DREAM ISLAND OBSESSIONAL PARK
SECOND CHAPTER: SUB-USUAL
In my dreams, I see a parking lot…
Sure. More spectacular things have happened. But
a parking lot?
The waning sun covers the area in an orange glow,
while the shadows around me lengthen with the onset of night. The
parking lot is empty, as well as the street on my left. A few plain,
uninteresting white buildings stand nearby. It's a city, but one
I've never seen before.
Ahead, I see a set of steps leading to the glass
doors of a building. I assume that it's a hospital, seeing as a
large red cross stands on an arch above the steps. It strikes me as
odd that there's not a soul around. No people, no cars. Not even
birds in the few bare, spindly trees I see. I'm completely alone.
This is a weird dream.
Then, something pierces the silence. The very
quiet sound of something scraping against the pavement, like chalk on
a sidewalk. I can barley make out the noise, but it's there.
Blinking, I look around.
It's the drawings at my feet that grab my
attention next. Sprawling, complicated etchings in white chalk,
spreading out and away from me in a snakelike curl. The scribbles
seem to be hundreds of numbers, symbols, and Japanese kanji
all massed together, like some complex equation. My eyes follow the
ever-growing trail of sketches, and my feet soon after. It winds back
and forth across the pavement like a wave, getting thinner and
thinner as it goes.
The source of the sound, as well as the bizarre
markings, is a hunched man who seemed to have just appeared in front
of the hospital steps. His slivery hair, glowing slightly in the
setting sunlight, reminds me of the old man I'd seen before. But
he's different. And although the man, dressed in blue pajamas,
looks old, I can tell by the way his right hand scrawls out the ends
of the equation and by the condition of his skin that he's probably
in his thirties. His face is somewhat hidden by his hair, and he
continues to feverishly scribble the strange…thing on the ground.
He doesn't acknowledge me being there, even as I step up beside him
and watch over his shoulder.
As I stare, he puts down a couple of symbols, the
draws an equal sign. His hand hovers over the empty spot, ready to
put in his answer to the confusing calculation. That hand is
trembling.
I hear him gasp, and his head lifts enough to
where I can see his face. Sweat clings to the man's brow, and his
eyes seem to vibrate with worry. How can anyone look both young and
old at the same time? This is the impression I get by looking at him.
It doesn't make sense.
In the distance, I hear a new sound. A rhythmic,
rolling sound.
Rollerblades?
I look up. The sound fades away as soon as I do.
The parking lot and the streets beyond are still empty. For a moment,
I wait for something to happen. Then, shrugging, I look back down.
In my shock, I take a step back. The man is gone.
In his place, crouched just like he was, is the creepy bat-wielding
kid. His cap is still pulled low over his face, and his crooked bat
is held across his left shoulder by his left hand. His feet are
adorned with golden in-line skates. Both bat and skates glimmer
unnaturally in the fading light.
The boy finishes chalking down the answer, slowly
lifting the chalk away. He turns his head upward a bit, in my
direction, and smiles. I still can't see his eyes, but I get a
horrible feeling through me at that impish grin. My eyes now wander
to the numbers the kid put down.
It equals 1776.
---
My eyes snapped open, and I found myself staring up at my bedroom ceiling, soft light from the window casting shadows of the blinds across it.
I sat up slowly, putting a hand to my forehead as I did so. Although I felt calm, the last bits of my dream still clung to the front of my mind, appearing on the back of my eyelids as I waited, like a movie projection. It had been more clear, more vivid then the first dream I had seen the bat-boy in. And that had been almost two years ago to the date, yet I still remembered the park, the faces, the coaster, the mirth-filled smile…
Two years ago to the date. The night that Tokyo had been wiped out by a mysterious explosion. Of course it was a big deal, even after they had confirmed that there had somehow been no loss of life. Not a single fatality. It was an enigma that even now kept the experts guessing.
Sighing, I got up and prepared to go through my morning routine of getting showered, dressed, and eating breakfast before I headed of for classes. College studies had only gotten tougher since the autumn had rolled around, and I was barely scraping by in most of my subjects as it was. Fortunately, the courses I truly enjoyed, Philosophy among them, were going very well. I was glad that things had gotten a little more challenging from these subjects.
As I rummaged through my dresser, looking for something to wear, my eyes fell upon the doll that I had thrown in one of the empty drawers. Maromi stared up at me from its slouched position near the back, its overly large and innocent eyes seeming to bore into me. Emma had given it to me when she had returned from Japan. I had hid my shock as best as I could, for I had seen the same character in my dream the night before. I was slightly reassured when she had mentioned it was extremely popular in Japan, and I just assumed I had seen it somewhere before and not remembered it. Yet still, after my nightmare, the doll gave me the creeps.
I smirked to myself. Here it was, sitting alone in a dark corner for a couple years. I almost felt sort of bad for the dog-like critter. Call it what you will, I have a soft spot for stuffed animals. I patted Maromi on the head before closing the drawer, and continued my search for a proper outfit.
Once I had gotten dressed (a simple black T-shirt and jeans), I went over to my window and opened the blinds, letting in the light and allowing me the great view. Coltin is a small harbor town, surrounded by coastal pine forests and cut off from any major highways. It's a nice, quaint little place. Most of the stores here are independent, and you'd have to drive a good ways away before hitting any sort of city. From my window, I can look down the house-lined hill that is our street, past the golden-leafed oak trees, and see the Atlantic ocean, as well as the historic red lighthouse that has become our town's landmark. Sure, New England has tons of lighthouses. But we love ours just as much as other counties love theirs.
I opened my window and let the crisp autumn air caress my face. The sky was a clear blue, broken by nice cottony clouds here and there. The sea shimmered in the morning light, and a few sailboats were already out on the waves. Our town is one of the lucky few built on along the only thirteen-mile coastline of New Hampshire, us being right on the state line between here and Maine.
"Hey! Andrew!"
Looking down toward the street, I saw Emma standing just below, smiling and waving up at me. Emma Ryan and I have known each other since we were seven, and we've been best friends ever since. We have so much in common, sometimes it's almost scary. Name something I'm into, and she'll probably be into it too. Emma is one of the most interesting people I've ever known.
I smiled at her. "Hi, Emm! I'll be down in a sec!"
"It had better only take that long," she called, putting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot, although her smirk never left her face. She was dressed plaid flannel shirt and a long green skirt. Her long, light brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. "And grab a sweatshirt or something! It's nippy out this morning!"
Taking her advice, I grabbed my red hoodie that had been thrown across my computer desk yesterday before heading downstairs to the front door. Both my parents were on a month's vacation to see relatives in Florida, so I had the house pretty much to myself. As I passed the living room, I spotted the clock on the wall. 9:25. No wonder Emma was in a hurry.
She was already there when I opened the door. "Good morning," I said, putting on a smile. "How come you're wearing glasses today?"
Emma reached up and adjusted said glasses. "What? Do you think I look nerdy or something?" She stuck her tongue out at me. Then she giggled. One thing we had in common is the two of us never lost that teasing sense of humor.
I chuckled. "No. They make you look dignified," I replied. She did look pretty cute with glasses, although I wouldn't say that to her face. "I was just curious, that's all."
"One can't wear contacts forever," she said. "Anyway, we'd better start walking soon. I don't want to be late, and I'm not going to let you be late either."
Ugh. "I haven't even had breakfast yet," I moaned. My stomach rumbled in agreement.
"Then grab a banana or something," Emma chided. "Beside, I've got something cool to tell you on the way."
Muttering incoherently, I went back into the house, grabbed a banana and a breakfast bar, and dodged Schneider as he passed through. He gave me a look before sauntering off into the kitchen. A minute later, me and Emma began walking along the empty neighborhood streets toward the Coltin Community College, which was within a few blocks of my house.
"It's been almost two years today, right?"
"Huh?" I said, dodging a pile of trash bags someone had set out on the sidewalk. "What do you…Ooh. The Tokyo explosion."
I couldn't see her face. She was looking away from me and across the street, apparently at some crows that were perched in a tree. She nodded, than turned to look at me. I was relieved to see that she had a happy expression on.
"Well, they're just about done rebuilding the city," she exclaimed. "Grandma sent me an email last night saying that she went into the area recently to see some friends, and she says that things will look a lot better when they're finished in a couple months."
"That's good to hear," I answered, folding my hands behind my head as I walked. "At first, I thought they'd never recover. It's a good thing no one died. How lucky is that?"
There was a pause between us. Silences like this always make me feel a little awkward, because there's this underlying sense that we both have something on our minds, but either fail to bring it up or refuse to do so.
Finally, Emma spoke. "Anyway, grandma was hoping I could come visit again. She said she'd provide the plane fare, but she doesn't have enough for the whole family. Money is sort of tight for her right now. So, it'll just be me and one other person this time."
"Lucky," I sighed. I'm so envious of her having a relative living in Japan. Emma's grandmother had moved there in 1989. She had fallen in love with the country when she had lived there briefly as a teenager. That was shortly after the World War II bombings, and she had gone over to try and help those affected by it.
"So," I continued, taking my arms down and folding them across my chest, "who's going with you? I know your older brother and you are pretty close, and…"
"Actually," she cut in, but suddenly looked away from me and down at the pavement, "I was kinda hoping…you could come." She was blushing furiously.
I stopped moving, a little dumbstruck. A lifelong dream was coming true. Emma also stopped a little ahead and turned to look back at me. I admit that, at the time, I probably looked pretty stupid, with my jaw hanging open.
"I…You…You mean it?" I asked, looking her in the eye with awe. Her embarrassed expression was replaced by a sly smile. She nodded once, and I silly grin spread across my face.
The next thing I knew, I had wrapped her in a bear hug.
"You're welcome," she laughed. "But damn it, Andrew, get off me!"
Despite what she said, she returned the hug. I wasn't going to complain.
---
"The human mind is a powerful and often misunderstood thing. Science has only gone so far as to determine how it works. Every so often, an individual will develop powers of the mind that others do not have. Sometimes, they're not even aware of this themselves. The results of these powers vary, and can have good or ill effects. For example, poltergeist activity…"
Mr. Kondo's lecture, on a subject I normally find very intriguing, seemed to just float in one ear and out the other. My distracted mind was only paying attention so far, my thoughts still lingering on Emma's invitation. Ahead of me, across the sea of attentive heads, the man had his back to the gathered students as he began to scribble on the chalkboard. The quiet sound sent the images of the previous night's dream to the front of my vision, but I blinked them away. I tried, once again, to focus.
"…although oftentimes attributed with ghosts or spirits, is also believed to be caused by bursts of uncontrolled psychic energy. Usually, this activity is tied to or centered around an adolescent boy or girl. Poltergeist activity manifests as either sounds or objects moving around on their own…"
My eyes wandered the room absently, eventually locking onto Emma. She was sitting a few seats away to my left, and had her head bent low. Probably taking notes, I guessed. She carries an old battered notebook wherever she goes. It's mostly random things on every page. She told me she plans to be an author one day. I've seen some of her short stories, and they're very good.
"…in the case of an eleven-year old boy living in Scotland. When things started, the family would notice objects had been moved to strange places during the night, as well as soft knocking sounds. Starting out small, the activities steadily grew…"
I couldn't stop thinking how nice her hair looked all of a sudden. She was positioned in such a way that a shaft of light from one of the fogged windows fell across her auburn tresses. Little dust motes drifted through the shaft in a dreamlike fashion. Smiling inwardly, I couldn't tear away from the scene. People have told me before that I have an eye for little details. True.
"…However, one theory suggests that poltergeist activity is caused when the person is somehow distressed, weather they realize it or not. Psychic bursts of this case can take shape from the smallest upset, so miniscule that the person may not even remember it mentally. One instance of this happened to a young Russian girl, who had been wrenched away from her home…"
I blinked again to clear my head, a little agitated with myself. For one, I needed to concentrate, which seemed to be extremely hard for some reason. Secondly, I didn't want to think of Emma in that way. We're just extremely close friends. Anything more might ruin that bond we've shared, and I would never want to lose that.
And yet…
"…And we'll continue our look at the psychic theory tomorrow." Mr. Kondo finished, turning to the class so that his thin, pointed face could be seen. I noticed, besides the fact that he let his goatee grow a little, that he was wearing a pair of yellow-tinted shades. He smiled and waved toward the door. "Have a nice day, everyone."
As everyone began to mill out of the classroom, I spotted Emma up ahead, talking excitedly to Mr. Kondo. He too was a past resident of Tokyo, and had come to live here permanently shortly after the city was destroyed. She was probably telling him the good news. The three of us are all on good terms.
Sure enough, as I approached, he looked up at me and grinned. "Really, now?" he was saying to Emma as he turned his attention to me. "Well, I wish the two of you the best of luck. You'll have to fill me in when you return."
"Thanks." I replied. "And we will."
"It won't be for a few months," Emma said. "Once we're not so hard-pressed with studies, we'll be going." She gave me a wink here.
Mr. Kondo chuckled. "This doesn't mean I'll be going any easier on you both. I'm still expecting good results. But either way, enjoy yourselves. Tokyo is…Well, at least was, a good city."
Emma and I nodded to him, then turned and walked out into the hall. I could feel Mr. Kondo watching me as I left. For some reason, the way he had smiled had given me an ominous feeling, like there was something hidden there.
Wow, I thought. Maybe I am being overly paranoid.
No sooner had I thought this then when I was suddenly shoved into a wall by someone. The next thing I knew, I was staring into a grinning face, the eyes hidden by the brim of a baseball cap.
"And where do you think you're going?" he whispered, his toothy grin spreading.
I sighed with realization, shoving the "attacker" off me. "What the hell, Trevor!"
Trevor Wilcox pulled the black baseball cap up higher onto his head, revealing his bright green eyes and a few strands of reddish hair. He was still smirking broadly. Behind his tall frame, Emma was giggling. Catching my eye, she stopped abruptly.
"Chill out, man." Trevor said, shaking his head slowly. "I was just helping keep you alert. Consider it defensive training from a friend."
Despite my irritation, I managed a quick laugh. I met Trevor back in high school, and Emma and I have been friends with him since then. He's a bit rude and is considered a punk and a delinquent by a lot of people, but he's really a kind person. He's a year older then me, and very athletic. A lot of girls like him, and this hasn't helped tone down his ego. Still, I get along with him well.
"So," I asked, "is there any particular reason for ambushing me out here, or are you just bored?"
"Normally, it's the last one," he said, letting his broad grin drop. "But I came for a reason. You and Emm and I haven't gotten together in a while, y'know. Figured I'd give an invitation."
Before I could speak, Emma said "What is it?"
"Well, seeing that Halloween is coming up soon," he said, stepping back so he could see us both, "I wondered if you guys would like to go to the lighthouse tonight. You know, just hangin' out like old times. Maybe get into the swing of things early."
"The lighthouse?" I asked. The old place was rumored (of course) to be haunted, and was also a historical landmark. There really wasn't a lot to do on the grounds around the place…I had a sneaking suspicion Trevor had something slightly illegal in mind. He usually does.
Emma seemed to be thinking the same thing, as our eyes met and she nodded. To my surprise, though, she said "Actually, that might be fun! What time should we come?"
I moaned to myself. Trevor smirked again. "It's a Friday. Ten or so should work. Just be prepared for a little mischief, ok?"
"With you, that's a given," I remarked. Against my better judgment, I decided to go along. "Fair enough. I'm in. We'll meet you there."
"Good," said Trevor. "I'm glad to know the Halloween spirit isn't wasted on you guys."
Emma glanced at her watch. "Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta run. My next class is coming up soon. We'll work things out later." Then she turned and hurried off down the corridor.
As I watched her go, Trevor nudged me in with his elbow slyly. "So," he whispered, the teasing evident in his voice, "anything interesting happen between you and her?"
"Oh shut up," I growled, pushing him away. I could feel my face turning red.
"Fine. Be in denial," he said exasperatedly. "But I can tell. I've known you guys for years, and she's definitely interested in you."
I sighed, than began to explain. "I told you before. Trevor. She's my best friend. That's it."
Trevor smiled slightly and shook his head again. "Whatever, Andrew. But you're just letting a golden opportunity waltz by. If you don't make your move, someone else will." He turned to go, than said "I can see when I'm not wanted. Keep in mind what I said, though. I'll meet you later tonight, right?"
"Yeah. Right," I said quietly. Trevor stood watching me for a second, then waved and strode off in the opposite direction Emma had gone. A good-looking blond girl seemed to be waiting for him at the turn of the hall, and she perked up as he approached. Hefting yet another deep sigh, I turned slowly and walked away, my eyes fixed to the tiled floor. A number of conflicting emotions were drifting through me. Maybe Trevor had a point. I had been loveless for a long time, and I was starting to wonder if my stubborn nature was keeping me from some truth.
For some reason, I suddenly thought of the bat-boy from my dreams. A slight sense of dread washed over me. I hoped that the evening meeting at the lighthouse wouldn't bring some sort of trouble.
---
"I was starting to wonder if you were gonna show."
His usual smug self, Trevor stood in the covered doorway of the red brick building, snickering at Emma and I as we finished trudging through the torrential downpour to the lighthouse. The rainstorm had started up just a few minutes before Emma came by my house. And being the gentlemen, I had held the umbrella for her as we walked through town to the place. As a result, I was sopping wet, cold, and crabby at being called up here in this weather. I gave Trevor an icy look.
Emma, being under the umbrella the whole time, was a little more enthusiastic. "Hi, Trevor! We made it!" she said happily. Rainy conditions always put her in a good mood, for some reason.
"Please tell me we're not going to hang out here, in the rain," I said darkly. Slogging up here in the dark and the rain hadn't done much for my mood.
"Got it covered," he said simply, and he pushed the wooden lighthouse door behind him, which swung open silently. I gawked at him, but he merely smirked and pulled a key from his jeans pocket.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not even gonna ask where you got that." I said. Trevor laughed, than stepped backward into the dark room. I glanced sideways at Emma. "Remind me again why you coaxed me into this?"
She just smiled, her eyes narrowing. "Where's your sense of adventure? We used to sneak in here all the time as kids, and we never got caught once. Come on! This is for old time's sake!"
I was about to argue that we weren't kids anymore and that the consequences for being caught were much harsher now, but Emma giggled and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the lighthouse behind her. I was led down a shadowy corridor, past a door marked with a Lighthouse Staff Only sign, than emerged into a wide chamber, dimly lit by a single candle sitting on the stone floor. Looking up, I could see an aged spiral staircase following the circular walls up into the darkness. The distant crash of waves could be heard through the patter of rain here, as well as a distant rumble of thunder. It was indeed spooky, as I had expected.
Trevor emerged from the shadows across from Emma and I, the candlelight casting an eerie glow on his face. "See? What'd I tell you?" he said, confidently looking around the interior as if he owned the place. "No one's going to come around here during the storm. We're set!"
"I dunno," I said slowly. Despite the fact that we were doing something illegal by trespassing, I had gut feeling that something was off, somehow. I sighed. "Sure, we did this when we were young, but we're all pretty much adults now. It seems so…immature."
Trevor just rolled his eyes at me, than settled himself into cross-legged sitting position in the candlelight, the brim of his baseball cap casting an unsettling shadow over his eyes. Once again, I was reminded of bat-boy, and that really gave me the creeps. Emma, meanwhile, was gazing upward in awe, her mouth open in a weird sense of wonder. She giggled, breaking away from me to bask in the flickering glow. I hadn't realized until then that she had been clasping my hand the whole time before.
A good feeling came over me, and my worries seemed to take a backseat. Here I was, with my two best friends, on a stormy night. Just the three of us, laughing and joking and being together, like old times. The next thing I knew, I had joined the little huddle around the candle.
"Well, since we are here, we might as well make the best of it." I relented, receiving broad smiles from my friends. I chuckled. "Hey Trev. Did you bring anything to drink?"
---
"Ok. Ok. I got one," Trevor said, after his fit of laughter had subsided. He gave a mock evil sneer. "This is an old classic…So anyway, this couple are out on their first date, right? Well, the guy, hoping to get lucky, drives his girlfriend up into this remote spot in the woods…"
"Oh please," I said, tossing an empty soda can aside. "Everybody's heard that story before. It's not that scary."
Trevor made a face at me. "Shut up. It is so. Don't you think so, Emm?"
Emma yawned in response. It had been three or four hours since we had gotten there, and even I was starting to feel the insistent tug of sleep on my eyelids. The candle had melted almost down to its base, and the rain still beat relentlessly against the building. Still, I was enjoying myself. I hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.
"Don't tell me you guys are crapping out on me already." Trevor muttered. "If you're going to fall asleep, I might as well ditch you guys and go home."
"Maybe," I said, trying to stifle my own yawn. "I'm pretty much out of good ghost stories."
Emma, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly snapped up and said "Hey! I just remembered one! Did I ever tell either of you about Lil' Slugger"
"Huh?" I said, looking up sharply. I was suddenly nervous again. In the background, a distant thunderclap sounded, lingering in my ears.
An impish smile…
"Lil' Slugger?" Trevor asked, edging a little closer, now interested. "Nope. What are you talking about?"
"I heard it while I was in Japan," Emma explained. "It was an urban legend that a lot of people were talking about at the time. Apparently, there had been a series of assaults in the area, and they were all committed by the same person: a elementary school-kid with a baseball bat."
I gulped. This was getting too freaky. The roll of thunder lingered still on my hearing, as if recorded there. My mouth was starting to go dry. What if…
No. That's just coincidence, I thought. At least, I hoped it was.
Trevor shrugged, almost matter-of-factly. "So? Some little psycho played to many video games and started attacking people. It happens a lot these days. Some kids can't figure out what's real and what's not."
"I was getting to that," replied Emma. The lenses of her glasses had become twin mirrors of light in the glow. "Supposedly, Lil' Slugger only appears to those who are emotionally cornered. Someone who has reached they're limit and is stressed or scared or angry."
I could feel perspiration forming on my brow as I listened, almost enraptured by her words and unable to tear away, though warning sirens were blaring in my head and my stomach was filled with butterflies. Each new sentence seemed to match, more and more, to the phantom that had visited my dreams. The thunder in my ears was growing louder by the second. Something shadowy was forming in the back of my mind.
Still, Emma pressed on. "They say that the baseball bat he carries is golden, and bent at a crooked angle, like a dog's leg…"
My mouth hung open in unconscious shock. In my thoughts, the shadow began to take the shape of a figure, moving through lightless black toward me. The noise in my head was becoming louder…Louder…
"…He also wears a pair of golden rollerblades, and he comes at his victims almost to fast to be stopped…"
The rolling sound had nearly drowned out the words just spoken. Didn't the others hear it? I cast quick, frightened glances between them both. They seemed relaxed, as if nothing was happening. How could they not notice? How could they not notice the sound, which had changed slowly from the fading roar of a thunderclap to the sound of multiple rolling wheels, growing closer and closer?
"…When he does strike, he appears out of the shadows and moves toward his target…"
I felt trapped, like I was caught in some hellish daydream. The approaching figure had become distinct as he drew nearer. God! Why couldn't they see him? Was I going insane? I couldn't control my thoughts. My vision was becoming blurred, replaced by the horrid apparition that now rolled toward me on golden rollerblades, the ruined bat dragging in his wake.
I couldn't move. Frozen in place, I watched helplessly as the boy now known as Lil' Slugger drew nearer and nearer.
"…And just before he strikes…"
He slowly raised the golden bat above his head. He was almost on top of me.
"…He smiles."
He smiled, more chilling and clear than anything I had dreamed, before he swung his twisted weapon downward.
PAIN!
For a single, almost eternally long moment, there existed nothing but a searing pain that shot through my mind. In that brief instant, everything else had gone. The one thing I could gather was that the pain came not from outside my head, but from within.
Then came the welcome comfort of slipping into thoughtless emptiness.
---
"Andrew…"
The voice of an angel cut through the void. Why did…?
"Andrew!"
It sounded so…familiar…I couldn't be dead, could I?
"ANDREW!"
Closer…I could feel something coming back.
"Andrew!"
I stared up into a frightened face. A face wearing a pair of glasses.
I was lying flat on my back on the cold concrete floor of the lighthouse, with Emma and Trevor crouched over me.
"Ow," I moaned, coughing slightly.
Emma smiled with what looked like relief, grabbing me by my shoulders and helping me sit up. She gave me a quick hug, than asked, "Are you alright? What happened?"
"I'm…not sure," I answered, looking around the darkened room once again. In reality, I wasn't really sure what had just happened myself. The last thing I remembered was…
"You passed out," Trevor said, also looking concerned. "All of a sudden, you screamed really loud and fell over, and started twitching. You were like that for a minute or so, than you woke up."
I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a small lump that was now forming. I had hit my head against the floor, but that didn't explain what had just happened before. I was not just confused, but a little scared. What really had happened?
"I'm…ok, I think." I said, and I stood up slowly. My head swam slightly, but that was to be expected. All I knew was that I wanted to leave this place, go home, and get some sleep. Maybe that would clear my head a bit.
"Are you sure?" Emma asked, standing up. "I mean, you were convulsing pretty badly there. I was afraid you were having some sort of seizure."
I forced a rough smile. "Seriously, guys. I'm fine. Whatever that was, it's not effecting me now."
Emma still looked doubtful. "I still think you should see a doctor or something…"
"If Andy says he's fine, I believe him," interjected Trevor, though he also sounded apprehensive. "And anyway, it's probably safer, with the storm and all, to take him back to his house so he can go to bed."
Emma turned to Trevor, back to me, back to Trevor, than gave a stiff nod. Although I figure she thought otherwise, it was a better idea. I was relieved that Trevor had taken over for me. I needed sleep, and badly.
In silence, we snuffed what was left of the candle and left the dark, empty lighthouse. As we stepped out into the still pouring rain, Trevor re-locked the door with his pocket-key, than slipped the flat metal object under the door.
"My car's parked down the slope," Trevor said, pulling the brim of his cap low as he stepped out into the night. "I'll give both of you a ride back."
I nodded, and began to follow my friends through the dark, down the slippery paved path that led to the lighthouse. The rain pattered down on me, soaking through my clothes, yet I hardly noticed. I was still deeply troubled by what had happened earlier, the details now weighing heavily on my mind. Emma's story had triggered something, much like the Maromi doll had when I first received it. Only this had been jarring and terrifying.
Behind me, something slid across the wet ground. Had I known what I would have seen, I wouldn't have looked back.
Behind me, on the rain-soaked path, stood…him. Beads of water clung to his golden bat, held loosely at his side, and drops fell from the brim of his cap, which still shadowed his eyes. As I stared at a loss, he smiled.
"Thank you," he whispered, and I watched, utterly stupefied, as Lil' Slugger whirled around and skated off into the dark night.
---
In a dark, cluttered room, a shadowy figure
watches a dusty computer screen, the light from
the screen playing over his gaunt features.
Displayed on the iridescent monitor is this:
Enter Username: goumahunter34
Enter Password: ------
Processing...
Welcome, goumahunter34. Please enter your search query below.
: goldenmonkey
Searching...
1 match(s) found for keyword "goldenmonkey":
USER PROFILE: goldenmonkey
Cornered...
Cornered...
Who's been cornered?
Akio Kawazu...
Yuichi Taira...
Harumi Chono...
Taeko Hirukawa...
Makoto Kozuka...
And...?
Has TheHolyWarrior become TheGoldenFox?
Has TheGoldenFox become TheHolyWarrior?
So prophecises the apprentice.
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Wow! Two things done in one day (just this morning, I posted a short story based on One Piece. Go look at if you like One Piece). Anyway, Chapter 2 everyone! This came off as only being so-so in my eyes. Sorry about this if you feel the same way. I have to set things in motion, and the next chapter will hopefully be better.
As I was in the process of writing this chapter, I managed to get the Paranoia Agent OST (Love it!). I've decided that, as an interesting bit, the chapters in this story shall be named after song titles. It's definently good music, and it helped keep my inspiration going. I'd like to give special thanks here to Susumu Hirasawa, who composed the music.
Finally, a big thanks to my reveiwers, especially TURMOIL and Terrylennium (I'm flattered!). You guys help keep me going, and your comments fuel my ambition. Thanks again! And remember to keep sending your Reveiws. Constructive criticism is welcome.
Be prepared, folks! I'm in the process of writing Chapter 3, where things begin to get...interesting. Until then, ciao!
-Booster
