I knock on the door of Hotel Chimera and enter. A black cat leads me down the hallway towards the reception. The receptionist has a strange mask on his face. It looks like a deer face with antlers protruding from its skull. Several books are littered on the desk and the man is reading one. I catch a glimpse of the cover where ‘The Kybalion’ is written in black letters. As I tap on the desk he lowers the book and gazes at me.
“Are you checking in?”
“I’m a private investigator, looking for a William Merrick. Could you give me his room number?”
The man lifts the mask from his face and stares at me with his black eyes. His face is slightly disfigured by a long scar from his forehead to his cheek. I sense a shiver in my body and feel terrified. As I turn to leave and catch my breath the man puts the mask back on.
“Floor 3, apartment 3.”
I make my way over to the elevator, press the button, and wait. As I enter the dim light of the elevator reminds me of a dream from my childhood.
There’s mirrors scattered around the hallway when I exit. AI artwork too. Strange moving images of crowds standing around a gallows platform. I study the reels with a sense of discomfort.
“What kind of place is this?” I mumble to myself as I continue down the hallway. The black cat runs past me and starts scratching at the door of William Merricks apartment.
“This must be it.”
I knock on the door twice. No response. I try the handle and feel uneasy as it opens.
“What a shithole.”
I gaze around the apartment, clothes are thrown on the floor and books and pornographic magazines lie scattered arbitrarily. Unwashed dishes crowd the sink and there’s burnt silver spoons on the counter. I walk over to the bed and pull the covers off. Empty. I’m just about to leave as I notice a notebook on the coffee table. With trepidation and a brooding feeling in my gut I begin reading the last entry.
“July 13th.
There’s nothing out there for me. I saw a woman on the train today. I tried to make eye contact with her but she just gazed solemnly at the floor. She looked tired and her hair was unwashed and curly. I was going to meet Frank and pick up some K. As I exited the train I walked up the steps towards the town square. What a surprise, yet another hanging taking place. They have been increasing in frequency and people are more enthusiastic about them than ever. How could you stand and watch something as horrid as that? And with excitement too? Frank was late, as usual, so I went into a quiet cafe and took a seat. The barista took my order and came over with my coffee. Suddenly Frank entered and gave me the batch. I’m going to shoot it with Holly, she said we’d meet in her apartment later tonight.”
“Who the fuck is Holly?”
I place the journal on the coffee table and exit.
There’s a darkness brooding within this city. Occult forces have taken control of our inner subconscious. The rule of law and common decency are artifacts of the past. I’ve been walking through the dark corridors of my mind for what seems like centuries now. There’s no light inside my mind, these days it resembles an airless cell. I’ve searched for the answers for so long but could barely articulate the correct questions. The stillness of the water reminds me of my mind. I wish I could share my mind with someone. I want someone to listen to my thoughts so they can understand me completely. I feel lost, maybe not lost, but at least adrift. Adrift on an open ocean. So far removed from human civilisation, which I vehemently despise to be frank. No matter where I am I feel removed. Somewhere off to the side. I don’t belong to my family, to my neighbourhood, or to this city. I’ve contemplated for so long to escape and disappear but the outside frightens me. No one knows what exists outside of Totallitaria, beyond the city’s limit lies a wasteland, or at least so they told me in school. A wasteland so vast and dead that the human mind can hardly comprehend it. Though I’m sure it’s a lie. There must be more to this planet than a stinking metropolis. I’ve heard stories of vast connections of cities and land stretching across the planet, though I’m sceptical. Whatever existed before the construction of this city must be long gone now. We are what’s left. Us.
I knock on the door of Holly Andersen’s apartment and wait. No response. I try the handle and feel yet again uneasy as it opens. It’s hard to see within the apartment. No lights are on as I gaze around. As I turn on the ceiling lamp two disfigured bodies lie before me. One is reclined on the couch and the other one, which must be Holly’s, is sprawled across the bed.
“Too much K, I guess.” I murmur to myself
Suddenly Holly gasps loudly and rises from her deathly slumber.
“OH FUCK.” She screams
I recoil and take several steps back.
The minutes pass as I let Holly recollect herself. Before proceeding with my questions I gaze over at William who remains sedated. I check his pulse.
“Seems like he’s alive.”
Holly climbs out of her bed and walks over to William and slaps him forcefully.
“Wake up motherfucker! You’re not leaving me again!”
Holly fills a glass with water and splashes it on Merrick’s face. At last he regains consciousness and sits up. The minutes pass as I and Holly watch him return from delirium.
“I was lost in a deep blooming forest somewhere far off on a distant planet. It was night, yet a blue hue was covering the trees. I was walking with a quick pace whilst following a shining red light that led me further into the depths. Strange frozen leaves were falling around me when I suddenly reached a cliff. I gazed into the water below as it was smashing against vicious, jagged rocks. I was ready to die. It didn’t make me feel sad or scared, I felt a sense of tranquility and my mind was calm and at peace. As I jumped I fell for what seemed like hours until I reached the sea, and that’s when I felt Holly splashing my face and I woke up”
William Merrick’s arms are slightly bruised and disfigured. Surely a side effect of the vast amounts of K he’s been using. His eyes have turned a ghostly white and he looks sickly and debased.
“This habit you have acquired, you must stop it before you die.” I speak calmly and with a sense of sadness.
William gazes into space and looks tearful.
“I have a few questions for you. As you might have guessed I’m a private investigator. There’s a woman named Alice who you know is a dream therapist. You used to have regular sessions with her.”
William glances at the top of his left shoe as a single tear cascades down his cheek
