The Longest Escape ((on hold))

Meeting From the Past

Max closes the door behind me and the echoing sound bounces against the walls. The room is dark. Dark enough that I can't see my hand just inches from my face. Hundreds of thoughts race through my mind as I try to listen for any other sounds. Nothing. As soon as the door's echo fades, everything becomes silent. It's almost to the point where I wish there are crickets chirping, just to get some sound in the dark place. One cautious step forward becomes two, and two becomes three. As soon as I take a fourth step, a bright red light turns on. I turn my head to find where the light is coming from, but it seems to be coming from the whole ceiling.

Something in my stomach turns and I begin to get an uneasy feeling. The feeling that I'm not alone. I slowly turn, taking in my whole surroundings. Nothing that I can see. I stop and listen for anything, anything at all. My hope for sound comes with a loud grunt behind me. Wincing, I turn around slowly, expecting some sort of animal standing there. Instead, an old man is seated on the ground. Why is there an old man here? And why didn't I see him before?

His eyes are a light blue, almost cloudy as if he is blind. He wears ripped, dirty old clothes, which cover half of his arms and his legs down to his mid-calf. His hair is a gray-white color, and he has a long ruffled beard the same color. "Hello? What's your name?" My voice cracks a few times, making my nervousness noticeable. The man's eyes meet mine, or at least seem to and he slowly blinks. I try to swallow, but my mouth is dry. "Can I help you, sir?" I ask softly.

At that moment, I happen to glance to my right, noticing something out of the corner of my eye. Near the wall a few feet away stands a metal rack with three shelves. On the top shelf, rests a plate filled with food; cooked and seasoned steak, corn, mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots. The second shelf holds only a long kitchen knife, and the last shelf remains empty. As soon as my gaze finds the place where the old man had been a few seconds earlier, my eyes widen at the fact that he isn't there anymore. Where is he...? I think nervously.

"You shouldn't be here young one," an old, cracking male voice sounds from behind me. I can feel his breath on my neck and I stand, frozen to the spot.

"I had no choice." I murmured. The old man lets out what sounds like a snort and I can feel his presence leaving my side. I blink and whip around to find no one behind me.

"Then you better do something about it. That Max character out there. He may seem nice, but he's just playing with you. It's part of his job." The man speaks once again, his voice coming from behind me again. He can move pretty fast for such an old man. And if he's blind too....

I slowly turn around to see him all the way against the wall opposite myself. "That's the thing. I can't do anything. I always get knocked out with that serum or whatever. I can't escape that." I answer him.

"Then try harder, Bri." He says softly. Wait, how does he know my name? I never said anything. And how does he know Max? Hundreds of questions begin to fill my mind as I open my mouth to speak. But, before a sound slips out of my open mouth, I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head to find the metal rack; the bottom shelf that was empty only minutes ago is now filled.

Filled with what looks like pictures and books. I turn my gaze back to the old man and he nods. I slowly start to make my way to the rack, kneeling down once I reach it. Sure enough, there are pictures spread out over one half of the shelf, and three thick books on the other half. Picking up one of the loose pictures on top, my eyes widen and I let out a gasp in shock. There are two people in the picture.

One of them is myself.

The other is an older man, his arm hugging me close to his side. It looked like I was about 10, hugging the man's waist. In the bottom right hand corner of the picture is some writing.