Chapter 19

Angela helped Sauli rise to his feet and the two of them ran to the nearest exit. With a wave of his hand, Adam barricaded the doors shut. Angela and Sauli darted across the room to another door, but in an instant it was blocked like the other.

"There is no escape," growled Adam. "You're mine now." Angela, scared beyond belief, fought her cowardice and tried to think of a plan. She scanned the room and saw a staircase that lead up to the second floor.

"Sauli," she ordered, "get to that staircase and head for the second floor. Maybe there's a way out there. I'll distract him."

"No!" Shouted Sauli. "I am staying!"

"He wants to kill you and if we let him, millions of other people could be in danger!" Adam let out a diabolical laugh that echoed throughout the abandoned warehouse.

"You think you're some kind of hero, Angela?" Laughed Adam. He lunged at Angela with immense speed, pinning her against the wall. "I guess that means they'll build a statue of you after I rip your heart out." Angela tried to break free, kicking and squirming, doing her best to loosen his grip over her, but he was too strong.

"I have to think of something," thought Sauli, breathing fast in a state of panic, "He will kill her, I know he will. I have to get him away from her, I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me. There has to be another way. There has to be another way!" Sauli scrambled to his face and ran to the staircase. He stopped at the front step and looked over at Angela. Tears leaked down her face and she was bleeding from the wrists where Adam's claws suck in deep. They met eyes and Angela nodded. She stopped resisting and before Adam could slice her throat, Sauli knew what to do.

"Hasani!" Adam froze in place, then slowly turned his monstrous head to face Sauli. Sauli stood tall and tried to appear confident to shield his fear. Adam slithered over to Sauli, leaving Angela behind.

"What?" He asked, looming over Sauli, blood dripping down his chin. Sauli gulped, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes, staring directly into Adam's.

"Hasani," he said calmly, "remember? From that story you told me? That was you, wasn't it?" Adam stopped for a moment. His expression changed from fiendish to sorrowful, his yellow eyes beaming with emotion. "You don't really want this, Hasani. You're not a monster. I know that for sure." Adam turned away from Sauli, looking down at his claws and tail shamefully. "There's so much more to you than this. I didn't want to admit it before, but when you and I hung out together...well...I have not felt that good in such a long time. Jibade-" The mention of his name made Adam's eyes wide. He growled and turned back toward Sauli.

"Don't mention his name!" Roared Adam at Sauli. "He's gone! He died that day and so did the man who loved him!" Sauli winced, his shoulders tensing up in fear.

"Hasani," he said, "p-please, calm down."

"Don't call me that!" Snarled Adam. "Hasani is dead, understand?! He's dead! There's nothing left of him here!" Sauli felt scared at first, but then, going against his better judgement, he looked up into Adam's glowing red-yellow eyes. He didn't see any bloodlust, rage, or murderous intent. All he saw was hurt, longing, and despair. He could even swear he saw tears being fought back from within. Sauli took another deep breath and held Adam's hands.

"Adam, listen to me, " said Sauli, caressing the top of Adam's hands with his thumb, "Don't you remember what I said? Underneath all these scary features, you're still you. One of the most beautiful people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing." Adam blushed lightly and Sauli smiled lightly.

"Sauli," said Adam, looking down, "I-I...I don't know what to say. No one has ever said something like that to me before."

"And no one ever will." Suddenly, Angela appeared behind Adam and stabbed him through his wing and into his back with a sharp piece of broken glass. Adam wailed in pain and whipped his tail back to knock over Angela. However, she was prepared for this and jumped onto his back, shoving the piece of glass deeper and deeper into his back. Sauli watched in horror.

"Angela!" He cried. "Please, stop!"

"Have you lost your mind, Sauli?!" Shouted Angela, trying not to fall off of Adam's back. "Who's side are you on?!" Adam backed into a wall and knocked Angela off of him. While the girl was dazed, Adam spread his wings, groaning in pain as he did so.

"I should've known you were lying," growled Adam viciously at Sauli, tears dripping down his pale white face, "You mortals are all alike!"

"Adam, wait!" Sauli reached out to Adam, but he was too late. Adam flew off the ground and burst through the roof of the warehouse. Sauli ran up the nearby staircase until he reached the roof. He could see Adam in the distance, flying sloppily northbound. He felt his heart ache inside. How would he ever get him to understand now? How would he even be able to try? He could feel his heart breaking for Adam. He couldn't imagine what it must've been like, all those years of solitude, loneliness, fear, and a broken heart. That was enough, he deduced, to turn anyone into a monster.

"Angela! Tommy!" Remembered Sauli. He ran back down the stairs and fell to his knees next to his frazzled friend. "Angela," he said, "are you okay? Anything broken?" Angela regained her composure and shoved Sauli away from her.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Sauli?! One minute you're stabbing that thing with a crucifix, and the next you're ready to suck face with it?!"

"I-I don't think he's a monster, Angela."

"How can you say that, Sauli?! Didn't you see what he did to Tommy?! He could be dead! He could be..." Angela's eyes widened and she bolted over to her boyfriend. Tommy laid on the floor half conscious. His hair was completely white, along with his skin, and he could barely keep his eyes open. "Tommy?" Said Angela softly. "Tommy, say something!" Tommy looked at his girlfriend and slowly caressed her cheek.

"I-I'm sorry, Ang" he said, "He...I-It did something to me."

"I know, baby," said Angela sniffling, fighting back tears, "I know. It's okay, though. You're gonna be okay, I promise. You...you just gotta hang on, okay?" Tommy smiled weakly and nodded once. Angela began to sob and her breaths became short. Her head turned toward Sauli and her expression changed from saddened to filled with rage. "You see what that monster has done?!" She shouted, the tears she fought back now leaking down her cheeks. "It doesn't give a fuck about anything but itself and you're just under its spell! Just like Tommy was...And when it's finished with you, there won't be anything left!"

"Ang," said Sauli, staring at the husk of what was left of his friend, "I-I-"

"Save it, Sauli!" Cried Angela, rising to her feet and picking up Tommy, who was now so weak and lifeless that she could do so. "I gotta get Tommy to the hospital. Go cry to your demon boyfriend!" Sauli watched Angela run out of the warehouse with Tommy in her arms and sighed.

"Mitä minun tulee tehdä?" He closed his eyes and all he could think about was Adam. He was worried and scared for him, wondering where he could go and what he was going to do.

"I have to go find him," he thought. "I have to make things right. I can fix him and then he can fix Tommy." He thought about the monstrous creature that was attacking Angela, the beast that sucked the life completely out of Tommy before anyone could blink, the demon that was going to bite into his neck. "No," he thought, "I must not be afraid. I have to do this...or die trying."