Past(5)
The dim hallway was suffocating, its flickering lights casting jagged shadows across the cracked walls. Caleb dragged his wounded leg behind him, each step sending jolts of pain through his body. The bandage he'd hastily tied around his calf was soaked in blood, leaving a trail as he stumbled into a small room.
He slumped against the door, trying to catch his breath. His hands shook violently as he reached for the bottle of antiseptic he had found earlier. The memory of Lyn's betrayal gnawed at his mind, her sinister smile burned into his thoughts.
"Damn you, Lyn," he muttered, his voice barely a whisper. "Why?"
Caleb poured the antiseptic over his wound, biting down on his sleeve to muffle his cries as the liquid seared his flesh. He could feel the edges of consciousness slipping away when a shadow flickered at the edge of his vision.
He froze.
"Who's there?" he whispered, his voice cracking.
The shadow moved closer, and Caleb's heart pounded in his chest. The faint outline of a figure stepped into the dim light.
"Roman!" Caleb gasped, his voice trembling.
Roman's face was pale, streaked with dirt and sweat, but he was alive. His injuries were minor compared to Caleb's, and his wide eyes darted around the room.
"What happened to you?" Roman asked, his voice cautious, as he approached Caleb.
Caleb exhaled shakily, forcing a weak smile. "Lyn...," he said bitterly.
Roman crouched beside him, examining the wound on Caleb's leg. "Talk to me. What did she do?"
Caleb's voice trembled as he recounted the events. "She… she tricked me. Led me into this hall filled with… with bodies. Hundreds of them, lifeless, just lying there. She told me I had to give up something—either my memories or my soul—if I wanted to survive."
Roman's jaw tightened. "And what did you choose?"
"I didn't get the chance," Caleb continued, his voice cracking. "I tried to reason with her, but she just… changed. Her face twisted into something monstrous. She chased me, broke my leg, and… bit me." He gestured to the bloodied bandage around his calf. "Then, out of nowhere, an alarm went off. It distracted her, and that's when the other patients—those things—came out of nowhere."
Roman's face darkened, his hands clenching into fists. "I told you this place was a death trap. But no one listened."
Caleb's expression softened, guilt flashing across his face. "I didn't think it would be like this. I didn't think…"
Roman grabbed a roll of gauze and a bottle of antiseptic from a nearby shelf. "We need to keep moving," he said firmly. "I'll patch you up as best I can, but we can't stay here."
He worked quickly, pouring antiseptic over the wound as Caleb winced and groaned in pain.
"You need to be strong," Roman said, his tone sharp but laced with urgency. "Maddy and Amira need you. Don't let this place break you."
With Roman's help, Caleb rose to his feet, his injured leg barely supporting his weight. Roman handed him a golf stick he'd found among the clutter.
"You'll need this," Roman said, gripping his own makeshift weapon tightly.
Caleb nodded weakly, his eyes flickering with determination.
They opened the door cautiously, peering into the hallway. The flickering red glow of the alarm lights bathed everything in a hellish hue.
"It's too quiet," Roman muttered, his voice barely audible.
The distant sound of distorted moans reached their ears, growing louder with each passing second. Caleb tensed, his grip tightening on the golf stick.
"We need to move," Roman said.
They crept forward, the corridor stretching endlessly before them. The oppressive silence was broken only by the faint hum of the fluorescent lights.
As they turned a corner, a figure collided with them. Caleb yelped in pain, stumbling backward, but Roman caught him just in time.
"Jack?" Roman said, his voice a mixture of relief and confusion.
Jack was disheveled, his left arm wrapped in a bloodied bandage. His eyes were wide with panic, darting frantically between Caleb and Roman.
"You need to run," Jack gasped, his voice hoarse.
"What?" Roman asked, stepping closer.
Jack shoved Roman aside, his voice rising in desperation. "Run! They're coming!"
The distant moans grew louder, transforming into guttural snarls.
Roman's stomach dropped as the first patient emerged from the shadows.
The hallway filled with shuffling figures, their movements erratic and unnatural.
Their ashen faces were gaunt and twisted, their hollow eyes glowing faintly in the red light. Some dragged their broken limbs along the floor, while others sprinted on all fours, their nails scraping against the tiles.
The growls grew louder, blending into a nightmarish cacophony that reverberated through the corridor.
"Go!" Jack shouted, his voice cracking.
The three of them broke into a desperate run, Caleb's injured leg slowing them down. Roman practically dragged him forward, his own breath coming in ragged gasps.
"They're gaining!" Jack yelled, glancing over his shoulder.
Roman's heart pounded as he saw the horde closing in, their mouths gaping, filled with broken teeth and bloodied tongues.
The trio rounded a corner and reached a steel door at the end of the hall. Roman grabbed the handle and yanked, but it didn't budge.
"Damn it!" he growled, slamming his fist against the door.
"Try the code!" Jack shouted, his voice trembling.
Roman fumbled with the keypad, punching in random numbers. The red light on the pad flickered, signaling rejection with each attempt.
"They're here!" Caleb cried, tears streaming down his face.
The patients' snarls grew deafening as they reached the trio, clawing at the air.
"Try again!" Jack barked, panic evident in his voice.
Roman's fingers shook as he punched in another code. Finally, with a soft beep, the door clicked open.
"Get in!" Roman yelled, shoving Caleb through the doorway.
Jack screamed as one of the patients grabbed his leg, its jagged nails digging deep into his flesh.
"Jack!" Roman shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders.
Jack's scream turned into a guttural cry as the patient tore a chunk of flesh from his leg. Roman yanked him inside, slamming the door shut just as the horde reached it.
The steel door shook violently as the patients pounded against it, their snarls echoing through the small room.
Roman collapsed against the wall, his chest heaving. Caleb whimpered in the corner, clutching his injured leg. Jack leaned against the door, blood pooling around his foot.
Outside, the pounding continued, relentless and unyielding.
Roman stared at the bloodied bandage on Jack's leg, his mind racing.
"We're not safe here," he muttered. "Not for long."
Jack winced, his voice barely above a whisper. "Then what the hell do we do?"
And somewhere, deep in the shadows of Sujay, something far worse stirred.