Ringing in the Sane
Down and Out
The van pulled into the driveway of the abandoned house, the stones making crunching noises as they made contact with the tyres.
No-one had said one word whilst we were driving here, the tension had been unbelievable.
Jared turned off the engine and hopped out of the car, the rest of us followed soon after.
He made to walk into the house, but Pixie called him back quietly.
“Luke, can you get the bag out of the car?” he asked. “Now, everyone,” he began once Luke had emerged from the van, bag in hand, “you’ve each got one grenade.”
Luke passes said grenades out.
I gulped. Grenades?
“Do not use them, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Most likely, if one goes off, we’re all dead. These are for emergencies only.” He looked at Jared. “Dire emergencies.”
“Yessir,” Jared said stiffly, not looking Pixie in the eye.
Luke then proceeded to give me and Leaton guns, the other guys already had their own. “You each have one spare clip of ammo,” he said as he handed them to us. “Don’t waste it, because that’s all we have.”
I gulped again as I looked at the weapon in my hand. It was heavier than it looked, and colder.
“I’ll go in first, then Leaton, Pete, Jared, Luke,” Pixie said.
“I think I should go in first,” Luke objected. “You–”
“If anyone should go in first, it should be me,” said Jared.
“I’m the leader, I go in first.” Pixie looked around at us. “Okay, now, as soon as you see Desmond, kill him. Don’t hesitate, just kill him.”
“Thanks, Pixie. I’m so glad you’re here,” Jared muttered under his breath so only I could hear.
“But what if he gets one of us and uses them as a hostage?” Luke asked.
“Don’t give him the chance.”
“But–”
“Don’t. Now let’s go.” Pixie started off toward the front door.
The five of us entered the door in the order Pixie dictated. I was so nervous I thought my heart would give up on me, it was beating so fast.
We spread out into the room, but we couldn’t see any sign of Desmond.
The room was still as dusty and abandoned-looking as it was when Jared, Luke and I were here last. It was dark, and the lights weren’t working – Luke had tried a light switch. I could only see outlines of things – people, couches, chairs.
Then all of a sudden, something was very, very wrong...but I didn’t know what.
I did a survey of the room. There was Pixie and Luke standing by the couch, seeing if Desmond was near the lounge, Leaton a few metres to my left, and Jared and Leaton over by the wall opposite.
Everything was fine.
Wait.
Two Leatons?
“He’s there!” I screamed and pointed to where Jared was.
Quick as anything, Desmond grabbed a startled Jared and held him in front of his body like a shield. In one hand he held a gleaming knife pressed against Jared’s neck.
Desmond laughed, cold and triumphant. “Hello, boys.”
Jared looked terrified. I was so scared that he was going to be hurt, I could barely breathe.
“Leave him, Des,” Leaton tried to plead with his brother.
“I could possibly stop now, dear Leaton.” Desmond grinned, revealing eerily white, gleaming teeth. “I’m too far gone by now.”
“Don’t hurt him!” I blurted out.
“Ooh, who’s this, Jared? Goodness me, you’ve got another boy already?” he whispered loudly into Jared’s ear. “Did you miss me?”
Jared didn’t say anything, just scrunched up his mouth and closed his eyes.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leaton pull a knife out from somewhere. He was slowly advancing toward Desmond and Jared.
Desmond was too busy whispering into Jared’s ear to notice.
I quickly copied Leaton’s moves. If we could overpower Desmond, then maybe...
Pixie suddenly shot at the roof – Leaton and I saw our chance and dove at Desmond and Jared. We became a mass of flailing limbs, Leaton’s knife found its target of Desmond’s body. He screamed.
I saw another knife flash and hit someone’s chest.
I was so confused I couldn’t tell whose chest it was – mine, Leaton’s or Jared’s. Everyone was screaming and bleeding and my whole body was aching. It was as though we were all one person.
My heart was beating too fast, too fast, surely I couldn’t stay conscious for much longer.
People were saying my name, Jared’s name, Leaton’s name. I blacked out; my body couldn’t handle this anymore.
No-one had said one word whilst we were driving here, the tension had been unbelievable.
Jared turned off the engine and hopped out of the car, the rest of us followed soon after.
He made to walk into the house, but Pixie called him back quietly.
“Luke, can you get the bag out of the car?” he asked. “Now, everyone,” he began once Luke had emerged from the van, bag in hand, “you’ve each got one grenade.”
Luke passes said grenades out.
I gulped. Grenades?
“Do not use them, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Most likely, if one goes off, we’re all dead. These are for emergencies only.” He looked at Jared. “Dire emergencies.”
“Yessir,” Jared said stiffly, not looking Pixie in the eye.
Luke then proceeded to give me and Leaton guns, the other guys already had their own. “You each have one spare clip of ammo,” he said as he handed them to us. “Don’t waste it, because that’s all we have.”
I gulped again as I looked at the weapon in my hand. It was heavier than it looked, and colder.
“I’ll go in first, then Leaton, Pete, Jared, Luke,” Pixie said.
“I think I should go in first,” Luke objected. “You–”
“If anyone should go in first, it should be me,” said Jared.
“I’m the leader, I go in first.” Pixie looked around at us. “Okay, now, as soon as you see Desmond, kill him. Don’t hesitate, just kill him.”
“Thanks, Pixie. I’m so glad you’re here,” Jared muttered under his breath so only I could hear.
“But what if he gets one of us and uses them as a hostage?” Luke asked.
“Don’t give him the chance.”
“But–”
“Don’t. Now let’s go.” Pixie started off toward the front door.
The five of us entered the door in the order Pixie dictated. I was so nervous I thought my heart would give up on me, it was beating so fast.
We spread out into the room, but we couldn’t see any sign of Desmond.
The room was still as dusty and abandoned-looking as it was when Jared, Luke and I were here last. It was dark, and the lights weren’t working – Luke had tried a light switch. I could only see outlines of things – people, couches, chairs.
Then all of a sudden, something was very, very wrong...but I didn’t know what.
I did a survey of the room. There was Pixie and Luke standing by the couch, seeing if Desmond was near the lounge, Leaton a few metres to my left, and Jared and Leaton over by the wall opposite.
Everything was fine.
Wait.
Two Leatons?
“He’s there!” I screamed and pointed to where Jared was.
Quick as anything, Desmond grabbed a startled Jared and held him in front of his body like a shield. In one hand he held a gleaming knife pressed against Jared’s neck.
Desmond laughed, cold and triumphant. “Hello, boys.”
Jared looked terrified. I was so scared that he was going to be hurt, I could barely breathe.
“Leave him, Des,” Leaton tried to plead with his brother.
“I could possibly stop now, dear Leaton.” Desmond grinned, revealing eerily white, gleaming teeth. “I’m too far gone by now.”
“Don’t hurt him!” I blurted out.
“Ooh, who’s this, Jared? Goodness me, you’ve got another boy already?” he whispered loudly into Jared’s ear. “Did you miss me?”
Jared didn’t say anything, just scrunched up his mouth and closed his eyes.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leaton pull a knife out from somewhere. He was slowly advancing toward Desmond and Jared.
Desmond was too busy whispering into Jared’s ear to notice.
I quickly copied Leaton’s moves. If we could overpower Desmond, then maybe...
Pixie suddenly shot at the roof – Leaton and I saw our chance and dove at Desmond and Jared. We became a mass of flailing limbs, Leaton’s knife found its target of Desmond’s body. He screamed.
I saw another knife flash and hit someone’s chest.
I was so confused I couldn’t tell whose chest it was – mine, Leaton’s or Jared’s. Everyone was screaming and bleeding and my whole body was aching. It was as though we were all one person.
My heart was beating too fast, too fast, surely I couldn’t stay conscious for much longer.
People were saying my name, Jared’s name, Leaton’s name. I blacked out; my body couldn’t handle this anymore.