Cold air wafted through the worn vents and into the humid building, threading its way through the darkness and onto any surface. Water trailed down the old walls and slipped into the small puddle forming at the base.
Something landed heavily in the center of the room and began to pace restlessly, shuffling its silky wings uncomfortably. The room seemed too small when this enormous beast was present, even the walls seemed to have inched closer to each other. Its hawk eyes darted from one corner of the room to the other, inspecting every wooden crate, every metal box. Its talons scratched the concrete floor as the beast shifted on its haunches.
Ryan contacted Diana via blue tooth as they hid behind the crates on opposite sides. They had been called in minutes ago; as soon as the monster had appeared in the area. It had been reported in their briefing that the monster had made short work of everything and everyone in its path. As it had been to their dismay, they were the only specialized group close enough to get rid of this nuisance before it got out too of hand. Both had managed to get inside when the demon had tried to rip the wall apart with intentions of getting out, and they quickly hid to wait for it to calm down before they made a move and got trampled as a result.
Diana's eyes narrowed as she watched the creature lumbering from crate to crate. Her body posed and ready, itching to make a move now that her break had been so rudely interrupted. Ryan was simply ready to get back to the hotel and sleep.
"I'll distract it." he said, attempting to stifle a stubborn yawn, "And you kill it."
"You make it sound so boring." Diana whispered back, "You're going to make me fall asleep."
Ryan rolled his dark eyes and moved towards the side of the crate to get a better view of the monster. Right now it was spinning restlessly in the middle of the warehouse in search of an exit.
The third Eclipse in this city this month. He thought looking at the beast. After a few moments he replied, “Good, since you need to sleep once we get back to the hotel. Don't forget the food sampling we're doing tomorrow."
Diana let out a purr of delight as she licked her lips. "How could I forget?"
"So let's kill this thing and get back to our sleep shall we?"
"Let's do it." She said while pulling her brown hair back with her fingers and tying it into a bun so it wouldn't get in her way. "Burn it will you?"
Ryan stood up, not minding in the least if the Eclipse saw him at this point. He extended a hand towards it and blew out. Fire danced off his finger tips. The flames turned into whips as they stretched towards the Eclipse. When the fire touched its feathery hide, it outstretched both black amethyst-colored wings and cackled loudly, flapping wildly in a futile attempt to fly away.
"Going somewhere?" Ryan said, now moving his fingers to control the fire whips. They responded to his movement and latched onto the Eclipse, binding it to the floor, and causing it to scream in pain.
Diana swept out of her hiding spot and casually strolled towards the thrashing Eclipse. "You," she spat at it, distaste evident in her voice, "ruined a great dinner." A metallic long sword solidified in the palm of her hand and when she was close enough, she put on a show of spinning the sword a few times before bringing it down on the Eclipse's chest.
The beast growled in pain and promptly fell to its side as it began to die.
She stretched, feeling smug at her accomplishment. Ryan stretched calmly not giving her or the Eclipse a second glance. Bed was his only thought at the moment.
"Look at this pitiful thing." Diana said with a smirk. "If it didn't kill people in such thoughtless manners I might just have kept him as a pet." she sneered.
"It's a good thing that few of the workers were around today... Doesn't seem like any of them here survived." Ryan shook his head, scanning the area around him and looking at the dead bodies sprawled on the ground: bodies that he had managed to ignore much of the night. "I don't think I'd be able to stomach hunting them down all night and erasing their memories."
"Good point," Diana laughed. "But we still need to look for the survivors."
He indicated towards the Eclipse, "Open it up then and see if anyone survived."
Diana crossed her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry love, but you know that's not what I meant." She turned around and began to walk out of the warehouse while waving to Ryan. "Mind if I leave you the clean up? Stabbing it took a toll on my weak arms." she said, flexing.
Ryan shrugged. "Just leave already." he said. "But go look for anyone that might have gotten away after seeing this." he motioned towards the Eclipse.
"Gotcha." she said with a weak wave over her shoulder as she walked away.
Ryan stood next to the Eclipse, lifting his foot and pressing it to its side. Its limp body never responded. With the confirmation of its death, he released a burst of fire from his palm.
Blood pumped through his body, causing a slight euphoria. He chuckled at the high feeling and let the fire slowly engulf the dead beast. But then his eyes widened as the burning body began to swell and expand at a rapid pace, doubling in size within seconds. Ryan spun on his heel in the direction Diana was headed.
"Run!" he shouted. Diana turned around slowly and her beautiful face was the last thing Ryan saw.
The Eclipses body burst and fire came forth, enveloping the building with a small explosion. Diana was thrust back against the wall a few feet from the entrance, but she didn't stay there long. She pulled herself up, ignoring the falling debris around her and the various burns licking her skin. At this moment all the mattered was Ryan. Her body felt heavy, yet she managed to walk towards the place she assumed he last was. A few feet away was his tattered body, and to her slight relief he was still in one piece, but if he was dead then that would have been irrelevant. She limped towards him and kneeled to check his pulse carelessly as her thoughts were inundated by fear.
§§§§
Something seemed to be breaking Ryan’s mind into pieces, his thoughts were jumbled. Random memories would flit forward then disappear, coming in a confusing pace as he drifted inside the darkness of his mind.
"A perfect host." a silky voice said. "Thank you."
A forest clearing appeared around him in a white flash. The trees stood tall and graceful, and the animals chirped and squeaked without a care in the world.
Ryan did a full 360 of his surroundings, charting the area in search of the voice's owner.
"You're dead." the same person said from within the trees.
Ryan laughed humorlessly feeling his body become tense. "Funny how that was the only thing that didn't cross my mind." he surveyed the trees where the voice seemed to be coming from. "Come out." he said.
A tall man walked out of the trees protection without a sound.
"Now tell me how I got here."
The man laughed, throwing his head back. This, Ryan knew, was his way of scaring him. "I have told you already."
"Where am I?" he repeated more sternly.
The man sobered and he began to walk forward. Making Ryan recoil and look for a weapon. "This." he motioned around him. "Is your personal graveyard."
§§§§
There was still a pulse. A weak one, but it was there. Tears spilled over Diana’s cheeks, but she didn't care at the moment. The pain was unbearable, but for the first time she was scared. Scared for Ryan. She leaned down and rested her head on his chest while stifling a sob.
"I'm sorry." she whispered. For what, she did not know, but the constriction in her chest revealed the guilt lurking inside.
"I am so, so sorry."
She lifted her head to look at Danny's face, but what she saw shocked her, making her jump up and step back many feet.
His eyes were wide open, shining bright read, much like a coal when it is freshly ignited. And he bore the most fearsome smile she had ever seen. He looked almost like the very demons they killed.
She was afraid.
Almost terrified.
Diana screamed in agony, her screech piercing through even the thickest walls.