24: Fugly Bug Meets Big Red -John-

The roar of the moth stung my ears as it barreled toward me. The ground shook as it grew larger in my vision.

I smiled. This thing had no idea what was about to happen to it. In only a few seconds it's anger would be gone, replaced with surprise and pain.

"COME ON, YOU FUGLY BUG!" I yelled raising my hands in the air, "I CHALLENGE YOU!"

The moth roared louder. There was no stopping it now. I ran to the left, my eyes searching for a place to hide from the blast. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a small child looking out the window of the Gas Station.

Nothing was ever easy. It was almost as though there was some malicious being putting us in the most insanely difficult and complicated situations, expecting us to make the right choices to get the best outcome. All we had to do was explode the moth and it would have been over, but like a well laid trap the catch sprung up at the last moment. There were people in the building.

I had seconds. I wouldn't make it in time. If I turned around, then I'd be killed along with the moth and the child. I slid to a stop and ran back toward the doors. To me there wasn't a choice. I had to try, no matter what the sacrifice.

I kicked open the door to find a dozen people in a panic. My heart hit the floor as the moth roared again. It was getting closer, it was too close. I couldn't get all these people out in time. I turned to the moth and roared, "Let's go!"

I ran toward the moth. I had to stop it, I had to make it turn. I knew I never would. This was the end. For me. For these people. For my journey.

I thought of Alex as time seemed to slow down. I thought of the options that he'd felt he had. I wondered if maybe he felt the same way I did now. Was I the people stuck in the gas station, and the sun God Moloch the giant rampaging moth? Did Alex make the same choice I was now making?

I pulled back my hand as I got close to the crazed moth and suddenly the world became a blur of red. I felt someone grab me and push me to the ground. There was a loud crash. The world then erupted into bright light and intense heat. I pushed who ever was on me off and pulled myself to my feet.

"Holy shit." The apartment building had collapsed on the moth, as well as the firetruck that had forced it in to a different direction. Fire had ignited the gas causing the truck to explode. There was no way the moth survived that.

"I'll say, that wasn't the expected outcome."

I led the turn with my fist, catching Robby on the side of the head, "We thought you were dead, you stupid ass! Where were you while the moth played cat and mouse with me and Jay?!"

"I was relaxing armless at the top of a nearby apartment complex. Cut me a break, I just saved your ass."

"Yeah." I turned to look at the moth, "Thanks for that."

"You don't seem very surprised that I'm miraculously back."

"I'm not." The apartment fire was out of control, but I didn't care if it burned the whole town down. Robby was back, the moth was dead, and for some reason I felt really good, "I've seen a lot of things the last few months."

We silently stared at the fire.

10: A Fighter -Emma-

The photo of my Father was all I had to look at in that room. The beast outside, moaning my name over and over again like it knew me.

It was at times like this when I wished I wasn't such a genius.

I stared at his picture again. It gave me strength to see him, because I knew how important he was. I knew that he'd died saving the world, saving me and Mommy. Well, just me actually.

Shortly after, we got the news that Mom was found in the bathtub with her wrists slit and jumbled letters sprawled across the wall; "JMCMBACFNBPBSZTDJBRO" followed by the words, "Find them and be saved." I'd been quickly put in to a home where my intelligence blossomed. I still can't figure out those letters or those words, but I won't stop trying. My Father wouldn't have given up, so why should I?

The door shuddered again as the specimen slammed into it again.

"Emma Kayser . . . find them . . . "

My breath caught as I heard it say that.

"Be saved."

How did it know? How could it know? Telepathic? That's impossible, but so is that beast outside the door.

"They are so close, but I am soooo hungry. I can't stop myself. So hungry." Another slam emphasized how hungry it was.

"GO AWAY!", tears flowed down my cheeks, "Leave me alone!"

"Emma . . . we need you to come to us. Come feed us. We are so alone."

I looked back at his picture. He wouldn't just give up.

Alex Kayser had been a fighter.

1: Obviam Vita -John-

My name is Johnathon Nathon Miller, and I was once a good guy. I still feel that my cause is good, but my methods have certainly changed from my previous work. Now I have a goal and will do nearly anything to see that it's done, and done well.

I'm not much of a leader, but he knew how to bring Alex back and so I took the job anyway. Did I trust my new boss? No. Did that matter? No. He was better than that spineless Ben Ashford.

Don't understand? Well, let me catch you up to speed . . .

A while back a friend of mine, Alex, found out that our hometown was soon to be a crater, because of some ancient sun God. Alex, my brother and I went to see if we could avert this tragedy. Turns out we could, at the cost of Alex’s life. Alex decided to leap to his death and save the whole town with his selfless act. I could have saved him but my brother held me back.

I had to listen to his screams for ten minutes and I'll never forget how many times he yelled for help.

My brother and I, decided to go searching for Gods and other beasts, and destroy them as revenge for what their kind did to our friend. That's when we found Ben, and really it's all because of the book. Ben's biological father wrote a book and within the book rests hundreds of information on the creatures we were searching for.

One thing led to another and we soon found ourselves working side by side with not only Ben, but another friend of ours named Jay. Jay seemed to have a different type of motive and he really only wanted to bring Alex back. He was willing to risk everything and sacrifice any life to do just that. He failed thanks to the concerted efforts of Ben, my brother Carl, and a young, zombie girl named Crystal.

That's when P.B. contacted me directly and offered me this job. Jay had the right idea in finding a way to bring Alex back, but he had gone about it wrong. Patrick Bernauw, P.B.; claims to have a way to do it right and all I had to do was work for him.

So now I'm the leader of a team of hunters, all working toward the goal of bringing our friend back, while keeping our representative from using us to his own ends. To be honest though, as long as he's helping us bring Alex back, then we'll do what ever he needs of us.

Isn't life grand?