CHAPTER TWO
Everyone stared at the strange girl waiting for the train. Despite it being July, the young woman was wearing a coat and a scarf. Her glove-hands barely visible at the sleeves of her brown, capelet coat and her ears were covered by large, black headphones. Even though everyone was clearly looking at her, she barely acknowledged any of them.
A gush of wind that the passing train brought made the girl shiver and her platinum, loose curls danced behind her. She pulled her scarf up to cover half of her freezing face. The buzzing of people around her as the train finally stopped and opened its door sounded so loud to her; making her wish that her headphones actually work.
She sat at the empty seat by the corner and stared at the opposite window. The blinking lights from the passing buildings lulled her to sleep. She rested her head on the metal pole beside her as the train moved into a comfortable speed. Her station was last anyway. So, there'll be no problem if she fell asleep. Making sure her headphone was still perfectly in place, she closed her eyes and relaxed.
Everyone on the train was busy. Some had their phones out. A few were reading books. But people were mostly asleep just her like. It was the dead of the night. People were just coming back from overtime and such. But—it was indeed peaceful.
That was until one man started convulsing in his seat. They all looked up and stared at each other in fear. Screams filled the closed train car. People jumped up to their feet, trying to move as far away from the man as the train car allowed. With their panicked mind, they couldn't even open the door to the next car. As the man stopped convulsing, people started pushing each other to get off the train.
The man who used to be a businessman was now a monster. His polo was torn by the changing of his body as he turned unrecognizable. A low growl that sounded more sinister than a wolf's filled the small space and screams started once more.
A woman was pushed to the middle of the car as people tried to open the door. When she fell, she twisted her ankle and couldn't stand up. The monster jumped towards her. It grabbed her in the shoulder and sunk its canine teeth in her throat and ripped it off. Blood splattered on the plastic benches and metal floor. Her gurgled screams pushed the other passengers deeper into their panic and fear but finally, someone managed to open the door to the other train car.
They all stumbled towards it, alerting the other passengers and more screams filled the silent night. They managed to close the door again before the monster finished feeding on the poor woman. More relieved sighs left their lips but the strange girl was left sleeping on the last car with the monster. But—no one batted an eye.
They were all safe after all.
The monster slowly stood up from the mangled body of the woman who was once beautiful. And then, his bloodied abyss landed on her. As it walked towards her, the strange girl finally woke up with another yawn as she raised both arms above her to stretch. She blinked a couple of times to take in her surroundings and a sigh left her lips.
She looked up at the door beside her and saw that its small window was covered by a jacket to hide them from the monster's sight. She stood up and the monster stopped to stare at her. Another yawn left her mouth and she stretched her arms to her side as her crystal-like eyes landed on the dead woman's body.
She slowly exhaled, trying to calm her mind down and she gently removed her headphones and rested it on her neck. As soon as she did, the small buzzing in her ears grew louder that it was enough to make her feel as if her head was splitting into two. She staggered once before she caught herself and steadied her knees.
The monster suddenly jumped towards her. Its movement was fast; almost vanishing in the air before it appeared directly in front of her. But before the monster could land on her, there was a strong force that pushed him back, and all the window glasses shattered as well. The monster was thrown back to the other side of the train—the metal wall creaked before the monster fell back to the floor, turning into dust.
The strange girl put her headphones back on again and walked towards the dead body. She knelt in front of the mangled woman. Her glassy eyes staring straight above and the girl raised her hand to close them. And then, she closed her own eyes and said a prayer for the two poor souls with her.
After her prayers, she stood up and walked towards one of the windows. She waited until they were out of the tunnel before she jumped out and into the darkness.
Waiting in the station were Jet and Alec by one of the wooden benches. Jet was leaning on the back of the bench, his arms crossed over his muscular chest. His hair was a tangled nest of raven while his eyes were bright, piercing green. He was wearing a black, trench coat which he left open. His white shirt was rumpled and his long, slender legs were clad in a tattered, worn-out pair of pants like his biker boots.
While Alec was sitting down, drinking a juice in a small carton he had bought from the vending machine at the station entrance. He was well-built as the other man. But—he was dressed more properly. He was wearing a black summer jacket and a pair of black, leather pants and boots. His hair was white-blonde as if it was covered in snow and his eyes were the brightest of all blue—and it looked almost shining in the dark surroundings of the station. The policemen that came with them were in a line, all ready to escort the civilians out as the two of them do their jobs.
"What kind do you think we'll face today, Alec?"
Alec shrugged. He crumpled the carton in his hand and threw it with great accuracy at the trashcan on the other side of the station. "It doesn't matter, Jet. We just have to finish it as soon as the train stops. Thankfully, the passengers managed to trap it at the last car,"
"And they probably sacrificed one or two doing it," Jet pointed out cynically.
Alec chose not to answer. Instead, he looked at his watch. "The train's almost here,"
They simultaneously took a pill case out of their pockets and ate one of the blue pills inside of it. Then, after hiding it back in their pockets, the two of them removed their earphones. The policemen with them tensed when the two of them walked towards the waiting line for the last car of the train.
"Remember," Alec started, addressing the policemen. "Escort all civilians as soon as the doors open and make sure no one is to enter the station,"
"Yes, sir!" they all answered as they formed a line around the car next to the last.
The train entered the station and slowed down until it stopped. Jet and Alec quickly noticed the broken windows of the last car and they gave each other a glance.
"Do you think it escaped?" Jet asked.
"Let's hope not," Alec answered.
Once the door opened, the policemen quickly and efficiently guided all civilians away from the station. Not even looking at the hoard behind them, the two of them entered the last car. The sound of the glasses crunching beneath their feet echoed in their ears. They first saw the mangled body of the woman and Alec shook his head, saying a silent prayer in his mind.
"Alec, look," Jet's shocked voice echoed in the now silent station.
Alec opened his eyes and turned to look where Jet was pointing and his eyes widened in shock. There was the monster they were supposed to kill. A small pile of dust left of it. They walked towards it. To think that they would see what Clinton had told them so soon.
And it was the first time he ever saw something like it.
He looked up to Jet to ask him but judging from his fascination at the dent on the wall in the exact shape of the monster, Alec knew he also hadn't seen it before. Suddenly, the silence was disturbed by a loud ringing sound and Jet banged his head at the wall in shock. He rubbed the sore spot as he watched Alec answered his phone. He clicked the loudspeaker and put the phone between him and Jet.
"Report," a low, gravelly voice asked from the other line.
Jet and Alec exchanged a look.
"We found your mysterious girl, sir," Alec answered.
"What to do you mean?"
"Just come down here and see for yourself, you lazy son of—hmmmh! Hmmmmp!"
It all happened so fast. One second Alec was standing in front of him and the next he was already behind Jet. And the rest of Jet's word turned to a muffled sound as Alec slapped a hand over his mouth. The raven-haired man tried to fight against his hold but he kicked Jet behind his knees and he fell to the ground. Alec tightened his hold on his mouth.
"As Jet was saying sir," he answered to the phone, removing it from the loudspeaker and putting the phone in his ears. "It's better to see it for yourself,"
Jet gave up and let his arm hang limply on his side as Alec continued his report. As soon as Alec dropped the call, he let go of Jet and the other man quickly jumped to his feet. He turned to his white-haired partner and glared at him.
"What was that for?"
Alec shook his head at him before he put his earphones back on. "I told you countless times, Jet. You need to learn respect. There's this thing called 'corporate ladder' and currently, you're at the bottom. If you don't want to be thrown away, I suggest you keep a tight rein on that mouth of yours. Or I'll put you in a gag,"
Jet gasped in shock as he wrapped his arms around his body and took a few, noticeable steps back away from Alec. "I had no idea you swing that way, Alec!"
"Ha Ha," Alec answered sarcastically as he started to exit the train car. "Just put your earphones back on, Jet,"
Jet laughed to himself, obviously finding his own joke funny as he put his earphone back on. Then, he followed Alec outside to wait. Alec sat down on the wooden bench again while Jet walked towards the candy vending machine by the corner. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and looked inside it.
A frown formed in his forehead as he turned this wallet upside down and nothing fell out of it. With an aggravated growl, he turned to his partner as he threw his wallet down the trash can.
"Hey, Alec!" he called but he was only answered by a gruff. "Can you throw your wallet to me? I just need to check something,"
"Yeah, right," Alec answered sardonically.
Jet rolled his eyes in irritation. "Just throw me some coins, will yah?"
"Buy me a pack of gums as well," Alec ordered as he threw his wallet over to Jet.
Jet happily caught the flying wallet and opened it only to groan. Why does Alec's wallet have so many bills and coins while he hadn't even had a fly inside? He clicked his tongue and took a bill to buy both their gums. Then, as he walked back, he contemplated taking a few bills. He bet Alec wouldn't even notice them missing.
"Stop thinking about stealing my money, Jet,"
Jet groaned as he threw Alec his wallet and gums before he plopped down beside him. "How'd you even knew I was thinking about it?"
"You've been my partner for two years, Jet. I know you'll be out of money by now," Alec finished with a condescending smirk that Jet wanted to smack right out of his face.
But before he could, Clinton arrived and Alec stood up to greet him. "You've finished fast,"
Jet snorted. "Yeah, it was done even before the train arrived here,"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Alec gave Jet a warning glare and the other man whistled innocently. Alec led his superior inside the train and told him that it had arrived exactly like that; with the monster dusted and no one else inside the car.
"Judging by the dust, this is the same person you are looking for, sir,"