Shudders

Chapter 62 - The Heartbreak

    Maybe if she did something differently at the start, she wouldn't be here, climbing up an old ladder to who knows what above ground. She could be climbing to her death and not know it. Or she could be climbing to her freedom. She was in a 50/50 situation and didn't know what the outcome would be.

    A small tear fell down her cheek as she focused on climbing. All she wanted was to see her sister again and she'll continue until she does.

    And with a sniff, (Y/N) reached the top and quietly placed her fingers on the cold metal lid. The tiny holes were blocked with dirt but to her fortune, the lid wasn't locked or blocked by anything. She carefully pushed it up just enough to see a concrete floor littered with boxes. Her eyes panned the floor until she almost jumped at a skeletal hand blocking her view of a door. The skeleton laying next to a lid wore a tattered worker's uniform that was worn by theatre employees. It also had a key resting in its bony fingers that (Y/N) carefully took. She lifted the lid up more, being mindful of the creaking noise it made, and silently set it on the floor. Once she got out, she was able to see that the skeleton was missing its entire lower body and it appeared that the person pulled themselves into the room by the dark dried up trail leading to a closed metal door. (Y/N) pieced together what might've happened to the poor skeleton and her idea was... brutal.

    Looking around some more, the room she was in did appear to be a backroom. Knocked over shelves, opened lockers with more of the uniforms and other stuff, and boxes with faded logos displaying"Neptune Cinemas" across the tops.

"I made it..." (Y/N) whispered.

    The scent of the gas was more stronger and (Y/N) had to cover her nose while she approached the door. The key she got from the skeleton must've gone to the door. She could make this room her hideout but anything could suddenly pop up from the sewers without warning.

    She pushed the key into the lock and opened up the door before taking quick peaks outside. She was met with a dark hallway that went two ways and a red curtain wall in front of her. She looked down to the left and saw a dead end, then to her right saw another door with a broken "main room" sign above it. Pulling out her knife, she began walking to the door while praying to whatever god she can pray to have her back in this moment. She's gonna need all the help she can get, even spiritual luck.

    Before she could get closer to the door, another noise stopped her in her tracks. This time, it was ahead of her...

    The noise sounded like something made of glass broke. Now she was for certain that it wasn't just the building settling...

    Did they find her..?

    If Ki, Akai, or even I9 did show up, they couldn't smell her. The chemical gas was so strong that she had to cover her nose with her shirt and sleeve. It should be strong enough to cover her scent. (Y/N) obviously couldn't stay in the building though, at least in an area where she's inhaling gas. If the virus doesn't kill her, the fumes will.

    After the noise, it went back to dead silence. (Y/N) reached the slightly opened door and peeked through it like she did the last time and found nothing besides an empty opening area of the theatre.

    Damaged ticket booths, a very messy concession stand, old posters of very old movies, and a shattered glass pane on the ground below a glass wall. That must be what broke...

    But what broke it?

    She didn't see any animals or anything swinging down from the ceiling. The ceiling was also made of broken glass so piles of snow covered parts of the theatre floor.

    The building wasn't welcoming but it was going to be her safe house, if she can make sure that she's alone that is...

    (Y/N) got low to the ground and hid behind a counter close to the door. The gas was the strongest in the main area of the theatre so if she can find another backroom like before, she won't be inhaling so much of the fumes. Theaters are pretty rare to find in the Zones, not many are built or frequented because not that many movies are being produced and a lot of older movies from before the apocalypse were lost in the rush underground. But if (Y/N) could remember from the last and only time she visited one, the screening rooms are pretty far in the back.