Heart of Obsession

Prologue

     

A bowl that once held instant ramen sat next to my textbook. The text was faint in the surrounding darkness of my room. The only light source was my desk lamp and the blaring screen of my laptop, because the ceiling light would be harsh on my eyes. '11:47pm' was digitalized in small print in the right corner of my laptops' screen. I had gone over my studying material at least twice. I think it's time to get some sleep, or else my exhausted stupor will waste away all that time spent studying.

I closed my laptop and textbook. Then I turned the desk lamp off and picked up my empty bowl. I crept silently out of my room and to the kitchen, where I sat the bowl in the sink. I closed my bedroom door as I entered it then continued to walk towards the window to close my curtains.

The freezing surface temperature of the window sent a shiver up my spine. It's the end of February, but there is frost still clinging to the edges of the glass. I wiped the window, condensation wetting my hand.

Looking through, I could see a campfire in the distance. Shaking my head, I knew it wasn't any of my business. Yet my overwhelming urge to investigate somehow led me to the door of my dorm, where I slipped on a sweatshirt and my running shoes.

A short midnight run hasn't ever hurt anyone.

I opened the door, closing it and then walked down the hall to the large set of stairs. I descended, reaching the first floor in a few minutes. I glance at my watch. The short hand was a tick away from twelve, with the long hand one tick past eleven.

I reached the bottom floor and neared the front set of double doors. I pushed them open. Greeted by slight wind, blood rushed to my cheeks in an attempt to warm me. I held my arms close and trudged my way toward the forest. The chilled night air seeped through my clothes quickly. The night was silent; my only company was the crickets and rustling of leaves. I entered the main campus, a circle of buildings that held different classes. I walked through the grass patches between the Athletics department and the Art Gallery. There I reached the edge of the forest, and continued on with no hesitation. My courage was soon lost when an eerie feeling ensnared me.

Dead leaves crunched under my feet. Each step was cautious, and my once droopy, sleep-deprived eyes were alert. I knew the dangers of being in the forest at night, because everyone has been starting rumours about a group of students having cult meetings here. My anxiety worsened.

I wouldn't automatically assume that any of the rumors were actually true, but the campfire I saw raised my suspicions. It doesn't help that I could hear 'Hail Chernobog!' being chanted repeatedly. Now I want to turn back, panic and fear enslaving me. Yet my legs kept moving forward.

The chanting got louder and louder, and the trees narrowed. I hid behind a boulder, and lean over to the left so I could see.

So the rumours are true? I gulped and vomit rose in my throat. In the mouth of the cave was a campfire, and I could see five people standing there, chanting. There was a sixth person, a man tied up with rope laying on the ground, writhing in pain. The flames lit up the visible side of his face. I gasped in disgust and surprise.

It was quite gruesome; his eye was nonexistent, instead it was just an eye socket gushing with blood. Seems to me that it was just removed completely. The incisions were quite deep and inaccurate, done by someone inexperienced. A scalpel stuck out of the hole; it was stabbed into his flesh.

I had to tear my vision away, my line of sight following a woman stepping toward the man with a jar in hand. One of the other people stood behind the eyeless man, a grasp tilting his head back by his hair. With his head parallel to the ground, the woman poured a liquid from the now open jar into the man's empty eye sockets.

The man screamed in agony, but we were too deep into the forest for anyone on campus to hear. The scream pulled me from my traumatized daze and I let out my instant ramen onto the forest floor in a soggy pile of mush. I kept gagging, but it only came out as a series of dry heaves. Soon it was slowed down to just ragged breaths.

I looked back. The man was lunging towards one of the cult members, scalpel in hand. He bit into the man's neck, thrashing in a burning rage with nothing to put it out.

I couldn't watch any longer. Tears were streaming down my face, and pressed my back into into the boulder, searching for any sense of security. I ignored the pain it caused and instead sobbed into my hands. I mumbled in panic, 'I'm going to die' over and over again until my breath hitched when everything became unnervingly silent.

It took a lot of strength to hold my sobs and hiccups back, but I was able to. The wind floated past me, whistling. Leaves crunched under footsteps. Whoever it was, they were running deeper into the forest. When I could no longer hear anything in the distance, I let out a long breath.

I stood up, peering past the boulder. The campfire was no longer lit. It was dark, and I could no longer see anything. Although I'm glad I can't, because I'm sure the image wouldn't be appealing. I swerved my head to each side, making sure the man was gone. I started jogging away slowly, but fear pushed me forward to run as fast as I could to safety.

I broke through the line of the forest and rested on my knees for a few seconds. I started to walk back to the dorms, but the fear of someone sneaking up behind me pushed me to speed walk. I bursted through the doors of the building, running up the stairs. I stopped at each floor entrance to catch my breath, and then I made it to the fourth floor.

My dorm was midway down the hall. My vision was blurry from adrenaline. I ran to my dorm door and slammed it open. It would probably wake up half of the fourth floor, but right now isn't the time for worrying about other peoples' beauty sleep. I have to call the police.

My roommate appeared from her bedroom, stretching and rubbing her eyes. "What are you-" She yawned, "-doing awake?"

I didn't reply. I continued on my way to my room, panting heavily. My hands felt around my desk. A cold glassy surface caused my hand to freeze and I scrambled to pick up my phone. After my hand was grasping it, I pushed on the screen until I found the home button, effectively turning it on. I pressed emergency call and punched in the number to call the police.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Someone's- someone's been murdered." I shakily answered.

"Alright. Are you in immediate danger?"

"No. Please hurry." I hung up and swallowed. I wouldn't of been able to talk any longer. Everything was too much for me to handle.

Chink.