Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Resident Evil characters.

Chapter 10: Wake Up

The voice was calling to her. It was faint and far away. Almost non existent altogether, but she knew. Claire knew the voice was calling to her, or for her. Like a moth to the flame, Claire was drawn to the voice.

When she opened her door, all the cold air of the seemingly empty hallway rushed in. Claire shivered, but more from the eerie voice that was still silently calling her name.

The hallway was bright, almost white. The lights warmed Claire's skin, from the cold air that still flowed freely throughout the passageway. She kept on, ignoring the icy marble floor on her bare feet. Her skin was pale, and she was sweating with fear and curiosity. The voice gradually got louder. At the end of the corridor, Claire came to a door.

Without hesitation she turned the handle. Standing in the center of the room were four figures. Claire didn't recognize the room. It was completely empty except for a lab chair in the middle behind the figures. Suddenly Claire's attention turned back to the ghostly presences in front of her. She knew these people, or at least she used to.

The first ghostly figure was Barry Burton. He had been like a second brother to Claire, ever since her brother began to work with him. There he stood smiling warmly at her.

The second person was a very blonde, very bubbly looking Ashley Graham. She too was smiling, silently at Claire.

The third figure was someone she hadn't known that well, but she knew that Jill and Chris had been close to her. Rebecca Chambers, with her cute bob and spunky attitude stood almost proudly, also smiling at Claire.

The final ghost she saw was of someone whom she had come to respect after several years of mild hatred. Ada Wong stood, a smile on her face. Claire smiled back at all her friends. The group of ghostly figures all looked to their left. Claire followed their gazes. Standing under a single lit spot, was Steve.

Claire gasped, "Steve! It's you!"

Claire tried to run towards him, but her legs were frozen in place. She struggled to move, but her body would not allow it. Steve smiled reassurance to Claire. She stopped fighting herself. She noticed something in Steve's hand. It was hard to tell what it was, but it looked like a vial.

"What is it?" she asked

"It's the …" he answered, the last word inaudible.

"What?"

"It's the…" he repeated.

"Steve, I don't understand!"

Suddenly Steve's face became distorted. He quickly transformed into a hideous version of his normally graceful creature form.

That was when she woke up.

Sweat was pouring from her face. She sat up suddenly. That dream had been so real.

Once awake, Claire knew that she wasn't going to be sleeping for the rest of the night. She edged herself off the side of the bed. She took a look at the clock. It read 4:36 am. Deciding that there was no other way to kill time, Claire hopped into the shower.

It felt like days since she had last had one. Like everything else Wesker related the water was cold. Claire stood under it for a while. It felt like a thousand tiny knives were stabbing at her body, but to her it felt more like an awakening. For the first time in a long time Claire felt alive. She felt like there was something to live for. Whatever Steve was holding in his hand, must have been important. But what if it was just a dream? What if was Steve was holding, had no meaning at all? A trick of the mind. It wouldn't be the first time that she was wrong. Claire shook her head and shut off the water.

Wrapping a towel around her frozen body she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Wake up" she told herself "He's dead, and so are they."