The Concession

Chapter Ten

He was running, he didn't exactly know where he just knew he had to get out of there.

Ever since a voice had beckoned him into the realm he'd been running ever since.

He hid in an alleyway. He was breathing so hard, he felt like his lungs were on fire. He looked behind him.

Had he lost them?

He glanced down at his clothes, it was dirty and riddled with holes. He's been running for the past hour from creatures he hadn't even known existed.

They were of different shapes and sizes, abominable creatures that had never seen the light of day.

The air was so heavy and hard to breathe in that it was a miracle he hadn't already suffocated.

The realm had an angry coal red vibe and every tree was dead and even the grasses had long since withered; nothing living grew.

It was the apocalyptic version of the real world.

Skyscrapers—or what was left of them—laid destroyed in clusters. It was a nightmare.

I have to get outta here.

He'd hardly escaped the flying demon that had clawed him at the last intersection. The realm was divided into parts, he realized and he'd been unfortunate to have entered through the section the demons themselves lived.

"Ow!" He winced in pain. His hand was pulsating again. It began to smoke.

"Ah!" He held his right hand with his left and hurried on forward when a small round creature with an elephant's tusk alerted the rest of the creatures to his presence.

He hadn't come in contact with anyone holy so why was his hand on fire again?! He thought to himself as he ran.

He gritted his teeth as the pain spread all the way to his shoulder.

He ran faster than he ever had in his life. Inhumane sounds accompanied him wherever he went. He couldn't keep this up, the creatures were gaining on him.

He was huffing and puffing.

He didn't know if he was going to make it. Suddenly he came over to a huge gulf in the earth and fire burnt relentlessly in and around it.

His eyes widened. He remembered this place. But how?

A sign appeared slowly on his reddened palm and his heart nearly gave up seeing it. It was inscribed as though it were carved by a crooked knife. The sign burst into flames as he got closer to the gulf.

He screamed, sinking to his knees.

He held his hand helplessly as the memories that had long since been locked away in his mind trickled out:

••••••

"We've been cornered, Will. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Hope looked so agitated.

He was breathing so hard from running too fast, but they had no choice. They'd been sucked into the void against their will, now they could not leave.

Hope was mumbling something under her breath and Will realized that they were prayers. She began emitting a faint glow until she was white.

He stared at her in awe.

He'd never seen her like this before.

"Hold my hand, I won't let them harm you. The others are on their way."

Hope kept vigilant like a soldier out on the battlefield. Will seemed lost.

"My brothers and sisters are coming, we have to find shelter before they find us." she'd said.