by T. R. Briar
“Oh—oh my. Perhaps I shouldn’t have pried. I’m terribly sorry.”
Rayne turned to her with a cold gaze. “It’s no matter. She was rubbish anyways.”
Miranda appeared upset by Rayne’s sudden shift in attitude as she fumbled for the dropped bandages. “I—that is—Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything. Since you’re all taken care of for now, I’ll get back to me duties. Someone will be by with your meal later.”
“Do whatever you want,” Rayne murmured, turning his head away from her. He didn’t know why he’d spoken like that, but thinking about Levi’s mother always brought out the worst in him. He heard the door closing, and felt relieved to be alone again.
As the hours continued passing, Rayne couldn’t tell when he was sleeping or awake. Moments where his eyes were open would seem like years, yet whenever he closed them, time rushed by. Before he knew it, afternoon had come, and right on time he heard the door open as David and Levi entered for their daily visit.
“Daddy! Daddy!” His young son rushed to his side, restraining himself from squeezing his father in selfless affection.
“Levi, how was school today?”
“It was okay. We’re learning about ancient history this week, and they had us draw pictures of pyramids. Teacher says that in ancient Egypt, they worshipped cats and such!”
Rayne smiled. “That’s right, they did.”
Levi cocked his head. “Did a lot of people worship animals back then?”
“Oh yes, all over the world. I think some people still believe in that sort of thing.”
The corners of David’s mouth upturned as he watched the conversation between father and son. Levi hung on his father’s every word, but after a moment his face grew more serious.
“Daddy, were there any people that worshipped s-snakes?”
Rayne paused at his son’s sudden question, understanding why it would concern him. “Yes, some did.” Though it pained him to do so, he reached out and tousled his son’s hair. “It’s nothing to be worried about. Snakes aren’t actually gods. They’re animals, like dogs or cats.”
His son just nodded. Unfortunately at that moment, one of the machines sitting beside Rayne in his room chose to let off a slight hissing noise as part of its routine functions. Levi let out a terrified shriek and buried his head in Rayne’s bed sheets, shaking with terror.
“Levi. Levi!” Rayne reached down and pulled his son’s head up. “Calm yourself. That’s just a machine.”
“R-really?” Levi hiccupped as he spoke, visible tears streaming down his face.
“Yes, really. There are no snakes in this room.”
The machine hissed again and Levi’s posture became a nervous stance, his eyes darting around the room in fear. David stepped forward and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Levi, why don’t I have one of the nurses take you down to the cafeteria and get you a jelly, all right? Give your daddy and me a chance to catch up a bit.”
Levi nodded, still hiccupping. David took his hand and led him outside, then came back a moment later alone.
“That should help calm him. I guess he’s still not over that fear of his, eh?”
Rayne stared at the ceiling as a breath of frustration rattled over his lips.
“I suppose it’s my fault,” he muttered. “I haven’t really helped him get over it. I’m not sure where it comes from. I mean it’s not like he’s ever seen a real snake. Just pictures in books and on the telly. You think the nightmares are back?”
“Childhood fears are aren’t always rational. I’m sure plenty of things frightened you as a child.”
“Maybe. I can’t think of anything that truly scared me like that. At least not so much that I’d become a total wreck when somebody mentions it.” Rayne’s agitation showed itself as he tried to remember childhood moments through the fog in his mind.
“Besides, snakes are dangerous. Some of them, anyway. It’s not completely unusual for a child to be afraid of something that could harm him.” David reassured him.
“I suppose if he didn’t obsess over the idea so much. I mean look at him, a simple school lesson about worshipping cats and he immediately goes to snakes. They scare him so much that he becomes paranoid and starts making these leaps of logic between things that have no relation at all.”
“Would you like me to talk to him about it? Maybe I can show him they’re not so scary after all. Something to be cautious of, yes, but if he could learn not to fall apart at the mere mention of them—”
“No. I appreciate the offer, but this is something I have to help him with. Besides, I don’t think you have the tact. You’d probably try to show him a real snake and make him go catatonic.”
“I was thinking maybe a cute little grass snake. They’re pretty harmless.”
“And you proved my point. No, when I get out of here, I’ll see what I can do to help him.” In Rayne’s mind he couldn’t help but think that this was one more annoying thing he’d have to deal with in his life once he recovered, something he’d already accumulated quite a list for.
“Well, he’s your son; do what you will. I’ll try to explain to him about the machine, so that he won’t get so edgy when it hisses like that.”
“He’s heard it hissing before; it’s always going off. I think he knows it’s just a machine, but today he just had snakes on his mind. Six year-olds have overactive imaginations.”
“So, what will happen when he comes back?”
Rayne didn’t answer at first. He glanced over at the machine, then out the window at the falling snow. “If he’s calm, he won’t pay it any mind. If he’s not, he’ll pitch a fit. I guess you’d best bring him home if that happens.” He changed the subject. “How much longer do you suppose I’ll be here, anyways?”
“Rough estimate? Another week, possibly two. I’m sure the doctors want to be certain you’re stable before they release you. I’m working on making the flat accessible to you once you get out.”
“For the wheelchair?”
“It’s going to be hard for all of us, but I’ll do everything I can to help you through this.”
“Good, good.” Rayne’s eyes fluttered open and shut. He felt very tired all of a sudden. Something pulled at his mind, urging him to sleep, and he tried to shake it off. David noticed his eyelids drooping.
“Maybe it would be best if you rested today. You seem more stressed than usual. I’ll take Levi home. You can see him more tomorrow.”
“No, really, I’m fine.”
David folded his arms. “Come on now, don’t argue with a doctor.”
“All right, I’ll rest. Just be careful driving him home.”
Rayne had trouble keeping his eyes open now. He could hear David leaving his room, the click of the closing door, followed by silence sometimes shattered by the various beeping machines, and that hissing noise. He thought about what he’d told Levi, about how different people had their own ideas about gods and death, and reminisced once more about what he’d experienced. The more drowsy he became, the more he began to realize the hissing machine really did sound a lot like a snake. It became harder to concentrate, and soon the steady hissing noise drowned out all other sound, a serpent lullaby luring him deeper into sleep. The rest of the world was dead to him, and once again darkness surrounded and overtook him in the throes of an unwanted slumber.
* * *
The continued sound of screaming snapped Rayne’s mind back to attention. He jerked his head back and forth with a start, and he remembered he was still in the hospital. Was another patient making that sound? He couldn’t see anything in the pitch black air. His eyes were wide open; had he lost his sight? Before panic could set in, Rayne noticed he no longer felt any pain. Moving his head no longer took any effort. He waved both his arms, and found no cast, no bandages around his ribs. It no longer felt like he was lying in bed, and his whole body felt strangely light. He even felt sensation below the waist again. He stepped forward with his left leg, and followe
d with the other. After a week of being bed-ridden, the sensation of walking felt almost new. He realized this must be a dream, surprising himself once again that he’d be able to recognize that.
He heard that piercing howl in the blackness once again, and reached out with his hands, trying to feel something, anything, but found nothing but empty air. He stumbled towards the sound. Then he stopped, as he remembered what happened the last time he hurried in the darkness. He reached down and felt the ground to make sure it was still there, but his hands touched nothing, only more empty air. It was just him, alone in a void, and nothing else. Nothing but that scream. No wonder he felt so light.
Rayne felt himself smile at the sensation. Though he couldn’t see, he liked the feeling of floating. He let himself drift for a while, wondering if he was actually moving at all, or hovering in place. Even the strange screaming had a pleasant ringing to it.
He shook his head at that realization. He shouldn’t be taking pleasure at someone else’s pain, even if he couldn’t see them. But then, what did that matter in his own dreams?
“Hello?” he called out into the emptiness. “Is anybody there? Can you hear me?”
All of a sudden, he jerked forward, as if an unseen hand had grabbed his entire body to drag him through the nothingness. Savage winds tore past him, not unlike clawed fingers trying and failing to rip him to shreds. A dense fog marred the darkness, and he continued to fall forward. When the sensation of motion stopped, he felt cold, muddy ground touching his bare feet. To feel anything was welcome at this point, but as he stood there, taking in the surroundings, he recognized this place. The same nightmare repeating itself, that same world he’d barely escaped from before.
There were some differences. Rather than sable slimy ground, an ashen mud flowed around his feet like chaotic rivers, joining blackened air on the far horizon. The sky was a devouring void that pulsed with a disjointed sense of time. Antiquated tones of red and gold light from an unseen source tinted everything a dull orange. He heard sounds rushing, an intensified screaming, and as his eyes adjusted, Rayne could now see the skies swarming with roaring creatures. They were umbral masses of eyes and mouths that wailed by, gnashing their teeth as they drew everything around them into their depths, growing in size as they did so.
Rayne staggered in the mud, losing his footing and falling with a squelching, sucking sound. The thick, congealed earth enveloped him, drawing his body deeper into the ground. He struggled to pull himself back up, but there was nothing solid for him to grip on to, and he sank deeper. Now he could no longer see his legs, his body descending slowly into the slimy depths. In the distance, he saw a strange shape silhouetted against the dim light, and it lingered towards him. Rayne waved his arms, hoping to catch the attention of what looked like another person.
The muck reached up to his chest, and he sank much faster now. Within moments his neck was engulfed, and he had to lift his chin up to keep the mud from entering his mouth, but soon he couldn’t even do that, and the stagnant filthy substance poured in, suffocating him. He thrashed his arms, keeping them above his head. The world around him blackened as the mud filled his nose and covered his eyes. He couldn’t cry out for help, and feared he would never see the light of day again. His fear became a bitter bile that stirred in his throat even as mud choked it. There was a disturbing familiarity to the sensation of earth and water closing in around him, threatening to trap him for eternity, but his panic prevented him from mulling over unsettling nostalgia.
A shape thrust itself towards him as his vision darkened. He grabbed what seemed like an arm, and felt something pull him from the mire. As his legs came free, something flung him into a shallower stretch of more grey sludge. He gagged and choked and expelled the vile ooze he’d swallowed. It didn’t taste like earth, more like disgusting, rotten meat with a slight hint of blood. The venomous anger faded as he calmed himself, grateful to still be alive.
He remembered his savior and turned. “Are you—I mean—thank you so much. I thought I was gone for—”
His voice froze as he took in the person standing before him, a being not human. The hulking beast towered over him, its broad shoulders and pillar-like arms blocking the view of anything past them. Its mottled flesh had the appearance of ancient stone. Though it possessed such a massive height, it bent over like a hunchback, and a small head with matted black hair rested below enormous shoulders. A pair of tiny, empty white eyes stared at Rayne from a brutish face, partly concealed by the mess of hair. All over its body, smaller jaws snapped open and shut, spitting drool everywhere. The creature held a long chain in one hand, and with a grunt, cracked it like a whip right towards him.
Rayne scrambled out of the way as the chain hit the earth behind him with a loud clank, sending torrents of mud up into the air. He ran before he could be struck by the rusted links. Several times, his foot plunged into the sinkholes that covered the land, but rather than allow himself to be sucked down again he wrenched his feet up and jumped forward. The beast lumbered behind him, throwing the whip with surprising speed, and it was all Rayne could do to dodge its attacks. All around him, he became aware of more of these beasts, also wielding similar metallic whips, and as they became aware of Rayne’s presence they joined in pursuit, lashing their weapons at him.
In the distance, he saw an outcropping of what looked like rocks, something to break up the featureless slush, and he rushed towards it. To his horror he saw not rocks, but a mass of writhing figures, what had once been people, now naked and bound together in a tortured form. Turning around, he could still see the gargantuan beasts chasing after him, though their large, lumbering bodies slowed their movements. The mud-covered plain slowed Rayne down as well. He dashed closer to the strange formation, which stretched far into the sky as twin columns of twisted beings.
At the base of one column Rayne saw another figure, and stopped dead in his tracks again. This one didn’t look quite like a brute. Checking behind him, he could still see his pursuers. He turned back to the pillar.
“Who goes there?!” Rayne cried into the darkness.
“Stay away!” he heard a voice yell, shaking with fear. A normal, human-sounding voice. Abandoning caution, he approached and, beneath the red light of the sky, he found another man. He looked to be in his late thirties, very haggard with short black hair swept off to one side, rustled and filthy. He wore a suit that must have looked very stylish at one point, now ripped and mud-covered. He looked out over the sludgy plain with immense suspicion clouding murky, haunted, but very alert eyes. He did not even waste a moment to size Rayne up, drawing his fist back and slinging it forward right into Rayne’s face, knocking him back.
“I said stay away you goddamn monster!” the man screamed.
“Ow!” Rayne howled in pain. “Bloody hell! That hurt!”
The man froze as he realized he’d assaulted a fellow human without thinking. He looked Rayne over, scrunching up his face in thought as he pondered whether or not to trust him.
“A-are you real?” he asked, shaking.
“Are you?” Rayne countered back, rubbing the sore spot on his face. The stranger appeared frightened, but he also shook with rage, grasping his arm to restrain himself from acting out again. “You strike real enough.”
“You’re human,” the man whispered. He composed himself, looking Rayne right in the eye. “Good. Tell me how to get out of here.”
“I haven’t got time here—”
The man glanced past Rayne, noticing the pursuing monsters off in the distance. He grabbed Rayne’s hand and led him around the pillar.
“I’ve encountered those things before. If they lose sight of you long enough, they forget and go back to their tasks.”
“Tasks?”
“I’ve seen so much disgusting shit here. There’s lots of creatures. I think some of them are people. But it’s not like I want to know for sure. When those guys over there see you, they try to keep you in line, and they start whipping. When they forget you,
they go back to whipping everything else. They like to push people into those pits, like they’re mouths or something.”
Rayne peeked around the base of their hiding place through a wall of waving limbs, and as he watched, the hulking monsters stopped moving, and just stood there looking around in confusion. Then they turned and walked back the way they came, until their silhouettes diminished over the horizon. Rayne wondered just how far he’d run.
The man continued. “You’re the first guy I’ve ever seen who was like me. Everything else here is like some kinda nightmare. I keep coming here and coming here and every time I’m somewhere different. I get all these monsters chasing me and only a few things that look like people, but they’re like zombies or something! They don’t see me, they don’t respond, they just moan and shuffle. They’re disgusting, and none of them will help me!”
“So, you don’t know where this place is either.” Rayne crossed his arms over his chest and looked down into the mud. “What is wrong with me? You’re probably just a hallucination. Maybe I made you up so I’d have someone to talk to. Not sure why I’d make you a Yank, though.”
“What? No, no. You’re a figment of my imagination, because this is my nightmare. The same goddamn nightmare I’ve been having over and over again every night for the last four months! You’re the one that’s not real! God knows why I’d imagine some English guy. I guess I thought this place wasn’t classy enough.”
Rayne snorted. The man’s attitude touched at his nerves, but still, he was the most normal thing about this place. He reached his hand out.
“Rayne Mercer. Pleased to make your acquaintance, even if you’re not real.”
“You Englishmen, always being so proper about nothing,” the man scoffed. He grabbed and shook Rayne’s hand. “Gabriel Baines, New York State Senate. And I’m damn sure I’m real.”
Rayne slumped back against the column behind him, forgetting for a moment just what it was made of.
“So you’re a politician?” he asked. “I’m a solicitor, from Langfirth, Essex.”
