Follow a new protagonist Anaka, as she finds herself caught amidst an ominous chase, slowly unraveling the truth behind a faceless corporation, while teaming up with a Billy Coen.
A new beginning. A new nightmare.
"Anaka come on- just give me a sign!" Still no answer from her. Dammit-this better not be like before!! He tried again, to push the lockers out of the way; with no success whatsoever, for the remaining lockers seemed anchored to the ground. That's just great-now what??
A solid twenty minutes had passed, as he paced across the narrow hallway; trapped in the shaft, like a lab rat, with no way out, and a woman who seemed to have just disappeared. A creaking sound suddenly echoed, like rusty hinges scrapping against metal.
Sounded like a door opening-With no place to hide, he tried his best to conceal himself inside one of the lockers; hardly big enough for a man to fit in, he forced himself inside, the door unable to close properly. Let's hope the guard comes this way- I just need to get behind him, and snatch that handle. He could hear footsteps approaching, light and slow.
"Billy?" He heard a whispering voice calling for him, soon realizing it was Anaka's.
"Where the hell did you go?" He stormed out of his hiding place, startling her in the process; his expression was once again frigid. "I called for you, but all I got was silence!" He lashed out at her.
"If you called for me, I'm sorry- I didn't hear you. Between the loud humming of machinery, and the buzzing sound of the ventilation unit, I could barely hear my own footsteps." Her calmness brought him down a notch. "That room was a maze, and pretty much pitch black. My flashlight died out just as I found my way through a long hallway, and inside another room- which I got locked in by the way." He sighed.
"Fortunately, there was a small window I managed to climb up to- it led inside a small storage unit, where I found this." He hadn't noticed the handle she was holding. "Backtracking my way back to you would've been a real pain, but luckily for me, I found a loose panel up on a wall; it led me out in the streets, and I got back here as soon as I could." He noticed a large cut running down her left arm, dirt and moist soil covering her pants, and ripped shirt.
"You're bleeding..." Both his tone and expression softened, a worrisome look spread across his face; realizing how out of character his outbursts were, the recent events messing with his sanity.
"It wasn't exactly easy to get back out... Don't worry though, it's just a scratch." She replied with a small smile. "I'll get it cleaned up later- right now, let's just get out of here." He nodded his agreement.
"I'm sorry." He replied truthfully, as they returned to the only exit. "I thought that maybe-"
"I had found a way out, and decided to leave you behind?" She could read him, for he responded with an apologetic look.
"If that was my intention, I wouldn't have gone back to the Maintenance Room to get you." She stated, as she opened the door. With no further explanation, and much to his dismay, she simply walked out onto Maple Street.
"Wait- what do you mean?" He wasted no time following her. She didn't answer. "How did you know I was there? That I came back inside the shafts?"
"Call it a woman's intuition." She simply answered. "I think this street leads to Cherry Street- we should be able to reach Blossom Inn from here."
"After you." He gestured with a smirk.
Few minutes passed, as they found their way through the city, all the way down to the central area. A quick look around, she soon noticed the neon sign; tucked between a close down convenience store and a old dinner like restaurant, was the familiar facade. They proceeded in.
"Pretty late even for you youngsters to be out." A older man stood up from behind the reception desk, his tone teasing but harmless. "If you're looking for a room, I got one left- single bed though, but doesn't look like it'd be a problem."
"We'll take it." Anaka replied with a smile. She paid in cash, and booked the room for three nights.
"There's the dinner next door if you're hungry." The man informed them; she nodded in appreciation, before proceeding up to the room. Small but quite cozy, it contained the bare minimum, but what it offered them both, was temporary relief. Some time to finally breathe.
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