Drop after slow agonizing drop, the water leaked out of the faucet,
directly into the drain. The steady, timed sound produced echoed throughout
the dark empty rooms and corridors. A sudden influx of light interrupted
him, as a car could be heard passing-by on the street outside.
"June?" he softly called out.
She did not stir. Her green eyes stared dully at him as she lay unmoving in the kitchen floor. Everything was still, blood was everywhere, streaks of it were smeared on the walls; utensils and appliances lay about scattered randomly.
A children's lullaby could be heard. Jin ran down the stairwell, into the city-streets, desperate to escape the scene. Whispers trailed behind him.
It was empty in that part of the city. No one came around there to have fun and enjoy the night. In fact, most people tried their best to avoid it at night. There were predators that could have lurked anywhere in the darkness.
A police car passed-by slowly. Jin made a sharp turn into a back-alley before he could be seen.
"Jin…" a voice called out behind him.
He turned around, but could not see anyone there. He continued walking on the trash littered path. There was a slight chuckle to his left, he turned around again but saw no one. He began to walk again but that same chuckling voice gave a full-fledged laugh.
"Who's there?" he screamed to the shadows.
Another voice joined the laughter, and then another one joined in as well, and then another. Soon laughter rang all around him – mocking him. Jin sunk down to his knees, his hand were drawn up to cover his ears. The laughter did not cease though, until one voice soared over the others.
"Over here." A voice called out.
Jin looked up and saw a dark figure in the shadows. Once he saw it, the figure quickly turned to another alleyway.
"Hey!" Jin called after it and ran.
He followed it as fast as it could, but it was always way ahead of him. Always seen turning to another passage. Jin did not even realize where he was going – or rather, where the figure was leading him.
A realization of familiarity hit him though, as he saw the cloaked figure turn around to face him – a cross right behind. This was the same underground altar where he had lead June days ago.
He could still not see the figure's face though. It was well hidden in the darkness. An offensive odor snaked its way into his senses; he turned around and was horrified at what he had not noticed before. Freshly mutilated corpses were hung and scattered throughout across the large room.
Jin placed a hand over his mouth to keep away the stench. He looked back at the figure in horror and disgust.
"Who are you!?" his scream echoing throughout.
The figure slid back its hood, revealing a gaunt pale face, and a pair of golden eyes. Jin could not even speak. It was June, her stare as life-less as he had left it. "Don't be afraid Jin; I'm not going to hurt you."
"Why did you bring me here?" a trace of panic could be heard in his voice.
"To take you back…" she answered quite simply.
Jin, confused and a bit frightened, turned around and was about to run when he heard her call after him. "You were always weak Jin."
He stopped.
"Remember that story about you told me about you mother; how she was killed because she was strong?" She did not wait for an answer. "Why is it that you survived that encounter with the Toshin? Death prefers the strong ones. So don't worry, you won't be killed tonight."
"What do you want then?" he answered weakly. He turned around to see that there were more cloaked figures surrounding him now. The laughter he had heard before started again. It was them. One by one, they slid back their black hoods to reveal a face-less gathering. He could see that June's features had disappeared as well. They were now all laughing at him.
Jin couldn't take it anymore and began laughing along with them. He sunk back down and curled-up on the floor, laughing. He could feel his tears trailing down his face. He brought a hand to wipe them, but he could not find his eyes. He could not find anything. All he could feel with his hands was the fleshy smoothness of his skin. He no longer cared anymore. Everything went suddenly black.
~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~
Two men stood outside a grey door. A glass was placed in the upper-center of it, so people could see inside. Both men wore a long white coat; one was young while the other was older.
"This patient's name is June Sandoval." The older one stated. "You'll be assigned to her."
"I haven't read her case file yet." The younger of the two warned the other.
The older man chuckled. "She's a little bit interesting. She thinks the devil is after her – claims that he talks to her sometimes."
The young one said nothing and just continued staring at the woman in the padded room.
"She even has a name for him." The old man smiled amusingly.
"Really? What?" The younger one looked at him curiously, waiting for an answer.
"Jin." The old man smiled. "Can you believe that? Of all the names you could give the devil."
The younger man chuckled. "Yeah, that is kind of strange. What sort of a name is Jin anyway?" The two men laughed as they slowly made their way to the other rooms.
The end.
"June?" he softly called out.
She did not stir. Her green eyes stared dully at him as she lay unmoving in the kitchen floor. Everything was still, blood was everywhere, streaks of it were smeared on the walls; utensils and appliances lay about scattered randomly.
A children's lullaby could be heard. Jin ran down the stairwell, into the city-streets, desperate to escape the scene. Whispers trailed behind him.
It was empty in that part of the city. No one came around there to have fun and enjoy the night. In fact, most people tried their best to avoid it at night. There were predators that could have lurked anywhere in the darkness.
A police car passed-by slowly. Jin made a sharp turn into a back-alley before he could be seen.
"Jin…" a voice called out behind him.
He turned around, but could not see anyone there. He continued walking on the trash littered path. There was a slight chuckle to his left, he turned around again but saw no one. He began to walk again but that same chuckling voice gave a full-fledged laugh.
"Who's there?" he screamed to the shadows.
Another voice joined the laughter, and then another one joined in as well, and then another. Soon laughter rang all around him – mocking him. Jin sunk down to his knees, his hand were drawn up to cover his ears. The laughter did not cease though, until one voice soared over the others.
"Over here." A voice called out.
Jin looked up and saw a dark figure in the shadows. Once he saw it, the figure quickly turned to another alleyway.
"Hey!" Jin called after it and ran.
He followed it as fast as it could, but it was always way ahead of him. Always seen turning to another passage. Jin did not even realize where he was going – or rather, where the figure was leading him.
A realization of familiarity hit him though, as he saw the cloaked figure turn around to face him – a cross right behind. This was the same underground altar where he had lead June days ago.
He could still not see the figure's face though. It was well hidden in the darkness. An offensive odor snaked its way into his senses; he turned around and was horrified at what he had not noticed before. Freshly mutilated corpses were hung and scattered throughout across the large room.
Jin placed a hand over his mouth to keep away the stench. He looked back at the figure in horror and disgust.
"Who are you!?" his scream echoing throughout.
The figure slid back its hood, revealing a gaunt pale face, and a pair of golden eyes. Jin could not even speak. It was June, her stare as life-less as he had left it. "Don't be afraid Jin; I'm not going to hurt you."
"Why did you bring me here?" a trace of panic could be heard in his voice.
"To take you back…" she answered quite simply.
Jin, confused and a bit frightened, turned around and was about to run when he heard her call after him. "You were always weak Jin."
He stopped.
"Remember that story about you told me about you mother; how she was killed because she was strong?" She did not wait for an answer. "Why is it that you survived that encounter with the Toshin? Death prefers the strong ones. So don't worry, you won't be killed tonight."
"What do you want then?" he answered weakly. He turned around to see that there were more cloaked figures surrounding him now. The laughter he had heard before started again. It was them. One by one, they slid back their black hoods to reveal a face-less gathering. He could see that June's features had disappeared as well. They were now all laughing at him.
Jin couldn't take it anymore and began laughing along with them. He sunk back down and curled-up on the floor, laughing. He could feel his tears trailing down his face. He brought a hand to wipe them, but he could not find his eyes. He could not find anything. All he could feel with his hands was the fleshy smoothness of his skin. He no longer cared anymore. Everything went suddenly black.
~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~^+^~
Two men stood outside a grey door. A glass was placed in the upper-center of it, so people could see inside. Both men wore a long white coat; one was young while the other was older.
"This patient's name is June Sandoval." The older one stated. "You'll be assigned to her."
"I haven't read her case file yet." The younger of the two warned the other.
The older man chuckled. "She's a little bit interesting. She thinks the devil is after her – claims that he talks to her sometimes."
The young one said nothing and just continued staring at the woman in the padded room.
"She even has a name for him." The old man smiled amusingly.
"Really? What?" The younger one looked at him curiously, waiting for an answer.
"Jin." The old man smiled. "Can you believe that? Of all the names you could give the devil."
The younger man chuckled. "Yeah, that is kind of strange. What sort of a name is Jin anyway?" The two men laughed as they slowly made their way to the other rooms.
The end.