I WAS GOD ONCE

OCTOBER 11, 6:37 PM, 1 DAY AND SIX HOURS REMAINING

        Adam did not realize the car had stopped until a hand grabbed his bad shoulder, began dragging him away. His nose bled and his head ached. He felt his forehead bleeding, blinding his left eye slightly. The hand squeezed, did not let up, and he was too weak, too disoriented to shoo it away. Roughly, it yanked him, pulled him from his seat in the car. He was upside down; he realized that when he struck the ceiling of the car, felt sharp bits of glass bite into him. He was dragged out, through a window, and he felt more of the glass against the asphalt. Everything hurt, and he was thrown onto his back where he could only stare up, dazed.

        Her hand came down, shaped like a fist, to find the middle of his face; instinct, and perhaps something else made him reach, catch it with his good arm.

        His grip was firm enough. Adam blinked wildly, confused.

        "How old are you this time?" She demanded. Her voice was rough. Her other hand shot out, grabbed a fistful of his hair and lifted him; then threw him, hard. The force and strength of her throw was not human and he understood instantly that they were one in the same. He skidded along the asphalt then tried to find his hands and knees, and drag himself up. "Why are we here this time?" She shouted.

        "What-" Adam wheezed, trying to look behind himself. She was approaching fast and he fell backwards, began to crawl back.

        A crowd was forming on the sidewalks behind him. It was only convenient that they were at an intersection; the traffic light flickered red then green but no one dared to drive forward. Lilith almost reached him but he scrambled to his feet, walked backwards to avoid her. His head pounded as though someone were striking his skull with a hammer. Where was Edward? Had he survived the crash?

        Adam tried to reach out, tendrils snaking to find the man, but Lilith snapped.

         "Don't ignore me!"

"What- what do you want?" Adam asked. "Who are you?"

        "You know who I am!" She yelled and rushed him again. He was blinking when she ran at him and he didn't stop her in time. Her hand connected with his jaw with a painful crack. He was thrown aside. Had he been normal, it might have shattered his jaw.

        "Wh-who-" The world was spinning again but he still tried to speak. "I don't- understand-"

        "It's not just Shepard." She shouted. "He's not the one. Who is, then? Who else knows?" She was coming for him again and something inside of him was burning. It wasn't another injury, but something else.

        Anger.

        He caught her fist the third time. She seemed surprised and he gritted his teeth, his other hand reaching, grabbing her forearm. He flung her towards him then stepped aside. Her back struck the light pole hard enough to make it shake.

        Adam stumbled away, staring at her.

       "Shepard. Shepard- why- I don't-" He stammered, trying to make distance between them. "Who else kn-knows what?"

         "About what you've done!" She came at him again, full body this time, and he was ready for her.