BEYOND US

Flashback

The room was dark and comforting at the same time, at least this way no one would know they were here. Rina could feel her mom’s hand over her mouth even though she knew she wouldn’t shout or whimper it was just a precaution brought on by fear

She could feel her hair itching, she hadn’t washed or taken care of it for days, not since the kidnap, she could also feel the dampness of her school uniform it was blood, sweat, water and some other things she didn’t care to register in her subconscious, those things didn’t matter

What mattered was getting out of here in one piece. She wasn’t sure they were looking for them after all they were just two out of so many but she wouldn’t count out that possibility, these people were too thorough, she’d heard them calling everyone by numbers, something they did day and night since they had come here

She could hear her mom’s ragged breathing very near her ear, it sounded so loud and she wondered if it wasn’t much better if they stopped breathing all the way, she couldn’t see a thing in front of her but it was comforting knowing that at least right now no one knew they were here…until that also changed

Rina didn’t know how she had known but she had and so had her mom because she had tensed up too, her hand over her mouth slacking before tightening so much that it was really painful but Rina couldn’t really complain, she was too frightened to

“Well well, seems we found the missing meat” the voice was low and thrilling but more than that, it was very frightening. Rina coiled even deeper into her mom, hoping that it wasn’t them that was being referred to, hoping that they wouldn’t be found, she could believe if not that she could hear the man and feel the air thickening

Then she heard her mom’s voice pitched really low in her ear “when I count to three you run” she said so low that Rina was almost unable to hear what she said

“Ah…seems you are planning a coup, you’re both brave I’ll give you that but…” they both heard the sound of footsteps but it wasn’t normal, it sounded like it was running but not really

“Three” her mom whispered into her ear and before Rina could register that, she was flung away, she felt her back hit something and heard the sound of something crashing then she hit the ground with a thud but at that moment she wasn’t thinking of the pain or whatever, she was more concerned with her mom so without giving it much thought she stood up from where she had fallen, turning around as if her instincts was guiding her and even though it was supposed to be dark what she saw filled her with legs numbing horror

She watched the scene in front of her with wide eyes, now able to see despite the darkness, she would not be able to account for that either

And even when the thing, whatever it was, was done with her mom Rina had still been unable to move or do anything…until it looked at her with slit like snake eyes and her body’s flight or fight mode turned up a notch and she was running without even being aware of it, screaming without being aware of ever opening her mouth. She heard the sound of it chasing behind her, knew that her running was useless but her body wasn’t going to stop or give

“MOM!!” she heard herself shouting, maybe keeping quiet would likely save her life but she couldn’t and she knew her mom was dead but that was the only thing she could think of

She didn’t even know where she was running to, could not tell the scenery just that darkness was everywhere and everything until the thing, whatever it was caught up to her, in her mind she knew it was over that the way her mom went she was probably going like that but she didn’t give up, instead she started to fight even though she was unable to see what it was, she screamed as she tried fighting with it but she should have known… the darkness swallowed her and that was the last thing she remembered

***

“Hey” she heard someone call

“Is she awake” she heard another’s voice

“I think so, her eyes are fluttering…you said she was running when you saw her what was she running fr…”

Rina woke up with a scream of horror on her lips, she jumped from her lying position, her fingers gripping tightly to the soft material around her and her eyes wide and staring straight ahead

The two men that were talking exchanged weird glances before looking at her, the first one who was in a doctor coat broke out of it first

“Hey are you okay” he asked, going to stand in front of her, his hand reaching out to touch her shoulder but it had to stop in mid air because Rina practically shrank from him, the fear that was radiating off her body tangible, she curled into herself facing the both of them as if they were her enemies

Once again the doctor regained himself first while the other man stood aside watching Rina with puzzled eyes

“It’s okay…” the doctor began coming to once again stand in front of Rina “Am doctor Leo and you’re in the hospital, you almost got into an accident and fainted because of shock, it’s alright okay?” he said with a smile of reassurance

But Rina could have been a wall for all the acknowledgement he got from her instead she hugged her legs and put her head down between her knees

This time even the doctor didn’t know what to make of it, did she have mental problems, or was she a victim of something, what was she running from, an abusive situation? Was that why she had been running…