Dark Side Darker

by Lucas T. Harmond

  “Okay Josh, I don’t know exactly what you’re going through... I guess what I’m saying is, do whatever it is you’ve got to do, but do it carefully man, because this whole thing’s crazy!”

  Josh walked swiftly through the abandoned waiting area of the hospital hoping the receptionist wouldn’t look up from the magazine she was reading. When she did he cursed to himself.

  “Can I help you?” she asked standing up.

  ‘Tell her to sit down!’ The voice had been only a whisper within the silence of his brain but even so he found himself replying out loud.

  “What?”

  The receptionist was still staring at him and Josh felt the beginnings of fear in her.

  She spoke. “Sir?”

  ‘Tell her to sit down.’

  “Sit down!” Josh said automatically.

  The woman instantly dropped into her seat looking startled. She sat looking dumbfounded for a few seconds and than reached for the phone in front of her.

  “Don’t!” Josh said. His own voice seemed alien to him and he felt almost as if he was running on autopilot.

  She blinked and her hand shot back to fall to her side. She stared blankly.

  Josh continued to speak as if possessed “Sarah Dholchak. Where will I find her?”

  “I, I don’t know,” the woman stammered.

  “Find out!”

  She began to type at the computer in front of her. She looked up, more confused than scared, it seemed. “They’ve put her in the quarantine section up on the seventh floor, wing C.”

  Josh stared at her for a few seconds longer. He felt strangely intense. It left him as quickly as if had came. “Er, yeah thank you.”

  He turned and walked quickly to the lift leaving the woman sitting stunned. It wasn’t till after the lift doors had closed behind him that she remembered to pick up the telephone again.

  Josh stood with growing apprehension as the lift creaked and groaned its way up to the seventh floor. He knew exactly who’s voice it had been that had just spoke into his mind. Already he could feel strange energy beginning to thicken around him. He was close by. And getting closer still.

  The lift doors opened with a cheerful ping and Josh was staring out at a dimly lit corridor.

  ‘It’s so close! I’m not ready to die!’ The disembodied voice was nothing new. Josh ignored it. It wasn’t the only one. The hospital was alive with the scared thoughts of a thousand patients. He swam through them all.

  Josh grimaced. The sensation was becoming too intense for him to deal with. He prayed for silence. To be alone in his own mind again.

  He took an uncertain step into the gloom. The light above him briefly dimmed.

  He found himself caught up in a strange vision. The corridor suddenly seemed to stretch away into infinity. He shook his head and it was gone. “Jesus,” he murmured.

  He could sense Carthy somewhere in the gloom up ahead. Still, he had no choice but to keep walking.

  Another voice, Carthy this time. ‘Nearly there!’

  He reached a sign which directed him onward and found himself in a square lobby with potted ferns and rows of dingy brown seats. It was a few seconds before he realised he was not alone.

  There were four corridors leading off from the lobby, one on each wall. Wing C’s entrench was covered up by a row of hanging semi-translucent safety seals and sitting next to it, beneath the quarantine sign, was a large, bald man in a dark suit. He had fixed his unflinching gaze on Josh. Looking both hostile and stunned.

  Josh stood frozen and then he snapped ’round to look into the corridor which faced him. Carthy had stepped out from half-way down it. His white suit making him look like an apparition in the bad lighting. Night black eyes gleamed from behind his simple wire frame glasses with all the malevolence of hell.

  The suit slowly rose to his feet, giving Josh the full idea of how large he truly was.

  Carthy spoke.‘Act casual, look at your watch, walk towards me.’

  Josh ignored the man who was still staring intensely at him. He slowly looked at his watch, pretended to be surprised by the time and then, as casually as he could, began to make his way towards Carthy.

  His heart was pounding in his chest and his veins were pumping pure adrenaline. He resisted the urge to whistle as he walked and he could feel the man’s eyes on the back of his neck all the way. Who the hell was he?

  As he reached the entrench to the corridor Carthy stood in, he hesitated, suddenly questioning whether Carthy was even the better option. Caught between a rock and a white face.

  He glanced back at the man, who seemed to be making a decision whether or not to approach him. He managed to give a nonchalant nod and then before he could decide what to do next was again interrupted by Carthy’s psychic presence.

  ‘Stop fucking around boy!’

  Josh stepped out of the view of the suited man, still uncertain if he would follow or not. Reluctantly he made his way towards Carthy. That same knife-wound smile was on his face and some kind of spark seemed to flare from behind his eyes.

  “Shit,” Josh whispered to himself.

  Carthy made a nodding gesture to the room he had stepped out of and disappeared back into it. Josh reached it to find him smiling. “Long time no see, kid!”

  He was standing surrounded by the green curtains that had been closed around the sleeping patients. Somewhere in the room a heart monitoring machine was steadily beeping and someone’s shallow breathing was softly rising above the hum of the fluorescent lights in the corridor.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Josh hissed.

  Carthy laughed to himself and lit up a cigarette.

  “Hey, you can’t light that in here!” Josh was speaking in a urgent whisper.

  “So they say, so they say.” He smiled, inhaled and looked up at Josh. “So we meet again, hey?”

  “What are you doing here?” Josh repeated. “What the hell’s going on? Who’s that guy? What the fuck does all of this have to do with you?”

  “Whoa cowboy, one at a time! Saving your ass it would seem. As for why I’m here? I came to find you.”

  Josh took a step back. “Why?”

  Carthy smiled and shook his head. “I think we can maybe help each other out with our individual, what? Interests?

  Josh was grimacing. He was again feeling assaulted. Carthy’s strange electric pulse inside his skull.

  “Why the hell should I help you? I don’t even know what it is that you want! I’m not doing anything for you until you level with me as to what in hell is going on here, and what the hell is wrong with Sarah? Did you do something to her?”

  “Jesus, your head is spinning! Look I’ll answer all these questions but right now ain’t the time. Won’t be long till that goon comes to check on you. So you want your girly’ out of here or what?”

  Josh was silent. She’s not mine, he thought to himself.

  Carthy spoke again. “I don’t see you walking out of here by yourself. Do you??”

  “And how the fuck do you suppose we get her past that guy out there? Who ever the fuck he is anyway?”

  Carthy shrugged. “There are ways.”

  Josh shook his head. He didn’t like the situation he was in one bit but he was also aware that he didn’t seem to have any real choice in it. It also seemed kind of familiar.

  “Okay, yeah I’m in, but know this Carthy, I don’t trust you for shit!”

  “You don’t have to trust me kid, just do what I say. Come on.”

  Carthy brushed past Josh, back into the corridor. Josh shook his head, sighed and then followed.

  As they stepped back into the gloom they came face to face with the man in the suit, who had finally decided to see where the unexpected visitor had gone to. He seemed shocked to see Carthy.

  “Get lost!” Carthy said with low menace. The guy froze in his tracks. “Huh?” Carthy spoke again, that same ancient growl. “It’s a big hospital, go take a walk!”

  The large man stood per
plexed for a few seconds, then, still clearly baffled, he turned and walked away. Heading, it seemed, in no particular direction.

  Carthy looked back at Josh. “Come on, let’s get ya’ girl.”

  Josh looked at him uncertainly before again reluctantly following. It bothered him that someone as powerful as Carthy clearly was could ever need his help. It also bothered him that what he had just witnessed take place before his eyes, had only a few moments ago been re-enacted down in the hospital’s lobby. The only difference being that before the words had come from his mouth.

  Carthy’s voice broke his concentration. “Hey you! Wait!”

  The large man paused again, looked back at Carthy and Josh.

  “Yeah you, follow us!”

  “What are you doing?”

  “No sense in carrying ya’ girl, Karen is it, if we can get someone else to do it.”

  “It’s Sarah.”

  Carthy smiled. “Is it? Oh sorry, I must be confused.”

  Carthy brushed apart the plastic strips and entered into small chamber that served as an airlock into quarantine.

  Josh stared uncomfortably at the suit. He now seemed oblivious to him, a haunted look locked over his features. He was questioning how Carthy could possibly need his help if he was capable of controlling people in such a way.

  Then he followed Carthy through the seal, as did the other guy, like some loyal zombie.

  Carthy suddenly looked back at Josh as he brushed through the second set of strips. “You’ve taken it haven’t you?”

  Josh froze. “What, the drug? Blue?”

  Again that smile and under his breath Carthy said, “If that’s what they’re callin’ it.” And then his voice raised. “It doesn’t matter anyway. That just makes it easier for us from here on in. It means we know where to find them.”

  Josh quickly glanced back at the following suit. It nerved him the way he was silently following, kept expecting him to suddenly snap out of it and attack them. He didn’t though.

  He returned his attention to Carthy. “It does, does it?”

  Carthy grinned, nodded. “Yep, it sure as fuck does!”

  When they reached a door at the end of the corridor, Carthy stopped and sternly turned back to face the suit. “How many?”

  “Four.”

  “Including you?”

  “Including me.”

  “Any more on this floor?”

  “No, they’re waiting for us in the lobby.”

  “You’ll call them and tell them it was a false alarm.”

  “I will!”

  “Good, now wait here while me and the boy go inside. Oh, and make it convincing.”

  The man nodded and then Josh looked back to Carthy. “How do you do that?”

  “Years of practise! Come on.”

  Josh could sense something from the other side of the door and as Carthy pushed it open it increased violently. He nearly vomited. So much emotion, both Sarah’s and... and something else. It was as it had been with Cally. Two souls fighting within the same body.

  Carthy stood holding the door open into the unlit room. “Come on.”

  Josh found he couldn’t.

  “Not yet!” Carthy said. “She’s alright for now. Come on.”

  Josh braced himself and walked past him. He couldn’t see anything. Just darker patches in the overall black. His senses however were alive, and there was an intense pain inside his skull. A thumping feedback of white-noise and partially glimpsed visions his mind could discern no logic to. He could feel Sarah everywhere in the room. Felt that he was somehow inside of her. By stepping into the unlit room it seemed he had also taken a step into her mind.

  Her voice came into him. ‘Josh???’ It was pure emotion burning inside him, all desperation, relief and hysterical terror. It set fire to his heart and he stumbled back.

  “That’s a good sign!” Carthy said next to him. “Means she’s still consciously aware.”

  Josh had slumped back against the wall, crumpling up against the psychic assault. It was a few seconds before he could speak. “You heard that?”

  “Come on kid, I ain’t exactly a novice to this!”

  Inside of himself Josh could feel a strange energy field. It pulsed through him and, although it was confused, he could feel both the warmth and love radiating out of Sarah and the thing which raged and shrieked within her psyche. It was all intermingled into one chaotic and painful sensation. Physical pain within him but with no solid source.

  “Jesus Sarah. Jesus fuckin’ Christ!”

  He staggered blindly forward into the room, waving his arms to find any obstacle his eyes could not see. His vision was beginning to readjust. Now he could just about make out the bed, white sheets behind the gloom and beneath them there was lying a small, shrunken shape. Sarah looked tiny. She did not stir as he approached her sleeping form.

  Slowly Josh reached down to pull the sheets from over her head. Her brow was furrowed up and her face beaded with sweat. He pulled her up into his arms, gathered up her lifeless body like a doll. She was ice cold as she had been before. It was not hard to see that her condition had worsened.

  “Sarah?” he whispered and received no reaction. He realised that when she had called out to him before there had been no actual sound. In no real sense at least.

  He jumped as Carthy placed his hand onto his shoulder.

  “She’s okay, kid, she’s okay.”

  Josh shook his head, squeezed Sarah’s tiny body up to him, felt her hair against his cheek as her sleeping face rested on his shoulder. “I, I don’t understand.” He stammered. “I mean, they haven’t done anything! They haven’t hooked her up to anything. Just stuffed her into a bed.”

  Carthy reached down and checked her wrists. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I doubt they knew what the hell they could do, so they just stuck her in quarantine and passed her on up. Probably still waiting for some teams of specialists or some such nonsense.”

  Josh stroked hair away from Sarah’s face and looked back at Carthy. “So that’s who the suit is? MI-6 or something?”

  Carthy shrugged. “I’m gonna’ go with ‘or something.’ Come on, pick her up and let’s get going. I don’t like fuckin’ with your powers that be, unless it becomes necessary.”

  Josh took a second staring into Sarah’s face. It was scrunched up, staring inwardly into some concealed nightmare. Her nose was again wrinkled, but all it did for him now was make him feel desperate. Somewhere, tiny and lost, he could hear her sobbing voice crying out. He could feel her pain and fear in the back of his mind, lost amongst his own thoughts.

  He whispered into her ear. “It’s going to be alright now. I’m getting you out of here.”

  And maybe, just maybe, he heard her say thank you.

  “TRIP LIKE I DO...”

  RUFUS WAS STARTLED as the back door to his car was flung open. He took in the scene in a second. First Sarah’s prone body dressed in only a hospital nightie and then the hulking guy who was holding her.

  “Hey, who the fuck are you?” He barked.

  The guy said nothing. Instead a voice came from behind him. “Put her down on the back seat.” Karen woke with a start and scrambled away from the open door. “Hey!”

  “Hey, what the hell are you doing man??” Rufus asked as he was reaching for the door handle. He noticed the second guy in the white suit who had just spoken. He had half opened his door when Josh stepped into his view. “Hey, it’s cool man, it’s cool.”

  Rufus calmed mildly, flashed quick glances over the two strangers, sizing them up. “They on our side?”

  Josh didn’t speak immediately. “Er, yeah.”

  Karen had shifted to the far side of the seat. “Josh, what’s going on?”

  “Relax honey, we’re friends,” came the voice from behind as Carthy’s zombie carefully tucked Sarah to lie down on the torn leather seat.

  Karen looked quickly at Carthy, thought she recognised him, at Sarah, still out cold and then to the man who had been ho
lding her. “Is she okay!?”

  Still he said nothing. Carthy brushed him aside. “Sorry hon’, big fella’ here’s not big on words.” He turned to face him. “Right, now fuck off!”

  The guy seemed stunned for a second, then he sort of half-nodded and walked away back towards the Hospital. There was something strange in the way he walked, kind of robotic.

  Karen reached over to touch Sarah’s face, then she looked out to Josh. “What’s happening? Is she okay?”

  Josh seemed panicky, was watching the other guy walk away. He got into the car distractedly.

  “Josh?” Karen tried again.

  “Er yeah, I think so. Come on let’s get going!” He said to Rufus. He seemed to be looking around for someone.

  “So this guy coming or what?” Rufus asked suspiciously.

  Carthy gave a mock salute.

  Josh frowned and looked back. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “I am!” Carthy confirmed. “Move her over,” he said to Karen.

  Karen nodded and pulled Sarah’s limp body close to her. Carthy helped her and sat down next them both.

  “She is okay, right?” she asked him.

  “For now.” His voice gave no indication of how he actually felt about that.

  Rufus was staring back at him aggressively. Carthy only smiled. “Can we get going now?”

  Rufus looked over at Josh.

  “Look we’ve got to get going!” Carthy said with more urgency and he looked over his shoulder.

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Josh said following his gaze.

  Rufus glared at them both, murmured something and turned on the ignition. A few seconds later they were turning out of the car park onto the main road.

  Karen was wiping sweat away from Sarah’s brow. She was disturbed by how cold her body was. She checked her pulse. For a long time she felt nothing and then, weakly, it kicked beneath her delicate touch. She silently thanked god. She had never liked Sarah, but seeing her like this...

  “Should we be taking her away from hospital? I can barely feel her pulse!”

  “She’s no better off there,” Josh told her. “All they’d done was stuff her in a bed!”

  Rufus was driving quietly, but in the rear-view mirror his eyes shot constant daggers at Carthy, who was smiling nonchalantly at him. He made a nodding gesture to Josh who silently mouthed, “No idea.”