An Effigy of Home
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what would be the best way for the story to move on
  • Follow daniels pov Votes: 16 80.0%
  • Follow ayas pov Votes: 4 20.0%
Total voters: 20

Seeing as this chapter took longer than I wouldve liked I would like for you guys to give me some suggestions in the comments down bellow on how to proceed, because I have a vauge idea on where I would like to go with the story but I would like to hear your ideas as well.- Systema_BLK

 

Dashing down the street Daniel slowed as he saw how much the world had changed. The once finely cropped grass had grown over with flowery weeds and tall stalks while the street was littered with cars battered and abandoned leaving only shattered glass and a cloud of ever-present dust in the wind. Daniel felt his eyes drag against every detail of the new world the sun-bleached houses with peeling paint, the array of garbage, and litter scattering the ground. The world he was once familiar with was gone.

 

Reaching his neighborhood Daniel watched as snakes the size of cables and rabbits with soot-stained fur scattered in his presence. The prominent house that he had once stayed in had become shattered like the many windows and wooden beams holding the structure in place. Daniel marched onward in a daze as he opened the ajar door to see his neighbors happily chatting around the dinner table. Their faces aglow with a joy and warmth that Daniel could never forget. With each step, Daniel watched as his vision grew hazy with tears while a soft smile tugged on the edges of his face. He was finally home.

 

Daniel felt ready to squeeze his arms around his neighbors, the only semblance of a family he had until he felt something tugging at the hem of his coat. It was strong but Daniel simply waved the distraction away he was too happy to acknowledge it. As his arms were pulled to the living room with the well-aged couch, Daniel felt another tug on his coat. One filled with a determined force yet he simply feel deeper, gliding to the welcoming arms of his adoptive family. But it never came. Instead, Daniel found himself flying across the room striking the wall with a hollow thump.  Stricken in a daze Daniel found himself being pulled outside with the image of his family slowly fading with the glow of the midday sun.

 

Looking to the sky Daniel heard something on the edge of his senses “aster...ake...up” the sound was rough and unnerving like rocks being ground against glass. Though as Daniel regained what meager composure he had what stood over him was startling, to say the least. A large hound made of black glass loomed over him, its face reminiscent of a jackal with a distinct purple flame reflecting in its hollow sockets. Patting him on the face with its smooth cold paws Daniel felt perplexed until its sharp scratchy voice came through again “Master awake! Master stupid for leaving Kerberos again! Master apologize to Kerberos!”

 

Stunned for a moment, Daniel stared at Kerberos ‘Well, he was going to level up after we left the school so that's not a surprise but nothing said anything about him talking’ desperately trying to force the confusion from his mind Daniel set his questions to the side. Before looking back to the house with a sorrowful expression after processing Kerberos' action.

 

“Kerberos why did you drag me outta there we were home didn't you see them they were there do you want to see Aya again”

 

Kerberos seemed to look to Daniel with a sense of pity resting his smooth ebony neck against Daniel's shoulder “Master angry, but master stupid. Bad plants make master see Aya. Master hold breath before going in again. Kerberos wants to see Aya too.”

 

Distressed Daniel looked to Kerberos with warry eyes before taking a gulp of air and turning back to the house door. Crossing the short yard too the door Daniel froze with the smell of fecal rot and sweet decay. Vines the width of human arms slithered against the walls of the house, their spindly fingers clawing into the wild birds and deer that littered the floor. Bulging with vigor and life Daniel watched as a rat slipped between his legs running into his former home. Immobile Daniel Looked on as small motes of dust began to cling to the rats with the rat slowing until its frantic scamper turned into a meandering crawl.

 

Carefully the vines reached out cradling the rat with its thin emerald fingers laying its form to rest in a serpentine cocoon of its design. Ready to step away Daniel came to see the next phase of the vines feast stapling the rat taunt as black roots slipped down its gullet. The rat though didn't seem to mind, its eyes were well glazed over with not so much as a twitch of resistance.

 

Analyzing the vine for any hint of information all Daniel saw filled him with greater distress.

 

Parasitic vine (lv. 6)

A carnivorous vine that uses spores to ensnare and devours any nearby prey

 

Staring at the meager information Daniel received Daniel realized just how outclassed he truly was, everyone who had escaped from the school would be dead before the week was out. Stewing wit the realization a grim somberness returned to Daniels form, an air heavy with weighted emptiness and cruel indifference. Turning to Kerberos Daniel found intrigue in his hound's new abilities with one grabbing his eye in particular. “Kerberos, I've treated you poorly in the past. I was selfish, ignorant, and flawed and I need to be better. But we need to find Aya so Kerberos use purging flame”.

 

Raising his eyes to Daniel Kerberos could see none of the hope or dread that had evicted before as a flat deadpan sat in its place. Going stiff Kerberos jaw seem to open almost mechanically as the purple flame in his eye went out. With black sludge dripping between Kerberos' fangs a twisting whirlwind of flames flooded from the hound's mouth wrapping around the estate. Quietly dying down the onslaught of flame subsided leaving the house and its contents to char into ash.

 

With the roaring orange whisps of flame rising to the sky Daniel drew his hood and began his slow trek to Aya’s school, the last place he knew she could be. Each step felt heavier than the last, with what little of his joy smoldering to ash behind him yet he pressed on. Shifting his gaze to Kerberos Daniel gave a meek smile to his one true friend. Yet as Kerberos was gifted with speech his mouth fell silent, leaving Daniel the ignorance of the human remains left huddled in his bedroom.

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