Jen's expression changed from curiosity to disbelief, and possibly terror, over Tina's story, "So this thing just really enjoys killing people? That's what he's about?"
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Natalie asked. She was her granddaughter after all! Maybe she didn't know as much about her family as she thought.
"I tried to make a happier life for you," Tina pleaded, "-as much as I could anyway. After your own mother died... and Buttons."
Natalie couldn't stay mad. Her grandmother did take care of her, as weird as her rituals and bizarre scented incense and candles were, or the animal bones... Her childhood, though tarnished with blood, still had warmth and comfort.
"As for you," Tina turned to Jen, "This thing is an abomination, the devil's hound, a hungry soul eater... It doesn't have a name, except the ones given to it. It lives to kill. It has no real motives other than the suffering of others... My aunt calls it The Darkness, but others have referred to it as Thanatos."
Jen gulped loudly, "So we're in agreement that this is... real? Correct?"
Neither Natalie nor Tina spoke. The silence was oddly deafening.
"Then let's get out of here," Jen nodded to each of them, "Yeah? Yes? No? Why not?"
"We cannot..." Tina muttered.
"What do you mean?" Natalie asked.
"If we leave now before sealing Thanatos away, then everyone still trapped here at the park will die. The manager, your friends, the theater kids..."
Jen flinched, "Woah... Wait. What does it want with us?"
"Our lives," Tina shrugged, "I haven't felt his presence in a long time... We have to move quickly. No matter how hard that may be..." Her piercing eyes pointed at them before continuing, "If we don't get to the tent with my supplies then everyone is doomed. Understand?"
"Tent. Supplies. Stop the murderous ghost. Got it," Jen gave a sarcastic thumbs-up, "Oh, and don't die."
"OK... Let's go," Natalie nodded.
*****
Jacob leaned against the exterior wall of the theater. His legs slightly bent and he kept his gun close and at the ready. Out of breath and lining up along the building like ducklings came Gerald, Blake, Zach, and their Manager, Aaron.
"I represent that," Gerald huffed.
"We're just following the man with a firearm," Blake said.
Zach hunched over and looked like he might puke, to which Aaron hastily left his post and confronted the cop.
"I don't remember authorizing any undercover missions at my park," Aaron stood tall, but their eye level stayed the same.
"I don't need permission from you," Jacob's attention was on anything but his followers. His eyes shifted quickly as if looking for something in the distance.
"Besides," he continued, "It looks like you needed me. Opening night and everything went downhill pretty quick, wouldn't you say?"
"I say it's awfully convenient..." Aaron almost growled.
Jacob accepting the challenge, putting a halt to his browsing, "I'm sorry that my chief felt concerned with the new crew joining your circus. The crew with their skeletons dangling out of the closet for the whole nation to see. I mean that both literally and-"
"Yeah, I get it," Aaron waved, "We had no reason to believe the killer was with them this entire time. The case went cold. All of them were declared innocent. The only thing keeping those talented people from getting work was a ghost, so I gave them a chance."
"That chance might've cost the life of a sweet young girl," Jacob stated. The manner of his calm indifference almost sent Aaron off the edge. Gerald put a hand on the manager's shoulder, "It's no one's fault, ok kids? Stop fighting."
"It's someone's," Jacob corrected, "And we're going to find him."
"We? Shouldn't we get the citizens, us, out of here and let the cops deal with this?" Gerald asked.
Jacob sighed, "We have no power or phone connections out here. Typical horror movie BS. Until my unit notices I'm AWOL, we aren't getting anyone out here for at least a forty minutes..."
"Why not now?" Blake asked, "I know we're far from the city but..."
Jacob didn't answer right away. They weren't that old school, these kinds of situations didn't go unnoticed for long, Blake thought. Someone had to be coming, right?
"Regardless, I'm going to assume we have a while, and you all need to stick together." Jacob pushed off of the wall and marched forward.
"Woah," Gerald scoffed, "Um, you mean we, Mr. I'm The Only One With A Gun?"
"I'm looking for the killer," Jacob raised an eyebrow, "Getting in the way will put all of you in danger."
"We're no safer here," Blake said, "At least take us to the exit. You can track us down once we're safely out of this creep-fest."
Jacob breathed out his nose, "Fine. Stay close and stay quiet."
Blake waited behind with Zach. It looked like he missed the entire conversation. Watching the kid fall apart made Blake feel guilty, not so much for Taylor's death itself, but for wanting to escape and not lose himself. Not yet anyway.
"You good?" Blake coughed.
"Yeah..." Zach's voice cracked, "Hm. Yeah. I'm good."
"Good. Then let's get the hell out of here."
No comments:
Post a Comment