Dark Bites
Part 4 - 848
by
Robert Ropars
SMASHWORDS EDITION
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
Robert Ropars on Smashwords
Revision: 12/13/10
Dark Bites, 848
Copyright © 2010 by Robert Ropars
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
* * * * *
There are a few people I’d like to thank.
Nikole, for your friendship and help making sense of the horror I’m creating (and finding the goofs that crept in). My family and friends for love and support as I explore my creative endeavors. Most importantly those who inspired my artistic bent and always inspire me: David Lynch, George Romero, Edward Gorey, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Bloch, Stephen King, Richard Matheson, Neil Gaiman, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and those who may be slipping away from my memory at this point.
Dark Bites will be published as a series of ebooks focusing on horror standards (zombies, werewolves, vampires, etc.) with strong female lead characters and new twists on the genre and these classic legends while getting back to the basics. Once all of the parts have been published, the collection will be published together in paperback and ebook format.
Contact the author:
Email: robropars@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/robertropars
* * * * *
Dark Bites
Part 4 - 848
* * * * *
Wednesday, April 4, 1979
Gary Thomas parked his pickup truck in front of 848 S. Wabash St. in Chicago, Illinois. He reached for his keys to turn off the car, but was startled by the radio suddenly turning on. He looked at it as “Too Much Heaven” by the Bee Gees started playing loudly. He reached out to turn the radio off, but instead paused to listen, adjusting the volume lower.
He remembered the song being a hit earlier in the year. As he listened to the words, he stared down the street watching the people and cars passing by in either direction. The first time he heard the song was during the big blizzard in mid-January. Gary felt a shiver down his spine and shaking himself back to reality turned off the radio and the truck. Stepping out of the car, Gary stood and looked at the enormous construction site across the street.
The blizzard was why he was in Chicago today. He had just signed papers and handed over a large check to a real estate agency. Now he wanted to take another look at the future home of his diner. He had saved up for years to buy his own place, and now it looked like his dream was finally coming true. He had visited the site a few weeks ago before the demolition started.
The building at this address was one of many condemned after the blizzard and it was about to be torn down. Gary’s cousin Tommy had the winning bid and was foreman at the site. He called Gary to tell him that the new building at this location was going to have street-level shops and restaurants with condos on the floors above. Gary agreed to meet him at the site during his lunch break.
The snow had melted weeks ago, and it was a shock to see the place in the daylight without the protective blanket of white camouflage. Tommy and his men had begun some preliminary work and were going through the ruins to find anything that could be salvaged. A set of lockers from a first floor office had escaped any real damage and was leaning against the adjacent building.
“Hey Tommy what are you going to do with those?”
“The lockers? Fuck I don’t know we’re just getting started with this mess. Why, you want them?”
“Yeah maybe I can use them in my diner. Place for the girls to keep their stuff maybe.”
Tommy rubbed his chin.
“Whatever. You want ‘em; they’re yours. Hey Joey!”
“Yeah Tommy?”
“Put those lockers somewhere safe huh? Gary’s taking them.”
“Sure thing.”
Tommy looked over at Gary and smiled.
“So you’re really going to do it? Be a cook and run a diner?”
“I’ve been driving a truck for too long. I need to do something with my life. I go from state to state and the only thing I look forward to is a hot cup of coffee, sweet waitresses and a good meal. Now it’s my turn to give those little moments of joy to strangers.”
“I give you six months.”
“Fuck you.”
“Remember your ’74 Mustang?”
Gary glared at his cousin.
“Fuck you. I hit a deer.”
“I’m just saying, you just had to have that car and six months after you spent your last dime getting it…”
“I hate you, you know…”
Their bickering was interrupted by a portable radio balanced in an empty window frame suddenly rising in volume. It had been playing rock as background noise for the crew. As the nearest crewmember approached, the channel changed to “Too Much Heaven.” Gary just stared at the radio while the worker tried to turn it down and change the channel.
Goosebumps rose on Gary’s arms and he shivered. The worker tuned back to the station he wanted and lowered the volume. Shaking his head he returned to his assigned area. Gary walked with Tommy around the block and both agreed it would be a great place for his diner. Shaking hands they parted and Gary returned to his car.
Turning the key in the ignition, Gary took a final look at the lot before heading back to work. “Gary’s Diner,” he liked the sound of that. He reached over to turn on the radio, hesitated and then clicked it on. He listened to the commercials playing and relaxed. It had been just a weird coincidence he convinced himself. Maybe it was a good luck omen. Gary decided to add a “Too Much Heaven” item to the menu: maybe the pancakes.
* * * * *
Friday, January 13, 1979
Marie stood looking at the status board of flight arrivals and departures. She’d only been in the United States for a few days and so far she’d only see the insides of two airports: JFK in New York and now O’Hare in Chicago.
She had left France shortly after the Christmas holiday looking forward to visiting some friends in America. In college she had befriended three American students in Paris during their senior year. It was the fall of 1970 and they’d spent most of the semester drinking too much wine, smoking too many cigarettes and discussing radical ideas as only college students can.
Marie found Michael, Jeff and Amanda’s youthful idealism infectious. Marie had been horrified by the Kent State shootings earlier that year; an event that had galvanized her new friends to fight to end the war in Vietnam. She introduced them to her circle of friends and the four became inseparable. She was sad to see them return home just before Christmas that year.
They had exchanged addresses and remained in touch over the next eight years. She continued to explore art and writing and had gained some notice as an up-and-coming poet. Marie knew most academics considered her much too young to be taken completely seriously. However, positive feedback from several professors and a thriving artist community kept her focused. Meanwhile, she had followed the life events of her three new friends with great interest.
Michael ended up being drafted, but rather than serve filed for Conscientious Objector status. His request was denied, so he had fled to Canada. He met a teacher, fell in love and married. In his recent Christmas card, he wrote that they were living happily in Montreal with their two kids.
Jeff took a job teaching history at a small community college in California. He had a series of short-term relationships and was currently dating a colleague who worked in the math department. Marie suspected it was more serious than Jeff expressed in his most recent letter.
Amanda had moved back home to care for her mother after her father’s sudden death. Her mother had had a stroke and required a lot of care. Amanda was considering sending her to a hospice, but felt guilty and was resigned to caring for her mother herself. She had not had many relationships, and was starting to become bitter that she may have missed her chance for a family.
In late 1978, Amanda had suggested Marie visit her in Arizona. Her parents’ home was large and had a guesthouse. It didn’t take much convincing before Marie was making travel plans. She contacted Michael and Jeff and decided to make this a long trip. She would start with Amanda in Arizona, visit Michael in San Francisco and then stop in Montreal to see Jeff on her way home to Paris.
Her flight from Paris to New York had been uneventful. The passenger next to her snored profusely, but Marie was able to sleep most of the way herself. She had a six-hour layover to stretch her legs and finished off a pack of cigarettes while shivering in the frigid weather. Realizing she was unprepared for the extreme temperature drop, she bought a sweater, winter coat, hat, earmuffs, and gloves from an airport shop.
To keep herself amused, Marie also bought an AM/FM transistor radio. She kept the volume low to avoid irritating others, and closed her eyes lost in the latest hits playing on the US airways. She was familiar with many of the groups, but most of the songs were new to her. She was thrilled at the diversity of artists available with a turn of the dial.
The flight to Chicago encountered some turbulence, but they arrived only slightly behind schedule at just after noon. Marie was now checking her connecting flight to Phoenix and realized that Mother Nature had other plans for her. A snowstorm was approaching and flights were being delayed or cancelled. Hers was delayed.
Crossing to an exit, Marie went outside to have another cigarette. As she lit the cigarette, a brutal cold wind struck her. She tossed the cigarette towards the gutter and practically ran back inside. The bitter cold and wind had assaulted her and seemed to slice right through her newly purchased winter gear. She would be 31 in August, and was sure she’d never experienced cold like that before.
Her luggage was in the hands of the airline, so she had only her purse and small carry-on bag with cigarettes, gum, the portable radio, her passport and various odds and ends including a book she had picked up while at JFK. Finding a seat, she put her radio to her right ear and tuned up and down the radio until she found a station she liked. She opened the book and started reading where she’d left off.
She had tuned to a station playing “Werewolves of London,” and as Warren Zevon sang and howled like a wolf she giggled while humming along. She briefly wondered if there really were were-wolves out there somewhere. Maybe even in Chicago? Before starting the next chapter of her book, she cast her gaze up to the board to check for any status updates. Her flight to Phoenix was still flagged as “delayed.” She kept reading.
* * * * *
A few hours later, Marie had braved the wind and cold for a quick smoke, tapping her foot and singing along to Billy Joel’s “My Life.” The other smokers glanced at her and smiled, as she obviously didn’t know all the words. She wasn’t sure if it was irritating to hear someone singing in public or the fact that she knew only some of the words. She smiled, as she didn’t care either way.
“And that was Billy Joel with ‘My Life.’ Before that we heard Patti Smith singing ‘Because the Night.’ Thanks for being with us this afternoon. Here’s your traffic and weather together on the 8’s.”
Marie perked up to listen more attentively to the DJ.
“The National Weather Service has issued a severe winter storm warning for the entire weekend. The Chicago area is due to receive up to 17 inches of snow tonight. Yes, ladies and gentlemen you heard that right, 17 inches of more snow. As you know we’re still digging out from the New Year’s storm. The latest reports indicate that it will probably snow all weekend. Flights are being delayed or cancelled as we speak.”
Marie quickly finished her smoke and returned to the relative warmth of the inside. Finding the nearest status board, she watched as flight after flight, including hers switched to “cancelled.”
“Merde!”
She was momentarily irritated and then did what she always did when faced with an obstacle: she went around it. Gathering her things she looked for the pay phones. In the chaos of the flight status changes, hundreds of stranded travelers were swarming to the phones to call loved ones, taxis and hotels.
Looking around, she saw families and businessmen getting comfortable in chairs and sleeping. She heard some people walking by say that the airport was going to set up cots and Marie debated her options. She decided to head out and look for a taxi. She walked out and asked a police officer to help her. He smiled and pointed in the direction of the nearest taxi stand.
Marie smiled and headed to the area and waited. A small crowd began to appear and line up around and behind her. Some pushing and shoving started as sporadic taxis began to approach the pick-up lane. Marie watched as several officers came over and did their best to get everyone to stay orderly.
One of them was the officer Marie had spoken with a few minutes earlier. He winked at her and maneuvered everyone so that she was at the head of the line. When the next taxi arrived she got in and was soon on her way. As they began to move, she waved and smiled at the police officer. He nodded and turned back to the crowd.
“Where to?”
Marie looked at the taxi driver. He looked like he was in his late-forties, balding, wore thick glasses and had a beard. He seemed to be irritated and didn’t look to have any sense of humor about him.
“Uh… I don’t know.”
“What?”
“My flight got cancelled and I’ve never been to Chicago so I thought I would wait out the storm in the city. Do you know a good hotel?”
The cab driver glared at her in the rear view mirror for a moment.
“Where you from girlie?”
“Paris. I’m visiting some friends starting in Arizona. But the storm has me stuck. I thought I would check out Chicago for a few days.”
“Did you call your friends and let them know about the change of plans? Won’t they be waiting for you?”
“The lines at the phones were too long. I’ll call from the hotel I guess. I’m sure she’ll see the news about the storm, but you’re right I don’t want her to worry.”
“Don’t want her to worry…”
The taxi driver was focused on traffic ahead, but continued chatting.
“You’ll love it here in Chicago. Best city in the world. No offense to Paris of course.”
Marie smiled at him, trying to be friendly.
“Have you ever been to France?”
“I was there in WW2, my brother and I both. I took a bullet to the helmet and lived. Joey. Well, he wasn’t as lucky. They shipped him home in a box a month before they surrendered the fascist bastards.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah well, we cleared them out of your land at least that’s something.”
Marie realized it was probably best to change subjects.
“So do you know a place I can stay for the weekend? Might end up being a full week if this storm is as bad as they say.”
She noticed that scattered flakes had already started to fall.
“I know a place. Doesn’t look like much, but it’s downtown near the action. Good a place as any I guess.”
“Is it expensive?”
“I know the landlord. It’s more of an apartment rental kind of place than a hotel. I can get you a good rate.”
“That’s great thanks.”
Marie sat back and put on her radio to her ear and tuned stations looking for something good. She softly hummed and sang along to “Come Sail Away” by Styx. She closed her eyes and nodded her head while tapping her thighs with her hands.
In the front seat, the taxi driver stole glances at his passenger. He quietly adjusted the mirror so he could watch her tapping her thighs. He was nervous and despite the frigid weather, was starting to sweat with anticipation.
“Do you mind if I smoke?”
“What?”
The driver looked up to meet her eyes, but saw they were still closed as she sang along to the radio.
“No go ahead, just crack the window a bit.”
“No problem.”
He watched as she pulled out a cigarette, lit it and after taking a drag exhaled out the window. She had opened it a crack, but the cold wind was whipping most of the smoke back into the car. As she closed her eyes lost in the music, she took another drag. He watched her fingers as they moved to her full red lips. He licked his lips nervously as she sucked on the cigarette and leaning to the side blew smoke out the window.
The driver was mesmerized by his foreign passenger, her mouth in particular. He couldn’t wait to get her to her destination.
* * * * *
“Hey lady, wake up!”
Marie had fallen asleep and saw that they had arrived at their destination. A steady snow was now falling, and the streets were starting to be covered. She saw high mounds of snow from plowing bordering the sidewalks and driveways as she looked through the steamed windows.
Lifting her radio, which was lying next to her, she realized one of her favorite songs, “Last Dance” was playing and she frowned as she clicked off Donna Summer and looked at the driver. He was standing on the sidewalk on the passenger side of the car.
“We’re here Miss. I hope you don’t mind that I left you alone for a few minutes, but you were sleeping so soundly. I ran in and cleared everything with the landlord. You can stay for a week for $250. That’s a steal for this neighborhood.”
“That’s great!”
Marie let him open the door and took his hand as she got out of the taxi. Looking down she noticed that he had stomped the snow down at the curb. It gave her something of a path to the sidewalk, but she still managed to get snow on her jeans midway up her shins and some went into her shoes causing a burning sensation.
Hefting her purse and backpack, she followed him to the front door. Looking up, she saw that they were in front of an older building standing five stories high. The security door had a key entry and the driver unlocked the door and held it open for her. As she walked by, Marie noticed him close his eyes and breathe deeply.
“Are you ok?”
“What? Oh sorry it’s just hard to breathe in this cold. That’s one of the things I hate about this city, the winters.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Well let’s get you situated.”
* * * * *
“Do I pay the landlord now or at the end of the week?”
“Uh…he said a $100 deposit and the rest at the end of your stay.”
“Does he have an office?”
Marie looked down the dark and dingy hallway and saw only a few doors and an ancient elevator with a gate on it. The place was cold and the wind was whipping like a banshee through the place. She shivered.
“He asked me to collect the deposit. He had to run some errands and won’t be back until late. I see him all the time so it’s no problem.”
“Ok.”
Marie felt somewhat unsure, but so far the driver had been friendly and helpful. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out some cash and counted out $100. She made a mental note to cash in some traveler’s checks soon.
“Perfect. Now, let’s take the elevator and I’ll show you your apartment.”
“I think I can manage.”
“The landlord is very particular about showing his tenants to their units. As he’s gone and we’re such good friends, he made me swear I would see you safely to your door.”
He walked over to the elevator and opened the gate.
“After you.”
Marie smiled and walked over to the elevator. Looking it up and down she was somewhat nervous about this contraption. Even by some of Europe’s standards, this elevator looked ancient and on its last legs.
“Is it safe?”
“Of course.”
To prove it was sturdy, he stepped inside first and hopped up and down. The elevator emitted a few angry creaks and moans, but seemed otherwise fine. Marie stepped inside the now crowded box while the driver leaned forward to close the gate.
Smiling at her, he pressed a brass button and with a shudder, the elevator slowly began to climb to the fourth floor. The taxi driver stared ahead, humming something lightly and Marie watched the floors and empty hallways slowly pass by the gate’s view.
“It’s very cold in here. Quite a draft.”
“Yes the building itself has some issues, but the apartments are all solid and heated. You’ll be comfy and toasty in no time.”
Marie smiled and looked back out the grill as another floor crept by. Each floor was a mirror of the one below it. Drab carpet with stains, flickering lights and as far she could see or hear no one coming or going.
“It’s very quiet here.”
“Yes it is. A lot of artsy types, writers and such. Like their quiet and privacy.”
“Really? That’s great. I’m a writer too.”
The taxi driver smiled at his random comments having struck a positive chord. He needed her to be relaxed.
“Well there you go. A whole week in Chicago with other artists. What more could you ask?”
“That’s great.”
Marie had started to be disconcerted about this place, but now she realized it had a Bohemian chic about it, not unlike some of the places you would find Parisian artists. In particular, the children of the well-to-do who liked nothing more than to live in virtual slums to thumb their noses at their stuffy, conservative parents. She was going to be right at home.
The elevator reached the fourth floor and screeched to a stop. The driver reached forward, brushing her arm in the process and opened the gate. Marie smiled and exited ahead of him. He stepped out and closed the gate. The elevator lurched and suddenly continued on upward slowly.
Marie looked at the elevator with a raised eyebrow.
“Hmm. Must be someone upstairs heading out.”
The taxi driver shrugged and walked on down the hall. Marie watched the elevator continue to ascend and then looked at the driver. He was calmly walking down the hall sorting through keys.
“Here we are. Number 48.”
Marie shook off her odd feelings as jet lag and made her way to the eighth apartment on the right. The driver had a key in his outstretched hand and she reached out and took it with her gloved fingers.
He smiled and stepped aside as she inserted and turned the key. She opened the door and stepped inside. Reaching to her right, she flicked on the lights. With a buzz and a series of flickering fits, the light in the foyer came on. She moved into the apartment another few steps and stopped. The air was cold and she could faintly see her breath when she exhaled.
In the pale blue light, she saw that the apartment was essentially a large open square area with a kitchen area and a hallway in the far left wall. There were cobwebs everywhere, the carpet was frayed and stained, and there was no furniture. The only thing in the room lay in the middle of the floor: a mattress. The mattress was dark gray, springs stuck out at various points, and it was covered with stains of various colors and sizes.
“What…”
“Goodnight!”
Marie heard his voice behind her followed almost immediately by a blow to the back of her head. She didn’t have a chance to even start to turn her head before stars exploded across her vision. Marie heard someone laughing in the distance as everything went dark and the floor rushed up to her.
* * * * *
Dark. Cold. Dizzy. Marie slowly swam back to consciousness. Her head was spinning and hurt. She struggled to focus and realized she was lying on the mattress, her wrists and ankles bound, and she was wearing only underwear. She saw the driver standing to her left. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed and flickered.
“Wake up!”
The man moved to the foot of the mattress and smiled at her. He had stripped down to his underwear and was sweating profusely.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m going to show you a good time tonight baby.”
“Fuck you!”
Marie then let out a stream of expletives in French.
The driver just smiled and glared at her intently. He was tapping his thigh and as she let her gaze focus on his right hand she saw it held a large knife.
Marie’s heart was racing. How could she have been so stupid? How was she going to get out of this alive? She cursed her stupidity. She needed time to fully recover and figure something out.
“Listen. I’ve got money.”
“I know. I took it.”
“No. I mean back home. My parents are wealthy. If you let me go I can get you whatever you want.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“How much?”
“What?”
“How much are you worth to them? I wonder.”
He paced over to her right side, still tapping his leg. Marie’s mind was racing. As she saw it, she had little choice, but to act boldly and quickly.
“Whatever you want. They’ll pay. Just let me call them.”
“I don’t see a phone do you?”
Marie looked left and right as best she could. The apartment was literally empty except for the mattress. It was obvious that he used this place often and for one purpose. Marie felt a wave of nausea as she wondered how many women had been in this exact same predicament as her.
“We can just go somewhere to find a phone. Let’s find one of the neighbors. One call and you’ll be rich.”
“Tempting, but I’m afraid I have other plans.”
He smiled without a trace of warmth. Marie shivered and felt full panic in her mind. Moving closer, he leaned over and caressed her face with the knife’s blade. She feigned dizziness and flickered her eyes. She then let her head fall to one side.
“No! You wake up! You have to be awake!”
Marie felt his weight shift and the knife moved away from her cheek. She clenched her hands into fists and swung as hard as she could at his face.
Her closed fists lacked their normal strength, but they struck him squarely on the nose. There was a loud crunching sound and blood exploded in a spray and started to flow from both nostrils. The taxi driver roared in anger as he fell backward and stumbled into a seated position on the floor. Marie turned on her side and swung her ankles to the edge of the mattress and sat up.
“You fucking bitch you broke my nose!”
Blood was pouring down his face. Marie realized this man hadn’t had the tables turned on him before, and clearly didn’t like it. She had to move quickly before he regained his composure. Bending her legs, she awkwardly managed to stand. She hopped over to him as he started to scoot backwards.
Marie bent at the knees, leapt, and came down on his right wrist. She heard and felt a crunching sound, and the knife went spinning away across the floor. The driver screamed in pain and shoved her with his other hand knocking her back. Marie fell to the cold floor, landing with a thud on her tailbone.
The man was holding his wrist and yelling obscenities at her. She leaned forward and with her fingers worked the ropes off her ankles freeing her feet. Standing she rushed at him and kicked him in the crotch. He fell back holding his scrotum with his good hand. She kicked him again for good measure and he turned on his side as his face turned bright red.
Backing up, keeping her eyes on him, she got to the knife. Bending down she picked it up and slowly turning it around slid it between the loosened bindings. She started sawing at the bindings while he rolled back and forth in agony. After a few minutes, she was free and Marie stood up and glared at him with eyes full of rage. Gripping the knife firmly, Marie started walking forward.
* * * * *
The man recoiled and tried to back away. Marie felt possessed as she moved forward knife at the ready. She’d never been in any kind of a fight, let alone considered killing anyone. She was fairly sure she could kill this man, but she wasn’t going to.
“Listen to me asshole. Where are my clothes? My bags?”
“What?”
He stared up at her confused. He stammered as he responded.
“I-I-I threw them in a locker.”
“What locker?” She brandished the knife as menacingly as she could.
“While you were out I took your stuff downstairs. There’s a maintenance office in the hall past the elevators on the first floor. I was going to give them back. Just wanted to scare you.”
“Fuck you! You were going to rape and kill me and wanted to get rid of my stuff.”
“Are you… What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to tie you up and get the hell out of here.”
Marie grabbed the rope and made a wide circle around him. Once she was behind him, she tossed one of the ropes onto his legs. She moved right behind him and reached around to touch the knife to his throat. It was sticky from his nosebleed and she pressed the edge against his Adam’s apple.
“Tie your ankles.”
She felt empowered, but didn’t want to lose control of the situation so she remained tense and on guard.
“You broke my wrist. I can’t tie shit.”
“I guess you’ll have to learn fast.” She pressed the blade a little tighter to his throat and he scrambled to tie the rope with his one good hand, holding it in place with the injured one. After a few minutes he had it reasonably well knotted. Marie just needed him tied up for a few minutes to get to the elevator and out of here. It didn’t have to be perfect.
“Ok now lay on your stomach and put your hands behind your back.”
She stood and watched with a smirk as he struggled to comply. The look of fury on his face made her smile. She shivered and rubbed her arms to warm them as best she could. Finally he was face down and had both arms behind him.
Kneeling in the middle of his back, causing an outcry of pain, she put the knife in her mouth and quickly tied his wrists as best she could. She tugged at the binding and it seemed solid.
“Ok. Now where are your keys?”
“What? You can’t take my car.”
“Oh really?”
Marie scanned the room and saw his clothes by the far wall. She backed up and slowly made her way over to them. Kneeling and keeping her eye on his prone figure, she searched his jeans and jacket pocket until she found them.
Letting them spin and jingle on her fingers she stood and smiled.
“Ok I’ll be off then asshole. Don’t worry. I’ll radio your boss to come help you. Of course I don’t know where I’m at so it could take awhile. Maybe the landlord will find you. Was he in on the plan as well?”
“There is no landlord.”
“What? Oh you really are a piece of work. So this is your place? You bring girls here and hurt them? Take their money?”
“Yes…no…fuck you!”
“Original. Gotta run dear. Stay warm.”
“848 S. Wabash! You call him!”
“You know I’m really jetlagged. I don’t know if I’ll be able to remember. Maybe a night in here would do you good.”
Walking over to him, she smiled as he had smiled: disturbingly. He got scared and started to struggle.
“Now, now, I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to make you comfortable.”
Roughly she dragged him by the ankles and with some effort, flopped him face down on the mattress. He was squirming and struggling. She leaned in close, the knife on his neck.
“Stop moving. You are going to lay here and breathe in the fear, the pain, and all of the evil you’ve done.”
He stopped moving, but he glared at her with pure hatred in his eyes.
Standing, she jingled the keys and waved as she headed to the door. Reaching it, her hand went out and opened the door. She stepped out into the hallway and looked left and right. It was dead quiet, the wind was whistling through the building and she shivered, as she turned left and headed down the hall to the elevator. As she reached it, she heard something behind her.
“BITCH!”
The man had gotten free and was running at Marie with his hands outstretched. He connected with her back sending her falling forward onto the carpeted floor. The knife landed a few inches past where she landed. Seeing his chance he dove for it.
Marie gained her composure and tripped him. He fell and slid awkwardly on the carpeting, burn marks appearing on his side where his skin was exposed. He yelled in pain and rage. Marie scrambled forward, grabbed the knife and turned to face him.
The man got up and they circled slowly and then stopped. She stood her ground and he just glared at her. She thought he was going to back off when he suddenly rushed forward. He slammed into her as she turned her wrist driving the knife into his abdomen. His momentum drove them both into the elevator’s gate, which cracked and bent in protest.
Stumbling back, knife protruding from him he looked down as a red stain appeared in his dirty t-shirt and began to spread and flow down. Marie was briefly stunned staring at the blood in shock. It was one thing to think about killing someone, but it was happening.
With a cry the man came at her and with his one good hand, reached for her throat. She fell back against the gate and it strained against her weight. The elevator remained stationary a floor above.
His attempts to choke her with one hand proving fruitless, he let go and she clung to the gate. She watched in horror as he stumbled back a step, reached down and pulled the knife from his stomach. Blood splattered in an arc over her, the gate and the wall beside the elevator. His hand was over his head and the knife ready to plunge into her.
As he moved in for the kill, he swung the knife down towards her. Marie raised her arms to defend herself. As she did, her weight shifted fully backward on the damaged gate, which gave way with a sudden burst of rusted hinges and paint flakes.
The knife swung passed her in an arc and sunk into his left thigh. He stumbled back screaming and watched as the girl frantically fought gravity as the gate fell away behind her. Their eyes met and in silence she was flapping her arms and falling over backwards into the shaft. She screamed as she fell, hitting one side of the tunnel and then the other before slamming into the shaft’s bottom on her back.
* * * * *
Marie awoke in darkness, and she was shivering. She blinked a few times to clear her vision. The events of earlier were suddenly clear in her mind. She heard a noise above her and looked up the elevator shaft she had fallen down. Marie saw the elevator car descending slowly toward her.
Marie tried to move, but she wasn’t able to shift her body. Turning her head, she saw she was on one side of a pit at the base of the elevator shaft. In the center was a column reaching towards the first floor above. The top of the column looked like an overturned plate and its dark metal shaft smelled strongly of oil.
The elevator was nearing ground level and she was sure she was going to be crushed. She closed her eyes and prayed, something she hadn’t done in years. The elevator creaked to a stop with a loud metallic clang and a sigh of wind blew across her face. The heavy scent of lubricant grew stronger and her nostrils flared in response.
She was about to open her eyes and call for help when she heard him. She held her breath and lay as still as she could. She heard him exit and move around on the floor above. He suddenly cursed and she heard his footsteps move away and the front door open. The wind blew in causing a rushing sound and a strong draft. Marie heard the door slam behind him and she was alone.
She opened her eyes and saw the bottom of the elevator had come to a stop about five to six feet above her resting on the column, which acted as a braking bumper. Marie sat up and began to look for a way out of the shaft. As she moved, her head started to throb and felt like it was split open. Reaching back gently with her left hand she felt a lump raising on her scalp. Her fingers came away sticky with blood.
Sitting up she looked down and focused on moving her toes, her feet and finally her legs: they remained motionless. At first she thought she must have gone numb from the cold. She leaned down and poked, pinched and finally slapped her cold bare thighs. There was no feeling in either of them. Panic and fear were escalating by the moment.
Looking left and right, she found some items of junk strewn about the bottom of the elevator shaft. Within reach, after some struggle she found a rusty nail. She picked it up and began to frantically poke her legs starting from the top of her feet. She could not feel its point on her skin.
She was shaking and tears began to well up in her eyes. Wiping them away she focused on her stomach. She poked herself just below the belly button and felt the contact. Moving an inch at a time, she quickly found that about four inches below her belly button there was no feeling.
In her head she was struggling with the obvious and trying to convince herself she was just numb. She wept stronger as a flood of panic rushed over her. She must have broken her back in the fall, and was paralyzed from the waist down.
“Bastard!”
Marie was crying and screaming at the top of her lungs. She was furious at the man who had almost raped her and left her to die. Her sorrow and fear mixed with rage and for several minutes she swore in English and French until her voice cracked.
Suddenly fatigued, Marie lay back down and tried to assess her best course of action. The elevator bottom seemed to be moving, but she knew it wasn’t. She was just so tired, but was sure she should try and stay awake. In the end, darkness crept over her and she passed out.
She dreamt that someone was screaming in the distance, out of sight. Marie was lying in a field looking at the stars above. Some flashed white, some red and others blue. She smiled as she watched the fireworks above.
Marie again awoke in darkness. She was bitterly cold and began to shiver furiously. She slowly raised herself on her elbows and began to yell for help. This lasted for about 15 minutes before her voice faded and her mouth became dry from the effort.
It was apparent to Marie that the building was in fact empty. She was alone and had to get herself out of this situation. It was dark other than the lights in the shaft and lobby that filtered around the elevator car. Marie looked around for anything she could use to help her and found nothing.
From what she could see, the shaft’s bottom was a large pit below ground level six feet tall and approximately eight feet wide. The elevator was resting above, but from this angle she couldn’t be sure whether it had a hatch somewhere on its bottom. She didn’t have to worry about the elevator crushing her, but it was blocking her only visible means of escape.
* * * * *
As Marie was studying the pit and the central bumper column with limited light, she felt a series of prickly cold spots on her face and arms. Focusing, she realized snowflakes were falling on her. She dragged herself to the edge of the pit so she could see upward along the side of the elevator.
Between the first and second floors the shaft was dark, but she could just make out scattered snowflakes drifting down towards the elevator and her. She realized the roof must not be fully sealed which explained the bitter cold. Another negative to deal with, but hopefully she could figure something out before that was more of an issue.
Marie slowly dragged herself over to the central column. She thought at first she could use it to climb up and figure a way into the bottom of the elevator, but it was heavily lubricated preventing any chance of finding a safe handhold. And from this angle she clearly saw that there was no hatch on the bottom of the elevator car.
Looking at the sides of the pit, there was just smooth surface up to the floor above other than the guiding tracks for the elevator car. She could smell oil from their lubrication and knew immediately they wouldn’t be of use. Scooting backward she reached around her to ensure she hadn’t missed anything of value. As her fingers explored the pit’s floor she found only dirt, grime and debris.
When she was halfway between the bumper and the wall, she felt something odd on the floor. Her fingers had dipped into an indentation, and sitting up, she saw a metal ring recessed in the floor. Straining her eyes she saw the seam of a hatch flush with the floor that was about two feet in diameter. She tried for a few minutes to lift it, but the handle was stuck in its cradle.
She kept digging at it, her nails chipping and filling with grime until it flipped upward ready to be used as a grip. Marie pulled upward, but the hatch didn’t move. She paused and then tried again, this time the lid lifted a quarter of an inch. Exhausted by her exertions and getting colder by the minute, Marie lay back and tried to regain her strength.
She realized that as the day wore on, the temperature would drop and she had to get going or she was going to freeze to death. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus, but within minutes, darkness consumed her again.
* * * * *
Saturday, January 14, 1979
Marie awoke in darkness. She had been dreaming of her parents. They were eating dinner with assorted family members at an enormous table in a dining hall. It looked like the room was in a castle. On one side of the room was a massive hearth with two Irish Wolfhounds sleeping on the flagstone floor in front of it.
While everyone was eating, she could hear music playing. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. The song she heard was “Too Much Heaven” by the Bee Gees and the sound was so clear she was convinced the group was in the room. Then reality had set in.
She had no idea how long she was asleep, but it seemed darker and looking around, it seemed that something had changed. Her fingers were burning from the cold, as was her face. Reaching up she realized a dusting of snow covered her hair, and parts of the floor around the edges of the elevator had started to be covered as well.
She sat up and her head started to throb again. Reaching down she reconfirmed that there was no feeling in her legs. She knew this was a futile gesture, but she had to be sure. Marie was trying hard not to imagine a lifetime in a wheelchair. For now, she focused her mind on escape.
Marie’s thoughts stopped suddenly when she heard a sound. It was coming from high above her. The sound stopped and then a large amount of snow came down the sides of the shaft around the elevator car in several waves. Marie wondered if there was someone moving around above her. She looked upward again, but all she saw was the steady snow and the inky blackness above the ground floor.
As she was about to lean back, she stopped and refocused on the darkness. There was a faint spot far above, but she couldn’t see it clearly. After a moment, Marie realized it was a sliver of light at what must be the top of shaft. As she was watching, the sound came again and more snow cascaded down the shaft obstructing her view. She started to feel pain in her arm and was forced to lie back down.
The sounds from the top of the shaft were growing louder. A metallic creaking sound erupted and echoed in the darkness. Something was shifting weight above her, possibly on the roof. A sudden explosion of sound echoed through the shaft. The snowfall around her increased as she trembled.
She looked around the elevator again and saw large pieces of roof tumbling down the shaft. With only seconds to react she ducked back under the elevator. Not knowing what else to do she covered her face with her arms and closed her eyes.
Marie screamed as large pieces of roofing crashed down onto the roof of the elevator. Thud after thud exploded above her while she lay helpless underneath. The wind was screaming through the new holes in the roof and the blizzard was now filling the shaft with snow. The temperature began to plummet throughout the building. The elevator’s bumper groaned in protest as its load increased.
Marie stopped screaming and peeked upward from between two fingers. The bumper was holding the elevator up and she sighed in relief. She began to shiver violently as the temperature dropped further and looking down she saw her legs were covered in snow.
The elevator shifted slightly and the bumper creaked and started to buckle. Marie’s heart was racing as she tried to figure out what to do. Before she could act, the elevator dropped two inches and then stopped. Snow from the top of the car fell around its edges. The added weight of snow and roof debris was clearly taking its toll.
Sitting up, Marie pulled at the hatch’s handle again with all of her strength. Adrenaline helped fuel her efforts and it began to slowly lift this time. Above her the metal continued creaking and groaning with increasing urgency. Marie paused to wipe sweat from her brow and continued her struggle.
The hatch was more than halfway open when the elevator shifted again. It fell another six inches and more snow fell hitting her exposed arms and neck causing her to shiver from the cold burn. Pushing now on the bottom of the hatch, it finally fell over to the floor with a bang. Dirt and dust plumed into the air making her cough and stung her eyes.
Marie scooted forward, feet first until her legs fell limply into the hole. Above her the snow continued to cascade on and around her in bursts as the elevator continued to lose its battle with gravity. A chorus of creaks and groans echoed in Marie’s ears as she leaned forward to stare into the hatch. Below her was more inky darkness and she wished she had her lighter.
The elevator began to move and she took a deep breath and pulled herself fully to the edge so she could balance herself better. She had little strength left and realized she would just have to drop. She couldn’t let herself down gradually. Marie closed her eyes and dropped into the hole. As her body slid through the gap into the darkness below the pit, the elevator broke free and crashed into the bottom.
She cleared the gap with seconds to spare and she worried that the elevator was going to follow her downward. She heard the bumper screeching in protest as it was pushed into to the floor of the pit. The weight of the elevator was keeping it compressed and the tension was building along the support pipe under the bumper.
Marie fell for what seemed like several minutes, but she knew was probably only seconds. Her feet connected with a hard surface and she heard the crunch of bones breaking. The impact went through her whole body as her legs bent and shot out from under her. Her tailbone connected next and she heard another crunch. She was thankful she had no feeling below the waist.
Marie threw her hands out to brace herself, but she landed awkwardly and ended up on her back. Her left hand touched something sticky, cold and furry and she recoiled in disgust. She struggled to see anything in the sub cellar as her mind shut off and she passed out.
She awoke and felt the cold air on her skin and the dampness of the stone floor beneath her. Turning her head left and right, her eyes tried to adjust, but she saw only shades of shadows. Water dripped and echoed in the space, but she had no idea how large an area it was.
Marie began to cry, and prayed that someone would find her. She was so cold and tired. She just needed to sleep and save her strength. That was what she needed to do before she tried anything else.
* * * * *
She dozed for some time before something awoke her. Blinking she remembered where she was and prepared herself to find a way out of this cellar. She sat up and started to feel around in the darkness. The she heard a scratching noise. It was far off to her left and stopped after a few seconds. She strained to see or hear more, but there was only the sound of the wind in the elevator shaft above.
She returned her focus to the matter at hand and realized she had forgotten what she was trying to do. Marie was becoming frustrated as she tried to recall what she was just thinking a few moments earlier. Her head began to nod and she fought to stay conscious.
She heard the scratching noise again. She tried to see through the darkness, but at first she saw nothing. The sound was getting louder and seemed to be increasing. Marie was shaking and began to rub her arms to generate some warmth.
She thought she saw movement, but it might have been her eyes playing tricks on her. As she watched, something large was coming slowly into view. Within the shadows she saw a creature coming closer. It was an extremely large rat, and within a few seconds, dozens joined it followed soon by even more.
* * * * *
Marie’s eyes widened. She could see many, possibly hundreds of rats in a large circle around her. As she looked further into the darkness, the mass of rats blended into a giant shifting mass. She looked around her for a weapon, but couldn’t find anything other than some debris.
She grabbed a small rock and threw it, but it landed short and bounced at the rats. A few of them scattered and backed away. Marie continued groping around for weapons. Her fingers were increasingly numb making her search difficult. She heard the scratching sounds again and saw the rats approaching cautiously.
Her eyelids were starting to close and she had to keep shifting her weight and moving to stay awake. The bitter cold was taking its toll as her shivering had become shaking. Her teeth began to chatter furiously and she couldn’t keep her mind focused on anything. And in just a few more minutes, her body shut down and she blacked out.
Marie found herself at a massive dining table with dozens of strangers on either side. She looked at her plate and saw it was empty. All around her, people were gorging themselves on turkey legs, chicken breasts, ribs, hamburgers and hotdogs.
She was aware of being ravenous, but as she reached for food the person next to her slapped her hand and took her plate. She was forced to sit and watch the feast in agony. The masticating sounds around her grew louder and she covered her ears in vain. The sound of biting and chewing became deafening.
The woman across from Marie had her face down in her plate; her long hair was matted and dirty and covered the plate completely. She was obviously eating something with great abandon and Marie found herself drooling in envy.
Then the woman sat up suddenly and stared at her. Her face was not that of a woman, however and Marie found herself staring into the face of a human-sized rat. Its muzzle and teeth were covered in blood, and it squeaked at her as it wiped its face with a sleeve. Marie looked around and saw everyone at the table had rat faces.
Marie awoke and blinked away the horrible imagery. She could still hear the biting and chewing sounds echoing in her head. Her eyes focused and she lay for a moment confused at what she was hearing. Lifting her head to look down her body, it appeared that someone had covered her with a gray blanket while she slept. She was briefly confused as she saw the blanket was moving and shifting around her feet and legs.
* * * * *
Marie’s mind awoke fully and she tried to scream. Her mouth had become completely dry and only a raspy sound came out. She tried to lift her arms to shove away the feasting rats but couldn’t do it.
Turning to look at each arm, she saw dozens of rats pulling on her numb hands. The bones on several of her fingers were exposed, and pools of blood were all around her. She pulled her damaged hands free, sat up and swung at the rats on her legs.
The rats scattered, but they didn’t go far before turning and waiting. Marie looked down at her legs and feet. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the hundreds of bite marks, pools of blood and exposed muscle and bone. She sobbed deeply and lifting her head she opened her mouth to scream. No sound came.
With a final burst of strength, she strained to drag herself away from the rats. She made it a few inches before collapsing on her left side. Marie’s body was numb all over, but an odd feeling of euphoria was rising within her.
She could see just a few feet ahead in the darkness and saw the rats sitting calmly watching her. Marie tried to move any part of her body and nothing responded. She let out a long sigh and stared at the rats. She found it nearly impossible to focus on anything for too long. Her breathing slowed and became increasing shallow.
She began to fade into the darkness. A sound pulled her back to reality and she refocused slowly ahead. The rats were still patiently watching her, but the largest rat had moved a few inches closer, his companions remained respectfully behind him. The leading rat smiled at her and Marie thought now that he looked like a proper little gentleman.
“But I am my dear.”
Marie stared at the rat leader.
“I am so tired and so very cold.”
“Sleep. We will take care of you. A blanket you need and shall have.”
“How very kind…what is your name?”
“Thomas.”
“A fine name for a rat. My name is Marie.”
“It’s time Marie, stop your fighting and let us care for you.”
A rumbling sound from far above interrupted their conversation.
“What was that?”
“It’s nothing to worry about now Marie, you must trust me and sleep.”
“But I’m not ready. I know a great song, can I sing it to you?”
“We will listen to your song, but we are rats and your human songs make little sense to us.”
Marie began to sing “Too Much Heaven.” The first few words came out of her lips followed by a few squeaks and wheezes as her breathing slowed. The lead rat continued to watch her inquisitively and listen attentively. Marie was looking right at him as darkness started to obscure the edges of her vision.
Marie’s breathing slowed and then ceased. Her heartbeats dropped to a faint murmur, and she was soon completely still and silent.
The rats began to move forward.