It's Upon Us (#writewithzo)

It's Upon Us

The sound of my shoes gently slapping against the tiled walkway echoed throughout the eerily empty halls, as I made my way through the seemingly deserted building. The fluorescent lighting installed into the ceiling above me illuminated the otherwise dark facility, flickering every few seconds. For such a prestigious university you would think they'd be better at budgeting their money; the lights were sure to blow out sooner than later. I had been stumbling along the same series of chambers for nearly half an hour, unwilling to admit i was lost.  I was aware that 10:00 pm wasn't an ideal time to request assistance from my professor, however my 30 page essay was due tomorrow morning and desperately needed revision. Knowing my professor as a man who worked diligently, his late after hours were obvious. The man basically functioned as a robot when it came to his job. 

I felt my heart flutter as i spotted a door slightly ajar to my right. 

I gripped on to my closed laptop as i rushed towards the room, slowly nudging the door with my left elbow. My stomach churned at the sight  before me.

The rooms contents implicated that it had been an old laboratory of sorts. Work stations were filed along the walls as surgical instruments associated with the biology department were randomly scattered along the table tops. Most of the room had an apparent layer of dust, indicating it's lack of use over the years. I must have wondered into the part of the building sectioned off for renovation. 

Though it's abandonment wasn't what fueled my intense anxiety induced nausea. It was what remained stationary in the middle. 

An emaciated version of my professor was bound to a metal bed of sorts that was bolted into the ground. His limp head suddenly shot up as he heard my laptop clatter to the ground. His wide eyes scanned the room before falling on my shivering body. He pulled at the leather restraints, to no avail. 

"Leave," his weak voice shot out in a panic.

"What happened to you?!" i questioned as i attempted to loosen his limbs from what held his body captive. "You were in class just this morning." 

"That wasn't me, i've never met you in my life! I've been here for months. The extraterrestrials..." he trailed off.

I eyed him wearily. 

"They've infiltrated the school. Their population is expanding as they shape-shift into US. They can manipulate their bodies into mimicking ours down to the very last detail as long as we remain alive..but it doesn't stop them from experimenting on us.." 

Bile made its way into my mouth as i saw the fresh wounds on his torso. I spotted a tall silhouette hovering over me in the reflection of the metal bed, but it was too late. 

"RUN-" he was cut off as i felt something slam into the back of my head.

"It's upon us," he wept as i fell to the ground before losing consciousness.