Mystical (Mystical #1) (Revising)

Chapter Fourteen ☆

Above her, the looming silhouette of his monstrous, dry-scaled form cast eerie shadows, flickering streetlights playing a haunting game of catch and release. The tension in the air was electric, poised on the precipice of something unthinkable.

"David... please," Eliza's voice quivered, a whisper that seemed to dissolve in the charged atmosphere.

His hands clenched, a visible struggle playing out in his features. It was like he was fighting a battle within himself, a war between human and something else entirely. As Eliza shifted, a desperate attempt to escape, his grip only tightened, pinning her against the unforgiving ground.

Suppressing her fear became an insurmountable task. This was not the David she had known – the campus heartthrob, the guy who'd gotten tangled up with Stacy. No, before her stood a being of shadows, a creature exuding a sticky drool that dripped onto her chest. Yet, beneath those cold, alien scales, she believed there was still a trace of the person she knew.

"Please, I know you're in there," Eliza's voice held a thread of hope, a lifeline thrown into the abyss.

David's response was a hiss, his sharp tongue tasting the air, his eyes locked onto her with a predatory intensity. Inching closer, she could almost see the struggle etched across his face, the faint remnants of his humanity grappling against an overpowering force.

"David, you're stronger than this," her words resonated with a quiet determination, a plea for his true self to break free.

His neck twisted abruptly, fingers curling into claws as he lashed out with a brutal force. Eliza was sent sprawling, pain radiating through her body as she hit the wet gravel. Rain began to fall, a relentless cascade that blurred the world around her. Amidst the downpour, she looked up, her gaze meeting his yellow eyes – eyes that held both torment and menace. Venom dripped from his fangs, hissing as it struck her damp skin.

"David, fight it!" Eliza's voice cracked with a mixture of agony and desperation, a plea that seemed to pierce the stormy night.

He leaned closer, his cold breath a stark contrast against her skin. His wet tongue brushed her neck, a sensation that sent shivers down her spine. She tried to squirm away, but his grip held her captive. Her heart raced, her pulse a frantic beat that echoed in her ears. It was a dance between survival and submission, and Eliza clung to her determination.

"David, remember who you are," she implored, her voice a lifeline in the chaos.

His head twitched, as if battling unseen forces. A jolt of pain reverberated as he slammed her back onto the gravel, raindrops mixing with her gasps of pain. Lightning illuminated the sky, casting an eerie glow over the scene. Eliza's gaze met his, his eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity.

And then, in the heart of the storm, he recoiled, claws scraping the ground as he retreated. For a moment, time seemed suspended, the air heavy with uncertainty. As Eliza opened her eyes, she was met with the surreal aftermath – David was gone, leaving her alone in the rain-soaked night.

Eliza brushed the raindrops from beneath her eyes, her touch gentle despite the storm raging around her. Dawn remained sprawled on the ground, an unspoken promise to keep her safe echoing in her mind. It was a vow she felt deeply, the weight of her friend's vulnerability heavy on her heart. 

Dawn's arm lay limply to the side, the purse she'd been clutching resting beside her lifeless fingers. A haunting melody from her cellphone's music added an eerie backdrop to the scene. As the rain intensified, the world around Eliza seemed to blur and warp.

Summoning her strength, Eliza pushed herself up through the pain. A concerned stranger rushed to Dawn's side, hands pressed to her chest before shifting her gaze to Eliza. The rain turned chaotic, a swirling tempest that disoriented the senses. In a blink, both Dawn and the woman vanished, just as swiftly as David had before.