Never Ending

Hide-and-Seek Pt.2

Kostas awoke with a start at the sound of the fiery nurse's voice as it rang throughout Hell. "Alright. It's time for the real fun to begin." There was a slight pause in which Kostas could hear the thundering of his heart. He was certain he was about to die soon--even after all of his careful planning. 

"Let the game begin." Kostas could practically see her smug smirk as she spoke the phrase. Without a moment to spare, all of Hell shook as all of the Hellions raced to begin their search. Though he knew this chase would begin, Kostas still found his breathing getting faster and his thoughts racing as adrenaline coursed through his bloodstream.

Kostas clutched his dagger as he tried to calm himself. 'Don't lose yourself to panic. Panic is just a hair's breath different from suffering; and if I suffer, any Hellions in this area will be able to sense me.' With that thought in mind, he forced his breathing to slow and quietly sat in his hiding spot.

Dying was truly horrible--particularly the ways in which Kostas had been killed; however, at this moment, waiting seemed much worse. He could hear the Hellions search for him and he knew it was only a matter of time before his whereabouts became known to every one of them. The moment he started to suffer, was the moment in which the already morbid game would become nothing but a blood bath. Still, Kostas fought to keep his breathing and heart rate regular--he was determined to put off the inevitable for as long as possible.

However, the sound of footsteps caused his heart to nearly stop. Whatever creature was currently in his cave, it had long nails that could be heard scraping against the rock. Just imagining all the ways the claws could cause him pain, made him shutter. 'No. I can't think like that. There is no way I'm giving up my position this quickly. Right now, they're all looking for me and leaving Kory alone--I'll keep them entertained.' Kostas thought determinedly. 

The creature seemed to walk around before being joined by others. Time felt as though it had been frozen as he listened to the Hellions come and go. After a while, his body began feeling sore and cramped in the same position; however, Kostas dared not move. 'The moment they find me, it's over.' He silently repeated to himself over and over each time he was tempted to shift his position.

Not only were his ears at work, but also his eyes. He knew not all Hellions were big enough to make a sound when approaching. Remembering his time spent with the roach hellion was more than enough motivation to watch every shadow that danced in Hell's ever-present glow. His eyes darted from wall to wall as he listened intently--waiting for any sign that he had been found.

All of his senses were peaked, his body and mind were on edge as they anxiously waited for the moment he would need to take action. So much so that Kostas began to question whether every noise he heard was real or if his mind was just trying to fill the dreadful silence. However, when he heard an excited shriek from one of the Hellions inside the cave, he desperately wished that it was only his imagination playing tricks on him.

"That's my sword!" The voice shrilled. Kostas winced. He had taken great care to hide all of the weapons, but it appeared he had been found out.

"That could just be a decoy to throw us off." Came a smooth voice in response to the first. Kostas felt his tense muscles relax a little before the voice spoke again. "Though, we should definitely check this cave system thoroughly before just assuming that to be the case." All the tension came flooding back to his body as he heard their steps quicken as they searched with new vigor.

'Don't panic. Don't panic.' Kostas continued to repeat the phrase in his head. However, as the duo moved closer, he could feel his heart rate go up. His body nearly shivered with all of the adrenaline it had pent up and the new sounds reverberating towards him was only adding more to his bloodstream.

Kostas nearly jumped when the high-pitched voice spoke up again. "Can you believe nobody has been able to find him for two whole days?" 

'Two days?' Kostas pondered what he had just heard. 'If that's right, I could maybe go back home soon. The nurse said that the moment Kory was released from the hospital, I would be released from Hell. If I can just keep the Hellions here a little longer, the doctors will think that Kory has been healed and release him!' For the first time in a while, Kostas could feel hope surging within him.

"It is shocking." The smooth voice answered. Kostas's breathing got quicker. The voices were getting closer; he felt his newfound hope leaving nearly as quickly as it came. "Still," The voice continued, "Our portion of Hell isn't small and he is just one tiny human; but, that being said, he can't stay hidden forever."

The voices continued to inch closer as time moved painstakingly slow. Kostas could feel the cold sweat drip down his body as he listened to them move closer and closer. His body felt electric from being on-edge for so long--to the point, part of him wished for the two to just find his hiding spot and end this horrible wait.

"So, what are you planning on doing to him once we find him?" The shrill voice sounded.

They were in the room. 'Don't panic.' Kostas mentally screamed when he realized they were nearly right beneath him.

"Well, I've always been curious about the insides of humans. I wonder how they differ from us?" The other voice spoke calmly.

'Don't let them know you're here. Once they find you, it is over.' His breath was stuck in his lungs and his body frozen as he tried to reason with his fear.

"That doesn't sound like fun." The ear-piercing voice replied. "I want to scoop out his insides, carve him, and then stick a light in him. I saw that humans do that to pumpkins--now that is fun."

His eyes burned from the sweat that was dripping into them, yet he dared not move to swipe it away. 'I have to remain calm.' Kostas pleaded with himself. 'I can't ruin this when I'm so close to achieving my goal.'

"I see." The matured voice replied shortly.

The silence that followed was nearly unbearable. Kostas could tell that the two were just standing there, and they seemed to be in no hurry to leave. 'Just go.' He silently pleaded. 'I just want to return to Kory and a normal life. Don't ruin this now.'