Part 5: A face from the past
We only had to walk for another few minutes after leaving the pit behind, before we came across yet another decision to be made. We just stopped in place, starting at the staircase leading upwards to our right, as well as the hallway that continued onwards. On one hand, it would make the most sense to climb the steps as we hoped to find our way back up to the house in which Orchid surely lingered still. Of course, the fact that seemed the easiest and most logical choice was the exact reason we were hesitant to settle on it.
We talked it over for a few moments before the floor began to vibrate beneath our feet again, likely signifying the pursuing concrete slab was on its way once again. That alone was enough to convince us to head up, not because we thought it to be the lesser of two prospective evils, but simply because we were both tired of rushing every damn decision based on a chunk of rock at our backs. As soon as I set my foot on the first step, it began to retract, inspiring us both to sprint up the stairs. I for one would’ve preferred a slower approach to check things out, but it would seem every move we made was on a timer of one kind or another.
As we both practically leaped through the opening above, we found ourselves surrounded by darkness, except for the light still glowing from the gap in the concrete ground. Naturally, that stuffed out when the opening to the floor below sealed itself shut, leaving us unable to see a damn thing. I could feel my chest getting tight again, while my breathing grew more erratic with the fear of what else may be sharing the darkness with us. It would seem I had a moment of forgetting whose company I shared at the time, not dissimilar to how Orchid had underestimated him, to begin with.
When the light beamed from my friend’s hand, just as it had in the foggy and blurred landscape of the space between Alberson Bridge and the house we fought to return to, I managed to regulate my pulse finally.
“Have I ever told you, I love you, man!” I said, wiping the sweat from my brow, chuckling nervously.
He just gave me another one of those ‘tongue-click’ winks, while cutting his eyes around our new location.
From what I could make out, we looked to be in some sort of parking garage. For a moment, I thought we may very well have walked a good distance away from the house, having chosen the wrong direction in the circular room we fell into. I can’t say it felt as though we had walked particularly far before we came across the spiked pit, but I had long since abandoned the logical reasoning of the natural world when it came to circumstances like these.
Though the light Grant produced from his hand was enough to illuminate a good 20 feet around us, it still felt quite eerie being surrounded by so much emptiness, except for the occasional vehicle here and there.
“You know anything about hot-wiring cars?” I asked, thinking a ride could make quick work of whatever this task had in store for us.
He didn’t reply; only appeared quite distracted while he started around the place as though he was looking for something specific. That’s what the expression on his face implied to me, anyway. Regardless of the years we had been friends, as well as how I could often read him like an open book, there were often those times I had not the slightest idea what was going on in his mind.
“You ok, man?” I asked, “What’s got you so spooked?”
“I know this place, Michael.”
I can’t say whether the fact he spoke in his business voice, or that he still appeared so on edge had me the more unsettled, but either way, I was most certainly more nervous about our surroundings than I had been at first. When Grant began to walk across the mostly vacant parking lot, still looking as though he was in something of a daze, I followed behind him. I tried to pry more into why he was acting this way, but it was as though my words didn’t even register with him at the time.
As he paced towards a dusty, cherry-red convertible fifty-seven Chevy, he stroked his hand across the driver’s side fender, carving a fine ditch in the thick dust. The way he regarded the old car or looked as though he was laying eyes on an old friend for the first time in years. He pulled the door open, sitting down at the helm, causing a cloud of dust to blow up and around him as he planted down into the seat. I still just stood in place in front of the vehicle when the glow from his hand dissipated, briefly returning us to the darkness.
I heard the rumble from the engine when he cranked it up, before once more illuminating the wide and open space with the bright headlights. He still looked so mentally vacant while he sat in place with the door ajar beside him, just gazing at the dashboard. He ran his fingers across the steering wheel while pressing his foot down on the accelerator pedal. The exhaust coughed and sputtered before the hum of the engine regulated, bringing something of a distant, yet warm smile to his face.
“Grant, are you alright, man?”
He just nodded, still wearing that almost melancholy grin. He gave his head a brief and subtle shake, before looking back at me, tilting his head to invite me to sit shotgun. He no longer looked troubled when I took the seat beside him; he just raised his eyebrows up and down while revving the engine more as he closed his door, prompting me to do the same.
“Let me tell you a story, mate, yeah?”
“Go for it!”
Given the expression both this place and the car we sat in had left on my friend’s face, I was a little nervous about what this tale may concern, but at the same time, I was quite excited to hear him talk about his past for once.
“This was probably a good sixty or seventy years ago, well, it goes back farther than that, but this place…”
His words were cut short by a shrieking howl that almost seemed to cause the walls to shudder. Without even hesitating, as soon as the sound broke out, Grant threw the car into gear and slammed his foot to the floor. I felt my back press against the seat as the wheels gripped onto the tarmac after spinning in place for a moment. More howls and almost guttural growls were echoing across the wide area, and even as we sped through the place, the volume of the wails did not lessen. If anything, they sounded to be drawing closer.
With every turn, the tires squealed against the pavement, only serving to cause the sounds of whatever was out there, to seem even more disturbing. The wind that blew by the speeding car, caused plumes of dust to blow behind us as we carried on. When a gargled barking came from possibly only feet behind us, I could only hope our smoke cloud would distract whatever was chasing us down. I realized that was only wishful thinking when we took a hard hit to the left rear fender, causing the wheels to release from the surface of the road for a moment.
The squealing of the tires bellowed again as we skidded to one side while darting down the ramp to the level below us. As we sped to the floor ahead, I cut my eyes to the left, briefly catching a glimpse of the beast that was in pursuit. I didn’t know if it left my sight so quickly that I didn’t have time to make out what it was, or if my mind was so shocked by what it had seen that it would not allow me to register it. By the time the tires bounced onto level ground again, I decided to keep my eyes forward, hopeful we could escape this thing.
With every sharp turn, the sound of thick rubberized marks being painted across the tarmac echoed against every wall and the ceiling above. No matter how hard Grant pushed the pedal down, the haunting sounds of those heavy footfalls and wails of the creature seemed to be inching closer and closer. I had no idea what floor we may be on, how many we may have to pass through to escape the parking structure, nor if that would give us more or less of a hope of outrunning this thing. Hell, I still had no damn clue how we were God knows how many floors up a damn parking garage when we were underneath a fucking mansion only moments before, for that matter.
“What the hell is that thing!?” I yelled over the sound of the beast’s wails, as well as the wind gusting around us.
“It doesn’t have a name. It’s not from your world, or mine, mate. They travel between, feeding on whatever poor bastards might slip through the cracks.”
“Can you hurt them?”
“Not sure…different planes, different rules.”
Another hit sent us skidding to one side, spinning us around and slamming hard against the wall, effectively halting our escape. That’s when the headlights shone across the beast, bringing it truly into view for the first time. I could only barely catch the scream before it let loose, but I just smacked my hands around my mouth in an attempt to silence it. I wasn’t entirely sure why I felt the need to muffle my terrified outcry, but my hands were shuddering violently as they sat upon my face.
There we sat, face to face with this monstrosity. It had to be about six feet tall, even propped on its four legs; each ending with two elongated fingers and long dark claws that looked as though they could slice through solid steel like warm butter. The limbs were packed with bulging, almost human-like musculature. It was completely hairless, but its greyed flesh was glistening as though layered with sweat, which given how quickly it chased after us, would not be hard to believe.
The spine was lined with a row of spikes; each of which pierced through the skin of its back. The head of this thing was the most disturbing of all of its unique features, being almost human in appearance. The rounded ears on the sides, the upturned button-nose on the end of a slightly protruding snout, and even the creased brow across its enlarged eyes. As it wrinkled its lips into a snarl, allowing a trembled growl to breach its mouth, I saw what looked to be rows of needle-like, thin teeth; far more numerous than those behind my lips.
As we started on, another two of those things approached from either side of us, inspiring my body to shiver even more violently than it had been up until this point.
“There!” Grant said, gesturing towards what looked to be an elevator, maybe a hundred feet across the large, open space.
By this point, all three of the monstrous beasts weaved around one another, staring at us, while pacing back and forth on their muscled legs. It felt like a classic showdown, making me almost giggle at the visual image of a tumbleweed drifting across the space between the front end of the car and the trio of creatures. Of course, laughter was the last thing I could convince my body to do at the time.
“As soon as we get within range, you get to that door, yeah?”
“We get to that door, Grant!”
“I’ll try to get us as close as possible. Just be ready,” he said, seemingly ignoring my words.
“Grant!”
He threw the shifter into neutral, revving the engine, while the beasts hunched over, as though preparing to pounce.
“Grant, seriously, we’ve got to…”
Before I could even hope to finish my sentence, I felt my back once more press against the seat, as my friend threw it into gear, spinning the wheels in place before practically shooting us forwards. The first creature we had seen attempted to ram the front end with its head, ultimately releasing a choked yelp as the bones of its neck gave a loud snap when it made contact. The other two jumped to the side, swatting their elongated limbs at us; one carving its claws across my right shoulder.
I screamed at the sound of my shirt and flesh-tearing open, but would not allow the pain to get through. I turned around in my seat to see the two that leaped to the side already back in pursuit, while the one that ate the bumper was shifting its neck back into place. Even with the growling of the other two, as well as the howling of the engine, I could still make out the sound of the bones twisting back into the right position, causing my stomach to churn from both the sight and sound.
I felt as though we were about to plow the car right against the wall with the recessed elevator door before Grant quickly cut the wheels, skidding us to the left, while the burning rubber surrounded us in a foul-smelling cloud.
“GO!” Grant yelled out as soon as the car came to a halt.
I did what he asked, and threw open my door, almost stumbling right to the ground as I pushed myself away from the old Chevy. Since he had gotten us so close, it only took a few seconds to reach the elevator, but I would now be forced to await the doors sliding open. I just kept pushing the button, as though it would speed the arrival of the elevator while keeping regular glances to my rear.
I almost dropped to the ground as the life left my legs when I turned to see all three of those things leap upon my friend as soon as he stepped out of the car. My jaw trembled and hung limp while I watched the blood spray across the hood of the old car as they reared back with their clawed hands, tearing into him one after the other. I couldn’t even make him out anymore; only the monstrous greyed flesh of the beasts, pulling their limbs and crimson stained faces back, slinging more meaty globs and chunks of grizzled tissue against the surrounding area.
I was only vaguely aware of the dinging sound, alerting me to the arrival of the elevator as I witnessed the gruesome sight of my friend being ripped apart. With that one high-pitched beep, all six of those darkened eyes met mine, as they stopped in place, turning from the meal they had made of my dearest friend. When I felt the door slide open against me, I just paced back, not breaking my gaze from the trio which was now steadily approaching me. I’m not entirely sure if I pushed the up or down arrow, as I was so fixated on the sight of my potential killers moving in, but the door would not slide shut, no matter how many times I bounced my finger against the button I wouldn’t look at.
Finally, with the creatures only a handful of feet away from me, I gave up on my repetitive pressing; just stepping backward until I hit the back wall of the lift. I could swear the one closest to me gave a satisfied smile as its head breached the entrance to the elevator, and I did not doubt that this was the end of the line for me. As my eyes looked deeply into the almost vacant and lifeless ones that gazed back at me, I only hoped it would make it quick. I clenched my fists, bracing myself for my bloody demise, when,
“OY!” echoed across the otherwise deserted parking structure.
Just as the beast closest to me turned its head, everything from its muscled upper shoulders, to the tip of its little, upturned button-nose exploded into a mess of thick, glossy black blood and slivers of bone, revealing Grant standing only feet behind the two that remained.
“Didn’t your Mummy ever tell you to clean your plate before dessert?” He said; his shirt in tatters with his flesh still sealing itself back together.
One of the beasts charged right at him, before the snap of his fingers left it in pieces, just as he had done to its buddy. The one that remained cowered down, sinking its head almost to the floor as it backed away from me. While Grant casually strolled towards the elevator, it continued to edge away from both of us, whimpering from its trembling mouth. By the time the creature was swallowed by the darkness surrounding the elevator, Grant walked in, turned around, and bounced his fingertip off the button with the upwards arrow.
When the door finally slid shut, I exhaled the breath I had been holding for some time now. As the elevator shuddered and began its slow ascent, Grant leaned up against the back wall alongside me.
“Why didn’t you just do that in the first place?” I asked.
“Dunno, really,” he shrugged, “wasn’t sure if I could, I suppose. Didn’t wanna waste any time figuring it out.”
“Oh,” I replied, unsure of what else to say, while he laid a hand on my shredded shoulder, mending my torn flesh just as he had his own only moments before.
We stood in silence for the remainder of our short trip upwards. It wasn’t until the elevator stopped, sliding its door to one side again, that I absentmindedly fished my cigarettes out of my pocket, offering one to my friend, as I did not know if his had survived the attack he seemingly could have avoided with little effort. When I stepped through the open door, inhaling my freshly lit smoke, I found I was staring at another glossy black wall, just like those in the room we dropped from some time back.
“Please extinguish those!” The aggravated voice of the senior Mr. Orchid said from a speaker, somewhere nearby.
“Bugger off!” Grant belted, while I outstretched my middle finger proudly, waving it from one direction to the next.
Whether or not we were indeed back in the house belonging to the man we sought out, I didn’t know at the time; only that the corridor the elevator brought us to was of similar decor to his home. Regardless of that, we had yet another decision to make as we stood just outside the door as it slid shut again: left or right? I just looked at Grant with my cigarette dangling from my lower lip, shrugged, and asked,
“Flip a coin?”
He just glared back at me with a ‘we are not amused’ look on his face, before reaching into his shredded shorts pocket, producing a sticky-looking, gore-lined quarter. He held it out towards me, raising his eyebrows. I gave a quick smirk, holding my hand out for him to drop it onto my palm. It landed with a slight splatting sound, instantly adhering to my skin. I almost gagged a bit as I wiped it on my pants, hoping to clear at least a little of the nastiness before giving it a toss.
“Call it?” I said, flipping it to the air, before catching it on the back of my hand, covering it with the other.
“Tails left, heads right…wanker.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on his face. He appeared almost disappointed that the coin hadn’t launched itself right through my hand, as well as still irritated by me suggesting the toss in the first place. It didn’t take long for him to crack up, and our laughter echoed through the hallway we stood in, just as it had the cathedral-like room in which we said goodbye to the younger Orchid, so long ago. When I finally removed my hand to reveal good old George Washington informing us that we would be going to the right, we dropped our cigarettes to the floor, smearing them out on the likely expensive, classy-looking carpet.
Once our brief moment of levity came to a close, we both became silent once more in anticipation of whatever surprises may lie ahead. The long walk down the hallway momentarily caused my mind to revisit that maddening building, just as it had so many times over the last couple of years. There was no doubt that Orchid had modeled this place after the one we hoped to be able to retrieve Brandon from, which gave credence to the idea that this was exactly where we needed to be to find answers.
“I know who’s pretending to be me now,” Grant said after a few minutes of silence.
“Yeah?”
“That parking garage; that’s where I thought she had died. Clearly, I was mistaken on that.”
“Don’t you mean that’s where you thought you killed me?” a pleasant, feminine voice spoke from somewhere ahead.
Grant stopped in place. The look on his face was one I had never seen before; something sad and almost ashamed, with a side of shock. He glanced at me with eyes quivering and glassy; a sight that almost caused me to mimic his sorrowful gaze. He turned back to the path ahead, quickening his pace slightly as we walked on. I couldn’t tell if it was excitement or anguish that inspired him to move more swiftly towards where the voice had called out from, but I was growing more anxious about finding the truth behind what happened in that parking structure.
As we rounded a bend in the corridor, we came to a large room, which looked to be some sort of dining area. It appeared somewhat inspired by a restaurant or cafe, with a series of circular tables in no particular configuration; each one with between two and four tall chairs surrounding it. Upon one seat in the very center of the room, sat a very glamorous, and absolutely stunning brunette. She looked around in her late-twenties, with dark skin, wide and lively, bright green eyes, and a half-cocked smile; bordering on an arrogant smirk.
Honestly, her expression was not indifferent to the one I had seen my friend make so many times over the years. Grant stopped again when he made eye contact with her, while she just stared back at him with that slightly cocky, and almost mischievous half-smile. She got to her feet, revealing her long, slinky red dress as it draped across her bare feet. As she strolled closer to us, I realized I had seen this woman before. She was that very same brunette I had felt watching me at the bar the night Grant showed up. The night we lost Brandon. Could she have been behind everything from the beginning?
“Been a long time, Lucy,” she said, almost breathing the words more than speaking them, in an accent not unlike Grant’s business voice.
“It has indeed, Cutter,” he said, gazing into her eyes as though they could swallow him whole.
“Please don’t call me that, sugar.”
She traced her fingers across the side of his face as they looked upon each other with such awe, it was as though they had both longed for this very reunion. When she gave him another smirk, wrinkling her nose ever so slightly, she tilted her head, gesturing for him to follow her. Grant looked back at me again, before cutting his eyes down to the floor. Again, he looked ashamed, which I could only presume to be due to the nature of their last meeting; one in which he had apparently killed her, or thought he had anyway.
Given the fact he all but confessed his many atrocities to me before we parted ways some years back, I couldn’t quite figure out what it was about this one that made him appear so broken up. Of course, with the way the two of them carried on, it was quite evident there was more to what they were than friendship. As I followed them back to that familiar open lobby area, and to the stairs leading to the next floor up, I had a feeling whatever we had been hoping to find would be revealed soon; that, or something far worse. Either way, I could only hope all of the madness was reaching its conclusion, for better or worse.