CHAPTER 3
Hayden lied there studying the dancing blades of grass beside him. Blood soaked his shirt from the wound on his neck.
Slowly, dark circles engulfed the weak grass and his eyes began to close. Hayden fought to save his consciousness against the raw sensations of pain growing from his open wounds. His body was gradually surrendering to the damage done.
Landing a few feet away, the creature landed with a snarl. The monster prowled the grass as it moved towards Hayden – the inn flickering in the background.
There was a shooting pain against his right shoulder as he tried to look at the monster. He turned to examine himself. His blade had pierced him in the fall.
The monster's shadow thickened on Hayden's chest and face as it drew steadily closer. Its tongue hung to the side and saliva dripped from his open jaw.
The creature limped due to the wound Hayden had inflicted on it earlier – the same strange ooze bleeding from it.
Hayden could feel its breath smothering him. His weak state paralyzed him and he was unable to react. The creature placed Hayden's head between its massive jaws.
Hayden lay lifeless, his eyes clouding over. His shoulder slid further over his blade – his flesh ripping against the sword.
Suddenly, without any realization by Hayden, a white mist fell in. The beast snarled when the clouds covered its feet. It decided to let go of Hayden and focus on the strange, curling mist.
The echo of a unique cry could be heard. A bellowing sound that was miserably sad and empty. It sounded as if the creator was searching for something lost.
The beast whimpered and hid the sharp end of its tail under its belly. The mist thickened. The creature left with a giant leap, leaving Hayden to die alone.
The clouds gathered around Hayden. Against the white shadows, was a single flame rocking back and forth. Hayden watched numbly from a distance as his mind left him stranded. The mesmerizing pattern took over Hayden's remaining senses. The flame grew as it approached him.
Now Hayden lay in complete seclusion created by the mist. Had he died? Is that why the creature had left? He watched the only sign of life besides him hoping it would not disappear. Had he died? Is that why the creature had left? There was no sound of footsteps but still the form undoubtedly came closer.
Suddenly the silhouette came into focus. It was tall and slouched. It continued moaning and rocked its head slowly side to side as it did so.
It was the most depressing creature Hayden had ever encountered. It stopped at Hayden's side and cried once more before falling silent. Hayden, teetering on the borderline of consciousness, couldn't distinguish the figure at all. It brought the feeble flame closer to Hayden by slowly stretching its long, thin arm.
The flame suddenly lit brightly and overpowered the mist around Hayden and blocked out the figure behind it. Hayden clenched his eyes shut by the will of the flame.
Hayden felt a cold hand reach around his throat. The fingers were abnormally long and stretched completely around his neck, and into his wound.
When Hayden opened his eyes he could not believe what he saw. The creature was horrific. His mouth was as if it had once been sewn shut but it had been pried open. His eyes drooped and were dark like charcoal. Its skin was white and pasty.
Suddenly, a flash of memories blinded him. He saw a sad young boy standing against iron bars. That image transformed into the boy waiting in a tall building against a frosted window. The next was the boy being beaten severely by an old man with a leather strap. Then a new man stood over him and Hayden smelt the strong smell of oil. Hayden suppressed the haunting visions as hard as his weakened mind could let him. Hayden then saw things he did not recognize. There was a woman and a baby – she was gorgeous and held the child close to her body. Suddenly, the baby was crying in its bed. The face of a man dressed in black flashed in his mind. A woman lay on the floor covered in blood. He saw the baby dropping from the sky – and suddenly… darkness.