The first thing I did upon my realization was check my supplies, I still had my rifle, and everything in my backpack. That's more than nothing, I just need to conserve my food and water til I find an exit, right?
I look around, there's nothing but an endless maze of yellow. I start walking, moving in as straight of a line as possible.
The buzzing lights remind me of slow nights at the E.R, in fact, this whole place has me feeling nostalgic. I remember one night me and Riley were scheduled together, it was way back when we were 20 something, Riley was seeing how close he could get to saying the "q" word before I hit him. It was fun, until a nurse told both of us to stop clowning around before he beat us.
Come to think of it, there were plenty of nights like that, nights where we'd finished what needed to be done and just waited for a patient to come in. Riley's been my best friend since residency, he's always been there when I needed him, whether it was to be my best man or a shoulder to cry on. I suppose it's one of the reasons I'm so hesitant to try and make our relationship more official.
My thoughts are interrupted by a slight change in scenery as I come face to face with a wall that has an arrow scrolled on it. On one hand I could follow it, perhaps someone else found an exit and marked the walls, on the other hand it could be some sort of trap. After a few minutes of debate I realize I truly have nothing to lose by following it, so I head right in the direction of the arrow.
I allow my mind to wonder while I walk, this time drifting away from Riley and to my wife. Don't get me wrong, I loved Marry, a part of me still does and forever will, I just try not to think of her often. It brings back a lot of things I'd rather not dwell on. Marry was a wonderful woman, the kind of person who'd give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed it, that's the version of her I want to remember.
Though, I can't help but remember the worst version of her, no matter how hard I try. She died a few years back, a brain tumor, she wasn't herself the year leading up to her death. I know she couldn't help it, the tumor in her head made her so angry at the slightest inconvenience. It's crazy how fragile the brain is. Unfortunately, the facts don't change how her anger impacted me. That's a rather selfish way of thinking, Marry was dying yet I get caught up thinking about how angry she'd get at me? Some husband I was.
I see another arrow, I turn right.
I remember one specific night, a few month before she passed, we were making dinner and everything felt somewhat normal for once. Until I dropped something, that was all it took to set her off. Marry started shouting at me, when I tried calming her down she threw the chopping board at me, I still have a scar from it on my forehead. I think that was the night I really checked out of my marriage, everyday after that was just doing my best not to set her off. By the time she passed I didn't really feel anything. I'd already mourned the woman I married, all that was left was getting her cremated.
I come across another arrow, turning left as it instructed.
Riley comforted me after her funeral, it was nice to have someone to talk about the good times with. We talked that entire night about Marry, the wedding, the ten good years that I devoted to her. Sometimes I feel like I'm betraying her by fooling around with Riley...
I start crying a bit, I miss Marry, I always will. I take a deep breath, crying isn't going to do anything but dehydrate me. I wipe the remaining tears from my eyes, continue to follow arrows until I come to a latter and a square hole in the wall.
The arrows point into the hole, I climb the ladder, looking over the edge, I couldn't see anything. I climb up, sliding over the edge into the unknown.
When I hit the ground I realize I'm no longer in those yellow rooms.
This new area looks like an indoor pool, I'm on top of white tiles, surrounded on both sides by blue pools. I hear splashing in the distance, maybe there's other people here. Maybe Riley's here, he wasn't to far behind me, its possible he fell in and we just didn't meet in that maze of yellow walls.
I try not to get my hopes up, but, the thought sends a jolt of energy through me.
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