Page 113 of A Kiss From Death
“THEO!” It feels like my throat is bleeding from how hard I’m screaming. The Necroshriek is only a foot behind him now and I feel like I’m having déjà vu. I’m living out my worst nightmare over again, except this time, the Necroshriek flies straight through him, as if he was nothing but a cloud in the air.
“Theo?” I gasp. Clutching my throat, my lungs seize, unsure how to work anymore. Where did he go? Falling to my knees, I drop my face in my hands but spread my fingers when I hear a faintclick. What comes into view between my spread fingers has my heart lurching in my chest.
My knees are planted on onegiantblack X.
Smoke slowly billows up out of the square, and as soon as it makes contact with me, a burning like I’ve never felt melts my skinand has me shooting up. I wince and whimper when the smoke burns through my cargo pants and hits my ankle, where I can feel a blister bubbling instantly.
I fell asleep in my training clothes last night by accident after reading late. I didn’t have time to change into Des’ protective suit, since I was dragged here by force, but I’m thankful I at least went to bed in my sparring gear and not a nightgown. However, right now, I could really use the extra protection.
Whipping my head up, I look to the next row of squares to find only one, and it happens to be another black X. Breathing through the pain, I launch myself as hard as possible over the next row with the single X and onto the following row, using all the force in my body to make it there. It feels as if the shadows around me give me the extra boost I need to make it.
I land, wincing after falling directly on my shoulder. I feel a slight pop, then searing pain, and decide I most likely dislocated it.
Points for style, I guess.
Holding my shoulder with my hand, I scan my eyes left and right, looking for any danger. I sort of launched myself to this row, trying to get as far away from the acid as soon as possible before seeing where the danger lay on this row.
There are three squares in this row. I happened to have landed in the center one, which is safe but bordered by one X on each side. It seems luck was on my side with this one.
I take a moment to check over my wounds, rolling up my pants to spot two vicious red ankles riddled with small white blisters. The boots rub them, making them ooze and spread like fire across my skin.
Hissing through the pain, I roll my pants back down carefully, then look over to see how far along Tank is. He hasn’t made it very far and is sporting a few cuts and bruises. He’s shouting at nothing, like he’s out of his damn mind.
Deciding I have enough time, I assess my shoulder next. Prodding, I instantly recoil from the pain and the way my arm hangs limp by my side. It’s definitely dislocated. Lethargy seeps over my body, but I push through, knowing what comes next is a necessary evil.
Raising my bad arm above my head, I bend my elbow as if I’m trying to itch my back and slowly inch it over towards my other shoulder behind my neck. Screaming through the pain, I keep pushing it until a loud pop sounds and provides me instant relief.
Now that it’s back in place, the pain is much more tolerable. I look over the course that seems to sway, or maybe it’s me. I don’t know at this point, and my eyes seem to grow fuzzier by the second.
The majority of the course still lies ahead, but there are plenty of spaces for me to have an easy route if I just stay the course and keep my wits. I hop through the next two rows easily, even with my ankles screaming in pain with each step.
Landing in a crouch, I balance on a single square row with nothing but air on each side of me. Boots come into view in front of me, my eyes slowly dragging up. Hade stands directly in front of me with a grin that could melt snow.
Confused, I blink up at him. He knows he can’t interfere with the Crucible.
“Hade?” He just blinks back and keeps smiling. “W-what are you doing here?” I mumble, struggling to make my lips work. Still, he just stares at me, unwavering. Finding it odd, I slowly push myself up, wobbling until I’m fully balanced.
Out of nowhere, Aeron appears behind him, a blade poised right at Hade’s throat. In one swift movement, he slices the blade across Hade’s flesh, cutting from side to side. Blood immediately pours out, an endless red river. His eyes turn lifeless, but his smile remains as he tips forward and starts to freefall.
“No!” I scream. “You can’t leave me too.”
Without thought, I lunge for him, trying to catch him before he falls off the platform. My arms go to wrap around him, but instead, they glide through him like mist. He disappears, and reality tumbles back as I fall towards my impending death.
At the last second, I throw my hands out, my shoulder screaming in protest when my fingers barely catch on the edge of a square two rows up. I dig my nails in, trying to hold all my weight with them.
Click.
The square trembles under my hands as I slowly try and wedge myself more onto the square. Something pricks my palm at the same time I see hundreds of tiny needles rise from below the giant black X marking the spot I’m clinging to for dear life.
Having no other options, I swing my leg up, landing on the sharp needles, my pants taking most of the impact. I slowly drag my body up and onto the square. Spotting the space next to me showing no X, I grunt through the pain and roll my body until I land on my back in the center of it. I swear I see a dark shadow follow slightly behind me again.
Cuts mar my hands, blood trickling between my fingers, back, and legs, but I’malive. That is all that matters right now. One square at a time, and I can survive this.
Iwillsurvive this.
Standing, I notice my vision has significantly plummeted. The course spins and moves around like the pieces are dancing in front of me. I attempt to take a step forward, but I end up falling slightly backwards before catching myself.
“Fuck!” a male voice screams in the distance. My head turns at a snail’s pace until it lands on Tank across from me. Blood pours from his leg, what looks like a trap with spiked teeth clamped tight around his ankle. Ripping his fingers to shreds, he pries the mouth of the trap open and slides his mangled leg out. Part of his fleshcatches on the trap and tears away, dragging another scream from him.
