Read Avalon Springs 28387 :: Falling

The shadow monster swung its fist at Kaya like a giant battle axe.

Kaya closed her eyes. Why is this happening? Abby did not deserve this. And neither did Jordan. But there was nothing Kaya could do because the end was near. She kept her eyes closed. Waiting. Kaya was too overwhelmed to scream. Her best friend was unconscious, her dad was dead, Savannah was dead. She and Jordan were about to die.

Kaya accepted her fate.

She waited.

And waited. How long had it been? Should she open her eyes? Maybe she was already dead.

What was perhaps less than a second seemed like an hour. Kaya opened her eyes. Someone was standing in front of Kaya. And that someone had caught the shadow monster's fist. It was Emily Brightwell.

I’m alive! Kaya thought.

Heavy boots pounded behind Kaya. She turned her head in time to see two people jump through a portal, into the police parking lot. One was a hulking man, and the other was a woman.

"Jack, Jill," Emily said. "Did you stop for coffee?" Emily held the shadow monster’s giant fist, keeping it from crushing Kaya.

"What the hell is this thing?" Jack asked.

"It doesn't matter," Jill said. "Time to go to work."

Jack and Jill flanked Emily Brightwell. And then gold shimmering armor materialized around their bodies. Jack and Jill looked like medieval knights in sparkling gold armor. The right hands of their armor were typical gauntlets, but where the left hand should have been were energy cannons.

Jack and Jill raised their energy cannons at the shadow monster. Bolts of blue energy erupted from their energy cannons. The blue bolts passed straight through the shadow monster's body without harming it.

“You missed!” Emily growled. “Never mind! I’ll do it myself.”

Emily pushed hard against the shadow monster's fist, the pavement under her feet cracked, but the shadow monster stumbled backward from her strength.

"Switching to plasma axe," Jill said.

Jill’s energy cannon morphed into an axe blade with sparkling blue energy dripping from it. Jill dashed forward, slashed the shadow monster's leg, but the plasma axe passed through.

With one sweeping movement of its left arm, the shadow monster batted Jill like a baseball, sending her crashing against the second story of a nearby building. The bricks of the building cracked under the impact of Jill’s body hitting it. Jill began to drop to the ground, but propulsion jets emerged from the back of her armor, and she hovered in the air.

"I think we have a problem here," Jill said. "Do you have plan?"

"Yes," Emily said. "Grab the kids and get the hell out of here."

"On it.”

Jill flew down, landed next to Jordan and Kaya.

Emily appeared to be the only one able to make physical contact with the shadow monster. Emily kicked at its legs, bouncing around as the monster swiped at her. Emily was not really able to hurt the shadow monster, but at least she was able to distract it from the others.

Jack's arm cannon morphed into a long whip of electricity. He slashed at the shadow monster, but just like his sister, was unable to actually hit the beast. Emily leapt into the air and kicked the shadow monster in its formless oval jaw. The monster reeled back, fell flat on its back.

Emily landed on its chest, punched where she thought its heart might be. The shadow monster’s giant legs whipped like tentacles at Emily. She sprang up, dodged the attacks, landing several feet away.

Jill picked up Jordan and Abby, slung them over her shoulders with ease. Jill only glanced at Savannah, knew Savannah was dead, and turned her attention to Kaya. Kaya was at least conscious.

"Come on," Jill said.

Jill started walking toward the portal, looked back at Kaya. Kaya was too dumbfounded to truly comprehend what to do. Kaya’s fight or flight response had completely shut down. Kaya stared at Jill dumbly.

"COME ON!" Jill yelled.

But Kaya didn't move.

Jack ran up, grabbed Kaya with one hand, shoved her toward Jill.

Jack yelled "GO!"

The portal that Jill and Jack had run through was not far away. Jill jogged toward it, carrying Jordan and Abby. Kaya slowly started walking, and once her brain crawled out from her overwhelmed funk, Kaya ran toward the portal.

Police officers took positions in the parking lot, still shooting the shadow monster. Their bullets, just like the weapons from Jack and Jill, had no effect on the shadow monster.

The shadow monster extended its left-hand toward the police officers—

Small shadowy beads launched from the palm of the monster’s hand. The beads cut through the police officers like bullets through wet paper. Officers fell to the ground with tiny holes in their bodies. Some were dead instantly, others cried out in pain.

Kaya saw the officers falling as she ran toward the portal. Kaya tripped! Kaya rolled on the asphalt, scraping her arms and knees. She blinked a couple times to regain her bearings. Then she saw what she had tripped over.

Kaya had tripped over Abby. Two of the shadow beads had cut through Jill's golden armor, causing Jill to fall. Kaya hadn’t even noticed until she’d tripped over Abby. Jordan, Jill, and Abby were all on the ground.

Jill was screaming, her left arm was hanging awkwardly, with two small holes in the armor.

Jordan was on the ground unconscious. Abby was on the ground unconscious. Jordan and Abby thankfully had not been hit by the shadow beads. No. Wait. Blood started seeping from Jordan’s back. Jordan had been hit!

Jill stood up, fighting through the pain, slung Jordan over her right shoulder.

“GO!” Jill shouted.

“I’m not leaving Abby!” Kaya screamed.

At least four officers were dead. Other officers cried out, clutching holes in their legs or arms.

Jack ran to his sister, took Jordan to carry.

Jill grabbed Kaya’s arm, pulled Kaya toward the portal.

Emily latched onto the shadow monster’s left hand and twisted it before the monster could shoot anyone else.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Emily yelled.

Kaya was fully aware of what was happening. Abby was still on the ground.

Kaya screamed, "Abby!"

Jack did not stop, he carried Jordan through the portal.

Jill pulled Kaya through the portal.