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

legs. “Talking about the running, makes me want to move. Do you want to? I’ll tell you this; I appreciate my legs a lot more after what he did to me.”

“Oh, really? No. I’m not there yet. Maybe one of these days.”

“You have to be resourceful, Todd. Very resourceful. Survival in Level Zero’s far from easy, but rarely does anybody die.” She rubbed her hands together nervously and continued, “You look too fresh-faced to have been here long. Your poor legs…”

Fifty-two. Fifty-three. Fifty-four. Flecks of skin and blood.

“I don’t know how long I’ve been here,” he said. “I think I was out several days before I woke up. I’m kind of finding myself. Maybe it’s a chance for all of us to reset. You know? I don’t hate it, but I am ready to eat.”

“It’s about that time. We usually get two large squares a week,” she said. “You’ll see. As for hating Level Zero, I don’t think you can. This place has a way of polarizing our feelings. There’s something in the water.”

What are you saying?

Ebony locked eyes with Todd, and his heart skipped a beat. The icy blue he first observed in them before now appeared more an absence of color.

“Go find the Spring of Life, and you’ll have your own awakening.”

His mind raced away to another unexplained vision as he sat in an old chapel. A reverend in black garb yelled at his congregation while he sat next to his father.

“I can’t tell you how much it pains me to see folly running rampant here… In fact, it sickens me… It utterly sickens me. Despicable acts by despicable people looking only to seek their own pleasures and treasures… Never once stopping for a moment to respect the Almighty. What does it say? What does it say? These are things the LORD hates! They are detestable to Him… And you know what… from where I’m standing… they are detestable to me… and they should be that to all of you. I need you to be better stewards. God wants you to be gatekeepers for doing His good and stomping out anything evil. It’s not about taking care of yourselves in worldly ways when or because it feels good. That’s what’s detestable! Get out there and make a difference for a change. Hold people to a higher standard for His glory. He won’t mind the added enforcement, will He?” The reverend began to pray, “God, send an angel of wrath on this town and remind us of our wrongs.”

The stained glass windows rattled through the chapel — almost indicative of the reality they would never shake the same again. The heated sermon choked the life from the room as the attending families exited in silence.

.     .     .     .     .

“Hey, where’s your head at?” Ebony asked.

“I’m sorry. Got a tinge of Attention Deficit.”

“No. I know what was going on. I get ‘em, too. I don’t want to talk about it, though. I know I’m kind of changing subjects, but since you brought up Attention Deficit, it’s only fair.”

“Okay. I’m listening. Spit it out.”

Ebony made motions with her hands as she struggled to get the words out, speaking after a deep gulp, “Did you ever meet Chris Wilkerson?”

“I haven’t. I’ve heard the name. I’ve seen the commercials.”

“Let me tell you something, I think Joe creeps on Chris in his own unsettling ways. A prisoner up above the rest of us left to rot here below. I saw it before I ever ended up down here. It was just a look in his eyes.”

“Deep,” Todd remarked.

“Isn’t it, though?”

Todd stood up, dismissing himself from the conversation. “I’ll see you around. It was nice talking to you.”

“Perhaps under better circumstances, we’ll get better acquainted,” Ebony said.

“There’s always hope. Let’s make a way out of here. Shall we?”

She patted him on the back and smiled without saying any more and jogged away from him.

Moving on now. That was interesting.

Todd stumbled onwards. A grinding and cranking sound resonated from above. “Ebony and Ivory” by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, cued on the tunnel speakers as it reverberated through the tunnel.

What a tease… Someone’s there watching me and cuing the music as I go. It’s almost like the tunnel’s my own stage. Shall I take a bow?

Screams came from every direction, bouncing off the tunnel walls.

“TAKE SHELTER!”

“WATCH OUT!”

“WHAT’S IT GONNA BE THIS TIME?”

Looking up, moonlight shined through from the ceiling, and the cranking sound grew louder. Two animals stood back to back with one another on a lowering surface, suspended by chains.

Boars? Nope, not believing this.

“Is anyone here? What do I do?”

The boars neared the floor, and the volume of the music intensified. Todd moved toward the edge of the tunnel walls, peering around for anyone he could find.

Even help from Harv or “Breathy” Nancy would be sufficient. Think stealth. The boars will catch my scent.

Everyone in the tunnel had disappeared.

“Thanks for leaving the new guy out to dry. I appreciate it,” his voice echoed down the long corridor for several seconds as the effects of the sultry tunnel temperature took hold. Though his body temperature skyrocketed, his dehydration left him struggling to sweat.

I’m not ready to be the meal. I’m not ready to be the meal.

The descending grate hit the floor, and the wild and threatening animals exited their cages. They roared in eerie unison.

Man, they’re loud. Almost like they got a microphone in front of their throat.

His ears rang as they came toward him at full speed. Collapsing to the tunnel floor, he crawled into Harv’s red sleeping bag, tucking himself inside, just out of sight.

Here’s to hoping they don’t catch a scent of me.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

WAYNE WALLACE sat deserted in the bottom of the cell as he heard a click and a familiar jingle.

“Welcome to a special October 29th edition of the Dynamic Duds. I’m Wayne Wallace, and you all know my wanderlust amigo, Ramblin’ Ron… Richards! You know we’ve been doing these Halloween episodes for a few years, haven’t we, Ronny?”

“Sure