Page 87 of Unruly
“Listen, Horror,” Farnsworth says. “I’ll take you back and give you a shot at the item. All you have to do is admit your name.”
I see the choice bouncing in its eyes, then, surprisingly, it blurts, “JHW62.”
“Thank you, Horror. Now, a deal is a deal.” Farnsworth grips my collar, yelling “Hold on tight” as we slip through the realms and land in my living room.
Before I can even process what’s happening, Farnsworth chants something and a hole opens up right in the center of my room. It’s filled with blackness, the smell of sulfur wafting from its depths.
Farnsworth and I make eye contact as he grabs the box from the table, and the two of us, the Horror screaming in my clutches, jump through the portal.
“No! Noooooooo,” the Horror screeches as we fall through the darkness.
Seconds later, we land with a thud. Everything is silent around us until a dark mist fills the room. I’m expecting to cough or have some other reaction to it, but it doesn’t seem to affect me.
“You can let go,” Farnsworth says, gripping my shoulder. “It’s safe now.”
I get to my feet, bracing myself for whatever the Horror is going to do to defend itself, but there’s no way I could have expected what happens next.
Chapter 23
Farnsworth
Admittedly, since this is the first Horror I’ve ever heard of escaping from banishment, I didn’t know what to expect of this process, but the scene unfolding before me exceeds my wildest imagination.
Instead of a room filled with banishment cages, lined with entrapped Horrors, the walls around us glow with licks of golden flame tinged with red. A deafening roar emanates from the floor, increasing in volume and depth until it vibrates through me.
Borja clings to my arm, whispering, “Holy hell.”
The Horror, swinging its head around in panic, backs away from its impending punishment. Grisly hands rise from the floor on long, spindly arms, reaching out for the Horror. Unsurprisingly, the Horror shrieks, attempting to run, but there is nowhere to go.
“It ends here,” I announce.
The Horror, already fading from existence, doesn’t plan to give up easily, and shockingly grabs on to Borja just as it’s being pulled towards the hole in the floor.
“Farns!”
“No!” I rush forward, grasping Borja’s arms and pulling him back toward me, but the strength of the forces tugging on the Horror is incredible.
No. I’m not losing him. Not like this.
“Borja, listen to me.”
He screams in pain as the Horror slashes his neck. Gods. If he’s sucked down, there’s no way he’s coming back. I’d rather it be me.
I throw myself on Borja, both of us landing with a thud on the hard ground. He stares at me with shock in his eyes, clawing my shoulders.
“Hold on, Borja. I’ll save you.”
I use everything I’ve got to slow time enough to give me a chance to save him. Borja raises his hands to cup my face, holding my gaze before pressing a hard kiss to my lips. “I want you to know something in case this is it.”
“It’s not it. Don’t say that.”
“Just in case. I want you to know, Farns, that being with you has been amazing. I don’t know how, but I know I fell for you. I was gonna tell you when it was over, but…” He looks over his shoulder as all of us are pulled closer to the hole, despite my efforts. “I want you to know you are loved, and I would’ve been so honored to be your man.”
“You… you love me?”
“I do. It was fast, but time doesn’t work like it used to, does it?”
“No. I was going to tell you too. I’m absolutely in love with you.”
