Hell is for Children

Gods and Monsters

The Mind Flayers giant body came piercing into Starcourt as the kids watched on in terror, struggling to maintain their hiding spots. Diana smiled as she watched on, while inside her head she screamed with all she had. She knew she had to fight or this thing would kill her sister and the others. She looked over at Billy, who had began looking for the kids. 

Behind a counter, El, Max and Mike huddled together, struggling to stay quiet as the Mind Flayer lurked behind. 

Black tendrils covered Diana's stomach almost completely now as her flesh burned and twitched. Inside her mind, she fought on. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max, Lucas and Mike sneak to higher ground, carrying a bag. 

Before she could go after them, she saw Billy grab ahold of El by the throat as the Mind Flayer stepped closer. Diana fought inside her head, until like the first real breath of air after nearly drowning, she took back the reins.  She looked down at the glass beneath her feet and picked up a long, jagged piece. Inside her head she felt the Mind Flayer trying to knock down the door to take control again. Diana closed her eyes and reached out to Billy, knowing she could connect herself to him. If she could connect to him, she could hurt him. She felt herself enter his thoughts. She opened her eyes just as she rammed the long sharp glass shard into her stomach as hard as she could. Across the room, she saw Billy falter. He dropped El, who grabbed at her throat, struggling for air. 

Diana felt no pain as she walked across the room towards Billy, who touched a hand to the blood that pooled on the stomach of his white shirt. He looked up at her, confused at first, then angry. He stormed towards her, slamming her hard onto the ground by her throat. Diana clawed at his hands, trying to release his deathly grip. Hot tears poured from her eyes as she struggled to breathe. She was able to break away for a quick second and Billy lost his grip. 

"Billy..." She choked out before he went to grab hold again. 

Just then fireworks began to go off behind them, the kids bombarding the Mind Flayer, causing it to let out a guttural cry. 

Billy looked up as colorful flames went off above them. He glared back at Diana, just as the light caught the tiny heart shaped diamond necklace he had given her last year, the necklace that had belonged to his mother. The tiny heart sat in the crook of her neck. As he stared at it, he released his grip. 

"I love you" Diana sobbed, looking up at him through tears. 

She reached her hand up to touch his face, breaking eye contact only when she saw the Mind Flayer standing above them. It was going to kill her, she knew this now. El crawled over to them on the floor, cowering beside Diana, looking into the grotesque face of the Mind Flayer. Just then, Billy stood up and turned towards the monster. 

The Mind Flayers long tentacle arm raced towards where Diana and El coward, Only Billy let out a battle cry and grabbed the arm mid air. 

He fought hard against the Mind Flayer, refusing to let it get to the girls. The Mind Flayer came at Billy with another arm, ramming him in the side with its sharp, teeth like hand. It picked Billy up about twenty feet off the ground as everyone looked on in horror. It latched onto him with two more arms, blood pouring from Billy's sides. 

Billy let out a rage filled cry as blood poured from his mouth and down his chin like a fountain. The Mind Flayer reached back far with its final arm, then rammed it through Billy's chest. 

"BILLY!!" Diana wailed. 

As she watched the Mind Flayer drop Billy to the floor, walk a few feet, then drop itself, she felt a hot, sharp burning inside her stomach. Before she could react, a thick black smoke spewed our of her mouth and into the night sky, taking off into the darkness like its own entity. 

She collapsed when she tried to get up, to run towards Billy, so she dragged herself across the floor instead. 

"No..no...no..." She mumbled as she crawled. 

When she reached him, she pulled his limp body towards her and cradled his head in her lap. 

"Im...Sorry" he barely got out before going silent. 

"Billy. Billy! Baby wake up. I need you to wake up, ok? You cant leave me here alone, ok? Billy. Billy, Please. God dammit, Billy!" She sobbed, shaking him and hitting his chest. 

She felt small arms wrap around her neck from behind. It was Max, sobbing. 

Diana rocked Billy back and forth, all the while his lifeless blue eyes stared off into the darkness.