The Clock

Chapter Three: The Fireball

"Something is coming. Something hungry for blood. It made deep grunting sounds. Cursed snakes slither on its back. It is almost here," Mike says intensely.
"What is it?" Will asks.
"What if it's Vecna?" Dustin points out. "Oh, Jesus, we're so screwed if it's Vecna."
"It's not Vecna!" I say.
"An army of demobats charge into the chamber!" Mike says.
"Demobats?" Dustin says smirking.
"Told ya," I say.
Everyone laughs until Mike has a weird look on his face.
"Wait a minute. Did you hear that? It walked very slowly. That... that sound? Boom... boom... BOOM! That didn't come from demobats. No, that came from something else." Mike pauses until he yells out "VECNA!"
Everyone lost hope to continue on.
"We're in deep shit!" Dustin says.
"Will, your action!"
"I-I don't know what to do!"
"Fireball him!" I say.
"No it's too risky, I'd have to roll a 13 or higher," Will says.
"Cast Protection," Dustin suggests.
"Don't be a pussy. FIREBALL HIM!" I yell.
"CAST PROTECTION!" Dustin yells.
"Carsee... hello? Carsee? Carsee?"
A voice echoed through my head until my attention snaps back.
"What Holly?" I say.
"Can you play my Lite-Brite with me pretty pretty please?"
"Maybe later, I have to go visit Max."
Ever since Chrissy was murdered a week ago, she's been ignoring everyone, even me. I brought her favorite chocolates and a bouquet of flowers. I walk up to her front door, and knock on it. A few seconds went by, and nobody answered. I knocked again, and then Max answered.
"What do you want," she says.
She was wearing plaid pajamas, and her hair was up in a messy bun.
"Can I come in?" I ask.
"No," she says.
"Max please."
"I said NO!"
"It-it's like you're not even here anymore. It's like you're a ghost or something."
"People just change. Okay?"
"Maxie, just talk to me. To your friends. We're right here. I'm right here."
"Don't call me that."
I started to sing our favorite song.
"And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God, and I'd get him to swap our places..."
Max laughs quietly.
"I've really missed that." I say.
"Missed what?"
"Your laugh."
"Well, it was funny."
"What was funny?
"Your singing," she says.
"How? I'm such a great singer."
"Your voice cracks on every note that isn't low," she says laughing.
"Can you show me how to sing it right?"
Max grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me over the doorstep and into her trailer. We turned on Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. I place my hands around her hips, and she places her hands on my shoulders. We stare into each other's eyes, and start to slow dance. We waddle across the hardwood floors until we accidentally bump into the couch and fall over it onto the cushions. We lay there, happy, for the remainder of the afternoon. Kate Bush saved me, saved us.

🕰

When I got home, Holly was waiting for me to do the Lite-Brite with her. Karen was preparing dinner for tonight. I heard the chopping of the red bell peppers, which was similar to the sound of a clock ticking. The stairs creaked as we walked up to the second floor. We sat on the floor of Holly's room.
"You do left side, I do right side," Holly said in a playful voice.
"What're we making?" I ask.
"It's a surprise!"
We were about three quarters of the way finished, until the lights started flickering on it. The lamp began to flicker next. Holly didn't make a big deal of it, she just continued the Lite-Brite. The ceiling light in the hallway flickered. Next, I did the unimaginable.
I focused my hearing on the hallway light. At first, all I could hear was the flickering light. I focused harder, and harder until it became quiet. Then, I heard the blood-curdling sounds of slow footsteps going across the hall. I heard the sound of cursed snakes slithering around. I heard the sound of deep grunting and breathing. I heard the sound of, Vecna.