The Air Duct

The main character is revealed.

The door slammed behind me with a rich, loud pop, and the noise died so quickly that it took a minute to fully realize the force I had put behind it.  I instinctively turned my back to the door and stuck my legs out slightly at an angle to the floor, bracing myself.  

I had such a quick pulse going, it was a miracle I had made it this far.  My heart felt like it was about to rupture my chest cavity.

Deep breaths.  In, out.  In, out.

The sweat poured like I was a prizefighter, squeezed sponge on my head with no towel.

It was more like skittering now, the noise behind me.  But soon, it would turn into dragging, slogging, pounding on the door.  My body would definitely not be enough in a minute or less, because I counted five of them this time.  With all of them pounding on the door, it wouldn’t last.  Those b******s were strong, and I was pretty sure (even though it seemed like an hour ago that I slammed the door) that it was pretty light to begin with.  It wouldn’t hold.

But I bet that big oak desk in the corner would help.

I knew time was short, so I pushed back up and off the door as quickly as I could.  The desk put up a little fight, but I was still stronger.  Within about 25 seconds, it was wedged against the door.

What if?

Damn you, I said shut up.

What if they break the door?  Will the desk stop them?

Yes.  We know they haven’t worked out advanced motor functions.  Just trust me.  You’re still with me, right?

I guess.  But only if you don’t get us killed.

I haven’t so far.  So shut up.  Nothing after that.

The skittering outside the door was a little bit louder now, and I began to hear the music.  Guttural and raw, mesmerizing and haunting, the paper-thin drywall vibrated softly with the noise.  

Exit.  Where was it?  My eyes scanned rapidly, searching.

Note to self:  next time, when choosing a room to hide in, pick one with obvious exits.  But, I guess that exits could also be entrances, and it would be easier for them to find me.  

Let’s be totally honest, though.  I think these guys are just doing good enough to follow me.  See, chase, kill, repeat.  That seemed to be their only thought process.

Either way, long story short, it looks like the only real exit to this room now had a thick oak desk sitting in front of it.  Yeah, but there was an air vent in the corner�"looked like an intake, a little bigger than three feet square.  I doubted I could fit in it, and even if I did, there was no real guarantee that I could move.  Hell, I didn’t even know where it led.

But with another low baritone roar, the walls and door shook again.  I guess anywhere is better than here.  

In two steps, I stepped to the intake and planted a shoe through it.  The flimsy metal gave way easily, and I crouched to look in.  The ductwork angled to the right about two feet in, so I’d have to go in on my left side.  I wriggled in and turned, my hands grabbing the angle of the duct and pulling me across the ground.  

Cold, cold, cold.  Not only was there that breathless sense of airflow, but the thin metal surrounding me didn’t really hold in heat all that well to begin with.  Thankfully, the duct didn’t narrow any�"that was good.  Looks like I lucked into a main line.  My upper body bent past the angle, and now it was my legs’ turn to work.

I couldn’t hear any more of the skittering or the tone of death�"either I was tuning it out, it couldn’t reach in here, or my pursuers had become bored.  Which, admittedly, tended to happen every now and then, without a direct reminder of what they sought.

I breathed deep once my feet cleared the bend in the duct.  Plenty of air in here.  And seeing as I had a little more room than expected, I just rested a second.  The airflow felt nice across my hot skin.

Deep breathing, again.  In, out.

I focused on the room I had just exited.  I really hadn’t had the time to goof off in there very much, so I didn’t really recall a lot about it.  I just remembered the desk in the corner, the light above, and that flimsy door.  Honestly, it looked like a janitor’s closet that had been taken over by a CEO.  That desk was big, and now that I thought about it, it must be one special janitor to use it.  Maybe like the head janitor or something.  A service technician, perhaps, one who the boss didn’t like and had stuck in a small room to try and get them to quit.

I yawned.  Boy, I hadn’t realized how tired I was until just now.  When was the last time I really slept?  

Couldn’t remember.  That’s a bad sign.

But as I focused on the relative silence around me, I decided I couldn’t hear any remnants of the noises of my attackers.  Just the low whooshing of the air through the vent.

I craned my head up, looking as far forward as I could.  It looked like another intake, facing the same direction I entered from, lay about 25 feet down the duct from me.  

But here was safe enough for now.  Enough to take stock, that is.

So I dropped my head and slowly closed my eyes.

Relax.  We have to.

I know, I was getting there.  Feet first, I told my muscles to stop thinking for a minute.  Up to ankles, calves, and thighs from there.  Eventually, my whole body received individual orders to release and stand at ease.  

The sweat was still pooling behind me, soaking through my hair with ease.  And my heart was still beating louder than normal, but admittedly, it had never returned to normal since this all started.

My eyes raised like motorized garage doors, slowed by my brain’s drowsiness.

Silvery sheet metal.  The pattern was pretty cool.  Each panel of sheet metal had a noticeable lines intersecting at the middle, like a geometry teacher instructing a class about diagonals of a square.  The ever-so-slightly raised center caught a touch more light, giving each panel a pyramid pattern.  It made diamonds all the way down the duct, with small lines of rivets dividing each diamond at its widest point.

Another deep breath heaved my body.

Well, where to?  I mean, after the duct.

Somewhere without them.

Gee, thanks.  Some help you are.

Well, they can’t be everywhere.  

Maybe there are others.  Still fine.

I hope so.  If we’re going to make it, we need reconnaissance.

Knowledge is power, right?

Most definitely.

It had only been a few days, so they couldn’t be everywhere.  And it really only looked like five of them chasing me.  I hadn’t seen any of the others in a few minutes.  Maybe I wasn’t lying to myself.

Maybe they can’t be everywhere.  But I had to be a little more optimistic than that.

Author's Note

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