Remains

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables / Eddie Redmayne

❝I truly have no idea how long I was unconscious for.

If there was anybody else left alive before I hit the floor, there certainly wasn't when I awoke.

When I first felt myself come around, my vision was blurred and I couldn't find the strength to even lift my head off the floor. I couldn't see past a dark shape piled in front of me, nor could I fully open my eyes due to the blinding white lights that were still blazing down on me from the ceiling.

I was too dizzy and faint to even remain awake for more than a few moments, so I slipped back into oblivion.

*

When I regained consciousness again, my head was pounding and I was shivering. The temperature in the store had dropped, and my exhaustion only added to my weakened state. Unlike before, I was now able to shakily peel myself from the floor, my breathing shallow and cautious. My memory slowly crept back to me, and I recalled seeing the dark shape in front of me. As my body continued to wake, it quickly dawned on me what the shape was.

I turned away quickly, a lump in my throat forming and tears pricking at my eyes.

A man lay there, only a foot away, crumpled like a wilted flower.

I let out a small whimper, the reality sinking back in. The building was full of the dead, and I had no idea how many other survivors there were.

My mouth was dry and my limbs burned, my entire body yearning to be free from the hell I was stuck in. I struggled my way across the tile, dragging my numb body away from the corpse that lay beside me.

It was only then that I remembered that the aisle was full.

I lifted my gaze warily, not wanting to face the sight that awaited me. As soon as I saw the first few bodies, nausea flooded my stomach and I retched, dry-heaving and coughing. 

The only thing I could see beyond my own horror was the thin streams of blood that trickled from bullet wounds, and a few blunt force injuries. 

Other than that, all I saw was death. 

The sheer lifelessness of it made me want to scream, cry and curl up into a ball and erase the image from my mind. However, there was no going back. I couldn't run and hide now, for I simply didn't have the strength or willpower to do so. 

I tore my gaze away from the horrid scene, and my vision caught on the exit of the store. Through the glass of the closed automatic doors, I could see that it was dark outside, but the night was illuminated by police car lights and heavy duty flashlights. I could barely make out the figures that darted around the vehicles, but it was evident that they were in a frenzy. 

I narrowed my eyes in an effort to see better, but I was interrupted by a voice from the outside. It was a man shouting into a megaphone, bellowing negotiations and threats. 

"Viktor Solov! Evacuate the building unarmed with your hands up! Surrender to the authorities or we  will use forceful measures to assist in your compliance. I repeat, evacuate the building unarmed with your hands up!" 

I swallowed the worry that I was feeling. I had no idea where this man, Viktor, was at this point, and nor did I feel that he would give himself up that easily. But somehow, I felt as if his name seemed familiar to me. 

Viktor Solov, Viktor Solov. Where have I heard that before? 

It took me a moment to click, but when I did, the sick feeling returned to my stomach. 

Solov was a wanted criminal for several accounts of rape and murder, and his crimes had been documented across several countries. I recalled seeing his face and hearing his name on the news, and I remember thinking how he may well have been the worst person alive. 

I took a deep, shaky breath and let a tear slide down my face. 

Is this the end? Maybe my suffering is finally done. Whether I live or die here tonight, it's almost over. I think everyone else is dead now. It's just me and him. It's the- 

My thoughts were interrupted as I was harshly grabbed by my hair and pulled to my feet. I cried out in pain and terror, and an arm was wrapped around my neck. I was pulled into a headlock, and I was too weak to escape from it. 

Solov had me in his grasp. 

I knew it was him, it had to be.

I also knew that I was going to die.❞