The Birdcage

In The Rubble

It was the rose plant that caught them on the way down; the creeping vines yanking them from the rubble as it crashed down onto the floor and depositing them slowly down onto the ground. Nyx groaned as she pushed herself up from the floor, detangling herself from the vines; dust and pieces of brick and glass sloughing off her, everything aching as she stood. Looking up, she saw the boughs of the rose bush arched protectively above her, peeling back towards the wall in a manner that was way too purposeful, red roses peering down on her like inquisitive eyes.

A scream, and Nyx started from her mental wanderings, snapping around to follow the voice out into the carnage of the garden.

Ronnie!

There Ronnie was, down on her knees, looking up into the face of the beast. The creature was dark, fluid and hazy, but in the midst of this it formed a shape that Nyx couldn't quite see; Ronnie could though, and whatever it was, whatever it was saying, it had the tears streaming down her face and a plea upon her lips. Spawning from the darkness with every of Ronnie's tearful cries, black tendrils reached out to envelop her.

With barely a second thought, Nyx was off, charging through the wreckage towards her friend. Vaulting over shattered furniture, she seized hold of the ghoulish figure and pulled it away from Ronnie.

And suddenly, she was face-to-face with the demon.

It was... Ronnie. But not Ronnie her friend- this was harsh Ronnie, cruel Ronnie, Ronnie who said all the right things just to hit that terrible spot. Ronnie who Ronnie feared.

The demon grinned a dark grin, shark-like teeth stained with black saliva as it wrapped her in its grasp. "You should not have done that. Let's see, what do you fear?"

And then there were tendrils reaching inside her mind; pushing, searching, filling her mind with blank as it sought out every part. Nyx gritted her teeth against the invasion, eyes rolling back at the horror; until suddenly the creature let out a victorious smile.

"Not what, who."

And then the face began to change. Skin growing icy pale, hair growing long and smooth like an ocean of spilled ink, bones cracking beneath skin of a face reshaping sharp and elegant.

Caught in the eyes of a snake, Nyx dropped to her knees in terror.

Wow, its been a long time since I updated this! So sorry, I was swamped under University work and lost track! (Actually, that applies to several writing projects) But don't worry, I think I have my mojo back, so we should be getting some good chapters from now on XD