Time of the Shadow: Chapter 1.2

Okay, so i just finished writing the rest of Chapter 1. I haven't had much time to write latetely due to homework and exams but now its the Easter Holidays i should have more time! Anyways, here's the rest of Chapter 1:

    The creature yanked on her ankle so hard she was forced to let go of Theo and felt herself falling – again. She reached out and held onto the chain for dear life. She was on the opposite side of the chain to the creature and it hissed at her through the link she was holding onto.

   The creature snarled and stabbed its knife at her through the hole but she swung out of the way. She pulled her katana from its sheath and planted her feet firmly on the chain.  

   The creature lunged at her once again but she blocked the assault with her sword. She dived down in an attempt to catch the creature by surprise but it anticipated her move and swung its knife. Her sword fell from her hand, she watched helplessly as it hurtled towards the ground.

   She cursed under her breath as she struggled to hold onto the chain. The creature swung at her again and this time its knife met its target. She felt the steel bite into her flesh. There was a slash across her chest from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. She felt sick as she watched blood swell from the gash.

   She hugged the chain tightly, feeling weak. The creature grinned at her menacingly before raising its weapon for the kill. Alex braced herself for the blow that would end her life. But the blow never came.

   Theo leapt down from the link above and blocked the blow that was meant to end Alex’s’ life. In synchronicity he swiped down with both his swords, slicing the creature into three pieces. The parts of creature fell into the gloom below.

   “That was close.” Theo said.

   “What took you so long?” Alex gasped; the pain from the gash was growing by the second.

   Before Theo could continue and hand grabbed hold of Theo’s shoe. It was another creature, and with it were at least four more. Theo chopped at the creature’s arm and it fell away. The creature roared with anger.

   “I think it’s time to get moving, climb on!”

   With Theo’s help, Alex scrambled onto his back and they continued up the chain. Alex could feel the blood soaking her clothes, she felt more exhausted than she ever had before.

   There was a piercing scream from just below them. Alex didn’t look to see what it was. She knew it was one of the creatures, she’d know that cry anywhere. Her whole body was shaking, her heart throbbing, trying to break out of her ribcage.  

   She looked up. The opening was just a few metres away, they’d made it.

   But that was no to be.

   Suddenly the chain, with a mighty groan, began to move. They were moving slowly downwards, the rusty chain clunking as each link reached the bottom.

   “They’re getting closer!” She bellowed.

   “Hold on tight!” Theo replied.

   He bent his legs and sprung up onto the next link, almost losing his balance when he landed. Then he swung up and onto the next one. Springing up and up, fighting against the grinding chain, until they were just below the opening.

   With one final leap, they reached the opening. Theo clung onto the edge with the tips of his fingers, his muscles flexed as he struggled to pull himself up.

   “Hurry!” Alex shouted.

   The creatures were gaining on them fast.

   “Climb up!” Theo answered.

   She pulled herself up and rested her knees on his shoulders. Then, pushed herself forwards, flinging herself through the opening and into the chain room.

   She immediately turned and grabbed Theo’s wrists, pulling with all her strength. Eventually, after much huffing and hauling, he flopped into the room beside her. They were both panting, collapsed in a heap, thousands of metres above the ground below.

  There was a horrifying scream from below.

  Alex peered over the edge.

  There was no sign of the creatures. All was quiet apart from the grating of the chain.  

  She screamed as one of the creatures came into view and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her out through the opening. She was falling fast, surging through the air; everything went past in a blur. She lost all sense of direction, not knowing what was up and what was down.

   The creature was still clinging onto her, digging its claws into her shoulders and hissing with triumph. Its breath was like the rotting flesh of a thousand dead bodies packed together for hundreds of years without being disturbed.

   She kicked out at it, slamming her booted foot into its head, causing it loose its grip on her shoulders. She was still falling, but at least the creature no longer had a hold on her.

   Then, as if acting by instinct, barely aware of what she was doing, she raised her hand and held it so her palm was facing the scowling, howling creature.

   A roaring red fireball exploded from her hand, slamming into the chest of the creature. It caught alight immediately, wailing with pain, its whole body engulfed in flame. And then there was a flash of light as the creature imploded.                           

   Alex held up her hands to her face to shield her eyes from the blinding light. She took her hands away from her face. She was still alive. But for how long?

   She fumbled with her belt and finally found what she was looking for. She pulled the magnetic end of the grapple from her belt and flung it up towards the ceiling. The wire zipped out of the grapple-holder.

   There was a jolt as the mechanism stopped turning, the grapple had attached itself to something. The sudden jolt sent her swinging around in a circle, around the massive chain.

    Her head felt dizzy, she was sure she was going to be sick. She pressed the red button on the grapple mechanism and she shot upwards towards the ceiling at incredible speed. She barely had enough time to release her finger from the red button before she reached the opening and was launched inside. The grapple chain was sucked back into its small mechanism and she landed with a thump next to Theo on the hard metal surface.

    “Ouch, that hurt.” She said as she rolled off her back and into a sitting position.

    “How did you do that?” Theo asked. It was dark in the chain room and his face was in shadow. 

    “Do what?”

    “You threw a fireball at one of those creatures!”   

    “I-it just came to me.” She stammered. She really had no idea how she had done it. She’d never heard of anyone else ever being able to throw fireballs!

    He looked at her sceptically before dragging her to her feet. “We’d better get going, before something else tries to kill us.”

Time of the Shadow: Chapter 1.1

Here is the first half of chapter 1 of my latest book i'm working on. I'm only putting half up because its too long to put up all at once. I hope you enjoy it, i should be posting more from this story in the near future!

     Rain thrummed on the metal roof. The air was cold and lifeless. All around her was darkness, compressing her; it was hard to breathe here, so high up. It felt like claws of ice were squeezing her lungs. Rain leaked from the ceiling, landing on the metal floor with a drip, drip, drip.

   Steam hissed from pipes and other machinery under the pulled plate metal mesh flooring. An eerie glow came from red lights on the metal walls. The low ceiling made her feel claustrophobic, pressing her in the tight space.

   Her black, leather boots made no sound as she crept through the tunnel stealthily. She brushed her long, straight hair out of her eyes as she crept. Despite the fact she had tied her it up in a ponytail; her hair was still getting in the way.

   “You need a haircut, Alex.” Theo whispered from beside her.

   “Keep your mind on the task ahead and not my hair, or you’ll get us killed.” She retorted.

   “Oh stop it the both of you! Or you’ll get me killed along with you!” Heidi’s voice rang in Alex’s earpiece.

   “Yes, boss.” Theo muttered under his breath.

   Ignoring his comment Heidi continued, “You need to turn left when you get to the crossroad.”

   “I wouldn’t really call it a road.” Theo said into his mouthpiece.

   “Just get on with it!” Heidi replied.

   “Ok, ok, calm down.” Theo murmured.

   “We’re at the crossroad.” Alex informed. She turned left and carried on, Theo just behind.

   “Good, now keep going for one hundred yards, then turn right and the door should be there.”

   They quickly got to the turning and arrived at a thick, steel door. There was a wheel on the door which took the combined strength of Alex and Theo to turn. The door opened with a hiss and white mist drifted out of the opening.

    Alex glanced at Theo and noticed he’d assumed his serious persona. His dark brown eyes were deep and foreboding, his tanned skin gleamed and his short, black hair shiny. He pulled a hand-held, battery powered glow stick from his belt and tapped it so it provided a dim, pale light. He wore tight black clothing and leather fingerless gloves, as well as the same black boots as Alex. Strapped to his back were two short swords made of hard steel, with leather grips and a black stone in the pommel.

   She nodded as she drew her katana, a backsword that was slightly curved, and he led the way into the room.

   A searing wave of heat met them as they entered the poorly lit room. The room was so high, that the ceiling was shrouded in darkness. Steam hissed from a confusing maze of heavy machinery, so much machinery in fact that the opposite end of the room was obscured from view.

   “What now?” Theo asked.

   “Heidi, are you sure this is the right place?” Alex wondered.

   “Very sure Alex, you just need to make your way up.”

   “Up?” Alex and Theo said at the same time.

   “Towards the left hand side of the room there is a large chain leading from one of the machines to the ceiling. Do you see it?” Heidi replied.

   “I see it.” Alex answered solemnly. The ‘large chain’ was more than just large, each link was twice the height of herself and covered in orange rust.

   “At the top of the chain is the Chain Room, that’s where you need to go.” Heidi continued.

   “But I can’t even see the top.” Theo said sceptically.         

   “Well that’s where you gotta go.” Heidi said.

   “Come on, we’d better get a move on or we’ll never make it.” Alex started heading for the chain, Theo following sulkily.

   

   It didn’t take them long to get to the base of the ancient, unmoving chain. It was tethered to the ground with large, thick ropes like elephant trunks. The last link in the chain was bolted to a large metal platform a few metres above the ground.  

   “Well, we made it.” Theo gasped.

   “Something’s not right; we haven’t met any sign of life on this escapade at all.” Alex commented.

   “Oh lighten up!” Theo exclaimed. “Just because in the city there’s danger waiting around every corner doesn’t mean there will be here!”

   Suddenly there was the sound of a ghostly moan from the way they had come. The sound made icy claws run down Alex’s back, her face drained of all colour and her knuckles where white from gripping her sword.

   They were coming.

   “Run you idiots! Don’t just stand there!” Heidi bellowed.

   Theo had to grab Alex’s wrist and haul her towards the chain to snap her out of her trance-like state of fear. Her heart was thumping so loud that she barely heard Theo shouting at her to get a move on, pushing her towards the stationary chain.

    She gripped the cool metal and began to climb, rust flaking from the chain where she put her fingers. She was barely conscious of what she was doing; all she was aware of was the moans, those terrible moans, and the sound of her heart beating, her head throbbing, adrenaline pumping through her frail body.     

    She scrambled up the chain as quickly as she could, but she knew that it wasn’t quick enough. She could hear Theo panting just behind her, urging her on. She looked up and realized that she was already half way up the chain. She risked a look behind and suddenly, her stomach flipped.

    If she fell from this height, she would surely not survive, but maybe that would be preferable to the alternative doom she faced. For among the machinery and pipe systems she could see the vague shadows of their pursuers, she could still hear their ghostly cries.

  She swiftly turned her attention back to the chain. Her arms and legs felt like led as she attempted to climb up the chain. She was trembling, her heart racing. She was clinging on for dear life, but she felt herself slipping. She was clinging on for dear life but that was not enough.

   He hands came away from the chain and she screamed as she began to fall. Suddenly, she stopped and it felt like her arm was being pulled from its socket. She looked up to see that Theo had caught her and was gripping her wrist tightly while holding onto the chain with his other hand.

   Tears splintered from her eyes.

   “Hold on, it’s going to be fine.” Theo said reassuringly.

   But all was not fine, for at the bottom of the chain, the creatures were beginning to climb.

   Theo’s knuckles turned white as he struggled to hold onto the chain, I could see his arm muscles straining. His grip on my arm was getting looser and looser.

   “Climb onto my back.” Theo ordered through gritted teeth.

   Alex grabbed hold of his arm with her free hand and pulled up with all her strength, she swung her legs around and looped them around his. Then she let go with her hands and quickly grabbed hold of his shoulders.

   Theo grabbed the chain with both hands and waited for Alex to wrap her arms around his neck before continuing to climb. Alex clung on for dear life. The chain room still looked so far away, and below them the creatures were getting even closer.

  Suddenly, when they were only ten metres away to the opening into the chain room, something cold wrapped around Alex’s ankle. It was terrifyingly cold and dry. She looked down to see one of the creatures staring up at her.

   Its white eyes were sunken far into its head and its mouth was open as if in a last, dying scream. The creatures’ skin was white and slightly translucent so the outline of bones could be seen under the skin. It’s hair was wispy and white, laying lank around its face. The creatures’ nails were long and pointed and it was holding a knife with a long, cruel looking blade. Draped around its body was a white robe.

   “Theo, we have a problem.” She said shakily.

Short Story: The Assassin

     So here's a short story i felt like sharing with you. It's called The Assassin and it was published in Wordsmith magazine. It is an awesome magazine that I would reccomend to any budding writers out there. 

     This short story is actually a shortened version of a controlled assessment I did for English a year or so ago. The full length version is a few pages long, but I can't seem to find it so i'll post the short version. The full length version goes into much more depth and there are also more characters. 

     But anyway, I'm sure you're probably fed up with my talking so here's the story:     

     The Assassin crept through the deserted corridors of the palace, her feet treading silently on the elaborate carpet. She was so focused on achieving her goal as silently as possible that she barely noticed the beautifully patterned wallpaper and immaculate gold furniture that lined the hall.

      She paused to glance out of a narrow window at the dark scene of night below. It seemed like no one had noticed her so she carried on her way, her silver dagger clutched firmly in her hand.

      In the distance a church bell chimed raucously disturbing the serene silence. The Assassin hurried her pace, her black cloak flailing out behind her. Eventually she came to a hefty oak door decorated with the royal seal; two guards clad in heavy armour stood either side of the door talking in low voices.

      The Assassin edged closer, keeping the flat of her back pressed against the wall. All the guards’ saw of her as she swooped upon them was the swish of her black cloak, the jet black of her hair and her shimmering olive eyes before their throats were slit and they were lowered to the ground noiselessly.

      She pushed open the door effortlessly and strode over to the four-poster bed where the King slept. Her hands were clammy with sweat and for the first time in her career her hands began to tremble slightly. She was standing over him, light snores drifted from his motionless body. She raised the dagger and plunged it into his body just as a small cluster of guards charged into the room. She looked up, pulled her dagger from the limp body of the King and leapt out of the window into the night as swift as a shadow.

Hello and Welcome to my Blog!

Hi and welcome to my blog where I shall be sharing my stories, poems and other writing type stuff. So, a little bit about me. My name is Megan but my nickname is Mega. I love writing stories, it is my favourite hobby and it is my ambition to become a fictional author. My favourite genres are Fantasy and Sci-Fi but I also like a bit of Horror, Romance and Action, Spy, Thriller type stuff. I live in the United Kingdom and have a bunch of crazy friends, who are all basically mad like me. So that's me done. Hope you enjoy my blog. :D