Hello all! I hope everyone is doing well. To those still following the story, I thank you for your patience. I know it's been a while since my last update, and I don't know when the next chapter will go up, but I assure you all that the story will continue. Anyway, comments and feedback are always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.
~The Wandering Piney
Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence
3:45 PM
The yellow eyes glared down upon Thorn as the cloaked figure emerged from the darkness. A swirling cloud of flies accompanied the entity, spreading out like a noxious gas, sweeping over anything in its path. The creature stopped just beyond the stacks of boxes and furniture. It snarled, revealing its blood-stained teeth, but remained where it stood, its focus locked on the witch.
Thorn shuddered. Her chest rose and fell in quick succession with each hastened breath. Sweat beaded on her forehead. I can do this. She raised her trembling arms, and flames sprung from her fingers, enveloping her hands in fire. I can do this.
The creature smiled, revealing even more razor-like teeth. Its macabre face seemed just as at home in the orange glow of the fire as it was in the shadows. Thorn gulped. Can fire even kill it? She gasped. How the hell am I going to stop this thing!?
The creature hissed, causing Thorn to nearly jump. A small swarm of flies broke off from the main cloud and dove at Thorn. She hastily threw a ball of fire at the breakaway swarm, incinerating it. But her relief was short; three more small swarms broke off from the main swarm and flew at Thorn from three different directions.
Oh, come on! Thorn destroyed the swarm directly in front of her with a fireball. She hastily turned to the swarm on her right and threw another fireball. The swarm hissed as it burned away. Quickly turning to her left, she threw a third and final fireball at the last swarm.
"Oh, shit!" Thorn shrieked.
The main swarm came crashing down like a tidal wave, swamping everything in flies as it rushed toward Thorn with the vigor and fury of a tsunami. The buzz of the swarm drowned out all other noise, and the cloaked figure gave a toothy smirk as it disappeared into the mass of flies.
Thorn screamed and clasped her hands together. The flames danced and grew, spreading out like a great fan, while an intense heat radiated from the fire. The wall of flames grew to rival the swarm, and the two collided. Embers and charred insect bodies showered Thorn, yet she did not falter in the orange glow. She shouted. The fire grew, and the swarm shrank. Corpses of hundreds of flies piled up at Thorn's feet like black snow, and the buzzing died down. I can do this!
A sudden loud hiss to Thorn's left broke her from her thoughts. She turned her head and gasped. The cloaked figure's toothy grin lay only a few feet from her. She managed to let out a single gasp before the creature's fist hit her abdomen.
The fire extinguished, and Thorn felt her feet leave the ground. An intense pain spread across her body, and she tried to scream, but the air rushed from her lungs, silencing her. Her vision blurred, and the room spun around. For a few painful seconds, she felt weightless. And like a bird with its wings snipped, Thorn came crashing down and slammed into something hard.
"Agh," Thorn groaned as bits of concrete rained down on her. Her body ached and her head throbbed, though her vision cleared. She slowly sat up, knocking over several chunks of concrete. "What the hell? How'd I get here?" she muttered as she noticed the outline of the basement steps next to her. "How the fuck am I alive?" she gasped upon seeing the human-sized crater in the concrete wall and the pile of debris surrounding her.
Another violent hiss broke Thorn from her thoughts as the cloaked figure charged her, bearing the same malice-filled smile. This time, the creature had its clawed fingers outstretched, forming a sharp point. Thorn's eyes widened as the creature quickly closed the gap between them. Do something! She happened to spot some of the broken fragments of concrete. She focused on some of the baseball-sized fragments, and several of them floated in the air. She glanced at the cloaked figure. The concrete slabs threw themselves at the monster, hitting the creature. The cloaked figure grunted and staggered, slowing down just enough for Thorn to scramble to her feet and stumble out of the way.
The wall cracked and shook from the impact. The creature snarled as it tried to pull its arm from the wall, but it remained stuck. Thorn spun around, and green energy enveloped her hand. She pointed at the creature, and a green bolt of lightning-like energy fired from her finger with a thunderous crack. But instead of striking the creature, a dense swarm of flies intercepted the bolt. The swarm exploded, but the creature was unharmed.
Thorn grunted as several more clouds of flies descended from the darkness and approached Thorn. Thorn took several steps back, and flames erupted from her hands. The insects crackled in the fire Thorn threw at them, and the first clouds got incinerated but more quickly took their places. Amidst the flames and the charred insect bodies, Thorn saw the cloaked figure tear its arm from the wall. It glared at her for a moment before more flies obscured the creature.
I know what you're doing. She ran toward one of the concrete support pillars, occasionally throwing a fireball at the swarm to keep it at bay. While it wasn't the wall, she hoped the pillar was tough enough for the creature to get its arm stuck again. And once the creature got stuck, she'd quickly attack it before the flies defended it.
Thorn took her position adjacent to the pillar. The mass of flies had grown, and as much as she wanted to unleash the wall of fire, she'd become vulnerable to the cloaked figure. She threw a few fireballs at the swarm, though her attention remained on the edge of the darkness. Where are you-
The creature burst from the swarm of flies with its arm raised, ready to strike Thorn. Thorn quickly threw a fireball at the creature. The cloaked figure swerved out of the way of the fireball, and while it dodged the attack, it slowed its pace. Thorn seized those precious extra seconds and ran behind the pillar, putting several feet between her and the pillar. The creature snarled when it hit the pillar, and Thorn smirked as she prepared to throw another fireball at the monster.
I got you now, you- AH! She grunted as chunks of concrete pelted her face. She raised her arms to block the debris, though it offered little protection, and she staggered. Through the shower of concrete, Thorn gasped as she saw the support pillar shatter and the cloaked creature dart through the dust cloud.
The creature reached her and swiped at her. A sharp pain spread across her left arm, and her body lurched sideways. She shouted, and her feet left the floor. She slammed into some boxes, crushing them.
Thorn groaned as she rolled onto her back. She brushed off some broken boxes and debris, and a searing pain gripped her arm. She looked at her arm and winced. Three long red streaks ran across her forearm, and the sleeve of her rain jacket had been torn off. She quickly assessed the rest of her body and found no other injuries.
An ear-piercing shriek caused Thorn to flinch and gasp. The creature was running toward her, its yellow eyes filled with malice. Shit! Do something! Her eyes darted in the darkness, picking out the outlines of random boxes and furniture. Her gaze stopped on a large dresser. Hit the monster. The dresser shook and then violently threw itself at the monster. Thorn only caught a glimpse of the monster backhand the dresser, shattering it into pieces as her focus shifted to a stack of four or five chairs. Keep hitting it. The stack shook, and the top chair lifted off the stack and it flew at the monster. Then the second chair did the same. Then the third. Then the fourth and fifth.
The cloaked figure snarled as it backhanded the first and second chairs, destroying them, but the third crashed into the monster's face, staggering it. It growled, and the fourth chair collided with the monster, knocking it over. Thorn scrambled to her feet and so did the monster, but the fifth and final chair hit the creature's back, knocking it back down. Thorn clutched her arm and ran into the maze of boxes as fast as her feet could carry her.
Thorn dropped to her knees in a dark corner of the maze and sat against a large crate. She poked her head above the crate. The light from the treasure room and hole in the ceiling was dim from her vantage point. She squinted and saw the outline of the cloaked figure standing at the spot where she had run from. The creature scanned the horizon, growling as its gaze passed over the stakes of boxes. It then lowered itself, disappearing from her sight, and several clouds of flies took to the shadows on the ceiling. Then all became silent.
Thorn returned to her cover and winced. She took her phone from her purse, and using the dimmest light, examined her arm. "Shit," she murmured. Blood dripped down her arm and wrapped around her fingers like a crimson vine. She hastily dug out the last of the alcohol pads and gauze from her purse. She gritted her teeth when the alcohol pads stung her cuts. After cleaning her injuries, she wrapped her arm up in the gauze, creating the worst-looking bandage of all time.
Okay. The monster hasn't found me. I still have the element of surprise. She poked her head above the crate. No monster. She ducked back down. Agh! I need to find this thing before it- She shivered. Next to her were some specks of blood on the floor. Another speck lay a few feet from the first one. While she couldn't see beyond that, she knew how much blood had been on her arm and dripped on the floor. A sense of dread overcame her. Get out of here!
She took a deep and rose to her feet. There was a growl. She exhaled. She ran and didn't look back.
Crash!
Boxes and crates tore open as the creature hissed. Thorn kept running. A gush of air passed her, followed by wood cracking and hitting the floor. Thorn turned, hopping over what was left of the chair the creature had thrown at her, and darted behind some boxes, gasping for breath. Another blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the basement, complemented by the crushing of boxes and the snapping of wooden furniture. I can't keep running. Thorn shouted as a box flew over her head, grazing her scalp. She fell over. Several boxes crashed to the floor, and the creature's yellow eyes pierced the darkness. Thorn reached out for the top of the stack of boxes. They shook and fell onto the creature as it lunged at Thorn.
It bought her a few seconds. Thorn scrambled to her feet. Run! She gritted her teeth, and her hand was enveloped in green energy. She pointed at the creature rising from the pile of boxes, and a bolt of green, lightning-like energy fired from her hand. The monster let out an agonizing hiss as the bolt struck it, causing a brilliant flash of green light that momentarily lit the area and a loud boom that shook the basement.
"OW!" Thorn shouted. She slapped her neck. She looked at her palm and saw a dead fly. "Ow!"
She swatted her body, but it did little to stop the flies. Still swatting at the flies, Thorn stumbled backward. "AGH! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Green energy formed around her body before swiftly expanding outward, pushing away the flies and forming a bubble of green energy around her. The flies swarmed the barrier, crawling over the shimmering energy, gradually obscuring Thorn's view.
"Damnit, get off! I can't see anything!" Thorn shouted, waving her hands, and causing the barrier to shake. But the more the barrier shook, the more aggressive the flies became. They gnawed at the barrier and buzzed louder, but her shield held steady, though they obstructed Thorn's view of everything outside the barrier.
I need to get rid of these flies and find the monster. Fire engulfed her hands. Okay. Conjure enough fire to keep the flies at bay, drop the barrier, and then fry the bugs. Then I can go after the- "Ah!"
The barrier shook, and Thorn was thrown against the green energy. Thorn groaned as she tried to get up, but another forceful impact knocked her back down.
"Shit," Thorn muttered upon seeing two cracks in the barrier where the cloaked figure hit it. "Ugh, get out of my way!" Thorn shouted, her focus shifting to the ever-growing swarm of flies. A powerful telekinetic force slammed against the swarm, pushing away the insects and clearing Thorn's view. But Thorn could only gasp upon seeing the cloaked figure's fist collide with the barrier, creating another crack. Thorn shouted as the force of the punch knocked her back against the barrier.
The creature raised its head and hissed, giving another toothy smile. It reminded Thorn of laughter. It delivered another punch, further cracking the barrier. Then another. And another. The creature's fists seemed to blur together, and the cracks snaked their way across Thorn's barrier. The creature never stopped its hissing laughter.
Ah! The barrier's going to break! Do something! Her heart pounded against her chest and sweat soaked her clothes. Thorn's eyes darted across her limited field of view, desperately seeking something to use against her assailant, but there was only the monster chipping away at her failing barrier. Thorn grimaced. Come on, think of something! Agh! Thorn paused. Wait a minute! My doppelganger tried to do the same thing as the monster…
Thorn glanced at the barrier. She could barely see through it due to the cracks, and she felt its power weaken. Thorn shuddered. That's it! Thorn braced herself against the backside of the barrier, and despite the force of the monster's punches, she managed to stay standing. Her entire body trembled. Focus on myself. I need to be fast. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her magic wrapped around herself like an invisible blanket. I can do this. She exhaled and opened her eyes.
The cloaked figure pulled its arm back to deliver one final punch. Thorn trembled. Wait for it. The creature hissed. Wait for it. The creature's fist flew.
Go! The barrier vanished, and Thorn gasped as she lurched backward, her telekinetic pull stronger than the thought, pulling her through the air. The creature's fist slammed into the floor, cracking it, and sending small chunks of concrete into the air. Thorn landed on her feet several yards away. She pointed at the cloaked figure as it withdrew its fist from the floor. Green energy enveloped her hand, and she fired a bolt of green lightning.
The green lightning bolt struck its target, and the resulting explosion silenced the angry hisses of the monster. A cloud of smoke and debris blocked Thorn's view of the creature, but she heard something large collide with some furniture.
Thorn sighed and lowered her arm. Her body ached, and she wanted to lay down. Instead, she leaned against another support column and sighed. It's over.
A low growl made her flinch. Boxes and debris fell as the growling grew louder. "Damnit," Thorn muttered, slowly turning to face the creature. Its silhouette rose from the boxes, and its yellow eyes pierced the darkness. It approached Thorn, entering a brighter section of the basement with a grin full of malice and delight. Yet its right arm was twisted and bent into an unnatural shape. Half its face was now several shades darker, burnt, and scabbed from the explosion.
How is this thing not dead? Thorn raised her hand to fire another green lightning bolt but gasped in horror. The creature's damaged arm jerked and lurched, swiftly snapping back into position with a sickening crack. It bent its fingers and stretched its healed arm while its burnt flesh cracked and peeled off, revealing fully healed skin. And in just a few seconds, all the damage Thorn did to the creature was undone.
Still, in shock from the horror that just transpired, Thorn barely noticed the incoming chair that the cloaked figure had thrown. She shouted and staggered backward from the impact of the chair. Pain radiated from her head, and her vision momentarily blurred. Instinctively, she rubbed the spot the pain originated from. Her hand met a warm and sticky substance, and pulling her hand back revealed a crimson smear of blood.
Heavy footsteps drew her attention away from the blood, and she looked up. The creature was nearly upon her, its arm raised and ready to strike her, and its wretched smile remained.
"No!" Thorn shouted, and the green barrier reformed around her. That should give me a few minutes to…
CRACK!
The barrier shattered when the creature's fist hit it. Thorn screamed, but her cry was smothered as the monster grabbed her head. The world went black, and the creature smashed her into something hard, perhaps the concrete support column she had leaned on. She screamed. Pain washed over her body as the creature slammed her against the support column a second time. Another slam. More pain. She flailed her arms, but the creature simply slammed her into the pillar again.
Thorn groaned as the creature pulled her head back farther than before. With one great shove, Thorn went through the pillar. She screamed as the monster released her, and Thorn hit the floor with a loud thud.
Thorn rolled onto her backside and groaned. Her head pounded with the worst headache she'd ever experienced, and the basement looked blurry. She blinked, and the room slowly came into focus.
"Oh, shit!"
She didn't get a chance to even raise her arms. The monster hopped over the remains of the support column and kicked her in the gut, sending her careening into a stack of boxes. Thorn whimpered as her stomach churned. She powered through the pain, gritting her teeth as she rolled onto her back. She saw the creature pick up her purse, which must've fallen off her shoulder in the scuffle, and with one quick motion, tore it to pieces, scattering its contents.
Thorn grimaced, and she waved her hand. Several boxes flew at the creature, but the monster backhanded the boxes before they could hit it. Damnit! A nearby dresser shook before it threw itself at the monster. With almost no effort, the monster caught the dresser. It ran to Thorn, raising the dresser into the air. Thorn shouted as the dresser came down upon her, and she fired a green lightning bolt. The dresser splintered and cracked, exploding into a shower of splinters and smoke. But a three-fingered hand emerged from the cloud of smoke and grabbed Thorn by the cuff of her rain jacket. She gasped as the creature yanked her into the air, lifting her as if she had no weight. It threw her. She shrieked when she hit the rubble of the support column before crumbling to the floor, clutching her side.
"Fuck," Thorn muttered, trying to stand and assess her injury. She wasn't bleeding, at least externally, but a sharp pain radiated from the left side of her abdomen. She fell to her knees as a sudden jolt of pain tore through her body. She grabbed a broken piece of rebar jutting out from the rubble and used it to pull herself up, but the pain shook her to her core. I must keep fighting….
Thorn glared at the creature as it approached, its yellow eyes filled with malevolent delight. Still clutching her abdomen, Thorn raised her free hand, and a stream of fire shot from it. The creature darted toward the boxes with Thorn's fire trailing close behind it. It tore the side off a dresser and held it in front of itself. The fire struck the board, but the creature's makeshift shield held through; it grunted and pushed forward.
Shit! Thorn held out her other hand, wincing from the pain in her abdomen, and a second stream of fire erupted from her hands. The cloaked creature momentarily staggered, but after letting out a low growl, it pushed harder against the fire and moved closer to Thorn. The stream of fire shrank, and the board came closer. No! Thorn stumbled backward as the board rammed into her. Dazed, Thorn tried to locate the monster, but a loud whoosh startled her. She turned and was met with the board slamming into her face, knocking her down. She hit the ground with a loud thud, and for a brief second, everything went dark.
She blinked. Her sight returned, and she gasped. The broken piece of rebar sat inches away from her head. She pushed herself away from the rebar, her heart racing, knowing how close she was to impalement. Thorn began getting up, but the cloaked figure pushed her back down. It snarled as it towered over her with another toothy grin. With one swift movement, its fingers wrapped around Thorn's throat in a vice-like grip.
Thorn tried to scream, but there was only silence. Her heart pounded violently against her chest, and her lungs attempted to take in air. She flailed and kicked her assailant, but the creature didn't budge. If anything, its grip tightened, and its grin widened. Get off me! She let out another silent scream. No! No! No! A tingling sensation gripped her head, and her vision began to blur. No! Boxes shook and then flew at the cloaked figure, striking it many times, but the monster didn't so much as flinch. No…Please…no. Tears rolled down her face. The tingling worsened. Her flailing and kicking slowed. No… Her vision worsened. She couldn't tell anything apart from the fading swirl of shapes and shadows that was her vision except for those yellow eyes. They were clearer than ever, filled with malice and delight, gazing into her slowly fading eyes. No… She turned her head ever-so-slightly given the creature's hands preventing her from fully looking away. Those eyes were not going to be the last thing she saw before the darkness overcame her. She could make out the blueish hue of the barrier in the distance. I'm sorry…. She felt drowsy, like she was falling asleep. I'm sorry. Her kicking subsided, and her arms fell.
One arm hit something long and metal.
Rebar.
The same one that nearly impaled her.
The drowsiness was overwhelming. For a fraction of a second, she felt nothing, then she'd see the blurry rebar sticking out of the rubble. Focus…on… the…rebar. Another dip into unconsciousness. Don't…drift… off. She felt her magic course her as her focus remained entirely on the rebar. Don't…. Another dip into darkness. In the brief moment of consciousness, she saw the blue barrier. Dusk and Luna were somewhere behind there, hopefully finding something to restore the barrier. If she died, nothing would stop the cloaked figure from going after them. Give… The rebar shook and twisted. Up!
As darkness overcame her, Thorn heard metal twist and snap, followed by a wet tear and an unnatural scream that pierced the darkness. The creature's grasp on Thorn's throat ended, and Thorn took a massive gulp of air. Blood rushed back to her brain, and her vision cleared enough to see the creature stumble backward, its arms limp at its side. The rebar stuck through the creature's left eye and jutted out of the back of its head while a green liquid dripped from its eye socket. It looked at her, though its stare was distant and long. It let out a low hiss, and its head tilted backward, but it remained standing. Thorn's heart was racing as the creature stared at her. Is it dead? Why is it still standing?
The hissing stopped. It didn't move but remained standing. Thorn slowly climbed to her feet, wincing from the aches that radiated all over her body.
"Please be dead," Thorn groaned, her voice hoarse.
The creature did nothing.
Thorn turned her back on the motionless monster and approached the treasure room. She winced as her entire body ached. She gritted her teeth and continued toward her friends. She wiped her forehead. Blood coated her hand and based on the stinging she felt above her eye, Thorn figured she had a cut on her forehead.
"Thorn!"
Thorn smiled. "Luna!" she croaked; her voice still hoarse. She waved to her friend and continued toward her.
"Thorn! It's still-"
Thorn froze as a low growl emanated from behind her.
"Oh, please don't," Thorn groaned. She slowly turned to face the entity and gasped.
The monster raised its head and glared at Thorn with its remaining eye. It slowly reached for the rebar, meticulously clutching the metal. It grunted and pulled the rebar from its head with one swift tug. It gave a sinister, toothy grin as it raised the rebar covered in its green blood, waving it in front of Thorn like it was mocking her. It then tossed aside the rebar, and its smile grew wider. Flies descended from the shadows, and they swarmed the creature's empty eye socket. They crawled into the wound, and once the socket was filled, the creature closed its eyelid.
"What the hell?" Thorn gasped as the creature opened its eyelid.
The flies were gone, and in their place was a new eye.
"How?" Thorn whimpered.
The creature hissed and then lunged at Thorn with far greater speed than she anticipated. She quickly conjured another green energy shield around her, though it did little against the creature. It backhanded the shield, shattering it instantly, though it did weaken the monster's attack. Thorn shouted as the creature hit her, knocking her back several feet. She hit the floor hard and grunted from the pain. She rolled onto her side and saw the creature approaching her. I need to get away from this thing! Fire formed around her hand, and she let out a stream of flames. But rather than trying to hit the monster, which would likely evade the attack, Thorn created a wall of fire between her and the monster. The fire wouldn't last long, but it didn't' need to. Thorn scrambled to her feet and ran into the maze of furniture and boxes as the monster hissed in anger.
She ran for what felt like hours but was probably less than thirty seconds before ducking behind a large dresser and almost collapsed. She panted and sat against the dresser. Everything ached, especially the left side of her abdomen, though her cuts seemed to have stopped bleeding. She groaned. How am I supposed to kill this thing? It recovers from everything I throw at it! Her heart was racing, and her body trembled. I can't defeat it. She shook her head. No! I must beat it! Dusk, Luna, and everyone else is counting on me. Thorn took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Calm down. Getting worked up is going to get me killed. She exhaled and opened her eyes. Okay. Think about what I know about the monster. Thorn sighed. She wished she had a pen and paper to write down her thoughts. When I sent that rebar through its head, it got stunned for a bit. Maybe I need to cause more damage to its head to kill it. She frowned. But those flies will heal it. She bit her lip while she thought. Fire! It's been avoiding fire since the fight began, so maybe that's its weakness. Plus, the fire can kill the flies. Thorn smiled. Destroy the head, and then burn everything. Her smile became a frown. But that thing's so fast! It'd just avoid any attack. I need to slow it down or catch it. But how am I supposed to cap-. The solution came to her in the form of a single Latin word she picked up from when the cultists detained her and her fellow Hex Girls at the Fallen's temple. And after a few more moments of thought, Thorn had her plan.
She rose from her hiding and assessed her surroundings. The fire she conjured was gone, and there was no sign of the monster. Where are you?
Whoosh!
Thorn narrowly avoided the chunk of concrete the size of her head that the creature had thrown. She dove behind another cabinet as a second concrete slab flew past her head. Shit, I can't keep running for my plan to work. She conjured another green barrier around herself. More chunks of concrete shattered upon hitting the barrier, but her defense held steady. I see you. The monster stood near the pile of rubble from the first support column and threw another chunk of concrete at her. Okay, push forward. She focused on her barrier, and once she felt her magical grip on the barrier, she moved. The barrier moved in tandem with her, and she ran toward the monster.
As she expected, the creature charged Thorn when she emerged from the maze of boxes. Thorn dismissed her barrier, and it dissolved into nothing. She raised her right hand, and fire shot from it. She created a horizontal wall of fire between her and the monster. The monster snarled and attempted to go around the fire, but Thorn used her left hand to cast another stream of fire. The fire cut off the monster, and seeing that it couldn't reach Thorn, it darted to the pile of rubble. Thorn quickly encircled the monster in a ring of fire, and upon realizing it was trapped, it reached for a large chunk of concrete.
I don't think so, she thought with a smirk.
"Capiō!" she shouted.
Before the monster could grab the concrete, two green rings of mystical energy formed around the creature and then swiftly pinned its arms to its side. Unable to use its arms, there was nothing it could do but snarl at Thorn as she approached the ring of fire.
Thorn grimaced. She'd never looked upon something with as much hate and anger as she did the cloaked figure. It had caused so much death and pain to the people around her. People she cared about. She wanted it dead, and she wanted it dead now. She felt her magic rushing through her, energizing her and numbing her pain. She glared at the creature when she raised her hand and fire sprang from her fingers.
"Burn."
Thorn shouted as a fly bit her neck. She slapped the insect with her free hand, killing it, but she shifted, and her aim was off. The stream of fire passed harmlessly by the cloaked figure. More flies swarmed Thorn, and she had little choice but to redirect the fire toward the insects.
As the flies burned, Thorn caught a glimpse of the cloaked figure. It opened its mouth wider than humanly possible before its lower jaw unhinged and spilt in two. It emitted a noise that sounded like a horrifying cross between a hiss and a gurgle. Thorn gasped. The monster sprayed a black liquid from its mouth which doused the fire. Thorn screamed. Some of the liquid hit her, and it burnt. Thorn stumbled backward, crying in agony from the burning pain on her stomach that made Fallen's mark seem like a mild sunburn. She glanced down at her torso. The bottom half of her rain jacket blocked most of the spray, and it had dissolved from the liquid, revealing her torso, which was scarred and blistered.
The creature's snarl momentarily distracted Thorn from the pain. The creature was still bound by the green energy rings, so Thorn pointed at the monster and fired a green lightning bolt. Without the fire containing it, the cloaked figure quickly dodged the attack and darted toward the maze of boxes.
"Damnit," Thorn muttered through clenched teeth. The pain from the liquid was dissipating, but not quickly enough for her to chase after the monster, though that didn't stop her from trying. She didn't get far.
"Oh, shit!" Thorn gasped. The black spray had dissolved portions of the floor and left several crevices and holes several inches deep. Thoughts of being just a few feet closer, or not wearing her rain jacket ran wild in her mind. If that stuff dissolved the floor, then it could've… Thorn shook her head. Stop it! Stick to the plan. Just stay a bit farther away from it when it's trapped to avoid the spray and any other tricks it might have.
Thorn gritted her teeth and powered through the slowly dissipating pain. She ran to where the monster had entered the maze. Fortunately, the glow of the rings made spotting the monster easy, though catching it was another story.
Thorn ran down the nearest path, swerving around debris the creature had knocked over. The light abruptly turned, and for a moment, Thorn lost it behind some tall dressers.
"Shit," she mumbled when the light did not reappear. She couldn't run to it in any timely manner since there were no paths to the dresser and there was too much stuff in the way. Thorn sighed. Eh, there's already a ton of broken stuff down here. She fired a green lightning bolt at the dresser. The dresser exploded, and bits of wood rained down upon the area.
"It's not there!" Thorn gasped. The smoke from the explosion cleared, and sure enough, there was no glow. Shit! Shit! Shit! She fired a second bolt of lightning at a stack of boxes. They, too, exploded in a shower of cardboard and foam. No glow. She fired at anything even partially obstructing her view. Where is it? Her bolts struck random locations, blowing up whatever piece of furniture or box was there. Fuck! What if it broke the rings? She trembled. What if….
Thorn screamed as a piece of furniture slammed into her legs. She fell, though not before catching a glimpse of the glowing rings. How!? She hit the ground hard and rolled onto her back.
As she came to, her eyes widened in pure terror upon seeing the creature leap onto what she determined was a table. It jumped, and Thorn gasped when she saw the creature rapidly descending toward her head. Move! Move! Move! She focused on herself and quickly had a telekinetic grasp on her body. She telekinetically pulled herself across the floor, narrowly avoiding the creature's feet that slammed into the floor, cracking it. The creature hissed at Thorn before running toward the open area of the basement, the green rings still bounding its arms.
Thorn scrambled to her feet and chased the monster. She fired a bolt of green lightning, but the creature evaded the strike, and instead, Thorn blew up some random boxes. As the glow of the bolt faded, Thorn noticed something. The light from the lightning bolt and the rings are the same! Whenever I shot the bolts, the light would outshine the glow of the rings. The creature must've moved every time I fired. Damn, I let it get close to me. She readjusted her position so she could get another shot at the creature, which she could see thanks to the light coming from the treasure room. The strike missed. Ugh, I can't hit it. She fired another bolt, and it struck the empty floor as the monster darted out of the way. Thorn grimaced. Fuck this. She aimed in front of the creature and fired a third green bolt. The bolt struck just as the cloaked figure reached the spot.
Boom!
"Yes!" Thorn cheered, though her smile quickly faded as the creature stumbled into the open area, snarling and somewhat dazed, but otherwise no worse for wear. Shit, it can survive those strikes. Thorn shook her head. Don't get worked up. That thing is dazed, so I can trap it again. She reached the open area and immediately shot two streams of fire from her hands and began remaking the ring of fire around the monster. Remember, keep my distance in case it sprays acid. Thorn kept her distance, standing perhaps twenty or so feet from the fire and cloaked figure.
"I got you now," Thorn muttered upon enclosing the creature in a ring of fire.
The cloaked figure merely glanced at the fire and the space between it and Thorn. After a few moments, it glanced at Thorn with a toothy smirk.
Thorn shuddered, but she still raised her arms as fire danced around her fingers. She checked the ceiling and her immediate surroundings for flies, but she didn't see any. She shifted her focus back to the creature.
"Time to end this," she said, aiming at the cloaked figure.
The creature let out a hiss reminiscent of laughter. It leaned forward as its shoulders shifted and convulsed under the hood. Skin cracked and muscle ripped, and then much to Thorn's disgust and horror, two long, spindly appendages with scorpion-like stingers at the ends erupted from the creature's back, tearing through its cloak.
Thorn shot fire at the creature, but the appendages dug into the floor. Despite their thin appearance, the appendages effortlessly supported the creature as it rose into the air, its head nearly touching the ceiling. The fire passed between the appendages and beneath the creature's body. Using the appendages as legs, the creature leaped over the ring of fire. Thorn tried to adjust her aim, but the monster smacked her with one appendage, sending her careening into a stack of boxes.
Thorn groaned as she pushed the crumpled remains of a few boxes off her. She saw the creature descend to the ground, and with one of the appendages, it shattered the green energy rings bounding it with a single cut. It stretched its freed arms and then glared at Thorn as she struggled to climb out of the box pile.
"Oh shit!" Thorn shouted, stumbling out of the boxes as one of the appendages struck the ground where she had been standing. But the second appendage struck her side, tearing through and getting caught on her rain jacket. Thorn shouted as her feet left the ground and the creature lifted her. With a powerful swing, the creature flung Thorn into the air.
She hit the wall, cracking it, and then fell to the ground. Thorn groaned. Her body ached, and her vision blurred. She rubbed her side and felt fresh blood. She whimpered. Get up. Everyone is depending on me to win this. Her vision slowly normalized, and she managed to sit up to assess her surroundings. The creature was removing the remains of her rain jacket from its stinger, still a good distance away. The barrier protecting the treasure room still flickered, which meant they never found something to restore it. Thorn sighed. Guys, hurry up. I don't know how long I can keep this up. She shifted, causing bits of concrete to fall from the cracks in the wall. She noticed a bit of paint on the floor. Huh, that's one of the yellow 'X's' Ray painted. This must be where I first saw the gho–
A glint of metal caught her attention, and her eyes widened when she saw the item. That's the knife Dusk gave me! I didn't think I'd ever find it!
A loud snarl made Thorn flinch. The creature ran toward her with the stingers outstretched, glaring at her with evil, yellow eyes. Thorn scrambled to her feet and fired a green lightning bolt at the cloaked figure, but the creature sidestepped the bolt and closed the gap between it and Thorn.
"Shit," Thorn yelped, and she tried to run, but one of the creature's stingers struck the wall in front of her, blocking her. She turned but the second stinger blocked her. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest upon realizing that the creature had trapped her and was about to grab her.
Shield!
A green energy bubble formed around her. The creature grabbed the barrier, its fingers cracking, but not piercing, the bubble. Fuck! New plan! Uh… She glanced at the knife sitting behind the monster, and then back at the creature, then back at the knife. That…might work!
The creature growled and punched the barrier with its other hand, shattering Thorn's shield. Flames enveloped her hand, and Thorn tried to shoot fire at the cloaked figure, but it grabbed her arm and pinned it against the wall. She tried to burn the cloaked figure with her other arm, but the creature quickly grabbed it and held it against the wall. She struggled to free herself, but the monster's supernatural strength made escape impossible.
Stay calm. She trembled. The creature leaned forward so its face was a few inches from her own. The stench of its rancid breath burned her nostrils, and Thorn fought the urge to vomit. The cloaked creature smirked. The two appendages withdrew from the wall, and one of them moved toward Thorn's face.
She winced, and her body became tense as she felt a slight prick on her face. The stinger slowly slid down her face, slicing the surface of her skin. She shivered when she felt it go down her neck and whimpered when it stopped over her heart. Don't lose focus. The creature's smirk grew with each of Thorn's terrified whimpers. It glared at her, and its gaze was paralyzing. Look at the knife. Look at the knife.
The stinger pulled away from her, and both appendages curled behind the creature.
Get ready.
The stingers lunged at her.
"Capiō!" she shouted.
Green rings formed around the appendages, binding them together and creating one point. She then glanced at some rubble, and with her telekinesis, hurled several chunks of concrete at the creature, causing it to stumble and wobble.
Thorn closed her eyes. Please, work.
She screamed. A sharp pain spread across her body. She opened her teary eyes, whimpering as she looked to her right. The stingers impaled her just below her collarbone. They went through her and became lodged in the wall.
The monster growled and grimaced. It tried to remove its stingers, but they remained stuck, and Thorn cried from the pain the stinger's movement caused.
"Hehe," Thorn painfully snickered, her lips curling into a slight smirk. She glared at the monster, though her focus was on the knife now floating behind it.
"Go to hell," Thorn muttered.
The creature's eyes widened, and it tried to turn its head. But the knife was quicker. There was a loud swoosh, followed by a wet slice. The knife hit the wall and fell to the floor, the blade covered in green blood.
The creature silently stared at her, its eyes still wide and its mouth agape. It let out a raspy gurgle, and Thorn shuddered at the thought of it spitting acid at her. But then the gurgling stopped, and the cloaked figure became still. A ring of green blood formed around its neck, and the creature's head rolled off its body, landing with a soft thud at Thorn's feet. The arms fell to its side, freeing Thorn, and the body collapsed.
Thorn let out a massive sigh of relief and she leaned her head against the wall, panting. With a shaky hand, she grabbed the appendages and tried pulling them, but they didn't budge. She focused on the stingers, and with the aid of her telekinesis, pulled the stingers from her body with an agonizing shout. She covered the bleeding wound with her hand and put some pressure on it to alleviate some pain, though it wouldn't do much long-term since the puncture was still bleeding from her back.
She stumbled away from the monster's body but stopped after a few feet. Flames enveloped her hand, and she then spun around. She said nothing as she lit the body and head on fire. The fire roared. The creature's body shriveled and curled. She stared into the fire, for how long, she didn't know. She didn't feel delight or joy, nor did she feel any anger or hate. She was only tired.
It was only when Thorn became light-headed that she stopped staring at the fire. The hand covering her wound was thoroughly covered in blood. She needed medical attention. Fast. Thorn limped back to the treasure room to find her friends.
