Karma
Storyline
Astro has been kidnapped; the only clues his two calls to Zoran and his diary entries in his broken laptop. Ken, Atlas, Zoran, and Tawashi peice the clues together and solve a riddle to who kindapped Astro and where he is being held. Atlas, Astro, and Zoran need each other to keep their sanity and relieve their internal pain: Atlas needs to act like the eldest brother he is.
Chapter 3
Music Box Mystery
He lied on the ground, cluching his stomach, tucking his knees in. The pain was unbearable. Yet, it had no origin. He could scream, but no one would hear him. He could thrash about, but no one would see him.
He had done countless scans on his body and the area, yet nothing was out of place. Where was this pain coming from?
"Help..." He pleaded silently. "Someone... please..."
His brown eyes blinked slowly. His mouth dropped open slightly. His lower hand fell to the ground in a lifeless fashion. His body relaxed slowly. His eyes remained closed.
Was he... Was he going to die?
A sound could be heard, as if it were far away. It was the sound of a music box. 4 by 4 time signeture, must have been 3 measures long, repeating the same piano-like notes: G, A, B, A, G, B, G, B, A, C, C, G, F.
It repeated over and over again. As Astro listened to the never-ending music, the pain began to melt, and consciousness was taking over.
The more he began to drift into his undying reality, the louder the music became. Why did it sound so famillier? Why did it tear his heart to hear the peice of music?
It was black... then white.
The moon shone bright into the room as robots and humans searched the room carefully. Not a single square inch was missed.
"Whoever this guys is, he doesn't want to be found." Doctor Kwan, O'Sheay's assisstant, said after no evidance was found.
"Yeah." Yuko sighed. Zoran sniffed.
"Does this mean... Astro's..." Reno placed a hand on Zoran's shoulder.
"We're not giving up, Zoran. We just have to find someplace else to look." He reassured her. Zoran stared at him for a moment... then smiled.
"Okay."
Epsilon smiled, then looked at Atlas. "Do you hear that?" He said, staring into space. Epsilon's smile faded and she began to listen carefully.
G, A, B, A, G, B, G, B, A, C, C, G, F. Was that... "Piano?" She said suddenly. Atlas turned his head and walked to Zoran, placing an ear against her control panel... then opened it.
The music had become louder as Zoran's panel was opened. A small, green bulb was flashing. "Help... Someone... Please..." Pleaded a familier voice. Then, the bulb when red and faded.
"Astro..." Alejo noted outloud. "That was Astro's voice."
"How is that possible?" Pluto's deep, slow voice chimed in. Everyone turned to him. "That song was the same one Zoran played for her piano recital last week."
Zoran looked down. "Astro always went to my piano recitals, even if he was going to miss a Rocket Ball practice." She recollected. "I wish I went to at least one of his Rocket Ball games."
"Uh, no mean to break up the whole thing, but, uh, I think I heard something." Ambercrombie said sheepishly. O'Sheay nodded.
"Zoran. Replay the last call you had from Astro, but remove his voice and the piano." Zoran obeyed and everyone listened quietly.
"Yew..." Came a raspy voice from the message. There was a snarl, the sound of claws against pavement, rumbling of thunder and engines... and a laugh. Moans of pain and cries of dispair were only a slight backround noise. "...will suffer..." Chains rattled. But there was also other sounds of music in the backround. One's that sounded as if they were being played live.
And the message ended.
Everyone was silent.
Zoran brought a hand to her head. "I can't believe that came from my playback." She blurted. Everyone silently agreed.
His eyes opened wide at first, then squinted to ajust to the light above him. He went to move his hand to his eyes, but something prevented it from doing so. He began to struggled, but the leather was stronger then himself. "H-help!" He cried out, hoping maybe someone could hear him. And someone did. Just, not someone he hoped would.
Over him stood a nurse. But not just any nurse.
He must have been warped into some horror movie! Over him resembled a cut up, bloodied nurse, scalpal in hand.
Yes.
This was like a horror movie. But in reality...
Astro screamed.
"This doesn't feel right." Ken whined under the sheet over head head with two eye holes in them. "Astro's missing and we're out, Trick-or-Treating." Zoran nodded, fixing her witch hat after she nodded is out of place.
"I bet it's what Astro would want." Reno brought up, putting his hands in his pocket. "You all know how he is." Everyone murmered an agreement, until Reno accidentally stumbled apon a woman dressed as a nurse from what must have been from Silent Hill. "Sorry." He chuckled. "Nice costume."
And continued walking past, until the nurse grabbed his arm and growled. Reno brought his free arm up in defense. "Okay, chill." He said. "You've already got me." She growled again and opened her mouth, blood seeping down her damaged cheeks. "Um, yeah. Awesome effects..." He felt a smile disappear off his face, as the other turned around.
The nurse brought up a scalpal in her free hand. Reno stared in horror as she brought the scalpal down fast and hard to his face. Reno leaned back, just getting a deep cut across his cheek. Pain surged enough on his face after the attack to make him yelp. "What the heck's your problem!" He hissed, enraged from the dark, heavy day.
She tilted her head and snarled. "You expect to find him...?" She screeched in a terrible voice, a horrific smile twisted on her face. "You'll never find him!" She let out a twisted laugh. Reno began to struggle.
"Let go!" He yelled. "Let go of me!" The street watched the boy and the overpowering nurse in horror and curiousity. Again, she brought the scalpal down, aiming for his neck, but Reno stepped back half a stride and the scalpal shreded the flesh across his chest.
He cried out, blood overfilling his lips. He stumbled back, the nurse allowing him to fall. Epsilon and Atlas appeared almost instantly. Epsilon caught Reno before he had fallen completely and landed him safely on the ground, resting his head on her knees.
Atlas, on the other hand, reached out and grabbed the nurse's wrist and twisted it behind her back. "What was that, huh!" He demanded. "Going around, hurting kids on Halloween! Who are you! What are you...?"
The nurse's head spun around a 180, which freaked Atlas out enough to let her go. Her body twisted her head remained facing Atlas. "He regrets not knowing." She laughed. "You better stop. If you can't figure it out, they will come... for all of you!" She chuckled in a horrific way. Zoran grabbed onto Ken's sheet and screamed.
Atlas took three strides back, staring at the nurse in horror. She let out a scream... and exploded. Atlas jumped back, Zoran let out a more scared, high-pitch cry of fear, everyone jumped in surprise... and froze.
There was absolute silence... then Zoran began to sob into Ken's shirt. Atlas dared to breathe, and Reno lost consciousness. Bystanders began to run away.
"I think we've just found ourselves a clue..." Atlas mused.
