Shadows fled in fear when her phone's light illuminated them. The heat that inflamed her lungs had yet to reach her calves. She pressed on, never deviating, not even for the howl that erupted behind her. His gun, it was raised when she left, where are the shots?

"H-help!" Grabbing an exposed root she pulled, clawing her way up the soft embankment. She couldn't see camp and the smell of fire littered the air.

"Where's the trail damn it? Trail, trail...." She chanted the words like a mantra while fighting through the thick foliage she found herself in.

"Trinnnityy."

The hairs on her arm stood on end as she recalled Marcus's warning. If only they knew that the beast and the psycho were one! A branch cracked and she broke into a sprint, wincing as her arm smacked against a tree. Her heart parodied a rumbling river, drowning out owls who sung above.

"Help any- oof!" She grunted, something colliding into her back. Large and heavy, it flipped her head over heel, sending her down a steep slope. Her phone flew, and immediately she went blind from the sudden change.

Landing on her stomach a forced groan left her busted lips. A dull pain rose in her chest, agonizing her spine. Attempting to crawl, she cried out at the pops of her ribs. A wave of nauseous made her mouth water as footsteps crept languidly toward her.

"T-Theo! Leave me alone!" A hand squeezed her arm, rolling her onto her back. She recoiled when his claws pressed her lips.

"Shh, shh. I'm surprised that boulder didn't go through you." His voice was faint and that left her unsettled. He dragged a finger over her nose, where he then switched to caressing her cheek. Tears stung her eyes at the wetness of his hands and the acrid smell of copper.

"You're so...beautiful. A woman like you must always be surrounded by sharks."

He chuckled and she stared fire into his obscured face. Finding the strength she shoved his hand away, hollering as the motion increased the pain. No sooner than she did, did she feel him in her hair. Like a glorified dog collar, he yanked her upward, causing her arms to flail and she face planted in his genitals.

"Let go of me!"

Punching him repeatedly, panic bubbled in her gut as she tried to move her legs. They only twitched, a numbness creeping into her toes.

"Trinity, triad....The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

With his vice grip, he began to walk. Splinters and rocks embedded in her knees as he dragged her along. Moments later, he swung and she went airborne, landing harshly in a circular grove. Moonlight lit up the center, casting a ethereal glow on a ghastly scene.

"Your parents, they worship a God? They'd have too. To name a whore like you after Fates so beloved. How cliche of you humans."

"J-Jaaay!"

"Jay!" He mocked.

Looking up a heavy handed fist connected with her cheek, sending her head to ricochet off the ground. White overtook took her vision and she went limp.

"I heard you have a fondness for romance? How'd I set the mood? You; distressed...hopeful...waiting to be saved, swept off your feet, by the one person who'll set the world ablaze to halt the flow of your tears."

A dull ache throbbed in her heart as he guffawed from nearby.

"Don't be fucking daft Trin! You know well that I -"

A scuttle in the tree ceased his verbal torment. A steady ring grew in her ears and made her stomach somersault. Blood began to congealed, leaving sounds muffled and distorted.

"Show yourself, I'm very busy."

His body heat left her side and an unearthly growl silenced the insects. A loud crack disrupted, and a limb fell outside the grove.

"Games, you want to play?"

Another tree limb came crashing down, closer to their position. The ground vibrated from the force and ash soon singed her sinuses.

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"Vile leech, how dare you come for what's mine!"

The atmosphere thickened, and a pressure rooted her firmly to the ground. Craning, she blinked rapidly to get the blood and tears from her vision.

Theo brooded while looking up, his body bulging and stretching. His right hand touched the ground, the massive arm now six times its size. His body continued to elongate and she had to look away.

"... You're greedy. There's no need to fight, can't we bargain?"

The voice didn't match the thing making all that racket. She could make out a large mass slithering in the trees, winding it horrid body around trunks before thrusting its face into the moonlight. Seeing a woman's head caused her to gasp. Any more defining features were obscured by her blurred vision. Trinity held her breathe, fear now encasing her whole.

"No. My hunt. My kill worthless scavenger."

His gruff and garbled tone made her shiver. She dug her fingertips into earth and pulled, sliding only a few inch. She no longer gave a damn if they spotted her. In the midst, her hair snagged a low hanging limb and she grunted trying to pull free. A chuckle assailed her ears, and anger snatched her heart.

A blistering rage for what happened, what is happening, and for what...won't happen. Bringing her hand to her stomach, she looked at both beasts, a scowl fixated on the monster who started her pain.

I'll kill you. If I die here, I'll fucking kill you. Every one of you.

"Oh-ho, I've never seen that look on you before Trin!"

Theo sneered while fur encased his body. He lowered to a crouch and she squirmed as man fully became beast. Imaginary hands expanded in her mind, pulling at memories; probing for logic, anything to decipher the disgusting metamorphosis. Sliding her hands along the ground, she found a sizable rock, raising it shakily as he slunk towards her.

"Theooo! Are you here? Theo what the hell? Give my damn clothes back!"

Trinity gasped, whipping her head to the beast who body was now cloaked behind wings. Though its teeth were black, they reflected under the moonlight like onyx rings, contrasting against its pale skin. Theo immediately snarled, diverting his attention to the other.

That's - that's Khalia's voice!

The beast let out a ripple of giggles. The lilt oddly contagious, as Trinity found herself giggling after. The realization bringing dread. It eased out from the trees, limping as it joined them in the grove. Dark matter spewed from behind it, leaving a steaming trail that resembled tar. It's face, now closer, seemed to shimmer and morph.

"That adorable thing you left in the woods, looks so peaceful when she's sleeping. You left a nasty mark on her neck, it'll likely get infected. Since you're busy here...you won't mind if I treat her."

The aura changed again and Trinity found her lungs straining. Alarms sounded in her head and she turned her back to them, crawling five feet, before another wave of pressure nauseated her. Blue and burgundy sparks clashed lit up the sky around them.

Another roar as Theo slammed both fist into the ground. Chunks of earth and plant matter pelted her body. A beat of silence passed between the beasts and then...he took a step back.

Glancing at him, she cringed as his coal-colored eyes switched between her and the other beast. Giving her a snort, he swiveled on his paws and dashed into the woods. Resting her forehead against the cool dirt, she sighed. The numbness in her legs traveled higher, following a peculiar placidity as she laid there.

"He killed your other half and will finish the rest....are you infuriated by those circumstances?"

Something thick and sodden crept across the back of her neck. The intimate action forcing her to turn, and behold the entity. The wings, their raven hue, twinkled with black mucus. A disgusting exhibit of sinew and skin sloshed off in various areas, hitting the ground, and leaving bone and muscle exposed. Whatever battle it fought, it surely lost. The wings chittered, dropping the thick fluid onto her face. It leaked onto her tongue and she gagged.

"It does...you had your entire life. Now you -."

"G-get the fuck away from me!"

Dry heaving from the wretchedness, she puked, dropping the rock in her hand. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the bile kept coming, mingling with the beast's mucus that now soaked into her clothes. Rolling on her side, she panted.

"...Can you see my injuries? A nasty jam I found myself in. Fortunately for you, I saved you from a cruel death."

She heaved again, the odor and pain overwhelming her senses.

"These dogs, they're everywhere. Left off the chain to ravage the globe, harming innocents...innocents like yourself, innocents like I. How many must perish for the Fates to realize their mongrels are obsolete?"

Trinity exhaled a shaky sigh as something cool slithered across her cheek, pulling her soiled hair from her face.

"I can show you my world, my knowledge...provide you with gifts. Gifts that can aid you, ensure you will survive...that you'll both survive. Will you...sign my contract? With my current state, your reward will be far greater than those before you. A mutual transaction for us both."

Trinity could feel her heart, its beat slowing and irregular. The pain in her back intensified and her breaths became labored. She was dying and she didn't need her degree to realize that. A roar echoed in the distance, along with faint screams.

"...I....I will."

"The youth of today is wise."

Trinity gave no resistance as the beast rolled her on her back. The wings spread wide, then angled like spears. Regret budded in her eyes as they came quickly at her, piercing her shoulders, tearing through muscle, and anchoring her to the ground. Gurgled cries ended abruptly when black tentacles shot down her esophagus, rupturing her gums. Broken teeth lodged into her palate, unleashing a wave of blood as they squirmed deeper, leeching onto her organs with a ravenous hand.

They sucked.

They slurped.

Every inch of her...devoured.

"Everyone...welcome Trinity."