Into Thin Air - 5 - The Creature

Manson hasn't spoken in a while. He still doesn't understand what's happening with his friend. They've known each other for years yet never once Manson saw him so scared and confused.

What Happened today? Manson asked.

He attempts to rub the dirt off his face.

You'll not believe me for a second. He said.

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Flashback

The phonograph starts to play and Aldon has already left the house. Patrick moves slowly towards the living room, a sense of eerie and deja vu all around him. He can hear a sweet voice humming along with the music. The girl absentmindedly humming and swaying along with the tune and suddenly sees him coming towards her. She smiles.

Nathaniel is coming over. She sounds excited.

Who's Nathaniel? She blushes but soon her smiling face drowns in sadness.

My father doesn't like him. He thinks Nathaniel is beneath us. It makes me sad when Father treats him badly. He always says Oksana, do not talk to the boy. Oksana, do not smile at him. There's no reason for you to be friendly with him. It upsets me but he usually ignores it.

Your name is Oksana? He questions.

She spaces out but comes back again. Yes, that is my name.

Do you like playing that music? He asks.

Yes, I do. It reminds me of when Nikolai would be playing and I'd be listening. She says.

You and your brother are very close I guess. He says.

Yes, he is my angel. Always backs me up and tries to save me from my father's wrath. I don't know why Father gets so mad at me. I'm glad Nikolai is with me.

What about your mother? He asks.

My mother? bemused for a moment. I don't remember. She replies looking out the window in a haze.

The crawling sound starts and is getting louder. He snapped his head behind him to figure out where the noise is coming from then looks back at her. She has a panic-stricken expression on her face. He's here. She says.

Who's here? He asks

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She's stepping backward, shaking her head. He looks over his
shoulder once more, looking forward, she's not there anymore.

Again she disappears but this time out of fear. What is she afraid of!

What was the thing that frightened her so? More importantly, how does she disappear without a trace? What is making that crawling sound inside the house?

He heads towards the basement, the same basement he hasn't visited since that night. He opens the door and this time he doesn't ask if anyone is there but walks down to the bottom of the stairs. Now standing at the exact same place where he fell that night, he looks around. His eyes caught something moving swiftly in the corner but can't see clearly due to the darkness. He trips and falls on his knees, groans in pain. Looking up, he sees the most terrifying thing in his life.

A creature is menacingly looking at him. By the appearance, it looks dead, rotten skin and flesh, greenish pus coming out of it. It doesn't look like a creature, rather a dead human. The creature or man grins widely at him. He falls on his back and stumbles till his back hits the wall. It starts to crawl around and comes charging at him. He tries to defend himself raising his hands over him.

Nothing. No attack. No creature. He's alone in the basement

He stares into the darkness for a while, waiting on edge. His subconscious is screaming at him to get up and run out, his fear is rooting him to his place, unable to move.

Deafening silence, no sound of anything crawling or moving, so eerily still. No, there's the sound of him breathing and his heart pulsating, reminding him he's still alive and unharmed. Unharmed? That may be a little exaggeration after what he had experienced. After scuffling in his position for a few more minutes, he prepares himself to get moving but it seems he can't get out of his trance. His head snapped in the direction of a car screeching to a halt that jolts him out of his confused state and urged him to get moving, and he did. He ran out the door only to find Manson at the stairs of the front door.

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Manson hasn't taken a sip since he poured on his glass, captivated and clueless. He's sitting across from his friend trying to put pieces together of something unexplainable.

This is unbelievable! Not that you're lying. It doesn't make sense. Manson speaks

You think I don't know? I do. I can't wrap my head around what and why is any of this happening. He says.

You should move out for the time being. Manson is concerned.

I'll think about it. He's unsure of what to do.

At least for tonight. Let me drop you off at a hotel and tomorrow we'll figure what to do next. Manson's suggestion is making him rethink.

For tonight, he doesn't need another commotion.

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Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air - 2
Into Thin Air - 3 - The House
Into Thin Air - 4 - Something Crawls

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