Soul-Bound

Chapter 8 : Fallen Angel

"It's only a matter of time." Forlorry said in a malicious laugh.
"Time until what?" Ella said through her gag.
He gave a look of disgust, "Until your husband comes looking for you. But by the time he arrives, he'll only have my newest creation."
Ella's heart dropped. She couldn't see what he was doing on the table across the room from her, but she knew it wasn't good. Her eyes darted around looking for a way to escape.
It was a small cabin hidden in the woods. Two floors with a total of 3 rooms including a large living room for a first floor. They must have been inside one of the rooms on the second floor as it looked like a bedroom. There were two large tables that spanned the sides of the room that were filled with different vials and jars of indescribable things.
"Do you know why I do what I do?" Forlorry chuckled softly as he grabbed a needle. He turned around to face Ella and stuck the needle in a jar of a yellow liquid and sucked it into the needle.
Ella let out a cry for help as she shuffled around in the chair.
"I do it because nobody else will. God gifted me the ability to see into the future and plan ahead. With His help and guidance I became the prophet I am today." He walked close to Ella and grabbed her by the throat. "If I have to force God's will upon the ungrateful children, then I shall."

Mann and Lily ran through the forest dodging stray bullets. They ran until they reached rapids that were too strong to cross by foot.
"I gotta go look for her." Mann turned around with a panic slowly invading his heart. He paced back and forth wondering where he could find her.
"We have no idea where she'll be." Lily coughed. "How would you even find her?"
"Forlorry can't be far from Tristantown. If he consistently came for supplies then he must have been close by. I'll find one of his followers and make them talk." Mann said with a conviction in his tone. Nothing would stop him, not even Lily. He darted off into the woods, sun still high in the air, he wanted to know where he could find them.
As Mann ran, Lily followed behind but without him knowing. She couldn't leave him alone, not after all they've been through.
Mann found himself running for nearly an hour before finding this large shack surrounded by makeshift sniper towers. Nobody was watching the forest it seemed leaving that one large structure alone.
He took a good look at the Apple. The more he used it, the more he seemed to become part of the Apple. It glowed bright when in his hands compared to Ella when she had it.
"I'm willing to be she's there." Lily said softly.
"I thought you weren't gonna come and look for her." Mann said in a snarky tone. "I do appreciate it though. Just didn't expect it."
"You two are the only people I consider safe nowadays." Lily said smiling but hiding pain. The last couple of hours were a life changing experience that she couldn't tell if she enjoyed or hated.
"I didn't want you to get dragged in. This bloodshed isn't good for anyone." Mann sighed. "I just wanna live a good life again."
She nodded, "Me too."
AAWOOOOOOOOO!
A loud howl came from the shack followed by a deafening silence. Mann and Lily looked at one another but Mann bursted into a sprint towards the shack.
KRAKOOOM!
In an instant the entire shack imploded, throwing Mann back. The Apple flying out of his grasp. Splinters and shards flew into the sky and rained hell onto the ground. Mann got to his feet quick and looked at the Beast.
"What a pleasant surprise!" Forlorry chuckled loudly. "You're here for your precious wife's rebirth!"
Mann's heart skipped a beat then fell a thousand miles. "What did you just say?"
Forlorry laughed, "Did I spoil it so soon? Ella here is now a pet of the Soul Bound Effect! God has given her a new light. Don't you understand?"
"I-you mother fucker." Mann reached for his gun but Ella leaped into the air and crashed down upon him. She held him down with her paws and chomped close to his face. He could still see her eyes hidden beneath the beast she became. "Baby it's me! Come on!"
Ella winced back, loosening her grip. Her head getting fuzzy as she was ripping between beast and human. Mann lifted her paws and shoved her away before dashing back towards where Lily was.
Ella growled and chased close behind, crashing into trees and falling over in a feral state. She wouldn't listen to him again and he knew there was only one thing left.
Ella launched herself towards Mann at an immense speed and tackled him to the ground.
"NO!"

God always found his way into my life. Never bothered me, I never bothered him. It was a strange idea that there was this being that watched over us. But I felt comfort knowing he was there. I never fully devoted myself to a religion but I felt spiritually connected regardless. Then for some reason I decided to become a follower of the church. I got baptized and a sister among the people. They trusted me. They put their faith into me that I could communicate with God alongside them. Deep down inside I knew I used the power I had to get what I wanted. Though minuscule things like food or clothing, it wasn't a holy lifestyle. I was so close to making one of the members cheat on his wife with me but then the Big Bang, as Mann calls it, happened. Suddenly life was a lot more interesting and frightening. At the same time more harder to experience and enjoy. People turning into monsters, people killing and raping each other, and some people voluntarily breeding others to preserve mankind. What a world, hm? Even now as things in Tristantown fall apart, I know that I was given a purpose. I can finally fulfill that purpose.
Mann hit the ground, Ella breathing heavily and whimpering on top of him. A blade deep inside of her lungs slowly drained the life from her. Mann put Ella on her side and slowly retracted the blade. "I love you. Forever."
"What a touching moment, eh?" Forlorry unsheathed this long blade pulsing with an electrified energy.
"You took the one person I couldn't live without." Mann said standing tall, tears slowly falling from his eyes. "The only person worth a life."
"Give me the Apple and I'll let you die alongside her." Forlorry slowly stepped towards Mann but Mann ran towards Forlorry. They clashed blades in a duel of fate. Mann's dagger against Forlorry's sword. Though Forlorry had an upper hand in weapon strength, Mann was smarter in battle.
"For a Priest with intent, you sure fight like shit!" Mann collided with Forlorry's sword and they stood at a stalemate for a moment.
"You boast as though you will see the end of this day." Forlorry cackled.
Mann slid his dagger towards the top of Forlorry's sword and maneuvered around him to the backside. Forlorry caught on quick and bashed Mann in the chest with the hilt of his sword. That one blow shocked Mann's body nearly breaking his rib cage. Mann fell to the floor gasping for air.
"You see...people like us aren't beautiful enough for God." Forlorry smirked. "We were meant for this world, Mann. We were meant to be animals."
Forlorry cocked back his sword and swung down.
KERBOOM!
A hole blasted through Forlorry's chest. He looked down at the gaping wound before succumbing to them moments later. He fell with a loud thud and his body dissipated slowly. The skies began to clear as time moved slowly.
Lily stumbled over towards Mann, Apple in her hands and close to her chest. "I don't have much time. When she rises, grab the Apple and reset the timeline. Restart this world. Make it right. Promise me!"
Mann finally catching his breath, stumbled to on knee. "What?"
"Just promise me. Okay?" Lily gripped the Apple tight in both hands. Her veins glowing with power but slowly fading as her life was being drained into the Apple.
"Wait no! What the hell are you doing?" Mann tried to stand but his chest was throbbing in pain. "Don't do this! There's always another way!"
"Goodbye." Lily threw her head back as the Apple transferred her life into Ella's body. Her beast form steadily reverted back to human form. Ella regained her natural state and lie pressed against a log.
Mann was left speechless, the Apple rolled by his feet. His heart cried but he couldn't. He just sat back against a mossy rock and gripped his chest. For once, he couldn't hear screams in the distance. He couldn't hear gunfire or explosions. All he heard was the stream drifting away and birds chirping.
What do I do here? How do I even make a new world? All this fucking drama over an object that shouldn't exist. God knows this Apple is his power. The power to create life, or destroy it. The only question remains, who am I to become God? Mann thought. He found himself slowly crawling on his hands and knees towards Ella. Her body lay dormant against the log with little sign of waking up. He placed the Apple between them and sat there waiting for Ella to wake up.
He waited and waited. . .