Trapped by Hantze Liow 8M

Trapped- A short story by Hantze Liow 8M

Genre: Mystery/Horror

Opening:

Awaken. Shattered glass disperses across the bloodied tiled floor, casting an eerie constellation around the terrifying world that surrounds you at this very moment. The smell of antiseptic fills your lungs and causes an overwhelming sensation through your scrawny, pale body while dirty patient records rests atop of rusty tin drawers - waiting to be picked up. The walls and floor are made of concrete, reeking of mildew. Most of the furnitures around you are covered in white sheets, and those that aren't covered are coated with a thick layer of dust and dead insects. The screens in the windows look brittle to the touch, and the walls are covered with cheap plywood paneling. Wh-where am I? You thought, How did I get here?!

“Ouch!” Head pounding, you stumble out of the thin, stained covers that lies against your exhausted body while the murmuring of the air escaping the vents fill your freckled-coated ears. You walk unsteadily towards the worn out door. Wait. Two doors. One entwined with rusty chains causing anxiety to emerge to your thoughts and another rotten, wooden door which was exceeded with ghastly cobwebs. I gotta get away from this place.

Open door with chains:

Dim-lit corridors fill your vision as metal crashing and piercing screams reverberate your mine hauntingly.  Slamming the chain-wrapped door with your quivering, skeletal fingers, a parade of dust and lint briskly tickles the bridge of your skinny nose. Like a maniac, you frantically wave your lanky arms through the tingling particles yet they still linger around you.

A stampede of thoughts and questions ricochet in your mind while you rethink your sanity. Bitter gusts of air embraces your body, sending a storm of icy chills down your spine as you walk through the imperiled hallway in solitude.

“AAAHHHHHH!!”

“CLASH!”

Frozen in space, you spin to your right after the deafening commotion began.

An inky silhouette flashes to your left from your peripheral vision across another echoing passageway, leaving a peculiar lane of blood-stained shackles laying as motionless as a brick wall. “This is like Hell! I wonder what happened before I woke up….”

Erasing the thought from your mind, two options rise to your attention: to find an escape route or to follow the footsteps of the sprinting shadow.

Follow the footsteps of the sprinting shadow:

Heart battering, you creep towards the inexplicable clamours. Painted walls crumble below you with every step you make. Eyes heavy and red with drowsiness, you dart your eyes in every direction in the frightening aisle, prepared for a calamitous scene.

Suddenly, the world surrounding you was etched in charcoal. The once dusty furniture store were no more than a vivid memory as the blanket of darkness that obliterated the lights had not faded or thinned; the flickering lights had died out.

You wrinkle your nose; a revolting odor instantaneously flood the pitch-black hallway as you tread as lightly as you could towards a series of switches.

Relief lifts your spirit as brightness come pouring into the deserted room, but not for long…

Suddenly, your chest feels like there is a deep ache and between your shoulders feels uncomfortable as your mind feels fuzzy and dizzy with thoughts. Bundled with nerves, a severe derealization suddenly overwhelms you while you break out a cold sweat. You are like a cat on hot bricks. Your vision suddenly relinquishes - It was like looking through a fuzzy tv screen. You have this overall feeling of needing to escape and If you didn't, you were sure you would pass out. And never wake up.

When your sight starts to clear up, you see a body of a woman with black eyes and pale skin, as though the sun has never touched it. She lays next to a stained and cracked window of a cubicle, shivering intensely whilst a solid, metal collar is wrapped firmly around her scraggy neck. On top of that, her long, oily, black hair rains down her slender, prominent face, desperately needing to be brushed while her bony fingers grip a shiny, metal key.

A key! You turn around and search for an exit, and fortunately, a metal door stands at the corner of the grimy room. You hope it'll be the right one. It is a puny, old fashioned door. It stands weakly at the corner of the un-spacious room, labeled electronically. You vaguely make out the sign as its flickering brightness blur your sight. Squinting, it reads “Exit”. You turn around once more and spot an old but rigid screw driver.

Maybe…  I can break the window with this tool...  or grab the key from the peculiar lady and unlock the door! Hmmm...

Grab the key from the collared lady:

Putting on a look of innocence and curiosity, you sneak towards the distorted psychiatric-looking women. Your eyes target the glimmering key like a hunter that’s about to catch its prey and once your angular body towers over the feeble, little creature, you grab the key from her scarred wrist like a hawk and dash at the opposite direction of the abnormal girl with all your might. Thinking that you have finally succeeded, an immense emotion sweeps through you but fades instantly as you feel sharp nails sink effortlessly into your attenuated skin, causing an agonizing and excruciating sensation to surround your cool leg.

You tug your leg with more strength, hoping that it’ll finally release but unfortunately, you are swept to the floor and dragged by an unyielding pair of hands. Shivering with terror, you feel a tremor run down your spine as you felt the psychotic lady’s cold hands violently brush against your neck causing you to bite back a gasp as it’s scaly tongue flicked against your neck. The monster moistened your skin to prepare you for what was about to come. Your body quivers and froze as there won’t be a chance for you to escape her mighty clutch.

Her razor teeth slices through your damp skin without resistance, penetrating deep into the flesh of your neck as it cuts through the thin blood vessels and permitted them to spill.

“AAAHHHH!”

You scream.

There is no escape. A trickle of blood runs down to the side of your face. It cries joyfully as it latched onto the gash that’s on your neck with its entire mouth and began to greedily suck upon it, like a starving infant to his mother's nipple.

Scrambling and punching your surroundings, you are unfortunately still trapped in her strong grasp as your vision starts swirling and your head starts hurting as uncontrollably as a firing machine gun.

Dark spots began to form at the outer corners of your eyes and is gradually growing like clouds getting ready for a storm. Your chest feels like a thousand needles stabbing into your very bones, causing a scream of agonizing torment to erupt through your chapped and wounded lips as your arms start to gradually lose its strength. You grunt. The monster sinks her teeth deeper into you. You push yourself forward once more, hoping that you will escape it’s mighty grip but a blanket of gloominess buries your blurred vision.

And in a flash, you take one last breath before you fall, deep, deep, down.

The End.

Reach for the screw- you might end up bashing the window open:

Although the idea was laced with doubt, you still reach for the rusty and russet tool and walked with sedate towards the stained, tenebrous and putrescent glass window - It was a rotting heap, bowing down, subservient to the elements. You walked so quietly that you could almost hear a pin drop.

“AWWKK!”

Gripping the thick, metal collar that wraps tightly around her neck, she begins to pull the gleaming neckband with all her might as a cluster of greasy, midnight-black hair, rapidly sweeps the filthy, rigid floor as if it were a snake trying to break free from a tight, metal leash. The ‘girl’ was like a fish out of water. You nervously take a step back due to the unstability of the monster’s mind when a vague idea blares tangibly in your thoughts.

As quick as light, you make a dash towards the stained, glass window while sidestepping every speck of dust. Eyes panicking, they dart all around the room as you continue to clumsily make your way towards the window. You smash the window with your left hand, causing a crack to emerge into your now blurry vision. A rush of excruciating pain fills your entire left arm as streams of crimson liquid slides down your bony knuckles. Bursts of sunlight pours into the dark room - it was so bright that it is almost utterly impossible to describe. Pieces of glass starts darting and flying out into the open world.

Pushing the pain and the fuzz of thoughts away from your mind, you suddenly hear a low, intense, roar behind you.

“CRACKK!”

“SHIINNNG!”
“ARRGGH!!!”

Shards of glass tangibly slices your delicate skin open as you shield your aching head with both your freckled-infested arms while you fly bunglingly through the scorching heat. You literally broke the wooden frame apart as if it’s paper, though it’s made of strong, hard, African mahogany.

“CRACK!”

Meanwhile, the world suddenly freezes as your toe begins to simmer. You feel the little strings of wheat stroke your slender legs gently. Cracking your eyes open, your eyes meet the terrifying beast’s bloodshot eyes - It was boiling with hatred and if they were knifes you would probably be skinned alive by now. It quickly pulled away from the shattered window as its skin started oozing out slimy liquid whilst burning furiously. “Woah…”

The world suddenly ablaze, you shuffle back with your feet and pick your aching body up as you squint at an entire new world.

The sun blazes down from an azure sky. It was a torrid afternoon. You squint a bit more and gaze further into the afternoon life and spot glossy, shriveled and barren as the abundant flowers in gardens had wilted; their roots became parched from the arid conditions.

Turning around, a bundle of huts fills your sight while all the towns folks stay shuttered up in their homes, in the hopes that they could find cool solace from the unusually desolate outdoors.

Your throat suddenly transforms into a desert while a cold sweat breaks from your neck. A fan would probably move sluggishly in a weather like this, even though it’s indoor... you wondered.

You tear into the dry, grassy hills, leaping over dry bushes. You dodge trees, rip through snarled vines, while you make your way towards the deserted village in search for water. A gush of relief engulfs you. “I made it! I finally, finally, made it out… ALIVE!”

You take a deep breath and adrenaline races through you as you run determinedly through the grassy hamlet while a new adventure awaits you…

The End.  

Try to escape:

Creeping down the narrow and dilapidated hallway, a million thoughts swim in your head while you pray silently that you’ll finally escape this hellish place. Each step feels like ten. The restless clinking of chemical flasks ring irritatingly while you continue to stroll down the aisle when the side door suddenly swings open and was accompanied by a wrinkled man sporting a lab coat patched with greasy, icky and foul-smelling goo. “-Ohh! Hahaha, Right... ”

“Ugh, Alfred! How could you forget the gir-”

Silence. Then there was a laugh, a nasty, mocking, laugh. God....I should’ve been prepared for this… Sprinting quietly, you throw yourself behind a tattered cloth whilst holding your panicked breath - too afraid to even breathe. You desperately wait for the voices to fade while crouching to slow your breathing. You can feel sweat burning on your forehead.

Take a peek and try to get past the lab assistants without them knowing:

After what seems like ages, you crack your eyes open and take an unnoticeable peek. You then stroll down the deserted hallway cautiously when you spot an empty storage room. Something inside you tells you that it is safe for you to hide inside the dusty chamber. Ensuring that no one is following you, you zoom into the room and grab the first chair you have in sight and as violently as an angry gorilla, you determinedly smash the stained window vigorously and throw your body out the broken window with jagged shards sticking out from the wooden frame. You’re finally free at last!

The End.

Go back the other direction and find a new escape route:

Deciding that you could think of an improved escape route, you sneak down the menacing hallway when a boiling, green liquid plunges onto your angular fingers. Curiosity fills your thoughts and you start to examine the mysterious liquid.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing out of your room!”

Gasp! Heart pounding rapidly, you sprint the other direction while streams and streams of sweat slides down your slender neck. Skidding, you unfortunately reach a dead-end. Your hopes begin to disappear while you feel a pang of deep regret. I should’ve stayed behind the tattered cloth! You feel strong hands grip your shoulders and pull you back. You’re trapped.

The End

Go to door wrapped with cobwebs:

Creaking the web-infested door open, you enter an old surgery room. The walls has cracks in them while a broken lightbulb hang lifelessly on the ceiling. Bang!

The door suddenly slams shut. You race back to the door and punch it, hoping it’ll miraculously open. It wouldn't budge. You're trapped. In a creepy surgery room.  Filled with sharp knifes. A wave of frustration passes over you. How am I ever going to leave this horrid place?! Already losing hope, you mindlessly walk towards a bloody scalpel and examine it. It strongly smells like rusty metals - somewhat metallic. You examine it a bit further until you feel huge hands wrap itself around your throat. You desperately grasp for air as you are lifted off the powdery ground. You struggle, kick, try to pull away, but know it’s futile, that it’s over. I should have been prepared for this!  But it was too late. Someone has walked in on you, has found you.

A covered hand emerges  and it is holding a gleaming white metal sword. You shiver in fear. Suddenly, the sword rises high up and as it falls, you lock your eyes at the metre long sword. Part of you still believes that some part of you will survive, and some part of you will make it out, safely. You shut your eyes just before the sword strikes. And then it was over.

The End.