SUBWAY

What was that feeling of dread? Nora felt her legs shaking more and more with every step she took within the darkness. It took her a while until it truly dawned on her, just how screwed she could be if things went awry.

No matter how much she tried to tell herself otherwise, she should've listened to William. Although he sometimes came out as rude and harsh, his calculated reasoning and his experience gave her a certain degree of safety and confidence.

[See? You've gotten attached already, like you always do. You can't stand on your own two legs if you're not supporting yourself on someone else.]

Nora wanted to dispel her own thoughts, but she couldn't figure out how. Her mind was too busy to do so.

[That man acted as a wall for you. A wall you could hide behind. But once that wall is gone, what is it that remains…?]

The darkness of the building beckoned her to advance further. Trying not to make unnecessary noise, she wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and stepped forward. Her eyes were wide open, trying to adjust to the darkness and looking out for any potential threats.

…

Faint beams of light came through the main entrance and rained down from the skylights in the ceiling. The light seemed to quickly disperse, giving the subway concourse a dull, eerie aura.

The entire building was desolate. Small shops, restaurants… All of them sundered in deep penumbra, all of them silent. Tables and chairs knocked over, abandoned luggage and personal belongings all over the place, as if everyone suddenly left whatever they were doing and rushed away in a panic. There was no sign of life or activity. All that remained were dried bloodstains and the occasional desiccated corpse.

Where was she supposed to go? Lilian had to be somewhere in the vicinity, but she didn't dare call out her name. The station itself felt like a slumbering beast. It was hungry, and it would devour her whole if she woke it up.

Nora walked further into the open area of the concourse, her eyes bolting nervously from side to side, her heartbeat vividly thumping in her chest.

As she approached the subway access point, the darkness down below made her freeze on the spot. Several mechanical stairs connected the concourse with the underground subway hallways. They had gone quiet a long time ago, but Nora wished she could still hear their tireless whirring. It would be a lot more comforting than the maddening silence all around her.

'Huh…?'

At the bottom of the stairs, a small human figure stood still. Even in the absence of light, she would recognize her anywhere. Lilian was right there, quietly watching the top of the stairs. The moment she noticed Nora's presence, the girl looked down for a brief moment, then proceeded to walk further into the depths of the station.

"Lili—!!!" Nora covered her own mouth with her hands, before she had the chance to actually raise her voice.

She looked around, expecting the worst. Everything remained still. Nothing jumping from behind a corner, no threatening noises, nothing. She looked at the bottom of the stairs again. Lilian wasn't there anymore.

'Crap…!!' she started walking down. Every step she took seemed to echo more than it should, the weary stairs slightly rattling under her weight. 'Why…!? Lilian, come back…!!!'

Nora wasn't sure if she had taken too long to descend the stairs or if Lilian had rushed away the moment she took her eyes off of her, but by the time she reached the bottom, the girl was nowhere to be seen.

She had a very bad feeling. She really, really didn't want to go any further. From that point onwards, it was pitch black. Sunlight didn't reach that far down at all. The underground tunnel made a sharp turn to the right. Beyond that, a black veil. She could feel her entire body trembling, tears bundling up in her eyes from sheer stress.

[Are you sure this is what you want to do?]

'She… needs me…!'

[She needs someone better than you. You can't help her. You're the one that needs help.]

…

'At least I have to try.'

Ignoring the tears that slowly slithered down her cheeks, Nora placed her hand on the right wall, and started following it into the tunnels.

…

She felt like she could lose track of time. Her feet dragged themselves along the corridor wall. Turn right, then left. She almost tripped down some more stairs. Then right again. Were subway corridors always that long?

The hallways seemed to blow slight currents of air past her face, which carried otherworldly sounds and echoes. Creepy whispers, subtle growls and wails… Nora was unable to tell whether or not those sounds were real, or if they were nothing but hallucinations.

'We have to get out of here… Out… Out…! Where are you, sis…!? Did I get past her already!? I can't see anything…!'

And suddenly, as if fate wanted to grant her a slight moment of respite, she saw something. Light. A warm, orange light, emerging from somewhere beyond the next corner. Was it a good sign? Was it a bad omen? She didn't know, so she headed towards the corner with caution, and took a peek.

The tunnel split into two different hallways, each heading into its own subway platform. The light came from a metal barrel, right in the middle of the intersection. It had several holes punctured into it, and something burned inside. There was also a wooden table, some shelves and boxes, a mattress, and lots of random trash scattered around. It looked like someone had been living there not too long ago.

But Nora's attention was focused on something else. Lilian stood right beside the burning barrel. Her eyes were staring directly at Nora, as if she knew all along that she was coming, as if she was expecting her to peek from behind the corner at that exact moment. The light seemed to reflect intensely off of those eyes, almost giving them a glow of their own.

"Norie." Lilian calmly called out to her.

Nora didn't think too much. She rushed from behind the corner and ran towards her sister. She just wanted to hug her right then and there, but her rational side knew they didn't have time for that. They needed to move.

"Lilian…! Lilian…!!" Nora tried not to raise her voice too much as she approached the girl. "Come on, Lilian…! We need to go back…!"

She grabbed her arm and gently pulled on it, but Lilian didn't budge. It was then that Nora noticed what she was doing. Her right arm pointed directly at one of the corridors emerging from the intersection.

Unlike the other hallway, which was empty, that one was heavily barricaded. It looked rough and dirty, like something that had been put together in a hurry. Metal sheets, boards, random furniture, all held up with ropes and nails. It looked sort of sturdy, but also fragile and unreliable.

"There're babies in there, Norie. We have to help the babies." said Lilian. She sounded strangely sad, and Nora noticed. It wasn't common for Lilian to express emotion at all. "They're crying, they don't like it in there."

"What…!? What are you talking about!? We need to—" something made Nora stop talking.

Past the barricade, she saw something. The gaps between the boards barely let the light through, but it was enough to discern what was at the other side. Shapes, many shapes. It took Nora a moment to realize what they were.

Shamblers. Probably several dozens of them. She shuddered.

'Ah… H-How…? W-What…?' She noticed their eyes. They were looking at her through the gaps. They knew. 'I need to run… Run… Move…!'

But why were they standing still? They were definitely aware of her presence. She was in plain sight, in the middle of the corridor. She was talking just a couple of seconds ago. There was no way they didn't notice, being that close. Yet they weren't moving. Somehow, they looked like they wanted to move, but something was preventing them from doing so. Some of them twitched and had brief spasms, wheezing and emitting barely audible moans, but that was it.

Nora was confused, but she didn't really have a chance to think about it for too long. A new noise broke the silence. Footsteps. Several footsteps, reverberating through the hallways, coming from the direction she came from.

'Oh no…! W-Who is it…!?'

Perhaps it was Claire and William? She figured it was very likely they ended up going after her. Or perhaps not, who knows. Would William be willing to go after her? After she left in such a rush? After the argument they had? Would Claire have the courage to do the same thing?

No matter what the answer was, it wouldn't make sense. There was no way they could find that place by sheer luck. Nora knew where to look, because by some miracle she spotted Lilian entering the building. But they had no chance of figuring out such a thing.

Lilian cuddled up to Nora and clung to her clothes. She made an uncomfortable groan, and looked at the darkness of the entrance tunnel, frowning. The footsteps sounded closer and closer.

"Lilian, come. Stay close to me, okay? Hurry!"

She grabbed Lilian's hand and headed blindly towards the subway platform.

******

"Not that way!" William warned Claire. "That's a dead end, we should go down to that balcony and take a detour around the building instead."

"Ah…! Alright…!"

"And slow down a bit, would you? A careful but steady pacing will get us farther than rushing."

'Ah, damn… What am I even doing right now…?'

The shelter had been left empty and unprotected, they were following a trail Claire refused to elaborate on, Lilian might as well be dead already… Every single one of those circumstances felt wrong. They felt unnecessary. There were better ways to proceed, better things to risk his life for. So far, logical thinking and careful assessment were the only things that kept him alive, along with a spray of luck. And yet, there he was, following after something that defied those exact principles.

He let out a deep sigh as he followed after Claire. At least, she was in surprisingly good physical shape. He was glad that his initial impression of her was wrong. Neither of the girls looked like they were in good shape, but appearances can indeed be deceiving. Claire's movements were quite swift and agile. And at that moment, such a thing was a blessing. As precarious as the situation was, being able to keep a good pace was convenient.

Her personality also seemed different. Braver, perhaps? On the surface, she looked cowardly, skittish. But she seemed to rapidly build up courage during an emergency. Or, to be precise, when Nora or Lilian had an emergency. William wondered what kind of bond those three shared. He hoped to get some answers after they managed to get back to the shelter. If they were still alive to tell the tale.

…

After a good amount of walking, Claire came to a stop. They were on a rooftop overlooking an intersection. That place was infested, occupied by a stationary horde of shamblers.

"What's wrong? Why are we stopping?" asked William.

Claire looked confused. Her expression, previously driven by determination, now denoted worry. She looked down at the streets, scanning the intersection and the surrounding area with her eyes, looking for something.

"I-I… Um… Nora s-should be around this area, I think…" she said.

"Are you sure…?"

"Yeah… We should take a look around. She can't have gone too far from here."

"Hmmm…" something wasn't right. The shakiness in her voice made it obvious that something was amiss. "Listen, I don't want any more back and forth, I don't want any more secrets and unclear answers. What's going on?"

"A-Ah…" Claire sighed and looked at him for a couple of seconds. "Alright… Um, I'm pretty confident Nora has been here. But my leads end here. From this point onwards, I'm not sure anymore… If I were her, I'd probably take a look around the area."

"God damn it…" William pondered for a moment. "Okay… I just hope you know what you're doing. We're chasing a vague lead, and I don't like it one bit."

******

Nora hugged Lilian and stood completely still, not making a single noise, almost holding her breath. They had nowhere to go, they were cornered like rats.

She wasn't even sure what that room was. A security post? A staff room? A ticketing booth? Who knows; like it even mattered. Both of them crouched among a couple of desks, right behind a long, windowed wall that separated them from the underground subway platform.

That place was definitely inhabited. The platform was dimly lit by more burning barrels and some makeshift torches. More furniture laying around, empty food cans, bottles… The subway tracks disappeared into enormous dark openings, from which emerged a subtle yet eerie humming. But Nora could hear something else, something she hadn't heard in a long time: voices. Actual, human voices in the distance. Was she imagining things?

That small room they were in was the only truly dark place in the entire platform, untouched by the faint lighting that filled the area. As long as they didn't get up, they should remain unseen. Nora prayed that nobody just so happened to wander into that room.

She trembled, her teeth almost chattering, as the group of footsteps got closer. Lilian noticed, and gently grabbed Nora's arm, as if trying to comfort her. Along the newcomers came new voices, undecipherable murmurs, that eventually became crystal clear as they entered the subway platform.

"Man, I'm parched. You think there's some alcohol left?"

"If there is, you're not getting any, asshole. Almost got us all killed."

"Hey, at least most of us made it back! Besides, they only ate Jim. It's one fucking less mouth to feed. Nobody liked that bastard anyway."

"Piece of shit…"

They seemed to be arguing about something. Was this their shelter? Did Nora and Lilian just happen to barge in to someone else's shelter?

After some more seconds of bickering, Nora heard the creaking of a door opening in the distance, along with some more footsteps.

"Finally back, huh? Got something good?"

"Food, drinks, tools, and one dead fool. Good enough?"

"That was your fucking fault, you sack of shit! You've got some nerve! You'll be lucky if Marcus doesn't get one of your arms chopped off. And if he doesn't, Jacobs will!"

'Jacobs…!? W-Wait, wasn't that…!? A-Ah, no way…!!' Nora tried to keep her cool, while throwing glances at Lilian. 'Oh god… Why did you have to come here, of all places…!?'

The girl wouldn't stop squirming and staring at the open doorway. From time to time, she made as if to get up and leave, as if her entire body felt itchy just by sitting there. Still, she clung to Nora and stayed in place.

"I don't think Jacobs will have the balls to do much on his own, after what happened last time…"

"Sure, as if missing a couple fingers would make that psycho give a fuck about anything."

Then, a new set of footsteps joined the group.

"Things seem lively around here. What's up?"

Nora's heart skipped a beat.

"Heh, it's one of the new guys... Aren't you getting a little bit too comfortable, punk?"

"Come on, there's no need to be hostile."

That voice. The men outside the room kept talking, but she stopped perceiving their voices altogether. A loud ringing replaced them, along with the echoes of that one voice, banging around inside her head, tearing it apart.

'Why? Why is he here? Why? Why? I don't want this. Why? Why do I have to run into him again? Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy—'

[That's all it takes, isn't it? It doesn't matter how much you try to run away from your past, it doesn't matter how much you try to act like you are in control. You can't change who you are.]

'Stop. Stop it. I don't want this. Let me go.'

Nora's mind was cloudy, she was unable to collect her thoughts anymore. She curled into a ball, trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes were open wide, but they lost all focus. She wanted to cry, but no tears came out. She felt her stomach churning. Her heartbeat thundered relentlessly, as if about to explode out of her chest. Eventually, it became hard for her to breathe, and she started to hyperventilate. More loudly than she should.

"Hey, you hear that…? What the fuck is that sound…? Where is it coming from…?"

"Shit, did a shambler sneak inside…!? It sounds like some wheezing! Should I warn the others…!?"

"Wait, I'll go check it out…"

All the talking ceased, and some lonely footsteps started coming closer and closer to the room. They were cautious footsteps, but they probably weren't going to stop. That man was going to enter the room. He was going to spot them. They needed to run. They needed to do something. So, why? Why wasn't she doing anything?

'Why?' [Why?]

[You know the answer. You deserv—]

A hand gently covered Nora's mouth. Her breathing stabilized. It was a soft touch, softer than anything she had ever felt. Not meant to silence her, but to acknowledge her pain, to ease it, to mend it in any way possible. She slowly dragged her eyes towards Lilian, who was now piercing her with her gaze. Once again, the dim lighting in the room seemed to shine particularly brightly in those eyes, staring deep at her very soul. But they didn't feel threatening. What was that feeling? She couldn't put it into words.

Lilian pulled herself closer to Nora's ear.

"I know." she whispered, almost inaudibly. "Stay."

'W-What…? Lilian…?'

…

Why didn't she stop her when she stood up? She wanted to reach out to her, pull her back down. Or at the very least, grab her and run. Yet she just watched. Her heart felt like it suddenly stopped beating, as these events unfolded in front of her eyes.

"Holy fuck, there's something there!!"

"Is it a shambler…!!?"

"I think it's a normal person!!"

"Everyone, wait!! There's no fucking way…"

"What is it, you know this chick?"

"Hey, you… You're Lilian, right…? Come here…"

Nora watched in horror as Lilian complied with the request, slowly stepping out of the room, into plain sight.

"Bloody hell, how…!? I'll go tell Marcus and Mr. Julien. Keep watch over her, and whatever happens, don't hurt her. She's very precious."