“You can’t do this to me!” A voice calls out. It rings through an empty locker room beneath the Oracle Park baseball stadium. “I’m the lead batter! Y’all call me ‘HOME RUN’! For god's sake! The team can’t possibly stand for this!” Continues to scream an unshaven man in a baseball uniform. On the uniform along with a small picture of a axe is the number 47.
“I’m sorry Bruce but it seems your teammates are only willing to put up with so much of your antics. Me and your manager have warned you that your blatant alcoholism and anger issues would be your downfall and now here you are. There is nothing I can do for you now.” A voice comes from the phone in response. The Unkempt man, Bruce, grits his teeth angrily before spitting out a slew of insults.
“You, Listen here! You're making a mistake! If you do this I’ll make sure you regret it!” Bruce Yells
“With what bruce? There's no one in your corner.” Bruce grits his teeth again, silence filling the air. “That's what I thought. Goodbye Bruce and goodluck. You're going to need it.”
“Don’t you dare Hang up on me!” Bruce screams before the voice on the other side of the phone does just that. He curses again, throwing his phone. It shatters to pieces as it hits the metal lockers and lands on the concrete floor. He puts his hands to his head and screams. Bruce contemplates, he sits and thinks as the thought of where his life could go next floods his brain till it hurts. To null the pain he opens his locker, pulls out a bottle of beer and starts drinking it.
He grabs another one and then another one and he’s on his fourth when he hears a noise coming from the hall. There's a tapping of footsteps that approach the door as he stares in his stupor. The door opens as in comes a slightly younger man who is taken aback after he notices Bruce.
“Yo, Bruce are you okay man!?” He asks concerned but also a bit on edge.
“Yeah Luke I’m good…I’m great! Just…down here with ma beer having a grand old time.” Bruce slurs, his anger increasing as he attempts and nearly fails to stand up. Luke catches him and tries to help him steady himself.
“I got you Bruce.” Luke says. “ You sure you're fine, you sound pissed at something.” he inquires.
“Yeah I'm well” Bruce mumbles as he is led to the door.
“Okay…” Luke says not too confident in Bruce's words. “I’ll just…take you to my car and drive you home. You really should lay off the alcohol. We got a game in three days.” Bruce stops and glares down at Luke.
“Ay, Luke. You ain’t been talking to my manager have ya?” Bruce says slyly.
“What?! No? What are you talking about?” Luke stares back confusedly.
“Nothing I guess…Hey let me grab something real quick.” Bruce says pushing himself off of Luke. He walks over and picks up one of his bottles. He starts drinking it on his way back to Luke.
“Hey! Bruce y-” But before Luke can finish his sentence Bruce smashes the back of the beer bottle into Lukes head. Luke wobbles a bit before falling down. Blood trickling from his skull. Bruce drunkenly goes and grabs a bat. He comes back, raises it and finishes the job bringing it down on Luke's head. He leans down and searches Lukes body pulling his keys, wallet and phone from his pockets. He stands and walks out the locker room into the hallway the doors closing behind him as he leaves.
3:36 PM Tuesday, Journey High School, San Francisco.
Ray sat and listened impatiently to the teacher finish their speal. Mr. Forman is teaching mouth up on the white board but unlike most of his other classes his ears ignore the words in favor of the sound of marker on the whiteboard. It wasn’t like he would ever need math, not in his state anyway. He sits back and taps his foot as the clicking of the clock becomes ever more prevalent.. After a moment of this his itinerant, Miss Anderson. leans over to talk to him.
“ I hope your listening to this Mr. Marrows.” She stats sternly.
“I-I am. Its just…most of the math has to be done in my head and there's already so much other stuff cluttering it up. Makes it a bit difficult to concentrate.” Ray says flashing a smile in her indiscriminate direction.
“Then maybe that means it's time to give your brain some spring cleaning.” She retorts, sounding wholly unimpressed. “Your failing math as it is, losing some clutter is only bound to improve your grades.” Ray responds with a nervous laugh as the bell finally rings. With a sigh of relief he adjusts his shades and stands.
“Will, do but right now I’m finna be late for work.” Ray says picking up his white cane and stepping his way toward the door making sure to be aware in front of him. He hears both the teachers sigh as he makes a swift escape alongside the other bored kids.He makes his way forward staying to the walls eventually navigating his way out into the front of the school. He steps out and stops and listens, tuning in to some of the many conversations around him
“He did what?Thats insane.” “..That test was stupid, Its all trick questions.” “Yo did you hear?” “ YO. This is going to be wild!” The voices came more clearly then they probably would for anyone else. Ray stands and bask’s in it as other students pass him by. Some confused, some frustrated and others nonplussed as they go over to their rides. Eventually the familiar tinking of earrings and clicking of footsteps comes up behind him.
“BOO!” A familiar voice shouts from behind him.
“Hi, Fleece” Ray responds with a smile.
“You could at least indulge me a bit” Fleece groans dramatically. “Its halloween for fuckssake”
“Listen, It's not my fault that you lack tact and subtlety” Ray retorts
“My ass! You got super hearing and shit. That's not fair.” Fleece pokes him in the side. Ray takes the bottom of his cane and slowly lifts it up and taps her earrings.
“Don’t need super hearing when you practically hang giant bells from your ears.”
“Pft, What!? They aren't that big! That's a load of BS!” She slaps Rays cane back to the ground. “Anyway Cus. What's the news?” She starts walking and Ray follows.
“Well…” He begins. “Trevor Ditch got caught smoking weed on campus, then proceeded to start a fight with the security guard.”
“That sounds about right.” she nods.
“Obviously hes in detention now.”
“Not Suspended?”
“Star quarterback.” Ray states
“Ah.”
“Durvel has a test tomorrow, Apparently it's going to be a bunch of trick questions.” Ray continues
“Fuck!” Fleece exclaims as they hop on a bus and find a seat.
“Alexandria, came out as Bi yesterday.You owe me ten.” Ray grins holding his hand out.
“What? No way.”
“Yes way, called it.” He says as he feels paper enter his hands.
“I swear, you rigged that one somehow. Man, it's all bad news so far, Anything good?”Fleece questions as Ray pockets the money into his jacket.
“Actually yeah. Daniel Barlstons is throwing a halloween party in three days.” Ray says.
“ The kid who’s dad Sponsors the Francisco Vikings!” Fleece screams causing Ray to flinch.
“Among other things, yes.” Ray rubs his ears. “He talked about maybe having his dad get the team to visit the school.”
“Wild, So are we invited?” Fleece continues with no finesse.
“As long as you have a costume.” Ray says.
“Great! I got mine last week. I’m gonna be looking fangtastic out at this party.” She says.
“ What no trick or treating?”Ray inquires
“ Nah, I would but the old people started skimming me on the candy more and more recently. Plus what's a bit of trick or treating compared to an all you can eat buffet at a rich boys mansion.” Fleece smiles giddly. “ What about you? What’re you going as?”
“What?” Ray asks, a bit confused.
“What are you dressing up as?” Fleece asks again
“I'm not going,” Ray laughs. “ I’m not really one for loud crowds and I'm not going to embarrass myself in front of everyone like you tend to do.”
“What! Come on! I can’t go alone.!” Fleece complains.
“ Why not? “
“Because that'll make me look like some weird antisocial nerd” Fleece states.
“ That's kinda shallow.” Ray says.
“And?” Fleece doesn’t miss a beat.
“Statement retracted.” Ray says “Can’t you take your friends”
“Outatown and Gina's parents don’t let her celebrate halloween. Come on.” Fleece begs
“I don’t even have a costume,” Ray says.
“ We'll just grab something from dads shop, he’s got a shit ton of stuff.”
“ That's stealing,” Ray says. Fleece puts a hand on either of his shoulders.
“Cousin..”
“No”
“Cousin”
“I fucking swear”
``Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaassssse” Fleece pleads, shaking Ray.
“Stop. Shaking. Me”. She stops. “Jezz, Why are you so hellbent on going to this party? No one would think anything if you just,y’know, didn’t go.” Ray asks.
“Daniel.”
“Of course.” Ray sighs.
“He’s rich, a bit of a looker and you know him better than I do.” Fleece lists off.
“So you want me there to be a wingman.” Ray states.
“Precisely. I mean its not like your doing anything.”
“Ouch,” Ray says in a flat monotone voice. “My pride. It hurts. I’m dying. I Can't possibly go to the party.” Fleece punches him in the shoulder.
“Come on!” She pleads again. “I mean I'm sure he’ll be happy to see someone he actually knows there.”
“He knows I'm not really one for parties, Plus what exactly do I get out of this?” Ray says as the bus reaches their stop. They step off the bus continuing their conversation.
“Aggh! How much” Fleece asks
“Nonono,Money ain’t going to cut it.” Ray shakes his head
“Wha- oh come on! ….” Fleece thinks for a second. “ I’ll get you something from Food Fortuna.” She says as they walk into an old building.
“That is a start.” Ray says as a bell above the door rings.
“...and I’ll take next week's shifts?” Fleece says unsure.
“And that's a deal.” Ray says, turning and putting out his hand.
“You know for a blind person your a fucking devil to deal with sometimes.” Fleece says frustratingly, as she shakes Ray's hand.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Ray says with a smile. Moving back behind the counter. “ Also I’ll make sure to drop some hints the next few times I run into him.”
“Hints about what?” Chimes in the familiar voice of Ray's Uncle.
“Nothing, Dad.” Fleece says before hurrying off up the stairs.
“”Hey hol up.” He calls out a bit too late. He lets out a sigh. “Ray?”
“She wants me to drop hints to a guy that owes her money.” Ray Says jokingly. “Honestly, Uncle Nickolas, she's like a mini villain. Someones got to stop her.” He continues sarcastically.
“Yeah, Honestly didn’t fully expect you to tell me. I just want to make sure you both don’t get into trouble.” Uncle Nickolas says.
“I wouldn’t worry about us…. At Least not me. I mean how much trouble can I really get into?” Ray scoffs
“Yeah? You’d honestly be surprised Ray.” Nickolas says. “Anyway you know the drill, heading out to take care of some business you're in charge of the store, don’t go burning anything down.”
“Hey Uncle. Where do you go when you ‘take care of business’? You always say that but it's always left so vague.” Ray asks.
“You kids keep your secrets, I’ll keep mine.” His Uncle says
“I mean…” Ray tilts his head up to listen for anything before continuing a little quieter. “I could tell you for a price?”
“...And you want me to believe Fleece is the villain. “ He laughs.. “No that's fine, Ray, just…” He looks around. “ Take care of everything.” The Bell rings as he walks out of the shop.
“Well, It was worth a try.” Ray says sitting behind the counter and leaning back in preparation for his long day at work.
Three Days Later, 5:00 PM. Office Parking Lot.
Leo James, A sports manager exits his office building. He holds his phone to his ear worriedly waiting for a response. A few of his clients had gone silent over the past few days and this wasn’t normal. Specifically for a rather violent client that he did not end on good terms with. The call goes to voicemail and Leo curses under his breath. He pockets his phone as he arrives at his car. He opens the door and plops down into the driver's seat leaning back and placing a hand to his head.
“I swear, “ He says. He sits there for a minute, his car door still open. He opens up his glove compartment and pulls out then opens up a folder. A picture of blood stains on a locker room floor stares back at him next to a picture of Bruce Cannon leaving the locker room and then the cameras going down.The police had taken a sample of blood from the locker room to run but he had yet to be notified of any results. All the while his clients stopped contacting him. He wanted to try and warn them to look out for Bruce but they weren’t picking up.
Leo’s worry grows as he stares at the photos and notes. He knew Bruce had some anger and drinking issues but murder was beyond him. Wasn’t it? He pulls his phone back out, goes into his contacts and tries once again to reach one of his clients. He hears his phone start ringing. Then he hears the ringing echo. His eyes widen as he turns and follows the echo into his backseat. Sitting in it are several different blood stained phones, the one on top currently ringing loudly. He hangs up on his end and the phone stops.
He turns around and stares out the front window of his car, his eyes scanning the vacant parking lot. As his eyes spot nothing his heart starts beating faster and his breathing becomes quicker. He reaches for the driver door when he hears something. It sounds like something being hit by a bat. No sooner does he hear that sound does a rock find its way to his face. With a loud scream he flies further into his car, his back hitting his passenger door. As blood begins to find its way down his head and into his eye he sees a figure marching towards him with a Baseball bat in hand.
Frantically Leo grasps at the door handle and pulls on it falling backwards out of his car as another large rock flies above his head barely missing him. Kicks the door closed as he begins to crawl away and up onto his feet. His vision gets fuzzy as he stumbles in the opposite direction of his assailant. There is a sound of shattering glass as another rock breaks through and embeds itself into Leos back. He continues to try to run, screaming for help but there's no response anywhere as he trips unable to see everything in front of him. He tries to crawl as the sound of steps on gravel race toward him. He is eventually met with a cleated foot in his back.
“Come on now mang. Ain’t you want to negotiate or nothing.” Comes the voice of Bruce Cannon as he kicks Leo over to face up towards him. “Ain’t you got nothing to say?” Leo could smell the alcohol on him and see dried blood on his bat.
“B-bruce, There is no need for this. I can- We can fix this. Please be reasonable.” Leo pleaded, bruised on the ground, blood running down his forehead.
“Reasonable?” Bruce scoffs. “Where exactly Was reasonable when you told me you were taking me off the team? When did you all made that decision without me? Without the team, the game I got nothing, you knew that and still you went on, ahead and booted me!”
“Y-y-your right! I’m sorry Bruce liste-” Leo tries to plead again but he’s cut off.
“You shut your damn filthy mouth!” He raises his bat over one of his shoulders. “You don't get the right to say my name, take away what's mine! My title! My name is Bruce ‘HOMERUN’ Cannon! And I hope you remember that in hell!”
“WA-” Leo's cries are cut off as Bruce swings his bat. Leo goes limp dead as a doornail. He picks up the pieces of Leo and throws them in the back of his own car. Fresh blood covers Bruce's uniform as he takes his place in the driver's seat and smokes a cigarette. He spots the folder and flips through everything in it. He throws the photos out uncaringly, getting to a list of names with some information on them. He sees a bunch of familiar names, most of which he’s already dealt with. Then he gets to the name at the top of the list. Barlston. He smiles and his eyes scan down the paper and he finds an address on the lower part of the paper. He throws the paper to the side and takes Leo's wallet and car keys.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Bruce shuts the door places in the keys and turns on the car. The Car revs up as he adjusts the stick shift. Placing his foot on the pedal, his Bat in the Passenger seat he heads out for his next victim.
Friday 6:45 , Marrows Myths, Merch and Memorabilia.
Ray waits leaning against the door, the sign turned to let any customers know they’re closed. He taps his white cane on the floor impatiently adjusting his shades and listening to the sounds of the city that lay waiting just outside. He perks up as he hears the wood on the stairs creak, alongside footfalls. When the footfalls hit the ground floor they begin making their way over to him.
“Soooo, How do I look?” Fleece asks.
“Full honesty?” Ray asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes please.” She says.
“I wouldn’t know” Ray shrugs, waving his hand in front of his face as a reminder. Fleece sucks on her teeth.
“ Yeah, forgot about that for a second. Usually I only go out with my friends.” She explains. “Maybe I should double check in the mirror.”
“No,No,No, No. You’ve spent about an hour getting ready. If you go back up there the party will be over before we get there.”
“I thought you didn’t want to go?” Fleece taunts
“That's before I was getting food from it.” Ray Retorts. He pushes the door open with his cane, the bells chime being heard through the store. “Now come on, let's go.”
“Fine, alright. Let's go.” Fleece says Her heels are clicking out the door. Ray follows closing and locking the door behind them. ‘Wait, where is your costume?” Fleece asks
“Can’t you tell?” Ray throws up the hood of his jacket. “ I’m a werewolf in the morning.”
“You're horrible.” Fleece says
“I’m endearing.” Ray retorts.
“ Yeah,no” Fleece says, snatching the keys from Ray.
“Hey!” Fleece goes back into the shop. It's five-ten minutes before she comes back out and stuffs something into Ray's hands.
“What is it?” Ray asks, flipping it in his hands and feeling it over. It feels like a bowl at first but the grooves on the inside of it make him think other wise.
“It's one of those old dusty masks dad keeps on the back shelves.” Fleece says.
“Thief,” Ray says.
“Yeah whatever, I’d dust that off before putting that on”. Fleece says. Ray flips the mask facing up to the sky and blows on it. “Hey, not at me! You're going to mess up my costume!” Ray just chuckles before pulling his shades off and putting the mask on. He gets a weird feeling from the mask that he can’t quite describe. Like something both new and familiar. Butterflies in his stomach. He shrugs it off and continues walking as his cousin begins to walk away after locking the door.
“What is the mask of?” Ray asks feeling over the surface as he asks.
‘You said something about a werewolf so I grabbed a mask that looked like some sort of hound…. It’s got some Chinese designs on it I think.” Fleece says.
“I have no frame of reference so I’ll assume that It looks nice” Ray says, messing with the ‘ears’ of the mask as they walk off.
Friday 7:05, Party at the Barlstons house.
Ray hears the party before Fleece sees it. The rolling of rubber, the step of feet and the endless chatter amongst the other attendees barely droned out by the music that’s playing. Ray starts to feel a slight sliver of regret as they get closer. He takes a deep breath but grows worried with every step they take closer. Ray slides his hand over the mask again, giving him a weird and strange feeling of safety as the final arrive on the premises.
“So what exactly did you tell Daniel, over the week?” Fleece asks, breaking their silence as they pass the threshold guarded by two men.
“Huh? Oh! Yeah…” Ray says his attention is switching over to his cousin. “Just small subtle things. Like ‘Hey my cousin did this the other day’ or ‘My cousin Fleece got this really cool thing’ or whatever.”
“That's all? hmm?” Fleece says skeptically.
“Hey. What did you want me to do? Tell him, ‘My cousin wants to date you mainly for your money though.’ I was subtle and just kind of let him know you exist.” Fleece continues to give a skeptical mumble. “Listen, it was all good things. I promise.”
“Better have been.” Fleece says her clicking heels merging into the sea of chatter and noise that was beginning to weigh on Ray.
“Speaking of Daniel. Do you see him anywhere?” Ray asks
“Huh? Can’t you hear him?” Fleece asks
“Do you know how loud everything is here? I can hear decently well but I'm not superhuman despite popular belief.”
“Well, I guess even Superman has his kryptonite.” Fleece says.
“Suggestion, I get something to eat or drink and you come get me when you find him.” Ray suggests “That seem like a good idea?”
“Are you going to be okay by yourself?” Fleece asks.
“We came here for a reason. That reason’s kinda mute if we spend hours here without finding Dan.” Ray states. “ Now, if you excuse me I’m going to find some…punch or something. Honestly I don’t know what people do at parties.”
“Fair enough, I guess. If you try to bail I'm going to kill you.” Fleece says before fading off into the surrounding noise. Ray gives an exasperated sigh and takes taps his way around the party. The music playing is a repeat of several different songs, the most noticeable ones being thriller and monster mash. Mixed together with a bunch of pop songs on some playlist Ray assumed.
Among the chatter Ray could hear several comments a few ushered towards himself. Most make statements on his costume and mask he’s wearing. ‘What's he supposed to be?’ ‘Where he got that mask’ ‘what a lack of effort’ Spoken under the assumption they can’t be heard. Ray hears them just fine although he wishes he couldn’t. Among other things he hears are a guy in the distance hitting on a couple of girls, a kid asking to be picked up over the phone, a plan being made for an after party, and someone threatening to spike the punch out of boredom. That last one kinda causes Ray to stop and maybe change course.He backs up and accidentally runs into a girl who spills her drink on him.
“Hey, watch it dog boi! You know how much this dress would’ve cost if you had gotten this stuff on me.” She exclaims loudly.
“N-not really, Sorry” Ray says backing up again away from the voice.
“Probably more than you could afford with your raggedy costume. What's supposed to be a wheremutt.” She scoffs then chuckles a bit.
“Yes..actually.” Ray says. “Bark, Growl, happy Halloween and all that. Anyway this mutt has got some toilets to drink out of, would you mind directing me to the bathroom.”
“...It's over there, freak.” She says Ray hearing the contempt in her voice. He leans on his cane and smiles under his mask.
“Over…where?” Ray says again his voice is a bit smug.
“Wha- Are you blind or something!? Over- oh- Oh shit!” She says a sense of realization in her voice. “I- um. I’m sorry…” She says her tone is a bit softer and embarrassed. She puts a hand on Ray's shoulder and directs him. “Straight ahead. Uh- be careful.”
“Thank you.” Ray says before he starts moving in that direction away from her and the group of friends she was with.
“ Wait, he’s blind. What is he doing here then? Like-” Ray hears one of her friends start to say before being cut off.
“Ssssh! He can probably still hear you.” Which is the last thing Ray hears from them before they walk off into the crowd.
Ray Eventually gets to the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind himself. He sets down the mask and takes off his jacket. He runs his hand over his jacket feeling for where the drink was spilled. It seems like the whole cup fell over onto him. The whole backside of his jacket is soaked and smells like kool aid. He tries to use the soap and water to at least get the smell out to no avail. He sighs and puts his now soaked jacket on before splashing water on his face. He puts the mask back on after drying his face and things begin to feel different almost immediately.
Upon putting the mask back on, the wet feeling he had from his jacket disappears. His clothes feel a bit looser and shapes appear in his vision. His vision? Ray blinks at the mirror as things start to take form.He moves his hand up and a corresponding shape appears in the mirror and his own vision. He turns his head and stares at the shape, evaluating it. He shakes his head and looks back at the mirror. Everything around him looked like gray mud taking different shapes all around him. Ray begins to stumble a bit, backing up and running into the door. His head began swimming, as the lumps of gray muddy shapes becomes more detailed.
“What, the fuck!?” Ray exclaims in confusion. His eyes begin to hurt a bit as the gray becomes brown, then black then different shapes become different colors. Colors. He was starting to see colors. “W-Woah!” Ray starts getting overwhelmed, a bit overloaded by the return of a sense he had never had. He places his grasp on the sink to steady himself. He puts the shape he saw earlier up to the mirror. It doing its job and reflecting back to him everything he could see. “That's…Me?” Ray flails around the reflection copying him. He spins and immediately becomes disoriented. “Okay, don’t…do that.” There's a knock on the bathroom door causing Ray to panic a little. “Uh, Um, I’ll be right out!” He calls, reaching over and grabbing his cane.
He opens the door and lets his cane lead him out, as a bright new world assailed his senses. He looked over to the knocker examining his face. So that's what people look like. Is the first thought to come to his mind as he stumbles out and further into the crowd. He looks as if he’s dazed or lost, neither of which would be too inaccurate to his current situation. He observed the colors and shapes and people basking in this strange new world. This is all interrupted as something tugs on him from behind almost nearly dragging him.
“You scared me.” comes a familiar voice. “I thought you’d dipped and left me behind.”
“...Fleece?” Ray asks, turning to see who was dragging him. His cousin turned and tilted her head in confusion.She was wearing a costume that required her to wear dark colors, not to dissimilar to the black that used to be Rays vision. It was, the best word Ray could probably use to describe is frilly but in a maintained way. She had darker colors on her face as well but Ray didn’t know if that was how she normally looked or if it was also part of the costume. Her teeth, specifically her canines, were a bit longer than the rest of her teeth and her eyes were a bright vibrant color. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her face was currently twisted in confusion.
“Yea- Woah! Where’d you get that” Fleece says motioning to Ray. Ray looks down at himself. He was wearing what seemed to be a mix of overtly light and dark colors. He guessed to himself that this wasn’t what he normally wore or what he was wearing earlier.
“Found it?” Ray says, giving an unsure answer.
“Found it? I- Never mind. Come one I found him.” Fleece says before continuing to drag Ray. “Have you always been this heavy? “ She states offhandedly. “Should probably lay off the burgers.” They eventually are brought over to Daniel. Or atleast Ray thinks he’s Daniel, his voice is the same. Fleece clears her throat before shoving Ray forward in a rushed and impatient manner. Daniel looks up to Ray and waves meekly.
“Uh, Hi, hello?” He says
“H-hey, Daniel its me Ray.” Ray waves back.
“Oh!? You came? You usually don’t show up to these kinds of things.” Daniel say a smile spreading across his face. Or atleast Ray assumes its a smile, he sounds happy. “Nice costume by the way! What is that? Edo Period of japan?”
“Japan? I guess it is, I wouldn’t know,” Ray says before perking up a little. “Um, actually, my cousin grabbed this for me.” Ray motions to his left and almost as if on cue Fleece appears and does a little curtsey.
“Oh! Hello, I’ve heard alot about you. Didn’t know you had such an eye for fashion.” Daniel says.
“Yes, of course, there isn’t anyone better.” Fleece brags. Daniel walks over to Ray and pulls up his ‘costume’.
“I really love oh these yellows and golds give a complement to the whites and blacks of the outfit and the red petals on the robe Match the mask… and this material feels authentic, where did you find it.?” Daniel goes on a spiel. If Ray had any doubts before if this was him they were gone now. He was as talkative and fashion obsessed as ever.
“I…uh well. A girls gotta have her secrets” She says before giving a nervous smile.
“Oh?” Daniel says “Fair enough I guess. We haven’t really gotten to know each other after all. I’m Daniel Barlston.” He puts his hand out for a hand shake. “Ray’s one of my friends and this is my party.”
“Um, oh? Formal.” Fleece says ray catching a hint of intimidation in her voice. “ Fleece Marrows, but Ray’s probably already told you that.” She says, shaking his hand.
“Pleasure to officially make your acquaintance. Your vampire costume looks amazingly beautiful.”
Ray takes a step back from the conversation and still not completely accustomed looks down at himself and the colors he’s wearing. He tilts his head pulling at the robe up to his face. Which colors were red and which were white? He lets go and runs his hand across the mask, a distant thought wondering if he was dreaming at this moment. He scanned the room and shook his head. It felt too real. He looked back up to Fleece and Daniel, it sounded like they were having a nice conversation. He sighed and closed his eyes, returning to the familiar darkness. The noise was all still there, the chatting, the singing, the dancing, all of it. This had to be real, right.
As he sat there with his eyes closed he heard something in the distance. It was getting louder and closer with every waking second. Ray could make out the noises and what they were coming from. His eyes shot open as he recognized the sound of screeching tires and a revving engine. He turned his head to see Daniel and Fleece talking in front of a large window. Behind that window a large car rushing towards them in the background. They both seemed oblivious as other attendees pointed it out and scattered away from the window. Ray without any hesitation, ran and leaped into them pushing them out the way as the car launched itself into the window flipping and crashing into the foyer of the house. Disrupting the party that once was.
“Was that a car?!” Ray exclaims loudly.
“You tell me.” Fleece says, pushing herself up.
“Wha-what the hell is going on!?” Daniel exclaims doing the same. Ray follows them to their feet and turns to look at the devastation. In the middle of the room was a heavily dented mess of metals with wheels and from what could only be assumed to be its engine leaks oil. The other members of the party kept their distance.
From the wreckage someone climbed out from the window of the upside down car. He was wearing a uniform of sorts mostly white but it was stained with red and had dirt on it. After he had gotten out he reached back into the car and pulled out something else. A bat that was also stained in red. The smell of dirt, alcohol and something else wafted over to Ray’s nose. That red was blood, he remembered it distinct from the few times when he had cut himself. It seemed others had come to realize this too as one of the party goers screamed. The grizzled unshaven man looked up and around stumbling a bit.
“Where's Barlston!?” He screamed “Come out here s-so I can kick your ass!” Fleece and Ray stare at Daniel at the sound of his name being called.
“ What do they want?” Fleece asks.
“I don’t know…that's the head batter of the Vikings. He looks…unwell” Daniel says.
“He;s drunk,” Ray adds. “ We need to leave, your dad isn’t here is he?”
“ No, he's at a business event.” Daniel says “There should be a way out if we head that way.” He points out a doorway nearby. As he does so one of the party goers gets the idea to run followed by a few others.
“Where do you think you're going!” He yells as he grabs some debris through it in the air and bats it in their direction. The first runner gets hit and their body slams to the ground. “Ain’t no one leaving till I get Barlstons fatass down here!” He picks up a handful of debris and glass.
“Yeah that's not going to happen” Fleece says.
“Holy shit.” Ray says as Daniel looks around silently, surveying the situation as the mad batter continues to scream the name Barlston.
“I can talk to him” He says after a good three seconds.
“What!?” Both Ray and Fleece say at the same time.
“That's crazy.”
“You heard he was drunk right? You're going to die.”Ray pleads.
“Listen he’s looking for my dad, worse he’s going to do is take me hostage. I can distract him so you guys can run. Along with everyone else.” He says as he starts walking forward.
“Dan!” Ray calls out but Fleece pulls him back and heads to the door. “ Wha-? Fleece!?”
“We gotta go Ray. What are we going to do?” She says as she continues to drag him.Daniel keeps walking up to the batter his fist gripped.
“Bruce! Hey!” He calls out. Bruce's gaze shifts to Daniel and as soon as he looks away people start running. He turns to shout something but stops as he recognizes who Daniel is.
“Oh, shit. You're a fat asses little brat.” Bruce says, dropping the debris in his hands.
“I- My dad isn’t here right now. He’s at a business meeting right now.” Daniel says as scared screams rush past him.
“Bull!” Bruce yells.
“If he wasn’t he’d have been down here” Daniel yells back. There's a moment of pause as he seems to drunkenly think something over.
“Shit!” He curses “You gotta phone right, call him!”
“Wha-” Daniel starts before he’s cut off.
“Don’t what me! Call him!” Bruce yells, closing the distance between him and Daniel. Daniel hesitantly pulls his phone out and takes a step back.
“You don’t want ya head bashed in you best start dialing.” Bruce looms over Daniel. Bloody baseball bat over his shoulder.
Outside the door Fleece continues to drag Ray. Followed by the many other party goers making their escape. Ray hears the exchange going on behind the crowd but it starts to get drowned out by the screams. Ray becomes a bit worried as he gets farther from the conversation. Ray takes his white cane and trips his cousin while she's not paying attention. It works and as she falls she loses the grip she has on him. He takes advantage of the freedom and fades into the crowd running back in Daniel's direction.Daniels phone rings as he clicks on his fathers contact. After the fifth ring there's an answer as someone answers on the other end.
“Daniel? What's going on this better be an emergency.” The voice says. About three words exit Daniels mouth before the phone is snatched and he's kicked to the ground.
“Oi! Fatass Barlston! You got about twenty-five minutes to get down here, before I smash your kids head in!” Bruce spits into the phone.
“What is this? Some Sort of prank? Who is this?” Daniel's dad asks on the other side of the phone.
“Nah this is number forty-seven ‘Homerun! And this ain't a prank, it's a nightmare.” Bruce chuckles before looking down, raising the bat and smashing it into Daniel's leg causing him to scream in pain. “Now get down here!” He demands before tossing the phone in the air and smashing it with his bat. “Woooo! Ain’t this going to be the best day of my life.” He laughs before looking down and stomping on Daniel's leg.
“W-why?!” He grunts through the pain. Bruce walks around and crouches so that Daniel can see his face.
“Because if he's a decent father, anything I do to you should hurt him just as much. Think.” He taps Daniel on the head with his bat. “Duh”
As he does that there's a snapping sound as something hits Bruce in the back. There's a second of silence as a piece of what looks like a stick lands on the ground about five feet away from him. Bruce stands up and turns around looking down at Ray who is holding a broken cane. He cracks his neck and lifts his bat off his shoulders.
“What are you ‘posed to be, kid? The guard dog?” He grumbles. Ray holding the broken cane defensively stares up at hin.
“Woof. Woof. Growl.” He responds ingest fear causing adrenaline to run through his body.
“...You're funny. That swing wasn’t too bad either, nothing compared to this though.” Bruce says as he brings down his bat to bash Ray over the head. Ray side steps instinctively the bat hitting the tiled floor, cracking it. “...Shit! I’m either too drunk or you're a fast piece of shit.”
“I for one think you're drunk and you should go home.” Ray throws back attempting to hit Bruce again with his broken cane. It snaps more, having no effect whatsoever on Bruce.
“Now that one was a bit weak.” Bruce says, swinging his bat again. Ray evades the second attack and steps back. He did feel like he was moving a bit faster but that was probably due to his new sight. He throws the last of his cane at Bruce's face ineffectively. “Hope your done now.” He says swinging again. Ray strafes to the side.
“Hold up. Your voice…arn’t you Bruce Cannon? I was a fan of yours.” Ray says .
“If your a fan you’d fuck off.” Bruce retorts. Swinging and missing again, getting a bit irritated.
“Sorry no can do, also you should probably lay off the alcoho. I mean you haven’t hit me once. Don;t they call you ‘Homerun’” Ray taunts.
“Oh, I’ll give you a homerun!” Bruce yells, swinging three more times. He misses the first two swings, but eventually hits Ray straight on as he got cocky. Ray is knocked about ten or fifteen feet. Ray struggles to his feet, his vision correcting itself from the tumble he took. “If I were you, I’d stay down or get put down. Mutt!”
“Take it you're not a dog person then.” Ray retorts as the bat makes its way towards him again. Ray stands still this time catching and stopping the bat with his bare hands. Ray and Bruce both watch this shock. Quickly shaking back to his senses he tugs the bat towards him and throws a punch at Bruce's face. Bruce doubles back and headbutts Ray. Ray falls to his ass as Bruce wastes no time coming in for another attack. Ray puts his hands up to try and block the blow butt as he does something appears in his hands blocking it for him. What looks like a glowing club of sorts is collided with by Bruce’s bat causing his bat to splinter as he takes a step back.
“The fuck are you?” Bruce asks in genuine confusion.
“Hound dog. Bark” Ray taunts. As he does so Bruce swings his bat at some debris causing it to collide with Ray knocking him back but not off his feet. “Batter up.” Ray says after looking at the club in his hand and swinging, deflecting the next attack of debris.
“Fuck, off!” Bruce yells, sending more glass and metal Ray’s way. Ray manages to hit one of the glass shards back hitting Bruce in the face.
“Looks like there's a new greatest batter in town 'Homerun'” Ray says mocking his title as he steps forward.
“I’mma fucking kill you kid!” Bruce yells endlessly annoyed by Rays taunts. Bruce rushes up and barrages the boy in the hound mask with multiple strikes. Ray dodges and blocks most of the attacks much to his own surprise. Finding a opening he clumsy slams his club into Bruces stomach causing him to double over momentarily.
Before the fight could continue the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance closing quickly. Bruce curses under his breath and looks over to where Daniel was lying before the fight erupted. All that lay in the spot was Daniels broken phone which caused Bruce to curse again a bit louder. Seeing the red and blue lights in the distance he surveyed his options and kicked Ray away from him. Ray gets up and thinks about giving chase when cop cars pull up outside the broken window. The brightness of the lights hurts Rays eyes and he puts his hands up to block it. From the car two figures get out and point something at him.
“Freeze point move!”They call. For some reason that idea didn;t bode well in Rays mind. He runs by and picks up the pieces of his cane before darting to the door. The cops began firing at Ray as he ran away. He lets go of his club as he runs and it just fades away,as he comes to the backyard fence of Daniels house. He jumps the fence hearing the footsteps behind him. Runs through and jumps the next fence. The cops can’t seem to keep up with him but he feels himself getting tired. How far is he from home, where is he even going, he thinks as he hops another fence his new vision begins to fade adrenaline wearing thin as his wounds begin to take there toll.
Ray’s vision completely fades while he’s running as he goes unconscious. He feels something catch him as he stumbles of a fence, and keeps him moving. He hears some words that he can’t make out as the sirens get more distant and he is taken somewhere else.