Side Story 1. Nightmare’s End
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"I had another nightmare last night."

"............."

"No, it's quite tame compared to the ones before."

"............."

"You're curious about it? Okay I'll tell you."

"............."

"I saw an altar made from wood, red and black water seeping through it's boards. A familiar figure, one I can't quite remember the features of...It's been too long, though I know who it is...Jason, My husband. His face is blurry. I hear a scream, I turn my head and I see him. I remember his features clearly, John the old pastor. Every detail on his weathered face I remember with absolute clarity, from his long white beard to his crooked hawk like nose. His eyes gleam with madness has he jumped towards me with a blood soaked letter opener in hand and then I wake up."

"............"

"Isn't it strange papa? That I can remember every detail about my husband's murderer but I can't seem to recall what my Jason looked like?"

"............"

"You say it's because of trauma? That it's easier to remember the bad things and not the good things? Hmm.. Maybe you're right. Hehe, you should totally be a psychiatrist papa."

"............"

"You're thinking about them again?"

"..........."

"Me too.."

"............"

"Don't be so pessimistic papa, I'm sure they're still alive."

"............"

"Even if it's been three years, they're survivors just like us papa. I know they're alive and kicking."

"............"

"Hehe, if I wasn't around to scold you papa, you would be hopeless."

"..........."

"You see someone!?"

...

It was midday, the skies blue and clear. Blistering waves of heat poured down from the sun making the air dry and hot.

Beside a dried up lake was a rather conspicuous observation tower, it was around 60'ft tall and made primarily of concrete and steel. It bordered a burned forest, the trees were withered and leafless. Their bark turned to charcoal.

Inside the tower was a woman, crouching behind the cover of the steel guardrails.

She was wearing denim jeans that were full of rips and holes, leather military boots; a worn cargo jacket and a brown trench coat. A red scarf hung around her thin neck and a medium sized backpack was strapped to her back.

She was as skinny as a stick. It looked as if she hadn't eaten properly for several months. She was balding, only a few locks of her brown hair remained which was styled into a rather passable mohawk.

Her skin was tanned, and her face weatherbeaten. A large scar ran down from her eyebrow to her lip giving her an intimidating look.

Mary was currently looking through the scope of her hunting rifle, her expression excited.

She whispered. "I can see him papa, there's a man about 400 hundred meters away. He's walking past the dried up lake."

".........."

Mary snickered in a low voice. "You want to shoot him this time? Pfft, You couldn't hit the side of a barn from the inside papa."

"..........."

"Stop making up excuses papa, I may only have one eye now but that's all I need. I'll shoot him dead in one shot, you'll see!" Mary focused intently as she held her breath. She slowly pulled the trigger.

*Bang!* The crack of a gunshot echoed throughout the area.

She jumped up excitedly, a big smile appearing her face. "See papa! Did you see that? Headshot!" She laughed.

"Wait here, I'll be back in a jiffy." Mary opened the floor hatch and climbed down the stairs disappearing from sight. Minutes later Mary's head popped up from the hatch, she was breathless and sweating heavily. On her shoulder was a man around 170cm's tall.

Mary dropped the body to the side and wiped the sweat off her brow.

"Papa I brought back dinner." Mary massaged her neck, the exhaustion gradually leaving as she caught her breath.

"..........."

"I know, I know.. I have to bleed the corpse dry first right?" Mary shook her head and set about the task. Tying a rope around the corpse's legs, she connected the end of the rope to the guardrailing. Taking a machete from her waist, she slit the dead man's throat causing a gush of blood to flood out.

"Heave ho!" Mary lifted the corpse over the railing, the rope tightening with a snap as the body stopped descending. It hung outside the tower eerily, blood dripping from the corpse to the dry earth below.

Mary clapped her hands. "All done!"

"............"

Mary turned her head to the side and replied. "You're right papa, I do feel a little tired. Maybe I will take a nap."

Mary stretched as she yawned. "Ahh.. that tired me out." She placed her gear and equipment to the side and took out a wool blanket from her backpack.

Laying her head on her soft pack, she draped the blanket over herself.

As her sleepy eye began to close, she directed a gentle smile to the side and mumbled. "Wake me up later okay papa, I'll make us some dinner."

"............"

Beside Mary was a pale white, polished skull. A bullet hole showed itself prominently on the upper left forehead.

As Mary fell into a deep sleep, a new nightmare had begun to play in her subconscious.

There was a hurried running, in the background a huge ball of fire that blotted out the sky. Next, a flash of light. She was now in a room, chained to a wall nude. She screamed as loud as she could but no words came, her body was mutilated and bloody. Human skins could been seen hanging on hooks. To her side was her father, Rick. His headless body lay lifeless on the concrete floor, his head on the nearby table staring at her with horror, blood dripping from the hole on his forehead. From the hall to the side a whistling could be heard in the tune of a popular nursery rhyme about diamond rings, looking glass's and a certain bird. In came a man shrouded in black mist, the only thing distinguishing him was the gas mask that hid his face. Words leave his mouth, his voice croaky, harsh and muffled.

"I have seen it.. a vision from the violet goddess. The truth my child. Your skin is the barrier that separates you from order, allow me to relieve it from you."

The scene changes, a loud explosion could be heard. Mary running with her fathers head in hand into a burned forest, the dead trees have warm smiles on their faces. Their withered branches reach out towards her.

"Ahh!" Mary shouted loudly as she sprung awake, her hands shivering as if it were winter. Mary's breathing was heavy and her body was drenched in sweat.

It took a minute to calm herself, looking around she noticed it was now night time.

Looking down at the skull beside her, she let out a disappointed sigh.

"Geeze papa, why didn't you wake me up?" She said in a scolding tone.

"............"

"What? You fell asleep again?," Mary crossed her arms. "You always fall asleep papa.. Humph."

"............"

*Grumble* Mary's stomach let out an audible growl.

"............."

"Later papa, I'm hungry." Mary waved her hand.

...

Below the observation tower Mary sat beside a campfire roasting what looked like a human leg. Beside her sitting atop her backpack was a skull, a piece of cooked flesh was sitting in front of it.

".........."

"What you're not hungry?" Mary looked at the silent skull. "More for me then hehe." She took the piece of cooked flesh and ate it, juices dripped from her dry lips.

"Mmm, that was a prime cut you just missed out on papa. You sure you're not hungry?"

"........."

Mary raised her eyebrow. "Suit yourself then."

After finishing up her meal, she sat around the fire in silence poking it with a stick. Her eye having a glazed look to it.

"I don't feel safe here anymore papa." Mary remarked.

".........."

With a look of fear she replied. "I.. I saw him again."

"..........."

"But I'm scared papa." Mary whispered.

".........."

Mary shook her head in disagreement. "No, we're leaving and that's that."

She packed her things and snuffed out the dwindling campfire. Holding the shiny skull in her hand, she began to walk through the dark towards the burned forest.

"..........."

"I know I can't run away forever but.. " There was a look of indecision on Mary's face.

".........."

"Please papa, just let me run for a little longer okay? Let that bastard wait." Mary continued walking through the forest at a energetic pace, the dead branches breaking beneath her feat.

After several hours of trekking through the burned forest, first light could be seen from the distant horizon.

Mary wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked down at the skull in her hand. "You want to take a break papa?"

"..........."

She shook her head and smiled. "I'm alright, my body isn't that tired yet."

*Crack* A loud distant branch snap could be heard from behind Mary.

She turned around immediately, quickly, she put the skull away in her backpack while equipping her hunting rifle.

The trees surrounding her were thick enough to have two people wrap the arms around and although they were burnt black, they were clustered enough to hinder line of sight

As she stared around vigilantly, not making a sound, A gentle wind brushed through the burnt forest, it carried the sound of a familiar whistle. A rhyme that had haunted Mary's dreams for years.

Her eye dilated as fear overcame her calm facade.

"Child, we are among the last." Came a harsh, muffled voice that echoed throughout the forest. The origin of said voice hard to pinpoint.

"S-s-s-show y-yourself." Mary attempted to shout but all that came out was a stuttering whimper.

"The end has come, there aren't many left but they will all find each other. It is the will of god." The voice remarked.

Mary looked from side to side with her single eye hoping to catch any clue to the mysterious voice's location.

"It's a shame that you managed to escape before.. because of that, I could not free you from your restrictive vessel and now that time is running out, I won't have any the time to spare. I'm sorry child." The voice sounded genuinely remorseful.

"Y-you monster!" Mary managed to grit her teeth and shout, a tear sliding down her cheek from her eye.

In Mary's blind spot, a figure emerged from a nearby tree. It was a tall man around 6'ft. He wore a robe made from human skin, a gas mask covering his face. Only his eerie blue eyes shone through.

The man had a long machete in hand. As he slowly approached behind the trembling Mary, he raised his machete ready to strike when he entered range.

Mary seemed to hear something, her trembling body becoming still and firm.

She whispered. "You were right papa, I can't run forever."

Finally within range, the man struck down swiftly towards the unsuspecting Mary.

Mary turned around and quickly used her hunting rifle to block the oncoming machete.

*Chink!*

The machete buried itself into the hunting rifle stopping halfway through the refined steel barrel.

Mary grunted as she kicked the man in the stomach separating the two. She stared vigilantly at the man in human skin, dropping her now useless rifle to the ground she pulled out her own machete.

The man looked at her, clearly amused. "Child don't resist, you'll only die tired."

Her eye glaring at the man, she growled hatefully as she shouted. "Fuck you!"

Not nearly as strong as the man, she waited patiently for him to attack. In a head to head fight, she would have no chance.

The man growing impatient leapt towards her slashing down with his long machete.

Mary saw her chance, using her shorter machete she barely parried the blow with great effort.

The man stumbled off balance to the side.

Seeing an opening Mary slashed down on the man's arm that held the machete, severing it.

The man cried out in pain, he ran towards Mary like a bull knocking her to the ground. Taking out a knife with his remaining arm he stabbed it down towards the stunned Mary.

Frightened, she blocked with her free hand causing the knife to stab through her palm.

"Ahh!" She screamed.

The man pulled the knife out from her hand and then stabbed down again, aiming for her chest.

She managed escape a death blow to her heart by moving to the side, still, the knife pierced her chest stabbing through her right lung.

"Gagh." Mary coughed violently, with a mad look in her eye she waved the machete still gripped in her hand towards the man's leg. The blow wasn't enough to completely sever the leg as her strength had weakened considerably.

Shivering in pain the man fell backwards, he held his half severed leg as he screamed in pain.

Mary groaned as she pulled the knife out of her chest, she stumbled to her feet before leaping on the man stabbing towards him.

The man was caught off guard as the knife plunged into his shoulder.

"Argh! You!" The man grabbed another knife from the belt on his waist and shoved it into Mary's gut.

Adrenaline pumping vigorously through her veins, Mary was now numb to any pain she was receiving. All that was left was her mad desire to kill this demon before her.

Pulling the knife out of his shoulder, Mary thrust the knife towards the man's neck on the side she had severed his arm.

A look a terror fulled the man's blue eyes as he watched helplessly as the knife stabbed through his throat. His severed stump of an arm having no chance at all to block it.

The man held his throat as blood spurted from his neck in liters.

*Gurgle*

Horrendous sounds came from the man as he struggled to breathe. It was only a few seconds before he finally died.

Mary slumped to the side as she coughed up blood, a look of glee and peace shone in her single eye.

Crawling to her backpack she pulled out a skull, the head of her father, Rick.

*Cough, cough!*

"Papa, I did it! I sent," 

*cough!*

"That bastard to hell!" Mary croaked as blood dripped from her lips.

".........."

"It's.. alright papa.. "

*Cough!*

"I'm.. actually scared that you'll.. be lonely when I'm gone." She replied weakly as her breathing started to slow down.

"..........."

"I'm not.. afraid....anymore....papa." Mary leaned against a tree as she watched the sun rise, her eye slowly dimming.

In the distance, beyond a mountain she could see a huge white pyramid rising through the skies piercing through the clouds.

"It's pretty.. papa.." Mary mumbled as she began to slip out of consciousness, her grip on Rick's skull loosening, dropping the shiny skull to the forest floor.

"Poor child, such tenacity you had to defeat the one I was betting on." A monotone voice resounded in Mary's ear.

Mary craned her neck to the side slowly with all her power, there she saw the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

The woman had short violet hair, a heavenly face and hypnotizing amethyst eyes. She wore an armored dress that glowed mysteriously.

The woman's chrome headwings fluttered gently as she observed the dying Mary with interest.

"Your flesh is in chaos, it writhes and bleeds. It seeps and festers. Countless tiny bugs breed and propagate within the confines of your body like a wriggling mass  of maggots, chaotic and unruly." The woman remarked in her monotone voice, her amethyst eyes glowing with undisguised disgust.

Mary could only reply with a weak cough.

The woman walked towards Mary, the ground parting way as a brilliant steel path formed beneath her feet. The man's body evaporated into dust as the violet haired woman stepped past it.

As she stood over Mary, the woman raised her finger causing Mary to float up, bringing her face close. "I have a proposal for you child. Serve me and I shall save you from death...Serve me and I'll show you sights incomprehensible to your mortal eyes."

Mary with her mind now wide awake stared into the beautiful eyes of the woman before her with curiosity.

The woman smiled. "I see you're curious. So? Do you agree?"

Truthfully, She did not want to die and with this chance before her, she would be a fool not to accept.

Mary nodded her head weakly.

The woman nodded in satisfaction. "Good. You made the right choice child."

An 8ft octagonal prism appeared above made from a shiny bronze like metal. Engravings and runes on the prism shimmered like the sun in a turbulent river.

A door just large enough to fit Mary opened on the prism showing what looked to be a pitch black abyss.

From within the abyss came a mass of wires which wrapped around a startled Mary, dragging her into the octagonal prism.

After the door shut, the prism trembled before going quiet.

Inside the prism Mary felt an unimaginable pain, not pain from the flesh as her body was quickly shredded apart by the wires that coiled around her, no, it was pain from the spirit, from the soul.

Within the endless waves of pain came a burst of pleasure so overwhelming that Mary thought she would be driven insane by it.

Both the pleasure and pain began to overlap until they became indistinguishable from each other and it was at that moment she felt reborn.

Seconds later the door opened and from it stepped out an unfamiliar nude woman.

Her skin shone with a metallic light, long silver hair draped down to her waist and her body supple and tender. Her face was sculptured to perfection, a trapezohedron was engraved upon her forehead.

Mary knelt before the mysterious woman. "Thank you mistress." She thanked the woman with an expression of immense gratitude.

She was still feeling the after effects of her transformation, what was just seconds felt like an eternity for her and she reveled in it.

The woman smiled. "You're my priestess now so you have the right to know my name, I am Levathel." The mention of her name caused the world to shudder and tremble.

Mary was shocked by the display, her nude body trembling in fright.

Turning around Levathel waved her hand causing a portal to appear, pointing towards it she said to Mary. "Go, wait for me."

Mary nodded, looking around on the forest floor she spotted her fathers skull. Mary picked the skull up with a gentle smile on her face she whispered. "Let's go papa."

She stepped into the portal vanishing from sight.

Levathel closed the portal and looked towards the sky piercing pyramid, a faint smile forming on her face.

She muttered. "The chosen has been selected." Before disappearing in a flash of light.

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