by Jason Wilcox
When he was a child, Caden used to think about how amazing it would be to stop time. He used to make believe he could stop time in his bedroom. He also imagined being able to communicate with things like trees, but then he grew up and realized he had a wild imagination. Even though it was make-believe, the whole idea about stopping time thrilled Caden, and he had strange ideas flow into his mind about how to do it. In fact, some of his friends growing up used to tell him he was fixated on the topic. Maybe he was, but his obsession had paid off. Now stopping time was a reality.
With a smile Bain replied, “You’ll just have to wait until you go in, because I can’t describe it.” Bain suddenly changed the topic. “By the way, did you ever end up marrying that girl you were always talking about?”
Silence seemed to fill the room. Caden was surprised by the question; it had come out of nowhere. Having Bain ask him personal questions was oddly unusual. He thought about shrugging off the question as he stared at the doorway.
His lack of a response must’ve made things obvious. “Ah, girl problems. Never good.”
Caden winced at the comment, surprised Bain was able to hit so close to home.
“She left you, didn’t she. That’s tough,” Bain said as he toyed with the pages of his newspaper. “I-”
Caden cut him off not wanting to have further conversation about the topic. “I’m having a difficult time keeping my eyes open.” As Caden finished his sentence he stood up and stretched, doing his best to make it clear he was leaving and wasn’t going to have that discussion.
Bain smiled. “I hear ya. I think I might do the same as soon as I finish going through the paper.”
“I’ll see you later,” Caden said as he left the room, not waiting around for a response from Bain.
It didn’t take long for Caden to get down to the holding cells. There was only one guard at the front desk.
As Caden approached, the large man raised his gun and said, “That’s far enough.” Caden stopped and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The guard kept talking, “No one is allowed down here so you’re gonna want to turn around and go back.”
Caden thought he knew all the guards, but he didn’t recognize this one. Robert must have just hired him.
“Do you know who I am?” Caden asked with a smile.
“I could care less. My orders are to let no one down here.” Caden looked him up and down. He had to be new. Everything he wore was pristine. The black glistening boots had zero scuffs. His clothes were crisp and the only wrinkles were fold lines, like they were so new they hadn’t been laundered.
“I’m here to examine Steven. If you don’t let me through, I’ll have your job.”
“Do you have identification?” the guard asked.
Caden nodded and pulled his identification card out, which the guard examined closely. He pulled the radio close to his mouth. “Can someone verify a Caden Agent 3-Z for me?” None of the cards ever held a lot of information and never their last names. A quiet voice could be heard from the guard’s earpiece. With a wave, the guard ushered him past.
“I’m glad I’m not in your shoes. I wouldn’t want to deal with that freak,” the guard mumbled as Caden walked passed his large desk.
“Thanks,” Caden responded with a half-smile. “Which cell is his?”
“He’s down at the end. We actually moved him from his normal cell and Robert ordered us to put him in the isolation cell.”
“Well, I didn’t know where his normal cell was,” Caden started, “but I do know where the isolation unit is.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” the guard said as he unclipped a flashlight from his belt. “We’re not sure why, but the power is out down there. You’ll need this.”
Caden flicked on the flashlight and headed towards the isolation unit. An uneasy silence filled the hallway and gave Caden a chill. The darkness seemed to increase with every passing step. Even the light from the flashlight didn’t seem to brighten the area. Fear began to seep into his body. Caden stopped in his tracks. His lack of sleep was messing with him. He shook his head and began at a normal pace toward the isolation room.
A small square window in the heavy steel door was the only way to see into Steven’s cell. Light entered under the door from Caden’s dim flashlight, only giving shape to a few of the larger objects in the room. Caden peered in but was unable to see Steven. He leaned up against the door and saw something dark move in the back corner. It just stood there as if it were looking at Caden. Steven?
Slowly, Caden tilted the flashlight up to the window. The door shook as if someone pushed up against it. He leaned closer, his eyes almost pressed to the window.
Steven popped up on the other side of the glass breathing heavily and fogging up the window. Caden, a little startled, jumped back and kicked the door out of reflex. Fading back into the darkness, Steven moved away and disappeared. If that was him in the back, how in the world did he get from the corner to the door so quickly? Caden could tell that this wasn’t the normal calculated and professional Steven he had known before.
After a deep breath, Caden walked over to the keypad to unlock the door. Before he pushed the last button, he placed his hand on his gun ready for anything. The door creaked open, and strangely, the lights came back on, flickering at first. Caden turned the flashlight off, the click echoed through the hallway and cell.
Steven was crouched on the floor in the center of the room tapping on a small metal drain covering. He didn’t look up or acknowledge Caden at first. Caden peered into the corner looking for the dark figure that had stood there before. Unsurprised, Caden found nothing there except carved initials that had been there for years. Besides the mat on the floor and a bed along the wall, the room was barren.
Caden felt like he was losing his mind. He just didn’t understand how the dark figure could’ve been Steven. Two possible hallucinations in one night. He was beginning to get concerned. Shaking it off, Caden drew his attention to Steven.
“Are you the one who brought me out?” Steven asked as Caden moved closer. “Have you come to finish what you started so long ago? Is that why you’ve brought me here?” Steven looked up, still hunched down, but he appeared ready to attack. His skin was pale and his eyes looked void of irises—just black pupils.
Caden could feel himself breathing heavily. Whatever went wrong in Dead Time really messed Steven up, not only mentally but physically. The man looked creepy. No wonder the guard didn’t want anything to do with him.
“I think,” Caden started, “you may have me confused with someone else.”
Steven grimaced and relaxed his muscles. “Do you know my name?” Steven asked while standing up. Color began to enter his eyes and skin.
“Steven,” Caden responded, “Right?” His breathing was still heavy even with his effort to calm himself. Ready for action, Caden kept his hand on his gun, just in case Steven went into a psychotic rage.
With a big smile and a chuckle, Steven moved over to his pad on the floor and lay down. “Yes, it’s Steven.” He paused. “You just keep thinking that.”
“So, who did you think I was?” Caden asked while he moved over to the wall and leaned against it, but was still ready for anything that might happen.
“Why did you come to visit me?” Steven asked, completely ignoring Caden’s question.
Not knowing how sane Steven was, Caden decided to answer. “To find out about your trip into Dead Time, stopped time.”
Steven rolled over to his side. “You want to know what happened in there, do you? You want to know what caused me to be locked up, right?” He looked up at Caden for a moment with almost a twinkle in his eye. “They think I’m crazy, but I’m not. It was that stupid Robert. He made the whole thing up and pumped me full of drugs to make me lose my mind.”
“You seem to be doing okay right now,” Caden said, not believing Steven’s story.
“They didn’t give me my meds this morning,” Steven responded. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but somehow t
hey forgot.”
Caden frowned. “Why would Robert even care about putting you on drugs and keeping you captive?”
Steven’s jaw muscles tightened with anger. “Look, all I know is that I came out of Dead Time very dehydrated and starving. Robert and the scientists immediately injected me with something that made me lose control of my body.” Steven’s voice rose as he continued, “From that point on, they kept giving me drugs. If you want answers, go talk to Robert because I don’t have them for you.”
Caden backed up to the door. He was worried that if Steven got too loud he might create attention and that was the last thing Caden wanted. “I think it’s time for me to go.” He was going to have to come back another time. It had been a mistake to come that night.
“Good,” Steven stood up and took a step forward. “Get out of here. You weren’t really looking for the truth, were you? You’re a part of this whole thing, aren’t you? You just came to harass me.” Steven seemed frantic, his eyes darting like a frightened bird. “Get out of my cell! Get out! Get out!”
Caden gladly exited the cell, taking care to lock the door securely behind him. As he peered in once more, he noticed a menacing smile on Steven’s face.
There was more to this story, and he was curious to get some answers. Steven’s reactions weren’t consistent and seemed staged. There was truth to be found, but not with Steven. He would find Robert and demand answers.
The flashlight rolled across the guard’s desk as Caden pushed it to him as he walked by. The guard, who was reading a book under a small lamp, reached a hand out and took it.
“Have fun?” the guard asked with a peculiar smile. Caden raised an eyebrow and exited through the double doors. He had reached the next floor on the stairwell before he realized he should have asked the guard some questions. Crap. He looked at the stairs he had just climbed debating if he should go back. It’ll only take a couple of minutes to get back and ask my questions about the medications.
Caden quickly made his way back. He pushed down on the handle of the double doors to the cellblock, and it exploded out at him. The blast slammed him backwards against the concrete wall.
“Can you hear me?” a voice asked. Caden blinked a couple of times, his vision blurred as he became coherent, realizing he had been knocked out. One of the guards placed him against a wall and sat down in front of him. Having a hard time producing words, Caden nodded. “Good, stay here for a minute.”
“Get explosives down here, now.” Robert’s voice was loud to Caden’s pounding head. His director had just come out of the doors from the stairs.
Shifting his position slightly, he saw five men gathered around the large set of double doors that led to the holding cells, prying with a crowbar. The metal doors blocked their view to anything behind them. How long had I been out? What in the world is going on?
“Move,” Robert demanded as he approached the situation, his voice stern and harsh. The crowbar dropped and the men moved to the side as Robert pulled his gun. Bullets flew and seven shells fell to the white tiled floor. Holes circled the door handle. A strange bright light could be seen through them. Caden put his hand to his throbbing head as he tried to look through the holes.
“What is that?” one of the men standing by the door asked, leaning down to peer through the holes. Caden tried to move. Stupid legs work.
“Knock it down.” Robert’s long shadow stretched down the hallway from the light as he backed up. He signaled with a wave. A loud bang rang out as one of the guards kicked near the spot Robert shot up. Before the others had a chance to join in, a loud thunder reverberated through the hallway. The men covered their ears as it rang out. One of them lurched forward and fell to his knees.
The doors appeared to be bulging inward. A current of wind sucked through the bullet holes, whistling as it went through. The bright light dimmed.
Silence.
The noise stopped. Light glowed through the holes once again. Moving cautiously, the guards took their hands away from their ears. Each one looking back and forth to one another, unsure what had happened. Caden blinked a couple of times. His eyes strained to refocus. He needed to get up and help. Muscles in his legs were beginning to respond better, but they still shook.
“Knock the doors…” An explosion from within the room cut Robert off. The doors blasted open, throwing everyone backwards. Caden struck a pole that lined the wall. His vision faded and he passed out.
CHAPTER 10
The darkness was comforting to Azgiel in his quiet cell. An old, worn cot creaked underneath him as he rolled on his right side, trying to relax after Mauldrin’s visit to him. Being held prisoner was getting old, but his curiosity kept him there. If he truly wanted, he could just leave. It wouldn’t be hard. Leaving would mean he wouldn’t get answers to his questions, so he patiently waited. Time is on my side.
There wasn’t much to complain about, the cell was far better than where he had been. Sooner or later, someone would have to explain who brought him back and why, as well as why Mauldrin was so clueless.
Turning again, the cot let out another creak. It seemed louder this time, as if his cell door opened at the same time. Azgiel disregarded it until he heard a snort from behind him. Not knowing who was there, he quickly twisted in his bed and sat up. An enormous beast stood in the doorway. Horns stretched out from the creature’s head.
“Azgiel?” A deep scratchy voice rumbled off the concrete walls.
“Kaz.” Azgiel stood up. “Is it really you?”
“Sir,” Kaz said with a respectful tone while lowering his large body to one knee. “I’ve been waiting for this day for far too long.”
“It’s nice to see you, too.”
“Thank you, sir.” Kaz gave a nod. “The Witch sent me to get you. She is eager to have you back. She never gave up, always hoping you would find a way out of your cell in time.”
“I’ll be excited to see her as well.” Azgiel smiled. “Is she the one who brought me back?”
“No. We couldn’t figure out how to bring you back.” Kaz stood. His dark red body engulfed the entrance to the cell, and his long horns almost touched the ceiling. Tilting his head, Kaz looked Azgiel up and down, analyzing his new body.
“How did you know I would be here?” Azgiel didn’t understand how or why Kaz would be there, if he wasn’t part of bringing him back.
“The Witch. She felt your return and sent us in the direction she felt you. As we drew nearer, we picked up your scent. It led me here to find you in this strange, weak human body.” After he finished, he snorted to show his disgust with the body.
“We? Where are the others?” Azgiel asked looking past Kaz.
“I sent them back. We aren’t alone here. Domblin is on the grounds. He didn’t see us, but we saw him. I sent the other two back to inform the Witch.” Kaz took two nervous steps as he eyeballed Azgiel.
“Strange that Domblin’s here.” Azgiel put his hand up to his chin while he paced for a moment. “Mauldrin’s here as well, in fact you just missed him. He’s gone stupid. He had no idea who I was. At first, I thought for sure he let me out to finish the deed, to kill me. Did you see him on your way in here?” When Azgiel first saw Mauldrin, he had been cautious, not knowing what he was going to do to him. The situation grew stranger when he found that Mauldrin didn’t have any recollection of who he was. His mind was gone. Questions rolled through Azgiel, and he wanted answers.
“No,” Kaz remarked as he looked behind him and back to Azgiel. “If he was here, why didn’t you kill him?”
“Believe me, I thought about it. But there are too many strange things going on. It was almost too perfect, like a trap. I want to know what’s going on first.”
“That must’ve been a hard decision.” Kaz gave a sympathetic nod. It had been a hard decision for Azgiel. Mauldrin had been the one who killed his wife, which ignited the war so long ago. If Azgiel hadn’t found her so quickly, he would not have been able to bring her back to life, in the state she is
now.
“Sir, we should get going.” Kaz backed up and gestured for Azgiel to go first.
“No, before I go, I want to find out who brought me back and why, as well as finding out what is going on with Mauldrin,” Azgiel explained.
After being imprisoned in a cell of time for centuries upon centuries, Azgiel wasn’t too worried about his safety. He wanted to understand why he was brought back; it fascinated him to no end. There would be plenty of time to get back to his followers, but if he left now, he might never find out what how he had been freed.
“Do you want-” A shot rang out, cutting Kaz off, followed by a thud. Kaz roared, baring his sharp teeth and long fangs. He turned around quickly, his wings held close to his body.
A man’s scream rang out, and Azgiel could see the snide, rather plump guard standing outside the entrance holding a gun, shaking in place from the sight of Kaz. The man was a fool for bringing a gun to fight a demon.
“Intelligent,” Azgiel remarked sarcastically, but his words fell short as no one was listening.
With intense speed, Kaz dove at the guard as he fired another shot. Kaz didn’t slow up, he only grew more aggressive. Azgiel couldn’t help but chuckle. Claws tore into the man’s chest. Screams filled the empty cellblocks as Kaz picked the guard up and carried him toward the security desk.
“Some…monster has me…I need back up,” the guard called into a radio attached to his shoulder. Azgiel followed behind Kaz, fascinated to see what his old friend would do. He had no idea how much time had gone by, but it had been numerous lifetimes since he had seen a fight, even though this would not likely be much of a contest.
With a loud thud, Kaz threw the man against the wall with incredible force. The man stopped screaming and slid to the floor after Kaz threw him against the wall. It was disappointing. Azgiel hoped for a little more of a show.
“Are you okay?” Azgiel asked, not knowing what the guns could do to Kaz, since he had never seen a gun in action.
“I’ll be fine.” Kaz shook his massive muscles and clenched his fists as he snorted at the dead guard.