HOUSE OF WAX
by ViciousFiction
BASED ON: [Movie] House of Wax: 2005
RATING: M +
[A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews TenderAngel96 and Spider Sister!]
- o - o - o - o -
"This place is a ghost town…" Dalton frowned, tugging his lips to the side. "Are you sure there's even a gas station around here? I mean, have you seen anyone since we got here?"
Nick scanned the streets, plenty of parked cars, but not a single pedestrian. "They'll be here." He continued leading Dalton into the town, hoping that Wade and Carly might just miraculously appear out of thin air.
They both stopped to check out the pet store, admiring four small puppies huddled together as they wagged their tails excitedly. Dalton smiled briefly, temporarily distracted by their cuteness. "So…" he shifted his attention to Nick. "… you think Carly and Wade are gonna stay together when she moves to New York?"
Nick smirked at him.
"Because she be looking at me sometimes like –"
"Dalton it ain't happening," he interrupted.
"What? What do you mean?" Dalton looked slightly flustered and dejected.
"And even if it was happening…" Nick turned his head to the side, and continued, "… it ain't happening." He shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "Nothing personal."
"Why? You like me better than Wade, right?"
"Wade's not so bad," Nick scanned the town, still hoping to spot Carly and Wade together.
Dalton sighed, "Yeah, I like Wade too."
Nick didn't say anything in return, a slight smirk on his face.
"What?"
He remained quiet. Seamlessly, his hand shot out, flicking the brim of Dalton's hat with his fingertips, and sending it flying. Sending Nick into fits of laughter.
"Hey!" Dalton groaned, clumsily grasping for it before it could hit the ground. "What was that for?"
"Lighten up, dude," Nick chuckled, "listen, how about this, you go that way…" he pointed in the direction of the church, "and I'll go this way, I'm sure there's a local store or something nearby."
"Yeah, sure," Dalton was busy readjusting his red cap, "but what if one of us gets into trouble, or something?"
"It's a small town, I'm sure I'll hear your girlish screams and come running," he smiled cheekily.
"Thanks," Dalton rolled his eyes. "Meet back here if we don't find them?"
"Okay."
- o - o - o - o -
[An Hour Earlier]
"I'm sorry about your friend," Bo sympathised, placing a comforting hand on Carly's knee.
She brushed Bo's hand off, "Wade's my boyfriend."
"Right…" he nodded, knowingly. "Gonna get hitched soon?"
Carly smiled awkwardly, "We've talked about it..." She edged closer to the door, contemplating a barrel roll away from his creepy advances. Thinking about Wade lying unconscious on Bo's couch and his swollen, dislocated shoulder was the only thing helping her keep it together. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Sure," Bo was busy struggling to keep it together himself. He'd decided it was just a matter of getting her to his basement safely now, with as little resistance as possible.
"Is there anywhere to eat around here?" She looked around at the lit up shops, but didn't see anyone out and about.
"Up at the house," he sighed, "I'll fix you up something when we get back if you like."
That generosity again, it was almost grating on Carly's nerves. "That'd be great –"
"We're here," they pulled up to the gas station from earlier.
"I thought we were going to the road that's washed out?" She asked. "To meet up with my friends?"
Bo's door creaked loudly as it opened. "It's on the other side of town; I figured we'd grab the generator on the way." His boots made a loud thud as they hit the ground. "Are you coming?"
Carly felt bad for being so sceptical. He was yet to give her or any of them any cause for alarm. "Yeah, I'll be right there, I might just give my friends a call to see where they are."
"Suit yourself," he replied, slamming the door closed. Within moments he'd completely disappeared into the gas station.
She pulled out the white mobile from her pocket, groaning loudly. One percent battery left. Carly scalded herself for playing snake for so long. It wouldn't be enough to make the call.
With another audible sigh, she opened the door and jumped out. The air was cool and fresh, unlike the city. She couldn't see Bo anywhere inside and decided to go in after him. "Hello?" she called out.
"Downstairs," he answered back. "Wanna give me a hand?"
Before making the descent, she glanced back at the doorway, trying to assess how they'd get the generator outside. Carly's eyes moved over to his ute and she squinted into the darkness, her disbelieving eyes noticing the jagged glass on his left headlight. 'Oh no!' She panicked, her heart racing. Carly stood frozen in place, staring at the busted headlight, trying not to alert any suspicion. 'He was there last night!' Slowly, she turned her head to peer down the stairwell. It was cast in a myriad of shadows, the perfect entrance to a mad man's torture chamber.
"Carly?" his voice rasped like a personal invitation. It sent shivers down her spine.
'I have to get out of here.' "Be right there!" she lied, her voice wavering.
Bo leaned against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, 'This is so much easier than dragging them in here myself.'
He heard the sound of the gas station door open and slam shut. 'Damn. Spoke too soon.' Bo sighed to himself, realising that she'd probably noticed the busted headlight. 'Guess we're doing this the hard way.'
Meanwhile, Carly had climbed back into his truck, trying to come up with a plan. She reached over to the ignition. No keys. She sat back up and looked into the gas station. Bo was at the top of the stairs, he raised his arms, his palms facing towards the ceiling in mock confusion.
She pulled out her phone, it was still flashing low battery but she ignored it, searching for Paige's number. It went straight to voicemail, "Guys, where the hell are you?" she put her head between her knees. "Remember that truck that came to the campsite last night? I think we just ran into him." Carly looked up, attempting to hide the phone from his sight.
Bo was outside now, with his hands on his hips, "I need a hand with the generator." He moved towards the passenger door as he spoke.
Carly locked the door with an open palm.
"What are you doing?"
"Waiting for my friends," she said bluntly.
"This is my truck," he said in his deep, southern accent. "What's the matter with you?" Bo rattled on the passenger handle. "If you don't open this door, I'm gonna call the cops."
"You're the guy from the campsite."
Bo tried the handle again, visibly agitated now.
"Paige!" Carly cried out.
"What are you doing?" Bo fumed.
"Nick!"
He rattled the door handle once more on the passenger side. "I'm just trying to help you –"
"Blake!" she continued shouting out the names of her friends, in the bleakest hope that they might be within earshot.
Bo's eyes flickered to the driver's side door, noticing she'd failed to lock it. Carly followed his eyes, realising he'd noticed it too. He quickly slid over the front bonnet to get to the other side, reaching his hand under the handle.
Carly was one step ahead of him though, lashing out and slamming it down.
"Carly, get out of my truck!" he just about snapped it off with how hard he was rattling it.
There was only one person left to call for, "Dalton!"
He was her last friend and, seemingly the last straw for Bo. In an exasperated fit of rage, he slammed his elbow into the glass with an aggressive swing.
Carly froze, temporarily panic stricken.
Several more blows and the sound of the glass shattering. He reached for the lock and wretched open the door.
At the same time, Carly unlocked the passenger side and flung herself from it, stumbling onto all fours on the cement beside the ute. Right behind her, Bo climbed onto the seat and was edging his way along, hoping to catch up with her on the other side. A sharp pain seared in his hand as he placed it into the bed of glass from the shattered window. "Mother fuck–"
Ignoring the stinging from her grazed hands, Carly stumbled as she climbed to her feet, attempting to find her balance. If she couldn't find her friends, she hoped to find someone else she could report to, and set out to find the nearest police station.
"Get back here!" sharp and aggressive, Bo called out after her. He inspected the glass in his hand. After pulling out several shards, he winced, noticing he'd sat in some too… "Don't think I won't find you!"
Carly shuddered, keeping her head forward. She couldn't remember seeing a police station when she'd wandered around earlier with Wade. 'Wade,' she grimaced. He was still up at the house. And now that she'd really upset Bo, she truly worried for his safety.
Passing by several shopfronts on her tiptoes, Carly was trying to make as little noise as possible and hid behind and between cars along the way. After confirming that Bo was nowhere to be seen, and with a quick scan of her surroundings, she noticed a convenience store coming up on the right and raced over. Feeling very out in the open, she attempted to keep her body low to the ground. Another swift scan once she was there, the coast looked clear. Wrapping her hands tightly around the cold steel handles she desperately hoped that it was open, because either way, she was about to draw a lot of attention. She pulled on them roughly, "Please! Somebody help!" The glass doors rattled noisily. When they didn't budge, she looked out into the empty street, "Anybody!" she cried, feeling helpless.
A cool breeze and the sound of silence was her response. She wrapped her face in her hands and pressed her back into the glass door. "This is so hopeless!"
Carly slumped onto the ground in front of the convenience store, torn between wanting to help Wade, and feeling absolutely terrified of Bo. She pictured his mischievous smirk, and dark features, her thoughts moving to his hand on her leg… 'Scarier than any house of wax could ever be,' she thought to herself. Carly just wanted to get out of there; the entire town of Ambrose was beyond creepy.
"Maybe I can help?" so busy lost in thought, Carly barely noticed the man approach her. But she knew that voice. He had an even heavier southern accent than Bo's.
She leapt up from the ground and spun around to face him; a brief moment of relief as she recognised the man who'd dropped them off there. "It's you!"
He smirked, dangerously. "Yeah, it's me alright. Saw the damage you caused to Bo's poor old truck."
"The damage I caused?" Carly reacted, flustered. She began backing away, the relief short-lived. Tugging on the hem of her shirt, she scalded herself for being so naive. "You know what's going on here don't you –" she remembered how upset he'd been earlier at the washed out road. "You brought us here on purpose!"
He edged after her, closing the distance between them. "Just tryin' ta help a couple stranded travellers."
Carly turned to run, but the man from the truck was much faster. Years hunting in the forest, chasing and catching wild deer in his spare time had its advantages. Before she could make even a few feet in distance, his arms had slithered around her tiny frame, one arm across her right shoulder, while the other pinned her left arm by her side. When she tried lashing out at him, he snatched her wrists in his hands firmly. "Bo!" he sang out, proudly. "I got her for ye'!"
- o - o - o - o -
To be continued…
