Chapter eighteen: Statues
The loss of Malcolm filled my soul full of doubt. What if I wasn’t able to reach the light? No light, no way back and no chance to change myself and my identity, which meant I would burn in hell forevermore.
Time was ticking, and the amount of time we had left before the passage would close up was becoming less. Even though I did not have my own body, I could still feel a great heaviness and tiredness in my legs. We had been running a while. Elizabeth was hardly moving, dragging herself along and slowing me down. In all probability, Malcolm had been right about her; she was preventing me from reaching salvation, but I knew it was never going to be easy. I had accepted the challenge, and whatever happened, I was determined to take charge and follow it through.
“Jonathan, I can’t run anymore,” Elizabeth wailed. “My legs–”
“You have to Elizabeth,” I pulled her closer to me. “We’ve got no time to stop for a rest.”
We ran on. More creepy roars filled the air. What was the next move of the town?
“You sent that devil to death with a single strike,” I reminded Elizabeth.
“It just happened,” she said back. “I didn’t really realize what I was doing.”
She had become stronger too, and the fact worried me. If my suppositions were right, then her house was moving somewhere around us. We wouldn’t know for sure as the mist was blanketing the surrounding houses from our sight.
Then a powerful sensation of danger overwhelmed me. I halted immediately staring into the mist. My eyes narrowed and I could feel the jittery nerves in my hands.
“What is it?” Elizabeth wheezed breathing quickly trying to fill her lungs with air. “Do you see something?”
“No,” I replied slowly. “But something’s changing,” I added a little later.
“What do you mean? Is the passage closing?”
“I don’t know, I just can feel the changes,” I looked down at her. “The town is up to something different. It knows we’re reaching the passage. It doesn’t want to let us pass.”
“Drop me here Jonathan,” she cupped my face, gazing into my eyes affectionately. “I’ve held you back enough. This is not my way, this wasn’t Malcolm’s way either. This is your way and you have to work it out alone.”
The last vision twinkled in my narrowed eyes. In my mind’s eye I saw the devil wearing Elizabeth’s face.
“From now on my way is your way,” I said forcefully. “I’ve struggled too much to let you go. I may fail, but I won’t leave you Elizabeth.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I covered it with mine. I kissed her eagerly as if it was going to be our last one.
I just couldn’t leave her, I hadn’t much strength to do that. The town forced its game over me all the way here, but I was too close to give up. Right there–behind the mist–maybe a half mile away the light was hitting the ground at this very moment.
We unlocked our lips, and I took another look at her pretty face; her eyes were closed, her red lips moist–she was craving me, willing me to taste her some more, but time was not on our side.
Suddenly, the sense of a huge wave of danger assailed me, causing me to gasp and hold my breath in anticipation. Spinning around with my pipe held above my head, I was prepared.
A man with torn and scratched face emerged from the mist. He had somehow been wounded, and blood trickled down his neck, dripping onto his bare and hairy chest. Half of his hair had been viciously ripped from his scalp; the remaining half was a dirty blond color, and loose curls hung down to his ear.
“Who are you?” I spoke first lowering my pipe.
Like a maniac, he looked me up and down with beady eyes and then sprinted towards me. His steps were heavy, and as he pounded along, the ground dust went flying into the air.
I shoved Elizabeth out of the way and screamed at her, “Stay away!”
I lifted my shield up in front of me ready for his charge. Just like a rugby player, the man bashed into the car door with his shoulder. He was incredibly strong, and I could not repel his power. I ended up stumbling backwards and falling to the ground.
“Jonathan!” Elizabeth yelled covering her mouth with her hands in fear.
Without thinking about it, I moved my shield up as if he was standing before me. I was ready to strike him directly in the face. Even though there were at least five steps between us, I managed to hit him. For a split second shock washed over me, I was completely dumbfounded. Somehow I had acquired more strength and manipulating my superhuman powers to allow me to strike any object from a distance.
I jumped back onto my feet and gave Elizabeth a brief glance before I rushed back towards the ghastly looking man. Raising his hand he enforced an invisible airy barrier between us, and I slammed into it unable to smash my way through. Becoming outraged, I stared at him, seething furiously.
I flexed and tightened my fingers too hard around the pipe, so hard I dented the metal. I swung hard through the air like a crazed man. This time my power was enough to break his barrier and hit him in the face. The man yelled out in pain and fell to the ground.
I jumped high and in one leap managed to cover about ten steps in distance. As I landed on the ground beside him, I stabbed the spear through his neck. He gasped and, reaching for the pipe, he attempted to dislodge it from his throat, but I did him a favor and pulled it out myself.
Elizabeth ran up to me, “Is he dead?”
“He was already dead, darling,” I noted sarcastically then glanced around. “Malcolm warned me that the residents will stand in our way. They envy us. They will do anything to prevent us reaching the light.”
“Yeah, that ugly smiling woman told something like that,” Elizabeth said. “Somehow we will get round them. Jonathan, I–” she trailed off losing her words as there was nothing to say or assume anymore. We had to face them, we had no other choice.
“They are mightier because they are the last residents,” I recalled Malcolm’s words. “We’re on their turf.”
Elizabeth’s expression was aghast, as if I was telling her a horror tale, but there was no horror tale that could compare to that town. I ran my finger gently over her cheek. Right then somebody or something yanked my leg, seizing it and pulling me away from Elizabeth. Its nails dug into my muscles. Crying out in agony, I looked down at the man whom I had just stabbed through the throat with my spear.
“He’s alive,” Elizabeth shouted.
His whole body was covered in blood. His eyes rolled back drunkenly, but he smiled a smug smile.
I was momentarily perplexed, but then I realized I could not kill a man who was already dead.
Elizabeth acted faster and more determinedly than me. The next moment she snatched the spear from my hands and remorselessly stabbed it into the man’s eye.
He emitted a deep roar from his throat and released my leg grabbing a hold of the pipe and trying to pull it desperately out of his eye socket. His thunderous howls and screaming voice shook my insides bringing me back to my senses.
“Get back,” I ordered Elizabeth and she stepped aside obediently.
I pulled the spear from his eye and kicked him away. His bones rattled as he flew into the mist, disappearing from our sight.
“He’ll return,” Elizabeth murmured.
“If he dares,” I replied grimacing.
My eyes scanned our surroundings. We were trapped, and they were circling us. They were lurking behind the mist waiting for the right moment to strike and rip me apart. “Stay close to me; I’ll try to defend you.”
“I have nowhere else to go,” she teased leaning her back against mine. “They are all around us, aren’t they?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“I can take care of myself,” she said balling her hands into fists.
“Don’t be stupid,” I shot back to her. “And don’t go into any of houses around us. I won’t come after you again.”
“Oh. That’s so kind of you.” Elizabeth said sarcastica
lly. I tried to see into the mist. Whatever was in it narrowed the circle around us.
“Jonathan, I’ve been wondering–”
“What about?” I asked quickly.
“What if you’re a woman in the real life?” I looked at her immobilized. “Or you’re gay. We go back and–”
“Hey, I’m trying to concentrate on the battle here,” I cut her off.
“I know. But I mightn’t have another chance to ask,” she raised her eyebrows at me.
“I hope you’re a guy on Earth and I’ll beat the shit out of you for this,” I couldn’t help grinning.
“Chill out. I tried to entertain you.”
“Thanks, but the town is entertaining enough.”
I gripped the pipe and held the car door as close to my chest as possible, y breathing surprisingly calm. My heart rate had slowed down, and my muscles had loosened up a bit. I readied myself for the oncoming battle. The route to the light was blocked. The enemy was standing between us and the passage. I had to clear it.
From out of nowhere, several humans appeared from the mist and together they charged towards us. With great concentration I gathered all my strength and struck them with my spear. A surge of unbelievable power streamed out of the pipe tossing three men all over the place.
One of them, a thin woman dressed in a rag dress, picked herself up off the ground and flew towards me with great speed. Using my shield, I managed to defend myself shoving her a few steps away from us.
“Jonathan!” Elizabeth cried out in panic.
I leaped back. A young plump man of about twenty-five was just a step behind Elizabeth. Not hesitating at all, I threw my spear at him, and I watched as it pierced his face. Time stood still for a second and then, in slow motion, he fell to his knees and collapsed in a heap.
A shrieking woman fell on me from behind. I wheeled around and raised the shield between us. She threw a punch at the car door which sent me flying back; I could not battle her power. She jumped onto my shield, her weight making my insides churn. With my free hand, I punched her in the shoulder freeing myself from her hold. Within a second, I was back on my feet again, staring hard at her, leaving a gap of four or five steps between us. Like a rabid beast she bared her teeth, and snarled hungrily; she wasn’t going to back down easily.
“Get out,” I roared throwing my shield at her face. In mid-air she grabbed onto it, but the power I was emitting through the metal door was too great and pushed her away.
I remained without weapons, barehanded against the others, and there were a lot of them. Imagine an army of freaks of nature–that was what I was battling.
I heard a roar and wheeled around. A man came into the view swooping down on me. I had no time to react, but Elizabeth was fast. She grabbed his foot in mid-air and slammed him hard into the ground. She kicked him in the stomach. The bastard tumbled over the ground towards me and with one last kick into his face I shut him down.
“You’re welcome,” she said as I faced her.
“I told you to stay away–”
“Watch out,” Elizabeth jabbed her finger toward me.
I turned back rapidly balling my hands into fists yet again. A canine-like animal was rushing towards me, swiping with its paws, eager to stab its sharp claws into me.
I leaped over it and spun around in the air. The dog passed under me. Losing interest it stopped a few feet away. I did not wait for it to turn on me; I ran up to it grabbing its body and hoisted it high above my head. It barked hysterically and tried desperately to free itself from my hold. With one hand I slammed the dog hard onto the ground, so hard it shook. Dust rose, covering the animal’s limp body in a dark soot-like substance.
I was darting back and forth to Elizabeth trying to ward off the monsters’ attacks. Occasionally I flew over her; I was desperate to stay as close to her as I could. The mist eventually began to clear creating a larger fighting arena, but as I had already learned the hard way, everything that the town had a purpose.
For a fleeting moment, I stood there in my fighting stance next to Elizabeth. I watched as the grotesque group of humans and monsters encircled us moving slowly, some of them looking slightly dubious.
“What do you want from us?” I demanded of the humans. “Let us pass. We have no beef with you.”
I say humans, but these were just the remains of humans–faces ripped apart missing noses, ears and limbs, and some of their necks had been broken. After such a long time residing in the town they had become a part of it–they were freakish looking monsters, similar to the ones I would expect in hell.
“You’ll have to earn your pass first,” the closest one, a tall, muscular man, said with a hoarse voice. As he exhaled, blood escaped his mouth, and I noticed that his tongue was missing.
“They are evil. Nothing has remained from their human souls,” Elizabeth whispered. “They won’t cooperate.”
“Then the rest of them will have to spend their remaining time living in this hell hole,” I snarled. The corners of my mouth twitched with anger, I was beyond furious.
I watched them closing in on us and sniffed, my eyes darting back and forward.
My attention was distracted by a suddenly appearance of the three-storied manor appeared in front of us, still standing as high and as proud as when we had previously seen it, when Malcolm had been beside us. I froze, staring in disbelief at the somber looking statues that adorned the rooftop. For a second, I could have sworn that I saw some of them flinch.
I got Elizabeth’s attention. She peered back, and her jaw dropped.
“It has come after us,” she said in horror. Her face was pale. “The rules have been broken Jonathan. We should have reached the passage by now before the house caught up with us.”
“It’s already late,” I mumbled under my breath. “We’ve got another problem here.”
“What is it?” She rolled her eyes in search of the meaning of my words.
“Your house.”
I pointed ahead at her house standing right next to the black one, the palace of demons.
“I’m dying back there, faster than I expected” Elizabeth said. Her eyes dropped downwards to her palms. “I feel charged, Jonathan.”
“We still have time,” but I felt the enemy approaching us.
They were screaming crazily–there were too many of them. Humans, and dogs and a number of flying demons that were hanging above us. Even my power wasn’t enough to save both of us. What chance did I have? But I had to fight on.
I took a fighting position while Elizabeth stared at her hands. Abruptly a thought came to me. I quickly turned back to her.
“Your house is next to you,” I cried like a mad. “This is your territory, you’ve been possessed by a greater power. FIGHT!”
She understood me immediately. Her eyes became harder. I guess she could feel that inhuman power pulsating through her veins, too.
The man, who had been penetrated by my pipe, lay next to her, his fingers twitching like a puppy in the cold wind. She pulled the pipe out of his face and swung it about in the air before hitting him with it. The man on the receiving end of her wrath was thrown backwards; his head detaching from his body.
I smiled in delight and leapt into the fight. At least I wasn’t alone against the huge pack of monsters.
The fight was brutal. To my surprise, Elizabeth turned out to be a skilled fighter than a runner. With the tube firmly in her hand, she danced around the enemy lightly. She sliced every one of those damned creatures that dared to come close.
Dust rose and filled the air clouding the space around us. We were fighting back to back against a circle of freaks when a cracking sound thundered in the air. I peered back over my shoulder.
The sound had escaped from the dark palace. It was coming to life, rising from its deadly slumber. Everyone froze as if time had stopped abruptly. It was like someone had hit a gong signaling a break. The demonic statues flinched, and their stony cover disappeared revealing huge black devils. One o
f them, I guessed it was the commander, let out a high-pitched cry spreading its wings wide. We covered our ears from the cacophony and knelt down in despair. My head began ringing in my hands; I screwed up my eyes in agony.
The other humans withdrew, watching the devils come to life with fearful eyes. They knew what kind of mighty evil was going to fall upon us.
“Holy crap,” I cried out trying to bear that horrendous wailing that was echoing in my head. “They’re alive.” I was talking more to myself than to Elizabeth.
“Look! The others are retreating.”
“I bet nothing good will come from that,” I remarked, thinking that if the other monsters were leaving, then the new ones must be more dangerous than any we’d met before.
Elizabeth peered in the direction of the light desperately searching for our escape route. She had hoped that the mist would ease up a bit and allow her to see through it, but the haze still clouded her vision.
The first dismal-looking bird (bird is too light a word for such dragon–flying devil) unlatched its claws from the roof and flapped its ridiculously long wings about in the air. A harsh wind gushed out from under the devil’s wings. It hit my face and messed up my hair.
“Got a plan?” Elizabeth asked.
From the time she had been invested with her new power, her voice had grown stronger, more determined. She was fearless and ready to fight side by side with me. Had I had such a good influence on her?
“Just one,” I replied raising my eyebrows.
“Go on.”
“Help me to jump high, and I’ll try to stab the first one with the pipe,” I pointed to the devil that had wailed. “It seems to be the commander.”
Her eyes glimmered. She gave me a thin grin before averting her brown eyes. Like I had assumed it would, the first devil moved towards us. The surrounding houses shook like leaves in a high wind as the devil flew around flapping its wings faster and faster.
It assessed both of us, grimaced for a moment and sniffed about, and then without warning, swooped down towards us. We stayed put, waiting for it to approach. It was unimaginable that anything would remain of us if it crashed its gigantic body into us. The only hope we had was my plan.
As soon as I thought it was close enough for me to reach I screamed, “Now!”
Elizabeth seemed to have been reading my mind well. She held out the spear in her right hand and threw it up and towards the devil, then she turned back, clasping her hands together. I broke into a run, faster than wind itself, jumped onto her hands, and she boosted me up using her new-found strength. I pushed myself off well–the two superhuman powers combined together allowing me to fly through the air as high as the three-storied house. I torpedoed through the air and catching onto the spear soaring in mid-air, with one foul swoop I rushed down toward the devil’s head.
The only thing it managed was one last look at me as I stabbed the pipe into the middle of its gigantic head. I stabbed it so hard and so deep it protruded out the other side of its neck. The other devils watched us plummeting to the ground which shook and cracked under the weight of the devil. A large cloud of dust engulfed us as I fell from its back and rolled along the dusty ground.
“Elizabeth, where are you?” I called out to her, struggling to my feet. She was lost in the dusty fog
My words dried on my tongue as I looked back. A big shadow wandered in the fog, another devil was approaching.
I sighed, disappointed. Even without the commander the devils kept on attacking us. They were probably doing it without thinking, but still they attacked. I glanced down at the pipe that stuck out from a devil’s motionless head. The blurry shadow was getting closer and closer.
I dashed towards the tube. I had to reach it before the devil reached me, but it turned out to be faster than my legs could carry me. The devil swooped down towards me and I threw myself forward in an effort to escape its razor-like claws. All it did manage was to scrape along my leg, scratching me.
Falling facedown on the ground, the dust seeped into my mouth causing me to cough and splutter. It continued to circle above me in the air, watching then it swooped down heading towards me again.
I managed to crawl back onto all fours, my eyes filled with fear and anguish. Another smaller vaguer shadow was falling from the foggy sky.
What the hell was it? Whatever it was, it fell onto the devils back, and as they held on to each other, battling away, they slammed into the ground and tumbled towards me. Rolling on my side, I instinctively curled myself into a ball and covered my head with my hands.
The devil came to rest barely an inch from me.
I raised my head unable to believe I was still alive. As I rolled onto my back the devil’s face appeared before my eyes, and I jerked back leaping to my feet. My stomach turned to water at the sight of that scary face. As I caught my breath I wondered about what the vaguer shadow was that had come out of the sky to my rescue.
Malcolm emerged from behind the devil’s monstrous body.
“Missed me?” he asked jovially. “Holy shit! What an enjoyable flight I’ve just had.”
“Fuck, Malcolm,” I burst out indignantly. “I thought you were dead.”
Even though I was in shock at my old comrade’s reemergence, I felt a sense of warmth and hope at seeing him alive.
“I’m still dead, remember?” He winked.
“All this time you were flying about watching us battle?” I cried out.
“Cool down,” he cut me off with his thin and wicked smile. “Just for once I had to see the town from above.” I stared at him uncomprehendingly. “You have come too close to the light. It’s right there, behind the barrier of mist. Where is your girlfriend by the way?” He looked around curiously with his one eye in search of Elizabeth.
“I lost her in the dust,” I replied quickly as I looked around calling out for her once again.
“Jonathan!” she called back and my heart began beating faster. She was still somewhere close by, in the mist.
Calling my name she emerged from the mist behind me. I ran up to greet her. I hugged her and kissed her on the lips, feeling her sweet breath on my face.
“Lovebirds, can’t you wait till you’re back into your bodies?” Malcolm interrupted.
“Malcolm!” Elizabeth cried out taken aback. “But you were–”
“I know, but I’m back. Did both you think that a silly little bird would knock me out of this amusing game?” He mocked us, rolling his eyes.
Game? I had been right. This was just a game to him, just some peculiar amusing pastime an interlude to the tiresome eternity he had spent in this town.
A cracking sound interrupted my thoughts, then almost immediately a powerful quake followed, causing the words I was about to speak, to stick in my throat.
The ground shook furiously beneath my feet. Elizabeth hung on to my arm tightly. I stared vacantly at Malcolm as if demanding an explanation. The ground rattled as huge chunks of it fell down into an abyss.
Again, just like in the last house we had been in, there was a gaping dark hole of nothingness. The three of us looked at it in horror, the night world passing before our eyes again. Now we knew where the blackness would take us if we fell into the abyss.
The hole expanded quickly, moving closer to us. I guess we should have retreated, but we all stood there watching the mouth of the abyss spreading out rapidly. Everything in its way was gobbled up–the fallen humans, the demons, the dogs and even the devil that had detached itself from the dark house and was now a statue again.
I could tell that the huge hungry mouth full of darkness was seeking us as it spread its darkness towards where we stood.
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