Trials of the Test Subjects

Chapter 12: Shadows and Echoes

The silence was thick as we made our way down the corridor, each step cautious and deliberate. Lyn led, his eyes scanning every shadow, while Sera and I moved closely behind, every sound making our nerves jump.

The hallway felt endless, punctuated only by the hum of malfunctioning lights above. Our footsteps echoed, breaking the stillness in unsettling ways. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching us, lurking just beyond sight.

“We should be nearing another junction,” Lyn whispered, checking the path ahead. “If we’re lucky, there’s a route to a safe zone.”

Sera let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Since when have we been lucky?”

Her words hung in the air when, from behind us, we heard a faint, rhythmic tapping. We froze, glancing back into the shadows. The sound grew louder, deliberate, like someone—or something—trailing us.

Lyn motioned for us to move faster, and we broke into a brisk pace, careful not to make too much noise. The tapping continued, relentless, as if it was mirroring our steps.

A doorway loomed ahead, marked "Storage." Lyn tried the handle, and it opened with a creak, revealing a cramped room lined with shelves stacked high with medical equipment and supplies. Rows of syringes, old medical scanners, stacks of bandages, and bottles of various medicines filled every inch of space, casting eerie shadows under the dim, flickering light.

We slipped inside, closing the door softly behind us, our breaths barely under control. The air smelled of antiseptic and age, tinged with the faint metallic scent of medical supplies long abandoned.

The tapping outside grew louder, then stopped just beyond the door. We held our breath, the silence sharp and suffocating.

Then, a whisper drifted through the door. “I see you.”

A chill ran down my spine, my skin crawling as the voice repeated, softer but closer, “I see you…”

We exchanged a terrified look, and Lyn pointed to a low shelf near the back, partially obscured by rows of medicine boxes. “Over there,” he mouthed, motioning for us to duck down and hide.

We crouched behind the shelf, surrounded by the cold medical equipment, as the door handle jiggled softly, and then—silence. We held still, hearts pounding, waiting.

After a long, tense moment, the footsteps retreated, fading down the hall. Only then did we let out the breaths we’d been holding, the relief tinged with a lingering dread.

Sera broke the silence in a whisper, “We need to get out of here.”

Lyn nodded, and we slipped out of the storage room, our movements swift and quiet. The shadows stretched around us as we moved forward, deeper into the heart of the unknown, knowing that the real dangers were still out there, watching and waiting.