Not much happens for the next while of walking that Alex does. He shivers in the cold breezes, avoids roaming gangs, keeps an eye out for anything burning, and generally does his best to stay safe. Every now and then he passes a beggar or notices some rats scampering in the shadows, but nothing like that fire shows up.
For a little bit, Alex actually thinks that he might have placed all the weirdness behind him. A large rat wouldn't jump at him from the shadows, a morbid flame wouldn't flare up next to him, absolutely nothing strange was going to happen on his way to Tetanus Town.
Of course, fate seems to enjoy wrecking expectations.
At an intersection, Alex glances at the street sign in front of him. The green, metal plate clearly states, "WINDSLOW ST." Only a few miles left. Alex lets out a small sigh of relief. Walking so much gets tiring. At least I'll have a place to sleep without interruptions.
He readjusts his old tan backpack so that it's more comfortable and starts to cross the street.
He is then immediately stopped by a harsh voice. "Hey, kid!"
Alex's eyes widen slightly at the voice, not because of fear or recognition, but because it's a sudden noise in a relatively quiet atmosphere. Combined with how tense the previous situations have left him, he can't help but flinch.
But, he easily regains his composure and swivels his head to see the person who yelled. Upon witnessing him, Alex feels a sense of annoyance well up. Damn it.
Standing on the sidewalk is a tall, bulky man in a navy blue uniform. A yellow badge rests over his left pectoral, and his belt contains various tools. His gaze is sharp, and he's staring right at Alex.
Alex heaves a silent sigh and turns to face the man. He puts a smile on his face and says in a cheery voice, "Hello there, officer. May I ask why you've called me out? I'm about eighty-five percent sure that I haven't committed a crime!"
That's a lie; Alex is fully aware that he's jaywalking. However, the officer seems to ignore this grievous insult to the law and replies with a smile and amiable voice.
"Actually, I was wondering if we could chat. You see, I just transferred from a small town, and this is my first patrol. I'd like to ask a local about the culture of this city."
Why the hell are you asking right now!? Can't you ask a neighbor or something? Alex inwardly swears before replying, "You shouldn't ask a street rat like me. I'm too broke to experience Rifield's culture!"
As he speaks, Alex sticks his hands into his raincoat's pockets and turns them inside out, revealing the lack of anything inside. But the man just chuckles lightly instead of leaving.
"That's fine; it's important to understand all parts of a culture, even the less fortunate aspects. But I can see that I'm bothering you. So, how about this: why don't you tell me an urban legend or two?"
"Huh?" For a moment, Alex is taken aback by the man's request. But he composes himself soon after. "What, you some kind of cryptid hunter pretending to be a cop?"
"Heh, you'd be surprised how close you are. Alright, let's go with that angle. Are there any strange creatures people talk about in Rifield?" The officer's tone is relaxed and conversational.
Sighing inwardly, Alex puts his hand to his chin and makes something up off the top of his head. Even if he were enthusiastic about this conversation, Rifield isn't a very superstitious place. "They say that there's a strange creature living in the sewers."
Alex glances at the man as he speaks and notices that he's surprisingly invested. In fact, he stares intently at Alex and seems to be listening intently as well. So, Alex continues, "People call it the… uh… Fetid Beast. Supposedly, it looks like a human with three heads and scaly skin. Oh! And it eats people too! The really superstitious folks are afraid to set foot in the sewers, lest they'll get eaten."
The officer nods slowly and gives Alex a warm smile. "I see, that is very interesting. Welp, I won't bother you anymore. Stay safe!" As he says the last part, he turns and walks away, waving at Alex as he does.
Finally. Alex lets out a small sigh of relief and watches as the officer rounds a corner and escapes his sight. Then he waits a few moments to confirm that the man won't turn around and come back, and continues his walk to Tetanus Town.
Afterward, he manages to walk several miles without incident. Sure, Alex has to dodge a few muggers, but that's the norm in the north side of Rifield. By now, he's only a few blocks away and is walking through an alleyway to take a shortcut.
Unlike the previous alleyways, this one is rather wide. If it were cleared, a car could squeeze through pretty easily. Not only that, but there are a few doors leading to the adjacent buildings, and it even has its own streetlight bolted to the side of a wall!
Walking down this alleyway, Alex avoids heaps of garbage and puddles of filthy water along the way. He's in fairly high spirits since he'll make it to his destination soon, but one thing is odd.
As Alex gets closer to the end of the alleyway, the smell of burnt hair and roast meat fills the air. His nose wrinkles in disgust, but Alex tries to ignore it. Just the smell reminds him that a fire-obsessed psychopath is on the loose. But the closer he gets, the stronger the smell becomes.
It floods his nostrils and makes him want to gag. It's incredibly strong by now, and completely unlike the charred rats he had seen before. Those were completely burnt, or had been singed long ago, so the smell had dissipated. But this time, the smell is strong. Incredibly strong.
Step. Step. Step.
Alex is only a few yards away from the source of the scent. It's a large, furry carcass, covered in burns and almost charred black. And now, a new smell is added: the scent of blood. Alex recognizes it immediately and hesitates to continue walking.
This is fresh. This is really fresh! Did I stumble on the psychopath's most recent hunting ground?! Is this his latest victim?! Should I turn back? No, they've probably already left. Besides, I haven't seen any human corpses left. Maybe the psychopath is using animals to vent his urges and is actually friendly to people!
After reassuring himself, Alex steadies his nerves and takes the last few steps towards the carcass. His breath hitches at the brutal sight.
The carcass is sprawled out on the ground, its fur badly singed and its body covered with burns. Large, bloody chunks have been taken out of it. Not only that, but each wound seems to be fully cauterized, as if the psychopath made sure it wouldn't bleed out so they could torture it more. But that's not what causes Alex's breath to hitch.
It's same dog he had seen earlier!
Alex's heart thumps rapidly, and his breathing comes out fast and uneven. His mind races, and he can't help but take a step back in shock.
Th-the dog! What happened to the dog?! It ran off when I checked out the bonfire! What's going on!? Who killed it!? Was it the psychopath!? Did they see me with it!? Am I being followed!? Did they kill it to taunt me!? Do they want to do the same to me!?
Without a second thought, Alex's entire body tenses, and he sprints out of the alleyway. He's been in life-or-death situations before, but they've never been directly targeted at him! He has to run! He needs to get away from the psychopath!
Tetanus Town! If I get to Tetanus Town, I'll be safe! There are plenty of people in Tetanus Town! They won't just let someone murder me in the open!
Alex runs as fast as his legs can carry him. He doesn't care who sees him or who he runs into, as long as he makes it to Tetanus Town! He runs and runs and runs until his legs feel like lead, and then he keeps running.
After only a few minutes, he dashes through the doorway of a large, half-collapsed brick wall without paying any attention to it. It's only a few moments later, when he sees a massive, ten-story steel building frame that's so rusted it looks as though it could fall at any minute, that he stops.
His hands grasp his knees as Alex doubles over, and he breathes in short, ragged breaths. Despite the chilly wind, sweat runs down his face. But that doesn't matter. He's made it. He's safe. He's finally in Tetanus Town.