1

Chapter 1

I’m bound by chains to a wall in a dimly lit room, the cold concrete burns my feet,

back, and thighs as my skin is exposed to the cold surface. The shackles keep my hands

above my head in an awkward position making them sore and ache, every fibre of my being

is in shock as my eyes burn to adjust to the singular hanging amber bulb in the middle of the

room barely illuminating my surroundings with its meagre light. I’ve been stripped naked

with my curly hair slightly damp obscuring my vision with black greasy curtains. I shake the

chains holding me and they echo across the room and down the hall ahead of me, at least I

assume it's a hall. The endless black void hiding god knows what stretches for a seemingly

infinite amount of space ahead of me, as my cold body shakes and shivers in fear for what

may come out of that void to attack me at my most vulnerable state. I look around now that

my eyes have adjusted to the darkness and I see nothing except the chains and the pathetic

light bulb that serves as my only comfort in this darkness, but it also works to fuel my

anxieties as it allows me to see my surroundings but also allows my surroundings to see me. I

scream for help instead of sitting in silence for who knows how long, and I hear a crack in

front of me. The sounds of slowly shuffling feet approach me from the darkness as a sense of

regret fills my mind. A small child appears from the darkness clutching some sort of blade.

The child looks up from the floor with the most apathetic facade I’ve ever seen from another

human being, it’s as if the child wasn't even alive! The child stepped closer and I noticed

their pale skin and hollow eyes. Their eyes seemed to be just an accessory without any real

function, like the lifeless look of a porcelain doll. I asked the child for help once more, I

asked to be free from these shackles and the child’s face contorted into an awkward smile.

“Oh I’ll free you all right~”, said the child in a sarcastic tone.
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The child began to open my chest cavity with the strength and precision of an adult,

while I sat there helpless and unmoving. I should be screaming or writhing in pain I thought,

but I was silent throughout the procedural mutilation, as the child cracked open my ribs like

peeling an orange before burrowing themselves inside my chest cavity.

_____________________________________________________________________

The dripping neon lights illuminated the Red-Light district of Morthaven. A

disgusting yet alluring artery of this bleeding heart of a city as people clogged the alleyways

seeking pleasure in sex, drugs, or both. I shuffled past a group of drunks to get to “The Hive”,

one of the many nightclubs in this godforsaken city. I approached the bouncer, he looked like

the typical musclehead; shaved head and all, “ID Please” he said without shifting his gaze to

even look at me. I give him my info, paying him as I go in. My senses are assaulted with

smells and sounds as I stumble towards the bar. “What can I get you, Sir?” the bartender

asked me in an apathetic tone.

“Rum and Cola” I replied. The glass is cracked but rum still tastes the same no matter

what glass it comes in, I stare up at the ceiling covered with various lights and think to

myself, “How the hell did I end up drinking alone on a Thursday night? What got me here to

begin with?”

_____________________________________________________________________

My best friend went missing a couple weeks ago, no one has heard from her, barely

anyone even remembers her name. I'm surprised the police even bother to look at first. I’m

probably the one person in the world who actually gives a damn, so when I received keys for

her apartment in Morthaven I began frantically asking where these keys came from and who

sent them. Turns out that I was the only contact they had with some connection to her so they

gave me her keys so I could either move into the space or take all of her stuff out. I decided to
 3

move out because the rent was cheaper than the place I currently resided in. I arrived at the

rundown apartment complex, walked up to the third floor and into room 302. The air stood

still as I opened the door, as I looked around the dusty apartment the true gravity of the

situation became apparent. My eyes welled up with tears, “She’s really gone, just like that, no

clue, no nothing.” I sat on the couch and looked around, it looked like everything was frozen

in time. “It’s clear she wasn't kidnapped or whatever here, she was doing god knows what-”

Then I noticed it, a pack of cigarettes on the coffee table. “She wouldn’t leave home without

these unless she was going to work!” Maybe I’m looking too far into it, she could have

forgotten it. I’m exhausted, mentally and physically. Before I know it I fall asleep on the

couch with my head still full of the stress and anxieties of the day.

I wake up, on the couch of “my apartment” in a cold sweat. I pull myself off the

couch and rub my eyes, the blinds are open bathing the living room with the artificial light of

the city. I checked the time and it's 10:23 PM. It's about time I left this dusty place and

checked out the city. I throw on a heavy black jacket and step out into the dirty street. A light

rain covers the bright neon lights of the district while I search for a place to drown my

sorrows in drink.

_____________________________________________________________________

The blaring music deafens my ears to any sound around me, like a whining child

wanting attention. I inspect the cracked glass and nick my finger on the sharp edge causing a

drop of blood to drip into my drink. I finish my drink, tip the bartender, and stare out into the

sea of people in front of me. Rays of deep red light cut across their faces, illuminating them

for a moment before a shroud of darkness obscures them once again. I began to think to

myself again, why was I here? I leave that place behind and step into the cold muggy air

outside, the sounds inside become muffled as I walk away into the gentle silence of the night.
 4

I feel a weight in my jacket pocket that wasn’t there before, I reach into the pocket and pull

out a pack of cigarettes along with a lighter

“Kass’s cigarettes and lighter? I thought I left these back at the house.” My finger

slides across the lighter, “La Danse Macabre” it reads. It was the nightclub she was a hostess

at before whatever happened to her. If the police weren’t going to do their job then who else

will apart from me? I checked the time, 11:06 so I still had plenty of time before the club

closed. I input the club’s name into my phone and follow the path it shows me. The entrance

is a lot less crowded than the one before, and no bouncer in sight. I cautiously step in to see a

few people sitting around, the place seems dead. I walk up to the bartender and ask if I can

talk to a boss or manager.

“What for, young man? Did you happen to lose something? Are you unsatisfied with

your service?” said the bartender in an anxious tone.

“I just need to ask them some questions I have, I won’t be long.” I say in a reassuring

tone to the bartender as he seems to be on edge, yet weirdly excited.

“I will get the owner in just a moment, young man.” said the bartender and as if on

cue, an old man who looked to be in his 60s to 70s walked around the corner.

“Welcome to the La Danse Macabre, what inquiries do you have for me, child?” said

the frail looking man who I presumed to be the owner.

“Hey, I was wondering if you remember a woman named Kassandra Silver who used

to work here? Around 5’ 10”, brown hair, blueish greenish eyes?” I asked in an almost

desperate voice.

“What is your name, child?” asked the owner.

“Jayden Amana, Sir” I answered

“What a nice name for a young man. Yes I do remember Kassandra, she was a good

follower until she lost her way, poor girl didn’t deserve it.” said the owner
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“What do you mean follower? Lost her way? What did you do to her?!” I knew this

guy was a creep, in fact this whole place is full of creeps who were staring at me. I was

outnumbered approximately 12 to 1, the odds were stacked heavily against me.

“Calm down child, I didn’t do anything to the young lady. You seem to be solely

driven by finding her and nothing else. Who was she to you? Do you even know if she is the

same person I got to know?” said the owner with a superior attitude, like he got to know her

better than I ever did.

“So what do you know about her?” I said after taking a deep breath to calm myself

down because the last thing I want to do is cause more of a scene than I already have.

“Follow me, we’ll talk in my office. Away from prying eyes and ears” said the owner

I follow him into a dark corridor lined with dark red lights along the top of the walls,

the carpet cushioning my every step towards the creep’s office. The smell of velvet coating

the air throughout the empty nightclub. As I follow the owner deeper into the labyrinth of

corridors, we finally reach his office and step inside. Smoke and the smell of lavender

scented candles fill the air as the old man sits at his desk facing me.

“Please sit down. We have much to discuss.” He said as he rolled up his right sleeve

revealing a small see-through tank containing some kind of insect floating in what I guess

from the smell to be formaldehyde. The tank replaced the entirety of his forearm up to his

wrist which is why I didn’t notice it earlier. I cautiously sat at the seat opposite to him.

“What is that? Is it alive?” I say as I point to his cybernetic forearm. The creature

inside confirms my suspicion by wiggling around in the tank.

“This parasite is more alive than you and I are, don’t worry you will understand why

soon enough.” The man tried to give me a reassuring smile but I was and still am uneasy.

“This is a rare breed of parasitic wasp, there are only a handful of them in the world. They are

special compared to the others of their species for the fact that they are completely
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independent, which is normal for the rest of its kind. These Inferno Apidos typically create

hives in their hosts, replaci-”

“What does any of this have to do with Kassandra? Just get to the fucking point

already!” I say as I cut him off from droning on and on about these “Inferno Apidos”.

“YOU WILL LISTEN WHEN I SPEAK OF THESE HOLY CREATURES! How

dare you cut me off so rudely after you asked me about them. Show some respect, if I’d not

known about you beforehand, I’d think you were with the heretic from that rip-off church. I

digress, your little friend is in good hands I assure you. She is not in any danger at the

moment but that depends on your behaviour.” He says in a threatening tone.

“Please just tell me where she is? That’s all I want to know.” I plead to the man

“She’s in hell, that’s where nonbelievers go after all. ” says the owner

“Y-you just told me she was safe!?” I was shocked and confused. What is this

religious freak talking about? This question rings throughout my head.

“She is safe, her soul is still intact…somewhat. I’m afraid you won’t be able to see

her ever again though.” The owner says as he nonchalantly grabs a small glass and bottle of

whiskey from his desk.

“Just cut the religious spiritual shit, tell me where she is! If this is some kind of

fucked up initiation thing for whatever thing you believe in then I’m sorry but you can go

fuck yourself.” I say as I get up to leave, but as soon as I turn around two men step into the

office. One grabs my arm while the other one throws a punch which hits me in the throat. I

collapse onto the floor and get picked up off the ground and put into the chair I was

previously sitting in. I can’t breathe and my eyes water causing my surroundings to become a

blur. The owner approaches me and stands behind the chair as I feel his metallic hand clamp

against the back of my neck.

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“What are you doing? Please don’t..” I say in a weak squeaky voice before a thick

needle pierces the back of my neck. I feel something thick shoot through the needle and latch

onto my insides. It burns as I try to let out a scream but nothing but a little hiss escapes my

throat.

“You wanted to see her, you should be grateful for the gift I have given you..” Says

the owner as he injects the parasite into the back of neck. My flesh burns as it's exposed to

the cold air and traces of formaldehyde that coat the parasite. It feels as if a thousand needles

are constantly stabbing into my neck every second. I try to kick and punch but nothing lands.

I’m helpless as I feel the parasite burrow into the back of my neck, becoming assimilated

with my body. I try to focus on staying conscious but the pain is too much, a switch is flipped

in my neural network and everything turns to black.

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Chapter 2

I’m nervous as any kid would be when starting a new school. I reassure myself that

it’s also a lot of other people's first day so I’m not alone in that regard. I find my classes with

ease and arrive early to each and every one. Lunch time starts and I’ve no one to spend it

with, so I decide to find a cosy little corner to call my own for a while. The linoleum floor is

hard and cold to the touch, it sends shivers up my back as I sit down with my back to the

concrete wall.

“Back in this situation again, sitting alone underneath the stairs like some cliche

loner.” I quietly say to myself, fully self aware of the pathetic situation I’ve put myself in.

Light footsteps approach me as the view of someone starts to reveal themselves as they walk

closer. It was a girl who appeared to be in my grade. She quietly sat at the opposite side of the

hallway from me and started eating her sandwich.

“She seems nice, and cute as hell. I should talk to her, just say something like "what's

up or what's your name?” I think to myself. It seems so simple, such a simple thing to do. Just

conversing with another human being, how hard can that be?

“So what’s up with you?” I say awkwardly and it comes off as threatening, the last

thing you want to come off as when trying to start a friendly conversation with a stranger.

The girl looks up in confusion and she gives me this look of questioning.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off like that. My name is Jayden. It's nice to meet

you, what's your name?” I blurted out trying to salvage this conversation that seemed to be

dead on arrival.

“It’s Kassandra.” the girl said with an annoyed tone. I knew I messed up this

conversation and her tonal shift confirmed it. I decided to keep my mouth shut and leave her

alone.
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The school day comes to a close and I’m dejected, tired, and hungry. I walk to the

parking lot and sit there for a while waiting for my mom to pick me up. Ten minutes go by,

then twenty, then thirty. Only I remain in the parking lot, spare some teacher’s cars, and then

I hear a door open behind me. I see that girl Kassandra walks out with 2 guys, and she looks

happy.

I look away and stare out into the road hoping to see my mother’s car come around

the corner at any moment. Kassandra and her friends walk past me and into a pathway that

leads into the forest. A few minutes pass and I hear muffled screams and shuffling feet as one

of the boys I saw earlier is running away before a large rock is thrown from behind him

causing him to fall. I see Kassandra appear from the trail and looming over the terrified boy

before she kicks him repeatedly in the face. I start sprinting towards the trail to stop her from

killing this kid and I tackle her onto the concrete path. The other kid was beaten to a pulp

with his face covered in wet dirt and blood without any obvious source for the bleeding.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Get off of me you creep!” she says as she

punches me in the jaw causing me to fall backwards.

She starts approaching me and my heart begins to sink into my stomach. The other kid

already ran off while I tackled her so there's no one to help me if she decides to make me her

next target.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know what was happening! I just thought you were going to kill

that kid and I couldn't let that happen! I’m sorry! I’ll leave you alone! I won’t tell anyone!” I

beg her to not beat me like the unconscious boy metres away from me.

“Fine, I won’t kill you. One condition though, you have to get rid of this body.” she

says as she points to the still breathing boy laying in front of us.

“He needs help, he’s still alive!” I say before I’m cut off again.
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“And your job is to make sure he’s not alive, not after what he and his friend did to

me.” I look into her eyes as they seem to be gazing into another time and place than the

present. She tells me to dump his body into the river near the trail, to drop his body off the

bridge that goes over it to make it seem like a suicide, if the body is ever found.

“After what you did to him, do you really think even an amateur detective would

believe it to be a suicide?” I question her.

“I don’t give a shit what they think, you better hope they never find his body then.”

She says as she walks off, leaving me cold and scared with the bloody and beaten body of

one of my peers.

The limp body is heavy and awkward to carry as I take him to the bridge Kassandra

told me about. The entire area is silent without even a bird’s chirp to be heard let alone

anyone else who might see me commit this innocent sin. I make sure to grab onto his body

firmly to make this dirty act as clean and quick as possible, and throw his body over the edge

and see his skull crack open on a smooth rock in the riverbed down below. The lifeless body

shifts into the middle of the river before moving along with the current and disappearing

underneath the rapids.

The gravity of the situation becomes apparent to me as I stand there by myself on this

dilapidated bridge in the middle of the woods. I run back to the school area and see

Kassandra waiting in the same spot I was waiting for my mom in. I silently approach her and

sit down.

“It’s done, his body was carried downstream by the currents and I didn’t see him float

up again.” I say to her while staring at the ground.

“Well I’m proud of you Jayden, I can see this becoming a great friendship, no?” She

says trying to be as positive as she can in the situation we’re currently in.

“What did that guy do to deserve that?” I finally ask the question.
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“Those two guys asked me to hang out with them. We went down into the forest trail

and went off the beaten path a bit. They took out some sort of pipe and asked me to take a hit

of something. I was eager to make friends and so I took it with little hesitation. I felt my body

become numb and warm. I’m guessing it was either fentanyl or heroin, anyways I began to

pass out and then that’s when they took advantage of me. They probably thought I was fully

passed out and wouldn’t remember what they would do to me. Sure I was numb and couldn't

move but I still felt everything and remembered what they said. So yeah that’s why they

deserved it, happy now?”

I sat there, my eyes wide with disbelief that someone would do something like that to

another human being. She puts her arm around me.

“It’s ok, we dealt with them. They’ll never hurt anyone again, right?” Kassandra says.

“Right, they’ll never hurt again.” I say back to her. The events still play through my

mind over and over again like a broken record. I killed someone. I killed someone’s son.

They’ll never be heard from again. Their parents are blissfully unaware of the state of their

child. I wonder how they would feel. The anxiety of their kid taking a while to come home,

their anxiety turns to panic as more time passes. They call the police and a search party is

formed. I took his body quite a ways away from the school grounds, who knows how far his

body travelled downstream in the time I’ve been sitting with Kassandra. I wonder if I’ll be

caught. I wonder if Kassandra will throw me under the bus and rat me out. Either way I

should stay on her good side unless I want to be another kid floating down the river. As I

think about these terrible thoughts, my mom’s car turns the corner and pulls up in front of

me.

“Oh well, looks like I gotta go.” I say in a rush while I scramble to put on my

backpack and get into my mom’s car.

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“I’ll see you tomorrow Jayden” says Kassandra in a horrifyingly friendly tone

considering what took place mere minutes before.

“First day of school and you already got yourself a girlfriend, huh?” My mom teases

me and pokes me.

“She’s just a friend ok.” I retorted.

“Yeah yeah, just a friend. Just make sure to finish high school before you have kids.”

My mom says while giggling, she seems to be in quite a good mood which eases the tension

in my mind. I still dread coming to school tomorrow and seeing that psycho. I guess it’s still

nice to have a friend.

_____________________________________________________________________

My head feels swollen and my stomach empty. A cold damp cloth is placed on the

back of my neck. A single bulb illuminates my immediate surroundings, causing my retinas

to dilate and burn. My hair is wet and my body naked, as the cold concrete burns my feet. I

feel scabs forming on my torn wrists that have been chained to the wall behind me. The area

around me is devoid of anything that could be used to escape. Not even the most simple of

comforts exist in this hell hole. I am utterly alone in this cold concrete void. My back is bent

at an uncomfortable degree and cracks as I sit up straight. My body shakes and shivers as I’m

starving and cold. I sit there, trying to recollect my memories of how I got here and what

happened. I sit in silence, staring at the opaque ground wanting it to swallow me whole just

so I would be anywhere but here. My throat aches as I try to call for help.

“Hello?!…” My lungs croak as I attempt to find someone or something to comfort

me. I look down in defeat as no one responds to my plea. I stare up to see if there's anything,

any marking, any message, any key for my escape, then I see it. The uncanny face of a
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humanoid cloaked in shadow, its face barely illuminated by the lightbulb. The thing in front

of me shakes me to my very core. Judging from the height of where its face looms I can guess

this thing stands at around 7 feet tall. It’s the face of a bearded man, in his mid-40s. Its eyes

stare out over my head into the wall behind me, its mouth droops into some kind of drunken

frown. There's something in my mind, deep within as if some primal instinct has awoken that

tells me this thing is thinking, it’s aware of my situation. Maybe it finds joy in seeing me

helpless? Either way the only thing I can do is ask it for help.

“Hello? Sir?” my voice shakes as I try to contact this humanoid creature. Every fibre

of my being is telling me that I just made the biggest mistake of my life. The creature adjusts

its gaze downwards and stares at me, naked and chained to a wall. The humanoid thing then

takes a step forward into the light and steps closer once more. This person or whatever it is, is

in full view now. It casts a shadow over me and it becomes the only thing I can see. This

person is tall with hair covering its exposed arms which looks like wooden logs. Without

saying a word, he grabs hold of the chain that binds me to the wall and pulls hard. The sound

of warping metal fills this void as the chain is detached from the wall with a sudden jerk.

“Holy shit dude, thanks! Do you know where this place is or how to get out? How

about your name? I’m Jayden.” I say in an excited voice as I have found a companion in this

seemingly hopeless situation.

“Aren’t you a bit anti-social haha…” An awkward silence fills the void as I attempt to

get a word out of this person. He just stares at me, with eyes filled with intent. What that

intent might be, I have no idea. The person exhales heavily, the stench of alcohol assaults my

nose. The person begins to subtly mouth something as he slowly grabs my right shoulder, and

hunches over me. I’m frozen with fear as this thing’s grip paralyses my body. This thing

breathes into my right ear, sending shivers down my back as it grabs my crotch and squeezes

my genitals. I can’t move. I need to move. I need to run. I need to push him off of me. I need
 14

help. It hurts. I want to cry. I want to leave. I need to leave. Help me, someone. Please help

me. My stomach hurts. My head hurts. Someone get this thing off of me. I can’t move.

“Stop. Please. Let me go.” I plead to the gods above since this thing clearly can’t hear

my cries. It kneads my privates, breathing heavily into my ear as it pleasures itself with the

seemingly lifeless corpse that I call a body. I want to cry, but no tears fall. I want to die, but

my life is at his mercy. I’m utterly helpless, and alone. Is this hell? Did I die in that old man’s

office? Am I doomed to repeat this event over and over and over again for all eternity? In the

time I was lost in my mind, the creature started a deep giggle. The creature gets off of me and

walks into the dark abyss, giggling like it played a little prank on me. My body still won’t

move, I look down to see red marks along my inner thighs. It’s spread like a disgusting rash

that is sore to the touch. I can’t move my legs, but I have to get out of here. The shackles

have still locked my wrists together but at least I can crawl away from the wall. I begin

making my way into the abyss, I crawl further and further into the pitch black before I hit a

wall? No, this can’t be. Before panic sets in, I can hear a faint noise coming from my left. I

have no choice otherwise, I head in the direction of chanting. As I crawl towards the noise, I

can see others chained to walls down far corridors on my left, each one either asleep or

worse. I can’t break them out anyways considering even if I had my hands free, I wouldn't be

able to break them open without a key or something. I crawl past all the dark hallways before

I reach the source of the sound. A room full of people singing some kind of creepy song in

some other language. There's probably about one hundred people in this room give or take,

and since they seem to be either oblivious or aware of the prisoners that they keep, I should

probably not try to attract any attention. I creep along the side of the room, staring at the

others who are singing around a circle or hole in the middle of the room. I make it to the

entrance of the room, open the door and step through. As the door shuts behind me, the song

becomes muffled and distant. I ascend the stairs in front of me which are thankfully
 15

illuminated with lights. My arms hurt but my legs have begun to function once again as I

limp up the flight of stairs to my freedom. There’s a white wooden door at the top which

looks out of place considering the rest of my surroundings. Weathered concrete and bricks, I

expected a metal door but who cares about the specifics I just needed to get the hell out of

here. The door is light and swings open with ease, spitting me out in a dark alley full of

garbage and other debris. I bang my shackles on a nearby dumpster which after a few good

smacks, breaks the chains off my wrists allowing my skin to breathe. I’m still naked so I have

to find something to wear or else I’ll end up being arrested for public indecency. Even though

I’m sure the police are the last thing people would call when they see me, I still need

something to wear or else I’ll freeze to death. I search around in the dumpsters nearby and

find this blanket which is a godsend. I slowly exit the alleyway and step into the cold, wet,

street as I try to get my bearings. I’m not familiar with the city yet so I try to ask the few

people I find out and about for directions back to my apartment complex. Each step feels

bittersweet as I escaped a potentially gruesome fate, but I also don’t have any shoes or

footwear which is quite unsanitary. I tiptoe my way back home and grab the key that’s under

my welcome mat. I step inside and the whole world stops, every sound of the city is gone.

My worries have dissipated and all that’s left is me and the black cat standing on my coffee

table.
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Chapter 3

I left the window open and this cat decided to become my permanent roommate. At

first I thought it was a hallucination, so I ignored it and went to go take a shower as I threw

the dirty blanket out the window. I sat on the floor of the shower contemplating what just

happened to me.

“That giant creep, he wasn’t human. Those people locked down there along with me.

The ritualistic chanting. The parasite. The bar owner. Everything, everything is so fucked up!

How can this be? How is any of this real? I must be dead. I have to be dead! This must be

purgatory or something, right? What the fuck is going on?!” My legs twitch as I sit in the

shower, my body aching and numb. I take deep breaths as the warm water trickles down my

head. I need to relax and think rationally, or else I’ll end up going insane. I stare at the tiles of

the shower before the bathroom door creaks open and the black cat steps through. The

curious creature sits down and stares at me.

“C’mon don’t look at me like that. I’m not that pathetic that I need a cat’s empathy.” I

giggle to myself as I’m talking to a stray cat that has made itself comfortable in my home, or

her home. The cat’s head tilts back and forth like it’s confused. I finish showering, get myself

dressed, and decide to sit down on the couch and turn on the tv. I switch through the channels

mindlessly to find something to take my mind off of what has happened within the past 24

hours or so. I turn off the tv in defeat, maybe silence will serve my mind better. I stare up at

the ceiling fan that is slowly spinning above my head. One thought goes through my mind, I

wouldn’t be here if I never met Kassandra. I would not be here if I never helped her. I would

not have killed a kid for her if I never met her. This is all her fault. I know she isn’t dead or in
 17

hell or whatever the owner said. I can’t go back to him for answers, and answers are all I

need right now. Answers and a little bit of rest are all I need.

I wake up to the cat purring in its sleep next to the window. I realise that I haven’t

given my little roommate a name yet.

“Good morning uhh, Hewie. Yeah, Hewie.” I say to my new little friend. Me and

Hewie are going to take over the world together. Jayden and Hewie, best friends for all

eternity! I stare at the cat who seems content with his new name.

“What was I doing again? I should probably buy Hewie some food and make myself

something to eat as well.” I say before getting dressed and stepping outside into the street. I

looked around to find somewhere to buy groceries which was harder than I imagined in a big

city like this but I suppose people don’t come here for the sales on fucking quinoa. I

eventually found a humble little shop selling miscellaneous products, food included. The

owner was a short old woman who seemed very cheerful, a nice contrast to the rest of the

people I’ve seen so far in this city. I bought some essentials, paid her, and began to return

back home. On my way back down the large main street, far off into the distance I could see

some sort of chapel with graffiti covering its white wooden exterior. The sight of the

dilapidated church reminded me of something that the owner of “La Danse Macabre” said to

me before he and his friends kicked my ass. “If I’d not known about you beforehand, I’d

think you were with the heretic from that rip-off church.” If any place in this city was going

to be called a “rip-off church”, that would be the place. I return home and feed Hewie and

myself with the stuff I bought. As I watched Hewie slurp up his wet cat food, I thought to

myself, “If the owner hated that guy from the church, then they probably have some history.

The guy from the church might be my only way to get some answers around here. The enemy

of my enemy is my friend, right?” It makes sense to me. It was becoming closer to dusk but I

still had plenty of time to go visit this “heretic”.

 18

I walk up the steep steps to this seemingly out of place hill contrasted by the modern

architecture, and finally reach the top. I’m able to read the graffiti now that I’m up close, it's

all just about burning. Burn this, burn that, I guess some kids wanted to burn this place down.

I open the door slowly to an empty hall, empty except for one man, a priest.

“Ah hello, welcome my-“ the priest cuts himself off as his eyes meet me. “Who the

fuck are you?” he says as the door shuts behind me. “Answer me, right now” he says as he

takes a sip of whiskey from a glass next to him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…interrupt anything going on here. I was just curious

alright, I- I don’t mean to be rude or anything.” I’m shaking, what kind of place did I just step

into?

“Just. Sit. Down. And tell me who you are and who sent you because I sure as hell

didn’t expect a visit from anyone today.” he says

“Alright, my name is Jayden and I came here of my own volition because I met the

owner of the “La Danse Macabre” and he didn’t seem to like you much” I say trembling

“Oh, I see now. Thank you for filling me in.” He says in a calm tone, I take a breath

of relief as I seemed to have deescalated the situation. The priest walks towards me and stops

about 3 metres away. “The old man thought he could get rid of me by sending some virgin

infested as a spy to assassinate me or something?” He says as he pulls out a M1911 and

points it at my chest.

“No please, I’m not with him! I came here for help! I swear to god!” I beg and plead

for him not to shoot me. Surprisingly he puts his weapon down.

“Careful about what you say in God’s court, I’ll be sure to send your ass to hell if

you’re lying. My name is Father Rodriguez, and you say you’re not with the owner? But I

can tell that you aren’t free of his influence, to some degree. Let me check the back of your

neck” I lean forward and allow him to check the back of my neck. He feels the scar with his
 19

finger and lets out something between a sigh of relief and annoyance. Father Rodriguez sits

back and takes a long sip of his whiskey, “The fact that you’re here makes you a heretic, like

it or not. You have been blessed and cursed with the “Inferno Aphidos”, what else would you

like to know?” I have so many questions.

“Why did the owner inject that thing into me? What is it? What the hell is going on in

this town? Where is my friend? Why are you just chilling in this dilapidated church drinking

whiskey and carrying a gun, Rodriguez?” I blurt out all these questions at once.

“First of all, it’s Father Rodriguez to you! And well, things are much more complex

than you might think.” Rodriguez sighs as he takes another sip of his drink, “You want a

glass? You might need it after what I’m about to tell you.” I accept and he pulls out another

glass and pours it to the brim. “The thing the owner injected into was a type of parasitic wasp

that originated from hell. Relax, that was the tame part. The fact that you are able to move

around and think of your own free will means you have…a more independent specimen in

you. Are you still following?”

“Yeah, I guess.” I say as I take a sip. It’s hard to believe but I witnessed it all first

hand so I can’t deny it.

“Truth be told, I am also infested with this parasite. It is much more than meets the

eye, I guarantee you. You won’t feel any changes yet, probably until a couple days later.

Then you will be able to communicate with it directly as well as sense other infested. Which

is why I acted so hostile to you when you entered.” I listen to his words but I feel like I’m not

present, my surroundings feel thin. The walls feel like paper than can tear and open up to an

infinite void. My hands feel fake, I can’t shake the feeling. I take another sip of whiskey.

Warmth fills my chest and stomach as reality returns to a familiar state.

“You will notice other people in this city that seem to stand out to you for no

particular reason. Those people are infested like you, except chances are that they are most
 20

likely hives. Hives are essentially just sacks of flesh and bone that are controlled by

thousands of the parasitic wasps. Don’t underestimate them, since you are on the owner’s bad

side they will hunt you down discreetly. They could show up at your door as a salesman, or

just a neighbour inviting you over for dinner because they just moved in next door. Question

everyone and assume the worst.” I stare at the floor, how am I supposed to even trust this

guy? He lives in an old church wearing priest garbs. No one comes here to pray, that's for

sure. This guy is probably some drugged out squatter staying in this church. My only lead

turned out to be some psycho playing dress up, fuck my life.

A knock on the front door is heard, me and Rodriguez instantly turn to look at it.

“Hello? Is the church open for service?” says a man’s voice on the other side. “I saw

my friend come in a little while ago and I wonder if he’s ok. Could someone come to the

door? I feel like it would be very disrespectful to barge in without permission, especially in

such a holy place.” The voice sounds human enough, but it sounds just a touch too monotone.

“Jayden, don't open it. I’m sure you know why, just let me handle this. Just make sure

you find someplace to hide.” I listen to Rodriguez’s words and hide behind one of the pews.

“Ah yes sir, sorry but we’re closed for the month.”

“Ah father, my mother passed away recently and I just wanted to pray for her. I won’t

be long!” I could tell that the man on the other side of the door was getting desperate. I could

see Rodriguez take his glass of whiskey and pull out his gun. The man’s knocking became

more sporadic and random, like he was trying to punch down the door.

“Sir I’m going to need you to calm down!” Rodriguez said as a warning to the man,

but of course the man’s knocking became more and more insistent.

“I am calm, Father! I just need to get inside! I need to retrieve our queen!” A smile

creeped across Rodriguez’s face.

 21

“Alright sir, I’ll open the door for you.” as if on cue, the knocking stopped instantly.

Rodriguez opened the door and a man with the most apathetic facade stared past him into the

hall. “May I interest you in a drink, sir?” Rodriguez said as he threw his drink over the

creature and shot it. The creature shrieked and writhed on the floor.

“AHHHH IT FUCKING BURNS!” the creature screamed out in pain as its body

contorted around the area of the fire. The fire was burning the creature’s chest as its head,

arms, and legs swelled like balloons.

“Don’t you know? God is taking a vacation in Vegas, bitch!” Rodriguez says takes

more shots and pops the creature's limbs until it's just a pathetic flaming lump of insect bits

and flesh. He shuts the door and comes over to me and takes a sip of my whiskey. “I swear

these Jehova’s witnesses get less and less persuasive every year, nowadays I don’t even want

to open the door anymore.” Rodriguez finishes my whiskey and looks down at me like I’m

some sort of lost puppy.

“So you're not some schizophrenic druggy.” I say, dumbfounded by what I had just

witnessed. Rodriguez slaps the back of my head.

“Of course I’m not some schizo, were you even listening to what I was telling you?”

Rodriguez says in an annoyed tone. “Now that you know what we’re up against, you should

take this.” He hands me a Beretta 92 and a box of ammo.

“This doesn’t look like typical pistol ammo, Rodriguez. What is this?” I ask him.

“9mm incendiary rounds, good against any humanoid you’ll find. Shreds through the

infernos like wet toilet paper, and they ain’t cheap.”

“Won’t they come after you too?” I question Rodriguez.

“You think I sit in this dusty old church for fun? I have my connections. As god is my

witness, thou who are faithful shall have the means to send those bastards back to hell where

they came from; Rodriguez 11:43”

 22

“Yup I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere in the bible.” I say jokingly.

“It’s from the Rodriguez testament, but I don’t take you for the religious type, or

reading type.” Rodriguez said in a condescending yet playful tone. “And hey, leave a

donation on the tray by the door on your way out!” he yelled.

“Haha, go fuck yourself!” I say as I leave 5 bucks in the tray and walk home.
 23

Chapter 4

I arrive home to see Hewie greet me at the door with a loud meow. I smile as the little

creature meows and looks up at me. I grab his food and pour it into a bowl.

“Poor guy was probably hungry, I didn’t think I’d be out for that long. I better teach

this guy to feed himself, isn’t that right, Hewie?” The cat stares up at me and tilts its head

when I say his name. I pour his food into a small tin bowl and watch him as he feasts on the

bowl of kibble. He takes a few bites before looking up at me staring back at him and then

returns to his food. “Such a cute little creature” I think to myself.

“Aren’t you just a hungry little guy!” I say as I run my hand along his back, gently

petting him as he eats. I wonder where this little guy came from, maybe he lived here with

Kass’ but why didn’t she have anything for him? Oh well I’m just glad to have you watching

the house while I’m gone.

I sit down on the couch and look at the gun on the coffee table, I spot a carving on the

grip of the pistol, “DRH”? What does “DRH” mean? It’s sanded down but I can still feel the

outline of the letters. I’m not very familiar with guns except for basic gun safety, so I pick up

the gun carefully and inspect it further. Nothing else is out of the ordinary, which is good?

I put down the gun and stare at the ceiling fan, spinning away endlessly. I wonder if I

was a ceiling fan, would I get tired of spinning for hours at a time? It would be my only

purpose so I wouldn’t really have a choice now would I. My mind shifts back to the present

and the thought of those hive creatures scare me, genuine fear coats my mind as the thought

of one of those things showing up at my front door to kill me is a very real threat. I’m sure

I’ll be ok as long as I stay calm and collected, right? I hope so. Hope, it’s the only thing I got
 24

against these things. I hope I see them coming, I hope I have my gun on me, I hope my gun

even works, I hope this shit is all just a bad dream.

I turn off the ceiling fan as I begin to shiver, my nerves feel shot. My back hurts as I

try to relieve the pain by sitting up straight but it doesn’t help. The pain lingers in my lower

back. I try to get comfortable as I hear a knock on the door.

“No...they can’t already be here.” I say under my breath as I slowly pick up the gun

from the table and begin to tip toe towards the window.

“Jayden Amana! You are under arrest for damaging private property! Open the door

now!” A voice booms from the other side. This thing knows I’m in here, it knows where I

live and if it’s smart, it’s also not alone. I slowly open the window and quietly step onto the

fire escape stairwell which causes the metal to lock into place with the addition of my weight.

A metallic clang echoes into the apartment as I hear the doorknob wiggle. The creature is

making its way in. Hewie begins to walk up to the door, I attempt to motion him to step away

but he can’t see me as he’s more interested in the seemingly sentient doorknob in front of

him. I leave the cat as I descend down the fire escape, he’ll be fine. I’m sure those creatures

don’t want anything to do with him. I’m sure those things will leave him alone.

I make it down the stairs as I look up to meet the eyes of a “Hive”, its soulless eyes

pierce mine. It analyses every pore of my skin and fills them with dread. I can tell what he’s

thinking as its body contorts and crawls out of my apartment window like a spider. It scurries

down the fire escape with superhuman speed, what am I talking about? The only thing

remotely human about this thing is its appearance and even now it forgoes that aspect as well.

The skin stretches around the bones and bulges in certain areas like its growing tumours

rapidly. It looks more like a condom full of fleas than an infested human at this point. Its skin

is quite literally crawling with the parasites and my body becomes itchy at the sight of this

thing. I have to keep my composure or else I’ll end up dead or worse. I straighten up my back
 25

as I stare down the creature as it descends to the street. The creature stops and stares at me,

probably laughing internally at the pathetic sight in front of it. A grown man in Gudetama

shorts and an oversized t-shirt with sandals on. It’s freezing outside but I can’t shiver or show

any weakness. For what feels like forever, we both stare each other down without daring to

move an inch. I want to scream for help, I want to run, but none of that would end well for

me. The creature is slowly but surely moving, getting ready to lunge at me, preparing to rip

my face off or whatever. I have the gun loaded and at my side, as soon as this thing leaps at

me I have to quickly pull up my gun, aim, and take the shot all within the span of about half a

second. Can I even do it? I have to do it, I have to try. The next few seconds felt like hours as

the creature moved a little bit faster into its attacking position.

“3..2…1…” I said underneath my shaky breath.

The creature lunged at me as soon as I expected it to. A bullet exploded from the

chamber like the most magnificent and deadly firework I’ve ever seen. The bullet shredded

through the creature’s abdomen or what used to be an abdomen before the bone structure was

mutilated beyond recognition. A thick mixture of blood and bugs pop out of the exit wound

which brings me satisfaction of the highest degree. The creature stumbles past me as it’s

leaking unknown fluids. I take a second to catch my breath, as I believe I have killed the

creature as fast as it lunged at me. I turn around to see it limp off before collapsing onto the

ground, convulsing before climbing back to its feet. It’s still not dead which isn’t surprising,

the bullet went right through without being given time to light this thing’s insides on fire. I

step back while keeping the gun aimed at the creature. I need to get out of here, I have my

back against the wall of the apartment building so anywhere but here would be ideal. I start

shuffling to my right into an alleyway with a homeless man sleeping soundly.

“Couldn’t hear the gunshot, old man?” I say as I jokingly pass him while maintaining

eye contact with the entrance of the alley. I start to hear the shuffling of skin and buzzing
 26

approaching, slowly. The shadow of the looming monstrosity reaches the entrance, before

showing its ugly anatomy before me. The old hobo is still sleeping with this monstrosity

towering over him.

“Hey old man! Get the fuck up!” I say as I try to save this man from whatever terrible

fate awaits him if he doesn’t get his ass up and running. My yelling at the man seemed to

draw the creatures attention to him, now he’s really screwed. The creature picks up the man

by the face and the man doesn’t move an inch as the creature’s skin stretches over the man’s

face before pumping it full of parasites that eat away at his eyes, nose, and mouth as they

burrow deeper into his body. The parasites fully subjugate the man quickly as I am now

facing two creatures instead of one. I have no idea what to do, I just fire into the creature’s

centre mass. It shreds through the tissue but doesn’t stop its approach, they both keep

lumbering forward. I have to think fast as the larger creature has covered the alley exit. I need

to stop these things from moving. I take a split second to think before the obvious answer

comes to me almost instantly. I aim down at the creature’s calf and fire two shots into it. The

creature foot stays planted as the other foot continues to walk causing it to trip over on its

right side. I then put a bullet into its head and torso. 9 shots left. The creature begins to smell

of burning flesh as the parasites attempt to crawl out of the entry wound, seemingly soldered

together by the chemical heat and pressure of their bodies. The crispy insect’s stop wriggling

and I stomp on the man’s head for good measure, his head caves in like a styrofoam ball with

the satisfying sound of the fragile bone and insects cracking and crunching underneath my

feet. The body stopped moving but I kept stomping on the lifeless corpse of a man who was

perhaps dreaming of a better life not even 3 minutes ago. I snap back and look at the other

monstrosity in front of me. It stares at me, like a spider watching its prey get stuck in its web.

“I’M GONNA RIP YOUR FUCKING FACE OFF AND TEAR OFF YOUR TINY

LITTLE HEAD” The creature says as it lunges at me down the alley, I take a shot at it’s
 27

limbs but miss. I focus on running and running away from this thing. I’m sure those threats

aren't just for intimidation.

“COME BACK HERE BOY! I JUST WANNA TALK! WE CAN ACT CIVILISED,

RIGHT?” This thing is still trying to act persuasive while it’s hunting me down these twisting

alleyways. The sound of multiple pairs of feet follows close behind, I fire off 2 more shots

behind me.

“OH YOU LITTLE SHIT!” I hear from a voice getting ever so distant from me. I

keep running and running without looking back. After I’m sure the creature has lost sight and

sound of me, I take a moment to hide behind a dumpster to catch my breath. The creature’s

voice echoes across the complex of alleyways.

“YOU DON’T EVEN DESERVE HIS GIFT!” I hear the voice echo and I hold my

breath, making as little noise as physically possible. Any sudden movement could cause an

unnecessary noise.

“Oh just you wait dear, you know I’ll find you in the end. Just stay wherever you are.”

The creature’s demeanour shifted immensely once again. I have to move but I’m scared to, if

I move I’m going to be heard again but if I stay I’m surely going to be found eventually,

right?

“C’mon Jayden don’t keep doing this, I just want to help you. I promise I won’t hurt

you as long as you just come with me to the club.” The voice is getting closer and closer, I

have no choice but to run.

“AH THERE YOU ARE, RUNNING WILL GET YOU NOWHERE.” I hear the

sounds of shuffling feets fast approaching me as I turn a corner and come face to face with

the creature. I shoot its legs causing it to become crippled as I take aim and fire off 2 more

shots at its head. 4 more shots remain. Its head and neck go limp so I put my guard down for

a moment before it reaches with its incredibly long arms and grabs me. The creature is
 28

squeezing my torso which winds me. I can’t breathe and my vision is becoming blurry. I feel

the cold air and thin but strong fingers of the creature wrap around my waist. Everything feels

so cold, especially my gun. My gun is my only salvation. I grab the creature's arm with my

left hand and shoot it off with my gun. The creature’s grip loosens as it drops me like a sack

of puppies onto the pavement. 2 shots left. I fire at the creature's upper left region of its torso

and I hear a pop and crack as the final 2 bullets tear through the flesh. The creature drops to

the ground and makes weird gurgling noises as its body writhes around in pain. Zero shots

remain and I’m essentially helpless if that didn’t kill it. I wait for it to stop writhing around,

and eventually it does. The head of the creature is still intact and it turns to look at me with

what little strength is left.

“You’ll never be able to escape from us, we just wanted an equal exchange…” The

creature says weakly.

“What do you mean by equal exchange?” I questioned the pathetic pile of flesh and

bone in front of me.

“You can resist the queen’s temptation! A power unheard of and a potentially

unstoppable one in the right scenario. You would be reunited with Kassandra and the Owner

would have her as well.” The creature says, shakily as parasites and blood pour out of the

various holes in its body.

“The queen? What are you talking about? Don’t bother trying to buy time, it's too late

for you.” I say as I pick up a pipe to bludgeon the creature to death if it tries anything.

“Kassandra! The queen! The Owner needed you to tame her, the power to charm and

persuade. The Owner wanted to bring you two together so you could become his mouthpiece

for her. ” The creature said weakly.

“Kassandra is the queen? Isn’t she just a normal person?” I say as I become more

intrigued by this creature’s seemingly truthful story.

 29

“You won’t be able to escape from the Owner’s hunt. Your best bet is to find

Rodriguez. The both of you are the only chance to stop the cult that created and abused us.”

The creature lays its head onto the pavement and lets out a defeated sigh, as if it has tried

everything in its power and has no reason to live anymore.

“I came to this city for Kassandra, I’m not going to leave without her. Tell me where I

can find her!” I question the creature firmly.

“In hell, you hold the parasite, access should be second nature, perhaps not

awakened…” The creature says as nothing escapes its mouth except for laboured breathing.

“Thanks for the information, I guess I earned it.” I say before picking up the rusty

metal pipe and bringing it down on the creature’s head over and over and over and over again

until nothing remains except a pile of blood, skin, and bones. Something overcomes me and I

begin to smear the creature’s blood and other parasites onto my face. The absurdity of the

situation causes me to laugh hysterically. I stop laughing and look over the mutilated body to

see a woman staring at me with a gentle smile before I pass out from exhaustion.
 30

Chapter 5

I wake up once again in an unfamiliar place. How long was I out for? Where am I? All

questions I’m sure I’ve asked before.

“Looks like you're awake, good to see you again Jayden.” Says Rodriguez with a

young looking woman standing behind him. She looks nervous and worried. Maybe she’s

worried about me? I’ve never seen her before though, why would she care about me?

“Elizabeth here found you passed out next to a pile of infested guts in an alleyway.

You should thank her.” Rodriguez ordered me.

“Thank you.” I say in a deep croaky voice.

“Here, I have some tea for you. I’m sure it will soothe your headache or whatever ill

feeling you might have.” says Elizabeth with the softest, most comforting voice I have ever

heard. I slowly take the cup and drink, the warm liquid coats my throat and clears it. It has a

certain spiciness to it but also a faint sweetness.

“Is this ginger tea?” I question Elizabeth, making sure not to sound too aggravated or

loud. She nods her head in affirmation as I take another sip of the harsh but soothing tea. My

eyes finally adjust to the light above me and I get a good look of Elizabeth. She appears to be

young, maybe around 16 years old, the same age I met Kassandra. She has curly black hair

and a mole underneath her left eye. She is surprisingly tall, nearly my height. Her eyes are so

dark they look to be black. She looks worried like I’m about to collapse any second, which

causes me to look down at my hands and feet. They’re shaking uncontrollably as I try to relax

my body to ease the tremors.

“You were shaking when I brought you here, I thought it would stop when you woke

up but I guess not.” She says, sounding like she’s disappointed in herself.
 31

“Nah I’ll be fine. So, it was you who I saw staring at me, right?” I say rubbing my

eyes.

“You were passed out when I found you, Father Rodriguez told me about you and so I

thought the best thing to do when I saw you was to bring you here. I wasn’t watching you.

Are you sure you’ll be ok?” she asks, looking even more worried than before.

“Yeah I swear I’m fine. So how do you know Rodriguez, you don’t look like a nun or

anything.” I say as I finish off the tea in my cup.

“The cult, that's how.” she says as she turns around to reveal a scar at the base of her

neck, the only blemish visible on her skin.

“I’m sorry, I’m glad you're still here.” I say, trying to keep some sort of conversation

going.

“I don’t know if I’m really here, the parasite connects me to hell. They fulfilled their

ritual, and I got what I wanted.” Elizabeth says

“And what was it that you wanted?” I say to her

“I was suffering from Kennedy’s and it was unbearable. I went to the Owner because

I heard he could perform miracles which could potentially cure me. I met him, he seemed

friendly and most importantly willing to help. I sat down in that same office chair, saw the

same tank of formaldehyde, and was injected with a parasite which caused me to pass out. I

woke up in that same prison. A little girl approached me and sliced my chest wide open and

crawled inside of me. She began to eat my insides and eventually I was dragged to the literal

hellhole surrounded by cult. My body was dropped into it. I remember seeing demons rip me

apart. The pain was immeasurable, my screams were drowned out by the seemingly eternal

crying of the damned. It seemed like eternity before I was awoken by Rodriguez who had

come to raid the cult and kill off its members. He told me that he found me just laying in one
 32

of the cells, but I think he fought his way through hell to save me.” She said, with her face

changing into a melancholic facade.

“And then what happened?” I asked, like a child wanting to hear war stories from

their grandfather.

“And then he brought me back to the church after leaving the cultists as a bloody pile

in that prison. I woke up in the bed you’re laying in right now. That was about 2 years ago

since I became Rodriguez’s ward. I woke up to see my new body, I could move and control

my body like it was my own, but it was not.” She says as she takes my gun and shoots herself

in the stomach. Not a single drop of blood trickles out, and the skin returns to its natural state

as the bullet gets pushed out of the wound like memory foam.

“You scared the fuck out of me for a second! How did you do that?” I say in awe at

her incredible regeneration abilities.

“I told you, it isn’t my body anymore. The demons are feasting on my real corpse in

exchange for this one. I guess I should be happy.” She pauses for a moment. “You should be

happy with what you have, Jayden. Is it worth it to go after Kassandra if you risk losing

everything that makes sense to you? I suppose it's too late to return to your normal life.”

Elizabeth says.

“I have no one else. She was the only one who treated me like I actually existed, if I

abandoned her then what was all of that loyalty for?” I say.

“Did you ever think that she might have not told you about leaving because she didn’t

want you to follow her. Maybe just staying here is what she wants for you. I don’t know you

that well Jayden but I think you should prioritise yourself, after all she could be dead.”

Elizabeth says.

“Maybe you’re right, she hurt me the most. What do I owe her? I shouldn’t have come

here, that was my biggest mistake.” I say, I really shouldn’t have come here. Why did I just
 33

act on impulse? I’m such an idiot. Why can’t I just have someone help me? I hate everything.

I wish I wasn’t born into such an unfair world. No, I’m not alone. I have help from Rodriguez

and Elizabeth. I can overcome these things.

“Jayden? Are you ok?” Elizabeth snaps me back to reality as I get lost in my head

once again.

“Yeah I’ll be fine, I need to get going though. Sorry for any trouble I might have

caused you or Rodriguez.” I say as I stand up from the bed and begin walking towards the

exit.

“Jayden, just please remember that you're human. It’s ok to be weak at times. It’s ok

to let things get to you. I don’t expect you to be fine physically or mentally through this

terrible ordeal you have been thrown into. There may not be some sanctuary to protect you

but me and Father Rodriguez will always welcome you with open arms.” says Elizabeth.

“Thanks Elizabeth” I say back to her.

“Please call me Liz” she says as I continue walking towards the entrance, and past

Rodriguez. I wave to him and head back home.

——————————————————————————————————

I enter my house to see that it’s a mess, with Hewie sitting on top of a pile of blankets

like a little king sitting atop his throne. My head still hurts from the events of the past 2 days.

So much happened without being able to take a break and think. My hands shake as I look

around the room until I see it, a box of chocolate chip cookies. I begin to munch down on the

treats as Hewie approaches me for a bite.

“Oh yeah I gotta feed you too buddy. Give me a sec.” I say as I grab Hewie’s cat food

and pour it into his bowl. He meows loudly as he begins munching down on his food. I walk
 34

to my bedroom and lay down on my bed. My legs twitch as the image of that creep who

touched me down in the prison flashes in my mind. He’s still out there, maybe even hunting

for me right now. He could have kept going. There were other people down there too, did he

assault them too? Why did he break the chains that bound me? Why didn’t he just kill me?

Why me? The pain and questions cause me to scream in agony as I writhe around my bed.

The sheets wrapping themselves around me as if they were trying to soothe me, but it just

made me angrier. I have a right to be angry, I should be! I’ve given up everything for her and

I’ve made no progress. This cruel world is beginning to break me down. I’m helpless against

its will. Take me then, take my body and psyche. Surely I won’t need them where I’m going

anyways!

“DO IT THEN! KILL ME! TAKE ME! I’LL KEEP FIGHTING! DO YOUR

WORST!” I scream to the void in my room.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” A voice says in the room next to me. I freeze like a deer in

headlights as I feel embarrassment flushes my face with blood and my ears turn red. I sit

silently in my bed trying to be as quiet as possible as to not provoke my very vocal

neighbour. I quietly ponder my situation, as hate will get me nowhere. I’m fighting against

known unknowns and a calm, steady mind is what I need. I reach for Kass’ cigarettes and

lighter and light one up. Take long drags and use the night table as my ashtray. The room fills

with smoke as I turn on the fan and open a window. The fan blows the smoke and creates

interesting visuals. The smoke flows like water in the air and it’s mesmerising to see. It calms

me as the smoke dances in the air, layering itself like silk being spun. I feel my neck begin to

tingle and itch, as I slowly close my eyes and fall asleep.

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I dread going to school after knowing I’m bound to see Kassandra underneath the

stairs. My fears are justified but that doesn’t mean I can just skip school unfortunately. The

weeks pass and every day I see her, thankfully she doesn’t ask me to murder someone or hide

some body for her. I still can’t forget what I did but at least it looks like it's over. The police

seem to have given up on the search, I guess they never found the body.

It’s Friday and lunch time, me and Kassandra are sitting underneath the stairs we met.

“I finally finished my stupid art project, it took me like all week for me to be happy

with it.” Kassandra says while eating a sandwich.

“Mhm, good for you.” I say. The silence is deafening and causes both of us to seem

very uncomfortable, at least I see it that way. We are stuck together because of what we did

but we lack almost any similarities. No common hobby or interest, probably because I lack

any hobbies or interests. I might as well be sitting by myself. We sit in awkward silence for

what feels like an hour before the bell rings and we both get up and go to our classes. Every

day plays out the same, I just feel worse and worse, little by little every day. Everyone

becomes louder and louder as the voices become unbearable. I hear them at home, on the

street, every conceivable place. I didn’t know those kids and yet I feel sorry for them. They

did a terrible thing but still, that one kid deserved at least a proper burial. Everyday my mind

replays these events, the sight, the sound, the action. I swear I see that kid around school

sometimes. It’s impossible but I see him walking to class or sitting with others. I just need to

forget about it. It’s done and I won’t ever do it again.

It’s the weekend and I get a message from Kassandra asking me if I wanted to go to

an arcade with her, in Morthaven. A city which wasn’t close but not too far, so I accepted her

offer and we met up the next day. The bright lights blinded me, and the sounds of so many

crowds overwhelmed me but it wasn’t too bad because I was with her and wasn’t alone. The

arcade was packed with people and lights flashing. We went to get some coins so we could
 36

play, but I noticed people were giving me weird looks as I followed Kassandra around, until

someone stepped in.

“Excuse me miss, but is this creep bothering you?” said some random guy. He was

taller and…wider than me, with a greasy beard. Kassandra looked at him and her face turned

into one of disgust.

“Who are you calling a creep?” she said to the strange man. The man looked shocked.

“I meant the guy following you, you’re quite beautiful so I assumed he was stalking

you. It’s ok I’ll protect you.” said the creepy man.

“Let’s just get out of here, away from this guy, he'll just cause a scene.” I said to

Kassandra quietly, I’m pretty sure she didn’t hear me over the other sounds blaring in the

background. The man holds out his hand, expecting Kass to take it. Instead she slaps it away,

and pulls me into her.

“The only creep here is you, so I’d recommend you get out of here before I crush the

other one.” she says confidently.

“Crush the other what?!” the man says as Kassandra kicks him in the balls. “Ah my

left testicle!” the man says as he limps away.

“Wow, you’re quite accurate.” I say while laughing.

“Yeah I’m used to hitting small targets.” she says while also giggling. “Anyways, let's

go play a racing game or something.”

“Mhm, lets go.” I say as we run off deeper into the arcade. It feels surreal being

surrounded by these bright lights and having fun with another human being. It’s an unfamiliar

feeling but a welcome one. It feels like I’m really alive and breathing. I wish I could stay here

with her forever. I don’t even want to close my eyes for a second in fear that I’ll miss that

much of this moment. Time is moving so slowly, I can pick apart every detail. The reflection

of the arcade machines in her eyes, the neon lights highlighting every aspect of her face as
 37

her smile brings it all together. The way her face contorts from genuine happiness makes me

want to cry. This moment feels so bittersweet, I’m happy I’m here but I know it won’t last

forever. One day is going to be the last we see of each other and this moment will be nothing

but a bittersweet memory. I’m helpless against the perpetual force of time, it makes me feel

weak knowing the truth. It truly doesn’t get better than this. It truly won’t get better than this.

——————————————————————————————————

I slowly open my eyes to the delicate sun rays cutting through my bedroom blinds.
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