The End of the World by Drake LaMarque

Author:Drake LaMarque [LaMarque, Drake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grey Kelpie Studio
Published: 2024-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter nine

In the alleyway, the void reacted with a sharp tug. Like the place itself had yanked a section out of him. He took a moment to catch his breath, bracing his hands on his thighs, bending forward.

“All right?” Hallow wasn’t looking at him but he must have sensed something. He touched Ash’s shoulder gently.

“Yeah, it’s my void.” Ash straightened up. “I’m all right.”

Hallow squinting into the distance, facing away. “Good, because I think it’s here. That shape… run!”

Ash didn’t have to be told twice. He took Hallow’s hand and ran back towards the door that would take them home.

Thundering steps followed accompanied by a horrible roar.

“Hold on.” Hallow turned, not dropping Ash’s hand, and threw a ball of light back towards the sound. “Shit.”

Ash’s blood was already up, but the repeated swearing from Hallow panicked him even more.

Hallow yanked hard on Ash’s arm, urging him faster. His eyes scanned the doors on either side of the alleyway trying to see the bandanna and their way home.

The footsteps got louder, closer. Ash didn’t want to know what might happen if the thing caught them. He skidded to a stop and yanked on the nearest doorknob, dashing through, with Hallow right behind them.

“What are you doing?”

“Buying us some time.” Once Hallow was through the door, Ash closed it, but not quickly enough to avoid a glimpse of The Quetch. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see it. But the image of something huge, draped in grey shadows and with burning yellow eyes was seared onto his retinas. The hand, huge and clawed, reached towards him.

He slammed the door before it touched him. He held the knob of the door and braced his shoulder against it. “Can it follow us?”

Hallow shook his head. “It’s bound to the alleyway. But it knows we’re here, we can’t go back out right away.”

Ash’s nose twitched, was that sea salt?

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

They turned to assess the person who had spoken.

Ash gasped. They weren’t in a room at all, but on a beach under a balmy night sky. The man who had addressed them looked formidable, a certain blueish grey tinge to his skin and intense eyes. He wore a tattered robe over pants that reached just below his knees, and he stood barefoot in the shallowest part of the waves.

The sky above was indigo, tinged with purple, and the Milky Way shone like a pathway across it.

“Far out.” Ash turned back to the door, which from this side, was embedded into the sheer face of a craggy cliff.

“Yes, I’ve never seen a door there before, myself. Most interesting.” The blue-man licked his lips.

Something in his manner made Ash queasy.

Hallow must have had a bad vibe as well, because he adopted a fighting stance, legs braced against the sand and hands raised palms out. “We won’t stay. We’re only here for a moment.” Ash had never heard him sound so hard and serious. He kept his hand on the doorknob.

“No need to be afraid.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.