It was midnight when I received the
call. I couldn't believe that anything could have been more precise than that
moment but I was in for a little treat. Right on the dot, I couldn't understand
severity of the situation that was on the other side of the line because I was
so intrigued by that simple concept. As I rolled out of bed I told the officer
on the other end of the line that he had to slow down, he was talking faster
than a mind that could consume mass fabrications of information.
'Where is this at?' I asked.
'Off center and fourth, you really
must hurry.' And I did. If it wasn't for the entire regions police force at the
crime scene I would have received a speeding ticket but I knew that this was
big from the way that it sounded so I sped away. ‘Everything was so confusing.’
The officer said on the other line. ‘Like this was the work of a brilliant
mind, someone who knew what he was doing. He had to know the victim personally
from what the evidence could provide.’ I had my own individual theories.
There has been a string of murders
that have been happening in cities outside of our own, major populated cities
but never in the same county. I guess that is what kept his tracks all neat and
tidy that is if it was the same person, all for the name of a cult who
sacrifices upon the heads of many. The counties don't speak about cases to one
another so what is new for one county is a mystery in another, I knew this,
they did not. It was a month into Fall, leaves crunched under my feet from the
full grown trees that lined the streets all across town.
By the time I crossed the police
line I could see a thin dripping blood trail on the sidewalk and leaves as I
was heading to the house. Gradually, it went from a slight drizzle to heaping
handfuls that trailed on and off the sidewalk occasionally going into the
gutter that separated the concrete from the street. He wasn't walking steady,
even someone stupid could figure that out but then it led to the
stairway.
Police stood just outside the
building right before the stairs. I looked at the stairs themselves and they
were covered in blood and little pieces of metal. The blood spill covered each
and every step that led up to the doorway and even on the door there was blood
but it was more placed than spilled, I could tell this because it was in the
form of writing on the door. One word over each other creating six lines
spreading from the top of the door to the very bottom. Six simple words to
create a very unique phrase yet confusing at the same time. I thought to myself
as a few detectives that were talking a few feet away from me started to walk
towards me while carrying on their conversation. What did this phrase even
mean? As the detectives got in reasonable speaking distance I looked towards
them.
'So where’s the body?' I asked
'That’s a good question' responded
one detective.
'The best bet is inside but we
haven't even dared to take foot on the steps yet.' Responded the
other.
'And why is that?' The two officers
looked at each other and one kicked his feet into the ground as the other spoke
up.
'I know this sounds very
unprofessional but we have told everyone to wait for you.' I hid a smile in the
back of my mind and I thought to myself that it was a very wise move for them
to do that. More police tape crossed the walkway to the first step up to the
house; I walked under it and kept my head down as I crouched in front of the
first step. The little pieces of metal that I originally saw in the midst of
the blood looked shinier from up close. Whatever form they had before was now
destroyed because it looked as if it was squished together but with closer
examination I thought that they might just be in their original form but it
wasn't metal.
From the shine that glowed off of
the pieces I could see that it wasn't metal but silver. Each piece had a
distinct similar shape that looked like they laced in with another piece, a
puzzle, as you will. I motioned to one of the forensics experts and told him to
pick up all the tiny pieces that he could find and I walked away as he started.
I walked back up to the two detectives and waited for their conversation to end
before I interrupted.
'Has anyone walked on these steps
before you closed it off?' They looked at each other again as if they were
conjoined twins waiting for approval from another.
'Maybe.' Said one.
'There’s no telling if someone has
but no one will now. Everything is locked down and were just a few minutes away
to see what's inside.' The forensics expert walked past me showing a little
baggy of little pieces of silver and a puddle of blood. I looked back to the
detectives and they reached towards their belts as they walked towards the
steps and motioned to other police officers to follow them. I took a few steps
back and watched as everyone gathered around the steps and the detectives
started to debrief them. I looked down to my watch and noticed that it was ten
till one as I rubbed my eyes and wished I went to bed sooner.
I took my position on the nearby
park bench that was just across the road from the apartment and relaxed. The
city smog filled my nostrils and as I breathed in to realize that everything
was moving in slow motion. Police officers rushed up the steps to the front
door and kicked it in. As everyone rushed inside I looked around me to see
falling leaves from the tree branches above me falling into my lap. Then
neighbors’ trying to get a glimpse of what was happening from past the police
line. Someone was swinging in a swing behind me, chains rattled and squeaked
with every moment. Birds flew across the sky migrating to somewhere warmer and
before I knew it I heard someone yelling my name.
'Get over here!' Yelled one of the
detectives from inside of the house. 'You need to see this!'
___________________________________________________________
As I took my first step inside a
deep smell of dampness filled my nostrils. It was more humid inside the house
than it was outside and it was even raining. The house looked fairly normal
aside from all of the buckets of blood that was splashed on the walls, ceiling
and floor. The forensics team already entered and as I turned a corner I
thought there was a flash mob of cameras as if my name was irrefutable.
The whole house was one big serial
number for evidence. I wouldn't really be sure if anything here would not be
considered evidence as the solid fact is that whoever was here left his mark on
everything. It only took a mere few seconds later until I heard a 'freeze!’ in
the distance. I rushed towards where the noise originated and it first took me
through the living room, then the dining room and then a kitchen. Every room of
which was covered in blood and flesh and symbols that lined the walls and
floors. Parts of body parts hung from barbed wire that was placed within the
ceiling of a small hallway, I ducked underneath them to reach another living
room in which where the noise came from.
Several SWAT officers stood a few
feet away from a young man, pointing there guns at every limb of his body
yelling various profanities to inflict damage on his own self esteem but he
just sat there in his knees, praying. Praying with his hands clasped together
wishing for some big outsider to whisk him away from all this madness and
carnage—how sad. He sat in the middle of a circle of blood that was now
staining the hardwood floor that we all stood on. Circle upon circle traced
around him with strange pictures and text; I've seen this before but never
while it was still on motion. I've always been a few days behind this cult but
now, now everything has changed. It's as if I am now walking side by side by
the messengers who offer riddles and puzzles and death.
From the shape of the person’s body
I could tell that it was a young man. Button down plaid shirt, jeans but shoes
less as well. On his face, however, was a plain white mask of an ordinary face
that you see on masquerade masks. He had a shaved head and earrings from what I
could tell but something was off, he didn't move. An officer took a few steps
closer to him and as he reached towards him, a handgun was taken from the
holster and hid it behind his back.
'Give me your hand sir.' the
officer said to the man.' We will make it easy on you if you're easy on us.’
The man kept his hands clasped together but moved them so the officer could
reach. The officer reached for his hand and pulled him to the ground forcing
his two arms apart, which sprayed blood everywhere.
'Damnit Mathison! We needed him
alive!' Yelled one officer. I began to push myself between the officers that
were toward the man and rushed to be directly by his side. He was shaking for a
few seconds but by the time I felt for a pulse on his neck none could be found—great.
I carefully reached towards his face and took off the white mask he was
wearing. Porcelain, the mask was heavy as I prepared to take it off. A red
ribbon traced in little slots in the corner of the mask and a tie laid behind
his head. I felt some wetness on my arms and as I looked down I noticed
what was his cause of death.
Steel wire was traced in the long
sleeve arms of the shirt and underneath the skin of his wrists. When his arm
was in the grasp of the officer, he dragged him down to the ground which caused
enough tension underneath his arms which ripped out the steel wire in the mans
wrists. Upon a closer look the steel wire was carefully sewn beneath his veins
so they were ripped out causing death rather quickly. This was on both arms
from his wrists all the way down to his elbows. I looked at his hands for a
moment longer and I noticed something rather peculiar. His hands were small
along with his fingers almost like a woman's. Then I put everything together. I
quickly took off the man’s mask and to my surprise, it was a woman.
I heard a lot of murmuring behind
me as I examined the face. Duck tape covered her mouth from saying anything and
dried tears poured down her face. She was crying for help not whispering her
prayers. There were reports of a woman screaming in the house along with that
same woman screaming out in the streets for a minute or two before she was
taken back into the house.
'This must be Elizabeth Mahoney.'
Said an officer behind me.
'She was the one who called the
police.' Said a detective that walked in seconds after she died. 'She said a
man abducted her son, two daughters and her husband. Said she was hiding in a
closet and the abductor left the house but that didn't seem the case from what
the neighbors said. A tall man with a white mask, that white mask. She would be
the only one to see her face and she's dead right?' I turned around to nod to
the detective. 'Right. With the help of our mutual friend here we will get even
closer to who is doing this, with the cooperation of the other counties. Thank
you for finding the patterns.' I nodded again and stood up to look down to the
body.
'What we are looking at is a different case from your normal
serial killers.' I cleared my throat and continued. 'Whoever has done this, he
has a ritual through all his kills but he ran out of time on this one. He knew
Elizabeth was here because he took the rest of the family out of the house,
like all the other scenes but this one was different because she was able to
call the police and yell for help. It was something that turned this easy kill
into one big mistake and that's why he left her alive. He wasn't going to have
any enjoyment out of it so he left it for us but it is not certain if he knew
that she would die which would make me believe that he should still be close.'
'I talked to one of the neighbors
and she said that two men arrived and only one left with the family.' Said an
officer in the crowd. This put everyone on their toes and I saw several others
scanning the room.
'You checked all the rooms
correct?' I asked. The detective straightened out his back and walked towards
me.
'All but the attic. This house has
one but we can't find the entrance anywhere.' Just then, all of the officer’s
radios went off and the dispatch on the other end began to talk.
'Reporting to all officers. A man
with blood on his hands has been spotted in a nearby park.' I thought to myself
if that was the person who was behind me, the one in complete darkness. All the
police officials rushed out of the house and I followed immediately after them.
As soon as I stepped outside a rush of people surrounded the swings in the park
and from my position I could see him lighted up from the police helicopter and
car lights—he was covered in blood and so was the sand beneath his feet. He was
melancholy but not suicidal he looked up to everyone around him.
I rushed further up towards him
onto the park bench that I was sitting on from before. As I positioned my feet
so I could see over the surrounding officers I noticed a piece of paper. I
looked back up to see the man talking and several people looked back to me and
motioned me to head over. I jumped down from the bench and hurried towards him
as I heard a few officers saying that he asked to see me, and then calling me
by name. I walked past the crowd to see the young man on a swing with a knife
in his hand pointed at his neck.
'I’m a big fan of your work you
know. I'm surprised to see that you are treating me like this, like a monster.
I've done nothing wrong.'
'This is the first lead you gave
us. Why are you doing this mister...?'
'Cheeky. You're cheeky thinking that I actually led you to something.
That's really cute. You know, I just wanted to give you some insight, an
understanding if you will. Understanding for all the chaos but you will see
that my chaos is peace. To every road there is an end and one cannot be an
individual thing in this end. The end is futile and will come with or without
me.'
'But what should I call you?' I
asked again.
'Why can you not understand what
life can be? I find this thing I have given to you very accepting.'
'Yes I do but I just wanted to know
your name, can you tell me that?' He smiled to reveal his small teeth that were
covered in blood.
'Understanding I only want you to
understand. To no longer be immune to what you want to see.’ I scratched my
head in confusion to what he was saying then responded.
'You want me to call you
understanding?' He smiled again to show off his crooked grin.
'That will do for now. He dropped
his knife into the sand and kept a gaze right into my eyes as police officers
pulled him to the ground and cuffed him. I hurried back to the bench to see the
piece of paper now on the ground. On the outside it addressed my name and on
the inside was several different words varying by length and meaning. None of
the words from that moment correlated to another but certain words in the mess
stood out to me.
Suspension and triangle, sow and
knife, eye and mask. These were some of the words that stood out in my mind
though their meaning meant no significance for me. I sat back down on the bench
confused to what everything means but why me in particular? I've felt the
thrill of the chase and just now I was finally getting somewhere. It's been
years since the first one of these scenes were discovered and although this man
in particular was caught, I doubted that it was over.
Understanding. That's what he
wanted to be called. It somewhat makes sense if you really think about it. He's
a serial killer and the one thing we don't understand is serial killers; why
they do what they do, what controls them, how they feel in the grand scheme of
things—I know I do. I examined the rest of the house after the police officials
took the man away and everything grew more complicated in my mind. Various
numbers littered the walls and various phrases such as 'Light is not eternal',
'Follow the mask of death' and an even stranger 'She is proud'.
'Give me a copy of every photograph
you take.' I said to one of the forensics team. 'And make sure I get a chance
to see that silver when you are done examining it.' He nodded as I walked away.
There were no marks on the body of the woman till we got here so where did all
the blood come from? And whose body parts are hanging from the ceiling? Most
importantly was where is the missing family?
At every crime scene so far the
family has gone missing and one member was left behind being offered as a
sacrifice. The blood fills in all the crevices of shapes and symbols that were
carved around the left behind victim. None of the other families have been found,
which makes this the fourth missing. No silver pieces were left behind in any
other scene and evidence of a murder only stood on the fact that the helpless
individual was dead. No trace of anyone has been left but now—as I looked
straight into the face of evil and what it brought to the worked upon the blood
stained walls—I feel that I have just found them.
___________________________________________________________
I couldn't sleep when I got home
later that night so I reviewed over the evidence that was found in the previous
crime scenes till the sun came up. Soon as it turned to be a reasonable hour I
received a call that the blood on Understanding was his own. Understanding cut
himself wide open and bled all over himself yet, there were no large cuts over
his body. His fingerprints were taken off by lye and he had no dental records
that could be found anywhere—his identity will remain unknown. Nothing of
Understanding could be linked to the crime scene yet there he was. I was told
that he was to be sent to a mental ward because of his suicidal idealation but
other than that; nothing else could have been done.
'So you're telling me that he is
going to be free? We know he did it why can't anyone else see that?'
'He’s not going to be free.' Said the
Sergeant on the other line. 'He will be in a mental ward for a minimum of four
weeks only if he shows sign of improvement and I doubt that he will. Take that
time to review over what you have and tell me immediately if you find any
leads. He's at the station right now being seen by a clinical psychologist,
he's asking for you again.'
'All right. I'm on my way.' I hung
up and put on the coat that was sitting on the chair I was sitting on my back.
I made few movements when I was here from last night and I made fewer as I
left.
___________________________________________________________
'There are so many things I want to
tell you. I know you've been aching to know. How we run. Where we settle. What
we worship. I know you have figured out some but you are yet to see the
practice, I should show you sometime when we get out of here.' I looked through
the window to see several police officials scratching their heads on what they
could turn into evidence but they jumped head first into deep waters, they couldn't
make heads or tales out of it. 'I want to tell you more, but too many people
are watching.' I looked behind me again to shrug at the officials outside
and they motioned for me to talk to them.
'Ill be back.' I pushed myself away
from the table that was between us and walked outside to see the sergeant
talking to several other higher up officials talking in a corner.
'Get him to say as much as you can
for the sake of the investigation but as soon as he's released from our custody
I guess your research can come first. I doubt he will say anything to link him
with the case but it’s worth a shot. The attorneys are saying that finding him
in the playground was made to look like a suicide that began to happen
conveniently before police arrived on scene. Nobody saw him enter or leave the
house, it's almost as if he really is innocent. The only thing that can
remotely tie him in is that he knows of you and this cult you're investigating
and that's it. Yes the scene appears to be a cult killing but it's all based on
one man. You. I'm sorry. I think you are a very valuable source but no one else
will think that way to turn the tides.'
I knew of the situation and how it
was all jumbled in some big mess so I nodded in return but a little feeling
inside of me wished that he would get away just so I could follow this to the
end but who knew of the grave consequences that could follow. I walked back
into the room where Understanding sat and as I sat down he leaned in towards
me.
'So have you read my letter?'
'I have.' I said. 'But I
don't understand it, what is it supposed to mean?' Understanding leaned back
into his seat.
'Oh no no no no no. That is for you
to find out and me to wait for. I'm a very patient man you see and there is so
much for you to learn.'
'Please tell me.' I said
'Once when I was young, my father
took me to a Broadway show. It was a play of a man who was coming of age and
the trials he had to face before he could turn into a man. Much like myself at
the time I was at my point in life that I wanted to understand what life was
about.
'I want to become a man' I asked
him.
'In order to do that you need to
understand the importance’s of mortality and realize that becoming a man only
gets you even closer to death'.' He told me.
'What must I do?' So after the show
was over he was able to get me into the personal dressing room of the main
coming of age character and he asked him from his own personal experience how
did he know when he was ready to grow up? The young actor chuckled at my father
saying that he was just acting and that this play took no involvement into his
personal life. So my father hit him. When the young man came back to, he was
now in an unfamiliar environment than what he was in previously. See, my father
has this kill room in the basement of the house he raised me in and here was
where he gutted the animals he killed from a previous hunt. He tied the poor
man to a chair constricting his arms and legs to such a point that they were
being constricted by the ropes around him.
My father told me that I was to
watch this man for an entire afternoon and listen to what he wanted to say and
report to him by the time supper was ready but I was to never be within two
feet of him. Later that day I told my father about how the young man was trying
to weasel his way out of the situation and tried to reason with me to let him
go even though I had no power or authority to release him. My father didn't
like this one bit so he gave the man back one if his hands so he could cut off
one of his fingers. So once this previously numb hand had a moment to feel
again it felt the most of two worlds the sweet and the sour. Bliss and pain.
You can't be enlightened unless if you find yourself at a standpoint. This is
what my father taught me. Once I felt that I was stuck in one spot, like
standing still in a grassy field, I then could move forward and move on.
He then told me that I was to cut
off one finger every hour till the young man realized that he was not going
anywhere. One hour passed, one finger was taken, and then another, then another
till he had one finger left. The young man was now in a depression, he could
not take one more second of it so he did nothing. The only thing that passed
his lips were shallow breaths of dread and disgust for the next hour. We were
now at a stand still.
'I’m glad that you finally realized
that you aren't getting out of this.' My father told the young man. 'But
because you now understand, it doesn't mean that this is over, it just means we
can move on. He lost his hand with his last finger next and that brought out a
new uproar out of the young man so he lost the other and he continued to yell
and scream till he lost consciousness and eventually died. My father finally
told me that if I wanted to move on to a new phase then I would have to leave
something behind and that's what we all have to do if we want to change our
habits or our everyday lives. Something needs to change and it has to leave us
forever if we want to continue to move forward.
So what I am now telling you is
that if you want to learn something new about things that were previously
hidden to you, then you have to leave everything you once believed behind you.
Up can be down and white is now black. If you really want to know then you have
to give up everything you have. Then when everything is up for grabs, that is
when you can move on and only then will everything change.' I was speechless
after he told his story yet it made sense in my head. I had to prepare myself
to listen to other people’s beliefs and maybe just as everything is said and
done I will no longer believe anything that was once known.
___________________________________________________________
It took roughly a fortnight before
all the press released all the information about what happened that night. It
took a week just for them to obtain enough information on the details of the
incident. 'Cult Killings' were released as every headline that you could find,
it even made national news because to even my surprise, it was bigger than just
a few counties. It was a shocker that no one picked up on these killings any
sooner but when most of the killings were put together I found that there were
at least one hundred other cases that were all across the fifty states. I received
many phone calls due to my expertise on the subject and they continually asked
me what happened but the government wasn't in on it so there were no plans to
cover it up. 'Read the newspaper.' I say. 'I also have a book published on the
very subject.'
Soon as the press blowed over me, a
new report was released that the suspected killer was still alive and in fact
he was. He was sitting in a padded room with his own name on it within the
mental health institution that was attached to the hospital. Everybody wanted a
piece of Understanding; how did you do it, what was going through your head?
Anything to get him to tell his story but he never talked to a single soul. At
some points people thought that he was unable to speak till he mentioned the
numbers.
To every single syllable pronounced
with the slightest of tongue it was the same every time, 7, 16, 6, 21, 14.
He made the words sound almost violently to the ears but every syllable was
articulate. After a few months of silence since he last talked to me,
everything died down and that's when he made his call. When the caller ID said
the local mental institution was calling I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a
good idea for me to answer but only time could tell. He asked for me to see him
on a cold December’s day, an early frost bitten morning.
I knew it was going to be a bad day
but something compelled me, something that may have been not of this world. I
felt the pull of Understandings wishes and I could only feel attracted to his
charisma. Reading the reports of his first day at the institution, he made his
presence clear. Whatever he did, they left it out of the public report but an
officer of the law and two employees ended up in the hospital that very day.
His way of letting all the other individuals who lived there that he meant
business.
___________________________________________________________
'You should see his cell sir; it's
nothing but all those numbers and symbols carved in whatever he can sneak
inside with him, sometimes, it's even his own blood. The lead psychologist says
that he is to remain under constant supervision of unbelievable proportions;
he's defiantly using the taxpayer’s dollars efficiently. Whoever this man is,
he is well educated and he is very familiar with the system.' Said the orderly
that was leading me. He stopped just inches away from the doorstep of the
conference hall. He looked over his shoulder to see Understanding sitting alone
at one of the tables and he leaned in to me.
'If I were you I would keep my meetings
with him very short. He has a way of getting into your head its scary. His last
two roommates committed suicide this past month and they were fine people. They
had no suicidal ideolology till he came around. There's no evidence to prove
anything but I know for a fact that he has something to do with it. He now has
a room to himself; we can't afford any more casualties'
'I understand where your coming from.
I guess I'll see what he wants and hopefully it will put this to rest.'
'I’ll be out here if you need
anything.' I nodded to the orderly and he nodded back as I passed him to get
inside the conference room. Understanding looked up from where he was and gave
a big smile to me. He tried to get up but shackles that were on his waist
prevented him from getting up. He reached out to shake hands with me but all I
could pay attention to was the rattling from the chains connecting his wrists—he
is chained up for my safety, lets not ruin that.
'I’ve been waiting for you. I
couldn't help but feel anxious with your arrival. Have you figured anything
out?' I sat down in front of him and situated several papers and photographs
between him and me. 'This doesn't have to be anything like an interrogation.
I'm willing to tell you everything as long as you are hot for the chase.'
'Ceremony.' I said out loud.
'What?' He replied.
'Ceremony is the first word when
reading left to right downwards. The entire manuscript is whitened out other
than various key words. Since 'ceremony' is the first word and the only word
that has to deal with an action in conjunction to a place then this piece of
paper has to deal with how you conduct your ceremony before you killed your
victims. You would have known that I have a larger perspective on what goes on
in your cult than anybody else so by leaving that word only I would know what
the other words meant.'
'I’m impressed. You’re completely
correct that these words are the main details to a ceremony but not the
ceremony you are looking for. You think all of our sacrifices are the same but
that's not true. Some are sacrifices as others are offerings and some, some are
for our own personal gain.'
'Personal gain?' I asked.
'There is so much you don't know
about what we do and why we do it, let me show you.' He looked through several
of the photographs and situated them in chronological order putting the first
known case to his far right. 'This one was an offering to our deity as you look
that he was found crouching in a middle of a square in the center of a circle
containing symbols around the individual. The writing is done in charcoal and
brick dust leaving it to be a nonpermanent location.'
'It’s a victim. The person you killed
was a victim.' I corrected him. Understanding laughed to himself aloud and
pointed to a picture showing the man in the square.
'Are the man’s hands bound together?
No. If he was not bound then why did he allow himself to be killed in the name
of our god? He was one of our own and he sacrificed himself for the good of the
Morte. I looked at the photograph closer examining what was left of the man’s
neck that was holding his head on his shoulders.
'How could someone want this?' I
asked.
'Our members are loyal and though we
may be few in numbers it doesn't mean we don't have faith. There is a special
place reserved for him especially.'
'What of his family?' I asked. 'He
had three kids and a wife.' He pointed to the last photograph from the most
recent crime.
'Dead regretfully but only the mother
and their oldest son. The rest are in a safe place out of sight, out of mind.'
'And what are you going to do to
them?' I asked again.
'Nothing bad. It's not like we're out
to kill everyone, just the ones who offer themselves and the ones who get in
the way.'
'What about this one?' I
pushed the most recent photograph towards him and he chuckled as he looked at
it.
'Not so fast.' He pushed it back to
its appropriate location to his far left and pointed to the next one
chronologically. 'This one was a sacrifice. Blood was demanded on the head of
the family due to inappropriate actions and the remaining members of the family—like
the other one—were to be dismembered into sixteen equal parts individually to
decorate the final offering. This also was the same fate as your fourth case as
well. You can call these people victims, I grant you that. They were not
willing to be part of the ceremony so there bodies were suspended around the
final offering.' He pointed to all of the photographs from the last crime scene
with all the body parts dangling with barbed wire.
'If your organization is so secret
then why are you telling me Understanding?'
'I respect you. Trust me everything
here is by the guide of The Elders. I'm not going behind their back, they need
me.'
'How so?' I asked.
'I've been chosen directly from our
god as a speaker from The Dawn. Without me there would be no prophesy and there
would be no second coming.'
'Second coming?' I was confused. A
second coming means that they were here before, how could that be possible?
'It’s exactly as it sounds. They have
been here before. One by body and the other by spirit and together they will
bring the end of days and I alone will bring them home.' I sat back in my chair
while reaching for a handkerchief in my pocket. I broke out in sweat when he
first described what he did to few of the families but when he mentioned a
second coming I could only feel a need to fight for salvation.
'Why do you want the world to end?' I
asked. Understanding shook his head back and forth to look back at me.
'No no no. The end of days isn't
the end of the world. It's the end to the order and function that you live in
from day to day. Your life isn't going to be easy and happy any longer unless
if you join us in the end. We are beacons to the new world telling everyone to
come home; it is safe here. You can't be serious thinking that all of these
wars and disasters have nothing in common with each other. It's the worlds way
of saying that its ready for its creator to come back where it belongs.'
'When will all this happen?' I
asked.
'Very soon; when you least expect
it.'
'So tell me. What was this last
ceremony, is it the one that is within this manuscript?'
'Yes and no.' He explained further.
'Yes because the ceremony you saw is apart of the final ceremony but no because
that manuscript is details to not just one event.' I looked down to the piece
of paper to see a thin line that nearly separated the paper in two halves.
Words like suspension, wire, metal, mask, limbs, painting and mirror was on the
upper half as eye, chorus, sepulture, box, blood, triangle and end were on the
lower half.
'I never saw a mirror or a painting
anywhere at the last ceremony. Why are these words on the first half?'
'You didn't look hard enough then
because they are there.' I got up out of my chair and started to walk out the
door in search for the nearest pay phone but none were found in the building I
was in. I headed to the front office of admissions that was across the
main courtyard to see if they had a phone there and they had the only one in
the building. I called the police station and asked for the lead detective on
the case.
'Were there any paintings or mirrors
found in the house?' I asked. The detective on the other side took a long pause
before answering.
'Well. There was this oddest thing
that we found concerning the mirrors. All of the mirrors that could be found
within the house were smashed other than one large one on the second floor main
hall but it wasn't sitting on the wall. It was apparently installed into the
wall and there was no taking the mirror off because we couldn't get behind it.
I have a feeling that something may be on the other side of that mirror but I
have been too busy to look into it. It's only a hunch though.'
'And the painting?' I asked.
'There were no paintings found in the house unless if you count all the
writing that was on the walls then there were plenty of paintings but if your
looking for an actual painting then your out of luck. Why? You have a lead or
something?'
'I’ve been talking to Understanding.
He wanted to talk to me and he mentioned that a mirror and painting were used
for their sacrifice.'
'Then get back down to that building
and check it out. I have the metal pieces here but I can't seem to get them together.
Something is missing; I’m ordering the forensics team to do another forensics
sweep to see if we left a piece. I'll meet you at the building.' I hung up and
returned to the room in which Understanding was sitting in by himself.
'Sorry for the wait Understanding.
Something came up and I have to go. I'll talk to you again when I get the
time.'
'You never asked about what happened
in this last crime scene.' As he held up the photograph of the mutilated woman.
I sat down again.
'So enlighten me, what happened?'
Understanding smiled again and sat the photo down.
'But first I need to tell you a
story.' Understanding resituated himself in his chair. 'When I was younger I
got friendly with a strange man. He always rested himself underneath a bridge that
was a few blocks away from my house. Little by each visit I got to know him
much more. His name was Emery and I remembered seeing his picture in the
newspaper year’s prior. He was one of the first known cases of a mental
disorder that was unnamed at the time but it dealt with a conjunction of many
other disorders. Vivid hallucinations, bipolar, major depression, paranoia,
loss of reality and the most peculiar of all that strung everything together a
belief that we do not exist contradicting every single thing we do on a daily
basis. Emery, this poor soul, believed that he was receiving messages from the
unknown telling him of this story about a series of mirrors in association to a
place and how each one got you closer to a parallel realm to of which grew
increasingly unreal and sadistic as he told me where they were. Then one day, I
never saw him again. He just disappeared off into the wind but he left me a
note, it read. 'I am not crazy, there are more who believe. 7, 16, 6, 21,
14.' I never believed him till the Coram Morte found me, and then everything
got so real. He found what he was looking for and the people have awaited his
return till now. With all the blood and sacrifice we can turn the spirit into
an actual being and that's what we are preparing to do. These messages we're
receiving are from our god he is with it! This so called heaven isn't a place
we go where we die but a place where our thoughts take actual form. Elizabeth
said she had this vision with us but she was only lying to see inside what we
do to expose us to the press more than what everyone from the news and you
already know. There is still plenty you don't know, let this be a first lesson.
Fanatics they call us but everyone is dead wrong.'
'So you are the one who killed her?'
I asked.
'Yes.' He said. I looked down to my
watch and noticed another hour passed.
'This isn't over. I'll be back after
I find something.'
'You mean you want to find the
painting? You’re right, this isn’t over but I can't be one to say that when you
get back ill still be here waiting for you.' Understanding looked at me blankly
with a big smile on his face.
'Are you planning on getting out of
here Understanding?' I asked.
'My purpose here is finished. Whether
I get out today or a few years, I will get out. I would be careful in the world
nowadays, there's no saying when someone is just willing to slip a knife in
your neck.' Then smiled.
___________________________________________________________
'You know, that young man is the root
of all evil.' The detective said as I met him near the front steps. 'If you
would give him the chance I'm pretty sure he would try to commit genocide or
anything that could be worse, it's just this feeling ya know?' I nodded to him
as we proceeded up the steps and cut the tape that was securing the door shut.
Several other people were behind us ranging from forensics to miscellaneous
police forces. 'There you go.' The detective motioned to me to make the first
step in and as I did a big whiff of a rotting something blinded me for a few
seconds.
The small phrase that was originally
written on the door was wiped away with various cleaners. I really didn't know
what to expect but that was certainly something that I was expecting yet I
didn't acknowledge it till it was to late. 'Smells like death.' I said aloud as
a man behind me yelled 'Here here!' I looked down to the others that were at
the bottom of the steps and every single one of them had their noses covered
with their hands, shirts and whatever else they could get their hands on.
I took my first step in flicking the
light switch to see that the power was out—something else I was expecting but
didn't acknowledge. I motioned behind me for the detective to give me a
flashlight and as soon as it was in my hands I continued forward. Blood still
littered the walls and looking up to the ceiling I could see pieces of barbed
wire but all of the body parts were taken down by the forensics team.
'I don't know why this place hasn't
been cleaned yet but thank god that no one has. It's just our luck that someone
has been sitting on this for a few weeks because if he hadn't there would be no
evidence to go back to.' Said the detective behind me. I then entered the room
in which Elizabeth Mahoney had died. I kept in mind of what Understanding had
told me and as I examined the room I noticed that the symbols and how things
were put together was just like the offering in which the man sacrificed
himself willingly.
'Elizabeth, the woman, she was tied
up right?' I asked.
'Well it depends on how you look at
it.' The detective continued. 'It appeared as if she was praying it was as soon
as we moved her we noticed that she was tied up in a messed up sort of way.'
'Could you say that she was doing
this willingly?'
'Excuse me? The woman was crying and
it appeared to be a home invasion, there's no way this was willing. She was
screaming for help at one point, there's no way she was in on this.'
'I’m not so easily convinced.' I
said. 'She would have gotten our attention if she was in trouble. Maybe she was
willing to do this and then got cold feet?'
'What about the family that was
kidnapped?'
'The cult is holding them somewhere.
They would have to have a place to hold all of the other families that were
taken.' I turned around to look at the drawings in blood that were on the wall.
'Look. That drawing right there, does it look like a building?'
'More like a church.' Said the
detective.
'Yes! That makes sense. They are a
religion. They need to congregate somewhere. But, that building doesn't look
familiar.' I stood in confusion looking at the drawing for a few minutes. 'But
this can't be the picture Understanding was talking about, we need to find that
room to the attic.' I began to head upstairs as the detective followed me.
'What are you hoping to find?' The
detective asked.
'A room.' I responded 'A room that
will solve all the riddles. Something that will make me...understand.' The
detective chuckled for a bit.
'You're starting to sound like him
you know? Better be careful before you turn into one of them.'
'I won't.' The stairs were stained
with blood as if a waterfall of the stuff was flowing down the stairs. When I
reached the top the blood stopped at the last step almost too perfectly. It
brought me flashbacks of when I first walked inside, the chaos that took place,
the lives that were taken, that smile on his face. I knew that it was all over
now but anxiety pulsed through my veins like something bad was going to happen
and when I reached the top of the stairs I was out of breath and leaned up
against the wall as I was bent over searching for air.
'Are you alright?' I looked back up
to the detective and nodded.
'I just need a second.' The detective
walked ahead of me further down the hallway until he reached the mirror.
'There is defiantly something off
with this mirror.' Yelled the detective. It's like I'm looking down a tunnel
almost.' I began to walk to him as he continued to talk. 'Have you ever
wondered what was on the other side of a mirror? Like a parallel dimension and
everything on the other side is just mirroring exactly what we do just to
protect us from knowing the truth. Like we aren't really real and the ones on
the other side is really the ones living, as we are just something else? It's
crazy when you think about it, like everything is just a sham and were just
some practical joke.'
'I think you are the one who is
starting to sound crazy.' I said.
'I’ve read your book and there is
some pretty convincing stuff in there. Like the one section about whom they
worship and how the gods we talk about to this day are really just smaller
parts to one big scheme. It's crazy to think that people like Jesus Christ were
really just one way to live while others choose Buddha or something else. Nothing
is wrong. That's the part that really stood out to me. Every religion is right
because they are all connected to a higher one. God is God. Whoever it is, it
can do anything it wants and who says it has to be one way? God doesn't have to
live like that because God is limitless. If you want to be reincarnated then go
for it! Choose that way! It makes all the similarities in every religion make
sense doesn't it? How can there not be one way with several ways to do it?'
'From the way it sounds, you are more
than just a reader?'
'Semantics. But I think you are
right. This cult is really something of the future, you believe it right?' I
thought to myself till I caught up with him.
'I’m not exactly sure what I believe
anymore. Yes, this is an eye opener but why does the core religion live so
violently?'
'We were created in his image as
several people say. Who says that God isn't violent or disturbing? Maybe it's
unsettling to us because its something our minds can't understand? Maybe
violence and blood and metal is God?' I stood in astonishment till I looked at
the mirror.
'It really does look like your in a
tunnel. Like the mirror is not really touching the front but a piece of glass
is what were up against.' I started to feel around the mirror as the detective
walked away and came back with a statuette of some famous mans head. 'What are
you doing?' The detective looked at the statuette in his hands till he began to
act on impulse and threw it directly at the mirror, shattering everything in
its path.
There was no tunnel on the other side
but a staircase up to the attic. 'Well there you go.' I pushed some of the
dangling pieces of the mirror off of the frame so I didn't cut myself on the
way in and I began to walk up the stairs as the fanatic detective followed as
he picked the statuette up again. 'You never know.' He said.
As I reached the top I saw lit
candles surrounding a large square room. Carvings were in the floor and a
painting overlooked everything on the ceiling. It was a painting of a chapel
but the focus was on the pulpit where a little box sat on it. Next to the box
in circles around it were eyes contained in octagonal metal cages as mirrors
surrounded the box.
'Does that look familiar to you?' I
asked while pointing at the metal cages that carried the eyes.
'Yes. I think we found our missing
piece.' As the detective was pointing at the table on the other side of the
room. On the table were several pages of paper with random writing and drawing
on them, a large leather bound book and metal wires that pointed up to a circle
in which the eye sat on. The detective took out a little bag of metal pieces
and silver that were found originally on the steps by the crime scene and have
it to me. I poured the pieces on the table in front of me placing each of the
metal pieces between the eight pieces of wire and they all clicked into place
as the pieces of silver were shattered into tiny pieces that was the bottom of
the object.
'With everything set up here, I think
that woman was in on this, how could she not know of this in her own attic?'
'You're right.' Said the detective.
'She was a member of The Coram Morte till she found out what was going to
happen to her family.'
'And what is that?' I asked.
'They were going to be
sacrificed 7, 16, 6, 21, 14. Seven people to be sacrificed and cut into
sixteen pieces individually. Six pairs of eyes. Twenty one curious souls and
fourteen mirrors around it all. That is what is demanded.' I turned around
cautiously wondering how he knew of this while I was still in the
dark. 'Its called a Looking Glass. The thing that holds the eye in your
hand.' The detective said. As I turned around to see him with the statuette
firmly griped into his hand. 'We appreciate your struggle to find out about us but
we can't allow you to go any further. We have secrets and we like our secrets
kept, nobody of a easy heart would want to join if they knew what dark things
we do to conjure our god but after this, after you, everything will come
forward and there would be no denying what we are. The one true religion. The
bringer of the end of days.'
'What are you going to do with me?' I
stuttered over my own words as I back up a few steps into the wall behind
me.
'Nothing for as long as you stop
pursuing this religion we hold dear. We need someone to tell our story once
everything is finished and you are the best man to do it. We have chosen you to
be such a man for us but don't let that fool you; we will kill you regardless
of who you are to us. There are more of us than you think. We are around
every corner. We are everything you see. We watch you when you sleep. Go home.
This doesn't concern you anymore.
___________________________________________________________
I never listen. Prudence Benedict’s
Chapel, that's where they congregated. I read in the newspaper a few days after
my run in with Understanding. It read 'Local Church Begins Fundraiser For
Disabled Children'. The picture above the article with a man standing in front
of the church is what got me going because it was the exact same building that
was drawn in blood on the walls of Elizabeth Mahoney's house to the fine
detail and nobody picked up on it. It got me thinking that he wasn't lying when
he said they had people everywhere, the detective I mean. Someone else should
have noticed it then again, maybe someone has and they just ended up in a body
bag with everyone else that gets in The Morte's way.
That weekend they were hosting the
fundraiser, everybody who was in the cult might as well be showing up and as I
arrived I realized that it was no small social event. It was spring now so there
was a farmers market in one corner as a local band was in another. Arts and
crafts, street performers and there was even a clown cheering up all the kids
and this is what the world hides behind? I marveled at how high the church
building stood as what appeared to be the minister of the church approached
me.
'I hear there's a storm coming and
a big one at that. Something about coastal winds and the hurricane hitting
Florida, it would be a wise choice to stock up on canned foods for your
family.' I looked down from the church and to the minister. He reached out his
arm towards mine. 'Jethro is the name and you are?'
'Keen. You’re really keen about
this, you sure know how to wow a crowd.'
'Well thank you.' Jethro shook my
hand and motioned for me to walk further into the crowd. 'What brings you here
on such a quiet day?'
'I’m thinking about joining your
little church here.'
'Oh really?' He raised his
eyebrows. 'And what made you decide that if I may ask?'
'I’ve had a recent brush of death
and it got me thinking that maybe there is something more to life then what I
previously thought.' I said.
'Well there is plenty of room here
at Prudence Benedict’s Chapel and our members are really friendly, I'm sure you
will like it here.'
'Well thank you, I'm sure this will
be a perfect fit.' Jethro caught eyes with another person and nodded to me as
he walked away. Nobody looked familiar since I got here and even odder other
than the minister nobody seemed to recognize my very existence. Chills went
down my spine as I looked around and not a single eye looked in my direction,
everyone had to know who I was. I started to ask around if anyone knew who
Elizabeth Mahoney was but nobody acknowledged my question other than a
slight glance towards me and I knew I wasn't seeing things. Some people looked
scared to the very thought of the name but nothing particular stood out to me
till I received a call from the mental health institution.
'Your patient escaped.'
'My patient? I don't even know the
guy!' I yelled.
'We never caught his name, you were his only visitor, and so you are
the first to know.'
'And how did he get away if I may
ask?' I heard some mumbling on the other side of the line.
'No more than a hour ago, he bit
the ear off of a staff and locked him in his room as he escaped, would he have
any idea where you are right now?'
'No. And don't worry about me; he
wouldn't do anything to me. He respected me.'
'You be careful out there. Oh! He
left several items here and he addressed them to you, you should stop by as
soon as you are able.'
'I'll be there.' I hung up the
phone and began to walk back to my car but not till I thought that I caught a
glimpse of Understanding in the crowd. One second it looked like he was
starring at me and the other he just vanished. He's getting inside my
head.
_________________________________
'What was the meaning of the phrase
on the door? I noticed that you neglected to ask me this when you saw me but
there's no big worry. Maybe this could be the greatest mystery of them all and
you forgot to ask, maybe you will never know what all of that meant. Oh well.
When I was first asked that question years ago I always thought it was a word
that sounds sharp or threatening but I was wrong. Then I thought it was
something that crossed senses, a smell you can taste, a feeling that you can
see and maybe I was on the right track but its you to figure that out now, good
luck.'
That was the letter Understanding
left for me in his cell along with a book about the Occult and several drawings
of a hill, and a boat. The hill was a small grassy knoll that was on fire, you
could see a silhouette of a tree in the background. As the boat was a large
shipping freighter that was being tossed around in a big storm. Neither of
these things made any sense to me but I'm sure it meant a lot in
Understanding's eyes.
I closed the bible that was on my
lap that had Understanding's letter as a bookmark. It was now Summer time and
nothing has stood out to me at Prudence Benedict’s Chapel that was out of the
ordinary. Maybe I was wrong? Maybe I was just paranoid? It's always the moment
that when you loose all your hope is the exact moment everything becomes
clear.
'Its finally happening?' Said one
man.
'Yes.' Said the other. 'The same
night as the full moon. It begins at midnight but most of the congregation
won't be there till a few hours later, you know how it is.' I stood steadily
around the corner reading the letter again as others passed.
'I guess the sacrifice of Jethro's
wife and kids was worth it after all. It's good to finally see him at peace,
it's been a long time.'
'Only a few days longer. Then
everything will be complete.' The two people whispered to each other for a few
more minutes then left. I looked down to my calendar to see that the next full
moon was only a few days away; it was time to finish what was started.
___________________________________________________________
I camped outside an hour early and
foot traffic was at a medium. I snuck inside the church when it was only a few
minutes till everything started; luckily enough for me the last person to enter
through the door left it unlocked. Even though what they were doing was
dangerous to keep a door unlocked I also understood the secrecy that had taken
place so I would understand that they weren't on the highest of guard. I kept
my distance from the people who were inside, as they were getting ready for
their ceremony.
As several walked behind the front
pulpit and down some stairs, others gathered in front of the pulpit looking
through a large wooden box to put on white robes and white porcelain masks.
Behind the podium sat several mirrors lying on the floor and as I looked up and
around the walls I could see that thick curtains were over the windows and
ribbons decorated the walls. When the coast was clear I rushed to the box
myself and gathered myself a robe and mask. As long as the masks stayed on I
would remain in the clear so I began to walk down the steps as everything lit
up under candlelight.
I heard chanting in the basement as
I was heading down the steps and what started to be several voices in a whisper
turned to one voice that was addressing the crowd.
'Good to see that the turnout is
much more than we expected. I can only express my humble gratitude to everyone
who showed up. We are very well deserving to have such devoted followers.' It
was Jethro who was speaking to the crowd. I walked into the room to see at
least thirty people in front of the minister who was also wearing a mask. 'Come
in, come in!' Jethro pointed to me. 'Don’t be shy we thank you for showing up.'
He looked back down to the crowd and began talking again.
The basement looked as if any other
church basement would. Several boxes titled with different holidays were on the
walls around us. The floor and walls were made of concrete, as the ceiling was
the same wooden floor that was upstairs. I tuned back to Jethro. '—And if there
is anyone who is willing to leave right now, now is the time. We only need
twenty one people but more is okay so if you are unsure about what you are
about to do then please leave now.' Two people bumped shoulders with me as they
tried to get through the doorway as the rest stood their ground. 'There is no
shame in leaving. Some are not as ready as others but the ones who remain; you
will be exalted forever. It is now time to turn our time over to our leader.'
Jethro took a few steps back as Understanding took his place in the room. He
was wearing a black robe and no mask while carrying a tray in his hand.
'Now those of you who are ready
please take a drink and be seated as we say our parting words.' People moved in
a single file line to each take a drink as they sat in the seats around the
room. I was the last to approach him and he looked deep into my eyes. 'Thank
you for showing, your patronage will not be forgotten.' He couldn't have known
who I was but for some reason my heart dropped to the floor. I took my seat and
took a sip.
It had the likeness of blood. The
sour taste stung my tongue but I didn't wanted to be known. If I was found out
then I had to get out. This was just the beginning and if this was going to end
then I had to be nowhere in sight. Suddenly everything began to slow down and
Understanding started to talk again but I could only make out a few words of
what he was saying. Everything around me turned fuzzy and I thought 'could I
have been drugged?' It was stupid of me to take a drink at a cult meeting but
as Understanding came up to me and looked directly into my eyes he said soft
words to me.
'Its not what you think. This isn't
going to kill you, it will only help you see.' His smile grew across his face
and everything grew inproportionate. The walls began to fall down and everything
imploded around me. I looked back and forth to see the other members but
everything got so dark I could only see the hands in front of me. I brought my
hands up to my face and it appeared as if they were melting. I grew into a
panic and tried to get up but I noticed I was chained to the chair. I began to
scream but Understanding walked up to me and put his finger to my mouth.
'Shhhh. It will all be over in a second.' He brought up a giant needle to my
face. 'This. This is going to numb any pain you feel in the future, see you on
the other side.' Then stabbed it into my neck. I felt only a slight pinch and I
focused on the needle but when I tried to come to, I only slipped away.
___________________________________________________________
I woke up to find myself tied down to
a chair in a dark room. I tried to move myself around and I could feel the
chair wobble back and forth on its four legs. My legs were tied to those legs
and my arms were wrapped behind me. I attempted to speak but tape stuck to my
tongue as my mouth opened an eighth of an inch. The air smelt like flowers,
like I was in a big meadow but a draft came in from under me and I knew
immediately that wherever I was, I was secluded. Away from anyone I have ever
met and there was nothing I could do.
'Do you feel that? That tingling down
your spine? It's wet and cold and its only looking for a home.' It was
Understanding whispering quietly into my left ear. He brushed his lips against
my cheek as he turned to look behind him. I could tell his motions but I
couldn't see him I shook my head back and forth trying to see if I could see
any light but darkness prevailed through the deep. I felt—from whom I am
guessing—Understanding reach behind my head and then I felt it. He tightened
whatever was over my eyes then patted the top of my head.
'We will assemble together in the
midst of this hallowed night prepared to garrote the fiends who oppose us.'
Several chants followed Understanding, as the distance grew farther between him
and me. Speaking again in a louder tone. 'We will welcome our succubi in our
hearts as we suck from the marrow of our
enemies. Incipe iuventus et sacrificium faceret.' I heard
movement around me as feet shuffled along with the chants.
'We have all gathered here to bear
witness to the new beginning.' Another but lower voice spoke. 'The Sow they
call her The Wretched she calls you!' Murmuring of several people began; they
all sounded surprised in their speech. 'But you are no more Wretched than the
slime that grows inside of us. It keeps us warm and safe and you have assembled
our home and I appreciate that but it is now time for the beginning of the end.
To bring the harbinger back to his world so we can accept the skin of another.'
'I appreciate your kindness Elder but
it is not clear if The Sow will return here!' Said a third man. 'She has spoken
to me to bring her son back from The Dawn but a new key has come into play.
Something that can be even more effective than the return of The Sow. She tells
me of unfinished business through The Dawn and there are many more acts till
the end.'
'The Overseer is correct.' Said
Understanding. 'The Mother Sow is not finished with The Dawn and wishes to keep
the void open. Someone has to take her place but it must be someone far more in
tune with The Dawn. Someone raised under our care to claim the
birthright!' People cheered and chains rattled in the distance.
'Quiet!' Said The Overseer. 'It's
said then. We must raise one as our own and when we are ready The Sow will
return.' People began to cheer again—it could have been hundreds. So many
voices echoed through halls and reverberated into my ears.
'It is time!' Yelled another
man.
'You are in an dark alleyway,
darkness creeps around the corner and kisses you on the neck.' Sounded that
Understanding was reading a passage.
'You hear a man scream for help, you
walk to him, he dies before your eyes, he is only mortal. He falls down to the
ground with the scum of the ground!' Chanting echoed behind him in Latin. From
what I could make out, the speaker was telling a similar story in the other
tongue.
'The ground around his body turns
into a meadow, you can see and smell everything Mother Nature has given us but
it is only mortal. You set fire to the field and hang the man on the lone
tree on the soft hill on the horizon. The sky consumes all light and everything
turns into a shade of blue!' People started screaming, as the chants were
growing louder. I could tell Understanding was walking toward me because his
voice turned to face me.
'You are now on a boat. You see a man
and a woman are getting tossed by the sea on a piece of driftwood and you let
them stay on your boat but you find that they are only mortal like the scum on
the ground! Cock the pistol; pull the trigger, catch and release! You shoot the
woman first and approach the man! You need to devour his soul! You scream into
his ear, 7, 16, 6, 21, 14, she would be proud! Fire! End the man’s story! Take
his life. Lengthen yours! She is waiting for you! Black! Blue! Become
salvation! Make, her, proud!'
It was as if the gates of hell
opened. Sounds of ticking and rattling roared through the air as if some
massive machine was around me as liquid started to form around my feet. Yelling
and cursing came from every tongue in the room and it sounded as if they were
surrounding me. I grew uneasy and started to rock the chair back and forth
hoping something would break loose but it sounded as if the chair was bolted
into the ground.
A loud screech of metal against metal
and violent screams pierced through all the present sound and I felt liquid
rush down my face. I quickly determined what the source of it was and it was
from my nose and eyes. It drained down to my lips and when I was able to
acquire the taste the smell of blood ran through the air and the taste was the
same. I spit everything I could out of my mouth but it kept pouring more and
more down my face as the liquid around my feet was now at my ankles.
A quick push from behind me released
me from the chair and I fell head first into the liquid at my feet and it was
the same of what was already in my mouth. I spit out everything that I could
but before I made another move, all sound stopped. I scrambled to my feet
brushing off my face to get anything wet off my face as I attempted to listen
to anything happening but all I heard was flowing water. A slight crash rung
out in the distance and I thought 'The ocean?' I never spent my time to listen
to the waves before but I am now for an assurity that what I was hearing was
the crashing waves by the coast. I began to take off the blindfold as I reached
behind my head but I realized that it was already taken off.
I felt the gaping holes of where my
eyes once were and they were gone. Darkness was all I could see and that's how
I'll live the rest of my life. I tried to cry because of my newfound lack of
sight but no tears were granted to my face. Thick blood rolled down my cheeks
and I could only think that this was the end. I imagined what could be in front
of me and I saw a red door at the end of the hall that I was in. I began to
push forward but the currents grew and pushed me to and fro.
I don't know why I imagined a door at
the end if the hall if anything I was pushing myself further into the ocean but
as I reached out to touch the doorknob I actually grasped one in front of me. I
was hysterical for a moment, joy overcame my heart as if I could see
regardless of my eyes but I had to pull myself together because I wasn't out of
anything just yet. I began to turn the handle as the waves started to push
behind me so I propped myself up with the doorway. From the second I began
to crack the door I saw a bright light on the other side but the waves pushed
me forward into the room as the door swung open violently.
It was actuality. I knew there was
light in front of me. It was a room that seemed to be brighter than the sun but
I knew for a fact that it was bright in this room. I could feel it through my
bones and it appeared like it in my imagination till I then put my hands in
front of my eyes and there they were? I felt my face again and my eyes
returned! I looked down to my clothes and I was in bright white linens as if I
was born again then two men appeared before me. I was overcome with joy in my
heart and I thought was I in heaven? Before I was able to say anything their
faces began to clear up and there was a woman behind them.
She smiled toward me and then her
eyes. They were fixed on my body and it felt like I was being stabbed
repeatedly. I fell down to my knees in anguish as she watched my every movement
and that gaze! It brought back that screeching of metal and man. A tone so much
sharper than any sound imaginable and then I knew it. I was not dead but
somewhere else but when everything is said and done I would rather scratch out
my own eyes and listen to that ear searing screech for the rest of my life than
to see that gaze again because of that, that gaze may just be sharper than any
sound imaginable.
Remember me
