Love and Fear

Chapter 14

Seth arrived earlier than he should have, but he had to visit fear. He needed some answers. The hallways he walked though were clean, free of blood but there were still long deep claw marks, etching the floor and walls. The door to Fear's cell looked new and had a heavy bar running across it. Presumably to reinforce against Fear's escape attempts. There were no guards and thankfully the keypad still worked. Seth hauled the door open. The smell hit him like a brick. It was rank and rotten. He stepped in and gasped. Fear was chained to the wall, his body looking just like the one in Seth's dreams. He didn't move, didn't make a sound, didn't give any sign that he lived. Aside from the short labored breaths. Seth rushed forwards, he took Fear's head in his hands and lifted it up. "Oh buddy, what have they done to you?" One of Fear's eyes was swollen shut and crusted over with blood. But the others opened and there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. "Seth" he rasped slowly. "You came back," Seth nodded. "Of course." Fear took a shuddering breath "i tried to warn you not to come back, b...but i couldn't form the words. Seth looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean?" Fear's claws twitched "in your dreams, I visited you." Seth's eyes got wide, "you can do that." Fear chuckled, but it turned into a cough. "There's a lot I can do." Seth keeled down, this wasn't right. Even if Fear was a killer, he didn't deserve to be tortured. "You know I never wanted this, '' Fear said. "What do you mean?" Fear took a deep breath. "Everything, I don't want this life, I never asked to be a monster." He seemed to slump down farther. "Please Seth, I can't live like this, I need to be free." Seth examined Fear's chains, they were tight and it looked like Fear had rubbed his neck and wrists raw trying to escape. He wasn't sure if Fear meant free from the labs or free from life. Seth got up, "I'm going to go get a pair of cable cutters." Fear shook his head, "don't, you will get in trouble." Seth stomped his foot, "no this isn't right, I'm going to free you." Fear growled lowly "I can escape myself" he stated sounding insulted. Fear suddenly lunged forwards against the chains. They rattled as he pulled. Seth jumped forwards "STOP!!" he cried, pushing Fear back. Fear snarled and snapped at him. Seth jerked back, fearing that he would be hurt. Fear roared and ripped his hand out of the chain with an awful crunch. With one hand free he could now twist around, and get his jaws around the chain. His teeth sliced through the metal with relative ease and Seth backed up. He wondered why Fear had not escaped before now, he had the power to do so. The last chain rattled to the ground and Fear tried to stand. His legs wobbled and Seth rushed forward to catch him before he fell. This black blood smeared across his arms as he caught the huge monster. "Fuuuuuuuck, you're heavy," Seth grunted. Fear reached out and pushed himself back up and off Seth. "I wanted to say goodbye to you before leaving." Fear placed his good hand on Seth's shoulder "thank you, for being good to me.'' 

With that he disappeared leaving behind a puff of a black smoke. Seth stood there dumbfounded "wtf." Where the hell did he go? Seth looked down at his hands and realized how incriminating this looked. He rushed to the door and shoved it open. Once Seth deemed that the halls were empty he slunk out of the room and to the bathroom. He removed his lab shirt and put it in the sink. Seth proceed to scrub his arms and shirt of Fear's blood. He thought of a lie to tell Dr. Marshall. He messaged her " the creatures are gone." Her response was immediate. "What how!" Seth sighed and typed back "i don't know, i went in there and it was just gone. Meet me there immediately". Seth's stomach dropped and he wrung out his shirt, trying to make it look dry. He put it on and shivered as the cold damp fabric clung to his skin. Dr. Marshall stood at the door, a look of panic written across her face. "We need to find it, or we'll be in deep sh*t.'' Seth nodded and looked inside, several other researchers were inspecting the broken chains. " you seemed to have better rapport with it, where do you think it went?" Dr. Marshall asked. Seth shrugged, turning his attention back to her. "Honestly I don't know, I've been gone for the last week." Dr. Marshall looked crestfallen "do you at least know where it might be." Seth "no but I'll go out and look for it, '' he offered. Dr. Marshall gave a little smile " I know we're not the best of friends but I really appreciate you Seth, and I want to raise your pay for your troubles." Seth nodded, "thanks, I'll get going." Dr. Marshall nodded and waved him off. Seth almost ran out of the building. It was dark out, how long had he been in the labs. He didn't know where Fear went but he had an idea. He got the feeling that Fear was trying to kill himself and there was one place in the city notorious for suicides. The cemetery on the hill. It was about an hour out of town and overlooked the whole city. He didn't plan on turning Fear in but he wanted to find the creature. He was dangerous, both to himself and others. Seth sped, breaking several road laws on his way up the mountain. His tires ground to a halt on the gravel, sending pebbles and dust spraying outwards. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a dark outline framed against the light of the city.

 Seth hopped out of his truck leaving it idling. "Fear," he called out. The shape turned. Seth walked up to him slowly, unsure of what Fear would do. The creature sat on the bench looking out. Seth slid in the spot next to him. "I thought you would be here," he said. Fear huffed " I wasn't always a monster." Seth cocked his head "do you want to talk about it." Fear nodded mournfully "I was human, I had a good life two loving parents and a warm home to go back to.'' Seth got the feeling that Fear was no longer talking to him, but just talking. "One day my mom didn't come home, she was in an accident, and my father, he never got over it. He started to drink and beat me when I was 13. Then he took another wife. She didn't approve of me and had a son of her own. At 16 my father came at me in a drunken rage one night. He beat me near to death, saying things I know he didn't mean but it hurt. I think when he realized what he had done, he felt bad and scared the police would come. So he locked me in the attic, bleeding and dying. I pleaded for him till my voice was gone. But he didn't come back and that night I changed. I don't know how it happened but I ripped out of my old self and was born anew. I ran, I was scared and hurt, I never looked back. I don't blame him anymore, but I hate him for making me this monster. My life ended but I continue to live." Fear looked down at his claws "my body wont let me end myself, and I have tried many ways." A pained look crossed Fear's face, "I always come back.'' Seth felt bad and he placed his hand on Fear's lower back and rubbed it. Fear let out a long drawn out sigh "thanks for listening to my rambling." Seth nodded slowly " you wanna come back to my place?" Fear looked at him "really, you would do that." Seth smiled at him "yah, you look like you need somewhere warm to stay for tonight and we can figure this out in the morning." Seth got up and waved his hand at his truck. "You can sit in the bed," He said, and then added with a chuckle "I don't think you'll fit in the cab." They clambered into Seth's still idling truck and once he was sure that Fear was secure he backed out and drove back down to town. Seth now understood why Fear was what he was, he felt that Fear didn't mean to hurt others but instead just didn't have enough control over himself. Seth scratched the back of his head, this was all so surreal. Maybe he could help Fear. Seth keys jingled as he unlocked the door, and he turned on the living room light. "It's not much but it's home." he said ushering Fear inside. Fear stood slouched in the middle of the room as Seth re-locked the door and made sure his blinds were closed. He walked to his kitchen and poured himself a glass of orange juice. He heard a thump and looked back to the living room. He swallowed his mouth full of juice so as to not choke on it when he saw Fear. The big creature plainly did not fit in his apartment and had managed to get himself tangled in the blankets strewn on the floor in a messy pile. Fear looked up at him awkwardly. Seth tried very hard not to laugh. "Let me help you buddy," he said, putting down his glass. He untangled Fears legs and noticed that though his wounds looked better, he still wasn't using his other hand. Once free Fear got up and promptly sat down on the small couch. "Do you need anything, bedding perhaps?" Fear clasped his hands together, "no, i'll just sleep on the floor." Seth furrowed his eyebrows, "no you won't, i'll get bedding out.'' Seth moved down the hallway before Fear could argue and grabbed his blow up mattress, a blanket and a pillow out of the hall closet. He brought it back and briefly wondered that Fears' claws would puncture the mattress. But it didn't really matter, he could get a new one. Fear didn't protest as Seth set up the bed. He looked tired and worn. "It's getting late, now that that's done, I'm going to bed,'' Seth stated gesturing to his room. Fear laid down on the bed, tucking his claws close to his body and wrapping his tail around himself. "Good night,'' he said. Seth smiled and turned off the light "good night.'' Seth was exhausted; he practically threw himself into the bed, not even bothering to change. It had been a long day.