Night of One Hundred Horrors - Didn't...

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            They shouldn’t have come back to this place, but what choice did they have? Most people knew better than to wander the woods at night, but they were never the smartest trio. That’s how they found this place, they weren’t sure what to call it. A decrepit house? Ruins? An unearthly place? Whatever this was, they definitely shouldn’t have stolen from it, and now they were dangerously close to paying the price.

            “We shouldn’t be back here, we should leave, we should run,” Jay insisted. His favorite jersey was ripped, and his pants fared no better. He was sweating bullets and breathing heavily.

            “We don’t have a choice, Jay,” Stacy put her foot down. She threw off her prized yellow jacket, realizing it wasn’t worth salvaging. It fell apart at the seams when it hit the ground. “We can’t go home, and I’m sure as hell not spending the rest of my life running.”

            “How do we even know this is going to fix things?” Mary asked as she kicked off her shredded shoes. It was honestly better to go barefoot at this point than pretend they were doing anything to protect her feet.

            “We don’t, that’s my problem,” Jay snapped. “The next town’s only an hour hike away. We can get a taxi or something and ride away.”

            “And then what? I told you I’m not running anymore, and what if this follows us wherever we go? Do you want that on your conscience too?” Stacy pointed out. “No, I don’t know if this will fix anything, but I’m at least going to try. Gary won’t even get the luxury of a choice now.”

            “That was his own damn fault,” Jay argued.

            “No, it wasn’t!” Mary screamed. “He didn’t even want to be here. You two were the ones who pushed us to be here.”

            “You’re the one who took the stupid thing!” Jay got in her face.

            “I didn’t…” Mary stumbled over her words.

            “Enough fighting,” Stacy shut them both up. “We don’t have time to get at each other’s throats. Let’s try to fix this, and if that fails, then fight till the end of the world for all I care.” The other two looked at her in silence before nodding and continuing on their way. They were so very close, maybe this horrible thing would be over soon.

            Stacy took the lead as they marched into a familiar part of the wood, right at the edge of that place. That place where this all started. It didn’t look any different than before. However, the mildly creepy vibe they got from before had evolved into a malevolent aura that seeped into every inch of the surroundings. Not only were they unwelcome and considered intruders, but they were enemies of whatever force or entity resided here. Wishfully, they thought it might be their imagination or nerves from this stressful day, but after seeing what happened to Gary, they knew better than to be wishful.

            “It wasn’t far in, right? You found it right through that door-ish thing, right?” Stacy asked.

            “Yeah, and I have it right here,” Mary patted a small bag at her side.

            “Shit,” Jay’s eyes went wide as dinner plates. “Stacy, move it—!” He didn’t even have time to finish his sentence. Stacy already felt its presence and began to scream. In a snap decision, Jay grabbed Mary and threw her forward. The small girl tumbled across the ground. She intended to look back to see what was happening, but thought better of it and crawled forward as fast as she could.

            “Right ahead, right ahead,” Mary pulled herself through the not-door and stopped to catch her breath. That thing she took belonged to this room. If Stacy was right, she could drop the thing right where she found it, and this whole nightmare would be over.

            “Too close…” Jay stumbled into the room after her. He was even worse off than before and simply collapsed onto the wall.

            “Jay! Where’s Stacy?” Mary asked in a panic.

            “She’s gone, Mary…” Jay managed to let out before going limp.

            “Oh God, oh God,” Mary scrambled to her feet, a sickening feeling in her stomach, and her head going light. Her hands shook as she held the bag containing the thing. That pedestal or shelf she took it from was no more than a foot in front of her, but it was taking all her willpower not to burst into tears and collapse into a hysterical fit.

            Then she felt it, it was not far behind. It had already taken Gary and Stacy. Jay was on his last legs if he was lucky, and she’d be next. The adrenaline kicking in, she reached into her bag and grabbed the thing. She tried to pull it out, but the only thing she could see herself doing right now was throwing up.

            “I brought it back, I brought it back, please stop, no more,” Mary pleaded. She felt it again, it was right on top of her, or at least it felt that way. She pulled out the thing, it looked almost like a doll, but not quite. That’s what drew her in initially, that idle curiosity that got them in this mess. “Please, spare us, we don’t want to die,” she reached to put it on the not-pedestal.

            Another feeling went up her back, it was like a message, or more likely a warning. At first, she felt a brief calm amid the horror, but then that malicious feeling returned in a new, twisted form. It didn’t want to kill her, not anymore at least. However, that didn’t make her feel any better. In fact, it scared her even more. The realization hit like a ton of bricks as she broke out into tears, it didn’t want to kill her, it didn’t want to kill her, it didn’t want to kill her…

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When you make mistakes and errors, even out of ignorance, it is best to rectify them as soon as possible instead of running away. 

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.

Night of One Hundred Horrors - Visions of Heck Part 3

Story Hub: [link]

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            Envy is the penultimate layer, and based on everything I’ve told you so far, I’m sure you can imagine what it might be like. What, no guesses? Too afraid you might be right? Don’t worry, it’s another layer that’s quite nostalgic.

            The layer of Envy appears as an infinite school, connected to an infinite dormitory, which in turn is connected to an infinite small city. I know that last one sounds contradictory, but we’ll get to that in a moment. When you’re in Envy, you’ll look and feel like you did in your teenage years, specifically, the point you were most emotionally and socially vulnerable. Life in Envy is just an infinite recycled school day, with the same classes, same teachers, same bus ride to and fro, and no hope for a weekend.

            Your peers in Envy will be an endless brigade of bratty, vicious, and jealous teenage girls. You know the kind, but ten times worse than your childhood tormentors could ever hope to be. They live only to spread rumors and gossip about literally everyone else, and make sure everyone else is just as miserable as they are.

            I know what you might be thinking. Just live under the radar, act as wallpaper, be invisible, and no one is likely to bother you. Alas, in this place, these girls are jealous of literally everything. You try to be unnoticeable? They’re jealous you’re flying under the radar. Act too noticeable? They’re jealous you’re the center of attention. Once you inevitably catch their attention, an afterlife of torment and bullying awaits you. Then you’ll be socially ostracized, like only an unpopular middle school kid could be. And they’ll be jealous of how isolated you are. After all, in their mind, a loser like you doesn’t need to live up to any expectations. Of course, if you tried to live up to any expectations, they’d be jealous you’re rising above your station. There’s just no pleasing them.

            And there’s no escaping them either, whether in the halls, or in class, or on the bus, or in the dorms. They’re always there, watching, gossiping, stalking you until they can corner you and make your life…well, you know. You could always try retreating to the small city. It has that quaint, suburban feel, and it goes on forever – until it doesn’t – but don’t think that makes it safe. No, much like a small population center, everyone seems to know everyone, and the teenage girls aren’t the only ones gossiping and spreading rumors.

            I’m sure you’re wondering, aren’t there any men down there? Well, you won’t see any if that’s what you’re thinking. And as for men who get sent there, it’s a whole thing. You see, you aren’t really “you” in Envy. You’re more of an abstract concept of a person, more specifically, a perfect target for bullying. It doesn’t matter what you do and don’t look like, they’re just going to project their negative feelings onto you and decide you’re their target by any means. So, I hope you aren’t too attached to your looks, because you won’t just be bland, you’ll be less than a person in your own eyes. But in their eyes, you’ll be whatever they want to hate. And boy, won’t you hate them. I mean, they’re all pretty teenage girls, and they’re jealous of you? You won’t even know what your own face looks like anymore, and they dare to be envious? What jerks. You’ll probably be spreading rumors about them by the end of the first week.

            What, you don’t want to be part of the teenage girl simulator? Fine, I figured you’d prefer the last one anyway. Not that you really have a choice if all the others are a no-go. I mean, if you can’t take this last one, then you’ll be forced to take one of the other layers, and who wants to go to any of them? No, the last layer, Pride, that’s where it’s at. That’s where all the cool people cursed to spend eternity here end up. Or at least, I’m sure that’s what they tell themselves.

            Pride is a simple place, much like Envy, you are reduced to a lesser form of yourself and surrounded by others. Except, instead of your biggest problem being constantly noticed, in Pride, you’re practically invisible. No one sees you for who you are, if they see you at all. Nope, you’re nothing more than a sounding board for everyone else. Who is everyone else? Why the most cocky, arrogant, and blindly confident people you’ve ever met, of course. And they love to talk about themselves. They’ll go on and on about one thing or another, usually themselves, but maybe something else. But this isn’t the passionate rant of someone who loves and adores a topic, it is quite the opposite, in fact. It’s a mangled, incoherent rambling of someone who doesn’t know a whole lot about anything, but boy, do they have a lot of opinions.

            The best part about Pride – well, maybe not the best for you – is that these people ranting and raving are more than likely going to be talking about a subject or person you know well. Or maybe, even something you created or put a lot of effort into. It could be anything, a book, a movie, a person, a political campaign, a public works project, a presentation at your office, or something as simple as the paint job on a house. After but a minute, you’ll know for a fact they don’t know anything about the topic they’re talking about. It’ll be blatantly obvious they got all their “facts” and “research” from sensational headlines, biased sources, overly simplified breakdowns, and, most importantly, their own hasty conclusions. The truth is whatever they decide it to be, no matter how far from reality it is. And the cherry on top? They’ll have no idea who you are. You’ll just be some random person they can rant to, they won’t know or care that they’re hurting your feelings and driving you mad.

            I’m sure you’re wondering why don’t you just speak up and clear up the misunderstandings? No can do, as a new resident of Pride, you won’t be able to talk, emote, or even communicate. You physically won’t be able to, nor will you want to. Like I said, you’ll be reduced to a lesser form of yourself, a meek, quiet, and nervous wreck. No matter how badly those words hurt, nothing could be worse than the pain of being noticed. Yet, deep down, you’ll want to be noticed, you’ll want to be praised, but your newly gifted social anxiety will make such an ideal nothing more than a terrifying fantasy.

            I suppose I never described what Pride looks like, but that’s because it can be any number of places. A meeting room at an office, a family dinner table, a support group meeting, or even out on the street. All that matters is that it’s somewhere where you’re trapped by societal conventions to keep listening to this person rant, no matter how much it hurts you.

            As for your fellow residents? Why would you want them around? You’d be a resident of Pride, and you don’t want to share your personal torment with anyone. That’s right, everyone in Pride is given their own little slice of the afterlife to be tortured in, with no company but these arrogant phantoms who can’t shut up. It might seem like a sad and lonely state of affairs, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay.

            Don’t worry, I’ll come check on you sometime in the next century or two. Make sure you’re holding up and all that. Then we can have another delightful discussion like this one. No, no need for words. It’s not like you talk anymore anyway. I’ve got to return to my real job, those pigs in gluttony won’t stuff themselves. Well, some of them will, others need a helpful push. Taa taa~

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Do you detest others for their success? Or do you hold your own successes above those of all other's? Maybe it's better to look on the bright side and not focus on the words of others. Especially those who are clearly biased against you. But at this point, you might not have a choice in the matter.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.

Night of One Hundred Horrors - Visions of Heck Part 2

Story Hub: [link]

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            I can tell the last two weren’t to your liking. Then, how about the third layer: Greed? If you were to end up there, you’d find yourself in another endless environment, this time a humble high-rise office. Just don’t look out the window, because it’s a long way down.

            I’m sure you’ve had more than your fair share of time in an office, slaving away to that eternal 9-5. Well, don’t worry, in Greed you’ll be working your new job round the clock. That makes you worry more? Don’t be dramatic. You get unlimited sick and vacation days, but actually getting to use them is another matter.

            Sorry, I’m getting off topic. The layer of Greed isn’t just an endless office building, it’s an infinite workplace of every shape and size. And you would be the new lowliest peon. I see that struck a nerve, but I’m sorry, even a PhD only qualifies you for entry-level work in this place. How do you qualify for a higher position? You don’t.

            I hope you don’t mind tedious busy work with no real value, and constantly getting other people’s work dumped on you, because that’s the name of the game in Greed. While your goal might be to just get your work done, all your coworkers’ and boss’s goals are to do as little work as possible, or better yet, make you do it, and if that fails, blame you for everything that goes wrong.

            I know how unfair that sounds, and it is, but that’s just the nature of this layer. It’s Greed after all, everyone is out for themselves and their own benefit. It doesn’t matter how small or short-sighted each of their actions are. If even the tiniest act of pettiness will get them just a little ahead, your lovely peers will scratch and claw for it. So, try not to drop your change around the vending machine.

            I know you might feel targeted at times, like the whole world is out to get you, but don’t fret, everyone here is trying to screw over everyone else. It’s not personal, it’s just how they are. Of course, if nobody is cooperating and everyone is undermining everyone else, I’m sure you can deduce how little actually gets done around here. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Oh, this is just an imaginary office in another plane of existence where everyone is playing pretend as part of a punishment. There are no actual consequences to nothing getting done.” Sorry, but this is no playtime. This office is very real, and there is real work to get done. If it fails to get done, there are punishments to be dealt out. Best case, you get sent to an even lower layer, and in the worst case, you get demoted from lowly peon to...Well, let’s hope that never happens.

            It’s not all doom and gloom. If you’re a real mover and shaker, you can get promoted, and you’ll get sent to a different office where all the “wolves” go. Now, what do they say about wolves when there are no sheep to eat? If you’re not particularly savvy, you’ll still get promoted anyway. All those managers and supervisors you meet will eventually be promoted, demoted, or just disappear, and that’ll make you the de facto leader. It’s like a promotion, but your title and pay stay the same.

            Oh yes, you do get paid, but all your money goes to taxes and other expenses. So basically, slavery with extra steps, even for upper management. Thus is your fate in the layer of Greed. No matter how badly you want it all, you’ll never truly have it, and if you do, someone will take it from you.

            Still not a fan? Then how about the next layer, Sloth? I’ll keep it short and simple, that’s the way they like it. Sloth is just an endless series of apartments, condos, and frat houses. It might bring you back to your college days. And on that note, everyone there basically acts like they’re in college. They don’t bathe, they don’t clean up after themselves, and they just sit there and eat and drink all day. I’d say they’d watch TV or something, but most of them are too lazy to even do that.

            So where would that put you? You’d be their new roommate, just bright-eyed enough to think you could actually make an afterlife for yourself here. I’m sure you’ll try to clean up what you can and carve a niche for yourself, but the trash produced here increases exponentially every day. Even if you spent every minute of your time cleaning up without rest, by the third day, you’d be net negative. By the end of the week, you’ll be drowning in trash.

            And oh, is there trash. Uneaten food, beer cans, pizza boxes, wrappers, dirty clothes, human waste, bones, and dead everything. And the best part is, the more you try to clean it, the less you’ll desire to. It’s mostly the smell, but you might say the environment itself makes you just a little more slothful, sucks the will to do anything out of you. And once either that or the smell finally overtakes you, you’ll collapse to the floor and be consumed by the torrent of trash, until you’re just another part of it. Just like everyone else in this filthy little layer, you’ll languish in your filth without the ability, nor desire, to even move. How slothful…

            No good? I figured as much. Nobody wants to be in Sloth, not even the slothful. That brings us to Wrath. It might be more your speed, much less sitting around and a much higher pace. The layer of Wrath is less of a place and more of an abstract environment. Imagine if you were trapped inside the internet – I know, I know, that’s its own kind of eternal torment – but only a part of it, a particular part. Imagine if you were a social media page and that was your entire existence, a small part of the global communication network. Now imagine, and I know this won’t be too hard, that everyone on this social media site is constantly screaming at each other and spreading nothing but hate for their fellow humans.

            That’s Wrath in a nutshell, a screaming match between a hundred million people, and you’re caught in the middle whether you want to be there or not. That’s just reality for the people there. Be careful what you say and be even more careful of what you don’t, because someone will take umbrage with your choice of words and actions (or lack thereof), and they will let you know with all the politeness and grace you expect of someone whose whole entire life is literally online.

            Don’t worry, if you get tired of social media, you can join an online lobby for your favorite online game. You don’t get to actually play the game, just hang out in the lobby as everyone continues to yell, shout, and blame each other for everything, from losing the last game to being the Antichrist. So, you know, business as usual, it just lasts forever.

            People are just so aggressive online, I guess that’s what the shield of anonymity and a degree of separation from whoever you’re talking to does. Or maybe the online world is the perfect platform for needlessly aggressive people to vent every angry thought in their little heads to the world, and for once, actually find others who agree with them.

            It’s just like that in Wrath, except even the people who agree with each other eventually start fighting. After all, once you’re angry enough, do you see other people as people or merely obstacles in your way? Now imagine if you had no self-control in the first place, and you’ve spent all day being yelled at for things you didn’t do. Wouldn’t you want to let it all out on someone, even if you knew they had nothing to do with it?

            Don’t look at me like that, I’m not accusing you of anything, I’m just asking a question. I know it’s not a pleasant thing to think about, but none of this is. But if I’ve offended your delicate sensibilities, I can just move on to the next layer. Only two more to go, I’m sure one of them will be to your liking…

To be Continued…

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You can never have enough? You can't be bothered? You just can't stand it? Which applies to you?

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy.