earth

chapter 60

Ava pov

Pain wracks my body as the screams of the monster echo in my ears, my head thudding painfully with every shout. How can I ever get used to this? I stumble and falter, my eyes drooping with fatigue, feeling like death itself is chasing me. The thought that my child won't have a mother to raise her brings tears to my eyes, and I hold my stomach tightly.

As I shuffle my way through the dark and dingy hallways, my vision blurs, and the corpses of those who once lived clutter the path, a shocking reminder of the horror that surrounds me.

"Ava! Get back here!" the monster's voice rings out, jolting me back to reality. My body screams at me to stop running from this monster, but I know I have to escape. Without thinking, I run as fast as my tired and weary legs can carry me. My heart beats so fast that I feel like it's going to burst out of my chest; blood spills from my mouth and ears, and my broken ribs throb in agony.

I long to go home, to a time and place where the sky is blue and the world is peaceful. But that's just a dream now.

I come to a halt and pause in the distance, and even with the sea of corpses surrounding me, I can just make out the outline of the monster who relentlessly pursues me. His jumpsuit is the same as mine, stained with blood, but I know it's not his. The monster stops, and the sight of him sends shivers down my spine.

"William!" I shout, my heart soaring at seeing a familiar face. Blood drips from his orange jumpsuit, but he seems different, almost happy, as he approaches me. He's not the William I know. I've gone from running away from one monster to another, and there's no escape.

"William," I cry, and he comforts me, his finger tracing my face soothingly. But it's a short-lived comfort as I remember my loss, and he becomes my avenger, a beast unleashed as I implore him to kill the doctor,
the one who robbed me of my child.
the doctor who rip my baby out from in between my legs-
the doctor who turned- who turned my child into snake food- He stands walking to the doctor with his bare hands, ripping the doctor's throat open-

The scene was grisly, with red and more red shoots painting the room. And yet, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight. Not when the man lying before me had reveled in my agony, laughing and enjoying it to his heart's content. No, it was only fair that I savored his suffering too.
My nemesis, William, reached into his pocket and pulled out a collection of at least 20 genitals. They were all shapes and sizes, grotesquely holding them out on display as if they were trophies. Without warning, he gripped hold of the doctor, forcefully shoving each genitalia down his throat, as if he was trying to cram his foot into a shoe that was far too small and tight.

The doctor's face grew more distorted with each passing moment, swelling up like a pufferfish as he struggled to breathe. But I couldn't bring myself to feel pity for him. Not when I remembered what he had done to me. He deserved every moment of this horrific punishment for violating me in the most grotesque way possible.

***

The moment my eyes snap open, I am enveloped in a strange aura. Instead of the divine figure I expected, I am met with two piercing, contrasting eyes. One is a mossy green, reminiscent of lush forest canopies, while the other is a dusty brown, like something you would find in a desolate wasteland. His scent, slow and steady as he hovers above me, is alluring and overwhelming at the same time.

"I'll accept it," he whispers, and I can feel his breath tickling my face as his lips hover millimeters away from mine. My dry throat begs for water, but all I can do is stare into his entrancing eyes.
His hand moves to stroke my hair, and a sudden warmth spreads through my body at his tender touch. "I'll be good to you, Ava," he says, his eyes full of unfamiliar compassion.

Every fiber of my being wants to believe him. But memories of his past betrayals come crashing back, like a river of sorrows. Wasn't this the same man who once rejected our child? And didn't he turn into a murderer?

Unable to contain myself any longer, I shake my head, denying everything he's saying. A look of hurt spreads through his eyes, and without another word, he leaves the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.