Room 93 (FIRST DRAFT)

Day 18

When I awake I gasp and sit forward, searching for the crimson girl and the ringleted girl. They're not here. Good. I don't think I can cope with two ghosts, the memories and a possible stabbing right now. On top of that the images of Darren, Alexia and Jason filler within my mind. I can't stop imagining what will happen next. Who will die next. It could be any one of us. Me. Eric. Samantha. Astra. Maggie. The black haired girl - her name.... I think Laya. I can expect it'll be horrible each death so far has been growing worse and worse. I don't want to even think about what would happen to the last person. There's gotta be a way to stop it, delay it or anything. Some way to save my friends.

My eyes are sore but I sit forwards. The stench is revolting. Maggie and Laya (I think) disappeared after the first few rounds of darkness. The lights continued to flicker on and off for the whole night. Laya insisted that the warehouse door was left open. That means the smell of the human 'waste' mixed in with ashes from the bodies which we have swept away are drowning us. Like what happened to Jason. The voice giggles at me. I recognise the voice now. It's that of the crimson girl. I'd recognise it anywhere. It's the sort of voice you hear about in kids stories. The one that turns your blood to ice.

'You okay?' A voice asks. It's quiet, purposefully hushed. The darkness gives the girl a perfect cover but I already know who she is. Maggie.
'Yeah. Fine.' I gulp and swallow down the memory of the crimson girl and the other one. I need to stop thinking about: weighing up whether to ask me the question. The unavoidable one, 'Is it about Darren?' Even though I knew it was coming the question hits me like a battering ram to the chest. I buckle over and my eyes well up.
'I...I saw him die right...right...below me. He just died...I could've saved him Maggie. I could have!' I almost raise my voice but stop myself. I can see Samantha below me, sleeping peacefully. I don't want to disturb her. Every day now people wake with empty soulless eyes. The others: Jason, Alexia and...and Darren used to provide us with some hope. People used to wake knowing they weren't alone and were - more or less - safe. Now there's nothing keeping us from the solid ground and the endless cliff that is insanity and disarray.

'Please don't blame yourself Liz.' She mutters almost silently, 'If you had attempted to save them you'd have died too and there'd only be five of us. We need you.' For a few moments my heart flutters. They need me. I have a purpose. Then I see Darren's crying face. A look of complete terror. I can't cope. The remaining rations of the food I've eaten threatens to make a reappearance. I dash down to the corner of the warehouse which we're using as a sewer or toilet. My hairs already dirty but Maggie holds my hair back as I throw up into the pile. She stiffens as I'm sick and I wonder what's wrong. By the time I've turned around to check on her she's turned around staring at Laya, disguising her face from me.

'What's wrong.' I almost snort at my own question. It's like I said before, everything.
'Nothing.' I raise my eyebrows in suspicion and she turns back to me, her eyes rolling, 'Fine. I just feel...worried about Laya. She means a lot to me and I don't even know why. If she died or was hurt it would kill me.' Maggie confesses hastily worried about something.
'It's okay to worry.' I tell her but she doesn't seem to be paying attention.
'Can you hear that?' She mutters pointing upwards. I strain to hear what she can. Once I have blocked out any background noise I hear it. A dripping noise. I share a anxious look with Maggie.
'Check your watch.' Maggie holds it up close to my face. 05:59. The light changes every half hour. 'One minute till the light returns.' I tell her, unsure whether it's a warning for Maggie or a fact. It could be either now. It's probably both.
'Yep.'

I walk up to the ladder and clamber out. The room remains as dark and mysterious as ever. The noise is a lot louder now. It's coming from where I was sleeping. I feel something tar like drip onto my hair. I wipe it off and try to inspect it. Although it's too dark to see I can tell it isn't blood. That's a relief. A blinding light surrounds me giving me a claustrophobic feel. Once my eyes adjust I can see the thick black liquid coating my finger. Tar, I have no doubt about it. I peer up at the ceiling. The glass has be mended. On the one sided glass a poem is scrawled in the tar. It's dripping a little still but seems to have mostly dried. It reads:
Within the darkness black as night,
Thou shall not scream from fear or for light.
'Another one?' Samantha has stirred beside me and is rubbing her head.
'Yeah. I guess it's linked to the black outs.' Who is it aimed for though. I assumed it was for Laya but she persisted that she only went into the warehouse because she was sad and horrified about Darren nothing more. She said she wasn't scared. I don't know what to believe.
'Maybe Laya...' Samantha suggests
'No. It isn't her.' Maggie looks stern. She's in denial. She doesn't want to believe that it's Laya whose next; she can't except it.
'It cou...' Samantha begins.
'NO!' Maggie shouts. Most of the others stir, fidgeting or blinking in surprise.
'Calm down...' Samantha is on her feet caressing Maggie's tense arm. Samantha calms her and they talk privately talking about something behind our backs. That would have annoyed me when we first arrived but I guess what... Eighteen days changes your opinion on things. Now I couldn't care less about other peoples conversations. All I want now is out. As soon as physically possible but I know that's not gonna happen. There probably is no way out...