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Chapter 46

It took approximately six seconds for what little sensation of confidence Adam had achieved to wear off.

The boiler room had been pitch black, but he'd been sure he'd heard footsteps. He consoled himself by praying it was just haunted, but it didn't help much. And when they emerged, it only got worse.

It still was very dark out in the open, and only getting darker the further along the corridor they went. Every time his feet were too loud on the floor, his heart skipped a beat. He could see sillouettes dancing in front of him, which in itself was fine.

It was only when they moved towards him that he started to worry.

He became very conscious of his breathing. Was he breathing louder than the others? Did it depend on anything? Would it give him away if they heard him breathing too fast? Or, by extension, too slow?

He realised he was overthinking it again, but couldn't shake the fixation. Jess had told him rooms and even full corridors could be Chambers. And he still didn't know how it worked. For humans they blacked out, or on occasions would be tortured into submission. But that was humans. He was a special case. He didn't know how it would happen. He didn't know how it would feel. He didn't know what signs to look out for.

It could even be happening now.

He felt himself growing dizzy. His head suddenly seemed to be far above his body, and he felt a pain in his chest. His hands felt numb, like he couldn't move them properly. Maybe he was losing control. It could be his last few seconds of consciousness. He wasn't ready to go through it again. He didn't think he could make it out again.

He felt a sudden stab of pain in the centre of his chest and gasped involuntarily. When he did, he found he couldn't breathe. If he collapsed now, nobody was going to help him up.

He broke into a run, realising that if he only got into the room, he'd be safe. He had to believe that as long as he found shelter, he would be okay. He had to get off of the corridors. The air would be breathable again.

He heard Quinn running after him, but didn't stop. When he ran fast, he could feel more air on his face. That would keep him conscious. He didn't remember what had happened the last time. He didn't know what the warning signs were. Maybe he was going to black out there and then.

He found a room and darted into it. His knees gave way and he stumbled over to the wall. Blood was rushing to his head. He could hear it in his ears, along with something else that was indistinct.

Quinn hurried in a few seconds later, slamming the door shut behind her. "You never said we'd be running," She said.

"N-No... Yeah, w-well, sooner is better right?" He barely managed to keep his voice steady. A dull ache was settling in the back of his forehead, but he felt like he was starting to regain control.

Quinn nodded. "I suppose. Why did we stop? It's next door."

"It is?"

She nodded again, looking concerned. "Yeah, you know it is. The door says M41."

"Nothing," He insisted, starting to feel embarrassed. "I just miscounted, okay?"

Quinn leant over and squeezed his shoulder awkwardly. "Then we better go next door," she said encouragingly.

"Yeah," He agreed, getting to his feet. "Y-Yeah, we'd better."

Mentally shaking himself, he followed her, forcing himself to ignore his heart rate and forget his breathing.

He'd dealt with a million bouts of panic beforehand. He'd probably had a million that morning alone. He didn't know why this one was so intrusive to him now. It was like it had invaded every bone in his body, twisting through his veins with an uneasiness he couldn't shake.