Chapter 4: Creatures Of The Night
Lullabies vibrate Theo's eardrums, soothing beyond his control. He feels a minor surge of panic that rapidly dissipates to apathy. It is as if he no longer has any command over what his body does, no power over his own reactions.
He is not paralyzed with fear. Quite the opposite. He is oddly sedate. Almost peaceful. Still, there remains a tiny fraction of himself that is freaking out. It just isn't external.
Their hums grow louder and for a fleeting moment he smells the foul scent of rotting flesh as They close in. Something with a superglue-like consistency touches his skin. At the same moment, a loud scraping sound rings out through the decaying laundromat.
In a flash, the Cavae Oculos—that's what Sully had called them, right?—dart in the direction of the sound, buying Theo a few seconds to bolt from the washing machine and beeline for the door.
No way is he going to spend an entire night here. Sully probably has this place rigged.
The monsters aren't real...
...are They?
Standing by the door, his heart begins to relax. It is dark, but his eyes have adjusted. He can see Them—whatever They are—hovering confusedly in a corner. They can't seem to figure out what has caused the noise, and it doesn't appear to be a sufficient enough diversion.
They reel around suddenly, hissing in anger. Every fiber of his being jumps. Clearly, They've come to realize They have been thrown off course and They aren't too happy about it.
Superglue saliva dripping from whatever those hollows are, They speed back to the washing machine he's just escaped. They look like disembodied eye sockets with lids: flesh-colored, with pale, yellowy fangs, razor-sharp and stained with blood. Their foul odor surrounds Them like a hazy atmosphere, yet potent as it is, it cannot be detected until They are within proximity of humming you into submission.
Theo is relieved that They aren't that close at the moment.
But that doesn't mean They will maintain distance.
One of Them keeps circumvolving while the others dive in and out of the washing machines, seeking the prey that has seemingly disappeared.
Theo looks at his watch.
One hour.
He has only survived one hour.