Virus

What's Behind The Doors

We quietly approached the big grey building. Big metal, doors plastered with keep out signs blocked us from the inside of the compound. "So," Rose gave her usual mischievous smile. "How the hell are we gonna open these doors?"
Logan's hand shot up in the air like a missile. "Ooo! An explosion! Explosions are always fun!"
Mallory brought her palm to her face, the gesture of a face-palm. "Logan, we're trying to sneak in. An explosion will let them know we're trying to get inside. As much as I love explosions-" she stopped when she saw everyone giving her puzzling looks from the explosion comment. "What? Don't ask. Point is no explosions." She summed up.
There was a moment of silence while everyone thought. "Mal, can't you use your wicked-superhuman-telekinesis-powers or something to open them?"
Mallory shook her head no. "I already tried to open doors like this before, Again, don't ask." I'll have to have a talk with her about these explosions and opening security doors sometime.
"I got it!" Steve snapped his fingers. He walked up to the doors and pushed in a red button I didn't notice before. "Doors, will you please open?"
Rose rolled her green eyes. "Steve, did you really think that would-" the big doors opened like garage doors sliding up into the upper wall. "Work..."
We all went trough the doors. They dropped shut again when Logan, the last person in, stepped inside. "Dang..." He whistled. Dang was right. It was a dark hallway with doors on both sides. Some doors had lights shining trough them, others casted eerie red glows. It looked like something you'd see in a horror movie.
Lilly looked like she was trying to swallow a watermelon. "Whoa... This place is... Whoa."
"Indeed." Steve replied.
I turned towards Mallory. Putting my arm out, I asked, "Shall we?"
She rolled her eyes but linked her arm trough mine. "Yes."
Rose lead the way as we made our way down the hall. Each footstep made a haunting echo trough the metal. "So," Logan who walked aside Rose turned. "What do you guys think is in these rooms?"
Steve stopped at a door that had a white light blinking. "Let's look." We all gathered around the window that showed the inside. A man in a white lad coat was poking a stick at some sort of creature. The animal reared back and growled. It was unhappy.
"What are they doing to that poor.... thing?" Lily asked. The scientist stopped and turned his head towards the window. We all gasped. Please let this be a oneway mirror... He stepped closer and closer, trying to concentrate. His eyes locked with mine. There was a moment of fear deep within me.
"Oh no...." Mallory whispered. She was still linked in my arm. I felt her heart beat faster.
I closed my eyes and waited for the worse.
"Thank god." Rose praised. I slightly opened my eyes. The man in the lab coat was back experimenting on the animal. He didn't see me. He didn't see us.
We were safe.
"Come on." I tugged on Mallory's arm as we all continued along. We saw many strange rooms, maybe even things we shouldn't have seen.
Many room had rare creatures. "A panda!" Lily and Steve squealed. They rushed up to the window where a baby panda looked as if it was on display. Despite the vegetation all around it and the warm light shining it's black and white fur, the poor thing looked bored. It sat unhappily while it munched on bamboo. I looked closer at his home and gasped. "Guys,"
They all took a closer look. All the plants were plastic and fake. A stream that ran trough it had murky brown water that sat still collecting algae. I saw the thermometer and noticed it was set far colder than a panda is used to.
"My god." Logan turned away. "They're... They're killing it!" He was right. These were no conditions for a rare animal such as it. Any animal for that matter.
My thoughts were disrupted when the sound of footsteps echoed off the walls and filled my ears. "Shit..."
"Come on!" Mallory whispered to everyone. "We need to find a room!"
"Mallory, you and Zee just started dating." Steve replied. "Shouldn't you guys-"
"Not like that you dimwit!" She hissed. "We need to find an unlocked room and hide." A silent agreement was made as we all started running as fast as we could without making a sound. The footsteps grew louder until I realized there were two pairs of feet making their way towards us. Panic surged trough all my friends. Fear and panic curved deep in Rose's face. Logan tried to look cool and collective for us all but I saw the way his knuckles were white from clenching his fists. Steve gasped for air either from running or fear. I looked behind me and saw Lily running for dear life. A look of determination and terror somehow laid perfectly on her face. Then there was Mallory. Her eyes were wide and full of alertness. She kept praying to herself that she wouldn't get a vision now when we were running for our lives.
"Here!" Steve pointed to the last door of the hallway.
"Oh shit..." Logan jiggled at the knob. Locked.
Lily stepped forward. "Take this." She took a bobby pin from her hair and handed it to Mallory. The strawberry blonde girl stepped forward and started working at the lock. In no time there was a satisfying click as the door became unlocked.
She held the door open for everyone as we ushered inside. "Where'd you learn to do that?" I asked before I stepped inside.
"Long story." she looked down the hall. "It'll have to be explained another time. Come on." I stepped inside and she followed, slamming the door hard.