Alternate 2020

Episode 5: Lost Labyrinth (1): Dreams and ruins (3)

"Huh?"

"Claire..."

"What?"

I didn't understand. What was she saying? Who's Claire?

"Are you alright...?" she continued to say.

"It's none of your business!" I tugged my body and her hands fell off my waist.

"Ugh..." She fell flat on the ground again.

"Get away from me!" I said turning around. I began to walk away. "Don't follow me."

I took a glimpse at her. She was still on the floor.

"Don't mind her!" I told myself and walked away to the other side of the room.

* * *

The blobs were moving around. The entire place was filled with them but unlike before, they were contained inside glass-like boxes. It seemed like that one was an exception. It was able to crawl while shrinking and propelling itself forward. The slimy trail it left behind made me feel disgusted sending shivers down my spine.

The girl, in the distance, recouped herself and sat up. Her lips were slightly dry and her complexion - she gave off - was awful; she looked like she was uncontrollably uncomfortable - unable to control the trembling.

I sipped on my bottle of water I got from the kitchen and munched on the chocolate bar. It wasn't really the time to eat but I needed to. I was hungry.

Looking up into the bright ceiling, the room was white like a lab - or maybe it was a lab. It took me a while to get down here carrying her heavy body.

"Why did I even take her with me?" I wondered. "I should have left her back there..."

The path wasn't the smoothest but it wasn't difficult. We moved from the kitchen into the lift after I gathered some more food and drinks into a small bag hanging off the wall. I wore the bag and dragged her in. We headed down and after a few minutes, we arrived. We arrived at the bottom. It was dark at first. It was like staring into the deep, dark space but moments later, it lit up. At the end of the corridor, there was a room. I dragged her along with me into that room and that was how we got here.

"Was it a mistake? Why am I even here..." I closed my eyes slowly and gathered my thoughts. "What happened before all of this?"

As I tried to sieve through my memories, the pain began to crawl back. I stopped, fearing it would start again.

"Argh!!!" I shouted slamming the floor with my bottle of water.

The girl was shaking. I looked at her and she looked at me. No, she was looking at my bottle of water.

"She's... thirsty..." I thought. After I took another sip, I closed the bottle and rolled it over to her.

I could see her eyes began to brighten as it got closer and closer to her. She hurriedly snatched the bottle, opened the lid and chugged the water.

I looked down into the bag.

"Chocolate bar, energy bar, biscuits, water..." I murmured. Tilting my head up a bit, my eyes shifted towards her face. I felt guilty. I was hoarding all the food and water...

"Argh!!!" I shouted covering my face with my hand.

"She 'did' stop me from eating that mouldy popcorn back there... what would have happened if I ate that...?" I shook my head a little and then glared at her again. "I should give her some of this..."

"Hey," I said sharply.

She stopped moving and her eyes looked towards me.

I threw the bag at her and she turned her body showing her back to me.