Mr. Gabriel's Revenge (Book 2) [ Psychological Horror ] | COMPLETED

Chapter 12

Jo and I hurry into the trees before the staff on the grounds can see us. They're always there, looking, waiting. Why are they here? Who are they? If those who are changed here are all living inside their own personal hell, what purpose do these creatures Reuben has created serve?

The farther we go, the more it sounds like sonic waves constantly blasting past us. It's very disorienting. My instincts tell me they're coming from deeper within the forest. It's getting so dark out here it's as if we're leaving the forest and entering a place of nothingness. Are we nearing the edge of the realm? Is that why the waves exist? Is that why everything is getting darker?

Jo is having a hard time getting through this darkness. I can't see him anymore, but I can hear him struggling to walk and his breathing is getting rough.

"She... she's close! We're almost there!" he moans soon after saying that.
I am not effected as badly as him. Why is that? Is it because of what I am or is this yet another trick? Another way to play with my head?

"Where are you leading me?" My voice is quiet as I look around, waiting, just waiting for something to come and try to stop us.

"There... Can you hear that?" He grunts and I can hear him stop to catch his breath. "This place... this place takes the life right out of you."
I walk toward him.

"NO! Don't come any closer." He says.

"Why?"

"Just don't get too close! I'm human and you're not! I know you're not because of Addison! The only reason I'm leading you is because I know you could help destroy this place, and I'm sure that us being together disrupts things! Everything should be static and hard for him to focus on where we are or what we're doing."

"You think he can't see us now?" I ask.

"No, because I'm not like the other people here and it disturbs the balance. We have to get to the tunnel, ok?"

I hear the leaves shuffle and some footfalls. He's walking again.

"Come on. Just a little north from here."

I thin my eyes suspiciously. "How do you know of this place at all?"

He stops again and sighs exasperatedly, "Are you kidding me? My story is a little complicated, alright? I am not supposed to be here. I showed up here by accident. This place - whatever it is - is not stable; it sucked me in even though I'm alive! I am not dead. I can still feel the essence of life in my astral body. I feel something dead people don't. It's hard to explain. You wouldn't know what it's like. I know about this place because just before I tried to free Addison, the room suddenly changed and the next thing I knew, I was in a cold dark tunnel. I couldn't turn around and go back. There was a dead end, so I walked out of the tunnel and went on through the darkness until I was on the hospital grounds again. You showed up right after that. It wasn't like this the first time I came through here. It was just cold and quiet. I felt so stranded. I didn't think I would make it out. By you being here, that may be why I can barely move. See? Us being together does stuff to this place. Gabriel... we have to hurry; there are things out here that are not human."

"I'm not moving until you answer my questions. That bastard - Reuben... It never fails. He thinks he's untouchable." I scowl. "How are you still alive and what do you mean 'not human'?"

"If we die, that's your fault. Yes, I am alive. I was mugged in an alleyway and shot. I don't know what happened to my body once I passed out; I just know that I entered the other side. It was horrible... Everyone around was in a never-ending loop. In their own little worlds doing the same things over and over. It was purgatory. I almost became like them until I hurried inside a building and went through a door that brought me to this place. I used to think it's hell. I'm not really sure. I just know that with three living people here... just imagine the damage it will do to this realm. My entrance stirred things already. It sounded like a good-sized part of a building collapsed and loud screeches - just these hellish screeches - filled the air. It doesn't like a living person in here. I don't think it can read me because of this." He starts walking again, "The answer to your other question? Look man, I'm not an encyclopedia on this plain of existence. My assumptions are, there are creatures out here that the truly mentally unstable people have created. All the negative things they experienced in life created these creatures. You can't see them with your eyes; they appear to you in visions and make you think they're actually there. That, I have experienced. You will feel them. You'll smell them, and you'll hear them... But they're not really there."

All of this is Reuben's fault. All of it.

What he said - three living people throwing the realm off balance. A building possibly falling apart. I am going to destroy the realm. These are clues on how to do it.

As we're walking, the ground starts to feel like concrete. We are getting close to something.

"If you said your coming here disrupted some things, and I'm not 'human', what do you think we need to do to destroy the realm? Why do you want to do this?"

"I want out. I want to be free. So many souls have suffered enough, too. I'm sure this has gone on for far too long." He says, quieter now.

He stops in front of me, making a sharp frightened sound. Anxiety is emanating from him very strongly. I could just taste it.

"No. It's not real."

I walk slowly in his direction and bump into a wall. I put my hands on it and find the entrance to the tunnel.

"No, shake it off. Shake it off!" He runs past me into the tunnel, almost hitting me.

"Jo!" I jump back, then I chase after him.

I get inside his head to see what he's running from and witness him throw off two tall, boney, decomposing humanoid things that have long fingers with claws and razor sharp teeth taking up most of their faces. Once he takes off running, they let out loud demonic-sounding cries. They see me peering into his mind and it infuriates them. I hiss ferociously and use all my energy to become a full mist.

I snatch Jo off his feet, bolting down the tunnel. The creatures can't keep up with my speed.

He writhes in my grasp, panicking and shouting. The surroundings are beginning to shake and we hear walls crumpling. The place is falling apart bit by bit.

I suddenly reform and toss him in front of me before I fall.

Landing on one knee, I quickly look back and angrily flash my eyes. Then I close them and focus. I don't see those creatures anymore.

"This way!" Jo grunts as he stands up and hurries ahead. "They're gone for now. We have to go this way!"

I turn to him and follow him to the end.

He pats the wall and makes a sound as if he's uncomfortable with something he's thinking about.

"There has to be a way. When you held me, things were falling apart somewhere nearby. I think we have to hold on to each-"

"Fuck that." I walk past him and start punching through the wall.

"Oh my god, it's working... It's working!" He says.

"Of course it's working! Did you forget what I am?" I punch it a few more times and create a hole big enough to get through. Light shines into the tunnel and the sounds and smells of the hospital permeate the air. All the death and decay, the whispers, moans and groans...

We made it.

I gradually grin ear to ear.

Stepping through the hole, I whisper, "Addison... here I come."

Jo looks around and then carefully climbs through behind me. "Ok, good. Now here's the real fun part."