Dan

Dan would have never called himself a man of great faith, but as he sat numbly on his pallet of sleep sacks, virtually pain free and running calloused fingers across a newly formed ear, he could think of no better phrase than 'Goddamn Miraculous'. The only thing able to bring miracles, in his limited experience, was a higher power. He'd called that higher power God, just like most people did, even if he didn't personally believe in the average, Christian description of what God was. But his saviors, Erik and Alma, had told him to 'thank the Goddess' and that they were 'simply Her messengers'.

That one statement had singlehandedly thrown his entire belief system in a blender. He shook his head in disbelief. How? How was it actually possible? Gathering his legs beneath himself, he gingerly rose to his full height and stretched, looking around the camp store. Fresh clothes were laid out for him in a pile on the counter beside the register. He glanced down to discover that he was as naked as the day he was born.

"Don't remember that happening," He grunted to himself then chuckled, but was he really supposed to remember every detail of his ordeal when he had been literally torn apart and on death's doorstep the last time he was conscious? He supposed his state of undress should be the least of his concerns at the moment and wondered where his guardian angels, Erik and Alma, were hiding. He quickly swiped the pants off the counter and tugged them on, then reached for the shirt and jacket. Clothes in hand, he padded barefoot around the counter and through an open door that led to the building's living quarters.

The space looked comfortable with well worn, overstuffed furniture, a wood stove and enormous built-in shelves. The kitchen appeared well appointed and the dining table, set in the center of the space, was large. Images from the night before flashed through his mind and he stumbled slightly. He'd been laid out on that table. That's where Erik and Alma had reset his shoulder, where they had cleaned his wounds...where he had drunk that liquid. A single glowing eye bore into his and the stench of the creature filled his senses.

His gut lurched and he dropped the clothes, rushing to the sink.

Keep it down. Erik's voice echoed in his mind and he swallowed thickly at the memory. Shaking, burning with fever.

Breathing deeply, in through his nose and out through his mouth, Dan gripped the edge of the old farmhouse sink and closed his eyes, waiting for the flashback and wave of nausea to pass. He whispered expletives under his breath and broke out in a full body sweat. His heart pounded in his ears and his throat started to close, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

No, no. Not again. It had been years since—. He recognized the pattern of a panic attack and grappled for control. His ears rang and his mind swam with foggy visions of the past. Sand filled his mouth, nose and eyes. He couldn't see...couldn't breathe...someone was screaming in the distance. No. It wasn't real. He wasn't overseas. It was just a bad memory...just a memory. What had the therapist told him? Inhale slowly for five seconds. Exhale for five seconds. Keep your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. He did just that but it was having little effect.

"It's over. There's no sand. I'm safe." His mantra slipped from whispered, sand-coated lips. "It's over. There's no sand. I'm safe." He repeated. "There's no sand, there's no sand, there's no—" He coughed and spit into the sink. He needed water. Cranking the faucet on full blast, he nearly cried when nothing came out. Turning, he jerked the refrigerator open and grabbed a bottle of water. He just needed to rinse away the sand and the smell and the memory.

The familiar pattern of paralyzing fear slowly morphing into rage ran through him. This...this he knew. And it scared him. Back to fear. He slowly sank to the floor and struggled to twist the cap of the bottle. He just needed water. He just needed to breathe. He was safe. It was over. There was no sand. He needed water. The rage swept in again. Why couldn't he just open the damn bottle? He felt like a growling, caged bear. The room was closing in. He couldn't breathe. The sand, the stench of that creature, he needed water. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on his breathing. "It's over, there is no sand, I'm safe." He managed to croak out.

"Dan? Are you okay?" A deep voice sounded from across the room. Heavy boots pounded toward him.

"It's over, there is no sand, I'm safe." Dan croaked again, eyes still closed.

"Shit." Erik hissed, as he cranked the cap off the bottle in Dan's trembling hands. "Here-here-here, take a sip. Slowly now."

"There's no sand. I'm safe."

Erik pressed the bottle to Dan's lips. The moment the water touched his mouth, Dan's eyes flew open. He drank and spat and dumped the contents of the bottle on his face. Water. He'd just needed water. He closed his eyes and scrubbed his face with his palm as his breathing began to slow and he let his head fall back to bounce against the cupboard.

Erik still crouched before him looking terribly concerned when Dan finally opened his eyes.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Sorry you had to see that." He breathed.

"No need to apologize, friend. You've been through Hell." Erik stood and offered a hand to Dan. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke."

Still feeling off kilter, Dan took a moment to reorient himself. He was in the kitchen of the camp store. The dark-haired man extending his hand was Erik. One of the people he owed his life to. One of his guardian angels. Erik's face was almost too beautiful to be considered masculine, but his deep-set eyes, straight nose and strong jaw could have graced any number of his wife's large collection of romance novels. With a sigh, Dan raised his own hand and Erik helped him to his feet then clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks." Dan said, offering a smile. He couldn't help but notice that he had to look up slightly to meet Erik's eyes, a rarity for him. That put Erik somewhere around six and a half feet tall. Damn.

Erik pulled a chair out and motioned for Dan to sit. "You're going to need some food. Sit tight, I'll go get some meat."

All Dan could do was nod as he slumped into the wooden dining chair. He didn't feel like eating, especially after that panic attack, but he couldn't deny that he needed the food. If people were offering to feed him, he should take advantage. His stomach growled at the thought. Food would be good. And candy. Maybe some fruit too? The last of the shakes from the panic attack were fading and he sighed in relief. He hadn't had one that bad since he was just out of the service, and he silently hoped that the experience with that stinking shadow with teeth wouldn't compound the PTSD that he'd already been struggling with. He ran a hand through his hair and brought the water bottle to his lips.

Just then, Erik returned with sausage and eggs, Alma trailed into the room behind him, and Dan nearly choked on the last swallow of water left in the bottle. She was gorgeous. How had he not remembered just how pretty she was?

Well, he had been dying, so there was that. She was tall as well, even though she was a good head shorter than Erik. Her deep red hair was tied back into a long ponytail and her large, green eyes raked him from head to toe as she walked into the room.

"Where's the rest of the clothes I laid out for you, Seed Child?" She asked, full lips tilting into a small smile.

Dan glanced around quickly, wondering where he'd dropped them and found them laying in a small pile not far from the doorway that led into the market section of the building. He began to rise and retrieve them, but Alma was already making her way there.

She gathered them up off the floor and handed them back to Dan. "The bathroom is down the hall, second door on the right. I filled the sink with warm water for washing and there is a bucket of water in the shower to use to flush the toilet with. Just refill it when you're done. The hand pump is out back."

He nodded in thanks, speechless and shuffled to the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Had he been a younger man and single...his thoughts traveled to places they hadn't been in years and he shook his head.

What had gotten into him? Reaching out to grab the shirt Alma had left him, he snapped it up and tugged it over his head.

Did it smell like her? Pushing that train of thought out of his mind, he glanced in the old, medicine cabinet mirror to smooth his hair and his mouth fell open. Not only did he miraculously have an ear, but he looked younger too. At least ten years younger. Leaning closer to the mirror, he inspected his face. The worry lines on his forehead and smile lines around his eyes and mouth were gone while his hair was darker and thicker. Cautious hands traveled to the hem of the shirt he'd just pulled on and lifted it. To his shock, rippled muscle sat where a slight beer belly had resided just the day before. He hadn't been in that kind of shape since he was in the service. Stripping the shirt off, he peeled the bandages away from his wounds. Smooth skin, not the stitches he had expected, greeted him. The only evidence that he'd been filleted like a fish was a faint spidering of red marks across his shoulder, ribs and face.

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How? How was it possible?

He nearly ripped the door off its hinges as he sprinted from the bathroom and back to the kitchen. "How!?" He all but yelled at Alma and Erik.

They shot one another a knowing glance and gestured to the table.

"Here we go." Erik said under his breath, then louder, "Have a seat, my friend, we have a lot to talk about and not much time to do it in."

Dan strode to the table and sat, leaning forward, elbows on his knees while Erik finished frying the eggs and sausage and Alma toasted the bread in a pan. His stomach rumbled at the scents of food and he sighed, leaning back again in the chair. He inspected his bare arms and torso.

When he had first awoken on that pile of sleeping bags, he had felt invigorated, better than he had in years, and now he took a moment to really feel into his body for the myriad of old injuries that had come back to haunt him over the past decade. From his arthritic elbow and shoulder to his aching knees and constantly sore back, he felt absolutely none of the pain that normally infiltrated every aspect of his life.

Invigorated was too soft a word. He felt ten feet tall and bulletproof. He felt like he could have gone and maxed out a PT test. Practically overflowing with energy, he shifted in his seat. He wanted to blow something up. Wanted to do a keg stand. Wanted to hit the bar with his buddies and get some tail. With every heartbeat, the energy inside him intensified.

He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands, "What in God's name is going on?" His voice came out muffled and strained.

"Goddess." Alma corrected as she set a heaping plate on the table before him.

Dan glanced up at her, eyes darting around her face before settling on her mouth. "Jesus, you're beautiful." He said in a daze as he reached out to take her hand.

What in the actual fuck was going on with his head? He'd just been an anxiety ridden mess not twenty minutes ago and now...now he felt like a kid in his early twenties with only one thing on his mind.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know." She replied, gently smacking his hand away. "Now eat your food. You're just buzzing from the remedy."

"What was in that?" He asked, squirming in his chair, while Alma turned back to the stove. He completely ignored the plate of food in front of him. "I feel like a candy kid, gacked out on molly at a rave. I can't sit still," His palms returned to his face then his fingers raked through his hair. "And I wanna touch everything." Even his hair tingled. "You guys are my friends, right?"

What was this rubbish flying out of his mouth?! He was equal parts excited, terrified, mortified and aroused.

Alma glanced at Erik and tried not to snicker. Turning back to Dan, she said, "Your wounds are healed but the remedy is still working.Try not to fight it.First, you need to fill yourself with something pleasurable...a dopamine hit.Food is a good place to start. If that doesn't work..." She trailed off for a moment and glanced back at Erik, quirking a perfectly shaped brow, as if looking for approval. He nodded slightly and she finished, "We'll try...something else. Just eat the food and see how you feel."

Dan reluctantly picked up his fork and stabbed a sausage patty, then shoved it into his mouth whole. The flavors exploded across his tastebuds, nothing he had eaten in his life had ever tasted so good and he groaned, scooping up a lump of scrambled eggs. He shoved those into his mouth and could do nothing to hold back the grin spreading across his face. "This is delicious." His words muffled around the food. He ate like he hadn't seen food in months.

Erik and Alma both fixed themselves a plate and sat down facing Dan, studying him. When his plate was nearly clean, he glanced up at Erik and Alma.

They looked at him expectantly. "Are you feeling more yourself?" Erik asked while pushing some eggs around his plate.

"Well, I feel less," He paused, searching for the right words, "Agitated."

That didn't fully encompass how he was feeling, but it would have to do.

"Thank the stars," Alma sighed in what looked like relief.

Unsure of what to say, but still buzzy enough to not care, Dan took a deep breath and asked, "So, how many days was I out? It had to have been weeks. And how did this heal up so well?" He gestured to the red marks on his face and torso. "I'm hardly going to have a scar and that thing carved me up like a thanksgiving turkey."

Alma's face was deadly serious. She gently laid her fork on her plate and placed her elbows on the table, fingertips steepled. "It's only been about eleven hours since you drank the remedy. We found you in the road at about noon yesterday. Erik carried you inside."

"There's no way." Dan stated flatly. It made absolutely no logical sense.

"We swear on the Light Mother's Throne, she speaks the truth." Erik's stare pierced Dan's very soul and something seemed to jolt inside of him. A thrill ran through his body and his eyes went wide.

A self-satisfied smile spread across Erik's face and he leaned back in his chair, crossing well-muscled arms over his chest. "Our sparks commune, you can feel it.You know what we say is true, don't you?"

Dan's mouth went dry. Every cell in his body sang. The world around him snapping into crystal clear focus. "My God, I do. I don't know how but I do."

"Then listen closely, we have a lot to tell you before we need to leave this place." Alma said.

Dan nodded numbly and she continued while quickly eating her breakfast. Between mouthfuls she explained, "When we brought you inside, I was sure that you were going to die, but you just kept on breathing. Erik bound your wounds and we set your shoulder then we waited. We-um... argued a bit on what we should do with you."

"I think I remember bits and pieces of that." Dan added. Blistering pain shot through his mind and he winced. "What convinced you to give me that drink?"

"Well, lucky for you, Erik is a softhearted being, and no matter what I could have said or done, he had made up his mind to save you the moment he scooped you up off the road." Alma had the decency to look more than a little chagrinned. "For what it's worth, I'm glad that he gave you that remedy." Her eyes seemed to smolder, "Perhaps if we had met during a less chaotic time," She trailed off but her eyes held Dan's gaze.

Dan's knee crashed into the table. "You can't be suggesting what I think you are. Aren't you two...together?" He asked in a stammering rush.

"Goddess, no." Erik said around a mouthful of food. "Friends. Just friends. Anyway, once you come down from the healing buzz, she'll probably lay off. You're oozing virility right now."

Dan stifled a cough. So, he wasn't mistaken! Alma was coming on to him. Nobody but his wife had even given him a second look in years. And what did Erik mean by 'oozing virility'? He shook his head trying not to allow his overactive mind to travel down the path it was on and asked, "So, the healing. How does it work?"

"The short answer is that it's a gift from The Light Mother and a family secret."

"How bout the long answer?" Dan quirked an eyebrow. "Cause I haven't looked or felt this good in a decade at least."

Erik hesitated a moment as if struggling with himself. "Oh, what does it matter now?" He mumbled, then shifted in his seat. "Your science does not know of its existence, and we'd like to keep it that way, if you don't mind, but I will tell you this; right now, your cells are going through a massive reconstruction. Your body, your whole body is healing. Not just your injuries. Even your brain."

"There is nothing in the known world that can reverse aging." Dan snorted.

"Like I said, it's a family secret, and we'd like to keep it that way. You've seen what it's doing in the mirror. You can feel it from your head to your toes."

Dan had to admit that Erik was right. He definitely felt something. "When I was...dying...I heard Alma say that I might be too strong to simply give up the spark. What does that mean?"

Before Erik could answer, Alma took over. "Every being on this planet has a spark. Hume—er, humans call it a soul. That soul is a tiny piece of the goddess. When one of her creations is injured by a Darkling or one of its Spawn, the creation usually dies. However, there are some that are strong enough to hold to life. When that happens, the darkness takes over and the spark is swallowed by the spawn's influence."

"I don't understand." Dan's mind reeled. Life wasn't a science fiction movie. That shit just didn't happen.

"Fortunately, you don't actually have to understand it. You can keep away from the spawn just the same either way. The important takeaway here is that if someone you love gets attacked by a spawn, it's best to put them out of their misery." Erik spoke clearly and firmly.

Dan's mind started making connections. "When all those maulings and disappearances happened last summer, was it those creatures?"

Erik and Alma nodded solemnly.

"How do you know so much about what's going on? No one had a clue last year, and here you two sit with a magic heal-all potion and more knowledge than seems natural." Dan waved his hand and leaned forward, bringing his elbows to rest on the table.

Alma spoke this time, quiet and low. "Our family has been protecting this area from those creatures for more than thirty generations and there were others before us. There is much that humans don't understand about this world and things are about to get very, very messy."

Dan gaped as that thrill, that shock of energy, ran through him again and his heart settled somewhere in his gut. These people weren't lying to him. His eyes flicked from Alma's to Erik's and then back again. Those eyes held a depth that he hadn't noticed before, full of ancient knowledge and power.

"I need to get back to my family." Dan croaked. "But there's a girl about 8 miles up the road stranded in her car." Amber's worried face flashed in his mind. "We've got to go get her. She's just a kid...twiggy little thing...she wouldn't stand a chance against one of those creatures."

"Absolutely out of the question." Alma nearly spat. "There's never just one spawn. And if, by some miracle, the one you killed was alone, it wouldn't have been for long. If you left her there yesterday, you've already signed her death warrant. There isn't a chance under the stars that she's still alive."

"Shit." Dan's entire soul withered. "But what if she is? Her chances of survival get lower every second we spend here. I made her a promise. I told her I would send up a flare if there was still food here, if it was still safe. We have to go get her. And if you two wont help, I'll do it myself."

"Dan, if you send up a flare now and she is still alive, she wont be if she leaves her car." Erik's voice was gentle and sympathetic. "The Darkling and their spawn can only move in darkness. The thick cloud cover here makes this area a paradise for them. If she goes out in the rain..." He trailed off a moment before beginning again. "If she has the good sense to stay put and the spawn don't manage to find her, the only chance she has is to wait for a sunny day to make the walk on her own."

Dan shook his head violently. He'd fucked up. He'd fucked up bad.

"We can't go deeper into the forest now. We need to head down the mountain, away from the forest. The spawn will be weak, like the one that attacked you, for a few more days at most, but as they grow in strength and number, we'll end up stuck here. Even though it's raining now, our best chance is to head out as soon as possible, before they get too strong." Alma explained.

"But what if we waited for a sunny day? Then we go up there and bring her back? We could just wait for the sun again, then leave here. All of us, together." Dan tried reasoning with them but again he was met with resistance.

"If we don't leave now, the spawn could make their way down out of the mountains and to your home before you do." Alma's gaze held Dan's. "You said you had a wife and kids. Would you leave them to face those damn things alone? Without you?"

She had a point. If this really was the apocalypse, then this was war, albeit, a completely different kind of war than he had ever experienced, but a war none the less. It would be every man for himself. And if some ancient creature was here to facilitate the end of times, he needed to be with his family. He needed his community to survive. In war, sometimes the few were sacrificed to save the many. The third rule to survive the apocalypse popped into his mind. Don't ever be a hero. That's a one-way ticket to getting yourself killed.

"Damn-it!" He growled and pounded a fist against the table. Alma jumped, but Erik just took a deep, impatient breath.

Alma's chair scratched across the vinyl floor as she stood and cleared their plates. "I'm just going to take care of these." She disappeared through the wide doorway and down the hallway, leaving the two men alone.

"I know this is a hard decision—," Erik started but Dan cut him off.

"It's not hard, it's impossible. She's just a kid and I made her a promise. But my family needs me. She said she lives at home with her single mom and brother. If I leave her up there, it's my fault that they'll never know what happened to her."

"I know this is hard. I know it, but you strike me as a very prepared man. Did you do any research on what would happen to the population in the event of a nationwide power outage?"

Dan nodded stiffly. He had done the research, and the estimates were dire. Some studies stated that more than eighty percent of the population wouldn't last six months. Half the population would be gone in less than three months.

"Now imagine a hoard of Darkling Spawn doing their damnedest to annihilate the remainder of the folks that survived." Erik said.

Dan's shoulders sagged.

Erik paused a moment before continuing, "This is an extinction level event but our family and many others like it will be gathering far to the north to fight this darkness. We've been waiting for this our whole lives. We've trained for this our whole lives, and The Snow Forest is going to need all the help it can get. What I'm trying to say is that we need strong people like you in the community to help hold things together. I didn't give you my bloo—that bloody remedy for you to go wasting your second chance at life."

Dan just shook his head not wanting to admit that Erik was right. His eyes welled up and he blinked away the tears. "This fucking sucks." He sniffed and scrubbed at his eyes.

Erik stood slowly and moved to Dan's side. "It does. And there isn't anything we can do about it...yet." He laid a gentle hand on Dan's shoulder. Get some water and get dressed. Meet us out back when you're ready. We leave at mid-day."

Eyes on the table, Dan listened to Erik's retreating steps and sighed. It just wasn't fair.