Nine Keys

         "Goddammit" he muttered, dropping the keys from his trembling hands onto the cellar floor. It was too dark to see anything but a mild glistening on the cement, wet from the glistening pipe's years of dripping. He lowered himself, feeling the cold moisture soak through to his knees.  "Fuck, fuck, fuck" They slid about as he scrambled frantically, feeling for the little key ring, smearing his hands with the muddy condensation.

Drip...

         They fell like they always had.

Drip...

         He found them, and raising himself, rested his bruised body against the wooden door. Ten keys, Twenty keys? "Fuck th... which... I need to just fucking," Drip "I need to just, I, jus..." Drip... "Stop. Stop it." His trembling hand raised a shaking key up to the keyhole, poking and scraping the surrounding of the lock. Needles shot through his arm just pressing the key around the door, "Get in the fucking hole, get in the fucking hole" Drip... " Finally he felt it, the key sinking in place, but his excited twist only pained his arm more. Wrong key. Drip. "Goddammit," he said as he switched keys, carefully choosing the next on the ring, careful of harming the broken pinkie on his left hand. The sound of footsteps pattered above.

         "HELP!" he screamed hoarsely, as he had done for days. His lingering headache pressed into his temple, intensified by his own scream. "Fuck this, I c... I..." He muttered as he raised the second key. "Fuck." Drip... He raised the third, or was it the first again? God, he was hungry, it had been days since he had eaten anything real. Or something hot to drink, to sooth his throat.

Drip...

         "Why can't they hear me, why... can't... HEEELP!!" He heaved after the word escaped his cracked lips, the taste of bile filling his mouth. He heaved again,Drip, and leaned himself against the door, out of breath.

          He looked down at the keys, sitting in his open hand. "Fuck," he jumped, as he realized he had almost fallen asleep. "Not now, not now man, you're so close." Drip... "You're so fucking close." Three keys. Four keys. Far away drips echoed through the cellar, faintly, in a beautiful way. Harmoniously. In rhythm with his pounding heart. Sweat dripped down his face, and a bead slipped into his eye.

Drip...

"Fuck" He raised his hand, smearing the mud onto his face, grinding his palm into his burning eye socket. Too hard. His head pounded now with his heart as well. Drip. "I'm so fucking hungry," Did he say it, or think it? Seven keys. Eight keys. "I'm so fucking close, don't... don't..."

Drip...

          The drips sounded louder, and closer? His foot slipped, causing him to fall onto his left hand. "FUUUCK," he erupted, "FUCK, oh my... ow I, ow.. ow" he raised his snapped pinky in front of him, as if he could see it, holding his throbbing appendage with his right hand. Sobbing. Whimpering. "The keys" Drip. " The fucking keys." Drip... "I can't keep... I... Please help me... Drip. "Please," Drip. A surge of acid filled his stomach. A man's functions will not be ignored, his hunger cared not for his other pains. He felt dizzy. "I must keep going" Drip. "Don't stop" Drip. "You're so close"

Drip...

         He groped the floor with his good hand, feeling for the keys. He had hit his head on the door as well, and a stream of blood ran down his forehead. Drip. He felt the keys, but only pushed them further as he reached out. He laid down onto his right side, reaching, head pounding. Drip. A drop of water hit his face. Drip "Fucking, f... Goddammit." He could no long feel the keys, they had been pushed too far. Drip. What had been pushed too far? The sound of footsteps could be heard again. How long had it been? Ten minutes, twenty minutes? Drip His pinkie throbbed. He was drunk from pain.

Drip...

         "I'm so tired, I'm..." Drip. "I just nee... I just, I, jus... I need.." Drip. His blood dripped now, next to his ear, his head resting on the cool, dirty floor. Drip. "I just need to lie down, and... and remember," Drip. " Where I am." Footsteps. " I am reaching for the..." Drip " I am reaching..." Drip. His head pounded. "I can't remember, wh..." Drip. "God..." He sighed "...dammit"