The drive back to my apartment was surreal. The once-familiar streets of Spokane had been transformed into a war zone. The horizon was a hell scape of burning buildings, each casting flickering shadows that could hide any number of monsters inside of them. The roads were filled with abandoned vehicles, some overturned, others with doors left open, suggesting that their occupants had fled in panic. 

I weaved my Ford Ranger through the devastation, my mind a chaotic mess of rage and grief. The sounds of battle echoed in the distance: gunfire, explosions, the unmistakable cries of agony of the dying. The sky above was a twisted macabre of red glows and white lightning.  The alien planet, still partially visible in the night, hung ominously above, threatening to end everything. 

 As I neared my apartment complex, I saw that it too, had not been spared. The building partially collapsed and flames licked at its sides while some units were completely engulfed. I parked my truck on the grass nearest to my apartment and jumped out, running as quickly as I could to the entrance.

Praying to any god above that could hear me, I quietly asked that Kip was still okay. As I approached I saw that the front door was broken and hanging off of its hinges. I pulled and then pushed it aside, creating an opening to the smoke-filled apartment. The acrid smell of burning plastic and refuse assaulted my senses as I entered carefully. 

It was difficult to see as I entered and navigated the debris-strewn hallway, my eyes burning from the smoke.  The sounds of the building groaning and wood cracking in the fire filled my ears, a constant reminder of the danger that surrounded me. 

As I rounded the corner, I saw something that made my blood run cold. One of the golden-armored demons was standing in my living room, its obsidian spear glinting in the firelight. It hadn’t seen me yet, but I knew it would only be a moment before it realized I was in the room. I needed to move quickly. 

I scanned the room for anything I could use as a weapon and my eyes landed on a broken piece of piping that had fallen out of part of the collapsed roof. It lay in a pile of rubble around three feet to my left just within my reach.  I bent down and prayed that I wasn’t heard, I picked it up, its weight heavy in my hand.  

Stealthily, I crept my way up behind the invader, my heart pounding in my chest, threatening to give me away with each pulse of my blood. 

The humanoid creature seemed otherworldly up close, it was large, around seven feet tall and very broad. The golden armor it wore was intricately designed, with patterns that seemed to shift and move as if they were alive.  Its six wings were folded behind it, the feathers an onyx black, radiating a glow that illuminated the rest of its body and a stark contrast to the darkness around us. 

I raised the metal pipe high above my head, and then swung down with all of my might, placing the weight of my entire body into the swing.  The pipe connected with the back of the creature’s head, the impact reverberating through my arms and hurting my already frayed hands. The invader stumbled forward, more surprised than hurt, and turned around quickly to face me. 

Its eyes, they were so cold, a vivid blue that seemed to emanate their own source of light.  Its face was surprisingly human but covered with ancient looking symbols tattooed onto its bronze skin.  It looked into my eyes, locking its gaze with mine. It raised its spear, and lunged forward so quickly that I barely had any time to even twitch as I felt a searing pain in my side.  

Trying desperately to not pass out from the pain and blood loss, I took my right arm and locked it firmly around the shaft that was penetrating my body. I took the pipe in my left hand and swung it again, this time aiming for its face. It raised its shield and blocked my strike with ease, the force of the impact sending vibrations throughout my body. 

The intense pain in my side was the only thing that kept me conscious as it withdrew its spear and began to circle me. My apartment being our battle ground, I repositioned myself to find better footing and to keep one of the walls to my back so that it couldn’t get behind me. 

It moved with a surprising grace that made it seem like it was gliding across the floor and as it did so it unfurled its wings slightly, preparing to strike me once again. I knew I couldn’t match its strength, but I had to try. I wouldn’t die here in the darkness, alone. 

It lunged again, and expecting it this time I leaned to the side, dodging its attack by the slimmest margin possible. In that same movement I swung my pipe and connected with a satisfying thud against its exposed side. The creature let out a surprised growl of pain and turned to me, its spear flashing in the light of the fire as it attacked with a renewed fury. 

Doing my best to parry the countless thrusts of the spear, my metal pipe being a sad substitute for a real weapon, I managed to hold on while taking dozens of small cuts on my arms and legs. Memories of my mom’s dead body, her final smile while she lay in my arms flashed before my mind. Rage and desperation overtook me, fueling my body, giving me a strength that I didn’t know I had. 

Time seemed to slow down in that moment, just enough, that I saw an opening and swung my pipe with all my might, aiming for its fucking head. 

The metal pipe connected with a sickening crunch, and the demon creature staggered, its spear falling from its hand and clattering to the floor. I didn’t hesitate. I tackled the monster and knocked it to the floor while I scrambled to get on top of it. I took my pipe and I swung at its stupid face. I swung again, and again, and again, each strike fueled by my rage and desire to end its life.

It stopped struggling after the first few hits, after the tenth it became still, and after the twentieth there wasn’t a head anymore. It’s lifeless body, a twisted heap of golden armor, black wings, blood and gore lay beneath me.

I sat there on top of it, breathing heavily, my hands shaking, my body trembling as the adrenaline coursed through my veins. My head began to feel heavy, my vision began to spin rapidly and I collapsed falling onto the mutilated corpse of the thing I had just killed. As I lay there I could hear laughter in the back of my mind and then everything was black.