Hush

Jack: Fear in the Abyss

Jack felt himself falling, only this kind of fall was different. He wasn't physically moving, he wanted to open his eyes to see this strange sensation, but opening his eyes would mean seeing what he was sure was probably another bad experience, because good ones were few and far between in his life. Instead, he opted to speak.

'What's happening?' His voice was a hoarse croak, as though he hadn't had water in a long time.

'You are falling Jack.' Came a hushed, almost sleepy sounding voice. 'Open your eyes.'

Jack shook his head, not allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, he kept his eyes tightly closed.

'Don't be afraid, Jack.' The voice uttered, 'you belong here.'

'Where am I?' Jack asked faintly.

A few short seconds of silence, as though whoever was speaking had to think before they answered in a gutteral shriek, 'HELL!'

Jack's eyes snapped open at the thunderous terrifying answer and he found that he was surrounded by complete darkness, had his eyes been shut they would have imagined more light behind his eyelids than what there actually was with them open.

'Still better than the orphanage.' He answered, annoyed by the quiver of dread that managed to escape in his childish voice.

The darkness laughed at him, not a cheerful laugh, but the depraved laugh of someone who knows the future misfortune of their unsuspecting victims.

Before Jack could say anything else, he felt his body come to an abrupt halt mid fall. Then, just as quickly he felt as though he had been catapulted back up the way had come. The darkness around him began to lighten, and Jack thought that perhaps he was regaining consciousness from an odd dream, when he somehow landed face first against the hard cold surface of this strange dark abyss.

'Since when did falling up make you right way round?' Jack muttered as he peeled himself from the ground to stand. The whole concept made him feel queasy. That the seemingly long fall never hurt him on impact made the feeling of unease settle deeper into his stomach. Maybe this wasn't a dream, maybe he was dead he thought in panic. He looked around, his eyes adjusting to the now dim light around him. The uncomfortable silence that surrounded him made the hairs on his neck rise, as he wondered what had happened to that voice in the darkness.

Whispers began to swarm him, so many that he couldn't make out any full sentences, words sounded like gibberish from strangers of a different country. He tried unsuccessfully to shake them away, hitting the side of his head. It was then he realized the whispers were crowding him, they were not in his head at all.

In the dim light, Jack watched dark fog slither toward him like a snake. Whispers leaked from whatever it was and as it came closer Jack heard more clearly their words of ill intent.

'The blood of the boy.' Hissed one voice.

'Take the child! take the child!' Another rushed voice demanded.

'His soul,' many voices said all at once. 'Take his damned, broken soul to the Bellows.'

Jack turned and ran, with no idea where he was going, only the desperate need to escape fuelled his body to move. As he ran he moved into the dark smog. Feeling his skin prickle and burn as he forced his way through the damp darkness, the stale air invading his sense of smell.

'Stay out of the darkness.' A young child cried loudly.

The sound of a baby wailing in distress echoed around him as he felt something slice across his arms and his back began to burn as though a hot iron poker had been forced against it, branding him like a cow.

'I can't get out,' another young voice wailed, 'can't escape.' harsh scratching sounds followed, as though a dog was scratching at a wooden door.

As Jack rushed on blindly in the darkness of the surrounding fog he could feel the pain of whatever had been happening to him escalate. Suddenly his whole body felt like he was on fire. He let out a piercing scream and before him flashed a girl, her face pale and waxy, her eyes were rolled back and her long nightdress was smeared in sick. She screamed at him, and as her mouth opened unnaturally wide, the stench of rotten flesh assaulted his senses.

Jack screamed back louder, soiling his trousers as he fell to the ground overwhelmed by fear, watching the girl before him as deformed foetuses dropped writhing from between her legs. He shuffled back as each one began to grow thin stringy arms and pull themselves towards him, leaving behind them trails of mucus and blood and creating more whispers and shrieks. Clicking noises escaped their tiny alien like jaws as they snapped viciously sharp overgrown teeth at him.

Jack's mind could take no more, and without warning his arms that had been propping him up, went from under him and his consciousness went with them. The last thing he heard was the seemingly endless scream of the girl that will forever be etched in his mind.