In the Case of Cathy Barnes

Ch 2: A.C.A.R.S.

I waited until after school to look up ACARS, the thing the man told me about the night before. What happened next was getting pulled into a rabbit hole that I didn't even expect. It's not an actual company, but instead some kind of urban legend around my community. When I'm not studying for school, I've been finding out more about this topic, looking like a lunatic as a result.

It's been rumored that since the 1910s, a group of monsters and other supernatural beings gather together for a single purpose. That "purpose" depends on who you ask, to either save the world, end it, or some weird action in the middle. It's been driving me up the wall with how I'm being put in circles. I looked at the card again and looked up the address. It was less than 3 miles from my house, and it said the meeting starts at midnight. I guess I should not only count my blessings that my parents got into a routine of going to bed at 10 to get up at 7, but that I kept that old bike my dad rigged a flashlight to all those years ago. At all honesty, I never thought I had a reason to ride a bike like that, let alone 3 miles to and from my house at night, but I had to know and soon. Thoughts race through my head as I pedaled through the empty streets, questions that I hope to get answers for.

Who was that man? Of all the people to bother at that time of night, why me? If it had to be me, how did he know what I've done? Is he a stalker? What is ACARS even about and why did he tip me there? Finally, when he touched my shoulder that night, why did I feel safe? Like when a friend or loved one hugs you when you're sad or hold your hand as you cross the street when you were little, why?

Before I could tell myself otherwise, I arrived at the address on the card. I can tell it used to be a convenient store, what with all the faded parts of the wall that had signs on them. I looked at the mailbox, then the card, then the rest of the property where I stood. It was right. it looked like it anyway. There were lights peering through the shut blinds of the windows, they're inside with the power on. I remembered to bring my jackknife before I left home, I prepared to unfold it as I stepped closer to the door. I knocked a couple of times, and after a good 5 or so seconds, who else other than the man from last night to open the door for me?

"Welcome," he said, gesturing me to come inside, "I'm glad you can make it. We were just about to start. "

I stepped inside to see an empty building, cleaner than what I was expecting, but still unnerving. He shut the door behind us and walked me to the back area. He opened the door, and I saw about five other people sitting on chairs set up in a circle. I was sure I saw one of them at my school, but my thoughts were busy as I came to a conclusion, it's a legit group therapy setup. He showed me to a seat, and I, as well as the rest of us, sat down as the man led the meeting.

"Good evening," he said to the group, "we have a couple of new members here with us tonight, so we should start introducing ourselves. My name is Malaki, and I will be leading this meeting tonight. "

He points to the person next to him, who was a senior at my high school at the time, I almost didn't recognize him because he's not wearing his usual vest, not that it would be appropriate for him to wear right now. There was an empty chair next to me, so I sheepishly introduced myself, briefly mentioning, as some kind of joke, that I was a cannibal.

"You're not," the ex-jock said, "I saw what happened. You bit him once, that's all. "

"I think we should save our stories for when we get to it," Malaki said, interrupting Ben, "for now, let me -"

Suddenly, the door slammed open, revealing a new face to the room. She wore a purple tank top, ripped denim pants, and a necklace with a heart with bat wings for a pendant. She looked to be in her mid 30s, maybe younger, but she strutted into the room and onto the empty chair as if she were a cocky teen, as a teen myself at the time, I know how that's like.