'Moon Shapes'

Chapter 26: The one where someone get's the Axe. (Dannity)

A winded whimper slurred from my gaping mouth.

Astonished at the slanted metal whipping just inches away. Had I blundered a bit to my left – I'd be surely deceased.

I shuddered from the thought.

Suddenly, I was scorching from the abrupt heat; who may have had placed my life in such a probably assumed freak accident.

Not such a surprise to reach the pupils of my eyes, as I turned to face the presence lingering more than ten feet away – Riley!

I wasn't at all prepared for this show-down against a supernatural being, but I was willing to give it all I've got.

I huffed and scoffed as I sheathed the axe from its new wooded holster. Gripping it as tightly as my hand would allow. The wooded handle buried further into the flesh of my palm, which was causing the muscle to ache – but, who could care about that when you were about to fight for your life. A little pain was the less of worries carousing about.

I stepped left foot forward, before I had any time to reconcile.

He grinned feverishly; stealthy hands ready to rip through another presumable torso.

He showed no repentance for holding his own ground while completely bare. This made him no less terrifying as his canines pearled in the low-lit room. A lion contemplating his next gazelle.

It was now or never.

The more we stared about each other, the more I wanted to wipe that saber-toothed smirk from his face.

I hurled with no more thought to question; he growled in acceptance of my running stance.

Lashing the axe as hard as my right arm would allow, it struck; impaling the right side of his chest. Gushing what a human would call blood but less red and more of a blackish goo.

But, the moment it struck, he chuckled as I dangled within his stone-like grip. He had wanted me to plunge the metal into him.

I choked for the air leaving my lungs; which was evaporating rapidly more than I could replenish. The room began to slow down; multitude pools of swirling grey were bursting around peripheral view. Was this dying – slow and painful?

As I slipped further down my own murky hall, towards an impossibly darker destination; my head jerked with spatter clashing against my skin.

Hazy sleep-like-state began wearing thin, as I stitched together the moon-lit room and the actions that were taken place.

The initial clarification came as my eyes stared directly into my demonic attacker – where else was I going to look at; I was still a hand puppet.

The daggered glow resigned from his pupils; suddenly the pale grey-ash irises were replaced by golden brown. It was as if I were looking at butterscotch candies that I once self-described them as.

Distended bone structure framing his eyebrows, and just below the orbit of the eyes, smoothed out; reestablishing softer, human features.

Quicker as the stresses of his face returned, I was released; as we both dropped to the oak paneled floor.

Horking in slews of gracious air. Holding onto my tender throat; watching Riley-the-suck-face slinging on his knees; finally giving in to the sharpened dagger bulging out from his chest plate with bits of organ, and muscle clinging like hot honey; gasping on one last attempt at (I assumed) air; tipping over in abandoned stiffness.

I grew empathic at the horrific sight. How did he even get this way?

Damn myself for having a heavy heart for an attempted murderer – even though he may haven't been completely human anymore.

I was, however, relieved to be alive... to be able to take a breath again; yet, I found myself still mourning for him.... for who he was. He wasn't such a terrible guy. Why did this even happen?

My eyes blurring from all the questions, and erratically plotted emotions that bombarded me. I looked to my rescuer; my champion in all her nude glory.... Nikki.

"You had to know that was coming, Danni." She unsympathetically cooed. Picking up a piece of cloth and cleaning her face of the remnants of drying spatter.

I stammered at her cold response. Who was I effectively looking at, right now?

Then, as clear as my face became when reducing my intake of chocolate – the dots were traced to reveal the realization sounding off in blaring horns within my overloaded brain.

"You planned this...." I hoarsed out.