Cross My Heart

Chapter Five ~ Maybe I'm Just Like That

My blade swings forth before I register what's going on, slicing across the wrist of the possessed that barrels towards me and knocking aside its first strike. It collapses to the floor a few feet away, limbs nearly mangled, only to shoot upright again as if spring-loaded with a claw aimed at my esophagus. I throw my hand up to catch its wrist, but the force drives me to the floor. My head just barely rolls out of the way of a punch delivered with power nearly enough to cave in my skull like a watermelon.

The beast's strength is unimaginable. A normal human could be overpowered, but it's like I'm being mauled by a bear. It rears back with an open mouth and brings down its maw inches from my face, and I'm forced to let go of the scissors to brace against it with my hand. The jaws snap shut violently and repeatedly.

Its breath is strikingly clean and strangely alluring. It smells of honey and fruit, though clearly feigned. I grit my teeth and shove at it harder, pulling my legs up, struggling against its towering frame until I have just barely enough room to pulverize its ribcage with the short yet knifepoint shaft of my heel. It howls and stumbles backwards after a resounding snap from the impact, and I scramble upright as it recovers, spinning downwards to snatch my blade off the floor.

I meet its second lunge just as I turn back around, the edge of the shears slamming into its palm and sending sparks of something between flame and magic flying. I barely manage to sidestep as it attempts to cave in my skull from above, spinning my blade into reverse grip and slamming the hilt into its shoulder with all the force I can muster.

It stumbles backwards, struggling to find a foothold, yet managing to stay upright. It speaks in choked words. "Immortal... I am... Will, will be... You, will be...!"

It lunges forwards again, and I sidestep the attack, ducking low to slice across its thigh. It digs in deep, but no blood is spilled. It howls as hair spills from the wound instead - A feral noise akin to a lion's roar, yet somehow you can faintly hear the uproarious laughter of that girl behind the choked noise. It leans down and slices at my legs, the searing pain forcing me down as the beast's fingers catch in my ankle like knives.

It drags me across the ground, pulling me closer to it. I slam my heel into its elbow - It recoils with a shriek, giving me just enough time to pull it towards me instead and drive the metal hilt of the scissors into its elbow again, forcing it to release me.

The pain is electric. It's like barbed wire wrapped taut around my ankle as I hobble away, the adrenaline being the only thing allowing me to run fast. The altars behind me are still soaked in blood, and the bodies strung up by the hair above turn to always face me, always pointing right between my eyes - I've left the room, but I can only imagine they're still jeering at me. I whip around the corner and slam my back against the wall, just barely avoiding a tsunami of flailing tentacles of hair and arms shooting through the hall behind me, puncturing the wall and barreling right through. The sound is explosive, and the rumble from the tremor briefly makes me imagine being buried under the entire building crumbling on top of me.

Wake up. Wake up. This is a dream - None of this is real. You're going to be okay. You'll be fine. You can do this. You can do this.

My body betrays my brain's attempts at affirmation. Legs shivering, hands trembling. There's a dry pressure in my throat, stifling tears. My breath is ragged enough to almost not be coming out. I'm sweating - My reflection in the blade is smudged with unidentifiable muck, something between blood and bleach that bubbles idly as it attempts to eat through my only weapon.