Findings

 

My back was up against Mickey’s, and my heart was thumping so loudly I was surprised no one had heard it yet. I was staring dead ahead, without blinking, to where I knew a Hollow lurked.
    The air was freezing; not such a surprise, as it was January. Although I was terrified, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the weather. I hated feeling cold; it was the worst feeling in the world to me. The way it makes you shiver, and the way it makes you feel helpless and dead.
     I could see my breath in front of me; a white, crystal like fog which disappeared like smoke after a few seconds, only to be replaced by more fog as I exhaled again. My entire body was shivering, yet I did not know if it was from fear, or the cold. Goosebumps covered my arms and legs, even though they were covered by many layers of clothing.
    I felt almost claustrophobic. The walls of the alleyway around us were narrow and tall. A putrid stench drifted around us, refusing to go away. Dark green mosses and black graffiti covered the dark brick buildings on both sides of us. Beer bottles and cigarette butts littered the ground.
    It was just starting to get dark, and the red light of the sunset was fading, casting a blood-red colored glow on the nearest window. However, all too soon the sun was down too far to have much of an impression on the lighting. The darkness was upon us, and already I could feel its hands tightening around my chest and constricting my airway. It was only a matter of minutes before it was night-time.
    The lone street lamp in the alleyway feebly flickered to life, trying to suppress the darkness which was advancing so quickly. I was thankful for the light, not only did it help my sight, but it also lightened my spirits. I glanced around at my companions; too see how they were faring in the current situations, it was important to know the people in my squad as well as I could. It helped me get a better understanding of how they reacted to different situations, and that helped strategy.
    Mickey looked thrilled, as always. He never seemed to be as scared as the rest of us about this whole business. I guess it’s because he thought he was indestructible, and I could see why. His muscles were enormous, and there was something about his which made you wonder if he was made of stone. It might be because he was taller than everyone else, or that his muscles felt like iron. But me, I think it was because he believed he was made of stone. He was always showing off his muscles. And even under all his layers of clothing, I could still see every last one of them.                            
    Mickey’s dark, windswept hair fell into his eyes, and he pushed a few strands away so he could see, yet left most of it where it was. I had always had a feeling that Mickey was quite vain. He was always looking to impress girls, and it often drove us mad if he were trying to show off in a bar when we were on a mission. As a car passed, he let out a low, dog like growl and glared at it as it drove by; the driver completely unaware of what was going on just meters away from him.
     At the sound of Mickey’s growl, I heard a quiet whimper from behind me and snapped my head around to the source of the disturbance. Although, I already knew who it was, I was just checking. But of course, as I predicted, it was Bain. The skinny dark haired boy was looking nervous and scared as always.
    He didn’t like fights, and was a peace loving person. I have never understood him. His parents were mauled to death by a Hollow, but he did not seek vengeance on it, or any of its kind. He always insisted that they could be civilized like humans if we just talked to them. Naturally, we had laughed at his ideas, leaving him shame-faced and burning red from embarrassment. Bain was the last person I would have chosen of a hunt-and-kill mission if it were not for his senses. Bain’s senses are more acute than most, so he is the perfect ally in situations like this, where we need to know the enemy’s every move. It was important to know as much about the enemy as possible…
    My eyes drifted towards Rowan. He was a cold and heartless person, and his cold eyes were like two little black holes; they sucked you in, and seemed to keep you their prisoner. It was always hard to tear away from his icy stare, so I kept looking, not sure if he even saw me or not.      
    No emotion ever escaped from him. We never knew what he was thinking, or which side he had chosen. It seemed so likely that he was a traitor, but the Council turned a deaf ear on our complaints and suspicions, and assigned him to our team. He reminded me of a fox or cat. He had no master, no mind for rules; he walked by himself, and was totally independent. I had always thought it was impossible to live without allies or friends, and this was my proof. Rowan never seemed alive. From his pale, emotionless face to the way he held himself when he walked. It all seemed to say ‘leave me alone, I’m lonely’ I could not believe anything alive would be thinking that. It seemed as if he was part Hollow himself.

Maybe I should explain things properly. It might give you a warning to what lies out there.
    They are everywhere. They could be your best friend, your boss, your cousin, anyone. They are Hollows.
    Hollows were once human, like us, but something went wrong. In the human body, there is not one spirit, but two. One is a Kindred Spirit, who was full of light and happiness; the other, a Dark Spirit which feeds evil into your mind, and poisons your body. The two spirits try to seize control of the being. It is a constant battle inside your consciousness over which spirit controls your thoughts. Really, it depends on what you’re thinking at the time: If you are grieving over the death of someone close to you, the dark spirit would be in control; if you were at a party, you would be happy, and the kindred spirit would be the one manipulating your thoughts.
    But when something terrible happens, for example: You see your parents slaughtered right before your eyes by a criminal; the Dark Spirit would become you. In that one second after their deaths, you would see inside your soul, and connect with the two spirits. In this one second, you see both Dark and Light, but you ignore the Light; it can’t help you now.
    Your entire vision is filled with the dark black evilness inside you. No one really knows what happens when you link with the Dark Spirit, but many people have guessed. What we think happens is that the person would basically talk to the Spirit, and through the connection you have made; the spirit would fill your heart with all the sadness, revenge, anger and agony which the Spirit feels.
    Suddenly you see things from the spirits’ point of view. You understand what it feels, and see its lust and desire for the terror of other beings. You then willingly let the spirit into your soul; your entire being.
    The Dark Spirit will tear up your soul, leaving an empty space where the heart used to be. Not that you can see it, it’s only on the inside of the body. This is why we call them Hollows; they have no soul, no life and no happiness. They are Hollow.
    Combining with the Dark Spirit gives you extraordinary powers. They differ from spirit to spirit; one may have the ability to teleport themselves or other people, another may be able to transform into an animal. The possibilities are endless. In addition to that added power, they have another weapon. They are almost completely invulnerable to fatal attacks. They can’t be killed by striking their vital points. So if you were to point a gun at a Hollows head and fire, the bullet would just bounce away as if you threw a rubber ball at it. However, if it is not a fatal blow, (hitting them on the head with a hammer, for example) the Hollow would become unconscious just as easily as any other human.
    They would be the perfect allies if it weren’t for their mad, bloodthirsty nature. As long as a Hollow lives, it will try to inflict as much damage to humanity as possible. They will hunt down whichever human takes its fancy and kill it. They won’t kill the human quickly though. They want the human to go through as much pain as the Dark Spirit went through when it was trapped inside a humans’ body. It is truly painful for a dark spirit to stay in a humans’ body, but it has no choice. So when it comes time for the Dark Spirit to have its revenge it will want to get as much pleasure out of it as possible.
    This is what makes them a danger, and also why they have to be destroyed.   

    This is where we come in. We are just a band of human beings, out there saving humanity. We have no home, no family, and no one knows we exist. All of us have seen, and survived fights with one or more Hollows. It is hard to refuse protecting humanity after one of these encounters. Once the fight is over, you are filled with a sense of purpose and belonging which is almost impossible to ignore. The job isn’t easy, seeing as we are only human, and they are near indestructible demons. But we survive, and we fight. The thing I have noticed with my many encounters with these fiends is that they give up when the situation becomes impossible to win. Humans are different; we keep fighting long after all hope of victory.

Author's Note

What do you think?
Be as cruel and heartless as you want to.
Do I need another character? A girl?
What should I name the person who is talking?
Do I spend to much time talking about Hollows?

Reviews

[Chapman]

i wrote this so long ago, i didnt realise how good i was back then.
You should see some of the stuff i write now, its horrible.
Any suggestions on how to get 'back in shape'?

[Call Me Cash]

So mysterious without being on purpose (I think) I love the description you use, it paints the images of your story nicely.
I think you should add a girl, adding different characters keeps people on their toes!
Suggestion for name: Eliah, (Ee-li) its strong, historic and rolls off the tongue! =D
Keep it up!

[DaGirlNxtDoor]

very good! KEEP ROCKIN YO! (please accept my friend request i sent u)

I like it. I think I girl would be pretty cool in this story. Good right!!