Meg's nebulous thoughts achingly floated through her cranium as she stirred out of unconsciousness. Following her wake, her eyes peeled open, nothing but gray encompassing her blurred vision. She blinked. It felt like she was in limbo, somewhere in the midst of a hazy realm. But as her eyes readjusted, she determined it was no fog world that she was trapped in. It was just the wide expanse of a cold, concrete ceiling above her.
"Fuck," She grunted as she sat up, feeling like there was a ten pound dumbbell weighing down the side of her head. She reached with her hand to feel the area behind her ear, slipping her fingers across a sopping canyon of bludgeoned flesh beneath her hair. The wound was similarly sized to her palm, which was concerning. However Meg was glad to at least have her wits. The pain was the only thing to suffer, and that was something she could deal with.
What had happened? She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember. They were at the fire… her and Dwight… they went into the darkness to find the door in the ground and then…
The last memory she had was seeing the light. That bright, bluish light seeping from the door as she held it ajar. But then like a cold chill whispering up her spine, she recalled the distorted laugh that had echoed from the darkness ahead of them. There was someone out there with them, or perhaps something. Which wasn't anything new, they already were aware that a monster lurked around the darkness. There had been evidence of it since the very first trial. Her and Nea had even come face to face with it back when Nea had unwillingly joined them.
And now there was the most recent encounter. Meg could only assume that it had been the reason for her injury, as well as being knocked out. She wanted to debate its significance, but the girl quickly realized that she was no longer at the campfire. That only meant one thing: She needed to get moving and find a generator, then hopefully reconvene with the others along the way.
Meg got to her feet but was stopped before she could go any further. In front of her was an elongated corridor, which was decorated with a derelict array of medical stationary, equipment and various seating that would be typical for a waiting room. Another asylum? Perhaps a hospital?
Down the hall she went, pondering their newest trial. The remnants of a sterile smell twanged through her nostrils as it battled against the odors of decay. Corroded tiles hung off the walls while the concrete floors suffered from similarly dark, moldy stains. The bruises of some sort of destruction. She wondered why these places were always so defiled? What was the reason for it?
Somewhere just out of sight, she could hear a droning static hum, likely from a television. The eerie soundtrack looped as she crept through the shadowed desolation, hoping to come across her companions sooner or later, begging that she could be lucky enough to find Dwight. With him it always felt like they were going to be okay, no matter how thinly lined that hope was. As if the pure sweet of her thoughts had aggravated the sadistic puppet master overseeing their devastation, the corridor began to experience a strange shift.
Out of nowhere, the lights above began to flicker, just as a bizarre sound filtered through the stale air, rising hastily in pitch. The open space of the hallway sizzled, like the oxygen particles themselves were simmering in a boiling pot. She could feel it tickle and then zap on her skin, she could smell the heat drifting against her nostrils-
Then it happened.
All Meg saw was white hot. Shocking through her body was what felt like lightning, coursing and burning through every nerve with the ruthless goal of leaving no cell untouched by searing pain. The only thing she could comprehend in the flashing moment was her ability to scream, the only outlet to express her agony.
As fast as it had overcome her, it was gone. In its wake was the final whisper of a loud bang and the dissolution of the echoes of, what could only have been, the others wailing in their shared anguish. The aftermath left her entire body twitching. She struggled to regain control of her muscles as they spasmed ruthlessly, leashed by the imperious force.
Between the stages of struggle, Meg came to the sickening conclusion that she had just been electrically shocked by something. Variety was certainly not an issue within their cycle of torture, so it seemed. She wasn't sure if whatever that was or getting flayed apart was worse.
"Hey!"
Meg turned around, seeing a stranger speedily approaching her, coming from where she'd first woken up. Whoever it was must've been the new person, yet she was already covered head to toe in blood and it wasn't fresh, so it couldn't have been a result of their current trial. Which could only amount to one thing… She was no rookie.
It eased the slightest bit of comfort within Meg. At least she was with someone who was on the same page as her and didn't need their hand held. That was one less problem to deal with.
"Hey- What's your name?" She asked, watching the girl near her with confident strides carrying her somewhat gracefully through the decayed hall.
"Min," She replied short without any sweetness. "I heard you scream… You're Meg, yeah?"
"Uh huh," Meg hummed, "I just got shocked by- by something. Did you?" She stood there watching as Min walked right by her, leaving the redhead to quickly catch up with the newcomer. Apparently she wasn't fucking around.
"Nope. I haven't seen anyone else, not even any generators. There's a couple of totems but none were lit," She recanted her observations earnestly like a cadet would to their sergeant.
"Totems?" Meg asked, trying to keep up with Min while noticing the girl analyzing every bit of their surroundings.
"The bone things."
"Yeah, right. You know what they do?"
Min glanced over her shoulder, giving Meg a serious look. "Nothing good, I can tell you that."
Facing forward again, Min exclaimed, "Here!"
In front of them was a generator. The girls dove right into repairing it, Meg getting the short straw by being corralled toward the wiring while Min silently called dibs on the main chamber. The first thing she did was reach somewhere deep within it, taking a couple seconds to search for something unknown to Meg, enlisting the girl to question the action.
"What are you doing?" She asked while glancing at Min, who seemed to have finally accomplished whatever mission she'd been on as she reeled her arm out from the mechanical depths.
"Turning on the sensor," She said nonchalantly.
Meg paused, staring at her, "What?"
"There's a built-in sensor that you can turn on, didn't you know?"
"Uh, no," Meg confessed awkwardly, feeling very inadequate. Min shrugged, getting to work.
"It'll stop these metal arms in here from interfering with one another if you make a mistake," She explained, offering a more polite tone for the first time in their exchange.
"Oh shit- Wait, so that means it won't blow up?" Meg questioned incredulously.
With a slightly boastful nod, Min looked toward the other, "Yep. The only downside is it locks the lever for a couple seconds but it's not that big of a deal honestly."
"Wow," Meg sighed, "You seem like you know your shit."
Min's lips pulled into a thin line as she nodded, looking like she was somewhere far away within her mind. "I'm hardwired to."
"What do you mean?"
"I was in Pro League."
Meg glanced at her, "Like…?"
"E-Sports," Min answered swiftly.
"Video games?" The other girl's nod had Meg continuing, "Oh right, yeah I uh… I could see how that helps."
"That's all this really is. It's just a game," She stated with an underlying solemnity.
"Yeah, I know. Almost since the beginning I have had that same thought."
"That's why you're alive," Min concluded, sharing a knowing glance with Meg, "Those who don't recognize it will never make it."
The remark made Meg's skin bristle as she felt her anger ignite. It was a baseless thing to say. She knew Min was only trying to share wise advice yet she couldn't help but to immediately think of Jake and Claudette. They knew the game, they played it well, yet they still died. They were of no less intelligence or capability, the only thing that could define the reason for their demise was being a victim of insurmountable evil. Nothing more, nothing less.
Meg remained quiet, knowing that she would say something snarky if she decided to speak. Min didn't seem to catch onto her annoyance, thankfully. They ended up popping the gen without any hiccups or snide remarks.
Standing together found the pair awkwardly looking off in opposite directions, each trying to discern what the next best move was. Before a plan could be spun into action, none other than Nea could be seen prowling through the hallway toward Meg. It made the athlete feel a pulse of relief to be with a familiar face. Sometimes as you fight for your life, it can be made so much easier when beside those whom you know.
"Have you seen Dwight?" Meg called to the girl, who shook her head as she sauntered up to them.
"Nah. Just did a generator," She mentioned, her eyes flicking across the one that they had just powered, "Guess that makes it three to go."
"If we're lucky, Dwight may have done one too," Meg hoped. Nea offered a shrug as she stopped in front of her.
"Dunno. I'm glad to see you're up and running," She said, gesturing to Meg's head. The girl grimaced and dabbed her fingers over the wound behind her ear, bringing them into view in order to grimly inspect the blood tainted along them.
"Yeah, hurts like a bitch-"
"-We need to get going," Min interrupted them, causing the pair to slowly turn and look at her. Uptight was an understatement when it came to describing Min's demeanor, but Meg knew being polite and mannered wasn't always in the cards when it came to their predicament.
Following a nod of agreement, the girls headed down the corridor in a triangle formation, Min taking the lead. The desolation around them was uncanny. Meg felt her throat shriveling up at the mere threat of the silence, as it could be any moment that the monster would jump out and attack them. Giving her a break from the stifling quiet came the mechanical echoes of an unknown source, coming from somewhere deep within the labyrinth in which they were trapped.
All of their heads turned to the left once they happened upon a wide hallway that peered into a brightly lit room, which seemed to be the one that housed all the ruckus. Curiosity lured the girls inward, peeling them away from the corridor and deeper within the building.
Meg had to crane her neck once she got into the room, discovering its looming nature which was decorated by all sorts of scientific equipment. Positioned in the center of the floor was a circular glass panel which allowed for a great deal of amber light to glow through it. Then just above, suspended by a hulking base unit attached to the ceiling, was a handful of what appeared to be old monitors glaring down on them with their cold light. On carts scattered around were pylons, really nailing the evil laboratory aesthetic.
Standing out against the cold metals of the room was the rustic sight of a generator, situated innocently amongst all the advanced machinery. With only one piston pitifully pumping along, it could be assumed that it was Dwight's last whereabouts. Where had he gone?
"Watch your step," Came Nea's gravelly voice. Meg looked back at her only to see that she was pointing at something in front of Meg, leading their gazes to a puddle of blood a short distance from Meg's sneakers. She swallowed down a knot of fear, praying that Dwight was okay. She hated that he was alone. What if they never found him? What if he was dangling off a hook at that very moment and no one knew it?
She was about to address both the girls before realizing Min had already abandoned them to start working on the generator, so Meg meekly turned to Nea.
"Something doesn't feel right. I think I'm gonna go look for him," She told the other with a worried look. Nea's frown bared her concern for the girl.
"Let me come with you."
Meg shook her head, "No, just stay with Min. I'll be fine."
Before her altruism could be thwarted by Nea's apprehension, Meg followed in the direction which the blood seemed to fade toward, soon discovering that there was a crimson trail there to help her find Dwight. The loudness of the room behind her slipped away as an eerie quiet crept in. With a shudder, she wandered into the corridor.
Back at the generator, Nea took a knee and began the typical work. With uncertainty over Meg's safety manifesting as a headache behind her eyes, Nea couldn't help but to feel hazy as she settled into the mind-numbing routine of repairing. Her brain felt thick, each thought sloshy in troubled waters. There was an unwavering ocean of problems to mull over. When would it fucking end?
She thought about the image of Meg, how she had the scalpel pressed into the milky white of her flesh at the asylum. The idea had been so repulsive to Nea before, but now it was like a fast blossoming dream. What good was living if there was so much pain to endure. Especially when it was inescapable.
Nea sucked in a quick breath, as if the sour air could somehow expel the self destructive thoughts from her head. In some miracle of a way it did help, because Stella's face was suddenly stained on the back of her eyelids. So faint yet so visceral at the same time. She wanted to see her pretty girl again. The ache of missing her felt so much worse than the agony of their reality.
"You okay?" Min asked, making Nea realize that she had been sitting there with her eyes shut and conjuring up every detail of Stella that she possibly could.
"Yeah, yeah," She assured dismissively, getting back to work. Just as Min opened her mouth to follow up, the air around them began to emit the familiar sizzling as earlier… An unfortunate sign that told Nea she was about to be fucked.
Nothing could be done to prepare for the shockwave that zapped through both the girls. Their bodies shot up and twitched as per the domineering effect of the electricity. Screams were forced out of them, giving away their positions.
When it was over, Nea gritted her teeth, feeling the horrible way in which her muscles disobeyed her. It didn't take long to regain control, only a matter of some grueling seconds, however there was still a burning aftermath all over her body, both inside and out. Left behind her eyes was a staticy feeling, like her brain was humming.
Beside her, Min was also in the same boat of grappling with the pain. With an emphasis on taking deep, even breaths, she found herself on the brink of normalcy when she spotted movement from over Nea's shoulder. Min leaned slightly, honing in on a doorway across the room. Just as she suspected, a dark and foreboding figure passed through its threshold, thus welcoming them to the killer.
Her eyes locked onto Nea's, one single word being uttered from her lips, "Run."
So accustomed to the madness, Nea didn't have to take even a single moment to process the command as she dashed away. Min fled too, though chose a different direction than Nea. As her chest pumped, she hoped that the fifty-fifty odds were in her favor. It was either her or Nea that would be the fresh meat dangled in front of the beast. Upon a glance over her shoulder, Min bitterly concluded that the monster had set its sights on her, leaving Nea momentarily spared.
Still craned to look over her shoulder, she flicked her gaze over the killer. Min wasn't easily stirred, yet this one was harrowing to look at. The most noticeable feature were his eyes, which were peeled back at the lids by some headpiece exhibiting metal crescents that were hooked into his burnt skin. Bulging and white, it was hard looking anywhere but its ghoulish stare. Just below was his taut smile, forced open and wide by a similar demand of metal restraints. Contrasting against the grooved and charred landscape of his deep complexion was the white lab coat cascading down his body. The prestigious robes of a Doctor.
Assumedly, there was a sinister splash of Dwight's blood decorating the front of this demented Doctor, as well as the electrified weapon which he wielded, it being the more brutal version of a baton. Cold steel with sharp points all along its length, it was a menace to be reckoned with.
It made Min feel the fracture of a chill rip down her spine, yet she nevertheless put all of her focus into the chase. See, even though she had only experienced a measly handful of trials, she already knew how important the art of the evasion was. If one could keep the killer occupied for an extended amount of time, it could be the difference between life and death. While being in the moment could be terrifying, she had the unique ability to remove herself from the terror and analyze the entire situation from a top down view.
As she sprinted down the hallway, Min calculated what was going on at that very moment. Meg was on her way to go get Dwight off the hook, or possibly to just offer him aid if he had gotten away from the killer. Nea, meanwhile, was probably inching her way back to the generator and would likely finish it within the next minute or so. And then hopefully Meg and Dwight would also be able to complete a generator once they were back on their feet.
All of this meant that Min needed to keep their killer occupied for at least five minutes, which was being generous, in order to give the team time to make headway with the generators.
She reached for the flashlight tucked in her waistband. With it in her hand, she sprinted up to the first pallet her eyes could identify. Sitting in the ninety-degree corner of the hallway was a gurney and some other random equipment which were a short distance away from the outer wall, a ratty pallet being what would soon bridge the gap between the two. While utilizing pallets was the main form of keeping distance between the predator and prey, Min had been quick to understand that not all pallets were worth the time- this pallet she was heading toward being one of those. It was more of a trap than anything. Tucked in the corner, it was like begging to be corralled into a dead zone by the killer.
But she had no other choice. The closing distance between her and the Doctor whittled her options down to nothing. Nonetheless, she was confident she could make the shitty pallet work.
She bolted through the pallet, however she didn't drop it immediately. Doing so would level the odds, giving the killer a portion of their power back, because then they could just pressure her into a misstep. The pallets were best used in order to protect from getting a slash or to simply create an obstacle for the killer if making distance could be ensured. Otherwise, it was like flushing away a healthy wad of money.
Min's eyes flashed backward, watching the Doctor pursue her as she viewed him through the slats made in the gurney's canopy and the sheer curtain hooked onto it. From his wet teeth floated a distorted laugh, taunting her in the moment their eyes locked. Her stomach twisted in determination. She wanted to set a new record for herself. The last chase she had been in, which involved a ghostly killer that crawled on all fours and debilitated the survivors periodically with a deafening cry, had been her best yet. She had wasted enough time in chase to allow for the team to finish nearly all the generators. Still, they perished, making that trial a loss. But if anything good could come from it, Min was damn proud of that chase.
Just as the stroke of her ego slipped through her mind, Min eyed the Doctor as he passed through the pallet and began to raise his hand, amassing a glove, so to speak, of hot blue electricity that zipped all along his skin. Whatever plan she had, he was successfully throwing a wrench in it.
All she could do was keep running and hope to make it to the pallet, as she clearly was anticipating something bad to occur from the sparks he was conjuring. Before she could loop back around to those blessed planks, the Doctor's raised fist suddenly released and from the waterfall of tension was the cascading of those sparks that he had been harboring, which flooded across the floor and invaded her body.
Her lungs expelled a painful cry, hands going right to her head as she urged her legs to continue forward despite the cruel demands of the shock making her want to crumple to the floor and spasm at its will. The shocks were thankfully quick, yet that time around there seemed to be a sort of daze left in its wake. As soon as Min's eyes had shot open, she felt as though she were looking through plastic wrap, like a sheen of static was over her vision. Everything was fuzzier, and her instincts weren't sharp, made clear by a sudden stumble caused by her foot smacking into the gurney wheel. That wasn't like her.
It was at that moment that she realized that she hadn't been able to drop the pallet. Her head whipped around, seeing the Doctor hot on her tail. In a quick fit of calculation, Min deemed herself able to make it to the pallet on another loop around, but then she heard him edging the sparks again, meaning that she wouldn't be able to drop it even if she had reached it.
Min had no choice. She dove back into the hallway, running toward the direction which she had come. Instead of barreling back into the open room which likely housed Nea and the nearly finished generator, Min decided she should keep the Doctor away from their areas of progress.
With him all but breathing down her neck, Min wasn't exactly shocked when she felt the sharp thwack of his metal baton and all of its glistening points bludgeoning her shoulder blades. Even with the pain and the shout that flung from her, Min took solace in the fact that the killers always seemed to have a short recovery period after their successful hits, granting the girl a sliver of distance to work with.
Her hazy eyes scoured that hallway, which suddenly seemed endless, so she turned and entered the first room she came across. Her sneakered feet slammed against frail tiles, nose being invaded by the sour stench of mildew. The showers. There was a pallet in there, which looked absolutely delicious through the lens of her clouded judgement.
In the doorway that she had just come was the Doctor's wretched form, running through the threshold when he was suddenly greeted with a pallet being slammed in front of him. Unfortunately, he stopped himself in time to not be jarred by it, thus he began to raise his fist and prepare another shock. Min's hands left the splintering pallet at once, the girl making haste on exiting the showers, however it wasn't fast enough as she couldn't evade the shock that ripple across the grime lined tiles, sending her into another episode of screams and sizzling agony.
That time, Min felt herself unraveling. Her breathing became rapid, her vision wide and expansive with a blurred vignette making itself welcome. Her every muscle writhed against her, tingling and cramping as she painstakingly ran away from the bathroom. She hadn't heard the pallet break, yet could all but feel his wicked laugh whisper across her skin from right behind her. There was no rhyme or reason for the frantic path that she took through the countless rooms that she tore in and out of.
He just kept laughing. It was inside of her, tickling her gut with anticipation. At every moment Min was just waiting to be put down by the steel baton, yet it never came.
Alas, the girl looked over her shoulder before being slammed by a shocking reality.
He wasn't there.
She was all alone.
But the laughing?
Min went to confusedly continue to the doorway when she wailed in fright at seeing the Doctor smack in front of her, yet as soon as she blinked, there was nothing but the open air.
Something wasn't right. She wasn't in her right mind. What had he done to her?
The girl knelt down and focused on her breathing, really trying to pull herself together. Within the factitious meditative exercise she'd conjured, Min found that one single mantra was reeling her back into the coldness of reality:
She needed to win.