EMBLEM

VII: Out Of Our Control

After leaning in closer, Xander noticed another detail. One that he was surprised to have not seen immediately.

A scar.
Large and wide, across the girl's neck.

Just as he frowned at the old photograph, trying to make sense of the strange scene or why someone would have taken that picture, the candle blew out, plunging Xander into near utter darkness.

Stumbling back, he fumbled his way out of the door, still holding the picture tightly.

Pausing in the doorway to take a breath, Xander was immediately frozen still at the sight before him.

There was a creature, stood at the other end of the corridor, silently staring back.

It didn't move, only its chest shuddered up and down with each wheezing breath.

It was a good fifty yards between them, but this didn't make Xander feel any safer. After all, there was nowhere to run.

The creature appeared to female, with long, drooping breasts and darker skin around its genitalia. The rest of her skin was a dark, browning green, with bumps and black spots dotted in groups all over. Her spine was bent, her back crooked at an almost perfect ninety-degree angle. With her upper torso upright, her legs also bent down from the jutting hips, thick thighs with rotting, dry skin peeling off.
Her legs almost came to a point, with small black feet that had no toes somehow holding her upright.

Her arms were long and thin, bone poking through the skin, each hand with an oversized set of three, fleshy claws. Her neck was two times too long, supporting an oval-shaped face with a large dent to the left of her forehead. Long, black hair sprouted out from the top of her head, falling just past her shoulders, which were pointed and triangular.

Her mouth was a gaping hole, no nose and two, deep black holes for eyes, similar to the Blood-Collector.
Only, they weren't completely empty. Hers instead had a tiny, pinprick white glow in the centre, burning into Xander's very soul.

He couldn't run past her, she must have been at least twice the size of him, taking up nearly the entire corridor.

However, she didn't actually move to attack. Just stayed there still, staring endlessly.
Xander could have remained there too, frozen with fear for hours were it not for the next sound he heard.

Emilia's voice flooded down the hall, coming from one of the rooms behind the terrifying creature. She was crying out, screaming.
She was in danger.

Then, it was as if something took over him. Xander's paralysing fear vanished in a heartbeat and he began to run forward, straight toward the ghastly creature.

It didn't move, instead silently watching him grow nearer and nearer, blocking his way.

Gritting his teeth, Xander raised his hands, praying over and over again in his mind.

Then, his prayers were answered as the creature flew back, crashing into the wall behind it.

Smiling triumphantly, Xander ran through the opening full speed, letting Emi's cries for help guide him through the twisted building.

However, this feeling of success didn't last long.
Skidding to a halt, he found the opening to a new, large room and saw her.

Emi was fending off another one of the creatures, yet another twisted amalgamation of the humanoid form.
This one only really had a torso. Arms where they were supposed to be, only, its legs also happened to be arms. There was no neck, no head, just the body. And right across what should have been its chest was a giant mouth, grinning wide as it salivated, drool dripping over its grey lips.