Absence of Day

Screams of The Tortured

The small hideaway Day had been shoved into kept her away from not only light and infection, but most sound. She huddled in the dark, shoved against a cold metal wall that pressed painful grooves into her back. She buried her face in her knees and stayed there in a cowardly, miserly huddle, as the watch wrapped around her left wrist ticked away steadily, ignorant to the turning of events and insanity going on around it. The ticking wouldn't stop either, the high pitched sound pricking in her ears repeatedly enough to drive a growl from the depths of her throat. She focused on keeping her mind steady and focused her thoughts on Josh.
The criminal.
Infected.

Her friend.

She knew now he cared about her, no matter how he might deny it. And she... Cared about him too, with great dismay. She pondered this strange revelation.

At least until the screaming started.

Day readied herself and shoved at the aluminum cover in front of her, bending all her will to break it in half. The screams outside berated her ears, taking all the strength from her body and placing images of glowing red eyes and the disk of a yellow sun inside her head, taunted with the pictures of screaming people burning alive in the energy of a newborn sun's beams. She didn't want this, to... See this. The images kept on pouring down like a river of boiling magma, taking away all her willpower until she could barely support her balance against the wall behind her, let alone break through the one in front. It was all pointless, and the shame was so much she could hardly bare it. Josh was most likely dying out there and she had let herself become trapped in this hidden away, metal hut that was meant for cowards and criminals.

It was funny because that was what they were.

Day choked back a terrible sob, swallowing it and retching until it was gone. She would not let the tears come and burning civilians assaulted her eyes whenever she dared close them, because it was pointless to keep them open in such dark.

A match, a candle? Anything? She wondered desperately. Was there even-

Blinding fluorescent lights streamed in as a scratched hand ripped away the cover and yanked her out, spilling her onto the helicopter floor. Josh's terrified face loomed over her as she struggled to her feet and fell against a wall located conveniently behind her.

"Leave at once!" He commanded in a likely effort to retain his dignity and enforce his goal. "Or you will die!"