Spookys house of jumpscares

12: Inconspicuous Meat

cw: Vomit, Vague Suicidal Ideation

700

It took an embarrassing amount of time to figure out how to avoid being attacked by the parasite. Don't get to close, and don't get too far away. Pup had wriggled its way up onto his shoulder and was sitting in silence. Only making a noise on occasion when something began to chase them. 

The axe stayed gripped in his hand, only hitting the pop-outs, or, on the occasion it decided to pop its ugly head up, the puppet. That puppet crumpled to the ground whenever he hit it, it filled him with a sadistic joy that would be concerning, if not for that it was also trying to kill him.

The Static had been quiet, only whispering in his mind as he ran from the other monsters, try to sway him into turning his axe onto them as well. He wasn't too sure it would too much against a pile of goo, and a... ghost? Maybe the Centipede, and the parasite. But he was sure he could deal with that one without having to attack it.

709

It was eerily quiet as he trudged through the mansion, Pup hadn't made a single noise since the last elevator, aside from a small yelp when he smashed through a pop-up of a spider. He didn't remember the last time he had been left alone with his thoughts; The Static hadn't reared its ugly head once since the last creature.

He stared up at the next door, he didn't know why, but a creeping feeling of dread made its way up his spine

....

He walked into a fast-food establishment, empty spare for a few posters. Along with a single note laying on the ground by his feet. He didn't glance at it as he picked it up, Pup was whining, he wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. He had never been to a place like this before- His parents could hardly stand having to take him out in public to go clothes shopping, the only time he had asked his mom had glared at him with so much hatred even The Static went quiet.

Once he got out of here, he would go to one, he decided.

He did bother to read the third note, not bothering to read the other two in order to fill in any gaps of knowledge. He had a good idea by now, weird establishment with weird work practices, just like every other monsters' room.

'Well I broke my one rule today. The management doesn't give out actual lunch breaks, so I can't go anywhere, and they won't allow outside foods here. I mean they actually screamed at the last customer who did that. 

Anyway, I had a burger. It wasn't bad, and I don't feel sick, so I might get a few every now and then.'

He pushed open a door and froze as he stared at two plastic tubes, a rack of children's shoes sat in the corner of the room, and a list of rules was sat in-between the tubes. He gave the list a quick check, he was tall enough, and he didn't see a need to hide with his axe.

"Stay here, I'll be out as soon as I can,"

He put Pup down next to the shoe rack, it was dusty, the shoes looked as if they hadn't been touched in years. Just like the little pink shoes next door. 

He forced the thought of soft brown hair out of his head as he crawled into the entrance tube, scrunching his face at the smell. The tube's were sticky as he crawled through, the smell of bile filling his nostrils, if he had ate anything recently, he would have thrown up. 

He collected three more notes, making note to read them after he got out of this god forsaken tube. His hand landed in something wet, his head snapped down to see a key sitting in a puddle of something sticky. He gagged, no food able to come up, bile rose up in his throat, he coughed it out. He hurried out with the key held tight in his hand, knees stained with the sticky substance, falling onto his face as he clamored out of the tube. 

He gasped in the ... fresher air, it was still artificial, still awfully fake, but at least it didn't smell. He rolled onto his back and held up the notes, still not bothering to read the first two.

'This is strange... I had a dream last night about this restaurant. I know I was here, but I also felt like I was in another place at the same time. Everything looked so.. wrong. Nothing was the right size, and I kept hearing these strange animal noises, almost like wailing. I guess I just feel guilty for eating that burger the other day. 

Also, today I saw that man again. The one who kept ordering every 10 minutes. This time he never even left the parking lot. He just got his meal, parked, and then got back in line. He must have done it at least 8 times before he left.'

He made note to not eat anything he might have found in the building, even if it made his mouth water... He supposed it was common sense at this point, but he had already tried some of the goo creatures... goo. So it was good to confirm it to himself.

'There was a horrible 'accident' today. At least that's what the managers are calling it... One of the other employees brought in some outside food, and got into a fight with a manager about it. The employee said that the burgers here smell like sulfur. 

I then watched the manager grab the kid's neck and shove his head onto the grill. The employee got up and ran out before anyone could do anything, and I'm told that he is fine, but that really shook me today.'

For all the work experience he didn't have, only a few months at a gas station while he saved up money to leave his hometown, he knew that was definitely not normal. Must have been something in the meat. Pup wriggled over and laid on his chest, he scratched its little forehead as he read the last note.

'I'm leaving.

I fell asleep in my car today, after eating one of those burgers. I remembered brief flashes of a man or animal coming towards me and feeling like some huge, lumbering thing was wailing from deep underground as I continued eating. 

When I woke up I was fine, but had veered off the road. I don't know if it's some weird allergic reaction to a preservative they use or something much worse, but this is my last day.'

He dropped the note, eyes scanning back to the dusty shoe rack, in the lower corner was a human skull, he hadn't noticed earlier. It was to small to be an adults, so maybe the worker did get out, saved themself. He knew that they probably didn't, but the hope remained, nonetheless.

(After all, he did get out of his own hell. But only when he was 18, with nothing but dirty clothes and matted hair.

That was the last time he had seen his father, he had given him 20 dollars and a cupcake before telling him to never come back.)

Pup pulled him out of his own thoughts, he sat up and held Pup in his arms, staring at the creature's little face before standing up. The key had a small label that read 'Freezer' Which was more than likely where the key to get out was.

It was, and if the bad feeling when he first entered the building said anything, the moment he grabbed that key, he would be greeted by this buildings monster. Which again, was true.

It appeared in front of him, not moving, simply watching. A red creature with two long horns and empty eyes. He took a step back, closer to the door, it moved forward in sync with him, fazing through the door as he backed through it. Pup whined in his arms as he looked for the exit, to scared to turn away from the demon.

He saw it and ran. The burning of claws in his back almost sent him to the ground, but he hit the wall instead. His legs were numb as he ran, he hit the wall again, where did the door go? He glanced behind him as he aggressively banged on the wall where the door was, the creature was halfway too him. The wall cracked and swung open. The door was invisible, this fucking thing could make the door invisible.

He barreled through the door, hoping he would correct guess where the door would be in the next room. The creature got him a few more times, but by some miracle, he managed to get away from it. He wasn't safe, he was bleeding, and he didn't know what room he was in. He needed to move, he needed to keep going.

His legs protested against his movement, but even if he didn't want to keep going, he would, if not for his own safety. It would be for Pup's sake.

(Something to live for, because he wasn't living for himself)