Waiting Between Worlds

It's funny when you're young and you think about your future. You think about everything you want to do, places you want to go, people you wanna meet.

In the end it's not really your decision. I don't believe it ever is. I didn't choose what happened to me. It just happened. An equal reaction to my action. 

But God, this heat. 

I turn back to the doors. A slight breeze coming from down the dimly lit corridor. 

So close. I was so close. Ironic really for me. Walking towards the doors, the veins in my arm pulsing violently, warm crimson liquid dribbles to the pristine white floor from the little cavaties in my skin. 

Then again, the world that's out there now, there's no place for someone like me...

A metallic click sounds from behind and the scarlett red numbers begin ticking away on the screen. The doors on the five sides are thrashing, the iron bars holding them intact but only just. 

Gotta time this just right...

I reach the doors, the sound of heavy boots fast approaching from the down the corridor reaches my ears. Instinctively I punch the button on the wall and hold for 1-2-3-4-5-

He reaches the door from the other side. He begins shouting and thrashing it too, not understanding why I've closed it. I bring my arm into view and he stops. He looks at my face to the ticking clock behind me. His head down, he leans against the door with his hands. My fist still on the button -6-7-8-9-

He stands up straight and presses his palm to the impregnable glass of the door. His eyes seem glassy, was he crying? I hold my palm up to his. Seconds tick by. 10-11-12

I let my palm drop and nod to him to go. He stares for a moment and reluctantly turns, running up the corridor back into the darkness before the light.

-16-17-18-19-20 

'Emergency doors sealed. Sterilisation procedure initiated'

I walk back to the centre, the doors still thrashing hard. I get to the control panel and stare at the numbers. A sharp pain shoots through my arm. Through gritted teeth I stare at the black beneath my pale skin working it's way through my veins. Not long now. My body was on fire, my legs weak I buckled and sat leaning against the the cool of the timer. Eyes begin to lose focus, heart beat rising through my chest, the sound deafens me. 

They keep at it on the doors. I stare at the one infront of me, the metal bar shaking. The damn thing was coming loose. I pull myself up to the timer. Thirty seconds left. 

I turn back to the door, naturally reaching for my gun but realising I no longer had it. For the first time since this hell ride began, I was scared. I backed away from the door, only to hear another metal bar snap to the side of me. Damn it come on!

My heart nearly stops as the first door's metal bar hits the ground. The doors push open to reveal the stinking, decomposing, horde. The second bar comes off, more of them appear through the doors, all eyes on me. I hear the counter down to ten seconds. 

Thats when they start running. Whether it's actually because they realise they're about to miss out on some chew time I'll never know, but that's when time finally kicked in. 

Three, two, one. 

I closed my eyes.