The hand continued to grope at the air, fingers forming claws that scraped against rotting wood. Eery moans filled the air as the creature continued to fight for entry.
Estelle had found herself cowering in the corner. She had just awoken and life was already going wrong. Her hands scraped against the walls, searching for anything to defend herself with. Her arms trembled and her breath came out in short puffs, fear clouding her senses.
The creature continued to push, the door slowly opening inch by awful inch. The groans infecting the air increased in volume, overpowering the rain and the ringing in Estelle's ears.
Is this how I die? Alone, soaking wet and cowering?
Estelle's mind raced, scenarios materializing before her. The monster would come in and eat her. The monster would scare her and she'd die of a heart attack. The monster would come in but Estelle would already be dead, glass shoved through her throat.
Estelles hands shook, reaching down to grasp a shard of glass. It was large and triangularly shaped, obviously a remnant of one of the stained glass masterpieces. On it, the veiled woman had her head tilted up, mouth open in rage as tears streamed down her face. It seemed she was not as content with death as Estelle had earlier imagined.
Estelle squeezed the shard, blood pooling between her fingers as the door creaked open further. Her back pressed against the moist brick as her foe tore the door off its hinges.
Launching the door away, the monster was finally in Estelles sight. It was disgustingly beautiful. Some freak of nature designed to enchant and then kill.
It seemed humanoid in figure: long legs, torso, arms, head, opposable thumbs. Yet, everything was off. The head was too small, the arms too long, the thighs too short for the calves. The monster's face was captivating. Thick lips pulled over snarling canines, large eyes with luscious eyelashes, soft-falling blonde tresses.
The monster pounded against the fallen table, pupils widening in excitement.
"Stop! Please! I mean you no harm!"
Estelle shouted, blood trickling down her extended arms. She clutched the glass in front of her, hands clasped around the makeshift weapon in terror. The pain from the shard was a river but her fear was the ocean.
The creature payed her no mind, continuing to push at the fallen furniture as saliva dripped down its full mouth. It was captivating to watch it move. It seemed to cut through the world, as though the air around it rejected its very existence.
Turning its head, the being locked eyes with her, pupils dominating the space around them. It cocked its head, golden locks twisting in the wind, to stare at her. The world seemed to pause as the monster examined her.
Its eyes traced her up and down, slowly advancing towards her. It acted like an apex predator, slowly toying with its prey.
Estelle pushed further into the wall, shouting once more:
"Don't come any closer! Please!"
The demon in front of her merely took another step. Its lips pulled back from its teeth revealing glistening canines, slick with saliva. The beast's tongue swept over the points of its molars, licking imaginary blood from its teeth.
It took another step towards her, stalking her, figure relaxed and at ease. It had already deemed her harmless, like a small bunny in the face of hunter.
Estelle's eyes brimmed with tears, lips shaking as blood continued to drip down her arms. She watched as the beast advanced, beautiful feet stepping closer. It felt like the air in the room chilled the longer the creature remained inside. Her breath came out in puffs and revealed itself to her foe, seemingly broadcasting her weakness to the world.
In a grinding voice, almost unfamiliar to speaking or language at all, the monster spoke.
"Child there isss no essscape…."
It's voice lengthened on the letter s, ending in a hiss that sent shivers down Estelles spine.
Clutching the shard between her hands, Estelle watched the beast advance until its bare chest was touching the glass. Staring deep in her eyes, it took another step forward, the glass ripping through thin skin.
But it was useless. The monster didn't even flinch. The image of the crying woman forced itself deep into the creature's chest, squelching and tearing away at the beast.
Still, the monster was smiling, face-to-face with Estelle.
Her fear was palpable. She removed the shard and stabbed again and again and agin.
Please! Please! Just die!
It was pointless. The monster's lithe fingers gripped her back, pulling her flush against it's torso. The shard was fully lodged in the beasts chest, a reminder of Estelle's weakness.
The monster inhaled deeply, tongue sneaking out to lick at full lips, savoring a meal that hadn't been tasted yet. Rain pelted the fallen chair, the wind pushing it into the room.
Estelle's eyes closed around tears, hands pounding against the beast's chest.
"Just do it already! Just kill me…please!"
Her voice was weak with fear, trembling and afraid.
The creature's long tongue swept over her neck, sullying her with its saliva. It was truly a beast hunting prey. There was nothing she could do.
No…
Estelle's mind raced.
There must be a way out of here. There must be a way to survive. Think Estelle think!
Wrenching her head out of the creatures grasp, she surveyed her surroundings once more. Directly below her lay the chandelier. The scattered candles and shards of crystal were within reach.
Maybe I could light a candle. Could it be afraid of fire?
Estelle squirmed against the beast, scraping her nails against its chest. The storm continued to rage outside, the tumultuous wind matching the pace of her head.
The beast continued to trace the outline of her body with its long claws. Estelle felt dirty.
Steeling herself, Estelle reached into the creatures chest, pushing past its melted organs and iron-like bones, to find the shard once more.
Just…A little…More!
Her fingers wrapped around their intended target, finding comfort in the sharpness.
For some reason, I am still alive. I need to use this time to kill it before the...thing changes its mind.
Grasping the shard, Estelle tried to pull the make-shift weapon out of the creature's chest. As purple blood spilled over her arm and smock, the shard didn't budge. It was stuck.
Pulling her leg up to the creature's chest, Estelle tried once more, pushing with her entire might.
Outside, the storm was worsening, the rain freezing to hail that pounded on the windows seemingly begging for entry.
The creature pulled its head out of Estelle neck, locking eyes with her and once again stunning her with its beauty. It was an apex predator, meant to attract and kill.
"Little one, there isss no essscape…You will join all the othersss and become one with usss"
The monster tilted its head down to look at her, golden locks brushing against her tear-stained cheeks. Estelles face grimaced in defiance, her hands still shoved in the monster chest. The beast's grip on her was unrelenting. Its arms were like iron bands and its hands like shackles.
Estelle had no escape.
The monster tilted its head down, opening its mouth and baring its canines at her. It leaned down, heading towards her neck.
BANG
The beast jolted, surprised by the lightning that had flashed directly on the area outside of the building. Estelles ears rang, her vision swimming with fear and shock after the bright flash.
But the monster had also been shocked.
It loosened its grip on Estelle, turning its body towards the offending sound, sensing a threat and preparing to face it. In this moment, Estelle attacked.
She pushed her feet at the beast causing it to stumble backwards. The monster tripped over its long legs, falling with a snarl straight onto the fallen chandelier.
The broken mount of the light-piece imbedded itself in the creatures chest, pushing through the path forged by the shard. There the monster lay, fully impaled by the chandelier.
Yet, the beast squirmed, howling into the air. Rivers of purple blood squelched out of the monster's chest, coloring the entire area.
How is it not dead?
Estelle's mind was in overdrive. One thought overpowered everything.
This beast must die.
Freeing herself fully from its grasp, Estelle ran to the other side of the room. She grabbed the fallen chair and slammed it into the beast's head.
The rotten wood was unable to handle the force and crumbled apart.
Still the beast squirmed and howled.
Estelle grabbed a shard of glass and shoved it through the beast's eye. It met little resistance, slicing through thin skin like jello.
Still the beast called into the night, reaching long arms out to grasp her. It leaked saliva and drool from its mouth, unrelenting in its hunt.
Shivering, Estelle fell onto the floor, crawling backwards until her hand met brick. As if a gift from the universe, the broken wall had left her with a spare block of brick.
Grabbing the rectangle, she crawled towards the beast, panting as glass embedded itself in her knees. She was bleeding all over the floor, red further staining the ruin.
Towering over the beast, she gripped the brick and slammed it into the monster's head. The creature responded with a howl.
Again her arms came down. The monster's head was dented, the shard hammered in deep as squirts of purple blood exploded from the monster's skull.
Its eyes seemed to cloud over as Estelle continued her attack.
Estelle was not sure how long she kept slamming the brick into the monster only that the puddle of purple had turned into an ocean when she had finished.
Still, somehow, the beast continued to squirm. Tiring, Estelle grabbed a broken leg from the smashed chair. Gripping it like a stake, she slammed it straight through the monster's weakened skull.
Sliding through with a squelch, the stab finally silenced the beast.
Estelle fell back on her heels, hands steading herself on the ground behind her. Her breaths were quick and shallow, panic still clouding her senses.
I…I am alive…
The notion seemed impossible.
Just then, a voice pushed through her head. It filled her brain with pain, the same pain that had assaulted her when she first awoke.
[Congratulations! Monster: Weak Ghoul has been eliminated. Appropriate gifts will be awarded.]
Pushing herself up, Estelle grabbed her head. Everything hurt. Her vision clouded with pain once again. The voice rang in her ears, repeating three times as though to ensure she went through as much misery as possible.
It was only then that Estelle realized her hands were healed. The wounds caused by gripping the shard were gone. In fact, no cuts or bruises remained on her at all.
Ignoring the voice for now, Estelle surveyed herself. If she wasn't covered in blood, there would be no evidence of her battle at all.
What…what is happening? What was that thing? What was that voice? Why am I fine?
Estelle pushed herself to her feat, her hearing finally recovered from the lightning flash. Turning around, she grabbed another leg from the fallen chair. She needed a weapon.
Howls had filled the air around her while her hearing was recovering. Other monster's footsteps and voices filled the air. They were getting louder and louder.
I could barely defeat that one…weak ghoul…how will I defeat any more?
Estelle pushed the table against the door-less entryway.
There is only one way out and one way in….How will I escape?
Looking around, Estelles eyes zeroed in on the only place for her to go. As an army of monsters pushed past the table, scratching themselves and screaming at her, Estelle ran towards the broken wall.
With her enemies inches away from her, she jumped through the gap.
Everything went dark.