Recluse:The Induction by Philip John Walibba
Chapter Ten
Detective Rodrigo Rodriquez stood in a nondescript chamber, a crime Scene. The small room looked grim, blood and rusty metal everywhere. Mirrors covered all four walls. A woman dressed in a leather black cloak lay motionless on the metallic floor. He felt her palms and neck for a pulse. Yes, the woman was dead. Shifting his gaze to his surroundings, he swept the room for any sign of life. The room was empty except for the corpse. It had no furniture either, nothing.
Turning to examine the corpse, her long curly black hair was mingled in clotted blood and parted to one side revealing a calm expression on the dead woman’s face. He was startled by a shape in the door way. A burly strangely tattooed man in black under pants was staring right at him.
‘Excuse me, are you with the Narcotics Enrollment and Compliance gang?’ the man asked.
‘No am not.’ Rodriquez replied.
‘Oh thank goodness!’ the visibly relieved man said. ‘Those thugs are ruthless, more so their Chief Zero. Dude controls the flow of stuff in and out of this place.'
The man must have noticed the puzzled look on Rodriquez’s face.
‘Oh I see!’ the man said, ‘You’re from the drug-less gang then.’
Rodriquez nodded, his mind reeling. Pointing to the corpse, the man who wore a somber face said, ‘Poor Isabella, she got in the way.’
‘Got in whose way?’ asked Rodriquez eager to learn something that would at least make some sense. ‘The Lego, who else?’ The man said in reply as he sneered to himself
Turning once again to face Rodriquez, the man had a puzzled look plastered on his face.
‘You are not from around here, are you?’ He asked.
‘No am afraid not.’ Rodriquez replied.
The Man’s eyes grew wide, he seemed terrified. He moved slowly backwards, his hands holding on to the metallic door.
‘You are with them.’ He hissed.
‘Who's them?’ Rodriquez asked puzzled.
‘You are one of them!’ the man yelled. He looked frightened.
‘Listen Mister, I’m Detective Rodrigo Rodriquez, I was on a plane, suddenly, we were swept into a storm and next thing I know, am standing in this room with a corpse and you. What’s this place anyway?’
The man had vanished.
'Who was that? Where am I?' Rodriquez muttered to himself. The place resembled the Rochina and the woman on the floor was Isabella. The strange looking man had called her by that name, but everything else looked different and very strange. Where had the two men on the plane disappeared to? He wondered. Nervous, Rodriquez rushed out of the room into a dark corridor. He felt his heart throb harder, his mind was racing. He was stopped in his tracks by a dark chilly void. Looking down, he could see he was standing high up on a partly collapsed floor of a tall dark leaky grey structure.
Raising his eyes into the distance, he saw what appeared like hundreds of dark multistoried concrete structures piled together like monuments. The structures in the distance appeared like an invading army in the night, dark and haunting. What had happened to Rio de Janeiro? He exclaimed loudly. Drawing back into the room, he turned the body on its side feeling for a phone but there wasn’t any. Disgusted, he skipped over the body, and slipped back onto the dark balcony. He had to contact someone, anyone.
Outside at the bottom of the leaky structure, he spotted what appeared like a yellow light flickering in the dark a few meters away. He had to get to it. Pulling the hood over his head to shield his ears from the biting cold, he made his way through the boulders and gravel towards the light. The yellow light seemed to disappear and reappear. He was now a few yards away from it. He also noticed that it kept moving further and further away towards another dark structure. He reckoned it was a signal of sorts.
He needed to follow the light, solicit some kind of help and possibly get a hot meal. His tummy rumbled in agreement. Suddenly, he stopped. The light had vanished again. Looking behind, he could see he’d moved almost two hundred feet from his source building. A sudden tingly feeling behind his neck seemed to arouse his senses. His nostrils were filled by a familiar stingy smell, animal fur. His heart blasted within him. The yellow flickering light came back on again, but this time with a dozen more lights. He had been lured into a trap.
Adrenaline surged throughout his entire body as he heard low deep growling, the yellow lights were spreading out. Something fierce and frightful was beginning to encircle him, something hungry. Rodriquez spun around putting on a sudden burst of speed that his bones and muscles screamed from pain. He’d never run this fast before in his entire life. In the corner of his eyes, he saw what appeared like shadows pursuing him menacingly. They were rapidly gaining on him. For a moment, his mind went blank, time and space stood still, everything slowed down, even sound. He was jerked into reality when a black bullet head- like creature appeared charging by his side. The creature’s gaping mouth had what appeared like a set of razor sharp teeth and a yellow ghostly eye which glittered in the dark. He was the leader of the park, the alpha male, eager to catch and subdue his prey. Rodriquez could see the pitch black entry into the building ahead. He kept running.
Then, he felt a light clip on one of his heels from the back. He’d been tripped. He plunged forward with such force that he fell head long into the gaping darkness, plummeting below crashing hard against hard objects in the dark, plummeting further still before thundering onto a rock solid surface. A bolt of pain shot straight to his head. He’d landed on his right knee. The pain was so excruciating that he whimpered in the dark. Turning to look up above from where he’d plunged, he saw a dozen or so yellow eyes high above staring down at him. He’d fallen into a ditch or a basement of some sort, and these creatures were not able to pursue him below, at least for now.
As the yellow lights began to disappear one by one, Rodriquez felt more at ease. He was tired, hungry, lost and afraid. But most of all, he was sleepy. He also felt weak, dazed and his tummy had tightened. Lying painfully on the floor, he folded his bruised knees towards his tummy, pulled his Jacket to cover them and closed his eyes.
A very loud unhuman like shriek startled him from his sleep causing his flesh to shrink sending cold shivers throughout his entire body. He couldn’t see anything in this cold dark damp place. He knew the creatures were still up there somewhere, waiting. Somehow, he had to maneuver his way around them or else he would be devoured. He still couldn't tell the direction the scream came.
Exhausted but determined, he began feeling his way through the darkness, not sure which way to go. He put his right foot forward, feeling for a surface, then his left. It felt firm. With both arms stretched out like sticks, he inched his way in the dark, occasionally stumbling over what felt like a boulder, maneuvering gingerly around it and proceeding on his blind course. For a long time he walked in the dark, uncertain of the direction he went or the time of the night or if it was already daybreak up above. He had to get out of here somehow. He stopped. His neck arched. He thought he heard something, a sound. Fear gripped him. Cowering, he looked nervously in all directions. It was all darkness. He felt very helpless. The damp smell in the cellar was immediately replaced by an overpowering repugnant smell, the smell of a rotting corpse. He heard the sound again, a scrupling sound. Where was it coming from?
The basement suddenly lit up, then became dark again almost immediately. A bright spark had briefly illuminated the place before disappearing. It sparked again. Someone was trying to light a fire a few feet away. Had they not sparked off the light, Rodriquez could have probably walked straight into them in the dark. Stealthily, he edged closer towards the light’s source as the sparks became more rapid and smacking sounds more aggressive. He could see the shape was human, bent over, squatting with their back turned towards him. Rodriquez moved to one side, he wanted to get a clear view of the person’s face and just as he drew closer, the sparks gave way to a yellow glow and the figure’s face came into full view. Rodriquez froze.
The man had a wide face, pro
The man-creature held in one hand what looked like a lance which he proceeded to drive into the torso of the corpse plucking out dark greasy entrails before carefully lowering them into the kindled fire. Horrified, Rodriquez felt his tummy begin to converge, the smell was unbearable and the popping sounds made by the burning entrails made his skin crawl. But again, he was hungry. The horrific site filled him with terror but also with an irresistible craving to satisfy the hunger pangs that enveloped his entire being. Dropping low, he felt for something on the ground, he needed something hard. Then his hands felt something brittle, it was crude and pointed, a rock. It was just the right size. What he was about to do was by far the most audacious thing he’d ever do. He continued to watch the human-like creature. It too, he observed, was alert to any sudden movements. Meanwhile, it was roasting the dead man. The fire kept growing with every drop of fat into the flames. Rodriquez had to act now or else the creature was bound to spot him. He waited until it bent low to blow on to the flame, then he made his move.
Springing from the dark, rock in hand, he charged towards the creature at full speed. The element of surprise he hoped would put the creature to flight. He leaped into the air, and with lightning speed struck the unsuspecting creature hard in the center of it huge head. The creature let out a frightening shriek which echoed loudly against the walls. It held its head in both its huge hairy arms appearing dazed from the hard blow. Its frowned face turned towards him revealing the pain in its eyes. It was afraid. He charged towards it again this time from the front. The creature barked off, uncertain whether to run or stay and protect its meal.
Almost immediately, Rodriquez noticed the creature’s dark eyes had turned wild bearing angrily down on him. Its two scruffy eye brows converged as it let out a roar revealing protruding uneven yellow teeth and a revolting breath. It was angry now. Run!
He spun around fast, dashing back into the darkness as the creature thundered noisily after him. The pain in his bruised knees returned sending spasms through his entire body. Ignoring the pain, Rodriquez kept running in the dark mentally retracing his previous steps only this time more rapidly. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he reached the steep rock. He had to get to the rock before the creature caught up with him. The creature seemed to smell him for it kept thundering his way. Rodriquez kept hoping his audacious plan would work. A sudden bright light flashed through his mind before a stinging pain shot through his veins. He had slammed into an invisible stationary object. Using both hands to feel the obstacle, he realized it was the steep rock leading to the exit above and he began scampering upwards. His tired muscles tightened as he ascended speedily out of the damp basement. Glancing back into the darkness below, he heard angry loud grunts. The creature was rapidly gaining on him, its hairy muscular arms trying to grab at his feet. As he switched his frightened gaze up above him, again, the yellow circular lights came into view gleaming brightly into the darkness below. The beasts hadn’t left, and now he and the creature were climbing frantically towards them. He was trapped.
Their growls grew louder as he neared the summit. He knew they were ready to pounce the moment his face came into view. His heart pounded even harder. The creature was now barely a foot away clawing menacingly towards him. Above, eyes and rows of teeth glittered in the dark. He had to act fast! Now!
With all his might, Rodriquez leaped in the air, both arms raised, towards the adjacent protruding boulder just in time to avoid the powerful lunge by the creature aiming to grab his feet in midflight and away from the dozen or so beasts diving below to sink their powerful teeth into his flesh. He grabbed onto the boulder’s rugged edge as a bolt of acute pain shot through his arms and shoulders, the rest of his body hang suspended in the air. He could hear loud growls, shrieks and yelps as the creature and the beasts plummeted into the darkness below smashing flesh against hard uneven surfaces, entangled in a deadly duel tearing at each other mercilessly, possibly to the death.
Immensely relieved that the immediate danger had passed, Rodriquez painfully pulled himself up onto the surface which faced the open abandoned street and gazed lovingly at the orange rays of dawn in the horizons high above him. A fresh cold breeze beat against his fatigued body filling his lungs with the crisp cold air. He stood still listening with abandonment to the sweet sounds of early morning birds. His utopian moment was interrupted by a deep husky voice calling out to him.
‘Rodrigo’
‘Rodrigo’ the voice came closer. It was behind him. Nervous, he turned to look. It was the strange tattooed man he’d seen earlier in the dark corridor, he was still dressed in black underpants. The man was coming towards him. Rodriquez wasn’t sure whether to flee or stay put.
‘Hey mister, stay right where you are!’ Rodriquez commanded. The scruffy man edged closer.
‘Rodrigo,’ he kept calling.
‘I said Stop!’ Rodriquez shouted, but the man seemed determined to reach him. Something about the man’s face wasn’t right.
‘What do you want from me?’ A frightened Rodriquez asked but the man had reached him. Rodriquez prepared himself for the worst.
‘Rodrigo,’ called the man. His voice was now low and very close. Both his arms fully stretched out.
‘Rodrigo, its Miguel, I’m here to take you home.’