Episode Seven

People scattered in all directions around me, like ants under a magnifying glass. A few ran directly into the thick gray smoke, their shadows were able to be seen winding their way between trees before completely evaporating in the smog. Others seemed to run in figure eights, like a wind up toy left on the floor to run out of steam. Their faces wearing a mask of pure terror. A scuffle broke out behind me and I turned around to see two figures rolling on the sizzling sand.

            One was a man with short hair, the other a woman with long hair, some spots seemed to have been singed away from her scalp, the rest the man had a hold of as he pounded her into the ground. She yelped in pain and growled in fury as she tried to crawl across the sand away from the man. Without thinking I jumped across the space between us and pulled the man from the woman. Taken off guard the man fell onto his back a few feet away growling like an animal. Fear seemed to have turned this man into a wild beast.

            I reached my hand down to help the woman onto her feet but before she had a chance to take my hand I was violently tackled to the ground. The man was now staring down at me as he pinned his knees across my shoulders. I looked to my right to see the woman jump up from the ground and go running down the beach until she had disappeared from view.

            “I was a good man!” the man shouted as he stared down at me with eyes wild with fear. “I don’t deserve this!” he shouted into my face. You could smell the desperation permeating from his body. I choked as a phantom wind blew a cloud of smoke across our bodies. The man’s face disappeared from my view even though it was only inches from my own.

            The wind blew harder, coming from my left where the smoldering trees stood. With the wind came embers, floating across my vision like fireflies. I could taste burning cloth and hair, whether it was mine or someone else’s I didn’t know.

            I struggled to find clean air but before I could fill my lungs, hard hands clasped against my throat. I pounded against the body on top of me. I could hear sobbing and mutterings as I struggled to free myself. My hands sunk into the smoldering sand underneath me in hopes of finding something to grab hold of.

            The blackness of the smoke began to explode in front of my eyes. My lungs jerked on their own accord as they desperately tried to suck in any kind of oxygen. I didn’t know if I could be murdered in hell but I knew that I needed air soon. All around me I could hear shouts of pain mixing into the crackling of fire. Close behind me I heard footsteps as they pounded into the sand. A growl echoed into the sky as I felt a collision on top of me and then mercifully the hands jerked free of my neck.

            I quickly sat up and with weak knees scooted away from where I assumed the man and unknown source of my freedom wrestled. I could hear thumps of flesh against flesh and growls of fury. Soon one last thud and then silence in front of me as I sat frozen, staring out into the blinding smoke. A dark silhouette waded into the smoke towards me. I shrank back in fear, my hand in front of my face.

            I had never been a fearless man, always took the safe route but I would be considered a coward by any means. This figure coming towards me frightened me more then I had ever felt in my lifetime. I thought back to the fire covered demon as he dragged the helpless man from the beach into the forest. I could hear his screams echoing in my mind and I was terrified.

            A face charged at me through the haze and I struggled backwards yet again. “It’s me!” The person shouted above the roar of fire. It was Brian. My heard jumped in relief as he threw his hands down to me and pulled me to my feet. I grabbed a hand full of the seared garments he wore as he led me out of the smoke filled beach. I knew we were in the forest as the smoke cleared. Trees were scattered all around us, sizzling and crackling, yet the air came clearer here since the tops of the trees smoked.

            As we walked the noise dissipated behind us. The forest became silent and all we heard was the crunching of our feet against the hot forest floor. The heat was still unbearable, but at least I could breathe and we were moving. It seemed like all we could do was move forward. I had to find Alice and I couldn’t do that unless I kept on moving in any direction.

            As we walked on I stared at Brian as he marched in front of me, picking the clearest way through the trees. I felt grateful to Brian. I didn’t know what he had done to deserve his stay in hell but he was the only person I could rely on. He had saved me from the maniac when he could have just run on his own. He was my ally for the time being.

            Could you even have an ally in Hell?

Reviews

[gombeggar]

the fight scene reads a little difficultly for me

'I had never been a fearless man, always took the safe route but I would be considered a coward by any means' ...i think i know wut u mean here but this is a confusing statement

still aninteresting impression of a hell like state of existence

[Craig2591]

This is a nightmare (the story, not your writing). Very good description. I agree with the other reviewer that your writing seems tighter. Keep it up.

[KAOlmsted]

You must forgive my ADD, Tabitha *laugh* Thanks for RRing this to me, it's pretty much the only way I get to read things lately. I haven't been reading a lot of stories, though, because I'm at a point in my own book that requires quite a lot of my attention. I really like this premise, though, and I am going to try to read the first six episodes just as soon as I can. Your writing seems to be a lot tighter. Practice always makes perfect. Thanks so much for sharing this.

[Tabitha t]

thanks!

[KAOlmsted]

My pleasure.