Pixel Peaks - Chapter Five
Flamingo: Bee, that man is calling again, asking for Nathalie.
Beatrice: I'm still not here.
Flamingo: Can't you just tell him where she is so he'll stop calling here.
Beatrice: I'm sorry, but I promised Nat I wouldn't..
Flamingo: I guess I'll try yelling at him again..
Beatrice sighed. She had known it was a bad idea.
Flamingo: Sorry sir, there's nobody here.
Flamingo: Now can you please stop calling? We haven't been able to use the phone all night because you're always on the line!
Derek hung up the phone before she had finished her sentence, then quickly picked it back up again and dialed another number.
Derek: My daughter's gone missing!
Saga: Derek, is that you?
Derek: Yes of course it's me! Nathalie hasn't come home yet. You need to send out the patrol cars to look for her!
Saga: Okay, calm down. How long has she been missing?
Derek: What?! I don't know! A couple of hours.
Saga: She's an adult Derek, I can't send out the patrol after her if she's only been missing a couple of hours. Maybe she's at a party or something, you know college kids.
Derek: Nathalie doesn't go to parties! We need to look for her! Something has happened I just know it!
Saga: Please Derek, calm down!
Derek: I will not calm down!
Derek: Just think what might have happened to her! I mean.. Shakeela..
Saga looked out the window, the full moon glared back at her. It was ridiculous, yes, but could she really afford to not believe it?
Saga: Okay, I'll go out and look for her.
Derek: I'm coming with you!
Saga: No, you don't have to..
But Derek had already hung up.
---------------------------------
She was starting to feel better, but everything was still blurry and her legs sometimes took steps she hadn't ordered. She passed the University way shops and crossed the street to go through the park.
She didn't see the dark figure lurking in the shadow.
Unsavory: Oh, this will almost be to easy.
Unsavory: Excuse me miss.
It took a while for Nathalie to comprehend where the voice was coming from.
Unsavory: I appear to be lost. Are you by any chance a student here?
Nathalie: Uhm. Yes.
Unsavory: Splendid! Maybe you could help a foreigner out, I'm looking for the Landgraab House.
Unsavory: Oh but you are very lightly dressed for a night like this, miss. You must be freezing!
Nathalie: I'm fine..
Nathalie: Please, I'm fine.
Unsavory: Now, now, I'm just trying to help you miss.
Nathalie: I don't need any help!
Nathalie: What are you doing?!
Unsavory: Oh don't worry love, I don't want you. I just want your wallet. Don't be so difficult.
Nathalie: Get off me!
The creature seemed to appear from nowhere. Nathalie hardly caught a glimpse of it before she got knocked out of balance.
She hit the ground and drifted out of consciousness.
The creature pinned the pickpocket to the ground a few metres away. It's teeth glowed above him in the moonlight.
It only took one single bite at the right place to kill the prey.
As the beast was busy grunting over it's meal, someone snuck up to Nathalie's unconscious body.
And as quietly as they could pulled her away from the scene.
-------------------------------
When the first rock hit the window Allegra hardly reacted. It was four o'clock in the morning and she was sure she was the only one on campus awake and sober enough to actually hit a window with a rock, but as the second and the third taps came she had to look.
Allegra: Ludvig?
Ludvig: Can you let us in?
Allegra: Us? What is that you've got there in the car?
Allegra: Have you drugged her?
Ludvig: No! Now can you let us in, it's not safe out here!
Allegra: Aw, afraid of the dark are we?
Ludvig: Damnit Allegra, I'm serious!
Allegra: Fine, but if you think I'm gonna let you two get frisky in my bed you better think again.
Allegra waited until Ludvig had carried the girl upstairs and put her on the bed before she spoke.
Allegra: You know I like nightly visits as much as the next person, but do you mind telling me why there's a dead girl on my bed?
Ludvig: She's not dead.
She would have been, he added in his head.
Allegra: Yeah, I understand that. But I'd still like to know what the fuck is going on here.
Ludvig: Just don't go out tonight, okay?
Allegra: It's four o'clock in the morning, I wasn't planning to.
Ludvig: Good. I gotta go.
Allegra: Wait, what? You're just gonna leave? What am I supposed to do with.. THIS?!
Ludvig: You know I wouldn't leave any living creature in your care if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Just take care of her.
Allegra: Take care of her how? Should I take her to the hospital?
Ludvig: No, she should be fine. Just let her sleep, and make sure she's breathing once in a while.
Allegra: What? Ludvig, wait!
He left and shut the door.
Allegra: Fuck.
---------------------------
It had taken them several hours to reach campus. They had stopped at every suspicious looking car and taken detours on the smaller roads in the forest. No sign of Nathalie.
Saga couldn't determine whether that was comforting, or even more worrying.
Saga: I'm sure she's fine.
She had repeated the same thing about a hundred times at this point, the words were starting to lose meaning.
She had known Derek for years before their failed attempt at dating, and had always known him as a talkative person. Tonight however, he hardly spoke a word if he wasn't telling her where to drive.
Derek: Take a left here, I think the twins' dorm is opposite the library.
Saga had bearly finished the turn when Derek started yelling.
Derek: Stop the car!
She put her whole weight on the breaks.
Before she had time to react Derek was out of the car.
Saga: Derek, what is it?!
Derek: There's something in the park!
She threw herself out after him.
A few metres ahead of her Derek stopped suddenly.
Derek: Oh my god.
She ran up beside him. Her first thought was that it was Nathalie, but quickly realized it was a male figure lying torn apart before them at the ground.
Saga: Shit..
Ludvig watched the couple search for a pulse and call for help. They would realize what he had known from the second he saw the claws of the beast sink into the man's chest - he was as dead as can be.
They were trying to help, but they wouldn't be able to do a single thing. Just like him.
Saga: The state police will be here soon, and they've sent out cars for Nathalie. You should go to the dorm, I'll stay and wait for them..
He broke her off by throwing his arms around her and pulled her so close she could feel his heart beating against her chest.
Saga: We'll find her, I promise. We'll find her, and she'll be okay when we do..
They stayed like that for several minutes.
Chapter six ->
A/N
- The death of Unsavory Charlatan is dedicated to xoxo_qui , hope you enjoyed it!
- I couldn't resist using Allegra. Every good story needs a goth.
--------------------------------------------
pixel_trade stars this chapter:
Saga by lostavenuea as sheriff Saga Avenua
Flamingo by sims_by_izza as Flamingo