Monster of Blue

Chapter 14

 Chapter 14

     The coldness of this place seeps through my clothes, pricking my flesh with its icy fingers. Light barely filters through the assortment of windows, showing off the dark tiles beneath my curled up legs. Four openings surround the main room, all but one closed off by massive black doors. Potting plants sit by black twisted columns; a small pool of water glowing from the middle of the room, its structure in the shape of a flower with four petals. The monster stands over me, his lips pulled back into a dark smile. 

      “Now what are you doing down there?” His voice slithers through his teeth, black eyes down casted on me as my legs had given out the moment we had walked through the god-forsaken door. “You can’t see your new home from that position,” his smile widens, “Here let me help you up.” Long gray fingers encircle around my forearm and forcibly he yanks me up, cradling me to his chest. Leaning down he whispers in my ear, “See? Much better.” 

     His fingers slowly travel up my neck before settling on my cheek, his index finger brushing lightly over my bottom lip—daring to dip in-between before he moves his hands forward and places his thumbs gently behind my ears. Using his hands he moves my head side to side, showing off his home. “Isn’t it…magnificent?” 

     Swallowing the whimper before it escapes, I mechanically nod my head in agreement. This seems to please him, as he bends down and kisses the side of my head. 

      “You’ll come to enjoy living here,” He coos in my ear. With a mighty shove I’m pushed away from him, landing roughly on my side. My hands shake as I try to push myself up. Looking back I feel my stomach and gut twist at the sickly sweet smile on his lips. “I’ll have someone escort you to your room, my dear.” 

     A dark chuckle leaves his throat, echoing off the wall as gibbering and cackling comes from a far room—coming closer and closer with each passing second. I glance nervously to every entrance and doorway, a building anxiety laced with fear bubbling in my chest. 

     Then, I see them.

     Small bodies the size of toy soldiers made up of torn wings and bones swarming around me like a disturbed nest of angry wasps. Socket-less eyes gaze at me from all directions, their sharp fingers grazing over my skin and pulling at my hair. I screech and begin to crawl back, shielding my face with my arms. The monster clears his voice and the buzzing stops, the small creatures pausing to gaze at him. With a wave of his hand, the monster states, “She is our most precious guest. Take good care of her and please, no biting.” 

     The buzzing from the creatures gets louder, their bones clanking together as they cluster forward. Gathering myself off the floor, I back away from the creatures that venture toward me. Suddenly one is no more than a few inches from my face, and I shiver as I make out the revolting details of the aged skull. It gives an unearthly shrill and I flee through the swarm into an open entrance. 

     A handful cackles and grips tightly to my clothes, sharp claws puncturing the cloth. I swat them away as I ascend up a spiral staircase two stairs at a time, the swarm following closely behind.  The bottom of my bare feet begin to burn as I climb, the stairs leading up to an upper balcony that’s open to the sky. The scenery barely registers in my mind as I dash across the stone flooring to another door, my hands immediately reaching out and throwing the door open with a loud bam. Looking back I see a hurricane of tiny bones rise from the stairway and I quickly slam the door shut. Thousands of tiny knocks and scratches come from the other side. Their boney arms cut through the thick wood, black sockets staring at me with unreadable emotion. 

     Frantically, I turn and run down the hallway, another door coming into view. But unlike the others, it opens as I approach. Widening its wooden texture like a shark’s jaw. It snaps shut behind me as I dash into the room and, despite the oddness of that, a breath of relief leaves me when I can no longer hearing the cackling and betting of wings. Taking a few breaths to steady myself I gaze around the room, eyes widening in curiosity when I see the beautiful décor of a bedroom.