Fathom by Mikel Parry

CH – DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS

Heading back out through the courtyard, both men were swallowing large clumps of doubt. They were now more alone than ever, their freakish little family torn apart by deceit, lies, and murder. The world was so complicated now, so full of questions. They were an inseparable part of the monster this case had become; a case that everyone thought was solved; a case with a willing sacrifice to take the fall and disappear into death. Demo stared down at his beat up shoes. He had done more walking and running lately than he had done in his entire life before. And he still wasn’t done.

“So, that was weird. I’m all for group therapy, but what was the point of wasting the time to see that jerk?”

Demo knew what to say, he just didn’t know how to say it.

“Bobby, anything seem off to you about that guy? Anything you’d consider a little weird?”

Bob Cat plastered on a cheesy grin.

“Besides . . . everything? The guys a complete rutabaga, a fruit basket stuck in his mighty castle. Just another elite looking down on us rats.”

“But he was very nice.”

Bob Cat curled one of his lips and nodded.

“Yeah, he was a nice old man. I might be being a little harsh. Best hot chocolate I’ve had, well, I don’t really drink hot chocolate.”

Demo began to say something but stopped when something caught his eye. Letting out an audible sigh, his head flopped onto his chest.

“You call a cab, Bobby?”

Bob Cat, bewildered, turned to see what Demo was looking at.

“Oh for Pete’s sake, you’ve got to be joking! Can’t we get a break from these guys?”

As Bob Cat continued his anger filled rant, two large men approached. Demo looked them over and instantly recognized them as Roslin’s men.

I didn’t know Bobby had brothers.

One of the men gestured towards the unmarked car that sat humming nearby. Judging by their faces, they’d been out all night, undoubtedly flipping over every stone in the city looking for them. Both of them stunk of smoke and ash. Demo immediately caved, realizing he had no chance against the great walls of Roslin. Bob Cat was far more disorderly, waving his hand in front of his nose.

“You two again? Been out camping, I see. What’s the matter? Didn’t take enough lighter fluid?”

One of the men furrowed his brow and tensed his massive body.

“You’d like another go at me, Princess? Pride still a little hurt from our last dance?”

The man stepped forward but was abruptly blocked by the massive arm of his companion.

“Bobby, let’s just get this over with. I’m tired, completely gross, and more than likely homeless.”

Bob Cat kicked at the ground in protest, but did as he was told.

“Fine, have it your way. But I’m not gonna listen to any of that country shite you two muscle heads listened to last time! I’d rather be shot than sit through that again.”

They climbed into the cozy government car. The driver zipped recklessly through the streets, blasting the country radio station that Bob Cat so adored. It was obvious that they were desperately trying to cover up the fact that they’d lost Bob Cat and Demo for an entire night, with no idea where they’d been.

When they pulled up to the secret door that was no longer so secret, they walked up to it and waited before entering. They were met by a steaming hot Roslin who was practically bursting at the seams.

“Just where in this forsaken city have you two idiots been? I get notified your apartment building is on fire, next thing I know you’ve gone missing, and now you show up smelling like something the dog dragged in!”

Demo and Bob Cat both hung their heads like two children being scolded. Roslin used every vulgarity he could think of to verbally lash out at them. Demo let out a tiny smirk that caught Bob Cat’s attention before he quickly dismissed it by shaking his head. It was amazing how much the whirlwind that was Roslin reminded him of Jacky. It was no wonder the two had a history; at least Demo suspected they did.

“So why come back? Why leave us, burn down a building, and then walk back in like nothing happened?”

Demo took charge. There was something surging inside of him that needed to get out, and this mindless banter wasn’t helping.

“We’ve got work to do. I’ve got the angle, I’ve the mindset; all I need now is Spencer. One way or another I’m going to break him and solve this damn case!”

Roslin and Bob Cat were stunned. This sort of brash behavior was remarkably unusual for Demo. Demo blew past Roslin and headed towards the lab. Roslin glanced at Bob Cat who shrugged.

“Don’t say a word, you idiot! You’re not helping anything!”

“What happened to being a professional?” Bob Cat chuckled.

“Remind me to have Jo suck your brain into a hamster when we’re done.”

“Tisk, tisk . . . where are the big government man’s manners?”

The two continued to argue until they met up with a very impatient Demo.

“Can I get a card or something? This is really getting old.”

Roslin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was fighting off the urge to shoot them and call it a work place accident. Not giving Demo the satisfaction of a retort, he quickly escorted them inside. Jo bounced into the room like a spring bunny. Roslin waved a hand in the air.

“Not now! Do we have a window?”

Jo looked sad and excited at the same time. His wit was almost completely bulletproof. It would not be deterred by the storm cloud Roslin had brought in with him.

“Your timing couldn’t be better! He’s in deep cycle and streaming. His wave patterns are incredible! I mean, it’s like the fourth of July in there, man!”

Roslin looked at Demo and threw out his hands.

“Well, you wanted Spencer. And by the way, do either of you have any idea how much it’s going to cost me to cover up the burned down apartment? Do you have any idea how hard it is to cover up something like that so late at night?”

Demo ignored Roslin and headed for the table. Bob Cat took his stance next to Roslin and put an arm on his shoulder.

“You’ve had a rough night. Maybe you should just take a day off.”

Roslin shoved Bob Cat’s arm off of his shoulder before dusting it off.

“A man like me doesn’t take breaks. You touch me again and I’ll blast that arm off.”

Bob Cat gave him a mischievous grin. They were finally beginning to understand each other. In the meantime, Demo had sat down on the futuristic table. Tapping his foot he watched as Jo finally caught his eye and scurried off and away. Laying himself down slowly, he examined his memory in an attempt to perform a subconscious information shakedown. He had to be ready. He couldn’t be caught off guard again. Suddenly, a flurry of lights began to swarm him like a hive of killer bees. Reality disappeared and a new world came into view, enveloping his consciousness in its entirety.

Demo stayed still. He was dumbstruck by what had taken shape around him; clouds, waterfalls, and a vast expanse of heavenly sky. For a brief moment, his heart slowed its vigorous pace.

Goodbye jungle zombies.

His heart picked up the slack as his situation become clearer. He wasn’t just seeing clouds; he was physically standing on one. This sent off an alarm that made his nerves tingle head to toe. He suddenly felt overwhelmed.

What is this place? How am I doing this?

Closing his eyes, he tried to get a handle on the confusing reality he was stuck in. This was Spencer’s world and it worked by Spencer’s rules. He needed to forget what he thought of as possible.

“Okay, let’s do this . . .”

Taking a step forward he watched as his foot disappeared into a foggy mist of clouds before coming to rest. Not believing what he had just done, he repeated the process until fully satisfied. Looking like a child splashing in puddles, he continued, taking more and more steps of courage, which then illuminated his inner imagination front and center.

“This is awesome!”

Demo danced around on top of the cloud, still not believing it was possible. Such a heavenly manifestation was greatly appreciated compared to the horrific rotting zombies and gigantic mutant dogs. But his joy was cut short by his honed and targeted mind, which was quick to remind him that all good things come to an end. He had a job to do. Kicking a small tuft of cloud just ahead of his foot, he watched as it evaporated into thin air. Then something came into view that widened his eyes into saucers; an enormous castle off in the distance. Its massive walls were etched from pure fantasy, and were only trumped by the atmosphere scraping towers towering steadfastly above them. It was a mythological symbol of man’s might against an unforgiving world.

Spencer’s got to be in there.

Demo had one obvious problem; how to get there. He paced around on his mysteriously solid parcel of nimbus until his sense of hearing came to his aid. A roaring sound reminded him of the oddity he’d momentarily overlooked; waterfalls. Waterfalls that poured out from the clouds like open faucets. But there was something unique about them. Normally water flows down—that’s a given—but here physics had been set aside. The water was not only flowing down, but upwards and sideways too. The streams of bubbly water connected the clouds together like pearls on a necklace.

You’ve got to be kidding me . . .

Glancing back up at the distant castle, he knew what he had to do. But actually doing it was another thing entirely. . Just a few steps away his own carefully constructed waterfall rose from nothingness. Its crystal clear liquid glimmered magnificently against the deeply contrasted sky and clouds. The flowing water was his only hope of getting from one place to the next. But on either side of the watery path was impending doom; a never-ending fall into the empty void of Spencer’s mind. Demo suddenly gasped for air when he realized he’d forgotten to breath. Fighting against his own will, he approached the roaring, vertically climbing waterfall. He plunged one of his hands deep into the rapid movement.

Ice cold shivers shot out from his hand and into his body. But that played second string to the immense power of the water itself. It felt more like a vacuum than a jetting stream. It was difficult to keep the rest of his body out of the water as it seemed to beckon him closer with its overwhelming force. He knew if he was going to do this it would be all or nothing. Taking a step back, he silently recited a makeshift prayer. If he was wrong, he’d be sucked high into the heavens both out of sight and out of mind, literally. Taking a long drag of air, he heaved himself forward into the roaring waves.

Instantly, his entire body was overcome by the intensely brisk water. But it was the force that took his breath away; every last particle of it. With the speed and velocity of a bullet, he was ripped from his cloud and into the suspended waterfall. The extraordinary amount of power that now gripped him was remarkable. He felt completely helpless and weightless. The adrenaline rush was unreal; this really was the ride of a lifetime. This enticing idea was forcefully countered by his ego; was this going to be the ride of the end of his lifetime? Just as it seemed that his body might be aimlessly thrown to the mercy of the sky, he was spat out onto another puffy cloud. He let out a scream of sheer terror as he clawed at puffy gobs of cotton candy and wildly tried to hang on.

This place is going to kill me!

Shockingly, his efforts were rewarded. Somehow his momentum shifted forward and he found himself on his back gasping for air. Staring up at the endless universe filled with clouds, waterfalls, and stars he attempted to regain his composure. He hadn’t counted He was sure he had at least a couple dozen more suicidal escapades ahead in order to reach his final destination; the enormous castle carved from his imagination. Icy cold water drained from his pant legs when he stood up. He mumbled some vulgarities, realizing how much pain he was being forced to endure at Spencer’s hand.

I’m going to kill you when I find you, Spencer!

He had to plot his path. He needed to ride the right waterfalls to the right clouds. This notion was easier conceived than realized. Racking his brain, he took a hypothetical pencil and connected the clouds like one would connect the dots. Once he felt at least partially satisfied, he began to take the plunge over and over again. With each leap into the hovering waterways, his heart would stop for a moment. At times, an extremity might find its way free of the rushing current and grasp at air. He just hoped he didn’t have a heart attack. He pressed on; he needed to move quickly. The last thing he wanted to happen was to be caught out on a cloud with nothing to show for himself. Roslin would kill him for sure. He took another plunge then took a moment to get realigned. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a clap of monstrous thunder.

Demo bolted upright. He was now at least three-fourths of the way to the gargantuan castle, but things were taking a most unwelcome turn for the worst; the most nightmarish of worsts. Like a fantasy battle of man against beast, the hidden chaos could now be both seen and heard. Flames dotted the landscape of the mythical castle and the cries of both men and women fleeing for their lives filled the sky. And above it all roared a great shadow—an age old harbinger of death—a dragon. Demo’s eyes lit up with both fear and wonder as the expansive creature weaved its way carefully in and out of the clouds before plummeting itself down towards the castle, spewing flames as it went. The vile serpent in the sky was sowing pure havoc. Demo glanced behind him; maybe he could sit this one out. Maybe he’d wait for a kinder piece of Spencer’s mind to come around before attempting to dive any further into this unhinged madness. But something inside him knew that wasn’t an option. He was, after all, dealing with a complete psychopath. Scratching nervously at his arm, he went head first into what would turn out to be his last few dives before total madness.

Spewing from the last pillar of water, he hit the massive cloud that was home to the gated city with a surprising thud. A sharp sting in his shoulder reminded him that things were still very dangerously real here. Demo could now hear the screams and pleas for mercy on full volume. Standing up, he saw a massive gate that had been torn to bits by cataclysmic claws. Inside pure insanity was unfolding. People were running wildly, some trying to put out fires, others fleeing for their lives. Among them were armor-clad soldiers firing waves of arrows into the sky in an attempt to slay the beast.

Demo caught the eye of a warrior who gave him notice with a very bewildered look. But this exchange was ended by a stream of fire that turned the man to ash. Demo scrambled through the gate and into a dark space between buildings. The smell of smoldering flesh stung his nostrils. A fire ball sent a rickety building crashing to the ground. Things were falling apart around Demo very quickly.

Cautiously, he edged back out towards the open. He practically had to force his heart back down his throat. Peeking around the corner, he searched the sky for the deathly lizard. It must have been satisfied for the time being; the sky was still. Walking into the open, he marveled at the mythically styled architecture that Spencer had dreamt up.

This city must have been beautiful before all of this.

Cautiously, he made his way through the streets, trying at all costs to avoid the inhabitants. They were a sad sight to see. Even though deep down inside he knew that these men, women, and children were all being fathomed up by Spencer’s mind, their heartbreaking sorrow was real. He had just made his way around a small, partially scorched fruit stand when the dragon returned. It swooped by with a monstrous force that almost rattled Demo’s bones right out of his body. Its serpent-like eyes scanned the city for its next potential target. With a massive flap of its expansive wings, it took aim and let loose all hell on a nearby building.

Demo’s legs quivered like jelly as pieces of burning shrapnel burst into the air leaving thick trails of smoke behind them. It took cat-like agility to dodge the fiery rain of debris. He desperately tucked, rolled, and crawled to stay out of sight of the murderous monstrosity. Demo watched the dragon flap its massive wings as it ascended back into the sky.

Spencer, where the hell are you?

Now running for his life through the mythical city, he gave up his intention of obscurity. His thoughts were solely focused on finding Spencer. Demo, recalled the old stories he was told as a child about man versus beast.

A knight . . . Spencer must be a knight!

The idea seemed plausible given the current fairy tale he’d found himself in. So . . . where would a knight hang out?

He wants to be seen. He wants glory.

Darting around the city and dodging the hellfire as hordes of soldiers fought valiantly against it, he made astounding discovery. There, dead center of town, were the massive towers that he’d seen from outside.

“Watch thy self, you peasant!”

Demo was thrown to the ground by a force from behind him. He quickly rolled over grunting loudly, and looked for his assailant. What he saw drew from him the only words he could think of.

“Great. My knight in shining armor,” he mumbled loudly.

And a knight it was. A strong-willed, courageous, and valiant knight (from the looks of him, at least) riding his trusty steed into the palace ahead. This fellow was equipped with all the fixings of any mythical adventurer’s dream. Demo needed to follow him. He was almost positive the man under the armor was Spencer. What kind of knight would Spencer imagine himself to be? Demo knew the answer was a violent one. Springing to his feet, he gave chase to the clacking of hooves. As he sprinted behind the knight into the massive palace, he felt the ground shake beneath him.

“This can’t be the fade; not now!”

To his relief, it was instead the result of the war waging outside. The massive granite and marble walls were being shaken by the horrendous onslaught being unleashed by the dragon. It would only be a matter of time before the castle succumbed.

“Onward steed, we ride to victory!”

Looking ahead, Demo saw the noble rider he was following gallop up a gigantic flight of stairs.

He’s heading to the towers. That crazy idiot is going to fight that thing from a tower!

A thunderous roar reverberated through the entirety of the great palace, the large pieces of disembodied rock crashing down from the ceiling reminding Demo that time was short. A bowling ball sized chunk struck the knight and horse who were working their way upward. The force threw the man from his animal and onto the stairs. He landed with a metallic crash. The horse was no more.

“Vile flying beast! I will revenge mine house then relinquish thee forever!”

Demo’s head rang like a brass bell. It took him a second to finally come to. He saw that he had some serious ground to make up. The ever gallant knight was pressing forth. His heroics just wouldn’t stop.

“This guy doesn’t know when to quit!”

Demo tried to take a mental photo but came up short. The man’s articulately crafted helmet gave nothing away. Feeling exhausted, Demo called out him hoping to slow his momentum.

“Hey, buddy! Slow down, would ya?”

The knight paid him no mind. Demo kept the chase up the massive stairs and straight into impending doom. He wanted to puke. Was he really going to see this through? Would he get anything from it? Even his incredibly complex mind was having trouble putting things into perspective. Another thunderous roar echoed through the great edifice. He didn’t care. He had to keep moving.

They climbed the spiraling staircase higher and higher into the tower. Just when he thought he couldn’t take a single step more, he arrived at the top. . The tower was barely being held together. A large portion had been viciously ripped away by a maelstrom of fire from above. It left him fully exposed and much higher in the sky than he preferred to be. Standing on an exposed plank of wood, defying all odds and logic, was the knight. He raised his gleaming sword into the air while pounding his shield against his chest.

“Have at thee, vile worm!”

Demo cringed at the theatrics coming from his mouth.

What a closet nerd.

It didn’t take long for the climax of the story to be reached. The dragon had heard Spencer’s call and was coming at him fast. Its snake-like scales slithered through the sky weaving in and out of the nightmarish plumes of smoke and clouds. In the blink of an eye it was upon them. Swooping in at knight, it unleashed hell. A pillar of fire fell around him as he raised his shield in defense. He heaved his sword skyward seeking the heart of the fire-breathing beast. It found its mark on one of the monster’s legs leaving a long gash. It roared into the sky only to circle back to retest the courage of man. Letting out an ear-splitting scream, it approached like a flaming missile. But just as it was about to unleash another firestorm, it was struck by a massive object midflight.

A large boulder had smashed into the beast’s massive chest. The soldiers below had finally found their mark. With a deafening screech of pain, the sky serpent fell into the tower, missing Demo and the knight by mere inches. Piles of buried the monster, and a hush followed the settling dust.

Thank goodness that’s over. If I ever see another castle I swear I’ll burn it down myself!

The momentary respite came to an abrupt end. With a demonic howl, the reawakened beast shook off the debris and rose from the ashes with full force.

“No man can kill me!” it hissed through rows of serrated teeth.

Demo let out a whimper. He suspected this wasn’t going to end well. It was possible that Spencer’s monster could only be relinquished by Spencer himself. This reinforced Demo’s idea that the knight must be him.

“A thousand curses, death lizard! I will ease your suffered existence!”

Demo was a bit shocked by the eloquence of the knight’s words.. Spencer was more articulate than he’d assumed.

The knight ploughed head first into the beast swinging his trusty blade.

“Now you die, monster!”

Demo watched as amidst the pillars of smoke and fire the pair began the fight of a lifetime. The knight dodged each attack from the dragon with expert precision. He struck the beasts arm, spilling a crimson river of blood onto the ground. The battle was unimaginably entertaining but also petrifying. The knight swung around again, creating a swirling cloud of smoke and fire. He held his sword with both hands thrust high above his head, and slammed it down with all his might into the dragon’s neck. A blood curdling scream filled the air and then it went eerily silent.

Demo waited. His heart was practically exploding from his chest. What the hell just happened? Did the knight win? Was the dragon dead? Miraculously, just moments later Demo saw the battered silhouette of the knight walking away from the abject destruction.

He did it . . . that crazy psychopath really did it.

Demo stood up, resisting the urge to clap. The knight strode confidently into the light covered in blood and ash, with wounds on every inch of exposed flesh. He raised his sword defiantly into the sky.

“I have vanquished the demon! Let the entire kingdom be—”

The knight’s words were cut off by a wall of fire. It completely consumed him in mere seconds, leaving behind nothing but a charbroiled corpse in an armored oven. Demo gasped with the realization that he had been wrong; completely and utterly wrong. While it was true that Spencer wanted to be recognized, Demo had overlooked a deeper truth—Spencer had a love for destruction, suffering, and power, not heroics—Spencer was the dragon.

Oh . . . that’s not good!

Demo’s mouth fell open in a pant. His fear was suddenly at an all-time high. Through the churning clouds of smoke he stared into the dreadful, soul-snatching eyes of the gigantic creature. He desperately kicked off his shoes and ripped at his clothing in an attempt to alter his appearance in any way possible. He couldn’t be caught so obviously out of place. Straining against his mind, he imagined his rags turning to armor.

“Fool! No mortal can destroy me! Now lay rest with your weak brethren!”

Demo turned hard looking for a way out. There were only two options; run past the dragon and back down the stairs, or die. The choice was pretty clear to Demo. He wasn’t sure, but he figured that even Bob Cat would opt for the stairs. Just as he prepared to make a dash for it, the dragon roared.

“You there! You are not of this place! What unseemly garb doth thou wear?”

Demo stood as still as a statue. He knew running was pointless. He was left with convincing the beast that he not only belonged here, but that he also deserved to live. That was probably going to be a stretch. Keeping his eyes focused on the monster, he carefully stepped over to where the slain knight lay and picked up his still smoking sword. The burning sword seared his flesh. It was almost unbearable to hold but he had to play his part. It was his only hope.

“I am Merlin, great sorcerer and sage! I come seeking an audience with you, Lord Dragon man!” He bowed deeply.

Dragon man? Really, Demo? That’s the best you could do?

The giant reptile actually looked a bit surprised by the sudden pronouncement. He looked Demo over slowly and carefully. It was becoming obvious that Spencer’s mind was suspicious of him, and if he didn’t do something soon the charade would be over. With no other option coming to mind, he did the only logical thing he could think of. Throwing the sword in the air, he pointed and ran as hard as he could, shouting as he went.

“Look over there! Me thinks mine eyes doth see a great gryphon!”

A gryphon? Where did that come from? Dragons probably eat gryphons for breakfast!

Shockingly, the ruse seemed to work. For just a moment, Spencer’s focus shifted away from him, giving him a brief shot at escape. He ran with all the fervor of a well-practiced coward down the seemingly endless flight of stairs. Despite the horrific events that had just transpired, he felt at least mildly safe now that he’d distanced himself a bit. Granted, the building might collapse on his head as he descended, but even that was better than being outside with dragon Spencer. As his heavy breathing echoed off the cavernous walls, he became aware that he wasn’t alone. A second echo followed his. Slowing just enough, he glimpsed up and behind him; what he saw turned his courage to putty.

A mammoth sized man wearing an executioner’s mask was suddenly hot on his heels. His bulging muscles pulsated with each thundering step he took. And if that wasn’t already enough, he was wielding an axe twice the size of Demo’s head. Demo had hoped to find Spencer and he had done just that. He should watch what he wishes for.

Could this get any worse?

“Sage, I do not take kindly to your tricks! Don’t you know that I am all powerful? I have neither bounds nor limits! Dragon or executioner, it’s all the same to me!”

Demo knew this might be his only opportunity to get what he came for. He would have to interrogating the blood thirsty psychopath while running for his life.

“You are great, both winged or man! I am but a small, lowly wizard who now sees my deceit and knows he must be punished!”

Demo knew from experience that his clever words could prod Spencer in the direction he wanted him to go. That was his new challenge; to outwit Spencer by outrunning his axe.

“Step closer so I can end this game!” growled Spencer as he gained ground on Demo.

“But what of your master, does he approve of such barbarity?”

Nicely done on that one . . .

There was a pause and Spencer’s executioner self-slowed for just a moment. He was apparently considering this new question, but soon shrugged it off.

“What I do with my power concerns no one! Now stop slowing your inevitable demise!”

Spencer swung his axe at Demo, missing him, but just barely. It crashed into the wall behind Demo with a sickening thud that sent pieces of rubble flying.

“But what of justice? What of rules? Do you care nothing for these things?”

I hope that works . . .

Again, the giant man took a short pause; Demo’s tactics seemed to be working.

“Justice? What does a stupid mage know of such things? It’s not your place to demand justice!”

Down and down they continued, Demo managing to stay a step ahead. He ran past the massive entrance hall and down the dimly lit stairs into . . . a dungeon.

Great . . . the full gambit, dungeons and dragons!

“Justice must be earned!. I am the executioner of justice!”

Demo listened intently. His mind was dissecting each word. He was pulling more of Spencer out with every exchange. But he had a problem; the stairs had to run out sooner or later. And when they did, Spencer’s axe would have his head rolling.

“But I’ve done nothing wrong! I stand unaccused! What form of justice is this?”

Spencer let out a howl of frustration.

“Stop with your games! I grow tired of you! I don’t need to answer to those rules! Not here! Here, I am in charge; I make the rules! And I decree that you do not deserve to live!”

. Demo picked up his pace but was suddenly stopped short. He had finally reached the bottom of the hellish stairs only to find . . . nothing; nothing but a large piece of floating rubble that led nowhere. His time had just run out.

“At last, you coward! Nowhere to run, no words to save you! I will gut you for wasting my time!”

Demo looked over the edge.. What he wouldn’t give right now to manifest a pair of wings and fly out of this asylum. But with Spencer’s consciousness nipping at his heels, he knew that he’d be marked and shut down, forever the wizard Merlin stuck in Spencer’s mind. This left but him only one option; he’d have to jump. The mere thought of it made him cold with fear. Taking one last look behind him, he took what he hoped wasn’t his final step. As he did, executioner’s axe grazed his neck leaving a trail of blood droplets falling behind him.

“Farewell, you cowering whore!” Spencer screamed over the edge.

Demo’s arms flailed through the air as he tried desperately to grab ahold of something. But there was nothing. No magical cloud of puffy white to save him, no watery escape route he could take. He wondered what it would be like to be trapped in a never-ending fall. Or would he just become nothing; erased, eradicated from existence, leaving a hollow self behind in the real world? The rushing surges of air reminded him that he’d soon find out. He watched as a sudden electrical storm rushed at him at light speed. He tried to remain conscious but found himself rapidly losing his grasp. He closed his eyes as the prison of the fade began to wrap itself around his consciousness. His mind went blank as time passed through both thought and reality. It finally had come to an end.