Chapter 110

Craig had swung the chain just in time. The beast was about to take Andrew's life by thrusting the sword into his chest, penetrating his heart. The chain had looped around the beast's head just enough for Craig to pull it off balance for a moment. He noticed the agony on Andrew's face. There was blood over his body and clothes.

The beast swung around and readied his sword for its new target. Craig did not know if he could outrun the beast, but even if he could, the thing would just turn its attention to Andrew and finish him off. Craig could only try to win them some time and pray that Patrick would be able to close the portal. At least Patrick had seemed a little stronger just before Craig left the warehouse. Craig hoped Patrick did not have another surprise attack. If that happened then their lives were doomed and there would be no point in proceeding with the intense suffering.

The beast struck his sword. Craig was in time to avoid being sliced in two. He used the opportunity and let the chain fly again. It connected the beast around the arm and Craig knew he had trouble because the chain was still twisted around Craig's forearm. The beast jerked on the chain. Craig could feel it cutting into his flesh. Craig thought for a moment he had dislocated his shoulder. His body was yanked towards the beast when he felt another pain in his face where it connected against the thing's elbow. It was like running flat out into a concrete wall. Craig was thrown backwards and landed on the ground with his head and shoulders first. He was dizzy and disorientated, but at least he was not unconscious. He had won his kids some time even if it was only a couple of seconds. Craig saw the glinting sword hovering above him with the sharp point facing down. The beast was going to thrust it downwards ending his life any moment. He saw it moving towards his body. Time slowed down. Craig could see the beast's powerful arms and facial expressions of pure hatred. The sword was close now. Craig could feel the sting on his skin before it grew into an unbearable burn that cut through his stomach and out his back. If the beast left him in this state, he would suffer an agonizing death from internal bleeding while his intestines started to malfunction one at a time. A stab to the heart would have been better. Craig heard a loud boom. He was almost certain the earth shook a little. Maybe that was what it felt like when a person died and the soul crossed over to another dimension. Despite his blinding agony, Craig could see that something had changed. The beast staggered backwards and dropped its sword. It grabbed its head and gave a loud growling roar looking up at the dark sky.

Andrew had stumbled to his feet hopping on one foot towards his battle axe lying on the ground. He picked it up and saw how Numbers was starting to shrink to his normal size again, the same old ugly Numbers with the tattoos all over his body and face. He knew something was happening, and it had to do with Patrick and the portal.

'I can't be trapped in a human body,' Numbers shouted with a voice that was not his own. It was the demonic voice of Mormo. 'This cannot be.' His eyes were flickering from black to yellow and then black again.

Numbers was too late to see Andrew swinging the battle axe. It struck him from behind his left leg just above the knee. His leg went flying in the air. Numbers tumbled and fell to the ground roaring. He clawed at Andrew who was now positioning himself on Number's chest. Andrew could feel Number's nails tearing into his facial skin, but that did not matter anymore. The pain was only a temporary thing which meant very little to him. Andrew knew he only had one hand left to do his business, but that was enough. He blocked Number's hands with his left arm while he positioned the battle-axe over Number's throat.

'So long motherfucker,' Andrew said and leaned forward, putting all his weight on the battle axe. The axe started to cut into Number's neck. At first, it seemed like Number's eyes were going to pop out of their sockets from the pressure on his neck. Number's tried frantically to stop Andrew from taking his life. 'Fuck with me hey?' Andrew spat applying more pressure to the axe. The axe started cutting deeper into Number's neck. Number's tongue was forced out of his mouth into something that looked like a snake. There was an expression of surprise on his face moments before his head rolled away from his jolting body. Moments after Numbers had been beheaded, his body started to harden like concrete. At a closer look, Andrew realised that Numbers' body as well as his dislodged head had been mummified for some reason he did not care to know. Andrew could even make out some of Numbers' old tattoos he had on his neck and face. He got up and noticed a thin grey mist-like matter forming above Numbers' mummified body. Moments later it started to drift towards the warehouse almost resisting as it stretched out to almost nothing disappearing into the black of night. Andrew could hear over a dozen faint voices screaming in a chaotic manner, competing with one another. The voices were more like hissing sounds combined with whispers in an unknown language.

Andrew looked up and noticed Craig coiled up into a bundle of agony. Both his hands were holding onto his stomach. 'Dad,' he said stumbling back onto his feet and hopping towards Craig.