The Warrens: Sam by Nicola Collings (best large ebook reader txt) 📕

                Part 4: Revenge.

                Sam sat opposite the iron gates, waiting for the tiny ball of light to come floating back.

                Pain had showed him the way here. The gates had always seemed to evade Sam, but Pain knew the way. Pain was his only friend. Pain knew what to do.

                It was hours before Sam died again. Whether it was from hunger or exhaustion of lack of sleep, Sam didn't know. He didn’t even know if he died; he just felt the breath slowly fade. In fact, he felt more efficient not breathing. He could only manage it for a few hours though, before he had to sleep for a bit.

                Sleep? Death? They were the same thing to Sam.

                No matter how hard he wished for death, it never came.

                Something told him it never would come. He’d have to find that out, later.

                Pain nodded eagerly.

                “C’mon, you little rapist!”

                Sam tensed at the harsh voice. Could this be...?

                “No! No! Please, I did nothing!”

                “You’ve been sentenced to die in the depths. Accept your fate.”

                “But I didn't do it!”

                “You mean you didn't push her to the ground and stick your dick into her pussy? You mean you didn’t force you little cock into her arse! Course you did! We all have, one time or another! Some of us are just better at keeping it concealed!”

                The small body of a boy was pushed against the gates and Sam stood slowly, unnoticed.

                “But I didn’t...!”

                “Yeah, yeah!”

                There was the sound of the jangle of keys, in a lock, opening...

                Sam still wasn’t noticed.

                “Now, get in there!”

                The gates were open. Sam leapt, taking the boy to the floor with him to the side, slamming his knee into his neck. The boy was still and Sam looked up at guard. To him, it looked like something had grabbed the boy and pulled him into the darkness.

                On the contrary...

                Sam stood and walked, calmly towards the guard, who flinched in fear.

                “Y...You...”

                The guard backed off, out of Sam’s way as he strode from the depths. As he emerged from his grave, Sam rose, triumphant, looking around at the stone corridor- something he had not seen for... he didn’t know how long he’d been dead for, but now, he was alive. So alive!

                Sam strode through the tunnels, passed the ancient carvings he’d not seen the first time he’d been here. Pain was behind him, always with him, always overshadowing him. More people started to appear.

                These people seemed different from the other people Sam had spent so long around. It was like he was noticing them for the first time. Some dismissed his presence, totally ignoring him, but others looked at him in fear... utter and complete fear.

                They were all dressed the same; black leather, black boots, exposed skin with black war paint. Their hair seemed akin to that of The Wynde. Black, some spiked upwards, fringes covering half of the face, big, long hair. All black. Most people carried heavy, black guns. Sam even spied a girl as young as 12 carrying a combat rifle that was almost as big as her.

                Maybe it was a way of life. But Sam sensed in them something stirring. Just walking among them he could feel anger buried beneath, deep down- sadness, rage, a wildness that was waiting to burst free. Not only that but a collective consciousness, as if they were all part of some revolution, they all wanted freedom but together, they would attain it through destructive, revolutionary means that would shake up the entire city.

                More and more faces of fear turned his way as Sam reached what looked like an underground city; the ceiling of the tunnels broke away to reveal a cavern- buildings set into the rock rose on all sides and building built from stone bricks rose up in the middle. Walk ways and catwalks were strung everywhere- shops, bicycles, groups of people, young girls giggling together, a man hurrying along who looked like he was late for work. A twisted sense of normality weighed heavily over the city. All dressed the same. All carrying some sort of weapon.

                Sam walked through crowds that stopped and started, through the busy city street. The streets all seemed to be headed the same way, towards the centre. A huge courtyard stretched out before him, the lights from fires in braziers and gas lamps illuminating the attempts at growing grass, park benches and statues of griffins; all bowing down before what looked like a huge temple, nestled around the skyscrapers. Excitement brewed in Sam’s stomach.

                The temple was made from the same, grey stone. The doorway was elaborately decorated with ancient carvings of griffins and markings that looked like strange symbols. Sam passed through the doorway, the sounds of chatter and talking immediately died down as almost everyone present came to stare in his direction. The interior was huge, almost akin to the cavern itself. Statues and carvings rose up on all sides, a huge stain glass window depicting the same, black-dressed people was on the wall opposite. In the middle was a statue.

                The statue was of a girl, naked but for a small robe. Her body was split into two halves; one half was smooth, unblemished and in her hand she held a set of keys on a key ring. The other half of her body was maimed and cut and bruised- in her hand she held a bloody knife. Her entire face was taken up by a brass mask, also split into halves. One side was perfectly smooth and polished, the other half, scratched and leaking from the black eye and the mouth. The hood of the robe was pulled up over her head.

                Sam was suddenly aware of someone approaching him from behind. Before he could turn, something cold and metallic was pressed against the back of his head.

                “You.” The voice was flat and cold. “How did you escape?”

                Sam didn’t answer.

                “So, you rose from the depths? You must really be the son of Ana.”

                “Who?” asked Sam, not turning. The gun slipped from the back of his head. He heard it cock, then a man appeared from behind him. He was dressed in the traditional way, except for his hair. There was one streak of white in his gelled fringe.

                “Ana. I suppose you don’t know. She gave her gift to you so that she could die.” He gestured to the statue behind him.

                “Why me?” asked Sam, a hint of sadness in his own voice.

                “We’re not here to answer your questions. Your presence here is a sign. The Black Parade is near. Now, back to the depths with you.” And with that, then man cocked his gun at the speed of light, putting a bullet between Sam’s eyes.

                When Sam awoke, he was back in the cool, wet tunnels. He knew he couldn’t stay. Pain nodded in agreement. It didn’t take long to find his escape again, but he only paused in his journey because he’d once again stumbled across the body of the female he’d encountered.  The girl from Boundary. The place he so wanted to destroy. There was a story here, however, so he reached down and grasped the silver ‘A’ around her neck. Tucking it in his pocket, he escaped into the light.

                Alex and the gang had just finished another raid on a house in Boundary. He’d come away with a good haul; several credit cards and some pure silver cutlery he could sell. Things had been much easier lately, he’d been able to keep up with the group, not having that baggage of a human being always following him everywhere. Alex split form the group, making his way back to his modest apartment. Yes, things were going to get better now that he was free.

                His apartment was silent when he got home. Alex dumped his bag down, making for the kitchen where a beer waited. It was as he entered the kitchen that a black shape appeared from behind him, knocking him to the floor with a beer bottle. The bottle had broken, shattering around Alex as he tumbled onto the nylon, but he didn’t lose consciousness.

                Getting up, he threw a punch into the darkness! It was so damn dark! The apartment fell silent again. Sensing the slightest movement behind him, Alex swung out once again, hearing a twisted laughter. A familiar laughter...

                The laughter made him falter, giving a vital gap to his opponent, who lunged; a huge sinister shape engulfing him and knocking him from consciousness.

                Alex stirred. He was sat on the floor of his apartment, his hands tied behind his back and a wet sensation in his thigh. Looking down and seeing blood drenching his jeans, he flinched at the pain. The laughter sounded again.

                “Sam?” gasped Alex, unable to believe what he was hearing. Out of the darkness came the tall, muscular Sam, the same mop of black hair sweeping his face, the same hostile stance. Something was different, however. His eyes were dark. Something scary lurked beneath. The way Sam moved was not...quite normal. Not quite...human?

                “So, he crawls in from a raid, and gets raided!” Sam chuckled.

                “Sam, what the hell? What are you doing?” Alex cried, not scared, pure, cold, stone fright enveloped him.

                He heart crashed against his ribs.

                “You know, you were a prick. A real dick. But now that I can hear the fear in your heart, I find it pleasing to know that your death will be unnoticed. Just like mine.”

                “Sam, look...buddy...”

                “Buddy? BUDDY? Fuck you, Alex, I was never your fucking buddy!” spat Sam, suddenly close to Alex and gripping his thigh, digging his thumb into the wound.

                “Argh! No, it’s not...”

                Sam suddenly stepped away, his movements  erratic. My god, he’s gone insane!

                “And it seems you’ve already looted my apartment. You don’t hang around, do you?” Sam pulled a samurai sword from it’s sheath strapped to his back. Alex saw the blade glint in the moon light.

                “Look, you were missing, I hadn’t seen you in months! You know what it’s like! It’s trying to survive!” Alex pleaded.

                “Selling out your friend for what? Cash. Oh, wait, you were never my friend!” and with that, Sam swung down with the sword, a new, steel-like strength in him that Alex had never seen before. Alex could only watch as his leg was swiped from his body.

                Am watched in amusement as Alex screamed.

                “So, I will leave you with this; no one will notice you’re gone. No one will come looking. But unlike me, no one will find you and give you the gift of immortality. No one will teach you what you are, and how to find a new life. Something to fight for. No one will care.” Sam came close to Alex’s face, whispering in his ear. He could hear him breath. Cold breath.

                Cold, lifeless breath... beads of sweat dripping from his face...

                Silence...

                “You’ll fade into the darkness, and never come out...!”

                Sam pushed the blade into Alex’s heart.

                Moments later, Sam was out on the street in the cold night air, breathing deeply. His new freedom was strange. It was like, he was alive... so alive!

                He looked around, coming to gaze upon the huge, iron gates that rested at the top of the hill. He was somehow drawn to that place. As if it was where the next fight awaited.

                Sam made his way to Duskgate mansion, thinking of the Black Parade and the golden streets of boundary running black with blood.