It'll Be Okay

Carson ran down the stone hallway, tightly gripping his sister, Jamie’s, hand. They darted into a small room quickly closing the door behind them. A few seconds later, steamy green ooze began to seep in form the door. Coming from under it, the sides, and any other way it could get through.

“I’m scared...” Jamie had tears streaming down her round cheeks.

“It’s okay, we’ll be fine,” Carson said, trying to hide the tremor in his voice, watching as the slimy substance crept closer to them. Jamie screamed when it brushed against her bare toe.

“What’s wrong!?” Carson quickly pulled her back to the wall furthest from the door. He crouched down to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I-it burns,” she whimpered. She trembled lightly and clenched her eyes shut.

“Hey. Jamie, hey, look at me,” he said, lightly shaking her shoulder until she brought her eyes to meet his.

“Climb up on my shoulders. Then it won’t hurt you,” Carson held out his hands to pick her up.

“But what about...”

“I’ll be fine. Just come on.” He lifted her up and settled her on his shoulders just as the slime had reached his feet. Jamie twisted her legs around his neck and gripped his sandy blonde hair, nervously looking down as the slime surrounded his feet.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” he assured her in a tight voice. The strange ooze burned like he was standing on hot coals, but he didn’t want his sister to have to go through the pain too. It was a good thing they made it to this room before it had reached them in the hallway.

At least, that’s what Carson had originally though... He looked down nervously, the slimy substance had covered his feet now and the burning intensified. And it was still rising, quickly at that. Within a few minutes it was up to his knees. He could feel his sister trembling.

“Calm down Jamie, I told you, we’ll be okay,” he said, looking up at her.

“No we won’t! It keeps getting closer!” she shouted.

“Ja-“

“Stop lying to me!” she sobbed out. Carson knew his sister was past the point of comforting. Even at the young age of six, she could see what was going to happen.

“I’m not lying...” he paused, “not completely... I promise, you will be okay,” he looked up into her eyes, before turning his gaze down to the rising slime. It had reached his waist, and the liquid felt like it was melting his skin off. But he couldn’t afford to show the pain he was in, it would only make things harder on his sister.

“But what about you?” her voice was watery and he could feel tears dripping into his hair.

“It doesn’t matter. Besides, mom would kill me if I let anything happen to you,” he smirked. However, new worries were beginning to plague his mind. What if the slime didn’t stop rising? And even if it did, how long would it take to drain out the room? Could he even last that long? And how would his sister make it home, even if the men chasing them were dead?

Carson blinked away his tears and tried to calm his racing heart. It was up to chest now... any higher and it would reach Jamie’s legs. He backed up slowly and leaned against the wall, feeling like his legs could give out any second.

He heard a soft whimper as the slime engulfed his shoulders and Jamie’s feet. It was becoming harder to breathe as it rose to his neck, growing closer to his head. The slime was like an intense pressure, pushing the air out of him and leaving no room for him to breathe.

And then it begin to touch his chin. He lifted up his head, trying to keep it above the burning substance. But it wasn’t long before it had nearly reached his nose. He could hear Jamie sobbing, but it sounded distant. He finally let the tears escape his sys as the slime passed his nose.

Jamie’s crying grew louder as the slime made it halfway up her chest, completely covering her brother, then stopped. Then it began to drain from the room, and she felt some hope.

“Hey, Carson. Look, it’s going away!” he voice wavered and she smiled. They would be okay! But she got no response.

“H-hey, Carson. Answer me!” she yanked lightly on his hair.

“Yea...” he said. His voice was nearly too quiet for her to hear, and it sounded off somehow. By the time the slime had reached Carson’s knees, he suddenly collapsed. Jamie screamed as she was thrown into the slime.

“What was that for!?” she jumped to her feet, now covered in the burning substance. But her brother did not get up from under the slime. Jamie felt panic rise in her chest until the slime finally drained the room, only leaving behind a thin coat on the floor. Then she screamed.

The skin on Carson’s feet all the way up to his knees had been completely dissolved, showing the bloody muscle and bone underneath. His clothes had melted to his skin and his arms were and angry red. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and nose and his eyes were gone, completely burned from his skull.

Jamie sank to her knees, barely registering her own pain, and unable to look away. Her lips moved in a silent plea but no noise escaped, despite the tears streaming down her face. She shakily climbed to her feet and backed out of the room, nearly falling back down several times. She had to go back home. Carson told her to, so she had to find mom.

Jamie quietly stumbled down the dark hallways of the building, feeling like she might get sick and wanting nothing more than to stop, but she didn’t. She had to get home.