Trapped

I ran out as fast as I could choosing self preservation, yet still I was stopped in my tracks and forced to wait for my gruesome death that soon came like boiling water. Again I had to watch my companion die knowing I was next. And the time did come.

Yet still I woke up on that cold floor once more, I ran to the back of the cave and it was a dead end. I turned to go the other way but it was already there. I was forced to boil once more, my throat crushed and lungs pierced.

I woke once more, heart hammering my ribcage, desperate I ran to the front keeping close to the cave walls, there were trees to the sides of the cave. If I could just make it. I ascended the cave and jumped as soon as I saw the light, yet still I was frozen.

Falling face first my nose snapped to the side blood gushing out, my fingers that were out bent in inhuman ways, breaking on impact. Unable to move I was perched on the broken fingers and nose, I begged my worthless body to move yet it never did.

Again I was forced to die by steam, as the panther stepped on my back, my fingers already doing a sixty degrees turned a one eighty. The skin on my nose ripped more and more as it stood on top. As it leant forward above me its weight shifted giving my nose the final nudge, tearing it off. I desperately tried to move and again I couldn't.

I jumped awake in a panic, nowhere to go nowhere to hide what could I do, magic. I gripped my right hand steading the tremble as much as I could. I stood up my legs giving way, shaking like a tambourine. The sweat ran down my face as I waited in fear, my hands shook and my feet wobbled it was now or never.

Its silhouette came into view its shadow erasing the light. I grit my teeth and focused, a red ball in my hand, I was going to burn it alive. As it dashed towards me I poured mana into it... nothing came out... not even a spark.

It pounced faster than the last times, stronger. That time when it gripped my neck it snapped it clean in two, I didn't even have time to struggle.

The stabbing pains were short lived because soon I awoke once more. I had nothing, nothing but a flint knife. I hid behind a stalagmite, steading the blade in my shaky hands. Wiping the sweat from my brows I was ready, or so I thought.

Its footsteps grew near and my heartbeat faster. It steps became louder and my grip became tighter. I could hear it to my left. As I swerved around the rock pulling back the blade for a lunge... I was hit in the throat, the knife fell from my hands, chunks of my throat falling with it. I tried to grab it but there was nothing to grab. The pain was stinging but fading fast, as I fell on my back blood pooled in my moth and below my neck. Soon I was gone once again.

But I hadn't died, I was awake on the cold gritty stone floors once again. I wanted to cry but I had no tears. It had been so long that even then, I couldn't shed a single tear.

If hiding wasn't going to work I was going to charge in. Grabbing the knife I ran to the front of the cave. I wasn't going to wait for the fight, if it was inevitable I would go in it head first.

As it stepped into the cave I started to scream, I ran my throat bellowing with a war cry. It was caught off guard. It stepped back in surprise and for a second it seemed unresponsive. A second was all I needed, close enough I lunged forward and ran the blade into its throat, twisting it as it went in.

It tried to pull away but I wouldn't allow it. Planting my finally responsive feet on the stony cave floors, I pushed my heavy hands even harder, as the blade went deeper into its neck a squeal was heard. In a desperate attempt to get away it activated its kill aura... but, there was one thing it didn't take into account.

The pain was all too familiar, I had died so many times then the same way, boiling blood, scorching throat, burning insides, pierced lungs, drowned by bloody steam and crushed throat. I could bear it, just this once, just this once was all I needed, pushing through it, I pushed the blade so far in the handle went in with it leaving me bloody handed.

It fell to the floor unresponsive, its blood pooling at the mouth. I had won, as I dragged my tired feet out of the cave I could see it. The bull bathed in its own blood, some evaporating.

The scene too gruesome to keep looking at I walked away. I walked in the direction of the village hoping to get some relief, hoping to escape the hell hole that was the forest. I got to the bride and hurriedly pulled myself across, the town in the distance I was free.

I stepped into the tall grass the stalks tickling my hands. I walked and walked as the journey had been. Yet it seemed so far away. The sun above grew hot but I payed it no mind. I had made it to the village. Passing the field of cherries I walked into the village. The moment I stepped foot in the village I heard a bang.

The gust created kicked up the dust into my face. I lifted my hands above my eyes, shielding them. As I lowered them I could see it.

The white of the skull and the pink of the intestines. The holes where the eyes and the mouth should have been. The jaw hanging open a charred appendage peeking out. The hair blood red. It was Ms. Francis, dead. I stepped back holding back my vomit when I spat something else instead, blood.

A sharp pain made its way from my back to my stomach. It was a sword, and a large one at that. The silver blade was now tinted red as it passed through my body. I looked back trying to grab the blade but it slipped through my flesh bloodying my hands. My palms now a pool of blood I looked back.

It was Mr. Sentari, I tried to find the words but the strength wouldn't come. As my blood seeped from my mouth and stomach. I could only stand there weak and useless. Soon everything went dark and I faded away.

When my eyes opened I was shielding them with my hands. As they lowered and I saw the gut wrenching site, I ran forward. Soon there would be a blade coming for my back. Lunging forward I thought I was safe, but as I blinked there he was in front of me.

I had walked on to the blade of my own accord. I was impaled. Stepping back he stepped forward, ramming the blade all the way through. Pushing him away the blade was left in me. I stumbled and fell on my backside. I wanted to pull the blade out but I couldn't it stung and burned, again I was unable to fight back, I was useless.

I faded away and woke up shielding my face once again. Running forward I didn't blink, the blade could be felt digging in to my back once again. Though that time it didn't get far, continuing my sprint I looked back, trying to see if he had given chase.

He hadn't... the blade had. It went right for the face, striking like a hammer it split my skull and dug into my head, a sharp pain being felt on the right side where it had landed before everything went black as I tripped and fell over my own feet.

In the same predicament once more, I spun around as soon as my hands fell, grabbing the blade. I couldn't see eyes but I didn't care. I forced it upward as it slid through my bloody fingers and kicked him in the stomach, as he fell backwards he let go.

I spun the blade holding the handle... and as he tried to get up, I jammed it into his neck. Blood spilled from his neck as he grabbed the blade but I didn't care. I pushed it until it was touching the ground on the other side. Then, his hands went limp and I let got of the blade, falling it slit his throat open even more.

I looked away, unable to bear the sight of what I had done and the other body close to it. As I looked up I could see cracks in the then pitch black sky. Light shone through and soon chunks began to fall. The buildings collapsed and the bodies turned to dust.

Looking up for the second time a chunk was coming straight for me. Unable to escape due to its sheer size I lifted my hands above my head and braced for the impact, gritting my teeth.