Stuck in the Elevator Again | ONC 2022

Loop 3.2

Last edited: 25/4/2022
[Roselyn]

The sound of wind smashing onto the window causes me to stir from my sleep.

My eyes snap open, the deafening rumble of machinery driving away the reluctant sleepiness which refused to leave me.

I get off the couch and stand in front of the window. There is nothing outside, yet the thundering reverberation of an engine is unmistakable.

I squint my eyes and focus my attention on the clear sky. There is nothing there, only white fluffy clouds that are treading water to keep afloat in the vast light blue sky.

On my far right, a flock of black and white birds spirals in the distance. They fly to and fro their territory as if they can't hear the grumble of the unknown machine, soaring and diving in euphoria, consummately absorbed in their world.

One of the black birds abruptly wings its way towards my direction. The flock follows suit, fluttering as the merciless wind flings them around mockingly.

However, the instincts of these birds seem to have abandoned them, as if their bodies are being taken over by a more supreme entity. They take no notice of the danger they are heading to, continuing their mission like a soulless soldier.

The birds near my direction. I can make out some of their features as they approach, but my widened eyes are not focused on such minor details.

My eyes zoom in on the birds as I attempt to discern their species. I couldn't, so I begin searching for any signs of significant aberrations instead, while pondering on their peculiar behavior.

Then I see it. The abnormality of these birds in contrast to other birds I have seen before.

Their eyes. They are dripping crimson, blemishing their once perfectly groomed feathers with gruesome spots.

Nausea crashes into me and I fight the urge to throw up. I swallow the retch that is making its way towards my throat and sink my teeth into the heel of my hand to stop my uncontrollable self from creating any unwanted noise.

The dire and queasy premonition of something imminent, which has been crawling around in my guts ever since I spotted the birds, intensifies manifold.

I strain my eyes as I observe the birds, dread pervading me as every second tick by.

The birds suddenly speed up. They aim for the area in front of me, with their heads tipping downwards and their talons shrunken into their feathers.

Smack. Smack. Smack.

The muted sounds of flesh battering against metal resonates in my ears. I watch in horror as the birds hurl themselves onto an invisible wall and get skeined into tiny pieces by something underneath.

A chunk of flesh is thrown in my way and lands on the glass in front of me, gliding down the clean material and leaving a ghastly trail behind. I take a large step back as I force down the bile in my mouth, averting my gaze from the torn bird.

I trudge to the window beside and continue witnessing the atrocious scene, rationality overpowering all my emotions all of a sudden.

This is such an abnormal reaction for me. But I have no idea why all my fear, disgust, and other negative emotions are out of the picture now.

Only the thought that I must watch what is happening remains.

As more birds launch themselves onto the now-bloody wall, the object that mashes their enervated bodies is spattered and outlined with their blood. The shape of an engine starts revealing itself, and as the last bird commits suicide, I can clearly see how it is ripped apart by the tinged razor-sharp engines.

I let the tears flow free as my body shakes violently in despair, my teeth drawing blood from my hand.

Emerging agony and bleakness force my head to turn away from the horrible scene, but my reasoning mind knows better. I raise my palm arduously and slap myself in the face, the stinging reminding me of my previous encounters and that this scene in front of me may be a crucial key to escaping the time loop.

Tears burn my eyes as I glance outside again. The birds' bodies are all gone from sight. Even the ones that were once clinging onto the engines are sliced up into bite-sized pieces, tumbling through the gaps of the metal fan.

The extraordinary blood-red and fleshy rain is like a punishment from the gods for our horrible deeds to Mother Earth. Like the omen of the impending disaster.

As soon as the birds' bodies are all out of sight, a light boom resounded through the air and the sound of metal groaning penetrates my eardrums.

The air shimmers and an enormous spaceship-like figure reveals itself before me.

I gape at the black, sleek transport. It is
majestic; magnificent, even. It looks somewhat similar to the Star Wars spaceship, but it is much more than our imagination had envisioned. It is like nothing we have seen before.

The large spaceship hovers higher and farther away from me, floating higher and higher above the city. The ship stops ascending once its body begins merging with the clouds. The sides of the ship restructure and tentacles spread out from the walls, anchoring onto the ground and smashing a few buildings in the process.

All my energy leaves me and I slump against the couch, my teeth change from biting the heel of my hand to my thumb. I tuck my legs tight against my chest, my eyes unable to move away from the monstrous spaceship.

As the tentacles stabilize the ship, the doors at the bottom of it creak open, and tiny dots of lights fly out of it. The lights spread across the atmosphere, passing through the cement, the glass, anything,  as if the objects — or rather, the lights — are just a hologram.

Specks of lights float in my direction. I scramble backward without perceiving my surrounding, and as the light drifts through the glass, my back hits the desk leg hard. Despite the dull ache, the alarm in my mind never goes off, screaming for me to get as far away from the light as possible.

I hobble towards the office door as fast as I can, my heart contracting rapidly in my chest as if it is going to explode any second.

Grabbing the handle and staining it with blood in the process, I push it down with my body weight and pull open the door. I drag my languid body outside and the door slams shut.

My hands reach for the railing and I endeavor to hoist myself up, but my wavering arms suddenly give way and I trip down the stairs, my forehead bumping onto the last step. Blood leaks from the wound, dyeing my eyelashes red. All I can see are the lights, which somehow blend gloominess and liveliness together perfectly, in between the thick crimson.

I sob in fear as I lay there helpless, watching as the lights inch closer to my body. They line above my body in a perfect circle, lingering there until all the lights are fluttering above me.

Then, simultaneously, they lurch towards my body.