Unsainted

12: The Cruel One

Tarja led Atrox out of her cabin which; to Atrox's surprise was in town, and fairly close to the church. But to his horror, the sun was out. He hadn't left the cabin, but he could still feel the presence of the sun; unlike Tarja. 

With all the confidence in the world, she stepped outside. The smoke was so thick, both on the ground and in the sky. It refracted the ultraviolet and blue light so much, that it had completely dilated before it hit the ground. Tarja turned in a small circle and faced Atrox, 

"What are you doing?" she asked, Atrox didn't move instead he stood on the very edge of the doorway. 

"How...how are you, not burning?" Atrox asked looking curiously at Tarja, all whilst anxious that she would cry out in pain at any moment.

"Light can barely make it to the ground, it's fine... now come on, we don't have time to waste" Tarja said ushering Atrox out of her house. He stepped out, feeling the heat from the smoke on his skin and down his lungs. His vision was heavily impeded; reducing everything to a defiant siloughte. He closed the door behind him and stood next to Tarja; unintentional sniffing the air.

"Hey" Tarja said tapping Atrox's arm, "before you do anything, we need a way out; no point in you killing a priest if we get killed trying to get away." Atrox nodded in response and followed Tarja into the smoke, away from the church.

Five minutes passed before they reached the police station, the action had already begun without them. They hid behind a bench that was part of a bus stop, watching the entrance of the police station. A car was already parked out the front, and the sound of gunfire came from within.

"Whatever is going on in there, we should let them finish each other off; then you can kill whoever is left" Tarja said, Atrox shuddered at the thought and quickly shook his head.

"I-I can't do it" he said nervously,

"bullshit you can't, I watched you leap into a bonfire and rip someone's spine out"

"I wasn't myself... it only happens at night, I couldn't control myself."

"I know" Tarja said as she grabbed Atrox's shoulder and turned him to face her. She looked at him with a serious look on her face,

"I know you didn't do those things; intentionally, but deep down. Whether you like it or not, this is what you are" she said gesturing to Atrox. He looked away from Tarja as she continued to lecture him, and found himself looking at his own reflection in the glass box that housed an advertisement next to the bus stop.

A lot had changed, he had lost a dramatic amount of weight, but instead of a visually appealing abdominal muscles; the skin on his stomach had hardened with calcium. Muscle mass had been wildly disproportionate to his shoulders, biceps and back. His hands were still dirty weapons, only now his nails had grown into a slight curve; one step away from being sharp claws.

But it was his face that caught him off guard.

The skin on Atrox's face was pale and dusty, his hair had been completely burnt off in the fire; leaving leathery skin. And despite it all he still recognized himself, he still saw that innocent boy that just wanted to play music for his church. 

It was the eyes that proved he was no longer; or ever was the person he wanted to be. They were bloodshot to the fullest extent, and the iris still reflected whatever light was available; with it's sick yellow colour, only now a thin copper ring lined the edge of his pupils. If the eyes where a window to the soul, Atrox didn't want to know what was one the other side.

"You're not listening are you?" Tarja said, she was right; though Atrox had another distraction as a rumble that he felt through his feet, took his attention. He turned around and watched the road behind him, he couldn't see anything yet; but he could sense the presence of something big moving towards him.