||Series Removed|| OTB

23 - For We Are Many

23

I was floating.

That's what it felt like, in that pitch-black expanse of nothingness; just like swimming, only there was no water to suffocate me. No oxygen to take in, and yet no need to breathe either. Just a blank slate, where not even the likes of Telos could disturb me.

There was a light tingling sensation on my nose at first, which spread to my cheeks after a few seconds. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw a blurry hand flying at my face for another slap, and I grabbed it in mid-air with a sudden burst of life.

Startled, Blessing jolted to the side as I flopped around on the floor like a fish out of water. Finding my footing, I was able to get onto my feet with much more ease than the last time.

The last time...

It all came flooding back to me, and I instantly felt like throwing up. The entire town was on fire, I'd been dismembered by the leader of the TMD... and the most painful fact of all, my closest friends may not be able to trust me ever again.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I raised myself up against a splintered wall and began to question our surroundings. Judging from the toppled chairs and books strewn across the floor, Blessing had successfully fled from the Carrier's Flesh pod and sought refuge in one of the nearby classrooms.

"Daniel, your injuries... You can't be moving so-"

"I'm fine... I'll be fine," I repeated for my own benefit. "That thing outside, did you get a good look at it? What are we up against here?" Between cumbersome breaths, I tried to listen for any screeching, squawking or any other unearthly noise I had come to associate with those Flesh monsters.

Blessing took me away from the window and into the dim shadows, shaking her head a little too convincingly. I could see it in her eyes, that she knew exactly what had been unleashed.

"Listen to me... We can't fight it. Our best option is to rendezvous with Elizabeth and the others, hopefully Alisha will stay underground until the coast is clear-"

"Bless, there's no time for that! Enough people have died today... If we just leave that monster to run around-"

Another firm slap brought me back to my senses, although I couldn't hide my bitter scowl from her piercing-grey eyes.

"Seriously?! You only have to look out there to know. It's a terrible thing to say, Daniel. I know it is... but they're going to die anyway. You can't save them, and even if you could get everyone away from here, the opiate withdrawal would finish them off in a matter of days."

I stared at her blankly for what seemed like minutes, and without excusing myself, I shakily made my way towards the door. Her footsteps turned behind me, and I could sense her hand before it rested on my shoulder.

"...Where are you going?"

"I need to do something. I can't sit here with my thumb up my arse, waiting for someone else to come to our rescue... Your brother has that device. Maybe now's the time to use it, after all."

"TB... He told you about his customised cartridge?! I can't believe that he would trust you so quickly!"

"Yeah, well. Looks like his 'trust' came at a price." I tried to shake off what Alisha had accused me of previously, and left through the half-demolished classroom door.

As soon as we stepped out onto the street, a deafening chorus of roars blasted through the air to our left, and Blessing yanked me in the opposite direction. The timing was too perfect... was this Flesh creature able to sense us?