The Unnaturals

Chapter 24

This is a part I wrote a long time ago, and I found it and decided to post this for the heck of it. I'll probably continue this story once I'm done with my other book, Light and Sacrifice, and I'll probably also do some much needed edits. Hopefully the chapter is enjoyable anyway!

It seemed as though nothing had been there one moment, and the next, there was something.

It stood almost seven feet tall, towering over me. It was wearing armor of some sort, and it had a long, curved sword in its right hand. Dark, black mist surrounded the figure, but its most chilling feature was its face. It was hidden deep inside a cowl, but it almost looked like it had no face; it was just darkness, blacker and deeper than the pits of hell.

I lunged out of the way just as the sword would have taken out my guts. Landing on the floor, I rolled until I was out of reach, and then jumped to my feet. The creature was, in a second, behind me, and would have cut off my head had I not been able to sense it. I ducked just in time, hearing the whistle of the air where my neck had been. And in the time it took me to duck, it was already on another attack, and for the first time I had to strain my reflexes to move out of the way.

I won't last long like this. I need an offense.

Tearing my eyes away from the figure, I glanced around my room. My eyes spotted my pocket knife on the desk.

Sprinting towards it, I was suddenly dragged back by some unseen force, and a piercing, encompassing pain ripped through my leg.

The scream that tore through my throat didn't sound like it belonged to me, but some wounded animal in a far off field.

It burned, seeming to radiate more pain the more time passed. But I didn't have long to recover; the sword was already curving towards my heart.

In a last-ditch effort, I flung up my hands to protect my chest.

Again, that biting, searing pain cut into my palms, and black blood dripped down my arms. Somehow, it didn't cut all the way through, and even in the midst of pain and burning, I wondered if the figure had pulled back, if he wasn't trying to kill me.

Then the sword was flicked across my wrist, and the pain became unbearable. Writhing on the floor, I tried to protect myself, but was unable to evade the proceeding slashes across my body. My shoulder, chest, and arms were in so much pain my brain started to shut them down, and everything became numb and tingly. I knew that if I didn't do something soon, I would die, and then Evelyn would, too.

That thought somehow gave me strength; it was alright if I died, but for my weakness to be the cause of someone else's? No way.

The sword coursed through the air towards me again. Already screaming from pain, I grabbed the blade and stopped it in its tracks. The figure regarded me for one, cool moment. Then I ripped the blade from its hand, rolled to my feet, flipped the sword around, and stabbed it in the stomach with its own blade.

There was a moment of complete silence, like time had slowed down. Sound was cut out; until a loud, unbearable screech filled my ears, becoming the only sound I knew. It was darkness, and pain, and blood. It was the cry of something that was soulless and dying.

And then it vanished, in a puff of black mist. The sword became hot, too hot to hold, and I dropped it. It landed soundlessly on the carpet, black mist surrounding the object like it was cursed. I had no doubt it was.

My wounds continued to burn and fester. Time was not making the pain go away, it seemed to get worse. After I dropped the sword, not wanting anyone to find it there but also reluctant to touch it, I had wrapped it in a towel and hidden it in my closet. Now, with that done, I swayed on my feet, the world closing in. Evelyn said something, but I couldn't hear her. The room tipped, and everything went black.