Darkness…
That was the first thought that came into his mind when he woke up. In fact, that was the only thing he could think of.
His mind was a blank picture, as though something had painted over his memories.
Where was he? Who was he? What was happening? His body felt weak, there was an emptiness in his stomach, causing him to clutch it in pain.
He was lying on something firm. A mattress? Was he indoors? It was too dark to tell how large the room was. 'Why can't I remember my name? What's happening?'
Questions flooded his head, the longer he pondered over everything, the more confused he became, and the answers never arrived.
"Hello?" His voice was hoarse, and his mouth was dry. The sound echoed around him before it dissipated into silence once again, somehow deafening.
He began to sit up, making his head spin, his entire body ached like it was being crushed by the earth's gravity.
As he lowered his feet off the bed, the cold floor pierced his feet, making him shiver. He looked around, praying his eyes would adjust to the darkness, but it was pitch black everywhere he looked.
He dragged his body up to stand, his legs shook as if he had never walked before. He took a couple paces before dropping to the floor with a thud.
Mustering all the strength he had, he picked himself back up and began to walk slowly, his arms outstretched, across the room til he found a wall.
It felt metallic, it was freezing cold. He followed it round, running his palm along it. It came to a corner, then another, then a bumpy part that felt like a doorframe.
He explored the door with his hand, it was also metallic, eventually, he grasped the handle.
He pulled it down and yanked the door open with great force. It was extremely heavy, like moving a boulder.
A dim light enveloped his vision, shining through a painted-over window. He stepped out into a long corridor, with a single door at the end.
He looked around and found a placard next to his door. It read…
—————
Subject 8947
Lazarus
Experimentation date:
19/04/2166
—————
Lazarus. a memory flashed through his brain, and disappeared. "My name"
Once again he felt more confused, the placard brought more questions than answers. Subject 8947? Experimentation date?
His head began to throb, and he diverted his attention to the corridor.
Slowly, he lugged his body towards the door. One step at a time, every small moment caused his body to go through excruciating agony.
As he reached the door, he grabbed the handle, took a deep breath, and pulled.
It was heavier than the previous one, but it slowly budged.
Sunlight covered Lazarus' eyes, near enough blinding him, forcing him to look away and allow his eyes to adjust.
He stepped outside, it was warm and there was a soft breeze, almost peaceful.
But when Lazarus looked around at the landscape, the sight made him sick to his stomach.
It was a city, or at least what was left of one. There were skyscrapers and stone buildings, their exteriors decaying to rubble, a thick layer of vegetation covered everything in a twisting canvas of greenery.
The streets were cracked and full of craters, every window on the buildings were smashed. Cars littered the roads on their sides destroyed.
There was no human life in sight, it was silent, the only exception being the feint gust of wind and the light chirps of birds.
'What the hell happened here?'
Another question with no answer.