Running away

Theodel struggled at every step, awkwardly flailing his arms with poor balance as he ran. With every step he took he exhaled loudly, slightly fogging his view.

The city didn't get that cold during winter, and going through the backstreets shielded him from most of the wind. Despite that, he was shivering from sweating so much and being out of shape.

"He's there!" 

Theodel accelerated while glancing at his pursuers. 

They were gaining ground. 

He turned another corner and slammed shoulders with a worker out on a smoke break. 

Three others quickly joined the person running. He rapidly turned left into a connected alleyway. 

It mostly had commercial backdoors but he noticed a run-down apartment building, it was only a few meters away. 

Getting to the entry next to a trash bin, the door was surprisingly unlocked. After one last glance behind, he entered. 

His breathing was heavier than ever. He climbed the staircase using the railing to help him up. 

He slowly stopped around the fourth floor, trying to catch his breath. The yellow lights from the dying lightbulbs weren't helping, as his vision was already blurry.

Theodel was holding himself the best he could. Leaning forward with his hand on his heart, staring at the steps.

He heard the entrance door loudly open. Quickly, he ran up the stairs again. His legs were shaking and hurt like crazy. 

But it didn't matter. 

He had to run.

A rumbling thunder echoed through the staircase, and the sound of multiple people hurrying up on the metal structure resonated through the place.

His breathing became even faster as he went up two steps at a time, barely noticing the noise behind him and unable to even glance back anymore. 

He thought that at any moment someone could grab his shoulder and stop him right there. He couldn't afford to slow down by looking behind.

After going up one more floor he turned the corner again and looked up, ready to conquer another flight of stairs. 

Instead, it was the exit leading to the roof. He quickly crossed it, letting the door close behind. 

The area was a flat square. The floor had a gravel coating, and some construction trash bags around that accumulated a thin layer of snow. 

Going to the farther corner he turned around, fixating on the door. 

Theodel was holding himself on the railing as if he was in the corner of a boxing match. 

But, there was no team on his side. 

Nobody would help him. 

Nothing would rescue him. 

No towels would be thrown.

He got his phone out as a reflex. '15 missed calls from Ma'. 5% battery.

Ah. I'm sorry, mom.

He looked over the railing. He would never survive that fall. 

The access door was shoved open. Stepping onto the roof, the pursuers emerged slowly, looking at each other, and then at him.

"It's over, Theo. There's nowhere else to go." 

"Let's put an end to this, already."

Not listening, Theo helped himself using the low railing to get up on it, one leg on each side. 

"Come on, now, get down from there…" 

Closing his eyes, he realized he had no final thought. No closing arguments. Nothing to leave behind, not even words.

...What's that?

Like a notification on his phone, text appeared before his eyes, floating a meter off the ground. 

The grey and blue menu window glitched like a game. But this was reality.

[ The God of the Depths is inviting you to be its follower. Do you accept? ]

So this is what they were talking about. They said not to accept, but what choice do I have? Anything there is better than everything here.

"Let's talk about this," said one of them.

Maybe he was going crazy, but he had to take a chance.

[ Yes / No ]

He extended his hand, pressing the hologram-like screen. Upon hitting yes, he looked around, hoping something would happen, but nothing.

[ The God of the Depths is pleased. ]

The pursuers staggered. Theodel himself had a hard time holding the railing, tightening his grip on the cold metal. 

In a matter of seconds, it felt as if everyone was suddenly transported to the bottom of a deep pool. Pressure built up, making any movement slowed down. 

Theodel's ears started ringing but in one of the lowest pitches he ever heard. That pitch was a hum so low and so foreign, yet beautiful and entrancing.

Slowly, a harmony of cellos added to the low tone, resonating through Theodel's head. They came from every direction, cutting him from the rest of the world.

The cellos crescendoed. The sky above was black as ink. No moon shone through the night. No stars were scattered nor even the dimmest of light cut through.

 The snow falling slowly turned to ash, floating around as if time stopped, glowing like embers from a bonfire.

As the cellos reached their peak, the hum rose and masterfully accompanied the ominous instruments into something he heard before.

" Lacrimosa dies illa 

Qua resurget ex favilla

Judicandus homo reus. "

From behind him, a giant tentacle emerged higher than the roof, pointing to the abyssal sky. 

Once at its peak, everyone watched as it came down on Theodel, tightly wrapping his waist.

In a single movement, he was lifted from the railing. The entity then rapidly reeled him back onto the street, so fast his body was folding forward, his hands and feet toward the sky. 

The four people that remained on the roof could only watch as Theodel was grabbed from it, their eyes wide open in shock. 

They quickly ran to the railing to catch a glimpse of what had happened to him.

Theodel thought he would hit the concrete. He tried getting out of its grip but couldn't. 

As he reached the ground, he passed through the surface, as if he went through a hole in the street. 

Like a tunnel, the street lights were still in sight but began to drift into oblivion.

Everything only got smaller until the light couldn't reach him anymore. 

The entity did not let go of him. It dragged him further below, to unimaginable depths.

 Until the cellos stopped playing.