…The morphing shapes were many as they trailed behind the ominous shadows of the tunnel, they squiggled and portended what could be held for them; and they maintained a steady pace, together in a line, believing in themselves and keeping to their wits. And as they kept moving forth, background screams, machine guns and explosions blasted the stagnant air of the underground; but, however, they did not waver or halt pace.
And they encountered voices and echoes, most of them making no sense to them. And they heard cackles and shuffles, both nigh and distant. And there was not any normalcy, logic or sanity in what reached their ears. But they knew. They knew something was coming and they had to be prepared for the worst!
The dilapidated and rusty handrail attached to the tunnel’s wall, then shook abruptly and wouldn’t stop! Something was definitely afoot. The air rippled around them! Pockets bloated the space among them! Blop– Blop– Blop– The liquid sludge next to them carried splashes and currents like someone heavy quickly approached!
And so it happened that they witnessed a fairly distant light, and this light was bright and powerful, and it emanated a subtle yet magnetic pull that rippled the air and caused the tunnel to seem smaller and daunting. And they understood what this light was, even though it was the sole meaning that ripped the very core of their fear.
It was obvious this was their main way out—as in the demon’s route out of Hell!—and that is why they were here searching for them. They had to seal this portal. They had to succeed. Otherwise, chances were grim. Very grim. Final, in fact. And the risk was high, for this wasn’t a normal scenario by any means. This was the big leagues. And the time to act was now. See, for centuries this threat to humans had been averted, not given any thought whatsoever; oceans were calm, earth was stable, God watched over us, Satan tempted us, man reigned his own territory and progressed as per own choice and own will. But now things were chaotic, and called for a more substantial/abrupt approach. The Gates of Hell had been opened, and they had to be shut. They had to be locked.
So as this went on with might, they stopped pace!— Suspense climbed and razor-sharp fear started to creep up their spines. The core of the mentioned light exploded in front of them!
“Umm. Gu—Guys, what is going on?” Kristin drawled in between grinding teeth. “Who—?? Or what—??”
Raphael and Praopethuss kept vigil, eyes following every potential subtleness in the stagnant air.
“Shhh,” shushed Jimmy. “Gimme your hand. They’re coming.”
“Who’s coming?” She was gripping his hand as hard as she could.
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!
“Jimmy, make it visual for us,” Raphael said.
Jimmy struggled to loosen the grip she had on his hand, then proceeded forward. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
STOMP! Jimmy stepped in front of the group, sensed his surroundings, knelt, and began physical contact with the eerie tunnel. STOMP! His mental connection quickly surged through his arm, out his hand and into the ground—it covered a large patch and made it tremble slightly, then it interlaced and mixed with the air, it cleared simple view and checked for any constructs in it. Ripples exploded in small gusts of air. But they saw nothing alarming, not any hidden demons or constructs. STOMP! STOMP!— But something kept coming, nonetheless.
“Sorry. Nothing,” he added.
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!—
“Keep your guard!” Praopethuss shouted.
And the air vibrated slightly and the ripples kept surrounding them. Thus, it grew and grew. And seconds gripped the nerves…
. . .
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP STOMP!— It kept coming and echoing louder and louder, stronger and stronger until they saw the humongous shapes and silhouettes that sent chills to their spines and electricity to the back of their necks. They were humanoid-looking beasts of fairly large size each! They came at them like a pack of wolves at the very sight of their blocking stance! They wouldn’t budge—and so it felt like the clash of titans right in the putrid tunnels had started!
They carried their sharp claws and agility, superhuman strength and concentrated evil. Taking advantage of it, two of them quickly had leapt and were now ferociously attached to the wall like slimy slugs; and their growling-and-harsh sounds were piercing and intimidating, but, as it were, they would not cause an emotional determent in Raphael and his Sentients.
They drooled and emanated a foul stench that increased sickness and terror, their physical moves were calculated and unexpected, and they came up the liquid sludge as well as directly in the path they were currently on. These demons and Hell creatures, Raphael and the rest knew, had come out of the bright light, the portal connected to Earth directly in the sewers.
And one of them came rushing atop Jimmy! Sluussshhh-Sttaaack!!— Its slime was overpowering and disgusting, and Jimmy felt bathed by it, almost swallowed by it. “Get him off me! Get him off me!” He tried setting himself free, writhing and punching at the beast, but its tentacles were too strong, fairly sticky and full of mucosa.
Kristin and Raphael fought ferociously to disentangle Jimmy and free him from the hideous-looking creature, but to avail of nothing.
“Guys, look!” Praopethuss pointed out in back of him. “Over there!—”
Through the darkness of the smelly tunnel, in between the splashing of beasts and the measurement of the chaos, someone came running and jumping from the tubing attached to the sewer’s domed ceiling—a familiar shape, a light of hope at that exact moment. And so Johnny came dashing and leaping, averting demons, and monkey-bar-dangling with perfect precision. He was so precise and fast with his punches and dagger thrusts that he annihilated the mentioned Hell perpetrators on the spot.
Johnny landed right next to Jimmy and the slimy creature, then pierced the blade firmly into it. “That’s my brother, you Hell Spawn!” A powerful light filled the creature and it began to crack like porcelain! Then there was a sudden burst of juices and gelatin-like flesh and innards that ejected all over them!
Jimmy could now barely see through the light but heavy skin of gelatin-like substance. “Damn. Johnny, that was, um, that was quite an epic entrance.” His hands wiped off the crap from his eyes. “…And thanks.”
“You’re welcome, bro,” he said behind a grin. “Now, let’s give them the kinda hell they came here for.”
“Good to have you back,” Raphael stated.
The monsters were now attacking from everywhere and anywhere, and the team was firmly standing their ground; loud shrieking and overwhelming screaming were now tearing up the air around them, sending pure adrenaline into their bloodstream. And so these monsters were leaping violently atop them. They averted their jumps and thrusts. Johnny managed to pierce many of them using his trusty and powerful dagger—which would cause its victims to bleed to death instantly!
And there were blinding explosions and light that shielded the beasts’ attacks, for Raphael and the rest used great power and strength from their inner auras; and Johnny would block their hell-raising wrath with the mighty dagger, which continuously would pulse and emit powerful and sizzling light…
- Asa Rodriguez - 