Chapter: The End

In a secluded town, where even the summer breeze carries a biting chill, lies a marsh engulfed town—a place defined by its rain, the whisper of fishing boats, and little else. Autumn the season of fading color, transitioning into shorter days and cooler minds. The residents, though once content to linger during the warmer months, have gradually drifted away to the allure of larger cities, leaving behind a town that exists in evaporating memories. A lake that once drew countless visitors, promising both financial prosperity and romantic allure, now stands forgotten—its waters rarely disturbed by boats or even casual onlookers. The downtown area, once bustling, is slowly withering, leaving only transient souls passing through. No one lingers long in this town, especially not Jeremy.

On a particularly stifling summer day, Jeremy escapes to the town’s fringes, where the boundary between nature and concrete blur. His blonde hair tangled in the dirt and gravel beneath him, but the sharp rocks against his back offered an odd comfort. Thoughts weighed heavily on him—college applications, friends departing for distant universities, and his elusive sense of purpose. Suddenly, the sound of snapping branches broke his reverie. He jerked upright, spotting a squirrel darting between the trees, dislodging a flurry of twigs and leaves in its wake. Sighing, Jeremy brushed the debris from his clothes and resumed his contemplative posture, closing his eyes in a futile attempt to relax.

A sudden, cold sensation woke Jeremy from his daze. He opened one eye to find an orange tabby cat pressing its paw against his cheek. His attempts to shoo the feline away proved fruitless, as the creature boldly leapt onto his chest, its slender body settling atop him with a sense of ownership. Resigned, Jeremy allowed the cat to remain, feeling its gentle purring vibrate through him as he slipped back into a state of lethargy. It wasn’t long before the earth beneath him seemed to tremble—a strange rumbling that felt both distant and intimate. The sensation was akin to a knife-edged massage, sharp yet inexplicably soothing.

His mind drifted to the looming uncertainties of adulthood—the finality of high school, the absence of teachers, and the weight of the future. Just then, the screeching of tires interrupted his thoughts. Startled, Jeremy clutched the cat to his chest and rolled off the gravel road as a yellow ‘bug’ sped past, kicking up a cloud of dust and rocks. He stood, brushing himself off, and watched the car disappear down the desolate path. The cat slipped away into the nearby brush, leaving Jeremy alone once more.

As he began the long trek home, Jeremy retrieved his bike from a rut in the road, clearing it of leaves and insects. He pedaled through the countryside, where the warm breeze swayed the tall grass and trees in unison. The nature that surrounded the town was one of the few things that made it bearable to stay. By the time Jeremy emerged from the woods, the sky had transformed into a breathtaking sunset, casting hues of pink, blue, and yellow across the open prairie. The path forked ahead, one route leading to the lake and the decaying downtown, the other to the suburbs and home. Jeremy often confused the two, but today, he instinctively knew which one to take. The air thickened with fog as the temperature dropped, a tangible reminder that summer’s reign was fleeting.

Reaching town, Jeremy coasted to a stop at the bus station and dismounted his bike. While he waited, he stretched his limbs and glanced across the street at the old Marcus building. Never a car or person has Jeremy ever seen enter the building. Rumor is Marcus started his empire right here before founding the metropolis Marcus named after his own ego then vanishing.

Just as Jeremy pondered the building’s mystery, a man dressed in black emerged from its shadowy entrance, followed by the orange tabby. The cat paused, met Jeremy’s gaze for a fleeting moment before continuing its way.

The bus soon arrived, and Jeremy loaded his bike before settling into a window seat, his thoughts drifting back to his sister, Alice, who would no doubt be furious at his tardiness. A woman boarded the bus, her silver hair catching Jeremy’s eye. At first, he mistook her for an elderly lady, but as she drew closer, he realized she was his age, if not younger. It was unusual to see someone of Asian descent in town, let alone someone with her striking albino features. She sat behind him, and moments later, Jeremy felt a sharp prick at the nape of his neck.

“I don’t appreciate being stared at, Blondie,” the woman whispered.

Jeremy opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could speak, she wrenched his arm behind the seat, causing him to yelp in pain. Without warning, she sank her teeth into his flesh, giggling as she released him. Jeremy recoiled, inspecting his arm for bite marks, but to his astonishment, there was no blood—her fangs hadn’t broken the skin. Confused and shaken, Jeremy moved to the front of the bus, far away from the unsettling encounter. When the bus reached his stop, he quickly disembarked and retrieved his bike.

He watched the albino get off the bus and head down the road toward a parking lot. Jeremy walked his bike away from her and as he was about to head off home the yellow Volkswagen sped by him. He saw the albino driving and a red-haired stranger in the passenger seat. After a bit of distance, he decided to follow them.

For miles Jeremy followed the mysterious car back into the rural parts. Rows of trees and gravel roads leading down a path where farms raised corn. Wind blew through his golden strands as velocity builds. The car grew further and further away, but this road only leads one way. The sun began its slow dip below the horizon. A coolness in the air fell around Jeremy as darkness ascended. Stalks of corn sway in rows on either side of the gravel. Finally standing by at a distance Jeremy saw the car park just outside the old farmstead. On the porch there lies a swing chair and a few decaying folding chairs. Decrepit and abandoned, the house laid out an unwelcoming call to Jeremy. Voices at first calm then stern to wailing of words he did not understand. A familiar nudge came from below his knee as the orange cat stretched and perched itself at his feet. Then with a sudden jolt the cat stride over to the home pausing every few steps watching with anticipation. Jeremy found the cat beckoning him toward the abandoned lot. Approaching silently and avoiding debris cautiously Jeremy took steps to a halt. The front door swung open. A figure stepped outside seemingly taking in the moment before sitting down on the swing chair. The figure a man shape with similar white hair draping over a familiar face, the albino is this man related to her. The only difference in his face was those silver eyes and long white locks of hair covering his shoulders garnered in a rough brown trench coat and underneath it a button down with a bow tie. He took out a smoke pipe out from behind his ear as Jeremy ducked under the car. Smoke bellowed out from the man’s mouth. Fire at his fingertips astonished Jeremy. In a sudden twist the man stood up glanced over to the car.

The farmstead inside matched the outside: cobwebs, dusty furniture and peeling paint, a real haunting vibe. There were stairs leading to a host of rooms. Straight ahead appeared to be a kitchen. And off to the sides might be a living or dining room, but the doors were closed. In the kitchen the silver eyed man sat at small table. Letting his finger do the talking, he drew Jeremy in his direction. Jeremy walked past the stairs he could hear the footstep and whispers of rambling from above. Jeremy took a seat across from silver eyes. “How are you” he asked Jeremy.

“Strange, no ones lived here in a long time. And I’ve lived here in this town all my life. Do you live here?” the silver eyed man gestured to his finger and then lit it on fire.

He awoke in darkness from the chill of a hand. Jeremy could barely make out the figure in front of him. A hooded wretch whose face swallowed in fade brews a cold breath. His arms and legs chained; the only thing he could do was await fate. The figure pressed a finger on the chains, turning them brittle. Jeremy getting to work began chiseling his way through the binds. The cloaked figure drew back into blackness merging with it and gone from sight. Jeremy broke through the feeling his way through the blindness to find a knob. He twisted it open sprinting out the door determined not to look back. A bolt of fire flashed nearly missing his face. Jeremy flung open the front door and out into the night grabbing his bike.

“How vexing ” the silver eyed man roared. Jeremy threw his bike to the side as he tried for the car, and as luck would have the door opened. He felt around for a key. Anywhere now as the hulking rat beast stalked enclosing on the car. Jeremy noticed the key was actually in the ignition. A sigh he rotated the key starting the engine. The lights beamed on hitting the beast. Jeremy hit the gas hard ramming into it before jumping out and watched as the vehicle clashed against the beast. They climaxed at the porch and knocked the entirety of the front onto itself. Jeremy held his bike tight then rode out into the night.

By the time he reached home—a modest cerulean house—his sister’s face appeared at the window, her expression unreadable. He waved, trying to dispel the tension, but Alice’s face vanished without a trace. He knew his sister responds to recklessness with tears. Jeremy, though, was exhausted. Dragging the bike to the garage, punching in the code — it all felt tedious. With a grunt, he hoisted the bike up, hanging it against the wall before shutting the garage door behind him. He made his way to the front door, pushing it open. “I’m home,” he called out as he stepped inside, closing it softly behind him.

From the side, Alice popped into view “where have you been?” she asked, brushing gravel from Jeremy’s long, messy blonde hair. “Dinner’s ready by the way” followed by a knock at the door. Jeremy peering through the window could see no one there ignoring an obvious prank.

“So, Alice do you remember the Marcus building, being inside it, I mean” curiosity waving into their minds. Old memories of when their parents worked at the Marcus before vanishing leaving behind some benign mail, but an explanation never came.

“Fancy, very tall of course I was taken a little a back then, but now I think about it there wasn’t a spiral staircase of glass toward the back of the hall. There are always elevators delivering people and our parents. Anyway, dinner is getting cold.”

Kicking off his shoes, Jeremy rushed upstairs, calling back, “I’m fine, just tired!” There was another knock at the door. For a moment, Alice hesitated, then opened it, feeling the autumn breeze wash over her. No one was there. She stood there, confused, then closed the door quietly, glancing around in mild curiosity. Odd.

Upstairs, Jeremy threw himself onto his bed, pulling the covers over his head, blocking out the world. A light flickered through the crack of the door as it slowly creaked open. Startled, Jeremy shot up, slamming it shut. But something had brushed past him. His heart pounded in his chest. Too fast for him to follow, something had darted through the room. Jeremy, tense, collapsed back onto the bed, too worn out to chase after whatever it was.

The cat, emerging from under the bed, crawled out slowly, as if stretching each vertebra with care. Its head poked out first, followed by its sleek body, slinking between the carpet and the bed frame. Its tail flicked back and forth before it leapt onto the mattress, narrowly missing Jeremy’s legs. Purring loudly, it nudged his side, alerting him to its presence. Jeremy, barely paying attention, glanced down. But then — something moved under the covers. He tensed. Slowly, cautiously, he peeled the blanket back, only to reveal… the cat’s paw.

Or so he thought. The instant he relaxed; a cold touch landed on his chest. His breath caught. Eyes wide, he turned to see a forearm. A girl’s arm, pale, attached to a form with no visible face. Then, a loud purring vibrated through the bed, jolting Jeremy upright. He yanked the covers up higher, and there, curled on his lap, was a face.

Long red hair cascaded across the figure’s features, but bony fingers with sharp talons parted the strands, revealing her face. Her nose was short, almost snout-like, and her eyes were pure white, resembling those of a cat. “What… what are you?” Jeremy stammered, voice trembling, unsure if he even wanted an answer.

“We need you, Jeremee’ow…” the voice haunted the room, ethereal. An image bloomed in his mind. First, it was cold, a crimson, but then it expanded — machines, steam, and flashing red lights. A body on a concrete floor. His sister’s body. Alice. He rushed to her, lifting her limp form, ear pressed to her chest, but there was no heartbeat. Panic rose as he looked to his right, and there — a woman stood, her back to him. It was the albino blood dripping from her nails. She turned to look back with a smirk. “Marcus holds a secret” the voice hissed.

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