Saint-Akzena

Chapter Five

As the clock that Scarlett gave him showed the hour of Midnight. Steve considered himself, as always; Lost.

This time around, he was in front of a wall that had two posters on it. -9-13-7 Talking about the future traps of drugs and alcohol's which young people of his age were able to fall in. Except that it was way too fake for some even younger than the teenager.

He was hearing the constant silence in here. Only to freak out of the shattering sounds that were deep into the blackness of the hallway. Where Steve raised his weapon in front of, seeing with his circle of light the gigantic silhouette that walked towards him. With its face that couldn't be seen. As it was recovered by a football helmet, just like the rest of his body that was protected from the nails of the one that began to howl.

He dodged the attack as he ran towards his left. Seeing that the monster wasn't able to control its force. The prey had its back in front of him. Where he shouted multiple nails to the point that his guns made the sound of an empty clip.

Having the feeling of horror that began flowing in his veins. Steve took off what didn't have anything to shoot. As the monster didn't even flinch at all the sharp projectiles that were nailed on its back. Making him bleed from the inside of his armor.

It roared, as it returned in front of the one that reloaded with that he had put in his pocket. This one aimed for the head, where no face could be seen in the darkness in the helmet. He shot while retreating. As it ran towards the one that still dodged the attack.

Steve, with a brand new empty clip, took a look at what wasn't dead. It turned back, his helmet recovered with nails and some streams of « ink » coming off the base of his head. The voice of his roar began to be filled with a red rage. As such, Steve said;

-Oh no, no no no no no no NO!!!

He turned towards the door that led him to the stairs that were going up. He didn't care about leaving the first floor, as what was behind howled like thunder and took his prey into chase.

His fear made him ascending the stairs four steps at a time. As what entered the staircase made the same, using its arms and legs, like an enraged gorilla, in its nailed proof armour.

He took his backpack and opened it when he reached the high ground. Placing his nail gun in it as the flashlight got removed from the rest. Still having all the tape on it.

Steve placed the bag at his side and he pulled his long knife out of its attachment. Where he holds it like a one-chance-shot, while he illuminated the thing that blindly ran like an animal towards him.

Ackers ran and jumped on the monster that took the tip of the dagger right into its neck.

The teenager hanged on its helmet as he made the creature drowning in its own life even more. It stopped moving as much than screaming. -5-22-5 As its arms didn't have any forces, making it slide down the stairs. Alongside the boy that goes back to the first floor. Thus, injuring himself multiple times in his downfall.

-Aoowhhhh…he lamented, as he goes back up to pick his backpack. Only to had rearmed himself with a nail gun that got reloaded.

He came back to where he escaped first. Seeing the giant being asleep for a long, long time, Steve picked up his dagger that had the life of the inhuman beast on it. He carefully looked at it with his light. Asking how the hell does a « living » being could have life as darker than the blackness that could flow in its veins.

-Screw this he thought, as he used his shirt to wipe the blade. He didn't care if a stinky, warm substance recovered him. As long he could get out of here, all means must be taken into consideration.

At this point, he took the dead thing in pictures. He even rolls its corpse on the back, showing a face hidden with an irremovable helmet that the photograph took its portrait.

He sat down on the first step of the stairs. Repairing the flashlight of his nail gun that he replaced with the tape. When he putted it back, he touched the bottle of vodka, which he hesitated. Knowing that he will die here if he ever gets drunk. At this thought, the boy replaces his alcohol where it was. -24-18-23 And headed to the double gates, where he was back at this corridor of the first.

His light showed him all the black drops on the floor. Knowing from where it came, Steve didn't even bother with it. As he walked though the darkness of this corridor. Where it ended by turning up at the right side.

At the corner of the two ways stood a good old-looking Coca-Cola distributor. He was angry that this place didn't have any electricity from a long time. Due that having a cold coke would have been appreciated.

-I'm buying a box of it when I'm going to be home…

When he reached the end of the hallway. The teenager saw the last door, which was open, with a large trace of red that got pulled from the inside. He didn't bother to know and the handle was taken. Only for getting the door closed in the silence of this place.

He walked during what seemed to be an eternity. As he knew that midnight was past, and somehow, he didn't feel tired. -8-5-18 Which wasn't really a surprise for him. As their howls and screams could always be heard up into the labyrinths of corridors.

For breaking the monotonous of his situation. Steve decided to enter the nearest classroom that he found. Where he pushed the door inside, as it was already open in half the way. Where his light illuminated the surface of the desks that still had all the binders and pencil case opens.

-Man, where the fell did they all go?

He walked towards the first that he saw. Looking at the name written on the notebook;

Marylin Miike マリリン *********** class **クラス

He opens it, seeing only notes with girly drawings at their sides. -5-19-8 He turned all the pages quickly, as the same stuff were all written on them. When he reached the end, Steve grunted and didn't even close it. As he reached the teacher office in front of every desk.

He found an old printed edition of the Anne Frank Diary, which he opened the pages. Only to read sentences written in the original German tongue. Disappointed, he replaced it on the office and checked the drawers. Where only paperwork's, pens and a piece of newspaper could be found. He took it and saw the picture in black and white at the corner of the article. Being the portrait of the girl that wrote it with way too much pride on her face. Knowing that she was writing for the people of this place;

A Sensational Discovery!

Yesterday in the afternoon, the commission of the municipality has been called by two hunters that found a old foundation near the school of Saint-Akzena. The rest of the building seemed to be the one of an ancient church that no path lead to it.

The researchers said that the church was built by the same who made our town back in the 17th century. The saint place used to be a hospital placed in quarantine fifty years ago during the Spanish flu. But due to the high numbers of the deceased, the church was abandoned.

Some people think that the tall statue of the Christ has a link with the old one of the dragons near the border of the highway. Old legends about the statue still make good stories for the grandparents to tell to their grandchildrens; us.

Written by Maria Orosco

His eyes kept reading the last paragraph over and over. The newspaper was shaken by the terror that boiled his blood once again. -5-19-3 He folded the evidence in four and placed it in his backpack. After that, he knew that his presence here was over and he left.

He continued walking in this corridor, looking for any doors at his side that would look like the one of an elevator. Where could find the one that he swears to find and made her escape with him. At this, the voice of Scarlett returned in vague memories;

-My daughter, Anna. I succeeded in hiding her in an elevator at the first floor. I had to let her being secure in there. As long that I could find something to make us escape…

-So why isn't there so many elevators and staircases than classrooms and corridors in here…

Without being careful, Steve steps on an empty can that got through deep into the darkness that continued forwards. He froze in fear, listening to the distant screams that didn't even raise their presence in this hellish silence.

He continued, freaked out by this surprise. He saw what he kicked, with the long centipede that came out and crawled into the blackness at his sides.

Without wanting to know why and how, Steve arrived at the end of the hallway. That was a double door straight open towards a large space plunged in the dark. Where the teenage boy began to see the pillars and the wooden benches at their bottoms.

The wall in this place was recovered with illustrations painted on them. He illuminated the representations of all theses old film technology. -15-12-9 From the heavy ones of the Chaplin era to the big 70mm that showed the epics of its time.

Being at the centre of the columns, Steve looked at the top of them and saw the copies of some amateurs films that the students had made over the years. With their amateurs-like posters, the negative aside and its trophy, all in their large protection over the hands of those who couldn't touch them. Not even him, as he stood tall on the bench.

He got over the idea and abandoned. As Ackers would have loved to take one of them home. Curious to know what kind of films someone here would have made. With theses things being ghosts that haunted the place and all theses mysteries that he knows their inexistence. Until he looks at them, seeing nothing but one of theses questions without answers.

At the other side of where he came from, Steve could see an exit that had written above it;

Photography/Filming Studio

He decided to follow his curiosity and turned the unlocked handle to open the door. As he closes it when he entered in a place which he was excited to be in. Due that he never was in a filming set. Even if it was only for the second choices class.

At first, he thought he was in a hangar. With the lights above, on the ceiling that was far away. Taking just for itself one or even two floors just for the space.

He looked at the two tripods that still had their old camera on them. -13-7-8 With their dual film tank that looked like Mickey Mouse ears, and its mouth that was the camera objective. He put light on a part of the set and he looked at it from the point of view of the scope. Thus, having a sensation of seeing reality with the quality of a film.

The set, as he took a look with his eyes and light, was the one of inside a boat. With the cabin, the bed and all theses empty bottles of Jamaican rums. But what interested the most above all, was the real harpoon gun that was placed like a trophy on the wall! Above the bed that he went on, just to pick up the weapon with some of the long ammunition that was placed on the little table. Where more bottles of booze were randomly placed. All empty of a character that must have been an alcoholic.

-Well, at least I know a theme of the movie I will never see…

He putted down his main weapon and took the new one. Even if he knew that it was only a prop, he knows that it must have been to one of the students that inherited it from his/her/who knows grandparents. And as such, he took one of the heavy harpoons and placed it in the canon, only to slide it down the rest of the barrel.

His eyes aimed at the wall that was hidden by the darkness. Where he shot a projectile that flew in the air, only to hit the wall made of bricks.

It felt on the ground, as Steve smiled to have known a new device to defence himself against his hunters. He decided to improvise his weaponry and took off his backpack. Where he cut the back of one of the pockets made for the bottles. Where his new weapon was placed tight enough to stand there.

The bag returned on his back and Steve exercised himself by taking his harpoon gun. It was as easy as taking an arrow placed on his back. Only this time, the long projectiles were made of steel. The rest of those he could find here as normal props, were pleaded in the little slots of fabric on his backpack. Where normally, pencils should be there. But with the hunters that lurked everywhere in this hellish blackness. Steve couldn't take any chance and made himself a hunter-like appearance.

He decided to take a break, as a bed got found in here. The chance had to be taken and Steve wen to bed. Closing the light of his weapon, he placed on his belly.

The « sky » was filled with stars, as the ceiling was recovered with fluorescent paintings the astral sky when blackness took over all. Some were bigger and closer to him, as the others were smaller and farther from his sight. Just like the infinity of The Forever that could be seen during the night. Where no artificial lights from mankind are and only wilderness stand on a ground where such beauty could be tasted by the eyes.

Steve put himself up, being bored by being there. Feeling that his backpack was now a little heavier than before. The teenager walked towards the exit, exceeding the old cameras that he wishes he could bring them home with him. Leaving behind the little studio and thus, returning to the room with the theme of the seventh art.

Ackers stood in front of the way which he came from. But instead of walking back on a path that led him in here. He chooses the third one that was unknown to him. As he saw two rows of lockers that continued towards the blackness. Alongside the rest of the corridor that continued forwards. Much like he did too.

He stopped his endless exploration when a fallen locker blocked his way. His circle of light began to show him above the collapsed element what seemed to be a pair of feet's. It floated by itself, as Steve rose his light just to see the rest of what looked like a girl of his age. In her summer dress and her haircut that showed she still was in the sixties of the past century. The only thing abnormal with her was the absence of eyes and theses two lines of red that were pouring to the ground.

She was standing there, in the void of the darkness. With a rope that tied her neck to that part of the ceiling where a reddish EXIT could be seen. At this view, Steve didn't know that to do. And as such, he improvised on the situation by simply taking a picture.

When the flash of the camera thundered without any sound with his light in all this hallway, the girl disappeared.

He could only see the rest of this path with the lockers and the doors. All in the same view that continued into the dark oblivion. With all of them that lurked into its blackness, roaring, screaming, howling…

-14-9-19 He pictures exited the polaroid and Steve took it to place it among the others. With a pair of hands that were shaking by a blood that flew with horror.

He walked forwards, only to continue by standing next to the row of lockers. Where he stopped to collapse on himself. His back on the locked doors, his hand shaking his unique weapon that still continued to bring light in this world. Steve didn't know where these elevators where. Not knowing one of its main objectives, as he still had no clue how to get out of this hell.

He knew that even with all he lived there. With all the things he ever survived against, physically and psychologically, he was still alive. Even if some of theses weren't, because either they were already in the afterlife of there died at his hands.

He looked at them, seeing the traces of « ink » that was on his palms and fingers. As those who wanted the same thing with his red life on their own.

-I can do it…I can…

Steve raised himself up, knowing that he was living the worst moment of his life. And the quicker he could find the one he was looking for. The better he could have an excuse to escape this place in the first place.

At this point of thinking, he could sense beneath his feet are and all over the corridor a force that moved thought everything. As the sounds of wheels rolling on its own path could be heard above.

Steve smiled, knowing that what was looking for him had no clue to where he was, just a floor under. At this, he continues his walk on the tolls of this path that led him in front of a double door. This one however, was way different than all the others that he encountered before. Due to the painting of the theatre curtains, with a flamboyant red accompanied with golden ropes that tied what gave its majesty to this entrance.

He took the left side, entering a new thematic room. -14-9-19 Already walking where the pillars stood, Steve could see at his right a single door, straight at his front the hallway that continued and at his left, two gates stand open. He walked towards this path, and before leaving, his curiosity took the best of him. As he stepped back to see what was in this place.

A few photographic portraits in their frames were at the top of the columns. As the view of everyone when life and light were in this place. Steve could see them; all in the old style of black and white photographic portraits. With their haircuts that only lived during the fifties and the sixties.

He wanted to have a closer look at them. And seen that the pillars were not as tall as the others he encounters. Steve rose on the bench, put his weapon between his feet’s and grab one of the frames by the bottom. He pulled it off, like any portrait placed by the help of a nail against the high surface.

The object got put against the pillar and the bench. As Steve stepped back to see the face of the boy that had the smile of a winner and by making the sign of positive with his thumb.

Ackers looked at the bottom of the picture, reading what was engraved;

Regional Scholar Winner for best Actor in a Play 1960

Edgar Breek

-Ah...

The boy took back his weapon and illuminated the rest of the portraits. -14-9-19 They all had the good old style like the one he brought on the floor. One of them, also included a teenage girl of his age. With a trophy that she holds, while also wearing a dress just by seeing the two attachments at her shoulders. He recognized the person he was looking at and shot a few nails towards the face of the hanged girl that disappeared at the flash of the polaroid.

It began to bleed a reddish life that flew out of her eyes, coming out of where the ammunition was nailed. The girl had her mouth descending towards the bottom of the picture. 20-5-13 Making a tall abyss that could be seen, as her face poured a blood that began to drown her into its own frame.

Steve walked away, only to run towards the double door. He took the handle to turn it and as such. He could see in one of the two windows of the gate a face that smashed herself on the other side. Staying close with her white skin and her red holes were eyes could not be seen.

It screamed a nightmarish roar at the other side, showing the human that it didn't have any teeth. As such, Steve screamed at his turn. Letting all the horror in his heart to be heard at the being that smiled even more.

He ran towards the door that was at the other side of the room. Where this one was lonely by being single in his own little corridor. Steve opened it as he heard the two behind been smashed on the walls. He closed it as he made sure it was locked and put a chair at his side under the handle.

He retreated, looking at the door that his circle of light illuminated in half. Seeing a dark figure at the other side with his long hair. He raised his weapon and light, seeing the one that he shoots a nail on the glass, where cracks were made.

The prey continued to look at it. As he removed his finger on the trigger, in fear of wasting ammunition if he doesn't. -9-6-24 Towards a being that was real as much than not being there in the physical realm.

He looked at his back, as he brought his light where a gigantic theatre decor could be found. With its three tall walls of Parisian architecture and a terrace at the bottom of them. With some cups of coffee on the tables that were under the large sign titled Le Petit Matin.

Steve walked on the illusion towards a public only made for the artistic training. Without stopping to look at the door, which was now far away in this big classroom. Where a chair that flew in the air, powered by whatever it could be, could be seen.

It disappeared in the darkness that was under the tall ceiling, only to fall on the other where it broke into pieces. Like the one that knew it would happen the same if he stayed here. As such, Ackers ran towards where he entered and removed the chair. Opening the exit by a handle he unlocked, the teenager flew this place. As wind flew behind his running, alone in the blackness that whispered to his mind;

-Allons donc Madame Brum, ne voyez-vous pas que vous tenez l'affaire de votre vie. As the voice of a girl of his age came to his mind.

Steve came back to the theatre themed place. Where two doors were wild open in front of him. He took this path, not thinking of which way to decide to take by a heart filled once again with fear. Without knowing that what was after him wasn't on his track. As she still in the constant darkness of a place that look like a part of the outside. In a world that is in it own, isolation from any form of human life that was once there.

The boy hid in a classroom where he still had his light on the closed door. Ready to shoot at whatever could enter where he was. And as eternity passed, none come.

With his patience going off, Steve decided to sit on one of the many chairs. Where he cut the power of his flashlight. Putting himself where blackness was in everything that existed in here. Imagining that he was in a field of tall grass that was dancing towards the east. Where the wind headed to, with the border of civilization made of small buildings and roads. Steve ran towards this illusion that was under the natural light of the zenith. And when he approached the nearest door, he opened it. Only to find an empty classroom, with an empty chair at its centre that he sat on.

He opened his eyes, waking himself up of a dream he cried of being one. As the distant howls and screams from them could still be heard in theses deep. Where the darkness is the eternal night of this dead hell. Due that none stars could be seeing above.

His light returned, illuminating the classroom board in his big circle that was projected from a far distance. A few formulas of physical laws could be seen here, as Steve wasn't able to read them. Not knowing anything about the language that how the universe as been written.

He left his desk. Walking towards the office of the teacher, where the drawers showed him seasonal tests that weren't going above the 80%. He threw them out, thinking that he could at least find a magical key under this pile of that he considered « academic junk ». And as such, a big envelope was found. With what seemed to be a large rectangular object in it.

The package got open by the boy who took out the old tape recorder. -15-21-6 It was bland new, and it still smelled this « new » perfume that anybody could smell when they buy a fresh product at the electronic store.

-Man, that thing stayed a hell lot of time into these drawers…

Steve sat down on the teacher chair, when he turned the volume on and played the tape;

-…Charlie, listen to me. I began to make my night watchman schedule in this school there was two weeks ago and each night I came here with my car to park where the school bus is. My first day, there were roots that were on my front wheels. I thought first that it was simply a joke made by theses little bastards but no! At each end of my work, there's theses bloody roots that came to touch my vehicle. Whether it's the wheels, the windshield or even the steering wheel with the door open. Yesterday, it was the three of them, with the motor on as my keys were still in my pocket.

Lis…listen me carefully, yesterday, I walked into the third floor. I watched this painting with the dragon in the tall grass field and when I fixed it. Its eyes flashed and it smiled. I escaped to the first and a few hours later, I returned. This time, the monster wasn’t there anymore, as much than the signatures at the bottom. I returned to the main floor and I heard some inhuman howling’s in here. It was…it was like a bear, but much more sinister.

I escaped when these roots were still on my car, right now, you must know that I quit.

I know that weird things happen in this place and you know it too. Ask for an transfer right now, even if there's no post available in other's private schools. Do it! I beg you, as your brother…

The recording stopped, as much than the breathing of the teenager. As he still heard the close sound of the tape that continued to roll.

-Oh dear Lord…If you knew how much this hell is a real shithole…

Steve made the record being rewind with a hand shaking with terror that his soul gave birth from the deepest of his heart. When the tape got back from the start, the teenager took off his backpack and opened it. -9-13-4 Placing this new evidence among the others.

He didn't bother to close the drawers, as always. Making them open to themselves in the darkness that returned when he left this classroom. Returning into the vast corridor that continued into the abyss of the eternal blackness. Where he walked forwards into, light at his hands.

He saw the doors and the other paths that were at both sides of the walls. Which began to be an « everyday » view in here. As this hell was as chaotic as all the inhuman things he could hear as their scream roared into the floors and walls. Where the lockers were closed by private measures and some were wild open. -20-8-9 But the boy didn't take any chances, just thinking about the bloody oysters that he once found.

A few empty drinking cans were seeing by the one that had the only light in here. He stepped carefully not to crush one of them, preventing to make any noises. And as such, for any reasons that he couldn't understand first. A wind, worthy of the coldest winters of the north, came by and froze his face and hands. Thus, entering his body, making him felt the sensation that his bones turned into the ice of death.

His circle of light made him see the edge of an open door at is left. Where he headed to enter the classroom that had the warm feeling of summer. As the unnatural cold wasn't in here, as it trespassed him, only to continue lurking into the infinite paths of this place.

Steve looked with his eyes and light at the walls of this classroom. Where it was the same as those before. Only this time, a sentence was written in large letter above the board, in a European language that was written;

Es gibt keine Fakten, nur Interpretationen.

-Uh? he asked to nothing as he read the foreign sentence that was as unreadable than any physical formula.

He once again walked towards the teacher office. -19-20-1 Where a newspaper was there, wild open. Curious about it, Ackers looked at the date that was written: 18th may 1961.

It got closed, showing him at the main front a picture that had a line of black bags made for the deceased on the grass. He turned to the main page and read;

Tragedy at Saint-Akzena

Yesterday in the afternoon of the Coranak VS Les Ours Argentés, a tragedy happened. The invited team from the province of Quebec were victims of a food allergy that were deadly to the entire team for unknown reasons. This drama ended the match, climbing the local team of the Coranak at the first position in our province. Let us not forget that this was the second that such a happening got to an adverse team on our football field.

From now on, the director, Karl Einrich putted an executive order for any form of sport competition on our field and in our gymnasium.

Written by Maria Orosco

His eyes open big as an orange by the fear that he once again lived. -16-5-16 The boy read again the name of the local team; Coranak. He knew that he once heard of this name, but with the chaos that was in his mind. He couldn't find it exactly where it was from.

He turned the pages and excepted for events like the incoming funerals that already happened far ago. Some films review of the time, with others from book lovers. And of course, an entire page to how to style perfectly her own hair towards the girls.

-I don't need to bring this as evidence. Another school should know about such a tragedy, hell I can find this on the Internet back home…

While he closed the newspaper, seeing back the front page. Steve noticed something strange in the picture. He placed his light over all the dead bodies in their bags. Looking at the forest green nearby, where a dark silhouette stood among the firs. Its arm stretched to the deceased boys with a finger at the tip. And two black stars were none eyes could be found on this inhuman ghost.

As such, Steve retreated back to the door, where he left the place, only to return once again in the corridor. Without knowing that the two black holes of the thing in the picture began to fly « ink » at the surface of the newspaper…

Steve ran, he did it like if the Devil itself was at his back with his flaming whip. Only this time, the flames were darkness and the demon were his incapability of finding his main goals.

During his running, the boy heard a human scream that came from the deepest of the hallway he was in. -10-5-1 It echoed into the abyss of the blackness that was behind and so forth. And thus, the teenager raised his weapon even more. Making his light to be seen far away. As three faces of a little girl could be seen. With one of them just behind. Where it saw illumination with his missing eyes.

Steve shot a nail that pierced the edge of a neck that bled darkness. And he did the same thing a couple more on the face of what felt in agony. As his life came out of its living corpse.

Ackers saw the girl that stopped, froze in the fear that nails flew just at the edge of her right ear. She looked at the one that was as human than herself.

He lowered down his weapon and light, illuminating the floor that both were on the large circle where things could be seen. And seeing that the child was the same as the one in the picture he looked with his free hand. Steve knew that this time, he wasn't hallucinating and that one of are main goals were achieved.

-Hi! I'm Steve…your mother name is Scarlett and she sends me to seek you. You'd you like to escape from here with me?

After a second of hesitation, the child accepted her fate by taking the hand of the one that became her saviour.