We didn’t have time to get changed out of our civilian clothing. So down the main street we walked in our winter jackets and snow boots. I noticed Koa fiddling with the sun necklace around his neck. I knew it would turn into the spear Aramis, his hallowed weapon.
His Lava like hair was in a loose messy ponytail. His dark coffee eyes kept flicking to me, and his warm deep skin looked so human and mundane. I was desaturated like younglings would be. Atlas and Koa say it’s because I wasn’t exposed to humans enough when I was younger. I don’t really care that much, my skin was different. That doesn’t really matter. I’ll die all the same.
“You weren’t planning on telling me at all. Were you?” I asked at we got closer to the heart of the city. “Koa.”
He shrugged. Koa looked at his feet, guilt across his face. I sighed and kept walking. The city was livelily in the early morning. It was crowded and didn’t seem to fit the title ‘city of death,’ like it did at night.
I saw families and their children, walking together in the early winter morning. It was almost Christmas and I assumed they were doing late shopping for gifts. I felt a pang of longing. I didn’t have a family. Well, I did, I had my sister Mariana, and those back on homeland. But they wouldn’t want to see me. Besides I’d die before I even got the chance to say anything.
When I met Koa for the first time he’d tried to kill me, and Atlas and Mariana had to hold him down. I explained everything to him, and he calmed down. I think he still felt guilty about it.
“I thought you’d think less of me,” Koa said at last. I placed my hand on my shoulder.
“Never, you are one of my best hunters. You made a good call, but you should have called me and told me he got hurt instead of just trying to hide it.”
Koa fiddled with the wooden charm of a leopard on his belt loop. I rested my hand on my own charm. Aztecs charm. As we got closer to the alleyway. I looked at the overcast sky and tried to imagine what it was like for the people who lived there. They ignore screams that carry on the wind, and blood that’s dried onto the drains and flows through the cobblestones grout. I wouldn’t bear to live here. Too much noise, and acrid smells. The valley is much quieter. Sure, there are monsters and other unsavoury people, but at least it smells nice, and not like smoke. Shouldn’t the city of death and roses smell like roses? But no, it smelt like stale blood and smoke.
By the time, Koa and I reached the entrance to the alleyway it was mid-morning and the crowds had dissipated, going to various jobs. We stood outside a small pizza shop called ‘Sam’s Pizza.’
“This is the place,” Koa whispered. I nodded and looked around. I could see a trail of blood on the ground leading out from the scene. Other than that, there was nothing. Blood was normality in this city of ours. I rolled my eyes and walked down the path towards where the initial sighting was.
I saw more blood splashed onto the walls in uneven splatters. There was dried blood everywhere. This had to have been the right place. Koa, grabbed my arm, and kept looking at the walls.
“Scarred?” I asked
“Terrified.”
Was this ‘flesh mound’ really that bad? From what he told me about it, it sounded disgusting, and like no monster I’d ever heard of. I twisted my rings, as we made our way to the bins. I took a deep breath and nearly threw up. There was so much blood around it made me overwhelmed. I could feel Koa’s hand tighter on my arm. I composed myself and brought out my phone.
It was a thin, and see-through glass, with a blue tint. A thin lining of metal and completely water resistant. Only the members of henbane had them, made by our head technician Peter. I opened it and called O’Conner.
“Hello, Sergeant O’Conner speaking.”
“Hey, it’s me Pandora.”
“Ah yes good Morning Pandora, how are you?”
“Yeah, good, look there was an attack last night on the patrol team. Ones on weeks rest and the other is with me.”
“A monster?”
“it’s been described to me as a ‘mound of living flesh’.”
“Your joking right?”
“Nope, were out back of Sam’s Pizza. Koa and Virgil believe it’s already killed one person at least. So, we’re heading inside to check.”
“Pandora, wait—” The line cut off. I cursed and tried Markova. Nothing, it was like my phone had died. I’d have to tell Peter about it later.
“Alright let’s head in,” I said summoning my daggers, Alexis and Achaion. I walked open to the back door, that seemed to be made of metal. They were heavy and rusted. I pushed it open with Koa’s help and it screamed as we did. We slipped inside and it slammed behind us. I used the flashlight on my phone to illuminate the kitchen Infront of us.
Every countertop was covered in dust, and food that was left to rot. Flies buzzed around and mould had started to grow. The entire place smelt damp, like a forest after heavy rain. It was unpleasant and disgusting.
It wasn’t comforting like the rain in the valley, but it put me on edge. There was a thick scent of blood that made it hard to focus.
There was a gap in the grim of the floor, leading into the main building. I could swear I heard people talking in the main area. Heart beats I could feel thumping rhythmically. Koa and I snuck forward and peaked out of the window.
There it was. A living mound of flesh, writhing and twitching. The entire place was just as bad as the kitchen. Dusty left to rot. There was more blood in the main area, and it made me more agitated than I was before. I gripped the hilts of my daggers and tried to compose myself. The blood was so fresh, that it was making my senses light themselves on fire and there was nothing I could do. Koa, gripped my shoulder, as shouting sounded from outside.
“Check it out,” I told him. “I’ll be here.”
He nodded and left back the way we came. I kept watching this thing. I could see it’s bones, muscles and tendons all working in turn. How could such a monstrosity move; it made no sense. The thing went still. Like it was watching, waiting. I took a step back. Slipping on the fresh blood.
The door burst open a tendril wrapping around my leg above my ankle. Tearing into my leg, in a wrapping way. I screamed, as pain flared through my body. It pulled me towards it, my daggers clattering to the floor. More tendrils wrapped around my left lower arm, and my right shoulder and upper arm. They tore my flesh like it was butter. I cried out in hopes someone would hear me. But it would be no use. Screams carry on the wind. No one would give mine any piece of mind.
I bit one of its arms and warm blood flooded my mouth, splashing onto my face. I ripped the appendage. More of its blood coating me. The blood I could taste was human blood. I gagged and spat out the chuck I’d bitten off. From the stub, two more limbs grew just like a hydra. The creature threw ageist the wall. There was a loud crack, as I slid down the wall. My head felt dizzy, and my vision tunnel. It wrapped it’s tendril around my neck and lifted me off the ground back towards it.
I couldn’t breathe. My vision filled with black spots. The thing tightened its grip and threw me full force into the tiled floor creaking it. I could feel the blood dripping through my hair and pieces of tile embedding into my arm.
I cried… I’m not embarrassed to emit that. I was going to die here, alone. I was never going to see my sister again. I was in pain and alone. Of course, I was going to cry. I was far too overwhelmed. My back burned. Black tendrils of water slithered along the floor and lurched towards the mound, becoming pikes. The reached deep into that monster’s body latching onto anything that it could. It shirked in pain. Hundreds of voices screaming as one. I heard meat tearing. The thing tore like butter exploding into millions of little pieces. Washing me in blood and meat. I felt exhausted, sore, and emotional. I just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, until I eventually died.
I tried to crawl towards the door, I didn’t care if I was dying I just wanted to see if could chance seeing my sister one more time. I remember fragments of what happened after that. I tried to stand my just crumpled back down onto the floor. Laying amongst the filth. The adrenaline was wearing off, and it was all I could do just keep myself awake. Tears flowed down my face into the blood. I hummed to myself the lullaby my mother used to sing to me. The one we sang as our dead’s souls took their place amongst the stars. I wanted to see my mother, my father, my papa… fuck! I shouldn’t have even thought about him.
His blood pooling from the gaping slash in his neck, as the train shuddered away from the station. I banged on the glass and cried out, as if that would do anything. I could barely remember his face anymore. I wanted to go home more than anything, I didn’t even know where home was. Even if it meant my death I just wanted to go home. “I want my mum…” I said to the empty room. “I want my dad,” I wheezed. “I want Papa… I didn’t do it I swear… I’m innocent.”
My wheezing turned to crying, that turned into sobbing, and sobbing turned into wailing. I heard the back door screamed open and slammed shut. Three sets of heavy footfalls, running towards the main entrance. Markova, O’Conner and Koa burst into the place, and looked around in horror. Why wouldn’t they. Blood was everywhere. Chucks of meat and bones decorated the walls.
I remembered them calling my name. I tried to respond but all that came out of my mouth was nonsense and sobs. Markova knelt Infront of me, but Koa pulled him back. O’Conner was trying not to vomit. He couldn’t stomach it I suppose. In the chaos of it all. I felt like I was shattered. Like a piece of glass thrown against a rock. Millions of small pieces. So small you’d never find them all again. Markova pushed Koa away and tried to pick me up. I squealed in pain. Markova cooed and rushed me outside. Stopping to look O’Conner in the face.
“Call your people,” he hissed, and kept walking outside. Towards his car, followed By Koa, and O’Conner who was frantically talking on the phone. I was put in the back of the car, Koa was with me, trying to stop the bleeding as best he could. He gingerly pressed his finger on the back of my skull.
“βιάσου!” Koa hissed. ‘hurry’
“What did he say!” O’Conner cried.
“Not a fucking clue!”
“Hurry!” He repeated.
“Right!”
I remember fragments of what happened, on the way into the hospital, Koa yelling orders in Pistrian, and English. The bumpy dirt track into the valley brought on a new wave of pain. I remember the nurses fussing over me and wheeling me through the halls of the hospital. I heard Atlas and Mariana calling my name, and I was taken away deeper into the hospital. Mentions of surgery and blood transfusions.
Rhythmic beeping. Oxygen mask on my face. Drake sitting in a chair meant for families. He had tears running down his face and hadn’t noticed I was awake. He was itching his forearm and I knew why. They always acted up when he got upset.
“Hey… I killed it,” I said trying to sound chipper. But it didn’t work very well. My voice was weak. “Ya know I’m getting the strangest sense of Déjà vu…”
Drake rubbed his eyes and smiled sadly. “yeah, except this time I’m hoping no mass murder of like sixty people.”
“Hey, it was more like 50!”
Drake smiled again. Happier. He came over to my bedside and injected DHE into my veins. I felt warm. I knew it was working. I just wish I had that taste of comfort. The Hot Chocolate Markova makes.
“Sorry…”
“I was so… afraid when the department got the call. I could barely keep it together, Dory, I…” Drakes voice creaked. “I thought you were dead!”
“…Yeah that flesh mound was a bitch mate.”
“Oh really. Was it gross?”
“Yeah, I fucking ripped that thing in half. Blood everywhere. It was rancid.”
Drake laughed, and I tried but it was far to painful.
“Pandora? Are you alright?”
“Yeah… no, have you ever felt… shattered?”
“Yes… I have. I have witnessed the deaths of people who were close to me. All I could do was pick up the pieces and move on.”
“W-what if you can’t move on?”
“Well… you’ll be stuck. Shattered forever.”
“Was it hard?”
“Of Fucking course, it was. I don’t think I’ll ever find all the pieces, but I’ve found most of them.”
There was a knock at the door, and Drake gathered his things to leave. “I hope you find all of those pieces, Pandora.”
“Me too Drake… me too.”
I remember Atlas running in as Drake left. Her eyes were red. She’d been crying. Her soft skin was glistening with tears. Her ‘x’ shaped scar on her left cheek, her septum piercing. She held my hand and pressed a gentle kiss onto my forehead. “You’re off for the week while you heal…” she mused. I smiled.
“Of course, love…”
When Atlas left, Markova walked in. Then my sister, then Sky, and finally O’Conner and Andi. Andi walked over to my side while O’Conner leaned on the door.
Andi had a loud Hawaiian shirt and dark jeans. I looked at them, their pale blue eyes kind and soft.
“Can you tell me what happened?” They asked, pushing fair blonde hair out of their face. A questioning. I told them, right down the disgusting details. “Is this monster on any records?”
“None, it was like a hive-minded creature. I don’t think it understood what was happening. It had multiple heartbeats…”
“Well, one of the… chunks,” they covered their mouth as if about to throw up. “Had this number on it? Does that mean anything to you?”
The number was 223 in black ink. My wrist burned. “I have the same tattoo on my wrist.” I showed them the 217 branded there. “I don’t know what it means…”
“Could be linked to that trafficking ring down by the docks. We’ll some of our guys cheek it out. You can go… get some rest, Pandora,” They got up and left. O’Conner watched them go and looked at me.
“For the record, I was going to tell you to wait,” He chuckled.
“For the record, I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“I know,” I O’Conner said
“Yeah, well, that’s part of my job I suppose. either way, I’m on probation for the week…” I said. Koa coughed and O’Conner said his goodbye, and I was left with Koa. I met his eyes, and they looked red. “Either you’ve been crying or you’re high…”
“I’m not high…” He said.
“I think you’re high.”
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