Untouched

Disease spreading through a university building as the students are unaware.

•••

“It’s not working. It is not working. Again. Start Over. No hope. No. There has to be.” The faint whisper of the doctor’s failed attempt screeched through the seafoam green plastic hallways of the abandoned wing of the largest university in the state. The magnitude of the university building hid all the Doctor’s unsuccessful treatments, from buzzing students rushing through the halls. The size of the building made it seem as though it had no exits, only large unreachable and sealed windows.

“I need a new test subject. Inject yourself. I can’t test myself, I don’t have healthy organs. Then stop. Stop killing children. Shut up. No! You Shut up. Bring me a patient.”

The Doctor argued with himself as he reached out into the hallway and grabbed one of the moaning and screaming children. The rest, miserably ambled back and forth through the hallway, wearing white robes, and black scars all over their little bodies. Except for one. An 8 year old girl, with stunning green eyes, shining compared to all the darkness in the almost dead children. As she passes each robe, they touch her healthy skin. Envy and affection in their dimmed eyes. As the pathogen is unable to affect her, she slides her way into the inhabited west wing.

•••

“She was last seen around this campus.”

“Tyler, we should leave this to the police.”

“She is our sister, I am not going to leave her. Now James, you either help me, or not.”

“No one has been to the west wing in decades, maybe she is hiding there. Let’s go.”

“But if you hear a moan or a screech you run the other way.”

•••

“Listen to me, you have to get out of here.” He tries to warn some students at the central fountain, “I know this sounds insane, but the disease spreads fast, we have to leave now.”

“Okay, Russell” Andrew chuckles at his friend, as he picks up his bag and walks to his next class, along with the others.

Frustrated and scared Russell makes his way down the crowded hallway heading east. Caring about nothing but saving his own life. His heart is racing, sweat starts dripping down his face and back. He starts to panic as each turned corner only leads him deeper into the building. Out of fear, he fails to notice all the glances other students throw at him. Confused and starting to worry themselves, people only move out of Russell’s way. As he counts more corners, he increases his speed, not long after, he is sprinting. Finally he gets to a bathroom. Rushes in, slams his back on the door, panting trying to regain his breath.

•••

The clinging of a lock braking echoes through the almost empty west wing, as Tyler swings an iron bar at it. After few blows, the seal is broken and the two boys enter the dark hallway.

“It smells… Smells… Like… Death?” James, looks up to Tyler, confused, hoping he had some answers.

“Remember, if you hear anything run the other way, do not wait for me or Elizabeth.” Tyler whispers, trying to hide his fear. After roaming in the dark for a few minutes they notice, a flickering light, and as they near it, they see the Doctor behind a glass wall. He is facing the other way, hiding his horrific face from the boys.

“If Lizzie has whatever the disease is, we need the vaccine” Tyler starts looking around trying to think of a plan. “There are no patients here, so we guh… James, no!” He tries to grab James’ hand as he sprints into the Doctor's lab. Tyler follows his little brother.

The Doctor scared half to death, instantly crawls into a corner, clenching a tiny bottle in his hand. James stops, puzzled but the inhuman creature he was looking at, an old man with a white beard, and goggles. One of his eyes much bigger than the other from a tumor, his face that of a rat or a mole from the sewage system. He was making squealing noise, trying to crawl deeper into the corner. Tyler gets around his brother, and grabs the bottle out of the monsters hand. And as they walk out, a human voice tells them from the corner, “I cured cancer.” James grabs a marker from the lab and writes on every wall, Lizzie, Ty and James are waiting for you at Room 58 West Wing.

•••

Finally regaining his breath, Russell climbs up to the very high window sill, and crawls through a small opening in the ceiling.

“I saw you! If something happens I'm blaming you and telling the police you are hiding up there.”

“What who are you?” Confused, he looks down, but only sees a now empty bathroom.

Crawling further down the vent, he finds himself in a an enormous jacuzzi room with four large hot tubs. He looks around, he realises he is in the west wing. he felt like he was in a sixties plastic spa resort. It felt safe, and quiet so he gets into the tub. He can’t hear the outside, the only noise there, is the water and your thoughts, “they won't find me here. If I'm quiet they won't. No one ever comes here, but if they do I wanna die my own death so I'll jump down. I’ll kill myself”.

But then another thought came to him, “the children must have the devil in them. They should be… They are scared of holy water. He starts remembering the prayers he heard in chapel on Sundays. And reciting all that he knows.

Unfortunately, the children hear the his voice. They run into the room, dozens more follow, they jump into the water, reaching out to touch his healthy skin.

“This is it”, he closes his eyes. He feels, little child fingers running down his face, as he shakes in fear.

He opens his bright green eyes, you are untouched.

Author's Note

It's a horror dream I had couple months ago. I am not a writer, nor am I good at it. This is a very rough draft, and I am just curious if it is an interesting story line. If it is I'll try to finish it. It's unfinished because I woke up.