by Rose, Willow
Ida groaned and looked at the toe, and then she cried in despair. The smallest toe, the pinkie, was almost gone. All the meat on it was gone and nothing but a small bone was sticking out.
Ida felt sick to her stomach and if there had been anything in her stomach, she probably would have thrown up.
Please, God. Please, somebody help me. I don't want to die down here, eaten by these monsters. Exodor, where are you? I need you.
Ida cried in pain and self-pity. Was there really no one up there who missed her enough to come look for her? The entire house had become so quiet now. Not even a sound from Edwina, not even the TV blasting like it usually did. Had they all left?
Ida whimpered, feeling the fever rise in her body, causing her head to hurt and mind to spin. It was so hard to keep up hope after so many hours. The rats were still staring at her, waiting for her to cave in. Ida growled at them like a dog, but they didn't move. So damn disgusting! It's all your fault.
Ida knew a few things about rats from a project she had done in school. She knew they had been used in medieval torture, where people were chewed through and therefore died. This was done by putting the rat under a bowl or bucket strapped to the victim's belly, and heat applied. She knew they attacked people when they felt threatened. She had once read a story about some guy, a drug addict, who was high on heroin, and the rats ate him alive while he dozed. She knew that if there were enough of them, and especially if they were very hungry, and the person was sick or dying or tied down, they could eat a human.
But none of the rats she had seen in her textbooks looked like these. They were so big, she thought, sulking at the thought of her own fate. Were they just going to eat her while she was asleep? Like they had eaten the flesh off her toe? Were they going to eat her one body part at a time, or if they all attacked at once it might go faster. Was it going to be painful? More painful than what she was going through now? Ida shivered at the thought, or maybe from the fever; she couldn't tell anymore. All she knew was that this was bad. This was very bad and as the minutes passed by, she felt more and more hopeless. With her last strength she pulled her body up from the floor and sat with her back against the blue door, thinking that she was so close, and yet so very far away.
Why had that damn door locked anyway? Why was it open in the first place? To lure her inside? Had Edwina had something to do with this?
Ida found it hard to think and put her head against the door. The hammer had fallen out of her hand while she was sleeping. Now she grabbed it and held it tight. She was breathing heavily, her legs throbbing. She closed her heavy eyelids just for a second, just to relax them a little bit. She licked her lips, feeling how all moisture had been drawn out of them. The fever made her see strange shapes and creatures when she closed her eyes. She sensed something was close to her foot and opened them again. One of the rats had come closer now. Ida let out a roar and lifted the hammer, using whatever strength she had left. The rat backed up a little bit, but didn't seem afraid of her.
In the distance, Ida heard thunder.
Chapter Forty-Four
The Bering Twins were tired after a busy day and a long, busy life. This morning they had taken a long walk in the park surrounding the nursing home before lunch, and then taken a nap after eating their favorite dish, tartlets with creamy chicken sauce. After naptime they both—without even discussing it with one another—felt a sudden urge to find all their old photo albums and organize them. The albums were dirty and dusty, since they hadn't been used for many, many years. But much to the personnel at the nursing home's surprise, the twins spent the entire afternoon looking at old pictures from their youth. They laughed and seemed to be talking without even voicing a single word with one another.
The personnel let them have their fun, even though it meant they missed out on dinner and caused a stir among some of the other patients, since it was a rule that patients had to come out for dinner unless they were sick.
No one ever thought about the reason for the twins' sudden interest in the past or getting their things in order. They didn't worry when they hadn't eaten or drunk at all since lunch (which was quite unusual for the food-loving twins), they didn't wonder when they asked to call Pastor Nielsen and told him over the phone to pray for the city tonight, or when they refused to take their medicine. Not even when they started sorting their paperwork and pulled their will from the drawer. In the will, they bequeathed all their money and possessions, including their old mansion with beautiful views over Isefjorden outside of town to The Way, the religious sect that the twins believed did so many wonderful things (not only did the twins enjoy being able to help someone who could do something good with the money, on the bonus side it was also going to really piss off their mother's niece, who wanted the estate so much that she had actually been taking care of the house for many years, even though she couldn't stand the twins and vice versa.)
It was late at night before the twins were finally done and the personnel at the nursing home had been very upset with them in the end, since it was far beyond their bedtime, and all lights were supposed to be out at ten, but no one really wanted to interfere, since they all were a little scared of the twins.
Finally, around midnight, they put the last stack of paper in the pile, then looked at each other, and decided it was time for bed. They undressed, put on nightgowns and brushed their teeth (what was left of them and it was quite a few for women their age), all while smiling, some would even later argue, grinning at each other.
As they went to bed, they were holding hands and, as soon as the personnel had helped their old bodies get up into bed, put the covers on, and closed the door behind them, the twins looked at each other through the darkness. In the distance, they heard a storm approaching. Thunder crashed and the winds picked up.
With small still voices, they spoke to each other in their minds.
It's time, the one who was always on the left said.
The other one smiled, then repeated. It's time.
Do you see her?
I see her.
Lord have mercy on this town.
This is it. It's happening. She's coming.
Only God can save them now.
Lord have mercy.
A woman's cry in what the twins first believed was made in glee was the last thing they heard as they died simultaneously, their hearts giving out at the exact same second. Their vision darkened and when, somewhere, the cries that had seemed joyful suddenly changed into screams of pure agony and pain, the twins were long gone into the sea of bright light, where they worried no more about the destiny of their beloved hometown.
Chapter Forty-Five
Marie-Therese had fallen sleep in front of the TV in order to not feel so alone, but now the programming had stopped and there was nothing but gray snow on the screen and a sizzling sound coming from it. Marie-Therese was snoring on the recliner, her eyes moving rapidly behind her eyelids. Her sleep was uneasy, consisting of one bad dream after another.
She hadn't been feeling well when she sat down to watch TV, and sleeping didn't help her nausea. She kept waking up feeling like throwing up, then falling back to sleep, dreaming again. Now she was awakened by loud thunder and lightning that struck very close to the house.
Marie-Therese opened her eyes with a gasp. She had dreamt about Edwina. Not the small and innocent Edwina she put to bed earlier in the night. No this was a different one; this Edwina was laughing the most horrendous laughter while pointing at Marie-Therese.
Marie-Therese was still shaking as she opened her eyes. Another lightening strike nearby and the ensuing thunderclap made her jump in her chair. A window was open in the living room and the wind was carrying the rain inside, making the wooden floors wet. Marie-Therese was sweating and wondered if she had caught a fever somehow? Could it be that infection in her toe? She realized she had forgotten to take her medicine. She still felt nauseous and found it hard to breathe. She got up from the chair and walked to the window. The winds were stron
g and she had to fight to close it. The rain slammed into her face and felt nice and cooling. Finally, she managed to close the window and panted, feeling sick to her stomach, she turned while holding a hand to her chest, wheezing for air. It felt like the oxygen was being sucked out of the air surrounding her, like she was suffocating somehow. She breathed in and out, trying to press enough air down to stop the room from spinning. Suddenly, she felt a strange burning sensation on her skin and lifted her arm to look at it. Marie-Therese gasped. Her skin was bubbling. Small blisters were popping up all over; both of her arms were sizzling and bubbling. Her skin felt burning hot. Another lightning bolt struck nearby and the winds blew open the window again with a loud crash. Marie-Therese shrieked, then walked back to close it again. When she turned again, someone was in the room with her. Marie-Therese screamed. Edwina was standing right in front of her, grinning and pointing her finger at her. Just like she had in the dream.
Then she spoke for the first time in the time Marie-Therese had known her; Edwina opened her mouth and let out a word with a deep, almost manly voice:
"YOU!"
Marie-Therese stared at her, feeling her heart racing in her chest. The burning sensation on her arms grew worse and she lifted her right arm to stare at it while the skin was bubbling and sizzling.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Marie-Therese asked.
But Edwina didn't speak again; she stared at Marie-Therese with those green glowing eyes, while giggling.
That was when the pain arrived. An excruciating pain from inside Marie-Therese's body. At first, she couldn't even scream. Instead, she sank to her knees with a small, insignificant shriek. She fell face first onto the floor and felt herself slowly lose complete control of her body. The nausea grew and soon she was throwing up again, her body trembling, shaking in spasms, while vomit was thrown out of her on the floor. She gasped for air between throwing up. Her blood was boiling in her veins. It was like something was inside of her, trying to eat its way out, eating her organs one by one.
"What are you doing to me?" she managed to sputter between bouts of bloody vomit that kept gushing out of her. Another wave of pain rolled over her and she had to throw herself at the floor while shaking, throbbing in spasms.
Marie-Therese managed to lift her head and stare at the little girl in front of her while blood ran out of her mouth, ears, and nose, then asked her the question she had wanted to ask her for so long, but never dared, mostly because she was afraid of the answer:
"What have you done to Ida?"
Pain forced her to the floor again, her body trembling like she was having a seizure. Oh, her head hurt so badly, the pain, it was unbearable.
Just kill me now, God. Take me home. Don't let me suffer anymore!
Marie-Therese threw up once again, gushing a river of blood onto the floor, then felt her throat tighten and gasped for air. As life oozed out of her, she opened her mouth to speak; there were so many things she wanted to say, but no sound ever left her lips again. The last thing she saw before she died was Sebastian's pale face in the doorway staring at her; the last thing she heard was his scream.
Chapter Forty-Six
Ida woke to the sounds of Marie-Therese screaming. She had dozed off, despite trying so hard to fight it. The fever made it hard to stay awake, so hard to fight.
She opened her eyes and pulled her legs backwards with a gasp, forgetting about the pain in them for just a second. They felt better, she realized. The wounds seemed still infected, they were still swollen and sore and throbbing, but with a little effort, she could actually move them; it was still painful, yes, but also possible. Maybe it was the sudden shot of adrenalin she felt in her body from hearing Marie-Therese's screams that made her forget the pain.
"I'm coming," she said without opening her mouth, much since she was no longer able to move her lip.
But it was a reaction, a statement said without thinking, without realizing or even remembering her circumstances. It took a few seconds for her feverish mind to once again comprehend the fact that she was close, but still so very far away. She lifted her hand in some last hope and pulled the handle of the blue door, but it was still locked. Ida sighed, exhausted. Was this nightmare ever going to end? Why did God insist on keeping her alive down here? Was it some sort of strange irony? Marie-Therese was in danger up there and needed Ida's help, but there was nothing she could do.
Marie-Therese let out another scream and Ida jumped, feeling the adrenalin rush once again through her veins. Then she cried. Was there really nothing she could do? Ida was caught by the well-known feeling of despair. What was happening to all of them? Was it Edwina? Was she somehow killing all of them?
The screams grew worse now and, even though they seemed distant, Ida knew they were close; they came from inside this house. They weren't screams for help; they were screams of pain, of someone in deep and extreme pain.
Ida sobbed and put her hand on the door. She tried to open her mouth and yell again, but it was too painful; her lip hurt so badly it was impossible to do anything other than grunt and moan.
Then the screaming stopped. Ida opened her eyes widely. The silence was almost worse than the screaming, she suddenly thought. Then she felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She just knew it; she felt it.
Marie-Therese was dead.
Ida sunk down with her back against the door with a deep sigh. What were they going to do without Marie-Therese? Where were they going to live?
If we live. If we survive.
Ida sobbed, then snorted in anger, staring at the rats who were all sitting on the floor in front of her looking at her with what she believed were hungry eyes. She felt like killing them all, burning the house down with them inside of it. Ida sobbed again, and then leaned her head back against the door. Stupid door that locked itself when slammed shut. Stupid thick fire-safe door.
Another scream made her heart stop. This wasn't like the others; this one didn't come from Marie-Therese.
Ida gasped. Sebastian. It sounded just like him. Ida sobbed. What was happening to him? Was he in danger? Her eyes wandered, panicky, across the room again, the little that was lit enough for her to see. Eyes were fixated on her, staring in the darkness without blinking. Ida felt the weight of the hammer in her hand. Her head was pounding. She licked her dry lips. One of the rats squeaked like it was talking to the others, telling them to get ready. In Ida's mind, it was the commander, the general standing in front of his army ordering them to load their weapons. They are getting ready to take me down, she thought. Finish me off.
Sebastian was still screaming. Ida's heart pounded. Her mind spun fast, trying to figure out what to do. Fever or not, pain or not, she was not going to just lay here on this cold floor and listen to Sebastian getting hurt while the rats were eating her, beginning with her feet. Damn right she wasn't.
At that moment, it was like the rats also had come to some sort of conclusion to end this marathon. The leading squeaking rat began moving towards her again, now backed up by his army behind him. When close enough, it leaped into the air, jumped onto a shelf on the wall, bounced off it and landed on Ida's face, and she felt an excruciating pain in her eye as it sunk its teeth into it.
Ida screamed and swung the hammer in the air without being able to see what she was swinging it at, without hitting anything, since the big rat on her face was blocking her view, biting her eye so she could feel the warm blood running down her cheek. She felt them all over her body now, little feet moving across her legs, scratching her with their little claws, and then she screamed when some of them bit her swollen leg again and again. In the distance, she heard Sebastian screaming, while the panic took over, the terror of the rat biting her eyeball, the long tail that kept getting in her mouth when she screamed, or hitting her cheek when the rat moved, the tiny feet on her face, scratching her, while the rat was, what?
What was it doing up there?
It felt like it was sucking on her eyeball, sucking the blood out of it. Ida no lo
nger felt the pain in her lip from the previous bite. She didn't care how bad it hurt, she opened her mouth wide open and screamed while trying to remove the rat by swinging the hammer at it, but hitting herself instead, then hitting a rat, but it wasn't the one on her face. Finally, on the third try, she managed to swing the hammer at the rat and it let go of her eye before it fell to the ground with a loud squeak.
Ida cried and screamed while hundreds of rats crawled all over her body, biting her, ripping off big chunks of meat. She kicked and hit with the hammer, hitting one, only to be attacked by two more. With the adrenalin rushing through her body, she fought all she could, with the little strength she had left. She cried out in a high breaking voice.
Then it finally happened. Ida didn't see where it came from, she could barely see anything anymore, but there was a bright light. A light so intense she had to cover her face since it blinded the one eye she could still use after hours and hours in darkness. The rats saw it too and it scared them off. They squeaked and whined and they…they drew back as the light approached her. Ida blinked her eyes and tried to see what it could be with her one good eye, but there was so much blood in it, she had to see through a curtain of red stripes.
What is that? Is it…could it be…Am I…?
The bright light came closer and Ida was more and more convinced that this was, in fact, the bright light people with near death experiences claimed they saw right before they died. This was an angel, or even Jesus himself, who came to get her and take her away from this wretched place, from this forsaken life. Ida moaned and pulled herself to her feet. She blinked again and again and soon something appeared in front of her, something big and white and very, very bright. Suddenly, Ida knew that this was no angel, nor was it Jesus. No this was much, much better.