After the End (on pause)

Chapter 5: 10:30 - midnight

dedicated to summersurfs for dedicating chapter 10 of her amazing story, secrets of the deep, to my other account.

Chapter 5: 10:30- midnight

"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones"- Stephen King

Minutes, hours, maybe years later, I wasn't quite sure of how long it had been, I found myself blankly staring at a wall. I sighed as I rose up from my cross-legged position, wincing as my knees cracked upon straightening. I must have been sitting down for much longer than I had originally thought. I felt emotionally wasted and empty, a fact that concerned me most of all. I should be upset, mad, afraid, something; anything. But as I sat in contemplation, I just couldn't muster the energy to feel anything other than utter desolation. I picked up my backpack from the floor and exited the room, as I couldn't bear to stay in a place with so many memories. I went into the hallways and just wandered aimlessly. One hall blurred into the next and doors were disregarded as I passed in my blank fog. It was a foreign feeling, being empty, yet strangely liberating, as I was completely comfortable and for the first time that night, not a shiver of fear passed down my spine. Well, that was; until I heard it.

A slow ba-bump made its way to my ears, at first nothing more in volume than the sound one would make while breathing out a puff of air. But soon the sound grew until it was surrounding me. While not completely terrified, I felt disquieted. I paused at the first whisper of sound. As I looked around myself I realized I was right back here I had begun, outside that room. The thought washed over me like a bucket of ice water and suddenly, I snapped into alertness. I felt no rush of emotions other than wariness but I was suddenly aware. The crunch of dirt beneath my feet registered in my mind as well as the steadily growing thump in my ears. It seemed as though it was a popping in my ears at first, but as the sound grew I knew it was anything but internal. It was a pulsing bass that could be soothing in other context but was completely overwhelming as I was alone in the dark. The fact couldn't be denied that the sound was distinctly that of a heartbeat.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The volume level steadily increased around me as my heart began a pounding beat of its own. It was as if the building were alive, its central vessel pulsing around me in a daunting rhythm. I walked slightly farther down the hall only to find the sound growing more with each step. At this point the pounding seemed to be surrounding me and made my breath quicken as panic slid its ice-cold fingers down my neck. Swallowing my fear I slowly approached the wall that seemed to be drawing me towards it. I slowly reached my hand towards it only to quickly flinch away when I found that not only was the wall pulsing with the beat, it was warm. The warmth didn't feel as just a room temperature wall however; it felt like the radiating warmth so commonly associated with life. That observation alone frightened me.

So as I tend to do, I screamed. But this wasn't a scream of fear or pain or utter terror, no, it was a scream of frustration one lets out when they've reached their wits end. Banging one fist on the wall, I simply walked away. I was tired of this damn asylum screwing with me. I couldn't even be sure if something paranormal was occurring or if it was just my own brain tricking me. I wasn't one to be scared or cower in fear and I was tired of being that girl. I live to watch horror movies and I revel in adrenaline, so why was this experience so different from any of those? My walk quickened pace to a jog, then a run, which didn't slow until the pounding beat was replaced by the slapping of my shoes against the ground.

A while later I slowed, catching my breath. I let out a deep sigh and sunk to my knees. I just didn't know what to do at this point. I was trapped by the petty fear of what would happen if I gave up and left after only... 6 hours, I realized my eyes widening as I noticed that my watch already said 11:20. I let a short puff of laughter as I realized I was already about half way through my uninvited visitation to the asylum. I allowed my eyes to precariously drift closed and tilted my head against the wall.