Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S5 Ep192: Episode 192: Horror Stories Told in the Rain

Episode Date: November 7, 2024

Today’s first terrifying tale of the macabre is ‘The train I'm on hasn't stopped driving for 17 days’, an original work by the wonderfully talented Richard Saxon, kindly shared with me via NoSleep and Dr. Creepen’s Vault so that I could narrate it here for you all, with the author’s express permission. https://www.reddit.com/user/RichardSaxon/   Our second terrifying tale of terror is the ‘There’s a chemical fog outside our school: We can’t leave’, an original work by Writing With Blood, kindly shared with me via NoSleep so that I could narrate it here for you all, with the author’s express permission.  https://www.reddit.com/user/WritingWithBlood/  Our third fantastic offering is ''The Horror at the Gideon Farm'', an original work by Carlos Pandiella, kindly shared directly with me for the express purpose of having me exclusively narrate it here for you all.  https://www.reddit.com/user/Panda_Tech_Support/  Tonight’s next tale of terrifying genetic mutation, originally titled ‘The Porcine Horror’, is a wonderful story By Bear Lair 64, kindly shared with me via Dr. Creepen’s Vault and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission:  https://www.reddit.com/user/BearLair64/  Today’s fifth fantastic tale of terror is all four parts of the wonderful ''Welcome to the Psych Lab'', an original work by likeeyedid, kindly shared directly with me via NoSleep and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission.  https://www.reddit.com/user/likeeyedid/  Tonight’s sixth story is ‘The Inheritance Game: What would you be willing to do for $300 million’, a wonderful story By Mandahrk, kindly shared with me via NoSleep and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission:  https://www.r-ddit.com/user/Mandahrk  Today’s penultimate tale of terror is ''The Social Experiment'', an original work by likeeyedid, kindly shared directly with me via NoSleep and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission.  https://www.reddit.com/user/likeeyedid/  Our final macabre story is ‘My girlfriend is a psychopath and she’s ruining my life’, a wonderful tale By rikndikndakn123, kindly shared with me via NoSleep and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission:  https://www.reddit.com/user/rikndikndakn123/

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Visit cfir.com.ca. Welcome to Dr. Creepen's Dungeon. There's something about listening to horror stories with rain sounds in the background that heightens the experience, making it both soothing and suspenseful. Soft patter of rain creates a comforting yet isolating ambience, like you're tucked away safely indoors while something unknown lingers just outside. Rain has this natural way of quieting the world, amplifying the stillness and making each detail of the story feel sharper, more immediate. The rhythm of the rain helps lull us into a receptive, almost meditative state, making it easier to immerse ourselves in the unfolding terror, while still feeling a strange sense of peace,

a perfect balance between fear and calm, as we shall see in tonight's collection of stories. Now, as ever before we begin, a word of caution. Tonight's tales may contain strong language as long as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. That sounds like your kind of thing. Then let's begin. I was jolted back to consciousness by a violent coughing fit caused by the unnaturally dry air around me.

Drops of sweat had piled up and started trickling down my forehead. It was dark, not a single ray of light to even make out my closest surroundings. My memory served little help in recognizing my whereabouts, but upon fumbling around with my weak hands, I noticed I was sitting in a fabric-coated chair in a round, room that seemed to vibrate ever so slightly. As my eyes started to adapt to the overwhelming darkness, I could start to make out the vague shape of my room. There were three seats facing each other with windows on the right-hand side, though they revealed nothing more than an empty

void on the other side. On the other side was a door with a small window, which led out into a hallway, and then it dawned on me where I'd woken up. It was a train compartment. and the train was still moving, though seemingly rid of any other people. I tried to get up, and my legs refused to properly cooperate. They were too weak, as if they hadn't been used for days. Then some memories started to return. I was travelling. I remember getting on the train, though I hadn't the faintest idea what my destination should have been.

My memory simply cut short after stepping inside my empty compartment. that had been November the 12th. I checked my pockets to look for clues, found my phone which had long since run out of power, and my wallet, and it contained a ticket. In the dark it just looked like weird scribbles on a piece of paper. With an incredible amount of effort, I finally managed to get my legs working enough to stand up.

Though I had to use the wall as a support, it was enough to move around and I soon stumbled into the hallway of, my train car. I took a moment to look through the windows in the hallway, and the world outside was empty. It both looked and felt as if nothing existed outside the boundaries of the train. The darkness made it hard to navigate without falling to the ground. I tried to look for a light switch, or at the very least another person to help me out, but none were in sight. I peaked in through the window into the next compartment, and I could see the vague shape.

of people sitting in their seats, but upon trying to enter, I realised that the door was locked. I tried to knock, but the people on the other side didn't even flinch. When I tried to call out for them, I realised my voice had almost completely vanished, replaced by just a whisper. I made my way from compartment to compartment. While they all seemed to be occupied, none would open, and not a single person responded to my increasingly frantic knocks, as I reached the last compartment of the car. The train turned ever so slightly on its tracks, enough to knock me to the ground. While I lied there, I tried to call out for help with my barely audible voice, but no one could hear me. I got to my feet while the train still turned, and noticed the door to the last compartment

slowly glide open from the turn. Hello, can anyone hear me? I called out with a trembling voice as I approached the open door. No response, either because the compartment was empty or because my voice hadn't been used for so long that it barely functioned. I slowly peeked my head around the corner to see the compartment fully occupied by dark figures, all of them sitting perfectly still in their seats. Hello? I said again.

I took a step inside. My eyes had started to fully adjust to my dark surroundings, and I quickly realized that not only were the people sitting perfectly still, but they weren't even breathing. The horrible thought of them being dead struck me like a hammer, but I had to make sure. I bent down on my knees next to the closest man and shook him gently. Still, he didn't respond. I then checked for a pulse, and though I am not a doctor, I couldn't find any signs of life. I heard a small beep that shocked me to my feet, and I looked down to see the man wearing a digital watch that alerted him that an hour had passed.

I looked at the watch and noticed the date was also written in the centre. The 29th of November. It had been 17 days since I had boarded the train. With a trembling hand, I checked the rest of the people for signs of life. All of them were, beyond a shadow of a doubt, dead. Panic arose in my body, both from the presence of dead people and from the realization that I had been asleep on a moving train for more than two weeks. I collapsed to the ground in front of one of the dead passengers. She was an elderly woman, dressed elegantly with wide open, piercing blue eyes.

I didn't want to stay in the compartment with them, but I was paralyzed by the lack of a plan. There I sat, surrounded by six dead people, trying to take. contemplate my next step the train was still moving which clearly meant that someone had to be in control of it the conductor or at least someone with an idea as to what the hell was going on so I decided that my best bet would be make my way to the locomotive and pray that not everyone had died on the train all the while these thoughts ran through my head I couldn't take my eyes off that elderly lady something just felt off by their presence firstly there wasn't any smell

meaning that they hadn't started to decompose, and secondly, all of them had their eyes open wider than I thought possible. Before I could consider the bizarre situation any further, the woman suddenly blinked. I shot to my feet in horror as she blinked again. I double-checked her pulse, still nothing, yet her eyes kept blinking without any other signs of life. In shock, I looked around to find that. the other five dead passengers were also blinking rapidly. Without checking them for life, I jumped out of the compartment and shut the door. I noticed a chunk of wood missing from it, as if someone had kicked it in, leaving it unable to properly close. As I slowly backed away

from the compartment, I glimpsed out through the windows, into the empty void beyond. I humoured the thought that we might be moving through a tunnel, but if so, How long could it possibly be? I stepped into the next train car. Unlike the previous one, it wasn't divided into compartments, but rather filled with rows of seats split in the middle by a central passage. But, unlike the compartments, each seat was occupied by a dead passenger,

each blinking in response as I quickly passed in panic. A walk through about fifteen such cars, each alternating by rows of seats and compartments, compartments. It felt like hours passed as I made my way towards the locomotive. Just as I was about to enter through a door marked first class, I was shoved to the floor by someone holding a bright light to my face. Stay the fuck down, the deep voice shouted at me. Speechless, I could do nothing but comply with the man in front of me.

Wait, you're not dead, the man asked. as he realized i was basically just a kid barely in my twenties he moved the light away from me and reached out a hand to help me up i'm sorry i just heard some one moving and thought you were one of them he said as he pointed to the lifeless people sitting idly by in their seats what's your name he asked i'm thomas i stuttered as the shop from the bright light faded i saw that the man was a man was a man was a man who was a man who was a man was a thomas i stuttered As the shop from the bright light faded, I saw that the man was dressed in a police uniform, well-built and bald. The name's John Hendricks, he said, and we'd better get out of there before these bastards wake up again. They're not dead, I asked. Well, um, not exactly. It's like they're in hibernation. I looked at him in confusion.

People in hibernation. Oh, they ain't people, kid. Well, not anymore. As he spoke those words, he seemed surprised by something behind me. Oh, fuck, I was too slow, he said, oddly calm. I turned around to see the people moving their heads around,

all of them staring directly at us. Their eyes now fixed and unblinking. We need to get out of here, John said as he pulled my arm and dragged me in through the door to another compartment. car, though far nicer than one eye'd awoken in. All the doors had opened, and people were slowly piling out from each compartment into the hallway, staring at us with their wide open eyes. We dove into the first available compartment, and the officer pushed one of the people out from it

and locked the door. He sighed. We'll be safe here for a bit. Hopefully they're just scouting. What the hell is... I started before the cop put his hand over my mouth, gesturing for me to keep quiet. Hey, keep it down, would you? He said quietly, clearly agitated by my idiocy. What's happening? I whispered. We've got to hold up in here until they go back to sleep.

He stood up and peeked out the window into the hallway before pulling down quickly back behind cover. The other passengers What happened to them? I asked Dead Well, most of them anyways Got a few survivors

Camped up in the dining car I just came out to look for batteries Hoping we could get a phone working And get help Hey, how the hell did you survive here all on your own? I Don't know I just woke up an hour ago

I said I took out the ticket from my pocket and tried to read it. Officer Hendricks took his flashlight and set it to its lowest setting to help me read. The text on the ticket was a language I didn't recognize, just jumbled symbols and a date.

Yeah, it's the same with all our tickets as well. None of this makes any damn sense. Do you remember where the train's going? I asked. He shook his hand. People seem fairly docile. Can we just push our way through? They don't seem to be moving, I asked. He sighed again.

Well, I'm not afraid of the things out there. It's what comes next that terrifies me. What is it? Hell, I don't even know what it really looks like. It's massive and dark. It just uses those things to look around for survivors. We call them... As he tried to finish the sentence,

a large thought could be heard on the other side of the door. I carefully peaked out through the window to see that all the people had collapsed back to the ground, and that the door leading to the car behind us had opened up. A tall, obsidian black creature pulled its way inside using large tendril-like appendages. It had thin stumps that resembled legs, and multiple more tendrils that slithered on along the walls, seeming to sense its surroundings. Though it was vaguely humanoid in nature, it didn't have a head nor any unethers,

eyes. John lifted a finger to his lip and signalled for me to keep absolutely silent. I noticed then he had his gun holstered, attached to his belt. I pointed to it without saying a word, but he just shook his head in response. The creature moved closer, and before long it was standing just outside the door, its arm spread out, flattening out and covering the window. It started to form small cracks in the glass pane, allowing small tendrils to seep through. John whispered as sweat poured down his face. Suddenly he stood up and kicked the door, breaking it straight off its hinges. Barely phased the creature, but it allowed us enough wiggle room to bolt past him.

He grabbed me and pushed me through the gap between the wall and the creature, getting caught up in its tendrils as he did. They latched onto him and buried into his leg. Ah, run! he yelled in agony as he tried to fight off the tendrils wrapping around him. Still feeling weak, I fell onto the floor of the hallway, as John desperately tried to get free from the rapidly enveloping tendrils around his leg. As their grip tightened, his service weapon, still in its holster, fell to the ground, out of reach from him. What are you waiting for? Get the fuck out.

"'Ary!' yelled. "'Refusing his orders, I dove to the floor and grabbed his gun. "'With the absolute minimal amount of firearms knowledge I possessed, "'I picked up the weapon and started firing at the centre of the creature. "'Frantically pulling the trigger, "'I didn't stop until the excessively loud shots were replaced by silent clicks. "'Though the rounds barely phased the creature, "'he did loosen its grip on John just enough for him to crawl away from certain death.

i helped into his bleeding feet and together he rushed through into the next train car where we pulled some loose chairs together and used them as a poorly constructed blockade to slow down the creature we continued through the car repeatedly tripping over the dozens of corpses littering the floor i took a peek back at the barricade to see the creature slowly seeping through like a black fog before reforming itself on the other side "'Hurry up!' John yelled at me. The creature had almost fully formed by the time we got through to the next car. Unable to grab us, it quickly realized we were out of reach, and in response it split open its body down the middle, revealing rows of black teeth and multiple tendrils that resembled tongues. It led out a horrific, high-pitched shriek that shook the entire train,

almost destroying my eardrums. The sound itself awakened the dead people strewn across the hallway. They lifted their heads and looked around until they fixated their eyes on us, which alerted the creature to our presence. He moved quickly, all the while its tendrils stretched impossibly far towards us in a hungry attempt at catching us. We were almost out the dining car when I fell to the ground. A tendril had wrapped around my shoe,

and John quickly grabbed my arms. as I was pulled away. I screamed, and the door to the dining car shot open. Two men and one woman ran over and helped John pull me free from the tendrils grip. One of my shoes stood off in the process, allowing me to get away. We ran through the door and shut it behind us, while one of the men pulled a large metal rod through a makeshift lock. Both John and I lay wheezing on the floor from exhaustion,

as I tried to look around, observing my new surroundings. The car was full of booths with a small bar all the way up front, covered in canned foods and bottled water. In the corner I saw a few bags full of waste and empty food wrappings. The entire car was dimly lit up by a couple of rows of emergency lights on the ceiling, and it was clear they'd survived there for a couple of weeks already, though if the four of them were all that remained, I know. didn't know. What the hell happened to you, John? A man in his 50s asked. They, they must have

seen me coming. I don't know how, John said, still out of breath. They kept looking back at him in shock, not satisfied by his answer. So he continued. I didn't even use the flashlight until I saw Thomas here, and by then they'd already awoken. So you waited until they went back to sleep? The woman asked. No, they'd already seen us. We had to make a run for it. I came back as quickly as I could. His last sentences shut everyone up, and John stared at them, confused.

John, you were gone for two days, she finally said. Don't be ridiculous. I was gone for a couple of hours at most. She pulled out a digital watch and showed John the time and date. it's December 1st she said quietly that's John trowed off speechless by the realization how'd they see you anyway not exactly observant unless someone disturbs them

one of the men said in a condescending tone I don't know Frank did you think I did it on purpose I thought back to the old lady I'd seen in the first compartment and realized John hadn't been discovered at all. I was the one who got caught. Officer, I tried to say before John interrupted me. John, he corrected me. We're in another freaking dimension or some shit. No need for ranks or

titles. I tried to confess again, but the woman noticed John's bleeding leg and rushed over to him. You're bleeding, she said. Ah, it's nothing. The Sentinel got a hold of my leg. Don't worry, I'm fine. Just sit down. Let me have a look anyway. John sat down and the woman rolled up his trouser leg to reveal deep gashes in his calf. You'll need stitches. Hey, get me to make it, will you? She said as she pointed to Frank. While she did her best to fix up John's leg, I got a better look at the door. They'd reinforced it with pieces of metal around the edges, also covering the window, preventing the creature from seeping through the cracks. and its surveyors from seeing through it on the wall beside the door someone had etched lines marking each past day nineteen lines for nineteen days passed on a train that never stops

the oldest man frank came over to me looking as suspicious as ever who are you he asked firmly thomas i responded you want to tell us how you survive nineteen days or on your own, without food or water? Well, I couldn't answer his question. To me, only a few hours had passed, and though I felt thirsty from fleeing. I wasn't even close to being parched. I... I don't know, I stuttered.

Why do you mean you don't know? How can you not know? Frank said, getting agitated. Hey, give him a break, Frank. If you hadn't left your bag behind, I wouldn't even have had to go out and risk my life, John interjected. Well, that was enough to shut Frank up, though an asshole, he knew his place in the group. The other younger guy came up to me and reached out his hand.

I'm Philip, and that's Maya, he said as he pointed to the woman fixing up John. And lastly, that's Frank. Don't pay him any attention. He's a pain in the ass 99% at the time. "'Whatever,' Frank interrupted. "'Did you get the batteries, at least?' "'Yes, of course I did, you twat. "'They're in the bag,' John said. "'I just stood there, trying to get a grasp on the situation, "' barely responding to the other's questions.

"'Don't worry about it, Thomas,' Maya said, "'as she noticed the absolutely baffled expression on my face. "'Hen?' "'None of us remember. what happened. We all just woke up at different times on the train and had the idea to make our way here. It's safe, mostly, and the Sentinels keep us from going out very often. You're lucky John found you. Sentinels? Yeah, the thing that chased us, John explained. A bright light penetrated the otherwise gloomy car, as Frank booted up his phone, using one of the battery packs.

without hesitation he attempted to dial a number put it on speaker if you're trying to call someone John said still waiting for Maya to finish bandaging his leg no one responded on the other end but no sooner had Frank lowered the phone to input another number before he started ringing blocked caller ID for a few moments he just held the phone in shock

before he regained his senses and answered Hello? No response. Hello? Can anyone hear us? Frank asked again. We listened intently to the emptiness on the other end of the line and a minute passed without anyone speaking. There's no one there, Maya said.

Before any of us could respond, the phone started emitting repetitive beeping sounds. They continued for almost. a minute, none of us daring to speak up while we listened. Once it was finished, the call ended on its own. Frank looked around at us, wearing a confused expression. What the hell was that? John asked. No clue. It was just a bunch of beeps.

Designation, Gehena. One hundred and eight hours. Do not get off the train, I said. What? It was Morse Cope. learned it as a kid to secretly communicate in class. Yeah, I know it's dumb, but, well, I was a geek. But I'm absolutely sure that's what the message said. They looked at each other for a moment, still visibly confused.

And then back at me. Gehena, what does that mean? Maya asked. Forget that, Frank interjected. Why are they telling us to stay on this freaking train? We fell silent again as Frank attempted to dial another number. To no event. One hundred and eight hours.

Just over four days before we reach our next station. We can do that. We just got to stay here. We have enough provisions for at least two weeks, John said. So that's it. We just sit here in the dark for another four days? Frank asked. A small argument ensued.

And while they discussed what we do at the train station, I took a moment to look out of the window. The vast emptiness was horrifying on its own. I wondered how far the darkness reached, if it had an end, or if anything lived in the void. Part of me felt dread as I pondered these questions. I felt dread as if the train was nothing more than a mere figment of my decaying mind. But the pain was ever too real.

The tiredness felt too overwhelming for this world to be fake. I took my dead phone, grabbed one of the battery packs and plugged it in. The others were too busy discussing to notice me wasting power, but I just needed to write down some of my thoughts over text, ready to send if we happened to get a signal. I sent it to my dad, hoping he'd share the story should I not make it back. While I patiently waited for the text to go through, they kept staring into the dark.

Some parts were blacker than their surroundings. and I then noticed they weren't just patches that contrasted with the rest of the environment, but moving things, almost vanter black, like a shadow moving through the night. It glided in the air alongside the train, quietly looming by with its eyeless body. It was a sentinel. Guys, I stared quietly. They kept on arguing. "'Guys, there's a sentinel outside,' I said much louder.

John broke off from the argument, and everyone fell silent as we watched the creature fly beside the train. Then we noticed another, and a third, and a fourth, and before long we could make out hundreds, if not thousands of sentinels following the train. Don't worry, they shouldn't be able to see us or hear us without their surveyors. We all kept staring at the shadowy things in the void. And though Philip was right, they couldn't possibly see us without their aid. There was one undeniable fact about them that just didn't make sense. They were getting closer.

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Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. John grabbed me and pull me down to the floor, away from the window. Stay the fuck down, he whispered. while we lay there frank and philip rushed to cover up the windows with whatever debris and furniture they could get loose from the floor do they know we're here maya asked doesn't matter we ain't taking any risks we need to survive for four more days until we reach gahena john responded they were quick to block the windows and within a minute we'd all settle down on the floor where we tried to discuss our next move as quietly as possible

On the other side of the door, leading to the next car, we could hear the shuffling of surveyors trying to get in. They knew we were here, which meant the sentinels would be alerted very soon. They're behind the door, Frank said. Can they hear us? I don't know, but stay quiet anyway. They might not know for sure that we're here, John said. What about you, gun? If we just kill the surveyors, they won't be able to alert the sent.

I don't have any ammo, besides. That idea is freaking stupid. Even with the emergency lights dimly illuminating our car, it was hard to make out our surroundings, and with no idea how to turn them off, we could only pray that the surveyors didn't notice them either. A few hours passed, with none of us daring to speak up, all fearing that the sentinels would come bursting in through the windows at any moment. The only one moving was Maya. And she only did that to check on John's leg. Do we have any antibiotics in the bag? she asked. Philip opened and rummished through a large travel bag.

In the dark he couldn't see much, and after a minute he decided just to empty the bag of all the random items they gathered on the train, finally pulling out a box of pills. Amoxelin, he half asked, half said. That's all we have? Maya asked. Philip nodded and tossed Maya the bots. She handed them over to John, giving him instructions on when and how many to take. The first 24 hours, each marked by an innocuous beep from Maya's digital watch. The first 24 hours, each one marked by an innocuous beep from Maya's digital watch. I couldn't get my mind off that name. Gehenna. It sounded familiar. It was definitely something I'd heard before, if only to be stuffed away in the back of my mind, polluted by pointless information I gathered throughout my life. Forty-two hours passed, as counted by the beats.

People were getting restless, unable to stand up or move around without alerting the surveillance. We still hadn't made a decision whether to stay on the train as we reached Gohena, or to bail out and try our luck somewhere else. Are we really going to listen to some cruelly? cryptic message, Philip asked. Like, I don't want to be all pessimistic, but why should we trust them? They're telling us to stay on the train, but do they mean as it stops, or now while it's heading there? Maya asked. Doesn't matter. Shouldn't we just do the exact opposite of what they tell us? No, whatever happens we're getting in the fuck off this train when it stops. As long as there's

solid ground to walk on, we're not staying a minute longer than we have to. John interjected. Sixty hours passed, and the void lingered outside our train, ever-present and full of unseen horrors. Despite the stress, I somehow managed to drift off to sleep, though restless, it was a deep sleep occupied by an incredibly vivid dream of Gahena. I saw it as an empty ruin of a city, trapped in the centre of a steep valley. Meyer and Frank stood by my side, with defeated expressions on their faces.

As we observed our surroundings, a bright light lit up the grey sky, almost blinding us with his presence. I tried to lift my arms to block out at least some of the light, but I couldn't lift them. Something within the light had paralysed me, surging through my body with intense pain. As I winced in agony, my mind suddenly felt close. clearer than it ever had. And then I remembered. It was just a piece of fragmented information long since forgotten that I'd learned during my childhood during some religious class. Gehena. It was hell, and we were heading straight for it. I awoke abruptly due to high-pitched, glaring sound emitting from a speaker system hidden in the ceiling. It jolted all of us to our

feet in panic as we tried to decipher what it meant. What the hell is that sound? John yelled as he clutched his ears. It was rhythmic, morse cold, just like before, though in the mess of static and distortions, I could barely make out the individual beeps. After a couple of minutes, despite the mess of sounds, it became apparent that the sound was just a loop of beeps with a simple message playing on repeat. leaving vacuels stand by leaving vacuels stand by leaving vacuels stand by leaving vacuels stand by leaving vacuels stand by it was incredibly loud vibrating enough to loosen the already fragile barricade in front of the door and windows on the other side the surveyors were trying to break through and with a final push the door gave in. Dozens of them flooded in through the broken barricade, stumbling over each other in the

process. All the while, they kept their eyes fixated on each of us, non-blinking full of agony. Push them out, John yelled, as he rushed at them with a stick, shoving the one furthest behind back through the door, then the next, they just kept getting back up. The rest of us rushed to aid John in his futile attempt, but before we could even reach him, every single window in the train shattered from the force of hundreds of sentinels, throwing their mangled bodies at the car, covered in shards of broken glass. I fell to the ground alongside Frank, who tried to use me for balance. A piece of glass cut my left eye, temporarily blinding me from pain. As I got the piece of glass out, I saw the sentinels digging their way through the broken windows.

turning to a viscous fog, and pouring in through each crack in our barricade, reforming themselves on the other side, just like before. It was hopeless, and all we could do was to stand there in frozen panic, unable to think of any plausible escape. Meyer and Philip had sought cover in one of the corners, where they sat embracing each other, while John charged at the sentinels wielding nothing more than a kitchen-knife. As the mix of sentinels and surveyors came at us, the alarm kept blaring, and I prepared for my quickly approaching demise, leaving vacuers, stand by.

Suddenly, an impossibly bright light filled the entire void, instantly turning the sentinels to mere filaments of darkness lingering in the air. It persisted for minutes, completely blinding out any memory of the empty void we'd left behind. and then the speaker gave out a new message in the form of Morse code. Designation gain, 18 hours. Do not get off the train, the coat spoke. As quickly as it had come, the light faded. It took a while for our eyes to adjust that once they did, we were greeted by a brand new world outside the window. The once empty void had been replaced by endless fields of bright, green grass, only contrasted by tall blue mountains in the horizon, miles and miles away.

The sentinels themselves had all but vanished, while those veers had turned back into lifeless corpses, now doing nothing more than littering the hallways. Where are we? Maya asked. Gehena, did we make it? Frank asked. No, we still have 18 hours left. I corrected him. I took a hopeful look out the window and stared at the lush fields just out of reach.

The ground looked so soft and I contemplated for a moment whether it would be smarter just to jump off the train. Well, that idea was quickly put to rest as I got a look around the train, now filled with blissful daylight that it immediately changed the mood. All right, let's head for the locomotive

and try to shut this train down. John said. We quickly made our way through the train, littered with the fresh corpses of people that had died weeks ago. Their connections to the sentinels had now been broken, leaving them limp on the ground with no direction. Once we reached the locomotive, we were faced with a heavy iron wall blocking our entrance,

a door with no handle, nor a keyhole to open. Great, what now? Frank asked. Well, maybe we can climb out one of the windows and get there from the outside, John suggested. Before we could even indulge the idea of climbing on the outside of a moving train, we were all shoved to the ground as the train rapidly lost speed. The track screeched as the wheels locked themselves in place, and we quickly came to a sudden stop. What the hell just happened? We stopped, but there's no platform where anything outside.

Maya said as she peeked outside the window. Doesn't matter, okay, get your stuff. We're getting off this nightmare. We returned to the dining car and picked up our bags, alongside any amount of food and supplies we could possibly carry. We hadn't yet reached Gahena, but considering the implications that we were heading straight for hell, this would be a safer bet.

The first time in weeks, we stepped down on solid ground. with a brilliant green field only a few feet away from us. Philip took charge, carrying what little medical supplies we had, while John followed. It was a decently brisk wind that felt great in the otherwise hot climate, but the grass didn't seem to sway even the slightest. As minute a detail as it seemed, it warranted a closer look. They were crystals, green, razor-sharp crystals,

that from just a few feet away resembled blades of grass. Wait, don't! I tried to yell, but it was too late. And Philip stepped down hard on the field. Oh! He yelled as the crystals cut through his shoes into the sole of his foot.

The rest of us froze in our steps as we saw Philip pull back in agony, clutching his leg. It's not grass! I trailed off. Fuck. It hurts, Philip groaned. Meyer instinctively ran to his aid and pulled off his shoe.

Let me have a look, she said. There were green crystals embedded deep in his soul, covered in jagged edges, making it almost impossible to pull out without causing more damage. We've got to get you back on it. Maya froze mid-sentence. The crystal was spreading, with tiny shards breaking off,

embedding themselves into Philip's skin, tearing through it as they grew. What's happening? Philip stuttered. Though the growth was slow at first, it quickly sped up, covering his entire foot within a minute, before proceeding up his leg. Get them off me! He yelled in pain as Maya tried to reach to rip them off, but John stopped her before she could touch them.

Wait, you'll get them on you. You two, he yelled. He poured out his knife and got ready to peel the shards off Philip, but the crystal simply cut through the knife like butter, spreading onto that as well. In shock, John stumbled back and dropped his knife. Meyer once again tried to run over and help him, but we all held her back.

All we could do was stare at Philip as the crystals dug their way into his body. His bones audibly crows. and his skin rupturing as they continued spreading. He just lay there, screaming in agony, until the crystals got to his lungs. Before long, his entire body had been turned to rock.

Before we could even process, or mourn our loss, the crystals started spreading along the ground, slowly making their way towards us. Back on the train, John screamed. As we got back on board, we did our best to seal the windows and doors, but even then we had no proof it would stop the spread.

The train had broken down, and with no way of getting it back up and running, all we could do was to wait as the green field of crystals spread onto the train, and to us. It's just a matter of time. Maya stared out through the train window, her eyes fixated on the crystallized remains of Philip.

they'd known each other most of their lives and now he had become nothing more than a memory forever preserved within the green rocks it had been a day since the train had broken down but despite the time that had passed there wasn't any noticeable change in daylight the sky hung above us blue and bright though no sun existed to let us know whether we were still on earth instead the light seemed evenly distributed across the sky with no visible source i tried my best to comfort myer but nothing i could say would ease the loss and trauma we'd all just experienced our best bet would to simply keep everyone alive through the next part of our horrific nightmare though the crystals had slowed down once we retreated they kept reaching out for the train and had already covered two of the cars in the back slowly inching their way ahead during the day we'd been stuck they seemed to react to touch spreading faster with any interaction between us and the environment outside the train while trapped in the morbidly peaceful landscape john had taken it upon himself to find a way into the locomotive the entrance had been sealed by a heavy metal wall and it seemed that even from the outside there weren't any windows nor feasible way of entering it was simply a block of iron that had effortlessly dragged us through two dimensions broke down only to cause us pain. John, as fit as he was, had turned into a spitting image of death itself, both from exhaustion and the infection spreading through his wounded leg. Pearls

of sweat formed on his forehead as he looked for different tools to smash his way through the wall, a noble but futile effort. John, you need to get some rest, I demanded carefully, as I noticed him on the brink of collapse. I didn't dare to get some rest. I didn't dare to get some rest. I say too much against him, both from fear of pissing him off and because he stood to be our best chance of escape. No, I'm fine, he shouted back as he popped a couple of pills, a mixture between antibiotics and painkillers. He leaned against the wall, looking out through the window at the ever-growing crystals outside.

There's no time to stop. If we don't do anything, we'll be dead in a matter of days. I know, John, but we can work without you for a couple of hours. You have to take care of yourself. Just leave me alone. I need to think. There has to be a way inside. I know it, he said as he shoved his way past me

after search for more tools. The train had turned quiet, illuminated by bright light from the sunless sky above. The air felt heavy and was filled with a stench of dead surveyors, but it was still pretty. preferable to the thread of sentinels, and in addition it was now an easy task to search for both supplies and any equipment we could use to aid us in our escape attempts. Another day passed in the fields of crystals, and Meyer still hadn't spoken a word, apart from checking on John's bandaged wound and instructing him to keep taking the antibiotics. Of course, despite the inflamed and painful cut on his leg, he refused any rest.

Frank and I eventually decided that we force him to take a break, even if it meant physically restraining him. After a short talk with Maya to make sure she agreed, we set out to force John into temporary retirement. He turned oddly quiet, and we had to search every car to finally find him collapsed on the ground with the bandage ripped off, and black liquid oozing out from the wounds.

Before we could even call Meyer into help, the train jolted to movement. quickly coming to a stop as the back cars had fused together with the crystals. The train! It's working again! Frank yelled excitedly, before realizing we weren't actually moving. We looked at each other in sudden realization and shouted simultaneously. The cars! We have to disconnect them, Frank suggested. You do that. I'm going to stay with John. Tell Maya we need her quickly,

I said as Frank started running to the back of the train. I sat down and shook John in an attempt at waking him, and while he didn't respond, at least he was breathing. I glanced at the black liquid trickling down his leg, forming a puddle on the floor, not daring to touch it. Whatever it was, it didn't look anything like the yellow pus I had expected from an infection. Maya came running to my aid, quickly checking his pulse and breathing. He's burning up, Maya said.

Suddenly the train broke loose, and we started moving away from the green fields of infectious crystals. Frank joined us with as many supplies as he could carry from the back cars, trying not to leave food or any medication behind. I can't believe we're moving again, Frank said gleefully as he returned to us, showing little concern for John's deteriorating state. Near the front of the train, there was a sleeping car, which we cleaned out. and then put John to rest. Moving this mountain of a man was a tough challenge on its own, but it was nothing next to the challenge of keeping him alive through sepsis as the infection spread into his bloodstream.

Myr took on the task of watching John, making sure he drank and feeding him his antibiotics while the train moved closer to Gehena. It would only be a matter of hours until we reached our final destination, and I have yet to tell the others what the place truly was. While Frank was busy trying to contact the outside world, using one of the few battery packs still working, I approached Maya to tell her the pitiful truth about our journey.

I sat down and glimpsed out the window, watching the landscape change as we quickly pass by. The infinite green lands that had taken Philip started to give way to solid rock, grey and continuous, with scant cracks breaking its perfect surface. Tall structures extended from some of the cracks, looking like red tree stems covered in veins and arteries, or sating and twitching in response to our passing. At the top they broke up into bubbles filled with swishing black goo, similar to what had oozed from John's wound. Red forests, reeking of rotten flesh, growing in density as we kept moving closer to a literal hell. Every now and then, creatures would emerge from the density.

as parts of the structures. Bizarre beings, vaguely resembling horses, with long bodies and impossibly thin legs stretching at least fifteen feet away, and eyes that were pitch black, sunken things, far too large for their heads. About a dozen of them had gotten an inkling to our presence, and galloped elegantly along our moving train, keeping up the pace. Maya, I have to tell you something, I said carefully. she didn't respond she just kept staring at the creatures that were following us they never got too close probably only curious as to what and who we were we're not going to make it are we she said without a hint of emotion in her voice what do you mean gehena i know the name it means hell she continued The red forest outside kept getting denser, forcing the creatures to break off, and as the trees grew taller, the sky darkened.

I'm sorry. I should have told you earlier. I didn't want us to give up, she said. I kept my mouth shut. She'd been struggling with the same information as me, yet she kept helping us. It wouldn't make sense for me to confess that I already knew as well. I'm sorry about Philip, I said after a minute of silence. Thanks. He would have wanted us to keep fighting. I check the watch, only to notice the seconds tick slower than normal. According to the time, we were only an hour away from Gahin,

but with every watch having slowed down, there was no way of telling how far away we actually were. So, what do we do? I asked. When we get there? I nodded. I don't know, but right now we have to... She was cut off by John starting to shake violently, screaming in agony without fully regaining consciousness.

At first, it looked like a seizure, but once we saw his leg, we realized it wasn't anything that could possibly be explained by modern medicine. His leg had torn open completely, and black tendrils stretched out, wriggling around in the air as if searching for something. The obsidian black appendages looked exactly like the flesh of the sentinels, and it immediately dawned on both of us that the sentinel had deliberately let John live

after spreading itself within him. We both screamed in shock, unable to decide whether to leave John behind and flee, or to stay and try to help him. Frank came rushing in just in time to see one of the tendrils shoot out from the leg and try to grab me, but I dug beneath it just in time. What the?

We have to cut his leg off, Maya yelled in panic. Frank, get the knife, and something hard. How are we going to... I tried to ask with a trembling voice. We'll cut through the flesh with a knife and try to break the bone, but... Before we could even start to plan out the amputation, John shot to his legs,

partially waking up from the pain, realizing what was going on. "'God, get away from me!' he groaned as one of the tendrils shot out at us, ripping flesh away as it extended from his wound. I brought Meyer with me out from the compartment, and we fled forward into the next car, just as Frank came running back with an axe he'd found.

"'Where's John?' he asked. We didn't need to answer the question, because John quickly followed us, walking with his mangled, sentinel-infested leg. One of the tendrils had grown out from the wound, forming an amorphous black blob on the floor, still attached to John, feeding off his body. His leg had completely shattered and split open, but the infection had spread even further, reaching his abdomen, covered in tiny holes occupied by more dark appendages. Amputation was no longer a viable object.

option, so we kept backing away as John screamed in agony, visibly trying to fight against the sentinels' movement inside it. If we got to the space between cars, John unwillingly grabbed onto Maya with his arms. She fought back, but even without the tendrils, John was far stronger than all of us. I can't stop it, he forced out. Please, use the axe. frang got ready to hit john but one of the tendrils swung at it snatching it away john kept fighting turning his head to one of the exits reaching out for it with all of his remaining will-power don't you freaking die on me he said before pulling the handle the door opened and john let himself fall off the train to the thick mess of red trees and darts

I held on to Maya as she clasped to the floor from exhaustion, carefully checking if she'd been wounded from John's grip. Frank closed the door John had fallen out through, and we all stared at each other in silence. John had died to protect us from himself, and with that an immense feeling of loneliness overwhelmed me. Our best chance of survival was gone, and our next stop will be hell itself.

kept staring at the slowly ticking clock. Based solely on my biological assessment of time, it felt like days had passed, but according to the clock itself, it had been no more than a measly half hour. It was the same with each clock on the train. They simply didn't work together with reality, measuring each minute as a small eternity. With the John dead, we felt more vulnerable than ever, and since his death we hadn't spoken a word. I know we're all on edge, but I think it's time we discuss what we'll do once the train stops again. Frank said in his usual annoyed tone. Both Meyer and I knew our true destination, but hadn't yet told Frank. Alas, the time had come, and if we stood even the faintest chance

of surviving, we all had to be able to rely on each other. Frank, We need to tell you something, I said. His eyes narrowed in suspicion at my obviously guilty tone. Tell me what? Our destination, Gehena. Well, I trailed off. Yeah, what about it? It's, um...

Gehena is hell, Frank. We're all going to hell. Maya burst out, annoyed by my hesitation. We fell silent for a few seconds while Frank processed what we just told him. Then he suddenly burst out laughing. Really? Hell, that's the best you could do, he said. I nodded in response.

So, you mean to tell me that we're already dead, that our next stop will be the realm of Satan himself? Yeah, I guess. Why is that funny? Well, if you hadn't noticed already, two of us died. How's that possible if we're already dead? Where's John and Philip, huh? You had a point. Our conventional idea of hell required us to be dead already, though it never stated whether you could die twice or what happens upon second death. Well, we're clearly not dead, but that doesn't mean we're not going to a horrific place. Regardless of what you might think, Gehena means hell, Maya said.

The argument went on fruitlessly for a while, Frank never giving in and admitting we weren't going to reach salvation once the train stopped. In the meantime, I kept staring out of the window. The once green fields of killer crystals had long since vanished, and the forest of red pillars had grown so dense that it finally blocked out each ray of light brave enough to attempt to illuminate our path. If I hadn't known better, I could have thought we were back in the void. But it felt different, far hotter than it had before, even more devoid of hope. Before I got a chance to question the environment, the darkness gave way to a large open space, devoid of any life,

just a rocky, flat surface surrounded by infinitely tall cliffs on each side. It was a valley, grey and dull, with little to no light penetrating a layer of thick clouds above. And then the train started to slow down. We're coming to a stop, Maya said as she peeked out through the window. The tracks end here. Before long the train stood still, and all the doors opened automatically, signaling for us to get off. There was a sign on the empty platform next to us, written in a language I couldn't comprehend.

I pulled out my crumbled-up ticket and compared the text, noticing that some of it matched. "'Gahena,' I mumbled. "'So what now? "'We get off the train and wander the wasteland, "'sit here with the last of our supplies, "'waiting for hunger to kill us, Frank asked. "'Well, we never got the chance to make a decision "'before the train simply started disintegrating under our feet.

"'First the windows turned to sand. "'Then the seats rotted away as if hit with a thousand years of time. "'Finally the door started to crack, causing us to plummet into the ground. I groaned in pain as I landed, severely twisting my ankle, while the others landed slightly more elegantly. Meyer and Frank helped me to my feet, as we witnessed the last chunks of train just vanish before our eyes.

We climbed off the tracks and onto the platform. It was situated on a bridge, giving us a clear view of our surroundings. It was a city, or at least it used to be one, now nothing more than the ruins of a previously inhabited place. Tall cliffs stood around the city, too steep to be climbed, too massive to allow for much light. We were in the shadows,

clueless and lost. I looked around at the worn-down buildings, desperately searching for any kind of life, but there was none to be found. Without any other options, we headed down to the streets and started searching for a way out. The houses were mostly empty, too broken to set foot in without risking total collapse, thought only with crumbled papers written in a language none of us could understand.

Where they'd had furniture, it was crudely constructed from debris of metal and what could only be bone fragments, but whoever built any of it was nowhere to be seen. How much food and water do we have left? Frank asked. Enough for maybe a day, Maya responded. he sighed in response and we kept walking i limped behind the other two on my twisted ankle until we eventually reached a large open square surrounded with what looked like temples unlike the surrounding city they were beautifully built in stark contrast to their surroundings In the middle of the square sat an emaciated figure, a man with white, thin hair and protruding, prominent ribs from his starved body. He didn't seem to notice us as we quickly approached him to see if he needed help. But even as we spoke to him, he just sat there, rocking back and forth as he mumbled over and over again in a hoarse, sickly voice.

I just want to die. Why won't you let me die? I just want to die. Why not? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Maya bent down in front of him and tried to catch his attention. His eyes had turned white from cataract, rendering him completely blind, and chunks of flesh were missing from his chest and abdomen, visibly infected and smelling like rock. She reached out and checked his pulse, quickly retracting her hand.

He's dead. Why do you mean, dead? He's clearly living, talking everything, Frank said. Look at him. No one could have survived these wounds. He doesn't have a freaking pulse, she said. Of course, she was right. The man should have been dead. Yet there he was, crying in agony, begging for a death that never came.

Suffering, blind and deaf without anything to connect him to the world he lived in. What do we do? I asked. I think, I think maybe we just finish him off. Frank said meekly. We can't. He's... Meyer stopped mid-sentence, realizing for once, Frank was right. I'm sorry. I think I've got to agree with Frank on this.

He wants to die. The least we can do is to free him. I said, as kindly as I could. Frank pulled John's knife out from the backpack and looked at us with the go-ahead. I nodded in return. you guys better look away, Frank said. He bent down behind the suffering man

and whispered that he was sorry before quickly slidding his throat. To all of our surprises, not a drop of blood poured out from the newly formed wound. Instead, the man just fell to the ground and gargawed incomprehensibly. A whole minute passed, and then another, yet the man refused to die.

The city was. wouldn't let him, and rather than freeing him, we'd just put him into a whole other level of misery, taking away his voice and ability to beg for death. I didn't... Frank stuttered as he realized what he'd done. With that, as if a veil had been lifted from our blind eyes, we finally saw the empty city for what it truly was. Rather than the desolate ruins we'd met as we entered it, we saw a fully popular, city, filled to the brim with suffering inhabitants, each mutilated in various degrees.

Most of them were blind, with their eyes either ripped out or turned to coal. Those unfortunate enough to see had their limbs removed or their organs torn out onto the street, unable to do anything to end their miserable existence. As this horrific realisation hit us, the ground below us started to move. The city had finally noticed our unamborable. welcome presence, and it reacted violently by pulling itself apart, creating a gaping chasm in the middle of the square that swallowed anyone unlucky enough to be in the way. What's happening? Frank asked in panic.

I don't know, but let's get out of here, I yelled in response. The chasm quickly widened, revealing a massive hole extending down into a dark abyss, with spikes and black tendrils extending from the burning walls beneath us. With my sprained ankle, I couldn't keep up with the others, and I slipped to the ground as it shook violently. Thomas! Maya yelled as she rushed to my aid, Frank continuing to flee towards the alleys. She pulled me up just in time to avoid being swallowed by the ground. We headed after Frank, who started running down one of the alleys, seemingly devoid of any people. As he entered the alley, the concrete walls started moving vigorously.

Frank, wait, I yelled, but he didn't hear me. By the time he'd noticed the walls, it was already too late, and hundreds of spike shot out from them, morphing out from the concrete buildings. Frank dodged the first one as he tried to retreat back towards us, and for a moment it seemed he was in the clear, before one final spike emerged and penetrated straight through Frank's abdomen. with the mortal wound the wall fell silent frank collapsed to the ground holding onto his guts unable to scream from the intense pain frank we yelled simultaneously as we rushed to his mangled body he lay there in shock his eyes darting frantically back and forth between us too wounded to move he didn't even realize the severity of his injury mya tried her best to stop the bleeding by applying pressure but it hardly slowed down the incessant flow of crimson blood i'm okay i'm okay i'll be all right frank kept repeating in panic getting quieter with each iteration and quickly bled out too fast to accept his ultimate demise and all we could do was sit over him as he let out a final breath and finally fell silent silent

The ground started moving again, not to attach us but to swallow Frank, to fuse his limp body with the concrete beneath him. Within seconds, he'd vanished and become one with the city of Gehena. Before we could get the chance to catch our breaths, the wall started moving once again. With my injured leg, I knew I stood no chance of escape, but Maya didn't have to die with me. Maia, get out of here! I yelled as spite. formed around us, reaching out to destroy our vulnerable bodies. Then, out of nowhere, a dark rumble sounded alongside a bright light, and the ground came to a standstill. An old man emerged from up the valley, wearing a worn out but perfectly

tailored suit and a cane in his left hand. The sound shook us, and I grabbed my ear futilely trying to block it out, but it barely helped. What the hell are you kids doing here? The man said, as both Maya and I passed out. I slowly opened my eyes, momentarily forgetting that I had literally spent the last couple of weeks in hell. The old man that had saved us, stood by the window, staring out at the empty street, mumbling in a language I couldn't understand. Good morning, he said, without even turning, somehow noticing my awakening. With a throat like sandpaper, I couldn't even respond.

I looked around the room with my tired eyes, quickly realizing that Maya was missing. Maya, where is she? I forced out, barely a whisper. Oh, don't worry about her, Thomas. She's resting in the chamber as the infection fades, he said, matter of family. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, noticing a glass filled with a murky brown liquid on the bedside table.

infection i asked as i inspected the glass ah it's the closest translation i could come up with everyone touched by the void slowly starts to drain their souls wearing out as they merge with this place he turned and limped towards me revealing a mangled leg kept up by his cane made from bone in a bright green crystal exactly like the ones from the field to be part well everyone except for you thomas he said what does that even mean i asked before the man could answer a loud brief scream could be heard from one of the other rooms one sealed by a heavy metal door similar to the one on the locomotive what was that without an answer he limped over and touched the door with his cane it morphed into an opening which he walked through and then it promptly closed itself off A few minutes passed, I got back on my feet, stumbling over to the door, unable to open it. I pushed my ear against it in an attempt to listen to the other side, but as soon as I touched it, the hole returned, and the man walked through it, shortly followed by a drowsy mind. "'Tom!' she exclaimed in joy as she embraced me in a tight hug. The three of us sat down around a table made from concrete and bow.

Ah, you must have a lot of questions. Though we're short on time, I'll answer as much as I can, he said. Myra and I looked at each other, both wondering where to start. Who are you? I asked. That's a tough one, he said as he scratch his head. I'm what you could call a guardian. My job is to keep this place locked down, preventing any unfortunate source of accidentally slipping through the dimensions

and ending up for the rest of eternity here. Before that, before my time, I don't know who or what I was. I believe I used to be human, but it's been so long that any memory before this place has long since being wiped out. He paused and looked at the untouched glass

on the bedside table. Drink it, he said, as he looked at me. Without questioning him, I drank the liquid out of some strange compulsion. It tasted like piss. but it immediately revitalized me, as if I'd returned back home and recovered from the ordeals in hell. How did we get here, then? Maya asked. The man looked at the floor with a shameful expression on his face.

It's my fault. For millennia, I've kept this place safe, but even I've aged, and eventually I'll perish like all things should. And the people that are already here, like the one we... Maya trailed off. They came during the time between the last Guardian and myself, when there was nothing here to keep the gates between our walls closed. Those who met an untimely death or narrowly avoided it were unable to process or accept it, and they all came here.

I tried to help the ones that were already trapped, but they were too far gone, not like you two, not like us. No, you two still have a chance to escape, but we'll have to move quickly. with that the man shot out of his seat and started gathering a bunch of papers filled to the brim with drawings and hardly intelligible text in a strange language deck these he said as he put the bag of papers in my hand we left the house and carefully ventured into the dark streets with the sky so riddled with thick clouds that even if a sun existed it couldn't possibly brighten up the ruins of gahena the street was mostly empty just a few suffering lost souls wandering, curious as to our sudden presence. Though they started to follow us, they kept to safe distance. Don't pay them any attention. They won't bother us until we get

closer to the light, the man said. He guided our way through the twisting and turning streets, eventually giving way to a vast, barren field riddled with the mutilated bodies of the lost souls. Without hesitating, the man started walking into the piles of dead, faster than both of us, despite his mangled leg. Ahead of us, miles and miles into the distance, lay massive cliffs stretching straight up into the sky, obscured at the top by the storm clouds. Then, as we touched the cold ground with our feet,

a dim light appeared by the base of the cliffs, shooting through the air. What's that? I asked. That's your way out. It's a cave that serves as a doorway, between our worlds. I've tried to close it, but I'm too weak. Now it will at least serve some purpose. As we passed the dead, some of them awoke, albeit too weak to rise. They stared us down, shrieking unintelligible words of agony. The guardian tapped the ground with his cane, the crystal facing down, and the dead fell silent once more. He fell to his knee as he lifted

the cane, unable to support himself without its help. "'What happened to your leg?' I finally worked up the courage to ask. "'Oh, it's a recent injury, caused by the Sentinels, as you call them. "'They're usually confined to their void, but kept obey by my mere presence in this world. "'But recently they've been getting braver. "'I guess they know my time is up.' "'What will happen without you?' Maya asked. "'The Sentinels will take over Gehena, rule it as they used to, millennia ago.

and the gates will open, allowing any unfortunate soul to fall through the gaps of reality. Well, unless... Unless someone takes your place, I asked. He nodded. I looked over at Maya, who had finally realized the same as myself. One of us had to stay behind and become the next guardian. Tom, Maya said as she looked at me with pleading eyes. I turned towards her, but before I...

I could respond, the ground below us started moving. I looked down to see that the barren fields had given way to an infinite pile of corpses, all rapidly waking up due to our presence. Some just starting to scream, while others were aware enough to grab for us. The Guardian pointed his cane at them again, and while some fell silent, he wasn't strong enough to keep them all at bay. "'What's something's wrong?' he said quietly. There was no way we could reach the cave with the lost soul's awakening, and the guardian knew it. Without a word, he slammed the cane to the ground, falling down with it, and an impossibly strong light penetrated the air, instantly silencing the day. As he saved our lives, his skin started to crack and burn, with the vast amounts of energy surging through him.

Run for the cave, the man demanded, as he collapsed to the ground, rapidly falling apart. He rushed to help him, but he was surrounded by an invisible barrier, making it impossible for us to reach him. No, leave me, he groaned. We looked at him in despair as the light started to fade, and the dead started to awaken once more. He bought us a few minutes, but time was quickly running out. Do as I say, and run.

I grabbed Meyer and pulled her with me, and we spurred to her. for the cave only a few hundred feet away. The movement of thousands, if not millions of lost souls, moved the ground enough to cause cracks that shot towards the cave, ripping rocks from the wall. The cave started collapsing, and we dove through just in time to avoid being smashed to pieces by the falling rocks, one hitting mire on her shoulder, tearing through her flesh. Are you all right? I asked, as I helped her to her feet. Yeah, the wound isn't too deep. I'll be fine. You turned towards the light that filled the cave. It was a frame of glowing fog surrounding a pitch-black portal,

hanging a few feet above the ground. That's it? I asked. I guess so. It doesn't exactly look inviting, but there's nothing else around. Even the ground within the cave was riddled with the bodies of the dead, and with each second we spent there, they started to awaken. We have to hurry, Maya. You go first, I said as I walk closer to the point.

She didn't follow. She just stood back and stared at the swirling darkness hanging in front of us. I'm not going with you, she said quietly. What? You heard him, Tom. This place needs a guardian. If we both leave, millions will suffer. I just can't do it. I was far too good a person, unwilling to consider her own well-being over that of others. and I knew in my heart that nothing I could say would change her mind. She walked up to hug me, a final goodbye before we parted ways for the rest of eternity. I held her tight as I whispered into her ear. I'm sorry.

Sorry about... Without letting her finish the sentence, I grabbed onto her, swung around and shoved her into the portal. The second she realized what was happening, it was already too late. and her body was washed away in the darkness, giving me a final look of sadness before she vanished. Gehena needed a guardian, and Maya wouldn't have let me stay behind. So, without any other choice, knowing that she had a much brighter future back on Earth than myself, I made the decision for her. One moment of betrayal, to give her a chance at a good life,

even if it meant myself staying behind for the rest of time, time. It'd be worth it. After Maya vanished, I felt at peace. Something within me knew she'd made it home. And with that, I gained a whole new awareness of the place I would call home. The papers given to me by the old man, once filled with an incomprehensible language, suddenly turned into instructions for me to follow. And that's when I knew the place had chosen me long before I'd even entered, Gahena. I was supposed to stay behind or my job now will be to close every gap between this world and earth meaning that after this message

no one will ever hear from me again tell my family I never suffered and Maya if you ever read this I'm sorry and I hope you live a great line the view from our classroom windows is nothing but a murky white I bet if I went outside and looked down I wouldn't be able to see past my knees

I won't be going outside though I honestly don't think I'll leave this classroom for a while our class in Gothic literature was supposed to end at 1.30 I remember just staring at the clock watching the seconds tick by feeling Mr Samson's voice drone through my body the monotone sound killing me into a haze of sleepy existence

I didn't get much sleep last night, and it certainly shows. The classroom was lit solely by fluorescent bulbs flickering on the ceiling, Samson having closed the blinds to avoid distracted glances about 15 minutes in. I wonder now if we would have noticed

the building fog outside had the blinds been open. Maybe we would have clamoured together by the window, whispering in excitement to each other. Anything that wasn't hearing for the tenth time that week, how revolutionary Mary Shelley was for that time, or hearing Susan beg him to cover Carmilla,

just for half a lesson, Mr. Sampson. It isn't unusual for a mess of high schoolers to grow distracted and excited at any little change. I mean, who can blame us? Well, the constant repetition. Regardless, I've gone too far off topic. So, it was about ten minutes before the bell was supposed to buzz, signifying the seven-minute-long break from our day.

daily torture. That's when the intercom system crackled into life. We will now be having a lockdown drill. We request everyone stay calm and follow the instructions of their current teacher. If you're outside your classroom, we ask you please to make your way back in a timely manner. Thank you. I heard the collective groans of students who didn't want to crawl under their desks in the dark. Really, the only thing worse than this lecture is the singular sound of your desk makes breathing penetrating a heavy cover of silence. Nevertheless, we used to lock down drills by now. The class shuffled slowly, desks creaking as students stood and crouched. Susan shoved herself under the teacher's desk, while Jamie and

Audrey stood shoulder to shoulder in the tiny alcove just behind the doorway. We all waited with frustrated, abated breaths, knowing that in just a few seconds we'd hear someone try the doorknob, apparently to scare us, it never works. And then the intercom system would announce the drill was over. But those sounds didn't come. Instead, all there was was silence. The reintroduction of sound started with a couple in the back corner, whispering and giggling to each other. Students, growing more impatient, began talking to each other. It took 10 minutes before Mr. Sampson himself moved to his desk, shewing Susan out in the process

in an attempt to get some work done. Ten more minutes passed. He grew frustrated and motioned us back to our seats. That was when someone peaked outside. Not sure what they were looking for, maybe to see if it was a different sort of drill, or maybe if it wasn't a drill at all. It didn't take long for everyone else

to be made aware of the oddity that was. the outside world. Hey guys. I can't see outside. It's like, well, hella foggy. I think her name was Ashley. I worked on a lab project with her once. Shit, she's right.

The guy chimed in from across the room. Geez, that's a massive blockage. Oh, imagine driving in that. Can't be foggy. It's not even humid out. Plus, it's already lunchtime. way too late for far. Susan snorted.

You know, like a smart ass. Well, it's clearly something. Do you think it's fucking with the cell phone towers? I don't have any reception, Ashley spoke again. Guys, come on. No phones in class. We just touched on this day before yesterday. Despite Samson's protests,

there was a quiet murmur of agreement. people who'd either check their phones prior and notice the same thing or those who were checking them now and, well, noticing the same thing. Weather does screwy things, guys. Who knows? I finally interjected my own opinion, shrugging my shoulders. A few more murmurs, slowly growing louder in volume as friends and deskmates, began talking to each other to alleviate the boredom. Five minutes later, whatever the weather is doing, to our phones, clearly has done something else. Because our electric went out. We could still connect to the Wi-Fi.

Obviously, I'm writing this, aren't I? But nothing else. Lights burnt out. The projector wouldn't turn on. Even the hum of the air conditioner that we hardly notice anymore just went silent. It was around two o'clock we heard the first scream. It was horrible and blood-curdily. and it came from outside.

You could hear it reverberate from the glass window, cold to the touch. As I'd find out later, it was the first of many screams to come. Some kid had decided to go outside. He didn't know that yet, though. At this point, Mr. Samson had clearly had enough. I'm going to check with Miss Young next door. Stay put, and lock the door behind me. I'll be back shortly.

Standing from his desk, he took brisk steps to the classroom door, exiting with a confidence only in authority figure hands. We followed his instructions, for a while at least. Minutes take by. Finally, around 2.30, we decided to just leave. What were they going to do? We'd been left with no guidance. Just a bunch of kids who totally didn't know better, right?

It was cold outside as I passed the threshold. You know when you enter a Walmart at midnight and everything is just weird, like you're on a different plane? That's kind of what this felt like. The halls were dark. Silent. The only light strewn in was through the double doors in Hall B, casting large shadows behind doorings. The fog pressed against the door, almost ominously. I'm leaving.

The guy from earlier shrugged, heading towards the doorway. Wait, what if they turned the alarms on? The doors will sound, especially if you're on a lockdown, Ashley pointed out. Yeah, powers out. I doubt they are. He called from behind him. I only looked over at him when I heard the doors open. Immediately, he began screaming.

He jerked away from the door, as if he'd been burned. The air smelled like chlorine. bleach, maybe a bit of formaldehyde that the zoology class uses during exams. Doors swung shut the second he'd let go. The fog quickly dissipating. Audrey rushed over to him, trying to help. What's the matter, Josh? She set a hand on his shoulder before jerking her own hand back, letting out a sharp exhale as if she'd been burned, because she had. she seemed to notice the situation almost instantly shrinking back from the cowering boy in front of her now letting out a raspy crackling moan of pain reminded me of someone with pneumonia the sound of it burning his skin was burning bright red and blistering and so was the palm of audrey's hand it's a chemical burn or touched them quick there's a shower in the science lab

We should get them there. How did this happen? 30 voices all at once. We split up in the end. Five of them headed to 2B, the lab with the supposed shower, and the rest of us headed into the classroom. Half of us eerily quiet, the other chattering in confusion and alarm.

So, here we are, folks. A couple of hours later, in a classroom surrounded by white. A fog of chemicals. We should find someone who knows what's going on. I mean, we can't just sit here, can we? And yet, that's exactly what we're doing. I'm posting this now. You guys seem to know your way out of some, well, less than ideal situations.

And I'm at a loss. I'm scared. Well, we have a lot of good news and a lot of bad news. Everything is jumbled up in my head right now and my hands won't stop shaking, so please bear with me. Well, some minor bad news first. I can't smell. Ever since I could smell the gas, I just can't anymore.

Everything burnt for a while, and then it just stopped. My nose is constantly congested, and even when it's not, there's just nothing. Well, I'm incredibly frustrated by this. It doesn't help that it feels harder to breathe. like a big weight is sitting on my chest. I don't know if that's just my grief getting the best of me, or an omen of something worse and unseen. Also, we aren't going to piss on things.

I mean, sorry, I know that's probably the smart option, but we've collectively decided that dignity still holds firm, well, as much as it can right now anyways. The good news. A lot of us followed some of your advice. Why we don't have advanced science materials. Funding? No.

We did have trash bags and duct tape. We sealed off two classrooms and used coats and emergency blankets to make bedding for us last night. I was right. It was a long night. Ashley eventually cried herself to sleep, I think around 1 a.m. It was late.

The classroom was so dark it's hard to explain. We spent so much time around light pollution or under a blanket of stars and moonlight. It's really freaking jarring when you can't make out anything at all. There's nothing for your eyes to adjust to. Just pitch, blackness. I'm sorry, but it really shook me up, guys. This morning, the first thing we did was head up to the roof.

I was one of the stupid people that decided to, well, do it. And once we got up there, we noticed that the fog reaches the top of the second story. it just barely brushes the edges of the roof also it's massive i can't see the end of it and that's saying something considering i can see the town that admittedly worried a few of us quite a lot what about our parents our siblings a few people had family out of town i wasn't one of them my core rings through but no one has ever answered i cried A lot. I have no idea if they're okay or not. There are miles and miles of this far. We're stranded in a rickety boat on a monstrously huge ocean. I don't think anyone would help us, even if someone who could was in town.

How would anyone even get to us? Somewhere along the line, everyone filtered off the roof and back into the school. I was left alone, staring off into a sea of grey and white. After a very long time of just sitting and staring out into the mist, I slowly rose, making my way back down the stairs. Ashley was crying again. I could hear her, faintly, her sobs bouncing off the school walls. I rapped gently on the lab door. Audrey was there, holding her wrapped hand. I'm heading to the cafeteria. Did you want to come with me? It felt like the one nicety we could afford right now.

trying to include people. Sure, not like I'm any use here anyway. She lowered herself from the lab table she'd been sitting on, following me out of the classroom. As we passed over the doorway, I tried not to look at the sheet covering Josh, brown with dry blood that had seeped from his burns. I wonder if it smelled like rot.

Our footsteps were our only company for a while, our tennis shoes squeaking against the waxed floor. How's your hand? I tentatively asked. I mean, it doesn't hurt anymore. I can't feel much of anything in it if I'm being totally honest. That didn't seem good. I read something once about how once a burn got bad enough. You couldn't feel it anymore, once it ate through your skin and down through your very nerve endings. Have you heard from your family? No, the entire town's like this. We could see it from it.

from the roof. Her polite smile dropped at this. Of you? I have a few of my cousins. They live out in Ohio. I can't reach anyone else though. We aren't even on the news, Sam. No one has heard anything about us. There's a blockade on the town line. She drove down to check last night, but the guys there won't tell my cousin anything, just that the town is zoned off until stated otherwise. The voice wavered before she cleared her throat, pulling her gaze from mine. I looked down at my feet. Hmm, that's weird, I managed in response. I thought a lump in my throat as emotions threatened to overwhelm me too. I didn't want to be like Ashley, crying over something I had no control over. Helpless, though. That is exactly what we are. Even weirder,

We haven't seen any of our classmates. Where are they? Where's Mr. Sampson? And that shit the fog did to Josh and I? What if someone opens the main doors? I don't know, I admitted shakily. It was then we reached the hallway in front of the cafeteria. I heard her gag audibly, covering her face with her hands.

What? What's wrong? Field of corpses. We could see them from the window on the door, before we could open the cafeteria doors. Dry blood coated the floor in front of dead eyes and slack jaws. Jesus! I managed. The smell.

Audrey's wretches. I suppose I got my answer. It did smell like rocks. I could taste it, just faintly, in the air that I breathe. God, oh my God! She heaved again, doubled over, clutching at her stomach with her bad hands. hand. I set a hand

on her shoulder. Knightley wasn't safe to be near there. Come on. I pulled her down the hallway. There goes the perishable foods. We could probably loot the vending machines, though. Oh, dead, Sam. What happened? The dead can't speak.

It was the verbal equivalent of a shrug. Somebody must have left a window open. I don't know. Lunch C would have been a curate. around the time of the lockdown. Well, I shook my head. We need to tell the others. I tugged her gently after me.

I felt no. Trapped. I wondered if I screamed off of the roof, just yelled at the top of my lungs. If there was anyone left to hear me at all. Samantha? Audrey! Standing there when we ran to the corner was Miss Young.

Audrey stifled a sob, running forward to hug her on instinct. Dear, what happened to your hands? The woman rests a hand on her back, looking up at me. I tried to help Josh. The voice was muffled. I tried so hard. The cafeteria is dangerous, I whispered, pure ecstatic relief rushing through my veins. Yeah, I figured.

come on mine and a few other classes are hold up in the auditorium the teachers are trying to collect stragglers right now anyone we can find it isn't safe to be roaming around right now she gently pulled audrey off her coaxing us both down winding halls and labelled doors at least a hundred kids were in the auditorium i recognized a few and so did audrey a few yells of joy were hers a few kids were crying emotions were overall mixed. I suppose we found out where the others went up. It wasn't until dark that everyone, as many as they could find anyways, finished slowly filtering their way through the auditorium doors. The only light that accompanied us was the occasional phone screen. As young was a force of life in the dark curtain that enclosed us all. Quiet, everyone! she shouted, holding up a hand. It took a few tries before a hush fell over the room. Even through the darkness, you could tell her expression was solemn.

Miss Whitaker, Mr. Wardell and myself are the only teachers we've found so far. It would appear, as I'm sure many of yourselves have already discovered to be the case, that we are unable to leave this school. You'll find that any efforts to will result in bodily harm. The air outside is incredibly dangerous. We ask that you all refrain from opening any outside doors, along with going down the language hallway, mouth hallway, or cafeteria hallway. Each of these are areas that have open windows.

While you can see the fog in some, in others it is not so readily visible. But pause. She peered out at all of us. We have to get into contact with anyone in town, but we're working on contacting the proper officials. we ask that you all stay calm in the meanwhile. Food will be supplied to you as often as we possibly can, along with water.

Please avoid running taps for the time being, as that water could be contaminated. We're all doing our best, and promise we'll get you all home safe and sound as soon as possible. And with that, she walked off to convene with the other teachers. Students clamoured, a wave of pure cane, and sound erupting from the room. My parents.

My friends, they were at lunch. Are they okay? Does anyone have a charger? I'm starved. I hate this. My sister's home alone. Can't we just leave? It was a while before things settled down.

I figured I'd update all of you. Clearly, some sort of officials know what's going on because the town is walled off. I don't know how the teacher. intent on contacting people in town, but I do believe they'll try their best. The worry on Mrs. Whittaker's face told that. I think one or two of them are parents themselves. Audrey, along with a few other students who got exposed, are getting looked at right now. Mr. Wardell teaches Kemp, so I'm hoping he can help her. This can't last long right. I mean, the cloud has

to dissipate eventually, doesn't it? Doesn't it? haven't heard any animal since everything started usually you can hear the birds from classrooms on a good day with how thin the walls are but i can't even hear them from the roof trust me i try i went up there last night to get some sort of air away from the mugginess of a hundred sweaty teenagers but the silence was even worse god i have a cat at home i keep thinking about her i hope she's okay. I don't remember anyone leaving any windows open when I left for school, but it's been a couple of days, so my memory is questionable at best. This morning, ten of us woke up sick, myself included, fever, nausea, congestion. I overheard Miss Whitaker talking to Miss Young. She thinks

a few of us have pneumonia. As soon as they found out we were sick, a mass effort was made to tape off any vents and doorways to the outside. A sort of makeshift school-wide quarantine. I heard they managed to reclaim the cafeteria somehow, but I honestly don't want to go there. I don't think all the bleach in the school could clean up that much blood and God knows what they did with the bodies. They did, on a brighter note, though,

get the generator up and running. It's nice to have light again, especially in the bathrooms, Missing in the dark is no easy task. Let me tell you that. I've got some of my hands and pants more than once. Well, we only have about a week's worth of gas, so we shut it off during the daylight to conserve it. Audrey won't talk to me about her hand.

I've tried asking what Mr. Wardell told her that she won't budge. She just stares off into the distance and gives a small shrug of her shoulders. whatever it was I can't imagine it was good news I would have given her a hug but it was advised we avoid physical contact with those who were ill for the time being which unfortunately once again includes me I can't count the number of times I've dry heaved on my own snort I woke up around three in the morning gagging and coughing I was hesitant to fall back asleep

There isn't enough room to sleep on our side in the auditorium. And aspirating is a very real fear of mine. I doubt it's realistic, but it's a fear nonetheless. Burning up at 102, last we checked, it is just perfect. A few of the students are rambling about the fog and this being related, but there was a pretty bad bout of the flu going around my town before we got locked up in here. I have no doubts that some kid's asshole parent made them come to school, and they managed to infect us all. Ashley's finally stopped crying.

I think she realized that it won't do her any good. I was actually doing the exact opposite. I noticed a lot of the students avoiding her last night. Emotions can be caught just as easily as a virus. I think most of us have shut down to avoid that at this point. No one wants to be exposed involved. at this point in time. That being said, there are a couple of students

who aren't keeping to themselves. Bring water to those of us that are sick. Blankets to those shivering. And at one point a couple of kids got some instruments out of the bandroom and played a couple of songs. It was actually really nice.

It makes you forget, at least for a bit, the severity of the situation we're in. The ones helping are trying to do more than survive, something that a lot of us aren't attempting at this point in time. This situation has reached a pinnacle of severity though.

You only have enough food for a couple of weeks. A few of us are diabetic or have chronic or mental illnesses, medications for which we don't keep at school. I haven't had Ambien in three days. The nightmares for me are horrific. I would do anything to make them stop, and I know this is only the beginning for me. I can't imagine what withdrawals.

some of us are going through, especially the drug dealers. I've seen a couple people pace down the hallways when they thought no one was looking, or sliver off into an empty room. Well, we've had a couple of kids have complete breakdowns, either sobbing or fits of anger. We had a panic attack or two last night. On top of these issues, two of the kids had a freaking fist fight in the hallway. I heard the shouting, and kept me up. Well, at some point the teachers broke it up, but it's clear.

that tensions are building fast. Too many hormonal kids stuffed in a room together without medication. I want to feel bad for my classmates. I really do. But I just find myself stuck on the most mundane things possible. I guess I'm avoiding the situation in a way. On the bright side, we can't exactly take finals at a time like this, so studying isn't really necessary.

I've seen a couple of the AP students in the library hunched over stacks of study guides. Weird kids, those are. Well, whatever helps you cope, though, I guess. A lot of you wanted me to wander off on my own. I'm glad I didn't. Both because of my lack of skills and sudden sickness. And also because I spotted a familiar face in the crowd once the light's wrong. Seth and I have been friends since freshman year.

So it was a happy reunion. He gave me back the book you'd borrowed a couple of days ago. Well, it feels like weeks now. and it was one of my favourites, so when I'm able to, I've been reading that. God, I was freaking dying of boredom. Survival is really dull after a while of it. I did find a couple of manuals in the library for water filtration, shared them with Miss Young.

She agreed on both this, and reaching out to the news outlet, so our day has mostly been focused on those two things. Audrey got in contact with her cousins, who finally got one of the guys at the book. blockade to talk. Somehow. He confirmed that it's a chemical spill, and they're working on resolving the issue. They can't, for their own safety, attempt a rescue operation until everything is cleaned up. There's not a way of telling how long that will take, though.

I've heard they're still trying to keep it on the down low, but I've been trying to avoid the news lately, so I don't know for sure. I do know that the fog is getting worse somehow. You can hardly see outside the second story anymore, and it's starting to crawl over the edge of the roof, according to some band kid. Some kid named Brady did go missing. They thought he'd managed to get over the wall of the language hall. But no, the stupid fuck went and opened the goddamn doors. Managed to shove the doorstep under it, too.

We're lucky the teachers ward off the separate hallways. We're hesitant to let anyone wander nearly outside doors now. and have set up a few posts of supervision. Mostly kids who've seen some shit and managed to keep their shit together in the past. They haven't said it, but I saw Susan chilling in front of the doors to the math hall and I know for a fact her family life is fucked.

I mean, she's annoying as shit, but I suppose I trust her more than most of the rest of them. I did suggest before Brady went missing that we branch off into several rooms for sleep, so it's at least less crowd, and stuffy. But after everything went down, that idea was quickly shot down as well. There goes, getting some peace and quiet. I heard Mr. Wardell's working with a few of the science buffs to figure out how we can stop whatever is outside from hurting us even more, along with possibly

the pipeline so that we have more water. But between that and kids who were already injured, his hands are pretty full. I did write down all of your suggestions and share them with him, so just so he had some sort of starting point. He seemed grateful, so thank you all. One of the kids mentioned that a few of them were trying out some sort of makeshift suit, or, so more on that later, I suppose. I'm worried that one of the teachers will want to test if he's telling the truth. We always say women and children first to be saved,

but truth be told, the teachers have degrees. They've taken a variety of courses and seen, Way more shit than we have, not to mention some semblance of mental stability. They aren't gods, but they're far more helpful than most of us are. We can't afford to lose them. Now, I can't stop coughing. I need to rest. It's still pretty early in the evening,

so I'll do my best to keep you all updated as the night progresses. In the meantime, if you guys have any advice about fevers, please let me know. with too low on ibuprofen and Tylenols were afford using it just yet but I am absolutely miserable well I'm not dead that about sums up the rest of it for you I'm alive

and so are some of the kids that were there with me at the school it's been about two weeks since we got home and things have been unsettlingly normal and everyone just expects us to go back to our day-to-day lives as if nothing happened. The world continues turning, despite our efforts to ground it. A lot of us lost family. I was one of the lucky few that didn't.

Needless to say, this will be my last update. I don't feel as though anything particularly horrifying is occurring anymore, and I'm just trying to cope, I guess. Reaching out to all of you to let you know that I'm alive. I guess I need to talk about it a bit with people who haven't gone through it and aren't professionals. God knows I've seen enough of those. The government got involved in it. It wasn't until several psychologists got involved that we, the students,

were even allowed to talk to our families about anything that had happened. Non-disclosure agreements are one. We still want to keep everything hush-hush, and understandably so. It turns out, a lot of you were right. They sat me down in a psychologist's office. I remember because the walls were so bare compared to the ones I'd been in previously.

The clock ticked on the wall and what few trinkets lined the shelves were abstract. Geez, I fred hate abstract art. I like to make sense of shit. Not the exact opposite. Well, anyway, the man sat me down. He stared across at me from his own chair. Glasses framed.

his half-slit eyes, as he cautiously explained to me exactly what had happened. The chemical plaid malfunctioned. They believe it overheated, he explained to me, in a voice sickeningly smooth. It felt like honey was being forced down my throat. Why didn't people come and get us sooner? I mean, we waited a whole week in that hellhole, and in that time a lot more people die. Well, they didn't want to risk anyone else. They didn't think anyone had survived, he explained. There was an appointing sending a huge rescue team for dead bodies they could recover once the fog are clear. No mince word there.

I felt like I was floating, disconnected from my own body. I guess somewhere along the line I just shut down. About a week was spent just existing, pacing nervously, eating only when hunger pains crept their way into my bones. sleeping only when I would fade into unconsciousness as I want but well you guys don't want to hear about that you don't want to hear about what happened at the school the flu caused fevers horrible ones students already going through withdrawals snapped

one attempted to flood the theatre room by opening up the main doors but the teachers were able to stop him they weren't able to stop a kid named Tyler from grabbing a knife and going on a stabbing spree, though. We lost four students and a teacher to that. Susan and Mr. Wardell were among the casualties. Tyler had made his way through Suzanne's impromptu guard watch. Mr. Wardell tried to stop him, but was unsuccessful.

I remember the screaming. Deffiningly loud as it echoed through the large room meant to only amplify sound. Ironic, right. We put the bodies in the basement, along with the others that had piled up. I volunteered to help. A smell that permeated the basement was sickening, an instinctually gut-wrenching smell that caused me to heed. I still had a fever when the fog began to clear enough that the police made their way through the doors.

It checked all at us out individually and stayed with us for a day as we waited for the outside to be clear enough to leave. It was a rest as night. Our rescue had come, but we were still trapped. Other than that, the school was mostly just boredom. Power went out somewhere along the line. We ran out of gas, hence my sudden radio silence. And most of the time was spent either talking to each other or just staring at the walls in boredom.

Without light, it was hard to read in most of the classrooms. The library had some windows, but not very many. Without fresh water, it was hard to be. to bathe or use the restroom. Without fresh food, cooking was nullified and reduced to canned food. Any outlets for fun were gone, replaced with silence. Despite getting out, I still feel that way. I feel worse than when I was in the school. Despite the amount of death I'd seen and the horror I was in, I felt fine, relatively speaking. But now I'm rest. and frustrated. Can't sleep anymore, not unless I'm collapsing out of pure exhaustion. When I finally do,

I have nightmares. There are times I wish nothing had ever happened and, unspeakably, times I wish I'd never left the school. The only good thing is that Audrey and I became friends, companions over countless text messages meant to comfort one another. She lost her hand.

It was too down. They performed the amputation a couple of days ago. I went to visit her after the surgery. She didn't even seem phased by it, just there for the ride, if that makes sense. It's like she didn't even register it. And despite the expected normalcy, everything feels anything but. I feel like a shadow of a person, walking their way through a stranger's life. It doesn't feel like mine anymore.

mine anymore. The psychologist said it's due to trauma. I don't know. School starts back after Christmas, but I do not want to go back. They talk a lot about horror being the events, but the aftermath is where the real terror is involved. The countless days of time lost to a wandering mind and an empty body. I'm nothing more than a fear-filled husk expected to continue on as if nothing had ever happened. I'm expected to celebrate Christmas with my family. Supposed to laugh and decorate the tree.

You're supposed to be excited to go back to school when the break is over and see my friends. But I'm not. I'm just tired. A stream of warm, stinking air flows over the now arid farmer. The grip of the fire axe is dripping with sweat.

It's so hard to hold on to. The weight of it becoming more and more pronounced. as the stress of the situation starts to set in. The clear night sky is starting to fill with noxious smoke. The silvering moonlight begins fading into brief glimpses behind ashen clouds. A mixture of despair and hopelessness stings into my body with a debilitating effect. A massive crash of metal and flame brings my addle mind back to the violence of the moment. Suddenly, a growing fear is fed fresh fuel,

as the screams of a family explode out, for only mere moments. They are silenced with uncaring monstrous efficiency. The air flowing around now carries a heavy scent of iron. And that's it. Every single night. That's how the dream goes every night since that day. It's been torturous trying to live with myself every single minute past that point.

I find myself in that horrible, bloody dream and every possible moment of sleep. I know that what I did was wrong, inhuman even, but what else could I have done? I'm just a man, nothing more than human. I know there's so much more out there than that now. Dr. Ryan says that my dreams are my way of dealing with what happened, the only way I could. My dark fantasy dreams he calls them. He says that if I write down what I feel, what I see, then maybe you can help me understand why I dream that way I do. A tool to deal with my guilt, he says.

It never worked. I just felt worse after every session with the journal. Now they say I should try talking to the tape recorder, as if it would be better than anything else. He wants me to talk out my guilt, to somehow accept it internally, as he says. He has a degree, so he must know something about what he's talking about. Except, of course. He didn't see them that day. He can't know. Otherwise he would have just let me have the gun, I asked for. Instead, I got the restraints in the meds.

So here I am, sitting in this soft, dark room, trying to piece together my dreams and memories of that night into something that can help the good doctor understand me. Something that can maybe help me. God, can anything help me now? Now you're here, wanting to know about that horrid. day. The Dock said it was okay to talk to you. I don't rightly understand why you want to know about this, but from the look in your eyes, you've seen some dark days of your own. You might

have heard or seen something yourself. All right, we can give this a shot. I hope you get something out of this. I've told this thing to the dock so many times in the past few months, yet it still feels fresh from me each time. I can close my eyes and live the whole damn day through like a movie. It was supposed to just be a regular day. The Tuesday morning sky was cold and an ugly grey thing. This was about the middle of April, so a good rolling set of strong rains was normal. It was already a bad day for it. I was going down to install a security system for a family in Gideon, Louisiana. I hated working on rainy days. The drive out of Bacier should have been about four hours. Well, it rained nearly the whole world.

there, almost as if it was taunting me. I got a flat about two hours into the trip. I was able to get it changed with my spare, but it took me some time. I ended up running a few hours behind, though. Eventually I made my way to the client's house. I was more than thankful to be at the destination, but wish the rain would die out. Well, at the least, it was only down to a small, light trickle. Looking for the house was, thankfully, not difficult. Client ran a small, quiet farm, quite apart from anything else nearby. I could make out what appeared to be the main house, I cleared a section of rather winding road.

There were two barns to each side of the house, with signs clearly leading the way in. When I pulled into the driveway of the house, I was greeted by a thin man dressed every bit that farmer parked. As he made his way to my car, I could see him clearly. He was an older gentleman, easily in his 50s. I noticed right away that he carried a revolver or handgun of some type on him. He had it holstered, but his hand stayed close to it as well.

He seemed on edge and wary about something, but I had a feeling it was not me. As I watched him, he kept looking to one of the barns about a mile behind me. I'd dealt with some over-the-top clients before. This wasn't the first time someone greeted me armed with an attitude. And yet, this man didn't put off any body. language that came off as dangerous. Yeah, he looked tired and anxious for sure, but nothing really spoke of violent intent towards me. I tried to put myself in his place to understand his demeanour. People that ask for a security system to be installed generally have had something bad happen

while they're expecting something bad coming their way. I'd read some of the notes that were sent to me by the company a few days prior to the job. It helped paint a sort of state of things. You see, the Ross family ran their small isolated farm in quite a ways out from the main city. It was a generation place and had been there for well over 50 years. There were no real security issues from the long run of it, but, well, recently something had changed. They had concerns about someone trying to break into their home for a few nights, as they'd find odd marks and breaks on their barn doors. For a while, they put it down to some kind of animal clawing at the door,

at night. They didn't exactly live in a crime-ridden area after all, so the animal story could have been the more plausible issue. That went on for something of about four months or so. Yet that theory died out starkly when they woke up early in the morning hours to find someone running across the farmland. The document said they saw someone running off into the woods nearby. That was their limit, it seemed. Soon after they contacted the company to have a security system installed on both barns and the main house. As I looked at the man, I could tell he was uneasy, like he was expecting something to happen at any moment. The gentleman approached me and firmly asked if I was the man from the security company. I nodded and greeted him with my hand

outstretched for a handshake. He quickly took my arm instead and asked me to look him in the eye. I was taken aback by this for sure, but I'd run into some eccentric folks in my work before, as I said. Agreed, and after a few seconds, he apologized to me and let go of my arm. I asked him what that was about, but he just apologized again and told me to follow him into the main house so we could talk. He was already halfway to the front door, and for whatever reason, didn't seem keen on talking outside. I grabbed two of my bags from the back seat and began to follow him. He held the door open for me, and made a hand gesture to hurry up.

Once we were inside, he closed the door and locked it. I noticed he had no less than seven deadbolts. I'd only seen that many locks on the door a few times before, and each time it was not a random inclusion. These people were not just concerned for security's sake. They were actually scared of someone. As I put my bags on the floor, I nodded to the door asking if they had something happen recently.

The gentleman had a sour look on his face. He simply nodded and motioned for me to sit in their kitchen. As we said a woman came into the kitchen, but ignored us both. She only looked out the window, facing another one of their barns on the back side of the house, before going upstairs. After a moment, and a heavy sigh, the man finally began to speak to me. It was like he was weighing the prospect of even talking with me at all. The gentleman introduced himself as Aaron Ross. He told me he was the grandfather of the four children that lived in the home.

his wife Sharon was the woman I'd seen moments ago I asked where the children were in the spirit of conversation he simply replied that they were upstairs in a safe place his tone was that of someone who did not want to answer more than he needed to I had to somehow poke at the topic he was agitated about he looked at me with such a stone-faced stare I thought I was about to be shot then and there Instead, he bit his lip a bit and looked down at the tabletop.

I could tell he was deciding on what he wanted to say, and exactly how he wanted to say it. Finally, he looked me in the eye again and said, Look, I know you came to do your job, but some things have changed since we made the request for the company to send someone out. I immediately thought I knew where this was going. This was not a new occurrence to me. I'd had people cancel or back out of the installs at the last minute before. I started to say that he would not get the install down payment back, but he cut me off. I know this sounds off, but you cannot touch those bars, he said.

He continued. Keep the down payment, but do not touch those doors, please. I told him it was okay. We don't intrude when told not to, so he had nothing to worry about. no there's more to it he said sternly his tone and glare was so serious that it made me start to worry it was a kind of look that made me immediately remember he was armed his face remained in its hardened state his eyes drove cold winds across my neck he clasped his hands together in front of him and said a little guy i don't know anything about you and rightly the same for you about me But I need you to listen to what I have to say, and don't dare pass judgment till I'm done. He carried the words with hints of respect and earnest.

I felt wrong to not at least listen to him. And so I did. I wish I'd been more of a cynical jerk and just left right there. How that would have made life so much easier for me. But instead, I sat there with open ears and ruined my life forever onward as he spoke. Listen to me. He started. I am a man of garden country. I work for my family and live honestly.

I don't drink more than I should and never did any kind of wrongful drugs. Spend my time at church on Sundays like I should without a single curse to it. I don't hit women nor steal from men. I'm not telling you any of that to make me seem like a good person, but rather to let you know that I am not a crazy knot. But heaven, help me, what I need to tell you is. There was a pause in his speech as he seemed to struggle to get the next part out. The internal debate of words for him was constant.

It was this honest difficulty of speech that began to really worry me. After another stressed sigh, he continued. For starters, he said, you cannot leave this place right now. I know your car is right out there. You could just drive on back, but if you do, one of them might try to follow you. We can't have that happen. It'll be dark soon outside, and I can't risk it happening again. I'm not holding your prisoner, but if I let you try and drive out now,

it might end up losing someone else. I just can't. I can't do that. I must have worn my mixed confusion in blatant display, as he looked at me with a scalp. I told the man that I didn't know what he was on about. I started to tell him that, for one thing, I could leave whenever I wanted. I started bringing up the matter of the deposit once again,

and he put a hand up to cut me short. He stood up and walked to the window where his wife had been looking through moments before. He made a gesture for me to follow him and look as well. I'm not trying to hurt you, mister. Far from it, he started. I know you just got here. And what I'm saying sounds wrong. to you, but it is what it is. Skies have been getting darker around here earlier and earlier

every day for the past month. It was slow to notice at first, but the past three days it was hard to miss. Yesterday the evening dark came down around 4 p.m. on Sunday it came down around 3 p.m. Sky should be getting dark soon here, and when it does, those barn doors are going to come open a bit more. I shut them tied with chains But that's not enough Sometimes one of them gets out And you don't want to be out there if they do Now

I know what you might be thinking Right about this time I was thinking the same thing How crazy is this old man I was every bit poised to be a mouthy jerk to the man I was making my plans to leave And make sure to put distance between myself And that old damn fool But then

well then I looked out the window as I did my bravado died away and were replaced by something else fear is what it was funny thing I didn't know it then see I never felt that tinge of fear before it was a primal thing somehow even though I had no idea what I was looking at my body did have you ever felt primal fear it's like every single cell in your body knows that what you see or smell is dangerous. No, not just dangerous, but outright wrong. As for what I saw, it was just the barn as he was showing me. I can make out the heavy chains covering the front of the barn and even what looked like massive bits of scrap metal covering other openings near the top. Now, you have to remember that this barn was

not right next door. It had an easy mile between the house, and yet through that distance, I I could see something. The doors were chained, like I said, but you could see that they had a look of wear and pressure to them, almost as if they were holding back water like a dam. The reason for the fear I felt didn't come from the chains or the stress on the doors. No, it came from the very direct feeling that,

as I looked at the barn, something inside was looking back at me. I could have sworn that, as I stared at it, a shifting, bulking form moved inside. I knew there was no way I could have seen anything, not at that distance and not behind the doors. And yet, I did. Step back from the window and stumbled a bit.

The older gentleman caught me and balanced me. The look in his eyes spoke to me. He saw that I had seen something. He looked like he was sorry for it, for the experience as a whole. He sat me back down at the table and began to speak again. We tried to call, to cancel the install, he said. He explained that they tried to call out, but as of the past week, they'd had no phone service.

He said that they had a satellite internet service as well, but that was out of commission too. We tried to get help and to warn people, he explained. Asked him what had happened. He stood next to the window and stared out to the darkening sky. Last Thursday night is when they cut us off He started First

A phone line went out sometime around the evening My son Marcus went out to check it out And never came back to the house We of course Got worried when he was out for 30 minutes Without a word His wife, Hannah Went out to check

And just the same Never came back in You can't see it from here But in the back We had a small dish set up for satellite internet. We found it with holes ripped in it and trashed all over the yards. Well, we have cell phones too, but the signal out here is shot, always has been. We have to drive out a few miles to get a solid usable reception. We had another man that lived here too, a farmhand that my son

brought on as a favor to a friend. He went for help, took one of the cell phones with him. His car made it just a few feet before something took him. The old man started to rub his forearms in a nervous manner about this time. The memory of what he was relating to me was obviously bothering him more and more. He walked back to the table and rested his hands on the chair as he continued. Look, I know how this sounds, but it's the truth, he said. Something was out there in the dark. It rushed his car and tore the doors right off.

We barely saw it coming. you took him and ran him straight to the southern barn. He screamed the whole way. When he got to the barn, well, that was something else. It's a sound no one should ever have to hear. Like some kind of broken glass scraping against your insides. God, it made me sick to my stomach. It was a sound that made you somehow know that God had nothing for you here.

I don't even have the proper words for how it went. Somewhere under all the godless noise was the screaming of that poor boy. The old man took a moment to compose himself. It was like, just by telling me about the incident he was living it over again for the first time. Much like my own dreams now. Yes, I get it now. This kind of stuff never leaves you, ever. That's what the doc doesn't understand, you see.

There is no escape from memory. memories like this. Well, that's not where the story ends. I wish it was, though. As the old man stood back up, he walked over to the window again to keep his watchful eye on the barren doors. He gripped his hands and crossed them across his chest before continuing. We stayed up the whole night with the kids.

He said, whatever was out there, we were trying to get ready for it to break down the door. Eventually, morning came. we were still all in one piece. Oh, I stepped out with my gun to check things out. I found that the car was totaled. The engine looked like it had been hammered flat somehow. Whatever hit it was big. I checked the truck that was parked on the other side of the house.

I found half of it in pieces. The other half, I don't know. That Friday we understood, we're not going to get anywhere fast. As I said, the night was coming quicker and quicker. With that, as the clouds darkened, we heard more and more noise from the South Barn. We know time was running short. We got the kids upstairs and started to build up our bedrooms and makeshift safe room. We could hear something crashing around as it moved about in the dark of the barn to the south side.

I didn't even try to go check it out. We got upstairs as soon as the song cleared the sky. We took turns staying awake, but honestly no one got to sleep that night. We all stayed quiet at the sounds of the barn doors being slammed open ray out. Every now and then, more of that gut-killing noise could be heard. The times we were clenched in our teeth as it passed over and through us. At one point we heard scratching at the walls with knifing whispers of words we could not understand. The younger kids cried themselves to sleep.

My wife did too. Daybreak came again, and the collection of noises ended. That following Saturday I made another round of checks outside. This time I found random spots of land dug up by the southern barn. Odd symbols, a collection of toxic smells, peppered the way to the barn. At the entrance of the barn there was a bone sticking straight up out of the dirt, and looked human. Hanging from it was a small, nailed bit of wood with more of the strange marks on it.

It looked like some kind of weird signpost. I almost lasted there, but I braved a bit more and came up to the barn. I felt something inside watching me. Damn, if I can say, I think it even smiled at me. At this point, what the old man was saying to me made a lot of sense, crazy sense. I remember looking at the barn even from outside the house. I could feel something rotten looking back at me. and I do really mean feel.

I think it was at this point that I really started to buy some of what he was spinning my way. Just maybe, I thought, just maybe there is something out there. Hell, I'd find out soon just what was out there. Lord, I wish I hadn't. The old farmer looked at me and told me how he ran back to his house to gather materials. He took anything he could from the house and then went over to the other barn to check it out. seemingly that barn was for the most part empty unfortunately it was not entirely so the man sat down with me at the table and went on with his story i gathered all the nails tape and tools i could carry in the backpack he said i was determined to bar those doors from opening again had welders gear in the other barn i was hoping it was clear there

When I went to the eastern barn, it was wide open. The left door was smashed in while the right one hung loose on its railing. Something had broken its weight inside of this one. I looked over the barn with an encroaching fear. I felt that at any moment the darkness would reach out and shrap me. I was nearly done gathering more materials from the barn. I found him. Oh, part of him.

My son. His arm was a tattered mess of gore. Yet I knew it was his. He went and got a dumb tattoo of a cartoon whale when he was 15. There it was on the ground, covered in blood, dirt and some kind of black-inky grime. Hell, it was that stupid red cartoon whale smiling up at me. Right about that moment, the old man seemed to break down a bit. It was like some of the mental scaffold.

that was holding his mind together crashed down. To his merit, he seemed to shake back quickly as he continued with his tail. I wanted to do more for my boy, but I pushed on and gathered what I could. He went on. Took everything, made my way to the southern barn. I spent time welding joint solid, pulling chains tied across the doors. He even tried to push some scrap metal against them. for the opening above

I did my best to cover it with garbage and stones I dared not to step foot inside but I did what my courage would allow even then during the brighter points of the day I could feel the rot of whatever was inside the bar it smelled horrible as well like death and darkness then there was the oily velvet substance

that seemed to bleed out of the wood and dirt itself I could swear that every now and then that stuff would reach out for me like plants moving towards sunlight I was so tired maybe I was seeing stuff but then again I was seeing all sorts of things already after that was done I went back to the house and we waited for nightfall it came quick

we listened as the chains rattled and shook all night damn near or of that awful noise crashed over us for longer than before. We were sure that something broke through the doors at some point, as we heard wood shatter. We only hoped that whatever it was was not on the way to the house. Somehow we made it another night.

Sure enough, as I went out to check things the next morning, saw a small hole blown through the barn door. The chain's hell, but something still punched through. And who wouldn't hold much longer for us? now there was even more of that inky black substance on the barn the base was damn near covered in it I think it's growing more and more each day on Sunday morning one of the older kids came down with me to help

Nate a good boy just turned 15 a few months ago he wanted to do something to calm himself thought it was a good idea at the time I was so tired it was a mistake Nate helped me with a chair around the house and all things considered it went well for the day we reinforced the house as

best we could with the tools that i gathered this night came rolling in early we started our trek back upstairs like we did the days before to get ready for the darkness as we did and Nate shatted something about his mom I don't know what he saw but he took off into the yard he was yelling something but could not rightly hear him tried to stop him Almost had him for a moment, but he wrestled out of my grip before I could pin him down. In a few moments he was running on down the road that you drove up on. I body felt ice cold all over as I watched something dart out from the direction of the southern bar. It wasn't quite dark yet, but it was gliding along the shadowed edges.

Turned back to the road. To Nate, he was a ways down, and I heard him scream. He was calling out for his mama. I wanted to run down after him, but the sun was setting and I couldn't leave the other alone. I was scared. So scared. Got up a bit of hope, though, as I saw him running back down the road. I thought he might make it.

He was close. Damn, hope is such a cruel thing to have in the dark. As he got about ten feet from the door, the thing from the barn that had been waiting, shook out like a thunderbolt. couldn't rightly make it out it looked like it was made from the same oily muck that was crawling up the side of the bar well we'd had shape but not really

it's hard to describe rightly like it was not really seeing something even though it was there was there though I know because it got him sprayed some kind of blackness all over Nate like squid tentacles all over him oh the boy screamed and cried as that thing dragged him back into the barn through the hole.

A hole that was definitely not as big as the boy was to fit through. The sounds of that ordeal were monstrous. The screams went out after that. Didn't hear any noise that night save for some light scratches at the door downstairs. That was one of the worst nights yet. The other kids hadn't said a word, not even cried that night. we all just missed Nate the old man moved back to the table

and looked right at me again he asked you want to know why I checked your eyes when you got here I gave him a simple nod I was still trying to process everything he was telling me words were not doing my mind state any justice at the time he sat down and told me about the man

that came on Monday there was a fella came round here yesterday. He said. So I walk up to the house as I was checking for damage to the outside. No idea where he came from. Just walked up out of the blue.

He said he was looking for his lost dog. I'd never seen him around and I know I'd not heard or seen a dog recently either. I immediately asked him if he drove here as I was looking for a clear way out of the area. I knew we would never make it on foot before dark. He just ignored the question and stared at me.

Now the man was dressed nice. Not church nice. Just nice. He looked for all intents like a normal man. I kept trying to ask him about how he got out here to us and if he'd seen anyone else. And yet he just kept asking me the same damn question over and over. Had we seen his dog? I eventually asked him if he was all right and he started to bark at me.

I mean, he literally started barking like. a dog of me. As he did, the shape of his eyes began to change into this muddy black ink, much like the barn had on it. In just a few seconds his eyes essentially dripped off his face into a puddle of black on the floor. I'll just think of a woman with runny mascara on her face. Just imagine that her eyes were also running off of her as well. In a few moments, there was this eyeless, barking man just standing there. there. Even without eyes, though, he was still

staring at me. Oh, it was something else to see. Without thinking I pull my gun and shot him twice. He, it, just kept on barking. After a few moments of that horror show, it just took off

walking towards the chain bar. I tried to keep track on him, but he was gone out of sight quickly. Strange enough, that night we had little to nothing in the way of noise coming from the barn either. No scratching noises or whispers on the house. Around one in the morning we thought maybe whatever devilry was going on might have passed on. However, at 4 in the morning we hear a wailing screech coming from the land all around us.

It was something different than the last few nights. Sounded like it was almost human in town, but hell if anything human could actually do that. That went on for an hour. Then, nothing. As the sun rose, I did my check around the house again. As best as I could tell, nothing had touched the hell. Everything seemed to be outside, for the most part, until I saw the back door. It was dripping with that black stuff all around. I think it's getting closer.

What really bothered me about that day was the barking man. No doubt it came from the barn. It was out in the daylight. whatever was inside the barn was getting bolder or stronger maybe both either way i knew that somehow we were running out of time now at this point in the story you may be asking yourself why i didn't just get back in my car and leave i wanted to even if i didn't believe the man through and through i was plenty creeped out i was bordering on terrified even to be honest the thing is though the man was not lying about it getting dark early. As I looked at the old man's face I could see he was getting stressed. A heavy banging noise was rising up from outside. I just knew then, and there, where it was coming from. I stood out to look at the window facing the southern barn. The chains were shaking and

trembling, as much as I might have been. The sun was setting unnaturally fast as an inky blackness of a night, sky took shape overhead. The old man was shaking. man made a motion for me to follow him upstairs. I didn't think twice about it. We started our way up the stairs together. I paused for a moment though, as I heard this awful grinding noise outside. The old man told me to keep on going up. It was my car. I knew it. Something outside was destroying it, just like the other vehicles the nights before. As we reached the bedroom, there was a flurry of work to get dresses moved, board to. Bored to. nailed in and makeshift weapons ready. The door was blocked and locked. The only window

in the room was covered by multiple boards and a mattress. In the middle of the room, three children were sitting down, two small boys, probably around six and seven, and one girl, maybe about nine. They all wore the same, scared, spaced out look on them. I spoke to them. I tried to say some comforting things, but they barely acknowledge me. and blame them i was mostly focused on the cacophony rising up around the house i heard it the glass-cutting noise the old man talked about it rolled out of the barn like a force of nature i could feel it cutting at my senses all over it might have only lasted for a few moments but it felt like hours of agony in there somewhere with all the horrid audio trauma was the hint of speech

I couldn't make out the words at all, but there was definitely someone or something talking. It had a deep guttural tone with an aggressive effect. I may not have understood the language, but I definitely felt the meaning in it. It carried death in those tones. Now, the next few hours are where my nightmare start. The old man was right. The thing in the barn was getting stronger, and their time in that home was coming to an end. this was to be there last night alive and i was the reason why what i'm going to tell you will make me out as a monster i'm sure yet what i saw that night would have broken any man and crushed any morals

we stayed in the room for about thirty minutes listening to the noise of those chains rattle and smash against the barn suddenly there was a loud snap as they shattered apart following that we heard we heard of the noise we heard of those chains rattle and smash against the barn suddenly there was a loud snap as they shattered apart following that we heard a strong shearing noise. She had looks with the old man and his wife. We all knew it was the barn doors coming down. We listened as one came down and then the other. Another sound at the barricaded window made us jump back. It was a soft tapping like something was just testing the strength of the glass frame. Suddenly it picked up in force and the glass shattered.

I could see bits of it hit the floor where the mattresses. was pressed against it. Next, one of the wooden planks splintered, and it hit the floor as well. The children were screaming in terror. I matched their terror, but couldn't find my own voice to scream with them. From behind the mattress,

they saw the crawling form of something dark. It was the oily substance that the man had talked about. Despite nothing visible in the form of eyes, I watched it as it seemingly looked around the room, and gripped the mattress. It pulled hard and tore it through the now broken window frame. The old man fired three shots into the night. If he was aiming at something, or if he was just firing out of fear,

his wife moved to shove the headboard of the bed to the window in an attempt to bar it again. Well, she only got halfway in the task before tendrils of the black substance came back through the window. He seemed to omit some kind of. of screech and stabbed out at her back. I could hear her bones crack as the tendrils bore into her with maddening force. She dropped to the floor with a dead impact.

She was gone just like that. The black crawling substance reeled back and took her body out with an ugly effect as she bent and battered against the walls. The old man was already moving the main dresser from the bedroom door. I know that he saw what I saw. I know that he witnessed the brutal death of his wife just seconds before. Yet, either out of fear, a sense of protective duty to the kids, or both, he was determined to get out of the room.

I moved to help him as best I could. Soon we had the door open and we were trying to make our way downstairs. He led the three kids down and I followed behind them. As I left the room, I could see more of those black probing tendrils making their way into the room. I shut the door in an effort to store their advance. They never seemed to make an attempt to go further, but even more terror-inducing than their possible advance was the sound behind the door. I saw there were voices in the room,

like the inked tentacles were talking amongst themselves in that same harsh language we'd heard before. and something else you see to have to acknowledge that intelligence exists in these things imagine being hunted by a lion but it's not just doing it for hunger imagine it has more in its action than base primal instinct just picture that the lion has a plan for you that it had been planning your death for some purpose altogether alien to you that feeling you get makes you feel small somehow. You couldn't grasp at the horrible entirety of it all. The why of it. I would have stood there being swallowed by that feeling, if not for one of the kids. I looked back at one of the older girls who was tugging at my feet. She was practically pulling me down the stairs. I came back to my senses and ran down with the rest of them. As I came to the kitchen at the base of the stairs, I could see the old man readying his gun. he let loose another set of shots at something behind the door took a glance at the window where we were able to see the southern barn before now it was covered in a layer of blackness preventing any visibility at all

i heard the man shout to head for the back door instead i followed the kids as we made our way to the back the door was barred and we worked to get it open finally we got it open just as the same sound of the front door exploding apart was heard. As we made our way out, the old man screamed to run for the other barn. Behind us in the house, I could hear a chittering noise mixed in with the sound of random destruction. The home was being torn apart by whatever made it inside. I risked one, looked back and saw that inky blackness covering most of the southern side of the home.

It pulsed and heaved with a sickening. pattern that seemed to move in and out of focus. It was like the old man had said before. It was like watching something that was definitely there, but at the same time, it wasn't. We made to the other barn as the old man started to pull down a ladder. I could see that he intended to try and escape whatever was coming in the night by waiting out in the second level of this old battered structure. Yet, at the moment there was nothing else for us to do. We made our way up, and pulled the ladder up with us. We all found some kind of weapon from the toolbox.

Two of the younger kids were holding a wrench and screwdriver, respectively. The older girl brandished a large wrench. The man named his gun down into the dark. I found an old fire axe near a pile of random junk. It was rusted and heavy, but it took some comfort in having a real weapon in my hands. The sudden crunching noise drew everyone to look at the house. the family watched as the tumour-like ink on their home groaned and strained its near translucent darkness shifted and stretched out across the home with strings of tendrils cracking through the sides

with a seeming sense of ease the monstrous blackness tore the home apart in a violent display the tendrils snaked about the wreck as if searching for something all the while another wave of that damaging noise shot out across the night He brought the kids to their knees. The old man did his best to stay upright, and him is gone toward the entrance. Now, at this point, I started to notice something. I could hear words in the noise this time, not just some odd language, but real words. I can't rightly say if they were English, but I did understand them. Simple things at first. I could hear something asking for a lock, a key, a sign.

didn't understand any of it at first, and then suddenly I was able to hear solid sentences. Somewhere in the noise, lurking in the void, dark of the southern barn, something was talking to me. It asked me clearly, direct inquiry. Why do you hide my key? I suddenly became aware of the old man shaking behind my back. He was asking me if I was okay. I quickly took note of the blood pouring from my ears. I felt numb all over.

I could barely feel or hear anything. I rested myself against a toolbox to gain my senses, and as I did, another one of the odd screeching noises echoed from the tendrils scouring the debris of the house. A vibrant, tearing pain doled into my left temple. I could hear more words sliding through my ears. It said to me, Give me the keys, leave the keys, feed me the key. I again could not at all understand what that meant.

Yet, as I stood properly and tried to write myself, I could now feel a pronounced change in my composure. The numbness was mostly gone. I could even see better. I'm not sure how to explain that, but I could see through the night like it was suddenly early morning again. The newfound light hurt me at first I couldn't tell what was happening

Mixes of fear and confusion made for a crooked mental cocktail I stumbled for a bit and almost took a dive off the second floor of the barn The elder of the children grabbed my arm and righted me again I went to thank her but as I looked at her Something was off In her cheeks I could see odd symbols peeking through were lightly glowing with a pale thin light. As I looked, the symbols ran down her neck and replicated on her hands.

I was transfixed on these small etchings, glowing out of her body. Behind her, the other two children stood at the ready with their tools. It was faint at first, but soon I could see some of the same symbols shining out of their faces as well, nowhere near as much as the eldest daughter, but they still had them. as well. I think I was even starting to see something in the symbols too. Maybe, maybe not. I was brought out of my focus by another series of shots from the old man. He was shooting at something that entered the barn below. I moved over to see whatever his target was, but a massive force of heat threw me back. A white, hot flash ran across my body. I could feel my balance separating

itself from gravity. Rushing pain flooded my face and back, with random bursts in other limbs. I think it might have passed out for a moment. If I did, I don't know how long. When I came to my senses again, I was laying by a ruined portion of the barn. I had hurt to stand, a lot.

Something was broken, maybe a lot of somethings. My eyes tried their best to adjust again to the line. However, I soon realized that the light was coming from a new source. Fire. I was surrounded by the land ablaze. The farmland was lit up around me in a roaring infernal of greenish white flames. The heat singed across my arms and neck with an almost chilling touch. Whatever brought about the flames so suddenly took them back almost as abruptly.

I was surrounded by ruin. land ash and smoke had replaced the fertile land that once made up the farm i pulled my thoughts into a working motion and risked a glance from behind the now charred wall of the barn nearly instantly that choice was met with a rolling disgust in my stomach i watched these two hulking nightmares took form from the absolute darkness of the land odd shapes and twist of the inky blackness called together creating something horrid. One of the brutes walked forward through the black shapelessness void. I focused in on it and really took in the gladness of the monstrosity before me. The damn thing was nearly nine feet tall with a thick frame. It glistened in the light of the fire. It wore a visceral coat of

yellowing fur upon its upper chest and arms. I couldn't discern where skin began or ended on its body. His head was seemingly as solid as bone cylinder. It stood up on an odd set of legs, bent seemingly to the side with unnaturally twisted bones protruding outward. As it moved forward a bit more, I could see that it had a third leg as well. I had a brief image of the tripos from all the worlds play into my head. This thing, Martian or not, was quite definitely nothing in the realm of anything human. Its arms ended in brutal-looking claws, or something approaching a claw. The entire makeup of the abomination was nearly too much from me to take in.

The entire form of the things seemed just to be made to offend reality itself. Suddenly, the other one moved closer to the first and allowed me to get a look at it as well. The second beast was nothing, if not entirely alien, to the first. It bore no resemblance at all. This monster, well, nearly as tall, was nothing in terms of brutality that first maintained. It carried a look of emaciation, with loose skin hanging from its somewhat skeletal body frame. It only had one arm that seemed to be damaged or broken as it hung limp. It walked, or rather shambled, in a sense, on a pair of ugly, bony legs.

one was as thin as the rest of the body, but the other was only so until near what I suspect its ankle would be. There the thing seemed to have massive swelling of what appeared to be postules and muscle. I watched as the more skeletal thing raised what he considered be its head. It looked like it was partially melted or smashed into its torso. It was more a lump of greyish flesh than any form of a head, but nested it. near the bottom left was what I imagined to be an eye. I felt any sense of courage drained from me. The fire axe was there not far from me, and I made a move to grab it. However, once I had it, the fire axe seemed like a comical accessory instead of something of real defence. I dropped

back to one knee behind the farmhouse wall. I considered the idea of running for it down the road. I concocted multiple other ideas that felt a ruin in my mind in the span of a few seconds I felt the desperation and fear tearing away at my motor functions Part of me wanted to run at full speed without looking back Well, the other part of me wants to hide under a pile of broken barn wall In hopes that beasts leave me alone For a moment's time

I gave in to the thought and prepared to dig in the idea of just waiting out the walking nightmare seeming more and more plausible to me i pulled myself tight against the wall that i was hiding behind and just then one of those things jumped and landed near me it was the bony thing i was moving right past i thought it's seen me for sure and my life was over but it kept moving on it hadn't seen me or if it had it had no interest in me. No, I was moving over to a bit of the barn wall laying on the ground. It reached out with this ruined stump of an arm. Some of that black substance shot out and tore the debris away. Underneath it was the old man. I thought he was dead. He looked apart with obvious burn wounds

on his face. But the thing moved to pick him up. As it did, the old man aimed his gun once more at the monster. I was amazed he still had it within him. I wondered if it would have mattered. He never got the chance to fire. His hand, and soon after his entire arm, was shorn from his body with horrible ease. The thing flung the man like a plaything into the night sky. Where he landed, I could only guess at. He would be dead, for sure. I was frozen with fear, even more so at this point. I strained to keep myself conscious. I wanted to give up entirely and just leave the world of nightmares I had entered. Looking outward, I could see something glowing in the ashen dirt not far from me. It was a pale light, faint but definitely there. It was one of the kids. I could

feel my eyes trying to focus in on them. Really, it was not my during, though. That rolling echo sound flew out across the night again, and with it came the voice. My keys, I see my keys, feed me the keys, it screamed. The larger monstrous creature moved with a newfound bizarre grace towards the growing spot I was seeing. It used one of its massive grotesque appendages to pull out the younger children. Oh, it took off in a gallop of sorts, back to the southern bar. I couldn't tell if the child was even awake or alive.

I noticed suddenly that the other lankier beast was slowly making its way to me. With its long legs, the distance was covered in mere seconds. I can't tell you just how absolutely apart from this world it was. Up close, inches from it, I couldn't even stand its presence. Every fibre of my body, every single single. cell was trying to deny it in any way possible. This thing was not meant for our world, not even our space. It reached out and picked me up. Oh, the touch of this monster, it's just more than unnerving. I can still feel the damn thing across my back and sides. Even now

a year later, I can still feel it. I can damn well feel it like it's here in the room with us. It made me look. It made me look around the ruins for something. Once I realized what it was doing, I tried to close my eyes. It wanted me to find the other kids. Something about their glow, that pale shine of symbols across them. I tried to be brave, and shut my eyes for a moment. Yet, as I did, the voice came thundering across my mind once again. This night. This night, it was nothing I could understand directly, but I got the meaning as before. It was a threat. I could see the images of the beast holding me, tearing my body apart muscle by muscle, bones being cracked and removed in sections. All of it in an instant. I could have chosen to

close my eyes. I really could have, but somehow it needed me, or someone at least. I knew it then. yet i broke under the threats i looked and found two other glowing pale lights in the distance moving away from the farm not long after the brute took off running with a guttural bellow something like a demented bull of soles the lights oh they went out as soon as it caught up to them there was a set of screams they went out quick I felt a rushing past me for a moment, and then there was pure black. Our next thing I know, I'm waking up in the dirt. My body was caked with ash and dry blood. Somehow I managed to get up and walk, but how long I was down again, but I knew it was at least daylight. I walked for a short while, or a long while.

I really don't know. eventually I was picked up close to town and brought back to Bossier not long after that I was placed in Brentwood for closer observation and I've been here ever since turns out that screaming night after night in your sleep makes the doctor's nervous the drugs they give me don't do a thing I wish they would I really do but every night I still see them that family

those kids I can still feel that thing on my body they won't let me kill myself I know I've tried they want me to get better talk it out I'm telling you that nothing will ever

cure this nothing will make it go away I've tried to ask for answers they don't really try or they lie to me I don't know which. I was told the farmhouse was a victim of possible arson attack. Arson, what a load of crap that is.

Listen. Ah, yes, you never said why you wanted to hear this story, but I said I know that look in your eyes. You're chasing something dark, or maybe something dark is chasing you. Either way, if you want to know more, really no more. Try looking up more about that farm.

There's to be something there. Something they won't investigate or maybe can't investigate. Just remember, if you do go poking around, don't do it at night. If you do, the night is likely to do more than poke back at you. The theory was that it began with Hurricane Harvey a few years ago in mid-August. The news media reported the flooding at 5,000-year-high, The waters reached almost to the top of Black Cat Ridge. No one living knew of a time when the waters had been so high.

Black Cat Ridge was an area mostly known just to older locals. Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it had been an outlaw hangout, and during prohibition it served as a base for moonshines. Still later, it hosted meth and designer drug laps. It was located above the San Jacinto River and caused. the river to bend to the south-west. In recent decades, people had built homes, a hospital and even a college around the ridge. But the ridge and adjacent lands remained at a wooded, tangled snake and gator-infested nightmare,

surrounded by swamps. There were even reports that cougars had returned to the area after a half-century absence. Plenty of other wildlife called the area home. Dears, coyotes, raccoons, or possums, feral hogs, feral dogs, and feral cats, to name a few. There were plenty of birds and many small animals as well. There was a wetland across from the college campus that hosted a plethora of wildlife. Most of the campus had flooded during the storm and its immediate aftermath. The urgency workers and volunteers saw and had to clean up many animal carcasses left behind when the waters receded.

It was nasty work and the water was contaminated not only from businesses and mills along the river, but with crud from the illicit manufacturers of the lower parts of black can. at ridge. Still, over the next two years, things got better, and the police officers who patrolled the college and the officers and deputies who patrolled around it at night noted that the wildlife had rebounded soundly, especially the feral hog population. They'd started to become a road hazard and tore up every landscaped area they could reach. Feral hogs had been tearing up property for years, yet they seem to have gotten bolder about their predations since Harvey. One hot summer morning in 2018, the campus officer saw a large truck that cut through the main road adjacent

to the campus at about five in the morning. It smacked into a feral sow and kept going, speeding, of course. By the time she arrived, she saw that the sow was twitching its last. Her carcass rested there for a couple of days until animal control could remove it. It reeked immediately since the intestines had burst, and it was July. No one would go near the thing on foot. But from a car, but one could see that the sale had been particularly large, and more hair-covered her than was normal. She had tusks the size of a large male. Everyone agreed that it was just a freak and hoped that she'd had no piglets since the storm. Time marched forward. The campus and area businesses and homes were repaired. The swamp was deeper and more tangled

than ever, and the gigantic mosquitoes had emerged from its waters were particularly aggressive. A rumour went around the campus that the mosquitoes had attacked and drained all the blood from a student in the far parking lot after night classes. It was salacious and false, of course. The student had suffered only a temporary anemia. One morning a larger than average gator blocked the road that ran between the college and the wetland, and the school abandoned the wetlands observation platforms rather than repair them. They'd use the indoor labs. The raccoons had gotten bigger and bolder, too.

one actually snatched a lunch bag from a campus officer as he arrived for work and walked toward the office. He didn't dare challenge the creature when it stood on its hind legs and chittered threateningly at him. Everyone laughed it off, of course, and the officer simply had lunch in the cafeteria. No one noticed that, after the incident, he avoided the area around the trash cans where the raccoon had been waiting in ambush. Students became less friendly toward the various stray and semi-wile animals that put him. populated the public areas, especially around the building with a cafeteria, where they'd once come to beg for scraps. The animals had become large and aggressive. Even the normally elusive feral cats started to issue hissing challenges over territory and food. The wildest

party of the wildlife, though, was a small sounder of feral hogs. They had definitely grown in stature. They looked different, too. All poor kind relatives had hair, but these looked like woolly mammoth hogs from the place to see nearer. Their tusks had grown, and when one could catch a glimpse, and see a knob of flesh and bone had grown between the eyes of the pigs. This was more than just a different strain of bore introduced into the local feral population. It was a significant evolution. By fall of 2020, night officers around the campus and hospital noted that the hogs had grown fearless. No amount of honking, siren-whoops or flashing lights would get them to move. Eventually, the officer would either have to take another route or get out of the

vehicle and try to shoe them away from the area. That could be dangerous with any pigs when there were new piglets. The cells were very protective. Yet until recently, that tactic had worked well enough. Officer G. Haleck, a city officer, got out of his unit to try to chase away the notorious sounder of monster hogs. They'd stop while crossing a larger roadway by the hospital and it blocked the ambulance, entrance. He had to get them to move, and they hadn't responded to his measures with noise and light. He removed the cartridge from his electronic control weapon and activated the charge to make a loud, sputtering crackle of electricity. Sometimes the frequency of that noise would convince critters to skedaddle. He saw that the largest hog in the Sondra of five stood at least four feet tall at the

shoulder and had to weigh near 500 pounds. It had abnormally long tusks. They looked to be about a foot long, jutting and gleaming in the headlights. The enormous porker stared him down and started to stalk menacingly toward him. He fled back to the car and decided to go another way. As he reversed, he felt an impact on his driver's side door, and the car slew to one side side with the combined momentum. He corrected course and got the vehicle back so that he could turn and drive forward. However, as he shifted into drive, he saw.

saw that the big boar-hog stood in front of his car and glared bayfully at him through the windshield. The mane of bristled hair from his head, shoulders and backs stood erect in a display of aggression. He swore that the monster hog locked eyes with him. Definitely some kind of mutant, he thought, and mentally dubbed it the saber-toothed hawk. The beast allowed him enough room to drive past and get to a lot near one of the buildings over a hundred yards from the sounder. He watched him hatefully the entire time.

His door was jammed shut and he had to clamber over his in-car computer and radio set up to crawl out of the passenger side. His driver door was crushed and the steel was punctured and peeled open. Well, he had to write a lengthy report and caught flat from both his supervisors and his co-workers.

Later that week he met up with the campus officer on the same shift over free coffee at a nearby convenience storm. She didn't laugh at his account, but simply grew quiet as he told his tale. Then, finally, spoke up. I've noticed the changes. I've been on graveyards for a few years since the storm.

The animals have changed, especially the swine. That big male you mentioned, looks like a mammoth without a trunk. They spent some time lamenting that they told their supervisors, but no one had done anything. So me, the night-clock, overheard as he stocked the coffee counter. Yes, I have seen these monster pigs, very frightening. Sometimes I'm afraid to take the trash to the dumpster. I can see them through the trees.

They're too big. It's not normal. They discussed the hulks for a while, then attempted to resolve the rest of the world's problems before each return to his or her respective duties. At around four in the morning, Samir had to take the trash to the dumpster on the dark side of the building. The trash truck would arrive around 4.30, and early morning customers shortly thereafter. He'd have help for the morning rush. His cousin Hamid would arrive at five. Hamid was the eldest of his uncle Mohammed sons and was the day managed since Muhammad owned the franchise.

At least I have work and family. He fumed as he dragged the heavy bags through the back door. His mind on other worries, he failed to note the glowing yellow eyes emanating from hulking silhouette standing just inside the wood line behind the store. As he toppled the last bag over the side of the dumpster, some e-heard a loud grunt from the other side of the steel box. It was quickly followed by several more grunts and snuffles. The dumpster boomed as something struck it from the other side. It could have been anything from wild animals to feral peop.

people who lived in camps around the woods. Yet Sami had a sinking feeling that it was something else. He started to walk rapidly back toward the rear doorway of the building, a sweat sprung out on his forehead and his eyes rolled in sudden fear. He was too afraid to look over his shoulder.

He just wanted to focus on getting back inside. Sammy didn't know he could fly, but he was suddenly airborne, turning ass overhead. He felt tremendous pain in his legs, And then he struck the asphalt, and the agonizing sensation in his left shoulder supplemented the pain from the back of his legs. At least until a large, dark object bit into his right leg, and all other pains were forgotten as the bone shattered. He screamed in fear and agony.

An enormous boar hog had clamped its moor around his leg at the knee joint. He tried to raise his torso, but his left forearm was seized by another set of jowls and savagely pointed teeth. his mind blank for a moment and then he began to scream again this time mindlessly as more teeth shredded his flesh and the last thing he saw was the open mouth and gullet of the poor kind horror

as it clamped onto his face and crushed his skull by the time the trash truck arrived the sounder was gone and there wasn't much left of Sami just a few pieces of bone and flesh and a large smudge of blood on the asphalt The driver didn't notice.

There were always wet spots in convenience store parking lots, especially around the dumpsters. He simply racked up the dumpster, emptied it into the truck container, and moved on to his next stop. Hamid arrived. Just after five, he was habitually late since he knew that Sami wouldn't dare complain.

Besides, he didn't want to have to help with the small chores necessary to begin the business day. He likes Sammy well enough, but had his own responsibilities and future planned out. He was puzzled when he arrived, and Sammy was nowhere in sight. There were three customers at the counter, and two more roaming the aisles. They all look confused and frustrated. The first in line had placed some bills on the counter, was writing a note on one of the napkins from the coffee counter as hummed approach.

Oh, we haven't seen on Sammy this morning. We've got to get to work. He didn't want to leave without pain or get him in trouble. He must be in the back somewhere. One of the other men in line spoke up. Yeah, maybe he ate one of those ancient burritos on the roller. That'd keep anyone on the job. The other two laughed along with him.

Hummy'd scowled and quickly set about ringing up the purchases. He took care of the stream of customers that didn't give him a break for the next few hours, all the time wondering what had happened to Sammy. He had to call his father to get another. employee to come in and help. No problem. He had other siblings and at least one other person was already scheduled for the day shift and would arrive at six. God, where is that little rat? He wondered until the morning rush finally gave way. He was actually a little concerned. This was very unlike some. The young man was invariably on time and worked very diligently.

The one time he had been out sick, he had the flu and he still made it in after only a couple of days off and before he was well. He'd even made up the hours he'd missed. As soon as he had a break, Hummy took a look around the premises. Somer was not in the back, and there was no one in the bathroom with its perpetual out-of-order sign. No one in the office. He'd even look behind the desk. He finally decided to look around outside. Nothing but a large brown smear in the area near the dumpster. Summi should have hosed off whatever that was. Looks like old roadkill. He went back inside and pulled up the surveillance recordings.

He fast forwarded it until just before 4 a.m. He saw Sammy speaking with two cops who come into mooch-free stale coffee. As soon as they left, Sammy set up the coffee machine for a fresh batch. Then he gathered the trash and hefted it through the back door. There was no camera for the dark area by the dumpsters. No need. Who'd steal from a dumpster? Hamid kept watching. The cameras were motion activated, and the recording was empty until customers started to arrive.

Hamid spoke with his father, who was annoyed at Sami, but not too worried. Maybe he was angry at something. Maybe he's taken up smoking and knew better than to come back inside. Who knows? If he doesn't show up for his shift tonight, we can call the police. He, of course, didn't show. At around 10 o'clock that evening they finally called in that Sami was missing. It had been raining since the afternoon.

Most of Sami was gone by the time Officer Haleck arrived to take a report. He looked at the video recordings and looked around inside and outside the store. He questioned Hamid's younger brother Adil and set up a time for a day shift officer to interview Hamid and Muhammad. Sami was an adult and there was no evidence of foul play. He took the bus to work, so no one had any idea where we would have gone, and the call was marked as no priority, no safety concerns. Two days later, Josh McClintock was out in the woods near the campus for the first day of squirrel season. He hoped to shoot a mess for the rodents for a dish of squirrel and dumplings. His wife Martha could still cook at 73, and he could still bring home hunted meat at 75.

life. Life was good, so long as no one complained about him shooting so close to the campus. Things had changed so much in his lifetime. Human expansion had encroached on the wild areas he'd known in his youth. He settled in near a large hardwood tree and waited for the animals to stir again after he disturbed him with his presence. Eventually birds began to once again flitter through the branches and sing their morning songs. A large raccoon waddled by on its way home before the sun was too high. He looked over its shoulder at him with a glare, and gave him a sinister grin. It gave out a sharp little bark, then stood on its hind legs and waddle on into the trees. Josh was downfounded. He rubbed his eyes. Shit, the old-timer's disease has me, and I've gone crazy. Maybe I just dozed off it.

I haven't been up as early in a while. Then he saw a big red fox squirrel, scuttle into some sight on the trunk of a large oak to his left. Biggest he'd seen in years. The breed had gotten scarce even before Harvey. He unlimbered his 20-gay shotgun and slowly put it in position to fire on the hapless arboreal resident. Then he heard a loud rustle of brush from over his right shoulder. Something big had decided to move. The squirrel darted around to the other side of the tree, and the other birds and animals fell instantly silent. Josh shifted around, thinking, thinking. Oh, shit, I'm caught. Private land, probably the owner. He decided to remain still. Maybe the guy would pass him. He darted his eyes around, trying to avoid moving the rest of his body,

much of the way squirrels freeze or try to hide on the far side of tree bowls and then freeze. He heard heavy breathing behind him, and a grunt and a snort. About that time a figure appeared to his front right. It had moved up silently through the trees. Ah, stupid hog. He scared the shit out of me. Josh grouched. It was only then he registered how enormous the hog was.

This day is definitely a bust. The monstrous hog just stood there looking at him for a moment, then bristled and poured the grin. John knew that his number four shot would just anger the animal, but he instinctively shifted the barrel of his shotgun toward the beast. That was when he felt the agony of a large tusk Enter his lower abdomen And rip upward into his chest cavity

While he'd been watching the sow The boar had spiked him Martha was a widow before Joshy's corpse Even hit the leaves on the ground And the sounder had another solid meal By the next day a search party combed the woods near the campus Many were student volunteers The search was caught off after only a couple of hours.

The mosquitoes had swarmed the searches, and one of them had a close call with a water moccasin. The cotton mouth chased her up into a tree and continually tried to strike at her. About the time it started to slither up the trunk, another searcher arrived. He had a walking stick with a metal tip and was able to spear the large reptile.

Then he was in trouble. The snake didn't die, so large and heavy that its strikes began to tear it loose from where it was pinned. Fortunately, the combined screams of the students brought over a campus officer who shot the thing several times and finally hid it in the head. It measured in at five feet long and was about six inches in diameter. Between the insane mosquitoes and enormous venomous reptiles, the local constabulary decided to restrict the search to first respondents. About then it started to rain heavily and the search became moose.

dogs had tracked very close to where Josh had been posted but something turned them from the scent and they either shied away or just sat or lay on the ground and whined. Since the county had been in charge of the search for Josh and the city had jurisdiction on Sami, the two cases were not linked beyond interagency gossip at the first line officer level. Josh was old and people assumed he'd gone out and had a heart attack or had fallen in some water or something. The story was quickly replaced by other events in local and national news. It was an election year after all, and November was just around the corner.

The rain finally gave up a few days later, and by evening there was nothing left of it but groundfall. Good night, Buenos Noches, Officer Torres called to the two cleaning crew members, as the women made their way to the parking lot in tandem. He smiled in satisfaction. Apparently they decided to heed his advice that they should travel in. pairs for safety. One never knew when a crook might pop up, or a wild coyote or feral domestic animal might approach. The ladies returned his wishes and walked away, chattering amicably as they made their way through the well-lit parking area. The officer went back inside. It was nearly ten o'clock

and time for shift change. Most of the buildings were already locked. The women had nearly made it to their cars that were part very close to one another in the employee locked when Esmeralda The elder of the two noticed them. In the strip of woods between the parking area and the roadway were several sets of glowing yellow eyes set within large dark silhouettes. She started to ask her young friend Jennifer if she saw them, but it was clear that she had since Jennifer had fallen silence,

a rare occurrence in Elsmoralda's experience with the girl. There were four sets of eyes that glared balefully from the shadows. The shaggy outlines, move forward slowly, as though stalking towards the women. Esmeralda moved first. Get in the car, Jenny! She called to the younger woman. Jennifer stood frozen in horror as the hairy brutes came into view.

Esmeralda focused briefly on getting into her own pickup. She fumbled with the keys. I should have listened when the officer said to have your keys ready before you get to your vehicle. About that time, the rumble of hooves on pavement registered, and she looked up in time to see the dark shape that rushed at her from the well-lit parking area. She noted the glint of the tusk as it rose and entered her skull from below the chin. The impact was so fierce that it drove her back into the open truck door and tore the door from its hinges.

By then, Jennifer was able to scream. The scream didn't last long as she was bowled over and trembled by a quartet of swine. Once they started to eat her alive, she was unable to make any noise other than a gurgle from her missing throat. Fortunately, she lost consciousness quickly. Twenty minutes later, as Officer Torres headed into the parking lot to go home for the evening, he saw that the vehicles that belonged to the cleaning crew ladies were still in the lot. He called over to the other officer who was headed towards his own car. Hey, Jay, did you see the cleaning ladies?

Officer Johnson, Jay, looked up from the text he was typing, and without actually looking around, said, Nope, just us jigging. Torres then registered the dark shapes moving through the thin line of trees behind a lot in the roadway. He saw the damage to Esmeralda's pickup, and his heart skipped a beat as he noticed the large puddles of blood and bits of soft tissue and bones scattered across the pavement. Oh, fuck, he said quietly.

Then shouted to Johnson, get over here, help! He pulled out his flashlight and his sidearm and started walking quickly toward the horrific scene. He used his radio to contact dispatch and request assistance from the supervisor who was still inside the office and to send EMS. As he made it to Esmerada's pickup, he saw that the dark shapes in the shadows of the pines had halted. Then, glowing eyes stead ominously toward him. Johnson approached quickly and panted out. On your left!

Torres spared him a glance. The younger officer was winded from fear stress rather than physical exertion. Jay was in good shape and was on target with his sidearm. The officers used their flashlights to illuminate the faces that contain those terror-inducing eyes. What they saw was five sets of enormous pork-ine features smeared with fresh gall. there were scraps of bone and flesh on the ground near their feet but most noticeably the monsters looked angry at having had their repast so rudely interrupted the big boar snorted loudly and poured at the ground in front of him his mane bristled it was a warning the officers had been hesitant to fire they had clear policies on when to shoot at animals but as the ball lowered its big ugly head torres came to the conclusion that policy or not, this was an appropriate situation to shoot. He fired all the rounds in his

16-round magazine before the enormous pig struck him and bowled him over like he wasn't even an obstacle. As soon as Torres fired, Johnson joined in in a reflexive reaction. He sprayed and prayed and emptied his magazine into the four other porkers. Jay shakily reloaded as the boar hog tore into his partner on the ground. Despite his sorry shooting. His targets had remained in place, so he'd gotten in a lucky shot and taken out one of the largest house. She wasn't dead, but dying. Maybe Torres had hit her too. J. had hit one of the other three in the right hip, and it was spinning around its own body with incredible speed, trying to locate the creature that had so viciously stung it. Eventually that one

collapsed into the injured leg and had difficulty standing again. Officer Johnson didn't see all of that. The remaining two blasted into him before he could seat the second magazine. Well, they made short work of the two officers. Then, after they checked on the now-dead sow, they quickly moved into the thicker woods across the road and headed back to their den to grieve, but with full bellies. The supervisor and night officer came out quickly in response to the radio call, but arrived only in time to watch as the sound had disappeared into the shadows. EMS arrived shortly, and then Life Flight arrived and transported Officer Johnson, who clung onto life by a thread. His left arm had been torn from his torso. Officer Torres only lasted a moment.

His intestines were spilled onto the front of his pants. His vest had been made for bullet impacts rather than stabbing objects. The rest of his body was trampled, and it was clear that his ribs had been crushed. His supervisor held his hand as he breathed. out the last part of a Hail Mary and expired. He'd managed to press record on his body camera just before he drew his side up. The video wasn't the greatest, and it mostly showed dark figures rushing and flailing, and the audio was mostly screams, grunts, and unpleasant sounds. Yet the frame-by-frame review finally produced at least one clear photo,

and thus was born the legend of the saber-toothed hogs. It was an overnight hit on social media and in the press. There was evidence, at least from the meagre remains of the cleaning crew, that the hogs had become human-eating predators. Investigators found poor kind DNA in the mess that was Jennifer, and on the uniforms of the responding officers. There were definite abnormalities that led to further testing. Someone puzzled out one of the abnormalities, and they drug-tested the samples.

They found trace amounts of methamphetamine and ketamine. The assumption was that one or more of the victims had been using the samples, substances. Officer Johnson somehow managed to survive, though he would require a lifetime of both physical and psychological therapy. He wasn't much help with his recollection of that night. Oh, so much blood. Oh, those poor ladies. It was so big! He randed in short staccato sentences. He made a great media figure, though. Young, a military veteran. Jimrat, handsome. At least as long as one viewed the before photos. You set up for an experimental prosthesis, which made for an ongoing series in the local media,

but that was a long while later. Once the various law enforcement agencies had enough information, the dots connected, and several missing persons cases were attributed to a suspected feral pig predation. The hunt was on for the sounder of mutant, saber-toothed hogs. Professional hunters volunteered by the hunter. hundreds. Every law enforcement jurisdiction and politician wanted in on it, and every nut with a firearm wanted to be the one to get the big bore as a trophy and for notoriety. The experts provided opinions and discussed various theories on why omnivorous creatures would suddenly become

carnivorous predators. The primary consensus was that it had to do with climate change, the popular theory for anything odd in nature. The campus became the centre for the hunt, and Classes were disrupted by the presence of so many emergency responders. Parents pulled students from classes at the campus because of safety concerns. Property became a zoo of humanity. The woods from the interstate highway to the river and from the highway bridge north to a major FM road were closed. Neighborhoods and businesses were put on mandatory curfews

and volunteer guards set out to patrol in their pickup trucks, complete with wannabe heroes perched in the beds with rifles and shots. guns. Everyone was on guard for the hogs, except for the retired on-active duty security guard posted at a local manufacturing business that had somehow evaded the floodwaters. His company had been contracted because of the hog murders. The atmosphere of fear had led to a boom in security contracts for the duration of the emergency. The guard's name was Fredericks, but everyone called him, Gollop. He looked like the movie version of that character. had grown to six feet tall and aged around 45.

He was unpleasant, irresponsible, and a know-it-all who actually knew very little. Fredericks ignored all the hoopla and hype. Any fool knows how to hunt feral hogs. Dumbasses, he thought, as he slouched on his golf cart, semi-dosing next to his cup of coffee. His supervisor had told him to stay inside and not use the cart since the hogs were reported to be as large as the little vehicle. Fredericks didn't care. What did that little idiot know?

Frederick's had been a real cop, a deputy for one of the local constables' offices for almost two years before he'd been given the option to resign or be terminated. Well, he'd done security work ever since. None of these youngsters could tell him anything. He sat there, dozing and musing about what the other guards had meant when they called him goll. Something from some stupid movie, he mentally grumbled. Well, at least it wasn't poor blood, like when he'd used the Segway at the mall. And then the noise startled him fully awake. It was a splash.

Then he heard a few more splashes and squelches of mud as he turned his ears to the sounds. There was a drainage ditch along the front of the property, part of the reason the waters had failed to inundate the main building of DMT Solutions Incorporated. Something or someone was approaching through the waters of the ditch. maybe several somethings or somebody's he thought probably some idiot kids when the head appeared above the ditch Fredericks could not believe his eyes it was gargantuan bigger than any hog he'd ever seen it was almost as big as the head of the rhino he'd seen in the zoo many years ago only this one had tusks like an

elephant rather than a horn on its nose and a big bulging knob at a forehead The head turned toward him And he saw the yellow eyes focus on him And his little car His bladder released And without thinking or steering He flawed the drive pedal The front of the cart

Faced the exit driveway But the front wheels had been turned to the side Away from the one with the Rhino hog Gollum was headed in the right direction Completely by accident He rolled the golf cart Directly off the driveway

And into the deepest part of the ditch on the other side. The big boar-hong led out a snort that sounded like laughter. By the time he and the rest of his sounder had made their way into the ditch on the other side of the driveway, their initial work was done.

Fredericks lay in a heap on the dash of the car. His heart had failed. The ferroes left little of the man and destroyed the cart, but the remains were easy to spot when the first employee arrived to work the next morning.

After all, the back half of a golf cart blocking the drive will tend to get one's attention. The hunt intensified. The sounder was down to two sounds. The one that left the college parking lot injured could not keep up with the rest, and after a few days of her lagging ended up as a meal for the rest. The remaining two would bear litter soon. They'd all noticed that the more they preyed upon the two-legged creatures, the more they grew. They may have just been eating so much protein, but they were all adults and should have stopped growing.

Having such thoughts, and the ability to communicate them to one another, was something new and had only manifested in their generation. It may have had something to do with the knobs that had formed on their foreheads and were covered heavily in bone. They'd found a low spot by the river, a little bend in a tributary creek that was damp without being full of water. They used it as a wallow. They always felt unusually energetic after a wallow in that spot.

Their home was uphill, near the top of Black Cat Ridge. The flood left behind a large old oak just below the high watermark of the flood. The roots had come to rest over a low spot in the ground, with a little digging they'd made a nice den. Since then, the local weeds and brush had grown, and leaves and pine straw had fallen to provide some camouflage. It would be a nice safe place to raise a nice safe place to raise. of family. The two legs who had inundated the area in the past few days,

trance passed it without a glance. Hopefully they would leave soon. They'd started to travel in groups and carry weapons. If they didn't go away soon, the sounder would have to take on a group of them, or leave altogether. Don't know why the dogs won't track him. Travis said as he looked toward the other three members of his party, I do know that hardly anyone has looked up this way. Nobody likes going up hills. that hide the hill but well folks are lazy Travis was a volunteer with hunting and tracking experience his friend Billy was in the group along with a deputy and a police officer from local

agencies they've made their way up the ridge and over to the back side that faced away from settled areas and toward the river our thing is if I was a hog I'd hide as far away from people as I could Billy snorted you are a hog a beer and pork and pork grind hog and you do live far away from other people. They shared a laugh. It was apparently an old exchange between them. The two police officers exchanged a look as well and silently panted with exertion as they climbed up from a draw that cut into the ridge. They had a rough hike. The land and vegetation

were unforgiving and each was carrying an AR-style rifle. The two hunters carried short-barrow 12 GA sock guns, what they called pig guns. They all wore pig. They all-war pistols and carried knives. Billy carried a machete in a sheath, but they'd mostly stuck to game trails, he hadn't had to use it much. The office accursed as he stepped into a wet hole from where a tree had rotted in place. That's nasty. Cold too. The others tried not to laugh. The holes were covered by pine straw and were difficult to spot, so it could have happened to any of them. He pulled his leg from the hole and shook off as much of the muck as he could. They'd all pause for a moment, to ensure he hadn't twisted his ankle or knee. The deputy leaned his weight on the hand

he placed against the trunk of a large uprooted oak tree as he caught his breath. "'Now, I really need to get back in the gym,' he thought as he heard a loud, deep, octave grunt and snort from the other side of the hole, where the top part of the tree began to spread into branches. All members of the party turned toward the sounds. They all knew what had made them, a feral hog. And then a tremendous beast appeared suddenly at the root end of the tree. It moved incredibly fast for such a large animal. Before any of the men could react, it was upon them. It directly struck Billy and pushed him into Travis, and then lifted both men into the air. Its rear flank crushed the deputy against the hard wood of the tree. The officer stood a few feet

away from the rest and did a great job in bringing his rifle to bear, but about that time he felt something tear into the back of his left thigh. It entered just above the back of his knee joint, a spike that then tore upwards and ripped through his left butted. He landed on his right side, rifle dropped and forgotten in his newfound agony. He didn't suffer long. Enormous porcine jaws clamped on his neck, and he could have sworn he heard a snap before his vision faded down a long, dark corridor,

and sounds and sensations ceased. Another ghost for the storied Black Cat Ridge. The others fared no better. The board burst through the group, then made an amazingly quick, agile 180-degree turn to charge back into their midst. He focused on Travis. until the man lay in a ball around his own awful.

Billy had been unable to rise. His right femur was broken, and he was already in shock. Fortunately, he clenched his eyes shut with the pain and didn't see the steer-sized hoof that crushed his skull. The deputy had been bruised and winded, but otherwise he was not seriously injured. He watched on in horror, as the beast made it spin and again attacked the two hunters.

He'd seen bulls at the rodeo make spins like that to get rid of riders and then rapidly turn and try to gaw them. Yet he was always amazed when such bulky creatures displayed highly dexterous acrobatics. He dropped the AR when the bore struck him, so he quickly drew his cider. His peripheral vision noted a dark blur as a set of teeth buried into his forearm, and he was suddenly painfully yanked from his feet and dragged along the side of the tree trunk. As they passed the roots, his other arms snagged, he came to a momentary halt. Then he felt his forearms separate from his elbow.

The unlucky, or perhaps truly fortunate man, passed out from the pain and sudden blood loss, and so didn't feel the rest of what happened to his body. When the party did not report back to operations, the sheriff and the command group looked into where the team had been assigned to search. Crest of Black Cat Ridge, figures, he said, bat. Nothing good ever comes from that area, except when Harvey washed out the meth monkeys. He looked around at the commanders. It's getting dark. Probably best a plan and wait until morning. Early morning, maybe we can catch them while they're still stirring. One of the commanders

piped up. What about the missing men? Are we just going to leave them out there? The sheriff offered the man a steely gaze. They got lost or worse in daylight. You've seen those woods. Do you want to go traips and through them in the dark? He looked around at the others. We need a plan. Thoroughal hogs are smart. They have a great sense of smell,

a downright uncanny when it comes to spy and traps. Any thoughts or suggestions? The game warden captain in charge of organizing the volunteer hunters took up the gauntlet. We have enough people to make a tiger hunt. No elephants but a couple of master trucks may do the trick. The discussion went on for quite. a while. At least they finally had a specific location to search. If the party had been attacked,

it had happened in daylight, so they must have been near a wallow or a den. The plan would cover of both a search and rescue operation and a hunt. So they all went to their various sleeping arrangements confidently and satisfied. Before dawn, the entire emergency response group was on hand for a briefing to include assignments. The mission would combine looking for the missing team members as well as trying to locate the hogs. The sheriff filled them in on the attack on the security guard. The security guard from one of the local companies was slaughtered the other night, and his golf cart was shattered and scattered.

Some of you may know him. I've heard his buddies call him call him. His real name was Fredericks. He paused and looked around for confirmation. There was none. There was another video recording. From the building, very clear. The big boar looks to stand around five feet at the hunt.

on his shoulders and weighs in a good 800 to a thousand very lean pounds. The tusks are abnormally long and there's an odd lump between his eyes. This master doesn't need the saber-tooth tusk to kill. It needs only to trample or crush. Now, time is short. We'll meet at the base for the ridge in ten minutes. Well, he knew it would take longer, but he needed them to comprehend the urgency. Everyone will shake out in a line.

As we proceed, you will stay inside the side. You will stay inside of the team members to your left and right. While time is a factor, safety is the greater consideration. Stay on line with the others. I cannot stress that enough. We've set up two all-wheel-drive vehicles with shooting platforms on the other side of the ridge and at the bottom. They're already in place on the other side of the ridge, ready to ambush the killers once we flush them. If we fail to locate and neutralize the hogs, we may be able to drive them into range of our shooters.

Once we've crested the ridge, we'll disqual to. send only a short way down the other side. We do not want anyone in the line of fire of the shooters on the trucks. By the way, don't worry about making noise. The more the better. Might as well drive the monsters ahead. Just a reminder, they are aggressive and may turn back on us, so be ready. He answered a few questions, and then they were off on the hunt for the saber-tooth hawks.

It took longer than anyone hoped to get everyone lined up and moving, but once they started, it went mostly to plan. About 15 minutes in, a shot rang out near the north end of the line, followed by the staccato sound of several more rounds from different calibers. That stopped everyone in their tracks, as per the plan. It was hard for the team members to restrain themselves from sprinting to the aid of those who had fired. However, the firing stopped abruptly after the initial bursts. Then the waiting began. Shortly, the sheriff sent over the radio, that all was well, but that one sector had encountered an extra large nutria that had attacked a team member. He requested that the team leader from the game wardens respond. He gave the order

to move forward again, and everyone did so, on much higher doses of adrenaline. Just over the ridge, a team a little south of the crest came across a large tree that blocked their progress. They found weapons and a few other inedible items, large pools of dry blood and awful. The area a stack and flies that had grown to the size of horseflies buzzed around the sticky mess. This caused another brief pause and evidence texts were deployed to the scene. Once they arrived, the line completed its push. No one had spotted the pigs. SWAT officer Jenkins, who was an assigned sniper, lay prone on his mobile shooting platform. His spotter, Officer Tran, stood to shake off fatigue and to maintain a better view.

There was a secondary spotter, a local hog hunter on the platform, and the driver sat stoically in his seat, looking around in every direction he could. Their vehicle was positioned closest to the river. It sat on oversized wheels and tires, so everyone was reasonably high off the ground. They were all pretty tired since they'd left late the night before to get into position in time for the early hunt. Well, it was a waking shock when they heard the radio traffic about the fate of the missing party. Jenkins thought, How many more? Soon he could hear the noise of the beaters

as they came to a stop, a safe distance out of the line of fire from either truck. The sheriff came over the radio and told the beaters to make some noise. The first responders yelled and clapped their hands and whistled along with most of the volunteers, but sure enough, a few of those Yahoo's fired rounds. Apparently, they didn't understand the concept of gravity.

The rounds had to come down somewhere, and there were far too many people in the area. There was a quick and angry broadcast of cease fire, repeated until well after the last show. This was followed by a tense reminder that firearms were to be used only when they faced a life-threatening situation. At least the way it isn't boring, he thought as he looked up and winked to Officer Tran, who smirked, shook his head and mouthed. That was when a rumble of hooves and a loud boom erupted from. the passenger's side of the truck, and the entire vehicle tipped a little toward the driver's side. There was another rumble of hoops, and before the vehicle could tip back, an even greater impact.

This time it tipped most of the way. Grunting squeals, deepened and increased in volume to a surrealistic level, roared as another impact finished the job and rolled the truck onto its side, and then onto its top. The bore and the larger, oh, the cell, stood looking on in satisfaction. their long hair was matted with marred from their early morning wallow it spotted the ambush on the way back to the den and decided to conduct one of their own they had left the younger sail down by the river she was slow and gravid getting ready to have her little ones in the truck the driver dangled upside down caught in his seat-belt officer tran and the civilian hunter had fallen when the truck rolled the hunter had jumped free but lost his life Tran and Jenkins managed to end up on the ground with the bed of the truck and the roll-bar keeping the mass above them. Tran was curled around a broken arm.

Jenkins, while stunned by the suddenness of the attack, still had hold of his rifle. He turned dizzily toward the two brutish swine. The big male eyed the truck and poured at the ground. The sow had started a loping rug that would build up momentum for another strike. As she came around face forward, Jenkins had time to get his muzzle in line and fire. He fired two more rounds in quick succession, and the sow screamed as the fifty-caliber rounds struck her in the chest and penetrated her vital organs. Her carcass skidded to a stop about a foot from the side of the truck, and Jenkins's view was entirely blocked. He rolled toward the driver's side and scrambled through his feet.

Tran! He reached under the truck and grabbed hold of Officer Tran's collar. He pulled backwards as hard as he could to get clear of the truck. If the ball flipped the truck over again, they would have made it. Instead, there was a loud crash from the front of the truck, and the front end, engine and all, spun towards them at tremendous speed. The impact sent both men sprawling into the underbrush. Both of them stunned and helpless.

Jenkins could hear the sounds of shouts and the rumble of many running feet as the beta crew poured down the ridge to rescue them. He managed to open his eyes and looked toward the ruined truck. Just as the bore rounded the front and glared at him with furious eyes, the truck had made a full 360-degree turn with the top of the cab as an axis. The bore poured at the ground, bristled its mane, and then, just as it squatted to begin a trampling charge, a shot ran, followed rapidly by eleven more.

Boar stumbled away from the cab area of the truck and fell onto its side. Everyone had forgotten about the driver, who carried a forty-five-caliber pistol with high-powered ammunition. He emptied the entire magazine into the neck of the monster hog from no more than three feet, and he was a good shot, despite being shaken and dizzy and dangling upside down. The saber-tooth horror struggled to regain its feet, though it bled profusely. About that time, the beaters and the hunter, who'd been thrown clear when the Porcine Terrace hit the truck, arrived and added their own rounds to the mix, and eventually the boar hog stilled and expelled its last breath. The photos and video footage were impressive.

The haired would eventually be mounted at the sheriff's office and featured an election post of photos. Jenkins and Tran made a full recovery, and the shy driver, hunter, ended up making the talk shows as the hero that brought down the saber-tooth feral hog. The funerals for the party of dead searches were mass. and vied with election news coverage in the media and social media for the next two weeks. Hunters were scheduled to come in and remove or destroy the other affected fauna. The only argument was which agency would pay for the hunters. On the other side of the San Jacinto River, the younger cell nursed her litter. Their new den was a little low-lying and swampy for her tastes,

but she would tolerate it until the piglets were weaned. That would best be soon, she thought, in Porkanese. my little balls already have tusks, and they're uncomfortable to suckle. I hereby declare that I have been clearly informed about the nature and method of the study, as described above. I voluntarily agree to participate in this study. I retain the right to withdraw with this consent without having to give a reason. I realize that I can stop the study at any time.

My personal data will not be viewed by third parties without my permission. Sign here. Ah, the same old blah, blah as always. As a psychology student, I participated in dozens of these studies already. I even conducted two myself. One more boring than the other. Decades ago, some insane findings were found through psychological studies. Just think of the Stanford Prison Experiment or Milgram study on conformity.

Nowadays, nothing remotely interesting is possible because of all the ethical regulations you have to follow. A woman, maybe thirty, with short black hair and a lab coat, welcomed me at the entrance of the social studies lab and walked me to the waiting room. Hi, I'm Judy and thank you so much for participating in this study. Are you a student? she asked with a friendly smile on her face. I am but I'm already in my third year so I'm not participating for credit, I responded. I'm about to finish my degree. The only thing left is my thesis and I'll finally

be free. However, this means that I have hardly any time to work, so I could certainly use some extra cash. Watch a documentary at the lab, 50 euros or five credit points. Well, that's what the flyer had said. That's great. Then you probably already know how these things go. The process today will be as follows. You will watch a documentary for one and a half hours together with a different participant. After that, you will each be guided to your own cubicle, where you will do a few computer tasks and fill in a short survey. Your participant number today is ten. Please remember this number to ensure anonymity. Use these numbers with the other participant as well.

Please don't exchange real names. Do you have any questions so far? I had no idea. I'd be watching a documentary with a different person, but figured that it was probably a part of the study. to see how people interact in a setting like this or who knows what let's have some hidden intention with these studies now sounds easy enough i said after i signed the informed consent form

we walked to one of the rooms of the lab lab makes it sound somehow cool and fancy but it's just a few boring rooms in the ugliest brick building on campus the other participant was already sitting on the sofa inside one of the lab rooms which reminded me of an old classroom without windows. Judy pointed me towards the sofa. I said hello and sat down next to him. For some reason he seemed really familiar, but I don't remember meeting him before.

Maybe he just reminded me of someone else, I figured. He looked like an average college student, young brown hair, Guns and Rose's t-shirt. The only thing that stood out to me was his extremely pale skin, which reminded me a little of myself. I never get a tan due to some weird blood issue that I was born with. The movie will start automatically in a moment. Please pay attention, as you will have to answer questions on it in the next part.

Judy turned the light down and left the room, closing the door behind her. What do you think this is all about? The guy whispered. Probably nothing. Maybe she's just observing us from next door, I joked. Oh, hey, that's my number, he said. pointed to my hand. Hmm.

The number nine was written on my hand with a sharpie. This is weird. I don't remember writing anything on my hand. If anything, it should be a ten, I said, slightly confused. It was pretty early and I was tired, but I would have remembered

writing a number on my hand. Maybe Judy secretly did that to screw with your head, he said, and laughed. The documentary started playing, and we stopped talking. I don't know you've ever participated in anything like this, but it always feels extremely awkward. Adding a stranger makes it even worse. Maybe that's what they wanted. I watched the TV, but this

documentary wasn't making any sense. It was just a number of frames of unrecognizable forms and colours, as if someone had run telitubbies through a blender, and it was combined with the weirdest music I'd ever heard. Was this thing broken? I wanted to say something, but the number nine guy was looking at it really focused. Oh, what the fuck? Nine suddenly broke the silence. Did you see that? I could tell he was breathing more heavily.

What do you mean? I was still whispering. That? That looked really fucked up. Didn't you see that frame? God, was that real? Okay, never mind. Sorry, I think it just surprised me.

I tried to focus some more. make some sense of this video that was definitely no documentary. And that's when I noticed it. For a tiny second, there was a word shown. Oh shit, I blinked too soon. It's a blaring on message or a prime. I kept my eyes open and stared at the screen. Another word.

Cerebrum, followed by more happy colours and then moors. Now, cerebrum had something to do with the brain, but what's more? There again. Oh, fuck. Did you not see that? Those words, I asked. Words? No.

The pictures. I mean, did... That's when the TV suddenly shut off and the door opened. Judy was standing in the doorframe, smiling. This was the first part. Would you follow me to the cubicles now? with a weird feeling I got up and followed her. The three of us were standing in front of the doors of the open cubicle rooms.

You'll be in room one, she looked at me, and you in number two. The program is already running. Instructions are included in there. I went inside the tiny windowless room, filled with fluorescent light, and sat down behind the computer. The door behind me shut. Hmm, okay. This experiment feels a little weird, I thought.

But I only had to finish these few tasks, and then I could leave. Well, I imagined I'd have to answer questions on that unsettling film, but instead I was instructed to do some implicit association test. You will now be presented with sets of either words or pictures. If you associate the concept with something positive, press the left arrow key. If you associate the concept with something negative, press the right arrow key. Well, it started off pretty normally. Photos of flowers, storms and clothes.

But then it got weird. A smiling face. Left. A bloody knife. Right. A shattered building. Right. Free will.

Right off. Left. God. Left. Left. Sacrifice. Left. Left.

murder left shit this was going fast someone wearing a venetian mask with bloodstains right the same person stabbing someone

right again the same person looking straight into the camera right right right what was this the masked person holding the knife to his own throat I press left I was starting to sweat.

This didn't feel normal. It changed back to text. You enjoyed that? I didn't press anything. This was not normal. Don't look away. I wasn't pressing anything anymore. More unsettling photos started to appear.

A little girl biting into something that looked like an organ. A heart? dozens of organs piled up the girl now wearing the mask and laughing from that point on it only got worse i saw things that i will never forget pictures so disturbing i can't even describe them words i didn't recognize but something inside me knew they were wrong i felt like i was about to throw up i got up my leg shaking I'd had enough. This study was sick. I stumbled back to the door and tried to open it,

but it was locked. Suddenly, the computer made a loud, shrill noise. The screen changed to another photo. It was me, wearing that mask and smiling. And then a photo of the other participant, number nine. Looking into the camera with blood all over his face. Another photo of me holding a knife to my throat What was going on here?

I slowly walked towards the screen I was feeling dizzy Thank you for finishing part one We'll see you again when you wake up for part two I realize that I can stop the study at any time I had a hunch this wasn't true When I stood behind the locked door of the cubicle I knew it wasn't true when I woke up in a street

strange hospital bed. Oh, you're awake. Oh my God. I've been waiting to talk to you for so long. You're like a celebrity. I slowly came to my senses. In front of me I saw a girl sitting on my bed with a big smile on her face, but this smile didn't feel warm. It was the same weird smile that Judy had, like the Cheshire Cat. She was wearing a clean purple shirt and purple pants, which looks somehow familiar. And then I remembered, that's what I was wearing in the photo where I held a knife to my throat.

I looked down and noticed that I was wearing the same clothes, but mine were white. White as everything else in this room. Clean, sterile, except for the blood crust on my inner elbow. There was a syringe tucked to my arm. Bandage wrapped around it.

I started panicking. I pushed the covers away and tried to get up, but I felt too weak. Where am I? I mumbled. You're in the psycho lab, silly. Welcome back. Her blonde hair looked thin. Her face pale, but her smile only got bigger.

She must have been in her mid-twenties, but the way she taught made her sound like a teenager. Ten! That is so impressive. There's only one other person that got so close, and... Ten? I interrupted her. That's the participant number they gave me.

Do they talk you about this? They do the same experiment to you. My heartbeat was racing. It's on your arm. It looks permanent. I guess this is your final one. Congrats. She was right.

On the spot that had said nine yesterday, there was now a ten. But this one looked like a tattoo. Permanent. Had that happened yesterday? I felt extremely confused. My head was heavy. I felt like throwing up.

I was at the end of the study. I did the task and... That's the last thing I remembered. They must have drugged me and brought me here. There are some studies that they conduct in the hospital where they test new medications or do sleep experiments, but this isn't possible. I did not give consent to be drugged

and brought to a creepy hospital. There's no way the university would allow this. This wouldn't get past any ethical committee. These people, they had something awful in mind. I had to get out of here. A thought hit me. Nine. Maybe they brought him here as well.

What does the number mean? I asked carefully. I didn't feel like I could trust her. She seemed too okay with this situation, but I had to find out as much as I could. Geez, did she forget everything? Well, that's your trials. I have two, look.

She held her arm in my face, which had the number two tattooed on it. Most people are twos or even once. Some threes. I'm actually happy I'm a two. It means I'll get my treatment soon. And after that, she jumped up and walked back to her own bed. Ten trials?

had I been here before? You said there's one other person that got close. Yes, it's ten-nine. Can you please stop asking stuff now? The creepy smile finally disappeared from her face. Instead, she looked dead serious. They're in a different wing. They can't have high numbers talk to each other.

Now, shh. And after that, she turned her face away from me and lay down in her own bed. So the number on my arm had something to do with trials. Was this the tant of time I'd been here? I collected all my strength and got up. Number two seemed to have fallen asleep. Carried my body over to the window and looked outside.

Everything looked awfully normal. The sun was shining bright. There was a big green lawn with a small pond in the middle. On the other side, there were big houses that looked like family homes. the whole street looked like a regular part of town, though I didn't recognise this district. Maybe they brought me to a different city. I started shaking more. God, why was I feeling so weak?

I looked over to the houses, and the eyes of a person met mine. It was an older woman standing in one of the windows. I waved, cried, hit the window, but she showed no reaction. finally she smiled that Cheshire cat smile and waved back in the most calm way possible I broke down in tears I felt like I was sent to a different universe where everyone was bizarrely happy I had to get out of here I couldn't wait for part two of this experiment or for some treatments especially not after those photos so I made my way to the door oh please please please don't be locked, I muttered to myself. It opened. The feeling of relief rushed through my entire

body. Well, that changed quickly when I heard two shouting, help, come back, followed by a hysterical laugh. An alarm went off. Red light filled up the surroundings, but I couldn't stop now. I was standing in a hallway with more closed doors, probably more hospital rooms. From the end of the hallway, I heard some commotion. someone was on their way. I'm afraid to run into them. I opened the next best door. I found myself in another room that looked just like mine. I closed the door behind me and held my breath.

She ran out. She has to come back. I heard two's muffled voice behind the door. What do you mean? She walked out. Increase her dosage and then... The rest I couldn't understand, but I knew who it had come.

come from, Judy. Then, silence. They'd moved on. I walked over to the hospital bed in the middle of the room. There was only one person in here. Well, that's if you could still call it a person. This man looked completely drained out, as if there were only skin and bones left of him. He was wearing the same purple pants, but his exposed chest was full of cuts.

some stitched up some with bloody crusts on his arm there was the same two tattooed and next to it this sign but the most frightening part was his face he was wearing the venetian mask tears of desperation filled my eyes i was certain he was dead until his chest suddenly moved up his ribs sticking out even more he was breathing i jumped back when all of a sudden he was breathing i jumped back when all of a sudden his eyes opened in his mouth formed a smile, that same sick smile. Follow us. And with that, his eyes closed again. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had something to do with this. I'm sure it was him I'd seen on the photos. And I had pressed left, get help. I stumbled back to the door. There was no noise coming from outside, so I carefully opened the door and walked out. Oh, there you are. Hope you're ready for part two now. Judy. She was standing right in front of me, looking joyful as always. There was no way for me to

escape, I realized, and two male nurses moved towards me. I thought about fighting them, finding a way to trick them, but I realized there was no hope. But I was too weak, and there were three of them. So I followed them. Followed them. Followed them. down the hallway silently, crossing more rooms which I could only imagine were containing more participants. I numbly followed them through this gigantic, sterile hospital until we walked into a room that felt completely out of place. It was beautiful, old-fashioned movie theatre, with red satin chairs and a screen as big as a wall at the end. The whole theatre was empty, except for one person sitting in the front row. The men led me to ward him.

On the back I couldn't recognize anything. But then I saw his face, bloody, beaten up. In his arm the same syringe. Number nine. Her eyes met, but his looked empty, absent as if something had drained the life out of him. I tried to speak, but didn't know where to start. Then I saw Judy standing right in front of us, behind her the big screen. What did you do to him? I shouted.

Now, now, let's all stay calm here, all right. He did this to himself. We never heard our participants, especially not the most valuable ones. And now, quiet. I'm about to start with my speech. I could swear her smile disappeared for a second, but there it was again.

Welcome to the Cyclone, she continued in a cheerful voice. or should I say welcome back? She turned to me and winked. It was quite the trip, wasn't it? Oh, well, you don't remember. Her laugh echo throughout the whole room. Let me just say that you've been the most toughest of nuts to crack so far, but we would not expect any less from you.

Our two alphas. Most of our participants are, well, let's say more simple-minded. One or two trials and they give themselves. over entirely. But this is about you. I can't wait for us to start the next part. The next chapter. Are you ready for the show? Stop. Stop. I want out. Please let me go. I won't. I wait. Oh, Judy sighed. For the first time, she looked irritated, almost angry. Really? You made it so far, past so many rounds. And now, of course you are always free to go.

but think of all the progress you've made. Progress? What are you talking about? I stood up from my chair. I don't ever remember coming here. Well, you did. You came here nine times. Nine times you decided to stop and leave at some point.

But you always came back and you will again. We have your blood, after all. You saw the photos. We control you. Own you. Of course you could just save yourself the trouble and... I want to go! I shouted and looked over to number nine. Come with me! We need to find you a doctor!

I tried reaching for his arm. His eyes met mine once more. His gaze even more hopeless now. He looked at Judy and shook his head. I want to see the show, he whispered. Don't worry, love. We have enough doctors here. We'll take good care of him. Now off you go. Next time you can skip part one.

Just come straight back here. We'll keep your bed warm. I hereby declare that I have been fully informed about the nature and method of the study, as described above. Couldn't believe they just let me leave. No fighting. No discussion.

They just opened the door and I walked out. Of course, I knew it couldn't be this easy. There was a brief moment where I wondered if I'd, I imagined all of this, but as I stepped out of the door of the hospital and breathed in the fresh air, I knew this was real. I could feel it. I walked out carefully, too scared to make sudden movements, wondering if this was still part of the experiment. I felt like a rat in a cage, thinking it's free, while scientists are looking down on it, measuring every little decision. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't comprehend. Why would they let me go? Why did they let me leave nine times before? Why did they not wipe out my memory? I had to get answers, figure out the purpose of this study. But first, I needed to get help.

It was already getting dark when I left the building. I tried to find some sort of orientation, but I was so tired and weak. I had no idea when I'd last eaten or drank anything. My best choice was to walk to one of the homes. Hope some of you will let me use their phone and not think I was. some kind of lunity. All houses were lit up, so I walked towards the closest one and looked through the window. The family was sitting around a table inside, about to have dinner. I rang their bell impatiently. Once, twice, three times. Nothing. I could clearly see them inside. I could

even hear the bell, but they showed no reaction. Feeling a little creeped out, I made my way to the next house, were exactly the same thing. happened at the third house as well that's when i realized i had to get further away i don't know if they put something in the water or what happened here but but everyone seemed to be a mindless zombie they had photos of me where i did things i could never imagine doing i had more control than i want to admit i had to get far away and so i ran the anger seemed to give me strength i didn't realize i had running until I saw another light in the distance. It was a cafe.

When I got closer, I noticed there were a few people sitting inside, chatting and drinking while the server took orders. It seemed normal. Not normal like the maniacs in the homes, but genuinely normal. I stopped myself from running inside. First, I had to calm down and think. They seemed normal, but I didn't. I was dressed in white hospital clothes,

had a syringe stuck to my arm and was about to burst in and talk about some organ-stealing cultist hospital. I needed to come up with a somewhat believable story. Otherwise, I would just end up being sent to the nearest hospital and that was the last thing I wanted. I removed this syringe, took a deep breath and walked him. Well, is everything all right?

The gentleman at the counter asked, with a worried tone in his voice. Hello, I hate to him. to be bothering you like this, but I was just walking home from my work at the hospital when I was robbed. They took my bag and even my shoes. Could you maybe call the police for me? Well, I knew this sounded weird, but it was all I could come up with. God, that sounds awful. Of course, it's no trouble at all. Have a seat. You look exhausted. Can I get you a glass of water? He said, and for the first time today, I felt like a sore person

with a real smile. That would be really nice. Thank you. So I waited for the police, starting to feel more relieved. Until I turned around and looked at the other guests and their smiles. They were all staring at me. One of the guests stood up and walked over to me. Tanner, why are you here? Are you dumb? Go back. You deserve it. Go back! The other guests shouted in unison. A friendly man behind the counter was nowhere to be found. Where did he go?

I slowly stood up. I had to get out of here. That's when I saw the police car parked out front. I ran outside towards the officer. After talking to me for a little while, he offered to give me a ride to the police station where I could make an official statement. I decided that this was the best option for me now.

Once there, I could call someone I trusted. you know what you don't look like you've been robbed he said as he started driving what do you mean i was worried he might think i broke out of a mental institution well i don't see any cuts that's when i noticed the number on his own three welcome back police again i guess i prefer the times you called your friends oh the look of desperation and betrayal when you realized you couldn't trust anyone. Judy was already standing in the front of the hospital door, waiting for me. No words, she continues. Okay, well, you can stay outside or come back in, and we'll have a little chance. There is no escape. No way out. Not until I know what is going on here.

We were back in the theatre, this time just the two of us. Did I come back to this hospital every time? I asked. Yes, but we sent you home afterwards to start over. With part one of the experiment. Yes, we wanted to change variables. See what happens. The first time you were alone. You watched the documentary and felt so sick that we had to send you home immediately.

Of course, you forgot everything about it and signed up again. After you see it once, there is no going back. She wasn't even smiling anymore. What exactly is the documentary about? Anything you wanted to be? Have you ever heard of subliminal messages? Yeah, messages you don't consciously notice. Well, they're supposed to have an effect on you, but it's all bullshit.

I mean, like the drink Coca-Cola e-popcorn experiment. She laughed. Almost. Yes, those studies were bullshit. You don't buy more popcorn just because of a secret message embedded into the film. Subliminal primes lead humans to certain actions, however, when the message is goal directed. Imagine you are extremely thirsty, and you see the Coca-Cola message. You won't consciously notice it, but if you get a choice between drinks, you'll automatically pick the Coke.

It's supposed to be a freaking school lesson now. She laughed out again. This is why you're my favorite. So cynical. You don't get the point, though. The messages work when they're in line with your urges, your needs. We planted ideas in their head with the documentary. Ideas that were matched with their deepest wishes.

Then we showed them how to fulfill them. I was getting angrier by the second. So you're telling me that the people here want to kill themselves and give you their organs? They don't want to give away their organs. Don't be silly. They want to give away their minds. Those people, they don't want to make choices anymore. They're used to floating through life, always on autopilot.

All they use is system one, the first system in your brain. They don't need arguments or logic. Just a push in the right direction. Our messages work like wonders on them. They're ready to give themselves over. So what if some give us complete control of their bodies? Still their choice. You fucking bitch, it's not a choice

Where's the difference in falling for some advertisement on TV The choices are there All we do is give them some guidance How can you compare murdering people with falling for some shitty ads We're not murdering anyone As I told you before Everyone is free to leave whenever they want But they're happy here

And the mask The knife That was your idea I loved it When you came here on trial five Well Not explicitly But that's what we found when we looked for your deepest wishes

You're a psychologist Try to analyze it Not this hostility again See we perfectly match everything To our individual participants Some work better with visuals Some work better with symbols Everyone is different

As I said Some give them over entirely. They just want to stop thinking, well, these are our omegas. Others want some kind of purpose, so we give them work to do. As with our lovely police officers, all the friendly staff at the university, we call them our betas. And then there's the most elite group, the alphers. They like to take control. And with that, she pointed towards the door. Nine walked in. I don't know how they did it but you look completely okay again healthy happy even I looked over

while I heard Judy continuing her little speech the messages are only the first step we can show you everything else if you decide to stay there's only a very small group that won't give their mind over do you know how long it took me to get the two of you I need you together we can change everything I know you don't completely understand yet but We're making this world better. This is sick. Why would all these people just comply?

Finally, nine spoke. There is no option out. All you can do at this point is to enjoy the show. At least we get the better view. I voluntarily agree to participate in this study. That was it, and she knew it. The number was tattooed on my arm. My last trial was over and I was a part of the psych lab now.

Now it was time to take the control that I deserved. There was an alpha after all. But first, I had to get through this show. You know, it's not that difficult to deceive people. You just need to understand them. Get inside their heads. And you can nudge them towards changing into anything you like. If you make them feel like they're part of an elite group,

they'll start depending on it. If there is an authority, they'll follow without asking questions. Next you give them a role, a purpose, and you make this a part of their identity. What if you had something to distinguish them from others, like put numbers on their arms? Have you ever taken part in an initiation ceremony, like hazing for a fraternity? You wouldn't go through the humiliation if you didn't really want it deep down, right? After breaking your will, they will get your eternal loyalty. They make you do horrible things, but tell you to remember that they're always voluntarily.

It's an illusion. The choice is an illusion. They tell you there's nothing wrong with your blood being taken from you. Try this medicine. It will make you feel amazing. We'll give you some of this every time you help. Doesn't it feel nice to help? But it's not helping you. Only that. Of course, not every person will fall for persuasion or deception. We're at our most vulnerable when we start spacing out.

Do you sometimes go to the kitchen and forget why? Say, but then you realize you actually heard what the other person said. Or sit in your car and reach your destination even though you weren't focused on driving at all. If you make sure you're conscious, make your own decision, then you can shield yourself from the the manipulation. Do you remember why you came here? Why you're doing this? Why you're looking at this? When was the last time you made your decision? You are different? You're not numb yet. Be conscious. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. You don't want to be here. You never wanted to. You are intelligent. You understand how this works. You can break out. Well, I tried as much as I could to talk over the music cover from the speakers of the theatre to get into his head, but he wasn't even looking at me. His eyes were glued to the screen, hypnotised. This is probably the reason Judy had left the theatre. Whatever is happening on that screen, it changes people. It is why I had to keep my eyes online and underwent.

no circumstances look at the screen. The sound was drilling its way into my brain, even through the napkins that I stuck in my ears. Luckily, I come prepared. While the gentleman at the cafe was talking to the police and the guests were watching him, I quickly grabbed a knife from behind the counter. That's what happens when people don't think for themselves anymore.

They get careless. And Judy was the most careless one, with her arrogant attitude. Of course, this show had worked the last time, so I couldn't completely blame her. I had to be fast, so I got the knife out and held it to his throat, ready to cut. The screen turned black. The movie was over. She screamed when she stepped into the theatre. Seeing Nine, one of her beautiful alphas lying there on the ground in the puddle of his own blood, must have surprised even a cold-ass bitch like her.

The first moment of shock quickly turned into euphoria. She stared at me while I was sitting peacefully on one of the chairs. The blood smeared on my white hospital gown, not showing any sign of remorse. Ten is higher than nine, right? He was weak. I am not. I won. I said, come.

Leave us alone, she directed at the two nurses behind her. A hysterical laugh escaped from her mouth. I told you you were my favourite. He'll do great here. We will. She was hunching over his body, looking for an indication on how I was able to conduct this brutal murder. So distracted,

that she didn't notice the knife that was being stabbed into her gut. Again, and again. As I said before, distraction can work wonders. You're right. She was an arrogant bitch. So what do we do now? Nine pushed Judy's lifeless body away from him and slowly gone up. I'm a little dizzy after losing all this blood. You know how villains always give away their entire plan? They are so proud of what they come up with that they have to share it. As we know from basically every superhero movie, that's their biggest misstep. That's how they lose. Judy was so proud that I'd come back

that I was defeated and would never leave this place and so she told me all about her vision how she had run this entire operation on her own slowly building up an army of sheep she would brainwash them into thinking they were part of the glorious new life part of a new era except none of them were using their own minds they were her little puppets

The useful ones worked for her, the less useful ones were harvested. Selling organs is quite the lucrative business, and slowly she'd taken over the entire town. But she needed to grow. Branch out, and for that she needed help. So she came up with a plan to recruit a new puppet master. Two had made it far enough. Now it was up to them to decide who would be the number one. Except, I didn't want to be part of her team, and neither did I, or Josh, after he woke up from his hypnosis.

There are different ways to convince someone with facts, but most people won't even listen. Something else you can do is to evoke a strong emotion in them, like fear. Then you take it away, and just like that, the action that your body was getting ready for isn't necessary anymore, creating a void. a moment in which the brain isn't active. The perfect moment to get to the subconscious and influence someone. He was certain he would die in that moment when I held the knife to his throat. When he didn't, all I did was step back and ask for his name. He seemed to snap him out of the trance.

At least we used the syringe and didn't cut you up. You should feel lucky, I answered. He was right, though. What was next? you planning on getting out? The hospital is filled with her followers, he said. Just look at our arms. We're the highest numbers now. They'll follow us. For now, all I know is that I won't use this place to take away the organs of innocent people. They deserve better. They may not understand what's best for them yet, but whatever it is, I'll do a better job than Judy.

Sometimes you can't give people a choice Not if you truly want to make the world better But, well That's something I'll need to test If you'd like to help I could certainly use some participants Grandpa Henry was a reclusive man He didn't just like being left alone

He hated people with a burning passion Something I'm sure was greatly responsible For his ruthless business practices That helped him turn his father's well wealth into an eye-popping fortune. Society returned a favour, and he turned into an angry, friendless man by the time retirement came calling. Out of work, out of people who gave a shit, stuck in an increasingly loveless marriage, he became more and more like Ebenezer Scrooge as time went by. After Grandma Nancy passed away, he decided he'd had enough of humanity, and retreated

to his large manner out in the wilderness. Away from the prying out, his own. of his mostly greedy family, rival capitalists and intrusive journalists, fully embracing the hermit lifestyle. So, unlike Mr. Scrooge, there was no one around him for miles to try and melt his frigid heart, and he died as he lived, cold and alone. It had been well over a decade since I'd last seen him. Hell, I was still in high school. At that time, my parents dragged me to his palatial house and forced me to smile and deal with his loathsome attitude. He'd growered. I stumbled, picked thoughts with every little thing my mum did. I went on bizarre, bigoted rants.

It was just unpleasant. I only realised this morning when I was packing my bags that it was the last time I was ever going to meet with him. Well, I couldn't work myself up to tears, but I did feel some semblance of guilt welling within me for completely ignoring him. It was my dad who told me about his passing. Everybody wanted a slice of the pie

that Grandpa Henry was going to serve after he done. and my father was no difference, being barely able to contain his glee when he invited me to attend his funeral, and, more interestingly, the reading of his will later on in the evening. I'd made up my mind to skip the whole thing, as I had a very important meeting on the day of the funeral, but mostly because I wanted to avoid the inheritance-related family drama that was bound to follow the reading of the will. My girlfriend Allison was the one who made me change my plans, fascinated as she was with the prospect of visiting a Victorian-style manner. So, is it as beautiful and romantic as you'd imagined?

I asked as I drove up the winding road, the tires kicking up dust as they crushed the gravel underneath. She grinned. It truly was a beautiful sight, undulating hills covered in grass that curved and warped as frosty winds danced on them, rolling hills that surrounded the summit on which Grandpa Henry had built his little palace. I slowed down as we came closer to our destination, taking the time to properly drink in the view. Towering turrets that thrust up into the bright moonlit sky, like spears of ancient warriors, arched glass windows proudly looking down upon the well-maintained garden, enclosed by a sturdy wall that finished its circumscribing journey on a wrought iron gate. It was a place that had stood the test of time,

maintaining its dignity and poise throughout. snow-capped peaks that were barely visible at this time of night dotted the distant landscape behind the imposing manner completing the picturesque scenery oh my god alison giggled your grandfather even had a butler sure he did frank was the only person in the world who could tolerate grandpa's surly and entitled attitude without devolving into fits of uncontrollable rage or so i'd heard he fiddled with the buttons of his black suit and then brought his gloved hand out to open Allison's door when I brought the car to a home. Good evening, ma. He greeted her warmly before turning to me. Good evening, sir. Please head to the living room up ahead. Everyone is waiting for you.

I shivered as the cold air stabbed at my skin. Oh, are we really the last to arrive? I could hear the murmuring as I hopped the short stairs to the front door. The chattering instantly stopped as I soundless. pushed the door open, and more than a dozen heads swung in our direction. Wood crackled and burned in the fireplace, desperately trying to sweep aside the awkward silence with its dying embers. I held the door open, allowing Allison to walk before me, who smiled and thanked. Well, well, well, well, looks like the prodigal son has arrived,

finally decided to join us vultures, have you, to see what dear father left for you? Good to see you, too, Uncle Freddy. I greeted the blonde, boarding man, wearing a bright red sweater. My father's younger brother was as caustic as ever. Oh, cut it out, Freddy, my mum said as she came and gave me a hug, before helping us put our coats away. I shook my father's hand, waved at my sister and her husband, and then went and sat on one of the empty couches, pulling Allison close to me. Can we please get started with what we came here for? Uncle Freddy asked, annoyed. "'Jonathan.'

He looked at a man in a grey suit who nodded and stood up. "'Good evening, everyone.' He said as he stood near the fireplace, such that all eyes in the spacious room were on him. "'I am Henry's lawyer. "'Here to tell you the terms of his will. "'I'll keep it simple, since it's best not to waste time.' "'Three hundred million dollars,' he continued.

"'That is the sum total of Henry's movable and immovable assets, and that is what is at stake here tonight. Damn, that's a lot of money. Way more than I was expecting, and if the furious whispers around me were anything to go by, I wasn't the only one feeling this way. Jonathan cleared his throat, and the room went silent again. Now, as is written in the will,

all of that money will go to the winners of the inheritance game that you will all participate in tonight. What? the game what's the meaning of this is this a joke the voices rose with everyone shouting to make themselves

heard over the din which in turn got even louder increasingly sounding like the buzzing of a giant nest of bees that someone had chucked a stone at Jonathan tried to get them to quiet down but no one bothered to listen so he threw his hands up in frustration and walked out before coming back into the room

this time flanked by two men wearing goat-mars and carrying 12-gauge pump-action shotguns. A sudden, fearful silence fell upon the room like a thick, suffocating shroud as people tried to make sense of this strange sight. Now, I'll explain the rules of the inheritance game to you. Please don't interrupt me. I'll take any questions you have after I'm done speaking, Jonathan said, authoritatively. Your family's a bit weird, Alison chuckled nervously, and I held her hands. tightly in a reassuring manner. Jonathan began explaining the rules of the game, and everyone listened in a shocked silence, barring a few gasps in some, oh my God's here, and some smug,

disbelieving snorts there. Well, I'll transcribe the rules here as best as I can remember them. Everyone sitting in the room plays the game, regardless of their age. To win, survive until the crack of dawn at 6 a.m. The inheritance money will be seen. split equally among all those who survive. Escaping or attacking the administrators will result in immediate disqualification and on-the-spot execution. Intentionally damaging the cameras will result in the same. At least one less than half the players must die. If that doesn't happen by the morning, everyone will be executed and the money goes to the

board of directors of the company. Each murder costs ten million dollars, i.e. for each person. person you directly kill, you lose $10 million of your share of the inheritance money. Weapons can be bought from the inventory shack near the swimming pool in the backyard, using the inheritance money. Caution. If the amount of money you've spent or lost exceeds the share of the inheritance you'll receive if you survive, then you too shall be executed. On the other hand, your expenses have no impact on the inheritance

other surviving players will receive. If more than half of the players agree, some or all of the rest can be removed from the game and executed, and no amount will be deducted from your inheritance. You must get the signatures of the needed number of players on a piece of paper, along with the names of those you want to remove from the game, and submit it to the inventory shack. For a second after Jonathan had finished speaking, we gauped at him in amazement. Then everyone exploded in a thunderous uproar. Fear, disbelief, outrage. could find every flavour of emotion one can reasonably expect people to have in a situation like this. It was Uncle Mitchell, dad's youngest brother, who ended up becoming our unofficial spokesperson,

simply because of his volume. Oh, you can be fucking serious, Jonathan, he shouted, this is a disgusting fucking joke. Stop this and tell us about the real goddamn will. I'm afraid it is no joke, Jonathan replied calmly. and I shall make a demonstration of the seriousness of your situation. He signalled to the henchman on his right, who walked up and pulled his gun up. The shotgun rocked in his hand and boom, sending up a small cloud of smoke and making me momentarily death.

And almost instantly, Uncle Mitchell's head bloomed in the most grotesque red-colored flower I'd ever seen in my life. And then the screaming started. I think I must have been around ten years old when I went out and bought a copy of the 1987 Robocop movie and sneakily watched it along with my sister Paddy when our parents weren't home. That was the start of my obsession with blood and gall. I devoured every R-rated film that I could get my hands on. Not caring how trash the movie actually was,

as long as there was visceral gut-churning violence, well, I was game. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I thought I had a strong stomach for this kind of stuff, but I was wrong. Nothing prepares you for the real thing. Uncle Mitchell's head exploded, spraying blood and chunks of flesh and bone everywhere. There was an unwanted wetness on my face, and I had to blink my eyes to clear my vision.

I shook my head to get rid of the annoying ringing sound in my ears that accompanied the deafeningly loud boom of the shotgun, and then wipe my face. By the time I fought my way out of the disorientation caused by the gunshot, I saw there was complete pandemonium in the room. Uncle Mitchell's boyfriend, Wyatt, was emptying the contents of his stomach on the carpeted floor. Some of the guests were hysterically screeching their lungs off, while Jonathan and his two lackeys in the goat masks were already making their way out of the sliding glass door that led to the swimming pool.

Hey, hey, you okay, Allison asked, her beautiful raven hair now carrying streaks of a vile shade of crimson. I nodded. We're going to die. We're going to die. James, my brother-in-law whimpered on the couch, two of my left, as Paddy tried to comfort him. It was my dad who brought some order to the chaos. Ashen faced, hands trembling. He staggered past his brother's semi-headless corpse and clasped nervously as he positioned himself where the murderous lawyer had stood a couple of minutes ago.

I... I know, he croaked, before he took a deep breath and began speaking loudly. I know it's hard, but... This is not the time to grieve or lose our heads to fear. We need to think of a way out of this situation. What's there to think about? Spat Uncle Freddy. There were 18 of us are here. One less than half.

That is, at least eight need to die. Someone sobbed as he verbalized this. Seventeen, Patty said softly. There's only 17 left now. We can't kill each other. Uncle Brad, Grandpa Henry's oldest son, exclaimed. This is our fucking family. We're not going to slaughter each other over some sick fucking game.

What do you suggest we do? Smart ass. Uncle Freddy snapped. Hold hands and war to our deaths with a smile on our faces. Wyatt, Mitchell's boyfriend, started crying. There was a flash of disgust on Freddy's face. Well, we can try to escape, I offered. Run in different directions all at once.

They can't possibly have the necessary resources to track us all down simultaneous. and kill us, right? We run to a place where we can get a signal on our damn phones and get the cocks. And what if they do get to us? Uncle Freddy asked, pointedly. What if they kill us all? What then? I had no answer to that.

We can fight, Allison said, clutching my hand tightly. Everyone turned to look at her. We can all go and buy weapons from the infantry shack and use them to fight our way out. It's too damn risky, Freddy muttered, running his fingers through whatever little hair he had on his hand. They're watching us right now. They could kill us on the spot if we tried something like that. And what do you suggest we do, asshole?

Uncle Brad thundered. Because to me, it seems like you actually want to play this game. I can dare you. Please, my mom begged. Don't fight. Don't give them what they want. Freddy is right. I turned my head to see you had said that.

Cameron, Uncle Brad's son-in-law, stood up. All the suggestions that have been made here are great, honestly, but it's too risky. We can't. Too many variables. It's just... I understand that, son. It's...

Began, Uncle Brad. No, you don't, Dad. Cam cut him off harshly. No, you don't. Brandt is pregnant. We're going to have a chance. child. He put his hand on his wife's shoulder, who buried her head in her hands. Uncle Brad gawked at them as his wife cried out and hurried over to comfort their daughter.

An uncomfortable silence choked the conversation out of the room, and I sat there just staring at the soft, hypnotic flames in the fireplace. The wood crackled loudly and out of tune with my cousin sobbing. Hi, Cameron said, awkwardly breaking the silence. Um, I think we need some time to ourselves. How about we all go to our rooms and take some time to think? There's still time, right? The tension was somewhat diffused at that, and everyone began to get up. Not me, Freddy said obstinately.

I'm staying here to keep an eye on the back door. I can't trust you all not to sneak out and buy a weapon. Oh, geez, Freddy. My dad said, no one here is going to betray our family. you can't fucking know that yes i do whatever problems we might have i still have faith in this family you need to as well he didn't look like he was going to be convinced but one stern freddie from his wife and he reluctantly quit his grumbling and stomped upstairs to his bedroom the room that was assigned to us was on the ground floor itself i was listlessly walking towards it when alison poured my hand and dragged me off to the kitchen i looked at her confused as she furiously started digging through the various drawers.

What are you doing? I asked. Looking, she replied. She stood on her toes to look at the mostly empty shelves. All the knives have gone. There's nothing here that can be used as a weapon. Jesus, Sally. She jogged over to the stove and turned it on. Wow, this works. Why? A gas explosion would threaten the administrators to. "'Ally, what are you doing?' She stopped searching, then came over and hug me. "'I'm sorry. I was the one who forced you to come here.'

I wiped her tears away. "'It's okay. Let's just focus on surviving, yeah?' She nodded. Besides, Victorian mansions and murder mysteries have a very ancient relationship, so we can't be exactly surprised but this happened, right? She chuckled and buried her head in my chest. Okay, she said a couple of seconds later. Give me a brief overview of your family.

You know, who's who and all that, james. I raised my eyebrow. Just to know who can potentially vote us off the island. I nodded. Grandpa Henry had four sons. As Uncle Brad, his wife and their two daughters. Both married, including Brandy Hugh just announced, her pregnancy. Then comes my father. Two children, me and Patty. Then Uncle Freddy. He has one son,

Vincent, who came here with his boyfriend. And lastly there is, I mean, was Uncle Mitchell and his boyfriend, Wyatt. So there's four smaller families in this large one, she asked. I nodded. Six people each in Uncle Brats and my father's families. Four in Uncle Freddy's case. Wyatt, six, six, four, and one, she said. You need nine for a majority. Which means that assuming families stick together, any potential vote would basically be a face-off between our family and Uncle Brands. It's the only mathematical possibility, I replied.

The entire fight would be about getting the support of Uncle Freddy's family. Do you think Cameron knew this? Ali asked. Maybe that's why he split us up. to try and get Uncle Freddy's support? My eyes widened at the thought. What do we do? Let's take this one step at a time.

Who do you think Uncle Freddy will side with? I shook my head. I don't know. I mean, he hated Uncle Mitchell, thought that he was the one responsible for turning, Vincent, his son, gay. So he'll avoid siding with whichever group has Wyatt. But, well, Vincent owes a lot to Uncle Mitchell, and Wyatt.

"'My areas.' "'Well, they'd supported him when Freddy threatened to disown him for his sexuality. "'He wouldn't vote to kill Wyatt off that easily. "'So, if we get Wyatt and Vincent along with his boyfriend on our side, "'we'd have nine members,' Allison stated. "' Holy fuck, Allie. "'Are you really suggesting that we'd kill them off?' "'No,' she said loudly, and then lowered her voice.

"'No, but we can't force a stale. Even if Cam and Uncle Brad somehow managed to get Uncle Freddy and his wife on their side, they can't kill us off. They'd still be one member short. And we can then think about what to do afterwards. Going behind their backs would be a massive breach of trust. I warned. We have no proof that they're conspiring against us.

There's no harm in being cautious, she argued. Do you really want to be caught off guard and get killed over presumptions of family unity? This is our lives we're talking about here. what if our actions rouse their suspicions and even become the reason they decide to act against us i counted eh it's possible she agreed but we really can't leave this up to chance cameron will be desperate enough to do anything to protect his pregnant wife i mean wouldn't you do the same I swore. Okay, how do we do this? We can't just waltz into their room. Too suspicious.

Let's ask Wyatt to go and talk to Vincent and his boyfriend. They have a close relationship. It wouldn't be that weird if he's the one to talk to him, Allison said. Hmm. Then we go and speak with Uncle Freddy to see where his head's at, my addicts. We decided to split up. Allison went to talk to my parents and Patty about what we were planning on doing. Well, I chose to take the stairs and go up to Wyatt's room.

As I knocked on his door, I noticed movement to my right. It was Cameron, coming out of Uncle Freddy's room. He nervously nodded at me, and then scampered off. Not good, not good at all. The door opened, and Wyatt's disheveled and puffy face popped out of the darkness. It was evident he'd been grieving. "'Hey, Adam,' greeted weekly. "'Mind if I come in?' I asked hastily.

He nodded and moved back, letting me in. A couple of minutes later, I had informed him about our assumptions and intentions. His eyes growing more and more alert with each second, as he grasped the gravity of his situation. "'So you understand what we need to do, right?' I questioned. "'Frame it as a matter of saving everyone. Not a betrayal, okay?

He shook his head. I can try, but please be warned. Vincent and Freddie have a very complicated relationship. That boy craves his father's approval more than anything. He could easily be manipulated into doing something he would later regret. Even if his boyfriend objects? Yeah, and that would be enough to give them a majority and kill us all off. I understand.

I said. But it doesn't change the fact that we must try regardless. I got up, stretching my arms, which popped loudly. Okay, I'm going to leave now. Go to him a couple of minutes after that. If anyone else, tell them I was just checking up on you. I shook his hand and slipped out of his room and hurried downstairs, to find Allison waiting for me, panic evident in her eyes.

It's your dad, she said, scared. He's missing. What? I shouted, "'Shh, please,' she said, looking around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "'We don't know if someone from the family is responsible for it yet, or if he's just off somewhere doing whatever,

but regardless we can't let the others know. It'll weaken our position.' I ran past her, ignoring her warning and frantically checking for my father in every nook and cranny of this damned house. I saw mum outside her room, looking inconsolable as Paddy tried to reason with her, with her decidedly frightened-looking husband hovering around.

What in the fuck happened? I asked, slightly out of breath. Mom said she went to the bathroom to clean up, Patty replied. But when she came out, Dad was gone. We've looked all over, but we just can't find him, Allison added. Someone's got him, madam. Mom cried. They've killed him for the money. Oh, we don't know that. Have you looked up... I was cut off by loud, angry shouts from behind me.

I turned around and saw Cameron coming down the stairs, holding a piece of paper in his hand, with Wyatt begging and pleading along the way. The others were right behind him, scared, guilty, but also resolute. Things just keep going from bad to worse. Jesus Christ! James, Patty's husband, whispered, his voice trembling. I bolted towards the living room and quickly stood in front of the glass door, door that opened up to the pool.

Hey, hey, I shouted. Don't frickin' do this. Get out of the way, Adam, Cameron said. His voice low and teeth gnashed furiously together. I told you, I told you, Wyatt shouted. Step aside. I noticed a certain madness in Cam's eyes and realized with a sinking feeling

he was beyond the point where reason or logic sway in. You can't do this, Patty yelled. I'm sorry, but there's no other way, said Freddy as he nudged Cameron. You're killing us, Mom cried. You're killing us. She walked up to Uncle Brad.

Brad! When he turned away in shame, she pleaded to his wife. Samantha, please. Move. Cameron shoved me aside, making my ribs crash into the glass and walked past me. No, James slammed into him, and they both fell and started struggling with each other. Freddy tried to rush Cameron, but he was already held back by a desperate wyat.

The others just stood silently gorking at the spectacle. Adam! Allison screamed. We need to make that paper worthless. It's the only way. She picked up a wooden chair and began swinging it like a club. began to pound in my chest as it instantly became clear what she was asking of me. It would change everything, but it was the only way. My eyes hardened as I resolved myself to do the unthinkable. I walked away from the door and towards Anne Samantha.

She looked at me, confused, before her facial muscles contorted into an expression of disbelieving horror as she saw the look on my face and understood my intentions. I pounced on her, shoving her down to the ground, before wrapping my hands around her throat and began to squeeze so hard my fingers turned white. Everything had turned into white noise from me as I focused on the unholy task at hand. It was a marvel that no one dragged me off her. I didn't know it at the time, but Allison fought like a woman possessed to keep everyone away from me,

with Paddy and Mom doing their best to support her. the nerves in my arms bulged and the muscles surrounding them pulled and tightened so hard i felt like they were going to pop out of aunt samantha thrashed around like a fish out of water scratching at my arms to get herself free but the fight slowly but surely left her i squeezed and squeezed and squeezed till the light left her eyes and her arms dropped to her side cold and limp And then I squeezed some more, my fingers now digging into the flesh of her corpse. I had just killed someone. And it wasn't some random stranger off the streets that I dragged into a dimlyly alley and murdered for money, while using the cover of darkness to shield my conscience from the grotesque display. No.

It was my own Aunt Samantha, whose life I had choked out with my bare hands under the harsh, seemingly judgmental light of the ornate lamps that hung from the ceiling. Memories, ancient and unwanted, flashed through my mind, unbidden, as I knelt over her corpse, motionless. I could almost taste the cookies she used to love to make for us. Look away, now. I tore my gaze on the lifeless eyes that still glinted under the soft glow of the fireplace, took in the scene around me, which seemed to play in slow motion.

Allison was hovering around me protectively, brandishing a mangled, blood-stained chair as a weapon, while roaring like a lioness protecting her cubs, as she and an exhausted Wyatt, tried to fend off Uncle Brad, whose sharp blue eyes were filled with a sort of anguish I had never seen in my life, hinting at the deep wound I had inflicted on his very soul. I averted my own eyes quickly, before the guilt could successfully rip my mind to pieces. Uncle Freddy was sprawled on the ground nearby, unconscious, with blood gushing out of a gash on his forehead, ruining the expensive rug underneath. His wife, Aunt Susan, was on her knees beside him, worriedly checking his pulse.

Out in the backyard I could see my brother-in-law James, locked in a desperate struggle for survival with both Cameron and Aidan, Uncle Brad's other son-in-law. What in the world had happened to us? just a slight nudge and we descended into murderous madness with me taking the lead in plunging down to the deepest depths of hell why a loud splash of water jolted me back to reality he can't swim he can't swim a feminine scream from upstairs dashed down at us after james st Cameron flying into the pool with a solid kick to the chest

aidan wasted no time and dove in after him Uncle Brad, in a fit of monstrous rage, tore through the human barricade preventing his advance, and charged in my direction. I scampered off to the side, terrified more at the prospect of what I could potentially do to the grieving man than anything else, but I needn't have worried. It didn't come for me, but cradled his wife's head in his lap and sobbed uncontrollably. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Adam, the hand shook me.

"'Adam!' "'It was Wyatt's, looking at me wide-eyed. "'It's not over,' he whispered furiously. "'Gaylan didn't vote, but everyone else did. "'And now they outnumber us by one. "'We have to do something.' "'My eyes quickly swept the surroundings once again, "'sure enough, Vincent and his boyfriend Galen were nowhere to be seen.

"'Now, Adam,' Wyatt's voice trembled. "'That paper could still kill her. I understood. I nodded as I got onto my feet gingerly. Alison, get our people out of here. I'm going to be right back. How are people? When had my subconscious become comfortable with that distinction? My feet were moving before I even realised it. I bolted out the open glass door, the chilly mountain breeze crawling up my spine. I stumbled as I skidded on the slippery floor outside, but swiftly regained my balance and, we were to get me.

went running past the people huddled in a corner near the pool. He's going to the shack! Brenda, Uncle Brad's other daughter shouted. Stop him! But I was already upon the small brick and mortar guesthouse that had been renamed by our tormentors as the inventory shack. I nudged the door open, a bright white light came pouring out on the tile floor underneath my feet,

casually overpowering the weak moonlight already present there. I took a deep breath and stepped in. they'd hung a black cloth across the room effectively splitting it into two the only thing on my side was a chair and a table and frank grandpa henry's butler was sitting on the former i turned to my left and stared down the barrel of a shotgun frank i said accusingly good evening master adam he said jovially congratulations on being the first one to arrive at the infantry shack how can i help me you. You can start by asking this son of a goat-frikin whore to quit pointing a gun at me. I spat as I looked venomously at this masked asshole. A necessary precaution, he replied, dismissively waving his hand. So, you're interested in purchasing something?

He offered what looked like a menu of a high-end restaurant to me. I skimmed through it, noticing it listed guns and their prices. Just give me a shotgun. I snapped, tossing the menu down on the table. Which one? I'll take whatever the chef recommends. He nodded and then clapped his hands. Moments later, another scumbag in a goat mask walked out from behind the curtain,

holding a sleek black shotgun in his hand. This is the Mossburg 500, said Frank. It holds five shells. If you count the one in the chamber, that's six shots without reloading. I walk forward to take the first. gun. That'll be a hundred million dollars. Jesus Christ. Happy hunting, Frank added with a smile as I walked out of the shack, now a hundred and ten million dollars down, ready to stay my soul with the blood of some more family members. Aiden had successfully rescued Cameron and was now

performing CPR on him. I felt a painful tightening in my chest, as I realized I was going to make all his efforts useless. Brenda shrieked when she saw me. He's got a gun. Aidan, come on, we have to go, please. She pulled at her husband's arm, who refused to budge, so intent was he on saving his friend. I got closer, my footsteps now echoing off the floor. Adam, please, she begged. She begged. Don't do this. She looked at her husband again. "'Aden, let's go.' I caught my head, and looked inside the house, only to see Uncle Brad and the others scurrying in different directions.

My actions had caused total chaos. My head swooned, and my knees trembled as a massive explosion of guilt from deep within me threatened to destroy my control over my senses. Brenda finally made Aidan aware of the impending danger, stalking him, and dragged him off into the house. shouting expletives at me the whole way. I stopped near Cameron's wet body. A trail of water and saliva ran from the corner of his mouth,

all the way down to the ground. He coughed once, making his watery lungs gurgle. I aimed the gun at his chest. I hesitated. My sister, Alison, their lives were on the line. Cameron would do the same. No, he did do it. Only James and I didn't let him succeed.

My shoulders tightened as my finger near the trigger. Adam, please. I looked up to see where that muffled voice was coming from. Couldn't quite make it out from here, but I knew it was brandy, peering down at us from the darkness of her room upstairs. Please, she said hoarsely, as if every word pulled and scraped at her tired throat. We're going to have a child.

Let him go. Tears blurred my vision, and I faltered, but only for a second. I have to do this, Brandy. No, you don't, she cried. End this. We'll all run away together, just as you said. Please, just stop this. It's too late for that now, Brandy. No, it isn't. We can still...

I cut her off. Did you sign the paper? Silence. Well, did you? I asked again, sighing as I got no answer other than some pain-filled sobs. Please, look away, Brandy. You shouldn't watch this. Her screaming was almost as loud as the boom of the shotgun. I found them in our bedroom, looking extremely shaken. Allison jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around me when I entered the room.

I'm sorry, baby. She wept. I'm so sorry. It's okay, I said. I had to do it. It was the only way. That's not what she meant, Adam. Patty interrupted me. It's Mom. My heart skipped a beat. What about, Mom? They've taken her. Wyatt replied, nervously twiddling his thumbs as he paced around the room. Vincent came downstairs while you were in the shack and helped the others drag her upstairs after knocking around.

God damn it. Why didn't any of you fucking do anything? anything I yelled I was helping James I didn't pay attention patty replied softly brad hit Allison on the back of her head and I rushed to help her why it added look it just happened so fast man I turned and walked out of the room tightly clutching the shotgun in my hands as the others ran after me asking me not to be too hasty but I was blinded with rage first my dad goes missing now they dare to take my mom "'Mom, where are you?' I screamed as I entered the beautiful living room,

which was now marred with Aunt Samantha's corpse. "'Mom!' I yelled. "'Where is she? "'I'll fucking kill anyone who hurts her. "'Adam!' "'Someone shouted from above. "'She's here!' "'I recognise that voice.

"'It was Aidan. "'I should have shot that bastard when I had the chance.' "'Don't come up. "'I'll throw her out of the window,' he warned. It might only be the first floor, but let's see how her skull takes it if I drop her head first. My heart pounded as my body burned with anger. What do you want, Aidan? Alice and asked from beside me.

Fuck you, you psycho bitch. I'm not talking to you. What do you want, asshole? I spat. A simple exchange, he replied. Your mom? For your gun? "'Fuck no,' James swore under his breath.

"'Don't listen to this shit. "'Just go upstairs and shoot the fuck. "'I'll put my finger on my lip, and he shut up. "'How do we know you won't just kill us afterwards, Aidan? "'You'll just have to take that risk, I guess.' "'You can't expect us to agree on that,' Wyatt exclaimed. "'Silence followed that. "'I guess they were arguing about how to proceed.

A new voice joined in a couple of tense moments later. Hey Adam, it's me, Freddy. How about this? You leave the shotgun near the stairs and we'll come pick it up when we're dropping Daisy. Allison tugged up my arm and quickly whispered in my ears. Okay, I agreed. We'll do it, but the gun will be on the coffee table in the center of the room. Ah, it's fucking stupid, James Swede.

war, after we were sitting in our room, post the negotiations. If we're giving them the gun, we might as well write our own names on a piece of paper and take it to the damn chat. I'll do anything to save Mom, James. I replied, anything. But you're not, are you? You thick fuck. She'll just end up dead anyway. Don't worry. We're not going to die, Allison said, because we're not giving them a loaded gun. I think they may have guessed that. I think they may have guessed already, Patty said. Then why are they agreeing to this? They'll take a significant advantage away from us,

Ali replied. And don't forget, we're barely evenly matched at this point. Seven to seven. Foreign Uncle Freddy's family? Uncle Brad, his two daughters, one surviving son-in-law. And that's if we include your missing father and kidnapped mom, and exclude Galen who refused to vote to kill us. If we lose the gun, he changes his mind.

We could be back where we all started. Yeah, it would be hard for us to stop them this time, I added. Now that they know what I'm capable of. No, what we are capable of. Allison corrected me, she grabbed my hand reassuringly. It was a collective decision on our parts. We all chose to help you do it, Adam. Not to mention they forced us into this position.

I won't let you shoulder the guilt all by yourself. I won't allow it. Yeah, Wyatt nodded. I pushed you into killing Cameron. I killed him just as much as you did. I could tell he genuinely meant that by the heavy guilt and sorrow I saw in his puffy eyes. So, what now? James asked.

I think we should try and take both the gun and Daisy, Alison answered. I have a plan. Around fifteen minutes later, I was back in the living room, shouting to make my voice heard upstairs. "'All right. I've placed the gun on the table. You can bring mom downstairs now.' "'Aidan replied almost immediately. "'Oh, I changed my mind, Adam. We'll take the gun first and then send your mother downstairs.

They must have talked among themselves.' Allison shook her head furiously and mouth. No, at me. That's not happening. You bring my mom down and take the gun up simultaneously. "'Don't test me, Adam. I'll hurt her. I swear her. It. No, you don't test me, Hayden. Do as I tell you, or I'll come marching up the stairs and fucking slaughter the lot of you. Understand?

I could hear them arguing with each other. A short while later, he shouted that he was coming down and asked us to clear the area. So, I ran and hid beneath the staircase. I could see Allison hiding behind a curving wall, holding one of the legs of the chair that she'd been using in the last fight. The broken ends sharp enough to pierce skin now. Wyatt, Patty and James were similarly positioned, just out of sight of anyone coming downstairs. I heard heavy, lumbering footsteps above me.

Two, no, three people. I clenched my fists as I heard my mother groan. Do you see it? Freddy whispered. Yes, it's there, Aidan replied. And nobody's around either. Be careful. I will.

Aiden sprinted towards the coffee table, quickly picking out the gun. Damn, the fucking thing is empty, just like you said. What are you doing? Don't waste... I ran out of my hiding spot and charged at a shocked Aidan, slamming into him and taking him through the glass table, which shattered on impact, the broken glass lacerating my arms. James and Wyatt followed suit, attacking Freddy who was desperately trying to retreat back upstairs.

Aidan and I struggled on top of numerous shards of glass, trying to wrestle the gun away from the grasp of the other person. When it looked like I was going to get the upper hand, he gave up entirely and started raining heavy blows down on my back, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I wrote for a piece of glass I could use as a weapon, my hand finally finding something usable, getting cut up pretty badly in the process.

Gritting my teeth, I thought through the pain and tried to plunge my makeshift knife into Aden's ribs, but he was faster, and a sharp pain erupted in my sights, making stars dance in front of my eyes. The glass sank in with a sickening thunk, and I almost blacked out, but he twisted the glass and pushed it in deeper, making me scream in agony. I rolled off of him, and he quickly jumped on top of me, ready to stab me again. He might well have finished me off, if it hadn't been for Allison, who swung her piece of wood hard at his head and then kept on swinging until he collapsed on top of me. I took full advantage of his descent and thrust my shard of glass into his throat. It was his own momentum that sealed his

fate, the glass going in so deep that there was absolutely no hope for him left. Warm, coppery blood poured down on my face and neck, and I frantically pushed him off me, spitting to clear my mouth. Are you okay? Allison asked as she helped me get up. I nodded. It hurt like hell, but I'd live, and that was what was truly important. I picked the gun off the broken table and hovered over to where James, Paddy and Wyatt were fighting with a rough old Freddy, who was trying to fight his way to me, using what looked like a slat from a bed to fend them off. I quickly pulled out the shelves and began stuffing them in the shotgun.

"'Haden!' Freddy shouted, but then a flash of fear crossed his face as he saw me loading the gun. More footsteps on the staircase. Others were running down to see what the fuck had happened here. But Freddy stopped them as he himself scrambled for the stairs. No, we're back upstairs. I pointed the gun in his direction and pulled the trigger. Bhaar splattered the family portrait on the wall behind him as the shells punched a hole through his chest. I'd just killed a third member of my family and was now a hundred and thirty million dollars down. I laughed maniacly at the sheer hopelessness of my situation. My hand hurt like a mother and made me stop laughing. As if I ended in the adrenaline wore off, a stabbing pain came rushing up the nerves in my arm and assaulted my brain,

making me drop the gun with a ringing clang. I clasped to my knees, fiercely clutching the wrist of my wounded hand with the other. The deep deep, cut throbbed. But the blood, which was pumping out to the beat of a metaphorical drum, stopped trying to escape my body, if only a little. Adam! My mom cried. You're hurt. I grunted. It's just a scratch. How about you, mom? I could see her body shiver. I'm fine. I have a slight headache, but nothing more. That's good. A slight bump on the head was a small price to pay for her survival, especially when compared to the ordeal that Aiden had installed her.

Fuck. That made me think of the debt that I found myself in. You should sit down, Daisy, Alison advised. You might have a concussion. She then helped me get up. Come on, we need to do something about that hand of yours. We have a first aid box in the bathroom. You can use that, James suggested.

I looked at him and pointed at the gun with my elbow. Take it. Don't let anyone come down. If they try and force their way through, kill them. With his actions tonight, James had more than earned my trust. By taking on both Aiden and Cameron, kicking the latter into the pool, he'd shown himself to be extremely reliable. Besides, I didn't want to give the gun to Patty because,

while I would trust her with my life in most situations, I couldn't do so in this case, as I didn't think she had what it takes to kill another human being. Well, you might say it was extremely stupid of me to let anyone else take the gun, no matter how much I believed in them. But I was exhausted, physically and emotionally. I just wanted a little peace and quiet, to be away from anything that reminded me of the horror we found ourselves in, if only momentarily. But of course, I kept half the remaining shells in my pocket. Allison led me to the bathroom before hitting the light switch. The opulent room was

instantly bathed in a soft yellow glow, the light gently bouncing off the marbled floor and walls. She turned on the faucet, and I winced as the water rapidly smashed against my hand, threatening to widen the painful rift. I rotated my wrist to properly clean the area, while Allison fetched the kit from a shelf behind me. This will need some stitches, she said as she applied the antiseptic. Unfortunately, I can't do that right now, so I'll just apply the dressing. Didn't teach you that in the army, I asked. She smiled.

I just don't have the right tools now, smart ass. They were just not there, or did the administrators take them out? I wondered. I think it's the former. Why? I don't know, she shrugged. Something just seems a little off about all this. Yeah, well, it is a little out of the ordinary that we're being made to kill our family, I said, Riley. She glanced at me, her green eyes full of sorrow and empathy,

eyes that threatened to pull my own grief out of the dark place I'd hastily buried at him. I'm so sorry, baby. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. Sh, it's fine. So, you were saying, I asked, quickly changing the subject. Have you seen the cameras? She asked as she tightly wrapped the bandage around my hand.

They have a shit ton of blind spots. They do? Yes, she exclaimed. Don't you think it's weird? I mean, if your grandpa had this planned out, then which in every inch of this house should be covered by those CCTVs, but it's not. The way things stand, it's far more likely those cameras were set up by your average, nutty, reclusive old man than a, well, a raging sadistic psychopath.

I felt confused. And the gas in the kitchen, she added, it still works. Why? Why would they risk a possible gas explosion? Makes no sense. The whole game seems to be put up on short notice. maybe immediately after Henry's death. What does that mean?

What if your grandpa didn't set this up, Adam? I mean, have you seen the will? I physically held it in your hands and carefully perused it. I could see the confused expression on my bloody and bruised face in the mirror. Then, who else could it be? Someone from the company wanting to take out the legitimate airs, a rival businessman. But why would they go to the...

this extent, I added. What's the fucking point in setting this game up? Why not hire killers to murder us, plain and simple? I don't know, she admitted. Maybe you're just overthinking this baby. Let's just focus on surviving this hell for now. The two of us found an argument going on in the living room when we made it back there. An exasperated patty was trying to reason with James and Wyatt, who were having a shouting

match. Hey, I raised my voice. What's happening here? Wyatt's lost his fucking mind, James replied venomously. He wants to run away. Why would you want to throw your life away, Wyatt? I asked slowly.

I can't. His voice trembled as his eyes turned red with tears. I can't do this anymore. The love of my life is lying dead just an arm's length away, and in the same room is her brother's corpse, and I help kill him myself. Now James, once. What does James want? Allison asked. To end this once and for all, James answered.

We have the fucking numbers now for the first time this night. Six present here, it's five of them. Get a damn piece of paper. Let's end this night. He has a point at him, Patty said. Patricia! My mother cried. Well, it's true, Mom, she insisted. Or would you you rather we die instead? Mom lowered her gaze, ashamed at the fact that she saw her point. Please, Wyatt begged. Don't ask this of me. I can't. Not for Vincent and Galen. They're just kids. They haven't even graduated college yet. I can't do this to her. And you think it was easy for me to kill my family members? I asked coldly. You've known them for what? A couple of years at most. I grew up with them. This whole argument is completely pointless, Allison interrupted.

There's six of us present here, yes, but there's also six of them. Brad, Freddie's wife, Susan, Brenda, Brandy Vincent, and Galen. Your calculations are off because you probably didn't count Galen, who refused to sign the paper. But he's still alive. Because of that, we'd need seven to vote them out. Since George is missing, we're shit out of luck. Fuck!

James swore. and rested his head in his hands, a shotgun placed precariously on his lap. I saw my mum tense up when Dad was mentioned. I think we were both avoiding the truth at this point, that he was likely dead by now. That doesn't change anything, Wyatt said. His voice firmer now.

I've made up my mind. I'm going to try and escape. It's suicide, I warn. But you will die. What if I don't? he asked. What if I'm able to escape? and call the cops. What if all this could have been avoided if we just try to run away? Something you were the first one to suggest. It's not like that, I said defensively.

Things are different now. Because you want them to be. He said accusingly. You have the most blood on your hands, Adam. So it's natural you're holding on to the admittedly strong possibility that escape is impossible. But I can't do that. I can't do this anymore. I have to try. "'Jesus Christ, man. "'Just listen to me,' "'alison gently cut me off. "'It's his decision. "'We can't force him not to do it.

"'We're all adults with free will here, aren't we? "'We should be free to choose what road we want to go down.' "'What, even if it leads to hell?' I asked. "'She nodded. "'All of us chose to accompany Wyatt to the front door, "'except James, who was tasked to maintain vigilance near the States. "'You should show. you don't want to take a car? Mom asked.

Frank was the one who parked them all, Wyatt answered. Considering that Adam told us he was an administrator, it's almost a certainty that they'll have all been tampered with. I don't want a crash or get blown up halfway down the hill. He shook our hands one by one. All right. I'm off. Make sure to run in a zigzag pattern, Allison suggested. He nodded, gave us one last look.

and took off running. I heard his boots pound the gravel as he dashed down the driveway, before abruptly changing his direction in a roughly 90-degree angle. On and on he went, away from our little corner of hell, trying his hardest to stick to a zig-zag pattern

as he ran towards freedom and civilization. It really looked like he was going to make it. Then a sharp crack whipped through the air, and he stumbled, before falling face-first on the ground, gracefully, bringing all our hopes crashing down with him. What was that? Patty young. Sniper, Allison exclaimed.

Right, get back inside. The hair on my arm stood up as I realized that the shot had come from inside the house. While we were busy killing each other, those fuckers had placed their men in strategic positions right under our noses. Some cultures believe that when divine bad luck enters a person's life, It comes as a deluge of trouble. James came sprinting at us as we were running towards him. My blood ran cold at the utterly terrified look on his face.

Vincent reached the shack. Vincent reached the shack. He screamed frightfully. How? Patti shouted. Why did you let him get past you? I didn't. He replied as he jogged alongside us towards the sliding door that opened up to the pool. He fucking jumped off the balcony near the shawl. shank, broke his fucking leg too. By the time I got him in range with a gun, he crawled his way inside. I swore. Oh, God, no, Mom cried. He must be buying a gun. Patty said. No, James said, as he placed his hand on my shoulder. He had a paper in his hand. What? How? They don't

have the numbers, I shouted. Well, they do now that Wyatt's dead. Allison replied. especially if they know for sure George is dead too. It made no fucking sense. They must have signed the paper before why it had gone running out, or else the timelines don't match. Not to mention Dad's name was on the first paper too, so they couldn't have known that he was dead back then, even though he'd already gone missing.

We must get away from here, they said. Who knows what the fuck is going to happen next? I got the answer to my question a second later, and seemingly dozens of armed men in what looked like swatgear poured out of the shack and started moving towards the house. We ran in different directions, but some of us weren't fast enough and were caught in the initial burst of fire. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mum get hit by multiple bullets and claps on the ground lifelessly. Furiously stamping out the grief and shock, I dove down to the ground and began crawling towards the back door of the kitchen that led out to the garage as bullets smashed into fucking everything. around me. Glass, concrete, wood, the bullet showed no mercy on anything, mercilessly destroying

everything in their path. And yet, I fought through the soul-crushing fear and kept pushing forward, driven by this point purely by an animalistic instinct for survival. I got out to the garage, the uneven rocky floor fucking up my knees and elbows. And I fell a hand on my leg, and my heart almost gave out. To my relief, it was Allison who'd been right on my heels the entire time. Getting up on my hands and knees, I moved behind the false safety of a car and waited for Allison to catch up to me. No camera's here, she whispered, her voice barely audible. I nodded. Body covered in sweat, heart pounding dangerously in my chest. I was the most scared I'd ever have been in my life. Alarm bells were ringing all over my body. Every single cell was screeching,

begging me to run away. Call me a cornered rat, if you will, but wouldn't even begin to get close to what I was feeling at that time. And then the door opened, and one of the attackers walked in. I strained my ears as I went completely still, not wanting to give my position away while tracking this guy's movements over the ear splitting gunfire, which soon stopped. my heart beat in tandem with his footsteps as i ever so quietly tried to keep the breadth of the car between us his radio crackled and i almost squeamber seven here be advised we've neutralized james and patricia only two more left now anyone got eyes on him No, no. I furiously blinked. Not the time to cry.

Not now. A slew of negatives came out of the radio. I went with abated breath for our pursuer to say the same. He stopped. I swung his gun around. The mounted flashlight illuminating the ground inches from me. Alison grabbed onto me with vice-like claws and pulled me back. He took a step closer to us.

and we followed suit trying to keep away from our deaths my heart was not going to last long if we kept playing this deadly cat and mouse game it was almost like this fucker had heard me because he dropped down on his knees Jesus this is it the end's here

I prayed and God answered through the radio I see movement in room one I think I've located them we got cameras in here our attacker got back on his feet and walked out relief flooded through me so aggressively that little stars danced in front of my eyes alison tugged at my shirt what i whispered she pointed at something behind her i trained my neck and saw some long cylinders stacked in a corner as we got closer i realized what they were green k bottles those long gas cylinders you use in welding. I remember that because Grandpa loved building shit.

He would often wag his finger in my face and tell me that's what real men did. The first time that night, I smiled as I thought of him. Allison was right about the game being set up in a hurry. No way these things could have been kept out in the open otherwise. Silently moving these cylinders closer to the kitchen took almost a minute, with every second feeling like a tortuous eternity.

Luck was again on our side. They weren't nearby when we started emptying the cylinders, otherwise the loud hissing would have been our death knell. Alison smiled at me, her bad teeth reminding me of a tiger shark. She held her finger up and mouthed, Wait here, at me. Before I could stop her, she crawled into the kitchen, turned on the stove and hurried back to me.

Quickly opened the remaining cylinders as she went and retrieved a can of kerosene, again from the corner that had been our salvation. I could hear people nearby. They were coming. Right on time. We darted out of the garage, pouring a line of kerosene on the floor

all the way out to the middle of the driveway. It was a miracle the snipers didn't kill us. Well, in some cultures, and the gods of luck smiled down on you, even death itself can't touch you. Alison took out a lighter and lit the trail of kerosene she'd set up. The fire spread instantly, racing towards the cylinders at an insane speed.

The orange flames turned nearly white as they ate the gas, and with an audible thump, the spectacle started. The fire spread like a living thing, ravishing and devouring everything in its path. wooden furniture, gas, clothing, flesh, everything became food for the ravenous beasts. Panic shouting, it soon turned into shrieks and screeches, tore through the house. I don't know what the fuck had happened with the cylinders and the gas from the stove, but the flames were so powerful that we had to retreat as they even reached the top floor.

A window broke upstairs, and a charred body came tumbling out. Then, I don't know why, the chemistry being. beyond me, there was a huge fucking explosion. The concussion of the blast sent us flying backwards, momentarily knocking us out. I woke up to the side of bright

but tiny lanterns, shimmering away in an infinitely vast black sea above me and the cold hard ground digging into my wounds from beneath. Little orange sparks drifted in the fiery wind, emanating in waves from the blazing house. Adding to the mesmerizing view

in front of my bleary eyes. I grunted as I got up on my elbows, the pain in my side's almost slamming me back to unconsciousness. Allison was right beside me, just like she had been this entire hellish night. She coughed, dust and bits of ash constricting her lungs. Do you think we got them all? She asked. I sure hope so. Oh, fuck them. I whispered as I pulled her up. Fuck them. Hope they all burn in hell. Something crashed and the resultant sound boomed throughout the area. The fire was eating way at the very foundation of the house, which in turn was beginning to crumble to pieces, just like my family. Allison walked towards the roaring flames, and I called after her. What are you

doing? It's dangerous. She stopped near the corpse that had come flying out of the window and began searching it. I gagged at the repulsive and overpowering stench. of burnt flesh. Got it! She exclaimed as she grabbed a pistol out of one of the pockets that had almost melted into the skin, but then winced and dropped it. Fuck, it's hot.

She put her scarf off her neck and used it to pick up the gun. Damn, I hope the flesh hasn't gotten too deep inside the barrel, but don't want this thing jamming on me. I wretched. We made our way around to the backyard, trying to stay at a reasonable enough distance from the house. that we could avoid both our potential killers, the unstoppable fire, or any sniper foolish enough to still be keeping watch. The back half of the mansion was still mostly safe, but I doubt

that would last, looking at the speed with which the flames were leaping from room to room. We stopped and hid behind a bush when the infantry shack came into view. I saw Vincent slumped against the wall of the shack facing the pool, a sharp hole in his forehead being illuminated by the orange glow from the fire. Geez, why did they kill him? I wondered. Finally tying up loose ends, Allison replied. I don't think a giant explosion was in their plans. So, what do you want to do? she asked me.

We need answers, I said, and then pointed at the shack. And that's the only place we'll find them. We tiptoed over to the shack, staying close to the ground. We heard shouting and sporadic gunfire, but thankfully none of the bullets came our way. Once again I found myself in front of that door. This time my intention's being completely different. With trembling hands, I pushed the door open and came face to face with Frank again. Fuck it! Kill them all! No one should survive!

He was screaming at the radio in his hand, but stopped when he looked at me. His eyes growing so wide it looked like. they were going to pop out. You, you're still alive! He scrambled for something, presumably a gun, but Allison was faster, quickly firing two shots into his neck and chest, making him fall backwards.

I was about to turn around and express my annoyance at Allison for killing the one man who could answer our questions and potentially end this, but I didn't have to. Because when he stumbled and fell backwards, he ended up pulling the black cloth down, and while the action was,

admittedly not as graceful as the curtains in a big theatre being drawn. The end results were no less spectacular. Weapons and monitors adorned the makeshift control room, and in the centre of it all, sitting with a burger in his hand, was my father, whose jaw dropped when he saw me. Adam!

He groped at us, then quickly composed himself. Thank God you're here. I thought they were going to kill me. What are you doing here, Dad? I asked Domney. Why are you eating a burger? They offered it to me, he replied hastily. They've been keeping me here for God knows what reason.

I don't understand. I mumbled. The gears in my mind turning, sliding the missing pieces of the puzzle in place, while one part of my brain desperately tried to stop this from happening, as terrified as I was of the horrifying image that lay in, store for me when the puzzle was finally completed. You? Allison said, accusingly.

You did this. Now, Alison, Dad stammered, as he put his hands in the air. I don't know what you're accusing me of, but please, let's not be too hasty here. Don't move, she shouted, or I will kill you, I swear it. Why are you eating a burger? I continued. Mom died.

Why would you eat a burger? Daisy Dight, he said, sounding a little too shocked for it to be genuine. Oh, God, there are laptops all around you. Watching our every move. How did you not see it? Anger began to build up inside me. You disappeared when this whole thing started. Why?

Let me explain. All right? Did you do all this? I didn't. Why? No, you've got it all wrong. It was her. He frantically pointed at Allison. She's the one who did this. What?

I glanced at her. Don't listen to him. He's lying. She's a gold-digging whore at him, he yelled me nicely. She's doing it. for the money. You've seen how well she reacted to everything that happened, right? Didn't you? Almost like she knew what was happening, right? She's working for Frank. So you did see everything on the cameras. I accused him, and he turned pale at that. You're lying to me, Dad. Why? Is it about the money? No, no. He shook his head furiously.

It's not okay. I didn't do it. You have to listen to me. He screamed, tears streaming down his face. Look, I'm your father. Why would I kill my own family? That's what I want you to tell me, I replied angrily. Maybe it's someone from the company. He grasped at straws in a room completely bereft of them. I blinked to clear my eyes of tears that I wasn't even aware of.

Why? I yelled. I didn't. Allison fired a shot on the floor. Okay, fine. He flinched, then began to sob. I did it. I did it. Why?

I asked yet again. His body shook as he cried. Was it about the money? He nodded. There never even was a will, was there. He nodded again, wiped his face and began talking. The real world just splits the money amongst all living blood relatives. Pretty standard stuff, actually.

So you did it for the money. Three hundred million dollars worth killing all your family? Your daughter? Your wife? I asked. A ghost. I didn't want... I didn't...

Tell me. It seemed worth it at the time. He replied guiltily. Frank was the one that came to me the idea. said we could set it up so it looked like the family killed each other over the money he said he knew people could help us he just needed one living member of the family to actually access the money just one i tried to get him to let you and daisy and patty live but he refused viewer survivors fewer people to split the money with right i didn't think it would turn out like this he mumbled what did you not think about that that you'd have to watch your kids get shot to bits, or that we would fucking stop you. I spanned.

I tried really hard to get him to change his mind. He whined, pathetically. I didn't want you to die. But you ultimately made peace with that, didn't you? Jesus Christ, Dad. Patty loved you. She thought the fucking world of you. I'm sorry.

What about Jonathan? Allison asked. Is he even a real lawyer? He shook his head. And those assassins. Why send them out? I wondered. The other group didn't have the numbers.

So why? Why did you break your own rules? Brandy's baby, he answered. The paper had her name too. Brianna, Vincent said. That's what they were going to name her. But Frank thought it was hilarious and decided to humor him. Doesn't matter now.

They've all been killed now. Vincent, Galen, Brenda, Brandy, Brad, Susan, all gone. Only you two are left. Dad saw the look on my face and shrank back in fear. Look, we can fix this. Frank's dead. I can call them off, tell them the game's over.

Just pay them off. We can split the money. $150 million each for the two of us. That's nice, right? my blood boiled at his stupidity you still care about the fucking money what the fuck is wrong with you no no please

he said as he reached for the radio I'll fix this I'll show you dad lied again he wasn't reaching for the radio he was reaching for a gun Allison saved my life yet again that night turned me into an orphan I quickly shut my eyes to stop myself from seeing it, but it was too late.

The image of my dead father was seared into my memory. I wondered, as I would, thousands of times later in my life, whether I could have done anything to change this, whether there were any signs that I missed, whether I should have somehow known that he was capable of doing something like this. I remember speaking to a friend of mine, involved in a property dispute with her sister. She'd tell me how she was blindsided by court cases after a moment. died, how her own sister pounced on the chance to extract as much wealth as she possibly could. Does money always do this to a person? Or will they always this way, and our love and naivety

just prevents us from seeing the truth? I guess I would never really know the answer to that question, because it's not so easy to judge these things in hindsight. We can always find little factoid that we can mould to fit our own biased perception of events. Adam, I felt a hand on my shoulder, bringing me back to reality. We need to get out of here. How? I sighed. How many of them are still living? Will they really let us leave?

Yeah, but the mastermines are all dead right. There's no one left to pay them for the job. She picked up the radio and tossed it at me. We killed their friends. Do you think they'll just let us go? What if they kill us for revenge? I'm willing to bet on the greed and selfishness of mercenaries. I'll press the button.

Hi. Is anyone listening to this? There was no response. I continued. George and Frank are dead. I repeat, those who hold your contract or are planning to pay you

are now gone. We killed them. There's nothing keeping you here. You all should leave. I got nothing but static in response. What does this mean? I asked out. are they planning on killing us or letting us go she shrugged i don't know only one way to find out i

i don't want to die she held my hand let's go so together we hobbled out of the house leaving the burning ruin behind us once and for all not once did we see a single sign of another human being either the surviving mercenaries had all left or they were just that good. We stopped at the edge of the property, which looked empty and forlorn now. You ready? She asked with my arm around her for support. I nodded.

Thank you, Allie, for saving my ass repeatedly tonight. I'd have been long dead if not for you. She smiled, but bloodstained cheeks somehow turning redder. I love you too, silly. You took one more step. And no bullets came looking for our skull. Let me start off by saying that I joined the experiment a while ago.

I've tried to talk before to people about it, but nobody believes me and I can't exactly blame them. I haven't been out of properly sleep, eat or live since I made it back home. Played by feelings of tremendous guilt. I hope sharing this will help ease my conscience. Day one. and the apartment looked pretty decent. It was small, but had everything I needed. One room with a bed, although pillow and blanket were missing.

In the middle of the room was a table with two chairs. Not sure I would need two, as the main part of this experiment was me being alone in the room, isolated from the outside world. In the back was a small food elevator, like the ones you see in old movies. Well, that's how I'd receive my meals. They were big, abstract paintings. I had a shortboard to write on, and of course there was a laptop so I could communicate with... ...with who exactly.

I opened the laptop. Everything was wiped away. No internet access, no apps or programmes. Only one little icon in the middle of the screen. Social. I double-clicked it, thinking it might provide some more information. Social will start soon. Make sure laptop is charged at all times. All right.

I guess I have to wait. I walked over to the chalkboard. Somebody must have been in this room before because it said days, written on top with white chalk. Underneath there were ten strokes. I drew a circle around the seven strokes instead of wiping them away.

Next to it, I drew one stroke for my first day. I took away my phone. I had no calendar or even clock, so I figured it could get difficult to keep the days in check. I realized I didn't remember if they taught me how long I'd be staying. My window view didn't offer much. All I could see were empty fields, and I could tell that I was pretty high up.

I tried opening the window to let in some fresh air, but it was blocked, probably so no one could jump out after going crazy from the solitude. I was the kind of person that loved being alone, though. I had a pretty apartment, food being provided for me, decent payment, and I'm living my dream. I would have been dumb not to participate. Ding, ding. The laptop was lighting up in neon green lights.

I guess things were getting started. The social app was running and the former screen had turned into something that looked like a chat screen. Welcome, John. You're very excited that you're participating in this real-life experiment. I am social. Everything you need or what we need from you will be communicated through me. You will not directly talk to anyone else during your time here. Make sure that your laptop is charged at all times.

Do you have any questions so far? Hello, Social. I'm also excited. I haven't received any sheets, pillows or blankets from my bed yet. Could those be sent over, please? That will be up to the other participants, as you will soon learn. Are you ready for the first round? Yes.

As you know, you will be receiving all your food and drinks from us. What exactly that will be, however, will be chosen by another participant. For the first round, you can choose a meal combination for participant Julie. Well, I was actually pretty excited about this. I was awful at making the right decisions. Probably one of the reasons I changed my major three times. It might be interesting to put my fate into someone else's hands. I scroll down the list of food and drink items.

wondering what Julia might enjoy. There are a number of breakfast items such as pancakes, eggs, bacon, but also a lot of random, disgusting-sounding stuff. Raw liver, bull testicles, sausage water. They've got to beck pretty nasty. You'd really have to hate the other participants to send any of that. Except if you were into power moves. Eventually I picked toast with jam, scrambled eggs and cheese

with a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. happy with my choice I sent it in a minute later the laptop started ringing again Julia has chosen your breakfast walked to the food elevator now to pick it up I wasn't too hungry just yet but I was hoping for something nice to drink I opened the small gap of the elevator and got the tray out a piece of bread with something green on it I picked it up just to realize that the stuff on top was mold

I gagged and let it fall back on the plate. I guess Julia was one of those people that liked power plates. I grabbed the glass next to it. At least you sent me some water. My throat felt extremely dry, so I started chugging right away. I really should have smelled it first. What I was drinking there wasn't water. It was vinegar.

As the acidity taste filled up my mouth, I couldn't keep it in anymore. I ran to the bathroom and started puking into the toilet. The bitter taste of vial made me feel even worse, but I had no toothbrush or toothpaste either. I wanted to rinse out my mouth, but there was no water. I couldn't even flush the freaking toilet. This experiment was starting off pretty badly. I was just about to ask social about this when I heard another ringing noise.

You just lost 50 social pints. What the hell? What are social points? During your participation you collect points. More points equal more power and more access. During this experiment you have to make many decisions. One of them on who you want to be. Do you want to be nice or gain power? I'm not sure I understand but I'm really not feeling great. Is there any way I can get some water? That's not up to me, John. You have another decision to make. This time you'll be sending an item to Manuel. Please select one item out of this list. Toothpaste, a shop collar, a knife. This list seemed even more random,

but this time I really had to think this through. If I sent toothpaste, I'd probably get even more negative points, although at that point I wasn't sure what exactly that meant. The knife sounded like a terrible idea. I figured if I picked the shot colour, he could just decide not to wear it. Congratulations. You just received 30 social points. Walk over to the elevator now to see what Manuel sent you. It was a blanket. I felt like a real dick, but I kept telling myself that this was part of the experiment.

Maybe those people didn't even exist. My laptop let out another sound. There was a new icon on the screen. A green circle with a smiley face on it. I pressed it, but nothing happened. Manuel has received and attached the shock collar around his neck. Press green circle to send over shocks. Oh shit.

Had I just shocked him without even knowing? That couldn't be true. They can't purposefully hurt participants. I grabbed my blanket and took a nap. The experiment had only just begun. and I was already exhausted. The taste of vinegar and puk in my mouth wasn't helping either. When I woke up again, it was already getting dark outside.

But I missed lunch. I walked over to the laptop, but there were no missed messages. I was really getting fed up with this experiment, when my laptop made another sound. Dinner time. Pick one meal for Jackie. I scroll through the list again, but I had no idea what to do. Should I go with something decent and risk losing points?

I went with a safe choice and sent a cup of vegetable broth. Something I was really craving myself after throwing up. It wasn't a real meal, but it wouldn't make them sick either. After my choice was sent over, I went to the elevator to see what Jackie had sent me. It was a BLT and a bottle of coat. Oh, thank you, Jackie, I shouted out though. I felt a little bad for only sending her broth, but at the same time I was so happy to have something decent to eat and drink

that would also kill the terrible taste in my mouth. Day two. The sound of an alarm blasting through the apartment pulled me out of sleep. I had no idea where it came from, but it wasn't from the laptop. The sound was followed by a robotic voice. Score too low. Wake up immediately. It was still dark outside.

It felt like it was the middle of the night. I got up from my bed which felt like pure concrete. My head was aching from not having a pillow, but I was grateful that I had least received a blanket. Oh, and it was freezing cold. I realized then that I didn't have any spare clothes. Hadn't I brought any? As I walked over to the laptop, a loud alarm finally stopped.

Good morning, John. Your social score has gotten dangerously low. Increased score now by pressing shock button. No! As a negative player, you will lose all perks, including nutrition. Remember, more social points equal more power. I don't care. I don't want more power. The music started blasting again.

I felt like my eardrums would explode. Shooting them with my hands wasn't helping. As if this wasn't bad enough, a foul smell filled up the room. I thought I'd throw up again. Fuck this, this isn't real, I said out loud and pressed the shock icon. I took a deep breath and pressed it two more times. Finally, the siren stopped. Congratulations, John.

You are now the highest ranking participant. Well, yeah, because you freaking force me to. It is now time to pick a meal for Jackie. I felt bad for only sending her broth last night, so I chose pancakes and orange juice. After a few minutes I went to pick up my meal from the elevator This time I almost threw up by just looking at it On the plate I found the head of a chicken

Raw and bloody Next to it was a glass of what I can only imagine was blood as well I guess I deserved that I was really fed up with this whole operation I was hungry tired and sad No money was worth this torch I want to get out of this experiment now. I'm done. You can't leave. You will stay until the experiment is finished.

What the fuck? You can't force me to stay. I never consented to any of this. Yes, you did. And you will stay until the experiment is finished. I started thinking about that. Did they give me a contract? As much as I tried to remember, I couldn't. I couldn't even remember what day it was today. Do you remember how you came here, John? I didn't.

Do you remember what you did before you came here? I was so certain that I had joined an experiment. They'd offered me payment, but as much as I tried, I couldn't recall how or when that had happened. I remembered things as to who my family and friends were. I remembered what my home looks like, but not what I'd been doing lately. I'd started studying psychology after good. giving up on coding, but...

When was that? My mind was blank. What the fuck did you do to me? We do not make any decisions for you. Play the game right, and you will be leaving the experiment happy and healthy. Who are you? What is this? I am social. Time for another decision.

You can send something to a participant of your choice. Pick from one of the following items. A gun. A bottle of water. A death threat. I decided to send a bottle of water to Manuel. It might cost me some points, but if I'd really shocked him, he deserved this. After what must have been an hour, the laptop started ringing again. You just received a video. Press play now. It was a video of a shirtless man, maybe in his mid-thirties.

He stared right into the camera I could see the shock collar around his neck Without a word he picked up a knife And cut into his palm With his other hand he dipped his index finger into the blood And started writing something on his chest Mary No way I thought

This must be a coincidence I think he tried writing something else underneath Well it would have been really hard to recognise What it was with the smudge blood But I knew exactly what it said It was an address, one that I recognised very well. It was the address of Mary. My mother.

Day three. I hardly slept through the night. I wasn't too afraid what Manuel might do just yet, considering he was locked in here as well. What scared me, however, was that whatever these people were, they knew where my mother lives, and I had no way to warn her. I needed to talk to social, figure out if they were a real person. Maybe I could somehow level with them. I couldn't contact social if they didn't initiate the conversation, and I didn't know how long it would be until it messaged me about breakfast,

so I impulsively walked over to the laptop and removed the charger. The laptop needs to be charged at all times. The robotic voice filled up the room again. I ignored it. I ignored the sirens, and the smell and stared at the laptop. In hindsight, I was a pretty big idiot. Instead of going through this in a clever way, I just tried to force a reaction out of it. The smell got stronger, and I started feeling weaker. I could hardly think anymore, or move. Everything turned dark.

I woke up on the bed. My head was hurting like crazy. It took me a little while to get back to my senses, but then I noticed that the laptop was attached to the charger again. Somebody had been in here. Suddenly an excretiating pain went through my entire body. I felt like somebody was choking me. Panting and shaking, I slowly reached over to my neck where my fingers touched the metal. Not only had someone been in here, they had given me a shock collar. They slowly walked over to the laptop.

Social had been messaging me. I have received information that your laptop isn't attached to the charger. Somebody is on their way to fix the issue. Breakfast time. Please choose one of the following items on the list for participant Josh. Josh, is there a new person? Josh has selected your items. Go to elevator now to pick up your meal.

Please choose one of the following items to send a participant Julia. A book? A gun. Five minutes of fresh air. The item that Julia selected for you will arrive soon and will be attached by one of our workers. I didn't even get the chance to send anything because I'd been passed out. A shock went through my body. Even more painful this time. I picked myself up from the ground and got back to my laptop.

I hadn't noticed before, but the shock icon was gone. At least the chat was still open. This was my chance to contact. social. Social. Are you there? Hello, John. You've been very quiet today.

Remember less activity equals less social points. Were you inside my room? I never visit the participants. I thought about what to say. I had to be more careful. Social. Are you a real person? I am social.

I started to think that I was talking to a bot. Well, if that was true, I could get some answers out of it as long as I ask the right question. What's my current social school? Your social score is plus ten. You are now the second lowest ranking participant. Who's on top? I am not allowed to share this information with you.

I figured it must be either Julie or a Manuel. Josh or Jackie would be the lowest ranking. Why is it beneficial to have men? Many points. Higher points equal more power. Define power. In this experiment we want to see how much it will take someone to get to the top. Being on top means more options for decisions. Decisions such as getting food, comfort and freedom. Freedom, as in being able to leave. Dinner time, you may now choose a meal for participant Julia. I was about to pick bald testicles when another shock went through my body. My hands were shaking, and I could hardly breathe anymore. She was sending me a message. I had to be careful.

She had total control over me at the moment. I picked steak, potatoes, beans, and a bottle of wine. The best options I could find. It felt awful sending someone that was torturing me these things, especially while I felt like I was starving, but I didn't want to risk getting another shock. still hurting from the last one. After a moment I went to pick up my dinner for the night. A chicken sandwich, coffee and a bottle of water. The coffee was cold, but I didn't care.

I hadn't eaten anything decent since that BLT, and I was even happier about that water. I took a few sips and decided to ration the rest. I honestly couldn't believe that Julia had sent me something decent. If it hadn't been for the shock collar around my neck, I would have thought that she was actually starting to be nice. Well, at least you didn't shock me again for the rest of the evening. I spent the rest of the evening making up a game plan. I was done just playing it safe. If I wanted any chance of getting out of here, I had to make it to the top.

Still wasn't sure if social was trustworthy. Okay, oh my kidding. It definitely wasn't trustworthy, but it felt too calculated in a sense. I don't think it wanted to torture me. It wanted to see how I would get through. this? Well, the meal gave me some new energy. I went to the chalkboard and started writing down the info that I had so far, together with things about myself, things I didn't want to forget, that would remind me that I had a life outside of this. I made sure to keep it vague just in case

they came back here. Twenty-five, my age. Kiwi, the name of my cat. Psych, my major. K and F. The first letters of my two best friends. Julia. Bitch. Manuel. Has leverage and a knife. Jackie, neutral so far. Josh.

Question mark. My thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the laptop. Time for another decision. Pick something from this list to be sent to a participant of your choice. A towel? A death threat. A bracelet keeping the part. participant from sleeping. I'm not sure what that last thing was supposed to be, but I guess it was

another form of torture. I decided for the death threats. If I got the same chance to take a video, then maybe this could be my way to communicate with Manuel. Either way, if he sees that I'm wearing the shot collar now, he might go milder on me. I want to send a death threat to Manuel. Great choice. Would you like to receive leverage information? Yes. Yes. The most important person in the life of Manuel is Sabrina, currently working as a nurse at Central Hospital. Always takes a bicycle to work. Oh, fucking hell, Social. A video recording app open.

The microphone was blocked. Well, that was shit. I was planning on speaking. I had to get creative and fast. Social would probably check the video and make sure it's an actual threat. I grabbed the glass of blood that Jackie had sent me the day before. Smelling horribly, but I kept it just in case. I started filling up my mouth with the blood.

I really had to fight not to vomit. I pressed play and got up to the middle of the room. Looking straight into the camera, I started spitting out the blood, trying to be as theatrical as possible, choking myself, coughing with a freakish look on my face. recording complete video will now be sent to participant manuel i could only hope that he understood what i'd done

you just received an item from participant jacky walk up to the elevator now to pick it out hmm a pack of cigarettes day four the day started off with another lovely shock from julia i started cursing this person and her evil fucking mind She was in here to win, showing no remorse. She had to be on top at this point.

What reason could she have to shock me even more? I tried to get up from bed. I was feeling extremely weak at this point. My legs were shaking. I was smelling horribly, and I was starving after only having one meal yesterday. Walking around the dry blood on the ground, I made my way to the table.

I picked up the pack of cigarettes that I got in yesterday. I usually don't smoke, but thought it could distract me a little. I opened the pack and noticed that it also contained a lighter. Obviously you'd need one, but I didn't think about it until then. A lighter could get really fucking useful. I left the cigarettes where they were and put the lighter in my pocket. Social opened the chat to inform me that I could choose breakfast for Manuel.

I was already dreading what he'd send me. At least this was my chance to talk to Social some more. Social, is there a way to remove the shock collar? Only if another participant decides to send it to someone else. All right, that's new info. Is there only one of each item, like the knife and the cigarettes? Correct. Choose food combination for Manuel now.

Oatmeal and tea. Social, how long have the other participants been here for? Manuel has chosen your breakfast. Walk to the elevator now to pick it up. Fuck's sake. I had to be more precise with my questions. It only gives me a really short time frame. I walked over to the elevator, expecting something smelly or rotten.

I almost cried when I saw what was sitting on that train. Three Kiwis. While I was going crazy in the middle of the room last night, I'd made sure that my chalkboard would be in the picture. Just enough for someone to notice if they really paid attention. And he did. Why did he pick three, though? Did this mean he'd been here for three days, just like me?

I spent most of the day thinking of other ways to send messages. Well, of course, this could all still be part of the experiment. That thought was always in the back of my mind, but somehow I felt sure that Manuel and the other participants were just that. Participants. Somehow tricked into this nightmare, just like me. Another alarm went off. my room turned red and sirens started blasting.

Suicide attempt. Suicide attempt. Suicide attempt. What the hell? I definitely wasn't trying anything like that. I walked to the laptop but there was no information. And just like that, the alarm stopped again. You are now free to send another item to a player of your choice. Bandage, shock collar, death threat. This is where I made another foolish mistake guided by pettiness, not logic. I should have tried to send another message, or at least get someone in the bandage.

Maybe there really was a suicide attempt, but even if that's true, I wouldn't know who. In the end, the hate and pain ruled over me, and I sent Julia the shock collar. As I logged in my choice, the collar around my neck snapped open. It must be automated. Move shock collar into the elevator now. At least a better option than being drugged again. I don't think everyone gets the same options because I was sent a book from Jackie. I was so happy that I'd finally have some form of entertainment,

but that's before I realized that the entire text was nonsense. I spent a long time going through every single page to see if maybe there was some secret message in there, but I couldn't find anything. Eventually, I gave up. Congratulations, John. You have received two hundred social points. Tonight you may pick your own dinner. Under normal circumstances, I would have been ecstatic about this. Finally, I could get some decent food, some vitamin, some protein, and more water. Under normal circumstances, I would have been proud. But how could I be proud if I got all these points through letting out my anger and frustration like this? A shiver went down my spine when I thought it. I was proud. A shivered down my spine when I thought of it. I was proud. I was proud. I was proud. I was proud if I got all these points through letting out my anger and frustration like this. A shivered. A shivered. A shivered about how painful four shocks in a row must have felt for Julia. That night I couldn't fall asleep as much as I tried. I get thinking about everything that had happened.

I jumped up from bed as a thought struck me. Oh, please, please let this be true, I mumbled to myself. Jackie had sent me two items today. That couldn't be a coincidence. I opened the first page of the book and held the lighter underneath. Oh God, I remember doing this when I was. was younger. She must have somehow gotten lemon juice. I opened another page. This was extremely weird. The message said, I'm John. Are you real? Day five. I know that many of the choices that

either I or the others made during this experiment seemed questionable, malicious or just occasionally pathetic. This is no excuse. I'm just asking you to keep in mind that we'd spent days in solitude, hardly sleeping or eating. Physically and mentally at the limit. At a certain point, all you care about is survival, no matter what the cost. Breakfast time. Please choose something out of the list for participant, Josh. Breakfast. Apparently the new day had already begun. It was still dark outside. I hadn't been able to sleep at all. I kept thinking about everything. Why was there a message, my name in the book. Had I been here before or was it a way to mind-fuck me again? After everything

that had just happened last night, I decided both Manuel and Jackie were trustworthy. I didn't trust Julia. She was my strongest competitor, and she was ruthless. I want all of us to get out of here safe and sound, but if I wanted to have any choice of getting control, I needed to play smart and gain points. But first, I had to pick breakfast for Josh. This was a good. This was a good, I hadn't had any interaction with him so far. I needed to figure out if he was an ally or a competitor. Social, before I pick Josh's meal, could you inform me about my ranking? You are currently the highest ranking participant, John. Can you tell me how many other participants there are? You have had interaction with every object that is participating in this round.

This round? pick a meal for Josh now I went with a safe choice and sent him oatmeal and water nutritious but not luxuries I was really curious what he would get me or if I get any breakfast at all yesterday I wasn't able to send him anything because I'd passed out a chicken sandwich coffee and a bottle of water

that's strange this is exactly what I got yesterday except this time the coffee was hot So, Julia probably skipped giving me dinner yesterday, and the things I'd found were from lunch that Josh had sent me. I sent a steak dinner, and she decided to give me nothing. I felt a deep urge to shock her again. Something inside of me was changing, and it scared me.

It's as if I was just realizing that I had a dark side, a revengeful side. God, I was hateful. I'd never talked to this person or even seen them, and still. I wanted to torture them, or just because I could. I stopped myself before actually pressing the button. These people were playing with my mind, and I let them. This is probably what they wanted, for me to stop caring, to abuse my power. I was at the top.

That should be enough for now. It is time to make another decision. You can now choose to send out one of the following items to a participant of your choice. Headphones, bandages, razor blade. I decided to send Manuel bandages. I had no gameplay here. It just seemed like the safest move. Suicide attempt.

Suicide attempt. Suicide attempt. The siren and robotic voice filled up the room. Just the mention of suicide sent a shiver down my spine. My heart didn't stop racing until the siren stopped again. You received a video from participant Julia. It was a young woman. Her clothes were dirty and bloody.

Manuel had made a rough impression as well, but Julia looked like she'd been here for a long time. She looked tired, but her eyes were filled with rage. This didn't look like the decoy rage that I had acted out in my video. Her shock collar was gone, but I saw the bruises around her neck. That's when I noticed she had a knife. She slowly moved it towards her throat. Her eyes never left the camera.

I thought it was her way of threatening me until I saw the blood. She was actually cutting herself. That's where the video paused. I hadn't noticed it before, but I saw it in that moment. She was sitting in front of a chalkboard, and there was something written on it. Die, John.

I felt frozen to the screen, even after the video had disappeared. Tears came to my face. This was all so much. Not knowing whether this was just a trick, a mind game or whether this girl had been pushed over the edge was ripping me apart. Had I given her the push?

Was she really in danger? Was it too late? After a few hours of internalised terror, I'd calm myself again. This could or be just a trick. If it was, then it was working. I spent the entire day, just jumping around in my room, no decent thought coming out.

Eventually the ringing of my laptop got me back to reality. Hello, John. I want to personally congratulate you on how well you're doing in this experiment. I'm impressed by your score and the choices you are making. You are constantly improving, and if you keep going strong, you will be successfully completing the experiment soon. We're proud of you here at the social team. As a special treat, you'll be having dead. together with the second highest ranking participant today. Enjoy. Who is this? Social? Hi John. This was a personal message sent to you by our head of research. Can I message them as well? I am afraid not. Today participant Josh will be joining you for dinner. The meal

will be picked by social. Join me. As in face to face. Yes. What? What? I thought I'm not allowed to know how other participants rank. I am not allowed to share information with you. Hmm. All right, social. Try to give up the illusion that this is a legit experiment with all your freaking loopholes. I almost typed that, but decided to delete it. It might just cost me points again.

I really didn't trust any of this, but if it meant that I was actually meeting a real human being, I was all for it. I wished it was Julia. just so I could set things straight, but maybe it would be good to meet Josh, figure out who this mysterious new person was. Pick up dinner from elevator now. Where's Josh?

The other participant will be joining soon. I picked up my meal, steak, jacket potato, greens and champagne. This looked pretty great, though I only had one of each. As I walked back to my laptop, I realized what social had done. really meant by face to face. It was a video chance. On his side it was still buffering. I made sure to turn my laptop in such a way that the chalkboard would somehow be visible when I sat down. Josh looked like he was about my age. You could see that he was mentally exhausted, but it was not as bad as with Manuel or Julia. So, are you, John? I was not surprised to hear a voice,

for some reason I thought this would be muted. I had to be. careful with what I said, though. Well, first of all, I didn't know if I could trust him, and second, social was probably recording all of this. I had to keep up the illusion, and I was still trying, that I was a good participant. So, um, you're my strongest competitor. Pretty good for someone who just joined last, I said. I had no idea if this was actually true, but maybe this would get me some more answers. Ha, forced out a smile. Minus one. He said and nodded over. I think he was hinting at the strokes on my board.

So I was right about that. I was really nervous. I wish I'd had time to prepare for this. I did something pretty intense to get this high. He looked to the ground. Some participant hasn't been sleeping in days because of me. I could really hear the remorse in his voice. But then he continued.

But he must have made some even stronger decisions to be the one on top, guess. He was trying to get information from me. Guess we both know how to play the game, I said and swallowed. I still felt the guilt deep inside of me. I took a big gulp from the champagne. I guess so. Well, we're not at a loser dinner, he whispered. Do you mean the others are talking as well? He nodded.

How do you know? I asked. Social. Which one of them is the lowest? He shrugged. I guess social really does keep the other ranking secrets. I was about to ask him something, but the connection was already gone. At least I'd gotten some information, if Josh could be trusted. I know that some of the other players probably talked today as well. I'd have to ask social about this.

See if I can get more insights. And I knew that Josh probably gave someone that bracelet that keeps you from sleeping. I started feeling woozy. Had they put something in the drink? I somehow carry myself to the bed, and then everything went dark again. Day six. The morning had started off with the usual breakfast routine.

I sent Manuel oatmeal and water. He sent me a glass of blood. Delicious. I haven't had one of those in days. I didn't know how to feel about Josh after last night. He seemed somehow calculated, but he made a genuine impression. so far he'd always sent me decent food. The sleeping bracelet feels like something social pressured him to do.

He was playing the game to win, but he wasn't extremely evil. He was smart, though. He'd figured things out pretty quickly, and he wanted to have control, just like I did, as that was the only chance to get out, presumably. It also meant that he would probably be coming for me now. I've been here for five full days already, and day six was starting off as awful as always. i tried to look for the book to figure out a way to send a message but it was gone so were the cigarettes they must have taken them last night luckily i put the lighter in my pocket

my hopes of getting out of here in a healthy way were getting smaller by the second when i couldn't let this get to me down if i started losing hope now i'd probably die in here i had to get into survival mode ding ding ding Hello, John. Today we have a very special assignment on the planet. You'll be live streaming the other participants and play a game of choices. There are many points to be gained here, so do your best. Go sit down on your bed with the wall behind you. Four video screens opened up. I recognised Manuel and Josh. Julia was there as well. Alive. I've had a feeling of relief wash over me. I didn't trust her, but I didn't want her dead either. The last one must have been Jackie. She looked a little older than the rest of the group. The bags under her eyes let me assume that she was probably the one that hadn't slept in days. Oh, that must really screw with your mind. Welcome, participants. All of you have been doing well so far.

Some did better than others, but don't worry. This game is a chance to change everything. Let's get started. Josh, choose a participant to for. fulfill the following task. Eat a raw deer heart. He didn't even seem to think about it. He responded right away. Manuel. Manuel, what to the elevator and pick up the heart now? If you choose not to, you will not receive any food or beverages for the rest of the experiment. I could see him struggle. His eyes were filled with hatred. Eventually he got up.

Looking into the camera with tears in his heart, he bit in his heart. He bit in his. into the dark red organ, finishing it off piece by piece. Josh didn't even flinch, and Julia looked more confused and revolted. Next round, John and Josh. You can both decide to either remove a tooth or a fingernail. Choice must be unanimous. What do you choose? Tooth.

I sighed. If he'd pick nails, we probably would have had to do both. Josh wrapped his shirt around one of his teeth, closed his eyes and abruptly pulled it out. Blood filled his mouth. He held the tooth to the camera. I followed. Normally your mind tries to protect you. Hurting yourself like this takes a lot of willpower. For me, it wasn't willpower, though. It was fear. Fear of whatever the alternative to this might be.

It was painful as fuck, but... Still felt harmless compared to what came next. We all went through the game. No questions asked. Nobody dared to disobey. Julia can have a broken nose or all hair burned off their scalp. Manuel decide which option. Manuel was just shaking his head.

His face was still red from the blood and his eyes were full of tears. He was genuinely scared. Julia showed almost no reaction something had really broken her spirit Manuel send your choice now or lose all your privileges finally he typed

nose just like that Julia turned towards the wall and repeatedly banged her face against it as she turned around blood ran all over her face her nose was completely out of place still she was calm not a single tear john it is time for you to decide well jackie cut off one of her fingers or be prohibited from sleeping for the rest of her timing i could see the desperation in her eyes how long can one survive without any sleep a week two i knew what she would choose if she could finger As Jackie is not in possession of a knife at the moment, one of her helpers will arrive soon to fulfill the task.

Jackie looked at her arm and smiled. You all did very well so far. Your wounds will be treated by one of our doctors shortly. Only one question left. One of the participants has to die. Majority wins. Who do you choose? This couldn't be real.

This was a whole new level of fucked up. Well, I hesitated. How could I possibly answer this question? Manuel seemed to think the same, because neither of us answered. We didn't have to, as the majority had already made the decision. John. John. John.

Participant files. Round four. Participant John. Rounds, four. ranking, not applicable. Obedience level, strong. Subject went through significant growth. At the start decisions were of pure altruistic nature.

As personal gain was made transparent, change of tactics. At the end of the round, signs of resignation had become evident. A need for power and authority was established. After rising to the top on score level, participant John, given up own will entirely, made deathly choices for a number of participants without signs of remorse. Participant Julia, rounds three, ranking, two, obedience level, intermediate. The subject showed resilience and willpower all throughout rounds two and three, inconsistent emotional state, was almost removed due to repeated suicide attempts. Strong determination to eliminate

participant John. At the end of round four, participants showed signs of apathy. Level of obedience is stable at this point. Participant Jackie. Rounds one, ranking three. Obedience level, strong. The subject showed occasional competent decision-making skills. Started off with a subjectively altruistic mindset, however, would let other participants influence their choices. Interest of future testing. Participant, Manuel, rounds one, ranking four. Obedience level, we. The subject has poor decision-making skills,

lets actions be guided by emotions, has no explicit benefit for the experiment at this point, and will therefore be eliminated. Participant, George, rounds one, ranking one. Obedience level, intermediate. The subject has passed expectations. They grew fast and showed remarkable pattern in decision-making. However, level of loyalty needs to be further examined. Day seven, I don't even know how to

put into words how I was feeling last night. I didn't sleep at all. For hours I was sitting on the bed, staring towards the door, waiting for my end. Of course, I didn't know if I would actually die or not, but in that moment the adrenaline was flowing through my entire body. Fear can be a real rush. My mind was not ready to die. I thought about Kiwi who had been left alone for days. I thought about my mother, hoping she'd be safe. Thought about my friends, about my childhood.

About the summers we went swimming in the lake. About the Sunday mornings watching cartoons with my dad. I was not ready to die. I felt hate. pure revengeful bitter hate for social for the experiment for the other participants

this entire situation was just so fucked up I wondered if I'd done the same as Josh had he been the highest ranking player part of me was scared to admit I probably would have if it meant that I was free thought about the other two

and felt especially betrayed by Jackie they couldn't have known that I was the highest ranking player I kept staring at the door, waiting patiently, but he came. Maybe it had just been a mind game after all. Maybe last night was just a farce. Ding, ding. Breakfast time.

Today you will not have to choose. Go to elevator now to pick up your meal. Prisoners on the death penalty usually get to choose their last meal. No answer. I walked over to see what would be on. the tray. Maybe it was some sort of clue. It was a finger. Was this a sign from Jackie? Was the reason she picked me to die because of the choice I'd made for her? I let it fall to the ground, broke down in tears. I lost all hope of ever getting out of this place. The chat window

was still open. Social. Am I still the highest-ranking player? Currently the highest-ranking is John. Wait, it's social just given me a name. I never answer questions on the rankings of other participants. Hello, John. I want you to know that I'm very impressed with your progress. I understand that it must feel surprising to see the other participants turn on you. Remember, the only reason they want you dead is because you are a threat. Wouldn't you murder someone if it meant getting your freedom back? We are sad that it had to come to this point. But we have provided something for you to make this a little easier. Make the right decisions.

Who is this? Hello, John. You just received another personal message from my head of research. You get to make another decision now. Do you want to continue and accept your destiny, or put fate into your own hands? Go to elevator now to pick up the items sent to you by the head of research. A bottle of vodka and a gun.

one bullet. Last night the majority decided for the death of participant jar. If this was making things easier, what was the alternative? What kind of gruesome death that they planned for me? I took a big gulp of the vodka. I didn't even have to think about this. Hey, social. Come and get me.

Bring the head of research as well. I'd love to meet them. They could go fuck themselves if they thought I was. going to make things easy for them. I grabbed the bottle of vodka and poured it out in front of the door, making a trowel towards the bed where I sat down. I held the gun towards the door. If someone came in, I had one chance to shoot them.

My chances weren't great, especially as I doubt only one person would come, so I kept the light at once. If I had to go, I wouldn't do this on my own. I would take them with me. I waited for what must have been hours, but nothing happened. Every time I thought I'd figure them out.

Every time I thought things were ending, they just pulled another trick. They must have cameras everywhere. How could I have believed that this was it? The laptop started ringing again, the sound of pure misery. Hello, John. We see that you did not decide to use the gun.

You just gained a hundred social points. We do not appreciate suicide attempts. What is this? Why are you doing this to me? Please just give me answers. If I have to die, at least let me know what the purpose of all this is. With the majority of three votes, the death of participant John was decided. Do you agree with this choice? No, no, I do not, adding your social score with the one of participant Manuel. You could overrule the majority. What does this mean? What's going to happen now? You have two choices.

Team up with participant Manuel. If you can agree on another participant's death without discussion, it will be executed. Keep in mind, participant Manuel could choose John. Well, this was no option. It was too much of a gamble. What's the other choice? You can join another round of a round. decisions. This time you'll be making them on your own. If you gain a thousand points in this game,

the life of participant John will be spared. This could only be another round of torture, but at this point, what did I have to lose? First round, give gun to participant Julia. 200 points, or to participant Josh, 50 points. Oh, she'd try to kill herself before. If I send the gun, this could end fatal. But then again, I'd just send it right. I mean, the decision was all hurts. Julia. 200 points.

I moved the gun to the elevator. I hated giving it away, but I doubt it would have been much use anyway. Participant man well is free to leave and go home. Minus 200 points. Or he will stay indefinitely. 200 points. I've really, really wanted him to get out of him. To get back to say,

Sabrina, but even more than that, I wanted to live. Make him stay. Four hundred points. I felt like such a dick. I just get the only person from freedom that had spared my life. Jackie will lose the rest of their hand. Two hundred. Or John will lose a finger.

Three hundred. This was a really awful decision. A finger was nothing compared to. to a whole hand and it would give me more points but was I ready to sacrifice something for someone who'd wanted my death oh jacky six hundred points but if i hadn't realized it before this game really showed me how weak the human mind is you do anything some authority asked you to do as long as it perks for yourself i felt like such a horrible human being and it got even worse Josh gets to to speak to head of research.

Minus 100. Or Manuel loses one toe. 200. God, I couldn't harm him even more. Josh, 500 points. I hoped I wouldn't regret this decision. You can end it all now.

Julia will be kept from all benefits, including sleep and nutrition for one week. 500 points. Do you accept? Would she say, survive that? I didn't know. All I could hope was that she had something to drink saved in her room. Who cares? She wanted me dead. She didn't even flints when she typed in my name. You'd have to do anything to survive. Yes. Would you like to spare the life of John? Minus 1,000 points. Yes. Right after

I typed it in, I ran to the bathroom to throw up. This had been the hardest moment. This had been the hardest of the experiment so far. I'd never hated myself as much as I did in this moment. I hope survival was worth this. Day eight. I woke up lying next to the toilet. The memories of yesterday came back to me, and I felt like throwing up again.

Finally, I got up to see if there were any new messages from social. Any sign that this misery would end soon. Dinner time. You may now choose. a meal for participant John? Why did this say my own name? Maybe they wanted me to pick my own dinner last night. I didn't care. I mean, I should have felt hungry, but the guilt kept me from even thinking about food. What time was it? I hadn't got a breakfast message yet. As if social could read my mind, the laptop started ringing again. The text was not from social. Good morning.

Social. No, I would like to ask a few questions if that's all right. Does it matter what I say? It always matters. Your decisions are what brought you this far. I don't ever remember accepting to come to this hell. What do you remember? If I answer your questions, you let me go.

Yes, Josh, after this conversation you are free to go home. Do you remember your home? Did they just mix up my name? I did vote for Josh to have a conversation with the head of research. I just decided to go with it, then. Yeah, I do. I have a little apartment where I live with my cat, but you probably know all about that. And you think the cat is called Kiwi?

Yes, I can see that shortboard. How do they know the name of my cat? Um, yes, Kiwi. What does Kiwi look like? I couldn't remember. There are also letters on there. K and F. Kristen and Finn,

write. How do you know that? Do you remember what they look like? Or what Mary looks like? Do you remember your childhood home? I tried to think of my mum. Blunt hair, brown eyes. She was about 50.

For some reason, I didn't remember more. What did she look like when I was younger? Why did my memory feel frozen? It was as if I was. I was thinking of a photo, not a real person. Keep thinking. The image shifted. It was a woman with short hair, a kind smile.

The hair was black when I was little, but now it had turned grey. A name came to my mind. Margaret? Who was this woman? Do you know who Margaret is? I believe that is your mother. Who's Mary? That must be the mother of John.

I am, Are you sure about that? More memories came up. Kiwi, my dad, my friends, the lake. Everything was wrong. They were simply images. They'd morphed into something else. College, a woman, blood, a girl.

She had a tattoo on her arm. A hospital. I started remembering more. I had joined an experiment once at college. I didn't remember much, except that the research was corrupt. and evil. After I left that experiment, terrible things happened to me, to everyone around me. I decided to leave and I travelled around Europe for a while, but wherever I went, things went bad

for me. They must have found me. Or did I find them? They wiped away everything and gave me false memories. Josh, you did really well here. I realised this experiment has its ups and downs, but eventually you grew to the top. You showed no remorse. You are a true leader. Josh. Social kept calling me John and I just accepted it. How did I forget about my own name?

No, I didn't. I only did what you made me do. I did what I had to do. Because of points. Numbers on a laptop. You decided to shock both Manuel and Julia. You sacrificed Jackie's hand. You gave Julia a gun even though you knew she was suicidal.

Although, you did spare John's life. Who is John? You got to know him as Josh. We swapped your identity with his and added him as an additional variable. He's on its way to become part of our team. Before this, he'd been torturing Julia. And it worked. That's why she wanted me dead.

And she probably convinced Jackie, too. Why? Why did you do all this? All these people were normal human beings living their lives. Keep them in a room alone, give them power to make decisions, and they will lose all sense of humanity. They are no exception. We have tested this in many settings already.

Some humans grow above, however. A very select number get to make rules, not follow them. And John is one of them? No. he had potential but he is nothing like you you're the only person that could remotely come close to me and that is why i need you you are always one step behind me i had to make sure you were strong enough to be part of this to be part of the new life and now i know you have everything in that it takes i'm extremely proud of you you want me to start doing these sick experiments on innocent people this is

happening. There is no way for you to change any of this. Our institution is far more powerful than you might believe, and giving you the option to be on the side that makes the decisions. I am not forcing you to do anything. Just think about it. You are free to go home now, but we will see each other again soon. Goodbye, nine. That was the last thing I remember. I woke up in my apartment, my real apartment, not the one from my memories, Johns, or whatever they made me believe. My memories slowly came back, and I wish they hadn't. Thought about running away, starting over somewhere far away, but for some reason I think they'd find me,

and for the same reason that the authorities won't listen to me. They are powerful, and not just doing experiments. They're planning to take control over humanity or something. Yesterday I received an envelope with the patient files, as well as this postcard. The next round of the social experiment will start soon. Do you want to be an object or a leader? I thought about this a lot. About joining them, not as a test subject, but as a researcher.

I thought about this a lot since I'd been back home. I don't know what will happen next, but this study did teach me a lot about human nature and my own mind. how arbitrary freedom and choice were. I followed them, blindly followed some authority for made-up points and false promises. I know I have to get back there, not to become part of the research team, but to save the ones I left behind.

I will not accept being this terrible person. I can do better with the knowledge I've gained. The envelope has no return address. So for now, all I can do is wait. I met her at a party my friend Matt had organised last year. Although the party was big with lots of people there, she stood out from the crowd immediately. Red hair, blue eyes, full lips of a luptuous figure.

She was mesmerising in an otherworldly manner which I can't explain. I couldn't take my eyes off her, and soon she noticed my voracious glances and returned them. At the time I hadn't even thought about approaching her. With her amazing looks, she had a lot of wooers around her, but seemed bemused by every single one of them. That's why, when I grabbed a beer and turned around to see her standing right in front of me, I was so startled I almost spilled my beer all over myself. Hi, she said with a curious smile, ignoring my clumsiness.

I'm high back, I said, trying my best not to stare at her cleavage. You're a friend of mats. I haven't seen you before. I am. My name's Jake. Maria, she replied, and we shook hands. At the time, the only thing I could think of was, what in the whole of hell was wrong with her

that she had decided to talk to me of all people at the party. You want to drink? I gestured to the plethora of booze on the table. No, I don't drink. I'll take a Coke zero, though, she jovily said, as she bent forward unnatural. to reach the coke can on the table, making her breasts even more prominent in that position. I remember wondering at that point if she did that on purpose to tease me,

or if she was completely oblivious to the sight she was displaying. My bet was on the first one, and it invigorated me to strike up a conversation with her further. So, what about you? How do you know, Matt? I asked, my brain desperately trying to conjure up some smooth lines, but only sputtering out the most basic sentences. Oh, he and I used to be neighbours when we were kids, and played together almost every day during summer. We just kind of stayed in touch over the years, as improbable as that sounds. Wow, I can't believe he's never told me about you all these years.

I tried to be more daring, the beer taking more control than I was. Now, Matt and I used to hang out a lot more frequently before, but he never told me about Maria. He did have a lot of friends, though, and it's not like we sat around talking about his friends all day. She smiled and took a sip of her coat, maintaining eye contact with me the whole time. Just then, a new song started playing, and Maria gasped with a grin on her face. Oh, I love this song. Want to dance? She winked, gesturing with her head for me to follow. My testosterone was already out of control by then from being in the proximity of a woman of such appearance, so I didn't need to be asked twice.

Grabbed her by the hand and took her to the middle of the room, among the other. drunken guests. Maria and I dance for hours, which sounds a lot about me because I absolutely hate dancing. I remember in my intoxicated state, seeing Matt give me a weird glance with his eyebrows raised when he saw me with her there. After a while, things got heated, and Maria and I began making out and grinding on the dance floor. They continued drinking along the way, with my lack of self-control over booze. I guess I blacked out at some point. I woke up in the morning with a throbbing headache, the sunlight coming through the window, blinding me.

I grunted and opened my eyes with great difficulty, observing my surroundings. I was in the bedroom of my apartment. There was a note on the nightstand, written with almost perfect handwriting. See you soon. Maria. There was a lipstick imprint in the shape of lips under that. I flipped the note over, looking for a number or a way to contact her, but there was nothing else.

I cursed loudly for not remembering anything about the furry night last night that I'd probably had with Maria or having any way to contact her back, but at the time my biggest concern was my throbbing head. I spent most of that day laying in bed and around 4pm I got a call from an unknown number. Hello? I answered,

expecting a call from a marketing or insurance agency. A.J., a playful female voice resounded on the other side. "'Ah!' I said, trying not to give away my confusion. "'It's Maria. Remember me?' she asked, playfully again. "'Maria, hi. Of course I remember you. How was the party for you?' "'The party was okay. The after-party was amazing,' she giggled. I laughed awkwardly. "'Say, did Matt give you my number?' I asked.

"'Oh, I got it myself. Why are you sleeping?' I used your phone to call myself. Oh, okay. Oh, I wish I could say that this raised some red flags, but the part of me which was into Maria decided to ignore such a creepy fact. More so? I was glad she'd caught me. Hey, Jake, do you want to go out somewhere tonight? She asked.

Oh, tonight. I was taken aback by this, but still a pleasant surprise. Yeah, sure. How about we go to a quiet place tonight? That's a great idea. I could hear the excitement in her voice over the phone. Boss Cafe, 8pm. Yeah, sure.

You want me to pick you up somewhere, or... No, it's okay. See you soon, Jakey. Can't wait. I dressed up fancier than last night and put on an expensive perfume to make up for the intoxicated state I was in at the party. Maria was already seated at a table in the restaurant,

looking even more enthralling than last night. She wore a tight, fancy red dress that matched her hair and brought her bodily features to expression. I felt my temperature going up right away, and it wasn't from the restaurant's heating. She and I hid it off right pretty well from the start, and after just a few minutes of talking, I realised she wasn't just a pretty face and a hot body,

but also a font of knowledge that possessed the intellect of someone who could put a scholar to shame. I honestly started to feel a bit intimidated by this point. She was a psychologist in high school who planned to start her own business, and in spare time she enjoyed painting, joining book club meetings, and going to acting classes twice a week. And then, it was me, a half-ambitious accountant, whose only goal was to make it to Friday so I could go drinking.

She didn't seem to mind my lack of hobbies, though, and was genuinely interested in everything I had to say, gleefully hanging on to every word I uttered. After dinner we went back to my place, when things started getting heated, she stopped me. She seemed genuinely worried, so I asked her what was wrong. She told me that she's not the kind of person to sleep around, but that she likes me and wants to try something more serious with me.

Well, most of my thinking capabilities were then drained from staring at her breasts, but I used my remaining brainpower to tell her I understood what she meant, and the feeling was mutual. At that, she seemed relieved, and we took things further in the bedroom, and luckily this time I remembered every single detail. We officially started dating after that, and things went smoothly for a while. We saw each other every day, and she'd often sleep over. Frankly, I was beginning to think that she was the one, but I'd already started picturing

our future together, even though we'd only been dating for a month. And then, one day, everything... changed. We were on a date in Boss Cafe, and she was telling me about her day. I carefully listened and agreed with her that the 15-year-old girl from school that she was talking to was spoiled. My phone vibrated, and I unlocked it. I forgot I have to meet up with Federica later, I said. Who? Maria asked as she took a sip of her coffee. My friend Federica, she and I agreed to catch up this week. Excuse me?

Maria's face contorted into a grimace of anger. I'd never seen her make this facial expression, so I instantly assumed this was bad. Yeah, I mean, Federica and I've known each other over ten years. So? It's not right for someone in a relationship

to have any lady friends, change. I don't have any guy friends either. What? Come on. Federica's like a sister to me, I mean, you hang out with Matt too, right? No, I don't. I blocked him on all my social media when you and I started dating.

Men and women can't be friends. There's always a chance for something more to happen between them. Are you serious? I'm not forbidding you from hanging out with guys. It's perfectly normal to have friends at the opposite sex, as long as you're just friends. Well, I don't agree with you. She crossed her arms, fuming.

I'm sorry, Jake, but... You're going to have to choose, me or her. Oh, Maria, come on. Don't be like this. Federica's just a friend. I'm not going to cut off a friend I've known for ten years, over someone I've known for a month. Please don't make me choose. If you won't cut her off,

and I want to be with you every time you hang out with her. No, I said sternly, but you'll get to meet her, but I can't drag you to... Before I managed to finish my centre, Maria stood up and threw her coffee in my face. The nearby guests of the restaurant glanced in our direction as Maria stormed out, furiously stomping her feet. I wiped my face and shirt futilely with a napkin,

trying to pretend like everything was okay. I asked for the check from the waiter. He tried to keep a straight face and politely excuse myself out of there. I'd probably not be going back there any time soon. an hour later i was at federica's place and we were catching up talking about old times when my phone burst i unlocked it saw that i'd got a message from maria it said how can you be so selfish i replied i'm sorry if i hurt you but try to understand my side we'll talk about it later i continued chatting with frederica when my phone buzzed again it was maria again No, we will not. I won't change my stance on this. Is everything okay?

Federica asked, possibly noticing my frustrated facial expression. Yeah, everything's fine, I said, turning off my vibration and putting my phone in my pocket. I did my best to put my argument with Maria to the back of my mind and enjoy my time with Federica, but she could sense my frustration, so we agreed to meet again another time. When I arrived home, pulled out my phone and loudly said, What the, when I saw the countless notifications on my phone. I'd missed calls and messages on every social media website where I was active. Every single notification was from Maria.

I skimmed through them in horror, seeing new ones pop up along the way. The messages started accusatory, saying things like, You fucking asshole, I can't believe you're so cruel. I bet you're fucking all right now, aren't you? Then they transitioned into guilt-tripping, saying things like, I'm crying right now. I'll just swallow my sweeping pills to take my mind off you.

I can't believe you'd hurt me like this. And so on. Then they started to change to rationalising, telling me she loves me too much and only wants to protect me, that she's too afraid to lose me. In between her messages, there were remarks like,

Hello. Are you there? quickly followed by more of her rants. Something clicked in my mind, and I realised right there and then that things wouldn't work out for us. This was too much of an issue to be pushed under the rug. I hated the idea of doing it this way,

but I sent her a message. I think we should break up. She called me immediately, asking me why, with a quivering voice. I explained and she began crying, begging me not to leave her, promising to change and even let me be friends with Federica. I told her that it wouldn't work,

and she began guilt-tripping me again, telling me that she loved me and she was going to kill herself if I leave her. When I told her that those threats wouldn't work, she became aggressive. The last sentence she screamed into the phone before hanging up was, You regret leaving me, you bastard. I'll make your life a living hell.

You're going to beg me to take you back. Well, it was the most surreal experience, I've had within the span of four hours, and although I really liked her, I couldn't go over this sort of thing. Her behaviour reminded me of those posts which I used to see online about the cringy overweight guys with Fedoras who orbit around women and incessantly hound their inboxes. If Maria got this psychotic over a visit with a long-time female friend, I didn't even want to think about what she would do when we moved in together or got married. I assumed that she was the type to stalk her exes, so I preemptively blocked to her all media, just to be on the safe

side. Everything went fine for a while, and I even met another girl, a friend of Federicus. She and I went on a date, and everything was fine at first. She was super into me, and we were already making plans for our next date, when she decided to add me on Facebook, so we could chat more easily. I told her my name, and she decided to check out my profile a little, while we waited for our food to arrive. She was amused by my pictures of the food I cooked, as well as my workout videos. And all of a sudden, a smile dropped,

and her mouth contorted into an expression that looked like she'd just eaten a lemon. I asked her if everything was okay, and she uttered a week, a visibly forced smile. From that point, she avoided my gaze the entire time and seemed completely uninterested in the conversation. Well, the date went on,

for about 20 minutes. When she said she just remembered something she needed to take care of and had to go, saying, oh, we'll be in touch. A more perplexed than disappointed. I connected the dots that she may have seen something on my profile which wasn't to her liking. But before I could finish that sentence, I got a call from my mum. Hello? I asked. Jake! She sounded distressed, which instantly put me on edge. What is that picture you posted on Facebook? Aunt Amy had to see it. What were you thinking? I was, of course, confused by this because I had no idea what video she was talking about. I immediately logged in to see for myself what could have possibly caused such an eruptive reaction. And boy, was there something to be seen there? The most

recent posts were normal, but when I scrolled down a little bit, I started to see occasional shares of weird links, videos and pictures, like furry porn and sexual artwork which I don't even want to begin to describe. There was even a post where I apparently wrote something extremely racist and homophobic. The funny thing is that for each link or post I shared, there was a follow-up text of my own, which eerily looked like something I would write, with the typical emojis I use and so on. It made it less likely to other people that I'd been hacked, or more that I'd had a mental breakdown. What was even strange was the fact that there were some likes and comments on it, but I'd never been notified.

Upon closer investigation, I realised that the notifications had been turned off. I immediately made a post in which I apologise publicly to everyone who'd seen such abominal things and informed them that I was hacked. The damage was already done, though, and by then a lot of people had already booted me out of their friends list. Well, I contemplated deleting my Facebook, but running away from it after such a disaster would only make me look guiltier. Two days later, at work, my boss caught me into his office. I was expecting a promotion around that time, and everyone in the office already knew that I was the best candidate.

Even the boss had hinted at me getting the role, so it's pretty much a public secret by then. Hey, how's it going, Mike? I asked when I strode inside and sat in front of his desk. Michael stared at his computer screen with a grievous expression on his face. He furiously clicked for a minute or so while I sat in silence, feeling like I was being judged for some reason. Jake, he finally said, turning to me and crossing his fingers. You've been a valuable asset to the company thus far. He stared at his hands while fidgeting with his fingers.

You were the perfect man for the promotion. were i thought to myself starting to sweat bullets instantly mike looked up at me with the expression of a disappointed parent he said that's why i don't understand why you'd do something like this why focus on small cash when you could have made it big mike what are you talking about what's going on mike opened his drawer and pulled out a stack of papers we slammed them against the desk and said the client who you've been working with on the previous project contacted us and told us you were willing to sell him some sensitive information for a price my eyes widened my heart practically thudding against my chest at this point the paper showed screenshots of my secret communication with the client where i clearly offered to leak information in exchange for money the papers also had pre-shorting information in exchange for money the papers also had prove that I did it, because the emails were apparently sent from the location of the office, from my computer. What is this? Mike, I'd never do such a thing. Give me a chance to at least explain... I tried to say, before Mike interrupted me.

Jake, don't make this hard on yourself. Now you can leave either with a severance package or without it, which already took a lot of strings to pull. Hell, you're lucky that I managed to convince the higher-ups not to press charges against you. Well, the choice was, clear here, and there was no use arguing. They had strong evidence to go against my claim. I agreed to Mike's terms, and by the end of the day I was out of the office, followed by the contemptuous glances and hush whispers of my co-workers. I wish that's where everything ended, but when I got home I had an even bigger surprise. I opened my front door to find my apartment completely ransacked. Furniture was ripped, with sponges strewn all over the place,

Dishes were smashed on the floor. The TV and other objects were overturned. It looked like they'd been an earthquake in there. I called the cops immediately and they showed up within minutes. After a brief search, I realized that nothing of value was missing and they'd found no signs of forced entry. Did you have any idea who might have done this? One of the officers asked. I thought for a moment and the idea occurred to me that Maria could have been responsible, but I had no clear evidence to assure

she would go to such extreme lengths, despite being as crazy as she was. It made sense that she would do it, though. She'd vowed to make my life a living hell. In the past few days had been a string of unexplained incidents. I was about to give the officer the name of a potential suspect, when the other police officer emerged from the bathroom. Turn around, put your hands behind your head, he said. What? What's going on? I asked.

The officer raised a small transparent bag with little green lumps up to his face. You're under arrest from marijuana possession, he said. Wait, what, that's not mine. Sir, don't make this hard on yourself that we can do this in two ways. You don't want to be charged with a resisting arrest. I complied, my brain spinning a million miles an hour. As they escorted me out of my apartment, my gaze fell on a tiny, note in the front of the entrance a note with an all too familiar lipstick imprint on

it see you soon Maria this couldn't be happening I kept telling myself as I was put in the back of the cruiser and taken to the police station it took a week until I had my court hearing and I was granted bail of three thousand dollars well it would have been a misdemeanor charge but the amount of marijuana exceeded it just by a little and I was sure that whoever framed me had calculated its scrutiny At the time I didn't have such money, so I called Matt to help me out. I felt bad for calling him like this, especially given the fact that he and I had only spoken once briefly since the party, but he was more than happy to help me.

When he finally arrived to pick me up, he shook his head but smiled. Dude, having fun without me. Why don't you conceal your shit better? he asked. That wasn't mine, I said. Matt laughed. Yeah, innocent man, I get it. I totally don't have some on me right now, he winked. I'm serious, Matt.

I was set up by Maria. Who? Your friend, Maria. You know, the one I hooked up with at the party and dated for a month. Matt frowned for a moment, before snapping his fingers and saying, Oh, right, the redhead. That chick was hot, man. Two bad things didn't work out for you two.

Hey, wouldn't mind give me your number so I can try and charm her, eh? I mean, you guys are through so you don't. You don't mind, right? I stared at Matt in bewilderment. Something was very wrong here. I said, Matt. She said that she was your childhood friend. Matt shook his head. No, I thought she was your friend, man. My head started to spin again. Who the hell was this girl, and what did she want from me? How the hell did she manage to sneak into the party without anyone noticing, especially with their prominent features. I thanked Matt for everything he'd done and promised to pay him back as soon as I had the money.

As soon as I got home, I unblocked Maria's number and texted her. Well, you done now, you freaking psycho. You embarrassed me in front of my friends and family. He got me fired and arrested and ransacked my apartment. Leave me the fuck alone, you bitch. It felt good sending that text, although I wanted to say it to her face even more. Her reply came through in a manner of me.

minutes. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me feel uneasy. See you soon, it simply said. I spent the next two days cleaning up my apartment and looking for a new job. It was inevitable that I would need to move out, especially now that I was jobless, so I wasn't too concerned with Maria finding me. One day during the week, I went for a walk in the park to clear my head and get my mind off things. It was a nice day and the park was tranquil. of people walking their dogs or taking a stroll with their kids.

I sat down on a bench, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the pleasant breeze and silence. Hey, Jakey, I heard an all too familiar voice to my left. I jerked my head in the direction of the voice, and there she wants, standing right in front of me, with a wide smile on her face. Maria! I stood up, feeling my heart beginning to race faster. What the hell do you want for me? What do you want?

Nothing. I was passing and just wanted to say hi. Well, see you around, she said in a nonchalant way, waving her fingers at me before turning around. This made me mad. To ruin my life like that and then just pretend like everything was okay filled me with boiling rage. I stood up and grabbed her by her wrist violently.

Don't walk away from me, you bitch. She turned around to face me. giving me a suspiciously seductive glance before saying, "'Careful, Jake. "'Careful. "'There are people around here. "'You wouldn't want the judge to receive a video of you "'violating your temporary restraining order, would you?'

"'Her eyes widened and a smile dropped, "'expressing palpable fear on her face. "'She tried breaking free as she screamed, "'let me go! Please, don't hurt me!' "'I let her go instantly, as if being burned. The nearby people glanced in our direction with confusion, and I could see some of them reaching for their phones, curiously observing the situation. Restraining, what are you talking about? I asked, keeping my distance from her.

She smiled again, making me want to strangle her. The judge was so cooperative. When I came to him with tears in my eyes, and I showed him all the texts of threats she'd been making towards me, he immediately took pity. She giggled and twirled her hair around her fingers. playfully before saying, You still have a chance to make it up to me. Despite causing me so much pain and suffering,

I still love you, Jake. I'm willing to take you back. You're freaking crazy, I said, and turned around. Stop, Jake. She said so sternly that I felt compelled to turn around and face her. She said, You don't want to leave, trust me. Because if you do, you're going to be charged with rape.

I was about to interject, but no words came out. She continued. If I go to the judge and tell him you rape me, do you think they'll take my words right? She pursed her lips staring at me. What if they found some evidence, say, some injuries, say, DNA? What do you think would happen then? I opened my mouth, confounded.

I couldn't describe what I felt at that point. I was a mixture of scared, angry at the same time. I felt like I could stomp Maria's head over and over until all that remained of her body was a bloody mess. But she had me by the box. She took a step closer and put her hand on my cheek. Jakey, she said.

I told you that you begged me to take you back. So get on your knees and start begging. I looked around, futilely searching for a familiar face to help me. But most of the people, already gone by then. It was only Maria and I, with an occasional pass-abond. I had no doubt that she was ready to do everything she mentioned in order to get what she wants. Jakey, don't make me ask twice. She crossed her arms. I felt tears streaming down my face at this point, so I slowly lowered myself to my knees and looked up at Maria's stern face.

Forgive me, I said. What was that? I can't. hear you she said leaning in and looking like she could hardly contain her laughter please forgive me and she said her face very close to mine now her lips contorting into a conniving smile please forgive me and take me back i said sobbing stand up look at me look at me jane she said i obeyed immediately do you love me, she asked. Yes, I said, moving my gaze away, too humiliated to look at her. I didn't say you could look away, she said. I looked back and she smiled. It was that same smile from the night when we met, a heartwarming illusion of a smile that could lure any man into Maria's deadly trap. Do you promise to always love me and do as I ask, and never have any female friends again?

I promise, I said. She hung her arms around my neck and kissed me, then hug me and whispered into my ear. It's okay. I forgive you, Jakey. We're going to be so happy together. I met with Maria in our usual cafe the following day at her request. I didn't even try to make an excuse and dodge coming,

because I knew she'd find a way to blackmail me. When I arrived, she was already there, scrolling on her foot. She wore a cropped pink top and jeans, and upon seeing me, she smiled wildly and stood up to meet me. She passionately kissed me and whispered. I missed you, Jakey.

Did you miss me? Yes, I answered, like a docile animal, too afraid to hesitate. Had this been the time when we just started dating, I would have been absolutely stunned by her gorgeous appearance, but now, As I looked at her, deceptive smile and dishonest eyes, I felt disgust. I could hardly even stomach the thought of being in her presence,

little alone being intimate with her, but it had to be her way. How was your day, sweetie? she asked. It was good. I didn't really do anything special, I said, glancing around the place, trying to catch the attention of the waiter. Aren't you going to ask me about my day? she said tapping her fingernails on the table producing a hollow sound with each tap i haven't been with her for a full minute and already i'd managed to piss her off how the hell was i going to survive a relationship with this psychopath yes i'm sorry how was your day baby i smiled and asked to which her tapping stopped well just another typical day at school you know i had one kid scheduled for a conversation but he never showed up.

I'll have to contact him to make sure he's okay, though. I'm really worried about him, since he's feeling depressed. She raised her eyebrows in a sorrowful manner. A lying two-faced bitch was all I could think to myself, as I nodded and agreed with her, encouraging her to leave the kid alone until he felt comfortable to talk about his situation. Normally I would have advised differently,

but right now being depressed sounded way better than being near this lunatic. "'So, are you looking for a new job?' she pompously asked, taking a sip of coffee. I stared at her for a moment in confusion, and when she saw that, she put her mug down and said, "'You know, because you got fired from your old job. "'It's such a shame. You really seem to enjoy working there. "'But I believe you're going to make up for the mistake you made at your old job. "'I believe in you, and I'll support you until the end, Jakey, because that's what good girlfriends do.

She smiled and reached across the table, putting her hand on my. I smiled back, holding within me the urge to shout at her. We spent another twenty or so agonizing minutes talking about random things, when my phone buzzed on the table. I picked it up to read the message, and noticed Maria greedily glancing at the screen. When I saw who the message was from, I silently started praying that Maria hadn't seen it,

but my hope sank when she spoke. up again. Jake, I thought we'd been through this already. When I looked at her, she had her arms crossed and was frowning at me. What do you mean? I played dumb, closing the message and putting the phone in my pockets. You know what I mean. We agreed that having friends of the opposite sex is not right for someone who's in a relationship.

And last time I checked, Federico was a girl. Maria, please. Federica has always been a good friend of mine. I can't just ditch her after all these years. Jake, I'm trying to be supportive. I really am, but it's so hard to do so when you're constantly hurting me like this. Tears started welling in her eyes, and her voice started to quiver, gradually becoming louder.

I can't be supportive of it when all I can think of was that day when you left me to be with her. How am I supposed to believe you wouldn't do it again? She was practically screaming at this point, tears streaming down her face, much to the bewildered glances of the other guests. She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing. Please stop. No, I won't stop, she said between sobs, before slightly calming down and continuing. If you won't do anything about it, then we'll just have to go our own ways, Jake.

But I'm not sure what your path would entail. She stood up, picked up her point. purse and put it over her shoulder. Maria, wait, or do whatever you want, please, I said. She looked at me with hesitation, wiping the tears and ruined makeup off her face, before sitting down and leaning on the table. She said, call her now. What? Call her and tell her never to contact you again. Maria, I... Call her, or I am leave. Or I am leaving. I glanced around the restaurant, realizing that most of the people were sneaking glances in our direction, moving their gages away when they met with mine. Well, Maria's unrelenting gaze was on me so intently that I felt that it would burn a hole in my head.

I pulled out my phone and died Frederica's number, with trembling hands. After two rings, she picked up. Hey, Jay, she said jovially. Hi, Frederica. My somber greeting contrasted hers. Is everything okay, Jake? She could immediately sense that something was wrong. Of course she could. Even after a long time of not talking,

she knew me better than I knew myself. Jake, you're still there? She asked when I failed to respond. Maria incessantly stared at me, slowly tapping her fingernails on the table again. We, um, we can't be friends. friends anymore, Federica. I sped out as quickly as I could, feeling uncomfortable with the words. What? Jake, I don't understand. Don't ever call me again, I said and hung up, before she could

respond. I put my phone in my lap and stared at it as it started to ring with Federica's name on the display. Block her, Maria sternly said, still staring at me with her piercing look, her lips stiffening into a thin line. I declined Federica's call and did as Maria asked. I also blocked her on all social media, and once it was done, I gently placed my phone on the table and looked Maria in the eye. Her expression shifted entirely from an angry one to compassionate.

She stared at me with what looked like pity, and she put her hand on mine again and said, I know this was hard, baby, but it was the only right thing to do. You only need me in your life. No one else. I'll make you happy, I promise. She tightened the grip on my hand, and I returned it, giving her a vague smile.

A moment later, she pulled back and leaned in on her chair, as she said, Now that we've got that vermin out of the way, I wanted to talk to you about a more serious matter. The face flashed with a wide grin, as she cheerily said, "'Jakey, I think I should move in with you.' "'I opened my mouth to say something. "'But I frankly didn't know what I should do. "'Object, find an excuse, or agree.' "'What do you think?' she said as she took another sip from her mug.

"'Well, I don't know. I mean, maybe it's not such a good idea right now. "'I'm jobless, after all, when the landlord sees what you did to the apartment.' "'I thought you'd be happy about us living. together. Well, I would. I mean, I am, I awkwardly said. Good, and it's settled. I'll bring my stuff around tomorrow. She'd another sip of her coffee. Oh, and please try to clean up the apartment. The last time I came to your place, it was a mess, and I don't want to be welcome with things that need cleaning. I smiled, imagining, pummeling her over and over. I'm so excited, Jackie, Maria exclaimed. Sure as shit, Maria was there the next day.

I'd started cleaning and she was less than happy to see that the apartment was still a mess, despite the majority of it being taken care of. She was frustrated and started taking it out on me, calling me an incompetent half-man, but I ignored her remarks. This sort of life was not going to work. I had to find a way to turn the tables. Having Maria move in was agonising. Not only did we spend a little.

a lot more time together, but I had to be careful about leaving my laptop unlocked, since I was sure she'd go snooping around. Living with her was utterly unpredictable, too. Some day she'd come back home in a great mood that would shower me with love and attention. While other days she'd be irritated, scolding me and shouting over anything I did wrong. As much as I hated any kind of contact with her, I preferred the first option. The only good thing that came out of this was, the sex. I was a lot rougher with her than usually, and even though this was good for both my mental and sexual frustration, it was even better that Maria enjoyed it too, so she couldn't tell that it was my way of channeling anger. Or maybe she could, and she just didn't care.

Either way, the first few days of her moving in, I barely had any time to spend alone and think about things, but as the days went by and she mentally started exhausting me, I started to consider ways to end all of this. One day, we went to the movies and decided we grabbed dinner afterwards. While I was buying the tickets and popcorn, Maria sat in the back at a table drinking soda. Jake, is that you? The young lady who worked there asked. I immediately recognised her as Helena, my high school classmate.

Helena, hi, so good to see you, I smiled. I didn't realize you were back in town. Yeah, just working in between. before I got back on the next cruise, you know? She chuckled. Oh, good for you. I always working on a cruise ship anyway. Great.

Lots of work, but I like it. Plus, it really helps because my little sister needs to have college funded. Since our parents are gone, she shrugged. Sorry to hear about that. What about you? Is that your girlfriend back there? She shot Maria a glance and smiled.

Um, yeah, I said, dodging a lengthy a disson. discussion about my psycho girlfriend. Well, hey, I'd love to talk more, but I've got other people waiting here. How about we catch up soon? she asked. I nodded, took my popcorn and went back. I noticed Maria staring in my direction intently with a serious expression on her face. You sure took your time talking to that girl, she said. That's Elena. She and I went to high school, I said.

She actually works as a waitress on a cruise ship, but takes a break between. in torts. Sounds boring, Maria said, while staring at her phone. Yeah, but it pays well. She wants to pay for her sister's college. Whatever. Can we go see the movie now? I sense Maria's aggression, since she was rarely subtle when she got angry.

I knew we'd have a problem with this later, and unsurprisingly, while we were in the restaurant eating dinner, Maria spoke up after being quiet for over an hour. Jakey? Do you love me? Of course I love you, Maria, I said, reaching across the table to take her hand. Are you planning on hurting me in any way? She asked, ignoring my hand.

I brought my hand back and frowned, saying, What? No. Why would you say something like that? All right, good, she said as she took a bite of her food. Because you know, if something were to ever happen to me, it would be a bad thing. for you, I mean, and I really can't stand the field of you getting hurt, Baden.

I pretended to pay attention to the content on my plate while slicing my steak. I chose not to respond, and we spent the remainder of the dinner in silence. I had a horrible gut feeling the whole night, and the following morning when Maria left for work, but I couldn't really tell why. He just kept nagging at me, warning me about something. Maria came home later than usual, that. day and was in an unexpectedly good mood. I tried to stay on a good side for the remainder of the night. The next morning I almost threw up my breakfast when I read the news. Movie theatre employee found

dead. There was a picture of Helena on the headline. Although the details were not disclosed, it was stated in the article that Helena had been found dead near her apartment and that the police are actively searching for the killer. My first thought was, God, it must have been Maria, who else? Was she really capable of doing such a thing? Was she really going to such extreme lengths with her jealousy that she'd kill anyone who even made mere small talk with me, even if it was a high school friend? Tears welled up in my eyes when I thought of Helena's younger sister, who was already without her parents and had now lost her sister. It really was a case of the stakes having been raised, and I had to up the ante myself if I wanted to have even a slight

chance of making it out of this hell of a relationship. I spent the following days in cafes, pretending to look for work, while actually devising a plan to get Maria off my back. She was obviously smart, and thought this through to the end step by step. I knew that the only way for me to compete in any way was to play her game. But how could I do such a thing? I didn't have the mind of a psychopath, but I didn't even know where to begin to set her up. The one thing I could do was bide my time and build trust with her until she fell into a false sense of security. But what then? I could use a recorder to try and get her to confess everything, but my recording in court would be weak at best against her DNA proof or whatever else she had in store.

I spent hours every day planning and came up with nothing. So I go home and wallow it myself pity. This one day I came a little earlier from the cafe, around 2 p.m., and I was, and and Maria still wasn't home, since she usually doesn't arrive until about four. I was about to make lunch when I heard the doorbell ring. I opened it, and my eyes widened when I saw who was standing in front of me. Hi, Jake. Federica grinned shyly. Federica, what are you doing here? I told you not to contact me again.

Jake, you need to talk to me. What's going on? Listen, you have to leave right now, I urged her. Jake, we've known each other long enough for me to know when you're in serious trouble. I'm not going until you tell me what's going on. I hesitated for a moment, afraid that Maria may be lurking right around the corner. Eventually I gestured for her to come in.

She complied and we went into the living room. She stopped in the middle of the room and spun around to face me with a look of judgment on her face. So, what is it? she asked. I sighed. and looked down, shaking my head. God, I really can't talk about it. Hey, look at me.

She took a step forward and put her hand on my cheek. The gesture disgusted me, as it painfully reminded me of something Maria would do. We've known each other for years, we've been through hell and high water. Whatever it is, I'll help you, I promise, she said. I sighed once more and looked her in the eye. God, I really need to.

tell someone I've been bottling it up for so long. Oh, it's Maria, I said. What about her? She stepped back and looked at me curiously. She's blackmailing me. She's got evidence against me for crimes I didn't even commit. I mean, yeah, she framed me and got me arrested a while back for drug possession. The girl's a psycho.

Jeez, Federica said, now staring at me with wide eyes. I have to do everything. everything she tells me, I shrugged. Well, Jake, we can't just sit on it and let have our own way. We have to find a way to... Federica started, and her eyes trail behind me, growing even wider. You have to find a way to what? A female voice came from behind me.

I spun around and there stood my girlfriend. She had a disturbing grin on her face, stretched from ear to ear, and she stared directly at Federer. with her shoulders tense. Jakey, what is she doing here? Maria asked her a grin, turning her gaze towards me. Maria, I can explain. Federica had nothing to do with this, I said, holding out my hand in a stop sign.

Just then, my eyes fell on a glint in Maria's hand. She was holding a knife. Maria, baby, let's just calm down here, all right. I stepped back in front of Federica. Maria took a daunting step forward, still grinning like a crazy person. As she did so, her step turned into a walk. I told you to cut all ties with her, Jake. Hey, Jake and I are leaving, Federica said, and she stood next to me,

and we're calling the police. Maria raised the knife and rushed at Federica while screaming. She fell on top of her, knocking over the cock. table and the decorations on top of it. Maria, stop! I rushed and grabbed her from behind. She swung her knife and cut my forearm, making me recoil in pain. As I did so, I tripped on something, fell, hitting my head on the wall in the process. My vision got blurry and I struggled to regain my composure. Through my blurred vision, I saw Federica and Maria thrashing against each other, both screaming, and then it suddenly stopped.

Federica gasped loudly in horror, and it took me a moment to realize that the knife had made its way into her chest. I told you to leave him alone. He's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! With each sentence, Maria drove the blade into Federica's stomach. Each new stab spraying blood all over the place. Maria, no! I shouted, slowly propping myself and trying to stand up, but losing back. balance. Federica desperately tried to hold Maria back, but her strength was waning with each stab. In a matter of seconds, she stopped resisting altogether. Her arms fell limply next to her body, and her head turned in my direction, her eyes staring vacantly as blood slid from her mouth. That didn't stop Maria, though, as she continued stabbing over and over with screams,

making Federica's now lifeless body twitch at each stab. I rushed to Maria and tackled her. She screamed hysterically, demanding that I let her go so that she could finish the whore. Stop, God damn it! I shouted, and she seemed to break out of hysteria, ceasing all struggle and staring at me while panting. I took the knife from her limp hand and stood up,

turning to face Federica. It was even worse than I assumed. My friend had so many stab wounds that it was impossible to even count. some of them even going into her neck a large pool of blood already formed around her body i grabbed my head with both hands panic overtaking me oh god oh god no i said over and over look what you did jake maria said in a calm tongue i turned to face her and saw her covered in blood from head to toe she had a menacing look in her eye as she stared directly at me "'Look where your selfishness got your friend. "'This is your fault. "'Why did you make me do it, Jake? Why?'

"'She became hysterical again, "'her mad look turning into a desperate one "'as she started crying. "'We have to go to the police,' I said, panting myself. "'Oh, really?' Maria suddenly stopped sobbing. "'Your fingerprints are on that knife, and you're covered in blood, Jake. "'If you go now, there's going to be enough evidence to convict you for life. Marijuana possession, then breaking your temporary restraining order,

raping me and killing your friend. You really think it's a good idea to go to the police? You stupid fucking idiot. I looked at the knife, and then at Federica's lifeless body once more. Tears formed in my eyes at the sight of my best friend being gone in an instant, just like that. Well, Jake, Maria demanded, if you want I can call the police. I can easily protect. tend to cry. She buried her face in her hands and said, while weeping, it was horrible, officer. I tried to stop him, and he pushed me away, just continued stabbing and stabbing and stabbing. Oh, he's hit me before, and I was too afraid to leave, because I didn't know what he was capable of. She sobbed violently for a moment, before stopping and looking up at me with a satisfied grin on her

face. So, what do you want to do, Jakey? She asked calmly. I closed my eyes and dropped the knife. Oh, the rest of the day was a blur. Maria and I spent a long time cleaning the apartment until it was seemingly spotless. I left the living room at one point to wash my hands,

and when I came back, the knife was gone. It was foolish of me to leave it with her, because now she just had extra evidence to use against me. As for Federica, Maria took care of her. She carried the dead body into the bathroom and brought a hacksaw. After what felt like hours of listening to agonizing hacking and snapping, Maria left the apartment with a few full trashbacks and was gone for hours. I was pretty much an autopilot by then, just cleaning the remainder of the mess.

When Maria came back, she hugged me and said, Sh, everything will be all right, Jakey. We'll get through this. We only need each other. Why don't you sit down and relax? I complied and slumped onto the sofa, exhausted physically and mentally. I threw my head backwards and closed my eyes, while Maria sat on the floor next to me, stroking my hand gently.

Oh, that was so tired. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, Jakey, she said. I know you love me, but I still have to punish you. I felt unimaginably sharp, burning pain on my hand, and I screamed, instantly opening my eyes and pulling away from Maria. What I saw made me scream even more, not so much in pain, but in terror. The little finger on my left hand was missing,

blood running from the stump. I looked at Maria and saw her holding my bloodied finger in one hand, and in the other a pair of kitchen shears stained with blood. I stood up, holding my hand, the pain only now starting to fully get to me. What did you do? I shouted, taking a step back. Jake, don't move.

You'll get blood everywhere again, and we just finished cleaning. God, call an ambulance. I was in full-blown panic now, but Maria seemed unfaced by the whole situation. You knew this was going to happen, she said calmly. They told you to cease all contact with Federica, but you wouldn't listen. We need to.

call an ambulance, I said, panting and already covered in blood all the way down to my elbows. They might still be able to reattach it. Maria seemed to get pissed off even more at this, but a moment later she shrugged and said, Okay, Jake, you're right. Maybe they can reattach it. Go and take it there. She opened the window and chucked my finger out, much to my horror. She sat down on the sofa and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, as if nothing had happened, so I took the opportunity to run outside and look for my missing finger. After an hour of unsuccessful searching, I started to get dizzy and decided to visit the hospital

instead. The whole time while I was being treated by the doctors, my desperation was turning into boiling hot anger. I was beyond mad and wanted revenge. I wanted revenge for Federica, for Helena, for my finger. If there was one thing Maria had that could be used against her, It was her short temper. I had to use that to my advantage. Then my dear started to clearly form in my mind. We were at home eating dinner. I clumsily fumbled with my fork,

trying to hold it steadily with my mutilated hands. Getting used to living without a little finger may not seem like a big deal, but it impacts your life more than you'd think. Not to mention that your grip becomes a lot weaker without a finger. I was going through bouts of depression daily. But I kept my eyes on one thing, destroying Maria. It fueled me and motivated me to continue living

until she was either dead or imprisoned. Whichever one it was, it would happen tonight. So I have something to tell you, she said, as she took a bite of her food. Oh yeah? What's that? I asked, staring at my plate. She put down her fork and knife and inhaled deeply. she said I know you're probably not ready for this

but um but what I asked getting a little impatient my initial thought was that she was going to demand to we get married I may be pregnant she said awaiting my response I swallowed

try not to show any distress oh she was messing with me I was sure of it did she sense what I was about to do I couldn't let her fuck with my head Well, that's too bad, I said, taking another bite of my food, as if she just told me the most mundane thing ever. I looked up at her, and her expression of curiosity turned into a frown. Excuse me, she said with a raised tone.

Yeah, it's a shame, because I've got something to tell you, too. I laid down my silver and said, looking at her in the eye, I, um, yeah, I met a girl. She stood up, knocking over the chair, she was sitting on and said, You what? Who is she? Maria, calm down. Getting hysterical won't help here.

What do you mean, calm down? Tell me the name of this girl so I can kill her. What? You mean like you killed Federica, Antelena? I picked up my silverware once more and took another bite of my food. Well, you think I didn't know about that? You killed an innocent woman just because she happened to talk to me while I was buying popcorn. She was working to put her little sister through college, you murdering bitch.

I raised my tone at the last sentence, feeling of the rage taking over me once more. Maria looked at me with wide eyes before continuing. They deserve to die, and I'll do it to every woman that comes close to you. You're mine, Jake. Mine. "'Ah, I know,' I calmly sighed. "'I know. "'That's why in the night you killed Federica, I went to the police.

"'Her eyes widened even more. "'But I continued. "'Yeah, told them everything. "'How you blackmailed me with false accusations of rape. "'How you killed Federica, and probably Helena, "'and how you cut off my finger. "'Well, they're listening to us right now.' "'I unbuttoned my shirt and revealed the wires

"'which the police officers, attached to me. The door burst open with a loud bang and armed officers rushed inside. Freeze! Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head, they shouted. Maria spun around to look at them and then faced me with a glint of such anger and hatred that it actually made me feel palpable fear. She grabbed the knife and overturn the table with a loud scream. I'm wanting you to stop, one of the cops shouted. But Maria ignored them. she ran right at me and as she was about to stab me i jumped on the ground and covered my head as a series of loud bangs filled the air with ear-splitting amplitude sees fire one of the officers shouted then i dared to look up maria was on the ground next to me strewn sideways riddled with bullets her eyes were wide and her mouth agape as blood drawled out you promise

She barely managed to utter, before letting out a gasp and ceasing all movement entirely. Hey, you okay? The police officers helped me up, and the rest of the night was a blur of being interrogated in the police station. The night I went to the station, I told them about everything, and even though I was initially a suspect, they wanted to kill two birds with one stone, so I agreed to cooperate and help them convict Maria. They wired me and monitored me closely in the following days. The officers got enough evidence from the recording to confirm everything I said was true,

and they let me go. The autopsy performed on Maria revealed that she was indeed pregnant, but I felt no pity for that baby. For a while I expected some evidence to turn up in the police station, which would accuse me of rape, like Maria swore, but that never happened, which got me to the conclusion that she was probably bluffing the whole time. I still have PTSD to this day and often wake up seeing Maria with a knife or kitchen shirs standing over my bed. I stopped dating too and I'm not sure I'll ever be able

to get back into it. With the immense guilt I felt for allowing Federica and Helena to die, I turned to the bottle and stopped looking for a job altogether. So one thing is for sure. Maria is gone. But I'll never be the same again. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to listen. Now, I'd ask one small favor of you.

Wherever you get your podcast from, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again, same time, same place, and I do so hope you'll join me once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.