As soon as they entered the hydrotherapy area a heavy sense of dread washed over them. It was cold and the air was thick. The five of them walked in a penguin circle and waddled their way down the long hallway filled with joint corridors.
“Keep an eye out for the girls, but if we find the exit we need to take it,” Aaron said.
“I think you’re right,” Alaire said through chattering teeth, “We can at least get help if we escape.”
Blake sounded annoyed, “I don’t think they plan on anyone finding out about them.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean do you really think they’ll leave any evidence or survivors to expose them? Who’s to say they’re going to let any of us live even if we make it out.”
“That’s a depressing thought,” Alaire muttered.
“It’s something Jessica said to us before… well you know,” Blake said, “She was telling us what Thanato meant. How Thanatos is supposed to be the god of death or something… and she started freaking out about this being a death project, meaning we all have to die.”
“You’re bringing this up now?” Alaire snapped.
“What the hell man…” Matt groaned.
“I’m not saying we don’t have a fighting chance,” Blake said, “Just that we shouldn't trust these people.”
Most of the doors down the corridor led to pitch black rooms. Blake remembered the room where Andrew, Jane, and Taylor were captive was brightly lit. Should be easy to locate, he thought.
Soft creaking noises came from the hanging lamps above them, that swayed ever so slightly. Blake’s stomach tightened, it wasn't like there was a cracked window anywhere.
Someone down the hallway ran from one door and into another. It was a dark silhouette of a man with no hair.
The group tensed. “Dammit, already?” Blake hissed.
“Oh…” Matt whined.
Jacob started to say, “Shh, we’ll be-” but was cut off by the sound of rushing water. It was loud enough to make them all jump. Without noticing, they’d come to a complete halt. Blake made the first move forward.
“You seem tense.”
Matt gritted his teeth so loud Alaire could hear it from two people away. A woman’s voice whispered from an unknown direction. Her voice was smooth and level.
“I can help you. Everyone loves my treatments. Everyone leaves feeling so peaceful…”
“I don’t like this,” Alaire said.
“I can’t tell where she is,” Blake whirled his head around, ready for someone to appear.
They kept moving but were moving a lot slower this time. They were finally reaching the end of the hallway and approaching a turn, but also approaching the doors where a person ran by. Blake kept his eyes on the door as he passed.
It slammed shut.
Alaire bit her lip to avoid screaming. Not seeing the need to investigate the group hastily walked passed and turned the corner.
Thud. Thud.
Oh no, Matt cringed, he remembered sounds like that in the mines. The sound of someone else’s feet walking through something wet. He dared to look behind him, he and Aaron were bringing up the rear of the group.
Standing behind them right at the corner they just turned from was a woman with long hair, soaking wet and dripping. Her clothes stuck to her body like she’d just fallen into a pool. The woman’s posture was drooping, her shoulders forward, her head slightly to the side, and her knees bent.
“We all find peace here…” her voice gurgled.
“Guys,” Matt squeaked.
From behind the sopping woman came another dripping wet person, this time a man. Then another, and another, and another, until there were so many that they had to start walking towards Matt and the rest of the group.
“We all find peace… We’ll help you find peace.”
“Nope,” Matt pushed the group forward, “Let’s go, go, go!”
Blake didn't want to run head first into any deadly surprises, but he didn't want to find out what would happen if they stuck around with the wet zombie people. The strangers didn't chase after them, but they continued to walk slowly towards them. If the group hit a dead end they were in big trouble, Blake thought.
“Hey, hey,” Blake suddenly got hopeful, “There’s a room lit up down there.”
He ran towards it with the group right on his heels. Assuming this room did lead to their trapped friends, how were they going to escape the hoard of random damp people? They were blocking the way back, Blake’s head was spinning.
The door had a small window to peer through where the light was blaring from. Blake squinted and felt triumphant, “It’s them! It’s…”
“What?” Aaron demanded
Blake tried opening the door, but it was rusted shut, “Help me out?”
Aaron and Blake positioned themselves by the door started throwing their shoulders against it. The door screeched loudly and wiggled against the pressure.
“Hurry!” Alaire said.
The hoard was getting closer now that the group had stopped. Aaron grunted, giving the door one final shove before it finally gave in. Everyone scrambled inside and shut the door behind them.
“Did we think this through?” Aaron said, “We’re just going to trap ourselves in here with creeps guarding the other side.”
The room they entered was blinding compared to the hallway they were in. It smelled like burnt hair, and Blake remembered that Andrew had been fried. He passed Andrew’s tub while covering his mouth and nose. The floor was made of tiny white tiles and several drains were placed near the tubs, which were pretty old and dirty. Tarps were strapped over their bodies so that only their heads were exposed. Except there were only two heads. One… Two…
“Where the hell is she?” Blake huffed, “We’ve got him, Jane…”
“Taylor is missing,” Alaire said, “And Jane doesn’t look so hot… She’s still asleep, and really pale…”
"She was poisoned," Jacob said, "If no one treated her..."
Taylor’s tarp had been removed and there was a trail of water from her tub to the corner of the room. Blake eyeballed her footprints, where did you go?
“Um,” Jacob was fidgeting, “This might be a bad time, but… Was Taylor familiar to any of you?”
He took turns checking everyone’s reactions. Aaron shrugged, still baby guarding the door, “I’m assuming we’re barricading ourselves in here, then? They’re here…”
“Taylor’s footprints don’t lead towards the door,” Blake said, “I wonder if there’s another way out of here.”
“Jacob, why did you ask us that?” Alaire brought the question back.
Jacob’s face became serious, “I think I remember her. In fact… I think I might remember all of you.”
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