| Note: The games have been temporarily deleted as whatever changes were made to MAL affected the format and I'll have to redo them. Hopefully I can get that up and working again. I am reposting all of the chapters as I do not like where the story was heading, for the most part the early chapters should be relatively the same aside from some simple changes and additions that hopefully make the story flow more naturally. I hope you all like the changes and keep reading. As always, I am open to criticism (please constructive). My ladies: Edit: I am stealing the idea of posting chapters links on the first post :P, thank you Kami, mdude and Su :3 Chapters Also a little RPG I made :P Here's Kamis far better version of my RPG :) Prologue: The hands of fate Elizabeth walked as quickly as she could down the corridor, she didn’t want to arouse any unwanted attention from Tony’s new little “gang”. As a Wight, she had great respect amongst the undead; even amassing a respectable number of undead servants, but Tony had saw fit to recruit a good number of them into his little “family” as he so lovingly called it. She was no longer sure who she could trust amongst her students or servants. If I don’t take hold of this situation, this could be my last opportunity… I can’t let any of those girls tell him before I speak with him… The man she married had disappeared; Tony had become someone… something else. The corridor was long, stretching deep into the mountain that she had built her fortress into. Not only had the fortress served as a meeting place for the respected members of the undead society and a school for the newly undead, it was also her home. She reached the door to her bedroom chamber, and listened for any signs that word had yet reached her husband. Hearing none, she took a moment to regain her composure and then knocked lightly on the chamber door. “Husband, do you have a minute? I would like to speak with you.” She could hear a ruffling of sheets, and the sound of bare feet on the stone floor as Tony approached the door. The man who opened the door stood just under five feet tall, a full head shorter than Elizabeth. He had beady brown eyes, with a hooked nose that was slightly crooked from various fights over the past two years; he’d even put on a bit of weight from the time she first met him. “Wha’cha want Lizzie? I was uh… sleepin’” The sheepish look on his face revealed the lie. Looking past him, she could see a pair of ears peeking out from underneath their bed sheet. Probably some whorish cat picked up from town. Elizabeth’s eyes glowed slightly, and with a flick of her wrist the bed sheet wrapped around the girl, tying itself in a knot at the top like a vagabond’s bindle. A terrified “Nyah” came from the bag of bed sheets as the girl struggled to break free from her makeshift cage. “Sleeping? You won’t get any rest like that.” The man scratched the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. Despite Tony’s appearance, and lecherous ways, Elizabeth’s heart still loved the man she had found lost in the woods just two years before. He had been scared, running around screaming nonsense about a man named Shawn, attracting nearly every monster girl in the area. It didn’t take much effort for Elizabeth to scare off the other girls that had shown up. After “rescuing” the frightened man, by way of kidnapping him, he had developed a fever and would still cry out the man’s name in his delirium. Once the fever subsided, it had seemed Tony had forgotten about the other man entirely. After getting accustomed to this world, Tony had been kind to her, and despite lacking any physical appeal, he spoke with a silver tongue and quickly captured her heart. She even found his strange brutish accent alluring. Her love for him had blinded her to some of the subtle hints of his true personality; until he started building his “family”. He had used his influence as Elizabeth’s husband to recruit many of her undead servants, as well as various thugs paid for with her own wealth. The man before her now was nothing like the man she had met back then, or so she thought. “Aw leave the girl alone Lizzie, I was just havin’ a lil’ fun with her.” Elizabeth’s eyes returned to normal, and the bag unraveled, revealing a frightened Cheshire cat girl. The girl quickly gathered her clothes and hurried past them down the hall. Pushing past Tony into their bedroom, Elizabeth took a seat at the edge of their bed. Tony rubbed the back of his balding head, and followed her into the room. To avoid Elizabeth’s icy gaze, he started stirring the logs in the fireplace with a poker. “So Lizzie… What was it ya wanted to speak to me about?” Her eyes scanned the room; her status amongst the undead had afforded her a sense of luxury. Though it mattered little to her, it had been of extreme delight for her husband. Her eyes fell upon Tony’s prized possession, a commissioned painting of the man named Shawn. He had provided a detailed description to make it to the man’s exact likeness. A dagger protruded from the paintings eye, he took great pleasure in practicing on it. “I have some news that you might wish to hear.” Tony kept his attention on stirring the logs. “I overheard one of the vampire girls mention she saw a man on the outskirts of our territory.” “Mm hmm… Them girls are always lookin’ to find a lil’ romance, pickin’s are slim babe.” “Be that as it may, she also mentioned he shared a striking resemblance to that of the man in your portrait.” The stirring stopped. “She didnt want to get too close, as the sun was starting to rise, but she said she saw a human male in the desert west of here, who greatly resembled the man in your painting.” Tony’s hand began to tremble, whether rage or fear Elizabeth could not surmise, more than likely a mixture of both. He suddenly threw the red hot poker at the wall, smashing a porcelain vase. “How did that lil’ fuckin’ rat make it here? I thought human men were rare around here? He’s gonn’a mess up my whole operation before it even gets off the fuckin’ ground!” Tony continued rambling and pacing around the room, occasionally lashing out at invisible enemies. Elizabeth had seen him lose his temper plenty of times; at first it hadn’t affected her, but in his anger, Tony revealed his true nature, often becoming violent with anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in his way. Normally a human was too weak to do any real damage to a monster girl, but Tony often kept a dagger or two stashed away, and even a monster girl could succumb to a human with a well-placed blade. In that moment, Elizabeth made her decision; the man she loved was gone, and the monster before her had to be stopped, even if it meant his life. “It could simply be a case of mistaken identity... But if it would put your mind at ease, I could investigate the matter further.” Tony stopped pacing the floor and studied her for a moment. She almost thought he might be suspicious of her but then a wicked grin spread across his face. “That’s perfect! You’re a freakin’ genius Lizzie! None of my girls are of much use durin’ the day; the vamps an’ ghouls hate goin' out in the sun, an’ the zom’s would take too long. You’re quick, and ya move around so quietly I never hear ya comin’ or goin’… Yeah, you’re exactly what we need. ” He said, rubbing his hands together with a maniacal look in his eyes, it disgusted Elizabeth that she had fallen for this man, but her foolish heart still hoped that beneath all the madness and greed, the man she married was still somewhere inside. This weakness in her heart prevented her from taking his life on her own. “Then it shall be done, my husband.” Elizabeth couldn’t trust any of Tony’s hired thugs, or even her own once loyal undead to handle this matter. She needed to see this man for herself; if the man who had inspired so much of her husband’s madness was half as bad as Tony often described, he might just be the one to solve all of her problems. She had already gathered all the information she needed from the vampire girl who had revealed Shawn’s existence to her. She quickly covered the distance through the fortress, reaching the front door that lead to the cave that hid the secret entrance. It was a secret more for exclusiveness rather than actual protection, although Tony liked the idea of it being hidden, making his organization even more difficult to track. She passed through the tunnels easily; its many twists and turns engraved in her memory after centuries traversing its paths. Elizabeth made it outside, her eyes squinting in the bright sunlight; she may not be harmed by the sunlight like her vampire students or the servants, but it didn’t make the experience any more pleasant for her. The darkness of night was her true companion, but she ignored her discomfort and set about locating the man named Shawn. -------- “w-what happened?” Sitting up, my head feels like it could split in half. A sharp pain is resonating from my scalp, I reach up to assess the damage but wince at the lightest touch. My fingers come away soaked in blood. I’m bleeding heavily, and it’s starting to obscure my vision. I try to stand but quickly lose my balance and collapse to my knees. It takes the last of my strength just to lay down onto my back. A single scraggily tree stands above me, the condition of the limbs above me suggests that they must have broken my fall, although sufficiently breaking me as well. My vision starts to fade as I stare at the sky through the trees, I know I should try to stay awake but I don’t have the energy to fight it. “Watch me daddy! I can go even higher!” A little girl calls out while laughing. The last sight I see is a single cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky as everything goes black. “Looks like it’s true; you are most certainly the man in the painting, but what a place to land… such unfortunate luck…” What is this voice? It’s not the same. A girl’s? They sound young, and yet... “You cannot die just yet, I have plans for you Shawn…” Shawn? I sense a warmth, it feels as if its on my forehead and yet miles away at the same time. I can feel it pulling me back to the surface. Your body will heal, but your memories have been unhinged… you will have to remember them on your own. It’s strange; it’s as if I’m no longer hearing the woman, but rather her voice is inside my head? The warm feeling starts to spread and intensify. It’s too much, I am rushing towards a raging inferno! The heat is spreading across my entire body, as if I’ve been tossed into the pits of hell. I breech the surface, slamming back into my body and scream in agony as my flesh is seared and burned. Healing is a painful process, but you’ll survive… Become strong Shawn, do not disappoint me. The voice pulls away and I suddenly feel alone, but the burning disappears with it. I writhe on the ground feeling the aftershocks of my body knitting itself back together. Exhausted and in pain, I crawl towards the lonely tree. With an effort I prop myself up in a sitting position and lean against the trunk. Breathing hard and fighting to stay awake, I take in my surroundings. Aside from the tree supporting me, the landscape is barren, just sand and cracked earth as far as the eye can see. “where the hell am I?... Better yet, who the hell am I?” Finally I lose my struggle and succumb to the waiting abyss. Mind empty and dark. End prologue. ------------------------------------------ Ch1. Waking up a new man “watch me daddy, watch me!” A little girl is playing on a swing, swinging back and forth, going higher with each pass. I can’t quite make out her face, everything is a blur. She’s small, probably no more than 5 or 6, with dark brown hair. Is it wavy? Or straight? The details are hard to see. “I’m watching sweetie, but be careful.” This voice… It sounds so, familiar… The girl giggles and keeps on swinging. I try to move closer but my feet won’t budge, I’m fixed in place, merely an observer. The scene is so simple yet, somehow, it makes my heart ache. It seems so happy, yet I can only feel sorrow as I watch the happy little girl playing around in her backyard. Suddenly the image changes, I hear tires screech, and I hear the girl scream. “Hold on!” “Daddy!!” “Rania!” I wake up panting; my clothes are drenched with sweat. I had called out the name, but I don’t know where it came from. “Rania? Was that the little girl from my dream?” I shake it off, but the dream is still vivid in my mind. I look around, but I still don’t recognize the landscape, although I doubt anyone would in this featureless wasteland. The intense heat is horrible; I would take off my shirt if not out of fear of sunburn. “Where in the world am I? How did I get here?” I gingerly bring my hand up to check my head but I find that it’s perfectly fine, as if I was never injured. Whatever the girl from earlier had done to me had worked. If any of it was even real. You’ll have to remember them on your own… Her words are haunting. I try to bring up memories of myself but my mind is blank, I can’t even remember my name. “Didn’t that girl call me as Shawn? Is that—“ “Somebody help!! Please help me!” A cry for help jerks me from my thoughts. I scramble to my feet and look around for the source of the call. I run to the top of a nearby dune and scan the area. A short distance away, I see the trouble; a young woman is stuck in the sand past her waist, and sinking fast. Seeing me, she frantically waves her arms to catch my attention. “Please help me! It’s quicksand!” I rush over to her; I get within a few feet of her when my foot sinks into the sand. I quickly hop back to avoid getting stuck as well. This isn’t good.. If I get too close I’ll just go down with her I lie down on my stomach and try crawling towards her. Luckily this keeps me from sinking quickly but by time I reach her, she is already shoulder deep. This close to her, I see that she is actually really cute. Her hair is a strange shade of pink, but it suits her. This is not the time for that! I shake the thoughts from my head, and focus on rescuing her. I grab hold of her wrist, but it is only then that I realize how difficult a task this will be. “Don’t worry; I’ll get you out of this.” I say this, but my confidence in being able to pull the poor girl out at this angle was pretty low. To make matters worse, I could feel myself slowly being drawn down with her. Just as I notice this, she grips my wrist like a vice as she starts to sink even faster. Her eyes are desperate, pleading to me, as her mouth sinks below the surface. Lying on my stomach would make it nearly impossible to pull her out. I adjust my posture to use my legs for leverage, but as I do, a low rumbling sound starts beneath us and the slow sinking sand turns into a violent vortex. The girl disappears beneath the surface in a flash. I struggle to break free from the maelstrom of sand, but soon half my body is beneath the surface and sinking fast. The futility of my efforts causes me to panic. “No! Oh God No!” I anguish at the thought of dying in this desolate place, without even the trivial knowledge of who I am. The sand is up to my chest now, I desperately reach towards the edge of the vortex but with nothing but sand to grab onto, I continue to sink. With the sand reaching up to my throat, I raise my face up, trying to preserve every fleeting second before slipping into the abyss. It is only then that I notice a strange woman standing at the top of the sand dune in front of me, silently watching me. I frantically wave my arm to get her attention, but she makes no move to help. Instead she just stares at me, and then starts sniffing the air. I’m catching my last glimpses of light, but just before the darkness engulfs me, I see her lick her lips as a devilish grin spreads across her face… Wait is she wearing dog ears on her head? “You’ll do nicely.” I disappear beneath the surface, sealed in by swirling sand. End of Chapter 1. |
New_User_12345Mar 27, 2017 6:08 PM
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| Ch2. Squeeze Panic seizes me as I try to struggle but the sheer pressure beneath the sea of sand prevents even the smallest of movements. Only my free hand remains unburied, I can feel the heat of the sun upon my skin, the open air. So close and yet so far. In my desperation I try to yell out but only succeed in getting a mouthful of sand. It has crept into every orifice, crushing in on me at every angle. By now I am certain the girl has suffocated and I’ll soon be joining her. My lungs are burning and I can’t hold my breath much longer. The thought of sand filling my lungs, fills me with dread. Just let go… Why keep struggling? A whisper, dark and chilling. I can feel myself slipping away, but I continue to resist. The urge to hang on to every fleeting second. Don’t you miss your family? Your wife? Your daughter? Just let go… take this mercy and join them… in death. I had a family? Was the little girl… They’re dead?! The pain in my heart resurfaces and my struggling weakens. I’m confused and scared, but a new emotion surges ahead; I’m angry. I can’t die now, not without answers! Suddenly something cold wraps around my free hand, something metal. A Chain! I grip the chain as tight as I can and whoever is on the other end starts pulling with incredible strength. Within seconds my head breaks the surface and I gratefully cough out the sand that had trickled into my mouth and nose. With sand in my eyes I cannot see who my savior is, but I can hear them grunting from the effort of pulling us out. We’re saved! Thank god, I’m alive! With an almost animal like roar and one last tremendous pull, our savior manages to rip us both free of the pit of sand. A searing pain shoots up my arm, undoubtedly dislocated from the force of the pull but I’m too relieved to care. Injuries can heal, I’m alive! Using my working hand, I clear my eyes just as our savior steps over top of me and straddles me. Sitting down so forcefully they knock the wind out of me. They bring their face inches away from mine so I can see them clearly. It’s the woman from before, two large dog-like ears sit atop her head. She has piercing yellow eyes which bore deep into my own, her devilish grin returns. She then leans closer and breathes into my ear. “I’m going to have lots of fun with you.” I’m unable to comprehend her words as the last of my strength fades, exhaustion and pain has taken its toll, and I pass out…again. -------------- When I wake, the sky is dark. “Was it all a dream?” The stabbing pain in my shoulder brings it all back. I attempt to sit up but find my movements restricted. My first thought is that I’ve been tied up, but when I look down, I break out into a cold sweat. A gigantic snake has coiled itself around my body, it’s only then that I become aware of a light breath against my cheek. I slowly turn my head, terrified to gaze upon the monstrous reptilian face of the serpent that has me in its grip. Instead, I find the sleeping face of a young girl, the same young girl who I had tried rescuing earlier. I had completely forgotten about her after my rescue… Some savior I turned out to be. She must have been able to hold onto my arm just long enough to escape as well. It’s only then that I notice her arms are wrapped around my chest as if cuddling me. Then I start to worry. Is the snake coiled around us both?! I trace the length of the snake’s body, looking for its head but its body disappears beneath the girl’s skirt. It’s eating her! The thought terrifies me; I have to do something to help this poor girl. I struggle to free myself, my injured arm is useless but if I could somehow free my other arm, perhaps I could find something to strike the serpent. As I fight to free my arm, the girl starts to groan, a small frown spreading across her lips. “Mmm… It’s not time for breakfast yet..” She groans and hugs me tighter. Her grip is even tighter than the snake’s coils. “What?! Wake up! It’s going to eat you!!” “Who’s going to eat who?” The voice comes from behind us. I crane my neck back to see who had spoken, but I see nothing. “Who’s out there? Please help us!” I call out, and something starts moving through the bushes (apparently we’re no longer in the desert, the giant man eating snake has thoroughly distracted me), slowly coming towards us. A pair of sinister yellow eyes glow in the darkness, sending a chill down my spine. The beast moves closer, my heart seizes in my chest as it stands directly over my head, but then it’s silhouette against the moonlight becomes clear. “Dog ears?” The figure stiffens at the words. They quickly squat down until they are face to face with me and smack me on the top of the head. It’s the woman who rescued me earlier. “I’m a wolf! Not a mangy dog!!” She says with a terrifyingly convincing growl. This close, I can tell she is quite beautiful as well (even with the growl). She looks to be in her early twenties; her hair is short and blonde, coming down just to the base of her neck. The fierce look in her eye is both intimidating and sexy... What’s wrong with me… “Ookay.. I’m sorry… uh miss wolf? “ “Hmph... stupid human.” She stands back up, brushing a lock of hair out of her face, but keeps her intense gaze fixed upon me. Her look contains a mix of both annoyance and intrigue. “A-anyways, can you please help us?” I figure, if this woman had torn me from the grips of the quick sand so easily (dislocating my shoulder in the process), surely she could do something about this snake. “Help you? With what?” She asks, raising an eyebrow. I stare in disbelief, and look down at the snake’s coils as if I’m going crazy. “Can you not see the predicament we’re in?” As I say this the snake tightens it’s coils a bit harder, still not painfully (excluding my arm) but bordering uncomfortable. “Oh her? Yeah... I’d rather not move a sleeping Lamia, I’d only get caught up in her coils along with you.” A Lamia? “We would all be wrapped up together, pressing in on one another... I don’t know if my heart could take such stimulation.” She raises her hands to her face, in an obvious fake blush. The woman then brings her face close to me again. “Although… Maybe for you, I wouldn’t mind it so much.” She says in a seductive voice, sliding her finger across my bottom lip. She stands back up with a light laugh. What is this woman going on about? Is she sadistic? I struggle some more but only succeed in causing further pain to my shoulder. “Besides, TECHNICALLY she did lawfully capture you first and we’ve come to and understanding on sharing you.” “Wha-” ”You’ll just have to wait until morning. She’s wrapped around you to keep warm for the night. Just bear with it and try and get some sleep, I’ve got a busy day planned for you.” The woman says with a wink. She then leans down and licks me on the cheek. I can feel a blush creeping up my cheek in response. “Very busy.” “What?” With a girlish giggle, she walks away back into the darkness, leaving me alone with the girl and the snake. End of Chapter 2. |
New_User_12345Dec 10, 2016 12:00 PM
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| Ch3. Waiting leads to madness I lay there awake for the rest of the night, unable to fall asleep, although that comes of no surprise being wrapped in the coils of a giant snake. I spend the night contemplating the day’s events. I woke up in a strange place with a head wound but was miraculously saved by a mysterious girl (whom I never saw) and now I can’t remember anything. I then met another strange girl stuck in quicksand, got myself stuck in the quicksand myself, trying to save said girl; only to be saved by yet ANOTHER strange woman. and what’s with the wolf act? Is she cracked? My face feels incredibly warm, I’m still blushing from the lick, but I don’t know what to think of the “wolf girl”; she was flirting with me, and yet is content to watch me get eaten by this monster? I wiggle my shoulders a few more times trying to free myself but give up soon after, the pain in my shoulder is throbbing. The snake has no intention of loosening its grip on me, and I can sense no movement from it other than the gentle rise of its breathing. “I guess it really is asleep… but what will happen when it wakes up?” I imagine a horrific scene of the snake swallowing the poor girl whole, I can imagine her screams of terror as she gets sucked down into its gullet. The monster then turns its attention to me; bares its razor sharp fangs, dripping with poison, and then… Urgh… The thought sends shivers down my spine. My anxiety increases as I start to see glow of the morning sun start to rise on the horizon. The snake hasn’t moved a muscle, and as far as I can tell, is still fast asleep. With the sun rising, it’s only a matter of time before the snake will warm up and start moving, crushing the life out of me and the girl. ------4 hours later------- At this point, death would be a welcome change. The sun is not yet high enough to begin roasting us alive, but I am already drenched in sweat. The girl, however, is still fast asleep; snoring contently with her death grip cuddle crushing my chest. I’m staring blankly at the sky, counting clouds when I hear footsteps approaching from behind me. I crane my neck back to see who has joined us, and see the “wolf girl” with a couple rabbits slung over her shoulder, an annoyed expression on her face. “Oi, are you just going to sleep all day?” And with that, gives a light kick to the side of the sleeping beast. I could have chipped some teeth with how hard my jaw it hit the floor at the “balls” on this woman. “Are you out of your fucking mind?!” I slowly turn my head to look at the snake, but it still hasn’t moved. Then I hear a light grumble come from the girl. She then releases her choke hold on my sternum and stretches her arms above her head with a sleepy groan and a smile on her face. I’m astonished by everyone’s carefree attitude, completely speechless. The girl opens her eyes, seeing me she blinks twice and her face instantly turns bright red. “W-What are you doing?” She squeaks, reeling back from me. She is completely unaware of the sleeping beast coiled around us. “uh.. what do you—“ *Slap* I’m stunned, a red hand print starts forming on my cheek and my face is forced to one side to stare off into the distance. I don’t know what to think at this point. “You brute! Trying to take advantage of me in my sleep!” *Slap* I’m now staring off to the other side; in the light I can see a thick forest past the bushes I noticed last night. This is a fair observation, because nothing else makes sense to me at this point. She reels her arm back to slap me again, but the “wolf girl” catches her by the wrist. “Stop… it’s your fault Nadia.” The “wolf girl” points down at the snake’s body and as if on cue, I feel the coils tense up. Oh god… now they’ve done it… I close my eyes and wait for the end. Oooooh! I am so sorry for slapping you, it was a complete misunderstanding. I do hope you will forgive me.” At that, the coils… loosen? I open my eyes as the girl starts sliding away from me… The snake isn’t eating her, its part of her… She IS the snake… My jaw falls slack in utter disbelief; I look to the “wolf girl” for some kind of rationalization, something close to reality but her back is turned to me busy gutting the rabbits with the business end of a chain sickle. She is concentrating on her work; her tail wafting from side to… her tail?! I try to speak but my voice catches in my throat. “I.. ah.. wha..uh…” “Oh dear, I may have slapped him too hard.” Nadia (the snake girl? The Lamia?) slithers back over to me (slithers?!) and places a gentle hand on my cheek. The (now confirmed) wolf girl only shrugs her shoulders in response, busy with her rabbits. “Are you okay sir?” She says with a look of genuine concern in her eyes. My eyes are wide with disbelief, my jaw is shaking. “I’ll make everything better; I hope you’ll forgive me with this.“ She kisses me on the cheek, and I briefly feel a forked tongue graze my cheek. She giggles slightly, blushing. “I’ve never kissed a real human man before… you taste… good.” She giggles again and smiles at me, revealing a couple tiny fangs. My eyes roll into the back of my head, and I pass out for the third time in less than twenty four hours. End of Chapter 3. ----------------------------- Ch4. Same old places, brand new faces “Happy Birthday to you!” ”Happy Birthday to you!” “Happy birthday dear Rania, Happy birthday to you!” People are crowded around a picnic table; the little girl from my dream is sitting in front of a pink cake, a birthday hat settled neatly on top of her head. From the number of candles on the cake, I can see that she is five years old in this memory. She is smiling gleefully at all the attention, and blows out the candles as the song ends. Everyone cheers, and she is smiling bigger than ever. The pain I feel in my chest is certain; this must be my daughter… Rania… I must be remembering my old life, it seems I’m going to reliving fragments of my memory in these dreams, and this pain in my chest is just going to get worse. A man walks up behind her, gives her a big hug, and hands her a present. She bounces in her chair as she tears apart the wrapping paper, revealing a pink plastic pony. “Thank you daddy, I love it” She says and gives the man a hug. You’re welcome sweet heart. The man says with a warm smile. and that must be me, who I am… or was I haven’t had a chance to look in a mirror, the man before me looks to be in his early twenties; he is around five foot eight, not very tall but solidly built. I can’t imagine what he… I did for a living, but it must have been hard labor from the look of my arms. He’s not built like an ox, but I’m impressed by my general physique. I didn’t believe he would be the type of man to faint so easily. My hair is a light brown, high fade cut; I have a thin beard, no mustache. What went wrong? How did I end up in the condition that I’m in? The scene blurs and changes; in front of me now, the scene is more dismal. I’m sitting in some dive of a bar, the air is thick with cigarette smoke, a small television is playing over the bar, I can’t make out what game is being played. An even younger version of me is sitting at the bar, hunched over a beer; the glass is still full, it looks like he’s waiting for something. A moment later, another man walks into the bar and sits next to me at the counter. The new man looks to be in his mid-forties, not much taller than myself, but sporting a beer gut. “Hey yo- Shawn my boy, how ya doin’?” His voice has a heavy New York accent, like out of an old mafia movie. He pats “me” on the back and then orders a beer with the wave of his hand to the bar tender. The man then leans over and starts talking in a lowered voice. “I’ve been havin’ words with Tony, and we think Danny's been talkin’ to the police… We can’t have rats like him runnin’ their mouths…” He says, and quickly glances around the bar. ”You’re gonn’a have to take care of him… Real clean like ya know? Make it look like an accident.” “No.” “I don’t think you heard me clearly… I said you’re gonn’a HAVE to… We’re not askin’ ya, We’re tellin’ ya.” He prods me in the chest with his finger, emphasizing his point, but I brush it aside. “and I said No… I’m done Joey... You can tell Tony that I’m out, I can’t keep doing this. My wife is pregnant; I have to look out for their best interest.” Both men sit in silence for a while. Joey lights a cigar and puffs on it a few times. “Ya know… Congratulations Shawn… Really, on the kid and all… but ya can’t just walk away.” “Watch me, I’m going legit. Joining the service, I already spoke with a recruiter and everything.” The old me takes a sip of his beer. “That’s real funny Shawn, but what about the family? An’ I ain’t just talkin’ ‘bout this rinky-dink bullshit you’re tryin’ ta start up with that Arab chick ya call your wife.” “They’ll do just fine without me, and before you even suggest threatening my REAL family, they’re already gone. Neither you, nor Tony or anyone else in the “family” will be able to touch them.” “Ya can’t cross Tony like this, an’ ya sure as hell can’t cross the family like this.” Joey is no longer whispering; the old (young?) me just stares ahead, jaw clenched. The bar tender looks up from cleaning a glass mug and watches us but says nothing. Vinnie reaches into his coat pocket to put away his lighter. “I’m sorry Shawn, I really am.” “Yeah… Me too.” Joey pulls a revolver out of his pocket and points it at my head, but I use the palm of my hand closest to him to strike his wrist, redirecting the gun out of the way just in time. The revolver fires and strikes the bar tender in the chest, blowing a hole clean through. He doesn’t go flying backwards, or stagger around dramatically; he just looks down at the wound in his chest confused, the mug he was cleaning drops from his hand and shatters on the floor. The bar tender looks back up at us confused before crumbling to the floor. I’m now on my feet; I grip the barrel of the revolver with my free hand and twist downward. I hear the bones in Joey’s trigger finger snap as I wrench it out of his hand. He screams in agony, but I cut him off abruptly by slaming his face down hard on the bar table, breaking his nose and knocking out most of his teeth. The best he is able to let out is a pathetic gurgling sound, and I slam again to make it stop. I drop Vinnie’s unconcious body to the floor and tuck his revolver into the back of my pants. The few people who had been in the bar quickly flee to safety, one woman sobbing loudly. I’m glad I chose this dive bar, no cameras. I then walk out of the bar. I watch this scene unfold with a knot in my stomach. Seeing this only left me with more questions than answers. The scene blurs and fades before my eyes, engulfing me in darkness. This is just a taste of what’s to come… you’ll soon learn that it doesn’t take fangs and claws to make a monster… End of Chapter 4. |
New_User_12345Dec 10, 2016 12:05 PM
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| Ch5. Opening old wounds ”You should eat something sir… you look a little pale” The snake girl holds out a haunch of roast rabbit, her cheeks are slightly flushed, avoiding meeting my eyes. Likewise I’m avoiding looking at her lower half; I’m still not certain I haven’t succumbed to heat stroke. After my recent batch of memories, I’m afraid acknowledging there is a half snake, half human girl offering me a slightly charred rabbit leg just might push me over the edge and straight into the funny bin. “Thank you...” *sigh* Stop being such a pussy! If she meant you any harm, she had every opportunity to snuff you out during any number of your weak ass fainting spells. I contemplate this fact, while also pushing aside the worry that I can have a pep talk with myself in my own mind. I give the girl my best attempt at a smile, and gratefully accept the food. My right arm is in a makeshift sling, and being that I’m right handed, I’m fairly inept with my left. As she hands me the leg of rabbit, my hand lightly grazes her fingers, she smiles shyly and then busies herself with tending to the rest of the food over the campfire. I tentatively take a bite of the food, unsure of its quality but it turns out rather good. Being able to season the meat on the fly with ingredients found in the wood is fairly impressive, I know I couldn’t do it. I finish my meal happily, and examine my surroundings while I chew. I don’t know how long either of my… fainting spells were, but we’re nowhere near the desert I first awoke in. The land around us is lush with life, a sprawling grassland before me and a thick intimidating forest behind me. I’m assuming the grasslands fade into the desert at some point but I’m no expert on topography. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the wolf woman gnawing on a piece of rabbit. She chews noisily, ripping the meat off the bone. I try not to make it too obvious that I can see her; afraid to offend her and risk being next on the menu. “So… your name is Nadia?” I remember the wolf woman referring to the girl by that name after she stopped her from slapping me silly. She nods her head in acknowledgement and smiles brightly. The wolf woman is now chewing through the bone to get at the marrow, but has turned to look at me as she chews. “Well, you can call me… um…” I start to give my name, but my memory is still foggy and it slips away from me again. My head starts to hurt as I try to remember; I rub my temples to try and relieve the pain. Both girls are looking at me strangely now; Nadia, who was turning the rabbit on a spit, stops and places the back of her hand on my forehead. “I’m okay… I just… I can’t seem to remember anything…” I fill them in on the events that I could remember, I tell them about the brief dreams I’ve been having but I keep the details vague and leave out the detail of the menacing voice, I considered leaving out the bit about the girl who saved me, but end up telling them in the end. I apparently tend to gesture with my hands when I speak, this becomes apparent as it’s killing my dislocated shoulder every time I try to use it. I do end up remembering my name to my relief. Nadia had listened intently while she continued cooking the rabbit, but the wolf girl didn’t seem to pay much attention to my story, focusing more on her meal than anything else. “I didn’t catch your name.” The woman stops chewing and considers me for a moment. It feels as if she is examining a slab of meat... “You can call me Scarlett.” The wolf girl answers and tosses away the remaining bone fragments that had been her meal, eyeing my own meal hungrily. Nadia finishes cooking the second rabbit, and hands me bit of meat just as I finish my first. My wariness of the girl is quickly diminishing; despite her appearance, she doesn’t seem the least bit threatening to me. I go to take another bite of my food and grimace as I once again reach with the wrong hand, but I’m now aware that Nadia is checking me out as well. I feel a bit uncomfortable with both girls staring at me so intently (although Scarlett is staring mostly at the meat in my hand), but I try to ignore it and finish my food. Nadia slides up next to me and studies me more intensely, I open my mouth to say something but she cuts me off by tearing my shirt open down the middle. I throw my arm back in surprise to the sudden attack, sending my food flying into the air. Not missing a beat, Scarlett leaps into the air and catches it before it hits the ground, then runs off to eat it before I have a chance to protest. I realize quickly that Nadia’s intention is to examine my shoulder, which has started bruising heavily. She leans in close as she examines the affected area; her posture accentuates her cleavage, and try as I might (which wasn’t that hard), I can’t seem to pull my eyes away. Her breasts huge, but they still generously proportioned. They bounce slightly as she pokes and prods my shoulder, swaying this way and that in such a blissful, heavenly … ”Ahem.” I look up quickly, expecting to be smacked around again, but instead of looking angry or annoyed, she is smiling at me. “Well Shawn, there’s nothing I can do for your memory problems, but I might be able to help with your shoulder.” She gently rubs the area; had it not been in pain, I would’ve enjoyed the attention. ”I’ll be right back… ” She slips around behind me, trailing a finger across my chest as she slides away, into the tree line. She winks at me before disappearing out of sight. I let out a sigh, my guy down below has woken up, intrigued by the events. “What are you thinking? What about your family?... How would sex even work with someone like her anyways?” Again speaking to myself? Well… to my lower extremities anyways. ”It would work the same as with anybody.” The voice comes from above me. Scarlett hops down from a nearby tree; the smirk on her faces tells me she never left really left, and saw pretty much everything. She still has the bone from the rabbit leg in her mouth, and I can’t help but think “like a dog with a bone.” ”Such a naughty boy, charmed by the snakel? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?” My face flushes red, but I say nothing. She is toying with me, baiting me for a response. Tossing away the finished bone, Scarlett circles around behind me and drapes her arms around my neck, breathing into my ear, causing shivers to run through my body. “I hear that sex with a Lamia is second only to a succubus… well, third if you include me.” My guy is at full salute at this point, I try to cover it without being too obvious, but she must have noticed because her smile broadens. She slips around to my front and brings herself inches from my face. ”You know Shawn… while you were sleeping, Nadia and I made a little deal…” She places her hands on my exposed chest, lowering herself down until she is sitting in my lap; her eyes are wild and her breath is heated. ”Yeah you mentioned that… What kind of deal?” I feel slightly worried, but my lower extremities have a different opinion on the matter, as she starts slowly grinding against my crotch. She arches her back, her breasts are close to my face, and although smaller than Nadia’s, they would still offer a nice handful. She licks her lips, eyeing me seductively. ”She might have caught you first, but I did manage to steal you away…” Her breath is bated now; she is dancing around the subject, drawing it out as long as she can. I’m slowly losing control of myself; I can feel the heat radiating from her nether region as she grinds harder against my groin. ”We fought for a bit, but in the end we settled on a truce… On one condition” ”I don’t… What condition?” I groan I’ve managed so far to keep my hand planted on the ground beside me, but I’m struggling to resist as I feel my hand creeping towards her thigh. She brings her lips to my ear and whispers in a seductive feminine growl. “I get to fuck you first” Eyes wild with lust, she grabs hold of my member through my pants and squeezes. The grip catches me off guard and I gasp in surprise. Taking advantage of my surprise, she pulls me into a deep kiss. I completely lose any train of rational though, but just as I reach up to pull her in closer, she pulls away from me. A strand of saliva bridges the gap between our lips. She stands up, grinning her devilish smile and saunters away, giving me a full view of her toned ass and legs. Suddenly I feel a shadow looming over me, turning slowly, Nadia is standing directly behind me, her tail flicking from side to side in annoyance. I look back to Scarlett for support, but she has disappeared into the trees again. Something tells me that she might not have been exactly telling the truth about their “deal.” ”We should really tend to that arm of yours...” *gulp* End of Chapter 5. ------------------------- Ch 6. Turn the pages Nadia takes out a small pouch full of strange herbs, and forces a pinch of them into my mouth. ”Chew but don’t swallow… ” Her voice quivers, making me feel like a jerk so I do as instructed. I keep my gaze at the ground, avoiding her eyes. She takes hold of my injured arm, slipping it out of the homemade sling, and straightens it out at a downward angle to the side of my body. Slowly I become aware of a numbing sensation spreading across my body, whatever these herbs are they’re pretty potent. After waiting a while for the plants effects to take (I can even feel it down to my toes), she slowly starts raising my arm up while keeping it straight. Although I can’t feel any pain, the creaking sound of the bone slipping and grinding makes me feel nauseous. With a sickening crunch, my shoulder pops into place. It will probably be a while before I can properly move my arm, so Nadia helps me get my arm back into the sling. I try to say thank you but she slides away before giving me the chance. She starts taking out some more herbs and plants she has gathered and sets them out on a nearby tree stump; grinding up some and preparing more in other various ways. Half an hour passes in silence before Scarlett slinks back into camp. By now the numbing sensation has disappeared and my shoulder is back to throbbing like crazy. Nadia puffs up her cheeks as if to yell at Scarlett but says nothing and continues tending to her herbs, her tail swishing back and forth angrily. Scarlett takes a seat next to me on the log I’m sitting on and leans her head on my shoulder. The smirk on her face tells me that she is doing this more to annoy Nadia, than for any sense of companionship with myself. If looks could kill, Nadia would have killed Scarlett with the glare she was giving her now. “um… so where are we anyways?” I say this more to break the tension than for any particular interest in our current whereabouts. With the gap in my memory about my home, knowing our current location won’t really help my situation. It’s a strange sensation, I can remember basic facts about the U.S. so I’m obviously American; I feel as if I’m educated, but when I think “ME”, it all goes blank. ”hmm… I haven’t really been keeping track, but I’m pretty sure that we are on the outskirts of Lord Charisse’s domain.” Okay so that’s out of left field… ”Lord Charisse?... What country are we in?” Both girls look at me curiously again. Despite all appearances, I feel like the oddity in our little group. ”You must be one of the new humans.” ”I’m sorry, but that doesn’t really clear things up for me. What do you mean, new humans?” Nadia starts to put all of her ingredients, now turned into their intended forms, back into the little pouch. She takes a deep breath and sighs, her anger seems to have subsided a bit. ”Nobody really knows how it happens or why, but human men have been showing up in this world, on this island apparently out of nowhere.” ”Though usually you show up naked.” Scarlett says with a smirk. I hadn’t considered it before, but the comment makes me take notice of my clothing. It doesn’t seem particularly interesting or significant, just a faded pair of blue jeans and a nondescript white tee-shirt. Maybe its complete lack of unique appearance is significant? Probably not. ”That’s uh, probably for the best…” I say, and Scarlett makes a fake pout with her lips. ”Anyways! If you want to know more, then pay attention.” Apparently that anger is still just beneath the surface… ”S-sorry!” I sit up straight and try to look as attentive as possible, which earns a giggle from Scarlett. Nadia sighs and continues with her story. ”As I was saying, it’s completely at random and very rare. So rare that I thought it was just a rumor, a fairy tale if you will, but rumors spread and some girls have started trying to find these men… Like you.” I feel as if somehow I’m missing some crucial pieces of this story, I want to speak up but I don’t want her to snap at me again… ”Long story short, you’re from a different world. The island is full of girls looking for men; there’s a lot of us and very very few of you and most will do just about anything to get you.” Scarlett says with an uncharacteristically serious look. ”Oh, and almost all of us are stronger and faster than you.” ”So that--” ”A LOT stronger…” ”…So that--” ”and faster…” ”……” ”……” ”…...” ”So--” ”Than you.” ”Okay I get it!” I shout. My head is pounding. “So apparently I’m stranded in a strange world, I’d be completely helpless on a good day but to add icing to the cake, I have NO idea who I am or even IF that knowledge could help me in any way. And to top it all off, there are monster like girls everywhere looking to… What? Get me? What does that even mean?!” ”I guess that would explain your reaction to us…” She gazes at her lower extremities, and looks slightly disheartened. Her comment brings me back to my senses. In my agitated state, I somehow ended up on my feet. “Someone who looks like me must be pretty shocking to you…” A knot forms in my stomach. Even Scarlett seems to be more aware of the non-human characteristics; I notice her rubbing one of her ears out of the corner of my eye. I hadn’t intended to make them self-conscious of their bodies… Had I? I mean who am I to judge? As far as the rest of the animal kingdom is concerned, the human body, physically weak and slow with no natural weapons, is an absurdity. ”No… I didn’t mean… *sigh* There’s nothing wrong with you… either of you. It’s just new to me.” Nadia looks up at me, she doesn’t look convinced. I clear my throat, knowing I will regret my next statement, but I feel it could be the only thing to break the tension. ”Actually both of you are really cute, beautiful even. If anything... I think it makes you more charming.” Nadia’s face turns bright red, only slightly more embarrassed than myself for such a cheesy statement. One look at Scarlett tells me that she is struggling not to burst out laughing. She fails. Before long, Scarlett is laughing so hard that she has tears in her eyes. I didn’t think it was all that funny, but Scarlett’s laughter is contagious soon Nadia is laughing as well. Seeing the two of them, I can’t help but laugh too. It feels good to laugh, as if all the tension has melted away. Even the air around us feels a little lighter. Before we know it, the sun is starting to set, but none of us seem to mind. The glow from our fire is warm and inviting, and the two girls before me seem no more like monsters than myself. I feel foolish for worrying about their intentions. Despite all the “sleep” I had gotten recently, I feel extremely tired. ”I’m really sorry I got so worked up... I’m grateful you’ve both helped me so much. I guess it was just unnerving feeling so helpless and alone.” I say, rubbing my hand against my thigh (apparently another habit) self-consciously. “Oh Shawn… You’re not alone, not anymore.” Nadia says with a smile, placing her hand over my own. ”Though you are helpless.” Scarlett says with a smirk, looking at me from across the fire. ”But that’s what I’m here for.” Her devilish grin fades into one that looks more sincere and I can’t help but feel more at ease. Even the rock hard ground looks inviting as I feel myself succumbing to the weight of my eyelids. The look on Nadia’s face suggests that she will more than likely coil around me again during the night to stave off the cold. I can’t help but smile to myself; its cliché, but it’s true that you should never judge a book by its cover… Although I say this now; I could have never expected what their pages held in store. End Chapter 6. |
New_User_12345Dec 17, 2016 9:30 PM
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| Ch7. Turned to stone The sun is high, trees and flowers are in bloom. It must be summertime, though the small town offers little in activity aside from a couple of high-spirited children racing around on bikes. Another dream or rather another memory… I can’t move and I can’t speak; all I can do is watch as the events unfold before my. I’m watching a much younger version of myself; probably no older than thirteen or fourteen, riding around town with another young boy. The two of them are cracking jokes and goofing around, enjoying the summer day in the quiet town. The young me is pretty scrawny, whereas his friend is kinda chunky. Both of them are sporting fairly long hair. ”Come on Vito, your mom rides better than you.” The young me cracks a joke at his friend, a classic mama joke. ”Not as good as your sister!” Vito grins back at the young me, and picks up the pace to keep up. They race through town before stopping at a small convenience store; they are both breathing hard and arguing about who was faster. With no victor decided, they get off of their bikes and lean against the wall in the shade of the store to cool off. They talk about general nonsense, things that young boys consider important. What’s the point of all this? Seeing myself during my childhood doesn’t make much sense to me, although I don’t know why I would expect any of these memories to have any profound meaning or significance. I suppose that would be too convenient. I guess I was holding onto some hope that I could learn something useful about my past. Just then, the sound of a car door slamming behind the store catches the attention of the young boys. “Mr. Parker must be getting a load of new snacks; maybe he’ll give us something off the truck?” ”And if not, maybe he won’t be able to tell if a couple bags of chips turned up missing.” There’s not much doubt in my mind that I was the trouble maker between the two. The young Vito smiles but says nothing at my suggestion. They walk around to the backside of the store and stop dead in their tracks. A black sedan is parked behind the store, and the store owner is on his knees with a bag over his head. A man in sunglasses and a suit stands behind him with a gun pointed at the back of his head; a silencer is attached to the front of the pistol. The look of shock on the boys’ face is understandable; I’m pretty damn shocked too. The man pulls the trigger, blasting a hole through Mr. Parker’s head. Instead of actually silencing the weapon like in the movies, the gunshot sounds more like a vehicle backfiring, the sound of which makes the boys jump. The movement catches the man’s eye; he immediately turns and points the gun in their direction. Before he has the chance to pull the trigger, the back door of the sedan opens up, and out steps a rather short, chubby man with beady eyes. “Easy now Joey, I don’t want no kids blood on my hands.” The man says, lowering Joey’s gun with his own hand. He has a wide smile as he looks towards the terrified boys. “But Tony, what if they go to the police?... Shit! Now they even know both our names!” The man again points his gun at the young boys. I’m not quite as frightened as the boys, I must have survived this encounter or I wouldn’t be having this dream right now… right? Though the scene is still completely disturbing to me. “Lower your fuckin’ gun Joey, before I have to dig a ditch for you too!” A vein is throbbing on Tony’s forehead; he has a maniacal look in his eye, as if the prospect of killing the other man didn’t sound like such a bad idea. Joey reluctantly lowers his gun, and pockets the pistol inside his coat. “Besides… I bet our little friends won’t say nothin’ to nobody. Ain’t that right boys?” Tony smiles at the boys once again. They both nod quickly, the young Vito is visibly shaken, but the young Shawn, though paler, seems to have gathered himself together. “That a boys! Ya see, what I tell ya Joey?” He pats the other man on the back, and walks over to the sedan. Opening the boot, he pulls out a pair of spades and turns back to the young boys. “Now then… How would the two of you like to make a little cash?” The maniacal look is back, though what frightens me the most is that the younger version of myself shares a similarly twisted grin. Once again the scene blurs and fades before my eyes, leaving my shaken and alone in the dark. Such a monstrous appreciation for the wicked even at such a tender age… Don’t deny who you are… embrace it... End of Chapter 7. |
New_User_12345Dec 10, 2016 12:18 PM
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| Ch8. Heat of the morning I wake up shaking. Who in the hell am I? The night air isn’t cold, though even if it was, Scarlett has cuddled up next to me, and Nadia has taken advantage of our combined body heat and coiled around us both. The trapped body heat is comfortably warm but I cannot help but shiver, my dream has shaken me to my core. I don’t understand who I am or what I’ve done. I don’t feel any dark impulses or “appreciation for the wicked,” all I feel is confused. I look into the sleeping faces of the beauties that have me bundled and I only feel more confused about my situation. I was a married man, I had at least one child that I know of and yet… Here I am… How did I even come to this world? I’ve somehow accepted the fact that this is not earth, or at least not the dimension my earth was in. I’ll try not to dwell on that quandary for now… Whatever the case, this is not where I am from and not where I belong, and if my dreams are really memories of my past, I shouldn’t stay around these girls for much longer either. I cannot ignore how they make me feel, I’m a hot blooded male, but my heart still aches for the family I cannot even remember. I’ll have to stick around until I get a better bearing on my situation, but after that… The sun has not yet crept upon the horizon, although the sky is turning a stunning purple hue; the first rays will more than likely appear in half an hour. Thankfully my arms are free this time, and my injured arm doesn’t feel half as bad as it did before. I shift my body to try and wiggle a little room out of the girls’ clutches and become aware of a presence on my member; something has slipped over the top of my pants, and is gripping it firmly. With the new awareness, the beast stirs from its slumber, intrigued by the presence. Go back to sleep! Nobody wants you right now! I try and resist the growth in my groin but of course the effort that’s pointless, the rebellious bastard. I look towards Scarlett; her actions yesterday would suggest that she is the culprit. Her sleeping face refutes that theory. ”Good morning Shawn” One look at Nadia’s face reveals the intruders identity. She is blushing profusely but the seductive look in her eye says it all. “G-Good morning Nadia… um what are you doing?” ”Well… I was so cold last night, especially my tail. I just couldn’t find anywhere to put it to keep warm… until…” Her eyes drift down to my crotch. ”It’s just too sensitive to leave out in the cold… I hope you don’t mind.” Somehow she manages to stoke her tail up the length of my shaft, as if offering incentive for her actions. The tip of her tail feels incredibility soft; comparable to the softness of her hands. She blushes further, but she looks far from embarrassed. If anything, it seems that she is enjoying the stimulation as much as I am. ”We really shouldn’t-- What about Scarlett? We might wake her.” I steal a peek at the sleeping wolf girl, who by now has managed to leave a drool spot on my shirt. Instead of stopping her ministrations, Nadia starts stroking me faster. ”She had her fun yesterday, it’s my turn now.” Her voice is more assertive now, and damn it all if my member doesn’t get even harder. I’m beginning to pick up on a pattern here. It’s going to get a little graphic here. Mainly just heavy petting though :3 End of Chapter 8 |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 7:16 PM
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| Ch9. What lies ahead The memories Elizabeth had observed while mending the broken man’s wounds seemed promising but unless Shawn is able to retain them, he would be useless to her. Why must humans be so pathetically fragile? She observed Shawn’s encounter with the snake girl and the werewolf. The thought crossed her mind to kill both of the interlopers to keep Shawn on track, but further observation convinced her that these girls could prove useful in acclimating the man to his new surroundings and protecting him until she could arrange for his “reunion” with Tony. It was unlikely these girls would abandon an unclaimed man. After observing them for a few hours, Elizabeth returns to the mountain to set her plans in motion. It isn't enough to simply show him who he was, that would have little to no effect on his actions. Like reading the tales of another man’s exploits, they were just memories without a proper trigger… She reaches the cave with practiced ease, finding the entrance hidden amongst an outcrop of rocks. The entrance is bare and insignificant, strategically so. The tunnel declines steadily, quickly engulfing the cave in darkness as Elizabeth disappears from the light, but she could easily see everything in front of her as her eyes were well suited for the dark. A short distance later the tunnels forked and split into the mountain in an endless maze designed to thwart uninvited guests. There are naturally occurring luminescent plants and fungi to allow for a little light in the otherwise complete darkness. After traversing the tunnels through the cave she comes to an open chamber that is dimly lit by the same plants. Elizabeth pauses before an odd rock cluster embedded in the cave wall near the back of the chamber. In the limited light, the rock structure would go unnoticed to the untrained eye. She gently presses the center of the rock into the face of the structure which is followed by a loud chorus of grinding gears and mechanisms; Dwarven made tumblers align themselves in the wall before her. A moment later, the wall splits open, revealing the entrance to the fortress. A zombie girl stands at the entrance to greet/guard the gateway, staring off into oblivion. With a spear for a weapon, the girl is clad in leather armor, a formality really as any damage she sustains could be stitched back up. Seeing Elizabeth, the zombie girl shuffles forward, directing the spear towards the “intruder.” ”uuuuuuuuh?” Had Elizabeth been in a foul mood, she would have punished the girl for not recognizing her straight away, but her planning has invigorated her spirits, putting her in a more pleasant mood. Instead she brushes the spear away, and pressing a finger to the zombie girl’s forehead, syphoning some of her own spirit energy into the girl. “You poor dear. You shouldn’t go too long without feeding… Things could become… unpleasant.” The girl’s eyes flutter for a moment, and then grow wide with fear when she recognizes Elizabeth. She draws back quickly, nearly dropping the spear in the process and clears the path for the Wight. ”I… Sorry.. Mistress” She keeps her eyes at the ground as Elizabeth passes by. The guard had been another idea of Tony’s, as none of the residents or visitors of the fortress actually feared intruders, but Elizabeth had eventually bowed to her husband’s wish, if only to shut him up. The entrance to the fortress was a simple hallway decorated with busts and paintings of various respected figures from the undead community. Leaders from powerful vampire covens, a Lich who had made fundamental discoveries in the art of necromancy and eromancy, distinguished Wights (herself included), and even a few Dullahans who had shown exceptional prowess in battles long ago. As she drew closer to the foyer, she became aware of a heated discussion emanating from the room. “Know your place human! We respect Elizabeth for her contributions but that does not extend to you! I would have no qualms with spilling your blood where you stand!” “All I’m sayin’ is that you owe my wife for what she did, and I’m offerin’ ya a way to pay that debt… There’s no reason for all these hostilities.” If Elizabeth could turn pale, she would have. Of all the Momano that Tony could irritate, Selene was the last one she wanted to be at odds with. She quickly hurried into the room to prevent the high tempered vampire from tearing apart the foolish man in her rage. “Countess Selene, to what pleasure do we owe to have you grace our presence this evening?” She gave her best fake smile she could muster, no amount of influence that Elizabeth had could sway this woman, they were on equal footing despite whatever debt Tony suggested Selene might have. Two titans in the world of the undead. Selene killing Tony could potentially benefit her as such a faux pas would TRULY put her in a great deal of debt to Elizabeth. “Elizabeth it’s good to see you.” The vampire girl smiled seemingly warmly at Elizabeth’s arrival. She assumed it to be a farce but it was proper etiquette regardless and responded likewise. Elizabeth discarded the idea of Selene being another solution almost immediately as the sudden imbalance within their inner circles could lead to unfortunate tensions. ”I came to Dragswick in the hopes to have a civil conversation with you, but I’ve had the misfortune of speaking with your brazen human first.” Selene’s opinion of men had not softened over the years; she often took a “spare” with her when she traveled to slate her thirst, treating the man as nothing more than a food source. Elizabeth only then remembered that killing Tony would have been seen as disgraceful for Selene, to be provoked by a being lower than herself. Nor could she request Selene to commit the act as it would lower her own standing, being incapable of taking her own husbands life. Such was the tedious nature of the undead aristocracy. “Please forgive my husband’s impetuous behavior, he is still not familiar the intricate social decorum of our society.” Tony opened his mouth ready with a retort but an uncharacteristic glare from Elizabeth sealed his tongue. He scoffed but kept his mouth shut as the women finished with their formalities. ”At any rate, I would wish to speak with you… In private.” Selene’s behavior seemed strange to Elizabeth. The normal calm and calculating woman seemed a bit stressed, causing her to behave rashly. Elizabeth agreed with a curt nod and pointed her towards one of the side chambers from the foyer that served as a meeting room. When Selene had left, Elizabeth turned to Tony. “Most vampires do not behave like the ones who reside in the fortress with us... They are still young and malleable; Selene is almost as old as I am, and she is not to be trifled with…” She warned the beady eyed man, and turned to follow Selene before Tony could ask about her earlier task. End Chapter 9. |
New_User_12345Dec 17, 2016 10:41 PM
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| Ch10. Following your own path Following the friendly fire incident, Scarlett’s revenge had been swift and fierce... Namely she made Nadia find and cook breakfast for the next few days. All in all, she didn’t seem at all fazed by the incident, though she did repeatedly give me a look that suggested she would be seeking another form of payment from me soon. Those few days passed uneventfully as the girls waited for my arm to heal enough to allow me to travel. I spent the time learning as much as I could about my soon to be traveling companions, and the land in which I found myself residing. Scarlett did not reveal much about herself or where she came from; from what she did divulge, I gathered that she traveled with a group of fellow werewolves; the pack was loosely controlled by an Alpha and most of the other girls came and went as they pleased. They usually stayed within a couple miles of one another to hear if anyone called (howled) for help or to group up. Sometimes at night I could hear howling in the distance and Scarlett would disappear into the trees, only to return a few hours later with little or nothing to say about it. Nadia on the other hand, was more forthcoming. She is the daughter of the chief of her village, to which Scarlett started teasingly calling her princess whenever possible. Nadia had extensive knowledge of local plants and animals from the elders in her village and in her youth had a governess (of sorts) to teach in the ways of a formal education, etiquette and basic magic. She had left the village a few months ago to see the world and to get out from beneath her mother’s thumb. Nadia had lived a fairly sheltered life but had been doing okay so far. I couldn’t help but laugh at how the hands of fate would bring together such an unlikely group. After the third night, the girls decided that it was time for us to leave before more girls stumbled upon us. They still won’t tell me where we’re headed, they’ve agreed upon something but have kept it to themselves. Disregarding that pleasant train of thought, I had wondered why a dislocated shoulder would prevent me from traveling, but the girls had explained that I would be an easier target for any monster girls who might happen upon us and try to steal me away in the night. Their emphasis on easier did not give me much comfort in the way of my ego. Nadia already had all of her supplies packed away by time I woke in the morning, patiently waiting for the sun to rise. I can smell that she has already prepared a simple breakfast for us before we set out, a medley of roasted berries and nuts from the looks of it. She smiles brightly when she sees that I’m awake, though it did falter slightly upon seeing that Scarlett is still cuddled up against my side. ”Good morning Shawn.” she says sweetly, doing her best to ignore my sleeping were-pillow. ”Hurry and eat your breakfast before it gets cold, we have a long journey ahead of us..” She slithers up to me with a couple makeshift leaf bowls. She hands me one with a helping of the medley, and uses the other to douse the sleeping Scarlett with water. With a yelp, Scarlett leaps to her feet and tries to run away, but only manages to trip over me in the process. ”Take cover! We’re under attack!” She shouts as we roll across the ground in a tangled mess. She quickly regains her composure as Nadia loses her own laughing at the two of us. Scarlett quickly disentangles herself from me and jumps up in a sodden fury. I have to contain my laughter at the sight of her. With her hair plastered over her eyes, and she is trying to look fierce but I can’t help but see her as a sad, wet puppy. I nearly lose it when she shakes vigorously to dry herself, leaving her hair standing like a puff ball on her head. ”Have you lost your mind?!” ”Apparently so, I don’t know what I was thinking… now it smells like wet dog around here!” she covers her nose in fake disgust, smiling teasingly at Scarlett. I turn to look at Scarlett, expecting her to explode on Nadia; instead she looks on the verge of tears. ”I’m a wolf... I-I’m not.. I’m not a dog..” She struggles to respond with tears choking back her voice before quickly running off into the trees. ”What was that about?” Nadia merely shrugs her shoulders, clearly just as confused as I am. I hurry off in the direction that Scarlett ran off in before she can get too far. It only takes me a few minutes before I find her in the middle of a clearing. She has her back to me, sitting on a moss covered log, hugging her legs to her chest. Before I can take another step towards her she cuts me off. ”Come to mock me as well Shawn?” She says with a slight sniffle. I really don’t know how to handle crying women. Especially ones who could easily rip my throat out or tear me limb from limb, so I approach cautiously before taking a seat next to her, she buries her head in her knees to avoid letting me see her face. ”Not if I plan on making it back in one piece.” I say in a not entirely joking tone. ”Good *sniff* call…” I place a hand on her back; her muscles tense slightly at the touch but then relax as I rub my hand back and forth in my best effort to comfort her. ”What happened back there?” I ask, continuing my ministrations on her shoulders. ”Everyone says it…” ”What?” ”Everyone calls me that…” ”Calls you what? A Do—“ ”Don’t say it!” She cuts me off sharply, sitting up quickly and glaring at me fiercely. Her eyes are still wet with tears. *Heart break* ”I’m sorry… I didn’t know this was a sensitive point for you.” Scarlett eases her gaze, and looks towards the ground. This wild shift in her demeanor has me lost. I knew she was reserved based on her reluctance to talk about herself, but I hadn’t suspected that she had anything troubling her, especially with how care free she usually acted. ”I wasn’t turned into a werewolf like the rest of the girls in my pack…” Her voice is unsteady as she speaks. ”The previous Alpha... My mother gave birth to me after mating with a human… It was nothing special; the man who was my father was passed around all the girls to father their children, but only my mother became pregnant. The other girls were jealous but that happens sometimes so it wasn’t that big of an issue… until I was born. ” Scarlett sighed, clearly apprehensive about what she is telling me. I rubbed her shoulders again to try to get her to relax. ”I was a runt… or so they told me… I was small and barely had any fur… They said I was more like a dog than a wolf… The other girls considered my birth as a sign of weakness in my mother and demanded her status as Alpha to be challenged…” ”What happened to her?” ”Well I did say she was the previous Alpha, stupid…” she looks at me sorely, but I give her a knowing look. ”She survived if that’s what you’re thinking… Another woman challenged her for the position and she lost. There are many who still respect her, they just don’t feel she should lead anymore. But the other girls have let it stand as their running joke, “look its Scarlett, man’s best friend.” Or “oh hey Scarlett, did you lose your master?”” She finishes her story by setting her chin on her knees again, staring off into the distance. I can’t help but feel a little irritated, mostly at the way Scarlett’s pack has treated her, but also at her resignation in defeat over just a little teasing. ”I didn’t know you were such a push over.” ”Excuse me?” There is a hint of a growl on the edge of her voice ”I’m just saying… I thought wolves had thicker skin than that. To get upset over a little name calling?” I can tell I’m taking a risk, and probably being an asshole… Maybe I am an asshole? But brooding in self-pity will solve nothing. Though her bared fangs do make me worry. ”Wouldn’t it be just like a dog to run away with her tail between her legs?” I lean closer to her to push the point. I put up what I hope is a convincing look of determination, though if my gamble fails, my goose is cooked… Though in this case, my goose will probably be disemboweled and eaten raw. A memory suddenly strikes me that staring down a wolf is not considered the best idea, as it appears as a threat or challenge… Too late to back down now. We stare each other down for what feels like an eternity. Suddenly Scarlett leaps at me, and knocks me to the ground… in a hug? ”You’re such an idiot.” She whispers in my ear as she embraces me. She pulls away and straddles my waist with a smile on her face. Unlike her normal mischievous smile, she looks genuinely happy. I have to sigh in relief that my gambit had paid off. ”Better?” ”Better.” she leans in and kisses me gently on the cheek before standing up and offering me a hand to help me up. ”Lets head back before Nadia starts to worry.” ”I wasn’t worried.” I turn to see Nadia slither out from behind tree. She looks a little sheepish for having been eavesdropping, but she must have felt bad for upsetting Scarlett. ”I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to upset you earlier.” She moves closer to Scarlett but keeps her eyes on the ground; her hands are behind her back holding something. ”If it would make you feel better…” she holds out a leaf bowl full of water. Scarlett takes the bowl and looks at her strangely, before realization sets in. Just as I had thought that maybe I had instilled a bit of maturity in Scarlett, she washes it all away by dumping the bowl of water over Nadia’s head. I start to fear that Scarlett hadn’t forgiven Nadia for the earlier prank, but she then leans in and gives Nadia a couple sniffs. ”hmm… I guess a wet snake does smell better than a wet dog.” She smiles at the soaking snake girl. Nadia stares at her with a look of disbelief before a similar smile spreads across her face and both girls start laughing. I watch the two girls contentedly, and lean against the log as they jokingly tease one another. End Chaper 10. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 7:19 PM
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| Ch11. Make your own way We’ve been traveling for a few days now, covering a few miles each day though slowly increasing the distance the following day as I regain my strength. We are heading due south, following the tree line to assure a source of food and water. Each day is much of the same, talking about the island and its inhabitants (I haven’t seen anyone else yet but I believe Scarlett has been doing something to take care of that as she will disappear into the woods for a few minutes before we leave our latest campsite… Or she could be relieving herself…). Scarlett and Nadia still occasionally bicker but now in a friendlier capacity (if that makes sense) than before. I’ve learned a good deal about the layout of my new home (trusting that the information they tell me is accurate as I’ve yet to see a detailed map of anything). Today is hardly different from the rest, though watching my traveling companions, I can’t help but feel that the whole scenario feels surreal. By some matter of fate, I’m bound to two obscenely beautiful women, who by all intents and purposes are still mostly strangers to me, yet I feel completely at ease around them, which at the same time makes me feel guilty. I can hardly believe it’s already been almost two weeks since we’ve met. Out of nowhere, Nadia decides to take it upon herself to provide entertainment for today’s journey by singing a soft melody. The language of her song is foreign to me, but as her voice fills the air, I cannot help but feel entranced by the notes. My focus on the trail disappears entirely as the melody takes me over. I find myself envisioning strange scenes of star crossed lovers, almost a ballad of sorts. Not unlike that of Romeo and Juliet. Suddenly the images shift and I’m seeing intimate encounters between a man and a Lamia, and other romantic images. The tone varies as she sings, matching the scenes in my mind. At times it feels warm and a relaxing sensation envelops me, at others the melody lowers and heartache seems to grip me tightly, yet all the while I am completely enraptured by her song. I barely notice the distance we’ve traveled until she finally stops singing. A sudden fatigue washes over me and I stumble as I regain control over my motor functions. I blink a few times as I come back to my senses, the sun is just a few hours away from setting, but that couldn’t be possible... We had left before noon… Scarlett shakes her head briskly, bringing herself around as well. ”Wait... how in the hell did we get here?” She sniffs the air several times and her eyes grow wide. ”We’ve walked over twenty miles?! That’s not possible, we JUST left!” Nadia smiles and starts unpacking her supplies to cook. ”How do you know its twenty miles just by the smell?” I’m sure that if you were to calculate our average speed and multiply that by the time we’ve been traveling, you could rough estimate it to be around twenty miles, but I didn’t get the impression from Scarlett that she had any formal education in that regard. Though her sudden blush only confuses me more. ”I uh… marked a tree not too far from here…” She fiddles with her fingers embarrassedly as she answers me (HA I KNEW it!), but then an annoyed expression quickly replaces her blush, and she smacks me on the back of the head. ”Don’t ask me embarrassing things like that!” ”How was I supposed to know that?” Her answer is another smack. Scarlett turns to look at Nadia and seems to come to some sort of realization as she suddenly bristles with anger, baring her fangs. ”Quit distracting me! Nadia… What did you do.” Scarlett is quickly growing more annoyed by the second, so I turn to Nadia expectantly. With both of our stares, she sighs and stops what she was doing. ”I figured that I could make the time pass more quickly if we were all a little… Distracted.” she smiles, satisfied with her answer and sets to working on lunch (dinner?) again. ”What do you mean distracted? You were just singing, and captivating as it was, that doesn’t explain the huge gap in time.” Now Nadia looks a little annoyed. She sets aside her supplies to answer our questions. ”Glamour.” ”What?” ”What?!” ”Glamour! ... It’s a form of magic, kind of… Magic through song in this case. We use it to relax, distract or seduce our prey as needed to avoid a fight or-- ugh why does it even matter? I made the trip pass more quickly, well for you two anyways. It was still a seven hour journey for me, but I enjoy singing so I didn’t mind. I thought you two would be grateful.” ”So… you sang for seven hours straight?” ”Yup, Lamia’s have strong lungs.” She winks at me suggestively. I’m not sure how I feel about the issue of magic, it seems farfetched to me but out of the corner of my eye, Scarlett is fuming. ”You manipulated me with a spell?!” ”Well kind of bu—” ”Are you stupid?! You left us defenseless! What if someone attacked us while we were “distracted”?!” Nadia looks shocked as she considers Scarlett’s statement. She looks up at Scarlett, her eyes clearly show that she is hadn’t considered this as a possibility. Her eyes dart back and forth from Me to Scarlett, tears well up as the gravity of the potential dangers dawn on her. ”That was incredibly reckless! If any—” ”That’s enough Scarlett…” I cut her off. She begins to protest but I silence her with a finger over her lips. Placing a hand on the top of her head, I force her to sit on the ground, and indicate to Nadia that she should do likewise. Scarlett is reluctant to obey, I can see the rebellion boiling just beneath the surface. ”She made a mistake… she’s only hu… uh.. mistakes happen… ” I clear my throat and start over. ”Nothing bad happened… it was reckless, and a novice mistake, but what’s done is done. There’s no use fighting over it now.” Scarlett smirks but says nothing. Nadia busies herself with staring at the ground. I lift Nadia’s chin up with my forefinger to look her in the eyes. ”Learn from your mistake and move on, but don’t beat yourself up about it.” I give her a light kiss on the forehead, and a weak smile returns to her face. I then turn to Scarlett who looks more than mildly jealous over Nadia’s attention. ”That was a good catch though Scarlett, I hadn’t considered the risks either, but work on your delivery.” The confused look on her face tells me that I wasn’t exactly clear. ”Be nice…” I then kiss her on the forehead as well and stand up and gesture for the two of them to make peace. ”I’m sorry… you were right about it being reckless… I guess I’m still learning about the dangers of the outside world… ” ”Heh.. Rookie.” She smirks but when tears start to well up in Nadia’s eyes she quickly corrects herself. ”No, no, I’m sorry too. For uh, snapping at you. I can be a bit hot headed at times.” Nadia smiles and her mood seems to pick up instantly. ”That’s good now kiss and make up.” I say with a big smile. The girls look up at me with wide eyes, and then back at one another. They both lean forward tentatively; unsure about what’s going on. ”Whoa, whoa, whoa, it was a joke… but uh, I mean if you’re game for that—” They cut me off by pelting me with rocks and pebbles. Both girls are blushing furiously and I can’t help but laugh as I try to dodge the projectiles. A few hours later, after the girls had their revenge, we finished our meal and set up camp for the night. It’s a moonless, cloudy night. Our campfire casts an eerie glow around us, keeping the darkness at bay. Nadia is coiled around both Scarlett and me for warmth. Both girls are snoring soundly, exhausted from the journey and events that unfolded after. I would be fast asleep as well if not for an excruciatingly full bladder. I doubt either of the girls would appreciate a golden shower, and I have little intention of pissing myself in front of them either. After a dangerously long time (in terms of my bladder) of wiggling and squirming, I’m finally able to pull myself free from Nadia’s grasp. Sensing the absence of warmth, she coils tighter around Scarlett, but the wolf girl doesn’t seem to mind. Scarlett buries her sleeping face within Nadia’s impressive cleavage and continues snoring. I suppress a laugh at the sight but am quickly reminded of urgent business by my bladder, and quickly hurry into the trees. I unzip my pants and unleash the beast with a sigh. No sooner had I finished with a few cautionary shakes, I hear a twig crack behind me. ”That better not be a cliché pee break murderer sneaking up behind me…” ”I’m coming back to bed Scarlett, I just had to pee.” Before I can turn to face her, a hand reaches out from behind me and clasps over my mouth. “What’s the hurry… human?” ”Well at least I don’t have to shit anymore…” End Chapter 11. |
New_User_12345Dec 17, 2016 10:56 PM
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| Ch12. Turning in our graves “Happy birthday baby” Fatuma’s voice is soft and soothing, like a sweet melody drifting through the wind on a lazy summer day. She kisses me gently on the cheek to rouse me from my sleep. The morning sun is shining through the blinds to our bedroom, determined to keep me from sleeping my Saturday away. Rolling over, I pull my wife into a hug. She is dressed in white, silky negligée; her olive skin is just as soft to the touch. ”A real happy birthday would be to sleep in for a change.” I say with a smile, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. I gently kiss her on the lips, careful not to catch her with my morning breath or the shagginess of my beard. The strong metallic taste of blood on her lips is off-putting, making me pull away from the kiss. I sit up and stretch my arms to get my blood flowing. The blood from the bullet wound in her head has fully saturated her negligée, and is starting to pool onto the bed. “I didn’t want you to miss a minute of your special day. I’ve even made you breakfast in bed.” She hugs me from behind, her clammy arms draping over my shoulders. I look to the tray she has prepared for me. The spread looks delectable; maggots are squirming over most of the tray and falling onto the floor, their fat bodies make a soft *plop* as they explode upon the ground. I pick up a piece of toast, there’s an eyeball resting on top, its pupils are milky white. “Eat up honey; it’s the breakfast of champions.” she says, planting a kiss on my cheek. The flesh from her lips is gone, leaving her skeletal jaw exposed. She tears away skin from my cheek as she pulls away. ”Thank you baby, what would I be without you?” I ask with a smile, looking into her empty sockets. I take a bite of the toast, the juices from the eye spray out across my lips as I chew. “You would be nothing…” My eyes jerk open as I wake up screaming. I scramble to my feet to shake off the horrid nightmare, but the scene before me says my nightmare is only just beginning. The sky is dark and foreboding. The air is frigid, already chilling me to my core, forcing a shiver from within me that just won’t stop. I’m in a graveyard of sorts; tattered and dilapidated tombstones are scattered about the yard. The silhouette of a decrepit sanctuary stands out twenty yards away. It resembles a church from my world, with a bell tower and all, though I doubt this world has any semblance of any monotheistic religions to speak of. Despite its ominous appearance, it offers a facade of protection from the elements so I quickly hurry towards the entrance. I make it no more than a couple feet before a root catches my ankle, causing me to trip. A poorly placed tombstone catches me in the temple as I fall, and I see stars. Actually, I more or less see nothing but white as pain shoots from my temple through my skull. “All you humans are so pathetic.” The mocking voice sounds a distance away. I cannot tell if she is physically far away or if it is an effect of the head injury. I roll over and prop myself against a nearby tombstone. As my vision starts to clear, I make out the figure of a woman on the roof of a nearby crypt; she is lying down in such a nonchalant way as if it were the same as a lazy Sunday on the couch. She has bright red hair and pale alabaster skin, dressed completely in a black regal dress. The woman looks straight out of a Dracula movie; which, given my current surroundings, and the copious amounts of monster type girls in this world, is probably fairly accurate. My vision flashes as though watching through a broken monitor. A warm sensation flowing down my cheek causes me to touch my injured temple, my hand comes away drenched in blood. This seems to be another unfortunate habit… At least in this world. “Mmm… Such a sweet aroma, no doubt you would be a fine vintage.” The woman says from inches away, suddenly perched upon the very stone I was laying against. I shout in alarm and roll away as quickly as I can manage. When I look back, she is gone. ”Who are you?” I struggle to ask as the pain courses through my head. I force myself to shaky standing position. “Another disgusting trait of you humans, you never know how to speak to your superiors.” The woman sneers, suddenly standing on the roof of the would be church near the bell tower. “Though it shall not be a problem for much longer.” Reaching through the opening in the tower, she takes hold of a nearby rope. She pulls hard in a downward motion causing the bell to swing and ring out a horribly loud gong. The sound drops me back down to my knees, gripping the side of my head in anguish. ”Stop! Stop!... Please Stop!!” I scream as each gong of the bell sends a shockwave of audible hell through my skull. I take a step forward and once again trip over an exposed root. The woman keeps ringing the bell; I can barely hear a sinister laugh register from the woman. Suddenly I feel the root wrap around my ankle tighten. I look down and find that not a root, but a grey rotting hand has caught me. The ground starts to shake as the earth around me starts to break open and more hands force their way above the surface. A sickening pit forms in my stomach. There’s a thud on the ground a short distance away from me, I turn to see a small hatchet lying on the ground. “Wouldn’t want it to end too quickly now would we? Let us see how long you will last.” End Chapter 12. |
New_User_12345Dec 17, 2016 10:59 PM
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| Ch13. All good things must come to an end. ”Why… Why are you doing this?” I struggle with the words, the searing pain in my head is excruciating; just focusing on the woman takes considerable effort, somehow I manage to grab the rusty hatchet. The ground beneath me quivers and starts to rise; I forcefully pry the grotesque hand from my ankle, leaving it grasping at nothing. I turn to run but the world sways as I’m struck with virtigo and I trip over my own feet, landing face first in a clod of mud. “I owe you no explanation, but know this… Tony sends his regards!” The vampire woman calls out. Tony?... Who… Why do I know that name? ***(Flash)*** [color=556B2F]“ … I bet our little friends won’t say nothin’ to nobody…”[/color] [color=556B2F]“… How would the two of you like to make a little cash?...”[/color] ***(Flash)*** ”No… It’s not… It can’t be…” ***(Flash)*** “…ya can’t cross Tony like this… ” ***(Flash)*** ”NO!” ***(Flash)*** “Mommy, help!” “Rania!!” *gun shot* ***(Flash)*** ”AAAAGHHH!!” I grip my head and scream as all the memories come flooding back, everything I’ve forgotten burning itself back into my mind. Creatures are tearing out of the ground all around me but it’s lost on me. My wife… My daughter… Gone! Everyone I’ve ever cared about ripped from my life by that bastard Tony! I lost it all because of him!! ”AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!” He ruined eight years of my life, but I got away… I made a new life; escaped who I was and what I had become. I started a family, made something better for myself, but he couldn’t stand it! He hated me for leaving the family, so he took it all away! And now he’s here?! In this fucking hell hole of a world, of all places, HERE?! A mass of grotesque rotting bodies has converged around me. The incessant groaning of the undead horde finally brings me back to reality. The sheer number is overwhelming, they’re everywhere! My hands start shaking profusely, and I drop the hatchet. No, please. Not yet… I dig my finger nails into the sides of my head, breaking the skin. Their bony hands are reaching for me now, eager to rip away the flesh… Tear me to pieces… but somethings wrong… I can hear someone laughing… steadily growing louder. The hands stop; they’re pulling back. The amassed moans sound almost confused, if that’s possible. I hear a swift motion, followed by a soft thud on the ground next to me. Slowly moving my hands from my field of vision, I see the decapitated head of a zombie girl lying next to me on the ground. Her eyes are darting around rapidly, mouth snapping. I open my mouth to cry out but my voice catches in my throat. ”You’re fuckin’ pathetic boy…” A heavy black boot stomps down and crushes the head into a mash of gore. Baffled and mute, I shakily look up to the figure standing above me. My savior is shrouded in a black cloak, the hood covers his face. He’s wielding my fallen hatchet. ”Who are you?” My voice returns shaking; loss of blood is taking its toll. ”Alive…” In a swift motion, he severs the arm of a nearby zombie that had taken the initiative to resume the assault. With a harsh downward kick, he shatters its kneecap causing the creature to topple forward. Using its downward momentum, he smashes its face into his knee. The man finishes it off by stomping its head in as well, spraying the crowd of undead, and myself, with teeth, bone and brain matter. The horde cries in dismay but before the rest can decide to converge upon him, he delivers a powerful kick to one of the undead girls straight into her chest, knocking her into her rotting compatriots and toppling the group of them over. Grabbing me by the scruff of my neck, he barrels through the opening in the horde and tosses me aside as if I weighed nothing. Grabbing the closest corpse, he proceeds to slam its head on a nearby gravestone until her skull has been reduced to a pulpy mess. The horrific, violent display has unnerved the remaining denizens of the horde (as well as myself), and many have fled back to the holes they crawled out of. The rest appear too shocked or too brain-dead to move. Standing up, the man wipes the blood of his latest victim onto the sides of his cloak and takes a step towards the remaining zombie girls. The creatures cringe back, a few falling over themselves in their hurry to get away, despite the grotesque nature of their faces, the terror is evident in their eyes. The man raises the hatchet to eye level with one of the girls at the front of the horde, blood still dripping from its blade. The girl moans in what I imagine is the closest thing she can come to crying, and crumples to her knees shaking her head, but he raises the hatchet above his head, ready to end her existence as well. I want to scream for him to stop, but I find myself frozen in place; horror and disgust overwhelming my senses. “STOP!!” The vampire woman screams at the top of her lungs. In the blink of an eye she is standing between the man and the sobbing undead girl. ”Well if it isn’t queen raggedy bitch herself.” “You’re a monster!” She hisses, but the look in her eye is sheer desperation. I’m certain she could easily kill the man before her but something is holding her back. ”Says the woman leadin’ a horde of rottin’ sluts.” The man lowers the hatchet to his side but keeps a firm grip on the handle. “You’ve proven your point… We’re done here… ” She motions for the zombie girls to retreat. The girls quickly obey, many of whom shamble to their respective holes as quickly as their rotting frames will carry them. The woman turns to leave as well. ”Who says that I was done?” The man says with obvious mock in his tone. The woman stops dead in her tracks, and spins around to face him. “You disgusting!… Vile! Piece of— ” The man kicks a clod of dirt into the vampire girl’s face, cutting her off. As she tries to wipe the muck out of her eyes, the man rushes forward and grabbing her by the throat, slams her hard into the dirt. A sharp gasp escapes as the wind is knocked out of her. For further measure, he slams his knee using his full body weight into her stomach. Pinning her arms down with his knees, the woman gasps desperately, and thrashes her arms weakly. The man raises the hatchet above his head to deliver the final blow. ”Noo!!” My voice finally escapes me. My shout doesn’t stop the man, but it does cause him to hesitate long enough for the vampire to regain enough strength to buck him off of her. He lands several feet away from her and rolls over to his knees, ready to go again. The vampire woman leaps onto the roof of the church once more, holding her stomach. “You do not realize just how fortunate at this moment! I should tear you limb from limb and scatter your entrails across the entire island!! But today you will live; I’ve seen all that I need. ” She spits at the ground in disgust. “But watch your back human! I will not always be so generous. If we meet again, I will take great pleasure in killing you slowly, and painfully. ” The woman is seething with hate, malice burning in her eyes. ”Shut your cock hole! Come at me now if you think you’re up to it you blood whore!” The man opens his arms wide as he mocks her, showing his lack of fear for her. The woman screams at the top of her lungs in hysterical rage but disappears into the night. I breathe a sigh of relief but then remember that now I’m alone with this madman, and he has turned his full attention towards me. Even without seeing his face, I can feel the anger burning in his eyes as he marches toward me. ”Oh shit…” End Chapter 13. |
New_User_12345Dec 17, 2016 11:03 PM
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| Ch14. The strangers in this land. ”You grimey lil’ ingrate!... The fuck you think you’re doin’?!” The man tosses the hatchet aside and grabs me roughly by the collar of my shirt, pulling me up until my feet are barely off the ground. His face is inches from mine, yet I still cannot see his face beneath his hood. ”Would ya rather I left ya to be raped and torn apart by those zom-bag bitches?!” He shakes me a bit as he screams at me. ”I don’t care…” I look away from the man. The adrenaline from the experience has faded, and a deep depression has taken its place. The anger and rage from my regained memories boiling at my core only serves to fuel my despair. ”You what?” The shaking stops. ”I said I don—” The man lets go before I can finish my sentence, and I fall flat on my back. I go to sit up but he puts his boot to my throat. The gore from his victims is still plastered to his foot, I try to squirm away but he only presses harder, causing me to gasp for breath. ”You really are a sorry piece of shit aren’t ya? You remember everything and yet this is what you turn into?” ”Wait... how do you— ”Shut up!!” The man takes his boot from my throat and instead stomps my gut, stifling my protests. ”This world is not kind to the weak. Hell, it’s not even kind to the strong!” The man laughs gruffly. ”There’s nothing to stop the man-crazy denizens of this island from turning you into a mindless fuck slave, except this!” He points a finger to the side of his head. I understand what he’s trying to say, though I’m doubtful to there being any semblance of a mind or conscience in this lunatic. ”That! And the willingness to do WHATEVER it takes to survive.” The strange man motions towards his gruesome handiwork for emphasis. Catching my breath, I force myself into a kneeling position, and look up at the man defiantly. ”If survival means becoming ANYTHING like you, I would rather die!” I spit out the words through gritted teeth. The man laughs again and crouches before me. ”And what would become of the snake and puppy?” I can feel his mocking stare beneath his veil. The anger inside me boils over, and I lunge forward to tackle the man, but he deftly rolls out of the way. I try to veer around after him but as I turn, I barely catch a glimpse of his knee crashing into my face. I can remember times in my past of the various fights I’d been in, the victories and the defeats, but I had never caught a knee to the face like that. I never thought I would actually see stars. I’m lying on my back as the stars fade. ”That’s more like it boy, you’ll need that anger.” The man is standing directly above me, but I’m too dizzy to focus. ”Fuck… You.” I spit at his boot, but he ignores it. ”Don’t worry about your little whores… I won’t touch ‘em. They’d probably smell me a mile off anyhow... Some of the bitches on this island are too much, even for me.” He laughs at his own stupid joke. ”I’ll be watchin’ you boy, but don’t think I’ll save your hide every time you shit the bed.” The world around me is spinning, I don’t hear him leave but I’m aware that I’m now alone, and I’m thankful to be rid of that lunatic. My body aches from head to toe, and my skull is throbbing from where I hit my head. All I can do is stare at the night sky, though I can vaguely tell that dawn is approaching. The sound of gravel shifting a distance away catches my ear but I don’t stir. I hear someone sniff the air a few times and the sound of crunching gravel starts getting closer, whoever it is knows that I’m here. I don’t have the energy to resist whatever Mamono has discovered me, so I just continue to stare at the sky as my vision starts to fade. I close my eyes and wait for the inevitable. The sound stops a few feet away and I hear someone gasp. End Chapter 14. |
New_User_12345Dec 17, 2016 11:06 PM
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Ch 15. Can we start over? ”Shawn?! Oh lords you’re-- Nadia, I found him!” heh… I guess she’s a blood hound too… I can now hear, what I can only describe as Nadia hurriedly slithering towards us. I can feel Scarlett sniffing my assortment of wounds and now tattered clothing, making a strange whimpering sound. She stops at the wound on my temple, and gives it a few gentle licks. I had always heard that a dog’s saliva had some healing properties, which of course I dismissed as myth, but the effect of my little werewolf’s saliva seems to make some of the pain fade. ”Oh Shawn… What happened to you? ” Nadia slithers up next to me and cradles my head in her (lap?) coils. Something wet lands on my eye, and another on my cheek. I slowly open my eyes to see Nadia sobbing, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. ”He smells of rotting flesh… Most likely friends of the fully dead zombie girls here... but I can also smell a vampire, the same one I smelled at our camp.” Nadia wipes her eyes and finally takes notice of the rotting corpses scattered around the graveyard. I can feel the muscles in her coils tense up as she takes in the horrible scene. ”W-Wha… How did… Shawn?” She turns her attention back to me; her eyes show a mixture of concern and confusion. I groan and slowly force myself to sit up. ”It’s a long story… but its better if I start from the beginning…” I filled the girls in about everything that took place, from the point when the vampire knocked me out and took me at camp, up until the point that they arrived. I spared Nadia the gruesome details of the zombie girl’s deaths, but I told them about the unknown lunatic who saved me (this fact causes Scarlett to look at me strangely but she doesn't press for details), and that I have recovered my memories. ”You remember everything? About… before?” Nadia’s apprehension is understandable. Not remembering I had a life before the island would certainly make accepting my new life here a lot easier. Knowing about everything I had lost… ”You can regale us with your history another time… We shouldn’t stick around here for much longer.” Scarlett stood up, her chain sickle at the ready and motions for us to leave. I obey, and with a little help from Nadia, pull myself to my feet. The sun has risen in the sky and finally broken through the clouds, revealing the grizzly scene from the previous night in full detail. Guilt strikes me for leaving the bodies just lying there, in the light they look less like the monsters the moonlight had portrayed them to be. I’m anxious to leave the whole thing behind me but I cannot leave them. ”No, wait. We can’t go yet… It’s not right.” ”What are you talking about? We have to get out of here, the sooner the better.” Scarlett moves to grab my arm and drag me along but I pull back. ”I said no.” I step away and head towards the sanctuary to look for a shovel. I don’t expect the girls to follow me but I can’t help but feel I’m responsible for what happened here. I was careless and became captured in the first place, but if I had been more brave maybe I could have escaped the girls on my own and that lunatic wouldn’t have had to kill them. My head is still pounding, and I’m feeling slightly dizzy but my determination pushes me on and I make it to the “church” without stumbling or falling down. I support myself against the foundation wall for a minute to steady myself before heading towards the door but in my way stands Nadia looking annoyed. ”Are you trying to hurt yourself?” She demands, her hands on her hips. ”Look, I get it if you don’t understand but this is something I need to do.” I go to move around her but she gets in my way again and crosses her arms over her chest. ”It’s not a matter of understanding, Shawn. It’s about you over exerting yourself after a head injury. YOU need to rest, leave it to us.” Nadia says, poking a finger in my chest. As if to prove the point, I nearly stumble backwards but she catches me and settles me in a sitting position against the wall. Looking up I see Scarlett busy digging a hole; huge clumps of dirt are flying out of an already impressive sized hole. In my stubbornness to push myself, I failed to notice the girls had already gotten started. ”I don’t know what impression you have of us, but we’re not cruel… It’s just that you were our first priority… Now please, just rest and let us take care of it.” Nadia places a hand across my cheek, the look in her eyes is enough to put an end to my resistance. I can tell I’ve hurt her more than once, notwithstanding my own injuries. ”I’m sorry, you’re right. Thank you Nadia.” With a simple nod and one last look, she slithers off to help Scarlett. With Nadia using a borrowed spade and Scarlett using her claws (I refuse to make the joke), they have a couple graves dug in less than half an hour. Had I gone ahead with my stubbornness, it would have taken several hours at the least. Once they’ve lowered the girls into their respective resting place, I make my way over to them. Both of them are sweating and breathing hard, a flush across their cheeks from the effort… Focus on the task Shawn. ”I guess someone should say a prayer.” I say as the last of the dirt is placed atop the graves. ”A prayer? I don’t know any magic, Nadia?” Scarlett says, standing up as she wipes dirt from her hands. ”I don’t see the purpose in that.” Both girls look at me in confusion. ”A story for another time then.” I say and look back to the graves. I feel a little less guilty now that they’re buried; I was conflicted about saying some words of remorse for the girls but they DID attack me. Regretting their death is one thing, denying what they did is another. Without another word, we put the sun to our backs and head out of the abandoned cemetery. End Chapter 15. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 7:30 PM
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Ch 16. How did we get here? We passed through the forest without incident, but eventually we had to stop to treat my wounds, as well as wash away the smell of the graveyard. We stop at a small creek, no more than 6 feet across. Scarlett took it upon herself to search for food while Nadia tends to my injuries. I’m wearing a motely of animal furs while my original clothes dry on a nearby bolder, freshly washed from the creek. We sit in silence as she prepares a salve. ”Do you miss it? Your life before coming here?” Nadia breaks the silence as she works the ingredients into a paste. It has a strong minty aroma. I try to look into her eyes, but she keeps her own focused on her task. After it’s thoroughly mixed, she sets it aside and takes a small cloth out of her satchel and dips it into the steam. ”I’m not sure… ” I stare back out into the distance, thinking back on my old life. ”Ouch!” I flinch as Nadia starts cleaning the wound on my head. ”Don’t be a baby.” She says with a slight smile. She rinses the rag a few times before wringing it out and turning to the more superficial wounds on my arms and hands. ”It almost feels as if I’m remembering the life of someone else, like they’re not quite my own. Some of the details are still hazy, but I remember everything for the most part… ” ”I was married… We had a daughter.” Her rubbing stops, if only for a second, but I notice it none the less. ”It’s the only happy memory I can recall, my family. Everything else was… Different.” I pause as contemplate how to fill in the blanks. I’m not certain if sharing everything would be wise, but I feel that if I don’t, it will only fester inside until I lose myself. ”I worked for a man, if you could call him that, a guy named Tony. I started doing odd jobs for him and his “family” when I was just a kid; mainly peddling drugs at first, but after a few years, he clued me in on the bigger works.” Nadia has finished cleaning my wounds has turned to applying the salve. It stings at first but then quickly has a cooling sensation. I’m not sure if every detail will make since to her, but I keep talking. ”When I turned sixteen, he gave me my first real “job”. He called it a rite of passage for joining the family. I didn’t really know anything other than the family. I had run away from home a few years before and completely accepted Tony and his “family” as my own. I was ready to do anything just to feel like I belonged somewhere.” Nadia’s eyes are filled with concern, she listens patiently, even gripping my hand as I press on. ”I mean, I had knocked a few skulls for Tony, intimidated a few people… I was a good fighter, even went as far as to learn Krav Maga.” I can’t help but laugh grimly as I remembered back to my days in Krav class, learning every dirty fighting technique I could, anything that would further intimidate anyone stupid enough to fuck with our family… Everything for the family. ”But when it came down to it… I couldn’t… I mean, they wanted me to... He was only 16, like me… He was… WE were just kids…” The despair I had known in those years comes surging back. The face of the boy forever burned into my mind. How could I have forgotten? Tears are flowing freely down my cheeks; Nadia pulls me into a tight hug, and holds on until I regain my composure. By this time, Scarlett has returned with a couple freshly killed animals. She keeps her back to us as she skins and guts them with her sickle. ”It was quick, not the cleanest but I made sure he didn’t suffer… It really messed me up though, and I think it was then that I started to really doubt my place in Tony’s “family.”” The memories flow freely through my mind, rewatching them as if watching someone else’s home movies, though I know they’re mine, even if they feel distant. ”I kept working for him though; he didn’t make me do anything like that again, I think he saw the doubt in me. Though I had turned to drinking to forget my doubts, and then I met Her.” I could sense both of the girls tense up at the last part, I expected it but there was no point stopping now. ”I had been drinking my worries away at the bar, and gotten thrown out for getting into a fight. As I was stumbling home I got a little turned around and before long I wound up passed out on some random porch.” I smile to myself as I think back. ”Well luck would have it that the owner of said porch had a kind soul and I woke to the smell of fresh coffee instead of a bucket of cold water. She had poured me a cup and sat it next to me while she sat in a glider, even going so far as to toss a little blanket over me. Trust me that I’ve woken up in some strange situations but this was the strangest in my opinion.” I look up to Nadia to see her reaction, not sure if its amusement or mild jealously in her eyes but she gives me a kind smile all the same. Scarlett finally finishes with her catch, hanging them out to bleed across a makeshift line and slides herself in between my legs, laying the back of her head against my chest to listen to my story. Now the look in Nadia’s eyes is more jealously than amusement. ”When I finally woke up and apologized half a million times, she just smiled. Her name was Fatuma. She must have seen something in me worth trusting, because she invited me inside. Maybe I was just some lost soul she thought she was saving, or heck even thought I was cute and worth a minute of her time, but we really hit it off. We talked for hours, about nothing. She was smart, but importantly, she knew how to take a joke, and make me laugh as well. We started seeing each other regularly after that; Fatuma was my beacon in the dark. I knew she didn’t approve of my other life, so I started taking fewer jobs for the family, and I even got a part time job at a local auto shop. She even convinced me to get back in touch with my mother if you can believe. Fatuma and I ended up tying the knot a year later, and before we knew it, she was pregnant.” I’ve started rubbing Scarlett’s ear with one hand, while Nadia has ahold of the other. I’m sure both of the girls are uncomfortable at this point with my story, but they listen quietly. ”When I found out, I knew things had to change, I had to choose one family, and I sure as hell knew it wouldn’t be Tony’s “Family”. They didn’t take the news well, and tried killing me in the process, but I escaped. We escaped. I sent an anonymous tip about Tony’s racketeering business, as well as the drugs, gun trafficking, extortion, money laundering… I’m not really sure what all Tony’s family didn’t do, but I knew enough details that the Feds were able to bust a lot of their operations. They never caught Tony, but his business, and his family were ruined.” Both of the girls have confused looks on their faces, so I assure them I’ll explain what all of it meant another time. ”I moved us as far away as we could get, I joined the service, and Fatuma became a teacher. We were able to raise our daughter Rania in peace…” I can feel my heart start to sink. The latest memories are the worst. ”About the time of Rania’s fifth birthday, everything changed. We had just settled in for the night, I was tucking Rania in bed while Fatuma finished with the dishes. I heard a loud crash come from the kitchen and Fatuma started screaming.” I can still remember the details, every detail a scar upon my soul. ”I ran from the room as fast as I could and found Fatuma held at gunpoint in our kitchen, I couldn’t tell who the intruder was, he was wearing a mask. The son of a bitch was using her like human shield, she was so scared; I could see her pleading to me with her eyes. Or maybe she was trying to warn me, I was so focused on Fatuma that I didn’t see his friend come up behind me.” I take a deep shuddering breath. ”I don’t even remember him hitting me. One minute I’m standing there begging the man to let my wife go, and the next I’m waking up on the floor.” The tears are back, Nadia strokes my hand, urging me to continue and let it out. ”Everything was gone in the blink of an eye. They had killed Fatuma, in cold blood in our kitchen, and I found—I found my little girl in the pool… The bastards had drowned my daughter.” ”The police suspected it was a burglary gone wrong but I knew better… This had Tony’s name written all over it, so I made a few calls… A couple connections I had still had left.” I grip onto the fur that serves as my pants, remembering the blind, unhinged fury that broke inside me on that day. ”I tore it all down… Every shady operation Tony had left. Everyone left in his “family”, I killed them all. I tortured people, did horrible things until I finally found him. That rat bastard Tony. He was hiding from me. But I eventually found him. I tied him to his bed, and dumped gasoline over him. I lit one of his cheap cigars and dropped it at his feet. I have no more tears in my eyes. The details are still vividly clear in my mind, I remember every second of that day. The way he screamed, the smell of burning flesh and hair… It will haunt me until the end of my days. I stare off into the distance, only vaguely aware of the worried looks on my companion’s faces. ”I had my revenge… but it was empty. It didn’t bring my family back, and now I had nothing, not even my hatred… So I went back to my hotel, put a shotgun in my mouth, and pulled the trigger… Next thing I know, I’m on this island, without a memory or a clue of where I am.” The girls look to one another and back at me. The story was finished, but now a new chapter has begun. ”But now I remember…” I can still feel the hatred burning inside me, but I know how that played out. Where do I go from here? End chapter 16 |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 7:49 PM
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Ch17. What lies beneath? After my history lesson, Scarlett had taken it upon herself to cook our meal while Nadia excused herself to go foraging but not before quickly bandaging my wounds, though I partly expect that she was avoiding me for the moment. Scarlett cooked in silence, though I would catch her watching me every now and again. The silence has given me the opportunity to reflect on everything that has happened so far. By whatever means, I’ve arrived in this strange world and have come into the care of two beautiful, yet inhuman women. I’ve grown quite fond of the girls despite our short time together, and I’m not sure how I feel about that given my new found memories. My heart is still heavily laden by the death of my wife and daughter, and part of me knows that it is a wound that will never truly heal, but I still feel as if I’m remembering someone else’s life. There’s a clear distinction between the memories I’ve been making since I’ve arrived here and those from my old life… Maybe this island might be a second chance for me. Maybe I can really start over. However, I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong; I feel… Unbalanced. ...Remember your anger… The voice is like a whisper on the wind; I turn my head to look for the source, but I find nothing. Scarlett is still cooking, her attention focused on whatever animal she is roasting, and Nadia is off in the distance picking some wild flowers. …Remember the pain he caused you... This time the voice is slightly louder, but still as if from nowhere. Worse yet, is Scarlett hasn’t even flinched to indicate she has heard it as well. A cold shiver runs down my spine. Remember the rage!! A new voice screams inside my head so loudly that I have to clutch the sides of my head; the noise reverberates inside my skull. My ear drums ring, and for a moment my vision fades to white. I hear a muffled sound a distance away, someone calling out to me. I can’t make out the words but the ringing is softening. Slowly, the white void starts to clear and I can see shadows; the silhouette of someone’s head and shoulders. The muffled voices are getting louder, I can see Scarlett sitting above me; she is shaking my head from side to side, and shouting something over her shoulder. Suddenly Nadia’s face is above me, she looks concerned, but what is she holding? *splash* I cough and spit up water, the shock wakes me from my stupor and I quickly roll over and cough up the rest of the water. ”What is happening to you Shawn?” Nadia is still holding the leaf bowl she used to douse me. She looks on the verge of tears. Scarlett is standing a distance away, observing me curiously, though I can see worry just beneath the surface. ”I *Cough* I don’t know.” I sit up and face the girls. Nadia wastes no time and tackles me in a hug. I let her crush me in her vice like hug as she cries and apologizes a dozen times over for avoiding me, and how she shouldn’t have left me alone with a head injury and some other silliness. I reassure her that I’m okay and try and pry myself free from her death grip but to no avail. Scarlett stands a short distance away, watching me carefully. When I catch her eye, she quickly turns away and walks out of the tree line into the field where Nadia had been picking herbs. Nadia notices Scarlett walk away and sighs, laying her head against my chest. ”She was worried about you too… When you collapsed, she went hysterical.” She twirls her finger against my chest as she talks. It’s amazing how quickly her tears dry up when she thinks about our little “love triangle.” ”I should go check on her shouldn’t I?” I look down at Nadia; she looks back at me with her big, beautiful emerald eyes. I can see in her eyes she doesn’t want me to go, but nods reluctantly and releases me from her coils. As I stand, a few bones pop and groan. I walk into the field to find Scarlett, leaving the shade of the forest. The sun shines brightly and I have to shade my eyes briefly while my eyes adjust to the new light. Scarlett is sitting amongst a patch of yellow flowers, staring off into the distance, at my approach she stands up to face me. ”I’m sorry I—” She cuts me off by quickly pulling me into a hug. ”You scared me... Stupid.” she says, nuzzling her cheek into my shoulder. ”Sorry about that.” I gently rub behind her ear, her tail swishes softly from side to side as she embraces me. Nadia joins us after a few minutes; Scarlett takes the cue to give me a quick lick on the cheek while looking directly at our snake girl. Before Nadia has the chance to take Scarlett’s bait, I grab Nadia by the arm and pull her into the hug. ”I’m sorry for worrying both of you.” I say, trying to figure out how to find a comfortable position to hug two people. Nadia simplifies the problem for me by wrapping her coils around us. ”You just need to take it easy for a while and rely on us a little more, you can make it up to us later.” She says with a smile, funny how everything seems to go back to that one subject… ”He’ll never settle his debt to us at this rate.” Scarlett flashes me a cheeky grin, but its mostly playful… Mostly. ”Okay, okay. You’re right, I guess a head injury and a run in with a homicidal lunatic can really take it out of ya.” I laugh sarcastically. Nadia rolls her eyes and quickly checks the bandage on my head. Scarlett sighs and wiggles herself out from our little group hug. ”Did I say something wrong?” I ask, Nadia releases me from her coils as well, looking concerned. ”I didn’t want to bring it up and spoil the mood, but…” She looks away, looking conflicted. ”What is it?” I ask, I turn her to face me. In answer she sniffs my collar lightly, and even along my chest. I stop her at my stomach before she gets any lower. ”What are you--” ”I can still smell traces of the zombie girls, grave dirt and even the vampire on you; I can also smell my own scent as well as Nadia’s on you but I smell no trace of another human on you.” ”So I washed… The crazy guy’s smell could have easily been—” ”No… no matter how clean, I would still smell something… ” She says, the look in her eyes tells me she is serious and not to doubt her. ”Okay… I trust you, but how does that mean then?” I look to Nadia for help. ”My sense of smell is almost as good as yours Scarlett, but I don’t understand what you’re implying.” Scarlett thinks for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. ”When we found you in the graveyard, I couldn’t smell a trace of any man, or human for that matter, anywhere nearby either…” She looks at me knowingly, and a lump forms in my throat. Nadia looks at me while she considers Scarlett’s words, her eyes widen slightly but looks back to Scarlett. ”Wha.. What are you saying?” ”I’m saying… all I could smell was you.” End Chapter 17. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 8:00 PM
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Ch18. How best to serve vengeance The pounding reverberates against the stone walls causing dust to pour from the ceiling. “Elizabeth!!” Even through six feet of solid rock, Selene’s voice is only barely muffled. Elizabeth stands back from the secret stone door as it shakes in its frame from each blow. The zombie girl guarding the entrance is visibly shaken; she looks to Elizabeth for direction. “It would be prudent to let her in before she brings down the whole fortress.” With a sigh, she signals to open the pathway. ”uuuuuuuuh…” The zombie girl groans nervously. With a shaking hand, the girl turns the sconce above her head to activate the door’s mechanisms. A moment later, the door split open, allowing the livid vampire to storm inside. “Welcome back Sele—” Selene cuts her off by grabbing her by the Wight by the throat and lifting her off the ground, her eyes are wild. “Are you out of your mind?! To recruit that monster!” Selene screams in Elizabeth’s face, shaking her back and forth as she screams. Elizabeth tolerates this for behavior for only a moment before her patience gives in. With a swift motion, Elizabeth brings her knees up to her chest, and delivers a powerful kick to Selene’s chest, sending the hysterical vampire crashing into the wall. The girl falls to the ground in a heap, but quickly recovers and leaps to her feet. Faster than the girl can track, Elizabeth summons her ethereal claws and grabbing ahold of Selene’s head, she slams the vampire against the stone wall, cracking the rock wall around her fist. “I would strongly advise that you compose yourself countess.” Elizabeth hisses at the struggling vampire; to assist in easing her temper and calming the girl down, she siphons off a small amount of Selene’s spirit energy. Elizabeth releases the vampire, allowing the girl to slump against the wall with an exhausted sigh. She rests her head against her knees. “All you said… Was to test him.” she says, her face still buried in her knees. “Yes I did, and as far as I am concerned, the test was a success.” Elizabeth’s voice is cold and emotionless. Selene raises her head and looks at the Wight questioningly. “How would you know, I haven’t… Wait… You were there?!” Selene starts to pull herself to her feet but a raised claw from Elizabeth stops her, to prospect of losing more spirit energy keeps her in check… For the moment. “Of course I was there Selene; I had to see his progress for myself, and I have to say, you performed wonderfully.” A cold smile spreads across her face. “But at what cost? How long had it been since those girls had fed? They could barely move, let alone defend themselves against that- that beast of a man!” “It was… an unfortunate but necessary loss.” Her smile had faded; the final deaths of her girls brought her no joy. They were her vassals, they owed her fealty as was her due, but still she had loved them all the same. She hadn’t anticipated the extent of the man’s cruelty, she had planned for the girls to be too weak to stand against an average human male as she couldn’t risk them harming him, but she didn’t expect him to go as far as he did. Selene slowly brought herself to her feet. Not sensing further hostility from the vampire, Elizabeth releases her claws, allowing them to fade away. “You disgust me Elizabeth… I would have thought that you would have more compassion for those girls, but I can see I was wrong.” She brushes the dirt from her dress and straightens her posture to assume a more regal composure once more. “Either way, I have upheld my end of the arrangement, my debt to you is cleared, and I expect you to uphold your end.” “I shall; should the events coalesce as you suspect, you will have the support of my servants and those who have allied themselves with me.” Elizabeth’s tone returned to the formal elegant façade. She doubted it would play out the way Selene expected, old as the vampire was, she was still a child compared to Elizabeth. As time flowed by, countless battles have raged beyond the seclusion of her fortress, power switched sides like the changing of the seasons. A war involving one of the lords was rare, but Elizabeth still felt it to be a concern for the living. Selene gave a curt bow, and turned to leave, but stopped just outside the door to the cave entrance. “Not that it is any of my concern, but what do you have planned with this man named Shawn? Though I have no love for Tony, you’re not planning on replacing him with that Psychopath are you? ” Elizabeth walks over to where the zombie guard had been posted; the girl is currently cowering down, covering her head with her hands. She has yet to notice the fight has ended. Elizabeth takes hold of the sconce and looks out at Selene. “You are correct... It is none of your concern.” She turns the sconce back, sealing off the entrance. Elizabeth turns and walked down the hall towards the foyer, the encounter has left her with slight headache and a bad taste in her mouth. The spirit energy of a vampire was a not her favorite vintage. The vampire’s words left her to pause, it was true that she felt Shawn was the more viable solution to take care of Tony, he was an outside figure that could not be traced back to Elizabeth and blemish her good name. Did she hold any further interest for the man outside of this efficacy? He was certainly easier on the eyes than her husband, and barbaric as the fight may have been, she was not entirely unattracted by a bit of savageness… [color=556B2F]“Where ya been Lizzie?”[/color] Tony’s voice startles Elizabeth from her thoughts, causing her to jump and face him. He is leaning against the door frame just outside the hall, his arms crossed over his chest. Strangely, her husband looks slightly taller and thinner than usual. That would not be possible, Elizabeth dismisses it as just the ever present libido shifting her perception. He is the same unpleasant man he has always been. “I was… Resolving an issue of politics; the vampire countess Selene, I’m sure you heard her shouting. You are aware how tedious the etiquettes of the aristocrats can be, the slightest offense can set them off.” Tony pushes himself away from the wall and walks casually around Elizabeth, circling her like a wolf eyeing a sheep. Even the way he walks seems different… The examination makes Elizabeth uncomfortable, so she turns to face him. “Was there something you needed husband?” Tony stops in front of her and approaches with a sly smile on his face; he IS taller than normal. His eyes are even fuller than they were; his gaze seems to burn straight through her, drawing her in. Tony places a hand on Elizabeth cheek and flashes her a toothy smile full of suddenly perfectly straight, white teeth. “Where... The fuck... Have ya been?” End Chapter 18 |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 8:08 PM
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Ch19. You, me, and Insanity ”That’s impossible, I saw him! He nearly broke my fucking nose, how did you not smell him?” I don’t want to yell at Scarlett, but I don’t want to even consider what she is implying. Losing my memory is one thing, but that I... Not a chance. I stand up and step away from the girls with an exasperated sigh. I go over the events at the graveyard in my mind as I pace back and forth, something, anything that might stand out to me that could invalidate Scarlett’s theory. I had been moments away from being ripped apart by those undead creatures but that psychopath saved me somehow… How exactly did he save me? I heard him laughing and the girls stopped coming for me, he distracted them I guess. No... He jumped right in the middle when they had me surrounded. But he’s still just a human, how would he manage that? Okay, I don’t know how he managed it, but he somehow got between me and the girls and grabbed my hatchet… How did I not notice him pick it up with it lying next to me…? NO! That’s not important! None of these details are important! He was there! I saw him!! ”Shawn please, calm down. I’m sure there’s—” ”I’m not crazy! I know what I saw okay!” I cut her off, Nadia jumps in surprise but Scarlett doesn’t even flinch. ”Neither of us called you crazy.” Somehow her calm tone annoys me. I can feel my face flush as my frustration builds. I want to scream and yell, but I hate how I’m taking it out on them, the look in Nadia’s eyes only makes me feel worse for what I’ve already said. This isn’t me… To avoid yelling at either of them again I storm off towards the creek, no that’s too close I need to get a little farther away for a minute. In the back of my mind I know it’s not safe, but I need to cool down, plus I doubt they’ll actually let me get out of sight again, not after… No! I will not think about that anymore, I need to get away! I barely hear Nadia plead for me to come back. I remembered passing a small pond as we were walking through the forest and it only takes a few minutes for me to find it again. Without wasting a second, I drop to my knees and using both of my hands I splash water in my face several times. Water drips from my face back into the calm surface of the pond, distorting my reflection. Strangely, with the distorted image and low light, I look different, as if the waves place a shroud over my face. ”Ugh what is wrong with me?!” My anger rises to the surface, I can’t seem to control it. Like there’s just a hot bed of coals burning inside of me, I can’t seem to put it out. ”Nothing is wrong with me, THEY’RE the problem, trying to make me think I’m crazy!” I can feel the rage within me wrestling for control. ”They never said that, they’re only trying to look out for us…” I will not let it win, not like this. ”It was her tone… and it’s—It’s the principle!” I can feel my anger deflating but I can still feel the core of it burning, wanting to consume me. ”Am I just overreacting?” ”No I… I might have… Yeah I guess I am.” With that, I feel the anger slip away. I sigh and hang my head. I lean forward to splash more water in my face but when I try to pull them back my arms don’t budge. I struggle to pull my arms back but it’s like they’ve been trapped in dry cement. The water is calm and remains undisturbed despite my struggles. ”Oh it’s not over that easy.” The voice makes me jump, and I catch sight of the man’s reflection. I can see him standing directly behind me. In his reflection I can see that he’s still wearing the same black cloak from before. I strain my neck to look behind me but… He’s not there. When I look back, his reflection is still clear and vivid. ”What the hell is going on? Why can’t I—Aagh, who the hell are you? How are you doing this?!” I yell at his reflection, somehow my breath is causing ripples in the pond even though my hands cause nothing. ”How can you forget about me Shawn? We were thick as thieves once…” ”Bullshit! I’ve never met you before in my life!'” Until you cut me out. The voice echoes inside my mind. ”H-how are you doing that?'” I can see my own eyes widen in shock in my reflection. ”You almost killed me Shawn... Almost killed US! I’m not going to give ya the chance…” To make that mistake again. The man pulls back his hood and I stare in horror. My voice escapes me as I stare at the wicked smile of my savior, my tormentor. The one person I hoped I wouldn’t see beneath the cloak. ”We’re both a part of the same problem, but you’ve had your fun, now it’s my turn” My reflection smirks wickedly at me. Slowly I feel my arms being pulled into the pond. I struggle in vain to pull myself free from the grasping pool. The man in my reflection laughs at my pathetic attempts to escape. ”I’m sorry Nadia… Scarlett… You were right.'” I sob pathetically. I fall forward into the water and disappear beneath the surface. ************** The ripples across the surface of the pond slowly fade, leaving the water calm and serene once more. At the far end of the pool, a soggy figure pulls itself onto the bank and coughs up water. The man slowly stands up, a victorious smile spread across the man’s face. His cloak is gone, replaced by a ragged motley of animal furs. Turning to look at his reflection, he sees a confused man standing behind him. They share a striking resemblance. ”Oh yeah baby… I’m back!” He says with a confident laugh, and turns to head back in the direction of his camp. End Chapter 19. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 8:17 PM
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Ch20. The price we pay ***Two Days Earlier*** Tony had lost count of how many times he had paced the halls of Dragswick waiting for Elizabeth to return with news. He had tried passing the time by having some fun with some of the girls that served in the fortress but his anxiety had stripped him of his potency and left much to be desired when it came to the deed. “What the hell is takin' Lizzie so long? If it's him, kill 'em, if it's not... kill 'em anyways. Tony said aloud to himself. Passing through the foyer in front of the entrance hall for probably the two hundredth time, Tony stopped before the zombie girl who guards the door to the secret entrance. At his appearance, the girl smiled lustfully at Tony. ”Tony.....Want...Sex?" The girls offer make Tony smile tiredly. The girl wasn’t much different from the other girls that served his wife, her hair was pale but had a bit more luster, more than likely thanks to the spirit energy she gained from Tony every now and again. Or had he slept with this one before? Her blue eyes seemed familiar, a certain curve of the hip, pouty lips… He didn’t normally bother to keep track of them, as long as they kept his bed warm. “That's sweet of doll but I'm not... Wait… Ya know what? I know of somethin' else ya can help me out with." He flashed the girl a sly smile. “How’s about you help me with a little favor, and afterwards..." He trailed a finger down the girl’s cheek, lightly brushing the corner of her mouth; she shivered visibly. “I would really like to get some fresh air, it's cramped in here ya know?" He nodded towards the stone door that leads outside. The zombie girl looked worried as she stared at the door, and bit her lip as she turned back to Tony, her eyes cast downward. ”But... not... safe...... for male... outside..." She struggled to make herself clear, fidgeting with her hands as she spoke. Tony expected this and gently lifted to girls chin so that she would look him in the eye. Her eyes, were rather enchanting… For a zombie. “I know babe, that's why I want ya to come outside with me. Think of it like-- like a date." Tony winked and flashed her a smile. The zombie girl's eyes widened as she processed the idea, wiggling her hips as she thought it out. Tony couldn’t help but let his eyes linger upon the curve of her hips, were they familiar? Or new? After a moment she nodded resolutely and turned the sconce that activates the entrance way. The hidden gears whirred to life, splitting the stone wall and revealing the hidden entrance. Tony smirked and headed towards the door but before he could reach it, a large figure of an Apophis filled the doorway, stopping Tony and his zombie companion in their tracks. “What the... Neffie?" Tony said, squinting in the low light as he observed the imposing stature of Nefer-Apep. The woman slithered into the room, allowing the light of the torches to reveal her full radiance. "Ah Tony, How... Nice to see you." Nefer-Apep barely hid her disgust for the man, resorting to a paper thin exchange of etiquette. Tony was used to the general distaste that the aristocrats usually showed him. It didn’t bother him as much as it originally had; he knew deep down they were no different than any other women on the island. If push came to shove, they would take ANY man they could get their greedy hands on, even him. He humored the thought of some of these snob nosed bitches on their knees, begging for it… "Might I be able to speak with your wife? I have a proposition that might interest her." She said, looking above the short man, barely acknowledging him. Being used to the treatment did not mean that it didn't grate on his nerves. “No... She is not in at the moment. Might I take a message?" Tony clinched his teeth, and purposely enunciated each word as his irritation grew. Oh how he wished he could bring women like this to heel, to make them grovel for his attention. The Apophis sighed in frustration and turned to leave, but the sight of the zombie girl clutching Tony's arm caught her eye. Intrigued, she finally turned her full attention to the short man. "How much influence has your wife afforded you over her guards and servants?" she said, eyeing him intently. Her piercing eyes scrutinizing every detail of the ineffectual human. “Afforded? Most of her girls will listen to what I tell 'em if that’s what ya mean." Tony eyed her suspiciously, her sudden interest surprising him, but then realization dawned on him, as well as the potential opportunity. “Oh I get ya.— Ya need to hire some muscle, so yer lookin’ for a helpin’ hand, am I right? A favor, if you will." Tony smiled at the snake woman. Tony's overfamiliarity towards her made Nefer-Apep uncomfortable, she sharpened her gaze upon him. “Okay okay, take it easy will ya? I can levy a few of my girls for your cause... For a price." His smile grows, and he puts an arm around the zombie girl's shoulder. The girl smiles contentedly, oblivious to the bargaining going on before her. Well above her pay grade as it were. "Name your price human." Nefer-Apep said coldly, glaring at the overly confident man. What could this man possibly want from her? If he were to suggest anything sexual in nature, he would regret it. “Let's take this discussion outside, and we can get ya in the books. Then I believe we can really help one another out." At that, he placed his hand on Nefer-Apep's waist and guided both of the girls outside, while the Apophis resisted the urge to snap the man's arm in half. ***One Day Earlier*** Standing at the top of a sand dune, Tony looked out at the amassed rag-tag army of zombie girls pooled together from his wife's staff of servants and guards. He had never seen them all in one place and only just now realized the extent of his wife's influence and power. Levying one-hundred zombie girls had reduced her standing staff by half but Tony eagerly accepted the transfer at the prospect of Nefer-Apep's reward. Elizabeth could easily replace the girls he was giving away, and if she couldn’t accept it… Well her opinion wouldn’t matter for much longer anyways. “All this for some "Darkstar"? Not even sure what that is, I hope your plan works; Lizzie will kill me if I lose all those girls." He said, scratching the back of his neck. "Though I suppose it won’t matter once you pay me my "fee"." He smiled wickedly. After Nefer-Apep explained her plan to Tony and agreed upon the price, it was short work for him to summon the girls to the snake woman's aid. "You will receive your payment, as soon as you relinquish command of your wife's servants to me." She responded calmly, her eyes focused on the tower of Gray Gardens in the distance. Tony smiled and turned towards the mass of undead women looking up towards him for a signal. "My girls! My family! It fills me with pride to see ya all gathered here in support of our dear friend Neffie." He called out to the girls, all of whom kept their gaze fixed upon him expectantly. Nefer-Apep cringed at the pet name he insisted upon using but remained silent for now. He would be out of her hair soon enough, and Darkstar will be mine. "We do this to make our family stronger! I know ya will do me proud and follow her orders to the letter, and when ya return, I will have a reward for each and every one of my girls!" The zombies groaned together, either in amassed rally cry or simply a stimulated brain-dead moan, who knows. Tony turned back to Nefer-Apep and smiled. "Well... They're all yours Neffie. Treat them we--" Before Tony could finish; Nefer-Apep seized him by the shoulders and sank her fangs into his throat. Tony let out a startled gasp as her venom pumped in his veins, but he soon froze as it coursed through his body. She held him like this for a moment before letting him collapse in the sand. Concerned groans filled the horde of zombies as they watched Tony lay lifeless in the sand, until a twitch of the foot signaled he was still alive. Slowly, the man pulled himself to his knees and shook his head wildly. "Whoa... That’s better than anything back home. What a kick!" Tony sputtered, and quickly hopped to his feet reinvigorated. "It will take a few days for the transformation to truly take effect, but I have fulfilled my end. Your role in this is finished, be gone human." She dismissed Tony with a wave of her hand and turned her attention back to the undead army, a sinister grin spreading across her face. The man barely acknowledged the dismissive wave, he felt as if he’d just taken a double shot of adrenaline and chased it with a dozen lines of coke. Without even a backwards glace to his wife’s faithful servants, he dashed off towards Dragswick faster than he had ever run before, his mad laughter following him the entire way. End Chapter 20. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 8:24 PM
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Chapter 21: Prisoner What have you done?! Give me back my body you bastard! Nah, I don’t think I will. And it’s not Your body. You’ve had your turn, and now it’s mine, so just quiet down and let me have my fun. The sun has begun to set; the horizon looks like an angry red sore as Shawn strides back into the camp with a confident smile fixed upon his face. The girls are sitting around the camp fire; Nadia looks visibly relieved upon seeing him return, and quickly rushes over to embrace the man. ”I’m so sorry for upsetting you Shawn.” she says, nuzzling her face against his chest. That’s not me Nadia! Please see that! ”Please forgive me.” She shyly avoids looking into Shawn’s eyes. The man flashes a smile and lifts her chin so as to look her in the eye. Don’t touch her you bastard! ”Don’t worry your little head sweetie; I couldn’t stay mad at you.” The man strokes her cheek, causing Nadia to blush and hug him tighter. Scarlett remains seated, observing the two of them. A flush starts on Shawn’s cheek as his mental prisoner struggles to gain control, but he easily pushes the rebellion down. ”Have you calmed down?” Her cold tone suggests she is still angry from the earlier outburst. ”Oh yeah baby, just needed to cool my head and get a… New perspective.” He winks at Scarlett, never letting his smile fade for a moment. Very fucking clever… I thought you’d like that. Standing up slowly, Scarlett eyes him suspiciously, approaches them from the side. Shawn’s eyes become fixated on her hips as she unconsciously sways her hips on her way over to them. Pervert… Scarlett circles around them, examining the man who holds her companion in his arms. Nadia remains blissfully unaware as she cuddles Shawn’s chest affectionately, his hand stroking her hair only serves to drown her further in her bliss. Stopping behind the man, Scarlett sniffs his neck a few times. ”Did you go for a swim?” ”Yeah, like I said; I needed to cool my head.” Shawn’s tone suggests annoyance at the question but his smile remains firm. Scarlett circles back around until she is facing him, the distance separated only by Nadia, who has hear head cuddled against the left side of Shawn’s chest. ”So that’s it? You’re over it just like that?” Scarlett’s eyes bore into Shawn, probing every detail of his face. Good luck fooling her senses, she saw through me, she’ll see through y— SHUT UP!!! Shawn’s face flushes even more as he forces the alternate persona deep within his subconscious, sealing him behind a mental wall. ”Well I’m tryin’ to but you’re makin’ it really hard sweetie.” His smile finally fades as he stares right back. Nadia releases her hug, suddenly pulling away from Shawn and slithers back to the campfire. Shawn watches her leave nervously as she leaves the two of them alone without even a second look back. Shawn shivers slightly in the night air as the sun finally disappears beneath the horizon. Scarlett’s golden eyes shine in the darkness, giving her a more imposing aura. Just as a cold sweat begins to form across his brow, Scarlett finally shrugs her shoulders and saunters over to him to embrace him, burying her face into his chest as Nadia had before. The man lightly lets out a sigh of relief. ”You had me worried for a moment.” she says, turning her head to the side. ”I’m sorry babe; I just needed a minute to sort things out in my head.” He says, smirking to himself. ”That much is clear… I’m sorry.” ”What do ya have to be sorry about? Everything is alright now.” Shawn says, flashing her a smile. Scarlett smiles lightly and releases the hug, stepping back slightly. ”For this…” Scarlett palm strikes Shawn in the solar plexus, knocking him back a few feet into the trunk of a nearby tree. Though she took it easy on him, it still knocks the wind out of the man. Shawn struggles to catch his breath, but before he can recover himself, a metal chain quickly wraps around his chest and arms. With a quick jerk, he is pulled off of his feet and crashes onto the ground. Scarlett steps forward holding the business end of her chain sickle, her eyes look pained from striking the man, but there is determination in her eyes as well. She releases the sickle from the chain and secures the binding and ties up feet with some vines. ”What… The hell... Are ya doin’… Ya crazy… Bitch?” He manages to say through ragged gasps; fury burns intensely in his eyes. ”Restraining you until we can get you back to normal...” Nadia has returned holding the small pouch in her hand. ”Did you really think we would let you go off into the woods alone?” Scarlett rolls him onto his back and steps back to let Nadia examine the man. ”We don’t fully understand what happened to you, but something is wrong… We’re going to need to sedate you until we can be certain.” Nadia’s normal loving tone has disappeared and has been replaced by one that is cold and sterile. She reaches into the pouch and pulls out a small handful of a strange white powder. ”I don’t know… what you’re talkin’ about… It’s me!... Shawn!” The man struggles weakly against the chains but they don’t budge. He groans as he twists and turns but to no avail. ”We know he’s in there somewhere… And we’re going to find a way to make things right.” Despite the cold tone, tears are brimming in her eyes as she brings the powder level to her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she blows the powder into Shawn’s face. He struggles for a few minutes but his struggles get weaker and weaker until he barely has the strength left to keep his eyes open. Before the man succumbs to the effects of the sleeping powder, he laughs lightly and fights to looks up at the girls. ”You won’t get him back… He’s mine… He’s m-- ” The man finally passes out, his head hangs down as he breathing deepens. ”Do you know how to fix this?” Scarlett’s eyes are filled with concern, with the man fast asleep, she lowers her calm façade, revealing her true feelings. ”I-- I’m not sure.” Tears are flowing freely from her eyes as she sits down and begins to sob. End Chapter 21. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 8:32 PM
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Ch22. Trapped in here with you I slowly open my eyes and groan. Sunlight is just barely peeking through the blinds as dawn breaks over the horizon. Yawn and rub the sleep from my eyes as I toss off my covers. I slowly climb out of bed and part the blinds with my fingers and gaze outside at the neighborhood. A postal worker is one of the few people out at this hour; her mail bag is saddled across her back as she trots down the street… Yes the mail-woman is a centaur. At first I was shocked by the sight of Mamono in my neighborhood but after being stuck in this pseudo reality for over a year, I eventually accepted it. ”Fuck! I’m still here?!” I hear the irritated cry call out from the other side of the house. I smile wearily and shake my head. Moments later my bedroom door bursts open and standing in the doorway is the six year old version of me, or rather the six year old version of the evil alternate persona of me. The first day we woke up here, he was already like this, perhaps a form of karma? ”Yes Shane, as I tell you every morning… You’re still here.” I’ve taken to calling him Shane to avoid any further confusion. I sigh and tousle his hair as I walk past, just to piss the little bugger off. He tries his best to smack my hand away and kicks at my heel for good measure. ”Get dressed; you don’t want to be later for school again. The principle will have your ass if you do… and that might not be figurative, knowing that succubus.” I laugh as I descend the stairs and head into the kitchen. ”Screw you! I’m not goin’ back to that place, this is ridiculous me bein’ stuck like this!” Shane pouts, crossing his arms over his chest as he follows me into the kitchen. With a huff, he plops himself down at the table and I produce a bowl of cereal for the brat, I figure his attitude will lighten up once he’s had something to eat, not likely but it’s a shot. He mows down sloppily, spilling milk on the table. When I give him a disgusted look, he just smirks at me and sticks his tongue out to show a mouth full of food. Shane’s taken to being a child quite well apparently… Little shit. A short while later, the sound of the approaching school bus catches my ear. I force a schoolbag into his hand and shove him out the door before he can protest. Once outside we’re greeted by the familiar sight of the yellow school bus waiting patiently in front of our house. The bus driver, a formidable looking Minotaurus woman, opens the sliding door and grunts for the boy to get on. As per their daily routine, Shane flips the driver the double bird and blows a raspberry at her. The woman snorts, climbs out of her seat and descends the bus stairs and descends upon the boy who rebelliously raises his offensive gesture even higher as the woman towers above him. ”On the bus…” The woman glowers at the little deviant. ”Kiss… My… As—” Before he can finish his statement, the Minotaur woman grabs Shane up by the back collar of his shirt and throws him through an open window on the bus, the bus tilts slightly from him colliding with the other side, and the woman waves me off before climbing back on the bus and driving off. ******** ”What do you think he’s dreaming about?” Scarlett asks as she watches the sleeping man shudder slightly in his sleep, it almost looked like he had just sustained a blow. They have put together a crude travois to help carry him as they make their journey. Nadia remains silent, staring straight ahead into the distance. She is more than apprehensive about Scarlett’s plan but they had nothing else to go on. ******** ”You know Shawn, there’s… there’s going to be an office party this weekend… you should um… would you like to come?” Fatuma’s form shivers as she speaks, she fidgets nervously as she peers over the cubicle wall, causing little ripples to cascade across her blue body. Seeing Fatuma as a slime girl caught me as a surprise at first, but I don’t know what I should have expected in this world. I smile politely at her, and she frowns slightly, already knowing my response as she’s heard it multiple times. ”I would, but my “son” is a handful and I can’t leave him home alone.” I refuse as politely as I can. While it’s true I can’t leave Shane alone at the house without him trying to burn the place to the ground, or causing general mayhem in the neighborhood, I also don’t want to risk believing that any of this is actually real so I interact with everyone as little as possible… Even her. I only took this fake job to avoid losing my mind from boredom. Torturing Shane lost its appeal after a few weeks. Though had I not, I might not have met her again… Fatuma starts to sit back down with a defeated look on her face when I hear a soft moo come from behind me, followed by something heavy and soft pressing against the back of my head. ”Oh don't be such a bore, I can watch your son for you while you go have some fun for a change. Maggie winks in Fatuma’s direction, causing the slime girl to blush slightly, turning her body a light shade of purple. ”Besides, he’s already eight years old, he can’t be that difficult.” ”That’s nice of you to offer, but I wouldn’t want to be a both—” ”Oh it’s no bother at all, I simply LOVE children, I love to hold them, and care for them--” ”Um Maggie, you’re oomph!—” ”And play with them and cuddle them.” ”Maggie you’re smothering him!” Fatuma says, panic issuing in her voice. Maggie looks down to see that she has smothered my face into her voluptuous breasts and I am struggling to pull myself free from her iron grip. With an embarrassed moo, she lets go quickly but doesn’t let up on the offer. ”So what do you say? I take Shane for just one day, and you go to the office party?” she nudges me in the ribs. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Fatuma looking on anxiously. Her hands are clasped together over her heart. I sigh and rub my temple before nodding in defeat, I suppose it is just fate. Fatuma squeals in delight but quickly disappears behind the cubicle in embarrassment, Maggie winks at me and saunters away towards her desk with a smile. I turn back towards my computer; the screen saver has come up and is randomly displaying images from my pictures folder. On the screen is a sketch I made a few years ago while the memory of Nadia and Scarlett was still fresh in my mind I can hardly remember their faces anymore without the aid of the sketch. It’s hard to believe I’ve been trapped in this mental prison for three years. ******* The travois rocks and shifts as Scarlett drags it over various debris , causing the unconscious man to sway from side to side, Nadia adjusts the man’s position slightly to prevent him from falling off. She caresses his cheek lightly and gives him a gentle kiss on the forehead before slithering up next to Scarlett. ”It shouldn’t be much farther.” Scarlett gives her a reassuring smile. It doesn’t ease the uncertainty in Nadia’s heart, but Scarlett’s confidence gives her a little hope. She smiles slightly at her friend, though they’ve only been traveling for a few days, they have grown much closer to one another. Their mutual affection for the strange man serving as an unusual but powerful bond between the two women. ”Ugh… My head.” Shawn groans from behind them. Scarlett gently lowers the travois to the ground as Nadia slithers back to interrogate the body snatcher. Looking out over the horizon, the sun is getting low. ”How are we feeling today Mr. Imposter?” Nadia says in her cold clinical voice. The man squints his eyes to look in her direction, the fog of sleep caused by the sleeping powder leaves him disoriented for a while each time he wakes up. ”Other than a splitting headache, no thanks to your drug concoction… I’m great. Always nice to wake up to smiling faces of such beauties.” He says in mock. ”What have you done with Shawn?” She says, ignoring the bait. ”W-what do you mean Nadia? Can’t you see? He’s right here, you’re looking at him.” He says with a temporary innocent look on his face, before breaking out into laughter. ”Hahaha, you are both a couple of silly bitches.” He leans back on the travois while Nadia and Scarlett watch on. This has been their routine for the past several days, traveling for most of the day until the effects of the powder wears off and then interrogating their captive for a short while before putting him back to sleep. So far their efforts have not been very fruitful as the impostor has yet to give them any information. ”Keep up the funny guy act and I’ll--” ”You’ll what?” Shawn says suddenly, all laughter instantly disappearing. He sits up straight and looks at the girls coldly. ”You’ll hit me? Shove splinters up my finger nails? Cut off my dick?! RIP OUT MY TONGUE?!” His rage is so potent he begins spitting as he talks. Nadia drops her gaze, the dance is always the same. ”That’s what I fucking thought. You care about him too much to actually hurt me. Boo fucking hoo, Shawn is gone.” He looks away, watching the sun slowly slip beyond the horizon. ”Please…” ”Oh and here we go.” He says, rolling his eyes. ”We just want--” ”I don’t give a fuck what you want! Maybe I should just bite his fucking tongue off and give THAT to you. Whole lot of good it’s served me so far, talking ain’t doing--” *slap* Scarlett cuts the man off with a slap to the face. Tears are flowing down her cheeks. ”Heh… Heh hahahahaha. Oh thanks baby, I needed that. Can I have another? Hahaha!” The man breaks off into laughter, Scarlett clenches her fists but walks away. She grits her teeth and wipes her eyes, ashamed of herself for letting the man get to her like that. ”Hahahah-- *ACHOO*… Aww you bitch! I’ll get… You for…… That…” Nadia comes up behind Scarlett and puts a hand on her shoulder. Having given Shawn another blast of the sleeping powder, the man quickly fell asleep. ”It’s okay…” She says, rubbing the wolf girl’s back in an attempt to comfort her. ”No… It’s not.” Scarlett growls and pulls away. With a ferocious roar, she punches a nearby tree as hard as she can, splitting the trunk. Her hand comes away bloody. Nadia looks on in shock, she hasn’t seen Scarlett act this way before. She isn’t sure how to react until she sees the other woman’s shoulders begin to tremble. Rearing her head back, Scarlett howls into the night sky, a sound full of pain and longing. It lasts for a few moments before fading out. Scarlett crosses her arms over her chest, hugging her arms to herself and drops to her knees as she begins to sob. Nadia hugs her from behind as she cries. She had thought that only her heart was breaking, she hadn’t really considered how deeply it was affecting her friend. Nadia holds the wolf girl tight, trying her best to comfort her, as the air fills with the sound of wolves howling in the night. End Chapter 22. |
New_User_12345Dec 22, 2016 8:44 PM
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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
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| 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. |
|
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