Children of Morpheus

Chapter 8

    We were petrified. We can't move. We stared at the skeletons as they got nearer. Then the crow dived right into my arms and pecked my skin and flew. The pain jerked my body to move and grabbed Alexander at his collar.

    My heartbeat broke fast with an intense rush in my body. We have nowhere to go. The skeletons have surrounded us. The crow flew above me, cawing, then it landed on a mausoleum with the name, Juliet Shade. Its head kept bopping, pointing its beak to the mausoleum's wooden door.

    “Rafael, here!” Alexander called. He constantly hit the rusting chain with a rock.  

    The chains slid down as the lock snapped. The gate squeaked, then we dashed in and swung shut the wooden door behind us. We tied the chains to the handle as it clangs like bells. the only light is coming from the railed window on each side of the poor and plant infested wall. The door kept banging with the crackling sound of their bones and their gasping screech like scream as if they were under water, drowning. 

    What's happening? I asked myself, trembling all the way.

    Alexander paced back and forth, mumbling. He swallowed his words like food. Food that I can't figure out the taste. I was pushing my back against the door that kept nudging. Then it stopped, but the grunting snores of the monsters was still behind the door. It's waiting for us. . .  

    “I don't wanna do this anymore.” He muttered and continued. “I don't like what is happening around this stupid town!”

    For the love of God, if he do not stop I will hit his face! These words echoed in my mind like singing in an empty cavern. I stared at him straight, and he reminded me what I was like before I found out what I am. But it's pretty annoying if he does it.

    “Will you cut that out!” I snapped, trying to lessen the volume of my voice. I walked towards him and gripped his shoulders. “Breathe in. Breathe out.” I said in a soft tone, calming his nerves down. 

    It worked!

    “W-why are you not afraid?” He asked with his shaking voice. “We just saw the missing corpses!” He yelled pointing at the door.     

    I quickly covered his mouth with my bleeding hand and jerked my sight to the only way where we can get out. He pulled my hand down and squeezed it tight that almost jolted a scream out of me.

    "Disgusting," he whispered and moved to the corner.

    Then the door made a hard thud that jerked us in shock. We stayed quiet for a second, then it stopped again. I looked around the dusty old chamber for something that we can use to escape. There's a Candle stand on both sides of the tomb.

    “Hey, help me here.” Alexander lifted the candle stand and pushed it on the top of the tomb. 

    “What are you doing?” I inquired while looking at him. He's face makes this funny manner that looks like he's about to explode.

    “Just think. This placed is abandoned because the ground underneath fell. Which means that there's a tunnel down there.” He pointed out. “Maybe we can escape through there.”

    “Alexander, you're a genius.”

    I picked the other candle stand and stabbed it on the same side with him. We jabbed the candlestick to let the heavy top slid. Then it did. The lid cracked open. We pushed all the way through. And he's right, there are tunnels underneath the cemetery.  

    But why there is a tunnel underneath this tomb? And why is it right under the body is supposed to be? 

    The tunnel was in complete darkness. The warm air went up with the stench of dead meat. Then he started retching that made me look the other way. 

    “Are you okay?” I asked sincerely as I tried to block out the sound.

    “Yup.” He replied. Then he vomited all the way. “The smell was the most disgusting thing I've ever inhaled, next is those pesky rotten eggs.”

    I jumped in first and landed on my feet, brought out my phone, and open its flashlight. Then he jumped and fell down. I looked back at him as he starts shaking badly. The light from my phone took out most of the blackness that ate this place. It's not enough.

    “Just follow me and keep your voice down, Alexander.” I started as I slowly walked the crypt leading the way. Complete silence took over the tight space.

    Then a popping song burst out from my phone that echoed throughout. It was uncle Dean calling. My hands began to tremble as I turned off the sound. Then it slipped from my hands, from my bleeding hands, of course. Which is now probably infected by now.

    "Yeah. Rafael's phone, lower your sound please." He said and rolled his eyes.

    I shook my head and turned.

    I grabbed my phone from the dusty floor and noticed something glimmered on the corner. I took a closer look and it was my father's favorite pocket watch. I popped the lock and his initial was engraved. 

    “H-how did it get here?” I showed him the pocket watch. “We're below the old cemetery, how did this get here?” My voice was trembling.

    “That's your father's pocket watch. . . isn't it?” Alexander with his lower jaw dropped open.

    Then a screeching sound snapped us. I put the watch in my pocket and started walking straight. We ended in two paths as the sound grew louder. 

    “Which one?” He asked as his panic attack struck again.  

    Then a scream echoed from the left as another scream came loudly behind us. “Definitely right.” 

    We ran as fast as we can. Twisting, turning, going back and forth. It felt like we are in a maze or better yet, a labyrinth. It felt like we were just going circles. We're lost. . . and I don't what to do. 

    We continued running while our hears start to beat faster and louder like running horses in a plain field. Then I felt a sudden sensation. I looked around me as I tried to feel it again. I took a turn and ran. I felt something strong is pulling me. I paced on as I continued taking a turn and ran straight. I can feel it. It felt good. I think it's the exit.

    “Alexander, I can feel it, we're almost there,” I said smiling. I turn back, and he was gone. “Alexander!” I called out.

    “Rafael, wait up!” Alexander screamed. “W-where are you!” He stuttered and yelled.

    I started running, following his voice that reflected within these walls. I twisted and turned, I can feel the sensation slipping away from me. 

    “Alexander!” I called out again. 

    “Rafa—” He screamed. 

    My eyes went wide and my heart dropped fast. I can still hear his cry around me. I panic as I looked back and forth. His scream grew and grew, while the screeching sound came amok like they were celebrating.

I started running, following that reeking sound of creatures. I turned left and straight with my phone beaming, even it gave a dimmed light. 

    I turn and saw Alexander passed out in the corner, then his body moved. Someone or something is pulling him. . . I followed his trails whirling into a turn to the left. I swerved and saw him lying on the ground. 

    “Alexander!” I snapped forward and tried waking him. “Alexander, wake up.” I chanted repeatedly as I shook him. But, he's not waking up. “Wake up!” I yelled and slapped him hard in the face. 

    “Oww!” he cried out. 

    “Oh my God, Alexander.” I puffed out freely. I lied my head on his chest thanking his awake. I can feel his heart beating faster. “You're awake. C'mon, let's go.”

    I stood up and whirled my phone into the tunnel, it beamed in a man wearing a tuxedo. I froze as I gazed on his twisted face. My emotions crawled out from my eyes as I slowly walked towards him.

    “Dad?” I cried.

    Alexander ran toward me and shook. “Rafael, t-that's not your dad! He yelled, snapping me off.

    “It's him. Alexander, my dad is alive.” I said with a growing grin in my face.

    “It's me, Rafael. Your dad.” Dad said as he kneeled his left leg and raised both of his arms, waiting for me to hug him.  

    “Rafael, I know you miss your dad badly. But that's not him!” He cried as he kept both of his hands in my face and making me look at him. His brown eyes began to water as his gashes in his cheeks bleeds. “Rafael, the monster is just wearing your father's face! He's fake!” He pointed out.

    He's right. I get a hold of myself and looked at him. His eyes started to cry and his smile slowly faded away. “Rafael, it's me! Your dad!” His white skin starts to shred as it changes into a creature. A creature who has no skin, only it's rotting flesh. The skin peeled from his meat like an orange. Its scent is worst than the perfume of a skunk. 

    The creatures hunched and growled at us. We took a step back as the creature walked towards us. It changed back, grew a skin, and turned into my dad. “Don't you miss me, Rafael?” The monster said, mimicking my father's voice. 

    “You are not my father!” I replied with anger in my tone.

    “I'm not, but the body that I ate is.” You know, I never saw your mother. But she looks sweet and delicious.” Then the creature smirked at us and ran.

    We ran the opposite. I tried to run back to where I felt the sensation with Alexander behind me. The creature is following us. It kept chanting my name, over and over again. Then I stumbled someone from behind. It turned around and it was Felix. Felix Tobit. It growled and tried to grab me, but I escaped. I kicked it in the knee that made him kneel, then we ran.

    I felt it again. The sensation that allured me. I moved, following my senses, and kept running. “Follow me.”

    I can feel it. The energy that I'm grasping for. I don't know what's happening, but it felt great. I swerved and turn again. I can feel it getting stronger.

    Then someone grabbed me from behind. The creature that looked like my dad hugged me tight as the other creature is clenching Alexander in the neck. 

    “Hug me back, my son.” The creature said  and started laughing. I tried to fight it as I saw Alexander gasping for air. “Stop moving or your friend here will run out of air.” He threatened. 

    “What do you want from me?” I grilled. 

    “We are just hungry. The last time we ate is 2 months ago.” He chuckled as he sniffed me. “I mean you smelled delicious,” he took a deep whiff and stared at me. “You're bleeding. Let's have a taste, shall we?” 

    He dug his finger deep in my wound. I screamed in pain, I can feel his disgusting finger inside my palm, wiggling. He whipped it into his mouth and moaned in deliciously.

    “It tastes like heaven,” the creature said as he licked his finger to the bone. “What are you?” The creature looked at me with astonishment in its eyes.     

    The pain grew and grew, the creatures start stabbing their fingers in my hand like my hand was a dip. Alexander stared at me as his gasps for air with water building up in his eyes. I felt dizzy all of a sudden. . .

    “Hold and say sleep,” a voice in my head came in. “Hold and sleep.” The voice commanded. 

    And so I did. 

    As the creature that is holding Alexander poked its finger in my palm, I force myself to grabbed his hand. I can feel it going deeper and deeper, with the pain cut me inside. The finger dived through my palm that made the two of them laugh.

    I took a large breath and endured the long-lasting agony that is tearing me softly like a piece of bread. Then I exhaled. I can do it. I can say it. . .

    “Sleep.” 

    The creature then fell down and sleep. It let go of Alexander and the other one freed me as it ran towards his partner to wake him.

    What just happened? Did my―