Alone

by Prunty, Mercedes

  Then she thought about the water, maybe it could help her in some way? Surely the controls in the room with the control panel would allow her to shift the water table bringing in more or draining it out, that could mean she could swim down to the key making it not such a sharp drop for her to fall down and if she was lucky the water might even reach up to the platform with the exit door so she could just climb out unlock the door and go. She had to try it she had nowhere else to go and no other options to try. Climbing the rungs in a matter of seconds she reached the top pounding her way back to the control room and rushing to the controls in such haste she nearly didn’t notice the creature that was watching her then pouncing out of the darkness, at the last minute she turned reaching for her blade. The creature wreaked of sewage, rotting flesh and death the thing grasped at her neck trying to bring itself in for the killing bite, Monique looked deep into its rage filled eyes but there was no one home, the owner was vacant, teeth protruded from its torn bloody lips ready to bite but she stabbed the creature in the chest pushing it home and bringing it up slicing the body of the once man almost in half before it fell to the floor writhing in shock before it shuddered once more then lying lifeless.

  With her mouth running dry from the thought that she was so close, she tried to calm herself down she really couldn’t afford to make mistakes now, she needed a steady mind and steady body if she was going to make it out of this place alive.

  She wiped her blade on the creatures torn clothes trying to rid it of its gungy blood, in doing so she nudged the pocket with the blade dislodging a swipe card which fell to the floor in a muted clatter, she took it in her hands and held onto it not knowing whether or not it might come in handy. Jumping up to the controls she looked for an on switch before remembering there was no electricity, thumping her fist loudly on the controls and letting out a disgruntled cry of failure she hit a wire which fell out from a port it had been connected in. She watched it fall to the floor then traced the rest of the path the wire took with her eyes suddenly feeling something along the lines of relief as it was attached to a generator, plugging the wire back in so as not to forget where it came from she then ran to the machine that could power this section of the water works up once again. Tapping buttons her relief was short lived when it wouldn’t start, no gas! Wait she had gas or at least she hoped it was still filled with gas, shame as she was hoping to blow the monster up with it if it came at her but maybe this was a better use for it, dashing to the door where she dropped it her hands shaking with adrenaline as she just wanted this to be over, taking it to the generator she attached it to where it needed to go then pulled a starter lever… THRUM the machine powered to life lighting up the room she stood in and all the buttons on the control panel, she could also hear what sounded like an air-conditioning unit humming away. Running to the buttons she hit the blue one opening what she hoped to be something to let more water in. Leaning to the white washed slogged up window she smiled, her wish came true as water started pouring in flooding the room below her, wiping the cloudy window a little more to give her better visibility she watched as vents which had been closed, grey and pretty much blending in with the walls turned opening full letting the water flow freely. When it reached the level she wanted just about high enough that she could just climb up from the water to the door she hit the green button closing the vents and stopping the flood coming in.

  Not waiting another second she ran to the platform and clambering down the ladder like a clumsy excited child before jumping into the freezing cold water, instantly it chilled her to the bone but she ignored the feeling of pure icicles ripping into her body. Kicking her arms and legs she swam deeper and deeper into the abyss trying to remember where the body was located as the light down here was starting to fade into a blur in the murky gloom. Using her hands as she reached the bottom she felt around trying to find the body. Her hands slowly trembled over something pointy, feeling the ladder with the sharp rungs and the bones of the once human she looked for the key. Monique’s lungs started to burn with the need to breathe, she hadn’t anticipated how deep the water actually would be when the room had been filled but it hadn’t mattered as she knew she needed the key and with no one to help her it was either this or die and she would rather die trying than die wishing she had. Reaching around she let a few air bubbles escape, as they made their way to the surface her fingers hit the metal object, not wanting to waste another moment she pushed herself up using her feet on the ground as propulsion. Kicking as fast as she could, she could see the shimmering of the light dancing on the surface of the water, calling to her lungs as she swam so hard, a few more air bubbles escaped and she knew she only had seconds before her body would open her mouth without her say so. Her fingers cleared the surface a second before her head, coughing and spluttering she gasped in the air, swimming up to the platform she rested for a moment taking deep breaths then when her heart, lungs and the ringing in the ears had died down she used the last of her adrenaline strength to pull herself up, dripping wet she lunged at the door her fingers shivering from the chill of the cold water. She fumbled with the key prying it into the lock turning it so it clicked and the padlock fell away, with numb fingers she pulled the chain away feeling the hope of freedom racing through her veins.

  CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

  Her hand on the door handle she turned to see something blasting its ways through the solid concrete wall that housed the vents, another crash then another creating large cracks that soon began spreading up the walls and zooming round the room making the whole place shake. The cracks didn’t stop, more and more kept appearing with every hit. Monique knew it was the monster just as the last smash it made caused the wall to buckle under its weight, it roared as it stomped in then falling into the water. The creature still focused on Monique obviously couldn’t swim as it thrashed around the water trying to get to her but sinking down further into the room. Pulling the door handle open she turned to run as more water which had built up behind the wall but now with no vents to keep it out it wallowed in like a tsunami crashing down around her knocking her off her feet. As she fell her body twisted, knocking her head on the floor she wearily looked up as the water rose above her ready to drown her but the pressure of the water falling had given the monster pressure to rise up with, its eyes glared under the water burning into hers, swishing around it struck out its clawed arm ready to pierce her drowning body. As her eyes widened in pure petrified disbelief at how close she had gotten to be free of this place she felt the deep, intensified rumbles of the building around her giving way, just as the claw got closer to her all the damage the creature had caused to the structure reached breaking point and the building gave way. Monique’s hope dashed eyes flashed her life in front of her just as the ceiling collapsed hitting the creature with such force it tore its arm straight off and crushing its body underneath the whole of the top side of the waterworks. Monique couldn’t take anymore and as she knew the water was going to be her grave she let it take her. The current from the force of the falling ceiling pushed into her unconscious body forcing her down the tunnel, the water flowed finding the outlet tunnel which swished almost silently, carrying her body on until it reached the moonlight as the water spat her out of the tunnel leaving her limp lifeless body on the stones of a beach not too far from the city. She didn’t hear it but the commotion with the creature also brought down the building which was housed on the ground above the water works, the building fell down like a tonne of bricks smashing everything in its path and sending up a wave of dust covering the night sky in a grey ghostly mist.

  ~

  Dashing through the maternity ward I made it to the stairs in double time, jumping down them as fast as my legs could manage I made it to the Invention centre, lifting my rifle and taking aim at nothing and everything, I walked to the wall leaning on it then stuck my head round to look into the quiet ward, I hoped I wasn’t too late that he hadn’t already killed them and that he was just waiting to kill me too. Pointing t
he nose of the gun into the general direction I thought he might be I scanned the area to see no movement, leaning back against the wall I took a deep breath, as I did I looked over at the stairs and lift area. One of the lifts looked half open as if he had been using it, a small table had been placed in between the doors ready for him to run right in, maybe me and the others could use it to escape from this hell hole, the idea occurred that I might scrap my plan of ruining him by decimating the generators as I needed to save my own skin and the kids.

  Nodding to myself I spun round ducking down keeping my body low to the floor and moving slowly and quietly through the mostly clear corridor, I reached the first door which I pointed the gun into, scanning the room I saw nothing but a hospital bed, heart monitor, a chair which had blood stains over it and a bottle of some demented fluid with things pulsating and moving around inside. Moving on to the next room I repeated my process of elimination gun, look and move on. The invention centre as he called it was too quiet for my liking, everything was so still and unnaturally calm as if holding its breath waiting for something to happen. Considering he had been chasing Sian and Ollie I had hoped, wrong word maybe but it was what I meant, I hoped to hear them screaming so I could at least locate them and take out the doctor. What made this situation worse was not hearing a single sound, making the butterflies in my stomach stronger, made the beating of my heart louder and making the whole place wobble with fear around me. My heart wished that maybe they had somehow managed to escape him and where now hiding in the vents again but I had a sinking feeling that something was wrong and that wrong thing was waiting and hiding in the shadows for me.

  Reaching a ‘crossroad’ section in the corridors I pondered on which direction to take trying to remember the layout from the map as I didn’t really want to lose focus by getting it out to look, that would be foolish to let my guard down enough to do that. Deciding on the right hand corridor I slowly snuck down, peering into darkened windows and rooms, swinging my gun from side to side hoping that I would spot him first, training my ears for any noise I waited before moving past doors to the next. Suddenly on the floor I noticed the wire that probably led to the generator as it looked similar to the one Ollie took out, my heart skipping with delight I followed it, if I could take out the power before he found me that might give myself the upper hand to take him down, or it could go the other way if he knew these floors like the back of his hand?

  Coming to the end of the corridor I could hear the thrum of the generator. My eyes were following the lead but they stopped dead when I saw that it led into a door labelled storage but that wasn’t the problem it was the room next to it that made me shiver because sprayed on it with blood red spray paint was the name, ‘Hercules’. My brain prayed that the only one that had been created by this freak was the one who had come down to visit us as the shopping centre, the one that had taken out Monique. My heart fell a little at the thought of Monique and Darren who had been willing to risk their lives to get me to the ‘Big Guns’ camp even though they didn’t agree with my reasoning they knew it was too dangerous and that someone was going to get killed…but they didn’t know it would be both of them.

  Pushing the thought away to the back of my mind I went for the door handle that led to the storage room, just as my fingertips brushed the cool metal a voice stopped me, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you!”

  I turned on the spot to look at the crazed Doctor he had Sian pulled close to him with a gun pointed to her head, “Let her go”, I said to him trying to sound strong and pointing my rifle at him.

  “You think you are in a position to tell me what to do?” he snarled his top lip curling up.

  Looking around them both I couldn’t see Ollie, “Where is he? The boy?” I asked him keeping my gun trained on his head.

  He laughed a laugh so chilling I had to push away a shiver that threatened to explode down my spine, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Yes I would that’s why I asked”, I snapped at him.

  “Oh a clever one are you? Sarcasm will get you nowhere with me young lady”, he sniped.

  “No but Toni might”, I sniped back at him.

  His eyes wavered for a second as I mentioned her name letting me read so much emotion from them about that one name, then they glazed back over not letting anything else come out, “What about her?” he said with such blandness I almost thought I had said the wrong thing but then I saw it my window of opportunity he took his focus off Sian for a second, if I could keep attacking his emotions about her somehow he might give me enough to shoot to get her away from him.

  “Tell me where the boy is and I will tell you why she sent me”, I lied.

  “Don’t…” Sian started but he pulled the gun tighter.

  “He’s in Hercules room waiting to be given new life”, he answered coolly.

  “Ok we’re getting somewhere”, I replied, “Now about Toni….”

  “Don’t tell him anything about Toni”, Sian cried out.

  I looked at her confused I didn’t think she nor Ollie knew anything about Toni, they had happened upon this place by accident, hadn’t they? Or was she too trying to play the doctor like I was?

  “Tell me…” he said.

  “She sent me to find your cure for this virus”, I replied lying but Sian’s eyes looked annoyed.

  “You shouldn’t tell him anything”, she snapped but then she winked at me. She was playing her part, making out she was the better trained one that I would spill all to save my life and others but that she would not, maybe that would make him swap her for me so she could save her little brother, just maybe?

  “Shut up Sian, I need to do this I’m fed up with being told what to do”, I turned my attention to him, “I have your cure, I’m taking it to her I’m leaving for London once I’m out of here”.

  “Take me to her”, he ordered.

  “Why? What is your issue with her?” I asked trying just to be nosey.

  “Has she told you nothing?” he asked me a sincere and disappointed look in his ugly eyes.

  I shook my head, “She said it wasn’t important, only getting the cure was. I just want to know what history you two have and why she is so shady when it comes to you”.

  “She, She ….” He trailed off deep in thought. Sian edged from him slightly, I took aim my fingers twitching over the trigger, then Sian kicked him pushing him away, he fell, I moved and BANG!

  My gun blasted through the quiet corridor it sounded so loud in this space, the bullet penetrated his arm making him shout out in pain, taking aim with his gun he swung it round to aim at Sian but I took aim at him shooting and hitting a floor tile by his foot, making his shoot ring out but going wide and hitting a door frame splintering it to pieces.

  “Shit”, I shot too quickly and missed him, “Run Sian run!”

  “Ollie”, she cried out.

  “I’ll get him”, I replied reloading my gun behind an old trolley just as I heard him click a new clip into his.

  Jumping up fast I shot to where he had been laying before but he had moved making my bullet just dent the floor again, he had moved to a corner of a wall taking aim and shooting a few rounds all at once, I dropped to the floor shooting my rifle in his general direction chipping the plaster of the wall as his bullets where doing too just above my head, bits of wall fell over me obscuring my vision but I carried on, moving into a room which once housed a nurses station, a desk, gloves and old drugs they all flew apart and off the shelves as he carried on shooting at me. He clicked dry so I took my chance running out of the room to him, swinging the butt of my rifle I hit him square in the jaw knocking out a tooth and scattering blood over the floor, his pistol flew out of his hand skittering over the tiled surface.

  “You bitch”, he snarled, “Toni trained you well but not well enough”.

  “Toni will be expecting me, sorry gotta go”, I smiled dodging his hand as he reached out for me, forward rolling I swooped up the pistol but taking aim with my rifle, I knew h
e had clicked empty but it might come in handy later.

  “You won’t escape from here, whatever your plan is I will not let you leave”, he smiled blood rippling down his chin as he spoke.

  “I don’t think you’re in a position to tell me what to do”, I smiled back making it reach my eyes, I could play crazy too, aiming my rifle again I threatened to take the final shot to take his life.

  “How will you rescue Ollie once I am dead?” he asked me so smugly I just wanted to wipe his stupid smile off his face.

  “What do you mean?” I asked now it was his turn to make me play for him.

  “The little boy is in Hercules lair but I have encased him in an incubator you can’t get him out unless I free him or you will risk killing him”, he snarled.

  “Oh right one of those, yeah Toni told me all about those”, I lied.

  “She did?” he asked confused.

  “Oh yeah they have them up London”, I lied again.

  “Right so you don’t need me to get him out then?” he said slyly.

  “Well might save me time if you do it, get up”, I ordered making my voice sound stronger than what it was.

  He done as he was told getting up slowly wincing in pain from his injured arm, walking to the door that said Hercules name he pulled out a card key swiping it and opening the door, “Ladies first”. He used his arm to usher me in.

  “Oh no age before beauty”.