Ghouls
Chapter 22
My heart pounded against my chest like a frantic bird trapped in a cage. My feet pounded along the floor like a stampede of wildebeest running from the lion. My head pounded inside my skull in the presence of fear.
The shadows loomed and the trees stretched. I ran but still the darkness was closing in. He was here. The Demon. His red eyes, His white teeth, His black fur. He stood between the trunks. Appearing here, there, everywhere. Screaming, I ran with eyelids shut. Tears cascaded down my cheeks like blood escaping the carterid artery of a wounded doe. Clouds of white blurred my vision as frozen water vapour escaped my tired, burning lungs. The thicket began to increase, stray branches tearing at my skin like razors. My blood ran free, soaking my legs, arms and neck. Like a wolf, He was attracted; His face appearing closer now, drawn to the seeping fluid.
I continued to run, my body failing in exhaustion. My legs began to go weak, slowing my pace. I was breathing harder, my lungs caving in. I could feel my pulse beneath my skin as my heart worked over-time. But I cried harder. I knew how this ended. While I was losing, He was winning. My pace slowed, His increased. He was there. His presence could be felt all around. I stopped seeing his face. An overwhelming presence now surging behind me. His eyes burnt my skull, causing me to scream in pain. His breath could be felt on my neck and shoulders, scolding them. I sobbed harder but continued to run, the adrenaline giving me the energy to try and power on. I began to build up strength, the terror controlling me. The fear pushed me forward. My pace quickened again causing more cuts and bruises to litter my body as the thorns of bushes and branches of trees imitated claws, ripping at my flesh and clothes.
The woods got thicker and thicker, the branches getting bigger and bigger. The hand-like tools had torn my clothes from my body by now. They belonged to Him. I was to belong to Him. This was His territory, I was His prey. The ground was uneven and frozen, a stray root obstructing my bare foot.
I fell.
My limp body toppled to the floor. I tumbled as the flat, forest floor became a deep ravine. Bones broke, wounds deepened. I hit the bottom. As I shrieked, I writhed in intense discomfort. I sobbed into the frost as the dead foliage seemed to crawl into my cuts, instantly infecting them. I lay there for what felt like an eternity, my body trying to save itself; kicking and swinging to try and get back up. He would be here soon. If I didn’t get up and run, He would surely take me. My eyes scanned the horizons, looking for him. My pulse beat harder, if possible, in panic that he was nowhere to be seen. It made me struggle more, terrified by the silence, his lack of presence. Somehow, I managed to swap from my back to my stomach, the dirt infecting my front now.
I crawled.
As I tried to make my slow escape, it soon became apparent that my right shoulder was obliterated by the fall. I grabbed at the floor, only my left arm able to drag my body as my legs were surely broken too.
I managed to get some way, my crying gradually stopping as I began to move. The thicket began to clear, but the roots of the dead trees got higher, making the terrain even more unbearable. Some roots stood easily a foot tall from the floor, way above my head. After countless attempts, I managed to get my stomach on top of the root. I screamed in the pain of the rough bark ripping at the already deep, infected wounds that littered my front. I then rolled off, falling onto my broken arm, dragging my broken legs. I screamed harder, stuck on my back again. The pain was surely unbearable, but I could not stop. All I could do was roll over and do it again and again and again.
Eventually, my body gave up. My eyes seemed to be sewn shut by the tears. I was weaker than ever, losing more and more blood by the second. I rolled onto my front, sobbing into the frosty leaves. My hand tried once more to take hold of a root, but what it found surely was not a root.
A foot.
His foot.
My eyes shot open. My breath, gone. My pupils were fixated on my small, pale hand wrapped around His thick, furry leg. My gaze climbed his body, terrified. It climbed higher and higher, taking in His bony, 10 ft tall physique. His black fur was patchy and dirty, riddled with mange. The claws at the ends of His skinny arms were as long as His hands themselves. My eyelids squeezed shut for a second, my body shaking in the overwhelming fear of His face
My eyes opened again, this time gazing up at Him. His red eyes burnt into mine. I let out a small ‘no’ as he grinned down at me. His hand shot at me, His palm facing my scarcely clothed body. My back seemed to twist and my back arched, my lungs completely failing. I couldn’t breathe. I could feel my airways closing as I was suffocated, my body convulsing and shaking, the feeling of his claws piercing into my skin. But there was no initial pain, aside from my throat. My mind was so lost in his gaze that the pain of my wounds and my bones had disappeared. My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, gasping for air, although none was found. His gaze got more intense, literally burning my eyes. My eyelids so desperately wanted to close but I had no control of my body now. He did. The view of His face got bigger, somehow, as if zooming in like a camera. The trees disappeared, my eyes glued on his. His bright-white grin stretched from ear to ear, never fading. It was as if his entire body was on pause. His face was getting closer and closer to my own. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t cry. Everything stopped. The few seconds felt like forever. I tried to breathe but there was still nothing. Then, in a matter of milliseconds, his grasp increased. All 4, 6 inch claws shot though my neck like a knife through a steak as I heard myself scream, before all went black.
The shadows loomed and the trees stretched. I ran but still the darkness was closing in. He was here. The Demon. His red eyes, His white teeth, His black fur. He stood between the trunks. Appearing here, there, everywhere. Screaming, I ran with eyelids shut. Tears cascaded down my cheeks like blood escaping the carterid artery of a wounded doe. Clouds of white blurred my vision as frozen water vapour escaped my tired, burning lungs. The thicket began to increase, stray branches tearing at my skin like razors. My blood ran free, soaking my legs, arms and neck. Like a wolf, He was attracted; His face appearing closer now, drawn to the seeping fluid.
I continued to run, my body failing in exhaustion. My legs began to go weak, slowing my pace. I was breathing harder, my lungs caving in. I could feel my pulse beneath my skin as my heart worked over-time. But I cried harder. I knew how this ended. While I was losing, He was winning. My pace slowed, His increased. He was there. His presence could be felt all around. I stopped seeing his face. An overwhelming presence now surging behind me. His eyes burnt my skull, causing me to scream in pain. His breath could be felt on my neck and shoulders, scolding them. I sobbed harder but continued to run, the adrenaline giving me the energy to try and power on. I began to build up strength, the terror controlling me. The fear pushed me forward. My pace quickened again causing more cuts and bruises to litter my body as the thorns of bushes and branches of trees imitated claws, ripping at my flesh and clothes.
The woods got thicker and thicker, the branches getting bigger and bigger. The hand-like tools had torn my clothes from my body by now. They belonged to Him. I was to belong to Him. This was His territory, I was His prey. The ground was uneven and frozen, a stray root obstructing my bare foot.
I fell.
My limp body toppled to the floor. I tumbled as the flat, forest floor became a deep ravine. Bones broke, wounds deepened. I hit the bottom. As I shrieked, I writhed in intense discomfort. I sobbed into the frost as the dead foliage seemed to crawl into my cuts, instantly infecting them. I lay there for what felt like an eternity, my body trying to save itself; kicking and swinging to try and get back up. He would be here soon. If I didn’t get up and run, He would surely take me. My eyes scanned the horizons, looking for him. My pulse beat harder, if possible, in panic that he was nowhere to be seen. It made me struggle more, terrified by the silence, his lack of presence. Somehow, I managed to swap from my back to my stomach, the dirt infecting my front now.
I crawled.
As I tried to make my slow escape, it soon became apparent that my right shoulder was obliterated by the fall. I grabbed at the floor, only my left arm able to drag my body as my legs were surely broken too.
I managed to get some way, my crying gradually stopping as I began to move. The thicket began to clear, but the roots of the dead trees got higher, making the terrain even more unbearable. Some roots stood easily a foot tall from the floor, way above my head. After countless attempts, I managed to get my stomach on top of the root. I screamed in the pain of the rough bark ripping at the already deep, infected wounds that littered my front. I then rolled off, falling onto my broken arm, dragging my broken legs. I screamed harder, stuck on my back again. The pain was surely unbearable, but I could not stop. All I could do was roll over and do it again and again and again.
Eventually, my body gave up. My eyes seemed to be sewn shut by the tears. I was weaker than ever, losing more and more blood by the second. I rolled onto my front, sobbing into the frosty leaves. My hand tried once more to take hold of a root, but what it found surely was not a root.
A foot.
His foot.
My eyes shot open. My breath, gone. My pupils were fixated on my small, pale hand wrapped around His thick, furry leg. My gaze climbed his body, terrified. It climbed higher and higher, taking in His bony, 10 ft tall physique. His black fur was patchy and dirty, riddled with mange. The claws at the ends of His skinny arms were as long as His hands themselves. My eyelids squeezed shut for a second, my body shaking in the overwhelming fear of His face
My eyes opened again, this time gazing up at Him. His red eyes burnt into mine. I let out a small ‘no’ as he grinned down at me. His hand shot at me, His palm facing my scarcely clothed body. My back seemed to twist and my back arched, my lungs completely failing. I couldn’t breathe. I could feel my airways closing as I was suffocated, my body convulsing and shaking, the feeling of his claws piercing into my skin. But there was no initial pain, aside from my throat. My mind was so lost in his gaze that the pain of my wounds and my bones had disappeared. My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, gasping for air, although none was found. His gaze got more intense, literally burning my eyes. My eyelids so desperately wanted to close but I had no control of my body now. He did. The view of His face got bigger, somehow, as if zooming in like a camera. The trees disappeared, my eyes glued on his. His bright-white grin stretched from ear to ear, never fading. It was as if his entire body was on pause. His face was getting closer and closer to my own. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t cry. Everything stopped. The few seconds felt like forever. I tried to breathe but there was still nothing. Then, in a matter of milliseconds, his grasp increased. All 4, 6 inch claws shot though my neck like a knife through a steak as I heard myself scream, before all went black.
Ummmmm, I'm so confused. Is she suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia or...?
5/4/17