|Won't you come out, we could paint the town red
|Song: Where the lonely ones roam, Digital Daggers
|||
Lisa's P.O.V.
I searched every corner of my head. Turned my whole brain upside down. Trying to make sense of it all. Trying to recall what the voices said, but all I heard now were mumblings.
Who were they? And what had the chat been about? Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by an odd thumping sound. My head shot up and I stared Thomas in his eyes. 'Do you hear that?' I asked, scared I was going crazy again. Thomas squinted and listened. Brenda had stilled, head cocked to the side as she listened intently. 'Yeah, sounds like someone bangin' on a drum.' I stood up and Thomas helped Brenda stand. I looked around, it seemed to come from everywhere.
'What do you think it is?' Thomas whispered. 'Chances are it's not good,' I answered.
'But what if it's our friends?'
I shook my head, even Minho wouldn't be so stupid to beat on a drum and attract attention from across the whole city.
Suddenly Thomas ran into the corner of the alley. Brenda and I shared a glare before following him. 'What're you doing?' I asked once I reached him. Then I looked at the very end of the alley. There where four stairs leading down to a scratched wooden door. Just above the door there was a tiny rectangle of a window, its glass missing. I could hear music playing, much louder now. It was intense and fast, drums banging and guitars screaming. Somehow I wanted to dance. But then I heard the people, screaming, laughing and singing along. A shiver went down my spine. There was something creepy and disturbing about it. And then I remembered in what kind of city we were.
'Let's go,' I said, suddenly nervous and ready to leave. Run. My whole body was tense and wanted to run like hell. My head was aching and the music made it only worse.
'Yeah, come on,' Brenda said and we turned around.
I gasped and froze in my steps.
Three people had appeared in the alley while we were distracted. Two men and one woman, now standing only a few feet away. Their clothes were tattered, their hair messy and faces dirty. But their eyes were still bright and filled with glints of intelligence.
Cranks, but not full gone.
'Hi there,' the woman said, sending shivers down my spine. She had red long hair pulled into a ponytail. 'Come to join our party? Lots of dancing, lots of lovin'. Lots of booze.'
She was seriously freakiny me out with her calm yet threatning way of talking.
'Um no thanks,' Thomas said. 'We, uh, were just-' Brenda cut in. 'Just trying to find our friends. We're new here, just getting settled.'
My hand had wondered down to my belt. There was no way I was going to be unprepared again.
'Welcome to Wicked's very own Crankland,' this was one of the men speaking, tall and ugly with greasy hair. 'Don't worry, most of 'em down there.' He nodded to the door. 'Are half gone at the worst. You might get an elbow in the face, maybe kicked in the 'nads. But no one is gonna try to eat you.'
'Nads?' I repeated. 'Excuse me?'
The man pointed at Thomas. 'I was talking to the boy. Things might get a little worse for you if you don't stick close to us. You two being female and all.'
I raised my eyebrows. Yes I was female, but I could very well take care of myself. This whole conversation was wrong. And I was starting to get desperate. I wanted to leave, find my friends. This whole place was wrong. 'Sounds like fun. But we gotta go. Find our friends. Maybe we'll come back,' I said, my hand was now resting on the gun in my belt.
The other man stepped forward. He was short and had blond hair in a crew cut. I felt sick for admitting it but he was kinda handsome. 'You three are nothin' but kids. Time you got some lessons on life. Time you had some fun. We're officially inviting you to the party.' It was no invitation, it was a threat. Every word he said pronounced carefully, with no kindness whatsoever.
'Thanks but no thanks,' Brenda said.
Then totally unexpected he pulled a gun from a pocket of his jacket. It was more of a pistol, silver bur grimy and dull. There was no way I could get my gun now. By the time I had even pointed it at him he could already shoot one of us.
'I don't think you understood me,' he said. 'You're invited to our party. That's not something you turn down.'
The woman and other man both pulled out a knife. 'What do you say.' The blondie asked. My mind was racing, I could take him but what would happen to Thomas and Brenda if I did? The chance was fifty fifty that they would get hurt. But then again...I was not planning on walking into another trap.
'Okay,' Thomas said at the same time I said. 'No.'
We glared at each other. 'He has a gun, and they have knives. I'm not in the mood to have an eyeball smashed into my skull,' Thomas mumbled at me.
'Looks like your boyfriend's not stupid,' Blondie said.
'He's not my boyfriend,' I snapped.
Blondie raised his eyebrows and licked his lips. 'Even better, now would you care to lead the way.' And he pointed with his gun to the stairs. I shared a glare with Brenda who clearly wasn't happy with Thomas as well. But she also knew we had no other choice. 'Fine.'
Thomas took Brenda's hand and wanted to take mine as well but I refused and walked straight down the stairs towards the door. One of the Cranks behind us grinned, it was disgusting. I wasn't planning on staying long. All I would do was walk through that door and as soon as Blondie followed I would shoot him and take a run. Because I did not like to be played with, but when I reached the door, there was no handle. 'Gotta do a special knock,' Blondie said, standing awfully close to me. His breath on my neck and his hand touching my side.
I tried to stop myself from shivering, I just had to play along a bit longer.
'Three slow fist thumps, three fast ones, then two knuckle taps.' I hated these people, maybe even more than the full-gone Cranks. I hated the way they spoke so calmly and said all these nice words full of mockery.
'Do it,' Brenda whispered.
I took a deep breath and knocked in the exact pattern the Crank just described. The door opened immediately, the pounding music escaping like a blasting wind. The guy who greeted us was huge, ears and face pierced and tattoos all over. His hair was long and white. But I had barely time to take this all in because he looked right passed me, straight into Thomas's eyes and said: 'Hey, Thomas. We've been waiting for you.'