Night 45: Men’s Bathrooms (M81-M120)
[from here]
The lights in the bathroom didn't seem to be working.
Heath flipped the switch a couple more times just to be certain before angling his flashlight upward. It wasn't as if he could actually tell if it was the bulbs or the electricity that was out unless there were broken bulbs and wires dangling, but it had been worth a shot anyway. Eventually, he set his light on its end so that it shone up at the ceiling and bathed the area around him in a faint glow. That would be enough for now, as he didn't expect to stay long.
The room smelled odd, somewhat musty and not how he recalled the restrooms smelling here before. It might have been that whoever did the cleaning hadn't gotten around to it before the end of the day, at least that was the excuse he was going to use as he turned on the water at the sink and splashed some into his face. The smell was stronger now - more like rust than anything. He'd cupped his hands and taken a large sip of water before realizing that it was the source of the odor. He spit it back out into the sink with a look of disgust. Something was wrong with the lighting and the pipes? There must have been a power outage and the backup generator wasn't yet up and running. The Institute's water was likely pumped up from a well.
He spit a couple more times, just trying to get the gritty taste from his mouth to little avail. Now he regretted tossing his dinner aside as he had. That cup of juice would have solved this problem.
His stomach chose that moment to twist into an empty knot and he gripped both sides of the sink forcefully, bowing his head until the feeling had lessened. It wouldn't go away completely. Then he stared through red bangs at his reflection, an eerie visage lit from below by his light on the ground, as monstrous on the outside as he was feeling within.
"Why do you hesitate?" the reflection asked.
Heath pushed away from the sink violently, staggering back and staring in horror at the mirror. In it, he saw the self from his dreams, hand on his hip and sneering. The uniform, the cape... it must have been something in the water.
So why was he responding? "I'm not... whatever you are!" Demon. Cannibal. Both at once. "I have someone to return to. A home. A normal fucking life!"
He was losing it. He should never have left his room. Now he was hallucinating, and any progress he'd made in the Institute so far was going to go out the window as soon as he yelled for someone, anyone. Running out of the bathroom might have been his best option, but his feet seemed rooted where they were. Somehow, he couldn't get himself to move.
The image chuckled. "If you don't devour, you'll go mad."
"I'm already mad! I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Heath reached for his flashlight, meaning to use it to shatter the glass, but before he could so that his reflection reached for him - through the mirror - gripping him by the front of his robe.
The lights in the bathroom didn't seem to be working.
Heath flipped the switch a couple more times just to be certain before angling his flashlight upward. It wasn't as if he could actually tell if it was the bulbs or the electricity that was out unless there were broken bulbs and wires dangling, but it had been worth a shot anyway. Eventually, he set his light on its end so that it shone up at the ceiling and bathed the area around him in a faint glow. That would be enough for now, as he didn't expect to stay long.
The room smelled odd, somewhat musty and not how he recalled the restrooms smelling here before. It might have been that whoever did the cleaning hadn't gotten around to it before the end of the day, at least that was the excuse he was going to use as he turned on the water at the sink and splashed some into his face. The smell was stronger now - more like rust than anything. He'd cupped his hands and taken a large sip of water before realizing that it was the source of the odor. He spit it back out into the sink with a look of disgust. Something was wrong with the lighting and the pipes? There must have been a power outage and the backup generator wasn't yet up and running. The Institute's water was likely pumped up from a well.
He spit a couple more times, just trying to get the gritty taste from his mouth to little avail. Now he regretted tossing his dinner aside as he had. That cup of juice would have solved this problem.
His stomach chose that moment to twist into an empty knot and he gripped both sides of the sink forcefully, bowing his head until the feeling had lessened. It wouldn't go away completely. Then he stared through red bangs at his reflection, an eerie visage lit from below by his light on the ground, as monstrous on the outside as he was feeling within.
"Why do you hesitate?" the reflection asked.
Heath pushed away from the sink violently, staggering back and staring in horror at the mirror. In it, he saw the self from his dreams, hand on his hip and sneering. The uniform, the cape... it must have been something in the water.
So why was he responding? "I'm not... whatever you are!" Demon. Cannibal. Both at once. "I have someone to return to. A home. A normal fucking life!"
He was losing it. He should never have left his room. Now he was hallucinating, and any progress he'd made in the Institute so far was going to go out the window as soon as he yelled for someone, anyone. Running out of the bathroom might have been his best option, but his feet seemed rooted where they were. Somehow, he couldn't get himself to move.
The image chuckled. "If you don't devour, you'll go mad."
"I'm already mad! I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Heath reached for his flashlight, meaning to use it to shatter the glass, but before he could so that his reflection reached for him - through the mirror - gripping him by the front of his robe.