Descent Into Madness

Chapter 12: What I Deserve

I'm either somehow still alive, or this is hell.

Bracing my hands on the floor, I attempted to push myself up. My back screamed at the movement. Spots flashed in front of my eyes before my arms gave out halfway up, dropping me back to the tile.

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was bone-dry reminding me that I hadn't drank anything in... I don't even know how long.

How long was I out?

The fire in my back had been extinguished, but aches had settled deep into my muscles. Payment for the strain I'd placed on them lately.

I turned my head to the side, cheek pressing against the warm floor, and was rewarded with a view of the closed door. Something about that felt wrong. Blinking slowly, I tried to kick my brain into gear. Easier said than done when my cerebrum was attempting to pound its way out through my frontal bone.

Did I close the door?

The answer took its sweet time to come to me. I hadn't.

Who...?

As far as I was aware, there was only one other person here. My heart sped up. With a new burst of energy, I managed to climb to my knees, hands braced on on the floor to help keep me there.

"Ph-" I coughed, knives running up the inside of my throat at the action. Squeezing my eyes shut, I waited for the sensation to pass.

A thought hit me. I hadn't looked at the rest of the room, could he be sitting there? Watching me suffer? Payback for what I did? It wouldn't be like him. He's too good for that.

Or maybe he managed to close the door before he bled out, and his corpse is lying on the makeshift bed. That would be worse.

My breaths became difficult forcing me to take huge gulps of air that didn't feel like they were reaching my lungs.

I wanted to look. But my head wouldn't turn. My eyes wouldn't open.

Just look!

My eyes snapped open, flickering around the room. No Phineas.

Using the wall as leverage, I awkwardly stumbled to my feet.

Where was he? He had to have been the one that closed the door.

My knees shook, electricity shot through my legs, and I started to sink back down before catching myself on the wall. Leaning on it caused my back to throb. I groaned. I'm never going to get anywhere like this.

Using the wall as a support, I slowly inched my way along it until I was as close to the makeshift bed as I could get while still touching it.

I took a deep breath before stepping away from the wall. Five swaying steps towards the bed and my right leg gave up. I broke my fall with my arms, jarring them and for a brief moment, my vision went black as the pain became overwhelming. I couldn't stop from crying out. It sounded weak to my ears.

Somehow, I managed to crawl to the bed and, with some awkwardness, climb onto it. I was out of breath as I tried to find a position that didn't shoot electrical shocks through my veins.

Is this my punishment? The penance I must pay?

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

Can't claim I don't deserve it.

Maybe one of those creatures will manage to break down the door and put me out of my misery. It was a stupid thought. Even in torment, I didn't seriously want to die. Especially if Phineas might be alive somehow. My intelligence told me he was dead, that he couldn't have survived, but everything else fought against it. He was still out there. He had to be.

But is he same? He is still himself? The questions were whispered in my mind before darkness once again claimed me.