MonsterHearts:The Sinkhole

: It's just an earthquake Loki. 
: 
: You hear that knock? 
: 
: What was that sound? 
: It's someone at the door. I'm going to go check on the cattle and the horses.
: Get dressed Tate, I might need you to help me round up the cows. 
: 
: ...Dad? Dad!? 
: 
: Well it's damn strange.
: How far do you think it goes? 
: So what happened? 
: Might want to watch your step. 
: Watch what? ...Did this cause that earthquake?
: You stay back Tate. Can you tell how deep it is? 
: I can't see the bottom. It must be some kind of sinkhole.
: That'd be my guess. How far across do you think it is? 
: Me and Ahiga circled around it on the way over here, what do you think Ahiga? 
: Maybe forty feet across? 
: ...Forty feet... Yeah... I'd say at least that far.
: If it's a sinkhole... Should we be standing this close? What if more collapses?
: 
: I think this one already collapsed in twice, but even being this close probably isn't safe. I know a guy I can call. Could probably get him here in the next few hours.
: We should head back inside Tate. Get your guy out here, I'll split his bill.
: Sounds good to me. C'mon Ahiga.
: Kinda weird, this happened all of the sudden.
: I guess so. ...The... What's-their-faces... That mexican family that lives up the street from my house, they have a well I think, so maybe an underground river caused it.
: Yeah... Hope there isn't anymore though.
: Scared? 
: Pfft. 
: Ahiga! Come on, you got the light!
: Lates, Tates. Coming!
: Seeya Ahiga... 
: Huh.
: My dad had a contractor come by earlier, he ran a bunch tests and stuff. Said he didn't know what caused it. It's like fifty feet across, and almost a perfect circle. ...Also said it was over a hundred feet deep. 
: I bet a lot of cows fell in.
: We keep them locked in the smaller field. So they're ok. You probably shouldn't be standing that close to the edge though, Odie. The contractor guy said that the rim can slide in.
: My brother's not afraid of anything.
: Well if he falls in we're gonna get in a shit ton of trouble... We're not even supposed to be within fifty feet of this thing.
: It's creepy as hell, isn't it?
: ...Hmmm...
: Let's find a cat to throw into it. 
: ...What?
: Yep... That's a hole alright. 
: Let's get away from it, I don't want to get ripped a new one.
: Yeah let's just hang back. So it just happened last night?
: This morning. Was at like three? 
: Three-thirty I think. 
: Three-thirty-three? 
: What am I an atomic clock? I don't know, it woke me up around three-thirty.
: Why would that time matter? 
: Witching hour is from three to four, and it's weirdest around that time. 
: The witching hour? Why would witches have their own hour, and who the hell would put it that early in the morning?
: Maybe witches like to get up really early when no one else is around, and dig massive holes in the ground. 
: I dunno, strange things goin on around here.
: The sinkhole is probably just because of some underground river. The Garcias, or whatever, up the road have a well. That means there's groundwater around.
: What happened to your cat? 
: We've never had a cat, why do you always ask that? 
: We haven't had a cat in years so... 
: Your sister had a cat. 
: No she didn't... She had a horse and... A mouse or something, and both of them ran away... After she died.
: 
: So uhh, since a giant hole just appeared out of no where, you guys gonna go stay somewhere else?
: My mom wanted to go stay in a motel after she found out about it, but my dad convinced her to stay.
: My dad's waiting to see what the contractor guy says. If there was a real danger he probably would've already told us to leave, ya know?
: Yeah, you're probably right. Not sure how I'd feel living so close to something like that though...
: Thought you weren't afraid of anything. 
: I aint afraid of nothin. Dying before I finish high school would suck though.
: Well it's a good thing we're all on a roll in the "not dying" part of being alive... 
: Anyway, we better get going. 
: What? I thought we were going out to the arcade. 
: We'll have to go next weekend. I didn't want to rain on your guy's "big hole" parade, but I inhereted a big ass mansion. So my mom's taking us up to check it out.
: What? You fuckin with us? 
: Nah... My uncle died, and I'm the only male relative, so I guess he left it to me. Though technically it's my mom's until I turn eighteen. 
: So are you moving into it then? Where is it?
: It's in some mountain town called Cold Springs, way up in Northern part of Cali. I don't think we'll be moving all the way up there, my mom likes the "warmth of the desert" too much, said she'd never move back to Northern California.
: So you really did inheret a mansion? Guess that sucks about your uncle though...
: I never met him, so it's not really a tear-jerker, and my mom said Uncle Robertson was a little strange, so the house probably isn't even in good condition... Anyway, c'mon Hunter let's roll. Mom wanted to leave by two and it's an eight hour drive, so we need to find you something to eat before we leave.
: This house better be awesome.
: Anyway, see you two later. We'll probably be back tuesday.
: So you got a mansion and you get to miss a day of school. Sounds like you lucked out... Anyway, see you guys later I guess.
: Bye Ahiga, later Tater Tot. 
: So you really think he got a mansion?
: I dunno. Odie's not a liar, but he likes to make the truth sound a lot cooler than it is sometimes. 
: Kinda weird, that he just randomly inherets a mansion. 
: Guess it's about as weird as us randomly inhereting a giant sinkhole... 
: I know I didn't see you two going near that sinkhole a second ago. 
: We stayed twenty feet back. Odie was the one that walked all the way up to it.
: Fifty feet. You undestand? No closer. I'm dead serious now, and I mean it. You slip and fall into that hole and you're not coming back up, you understand?
: 
: ...So what else did the contractor guy say?
: Said the hole looks stable, but it's best not to go near it until there's some kind of fence around it. He'll be back later today with a small team to runs some more tests just to be sure, but he thinks we're fine.
: He still doesn't know what caused it?
: He's not 100% sure, but he thinks there was probably a cave down there that collapsed due to all the rain we've been getting this year. I catch you goin near that thing again Ahiga and I will chain you to the porch, you understand?
: Yeah... 
: I'm going to head on down to Cal Oaks, pick ups some lumber. You remember what I said Tate.
: 
: So what's up with Hunter anyway?
: What do you mean?
: Does he have food allergies or something? Odie's always talking about getting him something to eat, or he gets worried whenever Hunter says he's hungry, kinda like when they left.
: Yeah... Vegies make him sick, and I think he has a lot of trouble with sugar and sweets and junkfood in general.
: So would you say he eats a lotta meat? 
: He just has a problem digesting most foods.
: ...Does something seem... I don't know... Off... Like... Strange? About that... Sinkhole?
: It's a big sinkhole that has no bottom, I don't think there's anything normal about that. 
: Yeah... But... I don't know... It's just...
: Scary?
: ...More like... A portent of something to come...
: "Portent"? ...That's a pretty smart word for a football jock.
: Shut up.
: I dunno. It does give me the creeps though...
: What the fuck what that? 
: I have no fucking clue. 
: You think it was the cows?
: Ours or yours? 
: Sounded kinda close. Might've been yours.
: Jesus fucking christ. What the hell is that?
: I don't know.
: You two see anything out there? 
: 
: No, but we heard it, what the hell was that?
: I think Winni might be having her calf, but if she is it's a month early, so something's wrong, get dressed and come help me with her.
: Then what's the shotgun for?
: Just in case it's not Winni and something's broken into the damn barn again. C'mon, get moving Ahiga. 
: 
: 
: Ahiga, that you?
: Yeah it's us. 
: What the hell?! 
: You two go wake up Manny, Tate, call your dad and tell him what's happened. God damn thing must've dug in here.
: Thing? 
: Looked like a mountain lion, a damn big one, but I barely saw it. I'll walk you back to the house.
Category:Monsterhearts