A Song of Darkness

Chapter 2 Part 2

    She continued to swing and attack me. I was able to dodge her for a while. Her lunges and wide stance caused her to balance to fail. Whenever demon was in her definitely never in combat training. She flailed her arms, while I sidestepped and backed out every attempt she took. Finally having enough, my fist connected with her jaw. Sending her flying into the grass at the side of the road.

    Crouching on all fours, she looks up at me with her doe eyes and her lips quiver. "Brina, why-..." She looked down at her muddied hands, "why did you do that?' I was confused. Had she not remembered her was just attacking me? I faltered; my ankle twisted just slightly to cause me to trip as I rushed to her. Was the demon gone? Did I really just punch the demon out?

       "We need to get out of here, something is wrong."

    She shook her head as I pulled her up to stand with me, "No Brina I don't want to go. Let me go." I continued forward not listening to a word she said until she jerked her hand away. Fury breached my mind, what the gods is she doing? My shoulders tensed as I turned around, fury burning my sight. Why didn't she want to leave with me?

    "Did you really think I wanted to leave with you? I've hated you since my first memory of you. You brought the fear into our lives. All mama and papa's struggles were because of you. You leaving our family was the best thing to happen. We all wished that the Mistress would gut you like a trout and feed you to the wolves." 

    I thought she said I ran away. Why is she saying this?

    I didn't understand what happened till the corners of her mouth began to stretch as the gangly teeth breeching the gums of her mouth. This isn't real. It isn't her.  I reached behind to grab my sword; the air tingled my fingertips. Crap. Her body began to contort in front of me. Doubling over as her bones began to crack and her body shifted. I couldn't look any longer. My legs pulling me towards the opposite direction, the thumping of my heart flooding my body. The growl that came from my sister sent shivers down my spine; it was that of pure evil. Black eyes seeped goo. A screeching growl came from her throat causing her to leach forwards. Crawling for my legging, hissing sounds escaping her mouth. Her form wasn't human when she violently crawled out of the grass and on to the road. The perfectly clean pink skin turning into rough grey skin and charcoal spores. A faceless being with naked grey skin and acid tears that haunted my dreams when I first learned about it.

   A Carthound...

    She was turning into a Carthound. I learned about it during my Beastly Beauties class in Vaugh. Its tall slender frame is said to roam the mountains of Vaughn stealing children. Now it was more of a legend. No one had seen one in years after they were all killed off. Much like the other dark blooded demons of Eon.

    Another growl came from my sister sent shivers down my spine; it was that of pure evil. I began to run before it could realize that it had lost me. My lungs burned as I raced from the road into the looming woods. I searched for a hiding spot that would cover my scent. Ha there!

    I slid on the dirt as I rushed to get under a tree, its roots protecting my body. It was the perfect rest stop on my escape. It would hide my scent for just a while. My chest heaved as I unhailed as much air as possible. Slowing my heartrate and making my breaths as quiet as possible, I heard the heavy steps.

    Thump

    Thump

    Thump

    The Carthound's oddly big feet stumbled around the forest as it looked for me. I peeked out from under the roots. The musky pine root overpowered everything. Hopefully masking my smell to the Carthound unnoticeable. Which was highly unlikely. The Carthound's only sense was smell. It was a blind creature caused by the poisonous tears, so it relied mostly on smell and vibrations.

    Remembering that last fact. I froze. As still as a tree, I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing. The heavy foots of the carthoun stepped in front of the tree, a long inhale from it came. I moved to cover my mouth, metal hitting my face, a slight gasp came when I realized that the knife hand appeared out of nowhere.

    Crackling came from the tree as it was ripped and thrown into neighboring trees. The carthoun stood over me, its dark figure blocking the moon from my face. My body froze as it sniffed my dirty body. Taking a long inhale. It reared back before its head zoomed back to me, but I had closed my eyes before hearing it whimper.

    Opening my eyes slowly in horror, my hand had jabbed the knife through its mouth. My arm elbow deep in its throat. No not a Carthound mouth...

    My sisters' mouth. Blood oozing and dripping on to my face. Her body going limp once again on top of me. "No. No Keitha, no sister in sorry," cupping her face in my hands searching for signs of life. I could have sworn that it was a Carthound.

    When I looked around though, I was back on the road. Cradling Keitha's body in the spot right where she first lunged at me. I looked around stunned. My senses went numb, only the metal smell of the blood dripping from her mouth was noticeable. I looked down at her gaping face. The color drained from her. She was pale and white. The grey skin of the Carthound was nowhere to be seen. I started to question everything I had ever known.

    WHAT THE SEVEN HELLS.

    My sister....

    Keitha...

    Was it real?

    What is real?

    Who is real?

    I killed her. My sister. I must have hallucinated this, must have gone crazy. My mind was gone. I had forgotten all my senses and attacked my sister. Imaging all the things she said to me.

    Right?

    Holding her in my arms, I stared down the road as a figured appeared. He was so familiar. Like from a dream that I couldn't quite remember. Who is this?

   Then it hit me. The same gauntly man I had remembered deep in my memory. The trials. When he reached me, he held out his hand? I didn't know what he wanted. Reluctantly I took it, allowing my sister to slump to the ground as I stood up. Her blood covered me, the blade that I had used was gone. Looking back, her body faded away into the darkness of the night.

    Looking up a red door appeared. The gauntly man pulled me towards it,

    "Was that real?" My voice cracked as I walked. His slim figure was strangely steady.

    "There are some things that you love that hold a darkness. Learn from this. Killing the things, you love is the hardest trial. But killing the parts you love about yourself is harder."

    "But was it real? Did I actually kill her or a Carthound?"

    Opening the door, he pushed me through. I was back in the darkness of nothing. "It was real."

    Turning to my left there was another door, violet, it filled me with interest. I looked back towards the man. The blank expression on his face gave me all I needed to know. My hands still shaking from the shock of killing my sister, I walked over and jerked it open. The forest peeped into my view. The bright green of the woods filling my whole perspective.