CHAPTER 2: THE MEETING
Kai pressed his back against the door, his heart pounding so hard the thought it might burst. The knocking had stopped, but the silence that followed was somehow worse. He strained his ears, listening for any sign of movement outside but all he could hear was his own ragged breathing.
The building felt alive now, it's creaks and groans suddenly became sinister. Every shadow seemed to shift, every corner a potential hiding place for...whatever Mr Jewels become.
He needed to get out. Watching him from the shadows locked in his apartment wouldn't save him if whatever was happening spread. But where could he go? The thought of stepping back into the hallway made his stomach twist.
Then he heard it muffled voices coming from downstairs "people"
Hope sparked in his chest, and he grabbed his baseball bat the only thing resembling a weapon he owned. Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and crept into the hallway. The air was thick with the same metallic stench, and he couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were watching him from the shadows.
He made his way down the stairwell, gripping the bat tightly. The voice grew louder as he descended, a mix of shouting and hurried whispers
Finally, he reached the second-floor lobby, where a group of people had gathered near the vending machines. They were arguing, their voices bouncing off the cracked walls
"Shut up! You're going to attract them!" hissed a woman with short choppy hair. She looked about kai's age, her streaked with dirt and fear.
"I'm just saying we need to leave now!" A man in his mid thirties shot back, his voice strained. He had a military physic, his stance rigid and his fists clenched.
"And we go were?" asked an older man with glasses, in a sharp tone. "Do you even know what's happening? Running blindly will only get us killed.
The argument stopped when kai stepped into the room. All eyes turned to him, their expressions a mix of suspicion and relief.
"You" the woman said, narrowing her eyes "You live here right? Did u see anything?"
Kai hesitated, gripping his bat tighter. "Mr Jewel he...changed. I don't know how to explain it. He wasn't human anymore"
The group exchanged uneasy glances. "I knew it" the older man muttered. "It's not just random. It is connected to us".
Us?" kai asked, his voice rising. "What do you mean.
The older man sighed, adjusting his glasses. "I'm Ricky. I've been studying this since the news first broke out. The people who are err...changing, they're not sick. It's psychological. Something is triggering their faces, desires, or regrets, and it's". He stopped talking, shaking his head in disbelief. "it's warping them into those...things."
"That's insane" kai said, but the memory of Mr Jewel's twisted form flashed in his mind.
"Maybe" the military man cut in. "But it's happening. I'm Nick by the way. Former solider. And we need to get out of this building before more of those things show up"
"And go where" Ricky shot back. "We don't even know if it's safe outside"
Kai gaze shifted to the woman. "What about you" he asked.
'Luna", she said flatly. "I don't know what's happening either, but I'm not planning to die here".
Before anyone could respond, a soft cry broke the tension. The group turned to see a little girl crouched behind a toppled chair, clutching a suffered rabbit.
"Her name is Hana" Lana said, kneeling to comfort the child. "I found her wandering alone on the third floor. Her parents are...gone."
Hana looked up her tears-streaked face filled with fear. "Are you monsters coming back?''
The room fell silent. Kai felt his chest tighten. He didn't know what was worse the terror in her voice or the fact that no one could answer question.
Then, a loud crash echoed from the stairwell. Everyone froze. Nick moved first, pulling out a knife he'd been keeping hidden. "We need to move. Now"
Where? Ricky asked. Someone we can barricade ourselves" Luna said "higher floors might be safer" Kai glanced at Hana, clutched Luna's hand tightly. He tightened his grip on the bat and nodded. "Let's go"
The group moved as one, hurrying up the stairs. The building groaned around them, the air growing colder with every step. As they reached the fourth floor, kai couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone was watching them. When they found an empty apartment to shelter in, nick blocked the door with a heavy cabinet while luna checked the windows.
Ricky leaned against the wall, his face pale. "We need to figure out why this is happening. Fast." Kai looked around at the group luna, fiercely protective of Hana, Nick, calm but clearly tense; Ricky, muttering theories under his
breath. They were strangers, but for now, they were all he had.
The crash from earlier echoed in his mind, louder and closer than it should've been.