The Gems of Element

Part 2: Earth Region ~ Chapter XV

I feel my heart beating at the speed of light.

Everything had gone by so fast that I barely remember what had happened. The moment I saw the Void Spawn lunge at me my body just reacted, bolting in the exact opposite direction of where I was facing. I kept running and running until I found this empty store and jumped behind the counter, where I am now. A pharmacy? A convenience store? I don't know, and frankly I could care less with the way the situation is now.

I place my mouth on my forearm in order to muffle my breathing sounds as much as possible, my hands still refusing to let go of the two daggers in them. The moment I sat still was the moment everything suddenly went quiet, with the only things I can hear being the slight ringing of silence and my own beating heart. My eyes are wide open, staring at the floor, trying to focus on finding some sort of sound that'll tell me exactly where the damn thing is.

I hear something drop from behind me. 

Maybe an empty box? Was it to my right? My left? Is it right behind me? I don't know. I don't know and I'm seriously freaking out right now. My brain has fully stopped. I can't think properly. What do I do? What can I do?

Another thing falls, right behind me.

I can't take this. I want to close my eyes and hope it'll all go away but I know I can't. I need to focus. I muster up all of my courage and turn myself around to take a peek from over the counter.

The store is practically empty with a few boxes scattered on the floors. With no electricity inside, it's almost completely dark with a few rays of sunlight beaming through the semi-shattered windows being the only thing lighting up the place. I squint my eyes to try and focus my sight even more, but I end up seeing nothing. I let out a relieved exhale.

'Phew! Did I really lose it?'

Placing my fists on the counter and raising myself a little bit higher, I do one more once over the store. Checking the left side for any shadows or figures, then my right si-

*nnnnhhhhhhgggghhh*

Shit.

I suck in a breath and throw myself over the counter, seeing the monster in my peripheral vision take a lunge, barely missing me. I sprint through the isles, hearing the Void Spawn coming up right behind me. I take a sharp turn and pull a small display case down to block the path behind me and jump out the doorframes and into the outdoors.

My heart pounds even harder in my ears with every step I take to propel myself further. I don't hear the Void Spawn. but for some reason I know it's still there. I look around the area for something. Something to help me lose this thing! Anything?!

And that's when I see it.

A store across the street, with its shutter door almost all the way closed down. I can't tell if the gap is big enough for me to crawl under, but I don't think about that for long. I'm taking my chances.

A few meters in front of me I see an open metal trash can. I focus my eyes on that trash can and use all of my energy into running towards that trash can. When I finally reach it, I manage to throw my daggers into my bag, grip the rim of the metal, and use my adrenaline pumped arms to hammer style throw it behind me. 

The sight I'm greeted with is glorious.

The large metal trash can hits the Void Spawn square in the face. Sending it backwards across the pavement, making hundred year old trash fly out everywhere. I now take that chance and start running across the street to the store on the other side.