《Trials of Sanity (New Version)》


 Chapter 1

    Water slowly dripped from the rust stained faucet. The uncomfortable cold of the metallic sink travelled through Leo¡¯s arms as he rested his hands on it. He shivered as the last of his drowsiness disappeared under the temperature shock. The valve turned with its familiar squeak, and as the trickle of icy cold water became stronger, so did the metallic scent that had Leo always questioning the quality of the local tap. Without giving much thought - for fear of changing his mind - Leo splashed a handful of water on his face. He shivered again as it ran down his bare neck and chest, banishing the leftover warmth of his bed sheets.


    ¡°Fucking hell, it¡¯s cold today.¡± Leo spoke to no one in particular.


    The damp bath towel in the bathroom brought some reprieve to the cold while Leo checked himself in the too small mirror placed above the sink. A recent haircut gave Leo a clean, almost military look, although his beard would often like to disagree. It was a constant battle between razor blade and thick, stumpy hair fought on his chin and cheeks.


    ¡°Time to shave again.¡± Leo said with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡®Just one more unavoidable ritual I learned to put up with in order to fit some of society¡¯s pointless standards.¡¯ He thought while soaping his face and reaching for his cheap razor.


    ¡°Man, I wish I had more of those fancy shaving creams.¡± Leo told himself as the not so sharp blade prickled his skin. ¡°Pity they are so expensive.¡±


    With the shaving done, Leo set his razor down on the sink and took a good look in the mirror.


    ¡®No stubs and no blood. As good as I could hope.¡¯ He thought as he assessed the state of his face with his fingertips.


    His right hand left his chin and he took a long hard look at himself in the mirror. With a step back his upper body entered the frame and he allowed himself a cathartic moment as he juxtaposed his teenage and current self. He had always been skinny while growing up, and although those days were years behind him, it had taken no small amount of effort to build the constitution he currently enjoyed.


    Nutrition, supplements, training and countless hours watching and reading about how to improve his body. It did pay off in the end, and that brought a considerable measure of happiness and satisfaction for Leo.


    It had only been a month after his graduation from civil engineering in college when Leo decided to try his luck in the big city and build himself a career. Three months later and with nothing to show for it, he was starting to doubt himself. Leo wasn¡¯t one to easily give up, but he was smart enough to not fight a losing battle. He just couldn¡¯t decide if this was one yet, despite all the signs of an economic recession.


    The cold water from the shower brought Leo some reprieve from these bleak thoughts, but he was far too caught up in his worries to let it go easily. He distractedly went through the motions of his morning rituals as he prepared for another round of interviews in yet another attempt to land a job.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    With the towel wrapped around his waist Leo left the bathroom and moved into the bedroom, which also doubled as a living room and kitchen. The apartment was small, one could call it spartan, but so was the allowance his parents gave him until he found a job. Leo didn¡¯t mind, he was actually grateful for it. His only wish was to have something to show for all the trust his parents put on him.


    The street sounds were almost nonstop in the city center. Loud engines, poorly oiled brakes and the honking of indifferent drivers cut short Leo¡¯s reverie. With a hint of irritation, he closed the window and turned on the TV. The morning news show was playing and Leo only paid it half mind as he went about getting himself dressed and ready for the day.


    "...The case of mysterious kidnappings continues to elude authorities. The G20 meeting that happened yesterday proposed to install a special task force to investigate these baffling disappearances around the world¡­". The anchor, a well dressed woman with impeccable makeup and hair, spoke in the monotone only professional newscast can hope to achieve.


    ¡°This thing is so absurd that even conspiracy theorists are starting to sound believable.¡± Leo mumbled as he closed the buttons on his undershirt.


    Beep-Beep


    Beep-Beep


    The phone sang its annoying wake up tune, but today Leo had woken up earlier than he needed and could take things slowly. Not to say he could sit and daydream, traffic in the metropolis can be quite unpredictable. With one last look in the mirror, Leo adjusted his tie knot and fixed the lapel of his suit¡¯s jacket. The navy blue suit with black tie was a gift from his parents. Although of good quality, it was starting to show its share of wear and tear with the almost daily usage.


    Satisfied with his looks, Leo grabbed his brown briefcase and moved towards the door. The voice of the news anchor stopped him short of opening it as he had forgotten that the TV was even on.


    "... According to the responsible authorities leading the investigation of the disappearances in the country, it''s likely that a new wave of kidnapping will be happening today. Mr. Robinson says, ''The kidnappings have been cyclic, happening every three months. Today closes another cycle.'' His advice is to avoid being alone and¡­"


    Leo absentmindedly turned off the TV as he barely registered the words of the news anchor. His focus was already on the route to the interview and where he could grab a bite of something to eat. After locking up the door to his apartment and deciding on the turkey sandwich at the metro station convenience store, Leo hurried down the steps of the building and into the streets.


    The exhaust of cars and old buses coupled with the humid air instantly made Leo¡¯s skin feel sticky. The street was a cacophony of mechanical sounds even early in the morning as Leo moved along with the ever growing crowd of people. Luckily, his bus arrived at the same time as he reached the proper stop. The ride was uneventful, albeit faster than usual due to Leo¡¯s early rise.


    Leo weaved the press of bodies as he descended the stairs of the subway station. He caught another lucky break as he approached the convenience store and saw that only one person was currently in line. In less than two minutes he was on his way to the platform happily munching on a delicious turkey sandwich.


    The ever growing crowd of people on the waiting platform didn¡¯t have to wait long as the metro arrived shortly. Leo stuffed his mouth with the rest of his sandwich as he made it inside and was blessed with an empty seat. Feeling happy with how the day was going, he allowed himself a smile before resting his head on the wall of the train cart and watching the concrete walls rapidly pass by as the train pulled away from the station.


    As the train picked up speed, so did an intense feeling of tiredness grew inside Leo. Eventually, he had to fight to even keep his eyes open. As it became even stronger, Leo couldn¡¯t help but close his eyes and fall asleep as another feeling had just started to bloom deep inside his chest. A feeling of foreboding.

 Chapter 2

    "We shouldn¡¯t get involved with him. The situation is already complicated as it is!" Leo heard a man¡¯s voice hiss the words.


    "I can¡¯t just ignore this young man¡¯s situation. I am going to wake him up, whether you like it or not Kando." Another voice, a woman¡¯s this time. The second voice was clearer, as if it was closer to Leo.


    "And what do you want to do? We don''t know who he is. We don''t know anything!" The first voice spoke again as Leo¡¯s mind started to slowly dispel the fog that impaired his judgement.


    As he started coming back to himself, Leo realized that there was no shaking of the cart, not even the noise you would expect from a busy morning in the subway. As the discussion between the two people seemed to end, so did Leo¡¯s disorientation. With a startle he shot up from his cushioned seat and took in his surroundings.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Leo muttered under the breath caught on his throat.


    No longer was he on the train cart, or even the subway system. Leo had suddenly found himself in some sort of theater, with red cushioned chairs organized in two blocks bisected by a main aisle. A number of people were present, but the place was eerily quiet, even for a theater with remarkable acoustics.


    After a brief moment of shock, Leo stopped his gawking and turned to the couple who stood two paces away in the row of chairs immediately behind him. In the awkward silence that followed between the three of them, Leo couldn¡¯t help but take a better look at the asian looking couple.


    The man wore a checkered white and blue shirt with blue jean pants. His hair was greying and he had it combed all the way back. His face held an impassive harsh expression along with a pair of glasses held by a black string looping around the back of his neck.


    While the man appeared to be in his late fifties, the woman seemed younger, but not by much. When Leo stood up he had startled the woman and she now stood beside the manwhile locking her right elbow in his arm. Although Leo didn¡¯t have much presence of mind to pay them much attention in the few seconds that had passed, he was starting to piece together their encounter so far.


    As his earlier surprise subsided Leo could feel his expression softening, and so did the woman¡¯s. She had long black hair tied in a careful bun with two, seemingly intentional, strands of hair hanging on each side of her face. Her cheeks lifted tentatively in a friendly smile and Leo couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of his grandma.


    ¡°I apologize if I startled you.¡± Leo attempted to open the conversation with diplomacy. ¡°I was asleep and I didn¡¯t expect to be¡­ here.¡±


    ¡°We understand, young man.¡± The woman said as she let go of the man¡¯s arm. ¡°My name is Schimizo Aya and this here,¡± She gently patted the man beside her. ¡°Is my husband Schimizo Kando.¡±


    ¡°My name is Leonard Hall. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Aya and Mr. Kando.¡± Leo finished with a gentle head bow as he thought the asian couple might appreciate.


    To his surprise, when their eyes met again Aya¡¯s smile had become a little strained while Kando was outright frowning his way. The moment passed all too quickly as Aya took reins of the conversation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want Mr Hall, but would you mind sharing where you were before you found yourself here?¡± She asked politely.


    ¡°I was on the subway, on my way to a job interview on the other side of the city.¡±


    ¡°Did anything¡­ unusual, happened during your journey?¡± Aya said with a little hesitation.


    ¡°Unusual?¡± Leo trailed off as he crossed his arms and replayed everything that had happened since he woke up this morning. ¡°No, nothing that I can think of. The last thing I remember was falling asleep on the train cart and then¡­ I was here.¡± Leo said with a show of hands.


    Kando¡¯s mask of disapproval and suspicion cracked as he looked dejectedly to his wife.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with everyone, dear.¡± He said as he placed a hand on Aya¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will find anything from the people here.¡±


    ¡°I think you are right, dear.¡± Aya said with a long sigh.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Leo''s question was met by two looks of frustration. ¡°I understand that we are in the same situation, but you seem to have been here longer than me.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Besides the obvious?¡± Kando asked with a tinge of irritation.


    ¡°Kando, dear, please be a little more understanding.¡± Aya lightly admonished her husband, who answered with a barely audible huff. Ignoring her husband¡¯s antics, Aya turned to Leo as she started explaining what little she knew.


    ¡°We suspect this is a kidnapping. There is only one exit, that way.¡± Aya pointed to the back of the room where two steel double doors were closed shut. Two people stood beside it, but they didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything else but looking at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s closed and no one has been able to open it yet.¡± She continued. ¡°It seems we were all placed here at the same time under the effects of some sleeping drug. People have been slowly waking up, but you have been asleep for a long time. You are the last to wake up, I think.¡±


    ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡± Leo asked with a frown. He had never considered himself to be a heavy sleeper.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I am sorry.¡± Aya answered with an unusual apprehension towards such innocuous question.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I guess I should phrase it differently. How long have you been awake here?¡± Leo asked with a reassuring smile. He wasn¡¯t sure where the apprehension from Aya came from, but he wanted to be clear he wasn¡¯t upset.


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s the issue.¡± Aya wrung her hands and fidget in place as she avoided answering. As Leo started to become worried about what could possibly put the woman in such a state, Kando interrupted.


    ¡°Oh, please Aya. Just tell him already.¡± Kando spoke to the ceiling and immediately turned to stare straight into Leo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Everyone¡¯s electronics is gone. Computers, cellphones, all your trinkets and baubles. Even my wrist clock.¡± The last one Kando added with a sad look to his left wrist.


    ¡°You can be such an insensitive person, Kando.¡± Aya spoke with reproach in her voice as she turned to face her husband. ¡°You know the young generation can be quite attached to their gadgets.¡±


    Leo barely paid attention to Kando¡¯s mumbled answer as he patted himself looking for his phone. When he failed to find it in any of his pockets, he opened his briefcase, which he found lying beside his feet. He took it to his lap and opened it, but the tablet that should have been there was gone as well.


    ¡°Well, that sucks¡­ but I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised if we are kidnapped.¡± Leo muttered under his breath.


    ¡®Wait. Kidnapped? Am I one of the victims of the mysterious kidnappings¡­?¡¯


    ¡°There is more, Mr Hall.¡± Kando¡¯s voice interrupted Leo before he could continue that train of thought.


    Pulled out of his musings, Leo turned to look at Kando. Satisfied with having the young man¡¯s attention, Kando nodded and continued.


    ¡°We still don¡¯t understand how this is possible, but the few people we have spoken so far have been from different places. Very different places.¡± Kando added the last part with an unnecessarily lower tone.


    ¡°What do you mean? Like different cities?¡± Leo asked, a little confused.


    ¡°Where were you before, Mr Hall?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I was on the subway-¡±


    ¡°No. What country were you?¡±


    ¡°Country? We are in the UK.¡± Leo said with a scrunched eyebrow in confusion. ¡°We are still in the UK, right?¡±


    ¡°We were in Tokyo.¡± Kando said, pointing to himself and Aya. ¡°He was in Finland.¡± Leo followed Kando¡¯s finger pointing to the blond man standing by the steel door. ¡°And the man beside him was in the United States.¡± A tall and bald black man stood beside the blond guy from Finland at the door.


    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡± Leo blurted out. ¡°We would have to be drugged for a day, maybe longer¡­ and what would be the point of bringing us all here in the end? Just thinking about it sounds like something extremely difficult to pull off. Even considering-¡±


    Leo¡¯s rant was cut short by Aya''s hand gently touching his arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard on it, dear. I am sure the authorities will have people to figure that out. Right now, we need to think how we can help ourselves.¡± Leo had turned to stare at the floor at some point during his rant, but when he lifted his face to look in the eyes of Aya, he felt that matronly warmth that reminded him of his grandma again. With a deep, calming breath, he pushed himself to gather his wits again.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs Aya.¡± Leo said quietly as Aya removed her hand from his arm.


    Leo sat down on his cushioned seat and fell deep in thought as he barely registered Aya admonishing Kando for his overdramatic explanation. Leo would have found it funny if he had paid it much attention as Kando snickered. An act that didn¡¯t at all fit with the earlier facade the older man was putting.


    Despite Aya¡¯s words, Leo couldn¡¯t help but overthink the situation they found themselves in. Everyone must have at some point, he merely considered himself a late starter. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have much time to delve into it. An icy chill gripped his heart and his eyes shot forward to a lone pulpit standing in the center of the theater¡¯s stage.


    An amorphous blob of the deepest darkness suddenly appeared behind the wooden piece. Leo tried to stand and gasp, but he realized his muscles didn¡¯t obey him. He was completely paralyzed with the exception of his eyes and eyelids. Everyone else seemed to be in the same predicament as he realized no one had moved a muscle, despite them all staring at the same fantastical phenomenon.


    Slowly, painfully so, the amorphous blob of darkness started to coalesce in a vaguely human shape. The figure was draped in a dark mantle with a long cowl covering its face. After what seemed to be an eternity of suspended time, the figure moved its arms and placed them on the pulpit. Bony white fingers gripped the dark mahogany wood as the figure leaned forward slightly.


    The figure spoke. The voice was like a whisper, but Leo heard it as if it was standing just beside him. He couldn¡¯t help but shiver as all the hairs in his body stood even under the paralysis.


    ¡°Welcome, blessed children.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    The sound of the figure¡¯s bony fingers slowly tapping the mahogany pulpit echoed through the theater chamber as its dark gaze traveled across the people gathered within. Despite the abject terror Leo currently felt, his breathing was calm and composed. His eyes were fixed on the hood covered head that passed him by as if not taking notice of his presence, but peering deep into him at the same time.


    It was impossible for Leo to rationalize the events unfolding in front of him. In order to maintain a semblance of mental composure, he forced himself to ignore his screaming instincts and pay attention to every detail of what was happening. Leo convinced himself that his very life might depend on paying proper attention, and as the storm inside his mind abated, he realized that statement could be more real than what he would like to admit.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Beautiful indeed.¡± The creature spoke in its clear, yet fleeting voice. ¡°Children with so much potential granted to them. I never tire of admiring it. The ancient one truly is of immeasurable wisdom.¡±


    The figure let go of the pulpit and brought both hands to its chest.


    ¡°It pains me deeply that most of you will never live to fulfill it.¡± The voice carried a clear tone of sadness, but it felt wrong to Leo¡¯s ears. Almost sarcastic. ¡°But such is the way the ancient one deigned it to be. They created the path, and it falls not unto us, inferiors, to question It.¡±


    A long moment of silence passed, and the figure sighed. The bony hands once again touched the pulpit as it straighten its back. Not a moment later its voice carried through the theater.


    ¡°You are all children of the ancient one, and he has bestowed upon each and everyone of you a blessing.¡± It paused to allow the words to sink before continuing. ¡°Your blessings are many, but not all of them are relevant to you at the moment. You are only beginning your journey, and as such, I shall reveal only whichever ones I deem necessary. Discovery is also the path.¡±


    The figure delicately swiped one of its hands in the air and five glowing figures appeared in the air. They shone with a dark blue hue, but before Leo could even ask himself the question, the figure answered.


    ¡°These are iron sigils. Each represents an aspect of your blessing. Body, Resilience, Life, Soul and Will.¡± It pointed to each different symbol as it named them. ¡°In your journey you will have many opportunities to create them, and they will be the primary method of unlocking your potential.¡±


    With another swipe of its hand the sigils disappeared. At the same time, Leo felt a slight burning sensation on his right arm. He couldn¡¯t look down to check what it was, but he didn¡¯t have to. The figure soon continued its explanation.


    ¡°I have given all of you one of each sigil. Think of it as a... welcoming gift. From the old,¡± It pointed at itself with one hand. ¡°To the young.¡± It pointed to the audience with the other.


    If the figure¡¯s head wasn¡¯t completely obscured by the hood, Leo was sure he would have seen a smile on its face.


    ¡°As much as I would enjoy watching you all take your first steps, I cannot stay much longer.¡± That wrong tone of sadness returned to the figure¡¯s voice, and Leo couldn¡¯t stop a shiver as it continued. ¡°But fret not, the ancient one is wise and knows you have many unanswered questions. He has assigned each of you a lesser entity to guide you through the challenges to come.¡±


    ¡®Challenges?¡¯ Leo couldn¡¯t help but get caught in the word.


    ¡°Challenges, yes.¡± The figure answered Leo¡¯s question as if it could read his mind. ¡°There is no reward without work, and no gift without expectation. You would be wise to learn this.¡±


    The words rang on the uncomfortable silence that followed. Leo did his best to not think too much on it and kept paying attention to the mysterious figure. He waited with anxious expectation for it to continue. It didn¡¯t take long for the dark clad figure to speak again.


    ¡°The lesser entities, or guides, will always be by your side, even when you cannot see them. In fact, they already are next to you, ever since you arrived here.¡±


    Leo felt there was something different in the way the figure spoke of the guides, but he couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    ¡°The guides must follow a few rules while accompanying you, blessed children.¡±


    The figure lifted its hand and held one finger up.


    ¡°They cannot lie.¡±


    Then, the second finger went up.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t allowed to interfere with the physical world.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Another finger, the third, went up.


    ¡°They cannot harm any blessed directly.¡±


    After a brief pause, the fourth finger went up.


    ¡°Lastly, they cannot give information that wasn¡¯t asked of them.¡±


    Leo repeated the rules in his head while doing his best to remember them word by word. Which was a considerable effort considering the situation he found himself in. The figure was silent for a while, as if giving people the opportunity to take the rules to heart. When it deemed enough time had passed, it addressed the gathered people again.


    ¡°I fear my time with you is over. I shall soon depart and release my hold over your bodies, but before I do so, I will grant you one last bit of wisdom.¡± The figure leaned forward in the pulpit as it gripped its sides.


    ¡°Do not linger.¡±


    As soon as Leo registered the words the figure started dissolving into its amorphous shape, getting darker with every passing moment. It then started collapsing into itself until there was only a tiny speck of inky black behind the pulpit. The moment the last speck disappeared, the full weight of his emotions and body crashed back on his senses. Leo lurched forward with a startle as a multitude of voices and sounds assaulted his ears.


    With one hand on the chair in front of him and another over his furiously beating heart, Leo did his best to calm down, taking mouthfuls of air. The calmness was gone, and he couldn¡¯t even think properly. Even his eyelids ached as his eyes widened in reflex to the terror he felt.


    With great effort, Leo closed his eyes and tuned off everything happening outside of himself. He decided that the first step to overcome this was to put bring his emotions under control.


    The fresh memory of what he had just experienced proved to be a relentless foe, despite his best efforts to calm down. His breath became fast and shallow and Leo felt as if the world would be spinning if he were to open his eyes.


    He gripped the chair tightly with both hands and clenched his jaw as he fought back against losing his consciousness. As the fight against the flood of emotional load dragged on, Leo lost his sense of time.


    When he finally calmed down and brought himself back to an acceptable state of mental stability, the theater was much quieter than before. A few people still moaned and cried in the distance, but it was subdued, muffled even.


    Gathering as much of his courage as he could, he turned back to look at the friendly couple whom he had been speaking with before all these turbulent events had transpired.


    Kando had an empty look in his eyes as he seemed to stare at nothing, and Aya held his arm with expectant anxiety. Her face was red and flushed, while his was slightly pale.


    ¡°Can you see it?¡± Aya''s voice was almost a whisper, but Leo was close enough to hear it.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Kando mumbled under his breath.


    Realization struck as Leo saw that Kando¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t vacantly staring at nothing, but at something he couldn¡¯t see. Kando swiped his hand in the air and he flinched as they passed a certain spot. The man muttered inaudibly, but the distress was evident for Leo to observe.


    ¡°Is he alright?¡± Leo asked as he grew anxious at the display.


    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Aya answered with hesitation. ¡°Are you alright, dear?¡± She asked Kando as she lightly poked at his arm.


    ¡°I see it¡­¡± Kando furrowed his eyebrows as he intently stared at the same empty spot in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s saying it¡¯s the guide.¡±


    ¡°The guide? The guide the... figure from earlier told us about?¡± Leo asked before Aya could get a word in.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s saying that...¡± Kando crossed his arms and his furrow deepened. A moment later he turned down to stare at the floor, visibly upset.


    ¡°Dear?¡± Aya prodded. ¡°What did the guide say?¡±


    ¡°It said that¡­¡± Kando started after a long moment of hesitation. ¡°We aren¡¯t worth its effort. And that you shouldn¡¯t expect yours to even show up.¡± Kando finished while still refusing to meet his wife¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± Aya said. ¡°Why would it say that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Kando muttered darkly.


    ¡°Can it even do that?¡± Aya spoke as she turned a hopeful eye to Leo. ¡°Aren¡¯t there rules?¡±


    Leo recited the rules in his head as best as he could remember, even suppressing a chill that ran through his back as he remembered the very recent encounter.


    ¡°The rules don¡¯t say anything about them being obligated to help¡­¡± Leo trailed off as the understanding of how loose the rules on their guides were dawned on him. He couldn¡¯t help but think back on the weird tone the figure had when speaking of the guides.


    ¡®Disgust. Maybe even hatred.¡¯


    ¡°Are you sure, Mr Hall?¡± Aya inquired skeptically.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure if those are all the rules, but if they are, there is nothing that says they actually need to put any effort in helping us.¡± Leo told the increasingly disheartened Aya.


    ¡°But then what would be the point of having these guides if they won¡¯t help us?¡± Aya asked nervously as she glanced at Kando, who was still staring at the floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Leo said as he leaned a bit closer to Kando. ¡°Mr Kando, how did you manage to speak with and¡­ see, your guide?¡±


    A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed. Leo and Aya exchanged a worried look as Aya turned to gently poke Kando on the leg. Kando calmly turned to his wife and stared at her with eyes filled with worry as he took in his surroundings again.


    ¡°What is it, dear?¡± Kando spoke softly and gently.


    ¡°Leo just asked how you contacted the guide.¡± Aya said as she gently brushed his arm.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Kando said. ¡°It just showed up, hovering in the air in front of me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Leo trailed off, unsure what to think or say.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright dear.¡± Aya said as she continued to brush her husband¡¯s arm. ¡°We have been through a lot, and we will go through this as well. I am sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Kando finally turned to face his wife and Leo could tell the smile on the man¡¯s face was forced.


    The situation they all found themselves in was so surreal Leo couldn¡¯t properly process what was happening, but still, he couldn¡¯t help admiring the way the older couple in front of him was taking things. What the guide had said to make Kando so upset was worrying, but so were most of the things happening since waking up in this place.


    Leo took a deep, calming breath, and tried to find some measure of emotional equilibrium. He tried to prepare himself for what he suspected would be a day with a lot more to happen.

 Chapter 4

    As Kando and Aya had a private, quiet conversation, Leo focused on trying to communicate with his guide. If there was something he learned from his time playing video games was that it was never good to skip whatever tutorial information he could get his hands on. Although this situation was nothing like a game, Leo thought it was a fitting analogy.


    Creativity wasn¡¯t Leo¡¯s strongest point, but he never considered himself to be a dull person. The last five or ten minutes - Leo¡¯s mental estimation - had shaken a little of the confidence he had in his ingenuity. No matter what he tried, mentally or verbally, the guide refused to show up.


    At first he had thought it was just a matter of getting its attention, but now he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Kando¡¯s guide had meant to include him in the message. For all the sympathy he held for the couple, he had not thought himself on the same boat as them, after all, Leo was young, somewhat athletic and smart. He wouldn¡¯t claim to be smarter than the two of them without knowing them better, but they had a clear disadvantage in their old age.


    Whatever it was that the figure had referred to as challenges, Leo assumed physical exertion to be involved in some capacity. If that proved to be a correct assumption, Aya and Kando would be at a significant disadvantage. By now, Leo wasn¡¯t quite so sure that was the reason why the guide dismissed them.


    ¡®Is there something I am missing? Some common denominator between the three of us that would make me an automatic failure of some sort?¡¯


    Leo¡¯s pondering was cut short as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Aya and Kando standing on the row behind him. Aya¡¯s face was even more flushed red and her eyes a little puffy. Leo was sure she had cried, while Kando was looking away, towards the back of the room.


    ¡°Mr. Hall, the people are leaving this place. The doors have opened.¡± Aya paused for a brief moment before continuing. ¡°Would you like to join us¡­ outside?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Of course.¡± Leo answered promptly, despite being caught a little off by his lack of awareness about the developments around them.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Aya said with a smile as she gently squeezed his arm. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her last words were spoken softly in a whisper.


    Leo merely nodded, unsure how to take the unwarranted gratitude.


    ¡°Ay ay dear, shuffle on.¡± Aya said as she lightly patted Kando¡¯s back. ¡°No day dreaming. We need to move on or else we will be left behind.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Onwards we go.¡±


    Their tone was light and playful, and even though Leo couldn¡¯t help but smile at their antics, he knew it wasn¡¯t effortless on their part. They were doing their best to stay positive amidst this predicament, and the significance of it all wasn¡¯t lost on Leo.


    They weren¡¯t exactly the last ones to move out of the theater, but the three of them were definitely on the back part of the slowly moving train of people. Kando walked ahead, followed by Aya while Leo brought the rear.


    In that moment, surrounded by strangers, in a strange place and facing the strangest situation he ever found himself in, Leo was grateful for even the tiny bit of familiarity he had with the couple in front of him. And then, he understood why Aya thanked him earlier.


    The way towards the exit was slow going, but uneventful. Most people were quiet, and the ones who spoke did so in a subdued manner. As Leo was about to pass the doors, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from glancing back towards the theater from the higher vantage point. It appeared larger from his current spot, and he noticed a few people were still sitting in place. All of them isolated and with different body posture. There was nothing visibly similar between them, but they all gave him the same impression. Resignation.


    The people behind him grumbled and he moved forward with a brief bow of his head in apology for his delay. Although some of them also stopped to look back, and he couldn¡¯t avoid frowning at their hypocrisy.


    Past the door was a large, and mostly empty, hall with a glass wall opposite where they just left. Beyond the glass doors a subdued red gloom filtered inside. It was hard to see what was outside, even with the red light. Leo couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious as he tried to make out what existed beyond the red veil.


    People slowly made their way toward the exit some fifty paces ahead of them. As Leo, Aya and Kando had been at the back of the train of people leaving the theater, there was already a group halfway through.


    A young and tall man cut the crowd and quickly made his way towards the glass wall. Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued on the daring young man, and some of the people ahead even stopped, putting themselves at a comfortable distance from the red light. Leo was no exception and he didn¡¯t realize his breath was caught as the glass wall silently opened for the young man to exit. Leo breathed out in an audible sigh as the bold figure passed through and disappeared beyond. The glass wall, or rather, doors silently closed.


    Most, if not all of the crowd had stopped to observe at this point. Even after the young man passed, people refused to move forward, as if waiting for some disaster to happen. As the uncomfortable and anxiety filled seconds passed by, someone finally got tired of waiting and stepped from the middle of the crowd towards the front. It was the american man Leo had seen earlier at the steel doors of the theater.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    As he passed the front of the crowd and walked towards the door, people started moving. Voices started popping up all around the group as people shared their suspicions on what could possibly await them.


    Leo followed in silence after the elderly couple. Aya held firmly the left arm of Kando as he walked in a sedated pace. Leo was happy to go along in their rhythm, he felt no need to rush towards the unknown. The last words of the figure were still on the forefront of his mind, but there wasn¡¯t much sense he could make of them at the moment.


    After the events in the theater, Leo had thought himself ready, at least prepared, to more surprises during the day. He couldn¡¯t help but feel silly for thinking such a thing as he took the view outside. Rusty broken cars and garbage littered the street. The asphalt was cracked with grass, vines and weeds filling the inbetweens.


    Squat buildings interspersed taller and narrower structures ranging from three to six floors. Broken windows, rotting door frames and trash decorated the structures as far as Leo could see, which wasn¡¯t far considering how dark it was despite the strange red light coming from above. The scene in front of him might just as easily have been a location for the filming of some generic apocalyptic flick.


    The street stretched both to the left and right directions and Leo could easily see multiple narrower perpendicular streets leading away, even some tighter alleys.


    ¡®Are we in some sort of main thoroughfare?¡¯


    Leo wondered as he turned back to look at the building they had just exited. He took two steps back to take a better look at it, but kept Aya and Kando in the left corner of his eyes as they stared in silent shock at their surroundings. The outside of the building was just the same as any of the other squat buildings, if not for the intact glass panels and well lit interior.


    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Someone swore, and Leo¡¯s eyes darted around the crowd looking for the source. What he found was people gasping and turning to look up above as they pointed at something.


    ¡°Is that a red sun?¡± Leo heard as he also turned to look above.


    Right on top of them a red orb shone in the otherwise completely dark sky. There were no stars, no moon, no sun. Or maybe there was a sun, a red one. The red glowing orb was the source for the red hue that covered everything, but failed to disperse most of the darkness.


    Just as Leo thought it couldn¡¯t get anymore weird, bright red numbers appeared right under the red sun. He audibly gasped as a wide variety of reactions spread throughout the group at the same time. The bright number was organized in a familiar way and changed in a rhythmic manner, almost like¡­


    ¡®A clock!¡¯


    00:02:53


    00:02:52


    00:02:51


    ¡°No! I am not going to do that.¡± Someone¡¯s loud voice cut through the mutterings of the crowd.


    A space opened in the middle of the crowd as two men appeared to be locked in a hot blooded discussion.


    ¡°Oh fuck, I told you to keep quiet about it.¡± Leo saw the tall young man who had been the first to leave the building face palming in an exaggerated manner.


    ¡°Would you really do that? Just leave these people when you have that information?¡± The man who had been the second to leave was on the other side of the argument and he looked furious.


    ¡°Why not? They are not my responsibility, and neither are they yours.¡± The young man spoke as straightforward as talking about the weather. People started muttering at his statement and I couldn¡¯t help but sneak a worried glance at Aya and Kando beside me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I am an officer and I swore an oath to protect the people!¡± The older man shot back as he raised his chin with pride.


    ¡°Oh please. Do you really think you are still in your city?¡± The young man finished by spreading his arms and motioning to our surroundings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where we are, but I am still a decent enough human being to not turn my back on all these people.¡± The officer¡¯s voice boomed and people mutterings became louder. A couple people going so far as audibly proclaiming their agreements.


    ¡°Fine, fine. Do as you want.¡± The young man sighed and shrugged his shoulders dramatically. ¡°I just thought of inviting you because you seemed like someone with potential, but if you are going to be stubborn as a mule, you are not worth the effort.¡±


    The young man turned and started walking away. The policeman¡¯s face of stoic determination cracked a little as he called back to the young man.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He called back with authority in his voice. ¡°You can¡¯t just leave without telling the people gathered here what you know!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± The young man stopped and only turned his face a little as he glanced from the corner of his eye. ¡°I can do whatever I want, you have no authority over me, or any of these people.¡±


    The older man stood his ground alone, but didn¡¯t move or said anything further. When no one else said anything, the young man turned to leave. The crowd parted to let him move, and he spoke loudly as he walked past them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be worrying much about what I know. You don¡¯t have the time, in fact, you are all almost out of it.¡± He finished as he pointed up with one finger.


    Almost everyone turned to look up, but Leo kept his eyes on the back of the young man as he moved further away. The decision turned out to be the right one, as Leo would surely have missed as two people among the dozens gathered discreetly moved away and followed the young man at a distance.


    The three of them soon turned on a nearby street and got out of Leo¡¯s view. It was just in time for people¡¯s voices to anxiously start talking about the clock running out of time. Leo turned to look up and as he squinted at the red sun, the numbers popped back again. He couldn¡¯t help the feeling of tightness in his chest when he saw the clock ticking down.


    00:00:23

 Chapter 5

    As the final seconds ticked away from the clock in the sky, the apprehension and anxiety in the crowd reached new levels. Some started to move away from the crowd as if being amidst so many people was dangerous in itself. The officer, who Leo still didn¡¯t know the name, started to gather some people opposite to where he stood. Unfortunately, Leo couldn¡¯t hear what he said as his words were lost to the increasingly louder crowd.


    When only a handful of seconds remained, Leo looked to Aya and Kando in front of him. They couldn¡¯t hide their anxiety, but they were quietly waiting in uncertain expectation. Leo stood by them on the outer rim of the crowd. He tried to steel himself to whatever was to come, but he felt the same as most people. The clock zeroed in as everyone collectively held their breath as they watched it.


    00:00:01


    00:00:00


    23:59:59


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it?¡± Someone near Leo said and he couldn¡¯t help but share those sentiments.


    All around people had mixed reactions to the anxiety filled, but otherwise uneventful, turning of the clock in the sky. Leo looked at Aya and allowed himself a smile as she smiled back at him and Kando. Whatever dark thoughts they had seemed to dissolve as the situation didn¡¯t immediately descend further into the well of chaos.


    ¡°It seems we will be fine aft-¡± Leo couldn¡¯t finish his positive sentence as someone suddenly dashed out of the crowd along the street. It would have gone mostly unnoticed if the person had not bumped in someone else and tumbled to the cracked asphalt only for the runner to immediately get up and sprint away.


    Those dark thoughts that had been dissolving in the back of Leo¡¯s mind surged forward to the forefront as he felt the mood in the entire crowd take a turn. Nothing noteworthy had happened among them to justify the running man¡¯s action. Leo frowned as most people seemed to be reaching their own conclusions to the same question.


    ¡®The guide. It must be something his guide told him, which means that we-¡¯


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Leo gruffed out as someone bumped into him and cut short his line of thought. That was all he managed to get out before the person had already sprinted away without looking back.


    People all around him seemed to slowly come to the same conclusion as the man who just bumped him and Leo instinctively reached out to Aya and Kando. He pulled them close by their arms as Aya yelped in alarm and Kando shot him a glare. Leo ignored both and spoke to them as loud as he dared.


    ¡°We need to get out of here.¡± He spoke over their confused protests.


    ¡°Why? What is happening?¡± Aya asked as she did her best to keep pace with the young man dragging them away from the increasingly agitated crowd.


    ¡°Something bad is coming, I don¡¯t know what¡­¡± Leo stopped to look at the large gathering of people as they moved to the sidewalk and out of the way of the near bursting tension of the crowd. Like popcorn on pan, every second one or two people would run or jog away from the crowd, but Leo knew that soon that crowd would stampede.


    ¡°Calm down, Mr Hall. You don¡¯t have to drag us like this. We can walk.¡± Kando pulled his arm back and grabbed the arm Leo had on Aya.


    Leo was taken aback by the old man¡¯s grip strength and decisive action, but when he realized how the situation looked from their perspective, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ashamed for his forcefulness.


    ¡°I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to be so rude.¡± He let go of Aya¡¯s arm and bowed a little in apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay dear, I am sure Mr Hall was only worried about us.¡± She said as she patted her husband¡¯s arm, but Leo winced when he saw that she was rubbing the place he had been grabbing her.


    Shouts erupted from the crowd a few meters away from them. People started screaming and running alongside the large street. Although Leo knew the stampede was coming, he didn¡¯t expect it to be so dangerous. He watched as someone fell among the crowd, resulting in a domino effect as people climbed on top of each other to get away from their location as fast as they could.


    ¡°What is that!¡± Leo felt someone squeeze his arm as they watched from the sidelines. Turning to see Aya pointing not to the crowd as he expected, but to one of the sides of the long empty street. Leo¡¯s heart skipped a beat as reason for the furious stampede came into view.


    It was hard to make out details in the dark, but there were dozens, maybe hundreds, of small figures running towards them in full sprint. Even if most of their features were obscured by the low light, he could see their arms wildly flailing in the air. Without waiting to figure out what they were, Leo turned to put as much distance as he could between himself and them.


    After the first couple steps, Leo turned to see that Aya and Kando were in shock staring at the oncoming horde of small figures.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°What are you doing? We need to leave!¡± He shouted at them. ¡°NOW!¡±


    His loud voice seemed to bring them back from their momentary torpor and they wordlessly turned to run. Leo let them pass him by as he followed closely behind them. The street was wide and so was the sidewalk, which meant they had plenty of space to run unimpeded despite a few lamp posts spaced every few meters. The lamp posts didn¡¯t work, or at least weren¡¯t working at the moment, and were mostly obstacles along with benches, garbage cans and other street elements.


    Aya and Kando huffed loudly only a few moments after they started running and Leo¡¯s anxiety only grew as the stragglers from the incident earlier in the stampede caught up and passed them. The many side streets offered no more protection than the main one and the people ahead of the trio seemed to leave the main street in any random spots.


    Time seemed to slow down as Leo started to hear beastial snarling and screaming from behind him. He had to make no small effort to ignore the part of him that wanted to turn and see what the heck they were running away from, but he kept his eyes facing forward, looking for a solution where there didn¡¯t seem to be one.


    Aya stumbled and nearly face planted on the floor, if not for Kando¡¯s quick intervention as he grabbed his wife¡¯s arm. He hit his hip badly on a metal bench and groaned as they both awkwardly sat down on it. Leo had to jump aside to not crash on the couple and make things worse.


    His heart almost leaped out of his mouth as he chanced a glance back and saw how close the figures were to them. Leo knew that if he spent even a couple seconds looking he could make out some details, but they were dangerously close now.


    ¡°We need to move. Come on.¡± Leo tried to instill some action on the couple.


    ¡°We can¡¯t¡­ keep up anymore¡­ I think Kando is¡­ Hurt.¡± Aya said between mouthfuls of air. The elderly lady¡¯s face was dangerously red and Leo was afraid she might collapse if they had to run anymore.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Leo shot another quick glance to the ever approaching horde of creatures. Not that he really needed to look to know they were getting closer. Their snarling and high pitched screaming was ever louder.


    Fidgeting in place, Leo looked all around them for a place to hide. He didn¡¯t think hiding was the best way out of this situation, but Aya and Kando couldn¡¯t run, it was their only choice. Luckily, there was a door in one of the narrow buildings a few steps from them. Leo hastily made his way to it and tried to open it.


    ¡®Locked. Fuck! What about the windows?¡¯


    Moving next to the window proved to be even more frustrating as the two windows surrounding the door didn¡¯t even have a latch to open. Breaking them would be stupid and defeat the purpose, but he was running out of time and checking the next door would take too long with little hope to a different result.


    ¡°Mr Hall¡­ Leonard. You go. We will be fine, you don¡¯t have to stay with us.¡± Aya said solemnly as she called out to Leo.


    ¡°Go kid¡­ You are a good one, you don¡¯t deserve to stick around with us old folks.¡± Kando said with a strained smile as he had a hand on his left hip.


    ¡°Leave? What are you two talking about!¡± Leo spoke in exasperation. ¡°I don¡¯t know what those are, but I am sure you can hear them. They are not coming here to make friends!¡±


    ¡°We know dear¡­ Just go, okay? We have lived long enough and we have each other. We will be fine.¡± Aya said with a sad smile.


    Leo¡¯s frustration with everything reached his limit and something snapped in his mind. With a guttural shout akin to a roar he pulled on his hair as he frantically looked around while shooting glancing at the approaching horde. They must have been less than a hundred meters now, because Leo could already gleem some of their features. The tooth filled maw being the most glaring of them.


    On the corner of his vision he saw three figures limping towards a dark alley. With no better idea of what to do, Leo didn¡¯t think twice before acting. Ignoring Kando¡¯s protests he crouched in front of the old man and pulled the elderly man¡¯s arms on top of his shoulders and started to jog across the main street toward the dark alley where the three people had disappeared.


    Balancing with Kando on his back was difficult, but at least Leo didn¡¯t have to look back to see if Aya was following as the woman¡¯s protests were even louder than the approaching horde. Ignoring everything while laser focused on the alleyway, Leo made it in time to see the three people opening a door somewhere halfway across its length.


    ¡°Wait! Hold the door!¡± Leo shouted as he increased his pace to catch up to them.


    The three figures turned to see Leo barreling down their way and after a brief moment of surprise, scurried inside the building with unexpected dexterity for people who had been limping just a moment earlier. Leo was forced to jump and extended his arm just as the last one of them was closing the door on him. The person on the other side was young, almost a teenager, and he looked at Leo with wide eyes as the door bounced off his biceps.


    With a loud groan of pain, Leo hit his forehead on the edge of the door as he came to an abrupt stop. Kando also made his pain known as he slid from Leo¡¯s back to the floor.


    ¡°Are you crazy? What are you doing?¡± Someone shouted from the inside as they pushed past the wide eyed young man.


    ¡°Fuck off, we are going inside.¡± Leo shot back as he pushed himself back on his feet and opened the door wide. The person trying to stop Leo was an overweight middle aged man with a bald spot. Leo was taller than him by a head and change while also cutting for an intimidating figure as he shoulder checked the man when he turned to pull Kando inside.


    Kando protested at being moved, but did his best to get inside quickly. Aya followed closely behind doing her best to support her husband. Leo placed Kando beside the door with his back to the wall as he scanned the dark room. It was hard to make out anything more than a meter away from the door as the weak light streaming from outside didn¡¯t help much. There didn¡¯t seem to be any windows as well.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Close the fucking door!¡± The middle aged man called out to Leo a few paces away from him. He had put some distance between himself and the door after their brief heated exchange.


    Leo had no intention of being goaded by the older man, but he had forgotten about the door for a second. Turning back to it, Leo almost regretted chancing a glance outside. A few of the creatures seemed to be passing by them in the main street at that moment and a number of them entered the alleyway. Although they were louder inside the tight corridor between buildings, it was harder to make out their features in the darker environment. Without any intention of waiting for them to get any closer, Leo closed the door.


    ¡°They are here. We should be quiet.¡± Leo''s voice was low but harsh as he held the door handle upwards with both hands.

 Chapter 6

    Darkness engulfed the room as Leo closed the door, the dim red light streaming from under the door frame didn¡¯t do much to dispel the sudden blindness. The room occupants didn¡¯t dare make a sound, which only served to augment their perception of the noise from the creatures outside.


    Their snarls and high pitched screams were terrifying, but in between there were also guttural and harsh sounds that flowed almost like a language. If not for the animalistic nature of it, Leo would swear the creatures were having a conversation as they approached the door.


    Leo gently prodded around the door handle looking for a lock as he decided that there were more important things to worry about than the nature of the creatures outside. Despite Leo¡¯s curiosity with the creatures, he knew without a doubt what would happen if they ever entered the room. His heart pounded furiously in his chest as his mind worked to find a way to survive their predicament.


    ¡®Found it!¡¯


    His prodding turned out to be a good idea as he quickly found the door lock. With an audible click the door locked itself and Leo relaxed his tense shoulders a little. He still had one hand on the door handle just in case, but he no longer held it like their lives depended on it.


    The seconds seemed to stretch for too long as they all waited in the disturbing silent darkness of the room. The creatures eventually got close enough that Leo could almost feel them breathing down his neck. He swiped an uncomfortable droplet of sweat that ran to his eyes as they all waited with bated breath.


    When they first entered the room Leo wondered if the creatures would even be able to tell where they were if they kept quiet enough, but as they got closer he started to wonder that maybe they had already been found, or were very close to. The answer came not long after the creatures stopped by their door. The crisp sound of sniffing came from the bottom of it and Leo instantly knew they had been discovered.


    More of the creatures sniffed under the door frame as the dim red light was blocked by, what Leo assumed, were their faces being pressed against the ground. Everything was quiet for a moment before it exploded in action. The creature¡¯s snarling intensified and they started banging against the door with animalistic fury.


    With both hands on the door Leo tried to feel its integrity. The door swung outwards and unless the creatures could break the door itself, they should be safe. It seemed to be made of iron or some similar metal, although Leo couldn¡¯t tell if it was solid iron or had a wooden core.


    ¡®At least it doesn''t feel or sound hollow.¡¯


    The pounding on the door intensified, but Leo could feel that they wouldn¡¯t be able to break through with that amount of strength. They seemed to be strong given their small stature, but no stronger than an adult human was. The pounding subdued and the screaming intensified. It was hard to tell from all the yelling these creatures were doing, but Leo had an impression that more of them had joined at some point.


    When the pounding grew intense again, the screaming was subdued to some extent. The cycle continued for a while until both the pounding and the screaming were increasingly less pronounced. Leo had already sat down with his back to the door by the time the noises outside were not a shadow of its former self.


    ¡®Only two or three of them are out there. They may not be strong enough to put down this door, but they sure are persistent.¡¯


    With no idea of how long had passed, Leo could only assume from his perspective. And from his point of view, it had been a long, long time with them stuck in the darkness trying to be quiet. Surprisingly, no one had tried to speak while the creatures were outside their door trying their best to get in. Everyone was probably too preoccupied imagining their own version of what would happen if the creatures broke in.


    What they had been through had such an effect on everyone in the room that even as the remaining two voices outside moved further away from the door no one spoke or shuffled. Now time passed in almost total silence, their breathing the only sound in the room as the outside quietened.


    ¡°I am going to take a look outside.¡± Leo whispered after the long stretch of quietness had become unbearable to him.


    ¡°No!¡± Came a hoarse voice somewhere to his left. ¡°What if they are still outside?¡±


    ¡°Relax, they don¡¯t seem to be the kind to be able to keep it quiet.¡± Leo spoke with more assuredness than he honestly had, but after feeling like a trapped mouse for who knows how long, he felt a strong urge to do something.


    ¡°What if there are others that are?¡± A distinctly feminine voice spoke from farther in the room.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Leo¡¯s eyes darted in the darkness but he couldn¡¯t see anything other than indistinguishable silhouettes. ¡°But I don¡¯t think there are other creatures.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The woman asked again. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be other creatures?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± Leo said without as much of the assuredness he had earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all you have?¡± The woman inquired with more surprise than challenge.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much to go on and make a conjecture while we are stuck in this dark room, do I?¡± Leo started a bit louder than he wanted. ¡°We can¡¯t just keep hiding in the dark forever or nothing will change, for better or worse. I think the first step is to confirm that the alley is clear.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the first step be to explore the room we are in?¡± The woman spoke with a little condescension. ¡°Maybe find the lights. Don¡¯t you think that would be more important?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah. You are probably right.¡± Leo stammered out with a defeated sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I already did that. You can check outside.¡± She spoke to not only Leo¡¯s surprise, but also the hoarse voice from earlier, who Leo recognized as the balding middle aged man that he had a brief confrontation with when they entered the room.


    ¡°What!? No! Just turn on the damn lights Cassandra!¡± Leo involuntarily flinched at how loud the middle aged man was.


    ¡°It¡¯s also important to know what is outside. Am I right to assume you aren¡¯t going to volunteer Ernesto?¡± Cassandra¡¯s tone was final even as the middle aged man muttered his complaints.


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t take too long. I am not sure about you, but I am not comfortable in this¡­ darkness.¡± Completely different from the previous sentence, Cassandra''s voice was softer, almost pleading.


    Leo acquiesced with a nod, then realizing that no one could see him in the dark. With a muttered right he turned towards the door to unlock it. He glanced at where he knew Aya and Kando were sitting beside the door. Although he couldn¡¯t see their faces, he knew they could make out enough of his silhouette to know he was looking at them.


    The door unlocked with the same click as before and Leo grabbed the door handle with a shaking hand. He steeled himself with a deep breath and ever so slowly opened the door so he could glimpse outside. The alley was as dark as before, but after being so long in the room, the alley was almost bright in comparison.


    Pieces of broken wood and garbage littered the floor and a large metal container sat against the wall opposite him some dozen meters down the alley. He could glimpse at the main road, but it seemed as quiet as the alley. He couldn¡¯t see anything alive or moving in the direction the door opened.


    As carefully as he could, Leo pushed halfway out of the door to look behind it. A wall closed off the other side and it was darker than the rest of the place. There was a small pile of garbage and construction refuse at the end but nothing moved for as long as Leo kept staring at it. Satisfied with what he had seen and unwilling to risk going to the main street, Leo pulled himself back in the room and closed the door. He locked it with the now familiar click and pushed his back against it.


    ¡°All clear.¡± Leo spoke to everyone as he tried to normalize his breathing. He had not realized how nervous he had been until he made it back in the safety of the room.


    ¡°Alright. Everyone, cover your eyes, I am going to try and turn on the lights.¡± Cassandra spoke. ¡°Hopefully they work.¡±


    Another audible click resounded in the room as the lights came on. Leo for some reason hadn¡¯t followed Cassandra¡¯s advice and instinctually closed his eyes at the painful glare of the light that covered the room. Other people seemed to be going through similar experiences as Leo heard groans of pain and muttered complaints from around the room.


    Blinking multiple times to adjust to the light, Leo finally could see the room they were in. It was small and there was barely enough space for the six of them to keep a healthy distance from each other. There were shelves with plastic bottles of all sizes and colors, and as Leo started to form a faint understanding of what kind of room they were in, the two brooms and single mop in a corner were enough by themselves to answer the question.


    ¡°We are in some sort of janitor¡¯s closet, or room.¡± Although Leo had reached the same conclusion, he wasn¡¯t the one who voiced it out.


    To his right, the young man who had been closing the door when they got in had spoken softly, but the quietness in the small room was enough that everyone could hear it. Now that they had light, Leo could take a good look at him. Bowl cut hair and with a pair of glasses hanging on the collar of his grey t-shirt. He had a short stature, but Leo couldn¡¯t be sure how short as he was currently sitting down with one of the sides of his brown pants rolled up to his knee.


    ¡°Yes. And it seems this door here behind me would take us further into the building, but it¡¯s locked.¡± Cassandra said directly opposite Leo.


    Cassandra had bronze skin and dark wavy hair. She was tall, but no taller than Leo. She wore blue jeans and a dark shirt with long sleeves and some frills around the arm cuffs and neck. It was a nice outfit that Leo would have otherwise complimented, if not for the disheveled state Cassandra found herself in. Her eyes were sharp, but they couldn¡¯t disguise the haunted look she carried.


    Her thick black hair was a mess, and it seemed like it was partly Cassandra¡¯s fault as she nervously pulled and twisted it between the fingers of her left hand. Her right arm was crossed under her chest and her whole body expression was one of clear distress.


    Leo was happy he didn¡¯t have a mirror, because he couldn¡¯t imagine that he was doing much better than her at hiding his emotions through physical cues. He consciously stopped wringing his hands, something he was prone to do when uncomfortable.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°What now, then?¡± The young man asked from where he was nursing his ankle on the floor beside Ernesto.


    The question hung uncomfortably in the air. With his eyes on the floor as he considered their grim situation, Leo almost failed to see Aya standing to his left with a strained smile on her face.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start by introducing ourselves?¡± She said with a cheerfulness that didn¡¯t quite fit the situation. ¡°My name is Schimizo Aya and this here is my husband, Schimizo Kando.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet all of you.¡± He said with a soft bowl of his head while still sitting. ¡°I apologize for not being able to stand and greet you properly. As you can see, I have suffered a minor accident on the way.¡±


    Without missing a beat, Aya gently prodded Leo with her hand. Leo¡¯s confusion only lasted a second as Aya waved to the room.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Leo said with a grunt as he stood up. ¡°My name is Leonard Hall, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet all of you.¡±


    ¡®Why am I doing this?¡¯


    Leo couldn¡¯t avoid questioning himself what was the purpose of all this. In the end, it was something that seemed important to Aya and Kando. Doing such a small thing was not a problem with him if it helped the couple feel more comfortable.


    ¡°What is the point of this? Who cares-¡± The middle aged man, Ernesto, started speaking with angry condescension when Cassandra cut him off mid sentence.


    ¡°My name is Cassandra. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you as well.¡± She said succinctly while pointedly ignoring Ernesto¡¯s dirty look.


    ¡°My name-¡± The young man coughed once to clear his throat. ¡°My name is Anthony, but I go by Tony. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you. As you can see, I also suffered an accident and I would rather not stand up at the moment.¡± Tony gestured to his swollen ankle with a demurred smile.


    All eyes turned to the middle aged man, Ernesto, as he looked away and refused to introduce himself. Cassandra frowned at his childish refusal, but Aya¡¯s relentless smile seemed to be the reason why the man eventually acquiesced.


    ¡°My name is Ernesto Cantera.¡± He said with a scowl as he crossed his arms. ¡°There you go, happy? Can we now focus on the issue of getting out of this place?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Do you have any suggestions?¡± Cassandra spoke with poorly veiled irritation.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one with the ideas? You and him.¡± Ernesto shot back as he pointed at Leo. ¡°Maybe ask him, he seems to be full of ideas as well.¡±


    Cassandra squinted her eyes at Ernesto who huffed and glared back. Their silent contest was interrupted as Tony intervened with a question.


    ¡°What are in those bottles?¡±


    The question piqued Leo¡¯s curiosity. He shuffled a little and reached randomly to one of the colorful plastic containers. As he lifted it off the shelf, the weight, or lack thereof, told him it was probably empty. A quick shake confirmed that it was empty indeed. Leo placed it back on the shelf and started going through all the bottles he could find.


    ¡®Empty, empty, empty, empty¡­ Something in this one!¡¯


    One of the bottle¡¯s content sloshed as he pulled it off the shelf. It was clear white, but there were no other markings or writings. Since there was no information on the bottle, Leo couldn¡¯t be sure of how much was the total volume, but that didn¡¯t stop him from taking a guess.


    ¡®I would say the bottle has a gallon when full? So maybe half a gallon of¡­ something¡¯


    ¡°I found something. Not sure what it is, nothing written on it.¡± Leo said as he turned towards the people in the room.


    ¡°Can you open it? Maybe you can tell by the smell.¡± Tony chanced from his side of the room.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± Leo said as he started to unscrew it.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Cassandra interjected. ¡°What if the contents are poisonous or harmful?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that¡­¡± Leo muttered as he eyed the bottle suspiciously.


    ¡°Why would a janitor have a poisonous chemical?¡± Tony asked aghast.


    ¡°This place does look like a janitor¡¯s room.¡± Cassandra mused as her eyes travelled the room in search of a hint to its secrets. ¡°But how can we be sure?¡±


    ¡°I agree with Cassandra.¡± Leo said as he placed the bottle back on the shelf.


    ¡°Ever since we left the theater I have been feeling like things are¡­ disconnected.¡± Cassandra spoke mildly, as if unsure of how to express herself.


    ¡°What do you mean disconnected?¡± Tony¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity as he asked the obvious question.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ doesn¡¯t it feel like a setup to you?¡± Cassandra raised a hand to stop Tony before he asked another obvious question. ¡°Let me finish.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Outside, it feels like we are in some sort of post-apocalyptic city. Nature took over, the cars are extremely rusted and everything is old and degraded, but here.¡± Leo said as he gestured to the room. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like something you would find in a place who had been recently active? The walls are clean, the brooms and the mop are intact, heck, even the lights work!¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean¡­¡± Leo muttered as he started wringing his hands. ¡°Now that you said it, there was something that I saw earlier that doesn¡¯t quite make sense to me. Outside, I saw garbage, but there was cardboard around it. Isn¡¯t that paper? Isn¡¯t paper supposed to decompose super fast?¡±


    ¡°Two months.¡± Tony said. ¡°It takes two months for cardboard to decompose.¡±


    Leo couldn¡¯t help but look funny at Tony, as Cassandra lifted a suspicious eyebrow at him.


    ¡°It was on my exam recently¡­¡± He muttered.


    ¡°Just how old are you, Tony?¡± Leo asked, but Tony never had a chance to answer as Ernesto interrupted.


    ¡°What does it matter if cardboard takes a month or a year to decompose. What does that have to do with the monsters and these tattoos we got?¡± Ernesto¡¯s voice was loud and grating as usual.


    ¡®Tattoos?¡¯


    ¡°What are you talking about? What tattoos?¡± Leo asked as his curiosity trumped the annoyance he felt at the fat middle aged man.


    ¡°This.¡± Cassandra said as she lifted a bit of her shirt to show her stomach. A small symbol was etched in her skin. It was a fascinating design and it shone with a mesmerizing dark blue hue. ¡°You don¡¯t have it? I assumed everyone did.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Leo trailed off as a shiver ran down his back. He was suddenly reminded of the encounter with the dark clad figure in the theater. Something it did back then had made Leo¡¯s arm briefly burn hot, but at the moment he had been paralyzed and couldn¡¯t move to check. He instinctively reached out to his right arm and pulled the sleeves of his suit and shirt underneath.


    ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± Leo muttered as he saw five symbols randomly placed along his forearm. They were small, and just like Cassandra¡¯s, they shone with the same mystical dark blue hue.


    ¡°Are these the sigils the figure spoke of?¡± Leo tried to match the symbols he was looking at in his arm with the ones the figure had shown them, but honestly, he couldn¡¯t remember what they had looked like.


    ¡°That¡¯s my assumption.¡± Cassandra said. ¡°Although I can¡¯t be sure what they mean or do.¡±


    ¡°Body, spirit and soul¡­¡± Tony counted on his fingers as he tried to remember.


    ¡°Body, resilience, life, soul and will.¡± Leo said with such certainty that even he was surprised at it.


    ¡°What is it then? Some sort of voodoo or black magic?¡± Ernesto spoke with his usual irritating tone.


    ¡°I am not sure it¡¯s something necessarily bad¡­ The figure spoke of blessings, right? Challenge and reward, and about our potential.¡± Leo¡¯s eyes were distant as he vividly remembered the words the figure spoke.


    Another bout of uncomfortable silence befell the room as everyone mulled over their encounter with the figure in the theater.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we will be able to figure out what it all means by sitting here, unless¡­¡± Cassandra hesitated for a moment. ¡°Any of you has managed to speak with your guide?¡±


    The room temperature seemed to drop as Leo saw Kando freeze up at the question and Aya squeeze his hand in solidarity.


    ¡°No, no such luck for us.¡± Leo answered succinctly before their discomfort became more obvious.


    ¡°I thought so¡­¡± Cassandra said with a sigh.


    ¡°How long are you kids going to keep dancing around the subject?¡± Ernesto''s voice managed to be even more grating to Leo¡¯s ears as he spoke. ¡°Someone needs to go outside.¡±


    ¡°I assume you are not going to volunteer, again?¡± Leo asked back without hiding his irritation.


    ¡°Why would I when we have one perfectly able candidate right here?¡± Ernesto said slyly.


    ¡°Who would that perfect candidate be, Ernesto? Me?¡± Leo¡¯s anger made him walk right into the old man¡¯s trap.


    ¡°Exactly. You are not as dumb as you look, kid.¡± Ernesto spoke with arrogance. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean to send out an injured elderly man, or an elderly woman. Or would you rather send an injured teenager or a girl while you sit here in safety?¡±


    ¡°Why don''t we send you outside, Ernesto? You don¡¯t seem to be injured.¡± Leo spoke with barely contained disgust.


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± Ernesto dismissed Leo¡¯s suggestion with a disdainful wave of his hand. ¡°I am an overweight old man, while you are an athletic young boy. I am sure that, whatever is waiting for us outside, you are far more capable to handle than me.¡±


    Leo was furious, not only with Ernesto¡¯s blatant disregard for his safety, but how he had let his emotions make him walk right into the older man¡¯s trap. He was, by all accounts, the obvious choice and he knew it. Leo would probably have offered to go outside and find a solution anyway, but the way things stood now, it felt like he was being forced by that infuriating man instead of making the choice himself.


    ¡°I will go with him.¡± Cassandra said. ¡°I am not injured and while I am not a boy, I am athletic and young. We will have better odds if there are two of us working together.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Ernesto stood up awkwardly as he tried to balance his considerable weight on his hands. ¡°You will do no such thing Cassandra! You will stay here, where it¡¯s safe!¡±


    ¡°Oh, please Ernesto. Stop pretending like you care about me.¡± She dismissed him with an oddly familiar hand gesture.


    ¡°What do you mean pretend? Of course I care! You are my-¡± Ernesto couldn¡¯t finish as Cassandra erupted in anger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence!¡± She pointed a finger right at his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare, Ernesto!¡±


    The older man seemed to swallow his words in shock as everyone in the room was surprised by Cassandra¡¯s sudden outburst. She huffed and turned her back to kandoErnesto as she grabbed the two brooms that stood by her left side on a corner.


    ¡°Here, catch.¡± Cassandra said as she tossed one of the brooms to Leo. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, but it¡¯s better than if we go outside unarmed.¡± Cassandra spoke as she started to pull off the brooming end of the wooden pole to make it into a staff.


    Leo, along with everyone else in the room, just stared at Cassandra with apprehensive looks. If it hadn¡¯t been clear before, it was obvious now that there was some history between her and Ernesto. Leo just couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it was, and more importantly, if it would be a problem later on.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Cassandra turned to face Leo. ¡°Do you need help with the broom?¡±


    ¡°No, I can do it. It¡¯s fine.¡± Leo said softly as he did the same as Cassandra and fashioned himself an improvised wooden staff.


    As he watched Cassandra give it a couple careful tentative swings in the cramped room, Leo couldn¡¯t help but think  how little he really knew of all these people. Despite all that, it still felt like the right thing to go outside and risk his life for not only his benefit, but theirs as well.


    A quick glance to Kando and Aya on his left sombered up his thoughts. Aya caught his eye and gave him an encouraging smile, which he promptly offered one back from the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Alright, I am ready.¡± Leo said with more confidence than he should have had.

 Chapter 8

    Cassandra stood behind Leo as he held the door¡¯s lock with one hand and the broom pole with the other. They exchanged a brief look accompanied by Cassandra¡¯s nod of confirmation, before Leo turned the lock with the usual click. With a long and deep breath, Leo turned the handle and carefully opened the door.


    Everyone in the room held their collective breaths as he took his first step forward and soon disappeared beyond the frame. Cassandra followed closely behind and once outside, carefully closed the door behind them.


    The alley was almost the same as Leo had seen when he checked a few minutes prior. The only difference was that his sight had been adjusted to the light in the janitor¡¯s room and things looked darker now than they had before. Still, he could make out the large metal container a few steps ahead and the more prominent garbage pieces on the floor.


    The door behind them locked with a barely audible click and Leo almost yelped out in alarm, but managed to control himself enough to reduce it to a sharp inhale of air. If Cassandra had been affected at all, she had been quiet enough that he wasn¡¯t able to tell.


    Leo turned his face to look at her and pointed to the main road.


    ¡°We need to check the main door, see if it¡¯s opened.¡± Leo whispered.


    ¡°I already did that, it isn¡¯t open.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ right. Maybe we should have discussed better what to do once we were outside.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Cassandra looked dejectedly at the floor. ¡°I was upset and just wanted to leave the room. You wanna go back and discuss some strategies?¡±


    ¡°We are already here, right?¡± Leo said quietly. ¡°We might as well make something out of it. Let¡¯s explore the alleyway at least.¡±


    Cassandra nodded and Leo smiled at the earnest look on her face. Suddenly she felt completely different than she had been in the room. The almost constant frown was gone and so was the cold indifference.


    ¡®Is it because of that man, Ernesto? Just what is their relationship?¡¯


    The thought distracted Leo as the both of them started to take a closer look around the door they had come from. Leo saw a door on the wall opposite the building they had come from. It was further down the alley, closer to the blocked end, so they decided to avoid that one for now.


    They stood close to the door to their room, but soon ran out of places to check at eye level. Leo looked up and almost slapped himself in the forehead. An emergency exit snaked its way from the second floor all the way to the top. The lowest level of the platform was high above street level, but maybe if he and Cassandra worked together they could reach out and pull down the retractable ladder.


    ¡°Cassandra.¡± Leo called out. ¡°Found something.¡±


    ¡°What-?¡± She immediately cut herself mid sentence as she followed his finger pointing up to see the fire exit.


    ¡°Of course¡­ Why didn''t I think of that earlier?¡± Leo couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as Cassandra echoed his own thoughts on the matter.


    ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± Cassandra asked with a frown.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that I had the same thought when I looked up.¡±


    ¡°At least you looked up.¡± Cassandra said with a brief smile. ¡°What do we do now? How do we get that ladder down?¡±


    ¡°We could drag that metal container here and stand on it.¡± Leo said pointing to the large empty metal box. It had no lid, but the lips were thick enough that they could easily balance on top. It was shoulder height, which should be enough of a boost to grab the ladder.


    ¡°That could work, but it would probably be super noisy.¡± Cassandra said. ¡°And, can we even drag that? It doesn¡¯t seem light.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not a good idea, then.¡± Leo said as he turned back to look at the fire exit ladder. ¡°The only other thing I can think of is if I boost you there.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like a good plan.¡± Cassandra said. ¡°How do you wanna do it?¡±


    ¡°You can sit on my shoulders, maybe then you can reach?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth a try.¡±


    Leo crouched under the fire exit as Cassandra awkwardly tried to sit on his shoulders. The situation was mildly uncomfortable for Leo as he held tightly on her thighs between his neck and cheeks.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t realize she had such thick thighs¡¯


    Leo¡¯s distraction only lasted a brief moment as he huffed and stood up. He tried not to think much as he followed Cassandra¡¯s instructions on where to move so she could approach the ladder.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°This is not enough. I can¡¯t reach. Put me down.¡± Cassandra said after gently tapping twice on Leo¡¯s head. He obeyed and crouched again. She got off his shoulders and stopped squeezing his face between her thighs.


    ¡°What now?¡± Cassandra asked as she looked at Leo a little red in the cheeks.


    Leo didn¡¯t answer immediately as he looked away from Cassandra and back at the fire exit.


    ¡°How far were you from the ladder?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ This much?¡± Cassandra gestured to what would more likely be the length of her torso.


    ¡°We can make this work if you stand on my shoulders instead of sitting on it.¡± Leo suggested offhandedly.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That would be enough, but I don¡¯t think I have the balance to do that.¡± Cassandra said as she fidgeted a little on the spot.


    ¡°There is an easy way to do it.¡± Leo said. ¡°I can help with your balance with my hands.¡±


    Cassandra seemed unsure at Leo¡¯s proposition, but he tried to encourage her with a smile as he spread his legs wide in a sumo instance. He spread his arms wide and motioned towards his back with his head.


    ¡°You come from the back. Climb my thighs, then my shoulders. I will assist you with my hands and then I will help stabilize your legs when you go to grab the ladder.¡±


    ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± Cassandra¡¯s eyes were filled with apprehension as she eyed Leo.


    ¡°It will be fine.¡± Leo said. ¡°And it¡¯s not like we have another choice, unless you have a better idea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Cassandra eye¡¯s suddenly lit up. ¡°What about the other door? We haven¡¯t checked that! Maybe we can find something.¡±


    ¡°Surely we will find something, but shouldn¡¯t we focus on exploring this building before moving onto the other one?¡±


    ¡°What if they have a ladder we can use, or maybe their door is unlocked?¡± Cassandra insisted as she tallied off possibilities of her fingers.


    ¡°What if the building is overrun with critters? What if it''s a trap?¡± Leo countered. ¡°You know we can spend hours listing good or bad possibilities. We have a real avenue to explore here. Let¡¯s stick with it.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Cassandra said as she looked to the floor and fidgeted with her hair. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I am afraid of heights.¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Leo managed to stifle his laughter barely in time to stop himself to make a fuss.


    ¡°Why are you laughing!¡± Cassandra''s voice was almost too high to be a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s a serious phobia, very common as well.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s not that that is funny.¡± Leo said as he recovered his composure. ¡°It¡¯s just that, from all the things that happened recently, this is the one that gets you caught up? Heights?¡±


    ¡°When you say it like that¡­¡± Cassandra said and then chuckled.


    ¡°See? It¡¯s funny isn¡¯t, it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny, but that¡¯s not what I am laughing about.¡± Cassandra said. ¡°How long are you planning on holding this¡­ pose?¡± She said as she pointed at Leo still holding his sumo instance, although his arms were relaxed now.


    ¡°Until you get over your fear and we get that ladder down here.¡± Leo said with a huff and a playful smile.


    ¡°Just¡­ alright, alright. You win.¡± Cassandra threw her hands in defeat. ¡°But if I fall flat on my face and hurt myself, I am holding you accountable.¡±


    Leo chose not to answer as the both lay down their broomsticks at his feet and Cassandra made her way around him to climb up. They held hands as Cassandra placed an unsteady foot on Leo¡¯s thigh. Her hands were small and soft, with a nice warmness to it. As Cassandra hoisted herself up and placed another foot on Leo¡¯s thigh he had to do his utmost to help her keep her balance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can-¡± Cassandra started, but Leo cut her off.


    ¡°I got you, you can do it.¡±


    A few seconds passed as Cassandra finally managed to steady herself. A sharp inhale of air to strengthen her resolve and Cassandra lifted her left foot and placed it on Leo¡¯s shoulder. His instance was as low as he dared go, and Cassandra just barely managed to keep herself steady as she hoisted herself up again and stood with her two feet on his shoulders. She swung like crazy and Leo had to take a couple of stabilizing steps to keep them both from falling. Neither spoke, too busy concentrating on not falling over.


    ¡°I got it!¡± Cassandra spoke aloud.


    ¡°Great! Now pull it down so we can climb up!¡± Leo allowed himself a smile as he held Cassandra¡¯s shins to help her stability.


    ¡°I am on it, but I think it¡¯s stuck.¡± Cassandra said. ¡°Maybe there is a latch somewhere?¡±


    A rustle from further down the alley caught Leo¡¯s attention and his heart froze as he saw movement on the closed off end of the alley. A silhouette stood from the pile of refuse that was placed at the end of the dark corridor. It clambered down the pile with barely enough coordination not to fall.


    ¡°Cassandra, hurry up!¡± Leo pleaded.


    ¡°I am trying. I just can¡¯t seem to find this damn latch!¡±


    Leo could now hear a faint gurgling sound as the creature shook its head and looked around in evident confusion.


    ¡°Cassandra! Hurry up!¡± Leo said louder.


    ¡°I am! Why are you in such a hurry?¡± She said as she glanced down, which she quickly regretted as she grabbed tighter on the metal frame of the platform.


    The silhouette locked eyes on Leo and Cassandra¡¯s form. Leo saw the two beady red orbs staring right at him before the creature gave a high pitched scream and charged.


    ¡°Because of that!!!¡± Leo shouted back as Cassandra finally saw the charging creature coming at them.


    ¡°Aaah!¡± Cassandra screamed. ¡°Put me down, put me down!¡± Cassandra lost her balance as she frantically tried to get down from Leo¡¯s shoulder, but she held onto the frame as she wildly kicked with her legs.


    ¡°Climb up! Go up!¡± Leo told her as he ducked under her dangling feet and grabbed his impromptu wooden weapon.


    The creature was closing in on him fast, and the noise it was making wasn¡¯t going to make things easier for them later. If there was one of them here, surely there must be others around. Leo raised the broomstick at the charging menace as he slowly paced back towards the door to the janitor¡¯s room. Unfortunately, he doubted he would be able to get there in enough time to get it unlocked and opened before the creature was upon him. The only thing left then was to fight it.

 Chapter 9

    Leo had some basic experience with boxing and martial arts, but he was loath to try and kick whatever was charging at him. Despite his inexperience with it, the broomstick offered a longer reach, which Leo considered a better advantage at the moment.The broomstick was obviously blunted, therefore, instead of using it as a spear and trying to impale the creature, he planted his feet in the ground and prepared to bat it away when it got in range.


    Adrenaline muddled Leo¡¯s thoughts and his breathing was ragged. He could hear Cassandra shouting something from above, but he just didn¡¯t have enough presence of mind to understand it.


    The world seemed to slow down for a moment as he stood in a striking position. The creature approached through the darkness of the alley with its red beady eyes glaring at Leo. His hands shook as the creature kept it¡¯s momentum with unbridled fury. Leo breathed out in an attempt to steel himself for what was to come, but was still caught off guard when the creature lunged at him.


    The broomstick snapped in motion with great force, but Leo¡¯s reaction was a little too slow to catch the airborne creature in a good position. The wooden pole struck beneath the creature beneath the shoulder and barely managed to send it off to the side. It huffed out loudly, as if the air had been blown out of its lung, but it landed close to Leo, close enough to make it difficult for him to swing the broomstick again..


    Its beady red eyes filled with hatred as it bored down on Leo. A short and quick backstep was all Leo could manage, but the creature was having none of it. Despite its smaller stature, or perhaps because of it, it outpaced Leo. The creature lunged again with a high pitched roar. Leo swung the broomstick awkwardly and with little power behind it. The creature grabbed Leo¡¯s wrist with one clawed hand while also biting down the broomstick. Its free hand swung awkwardly for only a moment before it found purchase on the other hand of Leo¡¯s weapon.


    The sharp black claws easily teared Leo¡¯s soft skin. Blood dripped and he groaned in pain as the creature desperately tried to bite the broomstick in half. Leo shook his hand instinctively and the creature let go of his wrist, but not before giving Leo a shallow gash for his efforts. It still clung to the halfway chewed stick, which Leo promptly discarded by throwing it away, creature and all. It flew further than Leo expected, all the way to the opposite wall, where it impacted with an audible crunch.


    Blood dripped on the floor from Leo¡¯s wrist as he nursed his wound with his uninjured hand. The creature stood up and stammered two steps forward. Without wasting the opportunity, Leo made it to the janitor¡¯s door while the creature seemed to be affected by the impact against the wall.


    ¡°Open up! Somebody open up!¡± Leo called out as he banged against the door. ¡°Aya! Open up!¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Cassandra¡¯s scream got Leo''s attention and he turned just in time to see the creature mid jump towards him.


    Leo covered his face as the creature slammed against his stomach. This time, Leo was the one who had the air blown out of his lungs as his back hit the cold metal door. His head bounced from the impact and the back of his head hit the door with the whiplash.


    The creature fared much better as it clawed at Leo¡¯s left side. It teared long, but shallow gashes across his shoulders, arms, ribs and thighs. Leo tried to push it away or do something, but was severely hampered by the head impact and lack of air. As he laid down, dizzy and vulnerable, with his arms over his head and in fetal position, Leo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was how he died. The creature suddenly stopped. Leo welcomed the brief respite, but didn¡¯t move.


    ¡®Maybe it thinks I am dead.¡¯


    As his mind cleared and he caught his breath, Leo started to make out the unusual situation around him. Cassandra¡¯s loud voice also helped in that matter.


    ¡°Here! Here you fucker!¡± Cassandra screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Come here and get me, you sack of shit!¡±


    Leo felt the creature¡¯s weight get off him as it snarled and screamed at something, probably Cassandra, Leo assumed.


    ¡°You want a piece of me? Take this you fucker!¡± Cassandra shouted as Leo heard a thud beside him. He tentatively opened his eyes.


    At that moment Leo was in a lot of pain. His situation was anything but promising as he laid on the ground bleeding from numerous different cuts. Even with all that, or in some weird, twisted way, because of it, he found the red and black shoe that had just landed in front of his face funny. Leo smiled.


    Glancing to his side, Leo saw the creature standing a few paces away from him looking up at Cassandra. It snarled and hissed, but with its small size, it had no chance of reaching her. Leo¡¯s dizziness had passed, and he was flush with adrenaline. Determined not to waste the opportunity that Cassandra had created for him, he decided to leverage his biggest advantage against the creature. Their weight difference.


    His whole body shook at the pain of moving, but he did it anyway. Leo stood as quietly as possible and approached the creature from behind. Leo hoped it didn¡¯t turn towards him, and it didn¡¯t. With one decisive motion he kicked the creature on the back of the head with all the strength he could muster. It was such a wild swing that he couldn¡¯t stop himself and fell on his own spin.


    The creature¡¯s head snapped forward with the impact and it hit the nearby wall without a sound. Leo stammered as he stood up. He felt a strain on his right leg¡¯s inner thigh that wasn¡¯t there before.


    ¡®I probably pulled something with such a wild kick.¡¯If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Leo limped a couple steps forward towards the downed creature. It had fallen in an awkward position and hadn¡¯t moved since. When Leo got close enough to reach it, he almost jumped back as its red beady eye turned to stare right back at him. The creature¡¯s breathing was fast and shallow as it bled profusely from a head wound. Its neck turned in an awkward angle that the creature made no movement to correct. Despite all that, it was somehow still alive.


    Normally, Leo wouldn¡¯t have the stomach to do anything more to the creature. Even if it had been trying to kill it before, it was not a threat anymore, but right now was different. At this moment, Leo felt numb to feelings he would otherwise be deeply affected by.


    A deep, guttural scream tore itself from Leo¡¯s throat as he stomped the creature''s face. It was quick and simple leg movement, but the enormous significance of the act overcame his momentary numbness. He had killed. Even if it was not human, it was the first time he had killed. As he stared at the unfocused red eyes and broken neck bone, Leo¡¯s stomach churned and he doubled over as he almost retched on the spot.


    Stepping back as he coughed and gagged, Leo tried to put some distance between himself and the creature¡¯s body. He recovered a moment later, and as he looked back at the creature, his stomach threatened to churn again, but for a very different reason. A black line with a dark blue hue floated in the air on top of the creature¡¯s body right in front of him. It moved through the air in a lazy, soft manner as if aided by a gentle breezy. The visage was mesmerizing and before Leo could catch himself, he reached a bloody hand to touch it.


    The mysterious line instantly shot up towards his hand, as if attracted to it by some invisible force. It entered through his palm and shot up his left arm. Leo felt a mildly tingling, but nothing else. He stood in shock as the events unfolded, but a hand on his shoulders brought him back to the reality of the moment.


    ¡°Can you move?¡± Cassandra asked as she looked him over with a worried expression. ¡°We need to get out of here. Can¡¯t you hear them approaching?¡±


    Leo¡¯s mind felt muddled as he tried to process what just happened and what Cassandra was trying to tell him.


    ¡®Can I hear what?¡¯


    Leo shook his head and focused on what was happening around him.


    ¡°Holy shit! We need to move!¡± Leo said as the snarling and screaming of numerous creatures fell on his ears. ¡°But nobody is opening the door! Where are we going? Also, why are you down here?¡±


    ¡°I got it down, look!¡± Cassandra said as she pointed to the fire exit platform and the ladder, which was lowered and reached almost all the way down to the ground. ¡°C¡¯mon, we got to move quickly!¡±


    Cassandra jogged with bare feet through the dirty asphalt towards the ladder as Leo limped behind her.


    ¡°What about your shoes?¡± Leo asked as he glanced at the red and black short heels some distance away.


    ¡°My shoes?¡± Cassandra said with a confused frown as she grabbed the ladder. ¡°Forget about it. We need to go up!¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Leo muttered as she started to climb.


    The climb was short, but nonetheless painful as Leo¡¯s wounds complained at every step he took upwards. Cassandra helped him in the last of the steps and they both managed to get up before anything else was in the alley.


    ¡°I know you are hurt, but you need to help me pull this up.¡± Cassandra said with a pained look. ¡°It¡¯s too heavy for me to pull it by myself, but if we leave it hanging they might be able to climb up.¡±


    Leo just nodded and they both went to work together as the first of the creatures arrived at the alley. The ladder was heavy, even with the both of them working to pull it up, but they managed to get it up high enough to be out of reach to the short creatures.


    ¡°Hold it, I am going to latch it.¡± Cassandra said as she pointed to the latch with one hand. Leo once again nodded and did as asked. He had to put his all just to hold it in place, but Cassandra needed no more than a moment to get it latched.


    The ladder fell in place with a loud clang of metal as the latch held it high above the ground. Leo breathed out in relief and inclined against the metal railings of the platform. Cassandra joined him a moment later.


    They both sat in silence as more of the creatures arrived. The alley became increasingly noisy as they did a ruckus on the ground. Leo was exhausted, and he felt pain in places he didn¡¯t even know he had, making it easy to ignore the sound coming from below. Cassandra¡¯s voice beside him was different though, and that sound Leo didn¡¯t ignore.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s stupid to ask, but¡­ Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I am alive¡­¡± Leo said after a while. ¡°That¡¯s something, I guess.¡±


    Cassandra hummed quietly, and Leo saw the uneasiness in her eyes as she tried to avoid staring at his fresh wounds and mangled clothes.


    ¡°Thanks for saving my life back then.¡± Leo said candidly.


    ¡°You did everything, I only screamed.¡± Cassandra said as she fidgeted with her hair. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me¡­¡± She muttered.


    ¡°Well, you did throw your shoes to save me.¡± Leo said with a chuckle that he instantly regretted as his left ribs ached.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pair of shoes. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Cassandra said with a dismissive wave of her hand.


    ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡± Leo said with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid pair of shoes.¡±


    ¡°Leonard...¡± Cassandra said as she looked at Leo with a mix of confusion and worry. ¡°I know I already asked you, but are you really alright? I saw that you hit your head and you seemed to have bled a lot. Are you still bleeding?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Leo said as he softly brushed a hand at his left shoulder and ribs. ¡°The bleeding has stopped. Honestly, it looks worse than it feels.¡±


    ¡°Also,¡± Leo turned to face Cassandra. ¡°Please, just call me Leo. It feels weird when someone else besides my parents call me Leonard.¡±


    ¡°Su- Sure. Leo, got it.¡± Cassandra said taken aback by the sudden change of subject.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Leo said with a smile. ¡°Do you have a nickname you prefer?¡±


    Cassandra hummed thoughtfully before shaking her head.


    ¡°Some people call me Sandra, but I am not really attached to it. To be honest, I think I prefer my name.¡±


    Leo smiled and gave her a mildly bloody thumbs up with his right hand.


    ¡°I am glad you survived, Leo.¡± Cassandra said demurely as she hugged her knees.


    ¡°I am glad as well¡­¡± Leo agreed as he relaxed his hands on laps and looked up to the disturbingly empty sky, with only a single red star.


    ¡°You humans are really amazing.¡± A voice spoke from Leo¡¯s left side. ¡°Despite acquiring such a ridiculous amount of wounds against a single enemy, you still find time to lay down and relax. What makes you think you are safe?.¡±


    Leo¡¯s head snapped to his left and his eyes widened as another impossible situation presented itself to him. It seemed the surprises the day held were still far from over.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Leo shouted as he saw a miniature woman with grey skin and raven black hair floating in front of him. She was scantily clad and the little she wore had the clear intent of accentuating her curves. A pair of dark curved horns adorned her head while deep red eyes gazed into Leo.


    She stood extremely close to Leo¡¯s face, and despite being shorter than his own head, Leo couldn¡¯t help but instinctively try to swat her away. To his surprise however, she phased out as his hands passed through where she stood. A deep chill entered his palm and coursed through his arm. The unnatural cold made his body tremble and shiver for a brief moment. The sensation jolted Leo¡¯s sense and amplified the strangeness of the situation.


    ¡°That was impolite.¡± The floating woman spoke.


    ¡°Leo?¡± Cassandra asked with a mix of concern and expectation. ¡°Is it the guide? Are you seeing your guide?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ think so.¡± Leo told Cassandra with a quick glance from the corner of his eyes before turning back his attention to the guide. ¡°Are you really the guide?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I am the guide.¡± It sighed dramatically. ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret showing myself. You are not dull, are you?¡±


    ¡°What is it saying?¡± Cassandra asked enthusiastically, but between the screeching creatures below and having his attention fought over by Cassandra and the guide, Leo felt genuinely dizzy.


    ¡°Why are you only showing yourself now?¡± Leo decided it was better to focus on the guide and ignore Cassandra for the moment.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to before, and I want now.¡± The guide crossed its tiny arms. ¡°If you are going to continue with such stupid questions, I might as well leave.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Leo acquiesced. ¡°Just give me a second, will ya?¡±


    The guide harrumphed but didn¡¯t disappear, which Leo took as a good sign. Cassandra quietly waited beside Leo as he organized his thoughts to ask the right questions.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Leo asked as he pulled his torn left sleeve and presented his arm.


    A moving, glowing tattoo was quite a sight, even if just only a line. Cassandra couldn¡¯t help, but oooh beside Leo as the guide grinned at him.


    ¡°This is an iron class filament.¡± The guide answered.


    ¡°Why do I have this?¡± Leo asked, but thought of a better question before the guide could answer. ¡°What is it for?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a smarter question.¡± The guide smiled. ¡°You can create a sigil with it.¡±


    ¡°This?¡± Leo asked as he rolled up the right sleeve of his suit. The guide simply nodded.


    ¡°So, you are telling me that I can use this single filament to create another sigil?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Leo shot back. ¡°But you just told me that I can use the filament to create a sigil!¡±


    ¡°I said no such thing.¡± The guide said as the smile started to fade from her face.


    ¡°What do you mean you said no such thing?¡± Leo raised his voice. ¡°I have no time for riddles and jokes. I almost died on that alley, can¡¯t you just be fucking clear!¡±


    Leo¡¯s outburst was met with silence as the guide kept hovering in front of him. The smile on her face was gone and an impassive expression had replaced it.


    ¡°How do I form a sigil?¡± Leo asked through clenched teeth after taking a deep breath.


    The guide¡¯s red eyes stared deep into Leo¡¯s, but she said nothing further. As his patience started running thin again, he felt a hand gently holding his shoulder.


    ¡°Leo, maybe I can help.¡± Cassandra spoke softly from beside him. ¡°I heard your part of the conversation, so I got the gist of it. If you can tell me what it said word for word, we might be able to figure out its meaning.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Leo said somewhat dejected. ¡°Sorry for ignoring you earlier. I just thought I couldn¡¯t get distracted.¡±


    ¡°I understand, I would have probably done the same.¡± Cassandra said with a faint smile. ¡°Anyway, before we dive into all that, maybe we should head inside? I don¡¯t think us standing here in their eyesight is a good idea.¡± Cassandra finished with her finger pointing downward.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Beneath them, the number of creatures seemed to grow without stop. They already occupied most of the alley and the ones directly beneath them were starting to fight for space.


    ¡°You are right.¡± Leo said as he grunted and stood up. ¡°They are some relentless little fuckers.¡±


    ¡°I would say that is an accurate description.¡± Cassandra chuckled. ¡°Shall we go inside? There is an unlocked window here.¡±


    The platform of the fire exit was small, maybe six paces long with three paces wide. On the end opposite of where they got up a metal staircase lead further up, while a window leading inside had been placed in between. It was large enough that Leo could fit through when it was opened.


    They moved towards the window. Cassandra worked on opening it while Leo glanced at the guide still floating around, now outside the reach of the platform. She seemed to be interested in something among the crowd, but Leo couldn¡¯t hope to divine what caught her interest.


    Cassandra opened the well oiled window and hopped inside, Leo followed a moment later. The weak red light filtered through the windows, and although it didn¡¯t do much to light up the room, it allowed Leo to see the dark silhouettes of furniture.


    ¡°There must be a light switch here somewhere.¡± Cassandra whispered beside Leo as she moved deeper in the room. ¡°Help me find it.¡±


    They both spent some time carefully walking the room while feeling their way around the walls. Leo bumped a couple times on knee high furniture, but soon found the light switch. The light came on with an audible click and once again, Leo had to shield his eyes from the sudden glare of the bright white light.


    Blinking away stars as he got used to the new level of illumination, Leo saw that he and Cassandra were inside an apartment, sort of. All the furniture was tightly packed in a single room and there was only one door, right beside Leo and the light switch.


    ¡°This is strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cassandra said as she pointed to a toilet bowl beside a single bed. ¡°It feels like a prison cell. Although the furniture is nice.¡±


    Leo nodded as the strangeness of the room dawned on him. A cupboard beside a small, hanging showerhead. There was no curtain or glass to surround the bathing area, with only a tiny depression on the floor to help the water flow away. A center table with two chairs was placed in the middle of the room, but a much shorter coffee table sat beside it with a couch some distant away against a wall.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Leo muttered. ¡°Who would build something like this?¡±


    ¡°No one from where I am from, for sure.¡± Cassandra said as she tested the bed¡¯s softness. ¡°Maybe this is a new asian concept? I heard they had some crazy space issues in the big cities.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Leo said absentmindedly. ¡°I doubt it though.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not what is important right now.¡± Cassandra asserted as she moved towards the door. ¡°We need to find a way to reconnect with the people in the janitor¡¯s room and explore the rest of the building.¡±


    Leo moved towards the window with the intention of closing it before they left the room. The ruckus in the alley seemed to be far from over, but as he closed the window the noise died down significantly. He peaked out, looking for the guide, but she was nowhere to be seen. Leo sighed, feeling a little defeated by the encounter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Cassandra said from behind him. ¡°We are going to figure out what it meant and how to make use of it. One thing at a time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Leo stopped as he realized he didn¡¯t know what to say about their situation. ¡°You are right. One thing at a time.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Cassandra smiled. ¡°How are you feeling? I see you are not limping anymore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still painful.¡± Leo said as he unconsciously massaged his right thigh. ¡°But I can walk slowly without problem. I don¡¯t think I can do any fighting though.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want that anyway.¡± Cassandra said as she moved towards a pair of kitchen cabinets above a metal sink. ¡°Although we can¡¯t discount the possibility that there could be some of them inside.¡± She paused before adding hastily. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, though.¡±


    ¡°Why don''t you think so?¡± Leo asked with a slightly furrowed brow.


    ¡°Honestly? I just want to stay positive this time.¡± She answered as she opened the mostly empty cupboards. ¡°But let¡¯s not lower our guards, we can¡¯t become complacent.¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s rummaging continued as Leo silently watched her go about the cupboards.


    ¡°Aha!¡± She exclaimed with triumph. ¡°I had a feeling we would find something useful here.¡±


    From a waist high drawer Cassandra pulled two medium sized cooking knives. They had tipped ends and seemed to have a sharp edge. She smiled as she offered one of them to Leo.


    ¡°Now we won¡¯t be so defenseless anymore.¡± She quickly added.


    ¡°It¡¯s something. Better than nothing I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cassandra said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s considered an actual weapon in most countries, you know?¡±


    Leo clenched his fists as he stared at the edge of the knife in his hands. The weight of what had just happened was starting to sink on his shoulders and he was feeling his mood darkening with every passing moment.


    Cassandra inclined against the metal sink and placed her knife on the counter. With her arms crossed she looked at Leo and then his tattered clothes and wounds. Despite the uncomfortable silence he held her gaze without faltering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pretend I understand what you just went through, but I¡­¡± Cassandra faltered as she looked away and bit her lips. ¡°Someone taught me to always be positive, no matter how bad things are. Everything is already fucked, we should make it even worse by being negative, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±  Leo started and took a deep breath. ¡°You are right. I don¡¯t have time to wallow in it while our lives are still in danger.¡±


    They both exchanged a look and Cassandra¡¯s smile was filled with anxiety as she watched the struggle in Leo¡¯s eyes. Eventually, Leo nodded silently as they both prepared mentally to leave the relative safety of the room.


    Without exchange anymore words Cassandra grabbed her knife and moved toward the door while Leo followed closely behind.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Cassandra asked without looking at Leo. Her hand rested on the door handle waiting for his confirmation.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Leo said with balled fists.