Alllllrighty Chapter 2 baby. I was so excited about finishing the first one I immediately started writing the second one lol. Enjoy!
Kujo stirred in his bed, the morning light filtering through his curtains. The house was quiet—too quiet, like always. His parents had already left for their meetings, leaving only a note on the kitchen counter. He reached for it, already knowing what it would say.
"Back late. Business with the Mayor. Don't wait up."
He just rolled his eyes and with a sigh, Kujo crumpled the note in his hand and tossed it into the trash. Every day felt the same. Business, business, always business.
Wasn't this place supposed to be a new start? but all it had done was pull his parents deeper into their work. He was just along for the ride, as usual. unseen and unheard.
With nothing else to do, Kujo got dressed and decided to take a walk. His parents had made it clear he wasn't part of their world, so he might as well explore on his own.
Feeling the chill autumn breeze around him he took in a deep breath of comfort. Looking around he noticed the townsfolk but something seemed wrong.
Shops were closed early, windows shuttered, and the few people who were out hurried by with their heads down. The atmosphere was tense, like the town itself was holding its breath.
He couldn't shake this chilling feeling he had but he just kept walking. Eventually looking back up and was a bit surprised. He hadn't seen this part of town before. And it was even more disheveled than normal.
"Must've walked out too far.." He muttered nervously. Also realizing that it was only him in the empty streets. It was too creepy so he turned to leave but that's when he heard something.
Hushed whispered that he could barely put it together. "I-Its probably just the wind" Kujo rationalized. Picking up his pace.
"...and the best part? Those idiots are none the wiser!"
Kujo stopped my tracks. His curiosity picked at his brain before taking over and he made his way to the location of the voices. Stopping at a dark alley where he saw..the Mayor?!
Carefully, he crept closer to them, sticking to the shadows. The Mayor stood with a few of his cronies, speaking in low tones, but Kujo caught enough of their conversation to raise his suspicions.
"I dunno boss, don't you think they'll catch on? They seem pretty smart to me" one of the henchmen nervously asked.
Humdinger scoffed, fiddling with his mustache with a slick grin.
"Those fools are blinded by greed and power. Once they are fully on board, we'll have control over everything,"
Humdinger smirked, his tone smug.
Kujo's heart raced. He's using them!? Kujo leaned in closer, his breath caught in his throat. That's when his foot accidentally kicked a loose stone, sending it skittering across the pavement.
The sound echoed in the quiet alley, and Humdinger's head snapped in Kujo's direction. "Who's there?!" and without thinking, Kujo bolted. He heard the Mayor shout something to his henchmen, and then the pounding of footsteps behind him.
Kujo's legs burned as he raced through the narrow streets, weaving between buildings and around corners. The henchmen were fast, and their voices grew closer with each step. He pushed himself harder, his breath coming in ragged gasps as panic gripped him.
"GET BACK HERE KID!"
One of the men shouted. He darted down another alley, hoping to lose them, but the footsteps behind him didn't stop. His breath started growing short and his legs were giving up on him. Coming across a large fence Kujo mustered up the rest of his stamina to hurl over it and continue running. The heavy footsteps behind him grew quieter and quieter.
He would run into a random building, slamming the door and falling to the floor in exhaustion. His breathing ragged and his head was light. Eventually his eyes adjusted to the new lighting and he slowly stood up.
"A library?"
The air was cool, filled with the scent of old paper and a strange sense of calm. It was almost too quiet for a public space, with a stillness that unsettled him. He walked past rows of shelves, trying to shake off the nerves from earlier.
As he slowed down near the back of the library, his ears caught something—a low murmur of voices.
"...things ain't been the same since they were disbanded…" an older man whispered, his voice heavy with regret.
"Ryder and those pups," a woman replied, sighing, "they did so much for us, but now… not a trace."
Kujo paused, his brow furrowing. Ryder? Pups? The names bounced around his head, but he wasn't particularly interested in hearing more. They could've been talking about anyone or anything. But there was a strange weight to the conversation like it was important.
Before he could think about it any more, his phone buzzed in his pocket. His heart sank when he pulled it out and saw the message from his dad:
"Come home. NOW."
His heart sank as the coldness of the message hit him like a brick. He knew better than to argue. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, Kujo glanced toward the pair still murmuring softly about the town's past but turned away, pushing through the library doors into the fading evening light.
Outside, the street was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of streetlights as the sun dipped below the horizon. Kujo began his slow walk home, hands shoved into his pockets, his thoughts racing.
Everything about today felt... wrong. From the strange conversation he overheard, to getting chased through the streets, to the cold dismissal from his parents. His chest tightened as he recalled his father's short, blunt message. No explanation, no concern—just a command.
His feet moved on autopilot, but his mind was elsewhere, retracing the events of the day. He thought about the Mayor and his men, the way they spoke in secret like they were plotting something, something big. He had a gut feeling, a nagging sense that whatever they were planning, it wasn't good.
But why did it involve his family? Why did they care so much that he'd overheard them?
And then there were the whispers in the library. Whispers that seemed to have an emotional weight to them. A part of him wanted to ignore it, just chalk it up as another piece of small-town gossip. But another part of him was morbidly curious.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of his house looming in the distance, the lights on, a reminder of what was waiting for him inside. He slowed his pace even more, dreading the confrontation he knew was coming.
Kujo quietly slipped through the door, hoping to avoid any confrontation. But as he stepped inside, he saw his parents sitting in the living room, their stern expressions making it clear they had been waiting for him. His father leaned forward in his chair, eyes narrowing.
"Kujo," his father began, voice low and cold. "What were you doing out there today?"
Kujo hesitated, the urge to deflect strong. He glanced around, trying to buy himself time.
"I was just… walking around," he mumbled, shrugging casually. "Wanted to explore the town a bit."
His mother's gaze remained icy as she raised her phone. "Walking around, huh?" She tapped the screen, and a voice crackled through the speaker.
"You need to control that boy of yours! He was caught snooping around where he didn't belong. If you know any better it will be the last time it happens." Mayor Humdinger's voice echoed through the room, dripping with smugness.
"So," she said, her voice clipped, "care to explain why the Mayor himself is calling us about your 'walk'?"
Kujo swallowed hard, scrambling to recover. "I wasn't snooping… I just overheard something weird, that's all"
His father's voice grew colder, his eyes narrowing.
"The Mayor made it very clear that you were sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Why can't you just stay out of this?"
Kujo's pulse quickened, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "I wasn't snooping! I just happened to be there, and then they started chasing me! Doesn't that sound strange to you?"
His mother shook her head, disappointment flashing in her eyes.
"Kujo, you don't understand the stakes here. Humdinger is our business partner. You can't afford to interfere with something this important."
"He's using you!" Kujo shouted, the frustration finally boiling over.
"He's hiding something, and you're too focused on your precious business to see it!"
"Watch your mouth!" his father snapped, standing abruptly. His towering frame made Kujo feel small. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"I know more than you think!" Kujo fired back, his voice trembling with anger. "He's dangerous! He's not what he seems!"
His mother's tone grew colder, sharper. "This is not some childish conspiracy, Kujo. This is business, and you are to stay out of it. You don't know what's at stake here."
Tears of frustration welled up in Kujo's eyes, but he blinked them away, his fists clenching at his sides. "You never listen to me. You're too blinded by him to see the truth!"
"That's enough!" his father boomed, his voice filled with finality. "Go to your room, Kujo. Now."
Kujo froze, his body trembling as the tears he fought to hold back threatened to spill over. His father's command left no room for argument.
"I said, go!"
Without another word, Kujo turned and stormed up the stairs, slamming the door to his room behind him. He collapsed onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow as the tears finally flowed.
"They never care… they never listen," he muttered under his breath, the words choked with frustration and sorrow. He felt his eyes getting heavy. today was rough...maybe tommarow would be better.
Somewhere deep within the outskirts of town there was a small shack. Inside a dimly lit room stood almost silent. Aa soft glow from the small campfire flickering across the worn-out faces seated around it.
Shadows danced on the walls, disguising their features, but the tension in the air was palpable.
A figure leaned forward, his voice low but filled with resolve. "We can't keep hiding like this," he said.
"We've been quiet for too long. If we don't act soon, it'll be too late."
A second figure, smaller in stature, shifted nervously. "But we're not ready yet… What if it goes wrong?"
The first figure sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. But we don't have much choice. He's gaining more control every day, and people are getting scared.
We need to take a risk."A third voice, deeper and more serious, spoke up from the shadows. "We can't fail this time. We have to be smart."
The group fell silent for a moment, each of them wrestling with the weight of their situation. After a long pause, the first figure stood, determination etched into his every movement.
"We'll need to move soon. We can't afford to wait any longer."
Another figure, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke, their voice soft but firm. "We're with you. Whatever it takes."
The leader nodded, the flickering fire casting an almost ghostly glow on his face.
"Then let's prepare. We have one last shot to set things right."As they exchanged quiet words, preparing their next move, a figure in the corner glanced out of a small window, their eyes scanning the darkened landscape.
The silence of the night was heavy, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire. They were ready to fight for Adventure Bay, even if it meant putting everything on the line.
And that was Chapter 2! I wonder who those mysterious figures were :0.
I hope yall enjoyed the chapter. Chapter 3 soon!