Bad day at the office
"Work can kill"
Chapter 9: Tug of War
Matt was in an exceptionally good mood as he half walked and half prowled Nowhere's corridors. His feet made squelching noises on the wet carpet. He had finally caught up to the child after a long chase through a forest. The trickiest part of which had led him to an extensive system of rabbit warrens. He had ended up playing a game of whack a mole before retrieving the child. Except instead of whacking the child he simply had to grab it. He had laid tentacles by the exit tunnels and looped them to make a set of primitive snares. Had he been less patient he would not have won the game and a squealing child would not be in his slimy grip.
Had he also paid more attention to where he was going as he walked the soggy office corridors he would have seen the bloated corpse of Wilson Fisk. Matt fell hard on the carpet, sending droplets of water. The child saw his moment of opportunity and wriggled free. He dashed down the flooded corridor with a "plish plish plish" laughing wildly.
"NO!" Matt growled as he punched the floor. He got to his feet and listened for the child but knew it was too late for that. He would have to start the search all over again. In anger he thrust a tentacle into Wilson's chest, sending up a spurt of black fluid. He picked the body up and flung it at the wall. Large cracks formed in the plaster where the body had hit before it fell to the floor with a wet slap.
"Stupid bloody carcasses. Why does no one ever clean up after themselves around here?" Matt muttered darkly to himself before taking up the chase again. At least it would be slightly easier this time.
He approached one of the heads in the stairwell.
"You know who I am?"
"If I could nod I would." The grotesque grinning face nailed to a pole somehow even freaked Matt out a little.
"Sarky git. Listen I need some information. A small child came by this way a short time ago. Did you see which way it went?"
"What did it look like?"
"It was running on tentacles."
"Oh then yes." The head stopped short.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Uugh." Matt punched a hole in the wall in anger. "Where did he go? Tell me now or so help me I will crush you like a paper cup." With that he wrapped a tentacle around the top half of the head.
"My, my testy aren't we?"
Matt's grip tightened.
"Ow, ow alright, alright. He went upstairs."
"Finally." Matt rushed off up the stairs at a blistering pace that was unusual for something his size.
"A thank you would have been nice." The head called after him.
"Bloody head," Matt muttered to himself, "I'll have no chance of finding him now." The sounds of party poppers drifted into his ears and a red balloon drifted out of an open door. Matt's three lips grinned. "You have got to be kidding me. His is a kid I suppose and what child can resist a good party?"
High pitched giggling sounded from behind the door.
"Hah, thought so." Matt dashed through the corridors to find the party before the giggling stopped.
There was a room ahead filled with monsters and banners with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANIEL" smeared on with blood. Matt entered the room with a feeling of relief that the chase was over. Relief turned to dismay as he found the giggling was actually coming from the mouth of a four armed creature lying on the floor and getting tickled. A team of about eight small monsters had become restless during the feeding off Patricia's emotions and had decided to find entertainment through other means.
The rat child had found a group of seven spinefants that needed cheering up after most of their pack had been slaughtered; their leader was still missing and injured quite badly. They didn't see any of this but they felt it. They had searched for the leader but couldn't find him and with his presence being so weak he could be either near death, in a distant place or both. It was not good for the pack as there were so little of them left that a fight for leadership was pointless as it could threaten to wipe them all out. The rat child listened with a keen ear and came up with a plan to cheer them up. After telling them about it they laughed like babies. The four armed monster had had his eyes closed while feeding and so literally didn't see what was coming the pack of a small hunters picked and wove their way through the guests. Suddenly the four armed monster found himself on the ground being gagged and dragged away to a less crowded part of the room. One there the tickling began.
Matt shook his head and continued to scan the room for the child. The rat child scrambled off the laughing monster and made his way over to Matt.
"Hi there. I'm Miles. What's your name?"
"Matt."
"You wanna tickle him? It's really fun." Matt waved a tentacle.
"Thank you Miles but I will have to pass this time. I'm afraid I have a small job to do first."
"That's a pity mister. Here you can have my party hat." Matt tentatively took the shiny gold hat from the small, outstretched hand before him. He put the hat on and smiled.
"Thanks. Hey you might be able to help me get finished quicker so I can play."
"Sure. How?"
"Did you see a small child come in here? He would be about this high, wispy dark hair and more then likely running on tentacles." The rat child used his one arm to scratch the side of his nose. After a few moments of deep thought the child's face brightened.
"Ohh the fast kid? I thought he was one of Joe's cousins. He looks like he's from that family anyway. I think he went over to the gallows after feeding himself fat off the woman's pain." Matt bowed in gratitude before tussling the rat child's hair gently with a tentacle.
"Thank you Miles. I promise I will come back to play later."
"Look forward to it. Good luck Mister Matt."
Matt gave a wave as he headed off through the crowd. He had a small sample of Patricia's fear and pain on the way past and had to force himself forward. The taste was exquisite. He would definitely have to return later. At the end of the office he saw his goal watching a game of hangman. It was not anything like the game he played as a human child but a rather more literal version. A gallows was erected from floor to ceiling. Inside the noose there was a man who looked scared out of his wits. The platform he stood on was like a lift, which lowered slowly whenever a wrong letter was guessed until eventually it would fully lower itself and he would be left to die slowly. There was a large blackboard to the left of the gallows and a tall, skeletal demon with empty eye sockets and shredded fingertips held a long piece of chalk.
"Any takers for guessing yet or do you want to shout out another letter? Remember he has only three more lives remaining before he croaks and I want to get more than one game out of this one. It's no fun if they die quickly so try and actually guess properly this time. No more made up words or stupid guesses." The small audience moaned a bit but complied nonetheless.
"H"
"Yes that's there." The chalk squealed as the monster dragged it down the blackboard. The intensity of the sound was amplified, making the man in the noose squirm. Matt snuck in and grabbed the child.
"Gotcha." He kept a firm hold on the child, this time making sure to bind his tentacles. The child squirmed for a while before realizing it was futile and simply resorting to crying.
A scaly woman with a bird's head walked over to him.
"Stop it. You're hurting the poor dear."
"Cynthia stay out of this. He's not one of us and I'm under orders to collect him."
"Collect him, not choke the life out of him and what do you mean he's not one of us?"
"Cynth I really have to go…
"Don't you Cynth me. Fine go but don't think this is over. We are going to have a long talk about this when you get back." Matt sighed and made his way across the room.
'Great. There go any chances of getting laid tonight'.
A loud cheer rose up, overpowering any other noise in the room when the doors opened and Nathaniel walked in.
"Happy Rebirthday" the crowd called in unison. Suddenly Matt couldn't move for being surrounded by monsters carrying cards and presents. Most of the presents were soft, squishy and in shiny wrappers. Nathaniel smiled with glee.
"Thank you my friends." He spent the next five minutes glad handing entities before giving them permission to go back to their party games before giving them permission to go back to their party games before Matt got a chance to pull him aside. Nathaniel saw the child.
"Ahh you finally retrieved him. I'm surprised."
"The new appendages worked wonders my lord."
"Glad to hear it. You should put him back in the bottle quickly before he escapes again. I built him to evade things when he needed to."
"I realize that. I was lead on quite the merry dance. By the by I wasn't aware you had created an army."
"You've seen the forest?"
"Yes, but only a brief look, the child was using the pods there for cover before dashing off to the party."
"Speaking of which have you read some of these cards? 'Have a Happy Rebirthday, Hope you're feeling fine, You should be over 1000 today, But the kid you possessed looks nine.' How much of this trash is flooding the market these days? I tell you." Nate shook his head and chuckled.
Matt looked a bit awkward. "I'm sorry I haven't got you anything. I've just been so busy lately."
Nate held his hands up. "It's ok. Believe me. You took care of that Lurker earlier and besides Cynthia gave me something. It's signed for the both of you."
"Yeah. She's a real gem isn't she?"
"Oh God don't you go to mush on me as well."
"Ha ha. Sorry sir. Won't happen again."
"I knew I shouldn't have kept you so human." He gave a small grin. It quickly disappeared. "Matt. Do you feel that?"
"My bones are tingling a bit, other than that? No."
"We have to get out of here now."
"What's the matter?" Matt said as he held the door open.
"Damn it! He's taking the stairs. Time to get the lift." They bundled themselves in and Nathaniel hit the top floor button. "Uncle Robbie should be able to help out."
"What is it?"
"A mistake that I aim to permanently correct. Hello Sharon." Nate casually said to the reflection in the lift, panic only just beginning to edge out of his voice. She curtseyed back, her green eyes shining unnaturally in the dim light. Nate sighed, needing to get something off his chest.
"He was a friend."
"The mistake?"
Nate nodded. "A very long time ago. We had a falling out over a difference of opinion. As things turned out we became mortal enemies. I trapped him and a group of his wretched friends in a sacred place. He escaped and almost destroyed me. I managed to trap him again and now, against all the odds, he's escaped again and wants to finish me off."
"Oh crap."
"Indeed."
The lift doors opened into the hallway of a luxury apartment. A few minutes later and Matt was still trying to understand how a place like this could exist in Nowhere. Black marble walls with veins of sapphire were set off against a plushy red carpet. Golden framed paintings were splattered here and there. Most of them depicted different acts of lust and seduction. Nate whistled. Matt tried to whistle but only managed a hollow whooshing sound. Nate looked at him strangely. Matt shrugged.
"I haven't seen Uncle Robert's pad like this before." Nate said, still awestruck.
Giggling was heard from behind the white and gold doors. Matt held Nate back.
"Umm hold back a minute. I think I should go in first here."
"This coming from a monster wearing a party hat."
"What?"
"I'm older then most of the cities on this planet. There is nothing going on in there that could shock me."
"Sorry that body you are using still throws me."
"Noted. Do it again and you will regret it. Clear?"
"As ocular fluid sir."
Nate opened the doors a peak and quickly shut them, his face a little pale after the viewing. Matt looked at him.
"Sir?"
"That… was new."
"Lets give them a few minutes and then knock."
Nate nodded. "Really loudly. I'm not sure he'll be able to hear you if his ears stay in that position."
"What?"
"Flesh manipulation. Right now not many parts are where they are supposed to be."
"Oh."
"Indeed." The two sat down and prepared for the short wait.
"So umm nice paintings."
"Matt."
"Yes?"
"Where's the baby?" Matt looked down at his empty tentacle "Son of a …"
The monsters continued in their reveling. Miles the rat child was part annoyed that the four-armed monster had stopped playing with them and part bored. He was thinking about playing a new game. The spinefants had gone back to Patricia for seconds. The human was a lot more durable than any of them had anticipated. An idea came to him and a smile crossed his face. He walked over to the spinefants and whispered in one of their ears. They giggled maliciously which even disturbed some of those gathered. Immediately two of the spinefants went into a trance while huddled and rocking on the floor.
The first creature projected itself into the mind of the envelope monster and found itself in the hospital.
The girl Daphne looked at the spinefant in surprise. "How did you get in here? What do you want?"
The spinefant actually found it able to speak in this place with a cold, crisp voice. "I am here to tell you that at this very moment there is a game being arranged. It's a tug of war between you and Lenny."
"The lightbox demon?"
"The very one. The winner gets to consume the girl. Simple as that."
"What about Nathaniel?"
"He showed absolutely no interest in the girl. I believe she is worthless to him."
The small girl smiled. "Bring it on."
She walked over to Patricia.
"Mommy"
"I'm so sorry."
"It's ok Mommy. I forgive you. Come on you need some rest. Just relax."
"So so sorry." The girl sat behind her and cradled Patricia's head in her lap.
"There there mommy its ok. Sleep. Shhh. There, there. It's all right now." The child cooed softly. The spinefant giggled and left to see how things were coming along back in the office. What it found did not disappoint it. The envelope monster seemed to be slowly but surely winning the battle as Patricia sank lower and lower inside its mouth. They were slightly disrupted by a loud banging noise coming from somewhere below them before returning to watch the game.
Robert Corn opened the large white and gold doors of his apartment dressed in a white, fluffy bathrobe. He looked slightly disheveled. His expression was one of surprise when he did answer the door.
"Nate. Umm what can I do for you? How's the party?"
"Oh the party is good." His face froze for a moment as if someone had just whispered in his ear unexpectedly.
"Oh no. Those idiots. Actually Uncle Robert the party has taken a turn for the worse. They are starting to play tug of war with one of the gate keepers."
Robert's eyes widened. "Tess hun? Would you mind popping down and breaking up that little rabble?"
"Sure babe," a delightfully chirpy Tess answered as she glided through the room. "Hi Nate. Hi umm monster guy."
Nate chuckled. "Hello Tess. Thank you for doing that."
"No problem. Back in a flash." Tess left the room, running down the stairs rapidly. Nate nodded over to Robert.
"I like her. She is a woman of very little questions." Robert smiled.
"Yeah. She's a peach. There's something else isn't there?"
"You can read me like a book."
"I can at that. Sit here and tell me what my favorite nephew has on his mind."
Tess flew down the stairs, her mind buzzing after a fantastic session of lovemaking. The flesh melding was insane but at the same time so pleasurable. For a few brief moments she knew what it felt like to be inside Robert and even a part of him. When the two of them joined as one creation the feeling was indescribable but her senses had definitely heightened after it. She could feel something. A sort of spiritual pull towards an unknown place. Whether it was fate or place or person she didn't know as this was something completely new to her. The noise of the party was getting louder the further she descended. There was something coming up the stairs as well but it was too far away to see as the staircase had apparently revolted against the creature and had not only tried to increase it's distance but had burrowed a good few floors underground. The creature was in for quite an uphill struggle. As she reached the floor that party was on she heard the thing shout.
"WOLLOF EM YM REHTORB…"
She didn't catch the rest of it as she entered the corridor before the game room. She stilled herself for a moment before casting a glamour spell. "MONARTEM, SAHPILAC, RHARGYZ, TEL EHT SLIEV EB TSAC, EHT RUOMALG DNECSED." What stood in that corridor now looked like a demon with sealed lips, a mouth of sharp teeth in her throat and a pair of legs protruding from her shoulders, making it seem as if she could walk lying down or upside down if she chose.
She took a breath before entering. She saw Patricia's body was almost swallowed by the envelope monster. The light box had a tight hold on her legs and wasn't letting go. Blood was starting to trickle from where the rough tongue was holding her.
"Stop this now."
The tug of war went on but the other monsters in the room turned to face her.
"Who are you?" a four-armed demon asked.
"My name is Sandra and I am a messenger for Nathaniel. He says to leave the woman be as she is important to him."
"I doubt it." Cynthia stepped out from the crowd.
"I don't know how you know Nate but you have no place here."
"What do you mean?"
"I can see through glamours. I can also dispel them." She whistled a short tune. The sound was distorted and the air around Tess distorted itself then reformed to show her true appearance.
"Crap."
The monsters looked at her with a ravenous hunger.
"I think this meal should be hung before we dine."
BANG. Suddenly the doors flew open, blown apart by a large pillar of flames. A few of the party guests were instantly incinerated by the blast. Footsteps were heard walking slowly down the corridor. Then like an unstoppable force Jack walked through the doorway. His grim face saying all that needed to be said. He was here, he was pissed and they were all going to die.
Hope you enjoyed the birthday party. I really enjoyed writing the whole scene. More to come soon. Please R&R.
Cheers
Wolf
