chapter eight: ascension into darkness

our two heroes meet

Chapter eight: ascension into darkness 

 

Then there was silence 

Swift and smothering, the screeching tone was replaced by an absence that shook her to the bone, cementing her feet to the carpet. She could hear her heartbeat. She could taste the cold metallic taste of fear in the back of her throat. The tone, though all consuming seemed unnaturally less frightful than the silence that followed. In the quiet darkness, she watched the shadowed cocoon twist and churn in silence. Rhythmically it pulsed slowly, unmistakably transforming before her eyes. She held her breath as her mind battled to grab hold of what was taking shape before her. 

The grip on her taser gun tightened as the thought of firing on the oddity grew. What had once been smoking and darkness a moment before had now slowly become slick and moist. Her heart fluttered as her eyes drew closer to detail. Moving parallel to each twisting pulse her heart started a new rhythm; a rhythm so focused it seemed to reach out to her, speak to her. 

VALENTINE !!! it hissed 

 

Before she realizes it she had pulled the trigger. The twin parallel lines of electricity darted through the air landing and delivering its charge. Pam's mouth slowly opened in horror as the silence was replaced by the rhythmic clicking of the Taser. Her eyes stared with disbelief as the electrical pins at the end of the Taser floated inches from the shadowed cocoon. Sparks flew as the pins erupted with electricity, flickers of light bouncing through the darkness. Pamela Valentine stood paralyzed with fear as the stray flickers of light revealed two haunting eyes, hidden in the darkness. 

VALENTINEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! It screeched; a high pitched echo that crashed against her like a head on collision. Dropping the Taser and pivoting in the same motion she turned and ran full speed for the fire exit. 

Pam had run from danger before, but never like this. Within seconds the cocoon erupted dark smoke and screaming after birth spilled out onto the office space carpeted.  Hurling herself forward, frantically, clumsily, she ran down the single walkway that cut the office space in half. The tone echoed as she reached for the door, as her entire body collided with the metal push door she caught a glimpse of the hell that was scratching free on the other end of the room by the elevator. 

Its body was sleek and black, covered in a black syrup like liquid, it's swollen humanoid head arched backward as it’s inhumanly largemouth cried out in agony and rage. Its mouth, a bear trap filled with long thin, jagged teeth, Eyes hollow and filled with fire. Its long slender arms held three thin sharp talons that viciously clawed at the cocoon, exceeding its release. 

VALENTINEEEEEEEEE!!!, it screeched as it fumbled out of the corner. Pam's whole body shook as she gripped the fire door and slammed it shut. 

Like a vacuum seal closing, the fire exit door sealed all sound and sights on the other side of the door. Her hands braced the now warm metal surface, she waited for the faintest feeling of relief, she hoped and prayed for a moment of reprieve. 

None came 

 

There was only two options, only two doors remained; Life and death. Pam took an entire second to prepare herself. Her body trembled, her stomach twisted, her eyes watered, her legs began to shake as her rational mind began to conflict with her less than rational theories. She stood in the fire exit staircase 

A vertical structure of over a thousand steps stretching from basement to the rooftop of the metro building. Going down was not an option. Whoever.....whatever was chasing her, would catch her before she made it to the lobby. A roar of thunder echoed through the silence, Pam’s hopeless face turned skyward as the faintest glow of light lit the way. The thunder was louder in the staircase, less muffled by the concrete and metal that separated them, unless.... 

"The roof door is open!" she exhaled, her path becoming clear. On the roof they both would be exposed to the storm, but a slim chance of escape was better than none at all. As the second swept to a close Pam pushed away all thoughts non-relevant to her plan. The metal door now hot, the faint odor of smoke, the soft yet malleable screech of the creature that hunted her, slowly crept its way into the staircase.  She had run out of time, she had wished for a moment of reprieve, a sigh that such an impossible situation could be explained rationally. But no such salvation came, instead, she put her back to the door, angled her left foot against theft and the floor, took a deep breath, and pushed off. 

Too hot to breathe, Sweat began to bead across her brow as she began to climb faster. With locomotive precision, Pam rounded the next two flights in a matter of seconds. Tapping into a carnal, primal energy she had never known before. she entertained for a brief moment the plausibility of her escape. Then that moment came to an abrupt ending. 

An explosion shook the stairway as pam rounded the next flight, her eyes downward she realized that her makeshift barricade separating her from the creature had fallen. In a fluid motion, equal parts smoke and fire poured from the doorway.Crackling and burning, something was moving in the darkness, wrapped in the fire, and guided by the smoke. Pam paused for a moment, unable to break away from a pair of what she believed to be eyes. Hidden in the darkness; It called out to her in the same manner it had done before; A shrill haunting that bucked Pam back into her escape. Turning her attention back to the stairs above, and further to the salvation she prayed she would find on the roof. 

For the last ten years Pamela Valentine had been in an elusive pursuit for the truth; A truth beyond truth.  She sought to explain what could not be. And in order to do so she had stumbled into deep and dark waters. She collided with the heavy metal roof doors. Pushing past them and into the roof with one swift motion, falling to her knees, her body pounded with exhaustion, a burning ache swelling in her legs and her arms. The rain was bone-chilling cold and sprayed down upon her, in buck shots 

Fear and terror came short to what she was feeling. As her mind rushed to make sense of what she had seen,an all too real voice in the back of her mind told her that her escape was not to be celebrated prematurely. Her blurry vision cleared slightly as she attempted to stand and was swatted to the ground by a passing wall of harsh winds.  

The roof top of the metro building was the epicenter of the fifty foot storm cloud that terrorized the city below, dragging with such fury, each rain drop seemed to rival the speed of a bullet, the rolling thunder so intense that Pam had to cover her ears as she could only glimpse the layout of the rooftop before her. Shielding her by staying close of the metro building Pam watched nature roar in her fury. Satellites crippled under the immense howl of the wind, tree branches brushed to the roof top. Pamela looked into the haze of flying rain and whistling the wind she could vaguely see something at the edge of the building, in the shower of rain and debris she could make out the silver and metallic shape of what she hoped could only be a scaffold. 

If she could get to it, she could ride it to the tenth floor where she could take the separate stairway to the garage. She strained her eyes to see past the debris, but the haze and the wind forced her to divert her eyes. Thunder silenced the world, its roar physical as it brought her to her knees. Timidly she began to make her way back inside, realizing the foolishness of her decision. She watched as the storm tossed tree branches and satellites like ragdolls across the flooded tiled roof floor. She would never make it across the roof to the scaffold. 

Pam staggered back with more difficulty than she had realized, her feet starting to numb as her curled protected body shuffled towards the roof door. Her hands were inches from the door when a sharp whine from within reminded her of the reasons she had retreated to the roof in such a hate. 

Both doors flew off the hinges and were carried away by the storm as the creature slashed his way onto the roof. 

Falling onto her back Pam splashed away forcefully, pushing herself away as the monster took a step forward. 

Valentine!!!!! 

 

It shouted as she decided to take her chances with the storm. No longer cloaked by the smoke and fire escalating up the stairway she could see the creature in its full frightening size.  The rain showed up on his smooth pore-less black skin. Lightning struck the wall behind it as it hunched over, its fire pit eyes peering down at her, its mouth agape as it screeched out for her. A long extended arm reached out for her. Pam saw it coming and kicked off of a nearby tree branch, sliding in the water towards another pile of scrap. The talons crashed into the pile of discarded timber, splintered wood and fragmented branches flew into the air in a single swipe. The creature called out in frustration as it pursued her. Pam let the storm slow it down, Gusts of the wind and flying debris creating the constant challenge for it by knocking it down. Pam would have smiled if she had not been so thoroughly terrified, ran now only on instinct and adrenaline she set her sights on the scaffold. Nothing else mattered 

Scanning the roof thoroughly, or as best she could, she discovered three points of refuge she could use to anchor to the roof. The painful beating of each rain drop pounded upon her back as she timidly crawled from the doorway to the first marker. her plan was simple: the wind was powerful to carry her off the building without a trying, so in order to get a closer she would have to crawl to one of the shelter the debris had created, as Pam reached the first one the foolishness of what she was doing caused her to gaze back towards the exit, but after a few seconds of listening the uproar of the storm and the creature that raced after her she realized that it was far too late to turn back now. 

Making the second marker that was compiled of broken satellites and several twisted branches, Pam could not clearly see the ledge where it stood as she made her sway slowly towards the scaffold’s gear box. The creature’s wails of agony mixed In with the typhoon overhead. At first almost in her ears, now fading away, she was getting close, close enough to touch. 

“Yes!” She shouted above the storm as she stumbled towards the gear box, holding tightly into a lever as she wadded through the newest fit of rain and lightning. She had made it, she had done the impossible. She looked back, the haze of rain and flying plant life creating a curtain, separating her eyes from any sign of the creature. Scanning the roof she could not find any sign of it. believing it had fallen over the edge she turned her attention back to the gear lift, turning the key and praying for it to not be on the same generator as a the building. 

The blinking green light, shined back at her. She whipped her face clear of rain as she pressed the retract button. Her teeth rattled as her numb feet stood their ground in the ankle high water. The thunder clapped the wind wailed buy her eyes remained focused on the slowly curling wire wheel, slowly the gear box pulled the lift towards the roof. Looking now over the edge of the roof she could not see the street below, there was only the storm; the dark gray of the clouds and flashing blue of lightning just breathe the surface. Two wire cables pulling something up from the deep abyss. A rapture of thunder violently shook above her, so loud she covered her ears to block out the sound, in that very moment the wind swatted her to the side. Struggling to regain her footing, she slid slowly towards the side of the building. Reaching, straining she gripped a still attached antenna and rode out the rest of the fit. 

Her eyes were sore from closing them so tightly so often. She whipped her face clear, blinking into focus a sight that paralyzed every follicle of hair on her body. The creature was before her, a foot from where she struggled to remain upright, this time, it wasted no time with pleasantries by the time she realized what the black blur was, the creatures claws were already at her stomach. 

Freezing cold met hot burning warmth as Pam pulled away. The odd and terrified sensation of her flesh being torn away vibrated her whole body with pain as she fell backwards to the floor. She heard her body splash into the water, but witnessed it as if it wasn’t happening to her, in slow motion she watched the creature move forward slowly, carefully as not to be tossed aside by the storms now monstrous escalation.  

She could feel nothing. She knew where she was, but in between the shower of needles and the harshness of her wind battered face, a drunken numbness enveloped her, focusing her notice of detail, making the compounded trauma seem distant. 

Looking down slightly she realized that her stomach had been slashed open, three deep dark red lines stretched across her abdomen staining her soaked white dress shirt. Though not as deep as she had expected, there was enough blood to dye the water around her. She lay in a dark pool of cold crimson water, her windbreaker and her dress shirt lay in rags floating nearby, looking up she could see the creature getting closer 

Valentine!!!!! 

It was then that Pam made peace with her fate. She thought it almost poetic that it would end this way; Two generations of the Valentine clan falling victim to the same mysterious storm and the evils it brought with it. She found small comfort in that hollow victory. To know that she was not crazy, that the past nine years of sacrifice, training and suffering had not been wasted. This storm, this creature, this night had taken everything from her. And now it was going to take her life. 

 The creature drew closer one of its long talon-like arms rising for one final finishing blow. A flash of lighting lit up the sky and Pam noticed something that she had not before. 

With difficulty, she looked past the creature and noticed the edge of the building, and the fully retracted lift, rocking with the wind. A word formed in the deepest recesses of Pamela’s mind, a word so distant and impossible she could not recognize it until it drew closer, and the closer it got the louder it got, louder and louder the word grew, gaining momentum off of the rage and sadness she had harbored for years, the word now an explosion of emotion rose up within her, fixing her eyes on the lift, balling her fists In rage she could no longer contain the word and in the darkness, in the rage of the storm it rose out of her like an explosion. 

“NO!!!!” she shouted at the creature as she rolled out of the way, staggering to her knees one hand gripping her stomach while the other held onto a nearby branch. Her eyes were calm, focused,and ready. 

The creature lunged at her on reflex. She was done running. She grabbed a piece of discarded wood and swung it wildly at the creature, the branch smashed into the creature's face making it jolt backward, unharmed and now cautious it stalked her. Pam began to breathe heavily; she had lost the branch in the process.  

Shuffling away from the creature she slowly started making her way to the lift, her eyes never leaving the beast, focused on every movement it made as it scrambled around in the dark red waters and prepared for its next strike. It savagely lunged at her, its talons narrowly avoiding her face but tearing at the remains of her windbreaker. 

‘It telegraphs its slashes, jerking its whole body.’ she realized watching its body recoil before slashing at her again. Another shot to her arm, this one going directly through, Pam screamed as she pulled away falling backward again into the water. She watched as the creature shuffled forward. She held her hands breathe the waters as the creature leaped towards her. 

A flash of lightning struck a nearby transformer, exploding and through the creature back inches from her face. Pam watched as the creature collapsed into a pile of debris, impaled but not hindered, with frightening ease it began to pull metal shard after shard out of itself. Pam watched in diminishing confidence as it snarled at her, dragging the debris it clawed closer. 

I need a weapon, I need something to keep it away!’ her brain screamed as she began to search blindly in the murky waters for another branch or metal shard. 

She looked up to find the creature building up speed, it was five feet away 

Four feet away 

Three 

Two  

VALENTIIINEE!!!!! 

A horizontal slash darted at her at lightning speed, Pam’s free hand emerged from the waters, her hands tightly gripped around the handle of her father’s switch blade. 

The creature recoiled as a new and more frightful screech erupted from its jagged-toothed mouth, gripping its hand revealing that it was now missing two fingers. Pam fell back towards the lift. In disbelief she looked down to her right hand, her father’s blade in her hand, the blade glowing white and hot. 

Her eyes turned to the two fingers she had severed, bubbling and melting in the water at her feet. She looked up at the creature, bewildered at what she saw next.  

The two nubs of where the creature’s fingers once rested now burned white with fire, the creature screeched in agony and fright as the white light spread under the skin. Thousands of bubbles began to form and explode seconds later; white fire ripping the arm apart, tearing it into pieces.  The creature turned it eyes towards Pam who was now lowering herself into the lift. She used the rest of her energy to Press the descending button. Only having enough energy to breath she collapsed onto the floor of the window washing platform. 

In defiance the creature took hold of his infected hand, with monstrous strength; it tore its entire arm off at the joint, tossing it to the side before it had completely melted. Pam watched the creature, ready. It recoiled, crouching on the tip of its toes. Pam attempted to move but nothing happened. A strike of thunder erupted from the storm as Pam watched two explosions rip through the creature’s chest. Its fire pit eyes now suddenly lifeless, the creature fell to its knees and then face fist into the crimson waters. 

It was then that she saw me; standing right behind the creature, my body unfazed by the howls of the wind or the bites of the rain. Standing motionlessly in the rain, both hands at the side, taking in the indescribable, primal high of the hunt; the furious victory of the kill. One holding a smoking desert eagle complete with silencer, the other balled into a tight fist. 

Speechless, motionless the security officer simply sat there bleeding out. Her eyes fixed upon me; a pale statue of a man, looking down at her with executioner’s eyes. I could feel her watching me, testing me to see what I would do. She was going to die; her injuries far too severe for treatment. But those eyes, those eyes betrayed her.  Intense and focused they betrayed her mangled state. Defiantly she waited for whatever came next. If necessary she would fight off the very storm overhead. I had never seen such a will to live; I had never seen such eyes. 

I took curious and cautious steps towards her, my gun still in hand; the thunder and lightning were enough to muffle the sound of my movements. As the wind howled I knew that no normal human could have lasted this long up here, I knew that the threat of danger had passed but something inside me would not allow my guard to fall. Was it her? Were those eyes a brave but hopeless bluff or was there more to all of this, something I was missing? With each step the hunger and the impulses that drove it grew stronger; an indescribable desire to cause pain and agony, to feel flesh and bone break under my will became uncontrollable. The voices words no longer a suggestion but commands, shutting me out, taking over. 

‘Dismemberment’ 

‘What are you doing? Attack! Attack! 

Destroy her Cancer, before she destroys you! 

Attack! 

The voice spoke and invoked action, without realizing it the gun was now aimed at the security officer. Effortlessly I found myself fall back into the comfort and safety of my gift as if second nature I could feel the voice taking over, its power extending from the ring and pulsing through my body. 

 

“Good day to you sir.” Cleo's soft whisper called out to me in the darkness 

“no.” I exhaled taking control, shutting out the voice and the abilities that came with it. suddenly aware of myself I could feel the rain showering upon me, I could now hear the harsh howls of the wind and now realized what I was about to do. 

Her eyes as defiant as ever stared up at me, ready. I stood inches from her, the barrel of my gun pressed upon her forehead. In horror I stepped away, backing away slowly as the thunder and lightning muffled my senses. The woman exhaled and began to heave. I could hear her heartbeat; swiftly pulsing, sloppy and clumsily. She would lose consciousness soon, her life soon after. 

A strange overwhelming confusion took hold. I looked at my hands, watching as my weapon dissolved back into the mist. ‘I was a shade; the voice had guided me here to this rooftop. I hunted monsters, not humans.’ Was I losing control? Had I relied so completely on the gifts monstrous power that it no longer mattered what I hunted as long as that primal urge was satisfied? 

A parade of lightning strikes lit up the sky. I looked up at the wounded security officer; she was frantically tried to make the lift work while shouting some inaudible command at me. I recognized the terror and urgency in her eyes and was shamed all the more. 

“I’m not going to hurt you!” I tried to shout through the storm in vain. I held up both of my hands in a submissive manner. Her scowl and agitation only grew as she used her one good arm to point in my direction, 

Thunder followed as I made out the words “behind you”. I looked down and realized that the monster was gone. I quickly turned around to find the creature standing inches from my face. Screeching as it plunged its remaining arm through my chest. White and hot I could feel the blood erupt from my mouth, the unspeakable pain of my insides being ripped out of my consumed all of my senses, clouded all thought. I gripped the forearm of the creature with both hands, stopping it from removing the arm and causing more damage.  

I could have kicked myself for being so careless. Like different species’ of animals, monsters had different strength and weaknesses. I should have checked the body; monsters resort back to ash when they die and what would cause death to one may make another stronger. Obviously, this one, in particular, could take a bit of punishment. 

Stalker class 

The voice echoed within my mind, a flood of information rushing forth as if they were my own memories. I knew its weaknesses and I knew its strengths. I also knew that if I didn’t end this quickly I would be in real danger.Stalker classes varied in design but their overall purpose remained the same; it had no other purpose but to kill its marked target.My grip on its forearm grew tighter. If I let go it would reach the woman and kill her before I could regenerate and stop it. 

Pull it out! Pull it out! 

The voice did not seem to like my plan. It was a creature of survival, and of I died, it would as well. Another pulse of unspeakable pain traveled through my body, my hands now wet and sticky with blood I realized I could not take much more of this. I had to stop this thing… or slow it down, immediately.  

Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I leaned back; pulling the creature with me. Knowing it would do the same we both pulled at both ends of the creatures arms, stretching it out nice and tight. Letting go of the arm with one hand the power of the gift envelops my hand, the white mist sprays out from my very pores, mixing and molding with the blood and rainwater. 

Shifting and spiraling upwards and outwards the mist contorted and hardened, no longer white smoke but flawless steel. I took hold of the stainless steel sword and in one swift upward motion I severed the creatures remaining arm. 

Both forces gave way causing the creature to fall backward into a pile of debris. 

Now on my knees, my breath heavy, my eyes remained fixed on the creature. I watched it roll around frantically in rage and frustration. 

The presumable course of action; removal of heart 

“location.” I managed, blood pouring from my lips. 

The heart is located in the back of the throat. 

The throat cancer. 

Unspeakable Agony was a word that fell short in explanation of the pain I was enduring, I could begin to feel myself drifting away, the healing process taking over completely. If I did not stop this creature soon I would not be able to. Falling back into the comfort of the gift I allowed it to take hold, focusing on the task at hand I prepared for one final collision. Rising to my feet I balled my fist with one hand and held the creatures arm in place with the other. 

Doing the same, it snarled, it now realized that It would not get to its prey until it had dealt with me. Squaring off and opening its mouth wide, It lowered itself and prepared to pounce 

Suddenly the heavens called out in rage as the storm exploded with lightning and thunder. Now all at once the storm began to condense, encircling the rooftop as darker clouds began to mix with lighter ones, Pamela looked up in horror as the darkest cluster of clouds opened up to reveal a lightning bolt as large as the building itself. With no warning or hesitation, it descended upon us, smashing into the rooftop, engulfing it in an explosion that expelled every object from its surface. throwing us both over the edge and into oblivion.