Page 67 of Hollow

Dimitri lunged ahead, barreling down the hallway and entering the room where Gordon hid.

“Wait, wait,” Gordon pleaded, fumbling as he backstepped into a dresser. “You need me… You can’t…”

Dimitri ignored Gordon’s desperation, appearing absolutely demonic as he approached. Jack watched in awe as the blackness of his hands extended, coating his entire arms in darkness. The black energy covered Dimitri’s entire body, except for his face. That appeared angelic despite the black cloak.

Gordon opened the top drawer of the dresser, frantically searching through it. Dimitri dragged his nails along the other end of the dresser, slowly approaching Gordon. He dug his claws deeply into the wood, adding to the horror Gordon experienced. The darkness lining Dimitri’s skin seemed to harden, forming tiny spikes.

It looked like a menacing suit of armor.

Jack didn’t understand what the energy coating Dimitri was exactly, something primordial in nature connected to the Leshy themselves. It was actual darkness, though—that much Jack could discern. The energy radiated off Dimitri in waves, creating a small buzzing sensation that sparked with Jack’s own control over the darkness. How had he never noticed it before? Perhaps because Dimitri kept the energy contained and limited to his hands and feet only. Jack wondered if this might have played a small role in their initial connection; the chemistry between them bound by the darkness they each harnessed in different ways.

“I do not need anything from you, old man.” Dimitri’s antlers swelled, growing larger and twisting into sharper, devilish curves.

Dimitri looked absolutely demonic, and Jack loved it.

Gordon continued rifling through the drawer, retrieving a small electronic device.

“You’ll see why you need me, creature.” Gordon flipped a switch and smirked.

Dimitri paused.

Jack held his breath.

Gordon gloated.

And then…nothing happened. Not a goddamn thing.

“Wait…” Gordon looked over the device, examining it closely and even aiming it at Dimitri. “It should be… No!”

Dimitri growled, creeping closer to Gordon.

“That son of a bitch.” Gordon hurled the device at Dimitri.

It smacked his chest and crashed onto the floor.

“Your time is done.” Dimitri wrapped his hands around Gordon’s head, squeezing tightly.

Claws dug into Gordon’s wrinkled face. Blood trickled. Bones crackled. Gordon released a horrified wail. His eyes turned bloodshot, oozing blood as they seemed to bulge. His jaw snapped as he screamed.

Dimitri didn’t relent, applying an unfathomable amount of pressure until Gordon’s head caved in on itself, and Dimitri smashed the insides with explosive fury.

“Fuck you,” Dimitri roared.

Blood splattered everywhere. He clenched his fists, his body shaking with rage. The darkness coating his skin slowly retreated back to his hands and feet, revealing the red droplets covering Dimitri’s chest, stomach, and arms.

“You okay?” Jack asked.

Dimitri panted, taking heavy, infuriated breaths.

His muscular chest swelled up and down with each sharp inhale. He bared his teeth; his fanged canines appeared bigger when he was so enraged. The antlers atop his head finally shrank, untwisting, and taking their regular shape.

“I am better now.”

Jack looked down at the bloody, headless mess that was Gordon Hearst. He lightly kicked the strange device Gordon attempted to use. Perhaps it was some monster-fighting gadget, something Gordon anticipated would work against Jack and Dimitri, much like the light towers. The only difference was that this device seemed like a dud.

“What do you think this was supposed to do?”

“No idea.” Dimitri stomped on the device, smashing it beneath his heel. “But it did not help him, and now it is as broken as Gordon’s corpse.”