Survival: Fight or Flight

2nd Hour: Attack in the Dark

A/N:

*swivels in armchair to face readers*

Well, well. It's been a while, since my last update.

Now before you decimate me, calm your angry hearts, please, and hear my excuse.

I uh... well you see, I... uhm.

(this is so awkward)

*drops smoke bomb and flees*

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01:00 - 02:00 GMT

_That's right, Drake._

And then a long silence replaced that confirmation - the Maniac was back.

"What am I supposed to do?" I finally asked, my voice breaking a little.

_Survive, of course. I believe we are clear on that already._ 

"How?" I mumbled, burying my face in my hands again.

_That is entirely up to you._

The cold of the night, and my fear, sent another chill down my spine. I trembled slightly.

_Honestly, Drake,_ the Maniac suddenly said. I lifted my head and stared ahead of me at nothing. _I did not expect you to make it this far._

"Wh-- what?"

_You should not have survived that implosion, Drake. I had not counted on that open window..._

Implosion? That was not an explosion, but... an implosion? But how did it propel me forward?

My teeth were beginning to chatter now, but more so because of the cold.

_And such control. It is not very often I encounter a human who controls his fear so well. You have potential, Drake. Some of the other players have lost already..._

I suddenly remembered that eerily directionless scream. A silent chill slithered down my spine.

_But you have only just began. Perhaps... perhaps you will prove yourself a much better player..._

This time the silence was more bearing, and I knew the Maniac was gone. But I just sat there on the wall, still too shaken to do anything.

01:03 GMT ...

It was hard to take my mind off the unnatural silence. Silence like no other life existed around, apart from mine. As if apart from me, no other thing, living or non-living, made any sound at all. And in that kind of unnatural silence, it was impossible to stop my head from replaying that frightened, hopeless scream, again and again. That scream which sounded like it heralded an end.

A sudden gust of cold wind blew past; there was no whooshing sound. I shivered.

And then out of the silence, suddenly, a blood curling howl rang out, echoing uncharacteristically many times in the night.

I jumped forward off the wall, covering an impossible distance in the leap, and spun around right after my feet touched the floor. My eyes scanned the darkness ahead frantically. This time, this sound had a direction. This time it had come from a source in the distance, directly behind where I had been.

But I couldn't see anything. And the moonless night was not helping either. I squinted and angled my head, straining to see better, and taking frightened small steps backward. My heart was pounding. I felt even more defenseless without my bat, which I'd left by the wall in the adrenaline-powered leap. I eyed it - my only weapon. My only weapon, which was useless here.