Ch 23. Seeking answers The girls traveled through the night, straight into the morning. The calls of Scarlett’s pack slowly drifting further behind them. As they travel, the forest begins to get thicker and thicker until the canopy of trees has blocked out all but a few glimpses of light, basking the forest floor in an eerie false twilight. The girls stop before a large, ancient oak tree. Its leaves have long sense died and fallen away, vines and moss have taken root but the body stands strong. A cold chill runs down Nadia’s spine as she gazes at the ominous tree. ”We should rest Scarlett, you can’t keep pushing yourself like this its not--” ”We’re here…” Scarlett says somberly. She sets down the travois and begins setting up a simple camp, trying her best not to look at the sleeping figure of Shawn. She feels exhausted but it was better to push on rather than wallow in her grief. ”Wait we are? Here?” Nadia looks around for signs of life but the area seems completely devoid of anything, even the normal sounds of local wildlife are absent. This was not what Nadia had expected when Scarlett told her they were going to seek help from a Witch. Where were the cauldrons, the broom sticks, and black cats? The Sabbath circles, magical fires, and bubbling potions? This was nothing like the stories she had read about… ”She lives in this place?” Nadia says with almost a huff of disappointment. ”And what’s wrong with this place?” The voice of a young girl startles Nadia, who jumps when she finds a short girl with messy silver hair standing directly in front of her. She is dressed in a simple faded black cloak, her child like body is barely covered by the ragged thing but she either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. Her hair is dirty and a few twigs stick out in places. ”This is your witch?” Nadia hisses at Scarlett, barely trying to whisper. ”Witch is such a negative term, I prefer the term, magic enthusiast… Besides, my Sabbath ascended from these mortal planes many years ago.” The girl stares at the ground for a moment before picking back up with a wide smile. ”Oh well, accidents happen right? Chlorophyllum molybdite looks JUST LIKE Agaricus Bisporus when its young… Who knew it’s poisonous? Well I guess I should’ve figured that out before serving it in the sabbath's stew hahahahaha.” The girl laughs so hard she falls back and begins rolling on the ground, her laughter working towards hysteria. Nadia gives Scarlett a concerned look as she watches the unhinged girl roll around in the sticks. ”Ahem…Tabitha?” The girl sits up quickly as if nothing had happened. ”Yes dearie?” she says with a wide smile. ”You are Tabitha Feverfew aren’t you? My mother spoke of you and I was hoping you could help us.” ”Hmm… The name sounds familiar, that might be me. Though I don’t know if I can help you…” She grabs her feet and rocks slightly from side to side as she smiles at the girls before her. ”But I—” ”I don’t know if I can help you because I don’t know the problem yet hehehehe.” The girl begins laughing hysterically again, resuming her romp on the ground. ”Scarlett… Let’s go, she’s too far gone to help us. This was a mis—“ ”You love him don’t ya?” Tabitha shocks Nadia again by suddenly appearing on her shoulders and leaning over to look her directly in the face. ”Wait how did you—“ ”Yes, yes you DO love him… you BOTH do?? Oooh now I remember you Scarlett! My favorite puppy of all time!” She leaps off of Nadia’s shoulders and hugs Scarlett, who blushes furiously at the maniacal girl’s antics. ”I-it’s a little early to say love… Please calm down Tabitha, can you help us or—” Scarlett tries to get the girl to focus but once again she slips away but this time is staring intently at the sleeping man on the travois. Without warning she suddenly licks the man’s face from chin to forehead, both girl’s jaws nearly hit the floor. Scarlett has to restrain Nadia from pummeling the strange girl. ”Yuck, too salty! Yes, yes I see the problem… Demonic energy affects us all to a degree, but if there is anything already going on upstairs, it can really speed up the wagon to Looney-ville hehehehe.” The girl steps towards the large oak tree and suddenly wielding a staff that she materialized out of thin air, begins chanting in a strange archaic language. Her eyes glow purple and a dark mist shrouds her body. With a loud shriek, she points her staff at the old oak, sending the dark mist blasting into it. The tree splits at the base, opening up a hollow opening into the tree. A dark swirling vortex rages within. With the ominous glow still hanging over the girl, she walks over to the sleeping man and grabs him by his left arm and leg. Spinning several times on the spot, she tosses him like a rag doll into gaping maw of the tree, which snaps shut as if a mouth swallowing its prey. ”What are you doing?! What have you done to Shawn?!“ Nadia screams in horror. The dark mist dissipates from around Tabitha and her eyes return to normal, she looks towards Nadia in annoyance. ”I told you that we had to act quickly or else the effects might be irreversible, the only way is to make him confront his demons face to face on even ground, and to do that I used the tree of souls as a catalyst, weren’t you paying attention to anything I said?” Nadia turns a bright red and looks to be on the verge of exploding on the girl when Scarlett steps in. ”Tabitha… you never mentioned ANY of that.” Though more collected than Nadia, Scarlett looks just as flustered as her companion. ”Oh I didn’t? Oops hehe silly me. I guess I should also mention that there’s no guarantee who will come out of that tree.” Her smile fails to express the gravity of her words as both Nadia and Scarlett’s jaws drop once again. ”W-What do you mean WHO will come out?“ Nadia’s voice is shrill, a melting pot of emotions; anger, confusion and grief all struggling to break through. ”Tabitha please… what is going on?” She calmly places her hands on the girl’s shoulders, her eyes are uncharacteristically desperate, and for a moment Tabitha calms down. Her demeanor relaxes and for the briefest of moments, her centuries of life bleed through the child façade. ”Your human is struggling with several personalities trying to dominate his mind. He will be able to confront his demons inside the tree, but only one personality can become dominate. If he becomes too lost in his own mind, his darker personality may take hold completely.” ”Isn’t there anything you can do to help the good Shawn… The real Shawn?“ Nadia asks pleadingly, slithering up next to Scarlett. ”You cannot have one without the other... Both of them are the man you love, his persona has simply become fractured by extreme duress which has been exacerbated by the influence of demonic energy, and until they are mended, if they can be mended, one personality will always seek to be dominate. However…. I may know of a way to assist you… but it’s tricky.” Her strange smile returns but at only half capacity as she maintains a somewhat unnatural focus, and turns her attention back to the tree. ******* ”Happy anniversary sweetie!” Fatuma wakes me with a passionate kiss and surprises me with breakfast in bed. Her excitement has caused her normal calm blue form to change to a vibrant bright blue. I can’t help smile when I see the spread my overly affectionate wife has set out before me; waffles with blueberries and syrup, sliced oranges, and a cup of tea. She knows me well. ”You also got a postcard from Shane; I was surprised they allowed him to write after his latest prank on the drill sergeant.” Fatuma says, shaking her head sadly, sending ripples through her body. ”It’s a shame… I really hoped that military school would help teach him some discipline.” I sigh and turn over the card to read his poorly written message: Dear Shawn, Fuck you and the horse you rode in on!! He also drew some graphic depictions of me being violated in numerous ways by MANY largely proportioned men. Setting the disturbing post card aside, I turned my attention back to my wife and the delicious looking breakfast she has prepared for me. ”Happy anniversary to you too baby, may the next seven years be just as great.” I say with a smile, and give her a gentle kiss on the lips before sharing my breakfast with her. Suddenly there’s a knock at the door. I sigh and give my wife a light kiss on the lips before getting up and quickly getting dressed to answer the door. When I open the door, I’m greeted by a strange sight. ”Hello sir, have you heard the good news about your lord and savior? Hehehehehe.” End Chapter 23. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 8:50 PM
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Ch.24 My shattered world ”Nope.” I say and quickly shut the door in the girls face. I turn around to head back to my wife but jump back in surprise when I find the silver haired girl standing before me. ”How did-- when did-- Get out of my house!”I can’t help but stammer. The more I look at the goofy grin on the girl, the angrier I become. ”Well I would leave your house, if I was really in it hehehe.” She says with a huge smile and skips off in the direction of my bedroom. Her dirty cloak flaps behind her, revealing her child like body beneath. I cover my eyes to avoid the sight, and try to chase after before she can reach Fatuma and ruin our anniversary. I bump into every corner along the way as I give chase, cursing and fuming as I do. I burst through the bed room door a little harder than I intended and end up smashing into our dresser and landing on my back. The commotion startles Fatuma but she quickly recovers and rushes to my side, placing a cool hand on my forehead. ”Are you okay Shawn? What’s going on?” Her eyes are full of concern, but before I can speak, my voice gets muffled out by the silver girl who suddenly leaps into the room and lands on my face. ”mmmff mofff mof!!” I kick and struggle but the girl remains absently straddled across my face. ”Hmm…Where’d that boy go?... There was something I was supposed to tell him … Now what was it?” She cleans her ear with her pinkie as she says this, and flicks the contents off to the side. ”Get-Get off of my husband!!” Fatuma screams, her body turns a bright purple as her anger literally boils inside her. ”Your husband? Wow Shawnie boy, you’re even more delusional than I am hehehehe.” The girl propels herself off of me in a backwards leap and sticks the landing in the doorway. With a wave of the arm, she bows proudly before her captive audience, but before she can stand back up, I roll over and slam the door in her face again. I hear a resounding thump to signal I at least managed to knock the looney on her butt. I spit several times to remove any of the trace substances that might have been left on my mouth, and grab my wife by the hand and head towards the window to escape. Once again the girl is impossibly standing in our way, though now she looks a little pissed off as she rubs her forehead. ”Who are you?” I stand in front of Fatuma to try and shield her from anything this crazy girl might try to do. ”Wh-what do you want… from us?” I haven’t heard Fatuma stammer like that in years, she had gained a lot more confidence during our time together. This only serves to piss me off even more. ”That really HURT!!... Well not really, since none of this is real anyways.” She stops rubbing her forehead and smiles that agonizingly annoying smile once again. Though for some reason instead of anger, my stomach twists painfully, causing me to wince. I start to speak but the house suddenly starts rumbling lightly, Fatuma clutches onto me as the shockwaves reverberate through her. ”An earthquake?” I wrap my arms around my wife to comfort her, but I can’t help but notice the strange girl is no longer smiling. ”It’s not an earthquake Shawn... Nothing here is real; you have to remember the truth.” She takes a step towards me, and the floor cracks beneath her feet and spreads viciously, forming a web of cracks around her. For the briefest of moments, a look of concern flashes across her face but it’s gone as quickly as it had appeared. ”What are y-you talking a-about? You’re… You’re lying!” Fatuma tightens her hug around me; her eyes are filled with fear and… Sadness? ”You don’t want to remember your past, you’ve latched onto this false reality in desperation to avoid it.” She takes another step forward, the ground cracks violently with a thunderous roar beneath her feet. She stops dead in her tracks; the concern is clear on her face now. ”I don’t—I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re crazy, get out of my house!” As I shout, the ground around her explodes, tossing the girl against the wall like a rag doll. From the hole, a black fog starts to pool out towards the fallen girl; I can just barely make out a nightmarish wriggling mass of tentacles and razor sharp teeth beneath the fog. Fatuma screams and clutches against me in fear. Scrambling to her feet, the girl raises her arms out in front of her as if to block the fog. Her eyes turn purple and as if meeting an invisible wall, the fog stops approaching the girl, though it does not retreat either. ”What is happening?!” I pull Fatuma away from the gaping maw and press our backs against the wall. Sweat has broken out across the girl’s forehead; whatever she is doing to halt the fog is taking a toll on her stamina. ”Your subconscious is trying to remove the intruder… The one you call Shane is… Trying to become the dominant personality in your mind… And without your resistance… He has gained a strong advantage.” ”That’s n-not true! Shane is o-our son!” Fatuma yells at the girl but refuses to leave my side; she turns her eyes to me pleadingly. ”Tell her it’s not true…” My mind races back to my memories of Shane, all the pranks he has pulled over the years, his incessant anger and rebellious attitude… Why did I feel like I had to take responsibility for him? I had always called him my son but wasn’t that only for everyone else? What was he to me? ”Remember your daughter!” The girl shouts, her arms are shaking from the strain. ”My daughter?... No that’s—Wait… How could I forget about Rania?” Suddenly Fatuma screams out in pain and collapses to the ground. I’m instantly shaken from my thoughts as my wife’s form starts to destabilize and pool on the floor. I panic and drop to my knees beside her, propping her head in my lap, staining my pants blue as her body starts to melt away. ”Fatuma!! No stay with me baby! What’s happening to her? What’s wrong with my wife?!” I scream desperately at the girl. Fatuma’s eyes struggle to stay open as she fights to stay conscious. ”She isn’t real, she is just a shadow of your wife’s memory… Her form is fading as your mind struggles to maintain this false reality... She is just an anchor.” She drops to one knee as she struggles to explain, the fog slowly starts to inch towards her as she weakens. ”An anchor? What is that supposed to mean? Can’t you help her? Please!” ”No!... She is the only thing tying you to this world… Your real wife is dead, if you cannot break free from this prison, you will die too and Shane will take over your mind completely!” ”And what would be so wrong with that?” A voice cuts in from out of nowhere. Suddenly, a figure starts to rise out of the pit. Once again in adult form, Shane emerges from the writing mass of death as if riding his own personal elevator from hell. He is dressed in a suit so black, light seems to bend around him. ”You’re happy here aren’t you? Sure the Monster girls were a weird touch but that can change if you like…” Shane says as he steps off from his hell-evator. With a wave of his hand, the room blurs around me for a moment but quickly fades back to normal. In my arms, I’m shocked to find my wife has solidified and her skin has turned to her original olive complexion. I gaze into her brown eyes, lost in the beauty that had captured my heart so many years ago… But it’s still not right; her breathing is still labored, and she is clutching her chest as if in pain. ”Is it true?...Am I just a memory?” She whispers, weakly raising her hand up to my cheek. ”She’s not real! Don’t let--” ”Shut up!” Shane shouts as he violently swings his arm towards the girl. Though no contact is made, she screams out and is slammed into the wall. The shroud of mist that had been held at bay by the girl quickly descends upon her, engulfing her up to the chest. When it recedes, thick jet black chains encircle her body. Her head slumps forward, motionless. I ignore the events unfolding around me, my attention is on my wife as she struggles to catch her breath. ”I-I don’t know… I was so lost without you Fatuma… I couldn’t— Losing both of you was too much, I—I’m sorry…” Tears blind me, as the memories comes back to me. ”It doesn’t have to be that way anymore… You can be together again, in here… All you have to do is say yes…” Shane says. As he speaks, his eyes aren’t on me but rather on Fatuma and for the first time, he seems subdued. ”And if I accept… What will happen to me?” I ask, likewise my eyes are only for Fatuma. ”In reality, you will die. But it will feel like a lifetime; you can live out that life together. A normal life again; no more struggling, no more pain. Just you and Fatuma.” My eyes search the face of my wife. She is exactly as I remember, her breathing is even starting to even out. I know my answer. ”I acce--” ”What about Rania?” Fatuma asks weakly, barely able to raise her voice above a whisper. Fatuma’s questions shocks me, I take my eyes off of her and look back at Shane. Her question has caught him off guard as well, as if he thought it impossible for her to acknowledge him, let alone question him. ”H-how did… I can’t—I can’t bring her here too.” He stammers, completely stunned. ”Why can’t you? How could we possibly have a normal life without our daughter?” She says, her voice becoming stronger. Slowly, she forces herself to sit up, pulling slightly on my shoulder for support. ”Baby what are you--” I start, but Fatuma cuts me off by placing a hand on my cheek and shaking her head. She looks back towards Shane expectantly. ”It hurts…. Even seeing YOU is almost unbearable, but you both—It’s too much.” ”Then you have your answer.” She pushes herself up and shakily gets to her feet. ”How is this happening, I-- ” Shane starts but his eyes quickly flash to me and anger washes over his face. I look back in confusion and worry, I’m not sure how he will react towards Fatuma so I quickly get to my feet to protect her. ”You! You’re doing this… I don’t know how but I won’t--” ”No Shawn he isn’t… and no I won’t refer to you as Shane, that’s not who you are.” Fatuma cuts him off and takes a step towards him. Shane scrambles backwards, his eyes growing wide in fear as if she were some fearsome monster. Though behind it all I can see a familiar look, anguish. Fatuma keeps walking towards him, slowly but steadily. We are both easily a head taller than her yet there is sureness in her step. ”You kept part of my memory to yourself when you made this false reality. It made it easier for you to see me like this if it wasn’t completely me, but by coming here yourself, your memories of me couldn’t help but fill in the gaps. I may be just a memory, but I am still me.” Her voice is confident in a way I hadn’t heard in years. I forgot how fierce her determination could be, and how tall she could seem at just five foot one. She steps right up to Shane, backing him up against the wall right next to the unmoving form of the chained girl. As Fatuma reaches a hand towards Shane’s face-- he flinches, shutting his eyes tight to avoid a blow, but instead of hitting him, she gently places her hand upon his cheek. ”I’m sorry you’ve been in so much pain Shawn.” Fatuma says quietly, but somehow her voice still carries over to me. She looks over towards me for a moment before turning back to Shane, in her eyes is the same sorrow that I feel aching within my own heart. ”This is not who you are.” ”No… but it is who I have become.” Shane opens his eyes and a single tear slides down his cheek. Instead of the malicious look in his eyes that I have come to know from him, he looks distraught. Fatuma brushes away the tear with her thumb and gives him a sad smile. ”I know you are strong enough to mend what has broken.” ”But how… I am filled with so much anger, so much rage… It doesn’t stop… What can I do?” He pleads; his fists are balled at his side but it appears more in an effort to contain himself rather than outward hostility. ”Rest now my warrior… Rest and be at peace, for now.” Fatuma pulls Shane’s head closer to her level and stands up on her toes to kiss him on the forehead. As if a massive weight has been lifted from his shoulders, Shane drops to his knees. Fatuma steps back as suddenly an intense light starts to radiate around Shane, slowly engulfing him. I watch on stunned as the ball of light that has become Shane, rockets into the air before smashing into the writhing pit, burning its way down before sealing up the hole behind it. The chains trapping the strange silver haired girl disappear as if made of smoke. The girl groans groggily immediately after their disappearance, apparently having been bound in more ways than one. ”I am so completely lost right now…” ”You and me both Shawnie boy.” The girl says, pushing herself slowly to her feet. Her bones pop like that of an old woman, but I keep the comment to myself. ”He will not rest for long, make use of the time I have given you.” Fatuma says, ignoring our banter. ”You’re just a memory and yet… More. I’m not sure what to make of all this, but it looks like it’s at least in the positive direction.” She steps up to Fatuma almost hesitantly, observing my wife with curiosity. I quickly join them, if only to keep the odd ball away from Fatuma; I haven’t forgotten her antics from earlier, even if she was right as far as I can tell about the entire situation. ”So what happens now?” I ask both Fatuma and the girl, afraid and sad of what I expect. ”You have to wake up Shawn, you have much to do..” Fatuma says and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I have an uneasy feeling about the tone of her words. ”Yeah what she said, hehehehe.” Oh god…. ”You will see me again my love. Until then, be strong.” She steps away from me and slowly begins to fade. ”What do you mean you’ll see me again? Is there a way for us…” I reach for her but stop half way. She doesn’t answer as she fades away, the sad smile on her face is answer enough. End Chapter 24. |
New_User_12345Jan 21, 2017 3:16 PM
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Ch.25 Put down the demons you raise *Slap* Elizabeth reeled back from the blow clutching her cheek, surprised by the force behind her husband’s attack. “How dare y—” Again she was cut off by a slap from Tony. “All I ask ya to do, is to take care of that piece of shit. One thing! You’ve been dodgin’ me for over a week! I ain’t seen a body yet, ya haven’t given me even ONE word, nothin’!!” He tried to slap her again, but this time Elizabeth caught the blow. Though he was stronger than she was used to, his strength was still nothing compared to her own. She easily lifted the man off of his feet and gripped him by the throat. “Do not lay your hands upon me again.” Her tone was cold as ice as she fixed a steely gaze into his eyes. Determined to make her point, Elizabeth summoned her claws and began draining Tony’s energy. As his spirit energy began to mix with her own, it felt… Different… A sudden dizziness overtook her, forcing her to release her hold on Tony. He fell to the ground, landing in a crouch. Quick to take advantage of the situation, Tony shoved Elizabeth backwards, causing her to lose balance and fall unceremoniously on her bottom. Before Elizabeth could react, he was on top of her, pinning her hands to the floor. “What’s the matter Lizzie? Not the vintage you’re used to?” He gloated as he restrained her. “Yeah sorry ‘bout that, but good ol’ Tony’s had a bit of work done. I know ya will miss my old rugged good looks, but I had to update my image. Ya know what I’m sayin’? Amazin’ thing the magic of this world.” Elizabeth’s eyes widened as the pieces started falling into place. Her eyes weren’t deceiving her, his entire appearance had changed; though he still resembled his former self, his body was slowly changing, taking on a more appealing image. Though it was still very subtle in most areas, he was becoming more handsome; his hair was filling back in, and he had lost a substantial amount of weight. Despite the anger burning inside, Elizabeth was having a difficult time resisting the unnatural attraction her body was feeling towards him. Her libido was starting to fight for control. “Your spirit energy… It’s not the same, it was… Demonic energy? But how? Nothing could have changed you so quickly besides…” Tony smiled as he watched his wife pieced it together; he licked his lips in anticipation. “Apophis venom-- But how would you... Nefer-Apep! What have you done you fool?!” Elizabeth broke free momentarily and started beating weakly against Tony’s chest, but he quickly restrained her once again. The demonic energy still pervading her unprepared system was quickly taking its toll, turning her own strength against her. It’s erotic nature bringing forth a heat in her so intense that she had to fight back the urge to moan. “I Just made a “deal with the devil” of sorts. Your good friend Neffie stopped by lookin’ for yer help, but since you were out, and me bein’ such a good natured soul, I offered my assistance… For a price of course.” Tony laughed, bringing himself closer; he placed a gentle kiss on Elizabeth’s neck. A new surge of demonic energy started pouring into her body from where he kissed her, threatened to break down the last of her resistance as an unnatural lust wracked her system. It left her body flushed and desperate for the source of her lust. Tony released her hands and observed his wife’s tortured writhing as she dug her fingers into the ground, cracking the stone floor. “You’re… A fool… No good… Will come… Of this.” She struggled to say as her hands disobeyed her commands and groped her body in lewd ways. She could no longer stop herself from moaning and crying out, her eyes slowly taking in the changing physique of her husband. His hair had already finished growing back, his jaw was beginning to take on a more masculine edge. “I’d have to disagree with ya sweetie.” He said with a toothy grin as her hands started desperately stroking his thighs. To further pressure her lust, Tony ripped his own shirt down the middle, exposing his newly formed lithe physique. “I think this island is ‘bout to get a lot more interestin’... But first things first.” Tony lowered himself down until he was inches from Elizabeth’s ear. His breath caused her body to shiver and arch off the ground. She moaned desperately, slowly losing the last of her resolve. Looking up from the woman writhing beneath him, Tony catches the eye of the girl peeking around the corner of the corridor. He casts a wink her direction, earning him a quick smile before she flitted away to continue keeping watch. Only then did he turn his attention back to Elizabeth. “Kill... That... Fuckin’... Rat...” He whispered the command into his wife’s ear, causing her to moan in ecstasy. Her body betrayed her and she wrapped her arms and legs around her husband, grinding her hips against him. “Oh god, yes I will! Just please! Fuck me!” She screamed; the last of her resolve melted away as tears streamed down her cheeks in defeat. End Chapter 25. |
New_User_12345Jan 21, 2017 3:17 PM
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Ch26. Can you see the forest through the trees? ”Hmm… Now actually getting out of here will be the tricky part.” The witch walks over where I’m sitting, she twirls a strand of hair around her finger as she thinks. When I don’t respond she kicks me in the shoulder, causing me to fall over without resistance onto my face. ”Alright, enough sulking you big baby, you’re not some moody teenager.” ”Just leave me alone…” I mumble into the floor. With a sigh she grabs ahold of my ankle and turning towards the door, drags me along with her, hitting my head on the door frame on the way out. When we come to the staircase she stops and puts a hand on her chin in thought. ”I’ve got an idea! Bear with me one this one… Hehehehe.” She says, rubbing her hands together suspiciously. ”I said to le— Hey wait put me down!” I say as she effortlessly lifts me above her head and faces the stairs. ”Heheheheh” The stereotypical witch laughter is not helping! ” What are yo— Are you crazy?!” I struggle in vain to break free of her grasp. “No no no no! AAAAAAAAH!!” I scream as she throws me and I plummet towards the bottom of the stairs face first. Right as I’m about to hit the ground, the floor stretches away from me into an impossibly long tunnel. I really hope I’m just imagining the cartoonish stretching sound... I continue to fall into the strange pit, screaming like a madman, when suddenly there’s a snap, and I find myself shooting out of the ground outside my house. My yell of fear and confusion is cut off when I land with a thud in the yard. “Why has my life become a Saturday morning cartoon…” I grumble to myself as I stare at a deceivingly clear blue sky. ”Weeeeeee hehehehe” I hear the witch squeal with joy moments before she lands on my chest, knocking the wind out of me. ”Hehehehe your mind is wacked out Shawnie boy.” She laughs excitedly, bouncing her hips on my chest. “I’d. Have. To. Agree. Now. Stop. Bouncing. On. Me!” I roughly push the girl off of me, but she continues giggling as she rolls around in the grass. “And don’t call me Shawnie boy, you weirdo.” I forcibly push myself up to a sitting position. Whether I believe her or not, it doesn’t change the pain in my chest. ”Sure thing Shawnie boy hehehe.” In a rather graceful move, the girl rolls back and jumps to her feet. “How do you even know my name. No, ugh ya know what? Just—just go away.” I say and push myself up to walk away. It’s only then that I notice I’m not even wearing shoes as I walk across the grass towards my porch. The grass is still green and freshly watered, it feels real beneath my feet even if I know it’s not. I hear her start to run after me. ”Can’t, we gotta--” “I said go!” I round on her angrily. “I didn’t ask you to save me! I don’t care that this is all fake, I was happy! I remember knowing it wasn’t real, I just stopped caring because I wasn’t—I wasn’t alone anymore.” As I say this, I remember the terrible pain I felt in my chest when I first lost my family. The rage was also there, and it seemed to consume everything else but beneath that was a deep, horrible, aching sense of loss that any other emotion was far easier to bare. I drowned myself in my rage just to escape the pain. The moment my memories came back, the pain came with it. Without Fatuma and Rania, what was the point of anything else? ”I know your loss Shawn, and it is no easy burden to bare, but the pain will fade.” The girl’s tone shifts so greatly that I cannot help but look into her eyes. Had they always looked so old? “How can you possibly know how I feel?” I say bitterly. The girl gives a cool gaze, the colors in her eyes seem to shift in an almost fluid fashion. ”I once had a family as well, many years ago. A Sabbath—My Sabbath. They were everything to me; some of the girls I had even raised as if my own daughters.” She looks off into the distance, her eyes seeing some distant memory of her own. Her very image seems to age before me; her hair seems to turn pale in the sunlight, losing its luster; an unseen weight upon her shoulders bows her back. ”When I lost them, I felt lost… Alone… Empty. The anger and loss that filled the hole in my heart was a terrible thing.” Her eyes darken as she speaks. “How did you survive it? This pain I—I can’t bear it… It’s too much.” I grit my teeth as I try to force it all back down. I sit down on the step, and run my hands through my hair. ”I got over it silly.” She says, suddenly smiling in my face again. “Ugh are incapable of being serious for more than--” ”In time… The pain will fade. Your loved ones will live on in your memory, but you cannot allow your heart to be consumed by rage. Do not allow it to steal their memory from you.” She says, she still looks like the young girl once more but her eyes tell the truth. I feel that she is right, it does little to ease the pain but I can’t deny the truth in her words. “I—I’ll try…” I take a deep breath and force it out. One step at a time, I’ll try to survive. I’ll try to honor their memory. “So what’s the plan? How do we get out of here?” She smiles and offers me a hand to help stand up. ”I Haven’t figured that out yet hehehehe.” she says with a large grin, I quickly lose my grip and fall back again. ******** ”Do you think she can really save him?“ Nadia nervously bites her lip. She has circled the tree multiple times looking for some kind of opening to see what is happening but the oak has sealed itself completely. Dejectedly she slithers back over to Scarlett who has taken a seat on the ground next to the unconscious witch. A purple bruise has formed on Tabitha’s forehead from running head first into the tree. ”Honestly?... I don’t know.” She sighs as she looks at the sleeping form of the strange girl. A goofy grin is plastered on her face with her tongue lolling out to the side. ”But she is exactly like my mother described her. She has faith in her, so we must as well.” The sun has begun to set, bringing a chill to the air. Concerned for her cold blooded companion’s wellbeing, Scarlett starts collecting branches for a fire, leaving Nadia to stare at the ancient tree. ”Please come back to us Shawn… Please come back…“ ******** I stare impatiently at the witch sitting across from me as she contorts her face in strange ways as she thinks. We are sitting in the middle of the road, apparently my instincts screaming that this is a bad idea will help pull me from this subconscious reality. ”I ah…. Hmm… Maybe we can…. No… hmm…“ She twists her face into several strange variations, and I slowly begin to feel my annoyance build back up again. ”Oh! I’ve got it! Yes, yes, yes, brilliant!” She hops up excitedly clapping her hands. I look at her in confusion. “What? What’s brilliant?” I ask as she dances around. I can’t help but wonder how she learned some of those dance moves… Did she peek at some of my memories on her way here? Oh god do not do the pelvic thrust that close to my face! “Okay enough, knock it off!” I shout as I push the girl’s hips out of my face. This seems to pull her back to reality, though she looks at me for a second in confusion. ”Hmm? Were you saying something?” “Uh no? You were just going to tell me about your idea?” ”What idea?” “Are you fucking kid—” ”Hehehe I’m just teasing you Shawnie boy.” The girl laughs, rubbing the tip of her finger into my forehead, I quickly brush it away and glare at her in annoyance. She promptly flops down on her butt in front of me and takes my hands in hers. ”Okay, we’re going to try a technique that I use in the real world to… Center myself. Hehehe.” “I don’t think I want to know…” ”Oh get your mind out of the gutter… Now quickly, take off your pants.” “Oh hell no!” I shout and get up to run but she trips me up and starts laughing at me once again. ”Hehehehe. I’m just teasing you. Anyways, this technique should help you focus your mind so that you can see through the vale that is your subconscious. You need to assume control once more so that you can break free and return to the waking world. I cannot guarantee the results, but it’s worth a shot right?” “I’m not sure I—” ”Right! Okay let’s begin, just follow along and do exactly as I say.” She closes her eyes and assumes what I could only guess to be a meditative posture. She is sitting cross legged with her arms out to either side, her forefinger and thumb making a circle on either hand. I do as instructed and copy her stance. ” Since this prison was made by your negative persona, Shane as you call him, you must first understand his existence before you can break free. To do that, you must isolate his origin; the first true stress on your psyche that started the process of fracturing your mind.” “I don’t know what even half of that means…” I get a headache just trying to think about it. Strangely she ignores the joke and pushes on with the task at hand. ”Think back to the darkest point in your life, before you lost your family. That is where you should begin. Since we’re already in your subconscious, you may be able to see something different from this perspective.” I grimace but nod my head and try to think back. It’s not that hard, the darkest day in my life before this all happened… My sixteenth birthday. ******* (The wording may get confusing as perspective changes frequently as well as tense. It’s tricky to get the wording right when you’re using both past and present tense and have the same person being used from both perspectives.) It is a strange sensation watching events unfold before me but having no control over my actions within them. It’s hauntingly similar to when Shane had assumed control over my body, but I reassure myself that this is just a memory. I watch as a much younger version of myself walks into the back of an upscale Italian restaurant. It’s cliché I know, I always thought so but how do you say something like that to a man who has spent his entire life trying to emulate the God Father? “Hey Shawn my boy, happy birthday. Sixteen, that’s a big year.” Tony says with a laugh. He pulls me into a hug and kisses me on both cheeks; I don’t think he is even Italian. Tony is dressed in a grey striped suit with a white button up under shirt and black suspenders, his favorite getup. His hair is balding, and he does his best to hide it with a comb-over, but it only makes it more obvious. With his protruding stomach, he looked less like Vito Corleone and more like Danny DeVito. Tony walks me over to a brown leather chair in front of his desk and has me take a seat. The room is dingy and fashioned to what I assume Tony thought was old school mafia. The shades are drawn, giving the room a more somber feel. A cigar is burning in the ash tray on front of me, silver wisps of smoke curl away and join the ever thickening haze around his old fashioned desk lamp. I was never fond of his cigars, their acrid stench caused my throat to burn but I didn’t want to offend Tony so I would always do my best to hold my breath. ”Thanks Tony, Joey told me you wanted to see me for something?” I ask as Tony takes a seat at his desk, a dark leather monstrosity that groaned beneath his weight. He takes the cigar from the ash tray and relights it, taking a few puffs before turning to me with his signature smile. “Yeah I suppose he did… Tell me Shawn; you’ve been helpin’ the family out on the side for the past, what, four years now?” I nod my head simply, it was a rhetorical questions; he isn’t done talking. I had learned not to interrupt, as Tony had a notorious temper when it came to things like that. “That’s pretty impressive Shawn. I’ve got guys twice your age that ain’t been with us even half that amount of time, and yet they have more respect in this family than you, now why is that? ‘Cus they get their hands dirty when they need to, ya know what I’m sayin’?” He says pointing his cigar in my direction for emphasis. ”But I always—” I start to say but Tony raises his hand, cutting me off. “Now, now, don’t interrupt. I ain’t done yet.” He gives me a knowing look and I seal my lips. He smiles before going on. “I know you’ve done real good for us when we’ve asked ya to. Intimidatin’ store clerks and bankers, knockin’ a few heads here and there, etcetera, etcetera, and I’m real grateful for all you’ve done-- Now I’m wonderin’ if you’d like to help the family out a little more, and perhaps gain yourself a little respect around here in the process.” He says with a wide smile. He leans back in his chair, causing the leather to scream in protest, and crosses his legs looking self satisfied. ”A-absolutely Tony, you know I’ve always done everything you’ve asked of me. If this means I’m officially a part of the family, I’ll do anything!” I can barely contain my excitement; Tony smiles confidently at my enthusiasm. If only I could turn back the clock and just make myself walk out of that office that day, make any excuse in the world, maybe things would have been different. Tony provided me directions and I followed them to the letter, taking me to a small apartment on the south side of town. Even with rush hour traffic it only takes me about half an hour to get there. Tony had said there was no rush, but of course I was eager please so I made it there as quickly as possible. I watch, a prisoner in my own mind as the enthusiastic young man steps out of my old beater, a 1996 Chevy Corsica, and shuts the door with force. Not because of any intention to sound like a hard ass, merely because the piece of crap car is barely held together by duct tape and clothes hangers; slamming the door shut was the only way to ensure it would actually close. The apartment is real slummy; trash is littered all across the porch and on the ground. Most of the windows are either broken or boarded up, half of which are also covered in graffiti. I remember the doubt in my mind as the young Shawn double checks the address to make sure he’s at the right place. He/we/I then head up to the entrance to the apartments. It’s a dual entrance that allows multiple units to share one hallway; stepping over the trash, I take the stairs and go up to the second floor, and then to the third door on the right. The door is already propped open slightly, Tony had told me to expect this. The young Shawn cautiously pushes the door open, but nothing could have prepared me for what awaited inside. ******* The fire crackles as the wood burns, the silence of the forest only serves to amplify the sound. Nadia is huddled close to the fire for warmth, but keeps the ancient oak within her line of site in the off chance anything changes. She struggles to keep her eyes open; the stress of the watching and waiting for these past couple days has sapped her reserves. Resting has not been easy, just as she would begin to close her eyes she would imagine hearing Shawn’s voice and she would immediately wake up, all thoughts of sleep disappearing completely. ”You should get some rest.” Scarlett says as she places a simple blanket over Nadia’s shoulders. Nadia gives her a grateful smile in response but weakly shakes her head. ”I don’t think I could sleep even if I tried; every time I blink I think I see something change with that tree… It’s starting to drive me crazy.“ she sighs and rubs her temples. ”I don’t know about that, but I do know this, even IF something were to happen tonight, we won’t be of much help if we’re both exhausted. We need to rest, if not for our sake, for his.” Scarlett says, gently rubbing her companion’s shoulders. After a moment, Nadia reluctantly agrees and curls up on her bed roll. Scarlett sighs, knowing full well the girl won’t sleep well on her own with the temperature dropping, so she slides in next to Nadia. Within seconds Nadia coils around Scarlett to take advantage of her body heat, sighing slightly in relief before quickly falling asleep, her head resting on Scarlett’s shoulder. She strokes the snake girl’s hair softly, doing her best to comfort her. Looking out towards the ancient oak, she is struck again with a familiar pain in her chest. She knows she must be strong for Nadia’s sake but her heart yearns for that strange man locked in the tree. ”Hurry back Shawn...” ******* The younger me takes in the horrible scene before him, it is still an awful sight to me. The room is chaos. Furniture has been upturned and broken apart; a couch is laying on its side and most of the stuffing is spilled on the ground, glass from a bottle has been shattered on the floor and there’s blood everywhere. It looks as if a tornado has torn through the place. ”What the hell?” I say aloud. I hear something shuffle in one of the back rooms, as does my former self, and he quickly reaches for his knife. I didn’t carry a gun because it’s a lot harder to talk your way out of trouble if a cop were to find it. Suddenly Joey pops his head out from one of the rooms and gives me a wave to come in. The young Shawn hesitantly approaches, confused by the situation. Tony hadn’t explained what he wanted, he just told me to go to this address and that I would know what to do from there. As I approach the room, muffled sobbing can be heard. On the floor is the bloody, beaten frame of a young man. Probably around my age, maybe a little older, but still young. His back is turned to me, and his body shakes as he sobs. His arms are tied behind his back, and from the look of his hands, most of his fingers have been broken… Badly. ”What’s going on Joey?” I ask suspiciously as I observe the boy. At the sound of my voice, the boy stirs and turns his head. A gag is stuffed in his mouth, preventing him from crying out. My young eyes grow wide when I recognize the face of my childhood friend Vito. His eyes grow equally wide, despite the contusions. After the incident with Mr. Parker, Vito and I had started helping out with Tony and the family, though Vito to a much lesser extent. In fact, I hadn’t seen much of him in the last few years. He didn’t take to the family as well as I did, his home life was farm more stable than mine. He tries to cry out something to me but the gag makes it impossible to discern, Joey quickly shuts him up with a few well-placed kicks. I wonder what he had been trying to tell me that night, was he begging for my help? Maybe he knew what was going to happen and was pleading for his life? “Aey Shawn, you remember our buddy Vito right? We was just havin’ a little chat before you arrived.” Joey says with a smirk. Joey is a sizeable man compared to Tony, but he’s not much larger than the sixteen year old version of myself; though we’re both significantly larger than Vito. Joey’s hair has begun to recede as well, though he slicks it back with grease rather than attempt to comb it over. He sports a blue jogging suit with a stripe down the side, and wears a cheap pair of black aviators. Joey wrote the book on stereotypes for Tony’s muscle in the family. ”Yeah I can see that, but why? I thought Vito was on good terms with the family?” I purposely keep my tone neutral. I didn’t want to test Joey; his temper was almost as quick as Tony’s, though he was far more paranoid. “Yeah well times change ya know? When ya owe a favor to the family, ya don’t say no. It’s bad for business, and bad for ya health.” ”Well you’ve had your chat, I’m sure he’s learned his lesson… Let’s get out of here.” I make a move for the door but Joey grabs my arm. “Oh we ain’t done Shawn. He knows way too much about the family, and he’s offended Tony. Vito here, is your first blood, congratulations Shawn. You do this, and you’re as good as made… You don’t, and well… Things get a little complicated.” I remember knowing exactly what he is implying and I hated every word of it. Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. To this day, I can try to justify it as my life or his but who really knows… Seeing the memory from this perspective hasn’t changed much, it’s all still just as horrible as I remember. Just as I’m about to wake myself back up, I hear it. Better him than you, and besides… Ya gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet. It’s almost as if someone has cranked up the A/C inside my own head, I suddenly feel cold all over. I have a strange feeling that someone is watching me, as if someone else has stepped into my body and noticed an intruder. The feeling passes but I notice the change in the younger version of myself. With an unnatural ease, the young Shawn pulls out his knife and rolls Vito onto his back so he could look into his eyes before plunging my knife into his throat. End Chapter 26. |
New_User_12345Jan 21, 2017 3:19 PM
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Ch27. The mind’s eye ”Quickly! Focus your mind and visualize the darkness that is Shane. The emotion you felt in those last moments is the fracture that gave birth to what would later become his separate consciousness.” I can feel the witch’s hands on the sides of my head as I try to personify the darkness of that emotion. As I focus on the memory, the dreamscape around us begins to distort and melt away; I can feel the floor shift beneath me as the pseudo reality warps and melds into a new shape. That’s pretty clever fuckin’ clever Shawn, findin’ your way outta that little wonderland I set up for ya, but it’s not over yet, not by a long shot. A static like buzzing fills my ears, and I suddenly find myself in a small musty apartment. An old woman sits in a rocker next to the small window. She is attempting to knit what looks like a scarf but her hands shake too much to form any comprehensible pattern in the fabric. An oxygen tank sits next to her, the hose of which is fed to her nose. The sight of the old woman sitting alone makes my chest tighten. It’s been years since I last saw my mother, she had passed away six years ago in her sleep. Thanks to the encouragement from Fatuma, I had been able to make amends with her before it was too late. ”Mom… I… It’s so good to see you.” I take a step towards her but when she makes no sign of noticing me I stop, I remember it’s just a memory. The sinking feeling in my gut gets worse at the realization that once more this memory is not my own, since I’m once again watching it from outside my body. The sound of the front door opening catches my attention; I turn to find myself face to face with—myself. ”Oh Shawn, I wasn’t expecting to see you today, but it’s nice to have a visitor.” My mother’s voice is frail and weak. She tries to stand up from the chair, but her arms shake feebly under the effort before giving up. I watch in confusion as Shawn walks over to my mother and gives her a hug before sitting in the chair across from her. ”Don’t be silly momma; I come every Sunday to visit ya.” He says with a smile. My mother looks confused for a moment before she smiles as well. ”No…” ”I guess that’s true, my memory isn’t what it used to be...” She says with a sad smile. ”Nonsense, you’re just as sharp as you’ve ever been.” He says, and pats her on the knee. My mother smiles and makes to say something else but a fit of harsh coughs cut her short. She had been fighting cancer for years, the medications and therapy had wreaked havoc upon her body. In the last few months before she passed she had caught pneumonia. The visit lasts for a couple hours; He cooks her lunch, cleans around the apartment for her and spends the rest of the time chatting idly with her. At the end of the visit, I watch as Shawn helps our mother into her bed. She coughs a few more times before taking a deep breath from her oxygen tank. ”This makes no sense… When did Shane ever assume control before the island? I don’t remember any of this…” ”I’m so tired Shawn… I don’t want to stay here anymore.” She says weakly, taking hold of Shane’s hand. ”I know momma, but I can’t take care of ya at home, we need the nurses here to—” ”I don’t mean the nursing home Shawn…” She says, and coughs a few more times. ”I’ve lived a long, happy life and I’m so happy that you’re back in my life… But it’s my time Shawn…”she takes a haggard breath from her oxygen tank. ”W-What are ya saying momma?” His voice trembles. Our mother coughs a few times, but instead of breathing in deeply on her oxygen, she removes the tube from her nose and gives Shane a soft smile. ”Please Shawn… Be my angel… Set me free…” She smiles but her eyes show a strong determination, an almost desperate plead. She lays her head back and closes her eyes, resolved in her decision. The scene begins to fade before my eyes as I watch Shane slowly rise to his feet and grab a pillow from the foot of her bed. I shout into the darkness as I watch him approach the head of her bed, but the memory fades completely. ******** The sun rises on another day, though its rays barely piece the dense foliage overhead. There are no apparent changes with the tree and Tabitha hasn’t moved a muscle in her catatonic state. Scarlett gently wiggles out from Nadia’s coils and sets about preparing breakfast for the day. The aromas of cooking food rouses Nadia from her slumber. She moves slowly over to the fire to warm herself and looks around slowly for any indication that her strange man has returned, seeing no changes she sighs sadly. As her body begins to warm, Nadia starts to sing a soft melody in her native tongue. Though the words are lost to Scarlett, her heart seems to reflect the sorrow in the song. Most of the song is wordless, just the sorrowful melody of her voice which varies and tone and pitch as she sings, punctuated occasionally by a lyric in that remains incomprehensible to Scarlett. The beautiful anguish of the melody brings tears to her eyes as she listens to Nadia sing, though she does her best to wipe away any that fall to her cheek before Nadia can see them. She finishes by letting the song fade into silence. ”I’m sorry… It… It just makes me feel better when I sing.” Nadia says with a sigh, her eyes linger on the ancient tree once more. ”No, don’t be. It was beautiful.” Scarlett says reassuringly, quickly wiping away a few stray tears. Nadia smiles briefly and takes over cooking breakfast when she sees the food starting to burn. ”Heh, I guess I should be the one to apologize, I’m not much of a cook.” Scarlett laughs embarrassedly. Nadia finishes cooking their breakfast, a simple meal of roasted rabbit haunch with a medley of berries. Just as they begin to eat, Tabitha suddenly sits up and saunters over towards the two of them, her eyes are slightly glazed over. ”Tabitha you’re awake?! What’s happening with Shawn? Is everything okay?” The little witch seems to ignore both of the girls and quickly gobbles down some of the food. No sooner had she finished her meal, she falls back to sleep, falling back on her back with her tongue lolling to the side again. ”I trust my mother’s opinion of her… but it HAS been a few years since she’s seen her….” Scarlett says exasperatedly ******** ”You evil bastard!! She was our mother! How could you do this?!” I shout, causing cracks of light to break in the wall of darkness. I did exactly what she wanted... I’m not the embodiment of chaos and evil that ya assume me to be... Everything I’ve ever done has been for a reason. ”Liar!” I scream and the cracks grow larger; the light begins to shine through like a flame in the darkness, slowly burning its way through. ”I refuse to believe you’re a part of me! This is my mind, and I want you out!!” The darkness finally shatters around me, though in its absence I find myself falling into the abyss of my subconscious. ”You know Shawnie boy, I’m getting really tired of finding my way around inside your brain.” The little witch scares me with her sudden appearance next to me as we both fall further into the abyss. She is falling upside down next to me with her arms crossed over her chest. ”H-how did... what have… where the hell have you been?!” I stammer at the strange girl. ”Well when you made that jump into another memory stream I was dropped off… somewhere else…hehehehehe” She says with a strange blush on her face. ”W-what did you see?” Nervous of any number of weird memories she might have stumbled upon. ”Hehehe Amber was a pretty big girl.” ”Shut up, don’t judge me!” I shout and try to swing at the girl but only manage to make myself tumble in free fall. ”hehehe no judgment Shawnie boy.” She says with a wink, I can only groan in response as I continue to tumble. End Chapter 27. |
New_User_12345Jan 21, 2017 3:20 PM
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Ch28. Seeking the truth ”Much as I’ve loved our quality time together… what’s the plan for getting out of here?” I ask, thankfully my tumbling had stopped as I stabilized in my free fall a few hours ago, or what I can best guess as being a few hours; time is an enigma to me in here. The witch’s back is to me, still upside down, and makes no indication that she’s heard me. I shout to her a few more times but still gain no response from my free fall companion. I make a ridiculous attempt to “swim” through the air towards her but only succeed in inching towards her. As I get a little closer, I become aware of a faint snoring coming from the girl. ”You’re asleep? … Are you kidding me?!” I try to take a swing at the little witch but she quickly dodges my swipe with a giggle. ”hehehehe you’ve got quite the temper Shawnie boy, it’s too easy to take advantage of that trait.” she says, sticking her tongue out at me. I take a deep breath and let my irritation subside. ”Since you weren’t actually sleeping… Have you thought of anything?” ”Who said I wasn’t sleeping?” ”ARE YOU—” ”Calm down, I’m only teasing you hehehe.” she floats around me effortlessly, coming to a rest sitting on my back. She daintily crosses one leg over the other, and places a hand on her chin in thought. ”I’m not a chair…” ”Sure you are, now shut up for a second… I do have a plan, but there’s a problem.” ”What’s the problem?” I ask, trying to shake the girl from my back but to no avail. ”Well you’re the problem, or more specifically it’s your brain.” ”M-my brain? What the hell is wrong with my brain?” I ask quickly. ”I suppose that’s still too vague hehehe. The problem is your perception of the situation… As long as you accept everything you’ve seen to be true, we’re going to be stuck in here forever. The dark half of your persona can keep you trapped in an endless maze within your own subconscious.” ”I don’t quite understand, I know that none of this is—” Before I could finish my sentence, I slam face first into the ground. ”Real…” I mumble into the ground. ”The hardest part of escaping an illusion is realizing it’s an illusion. Even the most seasoned minds can be fooled by their own perception. We instinctually trust what signals our senses send to our brain.” The witch says, stretching her arms above her head as she stands. She walks across my head, pushing my face into the ground as she steps off of me. ”Thanks for the advice…” I say, pushing myself off the ground. I say ground but in essence, we’ve landed in nothing. I literally mean nothing, as in the absence of anything, a void. Everywhere I look is a pure white canvas of nothingness. ”W-where the hell are we now? This is even worse than before!” ”No this is exactly where we need to be.” The witch says confidently. ”This is the very fabric of your subconscious, pure unrefined potential. You couldn’t reach your dark persona because you were still within his area of influence, but out here… Well anything is possible hehehe.” She does a strange ballerina like twirl as she explains to me where we are. ”If this is my raw subconscious, isn’t it a bit dangerous to be messing around in here? Couldn’t I accidentally destroy my own mind?” I gingerly take a step forward, afraid of even scuffing the ground and accidentally wiping out a part of my mind. ”Hmm… Maybe hehehe, just be careful.” she swats me on the butt as she dances past me. ”You literally ARE a pain in my ass…” I grumble. Ignoring her strange giggling, I focus like she taught me before. ”So anything is possible huh? Well let’s take her for a test drive.” I concentrate on feeling out the range of my subconscious. It’s a strange sensation at first; I feel as if I’m expanding, getting larger and larger but I focus my mind away from what I imagine to be my body and into something less constrained… Like flowing water. Suddenly it feels as if I’m a gentle stream flowing across the planes of my mind, everywhere I pass falls under my influence, extending to all reaches of my mind until I start to feel the edges of Shane’s influence. There is resistance at first as I try to peer into his domain but eventually I wash over his influence and push through, I’m a raging river now, the resistance is no more than pebbles to be swept away by the current. The aid of the subconscious plane around me boosting my awareness. Once inside his domain, it doesn’t take long to find the source of his influence. Using my enhanced concentration, I slowly envelope his domain, herding it in and trapping him beneath an ocean of my influence. With him trapped, I allow my mind to wander, further washing away all traces of his influence within our shared mind until he is completely helpless to my will. I turn my attention back towards my captive and visualize myself entering his domain; when I open my eyes Tabitha and I are standing in a dark room. The only source of light is a single candle sitting upon a small table set against the back wall. Illuminated by the candle is a portrait hanging against the wall. I walk forward, until standing right before the painting so that I can actually take a good look at the picture. The candle is small, barely providing enough light to see it properly but it’s enough… My heart tightens at the sight of my family posed together. My wife and daughter are dressed in matching white floral dresses, I myself am wearing a dark plain suit, though the candle is not bright enough to illuminate my face clearly. The light leaves the upper half of my face obscured in darkness. **** The sun rises in the distance to mark the eighth day since the trio arrived in Tabitha’s territory. At first, Nadia rarely strayed from the campsite they had setup, afraid to miss any crucial development with Shawn, but as the days passed uneventfully, she became restless. She had taken to exploring the immediate area, foraging for herbs and spices, mostly to take her mind off of the situation. The forest floor however, had spare few foraging options, the lack of sunlight made the area inhospitable for most save for the hardiest of flora and fauna, and some odd little mushrooms that Nadia tended to avoid. Scarlett had resumed her nightly escapades, disappearing for a couple hours before returning with little to no explanation about her coming and goings. Initially this did not trouble Nadia as she understood the need for individual privacy, but soon she began to feel as if she was the only one concerned about Shawn’s well-being. Being unable to do anything about Shawn’s current well-being only further frustrated the Lamia, coupled with the perpetual gloom of the deep forest had her feeling on edge and ready to burst. On this particular morning, Nadia awoke alone once again. The morning chill made her muscles stiff and groggy which further darkened her mood. Moving at a snail’s pace, she got a fire started to that she could warm her body. With a small flame gently licking away at the log in the center, Nadia slithered slowly around the pit until her body encircled it, allowing the building warmth to bathe her more evenly. Just as her temperature was beginning to reach a normal level, her werewolf companion came sauntering back into camp stretching her arms above her head with a big yawn, revealing sharp canines. ”Aaaaaaah, good morning.” Scarlett says as she flops down onto her sleeping roll. ”Or should I say good night? I’m beaaaat.” She attempts to stifle another yawn but fails miserably. Even with the fire warming her, Nadia’s mood is still cold and dark. Her sleepy companion isn’t improving her mood either. ”Another late night? You look dog tired…” Nadia says coldly. Scarlett tenses, her groggy demeanor evaporating almost instantly. ”Yeah it was… When the pack calls, you answer. That’s what a family does, you come when you’re needed…” Scarlett says, her tone is calm and even but her eyes don’t completely hide the hurt. The look in her eyes melts Nadia’s heart and she immediately regrets her words. ”I-I’m sorry… That was uncalled for.” Nadia says and rushes forward to hug her friend. At first Scarlett is tense and resists the hug but she eventually relaxes into the embrace. ”I forgive you… But care to tell me what that was all about?” Scarlett whispers into Nadia’s ear, causing a shiver to go down the snake girl’s back. ”Stop that!” Nadia shudders as she slides back. She rubs her arms to rub away the goose bumps. ”Don’t avoid the question.” Scarlett says with a smile. Nadia pouts for a moment before sighing and giving in. ”It’s just… I felt like you don’t care what’s happening in there… It’s been over a week and we don’t know what’s happening. Tabitha wakes up to eat but she won’t respond to our questions… I just feel alone in all this.” She says, briefly turning her attention to the sleeping witch on the other side of the camp. They have taken to wrapping her in a blanket to keep her from wandering off in her sleep. ”I’m sorry… I didn’t know you felt like that...” Scarlett says, brushing Nadia’s cheek lightly. ”But I do care, I don’t want you to think otherwise. When the pack calls, I Have to respond to the call, but I’m never far away and I always leave a member of the pack nearby to keep an eye on you both.” She says, trailing her hands down to Nadia’s waste. The snake girl blushes but doesn’t make mention of the act. ”I didn’t know you went that far for us… But if there’s a member of your pack nearby, why haven’t they ever stopped by?” Nadia asks. She had smelled wolves in the area but hadn’t thought much of it, she might have even enjoyed the additional company. ”Well, short answer let’s just say their shy.” Scarlett says, pulling Nadia a little closer. ”A-and the long answer?” Nadia’s voice wavers slightly, keenly aware that Scarlett’s subtle pressure was becoming less and less innocent. The golden amber hue of her eyes sparkled, capturing Nadia with their intensity. ”The girls of my pack would never interfere with those who are marked… as Mine.” Scarlett closes the distance, pulling Nadia into a deep kiss. Nadia is startled for a brief moment, the heat of Scarlett’s lips is intense; a strong contrast to the morning chill that still pervaded her own body. She could feel her inhibitions start to slip away and her body begin to pull towards her companion, but just as Scarlett slides her hand down Nadia’s, she suddenly pulls away. ”I told you I’m not like that…” She says, her cheeks blushing profusely. ”Mmhmm.” Scarlett’s wide smile lets her know just how much she believes that. **** ”Fitting don’t you think?” Shane says as he steps out of the Shadows. ”How do you figure?” I ask, turning to face him. Though I’ve stripped him of his influence, I’m inside what remains of his domain so I keep myself ready for any tricks he might have planned. ”They were the light of our life, so much so that we were blind to the dangers of the world around us… Well maybe not blind, but we let our guard down and they paid the price.” He walks past me without so much as a passing jab to stand in front of the portrait. He admires the painting for a moment before addressing me once more. ”So you’ve taken control again… Do you honestly think you have what it takes to survive out there on your own?” His voice is quiet but not quite a whisper. He doesn’t even turn around to address me, his focus remains on the portrait before him. ”It doesn’t matter if I do or don’t, you’re a monster and I’m not about to have you walking around wearing my face.” I say coldly. Shane turns his head and observes me over his shoulder, his eyes show the anger beneath the surface but he says nothing, the rest of his face remains emotionless. ”I get it, you’re the embodiment of my darker emotions or whatever but the way I see it, you’re just a cancer upon my soul and it’s time that I cut you out.” I take a step towards Shane but the witch steps in front of me to stop me. I had almost forgotten she was with me. ”I’m sorry Shawn but it’s not that simple.” ”What are you talking about? Get out of my way!” I say as I try to push the girl out of the way, but despite her size and frame she doesn’t as much as budge. Shane has a smug grin plastered on his face as if he knew this would happen. He turns to face us but makes no move to advance. ”He’s not a tumor you can simply cut out, he is you and you are him. If it was simply a matter of destroying the other half, don’t you think Shane would have just killed you while HE had full control?” Her logic stops me in my tracks and I look down at the strange little girl. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s true. In all the time I was trapped within the false reality, my life was never even once in danger as far as I could tell. ”While flawed and distorted, you are both able to maintain some semblance of rational thought as long as the other half exists within your subconscious. I’m going to borrow some terms from your memories, to help you understand. Think of the difference between you two likened to that of Ego and ID.” ”Freud? You’re going to use Sigmund Freud on me?” I scoff, but a chill runs down my spine at the thought. ”It’s an interesting theory but as much as I hate Shane, he’s not a slobbering fool driven solely by sex or aggression… Okay maybe the aggression but does Shane look like he’s been instinctually driven?” I gesture towards the man behind Tabitha. ”Well I’d say she’s right.” ”Huh? You’re agreeing with her?” ”Well I must be ID because you’re just a whiny bitch without me behind the wheel.” He says with a harsh laugh. I try to push past Tabitha to and get at Shane but she stays in my way. ”Enough!!” Tabitha shouts, the force of her voice knocks me on my back and sends Shane sliding back in the opposite direction. ”The both of you are a couple of whiny bitches! Now shut up and listen or I’ll LET you devolve into a drooling simpleton!” Tabitha yells at us. The force of her voice is lower than before but I can still feel the power behind it. ”Why are you protecting him? I thought you were on my side?” I complain, rubbing the spot on my head that hit the ground. ”I’m not on your side or his side.” Tabitha says, pointing over to Shane who was picking himself up off the floor on the other side of the room. ”I’m on Nadia and Scarlett’s side.” She says, her eyes still not brokering any of her original humor. I feel a pang of guilt, I haven’t really thought much about either of the girls in what feels like years. I never really forgot about them, but in accepting the world around me, I gave up hope of ever seeing them again, or of ever seeing the real world for that matter. ”But as far as you’re concerned, I’m on Shawn’s side.” ”But I am--” I start but she cuts me off, raising her hand to say “stop right there.” ”No you’re not, neither of you are. You are both just pieces of the puzzle. The only reason I’ve helped you over bad boy ID over there is because, as the Ego, you’re easier to work with and technically stronger.” She says with her hands on her hips. She then turns her head and addresses Shane. ” No offense, but you’re too unstable.” She says with a shadow of a smirk. ”Nice you meet you pot…” ”You too kettle hehehe.” and there it is. ”Okay fine, say we believe you. What do we do then?” I say, rubbing my temples. Tabitha turns back to me, her eyes serious once more. I have a feeling that I’m not going to like what she has to say. ”Shock therapy…” ”…” ”…” ”You’re an idiot.” ”No YOU’RE an idiot!” End of Chapter 28. |
New_User_12345Mar 1, 2017 5:17 PM
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| Chapter 29: Fracture ”I don’t mean shock as in electricity you dinguses… Dingi… I’m not sure what the plural form of Dingus is but you’re it! Tabitha says, once again losing focus. ”Anyways!” ”Anyways! By shock therapy, I meant emotional shock. You two need to be on the same wave length—emotionally before we can move on the phase two of my master plan.” She looks slightly proud of herself, she even has her hands on her hips as if looking for praise. ”Your master plan?” Shane smirks, I know where he’s going with this so I intervene. ”What’s the end game here Tabitha…” I cast a tired glance in Shane’s direction, telling him to cram it. I may have tabled the “destroy me alter ego/ID” idea for now, but I’ll keep it in my back pocket just in case. ”Well the end game is for you two Dingi (that’s what I’m sticking with) to merge into a more perfect union hehe.” ”That’s not--” ”I know what you meant Shawnie boy, but I can’t help but “yank your chain”.” She says, finger quoting in the air… I think somehow she is making fun of me with that remark as well but I don’t get it. ”Anyways…” Even Shane seems to have had enough of the antics… I don’t know how I feel about agreeing with him on anything yet… ”Anyways, the end game for the here and now is to line up the pieces of the puzzle, and hammer them in until they fit hehehe.” She says with her signature giggle but almost as soon as the smile spreads across her face, it disappears. ”But you’re not going to like the method… The shock therapy I mentioned will take a great toll on both of you. Shawn or EGO will be experiencing some of Shane’s, ID’s memories or what I will refer to as the repressed memories.” She looks between the two of us. I’m confused but Shane looks thoroughly unhappy. ”That is a terrible idea… He won’t be able to handle it, that’s why I’M the one who remembers.” Shane lowers his head, obscuring his eyes in the shadows. ”What’s going on? Why does he have access to my repressed memories?” I can’t help but feel a bit of apprehension. ”He has access because it affects him to a lesser degree. Our memories are all locked within our subconscious, if they take a great emotional toll on our psyche, they can be repressed, or at least some of the details.” She begins pacing around the room as she explains, I’m feeling completely overwhelmed by all of this, and the idea of repressed memories is only increasing my apprehension. ”Lesser degree my ass… You can’t imagine the rage I feel, day in and day out because of what happened. What those bastards did!” Shane clenches his fists, he is visibly shaking under the force of his anger. The room around us even feels as if it’s slowly starting to rumble in response. ”That’s why the ID/EGO comparison is not perfect, you’re only experiencing part of the emotions, and rage is a lot easier to deal with than some of the more… Complex emotions. You two are not split perfectly down that line… Yet.” ”What do you mean yet?” Apprehension overload… ”If your condition is not corrected, you will begin to devolve more completely towards the Ego and ID complex… I don’t agree with everything I saw in your memories of psychology but I think you get the picture and it’s not pretty no matter which one of you is behind the wheel.” Her tone is as serious as I have ever seen it. The silence following her words is almost deafening. My mind is reeling with questions but I don’t know where to begin. What memories could be so bad (I’ve seen some awful things) that my mind would repress them so deeply? What will happen to me when Shane and I merge? What will I become if we don’t? ”Is there no other way?” Shane says, the break in silence almost makes me jump. ”I’m no expert, I don’t believe anyone could be considered an expert in a case like this but I have a theory and we’re running out of time.” Tabitha for once looks remorseful. I look between the two of them, Shane looks definitely unhappy but might be willing to give the idea a shot. As much as I have against him, Tabitha has at least partially convinced me that he isn’t evil. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. ”So what do we have to do?” I say, forcing as much resolve as I can muster. I can tell she doesn’t like the idea of us re-experiencing this memory any more than we do, but with everything she’s done for us and the risk (I’m assuming she’s risked a bit being here) she has taken, I owe her to at least try… Right? She turns to me with a tired smile and then looks back towards Shane. ”We’ll need your consent as well.” She says smoothly, as if afraid he’ll spook. For half a second I’m almost afraid he might as well. He looks at me for a moment, his eyes burning into mine. ”Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Do what you must.” With a nod I turn from him and look towards our would-be subconscious guide. She suddenly claps her hands together, making both Shane and I jump. ”Alright! Let’s do this! Hehehe.” She shouts and rubs her hands together vigorously. When she notices us looking at her strangely, she just giggles more. ”That has nothing to do with the merger, I was just trying to pep you up hehe.” Ugh… She runs over to Shane and takes him by the hand, forcefully dragging him towards me until we’re standing in front of one another. ”Alright now kiss!” She suddenly shouts, smiley eagerly. My jaw drops in disbelief and I look up to Shane to see his reaction. His is to slap me across the face. ”Don’t even think about it!” He shouts and then glares at the little witch who has devolved into another fit of giggles. ”Hehehe I’m sorry hehe. Haaaaa… I needed that, after what comes next… We won’t be laughing for a while…” She says, her smile slipping away once more. Looking up to us, she reaches up and gently places her hand on Shane’s forehead. After concentrating for a moment, she turns to me and nods before reaching for my own. ”Good luck Shawnie boy… And I’m sorry.” She says and gently places her palm upon my forehead as well. I instantly feel a shock, almost like static discharge which causes me to stand straight up. I see the image of Shane before me glow like a beacon. His form fades into the light before twirling in the air, scattered like leaves in the wind. They suddenly whip around the room and collide with my chest, I expect the force of a blow but they pass straight through me, absorbed into my being, if only temporarily. Other than the initial shock of the experience, I don’t feel any different. I close my eyes and wait for Tabitha’s guidance. I try to imagine myself like flowing water like I did in the raw subconscious. It takes a moment but before long I feel the boundaries of my body begin to blur once more. Suddenly I feel myself being pulled forward, guided by what I can only assume is Tabitha’s influence. Before long, the world starts to come to life before me. Being walked through a flash back is different than the natural occurrences I had before, the images are slightly blurred and everything is in greyscale. When is this? I ask, looking around. We’re back in my old home again. By your world’s calendar it’s March 4th, 2014; a few months before you came to our island. Standing next to me, she is holding my hand. Whether this is for emotional support or her role as my guide I’m not certain. Her demeanor is very solemn, leaving me feeling very unsettled. All around us are the preparations for a five year old’s birthday party. It’s odd seeing the décor in black in white, when I can still see the colors from my mind’s eye. Balloons are tied to the posts along the fence, streamers decorate the window frames along the house and an assortment of other party favors decorate the yard. I know what memory this is… It’s the worst day of my life. Why am I seeing this? I remember all of this, it’s not a repressed memory She was right that it’s an awful memory and I don’t want to see it again, but as agonizing as this is for me, I don’t think it’s going to be the shock therapy she intended. A repressed memory isn’t always a full one, sometimes they are just details, just the pieces you truly couldn’t cope with. She grips my hand tighter. “Happy birthday sweetie!” Fatuma’s voice draws my attention back to the memory. My wife comes out of the kitchen holding a little birthday cake, larger enough for our little girl but small enough for our little get together. Just the three of us. “Oh wow! It’s so pretty!” My daughter beams, her braids twirling about as she bounces up and down in her chair. I remember the cake is bright blue, with a little picture of Elsa from Frozen on it. Her favorite character from the movie she’d been watching almost religiously. ”We figured you’d like it.” The memory of me says as he comes up behind Fatuma, placing a hand on her hip as they watch their little girl lose her marbles over a little blue cake. He then takes out a lighter and lights five little candles. “Alright sweet heart, now make a wish and blow out the candles.” Fatuma says gently. My heart aches looking upon my family knowing this is the last happy memory they will share together. My wife’s smile is so warm as she watches Rania; our daughter is laughing as she struggles to blow out the candles. Fatuma leans her head on her husband’s shoulder, who in turn hugs her closely to his side. Tabitha and I watch the scene unfold as the family eats cake together before Rania then opens presents. The family wasn’t well off, they could only afford a few little trinkets but with how happy the girl was, you’d think they had all the wealth in the world. Before long, Rania is running around the yard as her parents put away the leftovers. ”Rania, come here sweetie.” Shawn calls out to his daughter. Rania comes running up from behind the pool, she is cupping her hands together in front of her, carrying something small. “Daddy look, I found a caterpillar!” She says excitedly, presenting her discovery to the memory of me. ”Oh wow, good job sweetie” He squats down and gives her a hug; she giggles and tries to squirm free. ”Though I’m pretty sure this a grub.” He says with a laugh. “Ewww!” Rania squeals and runs off to set it free under the bushes. ”Go to your room and change into your swimsuit okay? But uh, wash your hands first alright?” Shawn says with a smile. “Okay daddy! Yaaaaaay!” She runs off shouting towards the house. “I’m going to finish cleaning up, do you think you can handle her on your own?” Fatuma smiles as she stacks the plates and cups. ”After all that sugar? Probably not, but I’ll do my best.” He says with a smile, they share a quick kiss before Fatuma heads off into the house, heading towards the kitchen. Rania comes barreling past her, still shouting. Her swimsuit is in complete disarray but Shawn catches her and quickly straightens her out. ”Hey hey, what’s the rush? Don’t forget your water wings silly.” Shawn says with a smirk. “Aww do I need to?” She says with a pout. ”Well that depends, do you want to sink or swim?” Shawn laughs. “Swim!” Rania jumps in the air, raising her arms. ”Then water wings it is.” He says and helps Rania put on the little rubber floaties. We watch the daddy, daughter duo for a short while as my apprehension grows. I wish the memory could just go on like this and then they all just go to bed for the night, ending the memory there, but I know what comes next. I hear the shrill shriek of my wife scream, followed by the sound of glass breaking. Shawn reacts quickly, pulling Rania out of the pull and ordering her to stay put before running into the kitchen. Tabitha and I are suddenly pulled into the room with them where I come face to face with the burglars who started all of this. My wife is standing in the doorway of the kitchen, a man in a mask stands behind her with a knife to her throat. ”Stay where you are jackass or the bitch is dead!” The man shouts from behind my frightened wife. The memory of me raises his hands to show he is unarmed, but he doesn’t see the other man sneaking up from behind holding a wooden baseball bat. Fatuma attempts to warn him but it’s too late, the second man bashes Shawn on the back of the head, knocking him out cold… Or so I thought. Shawn goes down, but isn’t out. Grimacing in pain and holding the back of his head as blood starts to seep between his fingers. Fatuma screams again but is cut short when the first man pulls back on her hair. This… This can’t be right, I was knocked out, I remember going down… I say as I watch my wife struggle to get to her injured husband. We’re getting into the repressed details now… This is Shane’s portion of the memory.. Her voice is thick, she knows what is coming but is willing to watch it with me and share the pain… I don’t think I can… There’s nothing I can do to change the outcome, I don’t want to watch my family die before me. I never thought being unconscious for it would be a blessing… ”Let her go you coward… Take what you from us but leave my wife alone!” The memory of me says through gritted teeth as he bites back the pain. The look in his eyes is unfocused, I can tell he is struggling not to pass out, the only thing keeping him going must be adrenaline. “Oh we’ll get what we came for… But it ain’t your shit.” The second man says. He then kicks Shawn in the back, sending him sprawling onto his hands and knees. Before he can recover, the man proceeds to kick him in the ribs and begins to pummel the man, delivering kicks and punches in rapid succession. Fatuma screams and cries as the man continues to beat her husband into the ground. “Stop! You’ll kill him!” Fatuma cries out in anguish, struggling against the man restraining her. The first man laughs, but surprisingly the second man stops his assault. He wipes his hands off on his trousers before sauntering over to the pair, giving Shawn a quick kick in the stomach on his way past. “Oh believe me, we ain’t gonna kill him, but he’ll wish he was dead after we’re done with him… Though I’d be more afraid, of what’s gonna happen to you..” The man says, taking hold of Fatuma’s chin, smearing some of Shawn’s blood across her cheek. “M-mommy?” A sudden quivering voice causes everyone’s head to turn towards the back door. A little girl stands shivering in her little swimsuit, her eyes are as big as saucers as she looks from her mother in the grips of the masked men, to her father laying in a broken pile on the floor. Said pile suddenly pushes itself onto it’s elbows, revealing the bloodied mess of his face. ”Rania, RUN!!” He shouts through swollen lips. The girls screams and turns to run but is stopped in the doorway by the last man I had expected to see. “What’s the rush sweetie? A family should always stick together.” Tony’s ex right hand man says with a crooked broken smile, courtesy of our last parting of ways. What is Joey doing there? I heard he was one of stools that took a plea deal by becoming an informant? I’m confused until the realization sinks in… It wasn’t Tony… Everything that happened… It was because of me… I drop to my knees, the reality of the situation wracks my mind. Every decision I made was based on my own mistakes, every life that was broken in my attempt at revenge was directed at the wrong person. “My friends here are gonna keep playing with your momma and daddy, why don’t we let them play while you and I go take a lil’ swim.” The bastard picks up my daughter as she screams, squirming desperately to get free but she’s too little, too young. Leave her alone you monster! It was my fault not theirs! I shout at the memory, seeing my daughter fight awakens the pit of rage within me. You’re experiencing Shane’s rage, I know you feel your own anger beneath it but you have to dig deeper, find the pain beneath it all. Tabitha urges, it’s hard to hear her words behind the rushing of blood in my ears. The rage is so intense it’s hard to think straight, how can Shane operate like this? Shawn struggles to crawl after them but the second man kicks him hard in the ribs. I feel a phantom of the pain and its feeds the fire of Shane’s rage. I scream as the anger threatens to overflow, the image of the memory starts to distort and twist around me. You have to fight it Shawn! Redirect the emotion or you’ll be consumed by it too. The pain is there! You’re about to lose your family, your wife, your daughter! Rage will burn away their memory! You have to control it before it controls you! She shouts into my ear, trying to pull me back. I open my eyes as I fight through the anger. The image is starting to darken, the memory of me is starting to lose consciousness. Through his eyes I see him watch Rania being carried away towards the pool. Tears are streaming down her cheeks as she cries out to her father but the sound has disappeared. My wife falls to her knees next to her husband, a bright angry gash across her throat. Blood pours down her chest but she reaches towards her daughter with the last of her strength as the light fades from her eyes. Just as the last light of the memory fades, I see it in the corner of Shawn’s eye. The first tear he shed at the loss of his family. The first tear that washes away the rage threatening to consume me. The first tear is the leak that broke the damn and brings me to my knees. I release all the emotions repressed within me; the anger, the rage, the sadness, the despair, the joy, the love, the hope, and the loss. Sobs wrack my body as I cry and Tabitha stays by my side to support me. My memories of my family flow through my mind, every laugh we shared and tear we shed. ”Grieving is painful, but it is necessary to heal. When I lost my Sabbath, I was full of anger, at myself, at the world, and it solved nothing… But grieving is so much more than loss… You feel sadness and pain, yes, but you also remember the joy you felt, all the laughter, and especially the love. There is more power there than anywhere else.” She rubs my back as the memories fade around us. I feel the pieces begin to fit together and for once in a long time I really feel like myself again. My family was the key, not just their loss but their memory. Tabitha was right, I couldn’t let the rage consume me, it was mine to control, and the least I can do is use it productively. I have to make things right before they get even worse. ”Welcome back Shawn.” Tabitha says with a smile. ”I *sniff* thought I wasn’t Shawn? Heh.” I laugh as I wipe my face with my sleeve. I can’t help but feel a little silly having cried in front of a woman, I had been brought up thinking it was a sign of weakness, but I actually haven’t felt better in a long time. I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it but my perspective has certainly changed. ”Hmm the reaction was strong enough, but you must have run out of fuel before the reaction was complete… We must need a catalyst to speed up the reaction before you burn out…” She scratches her head for a moment but gives up the train of thought and smiles brightly at me. ”I-I don’t think I understand…” I was never that great at chemistry (I recognized at least the general idea even if I don’t know how it’s applying to me). ”Well the good news is both of you are inside the same “container.” She says with an almost too bright smile… Where’s the other shoe… I also notice that the world around us has changed, we're overlooking a campsite beneath a giant tree. I notice the sleeping figures of a snake girl and a girl with dog ears beneath us... Make that wolf ears. ”And the bad news?” I ask, turning my attention back to the little witch and I watch her smile slip away. ”Well if the merger isn’t complete, you’ll…. *sigh* I’m sorry Shawn, I hate giving bad news to good people…” She squeezes my hand before stepping away. Her eyes begin to glow, and she waves a hand in front of me. I feel a slight tingling sensation as my body begins to glow in response but it looks wrong. Jagged lines begin to appear all over my body, as if I was a porcelain vase that has been smashed and then glued back together. A purple light shines bright from all the cracks as if a purple sun were threatening to explode from within me. ”We don’t have much time, you’re already beginning to fracture.” End Chapter 29. |
New_User_12345Mar 13, 2017 5:40 PM
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Ch30. The adversary “What do ya mean ya lost him?! Your last report said he was comatose on a stretcher, how could ya lose him?!” Tony shouts, the veins in his neck stand out from the strain. The young vampire before him didn’t as much as flinch before the semi-human male sitting before her. She hid her contempt beneath a mask of indifference, seemingly bored by the man’s rage. Tony is dressed in a black, pin striped suit, tailored at great expense. His anger brings the color of his face close to that of his blood red tie, bright against a solid white undershirt. Tony had gone to great lengths and spared no expense to redesign the inner sanctum of the fortress, forgoing the noble wrappings the interior once held in preference to something far less refined. At least in Adriana’s opinion. It brought to mind a book she had once read, “The Godfather” written by an off worlder. ”My apologies Tony, we lost track of Shawn and his companions when they entered the territory of Tabitha Feverfew, a reclusive but powerful witch. We thought she had passed away, along with her Sabbath but--” “I don’t give a shit about some two-bit witch.” Tony says impatiently, digging his fingers into the sides of his custom leather chair. “What I want is for you lazy bitches to get your panties out of a bunch and bring that rat bastard to me!” He slams his fist on the desk for emphasis, seemingly having forgotten about the changes happening within his own body, the wooden desk splinters under the force. At the sound, the door to Tony’s office swings opens and a girl hurries inside. ”Is everything okay Tony?" The zombie girl says, brushing past Adriana as if she were some lowly servant and not the niece of the countess Selene. Once again she held back any signs of anger, if only for Elizabeth’s sake. “Everything’s fine Maria, I just lost my temper for a moment…” Tony says, brushing back his now full head of hair as he leans back in his chair. He allows the girl to sit upon his lap and stroke his cheek. The sight of the two together further stirs Adriana’s anger, seeing someone like Maria usurp Elizabeth’s position due to Tony’s indiscretions made her blood boil. Her once greyish hair had turned white, yet it was not as luminescent as Elizabeth’s as she had not ascended to the form of a Wight… Yet. Though Tony’s transformation was certainly speeding up the process. ”You’re so passionate, save some of that passion for me." Maria purrs into Tony’s ear, causing him to shiver visibly. The PDA made the young vampire want to vomit, but instead she cleared her throat so as to remind them that they were not alone. Maria leered at the girl but said nothing. ”It appears Tabitha had anticipated their coming as well as their pursuit, a ward was erected to prevent any further access to her domain. There have been no indications that Shawn or his companions have left the territory.” Adriana finishes her debrief and waits for the oncoming tantrum, but it doesn’t come. The zombie girl’s presence seems to have a calming effect on Tony. Instead of lashing out, he leans back and contemplates his words before speaking. “And you’ve had no luck breakin’ through that ward? Forgive my ignorance, I do not know much about magic.” Tony says in a surprisingly calm tone, his odd accent has disappeared almost entirely. The vampire is caught off guard and for a brief moment is unsure how to respond. ”T-that is correct, we have neither the skill nor power necessary to breach her barrier.” “And who would?” Tony asks, his eyes remain fixed on the girl to the point she becomes uncomfortable under his gaze. The irritable, callous oaf that Adriana had come to know as Tony has seemingly vanished. ”The Lords of course would tear through it as if it didn’t exist.” She states matter-of-factly. “No doubt, but I don’t believe the Lords are at my disposal, now are they?” Tony says with a light smile, his gaze remains transfixed. ”O-of course. They’re not I mean…” She stammers, the pressure beneath his gaze leaves the girl flustered. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath to regain her composure. ”While not at your disposal, the countess Selene would easily be capable of disrupting the barrier… Another equally capable, would be your wife.” Adriana says with more poise, trying to be subtle about the inflection towards Elizabeth. Tony furrows his eyebrows for a moment; whether he felt any guilt about what he had done to his wife, she did not know. “Lizzie is… Indisposed at the moment, due to her illness.” Tony says, trying once more to bore into the girl with this gaze, but she remains steadfast. Tony had made it seem to the rest of Elizabeth’s servants and students as if she were suffering from an illness that had left her bed ridden. The zombie girls and the ghouls of course did not question the story, the vampires were not fooled but they were greatly outnumbered. There was no such affliction to her knowledge that could affect any undead, let alone a Wight such as Elizabeth. Despite this, the vampires would not confront Tony without evidence of foul play and Elizabeth was kept guarded from sight. Adriana had felt confident that the others would side with her and they could sneak Elizabeth out or at least discover the truth behind Tony’s veil of lies. However, slowly she found herself alone, the other girls one by one aligned themselves with Tony. She was beginning to see how he had wormed his way into their good graces. She herself would have fled by now if it weren’t for her loyalty to Elizabeth, the mistress who had mentored her, guided her for years after her aunt had left Adriana in her care. ”You know the countess’s disposition as well as I, I doubt she will feel obliged to assist you. I fear there is no other option.” She says, doing her best to suppress a grin. If she can manage to get Elizabeth free for even a moment, even if it’s just the two of them, they could easily change the tide of this mutiny her “husband” had wrought. Tony sits back once more to contemplate her words while Maria circles her fingers against his chest. The wait goes on forever, to the point that Adriana fears that Tony might suspect her ploy. Finally Tony smiles faintly before whispering something in Maria’s ear. Despite her sensitive hearing, Adriana couldn’t catch what the man had said. All she could do was to wait patiently behind her mask of disinterest as the zombie girl Maria giggled and hustled out of the room. “Ya know, you’re right. It looks like we have no other choice.” Tony’s odd accent appears once more and the anxiety that had been building within Adriana melts away, leaving her feeling foolish for having suspected Tony could ever be so shrewd. ”I’m glad you agree Tony, with Elizabeth’s assistance, everything will be fine.” She can’t help but smile, the idea of Tony’s throat beneath her boot and Elizabeth in charge once more was a very positive mental image for her. Just then the door behind her opened once more and Tony rose to his feet with a smile. “Ah here she is now, welcome Lizzie. Your girls have missed you so much.” Tony says with an unnervingly bright smile. Adriana turns to look upon her mistress and barely stifles a gasp. One look at Elizabeth erased all hope of rescue or escape. There she stood, as beautiful as Adriana ever remembered, but the look in her eyes was vacant. Maria stood at her side with a triumphant smile, the zombie girl even patted Elizabeth on the cheek for emphasis. The Wight never even blinked. The young vampire could not wipe the look of horror from her face as she turned back to face Tony. “So now tell me Adriana… How are you going to bring Shawn to me, and please… Do not disappoint me.” End Chapter 30. |
New_User_12345Mar 24, 2017 5:09 PM
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| nice |
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Ch. 31 Welcome back ”AAAH! What the hell is happening to me?! What is this?!” I panic while doing my best to remain motionless, afraid that the slightest movement will cause my body to crumble. Tabitha sighs before waving away whatever magic influence she has cast upon me. Almost immediately the jagged cracks that had appeared all over my body disappear, leaving me whole and unscarred. ”I wish I had time to explain but every second is crucial, all you need to know for now is that we need to return NOW so I can place a seal within your mind. To do that, I have a plan… Sorry in advance, but I’m going to need to borrow the influence of your subconscious.” Tabitha says and with a quick gesture, the scene around us disappears and we’re rocketed back to the floor of my raw subconscious. Before I can recover from the nauseating experience of the reality shift, I notice she is giving me a strange smile and a hammer has materialized in her hands… And has begun growing rapidly. I watch in fascinated horror as the tool quickly grows larger than her tiny frame, reaching gigantic proportions. Unable to grasp the growing girth of this monstrous tool, she releases it into the air, allowing it to float above her like an absurdly large parade balloon. Her creepy laugh is giving me a bad feeling… My eyes go wide, quickly followed by a slack jaw as the behemoth hammer grows to the scale of a red wood tree. Not liking the maniacal look in the little witch’s eye, I begin backing away as quickly as I can. ”You might feel a small prick.” She smiles at me beneath the shadow of her colossal hammer. The nightmarish hammer floats above me until I’m positioned directly beneath the steel head. ”Is-is this absolutely necessary?” ”Hehehehe yup!” She laughs as she swings the monolithic hammer back. The negative pressure created by moving said God Tool literally rips me off my feet. Before I can register my loss of footing, I hear the whistle of my impending doom as she swings the hammer down with incredible force and speed. ”No!! Don’t!! AAAAH!” I scream and throw up my hands in a futile attempt to protect myself but the gargantuan hammer suddenly stops, just inches from crushing me into oblivion. ”Oh! Before I forget… Treat them right Shawnie boy. Those girls have suffered quite a bit because of you, and while it may seem like years since you’ve seen them, it’s only been a few days for them. They’re young, even in human terms. That makes them vulnerable… Understand me?” Her expression is serious, fostering no room for argument, though I can’t fathom how to interpret any facial expressions with the object of my impending demise hovering just above me. ”O-okay?” I stammer. ”Okay, good. Now then…” She says and the hammer suddenly drops. ”No! Wai--” *SMASH* ”AAAAAAH!” I scream as I find myself flying through the open air, only to come crashing into something soft; I reach my hands up to lift myself but my hands manage to find something soft and furry. I lift my head up from its soft resting place to examine my discovery. ”Dog ears?” *Smack* ”Shawn?! Scarlett stop choking him!!“ ”Please… Stop… Can’t… Breathe!” I struggle to gasp as the air is crushed from my lungs. Scarlett had immediately stopped strangling me after she realized it was me, though Nadia had quickly taken over the job with a crushing hug. ”Oh, I’m so glad you’re back! I was starting to think I would lose my mind if we had to wait any longer!” Nadia exclaims as she continues with her death grip hug. ”I’m awake as well if anyone cares…” By this time, I can feel my face starting to turn blue. The light from the girls’ campfire barely illuminates our surroundings but I am still able to make out the tears starting to brim in Nadia’s eyes. Well until the light started to fade out of my own… ”Okay Nadia that’s enough, he needs some air.” Scarlett says as she gently pries me free from Nadia’s grip, though not without some difficulty. Before I can thank her for giving me some room to breathe, my air is soon cut off again by Scarlett’s own crushing embrace, blushing slightly as she does. Her head rests on my shoulder, I had forgotten that she was shorter than me. Part of me is glad that I still have people that care about me, but another part of me is uncomfortable with the physical contact. I hate that I feel uncomfortable about their affection but I can’t help it, I haven’t seen them in years… At least from my perspective. I go to pull away but I suddenly feel something wet drip against my shoulder. It’s only then that I notice Scarlett’s shoulders are shaking slightly as she clings to me, her fingers grip my tattered shirt tightly as if afraid I’ll disappear if she lets go. I look past the girls and see Tabitha standing by their campfire, watching us closely. The look in the witch’s eyes makes it clear that my wellbeing depends upon my actions here and now. She made it perfectly clear to me whose side she is on. If I let my fear of physical affection take control, I might very well lose everything. Steeling myself against my own anxiety, I slowly raise my arms up and return Scarlett’s embrace. As if that was her cue, Nadia proceeds to wrap us both within her coils. She embraces me from behind, while doing her best to hug us both. As the girls press against me in their combined embrace, I wait for the crushing weight of my anxiety to take control but… It doesn’t happen, instead I slowly feel myself growing more comfortable within their arms. It feels as if a pit of ice I hadn’t known was within me has begun to melt and I relax into the embrace. ”I’m sorry for making you both wait so long.” I whisper to the girls. ”I’m not going anywhere, there’s no need to cry any longer Scar--” *smack* ”Stupid…” She says, and hugs me tighter. ”Hehehehe.” Tabitha’s giggle finally brings the girls back to reality and the group hug ends. She smiles at me in a way that suggests she knew exactly what I needed all along. ”You should feel lucky Shawnie boy, having these two lovely girls willing to wait for your ugly bum.” I guess some things never change… ”He’s not—” ”He’s not—” The girls look at one another oddly for the synchronized outburst. ”Hehehe.” The witch giggles as she begins dancing around the camp to some unknown tune. ”Don’t mind her; it’s not worth your sanity.” I say and rub their heads gently. Nadia puffs out her cheeks as she stares at the crazy witch dancing around absent mindedly, drifting in and out of the darkness like a senseless ballerina. Scarlett just shakes her head before pulling me over to their makeshift camp fire. They have somehow propped up a cauldron above the flames, a hearty fragrance wafts over to me as Scarlet ladles a portion into a clay bowl and hands it to me. It looks to be a vegetable based stew. ”I’m sure you’re hungry, you’ve been in there for four days.” She says, handing bowls to Nadia and Tabitha in turn as they joins us. I hadn’t thought about it, but now that she’s mentioned it, my stomach feels like it is going to start eating itself. I am absolutely famished and quickly dig in. It is certainly different than the “food” I had become accustomed to in my state of psychosis, but it is delicious all the same. Although I would have probably eaten just about anything with how hungry I am. ”Your cooking has really improved Scarlett; I told you that you would get the hang of it.” Nadia says with a smile as she tries her best to sip the stew in a dignified manner, the lack of utensils makes the effort futile to say the least. ”It’s delicious, thank you for the food.” I say after finishing the bowl quickly, smiling in Scarlett’s direction. Even in the low light I can see her blush at the compliment, she quickly looks away, busying herself by stirring the pot of stew. I smile despite myself, the Scarlett I remember was always confident and strong, but when it comes to emotional connection, she really is vulnerable. Nadia is still a mystery to me, as I watch my other companion sipping happily at her stew, I can’t help but wonder what lies beneath the bubbly demeanor. ”Oh Tabitha, I hope you don’t mind us using your dishes.” Nadia says, holding up her own clay bowl as she speaks. ”Why am I not surprised you were able to find my real home?” Tabitha responds with a smile. “I see you also made use of my cauldron; I hope you washed it first.” Tabitha says with a strange smile. ”Um y-yes we did… Why? What did you last use it for?” Nadia says, nervously examining her bowl of stew. I feel my face go pale as I stare at my own empty bowl. Who knows what kind of residue might have been left behind from one of the crazy girl’s experiments? My vivid imagination concocts all sorts of possible mutations sprouting from my body because of her concoctions. ”Don’t worry; we made sure we washed it well.” Scarlett says confidently, though I can’t help but notice the nervous sheen of sweat on her brow. ”I hope so. Wouldn’t want your stew to taste like the wash, now would you? Hehehe...” She laughs while rocking from side to side. We all look at one another and then back at our scantily clad witch companion. I’ve tried my best not to notice that ever since I met her she has only covered herself with a dingy black cloak… And nothing else. Seeing the looks we’re (they’re) giving her, she pouts slightly. With a snap of her fingers, a dainty pair of white, silk panties appear in her hands. ”I do like to dress up nice every now and again!” The little witch says defiantly, and quickly pulls on the underwear. Now “dressed” she strikes a pose to show off her “outfit.” ”There! What do you think?” She says, wiggling her butt in my direction. Before I can even think to reply, Nadia covers my eyes and Scarlett covers my mouth. ”You could stand to be a LITTLE more modest Tabitha!” Nadia protests, her tone suggests that she is probably blushing, but that is my best guess after having been robbed of my sight. I’m at least grateful they’ve left my nose uncovered so I can still breathe. Tabitha must have started doing something obscene to provoke the girls because they suddenly tried to shift away but in the process, they knock the clay bowl from my hands. Unable to see my surroundings, I am helpless to prevent it from falling and shattering on the ground. The sound of the brittle baked clay shattering upon the earth is surprisingly loud in the quiet forest. Though the ominous silence following the bowl breaking is what really bothers me. Shaking free of the girl’s hold upon my face, I see Tabitha staring with a serious expression at the remains of the bowl. Seeing the shattered pieces fills me with dread as I slowly look back up at Tabitha, she wears the same grim expression that I feel must be etched upon my own face. How could I let myself get distract so easily… ”The seal.” ”My bowl.” ”……...” ”……...” ”You forgot didn’t you...” ”I might have forgotten...” ”……...” ”……...” ”Shawn?! Stop strangling her!!“ End Chapter 31. |
New_User_12345May 14, 2017 8:33 PM
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| *tears up* This undead genocide really hits me where I live, man... Ah, the in-laws. Sounds like a chance for some real fun...you know, once all the slaughter is over. |
| all those poor werewolves ;~; and here come the in laws XD |
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| wait.... in-law? i am confused but i Love it |
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| Where is Don Salieri ... I mean the other guy? |
| Signature removed. It was too good for this cruel world. |
emeraldtryst said: *tears up* This undead genocide really hits me where I live, man... I know, right!? T_T And stop insulting undead girls left and right, GGM, they aren't grotesque, they are cute! And lovely! And cuddly! You're just a mean bully! Btw, just saying, you didn't fool anyone in the previous chapter, that quote "girl...with dog ears" was vague enough to know it wasn't Scarlett. @Moni That last werewolf wasn't Scarlett but Scarlett's mother, who probably assumes Shawn is gonna marry Scarlett. Hence calling him son-in-law. |
| @Kami: I paid my fines, and I only called the ghoul's tongue grotesque :P. and after what you did to Nemerta.... they feel no physical pain, but you broke her heart >:( I end their suffering.. lol some potential spoiler-eque comments below, read at your own risk |
New_User_12345Jul 5, 2014 11:50 AM
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| Well, when I first started reading your story, I thought it had very 'Infinite'-esque vibes, except that there's actual proper character relations and all that here. I originally thought the other man (who turned out to be referred to Shane) was perhaps Shawn from another timeline, or an older version of Shawn facing his younger self a la Archer. Yeah, yeah. I know. Also, I found your scenes to be very cinematic-like, in that abstract experiences are always given concrete visual form, and it seems to use a lot of concepts and techniques that are typically used to capitalize on the strengths of a visual medium, rather than what's typically seen in a book. Despite the seemingly high amount of agency that human characters get, it's well written, compelling, and emotional. Undead types get completely shafted though. :x |
YummyLunchesJul 5, 2014 4:42 PM
| Yeah I know... the poor undead girls :(... I said it once before that I was tempted to have one of my companions be a zombie but I thought it would be hard to get any interesting development out of a mostly unresponsive MG but this was b4 I know they could become a Wight or even gain some semblance of a mind with enough spirit energy :P... so now I just give them their attention in a different route, bad attention is better than no attention right?..... I sometimes have a hard time visualizing whats happening in a story so I try to make it as visual as possible, but I often worry if its lost on some or seen as unnecessary/annoying to others. Thanks for the feedback Yulu ^^ |
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| I hope your character survives this ordeal that is coming from his past and hope once all this is over let the trio relax at a nice inn to take some shots |
| IM A ISH! http://i.imgur.com/XsnQ67O.png |
| *huff huff* that took way too much time to edit... Let me know if you find any major errors, either spoilers not set right anything else technical... spell, grammer, colors, I'm more than aware its probably in there but this thing burned me out and I need a 2 day coma b4 I look into anything smaller. Kami's version will more than likely have the full version with ending and everything before I post the ending on here. As I said I need a break before I attempt to format lol. Hope you all enjoy the third installment of MGD ^^ |
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| when is the next chapter for MSG? |
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| Well I juggle the MGD and the MSG, I'll post the next MSG soon |
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Ch. 32 Abstinence After having saved the witch from her fate, my companions quickly restrain me and force me to sit back down. I believe they have the wrong idea of what has just transpired, as Scarlett is treating me like fugitive, having bound my hands together and gagged me. ”I thought the purpose of all this was to bring Shawn back? Why is Shane here again?” Scarlett angrily asks the witch. ”Am ot Ayne! (I’m not Shane!)” I grumble through the gag, but Scarlett only glares at me. From this position, she is extremely intimidating... And sexy. Things really DON’T change. ”What happened Tabitha? Why did he attack you?“ Nadia asks, her voice is full of concern. ”Ri ras er ault! (It was her fault!)” I grumble again, this time it’s Nadia’s turn to fix me with a fierce gaze… God they can both do it… I’m a damned soul. ”*Sigh* He’s not Shane, he’s just rambunctious.”… Rambunctious? Seriously? The witch scratches the back of her head and has the humility to actually look a little embarrassed. ”Funny as it may be, we’re running out of time. If I don’t fix a seal over his mind, Shawn may very well perish.” Tabitha says darkly. ”P-perish? You mean Shawn’s going to—“ All the color drains from Nadia’s face and she looks unsteady, thankfully she sits down. Scarlett looks serious and waits a moment before speaking. ”What can we do?” She asks as she undoes my bindings and removes my gag. She gives me a look of apology before turning back to Tabitha. ”There’s a ritual I know that might slow the rate of fracture, but that’s only a temporary fix. I’ll need to do some research to find a more permanent solution…” She then stands and starts walking towards a peculiar looking tree at the far edge of the clearing. By all means, the tree looks like it should be dead, its limbs bear no leaves and the trunk looks ancient. Vines and moss cover the base and massive roots that grow out of the ground. Materializing her staff, the little witch thumps the ground three times before doing a little flourish… I think she just wanted to show off her new panties again. The little wink she gives me all but confirms my suspicions. Like watching a mirage appear before me, the air above the tree ripples and distorts as a shape begins to appear out of thin air. A tiny little wooden hut takes shape. It’s barely large enough to be considered an outhouse let alone a home (though somehow it even has an attics). The unpainted wooden panels look almost as ancient as the tree it sits upon. With a gesture telling us to follow, Tabitha ascends a simple wooden staircase. Stopping at the front door, she turns to look at us impatiently. ”Well hurry up! That brain isn’t going to fix itself Shawnie Boy!” She says with a goofy smile before heading inside, a candle in the window almost immediately flares up once the door shuts behind her. ”She can’t seriously expect us to all fit in there, can she?” I ask but Scarlett simply smiles and helps me to my feet. ”Just trust us on this one.“ Nadia says, she still looks a little pale from Tabitha’s revelation but manages to give me a weak smile. I suppose I shouldn’t really be surprised by anything I see in this world, so I offer her my hand to let her lead me inside. Her smile gains a little strength as she takes my hand, Scarlett follows at my side as we ascend the stairs. When we reach the entrance, I’m struck with an odd sense of Déjà vu, but it’s not until they open the door and we step inside that I realize why it felt odd to me. Seal be damned, this can’t wait. I quickly let go of Nadia’s hand and run out the door and look at the “house” once more. I run around the “house” along Tabitha’s balcony and stop at the door again where my companions are looking at me in a mixture of amusement and embarrassment (I never thought I would have an opportunity like this). I run back inside, and looking at the little witch I smile. If she’s been inside my mind, she’ll know where I’m going with this. For once though she looks confused until realization dawns upon her. She gives me a look that screams “Don’t do it you nerd!” but I can’t help myself. ”It’s bigger on the inside!” I shout. My companions look to one another in confusion, between Tabitha shaking her head in embarrassment and my giggling like a fool, it is plainly obvious they are missing something. That or the two of us have swapped brains without their knowing. ”You should paint it blue.” I say, enjoying the witch’s pain for once. It’s nice when the shoe is on the other foot. ”And you should shut up Shawnie boy. I swear if you call me Doctor…” She says in annoyance, though I can see the fringe of a smile on the corner of her lips. ”Fine I won’t, but only if you call me Doctor.” ”I don’t know what is happening, but it looks like his mental condition is getting worse.” ”I don’t know, I think I like this side of Shawn.“ Nadia says with a smile. Everybody loves a geek. ”Okay, okay enough. You’ve had your fun. We don’t have much time.” Tabitha says and begins assembling various ingredients in a large bowl, picking a variety of odds and ends from the diverse selection plants and herbs hanging from the rafters. Now that I’ve calmed down, I actually take the time to look around her home and it’s rather impressive, if a bit busy. Everywhere I look, there are all manner of strange tools, ingredients, and artifacts that serve obvious alchemical purposes (well it’s not obvious to me WHAT they do, but rather that it is their purpose.) The little witch is busy working on a wooden counter top, the shelf next to her is filled with jars containing a vast assortment of strange spices and ingredients I’ve never seen before. Some look fairly mundane; like pieces of dried plants and herbs. Whereas others look far from ordinary… That looks suspiciously like a jar of testicles… The girls have taken to exploring the room as well, though I can tell they take care not to let me out of their sight. Nadia is reading through a thick tome that is laid upon a nearby table, taking care not to tear its well-aged pages. Scarlett is checking out the variety of plants and herbs hanging from the ceiling, I’m sure she is far more familiar with the local flora than myself. As I continue my exploration of Tabitha’s home, one bottle in particular catches my attention, the fluid inside has a fluorescent glow that continually changes color. ”Don’t touch that unless you’re interested in becoming VERY familiar with the female anatomy.” Tabitha says with a smirk before pouring a small vile of green liquid into her concoction. The resulting greenish smoke that emanates from the bowl makes the girl seem a little too sinister for my taste, so I opt out of the possible gender identity crisis. I notice Nadia looks visibly relieved but Scarlett’s expression is harder to place. I think I made the right choice. ”Alright, eat this.” Tabitha hands me a small white capped mushroom. With a shrug I go to pop it into my mouth but she quickly stops me, checks out the mushroom for a second before quickly tossing it out the window. ”eh I mean, eat this one… Wouldn’t want that to happen a second time….” She says, scratching her head before hurriedly going back to her creation. A quick look at my companions shows they are both slightly paler than before, and Nadia is visibly agitated but says nothing. It looks the same as the other mushroom she gave me so I shrug my shoulders once more before popping the new mushroom into my mouth. A few more minutes go by as we wait for Tabitha to finish her experiment, Nadia had managed to find a chess board amongst the clutter and challenged me to a game. I’ve never been very good at chess, needless to say I… Kicked her ass! ”And checkmate.” ”I thought gentlemen were supposed to let the ladies win?“ Nadia pouts as I corner her King between my Bishop and Queen. She tips her piece over in defeat. ”I’ve never played this game before, what’s it called?” Scarlett asks as we reset the board, she had been watching the game closely as we played. ”It’s called Chess, it’s a game of strategy.” I say and start naming off the pieces to her, as well as explaining their purpose and how they move. As I get to the King, I hold it up for her to examine. ”And this is the ‘King’, the focal point of your strategy. You have to protect this piece, while at the same time attempting to capture your opponents ‘King’.” I set the piece down in the appropriate position. ”Care to play another round? We could make it more interesting by making a wager.“ Nadia asks as she finishes setting up her side of the board. ”I think I’ll pass, I can tell when I’m about to be hustled.” I laugh, the look on Nadia’s face tells me I read her right, although to myself I’m curious what the wager would have been. ”Then how about if I play? I bet even as a novice like I could strategize a way to beat you.” Scarlett says with a smirk. I like the confidence, that’s for sure. ”I still have the feeling I’m being hustled… What wager did you have in mind?” Gambling has never worked out for me, why quit now? ”Hmm I don’t know, what did you have in mind Princess?” Scarlett smiles playfully Nadia, who blushes at the nick name. ”Well I was going to suggest that the winner gets to kiss the loser.“ Nadia says, her blush growing stronger. It seems that no matter the outcome she would have gotten what she wanted out of that wager. ”I like the spirit but it’s a bit childish don’t you think?” Scarlett teases, to which Nadia crosses her arms over her chest in defiance. Actually I’ve never really asked how old the girls are, Tabitha did say they were young, but they don’t look as if they could be that much younger than myself. ”Hmph, well I wasn’t trying to be lewd with the idea… Though, that’s not to say I wouldn’t have been willing if Shawn was inclined to--“ She covers her cheeks and shakes off whatever thought she was going to say. ”Aaaah look what you’re making me say!“ She blushes profusely. ”Heh I knew you had it in you.” Scarlett smiles as she turns her attention back to me. ”We’ll keep it more innocent than that pervert--” ”Hey!“ ”But I’ll try to keep it interesting. So here’s my wager: the winner can kiss whoever they choose, where ever they choose.” She says with a seductive grin. ”Or choose not to kiss anyone.” She shrugs her shoulders as if to say that would be a cheap way out of it. ”H-hey, I haven’t even agreed that I was going to make a wager…” I stammer, being comfortable with the hug earlier is a far cry from a make out session, especially considering it’s apparently not limited to just the lips… Even if she isn’t playing, even Nadia looks interested in Scarlett’s proposition. ”True, but you wouldn’t want us to think you’re a pussy now would you?” She continues to bait me. Am I that easy to read? ”Okay fine, you’re on!” Apparently I am… Despite Scarlett’s claim of being able to easily defeating me, it was apparent early on that the odds were not in her favor. She was too quick to go on the offense and soon lost both of her Knights, as well as one of her Bishops. Fearing a quick defeat, she soon went on the defense. I felt confident in my victory… Until Nadia started helping her… Soon I found myself losing most of my army until it came down to just my King and a single Rook as they chased my pieces across the board. ”Check.” ”Aaah.” ”Check.“ ”Aaaaaah.” ”And Check…” ”Mate!“ The girls high five as they laugh at my utter defeat. ”Agh damn! You know that wasn’t anywhere close to fair…” I grumble, I never did have much grace in defeat. ”All’s fair in love and war Shawn… Now to claim the prize.” Scarlett says with a devious smile, rubbing her hands together like a comic book villain. Nadia looks happy with the assist in the victory, having enjoyed the game but still looks jealous over not getting the prize in the end. Scarlett stands up from her chair, though she’s actually shorter than me, she seems to tower over me from this position. The ravenous look in her eyes makes me feel like a small rabbit before the gaze of a hungry wolf. ”Pay close attention Shawn, this is going to be a kiss you’ll never forget...” She trails her tongue seductively across her lip, leaving them moist and ready. I’m rooted to my chair. She moves almost too quickly for my eyes to follow, quickly pulling… Nadia into a deep kiss?? I’m not sure who was more startled, Nadia or myself by the turn of events. Scarlett has her pinned against the wall of the hut, their bodies are pressed together to where they’re almost joined at the hip. A light moan escapes from Nadia’s mouth when her wolfly assailant moves to kiss her along her neck. Scarlett’s hands are busy exploring Nadia’s body when the snake girl finally comes to her senses and pushes Scarlett away. ”W-what are you doing?!“ Nadia stutters, clearly embarrassed, though it doesn’t appear that she was completely against what just happened. ”Well the wager was that the winner could choose whoever they wanted to kiss... Do you think I went too far Shawn?” Scarlett gives me a look that manages to look both seductive and innocent at the same time as she cuddles up against her blushing companion. I don’t know what Nadia saw on my face but she suddenly blushed even more (is my face red? It’s probably red), but instead of pushing Scarlett away again, she pulls the werewolf in closer and kisses her in return. The two quickly resume where they left off, though now Nadia’s hands are now in the mix as well. The moans of desire have really kicked up as well. I am completely lost on how to react to the scene before me. I know I’m staring but I can’t seem to look away. I don’t have it in me to join, my previous anxiety still strongly applies no matter how hot the two of them are. Not to ignore the vast pit of guilt I feel about my wife and the predicament I’m already in. ”They’d probably let you join in.” Tabitha whispers in my ear, causing me to jump and fall right out of my chair. ”Oh Jesus!” I exclaim before I hit the ground, and previous thoughts of arousal AND guild evaporating in an instant. ”Never met the man hehehe.” The little witch giggles. At the sound of the commotion, the two girls quickly pull apart. Nadia looking like she’s ready to explode from embarrassment (or faint, whichever comes first), Scarlett looks entirely too satisfied with herself. Whereas my pants feel entirely too strained… Okay not all of the arousal has evaporated. ”Alright ladies and gent, let’s get started!” Tabitha says, brandishing a large bowl and an equally large knife. ”I… I think that’s my cue to leave.” I say as I try to subtlety slip away, only to be caught by the collar of my shirt, thereby losing my footing and falling on my ass in a less subtle manner. ”Care to explain Tabitha?” Scarlett says as she saunters over and helps me to my feet. Its not blatantly obvious but she has put herself between me and the knife wielding witch. ”I need his blood.” Tabitha’s waves the knife as if to say “isn’t it obvious”, but gets a sudden look as if it suddenly dawns on her to explain further. ”Oh and blood from the two of you as well, I would prefer your moon blood but it’ll work just fine without it.” Tabitha says with a sincere smile, as if all our concerns should now be relieved… ”Moon blood? What does that--” ”I-I think we would all feel better if you would just explain what it is that you’re trying to do… Please.“ Nadia is blushing profusely, I thought she was over the embarrassment of the previous activities but apparently not. ”Well isn’t it obvious?” She asks, holding up the knife and bowl which now that they are not directly in my face and threatening to drain me dry, I notice they are rather ornate. The blade is polished silver with intricate gold patterns stamped along the side, they almost look like Scottish runes but I’m not about to get closer to try and confirm that theory. The handle is wrapped in a black leather that makes the blade appear even more striking. The bowl is gold in color, with black runic symbols circling the edges. Holding these items, the little witch then gestures towards the center of the room as if to make her point more obvious. She has cleared a large space (did the house get even bigger?) and painted even more symbols in a circular pattern upon the floor in what I hope is red paint. Red and white candles of varying sizes are placed around the perimeter in seemingly significant spots, or at least as far as I can tell. I raise my hand just above shoulder level to get her attention. Seeing my hand, Tabitha smiles. ”See at least Shawnie boy gets it.” ”Nope. I have no idea what’s going on right now.” I say, trying to look stupid and succeeding. Tabitha sighs and shakes her head. ”Well how the hell else am I supposed to perform an engagement ceremony?!” She shouts in frustration. ”….“ ”….” ”….” ”WHAT?!“ ”WHAT?!” ”WHAT?!” End Chapter 31. |
New_User_12345May 14, 2017 8:33 PM
|
| Noooo, not the fun-size old lady! Damn speedy undead and their speediness. One can only hope that if Tony manages to sneak his way out of this that he gets more than a thorough spanking from his patron. Geez...losses on the good team almost balance out all those poor zombie girls taking the fall... |
| Don Salieri is back and more badass than ever! I like Scarlett's badass mother Charlee Norris too (didn't got her name) But ... seriously... Tabitha, nooo! You killed Tabitha, you bastard! |
| Signature removed. It was too good for this cruel world. |
greatgreenman said: @Em: I'd say its fairly balanced, I did kind of get rain style raped by the zombie girls before that... Zombie time sounds like a bonus to me. =P As far as balance I meant the pain to my delicate heart. |
emeraldtryst said: .... I got raped!!! lolAs far as balance I meant the pain to my delicate heart. |
|
greatgreenman said: emeraldtryst said: .... I got raped!!! lolAs far as balance I meant the pain to my delicate heart. Psshhh, details. If you'd have kept going they would have ended up liking you more than Tony and then you'd have an army! Sometimes actions must be undertaken for great justice! |
| I don't think a human can really stand on equal footing with an Incubus in the charm department, even the mighty goblin slayer :P |
|
| Well, let's say you've been sitting at the bar dumping $12 shots down the greedy gullet of a 9.5 girl for a few hours. She may be charming, but when that 6.4 girl slides up and invites you to check out the bathroom with her...you can see how much all that charm is worth =P |
| I just want to remind you of this for a moment but then also add not only could that 9.5 girl literally tear the 6.4 girl's head off her shoulders, but somehow can manipulate the man's mind into completely ignoring the 6.4 girl ever even came by lol. |
|
| Aww...why you got to bring that up? Though I couldn't decide between those two chapter titles =P Well, maybe miss 9.5 is all drunk (on power in this case) and totally doesn't notice the bangtastic...you know what? I give up. I was just trying to convince you to bag more zombies =) |
| lol I will do my best in the future, though idk if i'll survive Nadia's wrath if I add more zombies onto the list |
|
| ;~; i liked Tabitha.... and poor Scarlet needs help |
|
| Aaaand the loli slayer award of the month goes to Elizabeeeth! Congratulations, congratulations. (My turn to be the mood ruiner :p) I like Scarlett's mom but I like Scarlett even more, hope she gets this energy thing removed so that she's "safe to claim" xD |
| shawn should man up and help poor scarlet |
|
oh man up for the girl, green |
|
| Listen to the man, Green. Fucking man up and fuck her. |
| No sympathy from my readers lol |
|
| I got your back, bro. No mind-breaking sex! Been there, done that, burned the t-shirt. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
tygertyger said: I got your back, bro. No mind-breaking sex! Been there, done that, burned the t-shirt. but wasnt that rape? this would be consensual, thus cant be near as bad |
|
Clarus_Nox said: but wasnt that rape? this would be consensual, thus cant be near as bad "Not as bad" doesn't necessarily mean, "good for you," though. It's Monstergirl Island, dude. Sometimes the only difference between rape and consensual sex is that with consensual sex you didn't say no (which is not the same thing as saying yes...). |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| hmmm..... plot armor? :D |
|
tygertyger said: *sniffle* T-thank you tyger, at least someone has my back :') lolI got your back, bro. No mind-breaking sex! Been there, done that, burned the t-shirt. |
|
greatgreenman said: tygertyger said: *sniffle* T-thank you tyger, at least someone has my back :') lolI got your back, bro. No mind-breaking sex! Been there, done that, burned the t-shirt. Come on, it's not like lava golem or a matango! It's like riding the ridiculously painful Mean Streak roller coaster. Sure, it's as likely to dislocate vertebrae as it is to be a good time, but if you paid to get in you're only hurting yourself if you don't experience as much as possible =P |
| lol but that influx of demonic energy will kill me at this point |
|
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