Zone Albrecht

13. The Man With An Ax

Author's Note: Yessss! One of my favorite creatures from the Zone is for the first time mentioned in this chapter. And he's called -- you guessed it -- the man with an ax! This chapter has a lot of other creepy content regarding what happens in between Zones, in the hallways. 

Dedicated to Luzzzifer for being so nice. Ironic, considering the username, I know.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy! And don't forget to vote and comment if you enjoy reading Zone Albrecht! :D

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I stared at Angela with wide open eyes.

"What did you say..?" I asked. Angela muttered more words which I couldn't decipher. I leaned over, vicious worry starting to nag me.

"She was so happy for a few days. Everyday she'd go and see Kevin, talking to him through that door. She'd laugh to his jokes and to all their common souvenirs, she would also sometimes cry, saying that she missed him. He'd always say that he missed her too, and if only they could be together."

My heart started beating faster, and my fear increased. What was wrong with her?! She had that blank, absent-look to herself, and was whispering words, words which made my skin crawl; even though I had no idea who or what she was talking about, somehow, it terrified me.

"Angela? What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"Only she interrupted. One day, she came, and she caught them, speaking together through the door--"

"WHO?! Who caught who?! What are you talking about, damnit?!" I was cursing because I was scared as Hell, and the room was suddenly darker, wasn't it? I could have sworn that it was. Angela still had that blank look on her face. She stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Her best friend. Her best friend caught her talking with her brother Kevin."

"Whose best friend?!"

"Manon's."

I blinked and frowned. That name meant nothing to me apparently, and yet it seemed vaguely familiar. Hadn't Angela mentioned someone named Manon once? No?

"I can't remember!" I inwardly groaned, desperate.

"She caught Manon and she told her..." Angela's voice had lowered to that of a whisper, so I leaned in even closer. My heart was pumping, not only because of the tense and suspenseful atmosphere, which was reminiscent of a horror movie night in the dark, but because of the proximity; I had never been that physically close to her and...had I thought it'd be in these conditions...

"She asked her what she was doing, Manon's best friend. She was scared stiff, for she had heard the voice at the other end of the door. Manon was happy but at the same time bashful and cried. She said she missed him and that he was on the other side of the door. She couldn't be wrong, it had to be him, only her real brother could remember Cuddles, their lost puppy, and all their common jokes. It had to be Kevin."

I listened without a word, a perverse sort of fascination making me want to urge her to go on, to continue the tale. Somehow, I thought I knew how this would end, so obviously...

"Best Friend told her that no, that it wasn't her brother, but the Zone, the Zone was tricking her, that she had to snap out of it. But then..."

"Then what?" I murmured.

"Manon told her what Kevin had been suggesting. He'd wanted his sister to get in the door so she could see him." I felt goosebumps all over the back of my neck, and my teeth instinctively grit against each other. It was so dark, that light was so dim...