From A Shadow's Depth
From A Shadow's Depth
By Akbar
Prologue
Darkness. Complete and utter darkness. Dead silence. Not a peep. No senses were available for use, available for even the slightest bit of comfort. Direction as lost as he was. He turned in a circle, but there was no change.
Then he heard it, a low grumble. It stopped. Maybe he didn't hear it. Maybe it was all in his imagination. Maybe his mind was creating sounds. Then it came again. A little louder. Tybalt turned to the direction he thought the sound was coming from. He squinted his eyes in the darkness. Then he thought he saw a small blaze. Like a little campfire that was far away. One step. Two steps. His pace picking up. Now he burst into a full all out sprint toward the what seemed to be flickering flames.
Then he noticed it, he wasn't getting winded. He was always a fit guy, but after what seemed to be a minutes worth of running he wasn't getting fatigued in the slightest. Nor was he getting closer. And then he was falling. He thought he screamed, but something either stole his voice or his hearing, because no sound was made. And he fell for what seemed to be an eternity. Like falling from space into a bottomless pit. And he fell. And fell.
Then he heard it loud. Not out loud, but screaming in his head, vibrating his very essence.
"REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! REMEMBER YOUR PURPOSE!"
Then everything was white.
Chapter One
Tybalt Story-Line
Tybalt looked up at the ceiling. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. He pushed his cobalt dreads out of his face and jumped out of bed. He went about his usual routine before prior to heading to school. He left his dreads hang over his olive tones irises. His tan skin tone didn't have any blemishes and he was above average height standing at 6'3". He was slim but not skinny. He had muscle on him, but it was of an athletic build. Today he donned a black tank top. On the tank top it had an alchemy circle on it with a skull in the middle of it. He had his signature black sweats and some black chucks.
He walked into the kitchen.
"Mom isn't here" he chuckled to himself. "Who would've guessed that". She wasn't really his birth mother though. He doesn't know who his birth mother is or was. Knows absolutely nothing about her. No one had ever told him, not that he cared. He treated his mother kindly enough though. He doesn't particularly love her, but he did appreciate her dragging him out of that hell hole that is Florida's Foster Care System when he was 12. It's been 5years since that rescue.
He quickly scoffs down his breakfast. Looks at the time. 6:55am.
Let's see if I can run those 3 miles in 5 minutes today.
He chuckles and shakes his head at the joke of the inevitable lateness that would be coming as he head out to jog to Ridgeview High School.
The bell that announced the start of classes rang throughout the school halls and classrooms. As tradition indicated, the pledge of allegiance was sounded over the speakers and the students followed along with the words, faithfully, if not completely bored and machine like. When it was all over everyone was seated and the teacher started to call roll.
"Tom Adoree"
"Here"
"James Anthony"
"Present"
"Rachel Ashley". Rachel raised her hand and her teacher acknowledges her presence by marking her as such on the attendance sheet. The teacher then went back to go through the attendance sheet. In the back of the class sat a light skin boy. He has a black fauxhawk. If he stood he'd be around average height, like a solid six feet. He had an athletic build. His hazel eyes scanned the classroom as he looked for his good friend Tybalt. His gaze well upon his empty seat and he could only shake his head.
This man can never show up on time. Thoughts he seemed to utter to himself in private every morning around this time. His gaze then turned to a girl in the class who had done just as he did, looked at Tybalt's empty seat and then towards the young man himself. She sat 2 seats ahead of him. Standing she would've been around 5'5". She was slim but you could see puberty had really worked in her favor for she was very curvaceous. Her long light brown hair went well with her honey eyes. She was a nice smooth brown with flawless skin. Most words other students use to describe her hover around utter perfection. It took himself a second to gather himself every time he saw her although they were good friends, but he became really good at hiding this.
"Where is he?", she asked him.
"Probably running late again. He's never missed a day though so he'll be here eventually."
"Why can't he ever get it together?"
"Who knows? I just be where I gotta be. I know my folks don't play that".
"Jrue Jackson! Samantha Storm!", the teacher exclaimed. "Are you two done interrupting the class?". The elder teacher gave a very stern look. Jrue and Samantha immediately got quiet and looked forward. They knew better than to test the physics teacher too many times. Nice lady overall but very strict and very much about her business. They would just wait until after class to speak.
Tybalt was still jogging at a solid pace. The sun was just starting to crack through the gate that was the horizon. It was very chilly.
Swear to god I hate the fall.
Tybalt checked his watch. It read 7:15. Officially late. He muttered to himself. He had been trying to avoid getting too sweaty, but he also didn't want to be too late.
"Samantha gonna kill me", Tybalt laughed to himself. He glanced at his surroundings. Lots of dingy oranges and bright yellows along the roadsides. Very damp from the rainfall last night. He picked up the pace. He wasn't too far away from his school.
Around 7:28am he ran onto the school and of course he had to go through the main office. The secretary at the desk didn't even look up from her computer.
"Morning Ty", she said. Tybalt didn't really pay her any mind himself. He was so used to seeing her and her stereotypical old woman baby-sitter look. Dressed in her gray sweater with a light blue blouse underneath. Years of experience wrinkled her face and exhaustion swam in her gray eyes as they never broke the gaze of the computer she was on.
"Morning Mary"
"Manners". This was the usual exchange. He signed into the lateness sheet and went about his day. He vaguely noticed someone coming in behind him to what he assumed was to do the same as he in, announce his lateness per pen to sheet. But that was hardly his concern. He headed out to what would probably be the last few minutes of his first class.
The teacher continued to drone on.
"So as we can see, gravity has an equal pull on all objects. Heaviness only shows a difference due to wind resistance". The class took notes diligently.
Tybalt cracked into the class ever so slightly. He was trying to look for a perfect time to sneak in, but years of experience was the perfect professor for his physics teacher.
"Nice of you to join us Tybalt Eaba", the teacher said without turning from the board she was currently writing on. "You're a little earlier than usual"
"Ya got me teach", Tybalt chuckled. He walked to his seat.
"I already marked you late. Get the notes after class from Jrue or Sam". Tybalt did the sir yes sir military salute and prepared himself to be diligent for the last 10 or so minutes of class. Tybalt and Jrue acknowledged each other's presence with a head nod. Sam just glowered at him. He just grinned at her.
The bell rung and everyone started to pack.
"Remember the homework for tomorrow guys", the physics teacher said. As Tybalt put his sheets of paper into his bag he felt a solid punch in his right arm. He turned to see an angry Sam as his attacker. She glowered at him.
"You can't ever be on time? Not just one day out of the fucking year?!"
"Language young lady", Tybalt mocked.
"Seriously though", Jrue interjected. "You can't be on time for one-day bro. It can't be that hard".
"I'm learning, I'm passing, I see you guys. What really is the problem?". Sam glared at him even harder.
"That's your problem. You could be so great, but you just don't apply yourself. I honestly feel like you could change the world Ty, but everything is a joke to you. You take nothing serious and are just fine hiding out in the shadows of the world. You should be front and center". Tybalt just sighed. This same conversation he's had with a million adults a million times. Usually when Sam get on this kind of flow he could at least count on Jrue to back him up. But it looks like he's getting fed up with Tybalt himself.
"I hear you mom", he sighed rubbing the back of his neck. He gathered his stuff and the trio left the room.
As they walked through the halls toward second period alarms rang through the school. Lights flashed bright white. Everyone looked around startled and confused. The loud speakers were deafening.
"THIS ISN'T A DRILL! LIVE SHOOTER ROUTINE IN FULL EFFECT. LIVE SHOOTER ROU- ". Gun fire interrupted the announcer's final words. One second…Two seconds. Then the panic set into the minds and hearts of the students. Quick glances at one another before full blown chaos ensued. Tybalt, Jrue, and Sam all had terror painted onto their face, but Sam was the first to gather herself.
"The gym", she stuttered. "That's the closest safe zone for us". Tybalt and Jrue nodded and the three of them ran towards the gym. Periodically gunshots fired off throughout the school. Screams ended as the shots did. Only the footfall could be heard consistently as students and teachers alike searched for cover.
They burst into the gym. The lights were off and the hoops that hung from the ceiling where up, making them unplayable. Jrue was the first to quickly run to the weight room doors. He tried them just to discover they were locked.
"Fuck", he whispered to himself. Tybalt had followed him with Sam right behind him. Seeing the locked doors Tybalt quickly tried the doors to the wrestling room. The results were identical. Panicked started to set into everyone, but the guys tried to hide it for Samantha's sake…to no avail.
"So", Sam whispered full of dread, "what are we going to do?". Tybalt and Jrue glanced at one another. Years of knowing each other made them able to communicate so much just between that fleeting moment. They both knew the cold hard truth. All of them probably weren't going to make it. Truth be told, none of them were likely to survive this ordeal if the shooter happened upon the empty gym.
Gun shots went off breaking them from the thoughts of fear that had taken ownership of their minds and hearts.
"Listen, we'll be fine", Tybalt grinned. This was the most unsure and ill confident that Tybalt had ever been and his friends could sense it. But Jrue knew this front was all for Samantha.
"I mean of course", Jrue said. "Highly unlikely the shooter comes in here. They weren't even near this area and from the sounds of the gunshots it doesn't sound like they are getting too much closer".
Then the gym doors burst open. Jrue, Sam, and Tybalt turned with shock that none of them were prepared to hide. And the first thing they heard was the tears of a girl. She got 5 steps in and then gun fire silenced her tears. Then there was silence. The girl laid in her own blood, riddled with bullet holes. Jrue, Sam, and Tybalt immediately crouched on the ground. The guys subconsciously edged Sam behind them. They signaled for her to keep quiet. She instinctively dug her nails into Tybalt's arm. It was at this moment that we can see a testament to the cruelty of the gods. A moan echoed through the empty the gym. Heavy boot thuds now filled the gym. The mystery person stood at 5'9". He wasn't imposing with his height or size, but he walked with a stern confidence. He took calculated steps up to the shot girl. She tried to crawl away.
"Please", she moaned. She coughed up blood as she crawled. "I'm sorry". The newcomer walked at a slow pace with his victim. The P-90 he had strapped around his neck hung at his torso. He took to the 9mm that was strapped to his leg. He prepped the fire to go off. He looked down the barrel at his target.
"Oh my gosh", Sam gasped to herself. Hearing the despair in Sam's voice caused Tybalt's stomach to drop. He gulped. This was the most afraid he can ever remember being.
"Who are you?", the dying girl questioned. "Why are you doing this?"
"You know", the shooter said, "nobody cared about me before I put the mask on". BANG! The head shot wasn't nearly as loud the sound of the girl's head hitting the floor. The shooter then looks toward the trio. The light from the hallway illuminated that he was dressed in black steel toe boots, black sweats, and a black cloak. A hoodie covered his face so it really couldn't be seen.
"Shit", Tybalt whispered to himself.
"The Dark Knight Rises is one of my favorite movies. Hehehe got to love that man Bane". He walked toward the group. Tybalt slowly rose as the school shooter approached him and his friends. He took a step in front of them. He could hear Sam ask him what he was doing in a whisper, but chose to ignore it. Jrue gently guided Sam behind him.
"You'll be ok; I promise" Jrue lied with as much courage as he could muster.
"Sam it's so nice to see you ok", the shooter chided. It was only now that the shooter stood a mere two feet away from him that he realized the shooter was using a voice modulator to make himself sound like Bane.
This guy has a fucking fan boy issue.
That's all Tybalt had a chance to think before the shooter commanded his attention again.
"You know Tybalt, I'd always see you with Sam and be so jealous". The shooter motioned at Jrue. "Jealous of the both of you too be honest. But I might as well have been miles away for you all to have noticed by resentment and I might as well have been planets away from my dear Samantha for her to have even noticed me". The trio stared quietly, not wanting to push him over the edge. But he seemed too calm. No. It wasn't to avoid pushing him, it was because they were still in disbelief of what was going on. They hoped they could talk him out of doing what they feared he was about to do, but ultimately, they were in utter disbelief.
"So you're a student here?", Jrue inquired.
"Oh no no no no", he answered. "That's not how this works. You don't get to ask any questions. Matter of fact, questions will be answered with head shots". He raised his gun and aimed it right at Sam.
Tybalt's heart started racing. The quiet gym seemed to be filled with thunderous beats, but they were beats only he could hear. Adrenaline used Tybalt's heart as a percussion and he slightly adjusted his stance so that he would be in the path way of the bullets that would hit Samantha otherwise.
And tears hit the floor. This subtle sight was the straw that broke the camel's hump. The image that destroyed all hope for her. Her hands served as dams to the river streaming down her face and she shielded her eyes. Tybalt heard this and knew immediately he'd die for the sake of his friends. He didn't care for much in his short time on the earth, but he vowed to himself he wouldn't allow harm to befall his friends while he had breath in his lungs.
Sadly, I might be able to keep this vow without saving anyone.
"So which one of you all want to go first?", the killer asked. "My comrades and myself don't plan on leaving any witnesses or survivors. We'll go down in history as the most epic mass school shooting ever."
"Why do this?", Tybalt tried to reason.
"No buying time Eaba. You know I always loathed your stupid ass last name".
Suddenly the gym doors burst open. In ran a bloody student holding his side. It looked as though he was trying to keep blood from gushing out of a wound. He came to an abrupt halt. It only took him seconds to make out the situation. One second to take in the masked assailant. Another second to take the in fearful trio. Another two seconds to notice the deceased girl on the ground and figure out why she was so still. Once his mind put everything together, he (almost instinctually) turned tail back to the direction from whence he came. The Bane imposter immediately gunned him down. Samantha screamed a pain filled scream as she saw one of her peers gunned down. But that sacrifice is exactly what was needed. Both Jrue and Tybalt rushed their attacker. By the time he turned back around, it was too late to fully retaliate. He was able to get a few shots off.
Jrue grimaced when he was grazed, but he fought through the pain so he could take down the shooter. The shooter was surprisingly strong and was able to hold his own against both defenders. The fake Bane's gun slid across the gym floor away from the struggling men. Samantha watched on in shock.
The gym door burst open again and two more guys dressed much like the Bane imposter came in. Both had AKs and immediately trained them on Tybalt and Jrue. The duo had no choice but to slowly back up.
"Hehehe nice try fellas", the Bane copycat chuckled. "You all almost had me. Guess the God's just aren't on your side". He stood up and trained his P-90 on Jrue, walked up to him and put the gun to his head. One of his comrades did the same to Tybalt.
"Oh god no", Samantha gasped with her hand over her mouth. Her heart was being tugged.
"Now Sammy, pick who gets to find out if there's a God or not?"
Chapter Two
MoonShine Story-Line
The phone rang in the presidential office. A dark skin hand picked it up and put it to aging ears.
"Mr. President, RHS is under a major school shooter protocol!", the person over the phone yelled. "Multiple shooters. We fear mass casualties before the local authorities can reach the scene and properly respond". The president swore under his breath. Jacob Smith had been in a lot of tight corners during his four year run as president, but never did he truly have to make decisions with the weight of hundreds of children's survival on the line. It was truly the first time he felt his stomach drop on what had been a relatively quiet presidency.
He hung up the phone. He was at his desk surrounded by his cabin. He filled them in of their situation. He trusted these cabin members more than anyone else and they had bailed him out with their wisdom multiple times not only in his presidential career, but also his political career as a whole.
"So thoughts?", he asked his staff. "Please be swift, lives depend on this". They all looked at on another. The same thought had crossed all their minds. This thought was one that they had spoke to the president before, but ultimately had always been overruled, but now, it seemed the president had no other options.
"I think it's time Jacob". Vice President Matthew Powers spoke to Jacob Blackwell with a heavy stern voice, indicating there was no way around this outcome this time. The two large black men stared in one another's eyes. "It may be time to go with the MoonShine Experiment". President Jacob swore to himself yet again. He conceded.
"Fine, be swift". The President's staff went into a frenzy making the proper calls and taking the proper precautions to bring about the MoonShine Experiment.
As they all ran around making calls and what not, the president hand his hands folded and looked down at them, feeling helpless.
"It'll be ok sir", Misty Mahommes, Secretary of State reassured her president. It's out of our hands now.
His only response was, "God speed".
A military helicopter flew out of the military base closest to Orange Park, Florida. Inside, military personal was dressed for warm and combat. Five soldiers who were suppose to be some of the most elite black ops in the military. There was one other soldier. He had the usual black steel toe military boots, he had black camo fatigue pants, his shirt was sleeveless white with a pale yellow moon on the middle of it. A yellow bandana was tied over his face as well with holes cut out for him to see.
"Approaching hot zone in 5", the pilot said. The soldiers gripped their weaponry. "And..GO!". The bottom of the helicopter opened up and wind rushed into the helicopter. The noise of the rampaging wind and the rotating propellers of the helicopter stole anything anyone else wanted to say. The elite five soldiers jumped out, parachutes on their back.
The oddly dressed soldier stood up slowly, but with full confidence. Even with what seemed like whirlwind winds blowing inside the carrier and the helicopter's flight that caused balance to be all, but impossible to find, he found it. He took heavy balanced steps toward the opening.
'Good luck MoonShine sir", the pilot said. MoonShine looked back, gave the pilot a thumbs up, and with no parachute on his back, jumped. The pilot screamed to try and get his attention, to try and prevent him from jumping, but he realized too late…MoonShine was airborne and heading to the ground quickly.
MoonShine quickly caught up to his comrades. They were all calm as the ground rushed toward them. You never quite get used to the feeling of free falling. A weightlessness. Complete freedom. No worries at the peak. A breathlessness, but as you get closer to the earth, it returns.
The group pulled their parachutes out. MoonShine proceeded to fall and sped past them. Right before MoonShine would've hit the ground, he suddenly stopped, just levitating slightly off the ground. Then slowly the soles of his boots hit the grass. He looked around at the football field he landed on. He glanced behind him and saw what was fences and woods. He looked ahead of him and saw multiple school buildings.
"I've touched down with no problems", MoonShine spoke into an ear piece.
"Please move swiftly", President Blackwell responded. "Lives are at stake".
"Copy". MoonShine took off running into a school building.
The secretary of state picked up a remote and pressed a button on it. A wall in the president's office opened up revealing a giant monitor. On that monitor bouncing video feed of what was a high school campus. Gun fire echoed through the speakers as well as the ruffling of clothing as the hidden camera and mic hit body and clothing.
"Alright Mr. President", the Secretary said, "this will allow us to observe everything MoonShine is seeing and experiencing as it occurs live".
"Very good. We'll need to be swift". The presidential cabin looked on feeling helpless, just hoping that this venture would not deemed to have been useless.
MoonShine ran up to the door and pressed his back flat against the wall that held it. He peaked inside and saw nothing but an empty hall way.
"Probably in the classrooms", he whispered to himself. He cracked the door as quietly as he could without making noise. He just opened in ajar, then slipped in and just as quietly closed the door behind him. Now that he was inside, he could hear the faints cries, the faint shushing, he could smell the newborn death. He cautiously walked down the hall. On his right came the first class.
What he peaked in to see almost made him throw up. In the corner, a teacher's face was met with such abuse, probably from bullets, that it was unidentifiable. There were other bodies that were laid out, riddled with bullets. It seemed there were only three persons left alive in the classroom.
"It looks like there are two innocents and one hostile", Moonshine whispered into his mic. "Permission to engage as I see fit". Seconds passed that seemed like an eternity. Moonshine stood on standby, just observing the on-goings in that class as he waited for a response. The person he viewed as hostile was in camo cargo shorts, a camo sweater, and had shades. A hunting rifle was slang over his back and he held a pistol in his hands. The two students on their knees in front of him seemed to cry and whimper as they held a staring contest down the barrel of that loaded gun. MoonShine grew more and more impatient as he awaited confirmation on his request or further orders.
"Engage authorized and confirmed" a voice answered in his earpiece finally. "Operate as you see fit until this situation is at an end".
"Understood". MoonShine immediately moved into action. He opened the door swiftly. The shooter glanced up just as swiftly, wildly bewildered by the sudden intrusion. The two survivors, almost instinctively ducked down and out of the way of trouble. MoonShine started toward the shooter, but once the shooter gathered himself, he moved without hesitation. Not even a second thought to be processed as he raised his arm, gun in hand, and started firing at MoonShine.
And that's when he realized his true predicament. The impossible happened and he just couldn't fathom it. The bullets that for all intents and purposes, should've flown straight into the path that MoonShine was running, did no such thing. Immediately after leaving the barrel, they flew directly into the ground at the shooter's feet. He looked at the gun startled and confused. MoonShine however, did not slow his charge. Maneuvering through desk and deceased bodies he was only a few steps away from the assailant. The shooter went again to raise the gun in one last ditch effort, but found he couldn't. All of a sudden the gun seemed to weigh a ton. He struggled as much as he could to try and lift it, but could not bring it any higher than slightly below his waist.
The shooter now looked at MoonShine with fear and that fear grew when he saw that MoonShine's eyes were lit up. Before his brain could try and put two and two together, MoonShine hit the shooter with a quick, but powerful gut check with his right arm. Blood and spit were coughed onto the floor as he staggered back. As he stumbled backwards he felt the weight in both his shoulders increase. Almost as if an invisible force pulled on them with all their might. Both Moonshine and the shooter heard tears and immediately knew that the shooter's shoulder muscles were done and that he wouldn't be able to lift anything from that point on.
Moonshine followed his gut check with a left flying knee to the face that caused the opposition to stumble into the chalk board. Before any recovery was made, a right side kick to the chest followed that put the shooter through the board and into the wall. He dropped unconscious, leaving a mini crater in his wake. MoonShine turned to the now free hostages. It was two Hispanic teens, one male and the other female.
"You guys ok", MoonShine inquired. They both nodded nervously. "Are there anymore shooters in the building?" They looked at each other then towards MoonShine.
"We don't know" the male said.
Then it was heard, the sound of a gun being cocked. MoonShine turned swiftly. Another shooter stood in the doorway, dressed very similarly to the one MoonShine just disposed off.
Rookie mistake. Can't believe I made such a rookie mistake. Never have your back to the door.
The shooters eyes fell upon his fallen comrade.
"What did you do to Greg?", he asked sternly.
"I got some questions for you too, so you won't have the luxury of napping afterwards", MoonShine threatened.
"You got some nerve bitch". The shooter raised his gun. MoonShine raised his hands in a surrendering fashion.
"Ok ok lets no be hasty". Then a blinding light flashed, the origin seeming to be MoonShine's palms. The shooter screamed in pain, trying to shield his already blinded eyes. The teens covered their faces as well. Even all those in the presidential office had to look away from the screen.
Heavy footsteps sounded as someone ran in the classroom. Before the shooter could recover, he was quickly disarmed of his desert eagle. MoonShine did a stomping side kick to the shooter's knee and there was a loud snap followed by a scream. Then the light dimmed.
With the room lighting back to normal the teens looked toward where they heard the loud snap, like a tree branch under the wheels of a riding bike. They immediately saw that the shooter would be in no position to move. His distal femur looked so grotesque, even under the cover of his camo pants. The cloth around the knee area was darkened and spreading, signaling a bone puncturing of the epidermis. He held this area, rolling on the ground back and forth in pain. MoonShine grabbed the new born cripple by his collar and picked him up.
"Now you little shit", MoonShine spoke in a low tone, so low that the children he rescued had to strain their ears to hear him. "How many other shooters are there and who would orcestrate all of this?"
"Three shooters" was the answer he got as the shooter struggled through the pain. "Jake set all this up. Said that the days of us being invisible and getting bullied were over"
"And where are the other three?"
"At this time they should be in the gym now. Me and Greg had this building cause the science and art room are near each other and we had these classes first period". MoonShine deemed this all the information he'd need from the shooter. A quick et decisive throat strike from MoonShine completely shattered the shooter's windpipe and Adam's Apple, then he dropped him to leave him writhing in the pain of suffocation. MoonShine pointed the teens in the direction he thought his squad would've landed. They were only there to gather survivors. MoonShine quickly but thoroughly searched the building and did the same to all the survivors he found in the building. His heart was heavy and his stomach sick. Kids bloodied, kids scared, kids scarred, kids ill prepared for the troubles that today would bring them. MoonShine felt so bad for these kids. He didn't understand how anyone could do such things. But he pushed all these thoughts to the back of his mind. He had three other people he had to make pay first.
Chapter Three
She opened the door to her house. She walked through her the threshold of her house, shoulders hunched and feet dragging. Just completely exhausted from working the grave yard shift. She walks pass the bathroom she shares with her son.
A complete mess as usual.
At this point she had grown too exhausted to even be the least bit frustrated with this annoying routine. She went into her room got in the shower and got comfortable.
When she got out of the shower, hair still soaked and petite 5'4" body wrapped in a lime green towel, she laid back on her bed. She stares at the black screen of the television that was on the dresser that also had a mirror. She gazed upon her peach skin tone. Most seeing her would never think she was of African-American descent. Her long curly drenched hair looked nice and hazel. She glanced at the clock. She was that it was 8:30am.
That boy better be in school.
She turned on the television and started channel surfing. She wasn't really looking for something to watch. Just some background noise to help her sleep once she was in house clothes. She decided to stay on the news because what better to put you to sleep than that.
The door bell rang suddenly, leaving her to ponder who it could be at this time as she hurriedly put on some sweats and a shirt. She quickly paced toward the front door, but when she opened it no one was there. She looked up and down the block from the shelter of her doorway as far as her sight would allow her, but saw no one. No packages or mail, there was nothing but the stoop steps and front lawn. She closed the door and walked back to her room…when she noticed. A small package sat alone on the kitchen table. A package that wasn't there her first walk through her home.
Samantha's eyes darted between her two closes friends. Tears stream down her cheeks.
"Well Sammy", the fake Bane spoke, "what is your decision?". Samantha opened her mouth but nothing came out. Her lips quivered, her knees buckled and she slumped to her knees, face in hand, fingers creating a dam between her eyes and floor. Then the sound of guns being cocked and her head shot up, transfixed on her friends faces.
The one shooter who held no one trained his gun on Samantha.
"Choose or we execute you right now", he commanded.
"DON'T YOU DARE!", Tybalt yelled. The sight of seeing a gun being trained on Samantha enraged him.
"Shut up bitch", Bane mocked. "Or I'll put a hole in dear old Jrue's chest".
Then it happened. Gun fire sounded and echoed in the gym. And Jrue's body hit the floor. Blood spread across the floor. Samantha screamed out in horror. Tybalt was speechless. He couldn't move or react. He was utterly at a loss.
Tremors were felt throughout the building. Everyone looked around in utter shock. Everyone with the exception of Tybalt. His eyes had gone completely black, everything. He trembled with great force. The shooter that had held him, now backed off of him. Then what happened next shook everyone to their core. As the tremors continued to shake the building, as the lights turned on then started to flicker on and off, as all the students in that gym looked at one another, as they noticed the demonic new look of Tybalt's eyes, he just vanished. He didn't just disappear thought. It's not like he up and vanished like magic. He was sucked into shadow. Completely dragged in like someone disappearing under water. Then arms sprouted out of shadows throughout the room and little to their knowledge, sprouted around the school. Jrue's shadow also gained arms that dragged his dying body into the shadow.
"What the fuck is all this?", one of the shooters exclaimed. He looked to where Tybalt had disappeared. There was a decent size pool of black liquid where he was. On the surface of it was blazing black flames.
"I'm getting out of here", said the shooter that had held Tybalt. He turned tail and ran, dropping his gun and everything. Before he even got more than three steps away, a hand shot out of the pool and grabbed his lower leg. As the hand gripped there was a snap followed by the retreating shooter crying out in pain that he's never come close to experiencing. Black flames shot up the arm. Seeing this, the shooter squirmed and struggled and tried to escape, but to no avail. He was engulfed in the black flames. The cries become more feral, but it was short lived. The arm dragged him into the black pool where he disappeared. The other shooter backed away slowly. After seeing his comrade run and die the way he did, he didn't know what the appropriate course of action was.
Then a black spike shot out of his own shadow through his back. The spike coursed into his body, through his blood stream.
"AHHHHHHHH", the sound of his pain bounced off the gym walls. Then it was cut short when the spike burst through his chest and proceeded to decapitate him. Other arms shot out the pool and grabbed the corpse and dragged it under.
Samantha completely lost her shit seeing these things. She fell back and crawled backwards.
"Oh my god I can't believe this", she cried. "This has to be a dream. This can't be real. It just can't be."
Bane staggered backwards too now. He realized that just like many of his fellow classmates that he shot, he probably wouldn't be making it home. As he backed up, he kept his eyes on the flaming pool of darkness.
Suddenly the flames were quelled. The tremors eased, but now a growling sounded from the pool. The growling made Bane and Samantha freeze. Pointed ears, red eyes, and a snout peeked out the shadowy pool. It surveyed the area. They fell first upon Samantha, then onto the wanna-be Bane. The growling intensified, then whatever the creature was submerged back under. That's when arms shot out of both Bane and Sam's shadow dragging them under.