The Things Only He Knows

Chapter Six

       The streets of the little city were tranquil and quiet. The air was cold against the skin, and the lights flickered through the roads. The moonlight was dimmed by the grey clouds covering it. The sky wasn't that midnight blue, but instead, it was black. It was that time of the year when the sun only dared show its light at seven or eight a.m., making it all the harder to breathe or move through the continuous shivers.
      The company arrived at the factory, eyeing it up and down as it stared right back at them. Their steps weighing heavily against the floor.
        "No one's here," Layla said.
         "That's natural! It's three twenty in the morning," Theodore replied.
         "I meant, who the heck is supposed to get killed if there's no one here?" She threw daggers at him.
         "Stay alert, Layla. We're barely in," said the Inspector.
         "I realize that! But still, something feels off here."
         "Don't be so scared, Archie didn't even see the culprit this time, so maybe it isn't a murder," Theodore shrugged.
        "That's why I'm worried. Archie didn't see the culprit so we don't know what they look like! Why was the dream different this time? Don't you want to find out?"
        "I'm itching to! But now's not the time, we need to keep our cool."
       Before they could continue with that conversation, the lights turned on. Archie reappeared into the scene after he had disappeared to go to the light control. "Shall we?" He said as he clasped his hands together and stood in front of the stairs.
     "Is there no elevator? My knees hurt," asked Theodore, who was answered by glares from Layla and a stare of disbelief from Robinson, along with Archie shaking his head in a no.
    "Nevermind. Up we go!" He climbed up the stairs while Layla huffed and Robinson sighed. Archie followed behind them like a little lost kitten following his last hope of survival. This was his factory, yet he feared it. This moment was murderous to him, yet he didn't drop to his knees and cry. He stood his ground like a big boy. Yes, like a good big boy.

     They entered the first room Archie went in. The design room. A room of engineering and painting tools made just for those creative toy makers. Those who understand the toy market more than anyone else. Those who know what materials to use to make sure the child will come back for more. Either because the toy is new and nice and they want more, or the toy is old and melting and they need a new one. But Archie wasn't like that. He made this factory do things better, like how they used to be when it first opened. He wanted the quality to stay at the top, never to drop. The design room had nothing interesting in it. Not in the dream, nor in reality.
     In his dream, he walked in and saw a mess, like all creative people like to leave their workplace. But it had a nice homey feeling to it. The incomplete dolls sat on the chair with much grace, staring at any who comes in.
    In reality, the place was less messy. The dolls were still incomplete, that much was real, but they weren't staring like they were alive. Nothing here. No people, alive or dead.
      In his dream, the next room was a storage. The storage was devoid of anything normal. It had bodies, stinking bodies. And blood everywhere.
      In reality, the room was a locker room. Just normal lockers for normal workers. Uniforms hanging on the hanger, and the benches were empty except for the ghost of those who work there. No one was there, nothing was there. The corpses were not there.
      In his dream, the last room was called Archie's room. He woke up after opening its door, but he heard something. He heard whispers on the other side of the door. He hesitated to open, afraid of what awaited him on the other side, afraid of the possibility that what was inside was not from their world. Even more afraid that it was. What if it was from their world? What if it was the Phantom killer themselves? He pressed the doorknob down, and he got engulfed in the darkness that took over his soul and body. He let himself loose. He decided he did not want to fight any longer. That was enough. He woke up.
    In reality, Archie's room, the nursery for all the Archiviste kids, awaited the moment it would have visitors once more. Archie stared at it, as it stared right back. He rested his hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and pushed his lips into one thin line.
    He pushed it down and the door clicked, announcing it will open to reveal the inside in a matter of seconds. Yet, it did not happen. They were interrupted by a blackout. Layla released a scream, Robinson cursed, and Theodore murmured something. Archie closed his eyes, as if it was not dark enough already, and listened to what's around him.
    "Archie, where is the electricity meter?"
     "It's downstairs. Oh, but there is one here. It is on the other side, though."
     "I'll go check it out," offered the inspector.
      "Why you?" Asked Theodore.
       "I have a flashlight," he said as he reached into his pocket to pull it out.
      "It makes more sense for Archie, who knows the place like the back of his hand, to be the one to go. I'll accompany him so he does not feel lonely or scared in this dark."
      "No, Doctor. We need to spread our search. And Archie's the only one who's seen the dream and the only one who can investigate it properly. You go in and find what you can. If you find a corpse or a murderer, scream, we'll come for you. We'll look in the other side, just in case he's trying to run away."
     "That's gender biased! Why claim they are a man? It's possible they are a woman, is it not?"
      "Whatever and whoever they are, they will be brought to justice! Let's go, Layla!"
      "Well then, shall we go in, my dear Archie?"
     "Umm... Yes."
     The doorknob was pulled down at last. There was light coming from the small half-open window.
     "Beautiful. A nursery. How cute. It's a nice place to say goodbye in, isn't it?"
    "Yes, it-" Archie needed a moment to realize what had just happened. A bullet had just pierced his chest. He stared at the blood oozing out. He couldn't stand anymore, his legs gave in. Gravity pulled him down, pulled him closer to the earth, where everyone was bound to go.
    "I'm sorry, my dear Archie. No, that's not the right word. Thank you! Thank you for giving me this thrill," Theodore smiled. "None of this could've been possible if it weren't for you!"
     Archie's eyes blinked a few times, but he couldn't keep them open much longer. He closed them. He closed them for good. And for the first time in a while, he'll finally get some dreamless sleep. He just won't be alive to know it.
    

     To be continued.