Raelyn - 1
Dylan and I are friends, have been for a long time now. We met in late high school, and now, the two of us live in the woods, in a cabin with some friends. My friends, Dylan, Rowan (who's also my brother), Jeran, and Yseult, all live with one another in peace and quiet. Well, we did.
But then, one day, a fantastical thing happened. But I did not expect it to be as terrible as it was. It's easier to not think of what happened to us, but when it did, we were cast into a world we did not understand.
As I sat beside Rowan, we were playing a game of chess, and he and I were talking about how we would beat each other. Then, Rowan looked up, and his face grew paler than usual. His green-blue eyes locked on something behind me, and I turned, seeing shadows pooling in the corner, despite the fact that it is light, the middle of the day. The shadows grew, and moved towards us.
"Uh, what the hell is that?" Rowan asked.
"I don't know," I said, watching as the shadows grew more, and started to take shape.
"Yseult, Jeran, Dylan? Come here, please," I called.
I didn't take my eyes off the form taking shape before us, and as soon as the creature takes the shape of a man with huge, curved horns like a ram appears, I felt my heart stop. The man stepped from the shadows and then, it stepped closer to us. He cocked his head to the side, and I take in his face. He has a mouth like a Jack-o-lantern, like the kind you'd see from Halloween parties. But as I just stood there, staring at the hollow, white eyes of the man-thing, I realize that he is something like a demon.
"What is that?" Rowan asked.
Dylan stepped beside me and Jeran stepped in front of Yseult. I looked at the monster again, and see a dark, twisted smile cross the thing's face. He raises one long, bony, black hand covered in scales and claws or talons, and he twists his wrist and makes a fist. Dylan cried out, and the sound twisted my heart. My best friend sank to his knees, and he struggled to take a breath, but as I watched him, unable to help as Dylan's long legs bend, and he crumbles to the ground, gasping.
"Dylan!" I cried, rushing to his side.
"N - no, stay back!" he groaned, pain etched on his pale, white face and his bright brown eyes full of agony and fear. He looked at Rowan, and said, "Take care of her."
And then, the demon laughed. And it vanished. Relief flooded me, and the sky outside of the windows brightens again, as if the clouds that had drifted over the sun were moved, but then, Dylan screamed. Fear gutted me then and there. Yseult and Jeran both Co over, but Rowan reached out and grabbed my arm before I could reach Dylan.
And then, I watch, horrified, as Dylan simply turns to ashes. And then the ashes fade into nothing.
