There’s something to keep going for. That was something even a man with little to no dreams like a senior officer still a year away from retirement could believe in. Even so, he found himself struggling to follow through. Leaning against the cold wall of a dark meat locker, the man let out a shivering breath. How many rooms had he been through that looked just like this one? He’d lost count when his brain started freezing around 20. He pushed himself off the wall, slamming into a hanging stitched together creation of human meat. He did well to ignore the taste of it that had placed itself on his lips.

His legs staggered onwards, past the countless hanging racks of meat. If he let them contaminate any more of his brain, he knew he’d fall over then and there. He reached into his pocket, holding something tight.

“Move, move, move.” Whispered out in a weak wispy white. He opened the freezer door, found the exact same room waiting for him behind it. “Damn.” He laughs, and keeps moving. “Are you gonna keep doing the same thing again and again? Don’t bore me.” He didn’t know who he was talking to, but he was certain they were listening. Just knowing that made him smile. How beautiful, indeed, to be a wisecracking annoyance to someone so much stronger than you. He enjoyed the arrogance it fed his soul.

In that arrogance, he found the strength to run.

Slamming through doors, speed pushing him through more than his strength, depleting with every second spent in that cold. He felt his lips open, a yell primal and raging coming through, as room after room, rack after rack, passed by his form. Some desire to feel like he was at the edge of finally being free kept him going. Only when he tripped over his finally numb, frozen feet, did he truly realize he was done for. The feeling of the cold on his cheek was so warm. How stupid. How terribly, terribly stupid. While his fingers still had feeling, he reached into his pocket, he pulled out a police badge.

“Sorry man. I tried. I hope you understand. Forgive me…forgive me please…”

As he spoke,

Something beautiful crashed through the cold reality,

Bringing him to a field of grass.

All sensation of cold had dissipated, leaving him naked and strangely warm. The only thing left on him was that badge, still gripped tight. The man stood. Feeling the grass between his toes, he looked up at the black void of a sky, and saw it cracking, stuttering into static. He breathed and felt the air cutting through his lungs.

“Sir?” The man turned his head to what stood behind him.

“You’re…kidding…”

“Where are we?” His lower rank walked up beside him, watching the sky.

“I…have no idea.”

“It’s better than being a head, at least.”

“A head? You were still alive like that?”

“Mmm.” He looked down at the ground. “Not sure I am now though.” He spoke with a wisdom that didn’t fit his young face. “Like my existence has lost all meaning.”

“That’s horrifying.” He said that, but the higher rank couldn’t help but laugh.

“That laugh is way scarier.” The lower rank said, but couldn’t help joining in. They laughed and laughed as the static sky became louder and louder.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Don’t you worry! I’ll be making sure you don’t stay in that fucked up hotel, you got it?!” Through his laugh, the high rank made his promise, the sky beginning to fall.

“Whatever you say sir!” His lower rank smiled. “It’s been a pleasure!

‘Always mine man. Always mine.’ He kept the words locked in his throat as he closed his eyes, the whole world turning indecipherable.

…

Jumping onto the roof, the man in his jacket let out a tired breath. Down below, the sounds of police sirens and ambulances and whoever was interested all came together in a terrible symphony of nonsense. He walked past a strangely placed couch and smashed television, remarking in his own mind on its oddity, before opening the roof entrance and finding a staircase leading down into the building. The first thing to hit him was the stench of raging death. He covered his face with his shirt, taking out his machete from under his jacket and beginning his descent. Staircase after staircase, he arrived at the tenth floor and opened the door, peeking through. Police didn’t seem to be on this floor, or rather, hadn’t reached it.

The blood was pooling out from under the apartment’s doors. How the hell was something like this possible? He couldn’t even imagine something like this in a nightmare. He brought the blade up, walking through. A feeling of being seen by millions of eyes. Just block it out. He closed his eyes, listening for any sounds. Nothing made itself known, save for his own footsteps. Still, it was clear, something was nearby. He stopped, going still, his body frozen. His mind halted all thought, focusing just on perceiving.

Everything became fresher, rawer, uninhibited. Pure sound, in all its texture and nonsense. In that space, the man could feel, through the air, the repetitive drones of the gentle rumbles from the sound outside. The sound of blood dripping and gurgling from splits in skin and veins. He readied his blade as something hiding under all of those distractions came slithering through the gaps of reality to tear his throat out.

He struck at air, and saw his blade glide through the right eye of a cocky-smile wearing fellow.

“Who the fuck are you?” The man’s knee slammed into the surprised fellow’s chest as he tripped forward in surprise. He kicked him back with his boot. The attacker screamed as he fell back.

“Argh! H-how did you-?!” The attacker disappeared in time to avoid the man bringing his knife down on his chest.

“Hm. Inhuman like my boy, huh?”

“Boy? Ah…you’re…that little brat’s dad?! Hahah! What, came to pick up the corpse?! You won’t even be getting that, sorry poor papa!”

“Mmm. That so?” The man stands straight. “I see.”

“What’s up? Can’t process it? Don’t worry, you won’t be without him long…hey…why are you looking at me like that?” The attacker could feel the air shifting.

“So, how bad do you want it to hurt?” The man whispered, before rushing forward. The attacker’s attempt to disappear once more was thwarted by a sudden stab to the gut.

“N-GACK!”

“Anything less than excruciating ain’t an option.” The man felt a bony hand grab tight to his throat, as the skin and met melted from the attacker’s face.

“You’re all just so damn disrespectful! Show a god some respect in his own domain!” The attackers words were only met with another turn of the knife.

“You sure have an ego. I’d respect it if I weren’t so ready to see that jaw torn off.” The man spoke so clearly even the god couldn’t help but freeze up at the threat. Still, he managed to pull back, holding his side as blood poured from it.

“I’m getting tired of this. You wanna die that bad?! Fine then! I’ll send you somewhere even worse than that brat of your-”

A crash, as the floor beneath the men started to crack.

“T-the fuck is this?!”

“Interesting. I got a good feeling about this.” The man smiled. “You’re gonna regret not doing a good job killing my boy.”

“This…is…him? N-no! No! This is not your world to control! Put yourself back down, you overconfident piece of shit!” The shattered floor exploded, as an arm came reaching out, a hand of long, sharp fingers came reaching out, tearing into the cocky god’s stomach as he screamed. He fell backwards, watching as the hand became soft and feminine and human, pulling out of the shattered reality a human body, creating itself from nothing. “W-what…are…you?” His lips quivered, watching the woman form. Her neutral face took on a twisted smile.

“A god, asshole.”