The Creations of Doctor Ekphrae

It was as if I had suddenly become deaf. All sounds faded. I could no longer recall the echo of my footsteps beating hard against the ground, my breath brushing against the confining hallway, or the scrape of chipped nails dragging along the walls behind me. The only thing I could feel within me was the urgency in one thought:

Run.

Everything was dark around me. Light was so faint, I could barely see my hands swinging as I pushed onward. While I didn't know what was ahead of me, the unknown was better than facing the things I could hear behind me.

I had trapped myself within this building hours ago when it became evident the dangers outside were too much. At first, I let out a sigh of relief and hoped everyone else I had been with found nearby safety. I then wandered the decaying building, waiting for the terrors just beyond the walls to pass before I made my escape.

Sunlight guided my walk, revealing barren rooms and graffiti-decorated walls. I found others seeking safety within rooms, though, they were all fast asleep. Eventually, I followed suit and tucked myself into a room by myself, blocking the entrances as best as I could, hoping to catch some sort of sleep before I had to move again. As the sun began to set, I awoke to a shuffling of feet and belongings as others stirred in the room next to mine. Thin walls, I guess. I'm a light sleeper now-a-days, anyway. It wasn't long till I felt content enough to continue my rest.

That was how I stayed until I was roughly jarred awake by a pounding on the northern door way. The light had completely faded. Street lamps stopped functioning long ago so the only thing left to rely on was my poor night vision. Gathering my belongings, I decided to skip out before the visitor could intrude, exiting through the southern entrance. Someone pushed inside just as I opened the door, falling on top of me.

A scream couldn't help but come out as we hit the floor, an odd entanglement of limbs and bags. I lost all my breath afterward as my pack pushed awkwardly into my arched back and the weight of the man crushed me. I could hear a snapping, perhaps of bones cracking, jaws snapping, or the blockade on the unopened door as the banging became more insistent.

I shoved and shoved until I could get my knee into their chest. He rolled off of me and stilled. As I sat up, I tossed a glance at his body and considered checking his vitals, but there wasn't time for that on days like today. Before I could think otherwise, I was out of the doorway, running down unexplored hallways. Sharp crashes echoed behind me, followed by shouts and other loud sounds. I didn't fancy being mugged or worse, so I continued to tumble along the winding path. All doors led to more hallways and rooms. I tried to dance around the outstretched hands as more faces appeared around every corner, their incoherent voices rising into a roar. For being an abandoned building, more people were in here than I ever imagined.

Slowing, I chanced to look behind me. The people had stopped appearing and their voices all were beginning to fade. A breath passed. Two. Ten more until I allowed myself to simply walk. Maybe I could escape by jump from this building to another, if I could find the staircase with roof access. The windows that guided me earlier were all too small to crawl through. I'd yet to see any emergency exits and even the air ducts were nonexistent. It was as if this place was made to be inescapable.

Then there was a rattling. I paused.

An uptake of wind was followed by the rattle. It was as if something shook within an ajar metal door. A draft? I would have thought it maybe impossible inside this building, but the faint sound continued to repeat.

Just as I started to make way toward it, a set of feet shuffled behind me. A man, different from before, swung his body lazily around the corner. I pressed myself against the wall, hoping he wouldn't be able to see me as clearly as I could see him. Sounds like another person is right behind him, slowly dragging their feet, but that is interrupted by first man taking a deep breath. Is he sniffing?

He softly laughs. "Looks like we've got a ripe one. Sweaty. And close." His deep voice looms in as saunters forward a step, his hair even swaying in the motion. Behind him, I see the second person, a larger, much taller man slinks in, hunching over to avoid hitting the ceiling. This can't be good.

The pair is still a few yards off. Maybe they haven't noticed me entirely yet. I attempt an escape by itching away toward the rattling door. My clothes don't even rustle and my breath is silent, but it's as if they still hear me. Even though his face is in complete shadows, I can feel the piercing stare of the thin one. My heart beats for half a moment before I rush off. I could never stand a chance between both of them in these dark, tiny hallways.

I can feel my body heat up as I race toward the only hope of safety I have. My head swirls with adrenaline and I can't tell if my vision is going black or if the room is getting darker. I just know I'm running hard and my body is already exhausted. Their laughs echo, louder than the smack of my feet and the rush of blood in my ears. I can feel my hot breath against the walls as the corridor tightens, but there is a red light just around the bend.

There it is - a heavy steal door with a thin, shinning piece at the top rattling away in the rusted door frame. With all my effort, I grab onto the rough handle and swing it open.

Inside, a large room greets me. The walls are glowing with a redness and the loudness of the noise is unbearable. It all resembles an engine or boiler room. An emergency staircase lined my side of the room, but only in one direction - down toward the basement and machines. As much I wished to simply stare, I turned around back to the darkness. The light clearly revealed the ravage faces of the two men. I reached toward the door to shut it, but my yanking yielded no results. The rattling mess before had of course had jammed itself into a hinge, making the door stick. This couldn't be happening to me right now.

I cast one more glance to the thin man in front. Some of his hair stuck to the sides of his face and his hungry eyes bore into mine. I knew he was interested in more than my supplies and I felt it. I could feel him digging into me in that one glance and it made me shake. His outstretched fingers nearly caught my hair as I bailed on the door. In a last attempt of distraction, I threw my bag at him which paused him, but the other continued unfazed, even stepping on his friend as he barreled toward me. He was faster despite his waddling.

I continued down one flight of stairs until I felt his heavy feet shake the flooring. In another moment, both had entered the boiler room. I glanced down the center of the stair case. One thing was clear to me: I wouldn't make it running down the stairs, but perhaps I could survive if I jumped.

My fingers gripped the railing as I rounded a turn. I swung myself over the banister and threw my hands out, praying I caught the next. I closed my eyes, tensing (honestly, a terrible idea). By some luck, my fingers caught the edge, but my grip wasn't good enough to hold. Thankfully, I slammed into the next. A moment passed before I looked up. Please no. The tall man was gearing to jump himself, too.

I squeezed my eyes shut and let go. There were three flights left; I could make that, right? Turns out I can, but everything hurt as I rolled onto my knees. I could barely breathe. The heat down on the floor would have been just as suffocating even without a bruising rib case. At least I had five flights between them, but not for long.

On my feet again, I sprinted for the far side of the room. Though machinery blocked my view, I could see a large black door and small room behind it. The men were hot on my tail again, but this I could make. With the last of my strength, I made a mad dash to the room. I slid in and slammed the door shut, latching the side just as the hungry man slammed into it. His beating fists and curses were muffled from within the room, but the anger on his face is palpable through the windows in the middle of the door.

I glance behind me, afraid to let go of the door. Though the room was dark, there is no movement. A box with a green light stands on the other side of the room. I think I'm alone and I can let out a small breath of relief. I'm startled by a brush on my finger tips.

This door was different. I could see his fingers just slightly pass through the material.

"What the hell is this?" I asked myself in bewilderment. I jump as I touch the tips of his fingers. His cracked nails are caked in grime and blood. I can even feel the roughness of his skin. It's unpleasant but I'm too amazed to stop. "I can feel you!"

Even he is caught off guard by the strangeness. I catch his eye just before he backs away to pace beside the machinery. I'm willing to bet I can wait him out longer than he's willing to test.

The rest of the room is dark and quiet compared to the outside blazing machines. There is an arrangement of knick knacks atop every table and littered along the floor, making it difficult to walk. There is one other door in the room that I try, but it is locked from the other side. I round on the glowing green box. It's a console of some sort with four black buttons below the light. Perhaps stupidly, I press the first.

A soft, blue light to my left appears. What first appears to just be an aquarium atop a cabinets contains an extraordinarily tiny and shriveled man floating in the water tank. His rather large head is lopsided and covered in liver warts and winkles. Grey hair lightly covers his balding head. A few bubbles escape his lips, then the water begins to drain. He is sucked down below into the table and disappears.

Minutes pass and nothing changes.

I return to the black door to stare at the men. Sweat or saliva drips down their chins as they argue. My bag is ripped open on the floor and the thinner man shakes in his fist my red top. They simultaneously pause, though, and turn to face something I cannot see. Scowls cross both of their faces as another man, shorter than even I am, comes into view. The same man that was just in the tank.