THERE ARE ROTTEN-smelling Ghouls standing with Monster. They are hurling debris and chunks of the hillside down at the humans. The humans are being slaughtered.
Whoever is not being crushed by the debris and being chopped into pieces by the sharp shards hurled by the Rotten Ghouls who serve Monster, is screaming for their lives.
My first instinct is to try to yell in their brains to get them to attack Monster. I feel the green light come up in my throat. The sound escapes my lips, and it works! I feel every one of those nearly dead ghouls.
They tell me they are dying, and he doesn’t feed them. Some of my light streams from me into them, and they get stronger. I can feel their tears and gratitude.
Oh, I guess the others were talking to me because they look appalled and are pointing and shouting in my direction.
I give the command, and the ghouls attack Monster. He shrugs them off and laughs at me.
“Nice try, Boogeyman. I know where ya keep them. I’ve been here before.”
He opens a gate and escapes yet again.
I turn towards the Cowboy.
“How does he do that?”
The Cowboy only shrugs and turns back towards the mostly dead families of humans. The survivors are out from behind their safe gabion walls and look on in horror; some cry at the sight of the broken bodies.
The new Ghouls are nearly healed and are making their way down to me. Soon they are before me, swaying and moving about as these creatures tend to do; they cannot stand still.
NEENER, NEENER, NEENER
I stole Monster’s Ghouls; next I’m going to kick his over-muscled ass.
I don’t even like fighting. I don’t know how. I should probably learn how to fight.
The survivors are watching these changed creatures that once resembled the walking dead, now very lively and cooing over me. This time I block the grabby hands; no mangos getting tugged this time.
The Cowboy slides his index finger over the rim of his hat at me. I don’t speak Cowboy, so I am going to assume that means, ‘Good job.’
Some humans are gathering to deal with the dead bodies.
“No, we will deal with that. You have already been through so much.”
I look up to the sky, kiss my fingers, and blow the kiss into the wind. “May they find the peace in death that they couldn’t find in life.”
I look at them and walk closer.
“I am aware of my insane smile. I am sorry. I wish I could stop, but it has been this way for too many years. There is no way I take any pleasure from this. This grin is a permanent face for me, and no matter how sad I am on the inside, it will never change.”
I lower my head, feeling defeated. I really think they don’t believe me. It doesn’t matter now.
“I promise they will be treated with dignity.”
The Cowboy is saying his goodbye to Warrior. I look away and make eye contact with the Demon. She looks behind her and then back at me. When she realizes I am looking at her, she turns her back to me and walks away. I guess we are still not there yet. I thought we shared something during the battle, but I guess not.
If the Cowboy is the only one I can share a glance with, he’s going to think I’m in love with him.
When the survivors are gone behind the walls of the secret town, the Ghouls eat all the bodies. When it is done, they carry the bones with them. It is time; we begin our terrible trek away from here.
I could tell Monster had no interest in this place, even though he wants us to stay here and worry he is going to attack. After a short conversation, we came to the conclusion that he will go wherever I go.
Somehow in Monster’s mutated mind, he thinks this is about me and him, not the fact that he was making humans eat each other. This is how far gone he is.
“Understand me, Boogeyman, he is lost in the darkness. We don’t die, and the darkness ain’t permanent. Even tomorrow, the sun shall rise again.”
I’m sure that’s from some poem or something. I don’t want him to think I’m an idiot, so I nod my head and point at him like I heard it before. I read a lot in my life, and I have no idea where that is from. (These words are not telling you where it is from. Neener neener neener.)
WALK, WALK, WALK
“Why are we not flying?” I ask.
“Too risky; Monster could hurl stuff, and people could get hurt.” The Cowboy explains.
I look back at our growing Ghoul army, following us. It was sad to see the humans die, but now we have a well-fed army. If we are going to face the darkness, we are going to have to prepare for when the darkness faces us back; having a small army doesn’t hurt.
I’m inside my head, as the Cowboy calls it. I have changed. My reaction to all the human death… It’s not like I don’t care, I don’t know where my heart is. Could this be the beginning of the Darkness?