A Modern Myth

by Clara Wake

  Nickolai does just that. Turning away from Jake, he moves and makes his way back to the squad without showing a single sign of remorse for what he’s just done to Jake.

  The Governor soon turns away and slowly disappears into the shadows of the night, leaving Jake alone to gather himself before he’s able to pick himself up and make his way back to the squad with an aching jaw and saliva mixed with blood.

  Waiting for him in the hall, Nickolai sits on the couch with a frown and ears flat. His arms are folded across his chest, waiting impatiently for Jake to arrive. He didn’t want to hit Jake – but the idiot was about to say something that could have landed him in The Chamber, and he certainly wasn’t going to let that happen.

  The hit came at a price, however, since his shoulder is aching even more now with the heavy swing to Jake’s face. He should have known. Guilt is chasing his veins, but he is solid on his reason.

  Entering the hallway, Jake grumbles as he sees Nickolai waiting for him. He frowns, as he rubs his cheek and heads straight for Nickolai’s room, moving right past him.

  “That hurt…a lot,” Jake breathes, still gently stroking his cheek. It aches furiously, and red starts to surface. The taste of iron blankets his tongue; he’d bitten the inside of his cheek.

  “You know why I did it, right?” Nickolai arches an eyebrow at him, biting the insides of his cheek hoping he knows why, hoping he isn’t so damn oblivious to what he was about to do. The path he almost drew for himself.

  Jake sighs deeply and drops his shoulders. Rolling them, he exhales once more, before slumping down to Nickolai’s bed and grunting loudly. The realization sinks in, yet the sulk and frown remain.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry,” his shoulders are once again lowering as he nods his head in shame. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” He shakes his head, confused by his own actions. His eyes lock on the ground before he finally looks up to meet Nickolai’s concerned gaze. He can’t help but smile deep inside, seeing just that hint of concern is certainly a treat.

  “Don’t do it again,” Nickolai insists, as he shakes his head at him. Huffing loudly, he sighs deeply and smacks his back against the wall, leaning against it. “Just the three of us in Earth now.” Nickolai’s mind wonders for a second, realizing Aiden was taken to the Chamber. He’s left to imagine if he’ll be able to deal with the pressure down there, or if Aiden is stronger than him?

  “You think Aiden will survive?” Jake asks, still pressing his cold fingers onto his cheek, while he takes a moment to let the shock subside.

  “No clue,” Nickolai replies bluntly, with a rough shrug of his shoulder. He doesn’t care if he came back or not. The asshole deserved it.

  “Shall we try our adventure tomorrow?” Jake asks with an upbeat tone – as if he’s excited to find something.

  He gets up and moves towards the door, ready to shove some ice on his jaw and sleep peacefully – then again, that’s if his mind will let him.

  “Sure, Skye will be here soon anyway.”

  Nickolai lets Jake leave before he drops to his bed, laying on his stomach, and cuddling the pillow, resting his chin on top. He stares at the blank wall for a moment, resting his thoughts-- although they only spark more. He realizes he hasn’t told Skye about the information they’ve gathered. Then again, it could be nothing, and he’ll get her amped up for nothing. Maybe once they know something, he’ll let her know. However, he really doesn’t enjoy lying to her.

  “Should we take out Syrus, just in case he decides to interfere?” Nickolai teases to Jake with a jeer, as they head outside; tracing over the same footprints they’d made the previous night.

  It’s déjà vu, as they make their way down the path. The night is identical to the last.

  Nickolai is once again leading, even though Jake knows of the sabotaged gate. He lets him lead; he is the one who can fight to save his life. Him? Not so much.

  After creeping and crawling through the hidden hole in the gate, shielded and camouflaged with bushes and branches, they enter the Girls’ Quarter.

  Nickolai’s eyes immediately flash to where Skye’s squad and room is. He fights the urge to surprise her or scare her whatever worked.

  Shaking his mind and steering it to the task at hand, he and Jake make their way through the girl’s squad, dodging the many guards that lurk and scout the perimeter. More than the boys have, that’s for sure.

  Finally, they make it to the back wall. As tall as the rest and as steady. What lurks behind is an enigma they are eager to find out.

  “So, please tell me you have a plan to get over it?” Jake whispers to Nickolai, leaning in carefully, forgetting he can hear his whispers loud and clear.

  “Are you good at climbing?” Nickolai smirks at Jake in response, before he looks up at the gate, chewing on the inside of his cheek for a second. Deep in thought.

  “I’m not a ninja like you...” he whispers, but the irritation is clear in his tone as he replies and flails his arms about slightly frustrated.

  Nickolai lets a small chuckle slip his lips at Jake’s comment, shaking his head. He turns to Jake and pulls out a roll of rope from behind his back and raises his eyebrows at him. “Is this good enough?”

  “Oh, so now you’re a cowboy? How do you expect to get that... over there?” Jake furiously spits at Nickolai, trying to make sense of how he plans to get over the gate and fence line.

  “Did you forget I’m a ninja?” Nickolai scoffs at Jake, shaking his head at the various nicknames he’d throw at him, as his ears flickered upwards and without any notion.

  Nickolai manages to jump up and attach himself to the wooden gate and propel himself upwards until he’s sitting on top with the most astonishing view.

  “Hey! Be careful! You have an injured shoulder, remember!”

  The large moon overlooks the valley or forest. He isn’t sure, but the silhouette of the trees dance in front of the moon and create shadows of nightmares on the ground. Everything is so green, fresh, and alive beyond these walls. He only wishes he could see it during the day.

  “Hey! Did you forget about me?” Jake finally barks at Nickolai, shaking him from his thoughts. He hasn’t forgotten at all – He was merely stunned by the view and had to take a moment to take it in.

  “How can I forget about you, Puppy?” Nickolai shouts softly down to Jake with a cheeky tone before throwing the end of the rope down. Before he can endure Jake’s comeback for the nickname, he quickly continues. “Climb up,” he orders Jake, as he holds the other end of the rope tightly and firmly making sure he has his balance.

  This was the worst time to be afraid of heights. Jake swallowed deeply and closed his eyes. He is frightened, but he holds in the fear making note to never look down. He grapples the rope and climbs up, walking with his feet against the wall, and using the rope to carry his weight. His eyes constantly fixate on the dorky elf above.

  “Come on, we don’t have all night,” Nickolai attempts to hurry Jake along, but of course he’s shot with an intense glare before he continues to make his way up.

  With the help of Nickolai, he pulls him up, and he’s soon able to see the view of the world beyond theirs.

  “Shit” Jake gasps, as he tightly holds onto the gate for extra comfort and balance. Now, he understands why Nickolai was quiet for a moment up here, and rightfully so, but before he can really take it all in, Nickolai swoops to the nearest tree, like a monkey and tugs at the rope for Jake to follow.

  “Ninja and a Monkey!” Jake calls out to him, shaking his head with a huff. He’s almost out of breath from the climbing, and now he has to make it down.

  Finally, they both make it down safely. However, Nickolai can only hope that no one finds them out there. It’ll be one hell of a struggle to get out of there. He doesn’t want to think that far ahead. The boys are soon staring at what looks like the rubble of an old pathway, leading right into the thick darkness of the forest.

  Switching his flashlight on, Nickolai trains the light ahead as they m
ove slowly away from the main quad lights that cast over The Compound.

  “Are you sure about this, Nicko?” Jake stammers, fear shaking his voice, as he closely tags behind Nickolai. It is so quiet, and the fact that they are out of their boundaries and walking almost blind into the unknown has Jake frightened to his core. It is so unfamiliar, different, and in the dead of night – everything is far more chilling.

  Their footsteps are clear and evident in the dead night. Shuffling feet on the concrete, as small pebbles and pieces of rocks scatter from their weight against the stone.

  It’s not long before they capture what looks like the old sign that hovers and branches over the gate. Rusty, old, and screeching with the wind, Nickolai pans the beam of light over the sign revealing the arched words,

  RAVEN COVE MENTAL ASYLUM.

  The name of the building in the article was not stated for some reason. All that was mentioned was that it was a hospital for the sick. That was all that was stated. The image that was shown was far too old and outdated to make out the words on paper. Yet, there they were standing before it. Shivers crawl down their backs, and hesitation sinks in. What exactly are they going to find?

  Looking over his shoulder, Nickolai watches Jake before they move and enter what looks like the courtyard or opening of the building. Nothing is easy to make out; the sides of the building are coming apart, and bricks and concrete litter the ground. The windows are all boarded up, and vines happily engulf the building, claiming it as its own.

  Clearly, years and years have passed, and the grounds are unsettled. No one has stepped foot there, and yet it still holds such a creepy vibe—as if someone is watching from the inside.

  Even with the windows boarded up, the feeling is unsettling to say the least.

  Nickolai looks around outside for a moment before he moves further towards the entrance, wondering if they can even enter; it was no doubt boarded up from the inside and outside.

  The closer Nickolai approaches the entrance, he notices the boards are nailed and clamped into the door, meant for no intruders. No access.

  It’s not long before Nickolai bounces over to the right side of the building, checking for anyway inside, while Jake slowly follows hoping Nickolai will do all the work as usual.

  “Jake!” Nickolai whispers aloud, gaining Jake’s attention immediately, as he holds onto one of the loose boards against one of the smaller windows on the side of the building. A slight height difficulty, but manageable.

  Nickolai manages to shove and smack the board upwards, clearing more space for him and Jake to climb through. He makes sure the board is stiff and unable to move before he turns to Jake, standing so close behind him.

  “Hold this,” Nickolai tells him, as he gently places the flashlight against Jake’s chest and instantly launches himself up onto the window shelf and climbs through with ease.

  From the inside, his feet smack on the concrete, and his footsteps hover and echo through the entire first floor before silence swallows the sounds.

  Handing Nickolai the flashlight, Jake is guided with Nickolai’s help, and the sounds of their feet reverberate through the empty building. Holding a frozen stance, Nickolai pans the light around the room they’ve crawled through. Running the beam along everything, he sees broken and scattered old furniture and marks on the walls. The wallpaper is peeling off, and the light bulbs are burst.

  Back to the markings on the walls, he moves closer and observes them, dirty brown marks.

  He recognizes them as blood as flashes of the walls in the Chamber spark at him, reminding him.

  He soon notices the bloody handprints, scratch markings, and splatter of blood, cast along almost every wall he’s able to see. His stomach rolls slightly, and he clenches his jaw. His ears drop lightly before he turns to Jake, who’s just as horrified as he is, staring back at him with the same disgusted and shaken expression.

  Turning back to the nearest wall, he soon notices carvings of words on the wall. Written in different styles, clearly not the same person. He’s unsure, but the more he looks at the carvings, he notices they spell out a name.

  “Al-ma. Alma,” Nickolai softly spells aloud, before his eyes flash and dart around the wall, seeing the same name written repeatedly. Taking a moment to think clearly, he finally moves and turns the light to see Jake. “That’s a name, right?” Nickolai asks Jake, with a slightly puzzled expression.

  “Yeah.” Jake answers with a heavy nod and a shaking tone, terrified already, and this is the first room they’ve entered. It looks like two joined rooms, a lobby perhaps that joined with a small hallway and off into a large space.

  Jake takes a few brave steps ahead of Nickolai before Nickolai grasps Jake’s shirt and throws him up against the wall, followed by quickly clicking the flashlight off. Leaning against the wall, he presses his palm against Jake’s lips as the faint sounds of footsteps begin to emerge from the other room behind them.

  Taking a deep breath, Nickolai nods to Jake and points to the other unseen room. Gently, he moves his palm from Jake’s lips and pins his eyes with Jake’s for a second before a loud thud is heard followed by a hum and words soon stringing into a tune. Singing.

  One Hundred and Fifty-Nine.

  I bid farewell, so I can be free.

  One Hundred and Fifty-Nine paint the walls red.

  One hundred and fifty-nine.

  Jake is almost holding his breath, petrified even more now that they’ve heard someone singing and just near them. He’s frozen, and he doesn’t move. Breathing through his nose, he’s too scared to even look, but he manages to clamp his hand around Nickolai’s arm for safety measures or comfort. He didn’t even know. His mind is racing.

  Deep and quiet breaths are jumping from Nickolai. His ears notice the tune and the words. He can hear the slight rustling of dirt or sand. He’s unsure, and the uncertainty is irritating him, even more so as he notices the voice. He knows who it is – he could recognize that voice anywhere. So dark, soulless, deep and menacing.

  He moves slowly and peers from behind the wall. Peeking out slightly. He sees The Governor laying on the floor with a lantern beside her as she lay flat on her back. Staring up at the ceiling, she sings to herself – the tone and tune of the song is lightheaded and filled with pleasure. He watches her as she’s soon moving her arms up and down, her legs sweeping across the ground creating what could be described as a snow angel. In this case, it’s a dust devil.

  Jake is swift to yank at Nickolai’s arm, afraid he could get caught. Right now, he doesn’t care who it is, he wants to get out of there in one piece. Now. He is far too riddled with fear to murmur or beg. He’s just holding tightly onto Nickolai’s arm.

  The Governor continues to sing her peculiar lullaby or whatever it is.

  The way it’s released sends shivers down Nickolai’s entire body and leaves him cringing. The words or lyrics are enough to realize what she’s talking about, but it leaves him even more curious.

  “There you are!” The same nurse who comforted her during her meltdown arrives, complete with her own lantern. She sighs deeply and takes a seat beside The Governor, looking down at her.

  “Been a while,” she continues, due to The Governor’s silence. She looks around the place slowly. Eyes dancing from marking to marking and wall to wall. Her back is towards the boys. She sighs deeply. “What are you doing here?” she asks, before looking down at the Governor once again.

  “Taking a moment to remember everything I’ve sacrificed,” she finally speaks, and her tone is low and hollow.

  “Are you doubting everything you’ve done?” The Nurse questions, furrowing her eyebrows at her – uncertain of what she means. Her eyes narrow on The Governor before she shakes her head at her.

  “Sometimes I do. But right now, no,” The Governor smiles softly to herself, blinking slowly and humming the same tune she’s just chanted.

  “If you hadn’t killed them all, you’d never be where you are right now, and those ungrateful chi
ldren out there would never know of such a rich and fulfilling life – a life, you gave them.”

  Her words are twisted, yet she holds so much pride in them as she reminds The Governor of her act. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. You saved me… and the others.”

  The Governor gives The Nurse a smug smile. “Thank you darling,” she politely speaks as she grabs The Nurse’s free hand, and tightly holds it, before she turns away and sees the name, still carved into the walls; igniting a familiar response…

  “Don’t say my name, please,” she whispers, blinking softly to the wall across from her.

  “The walls might, but I won’t. No one will,” the nurse comforts her, stroking her dark hair and continuing to reassure her. “No one will, ever again,” she adds on before softly humming herself and spreading the same words through the vacant, abandoned building.

  One Hundred and Fifty-nine…

  “What the fuck was that?”

  They are safe and sound and back in Nickolai’s room. They’re almost silent until Nickolai finally speaks – trying to make sense of what they’ve just witnessed.

  “Well…” Jake starts, but his throat is far too tight to even begin. His mind is completely blown. She is more messed up than he originally thought.

  “Did... she kill everyone?” Nickolai asks, but he knows he can’t get an answer. No one can answer that question. He’s lost, confused, and just blown away. He knew she was fucking mad.

  “I’m going to sleep on this. Good luck on keeping this from Skye.” Jake shakes his head and throws his arms up, giving up on even thinking about it right now. Even though he’s completely wired, he chooses to at least try and get some sleep. He knows Nickolai will ponder throughout the night, and he is always good at coming up with things.

  “See you tomorrow, Little Phoenix.”

  “Are you all right, Nicko?” Skye carefully asks him, frowning as she watches him. He’s quieter than usual, and it unsettles her.

  “I’m fine,” he responds with a soft tone, before meeting her worried gaze and slightly smiling at her.