Artemis
placed a hand over her mouth and yawned. It had been another long and
uneventful night. She rubbed her eyes to dispel her sleepiness. Dawn was fast
approaching. Her shift would soon be over and she could go home and sleep her
fill.
She glanced at her brother who was leaning against the cracked wall of the alleyway. He was looking up at the gradually brightening sky, a cigarette dangling from one corner of his lips. She frowned disapprovingly at him. He caught the scowl on her face and grinned at her as he took a long drag of his cigarette. “It will kill you one day, Danny,” she warned him.
He rolled his eyes in annoyance. “We’ve been through this a hundred times, Sis. Smoking helps me stay awake.” She snorted in disbelief. “Suit yourself. Don’t come crying to me if you have lung cancer.” It was his turn to snort. “I never cry.” She couldn’t help but grin at him. “Bastard.” His twinkling blue eyes met her forest green ones. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Sis.”
She chuckled at their light banter. Aidan was her best friend and the only person she could rely on. They protected each other ever since they were children struggling to survive in dirty alleyways and seedy districts. They were orphans for as long as she could remember. She never knew who their parents were or what they looked like.
She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear away her dark thoughts. When she opened her eyes, she found Aidan staring at her as if he knew what she had been thinking about just moments ago. Darn twin telepathy. She turned her gaze towards the Gateway to avoid her brother’s knowing look. She was at once ensnared by the erratic movements of the runes swirling on every surface of the wrought iron gates.
She never failed to be amazed by the strange runes dancing along the iron bars of the Gateway even though she had seen it a dozen times. They emitted a kind of energy that felt almost magical. That thought was absurd. She didn’t even believe in magic. Yet to look at those finely crafted symbols swirling and twirling in an intricate pattern around the iron gates, you could almost believe….
She blinked when the runes suddenly increased the speed of their movements and began to glow. The Gateway was opening. “Danny.” Her voice was barely a whisper but her brother immediately whipped around to face the Gateway with his guns drawn. They were both mean-looking heavily modified Berettas.
She gripped the hilt of her sword which was strapped to her back and unsheathed it. She pressed the red gem embedded in the pommel to activate the sword’s electrical mode. She smiled grimly when she heard the soft crackle of electricity as electrical charges ran along the length of her blade. It’s time to play, Callie. She had named her sword Caliburn- after the legendary sword that was pulled out of a rock by King Arthur.
They waited in anticipation as the iron gates swung outwards. They had to squint to shield their eyes from the bright white light pouring out of the open gates. Through their narrowed eyes, they could make out the vague outlines of dozens of dark figures emerging from the depths of the light. Wraiths. The iron gates swung close, abruptly cutting off the bright light. It’s time.
Artemis immediately leapt towards the dark shadowy figures and thrust her sword into one of them in one swift motion. Its blood red eyes widened in shock. She could see rows of sharp teeth as it opened its mouth to let loose a shrill scream of hatred and agony before fading away. Without stopping, she quickly slashed another Wraith before it could attack her.
She could hear the sound of gunshots coming from somewhere beside her. Give em’ hell, Bro. More screams of pain and rage as she swung her sword and slashed the Wraiths which were leaping towards her with their extended claws aiming for her heart. Take that and that and that, you parasites.
“Artie, six o’clock!” Aidan shouted. She spun around and plunged Caliburn’s electrically-charged blade into the midsection of a Wraith which was about to attack her from behind. It dissipated with an outraged screech. She gave her brother a brief smile then continued attacking the remaining Wraiths.
Satisfied that his sister is safe, Aidan cocked his Berettas, took aim and pulled the triggers, dispatching the rapidly diminishing Wraiths one by one with practiced ease. Electricity was encased in the bullets, killing the Wraiths immediately upon contact.
Soon, only one was left. Artemis swung her sword towards the last Wraith, aiming for its neck. It had anticipated her move and managed to leap backwards before her blade could slice through its neck. It hissed at her then quickly bounded out of the alley into the streets. Aidan tried to shoot it but the bullets missed their mark and hit the dirty wall of the alley.
Artemis immediately ran after the Wraith with Aidan following closely behind. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she chased after the Wraith along the empty streets of downtown New York. Aidan tried to shoot the Wraith but it pranced along the street in a zigzag pattern, making it hard for him to aim.
Artemis was glad that the shops were still closed and that no one is around for the Wraith to possess. Then she saw an old woman standing on the steps of her apartment building. The Wraith saw her too.
“No!” she screamed but it was too late. The Wraith bounded across the street in one leap and wrapped itself around the old woman before she could make a sound. The old woman fell down the steps and landed on her back. The Wraith yanked her mouth wide open and plunged its head into her mouth.
Artemis watched in horror and tried not to gag as it crawled down her throat and took control of her body, shredding and slicing her organs along the way. The old woman’s body jerked and convulsed violently before ceasing all movements. Her body lay still at the foot of the steps, blood running down her chin from her slightly parted lips.
Artemis and Aidan stood frozen to the spot, speechless from the dreadful scene they had just witnessed. The old woman’s body suddenly leapt to its feet. It snarled at them then took off at a run. It was almost comical to see the old woman’s body running with the speed of a young athlete.
Artemis was the first to recover from her dazed state. She gripped her sword tightly and gave chase to the Wraith-possessed body. Anger burned in her heart as she pictured the Wraith crawling down the old woman’s throat and taking over her free will. Molten lava seemed to flow in her veins. A red haze of rage clouded her vision. She was closing in on the possessed body. A loud roar filled her ears, drowning out the sounds of her labored breathing, the pounding of her footsteps, her brother’s worried voice calling out to her….
In a burst of speed, she leapt onto the body, bringing both of them down. Without pausing, she raised her sword and sank its blade deep into the frail flesh of the old woman’s possessed body. The body threw back its head and opened its mouth as though it was about to scream but no sound came out. Instead, a black vapor drifted out of its open mouth and dissipated in the cold air of dawn. The old woman’s head flopped back to the ground, lifeless and limp. Dead.
Artemis pulled out her sword and got off the dead body. When she lifted her sword and saw blood covering its blade, she felt sick. Her whole body trembled as she stumbled into an alleyway. She threw down her sword in disgust. She leaned against the graffiti-covered wall, bent over and emptied the contents of her stomach. She wiped her lips with a gloved hand after she was done and slid down the wall until her rump connected with the ground.
She suddenly felt weary as if all the energy had been drained from her body. I should be used to this by now. I’ve done this plenty of times before. But she was affected every time. Tears blurred her vision. None of them fell from her eyes. She would never allow her tears to fall. She had cried enough in her life. She had learned early in life that crying never helps. The only thing she could do was move on and never look back.
She suddenly felt a warm hand close around her shoulder. A bottle of water was shoved into her hands. She looked up and saw her brother standing next to her, his cobalt blue eyes were filled with quiet understanding. “Drink up, Sis. Your breath no doubt stinks right now,” he murmured. She chuckled, grateful for the reassuring presence of her brother.
She uncapped the bottle and drained it in one long swallow. “I also bought breath mints just in case you need some.” Aidan handed her a tube of mints. She lightly punched his knee and glared at him in mock annoyance. “Let’s go home. I’ve already called the Undertaker to take care of the body,” he said as he grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Wait a minute.” Artemis picked up her sword and switched off its electrical mode before wiping away the blood with a piece of ripped poster she found lying on the ground. She sheathed her sword when she judged it reasonably clean. “Now we can go home.” She left the alleyway and walked down the streets with her brother, not once glancing at the corpse of the dead woman sprawled in the middle of the road.
She glanced at her brother who was leaning against the cracked wall of the alleyway. He was looking up at the gradually brightening sky, a cigarette dangling from one corner of his lips. She frowned disapprovingly at him. He caught the scowl on her face and grinned at her as he took a long drag of his cigarette. “It will kill you one day, Danny,” she warned him.
He rolled his eyes in annoyance. “We’ve been through this a hundred times, Sis. Smoking helps me stay awake.” She snorted in disbelief. “Suit yourself. Don’t come crying to me if you have lung cancer.” It was his turn to snort. “I never cry.” She couldn’t help but grin at him. “Bastard.” His twinkling blue eyes met her forest green ones. “I’ll take that as a compliment, Sis.”
She chuckled at their light banter. Aidan was her best friend and the only person she could rely on. They protected each other ever since they were children struggling to survive in dirty alleyways and seedy districts. They were orphans for as long as she could remember. She never knew who their parents were or what they looked like.
She closed her eyes and shook her head to clear away her dark thoughts. When she opened her eyes, she found Aidan staring at her as if he knew what she had been thinking about just moments ago. Darn twin telepathy. She turned her gaze towards the Gateway to avoid her brother’s knowing look. She was at once ensnared by the erratic movements of the runes swirling on every surface of the wrought iron gates.
She never failed to be amazed by the strange runes dancing along the iron bars of the Gateway even though she had seen it a dozen times. They emitted a kind of energy that felt almost magical. That thought was absurd. She didn’t even believe in magic. Yet to look at those finely crafted symbols swirling and twirling in an intricate pattern around the iron gates, you could almost believe….
She blinked when the runes suddenly increased the speed of their movements and began to glow. The Gateway was opening. “Danny.” Her voice was barely a whisper but her brother immediately whipped around to face the Gateway with his guns drawn. They were both mean-looking heavily modified Berettas.
She gripped the hilt of her sword which was strapped to her back and unsheathed it. She pressed the red gem embedded in the pommel to activate the sword’s electrical mode. She smiled grimly when she heard the soft crackle of electricity as electrical charges ran along the length of her blade. It’s time to play, Callie. She had named her sword Caliburn- after the legendary sword that was pulled out of a rock by King Arthur.
They waited in anticipation as the iron gates swung outwards. They had to squint to shield their eyes from the bright white light pouring out of the open gates. Through their narrowed eyes, they could make out the vague outlines of dozens of dark figures emerging from the depths of the light. Wraiths. The iron gates swung close, abruptly cutting off the bright light. It’s time.
Artemis immediately leapt towards the dark shadowy figures and thrust her sword into one of them in one swift motion. Its blood red eyes widened in shock. She could see rows of sharp teeth as it opened its mouth to let loose a shrill scream of hatred and agony before fading away. Without stopping, she quickly slashed another Wraith before it could attack her.
She could hear the sound of gunshots coming from somewhere beside her. Give em’ hell, Bro. More screams of pain and rage as she swung her sword and slashed the Wraiths which were leaping towards her with their extended claws aiming for her heart. Take that and that and that, you parasites.
“Artie, six o’clock!” Aidan shouted. She spun around and plunged Caliburn’s electrically-charged blade into the midsection of a Wraith which was about to attack her from behind. It dissipated with an outraged screech. She gave her brother a brief smile then continued attacking the remaining Wraiths.
Satisfied that his sister is safe, Aidan cocked his Berettas, took aim and pulled the triggers, dispatching the rapidly diminishing Wraiths one by one with practiced ease. Electricity was encased in the bullets, killing the Wraiths immediately upon contact.
Soon, only one was left. Artemis swung her sword towards the last Wraith, aiming for its neck. It had anticipated her move and managed to leap backwards before her blade could slice through its neck. It hissed at her then quickly bounded out of the alley into the streets. Aidan tried to shoot it but the bullets missed their mark and hit the dirty wall of the alley.
Artemis immediately ran after the Wraith with Aidan following closely behind. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she chased after the Wraith along the empty streets of downtown New York. Aidan tried to shoot the Wraith but it pranced along the street in a zigzag pattern, making it hard for him to aim.
Artemis was glad that the shops were still closed and that no one is around for the Wraith to possess. Then she saw an old woman standing on the steps of her apartment building. The Wraith saw her too.
“No!” she screamed but it was too late. The Wraith bounded across the street in one leap and wrapped itself around the old woman before she could make a sound. The old woman fell down the steps and landed on her back. The Wraith yanked her mouth wide open and plunged its head into her mouth.
Artemis watched in horror and tried not to gag as it crawled down her throat and took control of her body, shredding and slicing her organs along the way. The old woman’s body jerked and convulsed violently before ceasing all movements. Her body lay still at the foot of the steps, blood running down her chin from her slightly parted lips.
Artemis and Aidan stood frozen to the spot, speechless from the dreadful scene they had just witnessed. The old woman’s body suddenly leapt to its feet. It snarled at them then took off at a run. It was almost comical to see the old woman’s body running with the speed of a young athlete.
Artemis was the first to recover from her dazed state. She gripped her sword tightly and gave chase to the Wraith-possessed body. Anger burned in her heart as she pictured the Wraith crawling down the old woman’s throat and taking over her free will. Molten lava seemed to flow in her veins. A red haze of rage clouded her vision. She was closing in on the possessed body. A loud roar filled her ears, drowning out the sounds of her labored breathing, the pounding of her footsteps, her brother’s worried voice calling out to her….
In a burst of speed, she leapt onto the body, bringing both of them down. Without pausing, she raised her sword and sank its blade deep into the frail flesh of the old woman’s possessed body. The body threw back its head and opened its mouth as though it was about to scream but no sound came out. Instead, a black vapor drifted out of its open mouth and dissipated in the cold air of dawn. The old woman’s head flopped back to the ground, lifeless and limp. Dead.
Artemis pulled out her sword and got off the dead body. When she lifted her sword and saw blood covering its blade, she felt sick. Her whole body trembled as she stumbled into an alleyway. She threw down her sword in disgust. She leaned against the graffiti-covered wall, bent over and emptied the contents of her stomach. She wiped her lips with a gloved hand after she was done and slid down the wall until her rump connected with the ground.
She suddenly felt weary as if all the energy had been drained from her body. I should be used to this by now. I’ve done this plenty of times before. But she was affected every time. Tears blurred her vision. None of them fell from her eyes. She would never allow her tears to fall. She had cried enough in her life. She had learned early in life that crying never helps. The only thing she could do was move on and never look back.
She suddenly felt a warm hand close around her shoulder. A bottle of water was shoved into her hands. She looked up and saw her brother standing next to her, his cobalt blue eyes were filled with quiet understanding. “Drink up, Sis. Your breath no doubt stinks right now,” he murmured. She chuckled, grateful for the reassuring presence of her brother.
She uncapped the bottle and drained it in one long swallow. “I also bought breath mints just in case you need some.” Aidan handed her a tube of mints. She lightly punched his knee and glared at him in mock annoyance. “Let’s go home. I’ve already called the Undertaker to take care of the body,” he said as he grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Wait a minute.” Artemis picked up her sword and switched off its electrical mode before wiping away the blood with a piece of ripped poster she found lying on the ground. She sheathed her sword when she judged it reasonably clean. “Now we can go home.” She left the alleyway and walked down the streets with her brother, not once glancing at the corpse of the dead woman sprawled in the middle of the road.
