AN: sorry for the late update, schools been a pain, and I've been super busy. Well here's the next chapter, and thanks to those who reviewed/alerted/favorited I appreciate it.
"Let's go." She said making everyone mobilize. I stood in front of Johns and Imam who were going to be pulling the sled. I had a lone light in my hand, just in case. I stood just outside the ship while the others got into their loops of light. I took a deep breath as we started to run. I made sure to stay in the circle of blue light. I stared around me seeing the creatures part from us all seeming to glare at the light. I could almost sympathize on how they felt about it. I could heard every pounding heartbeat of us, and the fluttering of the creatures'. I looked behind me seeing a lot of the creatures staring at Jack.
"Shit." I muttered almost silently. I kept jogging slowly. The brightest of our light went out. I looked back seeing that the cutting torch went out.
"Stay close." Imam ordered they began puling the sled again. The others following with their blue lights.
"Wait." I heard Jack call.
"Jack!" Carolyn called. Great. I turned when I heard the screeching. I squinted against the light. Imam went after Jack who seemed to be crawling towards a fallen flare. he barely was able to save Jack from being swept up by a creature. Johns started firing his gun. Carolyn went to get Imam and Jack, almost being shot by Johns. She quickly dropped to the floor and crawled the rest of the way. I turned on my light and shone it at the others. They might need the bright yellow light. I saw Paris be pushed down by one. He started crawling away muttering something I couldn't make out.
"Paris you fucking idiot!" I yelled only worried because he was about to ruin the light.
"Paris! Get back here!" Carolyn nearly screamed, but Paris kept on crawling. He pulled off a main generator. In a series of sparks the lights slowly began to dim. I closed my eyes for a second so when I opened them I could see in the almost complete darkness. I opened my eyes. My lone yellow light seemed like the world right now. Well except for the tiny ones off of Riddick's back.
"Are you all right?" I saw Imam asked Jack who nodded frantically. I looked back to Paris.
"This can't be happening, This can't be happening." he kept muttering over and over. I watched as all the creatures circled around him. He stopped moving and talking when he noticed his light went out. I saw one fly by him with one of their weird claws protruding from their hands. I heard the clean slice of flesh. I couldn't see his face, but I knew it had to be one of surprise and pain. He lit his small lighter and looked at his bloodied hand. The smell of it making my toes curl. "I was suppose to die in France. I never even saw France." he whispered taking a gulp of his liquor before spewing onto the flame. It illuminated the area for a brief second. All the creatures hissing and screeching. They all pounced when it was gone.
I swallowed and moved towards the others turning away from the gruesome scene. Carolyn lit a flare and was lighting the Spirits. I heard Riddick coming up behind me. Johns lowered his light and gun.
"Well it's good to see you're okay." he said sarcastically. I ignored him and went nearer the sled. Carolyn came up behind Riddick her flare high in the air. She opened her mouth to speak.
"Don't even ask Carolyn." I said looking at her in the eyes. They shone with fear. She nodded. I looked back out there noting the three creatures poised on a hill staring intently at Jack. I looked to Riddick. He was staring at Jack.
"We should keep moving." Carolyn swallowed hard. So we kept moving. I had my light on now and stayed a little bit closer to the group. But still in the dark in between of Riddick and them. My light trained on the ground in front of me. We walked for a long while. I looked ahead of us and saw hundreds of those things in the canyon ahead of us. My breathing caught slightly, but then we turned slightly. He was circling us around.
"Are we getting close?" I head Jack ask after what seemed like hours of just walking.
"Can we pick up the pace?" Carolyn called to Imam and Johns. I heard Johns stop completely. I looked to our left and saw our tracks. Everyone stopped. I bit my lip to look at Riddick.
"Want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Johns walked up to Riddick who was just squatting there. I took in a long breath walking towards them slowly as the others were.
"We circled our own tracks." Carolyn told Jack.
"Why have we circled? Are we lost?" Imam asked shining his flashlight up into his face. I kept my face stoic. I knew why.
"Listen." he whispered quietly. I think I was the only one to hear him though.
"Do you even know where we are?" Imam demanded.
"Listen!" Riddick yelled angrily standing up. They all shut up. Distant sounds of scratching, screeching, and wailing pierced our ears. I don't believe they heard it quite like I did though. I could make out the individual sounds, almost each creature. "Canyon ahead. I circled once to buy some time to think."
"I think we should go now." Imam said like an idiot.
"Oh I don't know about that. That's death row up there." Riddick's voice was dead serious. "Especially with the girl bleeding." all of them looked to Fry then me.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Their not cut." Johns said looking back at Riddick.
"Not them." Riddick turned looking directly at Jack. "Her." everyone turned to look at Jack with new eyes. Carolyn though looked a little pissed off.
"You gotta be kidding me." Carolyn muttered. Jack swallowed and began to shake slightly.
"I-I just thought it'd be better if people took me for a guy. I thought they might leave me alone." her voice was on the verge of tears. I could smell the salt from where I stood.
"Jesus Jack!" Carolyn yelled. "Why'd did you even do it?"
"Instead of always messing with me." she dropped down to the floor burying her head in her knees. Carolyn seemed to go off on the girl. No one tried doing anything as she yelled. I growled pulling the knife from my pocket. In seconds I had Carolyn by the throat, her wrists clasped tightly in my hand. My eyes hard as I pushed the knife into her flesh softly. She gasped and shut up.
"Leave the girl alone." I growled as she stared at me her eyes glazed over.
"You gunna kill me Kat?" she asked looking down at the blade.
"Wouldn't be my first time. Leave the girl the fuck alone." I pushed her roughly away from the blade with my other hand. Letting go of her wrists. She stumbled back a few steps before turning to Jack. I heaved a breath and went to stand with the other guys. Johns, Imam, and his only son left stared at me like I just gutted Carolyn and ate her innards. Riddick merely started a conversation.
"They've been nose open for her since we left the ship." He glanced at Imam. "And if you hadn't noticed they go off blood."
"Look this is not gunna work." we all looked back to Carolyn. "We're gunna have to go back." Johns turned then looking crazed and pissed.
"What'd you say?" Carolyn gave him an almost pleading look. "You're the one who got us out here in the first place and turned us into sled dogs."
"You seemed to have no problem doing that to me and Riddick." I muttered too low for him to hear.
"I was wrong. I admit it." Carolyn tried reasoning with the junkie. "can we please just get back to the ship?"
"I don't know Carolyn." Johns shook his head his lips pursing. "Nice-breeze, wide open space I'm starting to enjoy my fucking self."
"What are you high again? Just listen to yourself Johns." I watched the drama unfold with a smirk.
"No, no you're right. Carolyn. What's to be afraid of?" Johns voice rose. I turned away then. I knew what he was going to do. Everything was going to fall apart soon. So very soon. I closed my eyes and breathed in the rancid stench of the creatures. I opened my eyes when I heard Carolyn be thrown to the ground.
"Verdicts in Light moves forward." Johns turned on a flare. he walked ahead of everyone. I took a few steps to the side. I was almost completely in the dark except for my lone light.
"He's going to die soon isn't he." I said quietly. I looked to see Riddick nod once before following Johns. I walked with the others this time, but I kept my ears wide open.
"Aint all of us gunna make it." Johns said sounding somewhat smug.
"Just realize that?" Riddick sounded annoyed.
"Seven of us left. If we can make it through the canyon and loose just one that'd be quite a feat, huh?" they were walking forward.
"Not if I'm the one." I almost snorted, but didn't want the others knowing I could hear every word the guys were saying.
"What if you're one of six?" Johns tried out smarting him. The creatures wails made them both turn and stop.
"I'm listening." Riddick said in a low voice.
"What are they doing up there?" Jack asked with a shaky voice.
"They're talking about the canyon, I suppose, how to get us through." he was dead on…
"Battlefield doctors decide who lives and dies, it's called triage." I frowned.
"Kept calling it murder when I did it." I smiled at the comment.
"Either way I figure it's something you can grab onto." my smile melted away.
"Sacrifice play…" I could hear Riddick without my enhanced hearing. I looked to Imam he could hear them too.
"Slow down the pace." I commanded slowing my walk. They all slowed down. I began listening again.
"Well I don't wanna feed 'em I just want to keep 'em off our scent."
"Which one caught your eye?" Riddick looked behind him at us.
"No, no don't look." Johns said. "Christ what the hell's wrong with you?" he asked like Riddick was the crazy one.
"Imam, slow down, just a little more space between us and them." Carolyn said. We slowed even more.
"All right enough of this shit you do the girl and I'll keep the others off you're back." I glanced back at Jack.
"Which girl?" he better not be actually thinking of killing me. I glared at Riddick's back hoping he could feel it.
"The butch, the other one I will handle on my own time." Riddick stopped walking. "It's not to big a job for you is it?" he turned around slowly.
"I'm just wondering if we don't need a bigger piece of bait." Riddick said with a dead pan voice.
"Like who?" I wanted to laugh at Johns stupidity. With a quick motion he hit the flare out of Johns hand and stole the gun from him before firing off a shot. I flinched at how loud it sounded.
"Leave the sled! Let's move!" Carolyn yelled frantically. I glanced at the running people. I heard two more gun shots before a hand grabbed my arm and began pulling me away from the sight. I looked to see Imam running his hand on my arm. I growled roughly pulling it from his, but kept running. We stopped running when they no longer could see them. I looked in the direction we came from.
The green glow was off. I could make out Johns as I saw the creatures swirling around him from above. A gun shot rang out. A slow malicious smile curved onto my lips when I saw one of the creatures stab Johns. I breathed in a deep breath hoping to smell something…his blood. I laughed sounding like a maniac when I saw the thing bite off his head.
"You're fucking psycho." I heard Carolyn say revulsion clear in her voice. I turned to her still smiling sadistically. She turned away unable to meet my eyes. My smile faded to a grim line. She let out a short yell when Riddick appeared right behind her.
"Back to the ship huh? Just huddled together until the lights go out." I glared at the back of Carolyn's head.
"Get away from us." she turned to me. "Both of you."
"Till you can't see what's eating you." His voice was almost taunting. "That the big plan?" their fear over powered the smell of the creatures.
"Where's Johns?" Imam asked sounding weary.
"Which half?" they all gasped taking a small step back.
"We're gunna loose everyone out here." Jack said her voice quivering she turned towards the darkness and glanced at me. "We should of stayed at the ship." I could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"He died fast. If we have any choice about it, that's the way we should all go out." I turned from the girl struggling not to cry. Riddick walked up to her. "Don't you cry for Johns, Don't you dare." his voice seemed to ring out for miles. The others stared at his back with wide eyes as he walked away. They began to huddle up before I saw Carolyn look at me.
"Would you…uhh…" I rolled my eyes.
"I'll leave." I turned on my heel going in the same direction as Riddick had. If they didn't want me around, I'd go with the only other person on this planet. He was studying one of the creatures skeletons. My flashlight was pointed straight at the ground.
"I take it they told you to leave?" he asked still studying the skeleton.
"Yep wanted non-killer time." I chuckled darkly at the thought and went to sit against a bone making sure to sweep it with my flashlight first.
"Blind spot." he whispered before dropping a part of the skeleton to the ground. "Why did Johns get so violent when you spoke about his brother?" Riddick asked looking at me without the goggles.
"I was his brothers girlfriend and I slashed his throat while he was sleeping." I shrugged looking him in the eye. He nodded almost approvingly.
"How did you even meet him?" I licked my lips.
"In a slam." Riddick's eyebrows rose. "I was fourteen when I got locked up. I was sixteen when he broke me out believing that I was completely in love with him." he nodded thoughtfully this time. "I never suspected that the brother he talked so highly about was a merc." I muttered. My one slip up.
"Shall we pray?" we both looked sharply up to see Imam. I rolled my eyes and turned away. Riddick began tying all the cells together. "I have already prayed with the others. It is painless." Imam got to his knees.
"It's pointless." Riddick glanced up at Imam who looked slightly annoyed.
"Because you do not believe in God does not mean God does not believe in you." he defended his religion well. I scowled deeply.
"Think someone can spend half their life in a slam with a horse bit in their mouth and not believe?" I muttered an amen looking at Imam who looked deeply troubled, but was staying quiet. "Think he could start out in some liquor store trash bin with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and not believe?" I leaned forward intrigued with his confession like speech. "You got it all wrong holy man. I absolutely believe in God, and I absolutely hate the fucker." Imam shook his head and turned to me.
"What about you Kat? Would you like to pray?" I looked at the Holy man.
"God wouldn't answer my prays even if I lay dying." my voice felt dead in my throat. Imam sat back completely caught off guard. It even got Riddick to look up in surprise.
"God forgives all…no matter the crime." I smirked at the thought.
"Would he forgive a someone who brutally murdered her family out of shear boredom?" I asked slightly moving my head to the side. An innocent look of curiosity over came my eyes. Imam blinked and was still. "I Believe in God Imam, but he won't ever believe in me again."
"He is with us none the less." he said looking annoyed at us.
"Two of your boys are already dead. How much faith do you have left, Father?" Riddick asked in a slow quiet voice. Imam just sat there looking at the hollow space between Riddick and I. My eyes narrowed slightly at the man who kneeled beside us and for the first time in my life I felt pity. He was trying so hard to understand us. To understand how we could take a life and smile. It was a lost cause. Imam muttered something in a language I didn't understand before getting up without another word. I looked to the cells seeing them all tied together. Was he planning on pulling them himself? "So you killed your family?" I glanced at Riddick his eyes glinting in what little light we had.
"Ya." I chewed the inside of my cheek. "most of them anyway." I bit down hard on my cheek to keep from saying anything else. This place was working on my control. Why couldn't I keep everything in the blackness I had created in my mind?
"We should start going." I nodded and stood.