Calamity of Light: Volume 1(Incomplete)

Calamity of Light (Ch.8)

Chapter Eight: Years

"So, Danny, what's it like being stuck with.. Him?" She gestured to Kristian hoping he wouldn't notice but subtlety wasn't her speciality, she sighed and shook her head, giving up on being sneaky. "What's he like, in your opinion?" She looked at the boy and gleefully awaited his answer. She wanted to know more about the two of them and where better to start than her new guardian, The man she had to trust with her life to get through this dusty deserted waste and to a better place.

"Uh, well, he's really nice. It doesn't seem like it but he is once he warms up to you." Danny was hesitant to speak about Kristian, he may be nice but he sure as hell got angry if you told people about his personal life.

"Oh really? And how long does that take?" Nina looked the man up and down and rolled her eyes, this one, Nice? Seemed impossible, though she had seen him treat Danny well. But still she believed that was a luxury reserved only for him.

"Uh, I mean, he's known me for nine years now." Danny smiled as Nina's face dropped, if she had to wait nine years for the big oaf to offer up a scrap of kindness she was gonna give up right away, she didn't have the effort to deal with him for nearly long enough to be around him for nine years, let alone one

"Oh, well that's just great. Not long at all then huh?" Her sarcasm didn't fly with Kristian, he stopped to look her in the eyes and the fire behind them was so hot she could almost feel the heat of his emotions. It was insane, she hadn't made contact with him in ages yet remnants of him still remained, he was something else entirely.

"I'd be nice to you if you weren't such a brat, now, shut your mouth like I asked." He was certainly harsh on her and his reasoning was selfish, but he did regret being so cruel. They continued on their way until they were all so tired that they couldn't move, Kristian was the last to fall, he had been carrying the kids for a few miles now and finally his legs gave out. They laid exhausted of all energy on the red rock floor, any chance of getting out of here was slim until a strange creature found them.

"What's that?" Danny asked curiously, laying in Kristians arms. They were propped up against a rock and drinking as much water as they could, Nina sat beside them and it seemed she was falling asleep. Danny nudged her and she looked upon the creature in awe.

"Is that a dog? Out here?" Her voice fluttered, it was quiet and gentle. She looked at it some more and then to Kristian, he seemed frightened, no, he was frightened. That wasn't a dog and he'd figured that out way before they did, but how was one here, how did it get past the fence.

"Get up" Kristian choked on some water as he spoke. "Fuck, get up and run. I'll make it come for me." He was out of his mind, fighting a VC while having to hold back from going all out as well as being unable to stand, he had a death wish.

"Ok, come on Nina, we have to." Danny listened, he was smarter than to let Kristian do something reckless, so maybe this wasn't going to be such a bust as Nina thought. The two got behind a rock and watched as the VC approached Kristian, he made small sparks that lit at the tips of his fingers with each click, attracting it to him. The mangled creature hissed and howled, scraping its way closer to its victim. It's jaw hung agape with teeth like razor blades, perfect for digging through flesh and getting right to the bone; they were already soaked in blood. The claws that protruded from the paws of the beast stabbed into the ground with ease, each step towards him was heavy and powerful, strong enough to crush ribs. The lifeless black eyes stared only with the intent to envision its prey, deep pits of horror lying beneath them, nothing beyond the want to kill. It was ready, it was positioned to pounce.

"Come at me, I dare you." He spoke to it like a human, odd but not uncommon. With his arm held ahead of him, he too was ready, he would burn it to the ground.