Matthew was not happy. First, he was betrayed by the very people he allowed to live. Second, being stabbed in the back by Eric [metaphorically]. No one has ever escaped the island up until this point. How did they manage to escape anyways? They evaded the other mutants, Stitches, and his prized creation…the Bird. How?
Upon returning to the compound, flying back on the Bird, he was outraged. He wanted to take his anger out on something…or someone; Eric. Was he mistaken by allowing Eric to live? What about letting Timmy live? Should he have killed them both? Or better, transformed them into a mutant?
Eric had helped them escape his mutants twice. Once on the beach, and again in the caves. Whatever generosity he once had was now extinguished. Gone with the wind it was.
Walking down the hallway, it was poorly lit and mostly dark. Flickering lights sparked and dangled from the ceiling. Down came Stitches, swinging down onto the floor beside Matthew. Once he landed on the floor, his elongated arm started sliding on the floor; retracting and shrinking back to its normal size. The name Stitches fit him well. He turned to look over at Matthew, tilting his head slightly. Stitches had a brown, woven sack covering his head. On it, drawn with a black sharpie, was a smiley face. Tied around his neck was a small rope to keep the mask from coming off.
"What?" Matthew asked, "I know the severity of our current…predicement, okay? No need to remind me."
Stitches wasn't capable of talking, muchless showing any facial expressions. Matthew was only talking to himself when it came to talking to him. Nothing. Silent.
"All these years, nothing happened. But today, that changed," Matthew muttered with a long sigh. Looking back over at Stitches, he continued talking. "Is this how our experiments end? What about revolutionizing the human race? Gifting the gift of eternal life?"
Silence…again. Matthew continued talking to Stitches, even though he was the one doing all of the talking. It was as though he were actually conversion with him.
"Their escape was too easily convenient," Matthew said, "that woman…that bloody woman. She helped them."
A loud bang echoed throughout the hallway, attracting the attention of Stitches and Matthew. They both stopped walking, both turning around to look down the opposite way of the hallway.
Hiding around the corner at the end of the hall was Eric and his son Timmy. Timmy had bumped into a metal cart, sending it crashing into the wall. That was the cause of the loud bang. While Matthew was away, Eric had escaped his containment cell.
You see, Eric had a plan. He wanted to be taken by the mutants back in the cave. He had a gut feeling that Timmy was still alive, but was locked up somewhere in the compound. And by allowing the mutants to bring him back, he found an easy way in. The easy part was over, now came the hard part–getting out and off the island. But what he didn't take into account was Stitches.
He knew that Matthew was working on a new mutant, but he didn't know what he was working on exactly. Stitches was capable of more things than you'd think. An example, he had heightened hearing abilities. Able to hear what no one else could. From the slightest sounds like dripping water to the sounds of heavy but faint breathing.
"Go," Matthew mumbled to Stitches, "go find what caused that."
Eric had peaked around the corner to look down the hallway. He looked at just the right time. Just in time to see Stitches glide up to the ceiling, masking himself amongst the darkness.
"What…the…f–," Eric mumbled as Timmy grabbed his hand and began yanking it. He turned around, looking down at him. Without saying anything, he pointed down the hallway.
"Right," Eric said as he kneeled down to pick Timmy up. Carrying him would be faster than having him run. They were in an extreme amount of danger. Stitches was now pursuing them, still uncertain as to what caused the banging.
As he crawled on the ceiling, hanging onto the pipes that ran through the compound, he came up to the end of the hallway. Looking to his left and then to his right. Eric looked back over his shoulder, holding onto Timmy. But he couldn't see Stitches. The only clear giveaway the pipes squeaking and creaking.
Stitches' emerged from the ceiling, hanging down. The mask still on his head. He was staring directly ahead at Eric and Timmy. His focused was fixed specifically on them, nothing else. His head retracted back up into the darkness, Timmy screamed.
They then ran past the cafeteria, which was also dark. There were vending machines inside that were still being powered somehow. But their lights were flickering. A noise had captured Eric and Stitches' attention.
The sounds of a female breathing heavily and giggling almost silently. Rushed footsteps got louder. Then… out came the Witch. Running on her hands and feet, she charged outward and over towards Eric. She narrowly missed grabbing Eric by mere inches.
"We're here to help," a man's voice whispered as his flashlight turned on. He shined it on Eric and Timmy. Five other flashlights turned on as well. With all the flashlights on, there was now just barely enough light for Eric to make out who these people were. All wearing the same camo uniforms. Over their jackets, they wore light brown bullet-proof vests. Brown gloves, brown boots, and helmets.
"United States Marine; 8th Parallel Division; Commander Biggs," the man introduced.
"Marines?" Eric asked as the commander's unit surrounded Eric, forming a small circle around the two of them.
Stitches stopped. The commander shined his flashlight up at him. A female marine shined her flashlight over at the wall, revealing what had almost thrown Eric off his feet. She had her arms wrapped around her legs, slowly rocking back and forth. Her head being tucked in between her legs. She was chanting something, but no one could understand what she was chanting.
Her hair snarly and poofy. Filled with dirt, leaves, and tiny twigs.
"Ma'am," the marine asked as she cautiously approached the Witch. Eric turned around, holding Timmy's head down on his shoulder so he couldn't see the cannibal. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
She turned her flashlight off, and swung her gun over her shoulder. It was now resting on her back. She held her hands out in front of her to signal to the Witch that she meant no harm.
"Steiner, don't," the Comannder warned as he looked over at her, "step away."
"Sir, she's distressed," she said as she turned around to look back at her commanding officer. "She needs our help. That is what we're here for, is it not?"
"Step away Steiner," he responded, "that's an order! I wasn't asking."
She the turned around, disobeying his direct order. She took one step closer. Eric looked up at Stitches, who was still on the ceiling. Still hanging on to the pipes. The commander had taken his focus off of Stitches, turning away to look back at her. Slowly, cautiously, and most of all quietly, Stitches began lowering his right hand. As his arm expanded and got longer, his hand got lower.
"Watch out!" Eric shouted as he pointed up at Stitches.
The commander quickly turned around to look back up at the mutant on the pipes. Right as he looked up at Stitches, he began choking as Stitches wrapped his hand around the commanders neck. He lifted him up off the ground. He dropped his gun.
"Fucking—shoot–it!" He said as he was picked up. Eric watched Stitches wrap his neck around the commanders neck.
The other four marines all began shooting Stitches. The bullets went through his body, but didn't phase him in any way. He then wrapped his neck stitches around the commanders neck, pulling tighter. POP!
THUD! The commanders head had been severed off, falling to the floor. Blood spattered everywhere. Getting on the walls, all over Stitches' mask and arms and hands. He let go of the body, it collapsing to the floor. The body was lying on its side, a pool of blood building up around the decapitated area.
The marine, named Steiner, quickly stepped back, grabbing her gun strap on her shoulder. She pulled her gun out from behind her back. But as she did so, Stitches had grabbed the gun; this time with both hands. He yanked it so hard, that Steiner went falling backwards onto the floor.
The floor began shaking and rumbling. Storming out of the darkness behind Eric and Timmy, came the Cowman. He ignored them surprisingly, charging right past them. One of the maines turned around just in time to see the Cowman ram into him with brute force.
He had knocked the two marines off their feet. They tumbled to the floor, landing on their backs. Their weapon straps had come loose, landing on the floor a few feet away. One of them managed to turn over onto his stomach, beginning to crawl back towards his gun.
ROAR! The Cowman kneeled down slightly, then jumped up. He spread his feet out a little bit, landing back down onto the floor. Both of the marines' heads were crushed upon impact. Their skulls crushed, blood spattered, and fragments of brain tissue and skull pieces spewed out everywhere.
Eric began backing away slowly and carefully. The mutants were occupied with the last marine. The Witch had leaped over to where Steiner was. She grabbed her neck, holding her head in her tight grasp. SNAP! She had instantly killed the female marine. Her body collapsed to the floor.
"Daddy?" Timmy cried out in a muffled tone, "I'm scared."
"It's going to be alright, I promise," Eric said as he turned around.
As he began creeping away from the viciously brutal mutants, a flashlight had bumped into the wall on his right. It flickered a couple of times. Without hesitating to act, he ran over to it and leaned over to pick it up. Pressing the button at the back of the handle, the flashlight turned on. Timmy looked up and back at the gruesome scene playing out behind them.
The last marine, a man, was overcome. His hands were being held by Stitches. The Witch picked up his legs, holding them up. Stitches began crawling backwards, with the Witch doing the same in the opposite direction. He screamed and groaned. Repeated popping, snapping, and stretching sounds echoed.
RRRIIIPPPP! The man's body was pulled apart in two halves; his upper and his lower. His intestines fell out and onto the floor. Stitches let go of the marines' hands, his upper body hitting the floor. THUD! Now, six bodies lied on the floor. The marines that appeared out of nowhere are now all dead. With that being said, Stitches, Cowman, and the Witch all redirected their attention on Eric and Timmy.
The shaking of the flashlight was what caught their attention. If only Eric had left it off, they probably wouldn't have resumed pursuing him and Timmy. Behind them, the mutants began chasing after them once more; Cowman and the Witch included.
"They're chasing us," Timmy announced, "hurry daddy, hurry!"
As they approached the end of the hallway, the flashlight had revealed a little girl standing in place. She was wearing a blue, short dress, with white leggings. She was only wearing one black shoe. Eric didn't stop running, muchless shine the light away from the girl. She was looking down at the floor. Her hair was drooping down over her face.
"This way," she shouted, running down another hallway to Eric's left. He rushed around the corner, chasing after the little girl. She was giggling surprisingly. Where's her fear? Isn't she scared? Upon shining the flashlight back on her, the entirety of her back was smothered in blood. Her dress was ripped down the center of her back.
"Where are we going?" Timmy asked.
Ha, good question. Where are they going? Why were they chasing after this girl? One thing's certain, Eric's never seen her before. This was his first encounter with her. Who is she? How old is she? What's her name? Hmm…
Elsewhere in the compound,Matthew was sitting alone in the room. He was watching the live feed from the cameras around the island. In total, there were thirteen live feeds broadcasting live. The room he was in was a short way from where the action all went down. Because the door was closed, he didn't hear much of it. However though, he did feel the floor shudder and shake. But he took that as a sign that the Cowman was roaming the halls.
On the desk in front of him, was a small wireless radio. The frequency set to 121.510. He was anxious and paranoid, feelings he's never experienced before. He had no reason to be paranoid until today. If what he assumed was coming was really coming, he drafted his contingency plan. Always expect the unexpected, right? Suddenly…a staticy voice was heard on the radio. He leaned forward to turn the volume up a little bit. He also adjusted the frequency dial a bit.
"U.S.S Maryland," a man's voice was heard, "this is the U.S.S Rodney. Eight miles out, heading North-Northwest, Speed: 26.5 knots."
"Roger. Eight miles out, heading North-Northwest at 26.5 knots. Over."
Matthew sat quietly, holding the walkie tight in his hand. Does this confirm why he was paranoid? If so…well…
"Fuck!" He mumbled.