The Blackening
Chapter 4
Paralysed with fear, both Maddie and Gerard remained still, as the scratching noises steadily grew louder.
A whimper escaped Maddie’s mouth involuntarily, just as Mikey’s voice echoed throughout the lobby.
“Gerard?!! Madd……”
Gerards eyes grew wide. “Shit Mikey!!” he whispered to himself.
Before Maddie could stop him, Gerard was on his feet and witnessed the horrific creature shuffling over in Mikey’s direction, where he just stood dumbstruck at the lobby door.
“MIKEY RUN!!” Gerard yelled.
But Mikey, made no attempt to run, which didn’t seem to matter now, as the creatures attention turned to Gerard.
Maddie had now reluctantly got to her feet and grabbed hold of Gerards arm in fear.
There was no way of describing the black creature. It was so deformed and mutilated, that it was impossible to distinguish it from any other species. It’s red eyes stood out a mile.
Maddie opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.
The creature now began sliding over towards Gerard and Maddie.
“MIKEY, GET THE OTHERS AND GET OUT OF HERE!!” Gerard yelled across to his brother, as he and Maddie continued to back away.
Mikey seemed to regain movement in his limbs, as he hurried away from sight.
“What are we gonna do?!” Maddie cried, as she buried her face into Gerards shoulder blade, as the mere sight of the creature was scaring her half to death.
Gerard quickly scanned the limited number of options in his head and suddenly decided on the safest one. Well it wasn’t particularly safe in any sense, but it was the best option he had.
“Maddie, I’m gonna sprint across the lobby and distract that thing, and then I want you run straight back upstairs and go with the others.” Gerard quickly explained to her, as his eyes remained fixed on the advancing creature.
“What?! Gerard, no!!”
“Yes Maddie, go! Please, just trust me!” he pleaded, as they both backed as far away as possible and were now pressed against the reception wall. “Escape through one of the other fire exits!”
“But you…”
Before Maddie could say anything else, Gerard had leapt over the reception desk and ran toward the hotel entrance.
Glancing back, he saw the creature now coming after him.
“MADDIE RUN NOW!!” he yelled back before venturing outside and running down the street.
Scared witless about Gerard’s safety, Maddie’s eyes were brimming with tears, as she watched the creature drag itself outside in search of Gerard.
Trying to dodge the sea of corpses once again, she did her best to run upstairs to find the others.
Once she reached their hotel room, she saw Frank and Sammie stood at the window, which was wide open and both of them were peering out.
“What are you both doing?” Maddie asked, wiping tears from her eyes, as she hurried over.
“We’re escaping through the window.” Frank explained, as he held a ladder steady, where Ray was climbing down onto the extended protruding roof of the floor below.
“We got the ladder from the store room down the corridor.” Sammie added, as she observed Maddie’s confused expression at the ladder. “All the other fucking fire exits on this floor have been blocked by someone and we can’t get access to any of the other floors. We only have access to the fire escape route down to the lobby, which is where you’ve just come from.”
“Hey, where’s Gerard?!” Frank asked suddenly, looking worried.
“He ran out!” Maddie told him, trying to hold back the tears. “I dunno where he’s going, but that creature went after him!!!”
“What creature?” Sammie asked wide eyed.
“Didn’t Mikey tell you?!” Maddie said, rather hysterically. “Hang on where is Mikey?!”
“He went down to find you!” Frank replied.
“But Gee told him to come back up here and get you guys out!!” Maddie explained. “If he hasn’t come back, how did you guys know to make a quick escape out of here?!”
“It was Ray’s idea!” Sammie told her. “We could hear the commotion downstairs and we heard Gerard shouting, so Ray kinda panicked and made a point that we needed to get out of here pronto and fetch help! Like I said none of the other fire exits were accessible so the window was the only other option.”
“Oh my god…” Frank muttered, as he made a move for the door again. “Where the hell is Mikey then?!”
“No wait Frank!! Please don’t go down there!” Maddie pleaded. “There could be more of those creatures!!”
“What creatures are you talking about?!!” Frank snapped without meaning to.
“Hey somebody hold the ladder!” Rays voice came from somewhere outside the window. In response to Rays cry, Sammie held the ladder steady, as Ray continued to climb down.
“I don’t know what they are Frank!!” Maddie cried. “But we are not going back down there!”
“So we’re just gonna leave Mikey now are we?!! And Bob!! Where the fuck did Bob go?!!” Frank almost yelled in a panic, as he punched the door in frustration.
“Frank, just please calm down will you!” Sammie called from the window. “We need to keep calm here!”
Frank’s expression seemed to settle a little, as he rubbed his temples vigorously, as if trying to wipe the anger out of him physically.
“As soon, as we get out of here, we’ll fetch help and find Mikey and Bob.” Maddie, reassured him, although she had a feeling that no help would come.
What was happening to them?
Gerard had no idea where he was running to, but he carried on as fast as his feet would carry him. On and on he ran through the long deserted street where shattered glass covered the concrete beneath him. He glanced behind him every two seconds to see if the creature was still following.
It seemed he had lost it for the time being. Where it had gone, he didn’t know.
Stopping in his tracks, Gerard took the risk and leaned against a nearby wall and tried to catch his breath.
He hoped Maddie had reached the others and they had all got out safely.
Looking around the deserted streets, his panic began to surface again.
Where was everybody?!
What was going on?!
What was that thing?!
Those questions were pushed away, as fast as they had arisen, as a sudden explosion could be heard in the distance.
Feeling his heart rate quicken once more, Gerard dared himself to look around the corner, to where the noise came from.
Squinting in the morning sunlight, he could make out a cloud of smoke about 10 metres away from where he stood.
But before he could scrutinise the scene any further, he caught a movement in the corner of his eye…
A whimper escaped Maddie’s mouth involuntarily, just as Mikey’s voice echoed throughout the lobby.
“Gerard?!! Madd……”
Gerards eyes grew wide. “Shit Mikey!!” he whispered to himself.
Before Maddie could stop him, Gerard was on his feet and witnessed the horrific creature shuffling over in Mikey’s direction, where he just stood dumbstruck at the lobby door.
“MIKEY RUN!!” Gerard yelled.
But Mikey, made no attempt to run, which didn’t seem to matter now, as the creatures attention turned to Gerard.
Maddie had now reluctantly got to her feet and grabbed hold of Gerards arm in fear.
There was no way of describing the black creature. It was so deformed and mutilated, that it was impossible to distinguish it from any other species. It’s red eyes stood out a mile.
Maddie opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.
The creature now began sliding over towards Gerard and Maddie.
“MIKEY, GET THE OTHERS AND GET OUT OF HERE!!” Gerard yelled across to his brother, as he and Maddie continued to back away.
Mikey seemed to regain movement in his limbs, as he hurried away from sight.
“What are we gonna do?!” Maddie cried, as she buried her face into Gerards shoulder blade, as the mere sight of the creature was scaring her half to death.
Gerard quickly scanned the limited number of options in his head and suddenly decided on the safest one. Well it wasn’t particularly safe in any sense, but it was the best option he had.
“Maddie, I’m gonna sprint across the lobby and distract that thing, and then I want you run straight back upstairs and go with the others.” Gerard quickly explained to her, as his eyes remained fixed on the advancing creature.
“What?! Gerard, no!!”
“Yes Maddie, go! Please, just trust me!” he pleaded, as they both backed as far away as possible and were now pressed against the reception wall. “Escape through one of the other fire exits!”
“But you…”
Before Maddie could say anything else, Gerard had leapt over the reception desk and ran toward the hotel entrance.
Glancing back, he saw the creature now coming after him.
“MADDIE RUN NOW!!” he yelled back before venturing outside and running down the street.
Scared witless about Gerard’s safety, Maddie’s eyes were brimming with tears, as she watched the creature drag itself outside in search of Gerard.
Trying to dodge the sea of corpses once again, she did her best to run upstairs to find the others.
Once she reached their hotel room, she saw Frank and Sammie stood at the window, which was wide open and both of them were peering out.
“What are you both doing?” Maddie asked, wiping tears from her eyes, as she hurried over.
“We’re escaping through the window.” Frank explained, as he held a ladder steady, where Ray was climbing down onto the extended protruding roof of the floor below.
“We got the ladder from the store room down the corridor.” Sammie added, as she observed Maddie’s confused expression at the ladder. “All the other fucking fire exits on this floor have been blocked by someone and we can’t get access to any of the other floors. We only have access to the fire escape route down to the lobby, which is where you’ve just come from.”
“Hey, where’s Gerard?!” Frank asked suddenly, looking worried.
“He ran out!” Maddie told him, trying to hold back the tears. “I dunno where he’s going, but that creature went after him!!!”
“What creature?” Sammie asked wide eyed.
“Didn’t Mikey tell you?!” Maddie said, rather hysterically. “Hang on where is Mikey?!”
“He went down to find you!” Frank replied.
“But Gee told him to come back up here and get you guys out!!” Maddie explained. “If he hasn’t come back, how did you guys know to make a quick escape out of here?!”
“It was Ray’s idea!” Sammie told her. “We could hear the commotion downstairs and we heard Gerard shouting, so Ray kinda panicked and made a point that we needed to get out of here pronto and fetch help! Like I said none of the other fire exits were accessible so the window was the only other option.”
“Oh my god…” Frank muttered, as he made a move for the door again. “Where the hell is Mikey then?!”
“No wait Frank!! Please don’t go down there!” Maddie pleaded. “There could be more of those creatures!!”
“What creatures are you talking about?!!” Frank snapped without meaning to.
“Hey somebody hold the ladder!” Rays voice came from somewhere outside the window. In response to Rays cry, Sammie held the ladder steady, as Ray continued to climb down.
“I don’t know what they are Frank!!” Maddie cried. “But we are not going back down there!”
“So we’re just gonna leave Mikey now are we?!! And Bob!! Where the fuck did Bob go?!!” Frank almost yelled in a panic, as he punched the door in frustration.
“Frank, just please calm down will you!” Sammie called from the window. “We need to keep calm here!”
Frank’s expression seemed to settle a little, as he rubbed his temples vigorously, as if trying to wipe the anger out of him physically.
“As soon, as we get out of here, we’ll fetch help and find Mikey and Bob.” Maddie, reassured him, although she had a feeling that no help would come.
What was happening to them?
Gerard had no idea where he was running to, but he carried on as fast as his feet would carry him. On and on he ran through the long deserted street where shattered glass covered the concrete beneath him. He glanced behind him every two seconds to see if the creature was still following.
It seemed he had lost it for the time being. Where it had gone, he didn’t know.
Stopping in his tracks, Gerard took the risk and leaned against a nearby wall and tried to catch his breath.
He hoped Maddie had reached the others and they had all got out safely.
Looking around the deserted streets, his panic began to surface again.
Where was everybody?!
What was going on?!
What was that thing?!
Those questions were pushed away, as fast as they had arisen, as a sudden explosion could be heard in the distance.
Feeling his heart rate quicken once more, Gerard dared himself to look around the corner, to where the noise came from.
Squinting in the morning sunlight, he could make out a cloud of smoke about 10 metres away from where he stood.
But before he could scrutinise the scene any further, he caught a movement in the corner of his eye…