CHAPTER 06

Chapter 06

*Debbie Dong*

The first thing I notice is pain. It starts as a tiny thread at the base of my skull, throbbing and growing until it has taken over the entire back of my head. I have no idea where I am, what I’m doing, or how I got here; I can’t feel anything other than the web of pain threatening to take off with my sanity. In fact, I’m not even sure if I’m conscious. Am I dreaming?

Only one way to find out. I move my limbs slightly, testing them. So, I’m not paralyzed -- that’s progress. I let out a low groan and try to sit up. Immediately, my headache intensifies into a dozen sledgehammers pounding barbed nails into my brain with every heartbeat. I can’t bear it any more and collapse, the rest of my body too numb to feel the impact.

Okay, so moving my head hurts. Who's surprised?

I abandon my attempts at sitting up and instead try to focus my eyes. My vision is spotted with alternating black and supernova-bright patches, but after some staring I'm able to make out some blurry generalities. Once I can more or less see, I notice a high, arching ceiling accompanied by drab walls of gray stone. The ground is comprised of shards of a blue glass-like material and sparsely covered with metallic dust.

After a while, my headache ebbs to a subtle, dull throb, and I'm finally functional. I take not a moment's hesitation in exploring my new premises, but I'm soon disappointed to find that my feet have been shackled to heavy metal chains, which in turn are solidly fastened to the wall. Nevertheless, I pick myself up and off the ground, determined to make the most out of my oh-so-generous eight feet of chain. I walk as far as the chains allow, refusing to let their weight hinder me.

Out of the corner of my peripheral vision, I spot something appear about twelve feet away from me. I creep towards it. At first, it seems to be a door, maybe fifteen feet tall or so, looming high above my head, hovering in the middle of nowhere. But, as I get closer, I realize that it’s more of a doorway instead of an actual door. It’s like a floating chasm, a big mass of darkness radiating malevolence.

Cautiously, I step closer, tensing up in anticipation of a sudden attack.

However, it’s not a physical being that assaults me. As the distance between me and the doorway dwindles to fifteen feet, ten feet, five feet, I become aware of a strange sound coming from the shadowy veil that shrouds the mysterious doorway.

When I'm close enough, I realize that they aren't just sounds.

They're words.

Debbie.

Debbie.

You left him behind.

I stiffen. There is only one "him" that the door could be talking about.

"I didn't leave him! Something took me away!"

Would you have him die?

Suddenly, vivid images crowd into my mind's eye. Of Leo. Of him drowning in a flooded road, falling off a jagged cliff into the depths of a churning ocean below, being speared through the gut by a faceless monster, and so much more.

Or, perhaps, tortured?

The images morph into nightmares straight out of a horror film. Leo tied to a chair and slowly cut by razor sharp ropes, Leo having his skin melted in a pool of acid... my ears are full of his screams.

"Debbie! Help me! Please!"

I squeeze my eyes shut and clamp my palms over my ears, but it doesn't block out anything.

"I thought you were my friend!" Leo's face is streaked with tears and blood.

"Stop." I say out loud, my voice small and weak.

The images, to my surprise, vanish as quickly as they'd come. Even then, I still see Leo's broken body, hear his tortured screams.

You abandoned him. You left him to die. Just like you did to your mother.

This time, it's the flashbacks that take over, forcing me to relive every detail of that fateful night.

It had been a tiring day at school for me and an even more exhausting day at work for my mom. She'd come home extra late that night to compensate for my dad being on a business trip.

Just as we were sitting down for dinner, we were interrupted by a strange tapping sound at the door, followed by the sound of a lock clicking.

I'd had no idea what was going on at the time, being only ten, but I recognized the urgency in Mom's voice when she said, "Debbie, go very quietly out the back door and run to the neighbors. Tell them that somebody is breaking into our house."

I obliged, tiptoing over to the family room and to the back door without hesitation, but faltered when I heard the front door swing open with a crash. A harsh voice followed. My heartbeat in my throat, I inched forth til I was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the family room, craning my neck to get a better view of the foyer.

Mom was standing in front of the door. She wasn't alone.

A tall man in a ski mask and a trench coat was towering over her, his back to me. He had a gun in his hand and was holding it level with her head.

"Don't move if you want to live. Is there anyone else in the house?" Trench Coat demanded.

"N-no," my mom stammered out.

Just then, she saw me and her mouth parted in surprise. Trench Coat noticed and whipped around. "What're you looking at?"

Too late, I tried to conceal myself. He saw me and let out a low, menacing growl as he pointed the gun -- at me.

That's when Mom made her move. She tackled Trench Coat and grabbed his gun, trying to wrench it out of his grip. He kicked her and shot  several times. Blood began to pour sluggishly from numerous bullet wounds on my mom.

And I ran. I ran as fast as I could. Didn't look back.

Later, after the police had sorted everything out, they came to me to break the news. By that time, I was a mess. I was crying and wailing and sobbing all over the place, begging them to let me see my mom.

The police officer was blunt. Mom didn't make it.

Finally, the flashback fades. I slump, exhausted and depressed from reliving my scarred past.

It was your fault. You stayed too long, then ran when your mother needed you.

I'd almost forgotten about the doorway. It was still shimmering and whispering, taunting me with every word.

If Leo dies, it will be your fault. Again.

"Shut. Up." I snap, tears welling up in my eyes. I brush them away, suddenly angry.  

The door falls silent. Thank the heavens.

Then, without warning, three figures tumble out of the doorway. A cloaked mystery, a thin blonde girl, and a tall boy with dark hair.

My head shoots up. Leo?

No, it's not Leo. I sigh with disappointment.

The boy is lean and tan, with broad shoulders and long limbs. He's injured and looks ready to faint. The girl has a mess of blond hair, is pretty athletic looking, and definitely is in a better state compared to the boy.

The mystery person starts talking.

"Get acquainted, all of you. I'll be back in a few minutes with someone who wishes your audience." With those bland words, she turns on her heel and vanishes through the veiled door, which disappears along with her.

I watch the newcomers as they straggle over to me. The girl is the first to break the silence.

“Where are we? Who are you?”

I straighten up and look her in the eye. “Why don’t you tell me who you are, first?”

She scowls. “I’m Sara. This is Chris.” She gestures to the barely-conscious boy. He lifts his head, weakly, in greeting.

I hold out my hand. “I’m Debbie.”

No one takes it.

I sigh, annoyed. “And I don’t know where we are, either. So, if that’s why you’re being so sulky, you better suck it up.”

Sara stiffens at my harsh tone, and I wince. I hadn’t meant for the words to come out so rudely. I was just still shaken up from the visions earlier.

“Sorry, I had a rough day,” I offer in an apologetic tone.

“We did, too, you know,” Sara snaps right back at me. “You have no idea.”

I look up, interested. “So, what happened to you?”

“Why don’t you tell me first?” she says, mimicking me.

“Fine.” I proceeded to retell all the events of my day, starting from the key and leaving nothing out.

When I’m done, Sara leans back. “The door gave me some pretty nasty ones, too. Don’t worry. None of it’s real. Your Leo -- whoever he is -- isn’t dead.”

I don’t realize a huge weight had been sitting on my shoulders until it lifts, just now. I exhale with relief.

Just then, the door reappears in another part of the room. More gracefully this time, the cloaked figure steps out. With her is another girl, an Asian, with long black hair and pale yellow skin. At first glance, she doesn’t seem to amount to much, but when she looks at me, every hair on the back of my neck stands up. There’s a chilling glint in her eyes that makes me shudder with apprehension.

When she speaks, I’m surprised at the quality of her voice. I’d expected a stereotypical nails-on-chalkboard witch voice, but instead, her voice is low and melodious, making me feel a strange urge to do everything she says. A little voice in my head seems to say, If you follow her, everything will be all right.

“Your journeys started here, with me. Now they will end, here. With me.” The cryptic words worm their way inside of me as she turns towards the door. I should be feeling nervous and fearful, but instead… I feel a strange calm settle over me. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m already on my feet and following her. It’s as if a strange force had taken over my muscles, overriding my brain and allowing them to move of their own accord.

Next to me, Sara grabs my hand. “Wait, where are you going?”

Her sharp tone jerks me back to reality. I falter, unsure.

The cloaked figure suddenly speaks up. “You can trust us, Debbie.”

I look back at Sara and Chris. “We don’t really have any choice, do we?”

Sara doesn’t look happy about it, but she nods. Chris makes some noise of consent, apathy written all over his face.

“Okay, then, go in.” The Asian girl commands, pointing at the doorway.

Beads of sweat form on my brow. I have to go through the door?

“Y-you first,” I stammer.

She grins evilly. “Whatever floats your boat.” With that, she steps through the door.

I stare at the door. What do I do? Where would the door take me… and what would be waiting there?

I take a deep breath and push through the veil.

As soon as I pass the opening, I’m swallowed by darkness. I turn around, trying to go back, but everything is completely dark. What the heck?

Then I find myself moving so fast I feel like my eyes are going to be pushed back into my brain. However, there’s no wind, no signs that I’m actually moving other than the sick lurching in my gut and an invisible force against my back.

As abruptly as it had begun, I stopped moving. A patch of light ripples in front of me, so bright that it’s blinding. I can’t see anything beyond it.

So, of course, I make the genius decision to step into it.

“Woah!” I give a surprised shriek as the darkness around me recedes and I find myself tumbling down. The ground rushes up to meet me, sending a jarring impact up my spine. I roll over on my side and squint at my surroundings.

I’m in a big, circular room -- a church or something? -- with dark obsidian walls and a blood-red floor. The Asian girl is standing before me, and behind me the veiled doorway shimmers and shudders. The next second, Chris and Sara stagger out, followed by the cloaked individual from before.

Asian Girl speaks. “You’re probably wondering what I’ve brought you here for.” She poses the biggest of our unasked questions.

“First, you must know something. You are essentially in the middle of nowhere. No one will find you here. Scream for help and no one will hear you. There are walls around this fortress fifty feet high. Guards are everywhere. And most importantly, I am everywhere.”

Here, she pauses and studies all of us before continuing.

“It could be just hours, or perhaps days, even years, but it is inevitable.”

“What’s inevitable?” Sara asks impertinently.

A slow smile spreads over Asian Girl’s face.

“Your death, of course.”

Everyone stares.

She scowls. “Come on, I tell you that you’re about to die, and all I get is a bunch of blank faces?”

I decide to go ahead and dislike her, all feelings of comfort earlier forgotten. “Tell us something we don’t know, and maybe we’ll be surprised. We’re not immortal, you know. We’ve known for a while that we’d die eventually. No need to tell us again.”

Her face twitches at my sarcasm. “We’ll see how cheeky you are when I finish with you.” She turns to the cloaked person. “Take her over to the lab after this.”

“What’re you going to do in the lab? Have me taste your food? I wouldn’t be surprised; I would want to poison you, too.” I say, trying to buy some time.

She narrows her eyes at me. “I wouldn’t be so eager if I were you, Debbie.” She smiles at my shock.

How does she know my name? I must’ve accidentally let it slip or something.

“Oh, don’t worry, by the way. Leo is alive. For now.” She adds in a taunting tone.

Leo. His name hits me like a hundred-pound barbell. She has Leo? Suddenly all I want to do is wrap my hands around her neck and strangle her.

“Leo? What did you do to him?” I demand. “Is he here?” If she hurt him…

“So many questions. All in good time,” she sneers. “All right. Take her away,” she says to the cloaked person.

Then, as if she’d just remembered something, Asian Girl turns to me and says, “And I’d cooperate, if I were you. You know, because Leo’s life hangs in the balance.”

The sound of her laughing echoes in my ears for long after that.