Chapter 5: With Friends Like These
Kaylee ran with carefree passion through the small park in the middle of the Escape, relishing the feel of vibrant grass beneath her bare feet. She ran and ran, enjoying the light, cool breeze. Leaping upward, she caught the low branch of a large oak tree and pulled herself up with a relaxed effort. She crawled along the branch towards the trunk, unslinging her pack as she did. She eased up against the tree, crossed her feet upon the branch, and reclined, taking a moment to find her center of balance. Rummaging through her pack, she smiled broadly as she located the two items she sought.
She pulled out an enormous apple, so red and shiny it seemed to produce its own light, and her favorite book. She settled in, easily keeping her balance perched ten feet off the ground. She took a bite of the juicy fruit. She savored the sweetness for a moment before chewing slowly. It had been years since she or anyone she knew had eaten a fresh apple. She turned her attention to her book, thumbing through the pages.
She read quietly for a while, occasionally pausing to take another bite. The feeling of the sun on her skin, filtering between the branches and leaves of the tree, was beyond marvelous.
She swallowed hard, her breath hitching as a small bit of fruit jumped into her windpipe. She fell into a fit of coughing, her book slipping out of her hands and dropping safely down onto the soft grass beneath.
After a moment, she recovered and resumed her normal breathing pattern. She spotted her book and dropped nimbly from the tree, crouching to scoop it up. As she bent over, a cold shadow passed overhead, and she shivered. The light, so bright and vibrant was fading. She looked up; something passed over the sun, slowly blocking it out. Wide plates of steel rushed across the sky, expanding in all directions.
"No…" she whispered, frozen. "No, no, no…"
It became cold, and as soon as the shadow fully enveloped the oak, it began to wither. The leaves disintegrated on the branches, not even pausing in their demise to fall from the tree. The trunk shriveled into a desiccated husk, branches spindling awkwardly out. The grass took on an ashen tone as the shadow passed over it, dying without a whisper.
She ran, chasing the disappearing sunlight on the ground, willing herself past the racing shadow. She came up against a high wall, which began to crack and crumble near the top, casting dust down upon her. She coughed, eyes stinging with tears as she collapsed against the wall. It became so cold, as though all of the warmth of the earth had evaporated. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing the dull gray darkness, dimly lit by pale yellow street lamps. The sky was gone. Replaced. She huddled against the wall, watching the beauty she adored decaying away. The air took on a metallic, dusky taste, and the breeze simply stopped. Everything was dead, dark, and silent.
She slowly rose, terror seeping into her every limb as she peered into the darkness, eyes unaccustomed, jerking back and forth.
Sudden movement in the darkness, directly in front of her! Something stretched out, a single shadowy hand, reaching for her. It brushed against her cheek, and numb shock jolted into her mind. She opened her mouth and tried to cry out, but no sound came.
Thousands of dark hands burst out of the shadows, grasping at her. A brutal cold enveloped her entire body, seeping into her bones. The scream finally tore loose from her lips as she burst forward, sprinting with terrified passion away from the shadowy creatures. All around her, voices whispered, wailed, and shrieked in her ears, spurring her onward. Shadows rose from the ground, trying to snare her legs.
She tripped, stumbling awkwardly for several feet before falling to the ground face first, skinning her arms and knees on the rough grass. She rolled over, but before she could try to rise, hands burst from the earth in a shower of dust. They quickly enveloped her, holding her secure. Their touch was chilling beyond belief.
A face coalesced from the darkness in front of her. Matted hair, bloodshot yellow eyes. Sunken, hollow cheeks. Cracked lips, barely concealing rotted teeth. The addict she saw die leered forward, madness in his eyes and arcs of blue electricity haloing his visage. He grinned and gave a chuckle. A burst of his sickening breath washed over her face. He murmured in a wheezing voice, "Goodbye."
The hands which bound her began to pull. She sank, deep into the ground. Cold beyond measure, cold to the very core of her being. Smothering her, earth filled her mouth, nose, lungs, suffocating. Darkness all around, senses…
She broke through and began to fall, into sheer darkness. She coughed and spat, clearing her mouth and nose of soil as she fell. Wind rushing past her, a faint thought sparked. It's hollow inside.
She could see a dim red glow speeding towards her. As she approached, it divided into two, slanted lights, glaring more fiercely all the time. They looked like… eyes. An opening gaped ahead. Jagged teeth. A deep thrumming filled her ears, and the rushing wind transformed into hot, rotting breath. She opened her mouth to scream, eyes wide, but once more no sound escaped. As she fell further down towards the terrible maw, the deep thrumming dissolved into a rumbling laughter.
The creature of shadows in the hollow of the earth opened wider, swallowing her into final darkness. Before she faded away, the monster spoke to her, in Elijah's voice, "There is a heavy presence in the streets; stay hidden for a while."
Uprising Page 7
