Slater | Nick Goode

5.1

1994

"Get off of me! Get off of me! Get off!" Josh yelled, and a static gunshot echoed off of the walls. Ruby fell to the ground next to him, allowing him to give off a wheeze and sit up, "please tell me that was Sheriff Goode."
      "Nope," Ziggy smirked, still holding the gun out in front of her, "that's one."
      It wasn't long until the bloody mess got its heart beat back. The organs began to pulsate, moving closer together and clumping back into five different monsters.
       A high-pitched scream came from below them, causing an eerie silence.
"Was that-"
"Ellie," Nick and Ziggy confirmed at the same time.
The monsters began to clump back together rapidly, forming six different people in a slippery moldy brown mess.
"Nick you have to help her," Ziggy pleaded, dragging him back into the sneaker shop.
Nick thought for a moment about the promise he made her, "I can't. I promised her- I- I have to help you guys."
Ziggy took the gun from his hand and swapped it with the one she held, "it only has a bullet left. Use it wisely-"
"Ziggy-"
She opened the gate and pushed him out harshly, "go save my best friend."
Nick seemed to come to his senses immediately, running past the zombies and into the metal doors Ellie was last seen running into.

-

"Ellie! Melissa! Sam!" Nick called out into the void, "hello?"
He continued, cautiously swaying his flashlight around. It lit up the walls, allowing him to have a clear view of the mildewing rocks and mossy walls. There was a heaviness to his heart, he was so unsure of what he was going to find as he went deeper into the cave systems.
The caves reeked of death; either the love of his life's or his own sisters'.
One of them would hurt far more than the other, and it terrified him.
"Ellie!"
He aimed his flashlight downwards, giving light to the dirt that laid on the floor. A vibrant red could be seen, seeping into it. Next to the pool of blood, a body. Nick could hear grunting and muffled yelling coming from the far end of the room.
The body was bloody and limp. The throat was open, a stab wound clear. The eyes were open, sending chills through Nick's body.
"Holy fuck," he whispered, moving closer to her, "Melissa?"
Indeed, it was. Ellie was no where's in sight, but a possessed Sam laid on the floor, her hands tied behind her back with the very shirt Ellie had once been wearing.
Melissa's body twitched, sending Nick flying back out of surprise. He felt vomit rising to his throat, and quickly bent over, letting it out. His hand moved an inch, now on top of something sticky and slimy.
A gasp escaped his lips, and his vision blurred. He saw everything.

1667

The sky had been dark, it was grieving, as it had been for the past year in Union. Two beloved women of the town, Sarah Fier and Ivy Slater's lives were taken from them, as well as a dozen children. Solomon had an especially hard time getting over it, for Ivy was all he had left in the world. She showed him that it was possible for new love, she showed him what it felt like to be happy. Agnes, bless her soul, had a hard time understanding that her dear mother was really gone. She stayed up most nights, crying, "mommy!" Solomon sat through it all, fulfilling Ivy's wishes of the young girl growing up surrounded by nothing but love.
       The two stayed in the woods, in Solomon's house. Ivy was buried next to Phillip, Agnes' father. Solomon stubbornly refused to think of him in any way else.
       A blue azurite crystal necklace lay flat on the wooden table in front of Solomon. He kept it close at all times, remembering how it hung from the woman's neck on her last night alive. He planned to give it to Agnes, when she was much older, of course. He couldn't wait until she was old enough to understand the stories of her beautiful mother. A knock at the door awoke the man from his thoughts, and he quickly got up and made his way to the door.
      He unlocked it, giving a warm smile to the elderlies that stood before him, "ah, Townsman Slater, Mrs. Slater, to what do I owe this pleasure."
      "Hello, Solomon, may we come in?" Mrs. Slater, Coraline, asked.
      Solomon wasn't happy about their unscheduled arrival, for they usually only came to his house in the woods to scold Solomon about raising Agnes. He stepped aside, anyways, "yes, of course."
      The Slater's walked into the welcoming home, turning to look at the young man while he closed the door. Mr. Slater, Charlie, was the first to speak his mind, "as you know, Solomon, the school is reopening. Teacher Mary has offered Agnes a spot this year."
      "Yes, I know. I've talked to my sister, Townsman Slater. She had told me all about Agnes' well-deserved spot in the school."
      "Well, then, you should understand that Agnes should be going."
      "Yes, of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."
      "Well, Charlie and I both think it would be for the best if... Agnes came to live with us," Sabrina confessed.
      Solomon gave a fake smile, clasping his fingers together, "ah, Mrs. Slater, with all due respect, you know good and well that those were not Ivy's wishes."
      "I don't think Ivy's wishes should matter, not anymore. I think it should be about what is best for Agnes."
      This made Solomon drop his fake smile, and his hands were pressed together so hard his knuckles were turning white, "Agnes is Ivy's rightful child, and I think that her wishes are the most important in Agnes' life. If you had any respect for your daughter, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now."
      "She is our granddaughter," Charlie's voice raised, he slammed his hand onto the table harshly, causing it to shake rapidly.
      "And if Ivy thought that you two were a good fit to raise her, then Agnes would be in your hands."
      "What makes you so sure that you're fit to raise her? You've lost one child already-"
      "Charlie!"
      "Enough! Mr. Slater, do not ever come back to my home with this nonsense. You should see yourself out, now," Solomon raged, pointing over to the wooden front door.
      Charlie and Coraline glanced at each other, then quickly got up, obeying Solomon's wishes and making their way to his door.

-

Two days later, Solomon made his way to Union, hand in hand with Agnes as she gawked over the flowers that lined their pathway.
Flowers in Union had grown in a frenzy ever since Sarah and Ivy's death.
Agnes carried a growing amount of orchids with her. Solomon told her that she could give them to "mommy's resting place."
She was far too young to understand death, and Solomon understood that one day she would grow up and have to learn. He dreaded the day that she would ask what happened to her mother.
"Ah, Solomon," Jacob called, "pleasure to see you and Agnes again."
Solomon gave a fake smile at the man, "hello, Jacob. Gloomy day out, right?"
"Im afraid so," he walked side to side with Solomon, "the Cambelle's will be thrilled to hear you're visiting. They've taken quite a liking to you."
The Cambelle's were new in Union, their family had arrived from a town up north just a few months ago. They consisted of four lovely people, Seraphina and John, the parents, and their two boys, Joseph and Frank.
"Are they liking Union?"
"From what I hear," Jacob confirmed.
A few kids were ahead of them, Isaac and Lizzie, two of Sarah's friends. They gave a small nod and smile to Solomon, before Isaac bit into his apple. He spit it out almost immediately, examining the fruit with a gross look on his face.
Solomon kept his eyes on the young boy as they passed. Lizzie gasped quietly, "the fruit, it's gone bad again."
Solomon listened in, and Isaac tried to get as much of the fruit out of his mouth as he could. Solomon tried to focus on something else.
      "How's the rebuilding of the townhouse going?" Solomon asked.
"It'a going, slowly, but it's going. Should be finished by the end of the week."
"I'm glad to hear. The townsfolk need that."

-

"Mrs. Cambelle," Solomon called out, surprised, "what brings you here?"
      He was arriving at the  grave of Ivy Slater, the grave of Phillip Clarke just beside hers. Seraphina smiled and turned towards him. Agnes stood behind Solomon, hiding behind his tall legs. One of Seraphina's twins did the same to her.
       "I'm remembering those this town has lost. My grandmother taught me at a young age, when you are welcomed into someplace, it is your responsibility to welcome the place into yourself."
       Solomon nodded, smiling and looking down at the mount.
       "What about you? Did you know Ivy?"
       "Uh, yes. Yes, I did."
       "There are many graves, most of them very small, from around the same time last year. May I ask, what on earth happened?"
       "Mrs. Cambelle, I would answer that, but I'm not so sure myself."
       "Ah, yes. Things can be tricky like that sometimes. They unfold right in front of you, but you still couldn't define what happened. I'm deeply sorry for your lost, many of the townsfolk have claimed that she was an amazing woman."
       "The townsfolk, for once, are very right," Solomon nodded, still looking at her grave. He was staring intensely, almost as if she would crawl out at any moment.
        "Two people, out of everyone who's talked about her so far, have told me different opinions about her. They say she was 'too stubborn,' or too 'in her own way.' I know better to recognize that she was a strong and independent woman."
        "So, you've met Thomas and Charlie," Solomon sighed, shaking his head, "I just think that they try to rule out what they can't rule. And, you couldn't be more right about her. She was... something else."
       "So it seems," she gave out a breathy sigh and turned to her son, "I think it's time to say our goodbyes and head home, right boys?"
        The two kids were silent, their eyes looked up at Seraphina.
        "It was a pleasure seeing you again," Solomon told.
        "The pleasure was all mine. Thank you, for enlightening me."
       

{September 18, 2021. 2:42 p.m. 1846 words.}
It's been a while, guys. Hello, welcome back.
Thanks for reading and tuning in. I promise that things are about to start happening.
I had severe wr*ters bl*ck for the past couple of days.
ALSO I'm working on a lot more oneshots, so be aware for those coming! Keep your requests coming, remember my private messages are always welcome to you guys.
Have a great day/night/afternoon/morning! <3