The Extremely Crappy Days at Ashfield High
Chappy Thirty Two: Deal or no Deal?
Joshua Townsend groaned, a dull throbbing present in his head. He awoke slowly, the sunlight streaming from the window a little too bright for him. Just how long had he been unconscious? The last thing he remembered was still very clear, and that was telling himself how stupid he was for plunging that spear into himself. And for what? Was Walter Sullivan dead?
"Oh, who gives a shit?" mumbled Joshua to himself. He blinked and glanced around, inspecting his surroundings. He was lying in a hospital room, and the door was open a tiny bit. Someone had pulled the window shutters open all the way. "Didn't know I was a plant," said Joshua, noting that and the glass of water on the bed stand.
It was obvious he wasn't in critical condition, due to what the room was like. Or at least whoever tended to him did not think so. He looked down to see his lower stomach area bandaged quite thickly. He was also wearing a patient gown.
The door of his room then creaked open some more, and there was Christian, wearing the same type of gown in a wheelchair. It was an older wheelchair, though, not the type with that nifty analog stick.
"Hey," said Christian with a slight grin as he moved closer towards the bed. Joshua nodded.
"Shouldn't you be resting or something?" asked the brunet. "You didn't look so good back when I saw you in Silent Hill."
"Actually, the doctor said I was in pretty good condition. I mean, I remember that man, Jeremy, Jeremy Blackheart… He, um, shot me… in that subway car…"
"Shot you? When-,"
"It's not really that important now," he replied with a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. I was surprised to hear that you were here too, though, Josh. Nicole told me that you were at Silent Hill as well."
The brunet shrugged. "Yeah, I was there, but it's a long story. And I don't understand half of what happened, but… Chris, I, err, I'm sorry."
Christian cocked an eyebrow up. "Sorry? For what?"
Joshua sighed. "Well, you know, when you were talking about all that cult stuff in Silent Hill, and I just blew it off… but you were right in the end. It really did exist…"
"Yeah, I know. Last night, Ms. Mason told me what went on… To think it was all because of me…"
"You?"
"Yes-,"
"Josh!"
Nicole sprung out from nowhere and embraced him tightly. He patted her lightly on the back. "Uh, hey Nicole," he greeted before she moved away with a little blush on her cheeks. She giggled and scratched her head.
"Sorry, but I'm just so glad to see you! I was really worried, especially when your parents, along with Myron, rushed in here a little while after we had. I didn't know you'd been hurt, and-and I felt kind of responsible, you know..."
"Well, you were, sort of, but anyway, speaking of Myron, where is he?" he inquired. He hadn't thought of Myron until at that moment, and he recalled the many things the other teenager had been through during their time in Silent Hill. He figured Myron had come with his parents... His parents! Before he blacked out he remembered seeing his mother... Didn't they know about Walter Sullivan, though? He definitely needed an explanation whenever he got home...
"Oh, Myron left when his grandpa came to pick him up last night. I remember that Miss Mason had spoken to him, his grandfather, for a few minutes before he left. Didn't get to hear what they were talking about..." she said, sounding a little disappointed.
"Is Miss Mason still here?" Joshua questioned. "And my parents? Wasn't your uncle-"
"Yeah, they're all still here," Christian answered, glancing off to the side. "But... I think we deserve an explanation for what happened there, in... Silent Hill, you know?"
Nicole was about to say something, but she quickly stopped. Joshua noticed she shuddered slightly at the mention of the town. She forced a smile and looked up. "Um, I'll be back later guys. I have to go talk to my uncle. See you." And with that, she bounded off, leaving thw two boys alone. Christian sighed.
"What... What, uh, happened there?"
Joshua shrugged. "Like hell I should know," he answered while leaning back. He had to move slowly; any quick jerks would trigger an ache near his stomach. Yes, he was going to have to see his psychiatrist again.
A knock on the door. His head shot up and Christian turned to see a man, somewhere in his late twenties, standing in the doorway. There was a quirky grin on his face, but his eyes were like stone. He glanced at each of the teenagers, clearing his voice. "Excuse me," he said," is this Joshua Townsend's room?"
The brown-haired boy shrugged. "And why should we answer you?"
The man's grin grew. "You have no reason to. I was merely checking. But I'm assuming you are Joshua, correct?"
"Maybe."
"Ah, good. I was worried I would find myself in the wrong room. Pardon me if I'm intruding," he looked to Christian, "but I came to give you something. It's rather important." He went forward, extending out his hand to Joshua. Within his grasp was a folded-up slip of paper. The teen reluctantly took it. "Please read over that. Oh, and my name is Lucas, Lucas Schreiber."
"Schreiber?" Joshua perked up with interest. Lucas nodded before turning and heading for the door. As he reached the exit, he looked at Christian very quickly before leaving the room.
'Schreiber, huh?' thought Joshua. 'I wonder...'
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The air chilled Lucas's face as he stepped out of St. Jerome's Hospital. "Winter..." he muttered, adjusting his jacket. That's when he felt something ruble in his jacket pocket. His cellular phone. He took it out, lifting up the small cover. It was a text message.
Come to the park. We need to talk. Soon, Luke.
"Luke?" he said to himself, chuckling. "Speak of the devil... So, Abraham, after all these years..." He shook his head. A puppy ran up to him. It looked up at him curiously. He knelt down and patted its head. "You felt it, didn't you, boy? Your other half, yes, he's in that hospital room, but not yet. You will become whole soon, and I apologize for prolonging it for so long, but, for now, we must go see an old friend."
He stood and started towards the park, people staring at him as if he was crazy.
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The sky was a bright orange, and the small diner was almost empty. Yet there they sat, the three of them. Alexis stared at his tea, several torn packets of sugar cast off to the side. Melissa took a sip of her coffee. It was silent... aside from Catherine as she scarfed down her pancakes. She stopped for a moment to swallow. "So, um, what are we gonna do now?"
Melissa barely lifted up her eyes and sighed. "I don't know... What can we do? We only have so much money, and I don't know..."
Alexis groaned, taking a spoon and stirring his tea. "...I still can't understand what Noah was thinking..." he said, but Catherine laid down her fork.
"Oh, forget about Noah already! He threatened us, shoved a gun in our faces, and most importantly, called me stupid!" she exclaimed with anger. Alexis took hold of his tea and took a swig from it.
"...You're not... fooling anyone, Catherine..." he replied while setting the glass down.
"Yes," Melissa said. "He was our friend, despite his actions, just like Grandfather was like a parent to us. They were with us for as long as I remember, so we can't just forget about them and act as if they never existed..."
"Okay, okay, lighten up," responded Catherine with slight agitation. "Wasn't even really serious about it. Jeez." The door to the diner opened then, the little bell chiming. The young woman who walked in took no time in approaching them. She brushed aside a few strands of blonde hair.
"You're Melissa Blackheart, right?" she asked, pointing at Melissa. The raven- haired woman nodded, looking at the other person curiously.
"And who are you?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure we've met before... but I dunno. Anyway, can I have a seat?" Before Melissa or Alexis could answer, Catherine was bouncing up and down, pointing at Zeik, who had come in after Linda.
"Look, look, look, it's Zeeky!" Zeik only stared at her for a moment, as did everyone else, before screaming in terror and running out. Linda cleared her throat. "Well, I think I should get this over with quickly. My name's Linda, and I've come to discuss with you the matter that took place in Silent Hill just around a day ago."
"How do you know about that?" Melissa suddenly demanded. The whole ordeal enraged her. That town, she thought it impossible to even care less about the place. She had lost both her grandfather and Noah to it...
"Ah, well you see, my colleague and I were affiliated with the man that you got that cross from. You should remember. It must've been about a couple of weeks ago," stated Linda plainly.
"...I recall our meeting with him," came Alexis, staring at her coldly. "...But I doubt we would be interested in whatever you have to say... We just... lost-,"
"...two people you cared about. Yes, I can relate. Robert Langer died in that fire that night, and he was the closest thing to a father I'd ever had. To allow his death to be in vain is something I can't fathom."
Melissa leaned back in her seat, cocking an eyebrow up. "What do you mean?"
Linda smiled. "Well, Langer was meant to give you a second object that night, aside from the cross..." she informed them while she removed a small, glass vial from her jacket's breast pocket. Within the vial was a deep, red liquid.
"Aphaoglotis. The one, crucial variable that existed in the ritual of the Crimson Paragraph. Without it, the ritual would be doomed to fail, but, luckily, Jeremy Blackheart was unsuccessful in beginning the transferring of God's soul."
Alexis snorted. "...The Crimson Paragraph... did not include any mentioning of the... Aphaoglotis," he stated, continuing to stare at her suspiciously. Linda nodded quickly.
"I am aware of that. What you do not know, however, is that there is a second part to the Crimson Paragraph. A part only a member of the Valtiel sect. would know about."
Melissa seemed genuinely surprised by this, but Alexis showed no emotion. "...The... Aphaoglotis is a substance... related only to the rituals... found inside the Holy Mother sect... Why would its significance... in a ritual... be only known to Valtiel sect.?"
"Because this ritual was not confined to just one branch of teaching in The Order! This ritual was something much more grandiose than something like the '21 Sacraments'. The Crimson Paragraph is a prophecy, foretold by the earliest members of The Order. Its importance was extremely great, and so it was split into two halves for added security. Robert Langer had intended for our two groups to combine and work together to fulfill the prophecy, bu his untimely demise led you all down a road of destruction. I should apologize for the inconvenience."
'Inconvenience?' Melissa thought with fury. "So, then, Noah and Grandfather... they died for nothing! That whole thing would have just fallen apart at the very last minute?"
Linda glanced around. Most people had left, and Catherine was still in the restroom. 'Dumb blonde...' she thought, but then she heard Melissa. "Oh, well, yes, pretty much. The Carrier, the one who-,"
"...We know what role... the Carrier has," cut in Alexis. Linda nodded.
"Yes, well, he would have to drink the Aphaoglotis in order for the transfer to function properly, however... it is still not too late. The Carrier can still drink it, and the ritual can end."
Alexis took a long drink from his tea. "...And you want us... to do this task?" he inquired.
"Not without our help, of course. Your resources are very limited..." she said while glancing at Melissa. "Listen, you have some time to think it over. There's no need to rush yourselves, really, but take too long and the whole thing could blow up in your faces. Besides, wouldn't you want to finish what Jeremy started? Wouldn't you, when it was something he devoted the last years of his life to?"
There was silence. Melissa fidgeted. "...We'll think about it, but we need a way to contact you."
"Oh yes," Linda chirped, handing her a small slip of paper. "On that paper are a list of numbers you can call to find me or my friend, Lucas Schreiber. Take care." She stood up from her chair and strolled over to the door, but stopped. "There's something else, as well..." she said gravely. "Although God did not awaken within the Carrier, something else did, so keep that in mind."
Linda then left from the diner. Alexis sighed and placed a hand on her left forearm. "Please... do not think you owe this to Jeremy or Noah... you do not have to go through with this. There has... been enough bloodshed."
She gave him a thankful expression, but shook her head. "No, I do owe it to them. I think-,"
At that moment Catherine burst out from the restroom, grinning stupidly. "So, guys, what did I miss?"
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"Imbecillic bobbleheads," Zeik muttered, directing it as an insult toward The Order members. Especially Catherine. He sighed and looked ahead. He had no idea how many miles were left before he got to Ashfield, but a little walk never did anyone harm. Still, a ride would be nice. He was stuck on the side of the road now, just walking. At least until he saw the green, little, beat-up car a few meters away. He noticed someone was kneeling down beside it, probably repairing a flat tire of something similar. He also noticed it was a woman.
Being the gentleman that he was, and in desperate need of a ride, Zeik bounced toward her and her vehicle, stopping just about a foot away.
"Need any help?" he asked. The woman didn't even glance at him, instead pushing some of her light, blonde hair out of her face and continuing to work on the tire. "Okay... Well I'm going to just sit here until you do..." He hopped onto the hood of the car, and waited, humming a peaceful tune.