The Anomalies: Awakening

Chapter 14: Investigation

Parker lead Vanessa down the dark and seemingly infinite stairs. The same stairs they'd been descending on for ten minutes. Something seemed...off.

"Honestly Parker, I dont remember this school having this many stairs." Essa complained. Thats when they reached the bottom of the stairs and were immediately engulfed in infinite blackness.
"No lights." Parker noticed. He turned on the flashlight of his Huawei P20 and the blackness seemed to stretch on forever. The clap sound was heard again, Vanessa held Parker tight when a second clap was followed by a third. Parker pointed his flashlight in all directions until a thought struck him, a brilliant one at that. He turns a knob or two and double taps his watch so a holographic list popped up. He scrolled through it and selected the hide and seek option. A green light scanned the area continuously and a flat round hologram projected heat signatures of anything, with heat, nearby.

"Why would you need heat signature detection on your watch?" Vanessa whispered as they stalked the darkness with distant clapping.

"It really comes in handy when playing hide and seek at midnight." He answers as two heat signatures, other than theirs,  popped up on the holographic radar. Parker shone his flashlight in that direction and the person was...gone....how? Inhumane speed and the heat signature was behind them. The teenager's heartbeats quickened when they realised the things were heading towards them. What could it be? People? What could be down here in the inky black depths of school? What was it doing AT school? Parker prepares his phone for photography....

A high pitched hssssss was heard with what sounded like a chicken chuckling in between the hssssss. Parker's heart jumped to his throat and Vanessa looked at him with doubt leaking from her eyes...also tears of the fear of death.
"Hello? Anyone down here? Are you the clapper? Or clappers?" Parker asked rather loudly. The heat signatures were just beyond the reach of the light the phone gave off. The hissing suspiciously stopped and so did every other noise including Vanessa's breathing.

A horrifying screech then hollow triangular eyes flash in the light follow by swipes of silver curvaceous weapons. Vanessa screams at three different frequencies as Parker instinctively holds the capture button and running after Vanessa, back to the stairs. He heard wind being sliced and the creatures breathing on his legs as he ascended the stairs. Parker keeps on looking back and taking photos but the creatures were gone.
A brief halt to catch their breath and Vanessa firmly states.
"We are never going back........" he legs were grabbed by the creatures which Parker saw almost clearly. Jagged defined back teeth were a blur before long bony arms with elongated sharp and curvaceous elbows held Vanessa's leg and unleashed a horrendous hssssss-klicleklicle-hssssss sound.

"What in sweet science is this behemoth!!!?" Fear consumed him.

Parker took a few excellent pictures frozen in fear before hardcore adrenaline booted its way in. His gently bite his phone as he grabbed Vanessa and pulled her away from the grip if the elbow bladed monster. It sliced the side of his mouth before he could lean back. He flashes the creature with his bright flashlight and like a vampire in contact with sunlight it scurried away with great speed.

Parker switched off the light and carried a limping Vanessa up the stairs till they arrive at the computer lab. Parker lets go of a long regretful sigh.
"I'm sorry Vanessa. I really am..." he began. Vanessa laughed, cute, adorable laugh and one it got too much she buried her face in her hands.

"Vanessa? Are you okay." He asked as he knelt down to examine her leg.

"Im fine Parker. I actually feel great and happy we went down there. The feeling of feat and adrenaline was just ... wow." She confessed. Parker was releaved and helped her up so they walk to the tuck-shop.

There bags were still there when they returned and Parker went straight into the kitchen to prepare a meal. He tossed a steak meant for tomorrow's lunch, he found sliced potatoes and threw them in the fryer along with some onion rings and played the waiting game till everything was ready.

Dinner was served with plastic plates and the hidden stainless steel utensils at one of the tables at the cafeteria.
"Steak and fries with onion rings? Wow." Vanessa was truly impressed. Parker gave a friendly smile a d asked.

"Shall I get the ketchup?" He sat next to her.
"No, its fine." She assured.

"So what were those?" Vanessa asked. Parker gave an honest shrug.

"Seeing as how I really dont know, I'm now determined to find out." He responded before dragging a piece of steak from the silver fork with his teeth.

"Really? Why dont you go back?"
"They surprised every atom out of me. I'll go back just not this week." He said,ashamed. Vanessa giggles.

"Well do let me know when you finally decide to go back." She states. Parker nearly choked on a chip.

"You want to go back?"

"Yes! It was exhilarating." She backed up her reason. Parker was definitely surprised. The rest of food was finished in silence till Parker packed everything up.

Vanessa rubbed her hands together and shivers. Parker unbuttoned his blazer and wrapped it around her.
"That should keep you warm." Parker smiled back when she smiled.

"Thanks." A few minutes later her head falls onto his shoulder and she is breathing so softly. Vanessa was asleep and she looked so peaceful and tired out. He let her there peacefully like an angel. A tired angel.