A Stain Called Blood

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE: THE GENESIS

The Statue of Liberty's head was missing. The whole structure was falling apart now. The insides were starting to get visible.

New York looked like how it did normally, but everything was old and shattering. Buildings were being stripped, and no was was even bothering to maintain them.

I looked up at the sky. I starred at the sky... At least what I knew as the sky. The spherical half dome stretched as far as the eye could see. Enough to cover the whole of New York.

I exhaled. The air was visible. It was always cold here. The whole ground was ice. It usually froze my feet almost all the time, so I had to move about once in a while.

I rose up. I had nothing. No parents. I couldn't even afford shoes. My tummy rumbled now, and I had to get something quick before 'those' things came.

In the alley, I eyed a pile of trash ahead of me. It was nothing new to me. See, everyone in this New York were the poor category: those who weren't rich enough to make it underground.

We the poor, had made another financial category. And I didn't fall under the rich or middle classed either.

As I stood, I wobbled, and my vision got distorted for a while. My eyes caught the flashy lights below my feet. A city beneath a city. The place was huge. A casino maybe...A hotel...Who knows?

My hairs stood to thier ends as I heard an inhuman roar. It was something, and it was in pain.

I backed against the wall. Silence... I could almost hear the blood pump through my body. It was one of those things. At times like this, it was best to run. On the other hand, there was no alternative option.

I was about to run, then I saw it! It was a man, with scrawny-looking hair. I couldn't tell if his hair was originally brown, or was blonde but the dirt had dyed it brown. His eyes had turned black all around it. Numerous scars and markings ran through his face. Most of his teeth were missing, but the few he had were sharpened as if he used a chisel. Dried blood caked around his mouth, hands and most of his tattered clothes.

He staggered into the end of the alley. For a second, time stopped. In a swift burst, he dashed towards me.

I'd given up. When one of these things decided it wanted you, it would follow you even past the gates of hell until it had devoured most of you.

It was fast, but not like all of them were. He limped badly, and I realized one of his foot had been burnt.

A teenage boy dashed into the alley, and without hesitation or calculation, shot two arrows rapidly. One hit it's mark on the things backside and the other on its leg.

It stopped! Only a few feet from where I stood.

From the other end of the alley, another teen girl walked in, dragging along the ice a massive sword which if she had it standing, would tower as high as her chest.

She had a blank look in her face. Her eyes showed no sign of fear, and they reflected that she would not regret whatever he did next.

The man turned back at the archer. He had drawn another arrow and was ready whenever. He flicked forward. The girl gripped her blade even tighter. I didn't even seem to be in it's path of reason. I guess even they feared death.

It decided to take its chances on the girl. Deciding offense was it's best form of defense, it growled and sprinted in her direction.

She too ran towards it, scrapping her sword along the way. It was too heavy to fling...plus, she was a girl.