Atropa chuckled and sat next to the other.
“Today’s been crazy,” Erin whispered.
“My whole life’s been crazy,” Atropa replied. She flopped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “I just... it’s been so surreal. What if this is all a dream? What if my existence is just a blip in time?” Atropa felt nauseous and rubbed at her face. “I’m so confused. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing here! I lost the book and I don’t know how to open the gate” She covered her eyes and whimpered, “Only a few days ago, I could have told someone I was most definitely human. Now though…I don’t know what I am.”
Erin frowned and laid back. He sighed and closed his eyes. Memories of his life flashed through his mind. “I remember my last day of being mortal,” he whispered.
Atropa was shocked by the words. “Huh?” she stared at the teen beside her. She’d almost forgot that he wasn’t a teen, nor was he human. Atropa’s eyes softened, “Tell me about it. It may help me with figuring myself out.”
Erin smiled. He closed his eyes and remembered that fateful night.
* * *
“Erin,” a soft voice whispered.
A hard hand began to shake him. Blue eyes cracked open, annoyed. His body cringed terribly, the pain in his stomach coming back. “What?!” he whipped around and yelled at his twin. The terrified look in Darren’s eyes told him everything. He heard the screams ringing throughout the alley.
Erin sat up in terror. He curled closer to Darren. There were dark robed men snatching up more kids. This had been happening in the East End, but never at this frequency. “They-they just took a couple boys last night,” Erin whispered in fear. Why the hell did they need more so soon?
Darren held his brother tightly as the dim light began to swing closer to them.
“I got two right ‘ere!” the man called out to his companions.
“Get away from us!” Erin screamed, throwing a clot of dirt at the man’s face. He stood up in a frenzy, grabbing Darren’s arm. “Come on!”
The twins ran from the dark alley, hearing the footsteps following behind them. “Over ‘ere!” Darren said and pulled Erin under the streetlights. They spotted a group of people in uniforms. “Come on,” Darren urged. “Help us!” the twins cried in unison, running toward the group. They waved their arms to try and get their attention. From far away they looked like the yard. It filled the boys with hope.
An elderly gentleman stared down at them, “Why boys, whatever is the matter?!”
“There are men, chasin’ us!” Erin explained, both boys were trying to suck in a decent amount of breath. “Please, sir, help us,” Darren begged.
“Oh we’ll help you,” the man said. The younger men of the group grabbed the boys.
“Hey!” Erin screamed. Now under the light, their attire became clear. They most certainly weren’t the law and they most definitely weren’t going to help them. He began to kick in a frenzy, his twin doing the same. “Let us go!” Darren screamed, hitting a man in the shin.
“Little bastards!” cried the man as his fist came down on Darren.
Erin struggled harder but only ended up being held tighter. “Don’t hurt him!” he screamed. More hands grabbed him. A harsh slam of his head on the cobblestone made his vision go black.
Screams made cerulean eyes snap open. Erin sat up, hitting his head on the metal roof of a cage. He groaned and rubbed the sore spot. The second blow only made his splitting headache worse. He shook off the pain and looked around. The room smelled of bile and copper, making the teen gag. His eyes began to adjust to the dark, Erin wished they hadn’t.
There were other cages, mostly urchins who he knew on the streets. Liquid covered the floor as did chunks of something he didn’t want to identify. In the moonlight, he could see something shiny was covering some of the kids’ mouths. Erin shuddered in fear and pressed his back against the bars.
“Where are we?” Darren whispered, sitting up on his elbows.
“I…I don’t know,” Erin choked on a sob and stared down at his brother. “We’re going to…we’re going to d-”
“No we aren’t!” Darren snapped. He sat up, grabbing his twin and pulling the shivering boy into a hug. “We’re going to be fine,” he assured. The blonde frowned when Erin began to cry. The older boy racked his brain for something to calm the other down. He gave a weak smile. “Remember last Christmas, when those constables tried to throw us in jail for begging?” Darren asked.
Erin sniffled but nodded. “Yeah, you kicked one so hard in the bollocks that he had to go to the hospital,” the blonde couldn’t help but grin at the memory.
Darren nodded. “Yep! We got away then, and we’ll get away now,” he promised.
The creaking of metal made the twins jump. Erin watched in fascination as the other children seemed to shrink into their cages.
Heavy boots walked around the room. There was a loud clanging and the sound of a match being struck.
Light illuminated the small space. Erin shivered when he realized that the liquid really was blood. He gagged, the lumps were flesh and organs. Erin coughed and tried not to dry heave at the realization. He then saw who had lit the candle. It was a hunched, old crone. She stood at the edge of the room with a tray full of meat. It looked rotted and raw.
The twins gagged at the smell and clung to one another. The other children seemed unaffected by the grotesque cuisine.
“If ya want to eat, you better come toward the light!” The woman screeched.
The other children began to slink out of their darkened spots and to the rusted bars of their cages. Their little hands stuck out in want for the decaying flesh.
Darren shut his eyes, not wanting to see the disgusting display. He shielded Erin’s eyes as well, trying to keep him from the trauma. The noises were sickening and caused both teens to shudder in revulsion.
A banging on their cell made both boys look up. The old woman was standing there with the tray. “Ya two gonna eat?” she asked with a sneer.
Darren shook his head quickly, making the woman scoff. “You’ll eat it soon enough,” she promised and left to go to the next cage. Erin began to shiver. “Why are we here?” he asked, holding back a sob.
Darren hushed him, “It doesn’t matter, we’re leaving.”
“No you’re not,” the crone said. She waddled back to their cage. “They’ve been waiting for a pair of twins. All these other buggers were just for practice while they waited for you.” She shook her head, “Damn shame too, you would’ve been very handsome men.”
The sound of feet punishing the dirt floor made all the children freeze. There was a group of men, all clothed in black cloaks that went to their ankles. Their faces were covered by shadows. The crone quickly moved from the twins’ cage and back toward the door. “I’ve fed ‘em. I’ll be leavin’ now.” She bowed and ducked out of the room in a hurry.
One of the men moved to stand in front of the twin’s. “They’re perfect.”
Darren shook his head and puffed out his chest. “Let us go or so help me I’ll-”
“You’ll do what?” The man growled, “You will be our sacrifices, whether you like it or not.” He moved back from the cage and signaled two of the others.
Both teens clutched onto one another. The cage door was opened and hands grabbed at them. The two cried out as they were manhandled and thrown onto the blood-soaked floor.
Erin took a swing at one of the men but his fist was caught by a burly hand. He screamed in agony when his arm was bent back and broken.
“You bastards!” Darren cried and tried to push the guy off his brother.
Erin continued to scream, the pain was mind shattering but also gave him a rush of energy. He kicked out, striking one of the men in the ribs. The cult member fell to the floor, clutching his wounded side.
Darren bit one of the hands grabbing him, making the man cry out. “You little shit!” the guy screamed, punching Darren, giving him a new bruise. Erin watched in horror
as his twin’s head smacked against the floor. White flashed behind Darren’s eyes, making him gasp.
“Stop it!” Erin screamed, trying to aid his brother. “Please,” he sobbed.
“Enough!” a new voice bellowed through the darkness. This figure was larger in stature, tall and muscular. He picked up the twins with ease, carrying them from the room.
Darren was still dazed from the blow, and Erin was beginning to feel the ache in his arm. The rush of adrenaline he had, had began to fade away. He weakly hit at the man that was dragging him through the halls, but he had no strength left in his swings. They walked through the darkness before coming into another candle lit room. Erin saw the blood covering the floor. His eyes grew wide as he looked at the decorated slab. His struggling began anew. “Darren! Darren, wake up!”
The older twin was limp in the man’s other arm. “Darren,” Erin cried, “please wake up!” He sobbed openly.
“We’ll use the conscious one first,” a voice in the darkness instructed, “Hurry up, the moon is almost in position.”
Erin’s blood ran cold. He screamed, feeling the man lift him up. The blonde grabbed the man’s shirt, trying to hold on for dear life. “Stop, please stop!” he begged and tried to grip at the fabric. Erin was no match for the strong hands though and his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Erin’s vision blurred when his head connected with the slab.
“Do not knock him out! He has to be awake for the ritual to work!” the voice screamed.
Erin felt chains wrapping around his wrists and ankles. They were pulled taut and restrained him. Erin began to struggle anew. He wasn’t going to die here.
No way in hell was he going to die here!
Erin screamed, trying to appeal to any of the cloaked figures humanity. All he saw back were cold empty stares of unpitying men. He could hear Darren. From somewhere in the darkened corners of the room, his brother was crying out to be killed first.
“I’m the oldest, take me instead!” Darren begged, trying to move his heavy limbs.
Erin felt tears flowing down his cheeks and hitting the stone slab beneath him. He could smell the blood and knew his would be joining the puddle on the floor soon.
“Will it work?” a voice said in the darkness.
“It should. There is no way she could ignore such offerings,” another answered.
“She’s ignored all the others.”
“These are different!” the second voice growled, “They are twins.”
“Insane,” Erin began to sob openly, “You’re all bloody insane.”
A figure moved to lean over him. “Do not think this malicious. We simply want our recognition, our validation, and our place at our God’s feet.”
“Your God doesn’t give a fuck about you! That’s why they haven’t answered!” Erin screamed.
Rage filled the man’s eyes. His hand rose above him, it held a dagger. “She will hear us and she will devour you.”
The hand came down and, for a moment, all Erin felt was numbness. Blinding pain slowly built and then exploded through him. He couldn’t scream though. His mouth was full of crimson liquid that seemed to be flowing endlessly. All that came out were pained gurgles and silent pleas.
The candles flickered.
Darren’s screams filled his ears, then it was the screams of the cloaked men. His head falling to the side, coughing up the blood that had flooded his windpipe. He could see a dark mass moving through the room, ripping apart figures and destroying everything in its path. It dropped the final body and stood up. It was taller than Erin had anticipated. It moved to stand over him, eyes gleaming in the darkened room.
“I have told them not to give me such sacrifices.” It flicked its fingers, shattering the chains on his ankles. “They do not listen well. Very few mortals do.” It released his wrists and crouched down to his side. “You poor thing,” it cooed, “Victim to their wicked ways and vile greed.” It kissed his forehead, “What shall I do with you?”
Erin choked, spitting up more blood.
“Please help him!” his brother cried.
Erin looked around. Darren was alive among the carnage. Happy tears flooded his eyes. Darren was okay, his brother was okay. Erin reached out a hand and saw Darren struggling to free himself from a corpse that had fallen on top of him.
Darren had tears running down his face. He reached out for his brother. His hand ached to make contact with Erin’s.
The creature looked in Darren’s direction. Its eyes examined him before turning back to the bloody mess on the decorated slab.
“Shall I save you?” it asked.
Erin cleared his throat as best he could. “Save…him,” he begged, “please.”
“No!” Darren was finally able to wiggle free. He ran over to the slab. “No, no, please help him!” Darren begged. He was trying to find Erin’s wound so he could put pressure on it. Erin’s whole chest was drenched with blood and Darren began to panic. “Please help him! I’ll do anything!”
The creature stared at the unharmed twin.
“No…get him out…please,” Erin gurgled.
“Shut up!” Darren growled. He grabbed his brother’s hand. “I won’t let you die. We aren’t dying here. I can’t…I can’t lose you.”
Erin smiled, “You have…a chance.” He gripped his twin’s hand, “I want you to live.”
Darren sobbed, “I don’t want to live without you.”
The creature stayed silent, waiting for the pair to make a choice. She sighed, changing her form. Lilith moved to sit on the slab next to the bleeding boy. She saw the looks of shock on the twos faces. “I can save both of you.”
“Please!” Darren gripped Erin’s hand tighter.
Lilith smiled. “Be my minions and I will make sure you both live.”
“What’s…the catch?” Erin asked.
“Who cares?!” Darren screamed. “Do it. We’ll do it, please just heal him.”
Lilith smiled. “Smart boy.”
* * *
“After that, Lilith changed us into demons and well,” Erin placed a hand on his stomach and gripped at the fabric. “You know the rest.”
Atropa wiped away a tear. “I’m… I’m so sorry, Erin.”
The blonde teen was shocked. “Hey, don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault.” He wrapped his arms around the girl. “Besides, if that day never happened, I wouldn’t have gotten to meet you or Lilith. How many other people can say they’ve been kidnapped by a cult, forged a pack with a demon, made into an imp, and met the antichrist?!”
“Your brother,” Atropa teased.
Erin chuckled. “Yea, but I’m the fun one,” he winked and stood up. “Darren is calling me, I have to go.” He gave Atropa one last hug before moving to leave the room.
Erin closed the door behind him and saw his twin at the end of the hall. “You heard, didn’t you?”
Darren nodded, “Yeah, I heard.” He looked up, tears welling in his eyes. “I’m so s-”
Erin enveloped him in a hug. He felt Darren’s arms slowly wrap around him in turn. “I love you,” Erin whispered.
Darren simply snuggled into Erin’s neck. “I love you too.”
The walls around them rattled as the fifth horn rang out. They were running out of time.
Chapter XXVI: The Sixth Horn
Eae sharpened the blades, seeing how they glistened in the pale light of the candle. He smiled, this was one of the few times that the warrior felt at peace.
“If we try to kill her, we will be thrown into the pit!”
Kiraman’s words rung in his ears. Thoughts of doubt ran through his mind. Eae tightened his grip on the handle of his blade and tried to quell his anger.
No.
He would kill the antichrist. He would prove his people’s worth. God or no god, he wouldn’t let the world fall into the hands of that thing. Eae placed the blade back in its velvet casing, next to its identical brothers. The angel stood up and went out of the room. He saw Kiraman waiting f
or him in the hall. “Have you come to try and persuade me again, sister?”
Kiraman’s golden eyes saddened. “I wish you could see the world as I do,” she moved to place a hand over his heart. “You see the world through red lenses, while I see the world through blue.” Her fingers tried to grip at the chiseled chest. “You are fire and I am water.” Kiraman saw the confusion in the other’s eyes. “I understand why you act as you do, I can see your point of view. Why can you not see mine?”
Eae growled and pushed her hand away. “You are a fool.” He pushed passed her and down the hall.
She looked back to make sure that Eae was gone. Kiraman slipped into the room and saw the daggers laid out in their velvet box. “Heaven forgive me.”
* * *
Lilith swung her blade and sighed. It had been a long time since she had held it in her hands. The demon ran her thumb over the edge. It sliced through her skin easily. She watched the blood pool into her palm. Unlike other cuts, it did not heal. She frowned, the power was still within it. Lilith set it down and licked the wound closed. She couldn’t have blood flowing form her. The blade reduced higher beings to mortals. It would take a couple days for the cut to fully heal. Not that she had that many.
“You seem hard at work.”
Lilith smiled and turned to see Atropa. “Hello beautiful,” she greeted and strode over to the girl. “How are you feeling?”
The teen shrugged, “About as good as anyone would feel as the antichrist.” She moved to rest her head on Lilith’s shoulder, “I talked to Erin. That made me feel a bit better.” Atropa smiled when warm arms wrapped around her. Her mind began to race. “I spoke with God, the creator, whatever you call them.”
Lilith nodded, “Lucifer told me. They had a chat with them as well.” She placed a kiss on top of Atropa’s head. She noticed the girl was shaking. “Are you okay?”
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