more to serve as their personal ambulance.
Trick was back on his feet. He watched Dez for a moment, seriously impressed with how quickly a guy with his bulk could move.
The fog reformed and circled around Dez, cutting off his exit route.
“Don’t worry! I got your back!” Trick called, hacking his way into Dez’s circle.
Trick slashed and swiped at the errant tendrils that reached out for them while Dez focused his attention on the monster itself.
The creature hissed and shrieked like a balloon slowly losing air. Its surface bubbled and it tried to regain its shape, but Dez was relentless.
The monster became on giant mouth; a long pointed tongue slithered along the ground, wrapping around both of their ankles.
Aaron assessed the situation; he had to get Ty to Gemma as soon as possible. But the rest of his group didn’t seem to be doing too well either. He remembered Gemma’s warning about not leaving a man behind. There was no option here that didn’t leave someone behind. Ty’s skin was cold and clammy. There wasn’t much time at all.
<<<>>>
Darkness was everywhere. As much as she strained her eyes, Izzy couldn’t see anything.
She fumbled her way forward, her feet found the ground to be soft and pliant.
“Hello?” she called, but there was no sound.
She opened her mouth again; horrified, her hands flew to cover it. It was gone.
She clasped the smooth skin where her mouth should have been and tried to scream.
Her toe caught on something and she fell forward. She caught herself but on what?
She felt around blindly and jumped back when she realized what it was: the ground was made of bodies.
As much as she tried to scream, she had no mouth, no voice. Pressure built behind her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t come.
She had no eyes.
Her lungs struggled for air. How could she breathe? How could she exist?
Then, a spark of light.
She was happy to see it; her eyes were working!
The light grew and grew and Izzy welcomed it.
It seared her skin and she watched her skin char and disappear. Her muscles sizzled all the way to the bone.
But still the light grew brighter.
Her bones turned to dust and she disintegrated into the wind.
<<<>>>
The commotion woke her.
“Bring him over here!” Gemma said, clearing off the table for Aaron.
“Where’s everyone else? Where’s Carson?” she asked, her heart racing, a hint of hysteria creeping into her voice.
“No time right now,” Aaron said, laying Ty on the table.
He drifted in and out of consciousness and his teeth chattered with the shivers that wracked his body.
“What happened?” Gemma asked, her hands hovering just over Ty’s mutilated arm.
“Monster,” said Aaron, gathering all the blankets he could find to cover up Ty.
Izzy stared at the scene, bleary-eyed, trying to remember her dream.
“A monster?” she asked, joining them to inspect Ty’s wounds.
“Yeah, a fucking monster,” said Aaron, “Or are you going to try to tell me something else happened?”
Izzy’s jaw dropped and she struggled for words, “I wasn’t… I was just… I mean…”
“Could you two not, right now?” Gemma said, her voice weak and her face pale.
Alina hurried to her side, “You’re doing too much!”
Gemma looked at Ty’s arm, still covered with angry red burns branded into his flesh.
“I’m fine,” she argued.
Alina took her hand, “I don’t know if I have any left to give, but I offer my magic.”
Gemma felt strength coming from Alina’s grip. It flowed through her, pumped through her heart, reinvigorating her, before traveling down the opposite arm to her fingertips. Her healing touch repaired most of Ty’s wounds, but she still struggled.
“Izzy,” Alina said, reaching for her hand.
“But I’m not… I don’t…” Izzy stammered.
“Gemma needs us all,” Alina said, “you too, Aaron.”
It wasn’t often that Alina spoke and when she did, people had a tendency to listen to her.
They all joined hands
Trick was back on his feet. He watched Dez for a moment, seriously impressed with how quickly a guy with his bulk could move.
The fog reformed and circled around Dez, cutting off his exit route.
“Don’t worry! I got your back!” Trick called, hacking his way into Dez’s circle.
Trick slashed and swiped at the errant tendrils that reached out for them while Dez focused his attention on the monster itself.
The creature hissed and shrieked like a balloon slowly losing air. Its surface bubbled and it tried to regain its shape, but Dez was relentless.
The monster became on giant mouth; a long pointed tongue slithered along the ground, wrapping around both of their ankles.
Aaron assessed the situation; he had to get Ty to Gemma as soon as possible. But the rest of his group didn’t seem to be doing too well either. He remembered Gemma’s warning about not leaving a man behind. There was no option here that didn’t leave someone behind. Ty’s skin was cold and clammy. There wasn’t much time at all.
<<<>>>
Darkness was everywhere. As much as she strained her eyes, Izzy couldn’t see anything.
She fumbled her way forward, her feet found the ground to be soft and pliant.
“Hello?” she called, but there was no sound.
She opened her mouth again; horrified, her hands flew to cover it. It was gone.
She clasped the smooth skin where her mouth should have been and tried to scream.
Her toe caught on something and she fell forward. She caught herself but on what?
She felt around blindly and jumped back when she realized what it was: the ground was made of bodies.
As much as she tried to scream, she had no mouth, no voice. Pressure built behind her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t come.
She had no eyes.
Her lungs struggled for air. How could she breathe? How could she exist?
Then, a spark of light.
She was happy to see it; her eyes were working!
The light grew and grew and Izzy welcomed it.
It seared her skin and she watched her skin char and disappear. Her muscles sizzled all the way to the bone.
But still the light grew brighter.
Her bones turned to dust and she disintegrated into the wind.
<<<>>>
The commotion woke her.
“Bring him over here!” Gemma said, clearing off the table for Aaron.
“Where’s everyone else? Where’s Carson?” she asked, her heart racing, a hint of hysteria creeping into her voice.
“No time right now,” Aaron said, laying Ty on the table.
He drifted in and out of consciousness and his teeth chattered with the shivers that wracked his body.
“What happened?” Gemma asked, her hands hovering just over Ty’s mutilated arm.
“Monster,” said Aaron, gathering all the blankets he could find to cover up Ty.
Izzy stared at the scene, bleary-eyed, trying to remember her dream.
“A monster?” she asked, joining them to inspect Ty’s wounds.
“Yeah, a fucking monster,” said Aaron, “Or are you going to try to tell me something else happened?”
Izzy’s jaw dropped and she struggled for words, “I wasn’t… I was just… I mean…”
“Could you two not, right now?” Gemma said, her voice weak and her face pale.
Alina hurried to her side, “You’re doing too much!”
Gemma looked at Ty’s arm, still covered with angry red burns branded into his flesh.
“I’m fine,” she argued.
Alina took her hand, “I don’t know if I have any left to give, but I offer my magic.”
Gemma felt strength coming from Alina’s grip. It flowed through her, pumped through her heart, reinvigorating her, before traveling down the opposite arm to her fingertips. Her healing touch repaired most of Ty’s wounds, but she still struggled.
“Izzy,” Alina said, reaching for her hand.
“But I’m not… I don’t…” Izzy stammered.
“Gemma needs us all,” Alina said, “you too, Aaron.”
It wasn’t often that Alina spoke and when she did, people had a tendency to listen to her.
They all joined hands
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