6 Days A Sacrifice: The (Un)Official Novelization (Chzo Mythos #4)

Day Three

                                                                                July 26th, AD 2189

        "Ugh, my head..." I felt cramped and my muscles ached, and I found myself awake on the floor of the infirmary. The floodlights above blinded my weak eyes as I struggled for balance. "I-I don't remember falling asleep..." I leaned against the wall, trying to replay the events of the previous day. My eyes wandered, my head pounded, and my eyes wandered over to the body on the cot. "Sam..." I murmured to myself. I may not have known her well, but what chance did we have of escape without her? She had been here longer than either Janine or I, had worked for the cultists...

        "The Hub. I've got to find out what's in the Hub. Before anyone else tries to go inside it again."

        I pulled out my phone with shaky hands and flipped it open, hoping to see Janine online. 

        "...Huh?" Sam's phone was turned on. I could've sworn Janine and I flipped it off before we laid her out...I decided to call it, just in case Janine pocketed it for some reason. The phone rang once, twice, and then a deep, raspy voice cooed into my ear.

        "...c... ...d... ......"

        "Who is this?!"

        "...two... Sev... ...our... ...one..."

        "What? I can't-" A moment passed, my fingers shaking. "They hung up."

        To say I was confused was an understatement, but who else was down here with Sam's phone? I dialled Janine, hoping to find some sort of answer.

        "Whuh?" 

        "Janine? Janine, where are you?"

        "I-I'm in the sleeping quarters. And don't ask me to come out! I don't understand what's happening. I don't even remember how I got here!"

        "Janine-"

        "I don't even know if I'm alright! No...I KNOW I'm not! Sam is dead!"

        "I know Janine, but-"

        "Sam is dead and I think I'm going mad!"

        "Why do you say that?"

        "I remember Sam dying. I remember taking her to the infirmary. But then everything goes blank...I'm so scared..."

        Her muffled cries were apparent over the phone, and I scrambled for any words to help her, our situation, or both. "Janine, something happened to you last night."

        "...You were there? What did I do?!"

        "You...you were acting odd. Like you were someone else. And you were talking to me like I was someone else." As I spoke the memories and dreams ran through my head, and I sank back down the wall to the floor.

        "Oh god...I remember. I remember talking to you, but...it wasn't me! It was like...like looking through the eyeholes of a mask! And I knew that the thing I was...god it makes me feel so sick."

        "Janine...I know it's hard, but please, come out of the sleeping quarters."

        "No! I don't want to!"

        "Please, Janine..."

        "Theo, there's something out there...it's gonna kill us both!"

        "Janine, how can we escape if you don't come out?"

        "I don't care about escaping anymore. I'd rather starve in here than die like Sam did. Why can't you leave me alone?"