Spiral

The lights flickered through the hallways of the abandoned hospital, the paint chipped off the grey walls, leaving hints of bricks scattered along. In this eerie building, a young girl wandered through, running her fingers along the peeled walls, walking around with curiosity and fear, unbeknownst to the dangers her future held. Soon into the night she was lost, her ears yearning to hear another voice… a savior…a friend. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating—until it was broken by a sharp, mechanical beep. A green light blinked once, twice. She stilled. Her breath hitched as her gaze snapped to its source. Her eyes widened as she now understood she wasn’t alone, but rather she was being watched through the eye of a camera. 

A growl echoed through the emptiness of the halls, curling into her ears. The girl scurried in fear, her eyes darting left and right, desperate to pinpoint the source of the noise. She came to a stop, her head spiralled in circles.

A chuckle, soft, deliberate.

Unaware of her surroundings, a man creeped up behind her, leaning down and whispering, his soft breath hitting the back of her neck.

“You’re not very good at this game, darling. You’re supposed to be running away from me.”

She turned sharply, a breath escaping her in a gasp. A freakishly tall man loomed over her, a smirk playing on his lips as the blade of his knife gleamed in the dim light. Without hesitation, she kicked hard into his abdomen, her scream ripped through the corridor as she sprinted down the empty halls.

The man stumbled back a little from the impact, his laugh grew louder as he regained his balance and began to chase after her.

“You won’t escape me that easily—”

The girl ran through the halls, making sharp turns, but he was faster and he was catching up. Doors slammed shut behind, her frantic mind weaving a desperate maze.

Following her, the man stopped to a halt at the array of closed doors in front of him. He tried each one, finding it either locked or empty on the other side, growing in frustration he cursed and banged his fists around.

“Open the doors, love.~”

As he turned around, he spotted a small corner, a split in the hallway. Inside was a room that appeared to be whatever was left of a pharmacy, the girl rummaged through boxes and cabinets searching for equipment…perhaps a weapon to defend herself. The pharmacy was dark and disheveled, medicines and tools scattered everywhere. She pulled out scissors and scalpels, but nothing good enough to use against a knife-wielding psycho. The man smirked, watching the panic in her movements as she searched through.

Her fingers wrapped around a large syringe, wielding a strange liquid inside it, she lifted it up to inspect its properties. His smirk widened at the sight of the syringe, he spent a long time in this hospital and knew exactly what it was used for.

A slow clap pulled her attention back to the doorway.

“Oh? Going for the drug play, huh? I didn’t take you for the kinky type.” He leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded.

“Buuuut…Unfortunately, I can’t let you stick me with that. So just give up, make it easy for the both of us and come here.” He spoke in a low manipulative voice.

She eyed him up and down, tightening her grip on the syringe.

“Who are you? Her voice was steadier than she felt.

“And…what do you want?” She said as the panic began to creep out of her, struggling to hold it back.

He rolled his eyes as he sighed at her question, pushing himself off the doorframe and slamming the door behind him.

“What use would that information be to you…” His head tilted downwards, smiling and slowly taking a few steps forward. “If I’m still going to do what I want?”

The girl pointed the syringe at him, wielding it like a weapon.“Ah ah” She said, shaking her head. “No more steps. And you can start with your name.”

He chuckled at her futile attempts to threaten him, unfazed he put his hands up in the air in a mock surrender.

“Kael,” he smirked, “I’ll tell you my real name another time.” He took another few slow steps forward.

“Kael’s good enough…” She shot back, the syringe still aimed at him, “Now, tell me why are you chasing me?”

Kael shrugged, still slowly approaching her, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. His expression darkened, “Isn’t it obvious?”, twitching the knife in his hand.

He stepped closer, trapping the girl between him and the countertop. He stood so close, she could stab him, she should stab him, but she hesitated, her limbs numb in fear.

“People like to label me as a killer…I’ve been stuck here waiting for a little lamb like you to wander in.” He smiled at his own pet name for her.

“And I haven’t hunted in a long time, ” he murmured.

His hands now on her waist as he tilted his head to the left trying to follow her gaze. “You make me feel alive.”

The girl ignored his aimless flirtation.

“Loneliness can drive even the most sane into madness.” His hand ran down her arm like a snake, as she shivered to his touch, her instincts awakening.

She lunged at him with the syringe, directed at his abdomen. It was no use, he was faster, his hand was already at her wrist holding it back. He flinged her wrist with a sharp twist, forcing the syringe out of her hand and tossing it aside. Before she could move, his hands were on her face, tilting it toward him.

“Just accept it now.” He let out a small chuckle. “Besides, you should’ve thought about the dangers before stepping into my home.” His fingers ran along the outline of her jaw.

“I thought this place was abandoned,” she spat, shoving against his chest. “I didn’t know it was run by some freaking psychopath.”

He caught onto her wrists with ease, stabilising her.

“And now you know.”

He pushed her wrists back again causing her to fall and stumble further onto the countertop, her hand gripped onto the edge for support. He leaned closer to her, hungrily.

“Wait, wait!” She exclaimed.

“Yes?” He paused with amusement as he replied softly, his face inches away from hers.

“I want to live…” Swallowing hard, she grasped at straws.

He leaned backwards, his eyebrows furrowed. “Well good,” he murmured. “Because I don’t want you dead.”

She blinked with confusion as he stepped back slightly, studying her.

“I don’t know the way out…” she tried.

A slow, deliberate smile spread across his lips. “Hmm, and you won’t need to,” he said, grabbing her wrist.

“You’ll be staying with me.” He pulled her away from the counter and towards a nearby door.

She barely had time to struggle before he swung the door open, revealing a small room with a single hospital bed, a chair, and some old medical equipment. It was dusty but it had a few candles lit.

“Ta-da! My home, with a few decorations around” He pointed around at the candles, proudly.

“Don’t be so resistant, you can get comfortable. It’s your home now too.” He teased with a low chuckle.

The girl scrambled away, leaning against the headboard with her knees up to her chest. “I understand you haven’t had human contact in a while, but this? This is no way to treat a lady.” She debated.

He smiled at her fear for him, leaning in her direction. “And you would know how a lady should be treated?”

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes raking over her. “You’re just a lost girl who stumbled into MY domain. I’ll treat you however I see fit.”

“Then I’d like to be escorted OUT of your domain.” She retaliated once more.

He dragged a chair in front of the door, blocking the only exit. “It’s too late. I own everything in this place.”

“My friends will come looking for me,” her posture stiffened. “I have to make it out by morning. “She exclaimed, her voice pleading for him to let her leave.

He grinned at her. “You keep threatening me as if I’m not capable of killing them as well.” He propped himself down on the chair, adjusting till he was comfortable.

“The more the merrier, let them all come. I enjoy the hunt.” He leaned his head back against the door as he closed his eyes.

“Ugh.” She pouted, crossing her arms and leaning back against the headboard. her gaze lingering on the man across from her.

Kael opened an eye, glancing at her with a flicker of something unreadable. “I’m giving you a lot more freedom than you deserve right now.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she kicked her legs beneath the covers, her body shifting in the bed to face the wall. “Freedom. Right,” she muttered under her breath, the words laced with sarcasm.

Kael’s expression hardened at her attitude, “If you keep causing me trouble, don’t think I won’t lock you away, just because I–” He hesitated for a moment, as though considering the weight of his own words.

“...am being so kind to you right now.”

She didn’t respond, lying beneath the covers she curled up. He watched her for a moment longer, waiting for somewhat of a reaction. But she gave none.

***

The lack of windows in the room made it difficult to tell the time of day. Kael’s fingers brushed against her shoulder, shaking her awake. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, the memories of making their way back in.

“Get up, I’m bored,” Kael insisted, nudging her again.

She rolled her eyes, exasperated, but complied. “Okay, Okay, I’m up!” The girl snapped as she slipped her legs to the side of the bed standing up, her hair was wild and messy.

“What is it? Are we going somewhere?” She asked, suspicion lining her voice.

Kael didn’t answer immediately, “Yeah, figured we might as well have some fun. I’ll show you around.” He explained.

Before she could get a word out, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her along with him out of the room. The hallway stretched before them, dark and unsettling.

They rounded a corner, Kael pushed through a large double door, guiding her into an old operation room. Rusty surgical tools laid scattered across the table, a cold reminder of the horrors that had taken place here, a chill ran down her spine.

Kael walked up to the table, brushing his hand against it. “I wanted to show you this place…because I want you to understand something.” His voice was quieter, almost reflective.

“This is where they used to operate on patients. I have a few memories with this myself…” he added, his eyes distant as memories seemed to surface.

She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “You were on this table, huh?”

Kael nodded, a haunted look flickering his eyes for a brief moment.

“Yeah…they would strap you down with these.” He held up the leather arm and leg straps bolted to the table. “It’s so the patients wouldn’t squirm. They couldn’t have us making it harder for them to run their tests.”

“Why were you on this table?” She questioned, feeling a slither of remorse for the monster in front of her.

He turned back, walking towards her slowly. “Because I was dangerous to them. They called it a cure, trying medication, isolation, electroshock therapy…but my mind was a puzzle they couldn’t solve.”

She stared into his eyes, his body now towering over her, his hands gripping her just below her shoulders, gently—yet with an undeniable possessiveness.

“Why do you seem so surprised?” He said, shaking his head slightly.

“You’re so naive—you think that I’m the monster…” He pulled her closer into him. “The monsters are in that outside world of yours, pretending to be normal. Yet you yearn to go back to them.”

His grip got stronger on her, his nails digging into her skin slightly. “Ironically, I’m the most real thing you will see.”

She found herself trapped in his gaze, her heart racing, an amalgamation of emotions swelled inside her. A man who could kill without hesitation. “Give me a chance.” he muttered under his breath.

He let go of her, shifting the topic, “You should be grateful.” He turned sharply to head back out, but she grabbed onto his wrist stopping him in his tracks.

“Why do you insist on staying here? Even as a killer…wouldn’t it be easier for you to leave and hunt out there?”

He paused, slowly turning back to face her, his expression was unreadable. “This is all I know now. I can’t leave. It’s a curse.”

The girl’s eyes widened, shocked and confused, she couldn’t help but wonder about this ‘curse’ of his. “Wait…I have a proposal. Let’s make a deal.”

His facial expression shifted to something more serious, she now had his full attention.

“I’ll bring you people to kill…other wanderers in this domain of yours. You won’t have to leave and you still get that joy of hunting people like you want.” She said confidently and full of hope, her chest puffing out as she held her grip on his wrist before continuing.

“In exchange, you’ll let me leave, I’ll live my life outside and occasionally bring you your hunt.” His eyes lit up, pausing to consider it, a smirk spread across his face.

“You’d really do all that?” He grabbed her chin, looking into her eyes with a mixture of admiration and skepticism.

“Yes, of course!” She exclaimed.

“Do you take me for an amateur?” His voice dropped lower, as though she undermined him. “As eager as I am for a steady supply of victims, you do not have a slither of my trust—yet.” His demeanor changed, he spoke in a deep and serious tone, shaking his head in disbelief.

He was disappointed that she’d put so much effort into wanting to leave. He lost count how long it had been since he had last talked to someone, he couldn’t ignore the desperation, the attachment.

“It’s a leap of faith but it’ll be worth it.” She said almost pleading for his agreement. He raised an eyebrow, contemplating her sincerity, letting go of her chin and glancing down at the knife in his hand.

“You’ll have to gain my trust first.” He took her hand and placed the knife in her palm, curling her fingers over the handle.

“I’ll give you a chance to prepare.” He smirked as he tapped the temple of her head. She glanced down at the knife before looking back at him. “Aren’t you worried I’ll use it against you?”

Kael chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately as he turned to leave. “That’ll make it all the more interesting, besides it’s not like you could kill me even if you tried.”

He grabbed her wrist with a surprising force and pulled her toward him, leading her back to her room.

“I’ll give you a few hours to yourself and then I’ll be back for our—hunt.” The door slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing in the empty room.

The girl stood there for a long moment, worried and confused. She clutched the knife, staring at her reflection in it. Her mind swirled with thoughts of survival and escape. It depended on her success during this hunt. A fight for his trust, for his approval, is also a fight for her life. To get to see her family and friends again. She stared deeper into her own eyes, doubt clouding her mind. She wondered if she could really handle what Kael had planned for her, dark thoughts scattered her mind. What if she failed…would she die? She shook her head, hitting herself with the heel of her palm

Hours went by as she paced around the room, uncertainty dragged at her, taking guesses at what he could have planned. Perhaps a fight between the two?

But that would be impossible, he believed that he could overpower her at any moment if he chose to. There would be no use to a fight, it wouldn’t prove her worth.

The doorknob rattled, soon after it swung open, Kael peered through into the room.

The girl darted back at the noise, locking eyes with Kael. “So what are we hunting?”

He smiled at her willingness, and gestured with his hand for her to follow. She jogged a little to catch up as he led her deeper into the hospital, towards the back to a basement door. He stopped opening it slowly and gesturing for her to walk in first.

“I have some special prey in mind.” He said as he stepped in after her, closing the door shut with a soft click.

Inside the basement was a staircase that led down to a dark, damp area filled with torture devices and tools, people are held in the cages. Kael followed down the stairs, lighting a few candles along his way, illuminating the room with a menacing glow. The realisation of her task hit, she swallowed her fear in a gulp, a futile attempt to make herself look courageous.

“I’ve got a few survivors down here from when the hospital first shut down. I want you to torture them yourself.” A sinister grin plastered on his face as he looked at the cages, almost proud of his work.

The prisoners started to yell and bang on the bars at the sight of a new visitor, they were skinny and had bruises and scars painted all over their bodies.

A truly horrible sight.

“Awh look at them, practically all feral now.” He spoke, looking into the eyes of one of his victims, his hands behind back as he bent over.

She had seen things, done things, but this was different. He was oddly proud of his evil deeds.

He turned his head sensing her growing in discomfort. With a soft chuckle, he walked up behind her.. His arms slipped around her waist, pulling her against him. She stiffened, instinctively trying to pull away, but he held her there, his head resting lightly on her shoulder. She could feel him on her neck as he took in a deep breath.

“Look,” he murmured, guiding her hand with his, taking control of her hand that grasped onto the knife, directing it toward one of the cages. A man sat inside, exhausted, chained up. His face wrinkled and his hair greyed, most of it had fallen out, likely due to the stress his body endured.

“This one still got a bit of fight in him, I want to see you break. His. Mind” He chuckled again, his voice low and almost affectionate, slithering with something dark. Even as he pulled away from her, his hands still lingered above, as if he couldn’t bear to fully release her yet.

She hesitated for a moment, but Kael’s expectant stare pushed her forward. She cautiously stepped inside as he let out a sigh of satisfaction, clearly pleased with her reluctant agreement. The other prisoners watched closely, staring, some praying to themselves. The girl kneeled down, face to face with the chained man.

“Hi…” she said, her voice softer than intended.

The man looked up with his wide eyes, shocked by the casual greeting. He didn’t speak, only stared at her with disbelief, occasionally glancing between her and Kael.

He didn’t want to provoke either of them.

“My names Vera…what’s yours?” Kael’s ears perked up as he eavesdropped.

The chained man’s face softened a little, surprised at her kindness. He hesitated, before responding in a shaky voice.

“T-Theodore…my name is Theodore…” he stammered.

She gave him a small, reassuring smile, trying to make him feel comfortable enough to talk to her, despite the hell he was trapped in. “Do you know how long you’ve been here for Theodore?”

Theodore counted in his head, looking up at the ceiling, unsure. “Uh…t-two years?” he answered, his voice filled with uncertainty.

“What year were you first locked up?” She questioned, her gaze remaining as soft as ever.

He thought to himself for a moment then nodded slowly. “Twenty…nineteen I think. Start of the pandemic.”

“It’s been six years, Theodore.” Her expression shifted into a mix of guilt and sorrow. His eyes widened in disbelief once more, this time with a hint of hopelessness. “What? How’s that possible?”

Kael’s patience seemed to be wearing thin, he banged his fist on the bars, sending a jarring echo through the room. Chains rattled, causing some of the hanging tools to fall.

“Enough talking.’ He exclaimed, his face irritated. He gave Vera a skeptical look, trying to get her to hurry up.

Vera glanced at Kael before going back to Theodore. She leaned her head in and whispered. “I need answers quickly. Do you know the exit from this place? You’ve been here before you were imprisoned.”

The man looked at her dumbfounded, but whispered back. “Kael has us blindfolded most of the time, your best chance is maybe a safety evacuation route on the walls.”

Kael’s frustration reached a boiling point as she didn’t listen to him, getting visibly irritated from the inaudible whispering. He stormed inside the cage, towering over Vera, his presence overwhelming.

“Well? Are you going to do it or not?” He exclaimed, his tone menacing.

Vera’s pulse quickened, fumbling for the knife as he approached. Kael reached down, his fingers closing over hers, wrestling for control of the weapon. She yanked it away from him.

“No!” she cried, her voice desperate. “I can’t hurt him.”

Kael’s eyes flickered with something dangerous. He stepped closer, his breath hot against her ear. “You just don’t get it. Do you?”