Chapter 2
Willis Wolfe had never felt better.
He glanced about at the children running all around him and laughed through the false teeth in his mouth, his floppy hair whipping around his face. The light from the moon glistened off the enormous canines pressed to his own. His bare feet slapped the pavement under the baggy pants he wore, pulled tight around his thin waist.
There was a tug on his hand, and he looked down at a young boy in a Superman costume. "Mister, is this thing real?" the young boy asked, holding aloft the bushy mock-wolf tail Willis had attached to his belt.
"Only for tonight," Willis chuckled, "same as these." He brandished the claws attached to each of his fingers for the entire group to see. He took on a mock-ferocious face and crouched down, the tight grey shirt under his long, dark coat making his lanky form look almost skeletal. "Now go," he growled, "and gather your candy, for tonight is your night!" He lifted his head to the sky and gave his best imitation of a wolf howl as the children ran off, giggling the whole way.
Willis shook his head and smiled. He pulled the sharp, monster-like dentures out and licked his teeth, attempting to get rid of the dry sensation in his mouth. "Bleh. The only bad thing about these," he grumbled. He shoved them back in his mouth and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Excuse me, but could you help me out? I'm a little lost."
Willis turned at the sound of the unexpected voice. Standing in the lamplight he had just vacated was what appeared to be a young woman about his age. A huge witch's hat topped her thin head, black hair streaming down around her pale face. His eyes traveled down her curvaceous form, taking in the strapless, form-fitting lavender dress ending just above the knees and the high, black boots that seemed to make her legs go on forever. He swallowed as well as he could with the teeth in his mouth and took a step forward.
"I could certainly try, miss. Where is it you're trying to get to?"
The young woman waved a pale hand in his direction. Willis caught the scent of a strange perfume, making him suddenly woozy. "Oh, no where in particular," the woman said. "But then again, neither are you."
Willis attempted to cock his head curiously, but he couldn't seem to keep his eyes open long enough to get a good view of the face he was trying to see. He felt his legs collapse under him, then the world crumbled beneath him.
* * * * *
Willis slowly opened his eyes, letting light filter in. His head was pounding with a force he didn't even know was possible. The only thing he could remember was the scent of that perfume... that sweet, tangy perfume...
Voices started to intrude on his thoughts. "Are you sure we should just leave him here? I mean, he is pretty high up."
"Oh, don't be such a wuss! He'll be fine. It'll only be a matter of time before someone comes to get him."
Willis turned his head as well as he could towards the sound. He saw three figures standing upside down on what looked like a metal platform. It took him a few moments before he realized that HE was upside down. He looked below him to find a huge pit of what looked like some kind of liquid. A strange, murky liquid.
He attempted to form words, but his mouth didn't want to respond. He realized that he still had his teeth in, but when he tried to move his hands to take them out, he found that they were tied behind his back, and no amount of wiggling could get him out.
"Why are you doing this?" Willis mumbled as loudly as he could. He saw one of the figures turn towards him and found himself looking at the face of a young man with what looked like devil's horns.
"It's nothing personal, buddy. We just need to know that we are the champs!" Lock noticed the shocked look on Willis' face and grinned. "Don't you worry. Someone'll be here to get you down. At least, I certainly hope they will..." He broke off into riotous laughter and turned away, heading down the walkway with the other two. Willis caught sight of a lavender dress and caught a familiar scent in the dead air of the room.
Willis struggled weakly, his hands numb from being tied up. He knew that he needed to get away soon, or the blood would all rush to his head.
They're right, he thought. Someone should be in here soon to get me down.
There was a shuffling noise above him, and Willis did his best to look up. Above him, on the rope dangling him from the ceiling, was a pitch black rat with glowing red eyes. "Go away!" Willis tried to shout, still hindered by the false fangs. "Get off!"
The little rat cocked it's little head and appeared to look at Willis quizzically with its crimson eyes. Then it leaned down and bit through part of the rope. Willis watched as the rat turned around and scurried up the rope to the ceiling, disappearing in the shadows.
There was a terrible snap, and Willis felt the sensation of falling, coupled with a sudden stop. He looked up and watched small strands of the rope begin to fray and break with the strain of his weight.
"Help!" Willis yelled as well as he could. "Somebody help me!" If only someone would hear him, he could be saved...
The last thing Willis thought as the rope snapped was that it was Saturday. Nobody worked on Saturday night...
Willis Wolfe had never felt better.
He glanced about at the children running all around him and laughed through the false teeth in his mouth, his floppy hair whipping around his face. The light from the moon glistened off the enormous canines pressed to his own. His bare feet slapped the pavement under the baggy pants he wore, pulled tight around his thin waist.
There was a tug on his hand, and he looked down at a young boy in a Superman costume. "Mister, is this thing real?" the young boy asked, holding aloft the bushy mock-wolf tail Willis had attached to his belt.
"Only for tonight," Willis chuckled, "same as these." He brandished the claws attached to each of his fingers for the entire group to see. He took on a mock-ferocious face and crouched down, the tight grey shirt under his long, dark coat making his lanky form look almost skeletal. "Now go," he growled, "and gather your candy, for tonight is your night!" He lifted his head to the sky and gave his best imitation of a wolf howl as the children ran off, giggling the whole way.
Willis shook his head and smiled. He pulled the sharp, monster-like dentures out and licked his teeth, attempting to get rid of the dry sensation in his mouth. "Bleh. The only bad thing about these," he grumbled. He shoved them back in his mouth and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Excuse me, but could you help me out? I'm a little lost."
Willis turned at the sound of the unexpected voice. Standing in the lamplight he had just vacated was what appeared to be a young woman about his age. A huge witch's hat topped her thin head, black hair streaming down around her pale face. His eyes traveled down her curvaceous form, taking in the strapless, form-fitting lavender dress ending just above the knees and the high, black boots that seemed to make her legs go on forever. He swallowed as well as he could with the teeth in his mouth and took a step forward.
"I could certainly try, miss. Where is it you're trying to get to?"
The young woman waved a pale hand in his direction. Willis caught the scent of a strange perfume, making him suddenly woozy. "Oh, no where in particular," the woman said. "But then again, neither are you."
Willis attempted to cock his head curiously, but he couldn't seem to keep his eyes open long enough to get a good view of the face he was trying to see. He felt his legs collapse under him, then the world crumbled beneath him.
* * * * *
Willis slowly opened his eyes, letting light filter in. His head was pounding with a force he didn't even know was possible. The only thing he could remember was the scent of that perfume... that sweet, tangy perfume...
Voices started to intrude on his thoughts. "Are you sure we should just leave him here? I mean, he is pretty high up."
"Oh, don't be such a wuss! He'll be fine. It'll only be a matter of time before someone comes to get him."
Willis turned his head as well as he could towards the sound. He saw three figures standing upside down on what looked like a metal platform. It took him a few moments before he realized that HE was upside down. He looked below him to find a huge pit of what looked like some kind of liquid. A strange, murky liquid.
He attempted to form words, but his mouth didn't want to respond. He realized that he still had his teeth in, but when he tried to move his hands to take them out, he found that they were tied behind his back, and no amount of wiggling could get him out.
"Why are you doing this?" Willis mumbled as loudly as he could. He saw one of the figures turn towards him and found himself looking at the face of a young man with what looked like devil's horns.
"It's nothing personal, buddy. We just need to know that we are the champs!" Lock noticed the shocked look on Willis' face and grinned. "Don't you worry. Someone'll be here to get you down. At least, I certainly hope they will..." He broke off into riotous laughter and turned away, heading down the walkway with the other two. Willis caught sight of a lavender dress and caught a familiar scent in the dead air of the room.
Willis struggled weakly, his hands numb from being tied up. He knew that he needed to get away soon, or the blood would all rush to his head.
They're right, he thought. Someone should be in here soon to get me down.
There was a shuffling noise above him, and Willis did his best to look up. Above him, on the rope dangling him from the ceiling, was a pitch black rat with glowing red eyes. "Go away!" Willis tried to shout, still hindered by the false fangs. "Get off!"
The little rat cocked it's little head and appeared to look at Willis quizzically with its crimson eyes. Then it leaned down and bit through part of the rope. Willis watched as the rat turned around and scurried up the rope to the ceiling, disappearing in the shadows.
There was a terrible snap, and Willis felt the sensation of falling, coupled with a sudden stop. He looked up and watched small strands of the rope begin to fray and break with the strain of his weight.
"Help!" Willis yelled as well as he could. "Somebody help me!" If only someone would hear him, he could be saved...
The last thing Willis thought as the rope snapped was that it was Saturday. Nobody worked on Saturday night...