Level Zero by Dan McDowell (debian ebook reader .txt) 📗

to another unmarked door, she turned the handle.

It’s locked.

She entered back into the room she wanted and straightened it up. While dusting one of the nightstands a few minutes later, movement caught her eye in a darkened corner of the room. A pair of eyes glowed an iridescent yellow.

Who’s that over there? Am I being watched?

Her nerves heightened.

The figure pulled a brass syringe from his arm, sighing in satisfaction.

“I… I wasn’t expecting anyone… now. What do you know, Katrina with a K?”

“Excuse me?” she said. “Who are you?”

“You were hoping I’d show, weren’t you?”

What a creep-o.

“Ew. Get out of here, now!”

“I thought you might like the whole ‘mystery man’ mystique. I guess I was mistaken, Sylvia. Do I have to dig around your murky soul to pull it out of you?”

She shook her head, elevating her foot in the air toward him.

“It’s Katrina! Now, get out!”

The creep’s eyes yellowed brighter as his rage intensified. “What gives you the right to order me around? I own this place, you know? I’ll call you what I want when I want!”

“No, you don’t. Chris and I own this place.”

The creep gawked, “Psh… you own nothing in this game we call life. I scratch your back… only after you scratch mine. You understand me? It’s not a pretty arrangement we have.”

Chris, you’ve outdone yourself. You’ve found someone weirder than you.

“Pretty arrangement? What does that even mean?”

“Interesting you should ask. What is it now, 1983?”

“Yeah?”

He chuckled as he pestered Katrina, “Personal question… how was 1982 for you? I’m guessing it was… restful? Heh-heh.”

“What are you talking about, creep? I’m getting out of here. You don’t know me.”

You’re a little cunning, aren’t you? Mystifying…

“Quite the contrary. I know you very well. For all you know, I was creeping on you while you were sleeping. You and a few others. Chris was checking this place out before… you… woke up. He knew no better. We hadn’t met yet.”

“Ugh,” she grumbled. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem is you. People like you. You think you can just come in and disrupt my plan. My master plan. Do you have any idea what I am trying to do? Any idea at all? Of course, you wouldn’t, too dumb to have a clue.”

“Excuse me,” she said. “Don’t insult my intelligence. I’ll make you regret talking to me that way before it’s all said and done.”

“Prove it.”

“Fine. Show me around, and we’ll see what happens.”

He took her around the corner, showing her the entrance into the southeast side of the tunnel of Level Zero via the former wellhouse room. Katrina walked past the inner part of the building’s cornerstone, stopping for a moment.

“Wait a minute…” she said. “Cardinal Rules? What’s this?”

1. NEVER DISRESPECT THOSE THAT ARE LESSER. PUT THEM ON A PEDESTAL AS IF THEY WERE ROYALTY ANSWERING TO A HIGHER POWER. (DON’T LET YOUR EYES BE HAUGHTY. LOVE THEM LIKE THEY NEVER WERE.)

2. NEVER TALK ABOUT THE UNEXPLAINABLE THINGS THAT YOU SEE TO STRANGERS. IT WOULD BE TOO EASY TO BE A FALSE WITNESS.

3. DON’T STIR UP TROUBLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

4. NEVER SET FOOT WHERE YOU AREN’T WELCOME… YOUR FEET WILL BE QUICK TO RUSH TO EVIL.

5. DON’T RECYCLE ANYONE ELSE’S WORDS AS YOUR OWN. A LYING TONGUE ONLY LEADS TO TROUBLE.

6. NEVER SHED INNOCENT BLOOD.

7. NEVER HAVE A HEART THAT DEVISES WICKED SCHEMES.

The creep tried to breeze on past them. ”Oh, you know, rules of the house. Most people aren’t so… clandestine in their lifestyles. Well, except the ones that say they can follow them all the time. You know, the publically religious types. It’s all about how they look in front of everyone else and nothing more. No one does anything for the genuine good of another anymore. It’s all about making themselves look better than the rest. Selfish. Selfish. Selfish! Damn them all to hell! I despise that. Why can’t there just be good people that are good for no reason? There are plenty of bad people that are bad for no reason, and of course, there are bad people for good reasons. The gray area is the part that chaps my hide. The question for you, Katrina… what are you?” the creep asked. He stroked her on the side of the arm, smiling with a harrowing menace.

She scoffed. “Get your greasy mitts off me!”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“The kind of person who doesn’t tell a freak like you! I’ve seen enough. I’m having trouble believing you follow these so-called Cardinal Rules. This all just seems like middle-school kid antics to me. What did you say your name was?”

“Just call me Joe.”

He lunged toward her, hurling her to the ground.

“Never call me a freak again. This will teach you a lesson!

He slashed his finger across her shoulder as her lacy shirt sleeve tore and blood oozed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHRIS WILKERSON sat in his office, reflecting. He propped his feet on the desk.

Wilkerson, what are you getting yourself into now? This is getting complicated quick.

The office phone rang.

“Chris, it’s Nancy. Katrina never came out of the basement. You want me to go check on her?”

“No. I’d rather you stay in the lobby. Let me go. That’s longer than I would have expected her to stay.”

Chris rode the elevator to the basement level.

Where is she? What is she? I turn my back on you for one minute… and…

The elevator door opened. Creeper Joe stood there waiting.

“Talk about curbside delivery. Thanks a lot, Chris!”

“What have you done?”

Joe donned a Cheshire cat smile. “What I knew you never could. You two were never the best of friends. You know who she really was. Just like the others, she’s one of ours…”

“One of yours,” Chris corrected.

“No. You’re mixed up in this, too. Don’t think otherwise.”

“You freak… what the hell did you do to her?”

“I’ll give you a hint… the better question is how? Heh-heh. You weren’t watching the cameras to… how would Katrina say it? To get your jollies?”

Chris cocked his fist back and steadied his feet, staging himself to knock Joe