Death Tower

A while ago I wrote a story called Hot Shower, and had people ask me what happened next? Read on to find out 🙂

Varun thought he heard a whoop. Or did he? Everything seemed blurred through the fuzzy curtain of sleep and he turned, cocooned himself within the quilt and went back to sleep.

He was nudged awake by the sun shining directly on his face. ‘Damn this bloody woman!’ he muttered under his breath, ‘she’d forgotten to draw the curtains again!’ he grumbled. Varun reluctantly threw back the covers, got out of bed and stretched.

2 pm, the clock glowed.

He peeked out of the room as he walked towards the bathroom, and saw the television was on. He shrugged, let out a huge yawn and almost tripped at the entrance of the bathroom.

‘Bloody hell!’ he swore, holding onto the door frame to stop himself from falling.
Seema was lying face down on the bathroom floor, a towel wrapped around her, her hair still damp from her shower.
‘Seema!’ Varun bent down and nudged her shoulder, ’wake up!’ he nudged her harder. She didn’t budge.
‘SEEMA!’ he yelled even louder and shook her even harder.
‘Huh?’ she turned her face to look up at him.
‘High? Again?’ he asked, mouth twisting sarcastically.
‘Vaaaaaarrrrrrruuuuuuunnnnnn’ she groaned, going back to her earlier prone position.

‘No you don’t!’ he exclaimed scooping his hands under her arms and making her stand up. She was like a rag doll, lifeless.
He placed her right hand over his shoulder and used his left hand to prop her up from the waist, and walked her to the bed. He lay her down, damp towel and all, and covered her with the quilt he has discarded a few minutes ago and walked back into the bathroom.

As he brushed his teeth he realized that he felt a twinge of guilt for introducing Seema to LSD. She was an artist, and a brilliant one at that, and claimed that these LSD ‘trips’ enhanced her vision and ideas. He was inclined to agree as all the paintings, murals and frescos she painted after ‘coming down from a high’ were brilliant. And she was paid an unimaginable amount of money for them. Despite which that twinge of guilt made an occasional appearance to prick his infallible conscience.
She wasn’t hooked to LSD. They were both adults, capable of making decisions for themselves, and with those time worn lines, Varun felt better and stepped into the shower.

He zipped up his well-fitted jeans, buttoned his linen shirt and and picked up his ammunition. He walked into the dark room and stood still for a moment. He knew they were here, just as they knew he was. His sneakers made no sound as he walked towards his special place. He switched on a button and a small square of harsh, white light lit up a tiny part of the room, and the smirk on his face.

From the corner of his eye he saw a man hiding behind a far wall. Would he be armed, he wondered and turned and swiftly ran towards his target. Standing with his back toward the wall, behind which the man was hiding, he took a few moments to catch his breath as he released the safety catch of his loaded gun. Stealthily he moved towards the edge of the wall, abruptly turning to the right, gun pointed in the front, to find no one there.

‘Damn!’ he swore softly. Where had the man disappeared to? With his back towards the wall and the gun pointed in front of him he scanned right and left, his eyes and mind trying to seek out the possible hiding spots. But it was barren land as far as he could see.
As he wondered what he should do next, he heard a sound. A shuffling sound. He cocked his head to decipher which side it was coming from?

But there was silence.

Tucking his gun into his waistband he began walking back to deal with unfinished business.

He had barely walked a few steps when he heard another sound. A panting sound that sent a chill down his spine. He turned to see a pack of dogs running towards him. About 30 of them. Huge, ferocious ones.
He froze on the spot. His mind refusing to co-operate with his legs.
With every second of standing still they were coming closer. He willed himself to run, and began.
He ran, and so did the dogs.
They were faster.
He upped his pace, and they got closer.
His gun slipped out of his waistband and he screeched to a halt to retrieve it. They stopped too, for the briefest moments, and he and the dogs locked eyes.
They were so close that he could see the saliva dripping from their open mouths.
He forgot the gun and ran. After a moment’s hesitation so did they.
Faster. And faster.
Many chasing one.
Who would win this battle of survival?

Varun sat back with a satisfied smile on his face.
No, Varun didn’t like LSD.
He designed Video Games.

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