Sorry for the long delay folks but life has been busy and I've been in China for a couple of weeks for a trip. I have to be honest part of the reason I was so unmotivated to get it done fast was because of my lack of feedback. I know I'm getting views and I'm thankful but I don't know if people actually like it or not and I've got critique to tell me how to fix it if it is bad. Anyway please review and I'll be sure to upload new chapters later. Thank you and enjoy!
Chapter 4: To the Apartments
I slowly managed to open my eyes again despite the horrible ache in my body. I could just barely make out from the shadows above me I was a ceiling above me. I was spread out on my back which was aching and tingling from small edged splinters going into my back through my t-shirt. The vision raced through my mind causing me to jump. I frantically held my hand to my stomach. There was no blood, no wound. I looked around to find that I was in the church again. I sat up seeing I was now alone. I rubbed my hand through my short blonde hair, "H-hello?" There was no response. Then a sudden pain jolted in my chest. I grunted and let out a long deep breathe grabbing the left side where the pain was. I could feel the skin move slightly from under my hand but it slowly ebbed away and I slowly brought my self to my feet.
"You're up.", said a new voice. It clearly belonged to a male At the back of the church emerged a figure in a robe. The shade of his hood made it impossible to make out any facial features. "Who are you?" I asked as he came closer. He stood in front of me a couple inches over my head. I was feeling nauseous as the strange figure hung above me. He hesitated, "Ron." "H-have you seen my mother? She's mid-sized, fourty-six years old, young looking for her age." "No.", said the figure apathetically. He took something from his robe, "If you're going to look for her you're going to need this." In his hand was a rolled up piece of paper. I took it from him and unrolled it. It was a map of the town. I looked up from it to face him, "What are you doing here?" He jerked backwards, "I-I'm looking for my sister!" "Where did the others go?" "They split up to go looking for their missing people. I got here just as Tyonna was leaving. She told me when you woke up to give you the map. I've already marked where she went off to." I checked the map and saw there was a circle around a block on the map labeled Blue Creek Apartments. "Shouldn't you hurry before the monsters get her?" He said walking to one of the side exits of the church. "Wait!" I cried out but he had already opened the large wooden chapel doors and was quickly swallowed by the fog in an almost unnatural way. I wasn't exactly sure if I wanted to pair with him anyway. Monsters? There were more of those things? I looked at my map once again. "Guess I should head to the apartments..." I walked across the creaky floorboards to the left exit and slowly opened the decrepit doors walking out into the fog. I took one last look into the musty chapel gazing into the calm crimson eyes of the giant statue before the doors shut and I found myself once again swallowed by the fog.
I sat down on the ruined church stairs looking at my map. I was at the Balkan Church but the Balkan Church on the map was on the other side of the lake. "Could they have moved it?" I said to myself to disrupt the eerie silence. Blue Creek Apartment was only a couple blocks away. I pushed myself up by my knees and observed as far as I could into the deep swirling fog. I could barely make out from the enshrouding gray mist the tops of buildings. I found myself thinking of you once again, "Mom, what do you know? Why are you here?" I closed my eyes listening to the sweet calming ambiance of the silence.
I jumped as a loud scratching noise pierced the silence. It was coming from my pocket. I checked my pants and found the small red pocket radio. Amidst the static I could here a faint unnatural whispering. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. The horrible noise made shivers down my spine. The whispering was now louder and it seemed that more whispers were joining in the horrible static. I just sat there staring at it terrified as the noise continued to grow louder. My adrenaline pumped, my heart raced, my whole body seemed paralyzed but then another noise joined the loud horrifying static, only it did not come from the radio now. I looked around and saw clambering up the church steps was a dog. I found a smile come across my face and my arms outstretched to the mangled beast uncontrollably, "J-Jack!" I cried out with tear-filled eyes. But as the animal lurched forward I saw that it was not this "Jack" I believed it was. The dog was covered in wounds and bleeding lesions. Its snout was warped and partially ripped of. The most disturbing thing of all though was when the thing got close enough I could see where its left eye should've been there was just a gaping hole. A scream pierced the air. My mind went blank and then a vision appeared to me.
My senses were dulled. My mind was blank. I felt as if I had something important. All I could think about was getting away; I had to protect whatever it was. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of fear and anguish. No matter what, I had to get away. I couldn't let anything happen to it. Not even the sound of the child's scream caused me to slow. In fact as the screams grew louder I found a smile come across my face. I knew that now I was safe.
My senses came back to me and the vision faded. The radio was going berserk now. The creature's body stiffened and got into an aggressive position with its half mauled off ears tucked back. "Damn it!" I said realizing I no longer had my steel pipe. A voice came from the fog, "Run!" The creature pounced but I turned just in time causing him to ram straight into the cathedral doors. I ran down the stairs as quickly as possible trying not to stumble down the stairs. I didn't dare see if the creature was still following me but knew by the sound of the gargling howl that it was near. I jumped down the last several stares staggering as I landed before sprinting off towards the Blue Creek Apartments.
I ran as fast as I could through the fog and confusion. I ran past the gray buildings, rusted lampposts, dark alleyways, and empty homes. Slowly the static faded and I slowed myself to a walk and before coming to a stop outside a thrift store. I panted heavily grabbing my chest as the pain I'd felt before began to act up. I fell to my knees and sat in the silence. A feeling of sadness swept over me and a single tear fell from my eye into one of the cracks on the sidewalk. I wasn't sure why I was even here. I didn't know if I even was here to begin with. Nothing made sense. Was I just chasing endlessly for my own sake? To keep myself from giving in to what I had contemplated so many times. So many times I'd just sit in my apartment knife in my hand waiting to see if I'd have the strength to pull through or maybe even the strength I needed to give up. Was I pushing away truth? Was I a fool to keep living? I decided that I'd decide that once I found you. If I'd ever find you...
I rubbed my forehead letting out a sigh before pulling myself to my feet and checking my map. I saw that I was a block across from the apartments. I looked around and saw a small alley between the thrift store and a shoe store across from it. I walked up to the alleyway and looked up seeing the walls stretched up unnaturally. As I began my way through the alley I heard a quiet rustling behind me. I turned around but found nothing and figuring it was another "dog" I quickened my pace.
I eventually stumbled out of the alley into another foggy street facing a giant silhouette. I walked out onto the street looking up at the tall building looming overhead. As I approached the building I noticed that in front of the apartment complex was a large rusted fence. I saw it could be opened at a point but was locked shut. The thought of breaking it down using the metal pipe came into my mind but I realized that I'd left that in the chapel after I'd woken up. I thought about climbing the fence but worried because of its rusted condition. I decided to look for another way around but as soon as I took my first step and small object flew through the fog. It landed next to me with a loud clink. I bent over and picked it up seeing it was a key. I stood up and looked out into the ominous grey mist but there was no sign of anything or anyone so I tried putting the key in the lock and turned and as I horridly expected, it opened. I stepped inside the gate before taking one last look behind me as I opened the dull blue double doors to the apartment complex and went inside.