Mind Or Matter

Chapter Thirty

The elevator door opened and a young man stepped inside, then stopped. He was staring at me, his jaw dropped.

"Sir, are you okay?" he asked, setting his briefcase down.

I looked down at my bloody clothes. "H-help m-m-m-me..." was all that could escape from my throat.

The man, probably around my age, came over to me, going down onto one knee. His business clothes were a dark grey, a black tie to finish it off along with his shiny leather shoes, also black.

I just realized that I was hugging my legs like a child. Straightening them out, I scrambled up to my feet, pushing past the man. As soon as I left the elevator, I heard a sound I knew all too well – the noise a body makes as it hits the floor.

Glancing behind my shoulder, I saw the man on the ground – pale skin, black punctuated veins, black teeth, centimeters of nails sticking out of his fingertips.

(They got him)

I backed up into the lobby, the elevator ascending. After a few moments, the man was out of my sight.

My clothes were still covered in blood. I had completely forgotten what I had been wearing. Jeans, maybe?

The lobby was almost empty. The secretary sipped out of a red mug and an old man read his newspaper in a chair by the door.

Some staff members lingered around, but the only person who didn't work there was the man with the paper, flipping through lazily.

I ran up to the front desk. "P-please... There's a Demon in the third floor hallway! Help m-m-me, please..."

The woman looked up from her old computer – Windows ME, it looked like. "Beg your pardon?" Her voice sounded old and dry, like a drought victim in search for water.

I was shaking with fear. "Call the police. There was this... thing in the third floor hallway. There's blood everywhere..." I glanced at the old man, but saw that he was gone.

Sighing, the woman leaned forward a bit. "What happened?" she asked, her voice serious.

Laughing a little hysterically, I explained, "listen, you're not going to believe me, but there's a... a Demon. I need help." Still surprised that she hadn't even recognized the blood covering me, I laughed again.

Losing all trust in me, the pursed her lips, sitting back in her chair. "Yeah, you need help all right. Go see a therapist or something'." Looking up at me, she tightened her frown. "Come on, get outta here."

I shook my head, my hands floating around. "No, no, no, no, no! You see, I'm staying here with my brother, Jake Harker. I-I have a room... r-room 348 on the third floor! Please! There's a Demon and the hallway floor looks like the fucking Shining!" I looked down at my bloody clothes, just to see if there really was lots of blood.

To see if I was losing my mind.

The woman gripped my wrist, taking on her low, quiet voice again. "There is no Jake Harker here at LaTrain Apartments. Please, gather your things and leave quietly."

My lips parted slightly, my brain white washed away. A thousand thoughts were buzzing inside my head. My brain couldn't seem to choose which one to speak first.

Oh, me! Pick me!

No, I'm the reasonable one! The woman's mental! Oh, please pick me!

You're the one who's mental, William!

I squeezed my head between my two palms, closing my eyes and groaning. Shut up! Shut the hell up!

I started to back away, opening my eyes. Without my things, I ran out the door.

I need to find Candi... was the only thought circling my brain now.