*HEY GUYS! WELCOME TO ANOTHER CHAPTER OF C&B! I WON'T BE GIVING YOU GUYS ANY QUESTIONS THIS TIME SO YOU CAN ALL GET RIGHT INTO THE STORY. THE PICTURE IN THE MULTIMEDIA WAS DRAWN BY ME. HOPE IT'S SOMEWHAT APPEALING TO THE EYE. XD*

Stay Creepy, My Friends!~

Chapter 40

Jeff's POV

This is such a great day. I lost Ao somewhere in this city and left her to run from Corrupted; I nearly got a chunk of me eaten by some white haired bastard; Elizabeth is about to come and rip me apart and finish what the white haired bastard didn't. Best day ever.

There was no way for me to defend myself and I wouldn't be able to make it to my motorcycle in time. Elizabeth's demonic hands could snatch me up in an instant and crush and/or feed me to her. Seeing as she mauled a Corrupted, I don't want that to happen. I couldn't see anyway out of this though. I'm injured and terrified. The worst combination in this sort of situation. All I could seem to do was stare back at Elizabeth. Her body twitched sporadically, she eyed me with her visible unnatural eye, the other one is covered by that black substance on her face. She started stalking towards me with an unsteady gait. Her metal arm swayed back and forth, still limp and out of order. She would release deep growls or violent hisses. She kept coming closer and closer with the desire to eat me just like she devoured the Corrupted to death. Will she eat me alive too? I don't want to watch her gorge on me.

She was only a few feet away now and by her body movement I could tell she was getting ready to pounce the rest of the way. Just as I was getting ready to face my doom, sirens wailed and red and blue lights flashed against the buildings behind Elizabeth. My heart stopped pounding against my chest for a moment until it continued its violent beating. Four police cars stopped a few meters away, lights flashing continuously but the sirens stopped. I shook my head, mentally screaming for the cops to drive away. Not because I fear I'll be arrested. No, because I fear they're going to get eaten.

Elizabeth turned to see the cars and the police officers who rode in them. They all seemed really appalled by the sight that was Elizabeth and the mess the fighting left behind. Still, they raised their guns and held their ground. A speaker from one of the cars said, "Put your hands up and stay where you are! Do not attack or we will fire!" I could hear Elizabeth growl and then she did the worst thing. She turned her attention onto them. I was forgotten, ignored for a bigger quantity of prey. The flashing lights couldn't have helped either. They scream for her attention more than anything else. Elizabeth hunched down and her demonic hands leaned forward, formed like claws. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.

"RUN!!!" I shouted as loud and aggressively as I could at the cops.

Elizabeth was dangerously fast. She sprinted forward, growling like an animal. Before I knew it, her right demonic hand smashed itself into a squad car, making the back end jump up from the ground and flattening the front. Officers fired their guns but the left hand protected Elizabeth from the bullets. The right hand smacked down a few officers and smashed or upturned more cruisers. She was quick to seek out her first victim and she jumped onto a cop. They went falling and she sunk her teeth into his shoulder. He screamed and flailed. Luckily, though, she was crunching on his radio...

As the officers were distracted with trying to save their colleague, I got up from the ground and ran back to my bike. I hopped on and turned the engine. I revved the engine as loud and long as I could. It roared like a beast and was enough to catch Elizabeth's attention. She turned her head up to look at me, radio wires hanging from her mouth. I revved the engine harder and she roared back. She lifted herself off of the cop and started prowling towards me. I revved the engine hard one last time before racing away. I heard her roar behind me and I checked one of my side mirrors to see her chasing after me. I grit my teeth and upped the speed. My heart was beating and I could almost hear it in my ears. I didn't have a specific destination, I just needed to draw Elizabeth away from people and hopefully survive too.

I could hear her howling behind me, hungry. I turned a sharp corner, trying to head for less populated roads. It's bad enough cops have seen what she is, I can't have more people witnessing this. Although, I have a feeling I'm gonna be seeing this incident in the news somewhere. Headline: Demon lady stalks Gracewood! Police squad nearly wiped out! Elizabeth's screeches were still audible but they weren't getting nearer. That's good. Maybe I can keep this speed until I figure out a suitable way to deal with her.

I caught something moving next to me and I jump in my seat as I see Elizabeth running beside me. I get ready to drive away from her line of attack when I notice she's not focused on me. She's looking ahead, not even taking one glance at me. Suddenly, she's dashing up against a building with the aid of her demonic hands. I watch her run across a rooftop and disappear. I stop my motorcycle and jerk forward in my seat. I look up at the rooftop she was just on, wondering why she ignored me again and ran away. Then, I look around, noting the distant taller buildings. I look at the road I'm on and see it split in a direction that Elizabeth had gone. A sign next to the road name reads: Metro District. An arrow points to the right. My breath catches in my throat. I know why she ignored me.

I rev the engine again and race after Elizabeth. Everything around me blurs as I break the speed limit. I whizz past cars, some of them honking at me. I wasn't even concerned about the possibility of crashing, my mind was focused on Elizabeth. I can't let her attack and kill people. I know she will, she wants to. Killing that Corrupted left a big impression. The hungry look she gave me left a big impression. She won't care about what she does and to who. I bet she doesn't even know what she's doing. She's going to eat and kill anything that's alive. She's not a human right now. There's no remorse, no hesitance, no empathy. To consider her a monster unnerves me but I have no choice.

I made it into the metro and there was a lot more here. More vehicles, more buildings, more people. More prey.

It didn't take long for me to find Elizabeth. I saw her figure running across a few rooftops. People noticed her too. I watched as she jumped on top of a street light and hung down from it by her legs. Her demonic hands were quick to snatch up a driving car. The other vehicles raced away. The car she had grabbed honked frantically but it didn't stop her from punching through the windshield with her own hand. She howled and the pedestrians below screamed and started shouting at her to stop. I would think they would run. I race to catch up with her and see her snapping at the driver inside. The driver was struggling to move to the back of the car where it was harder for Elizabeth to reach. This must've frustrated her as she screeched. Then the demonic hands suddenly flipped it over and started shaking the car, trying to make the driver fall out. I could hear them screaming in terror as they desperately held themselves inside.

I stopped my bike a few meters away and tried to think of a way to distract her. My motorcycle is not worth any attention compared to everything around. It was hard to think with the driver's life at risk.

A loud horn was heard behind me and I turned to see a semi-truck trying to pass through. It was apparently enough to catch Elizabeth's interest. She dropped the car and it landed on its roof, glass shattered and metal creaked and groaned. I quickly ran towards it to get the driver out. I crouched down and looked inside to see the driver struggling to get out. It was a woman, who sniveled and cried, stuck near the backseat. I tried opening the back door for easier access to her but it was jammed. I looked back inside and said, "Stay calm, okay? I'm going to get you out!"

She nodded as she sobbed and I crawled inside to grab her. I could only slip through the front and all of the broken glass wasn't easy to get through. I reached out a hand for her to take and she clamped onto me. "Okay," I started, "push forward as I pull. Ready?" She nodded as she squirmed to get herself in place. "One, two, three," I said and pulled. She pushed herself forward and I grabbed onto her arm with my other hand. I shifted backward and started to drag her through the dented opening. I heard another loud honk from the semi-truck and I looked past the broken windows to see it speeding towards us. Elizabeth was on the hood, distracting the driver from the road. My blood ran cold as the large vehicle was coming right for us. It wasn't slowing down. Fuck.

"Hurry!," I shouted as I pulled on the woman. The honking got louder and louder in my ears and I could see the panic in the woman's eyes. I pulled and pulled as she quickly crawled her way out. Finally, I pulled her out of the wreckage that was her car and hugged her close. I dived far to the side, just in time before the semi-truck smashed through the car. I shielded the woman from any debris and I could feel her shaking with fear. When the truck was past us, I got up from the ground and helped the woman to her feet. She looked roughed up but otherwise she was okay.

"Run," I told her, after catching my breath, "get somewhere safe."

She nodded shakily. "Th-Thank you," she cried as she stumbled away. I watched as she ran away and pedestrians helped her.

I sighed in relief but I couldn't dwindle any longer. I turned to see the semi-truck swerving down the road. I ran to my bike, hopped on and quickly drove towards it. I managed to drive beside it and see Elizabeth tearing apart the vehicle. Her demonic hands left claw marks on the trailer. I could tell the truck driver was trying to shake off Elizabeth with the way the vehicle was moving side to side. Damn thing is going to end up on its side and things will get worse from then on.

Elizabeth was struggling to get a good stance on the truck but she managed to punch through the windshield again. She screeched and started reaching inside but I interrupted her by throwing one of my knives at her. The blade hit her straight in the head and I winced. Surprisingly, she wasn't affected and she pulled it out with her regular hand. She looked at me and roared, standing up to pounce from the truck. Just when she was about to jump for me, she was struck from behind as the truck passed under overhead traffic lights. I winced and flinched as I watched her tumble across the trailer's rooftop until she fell onto the road. She twitched on the ground in a heap.

I stopped on my bike and stared at her. After a few moments Elizabeth laid there motionless, her demonic hands lying down on either side of her. I wondered if the hit had knocked her unconscious or worse. I started walking towards her when suddenly one of her demonic hands flung itself around. I ducked just in time before it could smack into me. The hand knocked down two street lamps instead and set a few car alarms off. The other hand propped itself up on its palm and helped Elizabeth up from the ground. The flailing hand stopped and smashed its palm into the ground like the other. Elizabeth stood slumping forward, black hair covered her face. She snapped her head towards me and I felt a sharp shiver shoot through my spine. She opened her mouth and let out a fierce hiss and I knew she must've been pissed at me for throwing the knife at her. I quickly sprinted back to my motorcycle and hopped on again. I turned the engine and the tires screeched as I drove away.

Elizabeth was chasing after me yet again and this time she seemed more intent on catching me. I raced through the streets, trying to keep myself at a good distance from Elizabeth so she's interested in me yet doesn't catch me at the same time. I sped my way through traffic and I looked in my side mirror to see Elizabeth jumping on top of vehicles and making her way on buildings. I noticed pedestrians watching and freaking out, some of them with phones out to capture this event. On top of that I heard more sirens in the distance. How wonderful.

I took another turn and looked up at the rooftops. Elizabeth wasn't up there. I frowned as I tried to figure out where she could have gone and why. I thought she wanted to hunt me down. Where is she? I drove past an office building with a lot more windows than building. My reflection mimicked me as it should and I sighed at the poor state I was in. I suddenly noticed a figure charging towards me in the glass. For a second I thought it was behind me but I was corrected with some breaking glass and Elizabeth growling ferociously. I gunned the engine and dodged her. She left a gaping hole in the office building and the people inside were terrified. It only took one glance to see she had torn straight through the building.

Elizabeth bounded after me, demonic hands in tow. I continued driving away, looking behind me every so often. I had to find a way to get Ben out here. He'll probably be as freaked out as I am but he could handle this situation better. Elizabeth can't eat ghosts...right? And I also still need to find Blueberry. With all of this driving I'm probably further from finding her. I really hope she's okay. She's really important. Plus Jack would murder me if anything happened. A flashback of the night I brought Blueberry back home from our trip to find Elizabeth suddenly came to mind. I groaned at the memory of Jack punching me and snapping at me. I then imagined that times a hundred and I shivered. "Please be safe, Blue," I murmured under my breath and revved the motorcycle engine again.

Elizabeth released a loud shriek that made my ears ring. She jumped up against a building and vaulted herself over onto a street lamp. She put her right demonic hand in front of me and I practically drove right into it. I turned my bike to the side and the tires screeched as I hit the brakes. A twin set of black lines were burned into the asphalt and it felt like forever for my bike stop. Once it did, I looked up and saw Elizabeth bringing her left demonic hand down, attempting to sandwich me in between. I stepped on the gas and drove forward just in time to slip through both of the shadowy appendages. Elizabeth screamed at me in frustration and I sped off again. I heard her rapid footsteps come after me.

Weaving through the streets, I kept trying to think. Loud sirens interrupted my train of thought as I failed to notice the police cars that I passed by just now. They were barely getting to the intersection. I groaned and cursed at my predicament. Though, Elizabeth was gracious enough to ram into a few cruisers and send them out of control. Despite the pile-up she had started, she was still focused on me. When I passed under a freeway, she disappeared behind me only to attack from above from the bridge. She barely missed me but one bump against my bike was enough to have me struggling to steer. I looked ahead in my panic and saw a truck about to cross in front of me. I held in my breath as I leaned to the side, taking my bike with me, and slipped under the trailer just in time. Unfortunately I stayed leaning until my motorcycle and I fell over onto the street. I tumbled across the ground as my bike skidded. I came to a stop by the edge of a curb, where people stared at me peculiarly.

Elizabeth's monstrous cry had people jumping and running away while I was left to lie on the street. I quickly got up and got to my fallen bike, which was still in good shape. Elizabeth was a few meters away from me, growling and staring at me. It was a similar glare to that of a predator who has cornered their prey. There's no way I'm cornered. My shoulder may be bleeding, my body may hurt and I may have lost a knife but I'm not cornered.

I straddled my bike and revved the still thriving engine. Elizabeth hissed at me and snapped her jaws. I made the engine roar again before hitting the gas and racing forward. Elizabeth ran towards me, mouth wide. I shifted my eyes toward a nearby street lamp then back to my bike. Quickly, I opened a small hatch in the front and flicked the AUTO switch on - a custom feature courtesy of Ben. As soon as I hit the switch, I leaned to the side and caught the coming street lamp. I held tight as my motorcycle drove out from under me and went straight for Elizabeth. She showed a brief expression of confusion before getting hit by the bike. It went straight forward while Elizabeth was sent off her feet and head first onto the ground.

I watched my bike came back to the curb and stop, waiting for me. I looked back at Elizabeth to see her struggling to sit up. Her head leaned around a lot until she made one last strained cry before hitting the ground again. Her demonic hands fell beside her again, unmoving. I sat by the street lamp and stared at her, panting heavily from the adrenaline. A few seconds went by before I built up the effort to get up and walk over to Elizabeth's (hopefully) unconscious body. I hadn't realized just how badly I had been damaged until I noticed a limp in my right leg. Must've bumped it when I fell off of my bike.

I kneeled down beside Elizabeth and checked her for a pulse. Her heartbeat was prominent, thankfully. She did take a pretty hard blow to the head just now. I wonder if that will affect her later on. I pushed her over onto her back and checked her face. Her eye was closed and I forced it open to see how it was. Still yellow and black. Then, I checked the "mask" she had on. It didn't cover the entire surface of her skin as the black substance stopped halfway down her neck in crackled patterns. There was an edge on the side of her face, right next to her ear. I gripped my fingers onto it and tugged slightly. The black substance was stuck tightly onto her face. It was almost as if it was her face, actually. But it's not. Of course it's not. Now, how do I get rid of this?

I don't know why I chose to take out my knife and jam it between the black substance and her skin. I wiggled the handle to see if I could pry some off but that proved useless. Curiously, I tried poking the knife tip into the "mask" itself. I couldn't scratch it at all, so I knew there was no breaking it. I returned my knife into its holster and thought. This black substance formed from her eye...so can it go back in? Ugh, just imagining that is gross. How would that feel? Awful, that's how. I opened Elizabeth's eye again and, like the idiot I am, poked it gently with my finger. Nothing happened. Of course nothing would happen, dumbass.

I groaned in frustration and tried to figure out how I was going to bring her back to the hideout. We're pretty far away from it now and all of my running away has probably gotten me lost. Plus, Elizabeth's demonic hands weren't disappearing so I'd have to drag those along, too. Speaking of which, shouldn't they go away by now. I would think they would disappear with Elizabeth being unconscious. Maybe? I looked up at one of them and stared as I thought. Memories faded in from long ago. They never had claws, did they? There was never two of them to begin with, too. This is weird, even for Elizabeth.

As I sat there in thought, staring at the shadowy hand, it twitched slightly. My body froze up and I sharply sucked in my breath. Elizabeth suddenly lunged up and opened her mouth, shrieking as she did so. Her teeth clamped onto my arm and tore through my sleeve. I cried out in both pain and surprise but all that was left over was the pain. Elizabeth applied pressure into her vicious bite which felt worse than the teeth digging into my flesh. I tried pushing her away but her teeth were bended back, like a snake's. Pushing her away only made the damage worse.

She began shaking her head from side to side, mauling me. I groaned and reached for my knife with a shaking hand. Once I grabbed onto the hilt, I pulled it from its holster and stabbed the blade into the center of Elizabeth's back. She shrieked into my arm but didn't let go. I growled and pulled out the knife. I didn't want to stab her again, the first was just a warning. This is still Elizabeth, a living human being.

"Elizabeth," I choked out, "p-please, stop..!" She growled deeply and shoved me down onto my back. I cried out in pain from the feeling of her teeth ripping out of my flesh. I clamped a hand onto my upper arm and seethed. Blood spilled profusely from the new wound, seeping through my clothes and from between my fingers. I tried scooting away from Elizabeth but she grabbed onto my leg and pulled me towards her. She loomed over me, her unnatural eye twinkling with a golden ferocity. I took in a few deep breaths and said, "Elizabeth, d-don't do this..! Please! Agh...you have to stop!"

She roared in protest.

I shook my head. "I can't let you be like this anymore," I continued in a struggling voice, "This isn't you."

She uttered a shrilled cry and struck my side with her regular hand. I gasped and winced from the sharp hit. I looked up at her face and into her eye. I noticed something I hadn't seen before, or it may have just showed up now. There was black liquid dripping from her eye, accumulating continuously. I stared into her golden iris a bit longer and I recognized a look. Her eye may not be ocean blue anymore but I know that look. I've seen it many times before and I know it all too well myself. She was in pain. The black liquid was....tears.

With one shaking hand, I carefully removed my helmet, being wary not to provoke Elizabeth any further. I dropped the helmet beside me and it rolled around. "Elizabeth," I said, "I'm going to help you." She hissed and snapped at me in response. "I know you don't like me very much and that's fine," I added, "I wouldn't like me either. But I will help you. I promise you'll be okay." I moved a little closer towards her with a hand raised up. She growled and her body stiffened. Keeping eye contact with her, I went on, "I know you can hear me. I know you're still there. You're in pain and I want to help. Just calm down. Everything is fine. I'm not going to hurt you. I won't let anyone else hurt you. All you need to do is calm down." I inched closer and closer to her, my hand still raised towards her head. She shifted her gaze from me to my hand, growling softy. I bit my lip for a moment, realizing how stupid I'm being. I don't know what I'm hoping to accomplish with this but so far I'm still alive which means it's working.

"I know you're angry and sad and confused but you don't have to hurt anymore. I'll help you." My hand was so close now that I could catch the black tears that fell from her face. She huffed and hissed, protesting against me being so close but I could hear the sadness in her cries. My hand inched closer and closer until my fingers grazed against the side of her face. As soon as this happened, Elizabeth shrieked and whipped her head around. I caught her with my other hand and held her still as I pressed my forehead against hers. She screamed right into my face but no matter how deafening it was I never let go. I held a straight face as she struggled against me for a few seconds. Eventually she stopped moving around and stared right back at me. Fuckin' Christ, this is a ballsy move. Over her huffing and growling, I said, "Calm down." She just kept staring at me, her breathing becoming less rapid. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see her demonic hands looming over me, ready to attack me. With this still I didn't let go of Elizabeth. I kept steadfast, despite how much my heart is punching against my chest. Very, very ballsy move.

"You're okay," I said in a hushed tone. Elizabeth stared at me, her one eye wide and alert to my gaze. I caught her demonic hands slowly moving down until they weren't so tense anymore. I nodded, saying, "You're doing good." Elizabeth responded with a short huff. My arm with the fresh wound began to burn and I stifled a groan. Elizabeth shifted in jerky movements but I tightened my grip on her head. "Easy," I said, steadying my voice, "Stay calm. You're fine.." I don't know why I said what I said next. I don't know why I was compelled to say it at all. It just sorta came out. A habit? I don't know if I should've kept my mouth shut but I did it anyway. It was such a foreign feeling to say it...

"You're okay, Sunshine.."

As soon as it came out I wanted to take it back but it did something. Elizabeth froze up so abruptly and she gave me this wide-eyed look. She didn't blink for the longest time. Then, she slowly dipped her head down and backed away from me. She sat on her heels, hanging her head, never uttering a sound. I watched her, wondering why she was acting this way and if this was a ruse.

A few moments later she lifted her head and looked at me. Elizabeth picked up her hand and started scratching at the black "mask". She scratched and scratched until her nails caught the fine edge on the side of her face. Then she began to pull. Her arm shook at the effort of her pulling and pulling at the black material. There was a crackling noise and she groaned in a monstrous voice. She pulled and pulled and her groans turned into hisses and her hisses turned into screams. Her body began to tremble the more she pulled at the black substance. A loud crack erupted and black liquid suddenly spilled and splattered from beneath the "mask". I gaped at her. Another sound made itself present. It hid under Elizabeth's beastly screams but it was there. It was her voice. Her own voice. Screaming in agony.

The pain must've been too much for her as she suddenly fell over and began twitching. Despite this, she kept trying to remove the black substance. The more she pulled the more she writhed and screamed. Black liquid just kept profusely spilling onto the ground, pooling around her head. I could only watch in horror at the grotesque sight. What could I do? I tried moving towards her with the idea of helping her pull off the black substance from her face. Instead I was forced to stay away when her demonic hands threatened me back. It was clear that I shouldn't interrupt Elizabeth's struggle. This is something she needs to do, apparently.

And so I watched as Elizabeth put herself through the torture. I don't know how much more I could bear. The scene was just horrific and the sounds didn't make it better. All of the crackling; the gurgled, shrilled screams; the splattering of the black liquid. She writhed in the pain, arching her back and trembling uncontrollably. Thankfully, it was all coming to an end. Elizabeth yanked at the black substance one last time and it finally gave out. She ripped off the face of the monster she was with a blood-curdling, ear-splitting scream. I flinched from the deafening volume. She lay there, gasping and whimpering. Black liquid painted her face. She threw the black "mask" onto the ground where it shattered into pieces.

Elizabeth turned over onto her stomach and laid there, shaking and twitching. The demonic hands slowly began disappearing into a dull smoke until there was nothing left, not even the dark spots between her shoulder blades. I couldn't help but sigh with the relief that she was okay. But Elizabeth wasn't showing any relief. In fact, I could hear faint sobbing coming from her. I moved towards her and slowly placed my hand on her shoulder. She flinched and I waited a bit then turned her over. She looked up at me, both of her mismatched eyes now visible. Before I could say anything, Elizabeth clung onto me and I gasped. Reluctantly, I held onto her, holding back my groans from both my wounded arm and my shoulder. She trembled so violently, it was saddening. Gradually, I hugged her tighter, making her calm down. I stared at the ground behind her, feeling my heart ache at the sudden memories of past moments just like this one. I sighed.

"You're okay," was all I could say, "you're okay.."

...

Ao's POV

This is an awful day. I have not one Corrupted but four of them on my tail. All I can do is run while I try to figure out a decent plan that will end with me surviving this predicament. Thank goodness I have Sam or I might not have the will to keep on running with all of my might. Also, lucky for me, I have good cardio.

The pack of Corrupted howled behind me as I ran into an alleyway. The place was empty except for a few dumpsters here and there. I checked behind me to take a glimpse at the Corrupted. They were gaining on me already. I gasped and shouted, "Sam, slow them down!"

What do I do?

"Anything!"

As I passed by a dumpster, it suddenly lifted from its spot and hurtled itself at the pack behind me. I checked to see all of them stop in their tracks as one creature was hit by the lumbering dumpster. There was a loud bang and a wet smack as the monster was crushed against the alley wall. Some of the legs that stuck out were twitching. I grimaced and kept running while the other Corrupted were distracted for the moment.

"Thanks, Sam," I said as I ran down the alley and turned a corner. A few seconds later I could hear the Corrupted chasing after me again.

There's only three of them now.

Sam had pointed out. I took a quick look and sure enough he was right. Sam must've killed that other one. What creature wouldn't die from a hit like that? Now there's one less Corrupted to worry about.

I knew I had to stay away from any public areas. I can't let people see the Corrupted and me most of all. My jacket hood is still up but that won't always help, especially in this life or death situation. I made it my objective to stay away from public areas and keep to the unoccupied. Now I just have to get to some sort of safety without mixing myself up.

My heart was pounding within my chest. I worked to keep my breathing steady. My legs were already burning but I pushed myself harder. I eventually made it to a more spacey area. Up ahead I caught sight of train tracks and a few more buildings after that. Everything was quiet, except for the Corrupted behind me, so no train was coming. At least I hope so. There are no crossing signals around. But what are the odds of a train heading this way?

I decided to run towards the other side of the tracks where there was more brush. Grass grazed against my jeans as I raced through the small clearing. I finally made it over the tracks, kicking up some gravel along the way. There was a small bit of clearing left to go until I could run into the brush. The Corrupted howled again and I took that as a sign to run faster, despite that this is probably the fastest I've ever gone. I finally charged through bushes and weaved past twisting trees. My pace had to slow down but the Corrupted did too. I squinted up ahead past the trees and saw a road and the buildings I spotted earlier. I checked behind me and saw the Corrupted further from me than they were before. My adrenaline told me to keep running but my legs begged to differ.

I fell down beside a tree and hid myself within the bushes around it. I could hear the Corrupted running around and searching for me, their grunts and snorts echoing through the trees. It was clear that they were now hunting for me instead of chasing. I gulped and tried to stay calm. "What now," I whispered as quietly as a I could.

I have an idea.

A few rocks beside me floated up in the air and were thrown far away, one-by-one. I peered around the tree I hid behind and watched the Corrupted growl and follow the noises made by the rocks. Sam kept throwing more rocks, leading the pack away from me. While Sam was doing this, I quietly crawled through the bushes and tall grass to exit towards the buildings ahead. I kept crawling on my belly until I made it to the road. Checking behind me, I saw that the Corrupted were still in the brush. I shifted my gaze to the buildings, catching sight of an alleyway entrance. I took a few moments to gain my composure and prepared myself for more exertion. "Am I clear?," I asked Sam.

Yeah, go. But hurry..!

I nodded and sprinted up from the ground. My shoes rapped against the faded asphalt road as I made way for the alleyway entrance. I made it in and ran down a long, narrow path. Distant distorted barks and howls could be heard and I knew the Corrupted must've spotted me. I quickly turned a corner and then another, only to come across a barely passable path. The old building walls were too close to each other. I looked around for any other way out but it was pretty much a dead end. I also can't turn back and take another alley path, I might run into Corrupted. Looking back at the very narrow path, I took in a deep breath and turned my body to the side. "Cover me," I told Sam. Carefully, I creeped forward and barely squeezed through the opening. I pressed my hands against the back wall and kept my chin up. I shuffled forward, staring at nothing but the faded wall in front of me and the comforting sight of the exit ahead. This was not comfortable at all and I could feel some sort of secret claustrophobia stir within me. My breathing was becoming shallow and I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I could feel it pulsating in my throat.

Finally, I made it out of the narrow path and breathed a sigh of relief. Fresh air hit my body and I could feel the pulsing in my throat cease as I took deep breaths. Unfortunately, I wasn't given a very long break as the sounds of Corrupted howls echoed behind me. I quickly looked around and saw a grid fence surrounding a small yard and a building up ahead. I quickly ran for it, wishing to block myself from the Corrupted. When I grabbed onto the eight foot tall gate, I found it to be locked. There was a padlock keeping it in place. It looks old though. Confidently, I took a step back and kicked at the gate, hoping to pop it open. Sadly, no luck and, as a measly bonus, I hurt my leg.

Let me try.

There was a pause of silence before Sam popped the gate open. It rattled against the fence and I grimaced, knowing that the noise would attract the attention of Corrupted. Hurriedly, I ran in and closed the gate behind me. As I was closing it, a shot of pain erupted from my hand. I winced and looked at my palm to see a cut straight across it. I looked at the gate to see my blood on a jagged piece of metal. Crap!

Are you okay?

"Yeah," I said, "I'll be fine. Let's just get inside the building." I held my bleeding hand as I ran for the back door of the building. Luckily, this wasn't locked and I only had to tug on it a few times to get it out of the door frame. Once I was in, I quickly closed the door and was fortunate enough to find a few boxes of junk and put them against the door. I rushed away from the door just in case this little barricade wouldn't hold.

The building was dark and the air smelled musty. This place must be abandoned. I wonder what it is, or what it used to be. Well, I can't bother. Right now seems to be the perfect opportunity to call Ben and get the hell away from here. I grabbed my phone from my pocket with my non-bloody hand and started looking for Ben's contact. Within the quiet of the building, a loud crash was heard somewhere inside. I jumped and froze. I listened intently and heard the growls of Corrupted. Dammit, they must've found another way in! They're in the front which means I can probably sneak my way through the back. But where else will I go from there? The only way out is through that really narrow path. It slows me down and I can't afford to get caught by Corrupted if they make their way to the back. Besides, this place is too dark and I don't remember the way to the back door. I shouldn't turn on flashlight mode on my phone, that'll cause attention. "Kuso...!" I whispered.

I carefully made my way through the dark, being sure not to bump into anything and create a ruckus. My eyes are adjusting to the dark so I can make out faint shapes. I snuck down a hallway and found a few steps. I tiptoed onto them and made it to a more open area. It was mostly empty but there were a few things left behind from what this place used to be. As I was walking, I stepped on something. It sounded like paper. I leaned down and picked it up. Using the faint light from my phone screen, I checked what was printed on the sheet. It was a flier. Some parts were faded but I could still make out a few words. I could read: Winston Theatre Center.

An auditorium.

I've heard about this place. My parents told me that it was a beloved place, back in the 70s. Unfortunately, the city couldn't pay for it anymore and so it was shut down. Despite the unfortunate end, it was pretty well-known to have had a few cherished musical composers perform here, and there were plays as well. I always wondered about this place and now I'm in it. This would seem like a more appealing experience if I wasn't being hunted by Corrupted. I quietly placed the flier back down onto the floor and moved on.

Now that I know it's an auditorium, a few things make more sense. The layout of the area, for example. Right now, I must be backstage. I kept carefully walking around, listening for the Corrupted. I could hear them shuffling about in the front. They might be in the audience area. As I was walking, something brushed up against me and I held back a squeak. I felt at it and calmed down once I realized it was the curtains. Right outside of these are the Corrupted, prowling about. I backed away from it, only to slip on what I presume would be paper. I hit the floor without pain but the thud was like a knife cutting the silence. It didn't help that the floor was wood and it helps resonate sound. My fall echoed throughout the building and I mentally cursed at myself. There was a pause of silence before I heard a deafening howl come from one of the Corrupted outside.

I quickly got up and started running away from the distorted howling. My body bumped into something hard and I groaned. I felt at it for a moment and realized it was a metal ladder. Panicked from the paddling sounds of the Corrupted's paws, I grabbed onto it and started climbing. I rushed up the rungs, trying not to slip and fall to the floor. My bleeding hand burned as my cut rubbed against the rungs. I eventually made it onto what seemed was a metal platform. There was railing on either side and it was narrow.

It's a catwalk.

Sam deduced for me. I quietly walked across the catwalk, holding onto the rails, but it was old so it groaned softly. I hoped the Corrupted couldn't catch the noises. While I walked, I kept thinking to myself that I shouldn't be up here. Something bad is going to happen, like me falling or being trapped up here while the Corrupted corner me. I tried not to think too much about the negative. I'll find a way out, I know I will! Geez, how long is this catwalk?

There was a loud growl and I knew it came from below me. I froze and kept perfectly still. I could hear my heart beat in my ears again. I also noticed that my hand was still bleeding. How deep was the cut? It couldn't have been too deep. I could feel blood droplets slip down my fingers and onto the railing. I clutched the metal, hoping to stop the bleeding but that made it worse. It was suddenly quiet in the auditorium, so quiet that I could probably hear a pin drop. Or, in this case, a blood drop.

The Corrupted that was below me sniffed about and growled. I closed my eyes, hoping it will disregard the smell of my blood. I wasn't so fortunate in this situation. It released another spine-chilling howl and the two other Corrupted responded with their own. The catwalk suddenly shook, as if something jumped on it, and the vibrations came from behind me. I turned and saw two glowing dots. Eyes. One of them climbed onto the catwalk. One of them is up here...!

Without a moment to lose, I started running forward to get to the other side of this thing. Deep growling sounded from behind me and the Corrupted ran across the catwalk. My heart was racing with fear as I ran. The catwalk rattled and groaned until the worst thing happened. It gave out.

Something must've broke and the whole side that was in front of me began falling. I quickly grabbed the railing and held on tight as I fell with the metal platform. I was suddenly hanging off from the railing as the catwalk bumped against a wall. I put my feet onto a rung and held onto the railing. Below me I could hear the two Corrupted growl. I looked down and saw their figures, prowling below me, waiting to strike. One of them jumped up and tried biting at me but they didn't reach. I watched with wide eyes as they kept jumping. One of them got so close that I had to move my feet away from its maw. When the other creature tried snapping at me, I quickly kicked it across the face and it was sent falling onto its side, whining.

The floor is too far for me to drop down and start running. I'll probably hurt myself. So, I began to climb the railing as if it were a ladder. I was careful, keeping in mind that this half of the catwalk might completely break off at any moment. Its groans and creaks threatened me. As I was climbing, the whole thing shook violently with a bang. For a moment I thought it was falling but when I looked down I saw the third Corrupted clawing onto the platform. It must've jumped from the other side of the catwalk. I shrieked and started climbing faster. The Corrupted climbed with me, its snout nearly at my feet. I kicked at it but it didn't fall down.

Thankfully, I made it to a sturdier part of the catwalk and hauled myself over onto it. I looked down to see the Corrupted was about to reach me. "Sam," I started, panicked, "do something!"

Got it.

The bit of metal that was leaving part of the catwalk hanging began groaning until it broke off. The Corrupted growled and released demonic barks as it was sent crashing down. The catwalk fell on top of it and it struggled to crawl out. The other two creatures were also caught under the catwalk, leaving me an opportunity to make a break for it.

I started climbing down another ladder and jumped down a few feet to get away quicker. I ran through the curtains, jumped off of the stage and ran through the audience area. The Corrupted's howls grew distant the more I ran and a smile began to creep up onto my face. I burst through a set of doors and entered a lobby. In front of me were more sets of doors leading outside. Daylight poured in through some windows high above and one window was broken. That's probably where the Corrupted entered.

I ran for the front doors and made it outside. The wind blew against me and I took in some fresh air. I closed the doors behind me and checked them again. Locked from the outside. Perfect!

I started running when suddenly I was tackled down. I went tumbling down the stone steps that lead up to the auditorium and landed at the curb. When I looked up, a black mass jumped on top of me. It was a Corrupted, one from the pack. No, that's impossible. The three are still inside, stuck! I would notice if one of them got out! Unless...oh my god, the first one didn't die.

I held the Corrupted away from my face as it started snapping its jaws at me. I screamed as it kept pushing against me, its rancid breath making me retch in disgust. In the moment, I suddenly remembered the pocket knife Jeff gave me. Quickly, I held the beast back with one hand and snatched the knife from my pocket. I flipped the blade out and, with a whole lot of force, stabbed it straight into the Corrupted's eye. It howled in pain and thrashed about. I rolled over onto it and started stabbing into its disgusting, mutated face. Over and over, black blood dripped from the blade. As I was attacking the creature, I remembered something helpful. Jeff killed a Corrupted not too long ago. He sliced its chest open and stabbed the monster's heart. A memory from the trip to find Elizabeth came up; it was when Ben killed that large Corrupted. Ben's Claymore went through its chest, probably hitting the heart. I stared down at the Corrupted before me, knowing what I have to do.

I raised the pocket knife and rammed it straight into the creature's chest. It wailed in pain and whined as I kept stabbing and stabbing into the chest, making black blood fly. Flesh split apart to make way for my blade, until my hands were deep in its chest. The Corrupted gave out one last painful cry before its body fell limp. I pulled out the knife and watched as it began to wither away, like I've seen before. After a few moments, I was sitting on an empty spot with black blood dripping from the knife and my hands. I looked down at myself to see it splattered all over my shirt and pants. Some droplets even made their way onto my glasses. I panted heavily, realizing what I just did. Yes, I did a good thing but, I did it so...ruthlessly.

You know...I probably could've handled that myself...

I stifled a nervous chuckle.

Are you okay?

I gulped and said, "No, not really."

A pause of silence. The wind whistled around me. Trees rustled a few ways away.

Come on, you need to get away from here.

I nodded and stood to my feet. I folded up the knife and put it back into my pocket. As I was starting to leave this place, loud howling stirred from behind me. I turned to see the three Corrupted I had left inside. They looked well pissed and bloodthirsty. The three of them started prowling towards me, sharp teeth bared with aggression. I started backing up, feeling my heart pound again.

Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. I won't let those ugly bastards touch you..!

Sam's assuring words comforted me but my fear still coursed throughout my body. Then, before I could blink, the Corrupted in the middle lunged forward, mouth wide open. I screamed and covered my face as a reflex. But, the beast never came close. For a moment I thought Sam stopped it but when I looked at the creature I saw that it was backing away. All three of them were. They had wide, fearful eyes; the ears were lowered: tails were between legs. "I guess you're pretty scary, Sam," I remarked.

...I didn't do anything.

I stared forward with a confused expression. Then, I frowned and my body stiffened. I followed the Corrupted's gazes and turned around. Standing right behind me was a man. But not just some random guy. It was the white haired man I saw fighting Elizabeth. He towered over me like a statue. I could feel his eyes on me despite the mask and goggles on his face. My body refused to move away from him. He would catch me if I moved so any attempt to run would fail miserably.

The Corrupted barked and the white haired man raised his head towards them. He lifted one gloved hand and the three creatures flinched. Then, the white haired man snapped his fingers and pointed away. Immediately, the Corrupted ran away in the direction he had pointed in, like trained dogs. Though, they seemed more afraid than trained.

When the Corrupted were gone, I looked back at the white haired man and stared. I think he stared back. Suddenly, he leaned in close to my face and I yelped. I stayed still as he...sniffed me? He kept sniffing me for a few moments, trying one side of my face to the other. After he was done he leaned away from me and took a step back. I stared at him for a few moments, wondering why he did what he just did. The white haired man said nothing to me. I decided not to ask him any questions. Hesitantly, I started walking away. He did nothing but watch. I kept walking and my pace eventually became casual. I walked a good few feet away from him before turning my eyes away. I heard fading footsteps behind me I looked back to see him walking away too. A quiet laugh slipped past my lips and my relief couldn't be any more prominent. He let me go. I can't believe he let me go. Why? Hell, that doesn't matter. He practically saved me the trouble of dealing with the three Corrupted. I should be happy he's leaving me alone.

"Let's call Ben and go home," I said as I took out my phone from my pocket.

Wait!

I froze in my place. "Wh-What?"

Sam was quiet for a moment until...

Run!!

"Huh??" I suddenly heard fast footsteps behind me and I glanced over my shoulder to see the white haired man running after me. "Oh!," I exclaimed and started running like Sam told me to. I headed for the brush again, though I have a feeling I won't be able to hide from the white haired man. I made it into the trees and sprinted my way through, weaving past trees and ducking under low hanging branches. Loud rustling sounded behind me, indicating that the white haired man was running through the brush too.

I burst through the other side of the brush and ran towards the train tracks.

Ao watch out!!!

I looked around and saw a train coming from the right. My heart stopped and I gasped. My momentum was too high, I won't be able to stop in time. So, I did what I could. I kept running. The train horn was loud in my ears as it was only a few meters away and decreasing.

Ao, what are you doing?! Stop, stop, STOP!

I couldn't. My legs kept going and my chest burned intensely. The tracks came closer, the train horn grew louder, my heart pounded harder. Before I knew it the tracks passed right under my feet and I landed on the other side. The train whizzed past me and the wind whipped my clothes and hair. I stayed crouched in the grass for moment until I regained my breath.

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

"Are you cool?," I asked Sam. Suddenly a pebble struck my forehead and I whined.

DON'T. EVER. DO. THAT. AGAIN.

"S-Sorry," I grumbled as I rubbed my forehead. "I still made it, though-."

Another pebble hit my forehead again. "Okay, okay," I groaned. I stood up from the grass and turned around. The train was still going and it had a pretty long line of carts. The white haired man is blocked and will be for a while. Good. "Let's get going," I said, pulling my hood back up as I ran.

After a few minutes I made it back into town and walked on the sidewalk. I was a mess. Black blood stained my clothes, my hand bloody and covered with dirt. I need to clean the cut up before it gets infected. "Where do you think Jeff and Elizabeth are now?," I asked.

No clue.

If I encountered the white haired man earlier then that must mean something happened to the two. I hope not. Maybe they escaped like I thought they would. If so, I need to find them.

As I walked along the sidewalk, police cars raced by me with their sirens blaring and lights flashing. I stared at the vehicles until they all turned a corner. By the looks of it, they're headed for the metro district neighboring Gracewood. What are they in a hurry for? I thought about that for a moment and then stopped in my tracks. I sigh, then follow after the police cars.

While I was following the cruisers, I was suddenly pulled into an alley. I screamed but my mouth was immediately covered by a gloved hand. I manage a glance at my assailant to see a head of white hair. I gasped and struggled against the arms that held me back. I scream out a muffled 'Sam' and he was quick to answer my call. Sam threw a rock at the white haired man's head. He stumbled back and I was able to slip out of his grasp. He blocked the alley way entrance so I had no choice but to run further into the alley. The white haired man ran after me again. I thought the train stopped him. How did he get past the friggin' train?!

I ducked into another alleyway only to come to a dead-end. My eyes went wide and I shook my head. When I turned around, the white haired man was there. He strode towards me and I kept backing up. I found myself pressed against the wall as he came closer and closer. As he raised his hands to grab me, I ran under his arms. While I was slipping past him, he caught ahold of my jacket and I struggled to make him let go. I screamed and kicked at him but he wouldn't let up. Suddenly, his fist connected with my jaw hard and I went falling to the ground. The hit rattled my head and everything spun for a few seconds. When my vision calmed down, I looked up at the white haired man to see him trying to grab me. I quickly crawl away but he kept coming for me. He popped his knuckles and flexed his hands, readying himself to hit me again. I shook my head and, in my fear, screamed, "Sam!!"

Sam threw the white haired man back against the dead-end wall. He was temporarily disoriented. Then, in his own rage, Sam picked up a dumpster and hurtled it towards him. I sat on the ground and watched as that dumpster came barreling at the white haired man's head. The next thing I knew, that man's head was crushed like a grape. Blood splattered everywhere. It went across the walls, all over the ground. Some drops reached me. I gagged and clamped a hand around my mouth as I tried to suppress a scream and bile from rising up my throat. Tears formed in my eyes and threatened to fall. The worst thing was, I couldn't look away. No matter how hard I tried to turn my head, I couldn't take my eyes off of the bloody, meaty sight.

The white haired man's headless body fell over and the dumpster was dropped right on top of him. A red, gooey mess was left on the wall from where his head used to be. Some chunks fell off and - oh my god, no...

He won't be getting up any time soon.

Sam's tone of voice sounded slightly ominous and I shivered briefly. I stood up with a shaking body and began walking away. The image of that man's head just bursting kept replaying in my mind and I begged to make myself stop.

Something shuffled behind me. I stopped walking and turned around to see what it was. A scream wanted to come out but all I could do was open my mouth and stare with wide eyes.

The white haired man isn't dead.

His headless body began crawling out from under the dumpster. He stood up and started walking towards me, blood dripping down his battle suit. As he walked towards me, something horrifying started to happen. Particles began forming over his bloody neck, forming into wispy strings. At first they were white and they formed together to make a skull. Then the next set of strings were red and tissue and muscle gradually formed over the skull. The next color was peach colored and the skin was created, along with the hair. Before I knew it, the white haired man had a head again. Nothing was out of place, as if he wasn't decapitated just mere moments before. The white haired man opened his eyes and I froze. Crimson red irises flared with life and had me trembling.

Holy shit...

Sam took the words right out of my mouth. I couldn't believe my eyes. How? Just...how?

As soon as the white haired man moved forward, I took out the pocket knife and pointed the blade at him. "Don't come any closer!," I screamed, "Get away from me!!!" My hand was shaking. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to forget what I have seen, what I went through. I don't want to be here anymore...!

My breathing became heavy and every part of my body felt tense. It took me a moment to realize I was hyperventilating. What's worse is I couldn't stop. I panicked and ran away, not wanting to deal with the pressure anymore. I just ran. I didn't care where, as long as it was far away.

My feet took me out of the alleyways, onto the sidewalk and down several blocks. I turned a street corner and ran into a set of police cars. There were police officers. Eight of them. My heavy breathing faltered and I started running towards them. I waved my arms around for their attention. Some of them saw me and they tensed up. "Help me," I panted. Soon they all looked at me with alert eyes. I wondered why they were being so suspicious until I finally realized I still had the pocket knife in my hand. Then I looked down at myself, my blood stained self. I looked back up at the officers and shook my head. My mind was a blur and I was too nervous to think straight. I started running away from the police officers but two of them chased after me. Soon I was caught and dragged towards the cruisers.

"I didn't do anything," I exclaimed, as I struggled against them, "I swear, I didn't do anything! Please, you have to believe me! I need help!!"

"We noticed," one cop remarked.

They took away my pocket knife, put my hands behind my back and slammed me down against the hood of a squad car. The cold metal of hand-cuffs touched my wrists and compressed them. "I'm telling you, I didn't do anything!," I shouted.

"Calm down, ma'am," one officer told me, "this is only a precaution. We'll be taking you to the station and-."

"No," I protested.

"Ma'am, please-."

"NO! You can't do this!" I shouted.

The two officers started leading me to the back of the car. As they were dragging me, I caught a glimpse of the white haired man over the hood. I screamed and tried running away but the officers held me in place. "Get him away from me," I yelled. The officers looked around and found the white haired man. They looked back at me and I gave them a pleading look. One of them motioned to other officers and pointed at the white haired man. I watched about three cops walk towards him and one of them started questioning him.

"Sir, may we speak to you for a moment?" The white haired man ignored the officer. "Sir? Excuse me? Sir, we need to-."

The white haired man suddenly grabbed the officer by the head and twisted his neck. A loud crack echoed in the air and I gaped in horror. The two other officers pulled out their guns and aimed at him. The white haired man smacked the first officer's arms away and ducked just in time before the second officer fired. The white haired man pulled the trigger on the first cop's gun and shot the second cop right in the head. Then he broke the first officer's arm, grabbed his gun and fired right into the temple.

The two officers that held me were shocked by the turn of events. They hurried to put me inside the back of the squad car but one of them was suddenly shot in the chest. He went down right next to me and I screamed. The other cop pulled me down behind the car and said, "Stay here and don't move!" He unholstered his gun and peered around the car to fire in cover. There was only five cops left. I peeked and watched the white haired man take the bullets like they were nothing and I was amazed to see the wounds heal instantly.

Everything happened so fast.

He ran up to one officer and punched him across the face. Then he turned him around and shot at the spinal cord. The officer screamed in pain and fell to his knees but was interrupted when a bullet went in his head. Four left.

The white haired man sprinted for another cop. The officer freaked out but was caught and got his neck twisted. Another loud, horrible crack. Three left.

The white haired man aimed for one cop but he was shot straight in the head. He stumbled back and shook out the bullet. The cop stared, dumbfounded. He tried firing again but he wasn't quick enough. The white haired man grabbed him and used him as a human shield. The other officer hadn't stopped himself in time and shot his own colleague. Two left. The white haired man shoved the dead cop onto the other and both bodies when falling. The white haired man aimed and fired at the officer's head before he could get back up. One more left.

I looked over at the cop next to me and we shared glances. He gulped and readied his gun. Before he could poke his head out and fire, the white haired man came around from the side and surprised us. I screamed and the last officer grabbed me protectively. The both of us stood up and the cop pulled me behind him. "Put the gun down," he growled at the white haired man. "Don't make your punishment any worse than it will be!" The white haired man just stared at the officer, expressionless. I trembled as I looked at his crimson eyes, devoid of any mercy.

The police officer told him, "I'm not going to ask you again, put the gun down or-!"

The white haired man shot the cop straight in the head. Blood splattered from his head then across my face and I froze. The cop fell dead to the ground, blood pooling around his head. I just stood there, shaking, eyes wide with terror. Blood covered my glasses and I could barely see through it all. It dripped down my face, stained my clothes even more. Tears began falling from my eyes but I was too petrified to make any sound. It was everywhere...

The white haired man looked at me and stepped over the officer's body. He leaned in and sniffed me again. I stood still and never uttered a word. He raised a hand and placed it on my face, smearing the blood over my lips. More tears started falling. He turned my head to the side then licked blood from my cheek. I shivered at the feeling of his tongue running across my skin.

Finally, he backed away and let me go. I didn't want to look at him. All I can see is blood.

After not making a sound, I whispered in a shaking voice, "..S-Sam....help...m-."

The white haired man suddenly swung his gun towards me. A sharp pain erupted across the side of my head and I fell over instantly. The last thing I saw was the white haired man picking me up and carrying me over to the police car.