The hospital room was dark after Samantha left. The few industrial lights over his head barely lit the unfinished room. The sun set outside the window, painting the walls with its orange light. Samantha had been determined. Her questions had been very personal of course but Mathias believed he had at the very least convinced her that he wasn't trying to kill himself, that it was all a freak accident. Still she had ordered him therapy starting next week. He was sure he could bullshit his way through a couple of sessions and be a free man once again.
In the hall he could hear the police officer assigned to guard his room shuffling in place. He wasn't a huge fan of the cops but having one outside of his room comforted him, or at least the gun did, hoping whatever strange killer was on the loose would be intimidated by it. Though whatever could peel a human being like a banana may not care about a little pistol.
He reached for the remote. A tiny white thing made of plastic with only 5 buttons, the two channel ones, volumes, and power. He clicked the rubbery power button and the tv haphazardly hung from the metal ceiling studs clicked on with a whir of electricity.
It opened on some news report, channel 6. A big white number in the corner. On screen sat a news anchor. An older man with stark white hair and even whiter teeth. He wore a tan suit that appeared straight from the 80s. He droned on about some action in the Middle East. Mathias almost immediately started to lose interest until he noticed something odd. In the corner of the screen there was the usual picture of a war-torn desert town with masked figures but above it was a countries name he had never heard before. Borakastan, that was a new one, maybe some newly formed country or something? Or maybe he just wasn't that good at geography anymore. The anchor was getting excited about something, Mathias turned up the volume.
"Ladies and gentlemen the Boraks fall before the might of the Federation of states. Soon their resources will be in our hands. Manifest destiny at its finest. In fact we have video of our brave soldiers doing the lords' work." What? Mathias was baffled, the man sounded like an exultant priest an odd fervor in his eyes. As he watched a video popped up on screen. A strange vehicle like a tank but on spiderlike legs strode through a demolished street. Soldiers in black body armor strode behind it a red starburst on their vests, metallic rifles glinting in the sun. The vehicle turned towards a building two barrels redirecting themselves to aim at the door. Like the fangs of a great spider. Birght gouts of flame shot from within the cannons disintegrating the wooden door, screams erupted from within. Children and adults came running out, some on fire. As they tried to run past the tank the soldiers opened fire. Their rifles shooting what appeared to be red beams that burned and sliced the terrified civilians filling the street with burning corpses.
Mathias flicked the channel terrified. Was that a movie? It seemed so real, the screams, I mean what movie would have children dying like that!? And the flag... on the back of the tank had been a banner waving in the wind. A flag not all that dissimilar to the American flag he was used to. Red and white stripes but no blue, instead a red box and instead of stars a black eagle.
Words came to him again causing him to look at the tv once more. "Just take the limbs of your fallen foes and remove the skin, then core them taking care to not only remove the bones but also any of the more fibrous tissue. Afterwards chop into 3/4 inch slices and take out a large bowl to soak them in water with lemon juice for at least 20 minutes!" On screen was a woman wearing a purple dress and a pink apron. A white symbol sat in the corner of the screen where the 6 had been previously, the channel number? She was petite with dark hair and large eyes too large.. in fact so large she appeared to have two irises and two pupils. She looked sweet, innocent otherwise but when she spoke... her tongue was black and appeared to be forked. She was in a modern looking kitchen but on the wall behind appeared to be some form of weapon rack? Large knives, serrated blades, a hammer, and even a small chainsaw hung their many red with gore. Her pink apron was blood-spattered. In front of her was a severed human arm. "Here is one I have already prepared a head of time." She said sweetly. She pulled out a large glass bowl within which floated what appeared to be red donuts of meat.
In a sick way Mathias was almost hypnotized as he watched her butcher the other arm, but then she started pulling out a human head and he had to flick the channel button again. Was this some sort of prank? Obviously this tv wasn't installed normally, maybe some weirdo had installed something in it?
The screen was dark, had he accidentally hit the power button? Slowly the pixels in the center of the screen started to lighten. He leaned forward attempting to see. The image became clearer and he instantly turned off the tv never wanting to see that thing again. Too many limbs, too many mouths. He sat back against the rough hospital pillow. His mind baffled by what he had seen. What was happening. Why was it happening to him. All this weird shit at once. It was too much. Maybe the therapy really was necessary, maybe that car had knocked something loose in his head. What if... what if he was the killer and at night he turned into some sort of sleep walking psychopath or something.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
A noise outside his door caught his attention. A gasp? Followed by a clattering noise then a dull thud. A body. The officer outside of his door had just hit the ground. Crap. In a panic he looked down at his bound limbs. He started to pull at the restraints but the plaster of his casts held strong especially in his weakened state. His room started to feel extremely warm. Like someone had turned on a furnace near him. The knob on the door turned, but he couldn't see anyone through its window. The air around him pulsated like it was alive. As it pushed open he struggled harder, starting to panic. Sweat poured down his forehead into his eyes. The room started to swim.
The door swung slowly open. As he stared on all he could see was an empty hall, and the hand of what he assumed was the police officer in a pool of blood in the bottom corner. He squinted, through the doorway came what seemed to be a darker spot. Tall and thin, the light just couldn't seem to dismiss it. It bowed through the door before straightening out nearly to the unfinished ceiling. What he assumed to be an arm reached toward him he pulled back from hit, starting to yell, still struggling. His arms were killing him, the pain was incredible but he didn't want this thing to touch him. Then in his panic, he felt a whisper in his ear, "Find me." long and drawn out, like air releasing from a tire.
Mathias blacked out.
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Margarite stood on the concrete lip of the roof of the office building across from the hospital. She held a bloody knife to her tongue as she looked through her binoculars towards the glowing building. She had enjoyed playing with the buildings security guard before he commented on her nipples or lack there of. She had gutted him and eaten his heart, sending a prayer to her lord as she did, for luck in this endeavor. Behind her stood 3 of her fellow cultists. Each carrying a backpack. "Did you get it all she said sheathing her knife."
"Yes Margarite we-"
"CODE NAMES Armeald, code names, I am blue devil, your green imp, understood?"
"Um yes Blue Devil. We have all the explosives you requested, the detcord, plastic explosives, and the... fireworks?"
She turned smiling, her plastic devil mask only covering the top half of her face. "Fireworks to announce the un-blessed birth, imp. We must make it a celebration, it is the beginning of the end of this mess." She stated waving her hand over the city. "Soon we will rule what's left, until... you know it is all devoured." She giggled with glee.
"Now be ready, our compatriots should be in position." As if summoned by her words a fireball erupted in the sky to the north. The police station. "May she find power in our lords realm." They started to move. Severus had given her the music box but she wasn't taking any chances. Plus the less of them that remained, the less people she had to share her lord with. Another explosion this time nearer by caused the the windows to rattle as they made their way down. That would be the fire department. They burst out onto the street just as the third and final explosion erupted. A nursing home she had randomly picked. She couldn't really think of a good third target but she didn't want that little slut Elma around anymore and this way she got to go out in a blaze of glory.
People stood outside the hospital looking on in terror at the orange lights in the sky. They barely noticed the masked group rushing into the lobby. They shoved there way through the large revolving door pulling out their guns as they went. A security guard saw them coming and started to yell at them, attempting to pull out his revolver. As they burst into the lobby a cultist in a yellow oni mask shot him with a sawed off shotgun. The man blew backward, his chest a bloody mess. The women behind the front desk started screaming, people were yelling, attempting to run, those in stretchers and wheelchairs were left behind by their caregivers. Margarite knew they were at the end of their fun, they didn't need the place locking down yet. She carefully pulled out the music box. Rushing toward the cowering woman behind the desk she slammed it down. The small jeweled box popped open with the force. A tune began to play. Creeping into the air. Within the box appeared to be a small birds skull with a bit of hair tied around it. To Margarite it was boring if a bit lulling but the woman in front of her slowly stopped screaming. She sat down and slumped over the desk.
The woman's eyes were still open, the terror was still there she had just stopped moving and making noise. The song was quiet yet seemed to flow everywhere. A tinkling sad song. The guard who lay bloodily on the floor stopped wheezing, his breath becoming even and measured, he died quietly. She turned around the room to find nurses and patients, emts, falling to the ground, or falling asleep in their chairs. Curious she pulled out her knife and stabbed the woman's hand. The knife went into her flesh easily, and blood flowed on the desk but she didn't flinch or make a sound. With glee she stabbed repeatedly perforating the woman's unmoving body in dozens of places. She looked like she had started to sweat blood there were so many cuts. Behind her she heard her name called. Pulling herself out of her reverie she recognized that they had a job to do.
She licked her knife again, " Let's find those brats."