Beast
one
I woke instantly feeling a massive headache and dried blood sticking onto my face. My hands were on the driving wheel and my forehead lye against them. I tried sitting up but was met with an intense sharp pain that made me hiss.
I thought back to how I even got in this mess. I remembered yelling at him, I told him I didn't need him anymore-and I remembered his devastated expression. I left him and was supposed to be driving to Alabama to stay with my Aunt, but got caught in this horrible fog that completely blinded my surroundings.
That's right! There was a young boy, whose face I couldn't see, standing in the street and I swerved the car. I wondered if he was okay. Clenching my teeth and baring with the searing pain in my head, I sat up, and swiftly opened the car door.
I stepped out into the remaining foggy area, the road was no longer asphalt but red dirt. I searched around the car, hoping I didn't hit him, looking for any signs of blood. There wasn't any and the boy was nowhere to be seen. My car was wrecked, so I began walking down the dirt path hoping there was a town near by.
It was a lot closer than expected, and it seemed utterly abandoned. There were greyish white dots falling from the sky, I thought it was snow, but when I looked closer it was actually ash. Something was burning, yet there was no fire visible.
The town was rather traditional looking, something you'd see in an old western movie crossed with the early 70's. The buildings were aligned and parallel to the buildings across from each other, forming a perfect street for cars and pedestrians.
It was odd how silent it was. Other than the swish of the ash falling from the clouded sky, I heard no other voices, or human activities. Was this a ghost town? I saw a stairway that seemed to descend into an unknown building. I went up to it, staring down into the sea of pitch black. That's when it came to my mind, I was not alone the boy was here. He must've been so afraid.
So I made it my mission to find him and get out of this strange place. He could be anywhere though, but I had to start somewhere. I descended the stairs, and as I continued into the vast darkness a loud, powerful siren rang throughout the town.
I didn't notice the sky becoming darker, I didn't notice that the darkness I was approaching was slivering its dark tendrils amongst the walls and slowly wrapping against my feet, urging me forward. There was a silver lighter in my pocket, thank goodness I didn't give up smoking yet. I quickly took it out of my pocket and flicked it to life. The little flame created enough light to surround the small space around my feet, as I approached ever so closer into the devil's den.
Was it possible for anyplace to be so dark? I couldn't see anything that the small fire the lighter produced didn't light. My heart began to pace a little faster, the throbbing in my head had stopped.
It was hot down here, sweat slicked down my face and neck. I was becoming anxious. And I never was anxious unless something bad was about to happen. I wanted to deny my mission to find the young boy, but my consciousness won't allow it. And I knew the reason for my unusual behavior was hidden deep in the core of my being, but I wouldn't allow that to surface-not now.
I came into a long narrow hallway, with a locker ,large enough to fit a person into, on the side and a small ceiling light that flickered constantly. My anxiety level was skyrocketing, something was definitely going to happen. I ran to the locker, luckily it was opened, and quickly fit myself inside before shutting the door. That's when I heard that sound, it was like the steps of an overweight bull and a knife scraping across metal.
Boom, thump, screech
Boom, thump, screech
Boom, thump, screech
Whatever was coming was getting closer and closer. I had already begun trembling in fear. Something wasn't right about this place. I peeked into the small holes of the locker, and I saw it. It was this colossal creature with a bulky physique. And it had deep scratches all across its bloodied and bruised body. A thin apron (but it compared more to the skin of some animal) was wrapped around its waist held up by leather belts and chains. But what was even scarier of this thing, was the rusted metallic pyramid that covered its whole head. And it had stopped right in front of the locker, wielding the largest, thickest, blade I'd ever seen.
I covered my mouth, afraid it would hear my frantic breathing. And tried to calm down, it had to be human, there's no way it was just some random monster. But those were only reassuring words to ease my nerves. I could feel this thing's aura, it didn't feel anything like a human's.
Its essence was purely evil. Its arm was outstretched as if trying to reach for something and its fingers were spread wide apart. It touched the locker and it took all my might not to shriek. Its bloody hand examined the locker, resting it on the handle to open it.
But it didn't. Instead, it began down the narrow hallway. It's dominating and demonic auras following behind it like a dog. When I was sure the thing was out of sight, I eased out of the locker and bolted. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew if I didn't get out of this place I would most likely be killed. As hard as it was for me to accept I had to abandon the mission of finding the boy; when I get out of this town I'd tell the police and they could handle it. But that extreme anxious feeling in my heart still hadn't gone away. This place was not normal, it had a dark secret that I wanted no part of. But, and in the end, I was more connected to this place than I could ever comprehend.
I had practically become a mad woman, I was sprinting down the halls with sheer willpower. My legs felt as if there were on fire and my chest felt tighter and tighter. My breaths had become sharp and short. The headache came back. I was able to find the stairs that would ascend into the town, and I ran up them, thinking I'd be safe from that creature.
Yet I had only ran into even more dangerous territory. The sky was black, not a star, not even the moon, lit it. If it weren't for the flickering streetlights, I would be completely blinded by darkness.
"What the hell is going on?" I said, feeling the atmosphere's wicked aroma. I began to hear echoes of pain-filled groans and screeches throughout the night. My nerves were at the peak of wrecked.
I was petrified. All of a sudden I just couldn't move. I was too scared to move. My heart was pounding restlessly against my chest, my knees were trembling so badly that I thought I would sink to the ground any moment. But I knew that if I fell to the ground now I would not be able to get up. This world around me was gradually slithering its dark tendrils around me-it was trying to drive me insane.
I thought this would be the end of me, but a small soft giggle brought my soul back. There was boy of about ten years old, in front of me. He was twirling a curl from his thick black hair and his inherited playful yet mischievous glassy grey eyes were locked onto mine. My mouth was agape, the headache shifted to a searing migraine. I was staring at Nikon, my only child, who had died three years ago.
"Impossible" my voice was barely audible. The boy giggled again,
"You say it's impossible, but here I am, in the flesh" his voice was even the same. So naïve and soft and sweet. The darkness surrounding us seemed to seize, time –itself- seemed to stop.
"They say emotions are powerful entities that makes us human. Yet, what if our emotions were to separate and create their own manifestations of themselves. Emotions can even take over ones soul and morph them into an entirety beyond the boundaries of human nature…what would your emotions look like? If they became their own manifestations" Nikon mischievous stare shifted to a menacing expression.
I didn't know what to say, I wasn't too sure what he was saying. This was too much to take in in such little time. Instantly I reached out to hug Nikon, I wanted to feel his skin against mine, make sure it was still warm and comforting. But he pulled away from me and gave me the most sadistic frown. All of a sudden the groans and screeches were louder than before,
"The manifestations are coming for you" Nikon cheerfully said and in just the blink of an eye he disappeared.
"Nikon!" I shouted searching wildly around me for my child, instead my eyes locked on to the most grotesque figure I've ever seen. Its body was enveloped in flesh, including its arms, and it was stumbling and walking awkwardly crooked, hissing and making distressing growls.
I didn't bother taking in anymore details-I bolted. More of those creatures were filling the streets, I ran into a building shutting the front door behind me. But just when I thought I was safe, I callous hand violently grabbed my shirt collar and threw me against the door. I let out a pained gasp, my vision was becoming fuzzy. I tried to glimpse at my attacker, but all I could see was this massive pale body and it's hand reaching out to grab me again.
"No, no please" I choked out just before passing out.
His arms were securely wrapped around my waist-our eyes to the vast ocean-as he told me all the different kinds of species that lived underwater. I could care less of whatever is in the ocean, but I knew he loved talking about it, so I listened patiently. The wind brushed that salty fresh scent across my nostrils-a smell I adore. My toes played with the grains of sand as the warm wind continued to caress my skin. Everything was too perfect, but was it wrong to want things like this? I looked to the sky-it was blood red. My eyes opened, my skin was drenched in sweat.
"What…?" my headache was gone, but my anxiety was still there. I went through the events that happened before I passed out. I saw my child, even though I watched him be buried deep into the ground. There were these phantasmagoric creatures roaming around along with that colossal demon with the metallic pyramid covering its whole head.
Either this was all real, or I had gone completely insane. I stood up, feeling a bit woozy from a little blood loss. I felt the back of my head, and there was a small gash from when I was smashed into the door, thank goodness it wasn't any larger otherwise I wouldn't have woken up. I searched around the building, which I discovered was a convenience store, and drank a few bottles of water and ate some snacks (the place seemed completely deserted so I took a few things).
There was a small box filled with school bags; I stuffed one with snacks, water bottles, and some first aid things (bandages, Tylenol, gauze, etc.). I left the store, the smoky mist instantly wrapped around me-indicating that the sun was in the sky. I could barely see anything in front of me. In this kind of situation I should just stay put, but I had a good feeling no help was coming. And there was no way I was leaving without figuring out how the hell my son was alive even though he's suppose to be dead. With a shivering inhale and a calm exhale, I began my journey into the misty inferno.