Dark Deceit

Darkness encroaches on every nook and cranny of the pitch-black hallway. The cold damp atmosphere sent chills through my spine as I stumble forward, a dim lantern being my only source of light to guide me on my path. This place always creeped me out, ever since I started working here twenty-five years ago. In all my years, I never thought the atrocities that happened today to be possible. There is a weight on my chest that fills my mind with dread and my heart with worry. This place has never seen a form of darkness like the one that blankets it this night. Through the pain and mental torment, I continue with the goal of fixing all the wrong that has been done.  

My body feels stiff as I drag my left leg forward in a limp. The lacerations inflicted by the blade formed puddles of blood that I leave in my wake, acting as a bread crumb trail to anyone perusing. The picture of my family, my wife and kids, sears into my mind as I think about what might happen to them should I fail to complete my task. My love burns deep inside, pushing my body forward against the force that begs it to stop. The lantern bounces up and down against my swaying body, throwing light against the walls and floor with unbalance. Doors align on either side of me, each room a place to harbor the monsters that inhabit this awful place. Screams and moans from the lairs of the broken and the damned fill the hallway as they hear me moving forward.  

The dark tunnel that I traverse is, aside from the trail of blood, empty. It’s cold and unwelcoming tiled floor invites the echoes of my feet, the noise of which would alert the dead should they be anywhere nearby. Panic starts to wash over me like a monsoon tearing through a village. They knew where my family lived, they knew my one weakness. My wife and my kids were the one thing in this world that could drive me against all that I believe. They were my world, and I was their strength and security. I would find the man that did this, and I would end him in the most gruesome manner I could think of. He deserved it, the cold dead stares of my three colleagues he brutally murdered still haunt my thoughts.  

I had to watch as he ripped his sharp monstrous claws into the first person's neck, tearing into the flesh as if it were a wet piece of paper. The sound of the muscles being ripped into, and the bones of the spinal cord snapping, and popping twisted my stomach and tried my mental wellbeing. My colleagues mouth mimed words as his vocal cords were severed and the gurgling sound of the iron liquid filled his throat. His name was Sammual, and he had a wife that was expecting a child soon. His wife would now be thrown into this cold dark world alone, and the baby would likely die with its mother from hunger. As my hand shot to my mouth in horror, the monster was already making his move for the second nearest person.  

Her name was Molly, and she was a ripe twenty-three years of age. Her beauty was limitless, and her youthful mind created new and innovative ways to complete our work. When I would think of her, the picture of her smiling warm face would always fill my mind, reminding me of a freshly blossomed rose. Now, my mind is filled with the image of her sky-blue eyes being pushed in as her screams overwhelmed the room where these dark deeds took place. After her eyes were finished being pushed in, the man put his hands in her gapping mouth and pulled until the jaw was removed from its hinge. This was not sufficient though, as she continued to make noise he continued to pull harder until the flesh tore halfway down her throat. As the blood shot out of her neck, the monster dropped her flailing body to the ground. Finally coming to my senses, I grabbed a scalpel from the metal tray nearby and started toward the beast.  

Unfortunately for Danniel, I was moments too late, and the monster pushed his hand deep into Daniels gut, pulling the innards out with a slimy slushing noise. I stabbed the scalpel into the hideous creatures' forearm as deep as his thick skin would allow. Blood of the same color as that leaving Daniels stomach gushed out of the creatures' arm as it jerked away, pulling the scalpel out. The monster wailed in pain as it dropped Daniels intestines and started toward me. As the intestines of my former colleague dropped to the floor with a slush, I stabbed the knife into the creature once more. This time, my blade made its way into his leg. Daniel joined his intestines on the floor with a thud as the monster stopped in his tracks and prepared to make its escape. As the creature came to a halt, our eyes met for a fraction of a moment. I could see the fear that steered the actions that transpired in front of me, like a wild animal trapped in a corner fighting to get back into their natural habitat. 

It attempted to flee, falling to the floor, scrambling, and flailing in the blood before getting up again and making it to the door. It flung the door open, pounding against the wall with a force that shattered the glass pane imbedded within. As the shards rained down to the floor with flicking glimmers of light refracting off each sharp surface creating fleeting specs that danced across the floor, I couldn’t help but to ask myself why this creature would do this. The family of this monster entrusted us with his care, to try to make him better...to cure him. You see, this monster is, or was at one time, human. They would claim there was nothing wrong with them, that their random bursts of anger and violence was normal. They would claim self-defense, or that they didn’t have multiple personalities. We knew the truth though, and it was our job to help these poor tortured souls regardless of their wishes or desires.  

After some time had passed, my mind came back to reality, and I noticed the blood trail leaving the room. The creature was still bleeding and leading me straight to them. I calmed my nerves by walking over to the office room next door and approaching the desk. I slid open the drawer with haste, jumbling the contents inside. My hands found the bottle of the 15-year aged Whiskey I had been craving as well as the .38 special revolver I would use to avenge my colleagues and end this creatures reign of terror. I ensured the revolver was loaded, spinning the cylinder and listening to the click of the gear. When I was satisfied, I opened the bottle and downed the beautiful amber liquid. As the burn carried its way down my throat and into my stomach, I tucked the gun in my waistband, grabbed the lantern from the desk, and made my way into the hall. It wasn’t until I reentered the darkness of this tunneling trail that I noticed my leg had been hit by something blunt causing a slight limp in my step. 

Mental patients, that’s what they wanted us to call them. To me, they were all creatures of terror and darkness. They couldn’t be cured or saved, nothing we ever did truly helped them. Most of our patients would get worse after our treatments, but after some time I realized we weren’t there to cure them. We were there to punish them for their wickedness and sin, to torture them as they tortured their loved ones. We were good at what we did too, finding new and innovative ways to inflict pain without causing death. Sure, we lost a patient here and there if they became too weak or one of our doctors became too enthralled in their work, but it was a small price to pay to do god’s work. He’s told me he wants me to do this, he’s told me this was my purpose when he put me on this Earth. I take the Lords words very seriously, and so have made it my duty in life to make sure I complete each job to the best of my ability.  

I failed with this demon though, and now I must right my wrongs or my family will feel the wrath of God as retribution for my lack of ability. Continuing down the dark corridor, the screams of the others fill my head with rage and torment. I steady my nerves and continue, resolute in my goal. The trail of blood I was following finally lead straight to the main hall of the asylum. Being the middle of the night, the room was empty and shared the darkness of the hallway. I stood in the middle of the room, swaying the lantern from side to side in attempt to find the creature, and as the spotlight hit the humanoid shape slumped in the corner of the room I frantically grabbed for my pistol. Pulling the hammer of the gun back with a click to indicate it was ready to fire, I aimed the barrel towards the thing that took my friends from me. It was mumbling something repeatedly, but I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. 

It was most likely something foul and disgusting, possibly sexual in nature. Many of these demons enjoyed screaming or mumbling obscenities to make us uncomfortable. For some reason the finger I had pressed against the trigger wouldn’t budge. I began to walk closer to the demon slowly, my feet seemingly controlled by some other force. “why.....” eventually I could make out a single word they seemed to continuously repeat. The blood in my veins boiled and burst as the singular word entered my mind. “WHY?!?! …..WHY?!?! You have the audacity to ask why after doing the things you’ve done! How dare you sir, how dare you question the Lord's work. Why would you harm the very people doing the work of God?” I screamed, unsure of why I was even entertaining the creature in front of me.  

“I’m not sick.” The creature replies with a trembling voice “I’ve done nothing to you, and yet day in and day out you do the vilest things to me. Do you truly think God would make you electrocute me through my temples and burn my skin repeatedly? Do you think it God’s work to drill into someone's skull and cut into their brains? Do you think it to be God’s work to rape and beat your patients, regardless of age, gender, or ability? You’re not doing God’s work; you’re doing the Devil’s bidding and you’re just as vile and crazy as you claim us to be.” the demon screamed in reply, fear and tears filling his eyes.  

“You murdered my colleagues, you killed in the most brutal of ways!” I replied, and attempt to keep my resolve. “Colleagues? You’ve been my sole tormentor since I arrived here. You and you alone enter that pure white room and stain it with the crimson red of my blood every day.” the creature protested. This couldn’t be true of course, I saw with my own eyes as Molly, Sammual, and Daniel lay on the floor cold and lifeless. Thinking about it now, I can’t remember their faces though. I don't understand what’s going on. My mind races and fear enters my soul as doubt creeps into my mind. Don’t listen to him, he’s crazy and doesn’t know what he speaks of. Finish this and continue your priceless work. A voice echoed in the depths of my mind.  

“This isn’t right!” The creature in front of me yells through sobs. “Of course it is, you’re a cretin and need to be eliminated.” I heard Molly’s voice beside me as I look over to see her standing there in the flesh. “What in the Hell is this?” I ask while jumping back, nearly dropping the pistol in my hand. “Hell? No, this is God’s work.” I hear from the other side of me in Sammual’s voice. I look over and drop to my knees, my mind racing and confusion flooding my brain. “This isn’t happening, this can’t be happening!” I yell, putting the lantern on the ground as my hands press against my temples. “Of course it can, this has always been about you. You are the chosen of God’s flock, now end this and kill the demon!” Daniel’s voice commanded from behind me.  

I point the gun once more at the creature as tears stream down both of our faces. “Please, you don’t have to do this. I don’t want to die!” The demon screams in a desperate attempt to save himself. I close my eyes and attempt to muster the strength to do what I must do. I realize I am not the good force in this story now, I thought myself to be the light and brought only darkness. I can fix this though; I can be the light that I want to be. I can do one last thing to make all this right! My eyes shoot open, and I inhale deeply; the creatures eyes clamped shut in fear. I changed the direction of the barrel to be pressed against my skull and pull the trigger.  

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“Breaking news today, as we begin to receive reports of a most confusing incident at the Sintua Insane Asylum. At 01:24 this morning, a doctor was reported to have shot himself in the main lobby. There were no witnesses to this grizzly suicide and no clear motive. The doctor, who's family is asking we keep anonymous, has had some trouble the past few years that seems to have led to a psychotic break. Earlier this year, the doctors’ own wife had developed schizophrenia and had killed their three children during a hallucination. During the episode, his wife mistakenly shot an innocent man after stabbing him twice with one of her husband's scalpels. We believe at this time that the doctor was driven by grief and resent leading to his suicide. We will report further news as we gather information on this story. So far, there are no other casualties to report.”