Mad As A Hatter (Completed 2015) [WATTY AWARD WINNER *Featured Story*]

Chapter thirty-three: FINAL WAVE

Chapter thirty-three: FINAL WAVE

My foot barely made it through the door as heartbeat spiked up in warning. Something wet landed on my nose. I gazed up and blinked back as another landed on my cheek. Squinting into the bright blue sky was—"Snow?" I reach my hand out and snowflakes danced their way on my hand. Astonishment never left my face.

It's only July, Isaac thoughts said.

I know.

Beasts cried in the air, sharp squawks and heart thumping shrieks heightened my senses. Isaac, come on deck, I said.

Soldiers crowded along the railings, shouting and pointing. I shoved people out of my way and took a look at the commotion.

"What in Hell's name?" I said in a whisper.

It was all white. The sky spilled tears of the snow queen, it coming down fast as a blanket of snow was laid over the sea. Our ships remained trapped in the frozen water.

Confused shouts were thrown to the sky, different languages and harsh accents tossed into what was now a stadium. There a plot twist in the game. It was beginning to sound chaotic.

A lot like chaos.

I looked up again. Grey clouds infected the clear blue skies, the dark clouds puffing out more smoky breaths; intoxicating the air with a thick, musty layer of humidity. The heat clung to our lungs and the snow fell harder, hot and cold airs chasing each other under legs, arms and ships. A slow rain quickened its fall and drops as big as eggs hit decks. The Gods were ready.

"It's about to begin," I said, quiet at first. A tiny dot appeared in the distance. "It's about to begin," I said—this time louder. I leaped on the railing, holding onto the rope and drove a sword up. "Prepare yourselves!' I shouted to all. "Ring the bells! Sounds the horns! Our final chapter begins!"

The last world barely made it out before everyone scattered to their positions, hustling to their stations and ran, shouting to wake up the dead. I bent more over the railing and saw the dots increase in numbers, then grow into silhouettes tall as trees. Their feet shook the ice, moving like a pack across the frozen sea. There was no formation, no line, they were to attack wildly and sporadically. Like true beasts.

War clubs the size of humans bodies swung at their hip and tusks that belonged to mammoths and sabretooths were gleaming like the edges of spiked clubs.

Our first lineup of archers, led by Cameron, scaled down the ladders and arranged in planned formation. Snaps of string and bow, arrow sprinkling across the clouds, shooting through twirling snowflakes, and disappearing into the silhouettes. Faint cries barely made it to our side.

It was a ruthless collision between the first line of devils and our soldiers. Demon tusks yanked, drilling into chests and through hips. Beasts tore apart the wings of phoenix, human bodies dismembered and smashed, leaving the wooden clubs wet of flesh. Screams fuelled the storm, bolts of electricity igniting the sky. Necks slitting, muscles torn apart, bones popping out of skin. Thunder pounding against the clouds in encouragement.

I stood by the front of the ship, shouting orders and helping others prepare their descent to the icy grounds.

Suddenly the earth shook and I held onto the closest rope.

Chunks of ice flew upwards, the ice splitting as a long stick emerged from the water, like a mento popping out of a Coke bottle. Then poked out a sail the size of ours, if not bigger, a black flag that wildly thrashed once breaking the surface and a deck crowded with tusked and winged devils. Eyes hungry. Skin tough and flesh soft, hot rage pumping through tunnels of blood.

Hundreds of more demon ships burst from under the ice, carrying twice as many malicious devils.

One boat in particular led them all, a single taller, bigger silhouette with a top hat standing on the front deck.

Lord Death.

Suddenly a crack over the railing forced the boat to rock. That was when I felt the wave of intense heat eating at the ice and setting all the boats free. What was left of our men hung on, the wood groaning as it shifted back into the water, ice sliding over the deck.

The hot and cold air continued to chase under our legs and arms, playing tag over the sails and spinning above the water. There was a crack of lightning and shot of thunder.

The heat licked up my back and I ripped my sleeves off, using them to tie up half the front of my hair, the short black wisps of it flowing with the warm winds.

A bolt of flashing light stabbed into the ice and the ground split. The water sucked both human and demon under ice and into the freezing water.

No one could look away at the fall of thousands disappearing to the Gods wrath.

This was an act done by not Hell or us.

But by heaven.

Like missiles, winged gladiators swooped down with golden swords. Angry, they fired in with greedy hands for Hell's devils. Their white robes turned black, drenching in their victim's blood.

For the first—they were on our side.

No complaints here, I swayed my blade and hungrily took lives. Bending back to avoid clubs, cutting ankles and leaping for shoulders and dividing winged creatures through the middle. Sword giving birth to steaming black blood that pushed out of limp, flimsy skin.

I felt my neck heat up from the gemmed necklace and I divided into three people again, running with two Alice clones by my side. I had three pairs of eyes, three separate heartbeats. It was a three way killing, sweeping heads off of necks and when the blade felt momentarily dull, teeth fanged out and tore out ribs or fetus of choice. Sharpening swords along cracked bones and hairs of the dead. In one swift move, I took off my coat and wrapped it around a demon throat and yanked, choking it and drank its cries until my blade met its throat. I had just diced a demon into a pile of meat until a blur of golden hair snuck past the corner of my eye.

My blade took out an arm and I darted towards the blur. Hesitation stuck into my killing instinct. A bright, warm energy radiated from this blur. It was as powerful as my energy level. No one carried that same energy but me and—"Dad?" I said.

The bright blur sped through demon bodies, leaving them in bones and pieces of meat. It zoomed up the wooden poles and I stuck both swords in the mouth as I climbed the net.

Then blur kept zipping in and out of demons, stealing their lives under their noses. I balanced across the wooden beam, both swords now in my hand. The blur ripped through a flying devil, black blood splashing across my neck. My heart was heavy, sliding side to side as I nearly tipped over. "Dad?"

Beaming into its brightness, I noticed the blur was shaped as a man—no, a young man. His hair was wavy, golden and flowing graciously.

I almost dropped my swords.

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Here's a sneak peek to my new horror + action + paranormal + street lit + comedy story:  

It's called Villain Academy.  

"Profanity, drugs and violence: three survival needs for any student attending Villain Academy.  There, you are not taught how to be bad.  That's a requirement.  They teach you how to survive--and in my city, the criminal way is the only way."     

Would you guys be a villain?  Or hero?