As you have probably noticed, the last chapie left much to be desired. (Being a cop out and all) So here is another and hopefully better chapie, based off of Once More The Nightmare Factory, and it is a two part thing. this is just a quick one that I typed up for y'all before Thanksgiving. That, and I'm (in the words of Argost) "an encouragable tease".
Chapter 13: Into the Beast
The dark House of Argost was crouching on the hill upon which it was built, a huge monsterous beast of black brick and steel. Grotesque gargoyles squat snarling on the eaves of the larger creature and Gothic designs are etched and sprawling across the outer walls. Many blood-red stained glass windows stare out at them almost greedily and a tall spiked fence surrounds it, like a caged animal knowing it was about to be fed.
Fisk's rescue party look upon it in uneasiness, a similar feeling as the 'last time' for two of this brave and determined group.
"Remember. Stay alert at all times. This place is a nightmare factory." Drew whispers.
Zak starts to nod but hesitates half way through. He audiably sniffs the air. This does not go unnoticed by Doc, Drew, and Tara, and Doc asks, "What is it?"
"Their blood," Doc and Drew recoil slightly at his words and the gravelly sound of his voice, "I can smell their blood."
"As do I."" Tara whispers back, her pupils dilated in fear.
"Listen. You two don't-" Doc pleads, trying to get them to change their minds one last time before they passed the point of no return, but Zak vehemantly refuses enough for both of them.
"No. This was my fault, and I'm going to set this right," Zak sighs, "He will not die because of my stupidity."
Doc and Drew look as if they wish to argue but stop. The look on the two eleven-year olds' faces tell the two adults that these two will not be persuaded otherwise.
The pair shake off the feelings of dread and aprehension before charging with the rest of the team into the hell-house. Not twenty feet in the door do they encounter something unexpected.
Tara is acting as their rear gaurd when suddenly she feels complete bond silence.... nothing.... absolutely, positively nothing through the bond. Ever since the bond was forged, Tara has never felt so isolated. This was different from simply being out of range of each other. It was as if the bond was almost non-existant. She cries out in unison with Zak, who was also expirencing the same, disturbing sensation.
Alarmed, Doc and Drew ask, "What is it?!" Their hands on their weapons.
Tara and Zak simply stare at each other, panic apparent in their eyes. Tara whimpers, "I... I can't sense you... At all..."
Zak shakes his head as if trying to dispell the sensation with such an ineffective method, "This is wrong..... This is very wrong...."
Understanding the predicament, Drew says, "There are so many different ancient artifacts in here, so one of them are probably affecting you two."
The stunned shifters nod and continue through the house. Eventually they reach a room further inside, discovering a cryptid that turns from sheep dog to killer porcupine in half a second gaurding it. AFter this, things get progressively worse. Doc opens the door to the next room so they could escape, but a raging tempest blasts through instead of revealing a way out.
Zak is able to calm the angry cryptid down, and Doc and Komodo are able to get the door closed again, but they were not safe. A hidden trap door suddenly swings open in the center of the room, being no bigger than half a meter by half a meter, and three large tenticles shoot out of the opening and grabs the closest thing to the hole, Tara.
"NO!" The family shouts as their team medic is felled to the floor and dragged across the carpet.
Shifting, Tara sinks her talons into the floor as the tenticles try to drag her into the hole. Drew throws her fire sword to cut her free, but Tara's talons lose their grip briefly, allowing the tenticles to pull her into the path of the flung fire sword. Knowing that she needed to get lower to the floor than her current form would allow, Tara shifts back and presses herself against the carpet and out of the deadly blade's way. In doing so, she loses her grip. She is almost completely consumed by the hole by the time she rips her knife out and stabs it into the floor.
"This thing isn't going to let go!"
"Just hold on! We'll get you out!" Doc and Drew cry out.
Tara groans as the pressure on her shoulders, leg, and waist increases, "No you won't." Tara looks up and sees everyone's horrified expressions, "If you stay to help me, Fisk may be lost to you! NOW GO!"
She looks down into the space into which she would be falling. One cryptid was visable and awaiting her below. It snarls and growls in aggitation and anticipation at Tara's struggles. She looks back up to see that the Saturdays were still hesitating to leave her, and she can read the anguish at having to choose between her and Fisk flashing in their eyes.
Zak is still able to read what she was thinking through her eyes as well. What he sees, he doesn't like. "No.... no, no, no...... " he mutters.
"Just go! I'll be okay!" she flashes him a look of 'I'm sorry' and yanks the knife out of the floor, letting herself get dragged away. The trap door slams closed once again.
"NO!!!" Zak roars, his eyes not leaving the spot where she disappeared. Everyone remaining is stunned into silence.
To be continued.....