The Spiral

Chapter 3: Rooster

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!", I awoke screaming. The light from the hallway flickered and I noticed that my hands were cuffed to the bed. I sat up and looked around the room. My eyes fell on the bedside table and I saw a man sitting there, with a pensive look on his face. He looked at me for a moment and then turned away. I slowly approached him, feeling afraid.

"Mr. West?" I said. "What...what are you doing here?"

"Not all bald people look the same kid, the names Bruce, Mr.West... is occupied with other things at the moment..." he said in a deep, quiet voice.

I looked around the room for any other evidence of any other people or things there but I saw nothing. I started to remembered what had occurred prior, how was I not dead, I'm certain I was shot...

"I'm hallucinating right?" I thought to myself, "it was all just a terrible dream, right?"

"Uhhh no that all happened" Bruce said chuckling, "I've seen many of your kind pass though here making up stories about what they think they saw. I've been stuck here for a long time, my brain had hardened as well as my heart. I'm afraid this time might be the last one that I get to see...

He trailed off, "What do you mean last one?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I've said enough" Bruce said, "Be quiet now, I don't want to have to drug you again..."

I followed Bruce's instructions, sitting back on my cuffed hands and not daring to speak.

We continued this way for the rest of the evening. Every few hours Bruce would come and give me water and food.

"What are they going to do me Bruce?" I asked eventually unable to keep quiet, "I don't want to be locked away forever."

Bruce looked to the floor for a moment and looked back at me with a stern look, "Kid, everyone who's been in here for this long starts to lose the will to live, you will feel that way soon enough."

"So you're telling me I'm going to die here?" I asked, feeling the air grow cold as he looked away, "It was all just a dream right?"

Bruce just stared at me, then burst out laughing, as a familiar face walked into the room. Zaclowski has walked in with, a thin man, wearing a Rat Mask, and a black pin striped suit, with a purple bow tie.

"Zac," Bruce said, "I've been expecting you..." Bruce trailed off as he saw the other visitor, when he immediately fell into a bow. He looked fearful.

Zac looked at the two, "Ah...Bruce, good to see you. I'm sure you know this gentleman" Zaclowski said gesturing to the a Rat Man.

"Zaclowski!" I shouted , "You bastard... I'll kill you!"

"Oh my dear boy, with what? Your words?" Zaclowski said laughing , "You are really something... let's get this done."

He took out a syringe and shot Bruce full of some strange fluid. Bruce reacted in pain, as he shouted out in pain.

"Why would you do that to him you monster?!" I shouted, as Zac injected him again.

"He's just like you but we have bended him to out command using this fluid. It allows us to control the broken bodies we have... we call it Limbo" Zac said with a sickening smile.

"Don't hurt him!" I shouted, "What are you going to do to me?"

"We are going to break you, break you down, till you just want to give up and die. And only then will we build you up buttercup"

Bruce at this point was on the ground screaming as the Rat Man watched intently from the door,

"Bruce get up! Break Free! You have to break free, and get out of here."