We're All Insane (5SOS AU)

7

Four Days Before, 3:45am

By the time we found the room, I was nearly empty. Stomach wise and mentally.

We trudged into the hallway, exhausted and scared of our own shadows. I didn't know how long it had been since we were thrown, quite literally, out of the heated room, but I knew it had been at least a day or two.

"I'm so tired," Michael croaked, his lips chapped and throat raspy. I nodded in agreement, beyond the point of arguing with him anymore.
After getting thrown around and abused by some sort of demonic thing, I wasn't in the mood for starting another fight with him. Luke stayed silent, as usual. Ever since the heated room he had barely spoken and I was starting to worry something was seriously wrong with him.

In mid thought I tripped. Of course I would, nobody else has tripped on their feet as much as I have. But looking around, I noticed what I tripped on.

"My glow stick," I whispered in amazement. I looked to the side and saw a room with a bunch of beds, much like the one that was next to our campsite. "Guys. Keep moving."

"Why?" Luke grumbled, looking at me as I stood up. I didn't even bother brushing off my clothes. They were filthy, covered in my own dried blood from a leg cut and dirt and dust. I brushed my hair out of my face and huffed.

"Come on," I repeated, walking briskly until I saw the doorway. I cried out in relief and ran to it, peeking inside. "No fucking way."

Michael let out a raspy laugh and we stumbled into the room. I expected Calum, Ashton, and Mia to all get up from their sleeping bags and join us by now. But it stayed silent. I guess Luke had the same thought because he was wary and looking around.

"Where are they?" Michael asked, taking steps toward the end of the room. I followed him, and the smell hit me at the same time as it did the others. I retched at the sour, rotting smell and plugged my nose. "Oh god, what the fuck is that from?"

I was scared to find out, but I pushed past Michael and finally reached the end of the room. I gagged and my eyes welled with tears.

A sleeping bag was propped up against the wall. Dark liquid splattered everywhere, pooling around in a dried circle around the bag. A very obvious lump was outlined in the sleeping bag. I brought my sleeve covered hand up to my nose and forged ahead. I heard Michael coughing, and Luke was shuffling behind me slowly.

I kicked the bag and it slumped down the wall even further. I looked around for something to pull the stiff, blood covered bag down. Michael eventually found one of the metal rods we had used to cook our hot dogs on so long ago and handed it to be gently. I made a hook on one end and slowly approached the bag again.

Luke gagged again when I moved the bag down slightly and a new wave of stench hit us. I grimaced but continued to shimmy down the bag. Finally, it was down to the ground and I sighed in defeat at what I saw.

The boy that was once one of my best friends was mutilated almost beyond recognition. His jaw was ripped off and his tongue hung down to where his chin should've been. His eyes were gauged out, only leaving sockets like the ones that the demonic girl had in the very beginning of this trip. His whole entire body was ripped open with one long gash, caked with dried blood.

"My god," Michael whispered, looking at what was left of Ashton in horror. "What the fuck did that to him?"

"Where's Mia and Calum?" Luke suddenly asked. I looked over at him and saw him searching the rest of the back, looking for our other friends. "They're gone."

I rubbed my face with my hands, feeling like I was about to cry. But I knew none would drop because I ran out of tears to shed long ago. I needed to stay calm for the boys; they looked ready to start freaking out any minute.