Inner Demons

CHAPTER VI

"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality." -Edgar Allan Poe 

Something woke me out of a dead sleep. I couldn't tell what it was, but it felt off. Like something was missing.

I jumped down from my bed - a hammock that my roommate had hung up for me - and shuffled my way out of room. I had to bypass a few (dozen) wrappers on the ground, but that was the usual state of my room. When I'm starving I tend to rip open packages and throw them around haphazardly.

"Hey Sam! You up yet?" I called down the hallway.

Only silence answered me.

Seeming a bit odd, I trudged towards his room, noticing the usually closed door cracked open. The strange feeling I had was getting stronger. I steadied myself before pushing the door open the rest of the way.

His room had been torn apart. 

Dresser drawers had been yanked open. A few were lying on the floor across the room as if they had been thrown in a hurry. Sam's most private possessions were gone; his personal notebook, his music player, and even his knives were gone. All of them. Even the one under the floorboards by the bathroom - I checked.

He hadn't just left for the day; he was long gone.

Walking back into my bedroom, I snatched my phone off the floor, dialing a close friend. It rang for a moment and then the line connected.

"-ello?" I heard through the speaker; a groggy, low grumble that I knew too well.

"Hey Bash, sorry, did I wake you?" I asked, biting my lip. If I was going to be asking for a favor, starting this call off on the wrong foot was a bad idea.

He cleared his throat and I heard rustling, like he was sitting up. "Nah, Kit, you're all good. What do you need?"

I laughed into the phone. He knew me too well - knew that when I called him, I needed something. "You haven't happened to see Sam lurking about anywhere, have you? I'm pretty sure he skipped town and I wanna make sure he's not just running around all paranoid before I call it in."

Bash sighed, long and slow. "Kit," he started, the tone of his voice disapproving. "You know better than I do that you have to call it in right away. If he's gone, he's a danger to himself and others. I can try to track him, but you know it takes a lot out of me and I don't have much stock left."

I nodded, and then remembered he couldn't see me through the phone.

"I'll bring you some of mine; it's fresh. I need some help finding him, is all. I know him; he most likely got spooked and is hiding out somewhere. I need to give him the chance to come back before I call them," I say, fidgeting with the sharp tip of my ear. "He deserves that at least."

"Meet me downtown then. I'll need to collect a few things. We're going to need to be in the tunnels," he replied, the sound of rustling happening again. I could only assume he was putting on clothes.

"Thank you, thank you! This means the world to me." I hesitate for a moment. "Hey, Bash?"

"Yeah, Kit? What's up?"

"You...you're not going to call them behind my back, right?"

Bash clicked his tongue, disgruntled at my doubt. "Really? You know I wouldn't do that to you. We know each other too well to go behind one another's back. You're my friend, and if you need something, I'll do my best to provide it."

My eyes misted over and I smiled at his words. "Thanks, hun. I'm sorry for doubting you. I'm just so worried about him."

"I know, doll," he replied. "Go get ready. I'll meet you in the tunnels in, say, an hour?"

I agreed and we disconnected the call. Racing back to my room, I grabbed my backpack and started packing. A change of clothes, the charm bracelet Sam gave me on my birthday, my crystals. It was a precaution, in case I didn't return.

I left the apartment, not bothering to lock the door. There was nothing inside worth stealing anyway. Making my way down the stairs towards the main floor of the apartment building, I settled my backpack on my shoulders. Once I reached the bottom, I fixed my hair. With the large amount of hair that I have, it doesn't like to stay in one place so it's kept in a messy bun most days.

I reached the street and turned right, making my way towards the subway. Weaving in and out of people on the crowded sidewalks, I reached into my pocket and grabbed my headphones. I needed some type of music to drown out the people around me. 

What seemed like a few moments later, I arrived at the subway station. I swiped my pass and made my way towards the tunnels, feeling the energy around me grow as I got closer. Reaching the platform, I took a quick glance at the people waiting for the next train. They were all either staring at their phones or into space, a blank look in their eyes. Perfect. Gave me a chance to go unnoticed. I normally didn't travel this way, especially when it's busy.

I turned left, to the area in which the platform ended. I looked behind me to make sure no one was watching and then jumped down, onto the tracks. I felt for vibrations incase a train made an appearance, but all was quiet. All except for the energy that was coursing through the air. It was always like this; the closer to the tunnels you were, the more magic you felt. It was pure power, radiating out into the human world. 

As I approached the entrance, my body tingled from my toes to my pointed ears. I knew that Bash was waiting for me on the other side. Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on the brick wall of the subway tunnel, feeling it ripple and shift underneath my touch. It became a small doorway, half the size of an average human. I bent over and pulled myself through, closing it behind me. 

Standing up, I snapped my fingers, creating a small bubble of light in my palm. I proceeded to walk forward, knowing my way through these tunnels like the back of my hand. 

"Bash?" I called out, wondering where he would be meeting me. 

No answer.

"Bash!" I called out again. He should have been here by now.

I continued walking, the only sound being that of my feet along the pavement. I shined my light on a tunnel to my right and took a chance that Bash would be down that way.

"Sebastian, where are you?" I asked into the empty tunnel. Where could he be?

Suddenly, I felt something touch the back of my shoulder. I turned around and screamed at the figure behind me, taking a swing at their head.

"Holy shit, Kit! Stop!" 

I stopped thrashing against them and looked up, looking into the eyes of one of my oldest friends.

"Dammit, Sebastian! You scared the crap out of me. Why didn't you answer when I called you?"

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, I thought it would be funny. It was."

I struck him again, shaking my head. What a dolt. 

"Did you happen to hear anything about Sam yet?" I asked, my voice hopeful.

Bash looked at me with pity, his crooked nose directly in my line of vision. He had scars covering most of his face - and his body, I assumed. One eyebrow had been cut and now left a gap where the hair no longer grew. His dark brown hair hung down to his shoulders, hiding his scarred, pointed ears. Him and I had been through so much, had protected each other so often, that we knew each other's quirks and mannerisms. Whatever he was about to say, wasn't good.

"Kit...he killed someone."

*****

Alright guys, thank you to whoever has stuck it out this far!!! You guys are amazing! I'm so sorry for the late update; had a weird bout of writer's block. yuck!

Anyone else like Bash? Anyone else wonder what Sam could be up to? Anyone else wondering what's happening in the maze? Stay tuned to find out :)

Feel free to comment/vote! 

Thanks, lovelies! 

E