Well, Jobe's back and oh joy, people, a new character!
Chapter 7: Greed
The thick iron door crept open painfully slowly as it shifted through a layer of grime and muck. Even with his full body weight behind it, Jobe had trouble pushing it open. A small trail of water seeped out from the crack, sloping against Jobe's mud caked shoes as he pulled the door as far as it would go. Looking one last time over his shoulder, he bid farewell to the light before squeezing through the crack.
The first thing that hit Jobe was the god-awful smell. It burnt away at the inside of his nostrils like sulpher with a mixture of rot and rancid air before he had a chance to react.
Jobe dropped to his knees, retching dryly as the heavy air smothered him. He erupted into a fit of violent coughing, trying desperately not to pass out. He grabbed his throat as he fell forward, thrusting his other hand out forward to catch himself before he fell face first into the shallow water that surrounded him.
And then the smell was gone. He breathed in deeply, contracting his fingers as he filled his lungs with fresh air. He stopped.
'What was that?' The water had also vanished, replaced by something that crinkled underneath his digits.
Jobe opened his eyes and green paper blinked back at him. He sat back on his haunches, staring at the sea of twenty-dollar notes that surrounded him, stretching out forever. With a start, Jobe jumped to his feet as blood began slowly creeping between the creases of the dollar bills, staining them with crimson fingers. Like an open wound, it formed into a deep red pool but this was no ordinary stain for only a few of the bills had become clogged with blood, spelling one word.
GREED
Jobe lurched back and fell on to his back. For a moment, his head went under the foul-smelling water and he felt it trickle into his mouth. His head smacked off something hard and dots blazed across his vision. Even though the water was only knee height, it took him a moment to tear his head from it while the sound of water crashing about him brought him back to reality. The bills were gone and he was surrounded only by darkness. For a moment, the only noises accompanying him were the sounds of his own hurried breathing and water slowly churning about him.
"Was that even real?" The money had felt as real beneath his fingers as the water that now swirled around his body. It seemed more like the vision Jobe had seen before he fell into the hole than the full-blown hallucination with the hospital.
A shiver ran up Jobe's spine and he was beginning to fell that familiar sense of dread creeping up on him. What if these visions were some sort of warning? He'd seen one just before that flying abomination had attacked him. Suddenly, coming into this room didn't seem like such a good idea. Jobe rose to his feet as the heavy, stagnant water clung to his shirt, weighing him down.
Jobe turned to the wall, letting his fingers trace over the wet metal surface as he tried to find the door handle but the impenetrable darkness was doing nothing to ease his already frayed nerves. Something clunked against his chest and he gasped through clenched teeth but the shock quickly gave away to relief. What an idiot he was, how could he have forgotten about the flashlight clipped to the front of his shirt all this time? Anyway, it would be much easier to find his way out of here with a little light. His finger was just about to flip it on when,
"jobe…"
'What was that?' His hand dropped away from the torch and he looked cautiously over his shoulder. Of course, Jobe saw nothing.
"Is there someone back there?" His only answer was the sound of dripping water. Scowling, his finger reached for the flashlight again.
"don't do it, jobe" Jobe took a step back as the voice hissed again, almost pleading with him.
"Why not?" His eyes scanned over the darkness, trying to make out whoever it was who could see him.
"because then the blind will see, you're so much safer in the dark." It replied with a strangulated rasp. Jobe swallowed what felt like a lead ball forming in his throat; this voice of warning was far from comforting.
"If I'm in danger, then how do I get out of here?" Jobe really hoped whoever it was couldn't hear the naked fear in his voice.
"why would you want to leave us, jobe? you belong down here with us, jobe, everything's so simpler floating here in the dark. come jobe, come" There was a pause and in it, Jobe felt his blood run cold. "float with ussss…" The voice lost all its softness, grating in Jobe's ear as the sentence came to an end. Waves of nausea swept over him as he madly grabbed at the flash light but something in the water stroked against his legs. Jobe screamed and tried to get away from whatever was lurking in the water with him but he only succeeded in losing his footing. As he fell backwards, Jobe felt it wrap itself around his body with horrific speed. Whatever was binding him felt like a thick line of rubbery rope but through his thin shirt, Jobe could feel it squirming against his skin as it drew round him in an ever-tightening grip. The living rope had encased him up to his shoulders and was now crushing him between its countless rolls of skin. Jobe let out a gasp as it constricted even tighter.
"don't fight us jobe, everything's so much easier when you float." He could feel the warm sticky breath on his cheek as the unseen monster whispered in his ear. Jobe could feel it grinning as it squeezed just that little bit tighter every time Jobe breathed out. He could barely draw a breath now and it felt as though his head was going to pop like a champagne cork as it thudded with the force of a base drum. Jobe's arm was beginning to be imprinted into his chest but he could feel the hard shape of the flashlight against it. If only he could…
His captor must have know what Jobe was planning for it's cruel voice began to chat again.
"we told you you'd be safer in the dark. we shall have to blind you are selves if you aren't going to listen to us…"
Two clammy hands clamped themselves onto Jobe's face, probing his features with long brittle fingers. The smell of rot and rancid meat was almost too much for Jobe sending his gut into a vicious spasm as the sharp fingers ran over his nose. Finally, they found what they were searching for and came to a rest over his eye and held his lids shut. Almost lovingly, it pressed its thumbs into the sockets of Jobe's eyes; causing him to use what little breath he had left to scream. For a fleeting moment, images of his two eyes exploding in a shower of white liquid and tissue filled Jobe's head and he did the only thing he could.
He bit down as hard as he could on anything he could get his teeth on. A shrill hiss sliced through the air as Jobe's teeth clamped down on its thin wrist and viciously tore at the damp skin. He felt it rupture as a cold liquid (that tasted what Jobe imagined bleach would taste like) filled his mouth.
Instantly, the creature withdrew and the binding rolls fell away from Jobe's body. He spat out the rank mouthful and hastily tried to refill his crushed lungs. The sound of the creature spitting in rage echoed around the room as Jobe reached for the flashlight. He was going to turn the damn thing on if it was the last thing he did. There was a click and blinding light flooded the room, so bright to Jobe's unjust eyes that he had to squint. The water that sloshed against his legs was so dark that it actually seemed to absorb all the light from the tiny bulb, whilst the walls seemed caked in thick layers of brown grim, so deep that the numerous pipes that ran along it looked more like veins. They also ran along the ceiling in a crazy network that made no sense but Jobe wasn't worried about that, he was more taken aback by the thing that hung from the pipes, glaring at Jobe with wide, bloodshot eyes, void of pupils. At first, Jobe thought it was some kind of snake, but snakes had scales. This thing looked like someone had wrapped it up in decaying, white flesh. It's length was impossible to judge as it's spiny tail lay coiled around the pipe it hung down from but for a second, Jobe swore he saw what looked like partially formed legs beneath it's skin. The snake's tail ended in a frail human torso. The serpent's bones could clearly be seen poking up from it's stretched flesh that was so taught, they threatened to burst through. It looked as though it was nothing more than a skeleton, with its two stick-like arms shielding it's face from the torch's light. Slowly they lowered and Jobe got to see the snake's hideous visage. A small ridge of bone lined the top of its melon-shaped skull, tracing down to join it's protruding spine. It had two reptilian slits for nostrils that slowly flapped as the snake breathed in and out and a pair of long, slender white fangs slipped over its tight lips.
By some miracle of god's work, Jobe had managed to keep a hold of the metal pole during the snake's lethal embrace. Holding it in front of him, Jobe never took his eyes off the leering face.
"Wh.. What the hell are you?" Jobe took a step back, trying to put as much distance between him and the snake. It pulled its lips back in a mocking grin, reviling even more needle thin teeth, obviously reveling in its victim's sheer terror.
"what am I? we are greed, jobe and you can't escape from us for we live in the heart of every man!"
Greed's lips had risen so far that its discolored gums were exposed to the air. The smile made Jobe feel ill, it was so malicious that he feared for his sanity if he looked at it any longer. He quickly jabbed the pole at the snake's head but it easily swayed around it and one of its bony hands shot out with frightening agility. Greed's fingers locked around the pole and yanked it back, pulling Jobe in. He was so close that the snake's flat nose hovered just inches from his own and he could feel the air rush in and out from the two tiny slits. A thin, forked tongue darted between its teeth and it tutted.
"why do you resist? everything will be so much easier, here in the dark." With a crack, its face exploded open, splitting vertically down the middle. Spittle flew from yawning maw as teeth slid from its gums that lined every edge of the mouth. Jobe just froze, transfixed by the dark hole right at its center that seemed to draw him in. He could do nothing as the mouth locked around his shoulder but watch in dumb horror. It was only when he felt the rows of fangs penetrate his skin like white-hot daggers when he screamed. Jobe could fell Greed's foul venom pump into him and run under his skin like boiling water. Finally, the mouth detached itself from his shoulder and the head reformed, still grinning at Jobe with bloodstained teeth. The strength seemed to be instantly drained from his legs and he fell to his knees. He could no longer sense the water around him as slowly his body became numb. Jobe's head seemed to gain a hundred pounds in the space of five seconds and it slumped down onto his chest. Greed slipped its slender hand under his lolling chin and gently lifted Jobe's head up so it could stare right into his heavy lidded eyes.
"it won't be long now, soon you can float with us." It crooned softly. Jobe could barely make out Greed's words as it felt as though his head had been wrapped in cotton wool. Even the face in front of him was beginning to fade, blurring into its dark background as the lines that held it together melted away.
Jobe was aware that there was a sudden bang followed by the darkness lifting ever so slightly. Greed's hand fell away from his chin and Jobe's head slumped forward again. Something else had caught Greed's attention and Jobe tried to turn his head towards the new light source to see what it was but it didn't even feel like his head was attached to his body anymore. It was as if the poison was slowly blotting out every thing around him, trying to smother him in a new type of darkness that he could never escape from.
With a straining amount of effort, Jobe managed to focus his eyes for a moment and joined Greed in staring at an open door he'd never noticed before. In it stood a figure but the dim light that shone from behind it made it nigh on impossible to make out. There was something long that extended from one of the arms that hung limply by the figurer's side. Occasionally, it would glint in the pale light as the newcomer's body heaved with heavy breaths. If Jobe's brain had been working anywhere near it's normal brain he could have guessed they'd come a running, possibly after hearing him scream like a girl.
Greed shouted at the figure, spitting angrily as it spoke. It merely raised the long metal weapon it held in response, spreading its feet out in preparation of the snake's attack.
Jobe didn't make out the words the figure muttered but Greed sure did for it let out a screeching roar and threw itself suiciadally towards the pointed weapon. The newcomer nimbly sidestepped out of the way as the over-sized snake flew pastas its fangs snapped at empty air. Jobe could barely make out the figure bringing their weapon down on Greed's back, catching it mid-lunge. The snake was brought prematurely to the ground in a spray of water. The weapon came down again and again as the figure stood silhouetted in the doorway, grunts of frustration passed through its lips as it frantically attacked the snake. The sound of splashing water came to an end as the figure stood upright, triumphantly staring down at the spot where a bloodied Greed lay. Silence washed over the room and the figure looked at Jobe for the first time. Jobe only managed to make a feeble whimper before the last of his strength ebbed away and he sub came to the darkness.
* * *
For a moment, She could only stare at the dark water beneath her feet, waiting for the serpent to rise up an attack her when she wasn't looking. She'd dealt with Greed enough times to know how his sick mind worked and had enough sense to know it would be a bad idea to be here when he woke up. She looked at the blood stained kantana she gripped tightly and wondered if he would wake up this time. She gave herself a mental slap for being so naive.
'He always wakes up. They never can truly die, the lot of them…'
She looked up, scanning the darkness looking for Greed's latest victim and sure enough, there they were. The man was kneeling in the water, trembling violently. A small whimper escaped his throat before he started to slump towards the water. With a sudden burst of speed, she was next to him and managed to catch him by the scruff of his neck before he fell face first into the water. The skin beneath his hand was slick with sweat and felt as though molten lead was running underneath it.
"No!" She was probably too late but she could still try to save him. With a grunt, she slung him over her shoulders as if he was a stack of potatoes. Trying to ignore the fact that he seemed to weigh more than twenty sacks of potatoes, she staggered out of the room and tried to ignore the fact that Greed's body was not where she'd left it.
I must apologies for the 'IT' references but it's been responsible for many sleepless nights and I just couldn't help myself.
