Fairly Normal People

-Chapter Sixteen-

The rest of the day was slow and uneventful as customers trickled in and out occasionally though Andy noted it was twice as many as he would usually get. He closed up shop as the clouds overhead were illuminated by the vibrant orange of the sunset in the distance. Lucy skipped along beside him as they walked through the streets. Andy held a hand out in front of Lucy before he ducked into Murphy's shop. The door clattered closed behind him as Andy made his way down between the rows of second hand office furniture towards the counter at the back of the store.

"Murph?" Andy called out.

He heard a grunt of response come out from the back room. Andy leant against the counter as he waited and looked around the room. There were rows and rows of second hand furniture and shelves filled with office supplies that ran the length of the store. Andy heard the crash of boxes behind the counter and he rushed to help. Murphy had knocked down a stack of boxes filled with pens, pencils and similar stock but was now struggling to hold up the second stack of boxes that leaned dangerously thanks to the half dilapidated box on the bottom. Andy rushed to his side and helped push the stack back into place. Andy held it there as Murphy repositioned the bottom box so that the stack would lean into the stack next to it. Murphy then started to pick up the supplies that had spilled out of a broken fallen box. Andy moved to place the fallen boxes back in place and they finished at roughly the same time. Murphy grunted his thanks and lead Andy back to the counter.

"Stocking up?" Andy asked.

"Been getting more traffic lately." Murphy replied. "I think I have you to thank for that."

"I guess I've just been rubbing elbows with the right people." Andy stated as he handed over some rent money. "There's more coming as well."

Murphy took the money as he nodded.

"I know you're good for it." Murphy commented. "Eventually."

"Place is looking nice, Murph." Andy said as he looked around.

"Andy, I'm closing up shop right now." Murphy said flatly.

"Right, sorry." Andy said as he took a step back. "I'll see you around."

Murph once again grunted in reply as Andy turned and walked out of the shop to find Lucy shivering in the cold.

"What took you so long, chatterbox?" Lucy said.

"Come on, let's go." Andy said as he lead the way down the street.

The puddles from the morning had mostly dried up despite the minimal sun that they had gotten, though the smell of fresh rain still clung sweetly to the air. Andy's head still throbbed from the two lumps on it and a wave of tiredness swept over him as they walked through the threshold of Sunny Oaks. They made their way up the staircase as quietly as possible as the small snuffling snores of Tim sleeping drifted up from beneath the stairs. As they entered the hallway they heard the thumping boom of Grodri listening to metal music grow louder and they entered their apartment. Lucy headed straight for the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk as Andy collapsed into his chair and fell instantly to sleep.

Suddenly his ears were filled with a cacophony of otherworldly screams and howls and Andy found himself once again in his dream from before. His eyes opened to the scene that was in front of him before, Sandro was sat on the ground about ten metres away and in between them was the glowing swirling opal portal. Creatures streamed out of the swirling abyss and spilled out over the hillside and down across the plains.

"What have you done!?" Sandro called out.

Suddenly an ear piercing roar emanated from the portal, it's beastial reverberations distorted and warbled by the whirlpool of magical energies. A huge clawed hand emerged from the portal and seemed to grab the side as it hauled it's hulking form through. It was enormous and muscular, though roughly man shaped. It's hooves clacked against the stone as it stepped onto the stone tablets and hunched over to inspect its surroundings.