Twinkles in the Darkness: Story 1

Sad, gray clouds loom over the metropolis. It's a corrupted place, innocence being snuffed out everywhere, every second. That was where the secret organization comes in. They fight back against the coorruption, the infected ones. Armed with the latest pieces of technology, Cybernetics mainly, they fight back to keep the innocent safe. But, not everyday they fight, such as today...

Rufus slows his Firebird to a stop, then backs up into the open space. He goes foward, stopping instantly as he straightens out his car. The keys go out of the ignation, a foot stepping onto the wet street. A modern looking house stands there. A dull, dirty yellow as the wall paint, and grayish-white roof on top. Rufus looks at the house and merely shakes his head.
"Your house decorating really does suck, Tootie." Rufus shakes his head some, walking up to the door. The two doors seemed to be made out of pinewood. Before he could knock on the doors, they opened up to a small, wrinkled up woman.
"Hello, Rufus dear, thanks for coming." The old woman says sorrowfully, taking a few steps back to allow Rufus in. She seemed to have a green glow to her, and blue glow to her eyes, but Rufus couldn't really tell.
"I'm sorry that it has to be under such conditions as this." Rufus mutters softly, bowing politely to the woman.
"Please follow me."
Rufus follows her to the upstairs, this house belongs to a 'Tootie', as he was called. Never gave out his real name. He was Rufus' computer whiz, upgrading it, making it better, things such as that. He always had the latest piece of technology on hand. He knows how to get around any ocmputer, and fixes them as a side job. His main job is Building computers, oh the irony in that. He possibly could of fixed his own computer brand.

The old woman opens the door to a bedroom. A small bedroom. Inside, it was quite decorated. Just a plain yellow pain, but many things hang on tape on the walls. Pictures of PS2, games, mainly Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy. Tootie was also a gamer, and decorated his room as such. There is even pictures of anime, he was a nut for them, Slayers, appleseed, some others that Rufus wasn't aware of. Then, he stops dead in his tracks, looking at one point on the wall. There hung a rose bordered picture of a tanned woman, smiling at you with that great smile of hers. She stood near a messy bed, wearing sweatpants and a tank top. She has her hands behind her back, her left foot over the right. Her black hair seemed to go for miles, but actually goes down to her midback. Rufus sighs softly, rememberence in his eyes. This must of been before they met, he thought, she was a great woman, anywould of wanted her. He remembers all the times when Tootie says that he's the luckiest man in the entire world. He smiled a little at that thought.

Then, a soft raspy whisper came from behind.
"Ru... Rufus, is th... that yo.. u?" Rufus turns and looks at the source of the whisper, his eyes widening in shock. Long, wire-looking hair sticking out of a wrinkled head. Dull, brown eyes look up at him, they were on their last lights. His vains buldge out of his skin, making him seem sickly. A weak, toothy grin on his face. This soon-to-be-a shell is Tootie, the computer whiz.
"My god, Tootie, what happened to you?" Rufus asks in shock. He saw no green arua around Tootie, which hasn't changed. He was the purest person in this stink hole, never having any kind of aura.
"Old age... sucks. Remember... that." Tootie coughs, which seems like it's ravaging his body to pieces. Rufus smiles a little. Tootie can joke around at the worst of times. Tootie settles back, smiling softly. Rufus ets up and walks to the other guests, about to ask them questions, when he hears the door slam open. He looks over his shoulder, his eyes widening even more. Damn, they were practically buldging out! There stood a ghoul type of figure. Incrediablly white skin, the whitest he has seen. The ghoul has female-like features, black hair, and the figure of a female. Small and delicate. His hand instinkfully goes to his gun, but finds nothing, then he remembers, he left it at home. He then sees that this ghoul isn't at all dangerous. It pants for breath, its shoulders raising up and down quickly, it seemed like it was going to fall down any second. The thing rushes to Toot's side, falling to its knees and both fall into whispers. Rufus could only pick a few things out of their conversation. 'I don't want to lose you... I can't live without you.' "You just have to, hon, I ... can't be here forever.' 'But I don't WANT you to die!' Then, Tootie turns his head slowly to Rufus, and speaks to him.
"Rufus.. take care of Bu - " Toootie began, then suddenly stops talking, collapsing into his bed, the lights out. The newcomer shakes him, starting to shake itself. Rufus walks up to the bed cautiously, and peers into his eyes, Toot wasn't there anymore, Toot is dead.
"Toot? Toot? Please don't be dead!" The goulish person frantically says, tears welling up in it's eyes and starting to fall down its cheeks. Rufus was shocked again, looking at the ghoul that has thrown himself over Toot's body and now openly weeps for the man. It had the features of being a female, but the deep voice of a male. Rufus walks to the opposite side of the bed, reaching to Toot's eyes. The thing pushes his hand away.

"I'll do it... he would of wanted that." Rufus nods and steps back some. As the thing cries more, and closes the eyelids over Toot's voidful eyes, Rufus began to think. Who, and what is this... Thing that's crying non stop over Tootie? Why is it crying? He began to look at the thing more intently, seeing a totally new aura. This aura shimmers around the body, appearing and disappearing. When it's showing, the room, for Rufus that is, lights up in a green haze. It reminded Rufus of the sun's light going through clear water, such as a swimming pool. It's very beautiful, RUfus thought, it seems to be in a state of flux. But why? Why isn't he acting infected? Or... well, IT.

"I'm sorry, dearies, but you all have to go." The old woman walks into the room, holding the door open for them to leave. The others did as they are told and walk into the hall, down the stairs, into the hallway downstairs, then out the house to their cars. This leaves the old woman, Toot's dead shell, the kid, and Rufus alove.
"Why?" The kid suddenly asks, it's hair hidding it's eyes.
"We have to get ready to chuck him. Now, off you go, shoo." She waves her left hand in the doorway.
"Wait... chuck him? The kid lifts its head from Toot's bed, blood-shot eyes looking through dark brown hair.
"Yes, chuck him," The old woman nods, obviously getting impatient and sighing, "Going to throw him in the river so his body is swept away."
The kid's eyes widen, it couldn't believe what it heard. Rufus saw him, or her, or it, begin to shake violently, then suddenly walks in front of him. It looks up at him, eyes filling up with tears as it shakes.
"Whoever you are, I think toot has talked about you. Please, PLEASE don't allow her to throw Toot's body in the river like a sack of potatoes! I beg of you, help me, pleeeease!" The hybrid says in its deep voice again, its lower lip jutting out and shaking. Rufus sees its green arua flux again, shimmering back to a lighter green. Rufus half frowns, looking at Toot, then over to the old woman, who was tapping her foot and arms crossed. He thought about why this old woman wants them to go so badly, and why does this deep voiced kid have this odd aura around him... IT.
".. Toot does deserve a proper burial." Rufus states, looking over at Toot. He looked so peaceful now. THe old woman widens her eyes in suprise, then gets a disgusted angry look on her face. The kid beams brightly, his aura going away.
It quickly looks around, something told It to grab something very important to Toot, as well to It. Its eyes wuddenly lay on the rose bordered picture that Toot had hung up on the wall. As Rufus makes his way to Toot, the old woman growls softly, no longer the sweet, ol' lady. Rufus looks over at her, wondering why she's growling,. He saw pure green aura coming off her, this was no longer the sweet caretaker.
"Shit!!" Rufus goes into over-drive, and grabs Toot's body, throws him over his shoulder, and high-tails it out of there.
"Come on!" Rufus yells at the kid, looking around in the hallway. He sees a small table that could only hold something smallish and round. He grabs the leg, smooth and cool to the touch.
"I know, I know! Give me a second!" The kid yells back, prying the picture off the wall. Suddenly, the kid ran out of the room with the picture in his hands.
"Fuck! RUn run run run ru - UAAHAHHHHH!!" The hybrid suddenly screams out, now falling down the wooden stairs. It was in such a hurry that it didn't stop for the stairs. The thing tumbles down the steps, sadly, the picture is with it, in its hands. Right now, the picture is in the position of being crushed to pieces. Which, the kid wouldn't, and couldn't allow it to happen. It kept the picture of the woman that Toot loved up against its chest, using its legs to push forward, speeding up the process. He does a backflip and hits the floor on his back, with the picture in the air, uncrushed. It gets up and slowly limps away. Rufus looks into the room and his widen, the old wasn't any longer an old woman.

A long, hideous monster stands in the door frame. Blue eyes shine at him, the jaws dislocated like a snake. All hair has peeled away and lay on the floor behind her... or, again, IT. Long, black nails clamp the frame, pulling it out so it can get through. Rufus, seeing that he has no gun, begins to run. But the monster is quicker than Rufus, and crushes the frame to pieces, then steps into the hallway. Long, black nails scratch up the floor, a tail dragging behind. Just as Rufus gets to the top step, a tongue shoots out and hits his back. It burns away the clothing then penetrates into him, making a small hole. It begins to suck away his life, and he could feel it. It was a horrifying experience. He fell to his knees, dropping the table, which falls down the stairs. Toot slips off his shoulder, also falling down the steps. The kid looks up at the steps, wondering what was going on. He was in shock that Toot's body was falling down the steps, to him, it was the highest offense one can do. Rufus' hair turns white very quickly, then his skin begins to wrinkle up. What's sickening about this, Rufus could feel all this. He could feel SOMETHING in his body, sucking away the nearby blood and life, he could FEEL his skin wrinkle up. Very disturbing feeling. The kid looks around for something to throw, to save RUfus, and sees the table. It grabs the table, aims its shot, and throws the table. The table goes pass Rufus' head, and smacks the monster in his face. The tongue goes out of Rufus, he could feel it going away. His hair turns brown again, and his skin unwrinkled. He gasps for air, and nearly falls down the stairs.
"Run, whoever you are, RUn for your life!!" The kid yells, grabbing Toot, placing him on his back, and struggles out of there. Rufus stumbles down the stairs, hugging the safety rail, and stumbles out of the house. His vision was blurry, but getting better.
The hybrid thing stands on the sidewalk, waiting for Rufus, a howl erupting from behind him.
"Get in the car, fast!" Rufus says as he walks to the Firebird. The kid struggles to the other side, and Rufus unlocks it for him. They place Toot in the back, and both buckle up. Suddenly, the monster bursts out of the house, looking around. It sees Rufus, and begins to stomp over at him, the tongue darting out.
"Shit!" The kid hisses, and Rufus hits the peddle, speeding out of there.

"Where do you live kid?" Rufus asks him, keeping his eyes on the road. He bypasses any car in his way, he wanted to put as much distance between them and that monster as possible. The thing has been looking down at the picture, quietly crying over it, it has now lost two wonderful people.
"123 Saint Avenue." It replies. Rufus goes to Saint Avenue, and stops in front of a hotel. Ironically, it was a skyscraper, and Rufus looks at high it goes. It was pretty high. The kid gets out, grabs Toot and places him over his back. But before he shuts the door, he says.
"By the way, I'm a man... and my name is Bug." Bug states, looking at Rufus through his hair, then shuts it, leaving Rufus to think over his name. Bug walks up to the doors, and hits a botton on a speaker. A moment later, a female voice crackles out.
"Hello?"
"Heather, please open up, I'm back."
"Bug, honney! Sure, come right up!" Heather happily says and the doors buzzed, then pops open. Bug goes inside.

"Odd kid..." Rufus says softly, watching him go inside. He had a couple of questions too, he sighs and goes back home. Where, he flops into his bed, lays awake for a couple of hours thinking over what has happened, and goes to sleep.