The night came to an end as the bright sun cast a warm glow over the quiet streets within the peaceful town of New City, in Chicago. The sky was stretched out like a painting with a blue background and white clouds. Birds chirped happily from treetops, and a soft, gentle breeze blew past the green leaves. In the middle of town stood a small coffee shop. Inside, the calm music and rich scent of coffee filled the air. People sat at small, round tables, sipping their drinks and enjoying the peace.

Among the customers was Jason, sitting alone as usual and reading The Wall Street Journal like he always does, checking on any news that might make his precious portfolio drop value.

Seeing that his money was safe, he turned his attention to more scientific inquiry and opened a Stephen Hawking book. His eyes gazed straight into the book, and he didn’t care about anything around him.

The latte he ordered sat on the table, cold, completely forgotten by him, as he kept his spirit on the book. Jason had just gotten accepted into The University of Chicago as a biological science major. He worked as a research analyst as a part-time job, which was only for the experience, not the money. But, within the dark shadows of New City, a secret lay beneath the pleasant appearance, waiting for an unlucky person to stumble across it.

As the sunset arrived, Jason realized he had stayed in the coffee shop for more than four hours. He quickly closed his book and decided to head home, leaving his untouched latte on the table, all alone. Jason opened his phone just to find about a dozen missed calls from his mom.

“My goodness!” he wispered loudly, which made the waiters in the coffee shop all stare at him. He immediately apologized and rushed out the doors. It was his mom’s birthday, and she wanted Jason to be with her for a family dinner.

Feeling a sense of urgency, he considered taking the shorter path. While his normal path would usually take about twenty minutes for him to enjoy the scenery, this path took ten minutes. Without any hesitation, he followed the shortest path.

The path itself had a variety of colorful flowers, but they were all silenced by the darkness of the street. The dim streetlights flickered rapidly through the deserted path. A cold shiver went down Jason’s spine, and he couldn’t escape the creepy feeling of being watched. He turned his head and looked back over his shoulder, but saw only an empty street.

As Jason hurried along the unfamiliar path, his footsteps echoed through the quiet streets. Branches stuck out of trees like thin, skeletal fingers, all tangled and twisted under the bright moonlight. He reached into his pocket to grab his phone and decided to switch to the original path, only to find that his battery had completely drained. Without another choice, he kept walking to find the nearest bus station to take him to his mom’s home safely.

Worriedly, Jason continued to walk along the seemingly never-ending path. All of a sudden, his eyes focused on the outline of a massive hospital that stood in front of him. His mind told him that it wasn’t safe to keep going, but curiosity forced his legs to walk. The closer he got, the taller the building seemed. With every step he took, Jason noticed a big, red cross in the middle of the building.

“SOMEONE, PLEASE, HELP ME!”

A shrill scream accompanied the words, and Jason, who wanted to run away, found his feet involuntarily moving towards the hospital. He had heard the horror stories of patients not leaving this hospital, and his mind told him to run away, but he could not. He had to save this person.

The metal doors creaked as they slowly opened, and Jason knew he should not enter, but again, he couldn’t stop himself. Flickering fluorescent lights loomed over Jason, and they made his head spin. Jason’s legs wobbled, and he did his best to remain erect, but the cold tile floor slapped his cheek. He was knocked out for a few minutes and didn’t realize this until he woke to the sound of “Help!” coming from deep in the hospital.

He bent his head to try and locate the exact place where the voice emanated from, but, in a flash, he then saw that he was zip-tied to a bed, facing up and staring at a blood-stained ceiling. How did blood get there? Jason thought. The yell for “help” no longer had his focus; his safety now took precedence.

A man wore a surgical mask and carried medical implements that could easily be used for torture. He hovered over Jason’s face. Jason, in a moment of somewhat clarity thought: What did I ever do to end up in this situation?

“Even an idiot knows not to enter an abandoned building, especially if it’s a hospital and someone is yelling for help. Trying to be a hero can get you killed.”

“How much money do you want?” Jason asked. “I won’t say a word.”

A maniacal laugh thundered from behind the mask. “It’s not about the money. Money can’t save you from me.”

Jason was overcome with confusion and disbelief. His mind went over everything he did that week that could possibly affect someone else. What the hell? He was perplexed.

All of a sudden, a sharp, unbearable sting shot through his right arm, spreading to his whole body. Jason turned his head to see the masked man inserting a silver needle into his arm. Every nerve in his body screamed in protest with his heart beating rapidly in fear. As the needle penetrated deeper into his skin, he felt more and more vulnerable each second. With a sinister voice, the masked man told Jason, “This serum is designed to weaken you.” Those were the last words Jason heard before blacking out for an unknown amount of time.

His eyes fluttered open to the sound of text messages coming from his phone in his pocket. The masked man appeared, it seemed to Jason, out of nowhere. “Well, well, well, who in the world would talk to you?”

“I am loved by many people!”

“Let’s find out.” The masked man reached for the buzzing phone in Jason’s pocket and saw a litany of texts. “Oh, look. It’s your mommy.” Wiping away a fake tear, he added, “How sweet is that?”

His finger scrolled up and down through the list. “Let’s see what mommy has to say.”

“Where are you, son?” The masked man read aloud. “Did you forget about my birthday? Oh, Jason, how could you miss your mommy’s birthday?”

“Set me free; I can still arrive in time for my mom’s party!” Jason shouted, trying any way to get the man to free him.

“Of course.” The masked man smirked. A scalpel sliced the zip ties, and Jason felt the circulation return to his hands. Pins and needles, but they never felt so good. His hands were free, and soon Jason was too. He turned his head towards the metal doors and dashed for them. He pushed the doors with all his power, but they were locked.

“Oopsies, no birthday gift for mommy! Now, get ready to die. They will eventually finish you off.” The masked man walked towards Jason and attacked him; the scalpel stung like sharp wasps, and small cuts covered Jason’s chest. He attempted to run, but he tripped over his left foot. The masked man swooped down on Jason, slicing and spinning the scalpel in his back.

As the weakened Jason collapsed to the cold, blooded floor, the masked man casually taped him to the floor. In a horrifying turn of events, the masked man grabbed chunks of raw meat from his pockets and threw them around Jason’s defenseless body. His mind filled with fear as he saw the vicious dogs slowly approaching from the darkness; saliva dripped from their mouths down like a waterfall, and their eyes filled with hunger. Standing behind the dogs was the masked man, with his arms crossed, saying, “Goodnight.”

“Please... If money will not sway you, think of my mother. She will lose her only child, and on her birthday. Are you really that cold and mean?”

“Who said mommy would miss you?” He stroked his mask. “Perhaps she, like me, would be happy at your demise. No more Jason ruining her life.”

“With all of my charity work, I will always be remembered!”

“Gold and money: always your main concerns. Greed, greed, greed.” The dogs strained against the leashes held by the masked man.

The masked man’s hand loosened on the leash, and the dogs, teeth bared, chomped on Jason’s body. He was too weak to fight back. He felt his skin ripped and torn, and pain ran through him. Then, just as quickly as the attack began, it ended. The masked man snatched the dogs back. Some had raw meat in their mouths, and some had Jason’s flesh in their mouths.