Plague.dream

Solacing

My head started to throb, a faint silhouette emerged before me, tempting me to approach it. I took a step into the endless corridor, making my way towards it. The closer I got, the more undarkened it was. It was cloaked like the rest of us, but with a shattered mask that was decaying from its face ever so slowly.

I reached for it, probably the dumbest thing one could do but it was just too intriguing. I got hold of its mask, it didn't fight back, instead, it just stood still, staring straight into my soul. I ripped the rotting plague mask off it. Me. My face lied behind the disaster of a mask. Lavender aroma occupied the pathway. The figure smiled at me, it started as a small weak smile but turned into a horrendous grin instantaneously.

I was petrified, I turned around and ran like my life depended on it. I closed my eyes, trying to keep the tears in. I ran, ran like there was no tomorrow, I'm not looking back. I bumped into something, something familiar.

The figure I saw in the woods. Unsettling but somehow... Solacing. It was a weird feeling, but it felt like I've known this person longer than my own life. He reached towards his face and pulled his mask off... But it was nothing but darkness. It engulfed me.

Cold. I sneezed and shivered. I opened my eyes to find myself in the alleyway, alone. I quickly got up from where I was. "F-Flynn?" I stuttered. No response. "Flynn, this isn't funny.." I paced up and down the alley and started to freak out.

"You're awake." I hear Flynn's voice from above.
"Flynn?" I look up but to nothing but the gloomy sky. I heard something land behind me and quickly turned around.
"Sorry.. I went out to check the counter but I didn't want to be noticed so I just used the roofs instead." His mask was on, that's a rare sight, it's usually pulled down so it's easier to breathe.
"It's fine, you scared me a bit but at least you came back."
Flynn reached his hand out. "Let's go."
"Go where?" I was confused but I still took his hand.
"I found this warehouse while I was out earlier and it's pretty guarded, we should stay there if you're gonna pass out so much." Flynn joked.
"I just might, only if you promise to look after my safety." We both laughed and I followed after Flynn as he led the way.

"Why's your mask up anyways?"
"God, can't you smell it? It reeks of decaying corpses here."
"I'm wearing a plague mask, it's supposed to replace the horrible plague smell with lavender essence anyways."
"Right, completely forgot about that. But it smells ridiculous so yeah, that's why my mask is up."

It was a short walk to the warehouse, the exterior was actually in pretty decent condition. We walked up to the front door but it was chained up, Flynn looked around made sure no one was around us. He strolled towards the side of the building and we ended up at a small door. He took out a key and unlocked the door. 
"Where'd you get that?"
"I dunno, I just found it lying around."

I shrugged it off and we headed inside. There were boundless rows of shelves with boxes on them, some empty but some seem filled. Other than that there were a few couches and what seemed to be an office at the other end of the warehouse. 

Flynn threw his backpack and himself onto the couch.
"I call dibs on this couch!"Flynn said as he lied down fully.
I laughed and agreed while I explored the warehouse. I first looked into some boxes that were lying around on the floor. Most of them were empty but a few of them were filled to the brim with office supplies. 
"Okay. What can staplers do for us?" I said sarcastically, holding a stapler up.
Flynn rolled over and looked at the stapler in hand. 
"Paperwork." Feeling proud of his answer Flynn laughed and rolled back towards the couch. Yeah, as if we'll be doing any of that. I put the stapler into my pocket, don't ask why it just felt like I needed to do so. Looking at the other boxes on the shelves, I sighed and picked myself up. 

Brushing my pocket knife against all the wrapped up boxes, I made my way towards the office. I gripped the handle of the door and as expected, it wouldn't budge. I've never tried to pick a lock in my life but well, there's a first for everything. I picked two bobby pins from my pocket and started randomly digging around the lock. Obviously it didn't work but it was worth a try, damn movies make it seem so easy. 
"Hey Flynn, would you possibly have a key to the office?"
"Nope, but I can open the door for you." Flynn walked over with his machete. 
With one swift swing, he broke the door handle and the door swung open. 
"Ah, that's gonna take a toll on the machete."

I pushed the door open to reveal a nice comfy bed. 
"Dibs." I laughed and plopped onto the bed.
Flynn pouted and sat down on a chair and realized he still had his mask on, he pulled it down and took a deep breath. 
"Hey, I have a few things I want to ask you." I sat up, facing Flynn.
"Anything for you." Flynn spun around in the chair.

"So..How exactly did you know how to get out of this nightmare?"
"I don't know.. It kinda just felt like it was naturally implanted in my brain."
"Didn't you say you heard about it?"
"Well, we were all confused for about 2 minutes, asking around if they knew what's happening. But as if a switch was flipped the thought popped into my head and it seemed to happen to everyone, they started to turn violent."

"What about me? How come I didn't know?"
"Honestly, I got no clue myself. I think you're special... All of us came in a batch... But you... You're special, you appeared alone, literally out of nowhere."

"How do you know I was alone?"
"Well, two reasons: One, you don't know the city centre had a counter. And two, if there were a new batch, there would be thousands of people coming from here and there."

"Why aren't there any girls?"
"Not sure, really. I'm guessing they chose people who enlisted in the army."
"But I wasn't."
"You're probably our healer or something, I don't think you're supposed to kill anyone."
"Well then, I'll just have to wait until everyone dies?"
"I wouldn't bet on it."

"How come everything else seems to be the exact same as the real world but my house was just weaponized?"
"Now that, I don't have an answer for. My house seemed the same."
"Why didn't you stay in your house, wouldn't it be safer?"
"Well yeah, it's definitely way safer but I kinda got bored and thought 'meh', we either kill or be killed. What's your reason?"
"My house was a literal mess, there were blood and guts everywhere, I don't exactly find that comforting and I wanted to see what was going on outside but I coincidentally got dragged into your little fight."
"Yeah, sorry about that."

We stayed quiet for a while, I stood, walked up behind him and untied the bandage. Flynn flinched but stayed still, I ran out to get some bandages and ointment from his backpack and returned in an instant. 

I replaced the bandages with new ones while we continued our conversation. 
"Like I mentioned before, should we go back?"
"Where would we stay though?"
"Either my house or the hospital."
"Let's travel to your house for the weapons and not stay there, you'd feel uncomfortable with all the weapons. As for the hospital... With all the hallways, it's easy to escape if we get intruded but it's also easy to get cornered."
"And this warehouse isn't?"
"Hey, at least it doesn't feel like you're on your deathbed."
"Okay, so basically, stay here. Got it."