To Be A Hero

Chapter 16: Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

"Confirmed. Comansys clearance for entry."

The door unlocks, and I pull it open, my stomach dropping when I see that this underground vault stretches down for... miles. It's as far as I can see, at least. I let out a shaky breath.

"Ah, that's more like it."

"By 'it', you mean tremendous danger, don't you?" Sam asks.

"Yep."

"You okay, Veronica?" Nadia asks.

"I'm fine," She answers. "It's nothing like the last time. There are no piles of corpses. I can't even see any zombies. I think this mission will be perfectly safe."

"Why did you-we never say that!" Sam exclaims, then groans. "Don't you know we never ever say that? Never! Never ever!"

"I don't believe in superstition. Come on. Let's see what's in here."

She heads inside without waiting another second. Ellie and I share a uneasy glance before following.

Worry scratches at my throat, but I swallow it down to rest as a pit in my stomach. I have to keep my emotions under control. Every time I lose it, I have a panic attack, and these attacks seem to trigger visions and voices I can't understand.

What I do understand is that I'm unwell-mentally, at least. I know this, as does almost everyone else, even though I try to hide it. Most of them think I hide it because I'm too prideful to ask for help, and it is that, in a sense.

I can't ask for help right now because I'm supposed to be the strong one. I'm a 'hero'. Plus I can't ask others for help because my problems can wait. Everyone else's can't.

Sam's worried about the baby and Paula; Maxine's pregnant and is also worried about Paula; Nadia is busy helping Veronica; Nicole is trying to help in finding a cure. Although she wouldn't care about my mental health anyway, even though she claims to care about me.

Anyway, I know that everyone has their own problems. I can't, and won't, go burdening them with mine.

We pass by some archives and a few laboratories, which Veronica takes a few passing glances at. The feeling of unease starts to rise in my throat once more, along with the bitter taste of bile.

I swallow it down, but it's a lot harder to do this time.

"So what do we think this place was for?" Ellie asks, earning a hum from Veronica.

"We should do a broad survey of the building, then identify specific areas to examine more closely. I'd like to study the equipment they were using. A lot of it looks like an attempt to synthesize a chemical." She walks into one of the laboratories, eyes gleaming. "I can take a closer look."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nadia says quickly. "Not without a hazmat suit and a solid support team."

"Yeah," Ellie says, placing her hand on Veronica's shoulder. She shrugs her off and continues to look around the lab. "Plus, I don't really believe in this sort of thing, but this place is giving me a sort of feeling, you know?"

"Mhmm," Sam says. "Like that feeling where you think there's someone behind you, and you keeping looking around, but there's no one there, just the feeling that someone's run a cold finger down the back of your neck?"

"Exactly that feeling," She says as I shudder. Veronica simply rolls her eyes.

"These things can often have to do with localized microclimates. Some magnetic fields can also cause that effect."

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Veronica."

"Yes, and I want to know all about them. I would have thought that you, a researcher, would understand. I don't mind delving into this history as it gives us useful leads, but we can't start talking about ghosts."