Donovan
I’m a nervous wreck when it comes to meeting a huge group of people sometimes. It’s just nerve wracking to think of what to say to people. I know the obvious question to ask someone is ‘How are you’, but that holds a healthy amount of emptiness if you really don’t mean it. I would never start a conversation off like that, nor would I give a bullshit answer to whoever asked…although my situation now is tremendously different. I’m going to meet people that have apparently taken interest in me. That’s even more nerve wracking than normal, and it makes it even worse knowing that who I’m meeting are just like this sociopath that’s taking me there. I need to keep my guard up and not lose face. I need to find Sam, she can help.
Mr. Plague and I stood idly in the main room after I asked a reasonable amount of questions before we departed. He spoke. “Have no fear Donovan; we won’t be there for too long.” He raised his hand and gave one snap that could definitely be heard 100 yards away. My body started to feel weird. I could feel every part of me fade away. It first began as a feeling, and then it ended with my vision going dark. I wonder if this is what death feels like, a cold and empty fade into nothingness. No, I don’t want to get all deep and sentimental; I don’t have time for that. I have to be on guard of what’s to come.
Before I knew it, my vision came back to me and what I saw was a white door to a one story house. It seems to be located in a suburban neighborhood but the atmosphere doesn’t feel like…home. It was night, but the sky was blood red. Even the trees in front of the yards had black leaves. “Well, here we are.” Mr. Plague said. “You are going to have a wondrous time here Donovan.” He brought his hand towards the doorbell and rang it. The sound it made was not of a typical ring. If you weren’t paying attention, it would sound like any normal doorbell…but I listened. I swore I heard a faint yell from a woman under its loud ringing noises, but I didn’t want to bring that up. As far as I can tell, I’m in no position to over step my bounds with questions and actions. “Oh…one last thing.” He said. “Do not embarrass me.” Yeah, no position to over step my bounds.
The door swung open. What I saw to greet us couldn’t describe the rush of confusion and fear that engulfed me. It was a regular looking man. A middle-aged Caucasian male with a ruff short black hair in an all brown faded suit with rips and tears scattered in random locations, but that wasn’t what confused and scared me the most. It was his movement. His limbs were contorted and limp for some reason. It looked as if he was a puppet under someone’s control. I don’t what happened to this guy for him to end up in this sort of situation, but now I’m a little more grateful that I wasn’t a mangled mess after I signed that contract. He finally spoke.
“Welcome to the house of Mr. Writer.
Fret not on what is provided; we have all that you desire.
From the blood of the transient fairies, to the tears of the human dunes.
We hope you stay, we hope you don’t leave too soon.”
This work of art speaks in poems. Following everything he says is going to be difficult. Mr. Plague responds. “Thank you. I hope to see Mr. Writer this time. I know he is a rather busy man, but I do hope he comes of out that office of his.” The puppet looking guy shuffled to the side to let us in. What I saw were countless eyes peering in my direction. I could tell the eyes that they saw in me were shrouded in shock and fear. The plethora of characters I saw in this house ranged from a woman in a skin tight red dress and an elongated giraffe head that almost touched the ceiling, a crocodile man in a tuxedo with a monocle and small top hat, and a man with silver chrome like skin with no eyes. I could go on with the amount of freaks and weirdos I walked in on, but one stood out from the rest. It was a man standing next to some giant of a human being with a fedora to cover his eyes. The smaller one looked the most intimidating out of the two. He had long silky hair and goatee to also rival the same length. He leaned on his right side with a cane and sipped a red drink while intensely staring at me with his red eyes. These two were also cover head-to-toe in a bleach white color scheme. Their suits were white, their hats were white, and even their skin were white. They looked like ghostly figures with intentions to haunt some poor idiot on a bad day. I think I’m that idiot.
“Hey.” I heard a voice to my left and looked as my arm was tugged. It was Sam. “Took you long enough to get here. You came by yourself?”
It took a second for me to register what she said. That guy staring at me really shook me to my core for some reason. “Wha-…Oh yeah…no, Mr. Plague brought me here.”
“Really?” She said. “Where is he?” I looked to my right and scanned the area to look for him, but all I could see were some eyes still fixated on me. It’s still an unsettling feeling that I’m in this situation. For a second, I thought Mr. Plague would be by my side and keep me out of harm’s way, but I remembered how dumb I was to think that highly of him to begin with. “He’s not here.” She said. “He tends to do that honestly. Come on, I need you to meet someone.”
My stomach dropped. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Stop being a baby and follow me. It’s just another guy. Like us.”
“Like us? You mean like under a contract too?”
“Yeah, he’s been in this a little longer than Sebastian at the least.”
She grabbed my wrist and led me through the crowd of freaks and monsters. As I brushed passed everyone, I felt this certain vibe from each of them. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s certainly a feeling I don’t ever want to feel ever again. Sam being here really helps. She seems to be used to seeing nightmarish people in person. I only wonder just what else she saw to have her casually walk past these kinds of people without a second thought.
After some stride, we finally stop next to a fire place. There were white minimalistic couches around with a glass table placed in the center. One person sat on the edge of the couch by themselves and I think this is who Sam wants me to meet.
“Hey Tweak,” she called out. “Got someone I want you to meet.”
This person’s name was Tweak? Well, after our small interaction, I could see why she would call him that. Their head turned upwards towards us and I witnessed a pale young man who possibly did one or two more dosages of crack-cocaine than he could probably handle. His hair was large, shaggy and jet-black. As he stood to shake my hand, I noticed his way of dressing too. He wore a skin tight striped black long-sleeve shirt with a necklace that resembles an anti-cross. His pants were faded skin tight jeans with black boots to compliment. This guy looks like a member of the band Bauhaus.
I reached out to shake his hand as well and I noticed how jittery he was. His whole body was shaking and he couldn’t look me in the eyes. I wanted to break the ice, I had to say something. “Uh…nice to meet you.” He grabbed my hand and I swore this guy could be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He just couldn’t stop shaking. His grip was weak, cold and quick. It was almost as if he didn’t want to touch me. “So, is Tweak really your name?”
He keeps his eyes nervously fixated on the floor. “Uh, yes…well no. It’s uh…it’s a-actually Ian sir. Tweak is my nickname. Can I ask your name…please…?”
“Yeah…it’s um, Donovan.” I turn and gesture Sam away with me. “What’s up with this guy? Why is he so damn skittish?”
“He’s endured way more than a lot of us Don. I just wanted you to meet him so you can have someone else to help keep you alive. Sebastian doesn’t know everything. You’re gonna have to toughen up and actually talk to these people sooner or later. It’ll help you in the long run.”
“Okay…fine.” I walked back towards him. “Hey, so…can you tell me a little more about these…peop-?” Before I could finish my sentence, loud bells rung in my ears and made me instinctively cover my ears. No, it was more like gongs. I flinched and asked them what that was about. “Damn! Did y’all hear that?”
Sam looked confused. “Here what?”
“That loud noise...” I retorted. “You didn’t here that shit?”
Tweak looked up in shock. “Oooh…he’s been called. No one like us has ever been called by him…”
I peered at him in confusion. “…By who?”
“Mr. Writer.”
The one in charge of this whole party wants to see me? I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a horrendous situation that I’m about to be in. I turned towards Sam. “Wait…neither of you has seen him before? Don’t you guys have any kind of info on this guy? I could definitely use your collective brains right now.”
Sam’s demeanor changed. “Honestly…I can’t help you with this one. I don’t know what to do for you right now…”
The loud bell rung in my ear again, but this time I could distinguish where the sound came from. The source of the noise was located down a hallway. From that point on, I could pretty much figure out what to do next…but damn…I’m actually scared. Anticipation sure is a great ingredient for fear.
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