The Grey. *-(A SciFi Thriller)-*

Part XIV: Red

Red was swimming.

Dull, pulsing waves made his body sway. Left, right. Left, right. He felt his toes curl in ecstasy in the soft sand below and let himself release. There is nothing here but peace.

There is nothing here but her.

With one fluid backstroke, he was now floating on his back in the clear blue sea. He closed his eyes as the delicate seafoam kissed his lips. The waves gently washed over him. Back, forth. Back, forth. It was sticky sweet, like candy, and he let out a slow sigh of release.

The sun was gentle and warm in the wide blue sky overhead and sent silver speckles of light dancing in the breeze. Every smell, sound, touch, taste amplified around him and he felt himself surrender to the sea. Each wave passed over his exposed skin with a delicate shiver, pulsing in time with his heartbeat, and he felt himself grow desperate with anticipation between each swell.

He felt his blood start to rush, deliberate and reactive, through every tiny tendon, every sensitive nerve, and he was filled with a sudden and anxious vulnerability as he became hyperaware to his own body.

With a climbing anticipation, the wind began to pick up, and the waves started to crash and swirl around him. The crystal blue water turned into luminescent silver-white strands around him, and with a single exhale, he fell beneath the waves.

Red surrendered.

The electric pulse shot through his body, then another, and he let a cry escape through his lips.

But just as he felt he couldn't take it anymore, he felt the silvery wisps pull him back to the surface. The waves began to slow, and with every steady breath, he felt himself recover.

To his disappointment, the water began to turn cold, and he knew his time in this euphoric dreamscape was coming to an end. As much as he wanted to stay here, he knew it wasn't real. And if he tried to fight it and stay, the dream would become a nightmare.

So Red woke up, letting the vivid colors around him become dull and muted, and he found himself sitting on the floor of Sabrina's room - the exact same spot where he started his trip, not a muscle moved.

Sage was funny that way.

Sometimes you dance, sometimes you sing, sometimes you sit on the floor the entire time while your brain undergoes the most orgasmic experience you've ever had. Red wanted Sabrina, so it gave him Sabrina. It scratched just the right itch in your head, and God did Red miss it.

There was Sabrina, sitting in front of him, wide eyes still glowing in the dull light, still sitting crisscrossed in front of him on the floor. There was a dreamy smile across her face, and her stare was far away. The Sage hadn't left her yet by the looks of it. Either that or she was fighting to stay in the dream.

Red stood up and stretched. It was late now, and he knew he should leave - who knows when Sabrina stops and the monster begins. But looking down at Sabrina's face, he didn't want to leave her here to wake up by herself. Who knew how bad her come down would be.

Red gently shook her shoulder. "Sabrina, it's time to wake up. Get out of there."

But when Sabrina slowly turned her head upwards, something was different. Instead of the vacant, doe-eyed stare, Red's eyes were met with an intense expression, eyes glaring and burrowing into him. He watched as her small frame stood up gracefully in a fluid motion, and stood with painfully perfect posture. Her head tilted to the side, playfully, but Red couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Are you afraid of me, Red?" she spoke, flat and direct, contrasted by the warm smile on her lips.

Red took a step back, shaking his head. Something was wrong.

"Did you dream about me?" Sabrina asked, eyes flickering upwards as she took a step towards him.

No. This is not Sabrina.

Red's mind raced. He took another step back and knocked his heel into an empty silver suitcase that lay open on the floor. An electric shock of pain ran up his leg but he kept his eyes fixed on the girl before him. She took another deliberate step towards him.

"You know, I'm kind of happy there's no more left. It makes my mouth taste funny," she let out a little high-pitched squeal and kicked the silver suitcase away towards the wall. Red's shoulders cringed reflexively up towards his ears. He took another step back, carefully this time.

"Where are you going, Red?" Her face turned to a forced, caricature of a frown, her eyes cast upward and doe-like, "I wanna play a little longer."

Red's stomach twisted in a sour lurch, and he raised his hand to his mouth. He knew he had to act fast. With a swift turn on his good heel, he made a leaping hurdle towards the door. There was a sharp scratch at the back of his arm as what felt like a hand grabbed at him. He was thankful for this lanky frame as he was at the door in two huge steps as he flew away from her.

He made the frantic wave of his wrist to open the door and slid out the crack, turning in time to see Sabrina's contorted face sprinting towards him. But it was not anger on her face that he saw, but a wide, clear-eyed smile across her pale cheeks. He only saw a glimpse before the hydraulic stomp of the door, but it was enough to stick and stain his mind, flashing at him every time he closed his eyes on the entire walk home down the narrow corridor.

He held a hand to the wall as the fluorescent lights flickered on, beckoning the night. He was still catching his breath and the adrenaline was still pumping through his veins. How could he be so stupid?

He should have said no to her. He should have taken that canister and threw it off the roof - stomp that aluminum canister with his heavy boot. Anything. Anything but take it with her.

She had been through so much and here he was, not fixing or solving anything, but running away... Yet again.

"Idiot," he seethed through gritted teeth. His jaw tightened as he slapped himself in the face. Once, then twice.

His arm started to ache where he had been scratched. The glass walls that lined the hall were now reflective against the bright interior in contrast to the dark outside, acting like a mirror. He grimaced when he caught his eyes in the reflection.

As he made his way to the windows to get a better look at his arm, he found himself stumbling, and the floor more sleek and slippery than he remembered. He watched, stunned, as the hall grew longer and twisted before him. The lights above started to stretch and grow hazy with every blink. He put his sweaty palm to the window to hold himself upright and turned over his shoulder to get a better look at his now numb arm.

No, it was not a scratch on the back of his arm, but a little red dot. He smudged it with his other thumb and brought it to his face to take a better look, focusing hard through the sudden onset of vertigo.

Blood.

She had stuck him with something.

Where was she hiding another needle? Did she take one from that bag?

He grabbed the wall with both of his arms now, trying to steady himself, but his legs kept getting heavier. He felt as though he would fall through the quicksand ground.

No, Just one more step. I have to get out of here.

He took a heavy stomp forward, leaning against the wall with his better arm, but the powerful sedative was working fast. He brought his other foot forward and it dragged on the ground.

Please.

His sweaty palm slipped from the wall and caught him on the ground as he suddenly hit the floor. He was crawling now, slowly, and he looked up to see the hallway had gotten longer and more twisted than he remembered. The elevator at the end of the hall was lazily spinning left, then right. Left, right. Left, right. He tried to blink it away, focus it back to reality, but his eyelids were heavy.

Red lifted his knee to inch forward but it wouldn't move.

"Idiot," he mumbled again through garbled lips.

Then all was dark.