Monster of Monsters #1 Part Two: Mortem's Contestant

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  Small walls on each side of the dungeon castle area slid up, and scorpions the size of large dogs crawled out and started towards Shukujo as if they were an invading army, and she was the fortress they needed to storm.

  "Keep them away!" Shukujo shrieked. "I hate those filthy things. I hate them! I hate how they peer into your mind and past. Do not let them touch me!" She screamed at them, "Stay back or I will eat you alive! Keep away from me! Keep away from me or I will eat you!"

  Kein stood from the corner and started toward Shukujo, but she stopped right at the white borderline. She gazed at the horde of scorpions with a sense of dread she hadn't felt in a long time, a dread that had been a constant and familiar companion, and then she yelled, "You can't do that to her!"

  "Why can't I?" Controller questioned. "Rules are rules. She didn't answer your additional question, so she must be punished. Shukujo knew this when she made the bargain. She has been a Resident here for a long time."

  "Stop, don't do this! You can't do this."

  "You never answered my question as to why I can't," Controller said.

  "You can't because... You can't because..." Kein repeated as she tried to think of a way to save the Kumovon without putting herself in jeopardy. "You have to stop! She answered my additional question. That was the bargain we struck. She just had to answer another question, and she did. She told me what happens if a bargain is violated!"

  The scorpions stopped as if they heard some sort of unspoken command, and then they returned to the walls they had crawled out of. The chains that confined Shukujo released her and returned to their holds, and Shukujo breathed heavily as if she couldn't catch her breath. She glared at the scorpions as they left in their victorious march. They might not have stormed the fortress, but they frightened the Kumovon to her very core.

  "I hate them," she muttered. "I hate them more than the Hanta."

  Kein took a step to help her, then looked down at the white borderline, and asked, "Are you okay?"

  Shukujo started to answer that she was fine, but then she peered at the delivery woman with this horrified look like something had gone wrong, and she uttered, "No... No... No... This is a nightmare. This could not have happened."

  "It's okay; the scorpions are gone now," Kein said as the last of them left the lair, and the small walls slid close. "You're safe now."

  "I do not mean them. I mean..." Shukujo started as the look she was giving her turned to one of loathing, and she said, "I do not owe you a thing, do you hear me? Just because you believe that you saved me somehow, I do not owe you a thing."

  "I forgot about the Kumovon pride," Kein spoke, relieved Shukujo was agitated she had helped her, not that she was hurt in any way. "If I had helped you, if I had saved your life, you would be indebted to me. You would have this obligation to help me in some way to repay my kindness, and that Shukujo, would make you scream with..."

  "Fierce annoyance," Shukujo interrupted, glaring at the human.

  Kein teased her, but she saw that the Kumovon really hated the idea of owing her anything, so Kein said, "It's too bad you don't owe me a debt. In this Mortem, I imagine a debt is very valuable but too bad you owe me nothing. I only pointed out the rules to Controller, and rules are rules."

  "What are you saying, baka?"

  "I'm saying... I'm saying I did nothing for you, so you owe me nothing back."

  "As long as you are clear that I owe you nothing," Shukujo told her. "I will never owe a human anything, never again."

  "I understand," Kein told her, even though for the most part it was a lie. She didn't understand Shukujo's hatred towards humans, and Kein told her, "I'm sorry. My lack of knowledge of the Mortem and my curiosity about your people caused you..."

  "What are you apologizing for, baka? I was not harmed in any way, and you cannot apologize enough to ever make up for the annoyance you are to me, so there is no need for your apology."

  Kein was taken aback. It was almost like Shukujo had told her not to worry about it. Kein stood at the white borderline for a long time, wondering if she put too much into Shukujo's reply. A lot of time went by, and Kein didn't know what to say, but then she remembered something and spoke, "I still need to go talk to the vampire." Kein started for the door, paused, and asked, "Any pointers as to how to get around his mojo?"

  "I do, but as you told Controller, I already answered all the questions I need to for today," Shukujo answered her.

  Kein sighed for the fourth time, a record for her in one day, then she left, and made her way to the final room.

  Shukujo's face softened as she watched the human leave, and then she said, "You do remind me of someone, baka. Someone I wish to forget about."

  Chapter Five

  End Of First Day

  In another room...

  The vampire was still lounging on the couch when Kein slowly entered, but this time he looked bored out of his mind.

  "Ma chère, you have returned. Come... Come sit with me," he spoke to her for the first time as if he wasn't sure she would approach him.

  "I'm going to stand right here," she told him. "My first question is..."

  "No... No..." he interrupted, but not in an angry way. He was more frustrated that she was in a hurry, and he stated, "Stay a while. Let's get to know each other."

  "Okay," Kein said. "Tell me about yourself."

  "Come... Come sit first," he urged.

  "I'll come a little closer each day, but today I'll stay here. You're a bloodsucker, and I'd like to keep mine."

  "A cautious creature, ma chère... Fine, what do you want to know about me?"

  Kein thought before she answered each of his questions so that her answers were not in the form of a question.

  "Tell me about yourself, your family, and the place you were born."

  The vampire began as he gestured with his hand as if conducting an orchestra, "Let me weave a tale for your ears. My twin brother and myself were born in 1888 outside of New Orleans. Our father was a tobacco baron and royalty in his own mind. Our mother was sickly, so she passed on when we were two. I have no other siblings. My fraternal brother and I lived the life of high society, indulging in any whim we desired.

  She thought he was very opened compared to the other Residents, and she asked, "What is your name?"

  "I am either Labaron or Lafayette. No one could ever tell us apart, not even our father or the slave woman who raised us."

  "I see. It's a game," Kein replied as she loved games that didn't involve life or death situations. Her next question was aimed at herself as she spoke, "Which of the two are you?" She said to him, "I don't know enough about you yet, so I'll try out each name. I'll start with Labaron." He gave no hints as to whether or not she selected the correct name, so she asked, "Labaron, how did you end up here?"

  "Here as to this room? It was a reward for slaying a windigo. Nasty creatures who don't care who they eat. Did you know that the living and undead are fair game to them?" he questioned, and when she didn't answer, he asked, "Or do you mean how did I end up on the Basement Level? I had actually made it to Level 2 but was punished and sent back here. Did that answer your question?" He waited again, and she didn't say anything, so he asked, "Or did you mean how did I end up in the Mortem? Treachery is why I am here."

  "How did you become a vampire? Were you born or turned?"

  "I wish not to speak of when I was sired. It is still a touchy subject for me."

  "I withdraw the question for now, and I'll ask..."

  "Answer my question, and I'll answer more of yours," he spoke. "You have met all the Residents on Basement Level. Tell me what you know about them so far. It's a quiz," the vampire told her, then leaned over to the table, lifted a clear lid to a red button, and pushed it.

  "What's that for?" Kein asked.

  "You could say that it gives me about thirty minutes of privacy. I can only use it once a day."

  "I don't understand. Explain this privacy."

  "You'll learn about it later. Righ
t now you're taking a quiz, ma chère. I just want to see how right I am about you."

  "I usually don't do very good with quizzes, but here I go," Kein told him. "King Ammon is a mummy who belongs to Corruptiaregenesis Class."

  "Meaning..?" Labaron inquired of her.

  "Meaning his classification is among those beings who have been created by a curse. It's also known as Corrupt'genesis for short." Kein felt like she was back in school as she continued, "Kumovons and Piscispopulus are both of the Naturalisgenesis Class or natural born. Dr. Jekyll and Frankenstein's monster are of the Genesis Scientia Class or created from science, but that classification can also include those who have been mutated by some other method. The werewolf pup and yourself are Infectiogenesis Class which are created by an infection. Some vampires are natural born, but since the vampirism virus is passed on, those vampires are still considered in the Infectiogenesis Class. A bio-engineered zombie would fall into that classification as well, but they could also be considered Genesis Scientia Class."

  "Is this true of all zombies, ma chère?"

  "No, a zombie created from a voodoo ceremony, that zombie would fall under the Corrupt'genesis Class, but as a lower form since they are controlled by a master."

  "I've heard those classifications before," Labaron told her. "They're definitely human, and they only refer to..."

  "Monsters," she replied.

  "Yes," he said as he smirked. "They only refer to us monsters, and by you telling me all this, I believe I know something about you, something you might be keeping as a secret."

  "I do have secrets, but that's not one of them," she stated, keeping up with the cryptic talk he started. "Tell me about the other Residents," Kein said, and then she added, "It was our bargain."

  "You have learned much about the Mortem on your own," Labaron stated, and then he answered her question, "King Ammon has been here on Basement Level the longest. He rarely associates with any of us, and I get this feeling that he never wants to leave the Basement Level as if he's waiting on someone." Labaron leaned forward and grabbed a cherry from a dish of them that sat on the coffee table before him, and then he said, "The Atlantian has been here almost as long as King Ammon, but he hasn't always been on Basement Level. I don't know much about him. He does like books and games, but I have heard he is much much older than King Ammon. The creature you've seen roaming the hallways is our newest addition. He's been here about a year, but he isn't a Resident. None of the Coaches have claimed him for he's more of a guardian than a Resident. Dr. Jekyll has been here almost as long as I have. He was here when I was banished back to the Basement Level."

  "Does that mean you progressed to the next level shortly after coming here?"

  "Keen ears, ma chère. I broke a record for fastest progression up to the next two levels, and then I broke another record for being banished back the fastest."

  "What about the Kumovon?"

  "Now she's interesting." He put a hand to his cheek as if remembering some slap, and then he said, "I don't think she likes me. She has been here about five years."

  "The building, the Mortem... tell me more about them."

  "The Mortem has been going on for hundreds of years in this very spot," Labaron told her. "I believe a castle was here at one point. The office building you saw on the surface was built about thirty years ago. The previous office building was destroyed in some fire." He picked up another cherry and continued, "The Mortem is were a bunch of wealthy people bet on... how should I put it? They bet on outcomes of certain situations. There are many rules and everyone must abide by them. Our level is run by Controller, but the Mortem Masters run the show, and there is at least one Coach for each Resident and vice versa." He ate the cherry, and then told her, "Our part in the Mortem is to survive."

  She thought about his comment, and then she asked, "Escape, tell me about it."

  "Many have tried to escape, but I don't know of any who have succeeded. Humans are rare in the Mortem. They usually never make it to Level 1, and they always make up the Opening. It is a good thing, I was running a little dry."

  Kein thought about his answers. It was all so overwhelming, and there was still so much she didn't know.

  "I still don't understand, what is the point of the Mortem?"

  Labaron answered, "I've always wondered that myself. Are we all here only for others' entertainment or is there an underlining reason to all of this, some dark reason or secret?"

  She didn't expect for this vampire to answer so many of her questions, so she never planned on asking more than a few. Kein decided the most important thing was that she needed to rest and find a place she could safely do so.

  "What one thing would you ask me to bring you the next time I come?"

  "Blood..." Labaron told her. "I could always use blood, but with the last Opening, I should be good for a few days."

  "I can't think of anything else to ask you, so I'm going to be going now," Kein told him.

  He said, "Remember your promise, you'll come a little closer tomorrow."

  Kein opened the door and started to leave the room when a sound drew her attention to something in the corner she had overlooked. A large bat on a gothic-style grandfather clock came to life and loudly screeched as it flapped its wings. It was so sudden that it startled her, and she turned back around to see what caused the commotion.

  "What was that?" she uttered as the clock chimed its first bong-sound out of twelve.

  Controller spoke over the intercom, "It's the end of day chime. No Resident is allowed to harm another Resident from the witching hour to the break of 3 A.M."

  "I thought something was attacking me," Kein stated as she put a hand to her chest. "My heart's still beating..." She took a couple of deep breaths, and then she asked, "Is it that late?" She glanced in the hallway as she realized she had left herself open to attack and questioned, "What about the werewolf pup? Is he..?"

  "He has been called to his cage," Controller told her. "He will not be released until 3."

  "What now?" Kein asked. "Do I have a room? I'm exhausted."

  "Only Residents have rooms. You will have to make do with what you can find, and I should remind you that the Black Arrow room is no longer available to you."

  "It's not very nice to kidnap someone and not have a room and bed for them," Kein complained, and then she glanced around the dark hallway that was darker than it should be with all the torches. Something seemed to rustle within the shadows and the areas of blackness, and she decided she couldn't stay out there, so she said, "I heard that there's a point system. Did I make any points today, and if I did, what can I use them on?"

  "You did make points for the Opening, and you can spend them on whatever you would like."

  "I'd like a sleeping bag, a blanket, a pillow, and something to eat."

  "Just how many points do you believe you made today?" Controller questioned her. "You don't have enough for all of those things."

  "What can I get from the things I requested?"

  "You could get a pillow."

  "I really should eat something, but I really need a pillow too."

  "I'm feeling generous," Controller told her, and then he asked, "How about you can purchase a pillow without a pillowcase, and I'll give you an apple?"

  "I guess it's better than nothing," Kein said, and then she asked, "Where do I get these items?"

  "Walk over to the door with the black arrow."

  Several seconds later...

  "I'm here."

  "When the arrow turns green, open the door," Controller instructed her.

  Kein looked up, and when the arrow turned green, she opened the door to find a pillow minus the pillowcase and a very small red apple.

  "One last question," she began. "Where is the truck cart dolly that I brought in with me?"

  "I had it removed before the start of Opening, so no one would hurt themselves tripping over it."

  "Wouldn't want that," Kein mumbled. "Nothing like a contestant dying before o
ne of the Residents had a chance to dismember them."

  "What did you say?"

  "Nothing, can I have my dolly back?"

  "You can," Controller replied. "I will have it delivered before 3 A.M."

  "Thank you," she said. "Never know when it might come in handy."

  Kein wearily walked to Shukujo's room, entered, moved over to the corner, set her pillow down, sat down, leaned against the wall, and started eating her apple.

  "I don't think I've seen an apple this small before," she complained. "I'll have it ate in three bites."

  Shukujo crawled in from the back of her lair, and she questioned, "What are you doing here?"

  "I'm not a Resident, so I don't have a room yet."

  "You cannot stay here. Go bunk with one of the others."

  "One, they're all guys, two, I'd never get any sleep in their rooms cause I'd be too afraid they'd kill me in my sleep or worse."

  "You believe that I will not?" Shukujo questioned her.

  "As long as I stay on this side of the Kumo'sakai, I'm ninety-five percent sure I'll be fine or is it eighty-nine percent?" Kein spoke, and then she mumbled, "Anyway, don't you owe me for earlier?"

  "What was that?"

  "Nothing," Kein said as she finished the small apple which only made her stomach growl all the more. "Anyway, you'll enjoy having me here. You'll have someone to talk to."

  "Why would I want to talk to you? I want to kill you, make you scream in delightful pain, but I definitely do not want to talk to you."

  "Sure you do," Kein said and then she yawned.

  Shukujo yawned also.

  "You like me, you just don't know it yet. You may never realize it, but you like me."

  "You are trying to upset me and see if I will break taboo and cross the Kumo'sakai."

  "No, I'm only... I'm only trying to talk away my own fears. It's hard being down here alone, but I can at least pretend that I have you. Yes, we're very good friends. We're so good of friends that I have given you a name and you like it, and we are very close to you telling me your real name."