CHAPTER 66: THE FOREST OF DEAD CRIES 3
FOREST OF DEAD CRIES 3
Samuel runs as fast as he can go in human speed, he doesn't want to zoom off, being away from Rachael isn't part of his plan especially after what happened at the Sea of Stars.
The forest night thickens but his eyes see perfectly. He sees Amanda in front of the line while Elma and Rachael are behind her, at least in front of his eyes nothing can happen to her without his attention.
He scoffs as he jumps over a large root and glares behind to see the corpses giving them chase.
"Something like this should not scare the likes of me," he thinks. He can't help but feel some disappointment at his current state. He hasn't experienced such weakness in years, he looks forward at the rest of his companions and wonder why everything started.
Why all this crazed talk and the unadventurous journey of death began?
Love.
It all started because they wouldn't let one human die. He and Gabriel have walked over human corpses before and felt nothing. They have killed people and it was just a monday, but neither of them can stand and watch this one human remain dead.
At least Gabriel couldn't, thus the beginning of the chase for his soul whilst bearing the risk of losing theirs.
Samuel loses himself in thought for a second and doesn't notice when the corpses catch up to him. They stretch their arms and grab him by his waist and shoulders, "We've got you Samuel Stone. Alucard sends his regards," one of the corpses say and bites his shoulder.
Samuel groans and throws it off, he shoots out his claws and begin to smack them off his body, one by one before roaring at them. He manages to destroy the corpses as blood stains his milk shirt and drips over his shoulder.
He returns to the run and his eyes search forward, meters away to find Rachael but she isn't there. She is missing, "Rachael," he calls out but is only answered by the echoes of his own voice.
A loud howl draws his attention and he turns his gaze to the west of the forest, he growls as he interprets the danger that his senses inform him of. He continues to run with hope to find Rachael.
He can't lose her, Gabriel will kill him if he does and most of all, he can't bear the thought of losing her twice.
He increases his speed and dashes through the forest trees and the thick bushes, ignoring the screams of strangers that become louder the deeper he goes.
"You won't save him and she will die," their voices whisper into his ears and he swings around, throwing his fists into the air but he misses his target for he has none.
Mist slowly creeps into the air and light footsteps come from behind him. He turns around to see a familiar face, one he has loathed all his life. The man that took away his mother and a life of peace from him.
"You are dead," Samuel says as his eyes shine weakly and he grits his teeth, exposing his fangs like a wild dog.
The man stands tall in a suit and he wears a smile as his eyes glow, "Hello child. Come let me reunite you with your brother.
He waits with your mother," the man says, "Dracula!" Samuel screams as his mind drowns in rage and he charges toward the count only to find himself smacking his head into a tree.
Dracula stands behind him, "I haven't done anything yet and you have already lost it.
When I am done with you, the human will be next. I will drain every bit of blood in her body," he says and chuckles.
"I will kill you," Samuel shouts and charge at him but Dracula dodges to one side in a swift move. He appears before Samuel and grabs his two hands, his blue glowing eyes stare into Samuel's, "You are weak as always. You pride yourself as the brains amongst you two but you only believe that because you are weak.
Without your brother to protect you, you are no better than a vampire," Dracula says.
"Fuck you," Samuel head-butts his chest but it seems ineffective against Dracula as he stares down at his son with a disappointing gaze, "Weak I say," he throws Samuel against a tree.
"If you can't stop me, how are you going to save anyone?" he says and adjusts his suit.
He rubs his stubble beards and moves slowly, watching Samuel as he coughs and crawls to his feet.
"I am going to kill you. My only regret will be that you won't be there to watch me kill your favorite son, Alucard" Samuel says with a smile, the ends of his mouth begins to crack and extend.
"Why don't we correct that Sammy boy," Dracula says and in a flash he appears before Samuel, he jerks him and holds him against a tree.
"Now scream for me," he says and thrusts his hand through Samuel's chest, smiling as the sphinx fill his ears with a lurid scream that appeals to the heart of the Count.
"Yes boy, that is it. You will be seeing Gabriel real soon,".
Amanda leads the line with a good run, making sure to not go too fast so the group can stay together, The Forest of Dead Cries is not a place one should walk alone. Strange things can crawl up and snatch the unaware away into the darker parts or worse, into their graves.
The whole forest is a grave to the unwanted and the hideous.
The smell of mud and decay fill the hot air in the forest, flies begin to sing their song of annoyance as they hover around them but soon the fluttering of their wings become louder and deafening. It buries the sounds of everything else around Amanda as she runs.
She stops for a minute to look behind her but she can't see them; none of her companions are behind her.
"Not again," she says lowly.
"Samuel! Rachael! Elma!" she screams out with the risk of giving herself away but the sphinx is confident in her own strength. Not many creatures can take her on and unlike Samuel, she remains strong.
Mist rises up into the air and a distant howl makes her turn her head sharply to the west. "Rachael," she mumbles.
She recognizes the sound of a werewolf but is only worried about Rachael now. She knows even in Samuel's weakened state he can take on a werewolf even if it becomes a struggle and Elma is a vampire so she can handle herself but for the human a werewolf here would be a problem.
What is a werewolf doing in these parts? She wonders, after all werewolves stay in packs unless this is one who has been thrown out and has found solace in this forest, a feral one.
"Damn it," she cusses as she begins to envision the danger that comes.
"Come here," something snarls at her from behind and pulls her hair, it drags her against the ground and different hands hold her to the ground and begin to pull her into the forest floors.
She struggles and fights to free herself but the hands keep coming back, she tries to move but she can't feel her legs and she realizes that her left leg has sunk into the ground, like a stone in water.
"You can't save your friends. They will die," voices from all directions echo in her ears.
"Legion, get the hell away from us. Go back to where you came from or I will kill," Amanda threatens but the voices return laughter.
"You are of no use to them. You boasts the strength of a sphinx but you are nothing. You are supposed to be the one they rely on but here you are, weak and alone.
You should have ran away with your boyfriend when you had the chance," the voices say.
"You do not scare me demon. You can't get into my head," "But your head can get into the ground and become a part of me," "Never, never!" she screams as she feel her strength flee from her and her skin cringe as dirt and strange things rub against her skin.
The hands prick her body with their tight grip and sharp fingers, her head and her chest are the only parts of herself she can see as she tries to kick through the dirt.
Her body does not respond and soon her mind is filled with fear and thoughts of dying here.
The rest of her body gradually follows and she tries to roar but a skeletal hand covers her mouth and pulls her in. Slowly but gradually she disappears into the dirt and becomes one with the forest.