Where Shadows Lurk (A Poor Example of My Writing Ability)

Prelude

As the first wave of them close in on me I feel a little bit of me fall away, letting the darker side of me take hold and simply enjoy slaughtering them mindlessly. Forgetting the task at hand.

I crouch low and use one of my feet to kick myself into a low lying spin, holding out a bladed arm as I do so. I cut down the closest of the group before abruptly changing direction, using the momentum from my spin I kick off the ground going from a crouch to a mid air soar landing on the head of one of the larger ones and cutting deep into the back of its neck. As it disintegrates I fall into the cloud of smoke it leaves behind, using it as cover from the encroaching group of shadows. I jut solid spikes from the darkness around me. Such an unaimed attack seemed to have surprisingly taken out most of the ones in the immediate area, but there were more. I knew that much.

As the dust cleared I see too late the sharp tail of a shadow comes flying through, clearing the airborn remnants of its comrades, and scraping past my shoulder as I quickly roll to the side in an attempt to dodge. The graze leaves a cut across my shoulder, but luckily it isn't deep or serious. I have no time to pay attention to pain.

Formless black mist-like horns sprout from my head as my eyes glow, piercing through the dark and giving me a better view. The creature that had stricken me in the shoulder grins in satisfaction, inching closer its long serrated tail deviously twitching behind.

The edges of my vision blurs and I faulter. I look over at my shoulder a dark ooze at the rim of it, "What the-?"

I don't get to finish that bewildered sentence. As the tail comes in for another attack, I get flanked on either side by large, multi-eyed ape-like shadows. I suck between the haunches of the creature to my left, rolling and skidding across the ground for a few moments before rising back up and watching as the ape-like creatures, who had apparently been in mid attack, arms raised up, let their beefy arms slam into the ground before them. One catches the tail under it and a sickening crack is heard followed by a small cloud of black dust as the tailed shadow begins disintegrating. Soon, after a few screeches of insanity, it is no more.

I look worriedly at the wound at my shoulder. It didn't seem to be getting worse, but something felt wrong inside and I knew that I didn't have much time to continue fighting. I snap out of my maniacal transe, taking hold of my body and mind again forcing myself away from the rush of battle and focusing more on trying to reach my goal.

I stumble. Definitely poison. I didn't even know shadows could have poison. This is what I get for being careless I guess. I regain my footing hearing the hungry roars from behind and peircing eyes in my peripherals.

The edges of my vision blacken and at the point I was at I wasn't sure of it was just getting darker or if it was the poison. Probably was the poison.

I could see the top of the warehouse in the distance. I was so close. I couldn't fail now.

I kept running, more of a hobble at this point. I felt weighed down, like I was also carrying around an elephant on my back.

Soon, it became hard to think, so I stopped thinking and just kept moving. It was either die by the horde or give into the poison or keep going. None of the options were very appealing.

"So... Close" I choke out, looking over my shoulder at the beasts following behind. They were far off, I could probably hide. Duck into an alley way and hope to be saved...

No! Keep moving! I pick up the pace, feeling myself drift away. At this point, it is just the adrenaline that is keeping me conscious. Sweat drips off of me and my eyes sting.

Why is everything so heavy? I stumble, falling and rolling across the ground gasping; The air feels so thin. My eyes flutter; Falling asleep can't be that bad. So peaceful... I snap out of my trance, hearing the dying screams of the shadows. My eyes look wildly around and I see them.

Why couldn't they just have listened? Professor Adrab and Henry stand side by side forcing back the endless flow of shadows.

Adrab yells something at Henry and he nods running over to me and crouching at my side. He examines my wound with a frown. I try to fight back, try to tell them to leave but only incoherent mumbles escape my dry lips

"Stop struggling, dammit, I'm trying to help you!" He straddles across me and holds me down, whipping out a long cloth and wrapping it around my shoulder, "Damnit, this isn't gonna be enough... Hang in there, Jordan!" He flips out a knife and uses it to break up the hardened ooze inside the wound and placing his palms on the cut, a bright green glow follows and I groan, writhing. Feeling an icy burn spread through my veins. I feel a slight vigor for a moment, before I lose all feeling everywhere and I become limp the burning pain growing.

Henry drags me over to a wall, laying me against it.

I couldn't see much around me but I could see Adrab and Henry fighting off the shadows. Part of me cursing them for coming, and the other part thanking them.

I watch uselessly from the sidelines as they fight, hating myself for every moment, but using the time to plan for the upcoming battle.

The battle that can change everything.

I look over down the street. In an open clearing stands an ominous abandoned warehouse, a spiral of darkness shooting out of its top. "I'm coming for you," I hiss silently