Chapter Three
Beca turned to re enter her room to find her phone but the door was no longer there. She stood in the hallway and actually laughed. Her brain was working overtime, desperately trying to get a grip on the situation and the pounding in her head wasn't helping. She was standing barefoot in a corridor, dressed in sweats and a tee shirt and she had lost her dorm room door.
This wasn't a normal day.
"OK, I'll go with this." She said to herself. "Some one must've spiked a drink last night! Yes, that is what it would be. I don't remember being out, but maybe I was. I'll kill Amy when I get hold of h...
"... Beca ..."
"Who the fuck is that?!"
Feeling full of anger now and bored of the joke, Beca found enough energy to get her legs working. She quickly found that the more angry she got, the easier it was to fight the dead legs and the pain she felt in her heart. She seemed to be able to focus more clearly and the ache in her head eased.
*... bleeeep ..."
"What is that?!" She raged to herself noting that the bleeping sound was longer and lower than it had been before.
Tracing her hand along the wall, she walked towards where she thought the voice that had called her name had come from. The corridor she was in was colourless, sterile, empty and dazzlingly bright but she thought by using her common sense and following the sound, she might make it outside to the fresh air.
She had never felt so alone in her life.
"... bleeeeeep ..."
Beca turned at the break in the corridor and was not completely surprised to see yet another long passageway, exactly the same as the one she was just in. She continued on; getting more and more angry as this was now just getting plain ridiculous. The next turn she took saw her take a similar hallway; this one however had doors. Not deterred, Beca pressed on, feeling the need for some clean air. Several corridors later, she sank to her knees. The corridors were just a maze, every corner turned brought her back to the same place, no matter where she went. She is exhausted, her breath was coming in short and slow bursts, she felt light headed and weak.
"This is a dream and I need to wake up!" Beca told herself feeling pretty scared. She sat for a few moments but deep down Beca knew she was awake. She rubs her hand over her face and assesses the situation she finds herself in. "Right, it's just me here and I need to sort this out. I need to get out of here and so I need to stand and walk."
"... bleeeeeeeep ..."
"Oh, that fucking noise!" She exclaimed. "What the fuck is it? I need a door."
As Beca stood up on very wobbly legs, she heard the sound of footsteps. She spun around to see where the sound was coming from and what she can only describe as a flash of colour running past her, seemingly as fast as the speed of light. The only thing that remained was a slight aroma of gingerbread and Beca struggled to understand why that smell was so familiar.
"Wait!" Beca called out, suddenly finding out she was really struggling to breathe. "… please!"
Beca stood waiting in the corridor for the longest time. She didn't know what she was waiting for. She was covered in the thinnest layer of sweat and the pain in her heart was now so sharp that breathing was just plain difficult. Beca was annoyed and frustrated and confused and angry all at the same time but above all … she was frightened. Fear had become a tangible force that had taken over body like a virus. It had immobilised her to the very core. But she was Beca Mitchell. Beca Mitchell was a badass. Beca Mitchell would smirk and mock the fear. With these thoughts in her head, her responses began kicking in, increasing her heart rate and she could feel her body being flooded with added adrenaline.
"… Beca? …"
"Chloe … ?" Beca knew that was Chloe's voice and that was why she knew the gingerbread smell.
Gathering up all her strength she had left, Beca quickly followed the direction of whatever it was that ran past her. She passed a noticeboard which seems to be the only object in the dazzlingly lit room that made any sense. Beca glanced at the board as she passed not intending to stop to read any of it. That is, until she sees a picture of herself and her name in the top right corner.
She slows her pace for a moment to look and remember the picture. It was taken months ago on one of Chloe and hers escapee afternoons. They had ended up in a small diner sharing a chocolate malt and the picture behind Beca's head was making Chloe fall about with laughter. It was a picture of a cartoon bear with it's paws outstretched, reaching out to pick up some food from a plate in its lap but the position of the picture behind Beca's head made it look as if the bear was about to attack her. Chloe had snapped the picture on her phone, printed it out, and decorated it for Beca. It had the added caption of BECA! RUN! written in swirly writing.
As she turned her head around trying to make sense of what was happening, (she knew the note was from Chloe but why? was it a message? or just a joke?), she felt the corridor ripple. Not in the earthquake kind of way she saw in the latest lame action film Jesse had subjected her to, more like a pulse and the corridor which she had just run down literally began dissolving before her very eyes, leaving behind just an vast, blank and empty white space. It was as if her very world was disappearing.
Beca could hear a familiar voice in the distance and despite the overwhelming pain now running throughout her entire body, she just seemed to know where she needed to go. And she knew she needed to ... run.
"... bleeeeeeeeeep ..."
As she stumbled blindly followed, she could hear people talking in her ear as if they were right beside her. She just knew the voices weren't in her head.
"It's time Dr Mitchell. There is simply no hope left. The machine is keeping her alive now and she cannot breathe on her own. I'm so very sorry. Do we have your permission … ?"
Beca thought she recognised her dad's voice next as she continued to stumble forward.
"I said to give it four weeks against your advice … but … and … if there is really no hope left, I'll … give … perm …"
Beca could hear crying. Thick, strangled, gut wrenching cries. And still, the building was literally crumbling to nothing before her. She could see a very bright light in the corner, like a sun burst through the clouds but more similar to sports venue spot light strength but as it came into focus, Beca headed to the only tangible thing she could see.
As she stepped towards the light, she fell out of the building and onto the grassy quad that surrounded Baker Hall. Desperate for breath, Beca tried to gulp in some fresh air but something was in her throat, blocking her windpipe. She began to claw desperately at her throat as the need for oxygen became priority number one.
"What is happening to me?" Beca screamed in her head and the realisation of what was really going on with her began to sink in.
She was dying.
