Zone Albrecht

20. Worried

I waited and waited...but nothing happened. Timidly, trembling and disbelieving, I opened one eye at first, then the other. Of course I couldn't see shit, but the fact that my head hadn't been ripped off from my shoulders still left me rather perplex. Occasionally a glimpse of the nurse's putrid breath would hit my nostrils, and I'd feel like puking most of my intestines out, but that was all. Suddenly the nurse started groaning, wriggling a bit as it did. I couldn't really see much, especially in the dark, but it seemed as though its attention wasn't focused on me anymore. Judging by the blurry shape before me, its head seemed to be turned...upward. It remained that way for a few seconds which seemed like an eternity as I wondered if it would actually eat me. As I pondered about this, sincerely hoping for a miracle all the while, I mentally decided that if it had to kill me, I'd rather it lash at my throat and do it as quickly as possible, so that I'd suffer less and wouldn't have to see any dislocated members before dying. I waited with bated breath for whatever the nurse was trying to figure out to be over. Eventually it let out another one of its growls, and I understood that the focus was back on me. Its head approached me, and this time I could see it better, the horror. It really was a decomposing body. The skin was of a subtle mixture of gray and military green, completely stretched. The whole thing reminded me of the pictures of mummies I'd occasionally come across in History books and documentaries.

The nurse tilted its head to the side before approaching even closer. This time our faces were almost touching, and quivers of repulsion mixed with fear spread throughout my entire body.

"You broke the rules," it croaked with its deep, menacing voice.

"I didn't intend to," I half-whispered back.

"No non-injured after midnight."

"I know." I could barely believe it when I saw it turn in direction of the door.

"GET OUT, AND DON'T RETURN." After that it pretty much half ripped the door open before throwing me in the hallway, where I felt my head smash against someone else's before collapsing on top of the person. A smaller thud followed, and I dimly thought that the nurse must have thrown my glasses along with me. Huh, talk about amusing.

"OWW! FUCK!" the voice under me exclaimed. I did yelp of pain because of my arm, but despite the tears streaming down my face and the suffering, I don't think I've ever felt so relieved to "bump" into Angela.

--

Extract of Maxence's memoirs

"If she's dead, I'll never forgive myself!" I told Julie. We had now gone back to walking, aiming our cellphones in every direction as we tried to figure out where the nursery could be. She briefly hugged me before reassuring me that we'd find her and that the nursery couldn't be much further.

As we kept on advancing in the darkness of the hallways, I thought of how guilty I would feel if something happened to Angie. When my thoughts weren't busy being half consumed by shame, I was busy wondering if any of the Zone's creatures would come and try to kill us. As I thought this I would glance in every corner, fearing the dark almost just as much as I feared death, because after all, that's what dying was, right? Eternal darkness. Just as I was busy thinking that, I heard Julie shout out happily.

"Max! Look!" I turned to her, smiling already, about to thank her for finding Angie, when the words died inside my throat.

They were replaced by a scream.

--

Extract from Angela's diary

I guess someone must have had a minimal amount of pity for me, because then the door randomly opened, and Jordan just collapsed on top of me. Yes, on top. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as sexy and romantic as it sounds, in our case it was just very painful (he seriously has some weight to lose).