Project XZ3

Chapter 8

"Sky!" Beth yells shaking me... an alarm rings in the distance. I look up to see panic in her face, and the alarm is echoing down the corridor.

"What's that?" I ask. The others are moving up the corridor.

"We have to move now!" Beth pulls me up and we move into a corridor on the right. "Open the door!" I grab the wheel lock it off, and let the others in. I go in, shut the door and sit down.

"What – "Beth comes in front of me, puts her hand on my mouth and looks to her left. I watch her as she turns her head to the right. I move some. She shakes her head at me. All I feel is fear. I am frozen to where I am sitting and now scared to actually move, the only thing I can do is wait until Beth reacts.

Moments later Beth takes her hand away from my mouth.

"What was that?" I ask.

"People. They must know we've escaped"

"We'll just have to wait"

After what feels like hours later Beth finally stands up.

"What is it?" I ask.

"They've left the building" Beth says.

"Can we go now?"

"Yes" I get up... and open the door, I let Beth out first, and then the others behind, then I lock the door. We walk left down the corridor, Beth opens the door, and we start up the stairs again.

"Beth, how far do we have to go?" I ask.

"Hmm... a few more flights, I can see the outside world"

"What can you see?" Billy asks.

"I can see trees.... lots and lots of trees around us"

"What's a tree?"

"It has a big brown trunk... and lots of green leaves on them... some of them are big, and some of them are small, you'll get to see them once we get outside"

"Wow" the others seem to be mesmerised about the concept of a tree. I feel positive and I can't wait to see the outside world.

Beth stops right next to us, puts her arms out to signal to stop and looks up.

"What is it?" I ask.

"People... there coming down. Quickly. We have to move" Beth opens a door right in front of us and we move forward. We move into a corridor on the right and I open a door. I sit with my back against the door. "Shh" Beth comes in front of me and looks to the left, clearly watching what is going on outside.

Moments later, we hear footsteps near us.

"Don't move" Beth moves to me... and I freeze to the spot and focus on Beth. Beth flinches back and looks up.

"There is no way we can check all of these rooms... if the projects have escaped, they could be anywhere" a woman says.... that voice... where have I heard it before?

"Like where? None of them could get very far, there all supposed to be dead!" another woman voice yells, that voice I don't recognise.

"Project XZ3 might have woken up... that was the only project that was a success and that one was the only one that had a chance of surviving!"

"I know Kate the others are on the way down now; we might as well join them"

"Yeah... there's no way I'm checking all these rooms... and to think I shut the book on this fourteen years ago!" and then the footsteps fade away, and a door shuts in the distance. Project XZ3. That's me. That dream. That voice. That dream was real.