The World Below (ON BREAK)

Chapter 11

Above world

Tanner, rather than heading straight home, started going to where Stacy lived. He knew which house it was as he had seen her enter the blue painted house with the number 93 above the garage.

Before knocking, he poked around the yard to see if there were any easy ways in and out. There was a small window that led out of the basement that could be easily opened, but all other ways were locked.

He walked back around to the door and rang the bell. A few moments later, he heard footsteps getting louder until the door opened and a robust man looked out.

"Pardon the interruption, but is Stacy home? There's something I need to show her."

The man, likely her father, replied, "Who're you?"

"My name's Tanner. I'm a friend of Stacy."

"Oh. Yeah. I think she mentioned you. Sorry, but she can't come to the door right now. We're... occupied."

Unsatisfied with the response and suspicious of what was going on inside, he said, "Oh. Alright, then. When will I be able to speak with her?"

"Not for a while."

This was going nowhere. He ended the uncomfortable situation by saying, "Alright, thank you for your time, sir." Then he walked away.

But he didn't leave. He got into Stacy's father's blind spot, out of sight but not gone. He intended to wait until whatever was going on inside the house was finished, then try and bust Stacy out. It was rash, but was all he could do. He figured she hadn't told her parents where she had gone.

Then he realized he did the same. He hadn't returned to Sanctuary all day, and his parents were probably worried sick. He reasoned she was receiving the mother of all lectures right now.

Tanner pressed his ear to the wall of the house. He could just barely make out talking, in calm tones rather than the yelling he had expected. After a few more minutes passed, he put his ear to the wall again. This time, he heard nothing.

Assuming Stacy had been sent to her room, he climbed over the gate and, as silently as he could out of his Naga form, crept to the back of the house until he saw a window other than the one leading to the main room lit up. He assumed that it was Stacy's room. He peeked in, and, sure enough, Stacy was laying on her bed, exasperated.

He knocked on the window, and Stacy sat up quickly. She looked over, where Tanner was waiting. She briskly walked to the window, opened it, exposing her room to the elements.

"Tanner, what are you doing here?" she hissed.

"I'm busting you out. Help me open the window."

Stacy looked confused but complied. She put her hands under the window and tried to force it upward, and after a bit it went up far enough for her to squeeze through.

Once out, she gave Tanner a hug that could rival the squeeze of a boa constrictor. "Good to see you, Stacy," he said, smiling. "I assume you were grounded?"

"Yeah. Keyword is were. I'm not anymore, that's for sure."

He broke away from her bone-breaking hug. "Like I think you heard, there's something I need to show you."

He started walking away from the house, and Stacy followed.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"It's in Central Park," he replied.

"Is it about Simon and Connor?"

"Well, they're there, but it isn't about them. There's someone else there. I think he might also be a monster."