Scribbles and Drabbles

Long Time No See

Written: 2020

"End of the line,"

The wind whipped about Josh as he stood at the edge of the roof, watching as the man he had running from came closer. His edges were flickering as the creature tried to remain tethered to this realm of existence. Its skin was painfully yellow, and eyes were burning like the sun as it approached slowly, step by step.

Josh clutched his right hand tight, painfully aware of the device implanted into his palm. It was just a chip, but the information on it was far too important for Josh to let the creature take it. The drop was too high for him to survive, however. Terror rolled through him, and he grinned.

"I doubt that," Josh shifted, planting his feet ready to move. He'd been in worse situations facing far more dangerous foes that this. He could survive this.

"Delusional," the creature chuckled, still far enough away that Josh stayed still. "I believe that is the word used for when a human doesn't realise that they are beaten." Clicks punctured the words. The form shifted, almost convulsing as the truth of what it was, entered the reality. Spikes appeared on his back and up its spine and skull like a mohawk, a sickening crack as bones moved back and forth. It looked almost insect-like.

"A fair word," Josh laughed, a chill of something going down his back as a different kind of magic whispered around him. "Only, I have this remarkable thing of having faced death one too many times to give up prematurely." His grin turned less gleeful, but he kept the mask on excitement on his face. Inwardly he was cursing.

"That's not very nice," whispered a very familiar voice. Josh swallowed as it settled in the back of his mind, shifting comfortable as it found its old home. "You're in a rather dangerous situation, sweetheart. We're here to help you."

"You had to choose this moment to appear?" Josh grumbled, his heart feeling about to burst with fear. They were back, they were back, and his back was against a metaphysical wall. They had nothing to do with this madness, but that had never stopped them getting their hands dirty before. Last time they had promised, well they always kept their promises. Between them and the thing in front of him, which was worse?

For one brief moment, he wasn't sure. There was another crack as the creature's neck grew, and the answer came. Them, he knew them at least and their capabilities.

"Timing is everything, and we had not realised you were the carrier. Or we would have intervened sooner." Disapproval flicked through him, and Josh was unable to stop the grimace forming on his face. Great, they were annoyed at him. "You should not have been involved in this."

The creature clicked its neck confused as the maniacal look faded from Josh and turned more expected. "Coming to terms with your demise?"

"Something like that," Josh murmured, glancing over the edge.

A group of people waited; one lifted a hand and waved his fingers. "That is a rather deadly situation. I think you should probably jump to safety in my arms," whispered the voice, the smugness almost overpowering. Magic loops hooked around his limbs and tugged sharp, prompting him to jump off the roof. His legs tensed instinctively, keeping him on the roof. "Come on, time to jump. Everything will be fine. Don't you trust us?"