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Wednesday 22 November 2017

The Bounty Tax of Death (Part 7)


Story by Rayne, genre is Horror
(...continues from Part 6).

In Backwater High, Seth found Paul Forrester in the school library. It was during lunch time and after having a burger in the canteen, Seth felt like going to visit the library and find out what he can about the old graveyard near the dump Obsidion school place. As he was looking at the books on Backwater History shelf, Paul made his appearance known.
"Hi, what are you doing here?" Seth asked.
"Just coming here to study for maths," Paul said. "and how come you're in the library?"
"Is it obvious that I don't read books?" he laughed.
There was nothing much in the school library that would tell him about Obsidion School and the neighbouring churchyard. It was Paul who spoke to him that made Seth want to return to Mr Thantons' class again for a third try. He contemplated dropping out of it.
"Next we finish class with Mr Thanton, I'll show you the village behind the old church," Paul suggested. It was news to Seth. A village?
It was on Friday evening that Seth struggled through a boring session, listening to Mr Thantos. And trying not to breath the smells pouring off Mark Bucket. Indeed, Belinda, Tammy and Dan stunk also today. Seth volunteered to open a window but it was jammed. He ended up burying his nose in his sleeve. When he looked at Mark Bucket, he saw that Mark's nose was ink black, like the way his fingertips were also black. There was something not right. Was Mark diseased?
Belinda, if that was the same Belinda whose name was on the headstone, had very sunken eyes and her pallor was more green. She had red sores about her lips today, and on her hands and near her ears. Was this a virus? Was it contagious?
He looked at emo girl Tammy, whose snow white goth skin was pockmarked with grey spots and boils. Her nails looked bloodied. Her nose was bright red, and cracked. He felt cold.
Then he looked at Dan, whose often dandy fashions didn't stop him looking greasy and pale today, with purple lips and bloodshot eyes. He looked closely when he saw a movement in Dan's hair. It was a worm. Seth got up in panic and fled from the room.
He ran outside the building and coughed. Paul followed him out.
"Are you alright, Seth?" Paul asked.
"We've gotta go! The kids are ill and they stink as..."
"Mr Thanton told me to come after you, we can just leave class for now."
Paul and Seth went into the old graveyard and Seth showed him the old headstone.
"That can't be the same Belinda," Paul said. They moved along, and came to a ten foot wall. No gate or passage led through it.
"That's odd," Paul said. "I'm sure there was a door leading into the village behind that wall."
"It doesn't matter," Seth told him. "We'll check for a way to the village by using Google maps."
 "No, I'm certain there was a door, I know there was."
They left the vacinity of Obsidion School, and by the time Seth reached home, Paul had taken another route to his place. He had had enough of Obsidion School. But telling his parents he was quitting the extra class would make an arguement not worth it.
Indoors, a bunch of white flowers was displayed in a vase on the living room coffee table. His mother was never really a flower person. Did dad give it to her as a present?
"Whats the flowers for?" Seth asked his mother who was cooking a pie.
"It was delivered this afternoon when you were out," she replied. "It's not for me, Seth. It's for you."
"Eh?" Since when did boys get flowers?
He looked at them and felt queasy. This was one of his bike frinds playing a joke, as they'd done before, making him believe a girl fancied him by leaving silly cards and notes.
"Well then chuck those flowers in the bin!" Seth said.
"Oh they're pretty, you don't want to throw away your romantic gift."
"It aint a bloody romantic gift! The lads are up to their old tricks again."
"No, Seth," she told him. "A girl named Belinda came over tonight and said these are for you."
Seth stared at his mother and couldn't believe it.
To be continued...

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