Page 61 of The Filth Kings

There wasn’t a soul in sight as I passed old store fronts with windows boarded up. I passed up a park that Jalissa used to take me and Octavio to whenever Impurity allowed her and shook my head at its upkeep. Impurity had lots of money, enough to rebuild and make things look better for the community. Instead, he ran it down to the ground. I kept driving until I drove through the woods that led me to the mountains where Impurity’s mansion sat alone.

I tried to call Mr. Herringbone one last time, and again I was sent straight to voicemail. I looked up at Impurity’s house that sat at the very peak of the mountain. The windows looked dark and empty as the wheels to my truck grinded against the gravel beneath my tires. Soon as I turned the last corner, I caught sight of the guards. All masked and scattered around the house like roaches. They stood like statues; it wasn’t worth the minimum wage salary that they received in order to protect his life.

Before I stepped out of my car, I pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit one. I inhaled slowly then opened my door after taking one last look around. I decided that I wasn’t going through the front of his house. There was no telling what I would walk into so the back was the way that I took.

The hallway stretched endlessly before me. The silence surprised me because there was always some sort of noise. The sound of someone whimpering in pain, moans from fucking, or someone begging for mercy. I got to the end of the hall and a guard stood next to the golden staircase that led to the second floor. To the side of the golden staircase was a silver staircase that led to Impurity’s underground area.

I stopped a few feet away from the guard that didn’t move an inch. His eyes snapped to mine in recognition.

“Where is he?” I asked.

The guard shifted then pointed at the metal staircase. My stomach churned, I never wanted to go back down to Impurity’s dungeon. I didn’t want to see the faces of women being held captive behind metal cages. I didn’t want to catch him in the act of doing anything that I removed myself from years ago. I had to, though. I swallowed down my reservations and walked to the silver staircase that spiraled down to darkness.

I took the first step down into the darkness, the cold stone beneath my boots was a harsh reminder of where I was headed. Flashbacks of me loathing coming down here to work resurfaced. The air was thick and damp, the smell of blood and death drifted up my nose. Each breath that I took in felt heavier than the last. I inhaled the history and the past of this place. Impurity’s twisted, poisoned legacy that he kept concealed.

I could hear the faint sound of movement, until the sound grew louder the closer I got. Soon as my foot landed off the steps and into the darkness with only dim lights shining through, I noticed dozens of small, rusted metal cages. His addiction had grown since I left. I stood frozen, my heart hammered in my chest as I tried to process the pained expressions on all of their faces.

I wanted to turn and run like the scared little boy that I used to be but I couldn’t. My feet felt too heavy. I was rooted in place and forced to witness what haunted me in my dreams at night. How could I roam freely, live my life and forget about all the sick and twisted things that went on in Arkville? What kind of man was I? A true fucking monster, just like him. I made excuses for myself, telling myself that I wasn’t the one sending men out to kidnap women only to cage them up for my own sick desires.

I knew what Impurity was capable of and I did nothing to make the shit right. The devil owned his soul, and he convinced me that he owned mine. The people in those cages didn’t look up to acknowledge me at all. They’re all broken shells of themselves. Some of them rocked back and forth and muttered incomprehensible words. I noticed a woman thin and frail with matted tangled hair look up at me.

Her cracked lips moved but nothing came out. I squinted harder as I recognized her face. Then my throat thickened when I realized just who she was.

“Help,” she whispered hoarsely.

“Julie?” I frowned as I stepped closer to the cage.

I took a step back as my hands started to tremble. I look down and over at all the other cages and dropped my head. There were men caged and chained down as well.What the fuck is he doing with these men?I asked myself, feeling sick in the stomach.

“Just wait Julie, I’m going to help all of you.” I spoke in a hushed tone.

I picked up my feet and managed to push pass all of the cages. I made it to a dusty hallway with dim ceiling lights and followed the sound of voices that led to Impurity’s office space that he spent a lot of time inside of. On the other side of his office, was his butcher room. I approached his door that was cracked opened and stood to the side.

Mr. Herringbone’s voice cracked as I listened to him talk to Impurity with a broken voice.

“Why has he been staying here, Purity? I thought we both agreed that he wasn’t worthy enough! He left Arkville to marry a woman and procreated with her!” Mr. Herringbone yelled at the top of his lungs.

“I wanted a regular life! Impurity knows that! I couldn’t live here amongst filth! Look at what he’s become, he is spiraling out of control! All of the bodies. He’s even exposing his truth more and more; things are getting out of hand! You were supposed to keep him well grounded!”

I placed my back against the cold wall and took in deep breaths. The second person that spoke was Angel’s father, James Willis.

“Purity! Defend me!” Mr. Herringbone shouted.

Purity? Why the fuck is he calling him Purity?I asked myself in disbelief. I wanted to run before I heard something that would change my entire life. I pulled my Glock from the small of my back and froze when Impurity finally spoke.

“I made a mistake. The love of my life…the only love of my life is back. She’s resting inside of my room peacefully. If I can have you back James…I promise to release everyone that’s caged. You, me, and Jalissa… it’s the way it should have always been. My dick gets hard for you and it gets hard for her?—”

“What about me! All that I’ve done! What about me?” Mr. Herringbone sobbed as I felt bile rise in my throat.

“What about you?! Your worthless to me, Harry! You’re shitty, you can’t hold your piss or your shit anymore. Your ass can’t even grip my dick. When you suck, your dentures clatter all around me. It’s disgusting! I already offered you to move in here, I can even get you nurses. You’re too old, Harry. I’m not attracted to you anymore; you know it just like I know it!”

“I can’t—I can’t do it!” Mr. Herringbone’s voice dropped dangerously low.

“You owe me?—”

“I don’t owe you shit!” Impurity’s voice boomed and echoed off the walls.

“What about the kids!” Mr. Herringbone yelled back at Impurity.

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