Chapter 7: Fest of the Ashes
TW: Gore, Violence, General Horror
"Woah! Look at all of the floats!" Flora twirled around, gazing at decorations.
"Yep! Tonight is the start of the week long festivities!" Charles grinned. "Welcome to Barcrombe's annual Fest of the Ashes!" He pointed to a large banner being put up, which read "Barcrombe's 33rd Fest of the Ashes".
"Why is it called that?" Luke looked confused. "That seems like an odd name for a cheery festival." He was right. Fest of the Ashes did sound like an odd name, or so Layton thought.
"Well, it's a long story BUT I'll tell you an abridged version." Charles pulled out a small book from his bag. "This is still pretty long so I suggest you find a place to stand for awhile." He sheepishly smiled. Luke, Flora, Ed, and Al sat down.
"A long..long...time ago."
"Mum!" A young girl raced down the streets. "Mum? Where are you?" She began to whimper as she walked cautiously through the streets but not a soul in sight. Suddenly she felt a hand placed on her back and she whirled around to see the monster.
"Cecilia!" It was her sister. "Calm down.." She hugged Cecilia close to her as tears streamed down her eyes.
"Big sis!" She wouldn't let go now. Not ever. "W-What happened?" She whimpered, trying to wipe away her tears. "W-Where's mum?"
"I'm afraid I have the same dilemma." Cecilia's eyes grew watery again.
"W-What?!" She gazed at her sister's face, once seen as beautiful but now covered with scars and blood. "Emma, what happened?"
Emma's eyes widened at this response. "I'm afraid..they've gotten me as well..." She showed a large gash on her arm, bleeding out. "I don't think I'm gonna make it." Cecilia shook her sister.
"Hey! Hey! No...you can't!" She gripped her sister's arms tightly. "N-no way!" Her sister just smiled and rubbed her sister's hair.
"Cece...It's going to be fine, really!" Emma laughed as her sister began to cry once more. "Trust me..."
"No-no!" Her sister's blood was now staining her cotton dress. "Emma, please!" She pleaded.
"I'm afraid so, it looks like it's already taken a toll on my body." She soon collapsed onto the pavement as her eyes closed. The last words that escaped her mouth were "Behind…you."
"EMMA!" Cecilia wailed, in mourning of her dead sister. She looked up after hearing the growls of something behind her, whirling around she saw the something absolutely unsettling.
Long sharp nails which could pierce someone like a kabob. An unusually long neck and large protruding horns coming out from its deformed skull which now had teeth coming out from all sides. It was pale as a ghost maybe even paler and its nasty hair which was falling out was black with a hint of green probably from people puking at its disgustingness. Its mouth was constantly open as its tongue flicked back and forth almost like a snake. It was bent over except for its neck which craned forward to look at its prey.
"H-HeeelPPP!" Cecilia cried as the monster drew nearer and nearer to her. She inched back trying to escape but fell backwards onto the ground. The monster began to speak in a deafening shriek.
"When the sun and moon cross paths in thrity-three years from today, the world will cease to exist." It began in a sing-song. "A fire-headed woman will kill her own kind while the others will watch in horror."
"S-Shush…!" She covered her ears and reeled back in pain. "A-AHHHHHH!"
"In order to stop this you must avoid marriage and love at all costs or the world will stop spinning as a jealous man will rule the stars with a corrupt hand." It sudden stopped speaks and started again to walk towards Cecilia.
"LEAVE!" She grabbed a bottle behind her hand jammed it into the monsters mouth. The monster began to shriek as glass shards entered its bloody mouth. It's bloodshot eyes almost popping out of its head.
"YOUUUU FOOOOL!" It whispered as it crunched the bottle into little pieces with its gross teeth. "LOOOVE IS NOTHING."
Cecilia was flung back as the creature scratched her face leaving a gorey gash in her face. Heavy breaths left her body as she was flung onto the wall. As she slumped onto the ground, the creature stuck its nasty nail right beside her ear. "I missed.." it said with a grin. A million thoughts rushed through Cecelia's mind but the first thought that she acted was grabbing a handful of trash and throwing it in the monster's face.
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" She grabbed a spear off the ground and turned to face the monster. "S-Stay back!" Cecelia cautioned as the monster motioned towards her.
"You will regret this." It warned as it sharpened its nails again. Cecelia quickly ran towards the monster, stabbing in its heart. Blood shot out of its heart as it shrunk into the ground, becoming nothing but ashes.
"SIS!" She ran back towards Emma, who was coughing up blood in the streets. She rushed to tend to her dying sister.
"Cecelia…?" Emma's voice was brittle as she struggled to speak. "What happened?" Cecelia sighed and told her what happened. Emma decided to help her find survivors and help rebuild the town.
"Let's do this!" The mayor joyfully skipped out of his cabin. "I'm so proud of you little girl!" He pinched Cecilia's cheek.
"T-th-thank you!" She smiled as the older man continued to tease her.
"Well I suppose to thank you, we will have a HUGE PARTY!" He suddenly threw up confetti.
"Uh-Money would be nice…?"
"NO WAY! IT'S PARTY TIME WOOOOOO!" He danced off to go look for people, who immediately came out of hiding when they heard his voice. Murmurs spread through the street as Cecelia and Emma finally felt known.
"Uh-Charles?" Layton looked at Charles with a confused expression.
"What?" He raised an eyebrow at his friend, who did not seem found of the story he just told. "I thought it was good?"
"Well, you may have scared the children." He gestured over to the two of them. who were sitting, slightly shaken by the tale.
"T-that wasn't real Mr. Charles, right?" Flora laughed nervous, pulling on the collar of her shirt.
"O-Of course it's not!" Luke was shaking as well but trying to mask his fear as being cold. "I'm not s-scared or anything!" Charles looked at the two confused.
"Huh, that hasn't happened before…" he looked at the two kids and sighed.
"Hey, where's Edward and Alphonse?" Flora piped in, looking around for the two brothers. Everyone turned to Flora and began to look for them.
"They left during the story I presume." Layton began to walk around in search of them. "They shouldn't be that hard to find."
"C'mon Hershel!" Charles swung his arm around Layton's shoulder. "Let's just enjoy the town for a little while!" He smiled like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Professor, Look!" Luke pointed out an argument going on in the town square. "They look pretty upset, I wonder why."
"Well, let's check it out." Layton said as they went over to go see the group.
"WILL YOU SHUT IT?!" A tall man in a suit yelled to his co-workers. "RUBY NEEDS THIS STAGE TO BE PERFECT!" The others seemed to shy away from this man except for one shorter fellow. He wore a red t-shirt over his suit which gave him a messier appearance.
"OH C'MON LESTER!" He spat, while he shook from rage. "ALL YOU DO F-CK UP OUR CAREERS!" Layton covered Luke's ears on that part, which he was not fond of.
"YOU ARE THIS CLOSE TO BEING FIRED MILTON!" Lester showed with his fingers, there was barely space between them. "DON'T DO THIS AGAIN." He stormed off leaving a very annoyed Milton with a group of scared co-workers. Layton walked up to Milton.
"Hello-" Layton barely walked two steps before Milton broke into a rant.
"OHWHYISLESTERSUCHAPIECEOFCRAPLIKEWHYDOESN'THEUNDERSTANDWHATAHORRIDSCUMOFTHEEARTHHEIS." He paced while babbling to himself and the crew, who seemed eerily quiet.
"Milton, I think you need to calm down." His co-worker tried to calm him down but Milton was not having it.
"SHUT UP JOHN!" He snapped at John, who slumped away from the group. "These imbeciles…"
"Excuse us but we would like to ask-" once again Milton cut Layton off.
"Do I look like I HAVE TIME to talk to the likes of YOU?" Milton grunted, scaring off the rest of his crew. "OY! GET BACK HERE!" He chased after the crew, leaving Layton and Luke alone in town square.
"Well, he certainly wasn't the most kind fellow." Layton looked around the square to see what they were doing.
"What do you think they're doing Professor?" Luke asked, writing down their interaction in his notebook.
"What do you think, my boy?" Layton urged Luke, who immediately entered into deep thought.
"Well…there's a stage…and lots of stage lights…and…hm." He sketched out some things in his notebook. "It's a concert, right Professor?" Layton nodded.
"Right you are my boy." Luke proudly grinned and put away his notebook.
"Guys! Guys!" Flora ran towards them. "I think we found Edward and Alphonse!"