Nightmare Core volume 1

Volume 1

Chapter 1: A New Day
In Trenton New Jersey there have been found bodies all over the area causing panic as it's clear a killer is on the loose. Cole sat at the bus station, waiting for the bus to come so he could get to his friend's house, they had planned on going for a night out since they were on break from college. The wind was cold and the tree branches shook as a breeze blew by, he pulled out a cassette and headphones from his bag and attached the cassette to his jeans before putting on the headphones. Cole kept listening to his music when he saw the silhouette of the bus lights in the distance, he stood up as the bus stopped, stepped up to the driver, and handed him a dollar, Cole walked to the middle of the bus and found an open seat, he sits down and stares out the window as his song time by Pink Floyd continues to play. He watches as raindrops race each other down the window when his song starts to get interrupted by static. He turns and sees his little sister Josephine sitting across on the opposite seat of him, she had been missing for almost 9 months, her skin was pale and her eyes were discolored, she stared at Cole with a blank expression as he stared back into shock mixed with fear, Cole's heart was racing and he felt his whole body slightly shake from adrenaline and anxiety when the bus suddenly jolts to a stop and the lights start to flicker, he looks and sees arms bust through the window and snatches Josephine out of her seat, this causes cole to step back and gasp when all the windows on the bus break, Cole instinctively drops down and covers his head and ears. He slowly gets up and looks around to see everything outside is pitch black and the lights on the bus are the only light when he starts to hear footsteps walking outside, the footsteps approach the bus and Cole sees a figure emerge up the stairs and into the bus, cole noticed the size of the bus increasing ever so slightly, standing across from him was an extremely tall thin man wearing a white suit and blue tie with a completely featureless blank face, the things face and hands were pitch black and it's presence brought cole a deep feeling of dread. Cole began to feel nauseous and weak upon staring at the creature when it quickly teleports right in front of cole and grabs him by the throat lifting him up, cole chokes and gasps for air as the creature stares at him completely emotionless, in an instant cole wakes up and quickly sits up in bed covered in sweat, he looks over at his alarm clock, it read 6:22 am, He took a deep breath and layed back down closing his eyes, he shortly after got up and walked down stairs to the kitchen and put 2 pieces of toast in the toaster, he walks into the bathroom and stares in the mirror as he turns on the sink, he had hazel eyes and medium length straight brown hair that was flat from him sleeping, cole splashes some cold water on him and walks back out into the kitchen and towards the refrigerator, he grabs a stick of butter and a butter knife and walks over to the toaster as it finishes, he butters the toast and eats it while he stares out the window when he notices something engraved in the window, some sort of symbol. Cole didn't know what it was but he never remembered it being there so he had a fearful anxious feeling about it, he suddenly jumped getting startled by the house phone ringing, he approached the phone and answered, "hello" Cole said into the phone, cole... help... please cole, it sounded like his little sister, cole stepped back in horror dropping the phone, cole turns and books it to his room where he frantically packs a bunch of his things in a panic and runs out of the house to his car, he gets the car in reverse the second the car started and he flew out of his driveway. Cole drives through his quiet town and decides to go to his friend Toby's, cole heads in the direction of Toby's and looks around nervously as he drives, he's barely paying attention when he suddenly hears a horn and he turns and swerves out of the way of a truck, cole takes a left turn and begins speeding up down the street as he approaches Toby's house, cole quickly stops and parks outside his house and runs to his door and starts knocking fast and hard in a panic. Toby opens the door in a groggy sleepy state, his blonde hair is frizzy, what are you doing? he asks Cole, he backs up as Cole rushes in and shuts the door, cole frantically checks the windows looking out each of them, what the hell dude what's wrong, Toby asks him, I think someone broke into my apartment I thought it was just a dream but... ok did you call the cops? Toby asks him, no I panicked I just came straight here, did you see someone or hear something break? Toby questions, there was this weird symbol on my window, looked like it was drawn from the inside, and I got a call on the phone... I I it sounded like Josephine. Toby stood blankly staring at Cole in shock, alright man are you ok, I know this whole situation has been fucked up but are you sure you handling this. I'm your boy man I can help you deal with this you don't have to go through it alone, cole looks at Toby then Looks down, you maybe wanna consider some therapy man Toby says after a brief silence, I can refer you to mine I go to him 3 times a week, cole shakes his head and avoids the question, I need to check my apartment... can you search with me, cole hesitantly asks, yeah sure I'll go look with you just let me grab something I'll be right back, toby disappears around the corner of the kitchen and cole hears him trot up the stairs, cole walks to the edge of the stairs and waits for toby when toby quickly jogs down the stairs holding a baseball bat, ok now we can go. The two walk outside and get in Cole's car, Are you sure you saw that? Toby asks as he gets in the passenger side, yes bro I'm not crazy, Cole responds as he shuts the door, they back out of the driveway and start heading back to Cole's, Toby notices Cole's hands slightly shaking as he drives, you alright to drive man? you're freaking out, yeah I'm good, I'm all good he responds, Toby picked up on Cole's voice sounding shaky, he didn't seem very confident,
Toby slowly turned and looked out the window as they continue to drive, after about 10 minutes the two pulled into Cole's driveway, ready Cole says as he shifts the gear into park and turns the car off, yeah let's go, Toby, responds, they both get out and begin walking up to Cole's front door with Toby leading the way, Toby slowly turns the knob and opens the door raising the bat slowly as the two enter, you said you saw something in the kitchen? Toby whispers, yeah some scary ass symbol, it looked satanic Cole answers. The two slowly turn the corner in the kitchen and Cole freezes staring at the window, there is nothing there, dude I don't see anything your window doesn't even look like it was touched, w w what Cole shakily says in a quiet tone, no no it was right there I saw it! Cole exclaims in a panic, ok dude just re... their conversation was interrupted by a phone call, it was Toby's phone, Cole fearfully looked at Toby and then down at his pocket, Toby takes his phone and looks at it, oh shit it's my dad hold on, Toby enters another room while cole continues to stare at the window, he could hear toby have what sounded like an argument with his dad when toby walks back into the kitchen visibly annoyed, I'm sorry bro I gotta go my dads pissed cause I told him I would help my grandma with shopping but I completely forgot, I'll come to visit you later just stay safe alright man, cole nods his head, see ya around bro, alright man I'll catch you later toby says as he walks out of Cole's house, the door shuts and cole turns back to the window to still see nothing, he sighs before scratching his head and walking upstairs. Toby walks into his house to hear his dad yelling upstairs, Toby! Get your ass up here! Toby looks up and closes his eyes before slowly making his way up the stairs, he turns into his parent's room to see his dad standing there staring at him angrily, Toby noticed the empty beer bottles laying around, his father Craig was a somewhat large built man at around 6'1 200 pounds toby prepared for what was coming, dad, I'm so... he was cut off by his dad punching him in the face knocking him over, toby hit the floor and remained down stunned, he slowly made his way back to his feet stumbling into the wall, da.. dad stop... he was cut off again from his dad slapping him, toby stumbled into the wall and felt his nose to see it was dripping blood, suddenly he looked up to see the bottom of his dad's foot colliding with his face, toby fell back completely dazed, un fucking believable Toby! How do you think I felt when I had a son and wanted him to be successful and ended up with you? He screamed slurring his words. His dad stomped on his stomach in anger, toby coughed and rolled over on the floor, dad I'm sorry stop please, toby could feel the tears forming in his eyes, shut the fuck up his dad said taking off his belt, he began to beat toby with belt repeatedly, toby yelled in pain trying to crawl away but his dad grabbed him and aggressively threw him back into the bedroom and slamming the door behind him.