Tevun-Krus #35 - Best of '16

Madman's Lair - A Short Story by @fallen_tear

The first memories I could recall are running, blood, and pain. There was so much pain. I don't know how I was able to keep on my feet, but when I saw a place for shelter that night, a sense of safety and hope washed over me. I clung to it for all it was worth, sprinting towards the light in the dark. The mansion, with its stone walls, was to be my sanctuary, my refuge from the beast that was pursuing me.

I could still feel it's teeth puncturing my skin, ripping it as I reached the path leading to the door. An animal in human skin. Its foul breath blowing on my face in raspy, screeching growls that continued to ring in my ears. Somehow, in a panic, I had lost it in the surrounding woods of the old castle.

After banging on the door, screaming for help as loud I could, for my life depended on it, the door opened. A man answered, looking startled at my appearance. I remember thinking he's a doctor before passing out, it must have been the white jacket.

There were points, flashes of clarity, from then on. Fevers and chills that racked my body, being moved off and on to some sort of lab table. Burning and itching sensations that felt as if my skin was peeling off my body. My bones ached, tired and sore, as if they've been beaten and trampled on. My heart would speed up so fast I thought it was going to explode, before stopping as my lungs betrayed me over and over again.

Throughout all the testing and experiments I tried to call out, but with being half conscience for most of the time, I could never master even the slightest of whimper.

~

"Help!" I yelled as loudly as I could. Though, as usual, no one came.

The hard stones jutted into my back and bottom, making sleep nearly impossible night after night. I didn't know what day, let alone what time it was, or how long I had been held captive as the sun's light barely made its way down here through the small windows above. The looming bars in front of me taunted my freedom. They were strong, solid, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get past them.

"Please!" I wasn't afraid to resort to begging. I had been doing so for a while now. "Somebody, anyone? There has to be someone there?" As delirium and desperation started to fill in the emptiness that surrounded me, I knew I was about to cry again. "Food? Water? Anything, please!"

I rested my head on the cold damp floor, not caring that it was dirty or who knows what diseases I could pick up. A rat scurried past the bare, just out of reach from me.

"You too?" I asked, watching it. It made sure to not even acknowledge my presence. "Since when were rats all high and mighty?" I snapped at it as it made an escape through the wall on the far side. "Asshole!" I snarled as hunger intensified, causing me to curl up on my side.

Guess a rat wasn't even stupid to walk straight into a trap, not like I was. If it had gotten close enough for me to catch it, I would've eaten it whole, kicking and screaming. I didn't care how gross the thought was it would deserved him right. Just like it deserved me right for being stuck here.

I don't even know my name, where I came from, or anything from my past. Though I do know I was stupid for running straight into a madman's lair. My naivety allowed for me to get devoured deep into its belly.

Footsteps echoed down the steps. I lifted my head off the floor as I sat up. There was no use in fighting. They always got what they wanted. Drugged up all the time, their faces were just a blur to me that I would never be able to identify them if I were lucky enough to escape.

"Ah, there's my pet," he spoke casually, walking towards my cage as if this was so natural. "You know, you were lucky we saved you from our watchdog."

He knelt down to look me in the eyes. This was the first time he ever approached me while I was fully aware. I stared straight back, not wanting to blink or give him the satisfaction of looking away first. His eyes were calculating, watchful.

"Hungry?" he asked, holding out an apple.

I snatched it as quickly as I could, no longer caring that I broke eye contact first. I didn't know what they were up to and decided it didn't matter.

"You would be dead if it wasn't for us," he continued, "A hospital wouldn't have even been able to save you."

I let him carried on as I ate. I didn't know what he was expecting for me to say. I don't think saying, Jeez, thanks for saving me. I just love being tortured and kept prisoner, would have been a wise choice.

"Thanks to our DNA and gene splicing research."

When I finished wolfing down the apple when the pain started. My body started spamming as I did the only thing I could, I screamed. My head and limbs kept hitting against the stone as I jerked. I felt the apple working its way back out as I felt hands on me.

"Interesting..."

He must have opened the door, but I hadn't noticed. The only thing I wanted was for it to stop. It hurt so bad, that I didn't register the blood running down my head. I only saw it when I started to upheaval all the contents of my belly. That was when I noticed the door was wide open.

I wanted to die, more than anything, anything to stop this madness. However, likely as not, I wouldn't be given another chance.

Trying to block out the pain, I knew to get the upper hand I had to use surprise to my advantage. I kept thrashing around before going completely still.

"Shit!" I heard him say as his hands relaxed. "I was afraid something like this would happen."

I peeked to see that he was reaching for his pocket, and that was when I went into action, sitting straight up and using the momentum to push him over. He fell with a thud as his head hit the ground.

Running to the door, I wasn't going to waste time to see if he was going to come after me, I hesitated outside the door when something caught my attention. It smelled so good. My stomach began to rumble as a thirst I never knew before began to naw at my insides. I couldn't ignore it. I started sniffing around as I searched for the smell, stopping my escape.

It grew stronger the closer I got to the guy. Kneeling down by him, I touched the blood on the side of his face and brought my finger to my nose, inhaling. It smelled sweet. Shocked, I licked the blood. My eyes shut out of habit.

"More!" I half growled, half moaned.

I got on top of him, grabbing his arm. A hissing sound filled the room. I didn't even realized it was me until I had sunk my teeth into his inner arm. There was no time to be freaked out; I didn't care. In that moment I had decided to embrace the madness.

They had broken me, destroyed me, and shaped me into something unnatural... Like the beast that had chased. But I didn't care, nothing mattered anymore.

His eyes opened, staring at me, helpless. I stared back as I continued to drink. I no longer cared that he had held me prisoner nor about who I was or am. I wasn't worried about escaping or seeking revenge.

The only thing that now mattered to me was blood. I watched as his body went still. He was gone. Getting up, I walked out of the cellar.

I was free, and I wanted more.