The World Ends With Us

"A little too much bloodshed here it seems."

"Can we save this one Doc?"

"The case is pretty dire."

"Looks like it."

Nice wind here. The smell is a bit stale, and the ground is a bit harder than usual.

..the ground? Ouch.

I placed my fingers over the back of my head. The movement, although subtle, caused my eyes to burn. I could feel my heart beat steadily on the base of my skull as it throbbed with numbness.

I sat up, and quickly grabbed my shoulder as a sharp pain ran through it up my spine. I wiped the blood from the cut that seemed to have formed there, and cautiously clasped my head to turn it clockwise and give my neck a nice loud crack.

I took a look around my current setting. It was completely strange. Yet on the other hand, everything that had just recently taken place was strange. I remembered being confined and looking up into a great white light overhead. A porthole perhaps? Or maybe I was in one of those -

Clank

A pipe had fallen by my side. I looked up to see a great, hawking creature with black wings hovering over me. I followed my first instinct.

Getting to my feet I began to sprint faster than I ever think I had. The thing pursued in full force as I ducked and dodged more of the pipes - or whatever it was it was hawling at me. In the chase, I collided with a large man standing in the middle of the road. He didn't budge.

"Aaah!"

I cried like an idiot and kept on running. Daring to turn back, I looked to see that whatever the winged-thing had been had crashed into the monster - the other monster - as well, and was struggling on the ground to get up and proceed.

Giving no more care, I ran into an alleyway, and hid.

 

He awoke abruptly against the side of a particularly large building, having come to consciousness by the mixture of sounds around him. When he opened his eyes everything was seemingly a blur, shadows moving in and out of his field of vision until they finally focused and he saw the sidewalk and the city streets.

He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and rubbed it as he stood up. He looked around and observed his surroundings.

"Where am I?"

It took him a second, but he suddenly realized he couldn't remember. In fact, he couldn't remember anything. He held his head in both hands and closed his eyes. The pain in his head seemed to consume his thoughts. He wasn't able to consentrate and stumbled dizzily. What was he doing here?

He realized he had something on his head and removed it to look at it. It was a black fedora hat with a wide brim like cowboys would wear. He then looked at himself over and found himself wearing a black victorian suit with black riding boots under a black trench coat with long sleeves. Why was he wearing these? Again he tried to recall the events that may have lead him here but with no avail. He couldn't remember anything. He couldn't even remember what his name was.

Slowly he placed his hat back on his head and adjusted it. Looking around again he raised an eyebrow and noticed other people standing about, some more unusual looking than others but all seem casual looking in theory. He tried to call out to a few people hoping to discover his whereabouts but they seemed to ignore him or they didn't realize he was there.

Frowning, he decided instead to look for the nearest sign. He began to walk along the sidewalk of this bustling city. Nothing seemed familiar to him but he began to recall some memories of what this city make be. By the way most of the people spoke and looked, he guested he was in Japan by what he did remember. Did he live here, he couldn't remember but he wasn't too concerned with that right now.

After some distance he came to an alleyway and glanced over to see a figure hiding in the shadows. He was about to just pass the alleyway but decided to walk down it and discover what was hiding in the shadows out of plain curiousity. Nothing else seemed to fit here so he figured he might as well.

He came within just a few steps of the figure when he realized it was a girl. Like himself she looked out of place in this particular setting and he wondered if she could see him, so he took the initiative to speak out.

"Excuse me, are you alright?", he said in a low monotoned voice trying not to frighten her.

 

I looked up to see where the voice that seemed to have spoken to me in the distance was coming from. Considering that it seemed to speak English very well, I doubted it was part of the squad that was forming of the evil.. beasts I'd just encountered.

But I wasn't taking the risk of being too quick to judge. I tried to speak to the shadowy figure, but all that came out was a whimper. I curled up farther in the corner and clenched my fists, then tried again,

"W-why do you want to know?"

 

Everything was quiet as I took the last sip. All I could hear was the beating of my heart slowing. The time between beats was growing until I couldn't hear a thing and the world grew black.

The blare of a car horn made Earnest Chen sit up. "Where am I?" he wondered. The streets were packed with busy people walking by him without even a second glance. "Hello?" he said. No one noticed. "Hey!" Still no answer. As he got up a pair of emerald eyes locked with his.

The eyes seemed to burn into his skull. A sickening screech echoed in his ears. Earnest turned and ran. He didn't need to look back to see if it was following, he could feel the cat beast's gaze burning into the back of his neck.

 

"This is so much fun!" cackled Jamie. She glanced down at the Players screaming and running in terror from the Noise.

Kariya yawned and covered his mouth. "They had better partner up soon, or they'll all be erased.

"That's the point, you idiot! I think they all might be erased today! Think about the promotion!"

"You know, I could be promoted if I wanted to, but I don't feel like it. There's too much responsibility involved."

Jamie shook her head. "You have no passion for anything, do you?"

Kariya shook his head. "No, not really."

Jamie spread her wings and raised her hands. Suddenly, a hole appeared in the sky, and some Noise dropped down below.

"Good luck, losers!"

 

I was screaming. Or someone was. Then there was a noise, and suddenly I found myself getting lifted, and then I crashed into something hard. Something hard, like the ground. I opened my eyes, and looked around. And then I sat up. This wasn’t my lab, and I wasn’t-I jumped at the sound of a sudden screech of tires and looked up at the face of death. A huge man climbed out of the car and started moving towards me. I jumped up and dashed off to the dark alleyway round the corner of the big building across the road. As I stood panting in a dark corner, I noticed a teenager standing some distance away. I walked up to him.

“Excuse me,” I said, “Could you please tell me where I am?”

The boy made no reaction and did not even look my way. I touched his arm, “Excuse-“

The boy whipped his head towards me, and for a moment I thought he would answer, but he just looked confused and looked away again. And then for the first time I saw it. My skin-my lovely brown skin had turned white, it was almost like I didn’t exist.
And all of a sudden I remembered it, the look on Sarthak’s face as he realised the terrible mistake, the explosion and the scream.

My knees gave way and I screamed into the darkness. And then I started crying.

“My baby.”

 

"Hey, where are you going!"

I followed the man, shivering as the ugly monsters proceeded to us. The man took a seat in the subway, and then looked around bewildered.

"Why isn't anything happening?"

He asked, kicking the metal floor. I shrugged, and asked:

"Where are you from?"

"Does that matter? All I know is, you're here first, so tell me where to go!"

"I just wish I knew, sir. I don't think we're anywhere on Earth, to begin with..."

I fell against the rumbling of the train as the bat and man started lifting it off.

"First things first...survive!"

I screamed as we were shoved to another end of the train.

 

Earnest was running in a blind panic. Randomly turning corners. He’d long since given up on worrying about the people around him. They couldn’t see him anyway. S shiver went down his spine as he ran past a store with a large mirror. He stopped. There was no reflection.

With a low pitched growl the cat thing leapt. Earnest ducked just barely as the thing’s rear claws scraped his head. “**** me that hurts,” he cried before running towards the bright lights of a bar.

There was another figure running towards him. A flood of beady red eyes followed close by his heels. Earnest and the young man locked eyes. An understanding was reached through fear and a desire to survive.

The kept running towards each other.

The cat beast howled. The red eyed things squealed. The creatures were hungry.

“Now!” screamed one of them. It could have been Earnest, the young man, or both. The two threw themselves through a bar door. As the door swung shut, they heard the sickening sounds of wet flesh getting ripped and eaten.

Earnest shook the young man’s hand. “Let me guess, you’re dead too.”

 

Countless minions from hell chasing behind me, I ran into what seemed to be a haven for those looking for a night without sobriety. An old man came running from other backstreets up ahead towards me. He seemed to not be like the others. Then I noticed it, a black demonic feline chasing after him. We met up quickly without exchanging pleasantries. What prey wants to meet another?

I yelled, "Now!"

We fell into the nearest bar and the sounds of a hellish feast outside could be heard.

"Let me guess, your dead too" the man stated. I didn't want to reply. What could I say? Letting go of his hand I studied him as best I could, old age was not kind to him. Was he a man to be trusted? Who cares, instinct told me find someone and stick with them.

Shrills from outside could be heard, my head jut around to look at the door, my face must have been that of pure horror. The noises eventually died down, but alas not for long, the victor of the battle started clawing away at the door begging to get in.

Looking around provided no comfort, people were at the bar sitting around bs-ing each other with lies and other ego propaganda. They were just ethereal mannequins playing no role in my reality.

"Let's go kid"

Never had I been so agreeable.

We moved away from the door towards the back of the bar looking for an exit. We found one beside promiscuous bar patrons relieving themselves against the hallway's wall.

"By the way, my name is Jake." Growing more comfortable in my situation, I thought to show some liveliness.

"Name's Earnest." He said.

We opened the door, infront of us lay another beast, similiar to the one Earnest had his encounter with. The options grew slim with one way forward, or become sitting ducks in a bar with no opportunities. Taking a chance, I leapt forward at the beast taking a glancing blow to my forearm and shoulder.

"Run!" I yelled.

Earnest staggered then made his way by me and the creature. The creature then flung itself at me. It tumbled head over heals above my head and into the bar. Without hesitation I raced after Earnest.

 

:redface:sorry i was late to awnser i had school and homework-like allways-and i am probily on diffrent time routes to most of you!
_________________________________________________________________
I stab my picaxe in to the icey montain snow,climbing higher and higher.As i take a swing at the montian for a second time i hear a snapping noise coming from a bove moving my head round to investergate i start feel a wet nose running down my check...a wet nose!

"ahhh!"

I scream snapping awake.I find a light brown,hairy face looking down on me. backing up gingerley i bang my head on a wall,sending an un-bearable pain down my head and back.
"owwww,come on!"
I started rubbing my head where the impact with
the wall had hurt most whe i relise...i have no clue of where i am!

After a while i start wandering around - the pain in my head had subsided but my back still ached and i had found a cut running down my head - the streets when i heard a slight hissing noise coming from behind me.As i turned around i was triped up and i fell to the dirty ground.I tried scramberling to my feet but its was no use what ever had made me fall over- wanted me down!

I i was begining to twist my face slightley so i could breath when my gaze's meet a pair of amber eyes,i jolted my face back as it continued to stare at me.Trying to slide out from beneif this thing's body my lace catches on a gutter.As i started to pry it lose i heard a whisper in my ear...
"a second death,how infuriating!"
"What?"i say puzzled,but then i remember.It all started rushing back to me the montain,my harness breaking,then falling in the air somewhat gracefull...i snap back into the present-still i had no idea of where i am or what is on top of me-and start to wriggle out from under this creatures hold!
Eventurley i gave up and lay there helplesly- stuck!
_________________________________________________________________
i am not dead yet! thing will happen in my next post but for now i must leave-i shouldnt have been able to write this much ,im at school i cant beleve they didnt notice i was on this!-i am not erased!!!!!!!(well not that i know of!)

 

Rob dashed down the train way and jumped to an opposite platform. He turned around to make sure the woman got onto it to.
"Sh*t, what are these things!?"
He dashed to an employees office, and with strength he didn't know he had, kicked the door right down.
"Quick, there's a doorway to the locker room!"
They ran back into and slammed the door. He grabbed a couple things and placed them in front of the door to block it from being opened. He looked around, trying to figure out his surroundings.
"Since you aren't going to be of any help, I'm going to make a guess. From the way the writing looks around here, I'd say we're in China or Japan or something," he mopped back his hair and took a deep breath, "How we got here is something you also obviously don't know. Gah, well, it ain't gonna help if we keep fighting over this. My name's Rob. You?"
He reached out his hand for her to shake it.
"Maybe we could work together on this."

 

I was expecting little from the man, until he managed to get us towards a different side. He managed to block out those things and then started joining the pieces.

"Since you aren't going to be of any help, I'm going to make a guess. From the way the writing looks around here, I'd say we're in China or Japan or something," he mopped back his hair and took a deep breath, "How we got here is something you also obviously don't know. Gah, well, it ain't gonna help if we keep fighting over this. My name's Rob. You?"

I hesitated, but I knew we had no time.

"Amelia."

I returned the handshake he offered, at which he said:

"Maybe we could work together on this."

I nodded, speaking quickly:

"Maybe if we lead these things into a nasty trap, it might help. I think if we short circuit the subway system over there, and let them in, they'll be knocked out for good."

I started moving as I spoke, seeing if the system could be opened. It had an opening which was rusty, but I believed I could manage it. I breathed in and started boxing at it and pulling it off with the other hand. For some reason, I was acting fast.

 

With all my effort i gave one last push,it seemed to work.Quickley scrambiling out from underneith this creature i see its full body,emerald scales coverd it's body,allmost like a snakes!Its hissed when i had rolled out from under it and started at me again.Ready this time i ducked out of the way sending this creature into the wall,it groand and looked round angrely at me.Suddonley i relised that wasnt sucha good idea!

 

"Ok," said Rob to Amelia, "You go take care of that, I'll get the 'lil beaties in here."
She ran over and began working furiously with the power breaker, and Rob ran over to the door. Through the window he saw the bat and the man waiting outside, "Aw sh*t, I can't believe I'm doing this..." he muttered to himself, "Well, here goes nothing."
He through all his weight against the things blocking the door and kicked them out of the way. Then he punched the door, and to his surprise, it came off its hinges. He looked bewildered at his fist for a small time, then looked up to see the two monsters coming at him.
Taking a step back, he said, "C'mon you ugly mother f***ers. Come and get me!"
The two monsters charged at him with furious intensity, and he dashed as quickly as he could in Amelia's direction.
"You better be ready Amelia! Cuz here they come!"

 

I nodded. The wires were in place. Just as the door opened and the monsters charged, I rolled away, cutting off the wire to allow for a bad eruption.

Rob grabbed me just in time, and pulled me out to leave. The monsters hit the machine
and there was a tremendous explosion, and fire bloomed. We left immediately - we could die in there!

"Oh, that was close."

He said out, and I nodded.

"Now, I think we should figure out why and how we got here."

I spoke worriedly, looking around if any more trouble was heading.

 

Rob saw a bench and took a seat, again mopping back his hair in his usual nervous habit.
"Well, I just remember you tripping over me and waking me up from some sleep. I don't know how I got here, but I do remember I was in Aneheim before you woke me up. That much I do know. What do you remember? Did you just happen to wake up here as well?"

 

Amelia nodded, taking a seat by his side.

"I just woke up here. I remember being in bed for cancer treatment - they gave me a sleeping pill and a cancer drug - and that's all I remember."

Amelia then stopped, thinking hard. For some reason, she was sharper than ever before.

"I could've died..."

 

Jake and Earnest ran from the claws, teeth, and eyes chasing them. The former piano player struggled to keep up with the young man.

"Even dead I'm out of shape," said Earnest between pants.

"Come on," said Jake who was easily outspacing the older man.

Earnest looked at him. He was young and healthy. Earnest had seen hundreds just like him all looks and no talent. It used to not matter. Once he sat down and played they just became another pretty face with little, if any, real talent. But that was before the pain.

It started with stiffness. Before long it felt like someone shoved hot coals between his knuckles. Soon his hands shook just thinking about hitting a key. "It .... isn't fair," he said, his lungs burning.

"What?" asked Jake.

Earnest's legs were beginning to shake. He couldn't keep running. Not like Jake. Not like those damn things chasing them. He wasn't young anymore. Not like those new paino players that were just waiting to take his place.

A sharp cramp make Earnest's leg lock sending him to the ground. The teeth, eyes, and claws were nearly in top of him. He looked back and saw Jake had bearly broken a sweat. Hate burned in the old man's stomach as he looked at the tide of death looming above him. "I said IT'S NOT FAIR!"

The words exploded from Earnest's mouth as his tuxedo disappeared beneath a cape of flames. Fire exploded in every direction the cat creatures shrieked as the inferno devoured them. The rats beasts scattered. Earnest stood taller than he had in years and laughed. His fingers danced like they once did across the piano keys sending small balls of fire at each demon rat. They all screamed, burned, and finally vanished. Earnest dropped to his knees and threw back his head laughing as the last of the flames vanished.

His tuxedo was still crisp and clean.

 

"I could've died..." whispered Amelia. Of course! It all came to Rob.
He was driving, fast, like he usually did. Some old lady was going the speed limit, and that pissed Rob off. He tried to pass her, in an intersection. A large truck came careening through the stoplight and slammed right into the driver's side of the vehicle. Rob remembered being tossed forward, out of the windshield and into darkness... only to wake up here. He sat there wide-eyed for a few moments.
"Yes, yes hon. We're dead. I remember it now, crisp and clear. We're f***ing dead!" Rob grabbed his head in anger and disbelief, "And now we have these crazy thing coming at us. Are we in hell?"

 

Earnest was breathing heavily. "That .... that was better than sex." He looked up at Jake. "What can you do?"

 

continuing

Despite her hesitant reaction, he was glad to see that someone replied to him.

"You don't have to be cautious, I won't hurt you", he smiled faintly.

He held out his hand as to offer to help her up. The person seemed frightened at something that previously happened from what he guessed. Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to her and show he wasn't someone to be afraid of.

"What's you name, if I may ask?"

 

I took the mysterious man's hand slowly to make sure he wasn't about to rip my arm off. He seemed somewhat harmless, and it was going to be a lot easier to fight off evil beasts if I wasn't alone.

"Well," I said, struggling to get up.

"My name is Ad-"

The huge creature I bumped into on the street appeared at the end of the alley. This time, he didn't look like a man, but a huge bear of some sort. I looked to my new counterpart and told him in haste,

"How about we get outta here?!"

 

"Yes, yes hon. We're dead. I remember it now, crisp and clear. We're f***ing dead!" Rob grabbed his head in anger and disbelief, "And now we have these crazy thing coming at us. Are we in hell?"
I looked at him in utter disbelief.
"If I am, then I was one stupid atheist."

I wanted to laugh, but it was not the time. Rob was serious, so should I be.
"I dunno...I never thought the hell was in Tokyo?"
Despite the fact my point was annoying, I did want to think aside hell.

"There's something more to this."

 

"I dunno...I never thought the hell was in Tokyo? There's something more to this," said Amelia matter-of-factly. Rob looked around, seeing buildings he had seen in pictures, the ones he used to see on the internet. Because video games originated from Japan, he had always had a fascination with it. The skyline was unmistakably Tokyo. He mopped his hair in nervous habit.
"Right, right. So we're dead... but we're not. Or at least our souls aren't. We're in Tokyo, there are weird ass things trying to kill us if you can call it that, and I feel a hell of a lot stronger then I did before I got here. How about you, do you feel any different, super human or some sh*t?"

 

"Right, right. So we're dead... but we're not. Or at least our souls aren't. We're in Tokyo, there are weird ass things trying to kill us if you can call it that, and I feel a hell of a lot stronger then I did before I got here. How about you, do you feel any different, super human or some sh*t?"

I sighed. Good for him that he felt stronger. Bleh, that was something priceless. I felt a twitch in my nose and I spoke slowly:
"I don't know, just feeling a lil'..."
I then sneezed pathetically, at which the dustbin in front of us went right off. I awed at it dubiously.

"Lil' smart...and lil' airy?"
I had no idea how to take this.