February

Victoria was back at work after a long week of being away. Her desk remained neat and organized just as she had left it. One of her co-workers approached her. It was Amy. Her bright pink ponytail, gaudy purple eyeliner and lengthy black fake eyelashes were hard to miss amongst the other women in the department. She saved the progress on her work and turned her chair to the side as Amy leaned her heavily-tattooed arms over the short cubicle wall.

"Hey girl! I'm like, waiting for all these programs to update so I've got some time to kill and wanted to catch up since you just got back. Soooo how was your trip?? Tell me details! I wanna' know before Jeremy and Ben do!" Amy asked in her usual spunky tone and flashing a smile as bright as the office lights. Trying her best to look cheerful, Victoria managed a frail smile.

"Well um it was...it was good. Grandparents are doing well. They really warmed up to Adrian which was good. We went exploring, rode on a boat which was fun, checked out the town nearby, and were trapped in a snowstorm for a couple days that wasn't so fun." Victoria said, keeping the details vague.

"Aw shit really? Maine sounds like a nice place. Snowstorm part sucks but it's winter what do ya' expect? Where did you explore? Mountains? Hills? Caves?"

Victoria's ears perked up when she heard that last word.

"Uh an abandoned house actually and...yeah a cave too. Both were near the ocean actually."

"For real?! That's dope as fuck! Urban exploration is totally a blast! You should come with us next time we go do that! And you actually went spelunking?? Caves like, scare the hell out of me so I'd never do it. More details girl!"

"Hey quiet down some Amy! The house was just uh, left over from my family. Checked it out, found some old shit that we kept. The cave was...narrow and dank and uncomfortable. Nothing special. The house exploration was more interesting. It had stuff from the eighteen-hundreds. That was the highlight really, nothing else."

"Nice nice. Well I'm glad you had fun."

"Anything happen around the office while I was gone?"

"Nah. Same old shit as usual. Me and Ben did smoke with the boss Saturday after work though. First time too with him. He's pretty chill actually. We just went for a walk then watched shows at his place."

"Woah hold up. Peter let you two go smoke with him?"

"I know right? Guess since he hooked up with that cute desk clerk he's been talking to at the JFK airport he frequents from his business trips, he's been a lot happier then before. He admitted that they finally had sex on New Years. Talk about timing am I right?"

"Holy shit. No wonder he's been so laid back these past few months."

"For real. So like what are you up to? Busy?"

"Oh just catching up on some work is all. Why?"

"Wanna grab some lunch? Jeremy and Ben are way too caught up in their project right now so yeah."

"Sure why not."

Victoria put her computer to sleep and joined Amy in her trip off to the floors break room to grab some snacks and a drink from the vending machines.

"Okay good. Make sure that cartel leader is properly taken care of and I'll have the CIA head there to take him away. Yes I will see you at the next meeting. Goodbye." Joseph Carter hung up and breathed a sigh of relief, slumping down into his chair. A knock was heard on the door of his office. "Come in!"

Two men in suits entered, both empty-handed but wore expressions of concern.

"Mister Carter we have a...concern. Levi hasn't returned from his business trip to Dubai yet. He won't answer any calls so it goes straight to voicemail. I've tried texting him but have yet to get a single reply. Even his husband hasn't heard back from him." The bearded man spoke. Joseph raised an eyebrow.

"He was supposed to have returned last night. Now you're telling me he's gone dark? That can't be right. Did you contact the embassy?"

"Yes. They confirmed he finished the meeting with the prince and was headed for the airport after leaving the meeting. But here is where it gets strange. I contacted the airport shortly before we came here. They said that Levi never arrived to get on his flight." Now Joseph's eyes grew wide.

"You're telling me between his meeting with the prince and heading to the airport, he just up and vanished??"

"I-I think so. We're as baffled as you are."

"Goddamn it. Contact the embassy immediately and have them send out a search party! I want every inch of that city searched high and low. Did he not have a security escort with him to and from the airport?"

"No sir. He was very adamant about not needing it. He insisted on driving himself since he was generously loaned an exotic sports car to drive during his stay there by the prince."

"That egotistical idiot! Well get an investigation started right now that is an order!"

The two men nodded and left the office in a hurry. Joseph slammed his fist down on the desk in frustration. Unsure what to do now except continue on with his day despite the unexpected news, he stood up and approached the whiteboard. Drawn on the whiteboard was a detailed layout of a massive underground bunker complete with tunnels and various rooms big enough to fit small families. Above it was the Washington Monument. Several small walls of text with arrows pointing to certain areas detailed the intricacies of the bunker and it's components. Written in large words underneath the entire sketch read: EMERGENCY DOOMSDAY BUNKER!

Taking a deep breath he pulled out his phone and contacted his wife. After a few rings she picks up;

"Hello dear. What is it? Is something up?"

"Hey Margaret. How are the kids doing? I hope winter break hasn't been affecting their performance in school."

"They're doing great actually which is a relief! Lucy was excited to return. Austin not as much but you know how he is."

"Right. Um so listen...in just a couple months the bunker will be ready."

"Huh? O-oh right that..."

"Yeah I know. Sorry to bring 'that' up right now. Figured I'd update you. It's been an ongoing project for the past decade. Despite the tensions between the major superpowers having dwindled due to the climate problems we're all hard-pressed on taking care of, rising fears of said climate problems have kept the administration hard at work on finishing it. When the date arrives later this year...all of us will have shelter and hopefully survive this catastrophic calamity that's soon to come. You, me and the kids...and there's supposed to be room for the rest of those atop the economic food chain and their families as well."

"But to imagine all of those beneath the two-percent that won't survive..."

"I..I know dear. We're going to get as many people as we can inside that place, not just those in the highest positions of power and wealth like me. I'll make damn sure of that."

"I'm...glad to hear that. Always thinking of others Joseph. That's why I love you."

"I love you too dear. Let's just keep praying every night that we make it through this...or that it doesn't happen at all should the God we choose to believe in saves us."

After exchanging a few more heartfelt words the two said goodbye and hung up. All Joseph could do at the moment is stare at the whiteboard. He then grabbed a blue marker and drew a set of four stick figures inside one of the rooms within the layout, finishing up by drawing a heart around them and setting the marker down.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The report laying on the desk was explicitly detailed with every single word written explaining exactly what was witnessed by the prison guards upon entering the cell holding Al-Shamar. Expressing genuine shock, Natalia finished reading the report then looked up at Madison and the commander-in-chief Rodney Sullivan. They both looked gravely concerned having already read the report.

"This was...given to me directly by the warden of ADX recently ma'am. Every grisly detail there is what those guards saw. Due to his significance as a prisoner, he wanted you and me to read this for yourself since we were directly involved with his interrogation. One of the guards said it looked like some fucked up suicide ritual. Apparently he was going more insane with every passing day. We're at a loss for words with this. You managed to break him into surrendering so...I wanted to know your thoughts. As does the vice president here." Rodney explained. The fear in Madison's eyes was strong, Natalia noticed. She knows what she had done to Al-Shamar and originally reveled in it. But now she was facing the consequences of her power.

"I...I am truly shocked here. I understand that I was harsh with him but to think this would be the outcome of his imprisonment. Perhaps...he just couldn't handle it? This man lead insurgents for years fighting against the government. He was cocky, arrogant, confident and hard as nails. Do you think maybe stripping him away of his freedom and locking him away with his own thoughts could be what had driven him mad?" Natalia pondered trying her best to cover her own actions. Madison began to tap her chin. Rodney raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"You may have a point. But to end your life in such a...bizarre and sadistic manner such as what he did is what baffles us."

Madison remained silent. She had a hunch as to what really happened. Natalia quietly nodded and looked over the details of how his body was found again. She then glimpsed over what was described being written and drawn on the walls of his cell. That is what caught her attention the most.

"So he drew strange things all over the walls and wrote cryptic messages too. How odd..."

"Whatever was going on inside his head it really drove him mad with paranoia and fear. It's all connected but we can't seem to find the dots."

"I uh...I know somebody that could help. An acquaintance of mine actually. He has a vast knowledge of subjects like rituals and the paranormal. Perhaps he can shed some light to this mysterious suicide."

"You do? That would be very helpful."

"I will contact him at once. You can head out now sir. I need a word with miss Weathers here in private."

"Certainly."

Natalia and Madison were left alone inside the oval office. Natalia could read Madison's eyes with ease. She knew what she was thinking right now but patiently waited for her to say something.

"Natalia...be honest with me. What did you do to that man? The words he etched on the walls they...they sounded like they were alluding to the fall. But as for everything else I-I'm not sure what. Please. Tell me." Madison asked, pressing a hand on Natalia's shoulder. Natalia sighed. She knew this was coming the minute that report was dropped on her desk.

"Okay but promise me you won't get freaked out any more then you have been after everything I've already told you." Natalia replied. Madison swallowed hard and nodded.

"I promise."

"Al-Shamar wouldn't crack. Everything Rodney tried to do during the interrogation didn't work. All the torture techniques we implemented. Nothing. So...knowing I have this foreign deity inside of me I...I somehow channeled what minuscule power it had through me and interrogated the man myself, demanding everything I could get out of him. What I realized I had done was warped his mind into forcing information out of him. I mentally scarred that man. Even I am not entirely sure what I did or how I did it but it worked. He spilled everything but...he was absolutely terrified of me afterwards. I had no idea of the consequences at the time. To think that manipulating him would drive him mad to the point where he lost all sanity and killed himself in some ritualistic way. I swear to you I did not know this would be the outcome. I only wanted answers. And we acquired them alright..."

Madison was trembling after listening to her explanation. All she could say in response, following with a deep sigh was;

"I-I guess...this is how it must be."

Over a week had passed now. Love was in the air. Valentine's Day had arrived. Victoria and Adrian both took the day off to spend it together. They strolled through the aisles with overwhelming amounts of merchandise and decorations put on display in the local superstore. Not giving a care about the other people browsing the wares, Victoria and Adrian held hands with their middle fingers stuck up on both sides, gesturing their hatred for the commercialization of the holiday.

"This shit never fails to make me sick to my stomach no matter how old I get." Adrian stated. Victoria had a smug grin on her face.

"It all just reminds me of those awful past relationships I've had. Fuck all of them." She added. Adrian couldn't help but snicker at her comment.

"You and me both babe. Let's just get some of that delicious chocolate they sell and get the hell out of here."

After acquiring the chocolate the two sadistic lovebirds headed back to Victoria's apartment. They relaxed on the couch and turned the television on, scarfing down the savory chocolate piece by piece. Before she would switch the channel from the news, Adrian grabbed her wrist as he read the headline and motioned for her to hold on a moment. The young, dolled-up female news anchor wore a bright smile as she began to speak. The two of them watched;

"In other news, popular music sensation Silvestria will be performing at Madison Square Garden as part of her latest upcoming North American venture, the End of the World Party Tour, promoting the new album that just released this month. Tickets are now on sale and the concert will be happening in May so make sure you start ordering as soon as possible before they sell out. I know I'm personally looking forward to it myself! Now onto other local news-"

"Okay babe hear me out. You and I should totally go to that show." Adrian said. Victoria was actually surprised.

"Are you for real? You actually like her music? I mean, I haven't listened to the new album but her music disgusts me." She exclaimed.

"I did too. But that new album...it hits different. My little sis made me listen to it when I went to go visit her sometime after we got back. It's like, darker and more oppressive then her old shit. Really reflects her feelings of the way the state of the world has been in recently and that's pretty metal. Pull up the YouTube app on the TV and let's listen to it together. I swear I'm not bullshitting you. And I tend to hate pop music like you."

"Hmm you're adamant about defending this album. Fine then."

Adrian searched for the album, End of the Word Party, and started letting it play. Victoria meanwhile stepped away for a moment. When she returned she stood in front of Adrian, his face flushed a deep shade of red in an instant at the sight of Victoria in a set of crimson red lace lingerie. She grabbed his collar and pulled him down onto the couch, getting on top of him then proceeded to kiss him. As the grimy, pulsing, hypnotic industrial pop music played spouting lyrics about taking drugs to cope with the stress of a crumbling world all while the music video showed a wild rave with thousands of scantily-clad people dancing, Victoria and Adrian were having sex on the couch. The lights in the living room were dimmed, the curtains were closed, and the mood had already been set for a long afternoon of pain and pleasure.

Night had fallen over the woods of rural Montana on a late Sunday evening. The crescent moon shone brightly in the darkened skies. A lone police car drove down a narrow road with it's headlights being the only source of light in the otherwise pitch black countryside. Two officers in tan uniforms were sipping coffee as they drove. The only sound was the scanner occasionally buzzing with reports few and far between. Mostly traffic stops and one domestic disturbance call in progress.

"Looks like we're coming up to the place. Now what was it we were investigating again Don?" The officer in the passenger seat asked.

"Neighbor few miles down was returning something they borrowed and reported what looked like signs of a break-in." Don replied.

"Ah okay."

Don pulled the car up to the side of the street in front of the house. The two officers stepped out, turning their flashlights on. Immediately they saw what was reported and headed forwards. A set of footprints was spotted on the ground by Don, coming from the dirt driveway behind the rusted pickup truck and lead all the way to the front porch. The footprints were not human though. The two officers continued forward to the porch and stopped. The front door had been torn off of it's hinges and sat on the floor inside the house.

"Hmm. Appears to be some kind of...animal footprints? No clue what kind though. They look similar to a wolf's prints. But only from the driveway to the porch, huh? Stay on your toes Farrell. May be dealing with a feral invader here." Don said. Farrell nodded, feeling nervous now.

The officers cautiously entered the home and were shocked by the sight of what they saw. The living room, was completely torn apart. The couch was flipped over and one of the chairs was shredded to bits. The television was smashed and laying on the floor, bits of glass from the screen scattered about. A set of stairs leading to the second floor were off to the left side with part of the railing smashed apart. Don motioned silently to follow him. He drew his handgun. Farrell had grabbed a shotgun from inside the car before they left. He put his flashlight away and gripped the gun tightly as he followed. They proceeded upstairs. A faint sound could be heard coming from the far end of the hallway to their right. Don glanced down and saw the furthest door on the right side of the hallway was open. As they inched closer the sound became more prominent. A chewing sound alongside something breathing. Both of their hearts were pounding as they drew near. Don motioned for them to stop just outside the open door. Don then peeked the corner with his flashlight and saw a horrific sight. Inside the bedroom was a feral, gray-haired, four-legged beast feasting on a human corpse. His eyes grew wide with fear and he withdrew to speak with Farrell for a brief moment.

"That's...that's no wolf I've ever seen. It's some kind of beast in there Farrell and...it killed the man who lives here." Don whispered.

"What?? W-what the hell do we do? And since when are there ravenous beasts that force their way into peoples homes??" Farrell replied.

"We kill the son of a bitch. Make sure that thing is locked and loaded."

Farrell pumped the shotgun as Don turned the corner, aiming his gun at the beast. Farrell was right behind him, aiming the shotgun. Don then opened fire, pumping several rounds into the beast. The beast flinched and swiftly turned around. It's face was that of something from a nightmare. A short snout with a large, round mouth surrounded by a mass of sharp teeth and several wriggling tendril-like tongues. It let out a sharp, ear-piercing growl and it's tongues lashed out of it's mouth and ensnared Don, slamming him to the ground. Farrell got back and shot the beast in it's face. Don screamed as the tongues pulled him towards the beast and began devouring on his body, tearing his stomach open with blood spewing out over the floor and feasting on his guts. Farrell only watched in horror as his partner was being gored right in front of him. Farrell just started to run. He ran as fast as he could down the hallway, descending the stairs and for the door. He could hear behind him the beast frantically stomping down the hall and jumping straight down onto the floor. Farrell hurriedly ran to the car and got into the drivers seat, pulling out his set of keys. Outside the beast ran and pounced onto the hood of the car, bashing it's claws against the windshield cracking it. Farrell started the car up right as the windshield shattered before him. He shifted into drive and floored the pedal. The sheer force of the moving vehicle caught the beast by surprise, knocking it off of the hood and stumbling onto the road. Farrell looked in the rear-view mirror while he drove away. The last thing he sees is the beast gazing up at the car and letting out a bloodcurdling howl before vanishing into the darkness of the woods.