Chronicles of Insanity: Laughter - Chapter 6

Lee had been walking through dark tunnels for what seemed like an eternity. After the events at the arena Lee was exhausted, but he was also too scared to stop. He kept stumbling forward. His knee ached dully. The torches were still lit, but that confused him more. After all the chaos he expected them to disappear. For some reason they stayed. Maybe those ghosts wanted him to find his way out. Maybe the events at the arena were simply because they wanted a little bit of entertainment. After all, that girl hadn't played with anyone in a long time. "Especially not a live one."

Lee wasn't sure if he could keep going much longer. He was sore, slightly injured, terrified, and exhausted. Lee stopped, and rested against the wall. He debated what to do a little longer. The torches went out. Lee was disturbed, but he figured he had his answer. He slouched down against the wall, and drifted into sleep.

Lee was awoken by a strange screeching sound. He didn't know how long it had been since he fell asleep in the cave, but now he had no idea where he was. He quietly panicked as he searched around. He was in a wooden cart. A quick look up told him he was moving, in the direction his back faced. Lee reached up and grabbed the top edge of the cart, but was quickly forced to let go as his body was pushed against the side of the cart.

"Hoh boy," said an all too familiar voice.

The cart had suddenly angled down and began moving much faster.

"We ask that all passengers buckle up before riding the 'Shivering Timbers' of the abandoned forest facility. Now hold on, kiddo. It's about to get bumpy!"

Lee knew the voice. He knew he did. However, the suddenly transition of the cart ride into a roller coaster had made that a more minor concern. Lee busied himself by turning around, bracing his legs against the far side, and holding on to the sides.

The cart lurched up and down and to the sides. Lee occasionally made quick grunts and groans for being thrown around, and believed he heard an excited "Oh-ho!" From his familiar companion. Lee got dizzy if he stared at the ceiling for too long, so he just focused on the cart around him. After a couple of minutes the cart slowed steadily to a stop. Lee sighed in relief to the ceiling.

A face Lee thought he'd never see again popped over the side and casually asked, "'So... how 'bout that ride in?'" Lee laughed. He couldn't help it. After doing this, only this jackass would make a stupid reference so casually.

Lee finished his chuckled with a satisfied "Haaa," and grabbed Joe's extended hand. "Fuck you," he said to his friend as he climbed from the cart.

"Nice to see you again, too, buddy!" Joe said in an exaggerated, over-friendly manner. Joe clapped Lee on the shoulder and added. "Alright. Let's go."

Lee looked in the direction they had been traveling. There were no torches, but the shaft had holes evenly spaced across the ceiling for light. From the angle of the light, Lee assumed it was almost sundown. At least he'd gotten some much-needed sleep.

Lee walked with Joe at a leisurely pace. They traded quips for a while before Lee got the idea to ask if Joe had seen anyone else.

Joe stopped. He turned slowly. His eyes stared at the ground as he did. His mouth was open slightly, as if looking for the words to say something but wasn't sure how to say it.

"That bad, huh?" Lee asked.

Joe managed to nod. He cast his glance away shortly, before returning and saying, "Nic's dead."

Lee froze. He felt the blood drain from his face. He felt a part of his innocence die. The six of them had been thrown into this horrible mess together, and now there was only five. Lee didn't know how the react. He just knew that Nic would always be a part of this group, and that she would always have a place in the hearts of the survivors. Lee knew they had to escape: for Nic.

Joe continued to explain what he saw. He speculated that she must have been shown something horrible: things that had happened here; things that would probably happen again - to them. They continued in silence now, neither really knowing what to say nor having anything to say. They just walked. Joe took Lee to the room with six doors, and they picked a new door to take. Joe made a point to leave it open.

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Dave had been climbing stairs for what felt like hours. Hell, it could've been. His legs shook with each new step he had to take. His stomach panged with hunger. He didn't know what was going to happen from now on. He didn't even know if he'd find out what was at the top. He'd already gone to sleep once. He didn't know how long he'd been out. His phone had long since died. He didn't have a watch. There was just this staircase. It started off carpeted and welcoming, down in the hotel-like area. It had turned into a metallic stairway. A loudly buzzing light was fixed above every landing, taunting him. A clang rang throughout the stairwell with every exhausted step, telling him how far he'd gone. However he didn't know how far he had to go. He reached a landing and slumped down in the corner.

"I just need to rest," Dave sputtered to no one. He laid his face against the cool metallic wall.

Dave awoke. The buzzing light above him was now flickering as well. Ominous, he thought to himself. He didn't know how long he'd slept, again. All he knew was a pain in his head that swelled and lessened with his pulse, and a dull ache in his legs. He sighed. It was a long, slow sigh. He closed his eyes for a short while, before he pulled himself up.

Dave continued up the stairs. The familiar clang with each footstep accompanied him. He was surprised to see that the stairs ended after just a few more floors. He walked into a large chamber. There were five doors staring at him. Six, if you counted the door behind him. Dave couldn't help staring at one particular door though. This door was open. Had someone else been here before him? He tried the rest of the doors. He found that all of them were locked, including the one he'd just walked through. Had these people all found this room? Or was this a message? A dead-end? Had the people behind these doors died? Or was it a combination of the choices?

Dave shook the dark thoughts away. He turned back to the open door. Compared to the thoughts that came with the locked doors, this was a good sign. It was welcoming. "We're in here. Come find us." Dave smiled lightly. "I'm coming guys." He walked through the door.

The hallway was at first like the chamber, and the stairwell Dave had climbed: metallic, and dimly lit. The hallway suddenly ended and opened to a forest. The place looked both magical and eerie. There was a mellifluous air, full of the sounds of birds and insects. Dave was flabbergasted. He'd come to expect a lot of things from this facility, but a forest? That seemed a little much. He waved his way through the trees.

Dave couldn't shake a feeling that something was off. Scratches on the tree bark, flattened patches of weeds. Was this his friends? Were they still showing him the way? Or was it intended to help them back? Dave kept following the oddities. He figured he'd find out soon enough. He rounded a tree with a patch of missing bark.

"Ahh!"

"Gah! The fuck?!"

Dave was on the ground. He looked up to see... "Shea?"

"Dave?" Shea replied. "What the hell? How'd you get here?"

I found my way to that room with six doors, and this door was the only one open. The choice was pretty much made for me. You?"

Shea was still breathing heavily from the surprise. "I was in an underground cavern. I'd curled up under a torch when Joe and Lee started yelling out. I yelled back. They came to get me because I was too scared to move. I'd been hearing things moving around in the dark. They carried a torch with them. They brought me to that room, and we came in here."

Dave laughed awkwardly. He couldn't believe the situation. "What about Nic and Renee?"

Shea's face slackened. She looked... upset. Dave didn't know what the cause was, but he did know he wouldn't like it.

"Nic's dead," was all Shea said. A tear ran down her cheek. Dave sat, open-mouthed.

"What? How?"

"I don't know. Joe's the one who told us, but he won't say how she died. It... it must have been horrible."

Dave mulled over these words. If Joe wasn't going to say, it really must be bad. A dozen scenarios flashed through his head. He seemed lost. He'd forgotten that she hadn't even said anything about Renee, his girlfriend. He'd known Nic since elementary school. They'd been friends for years. And now she's just gone? It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

Dave shook his head. His face was scrunched with pain. Shea could relate. She'd known Nic for a long time too. Not quite as long as the guys had, but close enough. Nic was Shea's best friend. She'd tried so hard to get Joe to talk about it. He wouldn't. Maybe he couldn't. She made him promise to tell her eventually. Joe had agreed, "Eventually."

Shea helped Dave up, and took him back to the small camp they'd made. Joe was passed out in the grass by where they'd found Renee. Lee was looking for something edible. Renee was leaning against the same tree they'd found her on, crying quietly to herself. Shea really wanted to cry, too, but because of the situation she couldn't let herself. Not again. Things were only going to get worse. She'd have to be able to deal with this, if only for now. If she ever got out of this hellish place, she'd bawl her eyes out. For Nic.

Day came and went. Everyone was just trying to cope. They needed to get their bearings and level their heads. And somehow, they got that. It was a simple night around the fire. Uneasily similar to how it all started. They ate berries, nuts, and various fruits they could find. They weren't too concerned about the possibility of anything being poisonous. It would be fitting to deny their deaths to the creatures and machines of the facility. They welcomed the idea. Everyone was back together. Dave and Renee cuddled. They held each other so tightly. Shea thought they were trying to keep the pain held inside. Lee sprawled out by the fire. Shea was propped up against Joe. Everyone fell into sleep as night fell on the forest.

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Hector walked into the Forest. He wasn't going to use the cameras for this. That would take away all the fun. Tinker toys filed out behind him, holding sniffers on leashes. He'd told them to comb the forest, but to leave decent gaps between groups. He wanted to give them a chance, a glimmer of hope in the dark of the Forest This place had become too wild in recent times. Even the Tinkers avoided it. Hector was unsure what could be living in here now. Sparks shot through the machine. He was so excited. Even he didn't know what surprises awaited in the trees.