Chapter 16.66 (Part 2)

  For Tara, the moments after that strange booming message carried an immense anxiety. After everything on the cruise ship, getting dragged to her death while Raif painfully gripped her wrist, Tara knew she would pay for her rebellious actions before the world she knew came to an end. Something as trivial as our world coming to an end would not be nearly enough to get Raif to forget the ways Tara had betrayed him. The list of ways Tara owed Raif grew more and more by the moment.

  "Did you know this was going to happen when you accepted those tickets from that guy you were fucking?!" His tongue dripped of poison, his words seared deep into Tara's battered soul.

  "No." She had so much more to say, but what was the point? Excuses would only create an argument. An argument would only create fighting. Fighting would only make her owe Raif even more. "I'm sorry."

  Raif extended his hand. "Journal." A worn brown leatherbound book appeared in his hand. The idea of summoning anything to his hand brought a wicked smile to his face. The book had to appear when he called it. The idea was delicious. He flipped open the book. "Since you understand this is all your fault, I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I know you'll make it up to me."

  "Thank you." Tara spoke the words quietly. Her eyes watched Raif flip to the front page of his journal, but it almost felt like she was watching someone else watching Raif.

  "What the hell is this shit? Is this math?! Is this some of your nerd shit? And why is it calling me a delinquent? Is this your doing?!" Raif waved his journal at Tara, trying to get her to interpret its contents.

  "I don't know. I can't read it." Her eyes tried to make out the contents, but the page appeared like some sort of computer glitch.

  "Are you stupid? Did you hit your head and become illiterate? I mean, I know you're an idiot, but you at least had the brain cells to read." He continued to shove the book in her face.

  "I think it's censored for me. I'm sorry."

  "Of course you can't help me. Why would I expect anything different." He grumbled as he tried to read his abilities.

  In Plain Sight

  Passive.

  User is immune to skills/abilities that expose intent or guilt.

  Increase level to create fake reactions in effected abilities.

  Level 1

  Blind Rage

  User sacrifices 2 sanity to increase STR to 125 for 5 minutes.

  (Sanity can never be recovered.)

  Level MAX

  B&E

  Once per day per target.

  Party is able to enter a locked area. 50% success rate.

  If used on multiple targets, success is separate per individual.

  If entry is successful, stealth is determined per individual (DEX%).

  (Failed stealth notifies all NPCs in the general area.)

  Level 1

  Necessary Sacrifices

  Passive.

  Every party member that dies increases a random stat by 1d4.

  If user delivers the killing blow, stat increased is chosen by user and increase is 1d8.

  (Sanity/POW not included.)

  Poison Tips

  User adds poison damage to a sharp object in their possession.

  Poison attribute is removed if object is no longer in user's possession.

  Level 1

  Hair Gel

  Once per 10 minutes.

  For 1 minute, user's hair becomes as hard as steel.

  (Increase level to increase duration of ability.)

  Level 1

  Although there were parts of his abilities that didn't make sense (what the hell is a 1d4), some of the abilities sounded pretty bad ass to Raif. He actively avoided things like those dice games that Tara used to get all hot and bothered by before Raif fixed her, but Raif did have some experience in video games. If this world was some sort of game, then that meant he should be able to do whatever he wanted. Immediately his mind flashed to times playing Grand Theft Auto where he'd viciously kill as many random people as possible.

  This was a real life Grand Theft Auto!

  Raif couldn't contain the goosebumps forming on his skin at the idea of what he'd be able to do in this game that he'd never be able to get away with in the real world.

  "Hey disappointment," Raif referred to Tara, "Get your ass in gear. I wanna try something."

  ___

  It had been nearly fifteen minutes since Raif and Tara had started tailing their targets. A man and woman dressed in period appropriate attire for this old fashioned fishing town happened to walk past the alley where Raif and Tara first entered this new world. Raif had made some comment about the couple being losers and something about how they had it coming. Regardless of any actual reason, Raif stalked his prey.

  Eventually, the pair had entered an inn and booked a room. They had locked the door when they entered their room, so Raif had a solid door between him and his anticipated playthings. Tara followed next to Raif, completely oblivious to Raif's intentions.

  "This is perfect. I was hoping to test this out." His uncannily wide smile spread across his face as he pointed his hand at Tara. Even though she still didn't know what was happening, Raif continued. "B&E."

  Using the ability on Tara and himself, he felt the world shift around him. At the blink of an eye, Raif found himself on the other side of the door. Some message flashed in front of his face as he ignored it. "Blind Rage!"

  His shout immediately drew the attention of the couple in the room. The man and woman immediately prepared for battle. The man tackled Tara to the floor, desperate to finish things quickly. The woman attacked Raif, however he barely felt her attack as immense power surged through his body.

  Without giving it a second thought, Raif gripped the woman's throat with his right hand. Memories of Patches flashed through his head as his inhuman strength crushed her neck and throat like it was an empty soda can. Even though the life had left her eyes, Raif did not release his grip. This was the most fun he'd ever had. He never wanted this to end.

  The sound of Tara struggling on the other side of the room brought Raif back to reality. With an annoyed sigh, Raif dropped the woman's corpse and casually strode across the room to where the man was attempting to choke Tara out. The man had been screaming something, but Raif was too focused on his game to care what some random background character had to say.

  His hands gripped the man's skull. Without much effort, his powerful grip shattered the object in his grasp. The insides were warm and gooey. It felt amazing. The feeling of the life leaving the thing in his hands aroused him in a way he had never experienced before. He needed more.

  Raif wasn't sure how long he played with the broken toy in his hands before he realized Tara was still pinned beneath the broken thing's body. Her eyes were wide with terror, she was unable to even scream. Had the contents of Raif's plaything not spilt all over her, he would have been able to see the handprints on her neck where Tara had nearly met her death. Instead she was filthy, she was disgusting.

  As the man with the pink mohawk threw the lifeless body off of Tara, he remembered what he did to cover his tracks when he had played too rough with his childhood pet. Rage spread across his joyous face as he glared at Tara's shock-stricken face.

  "Do you see what you made me do? Because you couldn't handle things, you made me... That man died because you couldn't handle things yourself. And the other one... I had to do the same to her so I could save you. Because of you I was forced to do such horrible things... What do you have to say for yourself?" Any normal person would have realized his voice lacked the emotion that a person would have in that situation. But Tara had lost the ability to objectively read Raif long ago.

  "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! He attacked me..." She tried to answer him through tears, her body violently shook as she was unable to comprehend what had happened.

  "Don't make excuses! That just tells me that you don't want to take responsibility for your actions." Raif wiped his sticky hands on her pants as he continued to berate her. "And you didn't even thank me. The first thing you did was try to pass the guilt onto someone else and show how ungrateful you are. There's something wrong with you. You're defective."

  "I'm sorry. You're right. Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She repeated the phrase over and over as she rocked back and forth. Raif towered over her. He looked at her with disgust.

  "That's not going to be enough this time. You can't just kill someone and make it go away with a simple apology. I'm going to have to figure out how to fix this, and you're going to make this up to me somehow. But first," He opened the room's window. Glancing down, Raif noted the empty alley one story below the window. "We're going to get out of here before I get in trouble for your mess."

  ___

  It was infuriating to Raif just how long Tara continued to throw her pity party. She had curled up next to a dumpster where she had been repeatedly throwing up. At this point she was producing nothing but dry heaves. It was all really inconvenient for Raif.

  As he was considering what to say to make Tara get moving, Raif heard a familiar voice boom into his head.

  Raif, the Delinquent. You are the only one who can hear this, so don't draw any attention to yourself.

  Having already heard the voice of the one running this game before, Raif actually followed their directions. The entity behind this voice was responsible for bringing him into this fun playground. They were possibly the only thing Raif respected other than himself.

  There's something special about you. I can tell you are going to do really well in this game. But there's a problem...

  A problem? For a moment, Raif was worried that his actions were going to result in some form of punishment. Clearly the owner of this voice could see what was going on, so they might not be so willing to let Tara take the blame.

  No, you do not need to worry. This isn't about anything that you did. I'm a big fan of your work so far, so no need to be so tense.

  Did the voice read his mind? Or maybe it could see how he reacted to the possibility of consequences?

  There is an uninvited presence in my little game. They don't want this game to continue like you and I do. They will try to ruin it for us. I know you don't want that. Do you?

  Raif shook his head in response. He hung on every word from the game's Creator.

  Good. So here's what I'd like from you. I'm going to give you a special mission, and if you succeed, you will be very happy with the rewards. But first, open up your journal. You should see a new ability has just appeared. It's my gift for my favorite player.

  Following the voices directions, Raif turns to the abilities page of his notebook. Just like The Creator said, there was a new ability.

  Overpower

  Once per target per investigation.

  User temporarily drops target's STR to 1 for 5 minutes.

  (Target can not be a mob or boss.)

  (Target's STR must be lower than user.)

  (User is unable to attack target while they are weakened.)

  Level 1

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  Raif didn't understand what the ability meant. But he was sure it was something good because The Creator gave it to him.

  Let me explain it to you. You can use this once per person for every... Let's call it level, of this game. As long as they are weaker than you, it will make them completely incapable of doing anything other than move their eyes and talk. You won't be able to harm them when they are like this, but you can let others hurt them and you can move them around. You can only target things like other players or NPCs, not monsters or things you would normally have to fight.

  From his understanding, Raif would be able to knock out other players and make them watch as someone or something hurt them. He was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to do the hurting, but it still sounded very fun. Near complete control!

  This ability is yours to keep. But if you finish your special quest, I will give it a BIG upgrade for you. I will upgrade your Overpower ability to allow you to use it as frequently and as long as possible. I will also let you hurt them yourself, you won't need others to do it anymore. And here's the big prize because I know you so well Raif... It will allow you control your victim. They will be your slave. And all you need to do for me is eliminate that uninvited presence I was telling you about.

  He could hardly believe what he was hearing. So many possibilities would open up if he had that upgrade. The world would be his. Raif's wide grin returned.

  Your target will be hiding somewhere in this town. They will act like a player, just like you, but they are NOT part of my game. The safest option would be to just kill any players you run across that you don't know personally. So, your lady friend is safe. She's very much wanted in this game. So, kill who you're supposed to, and you will get to play god. Nod your head if you understand.

  Raif enthusiastically nodded.

  Good boy. Just because you're so cooperative, I'm going to give you an extra little signing bonus. You should have more money in your inventory than you'd ever know what to do with. Enjoy yourself. Just don't forget your mission.

  And just like that, the voice disappeared from Raif's head.

  This game was amazing!

  ___

  Tara did her best to calm her stomach by eating the stale bread and water Raif got her at the tavern. After she had emptied her stomach in the alley, she had managed to clean herself off at a nearby water trough. It wasn't ideal, but it was much better than keeping herself coated in gore.

  While Tara tried to nurse her nausea, Raif had already thrown back more than a few beers. She wasn't sure where he had the money to pay for everything, but she wasn't about to ask. And Raif didn't show any signs of stopping.

  "You really fucked things up. It's going to take a lot to fix this." His words were only slightly slurred from the alcohol.

  "I know." Tara's eyes fell to the table, afraid to look Raif in the eye.

  "So here's how you're gonna start making it up to me... We're going to find every other player in this town and make them go bye bye." He made a motion with his hands like he's a magician making something disappear, poof. "Since you're already a murderer, you shouldn't have trouble adding a couple more. After all, this time it would be paying back some of what you owe me. You still want to regain my trust, don't you?"

  Tara started shaking again at the thought of what Raif was asking her to do. If he didn't have so much alcohol in his system, her reaction probably would have created a new argument.

  "Yes. I'll... Do it."

  "Good girl. Maybe someday you'll be able to remind me why I spent so much time on you. I could have talked to women much better than you, but I saw you needed help so I chose you. You were my little charity case. You can understand how stressful it is that you turned out to be so ungrateful..."

  "Yes... I'm sorry."

  The one-sided conversation continued to spiral as more and more alcohol was added to the equation.

  ___

  "Fuckin' curf... cur... covfefe... curfufoo." The pink haired punk leaned heavily on Tara as he tried to say the word curfew with no success.

  The bar had closed a few minutes before sunset, which had created more than a little bit of a scene. For Raif it was a common occurrence at bars. He'd drink until he could barely form words, and then he'd snap at the bartenders when they cut him off or asked him to leave at closing time.

  The air outside had a slight chill as the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon. Raif clearly wasn't going to want to find a place to stay for the night, so Tara was left playing babysitter.

  "Looks like yinz had a little too much t' drink. How 'bout I help yinz find a nice place to stay 'til mornin'. Yer boyfriend caused quite a scene back there. I hope ye understand, I gotta do my job." A man with an impressive mustache and a difficult to chronologically place uniform approached Tara.

  "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get him back to the inn." Tara realized what was happening. It wouldn't be the first night Raif's actions caused her to spend a night in a cell. And tonight, he was barely able to keep his eyes open.

  "How 'bout ye come with me missy."

  ___

  "You can't just keep me in here. I have rights!"

  Raif's voice echoed through the room as Sheriff Placeholder closed the door behind him. His fists pounded on the cell's bars in frustration.

  "This is all your goddamned fault, bitch!" He glared at the woman curled up against the wall of the cell.

  "I'm sorry."

  Raif took long pauses between each of his outbursts. He wanted to make sure that Tara took plenty of time to think about what she'd done.

  "You'd better be sorry. All you had to do was kill that ugly bastard and we'd have been find. But instead, you betrayed me. You just handed me over without even fighting for me." He gripped the bars and shook them violently.

  "I'm sorry."

  "I have things I need to do, and I can't do them in here! Do you understand that?!" He continued to take his aggression out on the cell so he wouldn't physically take it out on Tara. She owed him for his patience.

  "I understand."

  "Do you?! Because you weren't willing to stand up for me, you got us into this fucking cell! We don't know how this game works? What if we die because we're stuck in this cell, then it's your fault!"

  The door to the room opened again before Tara could respond. Raif immediately gripped the bars and violently shook them in outrage.

  "About fuckin' time! Goddamn pig! If I wasn't in this cell I'd kill you!"

  But it wasn't Sheriff Placeholder who opened the door. Instead it was someone who clearly didn't belong in this world.

  Recognizing what stood at the door, Raif immediately put on his mask.

  "Woah! Bro, you're one of the passengers, aren't you?! You gotta get us out of here! We're innocent!"

  ___

  She was used to watching the world through a pinhole at the end of an impossibly long dark hallway. If she didn't keep this distance, it might be too much to handle. Nobody hated Tara more than herself.

  Over the years, she came to the understanding that no matter what she did, it would be wrong. No matter how much she gave, it would never be enough. She could never pay back the one person who had done so much to help her.

  If it hadn't been for him, where would she be. He gave her someone to love. He gave her friends. He gave her a job in music. He gave her a style that wasn't an embarrassment. He gave everything, and all she did was make things harder for him.

  Without him, nobody would want her. She was boring. She was plain. She was weird. She was stupid. Her dreams and goals were embarrassing. If it weren't for him, nobody would ever want to be there for her. Nobody could possibly understand her.

  "The only reason to listen to them is their bassist is out of this world. Weaving funk and jazz into punk songs is inspirational."

  It was a voice at the end of the impossibly long dark hallway. It was a light shining through that tiny pinhole.

  She smiled.

  ___

  As the door closed behind Clay, Joan was left alone with Raif and Tara. That woman made no effort to follow her partner. During their entire conversation, she had been nothing but a massive bitch. Raif couldn't stand her. But, he also wanted to control her so badly. It would feel so good to tame her. She was wild, but he would teach her.

  Then he would kill her.

  She was a player, just like that weak loser who just left the room.

  That loser kept making eyes at Tara. That in itself would have been grounds for Raif to ruin his life, but Raif already had a mission to kill all of the other players. He didn't think he could possibly be more excited to complete his goal, but then that loser appeared in front of him.

  But this bitch? Raif would enjoy killing her for a different reason. He would teach her to respect her place. He'd get her to beg. He'd bend her until just before she broke. He'd make Tara realize how easily he could replace her.

  But getting rid of that loser... That would make sure Tara would never realize that someone might be able to replace him. Raif had never met anyone who was worse at reading a room. As annoying as that was, it also made that loser dangerous. That loser was so infuriatingly oblivious that he didn't even realize how his words were causing Tara to react. That disgustingly stupid smile had no place on her face, Raif had made sure of that long ago.

  He would kill that loser. He would break that bitch, and then he would kill her too.

  And Tara would not only watch, but she would participate.

  "Clay is off limits." Her voice was strong. Raif hated it.

  "What makes you think that y..." He couldn't even finish his response.

  "I don't care if it's physically, emotionally, or anything. You will not hurt him." Her eyes left no room for doubt. The only person who had ever dared to tell Raif what to do was The Creator. And this bitch thought she could try to control him?

  "And what do you think you'll do if I tell you to go to Hell? Just because you told me not to, I'll h..." Once again, she made sure he didn't finish.

  "I will kill you. I wouldn't give it a second thought. What you don't realize is that among my abilities, I can see everyone's stats. So I don't just think I could beat you, I know I can... Easily." Her eyes were steady. Her words were powerful. The calm assertiveness sent a chill through Raif's body that he'd never felt before. He was certain she was telling the truth.

  She was trouble.

  But it would taste that much sweeter when he broke her.

  She would be a worthy hunt. He would savor his trophy. But she was a dangerous prey. He would need to be careful or she would become the hunter.

  She was trouble.

  "And this little conversation..." Joan continued as she turned to leave. "It stays between us, or I'll consider it an attack against Clay. And your little puppet? I won't hesitate to do the same to her. I have to protect what's mine. You understand, right Raif?"

  With that, she left.

  She was trouble.

  But she would taste so delicious.

  ___

  "You're really amazing, do you know that?"

  "I don't get it. Are you making fun of me?"

  "I trust your theory. Let's investigate together, okay?"

  "You want me to come along?"

  "Tara, have I told you you're a genius recently?"

  Slowly, he drew her closer. With each kindness, she took another step. The impossibly long dark hallway wasn't so long anymore. And the light through the pinhole shone through more and more.

  Tara, no! Remember, you need to kill him. You owe Raif that much.

  Her internal voice berated her. It dragged her back. It sounded like Raif.

  "You're really amazing..."

  That other voice would go away. Only Raif stayed.

  But why did Tara want to cry?

  ___

  Tara, that loser, and that bitch stood side by side in front of Raif. He prepared to cast his ability. It would send the target inside that settlement. It would likely alert everything inside. He knew what was inside... The Creator told him. It was their little secret.

  Raif wouldn't cast B&E on Tara and himself. They would remain safe outside. But that loser and that bitch would be sent to their death. Nothing would survive what awaited them on the other side of that metal door.

  "B&E!"

  That loser vanished immediately. However, his ability failed for the other one. She was still there.

  "It says it failed." Joan looked toward Raif. Her eyes screamed in panic.

  "It's the same for me. I can't use it again today. We need to figure out another way to get through this door. Clay might be in danger." Raif did his best acting. Although that bitch looked skeptical, she didn't attack.

  Whether she believed Raif's lie, or she just felt that it would be easier to open the door with three people instead of one, Joan focused on the door instead of Raif.

  He was afraid to show even a hint of a smile. But in his head, he gleefully thought one down, one to go.

  Against all odds, the one he counted as dead eventually returned. Even Raif had to admit he was impressed with that loser. Was it possible that he was trouble too?

  ___

  "I doubt they'll get everyone into the safe houses. But even if they don't, we should be ready for when they get here." Raif squatted on the steps outside the mayor's office. It was still at least half an hour before sunset, but if things went according to plan, Raif's best chance to kill that loser and that bitch would present itself soon.

  "I think they can do it. He always finds a way."

  "He? You think I don't see you making eyes at him and smiling? It's disgusting to act like that in front of the person you're supposed to love. You're lucky I am so patient with you." Raif snaps back, his skin was already crawling from her reaction to the situation. If he didn't finish the job tonight, things might get difficult with Tara.

  "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

  Ignoring her apology, Raif moved forward, "According to that creepy mayor, there should be a few rooms off of the main tunnel. He said there were supposed to beds or chairs, but he wasn't sure. When we get near a room, we make sure those two are in front of us, and I disable them. Then we'll need to tie them up. If there's a bed or chairs, it will be easy. If not, we'll just have to hog tie them. Remember, you'll need to hurt them for me, so if I think they cross a line, you will hit them without question." As he gave the plan, Raif could sense uncertainty in Tara's eyes.

  "What if we follow their plan and finish the investigation? Why do they need to die? They both helped us a lot. It feels wrong..."

  "You're worried about that loser." Raif glared at her.

  "Clay hasn't done anything but help us. I know that you don't trust Joan, but Clay..." Tara tried desperately to be strong.

  "Tara..." Raif let her name hang in the air for a few moments before continuing. "What do you think Clay will think when he finds out you're a murderer? What do you think he'd do when he finds out you conspired to kill him at the beach? Or that you have been planning to kill him since the moment you first met? Do you really think he'd still make those creepy little eyes at you? He would hate you. He would never want to have anything to do with you. You get that, right? I know you're used to my godly patience, but normal people wouldn't even give you the time of day, especially if you conspired to murder them."

  "But why would he need to know... I promise, I won't touch him. I just don't want to hurt him. I'll owe you." Her desperation grew the more Raif pushed back.

  "You've been fighting back a lot recently. He's a bad influence on you. You're getting very disrespectful, and it's disgusting." Raif scolded her as if he were rubbing a puppy's nose in its own piss. "And you think 'I owe you' is going to make a difference? I know you owe me. Don't act like you don't already owe me more than you could possibly repay. But do you know what? If you do this one little thing, then you would have earned my trust again. Just this one thing. You'll never find such a generous offer again."

  "You'd forgive me?" Her eyes opened in a mixture of shock and hopefulness.

  "You would have earned my trust." Raif corrected her. "Of course, if you decide to betray me, I will be forced to tell that loser your deepest secrets. So even when you're disabled on the ground next to them, waiting to die, that time will be filled with him loathing your existence. You would get to be reminded that nobody is as forgiving as me."

  "I understand." No matter how much she wanted things to be different, she knew that there was nothing she could do. Betraying Raif would only cause more pain. And she did owe Raif.

  "But I think I'm going to play a little bit with our food. Just because you wanted to show me just how unfaithful you can be, I think I'll give blondie a chance to join our little couple. If she really wants to betray that loser, then I think I'll reward her. After all of your unfaithfulness, I'm sure you won't object. You'd be a hypocrite to try to stop me."

  Tara's eyes reflect the pain in her heart. But Raif is right, she's admitted to cheating. She had no place to deny it. She admitted to it and apologized.

  She had no choice.

  ___

  With the torches to their right side, Raif and Tara walked toward the exit of the tunnel, alone. Behind them, Clay and Joan were tied up awaiting their impending death. Raif tightly held Tara's hand as he smiled widely.

  "I'm proud of you. You did exactly what you were supposed to. Did you realize that I'm the only one who could ever love you? Even if it seems like someone might have a chance, as soon as they learned the real you, they would be disgusted. It's only me."

  "So I've earned your trust again?" Tara reminded Raif of their agreement.

  "I'll think about it. But you definitely made big strides today. Maybe someday whe..."

  Raif was cut off by an unsettling feeling. It was almost as if their insides were getting pulled in the direction of the room where their victims awaited death. The air turned cold and everything felt off.

  As soon as the feeling came, it left. Tara turned in the direction of the room, she could not hide her guilt.

  "Well, it looks like our plan was a success. That was that Shambler thing coming to finish our job for us. You did well, Tara. You murdered them. You're getting very good at that." Raif smiled coldly. Even without looking, he could sense the daggers Tara felt in her heart at that moment. Her hand felt clammy in his grip.

  His joyous mood came to an end when something impossible came into view in the hallway in front of them.

  The stairs leading up to the locked door at the mayor's office.

  "It was your job to make sure we were going the right way! Are you too fucking stupid to remember that we were supposed to keep the torches to our left?! Do you have any idea what you've done?"

  "No... I remember. The torches were supposed to be on our right. I don't understand." Tara stumbled backwards. Suddenly she found herself unsure if she was more terrified of the Shambler in the tunnel behind them or of Raif's fury.

  "You can't do anything right. I have to fix everything. You are worthless." Raif's hand crushes hers while he berates her. "Now get your ass in gear, we have to get out of this tunnel before that thing finds us. Hopefully it disappeared after it dealt with our present."

  Tara's arm was practically ripped out of its socket as Raif ran at full speed down the tunnel away from the stairs. But only seconds later, his feet came to a stop.

  Something was coming.

  An unfathomably powerful presence was approaching them.

  No matter how hard they tried, neither could move.

  Something outside the realm of their deepest terrors was slowly moving toward them.