…..Beasts of Wonderland

"ARI LET GO!" Grey ordered.

Boris drew his gun. I unfurled my white wings slowly pulling the strange creatures attention.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

The creature walked on four legs and two arms. Its head was twisted upside down and its spine protruded from its back letting the silvery bone show. Its skin was inky black, dripping, flowing, constantly moving like it was living itself. Buried in his faceless head were three glowing red eyes-It opened its mouth, revealing green razor teeth of glass, and roared. My ears instantly ached from the horrifying sound that was a mix of many voices screaming, nails on a chalkboard and whooping.

Grey pulled a knife from his leg holster, twisted, and slashed at the creatures' tongue that had wrapped itself around his ankle. The creature gave a shriek as it recoiled its long tongue splattering black blood everywhere. Grey scrambled and I helped him to his feet. Boris abruptly stood in front of me gun drawn and ready.

He stepped up behind Ari and put protective hands on her shoulders. Grey and Boris blocked her form the creatures' sight. Again the beast gave a long, bellowing call that made of them shirk back and cover their ears.

Peter grabbed Ari's hand, "We need to leave." He tugged her away.

"No!" she dug her heels into the dirt, "I'm not leaving anyone behind!"

"Ari!" Peter barked angrily.

Grey peered over his shoulder, "You need to leave Ari. These Beasts can't hurt us anyways."

Ari looked down, "Bullshit! Your leg's bleeding!"

Boris started firing off his gun filling the clearing with the sounds of bloodshed. The ground beneath their feet rumbled as the creature charged. Grey pulled his throwing knives and charged towards the inky thing.

Grey threw his knife but it just sank into the inky body of the alien monster. Its tongue shot out, spewing black blood everywhere, and tried to wrap around Grey. Peter pulled at my hand violently-Boris was snagged from the backside of the group and rolled up into a tongue. He fired his gun wildly, more monsters began to grow up from the splatters of blood, the creature that had caught him widened its jaws in a horrifying way threatening to swallow Boris whole!

"Grey!" Gowland charged in for the attack.

I twisted round to see Boris being half eaten like a rat for a snake, "Boris!"

Julius and Peter suddenly blocked me from moving.

"We need to go!" they both urged in unison.

"STOP BEING CHICKEN SHITS AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FRIENDS!"

Quickly I opened my wings, buffering both Peter and Julius aside, and brought them down in one stroke. Lightening shot through the air and thunder clapped across the earth striking the monster. It exploded on impact covering Boris is black ink. I turned back to Gowland and Grey-

GREY WAS GONE!

From thin air an AK-47 dropped into my arms and I lit up the beast made of ink. Gowland jumped back missing the fire. Shells chinked as they jettisoned out the side of my gun, the smell of gunpowder filled my lungs making my heart beat faster, the freak reeled back with every impact and finally burst like an over-filled zit…..I dropped the smoking barrel of my gun downwards and-

"Where's Grey?!" I cried in a panic.

There wasn't even a sign that he'd been in this place! Gowland hurried back to us and Boris joined us trying to wipe off all the ink that had soaked into his clothes.

"He's gone to the Underbelly." Gowland panted.

My mind felt so confused, "What the hell is going on?!"

"These Beasts are the henchmen of the Game Master." Julius put in quickly, "They go around collecting whoever survived his wrath and bring them to the Underbelly."

I noticed Boris starting to back away.

"Are they dead or-"

"No. We can't die. Not really." Gowland attempted to reassure me, "The ones caught by these things are taken to the Game Masters domain-"

"Guys!" Boris yelped, "Get out of here!"

We all turned back to see the inky spots covering him growing.

I opened my wings, "Boris-"

Peter and Julius grabbed my hands and pulled me away forcefully. I looked back, as I fought their pulling hands, to see Gowland jump to Boris's aid…..But his body was beginning to deform and stretch out of place as the ink beast grew on his body.

"BORIS! GOWLAND!"

Julius held her hand as hard as he could, he was afraid he might even break it, as he dragged Ari into the trashed forests. Glancing over her he looked at Peter who's jaw was set, eyes focused ahead, face whitewash pale.

Peter glanced back at Ari. Her face was downcast and she was crying softly.

"They're not dead you know." He told her with a shaky voice, "I promise."

They'd walked an scrambled and ran for what had felt like forever and with the sky blacked out by smoke it was impossible to tell how many time periods had passed. Long ago Julius had let go of Ari's hand, as she had given up the fight, and distanced himself. Once this was all over Peter swore he'd kill the Clock Maker. Ari abruptly stopped.

His breath hitched in his throat, "Are you hurt?"

Ari looked up at him with red eyes, "I know you guys can't die…"she cried, "but I want to know them as the who they are now! I don't want to know some new Grey or Gowland or Boris or anyone!"

Peter stepped over to Ari and wrapped her up in his arms, "Ari-"

"This is why I left! Wonderland isn't supposed to be like this! I-I can't do this-PETER!"

She cried into his chest and he felt her hot tears soak through his shirt. Peter looked up and glared at Julius. He only looked back unfeelingly.

The ground shook and rumbled again which always signaled trouble. I pulled away from Peter and looked around. What ugly thing could've possibly followed us this far?! Abruptly the earth opened up and up out of the hole came a Beast-RIGHT BENESTH JULIUS'S FEET!

I lunged towards him, my heart stopping in my chest, "JULIUS!" and grabbed his flailing hand.

He was already halfway down the creatures throat. He stared up at me, eyes wide with fear…..I lifted my wings ready to thunder slap this piss ant of a monster when Julius let go. I fell back with the force, rolling over myself, and stopped on my butt. The thing shook itself as it swallowed Julius' hand then looked at me with a wide grin. I scrambled to my feet backing into Peter who was like a brick wall. The creature took a few steps towards us. I raised my wings high threateningly.

"I swear I'll fry your inky ass if you come any closer!"

It laughed a strange guttural laugh, "I wait for you, Ariletta granddaughter of Alice Liddell."

"Oh. Ass face speaks." I sneered.

"Rabbit serve your purpose."

I looked over my shoulder but Peter moved around to stand in front of me.

"Peter?"

His eyes looked down at me in torment but his face was stoic.

"Serve. Your. Purpose." The creature growled.

The ground under my heels disappeared and I nearly fell back! Swinging my arms I snagged Peter's arm and looked over my shoulder. Out of nowhere an endless gaping hole had appeared. I looked up at Peter…

He shoved me, hard, over the edge.

I gasped, "PETER!"