Author's Note: Hey everyone, long time no see! Sorry I've been out of the loop for the last week and a half. I was occupied the whole of last week with finishing off my one-shots for the new Suite Life X-mas challenge. Then it was exceedingly hard to get back into 'blood, guts and gore' frame of mind after writing happy-go-lucky Christmas stories. Is it my imagination or has time sped up the quicker it gets to the holidays? Maybe just me, then. I've had other great distractions that have postponed the update on this story. Firstly, I finally purchased the latest Star Trek and Harry Potter films on DVD. The only thing better than watching Star Trek once at the cinema is watching multiples times afterwards on DVD with a rewind button : ) Sigh, I heart Spock. Secondly, my parents bought me a new keyboard ('cause my old one went bust a few months which made me sad), so I've been recapturing my innate love for music this week. And thirdly, I went to watch New Moon today, which was awesome by the way. A little aside, Taylor Lautner has a body most older men (including Rob Pattinson) would kill for. What kind of pop-eye diet is he on? Anyhoo, that's enough random banter from me. This is a longer chapter with (gasp, spoiler ahead) a new group perspective. Thanks so much for all the feedback and reviews, it means a lot. Enjoy!
West Roxbury – 23:32
Carey and Kirk drove for the most part in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. It took a while for them to get past the temporary road block along the intersection of Washington Street and West Roxbury Parkway and to convince the traffic policeman to let them through. Even though ordinary citizens weren't currently allowed to venture up towards the enclosed neighbourhood of West Roxbury in the midst of a black-out, the traffic policeman decided to look the other way since Carey and Kurt were the parents of children trapped inside the neighbourhood. Little did the Martins know just how much of a crowd the night's events had already gathered.
"What the-" Kurt murmured in bewilderment, squinting his eyes at the scene ahead.
Carey followed his line of sight and frowned.
There was no longer any need to keep the blinkers on in the car to see straight ahead in the distance. For the black tar road was littered with an array of cars parked haphazardly, several of them flashing blue and red lights. They recognised one of the larger vans as belonging to the local municipality. And they all appeared to be congregated around the 10 foot iron gates of the neighbourhood of West Roxbury.
Kurt found a place to park the car along the pavement underneath an elm tree. There was a motorcycle with a multi-coloured helmet attached to the seat parked in front of them next to the curb. Kurt and Carey exited the car, walking slowly towards the throng of people in uniform. They approached a policeman who was arguing with a young man. The latter had his back to them, but Carey couldn't help but feel a tingle of familiarity due to his towering height and shaggy hair.
"Sir, you can't be here right now, you need to step back." Officer Archie Smith ordered in a harsh voice.
"Officer, my sister and my friends are trapped in the neighbourhood as we speak. I would just like to know what's happening." Spencer Shay persisted angrily.
"What's going on here?" Carey demanded loudly.
The policeman turned towards her.
"Ma'am, Sir. You need to step back. This is a restricted area; you're not supposed to be here." Archie stated firmly, flashing his torch at them.
"Officer, my name is Kurt Martin and this is my ex-wife, Carey Martin. We heard about the black out and we came to find out what caused it. Our sons, Zack and Cody, are somewhere in the neighbourhood." Kurt persisted.
While Kurt spoke, the policeman's torch flashed momentarily on Spencer's face. In that moment, Carey recognised him.
"Wait a minute, I know you! You're that guy who bumped into me in the Tipton lobby earlier this evening!" Carey announced, much to everyone's amazement.
"Oh yeah! You're that really hot-I mean, lounge singer from the Tipton. I remember you now," Spencer agreed sheepishly, his face curling into an unexpected smile.
"Small world. W-what are you doing here of all places?" Carey questioned curiously.
"My sister, Carly, and her friends are trapped in the neighbourhood too. I'm Spencer, Spencer Shay. Did you say your sons are in the neighbourhood too?" Spencer introduced, extending his hand towards her, including Kurt in the conversation as well.
"Yes they are, Zack and Cody." Kurt offered simply.
He stole a glance at Carey and Spencer and frowned.
"Zack and Cody, sounds familiar. I'm sure Carly's mentioned them before. I think they're friends." Spencer conceded seriously.
Just then, another policeman came towards the three of them, flashing a torch also.
"Archie, it's okay. Excuse me Mr and Mrs. Martin, is it? Did you say your two sons are currently in the neighbourhood? And Mr…?" Officer Dan Bryce asked politely.
"Shay, Spencer Shay. My sister, Carly Shay is attending West Roxbury Prep for summer school along with her two best friends, Freddie Benson and Sam Puckett." Spencer explained quickly.
"Yes Officer. We haven't been able to reach them all night on their cellphones." Carey answered meekly.
"This area generally has poor reception. But the telephone wires being knocked out too seem to have exacerbated the problem." Archie noted carefully.
"Your boys go to West Roxbury Prep too?" Dan inquired shrewdly.
"Yes they do, Officer Bryce. Our sons kinda have a reputation for getting into sticky situations. We think they may have gotten into some mischief during the blackout." Kurt explained simply.
"Mischief might be a slight understatement," Dan replied ominously.
"What do you mean?" Carey asked frantically, seeing the look in his eyes.
Dan exchanged a quick look with Archie. Archie sighed and shook his head, as if conceding on some silent discussion.
"We received a 911 call from a young girl who identified herself as Hannah Montana. She and a friend positively identified the dead body of a security guard in the neighbourhood named Bernie Quinn. So whatever mischief you think your boys have gotten into, I don't think it's on this level." Dan explained cryptically.
"Oh my God," Kurt murmured in alarm.
"Someone's been killed in the neighbourhood?" Carey asked in horror, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Wait, did you say Hannah Montana made the call?" Spencer asked quizzically, frowning.
"Was it a hoax?" Carey joined in once more.
"We're not sure at this present time. Hannah Montana or not, my gut feeling tells me that the call was genuine. All the more reason to get into the neighbourhood as quickly as possible." Dan remarked diplomatically.
"Well, what's causing the delay?" Kurt inquired.
The three of them glanced towards the gate. A horde of persons were gathered near it with tools and equipment. However, none of them appeared to be touching the gate directly.
"Come with us," Dan instructed while he and Archie began walking ahead.
Kurt, Carey and Spencer followed the two policemen as they got closer towards the gate. They finally stopped in front of a tall woman in her thirties dressed in a municipal uniform.
"Mr and Mrs Martin, Mr Shay, this is Sheila Paxton from West Roxbury Municipality. Sheila, this is Kurt and Carey Martin and Spencer Shay. Their kids are trapped in the neighbourhood." Archie introduced cordially.
"Sister and two best friends," Spencer corrected.
"Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs Martin, Mr Shay. I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances." Sheila replied cordially, shaking their hands.
"Thank you, Sheila. Have you figured out what caused the blackout in the neighbourhood?" Carey inquired curiously.
It was Sheila's chance to frown.
"Well, we've definitely isolated the problem to within the neighbourhood itself. It appears that someone has sabotaged the electrical box near the guard house and re-routed the wires, which have prohibited us from getting into the gate at the present moment." Sheila explained gravely.
"What's wrong with the gate?" Spencer asked pointedly.
Neither Spencer nor Kurt or Carey missed the look shared between the two policemen and the municipality worker.
"The gates have been electrified." Sheila responded grimly.
"What?!" Carey exclaimed.
"Wait, someone did this from the inside? Who would do something like that?" Kurt demanded angrily.
"As to that, we don't know at this point, Mr. Martin. But I assure you, we are doing everything in our power to re-route the gate to deactivate the electricity and to gain access to the neighbourhood." Archie stated sincerely.
"How long will it take to open the gates?" Carey asked quietly.
"We're looking at an hour, an hour and a half for the gates to become accessible again." Sheila replied quietly.
"An hour?" Carey asked incredulously.
"But you just said that a security guard has been found dead inside the guard house. The person who killed this security guard could still be running around the neighbourhood where my sister and her friends are. And it's gonna take an hour to get inside?!" Spencer thundered.
"Pleas calm down, Mr Shay. I promise you, we're doing the best we can." Sheila persuaded painstakingly, feeling genuinely sympathetic for their plight.
"Perhaps you should go wait in your cars in the meanwhile. We'll call you as soon as we've made progress." Dan suggested kindly.
"You can wait with us if you like, Spencer. Your bike probably won't be too comfortable in this chilly weather." Kurt suggested reasonably.
"Gee, thanks Kurt, I appreciate it." Spencer responded graciously and followed the two of them back to Kurt's car.
Once they were safely back in the car, the three of them continued watching the policemen and municipality staff working on the East Gate.
"I can't believe this is happening," Carey murmured hoarsely, staring intently through the windscreen.
"Everything's going to be fine, Carey. We just have to be strong, for Zack and Cody's sake. We'll just have to wait." Kurt answered frankly.
"For an hour or two," Spencer added, his eyes going towards the moon firmly set in the sky.
Archie and Dan surveyed the work of the technical engineers as they tried to re-route the gate.
"Now we wait." Archie stated softly.
"I just hope by the time we get in there, that Bernie's body is the only one we find." Dan responded cryptically, his face set in a hard line.
Group 2
Both Mikayla and Tawni stood clutching one another, their bodies mimicking each other's while they cried openly. Zack stood slightly apart from them, his hands hanging limply at their sides, wearing an expression of forlorn resignation. The moon had risen fully in the sky as they stood in the alley between the Miller and Parker Residences. Their eyes were all locked on one scene in front of them: the inert bodies of Amber Addison and Ashley Dewitt. This was a thousand times worse than any horrible thing that had ever happened to Zack in his lifetime; a million times more horrific than his worst nightmare about zombies. The death of someone he knew; the villain unknown and still at large.
"I can't believe this," Tawni whispered painstakingly.
"What sick bastard would do something like this?" Mikayla demanded to no one in particular.
"I don't know, but it doesn't look like the lights are coming back on any time soon. We need to be prepared." Zack declared in an eerie tone.
"What do you mean?" Tawni demanded sharply.
"There's a reason why we haven't come across a soul in nearly two hours. Something is really wrong. Whoever did this to Amber and Ashley could still be in the neighbourhood."
"What makes you say that?" Mikayla asked curiously, rubbing her damp cheeks with the back of her hand.
"I'd say it was my Spidey senses tingling, but I don't have any super powers. Call it a gut feeling if you will, but we have to get as far away from here as possible." Zack responded quickly.
"But what about the others? What about Amber and Ashley? We can't just leave them here." Mikayla protested fiercely.
"In case you haven't noticed, Mikayla, we're not equipped to handle a rescue mission. We don't even know what we're dealing with here!" Zack retorted impatiently, feeling his self-restraint ebbing away slowly.
"Okay, so we're kinda out of our league on this one. But Zack, you're always talking about all of yours and Cody's crazy adventures and being able to get yourself out of really sticky situations." Tawni persisted.
"That usually involved trying to fool Mr. Moseby into believing that Cody and I didn't break his favourite vase back at the Tipton. I don't have any experience dealing with dead bodies and a possible psychopath in the Manhunt game." Zack responded hesitantly.
"But you're street smart. If anyone can get help, it's you. I believe in you, Zack." Tawni stated firmly, clasping her hand in his.
"Me too," Mikayla agreed, matching Tawni's tone.
She too had found Zack's other hand in the dark and squeezed it reassuringly.
"I can't promise you anything. If something happens-"
"We'll face it together." Tawni interjected unswervingly, looking Zack dead in the eye.
"Then we'll have to find the others and warn them." Zack answered firmly.
"Let's stick to the bushes and the trees. It'll give us some camouflage." Mikayla suggested quickly.
"Good thinking. Let's move." Zack instructed, keeping a firm grasp on both their hands.
They edged closer towards the West Gate as they approached Elm Avenue. The name sake offered the easiest access to covert movement because of the array of trees and bushes scattered along the pavement and driveways of the nearby houses. While they walked quietly, Zack noticed that Mikayla's face was screwed up in concentration.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked of her seriously.
"Just that this night has left us with even more questions. We're in the dark literally and figuratively. I just wish there was someone we could ask for some answers. Somewhere in this neighbourhood, someone knows something." Mikayla pronounced ominously, the moon reflecting the whites of her eyes.
Group 8
Ned was starting intently into the camera lens provided by Cookie, trying hard to remember his monologue amidst the ensuing the scuffle.
"Ned Bigby here, trying to create a guide that will do the impossible: survive Manhunt!" Ned began enthusiastically, flashing his signature goofy grin at the camera.
Cookie gave him a thumbs-up from behind the lens, urging Ned to continue.
"Step 1: ensure that you find a good hiding place during a game of Manhunt. Examples of good hiding spots include places with good cover by trees, houses and cars," Ned continued in an authoritative voice.
"Or skate ramps, like this massive one we're hiding under on the Greene Residence." Moze put in knowingly, resting comfortably on the massive wooden structure.
"Good point, Moze. This skate ramp as a hide out was truly inspired. If we get bored during the game, we can always practice our gnarly moves," Suzie joked cheerily, sitting beside Moze.
"I think that's surfing, Suzie." Coconut Head pointed out.
"Oh," Suzie responded sheepishly.
"Step 2: The best way to avoid getting caught during a game of Manhunt is to keep moving. Find as many hiding places as you can until time is up on the game. Staying hidden in only one place increases your chances of getting caught early on."
"And Step 3: Never hide alone if you can help it. Remember, there's safety in numbers." Ned concluded with an air of mystery in his voice.
"?" Martin wheezed pathetically on account of Loomer having his head in an arm-lock.
"Take that back, Kwerly, before I make beating a mandatory exercise for Manhunt." Loomer warned menacingly, increasing the pressure on Martin's head.
"Technically speaking, you already include beatings as a mandatory exercise for every other activity." Cookie pointed out hesitantly.
"And how 'bout I make your ass a new glove compartment for your glasses, Cooke?" Loomer thundered, which made Cookie adjust his glasses nervously on the bridge of his nose.
"Billy, that's enough. Cut it out," Suzie warned in a low voice.
"Yeah, Loomer. Knock it off, before someone from the Manhunt group finds our hiding place." Moze agreed irritably.
"That was good Ned, let's take a break." Cookie informed rapidly, turning the camera off at its source.
"Geez, relax. I'm just having a little fun, at Kwerly's expense that is. It's the only way to get him to shut up." Loomer protested lightly, while giving Martin a noogie.
"Seriously, would somebody just tell me: what is so great about dating Loomer?" Ned asked of Moze in an undertone.
Moze shook her head at Ned's comment and shrugged instead of answering. After being sworn enemies for so long, she was glad that she and Suzie were now friends. But just because they talked about boys more frequently than they used to, didn't mean that she understood Suzie's taste in boys any better than Ned. Even if she had some inkling, she certainly wasn't going to share it with Ned. The boy had been obsessing about Suzie since he was eight years old and had no intention of stopping, short of being hit by a bus. Since Suzie and Loomer had been dating for a considerable time already for reasons unknown. The last thing Moze wanted was for Ned to get caught in the middle of their warped romance and end up heartbroken.
"I guess she likes it when a guy takes charge," Moze finally offered half-heartedly.
"Hey, I've got an idea: let's blow this hiding spot and surprise the Manhunt group instead of waiting for them to get us. Yeah, then we'll take them hostage and hijack the Manhunt game." Loomer suggested enthusiastically, his arms firmly around Martin's neck in a chokehold.
"That's a terrible idea, Loomer. The chance of us taking on the Manhunt group, which has most likely increased exponentially in the last 2 hours, and successfully taking them all hostage, is relatively low." Cookie pointed out authoritatively.
"Alright, sheesh, it was just an idea! God, I'm so bored right now. How long do we have to hang out here for anyway?" Loomer demanded in a huff.
"Another half hour. The game ends at midnight." Suzie informed him plainly.
"Good. I can't wait to get back to campus. Hopefully the power will be back on by then." Coconut Head added seriously.
Without warning, Loomer groaned loudly and fell backwards, hitting his head against the rough ground. Martin had done something to knock Loomer off balance and loosen his grip on his neck. Like a frightened rabbit, Martin darted off ahead in the general direction of the Savoy Estate. Judging from the way Loomer had clutched his midriff, Martin had elbowed him in the stomach.
"Martin?!" Coconut Head called out loudly, forgetting momentarily to be quiet while watching his friend sprint off into the distance.
In a flash, Loomer had gotten to his feet and began pursuing Martin, trampling leaves underfoot in his wake.
"Come back here, Kwerly, you pip-squeak!" Loomer roared, propelling his arms forward powerfully while he ran.
"Billy, what are you doing? Get back here!" Suzie called out furiously.
"I can't believe those two! You guys had better go check and see where they've gotten to," Moze suggested authoritatively.
"Us?" Cookie asked blankly.
"Loomer's already pretty pissed. Why waste a perfectly good pair of boxers on an unnecessary wedgie?" Coconut Head countered weakly.
"Coconut Head's right. Besides, this is clearly between Martin and Loomer. We should let them sort it out." Ned advised, feigning neutrality.
"Pansies!" Moze criticised maliciously.
Just then they heard what sounded like a crash and a strangled yelp straight ahead.
"Hurry! Before Billy kills Martin!" Suzie pleaded worriedly.
"Coconut Head, stay with the girls. Cookie and I will go look for them," Ned suggested nonchalantly.
"You're kidding, right?" Moze asked dryly, thinking quietly to herself that Coconut Head couldn't defend her and Suzie from a fruit fly, no less any real danger.
Opting to switching on the torch attached to his glasses, Cookie and Ned began jogging quietly after Martin and Loomer. Even with the aid of a light, the dense vegetation along the path they were travelling on made it increasingly difficult for the two of them to step firmly and decisively. They were getting closer towards the arching iron gates of the Savoy Estate, looming ahead imperiously.
"Where the hell have those two gotten to?" Ned asked frustratedly, swiping a tree branch away from his face while he walked ahead.
Cookie's eyes darted around him haphazardly, the silence deafening in his ears. His teeth were chatting audibly now.
"This place is seriously creepy," he murmured softly, willing himself to calm down.
Without looking where he was going, Cookie, tripped over a thick tree root jutting out in front of him on the pathway. He lay sprawled out on the ground, his glasses askew and the wind knocked out of him.
"Cookie, are you okay?" Ned asked in alarm, backtracking immediately.
He got down on his knees and hoisted Cookie up on his feet.
"I'm okay." Cookie muttered in an annoyed tone while brushing down his jeans.
"What the-" Cookie murmured, feeling a sticky sensation on his hands.
He put his hand up to his nose and sniffed. The all too familiar smell nearly sent him toppling over a second time.
"Ned, look at my hands." Cookie instructed in an unsteady voice, causing Ned to turn around sharply.
"What? Why?" Ned demanded suspiciously, wondering what had gotten Cookie spooked this time.
"Just do it." Cookie replied tersely.
With a sigh, Ned conceded. Cookie had turned his flash light down onto his own hands, which could be seen clearly now against the backdrop of the surrounding bushes. Ned's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch at the colour of Cookie's hands. A colour that was strongly reminiscent of blood.
"Cookie, what-" Ned stuttered in awe.
"It's not mine." Cookie whispered hoarsely.
Almost instinctively, their eyes wandered along the winding foot path they had been travelling over for the last few minutes. With a shaky hand, Cookie flashed his torch forward. Martin Kwerly could be seen unmistakably where the path thinned out into a grassy clump. Ned and Cookie sprinted madly towards him. He was lying in a peculiar position, looking as if his knees had buckled beneath him before collapsing sideways. A pool of blood had formed around him, originating from the slit in his throat.
"Shit." Ned muttered in a hollow voice.
"Oh my God, Martin." Cookie whispered croakily.
"What the hell happened to him?" he asked of Ned.
"Isn't it obvious?" Ned asked darkly, willing himself not to look directly at Martin's body.
Cookie's eyes widened to the size of saucers when he looked at the look on Ned's face.
"You think Billy did this?" Cookie questioned disbelievingly.
"We have to go tell the others." Ned informed him firmly before jogging back in the direction they had come from.
Cookie followed him reluctantly, trying to keep from passing out.
Suzie, Moze and Coconut Head, who had been talking in hushed whispers a few seconds prior, looked up sharply at the same time at Ned and Cookie's approach. Moze caught Ned's eye first and stared back in surprise at the expression of intense ferocity etched on his face.
"What's going on?" Moze asked Ned sharply.
"Martin's dead." Cookie answered slowly.
"What?!" Coconut Head exclaimed in horror.
"What do you mean he's dead?" Suzie demanded hysterically, clutching her face with her hands in a state of shock.
"I mean, he's dead, Suzie. We found him lying on the pathway; his throat was slit." Ned retorted back impatiently.
"Oh my God," Moze murmured in a shaky tone.
"Where's Billy?" Suzie demanded vehemently, coming towards Ned and Cookie.
"I don't know." Cookie answered quietly.
"Maybe he went to dispose of the weapon," Ned added in spite of himself.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Suzie asked in a dangerous voice, her eyes focused solely on Ned now.
"Martin turns up dead and Billy's nowhere to be found." Ned pointed out shortly.
"Ned, do you think Loomer killed Martin?" Coconut Head asked in a small voice.
"We all saw him earlier, Coconut Head. He was already giving Martin a hard time. He got pissed off when Martin hit him and ran off into the bushes." Ned explained brusquely.
"Billy wouldn't hurt Martin. He didn't do this." Suzie declared seriously, her eyes boring into Ned's.
"Don't worry, Suzie. If he didn't do it, we'll give him a chance to explain. Come on, Cookie." Ned commanded curtly.
"Where are you going?" Coconut Head demanded.
"Stay with the girls, Coconut Head. We're going to find Billy and bring him back here." Ned announced as he began walking forward.
"Ned, are you crazy?!" Moze called out angrily, trying to stop him.
"We'll be back in a few minutes." Cookie responded soothingly, trudging reluctantly after Ned's retreating figure.
Once they had gotten out of earshot, Cookie caught Ned around the arm sharply.
"Do you actually have a plan here?" Cookie hissed impatiently.
"We're gonna corner Loomer off so that he doesn't hurt anyone else." Ned answered firmly.
"Are you out of your mind? Do you even understand the words coming out of your own mouth?" Cookie snapped harshly.
"I don't know what's going on here, Cookie. But Loomer must've snapped or something and killed Martin in a fit of rage." Ned continued on haphazardly, being careful to watch where he was walking.
"And you're actually suggesting that we go off after him? Ned, this is one of your worst plans to date!" Cookie shot back frustratedly, trying not to trip over his feet.
"There's two of us and one of him, Cookie." Ned reminded quickly.
"Yeah, like that's ever helped us before! Or have you forgotten about the two-handed swirlie he gave us back in the 5th grade?!" Cookie retorted darkly.
"Even if he did do what you think he did to Martin, where would've he have gotten a weapon to begin with?" Cookie demanded triumphantly.
"I can't believe you just asked me that, Cookie! This is Loomer we're talking about!" Ned shot back in disbelief.
"I can't believe this is happening," Moze murmured painstakingly, her head in her hands.
The three of them remained where Ned and Cookie had left them standing. The minutes ticked by relentlessly and they couldn't hear anything in the distance. The darkness was becoming overwhelming in its suffocating claustrophobia.
"I can't believe Martin's dead." Coconut Head stated soberly, hugging his arms tightly across his chest.
"None of this makes any sense. Billy and Martin were kidding around earlier. How could Billy have killed Martin? What Ned's suggesting just isn't possible." Suzie commented while pacing around fervently.
"Then where is Billy, Suzie? Where did he go?" Coconut Head demanded heatedly.
"I don't know, Coconut Head! But Billy didn't kill Martin!" Suzie fumed, getting right in Coconut Head's face.
"Guys, stop it! This isn't helping! I can't believe Ned and Cookie just took off. We shouldn't have let them leave." Moze mused, sitting on her haunches now.
"God, what's taking so long? We can't just stay here and do nothing!" Suzie exclaimed frantically, her nails raking savagely across her cheeks.
"What is it, Coconut Head?!" Suzie spat malevolently after being shushed unexpectedly by him.
"Did you hear that?" he asked slowly, glancing in the direction where Ned and Cookie had gone.
"Hear what?" Moze asked curiously, removing her face from her hands.
"That voice. It sounded like a scream." Coconut Head answered, his eyes wide with fear.
"Did you hear that, Cookie?" Ned asked slowly while straining his ears.
The two of them had just passed Martin's body and were fast approaching the perimeter of the Savoy Estate's eastern border when they heard it. It was the sound of a muffled scream and running footsteps.
"Oh my God," Cookie breathed, paralysed with fear.
"It's Billy, I'm sure of it. Come on, we have to follow him." Ned ordered quickly.
"But what about the others? We should tell them," Cookie suggested haphazardly.
"There's no time, Cookie! Come on."
And with that, they began weaving their way along the winding foot path. The trees were denser and more bristly the closer they got towards the large mansion.
"Billy! Billy!" Ned called out, cupping his hand over his mouth.
Cookie began surging forward with surprising speed, leaving Ned a few centimetres behind him. Before he could blink, they had come to yet another opening in the pathway, a sparse amount of trees at its outset. Ned collided abruptly with Cookie and rubbed his smarting head.
"Dammit! Billy, we know you're out there. So quit hiding already!" Ned exclaimed angrily, yelling out to the sky.
"Ned." Cookie's voice rang out in a lengthy syllable, causing Ned to stop rubbing his head.
This time, Ned didn't need to ask what Cookie was staring intently at. His eyes, first wrought with bewildered impatience, quickly turned to stunned fright as his eyes too travelled along the contours of a tree located directly in front of them.
Shout when you wanna get off the ride
Shout when you wanna get off the ride
Shout when you wanna get off the ride
'Cause you crossed my mind, you crossed my mind
Their hearts caught in their throats at the sight of the silent figure. Billy Loomer was laying against the tree as if he were resting. But his head was at the wrong angle; it slumped forward in an uneven manner. His eyes were still visible in the overwhelming darkness; they were the size of dinner plates: wide and inscrutable.
Make my blood thump 7-8-9
Make my heart beat double time
Ned unconsciously blocked out the sound of Cookie's ragged breathing while his eyes raked over the rest of Loomer's body. He had been stabbed multiple times in the chest, leaving his white t-shirt underneath his signature black leather jacket frayed and torn. And for good measure, it looked as if the entire right side of his face had been bashed in, making his wide-eyed expression grotesquely lop-sided. Cookie looked like he was on the verge of puking on the spot.
If we could just shake somethin' outta the blue
and get off the ride
"He's dead." Ned stated ominously, his hands shaking at his sides.
"Oh my God." Cookie murmured, his teeth chattering violently at the trail of blood emitted from Loomer's partially opened mouth.
"Shit." They chorused in unison.
G-g-g-go home, go home, it's over
G-g-g-go home, it's over
G-g-g-go home, go home, it's over over
Go go home, it's over.
Musical References:
"Sour Cherry" by the Kills.
Et voila. The Ned people finally make a proper appearance in the story. For any Ned watchers, please let me know if I got the characterisation right. I purposely made Ned a little OOC in this chapter. I did something different with Group 8's perspective by splitting up their internal dialogue. I usually split this up by just adding another group's perspective. But I decided to keep everything together for Group 8 because nothing else is supposed to happen in this chapter save for the two new deaths (sniff). The big reveal happens next chapter concerning the intruder. I decided to bring Zack & Co back into this chapter to show that they're not completely out of the loop about what's happening in the neighbourhood. But they were mostly included to juxtapose with Officer Dan's hope that the police don't find more victims. What did you think of the seeming love trinagle between Carey, Kurt and Spencer? I had fun with that amidst all the drama. I first heard the song "Sour Cherry" in episode 14 of Gossip Girl season 1 called 'The Blair Bitch Project'. It plays near the end of the episode in a particularly ominous moment of discovery for one of the main characters. While the song isn't overtly creepy, I decided to exploit its potential for my own story. Expect more exploitation of other songs in the upcoming chapters. Well, that's about all from me. I'm gonna go watch some 'Hey Arnold' on Nickolodeon right now. Cheerio and happy belated Thanksgiving to all who celebrated it!