Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

Militem Dominum · (10-23-2013)

Chapter Two

Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound of raindrops hitting the pavement, the splashes they land with, provide the only background ambiance for this journey. A look up at the sky shows that night had very much set in, and not so much as a single star was in sight, leaving the three men walking along the side of the road vulnerable, and very much alone despite the company of each other. For a brief moment, the sky becomes illuminated in the cold embrace of a flash of lightning that passes by and disappears in the amount of time required to blink. Moments pass, the group continuing the seemingly endless walk down the road when the low rumble of thunder can be heard on the harsh, relentless winds. A slow, low pitched growl to start, it crescendos into an explosion of sound that catches all three men off guard, the surprise causing Anthony to jump and fall backward, pulled into the clutches of the dark, cold, night.

He had fallen without a sound, landed with no impact. The others didn't notice his absence and continued on with their trek further into the pitch black abyss that stood before them, opening its arms wide to accept two more tributes.

What had felt like hours had passed, the storm's intensity matching the progress they had made, rain pelting the two, lighting accenting the lightlessness, the lifelessness of the night sky. Finally; the desperately outreaching glimpses of light emanating from the windows of a gas station that seemed not even 100 feet away pulls them in. Without thinking, without speaking, the two break out in a dead sprint racing not themselves, but something, some force to the entrance, not willing to take defeat as an answer. With each and every step they take, they attempt to speed up, keeping this pace before collapsing beneath the protective awning of the building, no longer pounded by the heavy rainfall. Looking around, Ivan is the first to notice the obvious fact that's wrong with this situation.

"Hey," he begins, gasping in an attempt to catch his breath once again. "Where the fuck is Anthony?"

"I don't know. He was just here," Mani responds, looking around for the faintest hint of movement, or anything that let him know that his friend was somewhere nearby. Seconds passed, feeling minutes and hours with the silence that coated the two. Not a single movement. No signs of life aside from them.

"We have to go back."

"Are you nuts? Look, we'll go inside, and we'll call him." Mani's voice seethed with rage, that was quickly suppressed upon remembrance of their surroundings. Ivan however, stands (well, sits) his ground and refuses to budge.

"You do that. I'm gonna go look for him," Pushing off the ground and standing off, he turns to storm off into the night once more, before Mani's hand grasps his and keeps him from moving another inch.

"No, you aren't. We're gonna call him, and that's that."

"Fuck you!" Visibly agitated; he tries to break the grip, to no avail. Standing up himself, Mani begins to drag his friend by the wrist he refused to lose control of into the interior of the gas station, and upon entering, the two are blasted by an artificial storm of warmth, pelting the two with something other than rain for a change. Ivan lets out a sigh, letting himself into the building and stopping the struggle. Smirking, Mani releases his grasp and returns his hands to his sides.

"Now, was that so hard?"

"Just call him, before I change my mind."

Both men knew that wasn't going to happen. Nevertheless, Mani reaches into his pocket, pulling out nothing but a trowel to plaster the bewildered look on his face. In disbelief; he reaches back into the same pocket, only to pull nothing out again.

"You got your phone, right?"

Eyes widened, Ivan slowly shakes his head no, before coming the revelation that one could assume from the question.

"You're not telling me-"

"I am."

"God fucking dammit!" His face begins to turn a shade of red, and he grabs onto one of the shelves, one that held the variety of chips that were for sale and slamming it onto the ground. The display lands with a crash, an action that brings about an equally loud and startling reaction.

"What the hell is going on out there?!" The voice making this question comes out as mousy and timid, trying hard to be intimidating. Stepping out from the backroom, dressed in a blue polo complete with an overdone nametag, was a scrawny, stereotypical hipster, complete with thick rimmed, lensless glasses.

"Who are you?" Mani's voice sounded more aggressive than it did questioning, causing the hipster employee to jump, and ultimately stumble and fall backward over a poorly placed box on the floor. Rolling through the landing, he ends up on his knees and gets up in a matter of seconds.

"I, am Johnny. I work here. Who are you?" The employee tries in vain to keep a pissed off tone to his voice, hoping to create a sense of non spoken badassery, but can't help his stammering, almost as if he were intimidated by the two men who had come to his store.

Almost as if he had realized that he had customers, he rushes over to the counter, and despite his nervousness, stammers out some inspirational bits of customer service 101.

"Speaking of which; can I help you with anything today?"

Rolling his eyes, Mani shakes his head.

"Do you have a phone?"

"Well, no."

"Then no, we don't need a damn thing." Ivan's voice broke the conversation, growling his unneeded, unwanted response.

"Come on, you guys are my first customers in weeks!"

"Doesn't matter, asshole."

Furious, Ivan storms out of the store, before Mani notices what's going on. Hearing the door close, he springs into action, rushing out the door to chase down his friend. Looking out into the distance once outside however, he sees nothing. No movement, no signs of life.

Just the brown leather suitcase, with the initials I.S. written on the side. The case was opened, as if it had been ravaged. Clothes lay strewn across the concrete ground, the only thing he could see missing...

The flashlight he had packed.

"Oh no..."

His eyes now widened, heart rate increased, Mani stumbles back into the store to the delight of the cashier. Trying to keep his breath under control, he approaches the counter and whispers under his breath to the man named Johnny.

"Do you know the quickest way to Freemont Peak?"

Smiling, Johnny clears his throat before responding with uncharacteristic confidence.

"Not just that, I can even take you there. All you have to do is ask."

No words escaped Mani's mouth. All he did, was look up at the man. The pleading in his eyes did the trick, as Johnny reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys.

"It's time for a road trip! Hell yeah!"

Enthusiastically, he raised his palm up, hoping for a high five.

He didn't get one.

Threaded Mode \| Linear Mode The Search For God Act One, Chapter Two: A Little Rain Never Killed Anyone
Author	Message