Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Somewhere in America, 2007

Headlights cut through the darkness. An orange sedan passes by a sign on the side of the road, which briefly becomes legible.

'St. Lauren, 12 miles.'

Within the car, it is awfully cramped. An entire lifetime had somehow managed to fit inside. Though some things did look about ready to burst out of the windows. Mrs. Edwards was at the wheel, doing her best to appear calm.

Despite having a license, the poor woman was more suited to shorter trips around small towns. Not something like this.

Still, she kept her eyes on the road. Even if her grip on the steering wheel was a little tight, she didn't want to freak her kids out.

In the passenger seat, Nicole Edwards sat slouched. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't sleep. Never had liked long car rides, especially not this one. Twirling a strand of her blondish brown hair with a finger,

she glanced to the back seat.

Groaning, she leaned forward with her hands on the dash.

"Mom. Is he really going to sleep for the entire trip?"

Mrs. Edwards smiled, eyes still firmly locked ahead. "Oh, is he still sleeping back there?"

Double-checking, Nicole grimaced. "Yeah, like a dead man."

"Oh hush now, he's just tired. Which ain't all that surprising, seeing as he helped me with most of the packing."

"Really?" Nicole made a face.

"Yes, really." Mrs. Edwards giggled, "Unlike someone I know."

Laying back, the young teen grumbled. "Agh, Mom..."

Another giggle.

Stretched out along the back seat was Mrs. Edward's other child. Eric was sound asleep. In his mind, there was no car.

There was just a field of grass. The kind you'd see anywhere in rural America. Cut grass was kicked up by a light breeze, rolling by the teen as he stood by home plate. Shielding his eyes from the big bright sun above.

Today was definitely a day for collared shirts, Eric thought.

Adjusting his cap, he looked across the field at his father. Who was standing in the pitcher's mound, lightly tossing a baseball between his hand and glove.

The two were at their usual little town ball field. Eric's father was going to pitch while his son would be batting.

It was hard to make out the older man's face from where Eric was standing, but he just knew that the man was smiling like he always did when they played. That smugness he carried that only served to make his son more competitive.

"Okay buddy! Next one." Eric's father shouted.

Eric adjusted his cap one final time and held his bat at the ready. Digging his heels into the dirt a little and taking a deep breath.

The sounds around him, from the birds to bugs, they began to fade away. He stared ahead, ready to strike.

He watched his father get into position. Who looked to the ground, then behind himself for just a moment before raising his leg.

In the space of a second, the older man's arm cracked like a whip as he lunged forward. Sending the ball speeding towards his son like a bullet fired from a revolver.

Eric's father was an incredible pitcher, but his son already knew that.

And today, the boy's eye was in.

Putting just enough power into his swing and timing it right as the ball neared him, the bat connected.

Cling!*

With an audible smack, Eric sent the ball rocketing into the sky.

Sure of himself, he dropped his bat and started to run the bases. It had been the perfect was still echoing in his ears as he ran.

"Don't bother looking, Dad. That sucker is gone!" Eric yelled as he passed the first base.

After the second, the teen sped up.

"Gone gone gone~!"

On the third, he was smiling wide.

"Did you see that hit? Best one all day!"

Eric slid onto forth base and threw his fist up in the air.

"Dad, did you even see that one? Bet you didn't!"

Patting the dirt off himself, he looked back over to the pitch.

"...Dad?"

Suddenly, he was the only person in the field. It was empty.

There had never been a pitcher.

Not only that, there had never been any grass. No sun.

Eric's bat was gone.

"Dad." The teen called out again.

Nothing.

Everything was grey, like the color had been sucked away. The sky hung heavy on the horizon, pitch black and lifeless.

In his mind, Eric knew that he should've been running away. Yet he couldn't move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the moon.

It was uncomfortable close, exerting a pressure he found hard to describe.

Being so near meant that Eric could make out every detail of the planetary mass. The craters on its surface felt like they would swallow him up if he dared to approach.

He wouldn't have to, as the moon would be coming to him.

Like the worms one would find in a bucket of bait, each crater seemed to be squirming.

All at once, they began to split apart and change.

They quickly turned into hands. Hundreds of them.

Eric finally took a step back, but he couldn't look away from this terrifying metamorphosis.

The hands nearly covered the entire moon. With long fingers and snake-like arms, they reached towards the world below.

...

"What-"

As Eric tried to speak, something struck him in the throat. The hand then gripped his throat like a vice.

The teen tried to reach to remove it, as his hat fell off and landed somewhere nearby.

He wanted to cry out, but he was being strangled so tightly. Eric coughed up blood, knowing that it wouldn't be long before he blacked out from the pain.

The hand lifted him like he weighed nothing, pulling the teen towards the moon. More hands flew out to met them. Eric's mouth hung open uselessly as they grabbed him all over his body.

He struggled weakly under the crushing pressure.

The hands tightened further, squeezing so much that it felt like they had teeth and were biting down.

They continued to assault him. Some tore the skin from his face, while others tugged violently at his limbs.

He heard something rip. They had began to pull him apart.

Somehow, Eric found his voice and screamed out. The whole sky, it seemed to be bleeding.

A bright scarlet dripped across the blackness and encircled the moon. The teen couldn't shake the feeling... that it was watching him.

He felt it all. His body was breaking and there was nothing he could do but scream.

"H-H-Help me..." He weakly mumbled.

"HELP-"

Then, something or someone pokes Eric in his cheek.

"Ah!" he yelled, sitting up with a start. Head colliding with the roof of the car.

...

"Wait, the car?"

Blinking and holding the bump, he spotted Nicole holding one of their kitchen forks.

"Oh Nicole, look at what you've done now!"

"Didn't think it would work, to be honest."

Eric's mother sighed, "Where did you even get that fork from?"

"That's right..." Eric thought, "We're still on the road. I-It was just a dream."

Nicole shrugged, looking down at her feet. "I dunno, like from one of the boxes down here."

Rubbing his head, Eric lay back down. He could feel himself sweating like crazy, heart hammering at his ribs.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, he sat up.

"W-What was that..."

"It felt so... real."

"See, he didn't even notice anyway!" His sister protested, pointing at the boy.

"Oh hush now, missy." Mrs. Edwards says, turning her head. "Eric. You alright, honey?"

"Y-Yeah. I think." He managed to stammer out.

Holding onto the front seat, Eric leaned forward. "Where are we?"

"Not much longer now. We're almost there!" His mother smiled, keeping her eyes on the road.

The Edwards and their sedan were joined on all sides by many other cars. All were heading in one direction. Eric and Nicole's eyes went wide as

the city finally came into view.

"There it is." Mrs. Edwards said, a faint smile on her lips.

On America's eastern coast, towering and bordering the Atlantic sea was the city of St. Lauren in all its glory.

Established many years ago by pioneers, it now stood as a bustling metropolis. Home to far more people than the Edwards were used to being around.

"It's huge! Look at that bridge." Nicole leaned forward after spotting the structure.

The sedan rode across it as the teens looked about.

"There's another two in the city itself." Mrs. Edwards watched her children and giggled, "I didn't think I'd see the day that you two would be excited by a bridge."

Eric smiled while Nicole tried to see the water running beneath them. It was too dark to really make out, even with all the lights along the road.

"Yeah well, we're only used to seeing little bridges. Mom, this one's gigantic."

"Nothing wrong with the one back home." Eric reminisced, "Lots happened on that little blue bridge."

"Like the time you almost fell off the side?" Nicole joked.

"Or like the time I caught you kissing Randall Stevens under it?" Eric fired back.

"... You kissed the Stevens' boy?" Mrs. Edwards asked her daughter, genuinely surprised.

"S-S-Shut up!" Nicole flushed, trying to ignore Eric as he laughed. Who was happy to have won.

The night sky was clear, dotted with stars. Eric leaned back in his seat to tried to look at it through the sedan's sun roof. He realized as he counted

that there weren't nearly as many as they were back home.

The brightest light in the blackness was the moon, which shined down on the city. Eric watched it, feeling uneasy.

He thought back to his dream.

It still made him uneasy.

After riding over the bridge, the Edwards found themselves bumper to bumper with St. Lauren's night time traffic.

Mrs. Edwards in particular was taken aback. Doing her best to seem relaxed behind the wheel. Nicole and Eric watched the crowds that filled the sidewalks on either side. Amazed by not only the variety of people,

but the sheer number of them.

The sedan made it to St. Lauren's bustling city center. Immediately, the family was struck by the sights and sounds.

Billboards blaring, massive skyscrapers nearly obscuring the sky. A noticeable lack of greenery.

It was starting to really dawn on them that back in the South, their lives had been much quieter. Even simple. Days would go by and at most,

you would've seen less than ten people. Rarely twenty.

Now, they were going to be joining the hundreds of people that passed through this cities' streets daily.

In each of their hearts, the Edwards family were still in that small dot of a town.

This move had not been an easy one to make.

Like some bizarre pop-up book, the layers of St. Lauren gradually unfolded around them. The kids were stuck examining the faces of the people that passed by.

From men and women in suits speed walking to either their next meeting, or the nearest bar. To young teens around Eric's age milling about, acting like most adolescents always did. Belligerent to adult authority,

and unafraid to show affection to one another in ways that made a shy southern boy like Eric blush.

Fast food stops and bars packed with people. Girls swarming in and out of shops. Nicole watched them closely, their clothing in particular catching her eye.

No one dressed like this where she was from. It was exciting.

Eric noticed his sister staring. Knowing that out of everyone in this car, she had been the one most excited about moving. Even before everything that had happened.

As she had gotten older, Nicole had grown to resent the town she had grown up in. Believing it to be boring and even backwater. He understood why she would feel this way,

but couldn't bring himself to agree with her.

In the back of his mind, Eric was really missing home.

As they drove on, the streets split off in many directions. Some roads leading to malls and hidden nightclubs, to apartment blocks of all sizes.

From their perspective, St. Lauren seemed to have it all. Most likely even more for them to discover.

Leaving the city center, the traffic finally thinned. Enabling the sedan to pick up some pace. Just before they reached a more open part of town,

a train loudly rattled along elevated train tracks. Weaving its way through the buildings to its destination.

Eric had never seen a train off the ground before.

Soon, Mrs. Edwards motioned to something in the far distance. "Ah, there it is!"

"Where's what?" mumbled Nicole.

"Up there, on the hill out there... Your new school."

The kids spotted the fancy building nestled along a steep hill. It was massive.

But then, anything would be if their old school were to be used for comparison.

"You two start there on Monday. Excited?"

Eric shrugged while Nicole just looked down at her feet.

"Oh come now, it'll be great! The pamphlet said it was one of the best schools in the city. Perhaps even the whole state."

Despite his ambivalence, it was hard to deny that Eric wasn't a little curious and excited. Nicole remained quiet.

Leaving central St. Lauren's noise and traffic behind, the sedan was now cruising through one of the city's many suburbs.

Buildings shrank in size, the roads became a little wider.

Nicole spied through the dark a few houses up on the hill that stretched into the north. She wondered how rich you'd have to be to live up there.

There was a tinge of hope in her heart.

Eric meanwhile looked ahead, trying to make out the horizon. For the first time in their lives, they were living close to the ocean.

As they passed by a rather rough-looking gas station, Nicole's hopes dropped. Seeming less excited somehow. A couple blocks later,

the sedan finally came to a stop outside a small two story home on a long suburban street.

Dying to stretch his legs and just about every other body part, Eric almost tumbled out of the car.

Nicole stepped out, right to have abandoned her hope.

"What, we're stopping here? Why?" She said, like she had been expecting something else.

Mrs. Edwards took a breath before turning off the ignition and pulling out the key.

She got out. "We're stopping here... Because this is it. This is our new home."

A mailbox was stuck in the ground nearby. Eric out of curiosity took a look inside.

Empty.

"THIS is our new house? Mom, are you kidding me!"

"It sure is." Mrs. Edwards inhaled, "Ain't it just lovely?"

Nicole nearly collapsed on the pavement. With exaggerated movements, she flailed her arms towards the north.

"Why couldn't we have gotten a place up on the hills! Or in the city!" She demanded an answer.

Eric shut the mailbox. "Too pricey?"

"Right you are!" His mother snapped her finger, "We didn't have the money to send you kids to St. Lauren High AND live in the city center."

Realizing that it was now hopeless, Nicole stomped off. Determined to not speak to her family for the foreseeable future. Though funnily enough,

she chose to walk towards the house and not the other way.

Mrs. Edwards and her son shared a look and a quick chuckle.

"What needs to be unpacked first?" He asked.

"Things from the front first, sweety. Best to start easy."

As if to further frustrate Nicole, the Edwards family learnt as soon as they stepped into the quaint little home that they would be spending their first night in the big city... without power.

Mrs. Edwards assured her children that it would be on by tomorrow.

Eric steadily piled up boxes near the entrance. Dusting his hands and taking in the space as best he could in the darkness.

Despite the bareness of a home left empty for new occupants, what little furniture remained was arranged nicely enough.

Picking up a box with his sister's name on it, Eric climbed the stairs.

"Nicole! which room is gonna be yours?" He called out.

"No fighting now, you two~" Their mother shouted up the stairwell.

When Eric got no reply, he relied purely on past experience to get an answer. Sure enough, the room closest to the bathroom was now hers.

He found his sister still sulking, sat on a bare mattress with her legs close to her head.

Eric sighed and accepted his fate, placing the box outside her door before going downstairs to get the rest.

After making sure he had retrieved them all, he stretched out his back.

"Right. You can unpack these."

"Can't you do it?" Nicole muttered.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "You don't mind me touching your things?"

With a groan, Nicole was up. She ignored her brother's shake of the head and got to work unpacking.

"Didn't think so." He chuckled. "Back downstairs I go~"

With the curtains drawn back, the light outside shined into the home now. Though this didn't help the descent down the steps much. Reaching the ground floor,

Eric just realized that he had never lived anywhere with a second floor before.

Having found a flashlight, Mrs. Edwards was happily humming away. Stocking the kitchen cabinets with a little food they had bought on the way, and the family's old plates and glassware.

When she struggled to take the mixer out of its box, Eric was quick to help his mother lift it up.

"Thank you, honey." She smiled, patting her arms.

"Here. Could you get the last of the boxes and lock the car?" Mrs. Edwards handed her son the keys.

"Sure."

Outside, the sedan had been moved up to the driveway. At this time of night, the surrounding neighborhood was quiet, few houses had lights on and occasionally the nearest street light would flicker.

Eric checked the seats of the car to make sure they were box less before turning to the trunk.

Taking out the remaining boxes one at a time, Eric held the last one and went to shut the car with his elbow.

But he fumbled. Managing to not drop it at least, he watched as his baseball bat bounced out and loudly smacked against the paving before rolling towards the street. Worried he had made too much noise,

he ran to quickly pick it back up.

As Eric bent down, he suddenly fell forward. More than the pain from the fall, his head began to throb.

It felt like someone was tugging at his hair and skin, before sharply pulling it upwards.

"Wha- What the heck...?" He stammered, trying to stand back up.

It was excruciating.

Eric felt nauseous. He squinted, trying not to scream as this sudden attack became more intense.

For a moment, it felt like he was being lifted off the pavement.

Just when the pain seemed like it would keep getting worse... it stopped.

Legs wobbling, Eric held his head and tried to keep his balance. Having shut his eyes, he opened them.

Something was wrong.

All down the street the lights had vanished. Street lamps stood dim, and the houses that had light were now dark. Eric lifted his face to the night sky,

shocked to find that it was now a bloody red. Something seemed to be twitching up there, but he couldn't quite make out what.

Taking a step back cautiously, he felt that horrendous tugging again.

Fighting the pain, he could vaguely feel that something was attached to his head.

There was definitely something there.

"Watch out."

A voice, clear and calm ran through his skull. It was followed by many more. His ears buzzing, Eric quickly grabbed his bat off the street.

They were agonizingly loud. Only serving to exacerbate his already throbbing head.

With them all talking over each other, he couldn't make out what they were saying at all. Turning round, he stopped and stared at scene before him.

The sedan, their new house, the lawn encircling it... Everything was grey.

Catching his reflection in the car's back window, he finally saw the source of the sudden pain.

There was an impossibly long strand of what looked like a string coming from his head. As it reached his scalp, it was split into tinier threads. Each had punctured and dug into the skin, taut like they were anchored in place.

Fear then shook Eric out of his observation as a strange hulking figure appeared over his shoulder.

The voices were pleading at him to turn around. He did so, bat at the ready.

But he found nothing.

The red sky, the voices... they were gone. Stars dotted the blackness above once more. The street lights flickered back to life.

"W-W-What the hell..." Eric managed to say, shaking.

...

There was no denying it. That had been almost exactly like the dream he had on the drive.

It was real.

Chapter Text

Having quickly retrieved the last of their boxes from the sedan, Eric shut the door behind himself.

Still unsteady and breathing heavy, he peered out the small window onto the street outside.

It was looking much how it had when he had first gone out earlier. An evening like any other. Yet just a few minutes ago, it hadn't been.

There was still a slight ache in Eric's head. His ears were ringing.

"Who was talking to me...?" The teen thought. He was certain that there had been more than one voice.

They had been trying to help him. But from what?

"And why had the sky been red-"

"That the last of them, honey?" Eric's mother called from inside the house.

Knocked from his thoughts, he lifted a box up and stumbled towards the kitchen. Noticing the visible sweat and unease in her son,

Mrs. Edwards titled her head.

"Are you okay?"

Eric placed the box on the low table nearby, trying to relax and collect his thoughts.

"Did you... notice anything weird just now?"

"Other than the fact that I'm pretty sure we had more glasses as a family, no. Why?"

Mrs. Edwards approached and opened the box. Exclaiming as she found the rest of their glassware inside.

"The lights outside all just went off on the street a moment ago."

"Did they?" His mother replied, filling the cupboards above the kitchen counter.

"The sky-" Eric held his forehead, "It was red."

Mrs. Edwards made a face. "Really?"

"There were these voices and-"

"Sweetie. You sure you're not just tired from the trip?"

For a moment, Eric contemplated this. Had he fallen into another dream?

While standing outside in the street... was that something that could even happen? It had felt too real.

Mrs. Edwards ran a hand through his hair to get him to look at her. "I think you still are. Even after all that sleeping you did in the car."

"Why don't you take your boxes up with you and get some shut-eye? I'll deal with the rest down here."

Unsure of what to think, Eric eventually decided to take his mother's advice and turn in for the night. Handing her the sedan's keys, he said goodnight and went to get his boxes.

There wasn't much, his life seemingly easier to box up compared to that of his sisters. Who he was sure was still unpacking.

Making sure that his baseball bat wasn't going to fall out again, he took up his belongings and went up the stairs. It was still dark in their new home. The lack of power now felt more ominous,

Eric was finding it far too similar to how it had been outside minutes ago.

At the top of the steps, he glanced to the small window down the hall. The night sky was unchanged.

"Nicole~ Could you come down and help me, please!" Mrs. Edwards shouted.

The door to his left opening, Eric's sister poked her head out with a frown that could be seen even in the darkness.

"Have Eric do it!" She shouted back.

"Now now, he's going to bed! Just come help your mother, little missy!"

Groaning with every fiber of her being, Nicole removed herself from her new room and dragged herself to the stairs. Making sure to glare at her brother on the way down.

Eric shrugged his shoulders and flashed her a cheeky smile.

There were three other doors on the second floor. Setting the box in his arms down, he went to investigate.

Closest to Nicole's was the bathroom, he only briefly looked inside.

The other further along opened to a larger room with a double bed surrounded by some old furniture. Taking it in for a moment, Eric came to the decision that looked like a mom's room. Stepping back and turning, he faced the last door.

Inside, there was a single bed with a large closet set against the far wall. There was also a tall curtained window between them.

"Guess this will be mine?" He asked no one in particular, walking back into the hall to get his box.

A few trips up and down the stairs later, Eric had all his belongings in his new room. Waiting to be unpacked.

Instead of doing that however, he shut the door and lay down on the bare mattress. A puff of dust kicked up as he did so. Coughing a little, he sat up and drew the curtains back slightly.

Through the tall window, he spied some houses behind their own, and another street lined with lamp posts.

It really was looking like nothing had happened.

Eric lay back down and rubbed at his head. The pain was gone.

"Maybe it hadn't been real...?"

He continued to think it over, growing more worried as did so. Yet despite this, it didn't take long for the teen to slowly fall asleep.

It seems his mother had been on to something after all.

He was tired.

The following morning, Eric awoke untroubled.

No nightmares about red skies, evil moons or voices warning him of unknown threats. Instead, he was laying on his side. Face in a pool of his own drool, and squinting from the sun peeking through the gap in the curtains of his new room.

Having passed out before he could unpack properly meant that Eric had slept without any pillow or bedding.

The teen pulled himself off the bare mattress uncomfortably. Regretting having not remained awake long enough to at least sort his new bed out.

Still a little drowsy, he got up and searched his boxes.

A sigh escaped his lips as he pressed his face into his old pillow. It hadn't been hard to find all of his bedding in the end, as it was practically bulging out the box.

Eric wondered how his mother had even managed to pack it in.

A few minutes later, he had made his bed. Patting the newly adorned mattress, he smiled a little before picking up the spare bedding off the floor and putting it away in his new closet.

Staring at the rest of the boxes and yawning, Eric decided that he might as well just do the rest of his unpacking.

A while later, he was standing in his newly furnished room.

Closet fully stocked with his clothes. The lack of a desk or some other kind of surface meant that some of his belongings had to remain in a box or two. The last thing he wanted was his mother to chew him out for leaving things all over the floor.

Near his bed, he had hung his old posters. Snapshots of his favorite baseball players, past and present. By the remaining boxes, he had leaned his bat against the wall.

Crouching down next to it and digging through a box, he found his father's old glove.

Eric ran his fingers over its frayed leather surface.

"Dad..."

He quickly packed it away. Only for other things to catch his eye.

Beside his binder of baseball cards, he found in a small plastic display case his most treasured possession. A ball his father had managed to get signed by the one and only 'Whistling' Billy Elliot.

Eric still remembered as clear as day that scorching afternoon in the stands. Holding onto his father's side as he looked up in amazement at the towering man before them.

Billy Elliot had been little Eric's idol growing up. Wanting to play baseball immediately after watching the man hit a home run for the first time. No one hit the ball like Billy. And that day, he had been standing right in front of him.

Eric remembered reaching out and taking the signed ball from the giant, who had smiled down at him so widely.

Flooded with memories, the teen was shaken out of them by the sound of footsteps in the hall outside. He figured it was his sister. Though a little surprised to hear her moving around so much this early in the morning.

Eric closed the box and got up.

Leaving his room, he tried the light switch near his door. The power was still off.

Heading downstairs, he found his mother humming a tune in the kitchen. She was squat down beside his father's old portable gas stove, cooking up breakfast.

"I thought we had left that thing behind." Eric said, yawning again.

"Good morning, honey." Mrs. Edwards grinned. "I'm glad I packed it!"

Turning the knobs, his mother's smile faded. "He always said it's better to be prepared for things..."

Eric looked to the floor as Nicole came stomping down the stairs. She stared at her family as if she expected them to read her mind.

"There's still no power..." She groaned.

When his sister took a seat at the low table near the kitchen, Eric noticed that she was all dressed up. Her shoulder-length blonde brown hair had been done up in pigtails.

She was looking 'trendy', which was the only way he could think to describe how she looked.

"You going somewhere today?" He asked.

"I believe she is." Mrs. Edwards turned off the gas and dished up their breakfast with a satisfied nod.

"Hope you like pancakes!"

"Always." Eric sat across from Nicole and took his plate with a smile.

"But I wonder..." His mother started as she handed her daughter her food, "Does she have the money for the bus?"

"Wha- money! I thought you were gonna drive me, Mom?" Nicole moaned.

Mrs. Edwards sat at the head of the table and shook her head. "Things need getting done around here today. So you'll have to take the bus if you wanna go out anywhere."

She smiled. "That goes for both of you."

Eric tucked into his pancakes. He hadn't really been thinking about public transport, but was thankful in that moment to have saved up some pocket money.

Unlike his sister, who had also been saving. Yet he knew that she had not been planning to spend any of it on transportation.

In a city this big, Nicole would be losing her personal chauffeur today.

As they ate, she tried her best to convince her mother otherwise. When they had finished, Eric got up to help clean up as Nicole went off somewhere with a huff.

"She'll get over it." He offered, wiping his plate.

"Certainly hope so." Mrs. Edwards joked, "Always acting so spoiled!"

"Unlike someone I know." She held Eric's cheek.

"Yeah yeah." He shook his mother off with a blush and thanked her for the meal.

Going upstairs, Eric got a change of clothes from his room before entering the bathroom. It was only slightly bigger than their old one. He stared at the shower and bathtub,

amazed to see that they were separate and not a combo.

Above the bath, there was a small window. The branches of a tree could be seen shining under the morning glow. Birds could be heard but not seen. Eric waited, a little interested in St. Lauren's bird life.

They never showed themselves.

Undressing, Eric enjoyed a little shower. He kept his gaze outside, expecting the sky to turn red again.

It didn't.

"Maybe I really was imagining things..." He thought once again as he toweled off and stared at himself in the mirror.

Eric's hair was short on the sides and messy up top. A blondish brown much like his sister's. He had long sideburns just like his father, and dark blue eyes.

He was also in good physical shape. Naturally athletic and muscular. And thanks to baseball, he had stayed that way for most his life.

Never a fan of staring at himself for too long though, Eric quickly got dressed into a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved patterned button shirt with a collar.

Downstairs, he watched Nicole storm out the house. She attempted to slam the door, but ended up closing it gently.

Mrs. Edwards just sighed, turning round and smiling at her son.

"You going out, too?"

"I was thinking I might as well." Eric rubbed his head, "Get to know the area."

"Just don't go too far now, okay? No ending up at the city limits without a way back."

He chuckled, patting down his pockets to make sure his wallet and phone were there.

As he held the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Eric, honey... you be safe out there, alright? Come home before it's dark."

"I will, Mom. Promise." Eric assured his mother, holding her hand. "Though I can't say the same for Nicole."

Mrs. Edwards giggled. "Oh, she'll be back on time. Something tells me that money she saved up won't last long."

The two shared a wink.

Now outside, Eric waved goodbye and left his new home.

His mother watched him go. Feeling alone for the first time in days.

She shut the door and tried to distract herself.

Though the sun was up and shining upon St. Lauren, a cold wind was blowing in from the ocean. Feeling the chill, Eric did up a few more buttons on his shirt.

He strolled through his new neighborhood at a relaxed pace.

"Ain't that warm around here." He mumbled to himself, now wishing that he had worn a long-sleeve.

Eric tried to imagine what the city would be like in the summer a few months from now as he came upon the gas station they had passed the night before.

Feeling for his wallet, he decided to buy a bottle of water for the journey ahead.

When he placed it on the counter, the station clerk looked up from his magazine. He raised an eyebrow.

"You're new."

Taken aback by his monotone voice, Eric stammered. "Y-Yeah, just moved here yesterday."

Clearly uninterested in speaking further, the man scanned his bottle and awaited payment.

"Where's the nearest bus stop?" Eric asked, taking out the money.

The clerk sighed, pointing behind himself. "Two more blocks that way. Can't miss it... there's a sign."

"R-Right. Thanks." The teen took his bottle and got out of the station as quick as he could.

Easing into a comfortable pace again, Eric followed the vague directions.

Sure enough, it was there two blocks later. And just as the clerk had said, there was also a sign.

Tossing the bottle lightly in the air, Eric sat and waited for the bus. He tried his best to memorize the bus numbers and their stops on the faded board at his side.

People passed by. Some were out for their morning jog. Others were pulling or being pulled along by their dogs.

Eric's eyes wandered to the city in the distance. While he could've spent most of the day wandering this area, much like Nicole, he felt drawn to St. Lauren's center.

He mentally prepared himself for the overload of sights and sounds, remembering how it had been last night.

In thinking back however, Eric unfortunately started to think of his dream and that moment outside the house.

He noted that his memories of the events were beginning to get hazy.

He didn't even feel scared anymore.

"Maybe it had all been a dream...?"

A loud hiss signaled the arrival of the bus. Startling Eric out of his thoughts and nearly making him drop his water bottle.

Standing, he waited for the doors open. Inside, a large man with a few golden teeth grinned at him.

Paying his fare, Eric walked the length of the bus and took a seat.

His brow furrowed as he caught the whiff of some strange odor permeating the bus.

"So this is a city bus."

It was like the whole city had been waiting to pounce on him as soon as he stepped back onto the street. People nearly spilling off the pavement into the road,

huge billboards and mounted screens blasting commercials at volume.

Towering buildings on all sides, looming over everything.

All variety of motor vehicle packed together, hooting and hollering... Eric instinctively put his hands over his ears.

He wondered how none of this seemed to bother anyone.

Joining the masses, he walked for some time before feeling overwhelmed and well out of his element.

Eventually, he managed to slip out of the crowds and into an alley.

"Dang." Eric said aloud, trying to catch his breath. "This place is something else."

Not wanting to rejoin the sea of humanity quite so soon, the teen decided to see where this alley would lead.

It didn't take long to find that it stopped at a dead end. Forcing Eric to backtrack and find another path.

Along the way, he tossed his empty water bottle towards a collection of dumpsters close by. Satisfied that it had managed to drop into one with only one throw.

While the structures had felt imposing to him on the streets, in the alleys they were a different beast entirely. Here their height blocked out the sun. Blanketing the area in darkness.

As Eric carried on he could still make out the occasional shout of frustration and blaring horns from the dense traffic.

The alley only somewhat muffled the noise.

"Man, folks in the city are something else." He thought, sighing.

...

"Crazy is what I'd call them."

Eric stopped dead. Turning in surprise, he expected to see whoever had spoken. Only to find that he was still alone.

"Hello-"

"Yeah, but it has a charm, don't you think?"

"No I wouldn't. Makes me wish I was back home even more..."

"Hello?" Eric called out, growing anxious. It seemed he could only fool himself for so long, as the events of yesterday flooded back in his mind.

It was happening again.

The fear gripped him instantly, turning his steady walk into a full sprint.

As he ran, a torrent of voices assaulted his ears. Eric frantically looked about him for a sign of where they were coming from.

They were clearly following him.

Turning a corner, he began to realize that they were coming from his own head.

Losing his footing, Eric fell to the dirt beneath him. Reaching for a nearby dumpster, he managed to pull himself up.

His head began to throb. Before his eyes yet again, the surroundings were grey. What little sky could be seen from the alley, was red.

Forcing himself to run again, Eric could feel that same tugging pain in his scalp with every step he took.

That strange string was back.

It was agony.

He came to a stop, nearly falling over again.

"S-So many... voices..." Eric muttered, barely able to think under the barrage to his ears. "C-Can't..."

"H-Have to get out of this alley!"

There was a light in the distance. A section of the world that was still full of color.

"I can make... it!" Eric said to himself, biting his lip and breaking into one last sprint.

The walls of the alley did not look right. Leaning forward unnaturally and seeming to curl, even twist like they were made of putty.

They were closing in on Eric.

He had to get out.

Just when it seemed that either his head would crack open, or that he would be crushed... he stepped into the light.

The pain immediately disappeared.

Eric was now in a wide open area. Covered in dirt and breathing heavy, he stared up at the large structure before him.

It took a moment to realize that it was one of the massive metal beams that supported a section of St. Lauren's elevated railways.

Heart racing, Eric wiped the sweat from his face and tried to calm down. Up above, the sky was blue again. The voices were gone.

Eric started to spiral into his thoughts.

"What in the hell was that?"

"Is there something wrong with me...? This isn't normal."

"Hey."

"Should I go see a doctor? What if I have some kind of head problem?"

"... Hello?"

"What if I'm just crazy? Mom didn't believe me before... But that was not a dream! It happened-"

"So, are you going to report me?" The voice continued, "I should tell you that I'll be long gone before the cops get here."

Eric came to his senses. He wasn't alone.

Looking down, he found a girl staring back at him.

As they stared at each other, a train loudly passed by overhead.

Chapter Text

The girl was squat down next to one of the giant railway supports.

Holding onto a spray can loosely, her face was concealed by the hood of her jacket. With only a few strands of her dark brown hair sticking out from under it.

Eric noted how her hoodie was split perfectly down the middle - two separate crazy-looking patterns adorning either side.

He had never seen anything like it.

Nor had he seen something like the mural she was working on.

While a little grotesque to look at, it had an odd charm about it. The graffiti in progress was of what seemed to be a very colorful octopus squeezed into the narrow canvas of the metal beam.

Its tentacles hugged every corner, and it wore a pair of strange goggles.

Eric had not really noticed until now, but there was quite a lot of street art around. This section of the elevated railway in particular was almost fully covered.

"Wha- um... N-No, I wasn't going to report you." He responded at last.

The girl went back to her spraying while Eric gazed back into the alley behind him.

It had returned to normal. All in color, without any malformed buildings threatening to crush him.

Shaking her can and looking back to the teen for a moment, the girl sprayed one bold line, then another.

"Well, I guess I'll trust you then."

After a moment of silence, with her working and Eric just watching her do so, she spoke up again.

"Say, you new around here?"

Eric looked himself over, suddenly embarrassed by the dirt all over his clothes.

"How can you tell?" He asked.

The girl tapped her head with her spray can. "Just a feeling, I guess? Most people say it's all about the accent, which you seem to have."

Reaching into her duffel bag and swapping cans, she chuckled a little. "Also, I don't think I've ever seen a local trip and fall in an alley."

Flushing, Eric scratched his cheek and took one last look behind him before approaching the girl.

"Far from home?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah, I guess I am. Moved here just yesterday."

The conversation seemed to end at that, with the girl getting back into her work.

Eric watched in amazement as her mural took shape. Minutes later, it felt only natural that he should comment on it.

"You're amazing-" He blurted out, catching himself. "I-I mean, you're really good."

The girl stiffened slightly in response. Then to Eric's surprise, she quickly stood up and turned to face him.

She threw back the hood of her jacket. Her hair was long and a little messy, but underneath he saw that she had olive skin and small eyebrows.

Staring at him with her heavily lashed brown eyes, she seemed a little anxious to speak.

"T-Thanks. Most people wouldn't compliment me." The girl looked back at her work. "Well, you know... because it's-"

Eric smirked. "Vandalism?"

"Yeah, that."

Approaching the mural, he tentatively reached out. Wondering if he could touch it without getting paint on his hand.

Taking in the other graffiti around them, Eric nodded to himself. "Not sure if I see it that way myself now."

"Oh?" The girl raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't been in this city long but, just seeing all these huge buildings around here... they could do with a little more color, I reckon."

The girl snorted. "You got that right. St. Lauren is one big boring concrete jungle, just waiting to get tagged up!"

"But you know, there's this spot on the east side that we in the know call the 'Rundown Road'."

"What's that?" Eric asked, looking away from the mural.

"Just an old part of town. Tons of 'vandalism' there. You should check it out if you're uh, interested in this kinda stuff."

"I just might. If I can ever learn where that is, and how to get there." Eric held his head and frowned. "St. Lauren sure is a huge place."

The girl nodded in agreement. "Oh, if you're planning on staying here, this city'll grow on you in no time."

"Trust me, you'll end up knowing so much about it that you might think you've got an illness or something!"

Laughing to herself, the girl soon stopped out of embarrassment.

Brushing one long bang out of her face, she kicked the ground lightly and grinned. "I- uh, I'm Aleta."

Struck by the sudden introduction, Eric stumbled to give his own.

"Oh right, yeah. I'm Eric. Eric Edwards."

Before he could think to reach out to shake her hand, Aleta's eyes shot to alley behind him.

"Shit. They're here! Let's go!"

Surprised, Eric followed her gaze. "What? Who's here?"

Packing up all the spray cans she had left lying around and slinging her duffel bag around her shoulder, Aleta pulled up her hood and broke into a run.

"It's the cops! I figured they'd come sniffing around here eventually. Come on, Edwards! Unless you wanna get locked away~"

A run-in with the police was the last thing he wanted to happen. He figured his mother would not be very happy hearing that her son got detained on his first day in a new town.

Worse still, his sister would never let him hear the end of it.

As Eric started running, he caught a brief glimpse of men in blue uniforms coming out of the alley.

"HEY! Get back here!" They called after them.

Aleta ran with a cheeky smile. The contents of her duffel bag shaking and knocking together loudly.

She was fast, but not so much that Eric struggled to keep up with her. The two ran in and out of alleys. He relied on Aleta to know where they were going.

Back where they had been, the mural stood defiantly before its new audience. The men in blue didn't chase after them, instead choosing to just sigh and accept defeat as a train rumbled by above them.

Even though Eric knew that their job was to stop people graffitiing up the city. Deep down, he hoped that they would appreciate Aleta's work.

The teens weaved through the alleys and backstreets of St. Lauren.

It was dizzying maze that Eric could barely make heads or tails of. Luckily, Aleta would eventually lead them back to a main street.

With their backs to the crowds, the two looked back to where they had come from while panting.

Aleta closed one eye and took a step towards the nearby wall, leaning against it. "Maybe we didn't have to run so much after all."

Catching his breath, Eric put his hands on his hips. "Seems like it."

"Thing is, you never know how they're gonna react." The girl continued, "Sometimes they are very determined to catch you, other times they couldn't care less."

Aleta smiled. "Hopefully they like what I left them."

"Me too." Eric chuckled.

Looking him over, Aleta raised her eyebrows. "I'm surprised you could keep up with me."

"I play baseball. Have to be able to run at least a little." He joked.

"Yeah, sure." Aleta realized in that moment that Eric actually looked quite muscular, she blushed. "So, w-what now?"

"I dunno. Was thinking I'd look around the city some more."

Putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket, Aleta leaned back.

"You have fun with that. Think I'm gonna head off elsewhere."

"A-Ah right, sure." Eric waved. "See you around, maybe?"

Aleta hid her face and shrugged. "Maybe."

"Later, Eric Edwards." She called as she took off running again. Disappearing into the crowds of people.

She didn't strike Eric as a criminal worth being pursued. Just someone who liked to express themselves in a way that was unfortunately illegal.

Okay, maybe she was...

Still, he kind of hoped that their paths would cross again.

"She seemed cool."

Blushing a little, Eric shook his head.

Now alone once again, the teen noticed that he was beginning to forget again. Just like the night before.

The events of the alley were seeming distant. Less traumatic. He waited for something to happen. For the voices. For the sky to turn red.

The anticipation was only making him more anxious. So Eric figured it would be best to just keep moving.

A few hours passed with him exploring more of St. Lauren's city center. To his surprise, the hustle started to seem less of a bustle and the sights got a lot more interesting.

Stopping by the fountain in the center's only patch of green, he found a board that had a map of the city.

"Aleta had said there was a place full of graffiti... Did she say it was on the west side?"

Unable to recall what she had said, Eric stared at the layout of St. Lauren for a while before moving on.

One thing was clear. The city was massive.

Before leaving, he observed the few trees around him in the tiny park. They stood tall but were noticeably thinner than the ones he had grown up seeing.

He thought of home as he carried on.

A while later, Eric's stomach began growling. Thankfully, he would have no difficulty finding somewhere to eat.

St. Lauren's center had no shortage of restaurants and fast food chains. He wandered around, looking for one that looked the cheapest.

Finding one that seemed to skirt the line between affordable and clean enough to not endanger his health, the teen went inside.

After waiting in queue and ordering from a woman who seemed very interested in what was happening in the kitchen behind her, Eric settled into a booth by a window.

While waiting for his early lunch to arrive, he found himself thinking back to the alley again.

Had Aleta ever experienced it? Although he was leaning more towards thinking that it might only be something wrong with him, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that perhaps other people had seen it too. That red sky.

Maybe they had even heard those voices.

Any further contemplation was halted by the arrival of his greasy but not displeasing meal. Tray slapped down before him, he thanked the server and got eating.

His gaze lingered on the street outside, on the people that passed by.

With the sound of cars honking their horns joining the sounds of digital advertisements and the chatter of humanity, it began to sink in that Eric really was far from home.

Having spent his first day in St. Lauren out and about, Eric made for home as the sun descended. He rode the bus back knowing that he had barely scratched the surface.

Getting off at the stop he had used earlier, he was nearing the gas station as he spotted a familiar head of hair.

She was carrying quite a few bags. Her bouncing pigtails gave her identity away immediately.

"Hey, Nicole!" Eric called.

Turning and recognizing her brother, Nicole made a face. Picking up her pace.

Laughing to himself, Eric caught up to her in no time. "So, how was your- Whoa!"

With her fingers tinged white and gripping hard, Nicole seemed to be carrying way more shopping bags than he had first thought.

Eric was impressed at her clear display of strength.

"Productive day?"

Nicole clicked her tongue and begrudgingly slowed to walk alongside Eric.

"I guess."

"You guess?" He made a face. "Did you buy all this with your own money? Or did you borrow Mom's card again?"

Nicole's brows furrowed. "My own. I saved up, just like you."

"Well, that's good to hear." Eric sighed, offering to carry some of her bags.

"Because Mom needs the money more than we do."

"I know!" She exclaimed, declining his help and walking ahead so as to keep her brother out of view.

They were outside their new home. As they neared the front door, Eric couldn't stop himself from saying it.

"She needs it. Especially since... you know, now that Dad isn't-"

He stopped himself from saying more, watching his sister's shoulders tense up.

Nicole stared at the ground, bags slipping out of her grip.

Holding back his emotions, Eric reached down to pick up what had fallen. "I'm... sorry, Nicole. I didn't mean to say that."

Looking back at him, Nicole knocked on the door.

"I know..."

The teens heard the sound of footsteps coming from inside.

"Ah, there they are!" Their mother exclaimed before unlocking the door.

Greeting her children with a big smile, Mrs. Edwards outstretched her arm and pointed behind herself. "Ta-dah~!"

Eric and Nicole entered, pleased to see the lights on.

"Got the gas and power sorted out. But let me tell you, it sure was a hassle getting someone to come down. City people can be awfully rude."

Noticing the bags her daughter had brought, Mrs. Edwards couldn't hide her curiosity. "Missy, just how much did you buy!"

Looking to Eric, she frowned. "I hope you didn't beg your brother for bus money."

Nicole snatched up all her shopping and stomped off.

"I saved up!" She shouted while climbing the stairs.

Her Mom giggled. "You put all that in your room, and come back down here! Eric, honey, could you help me with dinner?"

"Sure."

Mrs. Edwards had a pot of stew simmering on the stove top. She lifted the lid and gave it a stir.

"How was your day? Where'd you go off to?"

In that moment, Eric wasn't sure if he should bring up what seemed to be happening to him. As awful as these incidents had been, as time passed they weirdly felt like something not worth bringing up.

This fact scared him.

"City center. Wanted to see it in the daytime." Eric finally said, rubbing his neck.

"Busy?"

"It was something, alright." Besides the incident in the alley, he also thought back to Aleta and her mural.

Their discussion ended there, and the night passed peacefully. Eric enjoyed his dinner while his mother and Nicole discussed the girl's purchases, and why she would ever need such things.

The Edwards family went to bed chuckling to themselves.

Well, Nicole did not.

Unlike the night before, Eric's sleep had been filled with vague nightmares.

He awoke stressed, uneasy. The smell of breakfast the only thing dragging him out of bed.

Making sure to wear a long-sleeve shirt today, Eric showered and came downstairs to see his sister sat dressed in her new clothes.

He wondered if the skirt was a little too short as he took his breakfast from the kitchen counter.

Mrs. Edwards kissed her son on his cheek. "Morning, sweetie."

She glanced at her daughter. "See what I'm seeing?"

Eric nodded, mirroring her gaze. "Yes."

Nicole groaned, looking up from the pamphlet in her hands. "Shut up!"

"Well, she looks good. Doesn't she, Eric?" Mrs. Edwards teased, taking the rest of the plates to the table.

Nicole took her breakfast, avoiding eye contact.

"Yeah. She looks fine."

Their mother snorted.

"This stuff is all the rage right now, Mom! All the girls are wearing it."

"I'm not."

Eric almost spat up his eggs.

"You wouldn't get it. You're too old." Nicole shook her head.

Mrs. Edwards faked sadness. "That's true."

"Hey, apologize to our mother!" Said Eric, feigning anger.

"Whatever." His sister focused on her breakfast.

Reaching across the table, Eric took up the pamphlet his sister had been reading.

It was for their new school, St. Lauren High.

Today would be their first day.

"So, are you two finally excited?"

Nicole ate in silence while Eric flipped through the advertisement. Just like he had done a few times before, his eyes settled on the section covering the school's sports programs.

In particular, he eyed the photos of the baseball field.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

Feeling their anxiety, Mrs. Edwards beamed at them. "Well, I'm sure you both will settle in just fine. Soon you'll have so many friends that this house will barely be able to fit them all!"

Nicole took her plate to the kitchen while Eric put the pamphlet down. His eyes remaining on the logo for the school - a coat of arms expressing the school's values and its founding date of 1948.

There was even the head of a bear on it.

Seeming him staring, Eric's mother patted him on the shoulder. "Ready to be a Bear?"

Eric sighed. "That is if they'll let me join."

"Oh please, of course they will. They'd be crazy not to!"

"You're an excellent player. Just like your father."

The air in the room shifted. The Edwards went quiet for a time.

Fetching their bags and saying their goodbyes, Eric and Nicole left together and made for the bus stop.

His sister joined him reluctantly, possibly because of her nerves and not really knowing where to go yet.

Eric didn't mind. He was more preoccupied by the slight pain in his legs - all the walking and running yesterday had caught up with him.

Unlike before, the stop was filled with soon to be fellow students. The two joined the group.

Standing there waiting, Eric had a feeling that some of them were looking at them. Though he assumed it was just his imagination, he noticed that Nicole had started hiding behind his back.

Something she had not done since they were little kids.

"She really is nervous." He thought, becoming aware of his own worries.

The bus arrived and soon enough, they were on the road. Their trip was a slow one, with traffic always seeming to be around every corner whenever they had just picked up speed again.

It gave Eric time to look out window at the passing scenery. With the school's proximity being rather close to city center, he recognized sights from the day before.

His mind wandered to Aleta as he saw graffiti in back alleys and some store fronts.

The bus turned at last to ascend the hill that St. Lauren High had perched itself on. As they drew closer, the building was big enough to cast a sizeable shadow.

Nicole and Eric took a moment to take it all in.

"Sure is big." He whistled.

"Bigger than it looked on the brochure." Nicole joked, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Mon can afford this, right?"

The Edwards family had come into some money last year. Thanks in part to a little luck, and the hard work of their parents.

This move had only been possible because of it. Yet now Eric wondered how much was left after seeing that this was the school they would be enrolled in.

With the bus doors opening with a hiss, the students filed out onto the pavement.

St. Lauren High awaited.

Above the red brick exterior, was the same coat of arms Eric had seen before. Now emblazoned in gold. He saw that there was a message beneath it that read:

'Standing by; protecting those that seek to grow.'

The Edwards followed the others into the building, trying to seem natural.

Inside, the school was one part old, two parts modern. With cracked but charming brick work, and sleek metal staircases leading up to other floors.

Eric looked around in amazement at the sheer size of the main lobby as Nicole approached the lady manning the front desk.

Never before had either of them been to a school with a front desk.

Tucking stray hairs behind her ear and adjusted her glasses, the woman looked at the teens with an easy smile.

"Good morning, how may I help you?"

Chapter Text

With the lady behind the desk waiting patiently for a response, and her brother seemingly stuck observing their new surroundings, Nicole had to take the reins on introductions.

"Y-Yes. I'm Nicole Edwards-" She paused, looking to her sibling. Who snapped back to the situation at hand.

"Sorry. Eric Edwards. We're transferring in today?" He said with nervous smile.

The lady just nodded and looked to the computer at her side. "Yes, we have you on the system. Welcome to St. Lauren High!"

"Please take the stairs behind me on the left to the second floor. Look for a door numbered '243' and give it a knock." Pausing to look to the clock above the entrance, the lady continued, "Mr. Myers should be in his office. He will help you both get sorted and settled."

"Be sure to hurry, classes will be starting soon." She added with a cheeky wink.

Nicole was already on the stairs as Eric thanked her and caught up with his sister.

Mumbling the number they were given, the teens searched the second floor for Mr. Myer's office.

"Who is this guy, anyway?" Asked Nicole, becoming frustrated at how difficult it was to find the right door.

"Teacher, maybe?" Eric wondered.

As they walked, the students getting ready for their classes seemed to be staring at them. Trying to be sneaky about it, but failing. Nicole kept her head low.

"Okay, it's like a maze up here." Eric said with a small laugh, "This place is huge."

"Y-Yeah." Nicole responded, trying to blend into the background.

Moments later, the Edwards had been in and out of Mr. Myer's office. Arms now full of all the necessary school textbooks.

As it turned out, Myers had been St. Lauren High's principal. His numbered door had featured a rather fancy nameplate which Eric felt would have been worth mentioning. The man himself had seemed to have a bit too much riding on his shoulders. The stress of managing a school clearly being etched into his poor face.

Back on the ground floor, the teens found their new lockers. Opening them and sorting through their belongings. Only keeping the books he would need today and leaving the others, Eric shut his locker.

Quite pleased by the sounds that came from closing and locking it.

"Off I go, I guess." Nicole said, looking about for her classroom. As a Sophomore, most of her classes would be on the first floor.

Eric nodding, he looked over his class schedule. Being a Junior, he would have to go back upstairs.

"Have a good first day." He patted his sister on the shoulder.

Glancing up at her brother for only a moment, Nicole mumbled a goodbye before shuffling off.

Eric watched her leave, anxious about how she would get on. In doing so, his own nerves showed themselves in the form of him really needing the bathroom.

Sighing, he climbed the steps and went looking for one that was hopefully close to his first class.

He found the toilets, tucked away all the way on the other side of the second floor.

Once he was finished, Eric would have to make a run for it if he was going to make it in time.

Just as he was about to enter the men's bathroom, the teen stumbled back as something large collided with him. His textbooks fell to the ground.

Eric quickly got back up to apologize, only to inwardly gasp.

"Whoa. This guy is tall..." He thought.

"Sorry. Are you okay?" Asked the boy he had bumped into. He had a slight accent.

"7 foot? Nah, no way. Shorter than that but still, holy-"

Reaching down to pick up books that had fallen, the tall teen handed them back to Eric with a worried expression.

If one was to only glance at him from behind, this boy would definitely come off as threatening.

However, one look at his face would tell anyone that he was a gentle giant.

"There you go." He smiled slightly. Eric didn't say anything in response,

The teen went on his way. "Sorry again." He called back, disappearing as he turned a corner.

Still shocked, Eric did his business.

Washing his hands afterwards, he stared at his reflection.

"He was definitely tall."

Leaving the bathroom, the teen cringed. "Dang, I didn't say sorry or nothing! Way to go, Edwards."

Trying and failing to shake off his embarrassment, Eric jogged to his classroom.

Thankfully, it had been easier to find than the principal's office.

The room was large and open, with lots of natural light streaming in from a row of small windows. Unlike the desks at his old school, which had been made with one size in mind that never quite seemed to fit Eric, here they were different.

Plenty of space to move around and get comfortable. Perhaps even recline and relax.

He found a single desk right in the middle of everyone that was unoccupied. While he figured it was meant for him, he still felt hot under his collar sitting down.

Chancing glances around the space, only a few students had noticed him. Most were caught up in their conversations, or frantically trying to finish late homework before class began.

So far, things were not that different from what Eric was used to. It was just the scale of everything that was different.

It also was way louder.

Eric wondered how Nicole was managing as the classroom door opened. As the teacher entered, the students rather politely settled.

Feeling like he was sitting too casually, Eric straightened up and tried to seem engaged.

So focused on doing so, he blanked when his name was being called.

"Eric Edwards? Would you like to introduce yourself?" The teacher asked again, seeming irritated.

Standing up too quickly, his chair gave a screech. Everyone flinched, some even chuckled.

Apologizing, Eric wormed his way through the desks to the front.

He turned to face the classroom. Everyone was looking at him expectantly. This only made him feel nauseous. Only now did he relate to how Nicole had felt about being stared at.

"Uh..." He stammered, trying to find a way to start. Eric had not exactly practiced an introduction, let alone even thought about one.

Thinking that it was just his nerves, he tried to ignore the growing pain in his head.

"Hello everyone. I'm Eric Edwards." He finally started, "I m-moved to St. Lauren a few days ago from a small town in the South."

It was more than a headache. The teen winced.

"I, um, l-love baseball and my family?"

Though he had expected a few claps, all he got were more stares and snickering. He thought back to how excited his old class would get whenever there was a new kid.

He guessed that things were just different in the city.

As his face was beginning to flush, Eric's vision suddenly went black.

Gasping in surprise, Eric stumbled. When it returned a split second later, everything had changed.

The classroom was completely empty. No colour in sight apart from the horrid glow coming from the red sky outside.

Like that night on the driveway, Eric could feel and see the strange thick string that was lodged into his scalp. It moved like it had a life of its own. Each move making the pain in his head more unbearable.

And this time, it was not alone. In fact, he saw now that there were in fact many strings around him.

They were all perfectly still, seemingly anchored to the chairs of the desks where the students had just been. Out the window, Eric saw that there were hundreds more. All swaying ever so slightly like some impossibly large white curtain.

The headache grew more severe, showing no signs of relenting. Eric clutched his head, bracing as if he was about to explode.

...

Only for the pain to disappear once again.

In the blink of an eye, everything was back to normal.

Students were now talking amongst themselves, wondering why the new kid was still standing there.

"Riveting." The teacher spoke up, clearly annoyed at him having not moved. "Can you please go and sit back down now, Mr. Edwards?"

Still in shock over what had just happened, Eric choked out a sorry and returned to his desk.

On the way there, he could hear the whispers.

"Did he say he was from the South? Sounds like a country bumpkin, doesn't he?"

"Where did he get those clothes?"

"He doesn't seem very smart. Want to bet he won't last a week?"

Keeping his gaze low, Eric took his seat and tried to focus as the teacher had started to write on the blackboard.

More than the worrying about what his fellow students thought of him, he was more terrified of what had just transpired.

"I-It happened again. Even here..." Eric thought, sweating.

Yet normalcy had returned, ad the first class of the day for the third years of St. Lauren High, had begun.

A few hours later, Eric was stood in a queue. Remarking to himself once again at how much larger things were at this school.

It was lunchtime for the students of St. Lauren High. Which meant that just about the entire student body was in the building's cafeteria. Not knowing just how crazy the lunch rush could get, Eric had been slow to react.

Which now landed him at the very back of a lengthy line.

That being said, the staff in the kitchens were clearly used to serving and dishing out meals for all these people. So things were moving steadily.

Getting close enough to the counters to see the menu, Eric inspected it. Finding it to be pretty simple, with only a few items being served today that he was having trouble pronouncing.

Deciding on not embarrassing himself, He placed a large plastic-wrapped submarine sandwich on one side of his tray. Followed by a juice box and most astonishing of all, a slice of pizza.

To Eric, this was not something he had ever come across in a school. So we walked away fairly surprised and eager to try it.

Back home, the seating in his old cafeteria could easily fit the entire student body. Here, it could barely hold half of it.

And though he tried, Eric could not spot his sister anywhere inside the cafeteria.

Noticing that there were plenty of kids having their lunches outside, he decided to step out to find somewhere to sit and eat.

The grounds of St. Lauren High were gigantic. With lawns that had been cut so short and precisely that large stretches of it almost looked like sheets of glass.

And unlike the ones he had seen in the city yesterday, Eric admired the height of the trees here with a nod.

"That's more like it." He thought as he passed them by.

Flowers and various other colorful bushes were neatly arranged around the footpaths. Alive with bees and other insects. A little further on Eric came across other students eating and fooling around near a large fountain.

Two matching stone statues made up its center. The knights stood watch, shields raised at their sides. With the school emblem carved into them.

Despite how intimidating they appeared with swords pointed out in front of them, the water feature had been set inside their helmets. So Eric chuckled to himself as he watched the knights leak from their heads into the pool below.

Looking beyond them, he spotted a collection of buildings that were spread out on the far side of the school.

Many of them seemed to be from before the main building had been renovated. Maintaining their aged facades proudly.

Getting closer, he found that they were in fact St. Lauren High's sport facilities. Eric held onto his tray of uneaten food and ran over to them excitedly.

His old school had only the one field, which was used almost exclusively for football. Most of the time, anything else would have had to have been played elsewhere in town.

Today though, Eric would finally be at a school with its very own baseball field.

Spotting the high stands, he rushed over to get a closer look.

It was way bigger than he had even imagined it to be. From the rows of seats circling the outer perimeter, to bases being so white that they almost gleamed in the sun. Chalk and dirt just waiting to be slid on.

Eric was in heaven. A broad smile stuck to his face.

Opening a gate, he entered the field. Finding that there really wasn't anyone else around. Taking a seat on the bleachers, the teen finally started eating. Lost in wondering just how many players had left their mark here.

Being so preoccupied, the events that transpired in the classroom this morning seemed like only a faint memory. Pain long forgotten once again.

Eric couldn't wait to play on this field. All he needed now was the confidence to ask to join the team.

Lockers slammed shut as their owners departed for the day. The Edwards' first day at a new school was over at last.

Despite not being the greatest of students, Eric found the lessons to be manageable.

At least so far.

Time would tell how attentive he had been all term when the first exams of the year came in.

Not really being sure what to do with himself, Eric kept his locker company. Waiting for his sister to make an appearance.

He spent the time watching the other teens as they were heading for home, or staying behind for after-school activities.

Still feeling out of place as a new kid, Eric felt as he watched the others go about their business that they were perhaps not all bad. Even after hearing the remarks his classmates had made this morning.

Eric decided not to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Nicole approaching from the far hall. She strode quickly, with her head now lower than ever.

As she opened her locker, she pulled things out of the locker into her bag. Nearly denting its door upon closing it.

Concerned, Eric walked over to her.

"Hey, Nicole. Are you- Nicole!"

Her legs were already carrying her towards an exit.

"Nicole." Eric tried not to seem worried, "Slow down. Nicole!"

Stopping, his sister raised her arm with bag strap in hand. She tightened her fists and yelled as she threw it to the floor.

"I HATE THIS PLACE!"

...

Eric was shocked. Taking a look around, he saw that naturally the few students that were still milling about the building had seen her outburst.

"What? Why?" He tentatively asked, trying to console her.

Nicole spun round, shouting at her brother. "How could I not!? This place is horrible!"

"Didn't you get laughed at?" She said, voice falling to an angry whisper.

"I mean, yeah, sure I did." Eric thought back on the day, rubbing his neck.

"... Who laughed at you?"

"Oh no! Don't you go trying to protect me!" Nicole kicked her bag in frustration, which made her sibling flinch.

"Whatever, just forget it! I'm going h-home."

"Nicole-" Eric reached out.

"I wish Dad was still here..."

Eric let her walk away. Her words having struck his heart like a knife.

He just stood there as the onlookers dispersed. Whispering among themselves as they left.

Soon, he was all alone in the main hall...

Cling!

The sun had gone down without him even realizing. Night arrived and the school grounds were quiet.

Eric was back on the baseball field, standing in the centerfield tossing balls into the air and hitting them so that they landed near the far fence.

Cling.

It was a habit for him to carry his bat and some balls in his backpack now. Back home, he never knew when he was going to play, so he had decided it would be best to always be prepared.

Cling!

Taking up his last ball, Eric aimed for the spot between the last three he had hit and swung.

Cling.

Flying through the air in a perfect arc, it bounced off the dirt. Rolling a little too far to line up nicely with the other balls. This annoyed Eric, who dropped his bat and went to pick them back up.

Above, the stars were but pinpricks of light. The moon a faint crescent concealed behind dark clouds.

Retrieving each ball, he jogged back to his original spot and reset.

"Outta the park..." He shouted, feigning excitement.

Cling!

The ball hit the chain-link fence, making it rattle.

Pretending that he had hit a home run, Eric ran around as if he was running the bases.

"'I HATE THIS PLACE!'"

Nicole's words echoed in his ears.

"'How could I not!? This place is horrible!'"

"'Oh no! Don't you go trying to protect me!'"

Eric slid to a stop, holding his hands up as if celebrating.

"'I wish Dad was still here...'"

The move to this city... It had been hard.

Hard for the entire Edwards family.

Gritting his teeth, Eric picked up another ball and tossed it up. Pulling back, he struck it with a frustrated grunt.

Cling!

The fence took the impact, this time it shook audibly.

Eric hoped that no one had heard that.

He had originally come to the field hoping to run into the coach of the school's team. Yet having waited in the dugout for ages, they had never shown up. Leaving the teen alone with his thoughts.

At some point, he had fallen asleep. Awaking later to find himself in the school well after hours.

Going over to pick up the balls he had hit, Eric noticed that he had left a dent in the chain link. It made him smile only for a moment.

As he picked up and held onto a ball, he realized that it was noticeably different than the others.

It was the oldest one he owned. Leather slightly brown, all scuffed and frayed.

Eric had completely forgotten he had packed it in his bag. Turning it with his fingers, the teen sighed.

"Dad gave me this one the day I started swinging. This was the first ball I ever hit..."

A memory crept into his mind. The image of a younger Mrs. Edwards, appearing flustered as a young Eric ran around their old home. Showing no signs of slowing down.

She would always comment on it around her husband. Saying that the boy had just too much energy with no real way to let it out.

Then one day, after catching his son wide-eyed watching baseball for the first time and seeing the one and only Billy Elliot crack a ball far into the horizon, Mr. Edwards had found a solution.

Managing to find the bat he had used as a child, he gave it to Eric. When his little face had lit up like a lamp, his father could barely hide his amusement. That same afternoon, in the backyard Mr. Edwards told his son that he would throw the ball towards him and that he should try and hit it.

Eric remembered how heavy that bat had been... Yet it had felt so right.

Many swings and misses later, the young boy managed to hit a ball - sending it rocketing over their fence into the neighbor's yard.

Nothing was broken on the other side, but it had given the poor old Nelsons next door an awful fright. and though he was quick to go apologize to them, Mr. Edwards really struggled to hide his grin.

Since that day, Eric had just kept swinging.

...

Coming to, the teen found that he was still standing by the fence with the old ball in his hand. He pocketed it, choking back tears.

"Dad." He muttered. "We really miss you..."

"Where did you go?" Eric stared up at the night sky, which he felt was staring back at him. Yet it revealed nothing.

It had been almost a year since his father had vanished. Leaving his family distraught, wondering what had happened.

The time eventually came where they had to go ahead with the move without him. And though they had prayed that he would show up before, Mr. Edwards never returned home.

Now they were in a new city. Feeling his absence all the more.

Looping his fingers into the chain link fence, Eric sniffed and tightened his grip. Trying to stifle his emotions.

Relief would come. Just not in a form that he would have wanted.

It had happened again in an instant.

Once more, the sky bled red before him. Eric was hit with the worst pain he had ever experienced. He clutched his head, feeling like something was pulling him up into the air.

Finding his feet, Eric turned with a sweat. A voice hammered in his ears.

"Look alive, kid."

Startled, Eric held the handle of his bat tightly. Only to soon drop it as the headache strangled his brain. Falling to his knees in agony, tears of sadness were replaced with ones shed in terror.

In a panic, he started to reach for the string implanted in his head.

It remained just out of his reach.

Fighting back a scream, Eric writhed in the dirt. Dragging his squirming body forward.

In the silence of his colorless surroundings, a sound came that made him go cold.

Eric raised his head, making out a lone silhouette among the bleachers overlooking the field. Clawed feet scraped the stands as the figure descended. It made the teen's skin crawl.

A dog was approaching him.

...

Getting closer.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

At least, Eric thought it was a dog. Now that it was on the field, he could make out its shape more clearly.

A Dobermann. Lean and muscular with tall, clipped ears.

Eric had only ever seen this kind of dog once back home. Even then, he did not remember it being quite as big as this one.

The animal kept its gaze on the teen, approaching him. Barely making a sound.

It was a dog.

As it neared however, that familiarity soon disappeared.

Paws outstretched like human hands, twisted with gnarled claws. Its bottom jaw unhinged, being dragged along the grass. Rows of razor-sharp teeth. Eyes that bulged out horribly. A mouth so wide that the lips and gums were stretched back, receding all the way to its hind legs.

It was a monster.

"W-What the hell..." Eric stammered, terrified.

Shuddering, the 'dog' let loose a howl. Though it was more like a roar, and unbelievably loud.

It made Eric's headache worse. He held his head again.

Somewhere nearby, something answered the call. As did many other grotesque-sounding barks.

Eric groped around for his baseball bat. He wasn't sure if he could even defend himself, but he just knew that he needed it. The fence on the far side rattled, as more dog-like figures appeared on the field.

His head was throbbing painfully, only getting worse.

Eric was surrounded.

He wouldn't be able to run away.

Like a pack of wolves, the 'dogs' encircled him. Barely managing to move back, Eric gripped the fence behind him and forced himself to stand on shaking legs.

Each of the beasts were more horrifying than the next. Exposing their impossibly long teeth as they barked and growled. Some whimpered in anticipation. Dripping and drooling a blackish saliva from their maws that stained the grass near their awful feet.

"I... I-I can't- It h-hurts..." Eric struggled to think.

Curling its head up and back in an unnatural way, one of the monsters howled. The others joined in.

It sounded like a chorus out of hell itself. The last song a victim would ever hear.

Eric tried to cover his ears, screaming out of fear.

Amidst the noise, he could somehow clearly hear the voices in his head. They spoke soft, gently.

Yet they were urgent.

"Open your eyes."

"Hey, can you see it? Look up, kid!"

Forcing his eyes open, Eric expected to see the dogs lunging at him. Instead, he couldn't see much of anything. His vision was unfocused, distorted. Cracked like he was looking through broken glass.

"W-What...?" He whispered.

It was like there was a spider's web across his eyes Reaching up, Eric finally understood. The string that had embedded itself in his head, had also done so to his entire face.

And it was beginning to loosen.

A sterner voice shouted in Eric's ear.

"Yeah, he can see it. C'mon! Rip it out, now!"

The dogs were noticeably uneasy.

Eric tried to pull the strings from his face.

"Argh! I-It hurts!" He winced.

In a panic, the voices continued to shout in his ears. Pleading with him to keep going.

Eric kept pulling, pushing through the near-unbearable pain. He screamed. Eyes, nose, and mouth gushing with blood.

He did not stop. Eric pulled and pulled...

Then finally, with one last awful tug, the web of strings was torn from his face.

In an instant, the pain was gone. Eric reeled back in shock and relief, the threads started to burn away before him.

Looking up, the entire string that used to be lodged in his head was fluttering above, burning away into ash and dust.

Eric felt... light.

The dogs began to bark, roaring as the teen regained his composure.

At once, there was the sensation of something heavy in his chest. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. He was no longer scared. No longer alone.

One of the monsters lunged towards him. Eric gripped the fence and braced for the attack.

Suddenly, it was like he was floating.

As if in slow motion, Eric watched the bones of his fingers leave his skin. The rest of the skeleton soon following.

It was like a mirage. Hot and intangible, it seeped through the fence behind Eric before growing in size. The haze of bone was becoming something more.

That something slamming into the ground next to him, followed by the sound of a metal object being swung over the teen's head.

Eric flinched as he was sprayed with blood.

He saw that the 'dog' that had leapt for him was now laying motionless on the grass a good distance away. It convulsed slightly before burning to nothing.

A huge sword came to rest on Eric's left. Wet with red. The monsters barked madly at the sight of it.

Below, he saw that it had been a giant armored foot that had struck the earth. A large hand pushed at his back, making him stumble forward.

Turning, Eric and the 'dogs' gazed up at the large figure that had appeared.

"What the hell... are you?" The teen thought.

Raising its massive sword, thrusting it forward and leaning back slightly, the large Entity posed. Staring the monsters down. It stood a good foot or more taller than Eric was. Wearing what looked to be a mixture of a baseball uniform, and the armor of a medieval knight.

Sharp cleats dug into the dirt from its large boots. The finger tips of its gauntlets were clawed. A mane of messy hair flowed down its massive muscular back. The figure glanced at Eric through the barred visor of its helmet. A single glowing red eye stared out from the darkness within.

The teen nodded to it.

Breathing heavy, the Entity suddenly jumped up and over Eric. Landing between him and the 'dogs', who had begun their attack.

No longer pretending to be man's best friend, each twisted and skewed their horrific bodies as they charged.

Scrambling to find his baseball bat, Eric felt stronger than ever. As if the pain from before had not almost knocked him out. The voices in his ears were now barely a whisper. He felt like they were trying to instruct him, but it was hard to make sense of it.

Having only fallen a few meters away, Eric snatched up his bat quickly. Holding it at the ready just as a monster had appeared at his front, its horrid jaw opening wide.

Before the teen could even swing, he watched a flash of silver cleave the beast in two.

The Entity's sword was a bit longer than its own body, giving the weapon impressive reach.

Sensing an opening, another monster dog bit down on its free arm while it was distracted.

Eric groaned, feeling the same pain as the Entity was. He watched teeth marks appear underneath the fabric of his shirt, bleeding.

Undaunted, the Uniformed Knight spun its sword and in one fluid motion, impaled the monster through the torso. The strength of its bite weakening, the creature was ripped away from the arm.

Swinging the claymore up, the beast was dislodged from the blade. Only to then be split apart on the way down by a powerful downward slash.

Taking the chance, Eric ran. Wanting to distance himself from the fence, he headed towards the bleachers.

The Entity followed closely behind, its footsteps ripping up the green.

Only one 'dog' remained. It seemed to be retreating.

Just as they neared the second base of the field, the barking returned. Eric turned to find three more monsters climbing over the fence.

Well, two clambered over it. Another had separated its body in such a way that it could push through the tiny gaps between the wires.

The fleshy mass fell to the ground with a squelch, reforming as soon as it was clear. Eric felt sick at the sight.

Reaching and climbing among the bleachers, the teen wasn't sure if he should be leaving the field entirely, or using the seats as cover.

Eric suddenly dropped.

A large gash had torn through his jeans and kneecap.

The Entity had also fallen. Having been distracted by the retreating monster had allowed one of the new arrivals to attack.

Hissing loudly, the beast had a strange bladed tongue hanging from its disgusting mouth. With a twitch, it lashed out. Covering the distance in an instant, slicing into the Entity's shoulder like a whip.

Eric gasped as his own shoulder was ripped open.

Seeing a chance, the 'dog' closest rushed at the Entity.

"Watch out!" Eric screamed.

The Knight gripped the hilt of its sword at the back and held it level. Waiting for a chance.

Despite the weaving it did as it charged, the monster was struck down by the Entity. Who had thrown its blade at it like a javelin.

Having been pinned to the dirt, the beast stopped moving.

Eric couldn't explain it but it felt like he was sharing a brain with this sword-wielding giant.

It had been his idea to throw the sword. To impale the monster that had bit them earlier...

It was protecting him, but also listening to him somehow.

"'What the hell... are you?'"

He knew the answer.

"You're... me?" Eric mumbled, as if something had answered him. As he stood up, using the seat in front of him for support, The Entity looked back at the teen.

The hissing returned, this time more ominous than before. The sharp tongued beast was going to strike again.

"Just seeing what this did to our shoulders..." Eric thought, "If that tongue hits it in the head-"

The blade was loosed.

"Catch it and pull it in!" Eric shouted.

It rocketed across the field like a red blur, aimed straight at the Knight's head.

Braced and with incredible reflexes, the Entity managed to catch the tongue just before it could pierce its helmet.

Growling in fear, the monster tried to pull the impossibly long organ back into its mouth. But the Giant's grip was tighter.

Digging its cleated heels into the dirt, it paused for a moment before tugging back hard.

The beast came flying towards it at speed. Catching it out the air by its head, before holding it up.

Stabbing the bladed tongue into the ground and forcing it in place with its boot, the Entity held the 'dog' with both hands.

Confused, Eric thought of a strange command he had never considered, but had somehow always known.

Responding, the Knight squeezed the creature as it cried out in agony. Weird threads burst out from its body, wiggling around as if they were alive.

They flowed up and into the Entity's arm.

Glancing to his shoulder, Eric watched in surprise as the wounds across his body disappeared. Healing instantly.

Howling hopelessly, the beast was sucked dry. Soon crumbling to ash.

Both Eric and the Knight felt rejuvenated.

"What was that...?"

The remaining two 'dogs' roared. Their bodies morphing further.

As one sprinted towards the entity, the other vanished.

Eric found that it had covered a great distance with just a single leap. Landing just above him on the bleachers.

It was the creature that had pushed itself through the fence. The skin of its new elongated form undulated like it was alive.

Still in the field, the Entity lunged towards its sword. Ready to fight the beast that was coming.

Eric on the other hand, would have to face the monster in front of him alone.

Dripping tar-like drool on the white seats, the creature shivered in excitement. Thinking that the teen would be easy prey.

"'Alright, now remember...'"

A voice from the past rang in Eric's ears.

"'You have to pay attention not only on how you swing, but on your legs too.'"

"'Your lower body, that's where the real power comes from.'"

It was Eric's father.

Filled with emotion, the teen swung his bat just like he always did as the monster jumped at him.

With no time to react, the beast's head exploded from the force of the hit. Splashed head to toe with gore, Eric reeled back in shock at how powerful the swing had been.

In the field, the Giant had cleaved at the last 'dog' with its claymore. The hit just missing as the creature dodged to the side, flexing its muscles before rushing forward.

With its longer front limbs, the monster dug its claws into the Entity's arms and opened it up. Sinking its large teeth into its stomach before it could even react.

Eric felt immense pain, almost falling down the bleachers in response.

The Knight struggled against the attack, audibly groaning. In a few seconds, the bite would reach its organs.

Doubling over in anguish, Eric was not about to let himself be disemboweled.

He thought of a command, which the Entity immediately acknowledged. Managing to rip one of its arms free from the creature's grasp, it dug the clawed fingers of its gauntlet behind the beast's jaw.

With a little force, it punctured the skin and muscle.

The same weird fleshy threads from before appeared from the wound, visibly weakening the monster and flowing into the Knight.

Wedging its hand in further, it managed to lift the beast up as it healed and gained renewed strength.

In one swift, savage motion, the Entity slammed the monster into the dirt.

Covered in the threads, the 'dog' roared one final time before shriveling up into nothingness.

Eric collapsed on the seat before him, watching the headless remains at his side slowly vanish. The blood stains across his body also burned away.

It was a strange feeling. He was mentally exhausted, but thanks to whatever that draining ability was, he was also ready to fight again if he had to.

The teen stared at the Entity as it stood tall, looking up into the red sky.

As it became a haze of bones again, the Knight turned its head. Keeping its single eye on Eric before slowly disappearing.

...

Eric was alone in the field once more.

Standing, he descended the bleachers. Wanting to find the exit, he instead stumbled back into the nearby dugout. Watching his bat suddenly fall from his grip, the world before Eric's eyes started spinning.

Despite being in good condition, the teen could not stop himself from falling to the ground.

Then find himself unable to get back up, Eric turned over and lay on his back.

With heavy breaths, he watched the starry night sky above return.

He lost consciousness soon after. Slipping away into sleep.

"Hey..."

"Hey kid, you okay?"

Morning light peeked in through Eric's eyelids.

"Look, do I have to call security?" Said the voice.

Forcing his eyes open, he found a large balding man was standing over him. The mole on his brow seemed to shine in the sun.

Eric tried to sit up, but his bones felt like they were made of lead.

"You play ball, kid?" The man asked, having picked up the teen's baseball bat earlier. He examined it.

"What were you doing out here? Forget to go home last night or something?"

The man contemplated who Eric was. Was he a homeless boy who had snuck into the school to play baseball? Was he a vandal who had come to tear up their precious field?

Looking about however, he saw that nothing had been broken. Also, The bat in his hands was not one that his team used.

This kid had brought it himself, he thought.

"I..." Eric started, struggling to speak at first.

"I was attacked by dogs last night."

The man would not have believed him, had he not seen his clothes. Which were terribly torn and ripped in numerous places.

Yet strangely, Eric was noticeably unharmed.

"Shit, really?"

Suspicion clearly written on his face, what were the chances of this man believing that there had also been a giant knight with a sword that helped Eric fight them off though?

Probably very low.

Finally managing to sit up, Eric figured that he should still at least provide some sort of explanation for being here.

"I waited here after school last night. Hoping that I would run into the team that plays here. They never came, sir. So I ended up falling asleep... twice?"

It seemed the implications of a student being attacked by dogs was now of little importance to the man, as his face and mole lit up in interest.

"So you were practicing?" He asked.

Eric found the change a little unsettling.

"Y-Yeah... I guess I was." He gazed out the dugout, "I think my balls are probably still out there?"

The man swung the bat a little. "You, uh, you hit any balls over that fence?"

"No, sir. I made sure not to."

"'You made sure not to-" He laughed. "Now that's funny."

Eric smiled a little.

Getting to his feet, he took in the state of his clothes. Not a drop of blood had been left of them, only the rips and tears of the night before remained.

He thought back to the ability that knight had used. Remembering how the monsters had shriveled away, and how he had felt stronger afterwards.

How his wounds had miraculously healed.

"A Knight... I guess that would be a good way to describe that thing."

The man held out the bat for Eric to take. "Well, I can't say I have ever met anyone who would practice until they passed out in the field."

He continued to look the teen over, his interest hard to hide. "Do your parents know that you slept here for the night?"

"Crap." Eric's eyes went wide. He felt his pockets for his phone. Only to realize that it was probably still in his locker.

"My Mom doesn't know... I better go call her." Eric went to leave, awkwardly rubbing his neck.

"Thanks for waking me, sir. Also, sorry about falling asleep here."

The man stopped him, clearly embarrassed.

"L-Listen. Were you maybe planning on joining the team here? The baseball team?"

Eric nodded, "Yes sir. I had been planning to."

"Well, that's great to hear! Look, there's no practice today, but why don't you come back here tomorrow after classes end?"

The man pointed to the buildings beyond the field, "If for some reason I'm not here, go into the last building there and ask for Houser."

"I'll see to it that we get you in uniform and playing. How's that sound?"

"That would be amazing, sir." Eric was genuinely happy.

"Also cut it out with the sir. Please, just call me Frank."

"Frank Houser." He said with a grin, shaking Eric's hand. The mole on his brow seemed to move in approval. "

"Maybe next time, we'll get you to hit some balls over the fence, huh?"

Taking the joke, the teen thanked the man before leaving the dugout. Running back to the far end of the field to retrieve the balls he had left there.

The dent in the fence was still there. As Eric ran a finger along it, he expected that when he turned back around, the dogs would be there to attack him.

But all he saw was the field, green and bright under the morning sun.

Still, he walked across it a little tense. Breathing a sigh of relief as he passed through the exit.

Two thoughts floated about Eric's mind as he traversed the grounds. One, that he would soon be playing baseball at St. Lauren High, just like he had hoped.

And finally, that last night, he had been attacked by monsters in a world with a red sky.

How he was able to feel so calm about that, Eric had no idea.

But before he could ponder it further, a third thought came. His mother, she was probably beyond herself with worry right now.

He had technically been missing for a full day...

So Eric broke into a sprint, racing towards the main school building. The baseball field fading into the background.

End of Chapter 5.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

The halls were still empty this early in the morning, so Eric's footsteps echoed throughout the building. He felt a little uncomfortable, like he was trespassing.

Then again, there probably was a teacher here that would appreciate this level of academic attendance.

Not that it had been on purpose.

Eric slowed his pace as he neared the lockers, a bit concerned that some school official might still appear out of nowhere and scold him. Opening his locker, he scrambled to find his phone. Stopping the search only because he had the sense that someone was watching him.

Turning, he found that he had been correct.

There was a girl standing a few storages across, dressed in baggy loose-fitting clothing. She turned back to her locker and took out her things in silence.

Everything about her seemed to flow upwards. Perfect posture, brown hair pulled up into a tight bun. There was something about this girl that made Eric feel self conscious about his own appearance.

It wasn't hard to feel bad about it, he admitted. While blood-free, his clothes were still dirty and cut up.

Trying to seem natural though, the teen continued the search for his phone.

Slowly shutting her locker and locking it, the girl shouldered her backpack and approached Eric.

Now seeing her up close, he noted the beauty marks on her face. One just under the corner of her right eye, the other nestled under bottom lip.

Eric looked away, embarrassed for having staring at her for so long.

For some reason, his phone was just not showing itself.

He could feel the girl was now looking him over.

"Did you sleep here last night?" She said, her voice gentle but no less amused.

Eric gave a sheepish smile. "K-Kinda."

"I knew it!" The girl giggled, checking the watch on her wrist.

"If you hurry, you might be able to use the showers in the sports building before the track team comes back from their morning training."

"If you hurry." She re-emphasized. "Do you have a change of clothes?"

"I'll work something out." Eric blushed. "Th-Thanks for the tip."

Pleased with herself, the girl gave a small wave before walking off. The way she moved, it was like she was gliding across the floor.

Watching her leave with his hand feeling around in the locker, Eric finally felt the familiar shape of his flip phone. Snatching it up, he shut his locker and rushed back outside.

While running across the grounds, he checked the device's screen.

Sure enough, he had fourteen missed calls from his mother. He dialed her number, dreading what was to come.

Making it to the entrance of the school's sports facilities, he heard the dial tone stop.

'-ello? Eric! Eric?!'

As he had feared, she was clearly panicked.

"Hi Mom..." He said with a sigh.

The showers had two settings here: blizzard, or hellfire.

Eric fumbled with the handle with increasing urgency, attempting to find the right balance.

Once the water was no longer attacking him, he started to wash up.

His mother had been fretting the entire night, having barely slept a wink. And despite how their last interaction had ended yesterday, Nicole had apparently not fared much better.

Still, Mrs. Edwards was relieved to hear her son's voice again.

Eric apologized profusely, telling her of what had happened. He did not speak of the attack on the field, only saying that he had fallen asleep there.

Again, the teen wondered how he could be so calm about what he figured would be a traumatic experience for anyone. It was unsettling.

The water of the shower now quite pleasant, he let it run down his back. Pressing his forehead to the tiled wall.

After his explanation, he quite rightly received a lengthy lecture from his mother. Ending with her demanding that her son never let his phone out of his sight again.

What made Eric feel even worse, was that today was the day Mrs. Edwards would be starting work. Back home, she had helped with the bookkeeping for her husband's trucking company. Now, she was in-charge of the whole business.

With its shiny new headquarters now based in St. Lauren, courtesy of Mr. Edwards... Before his disappearance.

Now with all the worry Eric had caused her, Mrs. Edwards was going to have a rough first day.

They ended their call but not before teen asked if Nicole could bring a change of clothes with her.

He made the excuse that he didn't want to attend school with what he had worn yesterday. Omitting that they were more than just dirty.

Mrs. Edwards agreed and said that it might take some convincing, but that she would make sure his sister brought them along.

Turning off the shower, Eric inspected his body.

Not a scratch. No marks or anything.

He had felt and seen his skin and flesh being ripped open. Now there was no evidence of that. Like it had all just been a nightmare.

But it had been real. The red sky. The monsters.

That thing; The knight that had been pretending to be a baseball player...

Drawing back the curtain that gave one privacy in the showers, Eric peered around the washroom. He feared that the track team might come running in and find him, much like the girl from earlier had warned.

Stepping out, he toweled himself off and rather unhappily put his damaged clothes back on. He snuck out of the sports building, hair still a little wet.

Standing in the shade of one of the trees on the school ground, he planned to wait there for his sister.

Checking the time on his phone, he realized that knowing Nicole, she would probably not be coming until right before the first bell rang.

Sighing, Eric accepted his fate.

Kids were going to see him dressed like this.

Now with an hour or so to kill, his stomach announced its hunger.

"Do they even do breakfast here?" He thought, thinking back to his time in line at the cafeteria yesterday and trying to remember the menus.

Eager to find out, Eric set off for the main building.

He hoped that the cooking staff would recognize him as a student.

Forgetting to enter the canteen from the doors that overlooked the grounds, he instead ended up going the long way round.

In doing so, he ran into a familiar face. It was the tall boy he had bumped into the day before.

He somehow seemed taller than Eric remembered.

"Oh. Hello."

Sunlight streamed in through the large windows of the cafeteria, bathing the space in its glow.

Eric was sat at the head of a massive table. Without most of the student body being in here, it was clear just how large all the tables really were.

He remained quiet as he waited, fearing that raising his voice might make an echo.

Gazing at the serving counters, he was surprised to see the tall teen emerge from behind them.

"Sorry for the wait." He said, a tray in each hand.

Unlike Eric's lunch the previous day, this breakfast seemed more personal. Like something you would make at home.

Slices of toast, two fried eggs. A sausage for good measure and a carton of juice.

"It's fine. Wow." Eric exclaimed as he took his tray. "This looks great... uh, thanks for this. I owe you one."

The boy shook his head. "Is no problem. Here, don't eat this sandwich."

He handed a confused Eric one of his two plastic wrapped sandwiches on his tray. "Not right now. Better to have when there is break between classes."

"Oh, alright then. T-Thanks."

Flashing him a quick smile, the tall teen started eating.

"How did you get this stuff? Did you make it yourself while you were back there?" Eric joked, joining him.

"Only a little." The boy chuckled, "I know the ladies who work in the cafeteria. They like me. I get to school early every morning, they are kind to me and give me breakfast."

Now that they had spoken more than a few words, Eric realized that the teen had a bit of an accent.

"I didn't think they would be up and working this early." He wondered.

"They work hard." The tall teen nodded to himself.

As they ate, it struck Eric that this was the first time he had ever eaten at school at this time. He was used to being fed by his mother every morning.

Just thinking about her made him cringe. Mrs. Edwards' scolding was still very much in his ears.

Students had began appearing in the cafeteria.

Eric remembered that he was still wearing his ruined clothing, so he tried to seem less conspicuous.

"You are new." The boy suddenly said, cutting into the sausage on his plate.

"Hm?"

"You are new. To this school?"

Eric rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, since yesterday."

"Not from here, either?"

"Is my accent that obvious..."

"Yes. Like mine." The tall boy grinned.

"Are you 'new' too?" Eric teased.

"No. I have been here for a year now. I am a foreign exchange student."

"Oh cool. Where are you from?"

"Česká republika."

Eric blanked. "Uh-"

The teen laughed at his little joke. "Czech Republic. What about you?"

"Oh... just a small town in the South. You won't have heard of it."

"I do not know much about America." The teen admitted with a blush.

Eric shook his head. "It's alright. It's a big country, after all."

Their conversation died down. With Eric glancing up from his meal occasionally to watch the other students around them.

They seemed to be the early risers of St. Lauren High - raring to go.

But a closer look would reveal that a lot of them were clearly tired and stressed.

In truth, as one of the top schools in the city, it had a reputation for producing high achievers. Even if most did not reach such heights, the few that did dictated the norm.

Eric found himself feeling dumb, knowing that he had some of the worst grades in his family.

Thinking back to his meeting with Frank Houser in the field earlier, he figured that if he could just play baseball well, that would be enough...

Hopefully?

With their meals finished, the tall boy leaned back in his chair and stared at their plates. "Well. I hope you enjoyed."

"Oh, yeah. Sure did. Thanks again."

As the teen got up, Eric realized something quite important.

"Hey, I don't even know your name yet!"

"Yes, you do not. I-I'm sorry." The tall boy scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

Eric stood and held out his hand. "Nah, it's my fault for not asking. Eric Edwards."

"I am Jaromir-" The teen stopped, "No. call me Tim. It is easier to say."

Tim smiled. "It is nice to meet you, Eric."

The two shook hands.

"Even his hand is huge..." Eric thought as the teen's hand engulfed his.

Leaving their empty trays at the serving counter, the two left the cafeteria.

A familiar pain hit Eric for only the brief moment, but it was enough to set him on edge.

He turned, expecting the light outside to become red.

Everything was normal. At least it was until he looked back at Tim.

"Well. I guess this is where we go our separate ways, Eric." The tall teen gave him a kind smile before waving.

"Y-Yeah, see you around... Tim."

From the top of Tim's head, a single string had appeared. It swayed slightly as he walked away.

Eric then made a startling discovery.

Everywhere he looked, he could see them now.

Strings. Every person now had a string coming out of their heads.

Now freshly clothed thanks to his sister - who had tried to hide the fact that she wasn't glad to see that he was okay - Eric spent the following school day distracted. Now unable to not see them.

They surrounded him.

Teachers to students, groundskeepers to security guards... the strings were there.

It was like a kind of puppet show that only he could see.

The lunch bell rang as he left his classroom.

"Can only I see them?" He whispered to himself.

To test, he swiped at one implanted in the head of a student walking in front of him. They didn't seem to feel anything. Or really notice that he had just waved a hand over their head.

Passing by a mirror, Eric stopped. In the reflection, he saw that he was the only one without a string now.

Having not eaten the sandwich Tim had given him this morning yet, it was all he ended up having for lunch.

Managing to score a spot at a cafeteria table despite the rush, he ate in silence. Every now and then scratching his scalp.

Thinking of the night before, he recalled the voices urging him to remove his string.

He remembered how much better he had felt once it had been ripped out, how it had burnt away in nothing...

It made him think. Was everyone else in pain? Could they see the red sky too?

Did they hear voices and see monsters?

Bothered by these questions, the rest of the day passed in a blur. By the time the final bell had rung, Eric knew that he had learned nothing today.

Outside St. Lauren High on the hill, he waited for the bus.

More and more people seemed to be 'strung up' without realizing it. What was perhaps more terrifying though, was the view of the city.

Like he had briefly seen out his classroom window yesterday, he now saw the great sea of strings. A gigantic curtain of white that covered the entire metropolis.

"It's everywhere." Eric mumbled, a cold sweat trickling down his back.

An elderly lady passed by him, quietly saying excuse me.

Even her tiny white dog had a string.

The bus arrived, he got on. Noticing how the strings were able to pass through the roof of the vehicle and remain stuck to the passenger's heads.

Nothing seemed to impede them.

Just as the doors closed, Eric noticed Nicole outside.

She had missed the ride.

His sister did not seem to see him as they began their descent down the hill. He hoped that she would not have to wait too long for the next bus.

Despite his mother's insistence that he come home as soon as possible, Eric had unknowingly taken the long way home. The trip coming to an end in the city center.

It was only when he got off that he realized that he had not taken the school bus, but a regular one.

Cursing his stupidity, he decided to go for a little walk instead of waiting at the stop for the next one - which he learned had been delayed anyway.

It was almost dizzying being among this many strings. The city was packed with them, they undulated in an almost rhythmic way.

And still no one was acknowledging their existence.

Resting his legs, Eric watched the adverts whizz by on the giant video screens lining some of the buildings.

He noticed that even people in commercials had strings coming out their heads. Though some he noticed, had not.

Puzzled by this, he continued to watch for a time. Sure enough, a person would appear string-less among the stringed.

One such example was a thin woman with velvet red hair. She sang and danced along to music that was apparently from her newest album.

Eric did not catch her name, but found himself drawn to her gaze.

When the advert changed, he was knocked out of the strange trance. Shaking his head, the teen resumed his walk.

Recognizing the street he was on, a turn into an alley found him retracing the steps he had taken on the weekend. Eventually, he was led back to the open area under the elevated train tracks.

The graffiti-coated metal beams were still there. Eric admired the mural Aleta had made the day he met her again.

He thought of the girl as time passed.

It was not until the street lamps came on that Eric considered heading home before his mother loaded up another scolding.

Finding the right bus parked at a closer stop, he got on. Soon he was traveling through St. Lauren's streets at a hectic pace. The ride was bumpy and on numerous occasions, Eric braced for an impact that never came.

At each traffic light, Eric would look outside. Occasionally, he would spot a person whose string was shaking wildly, like something was tugging at it from above.

His head hurt watching them for some reason.

When a businessman took the seat in front of Eric, the teen eyed his string closely.

Out of curiosity, he reached up to grab it.

It felt weird to the touch. It was weirdly soft and rough at the same time. Firmly stuck in the man's head.

Eric felt a tingle in his arm. Suddenly, the string started squirming erratically.

It split at the seams. Threads wiggled out like tendrils, trying to touch Eric.

Startled, he pulled his hand back. The string reformed quickly.

He was reminded of the knight and its bizarre draining ability last night.

Was he able to do it as well?

Eric decided to keep his hands to himself as the bus weaved through traffic.

Three stops later, a hooded girl boarded. When she got close to Eric, she did a double-take before removing the hood of her multi-colored jacket.

"Eric Edwards?" The girl asked with a grin.

Doing his best to look at her face and not at her string, Eric perked up.

It was Aleta.

"Oh, hey." He was surprised to see her. Though a little embarrassed after having thought about her earlier.

She took the empty seat beside him. Propping her feet up with her large duffel bag.

After their first encounter ended with them running away from the police, the teen honestly had not expected to see her again.

"How was school today? Boring?" Aleta said.

"I guess so... What about you?"

Unzipping her bag and shuffling the many colored spray cans inside about, she seemed to be thinking of an answer.

"Oh, you k-know. Nothing amazing happened."

"Right." Eric nodded.

"Could you hold this for a second?" Aleta pulled out a sketchbook and handed it to him.

Surprised by its weight, Eric fiddled with its cover.

"You can look through it, if you want to." The girl said, bent over with both arms inside her bag.

Whatever it was that she was was looking for was trying not to be found.

Eric flipped through the pages, each page was packed with sketches. Crazy colorful designs. Apart from the usual heavily stylized text you would find most graffiti artists create, Aleta also seemed to have a fondness for animals doing weird things.

He had seen the octopus wearing goggles under the train tracks, now in here he saw things like a giraffe pretending to be a lamp post. A bull rolling up its fur to reveal tattoos. A bear playing baseball, and even a shark out of water juggling on a unicycle.

Amidst this craziness, Eric found a reoccurring little hooded character that resembled Aleta.

"These sure are incredible." He admitted, "Are all of them up on walls somewhere in the city?"

The girl seemed taken aback by the compliment. Scratching her nose, Aleta pointed into the book.

"P-Probably all the ones from the first four pages...?"

"The first four?!" Eric laughed. "That's a lot, given how jam-packed a page is in here!"

Aleta flushed. "Yeah, I know. I'm a little messy. But I like doodling my ideas down."

Eric waved her off. "I get it. Also nice that you won't get caught by the cops for drawing in a sketchbook. Unlike the- well, you know..."

"Oh yeah, I know." Aleta flashed him a cheeky smile and giggled.

The two continued chatting for a time before the bus stopped off outside a park Eric did not recognize.

Unlike the trees at St. Lauren High, or the small collection in the city center, it looked like a forest here.

Aleta had taken back her drawings and packed them away. With a zip, she shouldered her duffel bag and stood up.

"Well, I should get off here."

Eric was honestly a little sad to see her go, but he hid it well enough by saying goodbye.

"Yeah, good to see-" He paused.

The string in Aleta's head had begun thrashing about violently. The girl did not seem to feel it.

"I'll catch you around again?" She smiled, averting her eyes.

"P-Probably, yeah. I reckon I won't be going anywhere." He joked.

"Cool." Aleta pulled up her hoodie, "Glad to hear that then. See ya later."

The girl got off the bus and walked away briskly. Eric watched her back until she disappeared behind some trees.

As he settled into his seat, ready to finally go home. A voice came to his ear.

"She's in danger."

Then another.

"Hey, go stop that girl man! She's in big trouble!"

"She's next! Don't let her out of your sight, young man."

Eric got to his feet, staggering slightly as he exited the bus.

Heart beginning to race, he listened.

"They're here, dude! You're not alone. She isn't safe!"

Fearing the worst, he ran to catch up with Aleta.

Heeding the advice of these mysterious voices, he entered the park to find her. The sun set in the sky above.

For a brief second, it flashed red.

End of Chapter 6.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

The setting sky was obscured by the canopy above. Eric leaned against a tree to steady himself.

"What the heck I am even doing?" He thought, slightly embarrassed to be following someone.

The voices remained agitated, bombarding his ears. Catching sight of Aleta in the distance, he figured that she must be here to do some of her 'work'.

"She's in danger, right?" Eric asked the voices. Their answers were incoherent, jumbled as if they were all trying to talk over each other.

He carried on following her. Keeping an eye out for anything that may be a threat. Besides how frantically the string in her head was moving, she was completely fine.

Their surroundings were also normal. In between gaps in the trees, he could see that a few people were wandering around the park.

Relaxing after a long day, or just going for walks.

No red sky, and no monsters.

He stopped. What if more of those dogs appeared? Remembering how they had just snuck up on him without realizing last night, Eric set his backpack down and opened it.

His baseball bat was missing. He groaned, knowing that he had probably left it in his locker.

Feeling defenseless, he jogged to catch up with Aleta. Her string acting as a good way to keep track of her even if she was not visible.

A good distance away, he stepped behind a bench that was partially blocked by some trees and crouched.

Under a stone bridge nearby, Aleta was squat down. Seemingly inspecting the surface underneath. She glanced around, checking to see if the coast was clear.

Eric wondered if she was going to start working. This park was a much more public spot compared to the train tracks where they had met. Unpacking her duffel bag and placing some spray cans around, it seemed like she was going to go for it.

While he didn't mind that she did graffiti, Eric still felt like he was an accomplice in the crime.

He wondered if the police patrolled this park.

The low hiss from her spraying filled the air. He watched her work, beginning to doubt if the voices had been right.

They had mysteriously gone quiet.

Still, watching how her string was still waving around so wildly made him not want to leave. Glancing down the path on his left, Eric saw a group of school girls approaching.

More than worrying about how he might have looked - hiding behind a bench like some kind of stalker - he was more worried about them seeing Aleta.

The three of them were chatting among themselves as they passed Eric by, thankfully not noticing him.

"Okay, so how about we-" The tall, messy-haired blonde of the group pointed in front of her. "Hey, is that..."

"Hm? Where?" Asked the brunette.

"Oh yeah, it is." Said the shorter girl. She was broad with rosy cheeks.

"Again?" The brunette scoffed, scratching at her long nose. "You'd think she'd learn by now that no one even likes that crap."

Suddenly, the strings coming from the three girl's heads started to shake and squirm. Eric watched as they fell silent, arms at their sides for a brief moment before walking briskly towards Aleta.

"What the-" Eric said, interrupted as a voice screamed in his ear.

"You need to get in there now! Don't give them a chance. Hurry!"

The teen wavered, clutching his head in confusion as the girls reached Aleta.

Her duffel bag was picked up by the shorter girl, who then threw into the path ahead with a loud thud. One of the other girls slapped the hood off of Aleta's head.

Spray cans spilled out of bag. They were pretty banged up. Some were even beginning to leak paint.

Aleta shouted at the girls, who just laughed at her.

Then, everything went dark.

Eric blinked, his breathing now heavy as the red sky beat down him.

The three girls push Aleta to the ground, a fight breaking out.

While she managed to get a couple good punches in, three on one is never fair. Aleta was beaten back onto the path beyond the other side of the bridge.

Eric found his legs and broke into a run, calling out to Aleta.

Before he get close, The blonde haired girl turned to him. Her white skin went red with blood, bursting as something sharp filled Eric's vision.

Just as it seemed that the object would rip a hole through his face, he felt that familiar heaviness in his chest. And in the next moment, he had been thrown into the air.

Looking down, he watched himself soar right over the bridge. Landing on the other side.

Aleta screamed, shielding her eyes as the teen landed in front of her.

"Wh-What the hell! Eric!?" She exclaimed, wiping at her bloodied nose.

A thin mist of red and white emanated from his legs, growing in size until the hulking frame of the Knight was standing over him once again. Its single eye glared at the three girls in front of them.

Who no longer looked very human...

A strange squelching sound could be heard from their strings. The thin threads ballooning in size, pumping some strange substance into their heads. Now all three of them oozed red, shedding their clothes and skin. Bleeding so profusely that they tainted the ground around them.

"S-S-Seriously, what the fu- ARGH!" Aleta cried out, clutching her head.

Eric saw that from her mouth upwards, Aleta had a thin cobweb of strings embedded in her face.

"Just like I had..." He thought, visibly surprised.

A roar interspersed with girlish giggles rang out. Binding themselves together with blood, the school girls were now nothing more than a three-headed monster.

The Knight raised its giant sword and leaned back slightly, pointing it at them.

A mirror image of the night before.

Eric braced himself. Glancing to his side quickly, he saw that Aleta was now crawled up like a ball. Moaning in agony.

As much as he wanted to help remove it, something told him that it would not be possible.

Besides, he had to fend off the monster somehow.

"Listen, I know it hurts..." He began, weirdly finding the right thing to say. "But you've got to rip that thing off your face, Aleta!"

The teen raised her head, tears rushing down her face as she stared blearily ahead. Her vision was badly distorted.

"You've got to get that string out. Rip them all out, even if it feels like it'll kill you. You have to do it!"

"What-" Aleta mumbled.

"Just trust me! You h-have to do it!" Eric pleaded, turning back as the creature was no longer content with just waiting and giggling. It rushed at them.

The Knight dashed out to meet the monster. Timing the swing of its blade, it managed to cleave off several limbs from the horrid bloody body. Yet this did not seem to phase the creature. In an instant, new appendages grew rapidly and clawed at the Knight.

Managing to dodge two strikes, it unfortunately took one full on. Eric doubled over in pain, holding his stomach.

"G-Grab it!" Eric managed to shout.

The Knight was able to catch one of the monster's arms and hold on. It began to scream as fleshy threads burst out from the limb. Which flowed into the Knight just like before. Healing it of its wounds.

In between the creature's horrifying mixture of screaming and laughter, the strings lodged in its three heads began to bulge again.

Finding renewed strength, it managed to lift the Knight, sending it flying into the bridge behind them.

Eric lost his footing in response, falling to the floor in pain.

The monster lunged for him. Quick as a shot, Eric managed to roll out of the way.

However, he had not been their intended target.

"ALETA!"

Panicked, he watched the creature grab the girl. Who was still pulling at her face, the tiny strings splitting the skin open. Aleta cried out in horror, seemingly unaware of anything else.

The Knight slid to the ground and got up, ready to fight some more. However, as it tried to run its legs buckled. The damage worse than it appeared.

Eric also struggled to stand. All he could do was watch on helplessly.

Gripping the teen with multiple hands, the monster prepared to crush Aleta.

But the girl was somewhere else.

Nearly passing out from the pain, she was muttering to herself.

"M-Mom, I-"

Tears filled her eyes.

"Dad..."

It was the same old dream.

A little girl playing in the sand close to the waves. The sun had just started its descent, dyeing the clouds a bright orange.

It was better to play with the sand when it was a little wetter - held shapes better, she thought.

Small blue shovel in hand, the girl slowly built a little castle. Using the shells she found, she decorated the sides. Later finding a gross strand of seaweed to lay over the top, finishing it off with a flag.

She then dug a mighty moat around its perimeter to protect the structure from invaders. The little girl scooted back and admired her handiwork.

Satisfied, she leapt up and excitedly called for her mother.

Up the beach, the girl found that her mother did not seem very happy. Her father was stood still, enduring the woman's screaming.

The little girl dropped her spade, which fell into the moat.

Behind her, the surf climbed up the beach, rushing past her ankles and pulling her castle down as it receded...

Tears rolled down her little cheeks.

Her parents began to fight, leaving their daughter to cry unheard.

...

"The same old dream." Aleta muttered from under her hoodie.

Morning streamed into the old building, illuminating the darkness. Groaning in discomfort, Aleta put her arms back through her jacket and pulled back its hood.

Laying still for a moment, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she glanced up at the numerous holes in the ceiling.

Worming her way out of her sleeping bag, Aleta got up. Using the furniture she had huddled behind for support.

The smell really was awful in here. How she had not noticed last night was beyond her.

Still, at least it was quiet.

"I really should find softer spots to crash in." She whispered, rubbing her sore back as she stretched.

Aleta rolled up her bedroll and tucking it under her arm, she descended the uneven steps of the building with a yawn.

Now on the first floor, she stopped to admire yesterday's work.

It was a big piece, having worked on it for most of the afternoon before the light started to go.

It showed a large shark battling an equally big bear. The fish sported a jagged grin, swinging around a large knife. The bear in contrast, was frowning comically. Readying a strike with its baseball bat.

Running a hand over its fur, Aleta realized that she had tried to match the color to that of the hair of a boy she had met the other day.

Why she had done so, she was not sure.

"Maybe I could've given it a goofy collared shirt, too?" Aleta chuckled at the thought.

Her cheeks flushing, she hid her embarrassment with a shake of the head. After gathering up her spray cans near the mural, she packed them back into the duffel bag nearby.

Managing to even fit her sleeping bag inside too, Aleta took her belongings and headed for the old building's entrance hall.

She kicked open the loose door and stepped outside. Pretending to lock up before heading out, Aleta threw on her hood and walked off.

Eyes raised to the sky. There was not a cloud in sight.

Leaving the derelict building far behind, Aleta made her usual pilgrimage to St. Lauren's lower east side. With the city center as a backdrop, she arrived at what she would refer to as her 'neck of the woods'.

Every unoccupied wall was tagged. Odd shops and small restaurants were strewn about the street.

Though the surrounding area had been somewhat gentrified in recent years, this was still very much a part of the city for those that did not conform to what the rest of St. Lauren wanted to see out of its districts.

Rather than doubling down on getting rid of it however, the city council had relented. Leaving this small patch of town to its own devices. Culminating in what was known today as the 'Rundown Road'.

Aleta strolled along, relaxed.

Noticing someone sat outside their storefront, she called out.

"Morning, Sally."

The woman in question was slouched on a ratty old armchair, smoking her way through her cigarettes. Her bleached bowl cut was offset by large earrings.

"Well look who it is." Her voice was gravelly, but not unkind. "Early today, aren't we?"

Sally ashed her cigarette, eyeing the girl as she passed. "You interested in a new jacket? I've got some juicy new designs I could show you."

It was this lady that supplied Aleta with her colorful, two tone hoodies.

"Maybe another time. Tight on cash at the moment." The girl waved.

"You know where to find me." Sally smiled, leaning back in her seat.

Aleta swerved off the street, entering her favorite restaurant. The sign above the door had no letters, only a metal anthropomorphic bull lifting an even larger bull.

The owner of the establishment turned to her from his grill. "Well well, hello little miss Morelli!"

"Hey. When are you gonna stop calling me 'little'?" Aleta sighed.

The man raised his hands in feigned shock, "Didn't mean nothing by it."

"Sure... How you doing, Chuck?" The girl grinned, taking a seat by the counter.

Chuck was a large man. He was mostly muscle, with just a touch of chubbiness. Apart from the tuft of hair that stood tall above his forehead, he was clean shaven.

The man turned away for a second to flip some meat he was cooking. "What can I tell you? Nothing new. Place's been quiet."

This restaurant of Chucks was something of a secret to most, given that it did not exactly have a name. So he relied on word of mouth from people 'in the know', or the occasionally passerby who would be drawn in by the smells.

Never seemed to be bothered by this arrangement, though.

"What'll it be? The usual?" He asked.

"You know it." Aleta put duffel bag on the chair beside her and pulled out her sketchbook.

Noticing it, Chuck pointed. "Put up any nice ones lately?"

The girl shrugged, focusing on drawing. "I guess."

Behind the man's head, was a mural of two bull men standing face to face. Showing each other the brands on their arms.

"Thanks again for doing that one. Really added something to this space, got a few folks chattin'."

Aleta blushed, shrugging again. "It's cool."

Before he placed more meat on his grill, Chuck shot a few glances at the teen. She could feel him staring, knowing what he wanted to ask. Dreading it.

"... Are you- uh, are you doing okay?" He said slowly.

"Yeah. Fine." Aleta said quickly, focusing harder on her drawing.

"Damn clothes gave me away. I better give them a wash..." The girl thought.

Chuck wanted to say more, but decided to stop.

He could bite his tongue, but not his concern for her.

The restaurant with no name really was quiet. The soft scratching of Aleta's pencils and the sizzling of meat was all that could be heard.

"See you next time!"

Aleta waved as she walked back onto the street. Patting her stomach while humming, she decided to walk off the meal by walking the district.

"Man. That guy can cook!"

She passed by many shops, saying hello to anyone who was around.

They all greeted her cheerfully.

Aleta did not know it, but most in the area liked her. Many had secretly given her discounts when she came to buy or eat at their stores. They felt sorry for her.

And though the girl actively tried to hide it as much as possible, it was clear to those that had observed her longest that she was living out on the street.

Homeless.

Leaving Rundown Road, Aleta continued her wanderings. She was walking in the direction of the city center, but decided to take the long way there.

She tapped along some railing, which overlooked the ocean on her left. Waves rolled along its surface calmly.

Following the rails, the sidewalk eventually widened into a more open section. Several benches faced the bay, and a small building off to the right had two entrances each leading to bathrooms.

Seizing the opportunity, Aleta headed towards the woman's washroom. Only to freeze when she noticed that someone familiar was sitting nearby.

The young girl's hair perfectly covered her neck and shoulders.

She was leaning forward, shuddering ever so slightly.

Aleta cursed under her breath. She knew exactly who that was, and very much wanted to not talk with her. Hoping that the shaking of the cans in her duffel bag would not alert the girl, she disappeared into the bathroom.

Aleta made sure the coast was clear before pulling back the hood of her jacket. Turning on a faucet, she let it get warm as she placed her bag on the counter.

Taking out a towel, some shampoo, and a bottle of detergent, the teen got to work.

Getting the temperature just right, she plugged the sink and let it fill. Pulling out a change of clothes, she went into a stall and put them on.

Turning off the running tap, she set her dirty ones aside as she dunked her head into the water.

Once she was sure her hair was soaked, she reached for her shampoo. Aleta watched her reflection in the mirror as she lathered up, smirking just a bit at the bubbles encircling her head.

Washing the soap away, she rinsed and toweled off her hair. She contemplated giving it a comb, but figured that the knots would be too painful to pull apart.

It was not perfect, but at least her head was clean. She would have to find somewhere to shower properly later.

Still in just a t-shirt, she emptied the sink and filled it again. Preparing to wash her dirty clothes.

With a little detergent and some working, she managed to remove most of the grime. After squeezing out the excess water as best she could, Aleta let them dry for a moment before placing the clothes in a drawstring laundry bag.

She made sure to pack them far enough into a corner so that they would not stain her sketchbook.

Putting on her fresh hoodie, Aleta gave herself a once over. "Looking good." She said, giving a reluctant thumbs-up.

Leaving the bathroom, she walked briskly. Noticing that the girl had not left her seat.

She prayed that she would not notice be noticed.

But it did not take long for her to feel that someone was following her.

Balling her fists, Aleta turned.

Sure enough, it was the girl.

Her big eyes were puffy and red from crying. Dried tears had left visible marks on her expensive top.

"A-Aleta." She started, her voice sounded tiny.

Waves crashed up against some rocks on the bay, spraying the air with foam.

The girls stood staring at each other.

Neither of them moved.

End of Chapter 7.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

"A-Aleta." The young girl stuttered, "Please, I-"

For a brief moment, Aleta felt sympathetic. Yet the pain was still fresh in her mind.

With a snort, she spat onto the pavement. "Save it. Leave me alone."

"W-W-Wait! I have to give-"

Holding back her anger, Aleta chose to walk away.

The girl made no effort to follow. Instead letting her head hang low.

The sounds of her crying faded into the distance as Aleta turned off the seafront. She disappeared down an alley, entering the web that was St. Lauren's back streets.

"Shit." Aleta paused, throwing her head back. The thought of the young girl's tear-stained face stabbed at her heart.

She shifted her mind back to that day, focusing on the pain.

"It was an act. She was faking it..." Though she tried to believe that, Aleta could not fool herself for long.

Those tears had been real.

With a frustrated sigh, she kept walking. Rubbing her scalp through her hoodie.

Her string had started to shake.

"Seven... Thirteen... Eighteen... Twenty-four-" Aleta frowned.

"Jesus. Just how much gum is under this thing?"

She decided it would probably be best if she stopped counting.

Raising her head, Aleta was sat on a bench. Sitting up had made the hood of her jacket flap over her face.

With a groan, she pulled it back. Glancing up at the bus board and then at the digital clock again, she still found herself looking impatiently out on the busy road.

The late afternoon scene in St. Lauren today was a mellow one. People seemed to not be in much of a rush. Though many tired faces passed the girl by.

She wondered what their lives must be like for them to look that way.

Up and down, the shelter of the bus stop was tagged. Some of the graffiti was quite old, from the 90's at least.

Maybe even earlier.

Aleta smirked proudly as she spotted one of her own. She had managed to squeeze it into this cramped canvas a year or so ago. It was hard to deny that there was not some kind of thrill in sitting right next to it.

Knowing that no one knew that the artist and culprit was right here.

Already, Aleta was thinking of what she could make next. If one looked close enough, there were still some spots left bare, just waiting to be filled.

"I should check my book. Pretty sure I've got plenty of smaller designs that I haven't-"

Ring.

Aleta instinctively opened her bag, peering down at her phone. The caller ID's backdrop had a grainy photo of her mother.

Ring. Ring.

It was from two years ago, when the two of them had gone on a hiking trip.

Ring.

Ring. Ring.

Like many times before, the teen let it ring until it stopped. Then, she watched and waited for the inevitable second call to start and end.

A third never came.

The bus arrived as Aleta zipped up her bag with a sigh.

"She's really better off not calling me." She thought darkly, "Nothing she could say is gonna change my mind..."

Boarding and paying the fee, the teen walked the length of the coach. Hoping to get a seat at the back.

On the way though, she spotted a familiar head of hair. Blondish brown, set against another goofy collared shirt.

"Eric Edwards?" Aleta asked the boy, a grin lighting up her face.

He always seemed to look a little lost, but Eric perked up and smiled.

"Oh, hey."

Aleta took the empty seat beside him. Propping her feet up on her duffel bag.

She had wondered if she would ever see this guy again. In fact, she had been secretly hoping that they would.

"How was school today? Boring?" Aleta asked, opening her bag.

She swiped her phone aside, stuffing it somewhere so she didn't have to look at it.

"I guess so..." Eric responded. "What about you?"

Aleta took a while to answer. Pretending that she was trying to find something - mixing her spray cans around for a bit.

"Oh, you k-know. Nothing amazing happened." She lied.

"Right." Eric nodded.

The truth was, Aleta had not been to school for weeks.

Finding her sketchbook, she handed it to Eric. "Could you hold this for a second?"

Noticing that he seemed interested in looking through it, Aleta smiled. "You can look through it, if you want to."

She heard Eric flip through the book as she busied herself with reorganizing her bag. Still somewhat wet, she made sure that her laundry was surrounded by cans. Shielding her bedroll and other goods.

A while later, Eric spoke up.

"These sure are incredible. Are all of them up on the walls somewhere in the city?"

The compliment caught Aleta by surprise. She scratched her nose, averting her eyes as she pointed into the book.

"P-Probably all the ones from the first four pages...?" She guessed.

Eric laughed. "The first four?! That's a lot, given how jam-packed a page is in here!"

Her face felt hot.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a little messy. But I like doodling my ideas down."

"I get it." Eric waved her off. "Also nice that you won't get caught by the cops for drawing in a sketchbook."

He paused. "Unlike the- well, you know..."

"Oh yeah, I know." Aleta smiled cheekily, giggling.

The two of them continued to talk for a time. She could not explain it, but she really enjoyed chatting with Eric. Something about him just made her feel comfortable. Helped her forget her troubles, at least for a little while.

That being said, this feeling also scared her. Making her feel like she should not overstay her welcome.

So seeing that they were stopping soon, Aleta decided that was going to get off.

The bus had taken them north-west, a little ways away from the city center. To St. Lauren's biggest park.

Eric handed Aleta her sketchbook back and she packed it away. She zipped her bag closed and got up, shouldering it.

"Well, I should get off here." She said, trying to hide her sadness.

"Yeah, good to see-" Eric stopped mid-sentence.

Aleta did not notice.

"I'll catch you around again?" She smiled, finding it hard to look at him again.

"P-Probably, yeah. I reckon I won't be going anywhere." He joked.

"Cool." Aleta pulled up her hoodie, hiding her face.

"Glad to hear that then. See ya later."

Forcing herself to leave, she got off the bus. Trying not to look back as she made for the park.

With no real idea of what she was doing here, Aleta walked along. The trees above blocking the backdrop of a setting sun.

Noticing that the further she went, the amount of people nearby dwindled. This gave her an idea.

Peering down a path on her right, Aleta spotted the perfect spot for a quick tag.

The stone bridge was tall enough so that no one on top of it would notice anyone beneath it.

The paths on either side were also clear.

Having a hood to hide her face, Aleta figured it was worth the risk.

Squatting down, she ran a hand over the cool rocky surface. Her mind full of what she could possibly put here.

As she set her bag down and got her spray cans out, she felt a growing pain in her head. But Aleta ignored it. Too focused on the 'canvas' before her.

She would have to be quick. Nothing so elaborate.

"Bold, but little." Aleta rubbed her temple, smirking.

A troll? Maybe a bat? A mixture of the two, maybe?

Glancing to make sure the coast was clear, the girl got to work.

As she sprayed, her headache grew in intensity. It was still not enough to break her focus. Figuring that it was perhaps just a consequence of sleeping without a pillow for so long.

...

The tag was taking shape.

Aleta reached down and picked up one of her blue spray cans. Holding it up, she recoiled in confusion as the troll/bat hybrid was suddenly colorless.

"Ow!" She gasped, feeling like something had tugged at her head. "What-"

Checking her hand, she noticed that her olive skin was now gray. The surrounding area also seemed to have lost its color.

"What the hell...?"

Her graffiti stared back at her, devoid of vibrancy.

Peering out from under the bridge, Aleta looked up to see that the sky was now red. She blinked.

Something was wrong.

The cans at her feet were now impossible to tell apart. Growing anxious, Aleta did not hear the approaching footsteps. Nor did she notice her duffel bag being picked up and tossed away.

It landed with a crash in the distance. Spray cans spilled out onto the path, Leaking paint everywhere.

The liquid was all of a sudden colorful again.

"H-Hey!" Aleta turned with a shout.

"Hey yourself, Morelli!" Said a girl, smacking the hood of Aleta's jacket back.

There was three of them. She knew them.

Hated them.

It was partly their fault that she was not attending school at the moment.

Cassidy was the tallest. With dirty blonde hair that came to a stop at her shoulders. She always seemed to have a permanent scowl with those thin upturned brows of hers. She was the leader of their little group.

The brunette, Taylor, had a prominent gap between her teeth and freckles that encircled a rather long nose.

Mary was short and broad, with rosy cheeks that if they were on any other girl, they would actually be charming.

"Out here vandalizing again? Don't you have anything better to do?" Cassidy sneered.

"Don't you have any friends, Morelli?" Mary chuckled, kicking a can away.

Aleta flinched.

"Or maybe she doesn't want to go home?" Taylor pondered with a grin. "I bet you she can't, what with her new daddy and all. I heard he's abusive."

"Wh-What, no! He's not-" Aleta was visibly shaken.

How had they known about that? She had not told anyone about the situation at her home.

"Oh no, I bet he is." Cassidy spoke up, pushing hair behind her ear. "Your Mom is probably getting the same treatment."

"Really letting her have it~" She joked, the other girls laughing.

Their laughter became a horrible soundtrack as the pain in Aleta's head returned. She held it and gritted her teeth.

"S-Stop it!" She begged.

"You know... I heard your mother wishes you hadn't been born." Cassidy got closer, smiling widely.

Mary and Taylor followed.

Their faces slowly turned. Expressions becoming eerily blank, even while they all laughed.

"Everybody hates you, Aleta." Said Cassidy.

"You're a nobody..." Taylor giggled.

"Why don't you go back to Mexico or something? You don't belong here." Mary's face twitched.

"You'll die alone... With no one around to care..."

"Shut up... S-Shut up!" Aleta nearly fell over. Her head throbbed like crazy.

"If you died tonight, I think your mother would be glad... So very, very glad..."

"Stop it!"

In unison, the girls shoved Aleta to the ground.

"No matter where you go, you'll always be hated Aleta..." They spoke in time with each other, their red eyes becoming dull.

"So just give up... Just give up and-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

The sky was red once again as Aleta got up. She swung a fist at Cassidy, cracking her across the face. The girl's expression did not change even when her nose started bleeding.

Taylor and Mary rushed forward.

Though she had never had a proper fight in her entire life, Aleta kept punching.

Fighting them off, hoping to hit them anywhere that it might really hurt.

Except the girls did not seem to care. They just stared at her as they took the hits.

Amidst blows, a fist suddenly rocked Aleta's chin upwards. She toppled back onto the other side of the bridge.

In the distance, she heard someone call her name.

Raising her head, Aleta saw a familiar head of hair running towards her. Then, she heard something like a huge balloon being popped.

She was splattered in blood. Unable to see.

As she wiped at her eyes, Aleta screamed as something large came crashing down in front of her.

"Wh-What the hell! Eric?!"

The teen in question looked back at her, a strange mist of red and white flowing from his legs.

A giant figure appeared behind him, casting a long shadow over Aleta. She could just make its appearance out.

It was a knight, wearing a baseball uniform?

Aleta and Eric watched in horror as Cassidy, Taylor, and Mary began to transform.

Clothing and skin peeled off them like wrapping paper. Turning them into vaguely humanoid figures, dripping blood from every orifice.

"S-S-Seriously, what the fu- ARGH!" Aleta cried, clutching at her head.

It felt like it was close to bursting open.

An ear-piercing roar laced with giggles was let loose by the monsters as they began to bind together. Their blood bonding them like glue.

The Knight at Eric's back held up its large sword, pointing at the monstrosity and leaning back.

Aleta meanwhile, was lying on the ground. Curling up in a ball, moaning in anguish.

"Listen, I know it hurts..." She heard Eric say, "But you've got to rip that thing off your face, Aleta!"

The teen looked up, staring through tears at him. She realized then just how strange her vision had become.

Distorted, like a net was over her eyes.

"You've got to get that string out. Rip them all out, even if it feels like it'll kill you." Eric sounded desperate.

"You have to do it!"

"What-" Aleta managed to mumble.

"Just trust me! You h-have to do it!" He yelled, turning back to face the monsters that finally came charging towards them.

Barely able to keep track of the fight, the girl instead turned her attention to her pain.

The strings? What was he talking about?

She struggled to see it, but soon she did not have to. Aleta could feel them.

It was like a net, across her entire face. Not only that, she also felt something firm sticking out from the top of her head.

Her fingers wrapped around the threads that split off from the main string.

They were rooted in her face. And they were loosening.

Following Eric's words, Aleta took a long shaky breath. Then, she pulled.

The pain struck her immediately. Enough to make a person pass out.

She pushed through.

Blood issued forth as Aleta tugged hard on the strings. It was like someone had stapled strands of silk into her.

She was almost too scared to carry on.

"G-Grab it!" Eric shouted nearby.

The Knight and the three girls were locked in battle. She was beginning to see clearly again.

"I have to keep pulling-!" Aleta decided.

Voice catching in her throat, she pulled harder than ever. Eyes wide as blood drenched the front of her hoodie.

A thread snapped. Then another. Aleta was getting closer.

Just a little more and she would get it all out...

The sound of something crashing into stone nearby did not break her concentration.

"ALETA!" Eric screamed.

It happened in an instant. The monster that had once been the three girls she despised, had grabbed her.

Multiple hands held her body tightly. Threatening to crush her bones.

But the girl was somewhere else. Muttering to herself.

"M-Mom, I-"

Tears mixed in with the blood on her cheeks.

"Dad..."

She sighed.

"This is it. I'm going to die now."

But something inside her forced her forward.

With one final awful tug, Aleta managed to tear the strings from her head and face.

Her expression shifted from pain to bliss in less than a second. A strange lightness filling her whole body.

She was content. Ready to die.

Yet just then, something else grabbed her.

Some other force much stronger than the creature's freed her from their grasp.

Enraged, the monster roared.

Aleta pictured a gun in her mind. A simple handgun... being loaded, cocked.

She held up her hand, taking aim with her finger at the faces staring angrily down on her. Just before the monster could rip the girl into pieces, A gun actually appeared on Aleta's right.

Like a lightning strike, the sound of it firing made Eric cup his ears in fright. An even darker shade of blood smeared the path.

The monster stood up straight.

Bewildered. Two of its heads stared inward, the third hung forward. A giant hole where its face once was.

Aleta felt herself grin.

"I always felt like she wore too much make-up."

Beneath the girl, a figure arose from the ground in a haze of bone.

It was shaped like a woman, dressed tightly in a black leather body suit. It wore a puffy jacket with a hood that concealed nothing, as it had no discernible face. Only long flowing locks of hair that framed its featureless visage.

It sat up slowly, cradling Aleta in its arms. In each hand were pistols made of solid gold.

Standing at full height, the wings on its back opened up.

It looked like an Angel.

Graffiti adorned its feathers, stylized words that seemed to be preaching holy things. Disjointed statements with little context.

The monster recovered from its shock. Ignoring the dead head, it lashed out at the Angel.

Holding Aleta close, it took flight. As it soared, it fired several shots down on the creature's conjoined body.

The 'girls' screeched at the barrage. Retreating as the Angel landed beside Eric.

Aleta stood tall. Her eyes were clearer than they had ever been. She was still injured from being held by the monster earlier, but was playing it off.

Eric approached her, the Angel peered down at him for a moment before noticing the Knight at his side.

"Aleta? Are you alright?"

"I... I dunno." Aleta shook her head. "A-Ask me later."

"Eric. What the hell is going on?"

"I honestly have no idea... but-" The two stared at the monster, "That thing's gonna kill us."

The bullet holes had disappeared from the creature. Its third head had also reformed, giggling.

"But... That thing. It was..." Aleta lowered her face.

"I knew those people."

Eric held his neck. "They don't look like people anymore."

The monster roared, heads and limps twisting and shaking. It was changing again. Morphing into something else.

"Any ideas?" Aleta asked, the Angel's guns hovering over her shoulders.

"W-Well, for starters... I reckon we can say this is a three-on-two?" Eric unbuttoned the collar of his shirt.

Aleta smiled, tilting her head back. "You mean four-on-three?"

"Guess you're right there."

The Knight glanced at Eric, then to the Angel.

"We should get close and grab it." The teen suggested.

"'Grab it'?" Aleta raised her small eyebrow.

"If you do, you can like, drain their strength or something. Suck away their life force." Eric tried to explain. "That's what I did yesterday."

Though the fact that the monster seemed to have nullified that ability earlier was bothering him. Perhaps two people doing it would be more effective?

"Yesterday?" Aleta asked.

"Anyway, make sure she grabs it." Eric pointed at the Angel.

"Sounds good. Let's go!" In a flash, Aleta was running towards the monster, Angel at her back.

"Whoa!" Eric exclaimed, "Wait, we should-"

With a lurch, one of the creature's clawed arms extended unnaturally and slashed. With ease, Aleta slid underneath it and shouted. "Go get it!"

Firing off a few shots to stagger the monster, the Angel holstered one of its guns and soon had firm grip on an arm.

...

Nothing happened.

"What?" Eric thought.

Aleta turned round, looking at the teen confused. The monster roared, laughing with glee as it latched onto the Angel.

Fanged mouths appeared along the appendage, opening and biting down on the Angel viscously.

Aleta cried out in pain.

"Why didn't it work? Aleta!"

She could not break free. The girl was trapped.

End of Chapter 8.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

Once more reacting as if it could read Eric's thoughts, the Knight rushed in to help.

Before the many mouths could sink their teeth any deeper into the Angel, it swung its sword in a wide arc. Managing to sever every arm from the monster's front.

Aleta gasped, now also free from the attack.

The Knight leapt off its back foot, readying another strike. But the creature somehow compressed its stubs into a thick shield, dampening the blow and only being pushed back slightly.

Eric took the chance and ran to Aleta's side.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure..." She groaned, holding up a bloodied hand. "Why am I also- Hold on. Just what the hell was grabbing it meant to do?!"

"It- uh, well..." Eric was just as confused as her.

"I thought it would've worked. Me and the big fella can do it."

Shield shrinking away, the three headed monster started to laugh again.

With its faces morphing, the cut off arms quickly grew back. The nails on their fingers suddenly grew drastically in both length and sharpness. At blinding speed, the creature flicked its hands.

Like bullets, each nail was fired at the teens.

The Angel swooped in to protect Aleta, its wings being riddled with the monster's detached talons. Aleta yelped.

Amazingly, the Knight had backstepped and covered Eric. Deflecting the nails with its sword.

Frustrated, the creature roared.

Nails upon nails began to grow from every available surface of its hands. With a swing of the arm, they came flying in a deadly shower.

Trying to move its wings, the Angel was halted by the pain.

Standing against the hail, the Knight did its best to protect them all. For every nail it managed to deflect, several more would imbed themselves across its body.

Under his shirt, Eric was filled with holes. Blood spurting from each opening.

He endured the pain, turning to make sure Aleta was okay.

...

She had vanished.

In a panic, he tried to locate her just as a nasty shot to the Knight's sword arm made them both falter.

Before they could take the full brunt of the monster's projectiles, the sound of gunfire loudly rang out from somewhere in the distance. A barrage of bullets soon tearing into the creature's body.

After a brief pause, two golden guns appeared from the ground underneath the monster. Looking closer, Eric saw the Angel.

It looked as if it was painted onto the path. Flat as a mural. Aside from the firearms that were sticking out.

Flailing in distress, the creature split itself into three pieces to get away from the Angel's guns. The weapons retreated into the floor, flattening out like the rest of it. The winged figure then moved back towards Eric.

Jumping out out the ground, it regained its third dimension.

The teen was dumbfounded.

A sneaker appeared out of the Angel's pelvis. Then bizarrely, Aleta herself stepped out from inside it. She had a smile on her face.

"Say. Can yours do that?" The girl asked cheekily.

Eric was still mystified. "Uh, no. I don't think he can-"

"Stupid, stupid!"

The split-up pieces of the monster were reforming into human-shaped figures. While their limbs were longer and strange-looking, their faces were closer to how they once were.

"Cassidy?" Aleta exclaimed, a mixture of hate and concern in her voice.

"Why won't... you... just... disappear!"

'Cassidy' spasmed, an arm with long nails appeared over her shoulder and stretched out. Slicing towards Aleta, who just managed to evade it.

'Mary' grumbled, her upper back and thighs growing in size before charging at Eric. The teen made to get out of her way, only to feel a hand seize him by the neck. 'Taylor' had somehow snuck up on him.

She pressed her face to his, their noses touching. Mouthing words that carried no sound, her expression warped in anger.

The Knight tried to help, only to fall before it could reach him. Looking down to find that it had fallen into a hole in the ground that had not been there before.

Keeping a firm grip on the teen, who had also lost his balance, 'Taylor's' hand split and opened into a mouth which bit into Eric's neck.

He frantically tried to pull it away.

Attempting to get out of the hole, The Knight was suddenly seized by 'Mary', who had appeared from inside of the opening. She set her muscular arm around its throat and began choking the life out of it.

The hole got wider, with some kind of force dragging the Knight's arms into the pit so it could not fight back.

It struggled in vain as it began to sink further into the opening.

Eric could not breathe. He could barely keep his eyes open.

"Al-Aleta..." He gurgled, trying to speak. "H-H-Help-"

Locked in combat, avoiding the flying nails and slashes coming from whatever was behind 'Cassidy', Aleta still managed to hear him.

The Angel turned one of its gun in their direction and fired off two shots.

The first, with pin-point accuracy, blasted right through 'Taylor's' eyeball. She howled in pain as the second shot punctured 'Mary' in the back of her neck. With the hold loosening, and the force of the hole seeming to weaken, the Knight was able to drag itself and 'Mary' out.

Taking hold of her and heaving, the 'girl' was thrown to the ground. With a violent thrust, the Knight punched its hand into 'Mary's' throat.

In the next moment, threads burst out from the wound and flowed into its arm.

Sounding more like a monster than before, the 'girl' screamed.

'Taylor's' hold on Eric's neck faltered. The regeneration from the Knight's ability dislodging the teeth.

Eric pushed her back and threw a punch, only for the creature to dodge by dropping down.

'Taylor' then lunged out from under the teen, hurtling towards the Knight. Before she could reach it, the Angel's gun fired again.

Chest riddled with bullets, 'Taylor' cried out in agony.

Noticing the chance, the Knight picked up its sword. With one hand still in 'Mary', it stabbed at the other girl's shoulder to keep her in place.

Strength returning to its body, The armored entity stood up.

Lifting up the rapidly shriveling 'Mary', The Knight stepped forward and grabbed 'Taylor' by her face. Thumb digging deeply into her wounded eye socket as she screamed.

Fleshy threads whipped at its gauntlet before climbing up its arm.

Now draining both monsters at once... Eric felt even stronger than before.

As the girls crumbled to dust, a scream made him jump. Aleta had taken a nail to the head. The Angel threw its own head back, reflecting the damage.

"Aleta!" Eric shouted, running to her. Feeling as light as air.

The shadowy figure at 'Cassidy's' back twisted. A hail of nails came flying his way.

Thanks to his renewed vigor, he found it easy to evade most of them. The few that dug into his body did not slow him down.

Lifting its sword out the pile of ash that was once 'Taylor', The Knight was able to cover the distance from the teen in an instant and run ahead.

But a new wave of attacks kept it at bay as 'Cassidy' finally noticed the absence of her friends. She seemed to cry for a moment, before letting out a roar so loud and powerful that the surrounding trees were bent backwards from the shockwave.

The string still implanted in her head was bulging once again. Massive and gross-looking, it pumped something into the 'girl'. As a result, the shadowy figure at her back grew in size and seemed to envelop 'Cassidy', who was now laughing.

This entity was vaguely female, with a strange stone-like face with empty eyes. Its head lolled from side to side.

It looked fleshy, but also a bit like it was made of clay. There was a barred opening in its stomach. 'Cassidy' was visible from within. Now laughing to herself madly.

There were hands inside that held the girl in place, cupping and covering up her bloody naked body.

The laughter subsided, being replaced by angry screaming.

"You've really done it now, Aleta! You... stupid bitch!"

Eric was crouched down beside the hooded girl, who was holding onto the nail still lodged in her forehead.

With a grunt, Aleta pulled the spike out with both hands and quickly got to her feet. Eric gasped at the sight of blood pouring from the now open wound.

"What is wrong with you, Cassidy!" She yelled, placing a hand on her face to try and stop the bleeding. "Why are you doing this?"

"What's wrong with me...?" The 'girl' sneered, "What's wrong with you!? Look at what you let him do!"

Aleta looked to Eric.

"He killed them, Morelli! And you did nothing!" Arms grew from the stone-faced figure's sides, their fingers long and sharp.

It pointed at the teens with thumbs, a ring finger, and a pinky.

Eric felt like he should explain himself, but Aleta just shook her head.

"They attacked him, Cassidy." The girl adjusted the sleeves of her jacket. "They tried to kill him first."

In response, the nails grew longer. Bizarrely, each one was colored, like they had just been painted at a beauty salon.

"Damn you, Morelli! Why!? Why are you... STILL ALIVE?!" 'Cassidy' squirmed, the string in her head shook.

"DIE!"

The arms began their attack, some whipped at the two. Others fired off nails that pierced the earth like javelins.

Aleta and Eric struggled to dodge.

"T-This has to end, now!" Eric shouted.

"Yeah. I'm not doing so hot here." Aleta agreed, wiping at the dripping blood still coming from her forehead.

The Angel let off a few shots. Finding that the bullets just bounced off the stone-faced figure's body. It was far too hard to penetrate.

"I can't-" The girl tripped, narrowly avoiding another nail to the head. "I can't get a good shot in. That thing is bulletproof!"

Steeling himself, Eric charged.

"Then I'll make an opening!"

"Wha-"

"When she's exposed, shoot her!"

'Cassidy' giggled, eyes rolling to the back of her skull.

Suddenly, all of the figure's hands were aimed at him. Knight at his back, Eric tried desperately to think of how he could possibly create said opening. As if finding an answer, the armored baseballer stepped over the teen.

In an instant, he felt himself being sucked into the Knight.

Just like Aleta had done earlier...

Numerous sensations flowed through him, the strongest being the feeling that like this, he was at last... whole.

Two had become one.

Eric was now the Knight.

He could feel the way its cleated boots stuck slightly with each step. He felt the weight of the claymore in his hand, and the immense strength he now possessed that allowed such a thing to be wielded with ease.

Side stepping a barrage of nails while twirling the blade, the Knight was nearing 'Cassidy'. This only infuriated 'her' more.

The figure's arms were like whips, each nail almost struck Eric like shrapnel thrown by a hurricane.

Distance closed, the Knight stood face to face with the figure. Which bent down a little to stare at it with empty eye sockets.

"Nowhere to run now, friend-killer!" 'Cassidy' announced giddily.

"That's the plan." Eric thought.

He would have to be quick. Being this close meant that any misstep would result in him being cut up and skewered.

Before the Knight could even attack, it sunk.

Looking down, Eric found that a sizeable hole had appeared beneath him.

The figure swiped and stabbed at nothing as the Knight was drawn further into the pit. Just before fully submerging, it managed to catch one of the figure's arms.

A stray thought crossed the teen's mind. Then in the next moment, the Knight's gauntlet split down the middle of its palm, revealing a mouth with many teeth.

The following bite gave Eric a vice-like grip.

"These powers..." The teen wondered. "I... stole them?"

Using the sinking force of the hole, Eric braced himself and pulled with all his might as he descended.

'Cassidy' and her protective shell were dragged down violently.

Thrown off balance, the stone-faced figure smashed its head against the path. It fell apart like rubble, exposing the interior and its struggling host.

The barred section of the figure covered the opening above Eric. Feeling a strange sensation from the hole, he had an idea.

If it could suck things in... perhaps it could do the opposite?

Flipping a switch in his head, it turned out he had been correct.

Hurtling upwards like a rocket, the Knight smashed its helmet right against the figure's chest as it exited the hole.

The impact completely shattered its entire front, revealing a bewildered 'Cassidy'.

She was vulnerable.

Eric could not stop his ascent. Having taken the arm it had grabbed with it, the Knight flew into the distance as Aleta readied herself.

She figured that 'Cassidy' could still regenerate like before. So this opening was not going to last long.

The Angel swooped in, the two becoming one. Merging with the ground, they sped forward.

Sure enough, the gap in the figure's body was mending. Bars returning, 'Cassidy' would soon be protected again.

...

But Aleta was faster.

With no obstructions in this flattened state, the Angel used it as a springboard to leap through the gap before it could close.

Two golden guns were now pointed right at 'Cassidy'.

There was nowhere to run.

Aleta leaned forward, sticking out from of the Angel's chest. The two hesitated.

Tears suddenly ran down 'Cassidy's' angry face. She stared at Aleta, pleading with her eyes.

Emotions welling up within Aleta, causing the Angel's aim to shake slightly. For the briefest of moments, she knew that she was looking at the real Cassidy.

The three girls had never been her friends. They had been bullies. She had hated them, wanted to hurt them.

But now... It did not feel right.

And yet, something inside Aleta knew that the best thing to do now was to take the shot.

She averted her eyes. The Angel did the same, lowering one gun and firing the other.

The bullet caught her in the neck, severing Cassidy's head from her body. The figure around them began to fall apart, nails pinging off the path like rain.

Aleta saw a faint, peaceful smile dance upon the girl's lips before she turned to ash and faded away.

The hooded teen was left sitting in a pile of burning dust.

Nearby, Eric separated himself from the Knight. The two had been laying upside down in a hedge, watching what had transpired. He cautiously tapped the grass in front of him with his foot. Fearing that another hole might appear.

He glanced at the Knight.

It was still holding the arm it had grabbed from 'Cassidy'. Threads appeared from it and flowed into the Knight before burning up. The open mouth along its palm closed and disappeared.

Aleta was shielded by the falling ash, the Angel covering them both with its wings. The words that adorned its feathers preached sadness.

The girl stood and watched the remaining dust climb and vanish against the red sky above.

Eric walked over to her, slowly at first. Then quickly as she started to wobble.

Just managing to catch her in his arms, the teen watched the Angel fade into a haze that seeped back into Aleta's body.

"Aleta?" Eric asked, a bit embarrassed now that he was holding her for so long.

The girl said nothing. Locking eyes with him, a stray tear rolled down her bloody cheek before she lost consciousness.

It was just like what happened to Eric yesterday.

Lowering Aleta, he began to feel uneasy. Thinking that he would also pass out. If he did, what if more monsters showed up?

...

He remained awake. And unlike the day before, the red sky was still around.

Eric sat and took in their surroundings. The sea of strings around them continued to sway. He saw the moon in the distance.

Or was it the sun? It was hard to tell.

"Wait..." Eric thought, "Has that always been there?"

He wracked his brains, trying to recall if he had seen the natural satellite against the red sky before.

Then, a more pressing matter came to him.

Hand shooting into his pocket, Eric got out his phone and went to check the time. As he flipped it open, he found that the screen was black.

If there was no electricity here, then the same could be said for electronic devices.

Eric sighed.

After a while, he remembered that there were probably some clocks in the park somewhere.

It was worth a shot.

Lifting up Aleta, he found that she did not weigh much. Then again, under the red sky, he always felt stronger despite the toll it took on his stamina.

Breathing somewhat strained, he carried the girl and began his search.

In an open section down one of the paths, Eric found a clock with benches at its sides. It showed that it was early evening. Though it was no longer moving, so the teen tried to factor in how long that fight had been.

It felt like it had taken hours, but at most it could not have lasted longer than thirty minutes.

...Right?

He could just imagine the text messages and missed calls his mother might have sent him.

"I'm already on thin ice as is." Eric said to himself, remembering the lecture he had got this morning.

He would have to walk home. Since he was pretty sure that the buses were not running.

When would the red sky go away? If it could disappear on its own like yesterday, maybe it would again later?

Either way, Eric had to go.

But before he could, he stopped. Remembering that he was carrying an unconscious girl in his arms. A girl that he knew barely anything about.

He did not know where she went to school, or where she even lived...

Nothing at all.

Eric inspected Aleta's face. She was breathing slowly, fast asleep. The wound on her forehead had stopped bleeding.

Pulling up her hood so that it was covered, Eric weighed his options.

Leaving Aleta was out of the question. But then the other choice was not ideal either. Arriving home with a stranger in his arms...

Taking her to a hotel was not an option, as the teen had only enough money for bus fare.

...

The sky was still red.

It was decided. He would take her to his house and let her sleep on their couch, even if it meant taking the two-pronged assault of questions he would get from his mother and sister.

Before he left the park, he remembered that Aleta's bag was still lying somewhere by the bridge. Back tracking and setting the girl down for a moment, he inspected the state of her belongings.

The duffel bag had taken a beating - having first been thrown, then knocked aside during the battle.

So many spray cans were busted up. It was such a mess.

Taking those that were beyond saving and throwing them in a nearby trash can, Eric gathered up what was still intact and packed them in the bag.

His face flushed as he did his best not to look at the contents of her laundry inside.

Zipping it up, he pulled the strap over his shoulder. Thanks to the red sky, he would be able to carry both the bag and its owner.

Wet paint touched and stained his shirt.

Not that it mattered now, as it was not looking good already. Blood from the wounds the nails had made had left many spots.

It was beyond saving.

This was his second set of clothing that had been ruined. Eric sighed, hoping that this would not become a trend.

Cautiously, they left the park at last.

Eric stayed on high alert as they passed through the empty gray streets

Aleta slept soundly in the teen's arms as they disappeared into the city.

The red sky above remained. A forest of white strings swaying along the horizon.

End of Chapter 9.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

"He sure sleeps like a log."

...

"Can you blame him?"

...

"It's looking cloudy today. Think it'll rain?"

...

"Maybe? Seems a little early in the season."

...

"St. Lauren sure is a busy place. Really glad I didn't take the job to work here."

...

"It grows on you."

...

"Yeah, like a fungus.

...

"Oh, you're being overly dramatic."

...

"He has a point. People here seem, I dunno, kinda-"

...

"Stressed?"

...

"Yeah, tha-"

Eric awoke in a cold sweat, expecting to see a crowd of people at the foot of his bed.

"Hello?" He called.

Glancing around his room though, there was no one else around. He was still hearing voices. Though he had not expected them to talk in his sleep.

Shivering slightly, Eric got up and closed the open window. Outside, suburbia in St. Lauren was just beginning to wake up.

A man on a bicycle was throwing newspapers on people's doorsteps. He heard someone running their lawnmower.

Catching the sight of his torso in the window's reflection, Eric stepped back and looked down.

While he had been healed of the intial wounds from Cassidy's nails, he remembered still getting a few cuts and gashes afterwards. But it seemed that they had also vanished.

The same could not be said for his clothes.

Shirt stained with his own blood and paint from Aleta's spray cans, jeans dotted with holes, Eric could only sigh.

Unlike his sister, he had never cared much about clothing. Until he started losing them, that is.

Still, at least he was alive. So perhaps this was the price to pay for that.

Looking to the closed door of his room, Eric was dreading what was to come.

There was no helping it. He would have to face them.

Quickly putting on some pants and a shirt from his closet, Eric stepped through the door and shut it.

The house was quiet.

He hesitated at the stairs. Creeping down them as slowly as he could.

At the bottom, he immediately met the gaze of his sister.

Nicole was chewing through her cereal at a deliberately slow pace as she watched her brother.

"M-Morning." He nodded.

The young girl kept her eyes on Eric as he slipped into the kitchen to make himself some toast.

Just as he loaded the toaster with two slices of bread, a door nearby audibly closed. Mrs. Edwards returned from the garage, sitting down beside her daughter at the dining table.

Eric tried to not look their way.

"Sleep well, dear?" His mother asked him, a strange smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah. W-Well enough."

He had expected them to bombard him with questions right away, but perhaps this was the calm before the storm.

After all, It had been an awkward situation.

Strangely, getting home on foot had been the easy part.

With the Knight having absorbed two monsters, Eric had felt like he could have run a marathon. Though at some point, he did start to feel the weight of carrying Aleta for so long.

To his surprise, the Knight then appeared as the teen was struggling and took the girl. Holding her securely, the two kept moving.

Despite the uncomfortable unease that being under the red sky created, they did not encounter a single monster during their trip.

Following the bus route he had taken on his first day at St. Lauren High, Eric made it to his neighborhood and was soon back outside his new home.

He took Aleta back from the Knight as it disappeared.

"Thanks." The teen thought.

Inside his mind, he swore he felt it nod back to him.

...

With an unconscious girl in his arms, Eric stood outside the front door of his house. Unsure of how to proceed.

Breathing to calm his nerves, he shut his eyes.

In the blackness, he felt his head throb for a moment.

When he opened them again, he was shocked to find the wood of the door before him was brown.

Turning, Eric was standing in a world with color once more. The sky was darkening, lampposts buzzed to life along the street.

He was back.

But how...?

Either way, the distraction had helped. Holding Aleta a little closer to him so he could reach out with a free hand, he knocked.

He no longer felt as strong, so the girl was beginning to weigh on him.

The porch lit up as Eric heard footsteps. The door was unlocked and opened.

"About time you got home-" Nicole started, freezing at the sight of the two.

Her brother tried to smile.

"Eric, w-what the heck is... Who-"

"A friend. She's fine, j-just sleeping. Let me set her down somewhere, please." The teen pushed past his sister and entered the house.

Spotting the couch, Eric set Aleta down gently. He leaned back and sighed, trying to stretch.

Mrs. Edwards was in the kitchen, just as surprised as her daughter.

"Eric." She began, not sure who to be more worried about. "Eric Edwards. Who is this?"

The teen was sweating. "Aleta. She's a friend, I guess?"

Baffled, his mother then grabbed him by the shirt. "What happened to your clothes?"

What could he possibly tell her? Would she even believe it?

Eric then remembered how Mr. Houser had not been all that bothered about him being attacked by dogs that morning.

He decided to lie instead. Or at least, downplay what had actually happened.

"I was in a park in town. I saw Aleta getting bullied by some girls, so I ran in to help."

This much had been true from his perspective.

"Didn't have to do much, she fought back pretty well."

He was still quite impressed by the first punch Aleta had thrown.

"In the end... w-we both got pretty roughed up?" Eric finished, hoping it was enough.

Mrs. Edwards approached the girl. Her son prayed she would not pull back the hood of her jacket. That wound on her forehead was still fresh.

"Why is she sleeping?" She asked, noticeably concerned.

"Uh... she g-got knocked out."

His mother turned. "And you didn't try to stop that from happening?!"

She was angry.

"I-I tried, but the other girls were beating on me."

"Eric Edwards, did you hit anyone?"

The fight had been more than just fisticuffs.

"No! They punched and kicked me, while I just k-kinda pushed them about." He lied.

Nicole was standing near the couch, staring between Eric and this new arrival.

Their mother sighed, rubbing her temple. "Well, I'm glad to hear you didn't. No son of mine is gonna go around beating on girls, got it?"

"O-Of course. Never." Eric rubbed his neck.

His father had also enforced that rule. It was hard to not feel like he had actually broken it.

Their lives had been in danger, so that was his excuse.

"So, what now?" Nicole spoke up, leaning over the sleeping girl to try and get a better look at her. When she tried to shift Aleta's hood back, Mrs. Edwards stopped her.

"Leave her be, honey. We're gonna let her sleep. Is that her bag?"

Eric rolled his shoulder, displaying Aleta's duffel bag. "Yeah, this is it."

Noticing the state of it, his mother took it from him. "Don't go putting that on the floor. I'll give it a clean."

"What is this? Paint?"

The teen wondered what she would think once she found all the spray cans inside.

Setting the bag down in the sink, Mrs. Edwards turned. "Well, at the very least, I am glad that you actually came home today."

There was still a tinge of pain in her voice. Still unhappy with her son's absence the day prior.

"Though I would have never guessed it would be like this."

"But at least you're safe. Both of you."

Nicole walked away from the couch, sighing to herself. The visitor was here to stay it seemed.

"Right. Are you kids hungry?"

...

With a plate set aside for Aleta, the Edwards family dined together.

Getting a blanket upstairs, Eric made sure that the girl was more comfortable. She barely showed any signs of being disturbed as he shifted her head onto a cushion and covered her up so that she was comfy and warm.

If one could not hear her soft breathing, or see the slight rise and fall of her chest, you could very easily assume that she was dead.

Eric was thankful that she was not.

She was safe.

Lingering a little too long, the teen stepped away and decided to turn in for the night.

He did not remember much once he got into his room. He had been more exhausted than he had led on, passing out as soon as he lay in his bed.

Outside his window and beyond his neighborhood, St. Lauren was a sea of lights.

In darkness, the strings swayed. Unseen.

Back in the kitchen the next morning, Eric was reluctant to turn round.

"So!" His mother began. "Your mysterious friend was up and about earlier."

"Yeah, mysterious." Nicole chimed in, holding back a giggle.

"S-She was doing okay?" Her brother asked, shifting in place.

"She was super weird." His sister answered, slurping up the remaining milk in her bowl.

"Oh hush! She is a fine young lady." Mrs. Edwards leapt to Aleta's defense. "Poor dear had no idea where she was."

A smile came to their mother's face. The tips of Eric's ears went red.

"Had plenty of nice things to say about you, this Aleta did. I'd say you're very popular with her."

"T-That's good." The teen replied, not sure what else to say.

The toaster popped behind him, making him jump.

"Speaking of, is she still here?" Eric asked, placing the toast on a plate.

"Well, I heated up the meal I made for her yesterday - that girl sleep right through until the two of us came downstairs this morning, you know?" His mother explained.

"She had a lot of wet laundry in that bag of hers. So I let her use our dryer. After that, she seemed awfully like she had some place to be, so she left."

Mrs. Edwards sounded a little sad. They had not spoken long, but the woman had found Aleta very charming.

After spreading jam and peanut butter on his toast, Eric sat down across from his sister.

He was not even one bite into a slice when Nicole stared him right in the soul.

"... Is she your girlfriend?"

The toast almost got thrown from his hand as his face flushed.

"Wha- No! What made you think that?"

"Nothing, really." Nicole raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I know she isn't. A girl like that wouldn't be attracted to a country bumpkin like you!"

"That's enough outta you, missy!" Her mother chimed in. "Eric, honey, I'm sure she doesn't think that. Okay?"

"S-Stop it!" The teen hid his face and ate his toast.

The ladies shared a laugh at his expense.

A little while later after Eric had cleared his plate and Nicole had gone upstairs, his mother placed a see-through bag on the table.

He regrettably recognized it.

It was Aleta's laundry. Now nice and dry, yet her undergarments were somewhat visible through the webbing.

Eric kept his gaze on his plate as his mother chuckled.

"Now I ain't no thief or snooper." Mrs. Edwards started uncomfortably, "But I was a little curious about Aleta as I was cleaning her bag. I found a lotta cans of spray paint in there."

Eric was quick on finding an excuse.

"They're for her school project. S-She does art."

His mother had a suspicious glint in her eye, but she did not press him further.

"That girl was in such a rush this morning, she must've forgotten to take her laundry back." Mrs. Edwards reached into her pocket and put a slip of paper on the table. It had a phone number on it.

From having browsed her sketchbook, Eric knew it was Aleta's handwriting.

"Would you give her a ring and make sure that poor little lady gets her clothes back for me?"

"Yeah, of course." The teen took the paper, averting his eyes. "I-If I bring down my bag, could you... put it in there for me?"

His mother laughed, rather amused by his embarrassment. "Sure thing, sweetie."

Leaving the table, Eric cleaned his plate in the sink before heading up to his room. He came back down with his bag and left it for his mother to use.

He was not sure how he felt about having some girl's underwear in his backpack as he climbed the stairs again.

As soon as he was out the house, he would make sure to call Aleta.

Once Nicole had left the bathroom, Eric had a quick shower.

Getting properly dressed for the day, he spotted his clothing from yesterday. Tucked away in his closet, crumpled and damaged.

Despite appearing like he had been in more than just a light scuffle last night, his mother and sister had not been that perturbed by his appearance.

It was strange.

...

Ready for the day, Eric followed his sister out the door.

"You both have a good day at school now." their mother said, giving her son a kiss.

Nicole managed to dodge hers and walk off. Mrs. Edwards just shook her head.

"You come home right after school ends, okay?"

It was time to get back in his mother's good books. So Eric nodded.

"Okay Mom."

"Eric?" She called as he neared the end of the driveway.

"Hm? What?"

"I'm glad that you've made a friend."

He wasn't sure if he could call her that yet, but the teen waved goodbye. Eric hurried after his sister, the two managing to make it to the bus before it could leave.

Onboard, the siblings sat together in silence.

"A friend." He thought, eyes drawn outside.

The strings passed by at pace as they began their journey to St. Lauren High.

After all that had happened the night before, perhaps it was not so unlikely to assume that they were friends now.

In fact, Eric kind of hoped that they would be.

It was strange, having a new number in his phone.

While he had many friends back home, they had lived so closely together that having their numbers never seemed necessary.

No, Eric's phone had only ever had his family's numbers on it.

Noticing his father's number, the teen stared at it for a time before hovering over Aleta's.

He was feeling a little anxious about calling her. He tried to think of ways he could start their call.

Eventually the teen decided that maybe just a text message would be fine. His nerves getting the better of him.

Though this whole process would have been a lot quicker if had spoken to her since... Eric was not the fastest texter.

A slow typer at the best of times, now even slower given his anxiety. Agonizing over the wording for a while, he tentatively hit the send button. The notification popped up, saying that his message had been sent.

Eric could only stare at it.

Calming down, he put the device away and started eating his cafeteria lunch.

With the time it had taken to type, it had already gotten a bit cold.

Minutes later, a shrill ring from his pocket made his heart leap in fright. Almost swiping his tray aside, he got out his phone.

Aleta had replied.

Hw did tht hppn!? I cnt belive tht I lft tht stuf at yur house . Sry bout tht I gues!

Eric was rather surprised by the way she had written her response. Perhaps wording a message did not have to be perfect.

But still, he found a little hard to follow.

The message tone pinged again.

Ar yu availble tdy? We culd meet up sum plce?

With slow fingers, Eric started typing.

Sure, that sounds good. Where would you like to meet?

It didn't take long for his phone to ring again.

I wus thikin we culd meet at th Rundown Road? I wil sen yu dirctions!

A minute later, Aleta sent him a lengthy text detailing what bus route to take and directions to this 'Rundown Road'.

Okay. I will see you there at 4 pm or so. I've got some stuff to do at school first.

Alrght! Untl thn! :D

Putting his phone down, Eric finished his lunch. Empty tray back on the serving counter, he left the cafeteria along with everyone else.

Getting his things for his next class, the teen put his phone in his locker for now.

On the way to his classroom, he had a random thought.

What were the chances that his mother had intentionally kept Aleta's laundry so that he would get another chance to meet up with her again?

That was probably was not the case.

Right?

Classes had ended for the day.

While most students of St. Lauren High left at this time, a few remained for after-school activities. Today was the day that Eric was planning to join their ranks.

Leaving the main building, he walked through the grounds. Passing by the fountain with its stalwart knights, holding up their swords and spewing water from their helmets.

He came to stop just outside the numerous buildings that housed the school's many sport clubs.

Remembering that the first place to check for Mr. Houser would be on the field, Eric made for the fenced-off area at the far end.

Standing just near the gate, he looked out over the grass and dirt.

The man was nowhere to be found. It was empty.

Forgetting which building Frank Houser had told him to go to should he not be in the field, Eric logically deduced that the closest one was the first place to look.

He quietly opened the door and entered. What he found was a tight hallway that led to a stairwell and not much else. The teen climbed to the building's second floor. Coming face to face with a door made entirely of glass.

"'St. Lauren High Ballet Department'?" Eric read the plaque aloud, confused.

Knowing that it was obviously the wrong place, he figured that someone inside could probably point him in the right direction.

It was quite the scene when Eric opened the door and entered. He was faced with a line of girls in leotards.

The wooden floor protested underneath him as he stepped. Feeling increasingly self-conscious.

"Uh- I-I'm sorry. I was looking-"

At the head of the line, a rather dashing older man appeared and trotted towards Eric with purpose.

"And who might you be?" His face was smooth and youthful. The only sign of his age showed itself in his hands.

"Eric Edwards, sir. I'm in the wrong place."

The man seemed disappointed. "Really? I was hoping you were a new dancer." The girls laughed.

"We are in sore need of another strong young man like yourself." He motioned back to the line of students, a lone male student with a tie-up afro looked apologetic.

Eric rubbed his neck. "Sorry."

"Oh!" A voice came from behind Eric, who jumped.

Immediately, he recognized the girl's beauty marks and perfect posture. She was just as surprised to see him.

"Hello again." Her voice was gentle.

"H-Hi."

"Mila, do you know this young gentleman?" Asked the ballet teacher, still looking Eric over sadly, as if he had just lost potential talent.

"Yes. Well, not really." She admitted. "Are you lost?"

The teen nodded. "Yeah, I'm looking for the baseball club. I thought it would be in here."

"You're right to think that," The girl strode past him, quickly greeting the other dancers and putting down her bag. "We're right next to the baseball field, but we never use it."

"Complaints abound about that." The teacher said dramatically, running fingers through his combed hair. "But we needed a space on a second floor and space. Lots of it!"

Mila took off her jacket and skirt, revealing her leotard. She was slender, but visibly athletic beneath the black fabric.

She sat on the floor and began to put on her ballet slippers.

"Walk back downstairs, turn away from the field and keep going. Pass three doors and enter the fourth. The baseball club is in there... Last I checked." Mila giggled.

"Thanks. I'm sorry about walking in on ya'll like this." Eric waved his hand and ducked out the room with his head hanging low.

From outside the door, he could hear some of the girls still laughing about his intrusion. Followed by a sigh that he assumed was from their teacher.

"Sadly, I'm not much of a dancer." Eric thought to himself.

...

Outside, he turned away from the field and carried on. Passing the other entrances, he came to a stop at the fourth.

Inside, he was hoping to find the St. Lauren High Baseball Club. Home of the St. Lauren Bears.

Shaking a little from excitement, Eric entered.

Going through his head on how best to make an introduction.

End of Chapter 10.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

Eric was greeted with a wall as he entered, which turned and opened out into a line of lockers.

Several students were sat conversing in their baseball uniforms. A classic red and white, with gold and black stripes.

He had mixed feelings about the look. While having been initially excited when he first saw it in the pamphlet, red was now a color he associated with something very different.

Praying that that sky would not make an appearance, Eric spoke up.

"Hey guys. I'm looking for Mr. Houser?"

The man himself was sat off to the side as the other boys chatted. He lit up upon seeing the teen, the mole on his brow as prominent as ever.

"About time you came, sleepover hitter!" He stood, walking over and giving Eric a slap on the shoulder. "Also, didn't I tell you that you could just call me Frank?"

The other players stopped talking. Collectively raising their eyebrows, interested in how this kid was somehow on a first name basis with their coach.

"Coach, who's this guy?" A larger student asked, taking off his cap.

"This guy is someone I caught a day or so ago sprawled out in the dugout. He had been hitting balls into the fence 'all night'." Frank Houser laughed, clapping Eric's shoulder again.

The teen played with the collar of his shirt, remembering waking up yesterday morning to Mr. Houser looking down on him. The sun had really illuminated his figure, and mole.

"Well anyway, we're about to head out for some practice. You wanna hit a few, uh-"

Mr. Houser had forgotten to ask what his real name.

"Eric Edwards, sir."

Seemingly a little disappointed that the boy was still calling him sir, Frank let it go and smiled. "Wanna come play with us a bit, Eric?"

"Yes sir!"

His enthusiasm was infectious.

"Then let's get going. Kurt! Get this boy a uniform!"

Being back on the field filled Eric with elation. Even more so now that he was properly dressed.

It was a little tight in places, but the uniform was still easy to move in.

He took a deep breath, gazing out across the green as his future teammates went about their training drills. A silly thought perhaps, but this is where the teen truly believed he belonged.

"Okay Eric, this is Alex." Mr. Houser handed Eric a sleek black batting helmet.

He chuckled. "Not the helmet, obviously. That's Alex over there."

The teen on the pitcher's mound was tall with strong-looking forearms.

"Alex there is gonna throw you a few balls. Think you can hit 'em?"

Eric could not hide his confidence. "Probably, sir."

Frank smiled. "That's what I like to hear!"

Handing the teen his bat and stepping back, he watched from the sidelines as Alex readied himself.

Eric got into position, making sure his helmet was securely on his head and swinging his bat around, getting a feel for its weight.

The other players were absorbed in their practice.

"Alright, let's go!" Mr. Houser clapped his hands.

Digging his heels into the dirt, Eric assumed his stance and waited. Alex looked elsewhere for only a brief moment before shifting forward suddenly.

A ball rocketed out of his hand. The speed was unexpected, but Eric was able to react and managed to hit it.

"This guy can throw!" A fact that only made the teen more excited.

The ball was tossed back to Alex. Eric watched him intently, controlling his breathing.

Seconds later, the ball came again.

It was hit aside with ease.

Their coach was glad to see that the kid could at least hit the ball, but was beginning to worry if they were going to have a lot of work ahead of them to make Eric an actually decent hitter.

"I think I've got a feel for this guy now." The teen thought to himself, grinning.

Getting his ball back, Alex looked away and reared up his leg before pitching.

"After all-"

The ball flew towards Eric, faster than before.

"No one throws faster than my Dad did."

With this thought in mind and with perfect timing, Eric smacked the ball into the air.

Mr. Houser, who had taken his eyes off the two to watch the other players, turned in shock. Managing to catch sight of the white blur as it soared over the fence, disappearing into the distance.

Alex took off his hat, swiping aside his curly fringe.

"Good hit." He declared. "What was your name again?"

"Eric! Could you throw me another? I'm feeling really rusty."

Alex smirked, his competitiveness beginning to wake up. "Sure. Just don't go thinking that you're gonna hit it!"

...

The training continued. Mr. Houser watched as the teen sent ball after ball into the sky. With most of them going over the fence.

It was as if the move to St. Lauren and all the unbelievably crazy things that had happened to Eric since had never happened at all.

He felt at ease.

He swung his bat until his body was drenched in sweat, protesting after every swing. Frank, satisfied with his team, blew his whistle. Signaling the end of day's practice.

The kids left the field and went back to their lockers.

"Welcome to the team, Eric." Mr. Houser said on the way, tapping a fist against the teen's chest.

"Be here same time tomorrow. You're good, but you can be better." Secretly, it took everything for him to not gush over the boy's talent.

Eric nodded enthusiastically, "Yes sir!"

"I told you, just call me Frank- Uh, you know what? It doesn't really matter."

The man just laughed.

Walking alongside the school's sports buildings, passing by three entrances, the team disappeared into the forth. Ready to call it a day.

With the late afternoon sun against the horizon, a bus turned away from the city center.

Eric was about to enter St. Lauren's lower east side.

It was a whole part of town that he had not seen yet. The buildings became less tall, more tightly packed together. Though no less modern than what could be found in the St. Lauren proper.

Further on however, things changed.

The area started looking far older. The increasing shortage of active street lights made everything seem darker. Less safe.

But Eric was too distracted to really notice this fact yet, sat with his backpack open on his lap. His new baseball uniform neatly folded, proudly displaying the team's logo.

He could not wait to show his mother.

Checking his phone again, he double-checked Aleta's directions. Taking his eyes off the bag, the reality of where he was finally set in.

So far he had only been to the 'nice' parts of the city.

Here, there was no such façade.

The teen did not know it yet, but this was the true St. Lauren. A foundation built decades ago, now hidden away in the background and unfortunately forgotten.

Having never experienced being in such a place, Eric wondered straight away what kind of person Aleta was to want to meet here.

Shops were smaller, less showy. There were less pedestrians and cars on the dirty streets. Homeless people sat crumpled in corners, make-shift mats and homes constructed out of cardboard.

It was a sad scene all around.

...

He wanted to stay on the bus, to go back home. However, Aleta's unreturned laundry felt like it was burning a hole in his bag.

There was no going back until it was given back.

Seeing that his stop was coming up, Eric stepped off the bus reluctantly. There was no visible sign that this was even a stop.

The teen then watched the vehicle drive away, a little unsettled to see it leave at such pace.

Taking a breath, Eric started walking.

What was evident as he went along, was that this part of St. Lauren had far less strings compared to where he lived.

It did not make him feel much better, as the sight of some poor homeless person with a string coming out of their head seemed even worse.

Following faded street signs and sticking to Aleta's written instructions on his phone, the teen came to a stop before a high-walled alley that was just wide enough to be classified as a street.

True to its name, it was a road that indeed gave the appearance of being 'rundown'. But what separated it from the rest of the area was that every surface was awash with color.

Graffiti covered everything, from the buildings to the benches. Worn lamp posts to doors. Grimy shop shutters to manhole covers.

It was as if every crack had been packed with artistic expression.

The place felt almost alive.

Eric was so taken in by it all that he did not notice the hooded figure sneaking up behind him. They reached up, pulling at the teen's ear suddenly. Causing him to scream at a higher pitch than usual.

Reeling from the fright, Eric with flushed cheeks whipped his head round to find Aleta laughing.

She threw back her hood, wiping away tears.

"God, your voice! I d-didn't think..." The girl bent over, struggling to speak. "Didn't think it could get that high!"

Eric was a red as a tomato. "W-Well, what do you expect? Scared the heck outta me!"

"Sorry... I just had to! The chance was too good to pass up." Aleta took a minute to catch her breath, smiling to herself afterwards.

The girl adjusted the strap of her duffel bag before throwing her arms wide. "Welcome to the Rundown Road!"

"Good to be here." Eric rubbed his neck.

"So, how about a tour? The abridged version, of course." Aleta said, taking the lead.

"A couple years back, this whole section of the city? It was gonna be demolished. They were gonna tear it all down, make it look like the city center or something."

They passed by a few dirty windows and shuttered doors.

"Well, you can imagine how well that plan turned out."

Aleta played with the strings of her hoodie. "I'm glad this place was left alone... but, well, you probably saw on the way here how things are."

"Y-Yeah. I did." Eric admitted.

The teens carried on in silence, the tour seeming to have come to an end. They were now passing by spots of the Rundown Road that were actually occupied.

A certain shop had a very flashy display of clothing up front. Looking between the window and his companion, Eric put the dots together.

"Is that where you get your jackets?" He smiled.

Noticing Sally's store, Aleta blushed slightly. "That's the place."

The hoodie she wore today was a two tone of blue and grey, separated down the middle. The pattern on one side was made up of circles with interconnecting lines. While on the other, there were large golden coin-like shapes with holes in the middle.

"It seems like a cool shop."

"Wanna go in some time? Maybe we can get you a better outfit than-" Aleta paused, looking appalled.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of your clothes!"

Looking down at his simple jeans and yellow flannel shirt, Eric waved her off with a chuckle.

"It's alright. I already know the way I dress is lame. Never hear the end of it from my sister."

Seeing that Aleta was still bothered by what she had said, he quickly tried to shift the conversation.

"I might just take you up on that offer some time."

With the rate at which he was losing clothing, getting some new ones would be a good idea.

Aleta nodded in response, a little happy.

The Rundown Road wasn't the longest stretch of street in the city, but the teens had no problem strolling up and down it a few times.

Eric would point at graffiti as they went, asking questions like who had made them. Most of the time, Aleta surprisingly knew the answer.

It made the boy chuckle.

"What's so funny?" She asked, embarrassed.

"Nothing. I'm just impressed. I thought the point of tags is that you never really know who made them."

He pointed to an image of a trash can overflowing with flowers. Though more specifically, at the signature attached to it.

"You only ever see the names the artists choose to use, right?"

Scratching her nose, Aleta grinned. "Well when you're a tagger yourself, around here you tend to get to know each other pretty well."

"Like one big art club?" Eric suggested.

"Kinda, yeah."

Reaching the end of the road, they turned around again.

They passed by a nameless restaurant. The smells emanating from within the open door were enticing, but Aleta kept them moving.

As it turned out, the street did not end with a wall or some building when they reached it again.

Instead, it opened to a small park.

It was unfair to compare it to the one they had been in last night. There was only the one tree, overshadowing a small play area that had seen better days.

There was a slide with an unsafe-looking wooden climbing frame. A rusted spinning carousel, and a small swing set with worn rubber seats attached with chains.

Seeming like they would take a rest here, Eric figured now was as good a time as any.

"Aleta. Here, y-you should have these back." The teen reached into his backpack and fished out the girl's laundry bag. He held it out for her, looking away.

She was still quite embarrassed to have left her clothing at his house, so Aleta took it back quickly. "T-Thanks."

"No problem." Eric responded, "My Mom was happy to help."

The two stood there awkwardly, trying to think of ways to break the silence that had been created.

Leaning against the slide of the nearby jungle gym, Eric watched as Aleta sat down on a swing.

She was just small enough to fit in the seat.

After taking a few cautious swings, she felt that she could get a good rhythm going. The swing set squeaked. Chains creaking as her seat moved up and down.

Feeling like he should do something as well, Eric turned to look at the slide.

Immediately, he abandoned the idea. Reckoning that he would fall through it if he tried putting even a little of his weight on it.

...

After a while, it was Aleta who spoke first.

"Hey so, I wanted to say thanks... for last night."

"Oh." Eric scratched his cheek. "Uh, y-yeah."

He wasn't sure what she was gonna say next. He figured that she had remembered what had happened.

"You know, if you hadn't been around back at that park..." Aleta's voice was shaky. "I would probably be dead right now."

The park seemed to grow quieter than it already was.

Eric looked away for a moment. "I'm glad that you didn't."

"I'm really glad I was there to help."

Aleta was not sure what to say next. She stared at the dirt at her feet as Eric approached. Setting his bag down, he took a tentative seat on the swing next to hers.

The swing set itself did not appreciate the added occupant. But it remained stable as the teen continued their conversation.

"Who... Who were those girls yesterday?" Eric asked.

Aleta's expression clouded, a mixture of anger and regret.

"They... They were classmates of mine. Bullies. We didn't exactly get on."

"I saw." Eric thought back to the fight that had broken out before they ended up transforming.

"You gave them a heck of a beating." He joked.

Aleta seemed to appreciate it.

"But they weren't themselves. They s-said things that-" She hesitated. "They were acting differently."

"And then they changed." Eric added with a shiver, remembering how terrifying Cassidy and her friends had looked.

He could still feel the sensation of the nails striking him, the hand with teeth that had nearly ripped his throat out. The feeling of the Knight being pulled into a hole that seemed to have no end.

"What happened to them, Eric? What was that place?" Aleta met his eyes, believing that he had answers.

"I'm not sure." Leaning back, the teen kicked off the ground and started swinging.

"The day my family and I moved here, that was when I first saw it. The red sky."

Somewhere inside of him, for some reason or another, Eric felt that he should not speak of the voices.

"Then the day before yesterday, I was at school and I got attacked. Just like you."

Aleta sat up straight.

"I was alone in the baseball field. Fooling around."

Eric put on a brave face.

"All of a sudden these dogs appeared. Surrounded me. They... weren't normal. I was trapped."

He opened his hand, covering his face with it. "There was a string in my head. Like you, I managed to tear it out. That's when the the big guy appeared."

Aleta thought back to last night. "The huge armored dude with the sword?"

"That's the one. Anyway, with its help we managed to kill those monsters. I passed out afterwards. Next thing I know, I got woken up by my school's baseball couch."

Eric sighed. "I had been wanting to meet him, but not like that."

Reaching for his bag, Eric unzipped it to show off his new uniform. "Worked out in the end, though."

Aleta smiled. "Nice colors."

"Thanks."

Silence returned for a time. Wind rustled the leaves of the lone tree behind them.

"So, you got jumped by a pack of dogs... and I got attacked by my classmates." Aleta tapped her thumbs together.

She was trying to remember more of the fight. It had become a bit of a blur for her.

"You've got some kind of knight at your side, and I've got... an angel in a hoodie?" Aleta shook her head.

"Her guns were cool." Eric said.

The girl's face went dark.

"Right before that last shot was fired..." Aleta began, her throat tightening. "Cassidy had looked right at me."

"She hadn't been a monster in the end."

The air felt colder around them.

"She had been herself."

Eric buttoned up his collar, taking in her words. Aleta's arms fell to her sides, hanging out of the handles of the swing.

"I s-shot a person, Eric." She choked back tears. The hood of her jacket fell over her face.

"You can't blame yourself for what you had to do, Aleta." The teen admitted.

"But-"

"She might have still killed us both. Her friends almost did the same, remember?"

Despite saying this, he was still uncomfortable knowing that he had taken Taylor and Mary's lives. Even if they had been monsters at that time, they had still been human beings at one point.

Using the Knight's ability... Taking their powers, It had not felt right.

Aleta was sobbing now.

"I-I was just acting tough..." She exclaimed, thinking back on her words.

"They attacked him, Cassidy. They tried to kill him first."

Eric cautiously extended his arm, hoping to comfort Aleta in some way.

"I didn't want- I hated them, but I didn't want to kill them!" She cried.

Hand resting on her shoulder, Aleta leaned into Eric's touch. He kept his gaze on the sky above as the girl continued to cry.

After staring at the shifting clouds for a long while, he searched for some way to cheer her up.

"You know," He began, "my family was really surprised when I brought you home."

Aleta sniffed. "You c-carried me all the way there, didn't you?"

"Well, I had some help."

"Sorry about that."

"N-Nothing to apologize for. I wasn't about leave you lying there." Eric blushed. "The sky had still been red, I thought more monsters were gonna come."

Throwing back her hood, Aleta tried not to look at him. Suddenly feeling self-conscious about how puffy her eyes must be.

"The wound on your forehead. I see that it's not there anymore."

"Yeah, totally gone." Aleta traced her fingers on the spot where the gash had been yesterday.

"Weirdly, I was totally fine when I woke up. I was sure that I was gonna have bruises or something."

Eric wondered how this could be. The Angel did not have the ability to absorb the life force of monsters like the Knight did, so she could not have healed herself that way.

How had she done it?

Rundown Road was beginning to look orange under the glow of the setting sun. The teen had promised his mother that he would return home as soon as possible.

Yet there was one last thing he wanted to ask. He prayed that it would not sound crazy.

"Aleta?"

Rubbing her nose, the girl leaned back and swung slightly.

"Yeah?"

Eric hesitated, glancing up as if to make sure he was still seeing them.

"After last night... Have you noticed anything different?"

"Besides monsters, angels and knights?" She joked.

"The strings. Can you see them too?"

There was a pause, Aleta titled her head. Eric expected the girl to look back at him and laugh.

Instead, she answered.

"I do. They're everywhere."

End of Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

"And the weird thing is that no one seems to notice it." Aleta said, the two of them having left the park. Eric gazed about the Rundown Road as they walked.

It was far from being a sea of them, but here and there he could see a string or two.

Somehow they still managed to pass through ceilings, giving the impression that it was the buildings themselves that were strung up.

Though it was definitely the people inside that had them.

Leaving the street behind, the teens carried on through St. Lauren's lower east side. If the area was quiet before, it was dead silent now.

Aleta glanced at Eric a few times. Eventually getting his attention.

"What's wrong?"

The girl patted her head a few times. "The two of us don't have any. No strings."

Eric ruffled his hair, still surprised. "We did rip them out didn't we?"

"I guess..." Aleta put her arms behind her head as she walked. "Still feels a little weird."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Eric trailed off, looking into the distance as the strings became denser. The closer they got to the city proper, the more there were.

It was unsettling.

Weaving through streets, Aleta led the way. She knew where the nearest bus stop was, though how still baffled Eric.

On his trek to find the Rundown Road, there had been so few signs that the teen believed that without Aleta's directions, he would have gotten lost.

Even somewhere as rural as his hometown had proper signage.

Still, he trusted his guide. The girl seemed to know exactly where she was going.

A little while later, Aleta was looking as if she wanted to say something.

"They were really nice." She finally said. "Your family."

Eric thought back to the morning and chuckled. "Yeah. They can be."

"Yesterday was the first time I had ever brought a girl home, so I got teased plenty." He added with a blush.

Aleta smiled. "Kinda wished I could've been conscious and introduced myself properly."

"You did this morning, though, so I wouldn't worry. They liked you." Eric thought of his sister, "W-Well, my Mom definitely did anyway."

"I'm g-glad." Aleta confessed. "You're a lucky guy to have them."

Eric did not understand what she might have meant by that, instead he chose to just grin.

"I guess I am."

...

The two stopped before a bench standing seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Aleta took a seat and patted the section next to her.

"We'll have to wait here. The bus-"

"Will come, right?" Eric asked, nervous as he sat and looked about.

The roads were empty.

Aleta giggled. "It'll be here."

"... Probably."

The teens waited in silence. The sun continued its descent, their surroundings darkening. Eric would occasionally steal a glance at Aleta before looking away. Not knowing that she was doing same.

To his immense relief, a bus rattled and rumbled its way towards them. Stopping with a loud hiss, the automatic doors opened with a squeak.

Paying their fares, the two made for the seats at the back.

A man was passed out in his seat. Drool hung from his bottom lip.

How long had he been sleeping? Eric kind of hoped that he would wake up when his stop eventually came.

The bus lurched and wheezed, rattling to life as it went on its way. Passing through the cramped streets for a time, the vehicle emerged out near the bay of the city.

Eric had not been this close to the sea yet. The surf sloshed against the barriers below.

Noticing him staring, Aleta spoke up. "No beaches this side."

He did not seem to mind, mesmerized by the view nonetheless. Not a single string was in the distance before the vast open blue.

At some point, Eric had drifted off.

He was nudged awake by Aleta a while later, finding that they had stopped in a familiar neighborhood.

The teen was a little sad that the ocean was not closer to his house.

"Time for you to get off, Eric Edwards." Aleta said, bumping him with her elbow.

As he stood and looked at her expectantly, she waved him off. "I'll get off a few stops from here."

"S-So," Eric started, feeling a little embarrassed. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah. Thanks for coming to see me today and... uh, bringing back my clothes."

"Sure, any time."

The two blushed.

"R-R-Right, bye." He muttered, turning round and getting off the bus.

Standing on the street, he waited for the bus to leave. He could just make out Aleta waving from the back window.

He waved back.

Eric went on his way, soon recognizing his local gas station and finding the path home. Aleta meanwhile settled into her seat.

Hand on her duffel bag, she fiddled with its zip and stared ahead.

She watched the strings sway in the heads of the bus driver and the sleeping man.

Her mind went back to last night.

...

She could still hear that final gunshot.

Aleta pulled her hood down, trying to think of anything else as she disappeared into the city.

...

Eric entered his home to find his mother relieved to see him. Safe and not carrying anyone around this time.

She asked how his day had gone and if he had delivered the 'package'. Then she started to ask how Aleta had been and the teen turned shy. This only made Mrs. Edwards more curious. His sister Nicole joined soon joined in.

One dinner later, Eric was glad to be back in his room. He undressed, eyes drawn past his curtains to the outside.

There were more questions now than answers.

What was this other place with a red sky? What were the strings? Why could other people not see them? Where did these monsters come from?

Could all people turn into monsters like those girls had?

He climbed into bed that night, pouring over these thoughts until his eyelids finally shut.

Eric drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

There was a faint light in the distance. It lead to a room that once he had stepped into it, became dark.

Unable to see, instead he felt that there were walls on all sides. Impossibly tall.

Halls and corridors carried the sound of voices. Some near, others distant.

In an instant, they surrounded Eric. Hands grasped for him.

He tried to run.

An exit did not exist.

They caught him. Their touch was warm and gentle. He could tell that they meant him no harm, but the sheer number of them was stifling.

And they all wanted to hold him.

The light returned, this time from above. Eric stared upwards as fingers blotted his vision, pulling at his flesh.

He was suffocating.

...

With a gasp, Eric woke with a start.

Eyes wide, he held himself. Their touch lingered on his body. Tossing aside the covers, he stumbled to the bathroom.

Letting the faucet run, he washed his face and leaned on the sink. Eric looked as if he had seen a ghost, his hair was messy and he was sticky with sweat.

He turned to the small window, expecting to see the red sky. Instead, birds were chirping as the sun rose.

The morning had arrived without issue.

Splashing his face once more, Eric cleaned up and returned to his room.

With a sigh, he sat on the floor near his unpacked boxes. A little afraid to get into bed again.

The day had not started well.

Elsewhere in St. Lauren, Aleta had slept much better than her friend. However, she was having her own problems.

It had only been for a second, perhaps less. But for that fraction of time, Aleta had been there.

She had been under the red sky again.

Pacing round, she decided to try and replicate what had just happened.

Standing perfectly still, she shut her eyes. The girl thought of monsters and strings.

A faint buzzing came to her ears, followed by the feeling of her head being submerged in water.

"Holy shit." Aleta muttered a moment later, now facing a world of gray.

Being here weighed on one's stamina. She began to breathe heavily as she looked about, the ocean of strings on the horizon seemed brighter against the crimson sky.

Flinching, Aleta turned suddenly to find a figure sat on the fire escape nearby.

The Angel was very out of place in this alley. It tilted its featureless face, watching the girl.

Against the wall at its back, it had extended its wings. They lay flat on the cold wall, the graffitied inscriptions in its feathers changed.

The phrases were as vague as ever, yet Aleta could understand that they were trying to greet her.

"Yeah, morning to you too." She replied.

The Angel seemed pleased.

Looking out on the empty street outside the alley, Aleta figured that she would try closing her eyes again.

As she did, she thought of sunshine, colors. Silly things.

One headache later, she was back in a city of noise. Aleta glanced around, trying to see if anyone had seen her return.

The citizens of St. Lauren had not. They went on with their days like normal.

Stepping back into the alley, Aleta shut her eyes once more.

When she opened them again, the Angel now squatting on the ground near her.

"Whoa." Was all she could say.

For some reason, she felt like running.

Her legs felt light.

Aleta was stronger here, faster. She dashed through the alley, a smile on her face.

When the girl turned the corner, she found that she was about to run into a solid wall with no way of slowing down quick enough.

Before that could happen, the Angel was at her side.

Taking hold of her jacket, Aleta was pulled into the ground below. The both of them turning flat, the girl's companion held her close as it opened its wings.

Together, they maintained their speed and scaled the wall like they were flying.

Reaching the lip of the building, the two regained their third dimension and rocketed into the air. It was an indescribable feeling. Climbing higher and higher, She watched the buildings below become hazy.

They soared among the strings, the Angel maneuvered through them with ease.

The oppressive feeling that the red sky naturally produced had no effect on Aleta at that moment. As it was hard to distract anyone from their first time flying in such a way.

She only wished that there were clouds...

"Well, there is one place that I can go!" The Angel followed her thinking and turned sharply, their new destination was St. Lauren's center.

It was easy to look up at skyscrapers from street level. Aleta figured she might as well experience them in a new way.

The Angel's reflection in the building's glass windows passed by at pace as they flew upwards.

Fluttering to a stop at the top, feathers filled the air as Aleta stepped out from the Angel's body onto the ledge of the skyscraper. She turned with a nervous intake of breath, looking below into the city.

It had now only occurred to her just how high up she really was.

And yet, a smile still lit up her face. She threw her arms wide. Feeling like she was on top of the world.

...

While it was true that the night in the park was still weighing heavily on her conscience, at this time she felt like she was released.

Cradling all her problems, Aleta neared the edge. There was no wind under the red sky, so the only swaying she did was from nerves.

Her heart was hammering in her chest. The Angel was watching her intently.

"Maybe-" She started, raising one foot. "Maybe this place ain't so bad!"

Before she could stop herself, Aleta leapt off the building.

Turning as she fell, the girl let her body go limp. Staring upwards, she saw the Angel swoop down after her.

She let out a yell, exclaiming happily as the winged figure caught her.

Together, they dove into the streets below.

Unbeknownst to the girl, a new way of thinking would develop from this moment on.

...

It was one that would not last long.

An entire week passed.

The baseball field at St. Lauren High had been lively than ever. A tournament was on the horizon - one in which the Bears would playing in.

Training time had nearly doubled because of this. If there was one player who relished in the looming competition, it was Eric.

He approached his practice with such enthusiasm, that the excess was beginning to rub off on his teammates. Mr. Houser watched on, thankful to having found such a player.

With each session, Eric's batting had gotten stronger. His balance was getting better, his accuracy had never been higher. Alex and the other pitchers responded in kind, never slowing down.

They were getting trickier with their throws, even faster as well.

Because of how focused he had been on his training, thoughts of a world filled with monsters took a backseat in Eric's mind.

At times, he felt like a normal teenager again. Then, it would all come back to him. The strings serving as a continual reminder that things were no longer normal.

His team, even his coach, everyone still had thin white strands that they could not see stuck to their heads.

When the teen would run with the others around the field, Eric would sometimes see strings in the distance shake violently. Only to then come to a stop. Then with one final squirm, they would disappear.

It was unsettling.

The voices continued to visit him on occasion. Sometimes they would awaken him while he was sleeping, begging him incoherently. Other times they would scare him during the day. Warning of unseen threats and impending doom.

Yet they still refused to answer Eric's questions. Because of this, he would end up ignoring them.

Overall, a general uneasiness continued to grow in him with each passing day.

...

As school ended for the week and Eric was waiting for the bus, his sister seemed to materialize behind him.

"Hey Nicole." He said, surprised to see her. His practice had kept the two of them apart.

Even then, the girl was still keeping to herself.

"How was your day?" He asked.

Nicole kept her eyes elsewhere, coming to a stop beside her brother.

"Fine." She muttered.

"T-That's good, then." Eric forced a smile.

It was hard to not start gushing about how much fun he had been having at practice.

Though judging by the energy his sister was giving off, the teen figured it would be better if he saved that talk for his mother instead.

A loud buzzing came from inside Eric's bag. When he opened it, he found that it was his phone.

He flipped open the screen, finding that he had received a text message.

Hey, Its Aleta. Lsten, can yu com int twn rght now? Wnna hang ot?

He had not heard from the girl for an entire week. Not since the day he had returned her laundry.

Though the memory of her crying on a swing in the Rundown Road had not left his thoughts.

Eric typed up a response, unaware that his sister was watching him do so.

I'm just about to leave school. What's going on?

Btter to tel yu in prson. Cn yu com?

A week spent coming and going without incident, Eric figured his mother would not be as worried anymore.

Alright. Where do you want to meet?

Once again, he got directions from Aleta as the bus arrived. Unlike before, he had a vague idea of where she actually was.

The siblings boarded.

"Was that your girlfriend?" Nicole teased as they sat down.

"S-She ain't my-" Eric shook his head, "Yeah, it was Aleta. She wants to see me."

His sister's eyes went wide as she pursed her lips. "Ohhhh~?"

Cheeks red, Eric did his best to ignore her.

The teen got off at the stop before the bus would turn towards his home. Nicole gave him an awkward pat on the back and said good luck, which made him chuckle.

For some reason, he was uneasy as he joined the crowds on the busy city center sidewalks.

"Something's going on." Eric whispered to himself. Feeling like he should be holding onto his baseball bat.

It had not taken long for him to find Aleta. She was by the fountain that was situated on the center's only patch of green.

Throwing back her hood, she met him with a broad smile.

"Hey, what's up?" Aleta seemed different. She was more cheerful, but in a way that made Eric feel that something was not quite right.

"Hello. Good to see you. What's wrong?" He replied.

"That."

Following her outstretched finger, Eric noticed that among the jumble of strings around them, there were a few thrashing closely together in the distance.

It was just like the time in the park before Aleta was attacked. Or those he had seen during the week.

Eric felt a pit in his stomach.

"C'mon! We gotta go help!"

"Help-" Before he could finish, Aleta was already jogging ahead. He ran to catch up.

"Someone's in trouble." She said. "I haven't seen that many together before."

Eric got the feeling that this was not the first time she was seeing the strings like this. "What have you been up to this past week, Aleta?"

She looked at him with a smirk. "Saving people from monsters. With the Angel's help!"

"So, you've been back to that place with the red sky?"

"Oh yeah, lots of times now."

Crossing the street, Eric noticed that Aleta was looking rather dirty. Had she been showering? Changing her clothes?

He was hesitant to ask. Either way, something was definitely different about her.

"Haven't you been back, too?" Aleta looked expectantly at her friend.

"No." Eric admitted. "I've been busy-"

"It's super easy!" She stated proudly, speaking over him.

Pushing through the crowds, their eyes tracking the wriggling strings. The two eventually came to a stop before a fenced-off alley.

"Shit." Aleta seemed annoyed.

Eric rubbed his neck as he took in the height of the fence. "Damn. It's no good going this way. Any ideas-"

He turned to find that the girl had vanished.

The teen was startled. He looked about in a panic, wondering if she had been tripped up by the crowd.

"She had been here a second ago..." Eric thought.

...

"You coming or what?"

Aleta was suddenly on the other side of the tall chain-link fence.

"What-"

"Come on, just slip into the other place and jump over this thing." She gave the metal a light smack.

Eric stared at her, not knowing what she had meant.

"You really haven't gone back, have you?" The girl rolled her eyes, clearly disappointed. "Okay, just close your eyes and think about the red sky. Focus on it."

"But what about the people...?"

"They won't notice. Trust me, I've come back right in front of them and they never care. Now come on!"

Still hesitating, Eric was getting nervous.

"How did you even come to help me that night in the park?" She questioned him.

"I don't really know. That just sorta happened."

Tapping her foot, Aleta sighed and repeated her instructions. "Okay, look. You just close your eyes."

Eric did so.

"Now imagine the red sky. Think about things you remember from there. The gray, the monsters, stuff like that."

It was easy to picture that bloody sky. Since the day he had moved to St. Lauren, nothing had left a bigger impression on him.

As he thought of it, there was a throbbing in his head. A buzzing came to his ears.

When he opened his eyes, his surroundings were empty.

Everything but the sky above was colorless, devoid of life and without electricity.

He was back. It had worked.

Aleta was nowhere to be seen. Eric assumed she was still standing on the other side of the fence, back where the sky was still blue.

To his surprise, he was able to easily leap up and land in the alley.

He closed his eyes again, reappearing right in front of Aleta. So close he was that she yelped and took a few step back in fright.

"T-There, you got it." She hid her blush. "Let's go!"

Together they ran. Following after the flailing strings in the distance.

End of Chapter 12

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

A week ago, Aleta's frequent trips into the world with the red sky would introduce her to a horrifying truth. That the monsters that Cassidy and her friends had become that night in the park was not an isolated incident.

There were in fact more. Many more.

It did not take long for her to become curious of the strings that would shake. At first she had ignored them, but as they kept appearing the girl decided one day to investigate.

Soaring through the city with the crimson expanse above them, the Angel was nearing a pair of strings whose thrashing was particularly violent.

The largest shopping district of St. Lauren started in its center. From there it split off in two directions, meeting up again in the north. Every section of these paths was stuffed full of shops.

Clothing stores with the latest trends, large noisy arcades, fine dining and fast food, and just about everything else in between. In any other situation, they would be packed full of people day and night. Twenty four hours a day.

Yet here, they were abandoned. Desolate.

Aleta had found the lack of electricity in this place strange before. But to see such a lively part of the city quiet like this was truly unsettling.

...

She had found the shaking strings and their owners.

It was a young couple that looked to be in their twenties. They were walking hand in hand, licking up ice creams with smiles on their faces. They appeared hazy, as if they were some kind of projection from another world.

At their backs unseen, was the shambling shape of something foul.

Perching on a unpowered billboard, the Angel drew its golden guns. The lovebirds were becoming clearer. The monster was getting closer.

"Hey ugly!" Aleta shouted from inside the Angel, hoping to grab the beast's attention.

To her relief, it spun round. Though now getting a better look at it, she wished it had not.

It was dressed like a young boy, with a flowy t-shirt and shorts. On all fours, it was stretched out unnaturally, with its facial features being pulled down so severely that its eyes were barely visible.

Gnashing the air with its teeth, it spotted the Angel and let out a wail.

To her surprise, it leapt with such speed that Aleta barely had time to dodge away.

As they fell, she fired at the creature.

The bullets found their marks, with the monster falling from the wall with a moan.

Rolling and standing back up, the Angel wasted no time unloading its clips.

The elongated boy was quickly turned into a fleshy mess, screaming as it was riddled with holes.

Eventually it went silent as the Angel's guns smoked. With a swish, empty clips bounced off the tiled floor as the golden pistols were reloaded.

Aleta was not sure how much ammo the Angel actually carried. Though with how each clip seemed to appear out of nowhere from its tight body suit, she figured that it might be an infinite supply.

The monster had began to fizzle, turning to ash.

It stared between the girl and the couple, holding up its mangled hand.

"M-M-Mommy... D-D-Da-" It gurgled, voice dying in its throat.

Stepping out of the Angel, Aleta looked back at the couple. They were carrying on as if nothing had happened. Their image fading away.

The girl had not heard the beast's final words. Instead she watched it disappear with a sigh.

"That was close." She muttered.

...

"So it wasn't just me, or Eric. These monsters, they live here." Aleta deduced as she walked among the lifeless shops. "And they can somehow attack people from our world..."

The Angel strut alongside her, spinning the guns in its palms.

"In that case." Aleta grinned, turning to her companion. "I guess we've got to be the heroes."

Flapping its wings, it responded with the vague phrases in its feathers.

It seemed to agree.

"Right then. Take me up! Let's see if there's anyone else in danger."

Together, they shot up into the sky. Surveying the strings of the city.

...

This is how it had begun. How Aleta had made herself a hero. In the days that followed, her and the Angel would be there to save anyone that would be pulled into this red and gray world.

To her credit, she did very well. With most of who she saved being completely unaware that their lives had been threatened.

Aleta had convinced herself that she and her companion were unstoppable.

However, she would soon learn that no matter what she did... It would not be possible to save everyone.

"There, it's not far now!" His friend shouted, running ahead.

Looking up, Eric tried to find the strings. He could not see them anymore.

Despite how frantic they had been a moment ago.

"It's too late." Said a voice that came to the teen's ear.

Eric began to feel sad, even guilty. Aleta's pace had increased, she looked panicked.

With effort, he managed to control his emotions as they rounded the next corner.

The sight that greeted them froze the two in place. Absolute disgust and terror gripping them like a vice.

At the end of a long alley, just outside the front stairwell that lead into an apartment complex, a large hulking creature was crouched down. It was surrounded by several bodies.

Its immense, heaving frame seemed to undulate. Looking more like a stack of pancakes than a human figure. With its small hands, it was slowly pulling apart one of the corpses.

Loudly, it ate an arm. The sound of flesh and bone being ground up and consumed was horrifyingly grating to the teen's ears.

It had not noticed Aleta and Eric's presence yet. Preoccupied as it was with its feast.

Slowly setting down his backpack, Eric took out his baseball bat and glanced at his side.

"D-Do you have something... that you can fight with?" He asked, whispering and still trying to regain his composure.

"Yeah. I do." Aleta responded, just managing to swallow her fear.

In an instant, the Angel appeared at her back. It drew its gold guns and took aim.

Aleta was shaking, hands balled into fists. She was fighting back tears.

"HEY!" She finally screamed.

The monster perked up, slowly standing and turning. It had a wide mouth, from which bloody fingers hung.

With a slurp, the digits disappeared.

It was unlike Cassidy and her friends had looked - no longer human at all. Just a gigantic walking bundle of flesh.

There were remnants of what was once clothing on it. A tattered suit jacket and white collared shirt. On its small stunted legs, a single loafer had been spilt open by its nasty toes.

"Eat this, asshole!" Aleta shouted.

The sound of gunfire pounded against Eric's eardrums as a hail of bullets struck the creature.

As the shell casings fell to the ground, Aleta quickly scooped them up. Then from the front pocket of her hoodie, she took out a slingshot. Aleta strung a casing and pulled back on the sling hard.

One after another, she let them fly.

They did almost as much damage as the actual bullets had done. Riddling the monster full of lead and their discarded jackets.

Eric was shocked as he watched the beast flop over and collapse.

"Holy- How did you do that?"

"I'm still surprised myself." Aleta admitted, "I just randomly thought of the idea the other day. I didn't like the thought of getting a gun, and girlie here was not willing to share."

The Angel held its guns close, as if still expecting the teen to take them from it.

"So I thought about the next best thing. Which I figured would be a slingshot! I decided to keep it when I left a huge ass dent in a wall." Aleta seemed pleased with herself, though her face was still angry.

"Is it dead?"

Eric cautiously took a step forward. "Not sure. Wanna check?"

Aleta made a gesture as if to say 'be my guest'.

The body seemed to shake ever so slightly, but it otherwise lay quite still. Eric was about to poke it with his bat to confirm if it was dead, when the creature suddenly jumped up.

A gnarled punch connected, with the teen barely managing to block the hit with his weapon.

The Knight appeared from out of nowhere in that moment, acting as a net to catch Eric. Despite this, they were both launched high into the air by the force.

His arms throbbed painfully. The bat had blocked the worst of the blow, but it had also collided with his chest. Knocking the breath right out of him.

Time felt slower as the teen fell.

Unable to correct their trajectory, Eric and the Knight crashed into a fleet of dumpsters at the far side of the alley.

Aleta and the Angel stepped in, firing on the monster once more. Who was not about to be an easy target again.

It contorted its bizarre body, twisting itself tight so that its skin became harder to penetrate. Bullets bounced off its flesh. The creature charged forward with killing intent.

Anticipating this, the Angel merged with Aleta and the two slipped into the floor. Leaving the beast to stare at their flat image in confusion.

It slammed the concrete in the hopes that they would pop out or get hurt.

Pulling itself upright, the Knight let out a heavy breath. In one fluid motion, it removed itself from the crumpled metal and cracked the ground with its cleated boots.

Even under the red sky, the trash still stunk.

Put off by the smell and determined to help Aleta, despite how well she was handling herself, Eric leapt from the Knight's body and rushed towards the monster.

Bat at the ready, he managed to get close as the creature was still focused on his friend's flattened state.

As if hitting a home run, Eric assumed a stance and swung his bat with such power that the impact nearly tore the beast's leg clean off.

Naturally, the horrid monster lost its balance. Though it was still able to flail in the teen's direction by standing on one stumpy leg.

Eric barely ducked the large fleshy arm that flew over his head. The Knight had charged in to help his companion.

It was met with a heavy fist, which no longer caught it by surprise. Slipping the punch, the creature received a hefty cleave from the armored soldier's claymore.

Even with its toughed skin, it could not stop the blade.

The attack cut a clean line right through its arm, with the sword being dragged the rest of the way along its body until a deep gash forced its mouth open.

Many teeth were bent out of alignment. Its jaw was severed. The monster let out a pathetic moan.

From below, the golden pistols gleamed out of the floor. Like streaks of light, the bullets pierced the roof of the beast's mouth.

Eyes widening in shock, the creature reeled back.

Aleta wondered if it even had any brains to get shot up.

The Knight winded up another strike, this time raising its sword high. Eric could feel the strain of the action, the rage it carried.

He grit his teeth as the claymore was brought down in a chopping motion, slicing right through what the teens figured was the monster's skull.

Blood spewed like a fountain from the strike. Aleta pushed herself from the Angel as they left the floor and distanced themselves from the mess.

Eric was splattered from head to toe. He didn't seem to register it as he stared at the beast.

The Knight could not pull its weapon back out. Something was keeping it stuck in place.

Spinning wildly in its sockets, the monster's eyes soon refocused and locked in on its enemies.

Its skin started to bubble.

Letting go of the blade, the Knight listened to the metal bend and buckle under some unknown pressure the creature was producing inside its body.

Raising one of its heavy arms, the beast's appendage began to compress and fizz.

Eric watched in scared amazement as its fist receded into its arm.

Before realizing that he had to dodge, the hand flew out like it was spring-loaded, hitting the teen like a cannon ball.

"ERIC!" Aleta screamed in horror as she watched her friend disappear through a building.

The Knight spat blood through its helmet, crashing into the same building and falling over.

Sword still stuck in its head, the monster turned its other arm towards Aleta and shuffled over. The Angel was able to take her under just as it threw another destructive compressed punch.

It had missed her by an inch. Shattering the concrete where she had been standing.

Amidst the damage, the Angel's image moved away. The creature stood over it and winded up another attack.

Even with the added force, Aleta and her winged guardian were unharmed. Though she was no less shaken when the punch split the ground.

She had no time to wonder if her friend was even okay.

For the sakes of those bodies, she had to keep fighting...

...

Having been blasted through three buildings, Eric lay unconscious in a heap.

Voices pleaded unheard for him to get up.

Within the darkness of his mind, a single voice cut through the others.

It sounded strangely kind, almost sickeningly so.

And though its speech was unintelligible, it had an immediate effect on the teen.

Eric shot up with a gasp. His body convulsing like he was having a seizure. In the space of a second, his injury was miraculously healed. His destroyed ribcage reformed, his punctured organs were cleared of bone fragments and the cuts closed shut.

He had no way of seeing it, but during that healing process, the whites of Eric's eyes had been totally black.

The voice vanished, leaving the teen lying in the rubble reaching for his chest.

"The damage... It's gone?" He thought.

Unlike the healing that the absorption ability of the Knight provided, Eric felt far from unhurt. He was a little groggy, his limbs were hard to move.

The sound of gunshots brought him back to the present.

Aleta was still fighting.

Whatever had happened, it would have to wait.

He had to get back.

Eric stood unsteadily, shoes shifting in the debris. He stared through the hole he had been sent through, just managing to catch the gleam of the Knight's sword still embedded in the monster's head.

The teen forced himself to move, working his way back through the damage until he was standing in the alley again.

To his right, the Knight was standing tall. Blood dripped from its helmet, but it appeared unfazed.

The two merged together and rejoined the fight.

Distracted by the Angel's evasiveness, the creature did not see Eric coming.

Taking hold of the hilt of its damaged claymore, the Knight raised its foot and kicked at the exposed blade.

To his relief, it shattered.

Far shorter than it was originally, the Knight had still gotten its sword back. Holding it close, it looked for an opportunity to strike.

Aware of his presence once again, the monster turned to punch the teen.

Before the compacted blow could hit, a few choice shots from Aleta threw the attack off. Making it explode into the ground. Seizing the chance, the Knight jabbed its shortened sword into the beast's eye while reaching for its arm.

A mouth appeared along its gauntlet as it took hold of the limb, biting down into the flesh.

It was enough to breach its defenses. Threads soon burst out from the wound, making the monster scream.

Eric felt his muscles bulge as the absorption process started. He was healed further as the horrendous form of the creature began to deflate and shrivel before him.

Its once hulking mushy frame sunk inwards, becoming spindly and gaunt.

Though far from turning to ash, the beast's side began to swell in size.

A strange boil forming out of nowhere.

...

Before the teens could even fathom what it was, the growth blew open.

A humanoid figure appeared in a shower of blood.

Dripping red and mad-eyed, the naked man glared at Eric. An overwhelming sensation then forced the teen to the floor.

"You... You stupid kids!" The man spun round, eyeing Aleta.

The girl had been standing to the side, having left her flattened state. Before she could even react, Aleta was thrown to the ground by some incredible force.

"Who do you think I am, huh?!" His speech was demented, slurred as if he had been drinking.

Wiping at his face, he was revealed to be a rather unkempt man. Howling as if doing so would release his stress, the man sneered at the teens.

Standing over them, his hatred could be felt as the sensation pressing down on Eric and Aleta increased.

The girl screamed as her knees were forced ever downwards. Her whole body was being pressed flat by some unknown force.

And though he tried to keep his head up, the pressure was so extreme that Eric remained unmoving.

It was like he was fighting against gravity itself.

"See?!" The man declared, taking a particular interest in Aleta. "That's what you get, bitch! Messing with me..."

He trailed off, stumbling like he was heavily intoxicated.

Blood dripped off the string in his head, which seemed to be bulging ever so slightly.

"Do you even know who I am?!"

Managing to tilt his head to the side as their enemy ranted on, Eric noticed a thin tendril attached to his shoulder.

It was nearly completely translucent.

Though he could not feel its touch, he was sure that it was the thing that was keeping him down.

Following it with his eyes, the tentacle lead all the way to the man's back. There was a odd creature stuck to him.

It was gelatinous, with several swirly eyes.

"What can you even do!" The mad-eyed man laughed, "Oh man... I'm g-gonna do it! I'm gonna crush you. Right here, right now!"

A mass of tentacles appeared from his back, blanketing the teens.

The force increased even further.

Eric tried to shout, but his mouth would not open. His teeth started to creak, threatening to break. His entire body was on fire.

Aleta's eye balls sagged out of their sockets, touching the concrete. Her vision blurred as they were squished. Even with her skeleton being crushed, she kept a firm grip on the slingshot in her hand.

"Acting all big! So what if those assholes let me go! So what if those idiots over there got eaten? They got what was coming to them anyway!"

The man was overjoyed, crying.

"Now that I'm out... I'm gonna make them all pay!"

The teen's companions were also covered in tendrils. Amplifying the effect.

Eric could feel the Knight's pain.

"Do it... Do it now! Please!" Eric thought, begging with the entity.

A slight raise of its flattening hand, a hole formed beneath the Knight. The sudden drop detached the tentacles, removing the crushing force from the entity.

This momentary change created a lull in the pressure on Eric. Which allowed the teen to get to his feet.

Fighting through the agony, he tried to keep his hands steady as he ran.

He could not miss this swing.

The man's attention was torn between the Knight's sudden disappearance and Eric's advance. He did not know what to focus on, causing the tendrils on his back to lash about hopelessly.

They were difficult to dodge, being as thin as they were.

Yet Eric did. He put all his strength into his bat and swung for the man's legs. With the shake in his hold, he missed them and instead struck the man's waist.

With a shriek, the drunken man collapsed to the ground. Sounding like the hit had shattered his hip.

Though as he fell, the swarm of tendrils flailed in the teen's direction.

Eric was soon covered head to toe in them.

It was hard to describe the feeling of being hit with such a concentrated dose of the force. All the teen could think about was that if he did not do something, his feet were going to meet his ears and his body would explode.

Expressing both pain and pleasure, the man watched Eric's eyes go dark.

Unknowingly, he had placed all the tentacles on the boy, removing them from Aleta entirely.

The girl propped herself on her knees and took aim. A shell casing was luckily still inside the pocket of her hoodie.

Using her slingshot and taking a breath, she let the projectile fly.

Praying that it would hit.

End of Chapter 13

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

The attack had been instantly fatal. The shell casing pierced the back of the man's head in the blink of an eye.

Pushing through his brain matter effortlessly, it exited through his forehead. Blood dribbled from the hole it left as the projectile kept its velocity, dropping off entirely as it hit the force that was still pressing down on Eric.

The weird creature on the man's back went limp, its many eyes glazing over. It fell with a loud squelch as the teen was freed from the pressure.

He stared into the bloodied man's dead gaze, instinctively pushing him away.

The corpse collapsed.

Nearby, the Knight reemerged from its hole. With the fight over, it turned to a fine red mist. Flowing back into Eric, bones and all.

Aleta cautiously sat up, her whole body ached. The reality of what she had just done creeping up on her.

She had killed another person.

Turning, she shrieked in horror. Dropping her slingshot and hiding her face in her hands.

Eric too noticed the pile of half-eaten corpses at the foot of the apartment building. The adrenaline that was coursing through him earlier was replaced with nausea.

Though in comparison to his friend, he was holding up rather well.

Aleta's arms dropped to her sides, staring wide-eyed at the cruel reality before them.

Her hero façade was falling apart.

"W-W-What..." She began, tears running down her cheeks.

The alley felt empty. Aleta's voice echoed into the red sky above.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?" She yelled, grabbing at her hair and falling to the concrete.

Staggering over to her, Eric tried to think of anything he could say to calm Aleta down. The gruesome sight made his mind fuzzy.

He tried to comfort her like had done in the park a week ago. Though when his hand neared her shoulder, the girl threw her hands out. Trying to swipe him away.

"Aleta..." Eric whispered.

She cried loudly, despair and anger tinged her voice.

"Seriously... What is even going on? Why are people turning into monsters? Why are they k-killing-"

Eric could no longer look at the bodies.

...

Behind the teens, a single string was descending. It was lowered down as if it was the line of a fishing rod.

Yet it was alive.

It inspected the disappearing corpse of the man. Prodding at him tentatively. Then like a serpent, it plunged itself into the back of his head with a barely audible squish.

Going taut like a rope for a moment, it lifted the body up effortlessly. Carrying it away into the sky. When Eric turned, he figured that the man's body had burned down into ash.

Not knowing that something had just taken it away.

Minutes went by. Though it soon felt like they had been standing in the alley for hours.

Aleta's crying continued. Eric remained silent.

"Why...?" The girl asked him after her sobbing ceased.

"I-" Eric was trying to seem brave. "I don't know. I don't know why any of this is happening."

She reached for him, grabbing his pant leg. On instinct, he took hold of her hand.

For a while they stayed like that. Aleta eventually let go and interlocked her fingers with his. With a firm grip, Eric tried to get her to stand.

It was hard to do at first, as his friend made no effort to cooperate. Still, to his surprise, he managed to lift her up. Her shoes scrambled for balance as she reluctantly stood.

Wiping her face with the sleeves of her hoodie, Aleta sniffed and glanced at the bodies.

"H-Hey. What are we gonna do about... them?"

Eric thought on it for a time. Eventually, he stood back and closed his eyes. A dull pain ringing in his head, the teen left the world with the red sky.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes again. Expecting to still see the disfigured bodies.

Yet there was nothing there under the blue sky. The alley was untouched by the blood and violence on the other side.

He tapped his foot where they had been, expecting to pull back in fright as if they would appear.

But there really was nothing there.

Shutting his eyelids again, he returned to Aleta. She was standing off to the side, the hood of her jacket pulled low.

"They're not there." Eric announced sadly.

Aleta nodded as if she had been expecting that answer.

"I figured as much. S-Stuff here doesn't cross over unless you bring it with you."

She seemed to be contemplating an idea. Though it only made her choke back tears.

Catching on to her thinking, Eric rubbed his neck. "Then I don't think we can do anything for them."

"Well, that's not entirely true." Aleta let out a shaky sigh. "We could still b-bury them."

"Here? In this place?"

"God no." the girl responded, "Somewhere nicer, obviously. Somewhere peaceful."

Looking up at the crimson sky, Eric wondered if such a place even existed in this world.

Aleta thought for a time, steeling herself for what was to come.

"... I know where we can take them."

With the help of their companions, the teens transported the bodies across the city.

Aleta had raided a fabric store and stolen some long sheets to cover them.

The Knight had a bundle under each arm, while the Angel was holding onto one big makeshift bag as it flew.

St. Lauren proper faded into the distance, the skyline lacked light. Appearing more like dark monoliths in a haze.

"It's not far now." Said the girl from inside her Angel.

The corpses were frighteningly light, so it was not a struggle to carry them.

Eric was just glad to be out of that alley.

...

They had arrived before a colorless sea. Its grey and white waves oddly calm along its rippling surface.

Landing on the sand and laying the bundle down gently, Aleta stepped out and took a deep breath.

The ocean smelled tainted.

Eric left the Knight. This was his first time on a beach.

... If only the circumstances could have been better, he thought.

"I figured-" Aleta paused, trying her best to not cry again. "I thought that maybe they'd like to have a view."

"I'm sure they're glad to be here." Eric offered, trying to sound upbeat.

Walking along, Aleta stopped and patted the sand.

"Here should be good."

Eric had the Knight bring the bundles over. He halted as he noticed his friend's hesitation.

"You don't think we could, you know, bury them normally?"

"Without these guy's help, how long would that take? What if we're found out? How busy is the road behind us?" Eric said, shaking his head. "Pretty sure the cops would not take kindly to finding us like this as well."

"Human remains are worse than graffiti." He added, the joke leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

Aleta looked downcast, agreeing with him. But no less upset.

A voice or two came to Eric's ears. Warning him.

"I should have gone looking for shovels while we were in town." The teen sighed, trying to make out what was being spoken to him.

"It's dangerous to spend more time here. What if more monsters come? We're not exactly in fighting shape."

Aleta felt heavy. "Fine, let's do it here."

Eric joined her. "Sorry-"

"No, it's alright. Let's just... Let's get digging."

...

The Knight was surprisingly proficient at doing so. it did not take too long for it to make a decently-sized pit. Together, the teens slowly laid the bodies into the sand.

They stood on the perimeter, unsure of what to do next.

Aleta clasped her hands in prayer. Eric quickly did the same.

The Knight lowered its gaze while the Angel mirrored its user. Its wings spoke words of lamentation.

"Rest in peace." The girl said finally.

Covering the grave with sand, the two made sure that the spot was as similar looking to how it had been before as possible.

They stepped back and took a moment to stare out at the sea.

"Let's go." Aleta eventually said.

Eric nodded.

The incident had shaken the two teenagers to their cores. Each step seemed to hurt, fatigue written clearly on both their faces.

Whatever that man's ability had been, it had very nearly destroyed them. The damage was deep in more ways than one.

Eric was thankful that there was no practice planned for over the weekend.

Coming to a stop against a street sign, Aleta took a moment.

"Guess we should probably go back now." She turned, her face suddenly got darker.

As there was no color in this world other than red and gray, it was hard to tell that she was actually blushing.

"U-Uh... Eric?"

"Hm?" The teen responded, tilting his neck.

"Your shirt... It's, uh-"

Sure enough, there was a massive tear exposing his midsection.

"O-Oh." He said shyly, covering it with his arm.

"There goes another shirt..." Eric thought with a sigh.

"Let's get off the streets then. I know a way back that's all backroads and alleys-" Aleta stopped herself, clicking her tongue.

"Shit." An alley was the last place she wanted to return to.

Eric wanted to bring up how on two separate occasions, he had been in damaged clothing around other people. Both times though, they seemed to have not minded all that much. Often turning their attention elsewhere.

Still, he did not much like the idea of walking in the crowds with his stomach exposed.

Noticing his discomfort, Aleta decided that they would have to do it. Especially since the place she wanted to stop by was tucked away anyway.

"This way." She motioned towards the alley on the opposite side of the road.

As they crossed, Aleta disappeared from sight. Eric followed after her.

Back under the setting sky, they weaved through all the shortcuts the girl knew.

Eric could not help but be impressed by her knowledge of the city's layout.

...

A while later, they came to a stop before an empty building. Clearly older than the others around it and very much abandoned.

"Wait here." Aleta said, climbing in through a broken window.

Confused and unnerved, Eric waited nevertheless.

The girl's footsteps echoed within the structure. Her rummaging around so loud that the teen worried someone would hear her.

Aleta soon returned with her trusty duffel bag.

"Was keeping my stuff here." Is all she said in response to his gaze.

"Oh, okay then." Eric said, still a bit unsettled.

Approaching a crate nearby, she unzipped her bag and searched for something. Her numerous spray cans rattling about.

With a grin, she pulled out a large dark brown shirt. It had the faded logo of a band Eric had never heard of on it.

"Here, wear this. It was my Dad's. It should fit you."

"Wha- no, I don't think I should-"

"Just take it. You can't go home looking like t-that!" Aleta insisted, growing impatient and very much wanting to not be drawn to his abdominal muscles.

Eric wanted to complain, to bring up how he had carried her all the way home with a shirt in a far worse state.

But the teen conceded. "You're right. T-Thanks."

His friend turned and averted her eyes as Eric quickly slipped on the shirt. It was only one size bigger, though it did feel a little scratchy.

Aleta chuckled at the sight. "You look good."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah." Her voice was tiny.

The two stood together. Unsure of what to say next.

All around them, the city churned with activity. People were coming out for the evening that was approaching, ready to party the week's sorrows away.

"I guess... I'm g-gonna go now." Aleta mumbled, rubbing her shoulder.

"Yeah, I should too." Eric was absentmindedly scratching himself.

The shirt was really itchy.

"Want to take the bus together?"

"Oh, not today." Aleta pulled up her hood. "I'm going another way."

"Right." Eric gave her a small wave, forcing a smile. "Say hi to your parents for me. Tell your Dad I'm sorry for taking his shirt, I'll get it washed and give it back as soon as I see you again."

Aleta's expression was unreadable. She stared at the boy.

"S-Sure, yeah. He won't mind. He gave it to me as a present anyway. But thanks."

The two said their goodbyes and separated. Eric waited until Aleta had disappeared behind a corner before setting off.

Soon realizing that he had no idea where he even was.

...

Having used the sounds of the city as a guide, the teen managed to leave the network of backstreets and rejoin the crowds. Unsure of where to go next, he let the mass of humanity carry him along.

To his relief, a properly signed bus stop emerged.

Boarding and fumbling to pay his fare, he sat down for what would be a lengthy ride. It would take him home, but not before going the long way round.

Eric kept his head down, peering into his bag. His bat resting within.

Now that the teens were alone, each began to be tormented by the events that had transpired.

The pain that radiated his entire body finally wore on him. Eric leaned against a window of the bus and grimaced, wincing ever so slightly.

Aleta's journey meanwhile was slow one.

She did not get far before deciding to just crash somewhere nearby. She thought of her parents as she searched for somewhere derelict to stay. A little saddened to think that Eric had wanted her to thank them.

He did not know the truth.

Nor was she going to tell him that she was actually homeless. The illusion that her situation was 'normal' was much too enticing to change.

The girl stumbled into an abandoned building as Eric was finally dropped off near his home.

He gazed up at the starry sky as he walked. Fearing that it would turn red and that another monster would be waiting for him.

Yet Eric made it to his front door without issue. He unlocked it and stepped inside, announcing his arrival.

Nicole was the first to greet him. Her attention was immediately drawn to his new shirt.

Feeling self-conscious, Eric pushed past her and headed for the stairs. Not wanting his mother to see him.

His sister was bug-eyed, staring as he climbed. She grinned deviously.

"Was that your brother?" Mrs. Edwards asked, appearing from the kitchen in her apron.

"Yeah, he's just getting changed I think." She said, holding back her laughter.

"Well, dinner will be ready soon." Her mother patted her hands on her sides, returning to the boiling pot on the stove.

That evening, Eric did everything he could to veer the conversation away from the borrowed shirt.

Nicole had not made it easy.

Shutting his bedroom door with a sigh, Eric got ready for bed. He was out like a light as soon as his head touched the pillow.

...

Somewhere in the city, Aleta was inside her sleeping bag. Tucked away into the far corner of a large ruined room.

The lights outside streamed into the space through cracks in the walls.

For the first time in a while, the girl went to sleep afraid.

The following morning, Eric came downstairs to find his mother and sister having breakfast.

Nicole was munching away like she always did, while Mrs. Edwards was chatting excitedly on the phone.

Yawning, the teen fancied some cereal today. Seeing that his sister had not kept the box out, he checked the cabinets.

It was not easy to hide the pain he still felt from yesterday's fight.

The rest had done him good, but the aches were still present.

More than anything, Eric was just glad to be alive. Though the guilt that only Aleta and himself had managed to survive still stung.

Getting milk from the fridge, he was surprised to hear his mother laugh. It had been a long time since she had sounded that happy.

Whoever she was speaking with, it was clearly a delight.

Friends from work? He wondered.

Maybe. They had all known each other since before the move, so it was not unlikely.

Yet there was something about the way her face was lit up that made him think it was something more special.

Intimate even.

He looked to his sister for answers. Nicole stared back at him as if it was obvious.

Suddenly the idea that his mother had perhaps found a new partner here in St. Lauren crossed his mind.

It was a little unpleasant to think about.

Dishing up, he carried his bowl to the table and sat down. Mrs. Edwards' conversation continued, she spoke about everything and nothing all at once.

"So, when do you think you'll be coming down?" She asked seriously, clearly a little anxious to hear a response.

The muffled voice on the line spoke. His mother's smile got even wider.

"That's wonderful, dear! We can't wait to see you."

"'Dear'?" Eric thought. Maybe it was a new partner.

But it was too soon. It had only been a year.

Mrs. Edwards laughed along with the voice before noticing her son. She nodded and said her goodbyes.

To his surprise, she handed the boy the phone.

"Here, honey. Say hello to your father." His mother beamed.

...

Eric dropped his spoon in response. It clattered into his bowl, splashing milk.

It was as if all the air in the room had been sucked out.

He took the handset from his mother and hesitated.

His father...? It was impossible.

The man had been missing. They had not heard from him in months. Yet now here he was talking to his wife like nothing had happened.

Mrs. Edwards returned to her breakfast as Nicole finished hers. The teen held the phone to his ear, sweating.

...

Nothing.

At first he wondered if the call had been cut off. However, it was still on.

There was just no one on the other end.

Eric stared at his family as if this was some kind of prank. They carried on as if everything was perfectly fine.

He had probably held the handset to his ear for a minute before his mother perked up as if she could hear someone speaking on the line.

"Say goodbye to your father, Eric." Mrs. Edwards urged.

The boy was in shock. He mumbled a faint goodbye to no one, and handed the phone back.

He was shaking.

"So when's he coming down?" Nicole asked, turning to her mother.

"Next week, he reckons. Still getting things wrapped up back home. You know how that man doesn't like loose ends."

The ladies of the house shared a knowing look before leaving the table.

Eric was hyperventilating, unable to process what had just taken place.

He stood, slamming the table which got their attention.

"Mom." He started, voice rising. "Dad is missing. He's been missing for a year..."

"We don't know where he is!"

He looked to his sister, pleading with his eyes for them to come to their senses. "Nicole. We have not heard from Dad in months! W-We-"

"He's not coming! He's gone!" It was painful to admit, but Eric could not deny the fact.

Yet the women gave him only blank expressions, as if they were frozen in time.

Only for them to spring to life a moment later and carry on as if nothing had happened.

"I best get cleaning. Don't want my husband to come home to a dirty home now do we!" Mrs. Edwards said to herself, balling her hands into fists and nodding.

"Don't think Dad really cares about that, Mom." Nicole sighed, heading upstairs.

"Oh hush!" Her mother responded, tidying up after their breakfast.

The two had ignored Eric completely, leaving him standing there.

He immediately turned to the window that opened out onto the street. The morning sky outside was bright and blue.

The strings in his family's heads were stable, swaying only slightly as they moved.

...

It was without a doubt the work of the world with the red sky.

Having monsters attack other people was one thing, but this was a new level of cruelty.

Somehow his family had been fooled into believing that Mr. Edwards was still around. With Eric being the only one who knew the truth.

Were there others in St. Lauren that were believing in lies? Living in some sort of false reality?

Eric went upstairs to find his phone. He had to tell Aleta what was going on.

Perhaps those she knew were also acting this way.

The teen typed up a message frantically, silhouette visible from his bedroom window.

Outside, St. Lauren was waking up for the day ahead. Its citizens remained unaware of the strings in their heads, the illusion that they might be living in.

Blissfully ignorant to the machinations of another world that was reaching out for them. Eating them alive slowly but surely.

It was only going to get worse.

End of Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

It was early morning and the ceiling was creaking once again.

Bulging in places whenever someone was walking around on the floor above. The strain shook loose dust and debris that would fall, forming little piles around the room.

In truth, it had taken an embarrassingly long time to get the position of his bed just right to avoid getting rained on by this dirt.

Even though he was sure this current spot was safe, there was always a chance that he would wake up one morning covered in the stuff.

It was what it was.

Though Jaromir was getting tired of it. Even if he was not showing it.

He lay in bed, watching whoever was upstairs move about their space. The bulge slithering here and then like a snake.

Glancing to his side, the alarm clock read 6:03 am.

Kicking off his blanket, the teen got up and made his bed. From there, he went through his usual morning routine.

Since he had been living in his shabby little apartment for an entire year, every eccentric feature it presented no longer slowed him down.

From his shower sputtering between hot and cold whenever it felt like it, to his gas stovetop leaning to one side so that it was harder to cook most things.

Jaromir accepted it all. Stepping in and out of the water while showering, soaping up as he waited for the temperature to settle.

And when he had the time to do so, he was quite happy to cook his meals at an angle.

Like most situations in his life here in America, Jaromir would adapt.

He was living alone for the first time. Well aware that if he did not rise to the occasion, the country would eat him up like it had done to so many other foreigners before spitting him right back out.

Leaving him in a worse state than the one he had arrived in.

The last thing he wanted was to go back home empty-handed. To show his family that their trust in him had been misplaced was the last thing he wanted.

Despite how early it was, Jaromir had actually overslept. Which was a rather rare occurrence.

It had been a busy night yesterday...

He knew if he hurried, he could get to school in time to have an early breakfast and finish the rest of his homework just before classes started.

...

Dressed and ready to leave, Jaromir stepped out of his room and fiddled with the lock a few times. It took a couple tries before it would actually shut.

The teen turned and made for the stairwell at pace, only for a familiar and unpleasant face to appear before it. If there was one word to describe the apartment building's landlord, it would be greasy.

It was not just in appearance either, the man's personality was just as slick and disgusting.

Jaromir always tried to be nice to him, despite knowing that the man's behavior did not warrant it. He figured it would be better to stay on his good side, rather than being tossed out on the street.

"Look who's up and in a rush. As usual." The man coughed, pulling back his ponytail. "Always making a racket."

"Good morning, Mr. Romano." Jaromir nodded his head, trying not to recoil from the man's odor.

"Don't gimme that crap, 'Tim'." Mr. Romano sneered, calling the teen by his American nickname.

"Ya don't mean any of it."

"Sorry sir. I need to get past-"

"Whoa whoa. Hold up." Mr. Romano got closer, holding out his hairy hand palm side up.

"What is it, Mr. Romano?" Catching the meaning of the gesture, the teen raised his eyebrows. "Now? But I paid-"

"Yeah, funny word that. 'Paid'." The man interrupted. "More like 'indulged'."

"I do not understand, Mr. Romano."

"Listen kid, either you give me some cash now, or you can leave and when you come back... you'll find all your shit out by the bins outside. Follow me?"

Jaromir had paid his rent at the beginning of the month like he always did. It had been their agreement for the last year.

However, this did not stop the landlord from occasionally threatening to throw people out, managing to shake just a little bit extra out of his tenants.

Sighing, Jaromir got out his wallet. Before he even had time to check how much he had, every dollar was snatched by the man.

Mr. Romano thumbed his way though each note, grunting as if the activity was strenuous.

"This'll do." He stated, shoving all of the cash in his pocket.

The man pushed past Jaromir and continued down the hall. "You have a nice day now."

Jaromir sighed again, imagining for the briefest moments strangling Mr. Romano.

"That would not solve anything." The teen said to himself quietly, descending the stairs.

The design of the apartment building meant that as someone went down, they had to first walk the length of every corridor on each level. Which made it quite easy to come across one's neighbors.

Jaromir was walking briskly towards the last staircase down as the door ahead of him suddenly swung open.

From inside, two children appeared and said their goodbyes to a woman with long dark crochet braids.

"You be safe now." She called after them.

"Okay!" The kids said in unison, disappearing down the stairs.

The teen came to a stop behind the woman, who turned and gave him a wide smile.

"Well, good morning Tim."

"Hello, Ms. R-"

The lady shook her head. "Now don't you go starting with all that formality stuff again. Just Ruby is fine."

"Yes. Sorry, Ruby."

"How you doing today?" She asked, hand on her hip.

Ruby was a curvy woman somewhere in her early thirties. Her hair was like a frizzy mane and her make-up always seemed to compliment both her ebony skin, and her beautiful features.

The teen would never say it out loud, but she was a very attractive lady.

"I am fine." Jaromir responded. "No problems."

He thought of lying, but could not.

"Well, except for..."

Ruby clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Let me guess, Romano? That shithead's always up to something."

Jaromir shared a sympathetic nod.

"You good on train fare?" Before the lady could go inside to fetch her purse, the teen stopped her with a raised hand.

"It is fine. I have a card."

"That's right. You do, don't you? You know, I've been meaning to get the kids them cards. Just, haven't been able to find the time."

"Yes. Well, I hope that you find the time." Jaromir said as he stepped past the woman, giving her a wave. "It was good to see you, Ruby. But I must go now-"

"Oh, alright then- Wait! Tim, you eaten breakfast yet?"

A genuine offer, but as usual the lady was always a little lonely when her children left home in the morning.

Sometimes he would take her up on the offer, as she was a really good cook.

But today was not one of those days.

"No, not yet. I will eat at school."

"Wait, hold on a moment. That reminds me..." Ruby trailed off, quickly going back into her apartment.

Jaromir tapped his foot, growing anxious about the time.

"Here, take this. I made pasta last night and those little monsters didn't finish it all. Which is typical."

Not wanting to seem rude, he took the Tupperware and waved again. "Thank you, Ruby. I will return this to you. I must go now."

"Yes, yes. You have a good day now, Tim! I'll see you at work maybe?"

"Maybe!" He called, shouting from the stairs.

...

At last, he was out the door. Fearing that he would miss the train, Jaromir broke into a run.

It was quite a sight to behold - a tall Czechian boy in a rush to get to the station. His approaching footsteps sounded heavy, making most stand aside for him.

Depending on what part of St. Lauren you lived, people either used the buses or the train line. Jaromir's apartment put him closer to the latter.

It was a newer addition to the city. With the elevated railways being only a decade or so old.

The teen in a sweat put his card through one of the scanners lining the station's entrance. It let him through without issue and he sped off to get onto the train heading in the direction of St. Lauren High.

Graffiti adorned much of the facility, with even a few brave souls having sprayed their tags along the train carriages.

Arriving just as the doors were about to close, Jaromir found an empty seat. He collapsed into it and tried to catch his breath.

Despite what his size might have portrayed, he was not the most physically fit.

Today had been a close call.

...

It was not the longest ride. Yet views of the city were quite expansive. Being high above the streets afforded passengers sights of the ocean in the distance.

Skyscrapers in the city center glittered under the morning light, the towering structures sometimes obscuring the vast man-made jungle below.

Jaromir spent the journey eating through the leftover pasta Ruby had given him. Thankful that the she had left a fork inside the Tupperware for him to use.

Even in this state, he could taste the affection it was made with in every bite. It reminded him of his own mother's cooking.

Which would then remind him of home.

His home. Now so far away...

Some days, it felt like just yesterday that the teen was getting off his first international flight.

A year ago, his arrival in St. Lauren had been chilly.

Laughable by Czech Republic standards, but still cold for its residents.

Arriving at an airport in a neighboring city, A jet-lagged Jaromir stepped off the plane and retrieved his meticulously packed luggage - Courtesy of his overly cautious mother and father.

The teen lugged these massive suitcases through a rather tedious and somewhat tense customs process, getting his first real taste of America.

Having not grown up in a major city, he was not used to seeing so much English.

Sure, he was prepared for this. It was just a little shocking to see it outside of a textbook or on television.

The people milling about were also unlike anything Jaromir had ever seen. He had to catch himself as he stared at those that passed him by. He was amazed at how varied everyone was.

After a rather awkward conversation inquiring about travel to St. Lauren, he got on a bus and set off for the coastal city.

When he arrived, it floored him.

The lights, the sounds, the people once again - it was all so different.

He managed to secure a taxi ride to his first destination. The cab driver did not say much during the journey, leaving the teen to observe the passing sights.

...

Eventually he was dropped off outside St. Lauren High.

He paid the fare, a little taken aback by the cost. A mental note was then made to not take a taxi again.

Wheeling his suitcases behind him, Jaromir entered the school. Feeling very out of place. Like he was coming to book into a hotel instead of getting an education.

In a way he was, as the school was responsible for sorting out his lodging for the foreseeable future.

He approached the front desk, momentarily taken in by the school's emblem above it. Emblazoned in gold, the coat of arms had a message inscribed below:

"Standing by, protecting those that seek to grow."

...

The halls around him were empty. He figured morning classes were already underway.

Before Jaromir thought to ring the bell, a lady appeared from seemingly nowhere. Giving him a bit of the fright.

She sat down in her seat with a smile. "Hello. How can I help you today?"

"Y-Yes. I..." He was feeling particularly nervous.

The woman watched him, patiently waiting.

"My name is Jaromir Horáček. I have come from the Czech-"

"Ah yes!" The lady's eyes widened, as she quickly typed away on her computer.

"You're our newest foreign exchange student." She said with a kind-hearted giggle, "Allow me to be the first person to welcome you to St. Lauren High. And perhaps to America?"

"T-Thank you." The teen bowed his head.

"Now then, Jaromir-" The lady's cheeks flushed, embarrassed by her pronunciation of his name. "I'm s-sorry."

"It is fine."

"Right then, well... You'll be starting first thing tomorrow morning, Jaromir. There's just a few things that need to be sorted out first."

Shuffling around her desk, a file was found and handed to the boy. It had his name on it.

"If you could please take this with you and go up the stairs behind me. You'll find Mr. Myer's office behind the door with the numbers '243' on them. He will help finalize everything."

"Thank you."

"I hope that you enjoy your time here, Jaromir." The lady tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear.

"I hope so too. Goodbye."

As he left the desk, he contemplated getting people to call him something other than his real name. Not wanting others to be embarrassed when saying it incorrectly.

It had to be simple. Easy to say and easy to remember...

Lost in thought, he wandered past the office without knowing it. Giving himself an inadvertent tour of the school.

...

In appearance, St. Lauren High was not very different from the school Jaromir used to attend back home. Students were students and teachers were still teachers.

Much like the city though, the variety in people was the biggest difference. Passing by classes in progress, he found himself staring inside.

Doing a full loop of the second floor, Jaromir found the door numbered '243' and knocked lightly.

A voice on the other side invited him in.

Seated at a large desk was a rather squat-looking man. A kind face that wrinkles had made valleys out of.

Mr. Myers stood for a second, ushering the teen to take a seat in the chair across from him.

"Good day, Mr. Horáček. I am glad to see that you made it here without any troubles along the way?"

Jaromir was surprised to hear his surname. "Not so many."

"Good good. I don't much like planes myself. Always going far too high up." Mr. Myers joked, laughing hoarsely.

The Czech felt that this man was not as jovial as he acted. The numerous awards, news clippings and other displays of the school's many successes on the wall behind the little man looked about ready to collapse on top of him.

Stresses and expectations could deeply hurt a person. Jaromir had seen this in his parents.

"Now this must all still feel a little strange for you, Mr. Horáček. But worry not, you'll be sorted out in no time." Mr. Myer's pronunciation of his name was the best the teen had heard, but he still felt bad about it.

The older man nodded to himself and turned to the windows at the end of his office. "To come all this way, just to learn at our school - it is an honor."

Mr. Myers smiled. "You find no better facility for learning in the city. While I cannot guarantee that you will be safe outside these walls, know that you will always be taken care of here."

"All of us faculty members are here to make sure that you succeed, not just as a student, but as a young man who will one day go out into the world."

"Thank you, sir." Jaromir could feel that the man meant what he said.

"Right then, you were given a file at the front desk?"

Handing it over, the teen waited patiently as the little man went through its contents.

"Okay, apologies in advance for how much there is, but these are for you." A stack of books and files found their way into Jaromir's lap.

"You'll find your textbooks for this year, as well as the work you might need to go over to catch up with the classes you missed while traveling."

Mr. Myer's snapped his fingers. "Oh, and best to not forget this!"

Jaromir was given an envelope that was stuffed with what he assumed were documents.

"In there are the details regarding your lodging. You have been set up in an apartment building not too far from our school. Only a single train ride away, in fact!" Mr. Myers laughed again, "Most other students aren't quite as lucky to be so close."

"You'll also find a form in there that you must turn in at the station. They'll give you a card for riding said train. Best to get it as soon as you can, Mr. Horáček. We don't want you having to walk here everyday, now do we."

"No sir. Thank you."

"Ah, but now I must return to my work." Mr. Myers stood. "It was truly wonderful meeting you. If would please head down to the front desk, Margaret will arrange for a taxi to take you to your new home in the mean time."

The man held out his hand, Jaromir shook it.

"Welcome to St. Lauren High, Mr. Horáček. And I suppose-"

"Welcome to America?" Jaromir cut in.

"Yes indeed." Mr. Myers chuckled, giving the teen a genuine smile.

Another taxi ride spent in silence.

The vehicle weaved its way through St. Lauren's streets at such a pace the Jaromir found himself sweating.

Worried that they might crash, the teen did not have much time to enjoy the sights of the city.

To his relief, the ride soon came to screeching stop. He climbed out and thanked the driver, glad to be back on his feet again.

Retrieving his luggage, he jumped back as the yellow car sped off.

Disappearing into the distance in a matter of seconds.

Jaromir was now even more determined to never take a taxi in St. Lauren again.

With suitcases on either side of him, the teen laid eyes on his new home for the first time.

It was not much to look at. In fact, it looked a lot like a Panelák - panel buildings that made up huge housing estates in the small city Jaromir once lived in.

They always seemed so sad whenever he passed them by. Towering concrete structures that reminded one of another time...

For the first time since he had arrived, Jaromir felt like coming to America had been a mistake. The surrounding area further enforced the feeling that this area might not be the safest.

Despite his anxiety, the Czech approached the building. Feeling that St. Lauren High most likely tried to find him somewhere nice to stay, but ultimately had very few options to choose from.

He was getting a room to himself, which was a bonus. Having spent much of his life jammed into a house with many siblings, he was a little excited to live on his own for a change.

Just as Jaromir was beginning to feel better about his situation, he immediately recoiled on the threshold of the apartment building.

An awful smell assaulted his nostrils. It was so bad that he almost ran back outside.

Inside, he came to a stop beside a low desk in the entrance hall.

Distracted by a sudden noise coming from the floor above, Jaromir did not even realize that there was a man sunk deep into a dirty office chair.

"Who the hell are you?" Asked the man aggressively.

Looking down, the boy did his best not to stare at the state this person was in.

"Hello."

The man ignored him, turning back to the tiny television in front of him.

Now was the time to test out his new nickname.

"My name is... Tim. I think I am a new-"

"Resident?" The man coughed.

"Yes, A new resident. Where can I find my room, sir?"

Heaving himself up, Jaromir got a whiff of the man and tried his best to keep his eyes open.

It was the building that really smelled, but this man was not exactly helping.

"You sound like you ain't from here."

"No, sir. I am from the Czech Republic."

"Fucking where?" The man spat, wiping at his lip. "Another foreigner. What a great city we live in."

Now taking a proper look at the teen, he frowned. Something about the kid angered him.

"You got your papers?"

"Papers?" Jaromir repeated.

"Documents, dumbass. That envelope you're holding... they in there?"

The teen gave them to the man, who barely examined the contents.

To Jaromir's surprise, he suddenly laughed to himself.

With an evil grin, he reached to the board near his desk. Taking a key from one of the hooks and handing it over.

"May I ask what your name is, sir?" Said the boy as he took what he assumed was the key to his new apartment.

"Romano. I'm your new landlord."

The man sat back down and returned his attention to his show.

Jaromir inspected the key, wondering why it had made someone laugh.

...

"Mr. Romano?"

No reaction.

"Mr. Romano, sir. W-Where do I go-"

"Oh for god's sake, shut up already!" Mr. Romano gripped the back of his chair and faced Jaromir with a glare. "The number is on the key, you idiot."

Sure enough, it was.

"And if you're still having trouble, shit for brains, it's on the third floor!"

With that, Mr. Romano looked back to his little television. Swearing under his breath before going quiet.

Jaromir felt anger well up in his chest. His grip tightened around the envelope in his hand.

He relaxed soon after and just sighed.

"Getting angry will not help you." The teen thought, leaving his new landlord to his business.

"He is not a nice man. But it would not help to get on his bad side."

With the magic of moving to America perhaps truly gone, Jaromir ascended the metal steps.

He was ready to see his apartment.

End of Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

As Jaromir ascended the floors, the smell thankfully relented. Seeming to be mostly confined to the ground floor.

The teen walked through long hallways with doors on each side of him. Some neighbors were louder than others, though it was maybe the silent ones that were a little unnerving.

Eventually, he had reached the third floor.

The number of apartments began to decrease from this floor onwards. Already there were only five rooms on this level.

Key in hand, Jaromir neared the door marked with the number 5.

The apartment was close to the stairs, so he wondered if he was going to hear people coming and going often. The golden digit against the wood was loose, hanging by its single remaining screw. And though the teen tried to put it upright, it would just swing back down.

Putting his key in the lock and after turning it a couple of times, it unlocked.

Then with a little more effort, so did the door.

While the apartment did not have the kind of smell that was downstairs, it had its own kind of musk.

The interior was sparsely furnished. With whatever was here looking either worn or broken in places. The wallpaper had been torn quite severely at its corners, and for some reason, there was a hole in the dresser near the bed. Like someone had taken a power drill to it.

Wheeling his bags into a corner, Jaromir closed the door behind him and did a more thorough inspection of his new home.

It dawned on the teen as he came across the patch of gunk that caked on the floor beneath the shower, or the crooked angle at which is stovetop sat, that Mr. Romano had been laughing for a reason.

He had given him this room on purpose.

"It was a joke. He gave me this terrible room as a joke..." Jaromir said to himself bitterly.

However, after taking a single breath, he started to unpack. Rather than get upset with his situation, he decided that he would try and accept the room. Laughing at the thought that doing so would only anger Mr. Romano.

...

Coming to terms with the fact that he would not be able to give the space a proper wash until he had bought some cleaning supplies, the teen gave up and was soon laying on his new bed that night.

The jet lag finally catching up with him, he tried to get comfortable. His feet hanging uncomfortably over the edge of his mattress.

Somewhere in the building, someone was having what sounded like a party.

The noise was not grating, but it was quite loud. Having neighbors this close to him was a new experience.

It was going take some time to fall asleep.

Especially so when just as Jaromir closed his eyes, someone started moving in the room above him. Causing some kind of dirt to fall right into his face.

...

Jaromir's life in America had begun.

For the following two months, things were surprisingly not so different.

He was going to school, at nearly the same time he had done back in the Czech Republic. The only real difference was that he was alone.

Alone for the first time in his life...

Occasionally, Jaromir would write letters to his family. Keeping them updated on how his time in St. Lauren was going. In truth, he omitted some things from these communications. Although he was always glad with the replies he received.

Everyone in his family would manage to write their own messages for him, somehow being able to cram them all onto a single letter.

They were cheering him on. His parents in particular were exceedingly proud.

It had been a hassle getting the card for the St. Lauren's train service.

The attendant could not for the life of him understand anything Jaromir had said. He felt a little hurt from that experience, as he had not had any problems with his accent before. It made him more self-conscious about his English.

Which in the long run would only help him get better.

Schoolwork had proved to be challenging, but not anything that he could not handle.

Making friends on the other hand... had proven to be difficult.

Jaromir was not aware for a long time that many students were actually intimidated by his height. Often keeping their distance. Some had even started spreading rumors about the Czech. Creating wild and absurd fantasies.

Like the one in which the teen was supposedly the son of some crazed Russian mafia member who had forced the school to take his delinquent heir.

Another painted him as a switchblade-wielding nutcase with a hair trigger.

Each one was more ridiculous than the last, but that did not mean that they were not hurtful.

During one lunchbreak when he was feeling particularly low, Jaromir ended up having a conversation with one of the cafeteria's lunch ladies. Surprised that someone other than a teacher wanted to talk with him, the teen leapt at the chance.

Soon, he knew the entire kitchen staff on a first name basis.

From then on, it was not so lonely at school.

The workers grew to like him, even offering him breakfast whenever he came into school early.

Yet while things at school had improved, his life at his apartment building had not. Every chance he got, Mr. Romano continued to make Jaromir's life miserable.

He was always rude when they would meet. Swearing and often demeaning him any chance he got. Constantly pushing the Czech's buttons.

Just waiting to get a rise out of the boy.

Yet, Jaromir would keep his temper. Knowing that it would just give the man a reason to throw him out.

Despite the conditions he lived in, the teen settled in and made sure to pay his rent every month.

Through his own saving and a generous donation from his parents, he figured that he could live comfortably for a year or so.

However, this money ended up not lasting as long as he had hoped.

His frugality could not save him from Mr. Romano. Adding on imaginary costs that at first were supposedly apart of his rent. Learning later that the man was just trying to shake him for just that little bit extra.

Perhaps he was hoping that Jaromir would become too poor to pay, so that he would be well within his rights to kick the teen to the curb.

As a result, the teen's worries grew day by day. With the very real possibility that his life in America would soon come to an end...

One Saturday morning, Jaromir was sat at the small table in his room. In front of him was the notebook he used to keep track of his finances.

It was a skill his mother had taught him at a young age. Admittedly, it had looked a bit silly to see such a small child scribbling away about how much the family had been spending each week... but it had created a good habit.

"This is not good." Jaromir said to himself, setting down his pencil. "My savings, they are almost gone."

At one point, the teen had began contemplating finding a part-time job. As the thought of being able to top up his funds was an alluring one.

What he had not expected was that he would end up actually needing one to survive.

...

He weighed his options.

Asking Mr. Romano was a no-go. The man would sooner spit at him than offer help. Or if he did, it would probably be something that would pay next to nothing and would work him to the bone.

He could ask the teachers at his school. Though would they even know how a teenager might earn some extra money? Would that not look as if he was wanting to get away from his studies? Working in the cafeteria was not an option, as they already had all the staff they needed.

Asking his family for more money felt wrong. And even if they did, there was a chance that it would not arrive in time anyway.

Jaromir closed his book and pondered this dilemma. Lost in thought as he stepped out of his apartment.

He recalled seeing magazines and newspapers by Mr. Romano's desk downstairs. Perhaps they would have job postings in them? Then again, managing to get a peek at anything near that man's station, let alone borrowing something, felt impossible.

"If he found out that I had taken things from there... He might ask for money to replace it." Jaromir thought, sighing heavily.

Scrapping the idea, he figured that he could probably find others in the kiosks by the train station.

It was worth a look...

On the second floor, there was a commotion. A young boy stood clutching a ball while an older man seemed to be berating him from his doorway.

"Seriously. What the hell do you think you're doing? Bouncing that stupid thing against my door!" He said, exasperated.

The kid looked at his feet, shrinking as the man continued to yell at him.

"And another thing! I hear you bouncing that ball in this hall all the time. Sometimes in your damn apartment, too! Do you realize how annoying all that noise is that you're making?"

"I-I'm sorry."

"No, I don't think you are-" The old man had approached the boy just as Jaromir came to a stop behind them.

"Listen, brat. You either stop all that racket, or I'm going to tell the landlord, got it?!"

The child noticed Jaromir and jumped. Confused by the reaction, the man turned round. Clearly he had wanted to complain more, but just the sight of the tall Czechian teen seemed to sap all the rage out of him.

He turned pale and quickly excused himself, slipping back into his apartment. Shutting the door behind him and loudly locking it.

The two boys were left shocked.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" Asked the kid in awe.

"Uh..." Jaromir rubbed his neck.

He pointed at the ball. "Have you been making noise?"

Looking down, the kid frowned. "I didn't meant to. It's just... My sister's still at school."

"She's at school on a Saturday?"

"Yeah. She's taking 'special' classes or something."

"Do you live on this floor?" Jaromir inquired, glancing down the hall.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Over there." The boy pointed at the door marked with a golden 3.

Sure enough, it was right next to the apartment the man had disappeared back into. Jaromir was also quite jealous that the child lived in a home with a properly attached number on its door.

"Are your parents home?"

"No. My Mom's working."

"So you are alone?" The teen was sympathetic.

"Yeah... I'm used to it."

"Why don't you play outside? Then you won't make noise in the building." Jaromir offered.

The boy huffed, as if he had argued the same point before. "I'm not allowed to. Mom said it's not safe."

...

"Throw it to me."

Raising his eyebrow, the child did as he was told.

"Now I will throw it to you." Jaromir tossed the ball softly. The boy catching it easily.

"Okay. Throw it back to me. What is your name?"

The boy smiled and threw the ball. "Owen."

"My name is Tim. Here you go." The teen passed it back.

For the next half hour, Jaromir forgot himself.

Playing with Owen, his impending financial problems slipped from his mind. The two eventually made up a game to see how long they could keep the ball from hitting the floor. Neither wanting be responsible for making any noise.

The whole thing reminded Jaromir of home. Being dragged into keeping his younger siblings entertained. He realized just how badly he had been missing them.

Some time around the sixtieth throw, a woman appeared on the stairs. Upon seeing Owen, she called out in a hushed voice.

"Boy, what are you doing?"

Owen threw the ball as he turned in surprise. Jaromir just managed to catch it.

"Just playing, Mom."

Nearing the two, the lady raised her eyebrows. "You been making noise again?"

"M-Maybe." He admitted.

Dropping her accusatory tone, the woman embraced her son. "Sorry I couldn't be home sooner, baby."

Owen grinned, happy to be hugged.

"That's okay. I was playing with Tim!"

The mother looked Jaromir over.

Despite himself, he tried to stand a little taller. "Hello. My name is Tim. I live on the third floor, apartment five."

"Five...? That five?" The mother sighed.

"Y-Yes. Why-"

"Romano gave you the worst place in the whole building." She shook her head, "I swear that man needs to get jumped."

Unfamiliar with the slang, Jaromir found himself agreeing regardless.

"Well Tim, thank you for keeping Owen here company, I'm Ruby."

The teen bowed his head politely. "It is good to meet you, Mrs. Ruby."

The lady giggled. "Oh, I'm not married. Not anymore. Say, you sound like you're not from around here?"

"Oh, yes. I am from the Czech Republic. I am an exchange student."

"Czech Republic..." Ruby seemed to be trying to remember if she had heard of such a place. "Is that far?"

Jaromir found it funny.

Owen cut in. "It's in Europe, Mom. That's real far."

"Oh shut it, boy." Ruby teased, unlocking the door to their apartment. "You know I didn't stay in school that long."

"Have you finished your homework today?" She asked.

"K-Kinda?" The boy shrugged.

Ruby smirked. "That don't sound like it's finished. Get to work, mister." She motioned for him to enter their home.

"Okay~" The boy sighed, clearly having hoped to put off his work for as long as possible. Before the door closed, Owen waved.

"Bye Tim!"

Jaromir returned the gesture with a smile.

"You here with family, Tim?" Ruby suddenly asked.

"No, sadly I am not."

The mother's smile faded. "That must be tough."

"It can be. I have been writing letters, so it is okay."

After a brief silence and with Ruby still standing in the hall, Jaromir felt that perhaps telling Ruby of his problems might help him figure out a solution for his current situation. Before he could reconsider staying quiet, the words had left his lips.

"I don't think I will be able to stay here for much longer."

Ruby looked concerned. "Why's that?"

"I... I do not think I will be able to pay the rent next month." He replied, his voice becoming small.

Clicking her tongue, Ruby frowned. Running a hand through her curly mane of hair. "That asshole!"

Before Jaromir could ask what she had meant, Ruby went off.

"That bastard's been charging you extra 'rent', hasn't he? Not that's it's even rent. That prick just likes taking money from folks." Ruby twirled a finger around one of her crochet braids. She looked angry, remembering something unpleasant.

"Couple years back, he did the same thing to me. When I eventually told him off, he went after my damn kids. Best believe I set him straight after that."

"Though now that I think about it, I got off lucky. Some folks till pay the bastard more than he deserves."

Jaromir's own temper rose in sympathy. Mr. Romano was clearly a menace to everyone living here.

Ruby seemed to be sizing the teen up again. Contemplating something.

"Listen, Tim. You looking for a job? A part-time one?"

He was, but was still taken aback by the offer.

"If things are getting so bad that you're almost out on the street. You know, I might be able to help. The place I work at... It's actually hiring."

Relief was written all over the teen's face.

"Although, you do look sort of young... What school do you go to?"

Jaromir was used to people thinking that he looked older than he actually was.

"St. Lauren High." He answered.

"Oh! that's the nice place on that hill, ain't it?" Ruby's face dropped. "Wait, how old are you? I don't know if my boss will take a high school student."

"I will be seventeen years old in August." Jaromir added, visibly deflating.

The woman brushed her hair back in thought. "Probably won't be a job on the main floor..." Ruby muttered to herself. "He might actually hire him. I mean, he looks like a strong enough boy."

Despite his size, Jaromir was not. Still, if a job required that of him, he was willing to grin and bare it.

"If you're okay with it, I could give my boss a call?"

Weighing his options, Jaromir decided rather quickly that perhaps this was an opportunity he should not pass up. "If you could, then I would be glad. Thank you, Ms. R-"

Ruby made a face.

"U-Uh, I mean Ruby. Thank you."

"Well I'll do that then." She smiled, turning to her apartment door. "Anyway, I better get inside and make sure that boy is doing what I told him to."

"Yes." Jaromir nodded.

"I'll let you know what my boss says, alright?" Ruby waved.

"Please do. Thank you again, Ruby."

The mother shut her door, leaving Jaromir alone in the hall. Despite the possibility that Ruby might actually get him a job, he thought it would still be a good idea to find other options. He resumed the original trip he had left his apartment for.

On the ground floor, he passed Mr. Romano's desk. It was unoccupied. Magazines and newspapers unattended.

Shaking his head, Jaromir left. Determined to buy his own from somewhere in the city.

He was going to start with looking by the station.

The following week, Jaromir was once again on the second floor of the apartment building. He was dressed as finely as his limited wardrobe allowed.

Though he was unsure of what this job even entailed, the teen figured that he should still arrive looking respectable. From the door on his right, Ruby appeared.

She wore a tight blue dress and was supported by black high heels that seemed to increase her height rather dramatically.

Upon seeing Jaromir, she let out a small laugh.

"You know, you didn't have to get all dressed up for this."

"But is it not a good thing to look... presentable when you go to work?" The teen was feeling embarrassed now.

"'Presentable'?" Ruby laughed again, "Tim, that's my job. Not yours."

As the two descended the stairs together, Jaromir found that he now had to keep his eyes looking elsewhere. Ruby was very beautiful. The shimmer of her dress glittered off the walls around them.

On the ground floor Mr. Romano was thankfully not at his desk.

The last thing the both of them wanted to be seen by him. Jaromir was not sure he would be able to keep his hands off the man, had he been around to say anything about how Ruby was looking.

...

"What is your job at this place?" The teen enquired.

Ruby searched for the right words as they left the apartment building, walking the streets of St. Lauren. "Well... I guess a nice way of saying it is that I keep people company. I'm an escort."

"Escort? Where are you taking them?" He asked, confused.

Seeing that the boy did not know the term, Ruby was amused and secretly relieved.

"I don't really take anyone anywhere, Tim. I, uh, hang out with customers. We go places and I make sure that they have a good time, things like that."

"And you get paid for this?" Jaromir mused. He was genuinely surprised that this kind of job existed.

Ruby stopped and turned to him, hands on her hips. "Do you think I'm not good enough to keep someone company?" She said, mock offended as she posed.

Once again, Jaromir had to look elsewhere. His face felt hot.

The mother grinned, pleased with her teasing.

As it turned out, the place where Ruby worked was sadly nowhere close to any of St. Lauren's stations. So the two would be traveling by bus.

"I sometimes get a ride to work... Today, we'll take the bus." Ruby dug around in her purse. "Here."

She handed the teen a few dollars.

"No, I can not take-"

"Listen, you can pay me back when you start making money." Ruby said, seemingly confident that today would go well for the teen.

"This ain't that much. Just use it to pay for the trip there and back."

Reluctantly, Jaromir took it.

The bus arrived and the two boarded. During the trip, Ruby spent most of her time touching up her makeup with a pocket mirror. While Jaromir watched the passing scenery. Finding it charming to see the sights from a new perspective.

Skirting the city center, the bus came to a stop in St. Lauren's south side.

Much like on the east, the glamor of skyscrapers, high-end shops and entertainment had slowly faded away. An older city emerging in their place. It was a little less desolate-looking than the region around the Rundown Road. Though if you were to venture further on, it would become quite similar.

The two disembarked with Ruby leading the way. Jaromir following closely behind. He was not used to this area and if he was being honest, it was a bit scary.

Quite a few people stared and ogled at Ruby as they went. She did not seem bothered, her heels clacking off the pavement rhythmically.

She radiated a confidence that Jaromir admired.

Passing by small shops and sleazy bars, the pair arrived before a building that rather unusually had no neighboring structures at its sides. Like it was the center of attention.

Neon lights lined its face in an explosion of color. In curvy writing, the name 'Galaxy' glowed faintly.

"T-This is where you work?" Jaromir said, staring up at the lights in a sweat.

Ruby turned to him. "Yep. That's the club."

Only now that he was closer did the teen see that some of the lights had outlines that looked quite a lot like naked women.

...

It was that kind of club.

End of Chapter 16

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

Jaromir was baffled.

He should have seen the signs - The way Ruby was dressed, her concerns regarding his age for the job. It had all been there.

The buzzing of the club's neon lights felt louder than before. His stomach was suddenly in knots.

"So, if you end up getting the job-" Ruby said with a smile, "Be sure to not go through the main entrance here. It might cause some problems."

"O-Okay." Jaromir stammered. Hoping that she would not notice how red his face was.

"You gonna be okay taking the bus back? Remember where the stop was?"

The teen tried to refocus. "Yes. I do."

"Great. I probably won't see you again after your shift. I work late most nights." Ruby pulled at the glittery fabric of her dress. "Come on, Tim. I'll introduce you to the manager."

Turning away from the club's entrance, the two made for the rear of the building.

"Don't ever go in through the front, okay?" Ruby reiterated. He nodded.

At the back of 'Club Galaxy', there was a kind of loading bay with a large shutter. Jaromir watched his friend climb some steps and try the door nearby. It was locked.

Ruby gave it a heavy knock while the teen gave the area a once-over. He figured that it was simple enough to get in and out of the building, though remaining unseen would still be a challenge.

The club was unusually exposed. The wide space of pavement and the parking that encircled it was like a moat made out of concrete.

A man answered the door. He stepped out, blocking the entrance with his large frame and looked at Ruby for a while before leaning against the nearby railing.

"Not like you to use the back door, darling." He said suggestively. Clearly teasing her.

"Don't get used to it." Ruby said, smacking his arm with a huff, then motioning to Jaromir. "I've brought the new hire I spoke about the other day. This is Tim."

The teen was of similar height to the man, but nowhere near as broad. He gave Jaromir a nod and stepped aside, letting the two enter.

"Cool. The boss is near the changing rooms." The man said.

Grey floors turned into smooth carpet the further they went. After a maze of tight doorways, Jaromir and Ruby stepped into a corridor with man doors at its sides.

A tall man was conversing with a woman dressed in rather revealing clothing. The teen averted his eyes as Ruby approached the two.

"Terry? I'm here with the guy I was talking about." She said, "Tim, this is Terry. Terry, Tim."

Ruby joined the other lady and gave a thumbs-up.

The man was massive. Exuding leadership and intimidation in equal measure. A large scar ran down the right side of his face. His clothes seemed expensive. With his shirt sleeves covering up what Jaromir assumed were many tattoos.

With heavily-lidded eyes, he inspected the teen closely.

"You really are young." Terry finally said. His voice was gravelly. "Much younger than Ruby had made you out to be..."

Jaromir gulped.

"Well... As long as no one finds out your real age, or that you're working here, you should be okay."

He seemed conflicted for a moment. "Yeah. Should be fine."

"Probably."

"Terry." He said, extending his hand. The rings on his fingers seemed to glow in the low lighting of the hall.

"Tim, sir." The teen made sure to give a firm grip. But relented a little at Terry's strength.

"Great. Now know that at the moment, I'm only hiring you as a favor. Ruby's a good friend and a damn hard worker. She said you really needed this, so I hope that means that you're willing to put in some real effort. Don't expect any special treatment."

"Yes sir." Jaromir replied.

Terry seemed pleased. Clearly appreciating the Czech's politeness.

"Now for what you'll be doing here... It's gonna be a mixed bag. You're gonna be in the background. As much as possible." The man chuckled. "Come with me. Let's introduce you to the rest of the staff."

...

In no time, Jaromir's part-time job had begun.

Time flew by, with the teen having barely a moment to himself.

Work swept him and his coworkers up. From cleaning bathrooms to carrying all manner of heavy boxes. Washing dishes in the break room, taking care of the garbage.

It really was bit of everything. Jaromir felt a bit like a housekeeper. It was kind of fun, he had to admit. Not being stuck inside his apartment at night was a nice change of pace.

Things took a turn for the worse however when he was tasked with going to clean up the rooms he had seen in the corridor earlier. Finding out that they were in fact used by the working women. Primarily as a place to change.

He came across many of them. Most didn't even seem to mind being semi-naked around company. They also quite enjoyed striking up conversations and teasing the teen.

By the end of his cleaning, poor Jaromir was as red as a tomato.

During his entire shift, the music in the club had been quite loud. Even with it being muffled in the back of the building, the base lightly rocked the walls and sometimes, it was quite difficult speaking to others.

Nevertheless, Jaromir carried on. Determined to do his best.

...

An hour before 4 am, Jaromir was told that his shift was over.

He was directed to Terry's office. Finding the man standing outside it, a good amount of money was in his hand. Giving them a final count, Terry handed the boy his cut.

Jaromir hesitantly took it. Surprised not only by the amount, but by the look on the man's face.

"Good work out there tonight, Tim." He grinned.

"Thought I'd give you some extra. You kept your head down and did what you were told to do, I hear."

"And the girls also seem to like you." He patted the teen on the shoulder with a knowing grin that made the teen blush. "Listen, how soon can you come in again? Ruby said you're in school-"

"Tomorrow." Jaromir interrupted.

Terry was taken aback. "What, really? You sure about that, kid?"

"Yes. It is no problem. I study every day."

"R-Right." The man laughed. "Alright then. Come back same time tomorrow night."

"Yes sir."

With that, Terry went back into his office with a wave. Before leaving, Jaromir did his best to say goodbye to the other employers over the noise. Some of the ladies still in their changing rooms poked their heads out and waved to him.

He returned their gestures with a shy smile.

...

He was outside once more.

The nighttime chill stuck to him as he snuck around the back of the club, trying not to be seen.

Jaromir passed by a line of people waiting to get into the club. Men of varying ages. Many seemed rather rich.

Before leaving, the teen noticed that Ruby was standing in line beside a well-dressed man in a black suit and red undershirt. He had medium-length brown hair and a silver earring.

The mother had her arm around his waist.

"Escort." Jaromir thought as he walked away. Still a bit confused by the word. Though having worked at 'Club Galaxy' tonight, the Czech had a better understanding of what it was that the woman might do for a living.

The thought of her doing those things made him feel uneasy. But he eventually decided that it was not his business to say what someone should be doing for work. Just look at what he had done tonight, for example.

Off Jaromir went into the night. A feeling of comfort and security coming to him as he patted his pocket. He had money now and it seemed that he had secured the job.

It looked like Jaromir was not going to have to leave America quite yet.

Back in the present, the train had stopped.

Jaromir was among the first to disembark, clutching his bag and now empty Tupperware as he sped off. Out the station, St. Lauren High loomed in the distance.

The Czech was sweating once again by the time he reached the school's entrance. Thanks to Ruby, there was now no need to stop off at the cafeteria. So Jaromir had time to leisurely wander over to his classroom.

He was the only student inside at this time. Taking advantage of the quiet, Jaromir sat at his desk and went over yesterday's homework.

In record time, he was soon finished and left with not much else to do other than just sit around until classes started. With a yawn, the teen got comfortable and rested his head.

...

At this point, it had now been more than a year since Jaromir had moved into his shabby little apartment. With the job Ruby helped him get, the teen had been able to pay off Mr. Romano every month without incident.

The trick seemed to be adding a tip to every payment.

Which seemed to lessen the landlord's greedy behavior and reduce the possibility of encountering him.

Even with the introduction of his late-night job, Jaromir's grades had not slipped.

He was keeping up.

And though he tried, the busyness of his current life meant that he was having less time to write back home. With any luck, his family would take his increased silence to mean that his life in America was going well.

For the foreseeable future, Jaromir was here to stay.

St. Lauren had become his new home.

The last few days after the fight in the alley, and the subsequent burial of those who were killed had not been easy on Aleta.

The girl was now struggling to sleep for the first time in years. With what little she got each day leading only to terrifying nightmares.

Horrible monsters chased her, followed by the bodies of those that had passed.

Aleta would run and run, only to bump into someone. After a loud bang, she would look down to see two bodies crumpled in the dirt before her. The drunken man from the alley. As well as the body of her old school bully Cassidy.

Both stared dead-eyed up at her, holes in their foreheads. They mumbled, tormenting the teen with their vague speech.

...

A scream echoed throughout the park.

Waking with a start, Aleta was hyperventilating in her sleeping bag. She fought her way out of it, sliding in the grass and dirt.

It had been a first for her, sleeping under a tree.

Catching her breath, she glanced around. Thankful that there was no one around who had heard her.

"S-Shit." Aleta thought, running her hands through her matted hair. "Get it together, Morelli."

Standing, she kicked her sleeping bag towards the tree trunk. Looking up, the teen peered through the leaves at the morning sky above. Then she took note of the strings all around the neighborhood. Still finding it surprising that they existed here as well.

Eventually packing things up, Aleta shouldered her duffel bag and took a stroll through the park.

She would have preferred to stay in a building last night, but this area had no abandoned structures. No, this was a well looked after little slice of the city. A small suburb not too dissimilar from the one that Eric lived in.

Though unlike his, the walls here were higher. Aleta thought back to the days where she would spend time trying to climb them, hoping to peer over and find secrets. Or to just spy on her neighbors for fun.

It was here that Aleta had lived most of her life. Her mother and father were from outside St. Lauren originally, moving to the city while the teen had still been a little girl.

Her memories here had for a long time been happy ones - running through the streets with friends and playing until the sun went down.

Then, things changed.

Aleta's parents divorced. Leaving the young girl with only her mother to raise her. The experience would serve to strengthen their bond.

Mariana Morelli was determined to raise her girl as a single parent. Through her hard work, she managed to get Aleta into a school in the north side of the city. Fairview Academy.

However, everyone has their limits. And it was through reaching them that the teen and her mother had a disastrous falling out.

Now Aleta was on the streets deliberately. Also no longer going to school.

...

Her home was not far.

The spray cans in the girl's bag rattled about as she got closer. Coming to a stop by the the wall that blocked the Morelli's garden from view, Aleta set her baggage down and reached up.

Managing to climb onto it, she sat straddling. Taking in the state of her old backyard.

Her mother had always had a green thumb. Vegetables sprouted out of the garden's tilled earth in droves. Trees bore plump fruit just waiting to be picked.

Aleta almost hated how tasty it all looked.

Being careful not to land on anything, she entered the garden and snuck around. Reaching the windows, she ducked down and peered in through the kitchen.

There was her mother.

Mariana Morelli was inside, busying herself with cooking. In many ways, Aleta was the spitting image of the beautiful woman. Same olive skin, same long dark hair. What they did not share was the string that was still firmly in her mother's head. It swayed calmly.

She looked ever so happy. Chopping away at the greens on her board. Just then, someone else entered the room.

It was a man with a pronounced jawline and messy hair. He quickly wrapped his hands around the woman's waist and grinned. Ms. Morelli merely smiled back and slapped his hands away playfully, warning him that she was holding a knife. Apologizing, the man stepped back.

Aleta felt a pit in her stomach.

Toby.

The man who had replaced her father. The one who she was now supposed to see as part of their family. Just seeing him was enough to make her grit her teeth... and stand up.

The girl's eyes went wide as she realized too late that she was out in the open. Her mother spotting her hooded daughter straight away.

Trying not to cry, Aleta turned to run away. Mariana chased after her.

But as she swung open the door to shout, the teen had vanished.

...

Under the red sky Aleta stood on the other side of the wall again. Face hidden in her hands. Returning to the normal world, she leaned back and tried to listen.

"-She had been right there... I'm s-sure." He heard her mother say, fighting back tears of her own.

"Maria. It's okay." Toby consoled the woman sweetly.

Stuffing her hands far into her pockets, the teen stomped off down the street.

"Coming back had been a mistake." Aleta thought.

Disappearing again and with the Angel now at her back, the girl let herself merge with the entity. The two of them taking flight.

Against the blood red backdrop, they faded into the distance high above the city. As did the crying that followed.

Eric was sat holding a towel around his neck. He was breathing heavily. At his feet, his bat lay scuffed among the bleachers.

There was not much cloud cover today over the baseball field. So his team was slowly baking under the sun. Thankfully, the stands were covered so that the teen could have a moment of respite.

Eric watched his teammates train, his breath finally steady.

The drills today had been especially difficult. Frank Houser stood beside the dugout, rubbing more sunscreen on his nose. Occasionally shouting words of encouragement to his hardworking team.

He was great coach. Pushing them just far enough to improve, while making sure that they did not burn out. Yet even a newbie like Eric could tell that with the tournament on the horizon, he was pushing them further than usual.

Calling some of the team off the field to rest, Mr. Houser called up to the bleachers. "Eric! You ready to get back in?"

"Yes sir!" He replied, shoving his towel in his back pocket and grabbing his bat.

Having been apart of the St. Lauren Bears for nearly two weeks now, the teen still found that he was on cloud nine.

Just getting to play baseball again meant the world to him.

"Alright now." Frank Houser said as the teen approached, "Let's vary up your shots. Watch those feet, but not so much that you don't see the ball coming okay?"

The man chuckled and gave Eric a hearty clap on the shoulder before sending him off to the home plate.

...

Eric was in good condition. Thanks largely in part to his coach's training, and his more recent activities. Though in truth, it had taken a couple days before the aches and pains of that fight in the alley to wear off.

With the team's star pitcher Alex firing off another bullet of a ball, the teen managed to swat most of them away one after the other. Until finally hitting one that went far away away enough for Eric to try and run the bases.

Pushing through his exhaustion, He took the second with relative ease. But felt himself lagging as he neared the third base. He could hear the ball being passed. It was getting closer.

The fourth seemed so far. Could he make it?

He broke into a full sprint. Only to fall short as he was caught out before he could slide to the finish.

Panting, Eric came to a stop with his head held back, turning as the teammate that outed him playfully tapped the ball against his chest with a smirk.

"Good hustle, boys. Get running!" Frank Houser clapped.

"Sorry." Eric apologized to him, catching his breath.

"You were doing good. Your form's getting better. I think we got to work on that running though. Timing too." The man mused. "You're not always gonna hit it out of the park."

Catching the teen's frustrated expression, Mr. Houser smiled. "Okay kid, join the others. A couple laps and we're done. Chin up. You're getting better!"

The sun continued to beat down on the field.

Eric joined his team and ran, their silhouettes losing definition in the haze.

They fought the heat together.

Later that same day as Eric was leaving school, he was surprised to run into Aleta. She seemed to have been waiting for him.

"Hello." He said, a little baffled.

"Wondering how I found you?" Aleta asked with a cheeky smile.

Because of the weather, she was not wearing a hoodie for a change. Instead she wore a shirt much like the one he had borrowed from her. It had a cartoon print of a jellyfish on it.

"Well, it's not very mysterious." She continued, "Your Mom told me."

Eric thought back to that night he had brought her home. Wondering just how much of his life had been unwillingly shared the following morning.

He felt a bit embarrassed.

"You know I should probably tell you now that I can't let you tag up my school. I don't think I'd be able to stay quiet if you did." Eric joked.

Aleta chuckled. "Tempting. Oh so very tempting! But nah, that's not why I'm here."

She seemed troubled.

"Can we... Can we talk somewhere?"

The longer he looked at her, the more he noticed just how dirty Aleta's clothes were. He wondered if she had been out fighting under the red sky lately.

"Yeah, sure. I'm done for the day." Eric rolled his shoulder. "Just, can we not go far? Coach beat us up today."

Aleta nodded. "In that case, you ever been up the hill here?"

"Only ever to get to school." He admitted.

"C'mon then!"

With that, the two left St. Lauren High. Turning away from where students usually waited for a bus home, they kept moving. It was a steep climb for both vehicle and person.

There was not much in the way of sights for a good while. Though as the hill flattened out slightly, Eric could make out what looked to be houses nestled in the distance.

"Lots of nice homes on the north side." Aleta said, clearly tired from climbing. "A little too empty around here for my liking though."

It was true. Unlike the jam-packed streets of the city center, or even his own neighborhood, things were sparse along this road.

"You okay? This might not have been the best idea, with your training and all that." The girl asked.

"Are you okay?" Eric teased.

Noticing her breathing, Aleta blushed. "Y-Yeah, I'm doing fine!"

The teen chuckled in response. His friend trying to hide her face.

...

Just as he was considering that they should stop and sit somewhere on the side of the road to talk, Eric saw a large expanse of green to their right.

Realization hitting her, Aleta exhaled. "Oh thank god! I forgot this was here."

Secretly thankful that they could stop walking soon, Eric followed after his friend. Trying to catch up as Aleta appeared to have gotten some sort of second wind.

With the city far into the background, they were about to enter St. Lauren's largest country club.

End of Chapter 17

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

Some in St. Lauren might say 'Why move somewhere on the west coast when you can have a piece of it right here.'?

Which is but one of many ways those lucky enough to be members of the Fairview Diamond Country Club would choose to describe it if asked.

Dominating a large section of the city's northern side, the club stands as a time-honored playground for the wealthy of the city. Golf, spas, a luxury hotel, fine dining. A venerated home away from home for those that could afford it.

Naturally, Eric and Aleta were far from the right clientele.

Which is why they were going to sneak in.

"You're sure?" The teen said, understanding the plan but still feeling anxious.

"Oh come on, we'll be fine. I've snuck in all over the city lately. This'll be no different." Aleta reassured him.

Eric was not sure how to feel about that statement.

In the blink of an eye, she was gone. Leaving him with no other choice but to follow.

A buzz in the ear and a throb of the head later, he was staring at the same tall fence. Only now it was gray, with the perfectly trimmed hedging and flowers on the other side colorless and dull.

"Eric!" He heard his friend call.

The Knight enveloping him, the teen jumped up and over. Landing with a thud on the other side. The grass beneath the armored entity's cleated boots felt like a gray carpet. Having been cut short for golfing, it almost looked fake. However the shortness only accentuated the surrounding greenery.

Eric was sure it all was much nicer to look at back in their real world.

"This way." Aleta guided, motioning towards the forest of trees that encircled the hotel area.

The Fairview Diamond occupied one of the last remaining stretches of true nature in the city. Save a few parks here and there, St. Lauren was a concrete jungle through and through. Yet here, it felt like you were somewhere else entirely.

After trudging through bushes and weaving between tree trunks, the teens eventually arrived in a small clearing.

Closing and opening their eyes again, they were momentarily floored by the green around them. In the distance through the trees, they could make out the fairway for one of the golf holes.

A few people in brightly colored shirts were taking their swings.

Taking a breath and relaxing somewhat, it did not take long for the atmosphere to grow tense between the two.

Eric had some idea of what Aleta wanted to talk about, but was not sure if he was ready to. He had tried his best to put the events of the alley and park behind him.

"Have... Have you been sleeping lately?" She finally asked.

Eric dragged a foot through the grass under him. "Sort of. You?"

Aleta sounded tired. "Not really."

They fell silent. Both fully aware of why they had been struggling.

...

Some time later, Aleta spoke again. "And your family? They still-"

The teen cut her off. "Yeah. They're still acting like my dad is around. On his way to St. Lauren, just finalizing things with work..."

He made a fist. "But he's not. He's gone."

"It's so messed up, Aleta." Eric continued, "They pretend to have conversations over the phone with him. When I listen in... There's no one on the other side. They're talking to nothing."

"What do you think is causing this?" The girl thought with a frown.

"Has to be the red sky. That place." Eric scratched his head in frustration. "Maybe its the strings too?"

The teens grappled with the idea. It seemed the most likely, but they had not a clue as to how it was causing Eric's mother and sister to hallucinate.

"And have you been back?" Aleta asked a moment later. "You followed any of the strings when they shake?"

Eric was quiet.

"I-I chased after some yesterday. They were dancing, shaking like mad. When I got there..." The girl was clearly not wanting to cry. "I w-was too late again."

In his mind, he was back in that alley.

"The monster never saw me coming. But it had already-" Aleta felt cold.

She turned to her friend, "I want it to stop, Eric. People... They don't deserve this shit. They shouldn't be getting killed in that place. By those things!"

Eric clutched his abdomen, remembering the blow he had taken. Being thrown through buildings, somehow surviving. Only to go back into the fight and almost get crushed by a man with powers of his own.

He hated to admit it. He was scared.

"Aleta, what can we even do? We were too late that time, and we almost died." The teen felt a cold sweat run down his back. "What if something worse happens next time? I don't think we-"

Eric lowered his gaze. "I don't think I'm s-strong enough."

"But you saved me." Aleta tried to look her friend in the eye. "First in the park, then in that alley-"

"I was just lucky to be there when you were attacked. I don't think I could have won if you hadn't gotten that angel of yours."

Eric threw his arms wide. "Then the other day... That was just a fluke! I had no plan! It just happened to work, and even then I would've died if you hadn't shot that guy."

Aleta reeled back at his words. The pain of taking someone's life still weighed heavily on her conscious.

"I want it to stop too." He finally said. "It's just... I don't see how we can do anything."

Silence again. Followed by Aleta suddenly standing a little taller.

"Then let's get stronger."

...

"What-"

"These powers we have... We must have them for a reason, right? So I think we can do it. Who says we can't get better?"

With Eric remaining quiet, she kept pushing. "Can you really bring yourself to do nothing, knowing what it means when those strings start shaking? How long could you really keep ignoring them, Eric?"

It was true. The guilt would eat him alive. In fact, it already had been.

No amount of baseball could ever make him forget.

There was a chance that Aleta was right. That they could do something.

Beyond the trees someone struck their golf ball up the course, exclaiming loudly that they had aimed in the wrong direction. Much to the delight of their friends.

...

Eric tried to shake away his doubts. "What if there's still people we can't save..."

Making a fist, Aleta pushed it into the teen's chest. Finally catching his eye. "If we get stronger, there's a chance we'll save them instead."

He could not look away from her. The resolve in the girl's gaze holding him in place.

The voices had returned. They mumbled in Eric's ear, sounding like they were encouraging him to try and fight.

...

He had made his decision. "Then let's do it."

Aleta gave him a determined smile. "Well then, first things first. I think we should start by getting to know our abilities more."

Eric nodded. "Okay. How we gonna do that?"

He got his answer in the form of the girl vanishing from sight.

Under the red sky, the trees were gray. The leaves overhead were dark, casting a harsh shadow over the teens.

"I'll go first." Aleta offered, a mist issuing forth from her body. From within the haze, bones joined together to form a shadowy figure that grew wings.

A second later, the entity was fully formed.

"The Angel." Said the girl, holding a hand out by way of introduction.

"H-Hello." Eric awkwardly said.

The girl's companion stared straight ahead. At least, that's what he assumed it was doing.

It was still quite hard to tell what it was looking at, as its dark featureless face was obscured by not only by its hair, but the hood of its jacket as well.

"So where to start? She's got guns!" To demonstrate, the Angel held up its weapons and took aim.

"Seven rounds in each clip." Aleta explained, "I still don't know where she keeps getting ammo from. But she hasn't run out yet so it's fine I guess."

It was hard for Eric to imagine too, as the figure's tight body suit didn't have any pockets.

He blushed a little.

"She can fly." Aleta pointed to the entity's wings. "Um..."

Seeing that she was struggling, Eric helped her along. "What about her ability?"

"R-Right! That's important." As she approached the Angel, it slowly lowered itself into the ground below. Becoming flat like a 2D image.

"I haven't thought of a name for this yet but, It seems like she can do it with any kind of surface." Aleta tapped the earth the flattened Angel with her shoe.

"By the way, I can't do this myself. It seems like only she can. Though if she grabs me or I merge with her, then I can turn flat as well."

The Angel moved about, its image gliding across.

Eric still found it surreal to watch.

"So far it looks like nothing can hurt her while she's like this. Though she can't attack either." Making a finger gun, Aleta pointed it at Eric.

"She has to pop out the ground a little first." The Angel in response, poked most of its torso out and fired a shot from one of its pistols. Leaving a bullet hole in a nearby tree.

"I see." The teen said. "It's really useful."

Becoming completely three dimensional again, the Angel bowed before fading into mist once more.

"That's about it. What about yours?"

Feeling a little shy, Eric concentrated. Soon, a large shadow was looming over his shoulder.

Aleta looked up at the entity. "The Knight."

"That's him."

Through its barred helmet, it watched the two teens with a single red eye.

"He really looks like a baseball player, doesn't he?"

Not sure where to begin, Eric pointed to the entity's claymore. "So, he's got a sword-"

"I can guess that much. What about his powers? He's got more than one, doesn't he?" Aleta said with interest.

"Y-Yeah, he does." The teen turned, holding out his hand much like his friend had done earlier.

"The night I first met him, he could absorb things by touching them. if we get injured, absorbing something can heal us."

Eric opened his palm. "I have a feeling that we can both use this power. Though I haven't really tried yet."

"What else?" Aleta asked.

Apprehensive, the teen was not sure how to proceed. "When we absorb enemies with abilities, we steal them. Make them our own."

Knowing what this meant, the girl urged him to continue.

Holding up its gauntlet, the Knight's hand split apart. A toothy mouth forming in between. It was the power he had taken from Taylor that night in the park.

"Uh, it can make these mouths appear anywhere on its body. I think it can only do two at a time."

"That's a weird one." Aleta admitted.

"The last one is this-" To demonstrate, the Knight suddenly dropped down a hole that had appeared beneath it. An ability it had taken from Mary.

"It can make a hole."

Walking over, the girl peered down into the darkness of the newly created pit. "How deep is it?"

"I have no idea. Though it feels like it can go on forever."

"Neat." Aleta said, trying to see if she could spot the entity as it kept descending.

Taking hold of her shoulder, Eric moved his friend back a bit.

She blushed.

"Anything in the hole keeps falling. Unless I command it to do this."

In an instant, the Knight rocketed out of the opening. Hurtling high into the sky as the hole closed and disappeared.

"That happens." Eric said, the two of them standing back as the entity landed with a crash.

"Awesome!" Aleta exclaimed.

In the cloud of smoke it had kicked up, the Knight raised its head. Staring into the red above.

"That's what he can do. For now, maybe." Eric rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's a good place to start." Aleta clapped her hands. "We can work with this."

...

Leaving the forest, the teens walked the empty grounds.

It was strange as while the gardens and greenery of the Fairview Diamond were so lush and abundant, the lack of color made it all look so lifeless.

Like mere imitations of the real thing.

Aleta was standing near the hole of a golf course. She held onto the flag pole, looking round as if a ball would somehow come flying and hit her in the head. Eric meanwhile, stood near the edge of a bunker. Wondering how many balls over the years had been trapped in its sandy clutches over the years.

He could sense it.

They were hesitating.

Glancing over at the girl, he waited for her to look at him. To give him the signal.

After some time, she nodded to herself and finally turned to him. Confident.

"I'm gonna start today." Aleta declared. "If you're still feeling sore from practice today, we can join up tomorrow or-"

"Let's go." Eric was not at his best, but he felt stronger under the red sky regardless.

Gratitude clearly written on her face, Aleta smiled. The Angel appearing at her side.

From the bunker, the Knight joined Eric.

The teens shared a nod.

Looking to the horizon, they set off. Merged with their companions, they easily leapt and flew over the walls of the country club into the city beyond.

It was time to save lives.

Gripping the sink with both hands, Eric leaned over it with his head down. Hair dripping wet as water from the faucet continued to run.

He met his reflection. Exhausted and stressed was the face that looked back at him.

Several days had passed after the teen's declaration at the country club. Things had not gone as planned.

They had still not saved a single life. At every turn they were always too late. As a result, failure was becoming expected.

Yet they were persisting. Growing more comfortable with fighting under the red sky each day.

Now all that remained was to actually save someone.

Eric shouldered his guilt, hiding the cracks in his confidence. Not wanting to fall apart.

They had to keep trying.

...

Getting dressed and leaving the bathroom, the teen headed downstairs. Ready for the school day ahead.

He found his sister having some last minute breakfast while their mother was talking on the phone. Judging by her body language, it was work.

Waiting for Nicole to finish, the teens waved goodbye and left the house.

"Mom's always chattering away on that thing nowadays." His sister confessed as they headed for the bus stop.

"It's part of the job." Eric shrugged.

"I'm glad Dad's around to help out at least." Nicole smiled.

"M-Me too." He hated to lie. But it was easier than shouting at them to open their eyes.

They could not see the truth. Still believing in a fake reality.

As they waited for their ride to St. Lauren High, Eric watched the strings in the distance.

"We're gonna find a way to stop this." He thought. Trying to keep his spirits up.

Training was finally done for the day. Mr. Houser followed his team back into their locker room.

They were all tired, except for Eric. Who was sat with his arms on his knees. Looking rather relaxed, if not for the far-off look in his eyes.

His improving physical condition now made his weekly baseball training seem like a light jog.

And yet it was still not enough.

"Great work today, boys." Frank Houser clapped his students on their shoulders. "We're gonna take the day off tomorrow. But if you find some time, be sure to practice a little anyway. Be it here, or at home. Field's always open."

"No breaking any windows, okay?" He joked.

"Yes sir!" Said the team in unison.

Eric robotically opened his locker and started to change. As he pulled up his pants, his phone beeped from somewhere inside. He searched for a while until finally finding it.

He had gotten a message from Aleta.

A playful jab hit his side. "Hey, I see you're still a little slow on the bases, Eric."

The teen jabbed Alex back. "And I see that you still can't throw at an angle."

His teammate's curly hair bounced as he laughed, returning to his locker as Eric inspected his phone.

Hey, its Aleta. Cn u come? Nw?

Eric buttoned up his shirt as another message came.

Its hppening.. . agn.

Dread dried the teen's sweat. He felt a familiar kind of grim anticipation.

Steeling himself for what was to come, he shut his locker and took his bag. Making sure his bat was inside before leaving.

Mr. Houser waved to him as he neared the exit. "Edwards. Good work out there today! Keep it up."

"Thanks coach..." Eric trailed off as he left. Not waiting around for the man to enquire on how he was doing.

Outside the school gates, he sent a message to Aleta before breaking into a run. The buses were too slow for times like this.

Where do you want to meet? I'm coming.

The teen got his reply before sprinting down the hill, only closing his eyes once he was sure that no one would see him.

Now in the gray world, he ran towards St. Lauren's center.

Once again, Eric was in a part of the city he had not been in. Surrounded on all sides by glass store fronts and dead advertisement boards, he was approaching a mall.

The largest in the entire city. Its sheer scale was obscured by the shopping districts that encircled it. Had it stood anywhere else, it would be a mega structure.

At least by the teen's small town standards.

Aleta had led Eric here, telling him to follow the strings within. He navigated an ocean of string, the district was packed with people on the other side. How he would find the shaking ones among them felt impossible.

No one was around to see him pull his baseball bat from his bag. After hiding his things in an alley near the entrance, he ran into the empty mall.

To his surprise, the teen spotted the erratic strings straight away. There was at least a dozen on the second floor that were going wild.

As he ran, he could not help but take in the space. The floor alone felt as large as a football field. Colorless shops were crammed into the walls, which seemed to stretch out infinitely. Up above past the railing lining the walkways, there was a glass skylight that let the light of the red sky in.

It made Eric feel a little sick.

"Don't lose focus. They're close." Said a voice in his ear.

"Up there, kid!" Shouted another.

Merging with the Knight, the teen leapt onto the bridge that ran between the second floor walkways. Their cleated boots shattering the tile beneath them.

Several gunshots loudly echoed through the mall.

The fight had started, Aleta was here.

The noise and strings were inside a woman's clothing store. Spacious and filled full of things that if the world around him were not so gray and dull, would perhaps be quite colorful.

Finding Aleta thankfully did not take long, as she suddenly appeared before him. She sat upright, sticking out of the Angel's body as it glided backwards.

Pockets full of shell casings, she was firing them from her slingshot at something unseen.

"Eric!" She said with relief. "T-There's two of them! I've got this one covered, no idea where the other one went!"

"I'll find it-" He was interrupted by the appearance of something truly grotesque.

The hideous creature charged its way through several clothing racks. It was wide and vaguely female in shape, with long thing arms. Its face and jaw were askew, drooling some black substance.

Aleta's attacks did not seem to be working on it.

"Shit!" The girl gasped, stringing up another shot as the Angel fired its pistols. "This thing is tough. Eric-"

"I'm on it!" He replied, knowing that while he had to find the other monster, it was important to also check up on the people who were being attacked.

He dashed through the clothing displays, arriving at the changing rooms. The dozen or so strings were still shaking. Whoever they belonged to, they were unharmed for now.

Eric could not smell any blood, which was also a good sign.

"Two monsters..." He thought, now on high alert.

As gunfire rang throughout the store, the teen held his weapon at the ready.

Before long, he had wandered into the women's underwear section. For a brief moment, he was embarrassed.

Flooded with memories of standing around waiting for his mother and sister while they were all out shopping together. Those times, he wondered if they enjoyed watching how uncomfortable he got.

Such silly thoughts died away seconds later. Something had made Eric freeze in place. The hairs on his neck stood straight up, his arms noticeably shook. Whatever it was, it had triggered his fight or flight response instantly.

Finding his bravery, he turned slowly and saw what had been hiding in plain sight the entire time.

It was massive. A beast unlike anything he had yet seen.

And it was looking right at him.

End of Chapter 18

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

The beast remained still, staring Eric down. Its small black eyes full of hate and rage.

A mass of white hair and muscle. A wide mouth full of gigantic teeth, so sharp that they looked as if they could cut the very air around them. One maw was seemingly not enough, as many more mouths lined the front of the dog's body.

Each opening and closing as if its flesh had to be torn apart just to create them. Eric had never been more scared in his life.

His legs were locked in place. It took everything in him to move.

The white beast suddenly hurled itself towards him, an ear piercing roar rang through the shop like a thunder-clap.

Managing to flee inside the Knight, the teen and his companion dodged out of the monster dog's way. The hairy creature colliding with the far wall so strongly that it felt like it had shaken the very foundations of the mall itself.

Unaffected by the collision, it rolled over and began barking in anger at the teen. Its many mouths making it sound like there was more than one dog around. Eric realized, looking past its monstrous features that it was a lot like some kind of toy dog breed.

Those fluffy little canines that older women would carry in their bags. Always having perfectly trimmed hair and often made to wear cutesy outfits.

This one was far removed from such origins.

A sweet creature twisted into a horror. Like a mutant wolf, its many lips pulled back to reveal horrid sticky gums. Snarls from the beast sounding more like they came from some kind of truck, instead of an animal.

Having fought monster dogs before, Eric dug deep to push his fear aside and find his courage. Readying himself to fight. The Knight was prepared.

The two moved into action, lunging and slashing their claymore at the beast. Only for the blade to get stuck only an inch or so in the monster's skin.

Eric was stunned.

As if mocking him, the dog shifted one of its mouths along its body towards the weapon before bending the teeth unnaturally. Biting down on the sword with extreme force.

Shifting its body at the same time, the teen and his Knight were tossed up into the air like a ragdoll.

Before the two could fall back down and become a chew toy to be torn to pieces, Eric removed himself from the Knight.

They landed either side of the dog, not ready to be beaten so easily.

...

Fighting in this other world with its red sky had changed the teens.

Eric and the Knight traced a circle round the beast. It seemed hesitant on who to lunge for first, clearly unsettled by their confidence.

Not giving it a chance to decide, the two advanced at the same time in a pincer formation. A deadly array of teeth awaited the Knight. The same would not meet Eric, who pivoted strongly as he stepped in and swung his bat into the dog's hind legs.

Thanks to all the baseball practice at school and fights, the impact of the blow broke skin. Fracturing bone and bruising muscle.

A howl of pain was met with a cleated boot to the chin from the Knight. The kick came at an angle that not only lifted the beast up slightly, but also made the bottom teeth of monster's main mouth lodge into the roof of the maw.

Whimpering as blood spewed from the punctures in its flesh, Eric stepped underneath. Facing the creature's exposed rib cage.

"Cut it open!" He commanded the Knight internally, quickly swinging his bat upwards before ducking aside. The impact made the beast stagger and stumble backwards. Allowing the teen's companion to deliver a flurry of slashes and cuts into its gut.

With repeated strikes, the hard muscle and sinew gave way. It was softer underneath.

After the onslaught of blows, with shattered ribs and intestines sliced open, the dog fell over in a mist of blood.

Eric and the Knight stood shoulder to shoulder before the fallen beast. The twitching body near death in a pool of its own blood. Breathing erratically and wheezing through punctured lungs.

It was a truly unsettling sight in such mundane surroundings. It was easy to forget that this whole fight was taking place in a women's clothing store.

The teen sighed, releasing the tension in the hand that gripped his bat.

"Okay..." He mumbled, trying to come down from the surge of adrenaline. "Better let the big guy do his thing-"

Before the Knight could approach and absorb the monster, the unthinkable happened.

Forcing its teeth out of the top of its mouth, the dog roared in agony. The cuts in its belly, the openings in its broken ribs, everything that had been damaged morphed. Widening as flesh and bone began to twist and transform.

Hundreds of tiny mouths formed, replacing the wounds.

After each one let out tiny screams, the newly created jaws closed shut and vanished. Miraculously healing the beast of its damage.

Eric and the Knight stumbled back in terror as the beast made to get up.

Its limbs were made to rotate unnaturally, paws now facing backwards touched the ground once more. The entire body followed with a horrifying crunch.

"Oh my god." Eric stammered, holding his bat tightly once more.

The dog turned, its beady black eyes now blood red and veiny. It shuddered in what seemed to be delight, many more mouths full of teeth appearing all over its body.

With each bark, Eric could feel his bones rattling.

The tiles cracked at his feet.

To his dismay, the monster was back in the fight.

Elsewhere in the store, Aleta was faring no better.

No matter how many bullets riddled its flabby skin, The monster just kept coming.

"It's a good thing you don't run out of ammo." She thought, turning to her partner.

"Right?" Aleta said aloud. The Angel's hooded face stared back at her, black and featureless.

"Yeah, we'll worry about that later." The girl sighed.

The creature's hefty frame shrugged off every attack they sent at it, never once slowing down. It bore a startling resemblance to the monster they fought in that alley.

It made Aleta uneasy. Terrified that what happened there was going to repeat itself again.

...

She would not let that happen. Not this time.

Growing tired of chasing the girl, the monster coughed. Its throat suddenly bulging. The Angel spun round and soared away as a jet black stream of some strange substance was spewed in their direction.

The mucus coated several clothing racks. it was thick like tar and foul smelling. Aleta watched in horror as it began to sizzle. In seconds, the gunk had dissolved the racks. Burning them to nothing.

"I cannot let that hit us." She thought.

The teen put as much distance between her and the monster, disappearing into the far side of the store. With a crash, the two entered a corridor full of changing rooms.

Aleta separated herself from the Angel and crouched down. Thankful to have a moment to catch her breath.

"That thing's got to have some kind of weak spot-"

"Excuse me... Can you help me, dear?" Said a loud, gurgling voice. The creature had caught up with her quicker than she would have liked.

Standing over her, A frail limp body now hung from its chest. Gooey and unpleasant-looking.

It appeared to be an old woman.

"I appear to be very lost at the moment. Could you please tell me where I am?"

She was being used like a puppet. A mouth piece for the horrendous creature. It revolted Aleta, while also deeply saddening her. The girl had seen this all too often under the red sky. These monsters could somehow speak, though whether they were conscious of what they were even saying was still debatable.

Having force itself into the tight space and appearing to be done talking for now, the monster charged at Aleta.

Before she could be trampled, the Angel scooped the girl up and broke the closest door that lead into one of the changing rooms. Without electricity, it was especially dark inside. The two stopped, catching their reflection in the full-length mirror.

Having not exactly disappeared, the hulking frame of the creature found them, casting a shadow over the small room from the small doorway. Managing to squeeze one of its arms inside, it threw a punch. Quick as a shot, the Angel merged with the mirror as it shattered.

From the thousands of glass shards, the teen and her companion moved unseen. When they touched the floor, the Angel regained its original size and swerved along the carpet. Slipping into another changing room.

The monster pursued them. In a fit of rage, it destroyed each room they tried to sneak into. Turning the rooms into piles of rubble.

Unable to shake the pursuit, Aleta knew they needed to get out of this corridor.

Fleeing along the ceiling, the monster followed after the girl. It flailed its arms uselessly up at them, perhaps thinking that it could reach eventually or just expressing its frustration. The old lady's body was battered and shaken around by the movement.

Bursting out of the corridor, they were back in an open area of the store. To the girl's relief, the roof got higher.

The Angel was getting further and further away. The monster followed them with its eyes before slacking its jaw. The old woman was sucked back into its torso. With a gurgle, she reappeared out of the creature's mouth. Her eyes now red.

Heaving momentarily, the woman puked up the strange black liquid from before. Then with a violent shudder, she arched her back and let loose a fountain of the sludge at the ceiling.

Like standing before a window that was suddenly blackened by darkness, Aleta now could no longer see.

Or move.

Despite being in their flat, invulnerable state, they were stuck in place.

The substance began to steam. Dripping downwards like hot tar. Unbelievably, the Angel was somehow forced out of its flattened state and into the open.

It burned.

Aleta felt like she was on fire. Her companion was coated in the stuff, slowly melting. Somehow, this goo could deactivate their power.

A horrible pain hit the girl's back. The liquid had got onto the Angel's wings, burning its feathers at their roots.

"Son of a bitch!" Aleta cursed.

"Argh!" Taking hold of her slingshot, the teen fired projectiles at the old woman. Though in her agony, she struggled to hit her target.

Sucking in air, the monster's puppet started to heave.

Readying itself to spit again.

Aleta knew that she was running out of options. That was until she saw it. Saw how the liquid was actually leaving small black holes in the monster's own body.

"Weak spot." The girl thought, grinning.

Throwing its entire body around violently, all Eric could manage to do was avoid the beast. In its enraged state, it had grown larger. Standing on longer legs with many new mouths, as if it had been reborn.

It fought back harder than anything the teen had encountered. Racks of clothing were tossed aside, walls were caved in by terrifying attacks.

There was no upper hand to be had, no openings to exploit.

To make matters worse, the Knight's sword could no longer reliably cut the monster. Hair and muscle had created an seemly impenetrable barrier. It could also twist its new body in ways that made most swings miss.

Any that had managed to hit, would just transform into more mouths.

Blocking a particularly vicious attack, The Knight was sent flying. Clutching its vibrating sword as it crashed to the floor. While not blown back, Eric was still tripped up by what had happened to his companion. They shared damage, but could still move independently of each other.

Seeing him stumble, the creature leaped at the teen. Forcing himself to stand, Eric slid to avoid it.

As he ran away, it was chasing him. What sounded like hundreds of teeth were chattering loudly in his ear. He could feel and smell the dog's breath on his back.

Trying to shake off the nausea, Eric thought on his feet. Counting in his head from ten.

Once he got to one, he suddenly came to a stop. Planting his feet and pivoting, he spun round. Swinging his bat.

It had been a gamble, though with the monster behind right behind him, he had liked his chances.. The blow thankfully connected, spraying blood and slobber everywhere.

This gave Eric enough time to reconvene with his partner. The Knight came running, covered in debris. Tile fragments stuck to its mane of hair.

Before long, the beast was back on them.

Unlike the sword, the blunt force of the teen's bat was effective. Yet getting close enough to hit it was a problem.

...

As things dragged on, Eric was beginning to lose steam. While the monster just seemed to be getting more energized. Loving the fight, relishing to see its prey struggle.

It continued to bark, louder than ever. A demented chorus that could deafen anyone.

"I can't keep this up..." Eric thought, breathing heavy. "I have to hit this thing were it'll actually hurt. Cutting it is doing nothing!"

The teen's mind scrambled for solutions as he ran circles around the beast. Fighting for his life.

Unhelpful and clearly panicked, the voices blared in his ears. So focused on surviving, their speech became only noise.

"I could distract it and let the Knight grab it..." Eric considered this. "But what if the dog bites into him? If it starts getting eaten, what will happen to me-"

Fatigue loomed ever closer as the teen neared the back of the store. He was running out of places to go.

Knight at his side, the two ran towards the escalators that led to a first floor he had not thought existed. It was indeed a really fancy store.

Only in a big city, Eric thought.

The monster kicked off the ground, landing in front of them and blocking the way down. Snapping at them as they backed away, all of its mouths seemed to grin with glee.

Turning, Eric saw elevators out of the corner of his eye. In an instant, he was struck with an idea. How he had thought of it, he would never find out.

...

It was insane.

But it could work.

Shaking away his doubt, Eric decided to bet it all. Hoping that the dog would keep chasing him as he sprinted towards an elevator. The monster thankfully found sick pleasure in the chase. Bounding after the teen, many mouths roaring with joy.

With no power to operate it, Eric made the Knight kick the metal doors open. In his weakening state, it barely created an opening.

He would have to squeeze through.

With his companion returning to his body, the boy managed to enter the elevator without slowing down. In a haze, the Knight was now translucent and skeletal, looking at him with its single red eye.

It understood Eric's intentions.

Pressing his back up against the metal interior, he tried to calm his shaky breathing. As the mist disappeared, he felt his heart jump as the beast stopped before the opening. Thinking that its prey had just made it easier for it, it tore the bent doors aside with ease.

Before long, Eric faced the monster. Now trapped in an enclosed space with the monstrosity.

For only a moment, he considered that perhaps this plan of his might not work.

The creature howled as if it had just won. Eric winced. Sure that his eardrums had just been ruptured.

His death was near.

The beast went in for the kill.

But just before the wide jaws of its main mouth could tear into Eric's torso, the boy gave one last heavy swing of his bat.

Managing to produce enough power to do so in such tight surroundings was a miracle.

The blow rocked the monster's head upwards, throwing off its attack. Slamming it into the roof of the elevator. Not to be deterred, it caught itself against the wall. Large claws crumpling the metal on each side of Eric like paper.

Arms now dangerously close, mouths appeared along the appendages and opened wide. They bit into the teen with reckless abandon.

Trying not to cry out in pain and give up, Eric screamed.

"DO IT!"

An opening suddenly appeared in the roof above. The Knight had created a hole and fallen through it, sword held firmly in both hands. Its tip pointed downwards.

While not falling forever into a dark pit, the entity still fell like it was. With the help of the momentum, it drove its blade into the top of the dog's mutant skull.

The strike pierced deep. The animal stopped moving.

Its eyes became black once again, glazing over as life left them. Its toothy arms released the teen. With the last of his strength, Eric reversed the hole's trajectory. The Knight shot back up into the roof, pulling the monster along with it.

Just as the beast's neck was about to pass through the hole, it closed.

In an instant, the dog was decapitated.

Eric was unwilling showered in its blood as the creature went limp. In the elevator shaft, the Knight extracted its sword and took hold of the monster's severed head.

Setting the claymore aside, it grasped the remains. Threads burst from it and flowed into the teen's companion.

Eric followed suit, unconsciously taking hold of the beast's arms and yelling.

...

He had finally gotten his answer.

Just like the Knight, he could also absorb things.

That familiar feeling of recovery rocked the teen. His fatigue vanished and his wounds healed. The corpse slowly shriveled and shrunk in response, its white hair falling away in clumps.

Once finished, Eric tossed the mess aside as it dissolved into ash.

He exited the elevator. His blood-covered form was in stark contrast to his surroundings.

It was as if he had been apart of some horrible murder in one room, before entering another.

Now it was as if the fight had never taken place.

Eric was greatly rejuvenated. He held up his hand, the blood was beginning to burn away from him.

Mesmerized by its vanishing act, he brought his attention back to the present moment.

It had only been one of the monsters. Aleta was still fighting the other.

The Knight rejoining him, the two ran to where they had last seen the girl.

He prayed that she was still okay.

If not... then the creature would have to deal with him.

The dark liquid seeped into everything.

Aleta and her Angel were still trapped in the substance, slowly dripping away from the ceiling.

Burning alive.

Aleta tilted her head back as it reached her scalp. It was melting her hair, but at least it had not gotten into her eyes yet.

Biting back her scream, she pulled on her slingshot hard. Her partner managed to hold one of its guns away from the sludge and take aim.

The old woman was reeling. Getting ready to spew again.

"Wait for it..." Aleta mumbled to herself, enduring the pain.

An awful belch. A bubbling sound came from the puppet's throat.

It was coming.

"NOW!" The girl shouted.

As the black substance was expelled, it found itself being shot off course.

What had been intended to scald Aleta alive, instead covered the entire left side of the monster's body. It was not immune to the devastation it created.

The woman was shaken about helplessly, dribbling as the creature choked and whimpered. In mere seconds, the black tar-like sludge had melted through the monster's once indestructible frame.

Aleta and the Angel fell to the ground, managing to land so that they would not collapse into a puddle of the filth.

The creature screeched terribly.

Standing up and still melting away, the teen and her companion fought through the pain and became a firing squad. Firing shot after shot into the monster without a second thought. Each bullet and shell casing ripped its disintegrating flesh apart.

The old lady could only sputter as she was thrashed about. More of her original body was revealed as the creature that had housed her was blown away.

Red-eyed and still finding her bearings now that she was out of her shell, the old woman tried to spit once more. Only to swallow it.

She seemed lost, no longer sure why she had been hostile in the first place.

The firing ceased. Aleta waited, hoping that the woman would come to her senses somehow. Perhaps she had a way to stop the fluid she spat up from killing her. They were the same after all... They shared the same eyes.

Despite her age, this old lady was just like the teens. Just like that man in the alley had been. They possessed powers, special companions.

Yet there was something wrong. She was different from Aleta. Deep down, the woman was changed.

Irreversibly so.

...

Knowing then what would have to be done. Aleta turned away as her angel approached the woman, putting one of its pistols to her head.

Delirious and far gone, she spoke to the entity before her. Seemingly unaware of the weapon pressed into her face.

"Excuse me, but could you help-" A shell casing bounced off the floor, disappearing into the darkness of the store as the gunfire rang throughout the store.

A single body dropped to the floor. The air filled with ash.

...

Oxygen seemed to return to Aleta's lungs. Heaving, she squatted down and stared at nothing in particular.

Now it was the third time she had killed another person.

The black liquid she was coated in had lost its corrosive properties. It was quick to dry, turning to dust and eventually falling away from her.

Still in a lot of pain, Aleta was slow to stand. Touching her head, she was grateful to feel that her follicles were not damaged. There was a concern that when meeting up with Eric again, she would all of a sudden be bald.

...

Eric.

Aleta looked around in a panic, worried about her friend. Remembering that he had run off somewhere to deal with the other monster. She had heard nothing of their fight during her own. Though having only caught a glimpse of it, it had looked scary.

She could hear footsteps coming towards her. Turning, she found the boy with his bat at the ready. He appeared quite fresh-faced compared to herself.

"It... It's over." Aleta said with a wince. "I-I got it."

Eric still stepped closer, worried. "Your skin-"

It was true, the substance had left burns all over her. Even now though, they were fading.

The teens had only learnt recently that while their clothing might not survive fights in this world, the human body would begin to naturally heal depending on the damage it had sustained. Worse injuries meant a longer recovery time over all. Sometimes it took days for them to fully recover.

"I know. It's okay. You know it'll get better... but this-" Aleta held the hem of her hoodie with disappointment. "I liked this jacket!"

Eric chuckled. Relieved that she was otherwise okay.

They stood in silence.

"Well, come on then. We need to go check." Aleta said, walking unsteadily.

She took the lead. "Let's go see if they're still... You know?"

The teen nodded, joining her. "Yeah."

No longer in a fight for their lives, the sheer scale of the store dawned on them.

Still, they traversed it. Now was time to see if their efforts had not been for nothing.

...

Were all those people still alive?

End of Chapter 19

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

The first thing that came to Eric's attention as they walked was how despite the intensity of that battle, his clothes had remained remarkably intact for a change.

Aleta had obviously not been so lucky. Her hoodie was full of holes, the undershirt beneath had not fared much better.

It was hard to not look at her skin beneath, the burns looked painful. Still, in a few hours he reckoned they would be healed.

He only wished he had been by her side sooner.

The store around them had taken a real beating. The aftermaths of their fight apparent.

Blackened marks where that gross acidic substance had been spat dotted much of the shop's interior. Having torn through anything it touched, it had left large openings in the carpets.

Peering down one as they passed, Aleta made a face.

It had kept going, burning another hole in the ground on the floor below. She wondered how far down it had gone before fizzling out, as well how the hell she had not been able to withstand it without being disintegrated immediately.

Maybe it was just luck?

They neared where the beast had been. Not much remained, clothing racks bent out of shape with their garments tattered. Craters full with concrete and debris were littered everywhere.

It was like a bomb had gone off. Multiple times.

Aleta chanced a glance at Eric. He was remarkably undamaged in comparison, with only a few minor scrapes here and there. She figured that he had probably managed to absorb the monster in the end.

It was hard to deny that she was not a little bit jealous. Every time she moved, her body kept aching and her burns stung.

"You okay? Eric held out his hand. "We can stop for a moment if it's hurting."

Aleta flushed, grateful. "N-No, it's okay."

...

They came at last to the changing rooms that had not been destroyed in their fight. At first they were cautious, looking about as if another creature might show itself. But they stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw them.

The strings.

In complete shock, Aleta raised a hand to her mouth. Eric felt an immense relief fill his chest.

"They're... They're still here." The girl said under her breath. "The s-strings- Eric, they're still here... And they're not shaking anymore either!"

It was true.

Excited to see what this meant back in the normal world, Aleta closed her eyes. Eric watched her disappear before relaxing. He would have liked to have joined her, yet was not a fan of the idea of suddenly appearing before a group of women changing.

Aleta meanwhile was speechless. Still not believing what she was seeing. Under the glow of the store lights, her attention was solely on the occupants of the rooms.

She could clearly hear the voices of the women inside.

They chattered away. Mundane topics that were like music to Aleta's ears.

After so many failed attempts... After so many deaths that they could not prevent...

They had done it.

Spending some time just listening to them, Aleta figured that it would better if she left before anyone saw standing their in her tattered clothes. So she closed her eyes and returned to Eric. He was sitting on a nearby chair, looking a bit like a boyfriend who had been dragged around on a shopping trip.

His pupils were a dull red.

"We did it, Eric. We actually-" Aleta said as soon as she saw him, tears welling up.

Eric sighed deeply in response, letting his bat drop and leaning back like he had not been able to relax for months.

"Yeah. We did it." He repeated, wiping at his cheek. Trying not to break down crying himself.

Aleta fell to her knees as she got closer to her friend, unable to keep herself from sobbing. Eric got up to try and comfort her, but was surprised when she shot up and wrapped him in a tight hug.

He turned scarlet for only a moment as Aleta began to loudly cry into his shirt. At the sound, he held her.

They remained that way for a while. With Eric sadly smiling as his friend vented her emotions.

A voice tickled his ear. He raised his head.

"Well done, kid." It said.

Still not knowing where these voices were even coming from, Eric in that moment decided to nod in response.

"Thanks." He thought, hoping that whoever it was could hear him.

They had been slow to leave. Eric was the first to consider doing so, picking his bat back up off the floor.

"Well then, guess I'll meet you outside." He said.

Having recovered herself and still a little teary, Aleta raised an eyebrow. "Wha- Where you goin'?"

Noticing her confusion, the teen blushed. "I-I can't just walk out of a woman's changing room like it was n-nothing. I'm also carrying a bat. I don't think the shop staff are gonna be happy to see this."

Aleta grinned, following his reasoning. "I guess you're right... but is it embarrassing being in here?""

She laughed as Eric's face flushed further.

"Come on, I'll walk with you." She said, taking the lead once again.

...

Now that they were no longer in a rush to be anywhere, the vastness of the mall really sunk in.

There was something eerie about it being so empty under the red sky.

"I think this might be the most unsettling place I've been to so far." Aleta admitted. "The districts outside are okay, but here is just..."

"Creepy." Eric finished her thought as they approached the escalators. Without power, they had to take big steps on the way down.

While they were on guard, just in case that some more monsters might appear, things were quiet. The teens walked at a rather leisurely pace. The rest of the strings within the mall remained calm, moving normally as the people they belonged to moved about on the other side.

For once, the unnatural silence of this world felt like a reward for their hard work.

Outside, Eric lead them to where he had left his bag. Aleta glanced around the alley with a nod.

"Great minds think alike." She announced, "I left my stuff here, too."

Closing his eyes, he returned to the normal world. Squinting as he gazed at the clouds overhead, obscuring an otherwise bright sun.

He was worried that his bag might have been snatched up while they were fighting. Yet he soon found it right where he had left it. Untouched.

Aleta was nowhere to be seen. He figured that she must have hid her things somewhere further down the alleyway. With its job done for now, Eric put his bat away.

Zipping up his backpack, he stood at the entrance of the alley.

With a stretch, he heard Aleta coming as he watched the people pass by. The shake of the spray cans in her duffel bag was unmistakable.

She had changed into a new hoodie, one with patterns he had not seen yet.

"So, what you gonna do now?" Eric asked.

"Not really sure. Might wander around here a bit. We came all this way, might as well shop." She joked, "Not that I have much money. What about you?"

Eric adjusted the strap of his bag. "Thinking I'll head home, maybe."

"Think I've had enough shopping for one day."

Before leaving, he caught the smile on Aleta's face as she watched the oblivious faces of humanity before them.

"We're... We aren't going to stop, right?" She said anxiously. Uncertain that he still shared the same conviction.

Catching her meaning, Eric gave her a confident look.

"We are just getting started."

The two said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. For once, Eric was returning home in high spirits.

He felt a bit embarrassed to admit it, but it was like today he had officially become a hero.

The teens had proven that saving others from being attacked in the other world was possible. And despite how often the voices in his head were pessimistic, they chose to remain quiet. Allowing the boy to savor their long-awaited victory.

The bus was packed on the ride home. Eric held his bag close as he watched the passing scenery. Truly content for the first time in weeks.

On the way to school the following morning, Eric found himself in an awkward position.

Inquiring about his sister's life.

"So... How are your classes going?" He started.

With every question, Nicole had barely responded. Being her usual uninterested self.

At least she was not as sad as she had been before they moved here. Though it was still hard to see both her and their mother believing in a false reality where his dad was still around.

"Fine." She said at last. Offering nothing else.

Eric rubbed his neck with a strained grin. "That's good to hear. It's not going so well for me."

Between the monster fights and his baseball training, the teen was struggling to keep his grades up.

Nicole actually smiled at this. "Makes sense. You are the dumb one." She paused before covering her mouth, teasing him further. "All you think about is balls."

"Hey!"

There were a few stops between their home and St. Lauren High on this bus. Still flustered, Eric turned his attention outside. To the unraveling concrete facades of the city.

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing." his sister groaned, "Some of the girls in my class won't shut up about the baseball team."

Usually not one to listen to gossip, Eric's ears perked up.

Suddenly, he was interested.

"Always talking about how hot that one guy is." Scrunching her nose, his sister made her voice more squeaky.

"'Did you see him again today? You're so lucky!'"

"'He's so hot...'"

Eric's interest was piqued.

"'Yeah, I just can't! He's totally cool!'"

"'That hair, those eyes. God, he's dreamy...'" Nicole's impression was getting ruder.

Her brother listened on, starting to like what he was hearing.

"'You should try and get his number!'"

"'What?! No way! Alex would just ignore me!'" Nicole added a giggle.

...

Eric's excitement dissipated. He held his head down, sighing.

Looking at her brother, Nicole was confused. "What are you so sad about?"

Another stop into the trip, Eric pulled his bag closer to his feet to clear the aisle as someone approached. Expecting them to pass by, the person instead stopped and did a double-take.

Nicole flinched and Eric looked up.

"I am assuming that by seeing you here, I'm on the right bus?"

Having met this girl twice now, Eric still did not know her name. Though it was hard to forget her. She was once again wearing loose-fitting, baggy clothing. With her hair done up in a tight bun.

"This one stops by St. Lauren High, correct?" She asked.

Eric nodded. "Yeah, you're on the right one for that."

"Oh thank goodness!" Dabbing at her forehead with the flowy sleeve of her shirt, the girl took the empty seat on the row across from them. "I've never taken the buses before so I was worried to death about getting to school late."

The teen was surprised. Wondering how else one might get to school. "What do you usually take?"

"Oh, my mother and father usually drop me off. Sometimes if I have time and they're unavailable, I jog. Since I don't live that far away." She replied.

Nicole eyed the girl and her brother suspiciously. "Who's she?"

Hearing her question, the girl cleared her throat. "My name's Mila. What's yours?"

Seeming to have lost her voice, Eric chimed in for his sibling. "This is Nicole. She's my sister."

"Oh, how cute!" Mila smiled genuinely. "What's it like going to school with a sibling? Sadly, I am an only child."

"Lucky you." Nicole joked.

Mila tapped her chin before motioning to Eric, who was rolling his eyes at his sister. "We've spoken a few times now, and I still don't know your name do I?"

Before Eric could say anything, the girl drowned him out with a verbal tidal wave of guesses.

"I'm sure I have hear it. Derek, perhaps? Danny? Donald? No 'D'? Okay! Wait a moment... Um... Nathan? Barry, maybe? Bert?"

Nicole struggled to hold back her laugh.

"You're getting warmer." She snickered.

Not wanting Mila to continue and embarrass him further, 'Bert' put his hand up to get her attention. "Eric! It's Eric."

"Ah, okay." She smiled again, "Good to finally know. I was not close at all."

"Y-Yeah." Eric sighed.

Somehow, it felt like this ride was going to be a long one.

...

With the bus still going, Mila ended up speaking with Nicole the most. After remarking on how much she liked the younger girl's sense of fashion, the two seemed to hit it off straight away.

Eric was glad to see his sister getting along with someone new. He wondered if they would end up becoming friends.

Back home, Nicole was apart of a tight group of girls her own age. They had all grown up together. The move inevitably split them up, leaving his sister alone for the first time in her life. Even before she had started believing that her father was still here, she was clearly having the hardest time adjusting to their new life here in St. Lauren.

Perhaps this was a sign that things were about to change.

The two continued to chat away, eventually exchanging phone numbers. Eric would occasionally chance a glance at Mila, noting how her posture would never slacken. She always looked so graceful, effortlessly exuding an elegance that seemed otherworldly.

Knowing that she was a dancer in their school's ballet department, he was curious as to how she might look while dancing. The thought of him taking up the art himself crossed his mind, but was quickly shaken away.

He decided that it was better if he stuck to hitting balls and running bases.

Even if that teacher had clearly expressed interest in him joining. Which made him blush again.

He tried to distract himself with thoughts of training drills and sliding in dirt for the remainder of the journey.

Waving goodbye to Nicole, Mila climbed the steps to the second floor and ended up joining Eric on the way to his class.

"You sure are lucky to have such a sweet sister. I'm really jealous."

Eric considered downplaying just how much he truly loved his little sister, but chose to say the truth instead.

"I sure am."

The two carried on. The entire time, the teen wondered why he did not share any classes with the girl. They seemed to be around the same age.

"How is baseball going?" Mila asked, seeming to grasp at anything that they might be able to talk about.

"Oh, yeah. It's great. I'm just happy to be playing again." Eric remembered the second time they had spoken and rubbed his neck. "Thanks by the way, for the other day."

Catching what he had meant, Mila giggled to herself. "Of course. It would really be better if your club was closer to the field, wouldn't it?"

Eric held his textbooks closer. "How's the- uh, dancing?"

Strangely, she seemed hesitant to answer. Though eventually she caved and smiled. "Fine. We don't have a competition coming for a while yet. So everyone's been relaxed."

"That's nice." The teen rolled his shoulder, "Coach has been pushing us to the limit every chance he can get."

"All for your betterment, surely." Mila said, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"Yeah, I trust him. The other guys complain a lot though." Eric chuckled.

Nearing a staircase, the girl turned towards it. "I'm going this way. It was good to talk with you."

"You're a senior?" Eric was taken aback.

"Do I not look it? I will take that as a compliment. Goodbye for now, Eric!"

The teen watched Mila climb the steps. It was like she was floating up them, gliding so gracefully. The string in her head swayed gently.

He had never seen one so calm.

Not wanting to be late, Eric continued on to his class. Trying to imitate Mila's movements as he went.

The results were mixed. He came very close to falling over many times. And he almost would have, had it not been for the student the teen almost tumbled into.

"S-Sorry about-" Eric started, catching himself before glancing up to see a familiar face.

"Hello again." The tall boy said.

"Tim, right?"

"And you are Eric Edwards." Jaromir responded in a joking way.

Despite his approaching class, Eric felt he had to be polite. "How's things?"

"Things are good." The Czech grinned.

"Great."

...

They stood there awkwardly for a while. Not knowing what else to say.

Eric broke the silence. "W-Well, I better keep moving. Don't want to be late."

Jaromir nodded. "The same goes for me."

The giant waved and went on his way. Eric would have left too, but the sight he saw kept him from doing so, rooting the teen in place.

Heart pounding in his ears, a familiar feeling of dread washed over him.

From the top of Tim's head, his string was violently shaking.

It was a night like many others for Jaromir that day. He was once again inside Ruby's apartment, losing at a board game he did not fully understand.

If he was given time to read the rules, he would be okay. Except that he could never seem to find the manuals. He had long expected that Owen and Sky had been hiding them so that they could beat him every time they played anything.

Rather than get frustrated, Jaromir let them have their fun. Seeing the kids enjoying themselves made him happy.

The first night he had offered to babysit for Ruby had been an awkward one.

Perhaps feeling bad for him, his boss Terry had given him a few nights off during the week. The single mother however, seemed to never stop working.

And so, wanting to show his thanks for the job Ruby had helped him get, he had offered to look after things for her on the nights he was free. Though she was quick to turn him down any chance she got, Jaromir persisted and she relented. Ultimately grateful for his help.

It seemed like it would be smooth sailing from then on.

Ruby's youngest, Owen, already liked him. Yet it would prove difficult to get his sister to feel the same way.

Only a handful of years older than her brother, Sky did not warm up to the Czech quite so easily. Often she would stand or sit around with her arms crossed, chiming in whenever Owen and Jaromir found something to do.

Going on to make up a story about how they were not allowed to do said activity. This exasperated her brother, but there was little he could do to change her mind.

This continued for the whole night.

Jaromir remained unfazed, having dealt with something similar with his own siblings.

It was not until later into the evening, just before it was time for the children to go to bed that Sky finally conceded.

...

The three of them were in front of the television. An activity that the girl had not yet closed off.

Jaromir, taking note of the clock near the kitchen, sat up. "I think it is time for bed."

"Aw, really?" Owen protested, eyes still glued to the screen.

"Yes, I am afraid it is." The teen sighed, feigning his own disappointment.

Not having to convince the boy further, Owen got off the couch and obediently got ready for bed. Sky, on the other hand, remained seated. Watching her brother leave and still refusing to look Jaromir in the eye.

Laughing on the inside at her antics, the teen leaned over her and waited. The girl turned her head to try and keep watching the television, but found it hard with Jaromir blocking it.

When she shifted to try from another angle, the teen followed. It was not in his nature to be stern, preferring to just be a nuisance instead. The Czech watched the girl with a kind expression.

"Sky. It is time for bed." He said, keeping his tone calm. "Don't you go to bed at this time of night?"

"Not always." She replied, still trying not to look at Jaromir.

The teen thought for a way out of this. "I think it is tonight. Your mother told me so."

"She was probably lying."

Jaromir almost chuckled. "I do not think Ms. Ruby would lie to me."

Sky would not budge. So he tried a new angle.

Faking a sigh again, he got out of her way. "I think it would be good if you went to bed. You work so hard at school."

This comment made the girl look his way for the first time that night.

"If do not get a good sleep, you won't be able to do good tomorrow." Jaromir leaned down again.

This time, Sky got a full view of the Czech's soft eyes.

She found his wide smile funny.

"Will you get ready for bed now?"

The girl got embarrassed and looked away. Though she finally got up from the couch and went off to get ready for bed.

Jaromir watched her leave and cheered internally.

It would have been bad if Ruby had returned home to find her two kids still up and running about in the early morning. With a tall boy scrambling around on the floor, pleading with them to listen to him.

After that night, each subsequent babysitting visit had become easier. The kids grew to like Jaromir quite a lot.

Sky never complained about being sent off to bed, or much of anything ever again.

Things could not have been better for the teen. Though it would soon turn out that life for the Czech was about to change.

And it would all start with an encounter with that gray and red world.

End of Chapter 20

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

"Okay Tim, if you roll anything lower than a four, you're out of the game!" Owen said with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Jaromir held the dice in his hand, his gaze shifting between them and his piece on the board. It was true. Anything other than that and he would be too far away from the kid's pieces to keep playing.

Leaving it up to fate, he made his roll. As he watched the die spin and tumble, the teen had the passing thought that perhaps they were loaded. He quickly reminded himself that he was playing with children, not con-men.

His competitiveness was showing.

Sadly, he looked down to see that he had rolled a two and a one.

He was out of the game.

"Tim's out!" Sky announced with enthusiasm, snatching up the dice.

"Better luck next time, buddy." Owen put a hand on Jaromir's back, trying to reach his shoulder and console the teen.

"Next time." He shrugged. Masking how just how badly he had wanted to keep playing.

...

It was a close game in the end. Yet Sky won out over her brother.

"You're doing the dishes this week!" She declared, much to her sibling's disappointment.

Getting up from his chair, Jaromir glanced at the clock.

"Mom's late again." Owen mentioned, sounding a bit sad.

"She always works late. It's nothing new." Sky said, waving him off.

Without having to mention that it was bed time, the kids were already on their way to brush their teeth. Jaromir decided that maybe since he got so thoroughly beaten during their game, they were being extra nice.

"She does work late." The teen said to himself, waiting in the doorway of the children's bedroom.

Minutes later, the two passed under him in their pajamas. The giant followed them in as they got into their respective beds. There was not a clear divide between Owen's side of the room and Sky's. Their toys and various interests seemed to meld together.

They were close as siblings.

Jaromir was always surprised at how the seldom the two fought each other. His own brothers and sisters were the complete opposite - on more than one occasion, he would have to break up their fights and bickering.

Tucking Owen into bed, the boy caught the teen's eye. "You're not gonna leave yet, right?"

Surprised by the question, Jaromir smiled and comforted him. "I will only leave once Ruby gets home."

"Okay." Owen grinned, relieved.

Sky, being the older child, pulled up her own bedding. But she always made sure to leave just a bit of it open so that Tim could tuck her in.

"Goodnight." Jaromir said to the children, leaving their room and turning off the lights.

"'Night Tim."

"Goodnight!"

He slowly shut the door and returned to the main room. With no much else to do, the teen took a seat and stared off into space. His gaze settling on the clock.

Watching it tick away time admittedly made him rather sleepy.

Eventually, he stopped resisting and let his body relax. His mind drifted. It neared the edge of sleep, ready to fall in.

...

Then, it happened.

At first, it had been merely uncomfortable. Only to then get steadily worse.

Jaromir shot up, grasping his head. The pain was intense, surging through him. Unrelenting. He managed to brace himself against the dining table as he stood.

His surroundings were abnormal. Color seeming to leave everything he saw.

Breathing rapidly, he looked back to the clock. Its ticking had died away. It was no longer moving.

Dragging himself along, using the wall for support. He bit into his lip as a way to not scream.

Straight away, he was worried about the kids. For some unexplainable reason, he thought that they may be experiencing the same pain.

Nearing the bedroom door, he pushed it open softly. Inside he found the two sleeping soundly. From the tops of their heads, strange long strings were flailing about like they were scared of something.

Their motion made Jaromir nauseous. More so when he discovered that the string that was in his own head was doing the same. He reached for it as his skull throbbed in protest. Managing to take hold of it, it did nothing but make the pain worse.

Reaching his breaking point, Jaromir fell to the floor. Sky and Owen remained asleep as the teen squirmed on the ground, feeling like he was being crushed to death.

Just when it seemed that his head would explode and that he would die in an instant, the pain vanished.

...

It all just disappeared.

Color returned. Electricity buzzed back to life. The clock ticked away once more.

Tim lay unmoving, covered in sweat. When he finally sat up, he felt for the string. It was no longer there.

Through blurred vision, he observed that the children no longer had them either.

Feeling like he was made of jelly, the teen cautiously returned to the main room. He was afraid that it would happen again.

The sound of someone unlocking the door almost made him jump out of his skin.

Ruby stepped into the apartment, smiling upon seeing Jaromir. She was holding her high heels in one hand.

"Tim, hello! Sorry if I was a little late tonight. Was stuck dealing with a client." The woman apologized, locking the door behind her.

"That... That is okay." The Czech replied, finding his voice. Tasting blood, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"How were the kids?" Ruby said as she placed her purse down and started taking off her earrings.

"F-Fine. No problems."

"That's good to-" The mother was interrupted by her phone ringing.

She seemed unwilling to answer it.

Once it stopped, she picked it up and looked at the screen. Her expression was difficult to read.

Jaromir's eyes darted around the room, still unsure as to what had just happened. The thought that it might occur again really frightened him.

Ruby took his uneasiness as a sign that he was worried about her. She put her phone away with a strained smile.

"Don't you worry about me. Just work stuff."

Realizing that he was being spoken to, the teen nodded stiffly.

Observing the clock, he found it to be keeping time. If his calculations were correct, then whatever had happened had only lasted two minutes.

Ruby approached and handed the boy something. It took him a moment for him to realize that it was money.

"There. For tonight."

Immediately, Jaromir tried to hand it back. "No. I do not need it."

"Oh, for-" Ruby persisted. "For the last time Tim, take my damn money! You still need it. Babysitting isn't a free job."

Shaken by the incident and too tired to resist, he took the cash with a sigh. "Thank you, Ruby."

"That's more like it. Now you go off to bed, you've got school tomorrow." Ever the mother, Ruby sent the teen on his way.

Before she closed the door behind him, she caught Tim's eye. "Thank you, for doing this. It means a lot."

"Of course." Jaromir waved goodbye.

...

He had not left straight away, instead standing there for an uncomfortably long time. Still concerned that something might happen.

Eventually, he forced himself away. Making for the stairs. It was hard to climb them, his legs were shaky. Jaromir ended up holding onto the railing with both hands on the way up.

Back in his own apartment, it took the usual couple of seconds before the lights came on. In a daze, the teen go ready for bed.

It was like his mind was lagging a few minutes behind. His body on autopilot. Only once the room was dark again and he was under the covers did he realize that he had done anything since he got home.

He lay there. Too scared to close his eyes.

What had happened... He prayed that it had only been a dream.

Yet he could not fool himself for long. It had been real.

The ceiling above was creaking. In the darkness, Tim watched the bulge as it traveled a fair distance. The whole trip producing a thin layer of white dust that slowly fell. Narrowly missing the teen's bed.

He waited for the movement to appear again.

When it finally did, Jaromir had drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

The night would be long. With nightmares at every corner.

Eric was certain that he had turned the right corner. Up until now, he had few problems when it came to following Aleta's directions.

But here he was now, lost.

Feeling like the city was new to him all over again.

Wandering St. Lauren's lower east side, he backtracked through his texts with the girl and checked the old instructions she had given him the day after he had rescued her in the park.

He sighed, knowing where he had messed up. Turning around, Eric retraced his steps before heading in the direction he was supposed to be going in.

Things were looking more familiar now.

He walked in silence, taking note of how different this part of town really was. Cramped like a maze and dark, as if the sun had never touched it.

A stark contrast to the open spaces around his school and neighborhood.

Coming across a whole wall covered in graffiti, Eric was relieved. Following it would surely lead him to where he wanted to go.

The Rundown Road opened up to the teen. Ever a relic of the old city, left behind by the rest of St. Lauren. A long enclosed street, with odd-little shops crammed into heavily tagged walls. Many places lacked clear signage.

Eric still found this strange.

Even somewhere as small and insignificant as his home town would always have signs.

Though as he caught glimpses of the people inside these stores, he thought that perhaps not everything needed a label.

Why say anything, when you can just say nothing at all?

...

Not far along the road, he spotted a familiar hooded figure waiting by a street lamp.

Raising their head, they ran over with a wave. "Took you long enough!"

Eric frowned, embarrassed. "Sorry, I got lost trying to find this place."

Aleta seemed disappointed, but only for a moment. "Happens to the best of us. So I'll forgive you... Just this once."

She grinned.

"Thank goodness." The teen joked. "So, where did you say you wanted to eat again?"

"Right over here. C'mon!" Aleta motioned to an unassuming entranceway and walked inside.

Eric took notice of the metallic sign above the open shutter - it depicted an anthropomorphic bull, carrying an even bigger bull on its shoulders.

More than a little perturbed and confused by this, the boy raised his eyebrow and entered cautiously.

Within, the smells of barbeque filled the air. Eric could smell mouth-watering spices and meaty aromas. Immediately taken back to when he was younger, to the meals his dad would grill up during family weekends.

It was not the worst memory, but he pushed it aside regardless and joined Aleta at a table near the back.

"Man, it smells good in here." Eric commented, taking his seat.

Before Aleta could reply, a manly voice interrupted her.

"It tastes even better."

The teen turned and looked up at the large man that had appeared before them. Mostly muscle and mostly bald, he peered down at Eric in surprise.

"Well, now this is a first!" He said, combing back the tuft of hair above his forehead. "Little Miss Morelli, you've never brought company."

Quickly snatching up a menu just for Eric, he handed it to him before nudging Aleta's shoulder.

"Boyfriend?" He tried to whisper.

"Shut up, Chuck!" Aleta's face went bright red.

The man gasped in mock horror. "Y-Your boy toy?!"

"Seriously, Chuck! Quit it!" She moaned.

Laughing to himself, the man looked to Eric. "I'll give you some time to look that over. Want something to drink in the meantime?"

"I guess I'll have a cola." The teen replied, equally as red.

"Two?"

Aleta nodded, begging Chuck with her eyes for him to leave. Getting the message, the man skipped away, still chuckling.

"God, that guy. Sorry about that."

"'Little Miss Morelli'?" Eric asked with a smile.

"Just his dumb nickname for me..." Aleta complained, though clearly not that offended by it.

"Am I really the first person you've brought here?"

Blushing again, the girl brushed some hair behind her ear. "Y-Yeah."

Eric felt oddly happy about that.

"You don't need a menu?" He remarked after giving his own a once-over.

"Nah. I k-know that thing back to front."

She was a regular. Eric took note of the sparseness of the restaurant.

It looked a lot like someone's garage on the inside, though converted just enough to look like something else. Strewn about were various items depicting bulls and cows in some fashion.

The large tag on the wall overlooking the kitchen area caught his attention. It showed two muscular bulls with the fur on their arms pulled back, showing branded tattoos on pink skin.

It seemed awfully familiar.

"Hey, maybe this is a dumb question, but did you do that graffiti?"

"Yeah, that's one of mine." Aleta grinned slightly, "How did you know?"

"Well, I know you don't leave a signature. But it just looks like something you'd make. Your style is clearly there, too." Eric mused.

"You only leave a signature if you're confident in not getting caught." The girl added.

Chuck returned with their drinks. Eric was thankful, not realizing how thirsty he had been.

The man produced a little note pad and a pen and waited expectantly.

"The usual." Aleta said flatly, putting her lips to the straw of her drink.

Chuck gave her the thumbs up before turning to Eric.

Though he had looked through the menu, he was still unsure of what to pick. The teen rubbed his neck. "What is your 'usual', Aleta?"

"Butter and egg glazed bun, medium-rare prime cut, rolled in bacon and cheese. All the colors and fixings." Chuck said it like he had done so a thousand times before.

Aleta held out her hands with an approving nod. As if to say 'ta-dah'.

"I-I think I'll have that, then."

Chuck made eyes at Aleta, who gave him the finger in response.

"Comin' right up!" The man bellowed, returning the kitchen.

The cooking had begun. Eric could soon hear the sizzle on the grill, and the smell of the meat.

"So..." Aleta started, "What was it that you wanted to talk about?"

The teen leaned forward, trying to keep his voice low. "It's about Tim. He's this big guy that goes to the same school as me."

"Yesterday, I saw that his string has started moving." He pointed to the top of his head sadly.

Aleta turned serious. "Was he at school today?"

"Yeah. It was still shaking."

The girl spun the straw in her drink. "Then nothing has happened to him so far. Though something is gonna come for him eventually."

"Maybe not today, or tomorrow. But soon."

While not having figured out exactly when someone was about to be attacked in the 'Other World', from their experiences however, they knew that when strings started moving... It was like a target had just been painted on a person's back.

"Sure would be nice to know when." Eric glanced around the restaurant.

Chuck had not heard them, absorbed in the process of making their meals.

"Do you know where this guy Tim lives?" Aleta asked.

"No. He's always gone by the time I finish practice."

The girl ran her hands through her hair, thinking. "There's no guarantee that he's not in trouble right now."

"Yeah..."

Watching as her friend's expression darkened, Aleta tentatively reached over the table. Patting the boy's hand.

"Remember what we said to each other a while back?"

"'We try and save who we can'?" Eric said straight away.

It was a phrase that had come about during their many failed rescue attempts under the red sky.

"Don't forget that." Aleta sighed.

Eric grimaced. "You're right. Though if I'm being honest, I wanna save the guy..."

In the kitchen, Chuck was whistling a relaxing tune. His attention solely on the meat before him.

"How about this?" Aleta began, "If Tim shows up at St. Lauren High tomorrow, let me know. I'll wait around until he leaves and follow him."

"Once I find out where he lives, I'll call you and we'll meet. That way, we find out where he stays and know where to go if and when something goes down."

Eric was close to finishing his cola. "Are we gonna watch him?"

"Something like that, yeah. You can go home as it gets late, I can stick around and watch his string. No problem."

"If anything happens, I'll call you." Aleta leaned back in her chair.

"You're going to watch him... the entire night?" The teen seemed concerned.

"Yeah, of course."

"But what about your parents?"

"What about them?" Aleta said dismissively.

Struck by her apathy, Eric felt concerned. "Surely they're gonna worry about you. My mother damn near killed me that time I didn't come home."

"Yeah well, you were about to get eaten by monster dogs, remember? You had your reasons." She joked.

"Still-"

"It's not gonna be a problem. Just... forget about it, okay?"

Unable to shake his unease at her attitude, Eric decided that maybe it was not something worth talking about.

At least, not yet.

...

Drinks drunk, the two spent the rest of the time not looking at one another. It was very clear that a thorn of a topic had just been prodded.

Though no matter how tense the atmosphere, it was swept aside easily by the arrival of Chuck. Holding onto plates stacked with massive sandwiches.

With a flourish, he easily slid them onto their table.

"Enjoy." Was all he said.

Aleta held up her empty glass, absentmindedly licking her lips at the meal before her. "Thanks. Can I get a refill?"

"Comin' right up!"

"H-Hey, what is this?" Eric asked, his mouth watering while his brain struggled to hold onto the reins.

Gigantic was one way to describe it. Oozing condiments and looking like the tastiest thing the boy had ever witnessed.

"The 'Bighorn'." Aleta declared, wasting no more time and grabbing her sandwich.

It was honestly a little shocking seeing her take her first bite. Expecting it to have been more lady-like.

"Now that's what I call food." Said a voice in Eric's ear.

"It's disgusting..." Said another.

"What was this place called again?"

"It doesn't have a name, remember?"

Chattering away in his head, Eric attempted to drown them out by eating. Taking hold of the colossal sandwich, he gave it his best bite.

Losing track of time, he was only three bites in when his eyes glazed over.

Aleta watched on with amusement. "Right?"

Chuck returned with her refill and left once again. Glancing over his shoulder with a smile.

"Another happy customer." The man thought, cleaning his grill with a hum.

An hour or so later, with their bill paid the teens left the restaurant with no name.

Eric held his stomach blissfully. "Damn."

"That's what I've been saying." Aleta patted her own, shaking her head.

Waddling away from the Rundown Road, the two wandered along until they came to a bus stop.

As they waited, they sadly had to pull themselves out of their food stupor.

"Alright, remember the plan?"

"You'll follow Tim, find out where he lives, and then we'll keep an eye on him until something happens?" Eric summarized.

"Bingo." Aleta yawned, stretching.

Thankfully not having to wait around for long, they boarded the bus and found seats.

"You sure you're going to be okay? Waiting around." Eric asked as he sat down.

"It's cool, man. Quit worrying about it." Aleta turned to face the window as the bus pulled away from the stop in a haze of exhaust smoke.

Admittedly, it was hard for the boy not to. Hearing how she had responded at the restaurant had been surprising. Eric then remembered that every family was different.

Not every child got along with their parents.

When the bus stopped again, Aleta got off with a wave. He watched her leave, noting that she always seemed to get off at different stops.

Unlike himself.

"Maybe she likes to mix up her journey home." Was his thought, though Eric could not help feeling that something was going on with his friend.

...

When he finally got home, he had a strange fear as he opened the front door.

What if the bulge of his stomach was noticeable?

End of Chapter 21

Chapter Text

HUSK Chapter 22:

The clamor of St. Lauren's nightlife was like a distant melody from so high up.

Most things below seemed awfully far away.

Aleta was sat on a metal walkway belonging to a water tower, gazing out at the mesmerizing sea of lights around her. Because of the wind, the hood of her jacket had been pulled so tight that only her nose was entirely visible.

Since the night she had first met her Angel, the teen had been enjoying the freedom of exploration it granted her. Under the red sky, the two often took to the skies.

Admittedly, there was some physical strain involved when the Angel flew. Though thanks to its ability, while flat and merged upon a surface, it could carry on for miles.

Either way, Aleta was able to reach impressive heights. Such as the building she was currently on top of. Unware of what the structure was even used for, the girl knew that it was just begging to get tagged.

Being able to do graffiti in spots thought unreachable, was addicting.

Sadly, there was not much point in telling anyone that she was doing so. Her fellow taggers would never believe her, and her grainy cell phone pictures would do little to convince them.

Aleta had considered letting the Angel take them up to see her work... Yet the idea of exposing them to the other world was still a touchy subject. Unless they were attacked by its residents, people would remain unaware of the world's existence.

Over the last few weeks, she had broached the idea to Eric of bringing others over to learn the truth.

He had been quick to refuse. Stating that if they had no companion to call upon to help them, what use would there be in them learning about such a place? Unable to do anything to help or even protect themselves, what good would come from about knowing about an alternate reality where people were getting eaten? It was an existential fear that could drive anyone mad.

So the topic had been dropped. Though it did not stop Aleta from feeling a little lonely. As far as she knew, it was only her and Eric fighting back.

They had no other allies.

There were times where she wondered however, about that man they had fought in the alley...

Had he actually been like them?

...

Apart from her artistic pursuits, these high places were also safer spots for Aleta to stay during her nights.

So long as she came prepared. A make-shift tent was off to the side from the water tower, complete with a sleeping back and snacks within.

Shaking a spray can, Aleta put the finishing touches on her latest piece. Having placed it on the side of the tower facing the drop, she took a cautious step back and admired her work. It was a peculiar creature - a ferret fallen on hard times, attempting to lap up water from a faucet.

Satisfied with the end result, Aleta hobbled back over to her bag and packed up her cans. Then making sure not to fall, she climbed down and returned to her tent.

With her sleeping bag around her waist, she lay around for the rest of the night. Munching away and fiddling around with her phone. At first, she used it to shine its light on her sketchbook pages so she could doodle, only to abandon the idea and goof around on the device itself instead minutes later.

At some point, she had fallen asleep. Because when she next opened her eyes, it was already early in the afternoon.

Groaning from her awkward sleeping position, she wriggled herself out and stretched. Which did more harm than good, making her groan.

She took a deep breath before shivering. Her hoodie had somehow come off during the night. Finding it and after putting it back on, she grabbed her phone.

More concerning than its low battery warning, was the time.

"Shit." She said aloud.

In a couple of minutes, classes were going to end at St. Lauren High. While Eric had practice, the text he had sent while she was sleeping said that Tim was going to be heading home.

She had to hurry.

Taking down her tent and packing up all the things laying about, somehow she managed to shove everything into her duffel bag.

Carrying all this weight, she prayed that this boy did not live far away.

Aleta closed her eyes.

Seconds later, she was looking up at the blood red sky. Her back instantly felt lighter. Without hesitation, she leapt off the building. The Angel was at her side as she fell. Not even bothering to catch the wind with its wings, it took the girl in its arms and held her close.

Unafraid, they rocketed towards the ground. The Angel's image hit the pavement below, diving into its surface like some kind of ocean.

Like a shadow, Aleta and the Angel 'swam' through St. Lauren's streets.

Occasionally alternating between surface and air, the two made great time.

Before long, they had arrived at the school. Setting down on the stone and brickwork archway at the entrance, Aleta separated herself from her partner and closed her eyes once more. The empty world around her suddenly filling up with life, the girl quickly crouched down and tried to remain unseen.

It was quite a conspicuous structure to be perched on, and many students were already funneling out of St. Lauren High.

Aleta scanned the crowds for Tim.

"Shouldn't be too hard to spot this guy. Eric said he was a giant..."

Over time, the path out of the school emptied. Aleta could not help but begin to worry. Had she missed him? Worse yet, what if they had actually been too late? She reassured herself that Eric would have intervened if the attack had happened with him being close by. He would have then let her know.

...

Try as she might, panic was setting in. Only for it to fade the instant Aleta laid eyes on her target.

Stepping out with a bag on his back, it was impossible not to take notice of him. He was truly taller than everyone else around. From the top of his messy hair, Tim's string was shaking ever so slightly.

It was reassuring that to see it not acting erratic, though the fact that it was still moving on its own was a warning sign.

Aleta closed her eyes and fell backwards off the archway. The Angel swooped in and set her down on the ground below. She hugged the wall and waited for the teen to pass by her. Using his string as a way to keep track of him.

Back under the blue sky, she peered onto the street and took note that Tim was not going to take a bus home.

"Where are you going, big man..." Aleta thought, keeping her distance as the boy turned away from the stop and continued up the road.

Never once did the teen consider that he was being followed. Not that he would have really noticed, as Aleta hopped between worlds as she trailed him.

...

To her surprise, instead of walking up the hill towards the richer part of St. Lauren, Tim crossed an intersection and carried on down a side street. Then a few blocks later, the teen entered the nearest train station. It was here that Aleta hit a snag.

She did not have a train pass.

Though she soon shrugged at the obstacle and returned to the gray world. Entering the station with ease.

Managing to keep track of Tim within a lake of threads, she followed him up onto one of the platforms. Climbing with the help of the Angel, Aleta reappeared on the open roof overlooking the train tracks. She kept an eye on Tim as he waited.

Under the red sky, the girl wondered how he was going to board something that would not be able to move in this place without power. When the teen's string moved, hovering above the tracks as if he was suspended in mid-air, Aleta closed her eyes and got her answer.

She found that the train had magically arrived on the other side.

Waiting for it to leave, she went back to find that the train was now in both places.

However, Tim was now moving rapidly away in the real world. While the powerless train here remained still.

Not wanting to lose him, Aleta joined the Angel as it flew. Using the momentum of dives into surfaces, Aleta managed to arrive at the train's next stop ahead of Tim.

The teen did not get off here.

Taking the lead again, it was not until four stops later that the giant finally got off.

Waiting outside of the station, Aleta resumed tailing him on foot. She watched Tim soon after making his way towards a large apartment building.

Not as familiar with this part of town herself, the girl did have tagger buddies who often worked the area. Their stories had informed her that while not in as bad a state as the lower east side, it was well on its way to becoming just like it.

The upper west side was not a place to send your children. Littered with shady nightclubs and all that such things attracted. And it would only get worse the further down you went. Aleta last heard that gang activity was rather rampant, and that it was beginning to spill into neighboring sections.

She felt sorry for Tim, having to live in such an area. Slipping into the other world, she followed after him as he entered his building.

Sliding in under the door along the floor, the Angel followed after the teen's string as he climbed his first set of steps. Three flights later, the girl took note of Tim's apartment number as his string entered one of the doors.

...

Thanks to the Angel's ability, the two managed to exit through a tiny gap in the window frame on the stairwell.

Aleta left the building and sent Eric a text. It would take some time before he would reply however, So she set off to find a comfortable spot to wait. One that would keep her out of sight, but within range to keep track of Tim and his string.

To her surprise, she found that it was not only the teen's that was shaking. There were two or three more in what Aleta guessed was an apartment on the floor below. Whether it was Tim's presence that was endangering them or if they were all being targeted, she did not know.

Despite this, the movements of their strings remained steady as the hours dragged on.

At some point, Aleta's phone buzzed.

Eric was on his way. Sending a quick reply, she suddenly felt very conscious about her appearance.

She had not yet showered today.

Eric said goodbye to his teammates before running out of St. Lauren High.

It had been hard for him to not try and keep track of Tim's movements throughout the day. He was afraid of what might happen if he did not.

Still, Aleta had said in her message that he was okay. Yet Eric's worry would not subside.

Opting to not waste money on a bus fare, Eric shut his eyes. With the red sky above them, the Knight sprinted through the empty streets.

Cleats pulling up concrete every few steps, thick clouds streamed from the barred faceplate of its helmet as it breathed. Despite essentially floating inside the Knight's body in their conjoined state, the teen could still feel the exertion.

The speed was startling. Easily the fastest they had ever run. Eric wondered if it had something to do with absorbing that monster dog in the mall.

Eventually, the Knight skidded to a stop near the station that Aleta had directed him to. Removing himself from his companion, he closed his eyes and found that the streets were sparsely filled. Not all that different from the other side in a way.

Pulling out his phone, Eric checked his phone for any updates. Thankfully nothing new had transpired, leaving him to follow the short directions she had given him.

Nestled between large concrete structures was another still under construction.

Peering past the yellow tape, Eric thought aloud. "Is this really the place?"

"It is! " Came a voice from behind him. Arms suddenly wrapped themselves around Eric.

The boy gave a yelp and they soon retreated. He turned to find his giggling friend. Who once again had decided to frighten him. She was blushing slightly. And though Eric would have never known, Aleta had changed into fresh clothes before his arrival.

"You're finally here." Was all she had to say.

Eric sighed, the beating of his heart slowing. "To be fair, I think I made it in record time."

"Still not as fast as me." She teased, "But I guess you're stronger, so we'll consider it a trade-off."

Passing under the yellow tape, Aleta motioned for Eric to follow. He did so, still feeling like they were breaking some kind of rule.

The way this girl easily trespassed in places without thinking about any consequences would never not surprise him.

Still unfinished, the building had a cement smell to it. Tools and unlaid bricks filled most of the exposed interior. There was a partially completed staircase in the back that carried them to the sixth floor.

And while the floors were in place, most walls were not. Which left the teens a little exposed to anyone who might pass by.

Reuniting with her duffel bag, Aleta took a seat beside it. Her legs dangling over the edge.

Eric joined, sitting a little further away.

"He's in there, on the third floor." His friend pointed straight ahead. "In apartment number five."

Squinting, Eric could make out the shaking thread within the building across the street. As well as the others below it.

"Anything happen yet?"

"Nah. Nothing. Though they haven't stopped moving even once."

Aleta pulled up the hood of her jacket. Eric took notice of the pattern across it - half skulls connected to one another by thick black lines, against a deep purple.

The girl chanced a glance the boy's way, only to find he was now keeping his eyes straight ahead.

Feeling a need to fill the silence, or possibly give a reason for why they were in this situation, Eric started speaking a while later.

"He's a good guy. I just wanna make sure he's alright."

Aleta held up her hands. "You don't gotta convince me. I said it before. No one deserves getting attacked by those monsters."

"Plus, now we know that he's not the only one in trouble." She motioned to the other strings. "I'm glad I followed him."

...

The sun was setting as the two carried on their stakeout. Not once did any string stop moving, but they remained steady and unharmed.

While Aleta was sitting a good distance from Eric, she was growing increasingly anxious.

Thinking that she might actually stink.

He sat oblivious to her concerns, his gaze never leaving the apartment building. His hand would occasionally feel for the bat in his bag, making sure that it was still with him. Like a nervous tick, he had felt for it for past few hours.

With the silence between them having carried on for some time, Eric decided that maybe they should chat about something.

Given what they usually got up to every time they met, they had not exactly had a moment to talk about their interests. "So-"

"Bathroom!" Aleta blurted out. Her cheeks turning bright red.

"Oh, o-okay. Sure." Eric nodded.

The girl sat up and took her bag with her.

"Know where to find one?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah, I have a few ideas." She paused.

"Cool. I'll stay here. If anything happens, I'll text you or call." Eric waved as she disappeared down the staircase.

Clutching her duffel bag, Aleta had to stop herself before she ran out of the building in a panic. Having finally had enough, the poor girl was convinced that she needed to have that 'shower'.

...

When Aleta returned to the somewhat completed building, the moon was beginning its ascent as the street lights in the area came to life.

"There you are." Eric called down from the sixth floor, spotting his friend.

Being careful not to fall through the open sections on the stairs, she returned to the teen's side.

"Hey. Sorry I was gone so long, we still good here?" Aleta sat a little closer to Eric now.

The boy took notice of how wet her hair was. Though ever the gentleman, he did not enquire into why she had been gone for such an extended period of time.

"Yeah. They seem fine." The teen responded. "I checked on things in the other place, too. Nothing."

Pulling up her hood and patting it down on her head, Aleta sighed.

Their watch continued.

...

As the night set in, at some point Eric had fallen asleep sitting up. Having to be shaken awake.

"Come on, get up." Aleta playfully chided him, "You better get going. Your mother and sister are gonna worry about you."

Eric rubbed his eyes.

"I've got it covered from here." She assured him.

Though he was far from fine with leaving her alone. "Aleta-"

"Dude, it's fine. Just go home already." She stood and forced him to stand, placing his bag in his hands.

"I'll let you know if anything bad happens." Aleta said, giving him a shove on the back towards the staircase.

In truth, she did not want him to leave. But she forced a smile. "Don't keep your family waiting, Eric. Go."

Wanting to protest further, the teen swallowed his words and shouldered his bag.

"Alright. I'm going."

"Make sure your phone stays on!" She called after him.

Back on street level, Eric waved up to his friend and started walking. Soon disappearing from sight of the half-finished structure.

Aleta sat back down on the edge, ignoring her feelings as she resumed her watch of Tim and and the other strings.

Being so high up meant that the light on street level barely reached her. Leaving the girl in near complete darkness. Which unfortunately lowered the amount of activities she could entertain herself with.

Sighing again, Aleta put her hands in the pockets of her hoodie and slouched.

...

It was going to be a long night.

Days later, watching Tim had turned into a routine for the teens.

They alternated shifts and made sure that there was always a set of eyes on him. Eric covered the morning times, keeping track of the teen at school while Aleta kept watch at night.

And though the girl was clearly messing up her sleep schedule, she would always make sure that Eric went home at night. No matter how many times he decided to join her.

It was frustrating for him, but he eventually relented.

The rest of St. Lauren had thankfully been rather monster-free during this period. Allowing them to focus soley to focus on protecting the tall teen.

Although this did not stop each of them taking turns in the evening to patrol the town, just in case.

Nearly a week on and the two were naturally growing tired of their continued surveillance. Though their anxieties remain, as Tim's string never took a break. Its shaking never ceasing. Though bizarrely, whenever the teen left his apartment, the other strings they watched would always stop moving.

It was like the poor boy was the threat. Pulling in those around him. At times, they would shake so violently that the teens assumed that an attack was imminent. Only for nothing to then happen.

Eric and Aleta remained vigilant.

Then, the night finally arrived.

...

Eric was at their usual spot, watching the apartment building.

Since they had begun, more of the structure they chose to watch from had been finished. In a just few more days, there would finally be glass in the windows and all four walls on each floor.

Long having grown bored with just staring ahead, the teen would stand and practice his swings. Getting training in for both baseball and monster fighting. Eric counted as he swung. His feet slid nicely on the dirt floor.

Many swings later, a strange movement out the corner of his eye caught his attention. Losing count, he immediately focused in on the apartment Tim was in.

The shaking from his string was peculiar, it whipped about intensely like it was scared of something.

Closing his eyes, Eric was stunned by the sight that awaited him on the other side.

From the top of the building's roof down, it looked as if the whole thing was beginning to sag. Like it was about to melt away if left unchecked. A bizarre mold-like growth was creeping up its walls.

This change had happened so suddenly...

Eric quickly returned to send Aleta an urgent text before without thinking, he leapt through the open window he was watching from. Falling to the ground, the Knight materialized around him as they landed. It let out a shaky breath, as if it had been waiting for this fight.

The entity sprinted up the street.

They were in trouble. Tim and whoever else was inside this apartment building with him were now in danger.

"I'm coming, Tim. Please be okay." Eric thought as they ran.

Under the red sky, the structure's facade was peeling away. A rancid stench tainting the air.

End of Chapter 22

Chapter Text

HUSK Chapter 23:

Another night was winding to a close for Jaromir.

He had sent Ruby's kids off to bed after losing at yet another confusing board game, and was now alone in the main room.

It was not uncommon now for the teen to occasionally experience the same pain in his head as that time before.

However it was never quite as intense, rarely lasting longer than a few seconds.

Though what was worrying was that during these events, color would drain from everything in his near vicinity. Sometimes electronics would also cease to function. These incidents however would only ever occur when Jaromir was in the apartment building. Never outside of it.

While very strange, the teen was kept busy by his life. Having to work a late part-time job, and keep up with his school work, he had very little time to ponder much of anything. Though when he did, Jaromir found himself being less and less bothered by it.

In fact when he babysat for Ruby again, he was not at all perturbed that previously he had ended up on the floor. Writhing in agony from some unknown pain.

He would just tuck the children into bed like he always did and would then wait for their mother to return. Sometimes the pain would return and before the worry could set in, it would disappear and he soon would forget.

This process would repeat.

In the end, Jaromir figured that these moments were some form of stress. As he certainly had reasons to feel like this, after all.

...

With the program on the television beginning to drone on, the Czech expected the pain to visit him that evening. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Wondering if purposely waiting for it would cause it to arrive.

Minutes later, he felt his head throb. A buzzing came to his ears. The sounds of the apartment died away.

Opening his eyes, he was taken aback by the gray world that met him. He was faced with a blank television screen. As he slowly got up, he noticed that his breathing had become labored. The clock on the wall was dead, time frozen in place.

Something was pulling at the top of his head.

It was beginning to hurt. Familiar sensations crept up on Jaromir, making him sweat.

"This... This is like before-"

Stumbling, pain assaulted his cranium. Throwing his arms out, he held onto the arms of the couch for support. Refusing to fall over again.

With the room being so silent, the sudden appearance of heavy footsteps in the hallway outside was startling. Jaromir listened as they grew louder, nearing the apartment. They were uneven, as if whoever they belonged to had an unnatural gait.

As they got closer, a strange mold began to creep up the walls of the space. Causing it to bulge in places, to slowly sag in others.

The wall was peeling open, exposing the apartment to the corridor beyond. A foul odor seeped into the room at once. Jaromir choked and felt his eyes water immediately.

It reminded him of something. But he could not place it.

Whatever it was, breathing was becoming even more difficult.

The footsteps had stopped.

Jaromir could make out a shape through the openings in the wall.

Though it was obscured, enveloped in some kind of haze. A gas that was most likely the cause of the smell.

The footsteps resumed, the visitor becoming less distinct as they neared the door. The teen clutched his mouth and nose, still fighting the pain in his head.

Ever so slowly, the entrance to Ruby's apartment began to melt. Wood and painted brickwork buckling, turning a sickly black as the mold consumed it.

The door was then viciously ripped from its hinges. Landing somewhere in the hall with an audible splat.

Gas leaking into the room stronger than before, a voice gurgled from within the noxious mist.

"You owe me... I want my damn money, you whore..."

Something very wrong was happening inside the building.

Eric recoiled instantly as he entered, the awful stench enveloping him. It was enough to knock anyone out.

The Knight breathed in protest, shaking its mane of hair in frustration.

Up above, the teen could make out Tim's string. Along with two others that were violently shaking.

Even inside his companion, Eric found it hard to breathe. Nothing could hold the smell at bay. Pulling his shirt up over his mouth and nose, the boy kept his composure and forced himself to move.

It was more like they were treading through a swamp than the hallway of an apartment building. The floors were tainted with moss-like growths that grew outwards, engulfing everything in a greasy mold that was in the process of melting the entire structure to sludge.

Within the mess, there were footprints and handprints leading towards the stairs ahead. These spots were free of the infection.

Something monstrous had made them.

Now on the steps, Eric was careful not to have the Knight fall through the gaps where concrete and stone had melted away. Peering down, they saw into the basement level below. It was far worse in there. the stench that was emanating through the holes were nauseating.

A sign that whatever this disease was, it had begun at the foundations.

"I've got to hurry!" Eric thought urgently.

The first floor was in a similar state. Though it was almost like it had been deliberately melted away so as to stop anyone from following whatever monster had caused this. Determined to get through, the Knight sprang from the top of the staircase onto a nearby wall. A mouth forming from its gauntlet and biting into it.

In this moment, Eric unfortunately learnt that the mouths had tastebuds.

Leaping from side to side, the two crossed the corridor and carried on upwards after finding that the next set of stairs had melted away entirely. The smell on the second floor was utterly repulsive. Instinct alone told the teen that whatever was causing this was here.

He fought back the urge to vomit, forcing his legs to move. The strings were close, inside an apartment up ahead. Though it was hard to call it that now, as the door was gone and the empty frame that remained was becoming unrecognizable.

Entering the space, Eric came to a stop.

"Tim!" He screamed, finding the boy writhing on the floor before some kind of creature.

It was large humanoid figure with a pronounced stomach that sagged over its groin. The fat of its back was covered in the same mold and moss as the building. Gas flowed from every pour in its body.

The smell originated from this monster. The surrounding environment was merely an extension of its power.

If one could even call such a disgusting thing an ability.

It spun round and looked at Eric with sickly bulging eyes. Its long nose pock-marked and crooked. Being in close proximity with the creature was nearly unbearable.

"Who the hell... are you?" It spat at the teen.

The thing sweat profusely, drops landing on the floor like grease.

The monster glared, snorting puss from its nostrils. Eric was worried that if he stepped out of the Knight, he would pass out.

So he remained within his companion, assuming a fighting pose. Leaning back, the entity thrust its sword and pointed it at the creature, holding it level. Taunting it.

This only made the thing chortle, jowls slapping wetly against its bent neck.

"What's with this guy? You look like an idiot."

With unexpected speed, it closed the gap and lunged at Eric. Dodging to side, the Knight threw itself forwards and drove its sword upwards at the same time.

The strike slipped right off the creature's skin.

In many ways, the teen was reminded in that instant of his fight with the dog in the mall - a beast that had impenetrable defense. Not being able to cut through anything was becoming a theme that Eric did not enjoy.

Keeping on his toes, the Knight backed up towards Tim while keeping his attention on the monster.

"Put more power into it!" Eric commanded.

Heeding the advice, the Knight dug its heels into the ground. Muscles bulging before letting loose a powerful swing. The monster threw out its arm, which was ducked as the sword cut across its midsection.

Once again, the attack was negated by the creature's slick body.

"Man! That was so weak!" It laughed.

Unbeknownst to the teen, the mold was creeping up the Knight's legs. He mistook the pain it caused for the strain created by trying to attack with more power. Gritting his teeth, Eric pushed through it and gave another command.

"Grab it!"

Ducking under another of the monster's attacks, the Knight took hold of the fat under its outstretched arm. Immediately, the teen felt a searing pain.

Letting go, the flesh of his companion's hand had been compromised. Melting away like everything else.

From inside the Knight, Eric looked down in horror as the same thing was happening to his own arm.

"Damn, that was a bad idea..." He said aloud.

"No shit, asshole!" The monster laughed again, having heard the teen.

Meanwhile, Jaromir had managed to sit up. Clutching at his head and barely comprehending what was in front of him, he turned in a panic.

"T-The children! I have to-" He got to his feet and staggered off, leaving a surprised Eric to defend him.

The Knight managed to keep the monster at bay as the tall boy neared Owen and Sky's bedroom.

Throwing his shoulder against the door, Jaromir came crashing into the room. Finding that the kids were tossing and turning in their beds. Unable to even scream out in as the strings in their heads convulsed.

"H-Hey, are you-" The teen collapsed, crying out as his own string pulled his skull upwards sharply.

Finding an opening in the creature's attacks to regroup, Eric gasped when he looked back to Jaromir.

Being close enough to see him properly, he saw just how dense the threads pulling at the teen's face were. Caught in a spider web of pain.

It reminded Eric of himself, that night on the baseball field. Of Aleta in the park, who would've died had she not removed them.

"You're like us." He said under his breath.

Jaromir meanwhile, was not paying attention to much of anything. He had joined Ruby's children in their spasms, curling up into a ball and shaking.

The monster threw both its arms back before slamming them into the Knight, who caught the blow with its sword. The mold and grease did not effect the metal, but it did drip down the blade, threatening to ooze into the entity's flesh.

Still, the creature was held off as Eric jumped out of the Knight. Fighting off the stench and reaching Jaromir, he crouched down and tried to console him.

"Tim, listen to me..." He said, "You've got to-"

From the hall, a roar of frustration came. Eric stumbled as a deep gash appeared on his shoulder. The muscle beneath his shirt sizzled, the taint eating into him.

"Give it a rest!" The Knight was thrown aside as the monster bellowed. It fell into the living room with a thud. Eric lost his footing, falling flat on his face.

The creature's horrid visage peered into the bedroom. Wiping at its putrid features, the monster rolled its eyes and coughed.

"She isn't here, is she...?"

Contemplating this, it waddled back into the main room. Pressing its filthy hand into the Knight's back, fingers digging deep. As if doing so would help it think.

Eric groaned as the rot entered his skin.

"Not that it really matters... But I was hoping to be the one to get her." A wart-riddled tongue rolled out of the monster's foul mouth and wriggled. "I could've had some fun with that bitch before handing her over to those guys..."

At this statement, Jaromir seemed to have recovered himself enough to stand and walk into the hallway. Vision distorted by the threads covering his face, he glared through them at the creature.

"What? Oh, don't gimme that look." The monster chuckled, "I heard you know exactly what she does for a living..."

The teen pushed through the pain, each step hurting him.

"She's a slut! Plain and simple." The creature announced, laughing and baring its yellow teeth. "How many guys you think she's nailed, huh? And why ain't I one of them?!"

Mold spreading across his body, Eric still managed to follow after Jaromir. Finding him shaking with more than just pain.

"Had she just given me a ride, I wouldn't have bothered her about money..."

"You... Be quiet." The teen said, suppressed anger rising to the surface.

This only made the monster laugh harder.

Sucking in breath, Jaromir stood taller. With haunting confidence, he approached the creature.

Noticing this, it snarled. A bubble of puss popping from its nose. "Real scary."

Eric lunged between the two as a the monster's arm was swung at Jaromir.

...

The attack had been devastating. Cutting clean through the Eric's shirt and ripping his entire chest open. Blood and rot splattered the walls and floor in a crimson haze.

Jaromir recoiled as the teen's knees buckled, his legs gave out.

"E-Eric Edwards?" He said in surprise, finally recognizing him.

The teen coughed and attempted to smile reassuringly. "I'm... okay."

Internally, Eric felt like he had to scream at the Knight for it to get up. It rose, covered in filth. Uniform burning away under its armor.

Noticing this, the monster let its arms drop to its sides. "Alright, kid. You're really boring me now."

Once more, the Knight leapt at the creature with its sword raised. Each slice glanced off its body again. It responded with a flurry of uninterested blows, though each was strong enough to keep the entity on alert.

Still not fully understanding what he was seeing, even Jaromir realized that things were not looking good. The Knight was clearly losing.

Through the threads in his face, a new surge of pain struck him. Staggering but remaining upright, Jaromir tried to move.

Eric threw his hand up, stopping his advance. "Don't even think about it! I've g-got this. You need to focus on... that."

Holding the palms of his hands up, Jaromir noticed how misshapen they seemed. Bringing them closer, they were stopped by the strings.

In response to touch, they pulled at his skin painfully.

Seeing his grimace, Eric nodded. "Yeah, it hurts like hell. But the pain will stop if you just-"

Choking up blood, the boy was silenced as multiple lacerations appeared across his body.

"God! Just go down already, you little shit!" The monster complained, black mold drenching the room like rain. Burning anything it touched.

"Just die so I can get going... If they have her at the club, I don't wanna... miss my chance!"

"The c-club?" Jaromir froze, dread creeping into his mind like a fog.

Smacking aside its sword and taking hold of the Knight's shoulders, the creature looked to finish the fight.

His own body burning, Eric and his companion were out of options.

They watched on helplessly as the monster's awful mouth opened wide, gas leaking out as black particles floated into the open air from within.

It was going to speed up the rot. Keeping the entity in place so that both it and its user were reduced to slime.

...

However as the creature breathed in deeply, a figure had appeared behind it. The sound of gunfire in such an enclosed space nearly deafened the teens.

The shots did not seem to puncture its skin, but it was enough to force the monster to turn around.

Before it could speak, two more bullets were fired.

One shattered its exposed front teeth. The other popped its left eye like a water balloon full of sewage.

The creature freaked out, screaming and releasing the Knight as it held a hand to its open bloody socket.

Seizing the chance, Eric made his partner rush in. Forcing one of the monster's arms aside, it drove its sword into the flesh where the appendage bent.

Doubling up on the handle and pushing with all its might, the tip of the blade managed to go straight through. Pushing passed the elbow bone and pinning the limb to the wall.

Putting its weight to one side, the Knight managed to tear the arm open. Grotesque bloody sinew revealed itself.

"There it is." Eric thought.

Before the creature could retaliate, his companion shoved its hand into the flesh and grasped it. Threads of meat burst forth and flowed into the Knight.

Eric felt his body healing immediately.

"What the f- What are you doing... to me!?" The monster howled.

The teen stood back up. Wounds closed and burns vanishing.

"Your skin might be dangerous..." He said, feeling a little dizzy from the recovery process. "But underneath, you're just like everything else."

Unsure of where to stand, the Angel flapped its wings and hovered in place. Aleta leaned out from her partner, nose crinkling from the stench as she pulled back on her slingshot.

Taking her eyes off the creature for a moment, she did a double-take before yelling.

"Eric! Where's Tim!?"

The teen's blood froze. He looked back.

Sure enough, Jaromir was gone.

"Where- Weren't you watching him?" Was all Eric could say.

"I was a bit busy making sure you weren't dying!"

"It doesn't matter. He couldn't have gone far! Go after him, please Aleta!"

Hesitating for only a moment, the girl nodded. "I'm on it!"

The Angel retreated back into the corridor. Flying through the building, the boy was nowhere to be found.

He was somehow already out on the street below.

"RUBY!" The Czech screamed, stumbling onto the pavement.

While everything around him made no sense at all, he somehow knew that now was not the time for questions.

"That... T-Thing." The teen thought. "It mentioned the club. It has to be the Galaxy, where Ruby and I work... I have to go. I have to-"

The red sky strained his eyes. The threads from the string in his head pulled at his features like the reins of a very unhappy jockey.

Regardless, Jaromir forced himself to run.

Aleta was back outside. Frantically, she searched the horizon. With it being nighttime, the streets were now alive and packed with strings.

"I can't lose him!" She said aloud.

The Angel took flight and soon, she too disappeared into the city.

Back in Ruby's apartment, the flow of the fight had shifted.

Eric and his Knight stood as one before the monster as it squirmed on the floor.

Its hand lined with teeth, the entity's grip was impossible to remove as the absorption continued. With each thread that pumped into its body, Eric felt all his injuries and exhaustion disappear.

And yet... the creature was not shriveling away.

Perhaps he needed to do it more? Confused, Eric went to touch the flesh just as the monster roared.

Shocked by the outburst, he watched in horror as the long-nosed face split down the middle. Tearing open like the pages of a sticky book, the gross visage of a fat greasy man appeared.

Mr. Romano stared up at the teen with hatred in his eyes.

"Let go of me!" He wailed.

It was a person...

Once again, there was a person inside of a monster.

End of Chapter 23

Chapter Text

HUSK Chapter 24:

If asked whether he was a good man or not, Terry would most likely say that he was not.

Though in his line of work, he had seen men far worse.

Nearly a decade ago when Terry became a bouncer, for a time he figured that was all he was ever going to be. Seeing as most folks would be on their best behavior while he was around. Many disorderly clients would shrink away before his muscular frame and piercing stare.

He was a natural.

The years carried on and Terry's life revolved mainly around his work. With no real consideration for his future. The money he earned was used for his gym membership, the occasional new tattoo, and rent.

As such, things remained unchanged for a long time. His muscles kept growing and his skin was filled with ink. His hair would become flecked with gray, which in the end only served to make him look all the more experienced and intimidating.

His otherwise quiet but eventful existence would eventually change, however.

And it would only take one night.

...

The day in question had been like any other. Mornings and afternoons were always an uninteresting interlude to an otherwise jam-packed night at the club he worked.

A customer had become particularly rowdy. Terry, as usual was called. a minor scuffle followed.

With the help of a few other bouncers, they eventually managed to remove the man and his friends from the establishment.

Though deciding not leave, the customer instead pulled a knife on Terry. Spurred on no doubt by liquid courage, he swung the blade at him.

Beyond the point of negotiation, Terry simply knocked the man out with one punch. Which was enough to defuse the situation entirely.

As the now unconscious customer was dragged away by his friends, Terry felt his face and found it to be bleeding. He shook off the concerns of his coworkers and excused himself.

In the staff bathroom, Terry found the wound to be more than just a little cut. Cleaning and dressing it up as best he could with the club's first aid kit, he returned to work. With time, he thought, it would heal up.

Not realizing until much later that he probably should have gotten stitches. As the wound would end up becoming a very permanent and prominent scar on his face.

An eternal reminder of that night and everything that would come after it.

...

With the bouncers rotating their posts, Terry was on patrol. Passing by one of the club's back doors.

Like many others, he was ready to give it only a momentary glance to make sure nothing was amiss. There were other places he had to be, and so long as these doors remained closed, things were okay.

However, this one was actually open. With a lone white high heel wedged between. It was smooth to the touch. Pearlescent as he held it under the light.

"This looks like Amanda's" He thought.

Amanda was one of the club's dancers. And while it was not very professional of him, he found himself rather fond of her.

They had not spoken much admittedly, but occasionally their eyes would meet. Terry would be the first to shy away, but he would always catch Amanda smiling back at him.

But it was strange. The club's back doors were particularly heavy, so the fact that a shoe had managed to keep the door ajar was unusual.

Terry knew that Amanda liked to have a smoke outside where no one could see her. Though to have left a heel behind in such a way was suspicious. Even if hearing the dancers complain about their footwear was a nightly occurrence.

The moon lit up the darkened alley beyond as Terry shoved the door open. In a way, Downtown St. Lauren had its moments of beauty.

Stepping out, Terry expected to find the red-head leaned up against a wall in a cloud of smoke. Missing one high heel without even realizing it.

Instead, he found a car parked further up the alley.

Which was unusual, as the only vehicles that usually stopped here were delivery trucks.

As he approached, a commotion could be heard coming from the back seat. The car door was wide open.

...

Something was definitely wrong. Terry moved on instinct.

Within the vehicle, he caught a glimpse of Amanda. Her face and half-naked body battered and beaten. The assailant was on top of her. He barely got a chance to look behind him as he was pulled from the car and thrown to the ground.

Before the man could even cry out, Terry laid into him. Throwing punch after punch for what felt like hours.

He came to a stop only when he noticed how swollen and cut up his knuckles had become. And though the man was still alive, he had been beaten into unconsciousness.

Without word, Terry returned to Amanda. Cradling her in his big arms.

In that moment, she felt so frighteningly light.

She was quickly taken to hospital. Terry told his co-workers what had happened, and asked that they turn the man over to the police before taking the night off.

He had sat unmoving at the foot of her bed, staying at Amanda's side until the sun rose the following day. The whole time he had worried he would at some point be removed by law enforcement for questioning, as despite what that man had done, Terry had not made himself look all that innocent with the beating he had given him.

When the woman finally opened her eyes, Terry was at her side.

"Hey... How are you feeling?"

Perhaps it was a stupid question, but Amanda smiled weakly. Though the damage that had been done was clear.

Terry wept.

...

Days later, Amanda had not yet left the hospital. It became clear that while she had survived the assault, her life was about to undergo a massive change.

She could no longer walk.

To Terry's immense relief, the woman's family had been notified, and had been quick to return to her. With her old profession no longer a factor, it was as if their daughter had returned and that they were there to look after her.

Amanda did not seem to mind. Perhaps just glad to see them again.

...

In his small apartment, Terry paced.

Though he had his fears about being questioned, he now regretted not having finished the job.

A part of him wished that he had been the judge for the man's fate, not the law. He should have killed him. Even if it meant he would have been arrested himself... He felt the man should have payed for what he had done.

Terry was full of regret. Guilt for letting Amanda get hurt weighed on his shoulders the night he returned to the club.

He hesitated at the entrance, not wanting to go inside. What use was there in being a bouncer if it meant that you could not even protect those who worked there?

The memory of Amanda smiling at him from her hospital bed drifted through his mind. A pain in his chest nearly brought him to tears again.

"Yo, Terry. Your shift's not for another- Whoa, hey!"

Pushing his way past his co-worker, Terry made for his bosses' office.

The short hairy man behind the desk was surprised to see him. He had not been the first boss Terry had worked under, but he had easily been the best.

"Terry. How you doin'?" Though he hid it well, the boss had also been unsettled by what had happened to Amanda.

With his hands balling into fists, for a moment the man was not sure what Terry was about to do.

The large now scar-faced man, bowed his head and muttered.

"Can you teach me how to manage a club?"

Terry had changed the trajectory of his life with that one sentence.

The years flew by.

With Terry breaking the stereotype that his appearance produced, he became a manager in not time at all.

Leaving bouncing behind, he worked under his boss for a while before moving around between multiple night and strip clubs.

While each club came and went, his aim remained the same.

So long as he was in charge, he would protect them. None of the working women would end up like Amanda.

And even though the two grew apart as time went on, Terry would continue to work with her in mind.

...

A club that would eventually become known as Galaxy would go on to become his crowning achievement. A place where things just clicked.

The ladies were happy. They were paid fairly and treated with respect. Their safety was taken seriously and rarely threatened.

Other employees saw Terry as the best boss anyone could ask for. And though it was never said outright, the man had created more than just a successful business.

He had made a family as well. He was there for each and every one of them.

Until the day came where he was not.

Face down in the plush carpet of his office, Terry writhed under the loafer digging into his lower back.

A suited man with medium-length hair was stood over him. A gun in his hand, which he waved about as he spoke.

"Well, I got to say. I really do appreciate you not making a big deal outta all this." The man said in a mocking tone, driving his foot deeper.

"What's going on, Charlie?" Terry winced, "I t-thought we were good."

"Yeah, you know I thought that too. But these things, well, they were never up to me anyway."

Charlie mused for a moment. "At least, not yet."

"Mr. Scavo set you up to this?" Terry tried to look up to see the man's expression. Only to groan as Charlie dropped his waist, assuming a new position that intensified the pain in his Terry's back.

"Thing is, I have this feeling that the words my dad used weren't really his own you know. It was kinda creepy."

Charlie held up his empty hand like a sock puppet. "'They are no longer required. Cease any assets and dispose of everything else.'"

"Don't really sound like my old man, does it?"

"Y-Yeah... Not at all." Terry agreed.

There was a strange heaviness in the air around them. An unsettling quietness, as well. Terry could have sworn that the power was working a moment ago, as his office was now shrouded in darkness.

"It's a real shame though. This was quite the place you'd built." Charlie shook his head and stood up.

Seeming to take pleasure in Terry's continued agony, the man grinned to himself.

"But now to business! In a few minutes, my guys will have them all rounded up... All those pretty faces... And then, well, I'll be taking them."

For a moment, the pressure on Terry's back lifted. Only for something far heavier to take its place and pin him to the floor. A tall, lanky entity had emerged from Charlie.

With a wide toothy grin, it fingered the folds of its skin-like jacket as it kept the larger man held down.

Terry was sure they had been alone in the room together a second ago. Where had this other person come from? Were they even human? He could not tell.

Whoever they were, they were heavy. The pressure enough to almost make Terry pass out.

A knock came to the door across from them

"We- We got 'em all, Charlie." Said the new arrival. It was another man, who was also dressed in a suit.

"About time... Here, you look after the big boss here, and I'll go see the ladies."

The other man held Terry down with abnormal strength as the entity from before faded away.

"You better not hurt them, kid. Or I swear to god I'll-"

"You'll what?" Charlie leaned forward and gave him a smile, one that was far from friendly.

"You'll do what?"

When Terry gave no response other than groaning again, the man waved him off.

"Bye-bye, big man!" He announced, looking to his partner. "If he does anything, shoot him."

The suited man nodded with a grin of his own, drawing his weapon and holding it to Terry's head.

"Be seeing you, Terry. Try to enjoy your retirement."

"WAIT!" The older man screamed, "You son of a bitch! Get back here- CHARLIE!"

The door to the office was shut and Charlie went on his way with a whistle. The entity from before following after him, hidden among the shadows.

Without any music thumping the halls and no lights to set the mood, the main floor of the club named Galaxy was a depressing space.

It gave off an empty, uneasy feeling.

At least a dozen or so women had been set down amongst the couches. Each cowering in fear as a bald man about paced in front of them. It took everything he had to keep his hands to himself.

"W-What's going on-" One of the women choked out in a whisper, tears smearing her makeup.

"I'm not sure." Ruby said quietly, interlocking her fingers with the girl's while wiping her face clean "It'll be okay."

Though she was forcing herself to sound calm, in truth, Ruby was terrified.

Something was clearly very wrong tonight.

A moment later, Charlie made his appearance. Entering with a pleased expression and snapping his fingers with a flourish.

"This all of them?"

"Yeah, 'course!" Said the bald man. "At least, what we could find."

"Excellent. Well, before we start..." Charlie made sure to pass slowly by the ladies before tapping the shoulder of the other man standing watch by the far door and whispering in his ear.

"Just in case, on the roof. Now."

There was a tinge of regret in his eyes, but the man silently nodded. With a odd twitch, he made for the stairwell down the hall. As he climbed, his eyelids appeared to close shut. Before vanishing entirely.

Despite the sudden blindness, he did not trip or miss a single step.

...

"Right then. Hello ladies!" Charlie said loudly, making the women flinch.

With them all huddled together, Ruby did her best not to appear scared. Still reassuring those around her that everything was going to be okay.

Though as the minutes stretched on, that was becoming harder to believe.

Charlie sauntered towards them. A unsettling smile plastered across his smug face. At his back, the entity, partially-formed, danced in the shadows.

On the roof of the Galaxy, everything was still.

Gray under the red sky.

The air was stale, stifling. Neon lights that once lit up the building and the surrounding district were dead. Other electronic advertisements were dark.

A white, featureless moon or sun shined above. The only light in this other reality.

The now eyeless man swayed about the roof, eventually settling down near a ledge overlooking the street below. Galaxy was unique in that he had no closely neighboring structures. White lines indicated that the open space was most often used for parking.

Yet tonight, there was only vehicle parked near the club - a black sedan with tinted windows. The car Charlie and his men had arrived in.

A strange growth had begun to form along the man's back under his suit. The fleshy mass bulged and crawled its way out before morphing into a stunted, vaguely humanoid shape. A long floppy tube grew out from its right shoulder while its peculiar head shuddered.

With its only arm, it held the man's head in place. It had a reassuring touch. Gentle, even.

An awful peeling sound filled the emptiness. In seconds, a collection of elongated eyes sprouted from the growth's featureless face, granting it sight.

The man perked up in surprise, now also able to see.

Like the barrel of a rifle, the fleshy tube rose up. Hardening like metal.

At a frantic pace, the growth's many eyes scanned their immediate environment.

The man started to mumble. Listing things off to himself.

"... Stop sign. 900 meters at 12 o'clock... Alleyway, several. Each maybe 300 meters away... Lamp posts... Electrical wires... Buildings, provide adequate cover... Lots of space otherwise..."

Seemingly pleased, the man's chatter ended. A single chuckle.

"No... wind. Shots will not be affected."

The growth on his back also seemed to find joy in his ramblings.

Then, like a machine running out of power, the two fell silent and still. Crouched down, they kept many a watchful eye around them.

Holding its little arm close to its chest, the growth took hold of a protrusion that had sprouted from beneath the barrel. It looked to be the trigger of this odd weapon.

...

Not far off from the club, the sound of mismatched footsteps echoed through the lifeless streets.

The source was none other than Jaromir. Who despite the horrible pain that pounded through his head, was marching on towards the club slowly.

It had only been an assumption on Mr. Romano's part, yet Tim had chosen to believe him. He was convinced that Ruby was in danger, and that Galaxy was where she would be.

His body was drenched in sweat. In between cries of anguish, he gulped in air before taking another shaky step forward.

He was wreck. No matter how much he fought against it, the string in his head was winning.

...

With the slumbering residents of St. Lauren's upper west side crawling out onto the streets for the night, Aleta had feared that she would lose Tim in the ocean of strings.

She dipped in and out of buildings, soaring at high speeds from the momentum the Angel generated.

Before the panic could become paralyzing, Aleta spotted the boy's string. By some kind of miracle, she had found him.

Thanking whichever god was listening, she closed in on Jaromir. Only to hesitate upon seeing his string's bizarre behavior.

It was not only shaking. But also mysteriously popping in and out of existence.

Aleta stopped on a nearby rooftop and closed her eyes as it vanished. Back in the real world, she found it again. Only for it to disappear a moment later and wind up back under the red sky once again.

This would keep happening.

Something was clearly wrong with Jaromir, and she did not like it.

Picking up speed, she was on his tail.

...

Half an hour later and now barely conscious, Tim was nearing the Galaxy's parking lot. The club was only a few steps away. He need only turn one more corner.

Ruby was close...

Meanwhile, the eyeless man was still waiting on the roof. Fully aware of Jaromir's impending arrival from his echoing footsteps.

Anyone he did not know in this place, was a target. A threat.

With glee, the man dug around in the pockets of his suit. Pulling out a single large bullet. Setting it down on the ground gently, he patiently pulled out others.

Soon they were all neatly lined up in a row, like a collection of colored pencils an orderly artist might use.

Picking one up, he held it to his lips for a moment before opening wide and swallowing the bullet. It slid down his throat like a snake and disappeared into his stomach.

A second later, the growth twitched and its barrel-like tube tightened.

The man reached out and held onto the ledge of the roof and leaned forward. Assuming a low stance, he took a deep breath to steady himself.

He was ready to fire as soon as Jaromir turned that corner.

As the boy came shuffling into view, the man almost burst out laughing.

"T-Target sighted! Fire... fire, fire, fire, fire-" He muttered, lining up for the shot.

Then with a jolt of surprise, he suddenly arched his back and aimed upwards.

"FIRE!"

The deafening sound of gunfire blared through the empty car park, reverberating off the buildings surrounding it.

Jaromir fell to his knees at once and cupped his ears. A bloody cloud had appeared in the air above him.

The eyeless man reloaded, gulping down another bullet.

"Target hit. Still alive... Shot not fatal! Shot not-"

The bullet that was meant for Tim had found another target. Something else had taken it.

That something had crashed landed on the balcony of a multi-story apartment block.

Aleta lay unmoving.

She was soaked in blood.

End of Chapter 24

Chapter Text

HUSK Chapter 25:

Aleta was slow to return to consciousness.

Her vision was blurred, hands grasping at the floor she was sprawled out on. A searing pain across her back left her paralyzed.

Aleta's jacket was stained a blackish red. Blood oozed through the fabric and pooled behind her. She bit into her arm to stop herself from screaming.

The balcony she found herself on belonged to someone. Yet in this world, the apartment was empty.

With much difficulty, Aleta crawled towards the windows on her right. As her vision improved, she found the Angel slouched against the wall beneath the glass, limp and lifeless.

Its left wing had been struck by the bullet that took the two out of the sky. This once majestic body part, coated in shifting graffiti, was now nothing more than a feathered stump.

"Shit..." She muttered weakly, trying to sit up, "N-Not good."

The damage that had been done to her companion had also affected her. The flesh on the left side of her back felt exposed. Raw.

As a distraction from the agony, Aleta cautiously tried to look over the balcony.

"W-What the hell was that?" She said aloud.

Her eyes felt wet. Aleta's tough façade was once again threatening to break.

Biting down on her sleeve, she tried to remain strong.

"F-Focus! You have to find out where that shot came from."

Before she had ended up like this, Aleta remembered that her gaze had only been on Jaromir. Which meant that she had only heard the shot.

Yet she had a feeling that whoever had fired at her was not that far away.

Had that bullet been meant for Tim?

What if it had gone off again while she was out? Was Tim still alive?

Keeping low, she knew that she had to look over the balcony to try find Jaromir. Maybe she'd even spot the shooter.

Yet in pain, Aleta hesitated. Worrying that as soon she poked her head out, she would get shot. So instead of doing that, she tried something else.

Shaking itself awake, the Angel was alive once more. Merging with the wall at its back, it followed its partner's orders and gave its single remaining wing a shake.

Aleta watched the flattened feathers scatter and float. They were in full view of whoever might be watching.

In an instant, gunfire shook the empty streets. The shooter had taken the bait. Like a rocket, the bullet completely destroyed the surface the feathers had been on.

Expecting to each feather unfazed by the attack and floating elsewhere, Aleta broke out in a sweat as she saw the plumage emerge from the wall. Blackened and reduced to fluff, it spiraled to the floor and turned to ash.

...

These bullets... They could harm her even when she was merged with a surface.

Aleta's ability would not protect her.

...

Still in stunned silence and wanting to see the extent of the damage the bullet had done, the Angel took Aleta into the floor and slid closer.

Raising her head out of the ground, she saw that the apartment within was now a mess of rubble and furniture. A perfect tunnel had bored itself through each wall and space before exiting out the back of the structure.

Another hole had even been left in the building beyond.

"Fuck." Aleta exclaimed, turning pale.

Returning to where she had been, a slight shift of the body brought her attention painfully back to her wound.

Even without seeing it, Aleta felt that it was serious - the worst she had sustained so far.

Propping herself up against the balcony was torture. The exposed flesh beneath her hoodie throbbed in protest at any contact, oozing more blood in protest.

Looking over at the Angel, she saw how it also shuddered each time the injury was disturbed. The stump dribbling red.

...

It was clear that they were not going to fly out of this situation.

Though they could glide within a surface, it was now no long the safe option it once was. If they appeared out in the open, it could prove fatal.

...

Aleta had to move.

"Okay... C-Come on now. We got this." Calming herself, she tried to come up with a plan.

In truth, there was a way she could escape. Though it was one that she had actively tried to avoid.

Most surfaces have sides to them that are often hidden from view. Small gaps that her ability could exploit.

And though such places would conceal her, upon entering them Aleta would be in total darkness.

Unable to see much of anything.

In the days where she had played around with the extent of her powers, the girl had wondered just how far she could travel. Between surfaces was a given, but what about within them?

This led her to find a break in a section of concrete that was perfect for testing. Merging with the surface, the Angel slipped into the crack.

What followed was an panic-inducing spiral in the dark. When Aleta finally found a way out, she vowed to never do it again.

Yet what other option did she have? Just the thought of staying around and being ripped apart by one of those bullets was a terrifying.

Aleta made her choice. In response, the Angel crawled over and took her in its arms.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the Galaxy, the eyeless man was becoming agitated.

Whoever was on the balcony of that apartment block was not moving.

They were still alive. He had hit his mark. They were wounded.

Perhaps the man had acted out of turn. Though seeing as it was someone he did not know, and that they possessed a 'partner', he automatically assumed that they were a threat.

...

He had to finish the job.

And if they were not going to come out, he was going to make them.

...

Sinking into the concrete and becoming flat, Aleta took a breath and saw that there was a gap where the floor of the balcony met the wall.

She could make it. All she had to do was take the plunge.

The eyeless man meanwhile, took aim and fired a shot where he assumed his target still was.

Had Aleta not moved slightly, the bullet would have hit her full-on.

The balcony was split in two. Aleta's heart caught in her throat at the impact, her flattened image drooping as the surface began to crumble.

With its eyes like the scope of a sniper rifle, the growth immediately spotted the girl. The eyeless man found her appearance strange.

He swallowed another bullet.

Realizing that she was no longer hidden from sight, Aleta forced the Angel to move. There was a newly-created gap in the rubble. They lunged towards it.

Taking another deep breath, the pair dove inside. The darkness engulfing them.

Now they were within the smallest spaces of the apartment building.

Another bullet punctured the structure. Aleta felt it drill through some ways above her.

Now hidden from sight, she had to get to street level. And somehow find an exit.

Moving in such tight spaces without sight, Aleta began to feel claustrophobic again. The pitch black inducing panic in her once more.

"Go! Find us a way out this damn building!" She thought to herself, hoping that the Angel would hear her.

Despite having lost one of its wings, the entity was still rather swift in its flattened state. Heeding the command, it began moving downwards.

Could it see? Was it moving on instinct? Whatever it was doing, Aleta felt hopeful.

The sensation of their bodies warping and contorting to match the space around them was nauseating, indescribable.

Back on the roof of the club, the eyeless man was uneasy. He had watched his target vanish for sight.

"Gone. They're gone! Still alive, must-" Another round was 'loaded', but the man twitched.

"One shot not enough." He said to himself. "Need... more."

Taking hold of his neck and giving it a firm shake, he felt something inside loosen. The man then shoved a hand in his mouth and felt around for something deep inside.

He started to pull out a thin fleshy thread that was easily a few meters long. Letting it fall to the floor, it made contact with the bullets he had laid out earlier.

Writhing about like it was alive, the gross tendril wove itself around the rounds.

Mouth still hanging open, the man emptied his pockets further. Soon, the thread was full of bullets. Becoming a belt of ammunition.

The skin where the man's eyes once had been widened in excitement. He held up bullets so that the belt was flat and would not get stuck or jammed.

"Too slow. N-Needs to fire faster." He gurgled.

In response, skin-like tendrils emerged from the growth's chest. Piercing the roof and stiffening into a v-shape, turning into a bipod for the weapon in its chest.

The gun itself shortened slightly and grew thicker. Holes dotted the barrel like vents. His sniper rifle was now looking more like a machine gun.

"Fire... FIRE!" The eyeless man demanded.

The growth obliged.

Aleta's dark and dizzying descent was rocked by the sudden barrage. All around her, the building shook with each thundering impact.

Holding back screams, the girl held herself tightly as the Angel sped up. The shooter was aiming at key points in the structure.

In no time at all, each shot would just narrowly miss the Angel.

They had to get out. Now.

The man did his best not to vomit as the belt of bullets slid into his stomach as the weapon continued to fire. His smile only growing wider as the growth's eyes dilated.

"Destroy it! BRING THE BUILDING DOWN!"

Aleta could feel the supports of the apartment block weakening. The building would soon collapse.

"Destroy- Ah!"

The eyeless man howled with laughter. Spitting up the fleshy belt that was now devoid of bullets.

"Down it goes~!"

Jaromir, who had been lying in the street with his hands over his head, blearily looked up as the apartment block folded in on itself.

The building crashed into its foundations before disappearing in a cloud and debris.

"Target... Dead? Has to be..." The man smirked, the growth on his shoulder shivered with glee.

Rising to his feet, he peered over the ledge of the club. Setting his eyes on Tim once more, he took his time. Slowly taking a bullet out of his jacket and pointing it at the teen.

"You! Yes, you there!" He shouted. "This! See this?"

Jaromir only now saw the shooter.

"This is for you!"

There was no rush. The eyeless man waited for the gun in the growth's torso to return to its long-barreled form.

He was enjoying this...

Meanwhile, Tim was now disappearing and reappearing. Just like his string had been.

He cried out in pain. Barely standing, unable to move.

The web of strings in his face only dug further into his skin whenever he touched them. It was excruciating.

"Reloading... You-" The eyeless man pointed again. "You're gonna die now!"

Kneeling back down, he placed the bullet on his tongue and closed his mouth.

Tim could no longer see the shooter. Nothing more than a blur was on the roof of the Galaxy.

He was not even going to see who was about to kill him.

...

The thought sent his mind reeling. In a frenzy, a mishmash of memories overflowed.

First, it was a cold December morning back home.

Jaromir and his family, gathered around a fireplace. His brothers arguing amongst each other as their father watched on. A hearty dinner lovingly being prepared by his mother and sisters in the background.

Then, that feeling of arriving in St. Lauren for the first time. Remembering how daunting the city was.

His time at St. Lauren High.

The steps he would climb every day to get to his dingy apartment.

The peculiar taste of things made from his room's wonky stovetop. Tempermental showers, the sagging of his roof...

Meeting Ruby and her children for the first time. Finding work thanks to her.

The nights he looked after Sky and Owen.

All of these things, Jaromir's entire life, swirled in his mind.

He clawed at the threads in his face. A small break formed in the web, allowing him to see clearly through it.

There they were. He saw the man on the roof, and the monstrosity stuck to his back and shoulder.

Jaromir's eyes filled with tears.

Be it desperation or strength, he found his voice and shouted into the empty streets.

"I D-DO NOT WANT TO DIE!"

The eyeless man smiled, pleased. The bullet had reached his stomach.

"Too bad."

Jaromir swayed, his hands desperately trying to remove the string and its web.

It was hopeless.

The eyeless man's expression turned cold. "Fire-"

"HEY!"

Throwing his head back, the man was startled. The growth moved its aim off of Tim.

"I AIN'T DEAD YET, y-you stupid prick!" The voice came from an alley at the edge of the club's car park.

"Your aim really sucks, you know! Really should've killed me back there!" Aleta emerged, staggering before leaning against a nearby wall.

"Here I thought snipers always hit their marks!" Her tone was raspy as she shouted, stumbling as she walked towards the club on shaky legs.

"You must really SUCK!"

The eyeless man was locked on to her, yet was hesitant to shoot.

"Just how many shots did it take to bring that apartment building down, huh? And how many of those actually hit me...?"

Aleta threw her arms wide. "None of them! You missed, dumbass!"

She could barely remain upright. Her entire back was dyed red and dripping. And even though everything under the red sky was gray, she looked very pale from all the blood loss.

Yet, her taunts were working. The shooter was drawn in, not thinking to fire on her. Instead, he was growing annoyed.

The growth steadied itself, its weapon pointed right at the girl.

A shaky breath later, Aleta took out her slingshot and loaded it with a shell casing. "Here's what's gonna happen... No more hiding. W-We're gonna have a proper face-off!"

"I'm... gonna stand right here! After a count, we'll settle this. Let's see who's the better shot! Me, or you!"

The eyeless man started to sweat in excitement at the suggestion. None of his marks had ever survived a shot.

She had been the first. He started to wonder just who this girl even was.

The growth's muscles tightened in anticipation.

...

Despite his curiosity, he was still going to kill her. Since there was no one who could out-shoot him.

"O-Okay, on three!" Aleta announced. Pulling the sling back, she was ready to let it fly.

"One-"

"T-Two-"

"THREE!"

Aleta aimed at the man, shooting up at the roof of the Galaxy.

The eyeless man fired at the same moment. His round was naturally faster, and he would not miss.

However, Aleta had not taken her shot standing straight. It was a gamble, but she had leaned to one side just as the count ended. Firing at an angle.

As a result, the bullet had just missed her head. Only managing to cut open the cheek on the right side of her face, and rip open one of the sleeves on her hoodie.

A sizeable hole had been left in the concrete just behind her.

Surprised that he had missed, the shooter noticed that the projectile from her slingshot had never reached him.

He found that the shell casing was stuck in the ledge of the roof.

In that moment, the eyeless man realized too late that she had never meant to hit him at all.

Triumphant, Aleta smiled and aimed a finger gun at him.

"I win. Asshole."

Feeling a presence, the man barely had time to turn around as his body was torn apart by a shower of gunfire.

The Angel had appeared out of the floor of the roof. Having snuck up on him while Aleta had been talking.

Riddled with holes, his empty eye sockets regained their sight for the last time as the shooter gave the entity an impressed smirk. Before finally falling over the ledge.

His remains landed before the entrance of the club in an awful, bloody mess. The growth's eyes popped out of its head, scattering across the car park.

With a sizzle, they soon turned to ash.

The Angel squatted on the ledge, its smoking guns hanging between its knees. Raising its featureless head, it proudly displayed its single remaining wing.

Aleta's legs started to wobble. She went to sit down, but ended up falling over instead.

Her breaths came in big gasps, as if she had been holding it in for the entire fight. The sudden fall onto the pavement had not helped either.

Aleta quickly rolled over as she felt a fire across her shoulder blades. "Ow! For f- Dammit! S-Stupid back..."

Turning her attention elsewhere, she took notice of the state of her hoodie. Feeling her bare arm now that one of the sleeves was completely ripped apart.

"Oh come on! I liked this one!" Aleta sat up and shook her fist in anger at nothing in particular, before laying back down again.

Jaromir watched the girl swear and grumble. He was trying to think if he had ever seen her before.

He wanted to thank her, but found himself morbidly drawn to the burning remains of the eyeless man. Despite the smoke and ash it produced, it bizarrely had no smell.

Still, it distracted Tim from the pain in his head for a moment.

...

Minutes later, Aleta finally spoke to him.

"Alright... I found you, Tim." She moved to stand. "R-Really scared us back there, just running away like that."

"You were really lucky that I was around to s-save your ass." She joked. "Now... Don't even think-"

Aleta's eyelids struggled to remain open. "About g-going... any... where..."

The girl collapsed as Jaromir called out "H-Hey, are you-"

The pain hit him all at once. He fell to the concrete.

Aleta was motionless. Tim screamed noiselessly, clawing at the ground as the strings in his head pulled and twisted inside his flesh.

Two strangers lay together in the empty car park of the club named galaxy. One seemingly dead, the other near the brink of being so.

And from above, the red sky continued to beat down upon the empty, gray world.

End of Chapter 25.

Chapter Text

Chapter 26:

Eric was not sure what the think of the sight in front of him.

The foul long-nosed monster he had just managed to take down a moment ago, had now opened up to reveal an equally gross-looking man.

Yet he was undoubtedly human.

"Let go of me!" Mr. Romano wailed, the creature's open body twitching around him.

"Who the hell are you?" Eric demanded, seizing the man by his collar.

He regretted touching him.

Mr. Romano answered by spitting in the teen's face and snorting. "That answer your question?"

The teeth along the Knight's hand grew longer and more numerous. Its grip on the monster tightened further, puncturing bone.

"Sorry, kid. That don't really hurt anymore."

Eric looked between Romano and his shell in confusion. "What? How-"

"Why are you even here, huh?" The older man rose up, his foul breath tickling the boy's face.

"Trying to save that whore?" He grinned. "Or did they hire you, too?"

Eric glared.

"Guess not. Hey, I was just doing what I was told to do. Wanna know how much I got paid to do this? Hm?"

The teen's brows knitted as Mr. Romano showed him four fingers.

"Crazy cash. I don't even make that much in one-go from the people that live here. No good roaches that they are."

"You..." Eric's knuckles went white. Remembering the carnage that this man had caused. The lives he had threatened. He had admittedly been more focused on Jaromir at the time, but he had seen the two children suffering in their rooms.

"You would take money, to do this... To kill someone? Someone's children!" Eric shouted in the man's face.

Romano looked away, thinking to himself before laughing. "Yeah. Why not? Never liked those little shits anyway."

Anger clouded the teen's mind. Hatred for the man before him flowed through him like magma.

His entire body was burning. He felt sick.

...

It was strange anger. Something that Eric had never felt before. It was enticing. Like he could easily let it consume him.

Without knowing, Eric's pupils had started to thin and elongate. The red of his irises became harsher, veined. Like a beast.

The whites of his eyes turned black.

Mr. Romano watched this transformation, now unsettled and visibly sweating in fear.

"H-H-Hey now, wait. Y-You're one of-" His entire demeanor changed.

Eric bared his teeth, letting his next words drip out like venom.

"You're... Scum." His voice was oddly distorted. Much like how Romano's had been during their fight.

"I-Is that right? I hadn't noticed." He tried to joke.

The teen pulled Mr. Romano closer, his fingers pressing into his neck.

With just one hand, he was choking him.

"Whole city's done for, right? You know that? I j-just wanted to be on the winning side, like you guys."

Letting the limp arm of the monster's 'corpse' go, the Knight towered over Eric. Casting a threatening shadow over them.

Its single eye glowed wildly.

"C-C-Come on now, why d-don't you let me go and m-maybe we can talk about this, huh?" Romano squirmed against Eric's increasingly strong grip.

"Why?"

"W-W-Why...? L-Look! I'll leave! Ruby's brats? I'll leave them alone. I-I'll just go!"

"No harm done." The older man smiled like a scared animal. "I-I already got paid anyway. So I'll leave the kids to you-"

"...What?"

Romano seemed confused.

"Isn't that why you're here? Look, I'm s-s-sorry I got in your way. I d-didn't know someone like you was-"

The way Eric was looking down at the man, it was clear that he was done talking. Out of self-preservation, Romano acted before he could think.

Defending himself on instinct.

In an instant, a figure formed around him out of a red skeletal mist. Its entire body looked like the gnarled vegetation one might find among the waters of some foul swamp.

Black particles of filth emanated from it. Bleeding a rot from its pores far more corrosive than that of the monster that Romano had inhabited earlier.

Eric calmly let go of the man as the entity took hold of its user. Ready to strike at the teen.

...

Acidic sweat drenching its arm, the figure swung its arm up at the teen.

However, Eric had long since ducked away.

In one smooth motion, the Knight swung its giant sword through the entity just as it had began its attack. A sudden increase in strength allowed the swing to cut through its arm, and cleave its head clean off its body.

Frozen with a look of absolute horror, Mr. Romano's own head slowly slipped from his neck to the floor.

Eric turned away. Giving the man's body no notice as it started to burned away to ash.

Romano's last words were nothing more than a disgusting gurgle. One final horrid stench was released from his corpse, before he finally faded away to nothing..

The smell was enough to separate Eric from his anger. His eyes returned to normal.

He stood there for a moment, dazed.

...

What had just happened was his first thought. Where had that man gone...?

Had Eric killed him?

The teen remembered little of what had just transpired.

As the stink in the apartment dissipated, the boy exhaled and went to retrieve his baseball bat. Holding it in his hands, he waited. Despite the discomfort they usually caused him, the voices often helped Eric to gauge if things were safe.

Yet this time, they were strangely silent. Like they had never existed in the first place. Unsettled but remembering the situation, Eric closed his eyes.

Opening them again, he was standing in the apartment. It showed no signs of being damaged, or being consumed by Romano's rot.

It was just a normal apartment again.

With the lights off and clicking of the clock on the wall seeming louder than usual, Eric suddenly felt like a stranger in someone else's home.

Which he was.

A sound from the hall behind made the teen jump. He hurriedly tried to hide his bat. Ruby's children, Owen and Sky, stumbled out into the main room.

Rubbing their eyes in near unison, the two looked disheveled and just a little nauseous.

Remembering how they had been writhing in pain in the other world, was enough to make Eric wish he could have been here sooner. They seemed to be forgetting what had happened, at least.

"W-Who..." Owen said, finally taking notice of the teen.

"Who are you?" Sky interjected, fear creeping into her voice.

Eric forced a smile. He was not sure what to say, but figured that maybe introducing himself would help.

"I'm Eric. Eric Edwards. I, uh-"

The kids were still looking at him, growing frightened.

"I'm a friend, of Tim's. Yeah, we go to school together!" He said, scratching the back of his head.

Though in actuality, they were more like acquaintances. Though Eric thought that was not necessary to bring up.

He tried to change the topic.

"Are you two okay?"

"My h-head hurts." Sky answered honestly, rubbing her forehead.

"Mine too." Owen scrunched his nose.

The two seemed a little less wary of him now.

"Your mom's name is Ruby, right?" Eric asked, approaching them and kneeling down.

The children nodded.

"Do ya'll happen to know where she is?"

Owen spoke first. "She's at work right now. She's there nearly every night."

"Tim also works there!" He added happily.

Eric was surprised to hear that Tim had a part-time job. Immediately, he wondered how on earth he was handling that and his education.

After all, Eric was barely managing to keep his own grades up, even without a job.

"At a place called 'Galaxy'" Sky said before placing her hands over her brother's ears.

She made extra sure that her sibling could not hear before saying, "There's... naked women there."

Eric was taken aback, but he chuckled and hid his blush. He wondered what their mother must be like.

...

Either way, he had to save her.

"Do you know where this 'Galaxy' place is?"

Owen swatted his sister's hands away. "Mom said it was just a few bus stops away. South, I think? Bad part of town, she always says."

"It also has this really big sign that you can't miss. And lots of parking." Sky put extra emphasis on the last sentence.

Feeling completely out of his depth in this city once again, Eric did not have much to go on.

It would have to do.

Besides, hearing that it was a building with a lot of parking surely meant that it was going to stand out. Unlike back in his old home town, wide-open spaces were not common in St. Lauren.

Eric gave the children a nod and thanked them. Getting ready to leave, he was no longer hiding his bat from view.

The kids were shocked to see it.

Sky called out to the teen as he opened the apartment door.

"Is our mom okay?"

Gripping the handle, Eric put on his most reassuring smile and turned back.

"Y-Yeah, she's just fine. I just gotta go see if her and Tim need some... help with stuff. I said I'd help a while back. G-Got to back up that promise."

Eric gave a small laugh, hoping that the kids bought his lie. "Think you guys could keep this door locked until your mom or Tim get back?"

Owen nodded. Sky tilted her head, still unsure of how to feel about Eric.

"Don't open it for anyone other than me, your mom, or Tim. Okay?"

Stepping out into the hallway, the teen waited for the children to lock the door. He kept a calm smile on his face as they did so.

He soon dropped it and walked away.

Closing his eyes, the world around him became gray and red once more.

Having absorbed most of that monster Mr. Romano seemed to have been somehow inhabiting, Eric felt ready to fight again.

With a burst of speed, the teen broke into a sprint as the Knight appeared at his back. Together, they leapt over the stairwell and broke through the glass overlooking it.

Merging with the entity as they fell, the Knight hit the pavement outside like a bomb. Its cleated boots made cracks inside the crater.

Eric stepped out and quickly returned to the real world. Remembering to check his phone.

...

Aleta had not sent him any text messages.

He feared the worst.

"Please be okay." Was all he could think. Returning to the world with its red sky and running again.

Merged with the Knight, Eric followed the directions he had been given as best he could. Keeping his eyes to the horizon just in case a shaking string might appear.

Under the shadow of buildings, the teen and his companion sprinted through the streets. The Knight's breathing was heavy but its pace never slowed. Clouds streamed from its barred helmet.

Eric could not afford to slow down. He had to find them.

Laying flat on his back, Jaromir though that the red sky above was a very peculiar thing.

He felt numb looking at it. No longer having the energy to cry out in pain.

...

All he could do now was lay still. Struggling to breath. The air was heavy.

The web-like pattern of string across his face tugged at his skin every so often, causing him to moan and wince. His vision was distorted once more.

"What is... happening to me?" He thought, hoping that someone would be able to tell him.

He tried to tilt his head towards Aleta's body again, hoping that she would wake up and explain everything. It was an agonizing maneuver, since any movement meant that his string continued to offer resistance.

The girl did not stir. Dead to the world.

Clenching his teeth, Jaromir remembered why he had come all this way. Even though she had saved his life, he would have to leave Aleta where she was if he wanted to enter the club.

... But then what? What could he possibly do?

The shooter who had been on the roof. What if more people like him were inside the Galaxy right now?

With the state he was in, it would be suicide.

Yet, Tim convinced himself that he had to keep going.

"Ruby... I have to know if she is okay." A wave of grief then struck him. Pulling his thoughts down an avenue he had not wanted to consider.

"No. She is okay... She has to be-"

Dizzy from his fragmented sight, and growing increasingly fatigued, The Czech dragged his failing body along.

Nearing the club named Galaxy.

...

Just as he had reached the point where the parking met the sidewalk of the building, a noise from somewhere around him made him freeze.

It was heavy. Like someone was hitting concrete with a sledgehammer.

And it was getting closer.

Fearing that it might be another strange person or monster, the teen quickly forced himself off the road and crawled towards the door. Placing his back against it. Tim braced himself for whatever was coming.

In the broken picture before his eyes, he gazed up at a fractured moon as a shadow appeared before it. Soaring against the red sky before hurtling to the ground

The figure crashed into the parking lot. Easily turning two empty spaces to rumble.

Standing up, it glanced down at Aleta with its single eye.

Jaromir tried to figure out what it was. Or if it had even seen him yet.

...

Eric appeared from the Knight's chest. He kneeled down and inspected his friend, a grave expression on his face. The thick, dripping gash across her cheek stole the teen's attention first.

He set his hand on her back, only to recoil as he felt blood.

Turning her over softly, he found that the entire back of her hoodie was drenched in gore. A more serious wound lay beneath.

She was still breathing. Though completely unconscious.

Eric bit his lip to stop himself from crying.

He needed to focus.

Standing up, he took notice of the lone black car parked closer to the club. Seeing it made him cautious.

"I have to move her."

He vaguely remembered Mr. Romano speaking about 'others'. Other people that much like the teens, likely possessed companions with abilities like their own. His fears were confirmed when as he got the Knight to lift his friend from the ground, he spotted something beyond the parking lot.

Several cars lay heaped up and destroyed, like someone or something had thrown them there.

There were no strings within the wreckages. The passengers were missing...

Eric assumed the worst. His stomach tying itself in knots as the Knight carried Aleta away. Setting the girl down within an alley that would keep her hidden from view.

"E-Eric?" A voice called for him.

Turning, he found Tim laying against the door of the Galaxy.

"Hey! You're alright-" Eric was relieved to see the teen, though he soon grimaced as he got closer. "Damn. No, you're not okay. You look terrible."

"I f-feel terrible." Jaromir tried to joke, groaning as his string tugged at him.

Glancing up at the facade of the club, Eric steadied his breathing. His hands wringing the handle of his baseball bat.

Sky had not been lying. Her mother really did work at a place that had naked women in it. At least, that's what he guessed from the suggestively-shaped, unpowered neon lights. Along with signage saying '18+ only', others hinted at the possibility of explicit services alongside scantily-clad ladies.

Eric was reminded of a small club on the outskirts of his old town. A dingy place the local boys would pass by on their bicycles, every so often claiming that despite their young age, they had actually been inside it once or twice.

He could not help by judge Ruby in that moment.

Thought thinking back to her children, the teen pushed his assumptions aside. She must have had her reasons for working here.

His attention was brought back to the present moment, as Tim was clearly in a lot of pain.

Eric strode towards Jaromir.

"Listen to me, Tim. It's really gonna suck, but you have to try and pull all that string out of your face."

When the Czech gazed up at him in confusion, Eric held his shoulder reassuringly.

"Trust me. Please. You can do it. I just know it."

He was not lying. If Jaromir could drag himself all the way out here while still in such agony, he surely had the strength to tear out the strings... Right?

The Knight was at Eric's side again.

"You can do it, Tim. I believe in you. But it's not safe here."

The entity lifted Jaromir and carried him away.

"Ruby-" He weakly said.

Eric nodded.

"Leave it to me. I'm gonna go get her. I promise."

In the alley where Aleta was being hidden, the Knight set Jaromir down beside her before returning to its user.

With one last deep breath, Eric held his bat close and tried to open the doors.

As expected, it was locked.

"Break it open." He said, stepping to one side.

The Knight lifted its leg and grunted. The large double doors were kicked inwards, flying off their hinges and crashing onto the floor within.

Eric crossed the threshold. Entering the club named Galaxy.

...

Jaromir meanwhile, was grappling with the strings in his head. Following the advice he had been given.

It was incredibly painful. So much so that he was apprehensive to continue.

Could he actually just pull this thing off his face, and out of his head?

Was it even possible?

He needed to see Ruby. He wanted to save her too.

There was nothing left to lose. No more time to waste. He chose to believe Eric and pulled.

...

The alley soon after, was filled with screams.

End of Chapter 26.

Chapter Text

HUSK Chapter 27:

The club was pitch black inside.

Eric stared down the hallway before him, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

While he would not say he was scared of the dark, the lack of electricity really was a hinderance.

The atmosphere of the club was heavy and stale. As Eric walked, he also felt a strange emptiness about the place.

It was uncomfortable. And it did not help that the hall felt like it was closing in on him. The darkness wrapping around him like a python as he cautiously turned the corner ahead.

At first, he really believed himself to be alone. Only to realize that he never was.

Far from it.

Before a high set of double doors, a bald-headed man was standing in the shadows. His red eyes pinpricks in the gloom.

He had heard Eric coming. And now that he was finally in view, the man could not help but run his nails roughly over his bare head.

"Hello." He said with a slight smile, waving. "Hell of a racket outside just now. Was that you?"

Eric remained silent. The Knight at his back, blocking much of the hall behind them.

The bald man looked the pair up and down, his grin growing wider. His eyes burning.

"Name's Lewis. You?" He held out his hand, hoping for an introduction.

Eric gave none.

"That one looks cool." He pointed at the Knight, "Making a guy jealous over here. Wish I had something big like that... but we get what we get, huh?"

Dropping his arms to his sides, Lewis's voice became distorted.

"Is it any strong, though?" Under the man's suit, his body was beginning to change.

His hands became larger, fingers and knuckles peaking with metal-like spikes. As the sleeves of his jacket were pushed back by the sudden growth, his forearms took on a blueish hue.

They bulged with grossly-defined muscle. As did the rest of his upper body. Lewis aggressively removed his suit jacket and shirt, revealing his changed physique. Along nearly every muscle group, gleaming spikes protruded.

He was not the tallest man, so his newly formed musculature made him look somewhat silly. Yet the power he possessed was apparent.

His mere presence stifling the oxygen in the hall.

Blue muscles bulging, spiked flesh threatening, veins throbbing in his forehead, Lewis's smile was so wide that the skin around his mouth was tearing.

Eric was unsettled by the display, but he could not run now. He had to face this man.

Somewhere beyond those doors, he'd find Ruby.

All he needed to do was-

"COME ON!" Lewis suddenly yelled, rushing forward. Excited to fight.

Merging with the Knight, Eric charged.

It was hard to swing his partner's claymore in such a cramped space. So their first attack was a powerful thrust. The Knight twisting its entire body into the strike.

Lewis had seen it coming right away. Instead of dodging, he met the blow half-way. Slamming his fist into the point of the sword.

It was like the Knight had struck a steel wall. The man's hands were too hard to penetrate. Even more bizarrely, as both their attacks connected, Lewis's entire arm started to vibrate.

In the next moment, a strange force surged through the blade. Blasting the weapon out of the Knight's hand.

Eric's own arm was thrown back so violently that he thought it would be ripped from its socket.

Giving the pair no time to recover, Lewis stepped in.

He threw a heavy punch into the Knight's stomach. Which made the entity bend over, lowering its head.

Pulling his arm to the side and pivoting on his front foot, the man threw a brutal hook at the Knight's face.

The strange force followed the hit, causing the entity's helmet to buckle.

The bars on one side of its faceguard were blown apart.

Eric's brain was swimming. It was a miracle that the two had not been knocked out.

"Let's go! Come on now!" Lewis howled as he pushed the Knight against a wall.

"SHOW ME SOMETHING!"

The teen and his companion were hammered by a flurry of punches. Each one hitting harder than anything Eric had felt before.

Within the Knight, the boy's body was thrashed about. Blood spewing from his mouth uncontrollably as the beating continued.

Finding a momentary pause in the assault, the Knight brought its hands together and swung them downwards. Aiming to slam the man in the back of his skull.

And yet the attack was caught easily, as if Lewis had expected them do that.

Smirking, his large hands squeezed the Knight's wrists. "Gonna have to do better than-"

Suddenly, a cleated kick struck the man's chest. Pushing him back.

"There it is! That's more like it!" He said happily, relishing in the pain and quickly recovering.

Lewis spat a speck of blood to the ground as the Knight readied a punch.

With ease, he caught it.

However, before he could swipe it aside and counter, something dug into his palm.

A mouth had appeared along the Knight's fist. Its sharp teeth biting into the man's hardened hand. While not breaking skin, the pressure was still painful.

Lewis even winced.

Though he made no move to remove himself from the teeth. He remained in the pain, oddly intrigued.

"This is your ability? Freaky!"

The bald man smiled again. "Though if I were you... I would let go."

Lewis's entire body began to vibrate with force.

Eric tried to get the Knight to retreat, making it release its toothed hold. Yet it was too slow to get away as a massive wave of energy consumed it.

The explosion of force sent the entity flying down the hall.

...

As the dust settled, Lewis started to laugh. Leaning back inside the crater his power had created.

Though his joy was short-lived.

"Looks like you've got nothing to show me, either..." He said, dejected.

He slammed his heavy fists together, blue muscles flexing as he shouted out in frustration.

"God. I'm so bored!"

The blast had separated Eric from the Knight.

The teen was sprawled out. He had not been breathing for several seconds.

As air rushed back into his lungs, the boy was now painfully aware of his surroundings. The Knight's claymore lay further down the hall, their only real weapon out of reach.

Wheezing and coughing up blood, Eric turned over. He pushed aside the torn fabric of his shirt and grimaced as he touched his skin.

"Just... How many bones did he break...?" Was his first thought.

...

"How did Ruby's kids... Not say anything about this shirt?" Was his second.

This thought was so unexpected that it made the teen laugh dryly despite the circumstances, even though it hurt to do so.

It was true. They really had not seemed that interested in questioning his appearance. Despite the fact that the fight with Romano had reduced the garment to a tattered rag.

He was reminded of the morning he was woken up by Coach Houser. Or the night he had returned home, his mother and sister finding him carrying an unconscious Aleta in his arms.

Those times too, they had paid little attention to the state he had been in.

He thought of the red sky. Of the fact that his family now thought that his father was still around.

...

Something was wrong with reality.

Eric had little time left to ponder things, as Lewis now realized that the teen was still very much alive.

The man was surprised, even impressed.

"C-Crap." Eric thought aloud, trying with great difficulty to get up. "Have to-"

"So that wasn't enough, huh? Good." The bald man grinned.

The Knight reached for its user, pulling the teen towards itself. The two merged once more as Lewis got closer.

Eric's entire being was screaming at him to flee, to escape, to run away and to forget about Ruby.

Somewhere in the background, the teen swore he could heard the voices shouting at him again.

Only for them to then be drowned out by a familiar sensation.

A tantalizing anger. The same he had felt towards Mr. Romano earlier

The Knight reacted to it, its body springing to life. All along its arms, rows of mouths appeared.

Ready to bite anything that dared come near.

Within the entity, Eric roared with rage. His red pupils thin and sharp once more, sclera blotted with black.

The two lunged to meet their attacker.

Lewis was quicker, his hands vibrated. Poised to strike.

His fists came like bullets, yet the Knight managed to slip through them. The force rippled past, tearing teeth from the mouths on its arms.

Eric was on the inside.

Pulling back and putting all of their combined power into one punch, it connected with the man's face.

Lewis's head was blown back. Wide-eyed in surprise, he reeled as the Knight pressed the attack.

Only for the entity to quickly retreat as a wild uppercut was thrown from an awkward angle. The strange force leapt from the blow, punching a hole in the ceiling.

Eric had gotten lucky.

"That's more like it!" The bald man exclaimed, bleeding profusely from his mouth.

Lewis threw his arms up and goaded the Knight. "Come on, hit me again!"

Confused, the teen hesitated.

"DO IT!"

A tooth-lined gauntlet struck the man in his jaw. A horrible crunch echoed through the hall.

Doubled over, his pained groan was soon replaced by an unsettling chuckle.

"Hell yeah... That's it. THAT'S what I've been missing..." Lewis stood up, rubbing his bald head.

Sighing contently, he felt his jaw. There was a look in his eye that said that he wished it was broken.

...

This man. He scared Eric.

"Right. Do it like that again. Though this time, I ain't making it easy-" Lewis pulled his arms in, tightening his guard as he rushed forward.

The anger bubbled within the teen again. He struck at the man with a wild abandon.

Who in return, hunkered down. The Knight's blows glancing off his thick muscles, most bouncing off the thick spikes that lined his upper body.

Eric tried harder.

Punches turning into haymakers. Rows of dangerous-looking teeth shattering against the man's impenetrable defense.

Seeing his chance, Lewis opened up and caught the Knight mid-punch. Their fists colliding.

No force was needed. The impact was damaging enough.

Ignoring it, the teen pressed on. Only to be caught in the same way again and again.

"You don't really know how to fight, do you?" Lewis said sadly, though clearly still more than happy to keep inflicting pain.

Eric was not thinking straight.

His mind clouded by the anger. Even as his bones began to break with each collision, he kept swinging.

"Shit! Even I heard that one!" The man whistled as the Knight's arm gave a particularly loud crack.

The teen's attacks slowed, the damage piling up.

Moments later, they stopped entirely.

Lewis took a step back, admiring his handiwork.

The Knight stared down at him, its arms mangled and broken.

"Good try, kid. But I think you've had enough." Rolling his shoulders, Lewis seemed ready to put an end to their brawl.

"It was good try. Fun, too." He seemed genuinely sad. "Time I laid you out."

Eric should have blacked out from his injuries. Something was keeping him upright.

He was not himself.

Lewis's entire right side started to vibrate. One more force-enhanced punch, and it would all be over.

Rather than make it quick however, the man chose to be theatrical about it. Exaggerated were his movements, slowed for dramatic effect.

The Knight charged him.

His form was textbook. The punch would connect regardless, and the entity would be splattered around the hall.

A fine red paste.

...

At least it would have, had the Knight remained in his line of sight.

Instead, it vanished. Beneath its cleated boots, the entity sunk into a hole that had appeared.

Using the sudden drop in its height, Eric reversed the downward pull of the opening and attacked.

Wasting not a single second it was given, the Knight was thrown from the hole at high-speed. Numerous mouths opened along its broken right arm, lengthening the appendage.

Like a spiked whip, the entity lashed Lewis across the neck. Tearing open his throat.

The man stumbled, the massive force he had generated left his punch. Rocketing down the hallway before him, missing its intended target.

Seizing their chance, Eric and the Knight forced the bald man to the floor. Mouths closing and its right arm reforming, it joined the other in holding their opponent down.

Fleshy threads burst from Lewis's blue muscles, flowing directly into the entity.

...

Unlike the others the teen had used his true ability on, the man actively resisted his absorption.

It was taking all of Eric's strength just to keep him in place. Even though he was recovering, his opponent was still much stronger than he was.

Not even a slit throat was stopping Lewis.

He defiantly raised his head, neck coated in blood as he looked the Knight right in its face, grinning.

Clearly glad that their fight had come to this.

Lewis started to shake beneath the entity's grip. He was vibrating his whole body again. Another blast of that strange force was coming.

He held the Knight's arms. Squeezing them, threatening to break them again.

Eric could not escape.

No longer able to speak, Lewis smiled as he spat up blood. Gurgling and displaying his stained teeth.

It was not working.

Eric would be blown to pieces. His absorption was not going to save him.

...

Like a dam wall bursting, the voices returned.

Assaulting the teen's ears, their screams came in a delirious blur of terror.

Once again he was not sure what they were saying, but he understood their feelings.

"I'm going to die." Eric thought.

The Knight grip slackened as it looked to the ceiling hopelessly. Lewis, now rippling with energy, pulled the entity closer.

He had failed. He was not going to rescue Ruby.

Those kids were going to lose their mother. Jaromir had dragged himself all the way here, for nothing.

Aleta had gotten hurt... for nothing.

Inside his companion, Eric cried in frustration. Screaming at the imminent approach of his death.

The Knight reflected this, struggling to get out of the bald man's hold.

Lewis was ecstatic at such a display. Wrapping his legs around the Knight like a vice.

...

With the teen's mind falling into a delirium of terrified noise, a single voice slithered its way through.

Cutting through the clamor like a knife.

It was nothing more than a whisper... but it was so very clear.

"Take."

Eric's eyes were black once more. His body moved on its own. Appearing out of the Knight, Lewis had little time to react as the teen took hold of his head.

The tables had turned in an instant. He was pinned to the ground so forcefully that his neck almost broke.

His own hold on the teen and his companion loosened. The bald man sputtered in disbelief as the skin of his face turned to threads.

Like bloody maggots, they crawled into Eric's hands.

It was stronger, this absorption.

Much stronger.

Any vibration in Lewis ceased, the energy dying away. He struggled in vain, life beginning to leave his eyes.

The last thing he saw was Eric. Who stared him down with an inhuman gaze, watching as he faded away.

Lewis's body became a mess of string. A pile of fleshy thread that easily flowed into Eric's hands.

The teen watched the process without emotion.

In seconds, there was nothing left of the man he had fought. Like he had never existed to begin with.

...

Eric was alone.

Slowly, he stood. His senses returned. As his eyes turned back to normal, the reality of what he had just done dawned on him.

It was not at all like when he would absorb a monster. Nor was it like when he had absorbed someone recently turned into one, like Aleta's bullies.

No... It was different.

Eric had just absorbed an actual person. And it was not his first time, either. He must have done the same to that man in Ruby's apartment.

They had not just vanished.

He had killed them. He was a murderer.

Never had he thought much of anything about killing monsters to save people, but this... it felt wrong.

Eric had not even tried to stop himself. It was like someone else had been in control.

Was it the voices?

Eric stared at his hands. The world around him suddenly feeling more alien than ever before.

...

Then, the strangest thing happened.

Before the teen could react any further, a strange fit overcame him. Like he had been struck by a sudden illness.

He lost his balance, falling into the nearest wall.

Eric started to strangle himself. An abnormal pain surging through him at the same time.

Like something was trying to rip him apart internally.

Nearby, the Knight showed no similar symptoms. It watched its partner, motionless.

In that moment, for the first time since they had met each other, Eric seemed to realize just how large and menacing the Knight really was.

With the bars of its helmet's faceplate damaged, the blackness behind it was truly visible.

The teen saw himself reflected in its single red eye.

It was startling. Eric's own eyes were burning crimson. His pupils seemed to be splitting, two becoming four.

The fit returned, and the teen kept choking himself. With effort, he could let go of his neck. Only for his hands to resume their strangling.

Eric's body turned on its own, facing the wall.

He panicked, trying to regain some semblance of control of his body. Managing to take a step back, only to then throw himself against the surface.

It was like someone was fighting for control. Eric's head slammed off the wall. Repeatedly.

This unnerving back and forth continued, with the boy unable to stop himself.

...

Before the teen could spill any more blood or brain matter, the strange fit subsided on its own.

Eric regained use of his faculties, immediately collapsing. His face drenched in red.

He curled up against the wall, neck bruised from the strangulation. With immense effort, he slowly breathed.

Raising his shaking hands to his face, he tried to wipe away the mess. His vision eventually clearing.

A drip of blood brought his attention to the state of his clothes.

His shirt had long since been ruined, and now his jeans had joined the party. The denim was badly torn, showing the skin of his legs beneath.

By some miracle, his shoes had survived. Though they were now noticeable scuffed.

"M-Mom... ain't gonna wanna to see all this." The teen joked, trying to cheer himself up.

It was not working. Eric forced himself to stand.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Knight had moved away. Having gone to retrieve its sword.

Wondering where his baseball bat had gone, the teen found it had also rolled down the hall.

He had not even realized that he had dropped it.

Keeping an arm on the wall for support, Eric tried to walk. He made his way over to it slowly.

Holding it firmly, he gave it a swing.

The fit had left the teen disoriented, battered and bleeding. Though the absorption had still healed him of his fatigue.

He dragged the bat along as he finally removed himself from the wall. Stumbling into the crater the bald man had left in the floor, a cold shiver ran though him.

What he had done, it now tormented him. He felt a strange pull to stand in the center of the destruction.

There was no going back.

Eric thought of Aleta, that day in the Rundown Road... When she had grappled with the reality that she had shot a person dead.

At the time, he told her not to blame herself for what she had to do to survive.

But now... He realized that he had been wrong. His words had been ignorant, spoken by a boy who understood nothing.

Not knowing what it meant to take a life.

...

Standing inside the crater, descending further into misery, Eric was shaken by a voice that came from beyond the doors in front of him.

While muffled, it had definitely belonged to a woman.

Remembering why he had even entered this club to begin with, Eric forced himself forward.

He left the hallway behind. What he had done would have to wait.

...

Knight at his back, the teen pushed through the double doors.

End of Chapter 27.

Chapter Text

HUSK Chapter 28:

A strange room awaited Eric.

The numerous poles mounted upon stages surrounded by low seats. High-backed sofas with little tables before them. Beneath him, a carpet that had seen much traffic through the years. Even without any color, it seemed at odds with the wallpaper.

Perhaps far more peculiar than the space itself, was its current occupants.

A suited man with brown medium-length hair and a distinctive silver earring sat upon a stage, holding a woman in a tight red dress by her hair. A gun pressed into the side of her face.

Behind them, a large grotesque figure stood on spindly legs. Smiling widely, proudly displaying the contents of its skin-like jacket.

The layers within were like the pages of a book. It swiped through the leathery sheets, each one showed a realistic image of a woman. Each of them seemingly sleeping.

At the man's feet, the woman let out a groan. Writhing in pain.

"You know, there's always one that struggles." He suddenly said aloud. "Makes the job so tough sometimes..."

When Eric frowned at the display, the man leaned down and put his cheek to the woman's.

"This time it's sweet, sweet Ruby here who's causing me trouble..."

"W-Where-"

The man shifted his ear to his hostage's lips. "Hm? What's that?"

"Where a-are they, Charlie?" Ruby asked weakly, "The other g-girls. Where are t-they? What did you do to t-them?"

The man named Charlie laughed.

"Well, I could tell you... but the thing is, I don't think you'd believe me."

"Although, this kid here probably understands, don't ya!" Charlie pointed his gun at Eric.

The teen gave no answer. Trying to think of the best way he could get Ruby away from him.

"Sure you do! I mean, look at the size of that thing behind you."

Ruby looked blearily in Eric's general direction. Seeing but not comprehending his companion.

"H-Help... me." She called to him.

Grip on his bat tightening, Eric took a step forward. The Knight brandished its sword.

They were stopped by Charlie, who placed the barrel of his gun back on Ruby. This time pressing it into her scalp, hard.

"Not so fast there. I got questions..."

Eric grew increasingly angry at Charlie. As the man spoke, he would prod Ruby with the weapon. Making her wimper in fear.

"I thought for a moment that you were some kind of new guy. Though my dad would've told me about ya if that was the case... and you're just a kid anyway.

"Are you with- wait, maybe you're an enemy?" Charlie contemplated this with grin, seemingly not that scared of Eric.

"Gunshots outside earlier, that was one of my guys." He continued, "They stopped a while ago, know what happened?"

Just like Lewis, this man had heard what Eric assumed had been the fight that had left Aleta injured.

"No idea." Eric answered.

"Sure, you go with that." Charlie sighed, grinding the barrel of his gun into Ruby's cheek.

She screamed. Eric flinched, trying not to act rashly.

"Also, I had one of my guys watching those doors back there. You two have a little fight?"

"Yes, we did." The teen said after a long pause.

"The truth at last! See, was that so hard-"

"I... I killed him." Eric admitted, a lump forming in his throat.

Charlie fell silent. He let his weapon hang between his fingers.

"Idiots. The whole lot of them." His voice was a mixture of disappointment and sadness.

"But you know, they were MY idiots!"

Eric readied himself for a fight as Charlie stood, pulling Ruby up with him. The gun returned to her head.

"Now I'm gonna ask you again, Ruby..." The man leaned over her, putting his lips to her ear.

"All you have to do is say that you will give... me... everything..." Charlie's red eyes burned a sinister crimson.

As the woman squirmed, he let his hand travel down her body.

"Say that for me, and I won't have to kill those kids of yours. Surely you don't want that happening, right?"

Ruby's expression became one of utter horror.

Eric tried to get closer again, only for Charlie's hold on the woman to tighten. Gun still firmly in place, ready to shoot.

"Come now, baby... What do you have to say to me?"

A moment later, Ruby slowly mouthed something.

Charlie let his hand trail down her hips again. "Hm? What did you just say there?

"Stop it!" Eric shouted, his eyes and voice beginning to change once again.

"I..."

The man perked up. "Yeah?"

"I... I'll g-give... you-"

Eric and the Knight charged. Charlie watched them approach with a smirk, cupping Ruby's behind.

"E-Everything..."

In an instant, Ruby's eyes went dark. Closing as her body was pulled away.

"See, that's all you had to say."

Charlie stepped forward, firing his gun at the teen and his companion. From the shadows behind the man, his partner was pulling Ruby into itself.

An empty flap in its jacket, a page in its unsettling book, accepted her.

...

With Eric and the Knight dodging out of the way, Charlie looked back at the woman. Who was now nothing more than a sleeping picture within the man's entity.

"Though you know, sweetheart..." He smiled. "Those kids, could already be dead."

"YOU MONSTER!" Eric yelled, jumping over a nearby stage.

Charlie laughed loudly, throwing up his free hand as the figured grinned. Ruby had joined the other sleeping women in its jacket.

"She's mine."

The Knight swung its sword as a bullet grazed off its helmet. Before the attack could connect, Charlie was picked up.

Its master in hand, the figure started to scamper away with its long, spider-like legs.

Charlie waved. "Bye-bye, kiddo."

Eric was not about to let him get away. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he was ready to go all out. The Knight readied its blade, lunging for the smiling figure and its user.

But before it could reach them, a change came over the entity's left arm.

Muscles bulging slightly, a collection of spikes appeared across its gauntlet. The Knight's forearm started to vibrate.

Suddenly, the appendage lashed out. Eric unwilling copied the motion, confused as an incredible wave of force was released from his partner's limb.

A crater formed in the far wall as the Knight was thrown out of the air from the blast.

Charlie was stunned. The smiling figure stopped running, and tilted its head.

"W-What?" He began. "You! What the hell- How did you just do that!?"

Eric had an idea, but was just as surprised as the enemy. It had happened without thinking, almost on reflex.

The teen held his neck, fearing that another strange fit might occur.

"Answer me-"

Charlie was cut off and Eric recoiled as an intense heat spread across his body.

The entire room had suddenly been engulfed in flames.

...

Eric was burning. He was clearly on fire. And yet, it did not hurt.

He watched as the inferno reached Charlie. Who flailed his arms wildly in the blaze, crying out as his gun fell to the floor.

From beyond the door Eric had come through, there were heavy footsteps. Something sounded like it was breathing in smoke.

A voice could be heard. Strained but clear.

"R-Ruby..."

The streets were gray and cold. Above, what would be the night sky was instead a harsh red.

Buildings stood silent. Lifeless without electricity coursing through them.

Jaromir swayed back and forth in the alley he had been left in.

With how much the string in his head was resisting, he was barely staying upright. His lungs ached, worn from his constant screaming.

He had been trying for what felt like hours to free himself from the pain the white thread in his head was causing. The thought came that this place... This world with its red sky, it was not actually meant for him.

And yet, he had watched them breath so easily.

So the teen continued his struggle. Looking back to the unconscious girl every now and again. His cries had not stirred her.

Aleta's soft sleeping face was at odds with the horrible gash along her cheek. The bleeding from her wounds had thankfully stopped, but it would be quite some time before they would heal.

Eric had clearly known who she was. The Czech wondered if the two of them were friends. She was not someone he had seen at their school, though.

After a particularly awful tug he had done without thinking, Jaromir brought his attention back to the task at hand.

"Listen to me, Tim. It's really gonna suck, but you have to try and pull all that string out of your face."

Eric's words floated through his mind.

Tentatively, he reached for it. A surge of pain struck him before he could touch it, as if the string was now actively trying to dissuade him from removing it.

His legs were beginning to weaken. Now well beyond their capacity for bearing this continued agony.

It would be so much easier if he just gave up...

"Trust me. Please." Eric spoke in his ears again.

"You can do it. I just know it."

"I... only h-have to pull it? Pull it out..." Jaromir told himself.

"You can do it, Tim. I believe in you."

...

The teen's hands shook, his courage waning for only a moment before he firmly grasped the web-like threads in his face. Pain descended on him, scorching every nerve in his body.

Paralyzed momentarily, he pushed through the pain and started to pull.

Jaromir's screams filled the alley, echoed through the empty streets of St. Lauren.

The string barely shifted at his efforts. Blood drenching his clothing, pooling gruesomely at his feet. His knees buckled, yet he was determined to see this through. Even as the muscles in his arms protested, begging with him to stop pulling.

Tears mixed in with red running down his face. The flesh that the threads had embedded themselves in was tearing open.

...

It was horrific sight.

However, his efforts were paying off. The string was beginning to loosen.

Jaromir felt it. Eric had been telling the truth. It really was possible to remove it.

"I can... p-pull it out." The teen stuttered. "I can remove... it!"

From somewhere deep within, his strength returned to him.

He pulled.

The first knot snapped. Followed by several more.

In response, the string held on tighter. Constricting his bones.

Resisting until the end.

With one final scream just as the pain hit its peak, Jaromir wrenched his arms downwards.

...

He had done it.

Now dislodged, the string helplessly squirmed in his hands. It quickly turned gray, crumbling to dust as it whipped out of his grasp.

Ash danced in the air around the teen. Jaromir watched it disappear.

He felt weightless. The pain a distant memory. Perhaps it had never even existed?

It was like he had just woken up from a deep, restful sleep.

Stumbling out of the alley, he gazed across the car park to the club named Galaxy like it was the first time he had seen it in a long time.

"Ruby." He said, the name filling him with warmth.

Jaromir, still covered in blood, smiled.

Only for fear to grip him a second later. Snuffing out the heat, turning his insides cold.

He recalled everything, his reverie interrupted. Ruby was in danger.

"Leave it to me. I'm gonna go get her. I promise." Eric had said to him.

Balling his hand into a fist, Jaromir strode uneasily towards the broken doors leading into the club.

As he entered the pitch black hallway, he felt a growing confidence. One that made him hold his head high.

"I'm coming, Eric. I c-can help." The Czech said to the darkness around him.

He was not alone as he walked. From his body, a red mist full of bones seeped out. A gigantic shadow soon appearing at his back.

The figure that formed from it was tall. So much so that it had to lean forward to keep itself from banging its head along the ceiling.

Though in actuality, it already had a hunch. Like there was a mass within it that was weighing it down.

Its entire body was draped in a blanket that was partially see-through. Within, the figure was skeletal. Lumbering along after its master on stilt-like legs that appeared to be made of wood.

Wood that was very badly burned.

Several holes had been cut into the cover it wore, allowing some of its face to be seen. It had no skin or muscle, its teeth flashed in the dark. Strange eyes peered out from the openings in the fabric, staring in opposite directions.

The figure would occasionally twitch and audibly click like some kind of old machine. Jaw creaking and eyes looking in new directions.

From its exposed mouth, it breathed heavily. Exhaling clouds of dark smoke. Above its eyes, small horns pushed against the blanket.

Jaromir seemed unfazed by his companion's appearance. His attention solely on the sounds he heard at the end of the hall.

Someone was screaming. Jaromir tried to pick up his already slow pace.

As he got closer, feelings left his mouth in the form of words.

"I will save her. I h-have to save her!" He mumbled.

The figure behind him reeled back, breathing deep. The giant skeleton partially obscured by its cover started to glow.

Eyes spinning, it loudly exhaled. Fire suddenly bursting out from its mouth.

Jaromir watched the flames engulf the hall, pushing through the open double doors before him.

"R-Ruby." He said clearly.

...

He was not sure how, but he could feel whatever the fire touched. There was furniture in the room. Lights, mirrors, couches, poles.

This space, he knew. It was one that he was only allowed to walk through when there were no customers.

There were two people inside.

Somehow, he knew straight away that one of them was Eric. The fire passed over him without harm.

The other man in the room however, Jaromir did not know. Yet by feeling the shape of a gun in their hand, something told him that they were an enemy.

Jaromir heard this other person cry out as he entered the room. Their weapon fell to the carpet as they struggled to fight off the blaze.

In an act of desperation, the smiling figure that was holding Charlie threw its long thin fingers towards the ceiling.

"Get me out of here!" The man shouted, begging his companion.

Though in actuality, he had been conversing with someone else.

Strange markings appeared above him. Lining the roof like train tracks, they glowed.

Just by touching one, Charlie and the figure were pulled away along the track as if by magic. At pace, they sped away. Disappearing through an open door on the other side of the room.

Eric turned to face Jaromir, his strange anger having subsided and eyes returning to normal when the flames had touched him.

"Tim? Is that you?" He asked, clearly relieved to see the tall boy.

Jaromir merely nodded, still surprised by what he had felt and seen.

"That man's got Ruby, as well as a whole lot of other people. We gotta go after him!"

"I... I can feel him moving. I know where he's going."

"You can?" Eric raised his eyebrows, soon spotting the giant figure at the teen's back.

The Knight stood nearby, looking up at Jaromir's partner who easily dwarfed it in height.

"Yes." The Czech responded. Truly not knowing how he could, but decided to take it for the blessing it was.

"We can't just keep standing here. Let's go!" Eric started running.

The two rushed out of the fire-scorched room, into yet another hallway.

...

At the back of the club, Charlie had arrived in Terry's office again via the strange tracks that were plastered all over the walls and ceiling.

With most of his weight still being used to keep their hostage in place, the man greeted him.

Terry was breathing hard beneath him, unused to the world with the red sky. Blood dribbled out the corner of his mouth.

"We got trouble?" The henchman asked.

Charlie swore, patting down his burnt clothes. "Really?! What gave you that idea? The hell do you think!"

Though he tried, a small patch of fire remained burning harmlessly on his leg. It took the man a good few pats to realize that it was not hurting him, but it was still freaking him out.

"God! Why did this have to turn into such a shit show of a job?!" He complained.

"... Want me to call the boss?"

Charlie looked frightened by the idea. "Joey, are you stupid?! The old bastard would kill me!"

"Just- Just do something, will you? Those kids are coming after us!"

Joey put his hand in the flames that did not seem to be bothering his boss, only for him to slapped away.

"Kids? Here?" He looked baffled.

"Yes, here! Now go already!"

"What about-"

"I'll take care of him. Give me your gun."

Joey kept a foot on their hostage, going to hand his weapon over to Charlie.

...

Terry saw his chance.

Shooting up and knocking Joey off-balance, the big man swiped Charlie aside and tackled his lackey. Easily bringing him to the ground.

Heavy fists came down on Joey as Terry started beating him.

Charlie quickly intervened, sighing as the smiling figure appeared over the man. It brought its bony hand down on his head like a karate chop.

Terry fell over, now knocked out.

"Jesus, now he's out the picture. Get up, will you! Go kill those kids."

The attack had not lasted long, but Joey's nose was busted up and bleeding. The man got to his feet and sniffed. He rubbed his bruised face and nodded, leaving the office.

Charlie kicked Terry's motionless body, the smiling figure crouched down.

Picking up the man's body, it tilted its head sadly.

"Real shame you can't put that in you, huh?" He said, tucking the gun into his pants, "Just leave him here-"

To his disappointment, the entity was not letting go of Terry. He swore under his breath and chose to ignore it.

...

In the hallway outside, Joey could hear footsteps.

They were getting closer. Yet he seemed unbothered.

He produced a single cigarette and with obvious skill, Joey lit it and flicked it into his mouth in one fluid motion.

Taking a long drag, he adjusted his suit. Strange markings appearing all over his skin.

Sniffing again, he put his hand to his ear. Shoving a finger inside, he swirled it around until his eyes widened. He had found what he was looking for.

It was an organic switch inside his head. He pressed it with a satisfied grin. In the next instant, the flesh of his face contorted. Corkscrewing upwards until Joey looked a bit like a human traffic cone.

The patterns along his skin and around the room glowed in unison. Each then started growing into little mounds.

Bumps began to line the hallway and the man's body. These growths continued to appear down the hall. Soon they would reach the approaching teens.

Joey smiled.

...

Eric and Jaromir were about to walk right into his trap.

End of Chapter 28.