8 Waking(8)

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Hi! Manager here, I would appreciate it if you could leave a comment here and there. Little tips, what you would like to see in the story. Stuff like that.

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His defense was his greatest weakness. When he moved to attack Mama, he didn't move the rest of his body. He stood perfectly still.

Its not that he didn't move, its that he couldn't. His bones prevented him from taking damage but it also hardened around him and he could not move when he was controlling the bones he shot at Mama.

I had a chance now.

Bones could be broken, and I could do so easily. I had a plan but it was very difficult to pull off. I had to time it right. One run. One chance.

I prepared myself, shunned the pain and tensed my legs. I had to reach the fastest speed I could and deliver the strongest blow that I could.

Meanwhile Jackal, changed positions turning slightly, he no longer had his back to me. Both Mama and I were in his sights.

It didn't matter. If he had to attack, he would go for Mama first. I just needed to move faster than he could react.

He wasn't like Mr.Hunter, his reactions had limits. Mr.Hunter had a cat like Mod and cats were creatures with near instantaneous reactions.

Mama raised her hand and compressed all the bone fragments that had fallen into a couple bone spears.

Jackal looked toward her as she shot them.

PIERCE

He had three bone spears in him now.

That's all? That's what it took? Why'd I plan all of that then? I looked to Mama in relief.

Jackal, who I presumed dead shot a bone spear at Mama, A green barrier shot up in front of Mama.

SHATTER

James's barrier could not block that spear. Mama moved both her hands upward in a lifting mostion. The spear hit the stairs behind her.

PIERCE

Mama's hands were impaled and she was pinned to the wall. Jackal had shot another spear at the same time right through both her palms.

"Feeling powerless are we now?" He said, fully turning to look at her.

My chance had arrived.

I shot right at him. His back was open and was as brittle as bones. I kicked as hard as I could, the bones shattered and I landed a clean hit on him. His body bent backward. but he did not shoot forward or anything. The bone spears that were in Mama and the stairs absorbed the momentum and had shattered.

He turned to me. The bone spears in him, melted back into him. Great, he got a free supplement of bones.

How was he moving? I landed a devastating kick to his spine. He should have been paralysed. How?

But my plan had worked. He had left his back open fully believing Mama to be a non combatant after piercing her arms.

His bone armor moved, half of it went into his body. The other half covered his arms. He moved toward me weirdly. Like a puppet.

He was controlling the bones in his body to move himself?!

Despite my shock, I looked toward where the knife fell, it was covered by a shard of bone, staying out of Mama's vision. I needed to move it into her view, while dodging everything he threw at me.

Moving first, I ran in the direction of the knife.

WHIZZZ

I turned to see a bone fragment flying at my face. I leaned back, falling to the ground. Jackal had his right arm up, instead of a hand, there was an arm cannon.

WHIZZZ

I rolled to the side to avoid the incoming shots.

He was running toward me now, his left arm now a lance.

Suddenly, he tripped on something green. James had placed a barrier at his feet. I used the moment to get to the knife and threw it into the sky.

"Mama!" I yelled.

Jackal got up and walked up to me. Ready to end my life. I kicked my legs and hands to push myself away from him even just a little.

But he just moved toward me slowly.

He had not seen me throw up the knife.

The knife falling back down stopped. Turned around and shot at him.

SCHIINGG

The knife went through his side and came out cleanly across the other end.

WHIZZZ

It flew back again and cut into his neck.

And stop. His movement halted. The lance stopping in front of my face.

BANG

His right arm was outstretched. I looked at Mama. An entire chunk of her was missing. He had shot at her one last time.

I scrambled to her.

"Mama, no no NO." I started crying.

James ran down the stairs crying as well.

"Listen, you have to go into my office, there is a button underneath my chair. It will open a room. Go there. It will lead you underground. There is a truck there. Have all the children go into the truck and leave. The truck has auto-pilot. So put the Devestated lands and go there. It will be hard but please just survive." Mama whispered.

"What about you?" James said.

"I'm not making it out boys." Mama said. "I've outlivied my usefulness. Even if I lived having me around you is like having a big target on your backs for the rest of your lives."

I stood up and started walking toward the dining hall.

"Stryke, dont leave her like this. Please."

"We have to get the others and leave. I dont know what the project is, but I know we will die if we wait any longer."

"But Mama.."

"Leave me child. I can't be saved anymore. Stryke, James keep the children safe. I'm proud of you two and I love all of you."

I didn't turn to face her but tears were flowing down uncontrollably. I was pathetic. All my planning and we still lost.

But now I had a new mission. And nothing...NOTHING would stop me from getting the everyone out.

I walked into the dinner hall. I saw the kids huddled up in the corner, Zen's tail covering them in its fully spiked glory.

They made themselves small and protected themselves instead of rushing out. Great thinking. I didn't know if we could have saved them if they had walked out.

"Guys its me. We have to leave now. Come."

The tail slowly went back and I heard gasps. Some children started crying outright. I looked beaten and broken right now. Clothes in tatters after rolling in the bone fragments, bloody arms.

"Form a line, all of you. Hold the shoulders of the person in front of you and close your eyes. And do not open your eyes. DO NOT OPEN YOUR EYES." I put emphasis on the last part, successfully scaring them into listening to me obediently.

I couldn't let them see Mama in that state. I had to get them out of here before whatever project went off. It was Mama's last wish.

I was hugged out of nowhere. Spiel wrapped his hands around my legs.

"Owie.."

"Shen, Stark and Zen take three smaller kids and do the same. One arm on the person in front of them."

I took the napkins on the table and tied it around the eyes of the three kids, and I had everyone follow me.

The first kid had her hand on mine. I led them past the bones, past the bodies, past James. And into the office. I told them to stay there as I went to grab James.

"We have to leave now."

"Not without her."

My Physical state was still on. I had all my focus on Mama, I could not hear any heartbeats, she had no breath. I choked up, "She is gone James, we have to do this."

I grabbed him and pulled him with me. He didn't resist.

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~3rd Person~

*The same time as when Jackal had died at Lamb's Respite.*

The grand unveiling of the new statue was about to take place. The town had gathered around the giant metal box, waiting for it to open.

The people had set up stalls and were celebrating the night like a festival. From adults to kids, everyone was having a good time, a change of pace from their daily struggles and the bleak daily life in the Melting lands.

It was truly one of the happiest moments in these people's lives.

Then a mechanical voice started playing from the box,

""10""

""9""

"Come fast, we gotta see the unvieling, there is a countdown now."

"Lets take a few pictures with the statue in the back."

"Lets go the statue is going to be revealed soon."

""8""

""7""

""6""

""5""

"Mummy come quickly."

"Old man, get a move on, don't wanna miss this."

""4""

""3""

Everyone moved around the statue, some with their children in their arms, some with grandparents, some alone.

"Oi get over 'ere, Karn, come 'ere."

The workers at Reach's Carpentry were also stood in the circle surrounding the box.

""2""

""1""

A little bit of exaggerated smoke and the sides of the box split to the side.

WHOOOOSHHH

SHHHHHHH

SHHHHSSHH

The box opened.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Are they filming something?"

"Where's the statue?"

"A kid?" someone said.

As the sides of the box fell, the inside was revealed. They found a pale green haired boy with a large headset on a couple cushions.

SILENCE

"Hello!!" He said as he got up and stretched. "I am here with a gift for you. Be excited. Central wants you all to.... any guesses?"

"Wants us to move to Central?"

"No.."

"Wants us to receive more supplies?"

"No... They want you all to DIE. So, goodbye everyone."

As he finished, he spread his arms wide and did a little twirl. No one responded.

ZWOOOOOM

With the boy as the center, a wave of pale green energy spread out.

Smarter ones among the people started running away from this energy.

Those who didn't react fast enough were swallowed by the energy, and distintegrated leaving behind only their clothes and material possessions along with a few Woken shards.

Sudden mass panic. People were trampled. The younger children and the older people were swallowed not being able to outrun the expanding wave.

The man who reacted first had made it a solid way ahead of the rest. He would escape this wave of energy easily.

THUD

CLINK

CLANK

The sounds of things falling kept coming closer to him.

He would make it out.

He just needed to run till where his vehicle was and he would be out of there in an instant.

He ran.

Then he felt a little breeze pass him.

The wind, the world itself wanted him to escape.

Those were his last thoughts as his clothes fell.

The wave of energy kept expanding consuming every living thing in its way.

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~Lamb's Respite~

I was scared. I didn't want to fail Mama, I had to survive and make it out of here. I had to make it out with everyone. They were my responsibilty.

But I had to move forward.

I ran to the chair, flipped the office chair and pressed the button at the bottom.

RUMBLEEE

The table slid to the side and revealed a passage the led under ground.

SQUAACK

SQUAAACKKKK

I ran to the other end of the office and looked out of the window.

A green light was rapidly approaching in size, we would be enveloped in it soon.

SQUAACK

SQUAAACKKKK

I looked upwards, birds were flying away from the dome. I watched a few of them get consumed by the energy and completely evaporate.

"Ohhh no."

I turned around and yelled while running to them, "JAMES! Put up the strongest shield you can right now, cover everyone in a dome. NOWW."

They did as I said, I reached out hugging and holding everyone, the light wouldhave to go through me to get to them.

The entire structure of the orphanage rumbled.

I didn't need to look back to know that the light was coming to us.

ZWOOOOM

I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact. I felt the energy rush into me.

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