Chapter 8- The Fall
The television played softly in the distance, the volume had been turned down so only faints mumbles and whispers could be heard from the new announcer shown on the convex glass. The skies outside were a mixture or orange and blue and a hint of purple gathered higher in the sky. Long gloomy shadows built and disappeared, as did the sun. They all sat around, it has been a long day, to long. They left only one lamp on including the kitchen light which left the apartment dark and gloomy except for the area in which the falling sun still manages to shine. Kyle sat at the far left hand corner of the couch, his head was tilted back, by sight you cold tell he was bored and drifting off into a lazy sleep. Todd and Michelle were cuddled together in the middle a large quilt surrounded both their shoulders as Michelle lent into Todd. Todd held Michelle close with one hand and they both gazed down at the glass coffee table, neither of them hardly blinked once. And finally, to the far right corner of the couch sat Erin wrapped up in a oval like shape with a blanket of her own. She huddle into herself, looking for comfort which she had not found. She to gazed at the glass coffee table, but it wasn't the coffee table they were focusing so astonishing on, it was what was on the coffee table that was truly shocking. A newspaper lay neatly on coffee table, not a page was flipped, no one had bothered or even dared. They all sat around staring at it, except Kyle who was letting out awkward little sighs in his light sleep, every now and then he would wake up, look around at everyone, then fall back to sleep. This was his routine for almost the whole evening. Not once did he even bother to look at the newspaper, either he didn't care, or didn't want to know, for whatever reason. And Erin, she felt she would have been better not knowing. On the smooth piece of newspaper lay a article, and on the top of the page, in the boldest, blackest letters it read.
ANOTHER MASSACRE IN TRAVIS COUNTY TEXAS. A group of traveling tourists were reported to be found brutally murdered and dismembered hanging from a mass of trees just outside of Travis County, where the original 1973 massacre happened just two years before, which had lead to only one survivor, who name may not be mentioned. The bodies in the second massacre are still to be identified, families will be notified...
The article continued on with the gory details for a page and a half. Erin had stopped at the first paragraph, having no desire to know anymore, not wanting to remember. The news was quickly flooding the airwave, being every news stations 'breaking news'. They also had shown some gruesome pictures from the crime scene on television, disturbing images of people hand from a tree by the feet, head, and arms, each of them gutted and skinned. The images were to much for Erin to handle, the story was to much for Erin to handle. This whole experience was to much to handle, and this time it didn't happen to her. This only answered Erin's silent questions, unless this was some sick psycho trying to remake the massacre of '73. Erin didn't think so.
She turned her head away from the newspaper, and the reporter on television retelling the story for the millionth time. Even though the sound on the television was low, Erin had no trouble picking up on the next bit of information provided on the news. She turned her head back to face the television. "Turn it up, please." She said gazing at the television leaning in. "Erin..." Michelle said placing a hand on Erin's shoulder, as if to say 'Your crazy enough as it is, you don't need to hear this.' Of course that's not what Michelle meant at all, but that's how Erin took it, though not revealing that she thought so. "..Turn it up...please..." Erin said looking to Michelle, talking through her teeth. Michelle gave a worried look, and turned to the television as Todd turned the sound on the box up. The news reporter was no longer speaking of the current incident. But the past incident, the incident that happened almost two years ago. "Five teenagers were traveling across Texas that day on August 18th 1973, Little did they know of the incidents that were to happen, and what was to come of them, all had met their demise that day, all but one, Erin Callaway. And what has become of Erin now? Doctor Conrad here, a psychiatrist who had spoken with Erin shortly after the incident is here to explain to us in where this young girl is know, Doctor?" The reporter finished and the camera moved over to focus on the doctor sitting in a large red leather chair, which continued to speak. "Well Michael, Where is Erin now? I know exactly where she is, and where she is not. She is not with us, she is in a world of her own, most likely filled with memories, and realistic fantasies of what had happened that day on August 18th 1973." The doctor said before being interrupted by the reporter once again. "So what your saying doctor, is that Erin is well, crazy." "No, not entirely she is probably feeling feelings of regret and remorse of what happened that day, she probably threw her friends to the killer, being the only one who had survived... The only way to stop these fears is to well, destroy what ever is causing the hallucinations..." They continued on in their conversation which lead to the conclusion if Erin was a murderer or crazy. Erin stood up quickly placing a hand on her forehead, Her face fell deathly ill looking as she stood there wobbling slightly in her position, she closed her eyes to try and some to her senses. "Alright that's enough!" Michelle hollered out in furry, flicking the television of in much anger and sympathy for Erin. Michelle stood up to stand closer to Erin and to show her support. "Are you alright?" Michelle asked in a clam voice, looking over to Erin who let her hand fall back down to her side. She opened her eyes and tears crawled down her cheeks, which they so often did now. "How could they do that? How could they call me a murderer!?" Erin hollered out, getting more furious as she spoke the words. She manage to wake Kyle up, and once he noticed the commotion that was going on he to stood up a confused look on his face. He looked down to Todd, who was still sitting on the couch, looking for him to clue him in on what happened. "I know Erin, what they did was wrong." "No you don't know! Now one knows!...Now one will every know what happened but me...no one." Todd stood up now, deciding to do the macho thing and try to settle all the disputes and troubles. "Erin, calm down." He said pointing a finger in her direction, making it seem like a order. Michelle looked to Todd giving him a dirty look. "Todd!" Michelle said aloud in disbelief. Kyle stood there quietly, still not knowing exactly what was happening. One moment he was sleeping and everyone was dead silent, the next minute world war 3 was having its prewar. "Calm down? Clam down?! I don't want to fucking calm down!!" Erin yelled to Todd in a out of order voice, She backed up taking slipshod steps. She clenched her fists in a ball, beads of sweat begin to form in her palm as her nails dug into the skin of her palm. Todd stood there his finger still pointed at her in the same position, just watching Erin. They all just stood there watching her. Michelle, holding her arms over her chest, looked up to Todd a distinctly worried look upon her face. Michelle, Todd, and Kyle all jumped at a loud shattering noise that made them all gasp. Michelle looked back quickly after hearing the shatter, Her eyes widened and she spoke out in a loud gasping scream. "Oh my god, Erin!"
End of chapter 8
The television played softly in the distance, the volume had been turned down so only faints mumbles and whispers could be heard from the new announcer shown on the convex glass. The skies outside were a mixture or orange and blue and a hint of purple gathered higher in the sky. Long gloomy shadows built and disappeared, as did the sun. They all sat around, it has been a long day, to long. They left only one lamp on including the kitchen light which left the apartment dark and gloomy except for the area in which the falling sun still manages to shine. Kyle sat at the far left hand corner of the couch, his head was tilted back, by sight you cold tell he was bored and drifting off into a lazy sleep. Todd and Michelle were cuddled together in the middle a large quilt surrounded both their shoulders as Michelle lent into Todd. Todd held Michelle close with one hand and they both gazed down at the glass coffee table, neither of them hardly blinked once. And finally, to the far right corner of the couch sat Erin wrapped up in a oval like shape with a blanket of her own. She huddle into herself, looking for comfort which she had not found. She to gazed at the glass coffee table, but it wasn't the coffee table they were focusing so astonishing on, it was what was on the coffee table that was truly shocking. A newspaper lay neatly on coffee table, not a page was flipped, no one had bothered or even dared. They all sat around staring at it, except Kyle who was letting out awkward little sighs in his light sleep, every now and then he would wake up, look around at everyone, then fall back to sleep. This was his routine for almost the whole evening. Not once did he even bother to look at the newspaper, either he didn't care, or didn't want to know, for whatever reason. And Erin, she felt she would have been better not knowing. On the smooth piece of newspaper lay a article, and on the top of the page, in the boldest, blackest letters it read.
ANOTHER MASSACRE IN TRAVIS COUNTY TEXAS. A group of traveling tourists were reported to be found brutally murdered and dismembered hanging from a mass of trees just outside of Travis County, where the original 1973 massacre happened just two years before, which had lead to only one survivor, who name may not be mentioned. The bodies in the second massacre are still to be identified, families will be notified...
The article continued on with the gory details for a page and a half. Erin had stopped at the first paragraph, having no desire to know anymore, not wanting to remember. The news was quickly flooding the airwave, being every news stations 'breaking news'. They also had shown some gruesome pictures from the crime scene on television, disturbing images of people hand from a tree by the feet, head, and arms, each of them gutted and skinned. The images were to much for Erin to handle, the story was to much for Erin to handle. This whole experience was to much to handle, and this time it didn't happen to her. This only answered Erin's silent questions, unless this was some sick psycho trying to remake the massacre of '73. Erin didn't think so.
She turned her head away from the newspaper, and the reporter on television retelling the story for the millionth time. Even though the sound on the television was low, Erin had no trouble picking up on the next bit of information provided on the news. She turned her head back to face the television. "Turn it up, please." She said gazing at the television leaning in. "Erin..." Michelle said placing a hand on Erin's shoulder, as if to say 'Your crazy enough as it is, you don't need to hear this.' Of course that's not what Michelle meant at all, but that's how Erin took it, though not revealing that she thought so. "..Turn it up...please..." Erin said looking to Michelle, talking through her teeth. Michelle gave a worried look, and turned to the television as Todd turned the sound on the box up. The news reporter was no longer speaking of the current incident. But the past incident, the incident that happened almost two years ago. "Five teenagers were traveling across Texas that day on August 18th 1973, Little did they know of the incidents that were to happen, and what was to come of them, all had met their demise that day, all but one, Erin Callaway. And what has become of Erin now? Doctor Conrad here, a psychiatrist who had spoken with Erin shortly after the incident is here to explain to us in where this young girl is know, Doctor?" The reporter finished and the camera moved over to focus on the doctor sitting in a large red leather chair, which continued to speak. "Well Michael, Where is Erin now? I know exactly where she is, and where she is not. She is not with us, she is in a world of her own, most likely filled with memories, and realistic fantasies of what had happened that day on August 18th 1973." The doctor said before being interrupted by the reporter once again. "So what your saying doctor, is that Erin is well, crazy." "No, not entirely she is probably feeling feelings of regret and remorse of what happened that day, she probably threw her friends to the killer, being the only one who had survived... The only way to stop these fears is to well, destroy what ever is causing the hallucinations..." They continued on in their conversation which lead to the conclusion if Erin was a murderer or crazy. Erin stood up quickly placing a hand on her forehead, Her face fell deathly ill looking as she stood there wobbling slightly in her position, she closed her eyes to try and some to her senses. "Alright that's enough!" Michelle hollered out in furry, flicking the television of in much anger and sympathy for Erin. Michelle stood up to stand closer to Erin and to show her support. "Are you alright?" Michelle asked in a clam voice, looking over to Erin who let her hand fall back down to her side. She opened her eyes and tears crawled down her cheeks, which they so often did now. "How could they do that? How could they call me a murderer!?" Erin hollered out, getting more furious as she spoke the words. She manage to wake Kyle up, and once he noticed the commotion that was going on he to stood up a confused look on his face. He looked down to Todd, who was still sitting on the couch, looking for him to clue him in on what happened. "I know Erin, what they did was wrong." "No you don't know! Now one knows!...Now one will every know what happened but me...no one." Todd stood up now, deciding to do the macho thing and try to settle all the disputes and troubles. "Erin, calm down." He said pointing a finger in her direction, making it seem like a order. Michelle looked to Todd giving him a dirty look. "Todd!" Michelle said aloud in disbelief. Kyle stood there quietly, still not knowing exactly what was happening. One moment he was sleeping and everyone was dead silent, the next minute world war 3 was having its prewar. "Calm down? Clam down?! I don't want to fucking calm down!!" Erin yelled to Todd in a out of order voice, She backed up taking slipshod steps. She clenched her fists in a ball, beads of sweat begin to form in her palm as her nails dug into the skin of her palm. Todd stood there his finger still pointed at her in the same position, just watching Erin. They all just stood there watching her. Michelle, holding her arms over her chest, looked up to Todd a distinctly worried look upon her face. Michelle, Todd, and Kyle all jumped at a loud shattering noise that made them all gasp. Michelle looked back quickly after hearing the shatter, Her eyes widened and she spoke out in a loud gasping scream. "Oh my god, Erin!"
End of chapter 8