iridescent cloud, arms outstretched like a maniac Christ, mouth spread wide in a sinister grin. His children, impossible to count, sur-rounded him, some still on the stairs. The fly-faced creatures gurgled phlegmy, chattery gibberish.
“We’ll never age, we’ll never die, we’ll never see our mothers.”
It came from behind Mike and he turned to find James sitting up, smiling, his eyes wide open and jet black. Maggots wiggled from his tear ducts, nostrils, and mouth.
Mike couldn’t move, couldn’t fight anymore.
James climbed to his feet, faced Mike with a hideous grin that split his face in half.
“You are part of Infinity House, Mike,” the old man said. “And you’ll never leave.” He glided toward James, embraced him, held him gently by the chin, and ran his palm over the boy’s head.
Mike wanted the pain to stop, wanted to slip peacefully into death. But I’m already dead, he thought. And this is hell.
A special hell just for the children of the Oak. You didn’t get him out soon enough, Mike. It’s all your fault.
“Time is ever rotting, and the flies and maggots will devour each moment as it passes.” The old man leaned over and kissed James on the lips, smiled. James returned the smile and stepped toward Mike with open arms.
As his brother embraced him, Mike could only hug back. James felt bigger, and as Mike looked around, he realized all the children had grown; the old man loomed over them. Maggots squirmed between the brothers, and just before darkness took Mike, James whispered into his ear, sweet and tickling.
“We’re home now.”
And then he was awake. Came rushing back to consciousness with a violent start. He was disoriented… lost for a moment.
Was it a dream, he thought. A nightmare? Please God let it be a nightmare.
Yes, Mike. A nightmare. But you’ll never wake up.
It was in that instant that he smelled the rot. Heard the flies. Felt the maggots inside him. He sat in a room… a square bedroom. Green army men, the same kind he used to play with when he was a kid, littered the floor, left almost no room to walk.
“What’s going on…” He slapped a hand to his mouth. It wasn’t his voice, but a child’s that came out, squeaky and prepubescent.
He raised his hands to eye-level. Small and almost hairless, but bulging with maggots that dove in and out of his child flesh.
Then the bedroom door creaked open.
“Hello, child.”
“No… stay away!” Mike tried to run, but there was nowhere to go. The sharp edges and points of the army men lodged into the padding of his feet, but he felt no pain. He only felt the maggots thrashing within him.
Running to the corner, he hugged his knees and rocked himself. He wept wiggling fleshy tears.
The old man unstrapped his suspenders and let them dangle at his sides. Shapes writhed from inside of his bulbous belly as he licked the front of his teeth and smiled down at Mike. “I love the little kiddies.”
“We’ll never age, we’ll never die, we’ll never see our mothers.”
It came from behind Mike and he turned to find James sitting up, smiling, his eyes wide open and jet black. Maggots wiggled from his tear ducts, nostrils, and mouth.
Mike couldn’t move, couldn’t fight anymore.
James climbed to his feet, faced Mike with a hideous grin that split his face in half.
“You are part of Infinity House, Mike,” the old man said. “And you’ll never leave.” He glided toward James, embraced him, held him gently by the chin, and ran his palm over the boy’s head.
Mike wanted the pain to stop, wanted to slip peacefully into death. But I’m already dead, he thought. And this is hell.
A special hell just for the children of the Oak. You didn’t get him out soon enough, Mike. It’s all your fault.
“Time is ever rotting, and the flies and maggots will devour each moment as it passes.” The old man leaned over and kissed James on the lips, smiled. James returned the smile and stepped toward Mike with open arms.
As his brother embraced him, Mike could only hug back. James felt bigger, and as Mike looked around, he realized all the children had grown; the old man loomed over them. Maggots squirmed between the brothers, and just before darkness took Mike, James whispered into his ear, sweet and tickling.
“We’re home now.”
And then he was awake. Came rushing back to consciousness with a violent start. He was disoriented… lost for a moment.
Was it a dream, he thought. A nightmare? Please God let it be a nightmare.
Yes, Mike. A nightmare. But you’ll never wake up.
It was in that instant that he smelled the rot. Heard the flies. Felt the maggots inside him. He sat in a room… a square bedroom. Green army men, the same kind he used to play with when he was a kid, littered the floor, left almost no room to walk.
“What’s going on…” He slapped a hand to his mouth. It wasn’t his voice, but a child’s that came out, squeaky and prepubescent.
He raised his hands to eye-level. Small and almost hairless, but bulging with maggots that dove in and out of his child flesh.
Then the bedroom door creaked open.
“Hello, child.”
“No… stay away!” Mike tried to run, but there was nowhere to go. The sharp edges and points of the army men lodged into the padding of his feet, but he felt no pain. He only felt the maggots thrashing within him.
Running to the corner, he hugged his knees and rocked himself. He wept wiggling fleshy tears.
The old man unstrapped his suspenders and let them dangle at his sides. Shapes writhed from inside of his bulbous belly as he licked the front of his teeth and smiled down at Mike. “I love the little kiddies.”
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