They rushed into the basement just in time, before the soldiers caught them.
As soon as Hannah and Mimi slipped through the door, they froze. Eight people were already inside.
Two men in front and three men behind on their position stood by the entrance, gripping wooden sticks like makeshift weapons, ready to defend the group from soldiers or so they thought that tried to break in. It turned out to be just a patient and a nurse that rushed in the basement.
One of the men in front exhaled deeply, lowering his weapon once he realized they weren't enemies. His name was Wan, tan-skinned, wearing black glasses , tall with sharp eyes and a pair of straight, thick eyebrows that made him look naturally serious. He gave a signal to people behind them that everything is alright and naturally three men behind them start lowering their weapon.
The other man beside him, Harith, was even taller, his build broader– not fat, but solid. His features carried a soft, almost feminine touch, the face that hinted Malay Chinese mixed and his skin was a bit tanned but fair reddish skin.
"I'm sorry", Harith said, stepping closer and offering a hand to Hannah. "We thought the soldiers were bursting in. Are you alright?"
Hannah caught her breath and nodded. "I'm fine. Don't worry."
Her gaze wandered around the room. Six others were gathered deeper inside the room– some sitting, some standing, their faces pale and exhausted, they're all wearing patient garments.
That made Mimi the only nurse among them.
The basement itself was wide but eerily empty. The dim lights flickered weakly above, There was nothing inside, no supplies, no furniture– just an empty room that smelled faintly of dust and fear.
"Are you guys sure the soldier won't catch us– in here?" interrupted a man in the middle behind Harith and Wan named Mustakeem. Light skinned, eyes were chocolate carried by almond shaped with slightest downturns complexion, Straight and thick eyebrows, his features were refined, almost delicate, yet the sharp curve of his jaw gave him an edge.
"I'm pretty sure they won't," said Vikram, a man on the left. A deep tan skin tone complexion, earthy warmth– like bronze touched by the sun, Big almond eyes with long eyelashes and bushes arched shaped eyebrows that framed his features.
Hannah and Mimi walked past the men in front, finding space to seat among other patients.
"Hey, you both can sit here" notify a tall woman leaning her body against the wall while standing, pointing out her finger at spacious space for both Mimi and Hannah to sit. She got that fair skin with yellow undertone, slinted eyes and eyebrows that makes her naturally look fierce.
"My name is Ru yi, what about you guys?"
"Hannah."
"I'm Mimi, you look like the same age as Hannah, are you nineteen?"
"I'm older one year"
"Oooo, what about you" Mimi's gaze moved towards the girl sitting beside Ru yi, she had a warm sun-kissed moreno complexion. Her dark eyes were round and soft yet expressive, her hair, black slightly wavy brushed against her shoulder.
"I'm Eri" she replied with a gentle smile.
…
"When do you guys think we can go upstairs? I don't think we can stay here longer with limited supplies we had.. or no supplies at all.." said Mustakeem.
"Let's just wait for at least one or two hours, i can still hear the chaos upstairs, or another suggestion i had is we go upstairs during midnight?" the guy on his right replied, his name is Han, almost the same height as Mustakeem and Wan, have fair skinned with arched eyebrows and small sharp almond eyes with dark eyes.
"I suggest we start moving during midnight, hence I don't think the soldiers roaming around the hospital for only one or two hours, this hospital is pretty big" , advised Wan. "we'll go upstairs at 12 o'clock , if that's alright with you guys?"
"No shit Sherlock. you're right Wan" Harith sniggered.
Wan gave Harith a death stare to stop playing around and be serious.
"Yeah sounds good, let's sit down and rest first" suggested Han while yawning.
….
They all sat down and rested for a while in that tiny room.
..
Hannah looked at the girl who's wearing a hijab sitting in front of her, she had clear skin with light brown skin complexion, dark eyes with almond shaped.
The girl noticed Hannah's presence staring her for awhile and she start greeting Hannah with the brightest smile "hi"
"O-oh i'm sorry i didn't mean to stare at you, i'm spacing out for a moment" clarified Hannah.
"Haha it's okay, you're Hannah right? I heard you guys talking to each other. I'm Sarah"
…
Mimi observed the situation they were in. It didn't take her long to realize that every patient here was suffering from severe illnesses that left their faces pale and some were trembling.
Ravi stand up from where he sat, "I think we can go take supplies we needed, i don't want to die out of hunger here or die not taking my medicines"
"Well i would rather die from hunger or not taking my medicines than dying because of torture by the soldiers," mumbled Harith.
"Harith and I will accompany you, Ravin. The girls or those who are injured can stay here." blurted Wan.
"Huh wait what, I don't agree with anything yet, and I think we need to have boys in the basement as well, what if the soldiers suddenly barged in??" Bickered Harith.
"That's not a problem, we have Mustakeem and Han handling down here, stop whining"
"But i'm sick, so i'll switch place with Mustakeem"
"Everyone here is sick. Read the situation, and stop acting like a kid. Besides, Mustakeem illness is more severe than yours"
"I agree with Wan," said Mustakeem. "but I think someone should go with you guys who knows the hospital layout where to get the supplies,"
"I know," Mimi interrupted, " I can go with you three, I'm a nurse here, I know what medicine to get for everyone. I noticed that you guys suffered from serious illnesses and also injuries that you guys got" She paused for a moment before adding, "Besides, I don't think anyone here will die out of hunger— more likely from the sicknesses you guys already had."
"I'll go with you guys too," Blurted Hannah.
Suddenly, all attention turned to Hannah. The room fell silent.
"What? I know martial arts"
"Are you sure you can go lady, your body seems in a frail condition" Wan expressed his worries.
"hmmm, it's okay, I'll managed, just leave me behind if im being burdensome and also my name is Hannah"
"Okay if you say so–" before Harith could finish his sentence, a sharp smack landed on the back of his head.
"No one's leaving anyone behind," Han snapped, his tone low but firm with a gentle smile.
"Alright, let's go get the supplies we need," Ravi said as he slowly opened the basement door.
A strange mist suddenly rushed in , not a gas nor smoke that drifted into the room, swirling lazily through the air before spreading to every corner.
The scent makes everyone feel sleepy and have blurry eyes…
…
Hannah slowly opens her eyes..
Finding out everyone is asleep and the atmosphere suddenly felt changed.
Hannah still hasn't come to her senses yet her blurry eyes darted and focused towards Wan's wristwatch showing it was past midnight, "how long have we been asleep?" Hannah murmured, glancing around the situation, strangely there's no soldier bursting in the room? and she tried to fix her eyes, "Wait, I don't think we were still in the same basement room…"
"Everyone wake up!"
"Mimi wake up..!"
"what's with the noise" yawn Sarah, a girl in front Hannah who's wearing hijab, light brown skin complexion with having dark eyes with almond eyes shaped and her soft arched eyebrows frowned,
fixing her eyes trying to observe the situation. "Wait where are we?"
The ones sitting and those lying on the floor slowly began to wake up. Some rubbed their eyes sleepily, others held their heads, trying to shake off the dizziness. A few stretched their arms, yawning softly. They were all awakened by the noise coming from Hannah and Sarah.
As their senses slowly returned, they realized something was wrong– this wasn't the same room they had fallen asleep in. They were standing in a vast open space, the air thick with the scent of rust and dust.
Dim flickering lights illuminated broken rides and faded banners swaying weakly in the wind. It looked like a forgotten funfair– silent, endless, and swallowed by darkness.
"WELCOME TO THE BASEMENT!"
Said a robotic sound coming from above.
It was from a porcelain doll, with strings attached to her head and every joint of her body. Her appearance was eerily beautiful– cracks ran across her face and body, and there were stitches on both her dress and her cheeks. Her skin was pale with soft pink undertones, and her right eye didn't seem to function properly. The strings appeared vivid at first but gradually faded as they rose upward, as if disappearing into nothing. No one knew who controlled them– or if they were simply part of the doll's unsettling design.