The Eldritch Detail
My name is Gail Hussain and I stood in Changany's coven. I did more than stand there, though I am not his father, I fed him as well. According to his mother, Makeda, his father didn't want him and later killed himself when the baby looked at him.
Mekeda used to tell me that her husband said the child was haunting. At times he couldn't find his son in the house.
His mother was African, a beautiful dark woman. As an Indian man, African women aren't my favorite. My brother told me before his death to take care of his wife. I obliged, though I feared my house would be dirtier than ever.
Makeda brought her son to my home and for the first two weeks I never had a problem. Changany is my nephew and I hated him. He didn't cry at night. He was a good baby but my brother's life. I kept asking myself what did my brother see in this child?
One day, I came home from work and saw Changany on the floor. He was watching TV like a normal child. I went into the kitchen to make a quick sandwich. I planned to keep myself in my room as I went over some documents from the DOHRCC.
As I'm making my sandwich, I hear an ugly choking noise. I turned around and Changany was sticking his tongue out and shaking. His head bent back as he shivered. I didn't check to see if it was a seizure, in my head if he was dying, he would have laid on the floor. He did stop shaking and watched tv as nothing happened.
I made my sandwich and went to my room.
The Department now believes in angels. With my upbringing, my parents weren't religious and my mother was a prostitute. I never went to any churches and all I know is the elephant deity. I thought he was cool. I was ignorant of these things. Once I found a statue of it just around the streets. It was broken and I played with like an action figure.
I grew up poor and thought about going to America and being a big gangsta. When my mother caught me with the statue of Ganesha she snatched it from me. She simply said, with anger, not to play with the Gods.
I didn't care.
I drew Ganesha with a pair of large tusk and golden chains around his feet and arms which I made like a regular real-life elephant. His nose was pierced and I gave him a golden left eye.
In front of him was a microphone and I wrote in the left upper corner of the paper, Joodness.
I had made my own character. I thought about giving him superpowers but decided against it. Then Changany came to my open door and twitched while looking at me. I got up and shut it, ignoring the child.
I opened my email to read the documents from work. The Eldritch Detail.
>To all doctors working in the department. Please be aware that all employees must report to room 456 in the basement of the hospital. We will be conducting a group study on a new experiment concerning spirituality. Below is a list of names of the subjects.
Koehel
L'Maji
Clamael
ASSUMED OPERA
The study will begin next week. Another list is provided of the selected doctors that will participate in the group study.
Gain Hussain
Mayara Jomo-Gbomo
Jannicke Bak
Abel Ganio
Cyril Owen
Aria Bailey
Carver Murray
Freya Jervis
Elizabeth Lowe
Tony Nagako
Atalluah She
Seamus Ualas
Wei Meixiu
Kadri Kashif
Please also note any doctors with assistance are allowed and must enter the building with their assistance DOHRCC ID card. THIS IS MANDATORY.
Below are the selected assistances
Melvin Linzell Lyons
Chauncey Myles Lyons
Chava Jalanda Farmer
Reeves Frances Page
Thankful Belen Dante
My door booms, my head twist towards the loud bang. The knob starts turning. "mujhe band karana band karo."
I stay silent for a moment just to listen to Changany speak. "mujhe pata hai ki tum mere baare mein kya sochate ho."
"I made a promise!" I retort. " Get away from my door!"
"aap bhaarateey kyon hain lekin itanee angrejee jaanate hain." his voice changes. There is if a second voice is behind it. "mujhe pata hai tum kya karate ho. tum bahut ghatiya ho."
"You don't know me! Go to bed!"
"tum mere pita ko chodana chaahate the. aakhir tumhaare saath samasya kya hai? kya hua avantee ko?"
"Shut up!" I only know a little Hindi. I threw my language away. "You threw it away? kamabakht bakavaas sir."
"Enough!" I boosted out of my seat and bolted to the door. I jerk the door open, "Get the fuck away from the damn door." my breathing stops in middle of my throat. Why does he look like that? His smile is cracked, stretched across his jaw. "I'm hungry. Aur tumane mujhe apane ghar mein rahane diya."
.
.
.
Changany stares at me from the hallway. "Wait for my mother..." he goes back to his room. I'm sitting crooked on the couch holding my neck and clutching my jeans. He took bites out of me. My calf muscle is gone, I can't see straight. "What the fuck are you?" I hollar. "kya yah spasht nahin hai." he calls back. "aap unhen bulaate hain, yah kya hai? vetaala? Chedipe?"
"What the fuck is that!" I winced in pain.
"A fucking vampire... fucking retard."
"Fuck you!" he shouts. "I'm dying!"
"I know. I can hear it."
The door comes undone. Mekeda sees me and braces herself up against the door. "Jesus!"
"Goddamn it, you lazy African bitch help me!"
She comes out the door but avoids me. "What is wrong with you?"
"Changany!" she calls him, rushing to the back rooms. "Mama!" he shouts. "Is that you? Mama?"
"My baby, are you safe?"
"Somebody fucking help me!" I scream. The vibration from my lungs travels throughout my body, making me shake. "Somebody came in!" I hear him. "Is Gail ok?" he cries. "He told me to hide in my room. I was in the closet!"
"You fucking liar!"
"Don't you call my son a fucking liar. He basically saved your life!" Mekeda yells. "I'm fucking dying!" I clutch my neck. I can feel my torn tendons, it burns.
.
.
.
The next day, I go to work.
My body is sore. Mekeda is no help but I have a walker. I come out of the elevator and see three doctors come down the hallway. Their boasting but pause when they see me. "Good lord, Gail?"
"Morning..." I brood.
"What happen to you?" the doctor exclaims. Another one with brown short hair walks toward me. "We just saw you yesterday. How did this happen?"
"There was a fucking bear in the woods. My wife helped me." I say.
"We need to get you in a bed." the doctor grabs my arm. He leans in my ear, "Did you see them?"
My brow lifts, I look at him. His index finger glides across his lips. I squint.