Edge of End

  Chapter six: In the storm

  Yellow puffs of cloud were licking the gray skies. The growing wind that howled reminded us of the approaching storm. Elizabeth remained in my arms. Together we sat on the ground in silence, both lost in our thoughts, waiting for nature to come and wash us away.

  But what could we remember?

  What happy flashbacks could pass in front of our eyes before the hungry storm came and enveloped us whole?

  “Jonathan,” Elizabeth whispered.

  “Yes.”

  “I just thought if we’re already dead, then we can’t die for a second time. We shouldn’t dread the storm. It can’t harm us, can it?”

  “We can still feel,” I reminded her. I recalled the pain that had shot through my body when the monster had viciously attacked me, knocking me to the ground. “I don’t think dying is the worst thing that can happen to us.” I trailed off. I didn’t voice aloud the terrible torture I imagined. Talking about feelings, I still had a vague sensation within. The power I had felt in Elizabeth’s house continued flowing through my veins.

  “Are you scared?” Elizabeth asked abruptly.

  I froze, forgetting to breathe.

  Was I? I guess I wasn’t scared of the storm and death, but I regretted not being able to discover what had happened to me before, and what I had done to deserve being sent to this town.

  “I’m scared,” she confessed when I didn’t answer her.

  She lifted her eyes up towards me and, as she did, a sad smile formed at the corners of her lips. I looked down at my palms in wonder. My palms held a secret, they had an invisible power. What if that power in my palms was meant to help me?

  “I think I’ve got a plan,” I said with a little bit of uncertainty. My words got Elizabeth’s attention. She lifted her head up from my chest and stared straight into me with hopeful eyes. “There is a café up the street. I mentioned it before, remember?”

  “Your solution is hiding there, right? Until the storm passes?” She understood correctly. She glanced at the road and the beasts standing in the way of our freedom and salvation. She didn’t need to express her concern.

  “I think they won’t hurt you if you go past them alone. They know your house is up the street. It’s only a guess, but I’m almost sure they’re going to let you pass.”

  “Almost?” she widened her eyes, raising her eyebrows. “What will I do if your 'almost' doesn’t work?”

  “It’s our only chance, Elizabeth.” I glanced at the storm then turned my head towards the doglike animals. If I had to choose which way I was going to go, which way I was going to try my luck, I’d take the beasts, there still was a chance. “We don’t know what will come out from the storm or my house if we dare to enter, but we know for sure what is waiting for us if we take the road and go to the café. If we succeed, we’ll stay alive,” I hesitated saying the last word. If we’re still alive, my mind thought.

  “You said they want you to enter your house. If they somehow let me through, they will undoubtedly block your way.” That was a good chance to test the power lodged within me, there, just behind my chest. “Look, how many of them there are! I can count seven, no eight beasts. Who knows how many of them are lurking behind the houses. You won’t get rid of them.”

  “I’m a strong man,” I smiled recalling the words Elizabeth had said in her house. “I daresay I will be able to pass them if I’m alone. Fighting for myself would be easier than fighting and trying to protect both of us. Besides, I’m a better runner than you Elizabeth.”

  She watched me incredulously, “Assure me you will follow me to the café.”

  I shook my head with a pleased smile on my face, “We just met. Why am I worth anything to you?”

  “Why are you sending me to a safe place?” Elizabeth answered my question with a question. A feeling we both shared had drawn us together. I knew she felt the same, I could see it sparkling in her beautiful brown eyes every time she looked at me.

  “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” I muttered.

  “Many bad things had already happened to me before you even came along, Jonathan. I don’t want to lose you and find myself all alone yet again. I can’t bear the idea of being here alone. I’d rather die facing everything together than for me to survive and remain in my home forever by myself. No, such torture I can’t bear.”

  “I will follow you,” I said confidently. “Elizabeth, I will come after you even if I have to tear up this whole damned town. You’re the only good thing that has happened to me here.” I had to say something to convince her to leave. I didn’t want her dead because of me. I didn’t want to hold her selfishly beside me where she hadn’t any chances against the storm.

  No, I didn’t intend to sit tight and wait for the storm to come. I would follow her and try to make my way up the street, defeat the beasts using my new power; but who knew, I might not succeed. “I’m not going to lose it,” I went on. “My plan may work, and we can live through this and then we’ll get out of this fuckin’ town forever.”

  She looked at me through careful eyes. Her eyes were diving into my expression “Promise me,” she whispered.

  “I swear I’ll be right behind you,” I murmured.

  “No, promise me you’ll manage to pass the beasts,” she urged. “Promise me you won’t fall.”

  Good thinking. I didn’t want to fall and give myself to those godforsaken animals.

  “I swear,” I said after considering what she said for a moment. Would I keep my word? I had no idea.

  She traced her finger along my cheek, staring affectionately right into my eyes. I froze, my breath stopped. I saw her lips quiver as if yearning for mine. Elizabeth put her other arm on my shoulder and pulled herself closer to me, her sweet breath filling my nose. Within seconds her sweaty and moist lips were on mine. As her eyes closed, she kissed me softly, and that’s when I forgot everything surrounding me–the beasts, the strange houses with their even more mysterious residents, the storm, the whole town. I slid my arm behind her back pulling her even closer, she leaned into my chest, and I kissed her eagerly, passionately and greedily.

  Elizabeth moaned in my mouth, her hands circling my neck tightly. The wind swirled around us blowing her red hair into my face. This was definitely the best thing that had happened to me in this town.

  Unlocking her lips from mine, she stood up slowly. There was reluctance in her movements. I followed her without taking my eyes off her.

  “You’ll have more of this kiss when you come and find me at the café,” she whispered, caressing my cheek. Her eyes told me goodbye.

  “I will come,” I promised.

  Elizabeth gave me a slight smile as she took her hand away from my face and turned around. I watched her walk away nervously. My heart pounded with fear as she neared the canine beasts. What if I had been wrong? What if they jumped onto her and tore her into unrecognizable pieces? Would I be able to forgive myself that I had sent her to her death?

  The beasts grimaced as Elizabeth walked past them. She was scared, I saw her hands trembling in the distance, but she didn’t stop. She trusted me; she was ready to do every damn thing I said.

  Fortunately, I was right. The beasts watched her pass with wicked bloody eyes, some of them even barked, but none of them harmed her.

  Elizabeth paused momentarily and stole a quick look back at me before I threw myself onto the battleground with those hideous creatures. I smiled and nodded to her, recognizing her successful crossing. She then turned her back and strode ahead, widening the distance between us.

  The growing wind had already lifted dust off the street into the air. It had thickened into a brown fog, and it soon swallowed Elizabeth up, but the real storm was still behind us.

  I waited. I had very little time before the storm would reach me. Alone, I could roam in my own thoughts. I think I was just trying to buy as much time as possible. I was petrified of the imminent struggle with the wild beasts that lay ahead. They we
re like demons from a nightmare, one that you couldn’t wake up from, where you were stuck amidst that infernal dream.

  With my head tilted I stood still, imagining Elizabeth’s face before my eyes. Her big gorgeous eyes gleamed at me, her lips quivering seductively, and the light warmth of her breath fell upon my face while her whisper washed over my ears.

  I wondered if she was a gift for me, a little sign of hope living in this town, hope of salvation, hope to keep on fighting. I hesitated, the whole situation seeming odd. We got close too fast, and in my mind I still wondered whether she was real or a mirage.

  What would I do if I managed to fight the beasts, if I managed to save myself, but never found her again?

  I stole a look at the storm. It was at the town’s threshold. Time to go, I thought and took a conscious step toward the dogs.

  At first, I walked slowly and timidly with a flutter in my stomach. As I moved, I continued to open and close my fists, clenching them hard and loosening them again, allowing the inhuman power to pulsate and flow into my palms. I really didn’t have a clue at what power it was exactly, nor did I know how strong it was. Was it going to help free me?

  Nevertheless, I was left with a very little choice. I would definitely not enter my house like those fucking animals wanted me to. No, I wasn’t going to be confined in that eerie place forever. There was only one way left–up the road.

  After a few steps, I came to a halt. There were perhaps ten to fifteen steps separating me from the first dog. They were positioned along the road randomly. I counted eight that were without fur.

  Finally, I had their attention. The one closest to me moved ever-so-carefully to the middle of the road and, as it moved, its bloody and evil-looking eyes remained fixed on me. Its snarl warned me to stay back, but I resisted and remained strong, bravely staring directly at its sickening and hideous-looking face.

  “Come on, you piece of shit,” I said through gritted teeth. I tightened my hands in preparation. I daresay it understood my language, for it grimaced, accepting my challenge. There was no way back. I confronted the evil separating me from Elizabeth. Her taste remained on my lips, her scent lingered in front of me, and her eyes were before me calling me. I had to reach her, I had promised her.

  Breaking into a run, I darted towards the beast. My feet hit the ground hard, much more powerfully than they had before. With each step, the ground shook like some kind of massive high-tech robot was running instead of a human.

  The beast growled wickedly and dashed forward to meet that unruly man. Only three to four seconds separated us. They could have been my last seconds. Those seconds could have been carrying death. I only had these seconds to discover my power and strength.

  Startled, I jumped. The dog had leaped and was flying towards me. My fist began to twitch. The invisible power encircled my fist pumping itself into my throbbing veins. I swerved in mid-air, punching it straight into its ribs.

  The dog was tossed aside with such a mighty power; even I hadn’t been expecting it. It flew over the street and came crashing down to the ground with a loud bang. At high speed, it rolled over and over again; it finally came to an abrupt stop slamming into the wall of the nearest house.

  I landed on my feet. I didn’t give much thought to my power at that moment. I only had one goal, and it lay straight ahead. My feet navigated me forward as if I didn’t control them anymore. From my right, the second dog jumped. I had already noticed it swooping down on me. With a swift movement, I ducked, and as I did, I managed to snatch it from mid-air by its hind legs. To me, it seemed impossibly light, and I cast it aside casually as if it was a rag doll.

  Yet, as it flew through the air, I could see its prominent claws growing in length and then, with a sudden crash, it fell through the roof of another house.

  Those hellish ravished beasts were very strong, but I had discovered I was much stronger. I needed to study my own power. I needed to learn how to use it correctly, to control it. But at that moment, it didn’t really matter too much. As the fight was picked up, my head was cleared of thoughts. Fight and survive were all that was in it.

  I began to run swiftly, occasionally glancing back over my shoulder on guard for the next beast’s attack. To my left, one had begun to break into a run. It was chasing me, barking viciously. Its angry voice echoed through the empty streets and the houses nearby quivered. Yes, I was surprisingly mighty, but those beasts could still outrun me any day. It managed to overtake me with great ease. I had no choice but to fight it. The power in my legs propelled me into the air and, in next to no time, I was flying in mid-air just like a bird.

  My strength wasn’t limited to my hands; it had seeped into my veins and was flowing through the rest of my body. Spinning around in mid-air, I faced the sky with my back to the ground. The attacking dog had already flung itself on me. It had leaped much higher than I had and was coming down on top of me.

  I didn’t lose control. Grabbing its legs firmly, I pressed my knees deep into its stomach in the mid-air battle. With its mouth stretched wide open, I could see its sharp piercing fangs moving closer to my body. I had to turn around again otherwise it was going to bite deep into my skin.

  The beast was now beneath me, and we crashed down to the ground. Luckily for me, the dog slammed into the ground with its back, and I landed on top of it with my one knee still pushed deep into its stomach. The hit was hard, much harder than the beast’s body. Leaving a huge dent in the road, it lay there convulsing, with black oily-looking blood streaming out of its mouth.

  I left it lying there, it was most likely dead anyway. I had to rush ahead, every single second was precious, there was no way I was going to waste it. The pursuit continued. The beasts, knowing my power, hounded me as a pack. Every time I looked back, I saw that pack of damned dogs right on my tail. They were getting closer and closer. One of them howled into the air like a wolf to a full moon. Growing uncertain, I picked up the pace a little, I knew that dog was calling to its other comrades lurking somewhere behind the houses.

  There was still a significant distance between me and my final destination–the café. By simply running, there was no way I was going to reach it in time. My eyes scoured my surroundings searching for inspiration. I caught sight of a long pipe lying to my right. At least,with that I would have a weapon in my hands.

  I sprinted towards it and, as I approached it, I skillfully kicked it, sending it into the air where I quickly grabbed it.

  I sensed something coming from behind. Instinctively, I wheeled around and struck it with great force. Staring into another dog’s bloodshot slanting eyes, I managed to bring it down. The strike had been so strong that the animal tumbled backwards and was lost in the storm that had been following us. For the first time I had to pay close attention to the storm as it was running faster than both the dogs and I.

  “Holy shit,” I gasped but didn’t stop.

  As I looked ahead, I saw another hellish dog coming out of the nearest yard to cross my way. Absentmindedly, I threw the pipe towards the beast with all my strength. As if being guided in motion, the pipe glided through the air like a spear and pierced the animal’s body, but the hellish animal continued to move towards me under its own inertia. Finally, it fell to the ground just before my feet with the pipe impaled in its body. I quickly jumped over its weakening body, and grabbing the tube, I twisted and pulled it out of its side as it gasped pathetically for its last few breaths. The fight with the beast didn’t dissuade me, I ran on as fast as my legs were able to carry me.

  Stealing another glance back, my heart seemingly stopped. The storm was just a step behind me. I could no longer see the beasts pursuing me from behind, but I also didn’t know whether they were still there, or not, as the storm had now engulfed the street.

  By the time I discovered the dogs had dropped off and were no longer following me, I was in front of Elizabeth’s house. I passed by it running like the wind now, trying to distance myself from the other danger–the stor
m.

  I was no longer far from the café. There were only a few houses separating me from it, but the dusty wave that was just behind me would surely reach me before I could reach safety, swallowing me in its huge stomach.

  “Jonathan,” Elizabeth’s shrill voice washed over me. She was on the road at the café, horrified, watching my desperate attempts to outrun the storm.

  “RUN!” I cried as loud as my lungs allowed me. “Get into the café, now!”

  She did as she was told. I watched her enter the café, the same café I might never reach myself.

  The storm crept up behind me, seizing me and sucking me into its vacuum. I lost sight of the café, and the surrounding houses also disappeared into the enormous dusty wave leaving me absolutely alone, fighting against nature’s fury.

  I was still determined to reach the café, but a second later I realized that it wasn’t just any storm, it carried evil and malice.

  It seemed filled with hundreds of voices, roars and screams that overwhelmed me. Surrounding me, they forced their way into my mind. I heard humans being tortured.

  However, I couldn’t see anyone. I heard horrible maniacal laughs, leaving me feeling nauseated, nevertheless, the whole time I didn’t see who the voices and laughter belonged to.

  Don’t stop, I thought, the café is not much further now. Armed only with my piece of tube in my right hand, I continued running blindly, the evil storm on my tail. The only thing I could see was the ground at my feet. The shrieks and evil voices were quickly approaching, closer and closer. I could hear them clearly–they had recognized a lost and stupid living human who had dared to challenge nature’s power. I was also fairly certain I could hear the voices of the dead, moaning and screaming. I was certain they were ready to add another soul to their forces. Who was that soul? Me, of course!

  Before me, the dust thickened. I fought at that surreal phenomenon, all the while my legs were still dragging me ahead right into it.

  From out of nowhere a grim-looking black face with menacing eyes and long ears materialized before me. Its mouth open and its long teeth shining, it watched me scornfully. The café entrance should be just behind the thick air, but all I could see was this huge imposing face looking at me with hungry eyes, waiting to swallow me whole.

  Flinching, I doubted what I saw.

  Blinking to clear my eyes, I opened them to double check, but it was still there - the face was real. Instinctively, I lifted my weapon, positioned myself and threw it towards the demonic-looking face. As the pipe was about to hit it, the face vaporized into a fine dust and my weapon got sucked up into the storm.

  I stood there bare-handed, facing a paranormal phenomenon, but then realized, how could a piece of measly metal help me to fight ghosts or demons or whatever was dwelling in the storm?

  As soon as that one face had vaporized, other faces popped up around me laughing hysterically. With their satisfied eyes, they continued to watch their unfortunate victim–me.

  Was this to be my pitiful end? I had had extraordinary powers, I had the supernatural power to fight and bring down those hellish dogs; they had been real things. But amongst these ghosts and demons I had become a wretched rabbit surrounded by a pack of starving wolves. The torturous voices crawled into my head burning me inwardly. I closed my eyes and yelled. They were inside me driving me crazy.

  Come on, buddy, you can do this, I told myself and blinked my eyes open wide. Gathering the last of my strength I moved ahead.

  Fortunately, the café steps appeared before me. If only I could take several more steps, I might survive. Holding my breath, I raced up the steps and at last the door with the hanging sign “Open” was visible.

  The café was right in front of me, and all I had to do was to stretch my arm out to reach it.

  Would I have time to move my hand?

  An angry snarl pierced through the storm and the hideous faces flew upon me simultaneously at the speed of lightning. I didn’t have many options, so I forced myself into the café. The nearest face passed by mine. It had a transparent body attached to its neck and long wings.

  Demon.

  I think it even brushed up against my skin. Its light touch bore enough evil power to make me lose consciousness. The dim light and the wandering ghosts in the storm faded.

  Darkness set in and took over my mind.