In Which

I’ve been staring at this screen for half an hour. I don't know what to write. But I have to. I just can't stop anymore. So I'll write, even if I'm worried about the words coming out wrong or, even worse, them coming out right. It's just something I must do.

I haven't posted for about a week and a half. I have been gone for around a week of that. I doubt you noticed. I've taken longer before. But this time it wasn't my choice. It was easy enough for them to take me. Just asked me to help with some Noctis stuff and then, next moment, I'm in the basement.

I spent the first few days tied to a chair. Charles came in every once in a while to feed me and to tell me that they didn't mean me any harm. While I was tied to a chair.

It wasn't exactly bad until four or five days in. Charles was talking to me again. He'd stay and do that sometimes. He was a good man, under it all. He was kind. During our talk, Gabriel came in, followed by Thor and Llorona.

Charles: What's going on?

Gabriel: There's been a change in the plan.

Charles: What change? (Gabriel pulls out a revolver.) No. Why can't we just wait until after the exchange like we were going to?

Gabriel: Lazarus thinks it's too risky. She's already tried to stop the exchange twice. (I did, actually. I didn't mention it because Llorona's been reading my blog.) Every day she grows more and more attached to the thing. If we don't kill her, she could ruin everything.

Charles: No. I didn't sign up for this. We're supposed to be the good guys Gabriel!

Gabriel: We are. This has to be done.

Charles: No it doesn't. There has to be a better way.

Gabriel: Lazarus doesn't think so. I don't think so.

Llorona: Neither do I.

Gabriel: That's three, Orpheus. Step aside.

Charles: .... no.

There was a pause, then Gabriel shoved Charles aside and placed the gun against my head.

There was a click. Then another click. From the corner of my eye, I saw Thor pocket something shiny and nod in my direction. I didn't have the time to notice anything else.

Gabriel drew back the gun and started yelling at Thor about bullets. But I wasn't paying attention. The voices had stopped. Silence.

But then, it wasn't just my head. All the natural sounds of a basement from leaking pipes to the hum of electricity seemed to fade away. The only noise in the whole room was Gabriel yelling at Thor. When the Noctis noticed the silence, even that stopped.

And then, he was there.

He seemed just as calm as I've always seen him. Just as certain that everything would go his way. But then something changed. Thick black tendrils began to grow out of his back. They stretched out for a moment before one quickly darted out and caught Thor by the ankle.

Thor tripped, and was dragged towards him. Llorona tried to catch him, but only got there in time to be hit by another of the tendrils. Except it had shifted and instead resembled a tree branch. The branch neatly impaled her in the chest, before tossing her against the wall. Thor was now closer to him, entangled in several more tentacles. The sound of crushing bones filled the silence as the arms constricted around Thor's body. He let out a shriek before one of the tentacles circled around his throat. And then they all began to pull. More sounds, and Thor's body began to tear. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. I just stared as Thor was slowly torn apart. He didn't even do it fast. He wasn't in a hurry. He took his time.

My eyes were only torn from Thor when he sent another tree branch arm towards Llorona. This time he threw her towards the staircase that led out of the basement. Charles had been running, trying to escape. But Llorona landed on top of him, pinning them both. Thor was in pieces by this time. And Gabriel hadn't moved. He was standing completely still, muttering to himself and staring directly at him.

Charles almost got away. But he paused for a moment, trying to decide whether to run or try to help Llorona. A third branch arm caught them both. For the first time, he moved. It was something between a walk and a glide. Once again, unhurried. He stopped when he was next to the two of them.

The last part was too quick for me to process. All I know is that Charles' head landed just a few feet away from me.

Then he turned to look at Gabriel, and the various arms which had killed the rest of the Noctis suddenly went still. He extended one of his normal hands out, and something began to...pull. If I hadn't been tied to a chair, I would have walked up those stairways and into his arms. I couldn't have helped myself.

Gabriel tried. He shouted and he cried and he cursed, but he walked up the stairs anyway. He put his arms around Gabriel in a sort of embrace. I could tell that Gabriel was shaking. And then they were gone.

It was just me and the bodies.