Don't ~
Call For Silence

            Ami opens the door for me. She’ll be acting as my second in this faceoff, stepping in if something happens, or running away. This is her trial to begin with and I still had to take on the role of the hero and complete this task, leaving her only to make sure we’re not locked out and stranded in the night.

            The night is warm but quiet. A blanket of cloud obscures the stars but a half waxed moon peers through at intervals, lighting my way.

            I step out onto the archway that connects our side with the side we’re making our transaction with. Across the way their door also opens and John steps out, Jonny as his second, holding the door open for him as Ami is for me. John notices that I’m standing outside as well and nods just enough so I can see across the distance and through the thick darkness. He looks around to make sure there’s no patrol along the ground beneath us, and nervously I feel obligated to do the same. Then we begin to walk forward.

            I can see the object Ami wanted to retrieve from him in his hand, and I hold up our side of the deal in mine for him to see.

            We meet at the dead center of the walkway. I look across to Jonny, holding open the door on their side, I wave casually at him and he nods back. I look back over my shoulder to make sure that Ami is also holding open my way back, and she waves hurriedly at me. A cool breeze blows across the bridge.

            John and I exchange a few words first and a show of friendship, then I place the packet of Twizzlers in his hand and he places Ami’s steaming Cup Of Noodles in my hand. We nod, turn at exactly the same time, and cross back our separate ways.

            A success. No guard has spotted us, no alarm has been set off. Upon reaching the door I hand the Cup of Noodles to Ami and she thanks me. The boys have already entered their side of the building, so we carefully close our door, checking again for guards, and slip back into the safety of our camp dorm room.