Night 63: Entry Room

[damned_intercom]

Quiet static filtered through the intercom as the door to the Entry Room was pushed open. The area was almost completely dark, save for the flickering beam spilling from the lone, abandoned flashlight on the floor.

If that wasn't enough to put any entering patients on edge, the crimson puddle smeared across the flashlight's path likely was. The source of the blood soon became obvious: two still corpses lay sprawled next to each other. One was Daemon Sadi -- or, rather, what was left of him. Although his face was still recognizable enough, one of his arms was missing, and his chest looked as those some creature had reached in and ripped his heart out.

The other mangled body was trickier to place, as the poor person's flesh was twisted and bloated beyond recognition in some places, not unlike the way some of the nurses had transformed on the buses.

Closer inspection would reveal the face of a man in his final moments. Some would even see the distinct tattoos and recognize him as Abarai Renji. More unnerving was the abandoned, bloodied knife resting next to the former man's corpse, his belly having been gouged open for some unknown purpose. A trail of scarlet footsteps led away from the scene before abruptly disappearing at the northern door.

Did a similar fate await the unfortunate one who had stumbled across this bloodbath?

Comments

[mirrorimage]

Nina felt Murphy grab her and immediately tried to shrug him off and struggle away. "I have to," she insisted, even though she could tell by looking at him and feeling the vibrations of him shaking so close to her that whatever it was had to be horrifying. "I've got to know!"

She pushed past him into the room, shining her own flashlight. She gasped loudly and involuntarily at the sight of what it fell on. A dead man... no, two dead men... mutilated almost beyond recognition. It was truly horrific. Nina knew whatever they found would be bad, but somehow, she wasn't expecting it to be this awful.

Nina suddenly felt like she was going to faint as a dizzy lightheadedness passed over her and her knees shook a little like they might buckle out from under her. But the feeling quickly faded and Nina was left standing upright, although the overwhelming disgust and horror remained as she surveyed the room, shining the light over every corner only to see yet more blood.

Nina had seen dead bodies many times before, but never like this. She'd seen blood before too, although never so much of it at once. This kind of grotesque mutilation was something Nina had never encountered, even in her worst nightmares. Even Johan, with all the terrible crimes he'd committed, had never done anything like this.

The beam from her flashlight landed on what looked like tracks. Bloody tracks.

"A monster," Nina whispered, to no one. "A monster did this."

Murphy had been right after all. There were monsters here, and they were nothing like the ones Nina had read about in storybooks.

[stop_the_rain]

Murphy didn't bother to look. He'd seen it all before and he didn't need to see it again. At least he didn't know any of those people. It had been worse when it was guys he'd been locked up with for years. Even if he didn't like them, something about being in that situation together for so long...well, bonds and all that crap.

"Yeah."

Murphy raked his hair back and offered Nina a helpless, pained look from the doorway. He knew what she was going through, he'd gone through the same thing just a couple of days ago. It was terrifying and confusing and crazy and he wished he could give her something to make this all better. But all he could do was give he what he'd so desperately wanted - someone to go through hell with.

"I know this is really tough, believe me. And I know what's in there is awful. But...you're not alone. I'm not gonna leave you alone in here. And that's a promise, little lady." His John Wayne impersonation wasn't that good, but it was passable.

"Come on. There's nothing we can do here."

[mirrorimage]

Not being American, Nina lacked the cultural context for truly appreciating John Wayne impersonations, but nevertheless, she did smile, however faintly and sadly, at Murphy's words. She could tell it was an attempt at lightening the mood and she appreciated it, despite the horrifying circumstances they were in. She even managed a slight nod. He was right, after all. They weren't alone.

"Thank you," she said, as she turned away from the interior of the room, deep gratitude lacing the words. "I won't leave you alone, either."

Murphy was right about something else, too. There was nothing they could go here, except get out in case whatever was responsible came back.

As they moved from the room, Nina was still slightly pale, although she tried not to show how frightened, repulsed and angry she truly was.