Paintshark (17 page)

“Young lady, not a day goes by when I don’t think of all the people whose lives were ended or affected by my ‘project’.”

“But they did die…and you effectively killed them, so that makes you a murderer, doesn’t it?”

Hoult tugged at his chain to silence his wife. “Joanna, stop it, now’s not the time.”

“I think now is the perfect time if you ask me.”

Elias stood up, looking at Jago. “Because in here time is the thing we seem to have a lot of, now that was quite a speech but you didn’t answer Joanna’s question…why are you here?”

Jago started to cough and young Bevin passed him a bowl of water which the old man eagerly slurped down his throat, wiping his mouth dry, this would be the last time he would reveal anything from his past to his fellow captors today.

“Big Man and his team wanted more endangered creatures to put into the game show, these creatures were almost extinct so I refused to.”

Joanna quipped, “Why the change of heart? Didn’t stop you before?”

“Maybe the death of a child can do that. Anyway Big Man promised to shut the lab down and stop the games and I was offered money to keep quiet on the promise that they or I never mention the genetic tampering to anyone.”

Joanna had found her voice again and was not going to let this go.

“So you took the money? Blood money, what kind of man are you?”

“I didn’t take the money, I just wanted to get away from Olympia, so I packed my bags and moved to the neighbouring town and I was happy there. I became a teacher and everything was good, but then Big Man started up the project again, they rebuilt the studios bigger and better than before and he had new monsters, bigger monsters more ruthless than before, the serum I used to create them had been locked away and they must have found it and tampered with it; with bigger creatures there to fight, the public lapped it up and wanted more. I went back to have it out with Big Man and he took my school, but that didn’t stop me, I kept on at him and on at him…then one day I went to sleep and next day woke up here.”

Faris had observed the questions from Joanna and Elias and didn’t want to be left out, so he tried another one.

“So you still think the kids at the rave came into contact with the serum?”

“I don’t know, the process we used on Streaky and Apollo was different to the one used to create the creatures.”

Felcey rose to his feet and looked at his hands. “I was at that club, could children gain some heightened agility from being exposed?”

Jago raised his head high. “I honestly don’t know, we never tried it out on juveniles.”

Elias wasn’t convinced. “You had this serum for years but you don’t know what effects it would have on the kids? What kind of scientist are you?”

“From what I just said…you know what kind of a scientist I am.”

Before Elias could speak, Dandridge entered. “Ok everyone, you are all to be moved, everyone bar Mr Glaucas and his boy student, who have an appointment with Big Man. The rest of you will be taken to the prison of ‘Gommerstall’ in the outer Maremkos region.”

Joanna gently picked a scab on Hoult’s leg that had been annoying her for ages; she’d never noticed it before, but seeing as she was very up close and personal now due to the chains they both shared, she now picked away at every little spot or scar she found on her husband, she frantically rubbed the small scab once blistered it, before smiling at his grimacing face, but she too wasn’t convinced by Dandridge, no matter how nice he seemed previously.

“We’re not going anywhere; some of us still have family in Olympia so why should we get shipped out to a prison miles away when we have everything here?”

For the first time, even though her tone was more intense, Dandridge was glad that someone was finally taking this seriously. He answered Joanna. “Because this place where you currently reside is deep underground and it is understood that this prison will take on water soon and be flooded.”

Faris’s tone turned serious. “Flooded how? What happens?”

“There is a set above you which contains a Marmazine Octopus, it is being moved to another set, but we do not think the roof of your dungeon can cope so you are being moved too, the waters will be seeping in rapidly so I’m told.”

“A giant octopus? Oh this gets better and better. I’m starting to lose it here; we’re being moved miles away because of a silly octopus? Our prison, I mean what’s that all about?”

Dandridge shrugged his shoulders. “You haven’t much time, that I do know; I’ll be back for you soon, just make sure you’re ready.”

Hoult held aloft his chain, slightly pulling Joanna towards him.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere, so jailer, when are we off on this merry jaunt?”

“Sooner than you think,” was the whispered reply, muttered by Dandridge under his breath.

As he made his way back towards the hidden door, gas began to seep thorough the vents and cracks under the main door. Shrieks of panic filled the room as everybody scrambled to their feet and started to pound the doors frantically, whilst covering their mouths from the copious amounts of gas being pumped into the room.

Joanna screamed uncontrollably as she and Hoult tugged the chain in opposite directions, rubbing their eyes, trying to keep out the effects of the gas, her screams were drowned out by the shouts of the male prisoners, seemingly helpless to find a place to hide from the gas that they were beginning to succumb to, Jago tried to shout but could muster only a pitiful whine from his throat.

One by one, the prisoners collapsed into a heap as the sleeping gas did its job.

Elias didn’t scream or utter one word; he just sat with his back against the wall and let the gas take him, thinking about how else his life can dramatically change from the last twenty-four hours.

Faris began to feel the effects of the gas as he showed his contempt for his situation. “I’m a comedian for God’s sake, I shouldn’t even be here, chained up with you bums, my life absolutely sucks!”

Poor Felcey had suffered in silence since his body had had been occupied with the Hustle beetles, they moved and wriggled all around his body remaining there until whatever time they felt it safe to come out, which would kill Felcey in the process, he had already seen his how he was going to die with the death of fellow prisoner, Oram. He had listened in agony while Jago, Dandridge and Faris spoke in turn to the inmates, the beetles were in his head now, and he managed to stumble to his feet as the beetles ran amok in his insides and the gas swarmed around him. Faris caught a glimpse as Felcey clutching his stomach in agony, and Faris retched as he saw a beetle tumble from the mouth of Felcey, whose body was shaking insanely now, he managed a grin as he replied to Faris, “Your life sucks, eh?”

Felcey sunk to his knees, it was unclear whether the tears in his eyes were from the pain in his gut or the effects from the gas, another beetle crept from its hiding place within Felcey’s mouth. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

As the gas did its job, Dandridge and some more guards cleared out the prisoners and prepared them for the long journey to Gommerstall Prison. Elias remained slumped on the floor, unaware of what his fate would be.

The unconscious prisoners chained to the wall swayed ever so gently in the calm before the inevitable storm.

Cassandra’s eyes flicked open and she gently rolled over on the creaky wooden floorboards. The awful smell hit her instantly and she rubbed her nose and grimaced in the dark. She stood up and made the floorboards creak even more.

Her heart was beating faster as she walked towards the only window in the room.

There were two wooden boards nailed against the window frame, she pulled hard to free them; usually she hated touching wood, when she was younger she fell off a slide at a playground and landed on some wood, it snapped and a piece splintered beneath her thumbnail, the doctor managed to get most of it out, but there was still a piece stuck in there for quite a while, since then she had always been skittish about touching wood. But she had to get out no matter the cost and she pulled with all her might but the boards remained firm.

“OH COME ON!” she screamed.

No light was coming into the room and Cassandra panicked more, pulling more on the boards, her head felt like it was going to explode, but she still couldn’t get out.

Cassandra fell to her knees shaking her head, there were only two exits in the room, the boarded up window and the trapdoor where she came in from, she closed her eyes and sighed. A noise from the far end of the room made Cassandra stir and sit up, she couldn’t see but there was definitely a sound coming from the end of the room.

She trembled as if her body had ice cubes poured down her back. It was a weak gurgling sound, like water going down the plug hole, she took a step closer to the back of the room gingerly, she took out her phone again, she knew the battery was low but she had no other choice for light, she flicked it open and the low battery kicked in, she paused whist taking another deep breath. Cassandra shone the phone along the ground, and it lit up, she flexed her hands outwards and stretched hard, she felt something, she reached out and shone the phone deeper.

It was a cot, Cassandra slowly panned the phone around and saw there was more than one cot, three more appeared, she aimed the screen inside the first one and lit-up the blanket.

With almost unnatural speed, the blanket was flung back and something leapt from the cot and fastened itself onto Cassandra, she tumbled and fell on to the floor. It latched itself onto her neck and pulled hard. Cassandra screamed in agony as the thing bit deep.

She held it tight in both hands and yanked it away from her and screamed again, but not in pain, but revulsion at the sickening monster she held in front of her.

Even in the dark it’s features stood out. It was a baby, it had an enormous misshapen head like a giant unripe orange, its eyes were yellow and large, and barely had room to fit on its face. A mouth lopsided and bulged as if it was full of marbles, razor sharp teeth already had a piece from Cassandra’s neck.

She groaned and flung the creature as far as she could across the room. It landed on its back, but with devastating speed it flipped itself over and crawled hurriedly back at Cassandra. She screamed at it in fear and kicked out wildly, striking it on its nose, the infant beast gurgled again but continued its attack, albeit slightly slower.

To her horror, Cassandra heard more gurgling and wheezing from within the room. The other cots were rocking furiously from side to side and she knew she had to go out the way she came. Before she had a chance to act the other three infant monstrosities leapt from their beds and crawled with speed to Cassandra, the stench was overwhelming and within an instant they were upon her. She felt sharp teeth biting into each leg while the third went for the open wound on her neck. The momentum carried Cassandra back against the wall, she pulled it from her neck and it thrashed wildly, lifting it above her head she threw it down onto the two still biting below her.

Cassandra yelled in pain as the two pulled away skin as they were knocked to the ground. The monster’s weight took her by surprise, it was heavier than the first one and had taken the wind out of her attack.

Holding her bleeding neck she now had a chance to run to the hatch and escape. Sobbing with fright she extended the ladder and was about to climb down. But it was too late, the infants were upon her again. All four infants emerged from the corner and were headed straight for her.

It must have been the smell and taste of her blood that attracted them to her, they were cannibals, more extreme creatures designed for entertainment by the Network.

Cassandra couldn’t see but the cameras had captured her struggle and were beaming back to a nation of millions. Before she could get down the narrow hatch in her bid to escape, the four turned on her, biting at her face, Cassandra fell back screaming in agony as the ladder collapsed.

The weight of the mutant toddlers and Cassandra was too much for the brittle ladder and the rung supporting her gave way, the cameras picked up on her screams as she tumbled down covered in infants.

With all four monster children attached to her, their combined weight sent her smashing through the old decaying floor boards.

The infants continued chewing on her as she fell straight through the second floor and crashed down to the first. She landed on one of the infants, which still gurgled even with her body crushing it. Her head started bleeding and she clutched her side as she rolled off of it, grimacing in pain as she did so. The others started to wail uncontrollably and the noise was deafening.

Cassandra gazed upwards at the hole she had just fallen through, bits of wood clung to her hair, and she had a big piece of wood sticking out from her side, her eyes began to flutter as she attempted to pull the shear of wood from her.

Breathless from the pain she eased out the wood and flopped back, one of the infants turned towards her and she swung her fist round and caught it right in the side of its head.

Never had she ever thought in her life of striking a baby…but these creatures were different, if she stayed still long enough then these infants would eat her alive.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the babies righting themselves on all fours to attack once more, she grabbed one and shoved it away, but her arms ached and she was tired and the creature was soon upon her. Biting hard on her already bloody arm, Cassandra felt the pain, but would not accept it, she struggled with the infant on her arm as the others leapt on her back.

She reached out for a weapon of some sort and grabbed some broken wood at her side, ignoring the splinters that now entered her hand, she swung hard and struck its side.

The infant yelped and fell off her, she twisted around and fought wildly, kicking and punching at her miniature attackers. They pulled at her clothes and shredded them with their tiny claws, Cassandra screamed and rolled around as their claws dug deeper on her flesh. “GET OFF ME, YOU BASTARDS!”