This is elseworld, p.1
This is Elseworld, page 1
Copyright © 2023 by Terrence Falligan
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Contents
THIS IS ELSEWORLD
1. No Tears Left
2. The Mirror Lies
3. My Brother’s Keeper
4. Monster
5. Death Wish
6. The Wasteland
7. Thunder
8. Lightning
9. The Humming
10. The Borderlands
11. Voices in His Head
12. Gatewood
13. Blind Fish
14. Promises
15. Downtown
16. The Deeps
17. It’s Showtime
18. Magic and Monsters
19. Blame it on the Rain
20. Heavy Man Wearing Heavy Boots
21. Cold Fear
22. Nothing But Air
23. Fish out of Water
24. Demonic Clown
25. The Boogeyman
26. Birds of Prey
27. Into the Forest
28. Monster among Men
29. Frozen Wasteland
30. A Cop’s Voice
31. Stand Down
32. Fade to Black
33. An Unstoppable Force
34. Not So Quicksand
35. Men with Scary Smiles
36. Hallelujah
37. Near Dark
38. Red Room
39. Boat Trip
40. The Rat King
41. Survival of the Fittest
42. A Deep, Dark Void
43. Piece by Bloody Piece
44. Hell House
Afterward
THIS IS ELSEWORLD
In a dystopian world, the effects of climate change collided with nuclear war, and humanity suffered devastating consequences. Half the planet is uninhabitable, the other half unrecognizable. The world didn’t end, it just changed.
But for Asher Kaine, a reclusive youth afflicted with a degenerative disease, the world has always been a harsh and unforgiving place. That is, until he meets a mysterious green-eyed girl with a dark secret, and their lives become intertwined in ways neither of them could have ever imagined. Together, they set out to make an impact on the world that will leave a lasting legacy, but at what cost?
Elsewhere, in the borderlands between the remnants of the old world and the new, lies a place already steeped in its own tainted legacies. The lives of a young girl and her brother are irreversibly transformed when they unwittingly encounter an unspeakable evil in the woods they thought only existed in whispered folklore. The siblings find themselves entangled in a dark and perilous plot, ensnared by the ominous grip of this sinister force, with no hope of release.
Meanwhile, in a hidden world deep within the depths of the desolate wasteland, there exists a place where some find paradise and others find misery. It’s here where a gentle poet embarks on an expedition alongside a ragtag group of explorers, driven by their shared yearning for a more promising existence. Only, instead of finding the better life they desired, they find themselves engulfed in a war they did not want, for a cause they did not understand, against an enemy they didn’t even know existed.
When nightmares roam the Earth, witness the origin of fiction’s most terrifying creatures as the future of humanity is challenged, and reality is an illusion as fleeting as a shadow.
This isn’t our world as we knew it. This is Elseworld!
Chapter one
No Tears Left
The Man
The man had no choice. So, he did as he was told and watched.
He watched and listened.
First, to the grating sound of metal chains scraping against the floor, a high-pitched shrill that sent shivers down his spine as it reverberated off the walls. Then, to the unsettling sound of bones being pulverized and ligaments crackling as teeth ground against flesh. Human flesh.
The hounds gnawed on what remained of their victim’s carcass. They chomped at the limbs, hideous suckling noises coming from their slurping tongues. Razor-sharp teeth easily sawed through bone and sinew as the hounds lapped up bone marrow and any remaining morsels of muscle mass they could suck into their hungry jaws.
I can’t believe this is happening. This…this can’t be real, it just can’t. I must be dreaming. That’s it, I’m stuck in another horrible nightmare. I just need to snap out of it. Wake up, damnit, wake up!
The man’s eyes glazed over as tears clouded his vision. He didn’t want to see the gruesome sight, but he didn’t dare look away. The jet-black long-haired hounds were at least five feet tall. He was on his knees, and the animals seemed to tower over him. Their canine heads, wide as an adult’s torso, were so full of oversized razor-sharp fangs, it was difficult to comprehend how they could all fit into their mouths. Mouths that never closed and seemed to be in a perpetual grimace.
Even through tear-clouded vision, the man’s sight had never been more focused on anything in his entire life. This was happening. He couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to believe it, but here he was.
This wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to him. No, that had already occurred. And he knew unless he could somehow change his fortune, the same thing would happen again. And again. And again. He just wanted everything to end. He wished to close his eyes and cease to exist, never again forced to repeat that pain and humiliation. Death was desirable, but he still didn’t want to go out like this—eaten alive. There had to be another option.
There was no other option!
The man sobbed, the tears streaming down his face. He was not quite as young as he looked, but still very youthful. He used to feel invulnerable, used to imagine the world at his feet.
That was then. That was two hours ago.
Now he just felt defeated and demoralized.
He could taste the buildup of salt and mucus on his lips and spat without bothering to look where it went. The man knew if he were to turn away even slightly, he’d be risking another whipping by one of the masked men who he knew were standing directly behind him.
Disguises made of leather, with open zippers for mouths, covered their faces. These masks had built-in eyes that were round like a beetle, except comically large and bright red. The masks clearly weren’t for breathing, but it didn’t seem like the costumes were meant for hiding their faces either.
I had already seen some of their faces. Was this just for show? It has to be. What’s wrong with you people, you’re a bunch of sadists!
The man grew hot as he visualized himself standing up against his captors. He fantasized confronting the masked men. He imagined yelling out insults until his voice went hoarse and his kidnappers melted away as if mean words were their kryptonite.
Die, you motherfucking sadists! Die! Die! Die!
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Of course, he knew mere words wouldn’t work against them. These monsters were just as ruthless as the beasts he was being compelled to watch, with the only distinction being they stood on two feet instead of four.
The man wasn’t the only prisoner witnessing this demented freak show. Clustered in the corner to his far right, five trembling women held each other. They were bound together, with their ankles and wrists shackled in chains. He didn’t know how long the women had been in this place. He couldn’t see their faces clearly in the dark, but from what he could tell, none of them appeared bruised or visibly harmed. At least, not physically. Not yet.
He recognized one of the girls from earlier. He wondered if she knew it was all her fault. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be in this mess and his best friend wouldn’t be dog food.
You! You did this to me. Look at what has become of us. This is all because of you.
The man wasn’t looking at her, not directly anyway. Even buried in the edge of his vision, she was impossible to miss. The woman was tall, with a statuesque body and large breasts that shook as she wept, rattling her chains. She was blessed with a thin waist, wide hips, and strawberry-blonde hair that extended just below her shoulders.
He could only vaguely make out the details of her face, so he rebuilt it from memory. A full mouth with lips that looked to be in a permanent pout, but also fresh-faced with round cheeks, making it hard to determine her age. He had taken a liking to referring to her as Lolita, but only in his head, and that was before any of this happened.
Each of the other women held captive were also young and blonde with a similar build, but she stood out most of all. Topless, but wearing jean shorts and tennis shoes, she was the only one with any clothes on. The others were completely naked, and their long blonde locks were dirty and disheveled.
Unlike her, they shed no tears. They had none left.
The room was dark except for a solitary light radiating from a portable lantern. This far outside the District, the area most l ikely wouldn’t be connected to the electrical grid. The man knew this, but he had also noticed the wind turbines adjacent to the house, not to mention the intricate pattern of solar panels on the roof. He’d seen all this when he arrived. And yet, here they all stood in almost complete darkness, except for the unnerving glow from a single lantern.
The lantern wasn’t stationary though. He hadn’t noticed before, perhaps because his attention was elsewhere, but now he watched as its orange glow drifted from the far corner of the room and slowly descended toward him.
Oh no. Is that him?
The man’s eyes widened, and although his mouth was agape, he wasn’t breathing.
It must be him. Oh my God, it is. It is! God, no, please. Not again. No, not this again. Just kill me. Please get it over with and kill me.
The man's heart thumped. He could feel the palpitations bouncing from his chest to his throat, each pulse thundering in his ears until it drowned out all other sound. The room seemed to shrink as panic, fear, and hopelessness—everything he had felt during the previous encounters—all flooded back into his memory.
Why is he here? He can’t do it here. Not while I’m awake. He won’t, will he? In front of everyone? With…with the girls watching? No! Just feed me to the dogs. Please, feed me to the dogs. I’m ready now. I’m ready!
The man released his bladder, the hot, wet stream continuing much longer than he’d thought it would. He ignored the sensation as his hands instinctively reached down toward his belt holster, grasping for a weapon he already knew wasn’t there. He hoped the masked sadists didn’t notice the movement. There would certainly be more lashes from their whips if they had. When nothing came, he almost felt relieved.
Almost.
He knew there were worse things they could do to him.
He remained in his crouched position, the floor beneath him cold and unforgiving, a puddle forming beneath his knees. Even though he wasn’t restrained, fear kept him paralyzed, made him certain his legs would betray him if he tried to get up.
He didn’t know why, but he knew who and, more importantly, what was coming toward him. He wanted to make a run for it, perhaps find a window and jump. Anything to avoid what was going to happen next. A braver man would have done it. A few hours ago, he would have considered himself such a man. Instead, he squatted as the lantern closed in on him until the light finally flickered right above his body. The lantern was so close he could have reached out and touched it.
That was when he looked up and saw him.
Smiling.
The stark contrast of a full set of pearly white teeth tucked inside brown lips and charred skin appeared in front of him, eerily lit by the lantern’s orange-yellow glow. The man could only see half of his tormentor’s face, a latticework of dark scars and crimson-colored burns. The broken skin cracked and sagged. Light flickered off his inflamed pores, warping his image and making his caked-over blisters look like they might explode at any moment.
The hands holding the lantern weren’t hands at all. At least, not human hands. They were more like claws, but even that was not an entirely accurate description. His captor’s palms swelled far beyond what his wrist appeared to be able to support, and a disturbing mixture of contorted bone and bladelike fingernails protruded where human fingers should have been. The monstrous hands were almost the length of his forearm, and in his grip, the lantern looked like a child’s toy.
“Please…don’t. Please stop. You don’t need to do this.”
The man could tell by the way his cries echoed throughout the large room that the ceilings were extremely high. He had hoped he was being held in an attic. At least then there would be the small possibility of finding a window to jump out of, but now he knew the more likely scenario was that he had been transferred to a bomb shelter located beneath the house.
Most houses were built on top of fortified concrete bunkers. Even older homes had their basements converted. These underground shelters were meant to survive nuclear explosions, radioactive dust storms, and tornadoes. Escape would be nearly impossible.
“Please. Please, let me go.” The man hesitated. “And let the women go too. We won’t tell anyone what happened here. Just let us go.” His voice quivered just above a whisper, audibly discernible but intentionally subdued, hoping it wouldn't expose the manic turmoil underlying his words.
The dark figure looked down upon him, tilting its chin so more of its face could be seen clearly in the dim light. “Do you know who I am?”
A woman gasped, which was followed by a series of anxious murmurs. The man listened but couldn’t understand their whisper-talk behind the clanking of the chains. The hounds, despite their inarticulate manner, were far easier to understand. The animals unleashed savage snarls that roared across the room, prompting the chattering to stop almost immediately.
Several of the women had restrained the newcomer. They hugged her tight and covered her mouth so her moans couldn’t be heard. While this was happening, the man kept his sights on the dark figure who continued to stare at him.
“Do you know who I am?” the man’s tormentor repeated in a hissy, breathy voice, where every note snaked all around the man and seemed to stick to his skin. When the man didn’t respond, the speaker moved ever so slightly, like he was going to come closer, but he merely shifted his position.
“I said, do you know. Who. I am?”
Fuck you! Why are you playing games with my head? What’s the point? After everything you did to me, of course I know who you are, you sick bastard.
“No. No, I don’t…I don’t…”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not lying!”
Please believe me.
“I don’t know who you are. I swear. I’ve never seen you before.” The man coughed to clear his throat. “I got knocked out, and when I woke up, I was here. I have no idea who you are. I don’t know who any of you are. I won’t tell anyone anything. Nothing at all. I can’t tell anyone what I don’t know. Please, just let me go…let all of us go.”
“You fool. You think I can’t tell you’re lying to me?” his tormentor rasped through clenched teeth. “If you lie to me one more time, just one more time, I’ll do things to you that will make you wish you were dead. And after I’m done, when you’re on your knees begging me to kill you, I’ll rip your limbs off and feed them to Luke and Daniel over there just like I did with your friend. Only, with you, I’ll have them eat you slowly, piece by piece. We’ll keep you conscious long enough so you can watch them feast. That way we can all savor the moment together.”
The man’s body tightened, and he balled up his fists against the floor. He tried to keep his expression blank, but everything inside him was screaming.
“And just when you’re nothing more than a pathetic stump with a head and think it’s all over, you’ll close your eyes one final time. Unfortunately for you, it’ll be a deep slumber and not death that awaits you. And you know what happens then, don’t you?” The words dripped from his captor’s lips like acid. “Your body here won’t have much time left, but where you’ll be, the place between consciousness and unconsciousness, in your mind, it’ll feel like forever.”
The man didn’t respond, he tried not to show any reaction, but his captor gave him a knowing look. “You can pretend all you want, boy, but I can see in your face that I’ve broken you. I smell your fear. The fragrance is so thick I can taste the sweet and salty aroma in the air. And I tell you, boy, it’s delicious. You’re like a juicy steak that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into.” The dark figure licked his charred mouth as he moved closer. “You’re mine.”
His breathing became short and rapid, his heart raced. The man opened his mouth to speak, but the words decayed into tears. He could only see a few inches beyond the orange glow; the lantern was so close, it practically blinded him. He shifted nervously on the ground, surveying what little he could make of his surroundings, desperate to find a safe corner to hide in. Anything to get a little distance between himself and those who could hurt him.
But there was nowhere to go. As small as he felt, there were still no holes tiny enough for him to crawl into. Exposed and vulnerable, anything and everything around him was a threat that could do him harm. Even the bound women. Even her. Especially her.
