The chain of the bicycle could break at any point; he had never paddled a bicycle so fast as he did that day. The traffic meant nothing to him at that point. He could hear the softball bouncing in the darkness of his mind.
Alex pedaled like the road was chasing him.
The bicycle rattled beneath his feet, chain whining, tires slicing through the hot breath of the town. Cars crowded the road, honking, swerving, roaring past in streaks of metal and impatience, but he leaned forward and pushed harder. Whatever waited ahead couldn't wait any longer.
A bus lurched out of a side street without warning. He jerked the handlebars, the wind tearing a sharp gasp from his chest as the bus missed him by inches. The driver shouted. Alex didn't look back.
The road narrowed. The delivery van drifted too close. For a split second, his pedal scraped the curb, and the van's shadow swallowed him whole. He wobbled, caught himself, and burst free. Lungs burning, legs screaming, alive.
At the next junction, the light turned red. He didn't slow down. A horn blared. Tires screeched. He slipped through the crossing just as a car slammed its brakes. The heat of the engine brushing his back like a threat whispered too late.
Then, suddenly, the road opened. He eased off the pedals, coasting at last, hands shaking on the bars. The psychiatrist hospital was not far anymore. He stepped on the pedal and continued since the worst is over, drove past the main entrance of the building and dumped the bicycle in the shrubs. He walked in majestically; his heart was still racing from the near-death experience.
He was struck with the size of the interior. There was no way he could get to Jake on time; he had nothing to use to get information. He had the options to look for the wards where the patients are kept or getting the medical records of the patients. None of them sounded easy to achieve, while he was pondering on the next step. He heard a wheel scrape the ground close and someone pulled at his shirt.
He turned seeing a fragile old man on a wheelchair, he was drooling which made him feel sick immediately. His weird smile as he drools made it worse. He said in a choked voice "take me to my room."
Alex might seem bigger in the old man's eyes, he wanted to say he was not a staff, but he needed to find the wards, this was his chance. "Where is your room?" Alex asked.
The old man stretched his hand to the passage left to the reception. He said "There." Dropping his hand like a pile of wood on his tiny lap.
"Sure," Alex said holding the handle at the back of the wheelchair, then pushing him gently past the crowd. The old man looked grumpy, he didn't show any form of gratitude feeling it was his right to be taken care of. He wheeled him past the entrance, he saw many doors, all closed the light in the passage was illuminating radiance even for a psychiatrist hospital. "The last door on the left," the man said as if to remind him which got Alex wheeling again. When he got to the room, the door was already unlocked, giving him relief.
He pushed him inside, it was neat and cozy, he wanted to leave when the old man called him.
"You forgot to put me on my bed." the old man scolded him immediately. Alex was already losing his temper till he heard something positive "Also, tell the asshole in the next room to stop playing the ball, I need some peace and quiet." the old man reminded him thinking he was talking to a staff.
That could be Jake. He hurried out of the man's room and pulled the handle next door, but it didn't budge. He felt disappointed at the point of making his mark. He knew he had to break the door but how he was to achieve that without being caught would be a problem.
It had to be perfectly timed; he took a few steps backwards ready to ramp the door. Swallowing hard, he went ahead and jammed the door with all his strength; the handle broke from the force. It was loud enough but he already found himself inside one on one with not sure I should call you Jake.
Jake looked malnourished, his eyes bulging out like he needed to sleep. He was sure he might not recognize him. "Jake, can you hear me?" He asked to call his attention, but Jake was motionless like he was sleeping and sitting at the same time.
Jake muttered after few seconds of silence "I don't want to play anymore."
"Jake," he said in a kind tone. The same person who would do anything to make his life a living hell was almost a vegetable. Fighting for his life. "If you don't Play, you die." Alex reminded him.
Jake turned to him in regret, "I killed her, it's all my fault" he said and he meant it. "This is my punishment for hurting her…"
"No!" Alex stopped him. "The system did, not you."
"It makes no difference," Jake replied shuddering "it's here,"
The light blinked uncontrollably, then went off. It became dark immediately. Alex signaled Jake to wait while he checked outside. Jake was more than terrified. It was quiet, the hallway was empty, and the lights were out. Behind him he heard a creaking noise coming from a door that was clearly not there before. It opened revealing pitch darkness; something was coming out from the darkness walking on a staircase like an underground cellar. Its footsteps echoed so loud they could hear it. Alex was focused on the footsteps that he forgot to check where he was. To his horror he was in the room opposite Jake's; he saw the entity completely blended in the darkness. Before he could call his attention, the door to Jake's room closed in a loud slam.
Jake was trapped inside.
He could hear him screaming even though it was muffled, Alex knocked on the door frantically, but it was useless rather Jake screaming became louder. He heard furniture crashing to the ground then an aggressive growl followed.
It became silent; Alex stopped hitting the door and listened. No sound, the light was restored slowly one by one. At the end of the hall were people dressed in TownPort High uniform, seven of them led by Ivvy. The door to Jake's ward opens slowly and Jake vanished.