Demon Soul (1)

XXX

A cough erupted from my chest as the ashes settled. I lifted myself from the ground, my mask having shattered in the initial blast. Looking over at the building I could see it was laying in rubble, the air filled with a dark cloud of smoke. There were bodies strewn about, both alive and deceased alike. After taking a moment to look over my surroundings I pulled myself to my feet, letting out another cough as I did. One of my ankles was twisted, and shrapnel had sliced through my arm, but not deep enough to cause real damage. I squeezed my hand over it as I limped out of the crowd and all the way down the road. The smoke began to clear, and I saw two figures ahead of me. One was carrying the other, with his arm wrapped around his sons waist, holding his arm over his shoulder.

"Gabriel!" I shouted, watching him look back. There were tears running down his ash covered face.

"He's hurt, really bad." He huffed as I caught up, taking my brothers other side. I could see the wound in his stomach, a rifle shot having pierced the area. His face was paler than usual.

"Come on Nox, stay with me!" I began sobbing, watching his eyelids flutter open and shut. "Please, Nox..."

We managed to limp all the way to the truck and I pulled the car keys out of Gabriel's pocket, helping him into the back with Nox before I drove. I sped out of that area about thirty miles over the speed limit, knowing that if we didn't get him home he'd be a goner. I was sobbing harder and harder the closer we got to home, and I pretty much busted through the front gates to pull into the driveway. My hands shook as I parked, and I leapt out and threw the back door open, only to feel my heart shatter in my chest.

Nox was as white as the snow, his shirt soaked through and through with blood. Gabriel was silent, his face somber as his tears rolled over them. He didn't look like he was breathing, just as my brothers chest lay still. I reached for his hand, feeling the cold seep through into my skin. He was dead, I'd lost him.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you go..." My voice cracked as I cried. "This is all my fault..."

"Nyx..." Gabriel whispered, and I threw myself from the back of the truck as I shook my head furiously.

"This is all my fault...!" I shrieked, turning towards the house and sprinting inside. I slammed the door behind me and tripped up the stairs, my ankle sending shockwaves of pain up my leg. I got to my room and closed the door, collapsing into the corner as I sobbed hysterically. Frost billowed off of me, filling the floor with a layer of fog.

It was a very, very long time that I spent in that corner. My arms were wrapped so tightly around my legs I thought there might be bruises forming, and my cheeks had frozen all the tears that fell. My breathing had gone from erratic to slow and shallow. My ribs felt too fragile to take a deep breath, and so I didn't. The sound of something outside my window was what finally made me stir from my self loathing, and I looked up to see the sun setting on the horizon, a black bird sitting in the foreground. It pecked at my window, and slowly I pulled myself from my space and crawled over to it. When I peered outside, I could see Gabriel shoveling dirt into a grave, and my body shuddered, causing more tears to inadvertently fall.

"I'm so sorry..." I whispered, opening the window. The bird flew inside, landing on my headboard and snuggling itself in. The crow cawed at me softly, almost like it was attempting to comfort me. I laughed quietly, walking over to my bed and reaching out. It's eyes closed as I ran my fingers over its head and down its back, its head twitching back and forth in comfort.

"I think I'm going to keep you." I smiled, letting my shoulders drop. "Today's been nothing but a disaster..."

The crow responded only by nipping at my shirt sleeve. I felt a tug, and I realized once again I was injured. I closed the window on the way out, grabbing a new change of clothes along the way. My fingers were still trembling as I walked into the bathroom, stripping out of my clothes and observing my wounds. It almost looked like there were claw marks in my shoulder and bruises up my side. My face was dirty and bloody and covered in ice. I sure was a sight to see, I'll tell you that much.