Where Light Dies

18. The Scarecrow

"Let them go, or I'll shoot."

"Then we all die."

-- Dayton, Surface -- 2015 --

Anne's hands trembled with fear as she pointed her gun at the men before her. Sam writhed against the arm held to her neck like a vice, nearly choking her. Reyna was at gunpoint, kneeling down with her hands behind her head. Both their guns had been kicked away from their reach, their knives taken by their captors.

Blake? Where's Blake? thought Anne, feeling her finger grow cold against the trigger.

"ANNE GET OUT OF HERE!" Reyna screamed, turning around as fast as she could to land a solid punch at the man behind her. He deflected it easily, knocking her down in one quick swipe of his leg.

The captor swung his gun, it's back end connecting with Reyna's temple at full force. She fell sideways, nearly knocked out from the blow. A massive wave of pain tore through her head.

"REY!-" screamed Sam as the other man choked her from behind, his grip on her neck tightening by the second.

"STOP IT!" Anne screamed.

"Just give us your supplies and we leave," said the older man, easily choking Sam with his vice like grip. "Or else, your friends get hurt. Isn't that right Jacob?"

"Like hell it is!" he shot back, raising his leg. Reyna's breath hitched as he kicked her in the abdomen. She didn't make a single sound, clenching her eyes shut to cope with the pain. Blood pooled up in her mouth, the taste of iron coating her tongue as her mind slowly began to slip. His combat boot clamped down on her ear, forcing her head down on the cold tile floor.

"We don't have anything! Please!" Anne screamed, tears running down her cheek.

"Isaac, you know what to do."

The man took his feet off Reyna's head, shaking off his bag as he did so. He reached deep into the backpack, pulling out a thick coil of rope. He threw the rope over to his friend, who began to tie up Sam as soon as he got hold of it. He gripped her by the jaw, forcing her face close to his. "We're gonna have a lot of fun, if you can keep up that is," said the man, laughing hysterically.

"What about this one?"

"Kill 'em we don't deal with kids anyway," the man replied, smiling savagely at Anne whose eyes had gone wide with fear.

In the heat of the moment, she felt something flick within her. Her heart raced, each pulse sending waves of anger coursing through her veins. In all but an instant, her virtues of humanity had faded into the darkness that loomed before her. All that was left of the fear she once felt, was rage.

Being helpless was no longer an excuse. The ball was in her court now, all that was left to do was to strike back. Anne's knuckles went white as her grip on the gun tightened, her frail fingers eagerly twitching to blow their heads off.

Just...one firm squeeze...

A thunderous bang startled everyone in the aisle. Isaac drew his blade, throwing the backpack to the ground. "Who's there!" he screamed into the dark void.

Anne's arms dropped, the gun swinging in her loose limbs. Her lips trembled, eyes burning as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. A second more, and I...

Another sharp bang echoed in the shadows. Anne had slumped down, the gun dangling loosely from her feeble hands. The child didn't feel human anymore.

Hollow footsteps shuffled in the distance, a cacophony of demonic laughter filling the air. Reyna rolled on her stomach, craning her neck to gaze into the darkness. She knew what was coming.