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Welcome back.
If you haven't read Chapter One, we highly recommend you do so before reading on.

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Chapter Two
Talltale Heart

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Reyna, Fish, and Lee, with bowls of popcorn and voices of laughter, had a night full of good old fashioned board game fun, but when the dice stopped rolling and the bowls stopped refilling, everyone felt it was finally time to get some rest. Fish and Lee slept in sleeping bags on the living room floor while Reyna slept on the couch near the window, mostly due to her need for background noise as well as to keep her from talking the others to death before bed. The night noises combined with both a full stomach and good mood cast a ray of comfort on Reyna, a feeling that helped her drift off, to relax.

A feeling of familiarity, that everything would be okay. It was a feeling that somehow everything was alright with the world, even in spite of its flaws, and that night, thinking these thoughts and feeling this calm, Reyna had a dream.

In this dream, Reyna was brought back to times she knew, like playing at the park in the woods on a fall day back home, like her first mug of hot chocolate, Christmas, thanksgiving, family, friends, the night noises, sleeping in the car on a long nights trip, the sky, the moon, a story her mother told, a fairy tale, a spark, a dream.

She dreamed she was back home, not here in Oregon, though she did love it here. There was just something different about a childhood home, especially one you spent so many years in, something about it just felt like ‘home’.

She dreamed that she could step in the front door, she saw her old rain boots all piled up neatly, except for one or two that looked recently used, she saw coats hung up in rows and a newly painted door, she saw her dogs’ bed, the water dish, the food bowl. Stepping into the kitchen, she was flooded with the sense of smells and spices from hundreds of wonderful dinners, homemade pasta, pot pie, Turkey, ham, eggs and bacon, buttered toast. All of it rushed back in an instant, she thought her heart couldn’t fill more, but she was proven wrong when she stood in the dining room, remembering laughs, kindness, conversations, and just simple things like passing the salt or laying out plates.

The living room, the backyard, the family room, the stairs, finally she stood outside the door of her own room, so she turned the knob and entered.

Reyna found herself in the middle of a dark street at midnight with pine trees lining the sides stretching on for miles and miles, a lone street lamp shone ahead and nothing else could be seen. The stars illuminated in the sky but not flickering. A car passed, but that was fine, Reyna knew she wouldn’t be hurt. She had never had problems with dreams.

Partially out of curiosity, partially out of a sense of purpose, Reyna walked towards the light on the road. It felt like forever, yet it was a calm walk, and Reyna wished it could only last. However when she finally reached the light, she was greeting by an odd sight.

There was a mop under the light, and one of those yellow water containers that school janitors used, Reyna must have only seen one of these a few times in her life. Why was this here? This seemed strange, surely it hadn’t been here before, right?


Suddenly something caught her eye.

Something had moved through the trees, something was still there, but she couldn’t see it. It had something to do with this bucket, she knew it did. She didn’t want to be near it, but she wanted to leave it’s side far far less. There was something familiar about it, not that she recognized anything about it, more that she understood it, or had been near to it once before.

Her nerves heightened, she was sure something was wrong, she felt like she was supposed to make some sort of choice, but she had no idea what it was. Time was drawing nearer, the area she felt safe to stand, even to think about, grew smaller. She was panicked, she was trapped, she had nowhere else to go.


She grabbed the mop.

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---

Sunny Davis had fallen asleep. And though he didn’t fall into dreams, he did rest content after a long nights work. There is nothing quite like a day like this, the work was hard but enjoyable, the food was good but beneficial, and the tea was just the right heat. This day was almost a poem within itself.

And then the ground shook, the cabin creaking with a long and loud sound, eventually settling back to its foundation. Sunny awoke confused and yet ready to go, he just didn’t know where. He looked around to see what the noise was, and then again it came, it was somehow louder than before, and he nearly fell on his back from the shock.

And while he didn’t quite do that, he did stumbled back into his sink, nearly knocking off a mug in the process. “Agh! What? Ow, gosh.”

Again it was quite, he didn’t even hear birds outside. He took a step out of the kitchen into the living room, which also served as the buildings entrance, and grabbed a yellow raincoat off the rack. He wasn’t sure why raincoats were always yellow, but he had to admit, it was a good look.

Opening the door and stepping outside, rain drops fell around him, and the thin blue light through the clouds and trees took his breath away.

The ground shook again, it was no wonder that all the animals had run away, this was horrible. The grass was covered in worms, the rain combined with the earthquakes had apparently scared them out of the ground. The ground shook once more, it seemed to be fairly consistent. Almost as if there was a pulse every few minutes. Sunny figured he’d count it. So he waited for the next one, and tested it a few times before confirming the time.

“Yup, every sixty seconds, what on earth is this?”

This couldn’t be natural, but if it was man made, where was it coming from? It seemed like his cabin was right in the middle of it.

Sunny pulled out his phone to check the time, 12:07, great. He figured he’d walk down the path a ways to his van to test just where this was all coming from. He only made it a few feet before the next quake, he was getting better at predicting it.

“Take that you darn earthquake thing” he awkwardly muttered to himself as if someone would hear him and think he was weird.

This whole situation was weird. He would have thought his grandparents would tell him if this was normal? The path through the woods was long and curved a few times, it always felt peaceful and beautiful to walk down it, but it felt a lot less nice at 12:08. Another quake hit, but it somehow seemed further away, maybe it was just near his cabin.

That at least seemed to be a relief, maybe he would be able to find a hotel to sleep at, though he wasn’t sure if he’d find any in the collage town nearby. He might have to travel further out. Finally he made it to the van, it was a nice van, fairly old. Sunny had mostly bought it because he thought it was a cool aesthetic, he didn’t really know what type it was, but it moved. That was kinda how Sunny felt about these earthquakes, except instead of not caring but liking it, he just didn’t care.

The earth shook again, and Sunny got the car running.

“Hopefully this won’t be a problem near the road?”

After getting the car started, he left to grab some basic necessities from the cabin, like money, and cereal. As he got closer, another earthquake shook the woods, and yet again leaves fell to the floor around him. This was really something.

“I literally cannot think of a single reason this would be happening.”

It was really really starting to get on his nerves, but he figured he’d ignore it for now.

Earthquake.

That seemed faster than before.

Sunny sped up.

Earthquake.

That had been only thirty seconds.

Sunny ran up and through the door grabbing anything important, papers were scattered over the floor, he grabbed a few and stuffed them in his bag.

Earthquake.

Sunny fell to the floor in a heap, and desperately got up again. He grabbed his laptop, wallet, and a box of pencils. What was he thinking? This wasn’t a test.

Earthquake.

He rushed into the kitchen, almost falling over as he ran, he grabbed a box of cereal and whatever he could find in the cupboard, he stuffed it in as fast as possible, didn’t matter what it was, he had to go.

Earthquake.

It felt so much stronger this time, the sound flooded his ears, to the point where they rang. He wanted to scream, he had to get out. There was one last thing he needed to get. Running to the living room, he grabbed picture frames, picture books, journals, all the really valuable stuff. Sunny wasn’t planning on coming back.

Earthquake.

He made a rush for the door.

Earthquake.

He fell to the ground in shock.

Earthquake.

His mind reeled.

Earthquake.

What was this?

Earthquake.

What was that sound?

Earthquake.

It almost sounded like.

Earthquake.

“a- a heartbeat.”

Suddenly the floorboards ripped up from the cabin floor, and Sunny scooted away as a giant, black claw emerged from the ground. Out of some sort of pit arose this giant matted beastly creature. The room flooded with a sickening green mist that seemed to scream on its own.

It was a cat. And in a gaping hole in its side he saw a huge beating human heart.

The next beat of the heart completely deafened Sunny, and suddenly he found himself outside on the grass. The worms had died. He had to run.

He sprinted down the wooden path, the monster split the cabin in half behind him. He had to get to his van, it was already running, maybe he could make it.

“NO NO NO NO NO”

Or maybe he wouldn’t.

The path ahead was illuminated suddenly by two glowing green beams of light from the cats eyes. He didn’t dare turn around, but he could hear it ripping away trees, the only things that held it back from catching him.

There was a turn in the road up ahead, but Sunny had to make a change of plans, he never turned once, and ran straight off into the woods. Maybe this would give him some time.

Earthquake.

The earth shook again, as it had been more and more, it was the heart that was doing it. It was all the hearts fault, that and the glowing green eyes. Sunny hadn't felt this angry and afraid before in his entire life, he almost felt like laughing.

Earthquake.

He saw a tree actually fly past him, he heard it land far in the distance. This was it, he was gonna die.

Earthquake.

He got to the van, he jumped into the drivers seat. Thank goodness he had left it running. He had to go now.

Earthquake.

The trees behind him shook as he drove full speed down the woodland path.

Earthquake.

He heard a roar from the cat.

Earthquake.

He saw the highway ahead of him.

He saw it in the mirror, no trees blocked it’s path.

Earthquake.

He was so close.

Earthquake.

Would it even matter if he got there? The thing wouldn’t stop!

Earthquake.

The car shook and he heard a shriek of bending metal at the back of the van.

Earthquake.

Just a bit more.

Earthquake.

The mist filled the van, he was so close!

Earthquake.

He had made it! He was on the highway! But it was too late! The monster was just behind! Yet.. it had stopped.

A blood curdling shriek absolutely filled the air, and Sunny stopped asking questions, he stomped on the gas and sped off in whatever direction the road took him. Screaming for at least half a mile.


The cat never followed.

---

---

To say Alexis was terrified would be the understatement of the century. She was in fact so terrified that she couldn't move, couldn’t scream, couldn't think. Alexis had had nightmares before, but never anything like this, this was beyond anything she thought her mind could possibly produce.

Despite this, something about this thing, something about its eye, cut at the very core of her being. Something about it dug deep, something about its one dim eye that never seemed to focus. Alexis soon realized that her fear probably saved her life, this thing hunted by movement.

Thoughts both flooded and emptied from her mind, she couldn’t think critically, but they arrived all the same, flooded with the description of this horrible thing that stood outside her door. The door creaked open an inch more, and she saw the thing in the light.

It stepped into the room, then it stepped into the room again, and soon with horror she realized it had six razor sharp spider legs, horribly deformed and twisted, with sickening blue-green skin covering its form, tearing in places, burnt.

It’s appeared to be a spider, yet from the waste up it had a more troll like form. In the center of its chest was another eye she hadn't noticed at first, it too never focused, it darted around the room as if in a panic. It’s arms were long and wrinkled, ending in long sharp claws. It’s fleshy tornado of a face spun yet stuck in a flurry of teeth, and above it, the eye.

It seemed to be wearing a brown fedora.

It scanned the room, teeth chattering in something that sounded almost intelligent, and then darted silently back into the hallway.

And then Alexis screamed.

She didn’t care if it heard her, if it had ears she hadn’t seen them, and she didn’t think it really mattered, she was doomed. Either way, after screaming into her pillow for a long while, she stopped. Alexis had absolutely no clue what to do with herself, fear consumed her, doubt and anxiety flooded every part of her, she just sat in her bed, staring blankly at the door.

It was there, she knew it. It was toying with her, it would come back in at any minute, it would come back and she would be done. That would be it. Any second now, it would come in, there was no stopping it, there was no escape.

Panic swelled up in Alexis once again, but this time, it wasn't a scream that came out. With all the intensity of a scream, Alexis shot out of bed, she didn’t even remember deciding it, it had already been done. She ran out of the door and shut it behind her, this was it, this was happening.

It was like walking around you’re house at two in the morning, the lights seemed sickly yellow, the spider webs were noticed for the first time, and the sounds and shadows jumped out like a snake. Except the monster was real, monsters were real.

For some reason, out of the insanity, an old video game she had played once came to her mind. It was a text based game about waking up in your house, but nothing is right, no one is there, expect for the monsters. She began to rationalize her situation as a glorified nightmare, before she remembered she had been too scared to finish playing.

‘I’ll win this time.’

The thought rushed through her head before she fully processed it, it was surprisingly confident considering her situation, but it seemed to work for the moment.

As Alexis regained some of her sense, she realized that she had no idea where her family even was.

“They’ll be fine right?” She thought. “I don’t hear anything so they must have already gotten out, maybe they left me here?”

Somehow Alexis doubted that, even though her parents would certainly have left her, they had at least enough sense to call the police.

Alexis walked down the familiar carpeted hallway, the walls were lined with old photographs and even a few childhood drawings here and there, there was a lamp that emitted that sickly yellow light, and the other rooms on this level were just guest rooms. Alexis tried not to look at the photos, they seemed odd to her in the moment, and she had to look out for the spider.

Looking around the corner, Alexis saw more rooms stretched out along the hall ahead, as well as the right stairwell on the far wall. She could faintly hear the spider clicking from the stairs in some near unintelligible language. Though she swore she could make out a few words..

Regardless, she wasn’t getting down this way, not unless she planned to fight a spider monster. (Which she tried her best not to think about) Fortunately, she did know there was a stairwell on the opposite end of the house, and could probably make it there pretty quickly, as long as she didn’t make too much noise. As she snuck away from the spider, she was reminded of a game she had played once with a heartbeat stealth mechanic in it. “Thank goodness I don’t have to time my heartbeats or anything” she thought, mildly amused yet still horrified.

She tried to put the spider far out of mind, but as she passed her bedroom again, she couldn’t help but hear noises. She sped up the walk, just a tiny bit, not enough to make any noise, just enough to get away. Then she heard something like a brick being scraped briefly across the ground, she sped up a bit more. She was much closer now, the stairs were just a few doors away, she walked around the corner.

And there in front of her was a small creature.

Alexis nearly jumped, in fact she very well may have jumped, but fortunately the spider didn’t seem to hear, as she was on the other side of the house. The strange thing didn’t seem threatened or even threatening, just.. curious, and strangely familiar. It was a spherical yet lumpish black thing with stick thin legs and arms, it had no mouth, and it’s skin looked like charcoal, but it did have two dim yellow eyes which looked sad and nostalgic all at once.

“This has to be some sort of nightmare.”

She took a few steps back to walk away, and nearly bumped into another one, practically identical to the last. More walked up, almost crowding the narrow hallway till there were at least six on each side, they were They make a noise like faint chattering teeth, almost as if they were communicating, but the noise stopped when two of them came forward from the hall.

The one in front was nearly the same as the others, but it had something on its head, something made of the same material as the rest of it but yet seemed like an accessory of some sort, it was shaped vaguely like a top hat. The one behind it also seemed like the rest, but it seemed to have something resembling hair, as stiff as the hair may have been.

The one with the hat made its way to the center of the crowd, the way parted for it, and it stood in front of Alexis, looking directly into her eyes. The sadness was still there, but there seemed to be something calming about it. She would have almost felt better if it weren’t for the aching feeling that something was very wrong.

They stared for a bit longer, and then the thing looked around the hall at the others, it’s eyes landed on something on the floor and it picked it up. Alexis couldn’t see what it was till the thing turned around. It was a cigarette, one of her brothers’.

The other things ran off, almost without Alexis noticing, she probably wouldn’t have at all if it wasn’t for the brief chatter they made when they did. The main thing stayed though, staring at the thing in its hand, it looked back at Alexis with something like pity. Then it glanced at the stairs.

She took a step towards them, and then she felt something, the ground was shaking.

She heard the scutter of spider legs growing closer, faster. She heard the noises it made, like a leather sack full of teeth desperately trying to utter out shaky and hoarse words. No. Only one word. Over and over again, she just couldn’t put her finger on it, it had been muttering it all this time. Now she understood what it had been trying to say.


‘Cigarette.’

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