The walk through the compound was eerily quiet, and I found myself constantly glancing around in paranoia and, if I’m being honest with myself, fear. Callum walked a few feet behind, following me as I was the only one of us who knew where we were going. Our footsteps echoed endlessly through the empty corridors, adding to the ominous atmosphere that the flashing of the emergency lights emanated. I mentally slapped myself as I remembered I had gone down to the cafeteria in the first place to turn on the backup power for the lights. It was so like me to go to complete an important task then get distracted and forget about it completely. Was it too late to go back and turn on the power, I asked myself as I stopped at an intersection. No, but if I turned back I’d never work up the courage to come back again. Also I was a bit wary about the idea of turning on the lights after Callum had told me of the noise from earlier, as there was a chance the sudden bright light could draw it back and I definitely did not want to find out what has caused the noises.

“Is everything okay?” Callum inquired, as he paused beside me. I glanced at him as my train of thought suddenly screeched to a halt and threw off it’s passengers.

“What?” I blinked as I tried to orientate myself back in the present. “Oh, uh yeah. Just trying to remember which hall I’m supposed to turn down.”

“Do you think it’s the one with the arrow saying surveillance?” Callum pointed out to me as I squinted through the dim light, catching sight of the sign as light flashed momentarily across it.

“Uh yeah that would be it.” I answered as I turned and walked down the hall to the door to the surveillance room. When I reached it I dropped the mop stick which landed with a clatter on the floor, as I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled out the key I had grabbed earlier.

I fumbled with it for a moment, as I tried to decide which way it was supposed to go in before Callum sighed and took it from my hand and shoved it into the doorknob. It easily turned and clicked in the lock. He handed it back to me before I stepped forward and went to push the door open. He stepped back as the door nudged open the tiniest bit then stuck in place. I frowned and backed up, before I tried to push the door open again but it still wouldn’t budge.

“Do you think something could be blocking it?” He asked as he came up beside me, as I struggled to move the door. I grunted in response as I changed my position so that my back was against the door. Callum sighed as I shoved at the door, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“How long are you going to do this?” He questioned as I unsuccessfully pushed at the door for the fifth time. I sighed as I gave up and slid down to the floor, leaning back against the door.

“Why do things always have to go wrong?” I muttered to myself, as I pulled my knees up into my chest. “Just when things start looking up, something goes wrong.”

“I’m sure that’s not always the case.” Callum doubted, as he stood awkwardly beside me. 

“Oh yeah? Tell that to the past year.” 

I picked at the cuff of my sleeve, as I named off everything bad that had happened to me, which was quite a lot, though some of it may have been slightly exaggerated. What was not exaggerated, was my major bad luck. I mean, who gets themselves stranded in the middle of an abandoned science laboratory during an apocalypse?! 

“That… is pretty unlucky.” Callum commented, as I finished my list. “And that’s only the past year?”

“Yeah, not to mention that my cat died the day I was hired here.” I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest. “It’s like the world has something against me being happy or something.”

“I’m, uh, sorry?” Callum suggested, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to say. 

I glanced up at him, and almost snorted when I saw the pure look of confusion and uncomfortability on his face. He had the look of a kid whose younger sibling or cousin just hurt themselves and they have no idea what to do, so they just stand next to them as they wait for an adult to come take over.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be burdening you with all this.” I apologized, as I wiped tears I hadn’t known had fallen from my face. “I’m not usually this talkative, or open around other people.”

“I probably could be a bit more supportive.” Callum admitted, as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Maybe, but it’s okay.” I replied, as I pushed myself up off the floor. “You hardly know me.”

Though Callum had lived across the hallway from me for almost a year, I’d never spoken to him except to apologize for Grim’s most recent adventure. I probably would have if I hadn’t been so embarrassed whenever we did speak.

“That’s my fault really.” Callum spoke, interrupting my thoughts. “If I hadn’t been so mad at your cat all the times we spoke, I probably would have made more conversation.”

I blinked in surprise, taken back by how quickly he blamed himself. 

“Oh, no it’s not your fault.” I reiterated, as I picked up my broken mop stick. “If I hadn’t been so concerned with Grim’s behaviour I probably would have talked more.”

“Then I guess it’s really your cat’s fault then.” Callum concluded, as he fidgeted with his broom handle.

“I guess it is.” I chuckled as I thought about Grim.

He’d been such a troublemaker, and yet I couldn’t help but love him. There was something about him that was just so loveable, no matter how many times he bit my toes or pissed in the bathtub. It was probably just toxoplasma though, I thought to myself.

“So, is there any other way to get into the surveillance room?” Callum inquired, as he glanced at the stuck door.

“There is,” I began, as I took a deep breath, “But it’s through the biochem hallway.”