RUN

Thane pulls me along as the two of us run for our lives but I make the mistake in looking back. Its mouth is still wide open and devouring everything in its path like a large black hole! My speed kicks up another gear, nearly passing Thane and surprising both of us.

I never knew I was so athletic... Branches catch my bare arms but I ignore it all as I fly over the low bushes and roots but when I hear Thane curse, I look up to see him lifting a hand. A powerful arch of ice flies out from his hand, cutting the bushes ahead of us.

We scrape through and keep running but the Ghoul behind us devours the whole thing like it's nothing! The little monkey Screams and starts pulling on my hair and all I can think is "Me too, little guy, me too!!"

When I feel a strange sucking force, I look back to see it right on my heels!! We plow through the bushes and instantly feel the ground under me disappear! My stomach flips as I realize that we're falling!!

A loud bang quickly follows after us and when we look up, the Ghoul is coming down right after us with its mouth wide open! Why is the mouth so big and why is it so fast!?! Thane curses and pushes me away!! The Ghoul swallows Thane as it flies down!!

I scream out and go to attack it with my wind power but hesitate. What if I hurt Thane!? The monkey screams at the top of its little lungs as the ground below us comes rushing up! I use my wind power to break my fall but the Ghoul lands hard, splattering as it hits!

As soon as my feet hit the ground, my knees buckle and I fall. I try to stand several times before I give up and crawl over to it with shaking hands. No no no... I go to reach out and touch it but I quickly stop myself.

I look at the thing in shock and disbelief, not knowing what to do or... if what just happened, really just happened. I look back up like an idiot... as if Thane was somewhere still up there and had yet to land but the sky above me was empty.

I look back down as a small noise escapes me. He just... he... I fall back and land on my ass in shock. The monkey silently sits on my shoulder, looking at the black blob smooshed on the ground in front of us with a sad look as I have a small mental breakdown.

Did he... did he just die? I look down at my arm that he was just holding and see his red handprint. Suddenly, something wet lands on my arm. I blankly look up but the sky is dry. Not a cloud in sight... I numbly reach up and touch my cheek.

I'm crying... My chin starts to tremble as I slowly look at the blob in front of me. I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I lean forward and crawl straight to the black blob with tears blurring my vision. The monkey start yelling and pulling at my hair but I can't hear him.

I reach out and grab the black blob with both hands and start pulling it. The black blob is slimy and warm, easily slipping through my fingers like slime. I begin to cry as I hysterically look for Thane in the remains of the blob.

As I make my way into the middle, I realize that he's not here but neither are any of the trees and bushes it just ate. Everything was gone... Tears make it impossible to see or breathe as I break down in despair.

"Idiot! You idiot!!!" I scream over and over until I start to lose my voice but no matter how much I scream and cry, he doesn't come back...

When I hear "Chee Chee" I slowly look up to find the little monkey standing next to the pile, watching me with round eyes full of worry. The sun was starting to come up... I blankly look down to see that I was still sitting in the corpse and quickly realize that I must have sat in it all day and all night. It was a new day...

I slowly push myself up and carefully walk over to the little monkey. The little monkey is careful to avoid the black goo all over me as he jumps up and sits on top of my head. My legs shake as I force myself to keep walking. I don't even know where I'm going, I just keep moving.

When I finally see something, I realize it's a city. Looking at it though, I can tell it's unlike any of the normal cities... was this a city for Ragers here in the Void? Was there even such a thing? I slowly look down and see that my uniform was destroyed.

No one should know who I am, right? I'm tired... thirsty and... lost. Lost in more ways than one. I look back behind me with a troubled gaze before slowly turning around and walking to the city. As I approach the city gates, I see many different people... people I would say were Ragers but they're acting... normal.

They're talking, laughing, and helping others like normal people. Other than having a few feathers, scales, or even long tails and animal ears... they were completely normal. I was always taught that Ragers were animalistic and dangerous. I was taught they wanted to kill us at all costs... I was taught they were no better than evil monsters.

And yet, I see a group of children running around and laughing together as adults talk. I don't understand... I don't understand anything anymore. Was everything I was taught, a lie? Why would they lie about this though?? Why?

Suddenly, a thought comes to mind as I see the 'Ragers' turn to look at me with fear in their eyes... They lie to control us... to control us with fear. I lift a hand out as my whole world goes dark. Everything stops and everything becomes blissfully dark.