We All Have Scars

7

The next morning, I got up early. I wanted as much time as possible to search. Quickly, I got ready, ate, then left. 

After searching the streets and alleys for a short while, I heard something from around the corner. Two people discussing. It could be Brenda and Thomas, but just incase, I snuck up on them. 

It was them! They were alive, and I found them! They were looking around the area, near a staircase.  

"We better get out of here," Thomas said. 

"Ya think?" Brenda responded, standing right at his shoulder. 

"Come on." Thomas turned to go, and I was about to reveal myself, but froze. Three people had appeared in the alley while they'd been distracted. Two men and one woman, now standing only a couple of metres away from them. 

My stomach dropped as I observed the new arrivals. Their clothes more tattered than mine, their hair messier, their faces dirty. But looking closer, they didn't have any noticeable injuries from here, and they had an intelligent air about them. They weren't full-gone Cranks, but they were further-gone than me. 

"Hi there," the woman said. She had ling red hair pulled into a ponytail. And her shirt was cut so low, it was pretty obvious she desperately needed new clothes. "Come to join our party? Lot's of dancing. Lots of lovin'. Lots of booze."

There was an edge to her voice that made me nervous. I didn't know what it meant, but this lady wasn't trying to be nice. She was mocking them. 

"Um, no thanks," Thomas said. "We, uh, we wee just-"

Brenda cut in. "Just trying to find our friends. We're new here, just getting settled."

"Welcome to WICKED's very own Crankland." This was one of the men, a tall, ugly guy with greasy hair. "Don't worry, most of 'em down there" - he nodded towards the stairs - "are half gone at worst. You might get an elbow in the face, maybe kicked in the 'nads. But no one's gonna try to eat you." What are nads?

"Nads?" Brenda repeated, thinking the same as I. "Excuse me?"

The man pointed at Thomas. "I was talkin' to the boy. Things might get a little worse for you if you don't stick close to us. You being female and all."

This whole conversation was making me feel ill. 

Thomas spoke again. "Sounds like fun. But we gotta go. Find our friends. Maybe we'll come back."

The other man stepped forward. This one was short but more handsome, with blonde hair in a crew cut. "You two are nothin' but kids. Time you got some lessons on life. Time you had some fun. We're officially inviting you to the party." He pronounced each word of the last sentence carefully, and with no kindness whatsoever.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Brenda said. 

Blondie pulled  a gun from a pocket of his long jacket. It was a pistol, silver but grimy and dull. Still, is looked just as menacing and deadly. 

"I don't think you understood me," the man said. "You're invited to our party. That's not something you turn down."

Tall and Ugly pulled out a knife. Ponytail pulled out a screwdriver, its tip black with what had to be old blood. 

"What do you say?" Blondie asked. "Would you like to come to our party?"

Thomas looked at Brenda, but she didn't look back. Her eyes were glued to the blond man, and her face said she was about to do something really stupid. 

"Okay," Thomas quickly said. "We'll go. Let's do it."

Brenda snapped her head around. "What?"

"He has a gun. He has a knife. She's got a shuck screwdriver! I'm not in the mood to have an eyeball smashed into my skull."

"Looks like your boyfriend's not stupid," Blondie said. "Now let's go have some fun." He pointed his pistols at the stairs and smiled. "Feel free to lead the way."

Blomdie smiled again; the expression would've looked natural on a snake. "That's the spirit. Fine and dandy, nothing to wordy about."

"No one's gonna hurt you," Tall Nd Ugly added. "Unless you get difficult. Unless you act like brats. By the end of the party, you'll wanna, join our group. Trust me on that." 

I had to fight to keep the panic from pounding through me and rushing ahead. I had to be careful about this. 

"Let's just go." Thomas said to Blondie. 

"Waiting on you." The man pointed at the stairs with his gun again. 

Thomas reached out and grabbed Brenda's hand, pulled her close to him. "Let's go to the party, sweetheart." He put as much sarcasm into it as he could. "This'll be so much fun!"

"That's very nice," Ponytail said. "I get weepy when I see two people in love." She feigned wiping tears from her cheeks. 

With Brenda by his side, Thomas turned towards the stairs, a gun pointed to his back the whole time. They made their way down the steps to the old slab of door, the space just wide enough for them to go side by side. When they reached the bottom, they realised there was no handle. I crept closer. Raising his eyebrow, Thomas looked at Blondie, who stood two steps behind them. 

"Gotta do the special knock, the man said. "Three slow fist thumps, three fast ones, then two knuckle taps."

Nothing happened for a while. 

"Do it," Brenda whispered.

Thomas balled his hand into a fist and did the slow fist thumps, then the fast ones. The he rapped the wood twice with his knuckles. The door opened immediately, the pounding music escaping like a blasting wind. 

The guy who greeted them was huge, ears and face pierced several times, tattoos all over. His hair was long and white, reaching well past his shoulders. I barely had time to register this before the man spoke. 

"Hey Thomas. We've been waiting for you."  

Thomas and Brenda were practically pulled in by this guy before I could react to this. How did he know it was Thomas? The plaques only say who he is, not what he looks like. 

I waited a few minutes, then ran up to the door. I did the special knock. Three slow, three fast, then two knuckle taps. Almost. Just as fast as before, the door opened. It was the white haired guy again. 

"Hello." He made way for me and I stepped in. "I'm afraid we weren't expecting you." Then something hit me from behind that felt like a ton of bricks. Black dots formed in my vision, until I felt myself slip into darkness.