Seven Sins of Man Chapter 1

1

The day felt like a summer afternoon but it was just a lucky day of Autumn. The sky was filled with bright blue shades and perfect clouds. How much nicer could I have imagined a day to be? How much more could I ask for? From the morning, I promised myself that I would take advantage of the beautiful weather and treat every obstacle with precise happiness and gratitude. In the same thought, I found it odd and rude to not appreciate things that we see every day. How ironic is it that these thoughts crossed my mind? Quite. Maybe I’m only pretending I thought those things, and my mind is mixed up from reality and what should have happened.

It wasn't obvious to me at all that I hadn't seen my Mother in a couple of weeks and the last time I did we’d had a small argument. It wasn't obvious to me at all that my boyfriend was in Saskatchewan and wouldn't be back for a couple more months. And it sure as hell wasn't obvious to me that my cat would die alone sometime around the end of the week. If I was fortunate enough to think those former thoughts, maybe I would have been happier.

My morning consisted of a walk to the grocery store to pick up some cat food. Also, I said to myself that if it was possible, I would use the spare change to pick up an early package of litter. I call it an early package when you are not quite out of the item that you are purchasing. I wonder if that was odd of me. This was probably around 6 in the AM. Why so early? That is because my cat was hungry, he wouldn’t leave me be.

I tasted a dull and sad attempt at mouthwash mixed with a fresh sip of rum. I wore a loose blue dress from the night before and a sweater that still clung to its beautiful white colour. The same white colour was found on my small hang bag. During my walk, I foolishly compared my outfit to the sky, and wished like a child that I could be swallowed up to also be displayed above the city. I pictured the sunlight on my body as if it were natural to feel no heat, the light breeze but no touch, and any other stupid thing that I thought a cloud may experience on a nice day like that.

Walking into the store, I felt a sudden rush of cold as the air conditioning swept my body. Counting my change and holding cat food, I approached the cash register. He glanced at me with a look of disgust on his face. He must have noticed my smudged eyeliner and messy hair, if not more. His reaction meant nothing to my hangover. The 20 cents he handed back to me reminded me that I really, desperately needed a job. I couldn’t even afford the litter. As I was approaching the door to leave he said to me:

“You should go get your eye checked out.” He said this in a monotone voice, as if he didn’t really give a shit but he figured he’d say something anyways.

“My eye?”

 “Yeah.”

And then I left, wondering what he meant by that, because I hadn’t worn enough eyeliner the previous night for it to be smudged enough to look like a black eye. I took out my compact mirror from my hand bag and looked into my reflection to see my left eye. It was bloodshot and obviously swollen. There was a little bit of black forming around it, and later it was sure to look worse. I had no recollection of how that happened, but after a night of drinking, who really would remember these things?

Laughing to myself, I started to put away my mirror. Except, through the dim sunlight and moist air I caught a glimpse of something moving behind or beside me. I jumped a little but continued to put my mirror away because I figured it was something unimportant. I didn’t even bother to look behind me. I guess I had just thought it was a squirrel or some kind of animal.

I can’t even recall how far I got until he grabbed me. The only thing that I remember seeing was the light morning dew on the grass, a piece of red gum fossilized into the cement, my handbag in my fingers and the small round balls of cat food rolling down the sidewalk. After that, all I remember is darkness.

Waking up in a dark room with no lights to guide your sight is a lot scarier than movies make it seem. I had no idea where I was, or what was happening, or course. I kept my mouth shut after making some confused but quiet noises, and refused to scream. I’m not sure how I’d kept myself sane at that point, but I do recall a strong desire to stay alive, of course. I’m sure that had at the least a small part in my control. Imagine that.

I lifted my arms to find that they wouldn’t move far from the ground. As I reached even higher, I felt a strong grip on my wrists get even stronger. I set my hands down and heard no sounds. I was not connected to chains, at least not the metal kind. Although, the irritations on my wrist led me to believe that I was fastened with rope. I moved my feet around and found no restrictions. Compared to my wrists, they felt free and lucky. I took a breath and calmed my mind because half of my body was able to move around. Although, it wasn’t the half I would’ve chosen to be available.

Beneath my bare thighs, the ground was cold, but soft. I could only guess it was cement. That made me feel so uncomfortable; to realize that where I was will never warm up, will never be sufficient to sleep upon or even lay on, and also that where I was held at the moment was possibly a place that was deep underground, but not a basement of a home.

My panic started thrashing, and I knew in an instant that something bad was going to happen. Of course, I knew that to begin, but realization hadn’t hit me, contemplation hadn’t begun, and I tried so hard to lie to myself. Life could end for me in a manner of hours, days or weeks. Perhaps it was even seconds… and all I could do was wait.

I aimed to focus my vision so perfectly and successfully as to see through the darkness and guess the size of the room. I really could not see a thing. I blinked quickly to see if I could somehow trick the dark and unlock some kind of shapes, but there was nothingI turned to see behind and around me, but again, there was nothing. Whoever was doing this has definitely found the right room to kill someone in. I wonder if they had realized I was awake. How long had I been out for? For all I could know, they were right next to me. Hovering above me, or in the room next door, at the other side of the room… Upstairs, even. Was there an upstairs? I shut my eyes and began the new focus of hearing. I listened for any movement, any voices, or wind. I listened for anything that could possibly sound familiar. The silence was deafening, and there was a buzz in my ears. I cut my breathing and listened even harder, but all I could make out was my heart beats, pounding away in my chest, my head, and my wrists. Throbbing and fear is never fixed with attention. I begged my mind to get off of the topics it was on. I could not think of a thing to change it to, because my entire brain was paranoid. It told me what if nobody is actually here?  This is not a horror movie, for all you know, you were put here to rot. For all you know, they have done this before. Tears crowded my eyelids and my lips began to shake. Could that be true? Am I so alone? If I could choose, I think I would rather someone visit and hurt me, so long as I am no longer alone.

Thinking those thoughts, a shiver rode up my spine. At that moment, I finally realized that I was so cold. Not only from the freezing stone beneath me, the fact that I was still in my dress and the shiver up my spine. No, I felt a breeze. A very slight breeze… so slight, it made me question if it was actually there. I figured that maybe it was because I was underground. At the moment, I quickly gave up the fact that it could be something, and focused only on the fact that I was shivering; since that’s all I could do. Wasn’t it? Is that shock?

I closed my eyes, and was amazed to see that it was lighter inside my eyelids. There were colourful shapes flitting through them, and I was amused for a moment. I tried to concentrate on only those, and ignored the headache it was giving me. The buzzing in my ears grew larger, the pain in my head grew stronger and all of a sudden it happened. The loud bang of a slammed open door echoed through the room. My body began to quiver, tears slid down my face, and it took every bit of my nerves to open my eyes. Stop shivering.

Far in front of me was a door. So far away it barely lit my side of the room. There was a small shape in the light causing a silhouette. I thought I may have been imagining it, but no, I was right. The figure was a woman.

“Hi,” she says to me. It was a calm voice that she said it in. I was too confused to think of something to say back to her. I felt like I was safe, for some reason. I couldn’t understand any reason why this woman would want to hurt me.

She walked over. The sound of her heels also made me feel a little safer because it was a sound I knew oh too well. She was taking small steps, so it took her quite a time to make it the far distance over to me. The size of the room was still astounding me. I think this room was relatively larger than the average apartment floor.

Midway, she stopped and pulled at something. At the same moment, a large light turned on, and the sound of the electricity made me wince. It was loud, and the light was very bright. I adjusted my vision and focused on her face.

She was turned slightly to the left, and I could only make out the one side of her face. She was very pale and she looked tired. Her blonde hair was thin and boring. It also didn’t seem very clean from where I was looking. Her one eye was shut, and I figured it was because of the light.

“Hello.” I responded, finally.

She made no reaction to my response. All she did was put her head down so that her hair fell in front of her face and walked over to me. I could not see her face, but I had a funny feeling I didn’t want to. I saw what she was wearing though. It was a blue dress, almost like mine. I looked down, and compared our outfits. Upon looking down, I saw that she was carrying a white purse. It was mine…

Looking down, I realized I was naked.

“You look lovely,” she said to me.

I’ve never quite seen a face so ugly in my life. The eye I thought was closed was in fact closed, but it could not be opened. It was sewn shut, butit had been for so long that there was no longer any blood stains. The other side of her face was stripped of many layers of skin and turned green from infection. Or is that blue? The light was too bright.

Although that was not what frightened me; what scared me was her smile. Her mouth was so large it made her smile look like one out of a cartoon. It gleamed at me. Her gums were clearly showing, and her lips were thin and purple.

“So lovely,” she repeated.

How old could she be? I couldn’t tell, since her injuries added age. Or did it?

“Are you here to hurt me?” I asked her.

It was silent for a moment, but by the look on her face, I could tell she was upset. She turned her face away, and I could hear her sobbing. I couldn’t care less, so I stared at the doorway. In the hallway, it was carpeted walls and carpeted floors. As far as I could tell, it was a very narrow hallway. The walls were blue and the floor was red. It reminded me of a hotel. It’s quite fancy for that hallway to be placed next to a room with cemented floors.

She cried harder. I looked around the room itself; only cement, like I’d earlier observed. I could find no windows, no other doors, and no other people. I knew now though that in a place like this, I’m sure there was somebody else around. She cried, and she cried.

“He will never let you go,” she said at last. “And when the new girls come, you will want their clothes too.”

And with that, she left. When she left, she forgot to close the door.

My wrists started to bleed as I tried my hardest to get my hands through the rope. Eventually, I succeeded. I dashed to the door, naked, cold, tired, and dizzy. My fear was racing through my mind. I got to the hallway.

It was a very small hallway, and I had two clear ways to go. One door on each side of me, basically. I smelled sour cream and mouldy cheese. I had to decide which door to choose quickly, but I couldn’t do it. I figured, at the time, that one led to freedom and the other led to death. I tried not to cry, and went with the door on my left.

Wrong choice.

The door opened to a cold room filled with bodies on the hooks like in a butcher shop. There are about a dozen girls of my age;  all drained of fluid and hanging lifeless there.  They are about my age, my build and height. Could it be this maniac or whoever is it likes to collect girls like me.  Unlike the girl I met earlier, these girls all looked complete without any scars or disfigurement.  But they all looked dead; pale looking and hanging lifeless there on the hooks under their armpits.

Could it be a storage instead of a dead room?  

It was then my head buzzed, as I had recollections of seeing this room before. 

No, this can’t be too much of a coincidence. Its the same room like in my nightmare that I keep on having those dark nights. It has the  same look and the rows of bodies hanging there. The whole dream is unfolding before me.  But in my dream, I was one of the bodies hanging on the hook and looking down. But here I am on the flooring and not on the hook. 

I turned back to the doorway I came in but there is no door there but a solid cold wall now.  It can't be as I remember walking in through that door. I touched the cold wall and I hit my fists on the wall. It will not move or showed me any opening.  Here I am naked, hungry and helpless in a cold room full of corpse. I need to get out but how. The door I came in missing and there do not seems to be any exit anywhere.

That's my head buzz again as it showed me vivid images of dream again. I can see myself running and searching for the door.  I woke up from my slumber and I forced myself to walked along the wall trying to find the missing doorway again.  I used my hands to guide me as I feel every possible part of the surface as I walked. My body temperature is getting cold and I am starting to freeze now.  Its unnerving and everywhere I turned to I see the hanging girls. It’s a hopeless situation I am in. I am going to be like them; a body on the hook soon. I am getting tired and I need to sit down but the floor is too cold to sit on. I crouched down and held my knees closed to me for warmth.

This is all wrong. I was just outside on the street with the thoughts of an everyday girl’s mind, and now I am cowering in a cold room. Maybe its a dream and I will wake up in my own room. I closed my eyes shut and held tight. I told myself its a dream and I will wake up. But the cold feeling is not putting into any dreamy state.  I opened back my eyes and I am in the same room, and still helpless.

No, I must get out of here. If the bodies are kept here, then there must a way in. if there is a way in, there is a way out. Maybe I am doing it wrong. The door may not be on the side of the wall. Its above me or below me.  Maybe when I opened the door, I fell in here.

I got up slowly and looked for anything that can tell me how I got here.  Then I saw the trap door. That’s it but how do I get out. It may mean me climbing up but on what was my question. I looked at the bodies hanging on the hooks. I thought to myself that could be my ladder. But I shudder at the thought of touching these lifeless bodies. I reached out with my fingers to touch the nearest one. Its cold and clammy feeling to fingers.  It was also then I could feel the cold air here getting into my own body. If I don’t make it out soon, I will be dead soon. Its use them or I will be hanging up soon enough.

And it was then I find the whole room lighted up.

“Welcome back, Pride. You been a naughty lady to leave us for sometime now. Its seems in your excursion, you have not failed to use your training when the situation calls for it.”

Pride? That name sounds familiar to me. Where did I hear it before? I looked up from the bed I was laying on. Its like a hospital bed and there are needles and patch band attached to my body. I am not naked as I thought I was but wearing a night gown.

“Yes, your name is Pride. You are a member of this family here. We lost you some months ago when you were out there on a mission. You were assumed dead or missing in action. But we found you a few days ago and all contacts with you has shown you to be ignorant of your previous identity. You are not who you think you are. You are Pride, our youngest member, and most innovative one too. Welcome back to the Clan.”

Clan? I heard of it but I can’t placed. Its all fuzzy up here.

‘We been reading your thoughts when you came back. Its our ability to do so, as you probably can too if you remember how.  We laid the dream sequence so we can wake you up. You did with exceptional results. Most of us would never think of the looking for the doorway up there. You proven yourself valued again.’

Reading my mind? I used to do that with my boyfriend. I knew when and what he wants to do next. I used to laugh that was my intuition working in me. It was our personal joke. But now he is telling me I can actually do it. I will try now.

“Arghhh.... its hurts.” My head felt like a thousand needles has poked into it.

“Oh, I am so sorry. We dampened your mind abilities for now as you need time to recover. You will get to it after you have fully recovered.” I don’t like the looks on his face. He is not telling me the truth; they are all telling me some lies. I know it from inside me. My name is Prudence and everyone called me Prude. As of yesterday, I was just a young lady who likes shopping and eating. I was walking down the street looking for nothing but just browsing the shops. I have a life before I was kidnapped by these people. Now they tell me I am Pride, a member of some clan. And I can read other people mind. This is unreal to me or are they telling me the truth.

But wait...maybe Pride can do better. If I am Pride and Pride is also me, then maybe Pride will know more of what need to be done. I closed my eyes to be think like Pride. To be Pride, I will have to be her.

Show me Pride.

I pressed on my thoughts into my mind.

Pride...... I am Pride...... I am Pride......

Memories are flashing through now; images are getting clearer and my body is adjusting to the new person.

Yes, I am. I am Pride.

“Doctor Himes, I think we got a problem. Pride is back.” I heard the assistant who standing next to my bed watching some display on the equipment. I did not see him with my eyes, but in my mind. I can see the whole room form within my mind. I can see the Doctor rushing to the console. He saw the display and he shouting out orders. He is telling someone to give me something.

“Give her the extra dose now!”

But its too late. I am Pride. No one controls Pride unless I will it.

I looked at the needles and patch bands on my body.

Be gone, and they are all removing themselves from my body;  hovering into mid air and then dropping down on the floor. I looked up at the assistant and the man named Doctor Himes. Doctor Himes is picking up his comms unit to radio for help.

No, there will be no help for those who choose to hurt Pride. I mind swept them off their current thoughts and projected them to the wall. The two men slammed into the wall and dropped down lifeless.  I got out of the bed and steadied myself to get my balance. I am still very weak in my current condition but I needed to get out soon before the reinforcements come in. I saw the wheelchair and I slowly moved towards it. I made it to the chair and sat on it. Its a motorized unit and I activated the switches to drive it out.

On the way out, I pushed my mind back to the unit I was in. I pictured the console which registered my presence to Doctor Himes. I will the electronic console to burned itself up. The console started sparkling and then exploded into flames. The fire soon spread across the unit and triggered off the fire alarm. Soon the place was being evacuated and I was one of the many who was making ourselves out of the facility to the yard outside. It was then I turned back to look at the facility I was in; its a research center as there was a sign on the yard that says ‘GLOBAL RESEARCH’. As the fire raged in the building, there are us who are writing at the yard. I can see among the people at the yard; most of them are dressed like doctors and nurses, but there are a few like me, dressed in gowns.  I think its time for me to go. I saw a car park nearby and I wheeled myself towards it. I found the car I wanted to drive. Its a Bentley and I love to drive in style.  The art of picking the car locks and ignition was not of Pride but my Prude identity. After all, living off the streets you need to be innovative.

In minutes I was driving the car out of the compound to freedom again. There was no guard there at the gates as it was unmanned. But the gate system was easy handle so it will unlock the gates for me.  Once I left the gate behind me. I am back to being Prude.

Now I learned that I can be Prude when I want to be or be Pride.