erased by the energy I channeled into it.
The screams became whispers, and the whispers became echoes, until there was only the sound of my heart. I fell to the floor, bracing my forward fall with my hands. Though I tried, I could not push myself back up. I could hardly move. The battle had exacted a toll—one I could scarcely afford. Trembling, I tried to push myself up once more, only to fall forward again.
The girl—I had to save her. I had to get up. But my energy was spent. I gave up the fight and passed out on the floor.
Though my eyes closed into darkness, they opened to a bright light. I watched as the victims of the dark mass approached me, forming a circle around me. “Thank you,” they said, leaning over to place their hands upon my shoulders. A sensation of comfort cleansed me as they released their touch. They turned toward the light and walked to it. Soon they all vanished, save for one.
She turned to me, smiling. “Warrior, there is another in need. She awaits you,” she said, pointing to the monitor in the center. As I looked up, the light vanished. The room returned to its former chaotic state, though the bodies still remained. The monitor showed a small office with a woman crying in the corner. The door was barricaded, but it shook and trembled. Something was trying to break in.
I stood quickly to read the label on the monitor. It was the administrative assistant’s office. Using my flashlight, I studied a map posted beside the desk. A quick run and I would be there within minutes. I darted out the door, running to the right and through the lobby. I switched my head lamp on, navigating with ease through the dark rooms. Another right and straight down a hall.
Waiting rooms lined the hallway. There was a maintenance closet to the left. The door opened before I passed it, and a metal pipe fell out, about the size of a staff. A useful weapon. I picked it up and ran forward.
I broke into a large room, with three offices lining the far wall. I stopped, scanning the area. My EMF reader beeped, just after a tingle crawled across my neck, and two shadow creatures lunged from the darkness, circling me slowly. Holding the pipe tightly, I braced myself, awaiting their attack. The closest one lunged forward. Spinning quickly, I swung the pipe toward the creature, focusing the entire force on one end. The creature screeched, knocked to the ground.
The other creature charged. Throwing the pipe into the air with a spin, I rolled past the creature, catching the pipe before it hit the floor. I swung hard at the creature’s knees and sent it forward, shrieking. Both creatures retreated into the darkness. I stood, looking at the office door in the center, approaching it slowly.
I read the nameplate in the door and called out to the woman. “Christina? Are you in there? You’re safe now,” I said reassuringly. A moment later, the door opened a crack.
“Who are you?” the woman asked timidly.
“Someone who cares,” I said, smiling. She opened the door wider, motioning for me to enter as she stepped back. She sat at her desk, and I entered her office.
“She said you would come,” the woman said.
“Do you know where she is?” I asked, standing beside the desk.
“No. She hasn’t been seen since the attack,” said the woman, looking up at me.
“Do you know what’s going on here?” I asked, motioning to the darkness outside.
“We were researching night terrors and schizophrenia. We found that such subjects typically have some telepathic capabilities, though most go untrained,” she said as she turned herattention from her computer to me. “When we ran tests to find subjects with the strongest telepathic abilities, we found her. Our researchers developed a means of channeling dark forces into her mind. This allowed them to project the symptoms linked to both disorders.”
“I’m guessing this was done for its tactical applications?” I said.
“Yes. We thought the chance to debilitate an
The screams became whispers, and the whispers became echoes, until there was only the sound of my heart. I fell to the floor, bracing my forward fall with my hands. Though I tried, I could not push myself back up. I could hardly move. The battle had exacted a toll—one I could scarcely afford. Trembling, I tried to push myself up once more, only to fall forward again.
The girl—I had to save her. I had to get up. But my energy was spent. I gave up the fight and passed out on the floor.
Though my eyes closed into darkness, they opened to a bright light. I watched as the victims of the dark mass approached me, forming a circle around me. “Thank you,” they said, leaning over to place their hands upon my shoulders. A sensation of comfort cleansed me as they released their touch. They turned toward the light and walked to it. Soon they all vanished, save for one.
She turned to me, smiling. “Warrior, there is another in need. She awaits you,” she said, pointing to the monitor in the center. As I looked up, the light vanished. The room returned to its former chaotic state, though the bodies still remained. The monitor showed a small office with a woman crying in the corner. The door was barricaded, but it shook and trembled. Something was trying to break in.
I stood quickly to read the label on the monitor. It was the administrative assistant’s office. Using my flashlight, I studied a map posted beside the desk. A quick run and I would be there within minutes. I darted out the door, running to the right and through the lobby. I switched my head lamp on, navigating with ease through the dark rooms. Another right and straight down a hall.
Waiting rooms lined the hallway. There was a maintenance closet to the left. The door opened before I passed it, and a metal pipe fell out, about the size of a staff. A useful weapon. I picked it up and ran forward.
I broke into a large room, with three offices lining the far wall. I stopped, scanning the area. My EMF reader beeped, just after a tingle crawled across my neck, and two shadow creatures lunged from the darkness, circling me slowly. Holding the pipe tightly, I braced myself, awaiting their attack. The closest one lunged forward. Spinning quickly, I swung the pipe toward the creature, focusing the entire force on one end. The creature screeched, knocked to the ground.
The other creature charged. Throwing the pipe into the air with a spin, I rolled past the creature, catching the pipe before it hit the floor. I swung hard at the creature’s knees and sent it forward, shrieking. Both creatures retreated into the darkness. I stood, looking at the office door in the center, approaching it slowly.
I read the nameplate in the door and called out to the woman. “Christina? Are you in there? You’re safe now,” I said reassuringly. A moment later, the door opened a crack.
“Who are you?” the woman asked timidly.
“Someone who cares,” I said, smiling. She opened the door wider, motioning for me to enter as she stepped back. She sat at her desk, and I entered her office.
“She said you would come,” the woman said.
“Do you know where she is?” I asked, standing beside the desk.
“No. She hasn’t been seen since the attack,” said the woman, looking up at me.
“Do you know what’s going on here?” I asked, motioning to the darkness outside.
“We were researching night terrors and schizophrenia. We found that such subjects typically have some telepathic capabilities, though most go untrained,” she said as she turned herattention from her computer to me. “When we ran tests to find subjects with the strongest telepathic abilities, we found her. Our researchers developed a means of channeling dark forces into her mind. This allowed them to project the symptoms linked to both disorders.”
“I’m guessing this was done for its tactical applications?” I said.
“Yes. We thought the chance to debilitate an
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