Lucius

It was a Saturday night in the city of Gardon as Lucius and Warren made their way to the abandoned side of town. This side of Gardon had been abandoned long before either of the two friends had been born. No one knows exactly why it had been abandoned but some say there had been some kind of illegal experimenting going on in a nearby hospital. There had been rumors floating around school that people had been going missing in this area lately and Lucius and Warren had made it their job to prove these rumors wrong. Armed only with Warren’s iPhone the two mystery fans climbed there way over the fence and began wandering around the neighborhood.

“We are so lost,” Warren groaned as they passed by a small playground for the third time. “No we aren’t. We’re just investigating. Have some adventurer’s spirit,” Lucius explained as he looked around the desolate neighborhood. As Warren went through the pictures they’ve taken Lucius wound his way through the maze-like alley ways. “Hey! Wait for me!” Warren exclaimed as he clumsily raced to catch up to his friend. “Isn’t this amazing?!” Lucius shouted as he threw his arms out to emphasize the enormous building in front of them. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Warren stammered as Lucius marched toward the old creaking Hospital.

As the two teens walked through the hall the only thing that could be heard were the clacking of the two friend’s boots against the hard concrete floor. Looking in one of the rooms they found nothing but dust and empty shelves. Noticing a small box on the top shelf Warren quickly retrieved it. As he did a cloud of dust fell on the two of them. “Nice one,” Lucius murmured as he shook the dust from his hair. “I still can’t believe you did that to your hair, man, you’re going to regret it later,” Warren laughed. Lucius glowered as he inspected himself in a nearby mirror. Looking into the cracked mirror Lucius took note of his long, deep purple hair that he had buzzed on one side and cocked his head. “What’s wrong with it? Purple is a badass color,” Lucius questioned defensively. “Nothin’,” Warren shrugged as Lucius eyed himself further. His deep purple choker, long sleeved black shirt covered with zippers, black cargo pants, and black boots. His usual attire. “Whatever,” Lucius scoffed as he pulled at his friend’s crimson locks. “Nice come-back,” Warren teased.

Growing bored Lucius left the room and noticed a lone door at the end of the hall. Approaching it he twisted the door handle only to find it locked. Lucius growled and kicked the door, causing Warren to jump at the loud noise. “Are you insane?! Do you want us to get caught?! I’m pretty sure we aren’t supposed to be in here!” Warren exclaimed. Lucius laughed at his friend’s uneasiness. “Aw, are you afraid the boogie man is going to get you?” Lucius chuckled. “No! Shut up!” Warren whined. “Nice come-back,” Lucius mimicked. Warren rolled his eyes and looked around the silent hospital.

The two teens explored room after dusty room but all were vacant. “This is so much more boring than I imagined it would be.” Lucius sighed in exasperation. “Were you honestly expecting anything less from an abandoned building? It’s called abandoned for a reason you know,” Warren questioned as he took yet another picture. “No one likes a smartass, Warren. I was at least expecting something inter--”Lucius cut himself off as he noticed the door at the end of the hall was now cracked open ever so slightly. The two approached the door cautiously and noticed the smudges on it. Warren ran his fingers over the glass, mimicking the smudges that were on the opposite side of the door. “It’s probably just some guys from school messing with us,” Warren rationalized, “I mean, we did tell people we were coming here. They probably just want to make fools of us.” “Right,” Lucius quietly agreed as he cracked the door open. “You’re not seriously thinking of going down there are you?!” Warren questioned as they looked down the long winding stairway. “I didn’t know Hospitals had underground areas,” Lucius wondered to himself.

A moment after this thought escaped Lucius’ lips the door to the stairway slammed shut with a loud bang. The teens spun around only to be met with absolute darkness. Lucius frantically twisted the door handle but to no avail. They were trapped. Warren was frozen with fear as the darkness enveloped him. “What do we do now?” Warren all but silently questioned. “I guess we just have to keep going,” Lucius whispered back. The two friends quietly stumbled down the stairs. Both were too afraid to speak. They could feel the darkness enclosing around them as they ventured deeper into the heart of the hospital.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of darkness, the two teens could see light just ahead. In a rush they pulled down the handle and stumbled into the corridor. The long hallway wasn’t very well lit but it was more than the two friends could ask for after the pitch black nightmare they had just endured. “What now?” Warren questioned as he leaned against the metal door leading to the stairs. “I don’t know,” Lucius admitted, “Maybe if we keep looking well eventually catch up to the kids that are doing this stuff.” “You still think kids are behind this?” Warren asked, silently wondering who hated them enough to do this. “It has to be,” Lucius insisted, “There is no other explanation.”

The two teens wandered through hall after hall. “Lucius, I hate to say this for the second time tonight but,” Warren sighed, “We’re so lost.” “We’ll figure this out. We always figure something out.” Lucius insisted. “Well while you ‘figure something out’ I’m going to take a leek.” Warren stated. “There isn’t a bathroom anywhere near here. What are you going to do? Piss on the wall?” Lucius questioned. “If I have to,” Warren said with a shrug as he made his way around the corner.

Minutes passed and with no word from Warren, Lucius became worried. Making his way around the corner Lucius was faced with an empty corridor. “Warren?” Lucius stammered, “Warren this isn’t funny come out!” There was no response. Lucius made his way around another corner and another. Soon he was lost even more so than he had been. “Oh God, please let this night end,” Lucius begged.

There was a loud thud at the end of the hall where Lucius finally noticed a door that was there. Panicked Lucius became sprinting down the increasingly horrifying hallway. “Warren?!” Lucius cried, “Is that you?” He threw himself through the door only to be met with an empty room filled with blood stained medical equipment and a large metal operating table. Confused Lucius backed away, turning to make his way out of the door he was faced with horror. Face distorted from years of self-inflicted experimenting the doctor blocked Lucius’ escape. “Now, Now, little one, you can’t just go rushing off,” the crazed doctor cooed, “You still need your shots.” Lucius backed away as the doctor picked up a rather large needle from a nearby table. Lucius struggled and cried out in pain as the doctor grabbed him by the arm and stabbed the needle through him shoulder. Everything went black.

Lucius woke to the squeak of rusted wheels being forced to move. Opening his eyes he was met with that same horrifying face. “Well good morning,” the doctor stated while giving a raspy chuckle, “I’m glad you’re awake. Now I can write down your responses to the treatment.” As the doctor said this Lucius looked around and noticed that he was bound to the operating table but before he could respond the doctor quickly answered his unasked question. “I can’t have you running off while the procedure is underway now can I?” The doctor grinned from behind his blood stained operating mask. “What procedure? Why am I here?! Where is Warren?! What have you done with him?!” Lucius unrelentingly questioned. The doctor silenced him wad of filthy gauze. “Hush now. No one likes a badgering child,” the doctor ordered. The doctor retrieved a needle filled with an unusually colored substance and turned toward Lucius. “It’s my own creation,” the doctor commented after seeing Lucius’ interest in it, “I have created a cure for bone cancer.” Lucius’ eyes widened. “My genius will be known across the world for the amazing research I have done!” the doctor rambled, “I may have lost a patient or two in my experimenting but unlike all of those other ‘doctors’ I will have results to back up my studies!” As he finished his last sentence he stabbed the needle into Lucius’ side. Lucius could do nothing but writhed in agony as the doctor stuck needle after needle into him. Lucius squeezed his eyes shut through the torment as the doctor cackled and experimented to his heart’s content.

Lucius’ eyes rolled open as he regained consciousness. He was being dragged through a dark, dank basement-like area. There was a clanking sound as Lucius was thrown into a small cage. Lucius could only lie there as the doctor walked away. Leaving to do who knows what to someone or something else. Lucius couldn’t help but think of Warren as he laid there seemingly unharmed. The only signs of the doctors experimenting were the small blood stains on his shirt and pants where the needles had entered his skin.

The smell of rotten flesh forced Lucius to look around. It was dark but he could still make out the bodies of hideously deformed creatures rotting in cages near him. A burning sensation began to blaze its way across Lucius’ skin from where the needle wounds were. Soon Lucius was writhing in agony as his body felt like it was being engulfed in flames. The pain went on for days and each day bones began to form from his sides and along his fingers and each day the doctor came to check on his experiments progress. The bones growing from his sides went out to jut from his back just as the bones growing along his fingers grew to form dagger-like claws. Chemicals from the substances the doctor injected into him caused his body to produce a pheromone-like scent that attracted nearby spiders. As Lucius laid there in agony the spiders began burrowing their way into his body at the base of the large bones jutting from his rib cage.

A day passed and the pain began to subside. By now the spiders had made Lucius their home with webs crisscrossing their way through the bones on his back. The pheromone-like scent his body produced caused the spiders to adore Lucius. Even as he flicked the tiny creature off of him they made no move to harm him. Just as Lucius flicked another spider off of him the sound of a door slamming open could be heard and a flood of light entered the putrid basement. The doctor slowly made his way from cage to cage, barely even noting that most of his test subjects were either dead or dying. He eventually made it to Lucius’ cage. As he bent down to chuckle at his agony, Lucius could see fresh blood stains on his operating mask and realization hit him. “Where is Warren?!” Lucius questioned. The doctor simply grinned in response.

Fueled by rage and terror Lucius forced his clawed hands through the cage he gripped the collar of the doctor’s jacket forcing the doctor’s head to meet the cold, hard cage that had been Lucius’ prison for all of these days. There was a sickening crack as the doctor fell to the ground next to Lucius’ cage. Lucius grabbed the keys and freed himself from his cage.

Lucius sprinted through the vile basement and found himself in another operating room. There in the center of the operating room, his thin form lain out on the operating table, was Warren. As Lucius approached him his friend’s eyes lit up. “Lucius...” Warren whimpered. Lucius smiled, happy to see his friend was alright but, as he inspected his friend, Lucius noticed blood that was slowly trickling across the uneven operating table. Following the blood trail Lucius slowly removed the stained sheets from Warren’s form revealing a series of gaping wounds, and tubes leading to ungodly machines. Lucius stood gawking at his friend’s mangled form when another whimper brought him back to reality. “It’s not that bad,” Lucius lied. “It’s okay, Lucius, you don’t have to lie,” Warren smiled softly. “I’m not! You’ll be okay. I just have to get you some help!” Lucius insisted. “Lucius please... Will you do something for me?” Warren asked. “Anything. I’m here for you. Anything you want,” Lucius stated. “Promise,” Warren quietly insisted. “I… Promise,” Lucius reluctantly agreed. “Kill me,” Warren begged.

Lucius fell silent. His closest friend was begging him to kill him. Lucius took one last look at his friend’s mangled form and plunged his claws through Warren’s heart. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” Lucius whispered. “It’s okay…,” Warren whispered back with his last breath. As Lucius stepped back from the lifeless form of his closest friend the silence seemed to engulf him. Seconds passed. Minutes. An eternity. A single tear rolled down his cheek. “What a waste of a perfectly good test subject,” the doctor complained from behind him, “But I suppose my success with you makes up for that.”

Lucius could feel his heart begin to race as the doctor took step after step closer. Another step. Then another. At the last step, just as the doctor’s foot slapped against the blood wet floor Lucius snapped. “You monster!” Lucius shrieked in an inhuman manner. The doctor hesitated and in that moment Lucius spun around and ripped his claws right through one of the doctor’s kidneys. Throwing the doctor to the side Lucius began laughing hysterically. Lucius stalked closer to the now cowering doctor and as he did he raked his claws against the metal operating table, watching as the doctor cringed at the horrific sound. “Don’t you just love the way it makes your skin crawl?” Lucius questioned as he raked his claws across the cold metal once again. Lucius gave a wicked grin as he lurched toward his prey, tearing out his still beating heart and devouring it.

The mystery behind those that go missing near the abandoned side of Gardon has yet to be officially solved. However, every once in while phones will be found and saved inside them are pictures of unspeakable horror and an inhuman creature.