Page 155 of Monstrous Urges

“I thought I’d lost you,” he chokes fiercely. “I thought you’d been taken from me.”

I’m sobbing as he yanks a blade out and starts cutting my ropes free—one arm, then the other, then my torso. He hauls me over the guardrail to safety, wrapping his arms around me as I collapse into him.

“We will go together, my brother.”

The two of us whirl. The color drains from my face as I see a bleeding, pale Milos stretch his hand out and wrap his fingers around the remote on the ground.

“Like it was always meant to be…” he gurgles, blood dripping from his mouth.

It feels like everything goes into slow motion. Drazen grabs me, throws me over his shoulder, whirls and starts to fucking run for the Elba side of the bridge, away from Milos. My stomach bounces against his shoulder in a thudding, syrupy slowness as time simply comes to a stop.

I watch as Milos’ eyes close, his arm drawing the remote against his chest as his lips mumble a prayer.

Oh God…

The world goes white and orange. It’s utter silence as the bridge bubbles and surges under us, until suddenly, liquid fire belches out in a howling roar that deafens the whole world.

Drazen keeps running. My body bangs against his shoulder as the explosion surges outward in all directions like a Chernobyl nightmare.

And then suddenly, everything splits.

Gravity turns off.

Heat slams into me, fire, rock, and metal punching me into the darkness as the bridge collapses beneath us.

And the darkness and the black surf below swallow me whole.

37

DRAZEN

All I can see is darkness. All I can feel is pain. All I can breathe is ash and smoke.

The ringing in my ears is so loud it’s like my head is inside a train whistle.

My fingers scrape against rubble and ash. My jaw works, trying to clear my ears as a dim light flickers on and off behind my eyes.

…Drazen…

Yes.

I’m here.

I can hear you.

Maybe.

I’m not sure.

I groan, pain exploding through my chest, my side, my leg, my everything as I try and move. I blink and see only stars and supernovas, nausea and a lack of sense of gravity churning my stomach and spinning my head in a vortex.

Drazen.

Get up.

Get. The fuck. UP.

More pain rips through me as I roll onto my back. I blink again, the light flashing in my eyes flickering in and out before the light catches and takes hold. Shapes roam through the blurriness. Something moves closer to me, making my face scrunch up as I try to focus.