We teleported in the similar fashion we had done before with the background fading into nothingness and the white melting into a new surrounding .
We were at the gate of the Mortuary which he opened but my heart nearly stopped when I heard the firm banging clang of the gate closing behind me. I went blindly to the gate and grasped onto the icy bars.
I jumped slightly as I felt a firm hand touch my shoulder .
" You're awfully jumpy today. Are you quite well? Oh I see, you want out of here. You will get out soon enough but first follow me. I don't wish for you to get lost."
"Get lost. I will not get lost. I have excellent sense of direction thank you"
I grumbled after him and he simply ignored me.
The oak doors led to a marble hall way where rows and rows of names stretched up and beyond with names of dead loved ones. I realized they were coffins that slid into the marble walls.
There was a great whirring scream then another one until it sounded like a million drills were turning and twisting at top speed.
There were thousands of those silver spheres in the hallway now.
" Silence! She is a guest".
He dismissed his silver army with a wave of this hand.
" This is the security system I was speaking of. It's quite efficient."
" Those spheres cut and drill into people. They could kill if you wished them to".
" Yes but only at my command. I'm afraid their killing days are over and sadly so are mine. Oh well it was fun while it lasted. "
" Ah yes the good old days. Where have they gone?"
I was being sarcastic.
It was then that I heard him laugh for the very first time.
" You are quite amusing for a human. I must admit I've never liked humans much but I like you. You're different ".
"I'm glad you find me so entertaining. Now show me to the lab Doctor Morningside."
" I'm not a doctor but fair enough. We shall go. Come this way".
I followed him to the end of the hall way where a green door appeared out of nowhere on the wall ahead of us.
Inside was filled with blinding bright overhead lights and white walls and cream colored tiles lining
the floors. There was all sorts of medical equipment on silver wheeled trays. Scalpels, drills,syringes were layed out meticulously and bottles of formaldehyde and all sorts of chemicals were placed behind green cupboards that lined the walls. The place reeked of death.
Then my stomach did a flip when I saw the long rectangular metal slab with metal bars and leather straps for holding down and restraining unwilling victims.
This was a real bad dude. He was a killer. He used to kill for sport himself and yet again I was the idiot that decided coming into his house of horrors was a good idea.
For a moment I could remember that when I saw my first monster. He was your average boogeyman,they live off of fear but they've never been reported to kill anybody. They are relatively harmless and they hardly ever want to harm a child. I made friends with one once. He was rather frightening at first unnaturally long finger nails sharp as blades and huge jagged teeth.
His name was Baron and he was quite charming but one day he disappeared and I never saw him again. I have kept searching those woods in hope of finding him but instead all I found were monsters with heart's full of hatred for the human race.
The very trees in those woods are alive with that burning hatred. Yes those trees do tend to move from place to place in the darkness.
However as much as they hate humans they leave them alone for the most part. A occasional death occurs, bite marks are found on the neck, there's a few houses that hold a ghost or two. Some of the gargoyles at the library can be found blinking and stretching their wings. There was even said to be a witch who lived in an the old abandoned trailer park. She cast a few curses but they were later reversed after I spoke with her.
She told me that I had a fearsome power living in my veins. She screamed when she read my palms.
" Its not human! Its not human I tell you! You have the mark of the Schlanker Mann! You cannot be real! You have evil in you. Great evil. When your 28th birthday comes you will remember who you are. You will become one with the Schlanker. You must leave. Do not bring that evil here. Begone!"
I never knew what she meant. I'm not evil. I'm a good person. She must have forgotten to take her medicine that day. She was good old woman who meant well but her mind had seen better days I think. Too many late nights reading magic books and probably too many drugs in the 60's.
She probably had no idea what she was talking about poor thing. I check on her ever so often.
Elsa Greenwood was her name.

" You're awfully quiet all of a sudden. Something wrong?"
I suddenly realized I was still in his creepy lab.
" I'm just thinking. Got a big brain so I gotta use it you know. Just getting the old noggin ready for the race. I was wondering out of pure curiosity why-why- why does that table thing --over there have straps and bars on it?"
" Its an embalming table nothing more."
"That doesn't answer the question".
"Live subjects have been put there before but very rarely most of them aren't awake during the process infact most the humans that are brought here I usually already....dead."
" I'm sure it's more fun for you when they are awake".
"You must really think I'm a monster. When you get to be my age you don't have fun. When I was younger no more than 100 i delighted in making people suffer but I've learned there is so much more than power. There is youth, hope, trust and love. "
" So you're a killer but you're reformed now?"
" No, I never said that."
" Yes you said your killing days were over ".
" You remind me of someone." His eyes became sad and lonely.
" I remind you of her, the one you're looking for . Did she leave or was she taken from you?"
" If she had died I would have brought her back again. She left, I gave her everything she desired, she could have asked for anything, anything at all I would have given it to her, all she had to do was ask. Yet she learned of what I was capable of, she learned of my past and she thought I was a monster just like you do now."
" Why are you telling me this? I thought you wanted to kill me".
"I only said that to scare you away. I had no intention of actually killing you. "
" What about all that talk about ripping my brain out? Was that just a bunch of bullshit?"
" Yes indeed it was. That dream you had about me walking into the forest , I put it there. I gave you that dream so you would come to me. "
" So you lured me into the woods for what? "
" I need that antidote. I was desperate. Those broken ribs I suffered never truly healed. I've been starting to become more like.....well more like an old man. It took me nearly half my energy just to bring you here. I won't be able to teleport for quite some time. "
His hands were shaking and his lips were beginning to turn a icy a blue.
" I'm cold. So very cold".
He just about to fall over .
I sped over to him and I shot my arm and shoulder out to support him.
" Thank you. Youre very kind. "
" You're dying. Shouldn't I care about someone that's about to die? What can I do to help?"
" I need to be warm. The cold can kill me. I need something hot. Something really hot. "
He was grabbing onto my hands rather weakly now. My hands were warm but not warm enough.
What could I do?
" Bring me a sphere. Open it and then give it to me and I'll do the rest myself "
"How do I bring you a sphere?"
He smiled sheepishly.
"Simple...... just give it an order".
" Out loud or in my mind?"
" It doesn't matter they respond either way."
" Um okay... don't go anywhere I'll be right back".
I flung the door open then raced down the hall in search of the magical spheres.
I waved my arms to get their attention. One of them circled me curiously like a bee examining a flower.
" Your master has need of you in the lab."
I raced after the sphere all the way back to the lab.
" Now what do I do?"
" Use your mind".
" To do what?!!"
" Imagine the gates are open".
I squeezed my eyes shut and I pictured the gates opening for me . I Could hear the gates creak open.
Then there was tiny click and a stream of hot air and smoke came from the sphere in my my hand.
I then handed the burning object to him.
When I looked down both my hands were bleeding and they were tight and sore.
I realized I had burned myself very badly. Why hadn't I cried out?
Those burns were very severe. How could I not have noticed that my skin was being melted off my bones?
Okay it wasn't that bad but it would take at least a month to recover from such wounds.
I was becoming very dizzy and felt like I was going to collapse.
"Here let me help you".
I felt someone very strong support my weight. They kept me upright and they kept me from falling.
" What's happening to me?"
" The sentinels simply made a mental bond with you. It hurts the first time but after that they no longer burn you when you touch them. I'm sorry I should have told you. I was not myself but I feel much better now. It's a pity that it drained too much of your energy in the process. Thanks to your energy I am renewed and I have regenerated. "
" Then you knew this would happen?"
" Of course I did but you were so willing to help me. How could I stop you?"
" Now I won't be able to leave. You purposefully brought me here so you could drain me and that I would have no choice to yield to your control.You might as well kill me now. "
"I already told you foolish girl that I have had no intentions of killing you. You said so yourself that you are more valuable to me alive. So you will live".
"What do you want of me?"
" I want you to unmask this criminal. I want you to help me stop this monster from killing anymore people. I want to know his motives, I want to see his mind and I want to hold his brain in my hands. All his secrets will belong to me and his identity will be uncovered. Help me and will never ask again."
"Alright, alright I'll help you. Just don't do such a dumbass thing to me again or I swear I will twist your flipping arm out".
" Agreed. "