Chapter 1

"Okay... Let's go over this again." Abby scratched her head, burying her face on a booklet map. "I'll just go straight from here, then turn left at the next couple of blocks away, then get on the bus and get off at West Husky street, walk northwards until I get to the convenience store, and then I'll find the Park?"

Her phone was silent for a moment.

"Wait... Can you say that again?" Nigel replied, "I lost you there for a second..."

Abby groaned, " Can you take this seriously?! It's getting late now, and it's freezing out here!"

The sun was starting to set at Doecroft City, it had just started snowing, and Abby was hopelessly lost. She got herself lost inside Doecroft's labyrinthine landscape. For someone new to the big city, it wouldn't be easy to navigate such a large town. Shivering under a bus top, she shuffled through the pages of a map booklet.

Unfortunately, it seemed like a bus won't be coming for a while, or anyone else for that matter. There wasn't a single soul in that street. An old red brick building across the street seemed to be closed, with most windows barred with planks. A pharmacy from behind the bus stop had its security shutters pried open. You could hear the winter wind pass through the empty street, bringing it's chilling howls. The street itself has nothing in its thoroughfare, except for three parked cars that were left there to rust. All that's missing there were a few crickets.

She squinted, wondering how she get to this part of town. I only took three directionless bus rides, wandered around a few minutes. how did she got lost?

"Didn't I give you a map last night?" Nigel asked.

"You mean that piece of paper with the scribbles on it?" Abby said, "I left it under the dinner table."

"What?! " She hears Nigel's footsteps over the phone, then the audible flapping of paper "Why?! This took me an hour to make!"

"An hour?! No wonder it made no sense! You only drew lines, boxes and arrows on it!"

"Well yeah, I dumbed it down a little for… you."

"Are you saying I'm dumb enough not to understand a normal map?!"

"No, what I meant to say was, I simplified this map so-"

"You didn't even write the street names on it!"

She heard the paper flap again, "Huh... Oh yeah... My bad..."

A snowflake landed on Abby's nose. It started to snow again, and will most definitely pile up later. She never had an issue with snow, but a school uniform isn't warm enough to enjoy a winter wonderland.

She has been pacing around the bus stop for a while now, trying to stop shivering. She almost regretted not bringing her jacket with her, unfortunately not one on her wardrobe compliments the school uniform, so no chance with that.

"Come on!" Abby shook her phone, "Help me out here! It's freaking cold out!"

"Alright, alright!" Nigel conceded, "Where are you right now?"

"Let's see..." Abby looked around the bus stop's schedules, "It says that I'm on Bus Stop 12 between Rottweiler avenue and Dober street... And the next bus will be at 7... Am..."

Her phone went silent, "Hello? Nigel?"

"Uhhh... I don't think... I've been to that part of town."

"Seriously?! I though you live in this city!?"

"Just because I live here doesn't mean I know every single corner of this city." He snapped, "Let's try again... Can you see Skylance tower from here?"

Abby went to the  street corner and did a quick look around. Good thing the dilapidated buildings around the area weren't as tall as the buildings in the more populated parts of the City. Over to her left, she saw a building that towered through every building in the city.

The Skylance Tower is a famous landmark in Doecroft, known to be the highest building in the very center of the city. Even from this far the tower is still perceivable, its aircraft warning lights at the tip  flickering through the clouds.  In fact, it’s so tall that you can see the tower from any point of the city. Abby isn't sure what purpose the skyscraper has, maybe as a tourist trap she thought.

"Yeah, I see it!" Abby exclaimed, "It's far but I see it!"

"Okay, now... From which side is the sun setting?"

"Uhhhh, from the..." She squinted at the tower, "From behind the Tower?"

Her phone went silent again, "Nigel? Hey!"

"Okay tell me this..." She heard him take a deep breath, "How the hell did you get to the eastern district, the exact opposite side of the city?"

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

"Ugghhh... So what do you suppose I do?"

"Call a cab." He flatly replied.

"No fuckin’ way!" Abby immediately hated the idea, "It'll cost me a week's worth of allowance to get there by cab!"

"Yeah... But at least you'll get back here just in time for dinner! Tonight's Tuna night!"

"You're no help at all!" She yelled at her phone.

"Hey, I helped!" Nigel's condescending tone rang on her ear, "If you could've just considered this well-made map that I specifically made to help you, you wouldn't be lost right now."

Abby's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. With the cold weather plus getting lost, her patience started to thin.

"You know what? I'll find my own way home." She angrily snapped, "Thank you for being such good help."

"Whoa, Hey! Wait-! I’m kidding!" Nigel panicked through the phone, sensing her anger. "Just stay right there! I'll have Will pick you-!"

She hanged up and then proceeded to stuff her phone way under her bag. She stormed back under the bus stop. She took deep breaths trying to calm herself down. "Ooookay..." She exhaled, "Let's try again."

She took out the booklet again, and started to flip through a few pages. Her eyebrows scrunched up to a city map which was equally incomprehensible as Nigel's hand drawn map. She can’t concentrate, instead thinking about shoving the booklet into Nigel’s mouth when she gets home.

She looked through the brochure receptacles, trying to find another city map, the only things she found were travel brochures and sketchy self-proclaimed cures for all diseases.

"Damm'it, This doesn't make sense at all..." She angrily crumpled a brochure, starting to get desperate.

What's worse was there wasn't anyone to ask directions. The street was dead empty. Not one person was walking, the buildings were all closed, there wasn't a single car parked.

She decided to step out the bus stop and started to make her way towards the tower over yonder, all the while grumbling and cursing. She contemplated on how she even got here. Inspired by Nigel's child-drawn map, she plotted her own proper route back and forth from the school and the park beforehand. She followed that route for a couple of days now, and she didn’t lose her way once through that route.

Maybe I jumped on the wrong bus? She asked herself, but that can't be right. She followed her regular route to the tee, she didn’t make any detours or anything.

It all fell apart after she looked into her phone for a few minutes and when she looked up, she noticed how this isn't the street to the park. There was a sudden change to a gray tinge on the atmosphere, fewer cars were on the road, people seemed to walk faster and acted fidgety, store fronts were either dirty looking or outright closed and abandoned.

Confused and panicking, she immediately got out of the bus as soon as it stopped at the next bus stop. The bus driver raised an eyebrow as she stepped out the bus, probably questioning himself why a girl got off this shady looking place.

“I should’ve asked the driver!” She palmed her face, “But I can't risk him thinking I’m a hick!”

A cold blast of wind blasted on her face and slapped her back to reality. She rubbed her arms to stop herself from shivering. She concentrated on walking faster and occasionally looking up at the tower. She followed the open sidewalk and kept a lookout for any weirdos. Well… if anything, she wished there were people there.

The sky was starting to darken. Snow lightly powdered the concrete. The empty sidewalk lit only by low streetlights, casting weird shadows upon the walls of the dead businesses.  The shapes from unlit alleyways seem to move with each step Abby takes.

After taking a turn on a corner, she saw another bus stop a block away. Hoping for the best, Abby jogged towards it, only to notice something strange.

“Huh?” She squinted. As she kept getting closer she noticed how the place looked… familiar.

Of course, bus stops are usually built alike, but this one looks exactly like the one she left. The same paint job, the same weathering, the same paper brochures in the same receptacles, even the seats looked like the one she sat on. The only thing that changed was the name: Bus Stop 13.

Not only that, the whole street looks eerily similar. The red-brick building wasn’t there anymore but instead replaced by a modern-looking building that looked exactly like it, abandoned and all. There was now a nondescript store front behind the bus stop now, it’s security shutters completely torn open.  The same street but now missing the one car.

Weird… Abby thought to herself, Did I… walk in a circle?

She looked at the Bus Stop and then back to her map. She swiveled a few more times.

Nah… That can't be. This is Bus Stop 13…

 She put her thoughts at the back of her mind and went under the bus stop.

She kept fidgeting with the booklet she got. She considered calling a cab, but she might as well book a vacation to Hawaii. Her only lead was to follow the tower, but she realized there's no way she's walking that far. The snow wasn't making things easier. It was snowing harder, and it was getting colder by the minute. Abby wondered if it's okay to light a fire under the bus stop, it's for the sake of survival after all.  

Abby took a few minutes squinting at the lines and scribbles that was supposed to help anyone who needs directions, but it looked like the map was made to confuse tourists.

Abby heard rumours of some parts of the city being virtually abandoned. People would call it "Ghost Spots", which perfectly describes how these places feel. And with Abby's luck, she somehow ended up in one of them.

"Damm'it, where exactly am I?!" She furiously ripped through some pages the map guide, "This city can't be that fuckin' big!"

As she continued to rip through the guide, she heard something. She pulled her vision away from the map, and from out the street corner, a man stumbled in on the street.

"A person!" She gasped.

There was a man wearing a black leather coat coming her way. The closer he came up to the bus stop, Abby noticed the man was wearing dark brown cargo pants and a distinct haircut. He was carrying a duffel bag that seemed full and heavy, making this clinking sound.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Looking at him made Abby’s shoulder shiver. The man had chiseled features, high cheekbones, a very strong chin. Sporting a buzzcut, he looked like some military general. His muscular frame bulged beneath his jacket, and she realized the guy was taller the closer he comes. Typically this is the kind of man Abby would drool over, but something about the guy was off.

Despite his physique, he looked… unhealthy? She can't pinpoint it, but there was definitely something wrong.

She tensed up as he approached. She kinda hoped he’d just pass through, though a couple of moments later the guy seems to be heading straight to the bus stop. Then she realized this could be her chance to ask for directions. She swallowed the lump in her throat and greeted the man as he came close.

“H-hel~lo, sir!” She stammered. My voice cracked what the fu-

"Mm? Oh, hello." He greeted back, his voice like gravel in a cement mixer.

"Excuse me, sir! C-can you help me out?"

The stranger looked at Abby, then at the ripped up pages of the map guide behind her.

"I reckon you got yourself lost?" He guessed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, exactly! I really need directions to Omori Park!"

“Oh wow, that's a long ways away, girl.”

“I know, and I really need to get home!”

“Okay… Calm down.” He raised his palm, “I think you should be fine if you wait here.”

He pulled his own booklet out of his pocket and flipped through a few pages.

“A bus will pass here and could take you to the subway station, that’ll take you to the right side of town.”

“When will the next bus get here?”

“I’d say…” The man looked into his wristwatch, “An hour, maybe…”

“Oh thank goodness!” Abby sighed in relief, “Thank you so much, mister!”

“You’re welcome.” He nodded.

The man took a seat with Abby inside the bus stop. Abby jumped a little as he sat on one of the seats, placed his duffel bag beside him, and leaned back.

“Oh… Y-You’re waiting for the bus too?” She asked.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Why’d you ask?”

“Uh- Nevermind…”

Hhmmmm… Abby sat on her seat uncomfortably. She was in this weird and stiff sitting position, trying to not make unnecessary movements. As much as she doesn't want to be alone, her gut was screaming for to leave. She was irrationally nervous, not giddy but actually afraid.

Come on… There’s nothing wrong here… She rationalized, What are you afraid of...?

She tried to control her breathing. She had to calm down. This man helped her, after all. There was nothing to be afraid of. There’s a huge guy sitting with her, that’s better than being alone right?

Both of them sat in silence for the next few minutes. Abby’s leg tapped nervously, her shoulder’s stiff as concrete. The bus couldn’t come any faster. She turned her head slightly and tried to take a good look from the guy. He was slouching on his seat wearily, he was closing his sunken eyes, in general he simply look worn out. A dog-tag strung on a gold necklace.

A Jarhead. She thought.

As she was gawking at the man suddenly opened his eyes and immediately honed in to Abby before she could turn away.

“What’re you looking at, kid?” He asked in this rumbly voice.

“I- Ah-!” She stammered, “N-Nothing in particular…”

Abby internally screamed, not only was that embarrassing but she just made herself look unnecessarily suspicious.

“Hmph.” The man snorted, his eyebrows scrunched. After a few moments, he leaned his head backwards.  “Y’know kid, you should watch yourself around this city.”

Abby turned to the man, “Uh… What do you mean?”

“A lot of things happen in this city. Everyone’s too deep into their own lives, they don’t notice what goes on under their noses.” He tilted his head to face Abby. “They won’t notice what’s not right, and what goes wrong…“

Abby thought of it for a moment. Many do flock towards Doecroft in search of better, not to mention wealthy, lives. It’s sheer size came with dozens of opportunities for those willing to enter this concrete jungle. Abby herself came here searching for a change. Did he…? Realize I’m a bumpkin?

“So… uh…” She attempted to continue the small talk, “What brought you here in this city?”

“I was born here, kid. Got the privilege to grow up in the big city. The whole Eastern Suburbs was basically my backyard.”

“Oh… How- How’s life on here?” Why am I interviewing this man?

“Couldn’t complain.” The man seemed eager to share. “The city provides, if you know your way around things.”

“Mmmmm…” She racked her brain trying to keep the conversation going, her jitters making it a lot more harder. “So… uh… I noticed you… joined the military.”

What am I on about?

“Ah Yeah, best time of my life.” He smirked, “The only place I’d fit in.”

Abby blinked in confusion. She expected a very grim reply with traumatic undertones, the ones you’d typically hear from ex-military. He said that with such nostalgia like he was talking about childhood memories and not a blood-stained battlefield. This intrigued her, so she tried to poke into him once more.

“So… How was it there?”

He smiled, “Yeah I had a lot of fun there. Ever since I signed up, it felt like I finally got a purpose. Serving home and country. I could’ve stayed there longer if it wasn’t for-”

The man stopped mid-sentence, and very slowly scowled at Abby. Her heart started to race as his furious gaze was about to burning a hole through her. Very slowly, she slid away from her seat as to get far away from the man.

“U-Um… Sir?” She squeaked, “W-What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know how, but you got me a little chatty there, Kid.” The man snorted. He looked at her up and down and raised his eyebrow. “You look too young to be… nevermind.”

“I-I don’t-” A chill went down Abby’s spine so she clutched her bag nervously and stood up.

“No… of course you don’t.” He growled as he stood up, “Alright, I’m letting you in something. You know why I got dismissed?”

“Uhhh… You-” Abby stepped backwards little by little, looking for the opportunity to escape. “You killed someone?”

“What?! No, basically That’s my day job.” He shook his head, “You see, the country needs strong and healthy men to enlist. And look at me, I’d fit the bill. I was feeling quite fulfilled over there. Then, I- ”

He grabbed his left shoulder, like stretching out a painful cramp. “I caught… something… over there. I don’t know what, but it really messed me up. I was throwing up anything I stuff in my mouth, I was throwing up stuff I didn’t even know was in there. Medic couldn’t identify what it was, Higher-ups won’t risk the whole base getting infected. So I got medically discharged, and got sent right back here. Bedridden and dying.”

“You don’t look… sick.” Abby observed.

“Yeah, you see… I met someone.” He grinned, “She got me back up on my feet and I got my old life back. I could’ve died alone, in pain and agony. If she didn’t show u-”

Abby’s phone suddenly rang inside her bag. This shook her awake from her fear. She quickly rummaged through her bag and quickly pulled out her phone. There were five missed calls from Nigel but this time another number was calling.

Finally, It’s Will!

“Well! I have to take this.” She announced, “It was nice meeting you sir! That was a really… heartwarming story. I wish you and your wife the best of health!”

She turned and walked away as briskly and discreetly as possible. The snow crunching under her feet, She answered Will’s call as she power-walked like a New-yorker.

“Hello, Abby? Where are you? Nigel said you need a-”

“Pick me up RIGHT NOW!” Abby whispered aggressively into her phone, “There’s a fuckin’ pyscho here!”

“Huh?” She could imagine his confused expression, “Okay, calm down. Where are you right now?”

“I just walked away from Bus Stop 13.” She said, “I’m looking for a safer place to hide.”

“Wait, Bus Stop 13?” Will asked, “There's a convenience store a few blocks from there. Get inside and wait there for me.”

“Alright, I'll try to find it. Just-… please get here as soon you-”

A thick rope flew from behind Abby and wrapped around her neck and her right wrist where she held her phone. She gasped and choked as she was lifted off her feet, strangled by the rope and painfully burning her skin. Abby dropped her phone and bag, flailed her free arm behind her and was able to grab a muscular arm.

“That ‘Thing’ isn't my wife, kid.” The Jarhead said through gritted teeth, “I just got a debt to settle.”

“ABBY?!” Will’s voice called out through the phone, “HEY! ABBY!”

The man looked at the phone and immediately stepped on it, crushing it under his heel.

Abby thrashed as hard as the air left in her lungs would allow. She tried to loosen the makeshift noose with her right arm while clawing wildly at the man’s hands with the other. She kicked on the air trying to create momentum, but instead choked herself even more in the process. As her vision started to blur, she put all her strength with this last attempt.

She tucked in her knees, and kicked back her legs as hard as she could.

“GAAGH!” Abby could feel a snap through her shoes. She nailed the Jarhead just below his chest. His grip on the rope slackened and freed Abby from his choke-hold. The man screamed in pain and fell to the ground on his side, hugging his stomach.

Abby landed on her knees and elbows, coughing and wheezing for air. The cold snow woke her up from her daze. She immediately took three deep breaths and scrambled away from the man. She quickly stood and felt her neck. It still stung, but she’s not terribly hurt.

She quickly grabbed her bag off the ground and searched for her phone, only to find it crushed. Her anger welled up, she stomped and looked over the man defiantly.

“You broke my phone?!” Abby shrieked, and kicked the man in the mouth.

“You BITCH!” He screamed and groaned.

Suddenly over the opposite side of the street, headlights flashed as a vehicle turned from the intersection and drove into the street.

“Yes!” A wave of relief washed over her, knowing she was finally safe. She quickly ran toward the bus stop before the bus could reach there.

Before she could get there, she noticed the duffel bag the man carried was still there in his seat. She eyed it wearily as she got nearer and noticed it was unzipped open. Abby’s curiosity got to her, so she got closer to the bag and looked inside.

“Oh.” She expected to find bloody torture devices in there, but all there was were rusty repair tools.

The bus beeped it’s horn which made Abby jump a little. The bus finally got here. She planned to call Will again at the station, then she might just get home before dinner. She immediately spun around and her heart sank. The bus didn’t stop. It just kept driving past the bus stop.

“No.” Abby pleaded as she ran after it, “HEY! Wait-! STOP! PLEASE, DON’T LEA-!”

As the bus drove on with her left on the dust, it’s headlights illuminated the spot where she got attacked by that psycho. Abby stopped on her tracks as her spine went cold; the man wasn’t there anymore.

She immediately ran the opposite direction and back to the bus stop.

Just before she could pass the bus stop, a meaty hand grabbed Abby by the neck. The man stepped out from the shadows and put another hand on her neck. His eyes burned red and bulged out in rage. What disgusted Abby the most  was the black tarry fluid leaking out the side of his mouth, staining his teeth black.

“You got one hell of a kick, you fucking brat!” He spittled over Abby’s face.

“What-!” Abby gasped in as much air as she can, “What the hell ARE YOU?!”

She swung a monkey wrench she grabbed from the bag at his head. The man barely dodged but still got scraped in the forehead.

“AAGH!” He recoiled. His grip on Abby loosened and she pulled her neck out of his grasp. She swung the wrench again but he quickly jumped backward and distanced himself.

Both of them looked at each other, waiting who’s going to move first. She pointed the monkey wrench at him, making sure that it was in between her and that psycho. His forehead was bleeding that black substance instead of blood.

 Today was the worst day she had; school sucked, she got lost, her phone got smashed, and she got harassed by some jack-ass. What did I do to deserve this? She asked herself. Anger welled up in her chest. Her fear turned to frustration Abby furiously stared at him straight in the eye. The guy faltered for a moment and then made that horrifying grimace.

 “Do you really think you got a chance against me?” He growled, slowly inching his way towards his bag.

“No.” She aimed, and like a boomerang, threw the wrench with all her arm strength. This threw him off his feet, he immediately ducked and heard the supposedly unbreakable glass shatter behind him.

He looked up and realized his mistake; Abby had ran away.

Abby sprinted across the street. She could hear him give a chase behind her. She knew better than to look back and and risk tripping over. She hightailed directly into a dark alleyway and past a dumpster and some trash cans. The alleyway was not as dark as she expected, it was lit with a few dimly lit light-bulbs. Further in, she could see the alley splits into two.

Before she could decide which way to turn, she heard metal creak. A trash can flew past over her head and smashed into the wall, splattering it’s contents all over the place. Abby couldn’t stop running in time, she tripped over the misshapen can and fell on the trash.

“AAGH! SHIT!” She cursed, and quickly scrambled on her knees. Her eye’s watered and she gagged from the smell. She had a hard time standing up.

“C’mere!” The man grabbed her by the leg and pulled her closer. “I’m starting to think that you're not worth the trouble!”

“LET! ME! GO!” Abby furiously kicked at his hand, risking a few scrapes on her leg.

Her stomach churned in fear, she didn’t expect she’d die today, just a few days before living her life in the big city. Her eyes teared up both in frustration and sheer fear. Too tired to fight back, she relaxed her body and prepared to-

“ACK!” The jarhead let go of Abby’s leg. The screeching scream of a cat filled the air.

The noise shook her out  from her daze. She looked up and a cat was absolutely going ham on his face. She stared in amazement as he struggled to wrangle out the black feline using his face as a yarn ball.

The man screamed again, She realized this was her chance. With more adrenaline pumping through her, she hastily got up and bolted for her life. She veered into the left alleyway seconds before the man slammed into the wall in an attempt to tackle her.

She ran further in the alleyway, turning blind corners praying to her stars the next turn wasn't a dead end. A few more turns and she realized she couldn’t hear his footsteps behind her. She hoped she actually lost him in that maze. A couple of turns further in, she saw the light of a harshly lit convenience store. She doubled her pace to reach it as soon as possible, Will was probably already there.

A couple meters more she noticed the alley had a chain-link fence barring the way.  She quickly clambered and jumped over it. A few more feet and she’s finally safe. But as she was about to escape the alley way, a leg popped out of the corner.

Abby tumbled hard. She was able to land on her side but got scratched on her arm very badly. She lost her breath from the fall, gasping in pain. She turned herself and lied on her back to face the jarhead.

“I gotta say,” The man glowered over Abby, his face all scratched up and bleeding that black tar. He held up the monkey wrench that she threw earlier. “You run like a jackrabbit. Unfortunately for you, I'm gonna gut you like one.”

She panted, all the running around had completely exhausted her. With a few deep breaths she asked him, ”Tell me… who are you?”

The man shook his head and smirked, annoying Abby with his smug grin.

“There’s no chance I’m telling you.”

“Fuck you, then.” She retorted.

Suddenly, lights flashed on the side of the street. The Jarhead recoiled from the brightness, making him drop the wrench. The sudden roar of an engine filled the street and a delivery truck came and slammed into him in 30 miles per hour. The guy went flying, bounced a few times on the street like a rag-doll. The truck’s smoking tires screeched to a halt, it’s headlights illuminating half the street.

"Huh..." Abby blinked in surprise. She watched as the delivery truck turned off and the driver side door clicked open. On the side of the truck, DRINK THE NIGHT AWAY! was printed in bold pink lettering. Abby thought she saw that somewhere,  "Wait, Isn't that...?"

"Abby!" The driver called out as he ran towards her, Abby realized who it was.

"Will?!" She exclaimed.

This tall, skinny guy with long blonde hair is William Aleksandersen. He refers to himself as Will. He looked like he was just out from work, with half his coveralls wrapped around his waist. The moment he saw her his eyes widened in shock.

"Oh shit, You okay?" Will tried to help her up, but Abby slapped his hand and frantically pointed out to the street.

"Quick!" Abby groggily got up, "That-! That guy needs to be stopped!"

Will immediately understood and pulled out his industrial-size shovel out of the truck window; both of them ran after the culprit. The truck's headlights illuminated a puddle of black tar in the middle of an empty road. Tracks of it lead off to a dark alley and disappeared in the dark. The guy got away, just like that.

"Damm'it!" Abby stomped. Frustrated, she repeatedly kicked at the truck's fender.

"Abby..." Hunter appealed, "The truck didn't do anything, please don't-... "

Abby was not letting up.  Will realized his friend was just harassed by a nut-head, got chased through some alleys, and is covered in filth at the moment. So he let Abby continue kicking on the truck as he silently budgeted the repairs for the dents.