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

Chapter 14

"Look, the elevator!" Jo walks quickly past me toward it. The steel doors are covered with dirty hand-prints -- as if a few people had come through here and rubbed blood and feces all over them. Were they trying to get out, or were they just more tainted lost souls roaming the building?

I pause in the hallway and look to my right at the stairwell, then I look to him again as he's about to press the up button.

"Stop."

He turns around while I stare daggers at him.

"The elevator is the quickest, easiest way to where we need to go -- that's true. But it's also the dumbest idea you've had yet."

"I'm tired of running, Gabriel. We're moving right along. We can't screw this up!"

"If you are tired of running, you would choose the stairs. Don't give in to his lies, Jo. He uses your fears against you every time the opportunity presents itself. There is no escaping it as long as this place exists."

I walk over to the door to the stairs and grab the handle, "He would trap us in there. Maybe if I weren't here, you could possibly use the elevator, but remember what we're dealing with. You may know a little more about this place, but I think I will be making the decisions here."

I can see that as he's getting angry at me, he's thinking of the snakes in the hallway that chased him until he raced into the stairwell. He's thinking of when he was lost in the forest. The moment he saw himself as a corpse. Repeated images of leaving behind... a family.

He suffered through witnessing multiple ways of losing his family. This must be why he's so afraid of dying. The weight of all this fear is so great it's like chipping off chunk after chunk of what emotional and mental stability he has left. Fear has consumed him so much it's almost all he knows now. It wouldn't take much more to finally destroy him. I think he knows that, too.

I wonder... how much more he would have to endure before it would finally kill him. I'm intrigued. Tickled, even. To Reuben, he is nothing more than a small child reaching up, while the realm is the big kid holding the keys high above his head. So small... so insignificant, he is. As long as it stays this way, and if Jo is clever enough... he will never be a huge target.

"This place has really fucked you up, hasn't it?" I snicker, "...If you ever get out of here alive," I say, "expect to be sent off to the psyche ward. You won't be able to function in society like you used to. Either way, you'll still lose your family." I go inside the stairwell, the door slowly shutting after me.

"Would you please stop doing that! We need to stay together! I'm not going to keep going through this! You need to listen to me!" Huffing, he catches the door and follows close behind.

It's quiet in here. The slightest ping would reverberate in the room for many seconds before it would return to the suffocating silence. Anything could happen.

"And stop prying into my business! You're a miserable creature, you know that? That's the only reason why you do this!"

"Shut up. We need to keep our ears open."

"Yeah, yeah we do. Just stay out of my mind!"

I turn to him, raising my finger, "Keep your fucking mouth shut. I'm warning you." He stares at my hand and then at me.

"You keep it shut and show me the way and everything will work out for you."

He eyes me with a sort of smoldering look; it feels right but wrong to him. This is something unfamiliar. Oh my... He's not used to conflict like this... What a soft peach.

He nods slowly, lowering his head; it pains him to finally submit.

I turn back around and wave my hand for him to get in front of me. "Then you lead on - this way."

He gives me a dirty look and walks past me. "You're impossible. You're used to getting your way, I'll bet. It'd be a shame if you did do something to me."

BANG, BANG! SLAM! 'HaaAAAAAAWWWRRRHHH!!!" We hear a man scream a loud inhuman sound outside the door to the first floor and the lights flicker twice; more pounding noises echo in the hall outside as if he's banging on the walls and running away from someone, or something.

Joe has gripped the side-rail tightly and his heart is racing. "Jesus...!"

"Shh..." I whisper, looking around and up the flights of stairs to see if anyone has come in.

The silence has returned.

My eyes fall and land on him again.

Slowly, he lifts his head and releases the side-rail. "Ok..." he straightens his posture and continues up the stairs, "we have to keep moving."

It won't be long until something comes along. I have that gut feeling.

***

Jo

"Jesus...!" I gasp, holding the railing with a tight grip. My first instinct is to run but with Gabriel there, I can't do much of anything. 

"Shh..." I hear.

I cautiously look up and shout with fright to seeing the most evil thing I have encountered here. The Nurse, the Instigator. She controls everything here. I start backing up and notice Gabriel isn't with me anymore.

She paces toward me calmly with a smile on her distorted face.

"No, LEAVE ME ALONE!" I spin around and run to the door to the first floor. Glancing back, I see her stop in the same spot I was standing in. What is she doing?! Oh no- this is bad! This is VERY BAD! DAMN IT! What do I do! I- I have to find Addison!

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Author's Note:

HI! :)
I'm featuring this song "Tate's Theme" from American Horror Story. I thought it would be awesome for our crazy scary nurse lady. What do you think? :)

American Horror Story is one of my most favorite shows to watch. <3