The Emerald Tower - Original Conspiracy Fiction (Mature Content) - Part Three
Chapter One 1/4
"Thirteen bottles of beer on the wall"
"Did you get him?" An optimistic voice inquired as the door swung open.
Adam stepped through the doorway wearing a telling expression on his face.
"I'll take that as a no then." Barry mumbled, as Jordan and Tommy entered quickly behind Adam.
"Lock the door," Adam reminded Tommy, before turning back towards Barry. "We couldn't find him, but don't worry - he'll turn up."
"He's gonna think we're doing this to him on purpose, you know," Simon added, emerging from the darkness at the far side of the room.
Adam found himself in agreement. "Nah. He'll understand."
"He'll understand?" Jordan complained. "This is the second time I've had to go running around looking for his dopey arse. How the fuck do you get lost though? Twice?"
Worried that the sentiment might spread throughout the group, Adam turned and glanced at Jordan with a tilted head and a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry." Jordan conceded. "But what the fuck?"
It was easy to understand the frustration, but Adam knew it to be James' awkwardness that kept him from sticking close enough to one of the group to prevent this from happening. Too often throughout this journey had he glanced back over his shoulder to see little groups of two or three, deep in discussion, while James straggled along at the back alone, staring at his feet.
"What are we gonna do then, guys?" Simon inquired, though he looked only at Adam for a response.
"Where are the others?" Adam asked, scoping the room.
Barry glanced at Simon to see if he intended to answer, and then looked back at Adam enthusiastically. "Andy, Justin and Phil are asleep in the back. Jamie, Matt and Peter have gone to look for you,and Johnny is upstairs looking for the materials to make a bong."
"Of course he is." Adam allowed a laugh to escape his mouth while he looked up at Barry in appreciation. "Well we were gonna stay the night anyway. We'll get some rest and with any luck he'll turn up by morning."
"So we're just going to leave him out there?" Simon objected.
Adam ignored the alternative plan in his mind, as well the adrenaline rush it invoked within him. "We've searched the fucking town ten times now. It will do us no good for more of us to get lost looking for him." Adam turned to Simon, placing his hand on his shoulder and looking him in the eyes. "We were all here earlier. He'll know to come back this way."
"I hope you are right," Simon replied, before turning away and disappearing back into the darkness.
Regret fell upon Adam. He wondered if he had done enough to make James feel like part of the group. He'd certainly tried in the beginning, but there was more than one member of the crew that needed special attention, and Adam had felt that James' difficulties had been less important. Now he wondered if he had been wrong about that.
"So much for us having a good time and finally getting to relax at Ganjatown."
Tommy's sarcastic comment distracted Adam, and provoked him to laugh once again.
"Haha. Yes." Jordan sniggered. "What optimistic cunt said that one?"
Tommy raised his hand to his brow and began to laugh. "Shit." He chuckled. "It was actually me.. My bad, lads."
The four immediately broke into laughter, and as Barry's signature giggle - a hyena-like squeal - escaped his mouth, the others found themselves unable to control their own howling.
Adam suddenly realised that it had been over a month since any in the group had shared such an experience. The last time had been moments after they found James the previous time he went missing. The entire group had been reduced to tears of laughter that morning. Adam was unable to recall what they had all been laughing at - though he was sure it was again something Tommy had said, but he remembered the intensity of the laughter, and the fact that it was the first time he felt like they were brothers.
"Fuck this," Adam said amidst an effort to regain his composure. "It's time for plan B."
This is a first draft that I'm writing daily, so the story will be subject to some minor revisions. If there are any errors, don't be shy to point them out.