by G Sasaki
The noise resonated one note at a time… the sound of a playing piano.
27
The unmistakable sound of a piano weaved through the hallway. Hailey instinctually reached for her gun. But her holster was gone. Of course it was. Almost everything had been ripped from her body- her shirt, her holster, even some of the skin from her back.
From one of the bedrooms, a loud bat-shriek rang out and dominated over the piano playing. What is happening? Hailey followed the noise and approached the shut door. She plastered her face against the vertical window and peeked inside.
Rays of sun snuck past the closed curtains and gave her enough light. She could see movement in the bed, a pair of feet under the sheets. What if that’s Alex in there?! That possibility propelled her to open the door and dash inside. Silence. Her feet slowed down and as she lurked closer, the shape in the bed became clear: the white blankets indented with the profile of someone underneath. She could see the tops of the inclines where bent knees protruded. The blanket covered the figure’s head, making him look like a ghost. “Alex?”
The sheets shot down, exposing the person underneath. Hailey stepped back, startled by what she saw. A fully formed bat stared back at her… but no fur covered his body. None. A pale reddish skin covered him instead. His face looked typical of the bats: pointy ears, flattened nostrils, and a lipless mouth. A blank gaze reflected in his eyes.
“What happened to you? Is that you, Alex?”
Hailey drifted toward the side of the bat’s bed and his shaky eyes followed her. She held up her hand, faced her palm toward the bat, and extended her fingers. Please be Alex. Put your fingers in mine. But her hand remained floating alone. The bat stared at her, confused by her hand.
This wasn’t Alex.
“I know you can understand me when I speak,” Hailey said, “but I can’t understand you. Just shake your head. Understand?” The bat’s eyes locked on to hers in an uncomfortable stare. It seemed like minutes passed without so much as a blink. Then suddenly, he nodded.
Hailey nodded back and smiled. It was weird. It was like this bat was afraid of her. Nonetheless, she asked the biggest question on her mind. “Do you know someone named Alex?”
The furless bat shook his head.
Hailey sighed. From behind her, a woman’s voice sprang out like a tornado siren. “What are you doing here?”
Hailey shot around and observed a nurse standing in front of the open doorway.
No fur, no wings, she was just a young woman in a nurse outfit. Soft eyes and a generous smile sat on her face. A white hat sat snugly on top of her head. Hailey’s body stiffened. A tug in her gut told her something about this nurse was off. Just the way she stood… it seemed… lifeless. It was like the nurse wasn’t staring at her, but through her.
The nurse’s gentle voice let out a series of perfectly even words. “You’re not infected. This is unexpected.” The nurse looked at Hailey’s bare chest. “I saw the wounds on your back.” Her hand lifted and pointed to a sink next to the bed. “I’ll disinfect that for you.”
This hospital room had become a dream-like fantasy land. Minutes ago, Hailey thought she was the only one inside the building. And now, to see another normal person, with a bat as her patient no less, just felt bizarre. Hailey stammered, “O…okay.”
Hailey inched toward the sink and exposed her back to the nurse, all while keeping a wary eye. The nurse turned on the sink and the sound of running water blared. As the nurse washed her hands, Hailey asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
The nurse glanced at the bat in the bed. “He’s infected with the virus. Can’t you tell? We’re trying to cure him.” The nurse grabbed some disinfecting wipes from the drawers above.
“What happened to his fur?”
“So you’ve seen one of them before?” As the nurse neared Hailey’s back, she warned, “This is going to sting a bit.”
Confusion bounced through Hailey’s mind. You’ve seen one of them before? Wasn’t this nurse aware that hundreds of them were flying around just outside? A sharp pain stabbed at Hailey’s back and she whimpered in response. The nurse gently rubbed Hailey’s shoulder with her free hand. “You’ll be okay. Just clench your fist.”
Hailey did just that. She grimaced and asked again, “So what happened to his fur?”
“We pulled it out. We’re trying to cure him.”
Hailey looked at him. They pulled out all of his fur!? She could only imagine the agonizing pain. It sounded worse than what happened to her back. The bat held the blanket up to his face, leaving everything under his eyes covered. Why is he afraid?
The nurse continued, “Ever since that night, the staff here who didn’t catch the virus has been trying to figure out how to fight it.”
“How many of you didn’t catch it?”
“Twenty of us. Maybe thirty.”
“Where’s everyone else?”
Without a hint of emotion, the nurse responded, “They’re dead.”
The cold way she said it gave Hailey chills. “Do you know what causes someone to not catch it?”
“That’s one of the things we’ve been trying to figure out.” The nurse grinned. She taped some sort of bandage on Hailey’s back. It felt like a soft cloud cuddling against her. The pain lingered but felt lifetimes better. The nurse nearly slurred, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get something for you to cover up.”
“Thanks,” Hailey said.
Hailey watched the nurse walk out of the room. She looked back at the covered bat. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with you. Everyone’s turning into bats. You’re normal.”
With only his eyes showing, he almost looked human. His pointy ears were all that kept him bat-like. Hailey continued, “As long as you can think right and you’re not an Unstable, there’s nothing wrong with you. There’s lots of people out there, just like you.” She paused and conceded, “It’s me who’s the weird one.” Hailey glanced toward the open door, checking to see if the nurse was anywhere near. She whispered, “Can she be trusted?”
The bat’s head shook left and right.
The nurse’s voice called out, “Here’s a shirt for you.” When she appeared through the doorway, a pink shirt dangled from her hand. “I got it out of the lockers. It belonged to one of my friends. She’s dead now.” The nurse extended her hand and offered the pink shirt.
Hailey stepped forward and took it. The soft, fluffy fabric felt great as she slipped it on. The nurse said, “You must be thirsty. I got you a glass of water.” The nurse extended her other hand and a clear glass of water rested there.
Hailey stared at the glass. Truthfully, she was thirsty, but she couldn’t help but wonder what that liquid was. It looked like water and her dry mouth begged her to take it and gulp it down. But Hailey responded, “It’s okay, I’m not very thirsty right now. Thanks though.”
“I insist.” Her hand propelled closer and gently shook the glass. Any trace of emotion she displayed earlier had vanished. Hailey tried to change the subject. “Have you made any progress on fighting the virus?”
“It’s been difficult,” the nurse said. She stepped close to Hailey, and the glass of water practically pushed her over. Hailey reluctantly took it and held it far from the reaches of her mouth. The nurse continued, “All of the surgeons died pretty quickly. So we’ve done what we can without them. Anyone who wasn’t infected helped. Including me.”
The nurse raised her hands to the white hat that sat atop her head. She clutched it in her grip and slowly lifted it up. Hailey’s eyes grew wide and she stumbled backwards until she tripped against the window. Underneath the nurse’s hat wasn’t a head of hair. Instead, her exposed brain stared back! The wrinkles Hailey had seen in countless pictures of brains were right there, on top of the nurse’s head. The top of her scalp was flat-out gone, replaced by the dull pink blob of her brain. Hailey’s hands shook uncontrollably and she nearly lost her grip on the glass of... whatever. Instead, she kept as much space between
them as she could.
In a soothing voice, the nurse said, “Don’t be frightened. We’ve learned a lot. It’s been worth the sacrifice. Since you don’t have the virus, it would be nice if you would volunteer as well.”
Hailey tried to look the woman in the eyes. But she could only look at her exposed brain. It was just… there! Hailey yelled in disgust, “You can’t do that! You’re a nurse! Don’t you know you can’t just leave your brain sticking out!?!”
The nurse calmly replied, “But we’re not done finding the answers. I told you, the surgeons are all dead. We’re trying our best.”
Hailey glanced at the bat who cowered under the sheets of the bed. Hailey said to him, “This is crazy. You need to escape this place. Come with me.”
The nurse raised her voice. It grew deeper and somewhat thicker. “Drink your water!”
Hailey kept her eyes on the bat. “I’m leaving now, if you want to come with, follow me.” The nurse’s wide eyes stared. Hailey said, “Thank you for helping me. I have to leave.”
The nurse shook her head. “You cannot.”
Hailey responded, “I thought you’d say that.” Hailey drew her hand forward and splashed the “water” into the face of the unsuspecting nurse. As she cowered from the splash, Hailey reared back her hand and hurled the glass at her. It hit like a meteor; the glass bursted on her chest and shards splattered everywhere. In the nurse’s stumble, Hailey ran past her and into the hallway.
Hailey grabbed her flashlight off the counter and ran down the square corridor. As the sound of piano music filled her ears, she stopped in front of the double metal doors. She turned and looked back. Surprisingly, in front of the room she just left, the bat stood, looking at her. Over his pale red skin, he wore a hospital gown that covered most of his body. His bare wings tucked behind his shoulders as he stood tall.
Hailey placed a hand on one of the double doors. “This way!”
Right toward the playing piano.
28
The light from Hailey’s flashlight bounced around, revealing the bloodstained walls that zoomed by. Hailey ran as fast she could and hopped around the mess in the hallway. She could hear the gasping breaths of the furless bat that followed close behind. With each step, the piano music played louder. When Hailey reached the intersection to the clean hall, the metal doors from behind slammed open. The nurse wailed some words Hailey couldn’t understand.
“Come on!” Hailey yelled to the bat following behind.
Hailey turned and sprinted down the clean hallway. She approached the counter where she first found the flashlight. Just beyond it sat the railing. The piano music haunted her ears but she had to see who was playing. As much as instinct told her to hide, she’d be better off finding out if the person was a threat. So she and the bat ran past the counter and straight to the railing. She pointed her ray of light down. The beam shot around, first revealing a giant statue of Jesus holding out his hands. As she moved the light, she finally saw it: a black grand piano.
A soft female voice accompanied the notes, “Rock-a-bye-baby in the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock….” The usually soothing song for babies transformed into the most horrifying melody she’d ever heard. Hailey shined her light on the woman sitting at the piano. She was a normal woman, not a bat. She didn’t react to the light and just continued her song. “…When the bough breaks the cradle will fall…” A red gaping hole sat in place of one of her missing eyes. The other eye dangled by stringy red nerves from her eye socket. It just hung, a few inches down. So that’s why the woman failed to react to the light. She couldn’t see it. Hailey flinched at the sight. Hailey’s muscles tightened and she couldn’t help but clench her fists. “…And down will come baby, cradle and all.”
The woman paused and turned her head. Her voice emitted a soft and nurturing sound. “Are you sleeping? Do you want me to play it again?” Silence. “Alright, honey. I will. Just for you. But last time.” She began the song again and the haunting tune filled the air. Hailey noticed an odd shape on the piano. She moved her light onto it: the body of a child, maybe 10 years old, clearly in the process of decomposition. The color in its body was gone, replaced with a gray tint. Its mouth hung wide open and the bones started to dominate over the skin. She’s singing a song to a dead kid!
A deathly scream from behind startled Hailey and made her lose her grip on the flashlight. As she tried to re-catch it, it fumbled through her fingers and dove toward the floor below. “Damnit!” she mumbled. Hailey turned around and saw her new bat friend with his hands in the air at the end of a throwing motion. A squealing voice traveled above Hailey’s head and continued on toward the piano below. The bat had tossed the nurse over the rail! Hailey looked down and saw the nurse slam onto the piano, collapsing it and crashing the music at once.
Hailey turned to the furless bat. “You threw the nurse?”
His bat head nodded. “Wow...” She couldn’t help but feel bad for the nurse. She had helped her after all.
The fallen flashlight emitted a steady beam of white light that pointed toward the piano. The woman who had been playing leapt off the bench and panicked. “Oh my God!” She screamed. “My son! Are you okay?!” Without the ability to see, she flailed around with her hands. A loud and unexpected BANG echoed through the hallways. The blind woman collapsed to the ground. She had been shot!
Hailey’s hand covered her mouth to stop the shriek of surprise that almost escaped. Then her eyes widened when she saw him. His vibrant red hair shined even in the darkness. Victor had arrived.
Hailey held out her arms and quietly shuffled her feet backwards, moving the bat with her. She put a finger to her lips and widened her eyes at him, stressing the importance of staying absolutely silent. They leaned against the wall and knelt down, out of sight from Victor below.
Victor paced toward the flashlight. The beam of light projected his shadow onto the wall behind him, stretching all the way to the 2nd floor above, enhancing his menace. Victor picked up the flashlight with the three fingers remaining on his right hand.
Hailey found herself cuddling close to the furless bat as the light darted around, shifting the shadows in every direction. The room spun like a dark carousel. Why is he here? How did he know where to find me?
Victor’s eyes squinted at the flashlight as he wondered about its origins. He stepped toward the nurse, who lay on her back. She squirmed in place, on top of a crushed piano coughing up blood. Based on her staggered movements, her back was likely broken. But with her brain exposed, that was evidently the least of her problems. Unfazed, Victor shined the light on her face. “Have you seen a boy and two girls in here?”
The nurse lifted her head and glared at Victor, who loomed above. After several long seconds of analyzing him, she replied, “You cannot help us.” She put her head back, with her soft moist brain smooshing against the wreck of the piano.
Victor blasted a bullet into her kneecap, shattering it into pieces. The nurse bawled with pain. Victor said, “I asked you a question. Would you like to answer it this time?”
The nurse howled. “There was a girl.”
“What did she look like?”
Pain choked the nurse. “She had cuts on her face. Her back was badly injured. I helped her. All I asked in return was for a little help. Instead, I was thrown over the railing.”
Victor smirked. “Where did she go?”
The nurse ignored his question and said, “We can help you.”
Victor asked again, this time shouting, “Where did she go?!”
The nurse’s eyes rolled to the back of her head. But she managed, “We’ve been trying to find a cure. We can help you with the virus.”
Victor held up his hand and showed off his clear nails, shining the light on them for her to see. “I don’t have it.”
The nurse unloaded a sly smirk. “You can’t fool me.”
Victor pointed the gun at her face and demanded, “Tell me where she is.”
The nur
se lifted her hand and pointed at the balcony above. “She’s up there.”
Upon hearing those words, Victor pulled the trigger and shot her in the face, silencing her forever. The nurse’s hand fell limp to her side. Victor shined the light above.
The light shot just above Hailey and the bat, who remained crouched and out of Victor’s sight. Hailey looked at the bat and mouthed the words, “Follow me.” When the light moved away, she placed a finger to her lips and nimbly moved along the wall.
Victor was coming.
29
Hailey and the bat had precious seconds before Victor would climb the stairs and emerge on their floor. Hailey heard the click of the door below them. She lifted to her feet and grabbed the bat’s hand. They shuffled back to the hallway where she first found the flashlight. She nestled against the side of the doorway across from the counter and hid the bat behind her. Victor wouldn’t see them there.
Hailey whispered, “If he comes this way, I need you to jump at him and kill him. He’ll kill us if you don’t. He has to be killed. Do you understand?”
The bat nodded. But his eyes didn’t connect with hers. They bounced nervously in every direction.
The door of the staircase opened. Hailey leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and listened. Though he tried to be quiet, Victor’s shoes made a light squeak with each step. Hailey looked at the bat. She could see the moistness of his wide eyes. She wondered how old he was. What his story was. He seemed meek, submissive. He had to be if he allowed his fur to be torn from his body. She could only hope he would be willing to use his strength to kill Victor.
Hailey couldn’t hear the footsteps anymore. Her breath quietly panted and her heartbeat banged in her ears. I can’t hear anything! She leaned forward and peered out from beyond the doorway. She risked showing herself but she had to know. The darkness swallowed her vision and those pesky little black lines danced around again. There wasn’t a sign of anything. Then suddenly, a dark figure moved in front of her.