Chapter 34
SALEM INN - ENTRY WAY
E.J. quickly stepped over Abe's lifeless body and ran out of the hotel.
E.J. (yelling): Johnny!
HALLWAY
Sami ran down the hall. She knew now that she had to get out of here. There was no hope for E.J. anymore. She just had to get Johnny and run out. She heard a noise behind a door and saw a somewhat curious sight. There, kneeling on the floor, was a man dressed in what can only be described as a costume made to look like a cross between a dog and a bear. The costumed man looked over at Sami. He even had a dog's snout and eyes, but was still a man. Then, Sami could see another man. An old man, with his trousers down, sitting on the bed. The two looked curiously at her for a moment. Sami screamed in fear, slammed the door shut, and ran.
KITCHEN
She ran to the kitchen, only to find that all the lights were off. The entire room was filled with cobwebs. Worse still, thousands of skeletons and rotting corpses filled the room. And they were all staring at her. Sami screamed again and ran.
HEDGE MAZE
E.J. limped through the maze at a fast pace, axe in hand, somehow knowing that that is where Johnny was.
E.J. (yelling): Johnny! Johnny boy! I'm coming, Johnny! I'm coming to give you your medicine!
Johnny was running as fast as he could, thankfully he was much faster than his father, and was outrunning him by a long shot.
ENTRY WAY
Sami ran into the entry way and found Abe's dead body lying on the ground. She was sad that Abe was gone, but now was not the time to mourn. She had to find Johnny and get him out of here. She looked over to her right, to the elevators. There was a red liquid coming out of them. It was blood. The blood flowed from the elevators faster and faster. Soon, it started carrying the furniture away. Then, the blood was gone, all except for that which flowed from Abe's chest where the axe had hit him. Sami ran out.
OUTSIDE THE HOTEL
Sami ran to the SnowCat that Abe had travelled to the hotel in. She got in and warmed the vehicle up.
HEDGE MAZE
E.J. was still in pursuit.
E.J. (yelling): I'm coming for you, Johnny! Coming to give you your medicine! I'll force it down your bloody throat if I have to! You can't get away from me you dirty bugger!
It was lucky for Johnny that he and Sami had spent so much time in the hedge maze earlier that fall. He knew exactly which way to go, and which way to get E.J. lost in. Tnankfully, E.J. was taking the bait and was now going in the completely wrong direction.
E.J. (yelling): Danny!
But, E.J.'s yells were soon turning into wheezes. He was running out of breath quickly.
OUTSIDE THE HOTEL
Sami sat in the SnowCat. Just then, she saw a small figure running from the hedge maze. It was her son.
SAMI: Johnny!
JOHNNY: Mommy!
SAMI: Come here, Johnny! Come as quickly as you can!
Johnny ran to the SnowCat and jumped in. The two started off as quickly as they could, leaving E.J. behind.
HEDGE MAZE
By now, E.J. could emit nothing but grunts. He held the axe in one hand, while his other hand was on his chest. He was straining for breath and could barely stand, but he kept up his fruitless pursuit of his son. Finally, having too little breath left, E.J. slumped against one of the walls of the hedge maze. He sat there, hoping to catch his breath, a grim look on his face. But, it was pointless. He had used too much energy chasing Danny. It was still snowing. The snow and the cold froze his lungs. By the next morning, E.J. was dead, trapped as an icicle in the center of the hedge maze.
SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND shall conclude tomorrow.
