Chapter 43

Forty-Three

Don't stop. Don't stop. Just push through the pain, and focus. Keep going. Keep fucking going!

My chest ached, a stabbing pain piercing my nerves as my swollen lungs pressed against my ribs, my breathing rapid and uncontrollably chaotic. The sound of distant, gruesome screams and deep echoes of my own galloping heartbeat filled my ears as I sprinted through the thick woods. I ran with absolute carelessness, lingering branches scratching at my paint chipped skin, slicing my delicate flushed cheeks. Thick smoke hanging in the night air burned my eyes, clouding my view as tears rolled down my battered face, burning the fresh cuts. I pushed through the pain and exhaustion, desperate to escape and find a way out of these wretched woods, out of this godforsaken nightmare.

Alastair, shadowing me in the distance, barked a warning. His distress directed my attention away from the path ahead as a large old man suddenly broke through the thick tree line, consumed with anger. The man separated me from the wolf, quickly closing the distance when he abruptly lunged, grunting as his barreling body slammed into me. As his overweight body hit mine, I fell to the wet ground, rolling into the thick trunk of a nearby tree with a hefty smack. My bones screamed in pain, wet strands of dirty, pastel hair clinging to my face, my arms shaking with fatigue as I raised my burning eyes to meet his. My hands glowed with rage, digging into the dirt as I struggled to remain still.

"You fuckin' witch." He spat at the dirt, standing on shaky knees. "This is all your fault!" Mud, soot, and blood plastered his sun-damaged skin as he glared down at me, his eyes ignited with rage and disgust. The old man"s chest heaved as he panted, stepping closer to me, shadowed with obvious ill intent. His arm wobbled as he retrieved a large hunting knife from its sheath attached to his leather belt. My eyes glared at the reflective blade, widening as he inched closer. "Your wretched kind has cursed this town enough. No more rules, no more games. I'm gonna finish what's been started and do what's needed to be done." His dirty hick warning only angered me more. At this point, I was done with everything.

I struggled to stand as my chest rose, my back now pressed against the tree trunk as I forced a handful of my fire in his direction. After everything that had occurred, my body was weak, the blue magic barely harming him. He quickly patted my flames away, his skin only reddened by the impact. I felt worn out—defeated.

"You're insane! All of you!" I screamed, my voice hoarse from the previous events of the night.

The man chuckled to himself, stopping directly in front of me. He groaned, crouching down, as he stared into my eyes. "We're just doin' God's work." He grinned, gripping a handful of my hair. My jaw clenched as I bit back my screams, my body forcefully rising with his to stand, his face inches from mine. My glowing eyes glared into his, my fingers sputtering as I struggled to form a flame. "It's no use, witch. You're drained." He raised the blade to my throat, the tip pushing against my skin. His grin turned into a crooked smile, branching along his battered skin and exposing his missing teeth. A shadow cast over his old face as he watched my blood slowly drip down my neck. "Time to finish what we starte—"

Alastair lunged at the hillbilly, cutting his words short. The wolf's sharp nails dug into the old man's back, clawing at his feeble skin. The man screamed in pain, dropping his blade and his handful of my hair as I fell to the ground, allowing me to crawl away. I scuttled to a nearby stump, my hand gripping my neck, blood dripping as I watched Alastair maul the man, the wolf's mouth clenched tightly around the back of his thick neck. The man's screams matched those in the distance as he struggled to fight the massive wolf, falling to the ground, his face buried within the muddy earth. A distant growl carried through the trees on the wind, quickly reminding me of the seriousness of the situation.

"Alastair," I groaned. "Alastair, we need to leave." I scurried to my feet, hoping the wolf had heard me.

Alastair refused to let go, rage fueling him as his jaw clamped tighter around the old man's flesh, his teeth digging deeper into his skin. The air fell flat as sound and time seemed to freeze, the temperature dropping as a colossal shadow slowly emerged in the distance, catching my eye. A horrid stench drenched the air of the night, choking my breathing, the putrid smell filling my mouth and nostrils. I fought back the urge to vomit, my eyes watering as the rank smell only increased, the sound of heavy footsteps growing close, shaking the ground, confirming my frightful suspicions. Squinting, I searched the hazy distance as my eyes widened with fear, the color immediately draining from my face. Two red eyes pierced through the smoke and darkness as a large, unnatural silhouette faded into view, moving with an odd grace.

The earth shook, vibrating with each step the creature took, the energy of the night shifting as it stalked nearer. A high-pitched shriek emanated from the being, coursing through my bones. Absolute terror washed over me, warning me as I quickly hid behind a nearby tree, helplessly observing the beast. The demonic being stepped forward, its large, bone-clawed limb revealing itself in a beam of white moonlight, its body crouched, weary of its surroundings. The creature exhaled, fog bursting around the empty nostrils of its weathered skull as it rose, standing well over ten feet tall. The demon's sunken, boney chest heaved as it breathed, fresh blood reflecting in the moonlight as it soaked the dark fur covering its body, glistening as the creature stepped closer. The enormous skull rose, strings of flesh dangling from its teeth, swinging as it sniffed the air. I squeezed my neck tightly in fear, realizing the danger I was in.

"Alastair!" I whispered loudly. The wolf, now fully aware of the looming threat, released the battered old man and slowly began backing to my side. The hillbilly groaned, blood soaking his shredded back as his fingers dug into the dirt, clawing as he struggled to pull his weight across the wet ground.

The heavy scent of fresh blood and commotion caught the creature's attention as it snapped its head back, its eyes glowing fiercely as it stared down at the old man, a low vibrating sound rumbling deep within its chest as it watched the hillbilly struggle. The man snatched his knife from the ground, the tip stained with my blood. The creature tilted its head, cracking its mouth open as an unnatural, high-pitched screech filled our ears, the bloodcurdling sound morphing into a profound, menacing growl. My hands covered my ears but failed to block out the noise as I watched the expression of the old man's face drop from fear to absolute terror. He knew what demon haunted him and what his fate would be.

"Wait!" he screamed, dark red liquid seeping from his mouth as tears rolled from his jaundiced eyes. "Please," he pleaded desperately, "don't leave me! Don't you fuckin' leave me!" I watched as the creature towered over the man, its head rising and jaw widening as it released another unsettling roar, drowning out the sounds of the man's cries. Alastair's teeth gripped my shirt, tugging at my clothing, frantically trying to force me away, but I was petrified, unable to move.

The deafening roar faded into a low gurgling as the beast wasted no time lunging, its teeth biting deep into the man's flesh, blood spewing in every direction, staining the off-colored skull of the beast as the man screamed in agony. The demon began shredding the flesh of his back like paper, its long, sharp, bony claw-like hands digging into the man's skin as it feasted upon him. The hillbilly screamed, flailing about, feeling every rip and tear of his skin as the beast devoured him. The creature bit hard, yanking a chunk of the old man's skin clean from his back and raising its skull to swallow the piece of meat despite the man's screams.

The being pinned the man's body down with its arms, gurgling as its bloodstained skull widened and bit fiercely into the man's spine. The sound of the hillbilly's bones crunching beneath the creature's teeth made me sick. I struggled to fight my stomach, watching as the demon consumed him. I remained frozen with absolute sickness and terror as the old man's life brutally faded from this world.

Alastair grunted before his jaw clamped around the sleeve of my shirt, yanking me away. I swallowed hard, my stomach churning as I refused to watch the horror, vomiting at the grotesque scene before me. The abrupt sound alerted the creature to my presence, its head snapping up as it stared at us.

No.

The demon slowly tilted its skull, the ivory antlers outstretched like vines of bones as it starred in my direction with its menacing red eyes. Its head bobbed as the beast sniffed the air, slowly crawling in our direction. Blood dripped from its jaw, chunks of the old man's flesh wedged between its stained teeth as a low snarl began to vibrate from within its throat. The crouched demon rose to its feet, growling before its jaw widened, releasing the same sickening, high-pitched shriek from before. The demon bolted towards us, crushing the man's skull as its feet galloped across the ground.

Shit!

I quickly stumbled, Alastair firm at my side as we immediately began sprinting away. The heavy sounds of the creature's feet shadowed us, closing in with each second as a second, then a third shriek echoed not far behind.

No!