Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock.
Author's Note: This chapter will be more of a horror story than the last. Please let me know about this story's suspense. My goal is to make this a real horrifying psychological thriller/ghost story, so any feedback is welcome. As with the last one, this chapter has been rewritten.
OCTOBER 27
Virgil flung open his eyes to find himself still dressed in blue denim and the same orange shirt he wore to school the previous day. Virgil placed his hand on his forehead as he looked about the room. He slowly sat up in his bed, a mess from the tossing and turning throughout the night. His brow was soaked in sweat and his cheeks sticky from dried tears.
Virgil's eyes fell over to a hard object that he bumped his knee on while attempting to step out of the bed. He noticed the history book he was supposed to read for an assignment hiding underneath the blue sheets. He grabbed his forehead and sighed in relief.
"It was only a dream," Virgil said softly.
As he stood up straight, an acute pain shot through his arm. Virgil winced and lifted the sleeve of his shirt to find what appeared to be an infected gash left as a souvenir from the fight with Talon. Virgil panicked and hurried to turn on the television. He sat at the foot of his bed shaking his knees while watching the various news reports for five minutes. He impatiently waited as the anchors went through the weather, traffic, and a segment of pet adoption. There was no story on Talon so Virgil calmed thinking that she was safe in a hospital somewhere, awaiting a trial date.
Virgil fell back on his pillow. He held back a cry as the swollen injury landed too hard against the bed. Virgil took a second look at the wound knowing it would need immediate care. Fortunately for him Shenice was skilled in first aid thanks to the class her mother forced her to take the previous summer. Virgil contemplated swabbing the gash with antiseptic, but decided to leave the matters to the more experienced person.
Virgil met Richie on his way to school. It was a tradition that the two leave their homes early (or one of them meet over at the other's house if arranged the night before) then the two walk to school together. The only exception to the rule, other than illness, was of course if the weather forbid walking. It was a good way for the two to catch up on any news they did not want to discuss over the phone in case someone overheard their conversation on the other line.
Virgil waved at his friend who nearly missed him the first time. Virgil waved again calling out the boy's name. Richie looked up and gave his best friend a half smile before returning to his gloomy appearance. Virgil ran over to catch up with the blonde. Richie held his head down under his green hoodie not wanting to talk. The last time Virgil saw Richie in that mood was when he was in a funk that Virgil received all the superpowers which made him feel left out. A lot had happened since that moment, but it had to be something truly horrific to silence the ever-speaking Richie Foley.
Virgil debated with himself over whether or not he should strike up a conversation or allow Richie to speak when he felt led too. Unfortunately for Virgil, patience was not one of his best qualities, a mistake that had almost cost him his life on several occasions involving the Meta-Breed.
"Something wrong, Rich?" Virgil asked.
Richie sighed.
"You don't have to if you don't—" Virgil began.
Richie interrupted. "No, it's just I'm really worried about Talon," He looked up and made eye contact with the other boy. "I looked this morning couldn't find a story in the paper or online." Richie scoffed. "You think something like that would make big news in this town, not the pet adoption story."
Virgil had to force back a chuckle. He sighed and looked away for a second. "I know what you mean. I couldn't find anything either. But you know, maybe that means there's nothing to report."
Richie scowled. "I don't know, V." He looked away. "Usually when a bang baby is captured it's prime news."
Virgil twisted his lips. "That's true, but I don't want to jump to conclusions without any real evidence, you know?"
Richie nodded. "Let's just hope she's okay."
Lost deep in their conversation they reached their destination without knowing. It was not until they heard the raised voices of familiar faces they saw each day without knowing the name. The two ascended the stairs that led into the dull building that served as the location for education.
Several of Virgil's friends waved as he passed them in the hallway. All thoughts of Talon vanished from his mind the second he saw the woman who held his heart. The teenage girl had fallen for his counterpart once before but dismissed the feelings as a foolish fantasy. Daisy ran up and hugged Virgil upon seeing him. She did care for Virgil, but not in the same way he did for her, her love was more of one siblings feel for one another.
"You look tired," Daisy said the second they parted.
Virgil blinked and shook his head. Upon seeing Daisy's twisted lips did her last words register. "Oh, I was up late last night," responded Virgil.
"Working on the history assignment?" Daisy asked.
"Yeah, but I fell asleep before I finished." Virgil nodded his head towards his backpack. It was true he had the rough draft tucked inside the history book, but it was nowhere near ready to turn in. He glanced up at the clock in hopes there would be enough time for him to hurry to the library and copy his first draft with a few edits. Unfortuantely time was not on his side as the clock read class would start in less than five minutes.
Before Virgil could say another word a smiling redhead sprinted down the hallway towards her friends. She clamped her hands together and hopped three times.
"Good news. The teacher's not here today, so the assignment's been postponed 'til Monday," Frieda said joining them. Daisy giggled. Frieda continued, "I was up late covering the football game and needed to get that ready for today's paper, so completely forgot the paper."
Virgil smiled. He hoped that was a sign that the day would only get better.
The school day lagged on for what seemed like centuries. The image of Talon's fallen body surfaced more times than young Hawkins would have hoped for. Virgil let the thoughts pass as quickly as they came. He had fought that girl numerous times, having been more brutal with her on various occasions. Never had she passed out by so little voltage before. It was not like anyone would apprehend him for his extensive use of violence towards a criminal.
Virgil and Richie met up after their final class to start on their journey towards Virgil's house. It was a tradition that the two of them met up at the Hawkins residence at least three times a week, unless one of them fell sick. This day happened to be one of their days to hang out after school. Richie inquired about Virgil's injured arm to which he replied to have fallen into Shenice's care. The girl sanitized and properly bandaged his arm, giving him clear instructions on how to care for it until it fully healed. Richie sighed in relief.
Virgil insisted they pick up on a more cheery topic which led to the incident that occurred that day in chemistry class. Richie imitated the voices of a dimwitted student and a teacher who insisted on mumbling during the lectures. Richie delivered the punch line which sent him into a fit of laughter.
Virgil's laughter stopped when his skin gave off an electric charge. The hairs lining his skin simultaneously pricked up. His ears caught the sound of faint breathing that belonged neither to his friend nor himself, but another who stood not too far from themselves. Virgil whipped his head around in the direction of the strange sensation.
Richie replied to Virgil's joke with one another. He laughed and noticed that his best friend's lower pitched laughter did not accompany his. Richie looked over at Virgil to find him having stopped dead in his tracks with his eyes against their slits. The boy's breathing had slowed and Richie noticed his fists clenched with purple volts dancing around the knuckles.
"What's wrong, V?" Richie whispered. Virgil did not answer right away. Richie's eyes met where Virgil's were fixed. The blonde swallowed and stepped closer to his friend. Virgil held out his hand signaling Richie to stay a good distance from him. Richie held back a gasp then repeated his question.
Virgil quickly met Richie's eyes then returned his attention to where he previously felt the presence. Virgil's eyes narrowed. "I think we're being followed."
Richie's eyes widened. He moved into a defensive stance as well. Virgil glanced back at his friend then once more in the direction of the follower. Virgil let his arms fall by his side then stepped over to where Richie waited. Virgil gave his friend a smile but kept alert for anything out of the ordinary.
Virgil's ears picked up the faint sound of footsteps following in beat with theirs. Virgil slowly turned his eyes towards the direction of the sound to find nothing following. A quick breeze flew through the branches, rustling through the dehydrated leaves, sending several of them plummeting to the sidewalk. A little girl on a bicycle rode over the crispy leaf, shattering it the second the wheel came in contact. The sound reminded Virgil of tiny bones being broken under the tires of an eighteen-wheeler.
"Virgil what—?" Richie began.
"Shh!" Virgil hissed. He apologized for his outburst then returned his attention to the vacant area. "Did you hear that?"
"I don't hear anything," Richie whispered.
"But I—" Virgil protested.
"You're paranoid, let's go," Richie said with a laugh. He gently smacked Virgil on the back and the two continued their journey towards Virgil's house.
Virgil was about to let his guard down for the second time when he heard rustling in the bushes. He stopped abruptly, his body shaking. His forehead and palms began to sweat, releasing tiny jolts of static electricity. Richie stopped laughing having heard the noise this time. The two stepped closer to the bushes, but stood far enough away incase they needed to retreat. There was no way the two of them could fight the meta-humans in their civilian clothing without risking their identities.
The rustling moved closer. Virgil held his foot firmly against the ground in order to pivot in the direction of the danger.
A black cat shot out of the bushes sending Virgil and Richie to the ground screaming. Richie's arms were locked around Virgil's. The two caught their breath as the feline made his way down the path, letting out a fierce meow. A group of guys from their school laughed at the sight.
"Wow, Hawkins, afraid of a little cat," one boy laughed.
"Oh no! Meow!" another snickered.
"Real funny," Richie said standing up.
Virgil brushed the dead leaves from his pants.
"Talk about a heart attack at sixteen," Richie said taking a deep breath.
Virgil picked his fallen backpack off the ground and tossed it over his shoulder. He looked in the direction of the bushes then laughed at himself for becoming so worked up over a cat. Virgil took a deep breath then he and Richie continued their walk. At long last they reached the Hawkins residence.
The sky had already began its switch to gray. The autumn sunsets were much too early for them to enjoy as opposed to the summer ones. Still there was something about the darkening skies that gave the boys a hint of excitement. Perhaps it was the fact that they would be out on patrol at any minute fulfilling their tasks of keeping the citizens safe from any ruffians that dared to disturb the peace of Dakota.
"Pops!" Virgil called.
Virgil walked into the kitchen where he usually found his father reading from the newspaper while drinking coffee. It bothered Virgil that his father stayed up late every night worrying about his clients, the youth center, and various other projects he involved himself in. So many times Virgil wanted to help out, but his extracurricular activity of Static kept him pretty busy, ironically giving off the impression of being irresponsible and a flake. Through it all Virgil preferred his family's safety to his reputation. The kitchen remained empty save the sink piled with dishes leftover from breakfast, waiting for someone to clean them.
Virgil bumped into Richie on his way out of the kitchen. Richie stepped out of the way then followed Virgil as he checked the living room only to find it vacant as well. Virgil glanced over at Richie who replied with a shrug. Virgil cracked his neck then hurried up the stairs to his father's bedroom and knocked on the door. Hearing no reply Virgil repeated the action. Upon the second try Virgil figured he should take the risk and opened the door. The bed was made and all the soiled clothes were placed into the hamper. A two-fold frame containing wedding pictures and a second frame that held a photograph of Sharon and Virgil when they were in elementary school sat on the nightstand. The lamp was turned off and the navy blue drapes were drawn shut. No doubt their father's room was the epitome of clean, something his children's quarters could never live up to.
"Dad! You home?" Virgil called upon leaving the room.
"He's not here," a monotone voice said behind him.
Virgil jumped and stifled a shriek. Virgil turned around to meet the face of his older sister.
"Sharon!" Virgil screamed.
"Why are you yelling?" Sharon shouted. She tossed her hair then pushed past her brother. "Dad went out to the store with Trina," Sharon replied. Virgil stared back at her with a dumbfounded expression upon his face. "She wanted help for decorations for the Halloween party."
Virgil's forehead wrinkled. "What Halloween party?"
"The party she's throwing tomorrow night, remember?" Sharon replied. Virgil shook his head. "We're invited. Where were you last night when Dad brought this up?"
"Oh, I forgot," Virgil honestly answered as the memory from last night's dinner returned to his mind. With Talon, the history project, patrol time growing near, and the fear of being followed he had forgotten all about the party.
"Why are you dressed up?" Richie asked Sharon as he reached the top of the stairs. She sported a tight, violet blouse with white buttons, a flowing, white skirt, and white, heeled shoes.
"I have a date with Adam tonight," Sharon said turning away.
"Should've known," Virgil mumbled.
Sharon headed to the steps and descended with Virgil and Richie in tow. Sharon hurried to the phone in the kitchen to call Adam one last time before their date. Virgil laughed at the silliness of girly love. He hoped he never fell so far for someone that he lost all his rationality and dignity.
Virgil walked over to the couch that rested by the window. He rested his arms on the windowsill with his chin laying gently atop his arms. He tilted his head to the side as the sky released a light drizzle. Every few seconds a tiny drop hit the opposite end of the glass.
Virgil shut his eyes in an attempt to block out the shrill sound of Talon's screams accompanying the images of her ungraceful fall to the cold tarmac. He wanted to at least be certain of her current condition. He slowly opened his eyes in time to witness shadow moving over in the corner of the window. Virgil jumped up and fell back. He hurried over to the other end of the window in hopes to confirm his suspicions. There was no time for him to look as the doorbell chimed.
"Adam, are you here already?" Sharon asked into the phone. Without waiting for a confirmation from Adam she set the phone down on the counter and made her way over to the door.
Virgil saw his sister heading towards certain doom. The moment happened as though it were playing out in slow motion. Virgil leapt up from where he sat and jumped in front of the slender woman all whilst yelling, "No, Sharon, don't!"
"What's gotten into you, Virgil?" Sharon shouted as she pushed him out of the way. Virgil reached for her arm. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the attack moving. Without bothering to ask his reason for the sudden childish behavior she elbowed him in the chest. Virgil stumbled backwards. He quickly recovered and hurried to zap the lock shut. At the moment he could care less about his sister finding out his secret.
Much to his luck Sharon never noticed the move. She struggled with the doorknob for a few seconds.
"What in the world?" Sharon cried. She looked down to notice the deadbolt turned in a horizontal position. "It's locked," Sharon said in surprised tone. She turned to Virgil and asked him if he locked the door when he came in. Virgil nodded hoping Sharon would back away from the door. Just the opposite occurred as Sharon unlocked and opened the door.
Virgil lunged forward and missed the target, bumping his head against the doorframe. Sharon glared down at him then stepped outside against Virgil's warning. She stood out on the front step and looked in both directions of her yard before turning her attention to the street.
Sharon stepped back inside the house with a scowl on her face. "Stupid kids," she muttered while closing the door.
Virgil opened the door once Sharon left the room. Despite Sharon's admittance of finding nothing he wanted to double check. Virgil leaned his head and torso out the door while keeping his hands tightly against the doorframe. As with Sharon he found no one in visual range. Virgil's stomach twisted as he was sure he saw someone pass by the window. Virgil stepped out on the front step thinking perhaps it was merely kids from the neighborhood with a mindless Halloween prank. Virgil's tennis shoe came in contact with something hard and crunchy. He stepped back and lowered his eyes to find a crushed, wrapped peppermint candy sitting on the step. The candy served as a paperweight for a white envelope with a width of three inches.
Virgil glanced around then picked up the envelope and the mint. He promptly shut the door and carried the object over to the couch.
"What's that?" Richie asked as Virgil stared down at the envelope stained with rainwater. Richie sat on the arm of the couch.
"Don't know," Virgil replied.
"Hey, a mint!" Richie exclaimed picking up the candy.
"Don't!" barked Virgil. "It may be poisoned."
Richie tossed the broken treat on the coffee table. Virgil contemplated whether he should read the contents inside incase they were meant for someone other than him. He figured his father would understand given the conditions and ripped open the envelope.
The paper was actually regular size folded into fours. Both Virgil and Richie saw the smeared red ink had bled through the back. Virgil slowly unfolded the paper in attempts not to smear the writing anymore than it had already been. The ink dripped down the page and onto Virgil's jeans. Virgil accidentally released a curse from his lips. A familiar scent filtered into their nostrils. Virgil's eyes widened and he looked back up at the sheet of paper. From the look upon Richie's face he knew that Richie made the same discovery. The two gagged upon the realization that the red medium was not ink, but indeed fresh blood. In big, bloody letters the text read: SHE'S DEAD!
Virgil stood up and hyperventilated with his arms waving in front of him.
"Calm down, V," Richie said grabbing his friend's arms. Virgil eyes met with Richie's. Both boys displayed extreme fear. "Hey, let's go up to your room and think this over" Richie suggested.
Virgil nodded, still trembling.
They ran up the stairs and entered into Virgil's room. Virgil sat on the floor holding the note tightly in his clutches.
"Let's think about this," Richie said pacing about in circles. "This may all be a coincidence. Maybe it's a prank."
"Somebody knows," Virgil said not moving from his spot. "Somebody knows what happened and who I am."
"Maybe the letter wasn't meant for you," Richie said.
"Then who else could it be for?" shouted Virgil. "Someone followed me to this house. I'm telling you someone knows." Virgil buried his face in his hands. "This is not good." Virgil gripped his forehead. "This is really, really bad."
The blood dashed through his veins. Virgil could not stand being still any longer and hurried over to the other side of the room. He leaned against his window and watched the rain pick up just a bit. His heart raced as he was reminded of the repeated screams. Talon's body fell with such force on her back that there was no way for her to be rescued. Even if her life was spared she was certain to be paralyzed. The smoke lifting from her body charred the skin. Virgil knew he would never hear another word escape Talon's lips. Her last look of fear and agony would be the last thing he would ever remember.
He now wondered if the bang baby rested in the morgue with no loved one coming to prepare her a service. Talon would be thrown into a dark plot in a cheap casket with very few, if any, mourners. Sure Shiv, Ferret, and Aqua-Maria were certain to attend, but at a time that was convenient for them to step out of the shadows. The police were instructed to arrest the fugitive meta-humans the second the opportunity arrived. Virgil wondered if those such as Hotstreak and Ebon, two who Talon trusted and cared for would even pay her resting place a visit. In no time the worms would plow through Talon's lifeless body quickly removing any memory of her from the planet.
The thoughts were yanked from his conscious mind the second he looked across the street. The sight caused him to jump back and cut the back of his hand on his nightstand. A tall, scrawny male in black pants and a black hoodie stood in the yard of the house across from his. There were none who dwelt in that house who matched the youth's description. Although the hood concealed the stranger's face, Virgil could tell the man was staring up at him. His stance was rather threatening and foreboding.
Virgil backed away from his window and closed the blinds and the curtains.
"V, what…?" Richie began.
"I hope they get back soon," Virgil exclaimed. "Very soon."
"Why?"
"We're being watched."
"What?" Richie stammered.
Virgil pointed at the window. "Right now. We're being watched."