Runaway
...Sacrifice of the Ancient...
1st Person Mode
My heart was pounding. My lungs were gasping for air. I wasn't used to exercise, and even though my legs were begging me to stop, my head begged otherwise. I threw back the door at the end of the hallway and stumbled over the nearest pew. I ran to the stairs of the alter and hid, at first, under it's tables. I looked ahead of me to a symbol that was etched into the wall; one similar to the description of the symbol on the back of my neck: a large circle with three small circles embedded inside. The mural was painted over in red.
Over the table's edge, I saw something drip. I looked to the ground to see a large pool of blood being formed. I slowly turned to my left and saw Dahlia's former body, blood leaking from her eyes and lips. I shrieked, but held back my tears and pulled a dagger that was protruding from her stomach out as a defense weapon.
"Come out, come out, whereever you are," Daniel taunted.
He kicked the side of the alter. I panicked, and arose from my hiding place to flee into the pews. He pursued, but stopped in his tracks soon after.
"No use running, Unique," he called. "It's inevitable." He sounded like an automated voice.
I held my hand over my mouth to hush my breathing, but it couldn't silence the pounding of my body. I sat behind the back pew and inched for the door. I reached for the knob from my hiding spot to the back door.
"There you are," he said, and walked down the aisle for my direction.
"He's seen me," I whispered, and stood to press my weight against the doors, but they wouldn't move. I heard chains rattling from the outside. "Dammit!" I screamed.
Daniel was still after me, but rather slowly. He licked his lips and smiled. I fled to one side of the Sanctuary and for a door that was foreign to me. I pressed through into a confession box, but there was a small hole at the base of the alter. I slammed the door behind me, got into a prone position, and crawled through. Almost to the other side, I heard the door open behind me. Daniel pulled at my leg.
"Come here, Unique! Stop running from me," he laughed.
"Let me go!" I screamed, and kicked at him. I escaped, and crawled into the next room. On the table, left behind were several candles, and near their position was a lighter. I grabbed the lighter and escaped out of the door ahead.
I was in a long hallway, and many choices of doors lied ahead. Impulsively, I ran for the door at the end of the hallway, and to the staircases. I climbed three stories before I heard the door at the base slam, and heavy footsteps pursuing.
I was at the roof. I pressed my weight against the door and the rusted frame gave way. As I swept through the door, I held my breath as I was taken back by a foul stench. A crematorium had been built in next to the chimney, and the bodies of the previous Sacraments, the two Walters, Heather, and then Miranda, lay inside. I gritted my teeth and ran to the open door, looking inside at the burnt corpses.
I then remembered what Heather had told me to do with the locket around my neck, even though I only knew her as a stranger: "Should the need arise," she said, "eat the Bloodstone within this locket." Even now, I don't understand, but I held tight to the pendant around my neck for good luck.
I looked down to see that a gasoline jug had been set next to the crematorium site, and I kicked it over, angry at Dahlia. Angry at Daniel. Angry that I had been dragged into this curse.
The door to the roof was kicked open, and I jumped, turning around to see Daniel had caught up with me. He smiled.
"So, you thought you'd get away taking the fire escape," he said, venturing closer to me. He closed his eyes and fell to his knees. "No, I.. I won't let you control me!" he shouted, holding his head.
"Daniel?" I said, venturing close to him.
"Unique, stay back!" he screamed. He then smiled, and stood, making his way for me again. "There are no fire escapes, no ladders," he continued, slamming the door behind him.
I said nothing, but backed for the edge as he neared me. I saw that he wasn't bluffing: I had ran myself into my own trap.
He pulled me from the edge and pushed me to the ground. He held me down by the neck, and I had trouble breathing. My eyes welled up with tears. He smirked.
"This is what you get from trying to run away from me," he said.
My eyes were burning of fumes. I was lying in the gasoline that had spewed. Unable to light the lighter, I struck it against the ground and shielded my eyes. The lighter exploded, sending a spark and lighting a flame.
My body had been lying in the gas, and I felt myself scorch, but Daniel didn't flinch, even as he knelled in the fire. The heat and smoke had engulfed me. I could no longer see. No longer feel pain.
I dropped the dagger.