Three months later

I tossed and turned in my bed, a woman's voice yelling in my mind, something about heirs, inheritance, and magic. It had spoiled my sleep, but the voice wasn't too loud, and so it hadn’t quite brought me to the point of being awake. Still, It made me annoyed and strangely stressed.

What did wake me up were the frantic, ear shattering knocks on my front door.

My heart literally jackhammered, banging against my ribs with the same explosive force as the loud door knocks.

Cursing, I stood up from bed, staggering towards the door. It is pitch black in my room, so on the way to door, I flip a switch, turning on the naked lightbulb at the center of my shoebox appartment.

Upset and slightly scared, I fumble with the door latch as it continues to literally shake from the deranged knocks this individual is giving. I yank it open.

"What the fuck's going on? Why are you banging so-"

At my doorway stands Synthia, dressed in a black leather jacket, white tank top beneath, jeans, and combat boots. She glares at me with an expression I can only describe as ice-cold.

"We need to go now," she commanded. "You are next in line--the other heirs are dead."

What?

"What?" I said, still a little bleary from sleep. "W-what's going on?"

I hesitate for a few moments, wondering if this is true, what will happen.

Suddenly, the lights go out, plunging us once again into darkness, the hallway and room lit only by a meager amount of moonlight.

"We don't have time for this," she spits out the word this like a curse, giving me a glare that could freeze the Sahara.

Seeing as I am not moving, she grabs my arm and drags me with her; she is stronger than I thought.

---

Bonus: Bad End 1 Took Too Long

"Synthia, wait, I have to pack some bags," I yell, twisting here and there to slip her grip. "I need to get some clothes, some food, and other essential items if we are going to be on the run."

At this, her icy facade cracks. Her expression sours and she screams so loud it makes your ears ring a bit, "No! You absolute imbecile! I told you we need to leave NOW! There are monsters you wouldn't even comprehend coming as of this moment to butcher you like cattle!"

She grapples with you, trying to get a grip on you and pull you out the door. Her perfect breasts rub against you more than once in the conflict, but the nature of the situation prevents you from giving it to much attention.

There's a terrible tearing sound of wood splintering and a crash that makes the both of us stop in our tracks. We both look at the origin of the noise and see an abomination ducking through the doorway and entering the room.

The beast is green and titanic in proportions. It observes us with three sets of black eyes with yellow crosses for pupils. This thing also has an obese stomach with an opening...some kind of toothless mouth with a long tongue full of spikes; it drags on the floor as he walks forwards, one booming step to the next. For all the teeth it lacks in that one, he makes it up by having three sets of razor sharp teeth that are so long as to penetrate and stick out of the skin around his mouth.

Some green creatures that look like goblins trail after it, snickering and eying us in an unpleasant fashion--especially Synthia.

Speaking of which, she is already standing up, moving towards the giant, her hand trailing towards her waist, where a knife I had failed to notice lies.

Then, out of the blue, she draws the knife--the blade turning red hot--and rushes the creature.

The creature lets her approach and then gives her a swing of his right arm.

Synthia ducks it, rolls, and emerges to give him a swipe of her own. A horrible sizzling sound is emitted. The beast roars and starts swinging madly trying to catch her. However, she has already fallen back.

She points the knife at him, which is now a dazzling white, smoking furiously.

A blink later a white flash engulfs my vision. I rub my eyes vehemently. But in the few seconds it takes me to regain my vision, I hear nine deafening gun shots.

When I come to, I see the giant with a charred hole through his cranium and Synthia holding a gun carved with strange symbols, firing some more shots at the twisted green creatures that are ducking behind furniture, chairs, something, anything.

When all of them take cover and she has no more targets, she pulls out some knifes with other symbols that look like three curved lines inside a circle.

She throws them one by one, somehow using her hand to bend them mid air and curve their trajectory around the barricades. One, two, three, four. The creatures are now screaming, cursing her, begging for their lives.

I see something black, a shadow, moving on the floor. But I don't want to interrupt her concentration and make her fail at a pivotal moment--she clearly knows what she is doing and probably noticed it herself.

But, this proved to be a terrible mistake. The shadow sneaks up to her and crawls up her leg. She fumbles in her pocket, and barely manages to pull out her phone from her pocket when a sickening crunch rings out and her leg is consumed by the shapeless shadow.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, my hands numb, shaking, I grab my phone which is nearby.

The shadow is already pressing the attack, looking for an angle while Synthia tries to shine it with the trembling flashlight of her phone.

I turn on the flashlight of my phone and as I'm about to shine it on the shadow, I feel a impact on my lower back, left side. I fight through the horrid pain and look down, and see one of Synthia's knifes.

The goblins retrieved from on e of their dead comrades and threw it at me.

This moment of observation came with a cost; one of the other goblins sprints towards Synthia's prone form, rusty scissors in hand. And stabs her in the eye.

The screams that follow are too much. But, already other goblins are rushing me I punch one, kick another. But the third stabs me in the stomach. Another stab, then another.

I collapse to the floor due to them pilling me, stabbing, biting.

The last thing I see is a few goblins ripping the clothes out of her corpse.

---

"Okay, just let me grab my lock picks real quick," I plead. "They are close, right there"--I point to the table.

"Be quick about it," she said, releasing me. "Run."

As I do this, she steps out into the hallway.

Right around the time where I reach the picks, I hear gunshots out in hall.

To say that I am scared would not do it justice. I feel as if I have a literal knife that is being twisted inside my belly. Every muscle in my body feels rigid and strained to its breaking point. And, I've never needed to take a piss quite so badly in my life.

I approach the doorway and hesitantly call out, "Synthia?"

The gunshots stop. And soon enough I see a mane of blonde hair and blue blue eyes rushing towards me.

"Come...With...Me..." she croaked, panting for breath.

She grabs my hand and bolts down the hallway with me following her. We make a sharp right turn and fly down the crumbling stairs two, three steps at a time.

My lungs burn, but I try to keep up her break-neck speed.

We are on the fifth floor and as we make it to the fourth floor, there lying in wait are a group of five abhorrent green creatures. Their black, beady eyes and knife-sharp teeth glint at us.

Synthia pulled out a gun and shoved into my chest. The thing was marked with symbols, two kinds, carved deep into the metal over and over. Somehow looking at them, I could tell they stood for strength and stability.

"Safety is off," she said, "Care for the recoil." With that, she shoved her hands into her leather jacket's pockets and produced a set of wicked throwing knifes, more runes in them too.

They were already dashing towards us, getting worryingly close. As I aim down the sights and get ready to blast the one right in front of me to the ninth hell, Synthia is already throwing the knifes, one by one, without fault they find their targets, curving in the air in elegant arcs.

I press the trigger and the blast almost blows out my eardrums, the gun recoiling with potent force. Only her warning and my death grip stopped it from breaking my nose.

For lack of a better words, the goblins chest...explodes. Meat, blood, unknown fluids scatter everywhere, my face, the floor. The bullet goes through, impacts on the wall and leaves cracks it in a radius around the impact.

The fact that I killed something sinks in me for a moment, but I don't have time to dwell on it too long; I am already aiming for the next one. The shot hits him in the left shoulder, once again, bone and blood flying everywhere.

I look for my next target, but all I see is Synthia starting to sprint down to the third floor. I stumble a bit in my rush to not get left behind.

The creatures are everywhere in the stairs. She slashes as she runs, with a knife that burns red hot somehow, a luminous trail following every slash.

I shoot once, twice to the ones closest to me. But, it is takes to long to aim and manage the recoil.

I start pushing the ones I can down the stairs, barreling through. I take a few cuts in my way. And, at this time, all I'm doing is praying they are not serious, that I won't bleed out from them.

Somehow, we manage to make it to the bottom of the stairs, but barring the way is an abomination straight from hell.

The beast is green and titanic in proportions. It observes us with three sets of black eyes with yellow crosses for pupils. This thing also has an obese stomach with an opening...some kind of toothless mouth with a long tongue full of spikes; it drags on the floor as he walks forwards, one booming step to the next. For all the teeth it lacks in that one, he makes it up by having three sets of razor sharp teeth that are so long as to penetrate and stick out of the skin around his mouth.

Quick as lightning, she points the knife at him, which is now a dazzling white, smoking furiously.

A blink later a white flash engulfs my vision.

There is a terrible sizzling sound and scream. I rub my eyes vehemently. But, before my vision clears, someone grabs my hand. I snarl, ready to-

It's just Synthia, she is pulling my hand.

My vision clears and I see we are out of the apartment, running in the street.

A car parks right next to us, the driver, Jezal leans to the side and opens the passenger side door. Synthia all but dives inside. I can hear strange howling, tribal shouts, and more, increasingly louder every seconds as I fumble to open the backdoor with shaking hands.

I throw myself inside and the car speeds off even before the door is closed. Some bug creature with six arms, leaps andd lands in Synthia's door, stuck like glue. It's horrible maw opens into four differnt parts and starts spreading green spittle all over. It grabs the door that I opened and starts moving towards the opening.

Jezal screams a battle cry and swerves right into a car that is parked right in front of us, tearing bug and door of the car alike.

We drive for a few minutes and I am all wound up, stress hormones destroying my body from the inside out. Waiting for the next attack. But when I realize we made it out, I collapse on the seat, unmoving.

Jezal looks backwards as he drives. Presenting me with his ruined face. Most of the left side of his face has been injured, eye socket empty.

"Welcome to every day of our lives for the last two months," he exclaimed, his functioning right side twisted into barely contained desperation.

We continue to drive. Cold air blows through the gaping hole that is my door, chilling me through my pajamas--a pair of boxer briefs and an old long sleeved t-shirt.

As we travel, I calm down and my faculties return. That is when I notice the marked absence of Cecily and Chase. So I breach the subject.

"I can't help but notice Cecily and Chase are not with us. Please tell me they are okay," I said in a worried voice.

"Cecily is dead," Synthia supplied an icy anger laced her words. "Torn apart by Others."

"We are not sure about Chase... but, he is also probably in a better place," said Jezal.

"Speaking of Cecily has reminded me to give you this"--she passes through the space between the two driving and settles down next to me, showing me a green piercing so dark as to be almost black--"It is the Scaurgez's ornament of office. Let me help y-"

Surprised, she gazes at my shirt. "Jesse! Oh no, you are bleeding!"

I look down with her and see that it's torn and stained with blood on the spots I got stabbed.

"Throw me some bandages and alcohol from the glove compartment, will you, little J."

Plap, plap, plap. A disinfectant, and two bandages collide with the back seat.

"We could use one more bandage, rule of three and all," she says. This last one hits my chest and then rolls to the floor.

Synthia leans down to pick it up and then raises my shirt to inspect the wounds. She trails her hand lightly this way and that, prodding the injuries.

I think that is when it hits her that she is touching a young guy that is in underwear and effectively shirtless, because a blush creeps up her cheeks and she averts her gaze.

For a moment I consider telling her that I can probably bandage them myself...but, then again, it's not every day you get to be touched and nursed by a middle aged bombshell and its not like I'm having sex with her or anything so I am not cheating on my girlfriend, Sarah.

Synthia gets a grip and returns to her ministrations. She leans in and I can her fruity shampoo, her comely right breast pressed against my arm, her stiff nipple brushing up and down up and down as she moves. It's too much. Despite my best efforts my brother in arms rises to the call of duty, making a tent out of my boxers.

This fact doesn't elude Synthia and she blushes beet red.

"No. I. No, this isn't right," she gushed, biting her lip.

"What's that?" asked Jezal from the front seat.

"Nothing. Pay attention to the road!"

She gives me a conflicted look. "Um, here is the ornament, please wear it now so you don't lose it." That said, she turns her back on me and makes her way to the front seat, squeezing through the gap once again, and giving me a view of her bubble-butt packed in those tight jeans in the process.

I do as she asked and put the piercing on my tongue. It takes some effort and there is more than a little pain, but its done.

"So, I have it on," I say with a slight lisp. "What does this "ornament of office" do? What are Others and the rule of three for that matter?"

There's a pause as if they are considering how best to explain, Synthia beings, "All of this magic, this shadow world. It is old and steeped in traditions and rules. Others are often very old and powerful. These beings have trouble telling us apart, when we live and die so quickly and when we often look the same; in her time as heir, Cecily would often be called Ariadne by Others that could not tell the difference between her and our grandmother. So, practitioners--humans who practice magic--establish a pedigrees or patterns. Some have ornaments of office, like us, while others carry on with seventh sons or females only.

"That piercing is one of the identifying factors of the Scaurgez heir, but not the only one. They are scourges, practitioners that work with the Abyss. In our family only the heir can be awakened and practice and is always kept in the dark along with the rest of the family before selection."

How did she do magic then? "How can you practice when you are not the heir then?" I asked.

"That is because we don't," she said. "The items you saw today are tools Cecily made in her time as heir. Shamanism or runes for the gun and knifes, and a ghost for the knife. I will need you in order to continue using them, because the ghost is almost out power and the spirits that govern the runes expect payment for use, which I can not give as a non practitioner. It is a matter of time before they stop powering the runes.

"I think that covers everything right?" she asks Jezal.

"No, you forgot the rule of three," he replies. "There are these spirits, you see, they govern everything, who help you or sink you based on dramatic actions, momentum, showmanship, things like that go a long way. The rule of three is like that, for some reason they like that number, gives everything a little bit of an oomph."

"I think I get what you mean but not completely," I said, just as confused as I was at the beginning but for different reasons now.

We pass by a sign that says: Helbinh Pass 10 miles.

"Don't worry about it," Synthia retorts. "We are almost there anyways and there is a library crammed with books in the basement with all the answers and in more detail than we can explain."

Jezal interrupts, muttering, "What's the hell happened to the road?"

Some meters ahead, the clean, salted road ends, and a black trail of compost and other rotten stuff begins.

"Give it a wide berth, just in case. Go to the side of the road till we pass this" said Synthia.

Jezal maneuvers the car into the side and goes parallel to the road. The forest hugging tight from the left.

But, it is not enough. A massive grey arm burst out of the rotten ground to the right of us, concrete chunks pelting off the car.

Jezal stomps on the accelerator, but it is too little too late. The thing from the ground reaches for the car in an explosive movement.

It's fat fingers close and Synthia's glass shatters, raining down on her. The fingers continue heedless of the shards still present. They cut deep into its flesh, but it continues, grasping and finding purchase in the metal.

"Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuuuuuuck!" yelled Jezal. The car's wheels furiously spinning on the dirty ground, spouting snow and earth into the air. Still it can not move forwards.

Synthia is already trying to cut the fingers with her knife, but it's more black than red in terms of heat at this point, having lost most of its previous power.

She manages to cut two of its fingers, but in that time, the creature has unearthed its other arm and chest. It uses it to grab the back of the car.

We see its grey, dead flesh, covered in a profusion of stitches. Its mouth covered in flesh with a few slits for air and its grey deceased eyes shine with two pinpricks of unholy red light.

The thing roars, a guttural, broken sound. And with impossible strength it flings us to oblivion.

The car flies flies in the air for a few long seconds, flipping in the air. Despite trying hold on, I fall through the opening in my door when it faces the ground.

The small layer of snow on the ground does nothing to cushion my impact to the ground, my head slamming painfully into the dirt.

I push myself of the ground with my arms and the world is shaking, giving me intense vertigo. Nevertheless, I slowly stand up, almost falling back down twice.

And try to find the car... there.

It has been totaled. And, if the state of the car is similar than that of its passengers, well, I wouldn't be surprised if Synthia and Jezal are dead already or paralyzed from the neck down.

I need to help them out.

I see the monster standing on two legs, fully emerged from the ground, gigantic in proportions, heading towards them. And, my stomach churns with nerves. I have to at least try to do something to help.

I start sprint forwards, trying to beat him there. My legs are pounding, feet desperately trying to create some form of traction on the thin layer of snow.

As I get near I pull out my gun and shoot at him. Chunks of grey dead meat explode along with black blood. But I might as well be shooting water for all the good it does.

Aiming is taking time as well as managing the recoil, so I just focus on running instead.

I think I'll make it, already I am almost past him--I've always been above average at running.

I reach the rotten road and race through it, filth sticking to my bare feet. The smell destroys my nostrils and is so bad I can actually taste it with my mouth.

I all but slam into the side of the car from my momentum, scrambling to open the door of Synthia's door.

It gives me some resistance so I pull with all my strength, feet on the side of the car, pulling towards me for more force.

Slowly, ever so slowly the door opens. However, due to it being so banged up, halfway it gets stuck and won't budge.

I squeeze through the narrow opening. I can't see much, but Synthia's head is dripping blood, her eyes closed.

I quickly feel for the seat belt, hysterical with fear that the monster will be right behind me.

The seat belt comes off with a loud click and I drag Synthia out of the car. She's heavy!

Panting hard from exertion, I waste no time and start shaking her. "Synthia! Synthia! Wake up!"

This fails. So, I slap her in the cheek once, twice, thrice-

Her eyes shoot open and she grabs my hand. There's a moment of confusion in her features, but then she glares and yells, "I'll buy time. Wake up Jezal and tell him to get the salt and draw a circle trap."

The monster is almost upon us now.

She pulls out a plastic tube, white, with orange at the top and a blue base at the bottom. She pulls out the blue plastic with her teeth, and then punches the other end of the tube into her thigh.

Synthia starts running on the other direction--towards the forest--limping, one arm dangling uselessly.

The beast follows after her, sensing easy prey. But, just when I think it will catch her, she starts running normally again after a few moments.

It turns out that there is no need for me to get Jezal, because he is already crawling out of the windshield. I help him up and he thanks me.

"Synthia said we need the salt from the trunk to draw a "circle trap"," I told him, offering him a shoulder to lean on.

"Alfighlt," he said, his head moving this way and that, confused. "Fleys aght in mah pofet."

He didn't say what pocket so I feel all of his pockets to see which one has the bulge of the keys.

I insert them in the trunk. Luckily it opens without a hitch.

Guy is dead weight and I need to carry this heavy salt bag, so I take him out of my shoulder and place him on the ground.

"Meight fircle og snouw ther," he sputters. "Leaf ovening sough ge Ofher cam enfer. Maig bif, so if has no lime lim fore yough clause ogenin."

I make a mark on the snow with one foot, then another further away.

"Is that okay?" I ask.

"No bimger. Doufle," he replies, struggling to keep his one good eye open.

Perhaps twenty seconds after I finish construction, Synthia reappears holding some branches to her chest with her one good arm as she runs, the monster hot on her trail.

I give her a thumbs up as the signal that the circle is complete.

A few moments later she passes through the entrance and waits in the center.

The monster follows right after.

I am already positioned right next to the entrance and while the creature attempts to grab Synthia and she throws the branches at it--causing the rotten skin to melt and smoke--I scramble to cover and complete the missing portion of the salt circle.

Synthia deftly jumps out, the monster following-

An invisible barrier stops him.

We all take a second to catch our breaths, while the Other glares at us with two baleful red eyes.

"Just in case lets get some wood and make an outer circle of it for double strength," Synthia says, breaking the moment.

"We should also decide what to do with it," she claims. "We could bind it and use it against our enemies, but if it fails and they send it against us one more time, it would be the third time, making it stronger.

"It does not look vocal or intelligent so we will not be able to strike a deal with it. Most likely if we release it it will just go berserk again on us or anyone it sees. However, the thing will resent us for subjugating it against its will and go for us first if we are in sight.

"Alternatively, we could just throw salt and branches at it until it dies."

"I think we should kill it," I said. "It is too volatile to be controled."

"I think this is a mistake," answered Synthia. "Better to have an option that you can use rather than none. But have it your way."

We start collecting fresh branches, Synthia says the fresher the better to oppose the undead nature of the thing. We decide to save the salt since it works on other thins such as the unclean, ghosts, and malignant Others as well. But, most importantly, we don't have a renewable source for it.

The Other seems to be intelligent enough to realize what we are doing and roars and roars and just keeps roaring.

We start throwing branch after branch at it and it finally stops screaming when it becomes a rotten puddle on the ground.

She looks at the rotten road stretching ahead and considers what to do.

"There might be more Others like that at regular intervals in the road," she said, frowning.

"Folest, thenh?" asked Jezal.

"No other choice, Little J," she replies, brimming with bitterness. "No choice at all; it's always bad or worse these days."

Before we leave, we retrieve a duffel bag from the trunk. Then we begin walking into the forest

The dim illumination of the first weak rays of light pf dawn trickles through the canopy.

Synthia and Jezal have their eyes peeled, weapons in hand. Synthia has her throwing knifes, Jezal an axe dripping with water and wrapped in algae, glinting sharply.

They think that whoever set traps in the road probably set them up in the forest to.

We continue like this for a long time, watching every shadow.

Out of a tree in the 4 am direction a creature with a moose skull for a head steps out slowly. It is wearing a worn, grey tunic. And out of its holes limbs made of dark wood emerge, fingers ending in stone claws.

Another one steps out from the 9 pm direction. Then another right in front of us.

More and more, keep coming out from behind their hiding spots. I do a spin, looking around me.

We are surrounded in every direction. A circle of Others has us fenced in.

"We need to break through," said Synthia. She digs into the duffel and comes out with a few bottles with clothe wicks coming out of their tops as well as a box of matches. "Get ready to run."

Seeing this the creatures rush us, trying to prevent her from lighting them.

Jezal swings his axe at one of the creatures coming from the left. It shatters its bone head. Two others taking its place; he keeps swinging.

On the right, the creatures approach me. I shoot, hitting one in the chest, blowing it backwards a distance. It starts standing up again, but I have others that are closer.

I shoot one in the skull, shattering it. Then another on the arm that was about to close on me, shattering the wood, arm falling to the ground. I fire again aiming at its head and-

Click. click, click, click.

It's out of amo and it won't fire and what do I do?!

It's other arm comes down in a wicked slash, catching me in the chest, slicing it open in three jagged lines, making me stagger into Synthia.

The Other raises its arm, getting ready for another swipe.

But Synthia throws a molotov at him; it explodes, showering it and some of the Others nearby in flame.

She wastes no time and starts throwing more bottles to the other areas around.

We'll make it out! She saved me again. Watching her scornful grin, her lively sapphire eyes, as she throws bottle after bottle, I feel a feeling of intense love. More intense than I've ever felt with Sarah. Surviving, fighting for your life with someone makes you feel desperate and fierce emotions. And-

"Mom, helph!" screams Jezal. One of the wood creatures holding him from behind, claw to his throat. Another four standing by, watching a few meters away.

He was weak from the crash, concussion and all. Must have gotten overwhelmed by the creatures at some point in the skirmish.

---

Bonus Bad End 2: Et Tu Woodman

"Please, let him go," Synthia whimpers. "Please."

The creature carves a gun shaped symbol and a duffel bag into Jezal's forehead, on the good side of his face.

Then it points towards the ground next to it. Then, makes a throwing motion with its unoccupied hand.

Synthia is undecided, she looks hesitant to go through with this--even if it means certain death for her one remaining child.

But, I don't want to be responsible for a friends death.

We should just comply with them and deescalate the situation. Maybe then we can negotiate something.

"Alright, we'll give up the weapons," I said. "No need for more violence. I'm sure there is something that you want. What is it?"

I make a grab for the duffel bag, but Synthia holds onto it, dithering.

"Momh, PLEAZE!" Jezal cries.

"I can't have kill him through inaction," I tell her, looking at her eyes; they are tearing up.

"Okay...okay," she sighs. "This is a mistake, but have it your way." She releases her hold on the bag and starts throwing her weapons: knifes, bottles, and ghost knife.

I throw the duffel bag and gun at them. It is heavy and I have to put a lot of force into the throw. However, it only lands half of the way there.

The four wooden men that are free pick them up.

Jezal is released, given a harsh push towards us. The five creatures point in unison for us to leave.

Shocked and soaring with release we all turn to go.

A gunshot hits me in my hip. My vision goes white and red from the pain. Something, a knife, hits me in my right arm. Then another.

I collapse on the ground, vision going black, body numb.

---

It seems as if these Others are intelligent enough to communicate and it taking a hostage might mean it wants something.

For a moment I consider raising my gun as a bluff but then I remember the loud clicking noises; they must have heard them too. Besides, there is no guarantee he won't slit Jezal's throat the moment I start raising it.

"What do you want?" I asked the wooden man.

"Please, let him go," Synthia whimpered. "Please."

The creature carves a gun shaped symbol and a duffel bag into Jezal's forehead, on the good side of his face, with its unoccupied hand. Then it points towards the ground next to it. Finishing with a throwing motion.

Synthia is undecided, she looks hesitant to go through with this--even if it means certain death for her one remaining child.

I shake my head, "No that won't work," I said, "We can give you money or something of value at a later date."

The Other remains motionless, still holding Jezal hostage. The other four; however, are stealthily moving to our sides, trying to surround us.

I dash towards Synthia. The moment the hostage taker sees this, it slits Jezals throat, blood cascading down, causing him to choke inarticulately in a horrible way that will stay in my mind forever. The other four creatures rushing towards us, claws out.

I reach her and yell, "Need some weapons." as I dig into her jacket's pocket, finding three knifes, but grabbing only two.

This seems to wake Synthia from her stupor. She starts lighting the last two molotovs.

The first one reaches me, his right claw coming straight for my eyes. I parry with one of the knifes, but they are too small, not meant for this. And, my hand suffers for it getting a few rips.

I stab the other on the things chest. It goes in deep, but nothing happens, nothing comes out--it's just wood.

The second claw comes, my jugular the target this time. I tuck my chin and twist, making my jugular harder to reach, trying to avoid the worse of the blow. The three claws cut three horizontal, jagged lines: one across my nose, another in between my lips and nose, the last on my chin.

I stagger backwards, trying to put distance between us, wondering if this is were I die.

A molotov hits it in the back, turning it to ashes faster than wood should combust.

I look up and see that there are only two of the Others left. Synthia is engaged with one, ghost knife burning it wherever it strikes. I expected the second to come for me, but instead it is moving to gang up on her.

Frantically, I look for something--anything--that I can use to help. That is when I notice the sea axe Jezal had, lying in a pool of water and algae.

I bound to it. My fatigued body strains to keep up the break-neck speed, in pain from a dozen wounds and all the exertions from before.

When I stop to grab the axe, I skid a little with momentum.

I look up and see the wood man that was at the other side of the circle they were trying to form is two steps away, already preparing its arm to strike.

I won't make it, I think. I have to throw it, but the distance is too great for the strike to contain any meaningful force.

What was it? The spirits reward showmanship?

All I have left is this last desperate card up my sleeve. I school my expression into one of confidence and I grin to the world, to the spirits, to anyone who will dare witness.

I throw the axe with terrible force. "Creature! I confine you with the power of the sea, the might of the ocean! Algae Jail!" I scream, my voice loud in the silent forest.

The axe spins madly and hits the wood man. It doesn't pierce or damage him much, but the algae in the axe move with a will of their own, growing longer and bigger; they start looping around it and in no time they have him tethered in a mess of algae, the ends of which have sunk deep into the ground. The axe falls to the ground, the binding algae no longer attached to it.

For a moment I am amazed it worked, but I keep my confident mask on, lest the spirits change their mind.

The wood man fights against the restraints. Alas, by the time he has cut a few of them with his claws down, Synthia has dealt with the one she was fighting with. She turns to him and faints a blow to the chest, the creature falls for it and makes a retaliatory swing. Now, with an vulnerable stance, she sticks him with the ghost knife in the chest, making it burn. After a few seconds it disintegrates to ashes.

Synthia and I look at each other, dead on our feet, panting.

The moment passes, and she turns towards the body of Jezal. I hear her whispering something faintly. Then she starts crying, shoulders shaking with the strength of the sobs.

I can't leave her like this, so I walk up to her and give her a strong hug. She returns the hug and puts her face in the crook of my elbow, wetting my t-shirt.

"Oh goood!" she cries. "They are all dead! My whole family is dead! I have nothing left!"

I pat her head. "You still have me Synthia," I said, in a soft voice. "And you are family to me."

She goes still and looks up at me. She is out of it, her eyes are glazed over and she has a weird expression.

"I-uh...I-yes! You are right, we are family. These people are impostors. Little J stood for you all along, Jesse, my little Jesse. I am your mother, don't you see? These others must have erased my memories but now they have come back!" she gushes, her eyes manic.

What do you even say to this?

Better leave this argument for another time when some time has passed and she is calm.

"Synthia we need to leave. We should also consider what we are going to do about all these encounters they keep setting up for us--I don't think we can do this much longer."

"Yes, you are right," she replies, smiling at me dreamily. "I wouldn't worry about more fights. This is our third win and the spirits should aid us."

We start walking again through the forest. And, a minute in, I trip on a stone, falling prone to the ground. I try to get up, but the earth starts crumbling around me. I fall again, this time into stone instead of earth.

I lurch upright and see that I am in some kind of underground miners cave.

"Are you alright, baby?!" calls out Synthia in an anxious voice.

"Yeah! There's some kind of cave in here!" I answer, hands cupped to my mouth for better sound.

Synthia drops down, kneels to absorb the impact, and then rolls. She stands and dusts her clothes, saying "I am fairly sure this is our reward."

"Let's see where it goes," she quipped, grabbing my hand and pulling me forwards.

We walk through the dark cave for a long time. Eventually, the tunnels end and the sewers begin. We continue through them until the first stairs we see, climbing out through the manhole.

In some stroke of insane luck inversely proportional to the last few hours of my life, we are right next to the manor, across the street to be precise.

Unfortunately, there is company, the street is filled with Others, some more human than others, some pacing, some keeping still.

After talking it out, we burst out of the manhole and race to the nearest wall of the manor--the gate is too heavily guarded. The stone portion of the wall is not that tall, mid-chest level we climb it without and issue, then we jump and grab onto the metal bars. As we vault over to the other side, the spikes rake us somewhat.

Others are already trickling in through the gate, vaulting the walls like us, or flying over them with wings.

The ones that came through the gate are closer to the front gate and move to cut us off from it.

We opt for a closer and quicker entrance--the window. We smash through it, glass raining on us. Others already there, screeching, cursing, and taunting us. But, they can't get through.

Synthia and I get up slowly and move deeper into the house, closing the door to that room and putting a chair to barricade it just in case.

We both collapse on the couch, holding hands, and rest for a while.

The rest of the night passes in a blur, we take a shower--which Synthia insists she help me with--we clean ourwounds, dress and eat some quick food, and finally we go to the bedroom.

Synthia insists she sleep with me, saying that "She knows all the spooky mosters made me afraid, but as my mom she will protect me from nightmares."

Despite this, sleep comes hard that night, not because of any nightmares, but due to the swarm of Others that crawled all over the house, scratching and tapping at the window of the bedroom, their shadows visible behind the curtain. Loud, disturbing scrabbling noises coming from the roof as well as the inhuman screeches passing through the walls that went all night long made me clench my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would shatter.