Stuck in the Elevator Again | ONC 2022

Loop 5.2

Last edited: 25/4/2022
[Roselyn]

As the jolt of the elevator arrives, I am sitting on top of him, taking off my jacket and using it to wipe the blood off my feet.

Rolling up my sleeves and tying up my hair with my hairband, I delve into my purse to find my only weapons. I lay them on his bare chest, nails skimming on the perfect tan skin of his teasingly as I go over my plans.

Crunch.

I stuff my scissors and my utility knife into each of my pockets, and wipe my clammy palms on my sweaty blouse. My eyes flicker to the dent on the once-perfect metal, and I watch with puckered lips as tainted fingers appear in my sight.

Nothing will be normal anymore.

This is the new normal, isn't it?

I release my lips and rise from my spot, taking my time as I wait for the zombie to come in. As expected, the zombie's head pokes in without a second thought, bearing its teeth in the direction of his body. It hauls its legs into the silver box as its arms sweep across the blood-filled floor and swipe some outside. It flattens its body onto the ground, soaking itself in the pool as it slurps in the blood.

I creep my way towards the side walls, observing the zombie's every move as I edge closer to the door. The zombie crawls closer to the bleeding specimen, its twitching features showcasing excitement and lust for its lunch snack.

As soon as it pounces and digs its face into his chest, I lurch towards the door and jump right through, kicking my heels off as I reach the ground.

I raise my head, only to be met with a slashing claw. I dodge and sidestep, resulting in the attacking zombie tumbling forward, unable to deal with the momentum of the throw.

The chewing of the teeth closes in as another zombie launches itself onto me. I press myself flat onto the wall as the face of the zombie narrowly misses mine, the gush of air caused by its ambush slicing my face like merciless blades.

I take no time to dart towards the closed rooms at the far end. My heart pounds in my ears and cloaks the noise of my surroundings. I am only focused on one thing: survival.

The remaining zombies which were rushing in my opposite direction pause slightly as I near them, but they head towards the strong scent of blood that is wafting towards them after a brief contemplation.

Letting out a silent sigh, I bolt into the previous conference room that we had explored and lock the door behind me. I paddle my way over to the windowsill, spotting the pill-like object lying there just like the last loop.

I press my lips into a firm line as I observe it. It is transparent, the insides of it flowing as if there is water inside. It reflects the sunlight coming from outside the window, shimmering under the bright sun and casting a rainbow-colored shadow.

I reach my fingers out and pick the object up. It is soft and squishy, but also watery and elastic at the same time. I pinch it with two fingers, and it contorts under the pressure, the contents inside squashed to the sides. The middle flattens into a sheet as the two sides swell out, and as I release it, it pops right back to its pill shape.

"Pill: for time loopers." A white translucent screen jumps out from within the pill, a gold rim wrapping around the screen as black words are etched in the center.

My jaw drops as I take in the message. Does it mean this is the key to the time loop? Is this why the elevator stops at the 70th floor in every single loop?

"... what is this pill for?" I whisper to the pill. I'm definitely out of my mind for expecting a pill to answer.

"Escape," a feminine voice replies, her gentle voice echoing in my mind, "escape, my dear."

My eyes widen comically as they water with blissful tears. Finally! Finally...

"Is there a time limit?" I query the voice, accepting the fact that there's actually someone in the pill who's answering my questions.

"3 days within the discovery..."

Growl.

The hungry calls from the zombies cut off the voice, and somehow silence it completely. I drop the pill into the pocket with my utility knife and dart to the door, unlocking it and flinging it open. It hits the wall with a large bang and shivers slightly.

I dash to the next room and rummage through the stray items that are littered around, understanding that I don't have much time left. I flip the blocking chairs in my path as I scan the table and jab the unresponsive computer. My feet then bring me towards the small, square window at the back of the room, and there it is.

Another pill.