Stuck in This Hell

I walked home from school, tilting my head back just in time for a raindrop to hit my cheek. I winced, I hated the rain.

“You're going too fast! Slow down!” Ethan hollered as he held a bunch of books in his hands, nearly dropping them when he tripped over a rock.

“Not my fault that I have long legs,” I hollered back as I came to a halt.

The girl, the silver-haired girl in my dreams, was here. Her long locks cascaded down her back in lush curls, her oval-shaped turquoise eyes widening as she stared at the car in front of her.

I blinked, “Hey! You! Don't just stand there!” I hollered, dropping my backpack and leaping to the girl without a second though. She was standing there like a deer caught in the headlights, I couldn't just watch her get crushed like a bug. I gripped her hand, yanking her into me before she could be hit.

“That,” I panted before continuing, “was dangerous.”

The girl glanced up at me, her rosy lips parting as she searched for her words.

“Thank you...” she finally mumbled as she pulled away from my grasp. We stood staring at one another, before Ethan ran over.

“Gee, that gave me a scare!” he hollered, glaring over to the girl. “Why must you always be the hero? Can't you let me save a pretty girl for once?” he teased, pushing me out of the way with a flirtatious grin, “Name's Ethan, and you're are?”

The girl stared at him in bewilderment, “Adette...” She replied cautiously as she brushed a hand through her hair, and that was when I saw it, long pointed ears. I gasped at the sight, Ethan shrinking back in shock.

“Your ears...” I whispered, pointing.

The girl blushed, “W-What of them?” She hollered in defense, covering her ears with her hands.

“Um... Nothing...” Me and Ethan exchanged a glance, him shrugging his shoulders. Pretty girl with deformed ears, I guess I shouldn't judge. I do have pretty long toes myself. The only question, was that, wasn't this the girl in my dreams?

Adette shifted anxiously from side to side, glancing around, her shoulders shaking slightly. From the way she was looking around, she was either crazy, or being chased by something... I desperately wanted to believe I was wrong, but I never get what I want, do I?

“I have to g-” but before she could finish her sentence, a dagger whizzed by her head, missing by only a few inches.

My mouth gaped open, at lost for words. What stood before me was an old woman, but not any woman. Her skin was wrinkled, large warts running up and down her face. Yellow mucus dripped from her over-sized nose, her blazing yellow eyes glaring at Adette.

“YOU STOLE IT!!” The old hag hollered, her long nails, crusted green with fungus, reached for the girl.

Adette winced back, and took off running down into an alley.

“GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK YOU TERRIBLE CHILD!!! THIEF!” The hag hollered as she chased after the girl, surprisingly fast for someone who looked so old and fragile.

I stood there, blinking in confusion, “That girl... She's in trouble...” I whispered, and without thinking, as usual, I ran into the alley after them.

Ethan stood there stunned, “W-W-Where are you going!!! Don't leave me here!!!” he stuttered, setting his books down near a garbage bin, and trailing on behind.

I ran after the girl, Ethan following close. I had to jump over a few knocked over trashcans and boxes to avoid tripping, the witch up ahead, snarling as she had Adette pinned up against the wall.

“GIVE IT BACK!” The witch hollered, causing Adette to flinch and squeeze her eyes shot.

I rammed my shoulder into the witch, Ethan watching in shock as he stood still as a statue, so much for helping. The witch huffed, gripping my shirt and yanking me forward. She was surprisingly strong for such a feeble old woman. Her nails dug into my wrist, causing me to bite my lip and holler a curse.

“G-Get off me!” I hollered, kicking my leg into the woman’s stomach. I could have sworn I saw her eyes flash red with anger, a dagger being pressed to my throat before I could pull away. Not even a kick to the gut phased her. In my peripheral vision, I saw Adette draw on the wall with some glowing rock necklace? Yes, go ahead and draw with your weird rock while I'm going to be killed.

“Say goodbye boy! This is ALL YOUR fault Adette, bringing an innocent human into your battles because you decided to steal!!!”

Right as the women was about to slice my neck, Ethan jumped onto the old hag’s back. I watched, staring at the boy riding on top of the old lady. There was something about a teen boy piggy-back riding on a old lady, that seemed oddly humorous. I probably would have laughed, that is, if my life wasn't currently in danger by a crazed woman with a knife. Adette drew a large circle on the brick wall, the drawing glowing yellow, and a clear water-like substance taking its place.

“Don’t just stare! Get in!” Adette hollered as she ran through the wall. Yes, ran through the wall. Literally, she walked right through! The water rippled and seemed to become one with her, before she disappeared all together.

I was about to follow, before I realized, my best-friend was riding on top of an old lady. I glanced back in time to see Ethan being thrown into the alley wall, a loud groan leaving his lips as he laid limp on the ground. I wasn’t going to leave my best-friend with some crazy old lady, so I ran over, wrapped his arm over my shoulder, and dragged him to the water-wall-transporting-thingy. I know, not a very good name, but call it what you want, that was the least of my worries. The hag was only inches behind me, so close that I could feel her breath on my neck.

I jumped through the wall, an immediate cold spreading throughout my body, a numbing sensation crawling up my legs, stomach, arms, all the way up to my head. Lights flickered around me, blue, green, pink, you name the color, it was there. I could faintly make out images, though they were zipping by too fast to comprehend. I took a shaky step forward, and immediately, fell. I was falling, or at least, it felt like I was falling. It felt as if I was riding an upside down roller-coaster, while at the same time, nothing moved around me. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the sensation of falling stopped, and I was flung forward. I gripped Ethan in a death grip, and screamed like a maniac.