the thing happens again and i am not as fearful as i have been. i lie against the hardened anomaly and watch the walls stretch inwards. for the third time, tendrils stretch out and feel around, groping every corner, entwining and coiling and knotting, only to unwind and begin their strange dance anew. my position holds me safe this time; i am no longer violated by probes, curious tentacles of a soft, fleshlike material. they begin a frantic dance and i worry; their twists are now violent. why they will not enter this bubble around my person i cannot say.
i fall backwards into light. the flat wall i discovered is a door into a hallway, brightly lit and sterile. i am afraid and full of wonder all at once. my eyes are fuzzy now, but i know they will soon get used to the light. i feel for a w...
