Burning Souls (F.T Sequel)

Twenty-Six

"Wake up Em..."

Sleep kept its claws deeply sunk into my consciousness, preventing any clarity to pull me out of it. "Emma? We have to hurry! Shit! Wake up Emma!"

I think that I can hear the faint sound of sirens blaring somewhere far, far away from this darkness. "If you're doing this to spite me it isn't funny!"

The claws sink in deeper into my mind until it feels like something is sucking away my ability to control myself. "I'm going to slap you now, so if you're fucking with me it better be worth it!"

A sharp pain suddenly explodes on my left cheek and I feel my head crack to the side. "Oh my gosh that was so fun!" A familiar voice gushes, and I can actually hear hands clapping now. Sleep is gradually losing its ferocious hold on me, but I'm completely ripped out of it when a second slap on my right cheek now throws my head to the other side. I groan and peel my eyelids open, staring groggily ahead as the drowsiness leaves me. Caleb's smiling face is uncomfortably close to mine. I jolt upright in my seat and tug at the restraints.

Then, a huge smile takes over my features. "DUDE!"

"QUEEN!" He exclaims back, raising his hand for a high five. I glare at him and he lowers his hand, snickering. In an efficient tug, he's freed my limbs from the restraints and pulled me up into a bone-crushing hug. "You smell like shit," he declares.

"I haven't showered in forever," I remind him. But relief fills my every sense, and I continue poking and touching him, just to make sure that he's really there.

"Stop that."

"Where are the others?"

"Hunter is currently ripping two dozen heads off down in the base, while Dominic cackles evilly. It's quite funny actually." At the mention of Hunter, my stomach erupts in butterflies, and I slap myself mentally. Stop acting like a lovesick schoolgirl! "Okay," Caleb says suddenly, and the confused frown on his face makes me tense up. He points to the bowl behind me. "What the hell is that?" I turn around and instinctively take a step back at the sight of that same shadow that the witch had conjured to suck up some of my humanity slowly unravelling itself from the confinement of the smooth glass. I grip Caleb's arm and together we begin to back away towards the gap in the floor that will lead us down to the others.

"Gabriel's creepy witch created it to take away my humanity, but it didn't end up taking all of it. I think it's hungry again," I whisper, watching as the dark shadow slowly spills over the border of the bowl and begins to snake its way towards us like a vicious serpent.

"Who the hell is Gabriel? And why would he want to take your humanity away?"

"Long story," I reply quickly. "I'll explain later." As if someone lit fire to his arse Caleb soars down the stairs while gripping my hand tight, which nearly causes me to facepalm three times in a row. "Calm - down -" I wheeze as we near the bottom. I stop short which jerks Caleb back abruptly towards me. He glares at me as he regains balance, but when he sees my wide eyes his features soften into a compassionate expression. All around us in the smooth, metal-covered halls are splatters of fresh blood and more of that haunting liquid pooling from headless corpses. My stomach tightens at the sight.

"When did you last feed?" Caleb whispers, and I shake my head at him.

"I don't know. They cut my arms to get more blood for the snake thing, but I never fed after that either." As if on cue I begin to sway and black spots cloud my vision. "Oh God..." I let out, just as my legs give in under me. I feel Caleb's quick reaction as he slides his hands under my legs and behind my back.

"Don't worry Em, I got you."

And then everything goes black.

...°...