ESCAPE

HER BLOOD RAN COLD AS SHE STOOD in the abandoned corridor. Everyone had made it out, well almost everyone. She did see a few scientists who were attacked, all now dead. And she couldn't hear any of their heartbeats anymore meaning they were most certainly dead. The creature that she saw in her dreams… Had become real. And right now it was hunting her, she needed to hide somewhere. Just until it disappeared.

She ran down the corridor her wet bare feet pounding against the white tiled floor. Her clothes were still wet from her previous experiment. She could hear it, it didn't have a heartbeat per say… But she could still hear its snarls and grunts. Terrified she ran into an empty room to hopefully hide from the faceless creature. She sat against the opposite wall of the room, the door was opened only slightly. Letting in a sliver of light, she was afraid of closing it completely. The room she was in was the punishment room, a place she knew all too well. And if she was to close the door completely she was sure that she would go insane.

The sound of the monsters snarls and footfalls were heard in the hallway outside. She started to tremble at the sound, she saw what it could do to people. The people who were killed, in her opinion, got what they deserved. It killed them before she could muster enough courage to do it herself. The creature, although it frightened her, was her savior from a terrible place. Though now it seemed like it was hunting her down. Trying to kill her as well. And Ten was terrified.

She placed a hand on her mouth trying to quiet down her ragged breathing. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she closed them trying to think of something else. Something that would calm her down, yet the only thing that would come to mind was Eleven.

Eleven was a small child who she considered to be her little sister. Even though they had only seen each other a few times in between experiments they bonded instantly. Eleven was four years younger than her, she protected her any way that she could, and she was glad that Eleven wasn't here to see any of this. She was also glad that her other sister wasn't there to witness any of this.

The thumps of the faceless creatures footfalls grew closer to the ten-year-old girl. Fear bubbling up from within her as she held back a whimper that was trying to claw itself out from the back of her throat. Tears fell freely from her light green eyes as she shut them tightly. The thuds were getting closer and closer.

Thud… Thud… Thud… …Silence.

She couldn't hear anything anymore. The entire hallway was silent like that creature had suddenly disappeared. Her heart pounded in her chest. She slowly crawled her way from the opposite wall to look outside into the hall. Mustering as much bravery she could she opened the door wider. And… Nothing.

There wasn't anything in the hall. The faceless creature was gone. Her eyes widened as she scrambled to her feet, this was it. She could get out, escape. Just the thought placed the ghost of a smile on her pale face. She quickly made it to the end of the hallway and was met with two different ways. One way could lead to her freedom, the other would condemn her to hell. There was no doubt that the other mean people were notified of what happened here, and if she wasn't quick enough they would get her. But where would she go!

Sounds of heavy footfalls filled the silent corridor. Her breath picked up as her heart stopped. Just choose a way! And so she did, running down the corridor to her left she sprinted as fast as her little legs could carry her. Shouts of people behind her filled her ears, they were getting closer.

"Subject Ten is out!"

She pushed herself to run faster as they sounded like they were closer. Taking a quick glance behind her she noticed that about a dozen guards were running after her with guns out and pointed towards her. Her eyes widened as she continued to run into what appeared to be the room that held the "bath" as she and Eleven called it.

There was also a small hole that was in the wall. Just big enough for someone as small as her to crawl through it. It looked to be completely pitch black in there. It gave Ten a terrible feeling, she knew that's where that faceless creature was, hiding, waiting.

Ignoring the hole Ten looked around frantically looking for some sort of way out, but she was at a dead end. The only way out appeared to be the hole.

"Ten!" Dr. Brenner yelled at him and the guards entered the room. Ten stared in horror, she wasn't getting out. She was trapped with these horrid people.

"Ten," Dr. Brenner said in a hushed and soft voice. Something that Ten had never heard from the man before. He was always abusive towards her, never in her life had she heard this tone towards her. Dr. Brenner had only ever been nice to Eleven. "It's alright Ten, that monster isn't going to hurt you. It's gone." He said as he approached her, her eyes welled up as she watched him reach a hand out to her. She flinched as he placed it on her shoulder trying to comfort her. She stared at him, her eyes filled with fear and confusion. Why was he comforting her, he never did that sort of thing to her. She thought he might have hit her for her escape attempt.

"Ten please we must get you back into your room. We don't want you to get hurt." He said placing a hand on her back trying to usher her in a certain direction. But Ten kept her feet planted to the best of her ability. Dr. Brenner stared at the small girl before trying to push her again, only earning the same response. "Ten." He said sternly to her kneeling down to her height. "Let's go."

Ten avoided looking into his eyes instead of focusing on her hands in front of her. "We are going to your room so you can rest." He said firmly staring straight at Ten, "so that you will be ready for our next test, alright Ten?" He said with more force to her standing up and trying to push her again only to have a searing pain run through his arm. He cried out in pain and pulled his arm back against himself and stared at it to see that it was turning a light purple and the veins in his body bulging out of his arm. In a way, it looked like it was bruised. But Ten didn't touch him to hurt him like that. He glared down at the little girl in front of her as she looked down at the ground.

"No." She said softly glancing up at the man.

Dr. Brenner's stare hardened at the girl. "Ten," he said threateningly to her as he backed up from her still cradling his arm. This girl had always been trouble for him and their study. And her corruption had seemed to have infected Eleven as well. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the girl. He raised his hand, the one that wasn't bruised, ready to strike her.

Ten's eyes widened as she cowered backward slightly trying to get away from him. But she couldn't. And the back of his hand struck her cheek with a loud crack. Ten's head whipped to the other side as she yelped quietly. Dr. Brenner smirked slightly before standing straight.

"Take her back to her room," Brenner ordered the guards as one of them picked up Ten by her arms.

Ignoring the stinging pain in her cheek she fought against the guards holding her. She screamed out and thrashed against them hoping to make them lose their hold on her. But she didn't have as much strength as she is only ten-years-old. She was no match for their strength, but maybe just maybe she could use her… ability.

The guards continued to pull Ten out of the room and down the hall towards her room/cell. There was no way she was going let them keep her here in this hellish place. This was her time if she could just muster enough power she could escape.

Ten had stopped her thrashing and scream to focus on exerting enough energy to hurt the guards enough to have them let her go. Her breathing slowed as she focused on the heartbeats of the guards that dragged her. Their heartbeats thumped in her ears, there were three. They thumped at irregular speeds, one of these guards was obviously scared of Ten. Or maybe the idea of what she was capable of, well they were about to get a demonstration of what harm she really could cause.

She closed her eyes as she summoned the energy to cause harm to the guards. Her body started to shake slightly as blood started to drip from her nose and ears. The guards had let go of her as they all clutched their chests as their hearts started to stop. Ten's eyes narrowed as she stared at the three who were leaning against the walls or on the ground convulsing in pain. They all gasped out trying to regain their breaths before they all stopped moving.

They were dead.

What she did would definitely gain the attention of someone, and soon more guards would appear. But without a second's thought, Ten bolted down the hallway passing many doors and windows that looked into many other rooms. Her feet pounded against the floor as she ran even further, but then she stopped. There was no way that she was going to get out through the front entrance, there would be people waiting for her at the entrance.

The only plausible exit she could think of was the hole.

She gulped before feeling for any heartbeats. There weren't any in the direction that she had to go, however, there was a couple behind her. Ten took off running again once she caught her breath enough to run. Her legs carried her as fast as they could as she ran back towards the bath.

She could hear more heartbeats pick up in pace, telling her that they were chasing after her. She didn't look back, not worried about what was behind her but instead in front of her. She ran around corners, through all of the bleak and white hallways till she stood in front of the bath.

There were many scientists in the room, most wearing hazmat suits because of the hole in the wall. The scientist stared in horror as one of their most successful and powerful experiments stood in front of them. They scrambled around the room, a few grabbing guns others contacting Dr. Brenner. Ten bolted past them, a few trying to grab her as she went past.

However, none of them could hold onto her for long, unless they wanted their whole body to be bruised. Her nose was bleeding profusely and she felt light-headed, but it was worth it if it meant her getting out.

She had finally made it to the hole, the dark abyss staring back at her as she could hear growls coming from inside of it. Ignoring the yells of the scientists in the room, Ten got down on her hands and knees and started to crawl through the hole.

"Ten!" She could hear Dr. Brenner's voice yell in frustration as she crawled to the other side. It was dark and damp. It felt like the energy had been sucked out of her once she entered. It looked like the room she was in before just covered in what looked like slime and vines. She could still hear the sounds of the scientist panicking on the other side. Though their yells seemed to be diminishing as well as the light. The hole was closing.

The light had finally diminished entirely. The hole was closed, and she was free from Dr. Brenner, but now she had no idea where she was. And whether or not she was safe.

She shakily stood up and took in her surroundings. It was dark, that was for sure and the room was covered in a slime like substance. Ten was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep. But before she could find someplace to rest a low growl entered the room.

She was definitely not safe.

Word Count: 2117

Written: 6/24/17