1 Another Morning

A faint breeze sweeps across roofs and streets of the seemingly distant town, carried by an abnormally red sundown, ah is it that time again already? The sun setting burning away the presence of day to make way for the realm of night. The cold steel of the bridge's railings are clinging to the skin of my hands as I stare down into the river below, the flaming reflection struggles almost valiantly as the darkness consumes it leaving nothing but a cold black abyss to stare into, are the last reflections of our morning flame just like it? A broken puzzle missing the pieces that would make it whole, complete? Oh, I wonder.

Lost in thought, god I almost forgot what had brought me out here on this nightfall. These senses, it was on the move again, somewhere by the edge of this very riverbank, like a moth flickering towards the flame, like a jackal hunting for its next prey, like a soul consumed whit madness, truly a cursed existence. To my knowledge, this Vannluohg had so far killed four teenagers who were having a picnic by the river, shame. The incident got widespread media coverage, the story of a deranged killer who was still on large after slicing up four teenagers and hollowing out their eye sockets. When I saw it I just knew what it was, and I was right, but no matter, this Vannluohg's existence would end tonight when its demented form would pass under this very bridge's left side, in just a few moments.

"What is it June? Scared to hang out at night?"

"That is not it, come on Straid, you know I'm stressed about tomorrow"

"Hey you two, look behind you!"

"Oh come on Theresa, that was not funny!"

"Hehe, and here I thought you guys were all calm"

Wait, what? Voices, someone was at this part, of this river, at this time of night? Why?! Ah, it is a pain but I got to change the plans because it will come and when it does come, the more people present, would count towards the chances of another massacre being discovered by the approaching morning...tsk. I have to get whoever this is out of he... that hum, vibrant and sharp as razors to one's ears. Shivering because of the dire realization I bare my senses, sensing and bending the vibrations around me. I can't let it end here, I have to end them, not only to create a safe world for him but also to prevent these cursed tears from reaching other families. It is close, the humming is no mistake, it is here, those people will see it which is gonna make it extremely hard to get the drop on it, I could just wait, but what good would that do? Those people will die and I would have done nothing to change that fate, Alexander always said that the lives of people are important. I wonder if he would hate me if I just stand here idly while these bystanders get slaughtered by something beyond their comprehension, and yet again I would be all alone. Right or wrong? No matter. These people will not die tonight, I won't let them.

"Do you guys hear that?"

"Yeah, what is that?"

"I think it's some sort of piercing hum, jeez where is it coming from?"

"Straid, Theresa, there is something moving over there in the shadows under the bridge"

"June, Theresa, I think we should leave, right now!"

" Come on Straid, don't tell me you're scared? Whoever's making that noise is probably right there, just fucking with us. HEY, YOU THERE! COME OUT HERE WHERE WE CAN SEE YOU!"

There's no time to lose, I bind the piece of cloth I had put in pockets earlier today tightly over my eyes, I can't let it know where I am when I do this... It's moving again, it is moving straight for those people. The time has come, I feel my muscles tense up as my hands let go of the cold steel railing, diving towards the center of the humming.

Wet and damp flesh touches my palms and my head is filled with screams, screams of pain, screams of grief, screams of madness, and screams of the hollow. Tense up Chrys, let em out, free them. I feel my touch growing stronger as something hard, cold, and wet? pierces me, could this be it? No, focus. I can, no, yes, do... focus. "Let go, use this catalyst to ascend, to achieve peace, and, and to live in the next world. I invite you in and through me catch the cleansing light of the next step... Be freed from this prison... Prison of flesh, be... Be freed from... Madness, freed from this cursed... existence ".

The screams are fading. Am I falling? Heath envelops me, a sky, a sky bright engrossed by voids, voids stretching like tendrils across this light, and from them a tune can be heard, faint and meek, yet grand and incomprehensible like a choir of a thousand angels. What else? Faint cries, who is it? It is isn't it, the weeping of a child? Where? I'm cold? Darkness envelops me yet again, and then, something red.

"What should we do? He isn't moving! And however, you see at this that thing there isn't normal! What should we do?!"

"Wait what, what, what happened?"

"I'm not sure guys, but I think he just saved us"

"What in the cold-frozen hell's was that thing?"

"I don't know ok!"

"Hey guys, we should get this guy some help, I think he's still alive"

"What can we do June?! We don't even know what the hell happened in the first place"

The sky, dyed in crimson like the face looking down at me and the hair-strands brushing towards cheeks, she jolted away the moment our eyes locked places, and immediately alerted the two others who had been squabbling among themselves. The three strangers were now looking at me with a mixture of fear and worry. I get up on my legs, shaking lightly, swaying, almost falling back to the ground. The redhead that had been staring at me stepped forwards and laid her slender hands on me supporting my balance while looking worried sick, why? weren't I just a stranger?

"Are you okay?"

She seemed genuinely worried, I have to say something.

"Don't worry about me I'm fi-"

Black liquid, tearing up my throat filling my mouth and nose with the burning sensation of sulfur. The girl supporting me seems to be panicking now, the other two looks shocked too, how can I fix this?

"We need to get you to a hospital!"

Enough "I don't need a hospital, just some rest, I am truly fine" I must give her a reassuring smile. It seems to relive her a bit, they all still seem bewildered doe, well what can one do? A stream of golden sunlight hits my face, oh so it's morning already, and behind its morning skies, it was, undeniably what would be, indeed, a tragedy.