dirty dogs bark at bright stones, part III.

John's body catches fire as he steps forward. by an optical illusion it appears as if John had wings made of flames. his wrath creates an animalistic sound.

Nancy in her delusion runs towards Ashley screaming and holding a knife. Jake is holding a riffle and shoots towards the same direction. the bullets blow off the majority of the frontal part of Nancy's head. the parts that were blown off are turned into dust & stone. Nancy's body turns into a statue that falls and breaks into pieces. smoke and ashes come out.

Petter takes Ashley's hand. he runs towards the only exit that seems available. the others who are possessed by the ghostly rage are ignoring the pair. they start to shoot at each other with no care for safety nor salvation. it became an all-out war.

multiple bullets hit Jack. instead of blood, what comes out of his body is confetti. he starts to spit confetti out as he takes several steps back. he turns around nervously. he tries to run away once he remembers his mortality. it was too late for him then. he falls on his knees. and one final bullet that went through his head causes for him to explode like a pinata. all that was left was confetti and parts of a pinata. 

Petter and Ashley keep running away as Joahn is the only one chasing after them. they feel extremely nervous and desperate. there seems to be no way out. they walk around an endless white corridor that takes them nowhere.

"If we get taken down. we go down together." said Ashley with a stupid smile.

"The way things are evolving. there is no other possible solution." said the ever pessimist Petter as he thinks carefully of a way to keep her safe.

Joahn has bloodshot eyes. she screams like a rabid animal. foam comes out of her mouth. smoke leaves her rabid eyes. she moves abruptly. is like the old Joahn was no longer there, and she was replaced by a rabid beast. a dangerous beast.

as they keep running. Petter looks at the big square-shaped windows on the wall. said windows appeared on the wall out of nowhere. the image that the windows show is that of a vehicle moving around the mountains. to be more specific, it seems as they were inside a train.

finally, there seems to be an exit at the distance. Joahn moves faster. she grabs Petter from the collar and pulls him closer to her. she gets ready to take a bite. Petter pushes her with all the strength of his body. she falls through the window. there is a loud graphic sound as if a train was running over a body. then neon pink blood splashes all over the walls.

Petter turns around all covered in neon pink blood. he smiles. Ashley pulls him. she looks directly at his sky-blue eyes. she then hugs him tightly as she lets out a sigh. the entirety of her life has been about putting a tough girl act. and now she trembles in fear for a guy.

"You condemn fool. I dread the idea of losing you."

"Don't cry. it's fine. I am here." said Petter on a soft calming tone of voice. he puts his hands around her face and asks for her to look at his eyes until she calms down.

"Please, don't let your melancholia win and survive with me."

they keep moving forward. they open a green door. they get to the next corridor. in this floor everything is upside-down. the chandelier on the floor. tables and chairs on the ceiling. it looks as if they were walking on the ceiling for a second. 

then comes the next floor following a pink door. this time the entirety of the corridor is twisted in an abnormal way. the floor appears to move on a spiral as it goes to the right wall, then to the ceiling just to move to the left wall and finally end on its original position. as they walk it looks as if they were walking on the walls and ceiling without falling.

some corridors go upstairs. others go downstairs. some corridors have stairs that go right into portraits and windows. other corridors are inside an immense pool. there are corridors that appear to be normal. there are corridors that look dusty and old.

there is a specific corridor that after crossing a gray door, it led to what seems to be a park in the outside world. there are birds. there is a sky. there are no walls. no ceilings. a sun that is so bright and warm to be artificial. the only artificial part of this corridor is how empty it is. there are no humans and no other creatures aside from the birds.

finally, the two of them end up once more inside the cafeteria. they look at the two corpses of her former friends. then they look at John in the splendor of his combustible life. the flames burn in a beautiful yellow that assimilates the credentials of the sun.

"Join me. we can burn for all eternity. it is simple, just forget about the theory of a real life. forget about the chains of the real world. embrace the glory of a limitless world. humanity has never felt as humane as it feels now. come and be one of us." said John with certainty.

"All flames must be put down." whispers Petter on a broken voice about to cry.

"But it doesn't have to be like that. a person once asked me if I live to die or if I die to live. to this day such a simple question has been the most conflictive definition of my ego. life can be so meaningless with so many regrets. so much baggage over my shoulders. the shame that makes me dread life itself. on the other way, when I put my life on the line. when I force myself to be face to face with death. is then that I feel alive." said John.

tears fall from John's eyes. few tears are enough to put down the flames. as the volatile flames of rage are put down. for a brief second John's face is revealed once more. and then like that he turns into ashes. a slap of the wind took the ashes away.

Ashley cries with desperation. she cries as she lets out all the emotions she kept inside a cage for far too long. in a single night she lost her family. that is enough to break anyone.

Petter just stands there awkwardly. he is unable to cure the wounded heart. the worst part is that this duel is not even over. things are just getting worse.

as the two of them intent on leaving the madness that is the bank. all kinds of ghostly entities present themselves in front of them. there is a black smoke coming out of their mouths. a rabid flame on their eyes. things are getting more complicated.

in that moment Petter gets his hands on his pockets. and he pulls a picture of his baby sister who died because of his stupidity. somehow the ghostly entities react to the picture. it is like acid to them as the smallest contact with the picture melts down the ghostly entities.

Petter holds the picture as a shield. a last opportunity to save himself. he then looks at Ashley who is also greatly affected by the entities. it is like if those ghoulish things are absorbing the life out of her by just been near them.

"I was never meant to make it out of here alive either way. I lived the life I wanted. I did things my way, and if am I to die. let it be under my own terms." said Ashley with a melancholic smile trying to hide the fact that she is terrified of death. 

"No. I have nothing to give to the world. I have much to take. I am like a parasite that has outlived his purpose on life." said Petter as he says goodbye to his sister's picture.

"I am WRATH." screams the ghostly entity with multiple heads.

in the last-minute Petter gives the picture to Ashley hoping the picture will be able to keep her safe for the rest of the night. then a ghoulish entity wrapped on fire takes Petter away. his screams and a trail of blood is all that is left, as he is dragged into the depth of the darkness.

Ashley falls on her knees. the picture in fact keeps her safe. but it won't last for long. she is losing the desire to fight back. soon enough she is surrounded by the ghostly entities. poisonous is their resentment towards the living.

"Come at me big boys. I am not scared. I had taken bigger boys down. if you are to give me a show, at least make it worth its weight on gold."

the picture turns into dust. the lights go off. profound screams.