Chapter 4
The Shadow Unveiled
It seems what's left of my human side
Is slowly changing in me
Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes
There is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me
-Disturbed
Lightning rippled across the sky. The car flipped over and over.
Fire danced around Elliot, laughing at his predicament. A cold cruel laugh, riddling him with despair. Voices spoke in the distance.
“Any last words, Dante.”
“I have nothing more to say. Please, just kill me.”
“Heheheh. With pleasure.”
A tear rolled gently down Elliot's cheek. Slowly, everything faded to black.
~
“Good morning, Elliot.”
Elliot opened his eyes, blinking in the sudden light. Slowly, the room came into focus. He was laying on the floor of Haney's classroom. Smiling back at him was Principle Marlin.
“How are you feeling,” Marlin asked, chewing on the end of his cigar.
Elliot got up and brushed himself off.
“I'm... fine,” said Elliot slowly. “What happened? Where's Haney?”
“Behind you,” Marlin said calmly.
Elliot turned around and saw Haney laying in a heap on the floor. Memories flashed before Elliot's eyes.
Candles snuffed out one by one. An intense hatred flooding from within. Skin glowing brighter than the sun. Haney, knocked off his feet by the pulse of a quasar.
“H-how,” said Elliot, his whole body trembling. “How did this happen?”
Marlin smiled at him, still chewing his cigar. “I'm afraid I can't answer that, Elliot. I arrived here mere moments before you woke up. I was hoping you could enlighten me.”
Elliot continued to stare at Haney's limp body.
“Shouldn't we get him to a hospital,” Elliot asked.
Marlin walked over and checked Haney's pulse. “His heart rate is slow but he'll live. I'll drive him to the hospital, though, just to make sure.” He turned around and looked at Elliot. “Are you sure you're okay?”
“Yeah...”
“Go home and get some rest. We'll continue this on Monday, when Harold is conscious.”
Elliot walked out of Haney's classroom, his mind racing.
~
Back in his room, Elliot stared at himself in the mirror. He was shaking uncontrollably.
What the hell is happening to me?
On Elliot's right shoulder, his sun tattoo was glowing.
~
“Lord Zenith, the boy has revealed his location.”
“Excellent. It is time to make our move. Go, Seitzer. You know what to do.”
“Yes, Lord Zenith. Elliot Davis is as good as dead.”
~
A cold, cruel laugh riddling him with despair. Fire all around. No way out.
~
Elliot awoke with a start. His alarm clock was going off, giving him a headache.
Damn it. I completely forgot.
Elliot had to work today.
Damn it!
Elliot stumbled out of bed and walked to the mirror. He had huge bags under his eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep that night.
Elliot changed into his uniform and rushed out the door.
~
Mega Burger. A fast food chain helping America increase in obesity.
“Elliot, I need two Ultra Mega Double Burgers right away,” Mike shouted.
Mike was the Sunday manager. He was a pretty cool guy but he got really strict when it was busy. Today was no exception.
“I'm working on it, Mike,” Elliot said, working as fast as he could to keep up with the insane amount of orders.
“God damn it, Elliot,” Joel said. “Hurry up will you. These people aren't gonna wait forever.”
Joel was the assistant manger. A middle-aged man; he had been working at Mega Burger for four years now. Underneath his spiky, jet-black hair sat his small pointy nose. He was very tall for a man of his age, dwarfing even Elliot. He was quite skinny but still very muscular.
Joel was always angry. In the three years he had worked for Mega Burger, Elliot had never seen Joel in a good mood. Elliot chose to ignore him most of the time.
“Thanks, Joel. I love you too.
It was going to be a long day.
~
“Elliot, you can clock out. You’ve done enough work for one night.”
“Thanks Mike, I’m exhausted. I’ll see you later.”
As he walked out the door and into the dimly lit parking lot, Elliot shivered. There was a chill in the air that, no matter how many layers of clothes you had on, somehow, found a vulnerable spot on you and drove at that one spot until you were numb and malcontent. Elliot walked to his car, unlocked the door, and hurried inside. He revved up the engine and dialed up the heat to full blast. There was something in the air that made him feel uneasy.
Elliot pulled out of the parking lot and drove down Crepuscule Lane: a twisting track surrounded by dozens of oak and elm trees. The sky was black. The clouds concealed the moon behind their dense, billowy, walls of cotton. As he traveled down this dark, winding lane, a high-pitched screech approached from the shadows.
Suddenly, the clouds shifted and the moon was revealed, shining a beam of light onto the winding road before him. Out of the darkness a silhouette loomed. It resembled a gigantic hawk, its hulking figure shadowed by the surrounding trees and the absence of street lamps. Its outstretched wings took up both lanes of the road.
Acting on instinct, Elliot slammed on the brakes. He turned the wheel as hard as he could and drove in the opposite direction. The beast chased after him, still uttering its guttural shriek. Its speed was incredible. In five seconds it had caught up with the car.
Elliot had two options. He could keep trying to outrun this monstrous creature (That wasn't an option, though. The beast was simply too fast) or he could find a way to fight it. He chose the second option.
Elliot looked at the road ahead of him. There was a sharp turn coming up ahead.
Perfect.
Elliot reached into the back seat of his car, picked up his enormous math book, and placed it on the gas pedal. He tore off his seatbelt, wrenched open the door, and jumped out of the car.
As Elliot fell to the cold pavement, his car flew faster and faster down the road, the beast still clinging to the back of it. Ignoring the turn ahead, the car hurtled off of the pavement and slammed into a thick oak tree. As the engine collided with the oak, flames erupted from within and engulfed the car. The fire quickly spread to the gas tank.
The explosion was huge. Pieces of Elliot's car flew in all directions, littering the side of the road. Then there was silence.
Slowly, Elliot walked over to the charred remains of his car. The beast was dead. Burned to cinders. Elliot breathed a sigh of relief.
~
Hidden in the shadows, a lone figure stood, watching Elliot with a grin on his face. He was very tall; around six feet; and lanky, his arms long and slender. He had a short mop of jet black hair, which shadowed his bright red eyes delicately. He leaned casually against the nearest tree and continued to observe his quarry. He had an air of boredom about him, as if he wished for a task more worthy of his status.
So this is the ‘chosen one’. He's a pretty lucky guy. I'd thought the Falke would kill him for sure. It doesn't matter, though. He'll be dead soon.
He cupped his right hand and a fireball appeared inside it. He tossed it up in the air and caught it a few times.
“Goodbye, Elliot,” he said with a grin.
~
Elliot gazed at the destruction around him. His car was a wreck. Pieces of it lay strewn across the ground, which was charred black from the explosion.
As Elliot continued to stare at the wreckage, a wall of fire arose before him. The roaring embers pierced through the night sky. Elliot turned around in a circle. He was surrounded on all sides by a crackling wall of death. The flames laughed at him, dooming him to destruction.
The flames closed in on him slowly. Elliot knew there was no way out.
Surrounded by flames. No way out.
Damn it! How did I survive the first time.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins. His heart began to beat faster.
I'm not gonna die here. I'm not gonna die here.
~
There's no way he can survive that. Fire consumes all. Nothing survives its sweet embrace. Time to report this to Lord Zenith.
~
On Elliot's right shoulder, the sun tattoo began to glow.
Gazing at the flames in terror, Elliot noticed something strange. The flames seemed to be losing their intensity. Their hatred seemed to be dying down. At the same time, Elliot felt a fire within him. The same fire he had felt yesterday.
But it was different from before. It was stronger. There was more hatred... far more power than before. He couldn't contain it. His skin glowed as bright as the sun. The sweat on his skin began to sizzle and evaporate. His pupils had disappeared completely, leaving nothing but the whites of his eyes. Then, Elliot lost control.
A wave pulsed from Elliot. It was far, far larger this time. The wave extended in all directions, snuffing out the fire like a candle. Elliot stood there for second, swaying slightly, and then he collapsed to the cold earth.
What the hell is happening to me!?
Slowly, everything faded to black.