Harding’s footsteps echo through the warehouse, rebounding from every surface, so I have no idea which part of the building he’s in. I press my back against the steel storage racks, clutching the cardboard box to my chest. The ampules of Oblivion rattle ever so slightly with each breath I take. I squeeze the box tighter to keep them still, but it’s no use.

“Kyla…” Harding’s gravelly voice snakes its way through the shelving. He’s making no effort to hide.

Footsteps sound across the hard floor. He’s to my right.

I turn left and edge my way to the end of the storage racks, pawing the ground to keep myself steady. Every light in the warehouse burns down blazing white on top of me, revealing every nook and cranny on my way. The storage racks, filled to the brim with cardboard boxes, are my only hope of hiding. Where other aisles had forklifts and stacks of boxes piled high, this row’s floor is completely bare, save for the wheeled access ladders. There’s nowhere to hide.

Casting furtive looks over my shoulder, I keep expecting to see Harding’s grin closing in on me. But I’m alone, for now.

A sudden clatter of glass and metal from a few aisles across makes me jump. I freeze, holding the box to prevent it from rattling again. When I peek between the rows of cardboard boxes on the other side of my aisle, I glimpse Caleb’s brown hair bouncing as he runs left, then disappears.

Harding’s hurried footsteps approach, and I clamber to my feet, gripping the box of Oblivion. I have to get out, get back to the exit with the box. Harding hasn’t seen me, any of us. He can’t prove we were here.

A jolt of adrenaline surges through me, willing me to move. Quickly and quietly, I sprint to the end of the aisle. Skidding into a low crouch, I peek around the corner.

Caleb is nowhere to be seen, but Harding is nearly on top of me, albeit one aisle over. I have to take the risk and run now, or he’s sure to catch me.

The exit hatch sits to my right, blocked by Harding’s aisle. To my left are another six aisles of storage racks. I scurry around the corner and duck inside the next aisle. So long as I can keep my distance from Harding, I might be able to work my way back around to the exit. I close my eyes for the briefest moment and pray Caleb and Dani will find their own way out, too.

Behind me, another crash of boxes and glass splits the silence, followed by Harding’s grunt of frustration, and hurried footsteps. Caleb’s causing all the noises, I’m sure of it. Maybe he’s just being clumsy, but it’s more likely that he’s trying to lure Harding away from me.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

If I knew the layout of the warehouse better, I could visualise where Harding was, and help to confuse him. It would be a round of Deathmatch, nothing more—pixels in a VR sim, idle threats, strategy and competition. But the floor plan is still a mystery to me. Beyond my immediate surroundings, beyond the exit hatch, I don’t know where Harding or Caleb could go.

An invisible thread tugs at me, willing me to follow Caleb, to make sure he’s safe. It takes all of my willpower to pull away from it, open my eyes and move one more aisle over, putting even more distance between us.

I pause halfway around the end of the storage racks, my eyes meeting Dani’s—wide open, fearful. They grab my wrist and yank me out of sight, clutching around my shoulders. The bottles of Oblivion tinkle softly inside the box, and we freeze.

No one seems to have noticed—any noises in the warehouse are much further away now. I release myself from Dani’s grip and place the box on the rack next to us.

‘Have you seen Caleb?’ I sign.

‘I figured that was him,’ Dani nods to the far end of the warehouse. ‘You found the Oblivion?’

‘Yes.’ I nod to the box. ‘But I can’t leave without Caleb.’

‘I know. We’ll get him, don’t worry—’

We’re interrupted by a panicked cry from the racks. Mumbled words in a gravelly tone—probably Harding. But the cry was different.

‘That was him. Dani—’

They must see the desperation all over my face, because they hold my hands still for a moment, looking deep into my eyes. Pushing my hands closer to my chest, Dani strokes my cheek with a slight smile. ‘We’ll get him. You get to the hatch. Leave the rest to me.’

Before I can protest, Dani turns around and scampers down the aisle, barely rising from their knees. The image of their expression remains burned into my memory—resolute, determined. Another thread stretches, this one following Dani around the corner and out of sight. Both connections feel like they’re about to snap, and I’m paralysed by the idea that I have to choose one over the other.

I curse Frank and Lena silently and pick up the box, sneaking back towards the hatch.

As I tiptoe back along the corridor, passing one aisle, then another, a ridiculously loud crash explodes, far to my right, where Dani had run off to.

“That’s not gonna work, Kyla!” Harding shouts to the left. “I’ve got your brother. Try to distract me all you want. It won’t stop me from having my fun.”

Caleb cries out in agony, and a flood of images invades my mind—Caleb in a taser net. Caleb with a rifle pointed at his face. Caleb being strangled…

Dani sends another pile of boxes crashing to the floor, out of sight. My heart pounds in my chest as they take over my mental torture. Dani in the net. Dani punching me. Dani, limp, carried away by Wardens…

Caleb, to my left, already captured by Harding.

Dani, to my right, causing distractions—but what if another warden is looking for them?

I stand five feet away from the exit hatch, a box of Oblivion rattling in my hands, debating—which way should I go?