The Unknown Heroes

Chapter 5

          Andrew suddenly awoke, being forcefully shaken by someone. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust to the light. He saw it was the same person he heard calling his name in the dream.

          "Andrew, for the love of Mother Teresa! GET. UP!" Ashley yelled at him.

          Being the genius she is, Ashley raised her right hand and drought it back down, not seeing Andrew's now open eyes. She struck him right across the face, leaving a large red mark on his left cheek. Andrew yelped, and then sat up. He looked around and saw that he was back at Black Castle. The windows were no longer boarded up, and the floor was its normal tannish color. Everything was back to normal.

          He also noticed the other people that were in the restaurant staring at him. Okay, nah. That's it, Andrew thought. I'm sick of this trippy, acid trip of a day. I need a bed, aspirin, and more bed.

          Before Ashley could open her mouth, and apologies for smacking him, Andrew stood up and headed for the door. Once out, he went to go wait for Ashley by her car. A few minutes later, Ashley emerge from the building. She ran up to the car, and stood by the driver's door. Andrew tried to open the door to the passenger seat, but it was locked.

          "Hey Ashley, could you- "Andrew begun, but stopped as he looked up and saw Ashley staring daggers at him. "Um, s-something wrong?" He asked while putting on his best 'I'm okay' face.

          "Don't know, is there?" She replied.

          "I'm not sure I understand- "

          "You haven't been yourself today. You've been on edge ever since we got to Underling, and just now, you past out at a Black Castle? Something's up, and I gotta feelin' you're not telling me the whole truth."

          Now she looked annoyed, but with some concern. But, still really annoyed at the same time. Andrew still didn't know what to say. He didn't want to lie to her, of course, but if he told her everything that happened, she probably wouldn't believe him. Hell, he didn't even believe it.

          Ashley wasn't someone who believed in supernatural stuff, as far as Andrew new.

          "Remember when, uh, we were growing up and I use to get those really bad headaches? Like, I had to leave school because of them?" He asked her.

          "Sure, you'd be gone from school for a few days at a time. Still don't know how you managed to do all that makeup work."

          "Well, I think they're coming back. I had one when you had gone to the restroom and, I guess it knocked me out. But that's it, really! You ain't got anything worry about." He reassured her.

          Ashley gave him one more serious look, then sighed. "If you say so, man."

          She unlocked the car and they got in. On their way back to their dorms, Andrew stared out the window. Boy, had it been a long day. He watched as all the people walked by, and the buildings moved past. The street lights weren't on yet, since it was still light enough outside to see. He could see the sun was starting to go down. The city was painted in a familiar thin layer of shimmering orangey-yellow light, shining off car windows and shop signs. This was the city Andrew grew up in, his home. These were sidewalks he use to play on, and fall on for that matter, for all those years. He knew this place like the back of his hand, if not better.

          Then, why didn't it feel like it? Something was wrong. Andrew leaned forward in his seat and looked more carefully. Didn't they just past that same store already? There's no way that jogger just caught up with them. He was right. In fact, they were about to pass him and the store again. Not only were the buildings repeating, other people were to, along with the cars, and even the signs. They kept going, on and on. It was as if time itself became a broken record, as a never-ending loop of a distorted symphony would play that producers of movies used in their horror films.

          But there was someone Andrew saw only once, out of the corner of his eye. A dark figure, standing out among the rest of the repeating citizens. The strange hooded woman from his dream. But when he tried to find her again, he couldn't. The loop continued, non-stop. It was hypnotizing.

          Ashley looked over to Andrew. His eyes were locked to the window.

          "Geez, lots of squirrels out today, hm?" His mind snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice, and he glanced over to Ashley.

          "Geez, the same joke in one day? You're losin' your touch." He looked back out the window with a smile. To his surprise, the repeating had stopped, the record fixed.

          "Hah! Glad to see your sense of humor's still intact!", she joked.

          They got back to campus and said their goodbyes for the day. It was surprisingly more crowded than either had expected. The front gates were packed with kids coming and going in all different directions, like rats who have just been found out by the head chief. Some seemed to be heading to the dorms, others for the town, more likely than not for a drink. Ugh, probably a party, though Andrew. Ashley had no problem getting through the mob, but Andrews adventure proved to be a bit more of a challenge. He repeatedly bumped, and knocked into other students. He eventually ran full on into a girl he didn't seen coming.

          "Oh sorry! God, I didn't see you there!" He said to the girl. She looked up at him. She had wavy, golden blond hair and blue eyes. The girl had a beauty mark right above the right side of her upper lip. She smiled at him.

          "Sweetie, you have nothing you apologize for." Said the girl. She cupped her hand on his face and patted his cheek. "Such a handsome boy, this school is lucky to have you." With that, the girl walked off and disappeared off into the crowd. Well, that was a thing that just happened. Man, we got some weird people in this school.

          Andrew finally got back to his dorm, and flopped onto his bed. God, did this poor fella need a nap right about now. But, sadly, there was still some unpacking to do. Not that it was a whole lot, he was just too lazy at this point. He groaned. Meh, I'll do it tomorrow, probably. And thus, the cycle of endless procrastination began. Again. If there's anything to say bad about this young man, it's that he is a huge procrastinator. Sure, he got his work done, and all his assignments and projects, but only a day or two before they are due. His mother referred to it as "the Andrew way". Though, it hasn't failed him yet.

          *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

          Andrew looked up from his bed. The noise came from his window.

          *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

          And there it was again. The tapping on the window continued, three beats at a time. I can't even express to you how much Andrew did not want to get up and see what was making the noise. Regretfully, his own curiosity got a hold of him and dragged him to the covered window. Anxiety fell upon Andrew like a thick blanket. He now wished he had not left the warmth and safeness of his bed. There was no point in turning back. He walked right up next to the window and, oh so painfully slow, drew back the navy-blue curtain.

          No one was there, thankfully, butsomeone defiantly had been. On the right side of the window was a huge, grey,smudged hand print, one far bigger than any human could have.