Hello World

Chapter 22 2215

As I headed downward, I thought I could hear something behind me, but when I looked back there was nothing. My heart pounded in my chest, and I breathed heavily. How much further? I wondered as I stood on another landing and looked down. Several of the lights had burnt out on the stairwell and it appeared significantly darker than the others had been. I looked down for a moment, watching the strange shadows cast by the dim orange lights. Then I turned around and looked up. But I knew that going up was not an option. It was only down from here, I thought grimly.

So I continued to go down, to where an exit sign kept promising me my freedom -or at least a bit of fresh air. Eventually, I came to a long hallway that was minimally lit with two small yellow light bulbs that hung from the ceiling. The exist sign hung high up at the very end of the hall. As I headed towards it, I could vaguely make out doorways on either side of me. Something told me that I did not want to see beyond them. Instead I focused on the exit. The air smelled heavily of must and dampness. I thought I could hear shuffling behind me, and what sounded like moaning coming from behind the closed doors. The wind, I thought. The pipes. Dripping water.

At last I made it to the exit, placing my hand on the knob.

I turned it slowly. But the door would not budge.

I could still hear the shuffling behind me.

I pushed at the door, and it gave way easily.

The shuffling behind me was coming closer.

I looked out and could only see darkness.

An overwhelming stench of must and rot came over me through the open door.

I could see him standing there. Dripping wet. He grinned at me and even in the dim light I could see the flesh peeling from his face.

Shuffling behind me.

Then he was gone and I was staring into the starry night.

The door slammed loudly behind me as I stepped outside. I took in a deep breath of fresh air. I looked around me, squinting. Two large stones stood about for feet ahead, and three feet apart, forming a sort of rectangle around the door. I could vaguely make out a small shed-like structure in the distance. It was illuminated by a single bright light. I began walking towards it, then thought better of it. I did not want to consider what might happen if it ended up being occupied; no director or security guard would take well to being disturbed by a Number late at night. Especially one who had likely been reported as lost or having run away.

Instead I began to walk diagonally in the opposite direction. My feet slipped several times on the frosty ground and I almost fell on more then one occasion.

I looked ahead of me as I walked. The land stretched to infinity, glowing under the crescent moon. I could hear the waves lapping the shore somewhere up ahead. I began to walk quicker in the direction of the sound. The ground beneath my feet began to rise up and down into small hills, like ripples in still water. I realized then that I knew exactly where I was, and my walking turned into a sprint.

I could hear a bird cry loudly into the night, and the song of the waves seemed to take on an angry tune. I could remember running here as a child. Playing tag with the other Numbers, as well as marcopollo, in which whoever was it was always blindfolded and we would call macro and polo back and forth. The game was often frowned upon by some of the directors, as it often resulted in scraped knees and twisted ankles. Others regarded the game as beneficial. Makes them strong, for when they go to the border, those in support would argue. How long ago was that, I wondered nostalgically. It felt like a century, yet it felt as familiar as yesterday. I laughed as I ran, a wave of exhilaration washing over my head, rinsing away the sense of confinement I had felt since becoming too old to play.

I slowed when I reached the shoreline, careful not to slip on the icy rock. Finally I came to the edge of a steep cliff. I looked at the narrow ledge that ran along the base of the cliff. At low tied, it was several feet above the water, and when I was small, I would need to jump, and then pull myself up to reach it. Sometimes, 3818 would lift me up, and I would glare at him defiantly before racing along the ledge, determined to show that while he was taller, I was certainly faster. Now, at high tide, it was only several inches above the water. And I could see the waves scraping over it, as though trying to break it away.

I hesitated before stepping onto it. Then stepped off again as the water washed over it. It looked so much smaller than I had remembered it. I stood up on it again, and immediately crouched down. What else had I lost, I thought, and began to crawl along the ledge. Falling in would surely result in hypothermia, even in the middle of the summer. I could feel the waves creeping up over the ledge, soaking my pant legs. My knees dug heavily against the cold hard stone. I could feel the coat catching beneath me as I crawled forward. I felt a cool breeze against me. I shivered, wishing that the coat was thicker. Finally, I was there.

The ocean jumped up angrily as I slipped inside of the cave. I could feel it washing over my shoes. I scrambled away from the entrance as it seeped in, flooding a good part of the floor. I looked around in the darkness, squinting while my eyes became adjusted to the darkness. Moonlight flooded in from a large crack on the ceiling above me. I made my way to the back of the cave, then leaned against the wall, suddenly aware of my exhaustion. I watched the water flood in again, and listened to the waves crashing around me. I pulled my knees in to my chest, and wrapped my arms around them. I leaned forward, and slid into an uneasy sleep