Screams of the Shadows : The Other Side by marilyn quillen |
The light was overwhelming blinding, all-encompassing, yet strangely warm. It pressed against Sarah like a tide, tugging her forward and stripping away the sounds of the storm, the voices, even her own ragged breathing. The case in her arms felt lighter, almost weightless, as if the light was absorbing its burden.
Then, just as suddenly, it was gone. She stumbled forward, her foot landing on solid ground. The world around her came into focus, but it wasn't the forest, nor the field she had just fled. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the soft glow that bathed her surroundings. She was standing in a circular room, the walls smooth and metallic, humming faintly with energy. The ceiling arched high above her, its surface rippling with shifting patterns of light like watching the aurora borealis through a pane of glass. The air was warm and dry, carrying a faint, almost electric tang. The case was still in her hands, its surface cool and matte. She looked down at the phone, its screen flashing a single message: You're here. "Here?" she muttered, her voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space. "Where the hell is here?" The hum in the air grew louder, and she turned sharply, her grip tightening on the case. A doorway had appeared in the wall behind her, its edges glowing faintly. Beyond it, she could see only darkness. Her chest tightened as footsteps echoed from the corridor. Slow. Measured. Her heart raced. She backed away instinctively, clutching the case to her chest. The footsteps grew louder, each one sending a jolt of dread through her body. She braced herself, her legs trembling as the figure emerged from the shadows. It wasn't the man in the suit, nor the figure in tactical gear. It was... her. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. The figure standing in the doorway was identical to her in every way same dark hair plastered to her face, same mud-streaked clothes, same case gripped tightly in her hands. But her expression was different. Cold. Calculating. "Who" Sarah's voice cracked. "Who are you?" The double tilted her head, a small, almost amused smile curling her lips. "You already know." "No." Sarah shook her head, taking another step back. "This this isn't possible." The other Sarah stepped into the room, her movements smooth and deliberate. "Possible?" she repeated, her voice eerily calm. "You walked through a portal in the middle of a forest, carrying a case you know nothing about, following instructions from a faceless voice. And now, you're questioning what's possible?" Sarah's back hit the wall, the cool metal grounding her briefly. "What do you want?" The double's smile faded. Her gaze dropped to the case in Sarah's hands. "It's not about what I want. It's about what you've chosen." "I didn't choose this!" Sarah snapped, her voice rising. "I was dragged into it!" The other Sarah's expression didn't change. She took another step forward, her presence suffocating. "And yet, you're here. You could have walked away. But you didn't." The phone in Sarah's hand buzzed violently. She glanced at the screen, her stomach churning at the message: Do not give her the case. Her double's eyes flicked to the phone, her expression darkening. "Ah. Them." She scoffed, shaking her head. "You still think they're helping you, don't you?" Sarah's grip tightened on the case. "What are you talking about?" "They're using you," the double said, her tone sharp now. "The same way they used me. The same way they'll use the next poor soul who walks through that portal." She stepped closer, her voice lowering. "They don't care about you. They only care about what's inside that case." Sarah's mind raced. "Then why are you here? Why do you care?" Her double's gaze softened, but there was no warmth in it. "Because I know what happens if you hand it over. And I know what happens if you don't." The phone buzzed again. Sarah glanced at it, her hands trembling. Keep the case. Leave now. The other Sarah sighed, shaking her head. "Still trusting them. It's almost cute." Her voice hardened. "But you don't understand what you're carrying. That case isn't just dangerous it's everything. Everything they want. Everything they'll destroy to get." Sarah's chest tightened. "What's inside it?" Her double's lips curled into a bitter smile. "You'll never know. Not unless you make the right choice." "What choice?" Sarah shouted, her voice echoing in the chamber. "What am I supposed to do?" The hum in the room grew louder, the lights on the ceiling pulsing with an almost frantic energy. The other Sarah took a step back, her expression unreadable. "They're coming," she said softly. "You don't have much time." The doorway behind her began to glow brighter, the shadows within retreating. Sarah's phone buzzed again, the screen flashing a single word: RUN. Her double's eyes met hers one last time. "Good luck," she said, her voice low. "You're going to need it." Then she was gone, swallowed by the light.
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marilyn quillen
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