No Surrender | Eddie Munson

Chapter Twenty-Six: End of the Rainbow

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: END OF THE RAINBOW

(DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER -— BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
We can be like they are

——————

The engine shuts off. I don't move for a while, just staring blankly ahead.

A hand rests on top of mine. "Okay," I hear Eddie sigh, "you're not being honest with me. You wanna take photos of this dump?"

I nod innocently. "Was thinking of starting an art project on abandoned buildings. They're cool."

"Beth. Come on."

"Look, if you wanna stay here, feel free to. It might actually be a good idea what with, you know... the chemicals and shit."

But he is already out of the van, opening my door before I can.

The lab seems to rise before us, larger than ever before. Its radar dishes scrape the blue above. No lights shine from the many rows of windows, no signs of life inside.

I a deep breath and push the doors open. It takes less effort than I had thought.

The blood is gone now but I can still smell it. It's thick and musty, clouding my senses. Sickening.

My grip on the flashlight tightens until my fingers are fit to break. It takes everything in me to stave off the stinging that often comes before an involuntary hijack.

We move through a set of double doors that gape open, inviting us in. This place feels like a trap. Every time I set foot in it, I half expect that it will be the last thing I ever do — of my own free will, at least. But it doesn't stop me from seeking answers.

The corridors seem to stretch out with each step, continuing on for as far as the weak beams allow us to see. We turn a corner. Then another.

Our flashlights both flicker.

"Okay," Eddie nervously chuckles, the unexpected sound from behind startling me. "That's not creepy at all."

I can feel the cold again. It passes through my veins like ice, freezing me on the spot.

Another pulse of light catches something out of the corner of my eye. We stand next to a door, the same, dull white as the rest of the lab's interior. A small, silver plaque nailed to it is engraved with a number: 001.

These numbers continue down the corridor on both sides — odd on the right, even on the left. I remember them. It doesn't come in a flash like I expect. Instead, the memory nags in the back of my head, too vague to grasp onto.

Shuffling past me, Eddie reaches for the door handle. I grab his wrist before he can touch it. The action comes more on instinct, not even allowing me time to think. I don't know what it is but I don't like that room. I don't trust it.

"You good?"

"Stellar," I murmur, leading him as far away from the rooms as I possible can. Another door to our right catches my attention but I don't dare to look in.

Our exploration continues until I feel a light pull on my arm. "Hey, Bethy? Come take a look at this." He points to another door. This one does not have a number. The only thing to mark it is a rainbow painted beside the frame. "What do you think it means? Like, a code or something? Project Rainbow?"