The Forgotten

Through the Archway

Don't forget. Don't forget. The voice seemed to fade in and out while continuing to grow more intense each time. Don't forget! Don't forget! It kept repeating the same words over and over. DON'T FORGET! DON'T FORGET! Don't forget what? I never asked. YOU CAN NEVER FORGEEEEE... the moment I felt Jack slip from my grasp. The voice screamed as his. The dream took me back to when he's let go. When he screamed how he didn't want me to forget him. What could this possibly mean?

Don't forget what?

~•~•~•~•~

The pounding in my brain continued. It almost felt as if my heart were inside my head. Not to mention with each thump a jolt of searing hot pain ran straight down my spine. Then up the bones in my arms leading to my hands and back down to my legs.

I scream escaped my lungs causing more air to float up to the surface and the nasty chemicals to burn down my throat as the burning torture hit harder than the last few blows. I couldn't breathe and yet I was still alive. Something was keeping my heart in a steady rhythm. I'm pretty sure I'd swallowed more than a lethal amount of the toxic chemicals that the stupid engine created.

Hold on just a bit longer, Sean. You're almost done. Everything around me seemed different. I could practically see the tiny particles that were floating around in the burning liquid that I was currently submerged in. Try to get to the surface. Take a deep breath.

My legs began to kick in their own as I watched the surface of the liquid slowly come into view. Just like before I could clearly spot the grooves that were burned into the sides of the pool due to whatever the hell happened when I fell. Whatever that green light that seemed to be shot straight up from where I laid. What the hell am I?

I broke through the surface and sputtered a bit in the liquid before wiping it away from my eyes and face. My fingers felt hot to the touch. And something in my mouth felt extremely odd. I ran my fingers through my hair with a cautious and shaky hand.

I think I might have escaped death. Which I'm not proud of. Mostly because I was ready to give up and because I'm not too sure I've been down here for a short period of time.

You'll have to find a way out of here. I closed my eyes and thought for a single moment on how I could possibly get out of there. The only reliable way I could think of was somehow swimming out through the pipes that led to the main reactor that then lead to an area that had a bridge similar to the one that I fell off of that would be closer to the top of of the pool. Hopefully the main reactor didn't explode when I did whatever the hell it is that I did. Let's just say that I can now live up to the name "Green Beacon" from my tumblr page.

Also visiting Ty here at his job so many times is finally paying off. After the hours upon hours of boredom and running around with no sense of direction to lead us anywhere. Just straight ignorant bliss to guide us, two grown ass men, throughout this radioactive power... generator... facility... thing. And somehow he wasn't fired after all the times I fucked up under his surveillance.

I dove under the surface holding my breath. On instinct I closed my eyes too. They still burned but not as much. But being the idiot I am, I opened them under the green liquid and soon found out that it hurt more than anything I'd ever felt before to continue peering under the liquid's surface in order to make out where the hell I should go. I glance frantically around trying to find the opening when I finally spot it not too far from where I was.

I broke the surface once more before taking a massive breath and diving under once more to find my route of escape. The opening was almost like an archway from what I could tell when I'd stupidly opened my eyes under there. I brushed my hand slightly over the metal archway that led me deeper inside the self-sustaining engine.

My head hit the wall and it hurt more than it should have. Plus I swallowed a bit more of the chemicals. I needed to get to the surface so that I could breathe again. And hopefully spit up the burning liquid before it damages anymore of my insides. Which I have no doubt are completely jimmy jammed around and destroyed.

The only problem was that this tunnel was filled to the brim with whatever these liquid chemicals are and there were no spots for me to breathe or spit. That's just wonderful. My lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen.

Suck in, you idiot! I listened to it. It hasn't exactly lied to me yet. I took a deep breath and started to choke for about a second when I suddenly felt light headed. I'm not going to make it am I? I'm no where near the end of this blasted pipe.

Just a little further, now. The end is about two seconds away. I swear. In my dizzy state, I pushed off of the wall towards where I thought the end of the tube would be. The other way. Damnit.

I twist my body hearing my ribs crack along with my spine and neck. It wasn't as refreshing this time. The hot pain was still present within each bone and muscle just waiting for me to screw up again so that it could spread even further.

When I finally got an idea of where I was, I dove to the bottom and pushed off to get to the surface. In a exhausted gasp, I broke the surface and coughed violently for longer than I would've liked. I opened my clenched eyes to see the bottom of the bridge right in front of my face. I could see my reflection in the shiny metal.

What was looking back at me wasn't the person I remember. No. This was something I couldn't even describe if I tried.