He sits in the shadows, staring. Nine screens glow before him. He waits. His patience is eternal now as it was in the beginning. Now everything is in its place. He has missed nothing. Years and years and years of planning. Plans on top of plans. Finally now, that special day has at last come.

 

 

RAW MEAT

*

         

It was the pain which woke Will. Awaking from one nightmare, entering another. Beads of sweat rolled across his back. He was hot and having difficulty controlling his breathing. He felt as though he were hovering in a gentle circular motion, which only exasperated the increasing pain in his legs. He arched his back tightly, trying to fight against the confinement, but there was no use. He could feel the moisture draining from his body. His hair was wet and there was a dank, nauseating stench of decay of which Will felt encased completely inside. He gagged and was frequently forced to spit. He screamed out. His cries reverberated back to him, rippling through his soaked pores sending his body into uncontrolled spasm. He yelled again and his time forced his groggy eye lids up with some great effort, finding himself facing a dirty, white, red stained tile floor from a vertical height of five feet. He was shirtless and barefoot with jeans and his hands were tightly bound behind him.

 

Forcing his neck upward, Will was able to look up and see the real trouble he was really in. Around his waist was securely fastened a thick, beige, leather band. Four taughtly braided ropes forced, forcing his balance, disappeared  at angles into the inky blackness above. There were blood stains on his jeans at the knees. Several beads of blood mixed with sweat were creeping up his legs.

The strain on his neck was too much and Will rocked back in a defiant groan. He closed his eyes tightly, struggling to control his breathing and ignore the spinning in his head.

He was facing a long, sheet tiled walkway with several square support columns on either side. Dangling from sturdy rods were a variety of strong, single and multi-pronged butchers hooks. It hadn’t been just the wringing in his ears.

Will coughed. Keeping calm was buying him time, but precious little. He was hot and cold and felt as though he were drowning in in his own sweat. His wrists were tightly bound and his hands were taped tight. After a time, he relented to the pain and stress of struggle. His pain was slowly building into anger. “Help!”

“Help your fucking self!”

The angry male voice banged through his core. Will stiffened. It was a pang of hope is a stew of wanton fear. He whipped his head back and forth, desperate to see the source, but could see only smoking, bending shadows in an inky blue haze. “Please!” He gasped for a fuller breath. “Please help me!”

“You’re moving around too much! If you start to hyperventilate you could lose consciousness in minuets. As much as I’d love to help you, my position is just about as bad as yours. I’m not wounded. I can see you are. Any idea-how that happened, or how long you’ve been here?”

“I’m not answering any of your damn questions! You tell me what the fuck is going on!”

Laughing echoed across the dingy, dirty, blood stained room. Will grimaced. “What is so – goddamn funny!”

Silence. Only the raging, hammering of his heart in his head. Sweat was in his eyes now and they were stinging badly. He whipped his head all around, mostly in vein.

“We are upside-fucking down! It is all-the-world funny you think I can help you!”

 

“You-you’re trapped like me?”

“Yes.”

“What in the fuck is going on! How did we get here?”

“How the fuck should know. I came out of my coma five minuets ago, only I haven’t been wasting all of my energy acting like a caged animal.”

“Hey fuck you man my legs are bleeding and I can’t remember shit!”

“Do you remember your name? Huh! Start there.”

“Yeah I know my damn name. It’s Will. I’m having a lot of trouble breathing and I can hardly-breath.”

“It’s your equilibrium. God only knows how long we’ve been like this. You have to control your breathing. Take deep regular breaths. Clear your mind. Think about, climbing a mountain.”

Will eyes had been closed for a while. It was little comfort from the cricking throes of his legs. His body was stiff and his head was full of marbles. What is your name?”

“Its Alan. My name is Alan.

“I think-we are going to die here Alan. I can think of better ways, but none more novel.”

“Well-we might die here, that is a possibility, but not like this! Not hanging upside-down like the mornings raw meat!”

“Yeah? What’s your plan?”

“I’m working on it. The rope around my wrists, I am nearly free.”

Soon enough, Alan had slipped his bond. Now the tape was nothing. He flung it away and craned his arms down and let them hang. It was an amazing sensation. Alan took a deep breath and tried to gather himself. He knew this was it. He had enough strength for one try. His joints were very stiff and his bones ached. He bent his arms back, gripped two of the ropes tightly and began the arduous process of pulling himself up.

Will could hear the man struggling. It was making him even more nervous. He was dizzy and wanted to be sick. “Whatever you are doing, you better make it quick. I’m about ready to throw-up.”

“That is-the last thing-you want to do. If you vomit in that position you’ll choke to death on your own shit! It’s alright-I’m almost there!”

Upright, Alans senses began to improve. He took several deep breaths. He was shirtless and barefoot and groggy and sore. His light beige kakis were dirty and tattered. Perhaps an altercation he could not remember. He looked to his left, over a long, rectangular structure with a grated top a couple inches lower than the sorting pools edge. The grating was bent at odd angles, blood stained and rusted. There were bones scattered throughout it. Alan could tell they were not human. He could see his fellow captive clearly now through the chalky, pale blue fog. Dark brown hair, average build. Shirtless and barefoot as well and bleeding from around the knees. “I’m right-side-up now, but these ropes are securely fastened to our harnesses. There’s some kind of lever or switch  on the back of my belt, but these things are really fucking tight. I can’t get a good look at it like this. If I flip back around we probably will die right here.” Alan took an unsure look upward into inky oblivion. At lest now he could wipe the sweat from his face, even that was something. “I’m going to have to climb up and see if there is another way.”

“Just hurry fucking up man, I’m dying here.”

The rope bands were braided, making it easier for Alan to maintain his grip whilst shifting his weight side to side. It was an arduous task, however the pendulum action was hastening his assent into the darkness.

Will hung in motionless silence. His thoughts wondered randomly. A myriad of images danced afore his minds eye. He saw his ex-wife. Even she  was appealing to him now. Then he was with friends and there was laughing. Then suddenly there were hands around his neck and he was struggling for breath. Hot tight leather squeezing tighter and tighter. He tried to fight, but it was already too late. Now everything was dark.

Alan let go. Cold brittle tile cracked under his feet. The rope hooks clanked down around him, a decrepit Doctor O. He was finally free and able to remove his harness, which snapped open and fell fast to his feet. Even that hurt. “Damn.” After taking several moments to gather himself, Alan made his way over to the wounded man. He’d heard nothing from him. He touched the mans head. It was sopping wet. He flicked his right ear hard the and the man jolted awake with a groan. “Fuck!”

“Oh good, you’re not dead.”

Wills throat was barren as a desert. His tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He loosened it with a pop. He could barely bring his head up to look at the man, his eyes were too blurry to see much of anything. He could smell the man standing next to him and feel his hot breath on his face. “You-you got out of it. Get-me-get me out of this shit!”

Alan was tired. He took a deep breath, Still only partially believing he’d actually made it this far. He gripped the mans front two support ropes. Partially for support. He walked around the man to get a better look at his band. The mechanism was identical. He looked desperately up into the perpetual void. There was light from somewhere, far away it seemed. It came down in an inky haze .

“What the fuck are you waiting for?”

“There’s a release latch here on your harness, but it needs two hands. Let me get this fucking tape and shit off you.” It took some doing. Alans hands were wet and stiff. There, now I know that’s better.”

“Oh my god that is heaven! My fucking legs hurt so bad.”

“Listen these harnesses are spring loaded. You’re going to fall right out of it when I do this. Do you think you can hold yourself up while I do this?”

“Fuck. Sure.”

“Take a deep breath and hold it.” 1-2-3.” Alan squeezed the ends of the device together. There was a sharp click Wills harness widened instantly and he was really not ready. His hands slipped down and his lower body pitched forward. He writhed in agony as Alan struggled to pull him back before he let go and a moment longer he did. Alan had him, but he’d flipped completely over and was completely unconscious once Alan had gotten him turned around and slid out of the belt. He rested the man on his back, then he sat down and rested his head between his legs.

The blood stains on the mans legs were continuing to grow. Something would have to be done if he were not just to lye here and bleed to death.

“Listen man there’s something about myself I didn’t tell you. I’m a second year nurse. You’re no good to me if you die here and I don’t know of there’s even anything I can do for you unless I have a good look, so try not to take this personally.”

It was wrong and disturbing what had been done to the man. Alan had neither seen nor read about anything like this. Both of the mans femur bones had been splintered at the knee and not set and this was not the result of some struggle.

“What the fuck is going on here.” Alan redressed the man without disturbing him. He stood and stared blankly around in the inky haze. He set off down the main walkway, between rows of crumbling columns and long dried blood pools. The air was stale and his joints stiffened in cold shutters from the cracking, uneven floor. “Hello! Where the fuck are you, huh? Is this what you do!”

He made it to the other end of the room and looked back. He could not see the man. This was a large butchery, but he had never heard of this place, but who was he kidding. He could be anywhere! His heart was pounding as though he’s just run a marathon. Every swallow of saliva stuck throat. His breathing was very dry. Turing his attention back to the wall he saw that one solid length of some material, not tiled like the rest of the room and there were two round holes  manufactured into it spaced ten feet or so apart. Alan went to one of them and examined it carefully. There were vertical creases at the mid point of the holes. He put his ear to the wall. It was the sound of the sea, an echo of an echo. He pounded on the door. “Bastard! You’re afraid to open the fucking door because you know I want to break your face!”

He spun around in frustration and leaned heavily against the wall. That is when he saw it. The third column off to the right seemed to have something hanging off of it, bulky looking and darker in color. Alan went quickly over and found it to be an old army sack suspended by a thick nail. The bag was pulled tight and he resisted the urge to stick an arm in. “Remember how you woke up.” The head of the nail would not pass the nots in the rope, but he was able to work the nail out, but the bag had some weight to it and he had to lift it to his knee. “This is all about wasting my time.” The nail finally gave. He rested the bag on the floor, removed the nail and spread open the bag.

The cloth sack contained a variety of items. Just the bare essentials. Everything a person needed to survive the trappings of a crazed, lunatic, mad man. Three large bottles of water, one of which he attacked and nearly completely downed in that instant. The lukewarm liquid was sweet daggers of pain down his ruff exasperated throat. He coughed and convulsed. It was the best water he’d ever tasted. He forced himself to pull the bottle away and sat against the column, just in the enjoyment of that. Next he produced several rolls of bandages, adhesive tape and a bind of wooden sticks. Next came a medium size first aid kit. He popped it open and was moderately impressed. It wasn’t empty, or a bomb, or a body part, or a cell phone. He set everything between his legs. At the bottom of the sack Alan retrieved two cylindrical, bronze colored bolts with handles. Each had similar marks and indentations. He snapped up, slightly energized by the water and his anger was steadily increasing. He clanked the bolts together as he walked back to the door. “So this is what the fuck we do huh?” Play games! Open doors, walk through walls! Bullshit! You know, you really fucked up this mans legs. Maybe you don’t give a shit about that, but we’re going to come back over here, open this door and kick your chicken shit ass!”

Having regained continuousness, Will had managed to scoot  himself over to one of the pools. He rested himself against it. The tile felt good against his hot back. His system was drained, however he was continuing to regulate. He was seeing better and his thinking bad begun to clear, but he was still groggy and there were painful gaps in his memory.

His legs were fast become a major problem. They hurt even to touch. The pain drilled through him. He was weak, hot and going nowhere in this condition. It winced and growled loudly. It was the most alone he’d ever felt. “Alan! You bastard, where did you go!”

“I’m right here man, don’t worry and stop yelling, I’m pretty sure we’re being watched.” Alan sat next to the man and set the sack to his free side. He pulled a full bottle out and handed it to Will. “ Here, suck on this, but take it easy it’s all there fucking is.”

“Oh Jesus Christ!” Will swallowed hard, gasping for breath. He squeezed every last drop into his mouth, squeezed the plastic into a ball and threw it into the dark. “What are you talking about?”

“Survival.”

“You think we are going to survive this shit? I can’t even fucking walk man! I think I left my survival instinct at home.”

“Listen man, I’m a second year nurse. I told you after I got you down, but you went to sleep on me. I checked out your legs and it’s pretty fucked up, but it would seem that our captor did intend for us to walk out of here after all, or at lest out of this blood bath.”

Will summoned a laugh. Even gallows humor was appealing to him now. “You’re a fucking nurse. Well that’s just perfect then isn’t it? Well doc seeing how the prognosis is a bunch of fuck, I don’t see how we are going to be walking out of anywhere. Looks like you’ll have to carry me.” He laughed again through a sputtering, spitting cough he’d been fighting.

“Yeah, no such luck.” Alan produced the bandages, tape and sticks, then the kit which he opened. He moved in front of the man. “Listen to me Will, this is very serious. Some fucking animal has split your bones below the knee, badly. You cannot walk In this condition and you are losing blood.”

“You found all that shit in that bag? Bullshit. I passed out. That’s what you were waiting for.” Will was breathing more heavily again. “I don’t trust you.”

“Listen to yourself, and I don’t care weather you trust me or not. I am stuck in this fucking room with you because some fuck has decided to play this stupid game! Now there is a door at the other end of this damn room with two holes in it.” Alan grabbed the bolts and clanked them together in front of Will, close enough to make his point, then he dropped them back in. The holes are too far apart. I’ll bet you $100 that these keys need to be turned at the same.”

“Sounds simple enough.”

“Yeah that part. Here’s the part that isn’t. The only way we are getting out of here is if I properly set and wrap your legs. I know how to do it, but even then walking will be difficult and painful. You will need to take it slow and bend your knees as little as you can. Do you want to die here surrounded by all of this-this shit? Huh! I don’t, but I need your help. Will you let me help you?”

Will relented. He pushed hard against the tile. “I’m pretty well adjusted. How bad is this going to be?”

“Just the worst pain you have ever experienced in your life, twice. But, after a while, it won’t feel as bad. You just have to take it slow. Now, I have to cut your jeans some. This is easier than you having to take your pants off if I have to take another look.”

“Super.”

From the kit, Alan acquired a scissors and proceeded to slit the wounded mans jeans.

Will breathed hard through clenched teeth. “Know what the fuck you are doing.”

“Just relax. Be still.”

“Ahhhhhh!”

“Shit man, sorry. But that was good, you too that like a champ. I’m almost finished with this one. I think you can take the rest.”

“Come on! Come with it!”

There was a second grinding, cracking, crunch. Wills eyes rolled back as the numbing jolt smashed across his nerves, but then it was gone. He opened his eyes again, seeing Alan continuing to expertly wrap his wounds in some tight weave. He would kill for more water. Walk a thousand miles, or crawl.

“There.” Alan fell back on his hands. “That’s the best I can do. He rested for a moment, another two or three would make little difference. He just wanted to sleep and go away. He stood and returned the items to the sack, closed it and slung it over his left shoulder. He held out his hand for Will.

“Are you sure we’re ready for this?”

“Help me.”

Slowly, one step at a time, they made it to the door. Alan helped Will over to the right side hole. He set the bag between them, fished the keys and gave one to him. Alan went over to the other hole. They stuck them in the slots and turned them together.

A dull thud trembled the frigid, fragile beneath their bare feet, then a loud clanking, wrenching sound reverberated from the wall and the creased portion began to rise slowly. It squeaked to a halt near the top. On the other side was a short, wide fairly well lit hallway with gray walls and a sharp bend to the left. The air was dank and stiff and hotter.

Alan grinned wryly as he stepped through. “See, I told you.”

“Yeah. Out of this fucking frying pan!”

 

 

LADY IN WAITING

**

The door slammed forever closed strait across Wills back, its force pushing him forward. He spun around and pounded at, cursing the invisible force that had so expertly trapped them here. “Fuck!” He looked back at Alan who’s eyes were just as wide. Will stepped cautiously forward. “Look. See that?”

Alan turned, following the mans outstretched finger to right end corner of the hall. He went on to investigate, passing another longer corridor on his left. “It’s a camera. Wireless. Looks brand new.”

Will shimmied over to the intersection, just behind the man. “Well, we’re pretty much fucked.” He went closer to the cam. He branded a fist and shook it wildly. “I hope there is some goddamned point to all of this!” He gasped on the last words and went to the wall for a break.

“You get your breath. I’m going to continue on. Hurry up!”

Will gave a weak wave. “Just go.” He pealed another layer of sweat from his face with an arm. “Fuck.”

The adjoining hall was aprox. 50 feet in length and lit by a hazy glow from somewhere high above, at the end of which to Alans right was a wide lift door with metal handles. Coming out from the bottom was a tightly packed trail of some greyish-black powder, at the end of which sat a shiny silver zippo lighter. It was opened.

Alan took a knee. He poked the lighter. He took a bit of the substance between his thumb and middle finger and gave it a wif. Bitter and old.

“What the fuck is it?” Will was making his way down the hall, using the wall for support. He’d nearly made it to the door. He was sweating badly and tiring.

Alan looked up. “Something that burns.”

“Well, fire it up!”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should try and get this door open first.”

“Are you sure this door isn’t supposed to blow up?”

Alan sighed loudly. “Fairly certain. Look at the handles. Brand new, and look at these walls how smooth they are. It’s too perfect.” He set the bag aside and the men took their positions. The handles were thin and flat. They dug into their palms. It was a stupid heavy door which neither of them could have managed alone. It creaked and groaned the whole way. At eye level it caught on some mechanism and retracted out of sight. The modest light in the hall supplied no illumination into the adjoining, vacant void.

Will fell back against the wall. “Maye this asshole is some crazy endurance trainer. All of this lifting and walking and flipping around.” He drew haphazard circles in the air.

Alan pressed his fists into the sides of his back and rolled his head side to side. He was sore and disgusted. Everything hurt. It hurt to think. “Yeah maybe. Maybe he’s –

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Alans blood turned to ice. He was frozen. Unable to move, even blink, even to release breath into the darkness ahead. The piercing scream reverberated within him, a dozen chains clanging against his head. He managed to turn his head at Will who was just as shocked and pale.

“Please! I can see you! Why are you doing this! Ahhhhh!”

Alan was aghast. His mouth opened slowly, but no words formed. Will kept on eye on the nurse as he leaned into the dark. “Who the fuck are you!”

Alan gritted his teeth ad exhaled loudly. “Jesus man there isn’t one drop of couth in you is there.”

“Brenda! My name is goddamn Brenda!”

The wounded man labored closer to Alan, his eyes sunken and narrowing. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“Man come on.”

Will stepped to within inches of the man. “No, I want you to say that shit again. Couth! Is that what this is about now huh!?

“Man-

“You want to fuck Brenda!” Will pointed wildly at the dark. “Who in the fuck do you think that bitch is!”

Their noses were nearly touching.

“Get the fuck over there.”

“What if I don’t?”

I will kick you in the knees and drag your crippled, bleeding ass over to the wall and slam you against it!

The woman wailed franticly again. “Please! God it hurts! I can’t move!”

Will relented, he was in neither the position nor physical condition for a fight. His blood was hot and a rage was swelling, but he held back. He stepped back, looking at the disappearing trail. “I suppose we’ll know pretty quick if we set her on fire huh.”

Keeping his eyes narrowly fixed on the man, Alan knelt and took the lighter. “Don’t worry, I’ll use the rest of the water to put her out.” He laughed. It felt good.

“The hell you will!”

She screamed again.

“Shut up!” Will yelled back.

“Fuck both of you! Why are you doing this!”

“Well here goes nothing.” Alan snapped the wheel sparking a low pale flame. He touched it to the end of the trail which caught immediately in a hot white flash. The line of fire rushed the darkness. Unfurling shades of eerie green and blue, the torch cut in two opposing directions then cut again and again. The fire was alive, climbing the walls and burning brighter and hotter and producing a stiff pungent odor.

“Please! No! It’s so hot!”

Alan stood slowly, speechless, lost in stunned bewilderment. A tinge of terror creped along his spine. This was worse than any nightmare. This was somones sick twisted game. “You’ve got to be fickin’ kidding.”

They could see the woman clearly now. She was quite beautiful, even in her present condition. She had long, dark red hair, pale green eyes and was wearing a mid-length red dress. She was strapped tightly into a black leather chest harness which was suspended between two crescent shaped steel beams with several thin rods. Her arms and legs were splayed in clearly uncomfortable position. The support rods suspended her above a two tiered platform with a deep grove running length wise. The fire had circled and crossed over it.

Alan was in frozen panic. He needed to do something, but exactly what? “The whole fucking room Is burning!”

“What the fuck are we supposed to do?”

“Shit.”

The men entered slowly, unwillingly. What else could they do? They approached the raiser, but the fire kept them back, as well as the smoke which was causing them all to cough and squint, but they were able to get a better look at the specific nature of her entrapment. It was clearly intended she remain as motionless as possible. Evenly spaced,  thin, shiny, silver rods penetrated the sided of her body from head to toe. These rode were held taught by dark wires which connected also to the crescents.

“Please! Please, you’ve gotta’ fucking help me!”

Will threw up his hands. Yeah, just as soon as we figure out how to do that. Trust me, my friend here really wants to save you!”

“Fuck off. Will you please just stop talking and let me think for two damn seconds.”

Now the room was just hot and getting hotter. It was worse for Brenda. The flames across the top of the platform were fraying the bottom edge of her dress and it was beginning to smoke. She was sweating profusely and her breathing had become increasingly erratic. She could see the men below staring at her, but between the whipping of the flames, smoke and thumping of her heart in her head she could not hear what they were saying. She saw them separate and disappear from her limited, unmovable view. “Nooooo! You bastards!”

It was a large room with solid concrete walls. On the far wall, behind the girl was a door with a huge locking mechanism across its center lengthwise. Even the mens combined efforts could not budge it.

Will let go of the handle and wiped his forehead. “ Well at lest we know there is some way out of this hot box.”

Alan was looking back at the girl and at the circular look of tightly braided steel which hung dead center of her lengthwise. She hovered inside of it like a crucified fallen angel. The loop was held in place by a additional steel wires which disappeared into smoky blackness. “Something is seriously wrong here. That loop. What the hell do you suppose it’s for.”

“No clue. Why don’t you climb up there and pull on it. See what happens.”

“Be friggin’ serious.”

“You want me to get serious! Huh! We’re burning enough calories just fucking standing here to feed the three of us and of the fire doesn’t kill us this smoke will. We’ve looked around and there’s nothing! I mean, what the fuck is she doing here? Who could even do something like this to a person? I bet she knows something. I’m going to stay right here and drink this little bit of water. You do what the fuck you want. My legs are killing me.”

Alans wrap was still holding, however he could see blood. He would have to redress the mans wounds sooner than later, but he kept this to himself. He was confident his work would hold, provided Will did not overly exert himself. He could see the gnawing agony in his face and the primal rage which was probably the only thing keeping him going at this point.

Alan was afraid. Afraid of what was behind that next door. Afraid they still had a long way to go. Maybe Brenda was the key, or maybe another test, or just a distraction. In any event he wanted answers and unfortunately Will was right. He would have to go up there to any. He drew a long breath and coughed part of it out. “Alright. Look. You stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Will gave a casual nod. He wasn’t going anywhere.

Alan made his way back around the raised, square platform, jumping over the line of fire time as apposed to having to half carry Will. The ledge separating the smaller platform from the larger was thin, but with some effort he was able to pull himself up and get hold of the upper edge and find support enough for his feet. He had enough strength for one good pull. He shot up and landed firmly on the top platform on his knees. “Damn!” He steadied himself and stood slowly. The streaks of fire were hot against his bare skin and the platform was nearly intolerable warm. He startled Brenda and she gave a shriek which jolted Alan and he nearly toppled over. “Jesus woman, you need to try to relax. I know this is shitty, but we didn’t do this to you I promise. Okay? He ran his hand along the curve of the left beam and along the tense wires leading to the rods set into Brendas soft, delicate body. She was beautiful, even like this. Alan vowed he’d not let her die here. Somehow, he would get her out of this. He would do whatever it took.

They were making eye contact now. Neither could say a word. Flames crackled around them, playing maddening shadows across their wet faces. A diabolical, impossible mad house.

Brenda couldn’t stand it any longer. She pleaded for his help. He could be the enemy for all she knew, but it was all she could do.

Alan put up a hand, trying to reassure her. It wasn’t much good. She was very shaken and tightly secured in a most insanely delicate rig. She was not going anywhere. It would be impossible for him to remove the rods from her body and even if he somehow could, the more difficult ones, particularly the ones on her head, he could not reach. Her harness was smooth and firm. He wanted to maneuver behind her to get a better look at the locking mechanism he’d seen from below. He crouched and slid between her legs. He stood again behind her and turned. Looking up he could see that the harness would probably be easy enough to release her, but again he could barely reach the lowest fasten. As he pondered his next move he noticed that the fire in the room had begun to subside. The darkness was beginning to creep back.

Brenda cried out. “Please! Where did you go! Who are you?”

“It’s alright. I’m behind you. You’re strapped in here pretty tight. I can’t reach the belts. My name is Alan. I’m sorry. I know you are in pain and want answers. Trust me, we all do. His name is Will. We woke up here just as fucked as you, well, maybe not quite line this. It doesn’t matter. What’s important is we found you, right?”

“I can’t fucking move! It hurts really bad! What is fucking going on?”

“I wish I knew Brenda. I really do. Look, this fire is burning its self out. If I can’t see, I can’t do anything. Just try and relax. I’m taking a closer look at this-this contraption you’re in.”

“But how did I get here? God my head hurts. Why can’t I move my head?”

Alan was hesitant to explain the dire extent of her predicament. Mostly it was bad news. The structure was solid and the wires were taught. As long as she was up in the air there was no way he could get her and there was no chance of getting Will up here and especially in the time left before they were again incased in blackness. He resolved to climb down. It was now or never. As careful as he was trying to be he feet were wet and he slipped. The only thing that may have saved him would have been to grab one of the wires, but doing so would have caused Brenda serious injury and perhaps kill her, so he resisted. He spun twice quickly on his left heel and pitched forward over the edge. In one last desperate act Alan stretched out his hands. He caught the loop with both, but his momentum made it impossible to maintain balance and his hands were slick with perspiration. They slid down the loops ridged, prickly curve. His skin was no match for the steel.’Fuuuuuk! Ahhhhhh!”           

“No!” Brenda screamed in reaction to his struggle.

The loop gave almost nothing under his weight. It cut through his hands like a knife through butter and he drank his own blood. It was in his eyes and across his face. He struggled to hold on, but it was impossible. At the lower point he let go and vanished into the smoke and fading flames. His heels smacked the floor and he pitched immediately backward, streaking along his back. His head clanked the concrete. “Ahhhh. He spit blood. “Fuck!” The cold of the floor coursed through his veins. He managed to get to his knees. His palms were sliced in jagged patterns and were bleeding quite badly. He winced and looked away. The pain and horror were too much. He cried out.

Will had slumped down against the door. He’d almost passed out, but Alans agonizing cries jolted him back to life. He saw the man several feet in front of him now on his knees. Blood was everywhere. He glanced up. “Holy shit!” He shimmied up the door and went to Alan who was crying and trying to wipe the blood from his eyes. “Jesus Christ man what happened? What can I do?”

“Get the fucking bag! The kit!”

“Fuck!”

Alan pressed his palms together tightly and squeezed them between his thighs. His beige kakis were now nearly completely stained. Will returned momentarily and quickly removed the bandages, tape and aid kit which did contain a small bottle of alcohol. He’d used some on Wills legs. The rest would have to be used now. He gritted his teeth.

“What the fuck do I do man?”

“Open the kit. Open that bottle.” He opened his palms before Will. “Do it fast! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Sorry man.”

“Fuck! God! Just use the wrap. Make it tight!”

As Will finished the operation the floor began to tremble beneath them. A dreadful, wicked, groaning howl echoed from the walls. It was a chilling sound which vibrated through their cores. “Great! Now the whole fucking room is going to explode.

Now the men had to help each other stand. It was the first time the really trusted each other.

A rectangular portion of the floor to Brendas left and right slid away and stiff, curved wooden chairs rose up with wooden handles at their sided. They clanked quickly into place. On the wall behind her, higher up above the door, two rectangle sections lowered to revel metal poles set inside lit partitions. Between them, another panel dropped to reveal a large digital timer with thick crimson digits. It was set for 9 minuets.

“You bastards! You motherfuckers!”

Alan walked over to the right side chair. The wood was smooth and dark. The chairs faced the timer. “What the hell.”

Will brushed another line of sweat form his brow. “If this fucker thinks I’m going to sit in one of these things I’m calling him out on his bullshit. I’ll stand. I don’t care how much pain I’m in.

Alan looked back. “Shut up. Wait just a minuet. Do you hear that?”

“What are you fuckers doing. Comeon! Hurry up it’s getting dark!

Will grinned wryly. “Yeah I hear that shit.”

“No. It-it sounds like-bees.” It was the strangest sound Alan had ever heard and it continued to grow from a low hum to an ear piercing, groaning cry. The look of steel began to turn.

Will stepped back, his eyes wide as saucers. “Oh my fucking god.”

The loop continued to accelerate. Brenda could feel the whipping air on her face as it whirled to life before her eyes which were frozen in panic. “What the fuck! Nooooooooooooo!!”

 

 

THE SEVENTH CIRCLE OF HELL

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