Aromatic

S E V E N

S E V E N

Loud alarms blared through Claudia's ears as her eyes suddenly widened. She gasped for air as a green jello-like liquid surrounded her. She was standing upright in a glass apparatus, surrounded by decaying bodies in other containers beside her. Her eyes widened as she slammed her fists against the doors, pushing against them as she suddenly fell out.

0000.00.02

She furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes focusing on the numbers on her wrist in confusion. She coughed, struggling to find her footing in the green liquid. She remained in the liquid beside the giant glass container, turning quickly to look at another person beside her. He had no numbers, and his clothing was tattered, visible through the green jello. She placed her hands on the glass, tapping against it. The man didn't move, she wondered if he was dead.

And suddenly, a sharp stinging in her wrist startled her as she glared at it. It felt like dozens of needles were being poked into her wrist and she immediately stared at it.

0000.00.00

The numbers were written in a pale white, she furrowed her eyebrows, wondering how they had changed so quickly.

A soft shuffling sound surrounded her as she turned quickly, confusion on her face as she looked up. Above her stood a man in a black trench coat. He was tall— and had a gun held in his hand, aimed directly right at her.

"Wait!" She shouted, "you're my soul..." before she could finish her sentence, he shot her in the head. Claudia fell back into the green liquid. She felt numb, confused as she stared at the metal ceiling, wondering when she had gotten there. The last thing she could remember was the land that was lightly dusted in snow— the place where Surge and Savannah had died. Her eyes widened. She couldn't remember anything past that.

The man glanced at his wrist, the numbers flashing in and out of sight as he stared at them, confused.

0000.00.00

Then nothing.

0000.00.00

Then nothing again.

"Six life forms spotted. Three east, two above," his robotic chip spoke, scanning the area. "Enemies approaching."

He was too focused on his wrist to notice the warning.

"Two enemies approaching." The voice said as he quickly turned and shot at them with direct precision, the bullets piercing their chests as they both fell consecutively.

"Where?" He spoke, his eyes focusing on the two men that stood on the second story of the building. They quickly threw gas bombs at him as he dodged the bombs and hid behind one of the giant glass containers.

"They're resurfacing. Abort mission." The boy said in his ear as he shook his head.

"No. Let's go." He muttered as he took out his gun and shot at the two men, one of them tumbled over the small balcony of the second floor and landed on the ground. The man scanned them for signs of life. None were found.

"More life forms spotted. Three east," the voice said. The man stealthily moved around the giant room, shooting at the three approaching men with high accuracy. He ran past another hoard of soldiers as they attempted to taze him, he pushed one into the other, forcing him to taze his partner. He grabbed a gas bomb and threw it at them, shooting meanwhile they gasped for air.

"Anymore left?" He muttered, scanning the area, attempting to detect life forms. He turned around, his wrist zapping a wave of pain that coursed through his body as he fell to his knees momentarily. He gasped, forcing himself to stand up when he caught a glimpse of the red haired girl that he had shot earlier. She was being led away by someone who he hadn't been able to detect.

"I thought I killed you." He groaned, following behind them as she struggled against the man who was dragging her with him. The red-haired girl and the masked man approached a door just as Claudia's murderer approached. She quickly broke free, running through the doors alone as she heard another gun shot.

She figured that the psycho-maniac that tried to kill her had killed the man. So much for waiting twenty years for her soulmate. She didn't have time to think about that— she was confused how her timer had gone to zero so quickly.

"Grab her!" A woman shouted as Claudia struggled to escape.

"Are you sure she isn't one of them?" Someone asked as Claudia was forced outside with them.

"Keep running, if that thing gets to us it will kill us." People covered their faces in masks as they quickly rushed through a pair of double doors. "Stay behind. Kill him." Another ordered in a wave of confusion. Claudia was forced out into the freezing snow, struggling to walk on legs she hadn't used in what felt like forever. She followed behind them as someone stuck a gas mask on her face.

"Wear this. It's not safe." They dragged her behind them, running through the snow. Claudia's glanced at her legs, she was wearing a green skin-tight suit that she didn't recall ever putting on. It was soft inside, cotton that made her feel warm.

"Thank you for your sacrifice." The woman said to seemingly nobody, it suddenly the building they had left exploded and Claudia assumed she was using an earpiece.

Claudia's eyes widened as the fires roared, loud sounds exploding around her as she ran with the people that had grabbed her.

She was quickly handcuffed as they led her through the snow, her mask had fallen off and nobody had said a word.

And suddenly, she was led through a dark tunnel where an older-looking man stood, his hair was red.

"Travis?" Claudia's eyes widened, noticing the wrinkles under his eyes and his forehead. He still held the deepset forehead lines, except now they were more prominent.

"Did you check to see if she was one of them?"

"She was bleeding and dying on the floor, then got up somehow. It had shot her; I don't believe they're working together." Someone reported.

"Travis, what's going on?" She asked, "why do you look so different?" She stared at the wrinkles on his face, wondering what had happened in the span of a week that could've caused him to age so quickly.

"Claudia... I haven't seen you in twenty years, yet you look like you haven't aged a day." He said, then proceeded to take out his gun and aim for her head.