SPENCER - spencer reid

S I X T E E N

a/n: this chapter will contain some graphic violence and imagery

CHAPTER 16: THE GYMNASIUM

Dr. Spencer Reid's POV

[January 28th, 2010]

I silently wander the dark halls for what seems like days, my palm lying flat against the cinderblock wall to help me find my way. The uncertainty of my surroundings makes me grow more and more paranoid with each step as my eyes adjust to the darkness.

As my vision acclimates, I begin to wish that it hadn't. Trashcans and opened doors seem to morph into humanoid shapes, my eyes deceiving me on many occasions as I stagger through the dark. I contemplate just sitting down and curling into a ball on the cool floor, but a flashing memory of Rosemary appears in my head, the image of her smile giving me the strength to take another step.

I continue on like this for several minutes, jumping and pausing at every creak and pop of the building, expecting the UNSUB to appear at any given moment. I turn the corner, seeing a stream of light down the hallway, the sight extremely ominous but oddly welcome. I approach with caution, remaining vigilant as my hand pushes against the door.

I open the door about one inch, pausing with my ear turned towards the gap. I am greeted by a humming noise, the cracked door allowing more light to seep into the dark hallway. Suddenly, a clatter arises distantly down another hall, the sound reaching my ears and sparking panic. I quickly dive into the dimly-lit room, allowing the door to swing closed behind me. I press myself against the wall, looking down and seeing the wooden floor of a gymnasium under my shoes.

I take a deep breath, my nose immediately being stung by the overwhelming stench of decay so strong that my eyes begin to water. I raise my head, discovering that the loud humming sound is caused by buzzing flies. I squint as bright work lamps propped up around the gym shine towards the ceiling, seeing an apparatus made of a series of ropes attached to the floor and running all the way to the rafters.

I gag and fight the urge to vomit when I realize that the ropes are holding up dozens of bodies at different stages of decomposition; most of them without heads.

I hear another clatter out in the hallway just on the other side of the gymnasium door. I dive underneath the wooden bleachers, moving as far away from the door as possible without detection. Just as I am positioned in my hiding spot, the door slams open so hard that it smacks against the wall. I hear rapid footsteps enter the room accompanied by the sound of heavy breathing.

I hold my breath as I turn my head, watching as a completely nude man sprints into the gym, the door swinging shut behind him. I hear him cough at the stench that clings to every object in the room, but he does not look up until he runs into one of the ropes.

"Holy sh-" he begins to curse as he looks up and sees the bodies hanging from the ceiling.

I hear the UNSUB's footsteps out in the hallway, so I creep down to lay underneath the lowest layer of the bleachers, my cheek pressed against the dust-coated floor. From here, I can see only the man's bare feet as he tries to run towards the boarded-up exit on the other side of the room. I hear him tug at them, the sound sure to bring the UNSUB straight to him... Straight to me.

I remain silent, forcing myself to take shallow breaths and remain still despite the urge to bounce my foot anxiously. Seconds later, the UNSUB enters the gym, making the poor man scream and try to run past him back out into the hallway. I hear a blow land, and I jump in fright when the man falls onto his side directly in front of my face, the bleachers being the only thing separating us.

He opens his mouth to scream, his eyes full of animalistic terror as they latch onto mine. It is then that I notice the thin layer of street grime on his skin, the scraggly beard clinging to his chin, and the tangle of hair upon his head. This man is homeless. This UNSUB must be the same one who we were doing a case on.

He begins to yell, and a sharp blade falls down upon the side of his neck accompanied by the small mechanical whir of a saw. His scream dies when the blade tears through his vocal chords, his hot blood spurting through the crack in the bleachers and showering onto the side of my face. I watch in horror, staring directly into his eyes as the life leaves them, his head completely severing from his body.

The UNSUB whistles a jaunty tune as he leans down, grabbing onto the victim's ankle and dragging him away, a trail of blood following from the now-headless corpse.

I pay no mind as the UNSUB ties the body and hoists it up towards the ceiling, finding myself not being able to break my gaze on the man's still-opened eyes, blood still seeping from the base of his throat. Unable to look away, I find myself trapped in a horrifying staring contest that I wish I could end.