Chapter 12: Threads That Bind
If you happened to be walking by yourself on the cold and lonely streets tonight, no one in their right mind would stop you in your tracks and ask you what your problem was.
If you saw three human-sized chipmunks scurry past you right now in a hurry, no one would blame you if you didn't turn your head around to take a second glance.
But if you only knew the turn of events that led to the coming of this strange occurrence, then perhaps you would have been better prepared to face what lay beyond the shadow of darkness...
"You are aware that Dave is going to kill each of us when he finds us missing from our beds, aren't you?" asked Simon as they turned the corner leading from the housing areas.
Phelan was running in the lead, the tails of his favourite black trench coat dancing in the night wind.
"Which would you rather prefer; being cooped up in the house and waiting for answers all day long – or being grounded with all four of us brothers together again?" asked the wolf-like chipmunk.
Theodore, being the smallest and least fit of the group, had to take three steps just to catch up with Phelan and Simon's brisk runs. "Simon, I'm tired! Can we just stop for a few minutes?"
"Sorry, Theo, but we'll have to keep running if we want to see Alvin again!" panted Phelan; his motivation was burning stronger than ever in the hopes of reuniting his family again.
They had left the streets and were now out in the open where the park was a few minutes' walk from there. Simon paused for a moment as he wiped his fogged-up glasses with his sleeve.
"How exactly can you pinpoint Alvin's location immediately right after a dream? It might just have easily been a coincidence. You can't prove anything, you know," the doubtful blue-clad Simon pointed out.
Was it necessary that everything had to be proven factual by science? The wolf-like chipmunk groaned, but that did not falter him in his stride. "Look, guys, just believe me on this, okay?"
It was at times like these that Phelan wished he'd been blessed with the ability to see the future instead; in the hopes that what he saw in his dreams could be confirmed in reality.
But there was a silent voice inside reminding him to keep an eye on the past.
Because if Phelan knew of the events following Alvin's disappearance, then he could've easily seen how the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place...
Fourty-eight hours ago...
While Alvin kept on running, his agile feet were straining under the numbness of exhaustion. Nevertheless, he pushed himself to carry forward, blinking back the tears that stung his eyes.
How could have Phelan sunk this low to bring him down to a world of hurt and despair he had never experienced before? And Dave, that was the first time he'd ever lay a hand on his own son. He didn't know which hurt even worst – the fact that he'd been slapped, or that none of his own family members could believe him right now.
"Woah, woah, slow down there. You're going to give yourself a heart attack."
Alvin paused. He now found himself in the middle of the city park, where not a living soul could be seen or heard. But Soron was there, and he was leaning comfortably against a lamp post, probably taking in the night's quiet and lush scenery.
"What are you doing here?" asked Alvin.
"I live here. And believe it or not, I'm the park keeper," he said matter-of-factly.
It didn't take long for Alvin to notice the smirk on Soron's face as he spoke.
"You're a bad liar," said Alvin.
Soron simply shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, that's up to you to decide. But what are you doing here, anyway? Isn't it a little bit past your bedtime to be wandering around away from home?"
Alvin shot him a dangerous look. "I don't have a home anymore."
"You sound like you've been having a bad day. Care to tell me what the cat dragged in?"
By the time Alvin had finished telling his story, the street lights were growing dimmer – probably a sign that Soron was beginning to nod off. The red-clad chipmunk had to nudge him in the ribs to jolt him back to his senses.
"You see, I was right; I told you not to trust him. That mongrel who calls himself a chipmunk is a seriously bad influence," said Soron.
But it was the part where Phelan had decided to 'train' Alvin in the ways of the dark that sent him into a laughing fit, rolling all over the ground like a playful dog.
"I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book! Even I never offered anybody the chance to be trained under the guidance of the Light!"
He failed to notice Alvin's eyes light up with hope. "So, can you teach me, instead?"
Another bout of guffaws and legs dangling in the air followed.
Soron wiped his eyes. "Oh please, if I could do that, then I'm the next Santa Claus!"
Alvin didn't seem in the least bit impressed.
"You know, for a chipmunk who's supposed to control the powers of light, you're awfully dull-witted."
"And for an international rock star who just happens to be the oldest brother, you're acting more like an immature show-off. That's what probably got you kicked out in the first place."
By this time, Alvin had gotten completely fed up. He adjusted the rim of his cap and stormed off, away from that laughing idiot of a chipmunk.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Soron called out.
"I don't care. But anywhere's better than here."
And just like that, Alvin was completely out of sight.
As Soron returned to his composure of being serious, he took it upon himself to study the situation that now lay before him, and finally, he made up his mind.
A scheming and fuming Soron left the park and headed for the streets.
I'm going to kill that traitorous and pathetic excuse for a chipmunk, he told himself firmly.
Thirty-six hours ago...
Jeanette could feel the butterflies fluttering aimlessly in her stomach as she knocked on her sister's door.
"What do you want?" snapped a voice at the other end, which made the timid bespectacled chipette jump a little.
"Brittany, it's me, Jeanette. May I come in?"
There was silence, followed by a muffled reply. "Sure."
As she turned the doorknob and looked in with great anxiety, Jeanette saw that Brittany was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees in despair. Her tangled hair had now lost its usual glossiness and her eyes were swollen and puffy. From the looks of it, she hadn't gotten out of bed for days.
Jeanette swallowed a huge lump in her throat. "I came to see if you were alright."
She immediately ducked as Brittany threw one of her crumpled dresses at her.
"Does it look like I'm alright? You're probably laughing at me right now because I brought this all on myself!" yelled Brittany.
Ignoring her sister's moody swings, Jeanette went up to Brittany's bed and sat by her side. "No one blames you, Brittany. You were just trying to help out Phelan because Alvin wasn't there when he needed you," she said reassuringly.
Brittany choked back a sob, and then let out a huge sigh.
"What if Alvin's right? What if I was just letting Phelan feel me up and down with his paws?"
"Brittany, you know you're way much better than that. You would never give yourself to anyone unless it was Alvin. You still love him, don't you?"
"That's what I thought," sobbed Brittany. "I always thought that Alvin treated me as just a friend and nothing else. But then Phelan turned up, and just being around him, I started to realize just how special Alvin was, and what he really meant to me. Now he's gone, and I can't help it that my heart feels like it's never going to mend itself again. And... I really miss him, Jeanette!"
The weight of her emotions was just too much for Brittany to bear as she broke down and bawled in Jeanette's comforting hug, feeling like a child who was afraid to face her darkest fears.
The bespectacled chippete petted her sister's back as she grabbed a nearby tissue to wipe away the tears. "I'm sure if both Alvin and Phelan were here, they wouldn't want to see you in your present condition," reasoned Jeanette. "You've got to stay strong for both of them, ok?"
She stayed with Brittany for awhile until the sound of Miss Miller's voice called out to come downstairs and have their dinner. With a heavy heart, Jeanette got up and headed for the door, while her sister simply remained in her fortress of solitude.
"If you're hungry, I'll tell Miss Miller to come upstairs to bring you something to eat, alright?"
Brittany nodded, but Jeanette knew it was just her polite way of still refusing to do anything, not at least until Alvin came running back into her arms.
She started to feel a little sleepy after Jeanette left. It was true that she'd been spending the last few days sleeping as much as she had been crying, but that was her way of coping with Alvin's disappearance. How she longed to turn back the hands of time, just so that she never would've met Phelan and spent more time with Alvin instead.
There was an unusual lump rising out of her heart-shaped pillow. Her frustrations bundling up under her nerves, Brittany reached under it with a hand until she had found the object. She was about to throw it away when she caught a proper glimpse of it and hesitated.
Her bottom lip started to quiver.
It was her favourite Alvin doll – the very same one that she'd manage to keep safe with her after their hair-raising balloon trip around her. The exact alikeness of that doll reminded Brittany harshly of all the good times she'd spent together with Alvin, as well as the bad when he had slapped her and walked out of her life. Still, it was the closest the pink-clad chipette would ever get to remember her best friend.
Silent tears coursed down Brittany's face as she held on tightly to that doll, never wanting to let go of it, even for a second's worth. She could almost hear Alvin joining her in melodic harmony, keeping her company with her sorrows in song:
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming around
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit tired of
listening to the sound of my tears
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit nervous
that the best of all the years have gone by
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes
Turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
Turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you'll only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
Turn around, bright eyes And I need you now tonight
Every now and then I fall apart
Turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
And if you'll only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight Once upon a time I was falling in love
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart
Turn around, bright eyes
Brittany wiped her teary eyes with the corner of her sleeve, and she leaned in to give her doll a goodnight kiss before tucking it next to her side.
It would take her a while before the flow of her tears would let the pink-clad chipette drift back into sleep...
About two hours before the craziness started...
The bathroom light glared uncomfortably along the nape of Phelan's neck as he took off his clothes and washed his fur, getting ready for bed.
It seemed that he looked all filthy after his confrontation with that busybody and abrasive Soron, so Phelan grabbed the nearest bar of soap and set to work.
He scrubbed harder at his paws until he was certain they were almost raw to the skin. When that didn't work, he ran his fingers carefully over the furs on his chest, inspecting each strand with a careful eye.
They were tainted black, like the creatures that had come to plague his dreams and nightmares. Pretty soon, that wasn't going to be the only part of him that was stained with evil.
Phelan sank into the bathtub, his eyes widened with sickly-green fear.
The terror he felt was for his immortal wolf-like soul.
Back to the present...
Phelan put the brakes on as he took in his new surroundings. "Guys, I think we're finally here."
"Are you sure about that?" asked Simon, while Theodore simply stared with his mouth hanging agape.
"Positive. I never forget the looks of a place."
The three of them were now standing in an old warehouse that had been abandoned for years. Apart from the fluorescent lights and the worthless scraps that lay scattered around the place, there was nothing or no one else familiar in sight.
Except for the fact that they weren't the only ones alone.
Phelan's hawk-like eyes peered out into the pitch blackness, and he saw a shadow lurked around the corners behind a huge metal pipe. Taking care not to give away the element of surprise, the wolf-like chipmunk motioned to Simon and Theodore to remain silent as he crouched behind the pipe and turned an inch of his head around to see who it was.
His frantic heartbeats turned into rhythms of relief as he stood straight up and confronted the not-so mysterious chipmunk who he knew very well.
"Alvin, thank goodness, I was so worried about you!"
The red-clad chipmunk was indeed sitting there, crying his heart out. When he first caught sight of Phelan, he quickly wiped his eyes and stood up, towering over Phelan with his newfound anger.
"What more do you want from me, traitor? You stole my girl and my family! Now you've kicked me out of my house! You've got two seconds to leave before I make minced 'munk out of you!"
Phelan winced in shame; he knew he wasn't going to expect any hospitality this time.
"Alvin, I'm..." He paused, hoping to find the right words to calm the savage beast that lashed out at him. "I'm really, really sorry about the things I did. I never wanted to hurt you, believe me, Alvin. You're my brother... and – I love you."
The anger in the red-clad chipmunk suddenly died and gave way to complete surprise. He studied the quiet, composed figure of Phelan who was now staring at the ground, shuffling his feet ever so slightly. "What did you say?"
"I said I love you – as a brother. Because, hey, isn't that what a family's for? We're supposed to look out for each other, stand together through thick and thin, but most of all, we'll always go to the ends of the earth just so that we'll always be safe and sound."
Bewildered, Alvin turned to face his brothers, who both nodded their approval.
"He came all the way from home and dragged us along for the ride, just to find you and bring you home," said Simon.
Both Alvin and Phelan looked at each other, their hard gazes softened just a little, as though they made way for their souls to reach out and touch each other.
But before Phelan could make any further amends, a great force shoved him to the side and knocked him down.
The wolf-like chipmunk growled as he glared up at the presence of his rival.
"Soron! What the hell are you doing here?"
There was a dull sheen in the chipmunk's silver eyes as he rolled them in annoyance. "Geez, it's always the same old questions every time we meet. What are you doing here? Why can't you just get lost and die?" He licked his lips, almost savouring the thought of the next question. "When do I finally get to kill you?"
Phelan took a step between Soron and his brothers, acting as a chipmunk-sized shield. "Get out of here and leave us alone! This has nothing to do with you!"
"Don't be ridiculous! Ever since you settled down to play 'little house on the prairie', it's always been about us! You lied about wanting to bring peace to this family, when all you did was try to tear it down to bits! I can't let you do this anymore, Phelan. Your time in this world is finally up."
"What do you know about taking over my roles?" demanded Phelan.
Soron chuckled darkly. "Well, I've been doing some thinking, and I believe I've come to my most valuable thesis."
He wasn't expecting Simon to beat Phelan to making a remark with his dry wits as the blue-clad chipmunk folded his arms. "Oh, really? Explain."
Soron fluffed out the rims of his hoodie before he cleared his throat and addressed Phelan.
"Your dear brother had spilled to me that you have a dangerous alter-ego that's been trying to kill all of you and take over the world, am I correct?"
Phelan glared at a now sheepish-looking Alvin, but he nodded.
"And the reason being is because you two share the same existence, isn't it?"
"Just get straight to the point, will you?" snapped Phelan.
"Therefore, by killing you, I end your miserable life, as well as your other half. You both stop to exist. The world will be a much better place. Period." Soron grinned as he put a cynical emphasis on the last word.
Phelan could see where this was going. There was no stopping this egotistical and light-headed maniac from doing what he set out to accomplish.
"Let's settle this right here and now, and that'll be the end of it! But I'm asking you, as an adversary, don't get Alvin and the others involved. They've done us no harm and they don't deserve to be hurt anymore," he pleaded.
"Don't worry, I won't. Once I slaughter you and hang your pelt up as a trophy, I'll take over your role as 'big brother' to these chipmunks. I'm sure I'll make a better guardian than you ever did."
"We don't want you for a brother!" shouted Theodore, feeling a lot braver now than ever. "Phelan's saved us many times, and he deserves to be our family!"
Soron's face edged with the glaring fluorescent lights, casting a shadow on one side of his face.
"Shut up! The time of the darkness must come to an end, and the only way it can do so is to give way to the forces of light!"
"Is that so? My, how confident you sound."
All five chipmunks turned to face where the new voice came from.
From out of the darkness, he came into the light. The living nightmare of a chipmunk as black as his heart; his eyes burning red with the thirst for blood, he appeared right in the middle of the warehouse.
Only Soron seemed unaffected by the dark chipmunk's sudden foreboding presence. "So you're Phelan's other half who's been making his life a living hell?"
"More or less."
Soron flicked his wrists. A beam of light shined down on both paws and materialized as an extension of twin light swords.
"We'll see how much is left of you once I put an end to your existence!" He let out a battle cry and charged towards the dark chipmunk, ready to spill some blood.
The other Phelan stepped into the shadows, but still remained visible for Soron to see. In that split second when the silver-clad chipmunk lunged forward with his swords aiming for his target's chest, Soron gasped as he went through the other Phelan's body, as though he was just simply an apparition of thin air.
The dark chipmunk saw the opportunity as he gained the upper hand and grabbed Soron by his neck. With a series of well-executed moves that could have put any martial artist to shame, the other Phelan swept Soron off his feet with a roundhouse kick and sent him flying into a pile of unused planks, where he lay there crashed and dazed.
Turning to face his better half, the other Phelan looked at him with a queer eye and slapped his own forehead.
"You could've least chosen your enemies wisely as you did with your friends."
To everyone's surprise, Phelan shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I did try to warn him."
It seemed as though the awkward moment of friendliness would put an end to everything, but that just disappeared into nothingness.
"I see you've got yourself your body back," said Phelan casually. "Must've given you hell just to find the strength to pull that off, huh?"
"Not at all. You see, my little chipmunk, I made the foolish choice of deciding to reveal my true self too early. And thanks to you, I paid the price for that. But I am wise, Phelan, as I'm sure you are."
The other Phelan paused to inspect his panther-like fur in the faint moonlight as he flexed his claws.
"We are both creatures of the night, you and I. We are stronger in these times where no other pathetic being ever will be. So now, I'll just have to kill you and take over your body. These are desperate times when we need to show the world what the darkness is capable of, and these call for desperate measures.
"I'll give you one more chance, Phelan. Are you with me, or are you against me?"
Phelan stood his ground as he struck a battle pose. "I'm afraid I can't let you do this."
The dark chipmunk simply nodded. "Then prepare to die!"
A soft groan came from behind Phelan. Soron got to his feet and was about to make an immediate change in his battle tactics, but Phelan raised a paw in mid-air to stop him.
"Soron, get my brothers to safety. Alvin, Simon, Theodore, I want you to leave and never come back here, not for anything. If I die tonight, it's been a pleasure knowing all of you."
His words fell on deaf ears as the silver-clad chipmunk strode up to him. "Phelan, you're not seriously going to-"
"For once, Soron, SHUT YOUR BLOODY MOUTH AND DO AS I SAY!"
Alvin, Simon and Theodore felt cold shivers tingling down their spines as they no longer recognized the chipmunk standing in front of them. Phelan had never cursed like that before. Even Soron had to admit it; this was creepier than watching a scene from The Exorcist come to life.
There was something wrong about Phelan, something that seemed corrupted; almost possessed within his soul...
The dark chipmunk beckoned to him with a gnarled, twisted finger.
"That's right. Come to me, and face your death like a rodent, so I may watch you squeal under my feet."
Black lightning crackled around his paws, leaving scorch marks on the ground as he opened his mind and embraced the darkness that flowed within him; so pleasantly tainted, and yet so deliciously evil.
The wolf-like chipmunk took a few steps forward until he stood face-to-face with his other half.
His voice, no longer squeaky and friendly with warmth, now burned under the cold sky with guttural hatred.
"You and I have unfinished business."
To Be Continued...
Yay, so we've finally found Alvin once again! Wasn't that quick? But now it's down to the wire and the question remains - will Phelan ever regain the good side of himself again, or will he be condemned to living in the shadow of darkness forever?
And this chapter's song choice - Total Eclipse of the Heart. What a beautiful love ballad!
Tune in to the next chapter - it's the showdown between Phelan, Soron, and the other Phelan! The forces of light will clash with the dark! Don't miss it!
Author's Note: Just a quick reminder, and for those of you who don't know about it, but Victory's Racounteur is hosting a voting contest for OCs in special categories (and Phelan's in the running, too). Choose wisely, because the winning OCs will get to appear on a talk-show story written by yours truly, where you, fellow readers, will get to send in your questions for them to answer!
P.S: (Cough cough) Don't forget to vote for Phelan! ;)
Cheers!
- Winddragon
