Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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 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
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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
“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?”
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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 keep looking. 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
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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.
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I feel a weight in my jacket pocket that wasn’t there before, I reach into the pocket and pull
“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
“What for, young man? Did you happen to lose something? Are you unsatisfied with
“I just need to ask them some questions I have, I won’t be long.” I say in a reassuring
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
“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
“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”.
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 girlfriend is in good hands I assure you. She is not in any danger at the
“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
“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
“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
“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 its 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
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
“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 Cassian. 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.
9
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
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
“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
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
“Well I’m proud of you Cassian, 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
I sat there, my eyes wide with disbelief that someone would do something like that to
“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
“I’ll see you tomorrow Cassian” says Kassandra in a horrifyingly friendly tone
“First day of school and you already got yourself a girlfriend, huh?” My mom teases
“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
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My head feels swollen and my stomach empty. A cold damp cloth is placed on the
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.
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 Cassian.” I say in an excited voice as I have found a companion in this
“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
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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
“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
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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
“Good morning uhh, Hewie. Yeah, Hewie.” I say to my new little friend. Me and
Hewie are going to take over the world together. Cassian 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 find 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
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, its
all just about burning. Burn this, burn that, I guess some kids wanted to burn this place down.
I open tbe 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
“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
“Alright, my name is Cassian 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
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
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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
“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.” Father 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
“Yeah, I guess.” I say as I take a sip. It’s hard to believe but I witnessed it all first
“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.
“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
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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, thats for
sure. This guy is probably some drugged out squatter staying in this church. My only lead
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.
“Cassian, 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
rows of benches. “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
“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 more 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,
“Don’t you know? God is taking a vacation in Vegas.” Rodriguez 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
“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
“This doesn’t look like typical pistol ammo, Rodriguez. What is this?” I ask him.
“45 ACP incendiary rounds, good against any humanoid you’ll find. Shreds through
the infernos like wet toilet paper, and they ain’t cheap. Also it’s Father Rodriguez to you.”
“Won’t they come after you too?” I question Rodriguez, sorry, Father 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
“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
“Haha, go fuck yourself!” I say as I leave 5 bucks in the tray and walk home.
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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.
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