The Mesmerized

by Rhiannon Frater

  Bailey’s slick digits lost their hold when Jake’s long stride carried her out of Minji’s reach. Hurrying after Jake and Bailey, Minji felt a tug on her wrist. Whipping about, she saw Ava caught behind several young men, the leash between her backpack and Minji pulled taunt.

  The massive crowd took another synchronized step toward the escalators and the balcony overlooking the waterfall. Tracing their path with her eyes, Minji’s heart raced. Would they stop when they reached the iron railing lining the second floor? Would they tumble down the escalator? Panicked, Minji shoved past the enraptured men blocking her daughter and jerked Ava into her arms. Ramrod straight, eyes staring to some unknown point and scarily reminding Minji of a doll, Ava didn’t resist. Desperate to secure Ava’s safety, Minji pushed through the forest of human statues to the entrance of the nearest store. The blank-faced employees cluttered the doorway, making it impassable.

  Another thunderous clap echoed as the crowd again advanced.

  Panicked, Minji checked on her husband. Jake towered above the others making him easy to spot. The front of the crowd had reached the opening to the balcony and the top of the escalators. Jake was located in the middle of the mass and aimed toward the rectangular balcony that jutted out over the courtyard beneath the domed skylight.

  “Shit!”

  Desperate, Minji searched for a way to secure her child. Spying the potted plant where they’d taken cover just a few minutes before, Minji started to aggressively elbow through the people blocking the way. The immobile bodies resembled statues not only in appearance, but also in their unrelenting mass, making her task quite difficult. Squeezing between two females, Minji arrived at the plant and set Ava next to it.

  “Ava, if you can hear me, I’m going to tie you to this planter so you won’t get crushed.” Minji spoke in breathless words as she frantically tied the leash around the base of the heavy pot. “I love you. I will be right back. I have to get Daddy and Bailey.”

  Attempting to return to Jake was even more of a trial. As the crowd drew closer to the rail, it condensed into a tighter pack. At only five foot two and a hundred-fifteen pounds, it was a challenge for Minji to push past people taller and heavier than her small frame.

  Another step forward.

  Heavy thuds and loud splashes followed.

  From the midst of the crowd, Bailey’s cries intensified.

  The mesmerized were falling over the balcony and second floor banisters and plummeting down the escalator into the courtyard below. Terror energized Minji’s battle to get to her husband.

  “Jake! Wake up! Jake, wake up!”

  Literally crawling over a large man blocking her way, Minji spotted Jake in the midst of the heavy throng of people within a few feet of the handrail.

  Another step.

  Minji screamed in horror when the people against the guardrail scaled it and fell.

  Heavy, meaty thumps and splashes reverberated through the courtyard.

  “Jake! Wake up! Oh, God, Jake!”

  Bailey’s screams echoing around her, Minji half-crawled, half-climbed over people that were so firmly compressed she couldn’t squeeze between them any longer. Jake’s tall frame and long blond ponytail helped him stand out among the others. Resolutely, Minji fought her way toward him.

  The crowd advanced.

  More victims crawled over the wrought-iron barrier. Minji averted her eyes while men and women fell to their deaths. Unable to scale the railing, children were flattened against the iron slats, faces bloodied and eyes staring as they were gradually crushed to death.

  Minji’s feet scrambled for purchase on hips, knees, thighs, and bellies. Fingers digging into shoulders, arms, necks, and hair, she scrambled in the direction of Jake and Bailey. Her baby’s cries only added to her desperation.

  “Bailey, I’m coming!”

  Bailey’s splotchy face streaked with tears peeked around the edge of the backpack’s frame. She let out another hiccupping cry that sent a sharp splinter through Minji’s heart.

  Only a few feet separated her from her husband and baby, but Jake was drawing closer to the opening to the balcony area and the plunge to the floor below. Arms aching, hips bruised, and leg muscles straining, Minji forced her body onward, closing the gap between her and her husband. Bailey screeched, chubby fingers straining to reach her. Minji caught the tiny hand.

  “I’m here, Bailey.”

  Another step tore the mother and baby apart.

  More people toppled over the second floor railing. Dark shapes hurtled from above, victims plummeting from the third floor.

  Hopelessness filling her heart, Minji realized how close they were to the balustrade in front of them. The arch to the balcony loomed overhead and Jake would reach the rail in a few more steps. Minji didn’t care if the objects beneath her limbs were human anymore: she had to save Bailey. Crawling forward, she screamed Jake’s name over and over again. He never looked toward her. Never acknowledged her presence. Her stomach was a gnarled, twisted thing inside her, forcing Minji to fight to keep focused despite the pain.

  With numb fingers, she worked at the straps and buckles of the baby backpack. Bailey stretched out her plump hands toward her mother. It was disconcerting that the only sound other than the waterfall was the shrieks of her baby.

  Another step.

  The large atrium loomed around her now. The view from the balcony was breathtaking. The top of the villa was actually a shallow pool that fed the waterfall and extended outward for several feet in each direction from the edges of the balcony. Water spilled over the face of the mock building into a narrow basin on the first floor. On large pedestals at each corner of the balcony were glowing decorative obelisks that rose to the height of the third floor. The panorama of shops, the faux garden, and pools of water made Minji a little dizzy. She was not fond of heights.

  Minji lost her grip on the straps of the backpack and almost fell. Catching herself on the shoulders of a man and a woman, she kept herself upright. Again, she gripped the backpack and struggled to free the child.

  Beyond the heads of the transfixed people was the awesome expanse of the corridor that led deeper into The Palazzo to the casino. It made her head swim to see the thick crowd filling the area below. Perched precariously on the shoulder of a big man, feet planted into someone’s gut, Minji grappled with the contraption. The entire time, she shouted Jake’s name, urging him to awaken, but his profile remained impassive.

  Another sharp step.

  People clambered over the railing and onto the ledge beyond it. Slipping on the slick bottom of the basin, a few toppled off while others stood in the rushing water at the very brink of the drop.

  Jake was to the railing.

  Minji dared to look downward.

  Below, bodies were piled in the reddening water. Both the ascending and descending escalators flanking the waterfall were clogged with transfixed victims. The vast courtyard was filled with people moving in the direction of the casino. Small piles of dead bodies broke up the thick congregation. Those falling from above were killing the people below.

  “Jake, wake the fuck up!” Minji screamed.

  Bailey howled.

  With one final tug, the straps released the baby from the backpack into Minji’s grip.

  In that second, Minji realized the precariousness of her situation. She couldn’t crawl back over the crowd while holding Bailey. There was no way she could lower herself to the balcony floor and fight her way through the thick press of flesh. She and the baby would be carried along with the crowd and over the rail.

  “Jake, please...”

  Holding onto her husband like a monkey on a tree with one arm and her legs while snuggling Bailey with her other arm, Minji realized what she had to do. Past the railing was the ledge at the top of the waterfall. She’d have to risk going over the banister, avoid the people standing silently along the top, and wade through the water to one of the pools on either side of the balcony where smaller pedestals topped with decorat
ive plants stood along the raised edges.

  “Jake, I love you,” Minji said, her heart breaking. “Please wake up!”

  Jake’s expression didn’t alter.

  “Jake! Please!”

  With her heart sinking, she recognized she had no choice. There was no way for her to save her husband who outweighed her by over a hundred pounds. The baby clung to her, heels and hands digging into her skin. Minji gripped the cold metal rail and inched her body over it. Terror plucked at her mind when the sharp drop came into focus. Sickened by the sight, she hoped the rubber soles of her boots would grip the slick surface below the water.

  “I love you, Jake, and I know you want me to do everything I can to take care of our girls.” She was whispering, but her voice bounced off the columns. The echo of her words sounded accusing to her ears. “I don’t know how to save you. I’m so sorry.”

  The toes of her boots touched the bottom of the basin and Minji cautiously released her weight onto them while still keeping a firm hold on the rail which was slick with condensation and sweat. Bailey’s wet face burrowed into her neck as the baby blubbered with exhaustion and fear.

  People blocked her way on either side. A young Asian man stood precariously near the narrow opening that led to the right side of the balcony. A cluster of young women in bathing suits blocked her way to the left. There was no way she could push past and not dislodge them. It was a terrible thing to realize that the women would fall when forced to take another step, but she couldn’t be responsible for their deaths, even to save herself and her baby. It would be difficult squeezing past the young man, but she had no choice. Minji scooted along the railing.

  Great, shuddering sobs of anguish threatened to break free, but Minji knew she couldn’t unleash them until she had both of her girls safe. Concentrating on sidling along through the cold water while sliding her hand along the rail, she didn’t dare look at her husband’s emotionless face or the dizzying drop a few scant feet away.

  “Hold on, Bailey,” Minji murmured.

  The press of the bodies against the rail made it difficult to maintain her grip, but she was determined to reach her destination. Stealing a look at the Asian young man wearing a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt, Minji noted the blond tips of his hair and the earring in one ear. He was so close to her, she could smell his cologne. Like her, he was just another tourist enjoying his vacation and now his mind was held captive as he stood at the precipice of the waterfall. Turning completely sideways to avoid touching him, she continued on her precarious journey. Her bottom brushed against the young man’s hand when she squeezed past him. Sucking in her breath, she tried to not tangle her feet with his.

  If another attack came before she reached safety, she’d be knocked off by the people climbing over the balcony. Nearly blinded by tears, Minji glanced toward Jake. His handsome face was devoid of all emotion, life, and personality. It was his features, but none of his spark was evident in them. It was as if the essence of her husband had been stolen away, leaving an empty vessel.

  The cold whisper of another attack slithered along her skin like a fine mist. She had to get out of the way of the mesmerized or be taken down with them. With one last great effort, Minji sloshed into the side pool and leaned against a pedestal with relief.

  A second later, the loud clap of many feet striding forward resounded. The Asian boy and the lady sunbathers disappeared from view.

  In horror, Minji watched Jake and the others along the rail scramble over the iron barrier in a confusion of limbs. Jake’s wide stride took him further than some of the others and he came to a stop at the very edge of the fall. An older woman in high heels lost her balance and fell into Jake.

  Together, they plunged downward.

  Chapter 4

  *Cowering beside the obelisk, Minji cradled her baby to her breasts while struggling not to look downward, but she couldn’t resist the urge. The scene at the base of the waterfall filled her with despair. The dead clogged the shallow pool, their blood turning the waters red. Much to her relief, however, the bodies had formed a cushion of wet flesh that Jake had apparently struck before rolling over the lip of the fountain onto the floor.

  Minji didn’t even want to consider what would have happened to Bailey if she hadn’t freed the baby in time.

  Jake rested on his side, one arm twisted beneath his body. The bloody water slithered across the floor, making it difficult to discern if any of it was his. From Minji’s position, she was unable to determine if he was alive or dead. Whispering fervent prayers, she shivered in the cold, damp air. She couldn’t accept that Jake was dead. He was too strong, too vibrant to leave the world so easily.

  Bailey sniffled loudly, her tear-streaked face tucked under her mother’s chin.

  The courtyard and upper levels were packed with people transfixed by the unknown influence. There was no one to help her out of her predicament. The precarious position she found herself in coupled with her fear of heights twisted her gut into ugly, painful knots. Sliding around the obelisk, Minji waded through the pool feeding into the waterfall. A thorough examination of her situation revealed that she could not safely make it to the second floor via the escalator. It was too far away. Climbing back over the rail wasn’t an option either. The crush of bodies on the balcony would never allow her to pass. Pacing in a small circle, the water sloshing against her bare legs, she sorrowfully came to a conclusion. She couldn’t check on Jake or Ava until the massive crowd had exited the area. Hopefully, Ava was still tied to the planter and out of danger.

  Another explosion of sound resounded through the atrium as the crowd advanced. More individuals spilled over the second floor rail and into the crowd below. The smack of flesh against flesh was the only sound that emanated from the jumpers and those they landed upon. Other than Bailey’s sobs, none uttered a sound.

  Minji stepped to the edge of the platform and peered at the spot where Jake had fallen. He was tucked against the rim of the basin and out of the direct flow of the crowd, but the people who had landed on the stack of bodies had tumbled over him. One woman slowly climbed off Jake and rose upright.

  Minji nearly wept with relief. If others were surviving the fall, perhaps Jake had, too. Maybe he was knocked unconscious, but alive. She would find some way of saving him. Of saving all of them.

  A second later she sensed something akin to an invisible tendril slide over her body. It briefly flailed against her temple, and then surged past her.

  “What the hell?”

  This time when the crowd advanced, it did not halt. The human river continued seamlessly, each step in sync, echoing throughout the resort. People dropped from the upper floor, while others tumbled over the waterfall or scaled the second floor banister to fall into the throng beneath. On the escalator to the right, a group plummeted into the congregation below in a silent avalanche of bodies.

  The mob funneled along the main floor corridor in a multi-cultural sea of men, women, and children. Some stumbled into pillars, walls, storefronts, benches, and other obstacles, but the advancing multitude was unyielding. It was terrible to watch people crushed and trampled to death without uttering a cry. Even those with apparent injuries staggered along with their comrades in the unrelenting wave of human flesh. There weren’t any cries of pain or fear, just the constant stamp of feet and the thud of bodies striking the floor.

  Minji closed her eyes, nestled Bailey, and waited for the dreadful parade to pass on its trek toward the casino. The lobby of The Palazzo was located off the casino, so was the horde heading toward the outside? How long would it take for all those inside the building to reach their destination? Where were they even going?

  Bailey continued to sniffle, but her tears were gradually drying. Minji leaned against the pedestal of the obelisk located toward the rear of the fountain. Her boots and socks were soaked through, but she didn’t dare try to balance on the lip of the pool to get out of the water. Though she was in an area flush against the balcony, she couldn’t afford to sli
p and fall into the pool and hurt the baby or herself. Plus, the sheer height of the location was making her woozy and unsure of her balance.

  The strange procession with its eerie staccato beat of footsteps wore on her nerves, but it was the lack of human voices that was even more unsettling. It made her feel completely alone in the world.

  Closing her eyes, she snuggled into Bailey’s warmth. “It’s going to be okay,” she vowed. “I’ll find a way, Bailey. I swear it.”

  Though it was most likely a fruitless action, Minji fished her cellphone out of the messenger bag looped over her torso and dialed her mother’s number. It took several seconds to realize she had no bars. With an exhalation of surrender, she tucked the phone away.

  The wave of people progressively diminished until the only ones remaining in the atrium were injured stragglers. Minji confirmed the balcony was clear before carefully setting Bailey on the other side of the banister. The little girl immediately started to cry, but Minji didn’t want to risk climbing over the rail while holding the baby. Boots weighed down by the water, she hoisted herself onto the balcony, landed with a squishy splat, and swept Bailey off the floor.

  “See, sweetie, I’m here.”

  Bailey grabbed a handful of Minji’s dreads with a small whimper.

  Advancing through the archway, Minji let out a gasp. Purses, shopping bags, cellphones, shoes, and other personal items were strewn across the floor already stained with blood, vomit, and other bodily fluids. The blood splattered bodies from the earlier attack remained where they’d fallen and Minji was now certain that they were dead. The reek of excrement, vomit, and urine made her eyes burn. Gagging, she maneuvered around the cadavers and puddles of blood toward the store where she had left Ava. With a mixture of relief and despair, she spotted Bailey’s diaper bag among the discarded items. Jake must have dropped it during the earlier attack. Hoisting it over one shoulder, she continued on.

  A few steps revealed her worst fear.

  Ava was gone.