My stomach dropped. Looking round, there was nowhere I could run — nowhere I could hide — nowhere I could go to escape this hell. The gas hadn't reached me yet, but it was only a matter of time.
"You've got to forgive me kids, hehe..." Valper said, a sly chuckle snaking out, "but for the sake of the Holy Swords, you cannot leave here. Take solace in the fact that your sacrifice will help the Church better face heathens and heretics. May you rest in peace."
Turning to Namie, he nodded at her before heading for the front doors. The overseers —our executors— stepped aside before fanning around us. Still spraying, now just leaving us less options.
"Why would you do this?" A child asked.
"Are we unworthy?" Another followed.
"God save us! *Cough* Please!" The gas was starting to get to us. I could feel it in my lungs — I could feel it in my veins — slowly spreading through my body; trying to destroy it.
The Archbishop reached the door, opening it before halting.
"Do not pray for God to save you. Take solace in the fact that you will be with Him soon." He said before promptly closing the door, a sly cackle slipping out at the end.
'Don't worry, I wont!' I thought while lifting my shirt to my mouth. It probably won't help much with the gas, but anything's better than nothing.
With bloodshot eyes and a face full of fear, Isaiah turned to me. "Ash, what-*cough* what should we do?" He struggled to get out. I could barely hear him over the cacophony of coughs.
I just looked at him — for I did not know.
For an agonizing moment I just stared at him. My mouth open trying to say something– anything– but nothing would come out.
"I–"
"You little shit! What are you doing?!" Before I could get my words out, I was interrupted by an adults yell.
Swivelling quickly, I watched a man bring down his gun on a child trying to push past him. The child went down with just one hit to the back of the head.
"Roger!!! Noooo!!!" Another child shouted before running at the man, tears in his eyes.
That started a riot. Children running and screaming, trying to escape the encirclement, trying anything to survive.
"I don't wanna die!" One girl yelled.
"Please!! Why?!!" Screamed another.
Most just cried.
Turning to Isaiah, I told him my new thoughts.
"We fight." I said before running to the closest adult to me, Isaiah following a step behind.
Seeing me and Isaiah start fighting back, the rest of the kids also started throwing punches and kicks.
Even though they'd taught us basic swordplay and stances, they never actually taught us how to fight, which didn't help when punching was instinctual, and they were outnumbered a little over 2 to 1.
Amidst all the chaos, the guy me and Isaiah was fighting tripped, giving a path for us to escape.
"Guys quick!" I yelled, "There's a path this way!" Before quickly taking it myself, sprinting for the door.
Reaching the door, I noticed Isaiah next to me, but no-one else. Turning back I saw the rest of the kids wrestling the adults on the floor. They had somehow gotten the rest down and were keeping them there.
"What are you doing?! Get up, we've got to escape!!" I cried out, taking steps towards them.
"NO!! Stay there—just run!!" An older girl, Molly, shouted back. She was one of the oldest here and would always look out for the rest of us.
"We can't do that!!" exclaimed Isaiah starting to run back, but stumbling and falling to the floor due to a coughing fit.
"Please Ash! Take Isaiah and go! Just live!" She was crying. Tears streaming down her face, however despite all that, I could see the hope in her eyes— hope that we would live.
With tears in my eyes, I bent down to help Isaiah up, hating myself for what I was about to do.
"Come on," I muttered, "we've got to go." I could barely get the words out. They were trapped between heartache and hatred. Of me and this facility.
"No!! Ash, what are you doing?! We've got to help them!!" Isaiah protested, struggling helplessly in my grasp. Unfortunately, he was too weak to do anything.
So was I.
Turning to the door, I opened them before moving as quickly as possible through them. I couldn't afford to go slowly, otherwise I would turn right back around.
Before the doors closed in on themselves, I heard a shout. It was muffled by the screams, coughs and grunts of everyone else, but I heard it.
"Live!"
My heart stopped and my tears silently flowed down. Isaiah devolved into a bawling mess.
Then it intensified, turning into a chorus.
"""Live!!!"""
""Live!""
"Live!"
It started strong, but quickly became weak. Voices both dropping out and sounding strained.
I sped up. I couldn't let their hopes down. I couldn't let their last cries be in vain.
The snow didn't help, but I persevered. Unfortunately Isaiah couldn't.
"Ash, put me down." He said weakly. I could hear how much he struggled to get the words out. I could feel his laboured breaths.
"What are you talking about." I choked out. "We've escaped, and I can see a town from here. Just hold on, we'll get help." It was getting harder to not break down.
"I'm not gonna make it. Just leave me."
"I'm not gonna do that. I won't lose you as w-" He pushed himself off of me, crumpling onto the ground.
"Please just go." He got out weakly. Even though his body was failing him, there was a weight behind his eyes, one brokering no chance for refusal.
"I'm sorry I can't go with you, but you've always been the strongest. *cough* I know you will survive. So please, just go. Survive." He wheezed out the last of his sentence before stopping.
His chest wasn't rising, wasn't falling, and his eyes weren't moving. They were just staring in my general direction, no light in them.
I couldn't handle it. I turned and ran.
I tried holding in my pain — holding in my tears— but they came nonetheless.
I bawled— I cried— I wailed my heart out. Running for as long as my legs could take me.
At some point I tripped on something, but I didn't care. I just kept crying. I cried, and cried, and cried. I cried until I passed out.
____________________________ ____________________________
A creature of the night. One grotesque in both nature and looks, was making its final rounds before retreating for the night. The sun was not kind on its kind and dawn was approaching.
Not long ago it had heard what sounded like a child crying— its favourite— so now it was searching for the source of said delightful sound.
It didn't take long to do so. Almost everything is easy when you have supernatural stats.
"What's this?" It began, glee emanating from its character, "A defenceless child? It must be my lucky day."
It licked its lips with its aberrantly long tongue, before stretching it out even further, wrapping it around the child.
"Thanks for th–" It couldn't get its words out as a blade cut through both its neck and tongue, freeing the child and neutralizing the danger.
"Wha–?" It started, confused about its sudden shift in perspective. When it finally saw what cut its head off, it raged.
"Damn you, d-" It couldn't finish as both its head and body disintegrated. Drifting through the wind like ash from a campfire.
"Well then, what do we have here?" A mans voice said, sheathing his orange tinted blade behind his back.
________________________ End of chapter __________________________
Hi there, Ash here
Thanks for reading these past couple chapters. I originally thought it would take maybe 3 chapters to get here, but, well... here we are. No plan ever survives first contact.
Sorry for the somewhat misleading titles, but I find them funny and I'm not gonna stop ;p. Deal with it.
Here's a little secret. It took me at least a month to write just this chapter cause I didn't know how to. It does have pretty heavy content, so yeah... From now on I'm gonna aim for at least 2 chapters a week. Maybe Mon and Sun, but at least 2.
Once again, thanks for reading and see ya in the next one. I promise it'll be an easier read. At least I hope so.
Ash out.