She woke up to a dark room. Some bags and other belongs were lying around, but no one except her were in the room. She got up off her bag, that she was sleeping on, and walked to the door. She peered out the open door thinking some of the group must have left and might be coming back, although it wasn't a group member she saw in the dark hallway. A large deformed body was roaming towards her. She quietly stepped back and went to close the door to lock it. By the time it was closed and locked the creature was on the other side listening in.
In a panic she hurried over to her bag and picked up her sword. She continued to the other side of the wall to the bathroom door. When she opened it she saw the silhouette of a figure and a baby. She thought that some of the group had hid in here, but as she got closer to close the bathroom door and lock it, she noticed something very wrong. The figure she mistaken for a group member held a baby by a limb. Her breath caught in throat as she realized she was trapping herself in a room with the living dead, and not only that, but the baby was dead and she was alone to fend for herself.
She shuffled back out the door and lost sight of the creature. She looked around frantically, not sure how to use her weapon now when she wasn't practicing anymore, but actually in a life versus death situation. Then she caught the figure as it jumped at her from the corner of her eye. She tried to dodge and swing her weapon to shew it off. It lunged at her again only this time she didn't see it through the dark. It's hands took her by the shoulders and yanked her off balance.
The two of them were falling when a flash of light hit her eye. It reflected off of her sword. She focused on it just as she hit the floor with the body, and through it the face of creature appeared. It hadn't been human, like a zombie would be, because it didn't resemble one. It's face, as best she could put it, was the face of pure evil. It's skin was shriveled up like it had been mummified. It's skin a burnt color, dark and completely black in the shadows, and it's eyes were as hollow as a tree, but very well alive and very well threatening.
A scream broke out and rang in her ears. It was the sound of fear and agony, and it came from her own sore throat, as the creature bit into the back of her shoulder and neck. A cold sweat came over her, as her heart tightened in her chest. She could feel adrenaline pump through her like a drug. The adrenaline she imagined was fear, taking over her thoughts, in this way it wasn't crippling her, instead keeping her alive for another moment.
Movement came from outside the door and became violent as the other creature crashed in. The creature she saw in the hall was tumbling toward her. She gasped for air as it closed in to join the other. Her arm that held the sword was paralyzed by the bite. As the creature fell over her, she leaned back into the other and then swung her head forward, knocking heads with the creature. In the same moment the other behind her removed its mouth as she jerked around. It let out an upset moan. She moved quickly, punching the creature atop of her in the jaw as its head came back. This time she sent it falling to her right side. Then she was yanked back again. She let herself be pulled and helped by pushing off with her feet. The one by her side was recovering and moving in. She rolled to her left once the one under her lost grip. She rolled once more to create distance and got to her knees. Her arm hung to her side, limp. She searched the floor and only saw the creature that came through the hallway. The one from the bathroom had been smaller, she figured, and it was faster, too.
There wasn't much time to come up with a plan. She still was fighting for her life. Trapped in a dark room and not well trained with fighting. It was unlikely she could keep punching her way out of this one. Sure things about her felt and looked different when she came into this dimension, but she didn't know how to punch well and didn't just magically gain strength. Who knew when her energy would run out. She hadn't had anything to eat all day. The truth was it is a miracle she was still breathing. In a hurry she took the blade from her right hand and held it in her left. It felt awkward in her other hand. She did everything with her right.
The blade twinkled in the little bit of light coming through the small bordered window. She could try and escape through it, but it would take an amount of time to pull out the planks of wood. She could use her blade for leverage, but that meant she'd be vulnerable. She couldn't imagine killing a creature, especially two, and when one was quite fast and hidden. Her only plan was to continue protecting herself and make it out of the room, hopefully in one piece. It was probably safer inside than out. She wasn't sure what to expect outside. She also didn't know where she was other than the room.
Think! How did I get here? She couldn't remember, only that earlier before she fell asleep, there were others; people who could fight, people who've been here longer, people who were more capable in her situation. When she had teleported here in this world, her blade and sheath was already in her hands. The blade wasn't metal as she slid it from the sheath, instead it looked like bone, but transparent. She looked at it now, it was as foreign as everything else here. The blade felt distant in her palm. She had trouble keeping grip, and while defending herself with it, she was afraid of the blade slipping out of her hand.
She leaned against the wall, her vision blurring as the creature crept closer. She notice how she felt no pain when the wound on her back and neck met the wall. She took a breath and smelled nothing. The air was neither cold or stuffy the way she had been imagining it. Her head spined as she realized her loss of her senses. She knew she could feel, right? Or did her mind just tell her that she was in pain when she saw the creature bite her. How trippy it was to think your mind has that much power. She felt more scared about not feeling than the danger reaching for her. She thought to test it. In a deep breath, she closed her eyes anticipating the feeling of hands on her. She imagined hands but when she opened her eyes the creature was only standing there.
She watch it in confusion and fear. She understood none of anything going on. There was a twitch at the corner of the creature's mouth. It's once vacant eyes twinkled with what seemed like excitement, as its mouth formed a grin. Her throat caught again, only this time she was holding back from crying. Her mind told her to keep her eyes open, but the part of her conscience self told her to close them. When she did she still felt nothing. She waited and opened her eyes finally.
The two creatures were over her. One had her right arm in its mouth, the other's head was on her stomach. At first she winced, then relaxed. It was the first time in her life that pain was absent. She was in a dark room with ugly creatures, and her body was being torn through, but she felt nothing. Her adrenaline subsided. She felt like sleeping but continued to watch. Dark pools ran down the creatures' faces. It was like watching a horror flick. Her eyes kept trying to close and her thoughts became foggy. She still could hear though, and that was scary. The sound of them chewing and ripping through flesh. Then she heard the sound of footsteps marching closer. They were faint at first then were at the door. A man's voice shouted something and then the chewing stopped.
Her eyes squinted to see a dark figure in the doorway while the other two above her got to a crouch. The smaller and faster one ducked into the dark and the bigger slower one went stumbling towards the figure. It looked to be moving as fast as it could but was very awkward as it did. Her eyes closed again and she forced them open just enough to see a blade slice the bigger creature in two. The man swung his sword all the way around just as the other smaller creature attacked him from behind. The blade took its arm off. The man brought it down before it could escape. He yanked the blade from its skull.
Her eyes closed again only this time she could not force herself awake.
YOU ARE READING
Bladed
General FictionA young woman wakes up alone in an unfamiliar world of darkness and death. She has no memory of who she is or where she came from, only her intuition tells her "this is not where I belong," as she fights to stay alive.
