"SARAH! MOM!" The whole building was an inferno. His feet didn't even seem to touch the stairs as he raced for the door. As he wrenched it open a blast of heat knocked him flat on his back. He couldn't even see the kitchen through the wall of flame.
"SARAH!" he screamed. A sinister voice replied from inside his mind.
"You are too late, Kyle Reeves. They are already mine!"
"Get out of my head!"
"In time you will thank me. You will remember this day as the day I set you free."
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he roared. He had to make sure no one was trapped inside. A vision of Sarah's melting face flashed before his eyes.
"No. I can't let him get her. I won't!" He was panicking, blankly staring at the towering pillar of flame that used to be the kitchen table. He had to get through. He had to. He would need a running start, he decided. He backed down the hallway as far as he dared, then took off at a dead run straight into the jaws of hell.
Time seemed to slow around him as he jumped. For a split second he could see nothing but orange flame. A moment later he was through, slamming into the wall at the end of the hall. He kicked the door to Sarah's room as hard as he could, sending it flying from its hinges. Kyle could barely see through the blinding heat and smoke. He stumbled forward, covering his nose with his arm, coughing uncontrollably. Sarah's bed was already blazing. Kyle's stomach dropped, hoping with all his might she wasn't still in it. He collapsed to the floor, lightheaded from the smoke. He tried to shout, but wound up choking on more smoke. The hallway was catching now. No way he was getting out the way he came in. Despair threatened to consume him.
The floor slipped out from under him, and for a moment he was tumbling through a void of blood red flame. He hit the asphalt hard. He gasped for breath, coughing violently. He was somehow outside. He looked up in time to see the old building finally give up and collapse in a cacophony of dust and smoke.
"Your family still lives. They will be my pets to ensure your good behavior until you are ready to be free. Would you like to see where I'm keeping them?" a whisper asked.
"Where are they!"
"Follow me." A silhouette of a man stepped out of thin air at the end of the block. The stranger wore a futuristic looking set of white body armor. A single edged sword was slung across his back, and his face was fully covered by a white mask. There were no holes for his mouth or eyes, just a blank, faceless stare that sent a shiver down Kyle's spine. Rage like he had never felt boiled up inside him. He pushed himself to his feet, his teeth clenched. He was shaking, whether from fear or rage he wasn't sure. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was catching this asshole. He sprinted towards the figure at top speed, leaping at the last moment. The stranger vanished and Kyle tumbled into an ally, smashing into a dumpster.
"Too slow, Kyle," the stranger taunted. He was perched on a lamp post, sword drawn. How the hell had he gotten up there so fast? His question was answered as before his very eyes the stranger vanished, reappearing almost instantly a hundred yards away. Kyle ran him down again, only to have him disappear.
"Do you see now, Kyle?" the stranger asked from atop a gas station. "Do you see what true power looks like? No, of course not. I was just as short sighted once. But you will understand."
"SHUT UP!"
The stranger vanished down Seventh, blinking from building to building. Kyle must have lost track of time, because they were almost in midtown. He streaked down Broadview, the stranger popping in and out of existence ahead of him. There was a hard right turn, forcing Kyle to slide under a semi-truck as they made their way to the Warehouse District. The stranger blinked inside a dark doorway, and Kyle went in a full speed. The stranger was waiting for him, his hand outstretched, like he was reaching for something far away.
Kyle's knees buckled, sending him sprawling. As he pulled himself back up to his feet he immediately knew something was wrong. He must have hit his head, the walls were flexing, as if they were breathing. Strange, cancerous looking tumors sprouted from the walls, and the floor smoked and smoldered.
"You are in my world now, Kyle." The voice seemed to come from everywhere, resonating off the floor and the walls.
"Where are they? What have you done to them?" Kyle shouted, spinning in place. He hoped he sounded braver than he felt.
"You have an incredible gift, Kyle, and an incredible purpose in this world."
"What do you want from me?" Kyle demanded of the darkness.
"The world, Kyle. You fail to see the big picture. The pieces are already moving, but you never realized you were playing the game. But I will change that. I will form you into an instrument, a precise and deadly tool that will deliver us a lasting peace."
"Show yourself, you coward!" Kyle had had enough of hide and seek.
"As you wish."
The stranger stepped into existence just in front of him. Kyle tried to rush him, to beat him until he could no longer stand, but his feet wouldn't move. He looked down to see his legs encased in the strange black ichor, unable to budge. He fell backwards, landing on a hospital bed that had appeared from nowhere. Smoking tendrils lashed him down, binding his neck, chest, hands, and feet. The stranger loomed over him and Kyle could feel his dark presence drilling into his skull, threatening to overwhelm him. This couldn't be real. This was all a dream, it had to be. He tried to scream but no sound came out. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He could only watch in horror as the stranger selected a scalpel from a surgical table Kyle was certain hadn't been there a moment before.
"Now, your metamorphoses begins," the stranger whispered in his ear. Kyle struggled, but it was no use. His eyes widened in terror as the scalpel inched closer to his forearm. It easily sliced through his skin, and Kyle screamed in pain, but no sound came out. Putrid black oil spilled from his mouth, choking him. The stranger meticulously carved a lightning bolt shaped zigzag into his forearm before slowly peeling back the triangles of skin. Kyle wanted to scream, to black out, to look away, but he couldn't. He stared transfixed at his own muscles as they twitched and fought against the restraints. The stranger worked quickly, his deft fingers made the blade dance as he stripped away the skin and filleted the muscle, exposing the bone. Kyle's vision grew dark as he writhed in agony. He saw the stranger select a wicked looking foot long blade from the operating table before he finally blacked out.
YOU ARE READING
Wonder World: Ignition
Science Fiction"In the distance sirens were blaring, but Kyle's eyes were fixed on the faceless figure staring down at him from the burning roof. 'Where are they? Where are my mother and sister?' he shouted, his voice cracking with fear. 'Come and see,' the figure...
