The Outer Realms - Vol.1

Chapter 4 - At the Mercy of Malice

In an unknown place where everything is in darkness, there are four unconscious bodies lying on a glass surface. They are the bodies of Melissa, Karen, Rebecca, and Harvey. They were brought to this unknown darkness by the dark robed creatures. Soon, the eyes of Melissa begin to twitch as she slowly rises up. She blinks a few times before asking herself where she is. "Where am I?" She quickly goes into a panic when she sees her friends lying on the floor. "Oh, God! Rebecca! Karen! Harvey!" She hastily goes over to her friends' side and desperately tries to wake them up. With a few hard nudges, Melissa is successful in waking up her friends.

"Ugh...easy on the shakes, Mel..." Karen said, feeling groggy. Rebecca and Harvey slowly get up from the ground. They all realize that they are no longer at the park.

"W-W-Where the heck are we!?" Harvey panicked.

"That is what I would like to know!" said Karen, looking at her surroundings.

"Melissa... Where's Jason and Malcolm...?" the little Rebecca asks, sounding like she is about to cry.

"I don't know," said Melissa. "I did not see them when I woke up. She then remembers about the attack at the park and that they were captured by creatures in robes. "Now, I remember... We were kidnapped by those creepy guys in robes."

"Oh, yeah!" Karen said, remembering. "Those freaks took us through some strange portal! Malcolm and Jason tried to save us, but they were beaten up by those goons!" Karen clenches her fists, thinking about how the dark robed creatures ganged up on her boyfriend and Jason. "If we ever see them again, I am gonna give them hell."

"Are they both dead...?" Rebecca started to cry.

Melissa goes over to Rebecca and pats her on the head. "I doubt that the case," Melissa says as she is being strong for her little friend. "Look, I know this might sound a little crazy...but I somehow feel that both Jason and Malcolm are alive somewhere."

"R-Really?" Rebecca replied, wiping her tears.

Harvey interject with his opinion on this, "Melissa, how could you be sure? The last time I checked, they got curve-stomped! And to add to that, one of those robed freaks use some kind of beam to shoot them down while traveling inside the warp vortex or something like that!"

"Always the pessimist, huh?" Karen folds her arms while teasing him, yet being serious at the same time.

"Look, I'm just trying to brace ourselves for the worst case scenario..." said Harvey.

"Well, I refuse to believe it!" Melissa yells at Harvey.

The four of them suddenly stop speaking as they feel that something is not right. It feels as if they are being watched by a mysterious, yet opposing force. "Hmph... You lot seems like a rather nosy bunch." A mysterious voice echoes. Melissa and the others jump in fear upon hearing the voice that come from somewhere.

"Who is that!?" said Melissa, looking around to see where the voice came from. While the others are in confusion and panic, Rebecca is the unlucky one to lay eyes upon an ominous violet visage with yellow cat-like eyes looking down at the helpless kids. The figure's features are mostly hidden by a red hood and a lower face mask.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Rebecca hysterically cried when she saw the being above them, watching them.

"What's the matter, Rebecca!?" Melissa worries about her friend. Rebecca points up at the intimidating person or thing.

"What in the-!?" Melissa paused in mid-sentence.

"You must be one of those freaks who brought us here!" Karen boldly said towards the menacing figure.