The Outer Circle (Short Series | On hold)

I woke up to the sound of a gunshot. I shook my head and tried to regain my conscious, the loud noise still ringing in my ears. I searched around me for the source of the disturbance with my weary eyes. It was dark enough to obscure the far walls of the room but opening my eyes was very blinding. I turned slowly left to right but never found any sign of a gun-wielding felon, or if there was one at all in the first place. But it sounded very close. As if it came from this very room. 

Something’s wrong.

I never noticed it before but something felt different. I moved my body to try and feel the bed I was laying on. It was somewhat warmer. And a little bit more rigid too. I wasn’t on my bed.

I jerked my body and positioned myself upright; sitting on a bed I have never seen before. And upon lifting my eyes upon the room I have been sleeping in I was also surprised to realize that I have also never seen and been in this room in my entire life, except now.

What is happening? Where am I?

My heart raced. So did my thoughts.

How did I get here?

I slid my legs towards the edge of the bed to try and get on my feet. There was a faint thud as my feet--as my shoes met the wooden floor. This is totally unusual. I never sleep wearing my shoes.

Someone is definitely playing a stupid prank on me.

I made an effort to stand up. I almost stumbled. My body felt worn-out and most of my muscles were a bit sore. I tried to regain my balance and stood erect. I shook my head off a slight feeling of headache. I started walking. It was definitely dark, but not “pitch black” dark. The only light that came in was the faded bluish moon light that pierced through the only window in the room that was covered in what appears to be layers of newspapers. Everything in the room was still at the least visible though not clear and obvious.

Just before me, not far from the bed, was a small wooden desk. Its top was empty, save a layer of dust, but I still decided to search its drawers anyway. I opened the first drawer. It was empty. Luckily, the second drawer had something I thought I really needed – a source of light. I took the flashlight out and switched it on. It didn’t light up at first but a couple of quick strikes did the trick. The crisp light emitted by the flashlight helped me to see more of the room. The grayish light-green wallpaper surrounding the walls had grungy smudges of god-knows-what on its surface and more of it on the corners of the room. Peeking parts of the wooden walls behind the wallpaper looked old and rotten. It grossed me out a little. The ceiling, not too high, did not have a better appearance than anything else. 

I paced forward as my flashlight pointed towards a door. It did not have a different color than the walls but the doorframe was painted darker. I reached for the knob. It was warm. It felt like someone had already held and opened it just a moment before. But it’s probably just me. I turned the knob and gave the door a pull.

This isn’t any better.

I stepped outside to a darker hallway. The walls looked just the same way as how it looked like from the room. It gave me chills to realize how dark it was. I could have not seen the ends of the hallway if not for the flashlight. If I didn’t shine the light upon them, they would look like an infinite black void, not having any end at all. As if anyone could have been standing there the whole time without me noticing.

The end of the hall to my left was nearer. I skimmed the light along the walls where the hall stopped and saw another dark-brown painted frame.

Should I check in there?

I thought of heading the other way because if I need to get out, I should head directly to the front door. I stepped to my right. And stopped.

A sound broke the silence. It was brief but sharp. I was uncertain but it sounded like an object made from steel hit something hard and brittle.

What was that?

It came from the other room.

Someone’s in here too.

I approached the door sneakily, while waiting for another noise or any other indication that might prove that someone was in that room. There was no more. But I couldn’t let this pass. I decided to take a look for myself. I took a soft final step before grasping the warm knob of the door. I stood for a couple of seconds, and drew a deep breath. Finally, I turned the doorknob and gave the door a slow and steady push. 

The flashlight slowly filled the room with its glow. The door creaked softly as its opening became wider. I didn’t mind. I needed to know who was in here. Slowly, the door revealed the room’s interior.

No one is here.

The room, too, looked very identical to the room where I woke up. But this one had two beds instead of one. There were two small beds, probably a meter apart. They looked like they were for little kids. There was no sign of any person being here just a moment. Or is there?

Another noise came in. It was more muffled and close. It was a rustling of something. More importantly, it was continuous. I turned my eyes to the only place where it could come from. I looked at a lighter colored door with, still, a dark colored doorframe. The bathroom.

I suddenly became nervous, not anyway better than afraid. My footsteps were barely audible as I crept upon the bathroom door. My hands slightly shaking, I turned the knob and opened the door. The rustling noise stopped. I covered my nose as an unforgiving stench drowned my nostrils. The place reeked. It reeked with blood. The bathroom floor was lathered red.  The drain was clogged with clumps of strings. It was clusters of hair. I was already frightened out of my head until something else happened.

The curtain moved.

I could have sworn it moved. Or at least someone—something behind it moved. I shone the light at the blood stained curtain that hid the bathtub behind it. Its lower half was washed and splattered with blood.

Why would I look behind it?

I did not know why I was reaching for the curtain. I felt like something was pushing me to do it. I couldn’t resist despite my fear. Until finally, my shaking hand grabbed the side of the curtain while my foot and leg backed up in any case of an attack. I threw the curtain to the side and swished it open.

Why?

The next thing I saw turned my stomach upside down.

It was a gruesome sight of a little boy’s body. His lifeless body impaled on the bathroom wall with a steel pipe. His head shaven horrifyingly with bits of his skin cut off with his hair, exposing parts of the skull. His hands had missing fingers and not a single one could be found nearby. Deep ragged lacerations covered most of his body. There was blood everywhere. But the most horrible sight was to see his face; innocent yet gravely terrified. His eyes wide open and his mouth grotesquely gaped.

I need to get out of here.

I took a quick step back and grabbed the doorknob while trying to not look at the morbid sight. I tried to pull the door and close it but something spine-chilling happened. I couldn’t.

Someone was pulling it back open from the inside.