Annihilate
Chapter Fourteen: Eluethia
He sat up quickly, his head dizzy. He looked down at his arms, sliced and bruised. He pressed his fingers against his forehead, trailing a scabbed wound that started from his forehead and ended at his collarbone. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and jumped onto the floor, falling to his knees. I wore a hospital gown with nothing but his underwear underneath, his body shivered at the cold tile floor.
“Noah.” A woman said as the door slid open. “Are you okay?” She extended her hand, but he pushed it away.
“Where…am I?” He grabbed the side of the bed and pulled himself up.
“Eluethia. We got you out after you and your friends stopped the mutations in DC.”
“Why am I here?”
“You wanted answers and we needed help.” She said, her voice calm and soothing.
“Where is everyone?”
“They’re in the cafeteria. You took a little bit longer to heal, you were in the worst shape.”
Noah entered the cafeteria, still shaky but managing to stay on his feet. He smiled as his eyes caught Ryan and the others. He grabbed a roll from the buffet and found his seat next to them. Every single one of them carried deep cuts and scars, they were lucky to be alive.
“How are you?” Maya asked.
“Feeling sore. But I’m okay.”
“We’re going inside…” Natalie said quickly.
“Inside?” Noah asked confused.
“I guess they haven’t showed you…”
He followed the others out onto the roof overlooking a tall wall of vines, trees, and fungus. It glowed with a beautiful oily shimmer. Somehow he knew exactly what was inside…the answers he needed.
“They asked us to go inside and find the crash site. Apparently no one comes back.” Natalie said. “The meteor holds the key to all of this I suppose.”
“So when do we go inside?” He asked, looking at the wall in awe.
“Tonight.”
They inched their way closer to the wall of fungus, his mind racing faster than he thought possible. This was it; he was going to find all his answers inside. He looked over at Natalie, her finger hovering over the trigger of her gun. He could tell she was scared, they all were. They didn’t know what awaited them on the other side of the wall. He looked back at the building. Maya stood at the wall of glass windows, watching them enter one at a time. She chose to stay behind, to help search for survivors. He gulped hard and took a deep breath, then stepped inside.
“Noah.” A woman said as the door slid open. “Are you okay?” She extended her hand, but he pushed it away.
“Where…am I?” He grabbed the side of the bed and pulled himself up.
“Eluethia. We got you out after you and your friends stopped the mutations in DC.”
“Why am I here?”
“You wanted answers and we needed help.” She said, her voice calm and soothing.
“Where is everyone?”
“They’re in the cafeteria. You took a little bit longer to heal, you were in the worst shape.”
Noah entered the cafeteria, still shaky but managing to stay on his feet. He smiled as his eyes caught Ryan and the others. He grabbed a roll from the buffet and found his seat next to them. Every single one of them carried deep cuts and scars, they were lucky to be alive.
“How are you?” Maya asked.
“Feeling sore. But I’m okay.”
“We’re going inside…” Natalie said quickly.
“Inside?” Noah asked confused.
“I guess they haven’t showed you…”
He followed the others out onto the roof overlooking a tall wall of vines, trees, and fungus. It glowed with a beautiful oily shimmer. Somehow he knew exactly what was inside…the answers he needed.
“They asked us to go inside and find the crash site. Apparently no one comes back.” Natalie said. “The meteor holds the key to all of this I suppose.”
“So when do we go inside?” He asked, looking at the wall in awe.
“Tonight.”
They inched their way closer to the wall of fungus, his mind racing faster than he thought possible. This was it; he was going to find all his answers inside. He looked over at Natalie, her finger hovering over the trigger of her gun. He could tell she was scared, they all were. They didn’t know what awaited them on the other side of the wall. He looked back at the building. Maya stood at the wall of glass windows, watching them enter one at a time. She chose to stay behind, to help search for survivors. He gulped hard and took a deep breath, then stepped inside.