River Of Horrors - A Schlattbur Story

PART 10 - L.I.T

RIVER OF HORRORS

PART 10

───── ❝ L.I.T ❞ ─────

The dying sun's tangerine radiance cloaks itself over Wilbur's face like a blanket, as the fallen leaves of the forest crunches underneath the soles of his steel-toe boots. Slung over his shoulder is a heavy bag, contained to the brim with supplies.

His breathing hitches, intermittent amongst the absentminded noises of the forest, as his mind corrupts with thoughts.

It's happening. It's happening right here, right now. Phase I: Location.

"Does this place seem familiar to any of you?" Techno's voice is like an echo throughout the forest.

Wilbur takes another glance around his surroundings. Nothing out of the ordinary other than trees.

"No, not yet." Wilbur replies. He turns over to Connor, whose walking timidly beside him, for clarification. Connor also shakes his head, replying with a curt, "nah."

Techno feels for his earpiece, adjusting the head-mounted camera over his forehead. "Ty?" he asks through his mic.

Wilbur can hear a vague, and delayed muffled, "...no," from the earpiece, which is followed shortly after by a torrent of static.

"It must be further up north then," Techno reaffirms, "that's where the outskirts of the towns are located."

The two boys nod back in obligement, following behind the lead of Technoblade as the three wander through the depths of the dense trees. Wilbur watches as blocks of evening's shadows begin to checker along the ground as the sun descends below the horizon. He runs his hand down to his right pocket, readying himself to pull out his flashlight. His eyes trail carefully around his surroundings.

Despite this feeling so surreal, Wilbur had never felt more awake in his life.

The more deeper they ventured, the less light there is seeped through the gaps of the trees. It was until they were properly through was when Wilbur had to take out the flashlight. It took him all that he could to try suppress his anxiety to stop his hand from shaking.

They walk through the forest for about 20 minutes in complete silence, until they eventually reach the exit — beyond, is the beginning outskirts of the town. Techno re-adjusts his earpiece, awaiting for Ty's confirmation. "Keep going. . ." is all he murmurs.

And so they do; the three boys keep dead silent, as they walk along the vacant streets of the ghost town. The street lights are all broken, as if he electricity inside each bulb had gone out, resulting in the light to explode. The markets, houses, town buildings and stalls are all smashed in, pitch black and empty. Wilbur swallows.

He shines his flashlight on one of the walls, and retaliates back in horror. The entire wall is red.

Connor flinches at the sight, and Techno doesn't say anything.

He breathes in a shaky breath deeply, and exhales out. He can feel the tips of his fingers grow numb in the cold. He's terrified.

Those things could come out anywhere. Anywhere. Whose to say they won't be attacked right now? Who's to say. . . ?

"I don't understand."

Connor's murmur is like a yell throughout the towns; the silence dissipates, destroyed by his words like a bomb. Wilbur's eyes have never shot towards a direction so fast.