Rain was falling heavily outside. Blackened masses of clouds obscured the moon that was attempting to cast its cold rays onto the surroundings. Thunder periodically boomed from the heavens and an underlying crackle of lightning was present, spreading a chill up the spines of the inhabitants of the psychiatric hospital. The structure was tall and menacing against the equally sinister sky; concrete walls rose to intimidate passers-by and any being that was unlucky enough to have the misfortune of hurrying past next to them.
The interior of the building was no different. Unkempt walls and floors were common, and the halls were littered with locked doors that seemed to send one message – keep away.
However, some disfavoured citizens were lumbered with the task of keeping the patients as civilised as possible, and the figure that was ambling heavy-footedly down Corridor B was inconvenienced with just that.
His breath came in rasps as he trudged along, the zips on his coat jingling ominously in the relatively silent hospital. In his paw was something needle-shaped, but the darkness made it hard to tell exactly what it was. The blatant lack of light in the corridor was problematic; the only source of it came from a couple of small windows near the ceiling where the pathetic moonlight wavered in for a few seconds before being concealed by the clouds once more. Despite this, the individual appeared to prefer keep to the plentiful shadows in the hallway; it was as if any form of light was a creeping disease that would seize any living being that happened to walk into its masquerading path.
A biting coldness grasped the figure and he clutched his body to keep it away. He had seen his destination at the end of the corridor and was partly glad – the sooner he was out of this abhorrent stretch, the better. He picked up the pace until his feet were fixed to the ground in front of the grey door and by this point he had raised a paw to rap on its surface. It was freezing to the touch; yet another unwelcome sensation.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The only response, muffled by the thick walls of the room, was a moan and it wasn't much—but this was all the figure needed. Taking it as an invitation, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door inwards before stepping inside.
The rectangular hole where the door had once rested was now wide open to reveal a room that was as dark as the hallway that he had previously traversed, if not dingier. Another small window had been built into the top of the opposite wall, its bars only allowing thin slivers of light to filter in. The corners of the undesirable living space were once again victims of menacing shadow; this new dwelling seemed similar from the other corridor. The figure turned towards another being who was hunched over—they looked up when he approached and their green eyes showed utmost fear in the partial dark. Light from the barred window revealed that this new creature was a very terrified-looking canine: the moon was just strong enough to outline a pointed ear and a long, tapering snout.
"Get comfortable." The first animal discreetly shut the metallic door behind him. In the far corner of the room, the canine whimpered, clearly wanting to hide himself in the shadows, but his efforts were futile. The figure who had just entered the room snarled, teeth bared threateningly in the cold moonlight. At once, the other animal seemed to obey his apparent superior's unspoken order, and, quivering, picked his way across the stone floor to kneel at his feet. Narrowing his eyes, the former slouched down onto a bench that was equally as freezing as the floor. One of his paws uncurled to display what he had been carrying back in the hallway: an extensive, tapering syringe, the chamber of which was filled with an unknown liquid.
"You know the drill. Keep still, you little coward," the hound's comrade snarled. The latter complied instantly, terrified of what his master would do if he failed to comply with the instruction. He reluctantly raised an arm and held it in the air, still shaking, whilst the other animal injected the aforementioned fluid into it. Almost immediately after, the canine begun to twitch and convulse—but its dark watchman remained seated on the bench, staring at it with a half-lidded amber gaze. This was becoming a regular event; hence why these movements failed to raise any concern or alarm. Instead, he uttered a single word after the movements had ceased: "Speak."
In a speech ridden with stutters, the other figure began. "There's...s-someone..."
"Go on..."
"He's down there...h-he's down there!"
"Who?"
"The...the...the fisherman! He...he...argh!...w-wanted my soul. I told him: "No, no! G-get away from me!" But he offered me something...something I needed...something..." The canine broke off for a moment, attempting to calm himself and regain his breath before settling into a more hunched position. "Oh! Ohhh..." He was taken by a frenzy, and fell to the floor, twitching and writhing. The figure on the bench raised a paw and, his anger burning through his veins, brought it down upon the hound's cheek, yielding a screech of pain.
"Up, maggot! Get your pathetic body up!"
The canine raised his head feebly, eyes glinting with impending tears. At this, the other man frowned, which quickly sent the other individual back into his previous kneeling position. "Now," he uttered through gritted teeth, "may we continue?"
Through chattering teeth that the former was obviously trying extremely hard to conceal, the recount proceeded. "T-There was...s-something about that...f-fisherman...he...almost made me want to...give my soul up to him...a-and...I almost accepted...but then he...he...tricked me!"
The other animal has been staring intently with furrowed brows, which had been raised by the other's words. "And how did this...fisherman...trick you?"
"I-I realised—forgive my stupidity, sir—that he...he wasn't going to give me...anything! N-Nothing at all! My soul was...it was all he wanted...I think. S-Somehow...agh...I don't like to remember...I managed to g-get away from that t-terrible place...but then...he started coming. He comes to me...he-he's in my dreams now...coming closer...closer every d-day..."
Abruptly the canine gained a panicked demeanour. "He...he...he can't get in...please say he can't...I'm...I-I'm..."
Footsteps sounded in the corridor—the first dark figure perked his ears. It was then that he decided that whatever else that his skittish companion had left to say must be made quick. "And you're sure of this?"
"Y-Yes...sir! I-It's..." Once more, he shook violently under the influence of the liquid from the syringe. "...it's under...the old...ack!...food...p-place!"
Whoever was in the corridor outside had arrived. A brief knock alerted the room's occupants of the former's presence, to which the figure answered, "Come in."
The door was pushed open to reveal a cheetah: her deep blue eyes scanned the room until her gaze was intercepted by the canine's shape.
"Oh, would you like to come with me, sweetie?"
At her words, the hound let out a quiet but relieved breath and staggered over to the cat, trying to steady himself as he went. Before the pair's departure, his feline guide turned to the figure.
"Thank you for looking after him. I'd make it about—" she checked her watch, "—your finishing time! Here, I'll leave the door open so that you can go on home."
With a final nod of gratitude and some rapid breaths from the canine, the cheetah receded back down the hallway until both animals were no longer in the line of sight. And once this was the case, the figure reached down into one of his pockets to pull out a phone. His fingers worked rapidly to dial a number, and after some repetitive rings somebody on the other side picked up.
He cleared his throat.
"Yes, it's true."
