Zeke led Zoey into one of the dorm rooms down the hall. The candle would only delay the monster, and they couldn’t run from danger forever. Taking shelter and regrouping would be their only chance, at least until it became living hours again.
Although still out of breath, Zoey managed to stammer out a series of questions, “What the hell is going on? Who the hell are you? Where the hell am I? And why do you have an afro?” Each question more important than the last.
Zeke, who had just finished securing the room, which just so happened to be crawling with a cornucopia of insects, turned toward his new companion.
“Like I said before, the name’s Zeke, and welcome to the nightmare floor.”
“Huh?” stated Zoey astutely.
“Uhh… the nightmare floor,” he repeated, emphasizing the words and wiggling his fingers around for dramatic effect. “…Alright, yeah, it’s a working title. That’s just what I call this place.”
“Um, okay, well what do we do? How do we get out?!”
“Out? What do you mean ‘out?’ You think if I knew how to get out, I’d still be here?”
“What do you mean ‘still?’ How long have you been stuck on this floor?”
“A very long time…”
———————-
“No candles in the dorms…” the monster hissed as it approached. I shivered in terror, and the lights in the hall went dark. Luckily, instinct took over, and I did what I always do when I’m nervous or scared—lit up my lavender-scented therapy candle. The timing was perfect; with the monster only inches away, the wick caught, and the light knocked the evil creature back, allowing me to make my escape. The hallway twisted and turned as I ran from the grotesque creature. I knew that it was probably already pursuing me. I grabbed the handle of the nearest door and barged right in.
The room’s air was thick with smoke. The only thing I saw were two yellow orbs staring at me from the other side of the room. I tried to speak, but the smoke invaded my lungs and I coughed loudly.
“Don’t worry about that, man, you’ll build up a tolerance soon enough.”
A man approached me, and as he got closer, I could see him clearly. Yellow eyes, wolf-like fangs, two ivory horns protruding from his forehead and skin the color of blood.
“The name’s Steve.”
He reached out his hand and helped me to my feet. Steve, of course, was a demon. Out of either kindness or pity, Steve taught me how to survive on the nightmare floor. It was as simple as following just a few rules.
RULE 1: Never go anywhere without your light. Candles are the only known weapons that are effective against the RM (that’s Resident Monster).
RULE 2: Beware the darkness. When the lights in the hallway go out, living hours are over. At that point, anything that’s alive will be a target, so the safest thing to do is retreat to one of the dorm rooms. That being said, each room will have an occupant. Some are friendly, but most are friendly in the same way one is happy to see their dinner walk in the door.
RULE 3: Sometimes you have to fight. Coexistence is recommended, but that can be difficult when things try to eat you.
RULE 4: Living things still need to eat. While setting traps and hunting smaller demons, monsters and other creatures will work, there is also a vending machine on the far end of the floor. Doritos taste better than raw Minotaur flesh. Doritos also don’t make horns grow out of your head.
There were other rules, but they become progressively less important.
One day Steve and I were doing some fight training in the hallway, preparing for what was going to be a pretty nasty showdown with one of the residents.
“You’re too stiff,” Steve said as he lobbed a right hook at me.
“Sorry, I’ve never been much of a fighter. Maybe we should try giving peace and love a chance. We might be able to get through to it.”
He looked at me with disappointment in his eyes. “Oh yeah? Sure! Why not? Let’s give it a shot! And while we’re at it, why don’t we roast you to a nice golden brown and give you a sweet honey glaze. I’m sure it’ll really appreciate the flavor.”
Steve must have thought I was going soft after that, so he dialed up the intensity. Punches, kicks, elbows, knees: all were thrown wildly as we trained for the next several hours. We were so focused on the training that we didn’t notice that the lights were beginning to dim.
By the time we heard the voice, it was too late.
“It’s 6 p.m.; living hours are over.”
We ran, but the giant, slug-like RM was right on our heels.
“Quick, Zeke, the candle, light your candle!”
I reached into my pocket but found it empty. It must have gotten knocked loose when we were training.
“Rule number 1, you idiot!”
I couldn’t believe how careless I had gotten. Now we both were going to die. The monster was just a few feet away from me, its rancid breath stinging my eyes. Suddenly, Steve’s hand grabbed me and, with his demon strength, threw me through the nearest door. He looked at me with a smile.
“You didn’t sign in that guest; that’s against the rules,” the monster hissed.
It opened its mouth wide, ready to devour Steve whole. I slammed the door shut.
———————-
“For the last 40 years, I’ve survived thanks to Steve’s rules and his sacrifice.”
Zoey stared at Zeke dumbfounded.
“Wipe that look off your face and start being useful; living hours are almost up.”
The lights were beginning their slow dim. Zeke tossed Zoey a fresh candle and some matches.
“Rule number 1: Don’t lose that.”
Jesse Isadore is a third-year student majoring in English literature with a minor in creative writing. He can be reached at JI800190@wcupa.edu. Matt Donahue is a third-year student majoring in physics with a minor in computer programming. He can be reached at MD834123@wcupa.edu.