A Hero Without a Sword (Working Title)

The morning was like any other, slightly gray skies with a small breeze accompanied by lower temperatures due to the time of year. My breath was not quite visible but give it a few days and it would definitely start to show up. As I shut the door of my vehicle I looked in the reflection of the window, my name is Bash. I work at a dead end job in a game shop, spending my days doing the same thing day in and day out. My life has never been too exciting, more or less I would spend most of my days depressed and just going through the motions. With a deep sigh I would start to head towards the back mall entrance.

“Huh at least the bags under my eyes seem to have at least gotten better” I would whisper to myself as I opened the back door. Turning on the lights and opening the gate to the public. No one seemed to be waiting at the gate like normal today. “Huh weird, we have a new release of Pokemon today, where is everyone?” I asked out as I started on my other work for the store. As I stocked some of the games there was a loud bang sound in the mall. I would look around to see if something had fallen in the store. Nothing had moved. Silence gripped the mall, not a thing was making sound, even the soda fridge was silent. The phone would then start to make a blaring sound, sending me almost a foot in the air as it was the only thing to break the silence.

Pulling out my phone I would see a natural disaster alert, but this did not look like a normal alert. It stated that there was an invasion. “An invasion?” I asked as I would hear a crash in the back of the store, in the back storage. “Hey James? Are you alright?” I called out as I started to make my way back. “There is a crazy alert saying there is an invasion…” I would stop as I walked to the curtain that separated the storage area and the front. A pool of blood was starting to form under the curtain. “James?!” I shouted as I flung open the curtain, but I could not have expected what I saw.

James stood a few feet away from me, his clothes covered in blood that seemed to be his own. In his hand was a utility knife coated in the same blood, and bits of flesh hanging off of it. As my gaze slowly looked up to his face I would freeze with fear. His mouth no longer had cheeks, having been carved off with the knife. His teeth now sharp and jagged, enough to probably rip flesh from bone. His eyes were replaced with crimson red dots, glowing a fiery red. Heavy breathing as his gaze rested on me.

I could feel my heart in my stomach, my blood ran cold as I was frozen in place. “J-J-Jame?” was the only thing I could squeak out before a loud screech erupted from his mouth. Such an inhuman sound came from him, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Almost like a banshee from a video game. Before I knew it I was running, running out of the front of the store and into the main mall. James hot on my heels as my legs took me as fast as they could. Blowing past a woman in the moment, not a word leaving my mouth to warn her. That same screech would echo the mall, followed by the woman's blood curdling scream. “Don’t look back” I said to myself as I felt the urge to. Why did I not listen to myself, as my head would turn. Just to catch a glimpse of James ripping the throat out of the woman as his fingers dug into her skull. Her skin broke as his fingers crushed her skull, her screams stopping.
My legs continued to take me down and around the corner to another store in the mall. “Lily?!” I shouted as I looked for what I would refer to my mall friend. She worked in a clothing store, she would stop in and make small talk as she would get sodas or energy drinks from our store. “Lily, are you in here?” I asked out as I jumped up, grabbing the gate and slamming it down.

Lily would slowly peak her head out from behind the cash register, her eyes wide. “B-Bash? What was that scream? Why did you shut the gate?” she asked me. Her eyes looked like they were filled with fear.

Hearing running footsteps I would quickly run to her, jumping behind the counter and pulling her down under the desk. “Lily, I need you to listen. Keep quiet” I whispered to her. Pointing to the security screen, on it was james. The black and white screen did not show him very well, but there was obviously something all over him, in one hand of James was the head of the woman.

Lily’s eyes went wide, her hand shot up to her mouth to cover it. Silence gripped the mall again, except for the sound of games. A heavy breathing would fill the store. It wasn't rhythmic at all, just random heavy breathing. Then … nothing. No breathing, from anyone. I would hold my breath as I took Lily's hand into mine. Then came the banshee whale again suddenly. Lily and I would both jump a little but not a sound came from us. The sound of running footsteps seemed to take James away from the location. A sigh of relief would come from the two.

“What is going on?” Lily would ask me as she pulled out her phone, attempting to call the cops.

“No Idea, I walked into the back and he was all crazed, his eyes were a burning crimson red. It's like something out of a possession movie” I spoke as I relaxed against the counter while still sitting on the floor. Looking at my hands as they shook, I was scared out of my mind right now. What was I supposed to do? Fight him? He would have killed me.

“What the f***?”Lily’s voice would break my train of thought

I would look over to her, my eyes meeting hers. Confusion and fear filled her eyes. “Whats going on?” I would ask. Her phone slid across the floor to me. Looking down at it I would see the live facebook feed. People screaming and running from what could only be called monsters. Just as I went to speak, the person holding the phone was picked up by a large creature. Almost like a mixture of a praying mantis and bat. A blood curdling scream was heard as the phone was dropped and a loud crunching noise started. I would close the feed and slide the phone back. “What the f***” I muttered as I started to panic. Was this some kind of government f*** up? What if its actual demons?

“We have to get out of here…” Lily would say as she looked over at me. Her hand reaching out and taking mine as she stood up. “We need to get to our families. Ill head to mine and you go to yours. Will… will you at least get me to my car?” she asked me.

Without thinking I nodded, “Yeah lets get you to your car and then ill head to mine. Easy peasy?” I said as I looked around. Taking the baseball bat that was resting on the shelf under the counter. “Well I always said it was smart to keep this thing around”. I would laugh lightly as I watched Lily pack what she had with her before she stood in front of me with a nervous smile on her face. “Alright, let's head out the back” I said to her as I rounded the counter, heading to the back with Lily close behind me.

As we made our way through the back we would come to the door that would lead outside. As I went to open the door, it suddenly swung open. I would freeze as there was a person walking in. A sigh of relief would wash over me as it was one of Lily’s co-worker.

“Oh hey, what are you two doing?” the young girl asked us.

I would let out a sigh as I reached out to pull her inside, but in a flash there was a snapping sound. A large crustacean claw would be hovering just above her. The young lady's eyes started to roll back as the upper half of her torso would start to slide off of her. Before the claw snatched her and pulled her into the air and out of view. Blood was raining down as the crunching sound started. Chewing and gnashing was what filled the area, just before a scream from Lily.


Taking her hand I would pull here through the doorway