Chapter 5 #2
The creature was similar to the other, startlingly more human than the first few Lionel fought. This one was smaller, more human-sized, but its arms and legs were twisted enough that Lionel questioned how it was even standing up, let alone running at such an inhuman speed.
Mads barely had to raise the knife before the creature was slowing down. Lionel’s eyebrows pinched in confusion as the creature actually seemed to see them, actually seemed to consider what it was about to attack.
“Lionel!”
Lionel turned at the call of his name, eyes widening at the sight of a man standing just outside of an apartment door.
He was someone Lionel knew well—not enough to call him a friend—but enough that whenever he got a call from Derek, Lionel knew they’d order pizza and watch a movie after he fixed whatever was wrong.
Derek waved at him, face panicked, “Get in here!”
Lionel looked back at Mads, who was still facing the creature that was moving toward them, far slower now. Lionel hooked an arm around Mads’ waist and tugged him back. He heard the soft ‘oof’ as he practically lifted him off his feet and carried him toward the apartment.
The moment they ducked inside, Lionel heard the door slam shut and lock behind him.
A moment later, as Lionel helped Mads find his balance, they heard the screech and pounding on the door from the creature.
Lionel whipped around, prepared for the thing to come through the wood of the door, but the noises faded off entirely after barely a few seconds.
“Are you okay?” Derek asked, stepping over to Lionel and looking him over frantically. Derek was just a bit taller than him, with buzzed black hair and dark skin, and his t-shirt was torn in several places, most likely from dealing with the creatures. His grip on Lionel’s shoulders was bruising.
“I’m fine,” Lionel breathed, shaking his head. When he realized Derek was looking at the blood on him, he quickly added, “It’s not mine—or, well, not mine from right now at least.”
That didn’t seem to put Derek at ease, but his gaze looked over at Mads and locked on how Lionel’s arms were still around his waist with the excuse of holding him steady, and Mads was gripping Lionel’s shoulder hard with one hand and the knife with the other. “Who’s this?”
“Mads,” Lionel and Mads said at once. “He saved me when all this first started,” Lionel explained.
Mads smiled and put out a hand, “Nice to meet you.”
Derek physically relaxed and shook his hand quickly. “Derek.”
“You’re Lionel’s friend?” Mads asked, looking between them.
“Sort of,” Lionel said just as Derek nodded and said, “Yeah.”
“Derek?” Another voice suddenly came from further into the apartment, barely above a whisper. “Did you save them?”
Derek waved a hand at the two of them and led them toward the back bedroom. A young blonde woman was standing in the doorway, looking terrified to have it open even a crack. When he peered past her, Lionel could see three or four other people inside the dark room.
“Yeah, it was Lionel,” Derek said with a grin. “Come on in, it’s safe in here,” he said to Lionel and Mads.
Just as Lionel was opening his mouth to ask why so many people were hiding out in Derek’s apartment, he remembered why this room was different from the rest of the building. The walls and floor were covered with huge acoustic panels. “Can they not phase through these?”
“So far, they haven’t,” Derek nodded. “They’ve gotten into the apartment, but they haven’t gotten in here.”
“Fascinating,” Mads whispered as he stepped inside. “What is this?”
“Soundproofing,” Derek said.
“He’s a musician,” Lionel explained to Mads’ little frown of confusion. “He had to get special permission from my aunt to even put any of this up.”
Once the door was closed again, the only light in the room was from the soft lights lining the ceiling.
The curtains and shades were drawn entirely, making it difficult to even make out the faces of the people inside.
After a moment of his eyes adjusting, Lionel recognized two women he knew lived together on the second floor—he never figured out if they were dating or sisters, but considering how they were holding each other and trying to comfort one another, he now safely assumed ‘dating.’ The other two were a man sitting on the ground, his head in his hands, seemingly having a breakdown, and a teenage boy staring off into space, not even acknowledging the two new people who had entered.
“You’re the maintenance man, right?” The woman who had opened the door asked them. Lionel turned to her, nodding as he tried to remember where he had seen her face before.
“Maintenance man?” One of the other women called, standing up to the dismay of the other. “Do you have any of your tools? Weapons?”
“I did,” Lionel said. “But not anymore.”
The woman settled back down, shaking her head in disappointment.
“I’m Addie,” the blonde woman introduced herself.
“Lionel,” he said, ducking his head in greeting.
“Mads,” Mads spoke up, smiling as he leaned forward to give her his hand.
“Like the actor?” The woman asked, blinking.
“I really must look up this man’s work,” he hummed, looking at Lionel with a little glimmer in his eye. “What did you say he was in?”
“He was Hannibal Lecter—the guy who eats people.” Lionel laughed at Mads’ startled expression. “I’d offer to show you it, but after this, I might need a break from horror movies.”
Mads looked like he was about to laugh, but a sharp banging sound seemed to vibrate the entire room around them. One of the women screamed in terror, clinging to the other as the guitars hanging on the walls rattled until a low hum engulfed the room.
Lionel instinctively turned to the door, making sure it was fully shut and locked.
Derek was quickly moving a heavy cabinet back in front of it, looking like he was actively trying to keep his composure.
Lionel held his breath as he watched Derek back away from the door, waiting for the crashing bangs to stop. It sounded like it was right outside.
He could hear one of the women sobbing behind him, and a soft, groaning whimper coming from someone he couldn’t identify. Lionel stood, tensed, breath stuck in his chest, until the noises stopped. He swallowed thickly, shutting his eyes and counting to thirty before opening them again.
“Holy shit, you’re right,” he whispered, half to himself, half to Derek, who turned to look at him. “They can’t phase through the walls here.”
They all stood, letting the words sink in for a while.
Lionel startled at the touch of a hand to his shoulder.
He turned, looking back at Mads, who was smiling down at him.
“You can let go of me.” Lionel blinked and looked down, only then realizing he had put himself in front of Mads when the noises started, and had subconsciously wrapped an arm around him.
He took a step back, letting his grip drop. “Sorry,” he muttered.
“It’s okay,” Mads laughed, leaning closer to Lionel to be able to quietly say, “it’s cute that you want to try to protect me.”