Vial #127

Chapter 17: Delirium of Dreams

Startled, I step back. Already biters are piling over Bill's body. More still come out, exploding over his figure. Countless biters mill about in the room.

"We need to get out of here!" My eyes are wild as I look to Stef. I hurry back into the cell and attempt to untie Sadie. Her shoulder has the cold imprints of the metal digging into her skin. At first, she can barely walk. Stef and I support her, like crutches, as we hobble down the hall. The swarm of biters are squishing forwards, closer to us.

"Aiden!" I yell, hoping that his voice will guide me to their cell. A shout emerges from the first chamber. We reach the door; a pair of keys is looped onto a hook. I take them, desperately shoving them into the lock. No luck. Sadie and Stef are trying to overpower the biters but the overwhelming numbers are no match for them.

The other key I try slides smoothly into the lock and I pinch the end, twisting it over. The door slides open. Rushing in, I see all three boys, tied to chairs in heaps of rope. Quickly, I run over to Aiden's, fumbling with the knot. As soon as I untie it, the rope loosens and he slides out, rubbing his wrists. I go help Jackson while Aiden gets Will. Eventually Will stands up and we go out to help the girls.

Jackson's knot is intricate, my fingers are going raw from the constant friction with the rope. Aiden helps me, scanning the room for something sharp, like a knife. The others are yelling for us to hurry up. Finally, the tie slides loose and we pull Jackson up and head for the door.

Once we're out in the hall, we hurry to the exit. I stand just outside, waiting for the rest to come out. When Stef exits, I slam my whole force against the door, urging the rest to go on. Everyone leaves for the truck except for Aiden. As the others rush out of sight, I relax my muscles from the force against the door, dashing through the trees, Aiden by my side.

Going back to the opening seems triple the journey. Nothing looks recognizable; the path seems to have disappeared. Still the hoard stumbles around behind us, forcing us forwards.

"What time is it?" I ask, trying to locate myself in the chaos. If I could figure out the time in relation to the sun's position, I could find a way back to the road.

"I don't know, I lost track of time in there," he says apologetically. I grab his hand leading him in the direction of a slight slope. The lower the altitude, the more chance of finding the river. The forest seems perpetual. The constant drone of birds chirping makes my mind go static. Bark and rotting leaves cover the ground.

"Watch out!" Aiden yells just in time, and I hurdle over a fallen log. A branch sticking out nips at my calf and I can feel warm blood draining down my leg, attracting more biters. The wound in my shoulder is still coursing blood, as well. My left hand must be fractured; even to move the wrist causes the bone to erupt in pain, like a volcano spewing lava.

I push through the extent of my injuries, knowing that if I give up, I jeopardize Aiden's and my life. My head is pounding in an angry storm of misery. There seems to be no way out of this maze. Every tree is different; the bark marks are unique like fingerprints. The ground seems to gradually slope down but still, there's no hum of flowing water.

We are lost but the swarm is long behind us, leaving us alone. The trees sway back and forth from the wind above the canopy. The sun seems to fade, slowly dipping down below the horizon. That must be west so we have to go south. I realize we've been going the wrong direction and guide Aiden to the left. Hopefully my inner compass is correct. After a while, the pulsing from my leg intensifies, slowing us down even further. I lean more and more against Aiden, relying on his support to stay upright. The environment in front of me blurs in and out of focus. Is this dehydration, or is this something else?

My mouth is parched and my blood feels heavy, almost toxic. My head weighs me down, my knees slowly sweeping to the ground and my movements unnatural.

The trees suddenly swoop upwards, leaving my body flat against the ground. Aiden kneels down beside me, gently calling my name. Eventually he wraps his arms around my torso, sweeping me up. My fingers are twitching; tiny seizures rolling through my body. This isn't dehydration. My skin turns deep red. Blood rolls down the sides, seeping out of me, like when you squish a water-filled sponge. "You're hallucinating." I urge my mind to think straight but strange visions keep coming back.

A man walks beside us; my Father. "Emma, keep going, you'll make it." He smiles, ruffling my hair.

"I know I will," I think to myself. He disappears and I shriek, "where are you?"

"Emma, I'm right here, you're seeing things," Aiden whispers and then shushes me. I hold onto his chest, burying my head into his body. The everlasting beat of his heart fills my head with rhythm. My own heart seems to beat unevenly, sending tremors through my body. Clutching Aiden's shirt in my hands, I begin to cry. I don't mean to but the chemical imbalance of my system forces it.

Suddenly, Aiden falls down, my face landing against the cold, hard ground. "Emma, Emma!" he hollers, holding me close. I raise my head, trying to get a look at what happened. Between the trees I can see my Father, watching the events with hard eyes. A swarm of biters walks right past him, towards Aiden and I.

"Aiden, do something," Aiden remains motionless.

"Daddy!" I scream. He watches as the swarm forms a circle around us, closing in. Then one pounces on top of us and closes its sharp yellow teeth around Aiden's neck.