The Degenerate (TO BE REWRITTEN...SOON)

CHAPTER 10: Swallowed Whole

A/N: Here is a fellow Wattpadian that I would like to introduce to you all (who, by the way is MUCH more talented than I). Her stories really are great- a few, specifically, that would be PERFECT for a night such as this. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

CHAPTER 10: Swallowed Whole

Heat.

Heat scorched my face.

Tiny, hard grains of...sand?

I was outside?

My eyes popped open to be greeted with burning, bright light; sun. Just as a choking, dry sensation claimed my airways and I hacked up a lung, Thor's hammer pounded on my skull and lightning bolts of pain wired through my brain cells.

I shielded my eyes from the sun and slowly sat up. Clutching my pounding head, I coughed again, this time breaking something apart inside.

Surrounding me was an endless landscape of craggy mountains, hills, and sand. Shrubs covered most of the ground, one in particular covering most of my body in a slightly protective shade. With a seed of dread in my stomach, I looked all around to find the warehouse- or some form of civilization- out of sight.

Panic overloaded my senses and my stomach clenched at the sensation.

Did I get too drunk last night? The headache and amnesia made sense- the only thing not adding up was the fact that I was lying in the middle of (what I assumed to be) the Mojave desert, with no sign of human activity, safe the possible hermit camping out in the mountains. Was someone playing a prank on me? Had Rick put something in my drink and dragged me-

My line of thoughts was brutally chopped as images from a horror movie flashed before me. Bloody tiles. Splattered walls. A bloody face. My red hands...

My memory came back to me then like snapping spandex. I put my head between my knees as the hammer pounded harder, pain pulsing behind my eyelids. A series of groans emitted from my throat-or most of them. Another set of noise caught my attention and I lifted my head, squinting. About fifteen feet away from me a man sat, appearing to have just come out of a sleep or trance. Grunting, I got on my feet, resulting in an intense bout of vertigo.

“Hey!” A gruff voice called. I waved towards the man as I regained my balance, clutching my head in my other hand. As we neared each other, I saw that his clothes were dirty and sand encrusted. A quick look at my own attire proved that I was just as nasty and grungy as him.

“Anthony?” I questioned in disbelief. Was he the one who dragged me out here? Or- my stomach twisted unpleasantly- had it been someone else? My eyes widened in fear-had we been stranded?

“Banner?” Anthony echoed back in his familiar, too-deep-to-be-sixteen voice laced with anger, “did you do this?”

I gave him an incredulous look. “And exactly how would I of hauled your heavy ass out here?" Though he wasn’t exceptionally tall, Anthony’s dirty clothes hinted non-too subtly at what lie beneath; an impressively built form. I scowled inwardly for my interest.

"Well then who did?"

The sound of another awakening caught both of our attentions. A girl grunted from under a shrub, concealed just as I had been, and twisted her gaze around in disorientation. Anthony and I both approached her, and the blond faced us. It was Phoebe.

“The hell…” She muttered and frowned up at us, her eyes resting on Anthony. Realization suddenly broke free of the clouds in her sky blue eyes. “Blades. Shit!” She cursed and practically leaped to her fee, recovering faster than I had.

“Phebes, what are you talking about?” Anthony questioned as he touched her hand. I crossed my arms.

Phoebe brushed a few strands of platinum from her eyes and faced us with the wary eyes of a worn warrior. “Where are we?”