Chapter Text
"Oh, I am so dead!"
'Stupidstupidstupid,' is all that races through Charlie's head as he runs on the city pavement, the sun having long gone down, as he heads back home as fast as goopingly possible.
'Schlatt's going to kill me for being late,' an understatement really, especially since for the last 2 weeks, he and his roommates, Schlatt and Ted, had planned and scheduled to record a video together today, only for Charlie to forget the time!
It wasn't his fault that some buddies from high school came into town and wanted to meet up with him! Well, he could have said no, but he hadn't seen them in so long! So, maybe he got a little too excited and lost track of time, but he's sure the guys will understand.
Or at least, they will if he doesn't have to wait for one more dumb traffic light to give him the go ahead, but seeing the stretch of multiple traffic lights in the distance, he can see that ain't happening soon. He just needs to make it home, the faster he's there, the less likely he'll be heckled and slandered by them in the video for his forgetfulness.
'There's got to be a faster way to get home.'
As Charlie looks around, he catches a glimpse of a passage through the buildings he walks beside.
'The alleys, of course!' He'd forgotten about the alleys! He's only used them a couple of times during broad daylight, but what difference does a little shade make, he'll be quick, seeing as his reputation is on the line!
'Couldn't hurt to try, no time like the present!'
He slips through the night. He's almost a quarter of the way there, before Charlie hears the sound of a couple of garbage cans being tumbled from one of the connected pathways. He pauses, and looks towards the entrance.
'Maybe it was an injured cat?' An unlikely thought as he hadn't heard any meowing or hissing.
His breathing starts to pick up as he continues to walk through the alleyways. He can hear more noise, only this time from behind him. That's when Charlie's light jog turns into a full on sprint, straying from his path home, as now his goal is just finding a way out of the small, dark labyrinth he's gotten himself trapped in.
He's going to get mugged, he's sure of it! 'Ted will never let me live this down if I do,' that is, if he even makes it out alive!
That's when Charlie sees light up ahead, it's a miracle! He's going to make it, and once he does, this will be a funny memory and story to look back on, he just knows it!
However, due to Charlie's panic and distraction towards the light, he didn't realize that the noise was no longer behind him.
So, as Charlie passes one more opening, the last one, so close to the city lights, a dark being crawls out of it.
Charlie stops abruptly, backpedaling, thoughts racing as he tries to turn back, but he trips.
And as he falls, he screams, one arm outwards, the other behind to either grab on to something in the air, or soften his fall.
But neither happens, as he falls, and falls, and falls.
And all goes black.