Beyond The Lost

22

"You understand he will be injured, yes?" The devil stood beside me as I emerged from the pond, muddy water dripping from the tip of my nose. I'm waiting for Victor to follow, for him to see the help I've enlisted. "He will not die, but I must focus. I cannot turn all of my attention to Victor."

"But he'll live?"

"That was the deal, wasn't it?"

I look out into the field, a few stray demons waiting for me. They roam back and forth, sniffing out any trace of sorrow they can find. As soon as one of them can smell me, they all three dart in my direction.

I glance to the devil, but he only grins at me. The smell of goats blood grows in the air around us, leaving me to roughly swallow and relax my stomach.

"He's taking a long time." I watch as the creatures sprint closer, but I don't move an inch.

"He's afraid. I can feel it." He looked back to the pond. "They'll be gathering here soon."

"How can you be sure?"

He took in a deep breath and visibly relaxed. "You smell it, yes?" I watch as his eyes fixate on the creatures headed my way. "So do they." He licked his lips and stepped forward. "I'll draw them in, all I need you to do is keep them here."

"So I'm bait?"

"Precisely." He wiped his hand across his chest, blood coating his fingers. He then turned to me and smeared the blood across the side of my face, tracing it down my neck. "Keep Victor out of the way as best you can. He will be immensely damaged no matter what you do, but try your best."

"I'm not as pathetic as you seem to think."

"Prove it to me." He left my gaze, a blurry transparent figure of him left behind. I eye the apparition, but don't have time to understand it's purpose before the three creatures make it to me.

I quickly bolt out of the way and watch one of them trip and stumble into the pond. I swallow, clutching tightly to the locket as the other two speedily catch up to me.

'He told me not to fight', I thought to myself. 'But if I don't, I'll be the one injured!'

I narrowly dodge a sharpened claw coming directly toward my chest, taking off further into the trees. The faster I run, the angrier they sound behind me.

The apparition of the devil appears at my side, keeping pace with me. "They need to stay near the water, you're going too far."

"What else am I supposed to do? Run in circles?"

"Turn back."

My feet stopped without my control, my body facing danger head on. I can't make sense of why, but it felt like I wasn't in control of my actions. My legs began to pull me toward the dark creatures, weapon firm in my hand.

"You're going to attack. Prepare yourself." He stood behind me, guiding my armed limb upwards.

As soon as they reached me, he slammed the sharpened wood into one of them. Black sludge creeps out from the wound, but I only pull the stick out and jab it in a few more times.

I kick it to the ground and divert my attention to the creature still standing, swiftly stabbing my weapon into its forehead. The creatures are malleable, easy to cut through.

As it slides to the forest floor, I climb on top of it and yank the stick from its head. "I didn't have to do that."

"You'll be doing it a lot more. Get up."

My body moved without my consent again, rising to its feet and wandering back to the pond. "Why did you leave me with an apparition?" I gently ask him on the way back.