Maybe I'm a Lion
XI
At the very sight of the hall Cornelia vomited. Blood was everywhere. Organs, and limps were strewn about the place in a sick display of decor. There was an arm in the punch bowl, a heart in place of the head on the ice sculpture, and intestines hung on the ceiling like streamers. Cornelia's sides ached, but the instinctual reflex kept her from stopping. Even after the liquid that came out her mouth was nothing but a painful stomach acid.
"Why would they do this?" Cornelia asked to no one in torment. It was the only question that Sarabi took upon herself to answer.
"They need to eat." Sarabi said dark humor before walking away to inspect the imps hunting ground. They had entered the hall without encounter. To Cornelia this only meant a good thing; her life wasn't in danger anymore. But she still chose to remain near Sarabi.
After a few minutes in the hall, the gruesome sight didn't bother Cornelia anymore. Through the night's events she had somehow built up a tolerance to the sight. Sarabi continued searching through the large hall for some unknown thing. During this time, Cornelia also wandered in search for something. She didn't know for what exactly, but she had a hunch that she could find it within the hall. Then as if by magic, she found what she was looking for.
A survivor. Lying unconscious on the ground, was Robert Thompson the wresting team captain. He had no visible problems with him. No missing limbs, or pouring blood. Cornelia was ecstatic that at least one of her classmates had survived. His body only fueled her hope that her friends were still alive. Even though her best friend's decapitated body was lying a few feet from her, Cornelia refused to see it.
Behind her, Cornelia heard the curtains from the stage being pulled back. The sudden noise caused her to look in that direction. She sighed in relief when it was nothing. It had been Sarabi who had caused the noise, but Cornelia could no longer focus on anything but the sight beyond the cloth. Another imp, lay there motionless. It was much bigger than the one seen outside - closer in size to an elephant rather than a gorilla - and it's unusually swollen belly was ripped open.
It was dead. Cornelia could tell that much, yet she didn't dare take any step closer to it in fear. She felt a bond to the only found survivor that kept her from moving also. Like her, Robert knew as much as she did on the whole situation. Cornelia gripped the axe harder, and unconsciously felt for the grenade in her purse.
"It's a queen." Sarabi spoke even though Cornelia didn't ask for an answer. "By the looks of it," she continued further inspecting the gaping hole in her stomach. "She's given birth." At the possibility of there being even more imps, Cornelia shuddered. One was terrifying enough, let alone more. Then something occurred to her. They had been in the hall for a while now, and there was no trace of the creatures who massacred everyone nor the newly born creatures.
"Where are they?" Cornelia asked standing close to Robert's unconscious body. She and him were the last, and she would never allow any harm to befall him now. "Are they gone?" she asked again, though she knew this could be impossible. The only way out was through the bathroom she and Sarabi had climbed through. Nothing had passed through them.
"No. They stay with their infants. All of them hidden in human guise." Sarabi said walking over to what Cornelia recognized as the body of Alyson Smith. Like Robert, Alyson showed no real sign of harm, but a deep wound on the stomach. Without mercy, she shot the body through the head.
"What are you doing!?" was Cornelia's only response. These were her friends. She would not simply stand there and allow Sarabi to desecrate their bodies because she felt the need to do so. Enraged, Cornelia began to walk towards Sarabi clutching the axe tighter, with half a mind to use it against Sarabi. But something stopped her.
Clutched tightly around her hand was Robert's hand. Cornelia's previous anger towards Sarabi faded with the glee from finally having someone like her around. Something was wrong with Robert, but Cornelia's urge to want to be with someone in a similar condition like her overcame the way his back suddenly hunched. Slowly, Robert began to get up. Before coming to a full standing position, the hunch on his back suddenly popped in a shower of blood.
In one instant movement, an imp emerged from Robert's body. Robert's remains fell to the floor in a heap. Now it wasn't Robert's hand that clutched so tightly to Cornelia's wrist but that of an Imp's. All this time, it had only been pretending to be Robert. Pretending to be unconscious. Waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Why would they do this?" Cornelia asked to no one in torment. It was the only question that Sarabi took upon herself to answer.
"They need to eat." Sarabi said dark humor before walking away to inspect the imps hunting ground. They had entered the hall without encounter. To Cornelia this only meant a good thing; her life wasn't in danger anymore. But she still chose to remain near Sarabi.
After a few minutes in the hall, the gruesome sight didn't bother Cornelia anymore. Through the night's events she had somehow built up a tolerance to the sight. Sarabi continued searching through the large hall for some unknown thing. During this time, Cornelia also wandered in search for something. She didn't know for what exactly, but she had a hunch that she could find it within the hall. Then as if by magic, she found what she was looking for.
A survivor. Lying unconscious on the ground, was Robert Thompson the wresting team captain. He had no visible problems with him. No missing limbs, or pouring blood. Cornelia was ecstatic that at least one of her classmates had survived. His body only fueled her hope that her friends were still alive. Even though her best friend's decapitated body was lying a few feet from her, Cornelia refused to see it.
Behind her, Cornelia heard the curtains from the stage being pulled back. The sudden noise caused her to look in that direction. She sighed in relief when it was nothing. It had been Sarabi who had caused the noise, but Cornelia could no longer focus on anything but the sight beyond the cloth. Another imp, lay there motionless. It was much bigger than the one seen outside - closer in size to an elephant rather than a gorilla - and it's unusually swollen belly was ripped open.
It was dead. Cornelia could tell that much, yet she didn't dare take any step closer to it in fear. She felt a bond to the only found survivor that kept her from moving also. Like her, Robert knew as much as she did on the whole situation. Cornelia gripped the axe harder, and unconsciously felt for the grenade in her purse.
"It's a queen." Sarabi spoke even though Cornelia didn't ask for an answer. "By the looks of it," she continued further inspecting the gaping hole in her stomach. "She's given birth." At the possibility of there being even more imps, Cornelia shuddered. One was terrifying enough, let alone more. Then something occurred to her. They had been in the hall for a while now, and there was no trace of the creatures who massacred everyone nor the newly born creatures.
"Where are they?" Cornelia asked standing close to Robert's unconscious body. She and him were the last, and she would never allow any harm to befall him now. "Are they gone?" she asked again, though she knew this could be impossible. The only way out was through the bathroom she and Sarabi had climbed through. Nothing had passed through them.
"No. They stay with their infants. All of them hidden in human guise." Sarabi said walking over to what Cornelia recognized as the body of Alyson Smith. Like Robert, Alyson showed no real sign of harm, but a deep wound on the stomach. Without mercy, she shot the body through the head.
"What are you doing!?" was Cornelia's only response. These were her friends. She would not simply stand there and allow Sarabi to desecrate their bodies because she felt the need to do so. Enraged, Cornelia began to walk towards Sarabi clutching the axe tighter, with half a mind to use it against Sarabi. But something stopped her.
Clutched tightly around her hand was Robert's hand. Cornelia's previous anger towards Sarabi faded with the glee from finally having someone like her around. Something was wrong with Robert, but Cornelia's urge to want to be with someone in a similar condition like her overcame the way his back suddenly hunched. Slowly, Robert began to get up. Before coming to a full standing position, the hunch on his back suddenly popped in a shower of blood.
In one instant movement, an imp emerged from Robert's body. Robert's remains fell to the floor in a heap. Now it wasn't Robert's hand that clutched so tightly to Cornelia's wrist but that of an Imp's. All this time, it had only been pretending to be Robert. Pretending to be unconscious. Waiting for the right moment to strike.