Alex Val

Strangely my mind was going stiff and blank like it was on lockdown; I was trying to fight against the grey cloud that was coating the depths of my mind making it harder to comprehend information. I spluttered as the hateful eyes pierced mine for one last time and the bitter cloud of death washed over me as my heart beat its final moments. My breath was being yanked from me so quickly that I couldn’t leave my eyes opened now, I could vaguely hear shouts and cries from somewhere but it was too late – the monster had me now. And as I closed down and waited for my final breath to make a shaky escape, suddenly those slimy weight bearing hands were gone and I didn’t feel so suffocated. Instantly my eyes shot open and I coughed and enjoyed the cold air filling my lungs, I felt relieved but still shaky. Trying to regain myself I got to my knees and began crawling towards the side, the monster might have disappeared for now but it would be back.

“What happened?!” Blake asked blocking my way, he kneeled down and steadied me against him, and my whole body was still shaking. I thought about all of those times I thought my life was pointless and that I was better off dead and not once did anything life threatening occur. Now that my life had taken a twist and something weird but interesting had happened, death seemed to try and get me at every point! If there was one thing that I was learning from all of this, it was that I actually didn’t want to die!

“Lexi, talk to me, what the hell is going on with you?” Blake shouted loudly and clearly, grabbing my face to make me look at him, even the silver swirl of his wide eyes couldn’t calm me now. I needed to escape and get away from this place.

“Let me go, I have to go, you don’t understand – it’ll be back!” I shrieked spluttering as tears of fear erupted from my eyes. I glanced around nervously expecting to see that hideous beast lurking in the shadows somewhere. I heard Ryan click his tongue impatiently and come forwards.

“Lexi, if you’re done with your childish little human hissy fit then we’d all like to go back inside.” He snarled waiting for me to shout something back like I usually did, but I didn’t care right now, I needed to get away from this place! It was a massive death trap for me, ever since I was kidnapped and forced to live here like a prisoner, nothing but bad things were happening! I turned away from him and my eyes started to dart around quickly looking for any way to get out and I started to crawl once more, my knees too shaky for me to stand up.

“What are you doing?” Ryan seemed to be amused by my behaviour. I ignored him and carried on.

“Lexi!” Icis exclaimed, her voice sounded angry now.

“I have to get out of here! It’ll be back for me!” I hissed, why couldn’t they just understand? Didn’t they see those piercing red eyes? Surely they couldn’t have missed the monster with its ghastly face and twisted features!

“What’s coming back? What is Lexi?” Ryan grabbed my shoulders and shook me.

“That thing! Didn’t you see it? It – it’s trying to kill me!”

“Calm down what –“ Ryan began.

“Calm down? How can I calm down when that monster is trying to kill me! Didn’t you see it almost choking me to death 5 minutes ago? Let me go! I have to get out of here!” I screamed at him.

Icis moved to my side trying to restrain me from getting away, she pulled me into a hug and tried to calm me down and that was when I started to struggle even more. I wailed my arms about trying to get free and then all of a sudden Ryan grabbed my hand firmly and an expression of shock reflected his face. He peered at the ring angrily and then growled yanking my hand towards Icis.

“Look at what the stupid girl has gone and done!” He growled, as Blake came to inspect, I watched them exchange a brief look of horror.

“The ring of Pyer” Blake whispered.

“But – but how would Lexi have – how could she get a hold of something like this? Who could have given it to her?” Icis blurted out trying to make sense of it.

“Lexi, who gave it to you?” Ryan asked me calmly as my eyes still flitted about, trying to look through every shadow and my heart rocketed out of my chest when those hideous eyes met mine once more, and I let out a frightened scream and struggled again.

“Lexi! Where did you find this ring? Did someone give it to you?” Ryan shouted over my screams clearly wanting an answer.

“I can’t remember! I have to get out of here!” I yelled. My mind had gone blank, nothing but terror was continuing to flow through me, I couldn’t comprehend anything beyond that, and my life was in danger.

“Ryan, we have to act fast, now!” Blake jumped up shouting, he started to pace whilst I still struggled.

“Alyssa.” Icis uttered quickly.

“Alyssa! But I thought she was doing the – for the King and Queen?” Ryan spoke in a hushed whisper.

“We need to try and get her anyway! Blake and I will go; you’re the strongest, stay with her.” Icis got up quickly and then hurried away with Blake.

“How can I protect her from something I can’t even see?!” Ryan shouted after her.

“Ryan, don’t deny you haven’t dealt with scarier and more dangerous things.”

I looked around the now deserted area trying to spot anything that could cause me any harm and then Ryan came into view looking slightly irritated, I gulped out of habit and then felt a strong chill come over me. It was an unnatural and slightly eerie chill; I let out a small yelp as my eyes darted around me once more.

“What? What is it? Is the monster back? Where?” Ryan was instantly at my side, helping me up he was hovering around me rather protectively as he wheeled me slowly inside, his eyes never shifting from the surrounding area as if he was expecting something to pop out. Despite Ryan’s efforts I still felt terribly unsafe and shaky. My knees were quivering as he closed the door in front of us and sat me on the sofa. My eyes still whizzed about still as I tried to figure out just how Ryan was planning on protecting me from something he couldn’t exactly see.

Silence filled the air for a few minutes as Ryan quietly paced around the room, occasionally stopping to look out of the window and then back at me. His eyes treading carefully around the place, his movements slow and cautious. My eyes trailed to the window as Ryan started pacing again and in that split second those vicious red eyes met mine and my heart flipped out of its beating sequence. I jumped up quickly squealing at the same time as the panic and alarm that had previously rang through me, fazed me again. Letting out a scream I pointed to the window quickly as Ryan appeared in front of me quickly grabbing my shoulders.

“The window?” He shouted trying to get some sense out of me, I nodded frantically as he dashed towards the window, and I shrank back against the sofa trying to get the horrific image out of my mind. As Ryan continued peering through the window I glanced around the room in fear and then my eyes bulged out of my eye sockets, it was here, right in the same
room, leaning against the piano looking deadly as ever. And it would only take it a second to kill me, my brain wasn’t quick enough to run and yell for Ryan at the same time, so I did whatever came to me first which was run. I leapt up from the sofa knocking over a vase and I ran for the opposite side of the room, the vase smashing would have no doubt gotten Ryan’s attention. I didn’t want to turn or to look back, I was terribly afraid of what I would see.

“Lexi! Where?” He shouted again panic ringing his voice.

“Piano!” I screamed back reaching the stairs; I finally spun around to see how close the monster was only to find the whole room clear, my heart was throbbing harder and harder in my chest. Ryan was staring at me wildly waiting for a reply, anything for him to help me; I looked away from him and scanned the room. I didn’t have to look far, I could feel its ghastly presence near to me and then it appeared once more but this time right in front of me. I tumbled backwards up the stairs in utter shock squealing in horror as I went, I was now feeling petrified. I tried to open my mouth to shout for Ryan but it seemed like everything was on a lock down, instead I covered myself instantly as the monster lunged and felt something erupt from my fingertips. There it was! Why hadn’t my shield come before? It danced around me, the delicate shade of blue twinkling and changing into a lighter and darker blue when the light hit it. Even concealed in this shield I still didn’t feel safe, what if the monster could penetrate it? I looked to see it staring back at me, its mouth curling up into a sly smile and I gulped – oh no, it couldn’t get through this shield, could it?

Ryan had noticed the shield now and he reached out instantly.

“Take it off! I can’t protect you when you’re in there!” He shouted running towards me.

No way was I going to take it off, we didn’t actually know for sure whether the monster could come through and if it couldn’t then I was perfectly safe in here!

“Lexi! Some things are immune to even the powerful of shields, you must turn it off!” Ryan was shouting at me now. His face looked amusing when I saw it through a blue blurred cover.

I was too scared to turn it off and what more, I was tired of running and fighting, my eye lids were feeling heavy and my head was feeling light, keeping up this shield was always massive energy drainage for me.

“Please don’t go, hold on for a little while longer.” I pleaded in a timid voice, as my eyes dropped a little, I had to stay awake I just had to. I closed my eyes for a second, just a second and that was when I felt my shield falter and flicker, my eyes snapped opened quickly in horror, I didn’t have enough strength to hold it up any longer, I shook my head in terror watching the monster and Ryan both close in on me. When the shield would collapse completely the monster would have me in a second and Ryan wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Tears started to stream down my face as I struggled backwards and the shield wavered.

It completely switched off and I let out a blood curling scream covering my face in the process.

This was it.