Chapter 2

Julia Proceeded with her escape plan. The descent from her window was not an easy feat. Her room is on the second floor, and the drop from it about fifteen feet high. It's a good thing that Julia's been studying parkour for over two years. While she was hanging from her window, she calculated the drop from there to the soft grassy ground of their lawn. She let herself fall, adjusted her legs to align with her body as it fell, and once her feet touched the ground, she rolled forward to negate the damage the fall would have normally done.

Once outside, Julia grabbed her bike, and headed straight to school. It's

now sixteen pass midnight, and Julia just arrived at the gates of her

destination, the Armitage memorial school. She knew that since the

sheriff's department was only staffed with four deputies, none of them

would be directly monitoring the school. It would be up to the security

guards to make sure no student is left within school grounds, and that

no one enters after hours. The guards are the only thing that Julia has to

be worried about tonight.

As she looked for a vantage point to enter, Julia managed to find

herself at the back entrance of the school. The School employed two

guards, Mr. Randy Heggins and Mr. Ben Trackmore. Randy is stationed

at the front entrance, while Ben is stationed at the back entrance. To

her surprise and irritation, Ben is sleeping on the job. Not only that, the

back gates are wide open. she figured that this is how the perp managed

to take the girls so easily.

???: "That lazy, fat bastard's really snoring up a storm, huh."

Someone whispered these words right behind Julia.

Julia was so startled, she almost screamed, but she maintained her

composure and remembered her training. Julia rolled to her left side,

reached out to her right hip to grab her mace, and pointed said mace

at the person behind her. Before she sprayed the guy that snuck up on

her, however, he raised his hands in surrender.

Shin: "Hey, hey, hey. Cool it, Nancy Drew, It's just me."

Shin said to prevent Julia from spraying him with mace.

Julia: "What the hell are you doing here? Do you just love sneaking up

on people or something?"

Julia asked Shin in a yelling whisper voice.

Shin: "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you. I just happened to be doing

my knightly run, and I saw you riding your way here. I followed you

and saw that you're trying to enter the school."

Shin explained to Julia.

Shin: "Well, since the guard's pretty much out of commission, we can

sneak in the school, easy."

Julia: "What do you mean "We"? I'm going in there alone."

Shin: "I'll shout."

Shin said with a mischievous smile on his face.

With no other choice, Julia let Shin Tag along with her in breaking in to

the school. They easily got passed the guard, who was happily sleeping

on his foldable chair without a care in the world.

Once in, they made their way to the theatre room. Since the hallways

are so dark without the lights, Julia brought her small camcorder, and

ingeniously used it's night vision to avoid using her flash light and

avoid being detected by the other guard and the custodian.

Once they reached the theatre room, they saw the police tapes that

blocked the hall ways towards it, and in the center of the taped up crime

scene, was what appeared to be a dried up pool of blood.

Julia quietly crossed the police tapes and started her investigation. She

opened her backpack up and took out her forensics kit. She wore her latex

gloves and turned her small black light on.

Shin: "You have a forensics kit? I thought we were just going to snoop

around, not reenact a scene from N.C.I.S."

Shin jokingly said to Julia.

Julia didn't reply to Shin's comments, and shone her black light around.

The dried up puddle was confirmed to be blood when it shined a bio

luminescent glow once hit by the black light's beam.

Julia: "Look, there's some small trickle of blood over there."

Julia said, shining her black light on what appears to be a blood trail.

The pair starts to follow the blood trail, and they both noticed that this

blood trail seems a little peculiar.

Shin: "Is it just me, or those this blood trail looks like someone wiped it

off in a hurry? Like someone did it while he or she was running?"

Julia: "It's not just you. If it was the Custodian, Mrs Walters that did this,

she would have used her cleaning materials to completely wipe the blood

clean off. Whoever did this might have just used a dry rag to wipe the

blood stain off."

They continued to follow the trail to the school stairs. These stairs led them

down the school's basement level. Julia is still opting to use her camcorder's

night vision function, but decided to give Shine a flashlight for added

visibility, since she thinks no one will see them in the basement anymore.

To their surprise, the pair was led to another flight of stairs.

Shin: "Are you kidding me? How many basement levels does this school

have?"

Shin questioned through gritted teeth, seemingly exasperated on the

possibility of them climbing down more stairs.

Julia: "I think the boiler room is down there. This should be the last one."

Julia said, also hoping that this would be the last flight of stairs they descend

to in this dark part of their school.

The air in the boiler room is every stale and moldy, as what most people might think an

unkempt underground places would supposed to smell like. Yet there's also a sick and

sweetly smelling odor that lingers along with the boiler room's staleness.

The unlikely duo finally reached the end of the trail. It led them to a

room with a large locker that seems to be covering something up.

Shin: "The blood trail just goes right under this big ass locker. The hell

is going on?"

Shin asked, befuddled from the direction the trail leads to.

Julia: "I think that locker is covering an entrance to another room. You

think we can move it?"

Shin: "I don't know. Other than running, I don't really work out much.

What direction should we even push it to?"

After hearing Shin's question, Julia looked down and saw scratch marks

on the ground to the left of the locker. This means that someone has

been pushing at the right side of the locker to get to whatever is behind

it.

Julia: "Shin, go to the right side of the locker. We'll push it to the left.

we should be strong enough if we do it together."

Julia said to get her new friend to help her.

With all their might, Julia and Shin pushed the locker. Julia can feel her

bones creaking from the amount of force she is using to move the

large locker. And with both their strength, they start to feel the heavy

locker inching to the left. Finally, with enough effort, they moved the

locker completely to where they can see what was hiding it.

Behind the large locker is an almost equally large hole in the wall. The

hole looks like it was hit by a wrecking ball, as if someone was trying

to demolish the wall but gave up abruptly. Around the hole are what

appears to be ancient looking runes of some kind.

Before they even question what the runes might mean or entered the

cavernous looking hole, Julia and Shin were hit with a gut wrenchingly

foul odor. As though a colony of rats died in said hole and were felt in

there to rot.

Shin: "Oh god, That smell."

Shin said, overtly disgusted with the putrid scent coming from the

gaping hole.

Julia reached in her bag once again, and retrieve two surgical mask to

help with blocking the smell and possible bacteria in the air. Even though neither

of them know what might be inside, Julia was determined to venture in.

Julia: "Are you ready to do this?"

Julia asked Shin in a tone that suggested her resolve may be wavering.

Shin: "Not really. But let's do it anyway"

Shin answered Julia, in an uncertain tone of his own.

With that the two brave souls entered the hole to find out what mysteries

It may be hiding.

As the pair enter the dark void that is the inside of the hole in the wall,

Shin used the flashlight Julia gave him to light up the putrid place.

As they tread carefully with their first few steps inside the hole, Julia and Shin sees

something that would make most men weak in the knees and vomiting their guts out.

The beam of the flash light caught sight of chains dangling from the

ceiling, the metallic ropes holding up gory surprises. Julia and Shin

are speechless as they gaze upon six human corpses strung up by the

chains, their wrist bound by ropes which had a meat hook between them.

All six bodies had the inside of their chest cavities exposed, as if torn into by a

wild beast with sharp claws. Each corpses have the same expression

on its face. Wide eyed and open mouth, indicating that they were alive

as who or whatever did that to them dug around in their torso.

After realizing that she was looking at the empty eyes of the corpses

they stumbled upon, Julia couldn't help but vomit from the horrific

sight, almost spewing her stomach content on her mask. The turkey

sandwich she had for breakfast still had some remnants even after

hours of it's consumption. Shin ran his hands up and down Julia's back,

trying to help with her discomfort.

Shin: "You okay?... Scratch that, you're not okay. take your time and

just breathe."

Shin said to Julia in a comforting manner.

Julia: "Why are YOU okay? This is the most disgusting thing I've ever

seen, and you look like you just saw the most mundane thing ever."

Julia questioned Shin's calmness in such a situation.

Shin: "Probably because I'm Japanese."

Shin answered, as if thinking that was a good explanation.

Before she could question him further, Julia and Shin hears something

stirring from beyond the corpses.

Shin: "We should go. that might be the killer."

Shin said in a whisper, trying to drag Julia out of the killing room.

Julia: "No way that was the killer. This room was shut tight by that locker,

remember. It's probably the girls. They might still be alive.

Julia replied as she whipped her mouth clean and put her mask back on.

She's certain those sound could be the two missing girls since none of the

dangling bodies were females.

Before they can check that made the sound they heard though, the

two first needs to get past the dangling corpses. The two tried to gingerly

maneuver their way through the corpses, careful not to bump into any

of them as they traverse to the back of this killing room.

Julia and Shin managed to avoid most of the hanging dead bodies as

the rotting corpses slowly spin in place. However, as Julia was about to

pass the last corpse, she froze in place with what she witnessed.

One big rat was setting inside the last corpse's open torso, eating away

at the innards that are left within the decomposing body. Julia couldn't

even let out a whimper as the rodent looked up at her. Perhaps it was

either threatened or startled by Julia, but the rat suddenly jumped out of

the dead person's gaping chest hole, heading towards Julia.

The petrified young lady was about to be attacked by the large rat,

when an arm swatted the creature away. Shin managed to hit the rat

and sent it flying away from Julia. The pest scampered away, running

through the big hole the two came from.

Shin: "Augh, gross! You got any hand sanitizers there, Julia?"

Shin asked Julia, whipping the hand he used to hit the rat on his pants.

All of a sudden, Julia hugged Shin tightly, and with a shaky voice,

thanked the young man for saving her from the rodent.

Julia: "Thank you."

Shin: "D-don't mention it. To be honest it's more of my reflex just

kicking in on it's own."

The tender moment was broken by another sound coming from the

direction they heard it from the last time. As Shin shines his light at the

direction, they were shocked to find that Julia's hunch was right.

Tied up on the corner, but not dangling from chains like the corpses,

were the two missing students, Linda and Magie. Linda was completely

unconscious, while Magie was barely awake. Her left arm missing from the

biceps down.

Shin: "Oh God, you were right. Come on, let's untie them"

Shin said as he and Julia head over to free the girls from their bondage.

As Julia and Shin were trying to untie the knots on the ropes the two

captive girls were in, Magie started to become more aware of her

surroundings. She noticed that someone was tugging on her binds, and

she immediately went into hysterical screams because of this.

Magie: "PLEASE, NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE. NOT LIKE THAT, PLEASE."

Magie screamed and pleaded to what she thought was her captor.

Shin: "Magie, it's me, Shin. Remember? The handsome Asian kid. Me and

the new girl, Julia are here to save you and Linda."

Shin said to calm Magie down.

Julia: "You had to add the handsome part?"

Julia said judgingly.

Shin: "It's an inside joke we have in the club. Besides, it's not like I was

lying about that part."

Shin answered.

Magie: "S-so, it's not around here? You didn't see it?"

Magie questioned her two saviors.

Julia: "If you're referring to the guy that did this to both of you, then no.

Is he armed with a machete? Why did he cut your arm off?"

Julia answered and then asked some questions of her own.

Magie: "No, you don't understand. It's not a person, it's a monster! That

thing didn't chop my arm off, it slashed it off with its claws."

Magie answered, starting to become hysterical once more.

Shin: "Okay, okay, we get it. Now let's just get these ropes undone so

we can G.T.F.O. off of this stinking place asap."

Shin chimed in to once again calm Magie down.

The two managed to undo the knots on both Linda and Magie's ropes.

Shin tried to wake Linda up so she can walk out of there with them, but

the girl remained unresponsive.

Julia: "Why isn't she waking up?"

Julia asked?"

Magie: "I think she hit her head hard on the walls of the hallway while that

monster was trying to take us."

Magie responded, once again referring to their attacker as a monster.

Shin: "She might have a concussion. I'll carry her while you help Magie

up. Time's time to leave this God forsaken place."

Shin said as he carried Linda in his arms.

Julia then slung Magie's right arm on her shoulders to help her walk out

of the killing room. Magie is very fatigued from both blood lost and

hunger, as she and Linda has been deprived of food for over 24 hours

now.

Julia: "So, did you recognize the guy that did this to you?"

Julia asked Magie, propping the injured girl up with her left hand and still

recording everything with the camcorder she has on her right hand.

Magie: "I told you, it's not a man, it's a monster. You have no Idea what

that thing made me watch. The thing cut into the last guy that was in

that room with us using its claws. It ate his heart right in front of me.

Then the thing said "You're almost ripe enough to eat" like it was going

to do to me what it did to that guy."

Julia: "Alright, I understand. let's just hurry up and get you both to the

hospital, then."

Julia said, still thinking to herself that Magie was just seeing things at the

time because of the trauma of the moment.

As they all step out of the hole in the wall, however, they group was

greeted by a figure blocking the exit of the boiler room.

Ben: "Oh my. What do we have here?"

Ben the pudgy balding guard that Julia and Shin saw sleeping on the job

said to the group, a slight smile curls at the side of his lips.

Shin: "Oh, thank God you're here. Quick, can you help me carry this girl?"

Shin said the guard opposite them.

Ben: "Sure, I'll help you carry those pieces of meat back in the room you

took them from. After all, it's not nice to steal good old Ben's meals."

Ben the guard replied, now sporting a maniacal grin on his face.

Magie: "NO! GET AWAY FROM US. YOU MONSTER."

Magie shouted hysterically at the guard named Ben.

Julia: "Shin, I think it clear that the guard is our kidnapper."

Julia said, as she put her camcorder in her pocket and took out the

mace can she was keeping for self defense.

Julia: "Don't come any closer, you bastard, or I'll empty this whole can

of mace into your face."

Julia threatened the guard while pointing her weapon at him.

Ben: "Oh no. Whatever shall I do?"

Ben mockingly replied to Julia while he continued to walk closer to the

cornered group of teenagers.

As promised though, Julia sprayed the murderous guard with her mace.

Ben held his face from seemingly the pain of the chemicals reaching his

eyes.

Ben:" Augh!....... He he. Ha ha ha ha... HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Ben laughed, as though the deterrent didn't even stung him in the

slightest.

Ben: "Heh. What the hell was that, girl? I've used stronger stuff than

that as mouth wash. Did you really think that would work on me?"

Ben said as he continued to advance.

Julia was shocked to see that her chemical deterrent had no effect on the

guard. However, Shin stepped in between her and Ben the guard after

he has gently lay Linda down on the ground.

Shin: "You two stay behind me. I'll see if I can take him."

Shin said as he took a southpaw fighting stance, like that of karate and

some MMA fighters.

Shin then closed in on Ben by lunging at him while still in his fighting

stance, and delivered a quick one two punch combo that knocked the

head of the six foot one inch tall guard back. Shin then followed with a

leg kick to Ben's left outer knee that made the plump guard stumble to

his left. Blow after blow, it appears as though Shin was pushing the bigger

guard that is Ben backwards.

Julia: "Yeah, Shin. Go kick his ass."

Julia exclaimed excitedly.

Magie: "No. That's not gonna work. We need to run now."

Magie said, tears flowing down from her yes, as to let Julia know that

Shin can't win against the monster that he's fighting.

As if on cue, Ben caught Shin's left punch with his right hand, and then

punched Shin with his left fist. Shin blocked the punch, but it still

sent Shin tumbling backward.

As surprising as it is that Shin was knocked back a few feet from Ben's

single punch. What's even more surprising was what Ben's face looked like

after taking Shin's assault. Ben's face is now distorted beyond recognition.

However there was no blood to be found on his injuries. As though

Ben's face is made out of soft clay.

Ben: "God, look at what you did to my meat suit. Now I'll have to find

another one that would fit me."

After Ben said that, he grabbed both ends of his face with both hands

and started to tear it apart like a piece of paper. The sound of wet

flesh tearing away echoed within the boiler room as meat and sinew are

falling wetly on the floor.

Once Ben was done making mince meat of his flesh, he revealed his

true horrific visage to the young people before him.

The inhuman creature had long limbs that appears to be over five feet

in length on the arms and six feet in length on the legs. It's hands have

five bony fingers, each with large razor sharp claws at the end of them. The creature's

torso seems to be emaciated, with it's dark green skin hugging the muscles and

bones in the torso tightly. Finally, it's head is the stuff of nightmares, as

its eyes are pure white with no pupils, only small holes on both sides of

its head where the ears should be. And its mouth, instead of being located

in the jaw area of the head, is now located perpendicularly on the top of

its skull. A giant maw with jagged and sharp teeth can be seen on the

top of the monster's head, replacing what would normally be hair.

As the horrifying creature towered over them, it needed to hunch down

to not scrape the eleven foot high ceiling, Julia realized that what Magie's

been saying was not a figment of her shock induced mind, but the actual,

yet unbelievable reality. Monsters are indeed real. And she and her friends

will die by the hands of one.