Four Months Ago
“Hold up, you’re going too fast! This is really cramped in here.” Gil says while trying to push his body through the narrow hole. He follows the bearded figure as he pays Gil no mind scurrying through quickly.
The figure drops off an edge revealing a small amount of light. Gil pushes through and grips the edges of the drop off heaving himself through, he lands on a worn out mattress resting on concrete.
He lays there temporarily before sitting up rubbing his back. Melted candles line against a wall on a faded wooden table, water stains brown the walls from ceiling to floor. The room is small but could hold one person comfortably. A toilet in the corner sits looking as if it hasn’t been cleaned, or used, in quite some time.
The bearded figure sits on the floor staring at Gil. His eyes heavy with wear, his hair thick like a bushel of tree branches. His shirt, although small, hung loose on him. His ribcage poked through his skin. Gil looks around and quietly asks, “Who are you?”
The man replies, “My name is Mike, you?”
“Gil, where are we?”
“Forgotten room in the institution. Used to put stray jackets in here but after one bit his tongue off and choked on his blood they closed it off. Door is sealed from other side.”
Gil felt something wasn’t right, but he was often paranoid and owed the man thanks for saving his life. Gil reached out and shook his hand. “I owe you my life, I would’ve died in there.”
Mike nods his head and reaches over to a small bowl pressed against the wall, it was filled with water drippings.
“Drink this, you’re dehydrated.” Mike offered the bowl.
Gil feeling kind of weak decides to take a couple of gulps and thanks him.
“Mike, how did you end up here?” Gil asks.
“Escaped one day during a winter storm, well tried at least, bronze guards on the doors found me. There is no escaping this place. I was able to outrun them for a little while but eventually found a crack in the wall by Wing E. I squeezed in and they stopped chasing me. Managed to find this place and made myself at home. No one goes into Wing E, well that often.”
Gil never hearing of the ‘guards’ begins to asks but is reminded of his night in Wing E. “Oh about that, do you know anything about that place? They threw me in there and something was in there with me. It almost killed me.”
Mike nods his head, “Yeah I know about that, few guys died in the hail storm. Way I see it their souls merged into an evil spirit. Almost got me once, went in there scavenging for food and it attacked me.”
“How did you get away?”
“Made a deal. See, we both needed something in life. I needed food and it wanted souls.”
Gil tilts his head in confusion. “Hold up, what did you say?”
“See, last night it was toying with you, before you pulled a Houdini and left. You don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve had some good meat. Really pissed me off you did.”
Gil’s heart begins to race as he starts trying to get up. He falls sideways and lands on the floor as everything begins to spin. “What did you do to me!”
Mike smiles. “Little stuff here and there in that water you drank. I use it to sleep through stomach pain but thought it might work in this occasion for you.”
A gray hand reaches from the hole with black claws etching against the brick wall, he hears the heavy breathing but can’t move.
“All yours. Now if you’ll please hurry, I’m hungry.” Mike says from somewhere in the room.
A tear runs down Gil’s face. So this is how it ends?
Claws begin to penetrate his back as the creature makes his way up to his face.
“Cousin, I know we never made up. I know this is why I’m cursed,” Gil shouts, “I just want you to know I forgi-”
The creature grabs his head pulling it back and inhales deeply. A black vortex comes spiraling out of Gil’s mouth into the creature’s. It let’s go as Gil’s head plops to the floor. His eyes open and blank, his skin turning cold and pale.
Mike smiles and licks his lips walking over before bending down and tearing into Gil’s neck.
Kiel stares for what felt like an eternity into Lola’s eyes, the words refused to soak into his mind. It was as if life decided he hadn’t had enough and gave him a reach around once more.
Clenching his fist so hard his palm begins to ache and tear under his nails, he asks, “What do you mean Lenny’s?”
Sobbing Lola cries, “I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t! He visits me all the time and forces himself on me, It’s not like I asked for it! Oh God, I feel so sick, I hate him! I hate him so much!” Lola rubs her stomach and turns sideways throwing up once more.
The doors to the front swing open as Lenny walks in tugging on his belt. “What in the hell is going on here? Our food not good enough for ya? Clean that s**t up before I mop it with that rat’s nest you call hair.”
Kiel stands up as she grabs his wrist. “Please, don’t babe,” she whispers.
Lenny raises an eyebrow and chuckles. “Well I’ll be dipped in s**t, you two are a couple huh? That why y’all spend so much time at the table, is that right?”
The whole room is in silence as Lenny walks across the room, a smug look of satisfaction on his face.
“So your boyfriend here is Kiel, I see you trying to stand up when I walked in boy. You got a problem there?”
Lola tightens her grip around his wrist whispering “Please just sit down, don’t..”
Kiel pulls his wrist away and points a finger at Lenny. “Yeah I got a problem, you r***d her! What kind of man are you, huh? You sick f**k, who does that!”
Lenny chuckles, “Oh is that what’s steaming your brain, is that all? Hell boy I tell you what, she damn near begged me for it. I just got her warmed up for you. She loves her some Lenny, don’t let her fool you.”
Kiel jumps the table and dives hitting Lenny in his ribs with his head. They fall backwards as Lenny begins to punch Kiel on his back with his right fist. His left hand wraps around Kiel’s neck.
“Stop it! Lenny let him go, please!” Lola cries. The individuals begin to scream and act out. One begins to pound on the kitchen door as others begin to yell at each other covering their ears or eyes.
Kiel pulls back getting loose and reaches up swinging left and right, all his anger being released punch by punch. Lenny’s face begins to swell and grow wet with blood.
Lenny crosses his arms shielding his face and kicks Kiel’s left foot out from underneath him. Kiel hits the floor as Lenny takes advantage and rolls on top of him wrapping his arm around his throat. Kiel claws at his arms but Lenny arches back applying more pressure.
“Lenny stop this now!” Lola screams. She runs over and kicks Lenny in the side of his head knocking him loose. Kiel inhales broken spouts of air and begins to cough roughly, she drops down grabbing him. Lenny rubs his head and looks over at Lola with fire in his eyes when all of a sudden the door to the lobby opens.
An older man slowly walks in, well dressed with brown slacks and a checkered vest over a white button up shirt. He takes his glasses off rubbing them with a small piece of cloth.
The room was so silent you could hear a mouse p*****g on a ball of cotton, the only sound Lola could hear was her heartbeat getting louder pounding her ear drums. She had never seen this man before, which meant only one thing.
“Son, what the hell is going on here?” The man asks.
Lenny picks himself up and says, “Hey dad, these two shitheads here think they run this place is what’s wrong.”
“Dad?” Kiel asks without thinking.
The older man focuses on Kiel and responds, “Dr. Arbatian to you boy.”