spontaneousquirrel
The room was dark and empty, with only the moonlight streaming through the curtains to light her way, but she could see that once the lights were on, it would be quite cheerful. Shelves ran the lengths of the walls, lined with various loose-leaf teas. The back counter held a coffee grinder, though she could already tell it would need repairs before it would be functional.
She smiled slightly. Looks like it would be tea for awhile.
Tim looked up nervously at the nice woman with brown hair, and then back over to Michael.
"Do I have to?" His voice was weaker than he would have liked, and he couldn't keep the tremble out of it.
Michael smiled, though Tim could see the worry behind his eyes, and put his hands on Tim's shoulders. "They just want you to make a simple statement, Tim. That's all. Don't even look at Him. All you have to do is tell the truth, okay? Jan's going to help you as best as she can."
Tim glanced at the woman, and turned back to Michael. "And then I can live with you?"
"Absolutely."
He took a breath, and let it out slowly. He squared his shoulders and tried to look brave.
"Okay."
The motion of the bare bulb was hypnotic as it swayed back and forth on the thin, frayed wire.
Back and forth, back and forth.
The shadows danced and swirled along the cracked and pitted ceiling as the bulb swung; a portal into dark times and darker memories. Outside, the thunder rolled, a continuous explosion of air, leaving behind the overwhelming scent of ozone.
Back and forth, back and forth.
Horns blared and shouts rang out as eh wove in and out of traffic, the engine of his Valkyrie screaming. Behind him, sirens wailed. He couldn't get caught. He couldn't be late. The consequences would be unimaginable.
A semi changed lanes up ahead, and he gritted his teeth. "Dammit."
Quickly veering to the right, he downshifted, revved the engine, and popped the front tire up off the ground just in time to bounce onto the sidewalk. A portly middle-aged man in a business suit with an expensive briefcase blanched and jumped back, tripping and landing on his rear.
He stood outside the door of the medical plaza, staring at the crumbling, faded plaster and the torn scraps of posters and advertisements that had once lined the walls. He clutched his left arm to his chest, wincing as a fresh stab of pain lanced from his fingertips to his shoulder. A car horn blared down the street, the sound bouncing off the ramshackle buildings lining the block.
This place didn't look promising at all. He tried to flex his fingers, still attempting to convince himself he wasn't hurt that badly. Another flare of pain made him grit his teeth.
He sighed. There was nothing for it then. With a deep breath, he reached his good hand out and grasped the oily, dirty door handle.
"Welcome," He said, spreading his arms out to the side to encompass the vast space, a terrible grin cracking his face in two, "To my Gallery!"
One by one, the lights to the warehouse crashed on, illuminating the scene around them.
Cheryl's eyes widened in horror and her mouth dropped open. Jeremy's face drained of color and he swayed on the spot.
Cheryl covered her mouth with a trembling hand. "No...oh, God, no..."
"From up here, everyone looks like little ants!" The small boy was holding onto his mother's hand and dragging her towards the edge of the platform, his free hand reaching for the rail. A wide grin split his face, proudly showing off his missing front teeth. His poor mother was pale with fright, and she was leaning back, away from the rail so it seemed her son was the only thing holding her up. I had to wonder how on earth she'd managed to make it all the way to the top in the first place.
The things we do for kids, eh?
He had no clue what to do next. The whole plan had fallen to shreds, the moment Jerry opened that cabinet. Alarms blared throughout the empty building, red lights strobing across the blank walls, making them appear otherworldly. Menacing shadows danced and leaped from the desks to the walls to the doors.
The success of the entire project hinged on this one moment. This one decision. He could change the world, he knew. But for better or for worse?
Maybe yes, maybe no.
He stood on the edge, looking down to the destroyed landscape below. Water lapped up to the second floor, the usual flow of debris slamming into the wall with every wave. He'd never left the safety of the building, never gone to the Outside, but with the New Ones intruding and attacking the small group, he knew that soon he would have no choice.
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