The Five Dimensions Part 1: Shadow World

Chapter 19

Jayson's eyes had turned completely black. They shone like ink did and an unnatural smile spread across his face. Hailey instantly knew this wasn't Jayson.

"We've found you," he said with a raspy voice that didn't belong to Jayson; it was a manic, inhuman sound. Hailey felt her voice returning and she screamed as loudly as she could. Jayson ― or whatever it was ― flew at Hailey and ended her scream by pressing his hand over her mouth.

"Hailey!" came from behind the door again. Hailey looked at Nick, hoping that maybe he was still himself. But no luck, his eyes held the same coal-colored emptiness. She looked back at Jayson, without thinking she bit down on his fingers; she tasted his blood in her mouth. She gagged.

In his shock, he let her go just long enough for her to scramble away from him and get back on her feet. She spat out the blood. Jayson snarled with rage and came back towards her. Hailey was cornered, Nick still stood in front of the door and Jayson was closing in. There were no windows, the door was the only exit. Someone was banging on it loudly, but Hailey could've mistaken it for her own heartbeat.

Before Jayson could touch her, Hailey did some quick thinking and grabbed the lamp from the coffee table she was standing next to. She swung it at Jayson with all the power she could call up in her newly readjusted muscles. The lamp broke against the side of his head. She could see blood coming from a dozen tiny cuts. The force of the blow must've shaken him enough to get him back to normal because his eyes had turned back to their regular dull blue.

"No!" Nick yelled and he ran to Jayson, leaving the door unguarded. Hailey saw her chance and managed to open the lock but, before she could swing the door open, Nick got hold of her hair and pulled her back to the ground. She screamed again and the door flew open. One moment Nick was hanging over her and the next he was gone.

Breathing rapidly, Hailey looked around to see Ash on top of Nick. She jumped up and ran out the door, she needed to get air before she suffocated. In a flash, she saw the red-headed woman from before, Nolan and Taliyah standing in the hallway next to the door she had just come out of. A couple dozen eyes followed her as she ran outside. She pushed a couple people that were in her way aside. Only when she reached the hedge did she stop.

She put her hands on her knees, feeling as if she might throw up. Her eyes were still wide and frenzied. She tried to blink, but she couldn't get herself to calm down. She heard someone approach, but she couldn't see who it was.

"Are you all right?" said an unfamiliar voice. She stood up straight very quickly, blood rushed to her head, making her dizzy. She took a few hasty steps away from the man she didn't. Her head was spinning. The man was holding his hands up as if to show he didn't want to do any harm. His jacket revealed his shirt as his arms got higher.

"Get away―" she started but then she saw it, a black bulb sticking out of the side of his pants. "Gun!" she screamed as she tried to run from the man, knowing she had no chance. Hailey saw the man's hand go to his side and everything seemed to slow down. Over her shoulder, she could see the man's arm going up and aiming at Hailey.

Then a red blur sprinted past Hailey and tackled the man. Hailey didn't stop running. Only just before she reached him, she saw Ash standing in front of her. Hailey ran right into his arms, and he closed them around her. Their warmth brought only a distant sense of relief. Her heart was still beating like crazy.

"Ash, do it, now!" a woman's voice yelled. It came from behind Hailey, and it must've belonged to the red blur. Hailey's eyes were wide when she looked at Ash.

He did the most unexpected thing she could've come up with in that moment. He kissed her. But something was off... different somehow. The way he put his hands on her was not passionate, it was as if he was holding her up, or was going to ―

"Ash―" she began to say in objection, figuring out what he was doing, too late. That was when she felt something small fall on her tongue.

"I'm sorry I have to do this," he said.

"What―" Before she could say anything more, she was taken by the heaviness of darkness.