"Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it, fuck it!" Elliot flailed as his body cut through the whirling atmosphere, sprinting for the giant mass of swirling black and gray. If this was how he died, well then so be it. The Incubus couldn't even begin to imagine what might be on the other side, or what Eden and Key could possibly be enduring. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good; he recalled the torn end of rope that had permeated from the other side of the black hole.
His agile form bounded through the field of knife-edged stakes, effortlessly whipping through the graveyard at the speed of light itself. Very quickly, the portal had begun chanting with a life of its own. It rumbled and churned vehemently, a vacuum-like suction pulling Elliot's body forward with a gravity stronger than any resistance could withstand.
Then, suddenly, in a single blink the entire wormhole collapsed in on itself.
The field was deserted, left stagnant with a dreadful silence. Even the air itself had seemed to stop moving. Elliot halted, dropping to his knees after a moment as he gazed out towards where the giant mass had just seconds ago been.
"No..." He whispered under his breath, his wide tangerine stare trembling in disbelief. That's impossible. He couldn't bear to acknowledge the reality before him, hardly beginning to process the absence of the two. Eden, Key...they had been here only minutes ago. So how was it that they were entirely gone? He couldn't accept it.
Urgent footsteps beat against the sand, growing nearer from behind Elliot's form, but he was too distraught to notice.
"Holy shit, hooooly fuck." Simone had finally caught up, glancing back and forth between the space where the wormhole had previously been, to his friend's still, disheartened stare. "Did that...seriously just happen?" He panted heavily, keeling over and coughing as he attempted to catch his breath.
"Eden..." Elliot finally managed to speak, the name flowing from his lips like a river of tears. Simone couldn't remember ever hearing him sound so...broken. He had never been the one to offer moral support, but now it seemed like he was their only hope.
"H-hey...she's in there with Key, remember?" The raven-haired demon bent down, fluffy black locks hanging over his face. He tried his best to muster a reassuring glance, but comfort wasn't his forte. "They're prolly like-...kicking ass together...or somethin'." He hesitated, standing back upright. The demon's yellow, cat-like eyes peered back over toward the empty space that was now somehow more unsettling than even the wormhole had been.
"No, no, no." The Incubus shook his head, pressing his palms into the dusty ground. Tears rolled down his cheeks, dripping and evaporating as they made contact with the dry surface. "I mean- *sniff* they probably- *sniff* aren't even *sniff* together!" He uttered between tears.
"WHAT IF THEY'RE BOTH DEAD!?" Elliot suddenly erupted, like one of Yellowstone's great geysers. He lifted his chin to the heavens, warm tears spilling down his face in a dramatic display.
Simone bit his tongue, wincing and directing his attention literally anywhere else. It wasn't as though he didn't care. They were his friends too, and it would seriously suck if they died. He was just the absolute worst when it came to being a caregiver, and Elliot was the biggest baby of them all. For once, the brute demon found himself wishing Key were here to absolve the situation for him.
"Dude!" The demon swung down onto his own knees, gripping the Incubus' shoulders with his hands and forcing eye-contact. "I know you're tweakin' right now, but this isn't helping!" He exclaimed, hoping to shock some sense into the crybaby in front of him. Simone shook Elliot's body—he was limp as a noodle.
"Well, if the swirly thingy is gone then where else could they be? It obviously crushed them inside!" He wailed some more, and Simone fought the urge to rip his own hair out.
"Hey!" He smacked Elliot right across his cheek. "Maybe it didn't, kay? Maybe it teleported them somewhere, right? They must have initiated something from the inside, otherwise, why would it just disappear like that?"
Simone's words must have had some sort of impact, the incessant crying quieting into a somber sniffling. "You think so?" Elliot looked up, clementine hair stuck to his wet face, streaks of black mascara running down to his chin.
"I mean, yeah, I think so." Simone replied with more uncertainty than certainty.
"Where could they have teleported though?" Elliot whimpered, sitting back and pulling his knees to his chest like a young, scared child.
Simone shrugged. "Earth, I guess?"
"Earth??" Elliot cooed dramatically, glancing off in a whimsical manner, as though his friend had just spoken of some sort of fantasy land. "Well how the fuck are we supposed to get to Earth?" He suddenly asked.
"Hell if I know." Simone shrugged, annoyed by the fact that he was now responsible for straightening out this mess. "But wouldn't it be safer to wait here for them? You know, err, in case they return?" He raised a brow, hoping Elliot would see eye to eye with him, just this once.
"AS IF Eden would come back here." The colorful haired Incubus dragged his claws along the sandy surface of the ground. "If you're right, and those two holla-hooligans made it to planet E, there's no way my sis is gonna give that up for our sorry asses." Elliot sniffled dejectedly, reaching out and wrapping his arms tightly around the raven-haired demon before briskly pulling him close in a desperate embrace.
"Your sister always was a self-centered bitch." Simone grunted as he was jolted forward, growling with a buried aggravation as his starry orbs drifted away from the emotional Incubus.
Smack!
A sharp sting erupted across the side of the demon's face "AYE!!" Simone retracted in an instant, his cheek stinging from the harsh whack of Elliot's sharp pointed tail.
"Don't talk about my potentially deceased sister like that!" The assailant reprimanded.
Smack!
His tail beat the demon once more, just to be sure he had gotten his point across.
"Damn, fuck-okay! Just- relax." Simone huffed, scuttling away from where Elliot sat. "But if they come back lookin' for us, and we're not here, I told you so."
The Incubus stood, crossing his arms and turning in the direction of their prior escape vehicle. "You can stay, mister lazy bones. But I'm a mister on a mission for his misses now...and I'm not taking any chances." He spoke in conclusion, beginning to walk off towards Osiris' shabby old truck. The keys should have still been inside. Of course, he had never driven a vehicle before, but it couldn't be that difficult, could it? Bonehead Osiris had managed to drive it, albeit he had dented and scratched up the car pretty bad.
Simone sat stagnant for a moment; his expression one of puzzlement. Most of the time, it was impossible to register anything that came out of Elliot's mouth. By the time Simone had mentally caught up, Elliot was already quickly fleeing the scene. "Fuck no, are you seriously thinking of driving that thing?" Simone sighed when Elliot didn't respond or turn around, quickly trotting up to the Incubus' side.
"I must be the only one in our group with balls." The orange creamsicle of a demon chided, elbowing Simone as he finally caught up.
"I have balls too!" The curly haired demon hollered in retaliation, pushing Elliot's elbow away. He knew that if he wanted to survive to see tomorrow, he would have to try and convince Elliot to let him take the wheel, even if it was a first time for him as well. At least it wouldn't be a direct death-sentence.
"Where the fuck are we even going, anyways?" Simone cawed, always finding something to complain about.
"Oh, don't you worry...I've got some tricks up my scandalous little sleeves." Elliot winked, and the dread of the day grew even greater.
YOU ARE READING
The Shadows Within Us
FantastikEden has spent her entire life outside the city slums of Hell's capital. Growing up, she had quickly learned just how different she was. Her outlandish sense of morality isolated her from the locals and her family alike. She lacked the demonic bloo...
