Into the Abyss

Chelsea pushed briskly through the crowd of pedestrians milling about the front of Mitchum Memorial Hospital. One hand firmly clutched the strap of her handbag while the other gripped the taser hidden inside. Sam had been nervous to an uncharacteristic degree over the phone. Sure, she had always been a bit paranoid, but there had always been an air of assurance about her like she’d be able to handle whatever leapt out at her from the shadows. Today she sounded completely overwhelmed.

“Elsie!” the girl in question waved at her from the top of a bench near the front entrance, and sitting by her feet with one leg resting on the other was John Newman.

Elsie paused and scowled as she looked at the two of them. John’s face was bright and calm as he leaned back into the bench, showing no indication of anything amiss, let alone that he was hungover after a night of heavy drinking and **** use that had hospitalised three girls. Sam, on the other hand, had heavy bags under her eyes and was looking abnormally pale. The energetic smile that Elsie was familiar with had also been replaced with a weary one, and anxiousness clearly overshadowed her face. ‘I can’t believe they fucked each other!’ the thought slipped uninvited into Elsie’s consciousness. ‘Not now!’ she did her best to suppress the thought; there were more pressing issues to deal with — like resolving what the fuck was going on.

Once Elsie was close, Sam sprung off the bench to embrace her in a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Sam, are you okay?” she asked before hushing her voice. “Did Newman hurt you? I brought a taser…”

The raven haired girl lacked her usual confidence. “Yeah… no, I’m, ah… fine, he didn’t hurt me I’m just, ah… a little confused — about a lot of things.”

“Okay, I want to check in on Emelia and her friends, then we’ll get you home to a warm bath and a bed.”

“Trust me, shit’s about to get whack, Elsie. A warm bath ain’t gonna fix things,” Sam replied wearily.

“I’m sure we’ll figure out what to do after a bit of rest,” Elsie replied reassuringly.

“I guess we’ll see…” Sam sighed before glancing sideways at John, who had stood up to approach them.

Elsie crossed her arms and glared at him. “So what did you do?” Maybe who was more appropriate.

“Cool down, yeah? Let’s not start throwing accusations while you’re out of the loop,” he smiled lightly and his tone was casual, but Elsie got the sense he wasn’t at all happy to see her here.

“Fine,” she replied shortly. “Take me to them.”

“Hold on,” John pulled on her shoulder and his eyes locked directly onto her own. “Sam didn’t have a choice, but you’re completely human… you can choose. Turn back now, go home, forget anything ever happened and I’m sure you’ll live a safe, happy, and successful life. But that just won’t happen if you follow us now. The Abyss is a wretched, miserable shithole and people are better off living in its absence.”

Chelsea opened her mouth to reply before quickly closing it again. Taken aback by the fierceness of his gaze, she was left tongue tied as she tried to untangle her muddled thoughts. This was absurd. This whole thing was completely absurd. He was acting like everything Sam had said over the phone was true… and she was just expected to believe him? To completely ignore the troubles of her friends and just walk away from some unknown danger? Stranger still was that she did believe him. She’d brushed aside Sam’s phone call as a delirious plea for help mid-trip. She hadn’t believed her best friend. Yet now, in the face of John telling her outright she was about to ruin her life with god knows what, she was ready to believe? Absurd. ‘You’re being absurd, Chelsea Sharp,’ she scolded herself.

“I…” Elsie fumbled for the right words. “I’m not just going to abandon my friend! There’s **** about it! I won’t!” she declared, glowering and blushing fiercely under the boy’s gaze.

John’s face formed into a frown as he pulled his hand away from her. “...Well, at least you have a better reason than I did,” he sighed before turning and heading into the hospital.

The glum note to his voice surprised Elsie. ‘What happened to him?’ she couldn’t help but wonder. And was this her fate now?

“Come on, Elsie,” Sam said, taking her by the hand and giving it a squeeze before pulling her after John.

After entering into the foyer through the large glass sliding doors, the boy beelined past the reception and straight for the lifts. They crowded inside the compact space with four others, made all the more claustrophobic as one was in a wheelchair. John pressed the button for the very top floor, and soon Chelsea felt the lift shudder and rise under her feet. Their progress would stop and start every few seconds as people filtered in and out until eventually it was just the three of them arriving on the very top floor.

“I’m surprised they were put in a room so high up,” Elsie commented as she made to step out of the elevator, but Sam’s hand tugged her back inside.

The action warranted a riise of Elsie’s brow, as the lift doors closed once again. Doubly so when a burst of blue light radiated from the lift button underneath John’s finger and they began to rise again. ‘Or had the source been John’s own finger?’ The question quickly left her mind, however, as the slight tingle of nausea washed over her body, before the lift doors once again opened.

“Welcome to the Apothecary, USA branch,” a voice filtered through a speaker installed in the lift.

“What?” Chelsea blinked as they stepped out of the lift. “Where are we?!”

They had found themselves in a large foyer at least twice the size of the one on the ground floor. The white and beige aesthetic of the hospital below had been replaced by a glimmering silver with polished black floors, and where the rooms and corridors had once been squared, the walls and ceiling now bent and curved with a stylistic elegance that reminded her of some kind of fantastical architecture.

But perhaps more concerning was the menagerie of strange creatures that occupied the room. There were people of all shapes and sizes, ranging from a pair of short and stout men with bushy red beards to a tall and lanky albino woman in casual conversation with a green-skinned male. In the corner past them, a large mass of red goop gently shifted over the sleek, black surface of the floor, giving it a clean sheen. And to Chelsea’s left, at what looked to be a reception, a pale skinned girl with bright pink hair and rosey eyes chatted cheerily with a seven foot tall man perfectly normal - save for the fact that his head had been replaced by that of a fucking bull. ‘What the fuck? Is that a minotaur?!’ Chelsea gasped, familiar enough with the creature from her readings of fables. This one was dressed in a suit large enough to serve as her bed covers, while the pink-haired girl was dressed in a nurse’s outfit.

Noticing her gaping, the bull-headed creature’s eyes swung to look at her. “Miss Sunday, we got a tourist,” he snorted through nostrils the size of her fists and straightened his back before he began to advance on her.

“Hmm?” the pink-haired receptionist glanced up from her computer and peered at Chelsea.

“There’s no need to worry,” John swiftly stepped between Elsie and the minotaur. “She’s with me; this is all just a bit new to her.”

“Ah, Mr. Newman, welcome back,” the pink-haired girl smiled coyly. “I was told to pass on that your friends have been moved to room 289. If need be, I can arrange for an escort?” It was then that Chelsea noticed a spaded tail swaying demurely in the air behind the nurse.

“Your own company would not be unwelcome, Miss Sunday,” John returned with an inviting smile.

“Oh,” the nurse blushed. “W-well I wouldn’t dare abandon my post now… I’d get scolded… again. B-but maybe later I could escort your personally?” she continued hopefully, her rose coloured eyes widening.

‘What? Is he really so shameless?’ Chelsea thought with disbelief. “Newman, we’re in a hospital!” ‘And that woman isn’t even human!’

Sam let out a heavy sigh. “You think he’s bad now, you should see him paired with liquid courage,” she muttered under her breath. “It’s an unstoppable ****.”

“I can imagine… I mean, I always thought you were a-”

“Lesbian? I am!” Sam scratched the back of her head. “Or was… I don’t honestly know anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Chelsea’s frown deepened. “You mean he fucked you bi? That’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t know, Elsie!” Sam snapped back. “My head’s a mess right now, but everywhere else feels… aroused. Let’s not go putting labels on anything yet, yeah? I just don’t know. But if you’re worried I’m going to sleep with him again… look, I know I fucked up, okay. I know you like him, and believe me I never intended on getting in between you two. Things just got out of control last night…”

Chelsea blushed sheepishly and dropped her gaze. “No, it’s fine. I’m sorry,” she replied. “I’m being petty and self-centered; there are more pressing things to deal with right now.”

“No, it’s fair you’re mad,” Sam replied. “But all things considered… you may want to reevaluate your interest in him after this.”

“What-” Chelsea began, before Sam shushed her with her hand.

“Uh, can I help you?” Sam challenged, her posture turning defensive as she looked past Elsie’s shoulder.

Chelsea turned to see a wiry, middle-aged man staring wide-eyed at them, or more specifically, at her. Something about his cloudy grey eyes unnerved her. They looked… well, there was nothing lecherous in his gaze. If anything, he seemed sad. Judging by his uniform he too worked in this crazy hospital.

“My apologies, miss,” the doctor began. His speech was as grey as his eyes, delivered in a drawl that set Chelsea’s teeth on edge. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It’s just you look like someone I know.”

“Um, okay?” Chelsea was unsure how to reply. He didn’t seem like he was lying, even if he did sound kind of creepy.

“I take it by your lost expressions you are both unfamiliar with this place?” the doctor continued.

“What’s it to you?” Sam replied tersely as she crossed her arms.

“I see,” the man replied as if that had answered his question. “Well, I am Doctor Ishi Arzt, one of the senior physicians at this facility. You are?”

‘This guy?’ Chelsea wondered with mild surprise. ‘He sounds like he’d sooner stab someone than save them.’

“John,” Sam hissed, digging her elbow into the boy’s hip, who was still in conversation with the pink-haired lady and evidently hadn’t noticed the arrival of this doctor. “Quit chatting up girls and talk to this guy, will you? I’ve already had to put up with that cop today, don’t need another creepy sap to rain on my day any more.”

“Excuse me for a moment, Sydney,” John apologised to his new lady-friend before turning to Sam. “What? Oh, hey there, Doc,” the boy’s face spread into a smile. “You’re looking as chipper as ever.”

Chelsea was surprised at the warmth with which John regarded the doctor. Air of apathy aside, perhaps this Arzt person actually was a decent guy.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Newman,” Doctor Arzt dipped his head a fraction. “I do hope Miss Sunday is the only reason for your visit today.”

“Unfortunately no,” John frowned. “A few girls I know have overdosed on some sort of Abyssal ****.

“So you’re with Michael, then,” the doctor observed. “That’s convenient, I was about to meet with him, myself.”

“This guy is going to be Em’s doctor?” Sam asked skeptically. “He’s sketchy as fuck.”

“That’s not very kind,” the doctor replied, his voice suggesting he absolutely did not care.

“It’s alright,” John reassured them. “Doctor Arzt has helped me out a few times before. He knows his shit and he’ll make sure they’re taken care of.”

“It’s what I’m paid to do,” the doctor replied apathetically.

“Yeah… I’m just filled with confidence,” Sam replied sardonically. “Well, whatever, this place is making me anxious. Can we get a move on?”

“That would be for the best,” the doctor agreed.