Nation 27

CH 21: I’ve Been Losing Time…

Warning:

This chapter contains aspects of memory loss and minor descriptions of torture that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.

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[The following day at 8 am--- 15 October 2021, Friday]

[5th floor of the facility— Jared’s room…]

Jared sighed as he lay on the bed.

“The sound of a clock ticking had faded over the course of several hours…” he muttered before chuckling bitterly.

‘Well, not several hours since it is already the next day…’

Jared turned to face a pendulum on the small table by the bedside. Although the novelty was unmoving, he could not help but stare at it in a trance-like manner.

‘So, I’m definitely in the game world, right? Otherwise, I wouldn’t be hearing the phantom ticking…’

Despite trying numerous times, he still went on to tap at his hip to activate the game manual. His heart quickened slightly and he looked around the room intently as he waited for something to appear.

Moments passed yet nothing happened.

‘What was I expecting anyway? The manual is obviously not working, so how should I leave this place?’ Jared thought as he sat up in bed.

He tapped his index finger on the metallic headboard of the bed.

‘But what if that isn’t the way to exit? The player’s manual may have malfunctioned, but I can’t be certain about the game’s route…’

“...d.”

‘Wait… Why do I feel as if I thought about this before?’

“...red.”

‘Or am I simply imagining it?’

“Hey-”

‘Am I losing my mind or have I been just so comfortable living here that I’ve forgotten what I’m supposed to do?’ Jared’s brows furrowed as his head began to throb.

“Jared! Hey, what’s wrong?!” someone called out and shook Jared’s shoulders roughly.

“Ah! Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” Jared said as he tried calming his frantic heartbeats.

Clara just watched him with concern and it was only then that Jared realized that Adam was standing in the back. Unlike Clara, her brother’s expression was unreadable.

“Hey. Is something the matter?” Adam asked.

“N-No… I was just thinking about… Err… Just some random thoughts…”Jared rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. He did not like hiding things from others but knew no one would believe him.

‘How can I hope for outsiders to believe me when my Mom and best friends didn’t? Worse, what if they’re people like Doctor Heine? He acted kind and approachable initially in order to lull me into a sense of comfort. Ah… What was I thinking? The last couple of weeks were pure hell! Thank goodn-’

Jared’s eyes widen.

‘No, it hasn’t been a couple of weeks. It was much more than that…’ Jared’s head began to throb. Jared grimaced slightly and touched the side of his head instinctively.

“Jared, are you okay?” Clara began to move closer to Jared when her brother held her arm firmly. When she looked at Adam’s face, her brother silently shook his head.

Clara was about to say something when Louis came bursting in.

“Jared, I just found something interesting! I think you’ll li-” Louis stopped midsentence when he noticed the small group in the room and Adam’s demeanor.

In an instant, Louis’ expression darkened. He went on to stand in front of the siblings, effectively blocking their view of Jared.

“What’s happening here?” Louis demanded in a low tone.

“What?!” Adam exclaimed as he approached the much shorter boy.

Knowing that her brother is not one to back out from a confrontation, Clara began pulling at Adam’s arm.

“B-Brother, please don’t-”

“I-It’s okay, Louis. I’m fine…” Jared’s voice was barely audible as he struggled against the throbbing pain that was increasing by the minute.

Louis looked at Jared with a worried expression for a couple of seconds before turning towards the siblings and ushering them out of the door.

“I’ll talk to you guys later tonight. Now, leave. I need to have a word with Jared,” Louis growled.

Although the siblings comply, Louis saw Adam raising his eyebrows, as if doubting Jared’s sanity. This only made Louis’ blood boil even further. Louis had half the mind of punching the judgemental boy when he recalled Jared’s pained expression.

Half-slamming the door in the siblings’ faces, Louis rushed towards Jared’s bedside.

“Hey,” Louis kneeled in front of Jared who was seated at the edge of the bed, “What happened?”

“It’s nothing.”

“No, don’t lie to me. I know it’s something, and you’re in pain…”

Jared hesitated.

‘But how will I be able to survive out there? Moreover, I’ve checked out every possible exit in this facility, and we’re completely surrounded by the zombies,’ Jared continued to look at the pendulum on the table. The novelty that he had found in the ‘lost and found’ corner of the library has always given him a sense of peace.

“Jared,” Louis placed an assuring hand on Jared’s knee, “you can trust me…”

“I…” Jared turned to look at Louis’ blue eyes, “I’ve been losing time…”

“What do you mean?”

“...I’ve been forgetting a lot…”

For a split second, Jared could have sworn that he saw Louis’ expression harden. But upon blinking from surprise, his friend seem to hold the same worried and caring expression as before.

‘Could I be imagining it? I mean, I haven’t been sleeping well lately. In fact, I haven’t slept for the last couple of days…’

“Jared, do you know how long this has been happening?”

“I don’t know… I only just realized that I’ve been missing days and having repetitive thoughts…”

“Hm…” Louis’ brows furrowed, “Perhaps you should take a nap first. You don’t look as if you’ve been sleeping well… Besides, maybe it’s a good thing that you’ve realized? I mean, how do you know you’ve forgotten something unless you have an inkling of it? Just give yourself some time and you could end up remembering everything…”

Jared was about to protest when Louis place a hand on Jared’s shoulder. Seconds passed as Jared stared into Louis’ earnest blue eyes.

Not long after, Jared sighed softly.

“Ah… You do have a point there…” 

“Yes, don’t worry about it, and get some rest. I’ll be here when you wake up,” Louis smiled gently.

“Mm…” 

‘I always feel so at ease when Louis is around…’ Jared thought as he drifted off to sleep.

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[Doctor Heine]

[Within a small barn in the middle nowhere…]

“Please! I beg of you! Have mercy on my innocent wife and children!” a man pleaded as he struggled against the barbed wires that have been tightly and excruciating bound to him. 

“Innocent? I highly doubt that” Doctor Heine laughed cynically as he gestured to a variety of shoes that have been piled up in corner of the barn, “Seeing that your two children have yet to show any sign of curiosity or discomfort at the sight of those shoes, I can thus infer that they are well aware of what goes on in this barn.”

The man’s wife shook her head vehemently as she was unable to verbally deny Doctor Heine’s statement. Unlike the man, his wife and children have been bound tightly by rope. Layers of duct tape were wrapped around their head, leaving only the ears and nostrils exposed.

“Interesting… So, you mean to say that it was all a coincidence that your children were out looking for their friends on a vast, deserted land? First, it would be unwise for children to wander outside with monsters lurking around. Second, you guys are visually unobstructed for miles and miles ahead. This defeats the purpose of leaving the comfort of your home in the first place.”

“I-I… Please spare them…” the man moaned as metal cut deep into his flesh and grazed against his bones. He has been bound for hours and his voice has grown hoarse over all the yelling. No one was coming, and they were all alone.

“So, it was completely fine for you people to slaughter and feast on my flesh? Hah! I knew it was rather suspicious that you kept checking on my wound to make sure there was no sepsis. I guess it can be written off as a form of compulsive disorder, but I could clearly see that you were filled with relief and glee whenever I seemed to be fine.”

“I… I’m sorry… Please, have mercy on my children! They were just following their father’s orders!”

“Hm… Well, I guess as a doctor, I do have an obligation to have mercy…”

“Oh! Thank you so much! I-”

“Thus, I shall start with your children. I’ll make sure to ‘prolong’,” Doctor Heine emphasized before continuing, “your life as much as possible.”

“No! Please! Don’t do it!!!”

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[[Author’s note:]]

Hello, readers.

I know what this looks like, but I promise that Jared and Louis do have not a romantic relationship…

If anything, just take note of their interaction. It may be quite important in future chapters.

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