Back in the alleyway

As the carnage outside was audibly apparent, the girls stayed in the alley. The sounds of nightmare came from only a few feet away, the sensation of death crept closer. The girls edged towards each other as they regained their breath. Time was precious and who’s to say that the beasts outside would notice them. 

Mia, now huddled beside Aira, was fidgeting with her necklace. Aira looked over; “you know, you never told me where you got that from”. In response, Mia returned Aira's gaze, about to speak up but quieted down. “I don’t know where I got it from. Well, I'm not sure”. Mia grasped it and continued, “When I was younger there was someone with me, a girl dressed in strange clothing, “I don’t know her face but I think she was important to me”. Aira looked down at her hands and smiled, “some people think everyone has a guardian angel, perhaps that girl is yours”. Mia shot up, clearly in a moment of protest. “ PFFT, there is NO way, if I had a guardian angel then everything before this past year wouldn’t have been a nightmare”. She slowly stood up, clenching her fists. “My life is only happy now, because of you, you were my guiding light. I don’t have or need anyone else”. Mia put out her hand, “now let's get out of here, if it’s the two of us then nothing can stop us”. She had a wild childish smile, her hope in Aira and thankfulness towards her made everything clear. 

“How will we get out of here?” She asked, she was bothered by the fact that there was only one exit and beyond it was who knows what. Mia unfurled her fists and looked over, “don’t worry I have a plan, and i’m one-hundred percent sure we’ll be safe”, she smiled, “this time, I’ll protect you”. Aira blushed, her cheeks became red and she nodded. “Okay, so we know that those assholes were immediately dealt with as they left right? That means that the beasts should still be occupied, if we can slip past them as they’re busy, then we can escape to the shopping district”. Mia stood there emanating positive energy, she knew in her heart that this would be successful. 

Outside, noises of gore and the like continued. It seemed that the beasts hadn’t finished either playing with the corpses of the bullies or were still eating them. No matter the current activity going on outside, the plan of using the deaths of their fellow villagers was the only plan they had. 

The girls calmed themselves and tiptoed towards the exit to the alley, being sure to not step on anything that would alert the beasts. Their heartbeats seemed to burst out of their chests and it was a struggle to keep their breathing stable. Aira stopped, a pained look on her face, to her, each step was a curse. Mia looked back, noticing Aira’s struggle. 

“What happened? Are you alright?” Her face was ridden with worry. Aira, now with her hands resting on her knees, Huff huff huff huff, her breathing grew worse. They weren’t even ten steps from where they began and there was an issue. Mia looked down and her worry grew, a stream of blood was coming from Aira’s left leg. “Your leg is bleeding, you can’t walk like this, dammit!” “They did this”, she bent down and lifted the edge of her kimono revealing a grievous wound. Multiple cuts on her leg, It looks as if the boys did it to stop her from getting away. “Don’t worry Mia, a little wound like this won’t stop me”. She had a smile on her face but it was obvious that it was a cover. In reality she was in severe pain, walking on her own wasn’t an option.

Aira looked down, “go withou-”. “Not a chance, I'm not leaving you behind”, Mia said adamantly. “We’re getting out of here together, and then we’ll start a new life together”. She went over to Aira and grabbed her arm, putting it over neck and hoisted her up. Aira smiled, a tear went down her face, “thank you”. Mia poked her head outside, it seemed that the beasts had moved on elsewhere. She thought it weird that they’d leave, when that big hairy one first showed up it should’ve seen her, why did it leave? That thought dwelled in her mind for a while but she cast it aside, it wasn’t worth the energy to think about. 

The girls moved forwards, stopping at each street and making sure that no beasts were around. So far they were lucky, but not as lucky as the screams in the distance. Crying and calls for help were everywhere, all around them other villagers were being killed. Before all this chaos the buildings in the slums were already run down, but now most of them were practically destroyed, beasts crushed everything looking for prey. 

The ground, a sight so horrible, only a short while ago it was a grey cobblestone. Aira, still depending on Mia, looked around, smears and splatters of blood were everywhere, disfigured corpses littered the streets and dismembered parts lay bare. “Dear god what is this? Some sort of divine punishment?” She grasped her mouth holding back the urge to vomit. The smell was horrible, a mixture of blood, organs and excrement mixed with the already distasteful smell of the slums. “Don’t look at it Aira, just look forwards. One more street and we’ll be out of the slums”. Mia was barely holding it together, she continued supporting Aira but it was clear she was getting tired. 

“RYAAAAAAAAAAA!” An aggressive roar in the distance rattled the girls to the core. They had to increase their pace, they could sense the impending darkness. They were there, a couple seconds and they would make one left turn and be on a straight shot out of the village. Going straight down the shopping district would lead to the stables, there they could take a horse and get on the road to escape. Just a few seconds, that’s the only thought that went through their minds. With their faces full of determination they were in the clear. After escaping they’d start over, their own happy ending, two sisters living a happy and blissful life after escaping a tragedy. 

That’s what they thought, what they hoped.

They were wrong.

They made that one final turn and their hearts sank, their hope drifted. It was there, the beast that first appeared was now standing between them and the way out. Mia turned her head, looking towards the other streets, but alas, there was chaos in all other directions. She then looked over to Aira, who was panting heavily. The beast took a step forwards, its giant form towered over them. Mia stared directly at it, its mouth covered in blood and its hair saturated with the same. Her focus faltered for only a moment but she quickly regained it. The same look of determination forced her to stand strong. 

“HEY! LEAVE US ALONE YOU BASTARD!” She screamed. The beast looked down at her and grumbled, it took a step forwards and now focused its gaze to Aira. Past the beast was a terrible sight, demolished stalls and corpses strewn about. To an onlooker Mia looked strong, she looked as if the beast before her posed no threat, but that was false. Mia was standing, shaking, tears falling down her face. “RYYYYAAAAAAA!” The beast roared, practically bursting the girl's eardrums. The air around them got colder, Aira was moving oddly and muttering- “d o n ‘ t  w o r r y”. Mia got closer, “what? Aira….” Aira looked at her, that gleeful calming smile across her face. “Don’t worry, I said before that I'd always protect you right?” “W-what?” Mia had a sorrowful look on her face, a hint of confusion hit her. Then, Aira forced herself away from Mia, pushing her away. “AIRAAAAAAA!” Mia fell to the ground and looked up. Aira standing in front of her looking at the beast who had a terrifyingly happy look. 

“COME AT ME! I DARE YOU! I WON’T LET YOU TOUCH HER!” As Aira screamed a waterfall of tears ran down her face. She looked back, Mia sat clasping her mouth, tears fell down her face. Aira returned to staring at the beast, determination and false confidence emanating from her. “COME ON!” She screamed. Aira clenched her fists and looked down, a small grin on her face, she whispered:  

“Goodbye Mia, I love you”.

The beast took a big step forwards and wound its arm back. With a fluid motion it swung forwards and whipped Aira into its grasp. “RRRRYYYYYYAAAAAAAA!” It roared even louder than before. It looked down at Mia with a massive grin, In its grip Aira seemed to be barely conscious. She held there, looked back, and smiled. Blood was coming from her mouth and it only continued. The beast slowly held her up, and with a swift motion; CRUSHACKSHHHH. It instantly tightened its grip and blood spurted everywhere, the ground and buildings around her clearly sprayed, even some hit Mia. RAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” The beast laughed Maniacally, clearly enjoying its carnage. It opened its hand and held Aira’s corpse up by her head. He dangled it and started swinging it around like a doll, laughing as he played. Moments passed and it looked just as happy, it clasped her corpse and began to pull. 

“Stop it…. Please stop….. Please”. Each word pained her, and she felt a sharp pain with each one. Mia sat there motionless, unable to move she watched the beast. The one light in her life had gone out, right when she needed it the most.

JZZZZZAKAKAKAKAKSHAA! The sounds from the beast pulling on Aira’s corpse echoed throughout Mia’s mind. Finally, CRAACK! In its left hand was Aira’s head, and in his right was the rest of her. It held up her head and tossed it forwards.it fell to the ground, a trail followed behind as it rolled forwards. Mia looked down, the head slowly came to her and bumped into her leg. Time slowed down as the head made its final move. 

There she was. Eyes locked, Mia stared into her dead eyes, no reflection, no life in them whatsoever. Mia didn’t speak a word, nor did she blink. Aira’s mouth, slightly ajar, was practically crushed. Blood caked every pore and crevice, what was once a beautiful face was now a disfigured nightmare. Mia’s mind was a mess, thoughts of all nature drowned her. “Why? Who did this? Why wasn’t it me? You bastard? Someone help me? Is this a dream?” These and many more questions flooded her brain. She sat there eyes wide, mouth open, the tears have now stopped. Silently she believed that it was her who should’ve died, she condemned herself to feel this. Today was a nightmare, one she’d remember for as long as she’d live.

The beast, still revelling in its enjoyment, was happily chewing on the rest of Aira’s corpse, ripping her limb from limb. Blood splattered everywhere, the beast's fur was dripping with it. After a few minutes of eating it swallowed one last time. It thrashed around, drying itself. Next it turned to Mia, with a step it raddled the buildings around it. Knowing what’ll happen to her, she stopped thinking. Deep in the recesses of her mind she hoped; “kill me, kill me so that I can be with her”. This dark thought came to the surface. She looked up, “Uff!” Startled, the beast was only a few feet away, its arms at its side. The beast had the widest of grins, its eyes squinted as it smiled. Mia, still sitting there with wide eyes, waited, hoped, that it would devour her next.

SNIIIIIIFFFF, It inhaled deeply and stood up. The beast turned around and started to walk away, leaving behind bloody footprints with each step. “Wait…. Don't go”. She thought. The beast was completely uninterested in her, but why? Was it full? Countless reasons sped through Mia’s head but she couldn’t come to a conclusion. 

Minutes later, it was gone. In fact, everything had gone quiet, there were no screams of terror or roars of beasts. It was silent. The air around her got colder, and she couldn’t speak. She looked down to Aira and picked her up, cradling her in her arms. Mia seemed to have to be completely overwhelmed by everything. What do I feel? This question was the only one remaining. Her grasp on emotions was fleeting, her anchor to happiness had been taken from her and she couldn’t ever get it back. Emotions…. What are they? Do we as humans need them? Are they vital? Her face, its look, it was blank. She looked as if it had all been reset back to zero. 

Mia’s life started out harshly. She had no parents or family to call her own, she had no friends to stand by her side. Throughout her childhood she was bullied by other kids and ridiculed by adults. Her oldest memories were stricken with pain. Mia had one good year, that year with Aira, but now Aira’s gone, reduced to a head in Mia’s arms. She sat there, sitting in complete nothingness, feeling nothing. Mia had been returned to… nothing.

On a nearby building

“Hmm, seems like I didn’t get here in time”. A figure jumped down from a nearby building, “hup!” “Ah, perfect landing”. A man walked near, talking to himself. “Hey you!” … “Oi” … “Are you listening?” He bent down, looking at Mia from the side. She shuttered and looked at him. “You should respond when someone is talking to you. Kids these days”. He stood back up, his hands holding his waist. Mia looked at him up and down, still with her blank expression. He looked out of the ordinary, Ako village was relatively poor except for the shopping district. This man was definitely not from here. He wore a long eight-button military white coat with a black belt fastening it at his waist, over it he wore a white trench coat. Just like his top, he wore matching pants and black boots. At his waist was what looked like a sheathed sword with a curved hilt. It was hard to tell but it seemed like he had short white hair. His thin eyes seemed menacing and his overall facial structure instilled dominance. 

“So are you gonna answer me or what?” he said. “Huh?” Mia sat puzzled by the current event. 

“I said my name is Gurren Yakusuke, what are you doing here?” He tapped his foot in annoyance”. He looked down to Mia’s lap and assessed the situation. Mia tried to speak but the words couldn’t come out, it’s as if there was tape wrapped around her mouth. “Whatever”, he said, still tapping his foot. “Well, I guess since you’re the only survivor I'll take you with me”. Mia looked up, more confused than before. “Well you can’t stay here for much longer, it seems like some of them are still here”. 

With a quick motion he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Mia, still clutching Aira’s head, took a step forward. “We best leave the dead behind”, he said. A tear fell down Mia’s face and she knelt down and placed Aira’s head on some rubble. Mia then kissed her fingers and pressed them against Aira’s forehead. “Let’s go”, they began to walk, moving past the debris and gore that was gathered throughout the shopping district.