BLACK-OUT

chapter.2

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Trisha's eyes fluttered open, but instead of the familiar sight of her cluttered bedroom, she found herself in a small, sterile room. Everything was white - the walls, the ceiling, the floor. It felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in on her. Panic welled up inside her as she tried to sit up, but her body felt heavy, and a shiver ran through her.

She realized she was wearing a thin, white hospital gown, and the cold air seemed to seep into her bones. A shiver ran through her body, and she instinctively hugged herself for warmth. Her throat felt dry, and she couldn't help but cough, a raspy sound that echoed in the room.

As she struggled to breathe, Trisha couldn't shake the feeling of disorientation. She had no recollection of how she had ended up here. Her memory was a blur, a foggy mix of emotions and fragmented images. Fear clawed at her chest, and she desperately wanted answers.

Just then, the door to the room swung open, and a guard entered, his face obscured by a mask. He grabbed her arm with a firm grip and shoved her forward. Trisha stumbled, disoriented and weak. A blindfold was roughly tied around her eyes, cutting off her vision completely.

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For what felt like an eternity, she was led through a series of twists and turns. Each step was accompanied by the muffled sounds of her own labored breathing, the cold air biting through the thin gown, and the constant fear of the unknown.

Finally, the blindfold was removed, and Trisha squinted against the sudden brightness. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light, and when she looked around, her heart sank. She was in a vast, white-walled chamber, and she was not alone.

All around her were people who looked just as confused and scared as she felt. Some were sitting on the cold floor, others stood, their expressions ranging from fear to anger. They were a diverse group, men and women of different ages and backgrounds. Trisha's mind raced as she tried to make sense of it all.

Beside her, a red-haired woman caught her eye. The woman's face held a mixture of fear and disbelief, mirroring Trisha's own emotions. Trisha cleared her throat, her voice still hoarse from the coughing fit earlier.

"Hey," she croaked, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do you know what's going on? Where are we?"

The red-haired woman turned to look at Trisha, her eyes wide with confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could answer, a voice echoed through the chamber, loud and authoritative.

"Welcome, everyone," it said, making Trisha's skin prickle with unease. "You may be wondering why you're here. All will be revealed in time, but for now, you must cooperate and follow the rules. Failure to do so will result in consequences."

Trisha exchanged a worried glance with the red-haired woman, their shared fear forming an unspoken connection between them. They were trapped in this strange, white-walled nightmare, with no answers and no way out.

The cold, unsettling reality of their situation hung heavy in the air.

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The enigmatic voice shared unsettling news about a government experiment gone terribly wrong. It explained that an unusual and clever type of typhus had emerged, capable of biting just one person before perishing. Government scientists were urgently working to identify those who had been bitten.

The crowd in the chamber responded with a mixture of disbelief and dread. Conversations buzzed around Trisha as people tried to make sense of the alarming information. Some couldn't fathom it, muttering, "This can't be real." Others expressed concern about the origins of this crisis.

As the voice continued, a hushed anticipation fell over the assembled group. It disclosed that the government had taken action by offering compensation and explanations to the families affected. These families had agreed to remain silent, bound by a solemn promise. Yet, a chilling threat loomed over them all: if any family dared to break that silence, the government would never return their loved ones.

Silence once again enveloped the room, heavy with the gravity of their circumstances. Trisha couldn't shake the feeling of entrapment, her heart pounding with fear. She held onto a glimmer of hope, a hope that she might stay alive to see her older brother again.

Trisha and her brother had always shared a special bond. Despite their occasional disagreements and heated arguments, they were there for each other when life's challenges arose. They had leaned on each other for support when their mother had passed away just a year ago, providing a comforting presence during those dark days.

But Trisha couldn't ignore the growing distance that had crept between them since she had started drinking and getting involved in illegal activities. She felt the weight of his disappointment and concern, which only drove her further into her reckless behavior.

Now, more than ever, she yearned to at least say goodbye. She wanted to mend the rift that had developed between them and make amends for the worry she had caused him. The fear in the chamber was palpable, and the collective realization that they were all caught in a web of secrecy and manipulation cast a dark shadow over their uncertain future. Trisha's determination to reunite with her brother and seek his forgiveness burned stronger than ever before.

The red-headed woman sitting beside Trisha couldn't stay silent any longer. She turned to Trisha and began to speak, her voice quivering with a mix of fear and determination.

"Can you believe this?" she whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I don't even know how I ended up here. This is insane. We have to find a way out of this mess."

Trisha met her gaze, grateful for the connection amidst the uncertainty. She nodded in agreement, realizing that they were all in this together, facing an inexplicable nightmare.

"First, what's your name?" Asked Trisha.