The Abyss roars, making everything shake. I stare up at its cloud-like body, a glowing red hole in the middle, as it glares back down at me and into my very soul. The pull is great; one little motion is all it would take. I keep my katana close and start to retreat.
I return my gaze to the ground before turning around, my face scrunched up. I turn to my left, and the bridge sits, as stable as always, pointing toward the sky. The line on the bridge is long, though I’ve seen it longer, with people begging to succumb to the Abyss. Why they want to do it? I have no idea.
I avert my gaze from the bridge and walk away from the scene. The Abyss makes a most unpleasant bubbling sound. I briefly turn around. I’ve seen it so many times before, but it still unnerves me. One of the people on the bridge is brought up, unknowingly sacrificing themselves as food for the Abyss.
I keep my eyes on my feet as the bubbling sound continues. It doesn’t matter how many lives it decides to take this time; it’s too many.
I look around. Houses that were once filled with loving families are now nothing but shelter. Holes in their walls allow for the red light of the Abyss to snake its way through. Rubble litters the street I walk on. Trees lay on the dry dirt around them. Dust fills the air, some specs intruding into my eye.
After walking for a while, I reach the remains of a suburban neighborhood, next to a large hill. One building leans on the hill for support, and it’s the one I call home. I approach the leaning building. A ripped curtain is attached to one of the holes in the building.
I enter the building through the curtain. The room inside is the only flat part of the whole interior. On the right wall are two bunk beds, for mattresses in total. I quickly look away. In the center of the room is a wooden table, with two people sitting at it.
One is a brown-haired man fiddling with two short spears in his hands—Gabel Merrithew. The other is a woman with black hair and a thick white stripe through it, messing with a machine on the table—Abigail Graham. She has a contraption on her left forearm, a thin blade on it. They both look up at me, and judging by their reaction to my expression, I must have a sour face.
“How was it, Don?” Gabel asks as if he doesn’t already know the answer.
“About the same as always,” I answer as I approach the wooden table and take a seat.
“Well, this harvest should be the last one,” Abigail assures, “the machine is almost done, we just need to power it.”
A small spike of frustration shoots up my back.
“Amazing, and we have the generators?” I inquire.
“Yes, Abigail and I grabbed the last one while you were watching the harvest,” Gabel explains.
“Excellent, but please don’t call them harvests,” I plead, “you’ve seen them before, people throw themselves at the Abyss, letting that pull win. We’ve all felt how powerful that pull is, but we’ve stood our ground, and they didn’t.”
“Only because they don’t know what exactly to think,” Abigail retorts, “they think that it might actually help to give themselves to the Abyss.”
“They still do it consciously,” I conclude, standing up. “We’ll hook the Salvatoris to the generators in ten.” I place my hands in the pockets of my black jacket and walk toward a tan door in the back of the room.
I open the door. A small platform of wood where a room used to be attached beckons me, surrounded by a tree from outside. A sudden feeling of calm washes over me. I walk through the doorway and shut the door behind me.
I take a deep breath before sitting down on the floor, relishing in the surrounding nature.
What are they talking about? They both act like people are being forced to give themselves to the Abyss. I know it’s not hard to fight it, and so do they. So why do they defend those who choose not to? How do they not get that it’s a choice?
A sudden rapping at the door kicks me out of my own head.
“It’s unlocked,” I say, despite not wanting to talk to whoever’s behind it.
The door swings open, and Abigail steps out, though I don’t bother making eye contact. She closes the door and approaches, slowly.
“I know it’s been hard,” she starts, “it’s been hard for all of us. Especially since we lost Kolin.”
I stay silent, tears forming in my eyes instinctively.
“I’m not sure what it was like to see him give up,” Abigail continues, “but there’s nothing we can do about it now. However, there’s plenty we can do to make sure that it doesn’t happen to anybody ever again.”
I look up at Abigail.
“That’s barely even what this is about,” I argue, starting to stand, “I’m pissed off because you and Gabel keep defending the people like…”
I dare not even say his name in my head.
“People who give in to the Abyss,” I gesture above me, to the deep red sky, “the people who actively think that it’s going to make things better if they just stop resisting. It’s sickening, is what it is.”
“But we’ve all been there,” Abigail retorts, “it’s not their fault that they can’t find a reason to keep going.”
I don’t respond. We’re wasting time, fighting about this.
“Whatever,” I say after a moment, making sure my katana is secure. “Let’s just go power the Salvatoris and finish this.”
I walk back inside, bumping into Abigail as I go. Gabel stands up, excited for a moment before reading my expression. I grab the cube machine off the wooden table and carry it toward the curtain. I exit the leaning house and walk around it.
At the back of the house is a tarp covering a few generators that we’ve gathered over the past few months. I set the hefty machine on the grass and remove the tarp, revealing the gray generators with red plastic tops. I look back and see Abigail and Gabel following me.
“You’re a hundred percent sure this will work?” I ask Abigail.
“Yes, the energy-catchers will soak all the energy from the generators and give it to the Salvatoris, making the gauntlet completely functional for a single shot,” Abigail explains.
“Right, of course it’s one shot,” I mumble to myself.
The three of us grab the four generators and place them around the Salvatoris. We take a cord and connect each side of the Salvatoris to a generator.
“All right, let’s do this!” Gabel exclaims as he puts his finger on a generator’s power switch. Abigail and I do the same to our own respective generators. I look at the fourth generator, the only one without anybody by it, but slowly dart my gaze away.
Abigail, Gabel, and I flip the switches, and the generators rumble to life. The Salvatoris begins to make a—weak but still noticeable— humming noise.
Gabel walks over to the unoccupied generator and flips its switch, making the Salvatoris’ humming noise louder.
“How long do we have to wait, exactly?” Gabel asks as we form a circle around the Salvatoris.
“However long it takes. We need all of the energy from the generators to conduct it through Don,” Abigail answers.
“You sure you can handle all of that, Don?” Gabel turns his attention to me, tilting his head.
“I’ll have to, won’t I?” I answer. Gabel and Abigail share a concerning look at my vague answer. I squint my eyes at them before turning back toward the Salvatoris.
A white light emerges from the edges of the machine as the humming becomes more and more intense.
After a while of waiting—I eventually lean on a nearby tree—the light and humming noise dissipates from the Salvatoris. Parts of the machine fall off, leaving what appears to be a metal gauntlet with white electricity emitting from it.
Abigail approaches the gauntlet and slides her right hand into it.
“We’re still… a hundred percent sure about this, right?” Abigail questions.
“Got any better ideas?” I reply.
“No, but I don’t want to risk killing you!” Abigail exclaims.
“And rather risk the lives of dozens of others?” I retort, to which Abigail doesn’t argue.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Gabel interjects.
We all set off in silence, our weapons in tow. The entire walk is completely silent, as well. My heartbeat quickens, as well as presumably Abigail’s and Gabel’s, as we reach the bridge, with as big a line as earlier.
I stare up at the red Abyss as I stop in my tracks. Suddenly, the red light in the eye of the Abyss brightens, and a red cloud trail emits from it, approaching us.
I stumble backward, unsheathing my katana. Gabel readies his two short spears. Abigail hits a button on the contraption on her left forearm, and the blade on it shoots out above her hand.
The red cloud lands on the ground in front of us. The cloud settles, and a humanoid figure emerges from the cloud’s remains. It looks completely identical to a random civilian, only rather than flesh and bone, it’s made of a cloudy material, though it looks more solid.
I guess the Abyss is trying to defend itself. The cloud creature stumbles forward. Faster than I can blink, the creature sprints toward Abigail. She readies her blade and stabs it into the creature’s chest. The creature’s mass tightens around the blade, making it impossible for Abigail to pull it out.
The creature grabs Abigail by the throat. Gabel, hastily, inserts both short spears into the creature’s back and pulls on them in an attempt to free Abigail.
I slice through the creature’s hands. The hands vanish into fog. Abigail takes a deep, sharp breath. Gabel pulls with all his might, eventually pulling the creature back and releasing Abigail’s blade. The creature doesn’t seem like it’s experiencing a semblance of pain or injury.
Abigail thrusts her blade into the creature’s head. Miraculously, the creature goes limp before vanishing into a scarlet fog exactly like its hands. Abigail looks up, a distraught reaction forming on her face.
I turn around and also look up. Three more clouds descend toward us. My stomach plummets to my feet.
“Don, go and get up there,” Abigail instructs. I turn around and see her pointing toward the Abyss, “Gabel and I can handle this. You’ll know when I’m in position.
I hesitate for a moment before giving Abigail a thumbs-up and a smile.
“Good luck, both of you,” I wish.
“You, too,” Gabel and Abigail respond.
I turn around and sprint toward the bridge. More clouds approach the ground from the Abyss. It will not let up. The people in line at the bridge look around, confused as to who is fighting the Abyss, before landing their eyes on me. The line deforms as a gaggle of people starts to form a barrier from the bridge.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” One of the people in the mob bellows. Others shout something similar. I don’t have time to argue with them.
The Abyss starts making a bubbling noise I know too well. A man in the back breaks from the mob and climbs to the top of the bridge. The dust in the air starts to ascend. I dash into the mob. They try to push me back while I give my all into snaking through their grasp. Some people try to pull me back, but I kick them away.
Eventually, I squeeze through the crowd. They yell at my back as I sprint up the bridge toward the man. He starts to lift into the air, and toward the Abyss’ mouth. A pain in my side, I reach the top of the bridge. I start to rise, as well, lagging behind the man.
As we get closer to the hole in the Abyss, I grab the man by the leg. Panicked, he tries to kick me off and flail free. I pull myself to his level as he resists. I kick the man in the chest with as much force as I can muster.
We’re sent flying in opposite directions. Luckily, the man, filled with bitter rage, descends to the bridge. Yet I rise. No going back, now.
I look up, and my path is not toward its mouth, but its cloudy exterior. I speed up, the gravity of the Abyss pulling me close. Bracing for impact, I collide with the Abyss. The impact pulls the air from my lungs, leaving me gasping for more, something much more difficult at such a high altitude.
The bubbling sound from the Abyss continues, now sounding like a deep, angry growl more than anything. I start to be pulled from the Abyss’ body, back toward its mouth. I bounce on the Abyss as I’m pulled with the force of a car.
I unsheath my katana quickly and stab it into the body of the Abyss, the material identical to that of the humanoid cloud creatures. I grab the katana for dear life. It takes all of my energy not to get sucked into the Abyss.
I look at the distant ground, at a birds-eye view, for Abigail. It’s too hard to see if it's exactly her and Gabel, but two figures are overwhelmed with cloud creatures. My stomach drops, as if pulled by the Abyss, at the aspect of needing to hold on for much longer.
I avert my eyes to the bridge below the Abyss and I. A different man rises to the Abyss, determined to assist it. My heart falls. I can’t let one more give up.
With all the strength I can summon, I place a foot on the Abyss’ body. I push off the Abyss, and my katana comes flying out. I soar toward the Abyss. The man looks scared to see me.
Faster than I can comprehend, we crash into each other right by the Abyss’ mouth. As we’re pulled into the pit, I grab the man’s forearm and arch us toward the wall of the Abyss’ hole. I stab my katana into the Abyss. It roars, desperate to consume us. The pure strength of the inhale is devastating.
I can’t hold on for too much longer. We’re going to get sucked in if I have to wait much longer. On the ground, the roofs of buildings are beginning to break off and slowly ascend to the Abyss.
I look down at the man I’m holding. He has black hair, brown eyes, some stubble on his face, and a piece of his left ear torn off. It’s Kolin.
I’m speechless. I thought he was gone. I saw it with my own eyes. This doesn’t make any sense. Why did he only rejoin us today?
However, after I blink, Kolin’s left ear reforms, his hair becomes brown, and the stubble disappears. A wave of disappointment washes over me. I avert my gaze from the man.
Suddenly, thunder roars from the ground. A beam of white lightning-like energy dashes toward me. The Abyss stops trying to suck in the man and me. With all my remaining strength, I throw the man out of the Abyss’ mouth. People on the ground start to gather, ready to catch the man as he falls back to Earth.
I push off the Abyss, pulling my katana with me. As I start to fall into the pit, the energy hits me.
Everything feels like it’s on fire. I think I’m screaming, but I can’t even hear myself. Only one thing left to do, now. As I fall into the Abyss, I reposition myself. I point my katana in front of me, ready to stab into the Abyss with all of this energy.
My speed increases quickly. I enter a large cloud of dark red mist. Whether it's the mist or the energy, my skin feels as if it’s melting off.
Is this it? Is there actually an end to this, or am I going to fall forever? Is this what destiny is? Not what we do, but how it all ends? Were we given a bad hand from the get-go? Could we have done anything this whole time, or should we have just folded?
Suddenly, my katana stabs into something: the heart of the Abyss. Blinding white light spews from my katana. All of the energy builds up, attacking the Abyss.
With great whiplash, an abrupt explosion of energy sends me flying back up, without my katana. White energy flows all around, still coursing through me. The Abyss roars louder than I’ve ever heard. Not from any kind of anger or appetite, but from pain.
It worked. It actually worked.
Before I know it, I’m expelled from the hole of the Abyss, flying toward the ground. I brace myself for impact, all of the remaining energy in me forming a kind of shield in front of me.
I collide into the bridge, a large electrical burst protecting me from it. Lucky not to be dead from the impact, I slide down to the ground quickly. I lie on the ground, by the bottom of the bridge, surprised by how fast it all was. I look up at the Abyss, white energy still attacking it.
People start to hover around me, my blurred vision and ringing ears making it almost impossible to see any faces. One of them lowers, getting closer to my face. I can start to make out details; it’s Abigail.
“It worked,” I nonchalantly say, my own voice muffled, “can you believe it?”
Only, soon I see an expression on Abigail’s face that isn’t joy, but dread.
I frantically sit up and look at the Abyss. The energy starts to fade away, but it doesn’t take the Abyss with it. It still floats in the air, as if all that was nothing but a splinter or a stubbed toe.
The bubbling starts to emit from the Abyss. I get to my feet almost instantly. Gabel says something behind me, but I can’t make it out, nor do I care.
I walk toward the bridge. Rapidly, my adrenaline wears out. Pain shoots up my body. My legs can barely support my weight. I grab onto the rails of the bridge to keep myself standing.
Somebody grabs me by the shoulder. I turn around, only to be greeted by Abigail.
“It’s over, there’s nothing more we can do right now,” Abigail says, a traumatized look on her face.
I pull my shoulder free of her grasp and continue climbing the bridge. Abigail doesn’t bother following me. I reach the top of the bridge and stare up at the Abyss.
Its glare back doesn’t look so threatening anymore. It looks much more comfortable than it did before. It feels like I can rest there. I won’t have to worry about fighting anymore. It’s much easier this way, isn't it?
I start to rise. I stay relaxed as I approach the calming embrace of the Abyss. It’s all over.
I abruptly stop. I’m dragged back to the floor. I turn around and see Abigail and Gabel pulling on me. I try to break from their grasp.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“We are not letting you go!” Abigail shouts with determination.
“There’s no point!” I argue, “It’s all worthless!”
Abigail and Gabel pull me to the bridge. My head nearly bounces off the floor. Before I can do anything, Abigail holds me in a tight embrace, Gabel soon following.
Through all of the pain, fatigue, and suffering, a small warmth fills my heart. I reach my exhausted arms around Abigail and Gabel.
Eventually, we get back on our feet. I look around and see the crowd of people looking up at us. Gabel wraps his arm around me as support. Slowly, we stumble away.
As we climb the hill out of the destroyed city, I look up at the Abyss. A reality comes crashing down.
Maybe it will always be there. There is no destroying the Abyss, and its pull will always be felt.
I’m not sure what happened to me earlier. It felt weird, like I wasn’t myself. That urge to give up was utterly terrifying, to say the least. I don’t know what we’re going to do from here.
We shuffle through the curtain into our house. Gabel sets me down on my bed. I stare at the bed next to mine—Kolin’s. Is what I felt earlier what he was feeling?
The thought is interrupted by a loud clang from across the room. I look at where the impact took place and see Abigail, looking frustrated, with the gautlet in front of her.
“It was supposed to work!” She shouts to no one in particular. “Why didn’t it work!?”
“Maybe we need to come up with something else?” Gabel suggests.
“There is no ‘something else’!” Abigail retorts, “That attempt used everything we had! I mean, look at Don!” She gestures to me.
I’m not sure how battered I look, but it must be bad.
“Sure there is. This is just a low moment,” Gabel comforts.
“No,” I interject, “no, this is more than that.” Gabel and Abigail look at me with a concerned expression. “There is no killing the Abyss. It’s too strong, and if that much energy didn’t work, then I doubt there’s anything we can do that will. We just have to live with the Abyss. All we can do is stop people from giving in to it.86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYphC3ElhJ
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