Chapter 41: The Nightmare Ends

Jack laughed in spite of his fear. This was it. He was doomed to die in the darkness. He was going to give them hell though. He watched as each approached. Which one was the weakest? He'd take out the weakest first. Their numbers were too great, they'd simply overwhelm him. Killing the two weakest people would be more helpful than killing the strongest. He had to be fast. He laughed again. Silly wasn't it, making plans in the face of death.

Jack turned suddenly and rammed his fist hard into the stomach of Popuri. She didn't even flinch as she grabbed his wrist and wrenched it back. Jack screamed out in pain as the bone snapped. Popuri wasn't this strong, the darkness of their death, the power of the Shadow Goddess, and the their cruel intent must be fueling them. If he couldn't even hurt Popuri, he stood no chance against the swarm coming towards him.

Mary's form appeared above his head, "So you understand now? You have no chance. You will die. Have fun my love."

Jack screamed out again as two people grabbed his legs from behind and dragged him to the ground. He craned his neck to see just as Lillia stomped the heel of her shoe down on the inside of his knee. He howled in pain as his kneecap shattered, bone fragments embedding themselves in and around his leg.

The world around him spun from the pain. Won grabbed his arm and yanked it hard. Kai took to snapping each finger of Jack's other hand individually. One by one, they were breaking every bone in his body. Jack screamed out and arched his back in rage and agony against the creatures holding him down. He felt Manna's and Rick's teeth dig deep into his flesh. Harris grabbed Jack's head by the hair and bashed his face into the ground. With every bone crushing blow dealt to him, Jack screamed anew.

Though he couldn't see her this time, Mary's voice called out to him again. Yet this time, it was seemingly kinder, concerned, and with a hint of fear behind it, "Jack, please wake up."

Jack spasmed from the pain. He gritted his teeth and forced through the pain to answer, managing only a single word before succumbing to the pain again, "What?"

"Jack, listen to me. You have to wake up. I'm here for you. Trust me." Mary leaned over his writhing form, not wanting to get too close for fear of being hurt, yet wanting still to hold him tight, to comfort him in his pain. "Wake up from your nightmare."

Jack's eyes opened wide as he screamed out in pain. The world around him was still dark, but it was the normal dark of night. There was his scythe at his side, where he had left it. He had to fight through the pain, the suffering. With every ounce of strength in his body, Jack reached the scythe and put it to the neck of Mary. She was the Shadow Goddess, and now she was going to die. "Say your last words demon!" Pain shot through Jack's arm and he dropped the scythe to the ground as he followed through with a fall of his own.

Mary looked at him with tearful eyes. He nearly killed her without meaning to. Jack wasn't in his right mind now. He needed help, she wouldn't blame him for his actions, he was just acting upon whatever happened in his nightmare. He had been living a stressful life lately. It wasn't his fault at all.

She knelt by his shivering form and put her arms around him. "Don't worry Jack. I love you, I won't leave you." She looked deep into his brown eyes and recognition sparked in his eyes. He stopped struggling and his body relaxed except for the occasional spasm of pain. She never should have let him sleep outside. It was all her fault. "I'm so sorry Jack."

She braced herself and lifted Jack up off of the ground in her arms. Struggling under his weight, she managed to carry him inside and lay him on the bed. She wrapped all the blankets she could around him, trying to warm his form. Jack moaned and said something incoherent. She leaned closer and beckoned Jack to speak again. He managed little above a whisper, "Stop the pain, please."

"What is wrong?"

His voice turned angry, "My broken and bleeding body. Take my scythe and kill me. End my pain if you love me."

Mary began crying, "There is nothing wrong with you Jack. You are unharmed."

Jack's head rolled to one side, not wanting to exert the effort to hold it up, "Don't lie to me. They were trying to kill me. The pain is so great."

"I'm not lying. You were having a nightmare. I heard you screaming and came outside out of fear for you. I'll do whatever I can to help you. But now you have to relax. Your dream was very real to you, the memory of the pain of whatever happened to you is still plaguing you. But I promise, it will go away in time." She kissed Jack lightly on the forehead and stood up.

"Mary?"

She looked back down at him, "Yes?"

"Mary, I didn't mean what I said before. Please don't leave me. I want to keep you close by. Please stay close to me. I love you."

Mary lay back down on the bed next to Jack and put one arm around him to help comfort him. "I love you too. I promise Jack, I won't leave you."