The Catacombs

You know, I've really grown to love basements. One of the defining moments of my life, the act that would eventually lead me down this GLORIOUS PATH, took place in the basement of my childhood home. And since then? Well, basements have always meant wonderful things were about to take place. They are isolated, dark, and can be filled with all sorts of TOYS. So, imagine my delight when I found out about what was underneath my office building.

My brothers and sisters seem to call it “The Catacombs.” Which isn't really fair. Until I moved in, we didn't keep corpses down there. Hell, we usually didn't MAKE them down there. No, we used “The Catacombs” to store our beloved Hallowed. And they are indeed HALLOWED. Not Hollowed. Having Him inside your head, rearranging things, changing you into something new and PURE... That is a holy act, if there ever was one. They aren't capable of hate, cruelty or anger. They don't act out of malice... Heh. Most don't act at all, until given instruction from Father. If all the humans of the world were like them, well... The world would be a better place. It would, however, be spectacularly BORING. And we just can't have that.

Ah, but despite how special they are, they don't do well in public situations. So we keep them hidden away. Good old fashioned hidden compartment, leading to a secret elevator. Down to the Catacombs. No idea how deep down it is, but the elevator ride is fairly lengthy. Annoying for when it is just me, but oh MAN does it provide an... Atmosphere... For my guests. We PROBABLY should install some new lights down there, because... I admit... If one of my guests got out, we would have a REAL hard time finding them. But the risk is worth it. Just for the look on their face, when the elevator opens up into pitch fucking darkness. People have a primal fear of the dark, you know. All of them. Doesn't matter how brave. That dumb animal part of the brain remembers its ancestors experiences in the dark of the night. So my guests take one look into that WALL of dark that greets open elevator... And even the most defiant moron or mouthy shithead shuts up and stares for a few moments. With that EXPRESSION. We all know it, don't we? Heheheheh. DREAD.

Then I wheel them out, and deep inside. The Hallowed, they kind of... Shuffle around in there, when not given any orders. They are quiet, of course. But that just adds to it, you know? Sometimes I like to wheel the guest in, and just... Leave them there, while I slip away for a while. Usually attending another guest, Father knows we have PLENTY... But when I come back, the slow panic is... Well... Delicious, really. The silence. The dark. Without sight, the senses get all heightened. And it doesn't take long for the guest to realize they aren't alone. Maybe their eyes adjust to the dark, and they see SHAPES. Heheheh. Just silent shapes moving in the gloom. And the guest has no FUCKING idea what to expect. They don't know that those are hallowed. Some don't even know hallowed exist. And the hallowed don't care about the guest. They never interact with them in any meaningful way. Some wander close, but unless the guest is in their way, they'll just keep on going...

The interesting stuff happens when I manage to put a guest in the way, though. Heheheheheh.

But eventually I do come back. And you know, 9 times out of 10, they usually happy to have me back. Relieves the tension. Of course... Since I figured that fact out, I have been experimenting with keeping my mouth shut when I come back. Trying to mimic the pace of the Hallowed. So I grab the chair and begin SLOWLY pushing. And they usually ask if it is me. They call my name, start making demands. Most never beg anymore. Want to die with... I dunno... Dignity or spitting defiance. Makes them feel more in control, I guess. I had a phase like that. Useless. If I kept them long enough, they would know how fucking useless defiance is. Making Jokes. No one DIES with dignity... If you collected all the dignity from all the stupid fucking humans in the world, it wouldn't amount to enough for a single truly dignified death.

Heh. Been meaning to talk to some of the other “executives” in the building about pumping some of Spinner's gas into the Catacombs. Doesn't bother the Hallowed any, or me. Though everyone else would need to wear some kind of gas mask to keep from hallucinating. Shouldn't be a problem for them, not like anyone but me really uses the place, except to grab Hallowed every once in a while...

Huh. Also probably need to talk to Spinner about what kind of lights might be useful to have in the place. Something that can help the gas, the sound and the dark do their work. I want time to lose all meaning when my guests are in those halls. Let the play chambers become a safe space, despite what goes on. Heheheheh. Oh man... That would be fun. Torture Chambers becoming the only place my guests feel “safe.” The ultimate in escape proof Cells. How about that? HAHAHAHAHA.

But the cherry on top is going to be what we are building in the Catacombs. BENEATH them. There was this one time, we were all in a Hedge Maze with some dumbass Runners. Hunting them down. Slaughtered all but one, and she didn't come out too good. Quite the experience for us though. I LOVED it. But it could have been better... So. With a little support from The Cipher, we are building our own little Minoan Labyrinth beneath the Catacombs. The Entrance is going to be a hole in the floor. And we'll have an exit built somewhere else in the Catacombs. Away from the Elevator, of course... Heheheheh. It will be filled with all sorts of HORRIBLE things. I'll probably have to be the one to set up the traps, of course. Not like they can hurt ME. But it will ensure they are appropriately LETHAL. And HILARIOUS. You know... Hmmm. Maybe I'll set up traps from each of the Saw movies. That would be a good reference, and... I dunno. Maybe “reward” the more cultured guests, who might have seen those movies? Freebie Traps? I do like to play favorites, heheheheheheheh.