Chapter 29 #2
“Wait!” she heard one of them shout, just as another shriek sounded behind her. It only spurred her on faster as she reached the end of the alley without looking back.
She rounded the corner, and she could feel some sort of film pass over her as she took off down the street.
She quickly pulled up short as the stench of something foul and rotting hit her square in the face.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she looked at the unfamiliar landscape around her, marked with clear evidence of recent destruction.
There were two rows of what looked like townhouses and shops sloping down either side of a cobblestone street. The green and white homes were battered and leaned on one another like fallen dominoes.
Seaweed and dead fish hung from the houses, as well as some of the streetlamps. Sand, debris, and fish carcasses were scattered up and down the street as far as she could see.
Her eyes traveled down the sloped street and over the sandy beach at the end of the hill. The dark water, crested with white waves, crashed onto the white sand beach. Beyond it, the sky was lit to a grayish hue as the promise of dawn approached.
As she gazed upon the broken harbor town, her gaze snapped to her left, as if drawn in that direction. Along the curve of the bay, she could see a giant white dome-shaped building with curved walls arching around it.
An image of white luminescent walls flashed through her mind.
As more pieces of her memories began to return, Soraya failed to notice a figure stepping into the street from the shadows.
A second too late, she caught movement at the edge of her vision and realized something was approaching.
In the blink of an eye, the figure was upon her, and she had just enough time to look at its jagged mouth and its blood-red eyes that were peeking out beneath a broad-brimmed hat. The image of shifting windows and a tall, menacing figure breaking down a door entered her mind.
Soraya didn’t have time to move or scream as the humanoid creature slashed its claw-tipped hand across her, sending her flying to the ground. She hardly felt the impact as pain exploded from her right arm.
Shocked, she looked up as death loomed above her. The creature maintained its blood-red eye contact as it brought its clawed hand to its mouth. A white tongue slithered out to lick what she realized was her blood.
The creature’s eyes shuddered closed as it got a taste of her. Its nostrils flared as it basked in the flavor of her blood.
Paralyzed, all she could do was lie there and hope this was just a nightmare, that this wasn’t real, that this wasn’t really happening to her. Except… as her memories crashed into her like waves, one after another, she knew it wasn’t a dream this time.
This was happening, and she couldn’t stop it.
The creature’s eyes shot open, its mouth twisting into a sinister grin. It took a step toward her, but suddenly stopped and snapped its head to the side.
In a blink, the creature was gone. The sound of a loud crash made her turn her head to the left, where a new hole had appeared in the house beside her.
Soraya looked to her right to see a panting Raziel, his arm outstretched, every line of his face etched with pure rage.
Wood groaned, and Soraya shot her gaze back to the house. The rhythmic sound of heavy
boots against a wooden floor echoed from within.
Forcing herself to move, Soraya didn’t wait to see what would happen next. She had to get to the pearl-like building, the memory of a door that could take her back home flashing through her mind.
She didn’t have time to think about the impossibility of magical doors—not when it was her only hope.
Turning up the street, she began to sprint. She could feel her injured arm tingling and throbbing, but thanks to the adrenaline, the pain felt distant.
Pumping her arms, she could hear the distinct sound of fighting behind her.
She quickly turned off the main road and down another side alley. She could feel an energy rushing up through her legs and coursing through her entire body. Even the rancid, salty air being pulled into her lungs seemed charged with an energy that fueled her speed.
She was halfway down the alley when one of those frog-like monsters appeared at the end of it.
Skidding to a stop, she knew she couldn’t outrun the creature as it spotted her and, with a guttural shriek, launched itself toward her.
In a split second, she spotted a side door to the green building next to her.
All she wanted was to get back to Jesmine and Ahvi. She didn’t want to die.
Sending up a prayer, she lunged for the door and twisted the handle, hoping it wasn’t locked. Ramming her entire body into the wood, she felt the door give way, and a surge of power rushed through her, around her, and out of her.
She stumbled through as a prickly sensation washed over her. Once her feet crossed the threshold, she slammed the door shut behind her and slid the lock into place.
Panting hard, she looked over and saw a broom resting against a fridge. Snatching it like a weapon, she backed away from the door, wondering if it would hold against the monster. But it was eerily quiet on the other side of the door… a door that, she began to realize, looked very familiar.
Soraya took another step back, her mind reeling, when someone grabbed her from behind.
Shouting, Soraya spun around, broom raised high, and stopped as she came face to face with a stunned-looking Jesmine in a hospital gown.
Eyes darting to the raised broom, Jesmine asked, “Dude, what the fuck is going on?”