made them into nothing but like wild animals in a cage."
"And what makes you say that?" Natalie questions.
"Scott showed everyone the picture that Agent Dan shared.
Dwayne was so startled that he vomited. Natalie covered her mouth. Isabelle was giving a horrifying face. Bryan covered his eyes. And Jim was very startled."
"My God." Natalie said.
"How long was this?" Jim was horrified.
"Who knows. It was under John's mansion. He's been locking up the adults. I assume those adults are the parents of those children."
"You don't mean." Bryan collapsed on the floor.
"My Mom. Don't tell me she's there." Bryan started crying knowing more about his situation.
"Most likely." Scott said.
"THEN WE NEED TO GO SAVE THEM!" Bryan ran towards the door.
"Hold it Bryan!" Scott stopped Bryan.
"Why! THIS BASTARD CAPTURED MY MOM AND HE'S THE REASON WHY I'M STRUGGLING WITH WHO I AM!"
"I know you're upset, but we can't let our emotions take control of us. Besides, if you try to barge into John's mansion while the military is around, they'll suspect you even more than that first interrogation you had."
"Fine." Bryan sat down.
"I know Bryan. It hurts. But we will take John down."
"No matter what John is doing or where he is, he can't just get away with this. I believe that he's a danger to the school." Scott flashback to the past.
"Ever since I came to Sunshine, every time I see John and whoever he was with, it just bugs me that he forces people to be nice or obey around him and if not, he tends to kill or torture them if he feels generous. I can't stop thinking about how John forced Troy to kill Ashley."
Jim stood up. "Even to this day, I can still remember the day where he tortured me into becoming one of his characters."
"Or that was racially targeting me." Natalie stood up.
"Or he thinks homosexuals are targets to him." Bryan stood up.
"Or about the amount of trauma that my other club members were slaughtered for." Isabelle stood up.
Scott looked at how John had caused a lot of problems towards them.
"Then it is decided, we need to warn the school. Because I know for sure. After the stunt we pulled on him. He will kill all of us and then the rest of the students." Scott said.
"Besides the six of us, I think if we can get help from the whole school, we have a higher chance of persuading the military the John is the terrorist and we can finally put him down, and make this town the way it was." Scott put his hand in the center of the circle.
"Alright guys, once we head back to school, we are in the end game now. So Once the break is over, this will finally bring this mystery to a close. For Ashley."
"For my family." Jim put his hand.
"For the football team. Dwayne put his hand
"For a better future." Natalie put her hand.
"For equality." Bryan put his hand.
"For my fallen club members." Isabelle puts her hand.
"Alrighty, guys. Let's finish this school year off."
[RIGHT]