Something Else

Floor 0

Via ignores me as much as possible as we speedwalk down the hall. I don't try and speak to her or close the distance between us. Somehow, without a single word I've already been shunned. She keeps her eyes plastered on what's ahead, not stopping, even when I trip and go skidding on my hands and knees.

That's nice, Via. That's real nice.

Eventually, I start to wonder if she's actually looking for anything. She started walking with such purpose, but now that fire is starting to dwindle. Are we lost? We can't be. We haven't taken a single turn since we set off. We pass door after door, each one leading to what I can only assume are more senior spaces. It seems that KF-3, in all it's mystique and splendor, is really just a long hallway.

Finally, Via seems to see something up ahead. Her pace quickens, and with a swift glance it's confirmed. At the end of this train of doors- an elevator.

"Thank god," She whispers under her breath, quickly jogging to the entrance. I stare for a moment in confusion. The only call button's an upward arrow.

"I guess there might be something inside?"

In a second, the elevator door swings open to reveal an unimpressive steel box. No-one walks out, luckily. In fact, we didn't see a single person on our way here. I guess the nurses really do stick to a schedule. Via's shoes echo loudly on the metal floor, and I follow her inside. The door snaps shut with a metallic clang, shaking the whole compartment.

"Nothing," Via sighs. "There's floors one through five, but nothing else."

I push in beside her. It's true, theres a panel of five buttons, floors one and up. I groan.

"How cryptic did that idiot have to be?" Via swears under her breath. Annoyed, she rips the mask from her face.

"I don't know," I say, following suit. It's weird to hear my own voice echo back to me. I'd gotten accustomed to the mic kit. "Maybe we missed something?"

"Missed what?" Via growls. "There's no floor. No button. I can't believe we went through all this crap for nothing!" I wince. My ears were so carefully noise-filtered before.

"Let's just go," She grunts, walking a few steps forward. Angrily, she waves her hand around, trying to signal a sensor. "Why is there no open door button!??" Exasperated, she pounds on the closed door with her full fist. The sound isn't pleasant.

"Dammit!" She shouts, cupping her injured wrist.

"Via, calm dow-"

"No! I won't "calm down!" Who knows when this whole building could spring into action! What would they do if they found us out of line, huh!? Ever think about that!? Would they give us a gentle reminder and a lollipop!?" She pounds the door again, biting her lip this time. "SCREW. YOU. FLOOR. ZERO!"

Via goes in for a third punch, but it never lands. Instead, it flies to the left as the once-still elevator bursts into life. My stomach drops as a nauseating ring of blue lights appears around the ceiling. I feel wind sweep through me with all the power of a hurricane. We're dropping, and we're dropping fast.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" I scream at the top of my lungs, clutching at a nonexistent guard rail. Via's hair blows up in a blur of red and blue.

"NOTHING! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!" She cries back, dropping to her knees as the whoosh of levels racing past fills the air like the call of death. How many floors could we possibly pass? It's as if we're falling to the core of the earth, each second drawing us closer to an ocean of molten rock.

"YOU MADE IT MAD!! YOU MADE IT MAD AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!"

I can't believe this. My life is going to end without a moment's hesitation! Please, I whisper under my breath. Please.