The 0714 Files: File #1 Inferno (Remake 2)

Chapter 22

September 29th, 10:36 P.M

I release a shaky breath at the feel of the cool muzzle pressed against my temple at my own volition. I can't do it. It's become too hard.

My eyes shut as another dejected thought races through my mind. Just do it. Once it's complete it'll all be over and you'll have escaped for good. Umbrella will never lay a hand on you again to manipulate you into the monster they want you to be.

Then why is it suddenly so difficult to pull the trigger when I've never struggled to do it before if I'm this desperate to end my agony? Am I that scared of dying? Or maybe I'm just scared to be the one who does it.

I open my eyes and penetrate the dark oak of the desk in front of me. The tape recorder sits beside my right arm and has long since been forgotten. Tears well in the corner of my eyes, for a few seconds they obediently stay and don't run. My body doesn't accept how pointless it is to keep trying to fight for some kind of hope as easily as it's accepted the damage done to me by everything else that's happened in this week. The bruises on my chest haven't begun to heal yet, though the tape I put on last night has been removed, but I still can't wear any of the bras I packed. Though it's not like it matters if I'm without one. Miraculously my ribs weren't cracked or broken by that monster ramming into my chest yesterday, but breathing is still difficult. And I can't apply any pressure to any part of my torso without feelings of excruciating pain accompanying it.

Standing alone produces a dull ache that's impossible to ignore.

Besides the physical trauma is the mental trauma. I don't know how well I've recovered from seeing things all day yesterday. Witnessing those visions seemed to only damage me further.

Do it, Madeleine. Take away your pain once and for all. There's no one here to see you at your lowest point and know how weak you've become.

There really isn't anyone left, is there? In a matter of five days, the people I knew, the home and friends I had made in this city. It was all gone. Slaughtered and robbed from me by the outlandish crimes against nature that Umbrella made plausible with the creation of their T-Virus and everything else. The people in this city who were hurt because of their products... John, Stephan, and Marvin on top of all of the others. They were innocent people who lived their lives like they deserved to. In peace and ignorance of the residing evil in their town. They lived their lives the way I'll never get to experience.

I should have left with Chris the day he went to Europe, and now I'm paying the price for my decision. Waiting to die from either this gun, another monster inside the police station, or even Irons finding me. The latter actually did end up coming through here again not too long ago, rattling something loudly in his hands while I ducked beneath a desk behind me. Hoping, and praying to whatever that he wouldn't come around the corner and spot me hiding there. I don't know what was scarier about the situation either, thinking I might be spotted any minute, the sound of the mysterious object in his hands, or the whistling of some tune I don't know.

If I'd been in a better condition, I'd have shot him then and there. I was so terrified by the possibility he was just another hallucination though... I cowered and hid instead.

Elliot found me earlier today, he'd informed me he finally found the third statue and was working on getting the codes to unlock the medallions. He tried the best he could to check me, saying it'd take something like several weeks for my ribs to heal in their state. If I had a concussion, it wasn't enough to require immediate medical attention. Although, when was that going to be possible in our predicament? He gave me more Tylenol and Ibuprofen to help with the pain and swelling, cautioning to go easy on them. But when he knew he couldn't do anything else, he set off again to see if there was anything to tell him of the codes. I appreciated what little help he could offer though, it's more than I expected.