The Child

As you grab a plank of wood, more oozing bodies crawl toward you. You notice there is fresh blood on your hand, though you hadn't been touched. There was a nail sticking out of the wood and it stabbed you.

The child you saw first stops and sniffs the air. She licks her dry cracked lips. She raises an arm and pats her blood ridden hair, trying to make herself presentable. "Sir, I see you have cut yourself." She sounds timid and respectful. Her voice makes the other bodies halt. She gives a little smile and continues, "I know a doctor who can patch that up for you. Just take my hand." She holds out her arm. Her thumb is bent back and her ring finger and pinkie hang limp from her palm, like dead fish. You see that the arm is covered in green and blue bruises and large scabs oozing with clumpy yellow pus.

You take a shaky step back, knocking over a can.

"Sir, you really want to come with me." Her creepy smile is back. "My friends don't enjoy seeing others in pain. The doctor will help. He destroys pain."

"I, I have somewhere else to be. I'm sorry. It doesn't hurt, honest, just a tiny scratch" The lights begin flickering. You look at the ceiling and see fuzzy black mold spreading across the tiles. Tiny tentacles start sprouting, feeling the air. They seem to be searching for something.

"Are you sure you cannot come? You will enjoy it. Well, maybe not during the procedure, but after, you will understand that pain is a weakness, and all weaknesses must be eliminated, for the continuation of the human race." Her smile grew to show her teeth, but it did not reach her eyes. They remained cold. You realize what a strange color they are, fiery gold in the center and gray around the edges, like lightning during a storm. They glowed with an eerie light that illuminated emotions, thoughts, and secrets. As you stare into her eyes you feel naked, everything you have ever said or thought is exposed before this malevolent beaten child. Her eyes out shine the flickering lights, showing every piece of dirt on the floor.

"I'm sure, I am forced to decline your invitation." Your mouth is suddenly parched of all water and the wood falls to the floor with a loud smack. The other bodies turn their misshapen heads toward the sound, in unison.

"The doctor will not be pleased with your denial." She shakes her head in false gloominess. "But, you should be warned," the masses start to groan and twitch again, "we cannot accept your answer. You must come, it is your decision to come on your own free will, or by force. But since you have declined to come on your own, we must help you." Her smile returns, larger than ever and full of malice.

The bodies fall toward you and there is a tap on your shoulder. You look and see that the tentacles have grown and are blocking your escape. You spy a door at the other end of the hall, but it may be too far.