Pumpkin Hollow

Chapter 7: Icehouse

Chapter 7: Icehouse

It was a typical Sunday morning.

Harry was staffing the counter while I was in the back organizing the books. Business was slow today but that was all right. We knew more customers would come in farther in the week, that's how it always was. I was excited because tomorrow the new comics would be coming in. I loved comics, we both did. That's probably how we got stuck with this crap little store in the first place. The heater didn't work in the Winter, the air conditioner broke down in the Summer. But that didn't matter not one bit. All we really needed were all of these books to be happy. But what would be coming would shatter our whole little world to pieces.

"Hey Lenny..." Harry called.

"What? What is it?"

I'm not usually in a pissed-off mood except if Harry makes fun of me. I had to put this exceptionally because a huge box of books was crushing be as I was re-stocking the shelves. Let's just say that some people aren't their brightest put under so much avalanching pressure that it could bury you under a two-to-three hour mess.

"I think you should come check this out, man."

"I'm a little busy right now-"

"Dude, NOW!"

"Hold on just a minute-"

"We've got to go now, man. Drop whatever and run!" Placing the box on the floor and silently complaining about the pain in my back, I make my way towards the counter.

"Alright Harry, what is-" Staring out into the sky my jaw drops lower than the floor. The sky coated in blood red. Ash clouds fill the skies while buildings burn to the ground. People run from all directions screaming. Some try to start their cars but with no luck. Electric poles break free of the wires holding them and fall to the ground, crushing many. It's like Armageddon. Harry pulls me by the arm and drags me out of the store. Crouching beside a car on it's side, Harry shakes me awake.

"Lenny! Come on, we have to get out of-"

A huge explosion erupts from the building next to us, our store. I can see Lenny shaking me senseless, but I can't hear anything. A white noise fills my ears as he pulls me away from the destruction and towards another car. Then he stops and looks up. I mimic him and come face-to-face with a storm of fire raining down. We quickly crawl underneath the car and take cover. Black shadows slowly make their way past the destruction and into view. It's a group of people dressed all in black army-suits, collars covering their necks and mouths. They're wearing goggles and clearly on the shoulder of their sleeves is some kind of symbol. They're strolling past this chaos in a fashionable matter, as if they were observing work of their own. Closer I can see to my horror flamethrowers in their hands.

"L-Lenny, look up." Harry points towards the sky. Gazing above, I shutter in horror as I see a giant crow-like monster fly in towards these strangers. It lands with grace and pulls it's wings away, letting them fold into it's back skin. My stomach lunges but I try to hold back. His skin turns black, and soon into the same uniform, the others wore. Except I could see his eyes were just orbs of pure jet black. From his pocket, he pulls out a knife and stabs it into his palm, letting a mess of black blood spill unto the street. But it doesn't stay in a puddle. It grows and seeps underneath the group of soldiers until it rides up their legs and around their heads, dragging them into the pool of blood dissolving them into nothing. The blood returns to his hand and seeps back into his body, the wound seals. He takes a step back and gazes amongst the destruction, satisfied.

"Wait," I say holding Harry back. "We can't go out, not yet. We still gotta' wait for him to leave."

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" A shrill erupts from behind. It's sounds like a woman. Turning over something in me grows cold. That woman has blue hair, and only one girl in this town has that kind of hair, Alyssa. She's holding her dead boyfriend in her arms. That demon knew as well and slowly made his way over. She'll be dead in a second...