That Which Rots (Part 5)

As I wandered through the park once more, walking towards the circus, I could feel a sense of dread boiling from within me, it felt as if a thousand eyes were watching me, staring into the back of my soul as I wandered towards what felt like certain doom, the feeling of fear and despair only growing as I saw the big top tent in the distance, and saw the abandoned trailers that seemed to surround me from all sides, with crates and hay bales stacked against them. I could feel myself shaking as I moved forwards, moving closer to the tent.

but then I stopped. Looking closely, lying on top of one of the crates, was a rusted, old crowbar. I quickly picked it up, and gave it a few practice swings. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Suddenly, I heard the laugh, deep emanating from the tent, loud, yet short, like a chuckle. Nervously, I moved my way towards the entrance, peeking inside uncertainly as I questioned the decision. I could see the last candle, there upon a podium in the center of the ring, unguarded.

Quickly I ran, reaching out to grab the candle, and then The Rot fell from the top of the tent, landing with a heavy thud in front of me, blocking my path. I could see that it had taken a new form as well, just like our last encounters,

but this felt more normal,

less disturbing than the others.

It had taken the form of a clown, tall and thin, with a ratlike face and wide, yellowed grin, its eyes were sunken into pits that were surrounded with green circles, and it wore a little purple top hat to match its purple and red polka-dot suit.

I felt confused, trying to process what I was seeing, but as I did, The Rot began to twist and bend, its limbs became long and twisted, its fingers burst from the gloves, and its smile turned from a grin to a busted, smiling gape. An eye hung loosely from one of its once empty sockets, and hundreds of long, square teeth stood in rows at the bottom and top of its disfigured jaw. The other eye socket had sunken down too, revealing a loose layer of sagging muscle and bone. Its legs became thin, and its joints became more defined, its thin body became more exaggerated, to the point where I could see the outline of a skeleton in its features.

slowly, it spoke, its mouth unmoving as it did.

”NOWHERE TO RUN, JONAH!” It shrieked, swinging at me with one of its now massive arms, I quickly rolled away as The Rot laughed, its foul breath flooding my nose. Suddenly, it lunged, biting at my face. Without thinking, I lifted my arm up to block the attack, and immediately the pain surged throughout my body. I felt the blood dripping between my fingers, hitting the floor with dull taps. Quickly, I swung the other arm, the one holding the crowbar, and hit The Rot hard across the face, watching in horror as its head wrapped around the crowbar, sending the beast flying, before it collapsed in a puddle of thick, black liquid. I stared in shock.

Was it dead?

Did I kill it?

no.

Suddenly,  I heard the rot chuckle, slowly at first, but then louder and louder, until its voice finally reached an insane cackle. I watched in horror as the thing stood up, the flesh on its face reworking itself into position as it continued it cacophony of laughter.

Suddenly, it turned to me, its laughter echoing throughout my skull.

“Did you REALLY think that would WORK, Jonas?” It said, its eyes honed onto me with murderous intent,

“DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT A METAL SCRAP WOULD HURT ME?!

oh poor,

POOR Jonah.

Lost,

Alone,

AFRAID.

YOU DON’T GET IT, DO YOU?

YOU CAN’T WIN.

YOU AREN’T  ALLOWED TO WIN.

YOU AREN’T ABLE TO ESCAPE ME.

YOU.

ARE.

DAMNED.

YOUR SOUL IS MINE,

YOUR EVERY BREATH,

YOUR BONES AND FLESH ARE MINE AND MINE ALONE.

YOU ARE NOTHING, JONAH, NOTHING COMPARED TO ME,

A SPECK OF DUST IN THE LANDSLIDE THAT DESTROYS ALL,

YOU ARE WEAK,

PATHETIC,

AND COMPLETELY AT MY MERCY.”

Suddenly, it charged at me like a gorilla, its knuckles colliding with the ground as it moved. Quickly, I leaped towards the candle, grabbing it and snuffing it out, watching as The Rot’s deranged grin twisted into an angered frown.

“NO” it shrieked, almost like an angered child,

“NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!

YOU CAN’T WIN.

YOU CAN’T!

YOU, PATHETIC LITTLE JONAH, WEAK, ALONE, BROKEN!

YOU ARE NOTHING, YOU ARE CURSED.

YOU ARE MINE!

YOU HAVE NO CONTROL,

YOU HAVE NO WILL.

YOU.

HAVE.

NOTHING.”

The Rot clawed at me as it shrieked, its arms waving wildly at me as they fell apart and hit the ground like wet clay,

its body sagging and drooping, before eventually, it became nothing but a pile of mush.

I breathed a sigh of relief, walking out of the circus tent,

but as I did, I heard it.

The Rot.

Its voice booming with hatred, rattling in my skull as it spoke in a deranged, sing-song voice.

“OH JOOOONAAAAAH!

THE GAME ISN’T OVER!”