The Demon Inheritance

TWENTY

***

I don't understand.

Where did everyone go?

They couldn't...

I look down at my hands, which are slick in a dark red liquid like sticky soap. It could wash my hands if it wanted to. After all, it cleansed the earth.

It wasn't fair. These mud puddles were red, but where was my blood? Where is my blood among these corpses? Why must I live, when everyone else has died? The carnage is gone, but I can't fight the feeling inside of me. It's sickening, twisting at my stomach, beckoning me to come forward and join my friends in death. But I can't. I don't know why. I want to, but I can't.

My whole body shakes as I slowly turn to look at the person I loved. Their eyes are glazed over. They aren't milky, like they say in the books. They look like they could pop back up at any moment, blinking and laughing like it was all a joke. I am expecting that to happen. But it doesn't, and it is so wrong when they don't breath. So still... So silent...

They should breath.

I have to see them breath.

Those dry lips were trickling blood. I hear a creak as something begins to close in one me. Then, I know I must leave. I know that I must go do the impossible.

It's what they would have all wanted, the dead bodies lying like frozen sleep in front of me.

Before I leave this dimension, I must close all of their eyes. My face should be the last thing they see. And soon, I am saying to the world that birthed me, which will soon disappear...

***

I was in the forest, eyes suddenly woken to be trained on a bird that chirped on one of the thin limbs on the trees. I stopped dead in my tracks, creasing my eyebrows at it as it stood, looking back at me and singing a song only one tone could let you understand. What did I just see? Who is going to die? The spring trees whispered above, harbouring the bird that eyes me.

The bird wouldn't answer my question, so it splayed its wings and fluttered is off, singing as it left my sight

Someone grabbed me by the wrist gently, tone worried. "Emma, you alright?"

I broke my eyes away from the branch and turned to look at Oliver with wide eyes. My face peered back in the reflection of his pupils, so afraid and shocked. His cigarette (I bought him a pack) drooped in his mouth, and the wind drove the smoke away. My jaws were limp, my mouth open slightly. I looked like I had seen into the face of... someone or something worse than Death. The reflection of my fear glinted in his eyes.

"Emma, what's wrong? Extant!"

I blinked at him. "I-I'm okay..." Then, in a more firm (and irritated) voice, I added, "Mind your own business, alright? I will tell you if I need you. I was just daydreaming."

He took my wrist instead of my hand to ward off future protests and dragged me along in the forest, where the rest of the group were already way ahead of us. Our feet crunched against the leaves and pine needles, and my bag clapped against his flank. Minutes into the journey, I snatched my wrist away and picked up the pace.

Eventually, I caught up with Dillan.

"How long until we get where we're going, Dillan Raking?" I slouched a little bit to compete with his shorter height; I looked like a female copy of Carter with the slouch. I hoped the question wasn't stupid. After all, even if I was daydreaming, I should have atleast picked up that much of the information. Eh, but I didn't. He'll have to deal with it.