"You are being slow, my friends. Are you scared of what you might find? Clever. You should be."
Shivering, they descended. Cold seeped deep into them, chilling their bones so much that it was an effort to take even one step. And there were many more to follow. Connor took the lead, Jodie walking closely behind. The stairs had no rail and rough, concrete walls pressed in on either side, forcing them to walk in single file. Andrew took the rear, much to Ingrid's relief.
After about five minutes, Connor felt Jodie grab his hand, digging her nails in so hard that it hurt.
"What's wrong?" Connor asked, not stopping in fear of the others falling over him.
"I want to go back."
"We can't turn back. It's now or never, Jodie."
His tone was determined and void of comfort, but it was the truth. Connor knew that if he left now, he would lose the bravery to come back and Carrie would be left to ruin more people's lives.
Jodie muttered a reluctant acceptance and released her grip on Connor's hand. They continued without a word so that the only audible sound was their own breathing.
~
One moment Connor was walking downwards into a dark pit with no end, and the next he was stood in front of another large metal door. He had no idea how long they had been walking, but it was a relief that it was over. And it was also the complete opposite; now he would have to face Carrie. Images of her crazed smile, her haunting riddles, everything she had done, whirled around in his head, making him feel sick. Breathing in the frozen air that surrounded him, Connor reached out with both hands to push open the door. As his palms touched it, his whole body began to quiver and terrified tears welled in his eyes.
"No... Not now," he whispered to himself as he realised what was happening.
But all his courage was slowly leaving him. As hard as he tried, he couldn't bear to open the door. For a moment he was sure that he could hear Carrie on the other side, and he jumped back, bumping into Andrew and knocking him to the ground. His shout of pain as he landed on the cold stone floor echoed all around them. As Connor watched Andrew get to his feet, the image started to morph. The once familiar figure was now just a shape that he didn't recognise. One more second later and he couldn't even remember it's name. It was happening again. He was forgetting them again.
Connor found himself running for the stairs, but someone grabbed him by the hand and stopped him in his tracks. He turned his head towards them. He saw a female face, half covered by masses of curly red hair. Even in the dim light, he could see a smile on her face. He knew deep down that he should know her, but he didn't.
"W-Who are you?" he stammered.
She sighed, taking a step closer towards him. She was still smiling, but she looked sad.
"Take a deep breath, Connor. Try and remember us. You've done it before, and you can do it again."
Her voice was loving, and even just that tone told Connor that she was telling the truth. He stared at the three of them, searching their faces for something familiar. It didn't take him long to find it. He sighed with relief as his vision cleared and the memories flooded back. Ingrid gave him a questioning look.
"I'm fine now, Ingrid. I think it's just being down here again that caused that," Connor assured her with a smile.
Ingrid threw her arms around him and Connor buried his face in her hair, cherishing the scent of shampoo that he knew all too well.
"Can we go in now? Standing out here is just giving me more time to change my mind," asked Andrew, glancing warily at the door.
Connor drew away from Ingrid and, with a deep breath, made his way over to the door. Once more he reached out, bracing himself for whatever would come next. He knew very well that he wasn't prepared, but he never would be. No one could be ready for something like this. Especially when they didn't even know what this was.
The metal was cold, and almost instantly Connor felt a shiver down his spine. He closed his eyes as he started to push. The sound of grating metal on stone screeched loudly, and the whole door vibrated with friction. It was only when it was fully open did Connor dare to open his eyes again. He half expected to see Carrie standing there, but all he saw was a faint blue light from somewhere inside. Despite the abandoned exterior of the building, everything so far had been the same as last time. Yet somehow Connor felt ten times more afraid. Gingerly he made his way forward, the blue light doing nothing to show him where he was going. Ingrid appeared at his side, taking his hand as they went in, and Andrew and Jodie followed not far behind. Connor smiled, glad that they were there with him. To think that he had initially wanted to go alone.
There was a loud crash as the metal door slammed behind them. Jodie screamed, followed by quiet words of comfort from Andrew, though it was clear from her continued whimpering that it didn't help. Connor didn't even flinch; he had expected Carrie to trap them here. To be honest, he didn't expect to leave at all. Even if they succeeded, there was little chance that they would find the door again in this dim light.
"Finally. I was beginning to think you weren't coming. Are you ready to receive your gift?"
Andrew gagged behind him, clearly hit with a wave of nausea. But Connor paid no attention. His shoulders tensed and his eyes darted around in the barely lit area, searching for even a flicker of something. But there was nothing. Nothing was happening.
"Maybe she's waiting for an answer?" queried Ingrid in a hushed whisper.
Connor tilted his head upwards slightly, looking at a ceiling that he didn't know existed or not. He had a strange feeling that Carrie was somewhere high up.
"Yes. We're ready," he called out.
"Very well, precious cookie. I will give it to you. Step forward."
YOU ARE READING
The Memory Machine 2
Horror*Sequel to The Memory Machine***** It has been months since Connor regained his memory, and it seems like Carrie's threats were nothing but a bluff. But as the days go by, Connor can't help but notice that something isn't right. His friends act like...
