Night 19: Intercom
A short crackle preceded a sharp cough as well as the tell-tale noise of someone blowing their nose; it would seem that the Head Doctor hadn't been feeling all that well, which might have accounted for the noticeable quiet that the PA system had graced Landel's with thus far this Nightshift.
"He thinks he has me." The man finally said, voice slightly hoarse although he didn't seem too congested. He let the phrase hang for a while in some attempt to be pointedly cryptic. "He talks about Halloween stories, but let me tell you another--another bit of candy, perhaps...?"
He coughed, then laughed a little.
"There were two boys one Halloween night, two well-behaved children dressed as scientists. But that wasn't all, of course--they were smart, they were young, they owned the neighborhood even though not much of it was left, even though most of the candy was poisoned if it was there at all. Heh. Some sacrifices must be made, you know, some other neighborhoods stolen from if you want to some candy to yourself. But a little girl didn't understand that, even if one of the little boys was taken in by her lies."
A louder laugh, this time less hoarse.
"Of course, she's gone now, isn't she, you pretentious idealist, you moronic meanderer from the point of all existence! You can try as you might to bring me down, but I'll find you, I'll find you and do to you what we did to her, give you the costume and mask that she donned quite well. Hah! What do you have to say to that, Doctor? You foolish follower of fallacious failure, you bastard!"
His voice had grown faint, as if he was yelling to some distant target, before it went loud again as he leaned back in towards the microphone.
"Would you trust a traitor, patients? Would you trust someone who used to be one of my own? Because that's what you'll be doing if you listen to that oh-so-elusive voice on the radio, the backstabbing son of a bitch who made it necessary for Landel's to be the pit of monsters and nightmares that all of you must fight your way through today. No more shared bags of candy anymore. This little scientist walks alone."
A pause.
"How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop?" A pause, then a whisper. "It doesn't matter if the center isn't there. He's trick-or-treating, but you only see the treat."
The Head Doctor coughed, then gave a laugh.
"Happy Halloween."
The intercom crackled back into oblivion.
"He thinks he has me." The man finally said, voice slightly hoarse although he didn't seem too congested. He let the phrase hang for a while in some attempt to be pointedly cryptic. "He talks about Halloween stories, but let me tell you another--another bit of candy, perhaps...?"
He coughed, then laughed a little.
"There were two boys one Halloween night, two well-behaved children dressed as scientists. But that wasn't all, of course--they were smart, they were young, they owned the neighborhood even though not much of it was left, even though most of the candy was poisoned if it was there at all. Heh. Some sacrifices must be made, you know, some other neighborhoods stolen from if you want to some candy to yourself. But a little girl didn't understand that, even if one of the little boys was taken in by her lies."
A louder laugh, this time less hoarse.
"Of course, she's gone now, isn't she, you pretentious idealist, you moronic meanderer from the point of all existence! You can try as you might to bring me down, but I'll find you, I'll find you and do to you what we did to her, give you the costume and mask that she donned quite well. Hah! What do you have to say to that, Doctor? You foolish follower of fallacious failure, you bastard!"
His voice had grown faint, as if he was yelling to some distant target, before it went loud again as he leaned back in towards the microphone.
"Would you trust a traitor, patients? Would you trust someone who used to be one of my own? Because that's what you'll be doing if you listen to that oh-so-elusive voice on the radio, the backstabbing son of a bitch who made it necessary for Landel's to be the pit of monsters and nightmares that all of you must fight your way through today. No more shared bags of candy anymore. This little scientist walks alone."
A pause.
"How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop?" A pause, then a whisper. "It doesn't matter if the center isn't there. He's trick-or-treating, but you only see the treat."
The Head Doctor coughed, then gave a laugh.
"Happy Halloween."
The intercom crackled back into oblivion.