Chapter Three
Hope

Using the sword to pry open the manhole cover Elizabeth climbed down the ladder holding our three year old daughter Mary in her arms. Joe quickly followed with me bringing up the rear, slamming the lid down just as the demons got there. You could hear them snarling and biting at the cover trying to open it. As we quickly headed down the ladder into the sewers the smell of stagnant water was at first overpowering. “Come on we have to get out of the area,” I said. Picking up the kids we ran down the tunnel, it did not matter what way we went, only that we were moving. As we ran, the kids held two flashlights with which to light our way, twin beams of a past life cutting thru the darkness that was pressing in all around us.

“Dad, where are we going?” my son asked.

“I don’t know right now, but someplace safe, somewhere we can rest and eat.” As we continued to travel thru the dark tunnels as fast as we safely could you could see the corpses littering the sewers. The bodies of those who had come down here during the invasion, but whom either died from sickness or demons that prowled these corridors. Suddenly as we turned a corner we saw light falling down into the tunnel from the outside where part of the street above had caved in, filling half the passageway. “Quickly and quietly” I told everyone. Before we crossed the pile of rubble I climbed to the top to see if there was anything on the other side, determining it was clear I picked my daughter up and helped her down the other side, next came my son then finally my wife. As I began to slide down the other side, a hand reached down from the opening grasping my shirt and tried to pull me out of the sewer.

Elizabeth noticed this and quickly raised her gauntlet and a glob of fire shot from her arm slamming into the creature’s wrist, just as I blindly swung my sword at the arm. Both sword and fire slammed into the demon severing the hand that was holding me, allowing me to scramble down the debris. Grabbing our kids we once again began a mad dash away from danger. “I’ve never seen so many demons in the same area before, except during the initial invasion. I wonder what has changed.” I said. Not having the breath to spare Elizabeth just continued to run only concerned with getting her children to safety. As we ran we finally say what we were looking for, a service room, located throughout the sewers. Opening the door into the dark ten by fifteen foot room, the children shined their lights into the room quickly helping us scan the area for danger. Seeing that the way was clear we moved into the room, closing the door behind us.

Once the door closed Elizabeth began to unpack our meager supplies, as I went about sealing the door. Gripping the blade of my sword with both hands until I felt the blade bite into my skin drawing blood, I knelt by the door and placed my hands on either side of the base of the opening. I smeared my blood upward into an arch encompassing the door frame. When my hands came together at the top of the door I clasped them and falling to my knees I prayed for God to protect us and keep us safe in this place. To gather us in his bosom, and keep us safe from harm. When I finished praying, the blood that was on the walls congealed into runes and glowed with a red light that illuminated the room.

Turning back to my family, the children were with their mother eagerly drinking water for the bottles that we had found. “We have enough food and water to last for 3 days” Elizabeth said. Looking down at our rations I nodded.

“We will have to forage for more food soon, but let’s give the area some time to calm down.” With that we sat down to a light meal of canned vegetables and pasta, served cold. After dinner I wrestled with the kids, letting them forget for a time at least, the dangers outside our room. Later when we had all fallen asleep, I dreamed of a rift, a portal reamed in fire. From this portal countless demons could be seen, waiting to come thru, and something even more sinister, something I could not make out, but I knew its purpose. It wanted to make this world into its own so its children could come here and thrive, it wanted to make our world Burn.

Sitting bolt upright my hand grasping for my weapon which had started to glow an incandescent blue, I glanced over at my wife, who was also sitting up, her body drenched in sweat. We looked at each other, neither saying anything. We both knew what had awoken the other by the dread in our eyes. “Go back to sleep” she said. “There is nothing to be done now.” I nodded and we lay back down, to get what sleep we could.

We rested for a day, as a family, before we decided I would head out and gather some more supplies. Before turning to go I looked at Elizabeth and winked. Then snapping my fingers I looked at the kids and said “Who wants a surprise?” The instant chorus of I do’s brought a smile to my face and I reached into the bag I was carrying and brought out a couple of toys that I had found. The kids giggled and thanked me before sitting down to plays with their new toys. Looking at Elizabeth I tell her to keep safe before I head out the door. As I pass thru the protected portal I feel a tingling sensation pass throughout my body, giving me strength of purpose and clarity of mind.

Continuing to make my way down the tunnel the same direction we had been traveling, with only a flashlight for light, I picked my way until I found an exit to the street above. Climbing the ladder and stopping at the top, I listened for any sounds of movement, or the smell of sulfur in the air. Not hearing or smelling anything I quietly lifted the cover and crawled out of the sewer, memorizing my location so I could find my way here again. After sliding the cover back into place I snaked my way thru the abandoned cars and toward what I hoped was a market district.

As I made my way east I suddenly heard multiple explosions off to my right, north of my location. This was not a sound I had ever heard a demon make. Seconds later the explosions repeated, this time with the very unique sound of a demon screaming in agony. My God, I thought, could there be someone else alive? As I rushed to the area explosions continued at an even more frenzied pace, faster than I would have thought possible. What kind of weapon is that, I wondered? I had never heard of any rocket type weapons that could fire that fast. Maybe it’s a group of people, I thought. As I neared the area I say masses of the dog demons littering the ground, all of them blown apart. There was even a demon that had huge blades attached to its body, ripped by what seemed to be an explosion. Have we finally developed a weapon that works against the demons, could we finally be able to start fighting back? Then I saw the first explosion, a rocket flew down the street in front of me slamming into a house, blowing the side of the building apart.

As I neared the intersection a dog demon that must have been stunned by the explosions started to stir. Before it could get it bearings I quickly ran over to the beast, and slaughtered it. As I looked around the corner I saw one figure standing in the middle of the street surrounded by demons, many of them Hulk demons, with their one massive arm and one small arm. They seemed to have the figure surrounded, I could not get a good look at it as the demons were to close, but he was firing his weapon at them point blank range. How could he stand the concussion from that weapon at so close a range I did not know. Then as he dropped two of the demons one grabbed him from behind just as he started to run from the circle. Grasping him around the torso it lifted him high into the air, slamming him down to the ground, over and over. The other demons started to laugh at this, while I could do nothing but watch. Next they all began to pound on the form lying still in the street, until they got tired it seemed. Then they just moved off towards the north.

After they had been gone for a couple of minutes I hurried over to the body. It was incased in armor, but unlike anything I had seen before. It was made of a silver black metal, smooth and very hard, considering its condition after the abuse it just took. His weapon was at his side shattered into many unrecognizable pieces. I dragged the body out of the street and into a building, so I could see if there was anything on it that would let me know where he had come from, or anywhere I could take my family. As I removed the helmet I saw it was a man, no more than forty-five years old with tan leathery skin and jet black hair. As I looked at his face his eyes opened. Falling back in shock that he was not dead I quickly asked if he was alright.

As he gasped for air all he said was Northcross Station. As he breathed I could hear the fluid in his lungs and his breathing became more labored. “Take this,” he said, “It will get you thru the barrier.” As he said this he handed me a small metallic disk that had a rune engraved on each face, one that I had never seen before. He also reached down to his side and handed me what looked like a toy pistol, with engraved runes or symbols on it that glowed. “Here use this,” he gasped. “It draws its power from the Burn, as long as the demons remain on our world it will work. Be safe.” As he gasped his last words he grabbed my arm and coughed, blood spewing from his lungs. Then as I held his head off the ground he died.

Knowing that I had to get back to my family I made quick search of the surrounding homes, gathering what food and drink I could find, quickly filling my bag. Then I ran as fast as I could to tell everyone what had happened. I quickly entered the sewer and ran towards the service room, and then I heard them. Up ahead there was a huge number of the walking dead, along with a hulk monster, who was missing its large hand. It was pounding the walls at the service center with what was left of its arm, bellowing with each blow, cracking the wall next to the door.

With out saying a word I lifted the piston the man had given to me and pulled the trigger, it began to spit fire balls at the zombies, dropping them where they stood. As the first few fell the rest turned to me and started to run at me. As they began to run I saw orbs of fire begin to shoot out of the door, slamming into the zombies, causing them to burst into flames, before sinking down into the slime at our feet. As they ran to me they were only able to come four abreast and the pistol seemed to splash fire as it struck dropping the creatures almost as fast as they could advance… almost. When the first of them got to me I had my sword in one hand cutting them down and the gun in the other, dodging and twisting stabbing and cutting in the dark. As more and more of the zombies were lit aflame I was able to see my surroundings, the Hulk demon had almost beat thru the wall where my family was and the zombies were pressed between me and it. I fired a shot over the zombies head hitting the demon in its side causing it to scream, but not stopping it. With one mighty swing it slammed its arm thru the wall when suddenly it seemed as if flames just engulfed it.

Then I was falling. One of the zombies that I had knocked to the ground had grabbed my legs, tripping me. As I fell I started to fire the pistol as fast as I could, stabbing anything that moved. As I tried to scamper backwards, more zombies jumped on me hitting me and tearing my flesh with their teeth. “HELP!” I screamed, hoping that Elizabeth was able to hear me, and able to help.

“Bryan is that you!” came the answering cry. Then the passage seemed to light up in an angry red and orange glow. “Get down,” she yelled. Next the passage was awash in flames, burning the zombies on top of me to cinders. I rolled in the filth, trying to keep the flames from catching my clothing on fire, after the flames where out I got up and walked to my wife, smiling at her. “I would hug you but I am a little dirty.” She just laughed “We’re all dirty,” she said, hugging me tightly. As we hugged I noticed that her skin was hot. And her hair on her head had been singed, from the battle I guessed.

As we walked into the room the kids ran to me hugging me tightly. “Daddy!” they cried in unison. As we stood there I held up the gun and said “I have some good news. I know where we need to go.”