Night has come, crickets creating sounds representing bored desolation, the streets were empty and flying bugs harassed any source of light in the area. Currently Eric’s at the farside of town, at the moment he’s talking inside a phone booth near an abandoned motel to one of his boys who’ve been checking the original area for him in his absence.
His boy was currently sitting inside his car, glancing around the empty neighborhood. “The situation got worse, boss, way worse than we can imagine!”
“Shit how bad we talking?” Eric swatted a fly that’s buzzing around him.
“Really bad, not only that but they’re some spooky ass shit going on in the hood!”
Eric seemed confused, scratching his temple. “What do you mean? What’s going on in there?”
“Like… it’s hard to explain but I know you heard about people dying in their sleep, right? Well that shit started happening two years ago when you and the boy ran away. Ever since then, it’s gotten so much worse in terms of like, spooky ass shit.”
Eric groaned in response to his boy's explanation with that worried tone of his.
“Eric man, the other night I heard a girl sing and giggle during the night and next thing you know my neighorbers are fucking dead man.”
Eric raised both his brows, going silent for a moment to comprehend what his homie was telling him.
That shit sounds similar to when Jack and I went to those buildings three years ago. Shit sounds the same on what I encountered that night.
“What the hells going on? You don’t think it’s those fools in white messing with people's minds and killing people in the night to cover their fake news?”
“Nah man… this is different, something ain’t right and I feel like we’re next.”
Eric gripped his chin, looking to his right. As he was quiet for the moment, his boy stopped talking too and then everything went completely silent for a full fledge minute that felt like an hour.
Eric didn’t like this radio silence, it brought uneasiness towards the big man, trickling out a drop of sweat from his head. “Yo, yo? Can you hear me, where’d you go homie?”
His homie, responded, but by whispering into the phone. “B-Boss, do you hear it?”
Eric listened closely and he could hear a girl singing softly, it was gentle yet eerie. “What… the?”
Suddenly, Eric's boy screams and the phone goes totally static.
“Hey! You aight?!”
No response, only the sound of the phone line being cut was the big man's answer.
“What happened?” Eric hangs up the phone. “Damn, what the fucks going on in that fucking area?”
As Eric’s about to leave the booth, the phone mysteriously rang. Eric turned round and stared at the ringing phone, his heart started pumping. That uneasiness from earlier grew, he felt uncomfortable, to the point he felt it would be better to not answer. But, he had to answer it, just in case it was his homie. He swallowed nervously and slowly walked up to it and carefully answered the phone.
Eric swallows again out of nervousness, the phone shaking in his big hand, a slight gasp, he answers. “Hell-Hello?” His breathing started intensifying, “Wh-Who’s this?”
A response he didn’t get, but instead he did hear a mild faint breathing coming from the other side of the phone but questioned if it was his own fear tricking him. His ears pumping, licking his lips, Eric had enough and didn’t want to proceed further with this and decided to hang up once again.
As Eric’s about to hang up the phone, a girl's voice screams into it, screeching, “Where’s Jack!” Eric hangs up immediately and panics, running away from the booth and hiding inside the abandoned motel in total darkness.
Eric sits down on the molded out carpet and relaxes himself for a minute before he could wrap his emotions thoroughly. “Wh-What the fuck?!”
Eric picked his ear and wondered if he heard that correctly, the fact that someone called out Jack's name, but more importantly, what ever happened to his homie? Night continued, moths surrounded lights, crickets went on disturbing the silence ensuing in the area, Eric can’t believe this night. As the big guy sat in darkness, the thought of his homie potentially being dead made him slam a fist against the damaged wall behind him. Yet the screaming of that girly voice sounded familiar for some odd reason, but that moment she screamed for Jack’s name only confirmed his hidden suspicious and mystery revolving behind him
“You’re not dodging anymore questions from me boy. When I get back, you better tell me more, otherwise you’ll truly be a failure towards Angela.”
Eric got up and walked out the front door of the room he was hiding in, stepping out into the night. He stared up at the night sky, spotting the crescent moon and a single star next to it, bringing out a sigh out of the big guy.
“Oh how I miss you baby girl, hopefully you’re talking with Randolph up there… If so, tell him, what up, my guy.”
The next day comes by, Eric returns back to the hideout towards the beginning of the afternoon. When he walks inside the hideout he spots Jack still asleep.
“Hey, big idiot, wake up. I’m home.”
Jack didn’t respond, only his loud snoring was Eric’s only reply. Eric got annoyed and got closer to him, seeing that he was completely out. He didn’t have time to watch the young man take a snooze, so he reaches down to him and shakes Jack to wake him up. Despite doing so, he still wouldn’t wake up.
“What the hell man, getcha ass up.” He turns Jack over and a bottle of pills rolls off his hand past his feet.
Eric tilts his head. He picks the bottle up and examines it to see what it was. He rattles it, opens the lid then pours some out onto his hand, the color was blue and he immediately knew what they were. Knowing what type of pills they were made him smack his lips and shake his head.
“What would your sister think, moron!” The now angry uncle kicks Jack on his side, managing to slightly wake him.
Jack’s still a bit out of it, he tries waking up more but his eyelids struggle to stay open and tries falling back asleep. Eric kicks him harder and this time it works. Jack sits straight, massaging his side and back.
With half an eye shut, the young man looked up to his uncle and saw him angry. “Wh-What happened? Why’d you kick me?”
“You dumb fool, you wouldn’t wake up with yo drug addicted ass!” Eric threw the pill bottle at him, turning away from Jack.
“So-Sorry…” Jack stands up and scratches the back of his neck. “It was a rough night, and I was out of it, my bad.
“Tch, none of that matters now.” Eric removes his bookbag and opens it, trying to reach for something.
Jack sat on the floor with his head hung. Eric got what he needed and looked over his shoulder, whistling at Jack. He looks up to his uncle to see why he was whistled at. Eric throws a can of beans to Jack and he catches it.
“Eat up sucka. Bon Appetit!” chuckled Eric.
Jack shrugged and opened the can. “Thanks, so, what happened last night? You didn’t come back I presume?”
Eric got his own can of beans out as well, taking a seat near the ongoing fire. “Yeah, you're right. And here’s what happened, I contacted one of my boys and he told me that shits got worse in the old neighborhood.”
Jack grabbed a pan out of his own bag that was behind him, poured the beans on it and hovered it over the fire. “Okay, so I’m assuming more of Dr. Craps men are patrolling the area presumably?”
Eric expressed worry, sweat dripped from his face, and Jack noticed his uncle’s eyes crunched. “No, he told me about the situation of the people dying in their sleep…”
Jack paused, leaving the pan to hover over the fire. His uncle watched carefully on his self-proclaimed nephew's movements, seeing if he could get any other reactions out of it the more he revealed about the situation of his homie.
“As he was explaining about it, he got interrupted by something, and then—”
Jack’s eyes widened, and the young man let out a soft gasp. Eric hunches forward and gives Jack a sharp gaze.
“I lost contact with him and never heard from him again.”
Jack accidentally spilled some beans onto the fire, making it crackle more. Eric already knew about Jack’s suspicious body language and was only observing as he explained his homies situation. Jack seemed a bit surprised, looking erratically, but at the same time, he seemed rather calm about the situation. This burden of suspicion on Eric’s giant muscular shoulders grew heavier towards Jack, so to initiate more out of him, he started adding questions into his explanations.
“Maybe he—got killed by some rivals or something?” said Jack as he quickly blew air out his nose.
Eric clasped his hands and rested his head on them, keeping his gaze onto Jack. “Perhaps homie, but say, you ever wonder if it could’ve been more? Maybe something not normal, right?”
Jack glances down at his feet. “Th-That could be, maybe.”
Eric nods as he strokes his jaw. “Yeah, or maybe—I don’t know, something supernatural is going on there, that could be it.”
“Eric, you’re probably over—”
“You probably know why? Don’t chu, my guy.”
“Wh-What do-do you mean?” Jack asked with a shaky voice.
Eric showed the edge of his teeth, growing impatient as the conversation continued. “The moment I hung up, the phone, it rang again, and when I answered—”
Jack forces a chuckle, nervously hovering the pan over the fire and his beans becoming well overcooked. Eric watched carefully as the young man brought his gaze away, sweating profusely, and blinked erratically. The big uncle sharpened his gaze and softly blinked.
Jack forced a grin, even twitched an eye. “Eric you’re crazy! Something supernatural! Ha-Ha! I didn't expect you to be saying—”
“A girl screamed through the phone calling your name my guy.”
Jack paused everything, his words, his movements. The fire crackling, Eric breathing, the outside wind slipped its way through every crack into their shelter, the young man was perplexed. After minutes of silence, Jack’s jaw dropped, drops of sweat trickling down his cheeks, he wasn’t even looking at Eric in the eyes the entirety of the suspense his uncle was creating. The young man took a glance at his uncle, his gaze still sharply on him, they were both looking at each other in suspense. Eric especially, whose eyes grew more fierce. Jack didn’t like the way Eric’s looking at him though, it was a look he was familiar with when he wanted to punch someone's lights out, so he slightly looked off to the side again.
Eric cracked his fingers by pumping them, shortly spat too. “Is there something you’re not telling me—Jack? Because I know damn sure I’m mentally stable compared to you, my guy.”
Jack continues his silence, still not looking at his angry uncle.
Eric drops the can of beans on his left hand and rises up. “And I most definitely know that I wasn’t hearing shit!” Eric’s tone turned angry as he stabbed at Jack’s direction with his finger.
Jack still didn’t look back and pulled the pan back towards him. He started eating the beans in silence as Eric kept his fierce gaze upon him. Eric had enough and walked up to Jack, placing both hands on Jack's shoulder, but the young man’s gaze was still away while he ate in silence.
Eric slowly reaches into his Jacket, “We’re homies right? So explain to me why that doctor is after you again? Why did he quarantine two towns from the rest of society? Why did he want Angela from you in the first place? And most of all Jack—”
Eric pulls the gun out and cocks it. Jack coughed, bringing his uncle's actions to an abrupt stop.
Eric raises the gun to Jack’s face and places one of his giant hands on the young man's shoulder. “Explain to me why all this supernatural stuff is happening around us, yet again.”
Jack finishes eating, he stands up and finally looks Eric in the eyes. “You wanna know that badly, huh?”
“You’ve been dodging my questions for three years now, so of course I do.”
Jack sighs, setting the pan away on the ground. “Fine, I’ll tell ya. But after we get what I want from your house first. Do we have a deal?”
Eric grunts and puts the gun away. “Alright. Deal, but you better tell me everything. I don’t know what’s been happening these past years but hopefully you can answer me some of this spooky shit. Especially that night we tried rescuing your sister and the world felt like it was ending, that was my breaking point.”
Jack slightly chuckles and pats Eric's shoulder. “Trust me, that night fucked me more than it did with you.”
The two men nodded. They started packing up whatever belongings they could to make the trip back to Eric's home. They were far from it and wanted to ensure their survival, though Eric still felt it wasn’t a good idea, giving the fact the areas a hotspot with not only the men in white but with the supernatural as well. They packed their bags with food, water, whatever clothes they had and checked if they had any useful tools that’ll help them along the way. The two were ready for their journey, one that would presumably be a joyful one if someone was homesick, but in this case, for the two it was a journey to hell, a long one at that.
The two walked out into the depressing world after them and stared at the town. They knew they had a long road ahead of them, but courageous as the two were, Jack also felt uneasy about this trip, Eric saw the worry on the boy's face when he glimpsed at the young man. Those cold eyes shook, squinting, he even bit his tongue. Eric dragged his stare back to the sky, watching the cold sky sweep clouds of gray from every direction. They began walking and headed off to the town to get one last thing.
The town wasn’t too far since it’s next to a highway, but the short trip felt long from the anxiety the two were experiencing. Continuing their strut forward, shortening the distance between them and the town, when they could see this once thriving economically driven town closer, something wasn’t right. The two halted, glimpsing around for a moment.
Eric’s eyes stopped at some shops a block away. “I don’t like the feel of this.”
Jack eyed down the street leading into the town, it was empty and lifeless. “Yeah, me too. Something’s wrong here.”
They both looked around again as they strutted forward and upon arriving at the town's entrance, it was a vast tunnel of concrete and empty buildings. All they could hear was the wind blowing, signs rattling and creaking, trash being blown across the street, there wasn’t a single living thing in sight.
“Yo… what the fuck’s going on?” said Eric as he walked up to an empty bicycle shop.
Jack set his bag down and opened it, reaching for something. He grabbed and pulled out a crowbar. He twirled the rusted piece of metal and readied himself for anything out of the ordinary. While putting his bag back on his back, his eyes were caught by an electronics store with a bunch of televisions on display.
Upon looking closer he saw the televisions were broadcasting the news. “The electronics store, maybe those roaches telling lies can give me a hint on what's going on around here.”
Jack rushes to the store to see the news up close. As Jack stopped and watched one of the t.v’s through the window, the news reporter announced something that caught his ears.
“To everyone inside the quarantine zone, today as repeated and said by our officials words; Everyone must be kept inside for safety as infection has spread airborne, confirmed by Dr. Cato.”
Hearing such a ludicrous statement made Jack chuckle. “Oh come on, how far is he willing to go to find me? You ungrateful bastard.”
The reporter was interrupted by one of the producers, they were whispering something then went off screen. “Okay everyone we have confirmation that the other town that’s also quarantined is off limits. No one is allowed to enter the town as a mysterious cloud of black has drenched the town into total darkness.”
The reporter showed a separate screen, showcasing the town covered in absolute night. It baffled Jack, making him raise his brows and be jaw dropped. “What in the… what’s going on in that town?”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I know weird things have been occurring in that town. But to think things would change so drastically in such a short span, I wonder if that has to do with—Her?
While the young man’s attention stayed on the screens, he didn't realize there was an actual person sneaking up to him from the shadows of the alley next to the building. They crept behind a nearby parked car then dashed to a trash can, gaining closer to Jack. Jack continued watching and the individual pulled out from their temporary hiding and started creeping up to Jack’s personal space.
Eric was just across the street walking along the sidewalk when he quickly noticed the person approaching Jack’s back.
He gasps and rushes to Jack, shouting in his direction. “Jack, watchout!”
Jack heard and turned around immediately seeing the guy that’s creeping up to him. “Hey!”
The fellow who had ragged clothing appeared to be homeless himself rushed at Jack and tackled him against the window of the store. The two crashed through as t.v’s and glass fell on them like raining shards of death. The two were cut, covered in glass as they struggled. The man laughed, gaining the upper hand and getting on top of Jack, punching his face and pulling out a knife. Jack’s eyes exploded and the man tried stabbing him. Jack catches the man's arm before he could dent his clothes. The two had a small push back until Eric hopped over the window shop frame, and quickly took aim, shooting the man in the head. He falls over dead and Jack lays there, panting.
The young man pats his chest to make sure he wasn’t stabbed. “Th-That was close.”
His uncle came to his side and reached his hand out. “You aight my guy?!”
Jack sighs and grabs his uncle's hand, being assisted off the ground. “I’m-I’m fine, but man, what the fuck was that for?!”
Eric went to the homeless man's body and searched his clothes for any clues. He pats the corpse then reaches into his pockets, and felt something in the mans pants pocket. He pulls out a folded paper. As he unfolds it, the written message on it makes Eric’s jaw drop.
“Oh shit man, look at this!” Eric shows the paper to Jack.
Jack grabbed it and seeing it firsthand brought out his hidden anger.
He throws his crowbar at one of the t.v’s feeling frustrated and finished with everything leading up to this point. “That low life son of a bitch!”
“What?!” Eric asked as he walked next to his nephew.
Jack quickly went to his crowbar and picked it up in anger. “I now have a twenty million dollar bounty on my head, that's what. But you know what’s worse? Is the fact he wants me either dead or alive.”
Eric shakes his head. “This means more hurdles for us to confront my guy.”
“What the actual fuck man. He’s weird but he’s sick too, but…”
Jack sounded tired and approached the broken window, staring out to the empty street. “I’m sick too, and tired of all this. I’m-I’m done.”
Eric couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor kid, hearing his tired frustrated tone made his uncle feel sorry for him. But no amount of apologies or money can fix the amount of trauma Jack’s currently undergoing, no one his age should grow up this fast and be a runaway. Especially having a bounty over his head trickled out sadness through Eric’s nostrils.
His uncle walked to his side and rubbed Jack’s shoulder. “It’s okay to feel this way, you should feel obligated to my guy. No kid your age should ever endure this much.”
Jack hung his head and wiped his forehead in frustration. They both walked out of the store and stood on the sidewalk. Eric glanced around, raising the gun to the side of his face, he felt they were being watched. Jack too felt the gazes of money hungry people who’ve struggled with poverty their entire lives. Killing Jack would solve their issue and grant them happiness. But Jack wasn’t going to let that happen, it made him grit his teeth and clench that crowbar in his hand.
The two walked into the empty street and Jack stared down the road. “Well my friend, I guess it’s us versus the entire state of Michigan… isn’t it?”
Jack had a worried look on his face despite feeling confident that no one would take his life.
Eric looks around again. “Well, one of my boys told me that bounty of yours is only around this area. So that means that doctor is willing to go that far to cover this entire situation from the government I’m presuming. Or, perhaps they’re working together, you never know, am i right?”
Jack brought up his rusty crowbar, staring at it and sighed. “Yeah, I suppose. I guess that’s a relief, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re still fucked; Wait, no it’s more of like, I’m fucked.”
Eric chuckles and so does Jack to brighten the mood. The two began walking forward to their continued destination. Up to this point Jack never thought he would ever be this miserable, but what life has taught him thus far is that it’s extremely unpredictable. In either a blink, upon a glance, it can all change. As the two walked onward through the empty town street, once arriving at the end of the town's street, they decided to look back at the empty town a final time.
Jack frowned. Just how much power does Dr. Cato have? Unbelievable, that man, to think I’d ever come across someone with this much influence.
Eric frowned as well, knitting his brows. Once I get my hands on you bitch man, I swear I’ll end your life for sure for manipulating my people and turning them into money hungry slaves.
The two men couldn’t help and felt sad, not just for each other, but for those who desperately wanted to acquire a chance to get out of poverty. The two looked forward and walked, leaving the town and reminding themselves how alone the two truly are. After walking for hours, they were in the middle of nowhere it seemed. While walking along this long, cracked, empty road, Eric spotted something afar. Jack noticed it as well. They decided to keep walking straight to the structure that got their eyes.
Eric felt a little bored, so he picked up a rock and threw it as far as possible. “Man, I don’t know what you want from my old house so badly. I mean, we have the money that we both saved and I kept the money that you threw that night when baby girl was taken. What is it really? You can tell me right?”
The rock lands a football field away and Eric pumps his arm, feeling proud of his strength.
Jack stops and picks up a rock as well. “I’m sure someone like you should completely understand my situation.”
Eric sucks in his lips. “Oh yeah, my fault haha.”
“Eh, you’re good. It’s just that I want something that she owns to still feel her presence.”
Jack threw the rock as far as he could, it landed a couple yards away, nowhere near the length that his uncle managed to throw. He felt disappointed and smacked his lips while his uncle crossed his arms, cackling.
“Damn, I’m still not as strong as you.”
“Well no shit fool. You just a weak ass bitch, that’s all!” chuckled Eric.
“Yeah, I have gotten a little weaker in the past year. But I’m far higher than I was when I was sixteen, you have to admit that uncle.”
“True, you are much stronger physically, but mentally you’re much worse than before.”
The two started walking again, but Jack gave off a grimace of sadness. “You don’t have to keep reminding me, it gets annoying you know.”
“Hmph, with that attitude I should knock your ass out, but I thought the picture of you two was enough? Why more momentos?”
Jack sighs and doesn’t answer his uncle.
“Hold up, I’m stupid for asking. My bad you said the answer to that a few statements ago.”
Jack chuckles, “Yeah that's what I thought.”
After having some time relieving their stress and complexities by throwing more rocks and talking things out, they finally got close enough to the infrastructure they spotted. The two came to a stand still and saw that it’s just an old raggedy gas station. Before the two decided to enter the premises of the gas station, Jack reached into his bag and grabbed that cowboy hat, hiding his identity.
His uncle bursted out laughing. “What the hell is that?! What, you a redneck now huh! Yee-haa my boy!”
Jack grins. “Better measures you know?”
Eric stopped his childish laughter and groaned. “Hmph, I don’t need to do that, I’ll beat anyone’s ass despite how known I’d be.”
The two looked at each other and nodded, but before entering the premises, Jack needed to use the bathroom. Jack walked to the direction of the bathrooms, and Eric went inside to see if they needed anything else in terms of supplies.
Jack approached the bathroom but was surprised that it was separated from the building. “Hm, kinda weird that the bathrooms are separated from the building, but no matter, this is better for me.”
Jack walked inside, and when he opened that door he got a nasty whiff of the smells of your typical gas station bathrooms of ass, mold, and musty.
The inside of the bathroom was no better, it was molded, flickered lighting, a yellow tint to the vicinity, and the smell was stronger. Jack coughs, he covers his nose, and uses a toilet inside one of the faded blue stalls. When he was using the restroom, he didn’t notice that two strangers walked inside shortly afterward. The two, a tall male wearing a gray hoodie with some sweatpants, the other a shorter gentleman with casual clothing closed the door gently so Jack wouldn’t hear as he’s peeing. One stood in front of the door, the other carefully walked to the stall Jack was in. He softly opened the stall door, approaching Jack from behind, pulling out a handkerchief and tightening his teeth.
Jack lets out the last of his fluids and pulls up his zipper. “The longer I stay here the more I think my sense of smell will deteriorate.”
As Jack adjusted his pants, he heard someone cough. He turns around, the guy in the hoodie quickly places the handkerchief over his mouth and nose. The man pushed Jack against the wall, smothering the piece of cloth on his face. The young man tried yelling but that piece of cloth kept him from doing so, it had a strong smell too. Jack grabbed the man's wrists, trying to undo his grip. They struggled but the other casual guy walked up to his partner to help him out. He comes from behind and starts punching Jack in the gut.
Jack’s body hunched forward repeatedly as he was being punched. His eyes were bugging out and turning hazy. Fuck man, Fuck!
Jack groans as the men try knocking him out with unfair punches being shot at him. Jack at first thought his haziness was due to the repeated punching, but he noticed his vision fogging up faster and things were muffling out. The young man blinked rapidly, and it took him a minute to realize this strong smell he’s familiar with.
This… smell, it’s!
This smells all too familiar to Jack, especially being involved in gang activities the majority of his life, he’s well aware of this druggy smell being cloaked over his nostrils. He knows what’s happening to him, the feelings of dizziness, the world slowing down, sound distorting, Jack’s being drugged to become a victim of a kidnapping.
This is bad, re-really fucking bad!
The man with the hoodie stopped punching. He chuckles and pulls a knife out from inside the pocket of his hoodie once he sees Jack lowered his arms. The young man's eyelids began to fall. The drugs close to succumbing Jack into a deep slumber, bringing their plan into fruition.
The other guy jumped in front, wrapping his arm around Jack’s neck, making sure he wouldn’t escape. “Kill him! Fuck the kidnapping, we’ll be rich dude either way so it doesn’t matter.”
His partner was hesitant, even pulling the knife back.
“Hurry man! Fuck this guy, he’s a menace from what I’ve heard, so don’t feel bad.”
The guy holding the knife approached Jack’s drugged face, grabbing his Jaw. “I don’t feel bad, it’s just that—You know what? Fuck it, sorry man, I may not know you but, I want that money!”
His buddy patted his friend's shoulder. “That’s it man, do it so we can take his body without him fighting us back.”
The guy with the hoodie pulled down his hood and sighed as he looked into Jack’s shutting eyes. “No hard feelings, right dude?”
The man retracts his hand, Time to die and make us rich…
Once he pulled his arm back and shot at Jack's abdomen to end his life, Jack quickly got a hold of himself and threw the other guy over him onto his buddie. They both tumble while Jack coughs and wipes his face, trying to catch his breath but still feeling dizzy.
Jack wiped his face and dragged his hand across it. “Th-That was… close!”
They both stood back up and were mad. The two rushed Jack, not giving any chances for him to fully recover. The two grappled Jack and tackled him through the bathroom stall, crashing the entire wall in front of them. Jack lands on the broken stall first, the two have him pinned again, putting Jack into an inescapable predicament. Jack grabs one of their arms and starts placing pressure. The way the young man was placing this pressure onto his arm made it seem as if his arm were being crushed by a crusher.
The hoodie man yells from the intense, overwhelming squeezing and backs up momentarily. The other guy grabs his partner's knife and tries stabbing Jack, but Jack catches his hand. The young man grabs the knife from the handle and pulls it away from the man's grip. The two stood up and Jack immediately stabbed him in his stomach.
He gasps, coughs out blood, and his eyelids start weighing down. “Ho-How could you—”
The guy who’s stabbed falls aside and the other, the man with the hoodie, was in anger of watching his best mate be killed. He ran towards Jack, putting his hands around Jack’s neck to choke the life out of him. He squeezed, wobbled the young man's neck, but as he was trying to crush his windpipe, Jack unexpectedly chuckled while being choked.
One of Jack’s eyes was shut as he looked into the man's glinting eyes. “Heh, is-is that all? You’re too-too weak to choke th-the life out of me.”
He tightened his grip, getting into Jack’s face once again. “Shut it, this is for killing my best friend, you incel!”
Being distracted by the young man’s taunting, the man in the hoodie is oblivious to one of Jack’s arms coming close and surprises him. He quickly clutched the man's neck and made him shut an eye.
He couldn't believe how strong the young man's grip was, it made him shed a tear from its intensity. “You… you!”
He couldn’t bear to be in Jack’s single clutch and let go of the young man. Jack coughed and quickly regained his breath, quickly rushing the man as he was catching his breath. Jack put one of his hands on his legs and the other under his armpit. The man with the hoodie loudly gasps and Jack lifts the guy as high as he could. Jack effortlessly flung the guy over his head, pummeling him head first into the toilet, making it shatter and killing the man from the horrid impact.
There was toilet water everywhere and the other guy’s bleeding to death from his stab wound. Jack checks the guy he just tossed and notices that he broke his neck from that fall from how his head was awkwardly positioned on the wet ground. Jack massages his neck, letting out a raspy cough as he walks over to the bleeding guy laying there on his backside.
“You should’ve never tried fucking with me, and look, your buddies dead and you’re next.”
Jack took a knee to the bleeding man as his lifes draining away.
The man had his wound covered with his hand and gurgled blood. “Pl...eas…”
Without another word coming out of Jack’s mouth, he reaches his arms down, wraps his hands around the guy's neck, and starts choking the last bit of life out of him.
“Don’t worry, I’m just doing this to end your suffering, I’m sorry…”
Jack clenched harder, making him die faster so he wouldn’t die slowly. The guy tried to struggle out of this method of dying, blood spat out his mouth onto his face and Jack’s hands. The man lost too much blood, he was too weak to even put any momentum to break free. He stares into Jack’s lifeless eyes and sheds a single tear.
Jack brought out a frown. “You brought this upon yourself… don’t look at me with those eyes of pity now, tch.”
He finally stopped moving and eventually drew his last breath. Jack sighs, pulls the knife out of the dead man's abdomen, cleaning it with the handkerchief that almost put him to sleep. Jack glanced at the two and felt bad, but it’s more than enough to grow his feelings of hatred towards Dr. Cato.
“Fucking asshole, you made me kill two innocent people. Or were, whatever.” He stares at the blade with a name engraved on it, “You knew people would be this desperate to get rich that easily, you make me sick, you manipulative bastard.”
Jack walks out of the bathroom covered in blood and poo water, letting out a long breath. He took the time to harbinger these feelings of guilt growing stronger by the day and glimpsed at the cold dead sky.
Eric comes back out just in time to spot and notice Jack in a bloody watery mess. “Yooo? What the fuck happened to you?” Eric laughed then a huge whiff of horrid stench reached his nostrils. “Damn my guy, you smell like shit!”
Jack got a little mad and pushed his uncle. “You didn’t hear me?! I was fighting off two people in there, poor fuckers tried to kill me!”
Eric wasn’t fazed by Jack’s push and brushed himself off the mess Jack left on his coat. Oh, well shit, listen homie—I can explain. You see, I was trying to get some snacks and this bad bitch came up to me right? She was thick and yummy, but then the bitch tried to kill me!”
“And? What did you do? Fuck her to death?”
“No, I knocked her ass out!” His uncle pointed his thumb over his shoulder and chuckled. “Too bad, she was bad my guy!”
Jack looks over Eric's shoulder, spotting the unconscious woman on a bench. “Oh shit, you’re not lying after all.”
Eric chuckles and explains to Jack the entire situation with the gas station clerk, he already knew who they were but didn’t care about his bounty. They both felt at ease, knowing the thought that not everyone’s not after their necks. As the two started walking out into the open cracked road again, Eric remembered something.
“Hey, I’m going back inside real quick, wait for me aight?”
Jack nodded and stood at the edge of the gas station’s premise.
Eric rushes back into the gas station and hands the clerk some money for being cool. “It’s a thanks for not rating us out my guy.”
The clerk grew a smile. “Thank you so much man, I’ve been blessed and I shall bless you too, my friend.”
“You have a blessed day too brotha, bye.” Eric walks out and the heavy gas station door closes behind with a loud thump.
Jack was kicking rocks, waiting patiently for his uncle. Eric was walking back to his nephew until he heard a truck horn blasting from a distance.
“What the fucks that? Who’s being annoying at a place like this, damn.”
The honking continued, sounding like the loudest truck horn in existence. Both Jack and Eric ignored it, assuming that it’s nothing more than country white boys being a nuisance in their environment. But that assumption was wrong because the moment Eric got five feet near Jack, from around the corner of the gas station’s premise an old red pickup truck came drifting.
Eric’s world slowed down, he saw one guy standing on the back of the truck with a noose-like rope in his hands. Immediately, Eric knew what’s going to happen and screamed out Jack's name, trying to hurry to him before the truck did. Jack turned around and noticed the red truck driving past him with the guy standing on the bed of it. In the blink of an eye, Jack felt something tied around his neck.
“Jack!” shouted Eric, reaching his hand out to his nephew's direction.
Jack gagged loudly, the guy on the back of the truck managed to throw a hose noose around his neck. They began dragging poor Jack to his doom. He tried breaking free but it’s no use. He felt his body hit every bump, bounce off every crack, and the road ripped away his clothes to expose his skin. The road acted as a cheese grater to Jack’s skin, slicing and burning it off.
“Jack… No!” Eric was already chasing after them but he couldn’t catch up to the vehicle.
Eric panicked as he watched Jack slowly disappear off into the distance and be dragged away to his death. In his state of panic, Eric managed to remember about the gun given to him by Jack. He pulls it out, aims it at the truck, and fires a couple of shots, managing to strike the driver and bed passenger. That fellow who held that rope lets go and covers his fresh wound. The bastards in the truck panicked and drove off into the distance, leaving Jack to bleed on the road.
Jack lays on the ground, coughing violently as his body twitches from all the curb rash all along his back and arms. Bleeding ensued, the immense burning pain all over his back was too much for him. The young man screamed and his uncle heard his echoing wretched screams. Eric ran for his life towards his hurt nephew.
He catches up finally and squats down to Jack. “Fuck, why’d did that have to happen, shit!”
His nephew groaned, his breathing was intense, Jack couldn’t move. His uncle tried picking Jack back up but poor Jack screamed, he couldn’t stand up from the irrefutable pain.
Eric removes the noose off his neck. “Hang in there kid! I know this shit hurts. Don’t worry, I ain’t letting you die Jack!” Eric starts lifting his nephew off the cold ground, “This is gonna hurt like a mutha fucka, so bear with me!”
Eric picks Jack up, making the young man moan loudly from the immeasurable pain. He wraps Jack’s arm around his giant boulder-like shoulders. His nephew’s knees were wobbling, his arm hung all noodle-like, he was turning pale.
Despite seeing his nephew in this torturous state, Eric couldn’t help but complimet his manhood. You’re one tough son of a bitch alright.
Eric chuckles, feeling proud of how tough his nephew was. “Come on big guy, if your sister were here and saw you in this state, she would yell at me for allowing a bunch of rednecks almost taking your life.”
Jack groaned and looked forward. “Ye-Yeah, you’re ri-right. Tho-though she wouldn’t be-be the only one… le-lets go home.”
The two continued on their way, walking to their original objective, but a biased confirmation was created for the two. After realizing the situations they were just in and before, they understood that the people of this town were out for them, no matter what, they’ll do anything to get their hands on Jack. Jack couldn’t help but think how this is all his fault, bringing out a frown upon his dirty face. To clear his mind he gazes up at the cold gray sky, reflecting on his own shellfish decisions he’s made throughout his miserable life up to this point.
I deserve every ounce of punishment for allowing my sister to get in harm's way, and to lose her… This is God’s way of punishing me for my sins, all of this could’ve been avoided, if I were to cease to exist…
After a long excruciating walk, the two happen to have found an abandoned farm located down a dirt road to their right. Eric had to carry his nephew on his back a few hours ago, he couldn’t walk anymore from the pain and almost passed out an hour ago. Jack was barely hanging on, his eye lids were half shut. Though his uncle was feeling tired and his legs felt numb, he continued forward to the safe heaven he spotted.
His nephew groaned softly and coughed. “Ar-Are we…?”
“Yeah Jack, we found a resting spot, hang in there kid.” His uncle proceeded forward to the direction of the barn.
The small dirt trail leading to the barn made it seem like the two were heading to their doom from the overgrown grass around and endless miles of fields. Walking further, some crows landed on some nearby trees, one landed closeby to the trail, blending with the tall grass. It cawed and struck a nerve on Jack, making the young man twitch some fingers. The pesky crows cawed, but not loudly, their cawing was eerily soothing to the eardrums. It made the big guy sweat, he wasn’t sure if this was some omen or his mind overthinking the situation. The crows fly away except for the one hidden in the grass, it stayed and dug around to search for food.
They reached the entrance and it was already halfway open. Gust of Michigan's brewing cold bristled past their bodies, bringing shivers down their spines. Eric burred and brought his eyes upward, checking just how desolated the structure of decayed wood was.
“Looks like someone hasn’t touched this shit in a decade, I think we might be in the clear.” He walked into the barn, the ceiling had holes, it had cobwebs everywhere, and the wooden walls were missing panels, leaking the last of daylight inside.
Eric quickly hurried to some dead hay and threw Jack on it. The young man moaned and laid there, not moving a single muscle. The big guy had to sit down and quickly took off his bag for the moment to regain his strength, he was gassed out. He dragged his giant hand down his face and breathed heavily. Eric controlled his breathing, felt his strength coming back and his muscles relaxing, he couldn’t help but lay down on the wooden ground.
Jack’s eyes finally shut and the young man felt his life draining away. “Un-Uncle…”
Hearing his nephew's voice sound that weak made his uncle snap out of his relaxed state and rush to Jack. “My guy, no no, don’t you fucking die on me!”
Eric raised Jack up, taking his coat and shirt off. He flipped Jack over and made him lay on his stomach. Upon first glance, his uncle saw just how injured his nephew was, it brought out a grimace on Eric's face. Jack’s back looked shredded, exposing muscle, the back of his arms had flesh dangling, and his blood was clotting. His uncle ran to his bag and grabbed it, and once getting back to Jack he quickly dug into it to find any supplies. Jack’s breathing was slowing down, his steamy breath was decaying, he felt light as a feather.
Eric found some bandages, painkillers, and some alcohol. “Fuck fuck, come on come on Eric, hurry!”
His uncle began bandaging and treating Jack’s horrific wounds, yet as he did Jack wasn’t reacting if not at all to his uncle's actions. It made him freak out, erupting a swirl of emotions from within the big man. Quickly, Eric got to it, trying his damndest to cover every single wound, even going as far as ripping an extra pair of his own shirts to create new bandages. He succeeded in treating and covering almost every single visible new scarr, but it wasn’t fixing Jack and the young man was succumbing to his injuries.
Eric turned Jack over and started cpr. “Don’t you fucking die on me too! I can’t lose you like Randolph, like your… sister, I-I fucking can’t Jack. Please my boy, please stay with me!”
His uncle pumped, blew, carefully kept going until it became useless. Jack stopped moving, his uncle's jaw dropped, his mouth shaking, he couldn't believe it. He was so shocked that he casually walked away and walked outside and stood at the entrance of the barn. His mouth still open created continuous steam around his face, his eyes were colorless, and then he let it all out. He screamed at the top of his lungs and slammed his balled up fists on the ground.
Jack lay there and heard his uncles cry. Eric… why-why are you—screaming?
The young man had no idea that his life was just about to end. The crow from earlier had flown in through one of the holes on the ceiling. It landed next to Jack and cawed in agony, and hopped onto his chest. It lightly pecked Jack’s chest, his face, then its eye lightly glowed purple. The crow glanced around, let out a single tear of black and sat on Jack’s chest.
Jack felt the feather creature but wasn’t sure what was going on. Hey, what are you up to? Am I… dead?
Eric stopped his screaming and laid his back against the decaying wood, and dragged down to the ground. He was quiet and didn’t make another sound, instead he buried his head onto the palm of his giant hand in shame.
The crow laid its head against Jack’s chest and closed its eyes. Jack kept wondering if he was truly dead until he heard someone calling out his name.
Wh-Who’s there?
The voice was gentle, soothing, and reminded him of his burdens. It felt irritating to him, he felt the urge to bury his head in shame, run away from his problems, but he was already doing all those things through the course of three years. The voice became clear, saying, “Wake up…” very gently over and over again. Jack knew the voice, it made him trickle a tear in his slumber and the crow rolled off of Jack, it was dead.
The voice made sounds of crying, and Jack saw a light of purple come his way. He reached for it and saw someone reaching for him too. The young man blinked and saw—Her.
“Wake up!”
Jack’s eyelids erupted and the young man sat up, gasping for air and regretted his action. He moaned in pain and laid back down, his wounds were burning and aching him to death. The young man wasn’t going to allow himself to be vulnerable so he toughed it out and got off the bay of hay and proceeded to walk to the entrance of the barn. But before he did he looked around to see where the animal was and he spotted it, dead on the ground.
Jack picked the crow and brushed its head, gently. “You were watching over me, huh?”
The young man gently placed the dead bird next to the hay and pets it one last time. He limped his way to the entrance, shivering to death and saw the edge of his uncle's giant shoulder stick out of the side of the entrance. Eric was staring at the sky, watching the light gray clouds sweep from behind his vision. Jack walked out and also stared up at the sky without saying a word. His uncle looked to his left and saw his nephew standing next to him, but looking rather pale.
“Ja-Jack?” said his uncle with a dead tone.
Jack softly blinked and took a deep breath. “Eric, I won’t leave you. Nor do I plan on disappointing my sister in any way.”
Eric’s eyes brightened and he brought out a grin. “Is that so? Well, I’m sure she’s watching over you then if you’re standing next to me right now.”
Jack clenched a fist. “Possibly… Or perhaps, someone else is.”
The two watched the clouds roll by, crows softly cawed from a distance, it was soothing their minds. The two wondered if their lives would ever return to normal once they overcome this obstacle. Yet in spite of all this, Jack can’t help but feel just as hopeless as before, he was close to death yet again. If this continued Jack think’s he’d most likely be better off dead, but as he told his uncle, he won’t leave him nor anyone else behind until he overcomes this. As the clouds started to fade out to the last of dawn, the pesky crows from around flew off into their view and away into the distance.
Jack narrowed his eyebrows and watched the crowd of black feathers fly away. It looks like—I’m coming back to you, girl.