Locked Away - Book 1

Chapter 29

Its teeth dig into my shoulder, sending a stinging and burning pain through my body. Its nails drag down my back.

"Ahh!" I scream at the top of my lungs as agonizing pain moves down my back.

It jumps off me and into the dark abyss surrounding me. Its little laugh moves around me. One second it's in front of me, then behind, then somehow in four different locations. I can't seem to find its location as I get up to my feet.

"Where. Is. Tyler?" It hurts to speak, or even breathe, but I know I can't let go.

It rushes at me so fast that I barely see it before its hand hits my gut. Its nails dig through my shirt and deep into my skin, little rusty knives. It gets me down on the ground, it's strong body on top of me. I use all my energy to try and push it off me, but the Hercules Key doesn't seem to be any match for this thing.

"You're going to regret this." Its tongue comes out and slides across my face.

"Where is Tyler?"

"Who cares about him!" Tyler's name seems to truly anger it.

"I do! Where is he?" I'm trying to sound tough, but it's really hard right now.

It jumps back, its fingers pulling out from me and causing me to lurch up and couch out blood. I make direct eye contact with it as it crawls backward on all fours, its nails clicking against the floor. Its eyes, one like a fire and the other a deep black, look at me with this anger. A wave of anger that tells me just how much this thing hates me. It hates me more than I ever thought was possible.

"You want... him?" Suddenly a spotlight appears directly on Tyler, who's standing straight up, frozen still.

"What did you do to him?" It slowly moves behind Tyler.

"Nothing... yet." Its hand slides around his neck, Tyler's eyes watering up and looking of pure fear.

"Stop it!" It tilts its head at me, giggling. "Don't you dare touch him!" One of its nails drags across his neck, a small thread of bright red blood moving down his neck.

"Why do you care so much about this piece of flesh?" Its long slit tongue slides around and tastes Tyler's blood. "It tastes... fine."

"Wouldn't you rather have me?" I step closer to them and it hisses. "Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"You know nothing!" I've hit another nerve.

It slides his hands down Tyler.

"Stop it!" I get louder. "Let him go and you can have me!" It stops moving its eyes look at me. "I'll let you do whatever you want, as long as you let him go."

"Full access?" It slithers in front of Tyler.

"Full access?" Its head just tilts. "Sure. Whatever. Full access." I reach into my pockets and get ready.

"Deal." It takes another step forward.

As quick as I can I take the Chain Key and the Great Lock from my pockets. Instantly putting them together, chains lurch out towards it. To my surprise, it isn't able to dodge it. Chains wrap around it, tightly. I take a giant sigh of relief, but that only lasts for a second. The Chain Key and the Great Lock both shatter in my hands into pieces. It comes straight at me.

"Eliot!" I hear Tyler shout right as its nails dig into the back of my skull.

I feel my head explode. Like a million little explosions across every neuron. It sends ripples down my spine.

"Ahh!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

It begins to laugh and my scream quickly goes silent. Its mouth opens right above me. Its tongue comes slithering down to my mouth.

"Eliot! No! Stop it!" I can hear his screams like a fly in my ear.

Its tongue opens my mouth, a slimy feeling that I'm unable to stop. The slippery, yet oddly tough, tongue dives into my mouth and down my throat.

"Eliot! Please!" Tyler's voice gets louder and in my head.

My body begins to flail like a fish out of water. My muscles seize. It pins down my arms and legs.

"Eliot!" His voice echoes through my head.

Then my body stops seizing. I feel that flame I felt once before turn up to a level that almost scares me. My entire body burns, but in a new and very powerful way. I clamp down my jaw, biting its tongue clean off and sending it falling backward, screaming at the top of its lungs. I sit up and yank the tongue out, feeling it go through my stomach and out through my throat and mouth. It looks angry. It jumps forward, nails aiming for my throat.

"NO!" I scream at the top of my lungs with all the force I can muster.

That thing gets flown back into the air. The walls around us shatter like glass. I get to my feet, that thing cowering on the floor a few feet away. It looks up and hisses at me. I see its eyes turn to look at Tyler. It looks back at me with a smirk.

"No." Before it can begin to move towards Tyler I blink and I'm standing next to Tyler.

"What?" It's angry, which makes me happy.

"No more." I grab Tyler's arm.

I close my eyes and quickly we're standing outside of Room 237. That thing is standing on all fours in the room, blood spilling from its mouth.

"How dare you!" It shouts as it begins to lunge.

But before it can reach the door I wave my arm and the door closes. The door begins to shake. Screams come from the other side.

"How'd you do that?" Tyler is gripping my arm tightly.

"This won't hold it for long."

"Then what do we do?" I look at him then back at the door.

I focus on the door. I focus hard. Then the noises stop. The shaking ends.

"That will do it."

"What will?"

"It's fine."

"Let's just get out of here." He tries grabbing me and walking away, but I stand still.

"I need to check on something first."

"What?"

"I'll meet you outside."

"No. I'm coming with you."

"Fine. Then hold on tight." He grabs my arm tighter.

I focus once more and the hall begins to move. They move so fast it's almost dizzying. Then it all stops. Standing right in front of us is another hallway, but different. The floor. The ceiling. The doors. They're all burned up. The doors are broken. The rooms are empty.

"What is this?"

"My memories before I was 5."

"Did that thing do this?"

"No. Someone else did."