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The pain in my hips subsided as the kettle boiled in the kitchen. Sitting at the dining table watching his mother wash the cups under a running tap, I start thinking about the events that took place a while ago.
'Who were those creatures? Why was it hard to find this room? If they are nineteen rooms here, then how big is this place? What was that thing that kidnapped the boy? Was it a Yokai? How did that woman teleport herself from one place to another?'
It's a pity all these questions remained unanswered. The sound of the clocks ticking and the woman pouring something into the cup was followed by a crawling sound that was a little too close for comfort.
"Did you deliver the leftovers to all the tenants Caleb?" she asked.
The boy or can I say Caleb jolted with fear in his eyes. "Ye...yes mommy."
"Good."
This only added to the sinister tone in the room which I was familiar with after I killed my uncle.
"Here is your tea." the woman said dragging me out of my thoughts.
I thank her and put it close to my mouth. "It smells funny."
"I am sorry if it is not up to your standard." She said sitting down with her cup of tea. "But my son and I prefer our tea weak right, Caleb?"
I look at the boy who bit his bottom lip and took a sip of his. "Yeah, he seems to enjoy it."
"Mmm hmm."
There was an awkward silence that filled the room.
"Anyway, I came to thank you for the leftovers you sent to me ma'am. To be honest I didn't know what I was going to eat tonight if you didn't send your son to give it to me."
"Mmm, it is an honor," she replied bringing the cup to her lips. "But you didn't eat it did you?"
I shake my head and nurse the cup of tea in my hands. "I was about to when he rushed back to my room saying someone dangerous was pursuing him. He had scars on his body and said the person was banging on my door wanting to harm him. So, I brought him back to you."
She hesitated, wondering whether to believe my story or not then she sighed. "You are..."
The sound of something crawling around was heard and this time it was loud enough for us to hear.
"Sorry ma'am but do you hear that?" I ask.
Her eyes widen with an unknown emotion. "Hear what?"
Then something crawled past us and forced us to look in the direction of the kitchen. "Are you sure it isn't roaches ma'am?"
"What? No! I don't entertain the idea of having roaches in my room." she snapped.
I notice her reaction and decide to poke the fire a little.
"You can't be so sure. Most of the tenants complained about pests to the housekeeper and one even mentioned something about rats in her pantry." then I give a dramatic sigh. "That's why I am afraid to cook in my kitchen but who knows? Maybe..."
She sprang to her feet knocking her chair back and ran towards the kitchen. Smiling I look at the boy who was staring into space and take a peek into his teacup.
It was empty.
'Maybe she isn't callous enough to poison her son after all.' I thought looking at my tea. 'I have to admit she is observant and engaging her in the small talk was the best move if I want to give off the impression of being oblivious to what is happening because I intend to look around the place when everyone is asleep.'
The crawling sound was heard louder and I looked on the floor to catch a glimpse of the rodent but find nothing. Suddenly, Caleb shrieked and knocked my cup of tea off the table making it crash to the floor.
"What is it? What is wrong?" I ask with concern.
Caleb?" his mother appeared beside us holding a kitchen knife. "What is it."
He kept staring at us with a blank expression on his face while his hands shook and his lips trembled. Then tears began to flow down his face. Annoyed, his mother stabbed the knife on the table and sent him to his room.
"And don't come out until I tell you too!" she roared.
He jumped up from his seat and ran into the room sniffing while she started picking the broken ceramics from the floor. I reach down to help her but she pushed me away.
"It's okay. He's always like this; as clumsy and pathetic as his father," she said with scorn. "That's why I can't take him anywhere or let him go off on his own. He could be pathetic sometimes and I don't know why. Pathetic just like his father."
There was venom in her words when she said that last line and when I look at her, I see the hatred in her eyes and disdain on her lips as she glared at me.
"I...I am sorry to ask but did you and his father have a divorce?" I ask.
The hatred in her eyes turned into sadness and she gave a grim nod. Following her to the kitchen to retrieve a cloth to wipe the floor, I watch her dump the broken ceramics in the trash and wash her hands.
"Don't worry about the floor. I will clean it up. Help me keep an eye out for rats okay?"
I nod and she grabs a tea towel and rushes out of the kitchen. Looking around the room occupied with a stove, an oven, a sink, and a wooden table, my eyes fall on cabinets fixed above the kitchen table where the block of knives, rice cooker, and other electronics were kept. Curious, I open one of the cabinets and something jumped out covering my mouth.
"Mmmph!" I tried to peel it off but to no avail for the grip was too tight. Suddenly, something else crawled on my back forcing me to stand still. Then I feel it on my shoulder, its appendage touching my cheek.
Daring myself, to give a side glance, I see a human hand on my shoulders, and looking down at what was covering my mouth was another human hand. Freaked out and trying to find out what I was going to do next, I hear footsteps coming towards the kitchen and feel the hands quickly crawl on my body and enter my bag.
"Okay I have cleaned it up and..." she stopped. "Is something wrong?"
Trying not to freak out, I look at her and smile. "Oh. It's nothing."
"Hmm," she tossed the rag aside. "I prepared the couch for you to spend the night."
"Thank you." I bow and walk out of the kitchen despite the movement in my bag. Heading to the couch, which had a blanket on it, I drop my bag next to me and lay on it covering myself with the thin blanket.
The crawling sounds were heard again.
"Are you comfortable?" his mom asks standing near me.
I nod and snuggle deeper into the blanket.
"Good." she goes over to the switch and turns off the lights. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight ma'am."
The door to her bedroom slam shut and I sigh.
'Wait a minute, isn't it morning by now? How comes it is still nighttime?'
'You have bigger things to worry about.'
I feel something crawling on me and stop breathing for a moment. Slowly the blankets were pulled off me and something crawled on my chest.
Then it stopped.
I could breathe again.
Slap!
Chest hurting and slightly terrified, I sit up, grab my torch and turn it on. On my chest was the human hand. I hear another sound and see another hand scribbling something in my notebook, rip out the page and hand it over to me.
"I am sorry for scaring you.
Please get my heart from the freezer in the kitchen."
"What?"
Then the lights came on but no one was in the room. Getting up from the couch and straining my ears for any sound other than my footsteps, I sneak back to the kitchen and look around. Everything seemed normal until I hear the crawling sound and looking behind me, I see the pair of human hands pointing at the freezer in front of me and opening it. There standing next to something unrecognizable was a Tupperware. It was stuck on the base of the fridge so I yank it out and take the cover off to see a human heart. Tiptoeing back to the couch with the contents in my hand, I hear a tapping sound and see the left hand was tapping its finger on the table and lying down with its palm open. Curious, I place the cold Tupperware on it and watched as my right hand crawled toward it dragging a piece of string. It tried and fail to tie the Tupperware on the left hand so I decided to help it.
"There. That should do it." I whisper tying the last knot. "But we are going to need more string if you want this to be a clean getaway."
The right hand crawled away and came back with more string which I use to tie the left hand carrying the Tupperware on top of the right. After watching it crawl away into the darkness, I go over, turn off the lights and try to get some sleep.
"Psst."
"Hey?"
"Are you awake?"
"Psst!"
I was tempted to open my eyes but keep them shut. Feeling a sharp pain on my right cheek, the familiar voice whispered this time louder.
"Hey!"
I play dumb.
The owner of said voice chuckled. "It looks like she is still asleep. I have to do this quickly if I want to get rid of her."
Once the shuffle of feet slowly vanished into the kitchen, I open my eyes and look into the kitchen. The lights were turned on and there was a sound of someone unwrapping what seems to tarp. Sliding out of the couch, I wear my shoes, hide the knife behind me and tiptoe into the kitchen where I see Caleb's mother wrapping the whole place in a plastic tarp.
"Planning to murder me, ma'am?"
She turns around in shock. "Why...what a surprise! I...was just....preparing to...you know...."
Her stammering was starting to get annoying. "Why did you do it?"
"Do...do what?"
"Why did you kill your husband?"
Her face turns pale. "I...I don't know what you are talking about."
"What caused a rift in your marriage? Money? Lack of communication? Jealousy? Or the fact he couldn't cater to your selfish needs?"
Her eyes turn wild and she began to breathe heavily. "What do you mean by that? I...I love my child! He...his was everything to me! He...I...I love him. I love my son..."
I cock an eyebrow at her uncomprehensive speech. "So you are saying you killed him out of love and not out of anger for asking for a divorce right?"
The pupils in her eyes dilated to the point they looked like little dots and a twisted smile appeared on her face. Chuckling, she grabbed a butcher's knife from the knife block and pointed it at me. "Some of us still believe in putting our spouses first in marriage."
I roll my eyes and take out the Imperial Blade. "Sorry but I don't see any romance here. Do you know what I see? All I see is a psychotic b!tch who forced a man into marriage, killed him for choosing his only son over her by asking for a divorce, and hated her son so much, that she sent him to deliver his pieces of his father's corpse to unsuspecting tenants disguised as leftovers. Who knows? She might have killed him out of spite as well to add more trauma to the boy's life."
She bowed her head chuckling like crazy before screaming and lashing out at me with the knife but I move out of the way making her stumble into the living room.
The knife fight continued and the probability of me winning was high because of my experience but I dared not to count my chickens before they hatched.
'She is inexperienced in skills of combat.' I thought shoving her off me. She growled and lunged at me but I move out of the way making her pierce her knife into the wooden wall but she yanked it out.
'I notice the more we fight, the more unhinge she gets.' I let my weapon transform into an ax before her eyes. 'Let's use that to our advantage shall we?'
I dodge her attacks and run around the room hoping my strategy would at least tire her out and it did. This continues and we clash with me looking at her with eyes full of hatred and hers full of insanity.
"I should have killed you while you slept!" she spat.
"It's a pity you didn't when you had the chance." I use my temple and hit her hard on the head and she stumbled back gave a huge growl and tried charging toward me but something hit her on the head knocking her out.
I look at the body then back up at someone who was supposed to be asleep. "C...Caleb?"
He gave a stiff nod and looks his mother's unconscious body. "Father said we should leave now."
Then the pair of hands crawl towards her body carrying rope and I watched them tie her up while the mannequins looks on with lifeless eyes. Then it lay lifeless beside her and the mannequin began to move towards the door.
"Why are we sparing her?" I ask walking outside the room.
"Father told me we need her alive to make a deal with the Keeper of the labyrinth to get out of here," Caleb replied as he locked the door.
I was confused. "Who?"
"The keeper of the labyrinth." he looks back at me with lifeless eyes. "We are in a Labyrinth ma'am."
