Evermoon

Chapter 29

Mr. Warwick, sat behind the wheel of his dark blue sedan car in a parking space in front of the high school, watching as a few of the students and ex-students were kicking a ball and shooting hoops. It was late evening and the sun was beginning to set. He removed a piece of paper from his glove compartment and unfolded it, smoothing the ridges and edges down to flatten it. It was a list of names and some of them were already crossed out. He read down the list, stopping at a name under a crossed out one. He glanced over the rims of his glasses out towards the field and the playground, eyeing his next victim. He would do nicely, he thought. He had to bide his time, it was too early and too many people around to do anything, so he continued to sit in his car, waiting for his opportunity.

The group of young boys had finished up their game and were all heading back home. Some of them jumped into their cars, offering lifts to those who didn't drive and sped off towards town. While a few opted to walk home. Mr. Warwick, waited patiently, he put his car into gear and followed behind at a snails pace. Kevin Lowell, was a student at Blairs Hollow High school and he had just graduated and was about to leave at the end of summer for University, he walked along the road with his headphones tucked neatly into his ears. He had an athletic build and this spurred Mr. Warwick further, he would be of great use to him. Kevin walked home blissfully unaware, he was on his last stretch, about turn the corner when a dark blue sedan pulled up to the side. Mr. Warwick, stepped out of his car, glancing around nervously for any onlookers. He pulled something from his coat pocket and threw it all over Kevin. Kevin stopped walking, he pulled out his earbuds and turned around. "Kevin, you would like to go for a drive with me?"

Kevin's eyes shifted showing fear, but his body obeyed. Mr. Warwick smiled and opened the passenger side door, ushering him inside. He walked back to the drivers seat and sped off in the direction of his home.

Mr. Warwick pulled into his drive and into his garage and lowered the door. Kevin was now unconscious and his body was limp. Mr. Warwick heaved the dead weight out of the car and dragged his body by the arms along the cold floor into his kitchen and through to his bedroom.

Dropping the arms callously, he went to push his desk forward revealing the trapdoor. He bent down to pick up the body and hauled it over his shoulder, he went down the ladder into the familiar pit of darkness and eerie hallway.

He came out into the dome and walked down another archway where he kept his prisoners, he placed his palm next to the panel and the magic wall went up, he shoved the body inside next to a few other limp bodies and closed it again.

"Hey! Hey! You said you would let us go if I made that potion for you. It's time to pay up." The woman shouted with her last scrap of energy.

"And how do you plan on making me do that?" He chuckled. He put his hand inside his cloak and produced an apple, he took a bite, crunching loudly as the sweet juice trickled down the side of his mouth. The woman looked up at him, salivating, distracted. Her eyes focused on the apple in his hand.

"I'll give you this apple, if you start behaving." She nodded eagerly. He went to the side placing his palm on the magical panel, rising the magic wall. He threw in the apple and she charged at him. Rushing him off his feet and winding him. She scratched him where she could, like a feral rabid animal. She glanced at her husband behind her and Mr. Warwick continued to thrash underneath her lithe weight and she glanced ahead of her, she knew what she needed to do, she hoped it would be for the best.

She head butted Mr. Warwick causing his head to bounce off the floor and he stopped fidgeting. She dragged his body across the hall and tried to bring his hand up to the magical wall to release it. He was too low on the ground for her, she bent her knees and tried to haul his body up, a burst of energy shot through her body, at the hope that was almost accessible. She managed to reach the panel with just the pads of his fingers but it was enough to raise the magic wall. She dropped his arm and crawled the rest of the way to Arnold. He was weaker than before and badly hurt. She tried to shake him, she didn't know how much time she had left before he regained consciousness.

"Mmm, what do you want now?" Arnold asked in a daze.

"Arnold, it's me Leonora! Wake up. Please, we don't have much time. You need to go!"

"Leonora, is that you? How?" He asked, mustering energy to turn to the side and saw their capturer on the floor unconsious.

"I don't have time to explain, but you need to go. It's getting out of hand now, that's the seventh body. I shouldn't have gave it to him, but I really thought he would have let us go once he no longer needed us. You must warn the others!"

"You must do it, you have far more to lose than I" He replied.

"I fear if I do, then he will kill Andrew. I can't leave his side, I must protect him." She said looking back at her Husband laying on the cold paved ground, taking shallow breaths.

"Where do I go?" Arnold asked, finding strength to stand.

"I don't know, take one of the Archways, that should lead you somewhere." She replied.

Arnold, hobbled out of the cell and stepped over Mr. Warwicks unconscious body. "I'll be back for you!" He called over his shoulder and he continued walking down the archway and into the dome, he walked around the tomb like dais, inspecting and mentally recording for his notes. He walked past the archway, where Mr. Warwick took them to be tortured, he tried to listen for sounds of anything, the wind, water. But there was no sound in the large dome. He walked to another archway and decided to walk down that one. It was dark and cold, but he fumbled his way through the narrow walkway, he walked like that, for what felt like hours. He refused to look back and kept putting his feet forward, afraid if he did so, this dream he woke up to would turn into what it really was - a nightmare.

"No, no, no!" He said, as he came to a dead end. He felt around in the dark along the walls and nothing. Giving up he rested his back against a wall and felt something hard poking him in his head. He felt behind him for the offensive item and found that it was a piece of wood and it was connected to something. He turned around, hope coursing through his veins and he scrambled up further, it was a rope ladder.

He put his foot on the first rung he could find and he pulled himself up, one by one. When he was halfway up the rope ladder, one of the wooden steps broke apart from rot and mildew, causing Arnold to lose his footing. He held onto the rung above him and straightened up, trying to get a better hold of himself. He pulled himself up and placed his foot on the next rung up, and he climbed effortlessly the rest of the way.

"You've got to be kidding me!" He said, once he reached the top of the ladder. The door wouldn't budge, no matter how much pressure he applied. He banged as loud as he could above him, hoping that anyone could hear him. The bangs and his shouts echoed all around him, vibrating along the walls. He didn't know how much time he had left before that crazed man found him, but he didn't want to wait to find out. He continued banging.

His arms were beginning to weaken, the adrenaline he was once filled with was now beginning to dissipate and all the aches and pains he had before, had all come rushing back with a force. Just when he decided death was a better fate, the trap door above opened revealing a very familiar and beautiful face.

"What on Earth? Arnold?" Grandma Claire asked in shock.

"Well, isn't your face a sight for sore eyes." He replied. "Help me out, will you?"

"Oh of course." She said fumbling and hoisting him out.

"What in the stars and moon?! Where did you just come from?" She asked as they both fell to the ground.

"From hell." He said before giving up to the darkness that offered peace.