Chapter 11: Death

The event that will change Tyler's life forever.

Tyler.


We ended up getting to Saint Andrew’s,


around 11. around 11.

We snuck in our
usual hole by the


fence and opened
the old creaky steel
 door that entered


into the basement
 of the rundown
building. It was


 creepy the first
 few times, but
 after that it


 became regular
and just part of
the routine.


I kept looking
around and
 checking out


 random places,
 oddly hoping
that Abigail


would be there
 hiding so I
could release


 my frustration
 out on her and
send her home.


 It’d also give
 me an excuse
 to go home too.


 I was feeling
stressed out
 and a bit


 nauseous
 anyways…
 We ran


through the
 locker rooms
and began to


strip. Jeremy
 ended up
throwing himself


over a toilet
 bowl violently
puking up


whatever he
had decided
to eat. I retrieved


a water bottle
from Jacob and
offered it to him.

 After
about 10
 minutes of


throwing up
 Jeremy was
 finally able


to get a few
 words in.
 "You guys


 go ahead,
I’ll be here
waiting,


I can call
 your name
if I need you,


 but thanks."
The awful
stench of bile


began to fill
the air; Raven
and I turned


our noses up
Against it.
"No buddy


its okay;
we’ll wait
 till you think


you’re done."
 Raven began
to rub his back


as I got up
 and stepped
back for a few


 minutes.
"Yo, do you
 hear that?'


I had been
sitting on one
of the benches


with my head
 in my hands
and my eyes


 had closed.
"What?
My head shot up.


Everyone else
 cocked their
 heads to listen


 as well.
 Then we
all heard it,


whispers and
 giggles coming
 from nearby.


 I cursed

 under my breath.
 "Abigail."

Emily  stood up
and started to laugh.

                                       
"I can go yell at her if you want.

Give you a break."

The whispers and giggles
stopped abruptly and were replaced

 by the sound of fast shoes
slapping the concrete floors.

 A deep grumble accompanied
the symphony of frantic feet.

It sounded like what I imagined
Santa Claus would sound like.

Except this voice was not jolly.
"I can hear you kids in there!"

We all share a look of worry,
realizing how close the voice is.

 The group of us sloppily
gathered our s**t together

while Mike and
Jason moved to

 prop Jeremy up like a set
 of human crutches.

 they seemed to move in a panicked
 pattern. The alien voice continued

 to yell and threaten catching us.
Abigail and a few of her friends

 entered the room in a frenzied
 matter, sweating and shaking.

"I’m so sorry Tyler but this man is
coming and we need to go, please help!"

 Her words were slurred, her voice
trembling. I pushed the 5 of them

 towards the pool area and told
 everyone else to go as

well. I was the most sober, my head
the clearest. I could do the best

job at getting us out, right?
That's what I thought, at least.

                 

I followed them into the pool area
 and realized that Jason and

Mike had to stop as Jeremy
violently retched again.

I cursed in frustration,
pushing them forward

despite the gagging noises
coming from a pale Jeremy.

If there was ever a time I
was mad at Jeremy, this time was

nothing in comparison.
 It all happened too

quickly. One second I was yelling,
 trying to save my friends asses

 and the next I was on the floor and a
 heavy weight was on my back.

My forehead had smacked the cold,
hard ground surrounding the

pool and my vision was blurry
 along with my sense of sound.

I tried to roll over to wrestle
 with whoever was on my back.

"I got you trouble makers now,
I’m going to get you arrested.
 

Maybe not all of ya but at
least one of ya."

             
Jail? Screw that. I used all the
energy I could get together and

rolled onto my back. The
man on top of me was caught

off guard. He lost his balance
and  fell off my

 forcefully turning torso.
 I laid there prepared to fight as my

 perception began to clear. He was gone.
I sat up, my head spun and I found

myself at the edge of the pool.
I panicked and shuffled my way away

from the rim.

'Tyler man, what the f**k did you do?"
 I looked up to see Jeremy

slouched against the wall, using
it as support. Mike, Jason and Emily

were all crowded around him, but staring
 at me. Their faces were twisted into an

expression I could not explain. Their eyes
were wide with fear as they looked past me.

"What?" I regained my balance and
slowly stood up, following

 their eyes, headed towards the pool.
I stepped forward and peered down

 into the empty concrete hole. No water,
 but not quite empty either. The broken

structure of a middle aged man in a
 simple uniform interrupted

 what should've been a body
 of water in the paved ditch.

He was sprawled in the middle of
the deep end, a pool of blood

 slowly flooding out from under
his body.