horrors2

January.The_Journe.tex

  1\chapauth{January}
  2\chapter{The Journey}
  3
  4
  5The name's Luke Bavarious, private detective. I've seen
  6some gruesome things in my time. Enough to make a man vomit blood.
  7That's why I carry a loaded Beretta. Ready to deal expedient
  8death to a sucker that needs it, or any misshapen foe. But one
  9morning in 1991, I stumbled into a tragedy that wouldn't be
 10brought to such an easy conclusion.
 11
 12
 13
 14It was a seemingly ordinary day. I turned on the TV as I ate my
 15breakfast. I usually checked the news for the violent crime du
 16jour, but I wasn't in the mood. I left the television dial to
 17linger on a children's program, an animated story called
 18``The Journey''.
 19
 20
 21
 22A young man decided to go on an expedition to a foreign land. He
 23selected a group of friends and relatives to join him. The young
 24visionary's face shone with pride as the preparations began.
 25Loved ones provided plenty of supplies and all the financial things
 26for the trip. A celebration was held when the group was ready to
 27set out.
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 30
 31But some time into the journey, misery befell the adventuring
 32party. Everyone developed a horrid sickness, the likes of which
 33none had ever seen. Their eyes sunk into their heads as their
 34frames grew gaunt and skeletal. Still, they pushed on. It was too
 35far to turn back.
 36
 37
 38
 39As they trudged onward, their skin thinned and the color diminished
 40to putrid green. Pustules developed, swelled, and exploded like
 41liquid landmines, coating them in moist blankets of rust colored
 42blood. In the end, every one of them drank of the bitter mercy of
 43death, as they were reduced to nothing but fetid corpses.
 44
 45
 46
 47When the story came to its revolting conclusion, I vomited a
 48fountain of spew, transforming my breakfast cereal into a
 49despicable acidic cocktail. I couldn't explain the severity
 50of my reaction. But what were they airing on TV? This looked like a
 51chapter from the work of a deviant mind --- a day in the life
 52of Luke Bavarious, perhaps --- not a children's
 53show.
 54
 55
 56
 57I grabbed a Coors to soothe my throbbing nerves before work. I was
 58already late. As I drove, I started to question whether the events
 59of the morning had really happened. Maybe it had been a
 60dream.
 61
 62
 63
 64When I drove past City Hall, I was surprised to see a large
 65gathering. Something told me I needed to investigate this instead
 66of continuing to my office. I pushed my way through the crowd to
 67enter the doors. All around, the atmosphere was one of revelry. A
 68young man was giving a speech. Banners waved, and well-wishers
 69cheered.
 70
 71
 72
 73It was the same man from the story I had just seen! My mouth
 74dropped open like a gaping black hole as I pondered his cruel fate.
 75Immediately my veins pulsed and pounded, popping instinctually out
 76of my neck!
 77
 78
 79
 80I noticed one young lady whose silence was telling. Far removed
 81from the merriment, she seemed as out of place as I. Tears trickled
 82from her bloodshot eyes. I had to I ask. ``Who is that young
 83man?''
 84
 85
 86
 87``He's my brother,'' she said.
 88
 89
 90
 91``He's going to die and take others with him!'' I
 92exclaimed. ``His plan is foolishness! We must stop
 93him!''
 94
 95
 96
 97She did not respond. Her expression was of resignation.
 98
 99
100
101``I must act if no one else will,'' I thought.
102``Better one bloody mess than many.'' I drew my Beretta
103and aimed it at the young man to make the fatal shot. At the sight
104of my weapon, the sister heaved violently. Vomitus sprayed all over
105my pants and on my Beretta. I hesitated.
106
107
108
109``Don't,'' the girl sobbed. ``I already tried
110to convince them not to go, but no one will listen. If you kill my
111brother, they'll probably go anyway. We just have to let it
112happen.''
113
114
115
116I felt the questions frozen in my mind like impending doom.
117``How do you know this? How do you know they will
118die?''
119
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121
122Tears cascading down her pale cheeks, she looked me in the eye. I
123knew the true meaning of hopelessness when she
124replied{\ldots}
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128``I saw it on TV.'' 
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