The calling shadow

The calling shadow Part two: Black roses

That walk quickly became a run. Room after room, hall after hall it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting to that damn voice. It grew louder and louder and more demanding. "Jason please! Jason, I hate you! Jason, I love you!" The words got louder and louder. The words slowly moulded together into indescribable screeching, screaming or laughing. I ran faster and faster, but the sound never got closer only further it never stopped but the voice. It was the girl! I knew not who she was, but I knew she was so undeniably important I needed to find her, and I needed to do it quickly.

God, I hated the voice. It was not the same heavenly cacophony of sound from the girl. No, this sound was distorted, torn and ripped. Unhuman. The sound was Unhuman. I stopped. Out of breath, coughing blood and aching in every muscle. Everything was godamn blurry again. Then in a routine like awakening my vision cleared. Then I was very confused.

Black roses. Black roses everywhere. The walls, the roof and the floor. Black roses sitting atop a bed of lush green grass. I didn't even know how long I was running for or which rooms I had been through. But no matter what it ended in black roses. The room had the strangest smell that one could only compare to a mix of rotting flesh and wilting petals. All this information attacked my senses. It felt like darkness enveloping this room had sucked up all my human understanding and had left me with nothing but the intelligence of a child. I sat curling up into a ball all the while that damn voice kept screaming "Get up! Get up your useless wreck! Come get me!" I felt the roses ingulf me, each part of my body. First my arms it almost melted over me like tentacles. Then my legs fastening me to the ground. Next embracing my chest and holding it like a corset. Finally, it engulfed my face muffling my desperate screams.

I joined the room of roses. Nothing remained of my body but sustenance for the flowers. Only once I was fully submerged unable to move or escape did the voice stop. The last thing it said, "I found you,"

Then it all went black.

I could move again. I could breathe again. I was in some kind of void; I could stand but everything was black. Only a small area around me was illuminated by some strange red light. The light was twisting and turning in little spirals in the air. They were moving in a strange kind of dance that no human could ever hope to accomplish. Aside from that the only other feature of this space was a puddle of dark liquid on the floor. Focusing on the puddle it began to bubble and churn.

I jumped back in fear as the liquid turned into shapes that are not common of a puddle. A thing. Something was emerging from the puddle. The thoughts raced through my mind as the figure of woman pulled itself out of the liquid. It had all the features of a human woman. Breasts, small waist and oval face. But this was no human. It was wrong. No this was no human. This was some sick interpretation of what a human woman should look like. As the liquid melted away its terrible form revealed itself. It looked like the girl from my memory. The only problem was it had no eyes. No this was hollow, like something was wearing the skin of this girl.

I tried to regain my composure as it stared at me. The liquid twisted and contorted into the same disgusting black roses from before. They settled around its feet and on its body. "Hello Jason" It smiled. It fucking smiled. I panicked and went red. I tried to scream but again no sound came out. "H-Hello" I stuttered.

It laughed. It was a terrible laugh. Like someone was playing a harp out of its throat strings. "I think you know who I am" It spoke. "No. No I don't! Stay away from me!" I screamed. It moved towards me replacing the soulless eye sockets with the same leaking black liquid. As it walked roses appeared in the areas its feet had touched the floor. I was so scared I couldn't move. It stood before me, grabbing my chin with its cold pale hands. "You know who I am. Remember me" It moved in close almost as though it were trying to kiss me. "Or I will make you remember" Then it dissolved. It turned into the disgusting black liquid pooling together into a puddle before my feet.

Then I woke up. In the same spot near the mirror. I was sweating and breathing heavily. I grabbed each part of my body, trying to confirm what I'm seeing is real. "It wasn't real. The roses aren't real." I thought. Then I felt it.

Just along the side of my arm a rose petal. The panic would rise as I pull back my sleeve. Roses. Black roses. Growing along my body. Shedding their petals along the floor at an unnatural rate. "You know who I am. Remember me" That's what the girl said. All this emotion boiled over my body and for the first time, I cried. I cried for confusion, for some unexplained loss or for pure fear itself.

I don't know how long I sat in that position. I was thinking. Thinking about what I was going to do. I knew, somehow, I knew I needed to remember. I needed to remember the girls name first. Then I needed to escape. This felt like a reasonable conclusion. It was just so strange. The memory felt too detailed to be fake. It was almost like I was reliving my past. While with the black roses...It can't have been fake! I have the roses on my body! How would it be fake if it is literally on me.

Well, that's it then. I stood up. Somehow, I've got to remember this girls name. Then I've got to escape this god forsaken place. I was sure I wouldn't find anything else to trigger my memory in this room. So, I would have to go deeper into the facility.

I began to walk to the far side of the room and saw two wooden doors just like the one I entered this room from. A sign above one of them said "cafeteria" whilsts the other one said "Gymnasium" The choice presented was difficult. Then my stomach decided to rumble, that solves the problem then. Cafeteria it is!

Crossing the threshold this room was a little bit different to the others explored so far. This room had giant grassy sections all over the place. The otherwise regular floor tiles were lined with grass. This was lush, green and healthy grass. It spread like light from a television. Ignoring the grass the room was just your standard secondary school cafeteria. The room had chairs, tables and a walled of section where the food would probably be served from.

I moved further into the room towards one of the tables. There was nothing on the table. No food, no stains nothing. The chairs and tables were somehow very clean despite the nature in the room. That made me wonder where the grass was coming from. The source seemed to be the walled off kitchen.

So that's where I went. To get into the kitchen there was a door. Unfortunately, this door (Unlike the others) was locked. I needed a key. Searching around I saw one on one of the food display cases. Grabbing its cold silver surface, it felt strangely warm. Someone or something has used this key recently. Using it to unlock the door it opened with a click.

Moving into the kitchen I saw all the typical things that a kitchen would have. Ovens, microwaves, fridges and cupboards. Except one thing. A giant hole in the back wall letting in all the grass. From the outside. The chance to escape rushed through me. I suddenly didn't give a care to the kitchen and ran to the wall trying to see if I could get through the hole. I could. The gap was big enough for me to get through!

I pushed my body against the grass and concrete trying hard to get across. It worked. It worked! I was going to get outside! The light of nature met my eyes. Like light at the end of the tunnel I charged forwards finally breaking the gap.

What I was met with on the outside disappointed me to an extent beyond the English language.