Reflections of the Damned

Past(4)

The steel door loomed over them, a silent guardian of secrets they couldn't yet comprehend. The corridor was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the flickering fluorescent lights. Lara, Elias, and Margot stood motionless, the weight of desperation bearing down on them.

Elias tried another code on the keypad, his frustration evident as the familiar buzzing sound signaled failure yet again. He clenched his fists, a growl escaping his lips.

"It's no use," Margot said, pacing a few steps away. "We're just guessing."

Elias glanced over his shoulder, his jaw tight. "There's got to be a way. We can't give up now."

Lara leaned against the wall, her fingers trembling as she toyed with the photograph in her pocket. Andy's haunting smile replayed in her mind like a cruel taunt. Why hadn't she attacked when I freed Elias and Margot? Why did she let me go?

Her heart sank as an unsettling thought crept in. This is a trap.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Andy prowled the dim corridors with an air of quiet menace. Two nurses followed close behind, their uniforms stained with dark, coagulated blood.

One of them, her face pale and tense, broke the silence. "Andy, why didn't you stop them? You had them right there."

Andy smirked, her black eyes gleaming. "And ruin all the fun?" She tilted her head mockingly. "Lara's a pest, yes, but she's also useful. Let her think she's winning for now. It'll make it all the sweeter when the truth comes crashing down."

The other nurse hesitated before speaking, her voice trembling. "But what if they open the door?"

Andy stopped abruptly, turning to face the nurse with a predatory grin. "They won't." Her voice was low, dangerous. "The door has never been opened. It can't be. Not unless…" She trailed off, her expression darkening.

"Unless what?" the nurse asked nervously.

Andy's smile faded, her tone turning cold. "Not unless the Anchor wills it—or the Patron herself."

The first nurse frowned, her voice laced with fear. "And Margot? Is she really Elene's daughter? Why would the Architect send a reflection to bring them here?"

Andy's jaw tightened. She sighed, exhaling slowly as if the weight of the hospital's secrets was pressing down on her. "It doesn't matter," she said finally, her voice distant. "They don't even realize their memories are slipping away. By the time they figure it out, they won't even know why they're here."

Back at the steel door, Elias punched in another random code, his shoulders sagging when it failed.

Margot crossed her arms, her frustration boiling over. "We need to move on. Standing here isn't helping anyone."

Elias shook his head. "We've come too far. There's something behind this door, and I'm not leaving until we know what it is."

Lara stepped forward, her voice quiet but firm. "Let me try."

Both Elias and Margot turned to her, their expressions skeptical.

"Lara," Elias began, but she cut him off.

"Just trust me," she said, her fingers brushing against the photograph in her pocket.

She stared at the keypad, her mind racing. The date scrawled on the photograph—August 13, 2020—burned in her memory.

Her fingers trembled as she typed the code: 13-2020.

A soft chime broke the silence, followed by a mechanical click as the steel door slid open.

Margot's jaw dropped, and Elias stared in stunned disbelief.

"How… how did you do that?" Margot asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know," Lara admitted, her voice shaking. "It just… felt right."

Before they could process the moment, a deafening alarm blared. The fluorescent lights above flickered violently, their cool white glow replaced by an ominous red hue.

"What the hell is happening?" Elias demanded, his voice rising above the shrill alarm.

"I think…" Lara swallowed hard, her eyes darting toward the hallway. "I think we found the truth sooner than they expected."

From the far end of the corridor came a sound that made their blood run cold—a low, guttural moan, like the death rattle of something long buried.

The shadows at the edge of the red light twisted unnaturally as figures began to emerge.

Patients.

They stumbled forward, their bodies jerking with unnatural movements. Their skin was ashen and tight against their bones, dark veins snaking beneath the surface.

Their mouths hung open, drool and blood dripping from their slackened jaws. Some clutched IV poles like weapons, while others dragged surgical tools along the ground, the metal scraping against the tiles.

Their empty eyes locked onto the trio, and their moans grew louder, blending into a cacophony of hunger and rage.

"Inside!" Elias shouted, grabbing Lara and Margot by the arms.

The three of them scrambled through the open door, slamming it shut behind them.

Elias pressed his back against the steel, his muscles straining as the first patient threw itself against the door.

"They're coming," he said through gritted teeth.

Margot grabbed a rusted metal pipe from the floor, jamming it under the handle. "That'll hold for now."

Lara clutched the photograph in her hand, her heart hammering in her chest. "What are they?" she whispered.

"Patients," Elias said grimly. "Or what's left of them."

Andy turned the corner just in time to see the steel door shut. Her black eyes widened, and for the first time, her calm demeanor faltered.

"No," she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief.

The nurses behind her exchanged nervous glances.

"Andy… how did they—"

"They shouldn't have been able to," Andy muttered, more to herself than to the nurses. "That door… only the Anchor or the Patron can open it. If she did…"

Her voice trailed off, her expression a mixture of shock and dawning realization.

One of the nurses stepped forward, her voice quivering. "Andy, we have a problem."

Andy's head snapped toward her, her patience wearing thin. "What now?"

The nurse hesitated, her hands twisting nervously. "The heart… it's been punctured. Those things… they've woken her up."

Andy's face turned ashen, her body going rigid.

"Elene?" she whispered.

The nurse nodded, her voice barely audible. "She's awake."

Andy's jaw clenched, and her hands curled into fists. "Get to the third floor. Now," she barked, her voice sharp and commanding.

The nurses scurried away, their footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Andy remained where she was, staring at the steel door as if it were a puzzle she couldn't solve. For the first time, the predator looked uncertain.

Her voice was barely a whisper as she said, "What have you done, Lara?"

The steel door shuddered under the weight of the patients' relentless assault, their guttural moans blending with the shrill alarm and the blood-red light.

Inside, Elias, Margot, and Lara exchanged terrified glances, the gravity of their situation sinking in.

And somewhere deep within the hospital, Elene stirred.

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