Nightmare in Mineral Town
Chapter 11: Dancing Shadows
Jack stood there over the bloody mess which was once Harris. The smell of it filled his nostrils. It was exciting and fun. Time to go continue the hunt and execute those who deserved it. He smiled as he crept around the building. Those that had accused Zack will die. Securing his safety would be simple. Death to all of them...
Mary placed her hand on Grey’s side. He was sleeping fine, but she still wasn’t. She curled up as close as she could to him, trying to get warm. Grey laid there on his side with his back to her. Even with him, she still felt lonely. They loved each other, but he did not respond to her touch. He just laid there still. Her hand slowly moved up and down as he breathed. Mary hummed the little tune that Carter had sang to her in hopes of falling asleep...
Manna too was having trouble sleeping. Every time she fell asleep, dark dreams would enter her mind and she would wake up in a cold sweet. Nightmares of someone coming to kill her. Duke would probably laugh at her foolishness. She tried to laugh it off too, but her own laughter scared her. This wasn’t like her, she needed to get away...
Carter was getting sick of sitting around doing nothing. He was about ready to take over guard duty from Harris whether he wanted him to or not. But before that, there was something very important he had to do. Carter got up out of his chair and hurried off. He had to go to the restroom...
Mary stared at the ceiling. Her parents were sleeping so deeply upstairs. She sighed. It seemed like she was the only one having trouble sleeping. She half sat up and looked around at all the townsfolk wrapped up in their blankets. Everyone looked so peaceful.
She let out a gasp. Mary could have sworn she just saw a shadow move across the wall. Could it be the murderer got into the inn? Her eyes flitted around the room and saw who it was. A dark figure was creeping around, tiptoeing quietly, stepping over one body after another. The person stubbed their foot and stifled a yelp. Mary quickly hid herself under her blankets and buried her face next to Grey, trying hard not to shake. She prayed that the man stayed far away from her. Mary cried silently into Grey’s back. She didn’t want to die...
Carter exited the restroom with a sigh of contentment. That was much better. Tonight wasn’t going so badly. It looked like they had nothing to fear from Jack anymore. Carter bit his tongue and cursed himself. He wasn’t supposed to think about that. What if he let something like that slip while talking? He couldn’t let that happen. All Carter had to do was keep his head about him, and Jack would see the err of his ways.
It had begun to rain. Well, now Carter surely didn’t want to take the guard up. Time to play a little game of hooky. He’d just stay upstairs. The rain began to quicken in short order. It had become a regular thunderstorm. Carter never like heavy rains like this, they always seemed ominous.
Thunder boomed, and lightning ripped apart the sky. Carter held back a scream. During the last flash of lightning, he could have sworn he saw a shadow move across the window. “That’s nonsense. I’m sure it was just an owl or something seeking shelter from the rain under the roof.” Somehow though, saying it didn’t seem to reassure him at all. Really, like the murderer would really scale the side of the building.
But what if he did? What if the murderer was going to sneak into the inn through a second story window? It may be the coward’s way out, but there was only one option. He had to find somewhere to hide, but the question was where to hide. He peeked in each of the inn’s rooms to make sure everyone was sound asleep. Then he scurried back into the restroom and locked the door.
Chapter 12: Not a Drop to Drink
Manna cursed herself silently as she sat nursing her foot. She had really walloped it hard. It would be a wonder if it didn’t swell up. After a few minutes, Manna stood back up carefully and began to make her way through the maze of sleeping bodies once again. She tiptoed carefully; her foot was still a little sore. Imagine, all this hassle just to get a glass of water...
Mary had stopped shaking, but when she heard the footsteps resume, she quickly buried herself back into the warm safety of Grey. But, why then did she feel so cold and vulnerable? The near noiseless padding of the footsteps came closer and closer. Mary held on to Grey tightly. He continued to sleep like a log.
To Mary, Grey seemed to possess even less life than her old teddy bear she used to have. Had she been younger, she would have taken comfort in his presence just like with her old teddy. But this was nothing. He might as well not even be there. If his body wasn’t moving slightly as he breathed, Mary would have reckoned him dead. She tried to quell that thought quickly, but it was no use. A quiver ran down her spine and she slowly pulled away from him. He was alive of course, but still... Mary curled herself up into a ball over to the side... It just didn’t feel right.
Mary would face her death alone, but she would stand up and face it head on. For once in her life she would stand up and fight for what she wanted. If she was going to die, she was going to die fighting. It would be so romantic, just like in the books. Standing up face to face with death and giving it her all. She would be remembered for her valor. The footsteps were almost upon her. She was ready. As soon as he reached down to get her, she would jump and fight her best.
The steps stopped right next to her ear and Mary froze. Fear gripped her. She couldn’t move a single muscle in her body. She stared hopelessly at the ground. Some hero she was. Then the footsteps resumed on the other side of her. The murderer just walked right by her. She was safe. Mary wasn’t going to die today. She could have taken him. Mary knew it. The guy was a coward and knew he couldn’t fight off a raging Mary. Yeah, that was it...
Carter sat there in the bathroom and looked in the mirror. This was shameful. He was so much better than this. Here he was, the priest of Mineral Town. It was his duty to help the citizens of the town. He may not be Harris, but he sure was Carter, and that was very good. Harris! Carter had forgotten all about him. He had promised to trade shifts with him.
He crept over to the door and peeked out. “Good,” Carter said to himself, “Nobody there.” He was more confident in himself now. Imaging, getting spooked by shadows. Now how childish could he get?
Manna was in the kitchen finally. There were a lot of people in the Inn tonight. This was absurd. Maybe she would just sleep in the kitchen tonight. She walked over to the sink and fumbled around for a glass. She yawned deeply as the she turned the faucet. As the water filled her glass, she thought she heard a door give a slight creak as it opened and was quickly shut. She took a sip of water and turned around...
Carter began walking back down the stairs. Getting scared by lightning and shadows, that’s just plain ridiculous. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Something wasn’t right. Something was very wrong. A cold breeze ran across his cheek. Over there, was a quickly growing puddle of water. Why? A window was open. The murderer snuck in through a window while Carter was upstairs! He went over and shut the window against the roaring storm outside. Footprints, wet footprints. They led somewhere. Where did they go? Carter quickly followed them. Into the back room! The murderer was in the back room where everyone was sleeping. And Mary! Mary was back there! If Jack was the murderer like Carter thought, he’d certainly go after Mary!
Jack quickly brought his hammer up into Manna’s face as she turned around. Blow after blow he rained down quickly. He finished her off just like he had done with Harris. He really was getting quite good at this. As Jack stood over Manna’s broken body he laughed silently to himself. Try and make up a rumor about this one and spread it around why don’t you?
Chapter 13: Blood is Thicker than Water
Jack stood there of Manna’s mutilated corpse. That was very good. Now it was time for his next victim. Behind Jack heard the sound of a door opening. He quickly wrapped his black cloak back around him tight and hid into the shadows. Caution was wise and patience is a virtue. His next victim had arrived…
Carter entered into the kitchen. It was eerily quiet. Something should be going on, he just knew it. The murderer was back in here somewhere. Though for all Carter knew, the murderer may have already gone through and killed everyone in their sleep and left. Carter hated to even think that way. How could he justify hoping that he might be safe at the cost of everyone else’s life?
Carter slowly walked forth across to the counter. There knife that he could use for protection lying there. He almost slipped in a puddle of water. Carter looked down and says that it wasn’t water. It was little river of blood. He looked up and gasped in horror at what he saw. The trail led back to a horribly grotesque form that was once the sweet, kind hearted Manna. He stumbled backwards in shock…
Now was his chance, Jack thought. He quickly moved out of his hiding place and rammed his elbow into Carter’s back and brought his hammer around to crush Carter’s skull. Jack paused though as he saw what unfolded. Carter, trying to regain his balance from the blow dealt to him, completely lost his footing, slipped on the blood and fell down. There was an earsplitting crack as the back of his head hit the sharp corner of the counter.
Jack knelt down in the blood beside Carter’s limp body. He rapped his hammer lightly on his head. Well, that was easier than was expected. He put his hand behind Carter’s head and gently propped up his body in a manner almost like he sleeping. Jack leaned down and whispered into Carter’s ear, “Sleep tight dark priest of the night. Vengeance has been served” He wiped the blood from his hands off onto Carter’s robes, but it did little good... His robes were already saturated with blood.
Jack stood and walked away from the scene. Tonight’s revenge was complete, and it was delicious. His robes twirled around him as he left the building. Tomorrow would be another delightfully fun day.
Chapter 14: Call upon the Doctor
Zack walked through the woods at the outskirts of town. It was early in the morning and it was already the worst day of his life. He had gotten up early to go and see how the villagers had spent the night at the hotel. It was to his horror that he saw the massacred body of Harris lying right by the front door. There was nothing he could do. Nobody would believe he was innocent anymore...
Mary woke up and stretched. It was a miracle that she finally fallen asleep after all that happened last night. She looked around and saw that a crowd was gathering over in the kitchen. Mary tried to wake Grey up to go see with her, but he still slept soundly no matter what she did. Aggravated, Mary growled and ripped the blankets away from Grey. He rolled across the floor and responded with an very loud stubborn snore.
Mary huffed and stormed away to go see what was happening in the kitchen. Something was very wrong. The doctor rushed in through the door followed by the mayor, then Jack. The crowd pulled apart to let them through. Mary caught a glimpse through the crack and immediately wished she hadn’t. She sat down and cried. Dear Carter and Manna killed? It wasn’t right...
The doctor examined the two bodies carefully. Never in all his years had he seen anything like these murders, nothing had ever prepared him for anything remotely like this. Even now, he was still fighting back the urge to run away. It was beyond horrible to have to touch them. It sent chills up and down his spine. Even his well practiced professional detachment from his patients did little to help him now. He placed two fingers to Manna’s neck and felt for a pulse. Somehow, he felt everyone in the room already knew what he was going to say, “She is dead.”
With a sigh, the doctor moved over to Carter. It hurt so bad to do this. To get everyone’s hopes somewhat rekindled then shoot them down. He brought his face back to it’s normal state of coldness. He had to remain professional. He checked for Carter’s pulse and like before, “He’s...” the doctor felt something. There it was again, it was really faint. “He’s not dead! But he’s just barely alive! Quick somebody, um, rip up a shirt, I need something to help bind his injured head!” He was in a virtual panic...
A terrified look crossed Jack’s face for a split second, but he quickly composed himself. It didn’t seem like anybody had noticed. He quickly took off his shirt and ripped it into several strips to hand to the doctor. “Please, you have to save Carter! He was my best friend.” A tear rolled down Jack’s face...
Mary crawled through the crowd upon hearing this to see Carter closer. She couldn’t stand the thought of Carter being dead. She wanted him to live so badly. Finally getting a clear view of the scene, she nearly gasped. The mayor was trying his best to keep everyone back from getting in the doctor’s way. The doctor was carefully wrapping Carter’s head in Jack’s shredded clothes. Jack was... wow he had some good muscles under that shirt... weeping over Carter...
Mary snuck past the mayor and put a hand on Jack’s shoulder, “It will be okay Jack. I’m sure Carter will be fine.”
Jack stared at Mary blankly, “Yeah, I guess he will... Hey mayor, I want to know... Since Harris is no longer with us,” Most everyone gasped. Apparently nobody had told everybody in the building yet about Harris. “Sorry about that, Harris was murdered too. Anyway, I would like to take command of this case. I want to bring Zack to justice for hurting Carter. I want the one who hurt Carter damned forever.”
The mayor took a step back, “Harsh words there Jack, but true I suppose. There is nothing left to do but admit the truth. Zack was the murderer and he tried to kill all those who accused him. It appears that nothing will stop him. I won’t give you exclusive rights though Jack, almost everyone has been hurt here tonight in someway. Therefore I give license to everyone in town to kill Zack if there is no other way. One more death of a criminal, no matter how horrible it is to say it, is better than the death of many more innocents.”
| Chapter 15: He is the One Jack smiled to himself as he sat in his home, sharpening his scythe. Wasn’t he a wily one? Now all he’d have to do is make sure that Zack was never found and he could kill to his heart’s content. Just make sure that Zack was never seen or heard from again. It would be that easy… Mary sat by Carter’s bed in the hospital. The doctor had told her that he seemed stable, but that there was no way of telling what sort of problems might have come from his head injury. He may have and probably did suffer permanent brain damage. By now, not even that thought could bring another tear to Mary’s eyes. She simply had already cried all the tears that she was able to cry. Jack had stayed by Mary’s side for a while, as had Popuri and Jeff, but by now they all had left to go back on with their lives. The only other person still with her was Cliff. But he just sat there, unmoving, staring at Carter. It was so sad. Stu and May had wanted to see Carter too, but they weren’t allowed to. Now, the only thing that broke up the day was when Elle came in from time to time to check up on Carter’s condition. Mary was infuriated with Grey. They had a huge fight when he refused to come sit with her by Carter. He had said that she was an overly sensitive fool for wanting to sit with that vegetable Carter, and that she shouldn’t want to sit with other guys anyway since she had him. Grey was just chauvinistic jerk. He actually thought that she was his possession. For the first time in her life, Mary acted without forethought. She broke up their engagement right there on the spot. She called off the wedding. And she was glad that she did. Mary wished Jack were still here. She wanted to apologize to him. It was wrong of her to have ever thought that he could have killed Won. It was eating her up inside and she just had to let it out. She just had to tell Jack, and was determined to do so the next time they met. He was so brave going to stand up to Zack like that. He gave that noble speech while he stood there. To Mary, he looked like the hero out of a novel. She couldn’t actually be falling for Jack? Could she? He did look particularly handsome standing there bare-chested… Mary shook her head. She really shouldn’t think like that about him. Mary let her thoughts drift away again as she sat by Carter, waiting for him to wake up... Jack walked down the road with scythe in hand. Passersby stayed as far as they could out of his reach. Something about the hateful look on his face made them slightly afraid. They knew he was after Zack, but it was still creepy. Jack stopped in front of the mayors house and rapped on the door with his scythe. This was simply delicious to be able to walk around like this in broad daylight. The mayor opened the door and at the sight of the scythe was startled back a few steps. “Sorry about scaring you like that mayor. I didn’t mean too. I was just coming by to report in for duty. I hope that isn’t a problem.” The mayor coughed a few times, “No. No, not a problem at all. My apologies entirely, I was startled, that’s all. Yes, that’s fine. You don’t have to report into me. Just do your duty as the local militiaman. You are the one we are putting our trust in. So do your best to protect us. That’s all.” “Oh, okay, thanks mayor!” Jack walked away, scythe gripped firmly in hand. He had them eating out of his hands... | |
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