Deafmute
June 29th, 2014, 04:34 PM
This is the second chapter of my fantasy horror novel. Let me know what you think. First chapter is located here http://www.writingforums.com/threads/148503-Death-Throes
Death Throes Triliogy
Book 1 Abandon All Hope Chapter 2: Facing Your Demons
CRAAAACK!!!!!!!! The deafening roar woke Ian from a deep sleep in an instant. The pain of sudden consciousness played cruel tricks on his faltering grasp of reality, for a moment he reached to his side grabbing for the alarm clock that had sat next to his bed before all this. He stopped himself midway through the reflex gesture as his mind begrudgingly flooded back to him the truth of where he was.
Gently he lifted Liv's head from his shoulder, setting it back down onto a torn up shirt. The tingle of a thousand needles shot through his arm as he massaged it. Working life back into the sleeping limb, Ian stood and returned to his lookout at the front of the church. Peering through the broken glass he saw movement.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when his eyes managed to make out the scene unfolding in the valley below the church. A lone girl running for her life from a pair of monsters. Mind racing, he threw open the doors and dashed out of the church, sprinting to the edge of the hill overlooking where the girl still fled for her life.
An instant later a dozen others from the church followed after him. The tall man from the night before, cursed loudly, "What the hell are you doing kid? You are going to get us all killed." he stopped as his vision shifted to see the girl in the valley. "Holy, shit..."
"We have to help her!" A woman cried, "she's only a girl."
"What do you want us to do!" Another woman retorted harshly. " Everyone in that church could charge down there and it would just give those things more to eat." The first woman's eyes sank downwards.
Another second passed, the end of this grisly scene was becoming gravely obvious. Ian's hands trembled, he didn't even realize that he had reached down and was now grasping the hunting knife at his belt.
The girl in the valley stumbled, barely pulling her foot out of a mud patch, before the spiked demon slammed down a gruesome fist into the mud where she stood a moment earlier. Ian's feet seemed to move on their own. Shouts of protest failed to reach him as his mind blurred the truth of what was happening. He was down the hill before he knew what he was doing, still no inkling of a plan reached his mind.
The girl's eyes were pure fear, her face pleaded for help. Ian could only assume his eyes held the same expression as he looked upon the monsters from this range. Brandishing his small knife he stood between them and the girl.
It was a pathetic display to say the least, and the demons seemed to relish it. Slowly they stopped only a few feet away, the obese demon's enormous belly shook rippling sickeningly as a low guttural laugh emerged. The spiked demon leaned forwards its head hovering inches away from Ian's knife, a long snake like tongue flicked out running along the blade drawing its own blood before sliding back into the open maw.
"Thank you." the girl whispered from behind Ian. "I am sorry you got into this, but thank you. I don't want to be alone..."
The girl sobbed, and the sound filled Ian with anger. "WELL?! GET ON WITH IT!" He screamed defiantly. The two abominations paused for a moment considering the flea of a boy in front of them. With a swat of its hand the fat one flung Ian across the field, turning him head over heels several times as he tumbled, landing face down in a pool of muddy water.
Ignoring him they stepped closer to the girl, but Ian picked himself up and flung the knife at the creature that had struck him. The blade nicked it's shoulder before falling harmlessly to the ground. Turning again towards him it stomped away from the girl leaving her to it's companion.
The spiked demon lunged forward grasping the girl with its left hand the barbs stuck deep and blood flowed freely from the wounds, as the girl screamed in pain. With its other hand it gingerly ran a finger down her cheek drawing a line from the corner of her eye to her chin, like a tear streak of blood.
The walking pile of lard in front of Ian edged closer, the horrible grin on its stomach sending chills down his spine. Ian kicked at the ground, flailing to get enough footing in the slick mud, to push himself away from the monster.
Without warning the ground rumbled. It was little more than a tremble at first but in seconds the vibrations felt like they would shake the teeth right out of Ian's skull. Fissures began to form, the earth cracking like an iced lake under too much weight.
The demon holding Rayne staggered backwards dropping her as the ground beneath its feet began to give way. Clutching her arm she ran struggling to keep her footing in the midst of the chaos. Ian dodged around his own opponent grabbing Rayne's hand and leading her quickly up the hill.
The church was in pandemonium. The refugees climbed over each other to escape the building as the windows shattered and the beams groaned menacingly. Ian's eyes skimmed the fleeing people searching madly for some sign of his sister.
A sudden jerk of his hand pulled his gaze back behind him, "THEY ARE COMING!" Rayne shouted pointed at the two monsters who had gathered themselves and continued their pursuit.
Rayne wrenched at Ian trying to pull him away from the church, but he resisted. "My sister!" He tried to explain in anguish. Rayne bit her lip in worry, before finally nodding her head. Together they dove into the crumbling building fighting against the swarm of people still trying to get out.
"LIV!" Ian shouted. " OLIVIA!" he spun around scouring the sanctuary where he had left her to no avail. Ian's mind reeled DAMMIT WHERE IS SHE!?
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Liv struggled to keep still as her older brother slipped out from under her head. She kept her eyes closed and pretended she was still asleep till she was sure he wasn't looking. Peeking out from barely open lids she watched him walk back to his place by the stained glass window.
She had always loved her brother. Maybe even more than she had loved their dad. Of course after their mom had died, their dad had done his best to keep them going as a family. He had worked to make sure they always had a roof over their head and a hot meal for dinner, but he had never been very good at the little things.
He never tucked her in at night, or told her bedtime stories. He couldn't have, working late most nights it was rare for him to be home before she went to sleep. On his days off he would usually pass out in front of the TV, exhausted. She didn't blame him for it, besides she had Ian.
Ian would tuck her in, get her ready for school, and come to her soft ball games. When he had turned sixteen he drove her to the mall and to movies. He always had time for her. Even if it meant not having time for himself.
When Dad had gotten sick with the new flu, Ian had taken care of her. He had held her as she cried when Dad died. He had always been there. As far as she was concerned he always would be there. Ian would always protect her.
She was scared though. Even knowing Ian was there. She was scared that they would never be happy again. That Ian would never smile again. She didn't know when the tears would stop. Everyone was crying, so she cried too. She didn't know what else to do, when surrounded by so much sadness. She didn't understand what was happening. Why the storm clouds wouldn't go away. She missed the stars.
Standing up, she decided to explore the church. A 7 year old like Liv tired quickly of sitting around. They had been cooped up for days and she was ready to do something. Riffling through their bags she pulled out a flashlight. When they had gone into the food bank the night before, the young girl had seen stairs leading to a basement, and she decided to start her exploration there.
It was dark down those stairs. The flashlight beam barely dented the blackness. Each step creaked loudly as the old wood groaned even under her minuscule weight. As she finally reached the bottom her eyes filled with wonder. The old basement was full of junk, old costumes, props, and Sunday school teaching tools. It was a 7 year old's treasure trove.
The young girl smiled broadly as she tore into the clothing rack. She put on a dress, many times to big, digging through boxes she found a pair of high heels and a wig full of golden curls. Clad in her new attire, she paraded around the dimly lit room. Giggling like a normal little girl... giggling like hell hadn't broken loose in the world outside.
Faint noises caught her attention from outside the basement door over her head, causing her to pause for a moment. She strained her ears trying to make out what was causing the commotion. Then she felt it. The shaking ground. Boxes and old broken furniture shifted and fell all around her. Screaming she ran dropping her flashlight onto the ground. As it hit the floor the light went out. Alone in the dark basement suddenly Liv was terrified. Tears streaming down her face she groped in the darkness debris from above sprinkled over her, a big piece smacked her hard on the leg bruising darkly in a second.
She managed to hobble into a corner, and cover her head. "Ian..." she whimpered. "Where are you?"
Death Throes Triliogy
Book 1 Abandon All Hope Chapter 2: Facing Your Demons
CRAAAACK!!!!!!!! The deafening roar woke Ian from a deep sleep in an instant. The pain of sudden consciousness played cruel tricks on his faltering grasp of reality, for a moment he reached to his side grabbing for the alarm clock that had sat next to his bed before all this. He stopped himself midway through the reflex gesture as his mind begrudgingly flooded back to him the truth of where he was.
Gently he lifted Liv's head from his shoulder, setting it back down onto a torn up shirt. The tingle of a thousand needles shot through his arm as he massaged it. Working life back into the sleeping limb, Ian stood and returned to his lookout at the front of the church. Peering through the broken glass he saw movement.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when his eyes managed to make out the scene unfolding in the valley below the church. A lone girl running for her life from a pair of monsters. Mind racing, he threw open the doors and dashed out of the church, sprinting to the edge of the hill overlooking where the girl still fled for her life.
An instant later a dozen others from the church followed after him. The tall man from the night before, cursed loudly, "What the hell are you doing kid? You are going to get us all killed." he stopped as his vision shifted to see the girl in the valley. "Holy, shit..."
"We have to help her!" A woman cried, "she's only a girl."
"What do you want us to do!" Another woman retorted harshly. " Everyone in that church could charge down there and it would just give those things more to eat." The first woman's eyes sank downwards.
Another second passed, the end of this grisly scene was becoming gravely obvious. Ian's hands trembled, he didn't even realize that he had reached down and was now grasping the hunting knife at his belt.
The girl in the valley stumbled, barely pulling her foot out of a mud patch, before the spiked demon slammed down a gruesome fist into the mud where she stood a moment earlier. Ian's feet seemed to move on their own. Shouts of protest failed to reach him as his mind blurred the truth of what was happening. He was down the hill before he knew what he was doing, still no inkling of a plan reached his mind.
The girl's eyes were pure fear, her face pleaded for help. Ian could only assume his eyes held the same expression as he looked upon the monsters from this range. Brandishing his small knife he stood between them and the girl.
It was a pathetic display to say the least, and the demons seemed to relish it. Slowly they stopped only a few feet away, the obese demon's enormous belly shook rippling sickeningly as a low guttural laugh emerged. The spiked demon leaned forwards its head hovering inches away from Ian's knife, a long snake like tongue flicked out running along the blade drawing its own blood before sliding back into the open maw.
"Thank you." the girl whispered from behind Ian. "I am sorry you got into this, but thank you. I don't want to be alone..."
The girl sobbed, and the sound filled Ian with anger. "WELL?! GET ON WITH IT!" He screamed defiantly. The two abominations paused for a moment considering the flea of a boy in front of them. With a swat of its hand the fat one flung Ian across the field, turning him head over heels several times as he tumbled, landing face down in a pool of muddy water.
Ignoring him they stepped closer to the girl, but Ian picked himself up and flung the knife at the creature that had struck him. The blade nicked it's shoulder before falling harmlessly to the ground. Turning again towards him it stomped away from the girl leaving her to it's companion.
The spiked demon lunged forward grasping the girl with its left hand the barbs stuck deep and blood flowed freely from the wounds, as the girl screamed in pain. With its other hand it gingerly ran a finger down her cheek drawing a line from the corner of her eye to her chin, like a tear streak of blood.
The walking pile of lard in front of Ian edged closer, the horrible grin on its stomach sending chills down his spine. Ian kicked at the ground, flailing to get enough footing in the slick mud, to push himself away from the monster.
Without warning the ground rumbled. It was little more than a tremble at first but in seconds the vibrations felt like they would shake the teeth right out of Ian's skull. Fissures began to form, the earth cracking like an iced lake under too much weight.
The demon holding Rayne staggered backwards dropping her as the ground beneath its feet began to give way. Clutching her arm she ran struggling to keep her footing in the midst of the chaos. Ian dodged around his own opponent grabbing Rayne's hand and leading her quickly up the hill.
The church was in pandemonium. The refugees climbed over each other to escape the building as the windows shattered and the beams groaned menacingly. Ian's eyes skimmed the fleeing people searching madly for some sign of his sister.
A sudden jerk of his hand pulled his gaze back behind him, "THEY ARE COMING!" Rayne shouted pointed at the two monsters who had gathered themselves and continued their pursuit.
Rayne wrenched at Ian trying to pull him away from the church, but he resisted. "My sister!" He tried to explain in anguish. Rayne bit her lip in worry, before finally nodding her head. Together they dove into the crumbling building fighting against the swarm of people still trying to get out.
"LIV!" Ian shouted. " OLIVIA!" he spun around scouring the sanctuary where he had left her to no avail. Ian's mind reeled DAMMIT WHERE IS SHE!?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liv struggled to keep still as her older brother slipped out from under her head. She kept her eyes closed and pretended she was still asleep till she was sure he wasn't looking. Peeking out from barely open lids she watched him walk back to his place by the stained glass window.
She had always loved her brother. Maybe even more than she had loved their dad. Of course after their mom had died, their dad had done his best to keep them going as a family. He had worked to make sure they always had a roof over their head and a hot meal for dinner, but he had never been very good at the little things.
He never tucked her in at night, or told her bedtime stories. He couldn't have, working late most nights it was rare for him to be home before she went to sleep. On his days off he would usually pass out in front of the TV, exhausted. She didn't blame him for it, besides she had Ian.
Ian would tuck her in, get her ready for school, and come to her soft ball games. When he had turned sixteen he drove her to the mall and to movies. He always had time for her. Even if it meant not having time for himself.
When Dad had gotten sick with the new flu, Ian had taken care of her. He had held her as she cried when Dad died. He had always been there. As far as she was concerned he always would be there. Ian would always protect her.
She was scared though. Even knowing Ian was there. She was scared that they would never be happy again. That Ian would never smile again. She didn't know when the tears would stop. Everyone was crying, so she cried too. She didn't know what else to do, when surrounded by so much sadness. She didn't understand what was happening. Why the storm clouds wouldn't go away. She missed the stars.
Standing up, she decided to explore the church. A 7 year old like Liv tired quickly of sitting around. They had been cooped up for days and she was ready to do something. Riffling through their bags she pulled out a flashlight. When they had gone into the food bank the night before, the young girl had seen stairs leading to a basement, and she decided to start her exploration there.
It was dark down those stairs. The flashlight beam barely dented the blackness. Each step creaked loudly as the old wood groaned even under her minuscule weight. As she finally reached the bottom her eyes filled with wonder. The old basement was full of junk, old costumes, props, and Sunday school teaching tools. It was a 7 year old's treasure trove.
The young girl smiled broadly as she tore into the clothing rack. She put on a dress, many times to big, digging through boxes she found a pair of high heels and a wig full of golden curls. Clad in her new attire, she paraded around the dimly lit room. Giggling like a normal little girl... giggling like hell hadn't broken loose in the world outside.
Faint noises caught her attention from outside the basement door over her head, causing her to pause for a moment. She strained her ears trying to make out what was causing the commotion. Then she felt it. The shaking ground. Boxes and old broken furniture shifted and fell all around her. Screaming she ran dropping her flashlight onto the ground. As it hit the floor the light went out. Alone in the dark basement suddenly Liv was terrified. Tears streaming down her face she groped in the darkness debris from above sprinkled over her, a big piece smacked her hard on the leg bruising darkly in a second.
She managed to hobble into a corner, and cover her head. "Ian..." she whimpered. "Where are you?"