Finder Part 1

He didn't notice anybody around him until he could hear someone's steady breath behind him. He was so entranced by what he saw he never realised that someone had snuck up on him so he slowly turned his head and saw who it was. It was not a stranger but a friend, Elise, one of the only people to know that he comes to this place when something is bothering him. Knowing how this place used to hold many happy memories for him she can understand him coming here but all she can see is the painful memories he and everyone else had here. Nobody comes to this place anymore, ever since The Great Blaze. People don't want to be reminded of all they lost so they stay away hiding in the comfort of the walled cities. Something Jason doesn't like to do, he wants to remember the pain which has become a part of him.

When Jason knew who it was he just turned back around without talking so Elise asked "What's brought you out here today Jason?"  She spoke with care and worry in each word while she moved to sit next to him and lay her head on his shoulder. Jason knew she did this to make him feel she was there for him so he rested his head on hers and spoke, "They try forgetting about this place and everything that happened here. Some even pretend this place doesn't exist. How can anyone do that. We both lost everything; our family, our friends, our home and our way of life so when I heard a guy pretend it didn't happen, I lost it!" He spoke calmly but Elise could feel his heart beating faster with every word he spoke. He then looked down to his right wrist and knuckles and raised it so she could see and there he had a grubby grey bandage with splashes of red wrapped from his wrist around to his knuckles. "I couldn't help myself and punched him straight in the face so hard my wrist buckled and knuckles opened. He collapsed and then his friends called the protectors so I ran here, somewhere no one looks." He knew Elise didn't like him fighting as he finally got out of that stage but there were some relapses.

For a while silence reigned between them as Elise never replied. The whistling of the wind avoided this place, the chirping of birds did not exist here and the hustle and bustle sounds of people disappeared from here with The Great Blaze. So they sat there just looking out at darkness and sadness as far as the eye could see. Elise opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again, unable to get the right words together. She opened her mouth again but Jason jerked away suddenly and got to his feet catching Elise by surprise. Then she heard a rustling noise. A noise which should not be there. She realised this is what caused Jason to move quickly so when she turned around she saw strangers.

Jason knew something was wrong because nobody comes out here especially to the hidden spot he had. There were five guys standing there all wearing the same ironed grey suit with red shirts but wore running trainers. They all had the same jarhead haircut, clean shave and sly grin but two of them were holding a syringe each. As Jason canvassed these guys Elise tried to speak but all five guys shrieked and ran at them both. Jason stood in Elise's way and shouted one word as loud and protective as he could "Run!!!" so with only a second of hesitation she ran. Quickly searching the ground there was a plank of wood near Jason's feet so he grabbed it and swung just in time to hit the first guy hard but couldn't quite hit the second guy with any force. The plank got knocked away so he tried fighting but a good punch here and there was not good against five guys. So when two split off to go after Elise, Jason had a chance. He slammed his body into the guy on his left causing a shooting pain in his shoulder but the guy collapsed. He hit the guy at the bottom of his rib cage which was the source of his pain. The next guy was holding him but his grip was loose since Jason slammed into the the first guy. So he dropped down low and flipped the guy onto his back and then turned to the last guy. As he turned he threw a punch at his jaw but the guy avoided it and threw a punch back. This one did connect and Jason was sent staggering backwards but he did stay on his feet. With the guy further away from him Jason thought about running away but he knew there were two more guys after Elise so instead he ran at the guy. When he was close enough he jumped and landed a superman punch directly into the guys nose. Instantly the guy collapsed so Jason ran for Elise but not before one of the guys on the floor stabbed his leg with the needle. Jason had no idea what it would do so he just kept running.

He ran far to find Elise and the other two guys were near her while she tried to fight them off. Elise was tough enough to be able to take on two guys but Jason needed to help. He tried running to her but his legs wouldn't move properly, things he saw started to move around like the floor was up and the sky was down. He kept watching her and trying to move but he just couldn't get to her. That's when they got her. She was stabbed by that needle and then they tried to restrain her. He tried screaming a threat at them but no words came out. He tried moving but his body wouldn't function. Then his eyes wouldn't stay open and the last thing he saw was her being forced down and her hands tied. I wasn't able to protect her like I promised was the last thought to go through Jason's head. After that painful thought everything became black and he faded away into nothingness.

Into The Abyss: The Second Dive

First Part

Fear.  That's what I felt when I saw her.  Fear of finding out that she's not real and I'm just imagining things.  Fear that the world will come crashing down on me after a huge weight was just lifted off. 

I grab the guy walking past me and turn him to face her.  "Can you see her?"  I had to find out if she was real or not but in doing so I may have scared the life out of someone else as this guy looked at her and then back at me and maybe he thought I was a mad man, which may of been true but when he replied, "Of course I can see her.  Now can I go?"  He looked at me like I may hurt him.  I quickly let go of him only now realizing how hard I was holding onto his shoulder.  "Yea, you can go."  As he scuttled away I called back to him,  "Sorry!"  Through all this she just stood there in front of me smiling with out a care in the world, then she moved closer to me and spoke up with that angelic voice able to calm a grizzly bear, "Are you done trying to find out if I'm real or not."  She then reached to grab my hand, I could feel the warmth of her touch on my skin.  All I could focus on was her hand holding mine- "Ow."  She pinched me.  My slight yelp of surprise seemed to please her as her smile lit up and she gave a little giggle.  I was still confused about why she pinched me it hadn't hurt instead it surprised me so I asked her, "Why did you just pinch me?"  She then left go of my hand and instantly the heat went out of it, my hand was cold compared to the rest of my body so I put it into my pocket to give it some warmth.  I don't think she noticed me hiding my hand as she replied, "Do you think I'm real now that you felt that?"  I froze there, not knowing what to say I just looked at her.  I tried to open my mouth to reply but nothing came out.  I was standing there mouth gaping open while she smiled at me.  I closed my mouth, smiled and replied.  "Yea.  I think you might be real.  A part of me still thinks you're just a part of my imagination but if you are then this is the best thing I have ever imagined."  After I stopped talking I wished I hadn't said as much.  I never meant to tell her what I thought but I just seemed to be speaking out loud.  I was waiting for some humiliating response for what seemed like forever when it was probably only a minute but it never came.  She just stood there smiling at me with that heavenly smile.  I only saw pieces of her last time and even then I was suffering hypothermia so I couldn't get a proper look at her.  But now I can see her.  I can see just how beautiful she was and I was wrong about one thing.  She doesn't look like an angel because that is an understatement, she looked like a Goddess able to rival Aphrodite.  Rays of sunlight flow through her hair subtly curling at her shoulders, stones of emerald flicker from her eyes, a full radiant smile painted with a soft pink rose and flawless tanned skin emanating warmth.  "What are you staring at?  Is there something on me?  Is my dress ripped?"  She spoke with wonder at why I would be looking at her.  There was nothing on her, her green dress that matched her eyes had no marks on it, it was just her.  I quickly shook my head snapping me out of my daze.  I grabbed her hand and spoke, "I want to show you something."

Before she could reply I headed out of the building and across the street with her hanging on.  I dared not look back in case she were to disappear from sight, it's probably stupid to think that seeing how I could feel her touch but I still couldn't take that risk.  I push past people moving anyone out of my way until I get to the end of the street and right across the road is the building.  I now stop and look behind and she's still there smiling at me, she hasn't disappeared.  I point up to the top of the building and tell her, "That's where we are going, straight to the top."  I keeping looking at her thinking she may not like it but she happily nods and keeps that smile on her face.  When the traffic stops enough I dash across the road still holding onto her and rush to the building.  

The old building stands in front now and she stands behind so I let her go and again my hand goes cold as if without her touch there is no warmth so I try to ignore it and ask her, "We got to get to the top and for that there are a lot of stairs.  Are you ready?"  She looks at me and that beautiful smile turns into a mischievous grin as she walks forward and says "Race you to the top!"  Then she was gone, running into the building and up the stairs so I ran after trying to catch up.  Each time I've been up these stairs I've been on my own so there was no need to rush and no noise but now I'm running with joy, chasing after her and instead of hearing the stairs creak as you walk on them there was this tranquil laughter echoing from above, "Catch up you slowpoke!" got shouted down from above.  Going up these stairs has never felt more enjoyable as they are now but this being the third time on these stairs today this is also very exhausting.  When I finally get to the top the pain in my leg starts pulsating turning my next step into a limp but when I turn my head I see her standing atop of the world and the pain seems to just disappear because she is all I notice.

The view from the top is usually amazing but now it's breathtaking, she stands there looking out across the city with the sun shining down on her from the heavens.  She turns to me when she realises I've reached the top and asks so sweetly, "So this is what you wanted to show me?"  I move toward her and bring her to the edge.  I sit down and she follows.  "This place is where I find peace, no one knows about this view except for you.  It's a place to get away from everyone but not everything."  When I spoke to her I looked around at everything I could see while explaining this place and when I turn back to her she's looking out at the view and she looks captivated by it.  Then her expression changes into something filled with worry and sadness and she asks in a much darker tone than I've heard her speak, "Why did you bring me up here?  I jumped off a bridge in the middle of winter into a freezing cold river full of rocks.  What makes you think I wouldn't jump off of this roof?"  Even though she asks me this with worry in her voice I can't help but smile at her, for some reason I'm not worried about anything except being here with her so I reply, "I jumped into that river to save you and I would jump off this building to save you but the way you looked out at this city just now tells me you won't jump.  You can't jump.  But if you did I would come after you because there is not an abyss I wouldn't dive into for you."  My words seem to shock her as the expression she held changes again with her mouth unable to shape words and her piercing green eyes looked dazed.  This must be what I looked like earlier.  She turns away from me and looks back out at the view takes two deep breaths then reaches for my hand and there is that warmth from her again just emanating from her touch and she speaks "Thank you.  I'm glad you jumped after me."  After that she just sat there holding my hand looking and smiling out across the city seeing everything I see, taking in all the beauty that this place shows.

Time seemed to drift away as the sun passed across the sky showing the city in all it's glory but now as I look over at her she has the sun setting behind her and the image I held of her when my eyes were closed now showed in reality.  The eyes so dazzled by what she sees brings out the emerald glow, her hair now shines with the last rays of sun at sunset, her skin holds the warmth I saw as I feel it in her touch still.  Slowly a light scarlet colour started to flush her cheeks and her smile turned up into an innocent shy grin which finished with her biting her bottom lip and I knew for definite that I had been caught looking at her.  I try to turn back to the city but I just keep getting drawn back to her because with her here there's nothing better to look at yet there's still the part of me which wants to remember every detail about her in case she disappears again.  Suddenly she stands up and pulls me with her, stretching her arms out as far as they go as if she is trying to hold this scene while I'm trying to hold onto this moment.  Then she spins round letting my hand go yet again the heat leaves with her touch and the cold surrounds my hand but I still don't mention it because I don't know if it's me or something with her touch so I keep quiet.  She looks at me, leans against the handrail and shouts to the skies, "This place is amazing!"  People on the ground probably heard her but she doesn't care and just carries on talking, "You can see everything from up here.  This place may not look like much from the ground but up here..."  she raises her hands and gives another twirl looking so innocent, "Up here everything is different, it's like a completely different city.  I never knew it could be so beauti.....Ahhhhh!"  The handrail behind her gave way and just like the first time I saw her, time seemed to stop.  No sound, no movement, nothing.

The first time I saw her she jumped off that bridge and she smiled while doing it but now she's not smiling.  Pure fear is showing on her face, she doesn't want to fall off the building like that bridge.  This is not an abyss she wants to go to.  She's stuck there with her arms flailed out trying to grab onto the bar but she couldn't reach anything.  Her dress is ruffled and flared out by the wind.  Her face has no shy grin, no sweet blush in her cheeks, no glow in her eyes only tears and terror show.  She knows she's going to fall and she can't do anything about it.  But I can.  

My heart starts to slowly beat again, my arms start to slowly raise then time is back to normal and I'm jumping off the building after her just like I told her I would.  My arm outstretched as far as it would go so I tried to push it further and there I see her looking up arms above her as far as they could go.  My right hand grips onto her wrist and my left grabs part of the railing, the impact smacks us both into the building and it feels like my body is being tore apart but I keep my grip on both ends.  I look down at her and she's there still with that look of terror on her and a slight graze on her cheek but she believed I would dive after her, "Grab onto my arm with both hands!"  I shout down and instantly she does as instructed.  Now that she has a good hold of my arm I start pulling her up.  My grip on the railing starts slipping so I focus all my strength into my right arm and I pull her up as far as I can.  I get her to waist level but it's still not enough so I push even harder.  Doing this causes my right arm to start burning and stinging and my left arm to start slipping but I force her above me and she is able to grab onto the roof and drag herself up letting my arm drop.  My right arm has gone dead from this, there's no strength in it so it's just a dead weight dangling at my side.  My left arm only has a little bit of railing left to hold onto so I try to pull myself up but I can't get far enough before exhaustion starts to catch up to me.  I try it one more time and  my hand slips.  I was able to save her but now I'm going to fall, I wanted to spend longer with her but maybe this is all the time I can have with her.  If so it was a good time.  In those few seconds where my hand slipped I had made peace but then she grabs onto my hand and is able to hold me there.  There she is pulling me up so I try to latch onto the railing again and hold up my dead arm which she pulls and I use the remaining strength in my left until I get back up and drop onto the roof.

I just lay there exhausted physically and mentally.  She lays right next to me probably feeling exactly the same but with a few tears strolling down her face,  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to fall, even though I asked about it earlier.  I'm so sorry!  I didn't want anything bad to happen.!"  Then she started to break into a full cry with tears and sobs.  She apologized because she thinks I think this was set up.  I don't know what came over me but I just started giggling which kept getting worse until I was in a hysterical laugh.  The sobs seemed to stop as she looked over at me with that confused speechless look again, "What's wrong with you!  Aren't you mad?  This is the second time you almost died because of me!  Why are you laughing?"  I try to calm myself and have to wipe my eyes because tears have started from the laughter.  I look at her calmly and speak, "I'm just glad that you're not someone who tries to kill yourself because you look like the kind of person who enjoys life. And that means there was a reason behind you jumping off the bridge.  There was a reason behind that smile."  She starts to sit up so I move with her and the tears seem to have run down her entire face so I move to wipe them off her left cheek.  When I touch her face my hand feels the warmth of her cheek but the tears are cold, as cold as the river I jumped in for her.  She seems to notice something and quickly brushes her eyes and cheeks then heads straight for the stairs.  "Where are you going?"  I shout but she doesn't stop instead she rushes down the stairs so I chase after her.  When I get to the top of the stairs she is already a third of the way down so I rush down as fast as I can trying to catch up with her but she doesn't get any closer.  When I hit the bottom I rush out of the building and spot her running around the corner so I chase after her.  When I turn the corner she is still running and hasn't stopped so I keep running after her.  I shout while running after her but she still doesn't stop not until she gets to the edge of the forest.  "Where are you going?"  I shout again and this time she shouts back a sad look shows on her face,  "I'm late, I have to go home!"  Then she turns and heads into the forest, the forest is off limits to everyone except the community hidden behind it.  Everyone knows not to go there so if she is going there that means she is one of them which is a strange thing because they never come out of the forest.  At least I know why I couldn't find her.

I quickly shout for her again because even though we spent the afternoon together ad I saved her again I don't even know her name.  I need to find out what it is.  "Wait!  I need to know you're name!"....................Nothing.  I get no reply, she's probably already gone but I wait.  A few minutes later I get my reply.  "If you really need to know Jace, it's Evelyn Cinder!"  Then there was silence again,  I now have her name and somehow she already knows mine.  I know now that she's real and not part of my imagination but there's still so many questions I want to ask, so many things I want to know but for now just her name is good enough.

Evelyn Cinder the girl from behind the forest.  The girl I'd dive into the abyss for.

Darkness In The Light

Why do I always see the darkness in the light?  That used to be a question I asked myself all the time.  When a car would go past, everyone would just see it drive on but I saw it swerve out of control, crashing into others on the road flipping over and causing an explosion.  Me seeing something like that was just a daily thing.  I thought I was crazy and so did the people I told about my issue.  I stopped telling people about what I saw for years so they wouldn't see me as some freak but still I saw the darkness in the light.  Every single day I saw death and destruction which never even happened or at least it didn't happen to normal people.

One day I was walking along the street basking in the sunlight, everything was bright without a single cloud in the sky.  There was a small mountain covered with fresh forestry surrounding it.  At the top was a flourishing meadow, a farmhouse and a windmill.  In the sunlight they stood out more than ever, it was an image you would see in landscape calendars.  While I was looking at it there were others on the street also staring up at the mountain.  They all looked out of place but no one else seemed to notice them I was the only one who could see them.  There were five of them; two guys and three girls, each of them were dressed differently but one thing showed they were all together.  A symbol.  The symbol had a black circle at the centre with a white ring outside that and then black triangle spikes surrounding the ring.  It looked like a black sun.  On some part of their clothing that mark was found; some on the back of their jackets, some on their sleeve and one girl had it on the skirt part of her green dress.  Whoever these people were they were not normal and that worried me because in everything I have seen there has never been other people like this.  They were also paired up except for the girl in the dress, she was alone and also the nearest one to me so I started to walk up to her.  That's when it happened again.  I saw the darkness in the light.

Falling from the sky at incredible speeds something collided with the mountain.  The impact was devastating, in an instant the mountain collapsed within itself and everything on it; the meadow, the farmhouse and the windmill was reduced to nothing but ashes.  Every time I saw something happen it was never this bad.  It was always something small like a car or a person.  The worst was a house collapsing, never before have I seen anything like this.  The entire mountain was destroyed and there was a massive ash cloud coming this way.  I started to panic.  The cloud would take 30 more seconds to get to me and I had no idea what would happen as the feeling I have about this issue is unlike the other times.  This feels like it can actually hurt me.  I wanted to run but my legs were frozen to the ground.  I could not move from the spot where I stood.  All I could do was watch.  While watching I saw the black sun group notice the mountain as well.  They saw what I saw, there were others like me.

Each of them started pulling out a blue stick and stabbing it into the ground.  They managed to stab the stick through concrete with ease.  The ash cloud had just about reached me when the blue sticks started to glow and grow causing the ash cloud to recede.  I started to relax and was actually able to move again so I walked to the girl in the dress.  I had to find out what was going on so I asked her, "What just happened?  What are those blue things?  How can you see that mountain be destroyed when other people can't?  Who are you?"  All these questions came out at once, I only wanted to ask what happened but instead I fired out way too many questions.  The girl turned around and she looked to be around my age but the look on her face was utter shock, out of nowhere she slammed her fist into my stomach.  I have been hit quite a few times but this girl can punch harder than most of the people I know.  I stepped back before she decided to take another shot at me and that's when a girl on the other side shouted across to her,  "Jess why did you just punch a norm?  We got to focus here they will show up any minute now!"  I have no idea what she meant but I could see the girl who punched me, I'm guessing her name is Jess, got annoyed by getting shouted at.  "It's not my fault Tia!  He star...."  While she was in the middle of answering something happened.  From the receding cloud there was a clicking sound, like that of a dolphin communicating and that caught all of their attention.  Each of them stared at the cloud where the noise was coming from and then held a red stick this time.  The girl called Tia shouted to them all, "Get ready, they are coming!"  After that the red sticks they held turned into different weapons.  Each had a different type of weapon; one had dual pistols, another had an axe, one had a katana, the girl called Tia had a bow an arrow and Jess had an arrangement of weapons.  She had four throwing knives strapped to her leg, a metal staff on her back, a funny shaped dagger on her waist and in her hands she held two small swords which she put together to make it double ended.  Out of all these people this girl seemed to be the deadliest one.  I had no idea why they would need weapons or even how they got them in the first place.  Whatever was happening here all seemed like a dream to me until I saw what was making the clicking sound.  The cloud had receded enough and now I know why the weapons are needed.

Creatures darker than black walked out.  They were hunched with a shell on their back, their faces were flat with eyes pushed into their head, I don't think I can call them eyes instead they're just blazing red dots.  Drool oozed out of their razor teeth filled mouth, their arms were like a mantis except with sharper blades and a pair of claw hands at the end.  The legs seemed fairly human until they started twisting into a spring shape.  Then theses creatures launched themselves with great speed at the five people standing before them.  The creatures outnumbered these people three-to-one but they could easily handle themselves especially Jess.  The others worked in pairs and were quite skilled together but Jess was alone and she was demolishing the creatures.  I moved back slowly trying to get as far away from this insanity as I could but something blocked me.  I didn't want to take my eyes off the action so I tried feeling what was in my way.  It was like a rubber wall.  I could push it a bit but then it would bounce back.  Nothing like that was there before.  I had to turn from the action to see what it was and then I noticed, I was next to the blue stick Jess stabbed into the ground so whatever was blocking me is something they created like some sort of force field.  I had no where further to go, I was stuck here with these creatures and the group fighting them.  One of the creatures noticed me and started making that funny clicking sound again, that's when every creature still alive looked at me.  The first one came charging at me but Jess ended up killing it with her throwing knife.  The other creatures were too busy with the rest of the group to come after me.

It didn't take long for the group to take out these creatures and that's when Jess turned her attention to me.  Usually a hot girl in a green dress turning her attention to me would be a good thing but this time is not like that.  She is covered in black dust and goo while carrying multiple weapons and is looking at me furiously so that got me afraid.  Rampaging at me she points her blade in my face,  "How can you see this?"  I try giving an answer but the words won't come out.  I stand there mouth open not saying anything and that makes her more agitated.  "Are you trying to annoy me!"  She wasn't asking me a question.  Out of nowhere Tia was standing next to me lowering the blade from my face.  "Calm down Jess.  Can't you see he's frightened.  Any normal who just saw what happened would be."  Tia was able to disarm the tension and make Jess walk away.  Then she turned her attention to me.  "I'm sorry about Jess she can be a bit hot headed but her heart is in the right place."  Not knowing what to say I just nodded in agreement.  Then she carried on.  "So I'm Tia and you just met Jess so what's your name?"  Tia was very different in the way she held herself.  You could tell she was the leader by the way she commanded respect and the others watched her attentively but no one interfered in her calming down Jess or talking to me.  "My name is Dan."  I replied to her question just in case she turns out like Jess.  She seemed pleased I gave a response.  "Well it's nice to meet you Dan.  Now, how can you what just happened?"  Tia may have been asking in a friendlier tone but I had the feeling if I didn't answer her then something bad would happen to me.  "I don't know how.  I've never seen anything this bad before, usually I'll see something happen to a car or a person which no one else can see."  I then pointed to the creatures laying dead on the ground.  "Those things are something I have never seen before.  What are they and who are you?"  My hand was shaking while I pointed to those creatures but Tia didn't give me a reply she just turned and walked off.  She wandered back to the guy she was paired with and started talking to him.

Thinking this was all over with was stupid as I started to hear something.  It was not the clicking of these black creatures instead it was some kind of whistling.  Unlike the last time the others didn't notice this sound.  I asked Jess,  "Can you hear that noise?"  It just seemed to get louder and louder.  I could barely hear myself think.  I shouted to her "Can you hear that?"  She just looked at me confused.  Then they appeared.  Out of the lingering ash cloud they walked out.  An easy eight foot these things stood at but no one saw them.  Jess was looking at the ash cloud and trying to see something but she couldn't see them.  No one could.  They all stood there staring at me like I was crazy.  An excruciating pain started in my head it was as if something was trying to break out of my skull causing me to collapse to the ground and wail out in pain.  Jess ran over to where I lay shouting at me, "Hey get a hold of yourself!"  She then turned and shouted with concern in her voice to the others, "Get over here something is happening to him!"  Then everything went silent.  I could see the others surrounding me, none of them had their weapons anymore.  They were speaking but I could only see their lips moving, not a sound could be heard.  It was an eerie silence surrounding me when I spotted those giant monsters getting closer with what could be seen as a grin on their faces.  It was them who were causing this pain and no one could see or hear them but me.  These monsters were trouble.

These things couldn't be seen as creatures like the black creatures, no these could only be seen as true monsters.  The skin covering these monsters were a dark turquoise colour with splashes of green and black spotted all over them.  Their claws were large enough to crush a bulls skull and looked sharp enough to cut straight through solid rock.  They weren't just tall either, they were built with pure muscles from head to toe.  They had the same kind of head as the black creatures with the added addition of tusks on either side of their jaw and a more human looking face.  There were eight of these monsters all walking this way with the only person able to see them being me.  I tried to point at them and shout for the others to notice but nothing came out of my mouth.  These monsters were almost within touching distance.  It was over.  I was the only one who could see them and I'm laying here on the ground unable to do anything when Jess got her weapons out and started running at these monsters slashing wildly where I pointed.  The others looked on with surprise at what Jess was doing.  Then she hit.  One of the monsters got cut and let loose a high pitched scream letting everyone hear it and then their faces turned to shock.  They could finally see the monsters as well.

While I lay on the ground a battle broke out between these people and the monsters.   Jess however was still a beast fighting two of them at a time, straight after killing the one who squealed.  They seemed to be winning against these monsters until back up arrived and they arrived in force.  They marched out of the ash cloud in groups, five groups in total with six monsters in each group.  These people were barely winning with eight of these monsters but now with thirty they had no chance.  Even with them pairing up they were still outnumbered while Jess didn't even have a partner and there were two groups moving towards her.  The others couldn't get to her as they were bombarded by the other groups.  She was totally alone and helpless.

My head was still splitting with pain but I forced myself to my feet unable to walk straight I crashed into the barrier.  The blue pole Jess stuck into the ground was right in front of me so I bent down to grab it.  "No!"  I could hear Jess' voice behind me screaming with what sounded like panic, "Don't pull that out.  You will die!"  Even with her screaming at me something in my gut told me I had to do this.  It was as if it was calling for me.  So I pulled it out.  "Argh!!!"  It felt like electricity flowing through my entire body from this blue pole.  A slow burning pain moved from my hands to my arms, my neck, my face and then finally my eyes.  "Argh!!!"  I could only scream in pain as this powerful force flowed throughout my body not allowing me to let go of the pole.  My head already ached but now my eyes were burning and I could feel something covering the entire eyeball, then all the pain cleared.  My body felt lighter as if gravity wasn't holding me down anymore.  I took a step forward and I stumbled to the floor twenty feet away from where I stood.  I don't know what happened but I practically teleported or so I thought.  When I picked myself up and took another step I had gone another twenty feet without falling over but I realised I was moving extremely fast not teleporting.  I noticed the blue pole had vanished but whatever that had done, it had changed me.

"Die you filthy monsters!"  Suddenly Jess started shouting and not at me.  I looked over and there she was, surrounded by ten monsters and losing the battle.  Her face was covered in splattered black blood from the monsters she slashed, sliced and cut but still they were too many for her to handle.  "Get the hell away from me!"  With the odds against her she still gave a battle cry and tried to fight on but this just wasn't enough.  She had been cut on the arm, leg and stomach in the few seconds I had watched her.  "If I'm going down...... I will ..take as...many...of....yo..u....wi...th....m......e........"  She had lost.  The monsters surrounded her while she lost consciousness and started falling forward to the ground but the monsters weren't done as they were ready to shred her falling body to pieces.  I ran for her and with this new lightness I was able to catch her and get past the monsters with barely a scratch from them.  I got her as far away as I could then laid her down on a patch of soft green grass.  My hands were stained in her warm crimson blood.  The amount of gashes on her body were insane.  She was bleeding out and fast.

She lay there unconscious on the grass blood covering her entire body, from splatters on her face, to the stained hands holding her weapons, from her sliced legs to the slashed torso.  Even though she is a beast in battle, scary as hell when talking to and now laying here on the verge of death covered in blood I can't help but admire her.  The little smile appearing on her face washes away the warrior in her and truly brings out the beauty in the girl.  The weapons she held start to fade away and the red pole appears again in her hand.  "Creee!"  A loud high pitched shriek comes from behind and starts to get closer.  The red poles can turn into weapons for them so hopefully it would turn into a weapon for me so I grabbed Jess' red pole.  I had the pole in my hand but nothing was happening, there were no weapons appearing.  I shook it but nothing.  I banged it on my hand but nothing.  "Activate!  Turn on!  Transform!  Become a weapon dammit!"  Nothing was working, this pole would not give me a weapon.  The monsters were getting closer and I was near Jess which means she was an easy target for them so with the red pole in hand I took the fight to them.  My new speeds allowed me to get close to the monsters and then move away before they could catch me.  The only problem I had was the fact that I had no weapons while their entire body was a weapon which could mutilate people.  I ran at them hitting them with the pole and then retreating but this didn't seem to do any damage.  All I seemed to accomplish was getting them angry at me.  Well at least they were focused on me and not Jess.  I can't believe I am doing something like this.  I am fighting a group of giant monsters with a small pole because of a girl I just met.  She didn't even like me either.  Whether she liked me or not I was going to fight to protect her from these monsters even if it means I keep going until I beat them to a pulp with this small pole.  "You're using that wrong young man." 

I turn around and there is a guy in his mid forties standing next to me.  He was wearing a tattered kimono, his hair was in a ponytail with a headband on the front, a fuzzy beard and two scars grossing his entire face.  "As I said you're using that wrong.  You're not supposed to hit monsters with it you are supposed to release your power into it letting it form a weapon."  He then grabbed a red pole from within his kimono and released a weapon.  This was a sword standing at about six feet in length, a foot in width and sharp as hell and this guy was swinging it about as if it weighed nothing.  "You see what I just did.  I didn't force a weapon out of it I forged a weapon by releasing my power into the pole.  Now you try it."  This man may seem crazy just appearing out of nowhere but he seems to know his stuff.  I focused on the red pole and tried what he said to release my power into it but nothing happened.  "Nothing happened.  It wont work for me!"  The man just looked at me and laughed.  He was laughing at me in the middle of a battle but when a monster approached him while he was still laughing one swoop of his blade and the monster was defeated.  He didn't even look at the monster. Or even stop laughing.  This guy is the true monster.  He then stopped laughing and moved to where Jess lay.  Lifting his blade in the air he shouted to me, "You would try to protect this girl but can not release any power into that pole.  If I slash this girl now I will kill her but if you are able to focus your power into that red pole you may be able to stop me.  Lets see shall we."  He then switched positions focusing his grip on the blade, if a weak swoop of the blade was enough to kill a ferocious monster, with the amount of focus he was putting into this attack he would cut through Jess completely and probably even the ground. "No. Don't."  His arms started moving down so I started moving to him,  even with the new speed I couldn't become fast enough.  The red pole was in my hand and I was focusing on it but still nothing was happening.  "Stop, please."  I begged him as I ran all the while his blade was getting closer to cutting Jess.  I tried to go faster but I just couldn't,  "Don't do it!"  Then his sword had hit the final part as it reached Jess' lifeless body.

"NO!!"

I erupted, snarling ferociously at this mysterious man and then I was standing over Jess' body looking straight into this man's face.  I thought it was too late, I thought this man had already cut Jess but then I realised I was holding something in my hands.  I'm holding a scythe.

Smiling in front of me this strange man lifted up his blade and slapped me on the back.  "Well done.  I had a feeling threatening Jess would help you.  I noticed your heroics just now.  It's very commendable.  Well done."  He then started clapping his hands in applause.  I had just stopped the blade from killing Jess.  The red pole had transformed for me and become a weapon which I am using to protect Jess from this psychopath who knows a lot about how it works.  I start slashing at him which seems to catch him off guard as if he hadn't expected me to attack him for what he just did.  Even though this was the first time I had ever held a scythe the movements were so natural as if this was a part of me but the psychopath could block each of my attacks with ease.  "Hey now wild one.  I was only trying to get you to unleash your power.  I would never hurt Jess you can ask one of the others."  As he spoke gently trying to calm me down he was only parrying my moves and not attacking back.  "Look at this, it's proof I'm telling the truth."  He then started defending one handed while reaching for his headband and turning it around.  On his headband was the same marking the others wore on their clothing.  This man was telling the truth so I stopped trying to kill him.  This seemed to please him and so he spoke, "Thanks for stopping.  I thought you were trying to kill me."
"I was.  Now tell me who you are, what you are doing here and what the hell is going on?"  He seemed pleased by my reply and then gave me an answer.  "My name is Drake I am part of the same group as these guys.  We deal with things that happen in the shadows before it takes over the light.  The mission I assigned to these guys should have been over but they hadn't called in so I came to check out what was happening.  There shouldn't be one of these Vurls let alone five groups of them either.  I never expected to see this carnage or someone like you."  It seemed as though he is actually on the good side.  "So your with them well that means you can fight these monsters and you also know what they are.  We will save the rest of our chat until we kill these monsters because Jess is bleeding out.  We have to take them down and quick."  He gave me a nod of acknowledgement put his headband back to normal and then said,  "Let's fight then Grim Reaper."

These monsters caused pain so I will cause pain back to them.  My new lightness lets me reach the closest one and with one movement of my arms its head comes off and I move onto the next one.  I have never been the most agile person before but now my movements are so smooth and quick it is unbelievable.  Moving from one position to the next I seem to be too fast for the monsters and so I go after the group who attacked Jess while Drake goes to help the others.  This group had spread out a bit since they attacked Jess and that made them easier targets for me.  With the scythe I aimed for their necks, swirling around one, twisting around another even jumping at one.  I was taking them down quickly which is what needed to be done.  The monsters weren't dumb though as they moved closer together to stop the space I was using to manoeuvre between them.  Unable to get the image of Jess falling from my mind I headed straight for the centre where they gathered up for protection.  Each tried to slash me but I dodged them and lashed out at them.  The scythe as an extension of my arm came slicing down through one monsters entire body and then I tried to cut another one in half but he managed to move and only his arm got cut off.  Crouching down I kept spinning around slicing through a few monsters until I was back to a standing position.  The amount of monsters had decreased drastically but it still wasn't enough as I got caught by one of their claws tearing through my left arm.  "Argh!"  I cried out in pain taking a step back out of the danger zone.  A fire was lit in my skin and muscles burning everything.  I dropped the scythe not realising how heavy it was until now.  This seemed to please that monster especially how it was the one armed monster which meant now both of us were one armed fighters.  I couldn't move my arm without a burning sensation come from the warmth of my blood leaking out of me.  I had to ignore the pain to continue fighting on so with my good arm I picked the scythe up.  It seemed to shrink to become a one handed weapon which helped a lot as that meant I could still fight.

I counted six monsters left of the group that attacked Jess but now it would be harder to fight them as every move I made hurt but I had to ignore it as Jess is laying on the ground on the verge of death and I won't let her die.  I move in and out quickly slashing away at the monsters but not killing them in one attack instead I hit their arms legs or torso's to weaken them.  With this wound on my arm I don't have the force to kill them in one swoop.  Each of the monsters get hit by me except for the one armed one he seems to be moving more cautiously and instead of fighting with just force he seems to be plotting something.  I couldn't mind that though as there were still five healthy monsters around him and they were trying to be quick with their attacks.  Barely able to dodge their slashes I just got a hit in on each of them.  My lips started to go dry as there were some liquid on them and a little had got on my tongue causing that to dry a bit after giving off a rotten salty taste like that of sea bass gone bad.  That is what their blood tasted like and that is what was covering my hands and face.  I went in for another attack but this time I went in with the intention to kill and so I slashed at the neck of two cutting their throats but that was enough to take them down.  Now there's four.

The monsters left seemed to regroup with the one armed monster leading the way but I couldn't give them any room to breathe so I went after them again.  Spinning around to dodge a slash I cut through the chest of one monster causing it to collapse to the ground.  Three left.  Moving swiftly I tried to attack another one but they were ready for me and managed to grab hold of the scythe.  This gave them time to attack me from both directions so I had to let go of the scythe to dodge their attacks.  Collapsing to the ground, claws slashing away above my head only managed to cut a bit of my hair off and nothing else.  Quickly jumping back up I grabbed onto the scythe and kicked off of the monster breaking it's grip and slicing another monster on my way down.  Two left now.  Furious at what they planned I ran head on at the remaining monsters trying to cut at them but they were attacking back.  Neither side could hit each other until I moved for the monster with both it's arms.  I lowered the scythe and slashed upwards jamming it straight into it's stomach and kept going up.  That's when it latched onto me.  Taking it's last breath it chewed down on my shoulder and stayed there until I managed to rip my scythe out of it's body.  Final one now.

My shoulder was dead.  I had the burning sensation in my left arm but now my right shoulder had been bit and after the shock of pain I couldn't feel it.  No pain, no anguish, nothing.  Usually  that would be good but not this time as not only could I not feel my shoulder but my right arm had no feeling in it either.  That bite must of had some kind of poison in it.  That one last bid attack gave the final monster time to attack with it's one arm.  I tried to move quickly but my movements were slow, the lightness in my feet now grew heavier and that meant I couldn't dodge quick enough.  The monster managed to cut my leg but not deep enough to do any real damage.  Then came the next attack which caught my other leg but still no serious damage.  This monster was toying with me for fun.  When it took a step back I could see what looked like a smile on its hideous face.  I wouldn't let it enjoy this so I moved in to attack but my legs wouldn't move properly, whatever he did it had only felt skin deep but instead it has done some real damage and it knows it.  I bark at the monster. "Are you enjoying this you bastard!"  The creepy look on its face said it was enjoying this a lot.  Then came it's reply,  "Gragh!"  All I heard was a shrieking sound but I could tell it was full of whatever kind of pleasure this thing could feel.  Then it pointed to Jess and screeched a mocking yell, "Argh!!"  It was mocking what had happened to Jess.  I tried to move my legs but they still wouldn't move properly and I collapsed to the ground.  Then the monster moved up close and grabbing onto my injured arm he slashed my chest.  "ARGHH!"  I let loose a blood curling cry.  Now a more intense burning passed through my arm and what could only be described as firestorm of pain came throbbing from my chest.  I could feel the blood dripping out but he didn't cut deep enough to kill just maim me.  It then curled it's filthy sandpaper claws around my face and pointed my sight at Jess.  The next moment he let go and went after her.

There lying helpless with injuries worse than my own was Jess.  She was unable to defend herself and now a monster is going after her because of what I did.  If only I hadn't missed when I had my chance she would be fine but now this monster is going to kill her.  All I can do is stay here unable to move watching as he moves closer to her.  No!  I can't just let him go, I have to move even if it kills me.  I move my left arm and grab the scythe.  Excruciating pain passes through my entire body as it moves but I have to ignore it to have any chance of saving Jess.  I make the scythe grow pushing me off of the ground to my feet.  I then start to use the scythe as a walking stick and help move my legs.  I'm able to move but not fast enough.  It's getting closer to her I needed to move faster so I point the scythe to the ground diagonal and make it get even bigger.  It gets big enough to launch me off the ground into the air and make up some of the distance.  I come crashing down onto the concrete causing an electric shock to pass through both legs.  A numb feeling starts in both legs but I have more control over them for now letting me move faster.  Now with more movement in my legs and the boost of the scythe I am able to make up the gap but he is so close to Jess.

He manages to get within touching distance and moves the hair out of her face to get a good look at her and then moves to slash her.  I make one last combination movement which is the largest one so far and I come flying down so close.  I make the scythe smaller again so it works as a small one handed weapon and I see the smile on it's face as it looks at Jess.  This monster is truly enjoying what it's about to do as he brings his claw in to her abdomen.  That is when I come crashing down on it, scythe in hand I hit directly through it's chest and yank back pulling him onto my arm..  His claw misses Jess and hits the grass next to her.  I had stopped the one armed monster from killing Jess.  "Creee!"  I thought I had killed it but it's still alive and now I'm unable to move.  I try to make the scythe change size but it seems I can't do that anymore.  I have no power left.  The weakened monster starts to get up when an arrow splatters through it's head drenching me in it's blood.  The only one with arrows is Tia and it seems as though she had just saved me.  That means Drake has helped the others to kill the rest of the monsters.  It is over.

The monster gets dragged off of me by Drake and one of the others called Luke.  I then move to see if Jess was harmed anymore or not and it seems as though there are no other damages on her even though you probably wouldn't be able to tell by the amount of wounds she already has.  I notice her eyes open slightly and she looks at me.  That little smile of hers stays there and she speaks so faintly, "You should have been killed when you took the pillar but instead you managed to save me when I fell.  Thank you."  It seems as though she wasn't lying about the blue pole, at least my hunch worked out for me.  I tried to think of something smart and witty to say back to her but I couldn't think of anything so I said the first thing that came to me, " I used to see the darkness in the light but now I can see light in the darkness."  This seemed to please her as the little smile seemed to become a full face smile.  All the monster blood in the world couldn't cover the beauty she has when she smiles.  She then closed her eyes again.  Tia and the others immediately grabbed her and pulled their blue posts out of the ground then they were gone.  Drake helped me to my feet and turned me to the ash cloud.  It had now receded completely and the mountain was going back to normal.  The monsters were also turning into ash and disappearing.  Drake perked up and asked,  "Do you want to join us Dan?  We stop these creatures and accidents from actually effecting those who don't see into the shadows.  If our group weren't here then destruction would be all you saw in this world but we make sure that doesn't happen and you would make a good addition to the group.  Dan, The Grim Reaper.  Haha."  He smiled as he called me 'The Grim Reaper', "You could also be Jess' first official partner as no one has been able to keep up with a beast like her but after what you showed today I think you two would make a great team.  So, what do you say Dan?"  He then held his hand out for me to shake.  Fighting monsters on a regular basis is something I never thought I would ever want to do but after today I've learnt that I am not crazy and there are others like me who can see the darkness in the light.  I shake his hand.  "I'm in!"  He smiled and then pulled out a blue pole from his kimono and then we were gone.



I used to see the darkness in the light but now I can see the light in the darkness.

Into The Abyss

When someone says 'I am brave' they are just empty words with nothing to back it up.  I tried to be brave but there is a fine line between being brave and being stupid.  I said to myself that I was being brave but everyone around me has told me I was being stupid, they all said there was no one there but I know what I saw.  The reason why I'm here lying in a hospital bed next to these annoying, beeping machines is not because of some stupid stunt I did.  It's because I was being brave.

On that bridge there was a girl and she jumped!  I can remember it, I can remember her face when she turned to smile at me before taking the plunge over the edge.  Everything seemed to stop; the cars driving, the wind blowing, the birds flying and my heart beating.  I don't know why she did it but I couldn't let her die, that is one thing I knew as soon as I saw her.  I had to get to her, that meant I had to cross the road and fast so I started to run.  Now that I was on the move so were the cars and I had to dodge them, a few started angrily honking their horns at me and one nearly clipped my leg but I managed to make it across unharmed.  This is where she jumped off, I looked over and there in the river flailing around was her struggling to keep afloat.  She was going to drown.  I couldn't let that happen so I stopped standing there watching, ripped off my jacket forgetting about the chilly winter breeze and jumped in after her.

The air was cold yet it felt like my entire face was burning as I dived off the bridge heading for the deep dark rushing river below.  When I hit the icy water it felt like I was smashing through a solid brick wall, my entire body started to sting from the impact then the cold hit me but I had to ignore the pain as she was in trouble.  Forcing my way through the frosty river I almost got dragged down by it's current a few times but I kept swimming.  I kept swimming for her.  Dotted throughout the river there were rocks protruding above the surface just enough to get a good grip on and I had to grab one to be able to look for her.  She could have already drown but I couldn't give up.  I had to be brave.  I had to find her.

After a quick glance around I saw her getting dragged by the river to the 'Rocky End' as we call it where the rocks in the river are mostly spiked and all near each other.  If she got dragged into there she would end up being shred to pieces so I had to hurry.  I used the rock to propel me towards her and with the river flowing I got good speed, I was getting closer to her.  The closer I got the more rocks started popping up and I had a tough time dodging them all as I knocked into some but not enough to do any serious damage.  Then I was close to her so I pushed myself a bit harder just enough to be able to grab her.  I gripped onto her wrist and pulled her up, I went under for a few seconds but bobbed back up and this time she was with me.  I never let go of her wrist and I never spoke to her I just swam while holding her.

When we started to get close to the river bank I got swept by the current and knocked into one of the sharp rocks.  I could feel it piercing and then slicing into my thigh, instinctively I cried out in pain but still held her wrist.  I would not let go.  With the pain in my leg I had to force myself to make it up onto the river bank and drag her with me but finally, I made it!  She was out of the water and when I looked at her she lay there smiling and at first I thought she was dead but when her chest started to move my worries disappeared.  I got her, thankfully she didn't die.  That's when the cold took hold.

My chest was feeling more constricted, breathing started to slow down, my body was shivering uncontrollable and my head started to spin.  She must of been feeling exactly what I was maybe even worse but when she stood up and started walking she showed no signs of what I was feeling.  The pain in my leg started to increase and I could feel a slight warmth come from my thigh and start rolling down the rest of my frosty water soaked leg.  I started to forget what I was doing there, why was I in pain and who was the girl in front of me.  My heartbeat started to slow down.  My knees gave out and I collapsed to the ground.  When I tried to move my hand to give me some support it wouldn't do what I wanted it to do instead it reached for the sky above instead of the ground below.  Then my vision started fading; the river disappeared, the sky disappeared, everything disappeared.  The last thing I saw was the girl I forgot about and she spoke to me "Thank you for coming after me.  I hope you survive after what you just did."   My body stopped shivering then I couldn't see, hear or feel any more.

I woke up in the hospital after that where I was lying in some plain grey room hooked up to machines doing who knows what with no idea what I was doing there.  I tried to move at first but that caused a pain in my leg and I remembered the cut I got from that rock.  That's when everything came flooding back and I could remember why I was here.  She was the reason why I was here.  Then they started flooding in: family, friends and doctors.  Each of them wanted to know why I jumped into the river but when I told them the story not one of them believed me.

First to have a go was my mother, "Jace why did you do something so stupid! Jumping into the river like that.  You could have died!  Don't you care about what could have happened to you!"  Next it was my friends, "Dude you have to be out of your mind, there was no girl.  Jumping off the bridge for no reason.  Your lucky we were fishing down the river or you would be dead!"  Then last was the doctor,  "You are lucky to be alive young man.  What with the injury you sustained on your thigh and that serious case of hypothermia.  You should be thankful for your friends who found you and called the paramedics.  If you got here ten minutes later there may not be anything we could of done for you.  It was a very stupid thing to do."  I tried to ask about the girl but they all thought I was delirious and stupid.

They say there was no girl near where I was found or any girls admitted with hypothermia like they said I had.  My act of bravery to save that girl had turned into an act of stupidity by this group of people.  They can say what they want but I will not believe them.  When I close my eyes I can see her face.  Even in the face of death she could smile with such beauty and joy that I would follow her into the abyss.  The eyes I saw were an impossible, hypnotizing, luminescent green which could steal your soul.  Her skin even drenched in freezing water showed a warmth and complexion that could compare to a goddess.  Her hair shone like the first ray of sunshine at sunrise and every time I close my eyes that is what I see of her.  When it's all quiet I can sometimes hear the words she spoke, her voice is soft and beautiful like a welcoming angel.  They all may want me to forget her but no matter what, I can not do that.  I will not do that!

********************************************************

It's been three months since that incident occurred and now I can finally walk without a limp as my leg is fully healed.  People still say I am stupid for what I did, no one believes what I saw, well why would they when she was not there when I was found.  Sometimes I start to think I may have been seeing things but then I close my eyes, remember her and I keep my belief.  Today I finished my last session with a shrink which I was forced to attend by the police as they thought I was trying to commit suicide.  Thankfully I won't have to see the shrink anymore because some days he would believe my story then on other occasions he would say it was all a figment of my imagination.  He was the crazy one not me.  To get to the shrinks office I had to go into the city, I don't live in the city I live in a small village just past the city limits.  The bridge that girl jumped off of is the crossing out of the city and into a stretch of road leading to where I live.  After having my final session with the shrink instead of going straight home I take a stroll to the one place in the city where you see all.  I found this place one day after I got bored and just stumbled upon it.

After going through all the city; past the skyscrapers, around the traffic, under the railway and through the Main Street.  That brought me to the place where I want to be, all I got to do now is climb.  There's a mountain of steps to climb until you get to the top but when you get there it is well worth it.  I stand at the top slightly out of breath looking across the horizon and the view is astounding.  I'm standing on an old unused building which the only reason it is still here is because of it's historic value to this place but at the top you can see another reason why it should stay.  I can see the entire city from here.  From the shopping district to the apartment blocks.  From the giant skyscrapers to the tiny bars.  I can even see the bridge at the end of the city.  This place is my piece of refuge.  I take a seat and dangle my legs over the edge, there's a handrail low enough to rest and lean my arms on.  As I look down I can see people going about their daily lives, doing shopping, going to work, walking the dogs, playing with their children and much more.  I can see a group of people heading for a lecture hall at the university and I notice one person there.  The person they all said doesn't exist.  The person I risked my life to save.  She is there and she is real.

The same steps I climbed up seemed to be much less as I flew down them.  This may be the only chance I get to see her so I run as fast as I can not letting the steps get in my way.  I make it down to the street and head for the lecture hall.  Everything around me is slowed down and all I can focus on is that one building.  Obstacles be damned, anything that got in my way I got around and that includes people, animals, vehicles and buildings.  Nothing would stop me from getting to her.  A pain in my leg started but I had to ignore it, it seemed my leg isn't fully healed, to force myself to get to her.  When the lecture hall was in front of me everything returned to normal except my heartbeat.  I could feel it beating out of my throat, it was so strong if someone got close to me they would probably hear it.  Then I walked in.

In the hall there were students everywhere some who I knew gave me a greeting while there were a lot who I did not know.  The only ones that mattered to me were that group who walked in because she is with them.  I quickly searched around for them.  After a few minutes of searching I noticed them about to walk into a lecture.  I raced over to them and watched as they went in, I noticed one girl and so I got closer for a better look but when she looked at me I could tell it was not her.  That girl held a resemblance to her but in the end she is not the one.  I guess I saw wrong after being so high up.  Now I didn't care about any obstacles and knocked into anything on my way out.  Some people got angry by this but just give a growl and carried on.  When I got to the entrance I glanced back to take one last look, just to make sure she was not there.  Amongst all the people there I could not find her.

If I think back to what I remember at the end, that girl was absolutely fine after almost drowning in the freezing water.  After saving her I immediately felt the cold but she seemed unaffected by it even though she was in the water longer than me but that is impossible.  Maybe I was imagining things, maybe I want her to be real so badly I created her image in my mind.  Perhaps what I thought was me being brave and diving into the river to save a girl was just me being stupid and jumping over the edge.  Everything that people have said came crashing down on me, I was barely able to stand under the weight of what I just thought so with my head to the ground I turned to the door to head out.

Walking out of that hall I can't describe the feeling of my mind collapsing in.  It's as if a blanket of darkness had been wrapped around me and then hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer.  It doesn't feel too good.  With the way I feel the sun seems even brighter than what it was and so I look up but there standing before me is the one I followed into the abyss with that exact same alluring smile.  She is real.  She speaks with her angelic voice.

"So you survived then."

Part 2 Link



The Dragon Ellis

Her eyes, as fierce as a knight's sword,

Her smile, as dangerous as a dragon's flame,

Her voice, as piercing as a poisoned arrow,

Her touch, as cold as liquid nitrogen.

Her stare can crush your soul,

Her breath burns the sky above,

Her laugh is as wicked as the witch of the west,

Her reach extends through the air.

Her den is more dangerous than a hungry lion's pit,

Her body count outnumbers that of World War 1,

Her wrath brings more destruction than the apocalypse,

Her Heaven is everyone else’s Hell.

 

Dawning Metropolis Part 2

The first few soldiers came charging into the hall not able to see as the dust still covered the place and that gave me the advantage so I used it, pouncing over the table I entered the dust cloud. My eyes started to sting a bit from the dust but nothing to bad, my vision was clouded so all I could see was smoky grey everywhere. I move quickly, I don't want to waste my advantage, getting to the first soldier before he can even hear me I slash his thighs with one blade causing his legs to collapse. Before he reaches the ground I slash his throat ending his life and now onto the next one. This one is more cautious than the first but nonetheless he still goes down in front of me and I keep using the cloud to cover my attacks as one by one they go down until it clears and then it's equal grounds for us. When the cloud clears I see eight of them on the ground and a lot more coming through the hole in front; my heartbeat is racing, I'm grinning with a passion and pure ecstasy flowing throughout me. I was enjoying the bloodshed.

Aiden came into the fight with two shots in rapid succession and soon followed Emilia and the brute, Aiden took down three guys with two shots, now that's how you fire a gun, Emilia had perfect aim so each shot hit someone while the brute did not have good aim at all. I can't just stand around waiting for them to come to me so I run into their path and take the fight to them by cutting and slashing whoever I get near and I sometimes have to avoid a bullet or two from behind. I'm sure Aiden shoots a bullet or two my way for his enjoyment. I danced around with katana in hand creating deep slashes into everyone who I got near, blood splattered all around with death following. I made sure to take each soldier around me down but even with me at the forefront and the others gunning them down from behind there was too many of them so I had to fall back and that meant the soldiers now could gain some ground. I took cover behind the table wiping the blades and putting the katana back into their sheath’s because it's time to have a go with the pistols.

A shot rang straight past my head and blood fell on me, I took too long behind cover and now Aiden saved me, he wont let this one go for a while. Though it was only a minute I took cover, that time was too long so I raised my pistols and started firing, this time with lethal bullets, soldiers surrounded the place each holding automatic rifles and trained with good aim but I managed to evade them. I leaped out of the sight of one soldier and into the sights of another that was until another soldier shot at me and ended up shooting his comrade. Bullets were going everywhere with soldiers trying to shoot the guys upstairs yet they started to become less down here maybe shooting each other didn't appeal to them any more, well that's fine by me I don't mind shooting them. I kept shooting soldiers some got hit in the head, some got hit in the chest and the lucky ones got maybe their arms or legs hit however my magazines were running out and with the amount of soldiers around me I wont be able to reload quick enough. “AHHHH!” An eruptive roar came from above and then next thing the brute jumped down to stand right next to me with a pistol and knife in hand which I must say seemed too small for him. The next thing he does is run away so I shout after him “Hey! Where are you going?” There was silence, he either couldn't hear me or he was ignoring me no matter what it is, it doesn't help. In fact the only thing it causes is a few enemy soldiers laughing so I shoot them down, one bullet one down, second bullet another down, third bullet and the final one is down. Taking those three down has left me with one bullet so I make it count by pointing up in the air and shooting the chandelier's chain, I'm sure it was very expensive but it took out three guys.

I have to holster the pistols and take the katana back out, just as I get ready to cut them up the brute comes back but this time his pistol is in it's holster and he's holding a giant modernized double headed battle axe which is the size of him. “Damn Brutus! Are you sure you can use that thing?” He could hear the doubt in my voice as I spoke so he gave me a demonstration by swinging it with ease and taking a huge chunk out of the wall, well that answered my question. “Who are you calling Brutus? My name is Aubrey.” I was not expecting that and even in the middle of a battle I started laughing and not to intimidate people but because of how funny it was. This guy is a human tank, he wears a suit with no sleeves because they can't fit, his muscles are trying to rip through the rest of it, he is over six foot tall and he's called Aubrey. I may have hurt his feelings with how much I laughed so I put on my serious face for him with a bit of difficulty though. “I'm gonna call you Brutus from now on as it suits you better.” He didn't reply instead it looked like he was taking his anger out on the soldiers so I followed him.

Slashing and stabbing my way against them felt so good because it gave me a rush I could only feel from getting close and feeling the blade go through them. I danced around trying to take out as many of them as I could and that's when I could see the soldiers had made it onto the stairs but not to the top yet. Emilia was holding off one end and Aiden the other. I looked to Emilia to see how she was doing but when she saw me her face changed from that of concern to that of fear, the kind of fear when you believe you've seen the devil, that must be what I look like to her as I'm covered in blood and smiling while killing with ease. Aiden has seen me fight before and knows what I'm like but Emilia is truly shocked by what she has seen but for the moment that is fine by me for if I have to become the devil to protect Emilia then so be it.

I turn around to face a soldier and without hesitation cut him down and then the next one and the next one and the next one. I keep cutting through soldiers until I have to wipe the blood off of my face. This caused the soldiers to get more cautious around me, some even ran out. I could see the amount of soldiers dwindling with just the four of us fighting but that's when another fifteen soldiers came charging in. Now these guys didn't look like the rest of them; their uniform was different, the weapons were customized and they strolled into the chaos without a care. Out of nowhere the other soldiers seemed to get a second burst of energy all from the entry of these new guys, I don't like this. I attack the normal soldiers and it takes more of an effort to kill them than before but they still end up dead under my blade.

Moving throughout the hall I clash with a new soldier and he blocks my katana with his rifle, that's something the others have not been able to do, then another of the new guys comes in from the side and hits me in the gut with a pair of brass knuckles. These two double teamed me and ended up winding me in the process so I take a few steps back to regain my breadth but it doesn't happen like that as they are straight on me not giving me a second to rest. I have to fight. I try to slash them but my moves are slow and they easily dodge it, the guy with the knuckle dusters tries to hit me again but I can dodge him but then that leads me into the other guy who using his rifle as a club hits me on the arm exactly where Aiden shot me. I have been able to forget about that wound so far but now my arm starts to go numb and my hand starts to lose it's grip on one of the katana. That's when Brutus comes in to save my ass by taking out the guy with the gun and then scares the other further away. “What are you doing letting these guys force you back! Get your head together!” I can't believe I'm being lectured by a guy named Aubrey, I must be doing bad well that's going to change. Instead of replying with words I grip my katana firm ignoring the searing pain in my arm and charge at the soldiers.

The soldiers seem to have got up the stairs with the help of the new guys as Aiden and Emilia are fighting at the top, Emilia starts fighting in hand-to-hand combat and she is good, every soldier who gets near her ends up broken, there's a pile building up in front of her but I can't watch them as down here the soldiers seem to be regrouping so I head straight towards them. Slashing the first few made them separate so now I have more room to attack and that I do. I'm back to dancing around cutting and slashing and that joy I get from it, behind me Brutus is destroying anyone who comes near him with his giant battle axe. Upstairs I glimpse Aiden forcing the soldiers down while three new soldiers lay at his feet, as always he can handle himself, on the other side Emilia is starting to have trouble as there are more soldiers there. She fights against the normal soldiers and is able to beat them but slowly climbing up the stairs are two of the new soldiers and one of them from what I've seen of him seems like one of their leaders. While attacking the soldiers I try to keep an eye on Emilia but when I get surrounded I have to look away to make sure I don't get hit so as quick as I can, I cut through them when all of a sudden a painful wail comes from above. I look up and Emilia has been stabbed by the leader looking soldier, the pit of my stomach drops like a sink hole. “No! Emi!” As soon as I saw it I called out on reaction not realising what I just said until she glared at me, with a knife stabbed in her she was more furious at me than the guy who stabbed her. She does not like to be called Emi. Ignoring the soldiers around me I run up to Emilia, I had to cut soldiers on the stairs to get to her when one of the new soldiers got in my way. I couldn't take long fighting him as Emilia was still against the leader so I dropped low and cut his shins, then as I stood up I kept cutting his legs before he could even get an aim on me and still kept cutting until I reached his throat to make sure he wouldn't fight back.

I now reached the top of the stairs and the leader had just pulled the knife out of Emilia and then stabbed her again in the same spot but this time left it there and knocked her to the ground but not before she stabbed him back in the shoulder. Fury started to bubble in me and it's all aimed at this one guy. I try attacking with both katana but he blocks it with another knife he has but this is more of a machete than a knife, next attack I use them both again and he still blocks it. Even with a knife in his shoulder he can block me. This guy is seriously pissing me off. Dropping one katana and holding the other with two hands I move to a more traditional style of kenjutsu, it takes a lot of pressure off my injured arm and I can cause a lot more damage. Now I haven't used this style in many years but that doesn't mean I'm rusty, especially against a guy who just stabbed Emilia. Focusing my mind and strength into one attack, I slice down diagonally aiming to cut him in half. He raises his machete to block this but that won't help him as my hit shatters his machete and then goes straight through the top half of his body. I have to yank my blade out of him and then he drops to the ground. Brutus comes up behind me and blocks this side of the stairs while Aiden moves closer to us while holding off the other side. I drop my katana and kneel next to Emilia.

The stab wound is deep and blood covers her stomach, I grab her hand and look at her. Her face has started to turn pale from the blood loss and I squeeze her hand a bit too tight as she gives off a little yelp. Looking at me she says, “You're the first person to call me Emi in many years, actually the last time someone called me Emi was when you left.” She starts wheezing a bit after she speaks. “You know I don't like being called Emi so why do you keep doing it?” With the state she's in the fact she is only concerned by what I'm calling her shows to me just how tough she is and I can't help but laugh at her and that seems to make her smile. A burning sensation starts in my eyes and then streaks of warmth fall down my face. I'm crying. I haven't cried in so many years I forgot I was even capable of it. I lean in closer to Emilia and give her a reply, “I like calling you Emi because I know it gets you riled and it's something unique only I call you.” This made her smile and give as good of a giggle as she can. When she speaks she is quieter than usual, “That still doesn't make me like being called Emi but I'm glad you came back. I just wish we had more time to catch up.”  Those were words of someone who has given up and I can't let her do that. “Hey Emi, you remember in college you started designing t-shirts, well there was one that I helped with. Do you remember what that was?” She looks at me with eyes so soft and gives a little nod of the head to say yes. “So you remember it said 'It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!' Well I don't hear the fat lady so it's not over. You hear me! It's not over yet!” I was gripping at straws to keep her from giving up. She speaks again just as quiet, “Finding out you're alive made me happy so make sure..” her speech starts slowing down, “you tell the oth..ers a..bo..ut y.....” Her eyes closed and she didn't finish speaking.

I quickly try finding a pulse and there is one but it's very weak. She can't die, I can't let her die. While her heartbeat slows down mine seems to speed up. I shout, “Aiden! Get over here now!” I hear the sound of bullets being fired repeatedly get louder until Aiden stands above me. I look up at him and his face is blurred, it seems as though the tears are flowing harder and faster. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out. He is speechless. “Aiden please tell me there is a medical facility in this place. A place this big has to have one.” I am begging him to give me the answer I want. He does. “There is one here but the only way to get there is by going through the hall.” At least there's a way. “Aiden you carry her. Me and Brutus will clear your way.” I let go of Emi's hand and Aiden kneels to lift her up into his arms. He looks at her with sorrow and worry, she may not make it and he knows it. I wipe my face and reach for my Katana. “Brutus we gotta clear the way so destroy everyone you can!” He smiles and starts swiping soldiers away. Emi saw what she thought was the devil earlier but that was nothing. I have never felt so much anger, rage and fury before so now I will show them the true face of the devil and not one of them will get out of here alive.

Brutus takes the one side so I go for the other end which Aiden was covering. A soldier had made it to the top of the stairs, wrong move, I cut him down and move to the next soldier this one was a new soldier but his customized weapon can't save him from me as I slice right through him and move on. There's two new soldiers standing by the hall's door if they stay there Aiden can't get Emi through so I jump over the side of the stairs and stab them both in the spine causing them to drop. On Brutus' side he demolishes everything in his path and that includes the walls but at least he is making space. I keep the doorway guarded making sure no one comes near until Brutus makes the last step and we team up. We push the soldiers back just enough to let Aiden through. I grab Brutus by the collar and bring him in close, “Go with them and protect Emilia at all cost. You understand?” He nodded in agreement. I was so close to him I could see my reflection in his eyes, what I saw even frightened me so I let go and off he goes behind Aiden.

Now it's just me and them. The few soldiers left include a handful of normal soldiers and four new soldiers, not one of them will leave hear alive. My mind is rushing out of control and after what just happened, there is no way I can continue like this. Forgetting my training I start fighting wildly like a beast and unleash hell upon them. Twisting and turning, even running onto some of them, I just keep slashing them even if they are dead standing. I don't stop until they lay on the floor. One soldier starts to run away from me and ends up hitting a new soldier, there's no mercy for cowards in his eyes as he snaps the soldiers neck. I run at him waving blades in the air trying to take a piece of his flesh but each slash he dodges, he even laughs at me. This guy thinks he's so good but doesn't realise that he's backing himself up into the wall. The look on his face is priceless when he hits the wall, his entire body starts to shake, sweat drips down his face and his breathing becomes more rapid. This is the reaction when someone is scared. Good. Let fear be the last thing he experiences as I take off his head. That's a message to all soldiers watching.

The rest of the soldiers have regrouped near the entrance, they stay close together in a tight formation. It seems as though they think this can save them. Well they are wrong and I'm going to let them know it. “Not one of you will leave here alive!” Some nervously giggle and some keep silent but all have the look of fear painted onto their faces. In the back there is the new soldier with the brass knuckles, he has all the other soldiers in a formation which keeps him safe. Well not for long. He shouts out to everyone, “Shoot him!” That's when they open fire and I'm out in the open with no cover. I try to deflect as many bullets as I can but there's just too many so while I run for the table I get hit twice, once in the leg and then in the arm again. There has to be a bullet magnet for this arm because I keep getting hit in it. Once I'm in cover the bullets still keep coming but for the moment I'm protected and I have some time to recover. I unholster the pistols and change the magazines so now they're loaded. When the bullets start slowing down that means some are reloading and that is my chance. I quickly throw one of my katana at the soldiers and it skewers two of them then I throw the other one and it hits but this time it only catches one person. With this distraction I have enough time to get out from behind the table and start shooting. This way the soldiers go down quicker and easier, instead of staying at a distance I run up close and jump into their formation. Surrounded by them I start taking them apart, I hit someone across the head causing them to fall and give way to the person behind which I shoot. One by one they start falling whether I'm shooting them, fighting them or grabbing the blade out of dead bodies and stabbing them each of them falls until the only one left is the one with the knuckle dusters but he's fled outside.

The sun is shining brightly on the front garden which is now covered in empty trucks once filled with soldiers. When I sneaked in here all I could smell was the grass and the flowers but now there's a stink of oil, smoke and blood covering that sweet smell up. A lot of that is coming from me. The escapee heads for the furthest truck and starts it, he even manages to turn it around but that's all he gets to do. I shoot out both tires causing him to lose control and spin off on the grass so instead he bails on the truck and tries to escape on foot. I shoot at him but nothing comes out, both pistols are empty, so I chase him. I try running after him but my leg won't listen so I hobble after him instead. He turns around to see how far away I am and he smiles, he notices the distance between us is too big for me to catch up to him with my leg. I don't like that look of his so I launch one of the pistols at him, it misses him by a few inches and he starts laughing at me, now this pisses me off more so I launch the other pistol but this time it hits, it hits right in his annoying face. He goes down and this gives me time to catch up to him so I take my belt and belt up my leg to give me more control over it, now I can move with a bit more speed. As I get closer he awkwardly gets to his feet and stands in a bit of a daze but seeing me makes him try to run away except he can't, his head may be spinning as he moves from side to side instead of forward. That gives me enough time to catch him, when I get close I punch him straight in the gut like he did to me, now we were even, then I move onto his head but my punch misses as he turns, he still has the knuckle dusters in his hands and he uses them. His first counter hits me in the ribs and the next in the kidneys, he has quick hits with added power, the pain is burning but I won't go down with just this so I counter him by grabbing his arm and twisting and hooking it into an arm lock. The screech he lets loose is painful in itself but that won't make me let go so I keep holding and put more pressure on his shoulder joint. He tries punching me to get out of it but he just doesn't have the reach so I give it one more pull.

CRACK.

“ARGH!!” I just snapped his arm. He screams out in anguish then bites his lip and you can see blood coming from his mouth showing how hard he bit down. Tears start flowing down his face and I let go. He quickly grabs his arm and feels the break, he can feel it's been snapped in half yet he still tries to fight. With his other arm he tries to hit me but with the way he is at the moment he doesn't have enough strength to fight properly, I'll praise him for trying but I won't show any mercy. The next hit he throws I grab his wrist, pull him closer and hit him in the face with my elbow knocking him back however I don't let go of his wrist, no instead I break it. Now he has no fight left in him and it's time to end it. I grab his head and twist. When the crack comes he collapses and finally the last of the soldiers are dead. I warned them that none will survive.

Now it's finally over I stop and puke up my guts. I may become the devil when I fight but afterwards I can see the carnage I have caused and it sickens me. The amount of blood spilled here just adds onto the overflowing amount I already have on my name and if there is a hell I know I'm going there because no matter the excuses I make that I fight for the good, killing is still killing. I start walking back to the house and I collapse. My leg has given out on me and now that I've stopped fighting I can feel a lot of pain, burning coming from my leg, a cramping tightness in my chest, a throbbing sensation in my face and a mix of stinging and burning in my arm but for now I can handle this as it is all dulled down a bit but that won't last long. I try to stand but all I can muster is a hunchback crouch, that will do, so I drag myself inside. When I get there the sight before me is horrifying, dead bodies are everywhere and most of them are because of me, I can only see one part of the floor as the rest is either covered by stone, glass, blood or body. A ball of fire starts in my stomach and tries to make it's way to my throat but I swallow it down and it stays there right in the pit of my stomach. I feel sick to the core. I try getting around the bodies without disturbing any of them but I keep knocking into some as my leg drags along the floor. Eventually I make it to the doors which Aiden took Emi through. I turn around to take one more look at what I have done and I feel that no matter how I justify doing this much damage it won't matter but I know I would do the same thing over again if it meant protecting my friends, then I head through the doors.

After navigating through the huge hallway I eventually end up in the medical bay of this place and Aiden is sitting in a chair next to machines beeping in rhythm. That rhythm comes from Emi as there she lay covered in wires and tubes connected to different machines and drips, she looks like she's just fallen to sleep and not like she just got stabbed. That's good. I manage to drag myself further into the room but that's as far as I can go as my body gives up, the pain starts rushing in and I fall. Aiden quickly comes rushing and just catches me before I hit the ground, my sight starts going hazy, I look up at him and can see his lips move but I can't hear any words actually I can't hear anything except for the beeping and a heartbeat. The beeping keeps steady but the heartbeat is slowing down so I point to Emi and Aiden says something again but I can't make out what so I just keep pointing to her and he helps me over. I'm next to her bed now and can see that she has colour in her face and is breathing on her own, the stab wound is bandaged up aswell. She is safe and alive thankfully. That's when the beeping stopped, I turned to the machine and from what little I could see it worked but the heartbeat I could hear started to slow down, I couldn't feel any pain, I couldn't feel anything. My vision started going when I saw the TV and on it was the fat lady singing. Then everything went to black.