Run and hide ... run and hide ...
His words stayed with her like a menacing curse.
Irina ran, but she didn't know where to go. The room was dim; air damp, reeking of iron and musk. She ran in what seemed like circles before coming to a breathless stop, regrettably aware that she had not escaped the same hole she had plunged. How were her thoughts so unorganized? It was because of him; it had to be, watching her from above like she was a mouse in a game of find the cheese.
Her breath came out hot and heavy as she gasped for air. Was this a panic attack? Irina looked desperately around her. She yearned for a weapon; a door out of this place. But her mind was too jumbled. She could hardly think straight.
Breathe, she begged.
She needed a moment to concentrate; a moment without Heisenberg watching her assess the situation.
Irina took a deep and uneven breath. Her throat was tender; head beating from the tension, but she felt better.
If only for a moment.
"Time is ticking away, darling. You don't want to die at the starting line, do you?"
Irina shot a baleful glance in his direction. "Shut up."
His voice wasn't helping.
Laughing at her only irritated her more.
"Best of luck," he stated.
Before he slammed the trapdoor closed, Heisenberg grinned, staring down at her scared, yet irked expression. "And sweetheart ... don't disappoint me."
"Go to hell!"
The door came down with a bang; dust rained down with it. Thank god he left her alone.
Shutting her sore eyes, Irina took another breath and opened them, rescanning the grimy room. There wasn't much in terms of weapons she could use; this room was void of scrap, and she couldn't imagine tossing a cardboard box at Heisenberg.
Skip it. What's next?
Waiting him out was an ignorant plan. Irina had no reason to trust that he'd keep his word and let her go once the game was over. Hell no. She'd take her chances trying to escape, then worry about fleeing from the village once she returned. First, she needed to find a map and locate the exits – this was a factory; there were bound to be many. Heisenberg gave her an hour; there was plenty she could do in an hour, like secure a sturdy weapon and attempt to remove the shackles from her wrists.
"I can do this," she uttered in assurance.
There was no way he could search every nook and cranny to find her. This factory was enormous; it certainly looked enormous from the outside.
As she was pondering her next move a low rattling noise startled her. From the left, a shutter door opened, as if to welcome her into the next room. How generous of the prick to lend her a hand.
Accepting, Irina moved into the next room. But as she passed through, a high-pitched siren went off and the shutter began to come down, sealing her within. A warning light flooded her in bright red. Irina screamed in frustration and slammed her hands against the rippled metal.
"Fuck you! This is cheating," she snapped.
The siren hurt her ears.
"And shut that damn thing off."
Moments later, the siren went silent, but the warning light remained on – he was a comical one.
Heisenberg wanted her to move onward. Returning to the previous room was not an option.
