Free Minds

Chapter 90.

    We got to Tunnel Six in no time. It struck me how the place had changed since I was last here. The dark, previously electrified waters that divided the two footpaths on either side of the tunnel were replaced by concrete floors. Raising my head, I noticed how various lights on the tunnel's ceiling which were arranged in a straight line and went on to the depths of the Tunnel made the place brighter than I'd ever seen it even in the day.

   While racing down the tunnel, Dorian was a little behind Rav and me, shooting at every light bulb we ran past.

"That should make it less convenient for the Yunies if they or even more of them come here," he'd explained, when Rav and I stopped running to give him puzzled looks after he did it the first time.

   That was pretty brilliant thinking since to Rav's knowledge, the Yunies' sight didn't thrive in the dark like it did in bright spaces. And it's not like we have to worry about Landon and Camila when they finally come through the tunnels. They had flashlights with them.

   As we continued to take to our heels, it seemed like the path we were taking was becoming a gradual slope. Soon it was like we were going downhill. This carried on for the next few seconds.

   Then, just as the floor began to feel levelled once more, something came into view that had us all halting our steps.

   It was crazy to think that despite the many times I'd been in this tunnel, what I was seeing right now could have never crossed my mind. Though my eyes stayed locked on what was before me, the gasps that emanated from Rav and Dorian were enough to give my mind a clear visual of the level of shock registered on their faces.

   Facing us a few steps down was a wide, open, lighted up room that seemed to go on and on, definitely beyond what we were seeing now. Everywhere, from the tiled floors to the walls opposite each other that created a hallway, was a chalky, pale white.

   Even though this was more than enough proof of my speculation that Tunnel Six would lead us to Mr. Sacury's lab and every Zavolonian, this was still too much for me to wrap my head around.

"What the hell?" Dorian was still open-mouthed.

"Has this always been here?" Rav asked no one in particular.

   As we got closer to the place, I noticed that aside from the big and small pipes that were attached to the sides of the walls for some reason, there were also gigantic metal frames on some parts which had striking resemblances to doors. Except that there were no handles.

"How are we going to find Mr. Sacury's lab?" Dorian muttered, continuing to take in the new environment.

"We'll start by doing what we did while in the tunnel," I said, staring at the smooth path. "We keep moving forward."

   So that's what we did. With cautious and alert minds, we walked and walked and walked and walked...

   Despite that, there seemed to be no progress whatsoever. As seconds switched to minutes, we were still walking down the ghost quiet path, the only sounds present being our light footsteps. The never ending silence paired with this endless path could really mess with a person. Surely, we should be hearing something at least, even though nothing was in sight at the momen–

   A distant tapping sound brought every inch of me to a halt. After seconds of waiting without hearing anything else, I concluded that the silence was definitely getting to me. Shrugging my anxiety off, I kept taking quiet steps, about to catch up with Rav and Dorian ahead of me who had clearly not lost their minds like I had.

   But I'd barely begun walking when there was another stop. This time though, not by me.

   Rav turned to Dorian next to him, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Dorian's face pinched in confusion as they both stopped.

"I thought..." Rav trailed off, taking a huge breath that relaxed his taut features. "You know what? Never mind. Let's keep going."

   At least I wasn't the only one losing it.

   He continued walking forward and I would've done the same thing if I didn't realise Dorian hadn't moved from his spot. I frowned at the deathly pale expression that had overcome his features as he stared over my shoulder, down the path we'd just walked.

   My heart leaped when I recognised that look. I'd seen it not too long ago. It was identical to the one Camila had moments before the Yunie attack at the counselling centre block.

   The fingers of both hands found their way to my gun almost on instinct as I turned to look behind me. This time, no Yunie was going to succeed in ambushing any of us like the last time.

   But immediately upon completing the turn, my arms turned into limp noodles, slithering off the gun to rest at my sides. Prickling heat coursed through every part of me, making it harder to remember how to breathe and make my brain come to terms with the fact that what I was seeing wasn't a figment of my imagination.

   Although what was before me was definitely not an alien.

   And the horror Dorian shared with me was enough to confirm I wasn't out of my mind. It's very rare for people to hallucinate the same thing at the same time.

   Also, in this very white room, with bright, white lights no one could possibly miss the flash of the red clothing present, although it was from a distance.

"Beth," Dorian grabbed hold of my arm from behind the moment I took one step forward. "Don't."

    I knew he was right in stopping me, but no part of me wanted to stay put. The tears that glazed over my eyes blurred my vision of the person a few feet away. Talise. My best friend. My gaze never left her distant frame though. The person I dragged into all of this. The person now wearing the infamous, red jumpsuit and the dull, empty expression we'd seen on the Zavolonians in that camera footage days ago.

   The tight feeling in my chest wouldn't go away as I struggled to hold back tears. What was going through her head now as we glanced at each other? Did she, amidst all this mind control crap, still somehow have a mind of her own? A mind I could reach if I tried hard enough?

   Barely completing that thought, a sharp pain shot through the back of my head, causing me to plummet to the floor. I blinked repeatedly, believing that would stop the spinning of the environment before my eyes and being dead wrong each time.

   Dorian and Rav's slumped bodies on the floor beside me was the last thing I saw before everything went dark.

A/N: So many chills while writing this chapter! Did you the same way while reading?

Any predictions about the next chapter?

Thanks so much for reading! Please don't forget to vote and comment!