Hellbound - 001/Henry Creel/Peter Ballard

010

I've never been scared of monsters. All of the kids in the Hawkins laboratory didn't hear stories of monsters if they were disobedient. Maybe it was because a syringe was always nearby, or a guard with a taser was a threat that always loomed over your head and was very real. But deep down we know why we weren't fed stories of monsters to scare us away, it wasn't necessary, we are monsters ourselves. We would find comfort in that, we would sympathize with them.

We were not told stories of monsters because our own self was scary enough.

I am foolishly brave to follow Henry right now, who is on a killing spree he promised me he wouldnt do. Hes a monster, but if hes one what does that make me?

I glance at the bodies littering the floor, my stomach churning with disgust at the blood flowing, making rivers in the white linoleum of the floor.

I am no better however am I? Just hours ago I was proud of my actions which weren't so far away from this.

I guess me and Henry are really alike. There are some fine lines we seemed to have both crossed.

I force my legs to walk faster, I force my eyes off the corpses and I force myself to breathe.

I had never seen dead people up until now, it's gruesome, it's a reminder of how mortal we are, it's something I don't want to witness.

Another scream echoes through the walls, it's high pitched and interrupted by sobs. It's a child's scream.

I almost kneel, my knees wobbling at the sound. I just heard my sibling die, I heard his screams and his last moments of life.

I'm not accustomed to death, this is all too new for me. Too sudden.

I push through, but I dont know what I'll do when I'll face Henry. Stop him or help him finish it?

Will I be better than him or worse? Will I understand his motive and join him?

Henry is sensible and kind. He's not a ruthless cold killer, there must be a concrete excuse behind this massacre of his.

I'm making up excuses for him, to not taint my memories of him, my image of him. I keep myself from hating him, because if I do all our plans will go up in flames and I wouldn't restart my life with a person I love but with an enemy.

For my sake, I lie to myself and walk towards him, feeling the invisible string between me and him and tugging on it.

I finally find him, kneeled over a child's lifeless body, his hand on their cheek, and the other gently closing their eyes, ushering them to the grim reaper himself.

He's still humane, that part of him isn't lost yet. It keeps me on the dark path of hope and redemption. It keeps me sane. He's not entirely lost.

He's still beautiful, even with his bloodstained face, the ruffled hair, he's gorgeous and I can't stop my heart from melting for him. I am in love with him, even in his worst moments.

Suddenly I'm afraid of what he'll do to me. I disobeyed him, I left the room even after he told me not to. Will I be another lifeless body on the floor or will he stuff me in another room.

I apprehensively walk to his side, my body towering over his knelt frame. I look at the child's face.

014. The youngest one.

"I told you to stay in the room." His voice is steel cold, unfeeling, sounding like a complete stranger.

He slowly rises to his feet but his back is still facing me.

I do not say a word. I'm terrified. This is not my Henry.

"I told you to stay in the room goddamn it." He shouts, turning his body so that we are chest to chest.