Aftereffects

“No! Please no!”

I bolted up immediately. Looking around everywhere, I see I’m in my room again. Breathing every second, my vision goes blurry and clear every few seconds. Rubbing my eyes, I head to the door to the hall.

Bang Bang

“Hello? Please! I don’t want to be here anymore. I don’t want to go through that video again.”

No one answers me. Stepping back, I see the camera in the top corner of my room beside the door. Waving towards it, there’s still nothing. All I want is just someone to talk to.

Bzzzz

The door opens, making me feel nervous. I slowly peer out and see everyone’s doors open too.

Brrrr

“Attention everyone! Lunch will be served now, with it being a bowl of porridge.”

Everyone comes out of their rooms, except Itona. In fact, her own door is open and I don’t see her.

“Everyone, form a single line and get ready to eat.” The masked guard tells us.

Following his directions, we all get on a single line. Looking back, I still don’t see her.

Walking in line, I pass through the doors to see the Common Area filled with more guards than usual. They’re at all corners of the room and even besides the doors to our rooms and towards the bathrooms.

Waiting for my food, I turn around and I still don’t see Itona. I just hope she’s not in worse trouble.

“Hey you!” A guard points to me.

“Yes?”

“Keep walking to get your food.”

Turning around, I see the large gap between me and the few kids getting their food. I hurry ahead and wait for my turn. Stepping ahead more, the masked chefs gave me my bowl and a bottle of water. With no choice, I go to an empty table and wait. Moving around the plastic spoon in my bowl, the porridge looks very thick.

Taking a bite full of it, it felt hard to just even chew at all. The more pressure I put on my teeth, the more tired my mouth got. Gulping it down, there was barely any taste at all. It was just mushy and barely sweet. Looking around, everyone even has a hard time eating it too.

Putting my bowl aside, my mind just keeps thinking about that video for my behavioral therapy. What was even the point of that video? It was just random stuff with words. I don’t understand why the words kept going on different videos. All except for that last one…obedience.

Does that mean they want me to follow all of the rules? They could have just told me instead of that…that therapy.

Feeling my stomach, it rumbles. Getting my bowl, I put another spoonful of the porridge and endure the thick chewing. I glance my eyes around and everyone at the other tables are still having trouble. Now that I think about it, why am I the only one here without someone next to me.

Hold on, did they add more tables? Turning my head, I can see there being four new tables than before. Going back to my food, I dig my spoon in it but it doesn’t come out. I put my strength in to lift my spoon but it’s like the porridge turned into stone.

“Excuse me, but can I…?”

The guards were all gone, even the other kids. There was no one, except for me.

Splurt

I look back at my porridge and it’s moving. The more I look at it, I can see something in it, hundreds of them. All of the oats are now tiny white worms, making me jump out of my seat.

Splurt Boom

My bowl explodes to the ceiling, letting out thousands of those worms to crawl everywhere. Running to the doors, I try to shake them open, only to find them locked. Looking back, the creatures multiply into tens of thousands all crawling to me.

My heart beats as I punch and try to open the doors. Grabbing my stomach, something was not right.

Blech

I look down at the bite I had earlier, to see dead worms and some barely crawling. My eyes and hands turn frozen, looking at the little worms filing the room.

“Can someone help me!”

The lights flicker on and off repeatedly, seeing the mountain of worms going towards me. Taking steps back, my back is against the door. All I see is the little creatures a foot away from me while the lights go crazy. They get close to me, like if they’re wanting to consume me.

“This is not real! This is not real! Someone, wake me up!”

My voice echoes in the room, my hearing goes numb. My eyes close for a brief moment, until I reopen them. Everyone was back, in fact, I’m back in my seat with the spoon in my hand. Every one of the other kids either talks or just eats horrible food. The guards whisper to each other, but it looks as if one of them is staring at my eyes.

Getting up, I head towards the bathroom, while the guards open the door for me. I reach the girl’s bathroom and immediately run towards the sink. Turning the faucet, I splash my eyes and face with cold water.

“What is even going on? Why does this keep happening to me?” I ask myself.

Grabbing my head, I feel a massive headache coming in and out. It felt as if someone was kicking me in the head so many times. Breathing, tears fall down my face while my heart beats fast. Wiping my eyes on my shirt, I head out and return to the Common Area.

My bowl still remains there with my water too. I carefully look at my food and to my relief, it’s all oats.

Creak

A few of the guard's wheel in someone, but it’s someone my mind recognized.

“Itona?”

The guards wheel her to my table but in the far end of it. Itona looks very sad and begins eating her set food from the guards.

“Itona. Itona, it’s me.”

I got out of my seat and gave her a nice warm hug.

“Thank you.”

“Itona, what did they do to you? Did you get hurt because of yesterday?”

She raises her eyebrows and gives me a confused look.

“Excuse me but do I know you?”

That question felt like a dagger to me. Sitting down beside her, I look at her with pure earnest.

“Did they do something because of you yelling?”

“Um… I’m sorry but I don’t recall that at all.”

The only friend I had was acting differently. Is she playing dumb or did she truly change her? All I know is this place gets freakier by the second.