Chapter Three. I'll keep the story up but in a not-so-irrelavent category so whoever wants to follow this story, please find it and review it :)
Gabriel and Andromeda had been in her basement watching a movie for the past hour. Their conversations were intermittent between boring scenes.
"So, Andy," Gabriel began in a soft voice. "I know you've got a lot on your mind with school and books and Carson, but… you know, I'm single now, and if… you would want to consider… me." He swallowed too fast and nearly choked on his words.
Andromeda had almost seen this coming. She sighed, looking him in his earthy eyes, "Gabe, we've been friends since we were little, and I really appreciate--"
Her phone buzzed in her shorts pocket. Tentatively she took it out, motioned for him to wait a moment, and put it to her ear. "Hello?"
A deep gravelly voice purred on the other end, "Are you family of Perssss… Perseus Ambrose?"
"I am," she said, confused slightly. "Who's th--"
"He's resting in the trailer house on the east border of Bluestone. His car is in the road."
"Why is he--"
"Come here and take him home." They hung up.
Andromeda's limbs were weak and tingling. What could have happened to Perseus?
"Andy?" Gabriel frowned at her. "What's wrong?"
"I think something's happened to Percy…"
"Why? Where is he?"
She stood up. "We have to go to the trailer house on the east side of town. He's there."
"Trailer?!" Gabriel jumped to his feet. "You can't go there! Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"The rumors!" He lowered his voice, "No one who's ever gone there has returned sane. They've all been sent to an insane asylum."
"Why?" she asked.
"They say a… a beast lives there. A big, ugly, mind-clouding monster who steals your money and eats your fingers and toes."
She stared incredulously at him. "You're joking." She sounded less than convinced.
"Okay, I made up that last part, but there really is a creature there!"
"Gabe," she said, giving him a smile of pity. "There's no beast. Simply put, it doesn't exist. Now, I need to get to that trailer and find out what's happened to my brother, and if you won't help me, I'm going myself."
"No way!" he yelped. "You're not going alone. I'll drive you."
--
Soon they were pulling over Gabriel's Nissan Maxima along the roadside at the town's eastern edge. Parked near the wet grass was a familiar red Buick with a busted window and four flat tires.
"Oh, my gosh…" Andromeda jumped out of Gabriel's car before he'd even stopped it. In a panic she checked the Buick's damage, yet she didn't find any trace of her brother.
Gabriel went to stand near her. "Wow, is his car trashed."
"Who would've done this?" she whispered.
"The beast!" he cried suddenly, and she looked at him. "He attacked the car and ate your brother!"
She swatted him across the face. "Enough of that!" Glancing up at the trailer settled among the trees, she felt a twinge of bravery. "Maybe he's in there. Besides, I didn't see any blood."
"Well, it is sprinkling."
She was already heading for the small home. Her curls were wetted down from the rain shower and her shirt was getting soaked. Thankfully she'd grabbed a sweatshirt on her way out of her house, and she took a moment to put it on.
Gabriel trotted to her side. "I don't like this, Andy…"
"Just chill out."
The trailer was white like ivory but quite rusty. The windows were boarded up, the glass broken. The sun was setting behind the clouds far beyond the trees, and the cool air was still around them while the rain fell evenly and made a tinny sound as it pounded on the trailer's flat roof.
Andromeda hesitated on her way up the wet wooden steps. She smoothed her long hair, flipped the hood up over her head, and raised a fist to knock.
Her friend was beside her, his hands tucked into his jeans pockets.
She knocked.
For a few seconds, there was no answer. The rain kept falling, the breeze fluttered the wet leaves, and the road remained quiet.
"No one's home," Gabriel said in less than a whisper.
"I'm not leaving without Percy." She knocked again.
Still there was no reply.
"You know this is probably some practical joke some freak is playing on us?"
"Shut up, Gabe." Impatient, Andromeda grasped the handle and tugged, though it took a few shoves, and she went charging into the trailer.
At once a musty smell assaulted her nostrils. Around them the room was littered with clothing, empty containers and bags, spilled bottles and cans, crawling spiders, broken glass and wood, torn cloth, and an unbelievable amount of short shed hairs.
Andromeda flicked the light switch beside her but no lights turned on. In fact, there was no light bulb in the socket at all.
"This place is a dump," groaned Gabriel.
"Shh." The girl moved cautiously into the room, stepping over garbage. "Perseus!" she whispered loudly.
Somewhere in the far corner of the trailer, she saw something lying limp in a ripped armchair. The nearer she got the more familiar it became. "Percy!"
At the sound of his name, Perseus raised his head. "What happened to me? Why does my head hurt so bad?"
He'd begun to stand up, but a searing pain shot up his leg and he crumpled back into the chair. "Ouch!"
She bent to inspect the rip in his right pant leg, where blood stained the denim around the hole. A deep gash was scarred upon his skin.
"Oh, Percy!" She turned to Gabriel, "I want you to get an ambulance. Go call the police. Go--"
A loud crash like a collapsing dining room chair sounded behind her. Gabriel ducked as a precaution.
Whirling around, Andromeda peered through the dimness and dust to see a slim shape rising from the floor.
Gabriel yelled in fear. "It's the beast! Run!" He bolted for the door, though he wasn't far from it, and scurried down the steps to his car.
Andromeda squinted. She could see it was a human's shape, lean but hazy in the dark. While she was getting to her feet, she saw it move even closer.
"Who's here?" asked the deep husky voice.
Definitely male, she thought, no question.
"Andromeda Ambrose, Perseus's sister." She was trying to sound as brave as she felt. "I received a phone call that told me to come here."
"Lies," the voice snarled. "There's no working phone here, now you take that blond dipshit and get out of this place."
The tone struck her as aggressive; she helped Perseus to his feet while staring over at the still-unsettled dust. On her way to the door, she caught a glimpse of the figure retreating into the back of the trailer, so she swallowed hard and said, "Thank you."
She saw the person stop, hesitate, but continue on his way.
Shrugging, Andromeda helped her brother limp down the few steps to where Gabriel sat in his Nissan, looking distraught. When he saw them, he jumped out to help.
"It's fine, Gabe, but I can tell you that it wasn't a beast." She pushed Perseus in the backseat of the Maxima. "It's just a cranky guy. Let's go." She climbed in the passenger seat.
"But Andy," Perseus said from behind her, "What about my car? What about the art show?"
"We'll have to come back for your car, Percy," said Gabriel, starting the engine.
"My painting's in there!"
So Andromeda and Gabriel went to get Perseus's unharmed painting and loaded it into the seat beside him. As they drove away, Andromeda glanced back at the trailer through the rear window, now more determined than ever to prove Gabriel wrong.