The lights blinked a few times before it steadied. All was quiet around me for what seemed like forever. And my eyes, they were fixated on that horrifying thing which now stared at me particularly.
"You should stop trying to read what isn't visible to you" Mr Ash said to it in a very casual manner after some time had passed.
~Hshhhhhhhh~
"How can you tell what I can see and what I cannot? Or did you not bring him here to confirm?"
"Hmph. Well, it doesn't look like you see anything" Mr Ash said. "But then, you seem to be doing alright, Uryuk" Mr Ash continued, casually holding a conversation with it. A conversation that I really couldn't understand.
Both of its heads looked down at its chest from where the vapour poured out and then up again, at Mr Ash.
"I am dying as you can see"
"Haha. You should really learn new jokes to make about your immortality"
~Hshhhhhhhh~
It hissed again. There were about five escorts with us. I glanced at them and it was mostly nothing out of the ordinary.
"You'll get used to it" the young man with a stout face said to me with a faint smile, noticing how mystified I had become. " There are a lot more of them"
Obviously, that was just one of the many similar rooms in this space.
"Am I...is this..." I stuttered. "Can I possibly be seeing this right, huh?" I said, taking a step backwards.
"Don't move" another one of them said before I could take another stride. "Don't move. It might be sealed in there but it's still dangerous. That's why it's a blue class"
I froze again, fear building up within me.
"What?"
The furious faced head never spoke. It simply moved along with the rest of its body. But at the moment I got caught up in my apprehension, it suddenly glared at me.
I was sure it was about to do something from inside there. Something that could probably do some serious harm to me.
"Uryuk!" Mr Ash yelled commandingly at it, stopping it before it actually did anything and its furious face suddenly turned away.
Then, I suddenly exhaled and began to pant, like I had been holding my breath for a long time.
~Woooooo~
It began making a strange sound and moving in weird manners, recoiling from Mr Ash's yell.
I had to catch my breath first before trying to understand what had just happened.
"Hmm. I think that's about enough. We should leave"
"Close B 6" one of our escorts said.
The blue door closed on its own, clanging as it firmly shut.
"I'm sorry about that, Alex. I had only intended to show you"
I was able to breathe much easily now. But then, what had just happened to me? Not only did I meet the most horrifying thing I had ever seen in my life, but also, for some freakish reason, I felt like I would have nearly died just now. And what made things even more ominous was that I hadn't felt anything, like I was being strangled or drained. I just suddenly began to pant as soon as it turned its face.
"Come on now. We should head back"
---
And now, I bet if I were to tell someone that ominous things like what I had seen that day were not only existing but much more numerous and closer to them than they could ever expect, they would probably label me as insane before I could even prove it.
But what I had seen then was not only visible but had also tried to kill me.
For the next few days, I still couldn't come to terms with it. I couldn't think straight, especially after what Mr Ash had told me that day. And he told me just before we parted ways, that if I ever wished to know more, he would always be welcoming.
But he hadn't revealed the offer which he had told me would be of interest to me. It must have skipped his mind as it did mine. Nevertheless, even after what I had experienced, i still found it unbelievable. After a few days trying to cool off, I thought to myself, that perhaps, if I put them behind me and just continue on my way, definitely, nothing would change. Since I didn't think I was ready to see such horrid beings again or have anything more to do with them.
And so, on one regular afternoon two days later, I went ahead to forget it all. Making no plans after losing my job would end up making things really difficult for me. I had to do something as soon as I could.
And so, as I had done when I found my first job in this city, I left for one of the places where I was likely to get employed. Another firm in a different corner of the city. That afternoon, I got on a public transport and sat down quietly with my documents all in a briefcase which I placed atop my laps. I reclined, making myself as comfortable as I could make myself to be. I cleared my thoughts and hoped to make a good impression that day. Maybe I could just get a better job there. I had a really good degree.
The bus was quiet as it should be. I hadn't looked much at other passengers but about eight other people were aboard. Two elderly people sat closest to me; one on the seat just before me and the other, across the aisle. They reminded me of Mr Ash and I wondered if he really meant it when he said he had an offer for me. If it was a normal job, perhaps I would oblige if I exhausted other options.
But then, I refused to let in the thought or the image or the feeling from two days ago slip into my mind. I wouldn't let them interfere with my goal today so I blocked the image that kept trying to slip in my mind and the rumbling thoughts that had me preoccupied for the past two days. However, the feeling was different. The chilling sensation I had felt in that space. I couldn't push it aside. Although it was in my head, and I was trying to push it out of my memories, strangely, it seemed to be getting more and more real on my skin.
In fact, I was feeling even more chill now than that time with Mr Ash. I tried to ignore it. My mind could be playing games with me but then, that wasn't the case. The chill had become too obvious and I had to look around.
And there they both were. Black and ghoulish. One had a slender body with long arms and a head without eyes or nose. Only a mouth. And the other, smaller and headless, with its eyes, nose and mouth on its torso. Its limbs were like elephant trunks and it hunched forward.
They were both where those elderlies were meant to be. One stood on the seater before me and the taller one, on fours, had its large mouth facing my direction.
"Oh shit" i muttered.