EyeWatch: Trainzits

Groaning, I opened my eyes once again. To the silence surrounding me as my eyes adjusted to the darkness about. I realized I was inside a square box. A door before me. The room was empty and boring so I had decided to move onto the door instead. Grabbing onto the handle, I opened the door and revealed the contents outside. I walked out without hesitation pondering over what had happened as we were knocked out. I found myself in a short hallway. The walls were striped with red and white colorings. Pink was splattered across the ceiling above. The entire hallway was one big mess. But I chose to ignore the details around and continued down the halls towards the framed picture that awaits me. I stopped and planted my feet, kept my eyes staring at the frame momentarily, and read the contents that were written upon the paper. But all it said was, ‘Find the button, rescue your friends.’ It never said what button to press, just find it and press it. Thoughts scrolled by my head as I pondered over the lists of buttons that perhaps could be found here. Perhaps none of them were on the list.

Shaking my head, I turned my attention towards the left and glance at the extension of the halls. Beyond that was a red pink stripe door. I had decided to follow the halls and reach the door. Thus entering inside whatever the door had to lead me to. By the time I came through, my eyes were widened. Shocked and overwhelmed by what the room was, I stood still and took in everything around me. The room was extremely large, it was like a room you find in an entrance hotel. Chairs were sitting in the corner, adjacent to the windows that had screensavers of some weird place I never knew. In front of me was a white desk. No one was behind it. All that lay were mini microphones and computers and keyboards. There was no chair behind the desks. Towards the right of the white desk was another door. I ignored that and shifted my attention leftward and glance at the exterior of the room. The room extends towards the broken pair of elevators at a faraway location. Extending further was the gift shop but that was also closed down too.

Seeing nothing there of interest, I turned my head back to the door and walked to it. After being close enough to the doors, it opened automatically and allowed me in as I exited out. I reappeared in another hallway. But the walls here were transparent. I could see the outside of the halls which was dark and hallow. Woods that make up the structure of the halls were visible for me to see. There were thousands of them. As I watched, I spotted something in the near distance. Stuck upon one of the wooden planks was a yellow note, I stepped closer to the hallway’s edge and squinted my eyes hoping to take a closer look. My eyes adjusted to the darkness about making it a bit easier for me to see and read what the contents were. “The button was in the previous room. Rightward but far from the giving.” I blinked before turning my head back. Glancing to the door behind me, I headed back and followed the room as it leads me straight to the gift shop. Turning to the right, I spotted a cage and a key on top of it. I said nothing as I stepped forth to them and swipe the key from the cage. However, the loud sound that I had created cause someone to flinch inside the cage. At the time, I stepped back. Panicked while watching the bag inside the struggle for a few seconds. Then a ripped as the bag was torn open. I saw someone there. He was familiar.

I blinked in surprise and stepped to the cage again. Gripping onto the silver bars, I growled. “Doax! What happened, how did you get in there?” The black dragon stared in response, looking a bit afraid by my appearance. For his mouth was shut tight, wings folded and his ears held back. He lowered his head and stared at the ground, muttering something while I strained my ears to hear him. It was something along the lines of ‘A fox did this to all of us. Put us in cages and send them to places around the building we were operating in.’ “Where is your key?” Doax fell silent and looked away, his eyes pleading to somewhere else, and tears fell from his eyes blurring his visions while I stepped back from him. “I will find your key then.” “Do not find it.” Doax responded after me, although his voice lowered a bit “Just find the button. Press it and we are on our way to finding the culprits behind this.” “Guess you wanted a piece of your mind huh?” I smiled, he turned to me and growled threateningly, “I wanted to kill them for this. Forget the treaty.”

I stepped back from Doax’s cage and reemerged into the large room again. But thoughts were once again in my mind as I pondered about our conversation a while ago. As much I do not remember anything these past few minutes before being knocked out, all I could get from my coworkers was ‘The operation and breach.’ ‘What were they?’ I questioned myself returning back through the door and entering back to the wooden halls. I decided to advance again and move my feet forward through the halls. I looked upon both walls on my sides with curiosity and excitement written upon my face. A few steps later into the halls was where I found myself adjacent to another room towards my left. I blinked and stepped forth to it, lowered my claws towards its bars, and pushed. Unlocking the door, I walked through and ended up in another large room. A swimming pool at the center. It was deeper than I had imagined it to be. I walked to it and dipped my claw upon the surface of the water, feeling the stickiness and wetness dripped upon my claw as I rose it towards my face, smelling the fluoride that came with it. Sicken, I stepped back and rose my eyes high towards the next officer in a cage. Lizrow.

She seemed worried and afraid as I had found her shaking with fear. Her pupils shrunk within her eyes as she stared upon the depths below her. Luckily during her scan, she had spotted me and waved me down by shaking the cage violently. I acknowledged her with a salute, she smiled softly before ceasing her actions. “What happened?” I questioned her, her smile faded and was replaced by sadness as she spoke, answering my question. “We were hit by a bubble gum flavored gas, remember, Ling?” “A what?” I asked, blinking several times as she groaned and rolled her eyes, “Bubble gum flavored gas. We were hit by it upon a room a distance away from the main entrance.” “I do not remember being hit by such a thing.” I remarked with a response as she once again rolled her eyes and spoke other topics, “Anyway. The key is inside some tunnel. Just beyond the forest.” “A key? But I thought-” I started but Lizrow had interrupted me sharply, “Enough. I know that Doax had said ‘do not get the key’ but trust me, he is false. The real Doax would say the same thing. I should know.” Lizrow responded with pride in her tone of voice but I had decided to shut it down, “Are you dating him behind my back, Lizrow? You know you are not allowed to have an affair with an officer. It will interfere with our work.” But Lizrow rolled her eyes and responded with a dead sigh, “I know I know. And no…” She trailed at the end of her sentence, gazing away. I saw a bit of a bright pink blush as her head had warmed up, “I am not dating him.” With a shrug, I decided to say nothing else but to walk past her towards the opposing end of the pool where another door awaits me. I entered in without hesitation, reappearing again in another hallway.

I hear in the distance a roar of waters raging as someone started screaming for help. Both the sounds were faint, hard to hear it seems. I flicked my ears and returned myself to the spot where I was standing and gazing around, I realized that I was in a hallway. The walls here were gone, replaced by the pitch blackness. A white sign appeared in the distance but was somewhere over to my right. On the sign were big red words, but I chose to ignore that sign and continued forward through the halls as I see nothing here besides boredom. So I ran across the halls and reached the other side in quick time. There, I saw a door with two handles attached to it. I grabbed onto both with my claws and pulled them back. Widening the door as I entered in, I found myself in a large room once again. Surrounding me was water while the small waves advance towards different parts of the pool. I stared in silence but groaned mentally inside me. My wings dropped as I sighed. Growling before taking some steps and projected my eyes towards the center of the room. A walkway was presented here. Small and wide it was. Often the water would recede onto the walkway, making it wet but not submerged in it. Someone at the other end of the walkway was standing. Arms and feet were spread, a silver cage surrounded the dragon. Instantly, I knew who it was and I was surprised to see her caged in. Normally, she does not do cages at all last I remembered.

Ignoring the warm feeling deep within my stomach, I advance carefully forward. Threading with the shallow waters below my feet as I rose and place them a short distance away. Walking forward through the walkway, I arrived upon the cage whereas the dragoness stared back onto me in silence before a crack of a smile appears upon her face. “Quichie. Glad you are alright. Mind telling me what is going on here, I had a general idea but not the complete details.” I started as I watched her smile fade into the darkness, she answered “You are to press the button. It is the only way to save him and yourself. Besides, I know where he is hiding.” “You do?” I responded with a surprise as she nodded closing her eyes before opening them again, the same smile appeared upon her face “Yeah. Doax is located in the ice room. That is my truth.” “And where is your key?” “Underneath the walkway. Press that button over there to rid the electricity protecting the waters.” The conversation ended there. As temping as I wished to entered into the waters that surrounded me, I knew also it can be a trick set by our enemy or the culprit. I smirked at her and shook my head, walking past her and towards the door that was behind her. Pressing myself through the doors, I exited from the room and entered back to Quichie’s room. I gasped in shock yet stared at the dragoness in silence while she stared back onto me.

We were silent for the next few seconds before I groaned and tilted my head back. My eyes rose to the ceiling and I turned around, heading back through the doors. Ending up upon the other side of the room. ‘Fine.’ I demanded thoughtfully, eyes narrowed before darting to the red button on my left. Quickly, I pressed onto it and just as I did, the room plunged into pitch darkness. I could not see anything around me. Surprise by the sudden change, I hesitated to move and kept my eyes straight to the horizon awaiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I heard a click, I drew my pistol and aimed it forward with a growl. I fired a few bullets forward, half expecting results. When I heard nothing in response, I had wondered if she had truly escaped or just another illusion. Ignoring the butterflies, I stepped to the center of the room. Planting my feet here and shifted around, I aimed my gun about and waited for something to happen. But the silence was my company. A few seconds into the darkness and light had come back to the room. As always, Quichie was back in her cage. But her facial expression had changed for some strange reason. ‘Does she know what happens at the end?’ I pondered, directly making eye contact with the dragoness before breaking off and returned to the door once again. Thus entering in a second time, I reappeared into another hall where the ice was present upon the flooring below me.

I was surprised to see the ice and snow. It does mean I am getting closer towards the end. Swallowing my fears, I moved carefully forward. Threading with the ice as I advance, I kept my eyes upon the horizon. The walls have returned by the way and they too were covered in ice as well. Lamp and lanterns were shoved upon the sides. Burning dimly but warm each time I crossed along with one. The halls were long and icy. It took me forever to reach the door. But after getting rest, I turned to the doors. Grabbed onto the handles and pushed forward, the doors opened and allowed me inside. I walked in without hesitation. Inside was a room. It was dark inside too it seems. Where the moon shined dimly above me and the stars twinkled along with the night ceiling, I lowered my eyes and glanced upon the horizon. There, I noticed Lutica inside of her cage. She seemed worried and afraid. Her face was pale. Her claws gripped along the silver bars as her voices of resistance echoed around the room. Her eyes darted from spot to spot as her wings flapped in silence cooling the atmosphere down. By the time, her eyes settled to me when I stepped onto her views, she said nothing but froze. I walked to her and the cage, stopping after as I reached them. Both of us fell to silence, but that was short-lived when Lutica started rattling the cage’s face replying to me.

“LIng! Thank goodness you are alive and well. Quick, I need out of here.” “Why?” I questioned her, tilting my head to the side. She frowned at me before answering my question “The moonlight is fading from this room, slowly and I could feel red eyes staring back upon me. They were all around.” I pulled my eyes away from her momentarily, glancing at my surroundings hoping to see those eyes. But I never saw them. I said nothing in response, yet the question was within my mind. As I was tempted to speak to Lutica about it, I held my tongue and nodded my head. “Anyway, I know where Doax is.” “I already know where he is too,” I answered in response to her, she blinked in surprise then shook her head growling back. “He is not at the ice room. He is located somewhere else. Where? Even I am not sure of it either.” “So by that logic alone, he is located in the ice room then.” “No! You do not understand.” Lutica exclaimed, her tone rising higher with each desperation. I raised an eyebrow at her in silence but said nothing else while I let her speak. “It is a trick. The previous others want to make you believe that he is there. But I know where.” “And where is it then?” I replied, but she repeated herself. I growled impatiently and bang against the side of the cage. Shutting her eye. With the following silence, I took the time to breathe and exhaled before opening my eyes and stared at her. But it seems she has another way of getting to me.

In her claws was a golden key. I lowered my eyes to stare at it then slowly raise my head to her, meeting with her eyes. She smiled only faintly, rising and falling her claw urging me to take the key. I crumbled to her temptation and snatched the key a second after setting it into my pocket before growling at her. All she did was just smile back. For we said nothing in response as another beam of light shines down onto the door ahead. I walked around the cage and towards it. Grabbing onto the handle and entered inside without another thought or stopping to look back upon her. Once again, I reappeared in the large room. There were brown tables all around me. Neatly organized into rows that stretched from one end of the room towards the other. At the center, stood a red-orange dragon whom I recognized. With a bright friendly grin, I stepped forward and called him out. “Kyro!” He turned rapidly towards the source of the voice, setting his eyes to me before his tensed body relaxed as he breathed another deep breath. He responded in no time at all as he waved me down, “Ling! Long time, no see.” “What do you got for me? What information should I be worried about? And…” I trailed off lowering my eyes towards his body having realized now that he was not tied up or something.

“Oh ‘why am I not tied up?” Laughed Kyro as he grinned beaming his warmth towards me. I nodded slowly and he replied, “Not sure myself either. The rulers of this strange world had decided not to. Either they ran out of supplies or money or they are lazy. I am going with the third option, you?” “The first option.” I remarked, Kyro chuckled again before replying immediately afterward, “Anyway. You have come far from the starting point. Regardless, you are almost finished. By this time, you should have a clear view of your choices. If not, well your loss.” He shrugged, “After listening with the five officers of your unit, Ling. You must decide for yourself now. I will let you go to ponder this as you stand before the decision.” “Stand before the wh-” But before I could complete my sentence, I was whisked away and reappeared inside of another room. My eyes shot open. I blinked before shifting around. The room was quiet. A beam of red light shines from where the locked door was. I followed the beam towards the opposing side of the room, spotting a strange symbol sitting in the direct fire of the beam. A golden mask whose beak was opened. Eye Sockets having no eyes. The golden mask has the appearance of an eagle or some other bird of prey bird that I never knew of.

I lowered my eyes and stared at what was at the center of the room. There, I spotted the black dragon inside his cage. Adjacent to him was the red button. ‘This is it.’ I replied in my head, a smile appear before my face as I stepped forward to my decisions. While I did, the lights in the room dimmed and suddenly headlights from an unknown position started pointing their lights upon me. Showering me with their warmth of a light, my fear heightened while I turned my eyes towards my two choices. Doax and the button. My heart pounding in my chest, eyes darting from one choice to the other. Doax himself was staring back onto me in silence, his claws latching against the cage with his pleading eyes looking directly at me. My thoughts returned to the conversations I had with the other officers and their decision if they were in my shoes. However, upon reaching Kyro, I had realized that two of what they had said were false and were not really what they were. So running them down once again, I concluded with a nod and briefly smiled before turning my sight towards the problem presented to me.

I had a choice between Doax and the button; the information was there all thanks to the officers I had previously visited beforehand arriving here. Which should I choose? The dragon or the button. It was a tough decision as I was left in the darkness of which of the choices were the result of things. But breathing slowly and carefully, closing my eyes to not panicked over this silly thing, I inhaled and exhaled before opening my eyes and glanced again at the two choices. For without thinking, I turned my attention to the cage stepped forward to it and rose the key into the hole forcefully. But I did not turn it, I instantly watched Doax’s reaction towards the key. I saw him shaking in fear, his eyes widened. Sweat started forming around his warm body. His wings spread out flapped before folding again, repeating its cycle again and again. My eyes narrowed, I turned to the button and turned to him. I stepped to the side and towards the button where my claw was unknowingly attached onto the surface of it. I looked over my shoulder, staring at Doax. He was relieved yet he hides a fear inside of him. A smirk hidden underneath his smile, I said nothing before stepping back from the button and knew instantly my decision and the logic behind it all.

I turned the key.