Hazel Grade 11
I paused, taking a beat to try and catch my breath. I knew it was still chasing me; who would have thought a city filled with monsters and people would ever work out? This had been the second one I had encountered ever since the Decision. The first had been relatively tame and not very horrifying to look at, and I was able to get away. But this one. Oh God, this one. It sent shivers down my spine. Its eyes were black soulless depths, staring back at me when I had bumped into it. I could see no reflection when the light reflected on them, two dark voids just trying to consume me, keeping me trapped in their dark prison. A heavyset frame defined its shoulders and upper body, a couple of feet taller than me at the very least. It had massive destructive muscles and protruding veins bulging on its neck. It had flared its huge nostrils and bared its teeth, if they could even be called that, each one unnaturally sharpened into a gleaming marble point. They would be perfect to tear me to shreds, its design fed straight from my nightmares. Its body was midnight black, it would hide anywhere in the cover of night. Arms bulging with muscles, they looked strained, its claws extended. It could squeeze my head in one of its palms. It looked so unnatural, and yet seemed to fit in perfectly with its surroundings. I suddenly became aware that I had seen this thing before, running around the places I had gone in the past few months. Looking back, I could see it everywhere that I had been, everywhere I would go, and everything came into focus, while its face blurred into the background. Something told me it had been chasing me for quite a long time.
I had run without a second thought, there was no way I was facing a confrontation with that creature. Although I had a few seconds headstart, it gained on me without much effort, its pounding footsteps echoing right behind me. They were beating a steady rhythm into the uneven concrete, the bumps in the road absorbing the impact of its heels. I couldn’t stop hearing its claws scraping against the ground, the dragging of its feet. I turned sharply into an alley and kept running. I looked back to see its face filled with confusion, eyebrows furrowed deeply. I kept on, one footstep for every two heartbeats.
The alley was long extending into darkness at the end. The smell of rotten eggs and trash dominated the air, filling my lungs. I felt it surround me, so thick that I could cut through it. I could feel my throat begin to close up, as I was being choked by this sensation. It felt like I was running through a simulation of the same alley endlessly. I kept spotting the same silver rusted trash cans. I was suddenly aware that this could be a simulation, a test from the elders, to see what I would do in a never-ending situation, to see if my bloodline was worth continuing. I wondered if my bloodline really was worth continuing if this was my reaction to the monster. When I heard its footsteps come closer, I banished all thoughts from my mind and picked up the pace, wanting to be anywhere but here.
After what seemed like hours, I could see something towards the end of the alley. A figure was blocking most of the light, but some came in, highlighting its silhouette. Perhaps I could get help from this person, perhaps they could guide me home. As I came closer, the figure seemed to get bigger, until I could see the monster I had been running from. As it made a move to grab me, I slid underneath its outstretched arm and started running again. The only option I had now was the Metropolitan District, though I would be entering at my own risk. I had been told by my grandfather that the Metropolitan District, long ago, was a place full of laughter and fun, a place where people would go to spend time with friends and family.
The only thing remaining of the old District now were the buildings, and it was a place you would go if you wanted to be mugged. But the design of the District would be enough to confuse the monster. Its winding pathways and dead ends were sure to confuse any newcomer, and I had heard enough of the District to navigate my way through its living passageways. I hoped I would come out the same on the other side, but the District was unpredictable. I had heard many horror stories.
I stopped at an intersection to catch my breath. I ran right, and I found myself closer than I thought. I could see the old iron gate, covered in mouldy moss and all-encompassing ivy. I kept running, the gate within my reach when I heard heavy footsteps behind me.
What was that?
I didn’t want to stop or turn around, but my instincts got the better of me. It was back. It had found me. I sped up a little, sensing safety almost in my grasp. I couldn’t just give up now, I was so close to freedom and escaping this fiend. I could almost feel the gate within my grip, just mere minuscule meters away, its rust permeating the air.
There is only one way out. The only way to defeat an unbeatable foe is to give up and give in. Let go and let the darkness take over. I turn back around and surrender myself to my inescapable fate.
Screams echoed around me as I fell.
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