[Posted by Ted H]
This next part was fun to write...in a psychotic sort of way...
(I make no apologies)
(I make no apologies)
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[Pure Human - Suzie]
The hospital was as cold and
uninviting as it was yesterday. Joey insisted on tagging along for this trip,
so Blake had to concoct a story for how him and Anin both were invested in the
dying John Fitzsimmons. "They're both my cousins," Blake explained
"They just flew into town to say goodbye to Uncle John." The new
security guard, younger than the previous days one and more interested in a
seductive looking woman walking around the foyer, barely batted an eye at
Blake's story and issued ID stickers to everyone.
"I feel that the lying was wholly unnecessary," Anin said as they made their way to the elevators. "Hey, it pays to be good at lying in this business," Blake explained. "Then why did that lie suck so much?" Joey asked. "You're the only one who doesn't need to be here," Blake said back "So feel free to shut up."
They took the elevator up to the appropriate floor, then made their way to the ICU. "Brace yourselves, this could get repulsive," Blake said as they walked towards the door and Blake slid it open to reveal a dying old man in his bed. "What the hell?" Joey said. "Say hello to your dear Uncle John," Blake said as he ushered everyone inside. "This is stupid," Joey said as Blake motioned Anin back out the door with himself.
"You two keep the old man entertained," Blake said as Anin stepped passed him outside. "Coming here was your idea," Joey exclaimed as he pointed to Fitzsimmons. "Well it's gonna be weird if all of us walk into the girl's room down the hall," Blake said. "Not even going to say hello to your dear old dad?" John asked sarcastically. "I know how it'll end," Blake said as he started to slide the door closed "I already watched a dad die in the hospital."
Blake and Anin then made their way down towards the Anderson room. Two cops were again stationed by the door as Blake tried to get a look inside. "Mr. Blake!" Frank called from behind, Blake and Anin turned to see him walking over with a couple styrofoam cups of coffee in his hands. "Hey, that guy doesn't hate you yet," Anin joked as Blake ignored her and shook Frank's hand after taking a coffee from it. "Any news from your investigation?" Frank asked.
"Sure," Blake said "But let's talk a little more privately." Frank nodded and led the way into his daughter's room. Blake smiled at the cops as he passed, but they stared right through him. Anin avoided eye contact. Once inside, Blake closed the door and slip some blinds over so no one outside could see them.
"Has your daughter shown any signs of waking?" Blake opened, causing Frank to hang his head low. "No," he said "Doctors aren't sure when she will." Blake looked to Anin and nodded her over to the bed. "Who is she?" Frank asked. "Friend of mine," Blake responded "Figure she could try to speak to your daughter on another level."
"That's not how this works, Blake," Anin said as she approached the girl. Blake shushed her. Frank watched silently as Anin sat down in a chair next to the bed and reached for the girl's hand. "This is somewhat like an invasion of privacy," Anin said "And if she's nonresponsive, then there's only so much communication that I can accomplish."
"Do what you can," Blake said. "Please," Frank added. "What's her name?" Anin asked. "Suzie," Frank said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Okay," Anin said as she brushed her hand across Suzie's forehead. She then leaned over and touched her forehead to the girl's as she whispered "Are you here, Suzie?"
The room then grew quiet as Blake and Frank watched Anin remain motionless over Suzie. "Think anyone would notice if I opened the window for a smoke?" Blake asked. Frank gave a worried look as he refused to look away from Anin. "Right," Blake said "Business first."
"I feel that the lying was wholly unnecessary," Anin said as they made their way to the elevators. "Hey, it pays to be good at lying in this business," Blake explained. "Then why did that lie suck so much?" Joey asked. "You're the only one who doesn't need to be here," Blake said back "So feel free to shut up."
They took the elevator up to the appropriate floor, then made their way to the ICU. "Brace yourselves, this could get repulsive," Blake said as they walked towards the door and Blake slid it open to reveal a dying old man in his bed. "What the hell?" Joey said. "Say hello to your dear Uncle John," Blake said as he ushered everyone inside. "This is stupid," Joey said as Blake motioned Anin back out the door with himself.
"You two keep the old man entertained," Blake said as Anin stepped passed him outside. "Coming here was your idea," Joey exclaimed as he pointed to Fitzsimmons. "Well it's gonna be weird if all of us walk into the girl's room down the hall," Blake said. "Not even going to say hello to your dear old dad?" John asked sarcastically. "I know how it'll end," Blake said as he started to slide the door closed "I already watched a dad die in the hospital."
Blake and Anin then made their way down towards the Anderson room. Two cops were again stationed by the door as Blake tried to get a look inside. "Mr. Blake!" Frank called from behind, Blake and Anin turned to see him walking over with a couple styrofoam cups of coffee in his hands. "Hey, that guy doesn't hate you yet," Anin joked as Blake ignored her and shook Frank's hand after taking a coffee from it. "Any news from your investigation?" Frank asked.
"Sure," Blake said "But let's talk a little more privately." Frank nodded and led the way into his daughter's room. Blake smiled at the cops as he passed, but they stared right through him. Anin avoided eye contact. Once inside, Blake closed the door and slip some blinds over so no one outside could see them.
"Has your daughter shown any signs of waking?" Blake opened, causing Frank to hang his head low. "No," he said "Doctors aren't sure when she will." Blake looked to Anin and nodded her over to the bed. "Who is she?" Frank asked. "Friend of mine," Blake responded "Figure she could try to speak to your daughter on another level."
"That's not how this works, Blake," Anin said as she approached the girl. Blake shushed her. Frank watched silently as Anin sat down in a chair next to the bed and reached for the girl's hand. "This is somewhat like an invasion of privacy," Anin said "And if she's nonresponsive, then there's only so much communication that I can accomplish."
"Do what you can," Blake said. "Please," Frank added. "What's her name?" Anin asked. "Suzie," Frank said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Okay," Anin said as she brushed her hand across Suzie's forehead. She then leaned over and touched her forehead to the girl's as she whispered "Are you here, Suzie?"
The room then grew quiet as Blake and Frank watched Anin remain motionless over Suzie. "Think anyone would notice if I opened the window for a smoke?" Blake asked. Frank gave a worried look as he refused to look away from Anin. "Right," Blake said "Business first."
Anin was in darkness as she tried to
understand where she was. One minute she was trying to communicate with Suzie,
the next she was in total darkness. Either what she did went horribly wrong, or
there was nothing left of Suzie to communicate with. She wasn't entirely sure
which possibility to root for. Then came a loud crash and her view was flooded
with the vision of a bedroom.
"Oh," Anin said as she felt herself calm down "I'm experiencing from her perspective." The view panned from side to side of the room as Anin could feel fear coursing through Suzie. "What was that?" a voice, Suzie's, rang out. "Awe man," Anin thought, incapable of talking "This is happening, isn't it?"
The bedroom door slowly creaked opened and Suzie pulled her blanket over her vision. "Suzie?" someone whispered. Suzie peeked back out to see her brother cautiously walking towards the bed. "Mikey, what's going on?" she asked. "I don't know," Mikey said "There was a loud crash and I think I heard mom cry out."
"I want mommy," Suzie said.
"Stay here," Mikey said "I'll check it out." He had a reassuring smile as he patted her head. "I'm scared. Go get mommy," Suzie reiterated. "I will," Mikey said "Just wait here and stay quiet." He started to walk away when Suzie whispered out "Don't leave me!" Mikey dropped his shoulders as he turned back around. "Then come with me," he said, but Suzie shook her head furiously at the idea. "Suzie," Mikey pleaded, but Suzie remained and Anin could feel that she was pouting.
"Alright," Mikey said "How about this? Hide under the bed until I get Mom."
"But, there's monsters under there."
"C'mon, Suzie." Mikey was starting to get annoyed, but Suzie was starting to sniffle and tears were forming in her eyes. "Fine," Mikey gave up as he dropped to his knees and looked under the bed "There's nothing down here, see?" Suzie crept to the edge and peered down at her brother sticking his head under her bed, doing a thorough job investigating for monsters "Just your stupid books and a stuffed animal."
"Mr. Bun Bun?" Suzie asked as Mikey grabbed a dusty stuffed rabbit out and handed it to Suzie. "See?" Mikey said "Bun Bun made sure it was safe. Now get under there and let me find mom." Suzie happily grabbed her toy as she got out of bed and scrambled under, hugging her toy. Mikey tugged her blanket so it hung over the side and obscured the view of the door. "There, now nothing can see you when they pass," he said.
"But how will I know it's you and mommy when you return?" Suzie asked, fear seizing her heart once again.
"We'll have a code word," Mikey said "Something only you and I will know."
"What's the word gonna be?"
"Basketball."
"I don't like that."
"It's just word, Suzie."
"I don't want it."
"Fine, what do you want the secret word to be?"
"Apples!"
Mikey sighed. "Fine," he said "Come out if I say apples. Got it?" Suzie nodded and Mikey dropped the blanket so that everything was dark again. She heard Mikey slowly walk out of the bedroom and pull the door behind him, then everything was quiet again. Anin was in complete sensory deprivation. She couldn't see or hear anything going on. Suzie's worried breathing was the only thing reminding her that she was still experiencing what was happening the other night.
A loud but incredibly brief cry of shock sounded from Mikey in the hallway. Suzie gasped and buried her face in her toy. Muffled whimpers dominated what Anin could hear as she tried to figure out what the clicking sound in the hallway was. There was also a wet, squishing sound that she couldn't place. Almost immediately though, it was quiet again.
The bedroom door was pushed open again, this time more deliberately as it slowly creaked causing Suzie to hold her breath and wait. Anin could hear the clicking again as it approached the bed, but sight was impossible thanks to the blanket. Weight was suddenly on the bed as something dug through the sheets in search of its former occupant, causing the blanket to fall completely to the floor.
The wet sound persisted outside as did the clicking around the bed and Suzie wondered what was going on when it all suddenly grew quiet again. "Stay under the bed," Anin thought, not wanting to know how this ends. "Mikey?" Suzie whispered to the darkness. "Apples," the darkness whispered back, but it didn't quite sound like Mikey.
Suzie pulled the blanket aside slightly to see out, and waiting for her was Mikey. "Apples," was said, but it didn't come from him despite his mouth moving. "What?" Suzie said as she pulled more blanket aside to see Mikey's mouth open and close constantly with blood stains around his neck and chin. Suzie's eyes went wide at the sight of Mikey's neck ending with a bloody gray arm shoved in to use the head as a puppet.
Suzie's eyes followed the arm out of her brother's head, leading up to the form that continued to say "Apples," in a darker and more mocking tone now. The arm was attached to something that at first she had trouble comprehending. It was humanoid, but with tight gray skin and pointed teeth that could barely be contained by blood covered lips. It was mostly bald, with clumps of hair attached in random patches in its head and it had no nose but instead slits in its face where a nose should be.
The most telling feature was its eyes. They were deep crimson with black pupils that shined in the darkness and pierce through Suzie with such a gaze, she felt frozen on the spot. Even Anin was helpless at the sight. The creature took a moment to tilt it's head back at the sight of Suzie before it lunged its face forward and screamed a high pitched shriek. Suzie quickly retreated further under the bed as more shrieks sounded from all around the bed and more creatures began jumping on top. No matter which direction Suzie turned, there was a shrieking creature there to meet her and scream.
There was another voice screaming through all of this and Anin had trouble figuring out what it was until she realized it was her own scream. She blinked and was back in the hospital, still screaming as Blake pulled her away from Suzie and tried waving off doctors and the two cops from outside the door. Anin stopped screaming as she grasped at Blake by his coat and cried. "She's fine!" Blake yelled "Give her some room!"
"Oh," Anin said as she felt herself calm down "I'm experiencing from her perspective." The view panned from side to side of the room as Anin could feel fear coursing through Suzie. "What was that?" a voice, Suzie's, rang out. "Awe man," Anin thought, incapable of talking "This is happening, isn't it?"
The bedroom door slowly creaked opened and Suzie pulled her blanket over her vision. "Suzie?" someone whispered. Suzie peeked back out to see her brother cautiously walking towards the bed. "Mikey, what's going on?" she asked. "I don't know," Mikey said "There was a loud crash and I think I heard mom cry out."
"I want mommy," Suzie said.
"Stay here," Mikey said "I'll check it out." He had a reassuring smile as he patted her head. "I'm scared. Go get mommy," Suzie reiterated. "I will," Mikey said "Just wait here and stay quiet." He started to walk away when Suzie whispered out "Don't leave me!" Mikey dropped his shoulders as he turned back around. "Then come with me," he said, but Suzie shook her head furiously at the idea. "Suzie," Mikey pleaded, but Suzie remained and Anin could feel that she was pouting.
"Alright," Mikey said "How about this? Hide under the bed until I get Mom."
"But, there's monsters under there."
"C'mon, Suzie." Mikey was starting to get annoyed, but Suzie was starting to sniffle and tears were forming in her eyes. "Fine," Mikey gave up as he dropped to his knees and looked under the bed "There's nothing down here, see?" Suzie crept to the edge and peered down at her brother sticking his head under her bed, doing a thorough job investigating for monsters "Just your stupid books and a stuffed animal."
"Mr. Bun Bun?" Suzie asked as Mikey grabbed a dusty stuffed rabbit out and handed it to Suzie. "See?" Mikey said "Bun Bun made sure it was safe. Now get under there and let me find mom." Suzie happily grabbed her toy as she got out of bed and scrambled under, hugging her toy. Mikey tugged her blanket so it hung over the side and obscured the view of the door. "There, now nothing can see you when they pass," he said.
"But how will I know it's you and mommy when you return?" Suzie asked, fear seizing her heart once again.
"We'll have a code word," Mikey said "Something only you and I will know."
"What's the word gonna be?"
"Basketball."
"I don't like that."
"It's just word, Suzie."
"I don't want it."
"Fine, what do you want the secret word to be?"
"Apples!"
Mikey sighed. "Fine," he said "Come out if I say apples. Got it?" Suzie nodded and Mikey dropped the blanket so that everything was dark again. She heard Mikey slowly walk out of the bedroom and pull the door behind him, then everything was quiet again. Anin was in complete sensory deprivation. She couldn't see or hear anything going on. Suzie's worried breathing was the only thing reminding her that she was still experiencing what was happening the other night.
A loud but incredibly brief cry of shock sounded from Mikey in the hallway. Suzie gasped and buried her face in her toy. Muffled whimpers dominated what Anin could hear as she tried to figure out what the clicking sound in the hallway was. There was also a wet, squishing sound that she couldn't place. Almost immediately though, it was quiet again.
The bedroom door was pushed open again, this time more deliberately as it slowly creaked causing Suzie to hold her breath and wait. Anin could hear the clicking again as it approached the bed, but sight was impossible thanks to the blanket. Weight was suddenly on the bed as something dug through the sheets in search of its former occupant, causing the blanket to fall completely to the floor.
The wet sound persisted outside as did the clicking around the bed and Suzie wondered what was going on when it all suddenly grew quiet again. "Stay under the bed," Anin thought, not wanting to know how this ends. "Mikey?" Suzie whispered to the darkness. "Apples," the darkness whispered back, but it didn't quite sound like Mikey.
Suzie pulled the blanket aside slightly to see out, and waiting for her was Mikey. "Apples," was said, but it didn't come from him despite his mouth moving. "What?" Suzie said as she pulled more blanket aside to see Mikey's mouth open and close constantly with blood stains around his neck and chin. Suzie's eyes went wide at the sight of Mikey's neck ending with a bloody gray arm shoved in to use the head as a puppet.
Suzie's eyes followed the arm out of her brother's head, leading up to the form that continued to say "Apples," in a darker and more mocking tone now. The arm was attached to something that at first she had trouble comprehending. It was humanoid, but with tight gray skin and pointed teeth that could barely be contained by blood covered lips. It was mostly bald, with clumps of hair attached in random patches in its head and it had no nose but instead slits in its face where a nose should be.
The most telling feature was its eyes. They were deep crimson with black pupils that shined in the darkness and pierce through Suzie with such a gaze, she felt frozen on the spot. Even Anin was helpless at the sight. The creature took a moment to tilt it's head back at the sight of Suzie before it lunged its face forward and screamed a high pitched shriek. Suzie quickly retreated further under the bed as more shrieks sounded from all around the bed and more creatures began jumping on top. No matter which direction Suzie turned, there was a shrieking creature there to meet her and scream.
There was another voice screaming through all of this and Anin had trouble figuring out what it was until she realized it was her own scream. She blinked and was back in the hospital, still screaming as Blake pulled her away from Suzie and tried waving off doctors and the two cops from outside the door. Anin stopped screaming as she grasped at Blake by his coat and cried. "She's fine!" Blake yelled "Give her some room!"
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