Chapter 3

"Professor, please don't..."

The student behind Milton froze where he stood.

"Those videos will trigger the symptoms and make them worse. You know Mrs. Hughes's condition better than anyone. If she really watches them, I'm afraid someone could die..."

He pointed at the countdown still glowing behind him.

"Fifteen minutes have already gone by. Her claustrophobia has to be in full swing by now. If it gets any worse, the consequences don't bear thinking about..."

"It's fine."

Milton cut the student off, his voice cold, and the look he turned on me went dark.

"The ER is right next door. I've already arranged everything. Nothing is going to go wrong."

The student behind him started to say something more, but Milton's voice carried an edge of fury.

"One more word out of you and you can start worrying about your own future!"

The student didn't dare say anything else.

He looked at me for a long moment, then pressed the remote in his hand.

In an instant, all four walls of the empty room lit up.

Only then did I see it.

Every one of the four walls in this room was a giant screen.

As the student pressed the remote, videos of claustrophobia attacks came slamming at me from every direction.

Wave after wave of piercing screams.

Desperate cries for help.

Countless sealed, closed-in spaces.

In an instant it all swallowed me like a whirlpool.

I covered my face and buried my head between my knees.

But there was no escaping it.

The overwhelming panic sent a violent cramp tearing through my belly.

Then came a huge, unbearable stab of pain.

A pool of fresh blood spilled from my belly.

The blood ran out along the elevator car and reached Milton's feet.

"Milton, the baby..."

My voice grew fainter and fainter.

Milton noticed the blood that had run to his feet too.

He bent down, touched the blood on his sole, and brought it to his nose. The moment he smelled it, he panicked.

"How could this happen!"

He lunged forward two steps, and when he saw the large pool of dark red blood in the elevator car, he came completely undone.

"Call an ambulance! Now!"

He glared at the students behind him with bloodshot eyes, roaring.

"What are you all standing there for! Go get the ER, get an ambulance here, save her!"

"Hurry and give me the remote for the elevator car! Now!"

The students behind him panicked too at the sight.

"Professor... the remote for the elevator car is with Prudence..."

Milton spun around at once to look at Prudence.

"Pru, what are you standing there for! Hurry up and get the key out! Mrs. Hughes is going to die!"

Prudence stood there without moving.

She watched Milton, and spoke slowly, without any hurry.

"Professor, the one who goes down first won't be Mrs. Hughes. It'll be you..."