"Tsk—We don't have time for this, air's trickling down."
…
Randy's right, at this rate we'll probably have…
"2-4 hours give or take" Eve spoke once more, I couldn't help but think on how we'd survive this, at the same time the silence from the entire place seemed louder then ever.
…
Thud
Huh?
"AMANDA!?!?!" Eve's scream shook our entire room only for her to realize what she just did.
Instinctively she tried to close her mouth only for it to bump awkwardly to her visor.
…
Yet we didn't move to help Amanda—No. Rather we didn't dare.
What if those 'creatures' came back?
…
We'd be as good as dead.
"—"
Hmm?
"Wait listen." Jeremy suddenly spoke, instinctively I placed my head closer to Amanda
"I'm sorryI'msorryI'm sorryI'msorryI'm sorryI'msorry" I could hear her murmur those words, a single thought filled my mind
What should we do?
—Amanda's POV
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH.
Breathe.
I am breathing.
So why—
Splash.
Blue.
The water was blue.
I remember that.
I remember—
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH
"You're okay, sweetie."
Mom?
Where's Mom?
PFFFT—HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Stop laughing.
Please stop laughing.
I said I didn't want to play anymore.
I said—
Splash
My feet.
Where are my feet?
I can't feel the bottom.
THUD.
No, no, no, no—
"AMANDA, YOU DIED AGAIN?!"
I DIDN'T WANT TO
I DIDN'T WANT TO
I'm sorry.
Why am I sorry?
I don't know
I'm sorry
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH
I can't get out
I can't get out
I can't—
I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorry
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH
Breathe
Breathe
Breathe
Why can't I breathe?
I'm breathing.
I'm breathing, aren't I?
Splash
Something touched my leg.
Something touched my leg.
Something touched—
DON'T LOOK DOWN.
I looked down.
There was no bottom.
There was never a bottom.
My feet kicked against nothing, my hands clawed at the water, and the light above me grew smaller and smaller.
Mom
Where are you?
You said you had me.
You said—
"It's just a game!"
No.
No, no, no.
I don't want to play anymore.
I DON'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE
"Then why are you so scared?"
Stop
Please stop
"I SAID STOP"
THUD THUD THUD
Something was knocking.
At the door?
No.
No, it wasn't the door.
It was inside the water—Something knocking from the other side.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Let me out…"
Please
I'll be good.
I'll stop crying.
I won't tell anyone.
I won't—
"Amanda?"
…
Mom?
"Amanda, can you hear me?"
I tried to answer.
I really did.
But my mouth wouldn't move.
Something was covering my face that something was pressing against me, holding me down, and I couldn't get it off. My hands wouldn't listen. My legs wouldn't move. I couldn't even—
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH.
The breathing.
That awful breathing.
It wouldn't stop.
It wouldn't stop!
"I'M SORRY!"
I'M SORRY
I'M SORRY
I'M SORRY
I DIDN'T MEAN TO!
I DIDN'T WANT TO!
PLEASE DON'T BE ANGRY!
PLEASE—
"Amanda, you're okay."
No.
You're lying.
Everyone keeps saying that.
You're okay.
It's just a game.
Don't be such a baby.
You're okay
You're okay
YOU'RE OKAY!
THEN WHY CAN'T I GET OUT?!
…
…
I'm sorry.
…
I'm sorry.
…
I want my mom.
…
I want my friends.
…
I want—
…
…
…
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH
…
Huh?
…
Something's…
…
Warm?
No.
Not warm.
It was… Heavy.
Something heavy was holding my hand.
…
I tried to move.
I couldn't.
No, I could.
A little.
…
Squeeze.
…
"Someone?"
…
Squeeze.
…
It hurts.
…
No.
It doesn't—It doesn't hurt.
…
"—"
Who's there?
…
"—"
I can't hear you.
…
I can't—
Squeeze
…
Mom?
…
No It felt too rough.Too big.
…
"Tsk."
…
…
Huh?
…
That voice.
…
"Don't you dare die on me"
…
…
Old Man?
…
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH
…
The water…
It's still here.
But…
…
Someone's holding me.
…
"Amanda…"
…
Eve?
…
"Amanda, please…"
…
The water doesn't seem that scary anymore…
…
I see—The light-?
And with that thought I couldn't help but murmur
"Guys—?"
—Cael's POV
"Guys—?" Amanda's voice was the very first thing that we heard and with it-?
"YOU'RE BACK!!!" Eve was the one who shouted, one could say she looked rather out of place at this moment, she tried to hug Amanda, keyword being 'tried'. Due to the gear we were using… It looked. well….
Awkward
Right, if you saw 2 girls hugging each others, it's either very cute or I suppose sexy? Yet right now it just looked…
….
Really uncomfortable
"Tsk." Old Man Randy spoke as he flailed his right hand as it whipped slightly, only then did I notice…
"Ow Ow OW OW OW OW—AMANDA YOUR GRIP"
"A-a-ahh?!?!?! AH I'M SORR—"
"Stop with the sorry Amanda." Jeremy spoke his tone serious once more, for a moment no one spoke, then he continued. "You've been saying those words many times, and I'll be honest hell I'm getting tired of it."
"A-a-ah…"
"So make sure the next time you said those words. It would one that you can promise you'd never let happen again."
…
"Until then, there's nothing you need to apologize for."
"I-I'm sor—Ah."
…
…
…
"T-t-t-thank you…"
For a moment everything was silent once more, the only thing that could be heard?
Hsssss—Kshhhhhhhh
…
"Tsk. Let's get moving, my back's startin' to hunch again." Old Man Randy spoke as he broke whatever atmosphere we had before, and now was I suppose.. There's one teeny-tiny problem you see…
…
Getting out of this place alive
"Right before that I'd like to say something" Jeremy suddenly spoke once more, "Those Creatures… Scheisse We'll just call them Remnants. Their eyesight and hearing's probably non-existent"
True—If that had even the slightest of hearing then well…
"One of those Remnants also touched me but it didn't try to bite me at all" Eve continued.
Hmmm…
The human body relies mainly on 5 Senses. This is common Knowledge.
Sight
Smell
Hearing
Touch
Taste
We can cut off Sight, hearing and Touch from Jeremy's and Eve's words alone… Taste?—Well I don't think… These 'Remnants' can taste anything…
…
Which leaves…
"Scent"
As soon as I spoke those words, everybody seemed to turn towards me, urging me to share my thoughts.
"Well, though they are Remnants, they still look human, so they probably rely on their senses, You know? like how humans have 5 senses but—"
"We can cross Sight Hearing and Touch that's for sure." Jeremy spoke
"As for taste—I'd say it's safe to say there's no Hsssss—Kshhhh way they eat us because of our taste"
"So that leaves—Scent."
…
"I noticed, back when those Remnants were devouring our fellow cleaners, they all had something in common."
"A Breach" Eve was the one who spoke this time, followed by Jeremy.
"Broken visors, or a part of their suits had tears, I saw them but I didn't really notice"
"W-well, we were busy trying to survive after all"
"True."
"But Cael." Jeremy continued.
"Are you sure?"
-?
"If you're wrong about this then we'll—"
"Tsk—So what if he's wrong? Better then wasting our time here waiting for us to suffocate to death?" Against Old Man Randy's words Jeremy couldn't help but stay silent for a moment, then—
Sighhhhhhhhhhh
"Scheisse. I hate this, but the Old Man's right, this is the only Hsssss—Kshhhh thing we got going for us"
…
"Well? Let's get going then—Amanda can you walk?"
"A-ah I can, Just give me a moment…"
"…"
"We'll be leaving in 5 minutes."
—5 Minutes later
"Everyone ready?" Jeremy spoke once more,
Nod Nod
No one answered, we only nodded, after all in this moment alone, time was money. So was air.
"Stay close, don't touch anything unnecessary, and for Scheisse's sake. don't do anything stupid."
And with that our little expedition session continued.
Step Step Step
Hssss—Kshhhhh
As we continued to walk blindly through the building, the fog for some reason looked thicker then ever. The only one who knew the way out—Our Team Leader. As he himself continued to walk without stopping.
Step Step Step
"Y-y-you're sure right-?" Amanda suddenly spoke again.
"Yes Amanda I'm sure just follow my lead" Yet Instead of lashing out Jeremy instead talked to her slowly, for the record this was the 10th time Amanda had asked this question.
Hssss—Kshhhhh
Step Step Step
…
Rustle
Whoosh
All of a sudden Jeremy suddenly lifted his right hand signalling us to stop to which we all did almost instantaneously.
"KrrrKrrrrKrrrrrr…"
"Another horde." He spoke, instinctively I couldn't help but hold my breathe.
This wasn't the first time we met another horde, several times we've crossed path with them, smaller ones, ones that we had avoided.
Why you ask?
We were scared.
What if we got lucky before hand and it was only that specific group of Remnants-? What if other groups used Sight instead? what if it was Sound? We don't really have any clue how strong each of the other group's senses are.
And without any opportunity to test our theory…
Its much better to play it safe.
Whoosh
"Let's move" Jeremy spoke as he lowered his arm, signalling the horde of remnants in front had probably left the area
Step Step Step
Hssss—Kshhhhh
Step Step St—
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHH
-!?!?!?!
Why did they screamed again-?
Yet before we could even move…
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD
"MOVE—!" Jeremy barely managed to shout before the sound of approaching footsteps swallowed his voice.
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD—
"WHERE THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSE TO GO?"
"ANYWHERE BUT HERE!"
Step Step Step Step Step—
I looked around desperately. A corridor behind us. A corridor ahead. Doors along the walls, most of them either locked or leading to rooms we'd already checked yet not a single place we could hide in time.
Scheisse.
"Against the wall!" Jeremy suddenly yelled.
"Huh—?"
"JUST DO IT!"
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD—
I didn't need him to repeat himself.
We pressed ourselves against the wall, squeezing into whatever little space we could find. Eve pulled Amanda close, while Randy stood beside me, his shoulders almost touching mine.
And then—
They came.
One
Two
Five
Ten
I couldn't count them anymore.
Pale bodies rushed through the fog, their limbs moving in ways that made my stomach turn. Some stumbled against the walls. Others practically crawled over one another, their horrible screeches filling the corridor.
HSSSSSS—KSHHHHH
The regulator felt louder then usual, yet there was nothing I could do about it, I couldn't help but think to myself
Breathe
Don't move
Don't even THINK about moving.
TWITCH
I froze as One of them ran so so close that I could see the uneven teeth inside its grotesque, flower-like mouth. Just one step.
That's all it would take. One stupid movement, one tiny mistake, and—
Yet they only passed through
…
Was it because we were still sealed?
I couldn't be sure of that.
Maybe they simply hadn't noticed us yet. Maybe they were too busy chasing something else. Maybe—
THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD—
The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
…
…
…
Nobody spoke nor moved
We just stood there, listening
Waiting
Until finally—
Silence
"…"
"…"
"…"
I couldn't help but let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
Holy shit.
We were alive.
Again.
"Don't get comfortable," Jeremy whispered to which Eve and Amanda only nodded with Randy's signature Tsk. I couldn't help but counter his words.
"Wasn't planning to"
And with that, we continued forward.
Slowly
Carefully
Step Step Step
For a brief moment, I thought at that moment. We might actually make it out of this place—Yet… even that hope was soon lost as—
Whoosh
…
"Jeremy?"
"…"
"Jeremy, what's wrong?"
Our team leader stood at the next intersection his head unmoving as he stared towards the corridor ahead as his hand slowly lowered, he then spoke a single word.
"…Scheisse."
I couldn't help but looked past him, and immediately I understood why.
Hundreds
…
Hundreds of Remnants filled the corridor, their pale bodies stretching deep into the fog, I could see faint traces of our equipment in all of them.
…
So much for getting out alive.