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Part Two / Chapter Twenty-One
If you told Yurina at the ripe age of 16 years old that she'd be fighting off inter-dimensional bats with a jagged piece of log. She probably would have ran away from you after she nervously threw whatever she had in her hands at your face. But as she stomped one of these creatures to death, any other doubt she had about other life forces or beings had evaporated at that very moment. Lying in front of her was Steve, one bat using its tail to choke him while two others mauled the skin off his chest.
"Oh god." Yurina gagged, forcing the vomit that was threatening to come up through her throat. "Happy thoughts, happy thoughts." Then she proceeded to whack one of the bats off Steve, using all of her might to stab it in the skull, blowing her hair out of her face afterwards.
The distinct mix of the other teens shouting and the otherworldly screeches of the bats were slowly drowning out as Steve was slamming one of them into the ground viciously, proceeding to place his weight on top of it and ripping it in half. Yurina placed a hand over her mouth as more vomit dared to escape, especially when Steve spit out the blood from his mouth. Nancy scattered toward him, but Yurina, along with Eddie stood a few steps away. The subtle wounds on his chest and the heavy stench of iron in the air was enough to keep her away whilst Eddie panicked beside her.
"Jesus Christ! Jesus H. Christ!" Eddie became hysterical, dropping his oar to swing his arms in a frustrated spin. "God, please help us."
"A bit late to be praying now." A bitter taste filled her mouth, and something she hadn't felt in nine months hit her gut and clenched her chest. Hopelessness. If anything, they'd died and were in hell.
"It's never too late." He pointed an accusing finger at her.
Yurina rolled her eyes. "You look like you've never been been to a mass, much less stepped inside a church."
"I'm religiously spontaneous." Eddie claimed, returning to his praying position.
"Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?" Robin called out. She continued at Steve's solicitation. "It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear. And I think we should get you to a doctor soon because once symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already dead."
"Steve cannot die on us, who's gonna do all the scary things now? I know it won't be him." Yurina shot at Eddie.
"How dare—"
"She's right." Nancy cut him off before he could completely fail at defending himself.
The traumatic chitter of the bats returned, causing all five of the teens to look back toward the gate they'd entered through. They immediately grouped back together for protection. Robin extended her arm, guiding Yurina to stand behind her. Five of the bats positioned themselves in front of it, screeching at them defensively.
