Chapter 3 of my new story yet to be named
So, I guess I'll get crackin' on this third chapter. One note: Mistakes are not always correctable with LJ wanting to erase my sentences as I make corrections, and not all mistakes are caught before a statement has been completed. So, please bear with me, and I'll do my best to minimize their number. Because mistakes are gonna take over the world!!! We must not let them!! Oh, and in case anyone is wondering (which I doubt they are) Ryan and possibly a few other characters will not have any P.O.V at all in this story. If that changes, I will let you know. So far, my list has been compiled as such: 1) Ryan, 2) John, 3) Charlotte, 4) maybe David, 5) open season...
Now, onto the not-so-great third chapter. Wait for me to think of a witty title... Pfft.
Chapter 3: The World Taking Shape
Charles was waiting in his car while Justin hurried in to the little gas station store to pay for food and the fuel. It was only an hour since they had left Emma's parents' house, and they were now on their way to a place Ryan had previously designated as a good meeting point. The redhead's thoughts swirled around uneasily as he thought of exactly how they were going to carry out the next part of their plan. The first part may have been carried out successfully, despite Jeremy openly being taken in by the rebel, and Charles knew that this next thing would be even easier, but something kept tugging at the back of his skull. If Justin felt similarly, he hadn't said a word in the hour of almost silence they had been unconsciously maintaining on their drive to get all the way out here. Sighing, the twenty-three year old thumped his head against the headrest, as if that would encourage his traitor mind to give up its secrets.
Instead, all he got was Justin banging on the window for him to unlock the car. Annoyed, Charles quickly complied, a grimace and a glare on his handsome face. Justin popped in, rolling his eyes and tossing a few sodas and bags of chips in the back. He handed Charles the receipt.
"You paid how much for all this crap?" exclaimed Charles.
"Awl, come on Charlie, you know that in rural areas the prices start to go up astronomically on even the most mundane things. We really need to get you out more. Besides, you can't really complain," he continued blithely, "I need some sort of company if you're just going to sit there and look sulky and broody."
"What, a bag of chips and a soda are gonna keep you company?"
"No, two bags of chips and two sodas are gonna keep me company."
"What? You bastard! You can't just use my money to buy yourself food! Some of that's got to be mine."
"No. If you'd told me you wanted something, I would have bought it for you. And you owe me anyway, for being such bad company."
"The hell I do! I'm taking some chips and a soda. You can't just horde stuff you bought with my money."
"Yes, I can, when you brought this on yourself."
"Only in your screwed up mind!"
Justin snorted, not really offended by his friend's claim that he was insane. He and Charles had known each other since they were babies, as their mothers had been very close friends. They had completely inane arguments like this all the time, and none of them ever meant anything to either party involved. He leaned over and began to fiddle with the car's stereo, looking for the most annoying music he could possibly find.
Meanwhile, Charles, completely oblivious to the devious workings of his friend's mind, had re-submerged his thoughts into their earlier vein. He knew that Ryan was up to something more than he was letting on. There was something about his behavior that was starting to worry the energetic redhead. He pulled back out onto the country road, frowning in disgust at it's horrible condition. The last time he had been down this way, he couldn't remember the road being this bad. Huge tire tracks made deep ruts in the road that almost swallowed up his convertible. Justin bounced around erratically on the seat beside him as they went further along.
Eventually, Charles began to look around cautiously, noting how there were even more trees than he remembered down this way. Becoming more worried, he turned and nudged his best friend, halting the other's quest for bad music.
"Hey, Justin, does this look like the right area?"
The brown-haired young man gave his surroundings a cursory glance. "Yeah, sure."
"Aren't there more trees now than last time?" pressed Charles.
"Umm, no." Justin stared at his friend like he was the one crazy now. Seriously, moving trees? Magically reproducing ones? What was his friend on?
"You know, I'm starting to think that we're in the wrong place," began the redhead uneasily. "I'll find a place to turn around, and then we can go back to the gas station."
Justin nodded in agreement, finally feeling the same sense of foreboding as his companion. They continued on like this for another mile, with the feeling growing stronger the farther along they went. Finally, they saw a driveway a little ways ahead that they could use to make a U-turn.
"I wonder why there's a paved driveway all the way out here," mused the brunette aloud.
"I don't know, nor do I really care," Charles gritted out. "Let's just go."
However, the driveway proved to be too small for them to easily maneuver in, so Charles was forced to follow it a ways down. As they drove, a sick, chemical smell filled the car, and rolling down the windows only made it worse. The trees that lined either side of the paved road had a yellowish-green tinge to their leaves that seemed unnatural and toxic. Ahead of them, around a large bend, lay a huge parking lot. An enormous but squat building lay behind that, giving off yellowish brown smoke. The building was a gray color, with massive spikes projecting out the sides. Little black things were attached to the spikes, which, from a distance, were not discernable.
"Hey,"Justin whispered, "Let's check it out."
"Check it out? Are you kidding? We could be caught and then who knows what would happen to us. Obviously, they don't want visitors, if they're all the way out here, in the country."
"No, no. Park in the grass, behind the trees and near the bend, where it starts to get wider. We can hide the car, and go closer on foot."
Despite his protests, the redhead also felt a desire to go investigate, so he complied with little argument. Quickly, they both left the car and silently made their way through the trees, keeping their eyes on the building. The closer they came, the stronger the chemical stench became, making their stomachs turn and boil. The coating on the trees also became thicker, and they could see it giving off orange fumes. They placed their hands over their mouths to lessen inhalation of the fumes, and to keep their stomachs calm.
"My God, “hissed Justin when they reached the side of the building.
Tiny slit windows periodically interrupted the structure's face, with large, flat bars going horizontally and vertically across the small openings. Even though they obstructed much of the view, from the position of the men on the ground, looking up, they could see human forms hanging on chains. Some seemed almost too hairy or long limbed to be human, while the rest looked more natural. On a middle level, which they assumed to be the third or fourth level inside, they could hear horrible creaking and grinding noises and screams, many of which sounded unreal in their pain and agony.
On the ground level, blood stains spilled out of the windows, with fresh gore running over the old. Cages were seen hanging down, holding squished together occupants. At the back of the building, a yellow-green waterway flowed into the building, or out of it. At the very top level, the rank odor seemed to be visibly pouring out, down to the ground. It was a disgusting scene, and both watchers found themselves rapidly emptying their stomachs of any breakfast they may have had.
When he had stopped dry heaving, Charles looked again at that horrid place, and saw the same steel spikes as before. He could easily identify what the black specks were, and he found himself suddenly wishing that he couldn't.
However, he had to show Justin, so he nudged him and said, “Look."
There, impaled on the steel points, were the bodies of humans and several of those strange almost-humans. All were decomposing, gore and flesh melting off their skeletons- which seemed to be melting also- dropping to the ground in a sickly puddle of filth. It seemed that there had been many bodies impaled upon those points, and had only melded to it, much like these current ones were doing.
Horrified, both staggered back and away, rushing as quickly as possible to get back to the car and leave. Now their desperation to escape without being caught or noticed had increased tenfold, and they hurriedly left. Quiet was still important, but not nearly as much as racing away from that place.
It wasn't until they had reached the gas station again, and turned down the correct road, before Charles slowed and both breathed a little more calmly.
I disgust even myself sometimes. I have more nastiness in store, y'all.