What Happened In Hostel B2

CHAPTER 2; "DADDY, I THINK WE ARE IN MORTAL DANGER"

It was cold, it was bright and Ebuka's eyes hurt as he tried to open them. His throat felt as dry as the Sahara and he tried to wet his mouth but had no luck. The room smelled like sulphur and wet charcoal.

Slowly he opened his eyes and turned his head to his left. Somto lay besides him. She lay on a large white bed with a line of drip near her. Nathan and Nancy lay on a large bed across the large airy room.

Ebuka looked around the room, it looked like a sci-fi scene from one of the marvel movies his kids watch. The roof had bright glowing lights embedded into them. The room was neither too hot nor too cold, it was the right temperature and the occasional tweeting of birds from the tree near the opened window was soothing to the ear.

The walls had some golden paintings of a happy troupe on horsebacks. The blowing curtains were blue in color, adorned with beautiful paintings of white lilies. If Ebuka wasn't in severe pains he would think that he was in heaven.

If Heaven reeked of sulphur.

"Where, where are we?" Ebuka asked he as tried to stand but couldn't. "Somto! Nathan! Nancy!" He yelled.

"Shush, you will wake the Children" Somto said and turned towards him.

"Oh Somto, you are alright. Thank goodness" he said and breathed in deeply.

"Yeah, Doctor M has been taking care of us.... He just gave the kids some meds. I was so worried about you. I thought you would not awaken" Somto said.

"How long have I been asleep?" Ebuka asked and tried to stand again but couldn't.

"About three days" Somto said.

"Where are we and who is Dr. M?" Ebuka asked.

"I don't know. He said his name was morbius or maribus or something..." Somto said.

"Mortibris..." Nancy said and Ebuka looked towards her direction.

"Baby...you are alright" Ebuka said happily.

"Dad...I can't...." Nancy began and immediately the blue door opened and a large tall man in a blue flannel shirt and black trouser entered the room. He had the sweetest smile Ebuka had ever seen. His black beards were speckled with white greys at their tips. His eyes were deep, stormy and hazel. His black skin reflected the lights above. His flannel shirt was held together in the front by a single button. His large hairy chest heaved as he smiled immediately he made eye contact with Ebuka.

"Hey Erika" Doctor M said and smiled broadly. His immaculate teeth with a perfect diastema glowed. Ebuka's eyes were at first inquisitive and bemused but immediately he spoke, Ebuka's eyes opened quickly in both fear and surprise.

"Sammmm???" Ebuka muttered.

"Yeah, that used to be my name. I'm Doctor Mortibris now" Doctor Mortibris said, his lips tearing further into a wider smile.

"Hope you are feeling well? Don't worry, the tingling in your finger will stop soon. You did loose quite a lot of blood" Doctor M said and walked towards Nancy.

"But...you died...you fell off the building. Every part of your bones were shattered, broken beyond repair. You...you died in my arms. Are we...oh Lord. Are we dead?" Ebuka asked in fear and tried to stand again, yet an unseen force restrained him and pushed him back.

Doctor M smiled and turned towards Ebuka. He sat on Ebuka's bed and stared lovingly at him, his eyes screaming stories Ebuka would love to forget. Memories he had fought a decade and half to suppress.

"You are not dead Erika. Does it feel like you are dead?" Doctor M asked.

"No, of course not" Ebuka took Doctor M's right palm.

"Look Sammy. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for what happened fifteen years ago...I was young and foolish and if I could go back, i will make sure things turn out differently" Ebuka said with misty eyes.

"Oh. It's the past. We were young. It's alright. I forgive you, I'm sure if it were you, you would forgive me. You should rest. Let's leave the past in the past. In three days, you should be strong enough to leave. I have to boil water for your wife's festering sores" Doctor M said and stood up.

For a moment the bright glow in his eyes was replaced by a dark grimace. He looked at Nancy and smiled, the bright glow returned.

"Now you should sleep young lady" he said and left the room.

"Who is he? How did you know him? What happened fifteen years ago Ebuka?" Somto asked.

"Oh, it was nothing. He is an old friend who ran into some issues with the cultists back in school. I thought he died, I mean I watched him die. His bones were shattered, broken beyond repair...I don't know how someone would survive that..." Ebuka said, bemused.

"Maybe he didn't survive it Daddy..." Nancy said and Ebuka looked at her quickly. Although Nancy was just thirteen years old, her brain glowed and burned brighter than the sun. At thirteen she had read more books than her father and mother combined. She could speak four different languages fluently and could recognize any language she hears. If he was asked to list ten geniuses that he knew, Ebuka would mention Nancy thrice. She was a modern day Sherlock Holmes - If Mr. Holmes were female. With her head always buried in her books, she rarely spoke and each time she did, her words weren't ones you'd take lightly if you valued your life.

Ebuka and Somto stared at her with both fear and wonder.

"Baby what are you talking about? You heard Doctor M, he survived..." Somto said.

"That sounds improbable. Dad said he broke all his bones. Dad is a doctor and fifteen years ago he graduated from medical school, so he could tell when someone was dead or not. Dad could be right, Doctor M is truly dead" Nancy said as fear seeped out of her innocent eyes in the form of tears.

"What are you talking about Baby? Did you hit your head?" Ebuka asked, worried.

"Don't treat me like I'm crazy dad. He said his name is Doctor Mortibris. That's latin for Shattered or broken death. Daddy, I don't think Doctor M is telling you the whole truth" Nancy said.

"Nancy stop. We don't have time for your mystique now. You heard him, we can leave in three days..." Ebuka said.

"Daddy, remember those books you kept locked away in the secret section of your Library? The books you said belonged to an old friend?" Nancy said.

"Yes..." Ebuka's voice trailed off as his heart began to pound within his chest.

"Is Doctor M that friend?" Nancy asked and Ebuka swallowed hard.

"Answer her now, Ebuka!" Somto commanded, her accent had disappeared.

"Yes but what does that have to do with this?" Ebuka asked as fear began to creep into his heart. Doctor M's dark grimace flashed across Ebuka's face and Ebuka swallowed hard. He had seen that look several times in the past to know what it meant - Doctor M was hiding something.

"Daddy, I think Doctor M is an Eldritch horror..." Nancy said as more fear seeped out of her fragile body in the form of tears.

"Eldritch? Those are fairy-tales baby. Books Doctor M used to read, simple works of HP Lovecraft and other Authors. They are not real, just fantasy. You need to go to sleep. You are imagining things dearie" Ebuka said as his voice shook. He hoped he was right and Nancy was wrong.

"If I am imagining things, why can't we get out of our beds? We can't even remember how we got here!" Nancy asked and Ebuka swallowed hard. She was right. Something fishy was going on.

"You want my theory? This is not real. The room must have been glamorized to deceive us" Nancy said, then she swallowed hard and added.

"Dad, I think we are in mortal danger...." Nancy said again, as more tears flowed out of her eyes.

"Baby. Trust me...you..." Ebuka began.

"Stop!" Somto said and Ebuka paused.

"She might be right Ebuka. She might be right that the things we are seeing are not real...I mean before he left. Dr. M said he was going to boil water for my festering sores..." Somto said.

"Yes?" Ebuka asked.

"I don't feel like I have a festering sore" Somto said.

"He could have given you morphine for the pain. Same as you Nancy, that's why you are imagining things. And Somto your legs are inside your blanket, perhaps throw open the blanket and find out?" Ebuka said and Somto nodded.

"Yeah you might be right" Somto said and threw open her blanket with one hand. As the family stared at Somto's leg, both panic, fear and horror spread across their tired faces. From her knee down, her two legs had been amputated. Somto screamed out in fright and immediately the blue door creaked and opened.