Chîn Script #2 (Patreon)

Note: This is an older version of the chapter.

content warning: Psychological Horror, gore, death

- Evening

Charlie's woken by banging on his door. He groans and rolls over as the banging continues, sitting up in the bed. He fumbles to the door and swings it open.

Charlie: 'What?!'
Basit looks back: 'Get dressed, we're going out of town.'

Charlie: 'I'd really rather not.'

Basit: 'Nora's request.'
Charlie leans against the doorway and groans: 'Why do I have to be involved?'

Basit agitated: 'Get your ass dressed.'
Charlie pulls himself off the doorway and sighs.

-

The two walk out of the apartment, Charlie dressed but eyes tired. 

Basit: 'You drive?'

Charlie: 'No.'

Basit: 'Me neither. Bus it is then.'

-

The two on the bus, Charlie staring out the window, moody, as it leaves the city. 

Basit looks over to him for a moment: 'Had breakfast yet?'

Charlie: 'No.'

Basit: 'We'll grab something when we arrive then.'

-

The two walk off the bus in the new town. Brick buildings, rustic downtown.

-

They walk into the diner and sit down.

The waitress leans over the counter to them: 'Hello! What can I get you?'

Charlie: 'Coffee and pancakes. Please.'

Basit: 'Nora's paying.' 

Charlie looks back to the waitress with a slightly warmer smile: 'Make that chocolate chip with whipped cream bacon and eggs.'

The waitress: 'Got it.'

Basit gives an amused grins

The waitress looks to her then glances away from her face, trying not to stare at her scar: 'And uh- what can I get you?'

Basit: 'Three of your mega burgers, rare, hold the ketchup, mustard and bun.'

The waitress nods and goes to write it down, pausing confused.

Waitress: 'So… you want just three rare burger patties?'

Basit: 'Yes.'

The waitress gives a confused awkward nod: 'Alright then…'
She walks away and Charlie looks to Basit.

Charlie: 'I never considered you- we might have different diets.'

He leans forward, speaking lower and looking off to the side contemplating to himself: 'I never considered I might not even need to eat.'

Basit: 'Every abnormal is different, that's kind of the point.'

Behind Charlie seen through the window, 'Recurring vehicle' pulls into the parking lot outside.

Charlie: 'Right. So you eat meat then?'

Basit: 'Preferably raw but they won't serve it like that.'

Charlie: 'I don't think they legally can.'

Basit: 'And they never have enough of it.'

Charlie: 'How much do you eat?'

Basit casually, leaning back: 'Every once in a while I go out to the country and eat several cows.'

Charlie raises his brow: 'How do you-' he mutters 'Oh, right. Size of a building.'

The waitress walks over and sets the coffee in front of him then steps away again.

Charlie: 'Does Nora eat?'

Basit: 'Hm. Kind of? Not like us though. It's more- I don't know, spiritual?'

Charlie mixes lots of sugar and cream into the coffee: 'Weird.'

Basit: 'You're among abnormals, Charlie. 'Weird' doesn't exist.'

Charlie: 'Like I said, still getting used to it.'

Basit looks out the window in thought: 'I used to know an abnormal who ate storms.'

Charlie looks up raised brows: 'Seriously?'

The waitress steps over with the plates of food, sitting them on the table. Both pausing their conversation. 

Waitress: 'Let me know if there's anything else I can get you.'

Charlie: 'Thanks'

Both begin to eat, Charlie wolfing down the pancakes with a fork and Basit eating the patty with one hand. The waitress and the cook glancing over, subtly staring at them.

-

Both walking down the street of the town. 

Charlie: 'Alright, so what are we here for?'

Basit: 'Nora wants us to fetch a friend of hers.'

Charlie: 'Cool. So is this a friendly friend or a strong arm into coming with us friend?'

Basit chuckles: 'A friendly friend, to me and Nora anyway.'

Charlie half smile: 'Ah, so am I walking my ass head first into danger again?'

Basit: 'Probably not, but we should make it clear you're not a human.'

Charlie: 'Do they not like humans?'

Basit: 'He does for breakfast.'

-

Basit and Charlie walk into a run down apartment building. 

Basit stops in front of a door and knocks. 

They wait a moment. 

Basit: 'You should eat more.'

Charlie: 'Hm?'

Basit: 'It puts you in a good mood. Even if you can stop eating, you should keep it up anyway.'
The door in front of them then opens slightly, locked with a chain, 

Conner: 'What?'

Basit leans into his view: 'Nora sent us.'

Conner's expression softens with surprise: 'Basit?' 

He peers at Charlie, expression hardening again.

Basit: 'He's not for lunch.'

Charlie leans in with an awkward wave: 'I'm not a human!'

Conner stares for a moment then shuts the door. After a click it opens and Basit and Charlie walk in. 

The apartment is messy, full of books, newspapers, photos, tapes, stacked up on the floor and hanging from the walls and ceiling by and connected with a web of red strings. The same type of threads hang around Conner's neck and wrists and used to patch his ragged suit.

Charlie turns, looking around: 'I didn't know 'conspiracy theory board' could be a decoration style.'

He turns again surprised to meet face to face with Conner.
Conner peers suspiciously: 'What are you then?'

Charlie steps back, to Basit's side, hands up: 'I'm an Abnormal!'

Basit cheeky grin: 'He's immortal and was human once, you could probably get a nibble out of him.'

Charlie: 'Basit!'

Basit chuckles.

Conner 'che's and steps away: 'Humans don't become abnormal…'

Basit: 'Yea that's what I said-'

Conner interested: 'How did you change, then?'

Charlie uncomfortable: 'I doubt this is why we're here.'

Basit: 'True-'

She pulls a yellow envelope out of her jacket: 'Nova needs your help figuring out what's going on with these.'

Charlie watches him take it and pull the parchments out of the envelope, looking away with a tight lip.

Conner shuffles through them, brows furrowing

Basit: 'These letters have been-'

Conner lifts a hand, she pauses, staring at them.

He looks up and walks forward, large thin spider legs reaching out from his back, Charlie stares up and steps back out of his way as Conner gains more height and face and skin changes to spider-like. Conner begins sifting through the red webs with his spider appendages and leads to a bookshelf, sifting through it. He stops at a thick locked book and picks it up, opening it and peering at it, the book out of view.

Conner: 'Talk.'

Basit steps forward, arms crossed: 'Six abnormals have been sent a package with one of those letters, each one containing a piece of our friend here- well, his finger pieces.'
Conner closes the book in his hand with a light thwmp.

Charlie looking uncomfortable, turning away looking at objects in the room, spotting a shelf with odd jars statuettes and a small framed photo of a child.

Conner pauses and glances over his shoulder. 

Conner: 'More.'

Basit: 'That's all we have. Nora included a list of most of the abnormals that have received packages.'

Conner: 'That's all? Does your friend not have more?'

Basit looks over to Charlie who's poking at a strange object on the shelf trying to ignore them.

She turns back to Conner: 'He says he doesn't know anything about it.'
Charlie looks back, Conner's face to face with him again, Charlie jumping back with a surprised 'eep'. Conner stares, uncomfortably close, charlie leaned away.
Charlie meek: 'Can you please stop doing that…'

After a long awkward moment his lips crook and he pulls away, shrinking back into his human form. 

Conner: 'Alright. I'll get my things together.'

- Noon

They walk out of the apartment, Conner carrying a large briefcase. 

Conner: 'Did you drive here?'

Basit: 'We took the bus.' 

Conner motions for them to follow and leads them to his car (1987 Lincoln Town Car Delray)

Charlie looks at it as the other two approach its doors. Face lighting up.

Charlie: 'Nice!'
Conner gives a quick dismissive glance.
Charlie giddy: 'Hey, is this the Delray-'
Conner sharply: 'Get in.'

Charlie deflated gets in the rear seat.

-

Conner driving: 'What was your name?'

Charlie: 'Uh- I go by Charlie.'

After a pause.

Charlie: 'I don't think I caught yours either.'

Conner: 'Conner Edwards. Abnormal investigator.'

Charlie: 'Cool… Does it pay well?'

Another long pause, Basit silently amused.

Conner: 'What makes you an abnormal, Charlie?'

Charlie: 'Uh…'

Basit: 'Immortal, and his body can separate into segments and reconjugate.' 

Conner: 'Immortal as in indestructible or infinitely repairing?'

Charlie brows furrowing: 'Repairing.'

Conner: 'How was this state bestowed onto you?'

Charlie becomes more uncomfortable and looks out the window: 'I don't remember.'

Conner studies him from the mirror, eyes narrow.

Charlies pulls out his phone and opens his and daniels text, 

[Insert friendly past filler text]

-today- 

Charlie: Hey, ball later? :waves: :basketball: I promise I'll actually play this time. :crossedfingers:

(Delivered)
Charlie looks back up staring at the passing buildings through his own reflection

-

They arrive at Nora's diner. Everyone gets out of the car, Charlie lagging behind to check his phone. Delivered, No answer. 

They enter the diner.

Hyphae greets them one by one: 'Hello, Conner. Hello, Basit. Hello, Charlie.'

Basit: 'Hey, Hyphae.'

Charlie waves with a smile as they pass. 

Conner goes to the office, entering. Nora looks up and smiles widely, standing up.

Nora: 'Conner Edwards!'

Conner half smiles back: 'Nora.'

She gives him a hug, Conner leaned down for it. She motions for him to sit. 

She turns to Basit and Charlie: 'You two go on, I'll get Conner settled in.'

Charlie leaves first and Nora stops Basit.

Nora: 'Keep an eye on him will you? If he's being targeted we can't let our guard down.'

Basit nods and leaves the office. 

Conner: 'Where will I be staying?'

Nora friendly smile: 'My house of course, I want to make sure you have space. I have a very roomy basement you can set up in for the duration of your stay.'
Conner: 'Are there bugs?'
Nora: 'A few.'
Conner smiles: 'Perfect.'

-

Charlie walking from the diner, looking at his phone again. 

Basit catches up: 'Hey.'

Charlie looks over: 'Hey- something else I'm needed for or can I go home?'

Basit: 'No, I'm just going to walk you home.'

Charlie: 'Why?'

Basit flat: 'Because I said so.'

Charlie raises a brow and starts walking: 'Okay…'

The two walk down the road for a while. Passing the park, the ball court empty, Charlie looks out to it as they pass.

Basit glances over at him before speaking: 'I know sometimes it's hard to talk about some things-'

Charlie turns back away from the park demeanor closeing off: …

Basit: 'But if you can think of anything that would help-'

Charlie turns to her, upset: 'You ever consider maybe I don't want to think about it? That I can't think about it.'

Basit: 'Maybe I can help, I'm an empath I could-'
Charlie: 'No.'

He walks into the building.

Basit: 'Charlie-'

She follows him in and up the steps.

Charlie: 'It won't help.'
Basit: 'You don't know that-'
Charlie sharp: 'Just let it go!'

Charlie steps up to his apartment room and goes to unlock the door, stopping to see a larger unsealed package sitting in front of the door. He kneels down, opening it. Both stare in horror, an arm covered in tattoos sit inside with a letter sitting under it.

Basit: 'Daniel-' 

Charlie pushes past her and rushes down the hall, sprinting out of the building and down the street tears streaming down his panicked face.
The static goes red and the streets of the city become a dense forest. Charlie through the woods, short hair and mostly nude.

Outside of the flashback he passes the park and gets to a mobile home. 

He bangs on the door shouting: 'Daniel!'

He tries to open the door but it's locked, he pauses confused and panicked trying to force it open. Basit catches up to him and pushes him to the side, grabbing the door handle and ripping it open with ease, breaking the lock. Charlie pushes past her and rushes in. Daniel's body lies in the middle of the floor, dismembered in the same pattern as Charlie's marks. In the place of the missing arm lay Charlie's other, fingerless, arm.

Charlie falls to his knees, dazed, everything starting to go dark with red static.

Basits body deforming as her and her words fading: 'Who the fuck would do this? I'll kill them! I'll tear them apart-'

Charlie falls to his side, in shock. Only red static.

From Charlie's pov arm laying on an undone leather arm strap, on a floor covered in blood soaked parchment. 

A silver blade with the symbol etched onto it. 

His pov looking at his bare, dirty and bloodied, feet walking.

Everything goes black again

-
Charlie's face, his back laying on a couch, staring up at the ceiling. 

He rolls over and sits up. 

Basit, sitting nearby: 'Charlie?' 

His still dazed face looking down at the reattached arm. 

Basit: 'It was at- I thought you would want it reattached.'

He looks down at his hand, view becoming obscured by red static.

Charlie looks away eyes closed tight then stands up, walking to the kitchen.

Nora and Conner sit at the table, the notes and pictures of the scene, and others, in front of Connor on the table. 

Conner: '-No, not mad. Or at least not chaotic, these attacks were precisely planned.'
Conner: 'She said there was an arm-?'
Nora: 'It was gone when she went back for it.'
Charlie walks in and begins looking through Nora's cupboards. 

Nora: 'What are you doing?'

Charlie: 'I don't gamble but if you're not the type of person to have a bottle of whisky stashed somewhere then I need to lose 20 bucks to someone.'

Nora: … 'Most left cabinet.'

Charlie weak: 'hah…'

He grabs it and a glass sitting at the table. His eyes catch the photos in front of Conner, he looks away and downs the whisky as Basit walks into the room. 

Conner's eyes staying on the files in front of him: 'I would press him for more information.'

Basit frowns at him: 'I don't think now is a good time.'

Conner: 'Seven abnormals are dead, possibly more, time and sensibilities is not a luxury we have.'

Nora pondering: 'What could do that? kill so many of us so easily-'
Basit frowns.

Charlie stands up and walks out of the kitchen.

Nora: 'Where are you going?'

Charlie shaky: 'home.'

Basit: 'I'll come with you-'

Charlie snaps back: 'I'm immortal remember?' 

He turns and waves his hand dismissively: 'just-...' 

He walks out of the house. 

-

Charlie enters his apartment, not turning on the lights he stands dazed for a moment. He pours another drink in his kitchen before sitting down in front of his tv. Tv lights up his zombied face, his eyes tearing up.

-