Delusional

Number 5

Emma eventually told me we needed to go, but I couldn't just leave him. He needed a proper burial. He didn't deserve this, I did. I looked up at the ceiling and asked God to let me and Johnny change places. I sat there with my eyes closed and hoped that when I opened them Johnny would be fine. When I did, he still was there, blankly staring at me. Instead of sadness, I felt anger. My face changed to rage, it was like someone flipped a switch.

I rose to my feet, opening my mouth to scream, but was stopped by something, weird. I looked down and saw arms wrapped around me. My back felt the warmth and the presence of another person. I turned my head and saw Number 1 clinging to me, weeping. She looked up at me and just looking into her eyes I could tell she was sorry.

My body relaxed and I started crying again. Emma came around a corpse and shock emerged on her face and her head fell low, drops of water fell to the ground below her. All three of us stood there crying. My legs began to move on their own, we slowly made our way to the vent. I couldn't bring myself to look back.

At the time I didn't really care, but as we climbed through the vents it had finally occurred to me, again. Why was Number 1 still alive? I was in the middle, Number 1 behind me, Emma in front. I stopped in my tracks. Emma heard that no one was behind her and stopped. My mind was lost in thought, I didn't even realize I had stopped.

Emma asked if I was ok, but I didn't listen. It didn't make sense, how did they survive? Johnny and I had only been here for a day and he was already dead. I was already hurt, how did they get out? How did Number 1 survive through all of this? Even Emma, how?

I was on fire, I literally felt like I was on fire. I was outraged! What was going on? Who are these two really? Emma finally figured out how to turn around in the tight space, She asked "Is it your wound?" I looked up at her, by looking into my eyes she knew I wasn't in pain.

"Why?" I finally said.

She tilted her head to the right, "Huh?" How could she not know!

"Why? Why are you two alive?" Her eyes turned from worry to anger.

"Seriously! Are you kidding? Why do you keep asking? We are just stronger than Johnny." Number 1 looked back and forth between me and Emma/

I was furious. "How dare you!" She then realized what she said. "He was my friend, my family! Don't ever talk about him like that again!" I pushed her out of way and squeezed past her. She sat there without saying a word.

I just kept going, not even caring. I heard someone coming up to me. "Go away Emma!" My ankle was grabbed and yanked out from under me. I turned around and Number 1 sat there with my ankle in her hand. I yelled at her to let me go, she just stared at me, "Let go!" I tried yanking away, but she had a strong grip.

I can't believe I'm weaker than her! Her face was a mixture of anger and sadness. I looked over her shoulder but didn't see Emma. "Emma?" Number 1 turned her head around and saw Emma wasn't there, she let go of my ankle. She turned around and crawled back, I didn't realize we were this far back. "Emma?" Every once in awhile I would whisper. We got to somewhere we hadn't been before. We were lost in the vents. Number 1 kept looking frantically. Turning everywhere she could, when she got to a dead end she would go back down another way, just getting us more lost. After a while she gave up and collapsed.

We were moving fast, come to think of it, we were making a lot of noise. A pole that has been broken in half with a sharp point, shot through the vent and impelled Number 1's left arm. She cried out in pain. Another pole came up from below me, barely missing my face. She pulled her body up pulling it out and grabbed her arm in pain. At the time we were in a strange vent area barely tall enough to stand and run, we were hunched over but it still made up for crawling.

We ran as fast as we could, but we were still being too loud, another pole went through the vent and shot up into my leg. I fell and my bone snapped. Not only was it bad enough my leg was stabbed but now it was broken.

I cried out in pain, Number 1 stopped to help but it was hard since she only had one arm. "Go without me! Please just go!" I didn't want somebody else getting hurt. It was my fault Johnny was here. I told him to come with me to the amusement park, I'm the one who yelled at Emma and that made her run, which then made Number 1 go looking for her and getting us lost.

It's my fault, "I don't want you here! Go!" Truth was I wanted her there, I didn't want to die. Ever since I got here she has done everything she has never done before. She let go of my arm shaking her head no. She wasn't going to leave no matter how hard I tried.

"Please..." I started to cry not only because I wanted her to leave, but l was in extreme pain. "Please go, I don't want you to get hurt." Tears rolled down her face. With that, she stood and ran as quiet as she could.

I watched her run away, blood drops staining the steel. I looked down... please don't leave. A huge claw shot through the vent and grabbed my face. It pulled me down as hard as it could, as long as I knew Number 1 got away safely. I struggled but succeeded in looking up. She was gone. I was trying to pull my head up as hard as possible, hands were all pulling me down, there was nothing I could do.

I let go, I was getting pulled in. I looked up one last time and Number 1 was running back with a metal pipe. I forced my head up as far as I could. Emma was running behind meme. I put my head down 'No.... No! Please stay away, I don't want you to die.' As if Emma read my mind she said "We won't leave you to die!" My head shot up, I pulled the claw off my face and bit down on it, the claw went back down.

"Hurry!" Emma yelled at Number 1. Number 1 knelt down in front of me and used the sharp end of the pipe to stab a claw. She repeated this, and Emma did the same but with her hands. When they all let go we didn't have much time, so Number 1 put the pipe in her mouth and pushed with all her might using just her one arm. She pulled me up until I could grab onto the top. With all my might and bravery I got my leg out, Emma grabbed my arm and helped me limp away. Number 1 ran behind carrying the pipe. We ran as quietly as possible.

"Where are we going?" I whispered.

"Anywhere where it's safe." Emma whispered back, I couldn't help but think that nowhere is safe here." I looked down and tried not to think about the metallic stench, a grin came across my face.

"Are... Are you ok?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Yea, I was just remembering something." A vision of Johnny's huge smile as a child, we had been childhood friends since, as long as I could remember. Our parents were close friends and that's how it all started.

I could've told them what I was thinking, but I wanted the memory to myself. I was always mean to him, complaining, telling him to stop being a wimp, yelling at him to do this and that. All I ever did was complain. What is wrong with me? Here is this amazing friend, and here I am being a jerk.

I'm sorry Johnny, can you forgive me? We continued but I completely stopped talking. So did Emma, she knew to leave me be.

I can't believe how rude I am to everyone. I always yelled at Johnny, I yelled at Emma, at Number 1, my family... everyone. All I keep telling myself is 'it should've been you, it should've been you, it should've been you, it should've been you!'

"It's not your fault you know." Emma said. I guess I was starting to breath heavily and freak out.

"Alex, you couldn't do anything, you, we‒" She was cut off by a long sharp pole piercing through her skin and she fell, pulling me down with her.

Number 1 skidded to a stop and just as she went to reach out to grab Emma the pole was pulled out, only to come through again. Piercing right through her head. I screamed, "Emma!" The thick blood spilled out from her fresh wound. Her eyes were lifeless, they stared off looking at the steel vent as if it was some magnificent artwork.

Number 1 grabbed my arm, forcing me up and over Emma's corpse. The pole was pulled out once more, a saw cut through the vent and Emma fell through the hole, a Surger climbed up and screeched.

Number 1 stopped suddenly which made me run into her. She crouched down and looked through the vent grille. She kicked it open and we jumped down, my leg cracked under my weight, but we quickly put the cover back on. I heard loud thumps above us, and then nothing. We sat there in the darkness silently, I didn't say a word.