Haunted Basement
The patient was still mewling even when I entered the small room, I slammed the door behind me and took the time to slide one of the small rolling chairs over in front of the door, despite it opening from the other side. It was stupid but I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. Despite the skeletal physique of the patient I felt that somehow he would manage to get up and chase me down, if I didn't deter his efforts in some miniscule way. Once I had the door 'secured' I stood and watched the handle, expecting it to turn slowly like in some horror movie or something.
Eventually I pulled myself away and jogged all the way from the grunts mill back to the other side of the lobby. It seemed almost too good to be true, and I had a bit of a scare when I reached the security door and couldn't find the magnet key in my pocket. The shock was short lived, I simply had to turn my coat pocket out more to pull it out of a wrinkle it had wedged into. Never did a computerized confirmation sound so beautiful.
I shut the door after me and glanced over the room. "They Lie" was scrawled on the wall in dried blood beside a window, right above a large pool of blood. Footprints led away from the message towards the door.
It seemed my chance finding the magnet card wasn't so chance after all. The 'Priest' had been in here recently, and he did leave the key card for me to find, presumably while I was out cold for that short time. This system seemed too elaborate to concoct by one man, but it was apparent from the file I found he was a patient of Mount Massive Asylum. Not a comforting thought given my situation.
No matter, I would soon put this place far behind me, and deep in the back of my mind. I shook my head and turned to the main computer. Overhead screens displayed various rooms, some I recognized, others I hoped to never stumble upon. No one knew I was here, no one significant anyway. I pulled the chair over and slid the keyboard under my hands, the screen had the basic menu for systems access. I might be able to stumble my way through this, as long as their network didn't lock me out after a few password attempts.
Security
The white page and loading screen appeared and I watched intently as the little gray bar filled with white, inch by inch. I looked over my shoulder making sure no one was in the room with me, I hadn't searched it thoroughly in my haste, but everything appeared normal. Or should I say safe and none threatening?
Aside from my friend slumped against the wall. Sigh, I turned back to the screen and blinked. The feed on my right was transmitting from somewhere dark and I could barely make out the familiar black shape with bald head strolling along towards…was that a lever? My blood ran cold and I stood up from my seat when the 'Priest' turned and looked directly at the camera.
The lights went out.
I stumbled in the sudden dark, for some reason moving before I had any idea what was going on. That switch he pulled, it was a breaker somewhere.
Thank the creators of backup generators, the emergency lights flashed on bright and blazing, I covered my face as my eyes readjusted to the bombardment of light. Had to find the generators, need to turn the power back on. The plaque near this corridor read Electric Room and indicated steps down, along with an overturned wheelchair and a crimson trail.
As my mind wandered to undertaking this new task, a muffled voice came through the door. "We have to contain it."
I needed a way out, I needed to be somewhere else, anywhere but here. I tried the door, but losing the main power activated a locking mechanism. Damn! Did he know I was here? There was no place visible that could conceal me, only two lockers. Was that all? I turned and saw a large shadow streak across the wall, my options were drying up.
The locker gave a loud creak as its hinges ground together, I pulled down a coat that had been hung up and tossed it aside before replacing the vacant space with myself. Right when I had shut the door, the big fucker stalked past the window. I held my breath and hoped, I prayed he would keep going. This door was always locked before, it's still locked now. He'd lose interest and keep going, somewhere out there was some poor idiot that hadn't been tossed out a window yet.
I wanted to slip down as he threw his body against the steel door. Maybe it would hold, it was built to withstand a riot. But I think at this point I was just kidding myself, nothing was going the way I had anticipated it would. This place needed to go to hell.
After three slams of his massive body, the door crashed inward and Chris stood on the bent metal. He gave the room a casual look over, everything looked just as it was the former evening.
I tried to control my breathing, everything seemed amplified in the acoustics of the hollow locker. Out of reflex I pulled up my camera, catching an image of the big fucker as he turned to the computer terminals. With him out of sight I felt infinitely better, but he was still there searching for me. He made audible snuffling sounds, muttering to himself,
"You were here, weren't you? Little pig. I'll find all you whores."
I hadn't realized I'd closed my eyes until they snapped open, the sound of a creaky locker bulldozing my thoughts. I could barely make out his shoulder, and a blood stained hand as he stood poised, but in the same instant relaxed when he found no one huddled in the cramped space. He shut it gently and pivoted, marching to the doorway where he stopped. He glanced back but looked away.
My lungs craved air, but every shallow breath I took ached. Did he plan to turn around and check the other locker?
The latch clicked as I lifted it and pushed the door open, I stiffly swung around it as I shut the door and pulled the next locker open. No sooner had it settled, Chris stormed back to the lockers and snapped the door open. I was trying to push away, put myself as far from him as I could despite the tiny space.
He shut the door and turned away, this time exiting the room. "Parameters will hold up…."
Ten minutes later and I was still hiding. I heard no sound and saw no sign of Chris' return, but remained leery. If I couldn't see him, he could be anywhere.
Anywhere but here?
I struggled with the latch, almost panicking with the thought I had accidentally locked myself in. My fingers were a little numb, my whole mind felt numb. I took a few steps toward the computer terminal and collapsed in the chair. What had I been doing up to this point?
"The big fucker is stalking me. Found a patient file for a CHRIS WALKER, ex-military police, several tours in Afghanistan. A lot of the blood in this place is on his hands. But not all of it."
My writing was sloppy, but that was the best I could do for now. My camera was still on record so I shut it off for a bit and saved its charge. I set it on the terminal and propped my head up on my hand. The Generators would be down the steps in the Electric Room but restoring the power would be another matter. Did they need gasoline? What sort of grid did they run on? I was unsure if Murkoff staff had them locked up to prevent people like the 'Priest' guy from getting ahold of them. Obviously they must be accessible, unless he was the only one with access to them.
I sighed through my fingers. What was I doing with my life?
Pages had been left on the terminal, a small note to Shawn about the camera operations. Beneath it was a notice for restarting the generators, the Asylum had it's own power off the grid after Murkoff took over. Well, of course they would!
But it had directions for restarting the generators, reactivate the pumps and throw the breaker. Seems pretty basic. I tossed down the page and ran out the room, but returned shortly to snatch the camera. My thoughts were a bit off kilter, I was hearing shrieking on the other side of the gate, from where I thought Chris had stalked off to. I was going the opposite way, later I would worry where he had gone.
A pipe had broken from the wall, water gushed from it just missing the stairs I took to the basement. Chances are it was a delivery pipe, but it was no more cleaner than sewage. The air was humid yet chilly, small drafts moved through the open doorway waiting in the subterranean level. I sucked in a sharp breath as the water engulfed my shoes, I stepped back and pondered. There was no way to get around this, I liked my shoes but I'd have to buy a new pair after this regardless. A new style, I didn't want to remind myself how many bodies I trudged over.
The actuality was, I was scared. No lie. There was no telling who was down here, if there was something worse than that big fucker. But if I wanted a chance to get out of here, I had to get through this.
My feet sloshed through the water, shoes turned soggy and heavy. I pulled up my camera and flicked on the night vision. Even with the enhanced lens I couldn't see what was under the water, I just had to tread carefully. There was quite a bit of ruble on the surface, some of the ceiling had weathered and fallen. Large items lined the walls, some barrels a pallet. They might have used the lower floor for storage as well, it was spacious from what I could see.
I was met with a despairing sight, the gate that lead into the basement rooms was locked with a thick chain. No way could I smash it. Just to mock me, the wall beyond the gate had a plaque labeling the primary rooms. The middle name was Electric rooms. There had to be another way into there.
As I turned to backtrack, a flash of light blinded me from the next room. The wall had rotted and crumbled to some degree, and with some extra effort I was able to remove enough brick that I could squeeze through.
The water was deeper on this side, and a bit more ruble was hidden beneath the surface. I caught my footing before I could fall and drop the camera. That's the last thing I needed.
A cool draft met me in this grimy place, but the scent it carried was far from fresh. I clutched my coat tighter around me and stepped carefully, there were boards bobbing just under the surface, sodden but uncertain about their watery demise. A few laundry baskets had been abandoned and another shelf melted in the flood. I turned a corner and continued, at least in this section I didn't need my camera, this corridor was well lit.
Wooden crates were stacked along the walls making a slow precession into the water as their predecessors decayed, and gave under the weight. I wondered what was kept in the barrels along the walls, gasoline maybe. They had vehicles and other machinery that needed fuel, a tanker probably came out to deliver the barrels. The noxious stench of bad oil was constant, cheap grade bought in bulk for old machines. Engines. The generators couldn't be far.
Someone had stacked boxes in the middle of the corridor, I tested their stability before hopping over. The emergency lights didn't reach this area, or had burned out. I moved my feet carefully under the water tensing when I felt something soft and undeniably slimy. It could be a cardboard box filled with liquefied files, that's all it was. But the smell intensified, a soggy vapor of rot and soured water.
Before me was what appeared to be a high archway, but the opening was boarded up tight. I put my hand up testing, feeling the draft creeping between the cracks. Maybe there was a small window down here, something I could squeeze through if I could find it.
"W-who's there?"
The voice sounded meek, worried. I shuffled away as banging ensued.
"Who's? WHO'S THERE?" I held still as the noises softened and the speaker began mumbling. "I'll hurt you. I'm not afraid of dying. I'm not afraid of anything. Not anymore."
I waited listening to the sounds of the water, only the drips and tranquil sloshing penetrated the black. Slowly my feet moved, reducing as much noise as I could through the froth. The night vision revealed nothing but a large corridor, at the end a dull haze of light. It was on the other side of a waist high platform, evidence on my side revealed there had been steps some short time ago but the timber ruptured and was torn away. The waterlogged planks I had seen along the way might've been the remains.
From what I could make out there was no one in this room. The walls were thick brick and solid looking, a few pallets and boxes had been left to rot. The furthest wall had two doors, the one on my direct left had one, all shut and to my limited knowledge locked tight.
Another body hung from the ceiling, headless and bloated. Another reminder of what would become of me if I didn't hustle and get the fuck out of here.
I pulled myself onto the platform and stepped softly down the steps. I wondered if this place was first built as an Asylum, or had it been constructed by some eccentric billionaire that appreciated his privacy. The building was ancient, but the ideal of looking into its private history had not come to mind while I was struggling to locate information on Murkoff's activities. A map would have been very useful right now.
The control board beneath the brilliance of light labeled out my next course of action. The generators couldn't work without gasoline (I knew that). The main breaker needed to be flipped before I could restart the power.
This didn't seem too complicated, where?- I turned around recalling the sealed rooms, one of them must hold the breaker.
My shoes bubbled as they filled with water once again, I didn't want to think about what might've been floating beneath the surface. I focused ahead trusting my NV, even with it I was still bumping into boxes and things my eyes had missed as I set my narrow sight for one of the two doors. When I put my weight on the first step it gave, dissolving into the water. I came down hard on my knee but brushed off the sharp pain, at this point it was nothing but a mild nuisance.
The door knob stuck but with a hard twist the handle creaked and I crept inside. The soft glow of the emergency light illuminated the generator, poised on a metal pole was the button. All was going well, I punched the dial and turned around as the machine whirled to life.
On a metal barrel beside the door something glittered, I walked over and discovered it to be another battery. Odd place to find one, but maybe someone had been down here last with a penlight. I pocketed it before I stepped out the door and stopped, my blood running cold. The sound of crashing and banging came from not far away, not far enough away from me. Timber splintered and gave as someone broke through what could only be a door. Or a barricade.
I checked through my camera scanning - where had it come from? The acoustics of this room made locating sounds tricky, there were four doors in this room? No, three, I came from a step–
A pair of eyes flashed, I stepped back as I moved my camera searching for the face. There, a man looking right at me from the doorway he had forced open. I retreated back into the room shutting the door before examining the confined area. Had he seen me? He was insane no doubt, could he trust his eyes after what had happened here? It might not have mattered to him.
The room was solid, except for a bed a few feet from the generator. I slid under it as the thuds came from the doorway, the wood snapping and the jam cracking before the door clattered against the cement. My instinct warned me to crawl further under the bed, I was just beneath the edge, but if I made a sound he would find me. The dull drone of the pump could nullify the tiniest gasp, but somehow he would pick up the rough fiber of my coat against the moist cement. I held my breath as he walked by, his gaze roaming the walls and shadows. In his hand he carried some sort of weapon, what looked like the leg of a table with screws still sticking out of it.
It was splattered with black.
I swallowed and let out a shallow breath. Please leave. Please don't check under the bed.
He slapped the clean side of the club against his palm a few times, turning to check the room once more before he spun around. "The gospel. Tells us to follow."
Once he cleared the doorframe I took in a long, deep breath. God, my ribs. I didn't need to get anymore beat up than I already was.
For good measure I waited, he had vacated the room but was he debating on returning? I had no idea if he had seen me or what he might've thought, if he thought he saw me. There was time, take it slow. But if I waited, would he eventually return and notice the bed? I shifted under it a little more, almost immediately the man materialized in the open doorway.
I bit my lip. He didn't hear me! He couldn't have! He was here on a hunch and once he had satisfied his suspicions he would leave. I tucked my face against my shoulder and watched him with my eyes. He gave the room another glance over as he passed, and checked behind the generator when near it.
Against my better judgment, I slipped out on the other side of the bed beside the wall. I kept low and crawled towards the gaping doorway as I heard his feet grit against the moist silt of the floor. My breath hitched as I looked over my shoulder, he had just dropped down to check under the bed. I didn't wait for him to rise, I carefully stepped on the door and slipped out of the room.
The steps groaned under my weight, the sound amplified in my mind. Cursed all, I forgot the last step was ruined and stumbled in the water as I fought to keep my footing, and reduce the noise I was making.
"What's that?"
I couldn't see at all without my camera, but hadn't the presence of mind to raise it for my eyes. Instead, I felt around in the dark for the rail and made a painfully slow shuffle around to the backside of the steps. They groaned as my pursuer stepped down into the water.
He made a more graceful recovery than I had when he missed the last step, or he recalled that it was ruined. Or, a more frightening thought, he was more accustomed to the inky veil that occupied many of the rooms.
It was fortunate I had my hand wedged in the cameras strap, I had let go of it as I pressed my fingers against the wet wood. With it on my mind I raised the visor and watched the figure scan his immediate area. After a tense second he continued forward, his legs churning dull froth with each step. I backed away slowly, always keeping him in my sight. I bumped against a crate before I turned around, checking for what other obstacles might be in my path.
The second door, same as the first. I hopped onto a crate moldering against the steps and made light footfalls towards the handle. It gave with an easy twist and I entered, shutting my thin paper of protection.
This room had more to offer. Lockers lined the wall, shelves had been assembled in the corners littered with few items, some bottles of oil and boxes, tattered sheets. In the furthest corner was the pump.
When I activated it, the noise would alert the prowler. There would be no doubt in his mind, with the door shut, that someone was still in here. Or, this was the trail of thought I entertained. I had to keep reminding myself he was a patient in an asylum, there was no telling what his rationale skills entitled.
I punched the button and turned to the lockers along the wall. Maybe I could lock it from the inside….
The latch was different from the ones on the top floor, I fumbled with it trying to discern if it was corroded with rust or if I was doing this wrong, but the sounds at the door thumped with each beat of my heart. Wait! Wait! I needed to hide now!
I sprint over behind the pump and ducked down. A final crash announced my visitor as the door caved in. He kicked away bits of the timber as he stepped through, they clattered across the floor loud enough to be heard over the pump.
"—revealed himself to the shattered minds." He muttered, somewhere amid a quote. I curled up into a tighter ball and pressed up against the pump, if he glanced over it I might fall just under his peripheral sight.
A locker opened then slammed shut. He patrolled the area, his club thudding along the metal doors before he stopped. For a moment there was near total silence.
I trembled though I couldn't decide if it was from the cold or if I was terrified. Must have been both, my coat was good but my pants were soaked. I flinched when he began beating the lockers and screaming. When would this nightmare end?
With a final hoot he raced out, his shoes thudding over the broken planks and fading down the steps outside.
Several minutes passed, but of the man there was no sound. The generator caused too much of a ruckus, it was impossible to pick up echoes or voice in the next room. Was he still out there? From here I had no way of knowing.
I uncoiled myself and peered over the pump. It might've helped if I had my camera up, but the emergency light impeded the NVs range. There were no sounds that worried me, but that could mean he was standing just outside the door waiting. I moved around the large machine and crouched, shuffling towards the broken door. At this range I could see through my visor, but halfway there I couldn't see much beyond the portal but dark shapes huddled.
The right side was the stair side, I huddled on the left straining to see.
"Can't see me. Won't get me."
I slinked back, but realized I was still safe. He was trudging by the stairs muttering to himself, I don't think he could see me. Or maybe I underestimated his instincts, he climbed onto the crates and began up towards me.
In a wild dash I reached the pump and ducked down behind it. I hadn't seen if he cleared the door before I hid, did he even see me in the first place? I had no way of knowing, but I was out of sight and therefore, out of mind. He was just checking the room. He must've visited the other side first, and then came back to see if I was here. But this was all speculation, I had no idea what was—
A locker swung open, pause. He slammed it shut and jerked another one open. He knew I was here, he was looking for me. I listened carefully as his steps moved across the room, then pivoted. Where was he now? I slid to the edge of the machine and leaned over.
He was at the opposite corner just standing there, but I could still hear him walking. When my eyes adjusted to the odd contrast of light and shadow, I saw a sheet hanging on the shelf.
"There you are!"
I twisted around where I was huddled, he grabbed my shoulder and raised the club above his head. My leg kicked out blindly smashed into the brick wall, I tore out of his grip and slid out under a metal pipe attached to the pump. A sharp crack filled the air when he brought his weapon down, it took a moment to register my opportunity before I was clawing to my feet running for the door. "Wait! Come back!"
Even with my night vision up, I still ran into the rail that surrounded the steps. I heaved over it splashing into the water below, footsteps were right at my neck and I felt something slice through the air near my head. I bent forward and ran, though I heard him storming down the steps a few feet behind me. The camera was jiggling too much, I had a god awful time trying to hold it steady while I tore through the room. All the time the guy was still after me, screaming. I was unsure where exactly I was headed.
Ahead of me I saw steps and light, I vaulted up them stumbling over the fallen door. I hadn't stepped over a door to get into this place.
A wall appeared in my path, I barely put on the breaks but still managed to smash my good shoulder against it. Panicked and shaken I forgot the camera but rather, slapped my palm and fingers against the solid surface and followed it. I staggered through an open door as the footfalls of my pursuer neared, I found the edge of the door and flung it shut. The doorknob rattled as he worked to get it open, I think my appreciation for broken door handles grew somewhat in that instant.
I stumbled over a pipe and fell hard on my chest. As I lay groaning and fighting to recover from the stun, I noticed a few broken beds just ahead. The door was about to give, I crawled under the beds and lay flat as the wood crumpled and the variant charged through.
It was impossible to see without my camera, but I heard his wet footfalls as he paced around the room. A few of the items were shifted, I tried to identify what each was as he poked around. Finally his steps came towards my space, I took a sharp breath and held it as he smashed the club against a metal bar then waited. In the distance I could pick up the echoing clatter of the pumps. I needed to focus on that.
"There was no putty tat there." After a few more minutes, either he became bored or forgot what he was looking for. I heard his weight rock the broken door as he thudded over it.
I didn't want to move. No telling where he was now, or where I was. But I reasoned with myself, if I stay here he would eventually find me. I was blocked in but this area had served its purpose for the time. I wasn't ready to move on, but I forced my hands to pull at the cold floor and drag my body out.
I wasn't shaking I was quaking unrestrained. That had been too close. What was it I needed to do? Flip the breaker. I bumped my face with the camera as I tried to lift the visor and view exactly where I had stumbled into.
Another storage room. Spare beds and sheets for the patients, lockers, and some filthy laundry bins. I tried to stand but my legs wouldn't hold my weight, so I shuffled along to a door at the other side of the room. At this point I felt my masculinity melting. Get it together Miles.
With some help from the shelf and the doorknob I was able to haul myself up. I stood a moment taking deep breathes and renewing my resolve. I was okay as long as I could outrun him. Flip the breaker, restart the power, get the fuck out. This would be easy.
The door was locked.
I could've held up the camera and seen exactly where I was going, but I wanted to feel the walls, the frigid damp brick and the shelves as I staggered around them. I was not too solid on my feet just yet but once I stepped out into the corridor, I had my camera out like a bad habit.
No sign of the man. No sound of him either. I took it slow, glancing out through the light in the doorway before returning my eyes to the path ahead. On the wall was a plaque with an arrow.
Generator
I followed the corridor, hopping over more debris that had been shoveled into the hall. When I reached the end I picked up the soft footfalls, the moment before he turned the corner. There was a doorway to my right I slipped into, but wish I hadn't.
Bodies tethered to the ceiling like butchered cattle, organs spilling off the shelf, the translucent skin glimmered in the NV of the camera. I didn't have time for revulsion, he was right behind me. I slid under the bed and pressed my face into my shoulder, the smell, I will NEVER get used to that smell.
He strolled in from the doorway and glanced over the room, I had my camera held beside my face at an awkward angle to prevent the gleam of the visor from reflecting too much. Despite the discomfort I wouldn't repositioning it to document his habits. Leave the room, just please leave the room.
Then he did something very madman like. He folded to his knees and smashed at the floor with his club, the strikes hard enough to shatter his weapon, I'm amazed it didn't. Then, he leaned over and pressed his…ear down. He was facing me at that point, but I was too flabbergasted to register the potential threat. It was probably best I didn't, otherwise I might've squirmed and drawn his attention.
After that he rose to his feet and walked out muttering about shadows.
Once it seemed he left for good I wasted no time in crawling out from under the bed, the stew of rotten organs among the metal legs was too much for my tattered sanity. I sat in the dark absorbed in what little light was put off by the visor. Which way had he gone?
My question was soon answered when he passed from the right, the way I was headed initially. I didn't move though I was in plain view, he was out of sight by the time the thought registered. The dark had concealed me fully.
I was taking my camera for granted, if I wasn't looking through the visor everything was a black slate with no texture, no form. Empty. It could drive a man insane, or more so, give him some company.
When his footfalls faded, I shuffled to the door and looked around the edge. He had found the door that was locked and made himself busy trying to tear it down. I was fine with this, it wouldn't keep him occupied for long. I shut the door as I left the room.
Was I becoming desensitized by what I saw? If I held my breath. it was easy to forget in this hall what I had previously been subjected to. But, if I dwelled on it for too long I could feel my heart flutter. I need not think on that, keep focused on my objective - to get out of here I needed to flip the breaker and open the main doors. That was the only way out. Try not to think of what lay in the rooms, or what else could be waiting for me. I would escape, I would be fine. My thoughts felt natural, but this worried me as well. A crazy man thought he was normal because the only thoughts he knew, were those of his own, he had forgotten the way a sane man thought.
When I escaped, would I go mad too?
Of course I wouldn't, what was I thinking? Keep it together Miles, this place was getting to me and I would acknowledge that before it began to eat away at me. I wasn't going mad, my brain was just filtering so I wouldn't go mad. Once I was out, I would call up my therapist and get this water under the bridge settled.
Having a therapist was kind of awkward, people got the wrong impression. I was advised long ago when I received my license, that I would come to appreciate a good therapist. No lie, I have seen some of the worst that the world could offer, and even if I didn't think it phased me it was still a good idea to have someone that I could talk to. Help me cope.
The corridor came to a T, I decided to check my right first, only because I could see the shimmer of water the other way. It felt like the hall was never ending, aside from a mishap of ruined desks that broke up the repetition. At the end was a crushed pallet, along with the door I sought.
The knob gave with one twist, it cracked and fell apart in my hands. I frowned down at it, before I tossed the pieces aside and inspected the door. I could still push it shut but it wouldn't slow anyone down. I turned my camera to the rooms interior and scanned over the shelves dotted with chemicals and some tool, a trolley, more lockers (why did a facility need so many lockers?) Fuse boxes hugged the furthest walls, the soft glimmer of the backup light blotted out the NVs range. This had to be it.
Directly ahead was a familiar looking handle. The breaker the 'Priest' had pulled that cut the power in the first place.
I crossed over to it and forced the lever up. Just had to reactivate the power and find my way back to the ground floor.
As I was heading down the hall I was somewhat distracted, but I quickly caught the soft steps and retreated backwards in a noisy shuffle.
"Hey! What the hell is that?"
He saw me! He saw me! I pivoted and ran back to the room, I didn't even bother to shut the door behind me I needed to hide.
But damn these lockers, what was I doing wrong? There was no lock on it, it couldn't be jammed.
The latch popped and I climbed inside, the last worry on my mind was whether I could get this model open from the inside. He didn't seem to have a problem getting them open.
I slowed my breath when he entered, the door creaked as he shoved it against the wall and the muffled snaps of the wood chair leg striking his palm came closer and closer. I shifted, it felt like the locker jarred on its foundation. Oh god, just hold still and be quiet. He won't find me. I'm not here.
"Who is that?"
He didn't see me. He did not see me. I fixed my grip on the camera and leaned back from the cutout vents. The door beside me opened, then slammed shut. I put my hand on the latch and held it. There were three lockers, weren't there? Or two? I let out a soft sigh as the tension climaxed, where was he?
"Up to heaven, went away!" He wandered out of sight tapping the shelves, and once he had satisfied his fancy he departed.
I waited in the silence just breathing as everything settled, my heart, my haggard breathes. I was in a dead end, I couldn't afford to get pinned her again. I worked up my nerve and opened the locker, grateful that it hadn't stuck. Before I went on I made sure I understood how the latch on these worked, then moved to the open doorway and looked out. The corridor was silent but this didn't set me to ease, he was still here.
At the intersection I paused to zoom the camera and check the far hall, what might be there. I could make out boards and an archway, but I couldn't decide if this was the other side of the archway passed before entering this area.
I was nearly out anyway, what did it matter?
All the more reason to use caution, from this point on. I stepped lightly along the hall watching my cameras feed, so far no sound. I expected at any moment he would charge out at me, or I'd feel his hand slap me on the shoulder right before my skull splint in two. Shuddering, I swallowed and tried not the think about the foul odor burned into my mind.
Just needed to reactivate the power. The power, so I could open the front doors and get the fuck out of here. My resentment for this place was natural, I didn't fight it, nor the repetitive state my mind had elapsed into. It was easy to keep repeating my current goal through my thoughts, keep focused on that rather what I had seen. It felt clean. I wanted to feel clean.
I passed the shut door, not bothering to pause, not giving it another thought. Breaker, security, then out. As I neared the light from the entrance I heard his voice. At least I knew where he was.
Thankfully he had torn the second door down, I stepped inside and moved along the shelves, making sure I didn't knock over anything this time. The battery in the NV was getting low and the visual was dimming. After I removed the battery I thought about tossing it down the hall, distract the variant that way. In the end I decided this was a bad idea, best not draw attention to any area I was near or in. If he wasn't certain of my whereabouts, it might clue him in with sudden noises. I also did not need to stir him up, he was insane and that was apparently enough to get my face smashed in.
Down to two batteries.
I moved to the other doorway and peeked out, just as he faded from the nightvisions range somewhere down the corridor. I couldn't see him, but if I ventured into the light I would be vulnerable for a splint second. He would see me. Unless he wasn't facing me.
One, two, three, and four steps into the entrance corridor. I paused for a beat to listen if he made note of me, but I heard nothing aside from the echoing steps growing distant. It was unnerving.
I continued into the cold water and crossed to the access panel. Before I hit the switch I took a deep breath and prepared myself, this was it. With a firm punch the generator kicked to life, the lamps overhead flickered and blazed white clarity. I shut my camera off and glanced around, which door had I entered from?
All I could see were broken doors, where was…?
I spun about and saw my entrance, the stairs and the arch I originally entered from. I sprang up the steps, despite the protest of my ribs and ran the full length of the hall with the water frothing around my legs. When I reached the small crevice I slipped through, I spied just beyond it a cracked desk a folder forgotten atop. Enough light made the last part of Confidential evident. I picked it up before squeezing through the gap.
Once I felt safe and heard no steps, no screaming man chasing me, I paused to calm my breath. That had been too close, if I hadn't of gotten out from under the bed when I did…. My close call ration was dwindling down. I could only feel closure with this event, knowing that I had gotten out of there without getting myself killed, and with my camera still in functional order.
I paused a moment to look it over while I had some light. After the fall I hadn't noticed, but a hairline crack had formed along its case. Another battle scar, it had many. The corners were rubbed clean from constantly shuffling it between the pack and my hands, and the symbols on the buttons were worn away from years of use. To operate my camera I had to work it from memory. Like me, it had been through hell before we reached this place, and it'd receive more abuse before I retired it. That wouldn't be for a long time, I promise.
Redbarrels reserves right. Purely done for enjoyment