Okay… chapter two probably sucks too, but oh well. Here you go, please read and review.
Chapter 2
The streetlamp flickered overhead, emitting a low buzzing sound. It was the only noise to break the eerie silence that stalked throughout the neighborhood. Stephen's boots clicked on the cracked asphalt as he walked down the deserted streets of the town. The fog rolled lazily ahead, blocking most of his vision, but still allowing him to see the creeping shadows that lurked in the dark allies and windows. Stephen was sure he would find someone eventually, someone else who had been lured into this town. The dreams screamed in his head as he slept at nights; screamed of his coming there, screamed of his death. At first, he had ignored them, pushing them aside as just nightmares. Then, after they had gotten worse, he began to see a psychiatrist. All he did was prescribe him drugs that would "help" the dreams to stop, but what they really did was come on worse. Finally, because he could stand them no more, Stephen left his home to go to the town because the dreams called him, beckoned for him to go if he dared; to go if he wanted the truth.
As he walked, he felt the thick fog beginning to layer itself onto his hair, clinging and dampening it to his forehead. Stephen reached up and brushed it back. Holstering his pistol, he began walking again, turning the corner at the end of the block. The place seemed familiar somehow, but he didn't remember ever being there before. He saw a sign in front of him that read "Ashfield Crematorium". Peering ahead through the fog, Stephen slowly walked ahead to what appeared to be the crematorium building.
When he pulled at the door, it easily and silently glided open, allowing him inside to the dim-lighted room. Against one of the walls was a clerical desk and a waiting area. At another side of the room was a large door. In the desk, Stephen found a flashlight and a box of matches which he quickly put into his pack. Stephen then walked to the door, twisting the knob and entering through. The hallway was brightly lighted with white fluorescent lights. As he walked down the hall, he heard a thumping ahead in one of the rooms. Stephen walked to the door and peeked through the small glass window. The room was dark and appeared to be empty. The thumping from inside resumed and he heard a woman scream from inside, throwing herself against the door. Stephen jumped back, letting out a yelp of surprise. He walked forward again and tried the knob; it was locked.
"Hey! Hold on!' Stephen shouted as the woman screamed again, slamming against the door.
"Help me... let me out of here… please…," she sobbed, rattling the knob. The door only unlocked from the outside.
"I'll go find a key or something… I'll get you out though, okay? Just hold on," Stephen shouted, turning away and waiting for an answer. The banging stopped and he could hear her sobbing within. He turned down the hall and entered through another door. In this room there were gurneys lined up in rows. Stephen saw a body on one and shivered. He walked to the incinerator; its door opened half way. Removing the flashlight, he shined it inside. He could see a small glimmer and reached inside, grasping a cold metallic object. When he removed it, he blew off some ashes off of it and saw that it was a key. Pocketing it, he approached the covered lump on the gurney. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand upon the sheets corner and pulled it back. On the flat surface, there was a mutilated body that appeared to be a man. Stephen swallowed hard and quickly re-covered the body, turning away from if and walking across the room. He hurried out and back down the hall to the now-silent room.
He tried the key in the slot and it fit inside snugly. Stephen unlocked it and slowly opened the door. A stench of rotting flesh flew through the door, invading his nose and causing his stomach to turn. Holding his breath, he waited, staring into the darkness of the room. Nothing moved as the bright hall lights filtered in. He reached inside, flipping on the light switch and gasping. The walls oozed blood down, covering the floor in a layer of fresh blood. In the middle of the floor lay a decayed corpse in a red skirt and a white blouse which was stained with dark brown and red. Flies buzzed over her and landed in her once-blonde hair. In her dried hand she was clutching a piece of paper and walking forward, Stephen removed it. He quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Gently, he unfolded the crumpled paper and written in a red that appeared to be dried blood, was a symbol: an eye inside of a pyramid and enclosed in a circle. He slipped it into his pocket. There didn't seem to be any other rooms in the building. As he turned to leave, he glanced back inside of the bloody room to see bright white walls and some cleaning supplies upon a shelf. Puzzled, he re-opened the door. The smell of bleach and miscellaneous other sanitary cleaning supplies gently wafted out to him. There was nothing in the empty room. Bewildered, he quickly left the crematorium and was swallowed again in the thick blanket of fog.
Well, what'd you think? Please read and review with your ideas or help at all. Thanks.