Chapter 107: The Monster
Even now, Frank was unsure of Joseph's purpose in bringing them to New York, where the missing people had gone, and why they had used tracking devices to catch him when he tried to escape.
Frank had already prepared for the worst, knowing he had cancer and would die soon anyway.
Fortunately, due to the cancer, he had already made arrangements like writing a will, so he didn't have to worry about those matters even if he disappeared.
Of course, if possible, he would prefer to stay alive rather than die.
"Should I send an email?" Frank thought, lying on the bed and looking at his phone, considering leaving a final message for the world, something not covered in his will.
But he quickly dismissed the idea, as this phone was clearly compromised, and any of his actions on it were likely being monitored.
Frank had no intention of logging into any accounts, whether phone numbers, email, or social media, on this device.
As Frank was lost in thought, time slipped away, and it was now deep into the night, the sky completely dark.
Tonight, with the moon obscured by clouds, it was an ideal night for an escape attempt.
Carefully, Frank pushed open his door. The estate's chandeliers were all extinguished, with only the dim wall sconces providing faint illumination in the hallway.
Frank crept along the wall, cautious in his movements.
The security patrols were outside the building, and inside, only the butler, maids, and servants remained, likely all asleep at this hour. Frank encountered no one on his way.
"!!" Frank heard a sound and quickly ducked around a corner, peeking out to see the butler, holding a candle, emerging from a room that did not belong to him.
Frank recalled that the butler's and the servants' quarters were on the first floor, so this was one of the drunken companions' rooms.
So late at night, the butler not sleeping, going to this person's room—what was he up to?
Frank soon got his answer.
After the butler exited, two others followed, carrying one of Frank's companions, who seemed unconscious, whether from drinking or drugs, showing no signs of waking.
Frank watched as the butler and the two others crossed the hallway and headed deeper into the estate.
Hesitating for a moment, Frank decided not to go towards the main entrance but to follow them instead.
His instinct told him that following the butler might reveal the truth about the missing people. If he was right, the person being carried was the next to disappear.
The butler and the others entered a door, remaining inside for a long time. Cautiously, Frank approached and discovered it led to a basement stairwell.
The stairwell was dark, without any wall sconces, only lit by candles, casting an eerie green glow as Frank could see the light moving downward.
Frank didn't enter, as the stairwell was a single path, and if the butler returned, he'd easily be spotted.
But Frank didn't have to wait long before the butler and the two others emerged and left.
After they were gone, Frank descended the stairwell towards the basement.
"!!" As he walked, Frank suddenly noticed an ominous green glow emanating from below, startling him.
Mustering his courage, he continued down, realizing the candles had taken on an unearthly green flame.
"What's that smell? So foul," Frank muttered, pinching his nose as he reached the bottom. It wasn't the typical stench but a strange, pungent odor.
Entering the basement, following the eerie green light, Frank noticed the door was an ancient wooden one, carved with bizarre symbols, faint voices audible from within.
Frank pressed his ear to the door, carefully pushing it open a crack. As his hand touched the wood, he felt an odd sensation, but his nerves were too high-strung to dwell on it. Cautiously, he peered inside.
The expansive basement was lit by fire pits, no electric lights. In the center stood a stone slab, an altar of sorts, covered in inscriptions and symbols Frank couldn't decipher. Beneath it was a disturbing, arcane-looking design.
On the wall opposite the door hung an inverted red cross, the long end at the top, the short end down.
Frank's companion, carried in by the butler, lay on the altar. A figure in a black suit stood before it, back to the door, obscuring their face from Frank's view.
Apart from this, the basement was empty.
The suited figure chanted in an incomprehensible language, and the fire pits suddenly erupted, the flames surging as if doused in gasoline, casting long shadows.
'Squelch!' The figure suddenly thrust their hand into the drunken companion's chest, ripping out their bloody, still-beating heart.
"!!" Witnessing this horrific scene, Frank's sanity plummeted. Eyes wide, he covered his mouth to stifle a scream, his whole body trembling, legs weakening.
"I have to get out of here, I have to leave!" Frank retreated two steps, then turned and fled, faintly hearing what sounded like chewing.
"A monster, that's definitely a monster!" he thought, running.
Frank recalled the shapeshifter he had encountered before - this must be a similar kind of monster.
Didn't John say there weren't many monsters in this world, that ordinary people might not encounter one in their lifetime? This was the second one he'd seen!
Fortunately, Frank's prior experience with the shapeshifter, and John's explanations about monsters, had given him some resilience against such supernatural horrors.
Otherwise, witnessing that terrifying scene would have made him scream uncontrollably, perhaps even collapsing on the spot, unable to run.
"I have to get out of here!" Frank raced back to the first floor, panting heavily, his resolve firm.
He now knew the fate of the missing people - devoured by that monster. Joseph was keeping a man-eating creature.
"The main entrance has surveillance and guards posted around the clock. I can't leave that way," Frank calmed himself, looking towards the door. If possible, he didn't want to stay here a second longer.