One mile. (Completed)

Chapter thirteen.

Zadie peered over the edge and regretted it. Fear wrapped its ugly fingers around her chest and squeezed. She was on her belly and had crawled to get a better look. No more than twenty feet was a vast area-  hundreds of stalagmites rising from the floor. Some no taller than her, some rising up more than ten stories tall. Everyone of them glowed with a sickening red- pulsing each second as if they were alive. And at the other end of the hell-spawned room, Zadie saw her target.

She rolled to her side, eyes shut tight with regret. 

Relax, Zadie. You can do this. Maya’s voice was soothing and it chased away the worry.

I can’t do this, Zadie’s doubt replied. I’m not strong enough.

This time, she saw Maya. The image was as clear as if she was there right now.

The angel smiled. “You’re stronger than you know. All you have to do is believe in yourself.”

Before her own doubt could counter with another excuse, Zadie slid down one side of the wall and  her way through the maze of stalagmites. Two hundred yards. Her mind focused and clear. Two hundred yards and this will be all over. One hand gripped the sword while the other held onto a backpack strap. Determination set into her grey eyes. There was nothing that would stop her.

She was half through the maze when another deep moan came. It vibrated the walls with such force that pieces of stone began to rain down. Zadie darted one way as bigger pieces exploded around her. Another step, she spun away in mid-run and bounced off an enormous stalagmite. As soon as she pushed off, a sharp piece of stone struck her shoulder. It ripped into her skin and Zadie let out a muffled cry; dropping the sword as pain pulled her to her knees. By then, a crack in a far wall had split open. Red and deep orange light spilled forth, bringing another wave of demons. They screeched and hollered with frenzy as they flew towards the tunnel from where Zadie had just been.

Her head spun with pain as she dragged herself behind another stalagmite. A stream of blood came from the fresh wound and there was nothing she could do to stop it. At least nothing that would immediately draw unwanted attention.

The demonic screeching bounced off the cavernous walls and filled her heart with panic. This was the most she had seen and it felt as if they were in her head now. She could feel their talon like claws tearing apart her flesh with each passing second. With the throbbing pain in her shoulder and the panic that began to consume her, Alex's mind began to shut down.

This was too much, no matter how many had died at her hands. Angel, demon or a lost human. None of it mattered compared to this exact moment.

She closed her eyes and allowed the noise and the pain to take over.