Inside Park Manor • SKZ horror au

Chapter 21

As Chan fell from the second level, he reached around wildly for something to grab onto without success. The boy watched with empty eyes as Chan hit the concrete floor with a loud thud.

    Chan slowly stood up, thoroughly surprised that nothing was broken. His body ached terribly, but other than that, he felt fine. The door on the first level began rattling as someone on the other side began to unlock it. That meant nothing but trouble. He scrambled to the latter to make his escape when it was pulled right from his fingers.

    The boy tossed the latter behind him, a devilish smile on his face. He had planned all of this.

    "Bye bye, Chan. I'll make sure to let your friends know that you betrayed them," The boy said before disappearing into the air.

    As if on cue, the door opened, Father walking through with a triumphant expression on his face. Chan's heart sank as his eyes wandered down to the chainsaw Father was carrying. He didn't stand a chance.

    "You may have gotten away the first time, boy, but I won't let you get out alive this time," Father said in an unnervingly cheery voice.

    Father revved the chainsaw, barely giving him anytime to react. He fired three bullets into Father's skill. The bullets proved useless, only slowing him down for a fraction of a second as the wounds healed almost instantly.

    Chan moved out of the way of an incoming attack that narrowly missed his neck. The saw grazed his shoulder, pain erupting throughout his body as warm blood began to trickle through his sleeve and down his arm.

    He had to think, and quickly. Bullets did nothing but slow Father down, and not even for enough time to be worth it. He was sure that a knife would have the same effect. Not that he wanted to get close enough to Father and his chainsaw to find out.

    "You have nowhere to run, boy!" Father taunted. "Why don't you just give up? It saves both of us time. I promise I'll make it quick."

    "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks," Chan yelled over the chainsaw, diving behind a pile of boxes as Father swung the chainsaw recklessly where he had been standing just a few seconds prior.

    He only had a few seconds to search for anything useful while Father recovered from the momentum of his attack. The buzz of the chainsaw distorted his senses, muddling his thoughts. There was nothing back there that could help him.

    The chainsaw cut through the boxes he was hiding behind, sending him running for a new hiding spot until he could find a weapon. Broken pieces of wood pierced his legs and neck, adding more pain to his already aching body. For one brief moment, he considered using the virus to his advantage. But if he did, there was no guarantee he would ever come back from it.

    The lack of a car in the garage served as both a blessing and a curse. If he could have gotten it working before Father, the face off could have been over by now. On the flip side, if Father already had the keys, Chan would have become roadkill in a matter of seconds, leaving his friends to fend for themselves.

    Chan sprinted to the other side of the garage, thankful that Father wasn't terribly fast. Almost as if by a miracle, he found a chainsaw lodged in between a toolbox and a workbench. Unfortunately, it didn't show any signs of budging anytime soon.

    Chan listened in terror as the buzzing sound of the chainsaw grew closer and closer behind him. He pulled on the chainsaw with every ounce of strength he had left, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. Finally, with no time left to spare, he pulled it free.

    He ducked behind a pillar holding the garage up just as Father's chainsaw cut through the wooden workbench like a cake. Chan slowly took a few steps back as he revved his own chainsaw, panic rising in his chest when it wouldn't start.

   Come on! Hurry! He sighed in relief as the chainsaw sputtered to life. He had to aim his attack correctly, and quickly, before the gas ran out.

    Chan waited until Father walked within range, unbothered by Chan's new weapon. He still felt as if Chan were no match for him, weapon or not. In one swift (but less than graceful) movement, Chan sliced the chainsaw through Father's neck.

    Father's head fell to the floor, the body joining it just a few seconds later, crimson blood seeping in between the cracks in the concrete. His glazed over eyes stared blankly at Cahn, triumph frozen on his face.

    Chan fell to his knees and threw up. He didn't know what to feel about what had just happened. Guilt and disgust for himself tormented his mind. He had taken a human life. Maybe he had done Father a favor by killing him, but it hardly mattered now.

    It was over.