5. Claire

For the second time, Claire woke up in an unknown room with her thoughts scattered and foggy. Her cerulean eyes scanned her surroundings, trying to find out where the doctors had put her in this time.

No, this isn't it. This isn't that place.

Claire took a deep breath and let the air fill her lungs. The action made her stagger as her lungs began hurting as if she was breathing in water. She coughed and let the pain pass. Unlike the first time she woke up, she felt her head clearer and much more lucid, her memories were foggy, but at least she felt more conscious. The first thing she did was try to replay her latest memories, trying to put them in order and use the scattered pieces to create a full picture. It had become her mall ritual since she would often wake up with no recollection of what she had done the day before or even the past few hours. Claire began to fear those missing hours, but he was relieved when the small pieces of memories had come to her mind and fitted in without problems.

Claire pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around. The room was empty and silent; the white walls reflected the pale light coming from the fluorescent bulb on the ceiling, making the room too bright for her tired eyes. Despite that, Claire preferred the room to be bright and not dark. The light was safe, but the lack of sound made her a little feel uneasy. There were no nurses nor doctors, not even the sound of other patients around, and it made a shudder run down her spine.

She let her legs hang over the edge of the bed and tested the strength of her muscles before she got up. The sensation was completely different from what she'd felt the first time she had tried to stand; her feet didn't tremble, nor did they feel like jelly. They were strong and firm, almost normal.

Surprised, aren't we?

Claire turned to find her usual "friend" standing by the door with her arms crossed, her back resting against the wall, and her eyes glowering with a playful look.

"I should have known you wouldn't leave me alone…" Claire replied in a whisper.

Have I ever left you? You and me, aren't we the same?

"Sometimes I wonder…"

Her doppelganger straightened herself and stretched her arms over her head. The younger Claire paced around playfully.

"Where am I?"

I don't know. Maybe we should find out.

Claire didn't reply and gave her younger version skeptically. She knew, she always knew. Claire soon found herself walking out the door and into a long white corridor. She looked around, puzzled. The hallway extended to both sides with white windowless walls and white, plain tiles; there were hanging lamps that filled the space with clarity, and besides that, there was nothing else.

"Hello?" she called, but no one answered.

The corridor was deathly silent and deserted. The only two people there were Claire and her younger version. Her doppelganger walked past her. She stood at the center of the corridor and looked down, and Claire noticed that there was something on the ground: it was a photograph with slightly worn edges.

Claire looked at her closely, and a sense of familiarity filled her chest. The photograph showed a man with chestnut hair that, at first glance, would seem intimidating, but the look he showed in the photo was affectionate and gentle. He stood side by side with a younger version of her: one that looked much like her doppelganger. She was smiling happily while hugging the man's arm.

"I've seen this man before. He was in the room…"

He was. Hasn't he always been there when we needed him?

Claire looked at the photograph for a moment. With her hand, she traced the outline of the image. They both looked happy, and without realizing it, her lips curled into a smile.

"I know him, don't I?"

Perhaps….perhaps no. What do you think?

Her doppelganger walked around her. The girl was staring at the walls as if she had a great interest in them, and Claire realized that, suddenly, frames were hanging from the walls: more pictures. Claire moved closer and examined each of them with interest. All the photos showed her along with the man with dark hair, just like the first one she'd picked.

"This is me, and that man again," Claire said, looking at the What's this place…?"

Isn't that obvious? This is your mind…

"My mind?"

Claire paced along the wall, her hand touching each of the pictures gently. There was an odd sensation of familiarity about them. Her eyes locked on the face of the man staring back at her. She traced the outline of his features, and she realized that she'd seen his face long before meeting him in the room. Maybe once or twice when she had skipped the pills. She remembered whispering his name in the darkness and hoping he would come and find her. She had wanted to see him and hear him, but she knew that it was impossible, but despite that, Claire kept wishing for him to come and protect her just as he did when they were kids. However, despite her loving thoughts, Claire was sad to admit that she rarely remembered his name.

What was his name?

Tic-Toc...Tic...toc…. Time is running out. Hurry.

"Time?" Claire looked at her doppelganger in confusion.

The girl had stopped her pacing. She was standing a few steps from her with her head tilted in her direction.

A loud screech broke the silence of the place, making Claire's heart stop. Her face paled as she saw the lights at the far end of the corridor go out, creating a dark, ominous patch.

Tic-toc….This is your chance. Remember, if you don't, you may lose it.

Claire's immediate response was to run. Run as far and as fast as she could from the approaching darkness. She knew there were "demons" that lurked under the veil of darkness, and she knew she stood no chance against them. She wished he was here to help her the way he always came to her aid. Suddenly, a prick of pain pierced her head, and the images fell over her in a painful cascade:

She saw the man running to her with a bright smile.

Do you see it?

She saw herself sitting in a living room, chatting with him while eating pizza.

Try. Try harder.

She saw a younger man, or rather boy, wearing black clothes and holding her hand as she cried.

It's getting closer.

She saw him hugging her in the lobby of a strange old house.

Hurry…

He was hugging her and spinning her around as she laughed.

...1…

Chris…

She knew him.

...2…

Chris...

He was important, and she loved him.

...3…

The scattered images filled her head like a cloud of fluttering butterflies. She saw the dark-haired man smiling, a woman with blonde hair, and an older man with a beard. Then there was also a girl with short hair and a rebellious look; she saw monsters, and she saw a young man with dirty blonde hair.

Time is up! It is here.

The lights of the room went off, leaving her in complete darkness. Her heartbeat raised, her breathing rushed, and she could feel the panic growing. She didn't like the darkness, because when it was dark, they came, and when they came…

She heard the heavy breathing behind her, the screeching of their nails, their fetid scent of blood. They were close. She could hear and feel them...

Claire's breathing grew agitated, and a panic attack unleashed inside her. She could not find her way through the darkness, and the cold grip of the demons felt painful on her skin.

"CHRIS, HELP ME!"

Her eyes snapped open. Claire looked around in a panic, half expecting to find herself surrounded by the terrifying creatures from the dark that she had learned to fear, but instead, she found herself greeted by the white, innocuous walls and the bright light of the lamp over her head. Her breathing was uneven and painful and, as she tried to calm herself, she realized someone was holding her. It was a familiar scent and a familiar strength that was firm and yet delicate. A sense of love she had grown with, and she welcomed gratefully, knowing how much had she missed it.

"I am here..." Chris whispered, "I am right here."

"C-Chris? I-It's you? I am not hallucinating, am I?" she almost sobbed, "You are e here."

She felt his hand stroking her back gently while the other held her firmly in his embrace. It was such a nice feeling to have that bit of familiarity back after so long. Claire stared at Chris's familiar eyes. They were the same ones she had stared at in her dreams on nights in which she was more lucid.

"Hallucinating? No, it's me. It is really me," he whispered, "I am here. I am here, by your side, and I won't leave."

"You found me; you found me. I hoped you would find me."

"I am sorry I didn't find you sooner. "

"You...always take your damn time anyway…"

"My bad…" Chris smiled, "I won't let you out of my sight again."

Claire laughed weakly, and then she broke. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks, and she realized she had unconsciously started crying. Claire had not cried in a long time, not even when she had undergone the most painful tests. However, there, in her brother's arms, she just broke down into a bag of tears and sobs. For the first time in a long time, she finally felt that some of the missing pieces of her memory were finally falling in their place.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you remember me…." Chris said, " I thought…"

"Yeah...it's been like this for a while…" she replied with a watered-down version of her teasing look, "It comes and goes at times…my memories, I mean…"

"What?" Chris said, pushing her back a little to look at her, " What do you mean?"

"It's...complicated. I will explain it. Eventually."

The few memories from the past few months returned as quick snippets, and none of them were pretty. Some of them made Claire shudder. Nurses covered in blood; a doctor with blurred face injecting a dark liquid into the IV line in her arm; the screams from the other patients, the metallic scent of blood and decay; the piercing pain and the immense fear of the dark. She unconsciously grabbed her arm, feeling the phantom pain of the thick thing going through her vein.

How was she supposed to tell him? Chris would surely get pissed, furious, to be more precise.

You should tell him.

You made it out this time, but how long will it last?

Perhaps tomorrow you won't remember just like it happened before.

The voice echoed in her head. She hated it, but she was right; Claire had to tell her brother about the new Virus. He had to know. If only she could remember more about it.

"Chris?" she whispered in a trembling voice.

"Yeah?" he answered. He seemed so happy and relieved, and Claire just hated the fact that what she was about to tell would most likely ruin his mood.

"Chris...there's something you must know. There's a virus…"

"Virus? Yeah. There's always one..." Chris sighed.

"It is a new virus…"

Chris looked at her and then shook his head. He then raised his hand and caressed her head like he always did.

"It's alright, Claire. We can talk about that later. You just woke and probably need a little more rest..."

"No…"

Tell him. He needs to know.

"No, Chris. You must know. The new virus. I...I have it."

The last bit had come out in a whisper.

"What?"

"Chris…"

"Sorry… I think I heard wrong…"

" No, Chris. I am infected..."