FOREST OF DEAD CRIES 5
Samuel falls to the ground and coughs profusely, blood drips down his chest and his head feels hazy. He crawls as his ears try to make out the words of his father, his eyes are red and his teeth are stained with blood.
His hands pull his body across the floor and his knees rubs against the dirt. Creaking sounds sing to his ear as he struggles to his feet, "I will kill you," he says weakly as he tries to stand.
"What is it? You have to speak up if you want me to hear your last words well," Dracula says.
"I will kill you," Samuel snarls and Dracula laughs, "That's cute," "It wasn't when Nightmare burned you. You screamed like a little bitch as I recall," Samuel says as he takes a shaky stance.
"What is this? You have blood all over you and you still think you can win?" Dracula says, "Even in the face of defeat, a man should never bow his head" Samuel says.
Dracula laughs and holds his belly, Samuel growls and charges but slams himself into a tree. Dracula leans on the tree, playing with a stone in his hand as he looks down at Samuel, "Wow. That was fantastic. Are you going to kill me after you kill the tree or yourself?" Dracula says.
He jerks him and tosses him on the ground.
He throws the stone at Samuel's torso and he screams as he feels it break a rib, "Come on, don't go screaming like a little girl. My blood runs through those veins, you know" he says with a smile.
Samuel kneels on the floor, holding his rib and his head bent against the floor as Dracula carries more stones. Samuel takes a glance at Dracula and an idea ensues. He uses one hand to feel the coin in his pocket and pulls it out inconspicuously. He throws it sharply at Dracula but the coin passes through him and falls to the ground.
Samuel's eyes glow brighter and his voice deepens with rage, "You are not real," he says as he realizes what is going on.
"The magic of the forest," he mumbles.
"I am real to you Samuel and that is enough," "No, it isn't. Bitch," Samuel says and roars deeply with all the will left in his breath, he roars and Dracula covers his face as he fades away like dust in the wind.
Samuel stands up and picks the coin, "You can't save anyone. You are too weak," a silent voice says.
"You have no power and you have no love," the voice multiplies into echoes, "Legion," "No, her."
"You lie. I feel nothing for Samuel. I love Gabriel," Rachael's voice echoes through the air and her words break his heart. He clenches his fist hard and his face takes a distorted shape, his heart bleeds as his body does but he must stay focused if he is to save his brother.
"Everyone it is an illusion. Don't fall for it, don't listen to the voices" Samuel screams as he runs forward, dashing through the bushes until he finds Rachael and Elma limping through the forest.
"Rachael, Elma..." he says quickly removing his eyes from Rachael and turning to Elma, "Where is Amanda?" he asks. Suddenly a large sound disrupts their thoughts and a light much brighter than the moon's comes to life in the heart of the forest.
"Amanda," Samuel mumbles.
"What is that?" Rachael taps Elma as she sees something move in the opposite direction, "What the fuck is that?" Elma mouths as it walks out into the moonlight.
It stands at 10 feet with a huge and irritating physique; little limbs dangle from different parts of the body and skulls hang on different angles of its body.
It walks slowly as the moonlight reveal the dripping black goo and the multitude of corpses mashed together into one body. The smell of rotten flesh surrounds it and flies hover around it, humming with their wings as it drools with a long arrow shaped tongue.
A giant head is attached to its belly with snarling teeth, threatening to bite at the slightest chance.
Its slimy goo stain the floor as it walks closer to them, "Fuck, that smells worse than you," Elma says.
"Offer yourself to me Samuel Stone and I will spare your friends," the creature says in numerous voices, all speaking in unison.
Samuel glares at it and back at the direction of the flame that lights up the forest, "You must not have heard about me, I am really bad at dying for others," he says and roars at the creature.
"Come Legion, let me introduce you to the beautiful flames of Amunet," Samuel says and backs away from the demon.
"Run towards the flames," Samuel says and the girls begin to run toward the fire. They hear Amanda scream as Legion chases them, he throws a ball of corpses to the ground and they scatter into individual bodies to give swifter chase.
Amanda screams and flames surround her, forming a parameter around her and spreading around the forest, burning everything it comes in contact with.
The air gets hotter as they approach her, their throats get dry and Samuel notices Rachael's slow steps from her wound. A few of the corpses get close but he swiftly dismantles them and rushes over to Rachael, he picks her up from the ground and runs.
"You can't escape me," Legion roars, "Yes we can, right Sammy?" Elma asks as they run, "We aren't escaping that fucker, she is going to burn him" Samuel says as they reach Amanda.
She screams in the midst of the flames before she hears their voices, "Amanda," Samuel calls out and she looks at him with a strange stare. One of her eyes is pitch black and the other glows with a bright blue, "Amanda, you can fight it. You are a sphinx, a daughter of a Nephilim, the daughter of a god.
A little demon can't possess you, not even the demon of Gerasene" he says and she stretches a hand toward him, "Sammy," she struggles to say before emitting flames toward them.
He dodges and drops Rachael on the ground, "Argh," she screams as the weight of their bodies press against her injured leg.
"Watch her Elma," Samuel says and lets Rachael rest against a tree. The atmosphere gets hotter as the flames spread and he walks in between the two creatures.
He stands and looks from side to side, Legion to Amanda. He scoffs and smiles, he walks toward Amanda, "Hey ugly ass. If this is how you handle yourself I'm not surprised how you ended up with Poseidon. You must have been really easy," he laughs and she throws a ball of flame at him but he dives to the ground.
"Can you see that ugly pile of trash coming here?" he says and he stands up, "That is the bitch that is controlling you. He won't try that shit on me because he knows me, I'm Mortem but apparently you are just Ra's bastard.
It's true, that is all you are," he says.
Amanda screams and extends two hands forward, emitting flames that extend meters away, spreading wide and long but Samuel moves away but closer to Legion.
The rotten pieces of meat that forms Legion's body fold up into a massive fist and he swings to pound Samuel but he rolls over and is missed by an inch.
Decayed fleshed splatters on the ground and bits enter his mouth, "Fuck," he spits and hurries to his feet, "This place is quite fitting for your death. Mortem, buried in the Forest of dead cries. Ironic, isn't it?" Legion says.
Samuel breathes heavily as his movements begin to take a toll on him, he sweats profusely as the heat rises and the flames burn the smell of corpses that are on the ground.
He spits and wipes his face as Amanda gets closer, "Goddamn," he coughs, "Amanda wake up," he roars at her and she roars back, "There is only Legion," she screams back at him and the giant pile of corpses laugh.
It grabs Samuel and begins to squeeze him, he screams and bleeds, "This is the end, Mortem".
Samuel stares into her eyes one last time with hope that she sees past all the illusion and mind control that the demon has over her. He watches her second eye slowly turn into black and his last hope of reaching her soul slip away.
If only he was stronger he could reach out to her. If only he didn't leave, none of this would have happened.
He hears his ribs break under Legion's grip and he glances at Rachael, taking in the features of her face for the last time as he slowly slips into the cold arms of death.
He hears a voice scream into his ears, a familiar and arrogant voice. It carries a familiar tenacity but it annoys him beyond death, "Don't you dare die on me Samuel. Open your fucking eyes," Gabriel screams into his face and his heart jumps like a jolt of electricity passes through him.
His eyes glow brightly and he stares at the burning sphinx across him, he takes a deep breath and roars like his life depends on it; because it does, "Amanda!".