A series of bizarre disappearances have been linked to the small, desolate town of Nilbog, population 20. The town is nothing but a speck on the map, often mistaken for a bug or crumb that cannot be wiped away. Above this nearly invisible ghost town, four heroes awaited their fate inside a chopper flown by Special Tactics and Rescue Service's Alpha Team member, Barry Burton. Among these brave souls were Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and Bravo Team's rookie, Rebecca Chambers.
"We're landing, everyone hold tight." Barry said. Rebecca's stomach churned, she was nervous for her first day in the field.
"Hey," Jill said, eyeing Rebecca, "Don't worry." Rebecca smiled and gave Jill a thumb's up. The chopper landed safely and everyone leapt out, stretching despite the short flight.
"Barry, where's Chris?" Jill asked, adjusting her hair beneath her blue beret. Rebecca looked around, but there was no sign of him. Looking alarmed, Barry entered the chopper to contact HQ to get further instructions from the Alpha Team captain, Albert Wesker. While he did this, the girls stood nearby, staring out into the bleak emptiness that was Nilbog.
There was one solitary sign that had the name of the town scrawled across it in child-like writing. It leaned awkwardly to one side on a corner by a few shops, most of which looked abandoned and dilapidated. A single wooden bench occupied the space on the opposite side of the street, its splintered surface bleached by the sun. Further down this expanse street was what resembled a church, and in the distance rested a small house near a pond that seemed more like an oversized puddle of mud.
"Nice place." Jill murmured sarcastically.
"Well, I have bad news and other news, what do you want now?" Barry asked, confused by his own question.
"What's the news?" asked Rebecca, worry making her already girlish voice even higher.
"Oh, well Chris is gone. The engine failed. Um, I am kind of hungry, too." He said. Jill eyed him with a look of annoyance and crossed her arms.
"What did Wesker say?" she demanded. Barry shrugged, then rubbed his stomach, looking around in search of a place to eat.
"He said something about it being dangerous. I agree, it is dangerous to go looking around on an empty stomach!"
"Rebecca and I will look for Chris, you can start the investigation on your own." Jill said, grabbing Rebecca's frail arm and taking her into town. After her arm was back and miraculously still attached, Rebecca reached for the radio that was hooked to her belt. She tried calling for Chris, but all she got was static. She sighed with frustration and sat on the weathered bench. On her right, its pages flipping in the hot, dry breeze rested a small book. She reached for it and examined it, noting it to be a vegetarian cookbook. Shrugging, she decided to look it over. Seconds later, she slumped forward in a deep sleep.
Jill, on the other hand, had entered one of the small shops to find Chris. The shop was dark and musty.
"Hello?" she called. A man lurched from the room behind the counter and stared at her menacingly, a smile plastered to his face. She walked up to him cautiously.
"Welcome to Nilbog!" he spat excitedly.
Taking a step back, Jill asked, "Have you seen a man? Tall, dark hair? Kind of slow?"
"Eck!" the man cried, gagging.
"Um, sir? I'm looking for my friend." She said impatiently.
"We don't have friends here in Nilbog!" he yelled.
"Okay… well, could you make me a cup of coffee? I could really use something to-" she started.
"There is no coffee here in Nilbog! It's the devil's drink!" he screeched, arching backward as if possessed. Immediately after the episode began, he snapped forward once more, returning to whatever state of normal he could be declared to exhibit. He turned, grabbing a carton of what looked to be month old milk and sat it on the counter between Jill and himself.
"Have some Nilbog Milk! Special milk, high in vitamin content. Have some! It's free!"
"Gee. Thanks." She muttered, picking it up to humor him on her way out.
"Have your friends drink some also!" he called after her as she paced quickly out of the store. Once outside, she threw the chunky milk into a garbage can and went to catch up with Rebecca. However, the bench she had been napping on was now empty.
"Now it's Rebecca's turn to disappear. I can't figure this out at all." She sighed.
Meanwhile, Barry had wandered all the way to the house the group had noticed earlier. His stomach rumbled furiously as he stepped inside the structure.
"Hello? Chris! You in here?" he called. Silence. He closed the front door behind him and headed for the kitchen.
"Typical country hospitality!" he exclaimed with joy before sitting down to devour the plate of food before him. Then he noticed that all the food items were a strange greenish hue, and deduced they were either old or too healthy. Barry got up, disappointed and headed back outside to find the others.
"Barry, didn't you say you were going to get food? What are you doing here?" Jill asked after noticing Barry exit the small house. He scratched his head.
"Yeah, I thought about that, too." He eyed the main street and added, "This place is strange. We could get into trouble if we get lost. We should start over there. And, Jill, here's a lock pick, it might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you." Jill took the item from him and nodded. They made their way back onto the empty road and decided to split up in order to find their two missing comrades.
The church-like structure loomed over the road like an omen. Jill peered up at its gaping windows and shuddered. Unholstering her nine millimeter, she carefully walked up the steps to the door. It opened slowly, creaking on rusty hinges. The front room was large and on the bed off to one side, a shape shifted beneath a red blanket. Jill aimed and took a few more steps, closing the gap between her and the bed. The figure groaned and stretched, knocking the covers to one side and revealing itself.
"Jill?" Chris yawned, sitting up on the bed.
"Chris! You're okay!" Jill let her weapon fall to her side and approached the bed, pulling Chris up and giving him a punch on the shoulder.
"You hit like a girl," he laughed.
"This is MY house!" an eerie and overdramatic voice bellowed from the balcony above. Jill aimed her pistol at the strange woman in a black cloak.
"Who the hell are you?" Chris scoffed. The woman quickly made her way down the stairs and greeted the two strangers.
"I am Creedence Leanore Gielgould! Who might you be?" she stared them down with wide, black-rimmed eyes.
"I am officer Chris Redfield, and this is my partner Jill Valentine. Can we ask you some questions?" Creedence peered behind Chris at the unmade bed, and he quickly stepped to one side, blocking her view.
Raising her eyebrows, Creedence said, "Of course! I would be delighted if you would join us for a little snack while we discuss these deeply important matters!"
"Excuse me, what do mean by 'us?'" Jill questioned.
"Why, my children!" she exclaimed, raising her arms to show emphasis.
"Aren't you kind of old-" Chris started to ask, before Jill elbowed him in the side. Creedence smiled, revealing a filthy set of teeth, before turning and heading to the back area of the house. Jill gave Chris a stern look and followed the woman.
Barry, who had explored a few more potential diners, had finally given up on his search for food after seeing a sign that explained the stores would re-open after a sermon. He noticed what resembled a warehouse, and entered from a side door. Immediately, he could make out voices. He stood in the shadows, dust filling his lungs with each breath he took. Before him sat roughly fifteen or twenty people in wooden chairs. A man paced though the rows, yelling wildly.
"Meatloaf! Bacon! Hamburgers!" he shouted, gesticulating as if he were being electrocuted. The audience gagged and wretched in response. Barry's mouth watered, and his stomach bubbled hungrily. A small girl in the back row turned and surveyed the darkness where Barry was hiding, suspicious of the strange noises she was hearing.
"They poison their bodies with the meat of stinking carcasses!" Barry's stomach rumbled louder, and he bit his lip, fearing what these meat-hating hippies would do to him if they found him.
"Someone's in here!" the little girl squeaked. The man in the black suit flipped his head toward Barry's location and crept toward him. Suddenly, Barry felt a small hand wrap around his forearm, dragging him away further into darkness. He followed quickly behind this mysterious figure, until they halted.
"Barry, thank God I found you!" Rebecca spoke softly, embracing the large man. He patted her head and smiled, relieved.
"I owe you one, little girl." He chuckled.
"Something is wrong with this place. Those people are…" she trailed off, searching for her words.
"Vegetarians! Or worse, vegans." He said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"Let's get out of here and find the others." Rebecca said, changing the subject. The two quietly slipped out of a nearby door and found themselves right by the lopsided sign that read simply "NILBOG." They walked side by side down the pavement. Rebecca turned around when she heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. She placed her hand on Barry's arm to stop him, they eyed the car suspiciously. It was a standard police vehicle, but the side boldly declared that this one belonged to the sheriff. The man behind the wheel was cloaked in shadows, and pulled up beside the two.
"Where are ya headed?" he asked cheerfully.
"We're with S.T.A.R.S. We were called in to investigate." Rebecca stated confidently.
"Say no more. Hop in!" Barry nodded to Rebecca that it was okay, and they got into the car, Barry taking shotgun and leaving Rebecca in the back.
"So, how do you like Nilbog?" the sheriff asked his passengers.
"It's peaceful." Rebecca said nervously from the backseat.
"Not much to eat around here, huh?" Barry complained. The sheriff rustled around beside his seat and pulled out a sandwich encased in plastic wrap, handing it to Barry.
"Wow, what a sandwich!" Barry said, delighted. He unwrapped it and observed the green glop slathered on the bun, wrapping it back up quickly. "I better save this for later." He said with a false smile.
Creedence had prepared a stew for her guests. Jill and Chris eyed the concoction with unease.
"Go ahead, eat it up!"
"Well, shouldn't we wait for your, uh, children?" Chris said, staring into the bubbling bowl of green slime with a frown. Jill nodded briskly, wanting to avoid eating the unsettling soup for as long as she could.
"Indeed! I will go call them. Wait here, my little flowers, they will soon be joining us!" with that, she was on her feet and up the stairs. Chris stared at Jill, not knowing what step to take next. She looked around the room once, then stood and knocked over the cauldron, spilling the soup onto the floor. It sizzled and oozed into the grooves between each stone.
"Maybe we should leave before she gets back." Chris offered. Jill agreed, and they headed back toward the front door.
"Stop! Where do you think you're going? You are our guests!" Creedence screeched from the top of the stairs. "Seize them!" From behind her, a group of stout creatures emerged, hobbling down the steps.
"What the hell are those things?" Chris called out.
"Those are some ugly kids." Jill muttered. The little people were headed right for them! Jill reached for her pistol, finding nothing.
"Looking for this?" Creedence cackled, the gun dangling from her hand.
"Shit." Jill grabbed Chris, and they dodged the oncoming monsters, running for the bed. Chris tossed a pillow at one, knocking it over.
"Well, I'm out of ideas." He yelled to Jill, who was on the opposite side of the bed, leaning forward with her hands balled into fists. They were cornered. Suddenly, the front door burst open.
"Get away from them!" called an unfamiliar voice. A gunshot echoed through the room. Jill and Chris stared past the small deformed creatures to see a stout man raising a gun to the ceiling. The dwarves turned around slowly, also bewildered by this turn of events.
"Quick! Here's our chance!" Chris cried, running to the man. Jill followed behind, and all three were out of the door. The man pointed to the cop car, and they quickly made their way to it.
"Jill! Chris!" Barry called, hopping out of the car.
"Get back inside!" Jill shouted, opening the back door and sliding in next to Rebecca. Chris crawled in after.
"Let's get somewhere safer." The man spoke, revving the engine and taking off.
The group arrived back at the small house. They entered it, locking the door behind them.
"This house is vacant for the time being, the family went on a vacation." The sheriff spoke. He tossed the pistol Creedence had taken back to Jill, she smiled in return. The rest of the group had gathered in the dining room, sitting around the table and planning what they should do.
"I need to get to the chopper and call for backup." Barry sighed while Rebecca fiddled with her radio. The static was strong, but a slight signal was audible now. If she kept at it, she might be able to contact someone for help. Jill got up from her seat at the table and looked out the window. It was eerily quiet, but she could feel herself being watched from somewhere in the distance.
"Well, we can fight them off if we have to." Chris spoke, taking out his pistol and laying it on the table. Jill closed the curtains and went back to the table, looking toward the sheriff.
"Wait, Chris. You had your gun the whole time? And you didn't shoot any of those things?!" Jill scolded.
"Thank you for helping us back there." Chris spoke over Jill, embarrassed.
"That's my job." He said, smiling largely.
"Excuse me, sir?" Rebecca asked nervously. "Who are you?"
"I'm Sheriff Gene Freak." He replied proudly, adjusting his metal-framed spectacles.
"Glad to meet you, sheriff." Barry said. "I'm Barry, the little one over there is Rebecca. These two are Jill and Chris."
"Pleasure meetin' y'all." He said, still smiling.
"I wonder if those things have anything to do with the disappearances?" Chris wondrously wondered aloud. Jill nodded, thinking it over. "Creedence is definitely behind part of this." She added.
Their thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash from upstairs. Chris grabbed his gun and went to check it out.
"What do you see?" Jill called to him from the bottom of the stairs.
"Window's broken. I found something." He said, appearing at the top of the stairs holding a baseball. He tossed it to Jill, who caught it easily and looked at it closely. Across the ball, written in green letters was "EAT BEFORE WE EAT YOU."
"What is this?" Jill stated in confusion, tossing the ball onto the floor. It rolled along the carpet and into a corner.
"This is officer Rebecca Chambers of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, please respond." Rebecca called into the radio. She had finally managed to get a decent signal.
"Rebecca? This is Brad Vickers. What's going on out there, kiddo?" a voice came through the radio clearly. Rebecca grinned and stood up.
"Brad! Good to hear your voice! We need you to fly out here to Nilbog and get us. Can you do that?"
"Sure thing, hang in there, guys. You can count on me!"
"Thank God for Brad." Jill laughed, leaning against a nearby wall.
The moment of joy was cut short by a loud thud against the front door. Barry jumped in his seat. Grabbing his magnum revolver, he stood and made his way toward the front of the house. The curtains to the front windows remained open, and though the sun was setting, he could see the entire population of Nilbog gathered outside, staring blankly forward.
Shuddering, he mumbled, "What's going on in this town?"
"We're very hospitable people here in Nilbog."
Barry turned around, startled by the voice.
"Sheriff! What is this?" he cried.
Sheriff Freak extended his hand, offering the baseball to Barry, who took it into his hands and examined it. It dawned on him as he read the words "EAT BEFORE WE EAT YOU."
"The sandwich!" he said, shocked, dropping the ball at his feet.
"I hope you'll stay with us." Sheriff Freak said, a maniacal smile spreading across his face. Barry, alarmed at this turn of events, reached for his revolver. He clumsily fumbled with it, dropping it to the floor. He kneeled quickly, taking his eyes off of the sheriff as he scooped the gun back up.
"Drop it." The sheriff demanded, his pistol pressed against Barry's forehead. Barry obeyed the man, standing slowly with his hands raised in defeat.
"You vegan bastard." Barry huffed angrily.
A bullet pierced through the sheriff's chest, narrowly whizzing past Barry, as he stood staring in shock. The sheriff's mouth twitched as he looked down and the blood seeping from the wound. His hand fell limply to his side, the gun toppling from his fingers and thudding to the floor. His eyes raised, questioningly stuck on Barry before he collapsed in a heap on the floor.
"That was too close!" Barry exclaimed.
"You said it." Chris muttered, lowering his weapon.
"Jesus, what a freak!" Rebecca whispered from her spot behind Chris.
"Guys, we have another problem on our hands!" Jill shouted nervously from the dining room. The townspeople were still gathered outside, staring into the windows. Something was different about them though. Their bodies seemed to be quivering. Rebecca approached the window in the living room, shoving the curtains to one side as she peered out.
"Th-they're changing!" she uttered in a harsh whisper.
It was true, the air around the people of Nilbog seemed to be moving like the air above an open flame. They rippled and jerked violently, until suddenly, they began to transform! From the center of the strange, small monsters came Creedence, though her appearance had also been altered. She wore a lengthy black dress that was cut low in the front. Her hair hung around her face in spirals, and her teeth were no longer black and rotted.
"Ah, my children! Are you hungry, my little darlings?" she called out to the crowd. They responded with roaring affirmation. Creedence turned to face the house, lifting her arms to the sky.
"Feed, my children! FEED!" she howled, laughing madly. The goblins stormed the house, bashing in the windows as others rammed into the door, causing it to splinter.
"We have to get out of here, now!" Jill yelled. The group headed for the stairs, stopped only by the sheriff who stood directly in the way, his shirt soaked with drying blood.
"What's going on?" Rebecca cried, clasping her hands together against her chest.
"Goblins cannot die by conventional means! Carnivorous fools!" the sheriff bellowed, charging at Chris. They fell onto the floor, rolling around, each trying to get in control of the fight. Jill and Rebecca looked at Barry pleadingly.
"Get upstairs, girls. I have this!" he shouted, readying his magnum. Chris was on top, pinning the sheriff to the ground. The man struggled beneath him, flailing wildly. Barry aimed his weapon at the sheriff's face as it began to ripple and change before his eyes.
"Take the shot!" Chris screamed.
"Headshots kill everything, you plant-eating troll!" Barry wailed, taking the shot. Sheriff Gene Freak's face was obliterated in a mass of gore. Chris leapt off of the body, heading for the stairs.
"We're… goblins… you… jerk." The sheriff gurgled, sitting up in his true form, face massacred from the shot. Barry's mouth gaped in awe. He looked back to Chris, who impatiently waved him over from the top of the stairs. He turned, hearing the glass of the dining room windows shatter.
"Forget about him, Barry! They're coming! Hurry!" Chris screamed from the stairs. Barry quickly sprinted for the upper level of the house, ignoring the sounds of small, cruelly deformed feet following behind him. The two made it up the steps and around the corner into a narrow hallway. Jill pulled Chris into a room, Barry following swiftly behind before the door was slammed shut. Rebecca pushed a dresser in front of the door, leaning with her back against it.
"This isn't going to hold. Find a way out of here." She panted quietly. Chris sat on the dresser with his back against the door for more support. He signaled to Jill to explore the room for an exit. Jill ran to the only window in the cramped bedroom, pulling the curtains aside rapidly. Night cloaked the sky in a deep azure darkness, the only light came from a crescent moon floating between wisps of clouds. Jill peered into the yard, unable to make out any figures.
"I think this way is clear." She said, turning to the others.
"Good! We don't have much time!" Chris yelled, pressing harder against the door as it shook from the force of the goblins trying to break in. Barry posed with his magnum aimed at the door.
"Move! I'm gonna blow them away!" he cried. The two leapt from the dresser and toward the window which Jill had opened only moments before. Chris pushed Rebecca out onto the section of roof beneath the window. Just as he climbed outside, the door to the room flew open, the little monsters poured in like water from a broken dam. Barry took two shots, knocking most of them back.
Jill screamed over the gunfire, "Barry! Come on!" she waved her arm at him frantically. He saw that the shots had done nothing more than give them a few moments to escape, and decided to follow. Jill climbed through the window, grabbing Barry's arm after she had made it through. She helped pry him out, and the four stood on the roof.
"This jump isn't too high. I'll go first." Chris said, lowering himself onto the ground. Rebecca followed, aided by Barry. Jill went next, and finally Barry managed to land next to them safely. They wasted no time getting out of there, sprinting for the strange church-like abode of Creedence.
"We need to find somewhere to wait until Brad gets his ass over here." Jill panted, her legs feeling weak. Chris grabbed her arm, pulling her along at his pace. They finally reached the house, running inside and slamming the door.
"These people mock the very art of food." Barry sighed, noticing the cauldron of spilled soup that had dried on the floor. Rebecca clasped her hands nervously, studying the large room with unease.
"They tried to make everyone eat that stuff." She noted.
"What do you think it does?" Chris questioned.
"Well, it's obvious. They wanted to turn us into plants so they could eat us." She said, shrugging.
"How exactly did you figure that one out?" Chris asked, raising his eyebrow.
"I dunno. Lucky guess?" she said.
"Ha! They aren't even real vegans! Hypocrites!" Barry scoffed.
"That's all lovely, but we need to shut up before they figure out we're in here." Jill scolded the team, arms crossed. Just then, a window shattered somewhere upstairs. Jill jumped, startled by the sudden noise. Everyone looked around for somewhere to hide, then all eyes were on Jill.
"Under the bed!" she whispered harshly. The group ran and each of them crammed beneath the still unmade bed. Patters of small feet were heard rushing down the steps.
"Where have our little guests run off to?" Creedence's voice rang out across the room, rebounding off of the walls. Unfortunately for the hidden S.T.A.R.S. members, Barry's stomach had had nothing to digest in several hours and was now roaring loudly beneath the bed. Jill's mouth gaped open in horror as the click of heels approached their hiding spot. The bed was thrown across the room, smacking into an absent-minded goblin.
"There you are, my little flowers!" she hissed from cracked, bleeding lips. Something had happened to her since the last time the group had seen her. Her earlier transformation had left her looking almost attractive, and now she looked as though her face had been mauled by a crow or something. She walked toward them, back arched menacingly. Rebecca popped up from the floor, running to the left. The other three leapt up, reaching for their weapons. Barry's gun flew from his hands, sliding across the floor. Jill's belt snapped off, soaring away from her with her gun still holstered. Chris' pistol dropped from his shaking hands, but when he tried to pry it from the floor, it refused to budge.
"Do not underestimate our power." Creedence whispered, eyes glowing a pale yellow.
"Rebecca! Where are you?" Chris called out, searching the room for her but to no avail.
"So, one of our guests has taken it upon herself to leave our party? I will deal with her later." Creedence spoke, her voice growing ever deeper.
Outside, Rebecca sprinted for the abandoned helicopter. She stumbled in the darkness, arms outstretched in attempt to stay on her feet. She reached it, leaning against the cold metal, catching her breath. Then, she dove inside and rummaged around, searching for something to stop this madness.
"Gather, my children! Dinner is nearly upon us!"
"Oh crap, guys. This is really bad." Jill muttered, clenching her fists.
"Run for it!" Barry yelled, charging for the back of the house. Chris followed, shoving the previously absent-minded goblin (who had just been smacked with a bed) to the floor. Jill ran after the two, dodging the fallen goblin.
"It's locked!" Chris shouted, banging on the wooden door that was sealed by a simple padlock.
"Quick, Jill! Use the lock pick!" Barry called out.
Jill slid into place, shoving her hand into her pocket and grasping the lock pick firmly in her hands, then she went to work to unlock what might have been their only way to safety. Creedence merely watched the scene unfold, a large smile spreading across her parched lips. The door sprung open, revealing a dimly lit room occupied by a giant chunk of stone.
"Ah, you have found the source of our power." Creedence applauded, walking closer to the room where the three stood. The goblins huddled together, appearing fearful.
"Too bad you cannot defeat us! Now die!" Creedence screeched, lurching forward at Jill.
"Not so fast, you monster!" a childish voice echoed across the room. Creedence, stunned by this, spun around to face the insolent girl.
"Came back to join us? I have a special plan for you, little girl! You shall be the dessert for my children!" Creedence lunged forward, reaching her clawed fingers for Rebecca.
"Salad is so not a dessert, and don't call me 'little girl!'" Rebecca wailed, reaching into the sac she had been holding. In her hand was a sandwich, wrapped in some greasy napkins. She let them fall to floor, revealing the wonderfully-crafted sandwich.
"My double-decker bologna sandwich!" Barry cried joyously from the back room. He ran to Rebecca, caressing the delightful creation in his palms. Jill and Chris stayed behind, examining the stone.
"NO! Think of the cholesterol!" Creedence sputtered, falling onto the floor at Barry's feet. He eyed the sandwich carefully, smiled, then took a chunk out of it. Crumbs of it fell onto Creedence, who shuddered violently, inching away from the meat consumption.
Back in the room, Chris found a bright orange sticky note stuck to the side of the rock. It read: "TOUCH STONE TO ACTIVATE." He read it aloud, looked to Jill and shrugged before placing his hands on the stone's surface. They began to feel a strange force like an electrical current running through their fingers throughout their bodies.
With a concentrated look on her face, Jill said, "We have to concentrate harder." They groped the stone with more force, and closed their eyes, hoping their plan was working.
Barry had finished off the sandwich, gaining enough energy to keep fighting. Rebecca patted him on the back, then faced Creedence, who was curled up on the floor.
"You are the true monsters! Eating innocent animals!" she cried.
"You eat plant-human hybrids. Like that's any better." Rebecca pointed out.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning ripped through the ceiling, shocking the fallen goblin, causing him to explode in a shower of green goop! The other goblins shrieked in fear, running away into the corners of the room. Thunder sounded from the heavens, sending shockwaves through the house, knocking more of the goblins to the floor.
"No, my children!" Creedence wailed, covering her face.
"It's working!" Jill laughed from where she groped the magic stone.
Rebecca and Barry joined the others at the stone, groping it intensely. They each closed their eyes, with a constipated expression on their faces. The room exploded in a thunderclap and flash of lightning.
The light faded, revealing a green-splattered room with no sign of Creedence or the goblins. The foursome emerged from the room, exhausted. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the room. Jill looked up to see a helicopter hovering above the hole in the ceiling.
"Take this!" Brad yelled from above, dropping a rocket launcher from the chopper. It smacked against the stone floor. Jill ran to it, lifting it up and taking aim. As if in response to this, Creedence, as unsightly as ever, slithered from a dark corner. Her face was a bubbling crimson, with only her cracked lips and one eye visible. Her hair hung in clumps around her deformed face, filled with the chlorophyll green blood of her children. One arm had been torn from its socket, only bits of gory flesh hung from where it had been. With her intact arm, she clawed her way over to the group, gurgling and moaning intelligible words.
"Open wide." Jill muttered, focusing in on the creature and firing the rocket. It hit Creedence dead-on, reducing her to a few fleshy chunks and ash. Jill let the launcher fall to the floor. Chris came up behind her, putting his arm on her shoulder and handing her her pistol with his other hand. She took it, smiling up at him wanly. Rebecca jumped on Barry's back, giggling with triumph.
"Sorry for the wait," said Brad, piloting the chopper back to Raccoon City. The night remained starless, enveloping the helicopter as it tore through the clouds. Rebecca was sleeping, huddled against Barry's shoulder. He stared ahead, trying to maintain a serious look, a smile touched the corner of his lips. Jill gazed out of the window into the vast sky.
"Not a problem." Chris spoke softly so as not to wake Rebecca. He wrapped his arm around Jill, pulling her close. She turned and smirked, wrinkling her nose.
"Do you think this is over?" Barry asked Jill with a blank stare.
"If it isn't, I pray for anyone who ends up in Nilbog." She said, not looking him in the eye.
"He reads me stories, just like before." The small boy whined, slouching on the couch in the cramped, dimly lit room.
"He is a figment of your imagination, Joshua; an invention of your subconscious." The man said, scribbling away in his notebook. He peered up from behind his slanted spectacles, eyeing the boy with his brows raised.
"The family trip your mother mentioned to me this morning sounds like fun." He said, feigning excitement.
"Nilbog doesn't sound fun to me." Josh pouted. The therapist pried himself up from his leather chair, stretching and yawning. Every appointment with Joshua Waits had been the same and he feared the boy would need medication soon if he could not get through to him. He walked across the room, opened the door and stepped outside to find Mrs. Waits. Josh sat up on the couch, staring at the door.
"Joshua," a voice whispered from the hall. Josh leapt up and stood outside the door, looking both ways. Down the left side of the hall, stood a chubby man with a luxurious gray beard. He smiled, approaching the young boy.
"Grandpa Seth!" Josh whispered excitedly, whipping his head around to make sure he was not being watched. Grandpa Seth smiled, kneeling to hug his grandson.
"They don't believe me, grandpa." Josh sighed, tearing up.
"It'd take a whole lot for them to be able to see me. Don't you worry, Joshua. In all due time, they will see the truth." The man said, standing up.
The doctor and Mrs. Waits had returned, and Grandpa Seth waved to the boy, before turning around and heading down the hall. Josh waved back, frowning.
"Who were you talking to, Josh?" Mrs. Waits inquired of her son.
"Nobody, mom." He said sadly, walking out of the hall toward the lobby.
"What'll we do, doctor?" she asked.
"If he still insists on these hallucinations after you return from the trip, contact me immediately and we'll set up a new treatment plan. I would recommend medication in his near future before this worsens, Mrs. Waits." He said slowly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
That night, Josh had been tucked in and lay wide awake in bed. Then, he heard the familiar sound of the rocking chair in the corner as it creaked obnoxiously. He threw the blankets off of himself and turned the bedside lamp on.
"Grandpa!" he cried joyously.
Grandpa Seth opened the book that was resting in his lap, flipping to the first page and reading, "Peter was a courageous boy, but that dawn fear stuck to him like dew on leaves…"
Downstairs, the Waits couple relaxed on the couch, enjoying some late night television.
"Our trip will be great, especially for young Josh." Mrs. Waits said, smiling.
"Nilbog will do us all some good." Mr. Waits added, smiling back at his wife.
"I'll go make sure Josh is asleep, want to make us some popcorn?" Mrs. Waits said, standing and heading for the stairs. Mr. Waits nodded, leaving the room. The television screen went blue, preparing to show a special broadcast from a neighboring city's local news station.
This is a special News Bulletin, courtesy of Raccoon City Police Department. Recent reports of bizarre disappearances have surfaced. The town of Nilbog, resting west of Raccoon City, has been scouted by the RPD's own Special Tactics and Rescue Service. We have received word that it is ill-advised to enter the area of Nilbog during these intense investigations. No further details are being provided, but we did manage to get an interview with the man himself, Captain Albert Wesker. Roll it.
A tall man with slicked back blond hair and shades appeared on the screen.
"Hello, this is Angela Thompson coming to you from outside the local police department. With me is Captain Wesker of S.T.A.R.S. Wesker, can you tell us some information about the investigation your team is currently involved in?" the woman thrust her mic into the man's face, and his frown deepened.
"That is confidential, however, we advise anyone who has details to contact us by calling the RPD and asking for our unit. We recommend no one venture to that shabby little town, although I don't know who in their right mind would ever do such a ghastly thing." He spoke confidently, adjusting his sunglasses.
"You heard it here, folks" the woman said with a smile plastered on her face.
In other news, the fires in the nearby town of Silent Hill are finally being dealt with by the local government, but in a way that our liberal bias prevents us from supporting, take a look as we-
Mr. Waits returned to the living room, muting the television so he could make a phone call. He dialed his boss' number, waiting patiently for an answer. Mrs. Waits came back into the room, sitting beside her husband with a worried look on her face.
"That's Nilbog, John. Yeah, N-I-L-B-O-G. I'll be gone for a week. Sure thing. Bye." He said into the phone before hanging up. He looked to his distraught wife with concern.
"Michael." She stated emotionlessly.
"What, hun?" he asked, reaching for some popcorn.
"Who are… the goblins?" she asked, eyes widening with fear.