It was the little girl from down stairs!!!
'Why me? Why me?! Please! I'm sorry!'
The girl leaned in close her forehead bullet wound leaking blood on my face but the blood was black and sludge like. The girl opened her eyes, still pinning me to the ground and I saw her eyes... Were full gold from corner to corner she started to cry black inky tears, And those tears started pouring down her face filling ' some sort of tribal tattoos on her face. That's when she actually moved her mouth as she spoke. The girl's voice was not as I imagined it sounded like it was replaced by a mature sounding woman. That wasn't the only Red flag here but there was not much I could do helplessly pinned to the ground the way I currently was.
" We're not finished here!"
She shifted herself to where she could stand on my arms to free her hands. No amount of struggling or bucking made her move. My panic was sending my heart into overdrive as her last words finally started to sink in, but by now it was too late. My heart was not made to withstand this much stress, as it skipped Beats every 5 seconds I braced myself as she added more weight to my body. The pain equivalent to breaking bones surged through all areas she came into direct contact with. The old floor boards beneath me creaking and cracking in protest as the mature voice rang out.
" You will remember me. '' She wasn't screaming but she was very loud. It was almost as if she was growling a command at me. The feeling of falling washed over me as the floor finally gave way under my torso the pain in my heart finally stopped but that didn't mean the nightmare was.
My body lurched as she caught my body just in time before it slipped through the hole.
" Please. No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I remember you! I do!! ''
Her golden eyes squinted. She wasn't stupid.
" Oh really? " She made the face that could easily translated as 'I don't have time for your bullshit' I took my chances anyway and started guessing.
" It's uh... Jaz- uh... Cindy! Yeah Cindy! You look like Cindy. " I winced at the long pause that followed.
" Wrong. " She proceeded to release the section of my shirt she was gripping. My back smashed into the shortest shelf in the basement, I watched the world jerk as I ricocheted off of the top shelf and landed on my left side. I fought for air and teared up.
'Pathetic. Stop crying. Get Benadryl... Now'
I pushed against the floor to stand and immediately felt what's wrong... I gave up on moving for a moment and then I heard the woman... I mean Little girl. Her words sent chills down my spine she's too strong to fight so I definitely needed to fight her in a different way.
" Nice garden Mister Audrey... Beautiful as always. " I froze.
I remember that sentence... How does she...
" Hey Mr Audrey wanna walk with me? "
I started to rack my brain. Who is that? Where have I heard that?
" You have a car? "
When I heard that my eyes widened... Luanne Trainer?
" Oh! It looks like you know now... " She appeared with her face inches away from my face and then quickly stood and crossed her arms walking through all the shelves in her way and then paced back over to where I was laying. I blinked my eyes and squinted at her throughout the whole ordeal. A ghost? I'm I going crazy? She of course simply ignored my confused look and continued speaking.
"But I'm afraid it's a tad too late. The girl wanted mercy for you and it was denied due to YOU'RE forgetfulness. How unfortunate. I guess it's the deepest recesses of Hellscape for you. Sucks. " My stress was eating away at me at this point and her sarcasm was not making it better.
'I just want to know what's happening. Why is this happening to me? What have I done wrong?'
"Besides the multiple counts of murder and lack of remorse as you treat all young life and women as mature play things? Is that not a mentality humans punish and try to eradicate?"
'And now she's in my head.'
"Don't flatter yourself dipshit there's not much up there. "
" Sorry... Princess... We all can't... Be perfect."I was huffing hard now. Something was definitely broken. This was a whole new level of talking to dead people. What a fucking joke.
" I'm going to enjoy watching you burn. " She spoke over her shoulder like she was hot shit while she strolled over to the wall of the basement and disappeared.
"What, you're not gonna keep me company while I burn?
She stuck her head back through the wall and grimaced at me.
"No. Why would I want to keep YOU company? Besides... Don't you have a mess to clean? " my attention was forced over to the mat shrouded in shadows. I looked back over to where Luanne was only to be met with the moldy basement wall. I rolled over to push off of the ground. I almost forgot about my pulverized bones. I finally was on my feet when I heard the woman's voice echo in the quiet basement.
"Hide the body right? Well... First you need to find it."
"What?! "
"Have fun!" she sarcastically chimed.
"What did you do? Hey! Don't leave me here!" her voice broadcasted itself throughout the basement again, this time she sounded annoyed.
" Why the hell not? I gave you a whole entire building as your grave sight you gave me a suitcase in an alleyway! You know what?! Fuck you! You love playing cops and robbers right? Then this is your game. Finish it! This is your mess!..." every possible light source turned off or was blocked from my view.
"... So fucking clean it!! " there was a long inhale and exhale before a dark chuckle and then... It was silent.
A new voice now chose to echo through the basement the only difference was this voice was wispy and airy. If I wasn't so on edge I would have missed it.
" Time to start, oh yeah you might want to find Benadryl. " The last part of her statement sounded like a threat so I took the whole thing literally. I know I had my gun when I was upstairs so I prayed while I felt around and didn't find what I was looking for. I almost gave up when I felt a weird short pipe. Upon closer inspection I found a notch on the side.
'A flashlight!'
I quickly turned it on only to find out it was literally useless but I found Benadryl so that's all that matters, funny enough the flashlight died. I jiggled it a bit only for the piss poor light to get worse if this goes out again there will be no saving it. I made the executive decision to turn it off until I absolutely needed it.
I heard a slither in the distance and made an executive decision to undo my last decision. I pulled out Benadryl's magazine and confirmed I only had 3 bullets.
" I just have to find you right? Fine. "
" Ready or not... Here. I. Come." her voice took on a threatening tone. I was struggling, my shoulder and ribs were broken. I saw a weird looming figure to the left and stuffed the flashlight into my pocket and fired a shot at it. A horrible shriek came from the direction I fired. I quickly swapped to the flash light and shuffled closer... that was a mistake the body on the floor started chucking in a tone that wasn't human it had three different voices speaking at the same time one high pitch voice, one deep voice, and then her normal voice.
" I found... You. " she sang ominously. I don't think I want to play anymore. My useless flashlight Illuminated her body and I'm just going to say this now... Luanne is sick... And if this was a joke... Then she has some piss poor humor. The little girl's body was No longer Little or human; her bone white skin was grotesquely stretched over an unnaturally large skeletal structure. I dropped the flashlight and quickly started retreating, trying to feel around for the clearing at the bottom of the stairs. I was done with this shit show and was going to make my way out of this building.
"AW that's cute... You thought you were IT... Well you're wrong. I Am the only one who hunts here." her demented laughter chipped and buzzed at the same time, the innocent giggles married deep with the chaos.
" I'll leave you with a warning but after that it will be three strikes and you're out. Understand?"
With all that work feeling for the clearing at the bottom of the stairs the only thing I found was another basement wall. I mentally shut down.
'Fuck man! Let me out! Let me out! Letmeoutletmeoutletmeout! Please! What did I do to deserve this?'
"Maybe you didn't hear me." I spun around to look at her and shit myself realizing she was no longer in the beam of light. My Brain wasn't willing to register this.
My heart was unforgivingly shot gunned into my throat, when she reappeared she was bolting towards me looking like the love child of the flash and a fallout ghoul. Her movements were shrouded by the darkness but I could hear her movements and felt the rush of wind as she came to a dead stop two inches away from my face. My whole body flinched and with multiple broken bones my body suffered, sent two separate severe waves of pain simultaneously shooting through my body. A chill skittered down my spine when I came to the realization that the whole time she ran after me her eyes have been closed.
"I said... Do you understand? " her multiple voices all took on a deep growl when she said this. It was clear she was annoyed and just wanted to hunt.
" Y-yes... I understand." at this paint breathing was an absolute chore
"... Good... Good then that me introduce myself. My name is Miranda, and I will be your tormentor here in Hellscape. I know this is a lot to swallow so please keep up. I will now explain my warning... " she chuckled before she even spoke, it was almost as if she found my reaction funny. She then stood up and straight and gave me a full view of her height. She loomed over me as she spoke. I didn't know what to so I stood there my back against the wall tense and quiet and when she finished speaking she waited for a moment and then seized me by the throat and squeezed. Scanning the room before sending me flying across the room backwards well that is until a low beam struck my head and absolutely rung my bell I stuck my good arm out and attempted to cushion my fall I landed on top of my arm and laid there trying to mentally reestablish what my name was. I guess I didn't recover fast enough because I was kicked in the balls from behind. I rolled over and forced myself to sit up and taught myself how to breath again.
" Get up I don't have all day. " The hostile voice came from the shadows behind me. Staggering to my feet and squinted in her direction and froze. Her eyes were glowing. Her irises were a bright pink and GLOWING. That was visible all the way across the basement.
"Every time I catch you there will be a strike and because I'm growing tired of this game already I'm counting our first encounter." she then shut her eyes and disappeared from view.
"The cops have noticed the robber's presence, the robber has thirty seconds."
' get out! Get out! Get out now! Where's the door? I'm so lost!'
Then it hit me. The flashlight was the direct opposite side of where the stairs should be. I remember this because I was almost to where I left the body which was past the stairs until I chose to shoot the demon. I quietly made a beeline towards the basement door. I finally found the bottom of the stairs and my heart leapt for joy.
" 9... 8... " I started to quietly scale the basement tears two steps at a time, I got half way and then...
" 6... 5... " I could see the dim light from under the door. Freedom... It's so close please let me out ...
" 4... 3... " I made it to the door and reached for the knob. I twisted it and gasped as the door opened. My heart was going a mile a minute as I fumbled out...
" 2... 1... " Slamming the door closed I immediately locked it and breathed a heavy sigh of relief as I quickly shuffled to the front door. Something about the first floor was different but I couldn't place a finger on it. Everything was a tad too bright. How long have I been down there?
"... 0... The cops have arrived on the scene and have begun their investigation. " I heard a low chuckle. It wasn't long before I heard footsteps climbing the stairs I confined to make my way towards the front door. The next time I heard the demon speak it was at the basement door. Her high pitch and normal voice sang through the door and her deep voice started to hum.. The banging on the door was rhythmic and hard, the door cracked and groaned with strain. For some reason I stood there watching her break the door. It was as if I was in a trance.
Run robber run,
try to run away,
steal all my things,
and live another day.
Hide robber hide,
And hope that I don't find,
You hiding anywhere,
Or you will surely die.
She finally busted a hole in the door and peeked through with her glowing pink eyes.
" You're not good at hiding... Are you? " finally released from the trance I pulled Benadryl out adrenaline hammering through my veins. I think I still have three shots. Better make these count. Aiming at the door I waited for her to swing at the door again. I was happy she was awkwardly tall. She tried many times to reach the door knob through the hole but couldn't and resorted to having to break the whole door down.
She swung at the door and I fired my thought was if she had to break down the door she had to be close to it. She grunted but I still heard movement so I fired again and spun to face the front door...
Wait a minute! The door was back! But obviously I didn't let that stop me. I unlocked it and turned the door knob. I heard a dangerous snap and looked over my shoulder to see what it was while I swung open the door and ran out. Except... That didn't happen instead slammed into something and came crashing back into the building the impact hurt a lot. I looked at what stopped me from leaving and almost cried.
A brick wall? Why? Where? How? Just let me go already!
I noticed light coming from between the bricks so hope filled my chest as I scooted closer to the door and started kicking bricks away. A dent becoming a hole as nighttime air flooded in. I looked back at the basement door and was met with an unholy sight. She tore a hole in the door and was pushing through it.
"Leaving is not an option for you! Fuck strikes! You don't get to leave! I won't let you!" My foot never stopped attacking the wall, my heel pathetically slapping the bricks.