Ricky -- Chapter One
Eyes wide and heart racing, Clyde Stewart, stared into the darkness of the unknown place he suddenly woke up in. He placed his hands to the floor and slowly lifted himself up, grimacing all the way up. Taking a deep breath he leaned against the wall, holding his side, where a wound was displayed. A wound Clyde had no idea where it came from. He couldn’t seem to remember much about what happened to him or how he got into this room. He looked around, straining his eyes in the darkness. What room was it? He ran his hand along rough bumps behind him.
Bars? A room full of bars? Then he realized where he was.
Somehow…someway….Clyde….was in jail cell.
“What the hell?” He managed to crock out. His voice was scratchy, almost like sand paper, if not that. Grabbing the bars with his aching hands, he leaned his head back, closing his eyes, trying to make sense of everything. To figure out what the hell was going on and why. He knew this was all just a nightmare. A nightmare where he would wake up soon. He scanned his brain over and over trying to remember the event that took place before he woke up in the world of darkness.
Something moved. Clyde knew he heard something lurking in the shadows, even though he couldn’t see it. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end, when he had the overwhelming feeling that something or someone was standing there watching him. He licked his cracked bleeding lips and positioned himself so that he was standing up. His eyes wondered aimlessly and helplessly.
“Hello?” He whispered. Clyde cleared his throat and took another breath. Letting go of the bars, he stepped forward, further into the darkness. He looked up and gazed at the light that peered through the tiny bared window up above his head. The only source of light and he still couldn’t even see what was in front of him. Moving back to his original spot, he felt fear rush through him once again, as the feeling suddenly came back. He gritted his teeth together, pressing himself against the wall.
He heard it again. A shuffling sound coming from the other end. Clyde then stood up straight and clenched his teeth shut. Then he saw a shadow. A shadow darker than darkness itself.
“Who are you?” He asked, his fear set aside, his anger replacing it….for now.
“The question isn’t who am I. The question is why am I here?”
The voice spoke.
Clyde strained his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of his mysterious visitor.
Then, he emerged into the little bit of light that shown through. It was a man. A man not older than thirty. He had hair as dark as the night and wore a black suit. He turned to Clyde revealing his face. The mans features were striking. Smooth milky skin, his eyes were a glassy empty hole, almost hypnotizing. He flashed a smile of pure white.
Clyde shook his head and let go of the cell wall, “Ricky?” His name rolled off Clyde’s tongue. The man, now identified as Ricky, smiled an even bigger smile and clasped his hands together.
“Oh wow!” Ricky pretended to wipe a tear away in a sarcastic mocking, “I am so touched that you remembered my name, Clyde. I must be special!”
Clyde glared at him, holding his stare with his eyes, ‘’What the hell is going on, Ricky?’’
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Ricky said, coldly. Ricky pulled his hands behind his back and walked closer to Clyde.
“What do you want?” Ricky stopped short, putting his hand up and rubbing his chin, looking like he was in deep thought. His eyes lit up and he held up a single finger.
“You wanna know what I want Clyde? Huh?” Clyde swallowed the hard lump in his throat and nodded. Ricky smiled and tapped his chin with his finger, “You will never know.”
Ricky straightened up and walked to the other side of the room, “But I will tell you why I’m here. I’m here to help you.” He said. Clyde narrowed his eyes at him.
“Help me? Help me with what?”
Ricky laughed, “That, my friend, will come soon enough. But for right now I want you to listen very carefully. You’re in a hole my friend. A deep hole, almost as deep as……hell. You’re in hell. And it is my duty to make sure you stay there. Clyde you have been a whole lot of trouble for me this time around and to be honest….I’m clearly getting sick of it.” He hesitated for a minute then added, “But if you play your cards right, you may slip out of this a winner. But then my game would be a total waste of time if you win this so I better be extra careful and keep an eye on your next move,” Ricky moved closer to Clyde and bend down in front of him.
“One thing is for certain though, my friend. That if you keep knocking on deaths door….someone’s going to answer you. And that someone would be ME!” Ricky threw his head back and laughed. He jumped around, clapping his hands excitedly. Clyde’s wound started to bleed again. He pressed his hand up against it, putting pressure on it. Ricky stepped forward, lowering his dark eyes down to Clyde. Breathing hard, Clyde looked up at him. His heart rate picked up and his mind screamed at him to look away. Just look away now. But Clyde couldn’t look away. His eyes were fixed on Ricky. Evil seeped into Ricky’s eyes, casting a red orange glow so frightening, Clyde almost screamed out in sheer terror. Ricky cocked his head to the side and a sly grin appeared on his face.
“Am I scaring you, friend?” Ricky said. His voice wasn’t normal anymore. His voice was now…demonic. Clyde’s eyes widened and he tried to stand back up.
“No no. Don’t move, friend. You don’t want to hurt yourself.”
“Like you even care.” Clyde gritted through his teeth.
Ricky smiled his pearly whites, against his firey red eyes, “You’re right. I don’t. But maybe this will help make you feel much, much better.” Ricky’s smiled faded and reached out toward Clyde with his right hand. Keeping his hand outstretched toward him, he suddenly tightened his hand into a tight fist and held it. Power over took Clyde in an instant. Clyde doubled over onto the floor, screaming out in unbearable pain, his hand clutched to his side. His blood curling screams sliced through the darkness of that one cell.
“PLEASE STOP!!!! PLEASE STOOOOOOP!!! FOR GOD SAKES STOOOOP!!!” Clyde screamed so loud, one of his ears drums actually popped. Clyde collapsed to the floor, when Ricky suddenly released the tight hold of his hand. Clyde’s breathing remained shallow and hardly even there. The pain he felt was unimaginable. He could feel the beat of his heart sink faster and faster.
“GOD?!” Ricky growled, slapping his ice cold hand around Clyde’s neck and lifting him up a few inches, “Did you just say GOD?!” He spit in Clyde’s face. His eyes were swollen and bloody. Ricky shook him, like a rag doll. His soul and spirit disappeared and the devilish face of Ricky was slowly fading away
“GOD isn’t here today, friend.” Ricky smiled from ear to ear and leaned closer, “Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wakey, wakey. You better wake up, friend. We’re headed to hell today. Better get a move on and WAKE UP. It’s going to be a very long ride….” Ricky laughed evilly. He slowly began to disappear, leaving a pair of bright red eyes behind.
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Clyde slowly opened his eyes, introducing him to darkness. He squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them, adjusting them to the darkness. He rolled over onto his belly and gazed at the clock. In about five seconds his alarm would be going off at 5AM. He put his hand on his alarm, waiting for it to go off. He quickly turned it off, when the alarm sounded. Clyde groaned, burying his face into his pillow. He took a deep breath and sat up, his body shaking and his back soaked with sweat. He knew he just had a nightmare, but still…he did not remember it.
