Cast (#wattys2016)

Chapter Eight

I wake up to noise, a lot of it. I open my door and peer into the hallway, watching nurses and doctors run past me in a frenzy. "What's going on?" I ask Nurse Geheimnis when I see her in the hall.
"There's been an incident in room 218."
"218? That's Finn's room." I burst off towards his room, not bothering to change out of my pyjamas.

When I see the crowd of nurses huddled around the door I start to wonder if Calvin received another slip of red paper, but them I'm distracted by the smell something strange, something like the ocean. I notice Doctor Periwinkle mixed in with the group and I spin him around so he's facing me. "Is Finn ok?" I question, having to yell over the noise of the other people. No, it's not just the other people, there's another sound, like rushing water... Oh. I see it now, water gushing from under the door. "Someone open the door, he could be drowning in there!" I cry.
"We don't know if it's safe." The doctor explains.
"What are you talking about?! The only person it's not safe for is Finn." I scramble through the crowd until my hand is on the brass doorknob, everyone is yelling at me to stop. But I don't stop, no I won't stop. I have to save him. I have to. I yank the door open only to be met with a face full of water: the liquid just kept gushing and gushing and I couldn't breath under its power. Something is up, because there's no way this much water could have fit into Finn's tiny room. You're drowning. I remind myself. Right, I had almost forgotten about that. I try and swim to the surface but I'm not sure where the surface is, I don't really know which direction I'm facing and I'm not really sure if there's anyplace in the Sanctuary that's not flooded. I keep kicking in different directions, but none find air. Maybe this is it. I think. No, it can't be. Maybe you want it to be. I decide to ignore my inner monologue and keep swimming no matter how hopelessly. You're still drowning. I know. Swimming, swimming, swimming. Do I even need to reiterate the obvious? No. Swimming, failing, dying. You're still drowning. Shut up! Fine, but once I shut up... I know! Maybe I should listen to myself, or maybe- suddenly air floods my lungs, sweet, sweet air. I'm still being tossed around by the waves but I can breath, so it's ok for now; it won't be ok for long though, the water level is rising and the ceiling is getting closer. I look down at the water that is carrying me around the Sanctuary and notice that it's bright blue, unnaturally blue. Blue? Oh my god, Cornelius was right, this is the blue stampede. As if on cue, he appears on the wave in front of me at that moment. "Paige my friend, did you properly prepare?" I see that in his hand he's holding a homemade scuba mask made out of a plastic cup and a straw.
"Not really, I didn't expect something like this." I have to yell for him to hear me.
"I'm sorry that I didn't give you better advice, but I promise I'll keep you safe from now on."
"Thanks Cornelius. So, how do we stop the stampede?"
"It can't be stopped, it can only be survived."
"But most people won't survive if it doesn't stop." I think of all the people I care about, I don't want them to die even if Stasia tells me I do.
"We will, because we're prepared."
"How did this even start?"
"I have no idea, I think Mother Nature is just teaching us a lesson."
"But didn't you say it had something to do with the animals?"
"Yes, and I was right." He points behind us, where the crowd of nurses and doctors who had been standing around Finn's room is now being rushed towards us by the flood.
"Oh." Is all I manage to say. When the group makes it to us we'll be pushed and shoved under the water, if only by accident. "Do we swim away?"
"No, it's a waste of energy."
"We'll die if we don't."
"Even if we swim we'll eventually get tired and they'll catch up to us, but if we wait for them to come here we can use our energy to get behind the group."
"Ok then, you're the expert."
"Not really, I'm just some guy you met in the jungle, but thank you."

"Paige, watch out!" I hear Doctor Periwinkle call from behind me. He just adds to the whole 'Blue Stampede' thing. I think and can't help but chuckle. But soon my laughter is stopped when I'm hit in the head by the foot of a nurse.
"Get ready, my friend." Cornelius instructs; but I don't need him to tell me that, I'm already preparing my lungs for the strangulation. I continue to get kicked and punched around by the herd of nurses (pun intended, again). Soon enough I'm buried by bodies and am forced under the liquid death trap. What are you going to do? I'm going to swim behind the group, like Cornelius told me. But the currents too strong, you'll never make it. Yes I will. I swim with all my might, kick, kick, stroke, stroke. Ehem. Yeah, I know. The currents too strong, isn't it? Maybe. Maybe? Yes (no). Did I hear a no? Maybe... Man, I never thought my own mind could be so snarky. What do you think I should do? Kill 'em, all of 'em. Don't turn into Stasia. But I am Stasia, you're Stasia. Shut up! Wow, you try to help... I realize I'm still under the water and need to find air fast; swimming up won't help me, down obviously won't help either, swimming right is impossible with the current and swimming left will just lead me into more people. Kill 'em, all of 'em. Stop with that! With what? The truth. With whatever garbage you're spewing. I'm sorry, do you need some specifics to convince you? How about that Doctor Pooperwinkle up there, he knows way more than he lets on, you know that, so why won't he tell you? You think it's because he has more say in what goes on than he tells you, he's the one who won't let Ari leave and maybe he's even the one running this whole operation. Enough! This really isn't the time for arguing with myself ok? Arguing with myself? I think I'm going insane. I think you're drowning. I think this may be it. I've been trying to tell you that since this whole incident started! Yeah, this isn't looking good. You're just ignoring me now, aren't you? I can't... I can't breath...