Musings in Manila: Paper Mask X Reader

Chapter 6-Paper Mask

Out of all the transitional rooms you found yourself in, this one was certainly the messiest. Once again, it was configured exactly the same as the last room.

"This is getting too predictable." You mumbled.

A large bucket of water was poured out all over the floor, and a single moldy bagel sat in the middle of the puddle. The diner chairs were moved around to form a fort, which was quite cool. But the message on the wall besides it was worrying. It read "Out of food, we leave today." The tick marks besides it showed that whoever was here last stayed for thirteen days. All of the cabinets were open, but just as the message said, there was no food available. Even the fridge was empty.

At the next diner table, two pillows were placed together with a gas mask on top. "It's a goose!" was scratched onto the wall besides it. There were a few plushies below the "goose" along with an open lunch box. It contained a half eaten slice of pizza. It didn't look that old, so you picked it up and took a bite, too hungry to care about where it had been. You immediately regretted your decision. It tasted extremely stale, but the worst part was the texture. It was so soggy and gross, you were surprised it didn't fall apart in your hands. You spat out the pizza, dry heaving even after it was out of your mouth.

"I'm going to die here." You coughed.

Now fully disgusted by the room you were in, you decided to continue on into the next level. You quickly moved through the entrance. The next room looked somewhat like a jail cell. There were metal bars making up a wall in front of you, with a space in the middle as a doorway. More flashlights were littered across the floor. Predictable once again, but your gratefulness for these lights was growing with every dark room you passed through. You picked one up and carried on. Directly outside the first cell was another, which was locked. Behind this cell was the exit, and if you wanted to escape, you would need a key.

"Alright, bring it on!" You said, trying to sound confident.

There were two paths. One hallway to the left and one to the right. You began to walk down the right hall, but heard a loud crashing sound quite a distance away, as if someone had broken out of a cell.

"Or maybe not?" You croaked wearily.

You continued down the hall, cautiously this time. If it weren't for the life or death situation you were in, it would have been impossible to focus. You were hungry, thirsty, and above all absolutely exhausted. Your mood kept changing rapidly and your brain was working a hundred times per second. You imagined escaping and indulging in big feasts of all your favorite food. A growling sound snapped you back to attention.

Your first thought was that your stomach was just being vocal about it's emptiness. However, the sound was more far off, towards the direction of the crash. You quickened your pace and found a large, open room. There was a forklift near the wall. You wandered over and checked it out, but it was unpowered and useless.

"How did a forklift get here?" You wondered outloud. "Hm. Probably the same way my car did."

As you were inspected the vehicle, a red light swept through the room, along with a louder growl. You swiveled around to find the source. A large, floating eyeball entered the doorway on the other side of the room. It was split horizontally down the middle, allowing for a large mouth with a row of dagger sharp teeth on both the top and bottom. Its iris was neon red, also split by the mouth. It glowed brightly, causing the room to change color. It had a black slit pupil which was staring directly at you. It floated towards you hastily, roaring and snapping its jaw.

You sped out of the room the way you came. The eye followed closely behind you, matching your speed. You made it back to the beginning, then took the left hallway instead. You ran down different halls, not really having time to search them well. The growling entity was in hot pursuit, the red light following behind you serving as a constant reminder. There was another wide open room with yet another forklift. As you tried to run past, the light coming from the eyeball creature glinted off a small silver object.