Legend Land: Tale of the Nameless God

Chapter 20.3: Aftershock

Part 3

Word Count: 867

||||||||||

"There she is!" Zosingh turned at the sharp edge of Matsens voice cutting through the busy crowd. She started backing away and shook her head, dark ears wagging.

"Please, no. Please!" People were staring now, and whispering. The world was expanding and contracting at the same time, pulling her apart. Why did this have to happen? "Just leave me al—" BOOM!

||||||||||

She couldnt move. She couldnt breathe. What was going on? She tried to turn and felt jagged edges and unrelenting stone press against her. She couldnt move! Oh gods no, please no! Zosingh struggled against her bonds in the darkness. Every panicked inhale brought more dust into her lungs, choking her.

Her world erupted in an explosion of light and noise. Her small body was flung through the air with the debris. Wooden and stone shrapnel shredded against her skin, causing innumerable cuts. She screamed, but couldnt hear it. Zosingh finally came to a stop against the remains of a collapsed building. Before she could move, a thick metal beam came careening towards her with a screech that broke the deafening silence in her ears.

"Nooooo!" she heard herself shout before it came down on her. The heated metal support beam slammed down onto her legs and the middle of her torso. The pain was blinding and she felt herself slip into nothingness. But it didnt end.

She gasped for air and looked around frantically. The pain had dulled and she fought against her urge to vomit. Mustering up her courage, she looked down at herself, and lost all control. Her only meal that day came up and splattered against her chest, running down her neck.

It mixed with the blood that was steadily pooling out around her. She was missing a large section of her stomach, trapped under the metal beam. The small child turned her eyes away from it, but what she saw next was even worse.

Her right arm was missing.

"Gods stop it!" she screamed. Her entire body shook, but it only brought the pain back to life. "Somebody help me!" Her throat went raw from screaming, but nobody came. The tears flowed freely and she thrashed around.

I dont want to die, she pleaded to whatever gods were listening. Please, I dont want to die! She shook her head and tried once more to move, but only felt colder.

"Mommy," she muttered as she fought to keep her eyes open. "I dont want to die," she hiccupped and choked on the pain welling up in her throat. "I want you here. Please. Please! SOMEBODY!" she screamed until her voice broke.

"Amrgghh," came a low growl by way of response. Zosingh forced herself to ignore the screams of others trapped like her, and looked to her right. She looked past the fires and smoke, past the dismembered bodies and her own mutilation. She looked to the pale man with a scraggly beard who had an eye hanging out of his socket. It swung like a pendulum, while gore and entrails spilled out of his stomach. His unearthly gasp scratched against the gashes in his throat. His decayed teeth clacked against each other as the undead creation clawed its way across the rubble to her. And just when she thought it was gone, Zosingh found her voice again.

"Somebody help me!" she shouted. Somebody!"

"..have to go." She desperately twisted her neck and was able to spot a group of people quickly leaving the scene.

"Help me!" she called to them. She raised her one remaining hand. Her thumb was bent back to her but she still reached out. Maybe they could save her. They had to!

A man in a mask turned to her. He stopped for the briefest moment, and a tall woman followed suit. She had a bald man slung over her shoulder.

"Move it!" a scaly woman snapped, dragging the man.

"We cant leave her!" the tall woman exclaimed.

"Please!" Zosingh shouted. The masked man shook his head and began moving again.

"We have to go," he insisted, and helped the scaly woman drag the tall one away.

"Im sorry!" the tall woman shouted. Zosingh screamed in frustration. She screamed in hate and pain and sadness. She tried screaming her life away but her mind stubbornly stuck to consciousness, even as her blood spilled out from her.

"Ghasssshhh," the ghoul rasped. Zosingh instinctively jerked her stump away as the undead corpses fingers curled against her sensitive nerves and muscle. It seemed to only grow bolder as her hot blood gushed against its cold, torn skin.

"No," she moaned, trying to move away. Her tears left dark streaks down her face, her lips trembling. The whole world was spinning, but she couldnt ignore the creature as it drew closer. She shook her head faster, desperately trying to pull away. Every remaining muscle in her body fought to get away, and despite the pain, she didnt slip back into darkness. The ghoul inched closer, its putrid stench swirling around her.

She looked it in its one good eye, though it was dull and unseeing.

"Please dont," she whispered with the last of her strength. But it wasnt listening. It was feasting.

||||||||||

Inspired by: "Join The Club" by Bring Me The Horizon.

Little Zosingh's story has come to an abrupt and violent end. God I love playing with all your hearstrings. Tell me, did you get attached to Zosingh? Did you like the perspective shift? I want to know all your thoughts. Thanks!

Follow Me On:

https://www.facebook.com/noahbarfield.author

https://twitter.com/noahbarfield21

https://www.youtube.com/c/NoahBarfield

https://ark-storm.com

Like "Legend Land: Tale of the Nameless God"? Order the original "Legend Land" today!

http://ark-storm.com/shop/

Beta Readers/Editors:

Alyssa Clark

Elizabeth Foran

Mandy Barfield

Jordan Thacker

Raiden Jackson