People Of The Damned (ON-HOLD)

Chapter 8-P.O.T.D

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Chapter 8

“Wait!” I yelled over the loud music that boomed in the mall suddenly. The music was thunderous and it almost damaged my eardrum. People around me started to cover their ears when I chased after those two. Alexis had the-why-am-I-running-with-her face when she glanced over her shoulder to search for me.

“Where in the world did this music come from? Mars?” A guy shouted angrily when I dashed past him. He was absolutely right. Nowadays, music in this age hurts my ear. Music in the forties was the best, for me.

The girl, pulling Alexis with her was very fast. She dodged through people as easy as a rat escaping from the predator as this was her territory, I presumed. I had to push past people who were blocking my view of them.

Finally, she turned left, into a small and dark alley, away from people. Great, it’s much easier to tackle them. As soon as I enter the alley, no one was there. I shook my head to see if I was trapped in an illusion or not. But, no. Nothing. Just dustbins, empty cans, newspapers and pool of dirty looking water on the ground. I walked ahead to check if there were any hole that can fit them or not.

Nothing. How did they disappear into thin air? As I glanced up into the blue sky, I caught a glimpse of Alexis’s dress at the rooftop before vanishing into the edge. They must have climbed a ladder to reach there. Unfortunately, there was no ladder. How did they reach it? The girl’s curse? No way, it cannot be.

Luckily, I learnt the art of climbing wall from Spiderman, joking, learnt it myself! I climbed trees last time and I have to know how to climb walls. I stepped twice on the wall to give me a boost so that I can grab hold of the ledge above my head.

I climbed and climbed until I reached the top of the building. It was five storeys high but it was easy for me to ascend the wall. When my head was at the top, with my body still dangling at the bottom, I saw the girl with Alexis enter through a door at the rooftop.

Using all my strength, I pulled myself up. I dashed towards the door, hoping it wasn’t locked. And it did not. I jerked the doorknob with a force that can pull it out from the door. Inside, it was dark and cold. Really cold. The air inside here was thick as a pea soup and it made breathing hard.

Slowly and gingerly, I entered the staircase. I feel my way by trailing my hands along the wall. The wall was wet, like someone had poured a pail of water on it. As I descended the stairs, my heart was beating wildly in my chest, threatening to break itself from my ribcage. Something in my head was screaming at me to go back up and leave. But, I could not leave Alexis.

I have not let my guards down for a second. I cannot risk myself in this kind of place. Finally, I have reached the foot of the stairs and the environment was still dark and creepy. I cannot see anything although my eyes had adjusted to the surrounding. I stood there for a minute, to listen for some movement. I have been trained to live in like this. In darkness. And a place without any lights was my territory. No one can outwit me in a place like this.

I exhaled, as slowly as possible. Listening to water dripping on my right, from the ceiling to the ground. Plop, plop, plop. Each drop of water landed. On my left, I could hear movement, might as well feel them. Lots of footstep moving as graceful as a swan towards me from a corridor. Each step echoed into the room I was in and from the sound of it, this was a big room.

And then, I heard soft breathing from above. Two people. Ten were coming towards me. Some running to catch up with the walking ones. Maybe they were children. They have smaller footsteps. I knew I was going to be surrounded because that was their plan. I knew it in my bones. And the people here were not normal. They were like me. People with a cursed bloodline. I sensed that they were trying their best to emit their curse on me. Unfortunately for them, my guards were up and standing strong.