Tori Lee

MUTANT CHRONICALS

CHAPTER ONE �" Tori Lee

LOCATION �" Under The City Christiano

 

I looked up slightly alarmed. “Who’s there?”

The sloshing stopped instantly. I listened and could hear the man’s raspy breathing. Even from this distance I could tell he was hurt.

I stood up and he stopped moving completely. I could make out his silhouette from here. He was about 6,2 in height and he had a muscular build. I took a step towards him cautiously. He lifted his arm, but was hit by a wave of pain. He groaned and stumbled back. He was now leaning against the wall breathing heavily.

“That’s a nasty wound.” I mumbled as I walked towards him.

 He slid down into the water. “Stay away from me.” He growled. His voice was raspy and he sounded sick. I stopped moving. “You’ll die if you don’t let me help you.” I said softly. He didn’t respond.

 I took a step forward. He didn’t move. I walked over to him slowly, and sat next to him in the water. There was almost no lighting in the tunnel, so I had difficulty seeing.

 I looked around nervously.

Of course we were alone. I looked back at him. He was staring at me with a blank look.

“Well ummm, don’t freak kay? I’m not going to hurt you ok?” He could hear the hesitation in my voice, but he nodded.

I took a deep breath and lifted my hand. My fingertips started to glow a pale yellow. I could now see the man clearly.  He was staring at me with a soft look, yet he seemed unsure. He was staring at my fingers quietly.

He had dark hair that hung in his blue eyes. His hair was shaggy and he was in need of a haircut. He had a scar that cut across his nose and stopped under his right ear.

“You’re a Delvini.” He whispered as I studied his chest. He had dark marks under his eyes and a five o’clock shadow.

I scoffed. “Barely.”

His shirt was ripped down the middle in three long jagged lines. He was bleeding profusely.

He was watching me strangely when suddenly he cocked his head back. He reached up and scratched his head, and smiled.

“So Ms. Delvini, can you fix me?” I looked up at him. He didn’t look the same. The look in his eye had changed. “Well?” He asked leaning closer to my face.

 “Oh uhh.” I looked away nervously. “Not me but my uhh friend.” “Oh really?” He sounded amused. “And where would he be located?” “Oh uhh maybe about thirty minutes away. It’s not that fa-“

There was a splash from the other end of the tunnel.

The glow on my fingertips disappeared and we were enveloped in darkness.

The man swore.

I stood up silently. I listened, but there was nothing. I turned around and almost crashed into the man who was now standing.

He put his hand on my arm, and I instantly tensed up. I was suddenly very nervous.

He slowly leaned towards my ear. “Don’t move a muscle.”

I didn’t.

“When I tell you to, light up.”

Something else was in the tunnel.

He stepped away from me and suddenly I was alone in the dark. I began to panic. I started looking around franticly, but I still couldn’t see anything. I heard another splash, and I began hyperventilating. I was scared. Delvini were not aloud in this area of town, even if it was underground. I couldn’t breath. I was feeling light headed.

“Now!!!”

I somehow managed to do what I was supposed to and I lit up my entire body. The tunnel was suddenly bright, and I saw the creature.

It was only about two yards away from me. It was a humanoid. It was tall and skinny. It’s skin was black and looked like it was made of paper. There were bandages around the creature’s eyes and ears. There were also some on its arms. Its fingers were long thin spindly blades, and its teeth were jagged razors. It’s body seemed slightly disproportioned. The arms were long and lanky with big palms, and its legs were the same way. The torso seemed slightly to short and it’s neck to long.

Whatever it was, I had never seen it before.

It cocked its head towards me, and I screamed.

It charged me with a loud ear splitting screech.

The man tackled it from the side, slamming it into the wall. The creature screamed and then stuck it’s hand into the man’s stomach.

I stared horrified.

The man didn’t respond to the pain at all. He instead grabbed the creature’s arm. The creature and him seemed to be having a stare down. The man was still smiling. His eyes looked eager. With his other arm, he rammed his elbow into the creature’s skinny neck.  It screamed and kicked the man, and I heard a loud crack as he slammed into the opposite wall.

I turned away and began looking for an escape, when suddenly I felt a wave of heat.

I spun around frantically to see the man shoot a stream of fire out of his palms. He was smiling excitedly as the fire began roasting the creature. It started screaming loudly. And then, silence.

I stared completely petrified.

The man rubbed his hands together, and then looked at me.  “You can stop glowing now.” He said softly, although he was still grinning.

“Oh.” It was suddenly dark again. The only light came from the fire that consumed the creature’s body.

He studied me for a moment and then scratched his head.

His face suddenly looked softer. He seemed tired and worn out.

I stared at him, and he stared back.

Are you still going to take me to your healing friend?” he asked hesitantly.

The shadows caused by the flames were dancing across his face, and darkened all the lines on his face. He looked weak and sick.

I nodded slowly. “I will take you there.”

He smiled weakly. “Thanks Ms.”

“My name’s Tori, Tori Lee.”

He nodded. “And I am Marcus Ha-“ He hesitated. “Hartman.”

I smiled, and put his arm around my shoulder. “Well we’d best get going hunh Marcus.”

He smiled nervously, and we began walking through the tunnel in the dark.

 

END OF CHAPTER ONE