𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 | Gally | BOOK 2

Chapter Five

The cement walls rushed past me in a blur. The sound of the two men shouting echoed from behind. A static and robotic voice came from one of them, followed by a beep. They carried their weapons in both arms, swinging them back and forth as they chased me.

It was all too similar to the maze. The walls stared me down, hoping they would draw out my deepest anxieties. I managed to flush those thoughts away, but they still lingered around.

A quick whirr and loud pop followed by a blip of light shot past me. I saw it strike the ground and sprawl out into a mini web of electricity. More of them followed, and barely missed my body by an inch. My legs had already gotten sore from running, I hadn't been awake that long.

Not too far away, a series of those same white caskets were lined up down the hall. None of the lights or heart monitors were on, they had to have been empty. When I reached the first one I grabbed it, and dragged it past me, throwing it to the floor. I grabbed a couple more and threw them behind my as well, they all crashed in a orchestra of clanks and clashes.

The first rule to being a runner popped in my head; never stop running, and I didn't. I forced myself to sprint faster, no matter how much my sore body complained. After a few seconds, swearing and more crashes sounded from behind. It wasn't enough to stopped the guards, but I'd distracted them enough for me to pull ahead.

I'd finally made it all the way back from where I came and passed the doors to the strange medical room where all the vulnerable, unconscious kids were. I continued past there down the opposite hallway that I had decided not to take earlier. As I kept running and my feet continued aching, the banging from the ceiling had gotten louder and faster, almost following my heart beat.

I passed more metal doors that had those small windows which I tried to duck under as I ran. Eventually, the straight hallway ended with another large door, but turned the corner this time. I made a swift turn and continued down that corridor. The sound from the vents followed me as I went. I couldn't hear the men anymore, no emergency alarms sounded yet either. Surely they'd be looking for a missing patient soon.

I slowed down a bit, as there were no signs of people chasing me. The hall was empty, beside the extra hospital beds that sat along the walls. They'd just been left there like abandoned tumble weeds. I was catching my breath when a loud creak had startled me. I turned back, but no one had been behind me.

"Psst!" I cluelessly looked around the hall and ceiling, "up here!" a voice whispered. I looked up again and through the vent cover, I could see the faint outline of a face.