The door, which had crept closed behind him, had been pulled open. Max was standing there, looking up at him with furious, spinning eyes. There was blood on her cheek, and her hair clung to it, trying up inside of the crystalized red venom. ?I told you,? she started. ?I told you they?re all dead. You need to leave now? You can?t go any further.?
Emlen moved past her, laying a hand on her shoulder. That?s when she screamed, and it had been less of a scream, and more of an ear-shattering force. He turned, and watched her, writhing in pain, squealing out, and falling to her knees as her body chipped away to dust. Wide eyes stared over her, the marble eyed doll stared up at him, and he took a step back, hitting the wall. One more room?that?s all he had left to explore. His sister?s? That?s all.
Turning towards it?he watched the hallway stretch out like he was in some horror film. He pressed on, and after what seemed like decades, he reached the awful door. The knob was twisted, and yanked open. Immediately, his eyes found Martyr. Black veined and wide-eyed just like Phoenix was. Except she wasn?t dead yet?but he knew there was no hope. Blood stained teeth grinded together?and he felt as if he could hear them screeching against one another. The culprit was a jagged tear across her throat from a serrated blade. Blood was still flowing like the faucet that Orchid had died in, bubbling out of the open wound and rippling flesh within its wake. Her fingernails scraped against the floor, breaking off and becoming bleeding little nubs on her fingertips. Lips smacked together, blood spurting up from them, as she mouthed the word ?help? over, and over.
Emlen suddenly felt a presence behind him, and he turned. It was Minoko?a green eyed Minoko. He blinked, and she changed. Now before him, and a step closer, was Novia, with a gaping hole through her body, her innards spilling out onto the floor, as a smile crept across her expression. ?I did this,? she admitted.
He could feel his eyes burning and twitching, watering and hurting as he fought not to blink, as he avoided the inevitable. Then his eyelids kissed their bottom counterparts, and those blue eyes resurfaced. Now it was Myles, standing before him, another step closer to him. Her belly was clean of wounds, but her head was dirty with senseless murders and betrayal. ?For us,? she whispered in a hiss.
On the next blink, it was the faux Minoko once more. Emlen took in a breath and held it, for now she was right in front of him. ?I can?t stay in this world? So I?m taking you with me.? With that, shadows snapped around his neck and lifted him off the floor. His feet dangled, and he kicked. ?Don?t fight it, Emlen. This is how it?s supposed to be??