The Virals

Chapter 13

You're a weakling. You are a stupid, worthless, useless, disgusting, loathsome, pathetic creature. How could something as low as you come into existence? Why do you even exist? You have not done much in your life. You were a liability to your parents. When they got your pitiful self out of their lives, you did nothing but run around, meet other raptors, lose those raptors, and wallow in your self-pity. And then you met that pack. But did you really make a difference in the lives of the three you met? No. They would have been happy whether they knew you or not. In fact, they probably would have been happier not knowing you at all. They cared far more for each other than they ever did for you, because you were not worthy of them. Because you simply do not matter to them.

Black Talon stood in the dark void, completely alone.

'Shut up!' He snarled, angrily. 'You're lying!'

They don't care about you. You don't deserve anything. You allowed yourself to get close to them, you allowed yourself to become vulnerable. How pitifully weak.

'It's not true!' Protesting, blood-red tears streamed down his feathery cheeks. 'Shut up!'

You let them know how much they meant to you. You let the whole world know. This is what you get for allowing yourself to get close to them. This is what you get for being happy. This is what you get for being weak.

'It's not true!! Shut up!!' He collapsed onto his knees, tears dripping into a scarlet puddle below him.

In front of him, out of thin air, a small black raptor only three weeks old formed. It had soft glowing brown eyes. Black Talon looked up at it. It stepped back nervously, but gave him a small, genuine smile.

He noticed that no scars tainted it.

(Not yet.)

You are worth less than nothing.

The eyes of the baby raptor rippled for just a moment.

Even if they were still alive, they would abandon you by the end. Because you have no worth, and you deserve the sadness, the pain, the isolation, because you are pathetic and that is all you can ever hope to be.

Suddenly, the eyes melted away from the young raptor, sliding down its face in huge liquid quantities, turning red in the process. Hollow black holes remained. Still smiling, the baby raptor reached out to Black Talon, extending out its claws, while scarlet saliva streamed from its grinning jaws.

'NO! IT'S NOT TRUE! SHUT UP! SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!'

Responding to the sudden surge of terror, Black Talon hid his face in his hands, whimpering. He dug his claws into his skull, trying to keep everything out, and yet snippets would always find their way in. He felt something repulsive pass through him, making his stomach churn.

You deserve to be alone.

'He's wrong,' a new voice suddenly arose. Black Talon moved his face away from the safe darkness in his hands. He looked down at his palms. There was a flash, and they were covered in blood and scars, then another flash, and the blood was gone, along with the scars. He flinched in fear, averted his gaze, and saw, in the void, Fleet Claw.

Everyone hates you.

'You...' Black Talon snarled. 'You are not real.'

He stepped back. Behind her, Razor Feather formed out of nothing. 'We do care,' she added, with a small smile.

'You're lying, aren't you?' Black Talon growled. 'Don't lie to me.'

You're worthless. You deserve nothing.