The Business of Time Travel Tourism

Chapter 14: Sally on Her Own

 June 27, 2014. Friday.

When Sally got to a brighter and tidier district, yet filled with the same eerie silence as the dark streets before, a truck parked beside a playground caught her attention. Through an open window on its side, a man wearing apron was giving out items that were much desired by children standing in line. A plastic, brown cone with a reddish mass on top attached to the truck roof gave it additional charm. The children were impatient and anxious, but their wait seemed to be worthwhile since none of them left the little shop unhappy. One after another they walked away smiling, licking sweets, identical copies of the one on the roof.

Sally joined the kids and waited in line, hoping to get the taste of the takeaway sweet.

A minute passed and then ten more. The unsettling feeling of someone watching returned to her, and as she turned to the part of the city, she had just escaped, she saw contours of people lurking in the darkness. Whenever she turned away and back, they got closer. Soon the shadows were split all around the area. One was merged with the shadow of a tree, another with the one of a bench, a dark hand extended from the shade of a car standing a dozen meters away.

She had a feeling in her gut that fleeing was one of the better ideas in this situation. But was this the correct choice after waiting for so long? Waiting was a true pain for Sally and she had endured it for the infinite half an hour. Should she really go away when there were only two children left in between her and the long awaited sweet?

And now there was only one, but all objects around her had their shadows distorted by dark human shapes.

"You came from the wrong part of the city, miss, and you brought trouble. But don't you worry. We're going to fix everything," said the man warmly as he gave Sally a cone with white and red cream decorated with pieces of strawberries. The iceman was bold and had a wide nose. A yellow shiny chain dangled on his neck. He wore a snow white apron on a bright blue uniform and radiated an image of a trustworthy person.

Sally licked the treat and her thoughts flew out to a happy place filled with sunshine, flower gardens, and butterflies. She stayed there before words, getting louder after each repetition brought her back.

"...miss, miss! Wake up and brace yourself!" A child with glasses shook her by the leg.

"Eh?"

The iceman took out a shotgun, picked up a walkie-talkie and spoke into it, "Need all available units on the crossing of Second and Third streets. There are at least four dozens of demon lovers." Waving the hand with the gun above his head, he ordered the children, "Go, kids, make your order proud!"

Multiple black sleeved arms touched Sally from behind.

The ice-man shouted, "Get down!"

As she did, she could sense tiny projectiles flying over her head, leaving a white cloud that carried a flavor of salt. The blast made the cultist fall and cry. Sally got back to her feet. She reached for her pistols but grasped only air. Acting instinctively, she threw the remains of the ice cone to the attackers. It was followed by three small chairs, a cashier, plastic cups and everything else that was within her hands reach until nothing remained.

As a person wearing a mask of a horse stepped out from behind a nearby tree he was swarmed, beaten and bitten by six children before taken down. There were more than twenty kids in the playground, all of them no older than seven years, all of them vicious. One ginger girl climbed a bench and jumped on the back of a cultist with a bird mask. She wrapped one of her long pigtails around the victim's neck, subdued him to the ground and made him tap out. A heavy kid carried his thin friend with glasses on his shoulders, and the little geek violently poked a long stick at everyone who were not his friends.