Exodus

by R. J. Wolf

  “Are you nuts? They’ll kill you before you even get back inside.” Steve gasped.

  “Get off me. What do you care Steve? You’re just gonna let him die.”

  There was a sudden crack behind them. Steve looked up in time to see a tree falling towards the back of the station wagon. Three guards appeared behind it emerging from the shadows. They sprinted towards the car firing shots from all directions.

  Mr. Clark threw the car in reverse and mashed the gas. The car flew backwards and the men dove to the side. One of them was slower than the others and the back of the station wagon smashed into him.

  The rear glass broke as the guard’s helmet came crashing through. He shoved his hand through the open hole, gripping tightly around Mikey’s wrist.

  “He’s got me!” Mikey screamed.

  Mr. Clark launched the car forward and tore off down the street. Behind him, the other guards got to their feet and scrambled for their guns. They turned and headed back to the facility as the station wagon disappeared into the night.

  The other guard clung to the back of the car beating against the glass. His grip on Mikey’s arm was excruciating. It felt like a vice made of fire. Mikey screamed in pain as he kicked at the man’s head. Steve joined in, trying to push him back out of the window.

  The guard tugged hard on Mikey’s wrist, pulling him towards the broken glass. His hand slowly slid across the jagged shard leaving a gash that ran across his palm. Blood splattered onto the floor and was quickly washed away by the thundering rain.

  The car lurched from side to side as it sped down the dark streets. Glancing back frantically, Mr. Clark tried his best to keep the car from careening off the road. The wheel whipped back and forth in his hands like a ship in rough seas.

  “Get off me!” Mikey yelled and delivered another blow to the man’s head.

  Steve leaned over and felt blindly across the floorboard. His fingers wrapped around something cold and metal. Lifting his hand he gripped a tire iron and swung it backwards. The sharp point embedded itself into the visor and the man screamed and released Mikey’s wrist.

  Steve kicked again and the man fell backwards and tumbled into the street sending sparks into the air. Steve grabbed Mikey’s arm and pulled him into the seat.

  Mikey looked back out of the broken window. He couldn’t see a thing anymore just the darkness of the night. Turning around, he slumped into the seat and buried his face into his bloody hands. Steve patted him on the back and he looked up.

  “Don’t touch me. You did this.” He scowled at him.

  XII

  The elevator sped downward like a falling rock. Mit was thrown against the back and then lurched forward as the cart suddenly stopped.

  The doors rolled open and Mit nervously poked his head outside. The faint glow of blue light was still present, but the sirens and flashing red lights had gone. Everything was quiet, too quiet Mit thought.

  He slipped back inside the elevator and punched in the code Nickie had given him. When nothing happened he tried it over and over. Eventually, he gave up and slumped back against the wall in defeat.

  “Come on Mit, think.” He said to himself.

  With a deep breath he stood up and tip toed into the hallway. The elevator slammed shut behind him. A chill ran through him from his feet to his fingertips.

  He shook his hands and slowly moved further down the hall. He could feel the blue light pulling at him again, but this time it was different. He knew what was going on and somehow knew that blue light would help him.

  Each step he took was harder than the last, like the very sound of his footsteps was inviting danger. He wanted to run, he wanted to hide, but he was trapped.

  The narrow corridor was completely dark except the light up ahead. Rays of blue light spewed down the hallway like the most luminous water he’d ever seen. The reflection bounced off the walls and danced through the air like it was alive.

  The closer he moved to the glowing light, the better he felt. It was like it chased the shadows away, like the light would keep him safe. It all seemed so comfortable and familiar.

  Up ahead he could hear garbled whispers coming from the radiating sphere. He inched closer and a warm glow touched his face. Stretching out his hand, he reached towards the light. His fingers hovered just outside of the whirling rays.

  The air shimmied around him making the hair on his arms stand up. A chill crept up his leg like the icy scales of a snake working its way towards his heart.

  Suddenly the ground shook and a loud gong echoed down the hallway. The deafening sound resonated in his ears and he staggered backwards. Falling against the wall he grabbed his head in pain. With gritted teeth, Mit pushed himself to his feet and stared down the hallway.

  All around him guards began to materialize out of nothing. In a matter of seconds he was surrounded on all sides. The blue light hovered behind him, the towering guards in front. The weight of their robotic suits cracked the stone floor as they exploded out of the air.

  Mit opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Dozens of beady eyes stared at him through tinted orange visors. Mit was frozen with fear, his feet glued to the floor, his legs molded to the stone like a statue.

  One of the guards stepped towards him. The ground seemed to shake by his very movement. Mit shrieked and tripped over himself. He scuttled backwards as the guard slowly advanced.

  He stopped a few feet shy of him. Mit couldn’t see his face, but he knew his eyes were piercing through his skull. The swirling blue light beamed off the silver armor like a tiny lamp. Mit could see his faint reflection in the tinted visor, he looked so feeble and weak, cowered on the ground like a child.

  The guard stood at least seven feet high, towering over Mit like a great oak tree. His massive hands wrapped tightly around his weapon, the same gun that had vaporized half of the parking lot outside.

  He looked down at Mit and then back at the other guards. There was a slight pause and then in unison they all nodded to one another. The guard dropped his gun and it rattled to the floor. He turned back towards Mit and tilted his head.

  He slowly moved his hands to his head and grabbed the base of his helmet. Twisting his head, he snapped the helmet in the opposite direction and the seal connecting it to the rest of the suit broke. Gas shot into the air, obscuring Mit’s view as he brought the helmet down and held it in his hands.

  Mit gasped and jerked backwards. As the smoke slowly cleared, a very non-human face came into view. Its long, thick, muscular neck rose up like an elegant cat. Its face looked like an overgrown jackal, with rows of razor sharp teeth set at the front of its narrow snout. At first glance, its eyes appeared to be pure black, but they were empty, void, absent of anything.

  Hidden somewhere deep within its animalistic features was the shadow of something human, but Mit couldn’t see past the monster before him. It scanned Mit with its hollow sockets, not seeing but sucking in his presence like a vacuum.

  Raising its head back it laughed, making a high pitched cackling sound. Its mouth drew open like a crocodile exposing the knife like teeth embedded in its black gums. The other guards startled and removed their helmets, revealing similar faces.

  Mit was frozen in fear. The glow of the blue light flickered all around them. It cast shadows on the ghastly features of the guards, making them appear even more disturbing.

  The one closest to Mit took another step forward and then bellowed out in a harsh voice that echoed down the hall. “Your friends are dead, and shortly you will join them.”

  It shuttered its head seeming to consider the harshness of its words. Kneeling next to Mit, it reached towards him and placed its metallic hand on his shoulder.

  “This does not have to be so unpleasant. You may call me Ashnaerk. We know you seek the Centennial. Tell us what you know of him and you will pass swiftly.”

  Mit swallowed and took a deep breath.

  “Be quick boy! The others may not restrain their hunger for long.”

&nb
sp; Mit looked past Ashnaerk and focused on the guards behind him. They were snarling and stretching their jaws. Their empty eyes beaming at him.

  “What are you?” Mit asked hesitantly.

  Ashnaerk growled and tightened his grip on Mit’s shoulder. “Foolish humans!” He scorned and tossed Mit over his head.

  Mit landed at the feet of the other guards, his head smacking into the stone floor. Clamoring to all fours, he scuttled backwards. He reeled in pain as one of the guards gripped his arm, its mouth open wide, green saliva dripping from its mangled teeth.

  Just before it bit into his arm, a loud boom rattled the building and tiles fell from the ceiling. The wall cracked and the façade crumbled. The guard barely noticed and closed its mouth around Mit’s arm, its teeth burying deep into his flesh like a bear trap.

  A searing pain shot through him and he shook and screamed. His fingers curdled in spasms as the feeling of death crept through them. He tried to pull his arm free, but the hooked teeth just sunk deeper.

  Mit’s eyes began to gloss over. He could feel himself slipping away. The room blurred and a feeling of weightlessness passed over him.

  Suddenly something flashed in front of him. The pressure on his arm went away and the pain abruptly stopped. He collapsed to the ground gripping his arm as blood gushed through his fingers.

  Slowly lifting his head he looked up. His vision started to clear as the blurry silhouette of a person became sharper and sharper. He blinked and shook his head, unsure of what he was seeing.

  Staring back at him was a young boy, a few years younger than he was. He was kneeling on the decapitated body of the guard, his fist buried into the ground where the man’s head should have been. Smoke billowed from the smashed stone like a pile driver bad been taken to it.

  The boy was different, but familiar. Mit had seen his kind before. His skin was dark blue and spiked. His eyes were pure white and emitted a faint glow. Bright red hair fell over his face and erupting from his back a pair of golden brown wings flapped gently in the air.

  “It’s him!” One of the guards yelled.

  They scrambled backwards filing into a line encircling the boy. He didn’t take his eyes off of Mit. The pure white light was almost too intense to look at, like it burned right through to his soul.

  “Are you okay?” The boy asked with a soft voice as he held out his hand.

  Mit hesitated.

  “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”

  Mit sighed and took his hand. Pulling Mit to his feet, he patted him on the shoulder and smiled. Mit had guessed his age around thirteen, even though the boy stood several inches taller than him.

  Mit sized him up, noting the striking similarities between him and Anthony. The lean muscular arms, the wiry unkempt hair and of course the wings that he tucked tightly against his shoulder blades.

  “My name is…well you can call me Devin.” The boy said as he gripped Mit’s arm in his claw like hands. “The spectrals bite is venomous. If left unattended it would kill a human in minutes.”

  He grabbed the wound and squeezed. Mit could feel a pulling sensation and then the burning of skin stretching. Devin released his arm and he gazed down on it. The gash was mending. New skin wove together in fibers closing around his arm. In seconds, the bleeding wound was nothing more than a faint mark.

  “That should do it.” Devin grinned.

  “Thank…thank you.” Mit stuttered.

  Something flashed behind them and Mit swung around. Ashnaerk rose to his feet like a flame. The air in front of his eyes swirled in waves. He grinned and began to clap his hands. The metal gloves banged together like a symbol.

  “Well done little one, poor timing on your part however. It seems you’ve come to die with the pathetic insects you fight so valiantly to save. I’ll admit I’ve never slain one as young as you, but I will find joy regardless.”

  Devin studied him with his white glowing eyes. There was no fear in his face, but an indifferent scowl, like he was something to be pitied.

  He dismissively shook his head and turned back to Mit. “What are you doing here?”

  Mit opened his mouth to respond, but in that moment Ashnaerk made a sudden move towards them.

  It happened so quick it barely caught Mit’s eyes. He’d never seen anything so fast. Devin’s back was turned and Mit didn’t even have time to warn him.

  Ashnaerk dove at them, his mouth gaping open. His teeth gleamed in the echoing blue light, like crystals. He moved with the grace and deadly accuracy of a samurai sword.

  Mit was certain his life would be over shortly. In a flash Ashnaerk was on top of them, his razor sharp teeth only inches away. Mit closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, his feet glued to the floor.

  Devin grinned at him and slowly turned around. He raised his arm and held out his hand just as Ashnaerk closed in. There was a vibration in the air and Mit could feel his teeth rattle in his gums. He heard Devin laugh and Ashnaerk let out a high pitched squeal.

  Mit hesitantly opened his eyes. Devin’s back was turned to him and his wings were flared to the side. In front of him Ashnaerk was suspended in the air, his face contorted in pain.

  “You guys never learn.” Devin laughed.

  With a flick of his wrist, Ashnaerk flew over his head and slammed into the ground at the feet of the other guards. His head bounced like a ball, cracking his teeth with the impact. Blood stained the stone floor, coming to a puddle under Ashnaerk’s lifeless body.

  The guards circled around him. They howled and cackled as they kneeled next to their fallen comrade. Devin shook his head and turned back to Mit.

  “We’ve gotta get you outta here.” He said.

  Suddenly there was a loud crack and someone dropped down out of the air and landed next to them. Startled, Mit stumbled backwards and fell, just in front of the hovering blue light. He looked up to find someone almost identical to Devin, but even younger. Mit guessed he was no older than ten.

  His wings beat anxiously in the air, his muscles tensed underneath the hardened blue skin. His mouth crooked in an awkward smile like he’d just heard a joke. His hair was red, but not like Mit’s. Like the red of a crayon, the red of a fire, just like Devin’s, just like Anthony’s was that day in the cabin.

  “Yeah…it’s not up there.” The boy said, totally ignoring the dozen or so guards.

  Standing up he nodded his head at Mit. “Who’s this?”

  “Didn’t catch his name.” Devin responded.

  They both turned and stared at Mit. He grinned and took another step back.

  “Um, Mit, my names Mit.” He mumbled.

  The younger boy smiled and then the shining blue light caught his eye.

  “Ah, you found it. Figures they’d hide it down here.” He exclaimed, then turned back and faced the horde of guards that were still trying to wake Ashnaerk.

  “I see you’ve got your hands full. Be quick about it and meet me outside.” The boy said as he crouched low to the ground.

  The air started to shimmer around him. The broken stones rattled and shook on the floor. He clenched his hands tightly into fists and crouched even lower.

  “Nice to meet you.” He said turning to Mit and with a loud pop he was gone.

  Mit stared at the empty spot in awe. Since Anthony first sprouted wings his tolerance for the bizarre had been tested, but this was another level. He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves, but began to shake as Ashnaerk staggered to his feet.

  “Kill…kill him!” Ashnaerk demanded in between labored breaths and coughing up blood.

  Mit’s eyes grew the size of saucers as he began to hyperventilate. He looked to Devin, but he was simply smiling back at Ashnaerk with a look of amusement.

  In one simultaneous wave, all the guards surged forward. Their high pitched screams and cackles bounced off of the stone amplifying the sound. Their mouths stretched open exposing snake like tongues. The gears in their metal armor churned like an army of robots.

  “Kill him! Tear th
em both apart!” Ashnaerk spat.

  Devin raised his eyebrows and sucked his teeth. Stretching his wings, he yawned and rolled his shoulders like he was bored with the whole ordeal.

  “Spectral sentry men…they never learn.” He laughed.

  Devin raised his hand towards Mit and felt a tugging sensation like he was being pulled by a rope. Suddenly something jerked and he was pulled off of his feet.

  “Try to stay safe, eh.” Devin said then moved his hand forward like he was pushing the air.

  Mit spiraled backwards and collided with the blue light that was still hovering behind him. On impact there was a flash and then Mit was gone.

  Devin turned back to the guards just as one of them leapt from the crowd. It was one of the larger spectrals, bigger than even Ashnaerk. He swung his heavy fist at Devin connecting with his head.

  The impact of the blow knocked Devin from his feet and sent him reeling across the floor. He landed flat on his back with a bone crushing thud. Blinking rapidly, he shook his head and grinned.

  “Foolish boy!” The guard jested. “Surely your elders have warned you of the might of the spectrals.”

  Ashnaerk walked forward and placed his hand on the other guards shoulder. “You’ve done well Raeznor.”

  He then turned to Devin and scowled. “You are stronger than the others. I underestimated you, but as you can see, we spectrals do not break.”

  Even as Ashnaerk spoke his wounds were healing, the gash on his head was completely mended and not a trace of blood remained.

  “Now I do think it is time you die.” Ashnaerk said and took another step forward.

  Sighing Devin got to his feet. He rubbed the back of his head and gazed from Ashnaerk to the enormous guard in front of him.

  “You asked for it.” He smirked.

  Clenching his fingers into fists, Devin let out a roar that shook the entire building from side to side. His eyes started to dim and then suddenly flashed into the most beautiful, intense white glow. It was like a spotlight flooding every inch of the hallway.