Jacob Keller (bodyonthetracks) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2019-08-26 23:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | #december 2017, enzo, enzo x jacob, jacob |
Who: Enzo & Jacob
Where: 16 Bit Bar & Arcade
When: Thursday morning, 12/28
Status: Complete
Jacob had never realized just how creepy the arcade could be until now that he'd had to spend a night there. They had turned all the machines off and there was still a low humming in the room that Jacob couldn't tune out. Air conditioning maybe, or the staff room fridge. It turned on and off at random all night and he felt like a zombie by the time daylight filtered through the fog again. He woke up from a brief and shallow sleep to what sounded like an ice cream truck driving by and for a second he dared to hope the fog had cleared up in the last hour.
He sat up and peered out at the front of the arcade but no, it was all gray out there so the sound had to have been a part of his dream. Checking his useless phone - now almost out of power - he found it was only eight in the morning and there was no point in getting up. Two of the kids were whispering among themselves somewhere near by and Jacob curled back up and listened to all the ambient noises, trying to sleep again.
Time and space blurred in a way that made him fully appreciate just how horrible a concept eternity was and around ten am there was too much noise to even pretend he could sleep. Everyone was restless, whining about the fog, whining at the fog and Jeff was turning on the machines again for something to do.
Sleep had not come easy to Enzo, even in the racing chair he’d commandeered for himself. There were too many people around, too many unfamiliar noises, plus he’d never been able to shake the feeling that he wasn’t safe. He was restless most of the night with nightmares trying to creep in at every chance they got, so he was almost glad when morning came, even if he was desperate for some caffeine to pull him into wakefulness. He wandered towards the bar, eyes scanning the room for Jacob or Jeff, though if neither were there and he found a pot of coffee, then he was going to help himself. When he spotted Jacob, he shuffled over to him.
“Got any coffee?” Enzo asked, still stretching from sleep. He was sore and stiff, missing his bed more than anything else. Yes, it was late, and technically he’d been awake over an hour, but he’d been too lazy to get up with no real reason to do so. The fog was still there, so why rush?
"Yeah," Jacob murmured and despite his inability to sleep he was a little bit reluctant when he sat up. "That's actually a really good idea." He hadn't gotten drunk the night before but Jeff had shared some beers and Jacob had really hoped they would help him sleep. They hadn't. Cofee might help with this stupid day though. "I can't believe it's still blind out there," he sighed as he got to his feet, running his fingers through his ruffled hair. "Did you get any sleep?"
Enzo would have felt better if this were a snow storm, not some weird fog. People got snowed in all the time. It sucked, but it felt like a thing that happened. This was far creepier and their inability to communicate with anyone made it worse. “Kind of,” he shrugged. “Not good sleep, but enough to keep me on my feet if I get some caffeine in me.” He knew he was young for the amount of coffee he drank, but it was that or Red Bull and coffee was cheaper and easier to come by. Everyone had it. He knew he wouldn’t be running his best today, but that hardly mattered if all they were going to do was sit around and wait for this fog to pass. “What about you? Sleep well?”
"God no," Jacob sighed and uselessly checked his phone as he led the way toward the staff room. It looked like Jeff had beat them to the coffee maker judging by the sweet smell that met them when they entered and Jacob gave a little huff of relief. "You take sugar? Milk? Cream?" he asked as he found some cups and started pouring the coffee. It could come in handy to drink his coffee black but only when it was good coffee. Luckily Jeff was a bit of a coffee snob.
“Cream and sugar,” Enzo replied, looking around the staff room as he followed Jacob inside. “So much it’s blonde. Even better if you’ve got some of those fancy creamers.” Or if the coffee was flavored. He could never drink it black, even if that would’ve made his life easier. “What do you got left in the way of food?” He asked when his stomach began to growl. The arcade wasn’t really known for its food selection, but so far it had been holding up alright. He didn’t expect donuts or pancakes, just something to fill his stomach.
The question made Jacob's stomach sink and if the fog didn't clear up very soon, this day was going to suck so fucking badly. "Not a lot," he admitted. "All the actual food is finished. There's still some bar snacks and we have plenty to drink but, not much solid." Beer was a bit filling but this early and the way he was feeling, the thought of drinking alcohol just made him feel a little queasy. "There's a store down the street," he said quietly. "Jeff and I talked last night about how maybe one of us could try to reach it." One of them meaning Jeff and Jacob wasn't about to argue too much with that. The man had played the age card, saying Jacob was just a kid so it made sense if he went out there. Jacob had just really hoped it wouldn't come to that. "But maybe it'll clear out soon and we can all go get a big pizza at Dino's."
“Shit,” Enzo cringed and took a sip of his coffee. It was sweet and hot and exactly what he needed at that moment, but he knew he couldn’t live on it for the rest of the day. He’d end up a jittery mess. “I’d hate for anyone to go out in this. You can’t see shit. Maybe if you stuck to the building, you could get nextdoor, but I don’t think you wanna try crossing the street without, like, a rope tied around you to find your way back.” It sounded silly, but he was pretty sure that if you got far enough away from the door it would be hard to tell which way was the way back. Getting lost out there in the cold would be worse than going hungry in the arcade. People could live for days without food and they weren’t exactly starving.
"It's on this side of the street," Jacob said but he still hated the idea. "So it's just a matter of clinging to the buildings until you find a door." He didn't want to go, it was so cold outside and he'd had enough scary shit happen to him already without stepping out into the blinding fog. He was probably being a baby about it but he kept thinking he might see Grayson out there or whatever it was that had taken him. He pushed those thoughts away and drank his coffee, momentarily calmed by the heat of the cup. "A rope isn't a bad idea. It's super dramatic but... not a bad idea."
It was way over the top and would probably freak people out, but it would be better than getting lost out in the fog. And if Jacob or Jeff actually found food, then Enzo wanted to make sure they found their way back. “Good thing we’ve got rope on hand. Oh wait, we don’t,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. This wasn’t the kind of thing anyone was prepared for. If they’d known, they’d have food and a rope. But maybe they could improvise. He started looking around the staff room. “You probably have extension cords, though. Those long orange ones. We could string ‘em together.”
Jacob actually smiled at that because it was an actual solution in a sea of problems. "If there's one thing we have plenty of in here it's extension cords," he said. "Let me go get Jeff. The sooner we get food in here the better." He took one more sip of his coffee before he got up, then lightly patted Enzo's shoulder. "You're smart, I'll give you that." He hurried out of the small room to find Jeff out front with the kids. He'd gotten them occupied at least, turning on some of the machines, so it was fine to steal him away.
When they returned to the cafeteria, Jacob told him about Enzo's idea. "Whoever goes out there will have to bundle up so I figured we could borrow some jackets from each other, layer it." Nobody in there was dressed for this but they could improvise.
"I'll go," Jeff muttered. "I'm... the adult in here. I'm responsible." He sounded about as reluctant as Jacob felt but Jacob wasn't going to argue. He did not want to go out there. "You guys start making us a 'rope', I'll go see what kind of warm clothes the kids can spare."
It was kind of nice to be thought of as smart, seeing as he didn’t get much of that at school. This was the kind of problem solving Enzo was good at, the sort that usually got him into trouble. At least this time he was helping. They pulled extension cords out of the cabinet and began tying them together at the ends, making a long rope that could be tied around Jeff went he went to find them food. For once Enzo was glad to be a kid; he didn’t want to be the responsible one in this situation. He noticed that Jacob didn’t volunteer either. “This feels crazy,” he muttered as they worked. “You’d think the fire department would be helping out or something, going door to door, checking on people. Like… why don’t we have plans in place for things like this?”
"Because we live in a tiny ass town with no resources," Jacob said with a wry smile. "And this fog shit is new." He couldn't remember it being so foggy when he was growing up. There had been plenty of weird shit going on but this kind of fog was new. All their firefighters were volunteers with other jobs so maybe they were just as trapped as everyone else, too far from whatever equipment might actually help. He thought of Connor again and hoped he was at the hospital. That seemed like an okay place to be stuck, better than an arcade at least with way more resources. "It'd be really funny if the fog cleared while Jeff's out there," he murmured to lighten the mood a little. "He's going to look ridiculous."
The fog might be new, but they’d had plenty of snow storms over the years with bad visibility. This seemed similar, at least to Enzo, though he’d never been out in any of them. Normally when the weather was bad, he holed up in his house and played video games or read until it all passed. “With all those jackets on, he’ll look like that kid in A Christmas Story,” he grinned. “The one that can’t put his arms down because of all the layers.” He’d watched that show on Christmas day, with his brother. He wondered what he was doing now, if he was home or stuck at work. At least everyone was stuck wherever they were, not just them.
"Nevermind me," Jacob joked. "Just out walking my extension cords." He huffed a little laugh as they kept working and then headed out front to get more of them. It required unplugging some of the machines but most of them were turned off anyway. When he returned, Jeff joined them too.
"Okay so," he started, dumping the piles of clothes he'd gathered onto the kitchen counter. "I'll head down to the store and see if I can get in. They'll have food and blankets so I'll get what I can or I'll tie the extension cords outside the place and we can relocate together. If it's better there, I mean." He started pulling on some of the clothes as he spoke. "It's fucking cold out there, I checked, but that's our only problem. So once we have a life line, we can walk or run as fast as we need to."
It seemed like a good plan to Enzo: bring back food or relocate the entire group to some place more accommodating. All they would have to do was hold on to the extension cords and make their way there. Jeff could scope it all out first and make the decision on what was best. “Anything we should do other than wait?” Enzo asked, trying to think through the various scenarios. “Do you want to take a cell phone and see if you can get reception out there or something?” It was probably pointless, but it was worth a try.
"The less time I spend outside the better," Jeff replied but he fished his phone out of his pocket anyway to show Enzo he had it. "Those guys have a vicious alarm so I don't think I'm breaking in there if it's locked. Fuck, I hope someone's there."
They were amassing a small audience of kids gathering in the doorway, some of them snickering the more clothes Jeff put on. "You'd think we'd have more warm clothing in here, considering it's December in fucking Maine," Jacob muttered. He had warm clothes on because he walked damn near everywhere but a lot of those kids had gotten rides and nobody was expecting a freezing fog to roll in. He found his hat and scarf and handed them to Jeff so he wouldn't have to wear a sweater on his head or anything stupid like that, smirking at him as he plopped it on. "March bravely through the blind, soldier," he murmured with a little grin. "Come back with food."
The man looked ridiculous, but at least he’d be warm. Enzo offered his gloves, feeling like he needed to contribute something, but was unwilling to part with anything else. It was pure selfishness on his part, but Jeff looked like he’d managed to get everything he needed. Enzo stepped back when he headed to the door, the extension cord tied around his waist like a lifeline. He’d need his hands free if he ended up bringing back food. “I’d like a cheeseburger with fries, extra ketchup,” he called out as the door to the arcade opened. “And a chocolate milkshake, if you can manage it.”
Jacob could feel the cold even from where he was standing and he was just thankful he wasn't the one heading out there. Though if Jeff got his way they would all need to go so he couldn't be too happy too soon. He grinned faintly at Enzo's joke, appreciating the humor. They needed something light, everything was just overbearing and scary right now and he never dealt with bad situations terribly well. The kids started chiming up with what they wanted too and soon were bickering about pizza toppings and the validity of pineapple on pizza. It was better than thinking about the fog at least, but Jacob still stared out at the wall of white, crossing his arms in a pseudo self hug. "God I hope someone's there," he whispered for just Enzo to hear, or maybe just to himself.
It was easier for Enzo to joke than to dwell on how much it would suck if Jeff came back empty handed. He didn’t actually think that was a possibility though. If they were stuck there, then people had to be stuck in the other stores and restaurants. There were plenty of places on Main Street with food and it would just take a bit more work to get to them, that was all. “Worst case, we go through our stores of junk food,” Enzo said softly. “This can’t last forever. I’ve heard a human can go over a week without food, so long as they have water.” That didn’t mean he wanted to do it, he’d be fucking miserable, but they weren’t going to die just because they couldn’t get a pizza. “He’ll be back though. If they’re not there, someone’ll be in the next shop. We’ll find some place better to wait this out.”
"If this doesn't work I'm just going to go get very drunk," Jacob said with a sigh. "Sorry, not sorry, I'll be checking out." He was sort of joking, but not completely. This was miserable and another whole day at the arcade was going to suck. He didn't even want to think about spending another night.
"This is insane," he heard Jeff call in from the fog but he sounded far away already. Something about his voice made Jacob laugh despite the stress of it, he sounded almost jolly about it but that was Jeff for you, upbeat even when freezing and miserable. "I can't see my hands! Do I have hands?" It made the kids laugh too, though they were all obviously nervous. After that Jeff was quiet for a while and the only reason they knew he was still moving was that their makeshift rope kept moving.
Jacob was dying to close the door by now. The cold was seeping in and making him shiver but they needed to wait so wait they did, for what felt like forever before Jeff suddenly appeared in the doorway again, grinning. "Jackpot! Let's get moving, I really don't want to stay out here much longer. Get on something warm, hold onto the rope and move as fast as you can. I've got a guy waiting on the other end of the line."
It was the best news they could have asked for and Enzo found himself grinning and giddy with relief. He didn’t even know where they were going, just that it was somewhere else, which had to be better than where they were. As quickly as they could, they filed the kids out the door, giving them all strict instructions to hold onto the rope the entire time. The hardest part was standing there in the cold, waiting to go out into it. Enzo waited his turn, helping make sure all the younger kids were on their way before he took hold of the extension cord and headed out into the fog himself.
It was fucking freezing, so cold that Enzo wanted to run, but he with others in front of him he had to wait his turn. As he moved, he looked out into the fog, a flash of something catching his eye, a shadow moving just out of sight. He frowned, hoping one of the kids wasn’t stupid enough to let go and wander away from the line. They’d have to count everyone up when they were done just to make sure they all made it.
Jacob was right behind Enzo, focused on the orange line he could barely see by his hand. Jeff was right, it was insane how thick this fog was, insane and fucking scary. Cooperdale Tunnel had really made a complete coward out of him because he was shaking really hard and it wasn't just from the intense cold. He had to fight the urge to grab Enzo too, just to feel another person, just so he could hold on if something pulled him away - or pulled Enzo away. He could hear Jeff just a few steps behind him, huffing softly as they hurried toward the other store, going as fast as the people in front of them would allow them to go.
At the end of the cord was a guy called Donnie. Jacob knew him by name but not much else. He worked at that store now and ushered them in as they arrived at the door. Jacob had a fleeting thought about how he hoped Donnie didn't know and hate him but he couldn't worry about that right now. He was too cold and too scared to worry about hypothetical. Jeff was behind him and when he came in they could close the door and warm up again. Only he didn't come in. Jacob just heard a surprised yelp and then Jeff was gone. He had untied the cord from the arcade and was holding on and the line now stretched in the wrong direction, into the street.
"Jeff!" Donnie yelled out, surprised and bewildered but Jacob couldn't speak at all. He was having a bad sense of deja vu, if he could even call it that. Was it deja vu when it was something that really had happened and he knew exactly what he was looking at? He backed away from the door, his breathing hitched and shallow, his face pale as he thought he was going through the same damn nightmare all over again.
Enzo stood at the door, his face pinched in an expression of concern. The line went taut, then moved erratically from right to left. RUN! The screech rang out so loud that Enzo flinched, yet no one else around him moved, everyone’s focus on the fog outside, the space where Jeff should be. “Pull him in,” he said, then more urgently, his hands working against the extension cord. “Pull him in!” If he was the only one who’d heard that voice, if something dead was screaming at him, then they needed to get that door shut before whatever he was being told to run from showed up.
Donnie yelled for Jeff again as they pulled on the extension cord and suddenly Jeff was there, limping and crawling towards the door, a streak of blood leaving a trail behind him. He was screaming, shouting in pain and to get inside and all kinds of jibberish that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Donnie dragged him the last few feet, arms under his armpits, then closed and locked the door. Enzo backed up until he ran into Jacob, his eyes wide. Other than his own ritual sacrifice, this was the most gruesome thing he’d ever witnessed and it left him shaken, not sure what to do.
Jacob was frozen on the spot, watching everything unfold in front of him like it was happening on a screen and he couldn't interact with it at all. Even the sound of it was muffled, drowned out by the blood rushing through his head, his pulse too strong and loud all over his body. He didn't expect to see Jeff again, he wanted to yell at them to just close the door before something else came in, something worse. He pictured Grayson with dead and accusing eyes, he pictured some horrific creature with fangs and claws, he pictured anything but what came next and he wasn't sure if he was relieved or not when Jeff was inside. He was a mess, his jeans torn and covered in blood. It looked like the kind of injury that would kill a man, even if it wasn't on his torso. The kids were screaming but thankfully Donnie seemed to know what he was doing. Jacob didn't really snap out of his daze until Enzo bumped into him, solid and real. Jacob didn't even realize it when he reached for him, grabbing his arm tightly as he kept staring.
“He’s alive,” Enzo muttered, partially for Jacob’s benefit and partially for his own. This wasn’t something he was seeing that no one else could. Donnie was helping Jeff, trying to calm him down and address the wound. He kept going on about some kind of a monster until Donnie said something that quieted him, Jeff’s wild eyes darting to the terrified kids. After that there was no more talk of monsters, but Enzo had already heard it. His eyes were already staring out into the fog, wondering if that was what he’d seen lurking just out of sight. “I can’t believe we made it,” he whispered, then turned to look over Jacob’s shoulder, not even sure where it was they’d made it to.
If Jeff hadn't gotten hurt, they would have had it made. Donnie's shop was a small one but he sold a bunch of crap for camping and hunting as well as food. It was going to be a lot more comfortable than the arcade, that was for sure, but if Jeff up and died on them then that didn't matter. Except Donnie sold guns. Big hunting rifles and slugs to go with them. Perfect location, terrible situation.
Jeff was in a lot of pain, whimpering or yelling out curses every time Donnie touched him. Donnie was barking orders but maybe he either saw that Jacob wasn't about to move or else he was just going for whoever was closest to him. Some of the kids scurried around to help find things.
"I wanna go home," Jacob whispered, only home meant Connor's home and not the room he was staying in. He felt useless and small and scared and ridiculously alone despite being surrounded by people. He also couldn't help but wonder if whatever was out there - a monster? - had gotten to Connor, to Joss, to Sage. What if it was out there killing everyone and soon it would crash in through the windows of this little store and finish what it started with this little group.
“Me too,” Enzo muttered, even though home was probably a lot less safe. He worried about his brother for the first time since getting stuck, having always assumed that he’d be better off no matter where he was. Now he wasn’t so sure and the thought of losing the only person left in his life scared him. “We should…be useful,” he said. “Or get out of the way.” He pulled Jacob a little further back, trying to take in the situation. Some of the kids were already running around at Donnie’s direction, bringing first aid to help bandage the wound. Enzo’s eyes flicked up to the window, the memory of the scream coming back to him. There were more than just monsters out there. “We need to cover the windows.”
The mere thought of going near the windows was maybe the final straw for Jacob's mind to break. "No" he said, his voice small and broken and the next thing he knew he was sitting down inside a tiny tent someone had put up at the back of the store. To show it or to use it, who knew, Jacob didn't even remember walking there or crawling inside. He was hugging his knees, trying to focus on his breathing, on not hyperventilating or holding his breath. Somewhere in the back of his head he felt ashamed because there was literally a fourteen year old kid out there being responsible and helping bandage Jeff's wounds but Jacob couldn't even function. He was supposed to be the adult there and he felt anything but. Looking out at that fog, all he saw was the tunnel, stretching endlessly into some hellish dimension where people disappeared to or died. He needed it to be over, he needed it to stop so he could breathe normally again and not die here today.
Enzo was prepared to start looking for paint, or duct tape, when Jacob spoke. “Or...or not,” he said, then watched with concern as Jacob retreated completely. He’d seemed fully capable up till now, but Enzo supposed the crisis had just skyrocketed from annoying to ‘holy shit we’re all gonna die’ and not everybody was able to handle that. He looked at the window, focused long enough to purposefully hear the screams beyond it, then followed after Jacob, distantly aware that the action had been enough to reopen the cut across his nose. He’d deal with that later. “Hey,” he said softly, taking a seat beside Jacob inside the tent. “You okay?” The answer was clearly ‘no’, but he asked it before thinking how stupid it sounded. “He’ll be okay. Donnie’s got it under control.”
Jacob didn't look up when Enzo came in. It was somewhat reassuring to have someone else there but at the same time Jacob just wanted to be very quiet and hidden away and Enzo was making that impossible. He shook his head at the question as his brain screamed at him to snap out of it. "I can't do this again," he whispered. "Why did I come home?" The real question was, why did fucked up shit keep happening to him? Connor was probably better off far away from him because he was bad luck but the thought of losing the man was too overwhelming. Maybe he was Jacob's good luck but he wasn't here.
“Again?” Enzo asked, his brow furrowing. “Has this happened before?” They’d talked about the last time the fog was bad, but it wasn’t anything like this. He was sure other things had happened, when he was younger, but he felt like he’d have remembered monsters, or whatever was out there. Jacob was quiet, so Enzo let his mind wander, let himself listen to the space beyond the void. People were freaking out, were screaming and crying, all signs of recent death. That was something he’d learned in the past year; the newly deceased were loud. And right now, they were blabbering about monsters, too. It made his cheek hurt to listen, a bruise blossoming near his eye. “We’re gonna be okay,” he said. “They can’t get us in here.”
Jacob almost believed him. They weren't out in the woods, they were inside a store, a store with tents and guns and sleeping bags and food. He wanted to believe they'd be okay but then he looked up and the panic washed over him worse than before. "What's happening to your face?" he whispered under his breath, surprised he had breath to say it because it felt like his lungs were collapsing from the anxiety pushing down on his chest. This was a fucking nightmare, he wanted to wake up, even if it meant they were still stuck in the arcade. Enzo's injuries had come out of nowhere, this had to be a bad dream. What if it kept getting worse and Enzo started disintegrating right there in front of him? Jacob stared at him and he wanted to scream at himself to wake up, wake up, wake the fuck up.
Enzo frowned, then touched the bridge of his nose, his fingers coming back with fresh blood. “Fuck,” he muttered. Had that just happened? Right before Jacob’s eyes? He wondered how he was supposed to explain that away. Usually he was alone when it happened and he could blame it on a fight, or walking into a door, or some stupid shit. But for those paying attention, it was always in the same place and that was hard to explain. He wasn’t that accident prone. “It’s just… this thing that happens to me sometimes,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine, I swear.” It wouldn’t get worse unless he started talking to the ghosts, seeking them out and interacting, something he was pretty sure Jacob couldn’t handle.
Jacob let out an exasperated laugh that sounded more like a breathy whimper. It just happened sometimes. That wasn't reassuring and it didn't make any of this feel any more real. There were monsters outside and now this guy hiding in a tent with him was bleeding and bruised for no apparent reason. Jacob was almost afraid of touching him, worried he'd find out he wasn't really there but he forced himself to pull one hand away from his side and tentatively poked Enzo. If this was a nightmare it would escalate until he woke up anyway. The problem was, he really didn't think he was asleep. "Why the fuck does it happen to you?" he whispered and the only way to get it out seemed to be to get it out angry.
Enzo flinched away when Jacob poked him, confused and annoyed. It didn’t hurt or anything, but it just seemed so rude. “Because I hear things,” he said, his tone copying Jacob’s as he poked him right back. He stared angrily at Jacob for a moment, then his expression slipped to one of worry, not sure how the truth would be taken. “Not all the time, but… I heard something outside. Something I didn’t think anyone else heard. So then I listened for it. It’s when I start actively listening or talking back that things happen.” He didn’t want to use the word ghosts, not after the creatures outside, though he realized that probably made it sound like he heard voices in his head. Fuck. He just sounded more and more crazy.
Jacob's expression softened into the one of blank near-shock again when Enzo didn't start disintegrating or changing into something horrible. He just looked hurt and he sounded scared too and that weirdly helped a little. "Hear what?" he whispered but he could only come to one conclusion. "Ghosts?" What else could nobody else hear that affected him like this? It was weird but so were so many other things that Jacob wasn't going to dismiss it. It would just be another creepy thing to be scared of but it wasn't exactly new.
“Yeah,” Enzo whispered, the admission coming out almost like a sigh of relief. “There’s a fuck-ton of ‘em around here. They get loud when things like this happen.” Some wanted to warn him. Some were new and freaking out. And some just wanted attention when they realized there was a live person that could hear them. “I don’t… I don’t talk about it. I sound insane. But I didn’t think you’d believe that someone punched me between the front door and here.” Jacob had been in a daze, but Enzo thought he would have noticed something like that.
Jacob studied his face with a pained expression of his own. "It doesn't sound insane," he muttered and he probably shouldn't say anything, in case Enzo had heard about it and would now run away but... It felt right and maybe saying it out loud would help somehow. Maybe it wouldn't, he barely knew what to do with himself right now. "My friend was taken by the Cooperdale Tunnel. I watched him disappear, just like Jeff now, just... pulled in." He was droning on he realized, like he was on auto-pilot, but at least he was speaking. Maybe he could move again soon. "I really don't want to be here."
“Shit,” Enzo said softly, a chill running up his spine. He’d heard about the disappearance at the tunnel, though he’d just been a kid and hadn’t paid attention to the details. He remembered people saying the other kids did it, that they thought something more sinister had happened. Looking back at Jacob, he knew that fear was real. He also knew that no one would’ve believed the truth, not unless they’d had weird, supernatural experiences of their own. “I’m sorry about your friend,” he said sincerely. He almost told Jacob the rest of the story, but that felt like it would be too much to handle. “Where would you rather be?” he asked. “I mean, like, literally. Not just anywhere else, since that’s obvious.”
Jacob hesitated because he knew exactly where he wanted to be, he just wasn't sure he should say that out loud. He also wasn't sure what to call Connor. Boyfriend wasn't right but dom wasn't generally socially acceptable and what if Enzo turned out to be homophobic? He swallowed, hugging himself tighter. "My boyfriend's house," he said quietly. "Probably my boyfriend's closet." That was a joke. He'd managed a joke but it was still true. A small, tight space where he could hide away? It sounded perfect. It was also probably why he'd crawled into this stupid tiny tent. "What about you?"
"Enzo smiled, feeling a kinship there that often came with meeting someone else who was queer. It didn’t happen all that often in their tiny, podunk town, so it was nice to hear someone older than him had successfully scored himself a boyfriend. “If I had a boyfriend, I’d want to be at his house too,” he said with a little laugh. “Not in the closet, though. Spent too much time there already.” Figuratively speaking, of course. He considered the question more seriously, disappointed that he didn’t really have a good answer. “Probably in my brother’s trailer. It wouldn’t be a good place to be with whatever’s outside, but he’s all I’ve got. I’d want to be with him.”
Jacob actually smiled at that. Definitely not homophobic then. If this was a nightmare it wouldn't have supplied that little tidbit, that queer solidarity that always seemed to bring just a little light, even in a situation like this one. "I bet your brother's okay, just worrying about you. I think my boyfriend's at work, so he should be safe. Hospitals are really safe, right?" Maybe that's where he should rather want to be but Connor's place just felt like a safe haven to him. He was probably saying too much but it was hard to think straight when adrenaline was still pumping through him, building up like poison since he wasn't actually using it for anything.
“I’m pretty sure hospitals are at the top of the list. They’ve got everything: food, beds, medical supplies, all kinds of safety stuff, I think. He should be fine,” Enzo told him, then raised a brow. “He a doctor?” He was curious, plus he thought that talking about his boyfriend might make Jacob feel a little better. It was better than talking about monsters, ghosts, and tunnels that ate people.
Jacob was too tired to play coy or lie or wonder if this was supposed to be a secret. He didn't think it was, just the nature of their relationship so he nodded. "Too bad he's not here," he said with another faint smile but honestly he was relieved Connor hadn't been at the arcade. He could too easily imagine it being him who got ripped out into the fog and what if he hadn't survived? What if Jeff didn't survive. "Thanks for staying in here with me," he mumbled. He couldn't hear Jeff screaming or anything but nobody seemed to be panicking either so that had to mean he was okay. Jacob hoped he was anyway.
Enzo didn’t say so, but he was pretty sure that the hospital needed their doctors right about now. The real issue was that no one could get there. “At least we’re somewhere with first aid,” he said instead. “I think Jeff’ll be okay.” He felt like things had calmed down a bit and he couldn’t imagine that being the case if Jeff was doing worse. He gave Jacob a little smile. “It’s cool. I don’t mind. And… I probably should stay away from the windows anyways.” He glanced outside the tent, really looking at the setup for the first time. “You want me to see if I can hunt down something to eat?”
Jacob wasn't sure he could eat. He'd grabbed a small bottle of vodka at the arcade and it was very tempting to get blasted and sleep until this was over but he wasn't so sure that was a good idea. Not that he thought he'd be much use to himself or others even if he was sober so why the fuck not? "Something to drink, maybe?" he suggested and now that he was feeling a little calmer, the guilt was seeping in stronger than before.
“Like water?” Enzo asked, just to be sure. He didn’t think either of them needed caffeine at the moment. He felt shaken just from the day and didn’t need to be hyped up any more than he already was. “How about a couple bottles of water and a couple protein bars? Then I’ll nab us some sleeping bags and we can zip up the tent and take a nap.” It wasn’t very responsible of him, but he’d had his fill of being responsible for today.
Jacob had something in mind like coke, but water sounded about right. "Whatever they have," he muttered. "Whatever you want." Decisions were hard, he just wanted this to end now, but he had a sinking feeling it never would. Maybe this crippling fear couldn't last long and he'd find the ability to move and do something after a while, but he couldn't imagine it in the moment. "Thanks," he added and at least sleeping bags sounded nice. Good for hiding in, warm and soft.
Enzo could tell when someone was beginning to shut down. He did it himself sometimes, when things became too intense. He wondered what it said about him that this wasn’t enough to break that threshold. Sometimes it was better when someone dragged him back out and forced him to face reality, but other times it felt necessary. Considering what they’d gone through, he thought Jacob probably deserved a break, at least for now. “Welcome,” he said, flashing a little smile. “I’ll be back in a few. Yell if you need anything.”
Jacob wasn't about to yell anything, he barely found his voice to speak but he still smiled faintly and nodded. When Enzo crawled out of the tent he pulled the bottle from his jacket pocket and had a sip. It burned but in a good way that made him totally understand how people could become alcoholics. He didn't think he was one but... Who the hell knew. He was one today at least, feeling like he needed something to numb him. He had put the bottle away again when Enzo returned, not feeling the need to be a shitty influence or whatever, even if Enzo currently felt like he was older than Jacob in regards to responsibility and capacity for action. "Get anything good?" he asked and this time he managed to loosen up a little, shifting his position from closed off to a little more open.
“All kinds of things,” Enzo said, dragging a couple sleeping bags into the tent. Two pillows followed, along with a backpack that Enzo set in his lap after taking a seat inside the tent. “Most of the stuff here is for camping, so it’s not, like, pizza or anything, but I’ve got a variety of protein bars, beef jerky, and water. I’ve also got freeze dried mac and cheese, beef stroganoff, and chicken and dumplings. Oh, and oatmeal and granola. It’s all ‘just add boiling water’ type stuff, so let me know what you’d like and I can run it back to the kitchen. They’ve got an electric kettle there so we don’t have to literally set up camp in the shop.” Donnie was being super cool about having a store full of kids, but he didn’t want any of them starting a fire. Enzo couldn’t blame him. “I also got some brownies. The normal kind. Sadly.”
"Oh my god, I would kill for edibles," Jacob sighed, although it might make him more paranoid and he really didn't need that right now. He held out his hand for one of the water bottles, then drank up to wash away the aftertaste of the alcohol. "How's... everything out there?" he asked and again a part of him wanted him to go out there, see if they needed help, be more involved. He just couldn't bring himself to do it, every time he even thought about it his body just froze up more and felt heavy. It was a familiar feeling and he knew it wouldn't pass soon enough.
“It’s okay,” Enzo said, breaking open a pack of beef jerky. “People are settling in, kind of finding their place in the shop. I’m glad you nabbed the tent that was already put up, though if you want to be entertained go watch the freshmen try and pitch their tent. It’s a laugh,” he smiled, offering some to Jacob. “Donnie’s got everything under control. Jeff’s stable and they’ve got him on a cot. It’s still chaos, but it doesn’t feel so… so dire anymore. People are just scared.” Scared, but safe inside, at least for right now.
"I don't even remember running," Jacob said quietly. "Back at the tunnel. One minute I was standing there watching Grayson disappear, the next we were somewhere far away in the woods. I'm not... not good at being scared." He wasn't sure what that would even look like but other people always seemed to handle it better. Donnie and the kids had kept their cool, Enzo was too. Jacob couldn't remember going into the tent but he supposed whatever animal instinct drove him when he blacked out from fear was at least smart enough to get him to safety. "Thanks," he said again and he probably would a few times more until the fog lifted - if the fog lifted. "You're really helping."
“It’s that fight or flight instinct. Yours is flight. Nothing wrong with that,” Enzo offered. “It’s probably what keeps you alive. Fighting...it’s not always smart.” He knew that better than anyone. If he’d run from his father, just bolted out the door when he realized something was off, then maybe things would’ve been different. But in the face of fear, Enzo tended to yell back at it, lash out even when he was the weaker party. He’d learned a little since then, but his scale of what to fear was also seriously skewed. “I’m trying,” he smiled. “I’m usually bad at this, but I can do snacks and shit.” He was quiet for a minute, debating whether to ask about the event or let Jacob move on. He’d brought it up, so maybe it was okay. “Have you ever been back to the tunnel?”
"Fuck no," Jacob whispered with feeling, his eyes widening a little. "You stay away from there too. I don't know what it is, but it's evil - or something in there is evil. I don't know. Just don't go there." Maybe whatever was in the tunnel was out now and warning Enzo was a moot point. Something out there had attacked Jeff and Jacob couldn't help but wonder if the evil he'd witnessed five years ago was slowly spreading. He picked at the label on the water bottle, tempted to drink more of the vodka but some small part of him was trying to set a good example here, however misguided that was. "People thought we killed him. Grayson. Some people still do."
“I won’t. I’ve got no interest in seeking out evil tunnel creatures,” Enzo said, giving Jacob a little smile. He had enough to deal with with the ghosts in town that he didn’t need to add to it. There should probably be a list of places to stay away from, he thought, but what would they do if they figured out it was everywhere? Sure, some places were worse than others, but then things like the fog rolled in and nowhere was safe. “Some people are idiots,” he said apologetically. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think you have it in you. People just…they want an easy explanation. It’s easier to believe a bunch of high school kids killed their friend than to accept the truth when the truth is that much more terrifying. It’s hard to wrap your head around it.”
They hadn't even told the whole truth so it shouldn't have been hard to believe that Grayson just walked into the tunnel and then... kept walking? Maybe into the woods? Either way he hadn't come back out and Enzo was right, people jumped to conclusions. He sometimes worried that if he hadn't been there that night, that if these weren't his friends, he would have believed they were all murderers too. "The truth is more terrifying," he agreed. "Like the world isn't scary enough with rapists and murderers around."
“Yeah,” Enzo whispered as he nodded. The truth often scared him, but if he had to choose he’d take the monster in the tunnel or the fog to the one that had been in his house. There were places you believed yourself to be safe and when that failed you, it got hard to trust anyone or anywhere ever again. “You survived it though. And you’ll survive this. And be stronger for it. That’s what I tell myself, at least.” They were survivors. Fighters, maybe not against the monsters, but against the world. Enzo refused to let it win.
That's what people always said: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Jacob wasn't sure he believed that was always the case. He'd been stronger before the tunnel, not as easily scared, not having nightmares all the time. He'd be more scared after this fog business too, he could feel it. He didn't want to be a downer and say that out loud though so he gave Enzo a wan smile. His neck felt hot now, courtesy of the vodka, and he reached for some of the snacks Enzo had brought. "You should put something on that cut," he mumbled, gesturing at Enzo's face. "If you haven't already."
Enzo knew he probably sounded like a motivational poster, but he believed it, at least if they were going to continue living in Point Pleasant. They were the people that knew what was up, that knew to believe the legends and superstitions. It might not make them stronger, but it would keep them alive. Being fearless usually got people killed. “I should,” he snorted, lightly dabbing the cut with his fingers. “I kinda forget it’s there. It opens, like, once a week. Almost as soon as it heals, I feel like. I’m not sure how much good it’ll do while the fog is still there, but I should at least find some bandaids so I don’t bleed on anyone.”
"So it opens every time you hear a ghost?" Jacob asked and that did sound really sucky and weird. "So you hear ghosts all the time?" Even without the physical injury, that sounded pretty miserable though he supposed a guy could get used to that just like anything else. "Is it ever useful?" He took a bite of the protein bar he'd snagged and it was actually nice to focus on somebody else's problem for a while. It might be horrific and scary too but it wasn't what he was currently dealing with himself.
“I only get beat up when I talk back, but yeah, I can hear them. Not all the time? But, like, when they want to be heard. Or when I’m trying to hear them,” Enzo said, hoping that made sense. He didn’t really understand how ghosts worked. Everyone who died couldn’t become one or the world would be flooded with them. He’d go deaf with all the noise. But there were some ghosts who were loud at times and he heard those, always. “I haven’t really had a reason to consult with them,” he said with a small laugh. “I tried once. It… it’s like talking to a broken record most of the time. And… I really work not to see them if I can help it.”
This wasn't a light topic to get his mind off things, Jacob realized, because now he was thinking of all the times he'd had dreams about Grayson or thought he heard him or saw him around. "Were you trying to talk to them today?" he asked and he really couldn't blame Enzo if he had, there was something out there and they didn't know what it was. Well, maybe Enzo knew. Maybe Jeff had talked and Enzo was just sparing Jacob from the details.
Enzo took a deep, shuddering breath. “No, not at first. But… right when we lost Jeff, one started screaming. Like it was right next to me, shouting in my ear. So after we pulled him in, I did try, just to see what was going on.” It had only been for a second, but that was enough for him. The fog looked harmless, but it was hiding death and destruction. Jeff was lucky to have survived. Others hadn’t been so lucky and they were screaming long after they died, screaming in hopes of warning people that could never hear them, or in pain that lingered after their heart had stopped beating. “We were lucky that Jeff was all they got,” he said softly.
Jacob felt like his heart was dipped in freezing cold water when he thought about how they had all been out there and how any one of them - or all of them - could have been snatched away and torn apart. It was even scarier than the thought of some ghost being in the store with them, screaming away. "Is someone here now?" he asked and he hoped that if there was, Enzo would lie to him and say no. He could too easily imagine some ghoulish ghost crouching next to them, staring straight into his soul and he really didn't need more fear.
Enzo went quiet as he pushed into that space between the living and the dead, the zone where ghosts remained. He could hear the ones outside, but none seemed especially close. As he focused a little harder, the bruise on his cheek bloomed purple and his nose began to bleed again, but as far as he could tell they were alone. “No, it’s just us right now,” he said, reigning it back in as his ribs began to ache. “I think they’re all outside. They don’t know I can hear or see ‘em, so they’ve got no reason to bother us.”
"Don't," Jacob whispered and watched in horror as Enzo's injuries got more pronounced. "Don't do that to yourself." Sure, it was a relief to know they were alone but Enzo could just as easily have lied to him and he would have been fine with that. Aside from not wanting the guy to get hurt, it was just creepy as hell to watch and Jacob couldn't shake that mental image of Enzo's face continuing to get worse and worse until it was just meat and bone. "Does it at least... heal faster than normal wounds?"
It was a good thing they were all bundled up and all Jacob could see was Enzo’s face, otherwise he’d really be horrified. Trying to see ghosts always did a number on him, which was why he didn’t do it often, but sometimes it felt necessary. “Nope,” he sighed. “I get beat up magically, but I heal normally. Lamest superpower ever.” But at least he was alive. He always had to remember that whenever he felt like being down on himself. Things could always be worse. He could be dead and yelling at some other poor sap from beyond the grave. He’d rather be the live one anyday.
Jacob wasn't sure he'd call it a superpower, it sounded more like a curse. He wrinkled his nose a bit, pulling the sleeping bag closer. At least he felt safe in here for now and there was soft chattering out in the store reassuring him things were okay out there too. "Does it ever help?" he asked. "Hearing it? Otherwise you shouldn't actively listen. I get why that's probably hard but, it just seems to hurt you a lot." He could imagine it was like picking at a scab. Knowing it was there it was hard not to pay attention to it.
“It’s hard not to actively listen when they’re being loud,” Enzo said, making a face. “And it doesn’t hurt like it did the first time. I usually don’t even know when my nose starts bleeding.” It was the later wounds that really hurt, the ones that came when he pushed for more, especially if he wanted to see who he was talking to. He didn’t do that near as often. Enzo stretched out, laying down on his side and propping his head up with his hand. “I sometimes talk to my mom, but otherwise it’s pretty useless.”
"Oh," Jacob whispered and that he could understand. A dead mother. Yeah, he'd deal with bleeding cuts and ugly bruises to talk to someone he loved. "I'm sorry." He mirrored Enzo's movements, feeling a little more at ease now though he still couldn't bring himself to leave their little sanctuary. "How did she die?" Maybe the question was too personal but it didn't really feel like it, they were stuck together in horrific circumstances, things might only get worse from now on. Sharing didn't really seem like a big deal.
“It’s okay,” Enzo said, giving Jacob a small smile. “It was a long time ago. Breast cancer. Which feels weirdly normal around here, but still sucked.” If he had his way, she’d still be alive, but if she had to go, then that seemed a better way than some kind of monster slashing her open or disappearing completely. So many people disappeared in Point Pleasant that Enzo wondered how there was anyone left. “My dad kind of lost it after she died. He was never the same. He’d be so pissed if he knew I could talk to her,” he said with a soft snort of amusement.
That seemed a little weird to Jacob, unless Enzo's dad was pissed she hadn't moved on or something. He didn't really want to think about what that meant, or what the afterlife was like or any of that, it was a lot to unpack and he felt so overwhelmed already. "Then maybe don't tell him," he said with a tired smile. "What was her name?" Maybe he had known her, or known of her. Maybe his mom knew her. It was easier to think about the living - especially the living he knew were safe, like his mom who was far away and unaffected by this fog. Unless it was spreading out of Point Pleasant to ruin the whole world eventually but he couldn't let his mind go there.
Though they were on a roll in terms of sharing, Enzo decided now was not the time to tell Jacob that his father was also dead, that he’d shot himself in the head after trying to kill Enzo. There was no point that that would ever be light conversation, but it just seemed too heavy considering all that they’d already gone through. “Maribel,” Enzo smiled, then laid back completely, looking up at the the roof of the tent. “You know, this is the only kind of camping I’m interested in--where we have heat, bathrooms, and a microwave. And I still kind of wish they stocked air matresses.”
Jacob was inclined to agree with that. The sleeping bag he'd crawled into by now was soft, but not that soft. "I don't understand people who willingly go camping," he muttered. "It just seems like a form of masochism." He understood masochism, even had a touch of it but that sort of suffering was beyond him. "Maybe it's a gay guy thing," he added with a touch of a smile. It was good to think about something that wasn't monsters or ghosts and he was latching onto the topic, trying to clear their situation from his mind. "Are you out? At school?"
“Maybe,” Enzo snickered. “Maybe we don’t feel the need to prove our masculinity through cave-man-like survival methods. Look, I can start a fire. Look, I can find my own food and sleep on the ground. Nope, not interested, and I don’t give a rat’s ass if you call me a girly-man for it.” Did anyone really enjoy putting themselves through something like that? Jacob was probably onto something when he called it masochistic. “Yeah, I came out last year,” he said. “Not that anyone noticed. I’m not high enough up the social ladder for anyone to care, which is fine by me, though I do wish the dating pool was a little bigger.”
"If you go to college you'll find a big dating pool there," Jacob told him. He felt drowsy now, shock and alcohol probably playing their part as well as the fact he hadn't really slept well at all last night. Becoming horizontal got more and more tempting until he indulged himself, crawling deeper into his sleeping bag and curling up. "Have you thought about college?" That was a nice topic, assuming it was still an option and they weren't in the middle of a full blown apocalypse.
“Naw,” Enzo said, laying his head down on his arm. “I don’t think it’s for me. But I might get out of here anyways, see what life it like outside Point Pleasant.” It was a bit of a pipe dream, but Enzo held onto it, needing something to hope for. “Did you go?” He asked, mildly curious. Jacob seemed bright, but then he’d been working in the arcade. And he was back home, where he had all kinds of bad memories. So if he’d left, he’d still come back, just like everyone else seemed to. No matter how bad shit got, people still came back. It didn't make any sense.
"On and off," Jacob replied and his track record with college was shaky at best. "I keep meaning to go back and finish but it's just hard financially." That was the official excuse anyway. The truth of it was more that he was depressed and keeping up with the workload as well as working two jobs was exhausting. Enzo didn't need to know all that. "I hope you get out. This place has a way of dragging you back home if you leave."
“Yeah, I kinda hate to waste the money if I don’t think I’ll finish,” Enzo said. Maybe if he’d had a purpose or a passion, but he’d barely managed to pass the year his father had killed him. It did a number on is head that he couldn’t even explain to his therapist. “I hear that. I guess…people get used to the crazy. In the end, it’s home, you know?” He wondered if it would be weird to live some place where things like this didn’t happen. Anywhere else he’d probably be a freak, but Jacob hadn’t doubted for a second that he could hear and see ghosts. There was something comforting about that, even if it meant he only fit in in a place like Point Pleasant.
It didn't really feel like home at the moment but Jacob still understood and agreed to a point. He just hoped it would feel like home again, that they weren't stuck in this fog forever, that whatever had attacked Jeff wasn't here to stay - that the police or fire department or someone would show up and shoot it and then things could go back to normal. Or as close to normal as they could get here. It was getting harder to focus and he just hummed along to what Enzo was saying, then tried and failed to articulate his own thoughts on the matter. "It's home," he mumbled and he wasn't really planning on sleeping because sleeping felt unsafe, but he really needed to rest his eyes just for a minute.
Enzo hummed a noise of agreement and closed his eyes. Despite the chaos around him, exhaustion was starting to settle in and he let himself begin to doze. After all they’d been through in the last twenty-four hours, now they were some place safe and warm. He had food in his belly and a sleeping bag to curl up in and that all made it virtually impossible to stay awake. Hopefully this would all pass soon and he’d be able to go home and sleep in his own bed, but until then this worked well enough. They’d survived and that’s what mattered most.