Infernos, part 10

Short, sharp breaths. Searing punctures. Run! Run! Move your legs!

Tight grip. Pungent sweat. Blink, blink, blink. Run! Take her and run you idiot!

“You’re ripe now, Man.”

Run!

Tearing flesh, pounding feet, choking sulfur. Trip, stumble. Yank! Running again. Laughter. Sulfur. Wall. 

Michael landed on his back, his breath knocked from his chest, disoriented by the blow to hit head. Emma dropped his arm and her terrorized scream reverberated around him. 

Lightning fast, Michael got back to his feet, seeing clearly now as though the sun had suddenly started shining below the earth. 

Wrapped around Emma’s waist, daggered talons squeezed the breath from her body. Needling spines protruded from blackened sludgey flesh. Vaporous huffs of sulfur shot from a ridging snout where a forked tongue slipped in and out, tasting the palpable horror. Spiraling horns curled toward the ceiling from an oversized head crossed by spider-like eyes. 

Another morbid claw reached for Michael. “Time to die, Mortal.”