Hear No Evil

Chapter 6

Dr. Solace didn't move away from Nico despite the shadows that seemed to grow. There was something about Case 142 that Dr. Solace liked.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I don't want to leave you, Mr. Shadow Man!"

~

"I don't want to go!"

~

"Come with me! You gotta! Please!"

~

His arms shook and his muscles tore and his eyeballs started to melt again. He stayed there, hanging from his arms, fighting with something he loved as much as momma.

Maybe that was just tears, not blood, but he'd never know.

~

"Please, I can't go without you!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Nico, I want you to calm down," Dr. Solace spoke. Soft. Quiet. Relaxing. He held a hand out and laid it on Nico's leg, mirrored what he had done earlier, move it down the leg but didn't unwrap it. "I won't deny you anymore. Just promise to stay calm."

Nico's hands moved against the restraints. The rest of his body acted as if he had no muscles at all.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shadow Man was spread over the basement floors and the basement walls. His fingers were longer than Nico's face and his legs were bent upside down. His face was just shadow and would forever just be shadow.

The shadows will guide you, others like me.

The shadows love you

I love you

Don't you see?

You need to run, boy. You need to run

before They return

You need to run and never look back

not for momma or bianca or zoe

not for me or the eyes or the bones

not for your room or the hallways or Them

especially not for Them

If you don't run you'll die here,

just like me

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Nico rolled the back of his head against the padded wall as a single tear ran down his cheek. It felt too much like his eyeballs were melting. It reminded him too much of momma.

"Dr. Solace..."

"Yeah, Nico?"

"Shadow Man doesn't lie. He didn't lie. They're here with me, now."

"Who is, Nico?"

"The dead."