Response by author, Lawrence BoarerPitchford:
Carl
realized he was standing in the hall. The dark seemed to close in
around him, and the dim unearthly orange glow of the hallway lamp made
the scene even creepier. There was a crack in the wall, outlined in a
sharp purple light. He approached it, and realized it was a doorway in
the solid stone wall of the hall. He’d live his whole life in this
house, and he'd never seen a doorway, secret or otherwise in this
hallway. He reached for the edge and pulled, and the wall slid open to
reveal a broken hallway filled with a black light. Looking down, the
white, fluffy rabbit slippers he wore glowed brightly under the
illumination. A strange feeling was climbing up his spine; don’t go in
there. But, Carl had rarely listened to that inner voice, and for the
most part turning a deaf ear had served him well. He stepped through,
turned and realized the doorway was gone.
A filthy wall, covered in white tiles glowed brightly. The hallway was from the floor to chair-railing covered in peeling green paint, and it covered the doors that lined the hallway too. Above him bare bulbs hung from the high ceiling and slowly moved from side to side. He moved down the hallway, and came to a set of double doors with a small glass window cut into each side. He looked through and could see a wide room with tiled walls, and a bright light shining down. Several creatures stood in the room, all of them wearing dull green smocks and surgical masks.
He pushed the door and slipped in. His curiosity was overriding all common sense. The creatures looked bipedal, and almost human, but they were not human. One of the things mumbled something in a very low tone, and another handed it a shiny metal tool. Carl approached and now could see a human shape under a white sheet on a table. Straps were over the limbs, and he came around to see a wide eyed human male look on in horror. Carl’s heart raced, and his own eyes went wide at the sight. The person was being cut open, while awake, his mouth covered with some material clearly preventing his screams from being heard in the room.
One of the creatures turned and looked at Carl. It pulled its mask down. Carl stepped back in shock, for the face of the monster had smooth features, with no nose, sunken eyes, and a plain mouth. There was no pity in those eyes, and Carl knew they would do to him what they were doing to that poor fellow. Now, common sense kicked in and he turned and ran for the door. His legs were growing heavy as he ran. “Halt,” he heard from behind.
Carl bolted through the doors and ran down the hallway. He tried to see where a crack of light might be. He ran, and his legs were slowing. Glancing over his shoulder he saw two monsters come through the double doors. They had shiny metal hooks, and they were coming for him. He put his head down and ran harder, forcing his legs to work. As he came to a corner, he saw a glimmer of white light at seam by some rotted molding along the wall. Clawing at it, he forced it to open and stumbled out into the hallway of his home. Shoving the door closed, he heard the creatures behind the wall as they passed, then the doorway shut, and he was alone.
Crumpling to the floor he sobbed for a moment, but not for himself, for the person he left behind in that place. Climbing to his feet, he moved down the hallway to the stairs, then saw that the light was on down below. He took hold of the railing and walked down. At the bottom he looked into the library and saw the door was open. Approaching, he peeked around the corner and saw someone on the couch. The smell of dust and old books assailed his nose. The person was snoring, then he realized it was he who snored.
Carl came awake with a start. He looked around. It was dark, and he was in his soft bed. Sweat was on his arms and face. He exhaled, chuckled and reached for the light switch. “Foolish old sot!” he said out loud, and turned on the light. In his mind he was thinking of making a pot of tea, and getting a few biscuits to tide him over until breakfast… but when the light came on, a creature with smooth features, no nose, and sunken eyes was standing there with a hypodermic syringe and needle.
“We’ll have you back where you belong in two shakes of a lamb’s tail,” it said.
A filthy wall, covered in white tiles glowed brightly. The hallway was from the floor to chair-railing covered in peeling green paint, and it covered the doors that lined the hallway too. Above him bare bulbs hung from the high ceiling and slowly moved from side to side. He moved down the hallway, and came to a set of double doors with a small glass window cut into each side. He looked through and could see a wide room with tiled walls, and a bright light shining down. Several creatures stood in the room, all of them wearing dull green smocks and surgical masks.
He pushed the door and slipped in. His curiosity was overriding all common sense. The creatures looked bipedal, and almost human, but they were not human. One of the things mumbled something in a very low tone, and another handed it a shiny metal tool. Carl approached and now could see a human shape under a white sheet on a table. Straps were over the limbs, and he came around to see a wide eyed human male look on in horror. Carl’s heart raced, and his own eyes went wide at the sight. The person was being cut open, while awake, his mouth covered with some material clearly preventing his screams from being heard in the room.
One of the creatures turned and looked at Carl. It pulled its mask down. Carl stepped back in shock, for the face of the monster had smooth features, with no nose, sunken eyes, and a plain mouth. There was no pity in those eyes, and Carl knew they would do to him what they were doing to that poor fellow. Now, common sense kicked in and he turned and ran for the door. His legs were growing heavy as he ran. “Halt,” he heard from behind.
Carl bolted through the doors and ran down the hallway. He tried to see where a crack of light might be. He ran, and his legs were slowing. Glancing over his shoulder he saw two monsters come through the double doors. They had shiny metal hooks, and they were coming for him. He put his head down and ran harder, forcing his legs to work. As he came to a corner, he saw a glimmer of white light at seam by some rotted molding along the wall. Clawing at it, he forced it to open and stumbled out into the hallway of his home. Shoving the door closed, he heard the creatures behind the wall as they passed, then the doorway shut, and he was alone.
Crumpling to the floor he sobbed for a moment, but not for himself, for the person he left behind in that place. Climbing to his feet, he moved down the hallway to the stairs, then saw that the light was on down below. He took hold of the railing and walked down. At the bottom he looked into the library and saw the door was open. Approaching, he peeked around the corner and saw someone on the couch. The smell of dust and old books assailed his nose. The person was snoring, then he realized it was he who snored.
Carl came awake with a start. He looked around. It was dark, and he was in his soft bed. Sweat was on his arms and face. He exhaled, chuckled and reached for the light switch. “Foolish old sot!” he said out loud, and turned on the light. In his mind he was thinking of making a pot of tea, and getting a few biscuits to tide him over until breakfast… but when the light came on, a creature with smooth features, no nose, and sunken eyes was standing there with a hypodermic syringe and needle.
“We’ll have you back where you belong in two shakes of a lamb’s tail,” it said.
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