The monster in the walls

The Upside down

He ran.

Bare branches and thorns scratched his face and clawed at his bare arms as if trying to pull him back; cutting into his chilled skin and drawing blood. The rocky, uneven ground cut into his feet, nearly making him fall several times, but still, he kept moving. A great expanse of darkness stretched - seemingly forever - in every direction. There was no wind and no sun. No light and no warmth. Besides his panting, there was no sound, no life. It was eerily still. So cold.

This place resembled his home to some extent. Skyscrapers rose up to meet the sky; cars were left parked along the streets; even the street names were the same. Astoria boulevard, Jackson Avenue, and Oak Avenue were a few he passed. Avengers tower - his home - stood tall above everything else. Rising to meet the sky in front of him but too far off to reach in time.

Because, in this world, everything was dark. The streets were cracked, and the buildings were crumbling. Dilapidated and falling as if they'd been abandoned centuries ago. The cars looked as if they'd been ditched suddenly while people were still driving. They were all rusted metal and flat tires. This world was grey, bleached of all color, and void of all life.

He took a sharp turn left, then a right, then a left, and another left. There was no destination in mind, nowhere to go, no place to hide. Nowhere safe. If he hid, it would only be a matter of time before he'd be found. His fragile wings were tucked up against his weakening body - he barely had enough energy to keep moving, let alone fly.

Snuffling and harsh breathing, accompanied by heavy footfalls, grew ever closer. With each step his fear increased. His spider-sense dictated which direction to take to avoid his pursuer. But that was only delaying the inevitable.

Too bad something had already found him.

Now he just couldn't get caught.