"James honey? Did something happen to you? After we got separated in that long hallway?"
The words crept slowly through my mind, I remembered it – she died, she was stabbed through the middle for god's sake!
But my mind was plagued more with the thoughts of what DID happen to me after we got 'separated'…
…
James sat on the cold elevator floor, tears made their way slowly down his bruised face, he'd just seen Maria die…
He felt too shaken to leave the elevator right then, maybe he should rest, after all, these…things shouldn't be able to open those doors right?
A small amount of time passed and he was startled when he saw the floor tear open next to him, the edge of the Great Knife sticking through the metal. He stood up quickly, tearing at the doors, pulling them open; Pyramid Head was going to kill him too. Or – a shiver ran down his spine – rape him like those monsters he'd seen. This made him more frantic and desperate as the screeching was slowly coming to a halt and he knew he was nearly out of time for his escape.
'No, No No NO NO NO NO NO NO!' His mind screamed in terror – It was not going to happen to him!
He finally opened the doors as he caught sight of Pyramid Head climbing up the hole he'd made – and maybe it wasn't his last!
The corridor was about medium length, and he ran full out, not caring about anything anymore, until he hit against the rusted bloody wall, the feeling was thick and slippery. Disgusting…
It was also a dead end. James turned round to see Pyramid Head at the elevator entrance, not much more than 7 feet away. Seeing there was nothing left for him, he held both of his arms up in surrender.
"I don't care anymore, it's not like I forgot what I did… I need someone to punish me for what I did! And I realize it's you who has to do it… So I don't care what you do to me, just make all this end!"
He'd only really PRETENDED he's forgotten about killing Mary – it was the only thing that kept him sane. It was a rash movement, he'd just picked up the pillow and held it down hard on her face, he'd cried then, saying as he suffocated her 'I love you'.
"IF IT MAKES ALL THIS GUILT AND SORROW GO AWAY – I'LL SUBMIT TO ANYTHING!"
Pyramid Head looked at James from underneath his heavy sharp helmet, tilting it up so his face was revealed, but hidden by the darkness of the Otherworld and shade of the Pyramid Helmet he always wore, but even though it was barely noticeable in the dusk, James could almost see forgiveness…or sadness… grace the monster's grey face.
James squeezed his eyes shut tight as he awaited the monster's forceful actions, but nothing came… Well, nothing painful just then. A long black tongue came from under the Pyramid and licked gently at James' face, surprising the 29 year old.
He thought back to Mary as Pyramid Head continued his action, remembering how happy she used to be, how much she loved this town, and how much she wanted to return, but the office was getting too busy, he couldn't get even a weekend off to be with his terminally ill wife, he never fulfilled his promise to go back with her.
"I'm sorry…."
The monster stopped licking him abruptly. James looked up; his dirty blonde hair flopped in front of his eyes.
"I'm sorry I never brought her back…"
Pyramid Head retracted his tongue slowly, as if he could understand what the man was saying.
"W-why did this town only turn to hell after she left it?" He quizzed.
Pyramid Head emitted a strange growl, his tone nearly the exact same as James when he was in pain.
Of course, monsters can't speak.
James almost found it bizarre he wasn't being roughed up against the gory reddened wall. He expected Pyramid Head to be forcing him bent over, like how it happened to unlucky guys in prison.
But this was way worse than prison.
He closed his eyes, and regretted it, for the monster's rapist nature flooded back into him as James felt him being dragged off by the jacket. He struggled and yelled, but it was useless, he'd only attract more monsters, and he'd be raped and then killed.
But, wouldn't Pyramid Head kill him once he was done anyway?
He next felt himself in a room, a dirty, cloggy-aired room. The walls were just rusty, no gory blood and guts here, but there was a hospital bed.
He was correct on the monsters intent.
He closed his eyes in a foul disgust as the monster ripped his clothing from him, and rubbed his grimy gloved hands onto James' intimate areas, the man was flushed and ashamed.
James' noticed Pyramid Head's gloves – the fingers were stuck together for some reason. He had a small notion that they must have been uncomfortable or even painful.
He felt sorry for the monster, having to live the purgatory of hurting people because of things they'd done. He realised in that small moment that he too was a monster. He'd murdered his own wife, the woman he loved and was meant to protect.
He had no right.
No excuse.
He felt anger and sadness battle each other as he was thrown roughly onto the grubby bed sheets, both wanting dominance over him.
The monster removed his bloody apron, and tossed it to the dusty floor. James recoiled in horror in what he could only make out as something that would rip his ass in half.
"N-no!" He choked out weakly, despite saying he'd take anything as his punishment.
Then the one thing he thought would never happen happened. Pyramid Head's hands went up to said Pyramid, and removed it.
James' eyes widened at what he saw as the creatures real face.
Pyramid Head's face was just like a normal human. His hair way a dusky black, but his eyes were nearly GLOWING red, putting more truth into calling him the red devil, even the white's were a darkish red themselves.
James couldn't really take this in, not really. He felt he'd pole-jumped the Looney queue here. Seriously, raped by a monster? C'mon, that doesn't happen in real life, right?
Right?
It does.
His reasoning cancelled all of the other possible objectives, leaving him with the truth.
He was in a layer of reality, just a simple layer. Called Hell.
He let out a pained scream as he felt the monster thrust into him, no preparation, no warning, nothing.
He hadn't felt this much physical pain for a very long time, not since he'd once crashed his car. Mary sat by his bedside for months until he was fully recovered, then he proposed to her. It was such a wonderful day, getting his whole life back.
As he felt the abuse continue, he threw out all pained noises and sobs mixed with Mary's name from his throat, finally letting go of everything he bottled up.
He was receiving his punishment.
He choked out a sob, a loud one as the monster sped up, he didn't want to feel this, he wanted to rewind so he could stop himself from killing her. He wanted it all to stop!
Not much more of the act and the monster released him, pulling out.
James felt broken in various ways; he threw himself at the monster, slamming his fists against his solid, grubby chest.
"WHY?!" He screamed in sadness. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME!? WHY?!"
His fists were only being tapped against Pyramid Head, in a form of pathetic violence.
The monster looked down at the crying man, he felt a slight pang in what should be his heart – which he thought was non-existent.
He turned round, putting his apron and helmet back on, and leaving the naked man in the room all alone.
"I know why…" He said to himself upon watching the monster leave.
….
"Are you confusing me with someone else?"
Maria's voice brought me back from my memory, pulling me into the layer of reality we were in.
"No, I'm not…" I said, slightly hoarse.
…