Society X Freedom

 

(Warning this is the darkest chapter I have ever written)

 

    He looked upon one-eyed beast, and he felt calm. His mind raced with a thousand questions, but he found no answers. It took him less than a second to learn a language; his brain struggled with the process, like inserting a wrong shaped block and forcing the surroundings to accept it.

  His body calmed down, and the hot steam stopped. The darkness of the room illuminated his roommate’s eyes, akin to a cut hunting her prey.

 “What did you do to me?” Cleetus tilted his head to the side in wonder; while speaking the new language with ease, it felt like using a knife or a gun, something that feels like a tool instead of a thought process.

  Bitey smiled at him; her white gleaming dog-like fangs gleamed in the moonlight of the window. “Well… I need you to know how to speak before we run away from this place, partner.”

  Cleetus looked at her smirking features in dumfounded ness. “Why would I run away from the school?”

  Bitey tilted her head to the side, her face morphed to wonder. “Wait, you are serious?”

  His hook reached over his bald scalp and scratched them. “Well, I’ve never been to no fancy school, isn’t this what schools are all about? Locked for hours, feeding time, and teaching us, while we have some time to play with each other.”

  He could see her trying to form a rebuttal, but she gave up. “No, this is not a school; this is a prison.”

  Cleetus reared back, his body shocked from the revelation. “WHAT! I did nothing bad!... well except that one time when I ran over mah neighbor’s dog, then I stole his kibble.” His roommate gave him a disgusted look. “To be fair! I was hungry, and mah mama told me to never waste food! So, I gave them some moonshine as an apology.” He stopped for a moment. “Wait, I think I drank that.”

Bitey took a deep breath and calmed herself. “Look, it doesn't matter; we have to escape. Are you in?”

  He thought about it for a moment, then he simply shrugged. “Fuck it, I will do it; I don’t know shit about this place, and you taught me the language, so I think of that as a plus… By the way, how did you do that?”

 “Simply really.” She replayed while moving to her bed. “I can control brain chemistry, so that includes information extraction, hormone manipulation, and all of that. I could even reprogram your brain and turn you into a pretty little girl if I wanted to.”

  Cleetus jumped back and covered his crotch. “Nah, thank ye, I like being a man.”

  “Anyways, I already have a plan, but I need to know your Nen powers.” She leaned back on the cold wall. “And don’t complain; I already told you mine.”

  Shrugging Cleetus channeled some of his Nen to his arm, and his hook began steaming with alcohol. “I don’t know much about Nen, but I know that I am some kind of specialist. My Nen turns my body into a moonshine boiler, which means I can create Moonshine, create pressurized steam, and when I drink my Moonshine, it gives me a boost.”

  Tilting her head. “So that’s why the mind control bacteria; failed in controlling you… I thought you were just an idiot.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “It doesn't matter; now that we know your ability, there will be some changes to my plan, but first, my name is Arianne Lestrange.” Cleetus nodded, and when he remained silent, Arianne motioned with her head. “And you are?”

  “Oh right… Names Cleetus Clifton Carson.”

 “Weird name, but I’ve known weirder. So here is the plan; We will need the Babadook.”

  For the whole night, Cleetus and Arianne planned their escape. What they will do when they are out of prison and where they will regroup. 

 

 

 

     Day 1

 

  Cleetus was lead to the dining area, he continued on his normal routine, but when they brought the deserts, he took his muffin and hid it.

 

  When they were done eating, he was lead to his classes. There he smuggled a pen and some papers.

 

  After classes, they lead him to the lab, where the good Doctor kept poking him with his tools. Finally, when the Doctor got distracted, Cleetus stole a single broken tool.

  Cleetus was lead back to his room, where he met a feral Arianne. Channeling his alcoholic mist on her, she slowly gains her sanity, but her face was red from the alcohol.

  He waited for her to gain her sanity back; when she did, she activated her Nen, where she returned back to normal. She tilted her head. “You got the stuff Cleetus?”

  Cleetus took a deep breath. “I always knew I needed to do this someday in my life… Fuck.” He stopped and looked at Arianne. “Can you turn around?”

  Arianne smiled. “I don’t want to see you do it, so make it quick.”

  He removed his clothes and sat on the toilet. “I really hope your trick works.” Slowly he pushed his smuggled items out; it did not hurt as he thought they would. Thanks to Arianne’s warning, he channeled Nen around his rectum the whole day.

  First to pop out was the pen, then the papers, but what made him struggle was the metallic tool. He pushed and pushed, and with a last umph, a ringing nose greeted him. “Fuck I hope I won’t need to do this shit again.”

  “Are you decent, Cleetus?”

 “Hold on.” He cleaned himself and dressed up again. “You can turn around now.”

  Arianne looked back, but her face is scrunched up. “Cleetus, you really need to watch what you eat. You could kill someone with that smell someday.”

  “Well, it ain’t a walk in the park for me, princess.”

  “Doesn’t matter, we have to get our hands dirty… literally, and figuratively here.”

  Cleetus took a deep breath. “I don’t know why I have to do all of the dirty work around here while you lazy around all day long.”

  Arianne smiled. “Well, I am tied with a straight jacket, so I can’t really move. And don’t think we have to remove it yet. We still have a long way to go. Now get back to work.”

  Scrunching up his nose, Cleetus looked back at the metallic toilet. He took the smuggled goods out.

  Covering them with alcoholic steam, then drying them using his super-heated hooks. Next, he took the pen and began writing a letter, then a map. And finally, some weird symbols on the third page that Arianne instructed him to do.

  He took the metallic tool and hid it under his bed. “Well, I am done with this part, now what do I do with this?” On the bed was a single cupcake.

  “Fold the papers together, Cleetus, and hide them in the cupcake, and tomorrow we will start with the next stage of our plan.” Cleetus yawned and did as instructed, then he went to bed.

 

 Day 2

 

  They took him to the feeding area again; he ate his food and enjoyed his time. Then, he did the whole routine again.

  When they brought him to the play area, he found his target. A seven-foot-tall man was drawing on a pink coloring book. The seat he was in was covered with chains, locking the man from moving.

  Cleetus approached this person; his blond planum hair is a disheveled mess and a tangled beard that was quite disgusting. His face was covered with three large scars from some beast, but he had a childlike smile. Next to him was a nurse, tapping on her phone.

  When he approached the table, they stopped what they were doing. ‘Alright, Cleetus, act normal.’ He took a small breath and gave them the dumbest smile. “Hey, there wanna play paddy cakes!” The nurse looked back at her phone.

  Babadook, on the other hand. “No! I am drawing!”

  “Oh, what are you drawing?”

  He hid his drawing. “Something cool.”

 “Oh, I love cool stuff! Can you show me please!” Babadook grew quieter. ‘Fuck, I need to act fast.’

  Cleetus made an obvious motion of looking around, then he bent down and whispered. So only the nurse and Babadook can hear him. “If you show me your cool drawing…” he changed his face, took pained. “I will give you my breakfast muffin; they gave me one with chocolate chips by mistake, but don’t tell anyone the others will try to take it.”

  A small smile broke out. “Ok… I will show you but promise you won’t make fun of me.”

   “I Promise I won’t!”

  Babadook slowly opened his hands, and on the pages were drawing and drawings of pink ponies. Cleetus held his laughter. ‘You can do this!’ he stopped his laughter in time. “Oh gosh! They are soooo, cool!”

  Babadook’s smile became wider. “Thank you.”

 Cleetus nodded. “Oh, and as promised, here.” Cleetus gave him the muffin.

  He took the small muffin and smelt it, but he reared back in disgust. “What is that smell?”

  Cleetus leaned in and whispered really quietly. “Shush, the nurse will take it. This is a special muffin only grown-up are supposed to have.” He looked around. “It’s really good, but they make it smell bad, so we won’t eat it. But, I promise you, when you eat it all in one bite, it will be the best muffin you will taste.”

  He looked unsure. “Is it better than candy?” Cleetus smiled and nodded. Babadook looked around, and when no one was looking, he put the whole muffin in his mouth, which instantly made him drunk.

  At that moment, Cleetus held him and lowered him to the table; he shifted him around to look like he was drawing in secret. ‘Ten minutes and he will wake up, then we can have the talk.’

  He pretended to draw on the table, and when Babadook was about to wake. He looked at the nurse. “Ms. Nurse.”

  She answered without looking away from her phone. “Yes, sweety?”

  “What is a boyfriend?”

 “A boyfriend is someone special.”

  “Ohhh, then, then, then what is stealing?”

  “Steeling is bad, and you are not supposed to do it.” She did not look up from her phone.

  Cleetus gave a vicious smile. “Then what is a bitch?”

  When he asked her that, she stopped looking at her phone. “Where did you learn that?”

  Cleetus morphed his face to look innocent. “Well, I heard it from the other nurses, they were making the weird smoking thingy, and they said. ‘I am going to steal, that bitch Emilia’s boyfriend, she thinks she is cute.’”

  Emilia slowly stood up; the phone in her hand began squeaking. “Where are they, sweety?” Cleetus began shivering from the aura surrounding the women, his arm raised slowly, and his shining hook pointed at a corner with two nurses smoking. “T-There.”

 The phone in the nurse’s hand broke; shards of plastic, steel, and glass scattered around her. “Thank you.” Her footsteps broke the floor, and then she disappeared.

 Cleetus blinked, and a shockwave followed. “YOU FUCKING CUNT!”

  “Fuck I have to do this fast!” he reached with his hook to Babadook. A smack on the head woke the sleeping man.

  He opened his eyes; instead of the normal childlike wonder, there was the bitter steel underneath those silver eyes. Cleetus whispered to the man. “Don’t eat the note inside the muffin…” he looked unsure, but he continued. “Seven arms and seven eyes.”

  Cleetus saw recognition, then a single nod. Cleetus activated his power, and a line of steam brought another muffin. “This is for the second shot they will give you; eat it before they give you the shot.”

  With that, he stood up and walked away from their new partner.

 

  That night Cleetus woke Arianne with his power. “Did you do it, Cleetus?” He gave her a nod. “Good, he should be here in a moment.”

  From the corner of his eyes, Cleetus noticed something, the shadows in the room began darkening, and they started gathering around. A small pool of dark ink emerged from the shadows. He saw a figure drenched in black; like oil, the darkness fell from his body.

  His eyes were white and glowing; the figure looked around and spotted Arianne, then it smiled. In his mouth was a pale shining light; the sticky, oily black substance stretched, forming a disturbing smile.

  With a guttural reverberating voice, it spoke. “Hello, Arianne.”

  Arianne’s mouth formed a soft smile behind her mask. “Hello Babadook, I did not expect you to be here.”

  The figure’s eyes widened with fury. “I as well.”

  “So, they threw you in here when you captured me?”

 Cleetus tilted his head. ‘Wait, what?’

   “Yes… ungrateful bastards, I should have never trusted a government. I thought they would have killed you already.”

 Her eye laughed in silence. “Oh, and why would they kill a brainwashing machine like me.”

  The figure leaned in. “Because you are a disgusting beast that should be put down.” A small chuckle escaped from her pretty lips.

  “Eugh, guys.” Babadook and Arianne looked at him. “Should we...you know… Get on with the plan?”

  Babadook looked at his hand; he slowly began playing with his fingers. “Why should I help you.” He turned his head and looked at Arianne.

  “Because if you do not help us, you will be stuck here forever.”

  Babadook began pacing around, his aggression barely held in check. Then without warning, he attacked the wall, creating a small spiderweb of cracks. He stood there breathing hard, his body oozing darkness. Then he spoke with a soft regretful tone. “I will help… for now, But I will hunt you down, and this time the man in the suite won’t help you.” He took a deep breath and looked at Arianne. “I will tear you limb from limb; I will make you beg for death as you did to her. I will destroy everything you hold dear, and as they say.” At that moment, he stopped. And shook his head. “Tell me the fucking plan already.” He huffed, and the shadow fell on the ground.

  Arianne laughed softly. “Poor, poor. Baba.”

  Cleetus cleared his throat. “Not a great time Arianne… I can’t believe I will be the voice of reason here.”

 Babadook looked at Cleetus. “And who are you? Why are you helping her? Do you even know who this monster is?”

  Cleetus sighed. “Aight, you sumbitchs, listen up. I don’t give a shit about what happened, I don’t give a fuck about what happened, I don’t care about what the fuck happened.” He took a deep breath. “I just want to get the fuck out of this place.”

  Both of them stayed quiet for some time, then Arianne sighed. “I can’t believe I am agreeing with you, Cleetus, but you are right.”

  Babadook pulled his knees next to his body. “Fine, I know half of the plan. The maps were great and all, but what is the rest.”

  Arianne nodded. “Here is what you have to do; you will be the main part of this.”

  For the whole of the second night, they planned and planned, then when everyone agreed. They began.

 

  Day 3

 

  Cleetus gathered more materials. Arianne gathered information, and finally, Babadook stored everything in his shadow.

  Arianne explained to him that night that Babadook’s powers are versatile. And he is the primary reason they will successfully escape.

 

 Day 4

 

  Cleetus created pills made from dough that was filled with his alcoholic Nen. He gave some to Babadook and some to Arianne.

  Arianne told him to create ten thousand more pills.

  Babadook provided files and files of information he stole from the facility and gave them to Arianne to process the information.

 

 Day 5

 

 Cleetus kept making pill after pill; his hook skill became machines to create more pills.

  At the end of the night, he gave the pills to Babadook, and he kept them safe in his shadow. Where the alcohol won’t evaporate.

 

 Day 15

 

 For ten days, they did the same routine. But, this time, Arianne injected him with knowledge of building machines.

  He needed to create some type of blocking device for the beacon that tracked everyone in the facility.

  Cleetus disagreed first, but Arianne insisted because Babadook won’t let her bite him. He did not want to be bitten again, and he really did not want her to mess with his brain. But he had no choice.

 

 Day 27

 

 They had everything, the pills, the machines, the files for the prisoners and the workers.

  When they finished gathering everything, Babadook and Arianne began the second and most important job.

  He would teleport to her every night and take her to a facility member. She began brainwashing them.

  Cleetus asked why not brainwash everyone in the facility, and they will let them out. Arianne told him that they had security protocols for brainwashing Nen. She told him that she injected them with a timer on a specific day, and event, a passcode would be told to them.

  When they hear the code, the program will start. She explains it to him, but he did not get it. Something about deleting all their files. And the facility workers forgetting that they existed. Which would give them time to run away, maybe a year or two. If they are lucky.

 

Day 60

   At the dead of night, the pale light of the moon penetrated the clouds above. The light casts its illumination on a building filled with despair and death, from the false happy drawing of the building’s doors, a wide hallway filled with flickering pale fluorescent lights. A nurse wearing her uniform walked away from the cells; her features look uneased; her instincts are screaming at her that there is something wrong, something terrible is about to happen.

  She sees a dark green wooden door with a broken handle, and above the door was a pale fluorescent light; she took a step, and the light began flickering. She stops out of instinct, and the lights keep flickering, and with every flicker, her heart beats faster and faster. The flickering increases in pace; her breathing became short she could feel a cold breath on the back of her neck.

  Suddenly the flickering stops, and she takes a deep breath in relief; she shakes her head from the silly thoughts she had and takes another step.

  Darkness is all that she could see, she could feel her heart stops, and the cold feeling returns with a vengeance.

  She looks at the fluorescent light above the green door, she slowly could see it returning back, but when the pale light barely began illuminating the doorway, she noticed something bizarre on the clean marble flooring. An oily dark substance covered the green door.

  The nurse swallowed and took a single step back from shock. Then she saw the light from the pool of greasy darkness, two small holes resembling eyes opened. She could feel them looking at her; the holes began shivering and moving akin to a twitching bug. Then she saw a disturbing light opening to a smile. The oily substance crisscrossed in random directions in that smile, forming a disturbing fanged-shaped smile.

  From the darkness, an oily bony hand emerged covered with glossy darkness, then another hand. They pulled themselves out of the darkness, and a disturbing figure made from the strange substance looked at her.

  It's back looked broken and hunched; its body was positioned, akin to a wolf gazing at its prey. She blinked and found the strange creature upside down on the ceiling; out of instinct, her Nen activated.

  She opened her eyes again and found a pretty nurse wearing a pink uniform flying away from her towards the oily substance, blood splattered all over the clean hallway. She noticed the body was wearing the same uniform she had this morning. She tried to move, but her body won’t obey her, then she tried to breathe, but she felt something was missing. Suddenly she felt pain, and her vision began distorting small dots of darkness covered her vision.

  Her head stopped moving, and she saw the same creature smiling at her still, then her body moved on its own, she saw the creature approaching her slowly. She tried to fight, but there is nothing she could do. The strange pale light from the creature’s mouth opened up, and she only saw darkness inside. Four small oily tentacles’ shot out of the creature’s mouth, and they pulled their victim in.

  The creature began splitting up, and a new similar creature emerged; both of them began throwing small dough pills inside the prison cells. The dough pills smelled so sweet. And every time they threw one inside, there is always a shuffle and someone walking inside the cell.

 

     Babadook smiled inside of his cell. “Two hundred hallways, and we can begin the riot.”

 

 

 

  Cleetus stepped out from the oily portal that Babadook made for him; he approached a door with a sign. ‘Do not disturb’ Cleetus bent down and peaked from the keyhole. He saw bodies on top of each other, disturbing club lights and smoke. He took a small breath, and he reared back.

  The smell of musk and hedonism almost blinded him. He shook his head and inserted his finger into the keyhole. ‘So, this is why we had to wait for so long.’

   From the other side of the room, rave music blasted the room; pink, blue, and purple neon lights covered the room. Glittered covered bodies danced, moaning and the sound of whips added to the music. A man covered with lipstick marks laughed. “Sorry, ladies and gents, I need to take a piss, be right back.”

 A woman moaned. “Can I go with you?”

  The man shook his head. “I am not into that shit, sorry, babe.”

  The man dodged the numerous bodies that were having fun on the carpeted floor. He saw countless acts of hedonism, and it made him excited. ‘Man, I love the doctor’s birthday.’ He sighed in happiness while walking.

  He approached the bathroom and heard two dudes fucking inside the bathroom. ‘Must be a fetish or something; they could have just did it outside with the others, fucking annoying now I have to piss while they moaned.’

  He approached the door and banged on it. “Get the fuck out of here! We told you guys if you want to fuck, do it with the others. The Doctor hates shit play!”

  They stopped, and one of them spoke. “Busted! Fine, we will do it outside.” Two guys emerged from the stall, and they shot him a glare, which he returned back. They left the bathroom for him at last.

  He sighed in relief and began taking a piss. ‘This is the only time we unwind in this fucking place; the government had to place us in this isolated plot of land outside of the city, and it fucking annoyed him. He can’t even visit his wife and kids sometimes.”

  When he finished with his business, he went out, but something was different, the smell of alcohol was over the roof, and it made him dizzy. The sound of moaning was nonexistent.

  Suddenly the rave music stopped, and he heard nothing. The man quickly hid between the bodies and looked up at the sound system, there he saw a heavy man. He was not too fit and not too fat; he was covered with a gleaming sheet of glossy substance, but what caught him by surprise was his clothing. He wore prisoner’s clothing, and he was humming and singing to himself.

  “Dead love couldn’t go no further.” He moved one of the female nurses. “Proud of and disgusted by her.” He used one of his hooks to fling a lab coat that was covered with spunk. “Push, shove, a little bruised and battered.” The man pulled out the Doctor, who was covered with fluids and whip marks. Then he placed him on the wall, he saw a whip float, and a hand made out of steam was shaping the whip around the Doctor’s throat.

  The hooked man dropped the Doctor, who began choking. “Oh Lord, I ain’t coming home with you.”

  The man involuntary gasped. And the hooked man looked at him; he felt something hot touch his back. But what made him shiver was the hooked man; he kept on singing. “My life’s a bit more colder.” He felt the heat on his back grow stronger, and an invisible hand pulled him back from the wasted bodies. He felt himself floating, and the next thing he knew, he was stuck on a wall.

  The heavy man walked up to him. “Dead wife is what I told her.” He shivered from the implication, then the man was on him. He felt the hook of the man piercing his shoulder, splashing blood all over the knocked-out bodies. “Brass knife sinks into my shoulders.”

  He gasped for breath, and when he tried to activate his Nen, he found it harder than usual. “P-Please! I-I have a family.”

  The hooked man shook his head. And continued singing. “Oh babe, don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

  He felt pain in his stomach and saw more blood splattering all over the place. He felt the weight from his abs leave him, and it filled him with dread. ‘My insides!’ He looked down to see his stomach, lower intestine fall on the floor.

  He felt the steamed hand leave him, and he fell down on the floor. His vision slowly began fading, but he saw what did him in, a slandered issued knife for the guards of the prison.

  The man squatted and looked him in the eyes in his final moment; there was a melancholic look in his eyes. “Sorry, champ, can’t risk it. And I was never a good person.” The man stood up, and his vision darkened more; he feels colder than usual. Before he closed his eyes, he heard one last line of that song, but it was sung in a sadder tone. “Oh, Lord… I ain’t… coming home with you.” Then darkness is all that he saw.

 

(Song name {In Hell I'll Be In Good Company [By the dead south] } )

 

  Cleetus walked out of the room; in his hand was a flash drive he took from the Doctor. He stepped out of that musky room. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, that’s what bitches get… That was what my father told me, the day he made me kill that cop… I was four.” Cleetu’s eyes were dead with indifference to what he did back there. He turned his head to the portal. “You think I’m the bad person or was it my father, Babadook?” He stepped inside the portal.

 

 

 

  In a dark room, orange sparks and the hissing sound of melted metal greeted Arianne. She felt the heat from the tool that Cleetus used; next to him was Babadook, with his hands that were on her straight jacket; he was channeling his Nen trying to stop them from working.

  He sighed. “I cannot believe that I would be the one freeing you.”

  Arianne smirked, but she kept any comments she had. They do not need any more distractions.

  She felt a clink, and the metallic lock fell to the floor. She saw Babadook channeling more Nen on her jacket; black ooze began to appear on her jacket. The glowing Nen letters dissolved when the ooze reached them. Soon only one letter was left, and Babadook channeled more and more until there was nothing left.

  He stopped channeling, and Arianne pushed her hands apart; after so long being confined in this tight space, she was finally free. The straight jacket fell to the floor, and the monster stood up. She channeled her Nen around her body; a dark red aura surrounded her.

  Babadook flashed his Nen. “Watch it, Arianne.”

  She smiled and lowered her Nen. “I was just stretching Baba, don’t be a kitty cat.”

  Cleetus, who was scratching his beard, voiced his opinion. “How about we go already? We don’t have much time.”

  Babadook nodded and created two portals. “This is the one for the control room, and the other one is for the beacon.”

  Arianne nodded and walked to the control room one, while Cleetus and Babadook took the other one.

  When she emerged to the other side of the room, she saw two guards sleeping. On the floor was a coffee mug. “Looks like my trigger worked.” She approached one of the sleeping guards and inserted a memory of him arguing with his friend, who got mad and knocked him out.

  Then she inserted another memory of the guard sleeping on the job after fighting with his friend. Arianne looked at the various monitors surrounding the room. Cameras and files all in one place.

  She took the flash drive, Cleetus gave her, and she had full access. She began by editing the footage. “One of the best abilities I stole.” She remembered stealing from a natural Nen awakener, who specialized in video editing. Natural awakeners are rare, but when their abilities activate based on what they do. They can be terrifying. But what made her hunt this person specifically was that natural awakeners imprint their abilities on their minds, which made it easy for her to copy.

  When she finished editing all the footage of their slaughter and their time in the facility. She placed various nurses that seem to be mined controlled; they opened all the cells of the facility, which sparked chaos.

  Then she proceeded to delete all their files. Likewise, she stole some files. ‘A girl needs some funds after all.’ She felt a small amount of Nen emerge from the shadows. A small shadow beast with a single head emerged. “The Babadook’s part is done, Arianne, release the prisoners.”

  Arianne smiled. “Tell that bastard to come right here; I don’t have time for his games.”

  The shadow beast tilted its head and closed its single white eye; soon, another portal opened up. Cleetus and Babadook emerged.

  Babadook gave her an annoyed look. “Can’t get one over you.”

  “No, you can’t. Did you finish with the beacon?”

  Cleetus looked around the room in wonder. “Yup, the device worked. We have a twenty-minute window before it blows up, Arianne.”

    Arianne reached to the keyboard and deleted all the meta files of her accessing the flash drive, then she handed it to Babadook. “Here, send it back to the doctor.”

  Babadook took the flash drive and threw it in a portal; thankfully, the orgy room had no cameras. “Are you ready?” Arianne asked.

  Cleetus stopped his wondering and nodded while Babadook began creating a bigger portal that strained him. When the portal opened up, she released all the prisoners from their cells. And instantly, all of them began fighting and trying to escape the prison.

  Arianne activated the warning system with a ten-minute delay, then she spoke in the speaker system. "Five-skulls-rose". “Let’s go!”

  Cleetus jumped first into the portal, then Arianne jumped before Babadook could. Finally, he jumped after her.

 

 

 

 

   In a dark alleyway in York, new city, a dark portal opened up next to a homeless person who ran away. Cleetus jumped from the portal and dusted himself.

  He looked back, but nothing happened. Fearing that they may have betrayed him, Cleetus began looking around the surrounding area. He saw trash piled up high that oozed with bad-smelling sludge. He saw the docks behind him, with a couple of small boats cruising around. The buildings looked bad and worn down; spray art covered the area. A couple of fat rats walked next to him and ignored him.

  Suddenly the portal shimmered, and Babadook emerged. Cleetus sighed in relief, but when he closed the portal, he spoke. “Ugh, Babadook…”

  Babadook turned around. “Yes, Cleetus?”

 “Where is Arianne?”

 Babadook took out a phone. “One-second Cleetus…” he clicked the button. “Oh yeah, Arianne, I just blew her up.”

  Cleetus, confused, looked around the area. “I’m sorry, what?”

 “Oh, I just blew her up.”

 For some reason, Cleetus grew angry. “What do you mean you just blew her up?!”

  Babadook looked at him and sighed. “I knew this would happen…She played you Cleetus.”

 Confused and angry. “Explain now!”

 He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette pack. “Want one?” he offered; seeing no reason to refuse, Cleetus hooked one and began smoking by combusting his Nen around the cigarette.

  Babadook sighed and lit up his own cigarette, then he leaned back on the cold, dirty wall. He took a deep puff and exhaled in exhaustion. “Do you know why you are angry, Cleetus?” Cleetus took a puff and shook his head. “She always does this, you know… She inserts an activation code in your brain that slowly makes you a slave to her.”

  Cleetu’s eyes widened. ‘So that’s why I got angry for no reason.’ He took a deep breath from his cigarette. “So, what now, Babadook.”

 Babadook looked down at his cigarette. “John.”

  “I am sorry, what?” Cleetus asked.

 Babadook looked up. “My name is John… Babadook was my code name, based on a fantasy tail… My abilities were similar to him, so I took his name.”

  Cleetus sighed. “So, what now, John? Do I remain brainwashed or what?”

 John reached into his pocket, and the shimmering sound of the portal opened up. He threw a card to Cleetus. “This is a friend of mine; give him the card and tell him (Code Red) he will remove the brainwashing for free this one time.”

  Cleetus looked at the card; a buff person was wearing glasses; next to him was a cartoon cat and mouse presenting him. ‘Dr. Zaz for alternative medical treatment.’ In the card, he looked so proud to be presented like this.

  He looked up at John. “Thanks… What about Arianne? You think you killed her?”

 John took a puff and blew a smoke ring. “Nope, she is a resourceful bitch.”

  Cleetus sighed in relief, then he looked up at John. “Fuck, why do I feel relieved?”

 John smirked. “Brainwashing is a bitch to play around Cleetus.”

 They stood there in silence, smoke and taking in the freedom they just gained. Then, they heard a couple of cop sirens rushing to the city's north side; behind them was a fire truck.

  Curiosity took hold of Cleetus, and he had to ask. “John.”

  John looked at Cleetus again. “Yes, Cleetus?”

  “What did she do?”

 A look of disgust morphed into his face. “She is a monster Cleetus, a psychopath… No worst than them. At least they kill and gain the pleasure from doing so, but she….” He stopped.

 He took another deep puff, trying to calm himself. “But she is the worst.”

  Cleetus looked at the docks and smelled the foul stench of the sewers. “What did she do, John.” He asked in a quiet voice.

  John looked up at the dark smog-filled sky. “Imagine returning home after a long day’s work, you are in love with your partner for a long time, you have two beautiful children together. You have a nice job, a good car, and you have your good days and bad days, but that is life, and you love it.”

  He took another puff. “While you are returning home, you remember your new neighbor that just moved in; she is a single woman. And she befriended your wife; you, of course, see nothing wrong with that. You know that this woman is a lesbian because she told you so, but you trust your wife.”

  “So, you are driving your car, the sun is shining, and it warms your heart, the wind cools you off from the long day you’ve worked, you are getting excited you want to return home to your family, you want to see your kids. And your wife, you want to have lunch with them.”

  John had a single tear trailing down his cheek. “Everything is good in life, you think to yourself, you see your home, and nothing is a miss. Your heart is pounding. You want to see them so bad. You park your car and rush to the door. You open the door, and you scream, ‘Honey, I’m Home!’.”

  Cleetus could see John’s eyes overflowing with tears like he is remembering something. “The moment you say these words, a bat hits you in the face, and you see darkness.”

  John, with his shaky hands, lit up another cigarette; he takes two deep puffs. “When you wake up, you see your wife; she is dressed up in the slutty clothes you roleplayed with; she has make-up on and everything.”

  More tears fall on the ground. “She looks at you smiling with a cruel smile. You try to move, but you see yourself chained up on the wall, overlooking your bed. You try to ask your wife, what is going on, what is happening, but she does not even reply to you; she keeps smiling that creepy smile.”

  “The door to your left opens up, and you hear these familiar words. ‘Honey, I am home.’” John, in frustration, hits the wall behind him, creating spiderwebs on the wall. “Who do you think said these words, I wonder; you turn your head, and you see your new neighbor, the lesbian. She starts acting like you. She talks about your job, how life is good, and at that moment, you knew that she was stalking you. She knows everything about you!”

  “Your wife responds the same like they were married for ten years now; then the foreplay starts.” Cleetus looks at John’s eyes, and they were red and raw from the tears. “They start by light torture of their dog… The dog is you; your wife seems to be enjoying it, and you can see how wet she is stabbing you with a heated knife.”

  “When they had their fun, they began having sex in Infront of you, cuckolding you against your will. Your wife keeps calling your name while having sex with your neighbor. They cum and cum again and again. This goes on for days, they barely feed you, and you grow weaker.”

  “But you notice something, your neighbor is having a hard time enjoying herself anymore, and she wants to make things kinkier. She decides that today will be her last day, she tells you that, and she will free you. She gives you hope and tells you to last one more night. You feel some faith returning, and you hold on to dear life.”

  He takes a final puff from his cigarette and throws it on the ground. “Then she…” At this moment, Cleetus saw him puking his guts out. He wipes his mouth. “Then she comes in your room, in her hands are too leashes, your kids a malnourished and looked starved, they start barking she makes your loving wife kill these children and bath herself in their blood!”

  John squats. “Then they start having sex again; your wife is so horny that it makes you puke; her mind has been so altered that you do not recognize this person anymore. So they do it again and again and again; at this point, your mind is so broken that you do not know anything anymore.”

  John looks up at Cleetus and laughs. “Hehe, do you know what the worst part is?” Cleetus shook his head; at his point, Cleetu’s eyes began to water. “When she grew bored with your wife, she takes the chains off and hands you a knife… she whispers sweet words, and you feel her magic working on you. And like a hound that craves revenge, you start carving your wife. You make sure to never kill her quickly, and you seem to enjoy yourself.”

  “Then you notice something strange; this is not you. This knowledge of the human body feels strange; it feels like a… Tool.” He looks at Cleetus with a knowing look.

  Cleetu’s eye widened. “Wait… you mean.”

  “ She changes you, but if only she kept the change, no, we are playthings to that cunt. You start cutting and cutting while your wife moans from the gore that you are creating; she feels pleasure from dying by your hands.”

  “When you are finished, your wife is dead, you children are dead, you stand alone in an empty room… filled with silence, your neighbor comes to you and forces you to have sex with her on your wife’s corpse. Then when your climax. Oh God, when you do, she takes all the mind control away, and you see her euphoric face, the pleasure you just gave her! Then the memories crash into you like a flood. And she cum from your looks alone; she enjoyed your destruction.”

  He takes a deep breath and stands up; he puts his hands in his pockets and walks away, Cleetus has tears streaming down his cheeks, and he calls out. “Was the man in the story you John?”

  John turns around and looks at Cleetus with a smile, his eyes red and raw. “I wish that was me, Cleetus… I wish that was me, what she did to me was much worst; she decided to experiment on my family one day; she wanted to push the limits. From that experience alone, I unlocked my Nen….”

  He stops and turns around. “Do you know that I was never destined to be a specialist? The experience alone forced my Nen to turn into a specialization. It forced my very soul to create a Nen so devoted to finding those who hide in the shadows and those who hide behind false smiles. My name is John…” He turned around, his body began oozing with an oily substance, and his voice began reverberating with fury. “aNd I aM ThE bAbAdOoK!” John disappeared with a blink of an eye.

  Cleetus stood there stunned. Then all of it came crashing down, how many days he spent with that monster in one cell, how much she could have rewritten his memories, and he did not know it; Cleetus shivered. “That monster is still out there.” He voiced his thoughts in the middle of the quiet alleyway where only the rats could hear.

 

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