[b][i]Redmond, Oregon[/i][/b] Nothing ever happened in the town of Redmond, Oregon. In this sleepy town of just over 26,000 people, that was a fact of life. In Redmond there was a true sense of community. The people of the town truly cared for one another, and the entire community tended to rally around one another in difficult times. However, the town offered very little in terms of entertainment or things to do. While the teens and twenty somethings lamented the lack of excitement, some of the old members of the community found comfort in the town’s tranquil charm. However, for the patrons of The Grocery Outlet, that tranquility would be utterly shattered. On any given day, the isles of The Grocery Outlet were alive with activity as patrons wandered from one isle to the next as they checked items off of their shopping lists. Young mothers would try to shush their children who were fussing over a sweet or a toy that they had been denied. And on occasion, voices would rise as shoppers engaged in disagreements with staff, or even one another over prices or common courtesy. However, on this day there was none of that. There was a hushed silence as the customers and staff huddled together or tried to hide amongst the merchandise, trying to do anything to keep from drawing attention to themselves. Aside from hushed sobbing, the only sound that could be heard throughout the entire store was [i]Tiptoe Through The Tulips[/i] as it played over the store’s public address system. [b]Tiptoe through the window By the window, that is where I'll be Come tiptoe through the tulips with meeeee![/b] Within the store among the consumers, there were a pair of predators. They were a duo of siblings who were hellbent on causing chaos and destruction, and bringing death and uncertainty to the masses. Together, they happily walked up and down the isles, mindlessly tossing items into their cart as if this were just a normal day. And to them, it was. [b]Oooooooooh, tiptoe from the garden By the garden of the willow tree And tiptoe through the tulips with meeeeeeeee![/b] As they came to the cereal isle, they stopped. The male sibling casually pushed the body of a recently deceased stockboy out of his way. As he put the cart in place, he slipped and nearly fell in the still warm blood in the isle, however, he managed to catch himself and was able to stay upright. He looked at the selection of cereals and settled on a box of Cocoa Chocos and tossed it into his cart, and then another, and another, and another. “I want to hear them scream. I want them all to scream.” The pretty young woman said dreamily as they continued down the isle toward a group of huddled customers near the back of the store. [i]Kneeeeeeee deep in flowers we'll stray We'll keep the showeeers away[/i] Among the group huddled at the back of the store were Sandra Curry and her seven year old son Bradley. Since before the birth of her son life had not been kind to Sandra. Her high school sweetheart, Brian had left town as soon as she had told him that she was pregnant, leaving her to care for the child on her own. She had toiled away in retail jobs and even worked a second job as a waitress at the local Denny’s, yet still had barely enough money to pay rent and buy food for her son and her. However, she did the best that she could, and despite her financial limitations, she had managed to make sure that her child rarely wanted for anything. When she saw the pair casually strolling toward them, pushing their carriage down the isle, smiling and covered in blood and gore, a lump formed in her throat. She wasn’t able to swallow, she had no spit. “The monsters are coming, Mommy.” Little Bradley said in a hushed whisper, and Sandra could hear the fear in his voice, even though the child did his best to sound brave. “It’s okay, honey. Just be quiet, and everything will be alright.” Sandra told the boy, hoping that her words would prove to be true. [b]And if I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight Will you pardon me? And tiptoe through the tulips with meeeeee![/b] The pair stopped in front of the huddled group and watched them squirm in place as they stood over them. The male looked over the group, almost as if he was playing a mental game of eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Finally, his gaze fell on Sandra and her son. The young mother felt his gaze upon her head and looked up, confirming her fears. He was looking right at her. “Hi Mom. Lovely family. Cute kid.” The male said to her as he wiped bloodspatter from his face. [b] Maybe it's flowers you stray will be the showers of life And when I kiss you in the garden in the moonlight[/b] She watched as he pulled a small handgun from his coat and held it limply in his hand. “Please.” She cried. “Please, don’t make my baby an orphan.” She finished pleading. “Oh, I wouldn’t do that. I may be a madman, but I’m not a monster.” The man said to her as he began to turn and walk away, much to her relief. Then he stopped. “I’m [b][i]the[/i][/b] monster.” He said as drew up the weapon and fired a single shot, striking young Bradley square between the eyes. The pair walked away from the shocked group, leaving them to deal with the mother who just knelt, cradling the body of her son, sobbing uncontrollably. As they made their way back to the front of the store and approached the exit, they stopped at a newspaper rack. One of the papers, the US Daily News had a photograph of Icon, the Lost Haven Marvel on the front page. The pair looked at the photograph for a moment before the male took the paper and tossed it in the cart, and then headed out the front door. ”Well Sis, I think I know where we’re going next.” He told her gleefully. [b]Will you pardon me?[/b] “Lost Haven?” She asked with the excitement of a small child learning that they would be going to Disneyland for the first time. “Lost Haven.” He confirmed. “That town sure seems to know how to have fun.” [b]And tiptoe through the tulips with meeeeeeeeee[/b] [center] [img]http://i.imgur.com/PzR4hoA.png[/img][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/TkbjSfp.png[/img][/center] [hider=My Hider] *Lyrics: Tiptoe Through the Tulips by Tiny Tim [/hider]