“Paranormal Experiences Of Eastway Park And The Eastway Monster ………………………………………………………………P. 04

Paranormal Experiences Of Eastway Park And The Eastway Monster
If you have been out at Eastway Park at night and have found yourself lost, you are not alone. A startling number of reports from passers-by have said this small little park at night appears as an endless labyrinth. So many in fact the city of Blue Ash has put a ban on entry after dark. So you won’t be able to check this one out for yourself. We would not suggest you try, anyway. If you thought those reports were strange, what lays inside police records might have you even more on edge.

People said inside that labyrinth, there were monsters. Strange creatures of various description. Some reported seeing strange shadows along the walls. We have also received many letters pertaining to this matter. One letter detailing out a monster that reminded us much of a flying squid. The only thing we know for sure is something strange is going on in the Eastway Park.”

Jumping off the small metal bars of the barricade Apricot peers into the dark of the Eastway Park. She is determined to see for herself how true those claims were. If this one panned out, there may be something to the rest of those stories. A thought while walking home crosses her mind. What if all these “paranormal” things are the phantom‘s effect? She already knew they could cause electrical disturbances and alter the temperature, so it does not seem like that much of a stretch they may do other things. If that was the case she would have to investigate these weird urban legends around town. With the gun firmly pressed against her hip, a certain assurance pervades her peace of mind.

Passing by a fountain at the core of the park she walks around the pavement loop. It is not long before she found herself at the start again not finding this “labyrinth”. With the roll of her eyes, she walks towards a small patch of trees, the overgrowth battling against the man-made order. As she continues strolling around the park, she felt increasingly like an idiot for even trying this stupid charade.

Apricot decides it’s best to leave, all but done with this embarrassing fiasco. During her abandonment of the park, her eye is drawn to something she had not seen the first few times around. It is a tunnel, with strange markings on the outside. Painted symbols and signs of spirals, circles, and triangles. “If there was a labyrinth, then this must be the place.” Apricot surmises.

The smell wafting from the labyrinth is rancid, reminding her of the sour smell of rotted meat. Placing her hand on the pistol’s grip she slowly slides it from the waste of her blue jeans leveling it into a stance she has seen on TV before. She approaches the tunnel gazing into the interior of the foul place. Its walls are painted with some kind of off-white color, timeworn and pealing exposing the blackish brick stone masked beneath the fading coat. As she walks deeper, she notices puddles of red on the floor. No bodies though, she supposed that was a good thing. Then again, this red fluid certainly reminds her of blood. Further, into the dark tunnel a warm wetness hits her head. She glances up to see that the ceiling is composed of some very large veins. With the touch of her fingertip it is painted a deep ruddy red color. It is blood, and it is streaking down her face.

Her heart jumps as they wiggle like they are pumping. In fact, as she listens it sounds as though there is a heartbeat deep within the walls of this tunnel. She lets out a shriek as fingers touch the side of her arm. Her eyes latch onto a ladies pale fingers resting on her arm. Looking up from her arm she is welcomed to cold dead eyes staring toward her face. “You scared me,” Apricot laughs. The thin lady utters not a word but instead moves her face closer towards Apricot. Far too close, she immediately takes a step back, feeling a sudden sense of danger grip her chest.

“How long have you been here?” Apricot asks noticing that her clothing is all wrong. Like it is from another era entirely. The woman opens her mouth still stretching her face towards her. A tongue snakes out of her mouth and then retreats inside. “Do you understand me?” she asks without reply. The strangeness has her on edge. This is not human, she fears.

Now the woman seems like she is straining her neck to stretch it further. Her arms going straight as she tries to lean forward. Her face splits down the middle like dried paper, a skin-covered skull pushes through. It stretches several feet away from the body while its pulsing muscles turn visible as the woman stands to a height of at least ten feet to Apricot’s estimation. Its chest bursts out revealing a larger shell like carapace and arms like a praying mantis’s scythe. Its shell is brown and her thorax wiggles out from its rear and its legs arc oddly.

Apricot screams pointing the gun at the creature. She pulls the trigger; the force knocking her hand in the air, pain surges through her wrist. But worst of all, the creature does not seem phased by the bullet. Instead, it slashes, Apricot ducks to hear the blade scraping across the wall.

She turns and runs towards the entrance but she cannot see it from this distance. Instead, the tunnel is an endless dark hall. The only light coming from the dull red glow of the veins above her. The vibration of the creature’s steps is a sharp suggestion it is not far off behind her. It hisses at her as it continues down the tunnel. Turning around Apricot takes another shot at the creature. She watches this time to see the bullet impact its chest. It hits and sparks and then disappears. “What!” Apricot screams. This is it. She will die. The creature dives as she huddles into a ball screaming.

“That will not help you.” remarks a male voice. She swivels her head to see the creature’s scythes held back by a young man in a suit holding a decorative rod.

It stuns Apricot. “Who are you?”

Pushing with his arm he forces back the creature. “So you like picking on little girls huh.” he growls walking casually towards the creature who is now screaming a high-pitched roar at him. “Yeah yeah complain all you like.” The creature lunges swinging its blade. The man parries the strike knocking the claw aside. This repeats several times until he uses the back end of his rod to hit the creature in the face. A large spark flies out of the creature. The skin from it’s face is falls free revealing the skull tucked beneath, the few parts left on the creature’s visage are melting, dripping off like slime. It turns away from the man darting into the stretch of darkness. “What? Don’t like silver?” he sneers throwing the rod into the creature’s back knocking it to the ground. The body sparks convulsing as though it is being electrocuted. The shrieking monster come to silence as the flashing tunnel returns to darkness.

The man takes several careful steps toward the rod lifting it from the pool of gunge. He turns to gloat back over towards Apricot. “Hello madam, my name is Shiori Kinjo,”

“Kinjo!?” Apricot feels a sense of shock come over her. “He is royalty!”

As if able to read her mind the man confirms her thoughts. “And yes I am that Shiori, the heir to the Kinjo family nobility. Now my dear, what has you walking in tunnels like these with an illegal gun.” his tone is firm and makes Apricot consider her response.

“I, am hunting phantoms,” Apricot mutters.

The man smirks rubbing his chin. “How interesting. I think I might like you. But I never seen someone hunt a “phantom” while curled up in a ball like a coward.” Apricot had not realized, but she is still on the ground. As he approaches, it reminds her of that fact. Quickly she darts to her feet. “I will forgo this chance encounter for now. I will ignore that pistol of yours even. If you will be using that, however, I suggest you learn how to shoot that thing.”

Apricot is at a loss for words. Unable to speak she simply nods her head. “Appears you are not the talkative type. Star struck? Hmm?” he gloats.

“I almost got killed,” Apricot tells him.

Shiori nods “You better get used to it miss “phantom” hunter. Most things are not too friendly when you are trying to kill them.” He continues walking past her towards the end of the tunnel.

Apricot quickly snaps to face him yelling “Wait!” Shiori turns his head to glance back at her. “Do you know what these things are? Why were you here? What is going on!?”

“I will only answer one of those questions. Take your pick.” Shiori smugly replies. Apricot quickly ran through the questions. Which one was more important? Which one would give her the most information? “If you are going to waste my time I have elsewhere to be. This night is not over yet.”

Apricot rushes her decision on her first. “Do you know what these things are?”

“I do.” Shiori resumes his walk, laughing.

“What! Aren’t you going to tell me?” Apricot yells.

“Not a chance my dear. I would answer one question and true to my word I did.” Shiori snickers. “However, if you survive, I might consider it later.”

Apricot follows him “You are a jerk you know that?”

“A jerk that saved your life, my dear. Remember that,” he chuckles. “I will give you one thing. The Crisis. Start there.”

Apricot scrunches up her face. “What do you mean the Crisis?” This time he did not reply. Instead, he increases his pace. At the entrance to the tunnel Apricot expected Shiori to at least give her a farewell but he does not even bother to break his stride. “What an asshole.” Apricot growls to herself. “But at least I am not the only one doing this.”