Brooke! Claire’s voice rang through Brooke’s head like the echo of a gong. She jumped and frantically looked around, searching the place the voice was coming from. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain. It was like someone had pierced a thousand needle through her skull. She blinked, stumbling to the nearest object and held on.

“Brooke? What’s the matter?” James had raced to Brooke’s side followed by Rose and Sofia.

She shook her head. “Claire” was the only word she could manage.

James grabbed her arm and led her out into the dimly lit hallway. The girls followed behind. She leaned against a column. “What is it? What’s wrong with Claire?” James asked anxiously.

“Where is she?” Rose followed.

Brooke’s head felt heavy like a ton of bricks. She stumbled forward feeling unbalanced. Was whatever was happening to Claire affecting her too?

Brooke! Claire’s piercing scream sounded again.

“Find her.” James demanded in the same tone he had used when they were trying to find Claire in Zander’s maze of hallways.

“I know, I’m trying.” She replied, frustrated.

“Well, try harder.” His grip tightened and Brooke let out a whimper.

“Don’t push her. Can you see? She’s enough pain.” Rose pulled James’s arm away.

Blinded by the pain, Brooke fell forward. She felt her head hit the ground but her eyes remained open, frozen. She was blinded by the light before her. It was too much.

She used to be able to withstand pain, she remembered, no matter how tremendous and torturous. She remembered the pain she went through during those weeks when she was strapped down on Zander’s lab table, she survived that, didn’t she? That kind of pain was the kind that make people wish they could just die at that very moment.

But this? She realized. This was a pain far greater than anything she had ever endured and it’s too much. Whatever this is, please stop, she willed but it seemed only to intensify. No more no more, she begged.

Then another thought dawned on her. Is this what happens before death? The Great Slumber? The Sleep we shall never wake from?

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This was written as part of the challenge “Write now…Yes Right Now” hosted by Photrablogger. The handwritten part, not the story obviously. Actually, the story was handwritten too but it’s been edited so many times that I don’t think anyone can read it.

Therefore I decided to write the title of this post in both English and Chinese (my native language) instead. I haven’t practiced my characters for a long long time, can’t remember the last time I’ve done it at least. Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed this short excerpt from something I’ve been working on.