Episode 5: Lost Labyrinth (3): Messages (3)

*Pssshhhh*

The smoke gradually blurred the corridors. I picked up the flash grenade and stood up staggering a little. I tried to grab my bag and dashed towards Sam but someone caught my arm and I missed the bag.

"Hey! Don't move!" the soldier shouted. He tilted his head slightly trying to look through the rising smoke. "I found the intru-"

From my pocket, I pulled the ring out of the flash grenade and dropped it behind me. It produced a loud screeching noise with a blinding bang.

I closed my eyes and lifted my head facing away from the light. Roughly, I swayed my right arm.

The soldier, while blinded, lost his balanced and covered his eyes after letting go of my arm.

"Hey!!" another soldier shouted. He wasn't blinded and approached from behind the blinded soldier rapidly.

"Ray!!" Sam shouted.

I shifted my gaze at Sam.

*BANG* *BANG*

I watched the bullets speed past my face.

Sam shot the soldier but, because of the seeping smoke, he missed and hit him on the shoulder.

The soldier jerked backwards and groaned loudly. He held his gun up and pointed it at Sam. "Fuck you, you little brat!!!"

I turned around and clenched on to my pistol. I aimed at the soldier but I saw two imagines of my hand and the pistol. I didn't know what to do; it was my first time aiming with it.

"SAM GET DOWN!!!" I shouted and I pulled the trigger.

I panicked.

*BANG*

* * *

My hands trembled.

Sweat dropped down from my face towards the ground.

My eyes shook.

Two soldiers became... four; my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I could see it.

Red teardrops floating in the air.

Bullets flying through the space towards Sam.

*Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew*

I moved my eyes as fast as possible glancing towards Sam's direction.

I watched as the bullet slowly flew at Sam.

"Was it because of that time?" I thought to myself.

I was able to somewhat follow the afterimages of the bullet as it sped towards Sam. It spun around and around. I could feel the air being pushed away as the bullet pierced it.

More bullets passed by.

Luckily, the bullets' direction changed. It created holes within the wall and the floor as it collided with them.

It was like watching everything in slow motion.

"R..." I heard faintly.

"Ra..." I continued to hear.

"What was it?" I thought. "A faint sound echoing in my ears... the gunshots deafened me...?"

I slowly blinked and shifted my eyes back in front.

The red blood droplets fell to the ground rapidly like a fountain.

The injured soldier staggered and fell over the dead bodies as the blinded soldier came back to his senses; he was looking in a weird direction.

I turned my head and looked towards the same direction as the soldier.

My eyes, widened.

"R-R-Rose...?" I stuttered. "Is-is-is that really..."

The smoke lifted.

*Clack*

The soldier raised his rifle and pointed it over into the distance.

*BANG*

I watched as the first bullet travelled out of the rifle and zoomed through the air.

*Thump*

My heart beat.

In the distance, I could faintly see Rose through the thin smoke.

"YOU!" I shouted. "BASTARD!!!"

My trembling hands became firm.

*Thump*

The smoke became slightly thick, again.

I widened my eyes.

"Huuu..." I breathed in.

I clenched my teeth. "Heee..."

I pointed the pistol and turned my eyes at the soldier.

From the double imagine, I saw before when I was aiming, one of them became apparently. Faintly, through my eyes, I could see the imagine slightly glow.

I pushed my concentration to the maximum and I could see it.

The outlines, the silhouette of him.

An opening.

The gaps between his head and body, his neck was revealed.

My rigid fingers were ready on the trigger.

"Sksnsnskiwij..."

*BANG*

My hand recoiled and bounced backwards. I held on to it firmly and pointed it again.

*BANG*

And again.

*BANG*

The bullet drifted in front of me towards the soldier. He jerked and fell towards the ground.

* * *

"Gun shot! Over there!" I heard through the smoke. The other soldiers were approaching us.

I looked into the distance again but no one was there. Picking up my bag, I turned around, grabbed Sam, and ran off towards Rose.

"Is that really you!? Rose!!!" I said to myself.

Sam's expression was stunned. "R-Rose?"

"I saw her! This way!" I pointed.

We ran at full speed taking advantage of the smokescreen behind us to cover out tracks.

We turned the corner and there she was.

Rose.

From the bottom of my heart, I could feel a strong heatwave welling up inside me. I hiccuped and clenched my teeth.

"Rose-!!!" I began to say.

But, Sam stepped in front. He pointed his pistol at someone.

I looked at the same direction as Sam. There was another soldier standing right next to Rose. The soldier was holding on to Rose's arm.

I quickly aimed my pistol at the soldier. "Get away from her!!!" I demanded. Fear filled my eyes. I could hardly move my eyes away from Rose.

"Woah, woah, hold it bud," the guy said dropping his gun. "Don't you recognise me?"

"Huh...?"

"R-Ray!" Rose stepped in front of the guy. "He's Antonio."

"Antonio?" I questioned. His name sounded familiar.

"It's that guy we met earlier in front of our room." Rose walked towards me and Sam. She placed her hand on the pistol and lowered it.

My hands trembled and I let loose of the gun. I looked at Rose. She was covered in blood and dirt. Her jumper and trousers were partly torn. I could see the jag here's edges around her sleeves. Her palm felt cold and her fingers nails, they were chipped.

Yet, she warmly said, "Ray..." She looked at Sam. "Sam..." She looked back at me. "I'm sorry..."

Something ticked in my head. I felt a rush of something running down into my body from my head. My vision faltered. A single stream of water fell down the side of my cheeks.

Rose was safe.

"I'm... I'm... I'm!!!" My legs lost it's strength yet, I stood firmly and leaned forward a bit. "I'm glad you're safe," I cried.

"You too..." Rose hiccuped. She placed her hand on my face and wiped the stream of water.

Her hand was cold, yet I felt warm inside.