Hang Or Pain

Chapter II: The Oak Tree Has An Arm

We called the police after fleeing to my home as a safe haven. My mother wasn't here and pops was on the couch snoring. Pops is my mothers father, he's a war veteran, he's out of his mind at times, all he does is sleep, watch Tv and lecture me on being more athletic. Ever since my dad left my mom pops moved in. My Dad is African American and my mother is Laos, pops is Laos, and Laos families allow their parents to move in with the eldest daughter, Mitdew went back to Laos, never coming back, but Padew aka pops stays here with his eldest daughter, and only daughter that lives in the states, pops believes that nothing good comes from Laos, once you leave Laos don't come back or the Laos Demon will curse your family for leaving. That's why Pops didn't return to Laos with Mitdew from time to time Mitdew may write us letters, but that's around holidays or special events, pops won't let Mitdew move in with us fearing the Laos curse. Upstairs me and my friends went trying to be quiet, if we wake pops he will lose his mind and start attacking anyone in sight believing we are intruders. From my window we watched the police arrive, decorate the once beautiful house with the yellow crime scene tape. We then see the ambulance carry mrs. Smith out in a body bag, then shortly after we see another group of males carry Mr.Smith out of the house with a rope tightly pressed against his neck.  It seems like it was so tight they couldn't take it off without damaging mr.Smith anymore. Variable apologizes as this was his idea too go investigate, me and Piper ignore him, the entire room is silent, everyone thinking about them man on the phone, that voice will forever be planted in our brains and labeled "Fear" as we believe that was the true voice of horror itself.

Piper finally broke the ice and said that we should all just go home and forget about everything that has
happened. I agreed, but I can tell Variable did not want to let this go, seeing his face he was curious and wanted to solve this mystery, he wanted to play this game with Pain, he wanted to figure out why who what and where this thing came from, on the inside I was wanting to go home with Variable, I did not want to see that house ever again I wanted it erased from my memory, but my mom would not budge on a school night, as Variable and Piper left I watch them from my window, watching the two go they're separate ways.. Variable who lives in a neighbor close to the forest and the old factory, while Piper lives up north in the suburban area, she lives in the fancy townhouses, variable used to live over there but moved to this cheap house, he has to pass the nice houses, get through the junkyard, he could avoid going through the forest if he wanted too then he makes his house, I know it hurts Variable to now live in a dumpster when he used to live in the bigger nicer houses, but variable Is a smart kid who is determined to make the best out of any situation.

Variable is an odd kid, he always had a target on his back with bullies because he was never afraid to speak his mind, his father is the opposite of variable, Variable father played on the soccer team and wrestled, he was a cool kid in high school. Variable dad also had a thing with the ladies, as his nickname in school was pretty Ricky. Ricardo was his real name, whenever I addressed him as Mr.Ricardo he told me to call him Ricky. Ricky went to school 15 years ago along with Coach Smith, but the two didn't get along. Due to the fact that Ricky was a Hispanic who had any girl he wanted coach smith always competed with Ricky. Ricky was pretty disappointed when he first met me and piper, expecting to hear that his son made the soccer team and would be playing Varsity. Variable came home with me and Piper instead, telling his dad that he left tryouts early because the people on the team were assholes. Mr.Ricky wife Giesel had a horrible accident happen to her, after dropping Variable off to school last summer (Variable pays for summer school so he can learn extra shit) Miss Giesel was driving passed the forest located near the abandoned warehouse and the burned down factory, police reports say Miss Giesel crashed into a tree and died on the impact, Many rumors stirred from quote on quote eye witnesses that a figure wearing a black trench coat and a black hat stood in front of her car, refusing to move while she was driving a full speed forcing her to turn into the forest crashing into the tree. Who said this? The GP Boys? What do GP stand for? Gas prices? Nah to be honest the GP Boys don't even know, the GP Boys consist of Laylo and His partner in crime Cheech. The entire start of sophomore year the two told everybody about the figure wearing all black causing variable to be adventurous and more friendly to the idea of kidnapping and murders, hoping to solve this on to bring his lovely mother home. After her death Ricky lost it and became abusive towards variable, the entire summer variable was locked in his room, he had no freedom, he had to drop out of summer school. Ricky felt like it was Variable fault for wanting to be a nerd, he says if Variable did soccer instead of books she would've been alive since Variable wouldn't never bothered her to take him to school. Ricky started drinking and beating on his only son. So when Variable came to school the first day he was so happy to see me and piper he broke down in tears, plus Variable is no longer afraid of bullies since his father beats him way worse than any other bully could dream of. Variable saw PAIN leave the house but did not want to believe his eyes, as he walked home looking down the sidewalk he began crying as he's now realizing what that person was wearing.
"black trench coat, black hat" he replayed over and over in his mind, Variable head becomes dizzy, his vision becomes blurry, he's too frustrated to think. As Variable is walking home he is a block away from his house, he sees a little girl sitting on the steps of her house crying. This little girl name was Mollie. Mollie was the sweetest second grader you would ever meet. Variable approaches Mollie to see what has her feeling down.

" hey there mollie pop what's wrong."
" Turtu ran into the tree hole and he's stuck."
Mollie points to the tree across the street from her home, this tree was the oldest tree in the town, nicknamed oak as it is so large, so old that it is the tree that represents the town of Oakridge. Variable laughed thinking how could a turtle be lost in the hole of a tree, since there's usually squirrels in there.

"I'll bring Turtu home for you"
"Thanks so much say mr.turtle and he should come!"
Mollies voice is pure innocence, Variable admires her bright yellow shirt with Dora on it. Mollie is sucking on a Orange sucker, Mollie has purple eyes, she has purple nails, and pigtails. Mollie has a older sister who everyone in the school likes, a popular girl Joy, who is the captain of the cheer team, many figured that if they were nice to her sister they could get a chance with Joy.
Variable makes his way across the street as he realizes the winds picked up.  The day was a beautiful blue day, which has transformed into a Gray cloudy distorted sight.
"A storms coming soon! This wasn't on the weather this morning" he thought to himself.
Variable marches to the tree pursuing forward against the winds, he finally reaches the hole and calls out "Mr.Turtle" feeling ridiculous for saying that out loud. Variable flashed his iPhone flashlight in the hole and saw nothing but nuts. "Exactly what i thought, maybe Turtu is gone poor mollie" he said quietly to himself.
"Ask for him one more time one more time he told me he's here." Mollie shouted from across the street, Variable turned to mollie with a confused look as her yellow dora shirt was RED, her purple innocent eyes were blood shot red, and her nails were pitch black.
Variable started questioning if mollie even had a turtle to begin with as he never heard about a turtle until now. "He told me he's here" variable replayed this over and over in his mind, now wondering was mollie always wearing a red shirt, feeling uneasy again blindly he sticks his arm into the hole to prove his point of it's just being a home for squirrels.

CRUNCH!! Variable roars in pain falling to the grown with his right arm gone blood gushing in the air landing onto his face, blood is covering the entire grass area, variable face is red his vision is horrible, variable hasn't felt this much pain before in his life. Mollie giggles staying "Silly Mr.Turtu" and skips away. Variable distracted by his missing arm fails to notice a long arm stretching towards him, he feels a finger touch his leg, as he looks up a arm stitched together with various skin tones from black to white to tan to red, gripping his thigh, with unexpected power the arm gets a tighter hold on the thigh ripping deep into variable flesh, shortly after another hand covers Variable mouth to stop him from screaming, variable struggling to get words out loses air, his face turning purple and eyes closes as his lifeless body is slowly being dragged into the hole of the tree. Just as variable body is engulfed into the hole a Missing Child poster appears on that tree.

The next day at school I sat next to Piper, we waited for Variable in the hall but he didn't show, we all had first period English together, his second favorite class with our all time favorite teacher Professor.Coughlin a Professor from the local college who only teachers first and second at the high school than reports back to the college. Variable never skipped this class as he viewed this class as important, a rare class because of a professor teaching us. When the bell rang and still no sign of variable something didn't sit right with my stomach. My head started to hurt as over and over I heard "Kill Kill Kill" this haunted phrase tortured my brain as I closed my eyes I could feel and see the pain of Variable. Piper grabbing onto my shoulder stopped me from shaking. Piper looks at me, I gather myself right before the announcements started with a devastating tone, the principal was doing the announcements instead of the cheery jester like seniors. Every thing was going well the sound of the principal made the announcements seem unimportant, but at the end the principal made sure everyone paid attention stating. "And the very last announcement hurts the soul of Oakridge High, Another student Carlos Rodri is reported missing, he was last seen walking home leaving the Oak Tree, if anyone has any ideas of where he may be please report to the Detective hired by the Mayor, Detective Quincy."
As static fills the missing sound a new voice appeals to our ears.
" I am Detective Quincy but you students may call me Detective Q, I am not your enemy I am here to figure out why teenagers are reported missing, if you know anything and I mean anything please feel free to stop by my office, located in the bottom floor past the boiler room, please come by, if you know or heard anything. No pass needed. Thank you and I pray that you all be careful, and aware of this problem." As the announcements finally go off I look at the front of the class, on the Smart Board in Blood The words splattered " YOUR NEXT" scared the shit out of me, screaming as loud as I could I run out of the class room making my way to the boiler room, hoping that detective Q is my savior from this demonic monster terrorizing my town.