SPINE chapter 1

"Enticed by the sound of silence, being pulled into the very thing that leads us to our ruin. When we know that nothing good will come of it, why then do we go the dangerous route? To quench our needs and bury our curiosity into the rubble below us? To the end of our freedom and to the end of our lives willingly?"
 
I was hazy, tired and in pain as I woke. The sounds of gun shots and metal hitting metal made my head ache. It didn’t take me long to find out that I was in a moving vehicle. it was a small square space that had a lot of random items strapped to the walls and on the floor. i recognized the guns bet there were other things that I didnt understand. 

 The vehicle jerked and I hit  the side of the wall of the covered truck back. I struggled to get up. As I put weight on my wrists I felt a sharp pain then observed the bandages wrapped around them.  my hands were shaking and felt strange to move them, almost numb. Again the truck jerked and I hit my head onto the wall. 

Two men were suddnely next to me when i looked up.  both were covered in thick tan gear. The young one grabbed my shoulder to stabilize me, but the other seemed to be more worried. he had a grey and black beard and was just a bit familiar to me. 

“Easy, easy. Take it slow.”  the young one shined a small light in my eye and moved it back and forth. "how are you feeling?" he had to say loudly as the gun fire was constant. 

I pointed to the one shooting out the back of the truck, "that is not helping."

"your head?"

"hurts."

"do you remember?"

"i dont know."

the old man signed. "nothing? anything? like what happened or where your from? who you are?"

I tried but all i got was more pain in my head. i just shook and looked at him concerned.

"Gerard their gaining on us."

"well this is no good. con you stand?"

"i think so"

I wasnt too sure. i had strange numbness everywhere but my legs seemed to move when i tired.

 “Good.” He threw a gun in my hands.  “Extra hands always helpful now get off your ass and shoot.”

“Do what?” I yelled over the noise. The man looked surprised and leaned in. he squinted his eyes at me as if to look at me closer. I backed up to the trucks sides as he stared. He looked like he was trying to think too hard. He stood up straight again and looked at the back where the people were.

“come on, you seen guns enough, you should have at least the instinct in how they work.  now get off your ass and shoot.”

 “What?”

“You’ve got to be kidding? Okay, take this.” He showed me his gun and held it out in front of him. “Point” he held out his gun.  “And shoot.” he shot a couple of rounds off. Then I looked to what he was shooting. White hovering vehicles were chasing us.

I stumbled to the opening and watched as they shot back. I was in awe. “Wait.” I called to the man. “Why are they chasing us? Just who are you?”

 A woman appeared next to me. I jumped back. I didn’t know why but it was like a reflex. She keeled and shot off a rocket blasting one of the vehicles down. The explosion was hard on my eyes as the massive light lit up the night.  She smiled and winked at me. She reloaded.

The man grabbed a latter on one of the walls and messed with the roof. Another started talking with him.

“I don’t know. This doesn’t seem right? You sure about him?”

“It’s him. Hey just look at the bright side. At least we understand him this time.”

 A latch on the roof broke loose and the man climbed up to the top.  He reappeared after a few seconds. “Come on. Not going to let you get saved then pussy off while we do all the work. Your earning your freedom ya ass.”

“But I don’t understand any of this. What’s-“he lifted his head and disappeared onto the roof again.

Insulted and irritated I followed him. I got on the roof and stumbled to the side and dropped to my knees as the vehicle jolted to the side. their were garrales and ropes attached to the top.  I peered over the side of the vehicle and found that one side had a massive cliff.

“Careful.” he said smiling. He presented the enemy by lifting his hand. “Well?”

I stood up and pointed my gun and pulled the trigger. The jolt surprised me and I stared at it. 

“Two hands. And aim ya idiot.”

I looked to the gun, then at the white vehicles, I pointed my gun and shot. My vision had cleared a bit and my mind was clearer. It felt right.  One by one I shot them down not sure how I knew their weak points. I just figured I was lucky, but it was strange like I knew, like I had done this before.

There was a large rumble that shook the air. From the canyon under the shadows on the side a monstrous creature appeared and landed on one of the white vehicles and drove it into the side of the road. It exploded. I watched as the creature turned to us and stared.

“Cropy!” the old man shouted. He jumped back into the hole in the roof and shouted even louder. “Get us the hell out of here. Shit got dark faster than I thought.” I looked to the creature who was now accompanied with more exploding white vehicles and their destroyers. All in different sizes and shapes but they all had the same furious look to them. A look like they were going to kill us. I fell forwards as the vehicle I was on moved faster.

 I heard a deep gargling from the pit and watched as a bug like thing jumped at the vehicle, at me. It landed above me digging its talons into the metal of the truck. I fell off the truck but managed to grab the sides. I took the gun and shot at the belly of the beast as it struggled to tare the truck apart. The creature fell taking the truck with it. It smashed us into an open area; I rolled off away from the others. I looked up to see the creature swaying back and forth. Then it stopped and I watched as the creature came at me.  I struggled to get up but before I could it was blocking the sky from my view.

It stopped above me, its long sharp jagged claws dug into the dirt around me trapping me. I stared in fear as it moved close to me. Its mouth stretched and showed a long line of teeth. It began to sniff at me. Its smell was rank. I kicked up at its stomach and it pushed upwards off me, much further then I had hoped. It fell back into the pits. The man that was with me was out cold lying not too far from me. I got up and looked back at the truck. Blood pooled out from the truck and spilled out.

 I picked up the man and hid us behind a large rock in a crevasse in the path that split into three roads. One road followed the cliff back to where we came from, one going down the cliff and one that was cut into the side of it that looked like a path that was made to be traveled on foot. There were paths carved out and ways around large rocks to hide.

I watched as the creatures, or the Divinity as he called them, surround the remains of the people that had just helped me. But why had I needed to escape? Why did I need to be saved? Was I in danger? Every time I tried to remember something from my past I would see a bright light, then her. I remembered her mouth, her curly black hair, her smell even, but the thing that I remember the most was her voice. Her voice so mellow so perfect that I feel hatred any time I think of it. Why?

A Divinity’s heavy footsteps rolled past us as I pulled the man out of sight. I placed him down and followed the divinity behind the rocks in the shadows. My feet were bare and the night was cold and dry. I become aware that I was only wearing pants and pure white ones at that. If I made any sound they all would have heard it. The two I was following stopped and turned around in my direction. I scampered deeper into the crevices of the walls. The smallest one shimmered across the massive rocks like mercury.

It got closer and closer to where I was until it was practically on me. I could see its blotched massive green eyes. They twitched as they looked. It turned and shimmered back to the group. I let go of my held breath and then snuck back down to the man who was still out.

I waited for him to wake. I sat against the massive rock that was hiding us. I looked at my hands and tried to focus tried to remember anything about my past, which I was. But there was nothing.

 The man shot up as he woke, I quickly placed my hand over his mouth and put my other finger to my mouth then pointed to the divinity that passed by us wondering in groups. He calmed and I released my grip and we waited. For some time they were gone but I couldn’t be too sure if there would be other small ones like before.

“Where are the others?” He whispered

I just shook my head.

“Shit. Well that’s just great. Stuck in the middle of nowhere at night. We're as good as dead.”

“Why? Because of those things?” I pointed at the air.

“You really don’t know anything do you?”

“I don’t know.” the woman’s voice came into my head again. I didn’t want to think about it too hard.

“Maybe? Alright whatever. We need to get moving anyways. I can’t run with this leg like this.”

“your leg’s hurt?” I asked. I didn’t even think to check if he was hurt.

“its nothing serious. Go to the truck and get guns and ammo. Be quick about it, and quiet.”

“What’s ammo?” I asked.

“He smacked his palm to his forehead. “Their small and metal. We put them into the guns.” I heard him say under his breath, “I am so dead.”

Just as I turned my back he called to me quietly and through his shirt at me. “Put it on.”

“Why.”

“Hide your back. It creeps me the hell out.”

“My back?” what was wrong with my back. I reached over my shoulder and before I touched my spine I felt a cold hard surface.  It was smooth but rigged I followed it up the center of my back up to my neck and to the back of my head. What was it? This this thing in my back. I put my finger under a bump and pulled up slightly and a rush of pain shot through my body. I turned to the man. I ran to the man and grabbed him and hissed at him. “What the hell is on my back?”

“I don’t know?” he managed to get out. He moved his hands in a downwards motion to tell me to quiet down. “You were like that when we found you.”

“You’re lying.”

“I swear I don’t know.” I let go of him and stared. I felt it again and rode my fingers down it. “We’ll figure that out later, but we have to get moving.”

I was still furious and scared. What was this thing attached to my spine? What was its purpose? What will it do?

I crept to the edge of the rocks, and had the truck in my view. It was still smoking and still filled with bodies. The coast was clear and I went for it. I crept across the grey ground and got into the back of the truck. Two bodies were in plain sight both dead still holding their guns. I grabbed a couple of bags and filled them with guns, ammo, water that I found and I figured if they were dead they didn’t need their shoes anymore. So I stripped one of the men and put on their pants. Bright white pants weren’t the best for sneaking around in the dark with. I looked at the poor things then turned to leave.

Above on the top of the cliff was a divinity. I hid inside the truck and took out a gun. I grabbed a piece of mirror that had broken and fallen in the back and held it out to look at the thing. It was surveying the area. It was thin and had wings that were transparent in the moonlight. It let out a massive screech then jumped to the other side of the cliff and looked the other way. I took stance, breathed and sprinted. I slid into the shadows as the divinity turned. I lay in the shadows of the rocks and it looked around. Apparently it saw nothing as it didn’t do anything differently. I crept to the man. When I got to him he was smiling but in shock.

“What?”

“You insane bastard.” he laughed. He smacked me and grabbed a bag from me. He limped up the thin path that was laid out by the large stones. Every once in a while a divinity would go past. They weren't quiet or trying to hide so they were easy to hear coming. When we could see the top of the path we looked to each other and smiled. The sky was becoming brighter and more light seeped into the path caved out from the cliff.

“Once we get up there we’ll be safe.” He whispered.

“Why would that make a difference?”

“Divinity hates the light. They can’t move right in it. So they avoid it.”

 I hurried our pace when I stopped. The man was far behind me on the ground holding his leg. I hurried down to him and saw that he was unable to move anymore. His eyes seemed tired and about to pass out. I grabbed his bags and wrapped them around my shoulders then carried him on my back.

 “We’ll get out. We’ll get through this. Even if I have to face those things.” it was stressful carrying all that weight. But I was able to move just as I did before. Making large steps quietly and smoothly dodging the sight of the divinity. The slope got steeper as I move forwards. There were less and less large rocks to hide behind as I got closer to the top. Then the rocks were gone all together. I stopped behind the last rock and looked behind me. They were all at the bottom. If I was quiet they shouldn’t notice.

Then it happened the sand slipped from under my foot and a wave of dirt and gravel fell down the small path. It echoed down the path. Shit. There was no response. Screw it. I was so close to the top and I could see the light hitting the top of the trail. The sun was up I just needed to get past that line of rays. I sprinted up the hill. Good thing I did because behind me I could hear a stampede trailing. I dared not to look back. The closer I got to the top I could feel them getting closer. As my face hit that ray of light I could feel breath on my neck. I jumped and fell onto the flat surface of the top and felt the sun. The man fell from me as I landed. I got up and looked to the sun then to the divinity that watched me with glowing angry eyes in the darkness of the path. My throat dry and cutting at the air as I gasped. Their eyes watched me. It was like they were trapped in the shadows, like in a cage.

The man looked to me shielding the sun from his eyes. His face was that of pure shock. “We’re out. You loveable idiotic son of a bitch, you did it. “He fell back to the ground spread eagle. He closed his eyes and laid there smiling in silence. I looked around at the surroundings. It was breathtaking. The hills covered in etched layer rocks of copper, the flat valleys of the desert. The light made everything look so bright and colorful. I had never seen such colors before.

I felt my body fall forwards and smash into the ground. The man called out for me. He was reaching for me and shouting but before I could react, I was pulled by my feet back into the shadows deep into the heart of the divinity. All their hands and claws reached out from the darkness as I was pulled in. I could feel them grabbing at me, passing me. I was dropped and my spine hit a rock and my whole body was enveloped by pain. I could feel my shirt tearing apart under me.   I was dragged more than halfway down the path before I stopped.

My whole body burnt. I could feel my body pulsing in pain. I slowly moved to look up. Above me everything was dark again. But darker than before like the sky was no longer bright. I don’t know how many divinities were staring at me.

 There was a conversation between a few. It sounded like a different language mixed with the gargle sounds that they made from before. I got up stumbling as they surrounded me. I backup and found myself up against the rock wall. Then they stopped talking and the one with the blue glowing eyes looked to me and moved to me. He reached for my face. I couldn’t see it very well. I felt its long nails grazed my face. I was so afraid. I could feel his breath. What were these things? What were they going to do?

 He said something then stifled through my hair behind my ears. I was so confused.  He stopped and kneeled in front of me still holding my head. He kept his gaze at my eyes like he was looking for something. He turned to the others and said something else then let go. 5 smaller ones latched onto me. I didn’t know what to do. They started to squeeze and I could feel them crushing my bones. I pushed them off as I grasped my ribs. I coughed trying to breath.  I fell to the ground leaning my back to the wall gasping. The smaller ones seemed to whimper and the blue eyed one gave me a strange look. He reached to me again.

A bright light engulfed everything. I covered my eyes as the light burnt around everything. The divinity screeched and scattered back into the deeper part of the cliff face. Before me I saw the Divinity standing staring at me. His blue eyes glared then he turned and ran. His cloak moving like a faint mist.

I looked up the hill and saw a series of lights in a row and two figures appeared in front of them walking towards me.

“He is down here. Are you alright?” a woman’s voice. I reacted in pure terror as they walked closer to me. The woman ran up to me as I smashed into the rocks holding my head. Memories flowed through me, broken and unclear but she was there that woman smiling, saying something I can’t hear.

 I felt pressure on my shoulders. I saw the girl that had called for me that had saved me. She was young blond hair.
It wasn’t her. I was sweating profusely. But she was still in my head.

“Don’t be afraid. We will always be together.” the image of her black curly hair, her lips, the white blinding from behind her. I fell forwards and passed out.