Knowhere Oregon

Chapter 2 - Lovely

I immediately start to turn and run from the great beast that is towering over me. I trip and stumble and start to fall... but I don't hit the ground. Something caught me. Something rubbery... Its hand is wrapped around my torso squeezing me tightly. I try to scream but nothing comes out besides a small whimper of air. It raises me up high in the air. Up to its sirens. I look into them. Inside is a mouth full of grinning teeth. Gnarled and broken. It begins to open its mouth like a snake would unhinge its jaw. Raising me above its head preparing for its morning snack. I think to myself "this is the end. I'm going to die. All alone. No ones going to know what happened to me. I'll be just another forgotten missing kid." That's when everything stops. The creature falls to the ground and crushes me. I pry myself out of its now loose grip. In its once tight and bony chest was a massive hole. I could see straight through the creature. Its guts falling out onto the ground. I stand there shaken. My eyes cannot look away from the gruesome sight that lay before me. At that moment a man in a black cloak runs out carrying a large blade. With some form of cannon on his back. The man quickly climbs over the beast and starts to saw off the sirens from its body. They fall to the ground. Blood and wires falling from them and the body. As he begins to pick up the sirens he turns and sees me. A shocked expression comes to his face. He quickly rushes over to me and starts speaking. I couldn't tell what he was saying. His cloak and the dark of the early morning covered his mouth too much for me to see. He begins to shake me violently as I then look up at him and say "I cannot hear you". He gives me a solemn look and picks me up with one arm and the two sirens with the other. Dragging them behind him. He takes me to his car and buckles me in the passenger seat. He gently lays the two sirens in the back of his car, along with the blade and large cannon. He gets in on the driver's side and begins to put the keys in the ignition. He looks at me and then reaches into his cloak pocket and pulls out a notepad. He writes something and hands it to me. It reads "are you deaf? Is this something that just happened or is it from birth?" I explained to him my whole story from two years ago and he actually believes me! He tells me that he is a member of a society dedicated to keeping this town safe and the creatures within it under control. He says that they haven't had an attack like the two of mine in years. Not since 1887. 20 years after the founding of the town. He takes me home where I slowly and quietly walk up the stairs. I glance at the clock on the wall which reads 7:15am. I know that my mother will be up any minute so i creep up into my room. I lay down in my bed and close my eyes. Trying to fall asleep after that terrible start to the morning. I begin to slowly drift off into sweet unconsciousness. It was short lived though as my mother burst in. I slowly sit up in my bed putting on a "happy face". She kissed my cheek and signed me a happy birthday. She tells me that she has a fun day planned for me. I grin slightly and let out a gentle chuckle, holding onto my ribs in sore pain. I didn't realize it in the moment but the grip the beast had on me had some terrible effects on my body. Everything hurt. My mom left my room, leaving behind a small envelope on my bed. Written on it in beautiful ornate letters was my name along with a drawing of a cheerful teddy bear. My mom wanted to be an artist but her plans changed when she had me. I've always felt like I had been the whole reason she didn't fulfill her dreams. She was an amazing artist and had great talent. I slowly pulled back the seal on the yellow tanned paper. It felt crisp and dry in my hand. A small coffee stain on the corner. She must've made this while she had breakfast. I slowly pulled out the letter inside. When I opened the letter two five dollar bills fell out along with a small folded piece of paper. The words in the card read "Happy Fifteenth Birthday to My Favorite Little Man" I tossed the card and envelope aside to look at the small piece of paper that was hidden away inside. It was older than the envelope. It looked like parchment paper. Gritty and stale. Stained to a brownish yellowish color with faints of red. I unfolded it to reveal elegant writing in a deep black ink. The note read "Meet me at the old school, Inside the library. At midnight. Tell no one." I was puzzled for a moment. How had this gotten in my birthday letter from my mom? Who was it from? Was it even meant for me? Nevertheless I stuffed it into my pocket along with the two bills and stood up. Aching as I did and stumbling back down onto the bed. I once again attempted to get to my feet. This time successfully gritting through the pain. I made my way down the stairs into the kitchen where I found my mom making eggs and bacon for me. I sat down at the table and she sat the plate down in front of me where I greedily ate them up. I was starving after my encounter this morning. My mom signed to me that she was going to take me to school today so that I didn't have to ride my bike. After breakfast I hopped in her car and rode along to school. As I looked out the window the ringing in my ears got really intense. As we sped past the old school the ringing dulled back down to its constant state of dull pain. Something in the woods caught my eye for a split second. It looked like a woman. Just kinda standing in the tree line. Staring out onto the road. She was wearing all white. With long black hair. When I tried to turn around and see her again she was gone. I tried to tell my mom what I just saw but she dismissed it and said it was just my imagination. We arrived at school. The little blue building paled in comparison to the old grand mausoleum of the old school in front of the forest. It had an American flag in front of the building with the kids running around it. I walked through the front door and the pale beige tiles with the baby blue walls welcomed me in. Cute cartoonish characters hanging on the walls. Slightly dipping down because of the loose tape. I walked past the secretary, Mrs.Lori, and gave her a nice smile and a wave. I walked down the long hallway. Backpacks and Children lining the walls on both sides. Waiting to be let into their classrooms. I took the second right turn and entered the large Library. Mrs.Taylor greeted me with a warm smile. I took my usual seat in the back corner and took out the book I found from the old school and flipped to the first page. I had never read "The Shining" but I've heard that it was a good book. I became enthralled in the book. Reading it. The words jumping off the pages and becoming a reality in my mind. I could hear it, smell it, taste it, and I felt as if I was in the Overlook Hotel with them. Seeing everything first hand for myself. My teacher Mrs.Harper tapped my shoulder and pulled me out of my world of dreams. She signed to me that she was sorry for being late. I told her it was fine and I hadn't even noticed because I was too busy reading. She sat down and we began to do our studies. Several hours went by and she then told me it was time for lunch. I walked out of the library and once again headed down the long hallway. I took a right and entered into the large cafeteria where hungry children filled in and started to make their way towards the lines for food. I eventually retrieved my food and found a table to sit at by myself. I continued to read my book while I ate the disappointing meal of half frozen pizza and gross and mushy potatoes. I ingested as much of it as I could manage to force myself to. Once lunch was dismissed the kids began to flood out the doors towards the playground while I made my way back to the library. As I sat in the library reading my book I looked up and out of the window. Out and across the road close to the edge of the forest I saw that same woman in white once again. She appeared to be staring back at me. Her gaze was unwavering. I wouldn't take my eyes off her. I couldnt. That's when Mrs.Taylor broke my line of sight and asked what I was looking at. When I went back to look at the woman and to show her. She was gone.