"Let's hurry up. Just because we haven't seen whatever has been walking around here doesn't mean we won't in the future." Timothy warned them.
Abigail was jolted out from her thoughts, the information dumped by Katya going to the back-burner of her mind. Even though she wanted to continue thinking about the idea of other worlds and wormholes.
"You dump on us about the existence of other worlds and you expect us to not freak out?" Liam demanded.
As Timothy was walking away from them, in an attempt to get them to keep moving, he looked at Liam and the others. Pointing at a trail of blood, Timothy asked, "If you feel comfortable meeting whatever dragged off all the bodies, then continue contemplating about something you don't even have the brainpower to understand."
"Liam, I think we should follow Timothy," Michelle said to Liam, tugging on Liam's arm. The blood had drained from Michelle's face, hearing about meeting the creature roaming about PentaSoft.
Agreeing with Michelle, Rodger said, "I think we should go with Timothy. This place creeps me out."
When Abigail checked what Sheila and Helen thought about going with Timothy, they nodded their heads. Just seeing how both looked shaken by the big reveal, Abigail didn't bother saying anything.
"You guys look the same I did when I learned about it, after infiltrating this place. It's different when you're watching the test videos. The things that came out of the portals." Katya's voice trailed off as she remembered something.
Though Timothy started walking away from them. He seemed to empathize with their mindset. "It's not much longer until we get..."
A clambering noise in the ceiling startled everyone.
Even Timothy found the noise disturbing, his face paling. "Hurry." Timothy waved his arm at them.
Katya was the first to run towards where Timothy was standing.
"I think our luck ran out," Abigail said to the group. Pushing Helen and Sheila in the direction Timothy was standing. "We can't stay here."
Liam and Michelle nodded their head, grabbing Robert and running after everyone.
Partly curious about what the creature looked like, Abigail paused a bit. The long hallway was empty, lacking any indication about the existence of the creature.
"Abigail!" Sheila hissed loudly at her.
Though she knew it was putting everyone in danger, Abigail couldn't help but stay still. She hated how they weren't able to see whatever was chasing after them in the forest. Such an experience pushed her to check out what was after them this time. Deep down, Abigail wanted to stop having to run from shadows and live in a world filled with fear.
A jerk of her arm and sensation of her back striking against the wall, jolted her from her thoughts. Looking to see what happened, her face stung as she felt something smack the side of her face hard.
Roughly, two hands pressed her shoulders against the wall. When the ringing and dizziness in her head faded away, she realized it was Timothy.
"Do you think this is a game!" He yelled in a quiet voice, not wanting to attract the attention of whatever caused the noise. "That noise wasn't the sound of something to be curious about! If it catches up to us, then we'll share the same fate as everyone else who worked here."
Even after getting chastised by Timothy. Abigail still felt strange. She knew her actions were dangerous to everyone in her group, but something still...
Timothy's hand struck her again, this time harder than the last. Taste of iron entered her mouth. The sting on her lip indicating the strike had cut it.
As she sporadically blinked her eyes, in an attempt to clear her mind from the bright lights and ringing, Abigail realized something was wrong.
Timothy lessening his grip on her shoulders was an indication of him noticing something was different with Abigail.
"W-we need to go n-now...," Abigail stumbled over her words, still not fully in control of her faculties.
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She didn't even hear a response but did feel Timothy placing one of her arms across his shoulder, and his arm wrapping around her torso. Half carrying her, Timothy quickly helped her get back to where everyone was standing.
---------------
"What's wrong with her?" Helen demanded. Rushing to the other side and helping Timothy carry Abigail.
As she placed Abigail's arm across her shoulder, Helen took on the weight of her friend. Having Timothy help her out wasn't something she appreciated. It would've been a different story before they had started this hunting trip turned nightmare. In the back of her mind, Helen couldn't shake off the noise they heard and all the blood trails they passed.
"If I can help get Abigail out of here... That's what matters," Helen told herself.
Crossing Timothy's arm, in order to wrap her arm around Abigail's torso, Helen realized how Abigail was mumbling words incoherently.
"In and out they creep... Dancing to her tune... They know not why... In and out they creep... We all will enter the void..."
"Abigail?" Helen asked, cautiously.
As if not realizing someone was talking to her, Abigail continued to mumble the strange words in a sing-song manner.
"We can't worry about her right now," Timothy reminded Helen as they kept moving forward.
Growling, Helen snapped, "You don't think I know that? This wouldn't have happened if you were upfront with what you were doing."
Katya was in front, waving her hand and urging them to move faster. "Hurry up, Timothy!" She hissed at him.
As the two of them carried Abigail, Helen heard Timothy chuckling at Katya's behavior.
"Worried I might get eaten?" Timothy said to the woman.
Sneering at his words, Katya said, "Why else would I be waving for you to move faster. I'm not urging you to move faster because I'm worried about my secret lover if that's what you're trying to imply."
"I'm well aware you're worried about not being able to access the portal if something were to happen to my hand. And you can't slice it off without triggering the security protocols protecting against such strategies." Timothy said with an edge to his voice.
Snorting, Katya said, "If you know so much then hurry up. I think it's still not aware we're here."
"Bitch of a woman," Timothy snarled as he picked up the pace.
Helen grunted, feeling dragged forward with Timothy's change in pace. She would have said something if not for being partially glad for getting farther away from whatever was inside with them.
Though the hallway was long, Helen soon noticed a turn ahead of them. When they reached the turn, there was another security door. Compared to the previous ones, this door shared a similar material as the rest of the wall.
Placing his hand on the panel and waiting for it to turn green, Timothy said, "This place is different compared to the other parts of the building."
Upon the panel changing green, Katya quickly opened the door and pushed her friends into the doorway. It was strange seeing Katya acting concerned for them.
Quickly making their way through the door, Katya followed after them and pulled the door close. There was a hissing sound and several bolts sliding into place.
"Finally." Katya sounded relieved after the door completed its process.
When Helen looked around Abigail's head to see Timothy, he looked back at her and said, "This area is where the serious studies related to the portal were conducted. Compared to other parts of the building, the security is designed to isolate everyone from any external variables."
"This means we should be safe for a little bit from whatever that thing is." Katya summed up Timothy's words.
Helen looked at Sheila and her friends, who looked relieved to be in a place free of the horror stalking them.
Feeling a similar sensation, Helen was about to say something when Abigail's body became lifeless.
"Abigail!" Helen shouted.