Eli

Chapter 10

Eli

Eli held her breath at his sentence and was preparing her body for a sudden movement and escape. She looked at her palms which were still in the nurse's, but it wasn't a firm grip, she could easily let herself free. She checked the door and realized she had no clue where they were holding her or which way, she may get out. Oh, if she hadn't have faded...And she was awfully exhausted and weak. There was no possible way she could get out of here, but she had to try... She felt woman's hand on her forearm. Her sympathetic countenance and smile were gone and instead her expression changed into a terrified grimace.

Now, or never...

Fortunately, the nurse didn't tighten her grip so Eli could have easily put her palm out. She looked hastily at the doctor who was still holding his palms in a snap and in a split second, Eli was on the ground and trying her best to put all her remaining energy into the escape. Maybe it was for a sudden surge of adrenaline that she managed to reach the door. Opened them. Closed them. Luckily, someone had left a key in a lock, she locked the door and realized she was in a corridor. She looked hastily in both sides and decided to run right and so she did. Some unearthly power was guarding her that she even managed to not stumble over the white sheet which was wreathed around her body. Eli kept running further and further...She was no longer a human being, just a machine running blindly ahead, putting one leg before the other, instinctively as a martyr walking his last steps towards the embrace of God with the view of his aim as the only thing urging him not to quit in his task.

She reached the end of the corridor and a staircase appeared before her – not only – also three people in white suits who were now turning their heads in her direction. She quickly turned the corner and wrapped all of herself in the white sheet, wishing they would just pass her. Two seconds passed, three seconds passed...ten seconds passed, and nothing happened. Eli looked from behind the corner into the corridor and staircase. No one had noticed her. She jumped off her shelter and went off down the staircase. There was a window – she was on the first floor...so she just needed to find a bathroom, some clothes and escape... Perfect! What could possibly go wrong?

She felt how adrenaline supplies were slowly tightening, and exhaustion was getting power over her body. Not yet...not yet...

Suddenly she smelled waft of fresh air. Her pupils dilated and nostrils extended, she promptly looked around for a sign of opened window or entrance door. On the left side, there was a huge wooden door, at the end of an empty hall. She turned left and walked along another corridor, she peeked carefully behind a left corner and swiftly drew herself back for there was someone, wandering her way. He had most certainly seen her... Two thoughts rose in her mind: run upstairs and risk that someone who is aware of her escape would arrest her or run straight along and risk that the person whom she spotted would catch her. Eli considered all options for a while, being aware that every wasted second meant less energy and less time for escape. She felt sweat forming on her forehead and peeked again behind the corner, realising, with a sudden relief, there was no one. Eli looked once more, not believing her own eyes, to assure the man was nowhere to find. It did not take long, and she burst into a run towards the entrance door before her.

She walked out of the building into the ashes...

***

The view of abandoned houses with broken windows, missing roofs and springs of ashes lining the shutters and fawning across once-albescent parget made Eli gasp for air. She halted and drove her palms closer to her body, not believing her own eyes. The dream...The nightmare, slumbering and surrounding her in every direction she took was now more vivid than any time before, had gained form, shape, colour, dread... That can't be true...This is...? Is it...?