Here's chapter eight. No school today, the sky outside is red and hazy-filled with smoke. Everybody's kind of on the alert-even though supposedly the danger is "slightly" less then it was-at least that's the attitude that we're getting.
Disclaimer: I don't own it; you've probably guessed it. This chapter inspired by "A Perfect Circle" Great band-go check them out.
Still you pray never stray never taste of the fruit never thought to question why
It's not like you killed someone it's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side
Praise the one who left you broken down
- A perfect Circle "Judith"
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THE LOUVRE
Early morning hours
A work of art is left up to the beholder.
As was soon to be discovered, many people would not like this new piece of art that was on display today. Workers blocked it off with yellow tape, patrons of the art gasped in horror, putting their hands over their mouths.
Some shrieked
Many fainted.
Albert Wesker tried to remain stoic as he stood beside Kate, studying the latest work in the Louvre's collection.
"Body was found at 2:30 by the night watchman." Kate said. Her voice was a study in monotone, "He notified the police."
"Where is he now?"
"He was taken away by the ambulance crew."
Wesker raised his eyes to hers, "What…was he injured?"
"Not physically."
Both shuddered.
The body had been splayed in a criss-cross pattern, a crazy Pollock painting. It had ruined two other works-both hanging side by side.
What little remained of the body-if it was really a body-was wearing a guard's uniform.
"Shit, somebody call in the fucking national guard." Wesker stood slowly, "Oh no, saints preserve us, now some freak is attacking priceless artifacts! Help! Help!"
Kate sighed, "Calm down Wesker."
"No! I won't calm down!" Wesker raised his arms above his head, "Not while a deranged monster is out attacking the art world! Oh help! Oh heavens! Good lord! Help!"
"Wesker-"
He turned to face her with a deranged smile, "Jesus! Can't a man be terrified when his property is threatened? Now this monster is going after human culture! He must be stopped! He must be-" Wesker's iron countenance wavered, the years of desensitizing himself to the horrors that mankind had created failed.
He turned, bent his head, and threw up.
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Kate handed him a towel, "You alright?"
I just lost it in front of half the Western World. All of my training couldn't have prepared me for this…this…
He shook his head wearily.
"I used to make fun of William." Wesker coughed, "Because he lost it once when we were in the middle of doing a dissection." He chuckled, and coughed again, "Then this stuff happened with Irene…"
Kate put a hand on his shoulder, "I heard about that…I'm sorry."
Wesker had avoided thinking about what might have driven his wife to do this. He had made the deal with HCF partially because he had wanted to make a better life for her then what Umbrella had allowed them to scratch out from the ground, but now…
Is it Vengeance? He stared into Kate's eyes, Or am I just scared of what I've become?
He could no longer deny…that part of him knew that it was the latter.
Kate ruffled his hair in a friendly manner. The two of them had cloistered themselves away from the main party of police and "plainclothes" Umbrella employees that were examining the scene. Whatever this thing was…
"Um…Captain Wesker?"
Wesker looked up.
"We…uh-found this sir."
Wesker raised a hand and took the piece of paper from the EMT worker. It was a crumpled-and slightly stained ID card.
"What the…"
RACCOON CITY-EMT PERSONNEL
Name: John Doe
Age: 26
Hospital: Our Lady of Grace Hospital….
"What the hell, "Wesker said calmly, "Is going on?"
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Our lady of grace hospital
After the visit with Alyssa, Dr. Katie was on the phone.
She often was on the phone; her phone calls would last into the wee-small hours of the morning and then some. In this case, it was an international call, so Katie had to put whatever she had originally hoped to accomplish that day on hold.
"Yes Sir. How are your tests proceeding?" she leaned back in the chair to listen to the response.
"I see sir, on schedule? Thank you sir, no sir-no, least I could do for the corporation." She nodded, yawned, and smiled.
"Yes Sir, I'll be sure to convey that-thank you sir. Uh huh, yes, goodbye."
She hung up the phone and sighed.
"Doctor Katie?"
Katie looked up, "Hmm?"
Daniela stepped into the room, "Doctor Katie…I was just wondering when you were going to take a look at Mrs. Birkin." Daniela shook her head nervously, and focused away from the thoughts of that woman harnessed into her bed, babbling incoherently.
"In a moment." Katie stretched out behind her desk, "Something the matter?"
The kiss from JD remained, lingering in Daniela's mind.
"No Doctor." Daniela bowed her head, "Can I go home?"
"Shortly." Katie had just been speaking to number two of her three employers. Once she'd examined Doctor Birkin, she would also return home. There was little that could be done anyway.
"Are you sure there's nothing on your mind?"
Daniela nodded.
"Alright then, lets go take a look." Katie pulled herself from the chair with difficulty, and followed her assistant out.
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AT this point in time, something must be said about the stage in which the characters move. Since little information to the contrary is available, speculation about a typical "Midwestern town" is left up to the imagination of the reader-or in this case, the author.
And Raccoon was typical. Populated formerly by rednecks, and those of undiscovered genius that never seemed to have the gall to move from the family homesteads to better locations, the bounty of Umbrella was a blessing.
A mixed blessing
Soon, young urbane professionals seeking to raise their children in an environment with the "quaint livability of an old times home" where they could enjoy all the modern conveniences invaded the serene hamlet. Already, discourse had broken out amongst townspeople and the yuppies-the old world and the new were constantly at war.
Despite these difficulties, Raccoon was not without its own luxuries, and its own necessary amenities. Through the care and devotion of Michael Redfield and Mr. David Spade, (No relation) they had built a first rate fire department. They also had a moderate police force (Steadily growing) and a hospital under the care of hospital Director Dr. Katie Sunderburg. Indeed, the young urbane professionals could be pleased with the progress the town was making.
Progress, that was unfortunately about to spiral downward.
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Raccoon City Forest
Eastward
"Its only a little bit farther!"
Ray Marker blinked at her husband, "What?"
Jeff poked his head out from between an overhanging log, "I said its only a little bit farther Ray, just hold on."
Ray grumbled, digging her hands into the moist and pungent earth to get a better handhold. Ever since spotting that eagle, and calling the authorities-Jeff had been nuts about bird watching. He knew she'd taken a few classes in the subject, so he had called upon her expertise to identify a new nest that had taken root.
Smoking…
Jeff had started smoking recently too, she could only guess at what had brought that about. She sighed and grunted as she pushed herself up the final hill, peering into a gray green wonderland, dotting everywhere with ever so slight pink flowers.
"Oh Jeff…" she breathed in the fragrance, ignoring the subtle, almost unseemly stench that seemed to go along with this place, "You were right! This is wonderful-"
Her husband said nothing.
Jeff's red and green plaid shirt, blue jeans, and body were silhouetted against her-the morning sun already climbing high in the sky. He was staring downward at something in a low gully before him, motionless.
"Jeff?"
Jeff twisted away and retched-his cigarette flying from his lips as he curled away from her, bringing up breakfast and lunch in loud heartbreaking sounds.
She jumped down from the top of the log and bolted over to the side of the gully, staring in horror at the scene below them.
Crows.
Hundreds of crows were feeding upon the bodies of four hapless individuals who seemed prone beneath the large black masses. A crow looked up at her, an eyeball in its beak-and she screamed.
And kept on screaming.
Now, unbeknownst to these two hikers, these bodies were employees of the Umbrella Corporation. Their families (In Chicago and silent Hill respectively) were collecting money from the corporation in exchange for their lives-which were now spent before them.
They were all about to be victims of a greater horror.
As anyone who has lived, or is currently living through a fire can tell you, it is not a joke. Even more deadly then a machine, natural disasters are more likely to work according to a mysterious nature that cannot be understood and/or predicted.
They change, and they shift-and they feed.
Jeff's cigarette fed upon the dry embers beneath Ray's feet, catching fire-and spreading away from the damp grass into the dry brush that lined the horrific graveyard. Ray spotted the light, and screamed just as Jeff grabbed her arm-sending them both tumbling over the tree trunk.
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Raccoon City Fire Department
Claire giggled as Kevin set the fire hat on her head. Chris and his mother were shopping today, for which Kevin was grateful. He had taken Claire to the fire station at her behest, so she could see where Uncle Mike had "Worked" she was obsessive about careers of late-she wanted to be a combination of every single job mankind had ever invented.
"Daddy!" Claire smiled up at her father with wide blue eyes, "When I grow up I want to be a firewoman okay?"
"I don't think your mom would like that very much." Kevin removed the hat from her head and sat her on his knee. They had been sequestered in a generic coffee room, many firemen still offering condolences for the untimely passing of their chief-and their friend. Kevin had thanked them-four month old wounds reopening with each "Sorry" that passed by the doors on their way to routine duties.
They must have really been close.
He had known of the dedication between police and firemen, he had just never seen it first hand.
A klaxon went off somewhere in the building.
"Daddy?" Claire jumped from his knee and ran across the wooden floor, "What's that?"
"Come on! Come on!"
"Fire!"
"10-8, 10-8, two RPD officers on call-"
Kevin frowned and walked to the door. Claire was peering out of the frosted glass expectantly, as if she expected some sort of monstrous creature to exhume itself in a bout of smoke and flame. Dark shapes were running past, their feet speaking volumes. Yes, There is a fire, I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave, no, we have no further information, thank you for your time, we're sorry to have bothered you, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
"Ack!"
The door pushed inward and Claire yelped, jumping out of the way. Kevin put a protective hand on his daughter's shoulder as a woman glanced in, her string-like black hair wild about her face.
"Sorry," She spoke with a slight accent, French? Kevin coughed into his hand, suddenly troubled by the dust, "You've got to leave-we're on an APB alert."
Kevin frowned, "What's the matter?"
"A Brushfire out near the 119." The woman jerked her thumb out the door, "Lets go kiddo huh?"
"Daddy!" Claire cried, "She's a firewoman!"
Kevin gripped Claire's shoulder blade tightly, pushing her out of the way.
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RPD
William Birkin awoke to the sound of running feet.
Where-oh that's right…I'm in Jail. His elation at waking up was burdened with the hundreds of cares that reality brought.
"Morning pal." His night companion said, "Looks dark huh?"
Two things dawned on William Birkin.
Firstly, they were in complete darkness, and secondly, his companion was a woman. An Asian woman with short black hair and bright, inquisitive gray eyes.
And he knew her.
"Ada?"
"Dr. Birkin?"
The silence filled the room and threatened to choke them. Ada chuckled and pushed herself off the cot so she could look at him closely.
" I never thought to see the great William Birkin in Jail!" Ada crowed, "Holy Catfish, what'd you do? Rob a blood bank? Or maybe the city morgue-"
"I was within my constitutional rights." William said sternly, "HEAR ME? I WAS WITHIN MY RIGHTS!"
"Yeah, and I'm Mary Queen of Fucking Scots." Ada lit another cigarette, "Shit, I just got here-like yesterday from New York and now this-"
"Now this what?" I don't think I can take any more bad news.
"You don't know?" Ada smirked, "There's a big brush fire-"
"Oh god!"
His first thought went to the Spencer mansion with its Shake shingle roof. It would go up like a twig, which would set off the self destruct-which would most likely take his work, all of his researchers, and the town with it.
"Relax, apparently it's on the East side of town."
"Jesus." Birkin leaned against the wall and jumped to his feet, "I can't relax! That's near the hospital! That's where Annette is!"
"Well, don't get upset about it." Ada said, "I'm sure they have an evacuation plan."
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Our Lady of Grace instituion
After kissing her, JD knew that he had officially lost it.
I'm going home. Dr. Birkin could kiss his proverbial ass. The man was obviously not going to come back and relieve him, so he had to assume that his shift was over. He was a computer nerd for Chrissake! He didn't have to baby-sit his boss's wife at the whisper of a problem.
JD stepped outside the door and peered up at the sky. The air suddenly seemed…darker. A gray haze spread over the sun, turning it the slightest red in the afternoon. People were looking up at the sky in wonder-one woman in a wheelchair began to cough hysterically, causing two nearby doctors to usher her back into the hospital.
"What the…"
People were moving back toward the hospital. JD raised his eyes to the sky and frowned. It smelled like somebody was having the world's largest barbeque. It was getting harder to see, the gray haze was making his eyes water.
"Sir!"
JD raised his eyes, "What?"
A young man with short blond hair was tugging at his arm.
"We've got to get back inside! They say there's a fire!"
JD watched as a blond attractive woman jumped from her car and rushed back towards the fire, staring constantly at the sky. JD then graciously allowed himself to be led along.
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The Spencer Mansion
"Pass me another needle will you?"
Dr. Jones looked up, "What's that?"
A few employees began to quicken about the halls, the TV in the breakroom was tuned to the local radio station, and the local TV channel. Most however, remained engaged. The evacuation procedures were tighter now then fort Knox, should anything happen.
No danger, No Alarm. Return to your workstations, we will keep you posted.
The company took care of its own after all.
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Our lady instituion
"I'm going to give her a sedative."
Daniela was looking out at the orange glow. It reminded her of the soft glow emitted from pumpkins on Halloween night, the strange shapes twisting in the gray haze making its own trick or treaters-and its own daemons.
"Are you sure you want to-"
Katie stared back at her.
Annette looked up and had a dazed, yet vivid impression of a daemon bearing down upon her.
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A/N-something like a fire had to happen in order to keep people in the hospital, but it also imitates life in a way.