The Birth (The Black Wing Book 1)

by Yvette, Miriam

What is this—who would do something this!

  I shook my head and squeezed my eyes. There it is again—walking to the hang stand. We can clearly see the iron ball it’s dragging—but is this really Shadow?

  “Let’s begin!” shouted Colin. “This Vermin is hereby sentenced to death for the unmerciful murder of James, Gregory, and Bates our brave scouters who perished in the attempt to re-capture this monster. When we captured this monster, it became our responsibility from God to wash it out of this earth. This is the only way we will we finally be freed by this wretched evil!”

  The crowd shouted and cursed at the vermin, they reacted in union spilling more hate on Shadow than they did on Rat. I looked endlessly at Shadow. Nobody is surprised by the appearance of Shadow, nobody except us.

  “The vermin shall be hanged until dead, the remains shall be thrown into the sacred fire!” announced the Abundant One.

  The community celebrated and hailed.

  I blinked…

  …I rubbed my eyes…

  …this is no lie…

  …what I’m seeing is real…

  …how can Shadow be…

  …a little girl.

  Chapter Thirty

  Execution Day

  “…the Abundant One gave the signal.”

  Her black hair fell down to her ankles, a black ragged dress covered her thin body. She stood on the gallows barefooted like a prisoner—like us. Ethan and Colin led her near the handstand, her gaze committed to the floor. The shaking of her shoulders came with a slight innocent sniffle. Our supposedly dangerous, brave, hero, called Shadow is really a little girl.

  “That’ can’t be Shadow.” I finally said.

  Colin’s head turned to us, and cracked a smile.

  “So that’s why the crazy pastor acted strange today, you two wanted to see your…savior!”

  “Silence Colin, let’s continue before the minister hears us.” said Ethan.

  His hand firmly grabbed a tight hold on the child’s shoulder. Her appearance is pathetic, the Shadow we imagined was better than this, and he would’ve escape by now. All she’s doing is sulking, and letting Colin lace the rope around her neck.

  “You guys must be really disappointed.” Colin chuckled silently. “Believing someone can overthrow us. With the Abundant One as our leader—we are invincible. As for this one, she’s done for.”

  “You’re all liars!” shouted Rat. “That’s not him! That’s not Shadow!”

  His voice cracked, and echoed. The Abundant One, and the guards turned at us with a sour face. I want to make a run for it, but Rat is preventing me from moving. He whimpered.

  “Rat!” I exclaimed.

  I understand his frustration. His hope of Shadow turned out to be lies, his mentality is breaking. Rat raised his dirty finger at the little girl. She hunched with her black hair veiling her face, but I can see her eyes peeked at us.

  “You are not him, you are not him! You can’t possibly be Shadow, you are nothing! You’re not worth being admired you—”

  When I felt blood splattered on my face, he fell silently. A bullet dug a hole on Rat’s forehead. I held my breath, the blast that took Rat’s life echoed across the land. The girl slowly rose her head, mindful of what just happened, and lowered them. She turned back to face the crowd of villagers. Staring at them is far better than the gap on Rat’s forehead.

  Colin chuckled, and put his gun away, he didn’t fire at me because he knows I’m an obedient coward. Killing me will take away all of his fun.

  Rat’s body twisted when he fell, half of his face drowned on his pool of his blood. His dirty messy hair covered the uneasy sight of his eyes that rolled in opposite directions. I quivered at the sight, my cheerful cellmate, our Rat is dead. Now I’m attached to a cold, lifeless body. I’m sure the men below heard the gun fire, I wonder what they’re thinking, what they’re whispering among each other.

  The Abundant One continued like nothing had happened. He told a tall tale of the girl’s demonic power. I wiped Rat’s blood off my face, and analyzed the girl. From what I can see, she’s completely harmless. Her shoulders are trembling without control. I am more disgusted with the Abundant One than I ever thought possible. Their reasons to condemn a child is unbelievable, it’s wicked. If I can guess her age, she looks no older than 6 or 7 years old. Soon, this girl and I are not far from looking like Rat, lifeless. The Abundant One went on with his long speech to the crowd, the more he speaks, the more she shakes. She’s terrified. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try and comfort her. With the little time left I have to live, it’s the least I can do now.

  I whispered to her, but she didn’t budge, I told her to look my way, but I don’t believe she heard me. Until my third attempt, she shyly turned towards me. Her dark hair acted as curtains over her face, she resembled a child from a horror movie. I tried to smile, but I can only manage to keep my face flat. A strong draft of dust blew pass us, moving her ebony hair out of her face. Her tears made a path down her round dirty cheeks. Her eyes appear to be red from excessive crying. I exposed my teeth in another attempt to smile, and ease her troubled soul.

  “Don’t be afraid.” I whispered. “You’re going to be okay.”

  Her mouth unglued themselves from her sticky lips. Her eyes widen like she literally believed my words.

  “It’s okay” I said.

  Now I feel terrible for making her fall for my words so easily. For her sake, I added more.

  “You’ll be safe.”

  Her large eyes looked at the floor, still shocked that perhaps someone has finally showed kindness to her. She then looked up at the sky. The girl never looked interested in the community, but now she looked at everyone, and her surroundings. It’s as if she was blind, and she just learned to see. Finally her attention returned back at me.

  “I’ll get you out of here.” she whispered.

  My head hit the back of the wall, her words surprised me.

  “Silence!” yelled Colin, smacking her across the face. “Matthews, one more peep and you’re going to end up just like him.”

  For once, what Colin just said didn’t trigger the slightest terror. The girls reply lingered in my mind. I’m the adult here—I’m the one who should be saying that to her. The Abundant One gave Colin, and Ethan a signal that brought my heart to race.

  “It is time” he announced. “We will rid this demon from its puppet body.”

  Ethan checked to see if the rope around her neck was secured, Colin looked below the gallows to confirm everything was set for her to meet her fate.

  “Rejoice!” yelled the Abundant One—his young face wrinkled with excitement. This evil man has a dirty way of getting electrified by the death of others. A part of me wants to do something for this girl, but I’m too terrified—I don’t want to end up like Rat.

  Colin and Ethan moved back to allow the Abundant One to give the order. I want to look away, but it will do her no justice. Without any warning the Abundant One raised his hand towards the sky and gave the signal. I cried out. Down she fell, her long hair became the last to sink below. The rope caught her weight by the neck.

  Her feet slapped against each other, her voice kept hissing—gasping for air. The rope creaked as it swung her side to side. As the seconds went by, she continued to struggle. The tapping became slow, and then, there was silence.

  I rest my head on the bloody floor in defeat. I have seen enough. This was supposed to be Rat’s triumph over me. Now he’s dead. Shadow was supposed to do the impossible, turns out he doesn’t exist. This innocent girl was just murdered and I did nothing to help.

  “Colin.” I whispered. “Shoot me now.”

  Colin smiled at my request, and aimed his gun at me. I closed my eyes in acceptance. Then a woman screamed, the little girl’s nerves must have jerked, and frightened her. Without taking any chances, Colin and Ethan leaned to the edge of the gallows, and shot at the now dead child. I can’t hold my anger any longer.

  “Haven’t you al
l had enough?” I cried. “For God’s sake she’s dead!”

  A mysterious girl leaped a high distance and landed on the gallows. Her small body ran directly to Colin who shrieked, and shot at her. The girl dug her hands through Colin’s neck, and slammed him on the floor. He gurgled in his own blood, shaking uncontrollably. Ethan and the rest of the guards below surrounded the girl. She looks out of the ordinary alright. Her pale skin didn’t burn from the scorching sun and her glossy hair is as white as the moon. When Ethan gave the order to fire, she spun back into the crowd where the remaining the villagers cried. Ethan’s order to shoot, led the guards to shoot down at the innocent bystanders. No one questioned his order.

  The white haired girl dashed through the crowd, and vanished among the crowd. She’s so fast, when I thought I found her, it was only a blurry illusion. The only thing I can see is blood leaking off the neck of those she came in contact. The crowd went into a mass confusion, everyone ran in opposite directions. On the peak roof of the church where, she revealed herself and stared down at everyone. The guard aimed, and fired, but the white-haired girl leaped to the side of the wall like a spider. Her weight leaned sideways, clinging on the wall with one hand. The bullets kept shooting at her, but none could hit the swiftness of her body. The pale girl jumped off the black church, and ran into the roofs of the nearby homes.

  The sense of reality could not free me, I remained in captivity by her movements. She leaped building to building like it was a stepping rock. During the calamity, Ethan hasn’t fired a round. But when her direction changed, she went towards us. Now he aimed his gun at her, and fired. His excellent shot forced her to revert back into the ground, joining the frantic crowd.

  Trent took out the pistol that burst my tire, and opened fire at her. He’s either too slow or too afraid to react, that instant, the girl grabbed his wrist, and swung him around. Her small body twirled, and twirled. Trent’s body looked like a big pillow swinging on a girl’s sleepover. The villagers who didn’t get out of the way were whacked and beaten by Trent’s body, then she flung him at Ethan, and his men.

  The guards are unable recuperate from seeing a tiny child throw a bulky man. In their hesitation, the white-haired girl sickly continues to stab everyone in her path. Strangely, she only went for the neck. Among the group of startled guards, Ethan kept his composure. He aimed for the second time, and fired again. The bullet hit her arm, speeding through the crowd didn’t help her this time. The force of Ethan’s bullet threw her to the ground. She’s powerful alright, but her weight couldn’t handle the bullet’s force.

  In that moment, her dubious red eyes gleamed around, looking for something. She didn’t cry or wail about her bleeding arm. She ignored all senses of danger until her demonic eyes locked onto mine. She targeted me and went my way, I crawled away pulling Rat’s corpse along. I’m her next victim!

  “Stay back!” I cried.

  The demonic child grabbed me by the neck, and pulled me against the wall, her strength equal to a man.

  “This one?” she asked herself. “This one!” she repeated.

  “Demon!” howled the Abundant One.

  His attention faced us, the guards re-aligned themselves, their weapons aimed at us, waiting for the order of their minister.

  This entire time, the murder of his men, and people didn’t bother him. The chaos unmoved him, it’s almost like he expected this would happen. More able guards arrived, and joined the force against this demonic child.

  “I’ve been looking for you for quite a while.” said the Abundant Once. “Many years to be in fact.”

  The white haired girl released me from her grip, where I caught my need to breathe. The bullet wound in her arm bled, it trailed down her arm, and dripped on the gallows like any human. Her blood isn’t green or purple like a monster—it’s just red. She took a few innocent steps towards the Abundant One, and his guards.

  “As I imagined, it took this long for you to show yourself. I waited for the confirmation, and now I can clearly see it. Your strength, and your red eyes tell me you’re not human—not like the other girl.” said the Minister.

  The Abundant One spoke to her casually, he didn’t resume his holy cleaning, and neither did he threaten her. I became as confused as the guards, too weary to keep their guns from shacking.

  “I don’t know how you came to this planet, but let me assure you. I was capable of sensing your power from the other side.”

  Ethan looked at his leader, he lowered his weapon, and asked him why he was saying such words, but the Abundant One ignored him.

  “The other side is not aware of our presence yet. That is why I took the form of a humble minister.”

  “Abundant One, why are you talking to this monster after your men, and people have died!” yelled Ethan.

  The Minister raised his hand towards the sky. He kept it in the air for a long while. His eyes kept its focused on the girl.

  Ethan looked up, silently drawn by it. Suddenly, the Abundant One’s arm stretched, his skin grew wide. His pale skin turned pink, bubbling boils began to grow out of the pores of his skin. The arm became so large it slammed Ethan against the floor. Some of the guards ran, a few fired at the minister. The crowd of villagers who witnessed this ran for the barbed wired fence. When the white-haired girl murdered their neighbors, they trusted the Abundant One would protect them. Now that he’s clearly a monster, the survivors made a run for it. Groups brought down the fence, hoping to get out. Everyone jumped, and cut their way through the barbed wire. I wanted to run among them until I discovered that no one is meant to escape. As soon as the villagers cut through the border they got swallowed up by potholes. Within seconds, a set of explosions erupted within the village. Landmines have been buried to eliminate the escapees of community. This triggered another set of explosive, detonating underneath the homes. All of this has been planned by the Abundant One himself.

  The frightened villagers who hid in the houses are now running out, engulfed in flames. Within seconds, this community went from a peaceful looking village to the end of days.

  The Minister laughed, his voice became deep and distorted. The remaining guards grouped, and fired at their leader. The bullets that inflicted the Abundant One’s skin, swallowed the bullets.

  “You creatures and your tools that never do any good!” he hooted.

  The Abundant One used his phenomenal arm to squash the guards, in the same way he did to Ethan. The Abundant One’s superhuman movements caused him to cough up some blood. His body pulsated, until his other arm grew pink, full of boils. His legs turned into rolls of red skin covered in yellow bubbling fat, boiling under his skin. His stomach grew as wide as a whale, and the clothing on his skin melted. His pink skin spit hot fumes of air, the scent of burned ashes filled the air. His face haunted me the most. It remains flawless, young, and unblemished.

  “Listen child.” said the Abundant One. “This defiled planet shouldn’t belong to the humans. Let us take it, and clean it, in return I will free you from the flesh you are bonded with.”

  The white haired girl folded her arms. None of the Abundant One’s words changed her. She looked at him intensively, and curious eyes.

  “You are near the end of your lifespan, aren’t you.” she smiled.

  Compared to the Abundant One, this girl’s voice is soft, and high pitched.

  The minister chuckled. “How do you find that to be true?”

  “That’s easy.” she stated. “The one inside me saw you consume the prisoners below. You keep them like livestock, so you can keep your fake human appearance.”

  She’s talking about us. It’s clear we are monthly executed, but are we really consumed by this monster—is that what happens to all of us—to Timothy?

  “I will grant you praise for noticing my necessities.” admitted the Abundant One. “Not only do you possess strange capabilities of foreseeing my health, I see you are also intelligent.”

  “I wouldn’t say intelligent.” she humbly comment
ed.

  “Don’t be a fool, for these past five years, I have been searching for you. You hid yourself quite well, inside another, inside that puppet of yours.”

  “Now it’s my turn to ask a question.” she said. “Are you a Lenur?”

  “What is that?”

  “Oh, so you’re not.” she said with relief. “Well then, there’s no need to speak anymore.”

  Before the Minister could respond, the white-haired girl performed another circus move, she disappeared. The illusion that flashed behind him turned out to be herself. Her small hands slipped through the Ministers head. He moaned in pain and swung his hand across the girl’s body. Unable to react, she took the blow, and flew off of the gallows. I watched the Abundant One twist and turn, his body curled like a cinnamon roll. His screams made me smile, until his twisted eyes saw me, and widen.

  “I must.” he choked. “I must preserve my life!”

  His body folded, and crawled to me. I raised myself to my feet and dragged Rats body towards the stairs. One of the roasting boils burst—a slimy spaghetti-like worm wrapped me. My clothes began to burn by what feels like sizzling larvae. I howled and shook it off, burning myself in the process. With burned hands, I tried to pull Rat’s body. The white haired girl didn’t returned, maybe she fled or died from the swing the Abundant One gave her.

  “Come hither.” he insisted. “You prisoners exist so I may continue to live.”

  “You bastard!” I cried.

  One of the Abundant One’s arm stretched and slithered like a snake aiming towards me. His fingers expanded like dough, and extended further than his sluggish body. I’m about to lose my life. As an only act to shield myself, I raised my hands towards my face. A gun shot fired and tore off his incoming arm.

  The shot came from Ethan, he hasn’t completely died. His gun then aimed straight at me. One of his eyes was already smashed from the previous impact. When he fired, the bullet ejected, and broke the chain between Rat and I.