After an hour of tense silence, I was still trying to process what I had witnessed. Those creatures were truly horrifying, grotesque beings with decaying flesh and elongated claws. It was as if they were a twisted parody of humanity. At least I wasn't losing my mind; Elizabeth had seen them too.
A loud pop shattered the silence.
"Crap," Elizabeth muttered.
"Was that a tire?" I asked, nervously.
She pulled over to the side of the road and hopped out of the van. I followed suit, my heart pounding.
"Yep, flat tire. I'll call roadside assistance," she groaned, kicking the deflated tire. She began rummaging through her purse for her phone.
"That could take hours," I exclaimed, frustration building within me.
She shot me an annoyed look. "Well, we don't really have another option. How about you go hop in the back and pick out a movie to watch while we wait?" she said, waving me away dismissively.
"Fine," I grumbled, walking to the back of the van and climbing in. I pulled out the bags of movies, trying to decide which one to watch. A few minutes passed, and I still couldn't make up my mind. I'd picked out too many at the store.
The door swung open, and Elizabeth climbed into the van. "What did you pick?" she asked, removing her coat and settling into her seat.
"Nothing yet. I can't decide. How long are we going to be waiting?" I asked, glancing between the movies and her.
"Won't be here until 6 in the morning," she said, reading the description of a horror movie about a demon terrorizing a group of friends in an abandoned hospital.
"Great," I muttered, pulling out my phone. It was only 11 PM. "So, we're stuck here until morning?"
"Yeah," she sighed, still engrossed in the movie case. "But it won't be all bad. We can have a movie night in the van, just like we used to at your parents' house," she said with a nostalgic smile.
"Okay, that's not a horrible idea, except for the part where we're stranded on the side of the road overnight, oh and lets not forget about just being attacked." I said sarcastically. "And besides, I don't even know what movie to start with."
"Relax," Elizabeth said with a calm look in her eye. "We're miles away from that town. We'll be fine tonight. And as for the movie..." She paused, tapping her finger on the horror movie case.
"Really? A horror movie after what we just saw? You want to watch that?" I asked, incredulously.
Her expression turned to annoyance. "How could you not? Didn't it get you in the mood for something scary?" she retorted.
"No, not at all," I argued.
"Fine, how about this? We watch this movie, then we can watch one of the anime shows you picked out. Deal?" she asked with a mischievous grin.
I thought about it for a moment. She was never interested in anime, so I couldn't pass up this opportunity. "Fine," I agreed, "but no passing out early."
She nodded in agreement; we went around and put up all the blinds on the windows. She started getting the movie ready, and I folded down the back seat into a makeshift bed. I pulled out the blankets and pillows, transforming the backseat into a cozy little nook.
Once the movie was ready and the snacks were out, including that bottle of [alcohol name] we'd sneaked from her parents' place, she got up and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked, pulling out the last of the drinks.
"I'm going to wait outside so you can change into your pajamas. Or are you planning on sleeping in those jeans?" she teased, opening the door.
"No, I figured I'd just sleep in my underwear," I said, grinning as I reached for my bag.
Elizabeth's face turned as red as a tomato. "Yeah, no one wants to see that. Just make it quick so you can switch places with me." She climbed out of the van, a mischievous glint in her eye.
I quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. As I stepped out of the van, I took a deep breath of fresh air. I watched as Elizabeth disappeared into the van, the soft glow of the movie screen illuminating the interior.
A few minutes passed, and I grew restless. The darkness was starting to creep into my mind. I kept peering into the woods, half-expecting to see a pair of glowing red eyes. A sudden snap of a twig jolted me. My heart pounded as I rushed towards the van.
As I reached the door, it swung open. Elizabeth stood in the doorway, I tried to stop but I was moving too quickly and toppled over her.
"What the heck is your problem?" she yelled, shoving me off.
I scrambled to my feet, gasping for air. "There's something out there. I heard it," I managed to wheeze out.
Elizabeth's face turned serious. She grabbed the flashlight from her bag and stepped out of the van. "I'll go take a look; you protect the van." she ordered.
She disappeared into the forest her flashlights glow grew dimmer by the moment her footsteps became less audible as time passed, I was getting nervous and was about to grab the other flashlight to follow after her, until she called out.
"Would you get over here, you scaredy-cat?" Elizabeth called out, her voice filled with amusement.
I slowly made my way through the forest, my heart still pounding. When I reached her, I saw what she was laughing at. A small, fluffy rabbit was hopping around, seemingly oblivious to the commotion.
"Here's your terrifying monster," she teased, shining the flashlight on the creature. "Look at this terrifying guy," she said, her laughter echoing through the woods.
I couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of the situation. It seemed like the universe had played a cruel joke on me.
"Look, I couldn't see, and all I heard was a branch breaking, so I ran better safe than sorry," I argued, feeling a bit sheepish. After all, we had almost faced certain death just a few hours ago.
"Yeah, and now my back is killing me," she joked, giving me a light shove. "Let's head in before his friends get here. I don't want you to cry when they hop all over you."
I chuckled, shaking my head. As I followed her back to the van, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Just a rabbit.
We set up on the bed, both laying on our stomachs so we could see the tv. The horror movie wasn't so bad. The monsters didn't even compare to what we saw a few hours earlier. It kind of made the whole movie more of a comedy than a horror film, and before I knew it, the movie was over.
"Not so bad, right?" Elizabeth murmured, her head turned on the pillow, red hair veiling half her face.
"Yeah, it was pretty funny," I said, getting up to find the anime.
"Ugh, do we have to?" she groaned.
"A promise is a promise," I said, grinning. I slid the tape into the player.
"So, what's the deal with this one?" she asked.
"Classic hero's journey," I explained, trying to contain my excitement. "Adventurers, demon king, world in peril—the whole shebang." She frowned. "So, basically every anime ever?"
I tossed a few pretzels at her as the opening credits rolled. An hour later, my eyelids felt like lead. Elizabeth, oblivious, was tearing into her third bag of chips, eyes glued to the screen. I drifted off.
I woke up in a place I didn't recognize. A grand building—a school, maybe—burned fiercely. But it wasn't the fire that made my stomach churn. Human bodies hung from the windows, twisted and broken. Monstrous shapes tore at the corpses. A woman's screams echoed through the inferno as a demon methodically ripped her apart. The air reeked of rot and decay. I turned and saw it: a hulking brute of a monster, a single, bloodshot eye glaring from its scarred face. A thick horn protruded from its forehead. Yellow pus oozed from open wounds that crisscrossed its body. In one hand, it gripped a massive ball and chain; in the other, a girl in white and blue armor. Her eyes were wide with terror. A low moan escaped her lips as she struggled in the creature's grasp. Then, with sickening ease, the monster swung the ball and chain. CLUNK The spiked sphere slammed into the ground, and in a single, fluid motion, the creature used the momentum to hurl the girl against the spikes. The impact was sickeningly final. I watched in horror as humans were butchered like cattle. Then, a chilling laugh echoed from behind me, a sound that made my blood run cold.
"Gaze upon the death of humanity!" a voice boomed, thick with demonic malice. I turned to see him: a figure shrouded in black fog, only his glowing yellow eyes visible. He held a pike aloft, impaling a severed head—an old man's head, its face contorted in a silent scream. His gaze fixed on me. He sees me. I crumpled to the ground, a great weight pressing down.
This is a dream.
I told myself. But the hot breeze on my neck told a different story. I turned and saw it: a black-winged creature, vast as a football stadium, raining black fire on the city in the distance. I strained to see through the smoke and fire, trying to make sense of the monstrous silhouette. Then, the truth hit me like a physical blow: it was coming closer. Much closer. Fear paralyzed me. The creature was undeniably a dragon, a nightmare made flesh. Its head, reptilian and cruel, was crowned with thick, horn-like spikes. A jagged ridge of spines ran down its back, culminating in a tail tipped with a sharp blade to slice through steel. It descended with terrifying speed, a colossal shadow falling over me. I tried to run, to even twitch a muscle, but I was held fast, trapped by an unseen force.
This is it.
BANG. I bolted upright, my head colliding with the van's low ceiling. Pain shot through my skull. For a disoriented moment, I didn't know where I was. Then, the cramped space, the scent of stale chips, the lingering scent of Elizabeth's perfume—it all came rushing back. She was gone. I was about to call out her name when I heard her voice, muffled, coming from outside.
"Thanks again, sir," I heard Elizabeth say. The van door slid open, and she hopped back in, dark circles shadowing her eyes.
"Rough night?" I asked.
"Didn't sleep a wink," she yawned. "Got hooked on that anime, though. Made it through eight episodes." A tired smile touched her lips. "Whoa," she said, pointing at my forehead. "What happened to you?"
"Low ceiling," I grumbled, rubbing the burgeoning lump.
"Get scared awake." She asked.
"They finally got here, huh?" I said ignoring her question.
"Yeah, he needs us to move so he can change the tire," Elizabeth replied, gesturing for me to get out.
As I stepped out, the first rays of dawn painted the sky. The driver, a pot-bellied man around six-foot-one with a thick white beard and a name tag that read "Buck," gave me a curt nod.
"How long until we're back on the road?" I asked.
"Ten minutes, tops," Buck said, his eyes darting to the tree line. "Don't like being out here by these woods any longer than I have to." He hurried to jack up the van.
"Bears?" Elizabeth asked, a flicker of concern crossing her face. Buck paused, wrench in hand.
"Bears? No, not around here." His gaze shifted back to the woods, a shadow falling over his features.
"Then what is it?" I pressed.
He hesitated, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "People go missing on this road. Always at night. We get calls to tow abandoned vehicles… The last one… it had claw marks. Big ones."
"How big?" Elizabeth asked, her voice barely audible.
"Big enough to tear through steel," Buck muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Nothing natural made those marks."
"Why haven't the police done anything?" I asked, glancing nervously at the dense trees.
Buck forced a weak smile as he secured the last lug nut. "They'd rather blame a wild animal and call it a day. Easier than admitting they're dealing with something they can't explain." He lowered the van, packed his tools, and turned back to us. "Get some food in you. There's a town called Grace, about fourteen miles north. Safe place to grab a bite." He climbed into his truck and drove off, leaving us alone by the silent woods.
I nodded to Elizabeth, and we headed back to the van. She tossed me the keys.
"You drive. I'm crashing," she mumbled, sliding into the passenger seat.
"Eight episodes, huh? I'm never letting you forget this," I chuckled, buckling up and starting the engine.
"Tell anyone, and you're dead," she mumbled again, already drifting off.
"Duly noted," I said, glancing over to see her eyes already closed. I grabbed an energy drink from the back, shifted into drive, and headed north. Thirty minutes later, a sign loomed into view, its bold blue letters proclaiming: Welcome to Grace, a blessed town. I pulled into the deserted town square—no restaurants or diners in sight. Elizabeth was still out cold.
I scribbled a quick note on a scrap of paper from the glove compartment: Tried to wake you, going to find food. Stay put. -Lance
I left it on the dashboard, and stepped out into the quiet town. Nothing stirred. I scanned the streets, half-expecting to see those glowing red eyes, but there was only the peaceful morning light. Ten minutes later, I found a weathered diner. Its wood siding was peeling, and cracks spiderwebbed the windows, but it had a comforting, old-fashioned charm. A welcome change from the horrors of Tenebris. I checked my phone—twenty-five minutes had passed. Time to head back.
After a few wrong turns, I found the van. Elizabeth was outside, awake, dressed in a black rock band tee, ripped jeans, and combat boots. She burst out laughing, pointing at me. "You walked around town in your pajamas?"
"Someone wouldn't wake up," I retorted, shrugging. "Found a diner. Stay here while I change."
"Hurry up, I'm starving," she said, rubbing her stomach.
I changed quickly in the van and rejoined her, and we headed to the diner.
We found an empty booth in the corner and slid in. Moments later, an elderly woman with silver hair and a warm smile approached, her name tag reading "Deb."
"My, you two look like you've had a rough night," she said, pulling out her order pad.
"We're starving," Elizabeth groaned.
"Then you've come to the right place," Deb said with a wink. "Best pancakes in the state."
"Perfect. I'll take six pancakes, hash browns, sausage, and white toast," Elizabeth declared, handing Deb her menu.
Deb blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. I didn't blame her; Elizabeth was petite, but she could put away food like a lumberjack.
"And for you, hon?" Deb asked, turning to me.
"Biscuits and gravy, white toast, and a side of sausage," I said, handing her my menu.
"Coming right up," she said, hurrying off. A few minutes later, she returned with a coffee pot and two mugs. We poured ourselves some coffee and waited. Ten minutes later, Deb reappeared, carrying two overflowing plates.
"Enjoy!" she said, setting them down. "I'll be back with your check later." She bustled off to greet a new customer. We ate in silence, ravenous. I was almost finished when I noticed Elizabeth staring intently over my shoulder.
"What is it?" I asked, turning to see a tall, muscular man with slicked-back graying black hair and a matching beard. He wore a sharp three-piece gray suit and polished brown shoes.
"He's been watching us since we sat down," she whispered.
"Maybe he's just admiring your appetite," I muttered.
"Hey, I need my strength for defending you," she teased.
"Just eat," I snapped, jabbing at my sausage.
"He's coming this way," she hissed.
I turned to see the man approaching our booth. A strange ring, carved with intricate knots, glinted on his finger.
He stopped at the edge of the table, his gaze sweeping over us. "May I join you?" he asked, his voice low and even.
"Sure," I mumbled instinctively.
THUMP.
A sharp pain shot through my shin. Elizabeth had kicked me. She looked pointedly at the man, her hand raised in a subtle stop gesture.
"how about you could tell us who you are first?"
"Well, Ms. Marandi, Mr. Neilson, my name is Roland," he said, smoothly sliding into the booth, ignoring Elizabeth's outstretched hand. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. A chill ran down my spine. How did he know our names? Elizabeth's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know our names?" she asked, her hand disappearing into her bag.
"Let's just say I have a… particular interest in those who are… perceptive," Roland said, producing a card from his wallet. He offered it to Elizabeth, who snatched it and read aloud.
"Roland Griffin. Magister in Combat Arms, Taurus University." She snorted. "Seriously? No address? No phone number? You expect us to believe this?" She glanced at me, a silent signal to leave.
Roland sighed. "I assure you, I'm quite serious. And please," he glanced at Elizabeth's hand still in her bag, "put the pepper spray away. We don't have time for this." He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "You're both in danger. The demons won't stop. Taurus is the only safe place."
"Demons… do you mean those things in the village?" I asked, hastily gathering my belongings. The images from my dream, the burning school, flickered back into my mind.
This can't be real.
"Ghouls, to be exact" Roland corrected, his voice sharp. "And by the time I finished dealing with them, you were already here."
I stared at him. He fought off those things? A whole village worth? I don't believe it. I started ushering him out of the booth. "Thanks for the… chat, but we really need to get going." I stood up, gesturing for Elizabeth to follow. I'd barely taken a step when Elizabeth said.
"No. We're going with him." She stood and walked to Roland's side.
I walked over to Elizabeth and leaned in, keeping my voice low. "Are you out of your mind?"
She met my gaze, her expression resolute. "We were attacked last night. Those things are real. If this guy can help us survive, I'm taking the chance. Are you with me?"
I sighed. "Fine."
"Excellent," Roland said, tossing a fifty-dollar bill onto the table. "That should cover it. Come along." He gestured us towards a hallway leading to the back exit. He paused at the door, raising his ring to his lips and muttering what sounded like nonsense. He then pressed the ring against the doorframe. A flash of white light traced the edges. "Let's go," he said, pushing open the door.