Lockdown

episode 6

With the metallic scent of blood mixing with the scent of chlorine, Emma moved towards the pool of blood that lay underneath his leg, her concerned eyes wide. "How bad is it?" Felix winced as he propped himself up onto his elbows, straining to get a better look at the injury. 

Emma looked up from his blood soaked jeans, surprised by his pained, raspy voice. "Relax" Emma soothed, placing a gentle hand on his chest. Under her hand she could feel his heart racing feverishly. Felix's wide, vulnerable eyes studied the confidence in her face, forcing him to slowly resign to laying back down. 

Taking a deep breath, Emma returned to the task at hand. The area of fabric that surrounded his calf was torn, stained with the dark color of his blood. Reaching forward with trembling hands, Emma delicately grabbed the fabric before peeling it away from his leg. 

A hiss of pain escaped Felix as he winced, an apologetic look in Emma's eyes. She returned her focus to the injury at hand, a sharp gasp slipping from her lips as the fabric fell limply to the side. Felix's eyes widened at the sound that echoed in the silent room. 

"It's fine" Emma quickly reassured, hoping to save him from panicking. She hadn't meant to gasp, but the sheer sight of the injury drew it from her mouth. 

A chunk of the muscle had been torn from his calf, leaving blood stained skin and revealed muscles that had been severed by the sharp claws. Fat drops of red dripped onto the ground, each second spent allowing the puddle to grow larger. 

Shaking her head, Emma forced herself into action. "Give me your flannel" she demanded, holding out her hand. Felix's dark eyebrows drew together in alarm, his lips opening in protest. "I'm serious Felix. Take it off" Emma snapped before he could utter a word. 

Felix offered a wobbly nod before clumsily undoing the buttons to the blue flannel that had covered his light grey tee-shirt. Slowly he pulled the flannel from his arm, and then the other. It's warm embrace was suddenly gone, leaving him shivering. Hesitantly, he handed it over. 

"Good" Emma praised half heartedly as she folded the shirt into a long rectangle. "Now listen, I have to do for you what you did for me. It's going to hurt, and I'm sorry. But if I don't stop the bleeding..."

Felix's eyes grew wide as her voice drifted off. It became eerily apparent that she had been lying; the injury was bad. It was so bad that if she didn't stop the bleeding, he'd die. "Okay" he breathed, giving her a weak nod. "Do it."

Emma bit her lip, but nodded back. Carefully, she slid the shirt beneath his leg, getting the positioning just right to avoid the painful readjustment. Closing her eyes, she filled her lungs with air and let her instincts take over. 

The flannel met the gaping injury, putting pressure on the bleeding. A loud cry of agony escaped Felix's mouth as he threw his head back, his eyes squeezed shut as he waited for it to be over. Emma's quivering hands worked to tie the shirt into a knot that would hold it in place. His screams continued, Emma's heart aching as she tightened the knot.

As soon as she knew it would hold, she pulled her hands away. "Okay, it's done. It's done" Emma announced, finding Felix's pale face that glimmered with a thin layer of sweat. Crawling forward, Emma rested next to him. 

Her hand found its way to his forehead where it swept away the hair that clung to his skin. Felix sighed in relief as her cool hand pressed against his burning forehead. He couldn't help but turn into her touch, taking her other hand in his. 

Emma watched as he squeezed her hand, a wave of sadness threatening to break the dam that had been holding the tears back for so long. It was strange, holding his hand. For a moment, it felt just like it used to. 

A warm feeling filled her chest; the sensation of his hand over hers so comforting. She was tempted to close her eyes and imagine them on a bright day with the warm sun on their skin and smiles on their faces. She was tempted to let herself slip from reality, just for a moment. 

But in the cold, dark air of the school, she knew that if she did that, she would never be able to pull herself back. 

Gingerly, she pulled her hand back from his forehead, laying it in her lap. Felix's eyes opened as her touch left him, a slight pout to his lips. But then he remembered why, and what he had done, and that sense of guilt returned.

Desperate to rid the air of the underlying tension, Felix was struck with a thought. "I remember something" he muttered, watching Emma's eyes dart to his. 

"Remember something? About what?" Emma wondered, managing to slip her hand from his and return it to her lap. Her hand felt cold and empty, and for a moment she reached for his again. 

Felix watched the twitch of her hand, the slight movement a drop of hope. "I-um-remember reading about something. I thought it was kind of an urban legend but there was another lockdown, years ago, at this school" Felix explained, blinking his eyes in an attempt to focus.

"But did it involve some sort of monster?" Emma questioned in a disbelieving tone, knowing what a rare and unbelievable situation they were really in. 

Clearing his throat, Felix had a mischievous look to his eyes. "That's the thing. The description of the intruder was really vague, and the small description it did give painted a picture much like the one we just saw" Felix whispered softly, allowing the gravity of his words to hit her. 

Emma's eyes were wide as a long breath escaped her. "It's happened before" she concluded slowly, nodding her head. "Maybe there's a way to stop it, a way to escape. I'm sure they would've recorded it in the records" Emma continued, her words growing closer together as excitement tinted her voice. 

"The records that are in the office, way down the main hallway" Felix reminded her, his voice cautious. He caught her daring eyes in the faint light, a chill running across his skin. 

"We have to get those records." Emma decided with a confident nod. "There's no other way. The doors are locked, there's a monster loose, and we are just sitting prey. That's our best option and you know it" 

Felix blew a long breath out from his lips before nodding. "Yeah, I know. I'm gonna need some help getting there though" Felix muttered as he sat up, studying the flannel that was already stained with blood.

Emma glanced down at her side, a sour laugh escaping her as she muttered, "you and me both".