Kaleidoscope Killer

Chapter 22

I must have fallen asleep because I open my eyes as the train comes to a complete stop. I start to stretch my arms when I hear and inhumane growl. My hand slowly finds my laser gun on the floor next to me immediately as I shuffle quietly towards the open door. Something jumps off the top of the train and runs frantically into the darkness. Adrenaline pulses through me and I pull the trigger and the electric shock lights up the night. The unseen creature screams in agony, and then all is silent. I’m frozen in my spot. Why did that scream sound so familiar?

            “Kaleidoscope,” Razor yells while shaking me to look at him.

            “Huh?”

            “What happened?” he asks looking outside.

            Something pops around the corner making me stumble backwards into Razor’s arms. I quickly point my gun at the intruder ready to take on another creature when Razor rubs my arm gently and I look up at him. He nods towards the door and I watch as Blade jumps up into the car not realizing how badly he just scared me.

            “Ice said he had to go to the bathroom really quick, so he stopped. He’s starting up the train right now,” he says as the train roars to life.

            Why would he stop the entire train to go to the bathroom? I don’t say anything because I’m too tired and too shaken up. Razor pulls me to his side of the car and holds my hand tight.

He looks over at Blade who has taken his seat on the floor across from us. “Did you see anything out there?”

            He raises an eyebrow at him. “Not really,” he looks at my obviously still scared face. “What happened?”

            My ears are still ringing from the creature’s scream. “I thought it was one of Sevals’ abominations. So I shot it.”

            Blade looks outside and slowly takes out his gun and lays it next to him. I do the same with my gun and realizing I have been clenching my gun for dear life. Why am I so shaken up? I have killed these creatures before. Why do I feel the same numbness I felt when Myth and Mischief were killed?

            “Razor, I have a bad feeling about that thing I shot,” I look up at him for help.

            “You saved us from something that could have killed us,” he strokes my hair. “Why do you have a bad feeling?”

            “I feel like…” I look away and search my mind for the right words. “Like I knew her.”

            “Her?” he makes me look at his doubtful face. “How do you know it was a girl?”

            “She screamed,” I say looking behind him to Blade.

            Razor has me lay down and try to sleep. Why do I feel like he isn’t taking me seriously? Does he think I’m messing with him? I shake myself mentally of any hint of Razor doubting me. He loves me, I tell myself, he wouldn’t think I’m lying about something like this. I cuddle myself under the soft material of the blanket Razor drapes around me. I try not to think of the girl I just killed, but I know my dreams won’t bring me peace.

 

            I am sitting across from a little boy, who has to be around five years old, in a bright pink room scattered with dolls and stuffed animals. He’s holding a stuffed bear making it talk to the doll in my hand, but I don’t hear anything. I feel myself laughing with the little boy, but then my heart skips a beat. We both stop laughing and immediately I’m trying to hide the him under the bed. The bedroom door swings open and Sevals walks in with a woman behind him who is crying. He reaches for the little boy under the bed, and the woman flinches as if he just smacked the little boy. I watch in fear as he shakes the boy like a ragdoll.