No hope.
He was pulled into the wet, stinking pit, and the light cut out as the mouth closed around him, pushing the putrefied, gummy flesh onto his face, smothering him completely. He felt like he was being eaten alive, like he’d fallen prey to a Venus flytrap.
The pressure was immense, and he felt teeth puncture his skin, causing excruciating pain. Templeton’s screams were then muffled as something he could not see slithered into his mouth, forcing its way down his throat to his stomach. He could feel this invading, phallic thing expel something inside of him—and it burned.
The pain from the foreign sludge that pumped into him—coupled with the pressure of the sucking mouth—was simply too much to take. Certain he was in the throes of a horrific death, and in absolute agony and torment, Director Templeton lost consciousness.
And even after he did, the Great Being continued to use his ruined body as it wished.
Changing it.
Shaping it.
The entity had a specific purpose in mind for this mortal and his shell of flesh. It would use the husk to birth something. Something different from its other children.
Something truly unique.
Chapter 40
It was a stampede.
Adrian struggled to keep his footing as the bodies of terrified inmates around him surged down the corridor. If he fell, then no one would stop to help him—he would be trampled and left to the horrors that now chased them all.
So he concentrated on keeping his footing and making it to the Communal Area, even though he knew was pointless in the end.
Because after that, there was nowhere else to go. No escape lay ahead, and those things would eventually get through and show them a gruesome end.
They soon reached the large Communal Area, and the mass of people started to filter inside, fighting to get in, all acutely aware of the beasts that chased them, snapping at their heels.
After he was through, Adrian turned and saw that Sean had dropped to the floor just outside the door and was screaming in agony. Others ran over him and he grabbed the leg of one of the patients close to him. The patient tried to pull away, but lost his balance and fell to the floor.
‘Help me,’ Sean said, desperately, as he started to convulse.
The patient in his grasp kicked out at him. ‘Let me go!’
The approaching creatures grew ever closer, but not everyone was inside yet.
‘Close the door,’ someone yelled, and those nearest the entrance obeyed, forcing them shut.
‘Wait!’ Adrian yelled, but it was too late—Sean and four other patients were locked out, on their own and the first to die. ‘You cowards!’ Adrian yelled, but through the glass of the door he saw that their actions may actually have been wise.
The four helpless men began frantically pounding on the door, begging for a mercy they were not afforded.
Before Adrian’s very eyes, Sean began to change, still holding the leg of the struggling patient. The creatures stormed into view as well—the behemoth standing tall above them all—but held back, watching as the transformation occurred.
Sean screamed in agony as he began to fatten and stretch, his face turning into a round, open mouth containing a ring of sharp teeth that circled round and round, disappearing into the black gullet beyond. His arms and legs melded into the long mass of his body, until he became more worm than man, one of grotesque size. Its skin was a dull brown—tumorous and lumpy with a sheen of slime. Small, milky eyes pinpricked the wriggling form, and it began to move forward, crawling towards the patient Sean had been holding. He was backpedaling but had nowhere to go. The other creatures still held back, happy to let their new addition have its first kill.
And kill it did.
The monstrous worm opened its mouth wider than should have been possible, even considering its girth, and it lunged forward, taking the man’s kicking legs into its maw.
It bit down.
The patient screamed and kicked and writhed as the ten-foot worm began to suck him into its mass. Fighting all the way, the patient was dragged up to his waist, then to his shoulders, as he screeched in pure agony.
His head was the last thing to disappear inside, swallowed up by the slimy thing.
The other remaining men outside screamed for help, but they were left alone.
Abandoned.
Then things took an unexpected turn—if indeed anything that had come before could be considered expected.
After holding its food within its bulk, the fat worm turned itself to face the door that separated it from the rest of the patients. It opened its mouth and purged, regurgitating the man it had just swallowed whole.
The screaming inside the Communal Area increased as everyone—Adrian included—saw what was left of the poor patient spill out and slop out to the floor. Amazingly, he was still alive, though was writhing and moaning, mostly dissolved and melted.
He was devoid of skin and his body was a pinkish-red in tone, his flesh gooey and dribbling down over his bones in streaks of sickly yellow. One side of his face was gone, revealing the workings beneath, the eyeball still present but sagging and losing its roundness. Steam rose from the screaming man as he lifted a deformed arm, pleading to the people hiding behind the door.
‘Heeeeeellllgh meeeeeeee,’ he cried, not able to properly form the words.
The agony must have been unimaginable as whatever acids that coated him continued to melt and dissolve him.
And it appeared this was a signal for the other creatures, allowing them to get to work and indulge themselves as well. And the first, of course, was the monstrous behemoth that used to be Jones.
The other entities circled around it, seemingly fearful to get too close, as it reached down and grasped one of the unfortunate, abandoned patients. It clasped a huge hand around his throat and lifted him up. So large was the meaty paw that, when it closed, the patient’s neck actually seemed to stretch up to an unnatural length, his jaw crushing and cracking as it did, to allow the mass of the hand to form a fist. The man seemed to be trying to scream as the monster lifted him higher, but he could only form a strained sound, given the lack of airway available to him. He kicked and fought in the grip of the terrifying giant.
The hulking thing raised another massive hand and grabbed at the man’s torso and then, in a slow, painfully drawn-out motion, it pulled.
The man’s eyes opened wide as his head rose… but his body did not. Blood poured from between the brute’s thick fingers as the head split from the torso beneath, the neck pulling apart into long strings of red meat. The man’s mouth still moved, a reflex action of the fading nervous system, as a length of his spine dangled down from beneath the monster’s fist.
His body was dumped to the floor and the severed head held high.
The monster bellowed out an ungodly roar, and the others about it screeched excitedly.
‘What the hell is that?’ one of the orderlies asked, the same one who had done so much talking earlier.
Fearful murmurings rippled around the room. They all watched through the wired glass panels as the beast dropped the detached head to the floor and squashed it underfoot. The remaining three patients were then set upon by the other creatures, who wanted their own chance to kill. One man was thrown to the floor and his stomach torn open, the innards on show feasted upon by a gaggle of smaller abominations, like pigs feeding at a trough.
Another was surrounded by a different group that pulled the skin and flesh from his body in large chunks, leaving crimson-soaked bones glistening beneath. The last man, who was pinned screaming in a corner, lost of all of his limbs, leaving only a torso and head wriggling and squealing on the floor as blood pumped from the bloodied stumps.
Now the behemoth stepped forward, over the melted man who still twitched, and it roared again, before slamming a fist into the door, rattling it on its hinges.
Adrian knew that the door would not hold for long, and the hulking creature struck again, ready to indulge in mo
re carnage.
Everyone inside the room pulled back, running to the outer edges, hugging the wall tight—but there was nowhere left to go. They were trapped in here, and the creatures outside were about to find their way in.
In short order, the door gave way, and the demons of hell came through.
Chapter 41
It awoke.
Consciousness flooded into its mind.
From nothing came something, and its nervous system tingled to life.
It kicked, finding itself confined in a warm and safe space.
Something in its gut pulled free and slithered from its mouth, relieving pressure in its stomach and throat.
It kicked again, squirming, quickly tiring of its confines, yearning for freedom.
Memories began to surface.
Echoes of a past life.
No.
That was wrong.
It was not just a single past life.
Confusing, contrasting memories fought for attention. Two different beings, on two separate planes of existence.
A temperature change drew the thing’s attention, and it felt cold air on its skin as an opening formed in its protective cocoon.
The thing opened its two eyes and could make out light—an ugly yellow hue, seeping in from the opening before it. It crawled forward, reaching for its freedom, and eventually pulled itself out of the fleshy, pulsating surroundings and into a new environment.
It dropped to the hard floor, the cold rushing in to meet it from all around.
It heard a voice, not its own, within its mind.
Stand.
The being complied and pushed itself up, feeling strength start to flow in a body consisting of only two arms, which it felt was restrictive and primal.
Though unsteady, it was able to climb up and stand on its feet.
The room around was covered in flesh, similar to that it had just escaped from.
No, been born from.
And at the centre of this expanse was a specific outline—a body similar to its own.
That was the entity, the thing knew, that had birthed it and communicated with it.
Its creator.
And this creator had also transferred its memories and knowledge—though not all was available just yet. It came in gradual waves.
This was frustrating.
The thing wanted more, and it wanted it now, desperate to feed and gorge on the knowledge that was dripping into its consciousness. Sensing this anger, the parental entity spoke again.
Patience.
The newborn laid a hand on the flesh—an affectionate gesture—and it heard the multitude of mouths that lined the expanse of skin chatter in response.
Then it listened as its creator told of the conflicting memories… and where they both came from.
The being learned of its creator’s home—a place of wondrous chaos. And it learned of the place where it now existed.
It was then told its purpose—the reason for its birth.
And when it had all the knowledge it needed, the thing in Director Templeton’s ruined body left its creator behind forever.
Chapter 42
Adrian braced himself.
This was it.
He had always maintained he was willing to accept death in the facility, and now it appeared it was before him in the form of monsters and devils.
Punishment indeed.
And yet he found himself pushed back against the far wall with the others, clinging to the false hope of life and continued existence. He realised just how desperate he was to live. Or to avoid a gruesome end.
And what followed was a massacre.
A sadistic orgy of violence, desecration, and depravity, dealt out by beings that had more suffering in mind than simple animalistic instincts of hunting and feeding.
It wasn’t just killing, but prolonged torture and torment.
With nowhere to go, it was a matter of sheer chance as to who would be claimed and killed first. Screaming, terrified men were plucked from the false safety of their huddled groups, thrown to the floor and opened up as the creatures swamped the room. The patients’ red, wet insides were raised up into the air with what appeared to be excitable glee from of the monsters. Limbs were pulled free and thrown into the cowering men who still pressed themselves against the walls, as if taunting them as their friends were killed.
It was all too much, and Adrian’s grip on reality threatened to slip completely as he saw one patient crawling along the floor, screeching and desperate, in a state of utter terror. He didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that his body was ripped at the waist, with red, spaghetti-like strands of guts and intestines dragging behind him, leaving a trail of crimson liquid.
A strong smell of copper filled the air—the smell of death.
Adrian hugged the wall behind him as one of the living nightmares approached. It was that vile worm, what used to be Sean, and it wriggled its way closer, arching its centre as it did, its movements like that of a caterpillar. Adrian noticed other features at this close distance as well, including small, stabbing legs that held its weight as it moved. The thing drew nearer, reared up, supporting itself on its hind third, and opened its dripping mouth. But it wasn’t facing Adrian… not quite.
Luckily for him.
The thing made a disgusting, gurgling sound, and belched forward a yellow liquid from its mouth in a powerful blast. The fluid coated the patient next to Adrian, and Adrian quickly pulled away from him, feeling a ferocious burning on his arm where some of the liquid had landed.
However, the patient next to him had taken the full hit and was howling in agonising pain. Adrian could smell it before he even looked up—a stomach-churning mixture of sour bile and burning flesh. The man’s hands were on his face, but as he pulled them away Adrian saw a melted mess beneath; a mixture of running yellows, pinks, and browns that held the vague shape of a face, but one that sagged and dropped. Adrian managed to put further distance between himself and the unfortunate victim next to him as another blast of the searing liquid coated the inmate. Then another, mercilessly, as he screamed like Adrian had never heard anyone before.
The vile smell grew stronger as the man was coated in even more of the bile-like substance. He dropped to the floor, throwing his arms over his head, but the assault continued. The man’s hands soon melted into his bubbling cranium, and his clothing dissolved, leaving his dripping, oozing body visible beneath, now with a consistency of running wax. As his throat oozed away, stripping the vocal cords, the inmate’s screams halted, but he still writhed as his flesh pooled below him. A sagging ribcage was exposed as more and more of the liquid was spewed over him. Thankfully, he eventually stopped moving, and the creature moved in, lowering its monstrous mouth to what was left of his body.
Adrian ran when he heard the slurping sounds as the beast started to suck up the watery remains.
He slipped on an entrail and fell to the floor, suddenly feeling far too far exposed out in the open.
Ready to be picked off.
He scuttled backwards, practically crab-walking, and again pressed himself against the side wall. Looking out into the chaos, Adrian saw that poor Trevor had been taken as well. A hunched creature with a bloated, translucent belly showing black blood within had him captured, embraced in a hug. And it appeared to have just finished its act of regurgitating the black substance—that seemed to be at the heart of this madness—into Trevor’s mouth, and the poor man was now bucking and spasming in its arms.
It then dropped him to the floor, seemingly finished with him, and moved on to its next victim, joining in with a crowd of other beasts that were literally pulling a man apart. Legs and arms were twisted free, and his stomach was pulled open. Lastly, his jaw was yanked off, leaving a lolling tongue that wriggled in the air before the head was detached completely.
Adrian watched as Trevor then turned.
Like the other transformations he had witnessed, this one, too, caused the victim to twitch and move in
sudden, broken spasms. And the process was obviously excruciating, as Trevor screamed in pain while his chest expanded and a gelatinous gut pushed out even further. Grotesque, veiny bosoms formed and sagged down to his sides. His arms and legs engorged as well, fattening out as his body grew, and his head was pulled down towards one fat shoulder. Another monstrous head and face emerged and reared up, taking prominence—demonic, with a round, snapping mouth. Adrian couldn’t help but think it had feminine features, with sharp eyes and a thin nose. Trevor’s face was now completely melded into the flesh of the left shoulder, still screaming in silence as no sounded emitted from the moving mouth.
This new creature stood high, almost as tall as the behemoth that was now running wild.
But Trevor’s transformation was not quite complete.
Something that loosely resembled male genitalia started to protrude from the underside of the sagging, grey gut. The long, stalk-like thing moved and bobbed independently, and even had a snapping mouth of its own—lined with teeth—at the head.
A horrific mesh of male and female, twisted into a monstrous form.
Mother, Adrian thought.
And soon Mother was on someone, and the acts of depravity she carried out on that poor inmate were vile beyond belief. Screaming was of no use as the poor man was violently abused and then killed, his limbs twisted and torn away.
Adrian wanted to give up. Seeing such carnage and depravity was just too much. Part of him just wanted to lie down and wait for death to come, but the fear of how painful that death would be drove him on.
He crawled onwards, trying to skirt the edge of the room to avoid the violence and make it back to the door. Maybe there was a small chance that he could make it unseen, though the odds of that were not in his favour.
The Extreme Horror Collection Page 38
