"W-wha!? Damn!" Oliver woke up to a sudden violent tremor, hitting his head against a glass window. What the hell? Oliver rubbed his head and took a deep breath. This is... ah right, I was on a train, must have fallen asleep. Memories rapidly flickered back into his mind, easing his confusion from abruptly waking up.

"Khaaa!" Oliver grimaced in pain and glanced around, finding panicked passengers and an unseen woman releasing a banshee-like scream.

A barrage of curses and intelligible yelling suddenly sounded out. A tiny seed of panic and confusion was building inside him. His heart sped up as his eyes flickered rapidly from passenger to passenger.

Did I miss something? What's happening?

"Is this an earthquake?!" A booming masculine voice just barely stood out from the cacophony of noise.

An earthquake? I didn't find that in any traveling guide I read. I should stay here and wait this out.

"A small earthquake isn't the end of the world," Oliver muttered, massaging his aching head.

A mere moment later, a brilliant white light blinded Oliver and the rest of the passengers. The light pierced through their bodies, grasping their souls. All sensations disappeared as the light suppressed the connection between soul and body. That was when they all heard a voice or, more specifically, felt it in their souls as they temporarily lost the sense of hearing.

This is a message to all mortals. I created this universe as a little project, and I think it's time to start the next phase. Many of you will soon experience what you perceive as 'Death.' However, for those that continue to 'live,' you may have a chance to step on the path of power or choose to become my follower and receive my blessings. I hope you don't disappoint me. I would hate to waste trillions of cycles waiting for another universe to develop.

The light started to retreat, and the connections between soul and body were restored. His senses hit him like a truck. For a moment, what Oliver experienced was beyond words until it was gone like a mirage.

I can't breathe!

With gasping breaths, Oliver looked around and knew he wasn't crazy when he saw the other passengers.

"What, this can't, this can't be real," Oliver stuttered in denial.

Oliver jumped from his seat, feeling too jittery to keep sitting. Unexpectedly, Oliver froze as his muscles locked up. What the fuck?! His muscles started to contract and writh in agony as he fell back into his seat and his limbs jerked around. He could see the muscles in his arms contracting and twisting as his veins bulged and pulsed. It was the worst pain he had ever experienced. Saliva dripped down his chin as he squeezed out groans of pain.

Seconds later, his body relaxed, and Oliver gasped in fresh air. A moment later, his stomach felt heavy and hot, his sweat dripping off his body as he bent forward and vomited a black sludge-like fluid. Thick black mucus lay in a puddle around his feet, and the taste lingered in his mouth like hot garbage.

This has to be a nightmare. Oliver took in a shaky breath and breathed out slowly. I'm still asleep on the train and just having a bad dream. Maybe it was something I ate. These things don't happen, they can't happen, and they're not real.

"My god, are you okay?!" A man nearby asked in disbelief. The man's eyes locked onto the suspicious black sludge by Oliver's feet.

"I don't know! Does it look like I know!" Oliver screamed at the man as his fear became an angry outburst.

"What?! I was checking on you! That's not natural!" The man yelled in worried anger as he pointed at the black pool on the ground.

"Just, just leave me alone," Oliver replied, getting quieter with every word.

"Suit yourself!" The man threw up his hands and left in frustration.

Oddly, after vomiting the mysterious black sludge, Oliver felt incredible, invisible shackles falling from his mind and body. His mind had never felt so clear, and his body had never felt so energetic and light on its feet. It felt like he could do anything; it was absolute euphoria.

Luckily, he still had a half-full water bottle beside his seat, which he used to rinse his mouth. He removed his glasses and washed the tears and snot off his face with the remaining water. Oliver tossed the bottle on his seat and noticed how clear he could see. He attached the glasses to the front of his shirt and looked around in amazement.

My knee doesn't hurt?

The constant ache in his left knee from an old sports injury vanished. It wasn't just his sight either; all his senses seemed to have a greater depth. His eyesight was the most significant change since he already had poor vision. It was as if the world had become more vibrant and dark simultaneously, as he could see a wider variety of shades. He could more easily feel the rough fabric of his clothes and feel like a nearly non-existent breeze on his skin. The putrid smell of vomit filled the air, but he could still point out the scent of perfume and cologne, among many others. He could not only hear more clearly, but he could understand the chaos of noise. While it was a slight but noticeable increase, combined, it was an uncomfortable sensation that nearly made him feel sick.

What the hell is happening?

The light filtering in the windows suddenly changed to ruby red. It would have been more beautiful than any sunset if the sudden experience wasn't so terrifying for the passengers on the train. While not a blood red, it felt like an omen of blood, a promise of what has yet to come.

Oliver jumped from his seat and scanned the train car, quickly moving from person to person. Fear was present on every face he could see; hell, Oliver could swear that he could smell it past the putrid vomit. One old couple stood out in particular. The elderly couple was crying as they prayed, either out of fear and confusion or validation of their beliefs.

Everything is real. It can't be real. But it is. It's real.

Oliver is slowly starting to consider his unreal situation for the reality it is. However, a part of him still can't accept it just yet. Like a brand, Oliver could still feel the event in his mind. Oliver didn't wish to relive the event and merely recalled the meaning of its message. Even just recalling the message in perfect detail just felt fundamentally wrong.

Most people? Oliver noticed a worrying choice of words. Wouldn't that still be multiple billions of people?! A shiver went up his spine as he felt a sense of dread. I need to calm down. Panicking isn't going to help me. Oliver shivered as he tried to take slow, deep breaths to calm down. He had learned this method many years ago, and while it didn't prove to be a cure for his condition, it did help, if not slightly.

The lights in the train car violently flicker ominously before the lights go out, and the train plunges into darkness. The only source of light filters in from the window, bringing with it a ruby-red light that permeates a creeping mist flooding the compartment. Oliver frowned as the ruby-colored mist came in contact with his skin, leaving a slight tingling sensation.

"The sky is orange!?!" a passenger shouted in shock. Once a clear blue, the sky had turned a ruby red before changing again to a light orange.

It doesn't seem like it's changing color because of the light, but is the mist glowing?

While the sun and sunlight behaved precisely as always, the glowing mist that invaded the train tingled. Oliver slowly moved his arm through the mist, feeling the tingling but seemingly harmless sensation. Is this mist poisonous? Why is it glowing? The orange mist gave off a strange ambiance of mystery and danger, but it was impossible to avoid.

"What is happening!" a balding middle-aged man wearing an expensive-looking suit and a gold watch demanded. "Someone answer me dammit! Do you know who I am?!"

"Shut up! No one cares!" someone shouted at the man.

"Who said that? I dare you to say that to my face!"

The man was practically frothing at the mouth in anger.

"I did! You got a problem?" A tall man with glasses whom Oliver found handsomely dark stood up and towered over the man as he confronted him.

Does he still need glasses? Was he not healed like I was?

"You?! Why don't you go back to the ghetto where you belong?!" The man's face flushed with anger, and he screamed insults at the man who towered over him.

"I think you need to mind your mouth before I do it for you!" The man frowned with anger at the racist remark and threatened with a sharp glint in his eyes.

Oliver looked away from the argument and looked at the other passengers. Some people remained ominously quiet, others cried, and a couple continued to pray as tears fell from their eyes. Suddenly, the train stopped rapidly, and the momentum threw Oliver painfully into the seat before him, thankfully avoiding the black sludge near his feet.

Oliver stumbles to his feet with a groan and pulls out his phone, hoping to call for help and get more information. He is disappointed when his phone doesn't turn on and looks around, noticing that no one else is on their phones. When his cell phone fails him, he looks at his cheap smartwatch, only to find it dead.

"My phone is dead!" he said, directing his attention to a middle-aged man silently seated across the aisle. "Does your phone work?!" The man's face shone with realization as he pulled out his phone, followed by devastation when it was dead.

"It's dead," the man yelled in frustration. "Why is it dead?!"

Is it some EMP?

"Samantha! Samantha!" A tall, brown-haired woman a couple of rows behind him shouted. "Where are you, honey?!"

"Do you need help?" Oliver moved around another passenger and approached the woman, "Who is Samantha? Do you need help?"

"My little girl!" She cried out on the verge of tears. "She suddenly disappeared!"

"I'll help you look for her," Oliver reassured. "Does anyone see a young girl?" Oliver hoped enough people could hear him over all the yelling.

"There's a child over there!" A nicely dressed older woman cried out, pointing towards the back of the train cart.

Oliver avoided the vomit and people still on the floor as he made his way toward the back of the compartment. He saw a small figure on her knees with only her legs and the back of her pink jacket visible. The seat blocked the rest of her body, and she was kneeling over a man who appeared unconscious from the violent train stop.

"Is that your daughter?" Oliver asked the woman. Her face lit up in relief as she quickly thanked Oliver.

"Samantha!" The woman cried as she darted toward her daughter, almost pushing through someone in the way, her motherly instincts fully displayed. After helping the mother find her daughter, Oliver took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Sam—oh my god, Samantha, what are you doing?!" The woman screamed out fearfully as she reached her child.

"AAAAAAAAAA!" A painful wailing suddenly screamed out. Oliver immediately turned and looked for the source of the screaming. If it wasn't coming from their compartment but the previous compartment, various passengers blocked the line of sight to the next compartment.

Ignoring the other compartment, he focused back on the woman, and when he looked away, she fell backward onto the ground. She covered her mouth with her hand and radiated such pure terror that his heart beat furiously and left him in a cold sweat.

The young girl slowly stood and turned around, and Oliver instantly understood a little why God said many would die. The front of her pink jacket was covered in blood. Her face made one feel as if nature had made a mistake as the lower half of her face protruded out unnaturally, and her jaw bones expanded outward of her face. Her mouth was a gaping maw, stretching nearly to her ears as she opened her mouth viciously. The teeth between her slightly open lips were not the teeth of a human. They were the teeth of a carnivore. Her teeth and most of her face were dyed blood red with the flesh of the man she was previously kneeling over. Her eyes were a piercing red with elongated, reptile-like pupils, containing a crazed intensity behind them. Her ears were over twice as long and came to a sharp point at the end.

She's not human! He made a girl a monster?! A demon?!

Oliver could only assume the monster was attempting to snarl as its eyelids thinned and the corner of its mouth stretched. It released a monstrous screech that shouldn't have come from a young girl and pounced on her terrified mother with sharp black nails that resembled claws.

"Samantha! No!" The woman barely had time to flinch back in terror before what used to be her daughter grabbed her arm, arresting her in place with surprising strength. Without hesitation, its disturbingly inhuman and bloodied teeth clamped on the woman's neck and tore a huge chunk out of her neck.

"Ahhhh!"

All sound seemed to vanish as Oliver froze in utter terror as the girl ripped the flesh from her throat. Sound came rushing back when the woman's scream turned into a barely audible gurgling. Blood starts to flow freely from the gaping hole in her throat, and her body goes limp as the monster that used to be her daughter chews on her flesh. The girl swallowed the flesh and took another bite, this time tearing the woman's left cheek off her face. The woman was still alive, twitching as the monster took bite after bite. The train was at a slight angle, causing a small flow of blood down the aisle, some of which was blocked by Oliver's shoe.

"Nooo!"

"Stop!"

"Kaaaa!"

"Someone help her!"

"What the fuck!"

"Kill it!"

"Get out of my way, bitch!"

A couple of the closer passengers froze, or like Oliver, they threw up as the color drained from their faces. If Oliver had been able to pay more attention, he would have noticed his vomit mixing with the stream of blood.

Get out. I need to get out!

The train went from panic to absolute mania. Passengers shoved each other out of the way, trying to run but making little progress.

It wasn't supposed to be like this!

"What are you- stop, stay away! Aughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Even though Oliver knew he had to run, his body refused to respond, that is, until the scream gave him a big enough shock. The tall and handsome man who confronted the balding middle-aged man screamed in agony. The balding middle-aged man transformed like the little girl and was on top of him.

The demon was holding down the victim's chest with one hand as its nails pierced deeply into the man's chest, and the other hand was holding the victim's arm toward his face as he ripped out a massive chunk of flesh from his arm. The demon devoured his flesh rapidly, with a tiny bit of flesh hanging out of its mouth. He shares the same monstrous appearance and desire to feed on human flesh and blood.

The man's face was covered in tears and mucus as he sobbed from the terrible pain of being eaten alive. Unlike the girl demon who savored the taste of her mother's flesh, this demon is simply devouring the chunk of flesh at an appalling speed. Oliver's newly upgraded senses felt like they were doing more harm than good.

The bile in Oliver's throat was overwhelming; his clothes were drenched in his sweat, and his body stiffened with fear. He watched in terror as the man attempted to retaliate with his free arm, but he had no power behind his attempts and failed to even slow the demon from taking another chunk of flesh.

"Someone help him!"

"Kaaaa!"

"Help!" The man weakly struggled to be freed as he sobbed and pleaded to others for help, to no avail. Oliver and some passengers wanted to help, but they were too scared to try to help him. The level of terror everyone was experiencing was too much for them. Many passengers have frozen in fear or collapsed and haven't tried running away.

This is hell. I'm in hell. I need to go. I need to get out.

Oliver's mind and body are overwhelmed with the current situation. A few minutes ago, he was still peacefully asleep on the train and is now in hell.

Oliver regained enough wits and knew he couldn't stay there. It almost didn't feel real as he forced himself to climb over the seats to avoid the demon eating the man. Oliver passed by a couple of unresponsive passengers, limp in their seats, but otherwise, they seemed to be uninjured, their strange condition gone unnoticed amidst the chaos. Oliver noticed their abnormal state, but he had other priorities. Oliver continued to stumble over the seats toward the front of the compartment, ignoring the various contents covering the floor. Oliver finally reached the door and breathed like he was out of breath. Oliver opened the door and entered the space between the compartments, noticing the train's open door.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

With a glance into the other room, Oliver noticed that the situation was even worse as several demons feasted on corpses. A couple of demons appear to be fighting each other over one of the corpses, no, fighting each other over their food. Suddenly, one of the demons turned its head, and its eyes met Oliver's through the window. He shivered in fear as the recognition of a beast finding its prey flashed across the monster's face. Its lower face was covered in blood and chunks of flesh from the body it was currently eating.

"Roooooo!!" The demon screeched as it sprinted towards Oliver.

"Shit!" Oliver exclaimed, "Oof!".

Oliver ran out of the train without another moment of hesitation and fell onto the ground, receiving a mouth full of grass. The train door was designed to be opened against a platform, so there was a noticeable gap between the ground and the door that Oliver didn't anticipate. There was a loud bang, the shattering of glass, and the pained cry of the demon. The demon ran straight into the door, smashing the glass window. Oliver scrambled back to his feet and ran as he struggled to breathe, throwing the glasses that broke during his fall behind him.

"Roooo!" a demon yelled, followed by the sound of banging. Oliver could vividly picture a demon bashing against the compartment door and breaking it down.

"Fuck, shit, fuck!" He swore and continued to run into the fog. The fog was present in every direction he looked, obscuring closer details and hiding distant information. The glowing mist was disorienting as it changed colors again to light yellow.

As Oliver looked around, he saw other figures in the distance who had fled the train. He couldn't make out if they were demons or people, so he traveled in a different direction, away from all of them.

"Stop!"

"Noooo!"

"Help! Someone, please help!"

"Please!"

"Do something! Kill it!"

"It hurts!"

Oliver could still hear the screams of terror, the cries of pain, and begging as he ran away even faster. Oliver noticed a couple of other figures that seemed to be survivors, but he was too scared to approach them.

Even if they are ordinary people, I don't know if they could still become a demon.

Oliver kept his distance and sprinted as fast as he could. He was raised as a poor orphan, and exercising and reading at the library were some of his few hobbies. He routinely trained his cardio as part of his workouts, and even as he struggled to catch his breath, he could keep pushing himself to run. However, it may be the cardio training finally paying off, the adrenaline, or something else that drove him farther past his known limits.

I've never been so happy to do cardio.

After Oliver sprinted at full speed for several minutes, he finally stopped and started walking instead to recover his breath.

"Aaaaaaaaaaa!" A distant scream could be heard in the distance, too close to have been from the train.

Are they getting closer? I hope they can't track me somehow.

Oliver only walked for half a minute before he started to jog at a reasonable pace. After making some distance, he calms down, and his thoughts wander.

This must be happening everywhere, like a goddamn zombie movie. If a random part of the population are demons, there must be many of them in the city. The demons are highly violent and deadly. However, they seem to be very simple bloodthirsty carnivores. The cities are hopeless unless the police or military manage to hold their ground and make a safe compound. Military compounds always fall in the movies; even if they don't, their situation worsens over time. Cities and large groups aren't good for long-term stability due to limited supplies, lack of farmable land, fresh water, many enemies, and gangs. No matter what, cities are too much of a gamble.

The further Oliver jogged, the more the adrenaline had worn off, and the longer his mind processed his new senses and recent experiences and felt the need to vomit. He stopped and leaned against a tree to vomit, and this time, it only contained a fluid that was slightly black and finished with painful gagging. With his stomach empty, Oliver stumbled to a thicker area of trees and sat against a large rock taller than him when sitting.

Oliver has never felt so exhausted, drained in body, mind, and spirit. His shirt was soaked in sweat, his legs felt like jelly, and his lungs were aching from his adrenaline-filled sprint for several minutes. The last time Oliver ate was in the early morning before he got on the train many hours before. As Oliver stopped to rest, his vision became darker, and the last thing he saw was a tree turning sideways as he lost consciousness.

"Monster!" Oliver woke up startled. "I'm, I'm alive. It's safe." Oliver breathed out in relief.

After he found himself safe and not a significant amount of time had passed, his heart rate and breathing slowed as he took a moment to watch the color-changing mist. Oliver found it quite soothing as if he was watching the Western lights in the Slortwer Desert, regardless of its constant reminder of his new hellish reality.

I can't afford to rest anymore. I need to go.

His short rest didn't create any miracles, but it did make Oliver feel slightly better. While he was hungry and thirsty, and his legs and lungs ached, he knew he was out of immediate danger, and he could feel the strength slowly returning to him.

I need to shelter, hopefully with food and water. How long was I asleep on the train? It couldn't have been that long if we were still this far from the city, so it's probably close or just past noon.

As Oliver realizes he may only have several hours of precious light remaining, he pushes himself to stand up with an audible groan. He forces himself to walk in a direction that he can only hope contains some civilization. It was merely a few minutes when Oliver heard what sounded like someone crying and fearfully squatted down for cover between nearby trees, his legs aching in protest. As he listened closely, it sounded like a child was crying.

It almost sounds like a child is crying. And in the middle of nowhere in the woods, great. This is just great. Did she escape from the train? I mean, what are the odds that a child is actually this deep in the woods? It can't be, right?

Oliver struggled between fear of the unknown and his conscience. After a short internal debate, Oliver decided to lay eyes on the child or demon to know for sure. If he just left and potentially left a young child in the woods to die, he may never forgive himself. Oliver's conscience was full of guilt, remembering the man who had been eaten alive and all the cries for help left behind as he fled from the train. Oliver not only felt guilt but something he never experienced before. It was hard for Oliver to understand what he was feeling when he realized it was the feeling of humiliation and weakness. He hated it.

Whether it was courage or anger at his weakness, he headed as silently but unhesitantly as possible toward the crying, using the foliage to hide his figure. As he lowers his body to a crouched walk, the crying gets louder as he closes in. After a short moment of slow crouched walking, he can make out a figure in a gap between the foliage. At first glance, it certainly does appear to be a child, but so does the demon child.

Meanwhile, this girl is holding her head between her knees, and Oliver can't tell if it's just a girl or a child that turned into a demon.

Not knowing what to do, Oliver decided to do nothing and continued to observe her as she sobbed. After a minute, she slightly raised her head and wiped her face and eyes with her sleeve. Her head was raised just enough for him to make out her features through the obstruction of the fog; she was an ordinary girl.

Oh, thank G-, thank goodness.

Now relieved, Oliver takes a large breath of air through his nose and out of his mouth. The girl somehow heard his exhale from a distance and crawled backward until she stopped at a tree.

"I'm sorry," He slowly walked out from the foliage and asked as gently as possible. "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you might be... something else. Are you hurt? Do you need help?" He slowly raised his arms and tried to give a friendly smile. However, the girl seemed frozen in fear.

"Are you hurt?" he asked again. "Do you need help?" She stared at him with large, wide eyes filled with panic.

"My- my mom she- she- she's, auuuuuuuu." the girl stuttered and resumed sobbing.

"What happened to your parents?" Oliver gently asked.

The young girl continued to cry, so Oliver sat a few feet away to not alarm her and patiently waited for her to calm down. After several minutes, she was finally able to speak in broken sentences.

"My Dad, he- after I h-heard that v-voice in my head, he b-became a monster. He attacked Mom and- and she screamed, and there was blood, she screamed at to run and I, I w-was so scared I ran away." She answered with difficulty between her sniffles. Her eyes glistened with tears, ready to fall again.

She kept repeating broken sentences until Oliver deciphered that her family was on a camping trip, and after they heard God, her father became a demon and killed her mother. She could only run away because it was too occupied with its new 'meal'.

That's a terrible experience, but it explains where she came from. So demons could appear from anywhere. A camping ground is a good sign. It means we aren't too far from civilization.

"Do you remember where the camping ground was?" Oliver inquired, equally hopeful and fearful.

She stared at her feet and shook her head furiously, almost hitting Oliver with her long hair.

She probably doesn't know or is too scared to go back. I don't want to go where a demon is, but it could point us in the right direction.

"Do you know where to find a building, road, house, or anything else to get us out of the woods?"

She thought for a moment before shaking her head gently.

Well, it was worth a shot. She couldn't have been able to run too far, so the demon and campsite could still be very nearby. It might be able to track her. We need to leave and find somewhere safe.

"What's your name?" He cleared his thoughts and asked.

"A-Amelia," she whispered.

"Amelia, that's a pretty name," he replied reassuringly. "My name is Oliver. It's very nice to meet you. Amelia, how old are you?"

"I'm eight and a half."

She's young, too young for this. "I'm twenty-two, so compared to you, I'm just an old man," he said jokingly. "Well, Amelia, do you think you can walk? We can't stay here. It's not safe."

She shook her head vigorously.

"That's okay, I'll carry you on my back," he replied, giving her his best customer service smile. Oliver got back on his feet and held his hand to help her. She took his hand, and Oliver pulled her to her feet. He turned around and squatted down, allowing her to climb on his back.

It was another long period of walking, and they were both tired, thirsty, and hungry. Amelia continued to cry, and her tears occasionally fell on his back. The mist glowed with different beautiful colors, making it even harder to know where to go in the middle of the forest. As the mist changed color, Oliver noticed that the slight tingling sensation on his skin became more noticeable based on the color. The tingling sensation became strongest when it changed to pure white or electric blue.

Is this fog doing something to us? Am I still going to become a demon?

After hours of constant walking and stumbling half-blind through the wilderness, the sky has gotten slightly darker, even with the fog constantly producing a tiny bit of light. Oliver tried to converse several times and was only met with non-verbal responses.

It's hard to tell when she shakes her head or nods because I can't see her behind me. She's an orphan now, just like me. However, I don't ever recall not being an orphan. The train was horrifying, but her experience was something else entirely.

Squinting in the distance, he can see a gap between the shadowy figure of trees. Oliver approaches the opening, hoping to find a place to rest for a few minutes. He made an extraordinary discovery when he finally made it to the opening. It's not a clearing at all. It's a dirt road. While it may only be a dirt road, it greatly relieved Oliver and Amelia.

We're heading in the right direction! There should be houses in at least one direction.

"Amelia, look a road! We can find shelter, food, and water if we follow it!" Oliver said excitedly.

Amelia tightened her grip around Oliver in acknowledgment. As Oliver looked towards both ends of the road, he was at a loss as to where to go. Regardless of the direction he looked in, the street disappeared into the foggy woods.

The best case scenario is that we find our way toward shelter, and the worst scenario is that we waste a lot of time going to the middle of nowhere.

"Haaaaaa."

Releasing a deep sigh, he crouched and loosened his grip to let Amelia down.

"Let's take a short break," Oliver said.

Sitting against a tree, Oliver and Amelia stared at the currently lime-colored sky.

I'm starving, and my throat hurts. This sucks. At least it's better than being dead. Why does this fog keep changing colors?

Something in the corner of his eye caught Oliver's attention, and he looked into the distance. Two shadows in the fog were rapidly approaching. He jumped to his feet, fearing an assault by two demons. A short moment later, he realized that they weren't demons but two figures riding bicycles.

"Hey!" Oliver shouted, waving his arms to get their attention as they drew closer.

"Get the fuck out the way bitch!"

"Fuck off!"

"Wait! Where are we?! Which way is the town!?" Oliver yelled.

Assholes.

Oliver looked back at Amelia, still staring at the clouds, when he suddenly heard a scream.

"AAAAAAA, LET ME- 'SNAP!'" The sound of a man screaming before abruptly cutting off came toward the bicyclists.

"GEORGE! WHAT THE HELL IS-" In the distance, Oliver could barely make out a figure being lifted into the air as another figure seemed half-absorbed into the ground. Looking closely, they are being held up by long, skinny appendages from the ground.

Oliver grew pale as terror gripped his heart, and he broke out into a cold sweat.

That's not a demon. That's just a monster!

He quickly grabs Amelias' hand and runs in the opposite direction, the same direction the two men came from. Amelia seemed unfazed by this monstrosity; her eyes seemed glazed over, with little focus on her surroundings. She struggled running with Oliver pulling her along, so Oliver released her hand. He was relieved when Amelia kept running without slowing down. However, after several seconds, Amelia tripped, and Oliver stopped and returned to her.

"Are you okay? Can you stand?" Oliver asked, and Amelia shook her head furiously as she sniffled.

"I need you to get on my back," Oliver replied sternly.

Oliver crouched down with his back to her, and she was able to climb on. Oliver ran as fast as he could carrying her and didn't stop until the dirt road became paved. Oliver was heavily exhausted but had no regrets, having survived another dangerous encounter. His body craved food, water, and rest, but he continued to walk after letting Amelia down. After a few minutes of walking, they could soon see the figure of a house.

"Amelia, look!" he exclaimed. "It's a house!"

As he approached the home, his excitement was quenched as fear took over.

What if a monster or demon is inside? We would be delivering ourselves for dinner.

All was quiet as they approached the house, and as they got closer, Amelia stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked her.

Amelia shook her head firmly.

"It's okay," he reassured. "You can hide, and I'll go look."

He quietly walked up the path to the house, and with every step he took, he saw in greater detail how run down the home was.

What the hell? Is this entire place rotting? How long has this place been abandoned? We can't stay here.

The house was ancient, so Oliver didn't care to risk searching it for food or water. When Oliver re-traced his steps and went where he had left Amelia,

"Amelia? Where did you go?" Oliver looked around precisely where he had left her but grew concerned when he couldn't find her.

Oliver's search was met with silence, instilling fear inside him. He suddenly heard a figure rustling in the foliage and flinched in fright, barely holding a gasp. Appearing distressed, Amelia walked out of the greenery and hugged Oliver.

"It's okay. You're safe."

He gave her a comforting hug and felt her shivering as she held on tighter.

"Did you see or hear something?"

She shook her head while still hugging Oliver.

Was she scared of being alone? It was still our best option, and I'll probably have to do it again.

"We need to keep walking. It's not safe outside."

It took her another minute to loosen her grip. Amelia held his hand, and they kept walking in the same direction. Every few minutes, they came across several houses. However, they all looked unsafe and uninhabitable. Some of them were old and run-down or had clear signs of violence. Oliver treaded carefully past these houses, as one may contain a demon or monster.

It had been many hours since Oliver escaped the train, and the lowering sun and many trees blocking the sunlight felt ominous. Oliver knew that if he couldn't find a place before it got completely dark, he would have no choice but to keep looking in the dark or try his chances with one of the other houses he had already passed.

We can't continue like this. I need to check the next house we find.

They almost missed the next house as it only appeared down a connected gravel driveway where a large mass that could potentially be a house was discernible.

"Amelia, I need you to hide again. Can you do that for me?"

Amelia looked on the verge of tears but gripped his hand harder and nodded.

"Good. I'll be back soon."

After Oliver made sure she hid between some trees, he left Amilia and steadily approached the house. Oliver gently walked as if walking on broken glass instead of gravel.

As he treads down the long driveway, he can make more of the features through the fog before it turns black, and even though the mist glows, Oliver feels as if he has gone blind. It was a color he had never seen appear, and the tingling sensation he usually feels was utterly absent. To Oliver, the ominous fog felt like it had a will of its own and wanted to suffocate him. Shortly after, the mist changed to light gold, and it felt like a heavy burden was released from his shoulders. The strange turn of events left Oliver confused when the fog changed to an ordinary blue. He put his thoughts to the back of his head and focused back on the situation at hand. He closed the distance and realized it was not exactly a house but a rustic-looking cabin. It's a slightly elevated cabin with one floor, possibly some attic space. The right side has an old chimney with protruding bricks. The long driveway ends beside the house with a red and rusty pickup truck.

His heart furiously beat as he approached the hopefully empty cabin. It's an old cabin that does put its age on display. However, it's still one of the best-looking places they've encountered. He stepped onto the porch as it creaked under his feet and stood beside the doorway with his back to the wall. He spent the next few minutes trying to listen to anything that might be inside. After deciding that further listening would be pointless, he slowly opened the door. His hand made contact with the rusty metal handle, causing static electricity to zap his hand. He wasn't hurt but froze as his heart jumped in surprise.

Amelia is waiting for me. I need to get it together.

Shaking it off, he slowly enters the cabin, and the old wood floor creaks with every step. He pauses, his heart gripped by fear of the unknown. He grits his teeth and advances into the cabin.

I probably would have been attacked if anything was here, but I must check everything. We only have one life after all.'

Oliver slowly went through every room, reassuring himself of the safety of this cabin.

Only one bedroom was being used, and the bed was too small for two people. A few dirty dishes are in the sink, and a truck is in the driveway, so someone is living here. If he's not here, then where is he? Did he leave in another car or become a demon?

Oliver takes a deep breath and releases the tension he has carried. He leaves the cabin and shuts the door. He returns to find Amelia hasn't moved an inch, her eyes red and cheeks wet with tears.

"It's okay. I'm back. The cabin is safe. Can you walk?"

Amelia shook her head as she cried into her arms. Amelia was sitting on the ground, with her knees touching her forehead. Oliver hooked one arm around her, another under her legs, and carried her into the cabin. He locked the door behind them and shoved the nearby heavy wooden cabinet against the front door.