The Last Hope

08 - Temple

SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER - Stained Glass, Madison Beer. Linked above! If you enjoy the chapter please vote, it means a lot. Also, I actively encourage commenting and I am trying my best to reply to them as quickly as possible. You wanna chat? Don't be shy!

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In the pitch black of the night, the fountain glowed like starlight. Black eyes glittered with joy in their sunken sockets. The man was a skeleton, with sallow skin stretched tightly over jagged bones. The Grunt, pale skin made paler by the pure white light reflected onto his face, was smiling. The movement pulled crackling lips wide over sharp teeth, prominent against his hollowed cheeks. This Grunt made the one that killed Devin look like a beauty queen.

Mercy opened her mouth to scream.

The Grunt raised a hand, "scream and I'll kill you," he cocked his head to the side like a wild animal, still grinning like a cat that had caught a mouse by its chubby little tail. "Then I'll go back for your friend. And it won't be like what happened to the pretty blonde one. I won't make it quick. I'll hurt him first. So, do you really want to scream?"

The stone in her stomach tugged tightly at the mention of Devin, Mercy pressed her lips into a thin line. How did they know about Felix? How long had they been watching her?

"Good." The Grunt motioned her with long pale fingers, beckoning. "Now come here."

Mercy remained rooted to the spot.

"Miss Maldonado, I've had a very hard day clawing my way back here through a tiny tear in an abandoned gateway. I'd appreciate it if you worked with me a little."

Mercy continued to back away, angling her body so the fountain was between them.

"No? That didn't work?" The Grunt responded; voice pleasant as if he were discussing the weather. He shrugged. "I guess we have to do this the hard way then."

He swooped, flying over the fountain instead of around it, jumping unnaturally far, catching Mercy by surprise. She stumbled and it gave the Grunt the fraction of a second he needed to tangle a hand in the hair at her scalp and yank harshly. Mercy let out a pained howl, swinging round with her fist. But he was taller than she expected, and the punch went wide, connecting with his shoulder rather than his jaw. Smiling with those sharp teeth the Grunt cocked his head, "is that all you've got?"

It wasn't. Twisting, Mercy reached for her hoodie pocket and pulled out the corkscrew bottle opener she'd stashed there earlier with her left hand. In a fluid motion, she pivoted in her attacker's embrace, thrusting forward with her whole body as she slammed the corkscrew into his eye.
Right up to the hilt. Oily, thick blood streamed from the wound as he screamed. A strangled sound that made the hairs on the back of Mercy's neck stand up straight.

"You bitch! I'll kill you for that!" He reached with pale claw-like fingers to remove it, but Mercy threw her momentum into him, and they barrelled over the lip of the fountain, careening into the water, fully submerged. Freezing, teeth chattering, Mercy surfaced a moment before the Grunt, flailing her arms frantically. The Grunt sat up, the action spewing water everywhere, he glared with his one good eye. Mercy didn't give him the chance to stand. She pelted forward again, grasping his face with both hands, and twisting the corkscrew where it protruded. Black blood flowed faster, hands slick with it, she gripped the Grunts face to steady herself. His screaming became animalistic. Her right hand slipped as he thrashed, a large, angry red welt had risen on his cheek where she had grabbed him, blooming like a rose. The gold band burned hotly around her thumb, but not painfully.

"The ring burns you." She murmured, and for a second, real fear crossed the Grunts face. Then he sprang, forcing her head under the water. His hands were an unbreakable stone band clamped around her neck; pain seared as she panicked. Her long nails tore as she clawed at the skin of his arms, but he remained steady as he kept her under. Mercy kicked him hard as she could in the kneecaps, but the movement was sluggish underwater as her air slowly ran out. She screamed but the water swallowed up the sound.