Notes: This was an assignment in my english class. Describe a scene or event in great detail. A descriptive composition. I had explained to my english teacher (who is awesome) that I liked videogames. I did a story here, in Leon's point of view, fighting a Garrador in Salazar's castle. It lead to this gorey, yet thrilling snippet of work.

"Leon, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."

This was about the third or fourth time that Ashley had asked me that question. Sometimes I really question her intelligence. Did I look okay to her?

I rubbed my gloved knuckles over the circles under my eyes and looked around. I decided to take in my surroundings while I tried to get my bearing on what was going on. It's a little hard to believe. If I didn't have my mission, I would have probably gone insane.

I was assigned to the secret service when I turned twenty-seven. My first mission was top secret: to save President Graham's daughter, Ashley Graham, who disappeared shortly before. Information gathered pointed to the kidnappers being located in a remote area of Spain. I investigated on my own, assisted by two members of the local police. Unfortunately, it seems something bizarre had happened to the local townsfolk and after the two officers were promptly killed, I found myself relying on my own police skills once again. I learned from my superiors that the perpetrators are a group called "Los Illuminados", a religious cult led by a man named Saddler. This cult uses a mysterious parasitic organism known as "Plaga" to take control of the local townsfolk. The crazed victims had attacked and wounded me severely. I also discovered that they used Plaga on creatures such as wolves to make deadly, deformed monsters.

I eventually found Ashley hidden in a church and I became responsible for her safety as we made our way around the areas controlled by Los Illuminados. Both Ashley and I have been infected with the Palaga and now I'm looking for a cure. The severity of the situation began to really sink in when we started coughing up blood.

We had fled to a seemingly abandoned castle. It was well taken care of in contrast to the disgusting villages we had gone though, but old. The walls were pastel shades of yellow and red, elegant carpets laid out with care, old statues and fine paintings covered with dust. I had scoured the entire wing we were locked in. Every musty door had been opened to nothing. There was one door left. It was steel, in opposition to the rest of the doors I had torn through. When I stepped towards the door, it slid open, as if waiting for me. I loaded my handgun and stepped in, Ashley at my heels. I could feel her breathing on my shoulders as I stepped out onto the stairs before us. The room was dark, and it got even darker when the door slid shut behind us.

"Leon! It's locked!" She whimpered, pounding her fist on the door. "Wait." I grunted hoarsely. She pressed herself up between the door and the corner of the wall, and sank down to the floor like a child. My eyes began to adjust to my surroundings as I walked down the shallow stairs into the dungeon-like room.

The walls were all contaminated with some sort of film. Grime, dirt, and even blood. Before me was a large, dilapidated cage. I looked to my sides. In the left and right walls were two, gold bells. They were shiny and clean in discord with the dirty walls. There was also a rotten shelf and a couple old wooden barrels. I stood there, taking in the sight of the wet, mold covered stone walls. Then I looked at the cage.

The word "Garrador" was scratched into the stone wall above it. I stepped closer. It was a mutated person. A mutated human. It was a little taller than I was, donned in gladiator-like armor. I ground my jaw and stepped closer. I could see long claws resting on each forearm. Then I looked at its eyes and I felt my innards turn. Its eyes had been removed, and the sunken sockets were sutured shut. I noticed a switch beside it on the wall.

It trembled a little, but it was chained to the wall. It appeared dormant. I quickly raised my knee to my chest, and kicked the rusted door down. I immediately regretted that. In a flurry of stone and steel, it came alive, throwing the chains off its hulking shoulders, booming a war cry as it stepped towards me. I quickly ran backwards, firing like mad into its exposed belly. My boots slid on the grime, and my clip ran out. I stumbled sideways to the right of it. It had stopped making any sound, and was standing shock-still. I slowly exhaled, not wanting to make noise. I took a round out of my pocket, and pulled the empty one out of my gun noiselessly. The Garrador was getting dangerously close. I quickly shoved the clip into my gun in haste and let the empty one clatter noisily in the filth on the floor. It bayed and swung its arm, the claws extended. Before I could do anything, it gave me three slashes across my chest. I could barely hear Ashley scream as it roared and thundered after me. I grumbled and jumped to get out of the way. I rolled over my shoulders and landed upright, grimacing at the filth that I was collecting.

Again, it stood still. It was turning its head as if listening to some odd noise that was only audible to it. I slowly straightened and widened my posture. I figured, it's blind, so, it must hear me. I tried to breathe as quietly as possible, but, I could feel the cuts on my chest. I was getting sick. I felt blood and bile rise in my throat as I raised to fire. Then one of those gold bells caught my eye. I quickly re-aimed, and fired. The bullet bit the bell, and the sound cut clear through the small, dark room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ashley clench her fist and mouth a "Yes!"

The Garrador blundered stupidly towards the noise, and buried its claws into the stone. It then struggled a little, snorting in fury. It was stuck. I felt more bile in my throat when I saw a Plaga burst from the flesh on the Garrador's back. Its tentacles, the length of my forearm, writhed and squelchesd, tossing strings of mucous and blood. I knew the Plaga was the weak point. I shot into the parasite, and it screeched in fury and withdrew back into the torn flesh. Then, the beast with claws turned at me, and bellowed. I heard the metal mouthpiece on its helmet rattle as I turned and fired at the other bell.

I quickly moved back as the bell rang through the air again. The Garrador ran, its arms flailing. I spat some bloody fluid from my mouth as it again, became stuck. I searched my pockets for another clip, and cound an incendiary grenade. I could use it when the Plaga was exposed. I pulled the pin, smirking at my own plan, as my enemy became stuck again. "Hey! Asshole!" I called, lobbing the grenade at the Garrador. It turned its head just in time to take the grenade to the face. It erupted into a roaring mass of fire, metal, and burning flesh. Through the Garradors own cries, I heard the plaga scream. With one, final howl of pain and confusion, it tore its claws from the wall, and collapsed, dead. I coughed and waved the smoke and smell away with one hand. Then I wiped the blood I had spat all over my face off with my gloves.

I strode over to the cage and flipped the switch in the wall unenthusiasitically. Then I walked back over to the stairs clutching my chest. My wounds were finally takin their toll on my body. Ashley had her face covered, and revealed an eye when she heard me stomp up the stairs. She gasped at me and moved from her hiding place at the wall.

I knew what she was going to say. I pulled my lips back and revealed my blood teeth in some sort of half-smile, half grimace. I made my condition even more obvious when I breathed through my jaws loudly. She still said it anyways.

"Leon, are you okay?"
"I'm... fine!"