Ruby Red - Chapter 20

Morning dawned on the university campus. A rising sun indicated to Matt that he should leave Kassi's room. It was fortunate that her roommates had been with the roommate of the heart attack girl for the night, apparently knowing her quite well. As he brushed his hand against her forehead as she slept soundly, he jumped out of the window before returning to the residence of Chris and Daniel. Fortunately, it was a Saturday and typically most of the students were still asleep, many hungover. Opening the door, he attempted to close it silently only to be met by an angry Daniel holding Chris by the ear.

"Erm. Hiiiiiii... Danny... I was just... ermmm-" Matt started to stutter as he was trying to explain where he had been.

"Save it. You two have kept me up all night with you wanderings. I was barely able to maintain focus in my fights, even after I asked that you both let me sleep. First it was you asking me to unlock the door. And then it was him asking me where you had gone. And I'm not happy"

"I'm- I'm sorry"

"No. You'll be sorry AFTER you're taught a lesson"

"A... lesson..?"

"Like the fact that I still haven't got my vodka from the bet so he's going to go get it now from the liquor store a few streets away within the next hour. And if he doesn't then I'm going to keep him awake for the next week. You on the other hand are going to make me a cooked breakfast until you get it right. Every time you fail, I'm just going to make you cook it again. If we run out of ingredients then Chris buys more"

"But I don't know how to make a cooked breakfast!"

"Better learn fast then, I'm starved"

-----

After sitting down at the dining table, eating his bacon and eggs breakfast meal, Daniel hopped into the shower, taking the bottle of vodka with him.

"Do you need that?" Chris asked.

"No." Daniel said blankly as he closed the door.

Chris then lay down on the bed, shutting his eyes for barely a second before the sounds of a phone vibrating came from the bedside table next to Daniel's bed. Getting up, he looked at the name flashing up on the screen. Someone called Shaun.

"Hello?" Chris answered as he pressed the answer button.

"Who's this?" the voice on the other end asked.

"This is Chris, Daniel's friend. Sorry, he's in the shower at the moment"

"Oh. You're that Chris. Could you pass on a message for me, I'm sure I can trust you with it"

"Ermmm sure, what is it?"

"There's been some sort of commotion around the town. An informant said that Daedalus is pulling out the heavy weapons now. Don't know what they are yet but it sounds like he's getting desperate now. Just be on the lookout and keep Icarus safe"

"Okay... anything else?"

"Nope"

"Okay then, I'll pass that information on to him when I can"

"Thanks" Shaun said before hanging up.

"Does nobody say "Goodbye" anymore?" Chris asked.

-----

Later in the morning, the group, consisting of Chris, Daniel, Kassi and Matt, walked around the town. The air was cool and the sun was shining. Children ran up and down the street as their mothers called them back to them. The one of benches on the side of the street were occupied by a group of elderly women laughing as they fed the birds nearby. The group weren't just there to observe the scenery though. They were there to get food, drink and anything else they needed for the coming week. They knew it would be best for Matt to stay in their room, especially since Daedalus was sending Demons from every side after him. At least there, no Demon could get in with one of the three Hunters willing it. As they walked into the shop, Kassi pulled out a list.

"Okay then, we need bread, soups, fruit juice-" she started to say before Chris interjected.

"Why are we getting all that sort of stuff?" he asked "Matt doesn't need to eat and Danny and I don't usually get this type of food"

"What?!" Kassi exclaimed "No bread! No fruit juice! Explain how you two have been surviving for a year?!?!"

"Noodles Kassi" Daniel answered "Lots of noodles. And beans. And sugar"

"I'm surprised you're not dead. Genuinely surprised"

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's not healthy. You're not getting a balanced diet!"

"Well it's not exactly taking too much of a toll on us. We fight Demons a lot and I can't recall a single time we've lost"

"Fine. Well you two get whatever you want. But I'm buying the stuff we need"

"With the money I took from the zombies may I add"

"I swear Danny, I will kill you"

As the group split up, they went along the various aisles picking up the items they thought they would need from the store. Matt followed Kassi around as she pulled out a basket and wandered around the shelves taking bits and pieces such as bags of pasta and a jar of Bolognese.

"So Kassi... is that short for-" Matt started to ask before Kassi stopped him.

"No, it's not short Cassandra" she answered "It's just Kassi"

"Oh. How did you-"

"I get asked a lot"

On the other side of the store, Chris and Daniel were choosing from different chilled drinks in the fridge.

"7 Up or Sprite?" Daniel asked Chris as he picked the two bottles up.

"What's the difference?" Chris also asked as he answered.

"Well... nothing really. They taste pretty much the same to me"

"Which is cheaper?"

"Sprite, but they add up to the same because 7 Up is on offer. I'm getting two bottles any way and 7 Up is two bottles for three pounds but Sprite is one pound fifty a bottle"

"Well why don't you-" Chris started to say before he paused.

"What? What is it?" Daniel said as Chris pointed to a bottle on the middle shelf of the fridge. Near the back of the chilling appliance were two bottles that seemed to be glowing in the dim lighting that the bulbs overhead provided "Oh. My. God"

"Lilt. There's Lilt" Chris replied, his face a mixture of shock and happiness.

"And it's the same price"

"If you're not thinking what I'm thinking, I'll hurt you"

-----

As they reached the checkout, they met with Kassi and Matt who had also been filling their basket with other essentials apart from food such as bandages and other pieces of first aid. As they placed the items down on to the conveyor belt, Chris asked a question.

"So what is the scariest Demon you've seen?" he asked the two Hunters.

"Clown Face" Daniel and Kassi replied instantly.

"Whoa, that was kind of a fast answer"

"Fuck me that was the creepiest psycho I remember going against" Kassi replied "What was that attack it did?"

"You mean the one with the-" Daniel asked

"Yeah, that one"

"Fuck, that was creepy"

"I know they say the scariest enemies are the ones you don't see but rather imagine but... well that was something I don't think I'd ever imagine in my worst nightmare"

After having all their items scanned and bagged, they paid and left the store. As the door opened, Chris could instantly tell something was wrong when he didn't hear anything but the sliding rubber at the bottom of the frame pulling along the floor. They then saw their sign. Statues. Statues of the people that stood outside of the store. People were frozen with faces of horror as they had been transformed.

"Kassi, give me the bandages" Daniel said as he drew two revolvers from under shirt, his clothes changing almost instantly as he did.

Kassi threw the packet of bandages to her friend as she backed away into the store. Chris stood confused as he examined the statues.

"Chris, trust me, get into one of them shops or buildings now" Daniel told his friend as he started to wrap the bandages around his eyes.

"Why, what did this?" he asked as he backed into one of the shops opposite.

"A Gorgon"