Chapter 23: Hearing Above
It was nothing but noise. White noise out of one's hand to seal it away and never speak of it again. Forever white noise it was to ever-so be, numbing the ears and sloshing the brain until nothing is left but a zombie at a foul one's control.
A weeping price to pay when it's out on hands and left to whoever finds it.
That's all it was.
Nothing nor less.
Just a noise above, above hearing and hearing above something that lack anything of need for understanding.
With eyes casting around the area in blurs, wetting thick, and drunken state, having the noise hiss away.
Running was a motion out of anyone's hands to do, as it would need nerves to make that thought become real. But only blood rushing through the veins to live, pulsing parts to bob, twitch, tilt, and slack to grip to slack all the matter of seconds as the blood rushed on through the body.
Leaving only the fleeting thought of letting the hiss win the battles, of what life can ever be or what death has to hold.
Matters not, for it is the hiss.
Hearing above all else, balance of life and death. Do or die.
Stop the hiss.
Stop the hiss.
Stop it.
"Theo . . . ah, man, what did they do to you?" A voice called out, drowned by the hiss.
A hand came into view, reaching out to the one named Theo, tenderly gripped the jaggy flesh that felt only as mush, throbbing and pumping with tired muscles and blood. All of his left face stretch to his collarbone. Flinching against, through every airy wheezing breath that was unevenly taken. When the eyes cleared enough to see a ghostly appearance near. With a rise from a hand to the face, only two lone fingers with long and thin fingernails and thumbnail reached out, through the over grown flesh that seemed to just wrap around Theo's hand, encasing it in dying flesh.
A quick swipe was given, missing the face, having only the hiss increase in volumes. To that, clamped the hand, having it fall back to the ground.
"Hang on, Theo, listen, hang in there . . ."
Eyes wetted from lack of sleep, clouded and within a hazed, Theo only looked on. As to finally not able to see the face anymore.
"No, come on, stay with me . . . "
Shaky hands gripped tightly on the paper-thin cloth of clothing that bared on the deformed yet bone-wiry body.
"Theo . . ."
Pleads of cries almost broke through, with grinding teeth, bit on his lip. A lone line of blood broke through, sliding down his lip to his chin, dripping on his bended knee as he kneeled before the other, pleading unsaid words.
A withering grasp was lonely echoed, when the wheeze came and never returned.
"No . . ."
The hiss one, but in swelling tears as it's answer. Death has become the answer after all.
Just as hearing above knew it would.
Slowly the other got to his feet, redden eyes with a sad frown looked to a boy, not even near adulthood lay before him, used and beaten in a fight he never saw coming, but knew his time was up. For he at least learned to forgive what brought him here, and left without much as fight, to which it was fitting.
Quick steps could be heard from outside the large storage room, in a flash, grabbed for the broken and falling vent gate, hiding best he could. Inching for the door, as once it was open, two people, nurses walked in, checking the still body.
"Calling it. 9:23 PM."
"But?"
"If the doctor knew how quickly this one went, it's our heads. Unless you're willing to end up as the next test subject?"
"Save it. He gave me the speak before, willing dealing the one with biting habit."
A nod was given in understanding.
"Who's next?"
"Room five doors down. Elder man, was thankfully reported dead two years ago, under doctors orders, has been on the project after his family signed him out."
"Oh, that one is still . . ."
Before the line was finish, the face was unseen collided with metal, indenting a good four inches into the skull after breaking the skin. A short splatter hit the closest wall near the fleshly bleeding body.
The other nurse in small shock of this, spared not a word, dashing for the door. Only to have vent gate's sharp corner aimed for her spine. A good enough crack was given when the gate was hastily pushed furthered in. Leaning on it for extra weight until the body stopped flailing about.
With a deep breath, dragged the body back into the room. Quietly closing the door to a jar. Having the bodies set near the back part of the storage room. About to leave, knowing someone had to have heard the noise, but out of guilt looked to his fallen friend.
Guilt going even deeper when seeing Theo's eyes still open. Walking over, closing them just enough to where he was really sleeping.
"Sorry for that. I-I hate to leave you here like this, but you're going to weigh me down. I promise, I'll come back. I'm not leaving you or the others here. Not like this. I promise."
A twitchy hand gave a squeeze to the one had gone far beyond cold. Saying one last goodbye, ran.
If hisses could bring faint smiles, to which, choosing to die or not, didn't really matter.
For even now, the hiss stopped, and for good.
It stop.