Chapter Thirty Seven
“Red rover, red rover, send Gabriel right over!” A crowd chanted. Gabriel looked around and he was standing in a grass field. Much like those at playgrounds, on one side of the field were people from the suicidal writers society. On the other was the creature from Gabriel's dreams.
“What side are you on Gabriel?” The creature said pointing towards the other side. Gabriel was standing right in the middle. Looking over at the other side he could see people from his past. Tiffany, Christy, people from Axal, all of them had died. Holding hands they all chanted red rover red rover send Gabriel right over.
“See life is just a game, on one side you have the living. On the other is the dead, but you can choose what side you are on.” The creature said. Gabriel tried to walk over to the side of the dead but could not move his feet.
“I can't choose I'm stuck.” Gabriel said looking down at his feet. They looked fine but would not move,
“You can't move, but you can listen to them.” The creature said as they all chanted red rover. A boy stopped chanting and walked out from the line and in front of Gabriel.
“Most children hid under their covers at night. When I was a child I could not hide. Darkness found me and the night was my playground.” The young boy said with purple lips and pale skin. The boy grabbed Gabriel's hand started pulling on him.
“Come with me!” The boy shouted pulling on Gabriel's arm, but Gabriel could not move.
“Where?” Gabriel asked still unable to move.
“Up there!” The boy shouted pointing up to the sky. The field was bright like it was a sunny day but the sky was black, with stars all over as though it were night.
“Look!” The boy said pointing up at the stars.
“Yes....I see.” Gabriel said.
“I am not a star, I am the space between the stars. I am the darkness overlooked by all but with infinite possibilities.” The boy let go of Gabriel's hand and ran back over to the side of the dead. The child ran right up to where death herself was standing. Wing's cut off and bowls hanging out from an incision on her belly. A man ran past Gabriel from the side where the creature was. He had bullet wounds all over his body.
“Deaths been keeping a tab since birth. I always thought I would settle the debt, but with each new enemy I know she is coming to collect!” The man shouted as he ran into deaths arms and broke through to the other side.
“I'm just a lost soul looking for a gypsy's heaven while stuck in a civilized hell.” A woman said as she walked passed Gabriel towards the side of death. She was very beautiful with long blonde hair and a slender body. She was in pajamas holding onto a razor blade, and blood drained from her arms onto her hands.
“Her razor blade was a blood fiend, it knows no love. Her mirror didn't see the beauty that eyes seen. Her death is a pain that we can't cut free.” A man said following behind the woman to the side of death. Tears ran down his face as he walked right behind the woman. With trembling hands he clinched a revolver, and the back of his head was blown off. Suddenly the man stopped and turned to Gabriel. Opening his mouth to speak he exposed a hole the went out the back of his mouth. Daylight shined through and Gabriel could right through it.
“My life has always been a big game of Russian roulette. Except its the ones I love that are pulling the trigger.” The man said with blood running down his lips. The woman stopped and waited for the man with the revolver.
“You came banging on the asylum door searching for love. Then you wonder why we fell in madness?” The woman said holding her hand out to take the man's hand. The man dropped the revolver and grabbed the woman's hand. Hand in hand they walked over to the side of death, as death herself smiled at the young lovers.
“When I write I am always looking over my shoulder. Paranoid that one day these memory’s will catch up to me.” A member of the suicidal writers society said walking passed Gabriel.
“Most people fear what they don't understand, I fear my understanding.” The man said turning to Gabriel with foam spewing from his mouth. Gabriel quickly looked away, closing his eye's.
“Look at them!” The creature shouted as Gabriel was forced to see. A woman walked past in a blue and yellow dress. Her hair was short and black and Gabriel could only see her backside as she walked past.
“There are no fairy tales here, as snow whites kiss fails on deaths lips. While ever after is a grave of regrets.” The woman said turning around. Her face was pale and lips red as snow whites. While her eye's were as still as the dead. Tilting her head up Gabriel could see the bruises from a noose. Turning away she walked to the side of death. Gabriel was afraid of them as they came past him with destruction in their eyes.
Another man came by, in a prisoner's outfit. Coming right up to Gabriel he held out his hand. In it was a triangular piece of paper with a long string on it. Tossing it in the air the man held onto the string. For a moment it blew in the wind and then fell back down. It hit the ground and the prisoner just stared at it for a moment.
“My souls locked in prison writing kites to heaven. Yet at birth the jury knew the verdict and the judge knows hell won't wait.” The prisoner said staring Gabriel in the eye's.
“Terminally born, I was diseased with the knowledge of how I will die. Plagued with love in my heart and destruction on my mind.” The prisoner said turning away. Gabriel could see the back of his head was crushed, most likely from a long fall. Cringing Gabriel turned away and looked at the creature.
“This is just a nightmare!” Gabriel yelled as he tried to move. Now he could not even breath or move, he was stuck in a panic. It was as though he was struggling against being paralyzed. Thing's went dark and Gabriel heard someone speaking to him from the other side.
“I can't dream, when I sleep demons come out and play. Tempting me with games of fate and poisoning sweet nightmares.” A voice said from the side of death.
“ARAAA!” Gabriel shouted as he woke up shaking on the floor.
“Its ok!” The man in the cell with him said coming to help Gabriel up. Gabriel held out his hands to keep the man away.
“What happened..” Gabriel said holding his head.
“Well at first you hit your head....Then you fell asleep for a couple of hours.” The man said as Gabriel sat up from the filthy floor.
“These nightmares....They seem so real, I can't even tell the difference from whats a nightmare and whats reality.” Gabriel said looking up at the man.
“Well I would say you are in the right place then.....I guess I will just say I can help you with this if you let me.....” The man said as an uneasy feeling washed over Gabriel and he scooted away from the man.
“I watched you sleep and tremble on the floor for hours. Most people would assume you are crazy, but not me.” The man said coming closer so Gabriel could see his face. It was bruised from beatings but the man was a native American. With long dark hair and a large nose, he tried to smile but his lips were cracked and bleeding.
“They call me wingless crow, or just crow.” The man said holding out his hand.
“Nice to meet you.” Gabriel said motioning the man's hand away and scooting back to the wall.
“And you are?” The man said retracting his hand.
“Oh my name is Gabriel...” Gabriel said pausing trying to think of what to say next. Nothing came to mind so he just smiled.
“Do you know where we are?” Gabriel asked as wingless crow sat down across the cell from him.
“Not even sure what state we are in, but this place is full of evil spirits.” crow said.
“Yeah.....I'm not sure what state we are in either.” Gabriel said trying to think. In the silence Gabriel could hear a woman softly weeping in the cell across from him. Gabriel could only see bare feet, the rest of her was covered by darkness.
“What are they doing with the people down here?” Gabriel asked although he already had an idea.
“They put me down here because they said I believe in false idols. W
e had a tribe of sorts for a little while when the gods went to war. I am a shaman, so naturally I lead the tribe. That is until they came and killed all but me and a few women. The women they use for their sexual desires, me they just like to beat on now and again.” Crow said looking down ashamed.
“Heh and they call themselves Templar's. Figures, most men of the cloth have repulsing desires.” Gabriel said.
“That's just the wolf howling inside of them. Its just a howl in their mind until they form a pack. Then they unleash the beast inside and this happens.” Crow said looking at Gabriel's pendant.
“If you wish to keep your idols then I would hide them.” Crow said pointing at the pendant. Gabriel took it off and put it in his pocket. Crow tilted his head and gave Gabriel's clothes a strange look. They were blood stained, torn, and had bullet holes in them.
“What happened to you?” Crow said confused while looking at Gabriel's clothes.
“I am cursed, with life....” Gabriel said.
“What do you mean by that?” Crow said.
“I cannot die, I guess I'm immortal.” Gabriel said as Crow's eyes widened.
“I believe we are all immortal, when this life ends the white horse comes and takes us to the next.” Crow said.
“Well the horse never comes for me, mortal wounds heal within minutes.” Gabriel said.
“Hmmm so that is why they placed you here?” Crow said.
“I guess so.” Gabriel said as he laid back and shut his eye's. Throughout the cell block Gabriel could hear women weeping. With each cry out he could hear their agony, and their pain became his.
“So much pain can be heard in the silence of these cells.” Gabriel said.
“Yes, here the nights are not for sleeping. After the raping stops, everyone has nothing but time to let the pain sink in.” Crow said and then went silent. Gabriel tried sleeping but kept waking up just as he drifted off. He was scared of Templar's, but of his nightmares. Each time he woke he jumped upright.
“Why won't you let yourself sleep?” Crow broke the silence while he was laying down shadowed by darkness.
“Too afraid to sleep, or stay awake.” Gabriel said sitting up.
“Why are you afraid to sleep?” Crow said.
“I am just slowly losing my mind. I met this writer, who was possessed by spirits of the dead. Now they keep coming for me in my dreams.” Gabriel said.
“I have seen this happen many times here in America. A mental health epidemic that they decided to treat with medication. They detached themselves from the spirit world and treat mental illness like a curse.” Crow said.
“Well I wish I had some medication to make these nightmares go away.” Gabriel said.
“I once went to a mental hospital to see how they treated people. It was sad to watch them remove all thought and dull the senses of people. So that the spirits could no longer contact the gifted. Before the white people came we saw mental health problems as a gift. Those that you would consider ill, we considered them spiritual healers.” Crow said.
“So you let madmen be healers?” Gabriel said.
“They are not mad, they only become madmen when they reject the spirit world. Which is something modern society is taught to do. We taught our people the crows not to reject the spirits. We showed them how to accept them and how to find out what they wanted.” Crow said.
“So you are suggesting that I just let them run rampant with my thoughts?” Gabriel said.
“Do you know of another way?” Crow said.
“No I never had this problem until I met the writer.” Gabriel said.
“Something happened when you met this man. Somehow he reject the spirits, maybe a more powerful one moved in? So the spirits that he was struggling with had to find a new home. Something familiar, so they decided to come to you.” Crow said.
“That would make sense, since Jack is now possessed by Apollyon.” Gabriel said.
“I seen this happen at the mental hospital. I could see the spirits in one room floating around. They could not come in contact with the one they choose. Since she was highly medicated, but the nurse was open to the spirits. They went to her and after a few weeks she was a patient at the hospital. The spirits are not to be rejected, or to be ignored.” Crow said.
“But what would they want from me?” Gabriel said.
“They choose people for many reasons, maybe they are warning you. Maybe they just want someone to listen to them. But those in contact with the spirit world are valued by the tribes. I once took a child out of the mental hospital. He was fighting with his personality and those of the spirits. I took him back the the tribe. He had to unlearn all that he knew before he could let the spirits in. After four years the child grew into a teen, and accepted the spirits. But we did not heal him, he healed us by proving that we do not need modern medicine to heal the mentally ill.” Crow said.
“So what happened to the boy?” Gabriel asked.
“After four years he went back to his family and they were amazed by his transformation. He was a completely different person and ended up going to Harvard. Before the war he was one of the leading psychiatrists in America. Healing those who were like him and teaching people how to accept the spirits and not reject them.” Crow said.
“But it took him four years to come to terms with them. I don't have that kind of time and I want to sleep now..” Gabriel said.
“I thought you said you were immortal?” Crow said laughing.
“Creeeack!” A door to the cell block opened and then slammed shut. Crow held a finger up to his lips and laid back down. Gabriel laid down as well and closed his eyes pretending to be asleep. The whole cell block was now silent and no one was weeping.
“She is too far along now.” A man said as he banged on a cell door with a club.
“Yeah, we will take her to the bishop. Too bad though she sure is pretty,” Another man said as he opened her cell door.
“Please.....No!” The woman cried out.
“Its ok we are going to take you someplace safe so you can have the baby.” One of the men said in a calm voice as he slapped her on the ass.
“Cuff her.” The other man said. Gabriel could hear the cuffs make a cracking sound as they tightened.
“Hold still!” The man said.
“Get against the wall!” A man shouted as they pushed her against the wall.
“Please don't!” The woman cried.
“Shut your mouth and bend over slut!” A man said. Gabriel could hear the woman start to weep.
“You like that?” The man said.
“Ughh please...” The woman whimpered.
“I said do you like it!” The man shouted.
“Yeee Yes I do.” The woman said but Gabriel could hear the pain in her voice.
“Hey pigs!” Gabriel shouted as he jumped up from his fake slumber.
“Lay down!” The man who was raping the woman said. Gabriel could hear the footsteps of the two men heading his way.
“Who the fuck said that!” A man shouted.
“I DID!” Gabriel shouted as he held his hand out through the bars. Gabriel stepped back from the bars and looked down at crow. He was still pretending to be asleep, and it was clear that Gabriel was on his own. The footsteps drew closer and Gabriel could hear a club bouncing off the bars.
“A new guy huh?” A man said zipping up his pants. One of the men was very scrawny and held a AK47. The man who zipped up his pants had a belly hanging over his belt. His shirt was snug tight around his obese belly. They had the Templar dog tags like the others did. The obese man held his club up while he unlocked the cell door.
“Better stay back!” The man with the AK47 said. Gabriel stepped back and balled up his fist. The cell door slid open and Gabriel charged the man with the club. Unleashing a heavy hook Gabriel staggered the man with the club. Swing his club the obese missed and Gabriel rushed forward in a flurry of punches.
“CHEEECH CHEECH CHEECH” The AK47 rang out and pieces of concrete
flew into the air. Gabriel tried to keep swinging but his body was quickly riddled with bullets. The gun started going off towards Gabriel legs and the kickback made it raise up very quickly. Both of his legs, his mid section, and his neck was hit as he fell to the floor. He didn't feel the pain at first but now it was surging through him.
“He's done.....I wasn't done with her yet though.” The man said shutting the cell door.
“Come on!” The man shouted at the other as he spit blood on the floor. Gabriel could hear the footsteps go back down the hall. Crow rushed over to Gabriel to try and help. Shaking his head Gabriel motioned the crow back and waited. His anger was dulling the pain and he waited for his wounds to heal.
“On your knee's bitch.” The obese man said. Gabriel could hear her weeping again.
“Come on hurry up.” Gabriel thought, wishing that his body would heal faster.
“Open that pretty little mouth of yours.” The obese man said as the whimpering was muffled.
“Hey! Fucking pigs!” Gabriel shouted as he got to his feet and banged on the bars.
“What the fuck!” The obese man said. There was a moment of silence.
“Get the one with the gun, I got the other.” The crow whispered in Gabriel's ear. Gabriel nodded and the crow laid back down on the floor and shut his eyes. Gabriel could hear the footsteps again and the man pulling up his zipper. Gabriel held his neck and blood still soaked his clothes.
“How the fuck are you still alive!” The obese man said as he slid the door open again.
“I got this!” He said calling off the man with the AK47. Gabriel charged forward again blasting the man in the face with an elbow. He didn't stop though, Gabriel ran out of the cell and past the obese man. Gabriel went right for the man with the gun and grabbed a hold of the end of the AK47.
“CHEEECH” The gun went off hitting Gabriel in the shoulder. Gabriel tried to knock the end of the gun into the air but was not fast enough. Clenching the hot barrel in one hand Gabriel swung with the other dropping the scrawny man to the floor. Quickly he pulled the gun out of the unconscious man's hand and turned back toward the cell. Crow was on top of the large man pounding on his face that was now a mess of blood.
“HELP!!!” The scrawny man cried out as he staggered down the hallway. Gabriel took aim and was locked on him with the iron sights. Finger trembling and closing down on the trigger. His shoulder burned with the weight of the gun.
“Shoot him!” The naked woman in the cell across from them yelled. The weight of the gun was too much for his gunshot shoulder. Gabriel lowered the gun and the man opened the door up and disappeared. Turning around Gabriel saw Crow bashing the other mans head into the ground.
“Stop....He is dead.” Gabriel said walking over to crow. Crow looked up with a blood covered face. Crow got up and walked over to the corner of the cell and sat down.
“They will kill us.” Crow said.
“No they won't...I will say I killed him while the other guy was running.” Gabriel said as he picked an old blanket up off the floor
“Here clean up your hands and face.” Gabriel said throwing the blanket at crow. Crow cleaned the blood off on the blanket and set it back on the floor.
“Alright stay here, remember you did nothing.” Gabriel said.
“Give me that! I will shoot them!” The naked woman said in the cell across from them. Her small hand reached out from the cell. Dark brown eye's glared out at Gabriel.
“No you didn't see anything!” Gabriel said as he went over to the obese man and covered his hands in his blood. Gabriel kept the gun in his lap and when he was done he held the gun in one hand. With the other hand he grabbed the dead mans leg and dragged him out of the cell. The limp body was too heavy so Gabriel set the gun back down and dragged him out with both hands.
Gabriel dragged him into the hall and let his legs go. They thumped into the concrete. Looking around Gabriel could feel the eyes of the woman on him. They were all up against the bars looking to see what was happening. All but the woman who was being raped. Her cell door remained open but Gabriel could not see inside.
“Let us out!” A woman yelled out as Gabriel picked up the gun. Gabriel walked back out into the hallway.
“You are safer in here, we won't win this fight they have too many. They would kill every one of us!” Gabriel shouted and it echoed down the hall.
“I would rather die than let another one of them rape me!” A woman said with tears running down her face. Gabriel stood there clenching the gun in silence.
“Me too!” Another woman yelled out.
“I can't do it I'm sorry.” Gabriel said as he slid the cell door shut, closing in crow.
“Please just kill me now!” The woman across from Gabriel shouted. Gabriel looked in at her, arms open exposing her naked body. Long dark brown hair ran down to her beasts and she had bruises all over.
“I'm so sorry..” Gabriel said as he walked away.
“You are just as bad as them!” The woman yelled from behind him. Gabriel paused again, the words burning in his ears.
“If I let you out you will all die.” Gabriel said.
“If you don't we will all die anyways.” The woman said stepping out from her open cell door and blocked the hallway. She looked like she was at least seven months along. Her tiny body was engulfed by her pregnant belly. Her cheeks had a slight hint of freckles and she had light blue eyes and plump red lips that were cracked. Blonde hair curled down to her shoulders.
“Are you going to let us out.” The woman said glaring at Gabriel.
“How do you expect to stop them?” Gabriel said looking on at the woman.
“We don't have to stop them, we just have to fight back.” The woman said.
“You don't have to die....Maybe you will all survive this.....And the child.” Gabriel said.
“You know what they were about to do?” The woman said and Gabriel shook his head.
“After they fucked me for the last time they were going to take me out and put a bullet in my head. That's what happens to pregnant women down here.” The woman said.
“How do you know this?” Gabriel said still shaking his head.
“One of them told me after he ejaculated in me. They say it every time after they rape us.” The woman who was in the cell behind Gabriel said.
“They say all we are good for is busting a nut and then shooting in the head.” Another woman in a cell said. Gabriel moved to the side and leaned up against the wall.
“Get his keys and let them out.” Gabriel said trying to think of a plan.
“Crow are you in or out?” Gabriel said still leaning against the wall. Crow reached his arm through the bars with the club in his hand.
“I'm in.” Crow said shaking the club.
“Alright get them out I will guard the door.” Gabriel said as he walked by the cells of naked women.
“Stay in the cells until I say come out.” Gabriel shouted as the pregnant woman was rushing to unlock each cell.
“If we are going to do this then I want to get you out of here alive.” Gabriel said as he propped open the door to the stairwell. He couldn't see anyone but the stairwell was dark.
“Careful.” A woman said from a cell behind Gabriel. Gabriel gently shut the door and got up against the wall next to the door. His shoulder had healed and he held the gun at the ready. Looking through the sites ready for anyone to bust through. Women started walking out of there cells.
“Get back in your cells!” Gabriel shouted.
“GIVE UP AND WE WILL LET YOU LIVE!” A man shouted down the stairwell. The women were not listening and were heading towards the door. Gabriel turned the gun towards them and motioned over to the cells with the barrel.
“Get back!” Gabriel yelled. They stopped for a moment then started walking towards him again.
“Fuck!” Gabriel shouted as he opened the door to the stairs.
“Crack, Crack.” Two shots from a pistol hit the door as he opened it. The flash o
f the gun shined on a young man's face.
“Cheech, Cheech, Cheech.” Gabriel opened fire before even thinking. Bullets tore into the young man and he dropped in the stairwell dead. Gabriel saw the horror on his face as bullets ripped into him. The look was frozen in Gabriel's head and the stairwell went dark again. Slowly Gabriel started going up the steps.
“PSHHHHH” A canister clanged down the steps and went off. Holding his breath Gabriel ran up the stairs. As he turned the corner he could see women pulling the dead body of the young man through the door. Gabriel stopped confused by what they were doing.
“Crack, Pop, Pssst, Crack.” Shots bounced throughout the stair well. Just as they did Gabriel could see the women taking the gun and items the young man had. Then they vanished in a cloud of smoke.
“Cheech, Cheech.” Gabriel squeezed the trigger and shot into the darkness. Taking a deep breath in he collapsed to his knees. Bullets fell down on him from above his head. Then darkness, it was over a bullet hit him on the top of his skull. His body crashed into the steps and he couldn't hear or see. By the time Gabriel came too he was being drug up the steps. Looking up he could see two men dragging him.
“AHHHH” A woman screamed from the cell block below.
“Crack, Crack.” Shots went off.
“GET IN YOUR CELL BITCH!” A man yelled followed by more shots. Gabriel's heart sunk, he had failed them and now they were meeting their fate.
“I doomed them” He thought to himself in silence with eyes shut. His legs thumped past the last step and he was drug into a hallway.
“Cuff him he is the one that can't die.” A man said as other men held him down and cuffed him.
“Pop.” One of the men kicked Gabriel in the face and everything went black once again.