Resident Evil Dark Files: Raccoon's Shadow (with OG character)

Out of the frying pan and into the pot

I ripped the door to the elevator open before it had a chance to stop and stumbled out. I gawked at the empty shaft, waiting for those slithering demons to fill it up at any moment. When nothing happened, I let myself breathe.

Rushing water and the rustle of leaves filled the air. The smell of flowers and grass caught my attention. I finally dropped my eyes from the elevator and explored the new area it brought me to.

It was odd hearing the peaceful sounds of crickets and other bugs floating in the air for such a horrendous night. A stone waterfall in the matching wall stood before me; the constant rush of water was melodic and soothing as I studied it. I stumbled over the crooked stones and inside the secret garden, admiring the stone pillars and the fountain in the center. Vines covered every last inch of the place, hiding the old architecture underneath--

--Another elevator lay hidden in the wall; I nearly overlooked it as the vines covered it so well. I tried the button on the side, but nothing happened. There was an empty space beside the button--probably where a battery or some charging device would sit. I clucked my tongue and retraced my steps back over to the waterfall--

--That's when I noticed the other trail to my left closed off by a rod iron gate that looked older than dirt.

Well, I got nowhere else to go except back into the snake pit.

With a shudder, I pulled the gate open, wincing as it creaked loudly in the night. The path was covered in a canopy of vines and plants, blocking the night sky above. The trail twisted and turned until I finally came to a wooden door.

My heart hammered away in my ears, making it hard to think as I reached for the door handle. It turned easily, and the creak from the hinges rang out. It was dark inside--nearly impossible to see, but I made out the odd shapes of a window and a corner where it must open up on the other side. I hesitated a moment before stepping over the threshold.

The second my foot stepped inside, I immediately felt off. A heaviness weighed on my shoulders to the point of suffocation. My breath came out in rapid puffs as I took another step inside. The feeling sank into my bones--it was a feeling I felt only once before--at the R.P.D morgue. Death--

--The floorboards creaked under my weight, echoing loudly into the corridor and making me shiver. A smell lingered in the air, making my eyes water and my stomach churn. All my alarms went off, but I ignored them as I approached the corridor entrance.

The potted plants at my feet caught my attention. Their blue leaves pricked something in my brain, but I couldn't recall. The soil was bone dry, and the plants were wilting. Looks like no one has looked after them for some time. I swooped down and inspected them, confirming my suspicions.

Blue herbs. They're native to the mountains.

I fixed the strap on my backpack, started down the hall, and tried my luck with the first door. To no surprise, it was locked. I moved over to the next but was met with the same thing. My last resort was the double doors at the end.

"Third time is a charm, right?"

My hand stilled on the handle as I heard footsteps on the other side--multiple footsteps by the sounds of it. I pulled away quickly and felt my hand slide to the firearm on my hip.

I jumped back and forced the gun out of its holster, and lifted it up at the doors, waiting for them to open, but they remained closed. The footsteps were audible even without my ear to the door now. They grew louder, and for a split second, I was worried whoever was on the other side would open the door.

The pounding in my chest hurt my head, and I desperately scraped my dry tongue over my chapped lips to no relief. My feet eagerly pointed towards the exit, but my eyes and gun remained fixed on the door handle. It didn't jiggle or even turn, telling me that whoever was inside was staying there.