Sinister Ego : Dangerous Minds

12. Cradle

Warning: this chapter contains strong violence. Like please don't think I'm insane.

*

I felt a jolt from outside of my cell, and before I knew it, the door holding me inside was pushed open. I felt a surge of different kinds of emotion: fear as to who or what was awaiting me on the other side, and relief as I knew I might not have to stay in the dark room forever.

The door was gently pushed all the way open, revealing the small Ghandi look alike from earlier. "Father" as he had been called.

He smiled at me.

But I could see the anger in his eyes.

He walked into the cell and shut the door behind him, backing into a corner and sitting down on the floor. A heavy, extremely awkward silence suddenly consumed the room as I wondered what the next moments would bring.

After what felt like a long, grueling hour, Father finally spoke.

"Why are you here, Ricky Alexander? What brings you to my temple? I of course know, but do you?"

I frowned at his choice of words. Temple?

"I-I," I struggled to find my voice, to concentrate on any coherent thought.

Father let out a heavy sigh. "You aren't in trouble, child. Do not be scared."

I felt a jolt of anger in my chest. "Don't call me that."

He glared. "I can call you whatever I want. I'm in charge here. I expect you to treat me as such. I expect you to treat me with respect."

I scowled. "I don't have to treat you like shit. I don't even know you, and I don't want to be a part of your retarded ass cult bullshit. So why don't you just let me the fuck go."

Both anger and fear pulsated through each word that came out of my mouth, causing my voice to shake as I spoke.

"You aren't to speak to me with that sort of language," the man growled. "This is a respectable place, as represented by the pureness of the clothing and peacefulness represented by the powder on the floor."

I just glared at him, like he was insane. He cleared his throat to say more.

"Why don't you follow me, Ricky? I have something to show you. And if you're really as smart as I've heard, you won't try to get away this time."

********

"Please! Please don't do this!"

The cries filled the room. It was another small, white, uninteresting room. The room that he wanted to show me. It was inhabited by only three people:

Me, Father, and the victim.

"Please!"

But the man just kept sliding down the wooden spike, screaming as his bottom side was impaled.

I never would have thought I would actually have the harsh displeasure to witness the Judas Cradle at work in real life. Or any torture device, for that matter. It was so disturbing, so repulsive. So spine tingling and nightmare inducing. I watched as father just kept a straight face the entire time as he stared into the man's eyes, watching as he slipped further and further down the wedge, as blood dripped down every angle of it, seeping from a gaping internal cut, as the inside of the very bottom portion of his body was simply... Destroyed.

"Get me off!"

I subconsciously grabbed my own ass and cringed at the sight, just imagining the pain. The thoughts came at me all so quickly: was this how I was going to die? Was I next? A surge of fear ate at my heart as I turned my head towards the door, where two giant guards in blood red robes stood, each with those same wicked blades as earlier. There was no hope of escape for me.

"Oh...oh my god," I muttered as I clutched my stomach, feeling my lunch arise in my chest. Even as I let it spill out of my guts and all over the floor, Father's gaze never moved from the victim, whose screams just became louder and louder as the man slipped further and further down the cradle, closer and closer to certain death, rather it be to the impalement or the horrendous infections left behind from the Judas Cradle. I had heard once on the history channels that the devices were rarely cleaned even after being used dozens of times.

"Do you see, Ricky? Do you see what happens when you disobey me?" Father asked this as he still stared directly at the victim.

"I-I..."

"Do you see?"

I let out a shaky breath and nodded vigoursly.

"Do you see why you can't leave?"
I nodded again.

Father smiled, and stepped forward, climbing a set of steps to be able to put his hands on the man's shoulders and exert all his strength on his body, causing it to travel faster down the huge wedge and to places that would not have been achieved without the extra force. His body began to change form with the spike as it entered depths of his body that should not have been possible, stretching and widening and splitting apart as it made room for the cradle. Slight scrambling noises could be heard as it happened, as multiple body parts were pierced.

Blood now gushed from both the bottom and top of his body, flowing out of his mouth like a crimson river. A heavy silence followed the man's final scream.

And father continued to smile as he aided the death machine. He just smiled, and smiled, and smiled more.

******

I sat in the darkness of my cell. I wasn't even thinking. I was just crying. Crying for that man, for that victim, crying for my horrible luck, crying for my fate. Cries of confusion, cries of pure worry and terror.

And I looked down at the white clothes in my hands that father had given me before he left me to cry.

I stood up from my cold cot, removed my pants and shirt, and changed into my new clothes.

*******

A/N: I need Jesus in my life.