Whumptober+ Short Stories - Volume 2

Prompt 3 - Delirium

When they found him, things were worse than they could possibly have imagined.

As it was, Lexie was the first one on the scene, having taken a shortcut through the building to the containment rooms with Lensar only a few seconds behind her. Finding him from there was easy.

"Angel!" Lexie exclaimed as she ran across the expansive chamber to the separation wall. The lights from the controls illuminated the glass barrier with a freaky greenish-yellow glow, casting little brightness on the actual room itself. She almost tripped on cords twice before she got the wall, immediately punching in the passwords for the release function the moment she could reach the control panel. Behind her, Lensar hurried forward as the glass moved away, creating an opening into the containment cell. Lexie was inside the moment the opening was big enough for her body to get through, running to her friend's side.

From the look of him, Angel was either unconscious or close to it. As Lexie set to work trying to get the chains loose, he cringed, letting out a soft groan.

~

They're back...

~

"Angel? Can you hear me?" Lexie asked anxiously as she finished with the chains and removed his blindfold. "You're okay now, I promise."

~

They're going to take me back...

~

The look in his eyes was all she needed. Yelling back over her shoulder for Lensar, Lexie pulled his arm around her shoulders and tried to get him up. Despite his current state, they had to get moving or they would all be dead. "What's wrong?" Lensar asked as he reached them.

~

Please... don't touch me...

~

"He's in shock. Probably delirious, too, at the very least." Lexie replied hurriedly. "Come on, help me get him up. We're almost out of time."

~

It hurts...

~

Together, the two comrades managed to haul him to his feet, each taking an arm. Lexie was about to suggest that they carry him when her thoughts were interrupted.

"...you win."

Lensar froze for a millisecond, then glanced at his friend's face. Angel gazed back at him with dead, helpless eyes, his expression devoid of any life or hope. On his other side, Lexie frowned. "Angel! It's Lexie! You're safe now. You're with your friends."

"...my friends are dead."

The moment the words left his lips, Lexie gasped, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to ignore what he had said. Angel let out a heavy, ragged breath, wincing as he did so. "You win." he repeated slowly. "Just..."

"... just kill me."