Chapter VI
Out and About
The sound of tumbling trash cans caught the attention of Alex. The sound was distant and muffled but it sure grasped Alex in a way that seemed startling and odd. This place was assumedly deserted, Alex thought, or at least it was until he heard that peculiar disturbance.
Nether the less, Alex took his attention away from the mirror, and proceeded to investigate this clamor. To the same window as before, it seems that the source was just on the outside. Alex's fingers pressed against the blinds, revealing the sight of the street once more.
To as expected, Alex's eyes met the very same trash cans he had noticed before. Except one thing: the cans weren't upright anymore, they were laying down on the street, swaying from left to right, as if recently moved. His attention then caught one of the lids, rolling across the street, assumably something caused it to roll by. Something for sure, was on the other side of these walls, that have been sheltering Alex for the past two days. Absolutely, something was there.
Now it wasn't apparent or even absolute, but Alex thought he could hear shuffling about, across the room, and on the other side of the front door. As if something arrived to be Alex's esteemed guests.
Whatever it was, Alex was pretty sure it was the same beings who's been causing all this commotion.
Whatever it was...Alex needed to find out. Curiosity always killed the cat you know!
He started to pace for the door, eager to open the ceal, and hoping to enter into something of understanding. Yeah, that's right, find out who this lost soul really is. And find a descent position in life at least. But what if this being on the other side was something not friendly? What if this is like those horror films that set up the scene of intensity and thrill. Perhaps Alex himself, was the center of a captivated audience, waiting for the moment...
...the moment of understanding?
No...not this audience. Alex couldn't help wonder if the "spectators" were just waiting for him to open that door and recieve his gift of "freedom." His gift of truth. His gift of judgment. Whether for his benefits or not! He couldn't tell. But there was one thing that was absolute.
He needed to open that door!
"Open the bloody door!"
Alex grabbed his brown leather jacket, assuming it was quite chilly out there in this unknown beyond.
Alex placed his hand over the handle. All there is left; is for him to turn that round and let in whatever outcome awaits him. Yet, hesitation aroused, and Alex just stared at that sphere he had just placed his hand over.
How long has it been, two days since he left the motel room? Alex pondered.
Indeed, he'd been here isolating himself from the outside; surviving on purchased food he'd been carrying around since he left home. But he can't stay here forever.
He can't leave…
…Jessica.
He just can't!
And now…The time has come!
…The time has come.
Advent Time! Follow the Walruses' statement for the now!
And now, Alex, turned the lightened and reflected handle. Sweat came running down his brow, and his eyes extended from their sockets, while the pupils shortened and focused.
The security of the door swayed away, and the outside was revealed. Alex felt a slight chill run up his legs and down his back. The hue of Alex's entire body shifted from normal, to a light gray scale in which was given by the outside's shade. Of course, the outside was covered in the shade of gray fog in which he found settled here five days ago. Not exactly melancholy, but it doesn't matter now, does it?
Yesterday, confined within the room, and no tender sugar was able to find him. Beaten to isolation, he faded into shame. And could the nightmare be awake? He couldn't quite tell. But he knew one thing: these walls have been keeping him from all those things which haunt him. If he just steps out, those haunting extremities will come after him again…Yes they will!
"David, you little shit!"
"David, you never do anything right, do you?"
No… Not again… Not again… Not again…
It was a dream he couldn't awake from.
What is real… What is real… What is real…
It was getting hard for him to take. Can he really endure so much of this pain? Can he really take this much sorrow? Can he take so much of this reality?
And what he needs… what he needs… what he needs…
Is there someone out there, for him to rely? Is there? Can it be the girl he's been looking for?
His head was spinning around, and around. But now, this door is open to his desired path. All there is left is one step into this great unknown.
Alex lifted his foot, his face kept the same awestruck look it's been keeping all this time. And before he knew it, Alex had exited the room, and stepped right into the establishment of the outside.
It was indeed foggy. His sight could only capture objects within sixteen feet, and seeing with only that distance didn't assure him anything. The air itself was thin. In fact, Alex found himself breathing through respiration of his mouth. He thought it strange, nothing was making him so fatigued in his respiratory system. Yet, here he is, making an effort in just breathing. Odd. Not highly insane. But just odd.
A chill ran through Alex, it indeed was cold in temperature and in dominion. The escape of his breath could be seen in the chill of the air. Continually, Alex breathed in and out in a desperate and fatigued manner. The display of his breath became denser in every respiration.
And then something strange occurred. Something Alex didn't expect to see. Something that belongs in a more happier and joyous setting. Alex's eyes caught snow starting to fall upon the area. Strange!
He turned and circled all around to view the fall of these slow, yet astonishing flakes which have fallen upon the area. He questioned something in his mind: is the entire town besieged by this settlement of snow? Or is it perhaps, he is the center of the rare settlement in which has been strangely summoned?
How long has it been since he last saw snow? Alex wondered. He couldn't recall the last occurrence. But for sure, he has absolute memories of the natural settlement. Memories recalled in days long past. In fact, from what Alex could remember, his home was so far south that it hardly got any snow at all. So what is it that's springing his thought of memory to life? If not his home back in that desert setting, then what is it?
Before Alex could recall the remembrance, the snowfall ceased its reside. Confused, Alex never knew that a snowfall would last that short.
He then remembered the real reason he was out here. The source of the disturbance!
Just where could it be, Alex pondered, looking around the area in the process. Attempting to sight anything that could've possibly caused the commotion.
His attention then focused on the motel's office. The entry way was slightly open, and the door swayed back and forth as if recently moved. The inquisitive Alex paced forward towards the faintly ajar office wing. It was now absolute that he was about to come face to face with another living being since his arrival here five days ago. Whether for his benefits or not, he needed to meet at least someone.
Alex got closer and closer to the wing, nothing could be identified of what was inside, except for complete darkness. Mysterious along with the disturbing sensation of trepidation the darkness possessed.
Perhaps this someone could provide useful and convenient information. Who knows, perhaps this encounter is just the thing Alex needed! Yeah it's indeed something Alex has been waiting for!
Closer and closer the entry way came. Just closer and closer is all that it is. Like a certain animal, with a certain ambition, with a certain keenness that it posses within its soul.
Just who could this person in the office wing be? The motel keeper? Possibly. A janitor? Could be. Some lost individual who's also confused with the lack of residence in this town? Probably the most accepting assumption.
The entry was upon Alex now. Ready to take the action of answering this bewildering situation.
My, oh my, oh my…Just who could it be in this…
The door threw open, in which an unknown object was projected through the air. It landed smack down three feet in front of Alex, making a crashing and shattering impact. Upon impact, a thrust of blood was made into the air in which landed upon Alex. In reaction to all of this Alex fell back and landed with the horror of blood that had just spattered across his entire body.
Alex fixed his eyes in a traumatized state, he focused upon the unknown object which had just been thrown from the office wing. He succumbed to horror upon realizing what the object was.
A man's blood stained faced stared at him in devastation and desolation. A look of desperation was upon the man's face, now in a torn state of dismay. A dead being of dismay
Those eyes…those desperate, and frightened eyes just keep staring back at Alex, as if the man were pleading for the sake of Alex's help, as if pleading in God's name to safe him from whatever fatal stalker that's been seeking him.
Alex sat in extreme shock, staring at the contorted body which lay before him. The neck was indeed broken, perhaps ripped to pieces as it appears, since the head looked as if to eradicate itself from the entire body. The arms were twisted in an unorganized manner, along with the legs, sorting the entire body into one big toy ball. Yeah, as if an animal used the entire being as one big chew toy.
The essence of blood was rich in amount. Rich, rich, rich, and rich. Whatever it was that caused this artful creation must have been fond and likened by the crimson fluid.
And the eyes, just keep staring back at Alex, eager for him to take action and safe him from this unholy settlement.
Alex slowly lifted himself on to his feet, shaking in the reaction to shock. His nerves were acting in an active manner. Alex kept a low and bent stance, in which he didn't have the potential to lift himself in an upright position, continually shaking from this horrific sight.
The closure of his sockets opened wide, and the pupils of his eyes shortened ever so small. The eyebrows lifted into which nearly formed a crazed and wrinkled triangle upon Alex's brow. And his mouth was open just slightly enough for small puffs of chilled air to escape in his fast and rapid respiration.
Oh my, the body of a poor unfortunate soul. Alex had never seen such a scene portrayed in real life in front of his shortened yet wide eyes.
But even in the midst of his horrification, his attention was slowly pulled away from the corpse to the beings which started to emerge from the office wing. The darkness indeed housed something, and that something slowly surfaced out of that darkness. For two, four-foot tall, canines paced out of the office and made their appearance known in the shrouded fog.
These dogs weren't ordinary. No fur made the form of the exterior and all that was left was green, sharp veined skin, outlining decay amongst the dogs.
How hideous the sight was. Malevolence, decomposition, so insignificant, such amount of loss.
The two monstrosities paced and circled around their helpless, and subdued "play toy." Alex couldn't help but back away from these demons.
The two dogs stopped in their circle, and without hesitation, they commenced an exploit which was sickening in the up most of respect for the dead. A tongue shot out of each of their mouths, and like spears, they pierced the corpse. Like straws, they started sucking blood from their source of nutrition.
All Alex could do, was back up slowly, and cautiously, hoping not to arouse the attention of these blood thirsty beings, who have classified humans as their source of food. But he couldn't help sense movement from behind. Yeah, something was emerging from the mist and fog which dwelled behind him. In addition to his horror, he discovered three more of these demon dogs pacing towards the scene.
A loss of feeling then shot through Alex, it was now apparent that his senses have gave way and his mind was warped.
"This is just a dream…just a dream…just a dream!"
Alex slowly walked towards the motel room, dare not to look back. Oh, don't want to find a fierce dog leaping at your face. Don't want to meet that sight now! Dare not to look back. But even not looking couldn't help his senses. Right as he entered the room, he swore he could hear turmoil arousing amongst the canines. Assuming to be belligerent for their share of their meal.
And Alex. The confused, scared, and lonely Alex, slowly shut the door, daring not to take one last look outside. He leaned against the door, in revulsion to this "dream" he might be having.
Might be having.
