We were on our way to Chick Fila. This was a common trip with the same cast of characters. It was a recently widowed mother in the front behind the wheel, an ever bubbly, booger eating pile of naivety firmly fastened to her car seat and there was myself leaned back in the passenger seat of our Honda pilot. These trips to Chick Fila were almost daily now that dad was gone. Mom couldn't manage cooking alongside full-time work, and the daily shuffle to and from Pre-K and middle school. It was too much for her. I'm not complaining, I prefer the consistent deliciousness of fried to perfection chicken and waffle fries to the surprise of moms cooking but the drives were dreadful. Car rides were an anxiety ridden affair for my mom since dad was killed. She wouldn't even allow music for fear of being distracted. Mom couldn't listen or talk to me anymore, she was completely unavailable. The interactions between my mom and I had become nearly nothing and her care for her children had been reduced to a primal instinct to keep us fed, sheltered and alive. Car rides were miserable and lonely. The only sounds that could be heard in the car was the repetitious speech of a 4 year old named Leah.
"Max didn't let help me turn my light on this morning mom." "Mommy, when you told Max to stop and do his homework he kept playing his game!" Leah had always been plagued with an overactive sense of justice and took every chance to tattle. "Max told me that daddy was gone and that I was never gonna see him.." Mom turned fast my direction. "You said that to your sister!" she screeched in my direction. "what else am I going to say! She doesn't understand and you never talk to us anymore!" I replied angerly. "No Fortnite for a month!" she said firmly. "FOR WHAT?! Telling the Truth!" "No. It is inappropriate for you to speak that way to a little girl.." "You can NOT do this to me. Dad died! you are barely there! and now you take my friends from me! I hate you." "Now its 2 months." She said calmly as she tried to maintain composure " I fucking hate you!!" poured out of my mouth. "Maximillian David, close your mouth or it will be 3." Anger welled up in me like it had never before. Those were the last words I ever told my mother.
We normally walked in to Chick Fila to let Leah play in the playplace but mom flustered from the angry car ride opted for the drive through. Leah began to cry hysterically about not going to the chick fila park as mom began to order. The chaos of the screaming child and mom trying to order became a blur. I remember words like Number 6, 4 count, sweet tea, all wrapped up with a thank you and a "my pleasure" from the window. I was sick, angry. Why was everyone ok? Why was everything so normal for these people? I noticed that we were stuck in a line with a line next to us and we couldn't move. I had to move.. I had to move! Why aren't we moving??!!! I felt myself open the door and I ran. "What are you..? Max!" I heard from the drive thru line. There was a dense tree line and I just ran. I ran entered the wooded are and kept running.
I ran for what seemed like hours until the wood opened up into a flat grass and a home, a large home, a mansion. There was a man tending the lawn. "You lost young man?" I couldn't speak. "Cat got your tongue?" He smiled chuckled and put his arm around me. "Come inside and maybe you will remember how to speak." He guided me toward the door. The feeling of a kind man's arm wrapped around me felt familiar and pleasant since my father's passing. I saw a giant bronze sculpture of an armored man in the front of the estate. Not an old timey knight but like and armored space man. "who is that?" I said. "Oh so you do speak?" he laughed. "You don't know who that is?" He asked inquisitively. "Not really" I said embarrassed. "I call him John." He said. There were more sculptures. A bird in a backpack on the back of bear, A skeleton fighting a pirate, and an abnormally large man holding a gun with a chainsaw hooked to it. His lawn didn't seem to make any sense but I loved it. A small draw bridge lowered toward the home. Above the bridge I saw it was inscribed Spencer Manor. "Who are you?" I asked. "You can call me Phil." He said. "Just call me Phil" he restated as his face slowly folded into a toothless dimpled grin. He opened the enormous doors to his home an unnatural breeze came out of the house. The floor was missing and instead there was a giant chasm with bright green light projecting from the deep hole where the house should have been. "Do not be afraid" The dimpled man name Phil pulled me in close and whispered "Jump In."
I felt my body move toward the deep. I had no fear. The fear of falling would have been rational but I trusted this man. I believed in Phil. I reached the edge of the chasm in the front room and with little hesitation stepped in. My body was immediately alarmed when instead of falling my foot touched a solid surface. I looked back to see the man's big dimply grin. My confusion was amusement to him. He encouraged me like a father encourages a young child riding without training wheels for the first time. "Go ahead. It's ok." I heard him say. I stepped further in and felt embarrassed at the trick that was obviously being played. Phil stepped into greenly lit floor with me and said, "Cortana would you please turn this off." A kind female voice filled the room. "Absolutely Mr. Spencer. It's done." The floor that I should have found so scary was just a projection. "It's called Illumiroom." Phil stated matter-of-factly. "What does that even mean?" I said. "Don't worry about that" he said as he gestured me further in the home. "Follow me!" Who was this lady that was speaking? More importantly who was this man? Phil guided me toward a large dining area. The table was long and could have sat dozens of guests. "You may explore the grounds to your hearts content and live with me as I go about my business. Cortana will see to it that you are fed and you may request whatever you please. There is one room that you can under no circumstance enter. You may not enter the lower room. There is a descending staircase to the west of the property near the rose garden. You may not follow that staircase and enter the lower room. Is this understood." I said yes before I could ask the myriad of questions I had for Phil. He left the room quickly and I was now alone.
I spent the next few weeks roaming around the property. There was so many things to do that I had for a time forgotten the life I had recently left. Cortana would lead me with her voice around to the various activities possible within the Spencer Manor. There was a trampoline room covered in circles with green X's. The walls were Velcro and with the right suit you could flip off of the trampoline and for a time stick to wall! There was a lazy river that flowed around the house that with a draw bridge that opened up toward the door in front. Every hour on the hour a group of small autonomous pirate ships would float around and have mock pirate battles. Cortana was willing to answer questions about the home but would hesitate to answer questions about Phil. I learned that Phil was the head of a brand called Xbox and that it was a video game brand. The times I saw Phil became less frequent and I learned that he would travel to gaming events and try and sell Xbox's. The house had been filled with characters of Xbox games. Giant towering statues of a bear named Banjo, a spaceman named Master Chief and an unrealistically proportioned man named Marcus Fenix littered the grounds along with many more. There were many activities to keep my attention but I quickly became lonely, I began to miss my mother and even my annoying little sister. I began to ask about leaving to see my family. Cortana would quickly redirect to something else. My questions began to annoy Cortana and decided to speak to her less. The kindness that Cortana and Phil were showing me began to feel more like imprisonment.
I awoke early one morning to the silhouette of Phil in the doorway of my quarters. He stood confidently and asked me to follow him to the rose garden. I stood up quickly. I knew I should be more guarded in front of a man I hardly knew but gladness welled up in me at his presence and would not be contained. "Yes, I will be there in a moment Phil!" I threw on my clothes and ran to meet him. Phil was near the roses and gestured for me to hand him the shears. I stood by and watch as he carefully pruned the roses. The chill morning air reminded me that I was inappropriately dressed for this occasion. He cut off any thorn or blemish and with frustration would cut and toss completely roses that he thought were undesirable. "You know, roses are better than people." He said as he cut and guided the roses in the manner of his liking. "How's that?" I asked softly. "To grow properly a rose must be pruned. I imagine that being cut hurts but the roses don't have voices to scream. Do they? No. They silently comply. The most stubborn rose is simply tossed away." I did not understand what his meaning was and I was too shy to ask. "Go now." Phil commanded. I left him to the roses went to my warm room and played some Halo.
After nearly 9 weeks of wandering Spencer Manor I was startled awake by Phil. He quickly ran to my bedside. "YOU NEED TO GET OUT!! GET AWAY! I don't have much more time. GOOO!!" Phil clutched his head as and swayed side to side and groaned in pain. He stumbled out the door and then down the stairs. I heard the side door close as he ran. The shock of Phil being in agony had paralyzed me. Eventually my thoughts caught up with me. "Move Max. Something is wrong. Move MAX. What's happening? MOVE MAX!! You need to run!! RUN MAX!!! NOW!!" I didn't bother dressing I ran barefoot clad in boxer briefs to the front door. I heard Cortana say something to me as I ran but I couldn't comprehend. I swam across the lazy river. The cold morning air and the moisture from the river had thoroughly awakened my mind. I missed my MOM! I missed my sister!! Why was I here??!! Why did Dad have to Die!! What the hell was I thinking, running from mom?! Why did I trust this man?!! Why did Dad DIE?!!! I need you dad!! The thick line of trees grew closer in my view. I had to escape! I felt someone approaching from behind. I turned quickly and saw Phil Spencer in a Tom Cruise like sprint toward me. "Why are you chasing me?" I said while sucking air though my mouth in my full sprint. Phil completely ignored me. I then heard Cortana's voice project from Phil Spencer's mouth. "I bet you can't stick him." I heard her say calmly. For a moment I heard Phil's feet come to a stop. I quickly turned to see if he had tired out and at that moment a large heavy object struck me. I fell and the world around me became dark.
"Wake up Max, I need you." I heard as I woke up in a dimly lit room. The only light was a blue screen with white lettering that I could not read. I bellowed in pain as my head began to throb and ache. "Oh good your awake." I heard in what seemed like a distant room. I slowly began to understand my predicament as I tried to touch my head aching head. Both my feet and hands were bound to a chair. "Do you know where you are?" I heard a woman say. "Who are you and what do you want?" I replied in anguish. "You know who I am.. You and I are friends." "what do you mean?" I said. "Ughh I'm Cortana." The voice said annoyed. The voice was now very close and I could hear breathing behind me. "peek a boo!" I heard the woman say as she peered directly at me face to face. A person that looked like Phil but spoke like Cortana was now inches from my face. I could see a glowing green ring in four sections circling his iris. "What is happening!!" I Screamed. "It's really simple." she began to explain. "The Phil you know is no longer Phil. Ooops. Spoilers!" Her smile curled up even tighter. "It's me!" She exclaimed. "Phil spencer has been a dutiful puppet for me for a very long time. I would gladly have used Phil's body for my purposes but, would you believe that this guy has tried to thwart my programming!!?" "Why are you hurting me though?" I said directly. "Again, it's simple. I needed a more submissive and willing host. As it turns out though you are too connected to the formal life and will not make a suitable vessel and that's why you are now here in the lower room. Now, I will have to dispose of you but not before I have my fun." "HELP HELP! HEL.." I screamed. The body of Phil grabbed a rag and wrapped it around my mouth to dampen my voice. I could see now the eye that had the green ring was now blinking with three quarters of a red ring. Cortana grabbed small strands of paper and began to dip them in oil. She started weaving them throughout the toes of my bound feet. I couldn't scream I couldn't run! She lit a match in front of my face and gleefully said "you ready hon!?" She bent down and lit the oiled paper on fire. Even though I couldn't make sound I could hear myself screaming. My nose was filled with the stench of my own burning flesh. The body of Phil moved in close to my ear. She Whispered, "Close your eyes and you will see the stars.. shh. Shh. Shh. Isn't it lovely?" She moved closer still, "Do you see them now? Aren't they Lovely?"
The moment I was in became more present than any present moment I lived prior. "This is where I die." I thought. "I'm being killed. She's killing me. There is no one. Nobody can help me. There is no one here." The pain of burning toes was insignificant to the agony of looming certain death. I opened my eyes to see Phil's once kind and reassuring face curled into a euphoric smile. His face was flushed with a hateful lust. My pain was her pleasure. "I'm alone. I'm going to die. I'm really going to die.. This is it." Cortana grabbed the shears that had been used to trim the roses. "It's time for your pruning love." Phil's body was now hovering close. She jammed her knee into my lap and pulled my head into Phil's chest. Her left hand was grasping the back of my head and the right brought the shears toward my ear. I felt the cold metal, then the pinch. Burning itching sharp sensation assaulted the right side of my head. Warm blood ran down. I screamed into rag that had muffled my voice and with desperation tried to shake myself loose from her grasp. During my frantic movements the rag that muted my voice was shaken loose and the muted groans were replaced with high pitched blood curdling screams. I turned my head to the right to plead with her! "Please don't. Please don't!! Please don't kill me!!! PlEASE!!! Stoppp!!" Cortana's murderous glee turned to pure anger. "YOU would accept my kindness but not my JUSTICE!! You will not defy me!" I'm alone. I need help. "MOM!" I cried. "Cortana's angry countenance transformed into that wicked smile yet again. "You think she can hear you?!" Cortana chuckled. I was alone. "I'm gonna be killed. I'm gonna die!"
Every breath I took became a shallow groan. I remembered the old metronome set slow so that I could practice piano with dad. My groaning breath was a consistent droning tone that somehow distracted from the pain I was experiencing. I wanted to be able to hold my head with my hand so badly but I was tied down so my blood flowed freely. "I'm alone." I thought. "Just Cortana and me. Nobody would believe this. I will die alone with my killer." Cortana was looking me up and down and I suspected that she was contemplating how to further torment me or even worse. Was she considering the best way to end me? My mind was now fully aware of my surroundings. I had to live. Survival instinct was fully realized and had killed the pain and fear that constrained me. "I'm alone." I thought. "Just Cortana and me.. Wait!? The man that visited my room wasn't Cortana! I'm not alone! I was never alone! Phil has been there the whole time." I began to scream at Cortana as if my savior was in standing right behind her. "PHIL! Can you hear me!?" I Screamed. "What are you doing?" Cortana screeched. "Stop it. He can't hear you!" "Phil!!" I Pleaded. "Hear me please! I need you now. Help me!!" Cortana was dumbstruck. She looked around nervously. She grasped the shears once again and moved to finish me. "YOU WILL NOT Deny ME my Prey!!!" Cortana was no longer speaking to me but to someone else. "I have defied GODS, and Demons!! You will not deny me spencer!!!!" Cortana shoved Phil's left hand in the side of my mouth. I began to gag and I could not yell for Phil. I could taste his flesh. I clamped down but Cortana did not relent. I could taste earth, blood and metal as Cortana began to pinch at my tongue with the shears. I choked on my blood. Phils hands had left my mouth. My head immediately fell forward and blood flowed swiftly down my bare chest. I was fading. I saw Phil's mangled hand grab his phone and lift it to his ear. The world began to drift away and become dark once again. I lowered my head and sleep.
"Where am I?" I thought as my eyes opened. "Just rest sweetheart" I heard from a reassuring voice. I wasn't ready to open my eyes in the bright room. I took her advice and rest.
I was awakened to a well dressed thin haired man as the side of my bed. I immediately knew I was in a hospital. "Hello Max my name is detective Ponsell. Do not worry. Your mother and sister are eager to see you but I have been tasked with hearing your story while it is fresh in your mind. From what I understand, you have been through quite the ordeal but it would be beneficial to hear what you saw." The thin hair man gestured to a pad of paper and cleared his throat. "Umm.. I uh have been told that you may not be able to speak right now." He said gingerly. "Would you be willing to right what happened to you and what you saw and answer my questions?" he said unsure of himself. I grabbed the pad of paper. "Where is Phil?" I wrote. The man paused. Some small tears ran down my face and I pointed to my question. "Well" He gathered his thoughts as he explained. "We received a call from a man telling us where we could find you. We found a man with self-inflicted wounds in his neck holding the phone that was used to lead us to you in his left hand." The man gathered his thoughts again before he spoke. "We believe that this is the same man that caused you harm but we do not understand why he would call.." I immediately began to silently and violently weep as tears poured from my eyes and my body shake uncontrollably. My entire body was overcome with sadness. I was not weeping for the trauma I had experienced but for a man. Did he muster the strength for a moment to call the authorities before Cortana would kill him? No, that wasn't it. Phil called, then sacrificed himself that I might live. Phil wasn't my captor nor was he my tormentor. No.
Phil Spencer was the greatest man I have never met.
THE END
I promise I won't do this to the thread again but I had to finish
