breaking the charm

Chapter 2: The Run

"This is NOT a good idea at all. How about we get away from here?" Jordyn protests as I roll up my sleeves.

"Jordyn, without that notebook, I don't know anything! And, we're on our own now. Look." I point to all the apartments and stores down the street. Some were burnt down, and others were in ruins. She is afraid, I can tell. She nods and then we hear loud stomping. The street is quiet, except for our voices. Jordyn keeps tapping me, and she whimpers, about to run away. I pull her around a corner placing my fingers to my lips, motioning her to be quiet. She slides down, covering her mouth tightly.

The stomping continues, coming closer. I hear loud breathing and grunting too. I peek from our corner, but no one, or nothing was there. I take a step, trying to find a way to move on, but keep hidden at the same time. But Jordyn is pulling my arm, and I try to yank it out from her grasp.

"No, you are NOT going there. Who knows that that thing is?" She whisper-screams to me. 

"There's nothing. But I have to take a risk, or there's going to be no time! We'll be dead by then." I free my arm and I spot a broken-down car, and it is the closest object near me that can cover my entire body. I look and Jordyn and she is unsure. She stands up, and she is shivering.

GROWWWLLLLL! The powerful noise makes me and Jordyn jump out of our skins. She covers her mouth, trying not to scream. I see a red foot, about the size of a car, with humongous nails, and it is creeping around, the sounds of his walking can get you goosebumps. Suddenly, I drop to the floor, and my head is about to burst. I see Mom's building about to collapse, and I see myself and Jordyn, scampering around, trying to find a way in. We are making our way through creepy bodies, and pools of blood. I withered around on the floor, and trying to make the pain go away.

"What did you see?" Jordyn whispers frantically. I am still a bit woozy from that dream-like thing, but I manage to get up on my feet.

"I'll tell you later. I think it might freak you out, so I'll rather not tell you. We have to get to the building right now. I mean it." I say, and I creep out like a real spy, and roll over the ground, trying to be hidden. Jordyn scoffs at my childish act and walks like a normal person. We crept behind the ruined car, and the stomping stops. It seems to be changing direction, and for our direction.

"Oh my gosh does it have like, the most sensitive ears or something?" Jordyn screams and we burst from our place, and run full speed for the building. I hear the stomping become faster and it is clearly coming for us. I spot and motorcycle, abandoned on the other side of the street. I change direction and lunge forward.

"What the frick are you doing? It's coming for us, whatever it is!" Jordyn screams but she knows nothing can stop me. She runs after me and I'm nearly there, just grab the handle, and—

The donut shop with flickering lights crashes and pieces of the shop is on the motorcycle, before I can even pull it up.

GROWL!!! The sound is literally right next to our ears, and I can't pull the freaking motorcycle out! 

"Ugh dang it!" I yell and Jordyn comes. She pushes the large pieces off the motorcycle, and I see her struggling. I give up on pulling and help her, trying to push the pieces away. The stomping increases and finally, FINALLY it comes free. 

I pull the motorcycle and I yell at Jordyn to get on the backseat. I see a glimpse of that smelly monster-like thing and the motorcycle roars to life. There's no helmet, and I don't care anyway. I hoist myself to the motorcycle and we were driving off. The full-on monster was there, and I planned to run through it anyway.

"Chaden, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming!" She screams and she keeps hitting me.

"Jordyn calm yourself, I'm trying to steer this thing, and you're screaming like an overgrown chicken! It's fine!" I yell, and she stops hitting me. Ugh, finally.

I see the monster, but I'm confused. There is no full-body, but only two legs.

"Wait, what the heck?!" Jordyn whispers and something hit us from behind. I'm stunned, wondering what was going on.

"Chaden...there's a problem..." She whispers so quietly, I can barely hear it. I focus on my rapid-beating heart and the sound behind us.

"Jordyn, tell me what is behind us." my voice is stretched out, and I can't think, or even know what's behind us.

"It's a...hand!" Jordyn clings to the collar of my shirt and I grip the handles tightly. I look around and two hands are there, trying to break the back wheel.

"Oh crap, no no no no no!" I yell and the motorcycle is back to life, and it is speeding toward a broken down- ramp, and I had an idea. I was going to ride that thing up there, and we'll be ahead of them in no time.

I was wrong.

After we "flew" from the ramp, the hands and those feet were still a few feet from us. The hands were trying to pop the wheels. I thought that was impossible, but it could actually pop.

"Chaden, we're there! The building! We're at the—" Jordyn gasps and I can't stop looking at the building. 

"Okay, in 3 seconds, we hop off the motorcycle and run to the building and the fourth floor, got it?" I practically scream and Jordyn says, "yes!" over her fear. 

"3!" I run the motorcycle over cars, and around broken down pieces of houses, and stores.

"2!" Jordyn and I wince as we go around a body, its insides splattered all around the floor. 

"1!" We both leap off the motorcycle, and we race for the building. The hands and feet, join together, forming a semi-body. I pull Jordyn to be faster and we hop over the bodies, and the sickly blood. We make it inside, but the semi-body punches the side of the building, and I hear a rumble.

"It's about to fall, Quick, we have to get it!" I say over the crashing shreds. I look at the manager of the building. And I'm about to be sick—again. It's a horrible death for that manager. Its body was ripped apart, and the head and twisted to the side, the blood still oozing from the body. 

I still remember her smiling at me, whenever I visited my Mom she always gave me some chocolate, and then she would chat with me, until Mom arrived. The tears fall before I know it but I tear away from it. Jordyn rubs my back, but she is turned away, too scared to look at the horrible sight. I rush to the stairs and Jordyn follows. 

We make it to the fourth floor with heavy breaths. It was a very risky trip and it is getting worse now too, because Mom's office is a mess. Papers were everywhere, and the window is shattered, leaving us only half of the room to look at.

Jordyn takes one side of the room and ruffles through the shelves. I tiptoe across the room, to get to her desk, and the floor creaks, and sways. I hold my breath, but it doesn't fall. I spot the drawers and I pull them all out at once. I see my notebook, and I grab it, but there was a sketch beneath it. I hold it up and I gasp. Jordyn runs toward me and she holds up a torn sketchbook, and she sees the confused look on my face.

"What is it? Did you find your notebook? Great, we have to get out of here!" She said, and she holds out the sketchbook that was in her hands.

"Jordyn, look." I can't even breathe and she gasps as I hold out the sketch of the semi-body we had just encountered. The details were so detailed and it was missing the head. There were Mom's handwriting and arrows pointing to every part. I felt like I was going to puke.