[MNIM] Part 4. Open, Unknown

I was certain that I had felt along all of the seams of that slightly rough surface, from the top and the corners of the doorway.

On closer examination, I decided that the walls were far older than the door.

The tile's was very neat, but a close examination registered small irregularities in their placement.

A hasty construction?

No. The lines were much too straight. The material below the tiles has been applied with too much care. The tiles themselves were largely undamaged.

My nose told me that they had been cleaned thoroughly, with a distinctive agent.

I was examining the tiles nearest the switch when a soft hissing thud came from the door.

It was open.

Ah, that was why it showed no hinges or mounts. It has slid smoothly straight down.

For some reason, that made me smile.

A very simple design, one that was easy to reinforce, difficult to tamper with.

Beyond was another room, that felt like another world.

I felt as if I had been born in this sickeningly bright - Mustn't look at the overheads again, felt earnest desire to vomit - sterile room.

I looked again into the new unknown room.

More fluorescent lights. These were softer, not nearly as bright.

I took my first step into the new room.

Cold. Floor is metal in here, smooth. Looking, I can see riveted seams.

There's a different smell in here.

For a moment, my mind projects a churning, terrible something around the corner away from the door.

I creep and peek around the corner near waist level.

I chuckle softly.

The only churning likely on that side of the room would have been induced by much more mundane demons.

I turned away from the single exposed throne of steel and found myself facing a sink and a large mirror.

There is a pale, terrifyingly pale something staring at me from that surface.

My stomach churns again and I see the pale something's body beginning to churn.

My eyes widened as I see the form appear to be pressed somehow, pulsing, the chain raising, as if something is trying to push its way up the neck.

I take a step back, unable to turn away as the figure's head splits open sideways, not a head at all but separating like a skin being shed and this tenebrous something erupts from the mouth and throat of the form, ophidian scales glistening and teeth showing like needle points.

The head turns towards me, and I stand, unable to move, fixed in my place as if a wall had trapped me there for all eternity.

I blink my eyes.

I see just a pale figure there now, in a faded shirt.

THe figure is female, skin as pale as the hand I remember seeing.

The hair is a strange pale golden color, the eyes are in shadow from the fluorescent overhead.

I clench my jaw, certain that the nightmare vision was going to once and for all lose whatever my stomach was keeping secret from the world.

Instead, I stagger a little closer, examining the narrowed eyes and smooth skin of the face, ringed by very straight hair. I reach down to the sink and try the taps - one for hot one for cold, my skin tells me immediately.

I decide to rinse my face and nightmares from my face with water that could have been snow an hour ago.

I look up at the now-closer face.

I see fear there as she pants, short of breath.

I ask the face, who asks me in perfect synchronicity,

"Who are you?"