120. Blood, 5

(Rose)

She told me the cocoon would help her heal, or become something else. That she could do that, but not decide for Ann's body in her place.

Now the cocoon is opening itself.

I'm afraid. Is she human again? Something very dark is jumping at us. The human shape of the daiûa is slashed and shred to pieces. I'm pushed over the carpet that are these giant flowers.

It looks like a dragon. It has wings, claws, and things I can't name.

It's screaming with a terrifying voice.

I try to stand up and run, but I'm struck in the back. I'm hurt and fall.

The beast comes over me. I'm being shaken violently and lose all balance. My head hurts. I feel pain, my skin hurts all over.

Something slimy is drooling over me and touching me.

I'm pushed down. I don't see anything but darkness over me. I guess... Ann is gone.

I do feel sadness now... At least some.

But I need to fight that thing off now. Before it has its way with me.

Why does it always come to that in the end? And I thought... I forgot.

I'm beginning to feel really scared. My blood is getting warmer. I see these kind of tongues getting closer to me.

My free left arm grabs my useful knife and slashed a few of them. They're not cut but bleeding from deep cuts now. It hurts it. Others of these tongues suddenly stab me, in my arm, in my chest and in my lower abdomen.

I'm nailed, impaled. The shock stopped my breath and numbed me. I feel cold and struck. I can't react.

Its mouth is getting closer, as if to lick or eat me.

I manage to reach the rifle with my right arm and handle it. I fire everything that's left in front of me.

It's hurt. It's stepping back. The tongues pull away from me. I'm severely injured, bleeding seriously.

I manage to load my last clip of ammunition while the monster is crawling away. I can't see any head really defined. I fire wildly at the body, still making sure that every shot counts.

There's an impact on each bullet, some ink being sprayed around, and the beast collapsing under it.

It's a very long murder. It's slow. I fire. It's hurt. It tries to flee even more. I try not to bleed too much and it starts all over.

It's a long and painful minute of agony and massacre. From what Ann has become in the end, and me for her.

I'm killing her. I hate that. It looks hopeless, so despaired it's painful to look at...

It crawls and cries. I hold my abdomen wound but blood drips from me at each step.

It crawls and cries. I barely breathe. Its wings are trying to flap. It doesn't work. We've reached the edge of the flowers. It's trying to fly off. I don't have any more ammunitions. I drop the rifle.

I'm holding my wounds, but it's just wet and warm. I'm looking at it go, feeling sorry.

It's falling over the edge in a cry of agony. It didn't fly... I saw it catching the wind for a brief moment, but it ultimately fell to its death on the ground. It crashed in a wide splatter of ink.

Everything is still. I still can't process what just happened with Ann. It's over, in the worst way imaginable.

I'm sorry Ann... This was sad for her.

I walk away. I see a trail of my own blood. I follow it up to where it began, near the body of the daiûa.

I get closer, and all I find are chunks of wood... It was a sculpture made of various sizes of bushes woods, arranged into that shape that looked human from a distance.

Was it a trick, or the real thing? Is it dead? How could it speak? But if it's silent now of all time, that was probably it... How odd.

I'm coughing. It's dark what comes out from my mouth. I'm scared, and feeling tired.

It's a sad way to end this journey.

I'm falling on my back. The flower below my feet is soft like a giant mattress, making the fall almost comfortable. But I think I'm going to die here... If the daiûa couldn't help Ann better than that, I think my fate is sealed with these wounds...

I'm going to die here...

I can't see the sky from here. I wish... Before I die... I wish...

I'm tired. I'm closing my eyes.

It all happened so fast, with a hint of sad irony here or there.

I remember something nice, from my previous me. I feel as if I'm floating now.

It soothes the pain and anxiety a little.

I'm losing consciousness. I'm floating, it feels nice. I'm hearing some music, I think.

I'm hearing a whisper. A soft whisper. Is that you?

B - Maybe the stronger flower of us is you Rose... Please rest in peace for now. Let me handle it... Good night my dear...

Everything will be alright she whispers. The sounds just float around my mind. Sad shades are still twirling around me. But still...

Good night...

~