Closest Demons

Chapter One: Escape

'Shit...' was the only thing that passed through my mind as I felt my head hit the side of the mountain. A large crack had rendered my battle helmet useless. I took in a sharp breath as I forced my weakening body to stand, however, as I did my entire life flashed through my eyes.Everything that lead to this moment. It all started on a night just like this one, many years ago.

20 years ago:

Slowly my eyes opened, my hands bound behind my back. I looked around the pitch black room only to spot fleeting light from the cracks of an old door. Quietly lifting myself up I moved towards that door, I rested my ear against it to try and pick up any noise. I wasn't expecting what I heard. It was pained a frightened scream. The voice sounded familiar to me, as I tried to place it I picked up the sound of foot steps on a stone floor. Since I was only six and stood around 3' 10" there was no way I could really take anyone on with my hands tied, I learned that thanks to my older cousins.

Slowly, and as quietly as I could, I moved beside the door next to the hinges. If I was going to pull this off I would need the element of surprise on my side. With a loud and eerie creek the door opened wide nearly pinning my body against the wall. I sucked in my stomach and moved out from behind the door as the giant man dressed in all black walked into the room. He looked to the left first giving me an opening for my attack, I stepped out from behind the door and sprinted at the man as quick as my legs would let me.

By the time he turned he had little to no reaction time as I jumped and landed a full body headbutt to his stomach knocking the wind from his lungs leaving him gasping for air. However, I never thought that a man's stomach could have been so hard. I tumbled on the ground with the room spinning. Another scream snapped out of my daze. I ran to the man and kicked him in the face until he blacked out. It took so much out of me but, I was use to it, lucky for me he had a hunting knife on his belt. I took the knife with my tied hands and tried to jam it into a crack in the floor with the sharpened blade pointing away from me. Thinking I had little time to work I cut the ropes, however, not without cutting myself as well.

I didn't have time to waste if I wanted to help the one who was screaming, so I did the only thing I really knew how to do and ran like my life depended on it. As I ran I could feel my brave nature fading in the dark hallway. The only lights were old candles that were on metal spikes higher on the walls than I could reach. The sound of dripping water didn't help as its echoes set my nerves on edge drive and my heart thundering in my ears.

It wasn't until a loud boom filed the air and a blinding flash of light lit up the space in front of me, for just a moment, that I realized where I was. A deafening scream came from a slightly open door just down the hall. I stopped on shaking knees. The screaming was coming from my friend. It wasn't long after that I heard someone slowly walking up behind me. I knew that it was now or never. I ran as fast as I could toward the screams. The large metal door was cracked open and light poured out into the thick darkness of the hallway. I reached the door and looked inside. My eyes opened wide in horror.

My friend's older brother, who had gone insane thanks to his work, was cutting into her stomach. I couldn't take it. It felt like something inside of me broke, there was an intense burning in my chest before my body reacted on its own. Before I knew it I lunged at the man and everything went dark. I blacked out and, at the time, I wasn't sure what happened...

When I came too I was laying in a bright white room. An annoying beeping was coming from my left. Slowly, I sat up with a dull stinging pain in my side and back.Both of my arms were wrapped in crisp white bandages. I was confused and starting to panic. As the beeping began getting more frequent with my panic a woman dressed in a nurse outfit ran in and gently placed a hand onto my shoulder. She was talking to me but I couldn't really make out what she was saying. It sounded like I was underwater, but it was slowly going away and I could sort of make out what she was saying more and more as the seconds ticked by.

"It's alright, you're safe. Calm down sweetie, calm down." Those words came through as she gently embraced me in her warm arms, I felt the sting of tears as I tried to calm down. Slowly I raised my arms to hold tightly to the woman as my body trembled. She gently rubbed my back as and hummed softly. I could hear the monitor slow down to a regular pace as my eyes slowly drifted closed. This nurse was very kind to me and, even though it was strange, I enjoyed it.

"See,you're safe now dear. He can't hurt you anymore, or your friend."At the word friend I pulled away, however, before I could say anything she gently rubbed my head and got up from the bed and walked to the thick fabric that split the room into two separate parts.Laying in a bed with a book in her lap was my friend. She looked like nothing was wrong. She was alive and just knowing that, seeing her there, it brought a small smile to my face. I leaned back against the pillows, but feeling pain from the movement released an audible whimper from my lips. The pain was so great I hadn't realized I had curled into the fetal position.

I heard a soft gasp, then rapid, bare-feet on the tiled floor, soon after I felt her small hands on my shoulders. "Ace... Relax you'll be okay," she said softly as she gently helped me to lay back down. She stood on her tiptoes and climbed up onto my bed. Her face held a smile, a smile I was used to seeing every day however it made my heart sink. I felt like I failed her. I promised to always protect her since she was my friend. I looked down at my hands until the door opened.

"Paige,are you ready to head home? The doctor has cleared you. Your father and I are excited to have you back." A tall woman said as she walked into the room. She gave me a kind smile that mirrored friend's perfectly. Paige looked at me and I just smiled and nodded to her.There wasn't any reason for her to stay here with me if she was free to leave.

"Go home, Paige. Don't worry, I'll be right here," I said as I watched her frown. She gave me a hug before slipping off the bed and walking over to the bathroom, where her mother was standing with a set of clothing. Paige took the clothing and walked into the bathroom and came out minutes later. She then walked out of the room with her mother, waving as she went. I hadn't even noticed the nurse that was still there. We both knew that no one would be coming to pick me up like that, not for a while anyway.

Sighing,I laid back and closed my eyes to rest a bit. I wasn't the least bit tired. The pain was still there and it was bothering me. Causing me to try and recall what had happened that night. I didn't know how long I had been out either. It didn't matter I suppose. Whatever happened, I'm just happy that we made it out alive...