Chereads / TL.B'S THE CIRCLE / Chapter 2 - The After By: TL.B

Chapter 2 - The After By: TL.B

I Thomas Anderson, a young middle school student is kicked out of my school, my parents were

so mad about my schemes and other uncanny villainous shenanigans. They contacted my grandmother in the Philippines and without any word, they pushed me out of the house, and in just a blink of an eye. I found myself traveling, riding a car in the hot sizzling temperature in manila. Hours of flight from London England from Manila Philippines.

My butt started to ache and for the first time in my life, I couldn't feel my butt cheeks pressing. My grandfather rode a Mirage from their home to the airport, but even though the air conditioner was on forty, the heat ray coming from the sun was crouching my hair through the glass.

"Hey kiddo...wanna see something cool?" My grandfather with his circle spectacles smirked.

"That My little champ is the haunted theater, most commonly known as the Manila Film Center.

"You know?" His voice suddenly perked.

"The story of many workers buried alive because the building collapsed and because they wanted to

finish that building so bad, they just cemented and repaired everything from top to bottom, not

considering…

His voice was timid. "The bad things..." , he must have heard or witnessed something that gruesome of

scene, when he opened the topic about the people dying in that building.

The car began to shift its direction, faced to face at the abandoned building filled with shattered

glasses and broken windows. From the sounds of the cars screeching on the noisy roads and stop lights, the surrounding scenery in which one of the worst tragedies happened in this country was quiet as the dead.

At some point, it gave shivers down my spine, even if my feet only stood at the entrance once filled with people all injured and bloody.

The sun was already on its way to slumber, the shadows from the trees began to grow. Skies darken, cowering the scent of the afternoon sizzle.

All while my grandparents were taking photos from the entrance of the creepy building, I snuck in, peeking just a glimpse of the inside of this cruel place. 'Bingo' I whispered.

After seeing a "Keep out" sign almost torn apart, while it sticks waving on the red rusty door. Once my foot pressed on the ground, I didn't hesitate to enter in the dark. Cracking echoed from within the dark corners.

The flashlight from my phone was bright enough to see red comfy seats, all covered with cobwebs and dust. Light waved side to side through the dusty piles of fallen debris and glass.

It was unexpectedly cold, even though the heat from the sun from outside can melt you. Some of the seats were still bouncy while sitting on one, and it felt like time didn't take the chance of touching.

"EY, OOOO!" I screamed, the echoes of my excitement instantly bounced from top to bottom.

Mirroring within my eyes, the reflection of this tragic place that was left unspoken because of the horrid sight that took the lives of many, but still, my smile towered across my cheeks.

"One, two, three…" Counting the remaining seats that are still standing.

Loudly I continued. "Four, Five, Six, Seven…"

My light beaconed until its circle beamed on the last red leather chair. Someone was sitting, and just staring blankly at the nothingness on its sight. Every inch of my hair in my skin crawled in fear, sweat on my hand began to grease my phone, I can't feel my arms but, how my light shook from my hand was a terrible sight to see.

I began to run towards the exit, but the light coming from the red rust door was nowhere in sight.

All I could see was a cracked wall and nothing more. I clenched my fist and pound but, the wall's body

just echoed along with my cries of sheer desperation.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhh…." A huge amount of air began trembling behind me, my heart pounding beneath

my ribcage was enough for me to know that it wasn't a human voice. They were before…but…Not this

time…

I slowly turned around and saw people, occupying the red leather seats that were once deserted.

The curtain slowly splits into, followed by the claps and cheers of the undead. Still, my hand rested on the wall that was my only escape, I watched as the red curtains began to uncover a man. A man wearing a suit and a red tie, and one circled spectacle on his left brown eyes. He began to cough politely and all of a sudden, the crowd was settled.

"Good evening my dear friends…" His voice adjourned. "We have gathered here for today in every

year am I right?" The crowd cheered again. "And for what…?!"

"Entertainment…" The crowd filled with kindred spirits screamed.

"And our main guest for today is…" He coughed politely again and took a card from his suit

pocket. "A fourteen-year-old boy, who is visiting our fine and beautiful country, and was brought

here because of…Sabotaging a eulogy video of their school principal's death bed into porno vids…"

The man screamed in excitement.

"And his name is…! Thomas Anderson! And his fear is…"

"Rabies…"

What…? H-How…? Would they know such a thing…?! T-That's Impossible…

"Oh…My dear young man…Nothing is impossible when it comes to punishment…" The man

smiled in front of me and began to drag me up towards the stage holding my hair upward. I cried in

pain, but the laughing dead cowered my agony.

My face pressed on the wooden floor while the crowd continued expressing their happiness, and I

was a laughing stock.

"Now…" The man's once polite confident voice began to change into something even my eardrums can't explain. It was so deep and crooked I ducked my head on my hands and begged everything to stop.

"What kind of fun and amusing thing can I bring the crowd into the after…?" He smiled constantly

showing his red eyes and fanged inners.

"Hmmm? Demons? Succubus maybe? No…No…No…!" The man murmured. "I need

something creative! AH! I know…!"

"Bring the wolves…."

The chains began banging on the wood floor, growls and gurgles began to spree into my trembling

body. I look up and saw half-skinned dogs, their intestines dangling on the floor while maggots ate

their bodies.

"Dinner…my good friends…"

Chains rattled closer to me and the amount of pain of sharp fangs went through my arms and legs,

my cries of help and desperation filled the theatre instantly, still, the laughter and smiles are all I could

see and hear. Blood spurted on my mouth as I gasp for air while the wolves ate the chunks in my

stomach.

The man was laughing on top of me, my sight was gradually becoming dizzier.

Muffled, the man began to speak.

"You know the best thing about my pets…? Is that they're already dead…and their hunger is unbearable…So they will eat you until you're no longer here to the bone…" He grins.

"But, I won't let that happen of course…If my pets have eternal hunger for flesh…Your flesh must be eternal too…"

The man snapped his fingers and my body began to curl, my muscles crawled in, but it was torn

again like paper. My hands, torn off, began to grow from skeleton to skin. Yet again, it was eaten. My eyes wept and flooded my cheeks.

"Welcome to the After Show…my friend…"

He tipped his long hat and bowed.