With a watch on his wrist, no memory of his past, and a puzzle-filled room, Atlas tries desperately to escape the elevators.
Upon waking to darkness, Atlas stumbles into the white room. His desire for answers driving his feet to move. In the firs...
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"-las."
Atlas sat on the couch beside Hope, with his head low in his hands. Slowly, his head slipped out of his grasp, forcing him to readjust. He had been too antsy to fall back asleep the night before. The events of the memory were constantly replaying behind his eyes.
"Atlas!" He could hear the woman calling to him once more. The woman with the red hair. Who was she? She needed his help.
"Atlas! Are you even listening to me?" A hard thump sounded through his head. He lifted it with a confused look. His hand went up in an automatic response to the assault. This was the fastest his tired body had moved since waking up. Hope had flicked him in his daze.
He rubbed the side of his head, "What was that for?" he turned towards his partner.
Observing Hope's features, he noticed that she was concerned.
Is she worried about me?
"Are you okay? I have been trying to talk to you for five minutes." She inched her hand towards his, but stopped just before they touched, "What's bothering you?"
"I just didn't sleep well that's all," Atlas had decided earlier he would tell Hope about his dream. If it really was a memory he didn't want to freak her out. The boy rubbed the sleep from his eyes and jumped to his feet, knowing that he would have to keep busy to stay awake.
"Okay." Hope dropped the subject and gave him a soft smile. It was the kind of smile that said she was not convinced but wouldn't push him anymore. Atlas stared into her big eyes.
The woman looked so much like her.
The thought invaded his mind with flashes of the 'older Hope'. The images raced across his vision at lightning speed. He doubled over as a pain shot through him. It was so intense and blinding that it brought him to his knees.
Hope rushed to kneel beside him. "Atlas!"
The shock in her voice was evident. He felt the warmth of her hand on his back as the pain coursed through him. It came in hot pulses, each one a few seconds apart. His body obeyed the waves of agony and twitched and crumpled with each one. His body felt impossibly cold. He could hear the rapid tick of a clock as the pulses continued. And he was terrified.
Just as fast as it had come, it stopped. Atlas blinked and took a deep breath. He felt a dull throb radiating from his neck. He fought the urge to touch it as nausea whipped through him. He remained on his knees for another minute until he heard Hope speak again through the muffled pain.
"What was that?"
Great question.
He suppressed the response and decided to give her a more tangible answer. "Nothing, I-... I just need to use the bathroom."
