Chapter 42


    Barricaded inside another apartment on a floor which Lyte really didn''t care to even identify, both


    mother and son sat on the floor with the window wide open as to allow smoke to escape and not


    suffocate them.She had hoped that with enough smoke escaping the building that it would rm


    someone outside to contact the fire department.


    The roars of the beast downstairs were bing more like purring snarls. It sounded at times like it


    were growing weary and tired, but none of that set Lyte at ease. She was wise enough to realize


    that her life would be required of her in order to leave the building.Isaiah slept away on the floor right


    next to the window. The smoke inside the room wasn''t stifling enough to where no one could breathe


    as of yet, but the time was drawing nigh. More debris was falling from floor to floor and the noise of


    raging fire was bing louder and more intense.


    Getting up from off the floor, Lyte made sure to take long drags of oxygen from out the window


    while rummaging throughout the darkened room for something sharp. She had no ns or schemes to


    free herself and her child, just raw anxiety and a stomach that was about to explode at any moment


    from both smoke inhtion and fear.She never bothered to revel in the destruction of one of the


    beasts, and truth be told, she didn''t even know which one it was. All that mattered to her was her baby


    at that point, and if she couldn''t free him then Lyte was determined beyond all hope to be


    ughtered right by his side.


    The woman went from room to room until she happened upon a wooden curtain rod in one of the


    bedrooms that was stillnced upon the top of the window.She reached up and took it down before


    going back into the kitchen and searching through the sink and in the cabs for something sharp.


    When she couldn''t find something like a knife she instead sufficed for three spoons and a fork.With her


    utensils in hand the woman went back into the front room where Isaiah was resting and sat down next


    to him by the window where she proceeded to go to work.One by one she bent and twisted off the top


    portion of the spoons leaving only the sharpened ends of the silverware exposed.


    From there she ripped a piece of fabric from off the dirty old rug that was lying on the floor in front of


    her and bound the spoons and fork together tightly.Lyte worked diligently while making sure to take


    puffs of oxygen from the window above her head.


    As she kept on she could hear something from within the kitchen scratch and scuffle about. All she did


    was toss it up to a rodent or perhaps the fire crackling from the other side of the walls. The disturbance


    wasn''t anything too distracting for her to halt her work.


    As the youngdy tarried on, she couldn''t help but to mumble to herself incoherent babblings that not


    even she was sure what they meant. She was holding a dialogue with God, but her words were less


    than rational.


    "I must''ve seen it at least a hundred times since I was a little girl." She whispered. "But for the life of


    me, I can''t remember the name of it. It''s like a Tootsie Roll or something like that. "C''mon, God, you can


    do anything, tell me what that candy was daddy bought me when I was—


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    Without warning, Lyte''s entire body froze. Even her tongue seemed to not want to move anymore.


    She stared off at the ck wall ahead of her before her bottom lip began to tremble.


    "God...are we gonna die?" She slurred so softly. "Why is this happening to us?"


    The sudden feeling of destion wrapped her up so tightly that the smoke that was seeping its way


    underneath the front door for a moment blew right past her on its way out the window.


    Right then, the racket from the kitchen grew louder to where Lyte snapped right out of her trance


    and went back to her detail.With her utensils wrapped up, the woman took one end of the curtain rod


    and positioned the utensils at the very tip.


    "Mama," a child''s voice suddenly spoke out in the ckness.


    Lyte dropped her newly forged weapon to the floor before scooting backwards. With bulging eyes


    she looked all around her before catching sight of a small silhouetteing from out of the kitchen.


    Lyte grabbed Isaiah and held him against her while shaking uncontrobly. What looked to be a


    child slowly crept closer and closer before Lyte found that she couldn''t back away any further due


    to another wall behind her.


    The child kepting towards them before it finally stopped just a foot away from Lyte''s face.


    Lyte held out her shivering left hand in defense.


    The child only stood for a moment or two before it asked in the most pitiful way, "Are you my mama?"


    "Wha...what," Lyte shuddered.


    "Are you my mama?"


    Lyte couldn''t see the child''s face, but she could smell something that resembled age old must


    emanate from off the little boy''s being.


    "Is my mama in here?"


    "I...I don''t know for sure."


    The child looked all around while standing in ce. "Okay then. If you see my mama, can you tell her


    I''ll be outside ying? My name is Dougie Ferguson, and I live on the third floor."


    Lyte only shook her head yes as she watched the boy turn and walk away, only to vanish right


    before he reached the kitchen.


    Lyte sat curled up in the corner and allowed the harrowing moment to soak all the way inside


    before cing Isaiah back down onto the floor. Then, with her eyes still pointed vigntly at the kitchen,


    she picked up her weapon and went back to her duty.


    As her shaking hands continued to work Lyte all of the sudden realized something that the boy had


    said. She dropped her weapon and got up before going to the door. The knob was warm but not hot


    enough to pull away quickly. She opened the door, tip-toed over to the stairwell and counted the floors


    that led to the smoke-filled lobby.


    Once she was done counting she crept back to the apartment, shut the door behind her and went over


    to the window. She looked outside at the sky that was slowly bing bright. In the far off distance a


    streak of lightning split the sky though it was not followed by thunder.


    Lyte stood for a brief moment and stared even closer at the Downtown skyline. Ever so sharply a


    coarse ripple struck down her spine.


    "The sun''s noting up...it''sing back?" She murmured to herself in confusion.


    No sooner had she turned around then from the other side of the door an explosion of sorts caused the


    floor to vibrate. It sounded like the entire building itself was on the verge of copse.


    Without another moment''s hesitation the woman picked up both her child and her weapon before


    heading for the door.


    "Get up, Isaiah!" She hollered at the boy. "You''re not gonna be my dead weight! I need you wide


    awake, boy!"


    The child began crying only to have his mother sp his mouth shut. She then flung open the door to


    find the ceiling above crumblingrge piece afterrge piece onto the floor in front of them. Even the


    apartment they were inside of sumbed to the effects of the fire as the wallpaper began peeling and


    melting.


    Lyte knew full well that they couldn''t remain inside the building. Death was inevitable either way


    she saw it. The woman, with her whining son''s face shielded from the fire, held her breath while making


    her way past sizeable chunks of wreckage on her way to the stairwell.


    The moment she made it to the set of stairs that led to the first floor, Lyte could not only see that


    the lobby was bing brighter, but that the other beast was still lurking about in the smoke. With


    thick, flowing smoke surrounding her and her son Lyte stood and looked down at the thing.


    At that point in the ordeal she couldn''t even tell if she was dead or alive. Her body still felt like walking


    cement, and knowing that she and her son were only a few yards away from a prowling evil certainly


    did not cause her feet to scoot any faster.


    Beyond the smoke Lyte could see what looked to be the door in which they first entered. As the


    beast skulked back and forth Lyte managed to catch a glimpse of its body, but the thing that


    seemed to grab her eye the most was its thick coat of fur.


    "I''ll be damned, that''s you, isn''t it, Arthur?" She said under her breath. "I''ve got to be one fucking fool."


    The heat inside the building was reaching dangerous, toxic levels, as was the smoke that they had


    been breathing in, but the exit was only a few yards away from where Lyte was standing.


    Lyte was well aware that even if she did make it outside the creature would be hot on her slow


    heels like a cat on two mice. Lyte gripped her weapon as tight as she could before looking back to


    see more ceiling copse to the floor behind her.


    The woman didn''t shut her eyes, nor did she pray a prayer, she simply pressed her lips firmly together


    and stepped down one stair after another until her two feet finally met the first floor.


    The beast snarled within the smoke before its noises ceased altogether. From where Lyte was


    standing the doorway was located about thirty or so feet to her left. She could sense that the creature


    was somewhere in front of her, its brooding presence was far too heavy.


    The woman coughed and heaved uprge amounts of mucus which she promptly spat onto the floor


    before cing Isaiah down on the floor behind her and raising her weapon. At that very moment,


    however, Lyte could see the beast rise to its two feet and stand hunched over in the smoke. The


    woman wanted to faint right there. For a meager second she saw only her bathroom and Isaac.


    The beast then began growling as it lurched from side to side. It was aware, Lyte thought to


    herself. It was well aware.


    "Don''t you have any feelings for anyone?" She whispered with a juddering tongue.


    All of the sudden, the beast roared out before going back on all fours and charging straight at Lyte.


    Nearly forgetting that she had a weapon to begin with, she raised her pole and poked the rampaging


    thing somewhere in the face which in turn sent it hurtling to the floor.


    Lyte reached down and moved Isaiah out of the way. The smoke made it nearly impossible for her


    to see, but with the reemergence of the sun at least its hulking fur was bing more and more


    visible.


    Breathing heavier than she had in months Lyte raced back over and began stabbing the wounded


    brute all over its body before it managed to grab her makeshift weapon and simply snap it in half.


    Lyte fell backwards onto something hard before reaching back for her baby that was still crawling


    about on the wet floor.


    The beast got back up and proceeded to lunge at mother and son only to have Lyte move both her


    and Isaiah out of the way just in the nick of time.


    "Go through that door, Isaiah!" Lyte shoved the child. "Go out the fucking door!"


    But Isaiah only cried and wallowed about in the smoke as though he had no idea what was happening.


    Lyte kept feeling something hard and sharp pierce her backside, but that didn''t deter her from


    evading the beast left and right.


    As she attempted to get up, the thing managed to grab her by the buckle of her jeans and pull her


    backwards. Lyte kicked and screamed at the thing before she was able to kick at its snout. The


    second it released her she fell so hard on her back that whatever was poking her from behind caused


    her to squeal out in pain.


    Lyte, from where she was lying, looked up to see the beast head straight for Isaiah who was


    gradually wandering about in an aimless blunder, unable to see just where he was going.


    "Get out of here, Isaiah!" She furiously screamed.


    Trying to get to her feet Lyte felt her backside only for her right hand to connect with something


    very unusual. She reached down into her back pocket and pulled out her switchde, the same


    switchde she totally forgot she had.


    Every moment at that stage began to crawl in time. From pulling out the knife, to hearing her son cry in


    the smoke, to the demon press forward towards him.


    With the speed of a cat Lyte ran over. With the ferocity of arger cat, she dug the de right into


    the beast''s back, repeatedly stabbing it in any and every part of its body that she could before the thing


    flung her off, sending her body plunging backwards into a wall.


    Lyte could immediately feel something break in her back, while in front of her,rge chunks of


    ming ceiling came falling down, just missing her legs by inches.


    Lyte''s aching back was to the wall. The beast regained its bearings before seeing just where its


    prey was located. Lyte tried to get up, or at least roll over but her back was in too much pain; it was


    like she was pregnant all over again, except with twins. Without a hint of relent the demon began racing


    towards her.


    Lyte looked over at Isaiah who was steadily crying and reaching out for her next to the doorway.


    She herself broke down and wept, for her child was next once she was through, and that thought alone


    nearly stopped her heart from beating altogether.


    Then, from out of nowhere, something that resembled the sound of scraping metal stopped the beast


    dead in its tracks. Through the smoky mist Lyte could see a slim figure emerge from the elevator


    that had crashed to the bottom earlier.


    The person shoved the doors open enough to where they could slide right out. It was Akoni, in her


    human form all over again. From her head all the way down to her naked feet the woman was covered


    in blood. She looked like she had just walked away from a horrific car crash. She was limping while


    holding her stomach in anguish.


    "Brot...brother," she strained to gasp.


    The beast, seemingly forgetting all about Lyte, tuned its eyes to the battered woman before it


    began a slow, snarling march towards her. Akoni had the most astonished look on her blood-covered


    face while backing away.


    "No...please!" She gulped.


    But the beast would not listen; it just kept on stalking on all fours towards her before its march


    eventually turned into a mad dash. Akoni couldn''t even scream before she was engulfed and backed


    right into the elevator all over again.


    The whole thought process was finished. With as much pain as she was in Lyte managed to get up


    as fast as she could before reaching down and picking up one of the burning chunks of ceiling.


    With her two hands feeling the intense heat, the woman ran over to where the demon was destroying


    its sister and tossed the burning rubble into the elevator along with them both. Just like that the elevator


    exploded into a ming glory. The beast howled out as though the fire was eating it alive.


    Lyte limped as fast as she could towards Isaiah. She had nothing else more to view as far as the


    demon itself was concerned, only its wails of torment sent the woman racing all the more speedily out


    of the hecious building with her baby in tow.


    With buckets of sweat saturating their faces Lyte went straight through the wrecked, wood door


    and out into the front of the building. The woman had exhausted just about everyst bit of energy she


    had left to expend. Her y feet dragged further and further away from the building before her crippled


    legs could no longer take one more step.


    Just like that, she copsed to the ground before looking up at the sky and letting out the single most


    bloodcurdling scream that her lungs could expel. The grey sky responded in kind by pouring down a


    heavy torrent of warm rain that pounded upon mother and son.


    "Isaac!" Her vocal cords hollered themselves to death. "Isaac!"


    The rain came down so hard on both her and Isaiah that it was washing off the blood, ashes and every


    other sort of filth thatyered their bodies. Lyte and Isaiah coughed and spat all over themselves in


    an exhaustive effort to regain their breaths and breathe in holy oxygen.


    The longer Lyte knelt on the ground crying and screaming the louder the building behind her


    exploded into mes. She just couldn''t stop bawling, no matter how much her voice wanted to give out.


    She didn''t give a care as to what could havee out of the building behind her; all Lyte could do


    was wail while the long-awaited rain drenched her and her son''s bodies.


    Soon, the thunder followed.


    ***


    Downtown Cypress, Ohio was not spared the overwhelming, and long hoped for soaking that took over


    for the remainder of the afternoon. People walked down the sidewalks with umbres covering their


    heads and raincoats suited over their bodies. Sewers rapidly overflowed while the steamy streets were


    bing flooded, giving way to vehicles of all sorts inadvertently sshing pedestrians along their


    speeding course.


    The thunder that ripped through the downtown area sounded cavernous as its rumble echoed and


    bounced from one tall building to the other. Some people walked fast while others ran from one


    sidewalk and street to the other, but not Lyte Glover.


    The woman, with her son cradled securely to her bosom, hobbled down the sidewalk without any


    protectant from the elements whatsoever. From her face all the way to her torn and tattered sneakers


    she was drenched. She could feel and hear the water inside her shoes ssh, making her already slow


    march all the more sluggish. The rain was getting into her misty eyes, which in turn caused her to


    nearly miss a traffic stop.


    There were the onlookers, the ones who may have stoppedpletely or simply kept moving while


    keeping a curious eye on the unfortunate woman and her child. To Lyte, they were the shadows


    that she had encountered back at the Estates; annoying, but harmless.


    "Honey, do you need help?" A ckdy tried to console Lyte.


    Snatching her body away, the woman growled, "Leave me the fuck alone!"


    Down the wet sidewalk she carried on, while in a far distance, a lone building burned.