Chapter 11: The shadow

(Meghan)

'Oh my god!' Meghan though to herself, 'It really is him…'

Meghan was surprised she didn't recognize him at first. She figured that it was probably because a big chunk on the left side of his face was missing. His cheek seemed to have been ripped off as blood continued to stream down his neck. The ends of his lips were missing too, leaving his teeth and gums exposed. He also appeared to have several lacerations on his shoulders and neck. It was painfully obvious that his death had been a brutal one.

Now here he was, turned into one of the Deathless. A fate that, according to Meghan, was even worse than dying.

Seeing Adam like this made her feel mournful. She didn't know him very well. In fact, she had interacted with his parents and his elder sister more. But one thing she knew for sure was that he and Ray were close friends. They'd known each other for years. It was probably excruciating for him to see Adam in this state.

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Hey, are you okay?" she whispered to him.

She knew he wasn't. But she didn't know what else to say to him.

"I—I just need a second," he whispered back.

Meghan understood that he needed some space. She let her arm rest across his shoulders and stood next to him in silence. She wondered what was going through his mind. Did he feel regret? Did he blame himself for not being able to save his friend? In times like this, your mind was your own worst enemy. It made you think things that only made these kind of circumstances harder to bear. Meghan was all too aware of what that felt like.

Ray started moving unexpectedly.

He didn't say anything. He just turned away from the door suddenly and started going down the stairways again.

Meghan followed close behind.

She didn't know the right words to offer comfort in a situation like this.

'What do you even say to someone whose friend has turned into a monster?' she wondered.

She wished she were better in the empathy department. But it wasn't just that. They were on a clock. Their task was very much time-based. The longer they took to reach the basement, the more likely it is to be swarming with Deathless. They simply did not have time for anything else. It seemed as though Ray was already aware of that, which explained why he walked away as swiftly as he did.

The next group of Deathless they saw was on the fifth floor. There were around three of them out on the corridor. Just as they were about to descend the stairways further, they heard a shrill scream coming from one of the flats on the same floor. In an instant, all the Deathless standing on the other side rushed towards the source of the sound.

More screams followed. There were multiple voices this time. One of the voices sounded like it belonged to a small girl.

Meghan closed her eyes tight and blocked her mind from picturing their gruesome fate.

"Momo," Ray called. He was somehow an entire flight of stairs below her.

"I'm coming," she said and went after him.

Their pace had slowed down considerably for the final few floors. They were both tired after the long descent. Neither of them was used to this level of physical exertion, especially considering how they had spent a major part of the last two years stuck inside their homes. To say that they weren't in the best shape would have been an understatement. Both of them were panting audibly as they descended the final stretch of stairs.

When they finally made it to the bottom of the stairways, they breathed a sigh of relief in unison and collapsed against the wall for a well-deserved rest.

"My legs are killing me," Meghan complained.

"Better that than being killed by one of those things…" Ray remarked.

"Not funny,"

"Yeah, I know." He said apologetically, "I'm not in my best form."

Meghan took a few seconds to steady her breathing. She looked over at Ray who seemed visibly glum. She still hadn't constructed the right words to say to him but she decided to try anyway.

"Ray," she started, "do you want to talk? About… Adam?"

"No," he answered, "at least not now. Not until we know we're safe."

Meghan gave him an understanding nod.

"Well, we're finally here. The basement…" she said.

"We've made it this far" Ray began, "Only a little bit further…"

"You think the parking lot is swarming with them?" Meghan asked, worriedly.

"It's very likely." He said, "That's why we have to move fast. You got the car keys on you?"

"Yeah, they're in the bag."

"Give them to me."

Meghan unzipped her bag and fished the keys out. She handed them over to Ray who promptly tucked them into his pocket.

"Okay, tell me where your car is."

"It's parked right before the ramp." Meghan answered, "The moment you pass through F Block's entrance, you'll be able to see it. It's a red Hyundai."

"It's near the ramp?" Ray asked to reaffirm, "That's pretty close. Hardly a couple of feet from where we are. Now the only problem is…"

Suddenly, they heard a loud groan coming from the other side of the door. Ray immediately stopped talking and put his guard up. He crouched low and moved towards the door, he pressed his back against it in an attempt to barricade the door shut. He signaled Meghan to move out of the line of sight of the window.

She promptly complied. As she got out of the way, something appeared in front of the transom window. An uncanny shadow blocked the thin stream of light that was coming through. Meghan gulped hard. Had she managed to get out of the way in time? She wasn't sure of the answer. She just pressed herself against the wall and prayed, her eyes fixated on the door handle.

Beads of sweat broke across her forehead. Her tension was palpable. She could feel goosebumps erupting over her arms as every second that passed by seemed like several minutes.

Then, something happened that scared the life out of her.

The shadow stirred and the door handle began to turn.

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