This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/K-H_Alsbjerg on 2024-11-10 09:17:10+00:00.

I just won the lottery, with the jackpot and everything - I’m now a multimillionaire! Am I happy? Well, sort off…but, I have this nagging feeling that I have made a huge mistake. Is it all in my mind? Am I overreaching? What should I do? This seems like the right place to ask…

I guess I better fill you in. I work at a military installation in Europe, where some fancy future tech weapons systems are developed. I can’t go into much detail about the installation or the layout, but just imagine an underground military base - bleak and sterile, with endless gray corridors, warning signs that tell you to always keep your ID visible and a throng of heavily armed guards.

I’m not one of the clever scientists. I’m just a simple orderly at the medical wing. It’s quite a nice job. Well paid and nothing much happens at my night shifts since all the accidents happen during the day. Some accidents are weird though, but what do I know? I’m not one of those weapon specialists.

So what happened? 

Well, yesterday evening when I checked into work, the base was like a beehive. Scientist jogged awkwardly past me in the hallway, closely followed by some of the technical staff. Something was in the air. A strange feeling of anticipation. I noticed how many of the guards had a firm grip on their rifles. One of them even tightened his grip when I made eye contact with him.

The putrid smell slowly intensified as I neared the medical ward. A scream made it to my ears - then another. I felt a huge knot form in my stomach. This was going to be a long night, I thought to myself. 

I had never seen such horror in my entire life! All the beds in the ward were occupied. Some even laid on makeshift beds along one wall. Are those poor things supposed to be humans? Their screams certainly suggest it. It had not been more than a minute at most before I was out in the hallway again, fighting my urge to spill my evening dinner everywhere, but it was a losing battle. After I had emptied my stomach, two guards each grabbed one of my arms and marched me to a small room at the end of the corridor. Even though they said nothing when they left the room, I knew I had to stay put.

The wait was unbearable. The horrible images and smells still lingered in my mind. My supervisor entered the cramped room and gave me a choice. Get a hold of myself and help in the medical ward, or report to the D Wing and relieve one of the orderlies there. I quickly choose the second option. Anything must be better than whatever I had to do in the medical ward. She sighed and, with a flick of her head, signaled for me to follow her. Out in the corridor, she wasted no time and told one guard to take me to the D Wing.  

“Yes, ma’am!” the brute of a guard promptly replied with a crisp salute. Still occupied by the sights I had seen just ten minutes before, I followed him like a zombie. Before I knew it, I stood in front of a strange-looking door. Strange in the manner that it had a large poster on it that covered most of the door - I got the feeling that it was there to hide something. Over the door was a big sign that simply read “PATIENT - #ZERO FIVE ALPHA”.

The guard scanned his keycard and opened the door. We walked inside a small office-like space. A small desk, chair - hell, there was even a sofa and a small bathroom beside another door. 

A person sat at the small desk and read a book. This person completely ignored the guard’s calls - after a moment, the guard walked up to him and slammed his hand hard on the table. The person made a jolt and almost fell off the chair. 

Immediately, the person signaled with his hands. The guard looked back at me, then at the person again. The Guard told the person to follow while he tried his best to signal the words with his hands. 

After back and forth, the meaning finally got through to the deaf person. Before he left, he said something to me in sign language. When I shook my head and sighed, he looked surprised that I didn’t understand him. He pointed towards the top drawer in the office desk and then gave me a look of concern. Then, they left me alone in the room.

A bit confused, I opened the office drawer and found a laminated page with some instructions on it. Apparently, my only job was to refill a water container in the room next to this one - and - I was not to talk to the patient in there under any circumstances. I shrugged. This task seemed easy enough, and I was curious, so I thought it was a good time to see who was in the next room - albeit just to get my mind off the recent events. Before I left, however, I went to the bathroom to get some water for my sore throat, as I still could taste the puke. Then I grabbed one of the gallon jugs of water next to the door and stepped through the door.

I could hardly believe what I saw. A plain white room, with a white carpet - the only carpet I had ever seen in this place. All the edges were poorly finished, and to be honest, it sort of look liked it could be pulled off quite easily. In the middle of the room, a metal bed and on it, a person laid. He had straps on his head, torso, arms and legs - he was completely immobile. 

What’s stranger still? His whole body except for his head was covered in white cloth - like a mummy. A leather mask covered his head. The mask had a small hole in front of his mouth, which allowed for a small tube to enter. Another strange feature was a zipper on the left side, presumably used to reveal this guy’s face.

The instant the door slammed behind me, I sensed something. I was being watched. By him? It hardly seemed likely. I could see some movement around his mouth. 

I slowly walked up behind the bed and took the lid of what I summarized was the water container. I filled it up, put the lid back on and the moment I took a step, he started to spasm, as much as the tight restraints allowed.

He must be choking, I thought. Perhaps I had done something wrong? With little thought, I unzipped the mask to reveal his face.

“Please, scratch me on my nose, “ he said with a voice soft as silk, “it itches so terribly.”

“Yeah, no.” I replied. 

“I’ll make it worth your while, Daniel…”

“What?”

“Forgive me, but that’s what your mother planned to call you.”

I frowned. I really had no desire to talk to a mentally ill person. I had read a lot about what “cold reading” was and how easy someone could imitate knowing things about you. I felt like a fool and decided it was best to zip up the mask.

When I leaned over him, we made eye contact. His eyes pierced deep into my soul. They were so mesmerizing. It was like laying outside at night, staring up at the endless abyss of stars. The more I looked, the more was revealed to me. I felt drawn in. 

“Scratch my nose, Daniel.” He asked again. I felt his breath on my face as he said the words. I tried to look away, but the endless array of stars and nebulas in his eyes made that impossible. 

“Do you want me to release my hold on you, Daniel?” 

I blinked. Then forced both of my hands up in front of my eyes. I walked backwards until I hit the door and then turned my back to him.

 “Alright, Daniel, that was most impressive. As a gift, your throat is all better. Did it not help, Daniel?”

I stood stupefied. My throat? My throat was better! The taste of puke, gone?! But, how?

“Please, scratch my nose before you leave. Come now, Daniel…”

I shook my head and chuckled. I must have been more shocked about those awful images than I thought. I turned around and moved up to the bed again. With a raised eyebrow, I scratched his nose gently. I was drawn in again by the deep abyss in his eyes.

“I have a use for you, Daniel. Do something extraordinary and think of me when you do. If you do, be sure to make it back to me, otherwise…strange things will happen, Daniel…” he said and closed his eyes. 

It took a moment before I got to my senses. I zipped up his mask and walked out. For the rest of my shift, he laid so still I almost thought he had died - but I could hear how he gulped at the water, so he was definitely alive. 

In the morning, I was relieved by another orderly, who used his hands to signal me something. Just like the other Orderly I relived, this one also seemed surprised that I wasn’t deaf. 

Things seemed to have calmed down at the base. Even the strange putrid smell had passed - thank god!

On my way home, I stopped at the same gas station I also do to get something to eat. As I stood in the que, I noticed the lottery sign. Hundreds of millions were in the pot. Nobody had won in six months. I thought of the strange person in the room, this patient #ZERO ALPHA FIVE or whatever his real name was. A chill went up my spine. The cashier yelled if I needed help. The four people who had waited in front of me had vanished. I must have drifted off. I bought the food and a lottery ticket.

And I think you know the rest of the story. I won! I’m now a multimillionaire. I’m sitting here typing this with a nagging feeling of despair. Should I go back to the military base tomorrow? What if I can’t get another night shift with patient #FIVE ALPHA ZERO? Am I overreaching? Should I just enjoy my new life?

What should I do?