Edge of End by Suren Hakobyan

just behind the thick air,
but all I could see was this huge imposing face looking at me with
hungry eyes, waiting to swallow me whole.
    Flinching, I doubted what I
saw.
    Blinking to clear my eyes, I opened
them to double check, but it was still there - the face was real.
Instinctively, I lifted my weapon, positioned myself and threw it
towards the demonic-looking face. As the pipe was about to hit it,
the face vaporized into a fine dust and my weapon got sucked up
into the storm.
    I stood there bare-handed,
facing a paranormal phenomenon, but then realized, how could a
piece of measly metal help me to fight ghosts or demons or whatever was dwelling in the storm ?
    As soon as that one face had
vaporized, other faces popped up around me laughing hysterically.
With their satisfied eyes, they continued to watch their
unfortunate victim–me.
    Was this to be my pitiful end? I had
had extraordinary powers, I had the supernatural power to fight and
bring down those hellish dogs; they had been real things. But
amongst these ghosts and demons I had become a wretched rabbit
surrounded by a pack of starving wolves. The torturous voices
crawled into my head burning me inwardly. I closed my eyes and
yelled. They were inside me driving me crazy.
    Come on, buddy, you can do
this, I told myself and blinked my eyes
open wide. Gathering the last of my strength I moved
ahead.
    Fortunately, the café steps appeared
before me. If only I could take several more steps, I might
survive. Holding my breath, I raced up the steps and at last the
door with the hanging sign “Open” was visible.
    The café was right in front of me, and
all I had to do was to stretch my arm out to reach it.
    Would I have time to move my
hand?
    An angry snarl pierced through the
storm and the hideous faces flew upon me simultaneously at the
speed of lightning. I didn’t have many options, so I forced myself
into the café. The nearest face passed by mine. It had a
transparent body attached to its neck and long wings.
    Demon.
    I think it even brushed up against my
skin. Its light touch bore enough evil power to make me lose
consciousness. The dim light and the wandering ghosts in the storm
faded.
    Darkness set in and took over my
mind.
     

Chapter seven: Enlightenment

    I was in a dingy house corridor,
narrow with smooth light green walls that were waving like flags in
a high wind.
    Unreal picture.
    I felt a little dizzy. I thought my
eyes were lying to me. No doors, no arches, just a staircase at the
very end of the corridor that led upstairs. Behind me, the walls
stretched into the darkness; there was no way to turn back, only
ahead.
    I started forward slowly. I was wary,
and I could hear the blood pulsating in my ears. Although the
corridor was empty, the air was filled with low whispers,
impalpable voices swirling around my head like little invisible
birds.
    I don’t remember how I reached the
stairs, or if I had ever reached them, but all of a sudden I found
myself standing in front of a cream-colored door, the whispers
still sounding in my head, trying to tell me something. But their
voices were in vain, I couldn’t make out a word; they were speaking
in tones that were either too hushed, or in a different
tongue.
    My brain seemed to have frozen up and
was deprived of any thoughts. My gut feeling led me to that
door.
    What did they want me to do?
Enter?
    “ You’re drunk. Get out of
the room! ” A woman’s voice full of anger
came from the other side of the door. I stood frozen, my ears
straining. “ Don’t touch
me ,” she yelled hysterically.
“ Get out! I told you never to come back
drunk .”
    I waited for a response from the other
person, the one who the woman was speaking to. There had to be
someone, in all probability a man, her husband maybe, but he was
showing reticence.
    As I waited, I heard a loud slap,
followed by the woman’s cry of pain. Shoving the door open, I
hurried in.
    It was a bedroom. The windows were
open, and white curtains blew