Day 3

As morning broke, a gentle breeze stirred, nudging me awake. Opening my eyes, I met Max's stern gaze, igniting a surge of adrenaline. With a swift salute, I snapped to attention, sweat trickling down my brow. Memories of the prior night rushed back, chilling me to the core.

Yet, hadn't this happened yesterday? Recollections of Max's rebuke in the morning heat flooded my mind. Why was I reliving this déjà vu? It felt like an inexplicable recurrence, a phenomenon I couldn't shake off.

"Leo! You're repeating the same mistake! Keep this up, and I'll assign you to guard prisoner 0666!" Max's angry voice pierced the air.

"I'm trying, sir, but it feels like I'm trapped in a loop," I pleaded. Yet, facing his aging visage against the familiar backdrop of the field only fueled my frustration. This recurring nightmare was wearing me down, but who would believe such a bizarre tale?Max's scolding barely registered as I was still reeling from yesterday's shock. My mind was too foggy to comprehend his words, just snippets of tirades about discipline and duty.

So, to sum it up, I'm stuck with prisoner 0666 today, supposedly the most troublesome of the lot. Rumor has it he's a traitor and a murderer, delusional about bringing in a new era of prosperity. Silly, right?

I endured 200 squats as punishment, and now I'm to shadow this prisoner for the rest of the day. Max mentioned it's a one-time gig, just to get me accustomed to different assignments. So, I'll grin and bear it, like always, obeying orders without a fuss.

......𖣎......

...𖣎...

...𖣎...

As I followed prisoner 0666, his silence seemed suspicious. The rumors painted him as a troublemaker, so his calm demeanor was unsettling. But as they say, there's always calm before the storm.

He pleaded to return to his cell earlier, a strange request given the minimal time difference. As the prisoners exercised and played, the atmosphere remained gloomy, fitting for a place housing society's misfits.

I allowed him to retire to his cell, where he lay staring at the ceiling. Minutes passed, and I turned my attention elsewhere, only to find myself rooted to the spot. Oddly, I hadn't conversed with any fellow guards, each one avoiding me as if fleeing from something.

Ignoring the nagging feeling, I checked on prisoner 0666, only to discover an empty cell, sending shivers down my spine. The time seemed distorted, the sun casting evening light instead of the scorching noon heat.

Panicking, I scanned the area, finding no one. The third-floor cellblock should overlook the central field, yet it too had vanished. Reality seemed to warp around me, leaving me stranded in an eerie, unfamiliar void.

I thought of moving from my spot but i hesitated as the same thing last night could happened again to me. i just cant seem to shake off the feeling that i felt yesterday. i was scared to death that i couldn't even run from that horrendous creature.

but alas my feet is getting tired so i sat down on the gard cold floor. i tried to reamin calm by taking a deep breath. by now, i just dont care what happened to that prisoner 0666. Max only said that its a one time gig so i shouldn't be assigned to him again if i were to wake up on the field again.

will that happened to me again? for how long? i still have another 29 days for me to work here. I'm desperate for that money. but I'm also desperate to be alive, how could i have asked for death when i need to earn money by being alive?

my eyelids felt heavier as the time passed by, i tried to stop myself from falling asleep as i am afraid what would happened to me later on. but alas i couldn't resist it anymore.

...𖤌...

...𖤌...

...𖤌...

Waking from my nap, I was met with a sight that could induce a heart attack. Instead of the familiar field or Max's stern gaze, I was confronted by something eerie—a head with eyes and a nose but no mouth. Its features were grotesque, the left eye larger and longer than the right, the nose distorted.

Dangling from its trachea were its own innards, blood dripping from its lungs. Terror gripped me as I wished to faint, to escape the horror.

I strained to understand its incomprehensible utterances, but before long, my mind succumbed to the overwhelming dread, and I lost consciousness.

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