Alone

by Sean-Paul Thomas

  'Who, who are you?' The woman said nervously.

  I paused, more in a stuttering shock at the sound of another's voice in this strange, isolated world. I struggled to think of a reasonable answer to her question. Nothing came to my blank, numb mind.

  'I, I don't know.' I said meekly. 'I was hoping you might be able to tell me. Do you know who I am?'

  'Where am I? Where is this place?' she continued anxiously ignoring my question.

  'I don't know.'

  I could see tears forming in her eyes. I could sense she was ready to break down into a fit of sobs at any second. She shook her head in despair. Finally she glanced nervously around at the sleeping pods again until her eyes settled down upon her own pod.

  'I have one too.' I said, blurting the first thing that came to me. Like I were trying to somehow make her trust me by relating this fact. I moved closer and pointed down towards my own fully opened sleeping device lying two pods down from hers. She glanced at it raising her hands to her head, deeply distressed.

  'My head, it hurts so much.'

  'Mine too. But it goes away... eventually. Once you start moving around.'

  I let out a half hearted smile which made the muscles around my mouth ache a little. When was the last time I'd ever smiled?

  To my relief the woman let out her own faint smile. It felt good to see it. Without thinking, I reached my hand out towards the woman and beckoned her to take it.

  'Come with me. I want to show you something.'

  The woman's smile faded, replaced with a look of confused and nervous curiosity. Without words she trustingly took my hand. It felt good to feel her skin against mine. Her hand was soft and warm to touch. It was another nice yet alien feeling that flowed throughout my entire body. I clasped her hand tighter, leading her out of the dim pod room and out into the bright main corridor. Like me, the woman took a few moments to shield her eyes from the bright lights on the ceiling.

  'What is this place? Where are we?'

  'I told you I don't know. I really don't.'

  I led her down the first corridor directly towards the large black window at the far end. This window which gave me such intense feelings of dread and despair, deep inside the pit of my stomach every time I thought about it.

  'Where are we going?'

  I ignored her. She continued to glance around at the lit up corridor in awe. When we reached the large black window I brought us to an abrupt halt just a yard or two away from the glass. The woman focussed all of her attention onto the window as her eyes widened and she stared hard, right at it, utterly fascinated.

  'What is it?'

  'Look.'

  I motioned with my hand urging her to move right up to the window to get a better view. She let go of my hand and approached just as I had done. She gazed at her own reflection in great wonderment, letting out a burst of childlike laughter as she pointed at both of our reflections in the pitch black pane. After a while she turned to me for approval I think and to check if I could also see this fascinating apparition of our reflections. Then she turned back, moving closer. She touched her face and hair as if checking to see if the reflected image would mimic her own movements. She looked both amazed and baffled when the image did. She moved even closer pressing her face right up against the window. She tried gazing past her own reflection, out into the deep never ending regions of darkness.

  Suddenly the woman backed away from the window frightened, just like I had done after realising there was something else out there. Something big, vast and very daunting. A massive canvas of twinkling darkness beyond the glass.

  'What is that? What is that out there?' She said anxiously. I could only shrug back still baffled myself.

  'I have no idea.'

  The woman's facial expressions changed in a beat and she sobbed. Immediately she placed her hands to cover her face and eyes. I felt uncomfortable. I couldn't think of anything to say or do in that moment. Then my instincts took over. I moved closer towards her. I raised my arms a little unsure about what to do next, but without thinking I raised my hands and arms uncomfortably higher to wrap them around this mysterious woman's upper back. I pulled her tightly against my body while she buried her head deep into my chest, sobbing harder. All I could do was hold her. Comfort her with an overwhelming, growing urge inside to protect her. It felt good.

  Chapter 4

  It took the woman some time to compose herself. When she finally did I led her by the hand back down the corridor from the direction we came, past the pod room and into the small immaculate kitchen which I'd briefly explored. The woman had fallen silent like some frightened and fragile little child, so in turn I became quiet too. It appeared that the black window revelation had really taken its toll on her.

  We entered the kitchen. I let go of her hand so I could study the large metallic cupboards more closely. The woman's attention drifted towards the other open room where the row of two tables and chairs were situated. I explored the kitchen counter and cupboards, frustratingly pushing, pulling and pressing all of them, one by one, inch by inch, in a desperate hope that one of them would spring open but done did. The woman focussed her attention upon a fountain shaped pedestal and bowl with a small metallic tap on top. It stood beside the kitchen counter on the dining room side. She pressed, pulled and pushed at the metallic little tap lever, but nothing happened. Nothing at all.

  I glanced at her with a look of defeat and turned towards the first set of tables and chairs in the next room. I motioned for her to sit and she followed me to the table. I watched her closely as she sat opposite looking uncomfortable. I waited for her to settle before speaking.

  'What is the last thing you remember?'

  The woman stared at me with weary, tearful eyes.

  'I don't remember anything else but you. Just you! Here and now.'

  I ran my hands through my hair sighing. I felt annoyed that neither of us could remember anything prior to waking from those damn pods.

  'I don't understand any of this.' The woman muttered. 'And my head... It hurts so much. You said it would stop, but it won't stop.'

  The woman sobbed. She lowered her head down and away from me looking ashamed. I continued to stare at her with curious eyes. After a long few moments I found myself falling deep into thought. I felt a sense of familiarity about this place. About this woman in front of me. Something sporadic happened inside my mind. A small piece of memory triggered inside. I found myself grasping at the remembrance of something. It came to me in a flash blurry haze, yet it was something.

  In my mind I could see an attractive looking blonde woman. She looked older than the woman sitting in front of me by about ten years. Perhaps in her later thirties. She was very attractive. I felt my loins stir immensely just at the mere thought of her. In the memory her face was close up in front of me. Her deliciously warm smile filled my mind. After a beat she spoke in a loving whisper.

  'Ian... Ian!'

  In a flash of pure instant terror her face transformed, screaming wildly. Her infectious warm smile all but disappeared. Her screams were horrific. I shook my head violently trying to rid these terrifying images away. Gradually they disappeared. I continued to shake my head, distressed. I tried to shake away the last lingering trail of the startling images. What an horrendous memory. I placed my hands against my face covering my eyes, then felt a cold hand grip my wrist. I stopped shaking, opening my eyes to glance in front of me. The brunette woman had ceased sobbing. She held my wrist while staring with great concern.

  'Are you okay? What's wrong with you?'

  I looked at her deeply, staring into her pale blue eyes that looked so dull and soulless.

  'I think...' I said struggling to find the words. 'I think my name... might be Ian.'

  The woman let go of my wrist to wipe away the remains of her streaming trail of tears which had stained her cheeks.

  'Ian?'

  'Yeah.'

  'But how do you know this?'

  'Just some thoughts.' I q
uickly replied. 'Some new memories inside my head that don't make any sense to me at all.'

  The woman continued to stare curiously, still wiping her tears. She looked even more baffled.

  Chapter 5

  When we eventually left the kitchen dining area I led the woman towards the computer room with the massive viewing window and broken skeleton inside. She was rightly cautious at first about entering this new dark and eerie place. From the comfort of the lighted corridor outside she glanced around at the lingering darkness as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. After a few moments I edged inside walking past the first row of broken computers. I tugged the woman to follow as I continued to lead her by the hand. Nervously she followed.

  Out of nowhere a loose wire from one of the damaged computers sparked beside us drawing the woman's attention wildly to it. Like a fascinated little child she let go of my hand and reached down to examine the source of the spark. She edged closer to the loose wire reaching out her fingers to touch it. I watched her curiously as she did this. I didn't feel any urge in the slightest to stop or discourage her. She touched the wire with her finger tips then jumped back with fright as the electric shock buzzed through her entire body. I continued to watch as she giggled in a nervous glee, regaining her composure. She stuck her shocked finger into her mouth nursing the tingling sensation with warm saliva. I turned my attention back to the huge viewing window at the other end of the room and continued towards it. I paused near the row of three chairs where the crumpled old skeleton remains still lay in a heap upon the floor. The woman followed my gaze down towards the rubble of broken bones. She looked a little distressed but equally fascinated when her eyes met the pile of bones too, in particular, the still intact skull. Finally I spoke, feeling an explanation was needed.

  'It was just sitting in the chair when I came in here the first time. I knocked it over by accident.'

  I turned my attention away from the skeleton remains to glance over at the huge glass screen and beyond at the vast glittering blackness. The woman peeled her focus away from the skeleton remains too, turning towards the large glass window with me. As if hypnotised by the beautiful twinkling lights, she left my side, making her way right up towards the huge window. She moved close to the clear glass screen, like she were approaching something fantastical and awesome. She placed her hands onto the glass as if somehow trying to reach out and grab a handful of the millions and millions of pinholes of lights outside. It was a breathtaking spectacle out there even though it still filled me with feelings of great despair.

  'What is that out there?' She said in a whisper.

  'I don't know. But it's like... It's like... just nothing! Nothing at all. A whole massive, never ending room of darkness filled with all those tiny glittering lights.'

  'What do you think they are?' She said in wonderment. I remained silent. I had no more answers for her. She didn't seem to mind.

  'It looks so beautiful and peaceful out there.' She continued in a dream like state. Suddenly, she stepped back looking painfully distressed, moving her hands dramatically downwards to clutch her stomach.

  'Are you okay?'

  The woman winced, holding her belly in pain like she would vomit at any second. I froze, caught in two minds about whether to go to her or not.

  'It hurts. First my head and now this.'

  After a beat the woman finally eased on her grasping hold of her stomach. She looked a little better as the brief wave of pain passed her by.

  'How is your head?'

  'A little better.' She half smiled.

  Out of nowhere my attention was distracted by the faint reflection of the brightly lit corridor doorway behind us. The doorway was faintly reflected upon a small part of the huge viewing window. In the reflection I could make out the faint, ghost like figure of a woman dressed in a white gown. Just like the gown the brunette woman in front of me was wearing. This woman though had dark blonde shoulder length hair, similar features to the woman who'd smiled and whispered my name before screaming horrifically in my recently new memories. I couldn't make out her face as she stood watching me, lurking beside the corridor doorway in the reflection. It was too dim to make her out. In a flash I turned to face the doorway. No one was there. Nothing at all. What the hell was going on with my mind? Was I really seeing these things or were they just some freakish trick from my weak imagination? The brunette woman, also distracted by my panicky movements, turned to face the doorway too.

  'What's wrong?'

  'Did you see that?'

  'See what?'

  'There was... There was someone over there by the doorway, I'm sure of it.'

  'Someone else.' The woman said looking scared. But I didn't feel the need to comfort her this time. Instead I was flooded by an irresistible urge to investigate further.

  'Stay here.' I said bluntly, rushing over towards the exit. I slowed when I cautiously stepped into the main corridor. To my left there was nothing. On the right I could hear a faint scratching coming from the kitchen corridor. I cautiously approached the left turn. My breathing deepened while my gut clenched up real tight. I nervously poked my head around the corner. I wasn't quite sure what the hell I was going to find there or who or even if someone would confront me.

  When I finally turned my head into the corridor it was completely empty and quiet. Not a sound could be heard from any direction. I took a deep breath composing myself. I slowly stepped out into the corridor. As I walked further I heard the faint sound of scratching again but this time from way up and along the next corridor. I followed the sound, making my way towards the end of this stretch. I passed the two open doorways for the kitchen and dining area. I reached the next corridor directly opposite the dark pod room. I approached the sharp turn and cautiously moved towards the edge. My heart pumped furiously. It pounded around my chest like it were trying to find a way out from my body through my throat. A feeling of great intensity surged all over my entire body. I glanced around the next corner. My breathing quickened. My face turned a sheet of white. I found myself peering over at a ghostly figure at the very end of the corridor, right where the stretching black window was situated. It seemed to be the figure of the blonde woman. She had her back to me yet I could clearly see her dirty blonde hair. She was dressed in a white gown, just like I'd seen in the reflection. What I didn't see in the reflection though was that her white gown was covered in blotches of thick red blood stains. She crouched with her front side facing the far corner of the window. When I looked more closely she was scratching hideously at the tiled floor in the corner of the corridor. It was a horrible, ghastly sound. I took another deep breath, finally stepping into the open corridor.

  'Hello.'

  The blonde woman did not answer or even flinch. She continued to scratch away. I decided to walk towards her. Then something strange happened. The blonde woman stopped scratching all together, sobbing instead. I was only a few feet away from her.

  'Are you... okay?'

  Again she did not answer, continuing to sob. I stepped closer. Close enough to reach out my hand and touch her. My fingertips were close, so very close, within millimetres of touching the shoulders of the crouching woman. In an instant she ceased from sobbing, falling completely silent. I froze. I didn't move my fingertips any further towards her nor pull them away. My heart skipped a beat as an eerie silence filled the air. I studied the lower part of her crouching body and noticed a trickle of blood dribbling down from the inside of her gown and inner thigh. It trickled down to her knee then onto the tiled floor. A voice called from behind, scaring the life out of me. It was the young brunette woman who I'd told to stay in the broken computer room. She stood at the opposite end of the corridor, right outside the pod room.

  'Ian.' She called. 'Ian!'

  Distracted, I turned. Her face was full of both fear and concern. She stared at me hard looking confused, drilling those dull blue eyes right into me. I said nothing turning back towards the crouching blonde woman just as quick. She'd gone. I was
startled. Where the hell did she go? I turned in every direction, yet everywhere I glanced there was no sign of her. The whole corridor was empty apart from myself and the brunette who was still staring, still confused. I looked down at the floor where the woman was crouching only seconds before, scratching wildly. I spotted the droplets of blood which had spilt from her thigh. The blood looked real. Did that mean she had to be real too? Curiously I bent down touching the droplets with my fingertips. I noticed too that the large corner tile where the blood had spilt was very loose. It was almost acting like a cover for something underneath. I continued to stare at the blood on my fingers then back at the large loose corner tile contemplating what to do. I jumped out of my skin when a small pale hand placed itself down upon my shoulder. Startled, I turned to face the source... of course it was the pretty brunette woman appearing even more scared beside me.

  'I'm scared Ian. I don't want to be left alone here anymore, please.'

  I took a deep breath standing back onto my feet and turned to face her. I took a hold of her hand rubbing it gently, trying my best to comfort her.

  'It's okay. I won't leave you alone anymore, okay.'

  The woman glanced curiously at the blood on my fingertips then down at the corridor tile.

  'What happened to you?'

  'Did you see any of that?'

  'See any of what?'

  'The other woman who was here. Crouching down right there. It's her blood.'