Masks

Chapter 34

I'd been running for two weeks now. I couldn't remember how to get home, but I knew I had to keep moving. I couldn't let that psychopath proxy catch me- she'd already clawed up my arm once before I got away the first time she'd found me.

No one paid attention to me as I entered the hotel lobby and made my way to the elevator. The bag rustled as I dug around my pocket for my key card, managing to pull it out as the doors opened on my floor. I stepped out and froze. The hallway was unusually dark, as if the lights had burned out and I turned to get back in the elevator only to see it had already closed and gone to another floor. My skin crawled as I felt the sensation of being watched. Nervously, I turned to look down the hall... The Operator was watching.

"How did it find me? Why find me? I'm not doing anything!" I coughed and darted down the hall to my room, turning my back to the monster.

The door unlocked with a click and I sent one last nervous look back down the hallway before entering and locking the door behind me. The fact it could easily get into the room despite the lock worried me but there wasn't much I could do about it. I dumped the bag onto the bed and dug out the box of gauze wrap before making my way to the bathroom.

I pulled off my jacket and unwrapped the bandage from my arm, revealing the ragged scabs from where the proxy's nails had cut into me like a wild animal's claws. They were healing well though, and I quickly put on the fresh bandage before slipping my jacket back on. Given what I'd just seen down the hall, it was clear that I had to get moving to the next location... wherever that would be.

When I walked out and found the closet door cracked open I froze. I'd never used the closet and I was positive it had always been completely shut. Immediately, I began scanning the room for something to defend myself with in fear the Chaser was about to leap out and attack me. The door creaked as the person pushed against it, revealing themselves now that they knew they'd been spotted.

I backed away upon their appearance. "Hoodie...? What do you want?"

"It makes so much sense... of course The Operator was here because of him."

Naturally, He stayed silent. The answer, however, was clear once he aimed a gun at my face.

"Shit...! Why?" I raised my hands up in surrender, hoping he'd realize I wasn't going to attack him. "W-what... What did I do to you?"

The only thing I could think of was something that must've happened between my beating from Toby and waking up far from home. Had I done something to him? I couldn't remember anything, but obviously he did.

"Surely he wouldn't kill me now, not when so many people could hear it." I slowly made my way closer to the bed- hoping to grab the bag containing a small amount of things I'd been able to purchase on the run- and try to skirt around him to the door.

He was on top of me before I could finish taking a step. Fear sank in as the cold metal pressed against my skull. My panicked breathing only escalated as it was jabbed harder against my head. I sank to the carpet, obediently following the silent demand. Hoodie stared down at me, his masked face hiding any expression to clue me into what he might do next.

As soon as he shifted the gun back I made my escape, twisting his wrist as I jumped up. The gun fell to the floor and I slipped past him, heading for the stairwell while praying he wouldn't catch up to me. It was a mystery how he'd found me but that was something I could figure out after losing him. Hoodie's footsteps were already racing after me. I flew down the stairs without looking back. Between the running and the panic it was a miracle I didn't fall.

Weight landed on me as I got to the bottom of the stairs. My knees buckled beneath me and I fell forward. Hoodie's grip was tight on the back of my neck, his gloved fingers digging into my skin. I coughed as I tried to catch my breath, tensing as I heard the gun momentarily scrape the floor. At any moment I expected a gunshot to ring out. Instead, I felt the weapon strike hard against the side of my head. The sudden pain made me jerk and struggle for a second before slumping unconsciously back against the floor.

***

I felt the car come to a stop and heard a door slam shut. Moments later the trunk unlocked and opened to reveal Hoodie with the dark night sky behind him. My eyes fell to the gun sticking out of his pocket, the red lights from his car reflecting off the metal in a sinister way. I flinched as he roughly dragged me from the car, the gun quickly pressing against my back as soon as I was on my feet.

The only thing nearby was some small, run down building. "Did he take me here to kill me? I still don't understand... What did I do?"

He urged me closer to the building, digging the barrel of the gun into my spine when I hesitated. I went inside, hoping to find some way out of this. The place was cluttered with shelves and debris that nearly tripped me up several times. A hand on my shoulder signaled for me to stop before pushing me down to my knees. Terror went through me as I knelt with my back to him.

I could hear him shuffling around for a second and turned my head slightly to look over my shoulder. Hoodie had sat the gun down and pulled something out of his pocket. For a second I considered running, wondering if I could make it to the door before he could pick up the gun and shoot. I didn't get to think long on that, as he grabbed my arms and twisted them behind my back. Plastic zip ties bound my wrists and soon after I felt my ankles being bound as well. Discomfort shot through my shoulders as I tried to squeeze free of the tight constraints.

Hoodie once again shifted around behind me before walking around to face me. He pushed me back into the corner of the wall, making sure I was still sitting up, before revealing the camera he'd brought. I glared at him and continued trying to free my wrists, watching him closely as he sat the camera down on a counter before pulling out the gun once more.

"He's going to film it!?" I tugged harder against the restraints and tried to edge away as best I could. "Fucking psychopath."

He shifted so he was standing just in range of the camera lens and took aim. I stayed silent, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of useless begging. The loud bang of the gun firing was swiftly followed by a burning pain in my side. I couldn't stop the shout of pain as I jerked back, tears welling up in my eyes. In the dark I couldn't tell how bad the gunshot was. Fear made my heart race as I felt warm blood soaking into my shirt.

Hoodie put the gun away and walked over, briefly moving my jacket to check before standing up and grabbing the camera. I sent him a venomous look before looking down at my side. At least from what I could make out, it only seemed like a graze. It certainly didn't feel as bad as when I'd been shot in the shoulder.

"I need to get out of here... To get a phone and call Tim..." I shifted only to fall back again as more pain burned through my side. "I don't want to die like this...!"