The World's Aftermath [ON MAJOR EDIT]

Chapter 2 [Cleo]

Five minutes quickly passed, everyone is still unsure, too paranoid that we have no idea where we were going. Eric and Austin occasionally argued about who was right and wrong or the small mistakes and blaming it off on each other. And since we've been consciously walking to a small corridor, it was hard to forget how uncomfortable Eric would be in his position. Clearly, the height of this corridor is as bugging to stand around if you were a tall person attached with big arms like Eric.

"Does this place get anymore darker?" Austin says, bringing an obvious thought out from behind me. It wasn't the kind of dark where it's moist and dim with no signs of light or life. I only wish that the lights worked better if they didn't flicker on and off a couple times.

"I hope not," Lisa heaves out an exhausted answer. She decided to walk for last in line, but if i were her, there's a lot more to worry about in that position. The empty gap behind would be like a cold mist of mystery and it only lets you wondering what could come out of it.

"Found anything up front, Eric?" Austin asks.

I don't hear Eric answer him. I guessed him right. He doesn't focus on people's wonder, just his world in his own way.

We keep taking one footstep at a time, one thought inside only asking again if anything made sense, it's driving me crazy, when does this walking end? We've been taking a careful step each time and it feels like it's not worth it if nothing happens. And nothing's happening.

"Eric?" I call upon his real respond, and there it is, the heavy panic breathing starting to swallow me.

"Eric?!" I yell, this time bouncing an echo through the walls.

"Eric, where are you?" Lisa let her full energy of loudness out, she's now starting to sound like me.

My heartbeat raises as it waits for his voice. Just his voice. One beat. Two beats. Three..

Tell me you're still there, I beg for the last hope of this second.

"I'm here!" He answers from a farther distant of echoes bouncing.

My terrorized emotions that tied upon me release it's strength away and I'm finally able to let the sore panic out of my train of thoughts, letting myself know that at least I've still got him.

"I thought we were suppose to stick together," I shouted through our hollow distance.

"I'm just giving you a head start," he says confidently. The deep rolling tone in his usual voice almost belonged to a haunted house. "Careful with the walls, I don't want to see anyone's body crushed by a bunch of flat metal," he adds. "Keep moving!"

We did. Somehow, knowing that we're still okay and not dead for the sake of a test makes me realize that it might be worth it.

"My brain feels so weird..," Lisa grunts, seeming as if her phrase had to wait for letting go at the right time.

"Mine hurts," Austin adds, scoffing a bit in his remark.

As for relating to their statements are tough to argue, I've wanted to tell mine, it's budging through my skull and now is the better time than never.

"Mine is being complicated with itself, like we're gonna die but we're gonna die but we're not," I bit my tongue though the process. There, it's let go, and it doesn't change a thing.

"You guys sound like little kindergartens answering the hardest question. Walk faster, I don't think this place wants us to wait," Eric says.