Chapter 6

As they ran, the silhouette of small creatures filled their surroundings. "Is it normal for there to be so many of them?" As Eiji looked behind him, he couldn't help but notice the overwhelming number of creatures swarming towards them. 

Eiji was the only one to speak for Akiyoshi and Suki kept their gazes focused on the road ahead. These two stayed calm and collected, while Eiji was the complete opposite. With the sensation of sweat trickling down his face, Eiji's heart pounded, and his body grew warmer. Dizziness had taken his head, causing pain that clouded his thinking as he counted their numbers.

As they sprinted, creatures jumped off buildings and descended around them like rain. the two zigzagged through trying not to get caught. when one of these creatures lands right in front of Akiyoshi, he gets passed them with agile movements, by effortlessly leaping over the creature and maintaining his momentum.

As they made more distance, the two could see the end of the long, straight road they were on. Suki and Akiyoshi locked eyes, silently communicating their agreement with a nod. 

"Wrap your legs tightly around me and hand me an arrow." Suki's voice startled Eiji. "Alright." With a slight hesitation, he did what she said.

While he took an arrow out of the quiver, Suki surveyed their surroundings. When she saw the arrow coming over her shoulder, she let go of his legs. Eiji who was caught by surprise quickly stabilized himself before handing her the arrow.

Suki takes the arrow and places it on her bow, which she had been holding with her left hand.

At the end of the road, Suki and Akiyoshi turned to the right. As they did this, all of them could see the massive group that was mere meters away from them.

As Suki focuses on her targets, a brilliant orange energy emanates from her eyes, enveloping the arrowhead in a glowing aura. When she let go, the arrow flew through the air, leaving behind a clear orange trace.

Akiyoshi swiftly redirected his attention towards them, not allowing Suki to do all the work. He tightly grasps the Katana's handle as he charges at the angry mob. Unsheathing the sword, it slices through the air and the creatures in front of him.

Suki gestures with her hand, causing Eiji to give her another arrow. Creatures charged Suki, thinking she was easy prey. When she let go, another arrow bolted through the air. Each shot she fired took down several creatures, but it wasn't sufficient to halt the relentless onslaught. 

Despite the creature's persistent attacks, Suki effortlessly evaded them with her quick and nimble movements, much to Eiji's astonishment as he remained firmly on her back.

While Suki was preoccupied with everything in front of her, a creature suddenly darted towards her from her side. Eiji reacted by placing the wakizashi in his mouth upon witnessing this. His left hand firmly holds onto her as he reaches for the handle of the blade with his right. he swings the blade at the creature jumping towards them.

His attack didn't connect, but he stalled it long enough for Suki to take action.

Akiyoshi's blade moved precisely, cutting deliberation through certain body parts, and his body flowed like water. He seemed almost elegant as blood rained around him.

As this fight raged on, Eiji watched these two in amazement. Like an X-ray, he could see Suki's orange veins and Akiyoshi's blue veins running through them, but there was one thing they had similar a grayish tint that lingered in their bodies. Everything he was seeing boggled him. He could rationalize their movements or fighting style in his mind, but the extraterrestrial energy pulsating through their bodies was too unearthly for him to comprehend.

Suki and Akiyoshi exchanged a quick glance, their eyes filled with determination. Following this, they each ran in separate directions.

"What are you doing?" Eiji was in disbelief as Akiyoshi bravely charged into the horde of monsters, while Suki went the other way.

"Give my five arrows." Frustrated by the lack of response, Eiji contemplated speaking up once more. However, upon witnessing Akiyoshi vanish into the furry wall of flesh, he decided to comply with her request.

Eiji got a hold of three arrows before his eyes widened. He took them out and gave them to her. She noticed the quantity she received but didn't ask why he gave two fewer.

She positions the arrows on her bow and aims ahead of her. When she released her grip, they unrealistically flew through the air. The arrows twisted and curved through the air as if guided by their own intelligence.

Suki turned away from the sight and began to run while Eiji could only watch. Eiji continued to look in the direction he had come from, even though he was already quite far away. He couldn't take his eyes off the gray energy that extended above the buildings.

A small number of creatures stepped out of the encirclement. Those who didn't follow roared at the creature coming closer to us and they growled back.

My eyes were focused on this scene. I was now certain that in these creatures there was a semblance of sentience.

The creatures who had entered the encirclement turned back around and slowly began to walk towards us. Those who kept us fenced looked at each other before all grinning. They began to jump and cheer like they were supporting their brethren.

This sound began to clog my ears and make my body shiver. We were walled in; the gladiators had entered the area and we the prisoners of war had to face off against them. The audience's shouts were loud as they egged on the fighters to kill each other. That is what it felt like as if our struggle for survival is here to entertain them.

They moved slowly, like a predator stalking its prey, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. One acted like the starting pistol, rushing forward and jumping towards Maria. The rest followed right after.

Darius taps against George's left hand, making him give the baton to him. Darius moved quickly, grabbing his wife and pulling her behind him. With a powerful swing of his right arm, the baton struck the fragile creature. It slammed to the ground and squealed in pain, causing the rest of his kind to change their target to Darius.

Mayhem ensued at Darius's side, but everyone else was stuck in place, fearful of what was going on. They all shivered and looked ill, yet they didn't seem scared because of the monsters rushing toward them but the laughter that couldn't leave their heads. As if death was inevitable.

George and I stood at the other side. The creatures here were being held at gunpoint. George's hands shivered as he franticly switched between the five beasts in front of us.

The creatures grinned as they slowly got closer when the gun wasn't aimed at them. Almost like they were playing red light green light with George.

"God dammit, George, shoot already!" Darius shouted at him while he was being overwhelmed by the four creatures attacking him.

"I." George stutters as he aimed the gun and began to pull the trigger back.

"Don't shoot!" I stop him by grabbing him by the arm. George looks at me with a confused expression, but I don't tell him what I was thinking.

"Samuel, you damn brat. I'm being sliced to pieces by these little mongrels. So aim that pistol and shoot them to smithereens, damnit."

"I understand how you're feeling, but keep it up for a bit longer. We can't shoot just yet."

Darius clenches his teeth together but ultimately calms down. In a moment where he could take a short breather, he turned his head around to see everyone else slacking around.

Darius pokes his son's side in annoyance seeing the boy standing as still as a statue. "Can you help me out, or do you want to see your father be clawed to death!"

His father's words reached him, causing James to get out of his panic attack. When he saw the wounds accumulating on Darius's body, James had to come to terms with that all of this was real. When James got ahold of himself, he grabbed a creature by the fur and threw them on the ground. 

Sweat dripped down George's face as he continued the same motions. His finger on the trigger shook profusely, just like his body. 

It felt as if my world had turned silent when I heard a bang go off next to me. It flew through the air, piercing a creature's skull. The others halted abruptly, turning towards their fallen kin. After the shot, the firearm trembled uncontrollably in George's hands before he gently lowered the barrel to the ground.

"If you shot ones, keep shooting!" My voice rumbled in George's ears, causing distress to take even greater hold of him.

What George had done was what I feared the most. There were so many variables at play. If he were to shoot or kill any of them, what would happen next? Alas, there was no point thinking about it anymore.

George did as I said, aiming the pistol at another creature and pulling the trigger, but instead of a bullet flying through the air, we could hear a clicking sound. When he looked at the pistol, the slider was locked back.

George's eyes shook, and his heartbeat sped up. Saliva gathered in his mouth and words couldn't leave it. He was blanking as he stared down. George's lips trembled as he mustered words out. "I'm empty." The gun fell out of his hands and clattered on the ground.

The creatures turned their heads away from the body and glared at George. With a loud roar, they charged towards the murderer.

As they dashed towards us, I glanced behind me. My sister was in a state of shock. My hand tamps on her shoulder, making her look at me. "Sis, can you go help them out? They seem like they need it." She looked in the direction I pointed. There she could see Maria, Kathleen, and Jean who were all watching these scenes but unable to act. 

My sister stared at me with hopeless eyes. Giving her a look and she as well could see the worry on my face. "Alright, I'll try my best."

Five small creatures rushed George. One pushes him to the ground and the rest follow right behind it. Trying to get it off him, his arm frantically tries to grab something. When he gets hold of the pistol's barrel, he smashes the handle against the creature's face.

Swiftly coming in to help, I kick one out of the air while the other I grab by the fur and throw away. george takes care of the other two. 

Giving him a hand, I help him get back up.

The fight that went on weighed down more on our shoulders the longer it went on. It wasn't because the creatures were difficult to deal with. The crowd's laughter and cheers made it hard for us to think or even concentrate. Over time, as we took care of a good amount of them, more of these creatures stepped out of the encirclement and charged us.

My mind was getting numb as the fighting continued. I didn't know what was going on around me or if my family was still alive. I was locked into a cage of darkness and I could only see the monsters close to me. My mind played tricks on me, making me question every sound around me. Due to my foolishness, I stumbled to the ground. Screams filled my ears. I could hear it their anger, their pain, their suffering. It was almost like it was etched inside me. When I gave a good look at my surroundings pitch black darkness was the only thing I could see.

A creature rushed me with its mouth open. Saliva dripped from it as it jumped towards me. Like it was instinct. My hand moved into my overcoat. With a loud bang, my surroundings turned back to normal, and everyone's eyes were on me.

The creature's body dropped to the ground next to me, but my gaze was somewhere else. My hands shook as I stared at the pistol in them. I stared at it and could see blood filling my hands. The weapon falls to the ground as I stare at them. Something was taking over my mind, but I didn't know what.

"Samuel!" My sisters grabbed my shoulder. I raise my head and look into her eyes.

My gaze wanders away from her and takes in my surroundings. My entire family looked at me with a confused expression. Some seemed even worried, but it was obvious to me what they were thinking.

My state of mind wasn't right since the moment I woke up in the bathroom. I found myself in clothes I didn't think I wore, in a world burning because of mysterious creatures that appeared out of nowhere, and now, without me even having realized it, there was a pistol in my jacket this entire time. 

The world around me faded into an inky blackness, and I couldn't escape the leering, malicious smiles directed my way. The monsters cheering became clearer and clearer, making me feel like humans had surrounded me and I was the butt of the joke. 

"Shut up!" I wanted to shout out loud, but I couldn't. As the noise became more frequent, I felt like I was going crazy. I don't know how to describe it, but I was slipping away, back into darkness. Where I was all alone, surrounded by unknown faces that taunted me and laughter that made me sick to my stomach.

"Shut up!" I wanted it to stop, but my voice would never reach out. "Shut up!"

"Samuel?" I could hear a person shout for me, but I couldn't identify their voice. "Samuel!?"

The laughter grew louder, filling the air with an overwhelming cacophony that drowned out my thoughts. "Shut up!" 

"Samuel!?" Recognizing my sister's voice in it. The world around me seemed to come back to life as vibrant colors brightened up my surroundings.

"Shut up!" It was then that I could hear myself once more, and so could everyone else.

"Samuel, are you alright?" Sarah and the rest exchanged concerned glances, but there was no time to dwell on it—another group of creatures charged at us.

Without a second thought, I grab the pistol on the ground and let out another shot. Afterward, my sister helps me back onto my two feet.

"George!" When I looked to my side, I could see him in a daze as monsters rushed him. Waking up due to my shout, George protects himself against the assaulting creatures.

As I let bullets rip through the air, I let out an extremely loud scream. Pain rushed through my body. It felt like my arm was being ripped off. As I looked at it, I could see a creature opening and closing its mouth. It was trying to snap it shut, but its teeth couldn't easily move through my bones.

I raise my right arm and put the pistol's barrel right against its head. With a bang, the creature's teeth slide over my arm until its body drops to the ground.

On the other side, Darius and James stomp another one to death. The two were in a horrible state. Shallow and deep wounds were visible all over them and the suits they had been wearing were now but patches of silk.

At the moment there was one left inside of the encirclement. It stood against its kin. while trying to get back into the fencing around us, but they didn't let him through. During this, their cheering and jumping had stopped. 

It bugged us out why they would do this, but our thoughts were taken somewhere else when a spear struck down the creature that was trying to retreat.

Towering above the small creatures was a taller one that held said weapon. All the smaller creatures moved to the side, opening a hole for it to walk through. It pulled the spear out of the frail beast and began to clean it. While the smaller ones had their heads lowered, seemingly waiting for what it would do next.

"Aargh arrghh aargghh." The taller creature spoke words we couldn't understand. When it stopped, all the smaller creatures began to open up the roads by crawling onto the buildings around us.

The tall creature's eyes locked with ours, and its grin sent a shiver down our spines. 

"I don't like the look on its face." Without waiting for anyone else to speak, James begins to walk away slowly, his gaze fixed on the creature.

"Don't do anything rash, son." The moment Darius finished speaking, he heard a sudden, sharp snap that sent shivers down his spine.

"Son?" Our ears were flooded with the sound of crunching, but everyone was too afraid to turn back and see what was happening.

With a swift movement, the taller creature raised its spear high above its head, letting out a primal bellow that reverberated through the surroundings. "Aaaarrrrgghhhrrraaa" With this, the horrid cheering and demeaning dance began once more.