LINKAGE (boyxboy)

CHAPTER 28: VISCERAL ENCOUNTER

Having their hands touching the dirty and wet metallic stair while going up felt tiring. Climbing 24 meters up couldn't be as fast as Gavin imagined at first. The anxiety that grew in their heads somehow caused their chest to tighten as time passed. Isaac could see the weak light up there, and nothing had happened so far. No movements, no sounds, no shadows walking around, but he could tell something was waiting for them on the other side of the hatch.

When he finally reached the end and his head was about to pop out the hatch, he heard the noise of something walking quickly, something with heavy steps. Isaac couldn't hold his gun while still on the stairs, but he was afraid of getting out without holding it. He chose to take a risk and go anyway, jumping some steps and already getting out of the hatch, placing his feet on the floor of the camp. Instantly when he touched the white tiles, the light he saw previously faded away, and he was in the middle of the darkness. He quickly grabbed his rifle and put the flashlight on it. Isaac looked around the place as Gavin got up and did the same as him. Isaac spotted the man his mother once asked for help. The last time Isaac saw him he was almost dead with worms eating his body. Now, only bones remained from that human being.

The smoke that left their mouths got thicker, but the environment did not get colder. "What happened to the light?" Gavin asked low, almost in a whisper.

"I have no idea." They heard more quick and heavy steps. It was not coming from inside the room they were in, but it was close. The last time Isaac was there, he heard the same, and that was when he realized their target might be standing next to them.

Isaac moved on, walking slowly out of the room. He faced a hallway and that big capsule filled with a strange blue liquid. Gavin aimed his gun to the left and Isaac to the right, both boys seeing nothing important so far. "Switch to radioactive bullets." Isaac said and they did it. His timing was perfect at that moment. As soon as they switched the clips, they heard the steps again, and they seemed to be coming from their sides. Which one? Simply both. They couldn't tell if the thing was coming from the left or right, but their flashlights showed nothing. That was when among the darkness, an invisible force pushed the boys away, separating them to each side of the corridor.

"GAVIN!" Isaac screamed, receiving no response. "GAVIN!" He screamed louder, feeling his throat itch.

"I'M FINE." Gavin screamed from the other side. Isaac felt like they were not too far, but the distance of their voices showed the contrary.

When Isaac managed to lighten the place he was standing, the invisible force came again and threw him away. His back hit a wall in hard strength, making him cough on the floor several times before getting on his feet. A sonic sound emerged in the room when the monster attacked him this second time, showing that his force was able to pull Bethervan away fast and easy.

All Isaac wanted was to go back to the hallway he was in seconds ago, so he walked slowly trying to find a map of that level of the camp. He didn't even try to call out for Gavin because he was aware they were not close anymore. Isaac saw he was in another corridor, visualizing doors on both sides. The walls were white and dirtied with blood in some parts. He paid attention to every single thing in his surroundings, turning to the sides frequently to see if it would appear all of a sudden.

He turned to the left and kept moving forward. He didn't see a map anywhere on the walls, but he saw a sign saying he was on level 0, so he was close to the storage room he came from. While he was in the middle of the corridor, a door on his right opened slowly, revealing a weak light inside of it, just like the hatch was previously. Isaac thought quickly it might be a trap from the creature, in a way to attract him, but in the end, he needed and wanted to face the demon, so with the tip of the gun, Isaac slowly opened the door. The light faded again, and the boy heard that maleficent and insane laugh.