The Amazing Digital Circus

Episode 3: The creature

The elevator moved at a rapid speed before finally landing at the very bottom of the mansion. The basement. The three of you were thrown out, landing on the cold concrete floor.

Pomni groaned, pushing herself up. "What? Oh, God, where are we now?"

Kinger sat up and looked around. "I'm not sure. A cellar of some kind."

You cry out in pain as you try to stand, putting weight on your ankle. You quickly realize that it's badly sprained. You collapse back onto the cold, damp ground, clutching at your ankle.

"Ahh, [krek!] Stupid, Stupid...!" You mutter curses under your breath, wincing as you try to move your ankle again. It's clear you won't be doing much walking anytime soon.

Pomni, noticing your pain, comes over and crouches beside you. Her expression softens with concern. "O-Oh no, Y/n...are you okay?"

Kinger hobbles over, leaning down to inspect your foot. "That doesn't look good."

You grit your teeth, trying to ignore the throbbing pain shooting up your leg. "It's fine..I'm fine..." You force a weak smile, not wanting to worry them further.

Pomni gently touch your shoulder. "No, it isn't. Let me help you."

You sigh and let Pomni help you up. With one arm around her shoulders, you managed to stand on your uninjured leg. You lean heavily on Pomni, using her for balance as you struggle to put weight on your bad ankle.

"Thanks...but don't tell Jax about this. He might get jealous." You sincerely tell her.

She chuckled lightly at that, glad to see you could keep a sense of humor. Although you looked completely serious...
"Wouldn't dream of it."

"He's probably gonna kill us anyway with how bruised up you are. Seeing that you were 'under our watch.'" Kinger pointed out, chuckling nervously.

"...yeah, probably."

All the jokes were suddenly came to a halt when you all laid eyes on the dead body with a shotgun laying across its lap. It was propped up against the wall across the room. It was wonder how the three of you were only noticing it now.

Right beside the corpse was another tape recorder just waiting to be played. The three of you slowly approached it before pressing play.

"Things have gotten far worse than I ever could have imagined. My paranoia has driven me to the point where I was no longer the protector My wife and theoretical children needed. Jumping at every shadow, every noise. I ended up shooting the love of my life, mistaking her for the creature. It's ironic, isn't it?"

Pomni looked over to Kinger, who had a look of saddness in his eyes as he listened intently to the tape.

"In my attempts to protect her, I ended up becoming the monster myself. Now, I wait down in my cellar, no longer having anything to protect but my own soul. If nothing else...I will slay the beast that took everything from me."

The tape comes to an end with a click.

The trio sits in silence for a moment before Kinger speaks up.

"How's about we take his gun?"

You hobble over to the corpse with Pomni's help, eyeing the shotgun warily. Pomni hesitates before grabbing it. "Please don't come alive..."

"-Okay, I won't." The corpse speaks.

You and Pomni both look at each other and back at the corpse. Pomni quickly snatches the gun, ignoring the fact that it answered her statement.

Kinger takes the gun from Pomni and checks to see if it's loaded. "Looks like we've only got two shots." He snaps the gun shut. "Let's make them count."

You raise an eyebrow at Kinger's sudden tone shift. "Lead the way then, Rambo."

The group froze, listening to the ominous scraping noises reverberating through the metal walls of a sewage pipe. The creature was definitely coming.

"Stay behind me." Kinger whispered.

Slowly but surely, the creature crawled out from the small tight space. Only this time it wasn't the head, instead it was its body. As more of its grotesque form emerged the stench of rotting flesh filled the air. It's bulbous, pulsating body squirmed and writhed its bones in a disturbing manner.

Pomni turned her head to see the head of the creature came tumbling down the elevator shaft with its bloodcurdling scream. Its eyes were glowing an otherworldly white as they scanned the area.

"U-Uh Kinger?" Pomni laughed nervously. "I-I think we may have a problem this way, too."

"Just leave it to me." Kinger said calmly, readying his aim with the shotgun. "I can handle this."

The creature lunged towards the trio with unnatural speed, its long, spindly limbs propelling it forward. Kinger fired the first shot, the blast hitting it square in the chest and knocking clean against the wall.

Next, the head came barreling towards the group to which Kinger swiftly aimed the shotgun upwards, firing off the second and final round directing into the descending head. The head was sent flying backwards.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Kinger concluded.

The tape recorder suddenly started playing again.

"Which is what I would be saying if I didn't know that the creature was actually one of God's angels."

"What."

"And anyone who brings harm to it will be dragged down into the cold, spiraling pits of hell, where my soul resides."

The body of the creature suddenly sprouts wings covered with eyeballs from its back.

"I apologize, dear listener, but I need a living host in order to escape the hall of the damned, and your bodies will be my only means of doing so."

You stare at the creature in disbelief as it grows wings from its back, each one covered in unblinking eyes. The voice on the recording sends chills down your spine.

"Now, wait. How did he record this if he was in hell?" Kinger pondered before a bunch of hand sprouted up from the ground. They all grabbed on to each of you, quite literally dragging you down into Hell.

You could hear Pomni and Kinger screaming around you but it seemed like you couldn't make a sound. As you were being pulled down into the abyss, memories of your fight- well more 'disagreement' with Jax flashed through your mind. It wasn't like this never happened before but it never ended without the two of you at least talking it out. It made you feel uncomfortable and left a bitter taste in your mouth.

You just wanted to see that stupidly hot grin he always was wearing and you missed the way he knew it would bring you to your knees. You missed him, even if he was the one who got you here in the first place.

All you could do is hope that somehow, someway, you'll find your way back to him.

"I hope you're ready, because the next breath you take down there will be your last, and your bodies will belong to me."

"Let go of me!" Pomni screams.

"I hate this stupid adventure!!!"