She tapped her nails on a surface that didn't exist, and she breathed in air that wasn't there. This place was her gift. And if all went to plan, they would soon be a part of it. She would never be alone again. That was all she wanted.
Connor did as he was told and stepped forward. But not because Carrie was controlling him - he wanted to. He wanted to receive her gift and destroy it. At first he still saw nothing, but it was Ingrid's hand tightening around his that made him notice it.
What looked vaguely like a wall of water stood a few paces ahead of them. It shifted in appearance, one moment being a bright and beautiful light, the next being a dark and empty void of nothingness. Connor felt a warm tingle spread through his body and he struggled to stay where he was, drawn towards it. He turned to his friends, who seemed to be experiencing something similar, judging from the bewildered look on their faces. But Andrew was the least resistant. Slowly he began to edge forward, his feet dragging on the stone floor as he barely lifted them with each step. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards into an inhuman smile, and his eyes stared, mesmerized and unblinking. His skin looked as if it was glowing as he reached out at the wall, and it was only as he touched it did Connor realise what was happening.
His trance broke suddenly, and he lunged for Andrew, grabbing his other arm and pulling as hard as he could.
"Andrew, no! It's a trap!" he cried.
But nothing happened. Whatever this wall was, it had a hold of Andrew, and it was far stronger than Connor was. He watched in horror as Andrew's wrist melted into it, losing its physical shape and disappearing completely. Even with all the strength in the world, there was no way that Connor could pull him free.
But he tried.
Then, out of the corner of his eye he saw something that made his heart stop: Ingrid. She too was walking towards it, Jodie beside her. Before he knew it Connor had let go of Andrew. He ran to Ingrid, crying out her name in desperation. But even as he took hold of her hand, all he could do was watch as her whole body was swallowed up. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he sobbed as all that he knew and loved was shattered to pieces in front of him. It wasn't long before all that remained was her hand, which he still held onto.
He stopped pulling. He just let it happen. Ingrid's hand disappeared, and now it was his turn. Everything went dark, and he could feel it envelop him completely.
~
Ingrid forced her eyes open. She felt a throbbing pain in the back of her head, and her whole body felt numb with cold. She was laying on her back, an invisible weight holding her down on a freezing floor. Her vision swam with stars and she could feel the world moving around her even though she knew that it wasn't. Where was she?
Wincing in pain she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Looking around she could see nothing but a dark expanse, though still masked with imaginary stars. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rubbed the back of her head. It felt like a bruise - she must have fallen. All she remembered was a bright and radiant light and a comforting warmth. Then everything had disappeared, and she had opened her eyes here, cold and lost. She could heard someone calling her name in the distance. Opening her eyes, she turned. But she was greeted with more darkness, expanding endlessly. Had the voice even been real? Or was it just her imagination? Or a memory? Somehow it felt like all of them at once.
Stiffly she stood up. The feeling in her limbs was beginning to return, though that only gave way to more cold. With a shiver she wrapped her arms around herself, seeing her breath steam in front of her.
As her mind finally began to catch up with the situation, she felt an overwhelming fear. But not for herself. Where were her friends? She wanted to call out their names, but for some reason she couldn't find her voice. Or any sound at all. She would have to find them by searching.
But as she began to walk forward, she found that her footsteps made no sound either. Nothing made any sound. Not even her own breathing. This scared her more than anything else had:
True silence.
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...
