Town Darkness

Chapter Twelve

       "Yer not the brightest bulbs, are ya?"  Everyone stood frozen in fear and bewilderment at the dark version of Jack.  Green flames circled low around his feet as he tilted his head slightly, emerald green eyes scanning the room.  "Ye should be glad that I took over, or else yer poor friend would've died right here."  His cackle echoed through the hotel, becoming static-like. 

       "Give us Jack back." Everyone's gaze snapped to Mark, including Jack's dark self. A malicious grin spreading across his face, while the others looked in fear at Mark's sudden boldness.  "Now… what makes ye think I'm just gonna hand him back?"  His accent flared as his voice glitched over, causing Mat and Nate, who were the closest ones, to flinch back slightly.  "We need Jack, we need to get away from here!"  Ethan had spoken up now, causing the dark half to twitch slightly as he turned towards Ethan, walking towards him slowly, trailing green fiery footsteps behind.

       "A Lost one, now yer a dangerous thing ta be left alive." A green ring of fire roared from the floor, trapping Mark, Nate, and Mat on the other side of the room. They shouted for Ethan to run, but he knew he couldn't. He was backed into an inescapable corner, trapped by a dark entity that was once his friend.  He swallowed hard as he saw a pitch black dagger materialize in the dark half's hand. 

       "Don't… hurt him." The dark half turned his gaze curiously towards Felix, laughing maniacally.  Felix stood on legs that were on the verge of collapsing, his grip shaking the rifle he held up.  His breathing was labored as the black veins seemed to have stretched everywhere, and both eyes were now white, instead of their usual light blue.  "Ya wouldn' shoot an ol' friend, would ya?" The dark half teased humorlessly, the malicious grin never faltering.  

       Felix slammed the bolt action down. "I… don't know who… or w-what… you are, but you're not… m-my friend.  He had become even more unsteady, shaking violently as he tried to stay aimed, it seemed to amuse the dark half.  He giggled, the sound becoming glitchy and distorted as he turned his attention completely towards Felix. 

       "I wasn' talkin' ta ye though, I was talkin' ta the one who can hear me. The one yer hidin'."  Green hellfire seemed to blaze in his eyes as he slowly stalked towards Felix.  With his attention turned away from him, Ethan snuck to grab the steel baton.  He had a plan that hopefully wouldn't get him or anyone else killed.  Ethan gripped the baton tightly in his hand, adrenaline replacing the anxiety he was feeling.  At that same moment, the dark half gripped the front of the rifle, leaving Felix shocked as his very unsteady hand struggled to find where the trigger was.  He was on the verge of blacking out, he had been for a while now, but was fighting with every fiber of his being to stay in control. 

       The dark half pulled the gun forward, pulling Felix along with it. "Come oonnn, give him ta me already!" He snarled, as his hand caught ablaze.  This was Ethan's golden opportunity, while he… it was fully distracted.  Ethan swung down, aiming for the back of the dark half's head.  The baton connected with the palm of the dark half's hand instead of the intended target.

       Ethan froze with fear as the dark half's grip tightened on the baton.  "Tsk tsk, I knew ye were dangerous, an' how right I was."  The dark half shoved the rifle backwards, sending Felix to the floor and tossing the rifle as he pulled the baton away from Ethan, tossing it aside as well. His eyes narrowed as a dark expression spread across his face.  "It's been fun, but now playtime's over.  Time for ya all ta die." 

       The blade returned to his hand as he pressed it against Ethan's throat.  Ethan's heart raced in his ears as he watched the demonic grin return and widen across his former friend's face, this was it, there was no way out.  This was going to be the way he died.  The dark half's voice glitched with static, "Say goodbye, Lost one."  Ethan squeezed his eyes shut as he heard a faint whisper of 'goodbye' but it wasn't from him. 

       The cold metal of the blade immediately disappeared as he heard struggling.  He opened his eyes to see Jack's dark half on his knees, wide-eyed and glitching as Felix, or what looked like him, had covered both sides of the dark half's head with his hands.  Electricity flowed through his hands and through Jack's and his dark half's body until it lost consciousness. 

       The green hellfire dissipated from everything, signaling the departure of Jack's dark half.  Felix, or what seemed to be him, looked up at Ethan, his eyes glowing white.  "They'll live, for now." The electricity faded as his eyes returned to their normal light blue, his body no longer shaking and with breathing that was no longer ragged. Felix returned to normal mostly, as the others ran from their former trapped position.