Disclaimers, ratings, name, etc can be found in prologue
Author's Notes: What better way to kick off the Halloween month than with this creepy installment! Hope you all enjoy and thanks again for the feedback!
More warnings…
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE/GORE (I'm serious about the gore in this one…ickiness abound!)
WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE
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Chapter 11
Becca cautiously entered the quiet room she was ushered into. The room had nothing save its white padded walls, a small chair, and a TV set. The door shut behind her and locked with a sound of finality that caused a tingle of panic to shoot through her.
For a moment she wanted to throw herself back at the door, pound at it, scream for release but she forced that away. She calmly took a seat in the chair, across from the TV. She looked around, feeling completely uneasy and lost when she noticed in the far right hand corner of the ceiling, a very small dot. It was a camera; it had to be, a pinhole one.
Sudden relief washed over her. They were watching her, of course they were, they wanted to see if she would have a relapse, freak out, do something. She wasn't going to, especially if they were watching.
If they were watching then she was safe. If there was the slightest hint of trouble, they'd come for her, save her, maybe they'd even see - begin to understand the truth of her unconscious fears.
Fears she couldn't even quite put her finger on but knew, deep inside, were legitimate despite what they said, despite what she even mouthed.
In some ways, she had been a lying puppet. She had repeated word for word all the bull they fed her, she did the song and dance and she was so close to her reward now that she refused to mess it up.
With a confident smile she clicked on the set. She was immediately greeted with some cheesy talk show. She watched this for a few moments, then flipped the channel to a soap. See? Nothing! She was fine! Perfectly fine.
The smile grew wider as she began watching, even with mild interest, as the Technicolor marvel before her preformed its only primary function. In the back of her mind she began to question herself, maybe she had just been crazy.
Nothing strange was happening, this was just a TV for god's sake, not some evil portal of death. She got so lost in thoughts and TV watching that when a voice sounded somewhere above her she jumped, startled, "Excellent, Becca you did a fine job!"
Becca put a hand to her chest, she had forgotten about the camera. She giggled her head looking from side to side, " Doctor Harris?"
"Yes, sorry to give you that little scare, I'm speaking from the intercom hidden behind one of the padded walls. I just couldn't resist telling you how proud I am, I've been watching from a hidden camera and you have done an admirable job. I'm going to come down there and release you myself and we'll sign those papers."
Becca's heart felt as if it would explode with joy, tears filled her eyes, "Oh Doctor Harris, thank you, thank you!"
"Thank yourself, Becca, you did all the work," Harris's voice rang out, "I'll be right there, okay?"
"Okay," Becca said in a watery tone of bliss.
She sat back and broke into a mixture of sobs and laughter as happiness over took her. She had done it! She had made it! She was going to taste freedom again. This was the best day of her life, it couldn't get any better and nothing could ruin…
The TV clicked off.
Becca froze, the laughter dying in her throat. No. No, she had just imagined that. Or she had turned the TV off herself and didn't remember doing it. There was some logical explanation.
She edged forward in her chair and looked at the screen. It was off but she didn't remember turning it off. Maybe Doctor Harris controlled the TV? Yes, that had to be it, on his way down from wherever the cameras were, he had turned off the TV set, why would she need it anymore? She'd passed the test. Best to conserve electricity. Yes, yes, that had to be it…it couldn't be…
The TV clicked on.
Becca shot out of the chair, knocking it over. Her hands rose up into her hair, tugging at it as static snow greeted her, filling the room with its unnatural light.
No, no, this was a dream, all a bad dream.
Hysteria began to grip her when a shining, glowing ring filled her vision, the TV screen coming to life, it jumped to a well. She screamed in terror and rushed to the set, finding the cord that connected it to the wall.
She didn't care if Doctor Harris thought she had lost it, if he kept her locked up, at least she'd be alive. She tugged at the cord viciously, jerking it, pulling it from the wall.
It fought with great resistance but she could feel it giving. Yes, yes, she could do this!
Tears were falling from her face as she gasped and heaved, hands raw from pulling. At last there was a horrible ripping sound and the cord burst from the wall. Free and unplugged. The TV, which had fallen over onto its side from the struggle, made a feeble buzz as it turned off.
She released a mad cackle as she fell back, landing smartly on her backside. She looked upwards at the camera Doctor Harris had been watching from. She wondered if he had seen that. No, he'd said he'd be on his way down and she imagined no one else had been in the camera room with him. He wasn't the type to conduct his tests with an audience, he gave his patients at least that much dignity.
She hefted out a heavy breath and scooted backwards, sitting near the door, away from the TV. It still lay on its side, the screen facing her but it was black now, turned off. Then something flew over the screen's surface. A ripple.
Becca's eyes widened, she still had the end of the plug in her hand. Her head began shaking vehemently from left to right. She had turned it off. It was off, there was no way it could turn back on. The TV gave a soft hum and slowly glowed to life, a well appearing.
Becca screamed and turned to the door, beginning to hitting it with all the force she had in her body. Her eyes were on the door, begging with it. She ventured a stare at the TV, watching in horror as a hand crept up out of the well.
Her screams grew louder and more piercing, turning into agonized shrieks, "PLEASE! GOD! SOMEONE! HELP ME!"
The hand pulled itself up and out of the well but it was not followed by long dark hair. A brown fedora hat followed it. Becca looked at it, her eyes blurry as she watched the man - was it a man? - emerge. It wasn't the little girl. It wasn't her and this should have comforted Becca but it did not for what greeted her was just as worse.
It was some…thing. With horribly burned red skin and devil eyes. And the glove on its right hand…its long sharp claws. She shuddered, pressing even more tightly into the door, gripping the cord of the TV tighter as it drew closer. Then it spoke, its voice smoky, "Hey there, Becca."
"What do you want!" she cried.
"It's not what I want, it's what she wants," he remarked and turned back to the well. He held out a hand and something reached up, grabbing it.
"Oh no," Becca gasped, "No, no, no…"
A tiny pale hand gripped his, and a head of dark hair followed. The little girl. Immediately Becca's mind's eyes exploded with memories, with visions. The tape. Water. The ring. Seven days. Katie's dead body, her face caught in a never-ending scream of pure terror. Becca began shaking her head again, "You can't…you can't! I didn't even watch your stupid tape! Please!"
"We've decided to do away with the technicalities," the man with the glove laughed as the little girl fully emerged from the well, standing next to him, "We have to stop being so picky. Besides, we like you, Becca. We need you. And my little friend here, well, she has to tie up loose ends…"
"NO!" Becca screeched as the little girl began staggering towards her, her new friend following behind her. He moved more quickly, approaching the screen and he tapped his razor fingers against it, then, with a self-satisfied smirk, his hand shot out, reaching for Becca.
She screamed, edging farther away, deeper into the door but this didn't matter. His arm seemed to extend and grabbed her around the throat, choking her, dragging her near. Becca struggled, screaming even with the chokehold he had on her but it was useless. He drew her towards the TV, depositing her well in front of it as the little girl reached the screen herself.
She pushed forward and clawed out, bursting from the screen. Becca's cries were deafening as the girl was mere inches away from her, real and outside of the TV. The man spoke loudly over her screams, "Remember what I told you! Just ease in…"
The girl's long dark hair fell away and an eye of pure evil greeted Becca, as well as a tiny smile as the girl launched forward, transforming into water. Becca's mouth, still open wide with screams, caught the full blast.
She choked and gagged but couldn't help swallowing the dark liquid that poured into her. The little girl disappeared entirely, having fully become the gushing tide that forced its way down Becca's throat, filling her. The hand released Becca and she fell back, terrified, hands running over herself.
The man on the TV laughed, light eyes watching hungrily as Becca checked herself over, trembling. The jeer on his face was immeasurable as he watched, so close to the screen. Becca moaned, shaking herself from side to side, griping her stomach. Something was wrong…
Her insides felt as if they were on fire and Becca pitched forward, her body breaking out in a cold sweat and with a whimper she realized she was going to be sick. Her head tossed from side to side but she couldn't hold it in and soon the vomit burst forward.
She ducked her head behind the TV, wanting to hide as she began puking uncontrollably. Her eyes could see what was emerging from her was dark black, what was she…
Oh god, her eyes widened, blood! She was vomiting up blood, buckets of it and then she realized what was happening. Her hands rose up, trying to stop the liquid from bursting forth from her, trying to shove it back in. She was regurgitating herself! She was being torn up inside and ejected out from her own mouth!
She pounded at the ground, frantic as her head began to grow lighter. She was dying! She was losing! She could feel herself slipping away from her mind. Something was shoving her out, taking over and with each passing second more and more of her was falling out of her mouth and on to the ground.
The pain was unbelievable but Becca kept fighting, trying to stop herself from throwing up but it was useless. One finally cry and tear left her and then she was gone, erupting from her mouth and to the floor.
'Becca' wiped at her mouth then sat back. Her long dark hair covered her face and her skin was deathly pale. The hair parted, falling to the side to show her face and more importantly her now all back eyes, a tiny pinpoint of gray in their center. She looked down at the TV and Freddy laughed, "You settled in your new home, kid?"
She nodded once then looked down at the disgusting puddle that had made up Rebecca Kotler. A sneer took her young face and with a wave of her hand it disappeared.
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The door behind her opened and Doctor Harris entered. The room was immaculate, TV back in place, no evidence that anyone had ever tried to remove the cord from the wall and 'Becca' herself sitting in the chair serenely.
He grinned, "Ah, Becca, sorry I took so long. I got stopped in the hallways. I see you've been fine in here by yourself."
She merely nodded, not answering. Doctor Harris cleared his throat, "Yes, well, no one was up there watching behind that camera just now you see, you were in here all by yourself alone with the TV and nothing at all happened, you must be proud!"
"I am," 'Becca' said simply, her voice slightly rusty.
Doctor Harris' eyebrows drew together, "You sound-"
"I'm thirsty," she answered.
He laughed and shrugged, "Of course you are! How about we celebrate with a soda, hmm? We can sign the release papers while we're at it."
Something of a smile took her face as she replied, "That would be lovely."
Doctor Harris frowned. Becca didn't talk like that. He shook his head and shrugged again. Oh well, so what? She was probably still overwhelmed with having passed the test and facing freedom.
He put an arm around her shoulder and they left the room. The TV clicked on once they were gone and Freddy's laughter filled the tiny quiet room. Those stupid bastards. They had no idea what they had just released.