#caged mind

Nathaniel’s head was spinning. He felt like he was stuck inside of a washing machine, forced to spin around and around until he was properly clean. He grabbed a hold of Jane’s hand as they entered the haunted house, his heart thumping so roughly he could feel it through every inch of his body. Every vein felt like it was going to pop; every muscle was aching, screaming for him to get out of there. But he pressed on, telling himself over and over that it was just that he hated Halloween and especially haunted houses; that it was just a childish fear driving his body to force itself into a sickness.

The lights inside of the haunted house were worse than he had expected. They flashed and bobbed in a sickening fashion, making the dizzying feeling even worse. He felt like he was on some sort of ridiculously underpriced cruise ship that used black lights and those awful flashing lights as a means of “entertainment.” He could hear the shrieks and screams of people being scared, some which were followed by laughter and others followed by whimpering cries. That’s just it, he thought, that’s going to be me: a whimpering mess of a boy who’s afraid of a damn haunted house. He ordered himself to snap out of it, a fruitless command.

He nearly jumped out of his own skin when someone dressed up like a radioactive skeleton leaped at him, screaming so loudly in his ear that he shot his arms out and knocked them over. They protested in response, which only angered Nathaniel even more. Here he was, being dragged through his nightmares and this skeleton jerk has the audacity to jump out and scare him. He started to mouth off at the Halloween worker, spouting utter nonsense and making the whole situation a lot worse. When he finally calmed down and pushed the Halloween worker away, he realized that Jane wasn’t holding his hand anymore. She must have wandered off further into the haunted house, although exactly why she would leave Nathaniel was a mystery to him. I mean, he was completely terrified and it was a bit rude for her to simply vanish so quickly without a word.

He desperately tried to see in the dark; the throbbing lights of the haunted house pulsing through his whole body and making him feel sick. It was like trying to looking through the dark with a flash light right in your face. Only it was a flash light that kept being turned on and off in a fast enough speed to make you want to vomit. Why the hell did people like going to these places? He nearly fell backwards when the red light flashed before his eyes again, causing him to go blind. Only instead of a darkness washing over his vision, that irritating red light fell like a sheer blanket over his head. The haunted house suddenly fell eerily quiet and he came to the conclusion that either everyone had gone on a simultaneous break or he was somehow blocking out the noise to listen to something specific. But what? He stood still, desperate for a noise to pierce the silence.

In an instant he heard a screeching yell. It wasn’t like the screams from before; there was no hint of mischief or joy in it. This was a real scream, someone actually calling out for help, someone who was in danger. The yell echoed through his mind again, only this time it was further away and more desperate then before. His eyes bulged in his head when he realized he recognized the voice. It was Jane! He immediately ran towards the voice, pushing through crowds of people who silently yelled and thought he was a part of the show. He pushed down person after person, eager for them to get out of the way. Didn’t they know what was happening? Why wouldn’t they move?!

He stopped dead in his tracks when he turned the corner to find Jane being pulled away by a group of people in masks and hooded cloaks. The look of terror in her eyes told him that this wasn’t a prank and they certainly weren’t her friends. They were taking her away somewhere to do god knows what. He blinked and his eyes focused, the red light pulsating over the hooded figures as if they were being targeted as the enemy. His vision was suddenly clear, the pounding in his head soft as if with a purpose. He clenched his fists at his sides and gritted his teeth together. He wasn’t going to stand around and watch it happen, not this time. He refused to succumb to the fear that haunted his every step. He wouldn’t sit around anymore and watch people he cared about being hurt.

He let out an audible growl before screaming at the group “Hey!” a mischievous grin painted across his face as they all turned towards him “Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size?!” he laughed; he wanted to say that line for a long time. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was gone, moving quickly in between the hooded figures. He punched, kicked and body slammed them as hard as he could. He used every muscle in his body to fight; he did not think--he simply acted on the thoughts that crowded his mind. Don’t let them do this, not this time. Don’t let them get away with it. Don’t be like them! Fight! Save the girl! Do what you’re supposed to do! Don’t sit back and take it anymore!

He stopped, the thud of someone hitting the floor behind him echoing in his ears. He turned back around to see a pile of the hooded figures on the floor beneath him. He breathed heavily, the red light before his eyes pulsating with a warning. There are more of them. ‘Impressive’ a voice resonated in his head ‘They were right to want to take you, I see. You will be of great value to us all.’