What's there to live for after you die? You struggle to exist- to make it all the way to your Lord- and all that greats you is Hell wrapped through your own flesh. Purgatory must be real after all. I pray and I pray and finally, something comes. If...
Author's Note: The art within is by MetallicArtist on tumblr.
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"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." – Proverbs 27:17
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There was no telling how long it had been until she felt her ear scrape against the floorboards. Her new companion had gripped her left leg in both his arms, dragging her sharply backwards like the rope in a tug-o-war. A heavy groan rang in her head alongside the pain.
She had made a mistake. She let her guard down. She had become too trusting. She shouldn't have thought she could be even remotely safe with him. She was so stupid. She-
She heard something down the hall.
Now that her head was out of the hallway, he hastily shoved her into the nearest corner; he practically tried to squeeze her in like her body would and could melt to fit the sharp angle, but the best that was done was a tight, uncomfortable standing lean that ached her backbone. He pushed down on her toes with his feet to pin down the kicks and flails. Then one arm at a time he held her wrists. The touch that slipped past her sleeves was indescribable.
The prophet's cracked head came within an inch of hers to whisper-
"Stay still...You need to stay still..."
She soon understood why, but the explanation left even more unanswered.
As she stared at him, a sloshing noise grew louder and louder...nearing where they hid. It was rhythmic, like...walking. So compressed in this position, she had barely noticed past his open scowl that something was manifesting behind him.
She would later be grateful to not taste ink as one of his hands moved to cover her mouth, the vibration of her yell bouncing back onto her own tongue.
The upper half of a man- head, arms, and torso alone- dragged itself down the hall, made of ink and only ink. Remnants of itself were left in a trail of gooey clumps that dissolved into the floor within seconds.
Harsh and strained with intent, Sammy instructed her, "Let me know if it chooses to leave or to turn around." He felt the impression of the word "what?" upon his palm.
Then her eyes widened even more as the monster rotated once it reached the pool and slid to confront them.
"Around! Around!" came an urgent, muffled cry.
Sammy shifted his body once again to cover the being from her view- its view from her. Even though she no longer fought back, he hardly lightened his pushing. It sent her in a panic to hear her spine crack as he did so; it wasn't anything more than a noise, but it was a noise that might have been heard. She could feel the tension within him and it seeped into her, only adding to the discomfort.
A choked gargle was heard as it came closer; it seemed to be a communication of aggression and belligerence. She fleetingly could see past the man as this beast lifted its dripping arms and a hole opened in its head- a mouth that could hardly stay open as flesh melted back into itself.
It had seen him through the doorway. If it had seen her as well was left to be shown.
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