159

August 17, 2012

Your eyes pop open, and you suck in a cool rush of air. Your heart pulsates beneath your breast bone, and your body is clammy despite a coldness filling the room.

You sit up in bed, alone, the sheets drenched in sweat. The hands on your wind-up clock read 8:46 am. Your mind replays the nightmare as you stand and dress, robotic in the motions. The man… the scientist. What did he want?

Closing the solitary window, you see a storm brewing outside, the sky a solid cloak of gray-and-purple clouds. Wind blows leaves and wood ash across the Cathedral lawn. The smell of rain saturates the air.

The second floor of the Cathedral is quiet, and a darkness hangs in the hallway. You descend the stairs, body still shaking, but finally your heart rate has slowed.

Stepping into your office in the early morning, you flick the light switch and the overhead lights flicker on. Your desk is covered in paper, sheets of inventory, handwritten notes from other survivors, and a cluttered collection of documents from construction ideas to exodus plans.

On the top of the stack of paperwork on your desk is a note from Mindy.

Rezo, I went into the supply room this morning and saw a bunch of stuff missing. I checked around and found some loose bullets leading down the hall to the Alcove. Checking it out, I saw the hole bigger than I remembered it to be. Looks like someone broke down more of the wall and used it to break in, steal stuff, and head out.

Like I've been saying, we need to fix that area up.

Mindy

Sticking to the front of your inventory log book is an index card, scrawled with a brief message signed by Heather.

Maybe you've noticed we're all sick and can't stop throwing up and going to the bathroom. Maybe you've noticed the disgusting dead bodies in the Sanctuary. Think the two are related?