The Prison – Avoid Frights
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Nurse Samantha walked the hall. The walls were pink and pale green. She nodded at the rooms. Most men were naked apart from their security underpants. They lay in their cells. They watched screens. They played games. They slept.
Thinking is waiting, she thought. The sky so full of luxury. People up there smiled. They got what they wanted before they knew they wanted it. She wanted to join them since she was small. People say it’s not natural. But that can’t be true. Now she was grown but still dreamed like a child.
She turned the corner and almost walked into Bork. He was out for his stroll. They all had to wear clothes in the halls, no matter the heat. Everyone agreed to this rule to avoid frights.
“How’s it going, Mister Bork?” asked Samantha, as casually as was allowed.
“Friendly Nurse, it is so good to see you,” replied Bork, “I’m ninety nine per cent pure goodness.”
“Well done, not long and you’re out, soon isn’t it?”
“It’s totally soon.”
“That’s why you’ve done your hair, and wearing your best clothes?” He nodded and she smiled. She knew how vain he was. “Are these really your best clothes?”
“The farewell pantaloons,” he ground his teeth. She laughed.
“How does that make you feel–”. A hard shake hit the building like a fist. Bork screamed. He was already strung tight. Samantha fell against the wall and cracked her head on the door edge. An alarm shrieked then died. A giant wave of noise overtook them like a tsunami of washing machines on fast spin.
She saw news flash on her Blink then it was gone. That scared her worse than the banging. Fear hit her gut. Then another heave lifted the floor and she went down hard. She got up and moved for her office. Big cracks ran across the walls now. The lights died and weak red bulbs came on instead.
She reached the access room and looked out a window. The flower beds shivered and fell apart. Chunks of dirt shot up in the air. She watched, not caring much for nature, but was this nature? The yelling got louder. Bork came up behind her, screamed once and grabbed her arm hard.
“Nurse who knows all, tell me what’s going on.”
“I know fuck all, like you,” she replied. “The Blink’s gone. And get your hands off.
Bork gasped at a Nurse swearing. The building shook with a deep moan that slowly rolled up and down. Samantha’s head swam. She touched the sore spot and saw blood on her fingers. She was somewhere else now. Bork sat on the floor beside her. She Blinked but nothing came through. No messages in or out. She checked her alerts.
“What’s happening?” she said. Stupid words. “I can’t think.” She trembled. Bork jumped up and held her arm.
“Sorry to touch!” he yelled over the noise. The building tilted now, maybe thirty degrees off true. A big crack climbed the wall as they watched. Then the whole room wavered in the light from the sparking wall battery.
“We have to get out!” said Bork.
“We must go to the atrium,” mumbled Samantha. Another crash and a flash of electric discharge blasted them to their knees.
“Nurse, this is the atrium,” said Bork.
“How did I get here?”
“You fell over! I carried you.”
White dust covered her. Blood from her head got in her eyes. She tried to smile for courage, which didn’t work well.
“Follow me,” she mumbled to Bork. She moved down the broken hall, past the cells they’d walked by minutes or hours ago—she couldn’t tell which. The tearing sounds had stopped. Men ran wild, confused, hurt, shouting. Their safety underpants had failed and dropped away. Now just bare skin everywhere.
Samantha walked on like someone pulled by a string. Soon others followed her through the burned corridor, stepping carefully through ash-dark shadows. They hoped she knew the way. She was a nurse, after all. A wave of heat barrelled down the hall toward her.
“You’re supposed to be in charge,” Bork said. “You must know what’s happening.”
“Well I don’t,” snapped Samantha.