Is it lazy writing to end two chapters in a row with a blackout?

Fuck.

Ow.

Fuck.

I woke up, feeling slightly better than the previous time I’d woken up. My eye, nose, and back throbbed, but I have the ability to move freely now. I looked around and realized I was in my van. A look down showed me that I was in the same clothes I’d been captured it, but they were cleaner than they’d ever been. No blood. I also had a lanyard on, with an employee pass on it. I didn’t have my glasses on, so I couldn’t read it.

I tenderly felt my eye and nose. My eye was still swollen, but not as bad. I could open it about halfway if I tried, but it felt safer to keep it closed. My nose throbbed, but it didn’t feel crooked or anything. Had I overreacted earlier when I thought they’d broken it, or did they have technology that fixed me?

I stripped my shirt away and felt my back. I was able to feel a tiny bump on my spine. I guessed it was small scar left behind by my new surgery. I felt the side of my neck and felt two small bandaids as well. I assume one from the shot that knocked me out, and one from the mystery injection they gave me.

I didn’t bother with the “Did I dream it all?” trope, because it had clearly happened. I’m not that dumb. I peered out the window of the van (they’d placed me in the driver’s seat for some reason, as though that’s where I’d choose to sleep) and saw that they’d parked me in an employee space at Vocx. My vision was shit without my glasses, but there was no mistaking the building. It was the tallest in the city by far, with some type of glass that seemed to change through the shades of the rainbow as you looked. It was mesmerizing.

I felt around to see if they’d left me my glasses, and I found them laying neatly in the passenger seat. I placed them on my face. I let out a huff as I saw there was a small crack on the left side. Considering the pass and the parking spot, maybe they’d bumped me up? If so, I could maybe buy new glasses. I could still see, it was just annoying.

I could tell by the sun’s location in the sky that it was the next day. I wasn’t an ancient explorer who could travel by the location of stars in the sky, so I checked my phone to get an accurate time. It was about five minutes before I’d usually arrive for work. How convenient.

My phone also had… holy shit, 78 messages?! 32 missed calls?! All from the same number. Considering my lack of a social life, I had to assume it was Sara. I realize now that I missed meeting her and the roommates last night. Dammit. That’s a bad look.

With my glasses on, I checked my employee pass again. I could read it now. It said ‘Intern under Rich Franklin’. That feels… demeaning. Also means I didn’t get a pay jump.

Okay… I’ve never been in this scenario before, but I feel like I should keep a level head about this. I should act as though I don’t have a bomb in my spine, right? So, usually, I’d be going to the cafe to get Rich’s coffee.

I got out of the van and went to the cafe. I could see through the window that Sara was working. I cursed under my breath. I hadn’t had time to think of a cover story. I was about to just leave, act like I’d forgotten Rich’s coffee today, when she saw me through the window. She didn’t look happy to see me. She gave me a ‘get your ass inside, now’ hand gesture.

I sheepishly entered and approached the counter. “Hey, Sara. Just the usual today?” My nervousness made my statement sound like a question.

“Michael, what the heck, man?! I tried to reach you all night! Calls, texts; nothing! I was worried abo-“

It clicked. She saw the state of my face, bruised and beaten.

“Michael!! What happened to you?!” She covered her mouth in shock. I wasn’t that bad off, was I? This did help me, though. I had an excuse that didn’t involve rat-wall or syringes.

“Oh, sorry… I, uh, got mugged last night. They realized I didn’t have anything worth taking, so they just kicked my ass instead. I didn’t think I’d make a good first impression like this, so I slept in my van again.” Made me sound pathetic; but since I was pathetic, it was believable.

“Michael! You dummy! We could have helped you! Ava is a nurse, she could have made sure you don’t get any infections! Why are you even here, you should be resting!”

“No, no, I’m fine, really. I can work, it barely even throbs anymore. Maybe we can try again tonight? I hope I didn’t blow it, that is. I’m still interested in the room, cult suicide or not.”

“Of course it’s okay! You should have told me last night, you big oaf!”

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I just got embarrassed. You know how dudes are. The testosterone makes me dumb!”

She raised an eyebrow. Maybe I was laying it on too thick. “Oh, uh, yeah. Anyway… just be there tonight. I’ll explain to the girls what happened.”

She handed me two coffees, same as yesterday. I guess as was forgiven.

I gave another apology before leaving. Now that I was thinking about it, I didn’t know where to go. There’s no way the -27th floor was ready to be worked in. The… thing… had destroyed everything in its path. I tried to call Rich, but he’d blocked my number after yesterday. I grumbled and went into the building.

Hey, I could use the elevator now! The pass I had let me in, and I saw looked through the hundreds of buttons until I saw -27. There wasn’t an “out of order” on it, so I pressed it.

The elevator took my breath away when it started. This fucker was fast. I guess when you have to get up a couple hundred floors, you need to do it quickly. I almost vomited when I stopped suddenly on -27. I stumbled out of the elevator and looked around.

The floor was… fine. It looked like it had yesterday. Rich was in his usual seat, bragging loudly to a scientist about a blowjob he got yesterday.

“Uh… here’s your coffee, Rich….” I looked around, still worried something was up. My brain couldn’t process that the floor was fine.

“Fucking finally.” Rich grumbled as he took the coffee, chugging it like usual. “Hey, Michael. So, did you see anything fucking weird yesterday? They never fucking told me why we couldn’t come back to fucking work last night. I remember your dumb ass talking about being here, so I was wondering if you knew what the hell was up.”

Did he know? Was this a test? How important did you need to be to know about the fucked up shit? My blood ran cold as I struggled for words.

“Nope! Nothing! I, uh, was stopped before I got inside. Yeah, hah, sorry, man. I wish I could tell you more!”

Rich squinted at me. Maybe trying to read my face. I steeled myself, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible (which likely made me look even more suspicious). “Alright, who the fuck cares.” He shrugged after a moment. “Go get us some more rats.”

The idea of seeing a rat ever again made my stomach squirm, but I had to keep it natural. The elevator made the process much quicker, and I was able to do my task in record time.

After a day of running errands and whatever other shit Rich demanded, it was finally the end of the shift. I grabbed a shower at the gym, changed in my van, and started heading towards the address Sara had sent.

I’d been in my own head about last night’s ordeal all day, so getting out and doing this would be a nice way to push the bad thoughts back. Hopefully, I’d sleep in a bed tonight instead of the cold, unforgiving floor of the van. Wait, would I have to sleep on the dead girl’s bed?