No Control (Chris Motionless)

Chapter 51 - A Loss

Fingertips ghosted over the fabric of my shirt as I charged at the altar, despite every fiber of me telling me to make a break for it. The thump of a fist colliding with flesh behind me had me wordlessly pleading that Darien was putting up a fight. But then, in that moment that I had my eyes off Chris, I thought someone else had suddenly taken his place. Only the similar monstrous features and the carnage soiling his front told me otherwise.

The demon, William, was as beautiful as any devil should be despite that.

This creature was at least seven feet tall, with waist-length black hair and a presence that was enough to even make the bravest falter. Though William still appeared somewhat human, nothing else about him suggested such a thing. Primal parts of me recognized William as something ancient and predatory. Yet I was running right up to him, our eyes meeting for what felt like the first and thousandth time as I dragged the knife and infant off the altar.

Backhus and the father only had a moment to reach out after me as I swiped the blade through the air at them in a warning. The tip nicked Backhus's forearm, bright blood cascading down his skin as the father shoved him out of the way to give chase. Blindly I fled as the little boy cried against my chest for the mother that would never come.

 "Shh, it'll be alright," I tried to soothe him and myself as I sprinted for the curve at the left of the cavern, finding that it led down a hallway and, in the end, the door out.

Despite the commotion, the nearby sound of thundering footsteps raced after us. How were there still any cult members left after all that? I risked a glance over my shoulder as I sped up along the winding dirt path, discovering the two men were close behind. A roar rang through the tunnels, shaking the ground and drowning out any other sound. William must be at full strength now or as close as he could get without his final two victims.

I nearly crashed into the door as I reached it, fingers fumbling with the keys because of the afterbirth coating my hands. The keys fell to the floor in my one-handed struggle, and I could see Backhus and the father's shadows stretching over me in the torchlight. Snatching up the ring of keys, I jammed the first key I grabbed into the rusted lock, letting out a sob of relief as it clicked free. There was only enough time to force the door open and take off before they reached us.

To my dismay, this led to yet another dirt passageway that slanted uphill, but there seemed to be moonlight at the end. Clearly, this channel was never completed the further up I went, forcing me onto my knees.

"Are you trying to get yourself stuck?" Backhus cackled just behind me. "You'll never get out this way!"

Shoving the bloody knife handle between my teeth, I used my free arm to crawl to that weak ray of light. I did my best to kick up dirt and rocks as I wriggled away from the cop, hoping it would stall him even for a second.

Suddenly the passage came to an abrupt halt, but even as my heart gave a jolt, I spotted the manhole cover right above me. Without thinking, I rammed my shoulders against the metal plate as Backhus grabbed my ankles. Pain shot down my spinal cord on impact, but it made the cover move nonetheless, and that was all I needed. I took a sharp breath before bashing into the lid again, allowing a space big enough for my hand to reach through. Backhus shoved me against the bend of the dirt tunnel as soon as he saw that I was close to escaping. 

 When his face was level with my thigh, I rammed my knee into his jaw, feeling his teeth clank together as his eyes rolled back in his head. Backhus collapsed against the other man as I used the moment of confusion to force the manhole further open. Then, doing my best to be gentle and still fast, I placed the baby on the surface above me and scrambled out after him. The surrounding sights baffled me for a second before I noticed that the baby's father had begun to follow us. Hastily, I grabbed the heavy cover, despite the sharp protest of my arms and shoulders, and slammed it over the hole in the street.