Meet Me In The Dark

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara hated working so late at night. At least she reassured herself that it was almost midnight, meaning curfew would be on for all and she could go to bed. She didn't check every room to make sure the students were in there as they should. It was not a prison. But she did knock at the door of one in the college dorms to warn them that the party was over. Luckily for her, and even more for them, they didn't complain too much. They turned down the music and anyone not living in that particular room left for theirs. Over all, it was quiet.

She still stayed on a little longer than midnight. She went to the basement to make sure no one hid in there to do whatever stupid, hormone-crazed teenagers felt like doing. But there was no one. She then made her way up to the different dorms, just to make sure it was calm and that no one thought it was a good idea to sneak out after she came to check the first time.

Her bed was calling her. So bad. They better not expect her to wake up too early in the morning. They probably would. Why did she choose this job, really? It was not the first time she asked herself that, but she never got a proper answer. The best she found was that she needed money to repay her ex-husband, a stable situation for immigration to finally make her an American citizen. And Mika, of course. One day, he’ll go to this school and she’ll finally see her son. Until then, she had to suffer.

Her complaint was cut short when she heard some noise. Someone was sneaking. In or out? Both were possible, it could be someone who missed curfew or someone who decided now was the time to get out. She decided to find out. The noise came from the stairs but it was hard to determine for sure which door leading to which dorm opened. It was hard to tell where since it was rather dark in here. Not all lights were on and there were no windows, although considering the time it would probably be hard to see anything even with some. "Let me guess, you're sleepwalking?" She said once the silhouette of a sutdent appeared in her sight.

TAG: Chris Moris

[Chris Moris]

He liked the night, In the dark there was little that could hurt him, little that he felt scared of. truly a king in his castle. And this night was like no other, he had... slipped out to go and find some fun, and was returning to his dorm room. At least he thought it was his dorm room he couldn't actually see very much. 

Opting to return in his shadow form, for convenience and so he didn't have to be noticed, he was shocked to hear someone call out to him.  "Well, no you would have to be asleep to sleepwalk dumb ass." He said with a sigh. There wasn't much in trying to hide himself, as they had obviously seen him.

feeling what he thought was feet over in the room. he strained against the wall, he still wasn't used to the feeling of being pushed out of a wall. But it wasn't unpleasant. "So let me take a guess. You are the night watch?" He said to the figure when the shadows had dissolved off of his body. 

[Tamara Sulik]

You’d think a student sneaking out would make less noise than that but Tamara figured they probably didn't think anyone was around to hear them. It was true that it was only a matter of timing. Bad for them but good for her. One minute later and she would have missed them, heading back to her dorm. She hated night shift. She wasn’t exactly a morning person but she preferred the early hours, even if she needed lots of caffeine to deal with it. Night implied way too many people being in a dorm they shouldn’t be, when they were not trying to get out of there after curfew. In the morning, everyone was quiet, slowly waking up and getting ready. You had a few going for some training early in the morning before starting the day but that was about it. You didn’t have to wait at the bottom of some stairs for a rule-breaking student to show up.

She couldn’t quite make who the student was just yet. She heard a mumble but didn’t catch exactly what they said. When that happened though, she knew it meant it was something she wouldn’t like to hear and they would even less like for her to hear. If she could excuse an accident, she always had a grumpy expression as she did. When it was something like that however, her mood was even worse.

Finally, she saw the student. A boy. She tried to guess where he had gone from. The girl’s dorms? The simple fact boys were not allowed made them want to, even when they had no one to meet there. He didn’t even seem to be sorry. He did not try to justify himself with a silly excuse. “And let me guess, you forgot your watch and lost track of the time. You have an explanation to give?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at him.

[Chris Moris]

Well she certainly seemed to be all work and no play, and to make it worse she seemed to blame this meeting on him? It wasn't his fault that this stupid place has stupid rules about bloody curfews. But hey what can a man do? When he feels like a walk hes gonna take a walk. 

"No I do have a watch, it's fine. I simply allowed myself to step out and get some fresh air, its good for the brain you see, and all this talking is confusing my little mind." He said with a little laugh, he wasn't worried in the slightest. She didn't seem to be that intimidating, and well. he guessed that she didn't want to be still be up and he basically lived at this time of day. 

"So I'll ask you again, are you what they call, the night watch?"

[Tamara Sulik]

The only thing more annoying than a student breaking the rules was a student breaking the rules and giving her an attitude. And this one was giving him attitude. Tamara knew she likely would have responded like that to any staff member catching her when she was a student but the fact she had been like this boy didn’t make her like his behaviour. The fact they used to be the same did not make her softer on the delinquents. Curfews might seemed ridiculous to them but they were here for a reason and if she used to think them dumb she now had to make sure they respected those rules.

This guy didn’t seem worried at all. He should though, for it would not be hard for her to write down in his file what he had been doing and recommend sanctions for it. In fact, the cockier he was with her, the more she was tempted to do that and asked for the most she could ask for in this situation. Who would they listen to after all if she asked for several hours of detention, this boy or her? He was screwed. He should be thinking of that instead of talking to her like she was an idiot.

“That’s why you have a window in your room. So that, at midnight, your brain can sleep and still have fresh air,” she retorted. Which dorm was he in? She was not entirely sure but she intended to walk him to his room so she’ll know for sure and from there, it would be very easy to know his name, even if he didn't want to give it to her. She could also check his ID, since he was supposed to have it on him at all time. But she doubted he bothered with that at this hour. She had to make sure though so... “Yes, I am the night watch. Bad luck, uh? You got any ID on you before I make sure you head back to your dorm? And I hope you have a better explanation than ‘taking some fresh air’ to give me.”

[Chris Moris]

Why was she being so damn annoying about this whole situation, all she had to do was turn a blind eye to him and then it would all have been fine. But no she has to keep asking these little questions that he really doesn't care about.

"Hmm? Oh ID, yeah I should... Oh sorry no, I totally forgot that It was on my bed before I left. My bad." He said rubbing his head, it was only partially a lie, he didn't have his ID on him, for it was better to have nothing if he got caught, but he most certainly didn't forget it. He just left it in his room for safe keeping. 

"Oh and you really don't have to walk me back, I can find my way in the dark thanks." he really didn't want this lady to follow him back to his room, not only was it going to be really embarrassing if anyone else was still awake, but more importantly he didn't want to feel like he was being controlled by her. There's nothing worse than feeling out of control. 

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara was not going to let him slip away. It might seemed very little, to wander around after curfew, but rules were rules and Tam now had to enforce them, not excuse people who broke it and look the other way. Normally, unless it was clear they had been out or done more forbidden things than being late, she didn’t hit too hard. She noted it and only warned people when it happened too many times. But this boy she got on her nerve and she was ready to make an exception with him and have it written down in his file now.

“So not only you wander around after curfew hours but you also ignore the rule that you must have your ID on at all time, do you?” She couldn’t care less if he thought her too zealous here as those might be considered minor offenses, especially to a student. But they were safety measures and she would no longer mock them now that she was an adult.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to,” she argued when he said she didn’t need to come with him. Like she would give him the opportunity to run out as soon as she left him! “I still need to check your ID and you did say you left it in your room.” She didn’t particularly wanted to go to his room but she had to check. Plus that would be a lot easier to write a note in his file if she actually knew his name.