The following two days dragged by painfully slow. In the end though, she was excited about her hiking trip with Taylor. Nearly two hours away from the city, Morrigan breathed in the fresh air out the open window as Taylor navigated the rough trail they headed up. She took in the greens of thousands of pine trees and various hues of the ground in its supreme beauty. There was a disappointment that snow or ice had yet to form on the Rocky Mountains due to a 15 megaton nuclear warhead being dropped 30 miles west of the peaks. Scientists were originally baffled that the entire mountain was not contaminated but the radiation only concentrated in the first five miles from its epicenter. People still stayed away from the west side of the mountain range more often than not out of fear the scientists were wrong.
Exiting the truck, Morrigan stretched with a pleasant squeak, “this is way more like it.”
She opened the back door and grabbed her school backpack that she had filled with a sketch pad, water and snacks. She was no artist but over the past two years she had completely lost the motivation to draw, she intended on changing that.
Taylor appeared out of nowhere wrapping his arms around her waist. “Oh!” she muttered as she felt his muscled body against her back.
“Are you ready for some adventure love?” he whispered into her ear.
Heat flooded her as she blushed and she leaned into him, reaching up to pull his head down when she turned to lead into a short, passionate make out sessions. Now that they were alone, there was less of a reason to be modest about their love for each other.
She patted his cheek, “come on, let’s go.” As she slipped from his arms she swung her backpack in a wide arc to deter him from trying to make a grab for her again. She smiled over her shoulder with a cocky smile as she sashayed up the path. Taylor just stood there with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face as he subtly shook his head.
They walked hand in hand through what used to be the national forest preserve. It was overgrown and beautiful since the government felt the need to let the area reclaim itself after what previous generations have done to it during the last world war. Morrigan and Taylor both appreciated it, they both loved nature and unbeknownst to Morrigan, he had come out here the day prior to set up a little surprise for her as a late birthday present.
He watched her with admiration as her excitement of spotting forest birds or small forest animals got the best of her. Regardless of what his parents, or anyone else for that matter, thought of her; he would do everything he could to stay by her side. Aside from her parents, he believed to be the only one who has had the chance to see the kind and beautiful soul that was Morrigan. In this instance, it was Morrigan lover of all things small and fuzzy.
Taylor led them to her favorite spot in the area. It was a stream that was fed by a small waterfall backed and flanked by rows upon rows of pine and spruce trees, the edges of the stream flat and smoothed over by water and wind erosion. Once upon a time the peaks of the mountain would be capped with snow that bled down right above the waterfall. Distracted by a flock of tiny birds darting from tree to tree, Morrigan’s eyes widened as she finally spotted the folded blanket sitting on top of a sealed container.
“What’s this?” she asked turning to him.
He chuckled as he stepped forward to grab the blanket and started unfolding it, “what? Have you never been on a picnic before?”
Morrigan knew what a picnic was; she smiled shaking her head while blush slowly creeped up her cheeks, “no you big softie, I have not.” That smile turned into a grin as she skipped over to help him set the blanket up.
She took a seat on the blanket at his gesture. While he unlocked the container, she tried to lean and peer to catch a peek at what he brought. The only thing she got a peek at was the piercing gaze that told her to be patient. In truth, she did not do patience very well, so she sucked in her lower lip innocently, rocking back and forth in anticipation.
She watched as he pulled a portable gas cooktop and various other equipment, her eyes lighting up the moment she watched him pull two slabs of meat from the container. “A boy after the heart he already owns,” she thoughtfully mused as her interest focused on what he was doing.
Taylor knew steak was Morrigan’s favorite, and so was the Eskarii fruit he plucked from the container and tossed to her. She squeaked with joy as she jammed the fruit into her mouth, biting down with a small blissful moan as blue fruit juice trailed down her chin. He personally thought the fruit were sour, but she swore up and down they’re sweet and tangy like a super orange. He seasoned the meat and pre-cut potatoes he brought along and got to cooking.
Morrigan was beyond ecstatic. She knew Taylor was a romantic at heart but between school and him helping at his family’s garage, he rarely got to express himself the way he wanted to. She wondered if this meant as much to him as it did for her? For her, it was her only friend and the love of her life expressing how much he cared about her and valued her, something she never experienced outside her family. The best thing about Taylor was not how he expressed his feelings in moments like these, but the fact he accepted and appreciated everything about her; from her silly, quirkiness to her secluded and abrasive personality. He treated her like his life was in her hands.
The day she knew he was her world was the day she explained to him why she was arrested. Instead of turning his back on her, running and leaving her to her misery like she expected; he instead knelt in front of her as she bawled her eyes out. He had taken her hands, kissing them together and looked her directly in the eyes. 'I understand Mori, and I am here for you. No matter what, I will always be by your side whether that’s supporting you or fighting alongside you. You are never alone because I am always here, Forever and always,’ he had said in his softest, most caring voice.
Morrigan had to wipe away the start of tears as she remembered that night. He saw this as he passed her a plate of finished food. “What's wrong hun?” he said as he sat next to her with a look of concern on his face.
She smiled. She knew he was always concerned about her feelings. With a gentle shake of her head she said, “nothing’s wrong. I just love you.”
Taylor smiled back at her. He did not expect her to get emotional over a picnic but was happy to see her happy. “I love you too baby,” leaning in to give her a kiss.
She cut a piece with the utensils he gave her and let out a delightful groan. “Oh, you need to do this more often!” she delightfully demanded with a mouth full of food. That earned a laugh out of Taylor as he ate.
“And what pray tell, would that be?” he asked.
She giggled, “you should so cook for me more often, this is amazing.”
“Well to be fair, I wanted to come over and make you dinner until your father called about his plan for your birthday,” he retorted with a smile.
She turned to him with a quirked eyebrow as she held the fork still with her teeth. Taylor could not help but admire how adorable she looked.
“Well, that was my intent for your birthday, but your dad’s plan seemed more important. Which was alright by me, besides it gave me time to plan your belated birthday picnic,” he said with a wink.
“Thank you, this is amazing,” she said sincerely before returning to her food thoughtfully. Morrigan observed small animals watching them eat. She took in the fresh air and natural scenery as she thanked whatever higher beings existed that Earth had not entirely industrialized and kept what roots it had before the planetary evacuation.
She saw pictures and videos of what they did to the other planets humanity had occupied, industrialized forge worlds and mining colonies that ruined whatever ambient beauty the planets once had.
“So, any plans about what you’re going to do once we graduate?” Taylor asked as he finished eating, setting his plate into the container.
“Not really,” she replied as she handed him her own plate and leaned back. “I’m pretty sure my dad wants me to join the academy, I think he wants me to join D.S.T.U. given my whole birthday surprise,” she said with an abrupt snort.
Taylor laughed, “I don’t believe that was his intentions. When he called me about it he only talked about how he thought you'd have a blast and may even feel like you got a little pay back. Though I think he would be beyond happy if you chose to follow in his footsteps.”
She shrugged and bit her lip, “well he was half right, I did have a lot of fun. I do feel bad for knocking that guy out though… I don't know, I mean if anything it’s a good fall back plan, except I don’t know how I would handle all the xenophobia and shit. I’d probably get myself arrested again for assaulting a fellow officer,” she giggled at the thought, “frankly, I know I want to make a difference in all this, but I never put much thought into it with everything that was going on. I expected to fail my assessment and get thrown in prison. At this rate I may as well just take it one day at a time, first by making it through graduation.” She looked at Taylor, “what about you though?”
He smirked, “honestly, I’ll probably keep doing what I'm doing. Ma and dad said they're ordering a fifth lift for me to use so I can start taking my own clients.” He gave her a thoughtful look as he fidgeted with a stick, “I was honestly thinking of saving up once I start doing that and going to school for engineering.” He watched her frown at that which actually made him smile, “I was thinking after I paid for a sixth lift and extension onto the garage, that you could come work for us and save up yourself, not like you're bad with a wrench. Then we can both go. Who knows maybe you’ll find some law degree or civil services degree that you can use to make a difference.”
“Even if you hadn’t covered your ass with a sweet plan, you wouldn't be getting rid of me that easy, wherever you go, I go,” she sneered with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Taylor faked being insulted, “as if I would try to get rid of you.”
Morrigan stood and grabbed her backpack. “What are you doing?” Taylor asked. She walked with a certain degree of seduction around him before lifting his head back to give him a deep kiss.
“I’m going up in that tree over behind us and sketching the area,” she informed him as she stepped away. She put more sway in her hips as she walked away, knowing he was watching. “Who knows, this may be the last time we come up here for a while seeing how you have our future planned out,” she joked.
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She reached the tree and started climbing up. “That’s fair, honestly I could use a good ol’ nap in nature after that food,” Taylor called out. She looked over to him stretch out on the blanket, one arm underneath his head.
“That just means I get to sketch you into the scenery!” she called out while getting situated on a branch strong enough to support her.
“Uh huh, I want to see it when you’re done!” he called back with a wave.
15 feet in the air, she pulled her sketch book out and various charcoal and pencils flipping through the book, she paid no attention to the other sketches to find a blank page. She focused on the beautiful landscape ahead of her. Frequently glancing at Taylor as she scribbled on the paper, he was distracting to her and yet was her muse to finish the drawing so she could sketch him as she said she intended to. At one point a squirrel sat on Taylor’s chest as it cleaned its face. To her it was absolutely adorable and something she would have to add to the sketch.
Minutes stretched into hours as time idly passed by in the world around Morrigan, fading into an omnipresent orange glow called dusk. She finished the sketch by adding a small vague outline of the squirrel sitting on the depiction of her boyfriend with a delighted grin. He would not believe he napped out hard enough to let an animal sit on his chest, but she knew the truth and now it was on paper. She stretched, arching her back mildly sore back as it had been held against a tree for hours. “Hey sleepy head! We should probably get going, it’s getting late!” she called to him. She smiled as he gave her a half-awake thumbs up before rubbing his face.
She was actually surprised he slept so soundly in the middle of a mountain. She loved nature but would be too worried about a predator sneaking up on her. She shifted to put everything back in her bag as Taylor slowly rose like the dead and started putting things away.
With a swing of her legs, she fell with her hands gripped around the branch as she waited for herself to stop swinging before letting go. “Shit!” she yelped out of surprise as her feet hit the ground that broke away.
Taylor jerked his head up, looking around he could not spot his girlfriend anywhere. “Mori?” he said as he stood. Under the mild impression she might be pranking him he stalked towards the tree. Coming upon the hole in the ground he panicked, “Mori!”
He tried peering into the hole carefully, however it was pitch black, the dusk sun providing no help. He cursed, rushing over to the container and dug out a flashlight. Returning he looked in the hole again. However far this hole reached, it exceeded the range of his flashlight. He looked around and saw that the sides funneled out with jagged points protruding large enough about 25 feet down, possibly farther as well. He had no way to climb down safely, “Mori!” he cried out. Three hours from town, he had to get help. Oh, how he wished he had a phone.
ΩΩΩ
A couple hours had gone by when Morrigan began to come to. Her eyes cracked open and saw faint moonlight from above. A hole, she thought, trying to recall what had happened. That’s when her body registered the pain. She let out a shriek of pure anguish as her reflexes tried to force her to sit up.
“How did this happen? Why do I hurt so bad? Why am I sticky? Shit I think my leg is broken… And my arm. It feels like my ribs are broken, my head won’t stop throbbing…”
Her mind was in a whirlwind as she tried to assess her situation. She could barely see, there was only enough light to make out the faintest of details around her. Looking up she got a better look at the jagged maw that had swallowed her into the mountain. It slowly came back to her, she remembered feeling the pain as she hit things on her way down, remembered hearing something snap somewhere on her body before a thud that faded to black. She was thirsty, she could still feel her backpack.
She shrugged the left strap, the pain was excruciating as she tried her right side, her broken right arm throbbed when she tried to lift it high enough to slip the other strap but she grit her teeth through it. Unzipping the bag she found the bags of snacks she had, all been destroyed and littered her back pack, both water bottles had broken as well. Luckily one had a little bit of water left that she drank it with avarice.
She threw the bottle against the ground, panic and anger setting in. She was going to die down in a hole, all alone. After everything she had be through, finally earning her life back, and a hole in the ground is what would steal everything from her.
She roared in rage and tears. “Help me!”
Despite the worst headache she had ever experienced, she could not stop the tears, “I don't want to die,” she whimpered. She wanted her parents, she wanted Taylor. Taylor! She was with Taylor, she hoped he went to go get help, he would not let her down, ever. She had no idea how long she had been down there though; it could be any minute, or it could be hours before someone showed up to get her out of this crevasse. She could not fight the dread that she could still die down there.
She screamed, screamed and raged all her frustration until it felt like her skull was going to split in half.
Ah! The young girl with the delicious fury has awakened.
Morrigan sat in stunned silence. She looked around trying to pinpoint where the voice came from. “Hello?” she forced out cautiously. A chill ran through her entire body making her wince through gritted teeth.
Yes, yes. I am here, no need to worry that pretty little bleeding head of yours. Fear is too sour.
She reached up with her hand and ever so gently felt her head. Her eyes widen when she realized her fingers were touching sticky blood-soaked hair. Her head was bleeding, or at least it had bled since she didn’t dare touch her scalp.
“Um… where are you…” she strangely felt that there was a better question, “who, who are you?”
Who am I you ask? Hehehehe, and yet you were the one who stumbled upon my home and decided to drop in, so to speak. The real question, sweet child, is who are you?
The voice came from everywhere and no where at the same time. Her head hurt way to much to be anything more than confused and terrified. The voice creeped her out, it was old, but it held a modern accent with a strange vibration to it that made it sound sinister.
“M–Morrigan… is my name,” her voice trembled.
The goddess of Prophecy and Death, at least that’s what those strange Celts claimed. Such a fitting name for a frame so filled with succulent fury. Your parents must be proud of themselves.
“What the hell would you know about my parents?” she snapped, anger pushing up in her chest.
Your parents? Not a thing, but you dear child I know all about. For 12 years I could feel your anger, your sweet, sweet rage that boils in your very core. You’ve been a delicious beacon upon this thing you call a planet.
The way it talked creeped Morrigan out, she had no idea who it was, or what they wanted. It also annoyed her that it dodged her initial question, “you never answered me,” she said angrily as she did her best to gently scoot across the ground to find a wall to lean on.
Who am I? Depends on which age you wish to revisit, I was quite fond of the Middle Ages, the Vikings were interesting folk with all their gods and bloodshed—
“You know it’s really annoying that you keep doing that,” she remarked as she relaxed against the wall, feeling every muscle throb.
Let’s say I’m God, well, the only one that’s listening, the only one who can give you the help you need.
What? A god? She wondered. Morrigan did not believe in deities or religion. In fact, Earth had all but eliminated religion due to its role in so many wars over the millennia. So many wars fought in the name of some god or another in the ultimate pissing match between factions. “Mhm, okay disembodied voice of a god.”
Oh so cynical, is it so hard to believe a deity would strike a bargain as you slowly bleed to death? It is so, godlike.
“Bleeding to death?” She patted her body forgetting the condition she was in. Immediately regretting touching her ribs.
Ah yes, internal bleeding, the silent killer. Soon you will feel too weak to move, unable to stay awake as you slowly lose consciousness where death will give her gentle kiss upon the girl who is named after she.
Morrigan was exhausted. There had to be some truth to, whoever it was, was saying. She knew she could not just sit around waiting. “What is it you want?” she finally asked.
Me? You know, a little quid pro quo, a favor for a favor of sorts. You help me, and you survive your tragic fate of falling down the rabbit hole.
“Rabbit hole? This wasn’t a rabbit hole. Who ever this person, or thing for that matter is being a dick,” she thought. Her jaw clicked as she ground her teeth, how could she believe someone who sat there and toyed with her while she slowly bled to death.
“I don’t trust you,” she declared.
A shame really, you are an exquisite specimen, the only creature to peak my interest after so long, especially after that night you killed that police officer.
Her head shot up to look around frantically, “how the fuck do you know about that?”
I'm all about that blood-rage and death baby! That peak of primal hatred as you broke that cop’s neck—the voice shuddered—that was a blissful moment to remember.
Now she truly began to panic. She moved through the pain to try and find a corner to tuck herself away in and hide as she listened to the voice laugh maniacally. Her breath stifled, choking on a cry that refused to come out. Her energy was draining faster.
No need to be afraid child of death, I’m your only ticket out of here. Have a little faith will you.
Her breathing became ragged and shallow. She was certain she would die if she did not make a decision at this moment. “What-what do you need from me?” she forced out.
Just do as I say and your short, wistful life will be spared. There is a rock near your left hand, grab it.
She felt around and found a sharp, oblong rock.
You will now do what no living creature has done since my time. Carve into the ground as I say.
She moved herself into a ray of moonlight, pain drawing more of her energy. The voice gave her a detailed list of instructions. She lay on her side, forcing herself to focus on its words and scratch into the soft stone she lay on. His instructions detailed a sigil she had never seen before, it looked geometric yet fluid, as if capturing time in two dimensions.
Now draw your own blood through your hand, and place your palm on the carving.
She felt so unsure as her vision began to blur around the edges, she needed to hurry regardless of how she felt. If this was her one chance to save herself, she would do it. She placed the rock under her hand and put as much pressure as she could muster. It wasn’t enough to pierce her palm but the rock slipped out from under her hand and sliced into her skin.
She silently winced as she placed her palm on the sigil.
Good child. Now repeat what I say, Imi am ï hêrdir -o anand a gilith, imi beséch çin o haer ï haudh. Tul- fürthé o çín misguidïé lend a rad- refe witin nin bodui -o amarth. Tul- fürthé klama çín destinui rodèd o çin a tertwin cuil a gurth witin er cãlf.
“Imi am ï hêrdir -o anand a gilith… imi beséch çin o haer ï-haudh. Tul- fürthé o çín misguidïé… lend a rad- refe witin nin bodui -o amarth…Tul- fürthé klama… çín destinui rodèd o çin a… t-tertwin cuil a gurth witin er… cãlf!” Morrigan struggled through as blackness consumed her vision.
Yesss!
Morrigan had been passed out, barely able to feel her hand stick to the sigil as it glowed with a crimson light. “It burns, why does it burn?” She wondered. She could not speak, her energy completely drained and consciousness hung on by the barest of threads. Air rushed around her, it swirled around her until it impacted her with enough force to lay her body flat on the ground. What was happening? She wanted to cry out.
The wind pressure continued to increase, forcing what air she had in her lungs out. She tried to move but was held in place as she caught glimpses of crimson sparks that bounced around the funnel of the pit that would be her death. Her mind could not grasp what was going on as her lungs began to burn from not being able to draw air. Despair gripped her, she knew this was how she would die.
That’s when she saw it. Floating above her was the upper body made of crimson light. Her eyes went wide, skeletal wings stretched farther than the area itself. What would have been the densest muscles of the torso had it not been corporeal. Long meaty arms connected to ten inch claws, four foot deadly sharp protrusions jutting from the forearms. An eyeless skull made of long sharp teeth flanked by two thick tusks topped with two forward facing horns.
It looked like terror incarnate. She wanted to scream, she wanted to run, but she remained trapped against her will.
Now there's no need for that, I am a man of my word Ha! the spectral visage remained still as the disembodied voice cackled with laughter.
She became blinded by red, the crimson light had began to invade her body where ever it could; her mouth, underneath her eyes, through her wounds, anywhere if could find an opening that led inside of her until all was darkness again aside of the faintest shred of moonlight.
Morrigan rolled to her side coughing as she overfilled her lungs.
Damn girl, you are a hot mess. We should do something about that.
Her body twisted into an unnatural position. A series of crunching and squelching filled the basin as she began to writhe on the floor. Her scream was filled with so much pain that walls would have shook if not for being solid stone. I didn’t say this would be painless, you’ll thank me when you’re older. She felt her muscles convulse as she felt her bones piece back and fuse together. She could feel her skin stitch itself back together and her skin sticky with blood quickly dried out. The pain that wracked her body was too much for her as she blacked out.
Well fuck me… guess I forgot how weak human bodies are. the voice sighed.