Rise of Tempest Merlin

Chapter 12

Lilith’s POV

Tears blind me and I turn, running as quickly as my long legs can carry me, bolting down the alley way like an Olympic champion at the start g*n; quickening my pace to an all out sprint. The pounding noise of my tennis shoes resonating off the walls of the alley with a clanging echo that matched my heart throbbing inside my chest with the thick grief and fear I felt as I ran.

My feet slip outwards on the wet autumn leaves as I round the corner, the cold evening air shocking my throat and lungs as I inhale deeper, faster. With each footfall a jarring pain shoots ankle to knee, ankle to knee. Perhaps jumping that wall onto stairs wasn't so smart. My heart beats frantically, all or nothing. Fail and my whole body will pay the price, run and the damage is limited mostly to my shins and knees.

I wonder of the perspective of the chaser, if they can fathom the fear of the chased. For in this need to escape my head and heart go to the place that is crushed and without light or match to bring a comforting spark. I feel the screaming of my lungs and the will of my muscles to go far beyond what exercise could ever demand. This is the body and brain if full survival mode and it is nothing but pain.

And suddenly I saw that there was a ditch in front of me. I did not know that my eyes were so adapted to see in the dark. It was like I knew that or my body instinctively knew that I had to hide there and I dropped in there suddenly and quickly pulled all the twigs leaves and broken branches over the hole covering me up. The beast which was running blindly after me did not stop and then kept on running for some distance I peered through the holes in the branches and found one strange thing. The creature was so heavy and running so fast, but still it did not have any foot prints at all. It was like that he had been created just so that he could move seamlessly and easily through the forest floor without disturbing anything at all. It seemed like rather I was the one who was unwanted and I had footprints. The beast paused after running for some distance coming to find that it had been duped and then started moving hither and thither. It had such small feet.. which was so strange….what kind of hybrid was it?

Finally it went off in another direction hearing some noise. I breathed in relief and then suddenly the fear which had me up and running for so long gripped me hard. It gripped my muscles and rendered me immobile. I could feel that this was not the game that I had thought which would bring me some other kind of fun. It was something else altogether and I had to think and use my wits in order to stay alive. This was just like frigging Hunger games. The only difference was this that, things and creatures of nightmares had come alive in this game of Greek myths.

Was this how the men in those times had to survive? With their wits and nothing else? If I was supposed to kill that beast then I needed to find the weakness that it had. But I did not get a lot of chance to even think about it. The beast was soon upon me and it snarled so loud that I almost pissed myself…but this was not the time to get scared. I had to fight whatever it might be. I knew that I could not give up. But the beast was so big that it could come down in this small ditch. The jaw was wide and I could see sharp rows of teeth in the front.

It was yapping its jaws at me and I said,” Close your filthy mouth. You smell really bad.”

And it snarled again.” Oh so you can understand what I am saying, right?” And the snarling stopped for a moment. I gripped the knife in my hand tightly and kept the weapon hidden from the view of the beast. If it had the sense that I was feeling that he had then it would absolutely make sure that I was skinned alive and crush me in his jaws. Then suddenly it leaped ahead in the hole with the full weight of its upper body trying to ram its flesh inside the ditch. Strangely intelligent creature!!

And I did not wait any longer. I gripped the knife with all my might and then plunged it in the throat of the beast. All that long fleshy forked tongue slobbered all over my hand but I did not stop and kept plunging it again and again trying to close my ears from the unearthly shriek that it was emitting from its throat. I knew that this was the only way that I could spend the night in peace. If I wounded it mortally then it would definitely rise again because this was a game. But I just needed to figure out something, I needed to buy some time.

The beast retracted back and then scampered away from the hole seeing that it had been attacked. And at that moment I found that, the beast was not the only creature that had been injured. I had been injured badly as well.

There was something sticking out of my guts. One of the branches had broken and due to the force of the beast’s attack it had stabbed me in the guts. I wondered at that moment if this was the way that I was going to die.

The pain throbs in my guts, it's deep and warm, but not in a nice way. It feels like someone has their hand in there and are squeezing my organs either gently or as hand as they can. When it wanes I can move, when it returns I can only hold still and breathe, breathe slow and deep until it has passed. There is no blood anywhere but my abdomen is purple and lumpy where it should be smooth. Every step feels like a nail bomb exploding in my innards.

I wanted to cry so badly but I knew that the crying was also going to hurt me worse. The beast was going to survive because it was inherently necessary to the game but the same needed not be true for me. For this was a quest and I was the hero of this quest. I needed to find something to staunch the bleeding after I pulled this out of my stomach.  And suddenly I remembered what the Keeper had said,” This trials were made just in the way to see if I was adept in going forward or not and what were the powers that I possessed.

I lurk...under the veil...of black. Mist... lingers… it conceals my dark desire...while I wait. I will be sated...for in my sight...looms ...despair.

In her dwelling... she cowers. Taking solace...in slumber...but ...not for long. The very chamber that shelters her...will soon… become...her...grave.

I reach…her dominion. My finger strokes her face. I used to look like that. Her beauty and youth is probably used in her favour…but now…I will feed on them. For both these things are palatable delights.

Her wails feed my soul. I grow strong...as she...grows weak. I gnaw… at her heart… and mind. I feast …on her sinew …and bones. She can see her own ghastly end...and so...can I.

At last, my hunger lessens...but my desire… grows. I crave...for more. As I depart...I leave a reckless soul...to find...yet...another.

Nooooooooooo……..I screamed out as I could hear that sickly sweet voice of a woman…I knew that she was the actual one to be scared of. Not the beast. Because she was the one who was going to take away my soul and I could not let that happen. I sat up despite the immense pain throbbing in my gut and I knew that I had to summon the Orishas… the spirits of the brujerias in my family. That was the only way that I was going to be able to withstand this attack.

This b***h was not going to take my soul from me, no matter what.

My hand was covered in my own blood and I put my left hand on the wound to staunch it and then with my other hand I drew the summoning charm on the ground with my blood and recited the hymn that had been taught to me since birth. I started chanting despite the pain and thought that they needed to come to protect me….

I heard a cackle of laughter as I was losing consciousness…I felt that I had lost…I had not been able to save myself but then a strange warm blanket cocooned me and I could hear shrieks of the sickly sweet voice as it was flung away far and everything became dark before my eyes.