through the hole he’d made and tying the shirt to Ben’s face like a ball-gag.
“That should do it,” said Michael, pleased with himself.
Ben struggled to breathe. The belt had pushed part of the shirt high up against his nose, and he felt as if he were hyperventilating. He shook his head and moaned, and tried to raise his arms, but his body was a prison. He scratched at his legs and writhed as best he could.
Michael sighed, and for a moment Ben thought he was going to apologize. Ben hoped his father would untie him.
“Looks like you’re sleeping in the bathroom tonight, kid,” said Michael as he unlocked the wheels on his son’s chair before pushing him across the room. He put Ben in the bathroom, facing the tub with his back to the door, and then shut off the light.
“Goodnight,” said Michael before he closed the door, leaving Ben alone in the dark.
Every breath of air was laden with the stench of Michael’s shirt. He could taste the sweat as his tongue was pressed hard against the balled up fabric.
Ben Harper’s fingers clawed as his arms tried their best to move. He had just enough strength to raise his arms up to the armrests, but not up to his face. He shook as best he could, but was never able to do anything more than rattle the chair a little. As he struggled, his left hand touched the cold wall beside him. His pinky finger brushed against the coarse stucco.
The walls of the hotel slowly spilled their secrets, as if Ben had spent a lifetime studying the architectural plans of the building. He knew what the room on the other side of the wall looked like, and how it was connected to another suite that also looked the same. He could sense the electrical wires that snaked through the thin walls, protected by a metal sheathe. He could feel the bed in their neighbor’s room as it succumbed to the weight of a tossing occupant. As the night went on, and The Skeleton Man lingered alone in the dark bathroom of Michael Harper’s hotel room, new possibilities presented themselves. He began to comprehend weaving in and out of the world The Watcher had come from, and the one where Michael Harper lived. He knew that once Michael fell asleep, he would be susceptible to The Skeleton Man’s power, but Ben needed to practice first.
On the other side of the wall, snoring as Buffy the Vampire Slayer played on his television, was a man named Charles Dunbar. The Skeleton Man would test his powers on this stranger as he waited for Michael Harper to fall asleep again. The Skeleton Man perfected his lies.
CHAPTER 7 – The CORD
Philadelphia
June 15 th , 1943
Two pillars rose to twice the height of a man on either side of a large, steel box. Lyle, Vess, and Major Groves were in a cavernous bay of the USS Eldridge. Lyle would’ve never guessed the ship housed such a large room, and he marveled at the space as Groves led them across the catwalk that looked down on the area of interest.
“There she is,” said Groves as he motioned over the side of the railing. They stood on a walkway about twenty feet up, and Lyle could look through the grated metal that they walked across to see the floor beneath, causing his stomach to churn. Groves and Vess were focused on the spectacular machine that was the only thing housed within the gigantic space. “ Your Charged Oscillating Radiation Distributor.” Then Groves looked at Lyle and said, “Or CORD for short.”
“It’s magnificent,” said Vess, unwilling to look at anything other than the machine below. His face was alight, like a child staring in through a Macy’s window during the holidays. “I can’t believe I’m here, looking at it.” His voice was tempered by reverence, as if he were daring to whisper in church. “I’ve studied Tesla’s drawings a thousand times, but seeing it in person...” he grinned as he looked at Groves. “It’s magnificent.”
“Well, let’s not spend any more time dithering about up here,” said Groves.
“That should do it,” said Michael, pleased with himself.
Ben struggled to breathe. The belt had pushed part of the shirt high up against his nose, and he felt as if he were hyperventilating. He shook his head and moaned, and tried to raise his arms, but his body was a prison. He scratched at his legs and writhed as best he could.
Michael sighed, and for a moment Ben thought he was going to apologize. Ben hoped his father would untie him.
“Looks like you’re sleeping in the bathroom tonight, kid,” said Michael as he unlocked the wheels on his son’s chair before pushing him across the room. He put Ben in the bathroom, facing the tub with his back to the door, and then shut off the light.
“Goodnight,” said Michael before he closed the door, leaving Ben alone in the dark.
Every breath of air was laden with the stench of Michael’s shirt. He could taste the sweat as his tongue was pressed hard against the balled up fabric.
Ben Harper’s fingers clawed as his arms tried their best to move. He had just enough strength to raise his arms up to the armrests, but not up to his face. He shook as best he could, but was never able to do anything more than rattle the chair a little. As he struggled, his left hand touched the cold wall beside him. His pinky finger brushed against the coarse stucco.
The walls of the hotel slowly spilled their secrets, as if Ben had spent a lifetime studying the architectural plans of the building. He knew what the room on the other side of the wall looked like, and how it was connected to another suite that also looked the same. He could sense the electrical wires that snaked through the thin walls, protected by a metal sheathe. He could feel the bed in their neighbor’s room as it succumbed to the weight of a tossing occupant. As the night went on, and The Skeleton Man lingered alone in the dark bathroom of Michael Harper’s hotel room, new possibilities presented themselves. He began to comprehend weaving in and out of the world The Watcher had come from, and the one where Michael Harper lived. He knew that once Michael fell asleep, he would be susceptible to The Skeleton Man’s power, but Ben needed to practice first.
On the other side of the wall, snoring as Buffy the Vampire Slayer played on his television, was a man named Charles Dunbar. The Skeleton Man would test his powers on this stranger as he waited for Michael Harper to fall asleep again. The Skeleton Man perfected his lies.
CHAPTER 7 – The CORD
Philadelphia
June 15 th , 1943
Two pillars rose to twice the height of a man on either side of a large, steel box. Lyle, Vess, and Major Groves were in a cavernous bay of the USS Eldridge. Lyle would’ve never guessed the ship housed such a large room, and he marveled at the space as Groves led them across the catwalk that looked down on the area of interest.
“There she is,” said Groves as he motioned over the side of the railing. They stood on a walkway about twenty feet up, and Lyle could look through the grated metal that they walked across to see the floor beneath, causing his stomach to churn. Groves and Vess were focused on the spectacular machine that was the only thing housed within the gigantic space. “ Your Charged Oscillating Radiation Distributor.” Then Groves looked at Lyle and said, “Or CORD for short.”
“It’s magnificent,” said Vess, unwilling to look at anything other than the machine below. His face was alight, like a child staring in through a Macy’s window during the holidays. “I can’t believe I’m here, looking at it.” His voice was tempered by reverence, as if he were daring to whisper in church. “I’ve studied Tesla’s drawings a thousand times, but seeing it in person...” he grinned as he looked at Groves. “It’s magnificent.”
“Well, let’s not spend any more time dithering about up here,” said Groves.
Similar Books
