The visage of the little girl, no older than Katie, played back in my mind. She was used for one reason. To get to me. To torture my mind, to further the Professor’s end goal to break me. All the terror and pain Brianna lived through, seeing her murdered child come back to attack her, it was all a show put on for me.
Her death was on me. The young mother’s death was on me. Had I chosen to untie the rope, Jeff or Tanya’s deaths would be on my hands. It was a whirlwind of madness, and I was standing in the middle of it all with a crazed man leading the chaos that was quickly unraveling my grip on reality.
My heart raced, my wildly pounding pulse bounding until I could feel each beat inside my head. Sweat poured from me, a feverish heat overtaking my body.
Suddenly, everything stilled. The mental torture was too much. My mind shut down, and retreated into itself.
The memories of the weeks that followed are a blur. It was like watching a movie in fast forward, stopping at random for a scene before it vanished into obscurity. Day became night, and night to day, the cycle repeating itself time and time again while I rotted away in that cell.
I emerged from my shrouds only to eat and use the bathroom. I couldn’t find my voice no matter how often Tanya or Jeff would try to coax me from my personal darkness. I was on autopilot, eating and sleeping, eating and sleeping, day in and day out.
Professor never made a visit during that time. Countless faces passed by my cell, delivering food or cleaning the rooms, but never him. Never the man who brought this hell on me.
My body continued to heal, but the pain no longer registered, pushed from my mind by the continual visages of horror that played continuously in my head. In my dreams, Brianna morphed into Abby, Belle into Katie. The undead creature that bit Abby held the Professor’s face in my nightmares, laughing and clapping as her blood coated his lips and chin.
I watched him slit Katie’s throat, her pleading eyes begging me to save her from the bad man that held her. Instantly she turned, staring back at me with coal black eyes, shrieking my name with the terrible voice of the undead.
Abby led her to me in my cell, reaching through the bars with razor sharp claws, biting my exposed arms and legs while Abby screamed “Untie the rope! You’re killing me!” Katie ripped into my Achilles tendon, the meat tearing away from my leg with a sickening wet tear. My eyes would pop open, the nightmare fading away and leaving me to face the horrors of the waking world.
Another night, another day. Eat and sleep, eat and sleep while ghosts, new and old haunted me every second of every miserable day.
At one point I woke to find clothes that were more substantial than the hospital gown I had been wearing. I slipped on the black cargo pants, pulling the black long sleeve shirt over my head before retreating back into my cot, ignoring the black boots that sat on the floor.
Every night Tanya would talk to me, telling me stories of her life. Jeff would jump in when she was tired, speaking of days past when the world was right and death was not all encompassing.
I couldn’t accept that anymore. I was at the center of the madman’s fantasies. As long as I lived, people would suffer. People would die. If I wasn’t a coward, I would run head first into the steel bars until my brains came leaking out from my ears.
What would happen then? Would the man kill my friends in a rage for losing his favorite plaything? Would he bring more people in like me, continually evolving his methods of mental torture on others?
Even in suicide, I would be responsible for the suffering of others.
All I could do was sit and wait, eat and sleep, and take my pills. The pills that were always there at the last meal of the day. I no longer cared what the pills were, I simply took them as I was told. I couldn’t bear the thought of another suffering because I didn’t follow the rules.
The hours of sunlight grew longer, the warming air heralding the changeover of seasons. The twitter of goldfinches and the chirps of several spring chickadees sang outside my window, their playful tweets carrying over the constant hum of the generator.
It was spring.
Tears welled in my eyes as the chirp of a robin broke through the other morning songbirds. My chest felt as if someone had grabbed my heart and squeezed every bit of life from it.
I wanted to hold my little girl. I wanted to see Chris and beg forgiveness for what I had done to him. I wanted to hear another one of Joe’s poor attempts at a comedy routine. I wanted to spend another late night laughing with Matt. I wanted to give Lexi shit and toss Jane into the air again. I wanted another helping of Anna’s bowel cleansing chili, and another lecture from Rosa on how I need to take better care of myself.
I wanted my family back.
I couldn’t hold my emotions back any longer. Once the first tear fell, there was no stopping the rush of sadness as I openly cried. Not of sadness or guilt, but of regret. Regret for how I had left my family, how I had turned my back on those who’d loved and cared about me. Regret for those people who would lay down their lives for me without a second thought were left wondering where I had gone.
There would only be so long before they came to the conclusion that I was never coming back. Only Matt knew where I was heading, and if they looked for me all they would find would be a wrecked truck and a lot of unanswered questions.
Chris would leave. It would be the right choice. He would make sure to get everyone to someplace safe, and once there he would be too busy keeping everyone alive to come back to look for me. My family was gone, and it was very likely that I would never see them again.
“Dan?” Tanya spoke in a soft and caring voice. “Please talk to me.”
“I…” I started as my breath caught mid thought. “I miss my family.”
“I know,” she said simply.
“My daughter is gone. My family is gone.”
“Maybe they stayed?” Tanya said with deep caring in her tone.
“No,” I replied. “Chris would leave by now.”
“Are you sure?” Jeff asked.
“I am,” I said through my near uncontrollable tears. “It would be the right decision.”
“I would say you are probably right,” the Professor said cheerily as he strode down the hall. “It is such a wonderful day, is it not? The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and Daniel has finally come out of his depression and begun to converse again. I have to admit my friend, I did not have high hopes for you after the first three weeks.”
“Shut up, Jake,” I said dismissively.
“I told you how to properly address me,” he said, his voice simmering in cold anger. “I warn you, I will not allow this constant insubordination to continue.”
“What do you want?” I asked with annoyance.
“Now Daniel,” he replied, his cheery tone returning as if it had never left. “You came to me broken, and I healed you. I stitched your hands together, bandaged your ribs and kept you from harm. I allowed you this time to heal, and from what I can see you are doing much better than I could have anticipated. The least you can do is show me some level of courtesy.”
“Are you shitting me?!” I snapped, shooting to my feet to face him eye to eye. “Courtesy? For what? Kidnapping me? Geez Jakey, thank you for all the wonderful time spent in your horror show! What can I thank you for next? You going to set my balls on fire and put them out with saltwater? Whatever would I have done without you?!”
“You are testing my patience, Mr. Foster,” he growled. “Do not try me any further.”
“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Professor Jakey. I will do my level best to make sure I don’t hurt your delicate feelings!”
His head lowered, gritting teeth bared behind his greying beard. He let out a low exhale, the hiss sounding like air escaping from a pinhole tire puncture.
“Lawrence!” he seethed, his accent completely vanishing through his rage. “Get in here!”
Larry bounded up to the Professor, stopping inches from where he stood.
“Yes Professor?” he
asked, his face twitching as traces of fear danced across his eyes.
“Get Robert. Drag Tanya out to the lobby. I want everyone who still has a working brain to have a turn with her. Make sure they commit the worst atrocities on her body that you can imagine. Do not kill her, and make sure she stays awake to feel every bit of it. If she’s not screaming it’s not good enough. I want her to gag on her own suffering!”
“No!” Jeff screamed. “Don’t you touch her!”
Tanya backed away from the bars, her mouth agape as Professor’s words hit her. She fell to her knees in terror, hyperventilating as tears burst forward. Her horror stricken gaze shot between me and Jeff, as if psychically willing one of us to do something to stop what was about to happen to her.
“Thank you, sir!” Larry said, his smile growing as he leered at Tanya with lust filled eyes. “What would you like me to do with her when the men are done with her?”
“She’s yours, Lawrence” he replied. “You may have all the fun you want with her, but make sure you record it all for Jeff to watch later. I’m sure he would like to know how his wife paid for Daniel’s attitude.”
“Stop this!” I shouted, glaring at Professor.
“No!” he shot back. “I told you not to try me, but you chose to insult me further. There is a price to pay.”
“Stay away from her!” Jeff screamed.
I looked into the madman’s dark menacing eyes. My rage left my body like a river, pouring down through my head and spilling out onto the cool concrete floor beneath my feet. I fell to my knees, pain rocketing through my legs as I hit the hard floor. I lowered my head, eyes downward and folded my hands together.
“Please,” I said under my breath. “Please...Professor. I will not question you again.”
A smile snaked across his face, his eyes seemingly mocking me with their condescending stare. A low chuckle rumbled from within him. He lowered down to his haunches, and locked his eyes with mine.
“I’m sorry,” he said smugly, cocking his head to the side. “Did you say something to me.”
“Please, Professor,” I said, lowering my tone to one of complete submission. “I will not question you again. I’m begging you, please don’t hurt her.”
“Daniel,” he exhaled. “You continue to surprise me.”
His knees cracked as he rose to his feet. Larry wore a dumbfounded look as he watched the entire scene unfold, waiting to see what his boss would do next.
“Okay,” Professor said, nodding as if suddenly deep in thought. “Okay. I will not allow harm to come to her for now.”
“Thank you, Professor,” I exhaled.
“It’s too late!” Larry protested. “You said she was mine, and I’m taking her!”
“Lawrence!” Professor snapped. “I’ve changed my mind, and you will concede to my wishes! She is mine to give and mine to take back!”
“This is bullshit!” he ranted. Like a tightly coiled spring that could no longer hold its tension, Larry snapped. Before anyone knew what was happening, he unlocked my cell door and charged inside, delivering a steel toe boot to my gut with a powerful kick.
My stomach roiled, the force of his kick sending me tumbling backward as shockwaves of pain arced through my gut and across the still tender ribs. I rolled on my side, vomiting up whatever was left in my stomach from the previous night’s meal.
“Lawrence!” Professor roared. “I will have you nailed to a post with those creatures outside if you do not leave that cell immediately. Touch Mr. Foster again, and I will have you impaled on a pike before lunch!”
Larry bent down, bringing his lips close to my ear. His rank, whiskey tainted breath flowing across the side of my head and across my substantial beard. “You won’t be protected forever, asshole,” he whispered to me. “I’m going to take my time carving you up!”
“I mean it, Lawrence,” Professor hissed.
“Yes, sir!” he snapped, righting himself. He sulked away, glaring at me until he was out of the cell. Through hazy eyes, I watched as he stepped up to the Professor until their noses nearly touched.
“Is there something you wish to say to me, Lawrence?”
“Not at all,” he growled.
“Good. Leave. Now!” Professor ordered.
With one last angry scowl cast in my direction, he stormed off down the hall until he was out of sight.
“He is a troublesome one,” Professor said, shaking his head. “I do apologize for the violence he inflicted on you, Mr. Foster. But I did warn you against angering Mr. Parker further.”
“Used to it,” I forced out through the pain, spitting out the last remaining bits of stomach acid.
“I will have someone clean that up,” he said with something resembling concern in his tone. “I feel I should make amends for this unscheduled bodily harm you have suffered.”
“Unscheduled?” I asked. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“A conversation for a different time,” he answered. “However, I do hope you are not completely damaged. I wouldn’t want all that healing to go to waste. How about this? I will make sure that you receive a special meal for your troubles. Anything you would like, simply name it.”
“Why?” I asked. “I don’t understand this. You mentally torture me, and now you’re acting like you want to be my nursemaid. Maybe it’s the years of bad beer that’s killed my brain cells, but I’m a little confused.”
“It’s a quirk of mine really,” he replied. “I have plans to expand our little game, but for that to occur you must be healthy. I had no intention of physically harming you so soon, and I am a man of my word, even when that promise is made to myself. I feel like amends are in order. Now, name your meal.”
“Fried chicken,” I said after thinking for a few moments.
“Hmm,” he pondered. “Chicken is difficult to procure these days. The creatures have done quite a bit of damage to the local livestock. Are you sure there isn’t anything else?”
“Nope,” I said. “Bone in fried chicken. Drumsticks, breasts, thighs, the works. But it has to be bone in, none of that boneless breaded crap. Honest fried chicken. You said anything I like. This isn’t too hard for you, is it Professor?”
“Mr. Foster, please don’t attempt to use third rate dime store psychology on me. I promise you, it will not work,” he said. “I will see to it you get your fried chicken, though it will take a few days.”
“I look forward to it,” I said smiling. “Thank you Professor.”
“Ah,” he grinned while giving a small flourish. “A little courtesy does wonders for my demeanor, especially on such a beautiful spring day.”
Chapter 38
I spent the remainder of the day silent after the king of our little domain left us. Jeff and Tanya kept to themselves as well, which I was perfectly okay with. The intense emotional rollercoaster that morning had completely drained me. The second I’d emerged from my mental vacation, the man virtually pounced on me to start his game all over again.
I sat back in my cot and let my head fall back against the block wall. I closed my eyes and took in the sounds of new life flittering around outside. My mind drifted as the various birds sang the day away, thinking back to the spring days when Katie would sit by the window watching the birds hop around on our front lawn. She would point and laugh, clapping her tiny hands whenever one of the many bright red Cardinals landed on our bird feeder.
Wherever she was, I hoped there were birds for her to watch.
After many weeks of neglect, I finally slipped the black steel toed boots onto my feet. Though a little loose, they fit well enough to get around in. It was nice to finally slip on footwear that was not marred with blood and dissolved brains.
In the time I had been a guest of the Professor’s personal sanitarium, I had not been allowed a shower. The only respite from my own ripe stink was the small amount of clean up I was able to do in the stainless steel sink bolted to the wall.
To put it bluntly, I could knock a buzzard off a shi
t wagon with my funky ass.
The light outside began to fade. The little sky I could see through our tiny portals to the world had turned a fiery orange as hints of pinks and purples danced across the wisps of clouds floating in an otherwise deep blue sky. One by one, the birds quieted down as the chirp of crickets slowly increased to a loud crescendo.
A growl in my stomach made me realize that lunch had been skipped for the day. The Professor enforced a strict schedule for feeding his pets, so it was a bit odd that he allowed lunch to pass us by. Perhaps I got under his skin a bit more than I thought I had.
Shortly after the sun faded, the young Irish teen appeared, pushing the food cart down the hall. With a disinterested look plastered across her face, she unlocked my cage and stared me down as if daring me to move at her.
“I want to lodge a complaint with the concierge,” I quipped. “Lunch is unacceptably late, and my server appears to have an unsatisfactory attitude.”
“If it were up to me, I’d let the whole lot of you starve,” she said. “Now sit still or I’ll have to give you another good crack across your face.”
“You can try,” I warned.
She stopped mid-stride, eyeing me down as her fingers traced the .38 pistol stuffed in the tan leather holster on her side.
“I can always shoot you,” she smirked.
“You do, and you might end up in here instead of me,” I said with a grin.
She huffed, putting the small table down and setting a covered bowl on it. She watched me intently, as if she expected me to leap from my cot and beat her brains in.
The thought had crossed my mind, in case you were wondering.
She went back to the cart, grabbing a glass of warm water and the plastic cup full of pills. Setting them on the table, she spun on her heels and all but fled out the door. She delivered my neighbor’s food in record time and was off before I could come up with another smart-ass comment.
I peeled off the lid and sat back, shaking my head in disbelief. Filled to the brim of a plain white bowl was a heaping helping of steaming hot pork and beans.
This Dying World (Book 2): Abandon All Hope Page 38