Shades of Night

Ch.5 Closer to death

I watched in horror as Nikole changed. She doubled forward as if she had been punched in the stomach but she quickly straightened up and her eyes glowing serpent green. She smiled and fangs was revealed under her lips that is parted in the middle like a bug’s antenna. I screamed a blood curdling scream but it echoed down the hallway and nobody seemed to heard me. I helplessly backed myself against the locker and hoped Nikole would forget about me, but she seemed pretty sure about her prey. Damn it.

She ignored me and kept changing, her size zero tight jeans bursting open, a shaggy donkey leg on the right and a silver leg of a robot on the left. Her backside was cover with scales like a snake and two black wings of a crow sprouted out from her back. I looked up and saw her face and screamed out again. Her face is still very much Nikole’s but she is bald, yes as bald as an egg, her parted lips revealed a pair of fangs and and a slithering toungue of a snake. I screamed the third time as she walked leisurely to me her green eyes glowing.

“ Wha...what are you ? Take away that costume Nikole, it is horrible !” I chattered, hypnotised by her glowing green eyes.

“ Oh my dear ignorant prey,” she chastised, rasping like a snake, “ This is no costume nor game. I used to be like you, so beautiful and young, I have those beautiful brown hair and startling blue eyes. Until.....until I start feeding on hatred. Oh so delicous, but I knew I would have to face the music and got turned into a horrible monster. But I will feast on your hatred today, Natasha, when your soul had returned to ikis. I shall feast on your hatred. Long live the soul of Varcite!” She stared at me for while, bent down and lunged.

****

I heard a blood curdling scream from the hallway following the musty smell of an empura- snake woman. I immediately knew something was wrong. I tapped the tip of my pendant and it grew into a 8 inch long deadly silver sword with protection carvings. The carvings scare the monsters away, but once I take it out , it acts like a beacon, It drives in all the monsters . But still it is very very deadly,  One touch from the blade, and it’s bye bye for you. I grasped the leather hilt of the sword and ran to the screaming voice. A second scream was heard, and it sounded close. I skittered to a stop in front of a row of lockers, I ran in, just in time to see a empura pounce on a red haired girl. I jumped in between the girl and the snake woman, and almost cried out on suprise. No wonder the the snake woman looked familiar, it is Nikole Dazik the second princesse of Dicris, her family begged for her to be betrothed to me, but I wouldn’t allow it, I barely know her.

“ Remember me Erik Luc Darc?” she cooed, rolling the “r” in my name, flickering her toungue.

“ Yes demon, and the memory is not pleasant.” I snapped .

“ I know, but I love you Erik.”

“ This is not going to change the fact that I’m going to kill you right now.” I retorted. I drived my sword into a wide arc and in one swift movement I plunged it deep into her heart, instead of blood sprouting out like humans do, she dissolved into thousands of little dusts of silver, each whispering their last words.  I slashed my sword through the dust, I didn’t want to hear it.

I turned towards the red haired girl who had gone pale as sheet, “We should be going now, if there is one snake woman, there would be dozens near by.”

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, she nodded grimly and followed me through the maze of lockers.

****

We walked for atleast three minutes when another hiss echoed through the hallway, I froze and saw dozens of snake womans closing in on both sides of the hallway. They walked with a cat like gait and eyed us like prey, Erik drew out his knife, the silver blade glinting in the dark hallway, illuminating the road before us.

Without a word, Erik charged the snakewomans on the left, sword swinging and and hacking, monsters disinergrated around him, coating him in silver dust. A snakewoman tackled him from behind, he fell to the ground, elbowed the snakewoman and rolled to the side retrieving his sword. He he jabbed the snakewoman and she disinergrated into a plie of silver dust. He jabbed and hacked in such speed that I thought it wasn’t even possible. In a few minutes the whole colony of snakewoman on the right was gone. He ran back to me, breathing hard, and turned to look at the the troop of snake woman on the right.

“ What’s the plan superman?” I asked, worried. Even though he’s brave and everything, dosen’t mean he’s invinsible.

He scanned the crowd and whispered, “It would’ve been good we we can run, like NOW.”

                                                        ***********

She took off without any hesitation, following the loud screech of the empuras. I raced behind her, and I heard the loud foot steps of the empura echoing from behind. I ran even faster and caught up with Natasha who was buzy dodging acid that was spit by one of the empuras.

“ You okay?” I panted, “ This is getting alot more exciting.”

“ Is this some kind of game to you Erik ?” she growled, flashing me a death stare.

I ignored her and kept running, occasionally knocking a few empuras down if I feel like it. We bursted through the exit, followed by a bunch of empuras, some pedestrians were staring at us with awe, maybe the illusion made empuras look like giant poodles or something.

I hopped on my Harley Davison motorcycle, and the engine purred as the lights were turned on, but Natasha eyed the motorcycle as if it was a taboo.

“ I’m so not getting on this death machine.” She said quietly.

“ So you rather get eaten by a bunch of snake woman than to get on the motorcycle? Go figure.” I teased.

She looked at the snakewomans and realized there was no other option, she sighed and climbed wearily on to the motorcycle.

“ You better get me out of this alive, Darc.”

I looked back,just in time to see the empuras bounding out the building, wings extended, ready to fly.

I exhaled loudly “ I sincerly hope so Natasha.”

                                                                      ***********

He slammed the gas pedal and the machine lurched forward, I stiffled a scream as I hang on to my dear life. The engine roared as he tested the machine to it’s limit, I circled my arms around his waist for support and I feel heat radiating from his body, his abs were defined under his thin white shirt,His delicoius cologen was basically unresistible. I clinged on to him while he was buzy dodging acid spit by snakewomans. The machine swerved left and we arived to the central park.

“ What the heck are we doing here ? A picnic?” I screamed hystericly.

“ What time is it?” he didn’t answer my question.

I glanced at my watch. “ 11:58” I growled, “ why is the time so important?”

He continued to ignore me as the machine accerlerated on, wind whipping my face. I glanced up and saw Erik driving straight towards a cliff normally for sky diving. I screamed and tried to jump of the motorcycle, but it was impossible, even if I manage to jump off, the machine will grind me to dust.

“ Stop!” I screeched, “What the heck are you thinking ? I don’t want to suicide !”

I tried to free my hands around his waist but my body was frozen with shock. The machine was getting closer to the cliff, about a meter or so , and Erik wasn’t slowing down at all, instead he drove even faster. I can feel the front wheel of the motorcycle leave the ground, and the machine was launched up into the air. That’s it, I thought, I’m going to die.

Natasha 16. Died because a psyco drove a motorcycle off the cliff.

I thought of my parents and imagined their life without me. They will be fine, I assured my self. My life flashed before me as I closed my eyes, ready for the 4000 meter plunge to my death.

I opened my eyes, and simply vanished.