CHAPTER17 They didn’t stop running until they had reached the point in the street where they had first met the woman. Bent over, hands on knees, the two were both breathing shallowly. Miah's chest hurt from having run so fast, and her heart beat fast but for another reason all together. The way the woman reacted when she brought out the book was disturbing, but was more frightening was the things she said. The things she accused her of. What did she mean?   Suddenly, like it was waiting for the two, the sirens went off. “!” Suho cursed under his breath.   How many times would this make? How many days had they been in this place? Did she make the right decision in leaving Jae and the others behind? Should she really be looking into the cause of all this…darkness, as the woman called it?   “Let’s go!” Suho grabbed Miah's wrist and shot off, making her tired legs run once more.   An unexpected growl came from somewhere on their right, so Suho shifted to down an alleyway. Not knowing what else to do but follow, she let him pull her twist and turns that seemed to lead them deeper and deeper into the town. Growling and odd cries could be heard from all over. The walls around them began peeling up into tiny red flames. It looked like what Miah imagined hell to be. She supposed though, that they were in hell. The only thing missing were the monsters she had become so used to seeing. Not that she wasn’t welcoming the lack there of.   She thought too soon though. A big mass of a man trudged out in front of them. It was the thing from the hotel! Suho and Miah were forced to stop in their tracks, the sword wielding man blocking their path. His looming bulk nearly blocking out all the light from behind him. If that woman was her angel of death, he would be her executioner.   The thing seemed to stare them down through the giant triangular contraption on it's head. Then slowly, achingly slow, he lifted his sword high above his head, and like the first time she came to face to face with him, Miah froze up. She didn’t know what to do. She began to shake violently, which surely Suho could feel through his grip on her wrist.   Suho, do something. Do something because I can’t. Do something because I’m too frightened to act! She desperately screamed in her mind.    She knew he couldn’t hear her. She knew they were just thoughts in her mind that could only be acted on if she said them aloud, but Miah couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything but watch as the giant suddenly swung his blade down and to the side. Thankfully though, Suho was able to do what her mind was screaming without her having to actually say it. He pushed her to the side, and ducked onto his stomach just barely missing being slaughtered by the rusted sword.   “Go, go!!” Suho screamed from his place on the ground. His loud tone causing Miah's frozen legs to defrost, she jumped up and ran. She wasn’t thinking about where she was going, she just knew she needed to get out of there. She heard fast footsteps behind her, but she was too scared to turn and find out if they were Suho’s or that things.   Suddenly she was pulled by the back of my shirt into a building, a small ding sounded as they entered the door. Miah screamed a glass shattering screech until a warm hand clamped over . She looked up, past the arm the hand was connected to, to see Suho looking out the glass door they had just come through. His pupils large and darting; searching for any kind of sign of that thing having followed them.   Seemingly satisfied, he let Miah's hand go and turned his back to her. “Lock the door,” he called over his shoulder. She did as he said and turned to follow him, except he had disappeared.   “Suho?” she called out in confusion. No answer came.   With a gulp, she called again. Still no answer came.   She began to walk further into the building. The isles of merchandise indicating they had barricaded themselves in a store. From the tools on the isle closest, and the chainsaws on the wall straight in front of her; Miah figured it was some kind of hardware or weaponry shop they were in.   “Suho? Where did you go?” she shook out. She was becoming more frightened by the moment; the thought of being alone in this place froze her blood cold.   “Suho please. You’re starting to scare me. Please say something!” She was nearly yelling at this point. Her voice was high and nasally from terror.   Still not getting an answer she kept walking; closer and closer to the center of the store. Then a clanking, metal against wood noise rang out, piercing the once silent room. She stopped, breath caught in . What was that? She wanted to call for Suho again, but she was too scared.   Squeezing her hands into fists and closing her eyes, Miah counted backwards from ten. Ten. Her goal being to move once she reached one. Nine. To look for where the noise came from. Eight. A soft clinking sounded. As if metal was hitting the floor repeatedly. Seven. It was coming from the next isle over. Six. She didn’t want to look. Five. She needed to. Four. Suho where are you? Three. I’m scared! She thought. Tw