Ghouls
Chapter 38
Brian’s POV
It had been at least a month and still no word from Lauren. Everyone, myself, Cameron and Mikey especially, tried everything we could to get some kind of lead. I was worried sick. I missed her so fucking much. Her giggle, her smile, and her face... the more that we were apart, the more I realised how much I really liked her. I didn’t really know what we were, I mean, I presumed we were together but I really couldn’t be so sure, after everything that happened; I never know where she stands.
“Hey, Brian, Cam thinks he might have something,” Mikey interrupted my daydreaming.
I rushed from the sofa in the studio back in CA, moving to the room adjacent where Cam, Mikey and the Berry’s were.
“Yo, what is it?!” I asked, pulling on a tshirt and meeting the brothers at the laptop screen.
“She’s accessed her account,” Cam spoke, not breaking eye contact with the screen.
“But we’ve got her card,” I asked, knowing that she left all of her belongings here.
“I know. She must have gone into a branch,” he was speaking kinda rudely and a big part of me was pretty pissed that he was being so monotone and snappy. I think Mikey got a whiff of that as he placed his hand on my shoulder to calm me down; reminding me that Cam was just as worried about her as all of us, if not more.
“Where’s the branch,” Mikey asked, leaning on the back of Cam’s chair to get a closer look at the computer screen.
Cam turned around, eyes firmly at the floor before lifting, fear evident in his eyes as he answered with, ‘Jacksonville.’
“Well, we better get moving,” I told them, immediately calling up our regular carrier airline to ensure we had at least 3 seats on the next flight south.
Seven hours later, we landed in Jacksonville. The three of us, accompanied by Lacey, Jade, Georgie and Caitlyn, got a cab and went to the city centre, desperately showing as man y people the photo of Lauren that we all had hoping that someone would recognise her and help us.
After hours of searching, I finally came across a small, frail, dirty scrounger a couple of blocks away from the biggest bus stop in the city, where busses from all over the country came with tourists and travellers, into Jacksonville.
“Hey, sorry to-“
“What the Hell do you want, pretty boy,” the older woman hollered with a thick Irish accent from underneath the mountain of clothes, blankets, and broken boxes that lay on top of her.
“Sorry, I’m just looking for my partner. She went missing about a month ago and I think she came here. Please just look at this and see if you recognise her,” I passed her the picture, almost losing hope in this manhunt.
“Yeah, I know her,” the woman looked at me, somewhat disgruntled.
My face physically lifted in honest disbelief, “you do?! Well, when was the last time you saw her? Where was she going? Is she still here?”
The woman said nothing and simply held out her hand and motioned her fingers, as if asking me to pay up or some shit and despite my horror, I gave her all the money that was in my pocket. She looked through the bills handsomely before putting the bills in her chest pocket and folding her arms.
“Last I heard, she as on her way to New York. Gonna get a bus up. I’d wish her all the best; it’s a tough crowd up there, but she’s a cheatin’ whore so I hope she gets what she deserves,” she leant forward aggressively. There was no way I was going to let this dirty bitch get away with talking about Lauren like that but before I could react, I was pulled back by the shoulders.
“Thanks, ma’am, we really appreciate it,” Georgie said as she pulled me away.
“What did you do that for?! Did you even hear the shit she was saying about Lauren?!” I asked, angry.
“Yes, I did, but the last way to deal with that is to give her what for. We need to get to New York and see if we can’t find her.”
With that, I reluctantly gathered us all together and got on a plane up to the Big Apple; if she wasn’t there, I wasn’t sure what i was going to do.
Lauren’s POV
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been in Jacksonville but I’d done all I could to clean myself up and earn some money to try and get north. I’d gotten into too much trouble in the south and it was time I moved on. Mamma Meg didn’t have my back anymore; to be honest I don’t think she ever did have my back. I knew New York was a lot more dangerous and I knew it was going to be harder to survive but I simply couldn’t stay, so I headed to the bank and got the money out that I needed to get on a bus and set myself up for a few days, even if it was just to clean myself up and try to get a job. The streets were hard and were only making my brain harder to bare. I knew I had enough money in my account to get myself safe but letting agents don’t take too kindly to being given cash up front and I wasn’t going to get a bank card; I loved Cameron but I didn’t want him knowing where I was.
Before too long I had visited the banks and was sat on the coach and heading north, leaving behind the devastation that I had created, again.
It probably took about 15hours in total to get to where I wanted to spend the night. My time in Jacksonville had gotten me used to sleeping rough so sleeping on the pavements of New York were nothing new; even with all this cash, I couldn’t muster the courage to find a hotel, plus, they were never going to let me in with all the hash I still had in my rucksack. On top of that, I really fancied some whiskey and the view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges side-by-side.
I found a good spot between the landmarks, after visiting as cheap a liquor store as I could find in Manhattan, the sun had set long ago and the bright lights that sparkled atop the fantastic feats of engineering shone bright for the entire bustling city to see.
I secretly picked at some of the pot that was sealed in plastic bags in my rucksack, chewing on some before rolling some into a joint and lighting it, inhaling deeply. The smell was almost unbearable to me, New York, that is. The scents of cheap food blessed my nostrils and caused my stomach to growl, being silenced by the intake of more of the joint. I hadn’t eaten in so long that I honestly could’ve eaten anything and something gnawing at the back of my mind told me that indulging was a good idea, so I finished my smoke and made my way to the closest pizza place.
“Yo, I’ll have an extra large Hawaiian with stuffed crust and a-“
“You’re stoned,” the guy behind the counter pointed out rather obnoxiously, “and drunk."
“Your point? I have lots of cash,” I told him, waving my wad of money in front of him, “and hash if that’s more your deal,” I giggled.
“Look, if you don’t leave now, I’m gonna have to call the cops,” he warned, leaning towards the telephone he had on the wall.
“Look,” I imitated, growing angry, “all I wanted was a fucking pizza!” I screamed, lashing out, flipping the table behind me as a co-worker tried to restrain me and the man behind the counter dialled.
I just about managed to struggle free before the police force arrived, running as fast as my legs could take me, knowing that if I was caught that I wouldn’t be leaving for a long while.
Eventually, I found myself safe from arrest, but in a dark alley surrounded by unknown territory. I had my forehead against the brown brick wall, covered in graffiti, catching my breath before it was taken from me again; my mouth and nose being covered by a large man’s hand that stank of sweat and...other bodily fluids. I slashed and swayed in an attempt to get away.
“Shhh, baby, Daddy’s gonna make it all go away,” the coarse voice whispered in my ear, pulling a blade to my throat as I tried to scratch his shins with my heels, to get him to let go. I kept my head moving to ensure he couldn’t get a clean swipe at my throat until he stabbed my thigh, a sharp pain coursing through my body and making me scream, making my knees buckle.
“That sounds better, baby,” I felt him grin against my cheek, holding the blade against my lower back as he undid his pants and pulled mine down.
My energy was out and I was about to let what was bound to happen happen. That was until the weight that had me pressed against the wall was released and the male was torn from me. I quickly pulled my pants backup to see what was going on, only to be faced with Him with my assailants head crushed in His claws.
I tried to scream but He had my breath, stealing it from my very being. I sloped down the wall as he passed into the shadows, leaving me on the floor, slowly being covered in my attempted rapists’ blood.
It had been at least a month and still no word from Lauren. Everyone, myself, Cameron and Mikey especially, tried everything we could to get some kind of lead. I was worried sick. I missed her so fucking much. Her giggle, her smile, and her face... the more that we were apart, the more I realised how much I really liked her. I didn’t really know what we were, I mean, I presumed we were together but I really couldn’t be so sure, after everything that happened; I never know where she stands.
“Hey, Brian, Cam thinks he might have something,” Mikey interrupted my daydreaming.
I rushed from the sofa in the studio back in CA, moving to the room adjacent where Cam, Mikey and the Berry’s were.
“Yo, what is it?!” I asked, pulling on a tshirt and meeting the brothers at the laptop screen.
“She’s accessed her account,” Cam spoke, not breaking eye contact with the screen.
“But we’ve got her card,” I asked, knowing that she left all of her belongings here.
“I know. She must have gone into a branch,” he was speaking kinda rudely and a big part of me was pretty pissed that he was being so monotone and snappy. I think Mikey got a whiff of that as he placed his hand on my shoulder to calm me down; reminding me that Cam was just as worried about her as all of us, if not more.
“Where’s the branch,” Mikey asked, leaning on the back of Cam’s chair to get a closer look at the computer screen.
Cam turned around, eyes firmly at the floor before lifting, fear evident in his eyes as he answered with, ‘Jacksonville.’
“Well, we better get moving,” I told them, immediately calling up our regular carrier airline to ensure we had at least 3 seats on the next flight south.
Seven hours later, we landed in Jacksonville. The three of us, accompanied by Lacey, Jade, Georgie and Caitlyn, got a cab and went to the city centre, desperately showing as man y people the photo of Lauren that we all had hoping that someone would recognise her and help us.
After hours of searching, I finally came across a small, frail, dirty scrounger a couple of blocks away from the biggest bus stop in the city, where busses from all over the country came with tourists and travellers, into Jacksonville.
“Hey, sorry to-“
“What the Hell do you want, pretty boy,” the older woman hollered with a thick Irish accent from underneath the mountain of clothes, blankets, and broken boxes that lay on top of her.
“Sorry, I’m just looking for my partner. She went missing about a month ago and I think she came here. Please just look at this and see if you recognise her,” I passed her the picture, almost losing hope in this manhunt.
“Yeah, I know her,” the woman looked at me, somewhat disgruntled.
My face physically lifted in honest disbelief, “you do?! Well, when was the last time you saw her? Where was she going? Is she still here?”
The woman said nothing and simply held out her hand and motioned her fingers, as if asking me to pay up or some shit and despite my horror, I gave her all the money that was in my pocket. She looked through the bills handsomely before putting the bills in her chest pocket and folding her arms.
“Last I heard, she as on her way to New York. Gonna get a bus up. I’d wish her all the best; it’s a tough crowd up there, but she’s a cheatin’ whore so I hope she gets what she deserves,” she leant forward aggressively. There was no way I was going to let this dirty bitch get away with talking about Lauren like that but before I could react, I was pulled back by the shoulders.
“Thanks, ma’am, we really appreciate it,” Georgie said as she pulled me away.
“What did you do that for?! Did you even hear the shit she was saying about Lauren?!” I asked, angry.
“Yes, I did, but the last way to deal with that is to give her what for. We need to get to New York and see if we can’t find her.”
With that, I reluctantly gathered us all together and got on a plane up to the Big Apple; if she wasn’t there, I wasn’t sure what i was going to do.
Lauren’s POV
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been in Jacksonville but I’d done all I could to clean myself up and earn some money to try and get north. I’d gotten into too much trouble in the south and it was time I moved on. Mamma Meg didn’t have my back anymore; to be honest I don’t think she ever did have my back. I knew New York was a lot more dangerous and I knew it was going to be harder to survive but I simply couldn’t stay, so I headed to the bank and got the money out that I needed to get on a bus and set myself up for a few days, even if it was just to clean myself up and try to get a job. The streets were hard and were only making my brain harder to bare. I knew I had enough money in my account to get myself safe but letting agents don’t take too kindly to being given cash up front and I wasn’t going to get a bank card; I loved Cameron but I didn’t want him knowing where I was.
Before too long I had visited the banks and was sat on the coach and heading north, leaving behind the devastation that I had created, again.
It probably took about 15hours in total to get to where I wanted to spend the night. My time in Jacksonville had gotten me used to sleeping rough so sleeping on the pavements of New York were nothing new; even with all this cash, I couldn’t muster the courage to find a hotel, plus, they were never going to let me in with all the hash I still had in my rucksack. On top of that, I really fancied some whiskey and the view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges side-by-side.
I found a good spot between the landmarks, after visiting as cheap a liquor store as I could find in Manhattan, the sun had set long ago and the bright lights that sparkled atop the fantastic feats of engineering shone bright for the entire bustling city to see.
I secretly picked at some of the pot that was sealed in plastic bags in my rucksack, chewing on some before rolling some into a joint and lighting it, inhaling deeply. The smell was almost unbearable to me, New York, that is. The scents of cheap food blessed my nostrils and caused my stomach to growl, being silenced by the intake of more of the joint. I hadn’t eaten in so long that I honestly could’ve eaten anything and something gnawing at the back of my mind told me that indulging was a good idea, so I finished my smoke and made my way to the closest pizza place.
“Yo, I’ll have an extra large Hawaiian with stuffed crust and a-“
“You’re stoned,” the guy behind the counter pointed out rather obnoxiously, “and drunk."
“Your point? I have lots of cash,” I told him, waving my wad of money in front of him, “and hash if that’s more your deal,” I giggled.
“Look, if you don’t leave now, I’m gonna have to call the cops,” he warned, leaning towards the telephone he had on the wall.
“Look,” I imitated, growing angry, “all I wanted was a fucking pizza!” I screamed, lashing out, flipping the table behind me as a co-worker tried to restrain me and the man behind the counter dialled.
I just about managed to struggle free before the police force arrived, running as fast as my legs could take me, knowing that if I was caught that I wouldn’t be leaving for a long while.
Eventually, I found myself safe from arrest, but in a dark alley surrounded by unknown territory. I had my forehead against the brown brick wall, covered in graffiti, catching my breath before it was taken from me again; my mouth and nose being covered by a large man’s hand that stank of sweat and...other bodily fluids. I slashed and swayed in an attempt to get away.
“Shhh, baby, Daddy’s gonna make it all go away,” the coarse voice whispered in my ear, pulling a blade to my throat as I tried to scratch his shins with my heels, to get him to let go. I kept my head moving to ensure he couldn’t get a clean swipe at my throat until he stabbed my thigh, a sharp pain coursing through my body and making me scream, making my knees buckle.
“That sounds better, baby,” I felt him grin against my cheek, holding the blade against my lower back as he undid his pants and pulled mine down.
My energy was out and I was about to let what was bound to happen happen. That was until the weight that had me pressed against the wall was released and the male was torn from me. I quickly pulled my pants backup to see what was going on, only to be faced with Him with my assailants head crushed in His claws.
I tried to scream but He had my breath, stealing it from my very being. I sloped down the wall as he passed into the shadows, leaving me on the floor, slowly being covered in my attempted rapists’ blood.
Ummmmm, I'm so confused. Is she suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia or...?
5/4/17