The
cold wet taping of rain scared little Adam as it rang in his ears
like bells. It was his first week in the Insane Asylum Correctional
Facility for Boys and Girls in the City of Cascade Falls.
The
asylum was set up for troubled youngsters who had problems dealing
with their feelings. For Adam it was a choice made by his parents who
decided it was time for him to grow up and forget about his beliefs
in fantasies.
He
was only eight years old and on the first day he heard rumors that
the institute had a beast that ate children. It came out at night and
whispered, where’s
my flesh? There were
no screams to wake up the other children so nothing could be done to
save them from this creature known as The Flesh Beast. The Flesh
Beast was a creature from the underworld that lived with its own
race. It took turns with its kin to eat naughty children that were
disobedient. The children didn’t know that the flesh beasts were
called by real names and were nothing more than filling in the role
as The Flesh Beast.
Adam
couldn’t sleep; his innocent, green eyes were sapped with tears and
every time they closed he could hear the beast. Adam remembered
exploring the asylum, which was like a castle and felt he was being
watched. He had not played hide and seek on his first day until he
met Joey and Jennifer, who played the game all the time.
Joey,
the black haired boy with brown eyes, was sent to the asylum for
throwing rocks at people and stealing candy from little girls.
Jennifer, the green eyed, red head, was in the institute for stealing
toys from merchant shops and throwing a dog dong at a teacher.
Jennifer got ten strikes across her fingers on the first day for
calling Ms. Knealson a decrepit old hag.
Adam rose out of bed after hearing something outside his room. He
shared the room with Joey who slept above him on the bunk bed. It
seemed every child had committed sin and all Adam did was believe in
unicorns and fairies.
“Adam,
I hear something,” whispered Joey.
Adam
was silent and wondered what Joey heard that was so chilling. Adam
didn’t have to wait long to hear it and when he did, the hair on
his arms stood up. Sweat began to perspire and his ears began to ring
as he waited for the words to echo through the night.
“Where’s
my flesh?” the light whisper chimed.
Joey’s
eyes were wide as they both jumped out of bed. The floor creaked with
every step the two boys made towards the door to see what it was.
Ssccccrrrreeeeaaaattttcchhhhhh! The door warned with the loud noise
that came from its old hinges.
“Let’s
go back to our beds,” shivered Adam.
“It’s
the flesh beast, you're not scared are you?”
“No, of course not,” answered Adam as he shook his head while his
lips trembled with fear.
The
two kids crept outside the door and looked around. They could see
shadows in the hallway from the curtains. The wind blew through the
open large windows that allowed the moon to shine through with shades
of blue.
“I
heard stories that the flesh beast tears the muscles from the bones
and uses your fingers as tooth picks!” said Joey with a sneer.
“Where’s
my flesh?” it whispered again.
Both
boys looked at the shadow a few yards ahead of them in the darkness
and were unsure as to what it was. It seemed the creature was right
in front of them.
“Boo!”
The
boys jumped with a scream and watched Jennifer emerge into the moon
light. She was laughing at them and mocking them for being scared of
a girl. It seemed to Adam that he wouldn’t see the end of being
bullied
and would be known
throughout the asylum as the girly boy.
“Scaredee
cats,” she chuckled like a pig.
“If
anybody should get their skin ripped off its you!” gasped Joey.
“Where’s
my flesh?” whispered another voice, but this time it sounded deep.
A
deep growl echoed to the children’s ears. It was so scary that it
sent chills through the boys and turned Jennifer’s prank into
silence.
“What
was that?” asked Jennifer.
“I’m
going to see,” Joey commanded as he slowly walked down the hallway
and Jennifer walked with him. Sweat filled his pores as he heard the
dreaded whisper again. He squinted in the darkness and saw a pair of
yellow eyes stare back at him, glowing. A body stepped out of the
gloom and into the reflection of the blue moon light.
“Where’s my flesh?” it bellowed.
To be continued . . . . .
Buy it today on the Blue Dragon Fantasy; Faded Memories and Short Stories and "The Legacy Anthology".
Available on Kindle.
"The Flesh Beast"
Red and Blue Dragon Fantasy LLC.
Ryan Keith Johnson
"Blue Dragon Fantasy: Faded Memories and Short Stories"
"The Legacy Anthology"
Copy Right 2012
All Rights Reserved.
