The awakening hc-1

by Stuart Meczes

  With a movement so quick it was barely perceptible; Gabriella threw the necklace at Rachel. It sliced across the Pixie’s cheek with a loud hiss.

  “Bitch!” she screeched, clutching the side of her burning face. Sprinting forwards, we both dived for her at the same time. Connecting hard, we all slammed to the ground together. Gabriella pinned Rachel down and I prised the gun from her grip, throwing it to the other side of the room.

  “NO!” Rachel screamed like a demented beast. She bucked, catching Gabriella unprepared and throwing her off. The frenzied Pixie kicked upwards with her leg, landing a crushing blow to the side of my head. Dazed, I collapsed to the floor. Through blurry vision I watched as Rachel sprang into a predatory crouch. She slipped the blood soaked dagger from its sheath. Behind her, Gabriella was still scrambling to her feet.

  “I’m not going to let a Chosen kill me like you did my family,” she hissed.

  “I’m not trying to kill you!” I insisted, but she wasn’t listening. I recoiled as she raised the blade above her head. The glow of the storm outside caught the edge and for a moment it winked red, like the eye of some demonic creature.

  Bang!

  The deafening sound made my ears ring. It was followed by a scream of agony. Rachel’s face became a contorted O of pain and shock. A little puff of smoke slipped out of a hole in her arm. Gabriella was standing next to a shocked looking Tim, who was holding the smoking gun. He dropped it as if it were on fire and looked at me with wide eyes.

  “I–I shot her,” he stammered.

  “You shot me!” Rachel hissed. “You little bastard!”

  Before I had a chance to react, she threw the blade at my best friend.

  It whirled through the air, heading straight for his jugular. It stopped a fraction from his throat, suspended in mid-air, as if hanging from invisible strings.

  “I can’t believe I ever loved you.”

  We all spun around to see Delagio appear in the doorway, his arm outstretched and wearing a sad expression. “All this time I thought you cared about us.”

  Rachel gave Delagio a pleading look. “Del, I love you. Please don’t-”

  Delagio closed his eyes and jerked his arm to the right. The blade sliced through the air and buried itself into Rachel’s throat. Her eyes went wide and she closed her fingers around the handle. I winced as with a rough movement, she pulled the blade out and stared at it. A jet of blood squirted from the wound. Rachel gave a simple nod of her head as if everything finally made sense, then crumbled to the floor and fell still.

  Delagio was silent. He seemed stunned by his actions, like he couldn’t work out whether he’d done it or not.

  I was about to speak, but a sudden thump on the outside wall stopped me. It was followed by another and another. Dozens of thuds, which made the walls shake. A sound similar to hundreds of crickets started up, but louder and harsher.

  “Depraved,” breathed Gabriella, “We need to go now.”

  Something crawled over the fire escape door. The windows were blocked out by mottled pink flesh. A stench of decay pervaded the room. I gagged. Delagio lifted Tim off his feet. We all sprinted out of the Gymnasium. Straight into the path of The Sorrow. Gabriella let out a bloodcurdling scream so horrifying, I shivered all the way down to my soul.

  My heart stalled from the sheer horror of what I was witnessing. The Sorrow was far, far worse than I’d been able to capture in my nightmares. The soul-eater towered over ten feet in height; arching horns that jutted from its head grazed the ceiling. Amour the shade of dried blood and marked with unknowable symbols encased the creature. Long urchin like spines poked out from in-between each joint. A gruesome iron mask covered its face. The edges were studded and deep vertical slits filled the mouth plate. There were no eyes behind the mask, just hollow pits of pure darkness. The decaying mask was kept in place only by a set of fraying straps that locked around The Sorrow’s head.

  When it saw us it lifted a hand and pointed. Its joints squealed like a tortured animal. Then it reached the same arm behind its back and unsheathed a sword which was easily as big as Sophia. It smashed into the floor, spraying up splintered tiles. The Sorrow started to walk forwards, the blade edge squealing and sparking as it trailed behind.

  Gabriella had curled into a ball on the floor, hands covering her eyes. The confident, strong woman had disappeared, replaced by the terrified little girl from all those years ago.

  Tim’s face had gone chalk white. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

  “Help me get them back into the gym!” I screamed at Delagio.

  Together we dragged the weeping Gabriella and dazed Tim away from the advancing Sorrow, back into the Gymnasium. I pulled her arms away from her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her teeth clenched together. She must have bitten her tongue, because blood dribbled from between her lips. “Ella snap out of it!” I shouted. She didn’t react. I could hear the thunderous boom of footsteps as The Sorrow drew closer. “Please snap out of it!” She made no indication that she could hear me.

  I leaned in close and pressed my mouth against her ear. “ Please Gabriella, If you don’t snap out of this, The Sorrow is going to kill us both. I need you.”

  Something seemed to register. Her eyelids fluttered and opened. It only took one look for me to know that Gabriella was back with me.

  “Come on,” I said dragging her to her feet.

  Slap!

  I turned to see Delagio backhand Tim across the face. A trickle of blood ran from his nose. My friend seemed in a fair amount of pain, but appeared to have come to his senses. Gabriella gathered up her dress and together we all sprinted for the fire exit. I ran straight at it, barging with all my strength. The door burst open, sending the creature on it flying. It landed on its back with an indignant squeal. I fell to the ground, soaking my suit. It was Gabriella’s turn to pick me up. I chanced a look around and saw with a wave of disgust that the entire gym was covered in Depraved. They all breathed in unison, which made it seem as if the building itself had come alive. One by one, they turned and saw us, thick black eyes widening. They let out excited shrieks and dropped off the building, landing with wet splashes on the ground.

  Delagio and I grabbed Tim and hoisted him between us. We all ran as fast as we could. The swarm of Depraved chased after us, scuttling along the walls and leaping like demented frogs. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, they’re getting closer,” whimpered Tim. We sprinted around the front of the school. That was when I saw what could only have been a dream. A line of Guardians fronted by Scarlett.

  They were armed to the teeth and aiming towards us. For a split second I thought we’d been tricked again. But then I felt a bullet whip past my head. I turned to see a Depraved crumple and roll along the ground. It was clambered over by its kin.

  We broke through the barrier. The night was filled with the sounds of gunshots and the anguished screams of the Depraved. We reached the front entrance, where dozens of Alliance cars and bikes were scattered about. We set Tim down on his feet. There was a bag by one of the motorbikes. Delagio picked it up and flung it to me. I caught it one-handed and unzipped it. Inside were the Crimson Twins and a Kapre belt, loaded with guns. “I’m sorry, about Rachel,” I said, pulling the swords out of the bag. Gabriella fastened the belt around her waist. “Don’t worry ‘bout that now.” I pointed at Tim. “I need you to get him to safety.” Delagio nodded. “What are you gonna do?”

  “I have the swords now. I’m going to lure The Sorrow away from here. I don’t want any more innocent people to die because of me.” Delagio’s eyes went wide. “Alex, that’s suicide!” “It’s here because of me. I have to try.” Gabriella threw me a set of bike keys. “Not without me you’re not.”

  I went to argue, but could tell from her face it would be pointless. Instead I handed her one of the Crimson Twins. She used its sharp blade to cut the bottom part of her dress away, so that it now stopped above the knee. She dropped the material and slid the sword int
o a makeshift holder on the side of the bike. I ran to it — a sleek black Kawasaki — and used the keys to start it. Gabriella hugged her arms around my middle. I was reminded briefly of when she’d driven me to the underground station. I’d felt so weak and confused.

  Things had come so far since then.

  I looked over at Tim. He was staring at me with a dazed expression. “If I make it out of this alive, we’ll have a chat,” I promised.

  He gave a slow nod.

  I turned to Delagio. He gave a solemn tip of his hat. “Good luck,” he said. Then he piled Tim into a jeep. Jumped into the driver’s seat and roared off.

  From somewhere amongst the roar of battle, I heard the shriek of the Sorrow’s demented steed.

  “Go!” shouted Gabriella.

  I twisted the accelerator and the bike squealed into action. I doubled back to where the Chosen were locked in combat with the depraved.

  “Come on you ugly bastards,” I hollered. “We’re the ones you want!”

  Their heads snapped to our direction. Scarlett looked up from the carcass of a fallen Depraved. “Alex what are you doing?” she yelled.

  “Look after Mikey,” I shouted back. Kicking the bike around, I accelerated through the main gates. The Depraved broke away from the fight, jumping into trees and over school buildings in a desperate attempt to catch us. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the deformed Unicorn jump the school wall. The Sorrow rode on top, the thick chains clutched between its gauntlets. I pulled the accelerator as far as it would go.

  We swerved in and out of traffic. Angry drivers smashed their horns and rolled down their windows to shout abuse. The shouts turned to screams when they saw what was following us. The Sorrow overtook its soulless followers, vaulting over one car and landing on the roof of another. The metal caved in and the driver spilled out of the door, running for cover. The panic was contagious, spreading from person to person. Cars collided with one another, people scrambled into restaurants and bars, trampling each other and knocking bouncers down as they went. The thump of the nightclubs bass was drowned out by the sound of pure fear. The only consolation was that The Sorrow and the Depraved were so focused on us, they ignored everyone else.

  “We need to take them somewhere unpopulated!” Gabriella shouted above the roar of the engine, hooves and screams.

  I veered off down a quieter street, heading away from town. I turned to see The Sorrow and Depraved still close behind. There were only about ten cars length between us and the nightmare that followed. And it was gaining on us fast. I felt Gabriella’s arms slide from around my waist. I turned to see her swivel around in the seat. “Keep steady!” she shouted. “What are you doing?” “Trying to even the odds a little!”

  The bike shuddered as she started to pull the gun triggers. There were squeals and the unmistakeable sounds of bodies collapsing. The gun blasts seemed endless, again and again the sound filled my ears followed by the feral screeches as the Depraved fell.

  “Bend!” I shouted over my shoulder. I heard the clatter as Gabriella dropped one of the guns into a side well. She wrapped an arm backwards around me, knotting my shirt material in her fist. We hit the sharp turn low, power sliding in the slick road, so close to the ground we could touch it. The turn opened up onto a cross road. We rocketed out — tyres squealing — and missed a bus by a few inches. The driver had a look of pure shock as he swerved out of our way. I turned and watched as he ploughed into a group of Depraved, sucking them under his wheels and spitting parts of them out the back.

  The Sorrow didn’t stop. It snapped the rusted chains and forced the Unicorn to vault onto the roof and gallop its length. When it jumped off, the bus had lost a third of its height.

  “Faster!” yelled Gabriella above the gunshots. “They’re getting too close!”

  I looked down and saw that the throttle handle was tight in my white knuckles. The speedometer was pointing towards a space beyond the numbers.

  “We’re at top speed!”

  “Damn.” She carried on pumping the triggers and then I heard the guns click. She swore loudly and threw them away. She leaned down and retrieved one of the Crimson Twins from the side holster. “Plan B,” she shouted. “Slow down.” “Are you mad?” “Trust me.” I let the throttle slip a bit. The speedometer sunk downwards. The Depraved caught up with us. They tore alongside the weaving bike, pink jaws open and salivating.

  One pounced for us. I jerked the bike to the right. Gabriella swiped downwards, severing its head with a single blow. The two parts bounced separately along the road for a few more yards. Another tried its luck and was similarly dispatched. A third somehow appeared in front of us. It dived directly at me. I swerved the bike to the left and without thinking, ducked down and retrieved the second sword from the holster. I stuck it out to the side. The Crimson Twin unseamed the Depraved from the jaw downwards, sending its innards splashing over the road. Several other Depraved slipped in the gore.

  But they kept coming, and I could tell Gabriella was struggling to take them out fast enough. All the while the looming mass galloped ever closer, its hooves pounding their death knell on the tarmac.

  I need to find somewhere!

  I gunned down the road; scanning for anywhere I could lead them. Houses flashed past as I sped up again. A crack of thunder boomed over my head. I looked up to see a swirl of red clouds gathering overhead. Each bloom of lighting exposed more streaks behind the clouds, like veins under blood-stained skin.

  Behind us the pack grew within touching distance.

  I found what I was looking for. A construction site closed for the holidays. Through the fence I could see covered cubes of bricks, abandoned diggers and large hills of dirt. Most importantly, there were no people.

  “Hold on!”

  I spun the bike in a tight 180 degree turn. We drove straight through the pack. Gabriella sliced and hacked her way through the Depraved. At the far end, The Sorrow lifted its colossal sword with both hands, waiting to strike. I swerved the bike away as the blade guillotined down. It hit nothing but air.

  We smashed through a chain link fence and into the construction site. I slowed the bike and we both jumped from it. The unmanned bike wobbled and upturned, sliding into a dirt mound with a burst of wet soil.

  Gabriella and I stood next to each other, Crimson Twins raised in our rain slicked hands. The Depraved reached the entrance first — but didn’t enter. They stayed still, watching us through their dark eyes and twittering in their unknowable language. They parted away from The Sorrow. Above, the thunder was deafening. A bolt of lightning hit a JCB in a shower of sparks. It left a large scorch mark on the yellow paint. “What now?” Gabriella asked. “We have the Crimson Twins. We have to try and kill this thing.” “Alex, listen. I mean seriously, if we don’t make it through this…” “I know,” I said. “You too.”

  The Sorrow stopped a few yards away. It jumped from the corrupted Unicorn, which snorted and stamped its hooves on the ground. Then it retreated to where the Depraved were gathered like some demonic audience.

  The Red Storm had settled right over our heads. A thick pool of darkness, surrounded by swirling red clouds, hovered directly above. A constant stream of lightning smashed down around us. Each blast was so loud; they left ringing sounds in my ears. Small fires ignited where the bolts struck the ground. The dancing flames were black and grey — as if nature had forgotten to colour them in. Rather than extinguish, the torrential rain seemed to fuel the flames, making them grow fiercer.

  Adrenaline coursed through my veins. My heart threatened to hammer through my chest. The suit clung to my skin. Gabriella’s dress was as slick as oil and her hair now hung around her shoulders in wet ropes. I wrapped my other hand around the hilt of the sword, raising it up like a baseball bat. Gabriella copied.

  The Sorrow unsheathed its own gigantic blade. Every one of my senses went into overdrive. I could smell the dirt in the pools of rain, could make out every individual drip as it slid down The Sorrows rusted a
rmour. I could see the rise and fall of its colossal chest. For what seemed like an eternity, no one moved. We stayed locked in our positions. Statues.

  Then The Sorrow curled two fingers into a taunting ‘come here’ gesture. I felt Gabriella’s body tighten.

  “Wait!” I warned, but it was too late. With a scream of pure hatred, she charged.

  “ Gabriella, stop!” I screamed. But it was as though she couldn’t hear me. She continued to charge forward, Crimson Twin arched above her head, ready to unleash a devastating blow.

  It was a bad move — one borne out of hatred rather than years of honed practice. Gabriella sliced the sword down in a streak of red. The Sorrow deflected the blow with its own. The force of the impact drove the blade from her hand. I sprinted to help her.

  I was too late.

  The sound of Gabriella’s flesh being pierced was the sound of my soul tearing apart.

  Her body jolted. The tip of The Sorrow’s sword appeared through the middle of her back. Blood pooled to the top and dripped to the ground. More followed, until it became a steady stream. I watched in horror as the life drained from my soulmate, into a red puddle at her feet. A noise that was barely human escaped my lips.

  Gabriella slumped to her knees, sword still skewered through her body. Placing a foot on her shoulder, The Sorrow yanked its blade free, sending Gabriella rolling backwards along the dirt. She stopped just short of my feet. I fell down next to her. The world sieved away, and all that remained was Gabriella. I gathered her on my lap. A horrific wound stretched from her chest to her belly button. It pulsed out blood. She coughed and more seeped from her lips. Barely able to see through the tears, I placed my hand over the wound and closed my eyes, trying to heal her. I waited to feel the surge of electricity.

  Nothing happened.

  Come on! Work! Oh god, please work!

  I concentrated harder, but still I felt nothing happen. I opened my eyes and looked at Gabriella. Her eyes were half open. She stared at me, with a look that burned into my soul. It was a look of pure sadness. Tears streamed down my cheeks and splashed onto her arms. She placed a hand on my face. I nuzzled into it. “I can’t heal you…it won’t work,” I sobbed. “It’s okay,” she whispered in a voice so small it was barely there at all. “Ella, please don’t leave me alone.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “You need to run, while you still can.”