To Be A Hero

Chapter 25: Church of the Poison Mind

"Five! Five, hold up a second! You don't know if that's the right way!" Steve pants, chasing after me. Moonchild grins.

"Oh, it's the right way. At least, I think it is. Almost certainly. I might have seen some diagrams of these caves once. Or you might." Her smile grows when I blanch. "What? Are you finding it harder and harder to tell us apart, Five? Me too."

She laughs, and I feel every muscle in my body tense.

"Alright. Alright, the zoms are still behind us, but I feel like we should be going uphill," Steve says. I say nothing. I'm not sure I could talk even if I particularly wanted to.

"Oh, but the Edda said they went down, into the very guts of Jord. That's Mother Earth for Vikings. Keep running." She brings a hand up to her mouth to hide her laughter. "Not that you can stop now. Do you think I'm real? Or is it that I'm a construct, a voice in your head talking to you when things get really bad?"

I... don't know.

She hums. "Neither do I. But I'm so pleased you've used what I gave you. It makes me feel like we're still together, really. That I led you here. We're here together. Well, us and the zoms. Keep on running."

I blink, my lips pinching together as I run. What she gave me? Is this, what she's telling me to do, where she's telling me to go, memories from before? Is this stuff that she told me while she was still alive? While I was under the mind control?

Yes! That must be it! Moonchild isn't real. She can't be... right? She's not like Sarah or Archie. She just can't be...

Right?

I grit my teeth, trying to will away the swirling thoughts of my mind. Every thought I have, she hears, she knows. I know she knows. The wicked smile that plays on her lips gives it away.

She's enjoying this. She enjoys torturing me, making me question my own sanity, my own mind. To her, whatever it is she may be, this is merely a game. She knows she'll get me out of here alive. I have to stay alive for her to stay alive, whether she's like Sarah or if she's apart of my brain. She's going to get me out of here, but not without having her fun first, not without making me wonder, making me fear.

I keep running, my feet pounding into the ground as my legs burn. Steve follows, but I can feel his eyes on me, questioning, unsure. The sounds of moans make him look back. His chest heaves and his hair sticks to his forehead. He goes to grab for his gun, but I beat him to it, grabbing my own and firing at a zombie that is getting too close for my liking.

It's a clean headshot. It's perfect aim, too perfect, even for me. It's like I knew where it was going before I even grabbed my gun.

Moonchild giggles. "Just a little further, Five."

I sprint ahead, Steve following. His voice is frantic when he speaks.

"Five, wait! It's a dead end!"

"It's not, you know. Just pull out that one rock from the pile."

I do as told, and the entire rock pile collapses, revealing a iron door.

"Bloody hell. How the hell did you know that this was here?"

I don't answer him. I'm not sure that I can, even if I wanted, even if I had a perfect lie handy.

"Open it. Go inside."

"Bloody hell. I don't even think I want to know, actually. You've got a bloody weird look on your face, you know that?"

Moonchild laughs as we open the door and head inside, closing it quickly as the zombies get closer.

"I love how he's just seeing it now. Although, you keeping your hair in your face kept him from really seeing your expression. It's so funny how you felt compelled to do a braid today, even though you know it never turns out well. Did you know I would be making an appearance today, Five?"