Chapter Four
A Close Escape

“Where did you get that?” Elizabeth asked.

“When I was out looking for supplies I came across a battle. There was a man who had a new weapon, one that worked on the demons. He had what looked like a large three barrel rifle, but it shot highly explosive rockets. He was battling a horde of dog demons, and ten Hulk demons. Unfortunately they killed him but not until he had killed all of them but four hulk demons. When they left him for dead I was able to go to him, he was still breathing but he was dying. He gave me this gun, a disk, and a location.” Holding up the disk I showed it to my family. “He said we need to go to NorthCross station. I hope that we will find more people there or, at the least, more information.”

As Elizabeth and I started to divide our new supplies we talked and tried to come up with a plan on how to get to the north side of the city, and what the best rout was to try and get there. In the end we decided that it would be best to try and stick to the sewers for awhile, then try and find a subway rail and take that north. Looking around us I sighed, “Before all this we could have made it there in 30 minutes, now it could be days.”

Elizabeth just nodded saying “True, but at least we have hope now that our children will grow up.” With that we made our final preparations and got started. Going thru the tunnels as quietly as possible, stopping to listen at every opening to the outside, straining to hear any sign of our enemy, or hoping to hear sounds of friends. We traveled this way for hours heading on a northern course, with no confrontations. Then we came upon a section of the sewer that had collapsed, from what we could not tell, but it was obvious that there was no way around. “We need to head back and get out of here and find a way around,” I said.

We headed back down to the last exit we decided to rest for the evening before heading up, as the demons were always more active at night. We located a service room, and after sealing it against the demons we ate and rested. Late that night while I was on watch I heard the sound of chanting coming from outside. I waited to see what would become of this, but as the chanting grew louder ending in a shout, and what sounded like a scream. Then there was silence.

The next morning we crept out of the sewers and started to make our way down the street when suddenly I had an overwhelming urge to enter the building next to us. “I have to go in here,” I said. Slowing entering the building we came upon a gruesome sight. We quickly shut the door so the kids could not see what had happened, I told Elizabeth I had to go in there. As I entered the room the smell of fear and death still hung in the air. There were pentagrams painted in blood on the walls and ceiling, but it was what was in the middle of the room that drew your attention. Staked to the middle of the floor was a body, with a pentagram carved into the skin of its forehead. The rest of the body and been pealed to make another pentagram laid out around the corpse. Not knowing what had happened, I said a prayer over the body before leaving the house.

Traveling from house to house, thru the alleys slipping in among the shadows we slowly made our way north. The farther we traveled the more demons we encountered. Most seemed to be waiting for something, while others were patrolling the streets, looking for any sign of human activity. Peering around the corner of a building, I spotted an entrance to the subway. Next to the subway entrance stood a spider demon. It was a large demon with the body and legs of a spider, but instead of eyes it had human skulls where its eyes should be. The skulls were always moving looking for any signs of movement. Seeing this I quickly pulled back from the corner and told everyone what I saw, the concern on Elizabeth’s face was clearly evident.

“How are we going to get past that thing” she asked?

“We can either sit here and hope it leaves, or we can try and find some way to get it to move,” I answered. “With the sword, gun, and your gauntlet I think we have a decent chance if necessary to kill it and make our way down to the subway.”

Elizabeth glanced at the children when I mentioned her gauntlet and nodded, “If it comes to that then fine.”

Looking at her and the kids an idea came to me. Moving around to the side of the building we found a broken window. Helping Elizabeth, Joe, and Mary inside I told them to be safe, and when it was time to run for the subway.

“How will we know when,” Joe and his mother asked.

I just smiled. “Trust me you’ll know,” I said.

I made my way down the side streets until I was about five streets down, Then cutting back to the main street I prepared my strategy. Well if you could call it as such, as my one concern was to get my family to safety, I would do anything to get make them safe. Looking down the street the Spider demon was still standing over the entrance to the subway, not moving. Looking down the street in the other direction I saw what I had hoped I had seen earlier. A fuel truck was jackknifed across the road. Slowly creeping down the street, acting like I was trying not to be seen but making sure the Spider demon had every opportunity to see me, while I kept watch on it out of the corner of my eye.

Within seconds it saw me and began to scuttle across the ground, kicking the debris that was scattered across the ground. Seeing that it was coming towards me I gave up all pretense of hiding and sprinted down the street. When I came to the truck I leapt between the cab and the fuel tank, slicing the tank open with my sword so that it started to shoot gas all over the ground. Continuing on till the next intersection I turned and aimed the gun at the tanker. As the Spider demon began to scuttle over the truck I fired three quick shots at the truck and gas.

The fireballs connected with the truck at the same moment the demon crawled on top of the vehicle. As the fireballs connected with the truck you could hear the demon screech as it was blown high into the air. Quickly turning the corner I ran down the street trying to get back to my family as quick as I could, knowing that soon more demons would be upon us. Glancing up the street I saw Elizabeth herding the kids down the steps into the subway, pausing, I prayed that they would be alright, when suddenly I heard a thump come from behind me. Looking back I saw the Spider demon had landed, thinking it dead I turned my back when scraping sounds from behind me caused me to turn once again. The demon had started to regain its feet. Stupid, I thought, if bombs could not stop these creatures what do you think that little explosion would do?

Turning I ran down the street trying to get away from the creature. As I ran I heard it starting to come after me, then it was gone. Stopping to try and find the creature I looked around when a stone struck my shoulder. Without thinking I instantly dived to the left just as the monster landed where I had been standing. As I rolled to my feet I could hear the skulls on its head begin to chatter, as they moved their mouths. As I turned to face the creature, it began to scuttle up the side of the building, pointing its abdomen at me it shot a wad of what I can only imagine as a glob of spider web at me. Lifting my gun I shot at it as I jumped to the side. As the two projectiles struck one another the web ball was engulfed in flame, slamming into the wall behind me, sticking to the surface.

Snarling at me the demon jumped at me trying to impale me on its front legs, but as it pounced I dove underneath it slicing at its underbelly with my sword. Only able to connect a glancing blow as I dove I rolled to my feet and once again began to run down the ally, firing blindly behind me twice hoping to get a lucky shot in. Taking a quick glance back I saw the monster running down across the sides of the building, gaining quickly. Just as the creature closed I dove thru a window, shattering the glass. As I dove into the building the demon stabbed one of its front legs thru my left calf, catching me a few feet inside the building. As I screamed in pain it started to lift me back outside. Clutching my sword tightly I turned and sliced off its leg. Black blood poured from its wound as the fiend squealed in pain. Crawling away from the window I fired my weapon at its chest, scoring a direct hit, knocking the beast over backwards. Pulling the severed appendage out of my leg, I hopped over to the window to see if the demon was dead. Looking outside I was able to catch a glimpse of it scuttling over the roof of the building next to me.

Trying to catch my breath, but knowing time was running out I hobbled to the front of the building. Looking out across the street I could see the entrance to the subway, so close, but what seemed more then a mile. Then I felt the ground shake. It was if a giant had stomped the ground next to me, then there was another, closer. Knowing I had no time to loose I decided to take my chances and dashed across the street, as I did I saw something that would haunt my dreams as long as I live, a true demon. It was more than thirty feet tall, its entire body wreathed in flames. Its skin as black as charred wood, with a giant flaming sword held in its hand. As I ran it saw me and screamed, the sound of a thousand furnaces roaring with flames. I turned to run down the steps into the subway when I was struck by something, slamming me into the wall. Unable to move my left leg I looked down and saw it was encased by a glob of spider webs. Trying desperately to pull my leg free I saw the Spider demon across the roof readying another shot at me. Lifting my gun I fired as rapidly as I could at the creature, causing it to become encased in flames. Still unable to free my leg Elizabeth looked around the corner from inside the subway.

“What are you doing here! Get back!” I cried.

“What is that,” she asked referring to the ground shaking.

“You don’t want to know,” I answered. As I answered I looked up and could see the Demon was no more than fifty yards away. Already I could fee the heat from its body. As Elizabeth started to come up the stairs to help me get free I told her to stay back, that she needed to keep the kids safe. With a tear in her eye she nodded and quickly fled back down the stairs. As I watched helplessly the Demon came closer, each time it stepped its feet shook the earth and melted the ground at its feet.

Then it felt like my leg was on fire. Looking down I say that the spider webs incasing my leg had started to smoke. Remembering back to the battle I had with the Spider demon I aimed my gun at the webs and pulled the trigger. Instantly the webs exploded into flames, causing me to gasp, as the pain was so intense it stole my breath away. Not having the time to spare I used my sword I cut at the flaming webs, slicing thru webs and flesh both, until I was able to free my leg from the wall. As I tumbled down the stairs the Demon swung its sword in a downward arc, cutting a deep groove into the concrete steps where I had been standing. As its sword passed no more than five feet from where I was my skin felt as if it had been doused in hot grease, blistering instantly.

Falling down the stairs, my vision clouded by the smoke and pain I heard a voice say “Help him.” Then two small hands grasped my arms and started to pull me down the tunnel, just as the roof where we were standing started to collapse. Suddenly the tunnel was illuminated with an orange glow. Standing next to me was my wife her gauntlet pointed at the roof with a beam of fire shooting out towards the ceiling, spreading out in an arc over us. “GO!” she said.

As the children led me forward you could hear the Demon pounding the ground above us, trying to collapse the subway. As I staggered along, Elizabeth stood there flames without heat surrounding us, protecting us. As we moved the tunnel behind us started to collapse, Elizabeth keeping any falling debris for landing on us. Soon we had covered enough distance that while we could still hear the Demon pounding the ground we were safe from the tunnel collapsing around us anymore. As Elizabeth lowered her fire shield I could see that she was tired. I reached out to hold her hand, and quickly jerked my hand back. Her skin felt like it was on fire. Looking at her I saw that her hair was singed like she had run thru a fire.

Looking at me she said, “We can talk about this later; right now you need to rest.” We traveled a short way before we were able to locate a room. Quickly sealing the door I also smeared my blood on the walls hoping that it would also strengthen them. Just before I passed out I saw that the walls also began to be covered in runes, protecting us from the demons.