Subcutaneous Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 38

Remember what I have offered . You have refused me , but when you return here , you will return begging . I may not make the same offer twice .”
Harry awoke in the hospital bed in the middle of the night . Doctors and nurses were standing around him , a cardiac machine beeping to the tempo of his heart beat . A doctor backed off , placing a pair of defibrillators onto their base . “ We almost lost you ,” he said .
Harry dozed , his mind losing the memories of the fiery cave and the man who called himself Lucifer .
There were shouts from the hall . A doctor was shouting at a nurse . “ The patient is supposed to be an induced coma !” he exclaimed . “ Why haven ’ t I been told that he ’ s woken up at least twice ?! His burns and injuries are too extensive for us to wake him , yet I feel as though you aren ’ t concerned in the slightest about any of it !”
“ I ’ m doing my best , doctor ,” the nurse said . Harry couldn ’ t see , but he knew the voice belonged to the ball-grabber .
“ Get up ,” the voice said in his ear . He thought he knew the speaker , but the thought disappeared . All he remembered was the voice , whoever it belonged to , had tried to warn him .
“ You have your strength ,” the voice said . “ Your pain has lessened , and your body is less broken . Get up and go to the window .”
Harry did as the voice instructed , and was pleased to find that his body was back under his control . He still felt pain as he moved about the room , but it was better than before . He walked to the window and opened it . A cool breeze blew in , kissing the parts of his flesh that could still feel pleasure . He stepped onto the ledge and closed the window behind him .
Harry climbed down the fire escape , and moved as fast as he could away from the hospital . He didn ’ t know why , but he wanted as much space between himself and it as possible . He went down an alley as a car came down the road . He snuck around , popping in and out of the allies between the two-story , brick buildings to avoid detection by any people who were out this late at night . He did this for a few blocks until his body was exhausted . He stumbled and sat between two garbage bins , his chest heaving . There was garbage strewn about , but he had no choice . He had no idea how long he was in the hospital , nor how long his muscles went unused . He needed rest if he wanted to keep moving .
There was a filthy , hole-ridden sheet near him in a pile on the ground . He peeled it off the ground with two fingers and pulled it onto his body . Dozing off , he dreamed of being behind the controls of his plane , flying just under the white , fluffy clouds just outside New York state . He lost control as he had before , plummeting toward the ground . Just before crashing , he awoke . Morning had come .
Harry stood , fumbling and tripping over himself in his weak state . He was still alone . He hobbled toward the road , backing up against the wall as a siren sounded nearby . A police car zoomed past the entrance to the alley . Harry exhaled as the sound of the siren waned .
Harry waited in the alley all day , not knowing what to do or where to go . His better judgement told him to go back to the hospital , but he kept pushing those thoughts away . He drifted in and out of sleep , leaning against the wall as he had during the night . He dreamed of caves with fire and a naked man standing before him , lean and muscular , laughing . Several nude women crawled at his feet , all of them sexually appealing and reaching their slender , glistening arms out , beckoning him .
The visions fast-forwarded , jumping around as if pieces were missing . The place evoked a strong sense of deja-vu . He remembered the naked man ’ s name . “ You shall beg to join us ,” Lucifer said , smiling .
Harry bolted awoke once more , drenched in sweat . Not wanting to fall back into sleep and have another vision , he roused himself to standing position . Night had fallen and a bum burned a fire in a trash can nearby , his hands hovering over the metallic cylinder for warmth . The bum had appeared not to have seen Harry in his sad state of affairs . If he had , he didn ’ t pay any mind .
Harry ’ s stomach growled . He was starving . He stumbled toward the bum , gripping a large rock in his right hand , the one that still had its fingers . The bum turned and nodded at him , giving him silent permission to join him by the fire . Harry grimaced and swung his arm , despite the pain . The rock connected with the side of the bum ’ s head , knocking him out . When he fell , Harry crawled over his body , slamming the rock into his head again , killing him .
Harry removed the bum ’ s clothes and donned himself with a worn , stained coat and pants on top of his pale green hospital gown and bandaged body . The clothing reeked of garbage and piss , but Harry tried to ignore it . Harry rifled through the bum ’ s coat pockets and found a knife . Suddenly overcome with a strong desire for food , he used the tool to strip the flesh from the bum ’ s body . As his eyes clouded over with a milky , opalescent film , Harry roasted the tough meat over the fire , gnawing into the flesh as blood ran down his hands and soaked his bandages .
His stomach full , Harry backed away , leaning against the wall just feet from the bloody mess that used to be the bum . He reached in the other coat pocket and was surprised to find a small , glass crack pipe inside . He inhaled greedily and exhaled , laughing with exuberance . He almost forgot how good it felt to indulge in illegal substances .
There were no dreams , visions or voices that night .
Throughout the next day , Harry stayed in the alley . Having hidden the bum ’ s body under his dirty blanket , Harry snuck pieces from the cadaver whenever he grew hungry . Once night returned , he felt well enough to leave . He cleaned himself off as best he could and walked in the opposite direction of the hospital , choosing his route at random .
One road led to another , and he was soon walking in a suburban neighborhood . Something drove him , but he didn ’ t know what . He felt as if there was a specific destination , but he had no idea where or what compelled him to find it . He stopped and looked around . His old neighborhood was full of houses that were much bigger and far more expensive , but this was a nice , quiet place to raise a family . He almost regretted never raising one of his own .