REX [WattyAwards2015]

chapter x :: the call

Nigel had no where else to go except his home. His dad was probably at the store and wouldn't be home until eight o'clock. He couldn't imagine where Jack and the dog could be, but something had him believing they were not safe.

He also remembered he was driving Jack's car.

Once he had pulled through the gated area of their luxurious, five bed house (he wasn't kidding) on Chinaberry Lane, he parked behind his father's 1954 silver Camaro. Every time he saw the car, he was never really sure why his dad had it if he never drove it. Nigel knew for certain he would be driving it around everywhere. But, he wasn't his dad-- and his dad was certainly not him. Clambering out of the driver's seat, Nigel set his eyes on the front door, eager to get in and find answers. He wasn't sure where he'd start, but he knew the symbols were the first clues.

When he got in, he heard something. Something like an animal shrieking. Stopping, hands still holding the door and his keys, he looked around the empty wooden halls. He knew it wasn't anyone in the house, no one sounded like that. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to erase the sounds that were now growing into loud screams. His hands closed over his ears, but it didn't help. The noise wasn't something he could just mute - it was in his head.

Stumbling inside the house, Nigel's body turned into rubber. The way he walked was as if he had never taken a step before. He forgot where he was, making it all the more difficult to find a place to rest. His stomach was flipping with nausea and his skin turned cold. Nigel staggered over to a nearby table and leaned against it. His breath came out in sporadic huffs and his vision was fading in and out.

His mind shifted to another world, leaving his body where it was. Flashes of Jack screaming swarmed in his mind. The voice of his friend in agony was just as real and loud as if he was standing right there. Nigel saw Jack strapped down to a concrete board with reptilian-like creatures performing some sort of operation on him. Knives, ropes, and other twisted instruments were strewed across the dark floor. The creatures hovered over Jack like an experiment, eager to see what reaction they would get if they tried prodding at this or that. They were laughing while Jack was begging them to stop.

Nigel covered his eyes, desperately trying to escape the images. But they followed him like a shadow, crowding him into helplessness. Sickened, Nigel collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

What felt like weeks later, Nigel's phone rang. It clattered on the floor like a dying insect, just alive enough to still kick about. The default ring tone sung and sung until Nigel woke up and noticed it on the floor beside his hip. It must have fallen out when he crashed to the floor. Massaging his head, he looked at the caller ID. He didn't recognise it, but didn't see any reason why he shouldn't answer it.

"Hello?"

"It's Brittany from the vet's."

"Who?"

"Brittany Foster. You came in earlier today and talked to me about your friend and gave me a note with symbols on it...were you joking?"

Remembering what the girl was talking about, Nigel replied in a brighter tone than what he was feeling, "Oh, right! Yeah, sorry. I'm not myself today, but, you probably could already guess that. What's up?"

"I found some things about the symbols. Is there any place I can meet you?"

"What about work? Thought you couldn't get off."

Brittany didn't reply. It was as if she wanted the silence between them to do the answering.

Confused, Nigel's brows pulled together and he brought his wristwatch to his face. It was one o'clock in the morning. Embarrassed again, Nigel coughed and returned to the phone. "Yeah, right. Erm, well, I don't know. Can you come over to my place?" Nigel then began wondering where his dad was. Chick-fil-A did not close at 1AM in the morning. Perhaps he was out with Ellen, his fiancee. Nigel's parents had divorced three years ago. The announcement of his parent's separation was still recent enough to feel bitter about, but long enough ago for him not to care as much.