Part 1
Car tires creeping over barren asphalt was the lone sound echoing across the silent suburb. “Clark, call into the station and let them know, Maribel is even more empty than we thought.” Two officers, one clean cut, an outstanding specimen of a policeman, and the other, shorter, stouter and with tattoos peeking out from his shirt, exited their cruiser. Gusts of wind cut down the barren streets carrying torn fabrics, and scattered garbage along. The breezes flowed through abandoned cars which sat illuminated by streetlights and the moon in between imposing pines casting their shadow over the ghost town. “It’s like the rapture happened or something.”
“…Yo Denis, I called in and let them know. They should be sending out another car soon. Maybe we should look around.” The officer named Clark pointed toward a flickering light inside a gas station. They entered to nothing more than an empty rifle sitting on the counter. “Whoever used this, must not have been gone too long. Barrel’s still a little warm. The fuck happened here?” Both men began scouring the store, making a shocking discovery! “What on earth?!” The back of the building was badly damaged. Cracked cement walls, the ground was punctured in multiple places with black liquids splayed along the dirt. Homes, cars, stores, there weren’t many in the small town, but they all sat deserted. “Population here is supposed to be around 80 or so, right?”
“Yeah. I think the tally before ended up just under that…” A message came through Denis’s radio. “…Guess the others are going to be a bit late, got another call. What do you want to do?”
“…Did you hear that?” Clark cupped his ear and walked toward a weathered barn upon a lone hill.
“No. What are you hearing?” Denis followed suit.
“Like…crying…a little kid’s crying!” Clark took off running.
“Slow down…” Being portlier, Denis slowly jogged behind his partner.
“It’s coming from here!” Clark pulled open the heavy metal door and crept slowly into near total darkness. Each step clumped onto the dirt until a deep squish caused the veteran officer to halt all movement. A very faint wailing echoed throughout the room. “Hello? Is anyone there? This is the county police! If you’re hurt, we can help you!” Reaching into his belt, officer Clark pulled out a flashlight. The light reflected off metal farming equipment, broken up dirt, and splintered barnwood, but the man still couldn’t find the source of the muffled cries. “Shit…need more light.” Clark turned to see Denis finally reaching the door himself. “Denis, open the door a bit, I can’t see!”
“Alright…hang on…let me catch my breath…” As Denis heaved the door, Clark’s back hair stood on end; a mammoth shadow of an unknown figure crept out from the darkness, engulfing his partner.
“Denis, look out!” Before Clark could draw his gun, the unidentified monstrosity, with its rotund form, spouted forth a serpentine limb and stabbed his partner, then lifted the full-grown man off the ground by the scruff of his neck. “Holy…p-put him down!”
“…Hm…what’s this say on your back? Police, huh? Constables, then!” A deep cackle and thin, gangly visage silhouetted by the moonlight strolled in beside the monster! “Hmmmmmmm…so many rats. Loch, should we come across useless ones, feel free to sate yourself. Ah…Viggo would’ve loved to take breaths in this world. Regardless, we shall test to see how these have changed over the last few decades! Creations of man, fuel to the God, oh in my name, rejoice escape your prison! Dancing inks!” He spoke in a dreamlike, wistful voice.
“Aghhhhh!!! It-it’s hurts! Fuck! Clark…shoot him!” The officer Denis screamed, as underneath his clothes and skin, something ebbed, twisting and turning, deforming the man’s body as his voice became distorted. “fuCuk HeelP Mee…ClARK gahh!!”
“Uh…Ahhhh!!!” Officer Clark opened fire, screaming in revulsion, but the man simply snapped his fingers, having the other shadow throw Denis’s body up as a shield. “…fuck…” Before another shot could be fired, the large creature rushed the officer with supernatural speed, shattering the ground beneath sharp talons! It closed the distance with Clark, swatting away the gun, snapping his forearm like a twig! “Gah!!”
“A rifle so small? Unlike the one wielded by the store clerk. Such brutish weaponry. So loud, unrefined, and worst of all…humans wielding such a weapon, lesser beings! Disgusting. Truly an arm of man, if nothing else.” He muttered to himself insistently while lumbering back to the opened threshold, his boots eliciting a squishing and popping with each step on sludge coated flooring. Struggling, he pushed open the metal door, filling the room with light. “The fact that I was allowed to wander, to move through the world once again after all this time…to finally get to create once again!” When the officer turned, he was shown an unholy sight, one that only could’ve permeated the nightmares of a devil. Clark fell to his knees, the officer of ten plus years met with something beyond his comprehension. “Ah…the Grand Witch’s Cabinet has afforded me many an interesting canvas.”
Part 2
(No response…) My messages to Wacky_Magik - to Erna went unread. (This sucks! Erna hasn’t posted anything, anywhere, so I’m starting to worry. I’ll stop by her place later.) Anesha had left the night before, so my only chance to initiate my plan was razor thin. (I spent the whole evening gathering information, hoping Erna and I could discuss it. She’s studying medicine and biology, so even if she couldn’t do it herself, maybe I could get her to put me in contact with another surgeon who can remove the seed.)
Mr. Russell called out to me from the front of class. “Mr. Isley, you seem quite entranced with my lesson for once.”
“Huh…? What do you mean? I-I’m always listening to your lectures wholeheartedly!” That was the worst lie I’d ever come up with.
“Really…I have to say, I don’t believe you entirely. If you were, then you’d have noticed most of the other students have already left.” It was true. The last two students aside from me had packed their bags and were leaving.
“Haha…right…” Quickly gathering my things, escaping the awkward situation, I dashed out the door! (…I don’t know which classes Erna takes, so maybe if I ask some of the other freshmen, they’ll be able to point me in the right direction.) Down in the lobby, seated about were multiple groups of younger students. (…Should I start with the girls? I guess so.) I walked up to a table of young women, who almost instantly turned to me looking confused. “Hi, you guys wouldn’t happen to be freshmen, would you?”
“Yeah, we are. Hey, aren’t you…Fate Isley?” One asked.
“…I am. Let’s not talk about the whole ‘missing’ thing, please. I just have a quick question.” My reputation preceded me, as annoying as it was; being famous, or rather, infamous amongst the student body. “Do you ladies happen to know Erna…” I never got her last name. “She’s a freshman, just like you! Short girl, black and pink bob cut, bunch of face jewelry with a chain running between her gauges…” With how eccentric Erna dressed there was no way people wouldn’t know her.
“We know her, but don’t know her, ya’ know?”
“…Yes?”
“I mean we know who she is, but she doesn’t really talk to people. She’s kind of a weirdo, which is why everyone’s been talking about you two hanging out.”
“I see…wait, what?!”
“Yeah, it’s crazy! People were like ‘Oh shit, Lost Boy Fate Isley is hanging out with Hermit Erna!’ Like, it’s insane!”
“…” I was angry, embarrassed and a little full of myself all at the same time. “Are…there a lot of people talking about this? It was only one day.”
“Yeah, but you both stand out in a crowd now, so yeah, lots of people.”
“…Whatever! Have you seen her today?”
“Nope! I don’t think she’s in.”
“Ok! Thanks!” I ran away, like an idiot.
Having had left behind any further questions, I made my way to the clubroom. Teddy and Chester sat at the table, compiling notes for our upcoming trip. “Comrade, how goes this day?” I was greeted by Chester in the usual over-the-top manner.
“Fine…” Just sitting at the same table as those two had gotten mentally stressful. Teddy got up, limping his way over to grab his laptop off a nearby shelf. “Hang on man, I’ll get it.” It was the least I could do.
“T-Thanks, Fate!” The knee braces on both of Teddy’s legs were heavy duty, slowing down my big friend considerably.
“Fate, my comrade, nary has there been a time in which I could not predict your thoughts.” I handed Teddy the laptop and sat back down. “Thus, as I proclaimed before, I’ll not bother asking about everything the other day. Though, if it’s truly weighing so heavily on your conscience…”
“I…really want to tell you guys but…you’re safer not knowing.” Even with Anesha gone, I didn’t want to put my dearest friends in danger of feeling her wrath.
“It’s okay, F-Fate. T-There has to be a good re-reason.” He laughed.
“Divulge the secrets when the time comes, my friend.”
“…” More guilt to weigh down my heart. “Thanks…” The door blew open bringing in both Perry and Demica.
“What are you three speaking about?” A disapproving look drew itself on Demica’s face. “…is it about you and the new girl you’re trying to pick up?” Not a surprise that she’d hear about it.
“Girl? Is it true that you’re attempting to court another woman aside from Gabriella? Oh, how scandalous!”
“Alright, alright! Don’t we have some research or something to do?” Last thing I needed or wanted was a talk about Gabby. “Here, let’s see what’s online. Have there been anymore sightings of the Basilisco or the giant.” The first article was about a town just one state away being totally wiped out, having everyone there vanish entirely.
“Whoa…what’s that all about?” Demica’s dark-blonde hair cast over my shoulder as she leaned in. “Think this has something to do with any occult stuff?”
“…It’s…on my news feed, so most likely.” That chill, it was different from what I started thinking of as my sixth sense; a feeling that would warn me if something was off or if I were in danger; it’d be triggered by things like Anesha watching me. That article gave me a bad feeling. (Got to calm down. Don’t want the seed activating.)
The clubroom got whipped up into a frenzy of people yelling and joking as the day ended. Those times were some of my favorites, a thing I wanted to protect and something I’d have done anything to keep.
Part 3
I returned to the other side of Greenville, underdeveloped as it was, mostly druggies walked the streets, high out of their minds. My invasive presence was ignored, so I just rushed by, hoping to avoid any trouble. Erna’s home was one of the few that wasn’t dilapidated; surprising me that such a small woman could live all alone in that kind of neighborhood.
The second I came to the front door, a constant, blaring pressure built up at the back of my skull, my sixth sense was going ballistic! (This is the same feeling as before…no, more hostile!) The malevolent aura emanating outward perturbed me, but I withstood it to ring the doorbell. No response. I rang it again, and again, and again. (…The longer this goes on, the more intense that feeling gets and the more anxious I’m getting!) My glimmer of hope was fading.
With my optimism waning, I prepared to head home until what sounded like someone falling against a hardwood floor, then stumbling up to the door startled me! Slowly the door creaked open, being held in place by a chain, allowing only a slim opening. “…Fate…I was asleep…what is it?” Erna’s monotoned voice spilled out from between the crack in the entryway.
“Sorry, I was just worried. I messaged you a few things, and I think they’re kind of important. Did you get a chance to read any of them?”
“…” An observable pause held in the air. I could just barely make out her visage, as that weird black belted jacket of hers shown even in the dark room.
“…I also wanted to know if you were coming to join the Occult Research and Study club or…”
“…The occult and Research club…huh? Huhuhu…I thought about it, you know? Huhuhu…no, I don’t think I will.”
“Why not? I mean, you’d probably get along with the others.”
“You…want to see the skull again…right?”
“Of course, but not right now. I’ve got something important to-”
“You want…the skull, right?”
“What?”
“You…want to take the skull…right? That’s the only reason you’re here…the only reason you came to meet me…right?”
“Huh!? No way, Erna I…” The malevolent atmosphere grew thicker, choking me up. “…”
“You know…” Erna unhooked the door chain and exited her home. She looked tired, bags under her eyes and hair unkept. “…I…huhu…no…I just thought that I could put a little trust in you. That you didn’t just want to use me for the skull…for your show…I guess I was wrong. Whatever…huhu…” Each of those weird chuckles continued downward into a subtle sniffle.
“I’m not trying to…” She was right, sort of. I wasn’t trying to use her for the head, but for her medical knowledge. “Listen, this is how it is, I need you to remove something inside of me! It has to do with the homunculus head you have, which is why I reached out and kept up contact. At first, I just wanted to get the head away from you, but then I learned that you were studying the head and medicine, some homunculus I met told me it was possible to do a procedure, so I was hoping you could remove this thing from inside my throat!” That was it, I told her almost everything! Cold sweat began rolling down my brow, mixing with the near explosive beating of my heart, cardiac arrest felt like it was around the corner! “…I need your help! If we don’t at least try soon, then we could miss our chance. There’s a witch keeping her eyes on me, and I only have another day or so, so please…!”
“…You were using me…”
“Erna! That’s not it!”
“You just said it was…”
“…I…come on!” I was so upset the seed kicked in, heating up in my chest! “Isn’t this exciting to you? I’m offering…” The very instant my hand touched the door frame, ‘Death’. That word resounded so strong in my mind that I stopped cold! It was the ghostly feeling emanating from the house. Such a strong hatred, like a warning for me to calm down. Whatever that spirit was, cautioned me to stay away from Erna; I finally understood. “…I’ll text you. I’ll let you know everything…please consider it, I’m begging you.” I turned away, feeling those eyes of the spirit watch me as I walked; Erna not even bothering to say goodbye.
Part 4
At home, I laid in bed, eyes fixated on the ceiling after writing and rewriting messages repeatedly. Hoping that I could properly convey my feelings of desperation to Erna, I kept coming back to what she said, that ‘I was using her’. I hadn’t considered until she put it into words, but I was treating her like she didn’t matter. With Mom, Chester and the others, I didn’t even want to get them involved in the whole mess, but I didn’t think twice about dragging Erna into it! (What’s wrong with me!? Even if I don’t really know her, just pulling her in without a care…isn’t that kind of heartless? Anesha made it clear, that she’d punish me and whoever found out about my connection to her…and now I went and blabbed to Erna. If Anesha finds out, she’ll probably kill her and lobotomize me.)
My laptop signaled a message had come through. It was from Demica. [Guys, looks like everything is set. We leave for Jasontown in two weeks!]
[Extraordinary!] Chester suddenly appeared online. [There have been many tales from the swamplands that piqued my interests.]
[Like what?] I quickly joined the conversation, as anything occult themed that would pique the interest of one of us would normally pull attention from the rest.
[Probably the Songstress of the swamp, right?]
[Very astute of you, woman! For some time, the Songstress of the swamp has been at the top of my research. What think you, my comrade?]
Chester had mentioned that legend before. It being the primary reason he wanted to visit Jasontown. [I haven’t done as much research as you on it. The melonheads, Skinwalkers and the Lizard King are a bit more my style.]
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
[Same! I’ve already got Perry packing our stuff right now, BTW.]
[Woman, are you incapable of packing your own belongings? Young Perry is the technological backbone of our operations! Do not monopolize his time!]
[Demica, are you going to that party tonight or something?]
[Duh!] She posted a gif of a smug cat. [I know you two weren’t invited, but Charlie made sure to message me earlier, personally, hoping I’d make it!]
[Disgraceful! To think that you’d make yourself into such a loose floozy simply to gain standing in this society!]
(Oh boy…) I knew exactly where the chat was headed.
[Excuse me!? Are you that jealous!?]
[Jealous? Hah! I’ve never felt such an emotion in my life!] Chester countered with a gif of an overconfident anime character laughing. [I simply live my life for things more than partying and seeking the adoration of those who do not support me mentally or spiritually! Comrade Fate, you also feel this way, no?]
[Don’t pull me into this.]
[Shouldn’t you start packing yourself, Chester?]
[Foolish! I packed months ago! Now, while you’re busy congregating with those of low moral value, I shall remain here. I may even play a game or two of ‘Great Wars on All Fronts’ with my fellow men of the Occult Research and Study club.]
[Oh, I’d be down for that. Though, you know I suck at RTSes.]
[Don’t you suck at any type of game that isn’t a fighting game? Well, doesn’t matter, Perry can carry you all, like normal.]
[Woman!]
[That reminds me. Hey @_GiantSlayer_, send me over those BJJ training videos you talked about.]
[Oh! Still aiming to be a pit fighter? That scar of yours could probably do for some company.] Demica jabbed, her bluntness being more of a sign of her being in a good mood than anything.
[Enough with your constant sass, woman! Inform your brother that Fate, Teddy and myself will be playing the game and that he is welcome to join!]
I was about to bootup the game when my mother entered in through the front door. Slogging over to the couch she draped herself down across it. “Mom, you alright?”
“Oh…Fate, you’re here?” She brushed the bright red hair atop her head aside and looked at me with bags formed under her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m home tonight. What’s up with you? Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“I left early. I’m so beat…” Mom started throwing her coat and shoes across the room childishly. “Can you make dinner? Please!”
“Sure, no problem.” I wasn’t the best cook, but mom would eat whatever as long as it wasn’t unhealthy. “Oh, after this pay at the end of the week, I’ll have just about enough for that car we saw the other day.”
“Oh, finally! Mommy won’t have to suffer anymore. No more walking for me!”
“It’ll have to wait though, just got confirmation that we’re heading to Jasontown in two weeks!”
“Jasontown…ok. Be careful.”
“…I will.” I finished cooking and brought it over to my mother, sitting alongside her at the table. “Mom…I need a little advice.”
“Oh?”
“…It’s about this girl…”
“Oh! Gabby?”
“No! I…well…we’re not exactly talking right now.”
“What!? What did you do?”
“Why’s it instantly my fault? Anyway, no. There’s this girl I met, she’s…weird. The kind of weird that me and my friends are. I…” It was difficult wording the upcoming statement in a way to keep it vague. “…Did something today to make her upset. I think I broke her trust…because she felt like I was using her…and I kind of was. I didn’t realize that until a little bit ago and now I feel like a piece of shit.”
“Hmm…” Placing her finger on her chin, Mom pondered. “Have you apologized?”
“…Not really.”
“You should. Regardless of who it is, you don’t lose anything by apologizing if you feel you’re wrong.”
“Yeah…”
“How were you using this girl anyway?”
“I…uh…”
“Don’t tell me…my own son! to think he’d become such a playboy!?”
“It’s not like that! It was…more I wanted her for a project, not to actually get close to her.”
“Gotcha’. Apologizing seems like the best course of action. Anything worth keeping or getting requires effort. That’s what grandpa used to say.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I’d ignored them to that point, but the constant pinging of my laptop reminded me I had people waiting to play a game. For the rest of the evening, I strained to come up with a message to Erna, as the next day would be the last before Anesha’s presumed return. Nothing came to me, so I elected to meet her in person, asking for forgiveness.
Part 5
Dawn, or at least I thought it was at first. The security lights to the back of my complex and moonlight entering my window helped me comprehend the lateness of the hour. Having fallen asleep with my laptop seated on my legs, awkwardly propped up against the cold wall of my room, my neck and back were sore. Unread messages sat in my inbox from over 3 hours beforehand.
[It would appear as though our comrade has fallen to the ultimate, undefeatable adversary, sleep! With that in mind, I shall also take my leave. We will talk more tomorrow!] Chester wrote, then logged off.
[@Fate_Isley, I DM’d you those videos! See you guys.] To Teddy’s credit, he was always exceedingly helpful; kept my secrets and would support me whenever I asked. Loved that big guy.
[Later.] Perry left with a single phrase. It was a bit saddening, but not much I could do.
(He’s probably mad about being left out. He’s always been the type to want to be in on every joke and event with our group ever since we were kids.) The clock read 2:12, meaning I’d slept for roughly 3 hours. The sound of the television humming and my mother snoring loudly came from the front room. I closed the game, ready to sleep again, quickly closing all the other tabs behind it as well. “Wait. Was I seeing things?”
Though it was only for a split second, something caught my eye as I was closing my browser. I ended up having to scroll around, reload the page and search post after post. Finally, on a local message board, I found it! [Midtown at night is crazy! Lol!] A bunch of very attractive ladies were taking selfies in midtown Greenville. [This old guy is dressed like he’s in a movie! Freakin’ super villain vibes!] The second image attached to the post showed the back of a rather tall person. Draped in black robes, noticeably reflective spikes hung from the figure’s back and under their arms; those may have stood out to others, but what caught my eye were the purple stitching run throughout the clothes, and the preposterous, feathered hat atop their head! The pictures didn’t manage to capture the person’s face nor any other defining features, but those purple stitches, they reminded me of Anesha.
My heart pounded, quickly beginning to fear the worst! (No way! There’s no way that whoever that was, was magekin! Right?) The tightening of my chest caused me to become short of breath. (…Is this the threat Anesha was talking about? Th-they found us?) I nearly tossed the laptop to the floor, propping myself up against the wall, taking deep winded breaths. (What do I do?! Right! She said to go to the barrier and have the guardian protect me!) Rushing over to the closet, I slung my jacket on, beginning to ready myself for the hike to the endless forest, but then another realization struck. “Midtown…That’s around the developmental area, about…4 train stops from Erna.) My fingers couldn’t type fast enough! Before my mind could create any more scenarios, four messages were sent to Erna. Minutes went by as all the messages went unread, pelting my anxiety riddled mind with bad thoughts. (What if…she’s already dead? I have no idea what this guy is like. What if it’s another homunculus maker? What if he’s killing tons of people right now? Wait a minute…if he came all the way to this city…he’d have no reason to go to the projects. Unless…the mana I give off got stuck to Erna? But that’s impossible! I was only around her for a little while! Wouldn’t this guy have headed for the Rockwell…estate…where that homunculus skull is from…) Putting two and two together, maybe ending up wrong, my mind began drawing theories, even if they were baseless. (I was bleeding and hit the homunculus from the estate with all my strength, so the skull could have more of the seed’s mana coating it than anything else.)
A person may have been put in danger because of the seed, because I didn’t value that person’s life; because I was too concerned with my own self, I didn’t even think about leaving what was basically a signal for whoever would chase me in the hands of some innocent girl! I felt idiotic, selfish, short sighted, lazy and a ton of other negatives to describe myself, though there wasn’t time for self-deprecation! With the projects my destination, I was stopped at the front door, halting only when I noticed Mom completely out cold on the couch.
In a hushed tone, I whispered… “I’ll be back…” Slowly closing the door behind me. Off toward the station, knowing that at least one train would be running that late, I bolted down the road! (There’s no promise that person is even magekin! What if I’m getting ahead of myself? Am I an idiot? No! I’ve got to do something! This is my fault! I put Erna in this situation, regardless of if it were directly or not, now she’s a target too! With my training…I should be able to handle a homunculus or some magekin or whatever! Anesha said that if they can’t cast their spells without their hands or mouths, they’re defenseless! So, I’ll just do whatever I can to stop them from speaking.) Formulating a plan wasn’t my forte, but I could only hope that the magekin had as little info on me as I did on them.
Police officers vigilantly walked the station. Before even entering the building, just short of the automatic doors, it was obvious they were keeping watch in case anything strange happened. “Hm? Hey…hey you!” A young Hispanic officer from beyond the gate called out. “You’re from the other day! Come here!”
“…Other day…Ah!” The policeman in question was suddenly giving chase, though I’d not even acknowledged him! “Leave me alone!” I sprinted, probably not the best thing to do with a police officer, but it was obviously the one from the day Anesha and I had ended Mary Rockwell’s life!
“Why are you running?!” He screamed.
“Because you’re chasing me!” I yelled back. The guy was relentless. No matter how many times I ducked and weaved into the wooded area down the winding hill from the train station, he followed! “Seriously!? Go away! Buzz off!” (I don’t have time for this! I need to get to Erna!) I was close to one of the guard rails with an incline that overlooked the city. Off in the distance, it was a straight shot to the developmental part of Greenville. “Wonder if…haven’t tested this all the way…but…”
“I’m ordering you to stop…” Could barely make out his words, but I assumed he told me to stop again. Didn’t matter, because I couldn’t if I wanted, as I charged forward with all my strength, shattering the earth beneath my feet, igniting my blood, and pushing my body as hard as I’d ever done; and with all that power behind me, I leapt over the guardrail. “…Holy shit…”
“Oh fuck…this may have been a mistake.” I assumed the seed kicking in would protect me from the fall, making it so I’d at least just land on the road below. The problem being the road below flew by as I soared far beyond what I anticipated, barely reaching the lip of a building’s roof on the next block over! “…That was…ok.” The building I landed onto had a fire escape, so instead of jumping again, I climbed down to the street and returned to running. Erna’s house was a few miles away, but I was confident in my cardio at that point to run the entire distance.
Part 6
The howling winds didn’t help, what was ostensibly, a ghost town, feel any less desolate. Stillness blanketed the projects’ streets, only being broken by distant murmurs. A shriek resounded from behind the house furthest to the right of the road. It was so muffled, I believed it to be an animal at first, but still, I slowly approached as the wailing faded. With windows of the run-down house all busted out, peering inside, only a lone handgun sat laying in the shadows near a staircase awaited me. I climbed through the window and skulked about in the dark.
Not until I’d entered the home, did I feel my chest suddenly constrict. The strange feeling was joined by a noise I’d never heard before, growing, overtaking everything. Nothingness devoured all other sounds; the overpowering sound of silence ruled the area. From the front to the back of the home, not another soul was seen and because of that, an odd emptiness began swallowing up my thoughts. By the ragged mattress on the floor and discarded food wrappers, evidently, someone was squatting in the residence, but they seemed to have left in a hurry. Just when I was preparing to leave through the window, a gasping was accompanied by a low buzzing from somewhere in the building. I turned again to the streetlights illuminating the front room, but only shadows, trash and the gun existed.
The unnerving gasping roared again, like someone was being strangled. “Is…” Stopping just below a whisper, I was afraid the magekin would hear, that I could’ve been lured into a trap! Anesha’s warnings, that the person was likely dangerous and aiming to retrieve the seed, echoed in my mind. (What if someone needs help?) The gasping got more and more frantic, as if pleading for reprieve, yet no one was in sight, just me. It was me! My heart was pounding, chest compressing like I was being crushed and through the shallowest of breaths, I was barely keeping myself standing upright.
A metallic crash came from far away. Forgetting everything else, I leapt through the window and made for the source of the racket in search of my…acquaintance. The instant I broke into a full sprint, however, some small figure crossed my path and we collided, sending me rolling down the street and the unknown person beneath me.
“Shoot, sorry! Are you alright? Erna?” Knocked down in her black belt jacket, Erna had to fight to sit back up right. “…” I stifled laughter at the sight of the small woman furiously kicking her legs, attempting to get her feet untangled from the bizarre clothing. After a second, I elected to offer my assistance by pulling her up right as her face shifted from relieved to distressed.
“Ah…huhuhu…Fate…uh…” She pushed by me and grabbed a discarded garbage bag nearby.
“What the heck? Is that…the head?” A bit of black hair and pale skin sprung forth from a slit in the plastic.
“Why…are you here?”
“Oh! We need to get out of here! It’s dangerous!” Erna dodged away from my hand when I reached for her.
“Hu…I don’t need your help…”
“Erna, look, I’m sorry about everything, but we need to go!”
“Go…away…!” Erna almost sounded like she was trying to yell in a hushed monotoned voice. “You’re…I hate you…”
“…” That comment cut deep.
Rhythmic jingling of thin metal pieces caught my attention, immediately directing my gaze down the road. Beneath the glow of a distant streetlight, approached a tall figure. Its thin visage, framed by a puffy, lengthy, coat glowing with eerie, luminescent purple threads, much like Anesha’s approached. “…nite…” Words spoken in such a low volume, I couldn’t quite make them out, but knew immediately I needed to prepare! With only a second of thought, I moved in front of Erna, not knowing what to expect, but still; it took far too long for me to recognize it as a spell!
“What?!” Before I could say or do anything else, my feet had left the ground! An explosion in front of me, sending a shock throughout my whole body, and scorching my clothes, burst forth from a floating spark! As I watched Erna quickly shrink in my vision, I realized that spell could’ve killed me if not for me bracing myself. I crashed into an old car, shattering the window and probably something in my spine.
“…scurrying about! Disgusting. No better than a wretch.” Ringing in my ears nearly overshadowed the muttering man’s voice, but still dazed, recovering from the blast the words reached me. “Navigating this human encampment is a disgustingly, frustrating ordeal! I shall make you suffer greatly, little mouse.” After assessing my injuries and managing to push my, only badly bruised, body back up from the cold concrete, I finally layed eyes on the magekin! He loomed over Erna, massive shadow engulfing her diminutive self. “Oh? You live?” Defying expectation, the magekin’s odd appearance topped Anesha and Erna’s, easily. Each wrinkle on his old face was adorned with a myriad of tattoos; so many in fact, an eye-mask was crafted onto his clammy pale skin with black ink. A greying single braid rolled down his back from under a black beret pulsing with purple energy, decorated with an astonishingly long, raven feather. Matching that accoutrement, his wide coat was made of a myriad of those feathers, as if he were a raven turkey hybrid, glimmering beautifully in the moonlight.
I was taken aback by him! Bronze spines dangled, reflecting the purple stitches from his cloak, draped over his withered and slumped shoulders, reaching down to the street’s asphalt. He was more my idea of what a warlock would look like! “Get away from her! I-”
“Silence!” Preposterously infuriated, the man’s face twisted up like a strangled frog! “Hearing the utterance of a lowly being, that manner of speech, such informalities! You should be on your knees! My body the canvas, blood my paint, Artist decay!” A black root left his pant leg, breaking earth under boot! There was no warning, but I jumped to the side! I wasn’t sure of what was coming, but my mind told me to move, and it was right! A pitch-black spike shot forth from the concrete, narrowly missing my sneaker! “…Inconceivable.”
Rolling up to my feet and quickly charging the man clearly caught him off guard. “…” With my fist clenched, I prepare to hit the man with all my strength! Blood rushing, energy coursing through my veins, power welled up within me! (I’ll hit him with everything I’ve got!) An inferno seared in my grip, ready to be unleashed, but… (…The difference between a human and magekin is just being able to cast spells, right? If I hit this guy as hard as I can…he’ll die. Can I…really kill a person?) The heat dissipated as my whole body cooled, not only that, but my legs and arms became heavy.
“My body the canvas, blood my paint, Artist decay!” Three black spines shot forth from the warlock’s fingertips, one cutting directly into my thigh!
“Agh!” That pain brought me back to the confusing reality! Before me, regardless of if he was a warlock or a human, was someone wanting to kill me! Standing behind me was a girl, one I’d taken for granted and dragged into the dangerous world which I resided in! There was no one who could save her, or save me, but me! “Get off!” I shoved his long and old body as hard as possible! He flew, jettisoned away, over a fence and into someone’s backyard nearby. “Oh…maybe that…didn’t kill him? Whatever, Erna, let’s get out of here!”
“Fate…how did you do that?” Erna stood up gripping the head for dear life.
“I’ll explain everything later. Erna, I know you’re mad and I know that I made you feel like I was using you; I’m really stupid and I’m sor-” Boom! My feet left the ground again as I was blown away by another super-hot explosion! Heated spines tore through flesh on my right side, being far worse than breaking my wrist or having claws gouge open my back! I hit the ground in shock, unable to even comprehend what happened.
“Laying filthy paws on me! On an aristocrat! How disgusting!” The warlock, rose from the other side of the fence with a grimace, clutching his chest. He wheezed, propping his aged body up with the use of the fence. “Little mouse, let us cut this short. I’ve no time to deal with humans! Return the seed, and then maybe, you can join the others.” His obnoxious voice echoed across the silent townscape while ambling slowly toward us. Still burning pieces of a metal sat lodged in my flesh, searing my shoulder and bicep muscles. The smell of my own cooking flesh was putrid, and the pain was unbearable, but I wanted to punch that guy so much more! “Resilient, aren’t you?” His shadow and boots entered my downed vision, along with an eerier purple glow radiating from his body.
“Fuck you!” As hard as I could, with my sneaker digging into the asphalt beneath, I jolted up, lurched back, clenched my fist, and fired a punch like a spear into the aged, leather wrapped ribs of the warlock! Even disoriented from the blast sustained, I could tell my attack was vastly weaker than when I punched the homunculus back at the Rockwell estate. The impact had no give, solid and unflinching, but I’d pushed him so hard upward that the grown adult man was lifted off the ground! The resounding clatter of my fist on his ribcage was like a cannon going off!
“Gu…ha!” The warlock evacuated his lungs, expelling bile and blood from the back of his throat as he flew up and back down, making an arc as he crashed into the dirt on the opposite side of the road.
My arm was still intact after that, but I was far from alright. Burning persisted, traveling throughout my arm and legs, quaking! Collapsing again, and unable to get back up, unable to move or even talk, I laid in the middle of the street awash with a sense of gratifying victory and crushing guilt. (I…didn’t mean to hit him that hard. That…that definitely killed him.) I thought about killing the man, it was in self-defense, but was that justifiable enough? Was me killing someone alright at all? (Huh?) His corpse moved. It was only a slight twitch of the chest, but it definitely moved! The pulsing energy surged through those purple stitches and the body continued to seize. (He’s still alive?!)
My hands were numb, and muscles as good as jelly, as I looked upon the warlock writhing around on the asphalt. If he got back up before I did, he’d kill me without a doubt! Persevering through tearing, burning, and blistering pain across my body; my head ached, my stomach churned and even my eyes strained to stay focused, I pulled my legs forward pushing with all my might to stand! It was like my limbs were six times heavier. Even with my feet on the ground I couldn’t help but hunch over, warm blood draining down my face, into my eyes, in my mouth down to the ground. A thought how of badass I must’ve looked, like a moron, popped into my head.
“Come…on!” Erna grabbed my arm and dragged me away! Small as she was, without an ounce of strength in my legs, I couldn’t deny her. It was probably for the best, as we ran away, I saw that warlock get back up and glare in our direction with an insidious smile.
End of chapter 11