Outlast the Night

A (Wo)man

"It is almost time my children! Soon we will have our Savior come to us but first we need to find the Mother." The priest held one hand up over the congregation waving slowly side to side. Dark candle light flickering beneath him. The once sparkling and prestige chapel once decorated in acrylic pictures of former Fathers; now stood Christ painted in ruby red blood and dripping white candle wax. Broken and splintered pieces of wood stacked in clutters scattered around the once white marble floor. The grey moon was falling down into the inky blue sky. Morning light will soon shine over his flock. 

"By the next days we will have our Mother that our God has sent to us. She will bare their child and give new life to us!" 

His people crying out in cheers of joy. Many twisted patients stood upright calling up to the wooden beams while others kneel to the ground kissing the floor. The Twins stood off to the side of the doors; listening to the mad Father preaching his gospel. 

"Have you seen her yet?" 

"No. She is still hiding." 

"Indeed. We need to find her." 

"For Father Martin of course." 

"Of course. For Father Martin." 

They stood patiently watching the bald priest raise his voice as he spoke about the new day. The buckles clicking as he raised his hands high up. That one of these "apostle" Father Martin had delivered to him in order to find and bring her to them. But it seemed they have split up and are now lost. 

"Maybe we can lure her." 

"Or bait her." 

"Same thing brother." 

"Oh. I guess so." 

Martin was closing his sermon. Shutting his bible rewritten to fit his message. The pages fluttered closed with lose paper falling at his bare feet. His face drooping down as his eyes fall on the Twins.  

"Now go my children. Pray to him our Walrider and find peace with you." 

The crowd stands up thanking him and moving onto their bedrooms. 

"Should we tell Father?" 

"Do you think so?" They looked to each other and then towards the Father. They move to him silently with their hands at their sides and hunger in their hearts. 

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Miles was running out time and breath. He was just able to escape a crazed variant from ripping his head off and locating the exit. The hulking a*hole crying out for some dumb bird. His breathing becoming heavy and his speed slowing down. The air stale and his pants cover in human filth. His camera resting in hands like an electric ball and chain to this hellhole. He wants-no needs-to leave but not without her. Not with out Star. She deserves to leave this place and have better life. 

Maybe with him? Maybe driving off into the sunset in his red jeep and into the farthest corner of the world.  

After his videos and her interviews bury this place, they'll have a date.  Maybe at a small café, in the daylight, surrounded by normal, non-crazy people. 

Yeah. Yeah that will be nice. Coffee with lots of sugar. 

He hit a wall nearly cracking his camera. Spinning around, he climbed his way up out of the sewer greeting more inmates. They run at him screaming and yelling at him. He kept running into corners; finding himself suck in a loop of mad men racing. Miles ran into a room locking the door from the mad horde ready to kill his ass.    

"Who's down there? You're not one of them are you? Quick! Get in the dumbwaiter if you want to live!" 

A voice yelled from all around him. He looked towards the corner to the room where a small speaker echoed out to him. He looked back to the door being pushed off its hinges. Angry and loud voices pounding on the weaken door.  

"C'mon man, get in! I've seen what they're cable of!" 

He jumped in; squeezed himself in with enough time to watch his predators disappear below him. 

"You made the right choice here, buddy."

A sudden blow to the head knocking his vision into a blur of yellow and green lights. A new hell opening up to the breaking reporter.  

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Waylon had finally lost the cannibal, but also lost Star. He head turning in circles looking for the small female. He wanted to shout out for her; to see her face and hold her tight. She could be anywhere and with anyone. The latter scared him more.  Knowing that she could be tortured or worse killed by some fucking insane doctor! He saw those burns. He could only image what hell has she gone through. 

Where are you Star? Please be okay! Please! He mind begging to any God that would answer him. He could smell the metallic scent of blood and human remains. The smoke trailing behind him with pieces of burned fabric and flesh.  

His stomach turned thinking about her pain. When he divorced Lisa, he felt nothing after he signed that black and white paper. Their marriage was falling apart before he even got here and he felt nothing for the longest time. He sons kept him going; providing them the most of what he could but it wasn't enough. Star had brought him a real sense of warmth. The first smile she gave to him in that tiny corner of the laboratory. She treated like a real person rather that another body waiting to rot. She promised him a future and he planned to make it happen. 

He found the exit leading into the dark courtyard. The moon blocked but its light glowing along with the yard's light. Something inside his bones told him to follow its glow. Not a voice but a real feeling tugging at his heart.  

Star must have found her way out here but where would she go. A small voice in the back of his fear-driven head whispering faintly. A radio! She would have gone to the prison to find the short-wave radio to contact the police or military or anyone outside of here. He took the first open door going to the other side of the asylum.   

I'm coming Star. Soon will be free from here. I promise. I promise.