DABR 3: Sin vs Adela

         "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day:  
                      the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."
                                                   Psalm 139:12


   "It is most unfortunate, but it seems his body was not able to handle the stress of redemption," Sin said, checking Nigel's non-existing pulse.
   "Yeah, well... the pervert had it coming to him," Jesse spat as she glared at his body. Sin had removed Nigel from his cross, and his corpse sat in the corner, naked and bloody.
   "We all deserve death for our sins, Miss Jesse, but I shall save that particular sermon for later. Now, we must make haste so that we are not found," Sin said as he collected the final items he needed.
   He had managed to recover his sword, which was, remarkably, undamaged, and with the supplies he had taken from Nigel, Sin was packed and ready to go. He slipped his arms through the rope straps of his cross and bent forward to counter-balance the weight.
   As he walked, the wood rubbed against his back, for he had been forced to discard most of the bear hide. Only the arms and legs had been spared from the fire's flickering fingers. Luckily, most of the fur on the arms had been burned off, but the claws had remained as deadly and as sharp as ever. However, Sin decided to only keep  the left arm. He had found that wearing both bear gloves made it difficult to wield his katana, and the leggings would not be of any help. So, using a length of rope, he secured the second skin, tying a tight loop around his elbow.
   Jesse, following beside Sin, walked down the dark tunnel, listening to Sin as he prattled on about one religious thing or another. All the while Sin talked, Jesse only half listened; her mind was less on his sermon, and dwelled more upon the fact that her collar had yet to be removed. In the confusion with Nigel, Sin had forgotten his promise, but from what she knew of Sin, she was apprehensive of reminding him, lest he find her greedy or some other sin that would mean more waiting... or worse.
   The more she got to know Sin, the more she began to fear she would never be free.

                                                          ------

   Adela finished cleaning the blood off of her body with the spare water bottle she'd gotten from Noah's things. Even though she was far away from the corpse, she could still feel the guilt of her actions. She remembered with disgust the feeling of hopelessness she'd experienced as her body had been forced into a synthetic state of unimaginable rage. Adela's eyes burned with hatred as she thought of what West had done. Even so, despite her promise, she didn't know if she could kill everyone she came across. Her mind was divided between her anger and her compassion, both tugging in opposite directions.
   "Has anyone ever felt this conflicted?" she asked no one in particular. Her own voice startled her a little in the quite of the forest, and she berated herself for being so skittish. Ever since she had told West off, he had done a good job of being quiet. But she knew it wouldn't last.
   Either way, she knew she had to keep moving. She had seen two boys arguing earlier, and had managed to avoid them for now. She had to move soon, or risk being found.
   Her pack was much lighter now that she only had only two rockets left for her launcher, but it was still heavy enough that she was forced to carry it slung over her back like a pack, with the bazooka held over her shoulder. She hoped the rockets were tough enough to take a little bouncing, otherwise she would have a very big problem for a very small amount of time.
   To allay her fears somewhat, she used bunched up leaves and grass to cushion the explosives, and, satisfied she wouldn't be blown to bits, she set off through the forest.

   It was a while later that her foot connected with something, it's tinkling laughter telling her it was a glass bottle of some sort. Carefully setting her rocket launcher down, she searched where the noise had originated from and found a half-gallon bottle of gin. On the front was taped a short letter in hurried hand writing.
   "For whoever. Go nuts- Flick," the bottle read. Sloshing the insides about with a good shake, Adela popped the cap and took a quick whiff. The smell of alcohol was almost enough to knock her over, for she had never been exposed to it before. Scowling at the bottle and wishing it were something more useful, she placed it in her bag with the rockets in case she needed it to clean a wound.
   With the gentle slosh of gin reminding Adela how bad she had to go to the bathroom, she continued through the forest.

   Only a few moments later, her foot came down with a resounding *Clang!* Freezing out of instinct, it was several seconds before she realized the sound had not been a weapon. With her mind moving again, she looked down to find the source of the noise, and saw that she stood over a large man hole cover. A smile spread over her face.
   "If I can hide in here, all the other contestants might kill each other for me. Then I can go home without dirtying my hands anymore," she thought happily.
   "What about your promise?" West's voice said sarcastically, his sinister voice echoing throughout her mind.
   "Leave me alone!" Adela screamed, to which the only reply was a flock of birds flying out of a nearby tree. With adrenaline flowing, Adela dropped her rocket launcher and began prying open the man hole, looking about as if West would step out at any minute. At last it came free, and she carefully began navigating her way down the ladder  while trying to haul her rocket launcher down with her.

                                                          ------

   Although she wouldn't admit it, Flick was glad that Delran was with her. She had heard from Bjelic that Soak was becoming increasingly paranoid, but he would be less likely to do anything... regrettable if there were two of them. One judge could be written off as an accident, but two couldn't... she hoped.
   With a heavy hand she knocked on the door, a low, metallic thud resounding with each rap. Heading Bjelic's warning, they both took a step back, just in time to miss being brained by the door as it exploded open. Leveled at them were two pistols, and beyond that, Soak stood, decked out in more gear than Rambo and the Terminator combined. He had bandoliers draped over his shoulders, multiple holsters and the guns inside them, two rifles and two shotguns slung over his back, and a veritable fruit basket of pineapple grenades.
   "Oh, it's just you two," Soak said with a sneer, as if he'd been expecting someone. Thankfully, he lowered his guns. He seemed to be in a hurry because, after looking back into his hut one more time, he began walking away at a brisk pace. Ignoring his strange attire and actions, Flick waded into conversation.
   "Soak, we have a problem," Flick said as she followed him.
   "We damn sure do," he mumbled, mostly ignoring her.
   "One of the students got their collar off," Delran added.
   "Used to happen all the time; find him and kill him," Soak grunted, his countenance saying "Leave."
   "We've tried, but Sinbad is proving to be very difficult to-" Flick cut off as she realized Soak was no longer walking. She turned around to see the large man shaking, either in fury or fear, she couldn't tell, although she could hardly imagine anything that could scare Soak.
   "Student Sinbad has removed his collar?" Soak asked, his voice barely over a whisper.
   "Yeah, and-" Delran began to say before Soak spit to the side and cursed.
   "So you two found out did you?" he asked, making up a story on the fly.
   "You mean... you knew?" Flick asked, surprised Soak had found out.
   "I've known for a while. Why else would I be wearing this gear? I have to track him down before he frees the rest of the students. The effects could be catastrophic," he said.
   "That's what I was saying," Delran said, which Soak and Flick ignored.
   "So you've known this whole time?" Flick asked, still skeptical.
   "Damn it all, are you going to help or let the bastard get away because you were asking me questions!?" Soak said, his voice rising.
   "Help, of course, that's why we're here," Flick said hurriedly. Soak ripped two pistols from their holsters and threw one at each of them so fast that they almost didn't catch them in time.
   "Hope you two know how to use those, or this'll be a short mission," Soak said as he pulled his shotgun off his back and shouldered it.

                                                          ------

   Adela had, with great difficulty, managed to descend the stairs without incident. A thin layer of water covered the ground, dampening the bottom of her shoes and making an all to noticeable *slap* when she walked. Cold precipitation sweat down the walls, as if the tunnels were crying. She slowly made her way in the meager light, trying to minimize her noise as she listened for anyone coming in the darkness.
   Aside from the dull sound of her footsteps, she heard another sound echoing down the tunnel: a pair of voices.
   "Shit! Why the hell is someone down here?! Adela thought. Moving quickly, she retrieved a rocket from her pack, wincing as the zipper whined, and fitted it into the nozzle of the launcher. Mounting it on her shoulder, she faced down the right passageway and looked through the sights. As the two approached, she began to glean a bit from them by their voices. One of them was obviously a young man, and the other was a woman. The man's footsteps sounded heavy, each footfall causing an explosion of water that screamed throughout the tunnel, as if he carried something heavy.
   With their approximate location in sight, Adela put her finger on the trigger.
   "What if they're only down here to avoid the others, like me?" she thought, her finger hesitating.
   "Does it matter? Kill them," West's voice said like Satan's to Eve. It was then that she noticed the footsteps had stopped. Finding her dark resolve, Adela pulled the trigger, a rush of air signaling the launch of the rocket. It rushed down the tunnel like a kamikaze bomber, it's whistle screeching off the walls.

   Sin had just finished a sermon on whether or not animal sacrifice was still relevant, when he saw a strange light appear a ways down the tunnel. He instantly froze and tried to discern what it was.
   "Why did we-"
   "Shhhh," Sin whispered, pointing down the tunnel. Jesse strained her eyes, but she couldn't see anything in the abysmal darkness. She knew better than to say anything though, so she began slowly shifting toward the wall of the tunnel to make herself less noticeable. Sin slowly began creeping forward, trying to understand what he was seeing, when he heard a sound that, by all rights, he shouldn't know. However, he knew in his gut what it was.
   Sin threw himself to the ground just as the rocket soared over his head, exploding several dozen yards back as it collided with a wall. The momentary light from the explosion illuminated the tunnel for but a second, but in that instance Sin saw the woman holding the rocket launcher. More worrisome, he saw that she was reloading.
   Saying a quick prayer, Sin charged forward with all his speed, trying to get to the girl before she could fire again. He managed to overtake her right as the second rocket was loaded, sending both of them sprawling into the water. Their clothes drenched, both Sin and the woman stood, facing each other in the stillness that followed.
   Sin could now see that the light was radiating from the woman. Curiously, it took the shape of a halo, levitating delicately above her forehead. It occurred to Sin that what he was seeing was a large recall. Whether or not she was aware of it though, he did not know.
   "Please, please just die quietly. It's for you own good; believe me, the alternative is much worse!" the girl said, sobbing slightly. Sin was taken aback by someone with a goal similar to his, and Adela took his hesitation as submittance. With a hard right hook, she sent Sin spinning.

   Sin felt dizzy and tried to throw his arm out to catch himself, but found that his arm wouldn't move. He tried to open his eyes wide in surprise, but found them unresponsive. Suddenly, his head moved of its own accord, and he found himself looking in a mirror. The image that looked back was the woman.

   Sin flashed back to reality, just barely managing to hold himself up against a wall. He had never done a recall on a living person before. He had to see more, to know what memory was so important that it formed a recall even in life. As he thought, Adela was running up to him, brandishing a rum bottle of all things. The bottle broke over Sin's head, and he felt warm blood roll over his face.
   Unphased by the blow, Sin reached up and grabbed Adela's arm.

   "Adela, two minutes to curtain," someone said, poking their head around a corner. Adela's head turned, and Sin was able to see his surroundings for the first time. He appeared to be backstage in a theater, which seemed appropriate, as Adela was dressed as a ballerina.

   Adela knocked his arm away and slammed her fist into the side of his face.

   "Don't worry, I'm ready," Adela said with a wink, and the stage hand disappeared.

   Sin fell to the ground, splashing in the water. From the ground, he could see Jesse sneaking up behind Adela.
   "Miss Jesse! Do not interfere!" he shouted as he rose. To Adela, he said, "Please, Miss Adela, I think I can help you."
   "How do you know my name?" she gasped. "Have you been following me?"
   "No, if you'll let me explain-"
   "No!" Adela shook her head as if something were in here hair. "Don't try to persuade me! You have to die!" Adela charged him, punching him in the gut and falling on top of him.

   As soon as the stage hand had left, Adela put her head in her hands and stared into the mirror, so depressed Sin would have not thought her the same person.
   "Who am I kidding? I can't do this!" she said to herself. Sin was about to say something encouraging, despite the fact that she was presently beating him to a pulp, when someone else appeared in the mirror. It was a man in his early twenties with brown hair. Something about him seemed dangerous. Sin didn't like him. Adela turned around to face him, but to her surprise saw no one there. She looked back and jumped when the man in the mirror stretched an arm out and grabbed her chin.

   Sin awoke to reality when Jesse slammed into the side of Adela, knocking her off of him.
   "Miss Jesse! I told you not to interfere!" Sin shouted as he stood. Jesse, who was in the process of attacking Adela, froze and looked at him.
   "I just saved your life," she said, perplexed as to how anyone could be so ungrateful.
   "It is not your life to save! Do not intercede again, even if I am near death, unless I ask for you to!" he scolded. Jesse threw her arms up in frustration, then quickly ran a ways down the cave where she would be out of the way.
   "That was chivalrous of you," Adela said.
   "Why thank you, Miss Adela. Now, before we continue our fight, may I see something?" Sin asked. Adela hesitated.
   "What do you want to see?" she asked.
   "I simply need to touch your forehead." Adela ground her teeth.
   "Why? So you can slit my throat? Nice try, but no." Sin sighed.
   "Then I suppose we will have to do this the hard way," he said. Faster than she expected, Sin charged her. She swung the broken bottle at him, but he was undeterred. The broken glass dug into his left cheek, but still he came. Wrapping his arms around her, he threw his weight forward and fell on top of her. As the recall began again, he focused all his mind on connecting with her's.

   "My, don't you look gorgeous," the man said with a smirk. "It's a shame you haven't lost anymore weight though; I can see your rolls through that skin tight outfit," the man said. As Adela backed away, Sin was able to see several memories flash through her mind.
This man, West, had been passive aggressively torturing her for months. He would appear from no where, insult, ridicule, and torment her before disappearing. Sometimes he would even directly assault her. He always seemed to appear whenever she was on an emotional high, seeming to live only to destroy any joy she took from life. Even the memory of this man was enough to make Adela physically ill.
   "Shut up, West! I'm not fat!" Adela screamed, trying to push the boy away. Her arms went straight through him, as if he were made of steam, and Adela just barely managed to catch herself on her vanity's counter.
   "Hey, just a little helpful criticism from a fan," he said with a shrug. "It's not my fault you didn't practice at all last week." Adela froze as the truth in his statement rung.
   "How did you-"
   "I know a lot of things. And soon, you'll know I was right. See you after your big flop," West said, disappearing into the mirror again. Adela broke into tears, and Sin desperately wanted to say something. However, the stage hand once again popped his head around the corner  and told her it was time for curtain call. Adela wiped her tears, assured the man she was okay, and proceeded to the stage.
   She walked out under the withering stage lights, and Sin could see through her eyes the hundreds of people watching her. Sin could also feel her stage fright begin to nibble at her stomach, but she quickly suppressed it.
   I can do this, no matter what West says," Adela thought. And then... she began.

   Sin was surprised at how good Adela was at dancing. She did complex spins and twists, jumps and bows, all without stumbling or faltering. As odd as it was for him to watch from the inside, he began to enjoy the show just as much as the members of the audience. About two-thirds of the way through her performance, as Adela was holding a pose, she happened to look into the crowd.
   Her knees locked up as she saw West sitting in the front row, staring at her with a smirk. She froze, forgetting her routine as she stared at her tormentor. The lights began to feel very hot on her face, and Adela began to feel light headed. She attempted to continue, but her stomach lurched. Just as she came to the very edge of the stage, she vomited.
   The sick shot into the front row, covering two people and splattering several others. West remained clean. The room became very silent, and Adela stared out into the crowd, rooted to the spot by her embarrassment. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
   "Nice job. Are you gonna wet yourself next?" West asked loudly, which broke the lock in Adela's knees. She ran from the stage as fast as she could, tearing through the theater and into the back alley. Tripping on a broken slab of concrete, she fell off a stoop, falling to the ground hard. The skin from her arms and legs was peeled back as she scrapped against the concrete, and her outfit tore in several places. Completely dejected, Adela simply lay there and cried.
   "Wow, that went better than I expected it to," West said, stepping out from the shadows.
   "Shut up!" Adela screamed.
   "Now, is that anyway to treat your adoring fan?"
   "I said shut up!" Adela screamed again, pounding her fist against the ground in anger. West only sighed in exasperation.
   "You know, I had hoped we could do this the easy way, but you're will is much more resilient than I thought. Now then..." West said as he took a step toward Adela. She tried to stand, to put distance between the two of them, but he over took her before she had a chance. West grabbed her skull and began to squeeze with all his might. Adela screamed as a piercing pain throbbed throughout her head, as if every cell in her body were rejecting his touch.
   Then, the pain became more focused, as if spikes had been driven into her skull. She looked up in agony, to see that West's arm was slowly sinking into her body. After several agonizing seconds, he had fully integrated himself into her consciousness.
   "Wow, roomy. You don't do a lot of thinking do you," West said, his words echoing throughout Adela's head. Adela tried to scream, but she found herself paralyzed. At last, her arm moved, but in horror she realized she hadn't moved it.
   "Always feels weird doing this," West said, stretching Adela's frame to get used to the body. The experience was as surreal to Sin as it was horrifying to Adela. With West fully in control of Adela's features, he walked over to a drainage hole in the stoop she'd tripped off of, and dug around in it with her hand. Adela could feel her fingers grip cold metal, and when he pulled a gun out from the hole, she tried to scream again.
   "Once you're with me, I'll have to do something about these memories; it'll be troublesome for me if you remember this. Now don't worry," he said as he held the gun up to Adela's head and pulled back the hammer, "This'll only hurt for a second." There was a bang and a flash, and then everything went black. Sin was left in darkness.

                                                         ------

   "What on earth is going on?" Adela thought. She felt as if she were floating. Looking around to get her bearings, she found that she wasn't able to see her body. The strange thing was, this didn't bother her in the least. Everything seemed so peaceful.
   Then the voice came.
   A great booming voice began exploding all around her, echoing inside her head as if she were standing next to a loudspeaker. Every fiber of her being seemed to shake as the voice spoke.
   "And lo, I beheld a great beast. Its head was that of a lion, its body that of a wolf, and its tail was like unto a writhing serpent."
   As the voice spoke, the very beast it described appeared before Adela, and she was sore afraid. But the beast did nothing to harm her, nor did it even seem to notice her.
   "From its mouth issued forth fire, and the tail of it was full of venom, with which it slew the innocent."
   Everything the voice said occurred; fire bellowed forth from the creature's mouth, and poison dribbled from its snake-like tail, inundating several helpless people. Adela realized that, somehow, she was seeing into the man she was fighting's mind. Relieved that she was not in any direct danger, but confused as to how she could see a living man's thoughts, she began to pay close attention as the voice continued. The information could prove useful.
   "With claws like steel it rent those who stood against it, devouring the weak and strong alike. When it roared, forests fell as if afraid. Many rose up to challenge the beast, but all were devoured by its wicked maw. But behold! A young boy stood against the monster, and with the power of the Lord God Almighty slew the beast using only a sling. The beast was rent in twain, and its spirit departed from it. Such was the end of the beast. Great is the Lord our God, Amen."
   As the voice faded into silence, the world around her grew black. Adela was left in darkness.

                                                         ------

   Jesse stared at the two of them, frozen as if by some invisible force. If Sin hadn't expressly forbidden her from interfering with his "divine mission," she would have acted already. They had been locked that way for several minutes, and she was sorely tempted to shoot them both and move on if they didn't do something soon, collar removed or not. But just as she began reaching for her gun, they both drew a large breath. Sin flew off of Adela, landing with a splash in the murky water.
   Both of them gasped loudly for a few moments, until at last they managed to settle down.
   "How, who- what are you?" Adela asked. Sin remained silent, seemingly pondering something. Neither of them looked like they wanted to fight anymore, and Jesse wasn't sure if that was good or bad. At the very least, she didn't have to worry about getting blown up... for the moment.
   "Tell me," Sin said, breaking his silence, "are you missing memories?" Jesse thought this was a rather random question, but to her surprise, the girl seemed taken aback by it. Somehow, he had hit home.
   "How did you know that?" the girl gasped.
   "Before I get to that, we have yet to be introduced. I am Sin, and this is Jesse," Sin said.
   "I'm Adela. Now, how did you know that?" Adela asked with some desperation.
   "I know, because God wants me to know. I have been given a gift of sight, per se. I can see moments that hold great significance for someone or something. You possessed one that was very interesting."
   "What was it?" Adela asked, followed quickly by, "Stay out of this, West!"
   "West? That was the name of the boy who murdered you." Adela looked at Sin as if he had told her she had terminal cancer. She then began to scream.
   "West! You bastard! All this time, you're the one who killed me?! Damn you! Damn you to hell!" Once she had calmed down (which took several minutes), Sin explained to her the recall he had seen.
   "All this time, working for him... I never knew he had killed me," Adela said, close to tears. "If I die, I'll go right back to him," she sobbed. Sin simply smiled and said,
   "Not if you accept the Lord."

   Over the next half hour, Jesse watched stoically as Sin preached to the distraught Adela. At first, their conversation was somewhat heated, and Jesse thought it might break into a fight again, but eventually things settled down. Jesse found it interesting how well Sin could weave Biblical truths with his own twisted version of it. The weirdest thing was, it had a ring of sense to it.
   "And so, if you accept the Lord, you will never have to be with West again. You will spend the rest your after life in paradise," Sin said, finishing his sermon at length. "Would you like to accept him?"
   "...Yes," Adela whispered. Sin smiled and kneeled down, indicating for Adela and Jesse to do the same. They then said a quick prayer together, and then stood.
   "And how do you feel?" Sin asked, looking at Adela as if she were a newborn child.
   "Better... I guess..." she said quietly, but then she shook her head, as if realizing something. Her eyes squinted for a moment, then went wide.
   "I can't hear him," she breathed, nearly falling over. "West is gone. He's gone!" she said, her joyous screams echoing throughout the tunnels. Sin smiled at her exuberance, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
   "Now that you are spiritually free, I will make you free physically. Allow me to remove your collar."
   "What?! What if-"
   "Please... just trust me," Sin assured. Adela looked to Jesse for reassurance, and Jesse nodded. So Adela turned around, and Sin began removing the collar. A minute later, a soft click echoed off the walls, and Sin slipped the deactivated collar into his bag.
   "Miss Jesse, you too," Sin said, bidding her come to him.
   "Yes! I knew getting him to take her's off would remind him," Jesse thought as she moved in front of Sin. A moment later, her collar was safe in the bag as well. Jesse rubbed her neck, glad to be free.

   Backing up a few steps, Jesse then whipped out her gun and pointed it at the two of them, her footsteps causing water to slosh against the sides of the tunnel. Adela froze, but Sin just stared at Jesse as if nothing were wrong.
   "Now that I'm free, I don't have to put up with you anymore," Jesse said, staring Sin down. "You're dangerous and a lunatic, and I can't trust you."
   "Now Miss Jesse-"
   "Don't call me Miss!" Jesse screamed.
   "Jesse, I was afraid this might happen. This was why I didn't remove your collar earlier. Remember who you are," Sin said, as a parent might to a child about to break something.
   "I'm better off without having to worry about you slitting my throat for being covetous or some bullshit!"
   "Jesse..." Sin said, "I will give you one more chance. Abandon your sin, and you will be wholly forgiven. However, if you insist on this course of action, there will be dire consequences." Sin's eyes took on a dangerous glint, but Jesse was unfazed.
   "Ha! What does he think he can do? I can peg him from here and drop his ass before he gets close," she thought. But then she realized something. Sin had died once already, or so they said. Was his determination founded on something she didn't know? Could Sin not be killed? These thoughts began to unnerve her, and her resolve wavered. Realizing she had lost her will to follow through, she slipped the gun back into its holster and growled. Sin simply smiled.
   "See? I knew you would make the right choice," he said, walking over to her and taking her hand. "Doesn't it feel good to do the right thing?" Jesse grunted in response. "I'm sure you'll see you made the correct decision in time," he said as he turned to Adela. "And what will you do? I must finish my mission, but you are free."
   "I'm gonna try escaping this place. Without the collar, I can go anywhere and they can't find me," Adela said.
   "Then this is where our paths cross," Sin said, offering his hand.
   "Thank you Sin, for everything," Adela said, grabbing Sin in a hug that he was completely unprepared for. "Oh! Before I go, I have something I wanted to tell you. I wish it made more sense, but I think it's important." Adela then described the vision she'd seen while she and Sin's powers had merged. Sin was silent for a moment, then slowly said,
   "I think... this vision will require some meditation. I shall ask the Lord to reveal its meaning unto me, and pray the knowledge be expedient. I agree, however. I feel this information is of great importance. Thank you very much for sharing it." Adela smiled, glad she could help, then began walking down the tunnel.
   "I'm gonna head off now. I just came from up there, so I'm gonna follow the pipes until I find the ones that lead to the ocean. After that, I'll try to get a boat," she called over her shoulder.
   "God be with you!" Sin called.
   
                                                        One Hour Later...

   Sin and Jesse had climbed out of the confines of the labyrinth, and, after finding a safe place to rest, had made a meager camp in the forest above. Jesse's mood had improved somewhat over the last hour, and Sin held hopes that after a good nights sleep and a meal, she would realize the wisdom of her choice.
   After a short dinner of MREs, they agreed to take shifts sleeping. Sin, asserting that it was the gentlemanly thing to do, took the first shift. Jesse did not complain, welcoming the restful slumber as the sun set beyond the trees. Sin stayed diligent throughout his shift, listening for any signs of enemies and staying awake by digging a whole in the ground with a screwdriver he'd found. Several hours later, with the full moon overhead and a symphony of insects serenading him, Sin heard a voice, or rather, two voices.
   "-end up here?"
   "No... this can't be-"
   Sin stood up, dropping the screwdriver and grabbing his katana as he rose.
   "Who goes there?" he asked. The voices stopped, and then two boys stepped through the foliage.
   "You can hear us?" The boys looked nearly identical, save for one of them's eyes. The entire eye was white, except for a twisted ring of black around the socket. What's more, neither of them seemed very concerned about him attacking them.
   "Of course I can hear you; you are standing right in front of me. Why would I not hear you?" Sin asked.
   "Because we're dead, boy-o," one of the boys said. Sin was startled but, having been dead himself, did not dismiss the possibility.
   "You two are dead? Who are you?" Sin asked. The other boy replied,
   "I am Dustin Black, and I think we can help you."

                                                         ------

   Adela, to her dismay, found that the pipes to the ocean had been sealed off years ago. So, with nowhere else to go and wanting to get out of the sewers (it reminded her of West's torture room), she found the nearest ladder and started climbing. However, her rocket launcher was much more difficult to bring up the ladder than down, so she begrudgingly left it behind. As she climbed, she could smell the sweet scent of grass and soil.
   Reaching the top, she hooked her legs around the bars and pushed with all her might against the manhole. With a grunt and a grind, it slid off, and Adela poked her head into the cool night air.
   "I'm free!" she said to herself.

   Her brains splattered across the ground and her body went limp, falling back down the hole. Soak cocked his shotgun and spit.
   "Soak! That looked like a girl!" Flick berated.
   "It looked to me like her collar was off," Soak said cooly. Flick and Delran froze with surprise and horror. Soak simply smiled.
   "We're getting close," he said, grinding his teeth to stop the damned itching.