3b: Some Time Aside

David and Spencer take off down the hallway as the remaining guard pushes forward and falls over his companion trying to pull him free. Blake watches as the guard being consumed screams and writhes in agony until the sick sounds of bones breaking like popping popcorn cause him to shake violently and go limp. His body is quickly drawn into Craig's open mouth like an octopus through a pipe. The remaining guard falls back on the hallway floor his eyes wide and blinking in shock. His entire body convulses in terror.

The black tendrils seem to be expanding from the mouth of Craig Steele as the lights flicker, flash and then go out. The only illumination comes from open doors along the empty hallway. Small bands of light that spill across the floor and onto the opposite walls. The black tentacles whip violently and lash onto the unfortunate guard that tased himself unconscious. That guard's body begins being dragged torso first towards the form of Craig.

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Amanda hears odd sounds coming from the phone speaker and a building background static. Abruptly the call ends with a notification popping up that the call failed and an option to reconnect. The guard watches her back up and repark the car, tilts his head in annoyance, rolls his eyes and begins walking up to the driver side window again.

Blake runs down the hall towards David and Spencer. As he passes the remaining convulsing guard, he hears the alarming cracking of bones coming from where Craig's body laid. The guard he passes, still convulsing in fear flips over on his hands and knees and begins shakily crawling in the direction Blake is running. Blake hears the mans scream as the screeching sound of his hands dragging across the sterile linoleum floor resound and then end abruptly. By the weak light spilling in from adjoining rooms, Spencer and David get to the doors that lead back out into the reception area. Spencer pulls on the door only to find it locked. He looks through the window to see the reception area is also similarly without power and Mandi is not present at the desk.

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The guard moves to tap on the window but pauses as the women hear a muffled call over the radio. He pulls his hand back and lifts his radio, talking into it.

Blake blasts through the door into the reception area, the lock trim snapping into Mandi’s desk. There is door across the large room that is open (The door that Craig came out earlier) and noises of alarm can be heard. To Blake’s right are the large frosted glass entry doors to the retreat.

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The guard shakes his head at Amanda and begins walking back to his shack.