Outlast the Night

Til Death Do We Stay...

The banging and screaming in the walls didn't let up as Star squeezed herself through the hot pipes and thin openings throughout the wooden structure of the building. Denis's personalities would talk and argue; rising in volume but would disappear after a few minutes. She moved quietly peeking through the slits in the walls. Sweat dripping down her back as her breath fanned over the metal and wood frames of her new cage. He would be talking to different persons and fighting back and forth with themselves. The walls growing bigger leaving pieces of book shelves and industrial crates in her path.

She wiggled her body around while keeping her hands up. The rough hard wood, metal frames, and tight spaces were beginning to make her claustrophobic. Her erratic heart beat and breathing are her new sounds.  

"Hey stop!" Denis yelled at the frighten woman. His face mangled and deformed. As is someone shredded his face and tried to put back together. A smaller version of Frankenstein's monster.

" D Denis what what happen-"

"QUIET!" His voice echoing around the shaking bodies. 

"We don't have much time," He cut her off," I I need you be quiet." He was shaking; moving his head side to side as if someone was watching him. Us. 

"He'll find you. He'll hurt you if he finds you."

"Who Denis? Who is might hurt us?" He was in there. The quite but wonderful man who would talk Star's ear off when she started talking about her family. How he wants to have a community, a family of his own. Outside of this place. He wanted to be somewhere small but comfortable. A place where people won't look at him like he was crazy. The same way Star looks at him. 

Normal. 

A human being. 

"The the man down stairs. You have to leave now." He ran off before Star could utter another sound.

"Denis! Denis?" She whispered/yelled into the room. She could hear the floor boards leave behind Denis's trail. She followed those sounds trying to find him through the slits in the wall. If he somehow found a way out of this place than he could show it to her. Maybe a door or even a window large enough and low to the ground so she could walk right out. After jumping over a wall, she spotted Denis talking into the air. A shadow blocking her figure from being found.

"She she's a good one. We can use her. She's kind, smart, and cares about me."

"Yes she'll be prefect! So young too! Gluskin will be so happy! "

Gluskin? Eddie Gluskin?

Star kept herself at a distance knowing and ,unfortunately understanding, what Gluskin has done to get himself in this place. She knows the risk that come with talking with a killer like him. But it could be her chance.

"Denis? It's me." Star stepped out into the light careful to keep her hands at her side. The man twisted his body around as soon as she echoed her voice. His eyes wild and jaw moving as if he was eating something. His fingernails. She carefully slipped the blade from her chest and cradled it to her chest. 

"You! You're perfect! Come with me!" He ran at her jumping onto her. She pounced out of the way. Keeping herself at a distance from his reach.

"I will. I will but you can't touch me. You don't want to hurt me before," she swallowed a wet lump," before my wedding do you?"

She tighten her jaw and focused on steadying her emotions. Whoever, she was speaking to knew how badly they wanted Gluskin to leave them alone. He could escape and find help once Denis has resurfaced. She just needed to reach him. 

"F*** it! Let's go before I turn into a pile of rotten sack of balls!" He turned around leading her to a stair case leading down into her next hell. A light hanging from the ceiling showcasing her next performance. 

"You should hurry. It's rude to keep your groom waiting."

Star looked over to the man. His eyes cool and steady but she knew Denis was in there.

"Denis if you can hear me, please keep living. Don't stay here. Get as far away as possible from here. Please. Be happy." With one hand on the railing, Star descended down into her final  destination.

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The atmosphere chilled to her bones once her footsteps touched the bottom step. She could feel the air become cold but warm. As if there was another body lurking around her. She stayed out in the open recounting her reading over 'The Groom'. He is a misogynist and possible narcissists. She would need to play his 'prefect bride' in order to survive. 

The further she walked into Gluskin's territory, she could hear music. A sound so privilege it felt like a life time of listening to anything other than voices of her former, and possibly deceased colleagues. Looking around the sewing room, there was no signs of a music player in eye sight. The rows of machines were standing as if they were waiting for someone. She observed each individual table and noticed one had been used recently. The dust around the table had been cleaned off and a spool of thread wrapped around the needle. The stool underneath the table was warm. She followed the music listening to the 1950's soundtrack on repeat.

The song had looped back around to the beginning. A band of men's voices echoing off the dark corners. 

When I was boy my mother often said to me, "Get married son and see I'll happy you will be" 

A strong smell of blood on it's tail. 

I have looked all over, but no girlie can I find , who seems just like the little girl I have in mind; 

A tiny piece of yellow light glowing in a corner.

I will have to look around until the right one I have found. 

She covered her nose and mouth as her body slid around the corner. What saw her could only compare to Trager's work or exceed it. Her body dried heaved with nothing in her stomach and throat. The glass blade slowly slipping out of her hands. She dropped it before she could blink with a sinking shattering. The sparkle of her protection disappearing with every sinking heartbeat. Her only hope was wishing for death or an angel.  

She never saw the pictures of his crimes before coming to the asylum. This was only a preview of his work. Three corpses posed in the single image of childbirth; a human head in-between the legs of another body. The music was blaring right next to the bodies as Star ran passed the bloody mess. She couldn't look at that thing another second without bursting. Her body was exhausted from all crying, running and screaming she has done. And the tears had done nothing to help her so far. Her body was shaking; ready to release the nothing inside of her. She ran farther looking for her new escape. Anything that will let have that taste of fresh oxygen she craves. After running through three different rooms, she found a set of double doors. Her body slammed against the wooden block; twisting the knob finding it locked. Frustration was building up inside her. Sweat coating her hands and faces. 

"Darling."