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Tears welled up in Wilma's eyes when she spoke of the first time she was attacked inside the nightclub/resort. That day still haunts her. It is a day that will walk in the shadows of her mind forever. She recalls it happening like this:
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A bright yellow sun peered over the skyline, turning the dew-laden grass into a shimmering sea of emerald jewels, as Carlos sat on the concrete wall adjacent to the Lone Star Honky-Tonk. He was huddled in a dark blue windbreaker in an attempt to fight off the morning chill. He fidged with his lighter, and then nervously puffed on the Vantage between his lips as he tried to make some sense of the scary nocturnal images that haunted him. The nightmare had seemed so real----too damn real!---and he shuddered uncontrollably at the thought of being crushed by the power tentacles of that monstrous obscenity. "Forget it, Carlos," he told himself, as he tried to shake the morbid thought from his mind. The only diversion from the haunting thought was the occasional honking of horns as friends and neighbors passed by on the road that ran in front of the resort.
He took one last puff of the cigarette and threw it to the asphalt just as Buck's brown sports car came to a halt three feet away. Reassuring himself, once more, that it was only a bad dream and nothing more, he forced a weak smile as Buck and Wilma emerged from the car.
"Good morning, Buck....Wilma," he greeted them while at the same time trying to futilely suppress a cough that rose from nowhere.
They returned the greeting in what seemed like choreographed unison. Then, Buck, obviously anxious to get inside the gargantuan building, told Wilma and Carlos that they should continue from where they left off. Buck zoomed past the open doors with child-like glee. Carlos and Wilma, puzzled but not questioning, smiled at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and turned to begin the day's chores.
Unable to do any hefty work because of her pregnancy, Wilma decided to sweep the hardwood floor in the main ballroom. With broom in hand, she strolled towards the back of the cavernous gym and flipped on the circuit breaker, flooding it with a strange, shadowy incandescent light. Then she walked over and opened the two exit doors on each end of the west wall.
She stared at the railroad tracks and took in a deep breath of cool, morning air. She remembered back to the very first day she'd walked through these doors and stepped inside this place. After several seconds, she reluctantly returned her attention to the future ballroom and stepped back inside to begin the task before her.
In the meantime, Carlos had taken on the task of transforming the swimming pool area single-handedly. He began by meticulously clearing away the debris and popping the pool toys, gathering them into garbage sacks for disposal. Passing the doorway to the gym/ballroom several times, he could see Wilma as puffy little clouds of dust encircled the broom that she moved to and fro. He wondered how long it would be before she would corner him again, demanding that he tell her what terrible secrets this place held.
Dismissing the thought, he hefted a hefty sledgehammer onto his shoulder as he re-entered the pool area. The weight of the tool felt substantial in his hands, a tangible symbol of the physical labor that lay ahead. Surveying the space before him, he took in the sight of the neglected pool and the surrounding trophy cases, knowing that the task ahead would require all of his strength and endurance. With a resolute nod, he positioned himself in front of the nearest trophy case, gripping the sledgehammer firmly. With a powerful swing, he brought the hammer crashing down, the force of the blow shattering the glass and sending trophies scattering across the floor in a cacophony of destruction. This would be the first of many swings to come as Carlos embarks on the monumental task of transforming the abandoned pool area into Buck's proposed amateur recording studio.
Wilma didn't know if it was starting to get hot inside the building or if her pregnancy was just making her feel that way. She wiped the sweat from her brow and decided this was the perfect time to take a breather. Laying the broom on the floor, she walked from the gym/ballroom and went to the pool area to find Carlos. It was time to get some answers.
As Wilma stepped into the pool area, her eyes immediately caught sight of the scattered debris strewn across the floor. Broken glass glittered in the dim light, and shattered trophies lay in disarray, evidence of Carlos's recent efforts. She took a moment to survey the scene, her brow furrowing with concern at the sight of the destruction. Spotting a crumpled note amidst the wreckage, she stooped to pick it up, her curiosity piqued. Unfolding the paper, she read Carlos's message, reassuring her that he'd only stepped away briefly to fetch additional tools.
As she walked towards the doorway, something made her stop dead in her tracks, her arms hung rigid as her eyes swept the darkened shadows of the pool area. As she stood there, motionless, a cold, soul-piercing chill passed through her body, causing her to shudder uncontrollably as the hairs on the back of her neck bristled.
Chill bumps stood at attention on Wilma's arms as sweat poured down her face. Her lips began to quiver, and she had to pee. A whisper, inaudible, but a whisper, gnawed on her ears. She fought back the tears that were rising behind her eyes like water against a weak levee.
Pulling a crowbar and a rubber mallet from a shelf in the storage room, Carlos froze. Something inside him screamed, shaking his mind into awareness. Then he smelled it....unmistakable.....unrelenting.
As Wilma stood amidst the scattered debris in the pool area, a sudden tremor rocked the surroundings, causing the floor beneath her feet to quiver. Startled, she looked around in alarm as fragments from the broken trophies seemed to defy gravity, lifting off the ground and swirling through the air with an eerie, unnatural grace. The shards darted dangerously close to her, eliciting a gasp of fear from her lips. With wide eyes, she tried to shout a warning to Carlos and Buck, her voice catching in her throat as she watched the surreal spectacle unfold before her. The air crackled with otherworldly energy, and Wilma's heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to comprehend the inexplicable phenomena unfolding in the abandoned pool area. The whisper had returned, this time loud and clear. "Get out!" it ordered again, the words ringing out in the room like two pieces of sandpaper being rubbed together.
Carlos sprang to his feet, dropping his tools, and diving for the door. The floral perfume! The fruity body spray! The sweat! It was happening again, dammit! Oh, God, he thought frantically, please don't it hurt Carl or Wilma!
Get out, hell! Wilma thought as the hunger to leave gnawed at her heart. She wanted to get out, to run and never look back, but the muscles in her legs were water-soaked sponges, and her feet became lead anchors. It was coming for her....closer...closer! Her stomach ached---the baby! No, God, she thought as everything became quiet, silent inside her. No! Please, God! Don't let it hurt my baby!
The door exploded open and Carlos flew down the hallway toward the pool area, muscles tense as his feet pounded the floor, rage overriding caution.
As the whirlwind of broken glass and plastic swirled around her, Wilma's senses reeled in shock and disbelief. Paralyzed by fear, she found herself unable to move, her limbs seemingly weighed down by an invisible force. Desperate instincts urged her to throw out her arms, to shield herself from the onslaught of flying debris, but her muscles refused to obey. Instead, she stood frozen in place, a silent witness to the chaotic scene unfolding before her. The fragments drew closer and closer, their sharp edges glinting menacingly in the dim light, and Wilma could only watch helplessly as they converged upon her, threatening to pierce her skin and shatter her fragile sense of safety. Terror gripped her heart as she awaited the inevitable impact, her mind racing with unanswered questions and unspoken prayers for deliverance from the swirling tempest of danger.
With a surge of determination, Carlos rushed into the pool area, his senses heightened by adrenaline as he confronted the swirling vortex of broken glass and plastic. Ignoring the danger to himself, he reached out to Wilma, his hands finding her frozen form amidst the chaos. With a firm grip, he pulled her towards him, guiding her away from the deadly whirlwind with swift and purposeful movements. Despite the tumultuous surroundings, his voice cut through the chaos, urging Wilma to move, to break free from her paralysis and escape the imminent danger. With each step, he shielded her from the flying debris, his body acting as a barrier between her and the swirling tempest of destruction. Together, they navigated the treacherous terrain of the pool area, their movements synchronized in a desperate bid for survival. Finally, with one last burst of effort, Carlos ushered Wilma out of harm's way, leading her to safety beyond the threshold of the pool area. As they emerged into the relative calm of the hallway, both exhausted and shaken but alive, Carlos exhaled a sigh of relief, grateful that they had escaped the clutches of the bizarre and deadly whirlwind unscathed.
Carlos took her by the left arm and gently walked her over to the table of a nearby room, the chemistry classroom from the look of it. He pulled out a chair and dusted it off, motioning with his eyes for her to sit down.
"Are you all right?" His voice choked with sincerity and concern. "Do I need to go get Buck?"
"No! Stay here! I'm okay," she whispered, as her eyes shifted back and forth, searching the room, waiting for some other hellish nightmare to appear.
"It's over for now," he spoke softly, trying to set her mind at ease. "Nothing else bad is going to happen to you."
She could sense in his voice that what he meant was nothing else bad would happen today, but she knew that tomorrow was less than 24 hours away.
"Carlos, cut the crap!" Wilma's voice sliced through the tension, dripping with anger and urgency. "I've seen the signs of whatever's haunting this place, and I know damn well invisible entities are lurking around. I need answers, and I need them now. Don't you dare try to play dumb with me! If you don't spill the truth, I swear I'll march straight to Buck and spill everything. And trust me, he won't be happy about being left in the dark. So stop stalling and start talking, unless you want to deal with both of our wrath."206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwAOingqHY
Carlos knew that there was no way out at this point. He had to tell her what he knew....everything he knew.206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WiBmaUWUx
