CHAPTER 51 - Death Comes For Us All 3

As Tisane kept staring at the old man's dead body, he heard footsteps. Turning his head immediately to the direction of the footsteps, he saw someone walking towards him in quick strides.

He saw the familiar face as his already wide eyes became even wider.

_''It can't be....''_

Tisane knew the person that was approaching him. For it was none other his father, Mr James.

Mr James walked towards Tisane with joy in his eyes. His appearance was greatly haggard with his clothes quite torn and rough and his right hand was holding an automatic pistol as he took quick strides and bear hugged Tisane tightly.

Tisane just froze in shock, even as his father was hugging him, Tisane began to shiver as he recalled when his father was enveloped by the explosion of smoke from the monster earlier.

_''He is not dead''_

_''My father is not dead''_

Tisane was still trying to reconcile his thoughts when his father pulled back slightly from their hug, with his two hands still grasping Tisane's two arms. Mr James looked Tisane in the eyes as he smiled.

It was a smiled that portrayed tiredness and resignation.

_''He has given up''_

Tisane saw the worn out look on his father's face and he knew then and there that the Mr James Bassey that he once knew was gone.

"Son are you okay?" Mr James spoke while caressing Tisane's scarred face.

At that moment, Tisane couldn't hold in the heaviness in his heart as he bawled out in tears.

"Wahhhh!!!"

"Daddy! They are all gone! Dead...they are all gone!!"

Tisane cried in pain as he remembered the deaths of his friends and loved ones.

_Jennifer.._

_Ibrahim.._

_Bayo_

_Tunde..._

_His mother.._

_His two sisters_

_And Melvina..._

He buried his head into his father's chest and wailed as his father patted and rubbed his back in the act of comforting him. It took quite some time for Tisane to calm down a little.

As soon as Tisane finally calmed down, Mr James then moved over to where the dead body of Mrs Elizabeth lay. He shook in great sorrow as he watched his wife, lying still in death

Mr James had initially thought that he would not survive, when the monstrous horde was unleashed on everyone. He had to depend on his instincts in order to scale through and survive the monstrous onslaught.

He watched as men, women and children were brutally and savagely massacred by the terrifying monsters. All that was on his mind was the survival and protection of his family.

He hoped and prayed that he would be able to see them again. When he saw the helicopter crash, he ran to check for survivors but only to find Tisane fighting for his life against an old mad man.

He was able to acquire a pistol from a dying man along the way. The gun was actually loaded when he acquired it.

A testament to the fact that the man was not able to use it before he was instantly killed. Mr James had to protect himself and survive for the sake of his family.

That's was why he almost expended all the bullets in the gun before discovering his son, whom he used the second to the last bullet to save. At this point, he was totally heartbroken as he saw the dead body of his family sprawled about the crash site of the helicopter.

_They were all dead...._

The people he fought so madly to survive for.

_They were all lying before him dead...._

He tried to be strong by not crying out in extreme sorrow and pain, when a thought occurred to him....

_But at least they were not killed by those filthy monsters..._

_But how was that any form of consolation?!!!_

_His wife, daughters and close friends were all dead...._

_Dead!!!!_

_He would never see them again..._

_Never hear their voices again...._

_Never watch them smile and laugh again...._

He was all alone.....

At this point, Mr James couldn't bear the sorrow as he shouted in pain. Tisane heard his father's shout as he was jolted from his sorrowful state, which made him stare alertly at Mr James.

Tisane knew that the loss of his family would make him and his father lose their selves forever.

"Dad" Tisane called out as he walked towards his father whom had dropped to his knees in dejection and hopelessness. As he took few steps, Tisane heard rumbling sounds which pervaded the atmosphere and caused the ground to vibrate consistently.

Tisane and his father suddenly exchanged glances as they both sensed danger approaching. Looking to the far off left, Mr James' eyes widened as he instantly rose to his feet.

"We can't stay here...we have to go now!"

Mr James ran to the cockpit of the helicopter and pulled out two communication devices whereby one of them was badly damaged.

Throwing away the damaged one, he took the other as he grabbed Tisane's arm and pulled him along.

Tisane was wondering why his father would suddenly display such character, when his eyes caught a glimpse of a long shadow moving from the horizon. He didn't have to ask his father what that was because with all he has experienced, he subconsciously knew that the monsters had come!

Tisane and his father ran swiftly and desperately as they tried to get to safety. Looking back as he ran, Tisane discovered in horror that the horde of monsters which seemed to be miles behind previously, was now very close to them.

As they kept running, a certain blast erupted in between them as they were both blown apart. Tisane crashed heavily as his mouth and eyes were invaded by sand and dust.

Coughing and rubbing his eyes, Tisane heard someone groaning loudly as if in great pain. He quickly opened his eyes, only to witness the scene of his father being coiled and tied by a long and hideous tentacle, like that of an octopus.

"Dad!!"

Tisane was about to have a mental breakdown as he knew that with the death of his father, he would be all alone in this world. He couldn't accept that.

_He just couldn't...._

With an unconscious motive, he dashed towards the tentacle and began to punch and kick at it in the hopes of releasing his father. But then, another huge blast erupted as another tentacle emerged and swung itself at him.

_~Bang~_

Tisane received a direct hit as he was sent flying. He felt his bones and organs shift as he crashed heavily on the ground.

Trying to stand up, he heard laughter. It sounded coarse and far away, but it was filled with mockery and disdain.

_{A mortal's struggle to me is nothing but a distasteful joke!!}_

The coarse voice began. Tisane's body shivered as the voice sent tremors all through his surroundings.

_{You can't hope to carry a heavy burden while trying to walk on the sea!!}_

_{You can't crawl as a mortal and then hope to fly as the Gods!!!}_

_{You can't hope to use that which belongs to the Gods.....which belongs to me!!!!}_

"Ah!!!"

Tisane felt his mind breaking under the pressure of his pain, sorrow and then this terrifying voice.

_{Look at him....look!!}_

Tisane felt his eyes subconsciously move to see his father whom was very much squeezed by the tentacle monster as he felt his heart sink to the bottom of his chest.

"Don't please...."

Tisane muttered with trembling lips and wide eyes.

"Please don't!!!!!"

_{Haha...and If I don't? What would you give me in exchange for your pitiful father's life?}_

"A--anything....I'll give anything"

Tisane had tears flowing down his cheeks as he watched his father being squeezed to death.

_{Then it's settled then. All I want is simple. Give me your strength boy, both in mind and body!!}_

"I will....I----"

Tisane was about surrendering when he was cut off by a familiar voice.

"Don't Tisane!!"

Tisane raised up his head as his eyes met those of his father, who's face though contorted in pain, was as serious as ever.

"Don't give this bastard anything except your curse and resistance!"

"This bastard killed your mother, sisters, friends and everyone we ever knew!!"

"So it doesn't deserve to be shown any charity but disdain and eternal damnation!!"

Tisane's eyes quaked as his father's words seemed to strike a chord in the deepest parts of his soul.

_{Hmph such careless words from a fool!"}_

_{Since you have chosen to spout such insolent words, your just recompense will be your blood!!}_

Tisane watched as the huge tentacle that had coiled around his father began to compress forcefully while blood began to pool out of his father's eyes. Even in his final moment, Mr James didn't cry out in pain.

Instead, he stared hard at Tisane and did something incomprehensible.

He smiled....

It was a smile of pain...

It was a smile of sorrow....

It was a smile of regret....

But above all, it was a smile of stubbornness.

A stubbornness to accept defeat.

A stubbornness to yield even to death.

As he smiled, blood glistened in his teeth. He stared at the only surviving member of his family, his only son.

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~Squish~

Tisane watched as a bloody mist sprayed out from between the huge tentacle which had coiled around his father earlier.