He Was Dying

Chapter Fourteen

The wind whispered in my ears as the last beams of sun fell out of sight. My body was tense, locked in place by the voice crackling over my shoulder. "ThOsE hUmAnS hAvE nErVe, WoUlDn'T yOu SaY?"

"I wouldn't hurt them, Wraith. They don't deserve this."

"nO?"

"No."

   Bells rattled in my ears, and Wraith was materializing behind me. It intrigued me how this peaceful tune could be laced with such terror.
  Wide footsteps creaked against the wood of the porch and down its stairs. My feet glued to the ground in fright, I just followed Wraith with my eyes. They stopped only a few feet in front of me, turning to face me, head tilted slightly to the side like it always is.
"What do you want?" I spoke calmly.

"yOu KnOw ExAcTlY wHy I aM hErE, fOoL."

   I stayed silent, fingers twitching. My ears shifted, every sense of mine suddenly sharper now that I was face to face with a threat.

"tHeY dOn'T bElOnG hErE, oMeGa."

   "And what do you think you're going to do?"

"GeT rId Of ThEm."  My heartbeat lurched, ears straightening upwards immediately. A growl erupted from my throat and I snarled, baring my teeth at such the threat. I lunged at Wraith, claws extended.

Wraith was quick to react. Expression not budging an inch, he drew his weapon. The machete-like object was swung, and the skull piece on the upper part of the weapon collided with my jaw, a crack echoing in my ears.

   Stumbling, I struggled to regain balance, nearly tripping over a wooden pallet. Wraith turned away, moving to stare up at the balcony where the humans remained. I felt my face with my hand, and I could feel the split in the bone. My fingers curling into fists, I jumped once again towards Wraith.

Although with their back turned, Wraith spun with great speed, slashing the blade of their weapon across my stomach. I was knocked back, pratically thrown by the force of the swing. Crashing into a pile of automobile parts, I rolled across the grass, pain gnawing at my system.
  
  My mind delayed. The sheer amount of damage done was processing slowly, I just curled in the dirt, clutching my gut. Beneath my arm, I felt the ridged edges of torn fabric of my sweater. My ears bent back, the sound of ringing ricocheted through my skull, I began to feel the sharp, piercing sensation of...

    ...What was this?

"PaIn."

My head spun to stare at Wraith. I was shaking, my body rippling with the effects of such injury. My dull white eyes glared at them, they still continuing to gaze up at the balcony.
   "PaIn, My FrIeNd. YoU dOn'T eXpErIeNcE tHiS oFtEn, Do YoU?"

    My mouth was dry, words failing to show their ability to be able to claw their way from my throat. "sHaMe."
  My head fell back to its place in the grass, I now just mindlessly looking at nothing.
The soft clinking of a metal object rattled on the ground metres away, but I didn't turn. The heavy footsteps of Wraith faded from earshot, the jingling of bells echoing off the brick walls and trees moments later.

   The distant cries of crows travelled swiftly through the atmosphere. The fluttering of ashes falling from the branches were carried by the wind in grey-toned clusters, landing around me. It was as if time stood still, like silence and void swallowed the yard whole.

But, eventually, I came to a decision. My arm still secured around my stomach, with my free hand, I pushed myself to stand. My head spun, everything around me blurred out by the numbness of my senses. Raising myself to my feet, I reached out for some sort of support. My hand landing on a barrel, I stood there for minutes on end until my thoughts weren't entirely hazy.

  Stumbling my way toward the cabin doorway, I dragged my feet up the steps, nearly toppling into a cabinet. But, while I managed to catch myself, the locker still knocked over and a loud BANG erupted from the metal-against-wood contact.

Footsteps rattled the ceiling, the eager noises rushing towards and down the staircase. I shifted to lean against the wall, sliding down it until I sat on the rotting wooden floor. My ears folded back in agony as my head rested on the wall. When I looked up, I was met with a pair of terrified crystal blue eyes from across the room.

  "O-Omega?"