Backpack in hand; Hannah cautiously follows behind the anxious troop. Each step
she took, she regretfully looks back at the helicopter, not wanting to proceed with
the so-called adventure that has already gone awry. She knew that there was,
at this moment, no way to turn back on her own. Her stomach tightened with
the mere thought of Jim and Selena being disappointed in her. Her pace slows down, falling behind from her friends.
Mike turns to check on Hannah, but she was nowhere to be seen. He briefly panics until she gradually comes into view in the midst of the trees that he had just hiked through. Mike scurries back to Hannah, nonchalantly taking her hand in his.
�Are you all right, Hannah? Did you want to rest?� He attentively asks.
�No, I�m fine. I�m just taking everything in, that�s all.� Hannah poorly fibbed,
nervously smiling at Mike. �Thanks for waiting for me.�
Mike consciously senses her insincere disposition as he willingly admits his own fears. �This wasn�t really a bright idea, was it?�
Hannah was relieved to hear Mike�s mutual feelings about their unfortunate situation. �Yes, not the most thought-out that�s for sure,� she chuckles. �But we�re here so
we might as well make an adventure of it, I guess.�
Will and Lizzie, slightly ahead of them beckon at them. �Come on, slow pokes.
Hurry up. You need to see what Sam found up ahead,� Lizzie shouted.
Hannah and Mike finally meet up with Lizzie on top of a hill overlooking a white-discoloured building, one that looked abandoned for quite some time. They watch
Sam and Will rapidly approaching the dilapidated structure, turning to motion
their friends to come up to them.
As they draw nearer, they can tell that the building was once an industrial edifice, perhaps an electrical power station, inferred by the protruding towers from the top. Progressively, they reach a steel-framed door, to some extent,
covered with dried-up ivy.
Sam sturdily tugs on the shrub, revealing a portion of the door missing. A burst of cold wind blows out into Sam�s face as he looks into the opening. �Let�s go,�
he impatiently declares.
�It looks spooky in there,� Lizzie whined.
�Oh come on, let�s go. That�s why we�re here. There�s nothing in there�right, Mikey?� Sam urges. He slowly crawls through the gap, almost getting stuck.
Will laughing, shoves him in. �Sam, you�re like Winnie the Pooh.� Lizzie snickers at Will�s comment. She waits until Will has entered and switches his flashlight on before she crawls through. Lizzie sticks her head out to Hannah and Mike, signaling them in.
Hannah vacillated before entering. She nervously glances at Mike, who in turn uneasily looks at her for support. They both smile, reciprocally encouraging one another consciously. With the flashlight on, Hannah sneaks through the crack, getting part of her shirt caught on the door. She tries to loosen her shirt, but ends up ripping part of it off, leaving a scrap of her shirt on the door. Mike soon follows immediately behind her.
With patches of daylight beaming through a dingy skylight above them, there was little brightness for them to see the room they had entered. Although, they can tell that
the space was concrete, from wall to wall even the base, making the environment
cold and daunting. A wheezing cool breeze suddenly blows through in their direction prompting them to look.
Mike quickly aims his flashlight in the direction of the gust of wind showing a dark entrance to the rest of the abandoned building. Mike calls out to Hannah. �Hold my hand.� Hannah follows Mike�s request, tightly grasping onto his trembling hand.
Will and Lizzie fearfully lead the way as Mike illuminated the path for them with his flashlight. Lizzie anxiously beckons the rest to join them but only Mike and
Hannah emerge. Sam was nowhere to be found.
�Sam!� Lizzie whispered loudly. �Sam, you stupid oaf, where are you?�
Mike and Hannah rapidly flash the light in every part of the room, but still no
Sam in sight. �Maybe he went ahead of us. I didn�t see him leave.� Mike guessed.
Again, Lizzie calls out quietly, �Sam!� Will joins in but hollers at the top of his lungs. �Sam, you idiot, where are you!� His scream bellows through the yet undiscovered
rest of the building.
�Will, shh,� Hannah commanded. �What is Sam up to? I swear when I get
a hold of him��
�Well, we�ll have to look for him,� Mike unwillingly suggests. �Let�s split up. Will, Lizzie, I guess you go there�� He points to one side of the room with his light. ��Hannah and I will go that way.� He sheepishly looks at Hannah, trying to reassure her with a smile.
They waited until they can no longer see Will and Lizzie�s silhouette in the dark to proceed with their search for Sam. Hannah�s grasp onto Mike had tensed up, along with her breathing. It was not too long ago that she had gone through a similar chilling experience, but the unknown terrified her even more. She held her head up high and bravely led the way.
After a half hour, but seemed more like hours or so, they soon walk into an open space, which could have been a warehouse at some point. The midday sun shone through the windows that were propped up high on the soaring walls, giving light in the spacious quarters. Up against the walls was a towering three-level steel structure used for stocking huge items, perhaps crates as one is left perched on the second level. On the other side of the room were two tall metal industrial doors, accessed only by the heavy chains on either side of it. Apparent in the room was the damp, humid climate, creating Hannah and Mike to restlessly heave for fresh air.
�Oh, it�s so hot in here,� Hannah murmured under her breath. �It�s much better and brighter in here than out there.�
Looking up at the platforms above him, Mike begins to study the windows. �I think since those doors are shut tight and the windows above have no fasteners,
there is no ventilation in this room.� Mike perceptively concluded. �But you�re right,
it�s much better in here.�
Hannah sits on the cement floor and rummages through her bag, taking out bottled water. After she takes a refreshing swig, she offers it to Mike, who readily takes it
from her. They park their gear and themselves alongside the metal door,
resting for a few moments.
* ~ * ~ *
It was no sooner that Will and Lizzie encounter a grey thick door with a porthole.
Will looks through it and sees in the corner of the room a faint light shining directly on something. He peers at the corner of the porthole, but a shelf obstructs the view of what the light is beaming on. He tampers with the doorknob and pushes hard on it until it budges wide open, as it swings him against the shelf. A glass test tube and a few other test cylinders are knocked over on the other side of the shelf,
fortunately, missing Will entirely.
Pulling himself together, Will sighed a deep relief. �Whoa, that was close.�
He surveys the room then summons Lizzie to enter. Lizzie, reluctant at first, shakes her head. �Lizzie, come on,� Will urges her. He suddenly sees a light switch and promptly turns it on; a fluorescent light shines above them. �Ta-da�now will you come in?�
He says arrogantly. Eventually, Lizzie cautiously walks in as Will investigates the room.
As rumour circulated about a secret laboratory in the island spread among Mike�s friends, the medical equipments and articles that were scattered along the counter and shelves quickly confirmed the tales. Alongside the walls were posters of a scientific human anatomy and a huge illustration of the human brain. A whiteboard written with what seemed like DNA codes hung over the other side of the wall, while test tubes with indistinct coloured-liquid covered most of the counter top.
Curious, Will picks up a cylinder full of a yellow liquid and shakes it around,
causing a bit of the liquid to spill on the counter.
Lizzie observes this and tugs on Will�s shirt. �Stop, don�t touch anything.� She looks around and the faint light in the corner of the room catches her eye. �What�s that over there?� She asks, pointing.
�I saw that through the door and was wondering myself,� Will replies. �Let�s go take a look.�
�No, let�s not. This place gives me the creeps.� Lizzie responds, in trepidation as she slowly walks back towards the door. �Will, come on. We have to find Sam, remember?�
Will chuckles as he carelessly walks over to where the light was coming from, taking no heed of what it could be. As he approaches the corner he unexpectedly gasp in shock. �Oh my god, Lizzie. Come here�you�ve got to see this.�
Frightened yet curious, Lizzie slowly inches her way towards Will, where the light is beaming at a cage. She sees him poking at something yet still not close enough to see what it is. As she draws nearer, she realizes that Will is poking at a body, a corpse that is fenced-in in the corner. She quickly backs away again, heavily panting out of fear. �Will, what is that?� She asks with a slight tremble in her voice.
�Lizzie, don�t you recognize him? It�s the Mayor.� He continues to prod the body through the cage. As Will tugs on the body�s arm, he unknowingly pulls off a thin hose attached to the body to a medical apparatus. �He�s dead, Liz. Look!�
More afraid than ever, Lizzie hastily sprints to the door. �Will, let�s go, okay. I�ve never seen a dead body before and I don�t want to see one now.� With her back towards the door, out of nowhere, Sam mockingly startles her from behind.
�Boo!� He yells, clutching Lizzie�s waist.
Lizzie, profoundly wheezing, turns to Sam and strikes him on the arm. �Oh my god, you scare the shite out of me.� She punches him again. �Will, Sam�s here.
Let�s go get Mike and Hannah and go home. I�ve had enough of this place.�
�Sam, good you�re here. Come here, check this out.� Will excitedly calls out to his friend.
As Sam approaches Will, he notices a dark outline of a figure hovering over Will\ behind the cage. Completely shocked at the sight, he tremulously points at the shadow, apprehensively attempting to utter something. �W-w-will, it�s��
�I know isn�t it cool. It�s the Mayor�s dead body.� Will proudly proclaims,
shaking his head in amusement.
In one quick swoop, the Mayor from behind the cage puts Will in a chokehold.
Will tries to squirm from its strong grasp, but to no avail, he is struck by the Mayor.
�Will, what�s going on? What�s that noise?� Lizzie squealed from the doorway.
Sam quickly grabs Lizzie�s hands. �Lizzie, we have to get out of here.�
�But what about Will?� She fearfully inquires. �We can�t leave him.� Suddenly,
she hears a loud groan coming from the direction Will was at.
Without hesitation, Lizzie and Sam sprint out of the laboratory and through the
dim corridor, running back to their original starting position.
* ~ * ~ *
From a near distance, Crash quickly spots the helicopter on the ground. Jim and Selena securely clasp onto one another when they see the sight of the crash,
hoping that everyone was safe, in particular, Hannah.
When they finally land, they were disappointed to see that the kids were not in the helicopter, yet happy because that meant they had walked away from the crash safely.
�Looks like they had a minor crash landing,� Daniel observes. �They can�t be too
far off from here. I�m sure we�ll find them soon.�
�Where do you think they headed off to?� Selena anxiously asks as she double checks her backpack for ready ammunitions.
Pointing towards the feral forest, Daniel coolly replies, �Most likely through there.
This isn�t a big island so we�ll be able to locate them in no time. Look, Jim, maybe you and Selena should stay here in case they show up. We�ll go and retrieve them. �
To Selena, Daniel�s austere answer lacked concern and seemed he was attempting to divert her and Jim from going with them. She carries on with fastening her backpack around her waist then eagerly responds, �No, we�re going to look for them too.�
She begins her stride towards the forest with Jim readily following behind her.
�Wait, we�ll all go together,� Daniel calls out.
In no time, the building came to view over the same hill the kids had trudged through previously. Before Jim and Selena take a step down the hill, Daniel abruptly stalls them. �Wait, I don�t think they would go in there,� he deceivingly remarks. �Mike knows better, besides, there�s no way to get in that building. It�s all boarded up. I know that on the other side of this island there�s a beach�err, they�re probably there.�
Although, skeptical of everything Daniel has disclosed to them lately, Jim and Selena decide to entertain his deception once more. �Yeah, you�re right, Daniel.
They�re kids�of course, they would be at the beach.� Jim willingly corresponds, knowing full well Daniel was misleading them. He gives Selena a calculating look. �Selena and I will go there then�which way was it again?�
Daniel gestures at the opposite end of the building�s path. �Over there.
You should take Crash with you,� he adds.
As they begin to make their journey towards the beach, Jim quickly orders Selena and Crash to hide behind a tall shrub. They silently wait until there was no sign of Daniel, Viktor or Charlie within the close proximity of where they were.
�Crash, I know you�re loyal to Daniel, but I don�t trust him,� Jim frankly declares.
�I think Hannah and Mike and their friends are at that building over there.
And there is something going on?�
Crash, usually indifferent about his feelings, freely shares his thoughts. �Listen,
I�ve only flown Daniel and Audrey here a few times but have never ventured out here. So to be honest with you, I don�t know what�s in that building. And you�re right,
I don�t trust Daniel either.�
With that, their course of action changes. They subtly sneak far behind Daniel so they would not be detected. Instead of taking the same route Daniel and his crew took,
Jim notices a different trail; the same exact one that Hannah had taken.
As they slowly approach the partially broken door, Selena sees a familiar torn-up
piece of fabric affixed on the door. �Jim, this is part of Hannah�s shirt.� She pulls the patch off and shows it to him. �They�re here.�
Jim and Crash rapidly draw their guns to their sides while Selena pulls out her machete in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Jim warmly grins at her.
�Glad to know you still have that thing.�
One by one, they creep in through the tattered door with Jim piloting this expedition.
In the similar approach that Hannah and her group took, Jim began to lead the way from where the cool gentle wind breezed through. A sudden clatter of rapid footsteps alarms Jim, in which he quickly signals Selena and Crash to listen.
�Shh, do you hear that?�
The footsteps gets louder and closer, subsequently followed by heavy panting and wheezing. Selena nervously glances at Jim as she firmly grips on the blade�s handle and positions herself against the wall. Jim brandishes his rifle and cocks the ammo, ready for battle with the mysterious noise coming their way. Crash attentively mimics their preparation for combat, tensely gazing into the dark entry in front of him.
Nearly close to swinging the machete, Selena quickly places it aside as she glimpsed at a girl running towards her. At first she thought it was Hannah, but comes to realize that it was Lizzie with Sam, faintly behind her, who appeared to be close to collapsing from sheer exhaustion. �Hold your fire, it�s Lizzie and Sam,� she anxiously announces.
Eventually, the two frightened adventurers reach the threshold; startled at first, but glad to see Selena and Jim waiting there for them. Breathless and scared, Lizzie clutches onto Selena for comfort. �We have to get out of here�something just
attacked Will. Sam saw it all.� She frantically exclaimed.
On his knees, hunched over, Sam intensely coughs and heaves for air. �I saw the Mayor�he looked like a monster�and I saw him attack Will. W-w-what is that?
Is that an infected?� He finally utters, stuttering each word.
�Were they chasing you?� Jim sternly commanded as he briefly glances over the corridor as Sam shakes his head. �Where�s Hannah and Mike?�
Again, Sam shakes his head then shrugs.
�We split up because we had to find that stupid oaf over there,� Lizzie angrily explains, clearly blaming Sam. �Mike and Hannah went the other direction. I hope to god
they�re okay.� She hopelessly adds, shooting Sam a wicked look.
�Jim, we have to find Hannah and Mike.� Selena restlessly cries out with
tears forming in her eyes.
On edge, Jim immediately guides Sam and Lizzie to the door. �Selena, go back to the helicopter with them,� He ordered.
�No, I�m coming with you to get Hannah out of here.� She defiantly replies then glances over to Crash. �I need to know that she�s safe. Crash, please take them back?�
Without hesitation, Crash with his rifle ready in hand, motions Sam and
Lizzie to follow him.
* ~ * ~ *
Meanwhile, Daniel hastily guides Charlie and Viktor towards the front entrance of the building. When they reach the entryway, he cautiously opens the door. �Watch your step and your back,� he warns them.
At this moment, suspicious of her father, Charlie does not enter the building right away. �Dad? Is it safe to go in?�
�Charlie, of course it is. Now, let�s go get your brother,� Daniel harshly ordered,
sternly looking at his daughter. �Come on��
Vigilantly, Daniel led the path to the laboratory, where on the way, he stumbles upon traces of broken glass and a trail of small amounts of blood. He cautiously warns Charlie and Viktor to not touch anything.
Upon creeping up on the laboratory, Daniel peers through the door, noticing more scattered glass and paper strewn throughout the room. Speckled blood coated the walls and a stench of an unpleasant odor of vile lingered.
�No!� Daniel frenetically cried out. �Stupid, stupid kids�what have they done?�
Charlie slowly enters and looks on in disgust at the frightful sight. �Dear god,
what it is going on around here?�
Daniel, in awe, does not respond. He glances in the corner of the room and is quickly disappointed to not see the Mayor in its cage. He hangs head down in disgrace,
letting out a frustrated sigh.
A sudden groan alarms them, quickly alerting them to stand guard against the wall with their rifle ready to take aim and fire.
�Dad, what is that?� Charlie fearfully inquired.
Still, there was no response from Daniel. He signals Viktor to glance out into the corridor. Completely guarded with his rifle, Viktor cautiously rakes through
the crack of the door. He signals Daniel back, shaking his head.
�Charlie, I�ll explain later. But right now, we have to find your brother and his friends. Just stay close to me.� Daniel puzzlingly instructed.
Daniel again led the way towards the hall, slowly creeping and sneaking.
Charlie and Viktor follow his lead.
Soon, they reach a fork in the corridor. Sounds of footsteps catches Viktor�s attention. �Colonel, do you hear that?�
Daniel nods then swiftly secures himself alongside the wall. He gestures for
Charlie to beware.
Closer and closer, the footsteps get louder. Unsure which side of the corridor it is coming from, Daniel aims his rifle at one side as Viktor positions himself on the
look out on the other side. Patiently, they wait in the dim hallway.
A piercing shrill suddenly echoes through the corridor, prompting the footsteps to yield. Frightened, Charlie gasps and begins to whimper. �Charlie, hush!�
Daniel hastily and severely orders her.
Once more, the footsteps draw nearer. Attentive to it, Viktor readily aims at the oncoming mysterious unknown. He cocks his weapon as a figure slowly approaches them. Step by step, he cautiously waits, waiting for a better view of what it could be.
As another sharp groan resonates, undoubtedly closer than the first time, the figures� steps begin to rapidly hasten towards them. Clearly without knowing who or what the figure was, Viktor swiftly tackles it down upon its heated approach.
In the dim, badly lit hallway, a scuffle ensues. Not one word is uttered,
but repeated groans and grunting from both aggressors.
Out of nowhere, Viktor is hit with the base of his rifle. Hovering over him was Selena, aiming directly at his head. Viktor cowers on the ground, afraid to look up.
�Jim, are you okay?� Selena whispers.
Relieved to make out the voices, Charlie happily reveals herself to Selena. �Selena, it�s me Charlie. That�s Viktor, don�t hurt him.� She declares as she runs to his aid.
Selena does the same with Jim. She carefully helps him up, propping him on the wall beside Viktor. �Sorry, Viktor. I thought you were an infected.�
�Infected? What are you talking about?� Charlie curiously inquires as she ministers first aid to Viktor.
Gasping for breath, Jim bitterly retorts, �Why don�t you ask your father?�
Sitting on the floor, crouched over with his head between his legs, Daniel blankly looks up at them. He sincerely smiles at his daughter, but Charlie coldly looks away,
carrying on with Viktor.
�I�m so ashamed,� Daniels disgracefully states, beginning to explain. �It�s not what you think though. The Mayor insisted that we find a cure after his wife got infected. Your mum didn�t want to have anything to do with it, but I persuaded her to help in the beginning. She�s a brilliant doctor, your mum is.� Daniel deeply exhales as he wipes a tear falling down his cheek. �But when the Mayor got infected, your mum�she didn�t want any part of it anymore. She was content in living on that island, that prison;
not wanting do anything to find a cure.� Daniel utters with resentment in his voice.
�She was wrong�I had to continue with the tests�don�t you see that?�
He stands up and reaches out to Charlie, sobbing.
Charlie backs away. �Dad, you�re mad if you think you can find a cure. Mum said
it was impossible. She didn�t have the proper medical equipments and supplies to do it. You lied to her�you lied to me. Now, there is the infected roaming around here
and we can�t find Mike and Hannah. How could you?� She shoves him
and he falls to the ground, wretchedly sniveling.
Unguarded during these exchange of words, they did not notice another figure fast approach them. The Mayor quickly snatches Daniel off the floor and thrusts him against the wall.
Jim and Selena promptly get on their feet, as did Viktor. Charlie, in contrast, defensively lunges at the infected but is powerfully thrown clear cross the hall by
the Mayor.
Impulsively, Selena grabs hold of Charlie�s injured arm and pulls her off the ground. �Charlie, we need to go now!� She screamed.
�No! I can�t leave my dad here.� Charlie demanded as she tries to free from
Selena�s grasp. �Let me be�I need to help my dad!�
Although slightly wounded, Jim hoists Charlie over his shoulder and begins to run
as fast as he could. �Viktor, let�s go!�
The same way they had gone through, Selena led the weary troop back to the room where they had first encountered. They slipped through the broken doorway
and out to the late afternoon sunlight.
Jim carefully places Charlie on the ground. Flustered, Charlie tries to make her way back into the building, but Viktor catches her before she could escape.
She uncontrollably strikes Viktor with her fist onto his chest all the while hysterically weeping. �I need to go back and get my dad. Viktor let me go!� She pleaded.
Viktor firmly enfolded Charlie into his arms. �Charlie, stop. We can�t go back. You�re father�he�s gone now.� Upon hearing the disturbing yet honest truth, she sinks into his chest and continues to sob. He gently holds her, consoling her all the while.
�Jim, we still need to find Hannah!� Selena frantically stated as she tends to a fatigued and worn out Jim.
�Selena, I know,� Jim restlessly answers. �Look, let�s bring Charlie back to the helicopter so Crash can safely bring her, Lizzie and Sam home.
We�ll return after to find Hannah.�
* ~ * ~ *
Hannah had fallen asleep where she and Mike had stopped to relax. Comfortably resting her head on Mike�s shoulder, he did not bother waking her as he pleasantly observed her napping. He thought it sweet whenever Hannah would twitch her nose
or curl her lips in the midst of her slumber.
Eventually, Hannah awoke, surprised that she had been resting upon Mike, unbeknownst to her. �Sorry, Mike.� She yawned and stretched her arms
as she pulled away from their close contact. �How long have I been asleep?�
�Not that long,� Mike answered. �I think we should get going though. If anything,
Sam is probably back at the helicopter, along with Will and Lizzie.�
They collect themselves and gather their backpacks, rushing back out into the darkened hallway. With flashlight in hand, Hannah memorizes the way out
and back to the room. �Mike, come on, it�s this way.�
As they turn on the last hallway towards their original entry, Mike can faintly see a silhouette further on. �Hannah, I think that�s Will up ahead.� He gently tugs on
her shirt and quickly jogs towards the figure.
The nearer they get, the flashlight beams on the person, who is trying to deflect its beam away from their eyes.
Clearly, it is Will as Mike had suspected. �Will!� He called out, as he gets closer to him.
Farther behind, Hannah suspiciously notices something uncanny about Will�s behaviour. She frightfully submits to her speculation about him, slowly shining the flashlight on him and quickly realizing what Will had become�
TO BE CONTINUED�