Under the Surface (On Hold)

2: Panic

Research is the systematic investigation and study of materials and sources in order to draw conclusions and establish new facts.

***

"I say we go," stated Bryanna triumphantly. She was proud of the idea she had fizzling about in her head.

"It's certainly debatable." Liz frowned. She wasn't very thrilled at the concept at hand.

"Please?" tried Bryanna. She'd put in a couple of sleepless nights to go through an abundance of internet research ever since her episode at school a week prior.

"Well," began Liz, opening up to the idea, "what happens if we get caught?" She nervously shifted.

"You don't need to know." They glanced at each other apprehensively.

"Is this... I don't need to know or is it I don't want to know?"

"You don't need to know the answer to that one." They walked in silence for a couple minutes until they reached their destination they been arguing about.

"Here it is, GRFS, The Government Research Facility for Soldiers," chimed Bryanna. They looked into the night through the thicket of washed-up darkness. Ahead lay a massive industrial building, clothed in metal and adorned in wire fences.

"This place isn't exactly saying welcome," mumbled Liz.

"It'll be an adventure" said Bryanna with a pause, "let's go." They broke into a run. She hadn't expected security cameras but they'd hoped to pass them quickly if there were any.

They scuttled along the edges of the fence looking for an opening and crawled through the small, rusted area.

Quickly out of breath, heart rates still running low, they tried their best to find the broken window that Bryanna had researched into. The building was surrounded by Internet-myths since nobody really knew what the scientists were actually studying within. One was about a shattered first-story window that the employees used to sneak lunch deliveries through.

"Here we go," she whispered beneath her breath. With a motion to Liz, they noiselessly scaled the creaking building's window. They stepped inside with violent gasps omitted from their mouths.

The inside of the facility looked nothing like the outside. The innards resembled a hospital. It was clean. And white. The hall was very white and empty. Bryanna looked sharply to both sides. There was nothing to worry about currently. As soon as they took one step, a light flickered. The hall was poorly lit. A sudden, loud click sounded a distance behind them.

Liz's head jolted and a sense of panic dawned upon the girls.

Someone had stepped out of a door behind them.

Lost, they began to blindly run forwards, away from the stranger and away from a potential crisis.

"Girls! Stop!" The woman's black hair cascaded down to her shoulders. She broke into a run it and the strands slipped to her back.

Bryanna and Liz refused to look back. They continued their brisk run.

"Where do we go?" called Liz, looking behind her as the flashes of white walls viciously stormed past.

"No clue; just run!"

The girls were tiring quickly. "I can't go anymore; we're still... being chased... though."

"Just... just stop," gasped Bryanna. She currently felt the pain in her chest was more of a rising issue than whatever was going to happen to them if they were caught. They halted with heavy breathing extending from their lungs. Liz was bent over and Bryanna leaned against the wall. The woman with the swift, black hair approached cautiously.