Into the Light

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

   Red lightning tore back away from Sang and Luke's eyes as they stepped into LoK'em's Throat. Sang held up her hand, watching her fingers change color, shape, and size. She looked to Luke who hugged himself as his soul lurched in all directions as it tried to escape his body.

   Sang touched Luke's arm, and he looked down at her terrified. "Sang." His voice sounded as if it came from an old radio instead of right beside her. "What the hell is this place?"

   "I don't know." Her voice echoed a thousand times. "We have to keep going." Wind whipped past their faces throwing their hair back. It smelled sour. Then the direction of the wind changed, and their hair was thrown forward. Back. Forward. Back.

   The floor was wet, squishing beneath Sang's feet as she and Luke delved further. Once, she tripped on a ridge and found herself nose-to-nose with a tattered Ashley Water's Hoodie. A sneaker here. A backpack there. Pop tart wrappers.

   Strange planks of wood, all shapes and sizes, leaned against the tunnel walls. Blue-green light poured through the imperfections. One ran yellow with slime. Sang paused at another. Smooth and light like driftwood, the giant plank could very well have been a door, and it was propped open slightly. With Luke holding her hand, she peeked into the blue-green light.

   Sang jerked back, tears already streaking her cheeks, accidentally smacking her head into Luke's chin. Luke covered the new cut, and Sang covered her mouth, apologizing through her fingers.

   "Shh." Luke pulled Sang into an embrace. "Shh. We won't be in here much longer, Sugar." Luke pulled back, glancing at the driftwood door and the strange blue-green light. It called to him.

   He hesitated, patting Sang's hands before stepping back, away from her, towards the door.

   "Luke!" Sang's cry echoed as he peered into the light. Something black and inky wrenched away from Luke's body and was sucked into the light. A low laugh resonated as the driftwood door slammed shut.  Luke fell to his knees. "LUKE!"

   Sang helped him to his feet. His face was ghost white, alternating with purple, blue, and pink. She felt lightheaded.

   "Sang I don't feel so good..." Luke's face melted like hot wax. Sang grabbed his wrist, fingers sinking into his flesh, her stomach rolled as she jerked him forward.

   "Come on, Luke!" Sang screamed. "Come on!" She yanked him down the tunnel, past the doors and the laughter and, further down, past the child-sized bones. Half of Luke's face was melted down his shoulders. Sang's body was elongating and shortening, she felt something horrible happening to her mouth and teeth. Her eyeballs growing, filling her head with a terrible pressure. And then, all at once, it stopped.

   Sang and Luke collapsed onto a cement floor. Sang grabbed for Luke. His face was back to normal, though his eyelashes were wet with tears. He was hyperventilating, and when he registered Sang's face, he cupped her face with his hands. "Oh God, Sang. Oh God..."

   Sang held him a moment, the wind of the tunnel dying away from her ears. Slowly, the sound was replaced with whimpering, crying, and a quiet thunk thunk thunk. It smelled like urine and feces. Her stomach heaved, but she held back the vomit.