That Which Rots (Part 4)

The game was almost over, but things didn’t get easier. I knew that the Rot wouldn’t let me win this. I had to plan ahead. I could tell that judging from the last 2, the final candles would both be in one of the main areas of the park: the circus, and the rides in the center of the grounds.

I checked my map, looking to see which was closest, and from what I could tell, I was just between the two areas, between whichever hell I would suffer through first. I peeked my head out of the door of the shack, which I had opened a few minutes earlier to let the light in, and carefully weighed my options. While the rides were dangerously broken down, the circus was closer to one of the exit gates. If it played this right, I could get the third candle, get the last one from the circus, and run like hell to the exit. Slowly, I stepped out of the shack, and took a minute to look at my surroundings.

Everything looked distorted, damaged, just enough to make the entire park look unrecognizable. The grass was dead and moldy, leaving black chunks and goo on my shoes, and the trees sagged like pumpkin stems, their dried, leafless limbs scraping on the ground like they were made out of putty,  the dirt paths that led around the park were now dried and cracked, the crusted, and the flaking paint on the buildings even seemed to come off with just a blow of the wind.

The Rot was seemingly spreading its influence over the park, making it seem even more abandoned, more empty, more lonely.

It was trying to scare me.

as I walked to the center of the park, I noticed that the park seemed almost completely empty, not an animal, even a crow or rat, seemed to be within the gates. Not one sound, not one chirp or call from a distant bird, not a single crunching leaf or twig to signify there was any other being in the park, only the echoing, dead silence, drowned by the sounds of my own footsteps, thudding one after another until I finally reached the rusted, bent, and cracked remains of one of the old roller coasters. As I walked forwards, I noticed the breathing, the deep, raspy gasping breathing in the distance, just loud enough to alert me to the presence. Hesitantly, my eyes followed the sound, and they met with the empty sockets of the Rot’s new vile form.

My blood rushed to my head as the creature charged at me, it’s dark grey skin covered in burns and scars over its thin, frail frame that moved at remarkable speed, its mouth was twisted into a wide grimace, and as it moved, its joints cracked and bended like splintering wood. Quickly, I jumped out of the creature’s way, barely missing its outstretched arms as I jumped to my left, and began to sprint as fast as my legs could carry me. I heard an angered shriek behind me as the Rot got back up, before it scampered away like a rat. I could feel my heart beating in my chest, like a cymbal crashing every second as I tried to control my breathing. As I calmed myself down, I quickly hid behind one of the operator’s stalls, and began to try and make a plan.

If I acted quickly, I could find where the last candle was hidden, and get out of the area before The Rot would find me. I could finally put an end to the hell I put myself in.

I could finally regain what I lost.

but as I slowly walked forwards, I heard the breathing again, ragged, seething, almost hateful.

Quickly, I ducked into one of a nearby roller coasters carts as The Rot moved closer to the stall, I held my breath, praying that the thing couldn’t see me, and watched as one of its long, clawed hands grabbed ahold of the safety bar of the cart, joined by its twin just mere seconds later, and slowly, I saw the grotesque face of my tormentor. I watched as it slowly sniffed the air, its jaws clicking up and down, and I tried not to gag at the smell of the thing’s body, and tried not to shudder in disgust as flakes of its skin, and maggots fell onto my legs and face. Slowly, The Rot crawled away, farther away. I waited a few minutes. I didn’t dare lift my head up and check if the coast was clear, I didn’t dare move, until I was sure that it was gone.

Hesitantly, I lifted my head out of the cart, before jumping out, and I began to wander around the attractions, hesitant with every step, until finally I saw the glistening light of a candle.

But then I heard the breathing again, rough and ragged, coming from behind.

and then, I saw it turn around the corner, that tall, charred frame, that angered, grimacing smile as the Rots sockets locked on to me, that look of animalistic rage as it charged at me, clawed hands outstretched.

I tried to roll out of the way again like I did before, but as I twisted my way out of its path, I felt it grab onto my shirt, throwing me back as hard as it could into one of the coaster’s support beams with a loud, resounding thud, the hit hurt like hell, but it wasn’t enough to knock me out. Quickly, I ran back to the cart as The Rot screamed, its voice gurgling as it did, frustrated at its failure. Quickly, I hopped back into the cart, keeping my head as low as possible, listening to the sound of the Rot stomping nearby. Groaning and hissing in rage.

i closed my eyes, praying,

and then, I heard its voice, deep and dissonant, like a choir of agonized souls, shrieking in chaotic harmony.

“I hate you, Jonah. I hate every FIBER of your being,

I hate every breath you take, and every movement that escapes from your body.

I hate your kind, I hate humanity, and yet, I FEED off of you, off of your pain, of your sorrow, of your AGONY.

But do you know why I HATE humanity the most, Jonas?

Why I LOATHE every. Single. FACE?

It’s because, unlike ANY OTHER BEING, I can see your thoughts, I can hear EVERY LITTLE DECISION, and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME, their minds are filled with evil, despicable horrible thoughts that twist and change me.

AND YET…

AND YET, I NEVER know what you fear, I don’t know WHERE you will go, I DON’T KNOW WHY you keep trying. I HATE that those holes, those CRUCIAL GAPS are hidden from me.

BUT I LEARN,

OHOHOH, JONAH, I LEARN. And I WATCH, and I PREDICT.

THOUSANDS of faces, HORRID people, DECEITFUL JESTERS,

DESPICABLE KINGS,

FALSE GODS,

THEY ALL COME TO PLAY THE GAME,

THEY ALL SHOW THEIR GREED,

THEIR CRUELTY,

AND THEY ALL DIE.

EVERY.

SINGLE.

TIME.

SO WHY?

WHY WONT YOU?!”

And then I heard the Rot shout, loudly, hatefully, enraged. I heard the prying of metal, and watched as above my head, a chunk of the metal tracks went flying, missing the cart by just a few feet, and then, the Rot continued its monologue.

“Why won’t you join the THOUSANDS that have fallen?

THE FOOLS AND JESTERS, THE KINGS AND PEASANTS?

WHY DO YOU KEEP TRYING?!

WHY WON’T YOU STOP MOVING FORWARD WITH YOUR POINTLESS,

USELESS, MEANINGLESS HOPE?!”

I heard the Rot take a deep breath, its breath sounding like crunching leaves as it did.

“You can’t run forever, Jonah…

sooner or later, you’ll have to face me.

Sooner or later you will have to fight back,

and when that time comes…

I will tear you apart.”

I waited.

Seconds turned to minutes,

and minutes turned into an hour,

until I lost track of how long I had been lying there, heart pounding in my chest.

Slowly, I peeked my head out of the cart, pulling myself away from its safety, and I ran as fast as I could, almost tripping in the hole The Rot left in the track, and towards the light of the candle. My legs were tired, my whole body ached, but I didn’t stop until I reached the candle, quickly, I grabbed it, not noticing The Rot just a few feet away until it was charging at me, head on, shrieking angrily as it saw the candle, and just before the long, sharp fingers could wrap around my face, i blew the candle out. I was panting, out of breath, and scared. The creature still stood there, completely still, its arm outstretched as it shook and breathed, before suddenly taking another step. I closed my eyes as it moved, its hand almost gripping onto me, before it suddenly burst into a swarm of flies and beetles and flew away, the sound of their buzzing filling my ears, as The Rot left  me there to collect myself.

And as I stood there, I did not feel relief. I did not feel victorious,

I felt afraid.

And suddenly, I realized that something The Rot had said was not an empty threat.

at some point, I wouldn’t be able to run,

I wouldn’t be able to hide,

And I find myself still today, thinking about that last sentence it uttered in that form.

“I will tear you apart.”