Thanks for the reviews again, they really do help me stay motivated; please keep 'em coming.
And Cow T R0bot, in answer to your review... yes and no. You'll just have to see.
That being said, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
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Chapter 6: A Friend Named Magnum
We walked back toward the front of the store, giving Mr. Sunderland a quick synopsis of our (mis)adventure into the town. Well, at least I did; Todd kept his mouth shut, occasionally glancing at Mr. Sunderland out of the corner of his eye. It really wasn't like Todd to act this way toward anyone, especially someone he'd just met. It's not like the guy was dangerous or anything, although the bloody grime on his clothes didn't look very appealing...
Mr. Sunderland took it all in without any surprise. He simply listened as if someone were reading him a report full of obvious facts. Perhaps he'd had similar things happen when he arrived. He did, after all, look like someone who'd gone through a lot of struggle, judging by the wrinkles creasing his brow.
We approached the counter in the front when James spoke up.
"Sorry to interrupt your story, but... er, didn't you say your friend was here at the counter?"
"Yeah, she-," I started.
Stephanie was gone.
I stood there in silence for a moment, glancing this way and that. James peered around a bit as well, while Todd walked to the counter and looked behind it. Finally I burst.
"I don't believe this! I told her to stay here and keep warm, and-." I suddenly stopped and looked around at the dark isles. "Oh Stephanie? If you're hiding, this isn't the time or place."
"She's not hiding," said Todd.
"Then where is she?" I barked, rounding on him. Todd glanced at the doorway. "You can't be serious! She almost went unconscious out there, and you're saying she went back out?"
"I never said she did," he said irritably. "I simply know that she isn't here. I hardly think she'd play another prank, either, after the humiliation she just went through."
Sometimes I hated Todd, not because he was a bad person, but because he had a tendency to be right about most things.
He looked over at Mr. Sunderland, who appeared completely calm.
"Any ideas?" growled Todd.
"Well, given the circumstances, the only thing you-"
At that moment, a large boom resounded throughout the store, echoing off the dusty walls. Todd and I jumped, while Mr. Sunderland simply turned his head toward the back of the store. My backpack, which still lay where I'd last talked to Stephanie, was emitting some sort of scratchy noise.
Mr. Sunderland pulled something out of his jacket and started walking toward the back. Meanwhile, I reached over to my backpack and rummaged around until I found the source of the weird noise. It was coming from the radio I'd found in the cemetery, but why it'd just started working was a mystery. Even more baffling was that, upon further inspection, there were no batteries inside.
I turned around to show Todd, but he was already walking down an isle adjacent to Mr. Sunderland. As he disappeared into the darkness, I swung my backpack around my shoulders and followed after him. After a few moments, though, a new sound filled the emptiness. The distinct blasts of a gun echoed from the back, interrupted by a screeching noise and a scream. The scream, I realized, belonged to Todd.
I started running down the isle and skidded to a sudden halt when I saw Todd. He was crouched over, huddled in a corner, staring straight ahead. The door had been completely knocked off its hinges and was now flat on the tiled floor. On top of it, though, was something I'd never imagined in my worst nightmares.
A hulking, humanoid form lay wriggling on the door, pinkish-white skin stretched in unnatural ways around its frame. It had no arms, from what I could see, but its legs were bulky and covered in blue, pulsing veins. To top it off, the body was riddled with shards of what looked like glass jutting from its skin.
Gasping and backing up to where Todd crouched, I stared in horror as the thing tried to right itself. A faceless mound of skin on top of its "shoulders" was gnashing its teeth and shrieking furiously. Mr. Sunderland now came into view pointing a gun at the thing. Two blasts pumped straight into its "head" and it stopped moving, spilling gobs of thick, crimson blood on the floor.
Struggling not to vomit, I held out my hands to Todd, helping him to his feet. He stood and put a hand on my shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze of thanks. Suddenly he faced Mr. Sunderland, an angry frown upon his face.
"What's the deal!" he yelled, pointing his finger at the man. "You almost killed me!"
Indeed, as I looked at Todd, I noticed several fresh bullet holes in the wall directly behind him. Mr. Sunderland lowered the gun from the monster and looked back at us.
"Sorry, I didn't see you back there," he said, looking from Todd to the monster.
"M-Mr. Sunderland," I croaked, "w-what is that?"
"I'm not sure," he said. "And please, call me James."
He was acting very casual about the entire experience as if he did this type of thing all the time. I, on the other hand, couldn't fathom how such a creature could exist. It was as if someone had swallowed a wheelbarrow full of glass and then turned inside out.
"Lets get out of here," said Todd, tugging gently on my sleeve.
"I agree," James said. "It's time to go."
With that he turned and walked out the door, leaving Todd and me standing in the middle of a truly gory scene. Grabbing Todd's hand, I raced out the door after him.
"Wait! You're just going to leave us!?"
James stopped and turned around, a look of mild concern sweeping his face.
"I'm really sorry, but I have something important I have to do."
"B-but..." I stammered, "what if another... whatever-the-hell-that-was comes after us?"
James looked at Todd and me for a moment, considering something. Finally, he held his gun out to Todd.
"You know how to use one of these?" he asked.
Todd nodded slowly, and took the gun.
"Good," said James, glancing at me. "Protect her, ok?"
James started to walk away once more, but turned abruptly back around.
"Oh, and when you find your friend, come to the Lakeview Hotel. My wife, Mary... she might have some ideas about how you can get out of here."
"Hey," I spoke up, "that's where I booked our reservations."
James blinked and stared at me.
"You called in reservations?"
"Well, yeah," I said. "Some guy with a raspy voice confirmed everything."
James looked momentarily thunderstruck. Just as quickly, his expression changed back to normal.
"Interesting," he said, looking off into nowhere. "Well, anyway, see you kids later. Be careful."
And just like that, he walked away into the white abyss of snow and fog. Todd and I stood in the cold, looking from the doorway to the alley in front of us.
"Todd," I muttered on the verge of tears, "what now? What are we going to do?"
"With this cold setting in and Steph missing, I think James is right," he said, sympathetically rubbing my shoulder. "We're gonna have to look for her."
Nodding, I hooked my arm around his and stayed close as we walked down the desolate alleyway. I couldn't help but sob softly as we went; this was undoubtedly the worst day of my life. It wasn't really the events themselves that'd taken their toll, but rather, the lack of logic involved.
We soon came out of the alley to a sign that read Harris St. As I'd expected, there was no sign of James. We took a right and walked for some time, until...
"Do you hear something?" asked Todd suddenly.
Letting go of his arm, I listened. Nothing. Wait... it sounded like...
"A siren?" I said, glancing at Todd.
Soon it became clear that it was, indeed, a siren, though nothing like the fire truck we'd heard before. This was more like the old air raid sirens used to alert the public of disaster. As it got louder, I found myself gripping Todd's arm again, though he looked just as frightened as me (for once). It was obvious we both had a horrible feeling about this.
As if in answer to this thought, the whiteness around us slowly started to dissipate. What once was shrouded in fog and snow soon became utter darkness.
The sirens faded into the distance, bringing new (and more disturbing) sounds into realization. Around us, the blackness brought grinding, metallic squeals. It sounded like we were in the middle of a steel mill or something. Soon, though, those sounds were last on my mind. Screeching, chirping sounds emanated in the distance. Off to the side, an inhuman wail split the air.
The snow seemed to have stopped falling, but that didn't stop me from shaking. Even Todd, whose form I could feel but not see, was quivering a bit. I reached behind into my backpack and finally managed to pull out the flashlight I'd brought.
Unprepared and shaking, I clutched Todd's arm; my other hand turned on the flashlight.
And Cow T R0bot, in answer to your review... yes and no. You'll just have to see.
That being said, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
********************************
Chapter 6: A Friend Named Magnum
We walked back toward the front of the store, giving Mr. Sunderland a quick synopsis of our (mis)adventure into the town. Well, at least I did; Todd kept his mouth shut, occasionally glancing at Mr. Sunderland out of the corner of his eye. It really wasn't like Todd to act this way toward anyone, especially someone he'd just met. It's not like the guy was dangerous or anything, although the bloody grime on his clothes didn't look very appealing...
Mr. Sunderland took it all in without any surprise. He simply listened as if someone were reading him a report full of obvious facts. Perhaps he'd had similar things happen when he arrived. He did, after all, look like someone who'd gone through a lot of struggle, judging by the wrinkles creasing his brow.
We approached the counter in the front when James spoke up.
"Sorry to interrupt your story, but... er, didn't you say your friend was here at the counter?"
"Yeah, she-," I started.
Stephanie was gone.
I stood there in silence for a moment, glancing this way and that. James peered around a bit as well, while Todd walked to the counter and looked behind it. Finally I burst.
"I don't believe this! I told her to stay here and keep warm, and-." I suddenly stopped and looked around at the dark isles. "Oh Stephanie? If you're hiding, this isn't the time or place."
"She's not hiding," said Todd.
"Then where is she?" I barked, rounding on him. Todd glanced at the doorway. "You can't be serious! She almost went unconscious out there, and you're saying she went back out?"
"I never said she did," he said irritably. "I simply know that she isn't here. I hardly think she'd play another prank, either, after the humiliation she just went through."
Sometimes I hated Todd, not because he was a bad person, but because he had a tendency to be right about most things.
He looked over at Mr. Sunderland, who appeared completely calm.
"Any ideas?" growled Todd.
"Well, given the circumstances, the only thing you-"
At that moment, a large boom resounded throughout the store, echoing off the dusty walls. Todd and I jumped, while Mr. Sunderland simply turned his head toward the back of the store. My backpack, which still lay where I'd last talked to Stephanie, was emitting some sort of scratchy noise.
Mr. Sunderland pulled something out of his jacket and started walking toward the back. Meanwhile, I reached over to my backpack and rummaged around until I found the source of the weird noise. It was coming from the radio I'd found in the cemetery, but why it'd just started working was a mystery. Even more baffling was that, upon further inspection, there were no batteries inside.
I turned around to show Todd, but he was already walking down an isle adjacent to Mr. Sunderland. As he disappeared into the darkness, I swung my backpack around my shoulders and followed after him. After a few moments, though, a new sound filled the emptiness. The distinct blasts of a gun echoed from the back, interrupted by a screeching noise and a scream. The scream, I realized, belonged to Todd.
I started running down the isle and skidded to a sudden halt when I saw Todd. He was crouched over, huddled in a corner, staring straight ahead. The door had been completely knocked off its hinges and was now flat on the tiled floor. On top of it, though, was something I'd never imagined in my worst nightmares.
A hulking, humanoid form lay wriggling on the door, pinkish-white skin stretched in unnatural ways around its frame. It had no arms, from what I could see, but its legs were bulky and covered in blue, pulsing veins. To top it off, the body was riddled with shards of what looked like glass jutting from its skin.
Gasping and backing up to where Todd crouched, I stared in horror as the thing tried to right itself. A faceless mound of skin on top of its "shoulders" was gnashing its teeth and shrieking furiously. Mr. Sunderland now came into view pointing a gun at the thing. Two blasts pumped straight into its "head" and it stopped moving, spilling gobs of thick, crimson blood on the floor.
Struggling not to vomit, I held out my hands to Todd, helping him to his feet. He stood and put a hand on my shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze of thanks. Suddenly he faced Mr. Sunderland, an angry frown upon his face.
"What's the deal!" he yelled, pointing his finger at the man. "You almost killed me!"
Indeed, as I looked at Todd, I noticed several fresh bullet holes in the wall directly behind him. Mr. Sunderland lowered the gun from the monster and looked back at us.
"Sorry, I didn't see you back there," he said, looking from Todd to the monster.
"M-Mr. Sunderland," I croaked, "w-what is that?"
"I'm not sure," he said. "And please, call me James."
He was acting very casual about the entire experience as if he did this type of thing all the time. I, on the other hand, couldn't fathom how such a creature could exist. It was as if someone had swallowed a wheelbarrow full of glass and then turned inside out.
"Lets get out of here," said Todd, tugging gently on my sleeve.
"I agree," James said. "It's time to go."
With that he turned and walked out the door, leaving Todd and me standing in the middle of a truly gory scene. Grabbing Todd's hand, I raced out the door after him.
"Wait! You're just going to leave us!?"
James stopped and turned around, a look of mild concern sweeping his face.
"I'm really sorry, but I have something important I have to do."
"B-but..." I stammered, "what if another... whatever-the-hell-that-was comes after us?"
James looked at Todd and me for a moment, considering something. Finally, he held his gun out to Todd.
"You know how to use one of these?" he asked.
Todd nodded slowly, and took the gun.
"Good," said James, glancing at me. "Protect her, ok?"
James started to walk away once more, but turned abruptly back around.
"Oh, and when you find your friend, come to the Lakeview Hotel. My wife, Mary... she might have some ideas about how you can get out of here."
"Hey," I spoke up, "that's where I booked our reservations."
James blinked and stared at me.
"You called in reservations?"
"Well, yeah," I said. "Some guy with a raspy voice confirmed everything."
James looked momentarily thunderstruck. Just as quickly, his expression changed back to normal.
"Interesting," he said, looking off into nowhere. "Well, anyway, see you kids later. Be careful."
And just like that, he walked away into the white abyss of snow and fog. Todd and I stood in the cold, looking from the doorway to the alley in front of us.
"Todd," I muttered on the verge of tears, "what now? What are we going to do?"
"With this cold setting in and Steph missing, I think James is right," he said, sympathetically rubbing my shoulder. "We're gonna have to look for her."
Nodding, I hooked my arm around his and stayed close as we walked down the desolate alleyway. I couldn't help but sob softly as we went; this was undoubtedly the worst day of my life. It wasn't really the events themselves that'd taken their toll, but rather, the lack of logic involved.
We soon came out of the alley to a sign that read Harris St. As I'd expected, there was no sign of James. We took a right and walked for some time, until...
"Do you hear something?" asked Todd suddenly.
Letting go of his arm, I listened. Nothing. Wait... it sounded like...
"A siren?" I said, glancing at Todd.
Soon it became clear that it was, indeed, a siren, though nothing like the fire truck we'd heard before. This was more like the old air raid sirens used to alert the public of disaster. As it got louder, I found myself gripping Todd's arm again, though he looked just as frightened as me (for once). It was obvious we both had a horrible feeling about this.
As if in answer to this thought, the whiteness around us slowly started to dissipate. What once was shrouded in fog and snow soon became utter darkness.
The sirens faded into the distance, bringing new (and more disturbing) sounds into realization. Around us, the blackness brought grinding, metallic squeals. It sounded like we were in the middle of a steel mill or something. Soon, though, those sounds were last on my mind. Screeching, chirping sounds emanated in the distance. Off to the side, an inhuman wail split the air.
The snow seemed to have stopped falling, but that didn't stop me from shaking. Even Todd, whose form I could feel but not see, was quivering a bit. I reached behind into my backpack and finally managed to pull out the flashlight I'd brought.
Unprepared and shaking, I clutched Todd's arm; my other hand turned on the flashlight.