"Oh wow!" Cedric spoke while holding the bundle up in the air and standing on tip toes just to admire the amount of money he was holding. It was a very huge amount and he didn't know what he was going to buy using it, and it was almost as if spending it all in the market was still going to leave him with enough to rent a house.
"I must be lucky to have just a great master like her!" He spoke while turning around and looking at the crowd of shops as his steps lifted towards the row of miniature models of different towers and cultural heritages being showcased in the form of a clay structure.
"But also... I would like to go and visit my old fellas from the Banshees..." He looked towards an abandoned alley with torn pieces of fabric scattered up in the front and hesitated a very long time. Then, unwillingly, his steps moved forward and within seconds, he was already inside the alley, looking at the tents in the most dim spot of the small space.
Pulling open the covers of the one closest to the front, he slowly got inside and held the nose of the sleeping person, making it harder to breathe by the passing second. "I can't breathe!" The prisoner sat up immediately while grabbing his wrist and sending him backwards. Looking up, he let go of the hand with an annoyed and irritated face. "Why do you never learn to respect the elderly?!"
"Well because now I am in a much more recognized position then you are... I get to treat you guys the level you deserve." He added with a smile while sitting down properly against the tent's surface. It was large enough for six people to sit at once, but he only wanted to meet them one at a time. "Remember the time you guys made fun of me because I was extremely poor and weak?" He asked after a long moment of silence.
"Now you are taking me into a guilt trip?" The prisoner added with a furrowed brow. He laughed for a short while to see if he was joking, but the truth was never a thing to make fun of. "I am serious you know? You once said I was never going to be able to get into a better position." Cedric added as he stayed gazing at the prisoner. "But then... come to think of it... I have gotten myself a better life then what you thought I would get if I accepted the girl's offer."
"..." The prisoner heavily breathed out while placing a hand against his face and spoke with a very soft voice. "I am sorry for judging you back then. Is that what you wanted me to say?" He asked while expecting no reply, but a slight pat was felt at his shoulder as he looked up to face the child who was once just a clumsy member who was trying his best to survive.
"No... I came to give you something." Handing out five bills, he walked out of the tent just to add five more before he left towards the others, where he left ten each too. Looking at his back, he seemed to have gotten much more healthier and more joyous then the usually depressed and expressionless person he had last seen when they worked together at the Banshees.
He looked back down at his own hands, to see the pieces of papers brushing against his fingertips. Only this much? Is this all he has got? He scoffed to himself as he got out of the tent with a shovel and walked towards the retreating person. "Hey kid!" He shouted behind him as Cedric turned around instantly.
"I am sorry to be saying this a little too late... but I think you should let the girl know we have gotten ourselves some job as a gravedigger." He smiled while placing back five of the notes inside his pockets. "I am glad... you made it out of the trash life..." He trialed off with a smile while walking out of the steel alley towards the graveyard.
"Well that's awesome." Cedric replied as he slowly moved back multiple steps and got ready to run, but then, he remembered that one grave with the dark grey stone and it's intricate handwriting. "Then you must know about Lady Gray's death then." He added with a soft voice and looked down to the ground.
"Yes... we all know. And I honestly wanted to rip the girl into shreds when I saw it... but I also remembered the way our underboss would torture someone and that the girl might have just done so to be able to stay alive." The opposite person scratched his head as he stopped his tracks to say a few more words. "But for now... all I can say is may she rest in peace and may the girl's burdens and stalkers die."
"...You know?" Cedric asked while watching the person's face with a close look. "Yes... she doesn't seem to have just one person who wants to kill her. And she didn't seem to be doing good mentally the last time I saw her walking down the alley." He added as his shovel and hand fell to his sides. "And either ways, I think she will successfully be able to lift them. Her mentality will take multiple hundreds of thousands of people to break... but she will still not be broken an inch."
"...Your observations are odd... are you the ones stalking her somehow?" Cedric narrowed his eyes while placing a hand under his chin. His face turned somewhat scary to look at under the hood as his piercing blue eyes shadowed with a killing intent, and a little bit of a dark bluish colour wave hovered around his standing position.
"Uh... definitely not! I just saw her a couple times and I judged based on that!" He immediately started sweating from his forehead and held out his hands. "But either ways... I just hope she does better in life in the future. And now... I just need hurry back otherwise my boss will take away my month worth of salary." With that, he fled out of sight.
"Then if he wouldn't answer... I will ask the rest some other day." His eyes fell towards the surrounding tents as he walked back towards the market with the bundle of cash still at his hands. "But I also want to know who else is stalking her... will I be able to exterminate them by myself?" He silently spoke to himself as he realized the crowd around the marketplace.
Nevermind... all I can do is alert her and send her into a mental disorder. She already has trust issues... and that is enough for now.Although, I really want to know what she is doing right now? What was with that hurry?
***
"That was quick! Look at the poor girl who had gotten stranded with the rest of us!" Not the voice she had heard coming from the monster who had stuck the collar against her throat. The panic state of her mind was enough to make goosebumps appear a giant her skin... but now... it was getting worse.
Chairs slammed against each other as the more feminine and sweet voice looked around the room with a more concerned tone. "Well well my child! You volunteered to become one of us... come on out now! We weren't hurt you..." It spoke as the tables snapped out from the walls and fell to the ground with loud thuds, and sent paranoia into her mind just by listening to it.
"Just a small test is what it takes to see if you are volatile enough to be one of us!" The clashing became louder and so did the buzzing at her neck. The monster was walking near her row of table, trying to look for her, while she has her ears closed while her breathe shoke. Her blood rose up the back of her head as the muscle around there contracted due to the pressure.
What do I do?! She thought to herself as her eyes scanned the place she was at. There are more than just one monster and I am here stuck with the most insane one I could bump into! Is this why this subway was abandoned?! Her mind rummaged around as she finally caught sight of a large air ventilator in front of her face, tightened with only two screws at each corners.
"Come out now child! You are running late for your test!" The feminine voice neared in just that small time as they slowly looked at the brightly glowing small corner behind a table. "Looks like the hide and seek game... is about to end! Now the only task left would be to sharpen my instruments! Human flesh is quite delicious... isn't it?" The footsteps turned more soft as they walked towards her hiding place.
What do I do?! Fight or escape?! Surrender? Just submit myself to see what they are up to? What they do to humans? There is a way for me to just leave... but... then I would just be setting up traps for myself... She thought as her mind slowly cleared out with hopes to be able to escape within a small amount of time. Only two screws... I must be able to...
The table right before the one she was hiding got ripped off the wall as it fell to the ground with a violent manner and broke into multiple pieces behind her. The collision was enough to shake the entire flooring as she suddenly got conscious of what exactly to do. Her pin clasped tightly at her hand as she stood up and dusted her clothing, then slowly turned around to face the monster directly. Then, holding her hands up in the air as if surrendering.
"I choose to be one of you." She spoke while looking down at the bloodied shoes of the thin figure who wore a nurse's outfit. She did all that with bare strength?! Her mind wondered against the same thought as she remained quiet and holding her breathe as if realasing it at the wrong time would cause a major disaster. There was no response at first, but the feminine figure soon enough, clasped her hands together and bowed in front of her. "Lift your head darling. I won't be able to see what you look like if you hang it low like that." It sounded more calm and dangerous.
Slowly, her head shifted upwards as her eyes widened at the face of the monster. A new type, one with their complexion wrapped in plastic with no visible eyes or visible ears nor even a visible mouth. And on top of the plastic was traces of dried, splattered blood that made it way more terrifying. It could have wrecked her nerve at first glance... but it only took determination and curiosity to do so. I think... that if they are concrete muscle and bones... I can unalive them if I feel like they are trying to kill me.
"Perfect! You have already gotten the face of a ghost... now to only add a little bit more clarification." The nurse-like monster turned around as the bloody heels clunked against the empty room as she walked towards the door, holding it open like a servant. Following that, Aefia's collar buzzed loudly against her skin that turned more faint the more she concentrated into the situation instead.
Her own heels clunked against the concrete tile as she took precise steps with the nurse towards a more hospital-like corridor. So... this isn't just a normal abandoned subway? But a connected one to a hospital? She thought to herself as the nurse held a checklist at one hand that summoned from her own flesh and a pen that was connected to one of the fingers. It was definitely a creepy sight... scarier then the one in her dream.
Her steps slowed as she slowly got reminded of the dream she had seen just this morning. Then... does the maniac align with these two monsters I have faced until now? And... an abandoned house... an abandoned subway... an abandoned... hospital... Her mind ached as her eyes widened at the floor.
"You are pretty brave at certain things... but I am not sure you are good at controlling the fear of needles. You know very well that blood samples can only be collected with syringes?" The nurse spoke while turning around and stopping in front of a heavily guarded door. It had locks dangling from every direction as they all snapped at once with a simple tap of a button. As soon as the door opened, the checklist and pen retracted into her hands as they now twisted the knob of the heavy door.
The nurse stared at her the entire time, waiting for an answer. "No... I am not really afraid of needles." She answered, knowing that if she said yes, the course of action might change, and she definitely didn't want to play that same game with these monsters who were practically paranormal activities. "Very good then!" The nurse spoke while pulling out the large syringe and held it over her shoulder.
"I... uh... that's...!" The shock settled against her mind as she stuttered with the size of the awl shaped needle. "Don't worry! It would be swift!" The nurse sprung forward with the syringe as Aefia continuously stepped back and dodged it. Then, when there was enough space between them, she ran backwards towards an empty room and shut the door behind her.
Beyond, the nurse came to a stop and dropped the large syringe as she clapped her fingers against her plastic covered face. "Well my ghosty friend is definitely fearless of needles! She has decided to step into the room without any pressure!" She spoke while activating a button and a few empty circles appeared before her. "Very well! It will activate in ten seconds time! Good luck!"
But the ten seconds... meant ten milliseconds. Aefia's eyes widened as she watched a few arrow length needles fall down at her at inescapable speeds.