The sky was cloudy as the day darkened. There was a distant hoot from an owl as the soft evening breeze rustled the leaves of the trees in the forest. Gentle ripples formed over the lake which laid at the opening of the forest. At that moment, everything was calm and mysteriously beautiful. Then, the peace was broken. "Please! Don't一 mmph!" a terrified girl screamed but her mouth was covered by a big calloused hand. As she struggled to break free, a hard, muscled arm wrapped around her body. The petite girl was no match to the man's strength. Tears streamed down her face as the group of men held her firmly immobile and dragged an unwilling lanky man towards the lake. As the girl continued to struggle, the bald man leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Shush! You know it has to be done. Adam is already doomed. No one can save him now." "Yeah, Clara. Hush now. Unless you want to doom us all!" another man growled lowly at the girl as he helped a tan-looking middle-aged man drag the
Warning: This chapter contains slightly disturbing descriptions of gore and violence that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------[Doctor Heine’s personal perspective and monologue of his thoughts and memory]Ted Kaliosky's words hit me like a sudden punch to the gut, leaving me reeling with a mix of guilt and apprehension. My mind raced as I tried to comprehend the implications of his stern reprimand. What had I done to warrant such direct intervention from the CEO himself?“I... I understand,” I managed to choke out, my voice betraying a hint of unease. “But the situation with Jared... it's more complex than initially anticipated. I believed that swift action was necessary to uncover the
Warning: This chapter contains disturbing and unhealthy thoughts and actions of manipulation that might be triggering for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------[Doctor Heine’s personal perspective and monologue of his thoughts and memory]Samantha was one of the few people Gemini Enterprise had assigned to pose as staff members and patients at the facility. But of all the people sent, I was closest with Samantha as she was previously my secretary at the Gemini Enterprise laboratory. Moreover, she was a diligent and fiercely strict person- definitely someone worthy of overseeing my schedule and managing the miscellaneous matters that concerned very little of my actual work.Of course, my decision to include her in m
Warning: This chapter contains disturbing and unhealthy thoughts and actions of manipulation that might be triggering for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------[Doctor Heine’s personal perspective and monologue of his thoughts and memory]As a man of science, I have often been described as one who is indifferent and emotionless – not that that ever bothered me in the very least. Being driven by the desire to acquire more knowledge and curiosity to seek what more that vast universe had to offer that had yet to be discovered by science, I deemed it a waste of time to invest my precious time in matters of the heart. Thus, I've always taken pride in being an objective and rational thinker.My days were consumed by the
Warning: This chapter contains disturbing descriptions of gore and unhealthy thoughts of self-harm that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------[Lyra]In the dense thicket of the forest, where sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy Lyra found herself trapped in a nightmare of constant pain and despair.Every breath she took was a struggle- each inhale was a sharp stab of agony. Her eyes were glazed over with pain and exhaustion. The hike, if it could even be considered as one, was torturous and an incessant test of her endurance to pain. It felt like she was stepping on broken glass shards, except the pain was not limited to just the soles of her feet but radiated throughout her e
Warning: This chapter contains disturbing descriptions of violence and gore that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------In a once peaceful forest, where birds of varying species chirped cheerily high up in the trees and small, young animals growled playfully as they ran about in glee, there existed a hidden haven untouched by the human presence for decades. Deep within this forest, where sunlight filtered through the dense canopy to dapple the forest floor with shifting patterns of light and shadow, lay a serene and lively playground for wildlife.The ancient trees stood tall and proud, their branches reaching towards the sky like outstretched arms embracing the heavens. Moss clung to thei
[Jared][21 November 2021, Sunday--- Noon]As the group approached the center of the town, the atmosphere became increasingly eerie. The once lively streets now stood still, devoid of any signs of life. The abandoned buildings loomed over them, casting long shadows that seemed to whisper secrets of the town's mysterious past.Not even Brien, the leader of the former military personnel, could shake off the unsettling feeling that tightened his chest. "This doesn't make any sense," he muttered as he glanced at both Mike and David, who also seemed to be at a loss for words.Everyone in the group exchanged nervous glances but continued on their journey, their curiosity overcoming their apprehension. But as they neared the town square, a heavy silence hung in the air. Unlike earlier, the abandoned buildings and houses looked worn down and vegetation have long started to grow along the structures. In only the course of a few months of the zombie infestation, it contradictorily looked like
[21 November 2021, Sunday]The small group moved cautiously through the dense forest, their footsteps muffled by a carpet of fallen leaves. The dark canopy overhead swallowed the feeble light of the moon, casting an eerie glow on the uneven path beneath their feet. Hours of traveling in the oppressive silence and pitch-black darkness had left the group both physically exhausted and mentally drained. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig sent shivers down their spines, their senses heightened by the unknown lurking in the shadows.As they trudged on through the silent forest, a sense of isolation enveloped them. The air was thick with an unspoken tension, and each member of the group clutched their makeshift weapons a little tighter. The only sounds that accompanied them were the muted crunch of leaves and the occasional whisper of the wind through the trees.Many hours later, just as their weariness threatened to overwhelm them, the forest seemed to come alive. Birds chirped overhe
[Jared][18 November 2021, Thursday--- that evening]The flames of the campfire flickered as its embers emitted warmth in the midst of the cool night air. The flames cast a soft glow in the clearing of the forest that was plunged into an almost pitch darkness. The small group was huddled together, their faces illuminated by the flames of the campfire as they awaited for the rabbit stew to cook over the fire. The quiet settled over the group like a heavy blanket. It was not unsettling nor unnerving in any sense, but rather a shared acknowledgment of the challenges that lay ahead. Earlier in the day, there had been scattered conversations as they foraged for supplies or tended to their makeshift shelter. But now, as the darkness enveloped the landscape, a somber mood descended upon the group.Jared glanced at the small group gathered around the fire.David was busy filing off the makeshift spear he had carved out of a long branch earlier that day, while Mike continued to watch over the
[Mike][18 November 2021, Thursday--- the following day]Even though it was the afternoon, the forest was dimly lit by the muted sunlight penetrating the thick canopy of trees. If one wasn't particularly attentive to the time, the day could easily be mistaken for evening. The occasional cool breeze of autumn that swept through the forest only added to the illusion, contributing to the atmospheric ambiguity of the surroundings.Scrape, Scrape, Scrape.Mike looked up towards the canopy of trees. The scant sunlight that managed to filter through the forest canopy resembled twinkling lights as the passing breeze playfully teased the leaves.‘Have I ever felt this calm during these recent weeks we’ve been traversing this dense forest?’“Hm…” David grumbled beside Mike.Scrape, Scrape.Adamant to not look at his grumpy comrade, Mike wiggled slightly away without ever getting up. It was the first time since leaving the facility that he had time to appreciate the intricate pattern that the ca