1Chapter 5 - The Revenants
Kemi, Greg, Takuya, and Effie cautiously crept out of the storage room. They made it a point to stay quiet, especially if they hoped to survive a group of flesh-eating monsters. Kemi's chocolate brown eyes scanned the living room. Everything was much too quiet. Did they leave the house? If so, why would they?
However, Kemi didn't have much of a chance to ponder as Zinnia descended from the ceiling. With a hiss, she lunged at the dark-skinned woman. However, she aimed high and pulled the trigger. The bullet surfed through the air, narrowly missing the maid's forehead. She landed on the floor and leaped at Kemi again. Effie stepped in front of her best friend and swung her golf club against Zinnia's jaw, dislocating it. Her back hit the wall and she tumbled down to the floor. The fingernails on her hands grew into claws and she charged in like a raging bull. Takuya held his metal bat tightly and took a swing.
The monstrous maid grabbed it right on time and tossed the Asian man aside with an angry snarl. Effie tried to subdue her with another swing, only to be swatted away like a fly. Kemi aimed her gun at Zinnia, but Greg got in front of her, utilizing his shotgun. Zinnia was propelled back into a fireplace. She screamed in agony as the flames were engulfing her. Before she could try to put them out, Effie's golf club bashed against Zinnia's skull 3 times before her head came clean off from her body. With that, the fight was over. Everyone sighed with relief.
"Jesus…whatever these freaks are," Effie commented, breathing heavily, "they don't fuck around, do they?"
"Can we really hope to beat them?" Takuya asked wearily. "They're so much stronger than us!"
"We have to beat them," Kemi resolved. "We have to survive…no matter what it takes."
"So, what now? We still got Patrick, Aster, and Ingrid to worry about."
Kemi held her chin as she started thinking. There was no way they were hiding. So, where could they have gone?
"Well, standing around won't accomplish much. Let's try searching downstairs."
Upon Kemi's suggestions, the four survivors ventured into the lower level of the villa. The same area where Justin fought with Ronald and Greg. Patrick had an office room there, as Kemi recalled. Sometimes, she would see him there drunk as a skunk. Often, he is knee deep into his work. She grabbed on to the doorknob, and realized it was unlocked. Was this a trap?
She swiftly opened the door and aimed her gun straight. The office was empty. She and her friends entered inside, confused.
"So, did they just disappear?" Takuya questioned.
"No way. Something is off," Kemi muttered, one of her hands on a bookshelf.
She inspected the books and took notice of one. It had a snow-white cover to it. As Kemi tried to pry it out of the shelf, there was a sudden rumble in the office. The bookshelf slides open, revealing…an elevator.
"What in the hell…?" Greg managed.
"I didn't know this was here…" Kemi said, confused.
"Where does that lead to?"
As if a siren was calling out to her, Kemi stepped into the elevator, much to her friend's protests.
"Hold on!" Effie exclaimed. "We don't know where it goes!"
"This is the only lead we have," Kemi argued. "I can't explain it…but we have to get in."
The three exchanged looks of puzzlement before cautiously stepping forward. Once they were all inside, the elevator shook and descended into the unknown. It seemed as it was taking an eternity as the four adults waited with bated breath. Suddenly, the elevator jerked to an abrupt stop, nearly forcing everyone to fall over.
"I think it…stopped," Takuya commented.
"Come on," Kemi urged, reclaiming her gun.
The foursome left the elevator and walked downstairs. They were greeted by two stone doors. Greg and Takuya summoned all the strength they had to force them open. Once they did, they gasped at what they found next. It was a larger room than Patrick's office. It looked as if it was an ancient temple. The survivors walked further down. Upside-down crosses hung everywhere on the temple walls. A large silver grail stood at the altar, fill to the brim with what looked to be wine. However, what made Kemi's blood run cold was what was laying at the altar.
An altar upon laid the still body of deceased girl, no older than 8, with a brown complexion and obsidian colored, braided hair. There was no denying it. Nearly dropping her gun, Kemi sprinted towards the child. Greg followed her.
"Nicole!" Kemi screamed in grief.
"No, don't!" Greg shouted. "It's a trick!"
However, Ingrid appeared in front on the altar and punched Kemi in the eye, sending her back towards the walkway. Aster glided through the air and kicked Greg back to his group.
"Stay right where you are," Ingrid coldly ordered. "You will not interrupt my husband's ritual."
"Ritual…?!" Greg questioned. "What are you talking about?"
A tall figure, draped in purple robes and its face obscured by a hood, approached the altar. The figure took off the hood, revealing Patrick's face.
"So, you've finally came out of hiding."
"Patrick," Kemi demanded. "What the fuck are you doing? Why is Nikki…?"
"I'm about to perform a miracle. The power to bring back the dead. Father Luke taught me that much. So now, I will set it in motion."
"You can't possibly expect us to believe that girl is the same daughter you lost," Greg reasoned. "It's been 3 years, man!"
"And yet, her body remains. Isn't it remarkable? Father's gifts blessed my child. She will have the chance to live the life that was stolen from her."
"Okay, is this guy high or something?" Effie growled, growing agitated. "Quit talking bullshit and let us chop you up already! You won't get away with killing my wife and our friends!"
"Ah, yes, them. That backfired spectacularly. I was hoping the farewell toast would turn you all into ghouls. Then, you would be willing enough to offer your blood to me. I didn't expect Justin to show up at the last second. Then, Ingrid saw his bloodied hand and made her move."
"Well, I was hungry," Ingrid pouted, "You can't blame me for that, sweetheart."
"Patrick…" Kemi pleaded. "please stop this. This isn't the answer. Bringing the dead back to life is impossible."
"With faith, anything is possible," Aster chimed in. "With faith, we can break down the barriers. Between this world, and the next."
With his wife and friend guarding him, Patrick began the resurrection ritual. First, he reached through a black pouch and sprinkled white sand on the altar. Then, he took the grail and spilled its contents, blood, around the little girl. Then, he began to whisper prayer after prayer as magical circles began to glow vibrantly.
"Very soon, Catherine," Patrick vowed. "We can be a family again. Our precious daughter will return to us once more."
Just then, the silver grail spewed out dark purple ooze which grew and bubbled. It quickly engulfed Patrick and the child's body as smoke fogged up the whole temple.
A few moments of silence passed until Kemi and friends heard a loud, pained scream. That scream quickly distorted into a roar in the smoke and suddenly the humans were stared at by a colossal creature of darkness. Two glowing red eyes stared of wicked malice, and another growl surged from its mouth of razor-sharp teeth. Two long horns adorned its head, which bore resemblance to a goat.
The creature moved forward slowly; its two legs stomped through the temple.
"What in the ever-loving fuck…?!" Takuya stammered.
"That's…the resurrection ritual?" Effie managed; bug eyed with fear. "It turned Patrick and Nicole into that?"
"Isn't it lovely?" Ingrid gushed at the monster's form. "Father and daughter fused into one…breathtaking masterpiece. Now, we can bring the world to its knees. That's what the ritual was always about! Summoning the forgotten rulers of this realm!"
The Chimera roared once more as it menaced its way towards the humans. Greg aimed his shotgun at the fiend and pulled the trigger. Shots were fired but it wasn't enough to subdue the foe. It jumped into the air and landed on the ground, shaking the temple a bit. Everyone struggled to maintain their footing.
Greg shot another round of bullets into the chimera's head. Again, the creature moved forward.
"Shit! What now?" Greg questioned. "At this rate, I'll be out of ammo!"
Hearing the rampaging stomps of the beast, Kemi, Greg, Effie, and Takuya ran in different sides in the temple. Effie stumbled over and hid herself near a pillar as the chimera chased after Kemi and Greg. As she caught her breath, the blonde tried to figure out a way to subdue the beast. It was then that she remembered their recent bout with Zinnia, the maid. The fireplace that she fell into had done her in before her skull was bashed to bits.
Fire was a ghoul's weakness. And if Patrick was also a ghoul, that meant…!
The woman's bluish eyes noticed a bonfire with a fire poker laying near it, unused in years. Then she seen an old skeleton with a throng of ropes around its former hands, legs, and neck. Suddenly, an idea formed in Effie's head. Takuya caught up with her, panting heavily from his marathon of panic.
"Effie, please tell me you have an idea on how to stop that monster!"
"Actually, I do. And I need your help to do it, Takuya."
"Let's hear it then!"
Meanwhile, Kemi and Greg sprinted around the temple like Olympic athletes trying to avoid the hungry jaws of the ghoul chimera.
Kemi tried her best to reason with it, hoping to reach Patrick (or Nicole), if he was still in there. But it seemed like a lost cause. Greg was nearly caught by the monster as he tripped over various objects left in the temple.
"Patrick, Nicole! Stop!" she pleaded as she leapt over the altar for what must've been the 20th time. "It's me!"
"It's no use, Kemi!" Greg protested as he grabbed a candlestick. "They're gone!"
The ghoul lunged to bite at Greg, but he stunned it with a swift blow to its head. The creature staggered back, giving the two of them time to put distance between themselves at the monster.
"We need to find a way to kill this thing!"
"Fleeing won't get you anywhere," Ingrid told them, standing on top of a broken pillar, "Just give up trying already."
"You've been selected as sacrifices for Patrick," Aster quipped, sitting on the altar. "You humans should be grateful."
"Go to hell!" Greg shouted, "I'd be damned if I let Kemi or anyone else die. You think this is a fucking game?!"
"Hardly. In fact, this is something Father Luke has planned for years. Everything has been building to this moment."
"What are you talking about?"
"As we speak, thousands of our brothers and sisters are beginning the process of ascension. We are on the verge of a new world, now. And it will have a new god."
"Thanks, but I'll keep the one I have now!"
Greg was quick to unload a round of buckshot to Aster's face, sending spouts of blood and flesh flying everywhere and sprinkling all in red.
Surprisingly enough, the creature stopped and made a sharp turn of its head. Upon seeing Aster's remains, it rushed forward to lap up the blood and gore with its tongue.
With the ghoul distracted, it was a prime opportunity for Effie to strike from the shadows. She carried in her hands the poker, its end red hot from being stoked in the fires. With a quick stab through the chest, the ghoul screamed in agony. It writhed on the ground, trying to retaliate. But Effie would have none of it, resting all her weight on the poker. Now Takuya came to follow up on the attack.
"Eat this, asshole!" he screamed furiously, as he swung a rope like a cowboy. He lassoed it around the monster's horns, forcing it to lower itself down on the cold ground. Then, he produced a rusty sword, the tip of it also burning red in color, and sliced its leg clean off.
The ghoul screeched over the sound of its flesh burning to the sword's heated blade. A pungent smell of burnt meat hung in the air as the other Kemi and Greg came upon it. Greg shot another round into the monster's face, followed by another to the arm. Then another. And another. They all noticed that, unlike before, their attacks were having an effect. The creature's flesh simmered and boiled under the intense heat, receding like an acid burn.
Takuya was just about to finish the job by dragging the monster over to the bonfire where they heated their weapons and was seconds away from throwing it into the flames. However, a large claw scratched the man's skin off his arm. Before he could scream out in pain, Ingrid appeared from behind him and kicked him away from the beast. She stood in between the humans and the beast, claws out and eyes glaring.
"You bitch!" Effie taunted, "Interfering now of all times?!"
"Patrick can't afford to die. He is our ruler after all. So, you'll have to go through me if you wish to kill him!"
"Ingrid," Kemi entreated, "please, you don't have to do this. If you love Patrick at all, you need to—"
"You're right. I do love Patrick. With all my heart. And that's why I am doing this."
"Well, it was nice knowing you," Greg quipped. "Then again, like hell it was!"
And with that, he reloaded and shot at Ingrid's head. Much to his surprise, she was a lot nimbler than Aster ever could hope to be. She dodged the gunshots like they were a mere nuisance and slammed a fist into Greg's ribcage, sending him flying towards a pillar. Kemi aimed and shot a few rounds, aiming for her foe's head. Ingrid noticed her from a mile away and jumped into the air. Her feet stood on the wall before she propelled herself forward, tackling Kemi into the ground.
Both dark skinned ladies wrestled over supremacy for the revolver. With Ingrid on top of Kemi, she jabbed her in the stomach and chest, forcing the wind out of her. With a smirk of triumph, she held the revolver against Kemi's forehead as she boasted,
"You thought you had the upper hand? How foolish. The Revenants are a proud, powerful race. We are far more superior than mere humans will ever be!"
Just as she was about to pull the trigger, a fire poker was lunged right in between Ingrid's eyes. With an angry snarl, she looked over her shoulder to see Effie with a confident smile across her face.
"Too bad you've turned out to be stupider."
Before Ingrid could lash out at the blonde, Greg charged at her with a spear, the red-hot tip piercing her through the neck. With combined strength, he and Effie tackled her into the bonfire as she writhed and screamed, her body slowly turning to ash and bone.
Kemi heard a pained, sorrowful howl and seen the chimera, broken and terribly injured thanks to the combined efforts of her friends. Without consent, her body began to approach the creature. She couldn't explain it, but she still felt an aura of Patrick from inside that beast. She stroked its fur and whispered to it.
"Patrick…? Are you in there? It's me, Catherine. Aster and Ingrid are gone now. You don't have to do this anymore. You can fight through this. Fight it, Patrick. You got to—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the beast's wrath returned once again, and it lunged a claw on Kemi's shoulder, scratching the flesh off it. She screamed in pain as she stumbled over. Before it could lunge at her again, Takuya and Greg tackled the monster into the bonfire. The monster knocked over the bonfire and the flames spread all over its form. Now the monster's screams almost shattered all their eardrums as it spasmed and struggled to escape the fire. Flesh crackled and blood boiled. Vocal cords melted, and the screech gave way to a gargling choke.
BOOM!
The monster burst into smoke and after a few moments of silence, the monster was gone. Patrick and Nicole were splayed on the temple grounds, motionless. Weakly, Kemi stood and walked towards her family. She slumped down with a melancholy expression.
"Catherine…" Patrick spoke, his voice quiet and tired. "Cathy…is that you…?"
"Oh, Patty, why did you do this? What were you thinking?"
"After I... became a ghoul, my humanity faded away. It was as if I became a completely different person. Father Luke gave me the ascension serum one day and for the past 2 years, I was working for him. My humanity was locked away and there was nothing I could do."
Patrick coughed several times before continuing,
"Still…that doesn't excuse how horrible I was to you all those years ago. After losing Nicole, everything fell apart. I thought drinking would sooth it or make it go away. But all it did was destroy me even more. I'm sorry, darling, for you through so much crap. I'm sorry for dragging our family down like this."
Fighting back tears, Kemi reached her hand over to Patrick's numb one.
"No, it's alright, dear. I'm sorry. I never should've slept around behind your back. I was so, so selfish and stupid back then. I should've stayed with you longer, to help you fight your addictions. I should have—"
She chocked back a sob before brushing a lock of black hair away from her former husband's face. She offered a weak smile.
"You're going to be alright; you hear me? You're going to see our baby girl again."
"Heh, you're always good for a smile, aren't you?"
With one last light chuckle, Patrick's eyes slowly fluttered shut, for the last time. Kemi lowered her head, mourning Patrick. Mourning their once idyllic life. And mourning for lost, stolen years wasted on escape and indulgence.
However, the temple's temperature was increasing as the flames from the bonfire burst forth and slowly began to engulf the altar.
"U-um, g-g-guys?" Takuya stammered, "W-we need to get out of here before we turn into roast!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Effie remarked as she took a beeline towards the elevator. The other three survivors followed closely behind her. However, Kemi couldn't stop looking back. It was as if an invisible force was beckoning her to stay. She began to wonder how it would've been like if she stayed with Patrick. Would she have been playing a part in the ghoul scheme as well? Or was there a shot at a better relationship?
"Kemi! Let's go!"
She glanced back at Greg and the others, waiting for her to join them in the escape. Her dark brown eyes returned to the bodies of her family. Tears welled up in her eyes, unable to bring herself to watch them be burned to ashes. Unable to lose them another time. And so, with a pained look of sorrow, she grabbed Greg's face, offering him a passionate, farewell kiss.
"I'm sorry."
With one, fast shove, Greg was pushed into the elevator. Kemi ran the other direction, where her family was. A distraught and hysterical Effie tried to run after her but was held back by Takuya. Greg tried to forced the gates open but to no avail. The fire was getting more intense by the second. All he could do now was muster up strength to shout,
"KEMI, NO!"
But it was no use, the fires were spreading and growing rapidly. The elevator swiftly secured itself and began its function, forcing the survivors to leave their friend behind.
Effie collapsed on the floor, sobbing into a traumatized heap, inconsolable. Takuya and Greg stood in silence, completely at a loss.
"Why did she do that…?" Takuya managed, stunned.
"I don't know," Greg muttered. "She just...couldn't bring herself to leave them. Patrick may have been a bastard, but she still loved him at the end of the day."
The man covered his face in shame over his incompetence. He was weak when he couldn't decide on divorcing Vicki. He was weak when he allowed himself to have relations with Kemi. He was weak when he couldn't defend himself from Jordan's vicious wrath. He should've grabbed Kemi and dragged her into the elevator, ensuring her safety. He should've carried her over his shoulder and ran to the elevator. Why did he hesitate? Why didn't he act sooner? Why did his brother and all his friends have to die?
"Fuck! Why did this happen?!"
Sadly, there wasn't any time for pondering as the elevator violently shook. After several moments of silence, Greg, Takuya and Effie prepared for the worst. However, the door slid open and revealed the inside of Patrick's office, much to their relief. Not wanting to stay in the cursed villa another minute, the three friends took a beeline out of the house and ran to Takuya's car. Takuya produced his keys, turned on the ignition, stepped on the gas, and drove off like a taxicab driver possessed. With one last look, Effie glanced back, and seen the villa slowly burn into a crisp. With dull eyes, she muttered out a bitter remark.
"Fuck that place…"
»»»»»
On the drive out of the city, Greg, Takuya, and Effie were silent as the dead, engulfed in shock. Everything that happened to them felt like a bad dream at best and a nightmare at worst. It was just a simple, fun dinner party. How did it turn out so horrifically? They wanted to desperately believe that it wasn't real. However, that mutual wish was brutally shattered as soon as Takuya decided to play some tunes on the radio.
Instead of listening to an upbeat country music, what they heard next was a special report. A report that soon chilled their blood and bones as they heard the frantic speech of the anchor.
"We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent news bulletin. This station has received numerous reports from eyewitnesses and affiliate stations of attacks by strange creatures all over the country. The creatures are humanoid in appearance and are extremely hostile. We have little knowledge at this time as to where these things have come from, but we are going to stay on the air as we get more information."
There was a sudden and loud thump, followed by another. Animalistic growling followed and harried shouting. What was going on at the station?
"What the hell is that?"
"They're inside the building! We can't stop-AAAAHHH!"
"Keep that door locked! Don't let them in!"
The sound of wood and metal breaking under immense pressure foretold a terrifying fate. A hound of snarls and screeches preceded the reporter's terrified cries before the radio cut to static. Takuya stepped on the brakes, frozen in fear of what laid before him.
"Um…g-g-g-g-guys…?" he spoke. "We have a problem…"
Effie and Greg looked ahead of the dashboard and seen what troubled their friend so profoundly. Ghouls were ransacking and pillaging a neighborhood. Houses were decimated, human corpses laid flat on the streets, missing limbs and heads. The ghouls munched on dead bodies, scrambling for valuables, dancing with human heads on sticks, and fighting amongst themselves over scraps. It was as if hell had truly descended upon them.
As Takuya's white Nissan car stood in the middle of the road, a ghoul resembling a 10-year-old girl blinked twice, taking notice of the vehicle. She revealed her sharp, awful teeth as she hissed and growled, attracting the attention of her brethren. One ghoul turned his head to the car, then another and then another and then another. Suddenly, a large group of them began to rush towards the three survivors like a stampede of cattle.
With a terrified scream, Takuya stepped on the gas, hard. The vehicle took zoomed forward down the road as the army of humanoid creatures chased the humans down, unrelenting. Until the gas runs out, the Nissan continued to ride into the night fleeing from the inevitable onslaught of the ghouls.
END
Author's note: Well, that was a wild ride, wasn't it? I wanted to take a moment to say thanks for sticking around to read this. It was short and different but fun regardless. Overall, I like how this turned out and I hope to write more spooky stories like this in the future. Anyway, let me know what you thought by dropping a review if you have the chance. It's always nice to hear any kind of feedback. Happy Halloween!