The hall is void of personnel, my only worry is that it is so late into the night that the lighting has been dimmed, enough so that the corridor vanished into a black abyss five paces ahead of my field of vision.
The small hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and my arms are covered in goosebumps, I am unsure why, but I feel uncharacteristically uneasy, it feels as though my body is heavy, like the air itself is shaking, shrouding my skin in a humid blanket.
It is unsettling how I have not encountered a single guard, the only living thing besides myself are the moths mindlessly bouncing off the dim or dying bulbs.
"Helloooo? Earth to pariah. You never told me are destination, where are we going?" BEN whispers quietly, his presence is comforting in this situation, despite him being a ghostly entity his annoying presence is a good distraction.
Though with his personality BEN may get a big head if I rely on him.
I give BEN a minimal amount of my attention, giving the watch a brief glance before offering an explanation, "I need to return to my caretaker, I kind of vanished from under his nose so all hell with break loose if he wakes up and I am not around." I glanced at a few signs as we passed, my brow ruffling with more unease, I don't remember this hall having such rooms, or perhaps I am mistaken, the last time the doctor brought me down here I had been in such a state of awe I could not concentrate. "Ah, and could you do me a favour and refrain from talking when anyone beside myself is around, I can only imagine the consequences that would await."
BEN hummed, tilting his head in thought, a mischievous smile pixeled across his face, I know he understood the seriousness in what I am doing, I believe he would have remained silent if such a situation occurred without my request, he finds this interesting, why would he cut his adventure short by ratting on me.
His snarky smile fell as he awkwardly glanced around, "... So, this office is in Human Containment, right? Could you please tell me why your going to Spector Containment then."
I halted, my shoes squeaking against the surface of the white floor, I didn't need to look around to know he is correct, I must have passed the connecting hall that cuts through the building and back to Human Containment.
".... Oops", I shrug my shoulder sheepishly, turning back from which I came, that was a stupid mistake for me, I must have been to busy worrying that I continued onward without noticing, had BEN not said anything I would be surrounded by vengeful spirits.
A shudder at the thought of more ghosts around, BEN scared the skin off of me already and I think that is more then enough for the night.
BENs crackly, childish laugh vibrated my wrist, "aw, is someone scared of ghosts, Ooh so scary~."
"Shut up BEN, I just don't like the thought that if I am to die I have that chance of coming back! You yourself are not scary the concept of you is." I huffed, annoyed with being misunderstood about something so childish. How can you blame me, if I actually accomplish my own demise and then BAM, suddenly revive as a Spector I would be pretty pissed off.
Just the though of it makes me fume.
"If I die, I want to stay dead"
"Wow, is Slender doing you dirty?"
"..."
BEN sighs, rolling his eyes, "Come one babe, its not all bad. Hell, if you become a ghost ill introduce you to some of my gaming buddies, there assholes but not a lot of people you can hang out with when they all die over time", he crosses his arms and nods his head, already envisioning the interaction, "Its a shame we had to leave them behind in Item Containment, but not everyone is blessed with the ability to hop via electrical device. Unlike moi."
I felt my eye twitch. My mouth hung open with no response. What do I say to that, is he trying to jinx me?
I took a deep breath, calming my nerves, "Look, BEN I-"
"Hush, someone up ahead."
BEN's warning is correct, in the corridor leading to my destination stood two nurses facing a blank wall, there expressions unreadable.
I poke around the corner, giving the couple a once over, aside from staring absentmindedly at the wall the two seemed suspicious, and not the 'I work at a mental institution' kind of suspicious, the kind that had them forcefully drag a patient by there pits while being gagged and bound.
Why something so specific?
Because that is exactly what they are doing.
The poor man lay stiff in the nurse's grasp, duct tape firmly wrapped from ear to ear to prevent any chance of him screaming, his limbs sat equally bound, the tape tucked so tight his uniform stuck to his flesh from the inside, tears fell from his face, blood steadily fell from his white, torn fingertips, his struggle ended not long ago.
BENs, eyes lit up, his snarky smile stretching into something eerie, "So, what's the plan?"
"Plan? There is no plan, we wait until they leave and be on are way."
"Oh, come on princess, have some adventure."
"... Don't call me that."
"Jesus, you never gave me your name and you get mad whenever I give you one, make up your damn mind, this is not supposed to be complicated."
I growled, irritated, my voice steadily raising, "Just call me Smu-"
A low dinging muse reminded me of the presence of the two nurses, I wiped my head back at the two in time to see the wall move, my mouth fell agape, my words vanished into air.
The two nurses hoisted the bound man up, dragging his weight into the opening in the wall, the patents eyes widened in terror, his struggling arose as the three vanished into the open space.
I sat quiet, BEN mumbled a low 'wow', we where in amazement, bewildered by the events that transpired.
I hesitantly approached the door, placing both hands on the wall and pushed with all my might, yet the wall remained where it stood, so pristine and aligned you would not have guessed it to be a passage.
"Hey, hey, hey. You're not thinking about following them, are you?" BEN's voice whispered low, almost nervous about the potential idea, I understand why he would be apprehensive, but this seems too important to skip over.
"We have to", the only response I give him.
BEN sat quietly as I continued to push on the door, nothing seemed to be doing the trick, the more my fiddling failed the angrier I feel I am becoming.
'E͏͙̣̗͇̻a̲͢s̪̱y̶͍͎͚͓̺ ̲͉̟̗̀y͘o̝͠u̙̥n̴g̫͡ ͖͉̯͇̫̠ọ̪̟̼ņ͔̭̪e̻̪̱,͔̠͍͇̞̠ ̟̙̻͚͚̝t̝̭̀h̴̪̩e̤r̜̮͎̯ͅe ̢i̯͙͉s̯ ͢s̝̜͙̝o̶͙͈ṃ̵̜̘̭̠͕e̖̘͖͘t͚̝͈͖͉ḩ̬i͏̺̦̞͍̦̺ǹ͙̲ͅg̰̫̘̲͍͙̺ ̧̦o̫͔̫͇m̻͔̗i͕̯̞n͕͎̪̟̳o҉̗̜̮̹̗̜͎u̠̱̼̜͓̭s͇̰̺͔͠ ̶̩̦͍̝̺͉͙d̲̲̞̞̦͢o̖̮w̗̟̘͘n͟ ̞̮̳̺͢t̀h̳̼e̸͍̱̘ͅŕ̥͓̞̝̤̻̗e͉̫͍̥͠'̹̭
'Zalgo, back so soon?' I sucked in a breath, not expecting to hear from the high being, I don't think ill ever get use to having his voice in my head.
'̫̩(͖͞Y/͎̝͔̫̯N̪̲̫̲̝)̞,͕͉̺̻ͅ ̖Ḭ̙͔ ͎̼͔a͎̯̺̜̙̘ḑ̠͕͚̰̣͙v̵͚͈̲̪i̘s̸̯͎e̻ ̷̻̭ͅy̗̹̞͙̜̪̥o̤̤̤̬͈̤͜u̵̟͎̻̝͖̠ ͍̼̩̞t͍͟o̩͇̠͈̹ r͈͇̥͔e̘̣̫͔͕̟m̲̳̩ͅa̢͚͓i̱̗̹͓̪n̷̩̞ s̼͍̞͜ț̰̯͙̯̻̺e͜a͞l̯̠͓͖͙̲t̶̠̪̻̳h̶͉y̷̹̹͈̰̻̱̬ ͅi̩̬͓͙͕ͅͅs̟͙̣͇̰͔ ҉͓̱̟y̱͖̝͉o̺͇͘u͍̼ͅ ̫̥i̶̹̣̻͚n̥̺̘͍̼̤̱s̮̠͇͇ḭ̜͢ͅs̭̮̫̩ͅt̴ ̝͎̥o͓̣̙͙̤n҉ ̨c͉o͕͓͘n̰͉̣͓͚̲t͇͔̪̫͖̙͝i̙̮̘̞̼̳͟nu̩̠̲̻͚͞in̪̤̺̼̰g̷̩̻̬͍̮͖.͏̥̤ ̨̥̳̺T͚͔̙͉͙̦̯̀h̩̜̻̘er̭̳̺e ̴i̬͓͚̤̱̲̗̕s ̢̜͔͙͔n̲o̢͈̗̱̤̪̻t̸͓̜̝͖̞h̙̩̜̪̳͘i̧͙͎̫̱̱n͙͞g̦͈̞͟ ̧̫͉̲̦ṇ͞o̴̱̜͕̯̥r̤̳͖̞m͖̹̯͕͖̟͈a̖̺̤̦l̢͉̤ ̤̗͚͖̖͇͎a̡bo̲̟̤u̝͇̣͎͙ͅt̵ ̠̝̪̖̞͍t̪̠̱͚̹͎h͍͈̫̘̹͓̤a̻͉̝̳͚͝t͉ ͍̠̮̖̹̕l͎o̭̲̦͜c҉̞̰̬a̖ṱ͞i͓͙̦̖͝oǹ̰̬̹ͅ,̛̼̩ ̲̞͉̪̠̳i̢t̳͍̀ i̦s̮͉̞ ̙ca̸̘u͏̱̠̣̮̲si̤͎̥̲n̯̣͖̰̙̥g̭̝͇ ̜y̗̖o͚͡ṵr̻͚̼͇̻ͅ ̬͖̦͉͡m̪̼i͎̱͍̯n̹̲̱ͅd̴̗̟ ̖͖̮̯t̲̳̪͢o͓̣̕ ͇͉̝̤̫t̬͢r̙͈͇̭̱͟e̻̝̦̟̳m͏̙̟̫b̧̗̜̜̥̞̖ͅl̴͓̹̭e̷͍̱̘͖̯.'
Zalgo's tone is weary, he is exhausting his power to warn me, I appreciate it, I do, but there is something that is telling me there is something in there I have to see.
As though expecting my answer Zalgo sighs, '̖͠K̘̯̬̝̻̮̱n̶̻̖ó̞̥͇̤̰̥̥w̰̻͎̟ ̜̟̘̱t̷̰̰̞h͏͉̱̣a̝̰͇ͅt̤͈̬̜̟̹̬ ̴̭̠͍͔̝͉͓i̜͓̪͙̰̙͢f̡̻͇̘̤̤ ̯͚y̢͍̠̻̯̬̞o̙̺̥͝u̘̯̹̙̣͜ ̡en̺̱̲c҉̱̰̫̫͉o̹̭̹̝̠͇u̖̙̹n̺̹͖̪̝͟t͍̖̼͎͕̦̦e͇̹̱͚̫̖r͞ ̦̗̟͚̼̭t̷̬̰̥ͅr̝̠͇̹̟͞ơưb͙̹͝l̟̞̳e̼̮̜̰̳̻,͏ ͔̥͉̺̞͝I̟͈͖ͅ ̵a̦̺͓̫͖͝m̵̥͚̰̹̰ i̼n̹̳͍̦̮͙ ̮ṋ̰͍o͢ ̦̹̖̮̖͝p͕̰̭̰o͕̗̠̭̼s͇͘i̴͕̮̗̫͙̖̗t͇͔̠̬̙i̷̘̞̼͉̗o̮̘͕̫̲̯͍n̞̜̠͕ ͈̤͉͙͇͟t͏̺͉o̮ ͎̩̫a͈s̶͕̲͚̜͎s̘̤͖i̠̝̮̲͟s̹̲̬͔t̛͙͈̫̹ ̥̱̻͕͢y͙̦̮̫̞̕o͎̱̯̬̕u͏ͅ.'͍̺
I smile, a short chuckle full of amusement, "Thanks boss."
"What is wrong with you, your crazy acting up?" BEN eyed me suspiciously, "Asking your imaginary friend for advice?"
"Not now BEN, I have a job to do", I pressed my shoulder into the wall, trying with all my might to force it open. With Zalgo out of commission I cant with good conscience ask him to open another door for me, but the longer I stand here the less appealing the idea of following becomes.
I groan, gritting my teeth, and pulling at my hair in frustration, "Fuck, you think I'm crazy now, ill show a whole new level in about thirty seconds!"
"Alright, calm down, your useless upper body strength is obviously not getting us anywhere. How about we... I don't know, NOT follow the strange men into the basement, that's serial killer survival note #1", BEN stated in a matter of fact tone, his arms cross and looking mighty bored with my antics.
"PLEASE, like a hermit could do any better! Ide like to see you try, oh wait, your stuck in a god damn wristwatch!"
I got a snarky huff in return, BEN's posture straightened, picking up a pompous attitude, "Fine then, suit yourself, don't go blaming old BEN here if you die."
"Allow me my nameless benefactor", with BENs soft words a thick string of electricity traveled up my arm and through my shoulder resting against the door, the mechanism vibrated with the connection, the wall itself fell back, pulling itself into the building to reveal a staircase.
I jump back to avoid tumbling down the stairs, allowing myself a moment to accept that I am indeed the loser in this instant.
BEN chuckled, watching my reaction with great interest.
"Down the stairs to HELL."
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Thank you everyone for you patience and understanding with the wait for this chapter.
I want to also thank everyone for 180 followers, It gives me joy knowing so many people like my work and I have been given plenty of praise and encouragement for what I am doing.
For that I thank you.