ARMAGEDDON

Chapter 5

Dan immediately grabbed Lauren's wrist and pulled her along with him as they tried to evade the beast, but it was fast - too fast.

In a moment of time, this creature was right behind them, launching one of its blade-like limbs through the air. A sharp gasp met witth Dan's ears, cutting his heart in two, as he lost his grip on her. He turned around to find Lauren, the love of his life caught up with what looked like a long knife protruding from out of her belly.

There, the woman he loved stood, caught between life and death. Time paused. Both their lips parted in shock, their eyes locked on to each other.

With his hand stretched out to Lauren, Dan yelled, “ Nooo ! “

Dan watched as the alien pulled out its weapon from Lauren's gut, leaving her to crumble to the ground. His eyes slowly rose from her body to the monster, which was still fuming and snarling at him.

The thing launched itself against Dan again, and knocked him off his feet, sending him rolling several feet from his initial position. Dan quickly cast his gaze in Lauren's direction and found her lying still, her life slowly fading away. He brought her here and now he had failed to protect her.

Guilt pierced his heart and his bones rattled in pain as he slowly tried to make it back to his feet, grunting. As Dan rose, he starred a hole through this creature, a rage like he had never known before began to well up within him. Wrath and fury coursed through his veins, stirring up a strange power within him.

When it came to the people he loved, Dan was as protective as a wolf guarding its pack.

Dan's breathing got faster and heavier. He looked like a bomb about to explode, his fists and jaw clenched, and his bloodshot eyes locked on to the alien creature.

As he fumed, his body began to feel different. An overwhelming heat surged through him, like molten fire coursing through his veins, growing hotter with every breath. The heat swirled through his body, rising to his chest, then his arms. His entire frame radiated with power he didn’t understand.

The bloodthirsty alien charged straight at him again, it's blade like limbs slicing through the air. Instead of running for his life, Dan stood still, trembling under the influence of the great power welling up inside him, as a faint glow began to emanate from his skin.

The creature closed in on Dan, its weapon raised to strike, but before it could make contact, Dan burst into flames with a, ‘ boom !’ and the surge of heat violently forced the creature back several feet away.

Wrapped up in flames, Dan marveled at himself. He was on fire but his clothes weren't burning up, nor was his skin. He smirked faintly, realizing what had happened to him. However, the smirk disappeared almost immediately when he remembered what he saw in the future.

Could this be it ? Could this be the beginning of the end ? He wondered.

He turned his attention back to the alien while it gnarled and screeched at him and made a beeline for it with rage and tenacity in every step. As far as he was concerned, that thing wasn't going to live to see another day.

Before Dan's for could make any more moves, he stretched his hands towards it and let himself lose. A wave of fire shot out from his hands, scorching and blackening it's skin as it writhed loudly in pain.

The alien swiftly dived out of Dan's line of attack, beyond the flames’ reach and leapt into the trees, its charred body disappearing into the darkness.

Dan collapsed to his knees, his flames flickering and fading. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. The ground around him was scorched, and the air smelled of smoke and ash.

He crawled toward Lauren, his hands trembling as the fire finally extinguished. Her face was pale and her breaths shallow. She had lost a lot of blood.

“Lauren,” he whispered, his voice breaking and his eyes teary. He cradled her head in his lap as he took out his phone and dialed a number. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Lauren's eyelids fluttered weakly, as she looked up at him with a faint smile and muttered, “Dan... you...”

“Don’t talk,” he said, his voice trembling. “I’m going to get help. You’re going to be okay. Just hang on.”

A voice spoke from his phone, “ 911, what's your emergency ?”

– – –

A black car hastily swerved into the parking lot of the Fremont hospital and came to a screeching halt. The two front doors were snappily opened and out came Doctor Sanders and his wife. The distress in their faces showed how panic stricken they were.

They hurried into the hospital building as their heart's raced within them - hearts soon to be broken. They had just received some terrible news about their daughter so nothing else mattered at the time except making sure she was alright.

After a while of questioning every doctor they could lay their hands on, they finally found the ward where their daughter, Lauren was being attended to. Much to their fright, it was an ICU. They both wouldn't stay calm until someone explained to them what in the world happened to their daughter.

No one could really ascertain Lauren's current state or what the degree of her injury was but the moment the Sanders were told who exactly it was that brought her in, they went completely irate.

They turned around and there, Dan stood still looking at them, his eyes full of fear and terror. Beside him was Felix, who was wearing a white sweater and a concerned look in his eyes.

“ You bastard !” Doctor Sanders yelled, his gruffly voice ripping through the air. “ What did you do to my daughter?! “

“ I…I can explain…there was a..” Dan stuttered.

“ Oh shut up, you fool ! You've brought nothing but embarrassment to this family ever since Lauren knew you, and now this ?” Mrs Sanders fired. “ I'll never understand what my daughter sees in you “

Dan opened his mouth to speak but the words simply wouldn't come out

“ Mrs Sanders, I can assure you none of this was his fault,” Felix tried to intercede.

“ This is none of your business so stay out of it,” doctor Sanders sneered. “ And you. You better hope for your sake she comes out of this in one piece, or I'll make your life a living hell, I promise you!” he thundered.

One of the female nurses witnessing the scene quickly walked over to Dan and said to him calmly, “ Mister, I suggest you leave so we can get things under control.”

Dan was still in shock of what he had seen and what his life had been like over the past few days and now this ? He took a few steps backward, preparing to leave when a doctor approached them.

“ Are you the parents of the lady…Lauren Sanders?” He asked peering into his paper to be sure he got it right.

“ Yes doctor, how is she, how is my daughter ?” Mrs Sanders asked eagerly, her eyes and everybody's fix on the doctor with earnest expectation.

“ Well,” the doctor said, heaving a sigh, “ we've been able to stabilize her for the meantime but…we don't know how long that will last,” he explained, paused, then continued , “ the blade did a lot of damage, and from the looks of the situation, she might not make it.”

Time seemed to stop, and Dan's world felt like it was crashing down - a feeling he was becoming acquainted with. If looks could kill, the hateful looks the Sanders shot at Dan would have sent him to his early grave before any alien could.

Felix tugged him gently, signalling for them to leave so he slowly withdrew himself from the scene.