Story

My parking spot is on loan to a Junior for now. I'll get it back when I get a car.


Here's the shortest story I've ever written. 11 pages at 1.5 spacing on Microsoft Word. Its the shortest story I've ever typed up. I have an even shorter one, but its only hand-written.

This story belongs to me and is copyrited in my name. Anyone who plagiarizes this work can and will be prosecuted to the extent of the law.

Not meant for those who are faint of heart.

*Title refers to the latin word meaning mirror... not the other thing!!!!! God people!

Contains: Frequent cussing, implied cannibalism, disturbing situations... its just one hell of a twisted story. Read at your own risk.

For everyone else, read and review!


*Speculum
(c) Cara Jarrow

How would you feel if you were trapped in a dark room that was no bigger that an outhouse? Your wrists shackled above your head. The cold steel boring into your flesh every time you move. How would you feel if you knew that you were going to die alone in the darkness? Well, you wouldn’t be alone, but your companion wasn’t exactly human.

*****
He knew that he was being followed. For days the second shadow traced his steps. Everywhere he went it followed. When he sat in the bathroom stall, he could see the shadow pacing around outside the door. It frightened him, but what could he do? Who would believe that someone was stalking him? No one ever believed him.

He was walking home to his apartment when something happened that was blurred in his memory. He could hear someone traipsing along behind him. The steps were uneven as though his follower was drunk. He kept walking, praying that someone would join him in the darkness, someone other than the shadow.

Finally, he stopped. Unlike usual, the other footsteps didn’t stop as well. They continued until he could feel the solid presence of another being at his back. Then the cloth went over his mouth and the toxins took him under.

*****
When he woke up, he found that he was in a tiny room, hanging from a wall. His wrists were fastened above him in cold steel shackles. He began to struggle fruitlessly, trying to free himself from the chains. When he realized that he was going nowhere, he relaxed his muscles and let his legs dangle loosely on the ground.

He cursed in the darkness. How could he have let this happen? Why now? Why did his kidnapper move now? And, most of all, why him? He really wanted to know what he had done to his abductor to deserve this.

Soon enough he heard the sound of shuffling feet moving slowly towards the door. They stopped right where the tiny crack of light came through at the bottom of the floor. He heard what he supposed were keys ringing. With a loud bang, the door swung outwards lazily. There, in the glaring light, stood a decrepit old man. His body was thin and wasted. He hunched over, leaning on a rotten wooden cane. His scalp was bald with liver spots decorating his temples. The deep inset eyes revealed little amusement, but the crooked smile begged to differ.

“Hello, my boy,” the voice rasped.

“I’m not your boy!” he yelled as he struggled with the chains again.

“Now, now, don’t be stupid. You know you can’t escape, so why do you bother?”

“Shut up,” he spat, literally.

The old man shook a thin, crooked finger.

“That’s no way to treat your host. Especially after I’ve taken the liberty to make you so comfortable.”

“Who the hell are you?!”

The man chuckled weakly.

“That’s none of your concern…”

“I don’t see how it isn’t!”

“No. No my dear child. Who I am doesn’t matter, but perhaps I could at least tell you why you are here…”

“Yes, please!”

The man shrugged.

“You are here for a wonderful reason. I have brought you here as a sacrifice,” the man on the wall struggled with his chains, “Now, now. You must understand that you don’t actually have to go through with it…”

“What?”

“I am old and I don’t like it. You are going to help me regain my youth.”

“And how the hell do you expect me to do that?”

The man grinned.

“I’ll show you.”

The man reached up above his head and unfastened the chains. He fell to the floor with a thud. His wrists were still shackled, but he was no longer bound to the wall.

“Come,” the man motioned to the door, “I trust you won’t be stupid enough to try to run.”

The halls outside his cell were bright and sterile. The old man hobbled along, his whit gown dragging along behind him. The captive struggled with his powerful instinct to run and not to step on the old man’s clothes.

As they moved along, the lights became dimmer and dimmer. The man looked behind himself to see the brightly lit hall fade away. It wasn’t dark, just poorly lit. The man could suddenly feel a stiff vibration in the walls around him. An electric hum grew as they reached a tall iron door.

The old man took out his keys once more and fondled for the right one. The door groaned open. They stepped into a room whose sole light was emitted from a tiny green LED in the middle of the floor. Apparently the poor lighting didn’t bother the old man. He walked over to one of the panels that lined the room. The prisoner didn’t like what was happening. The man pressed a few buttons and a large window was revealed as the steel shades receded. The room on the other side of the glass wasn’t lit at all, but the man thought that he could see a grey mist wafting about the room. A new noise reached their ears. The sounds of scratching and grunting came through the glass. Something on the other side was breathing heavily. It almost sounded as thought the thing was struggling.

The man went to open his mouth, but the old man put a finger to his own lips to silence him.

Static met the man’s ears as the old man turned on a microphone.

The old man cleared his throat before communicating with the room’s occupant.

“Good morning, my dear. Come over here so I can see you. We have a guest. I think you’ll like him.”

The man listened as a loud grating sound approached the window. He cringed at the sound of metal screeching against metal. The grunts were becoming louder. The man didn’t want to see what was coming. The old man turned on a dim light just behind the glass. The man watched as a creature slowly penetrated the light. It had long bent legs and crooked arms, just like the old man’s. It had large thick spines running down its back. Its feet had long claws on them; the claws seemed to actually be its feet. Its hands weren’t hands, they were claws. The whole thing was a walking ball of spines. It had tiny beady eyes and a very large mouth. It was gaunt and crooked, just like the old man. He hated it. The man turned to the door, hoping to find it open. When he turned back he saw the creature completely in the light accompanied by an IV rack. On one hook the bag contained a red liquid. On the other, there was a clear bag. There were wires coming from all over the creature. Its grey skin seemed to stretch weakly over his skeleton. Suddenly the man forgot about his fears and approached the window. He put his face right up against the glass. The creature came a bit closer. As they gazed into each other’s souls the old man picked up his microphone again.

“So, what do you think, my dearest? Doesn’t he look delicious?”

The creature emitted what sounded remotely like a purr.

The man could feel his heart racing in his chest. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t remove his gaze from those terrible eyes.

“His name is Byde and he’ll be with you soon.”

Byde could see his breath accumulating on the glass. He felt as though he was going to pass out soon. His head was light and his mind was empty. On the other side of the glass he could see the creature’s breath doing the same.

“Byde?” it groaned, “Byde, bye, biding his time…”

Byde’s eyes widened beyond their sockets.

“No, Byde… No fear…” it whispered through the glass.

The old man didn’t seem to notice for he was going on about his own business in the room.

“What?” he breathed.

“Byde no fear… Byde life…”

Byde slowly backed away from the glass. The creature tilted its head to one side.

“No, Byde,” it spoke, “I need… Need Byde… Sorry… Need freedom…”

*****
Byde woke again in his cell. The image of the wired creature was fresh in his mind. It was crooked. Everything was crooked. He was dangling from the wall once more. What the hell was going on? It had to be some terrible nightmare. But how the hell long was it going to last? He moved his hands gently just to make sure that they were still fastened together.

His life had always been dark. He worked at the factory. He had dropped out of school when his parents died. Roaming the streets had always been his true profession. He was lucky to have found a job with machinists; he had always had a knack for such things. His clothes were ratty and torn. He spent most of his paycheck on housing and food. Clothes weren’t a big deal, he just kept them clean.

But what did any of that matter right now? He was at the mercy of a mad man and his deranged pet. Not to mention he was starving…

As if on cue, the old man opened the door and unhooked him from the wall.

“Diner time,” he murmured.

Byde wasn’t sure he wanted to know whose diner time it really was.

They entered a large room. It was adorned by one excessively long table. Two chairs were at each end. The old man seated Byde at the one closest to where they came in. The man continued down the table and sat heavily on the far chair. The table was adorned with food. Byde could feel his stomach lurch at the aromatic scent of food.

“Dig in,” the old man called down the table.

Byde heard his words, but he had no idea of what he was supposed to be doing. His wrists were still stuck together. He looked up pleadingly at the old man who was already starting in on his meal.

“Um…”

The man looked up. Byde sat silently at the far side of the table.

“What? I told you to dig in…”

“I can’t…”

“And why not?” the old man spoke as he emptied his mouth.

“My hands…” he said lifting his arms.

“Oh yes. Let me fix that.”

The old man got up from his seat and walked slowly down the table. He took out his keys and unfastened Byde’s cuffs. He took them off and relocated them to his ankles.

“Eat up,” he smiled as he patted Byde on the back.

Byde tore into the food. It was all so good.

“Oh,” the old man said as he sat back in his chair, “I almost forgot.”

He pulled a remote control out from underneath the table. He pressed the only button on it. Byde gave himself whiplash as he turned to see the wall beside him groan open to reveal another glass window.

“Come on, darling. I’m sorry I forgot.”

The creature was waiting on the other side of the glass. It started out on the old man’s side of the table. When it turned to see Byde at the far end it hobbled down and stood by him. Byde turned to look at the old man, trying not to let the creature into his line of sight. He could swear he felt the creature’s breath on the side of his neck, but he was reassured that it wasn’t there because a glass wall still stood between himself and the monster.

“Come on, Byde, greet your host,” the old man grinned.

Byde turned to the creature. He swallowed his food slowly.

“Um… Hello…”

“Speculum. His name is Speculum,” the old man reiterated.

“He… Hello… Speculum…”

“Good, now continue eating. Speculum enjoys watching people eat.”

Byde was no longer hungry. His appetite flew out the window when the creature came back into his life. Lucky, he thought. He looked back down at his plate. It was laden with half eaten food; he planned on leaving it that way. He kept glancing out of the corner of his eye at the creature. Its mouth was opening and closing for no reason. Byde’s stomach became upset. The creature’s gaze was driving him mad. Why couldn’t it just go away?

He clutched his stomach. The beast’s breath was accumulating on the glass. He looked at it finally and noticed that it wasn’t, in fact, looking at him. Its gaze was fixated on the silver cup he was drinking out of. He picked up the glass and examined it. Nothing about it was strange. He put it back down and the creature’s gaze returned to it. Finally, he decided to go at it with a different approach. He moved his head until he could see what was on the other side of the cup. There was a reflection. It wasn’t the beast whose face he saw on the metal cup; it was a man’s. The face was tired and worn. It almost seemed as though it was begging for help. Byde thought that it looked very familiar. He looked up and over the food. It was the old man’s face. It was, he was sure of it… but how?

“What exactly is Speculum?” he asked suddenly in the old man’s direction.

“Speculum? He is a demon. My key to immortality…”

“What do you mean by immortality?”

The old man grinned.

“You ask too many questions for someone who is destined to be someone else’s meal… You’ll learn all that soon enough. Speculum will tell you everything…”

*****
The next day greeted Byde in his dark chamber. Once again he was hanging from the wall. If he could have one wish right now it would definitely be for freedom. He wanted out of this hellish place. He wanted to flee from the old man and his pet, Speculum. Something deep inside told him that this would be his last day on earth.

The old man came like he always did, only this time, his face didn’t seem as worn as it usually did. He wore a youthful smile that masked his age amazingly.

“Today’s the day, Byde.”

He led Byde back into the green-lit room. He was so chipper. The old man seemed to dance down the halls. Byde could feel something large lodging itself in his throat.

The old man opened the blinds. There, on the ground, just beneath the light was Speculum. He was thin and pathetic looking. He was so very white…

The old man took off his cuffs.

“Speculum’s ready for you now, Byde.”

With that a hatch creaked open and the old man shoved Byde in.

“What the fuck are you doing? Let me go! Let me go you piece of wrinkled shit!”

“You knew this was coming,” the old man said as the hatch closed, “so why are you so afraid?”

Byde’s words were lost in his throat.

For a matter of seconds he was surrounded by complete darkness. The hatch opened again. This time it opened into Speculum’s room. He could hear the creature’s wheezing louder than ever. It snorted and then began to struggle to its feet.

“Yes my darling, arise and accept you long awaited meal,” the old man’s voice echoed over the intercom.

Speculum was on his feet sooner than Byde expected. The eyes were so sunken in that he was surprised that the creature could see anything.

“P… Please no… God no… Please…”

And Speculum was on him. The creature’s breath was dry. It smelled like death and decay… like something inside it was dying. Byde squirmed out from underneath the creature and ran out into the darkness of the room.

He could hear the old man laughing.

“Where can you possibly escape to? This is Speculum’s environment. He’ll find you no matter where you go! So why bother! Just resign and give in to your fate.”

Byde kept running until he felt as though his heart was going to explode. His legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground. His breath was rasping and heavy. Soon enough his breath was joined by another.

“Please no run no more…”

“What?” he spat as he turned to see Speculum crouched over next to him in the dim lighting of the room.

“No more run…”

“What the fuck are you?!”

“You saw… I human… or was human…”

“I don’t understand? How can you be human?”

Speculum took hold of Byde’s scull and drew him into the place were time has no hold…

*****
Byde stood up in the darkness. It was strange… Even though it seemed dark to his eyes, it was in fact perfectly lit. Across from him, in this place that seemed to go on forever, was the crumpled body of a man.

“You see…” he said as he shook, “my time is almost up…”

The body unfolded to reveal a young man in a GI uniform. He sat up slowly to face Byde.

“I fought the war… came home to nothing… Wandered the streets until he got me… Fed me to his damn pet, he did…”

Byde went to open his mouth, but he had no idea of what he wanted to say.

“You see… I am the beast, at least on the inside. And you shall take my place…”

Byde was frozen with fear.

“I’ve suffered long enough in this damned body. My real body is almost gone… The creature’s body is digesting it. This has been my home for the past sixty years. My soul has been residing in this damnable place. I think I’ve earned my freedom as well as a decent meal…”

“What…” the word drooled out of Byde’s mouth.

“What happens when a demon wants to be more than a demon? The old man? He’s the only monster here. He is the demon. Stalks young men until he can kidnap them and drag them away to feed his damn body…”

“I… I don’t understand…”

“The body and the soul are separate. I will be destroying you in order to gain my freedom. You will take my place in this hell…”

“I…”

“Don’t want to die?” the soldier completed Byde’s words, “You don’t exactly have a choice, now, do you?”

Byde was silent.

The man laughed.

“The one before me was a poor bastard just like you… But his soul is at peace now and there is no reason to dredge up the past.

“The spirit of the demon will take your form when I take your life and your soul will take residency inside of his physical body, this body. He has to keep the body alive if he wants to keep existing in our realm…”

“So just let the creature die!”

“I can’t. If it dies my soul is damned. You can do that if you want to, when its your spirit at stake…

“You will fuel and drive the body, just like I have for the past sixty years. As your body is broken down within you, you will become weaker and weaker until he brings you your replacement. And trust me, by that time the idea of consuming human flesh doesn’t sound that bad. My body is just about gone. Sixty years… digestion is slow… that’s how long my body has suffered and I won’t let it suffer any longer…”

With a painful flash, Byde was back in the misty room with the decrepit Speculum at his side.

“So now,” it gurgled, “you see why I have no choice, but to consume you… Its nothing personal, really…”

It seemed pretty personal to bide as the creature took hold of his body. He began to scream and struggle with all his strength, but that was quickly fading…

“No… let me go you bastard… LET ME G…”

The last of Byde’s yells were muffled inside of the creature’s body. The intake was slow and Byde could no longer struggle. The creature’s muscles had him now… With one last painful squeeze he was down inside of the creature’s stomach. He was faint, but well aware of his predicament. He was inside of the creature and soon his soul would become part of it.

In his weakness he felt something wrap around his wrist. He looked down and in the darkness he could make out the shape of a skeletal hand resting on his own. A horrible face looked up at him. It seemed to wink as it melted away and Byde was alone for the rest of his life in the bowls of the demon’s body.

It was quiet. Quiet, dark, and wet. Byde was tired. He was ready to give it up now. He was a goner anyway. Suddenly, he felt his soul being ripped violently away from his body. He blinked a few times and realized that he was looking out into the dark room where he had just been. He struggled to his feet… they weren’t his feet. He brought his hands before his eyes… they were claws…

He began to whimper in fear. He scratched at himself, hoping the demon’s flesh would fall away revealing his own body beneath. Instead he only ripped his new flesh… and it hurt. When he looked down at his new body he saw a large bulge where the body he had been born into now laid. That was it. His sanity was gone. He got front row seats to the destruction of his own body and his soul was bound to demon’s skin. Byde’s sanity was gone. When he tried to scream, a terrible howl burst out from his lungs. He clutched his stomach, holding it in his arms, caressing it as if it were a child. Tears were streaming down those foreign cheeks. Pain wracked his body.

“Now come to me, my darling. Let me see you again.”

That voice… That voice… If only he could tear that voice from its box…

He stumbled through the darkness until he could see a faint light in the distance. He dragged his body toward it. Once in the light, his heart froze…

There he was, standing on the other side of the glass, smiling back at himself.

“Oh, how good you look my dearest,” he spoke to himself through the glass.

When he tried to respond a series of grunts and gurgles rose from his throat.

“Rest easy, my darling. It’s been a rough day for everyone.”

Byde snarled in his new body.

“Think of it this way, boy. We’ve traded bodies for a while… at least until your flesh is finally gone… Remember, that’s all the food you’ve got, so ration it wisely…”

And then he began to laugh. He was laughing at himself…

But he was no longer himself. He could see the faint reflection of his face in the glass. It was the creature the man called Speculum’s face.

Byde pounded on the glass, screaming with his new voice… but it was no use. The light went out and the man was gone. Byde collapsed in the darkness. He cradled his belly in his claws and laid down to a dreamless sleep. How long would he have to suffer like this until someone else came along to free him from this hell?


Author's notes: Speculum is Latin for mirror. That was how I was using it. Any other meanings do not apply. Byde is Danish for sacrifice. That's it. Any confusion please post it.

R&R!!!!

All feed back accepted.