We all sat around the campfire laughing at stories from the centuries. They’d lived so much and experienced things I could only dream of. When I was their age, I’d probably be living in the world of the Jetsons and telling the future children about how outdated our communications were. I put my paper plate down and held my hands up to the flames to warm them. “Okay Aeron, you ready to get your ass kicked?”
“Don’t get cocky.” Death said and raised his hands. The energy of a barrier coming up rushed over me. I closed my eyes and took comfort in its warmth.
Aeron stood. “I won’t go easy. Your wounds from Gluttony are healed, so there’s nothing holding you back. I want to see what you’ve learned.”
He held his hand out, summoning a bow and arrow, and grinned. “You’ve never seen me fight, so this should be interesting.”
A long-range weapon. Like the whip had been. All I needed to do was focus and I could do this. “First blood?”
“Third blood.” Suggested Death. “Both of you need to remember your control so you don’t wound each other to the point of not being able to fight against demons. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.” we both answered.
I summoned my scythe and wrapped my hands around the warm handle. An arrow appeared in Aeron’s hand and he notched it on his bow, his eyes never leaving me. I took two cross steps to my right, testing his concentration on my moves. I slid into my stance and waited. Despite the speed that weapons could be summoned, it still took time for him to notch the arrow and pull back on the string, creating the tension that he needed to shoot.
I shot forward and he let loose the first arrow. I moved to the side, dodging it. I ducked low and kept moving forward as he shot another one. The head of the arrow grazed my cheek and Death called out, “First blood.”
Reaching Aeron, I took my shoulder into his stomach before he could summon a third arrow. He stumbled backwards, but tried to take my feet out with a swipe of his leg. I jumped and brought my scythe down, knocking his bow out of his hand. It disappeared and he went to summon it back. I brought my scythe across his stomach, catching his shirt before the bow reappeared.
“First blood, Sammy.” Death’s voice echoed through the area.
Aeron snarled and pushed himself off the ground, summoning his bow. I didn’t question why he didn’t do summon it in the first place, but shifted my feet into a wider stance. He brought his bow around to strike me in the head, but I blocked it with the handle of my scythe. I slammed my foot into his stomach. I brought my weapon around and struck him in the ribs with the back of my scythe so I wouldn’t wound him with the blade.
“Second blood, Sammy.” Death chuckled. “She’s kicking your ass Aeron, that would have been a devastating blow.”
I grinned, but fell backwards, the air rushing out of me with the fall and I looked up at Aeron smirking down at me and his arrow pointed at my throat. “Don’t get distracted.”
“Second blood, Aeron.”
I locked my foot behind his knees and pulled him off balance. I jumped up and hit him in the back with the end of my handle to knock him into the ground. “Third blood, my match.”
We let our weapons disappear and I helped him up. “I’ve gotten better.”
“You have, you still get distracted during battle, but I know part of that is trying to pay attention to your surroundings. You’ll get there and before you know it, you’ll be taking on demons on your own.”
We moved back to the fire and sat with the others. Ruthie leaned her head on my shoulder. “I don’t think I’m ready to release you on your own in the world.”
“I don’t think I’m ready either. College is bad enough on my own, add demons in the mix and I’m extremely grateful for your company and guidance.”
I watched as the fire danced in the wind and we all huddled around it for a bit. Silence fell over us as the night wore on and we weren’t sure what to say. Stories had already been told and we all knew that our time at the playground had resulted in nothing. Now there wasn’t anything to discuss, the only thing to do was enjoy the silent company.
7
The shriek of my alarm echoed through the room. I bolted up and struggled with the correct gestures on the phone screen to get it to shut off. The idea of Monday felt a little less threatening when I didn’t have to go to algebra class. I would be sad about not seeing Jared later, but for now I was glad I wasn’t going to have to see the Devil for an hour and a half. I put the phone back on my desk and stretched. Ruthie sat in her bed reading. Transparent white wings were pressed against her back.
“I can see your wings now.” I smiled. “No wonder you knew my mom on sight. I saw Ben’s wings too, but I wasn’t sure if it was because he was allowing me to or if it was because my abilities were finally settling in.”
She glanced up from her pages and reached for a bookmark. “It’s about time. It’ll make life easier now that you’re starting to see what you should. Means we can worry less about demons in disguise and the Devil masquerading as a teacher.” She shut her book. “Aeron was right, you really are going to be ready to start fighting demons on your own soon.”
“Don’t even think it’s your time to be reassigned. I’m going to need you through the entire apocalypse.” I grinned and gathered my shower stuff. “I’m going to grab a quick shower and then how about breakfast?”
She shook her head. “I can’t today. I have to go handle some angel business. So you’re on your own for breakfast. I should be around for lunch though.”
“Oh, okay. Enjoy your angel duties.” I walked out of the room wondering what kind of things she needed to handle. I thought back to the comment about the archangels and wondered if she was going to ask for help, even though we all agreed to hold off. It didn’t matter, she considered it her duty, and I wasn’t going to push for details. I was going to pretend to have a normal morning and be a normal college student for a few hours.
No math class meant I had plenty of time to eat and scroll social media on my phone while I enjoyed coffee. The silence of the cafeteria only added to the effect of the scary articles floating around the Internet. People blamed the spreading of the epidemic on anything from the President to terrorists, from terrorists to mutant rats. The problem with articles like that were they only bred fear in humanity and they tended to ignore the facts. Of course, the facts in the case of the plague were it was spreading fast and it was killing, but at least there weren’t actual mutant rats that we had to worry about.
I put my spoon back in my empty bowl and went to stand up. I ran into something and my bowl clattered to the ground. Kaleb leaned down to get it. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you to stand up.”
“I should have been watching where I was going and not looking at my phone.” I took the bowl and spoon from him and shoved my phone in my pocket. He had no tray and no backpack with him and his brows were pulled together. “What’s up?”
“I thought you might want to go on an adventure with me. I need to drive down and look at the orchards and the corn fields to confirm that they really are being affected.”
I started towards the belt to return my bowl. “I have two other classes today.”
“Skip them. I don’t want to go alone and the others are busy.” He followed me. “Just a quick trip down and a quick trip back up. I need to make sure it’s not a conspiracy like the news outlets are claiming.”
Spinning around, I faced him and put my hands on my hips. “You don’t strike me as the type that worries about what the media says.”
“You’re right. I don’t think it’s true, but if there is any chance it is, I want to make sure we cover all our bases. CYA and all that.”
He wanted to make sure the apocalypse was really happening and it wasn’t just hype. “Sure, why not? Missing one day isn’t going to hurt me.”
“Thanks, let’s go.” He started out of the dining area and continued to the parking lot. I followed behind in silence.
He stopped at a red t
ruck. It towered over the sedans in the parking lot and I’d have to use the step to get in and maybe the handle. I opened the door and climbed in. The cab was empty as if he’d just cleaned his car out. No trash, no dirt, nothing. I buckled up and leaned back in the seat.
He started the car and classical music filled the car. Not what I would have pegged him for, I had imagined country or maybe classic rock. He turned the volume down a little and put the truck into gear. “Sorry, I normally drive alone and I like my music loud.”
“No big deal. It’s your truck, your rules.” I looked out the window as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the highway. “How come you didn’t want to go alone?”
He was silent for a moment. “Because I don’t want to run into a Sin alone. You and Pete managed to survive a fight with a Sin, but it was together. Facing one alone would be stupid.”
I don’t think I wanted to face a Sin alone, ever. Not after the ass kicking Pete and I had gotten when Gluttony attacked. “Can I ask a question? When Ruthie and I ran into Lucile, it was mentioned that Lucile couldn’t attack us unless we attacked her. Why is that?”
“It’s the nature of what we are and what she is. She’s the ultimate evil, but when she fell from grace, she lost many of her abilities. She must rely on tempting us to either attack her, or tempt us into a deadly situation. She’s the ultimate evil, but we are the ultimate good. We balance each other out. Despite what some people think the higher power does keep checks and balances. Limiting her power against us was all that could be done without going completely against her freewill. If we are to engage in evil, it must be our choice.”
I let the words sink in as I tried to imagine how a supposedly all knowing, all powerful being would allow such an evil to exist and let it have freewill and free reign. Did the ultimate evil really deserve to still have freewill? “What about the Sins?”
“The Sins are essentially demons, they are governed by Lucile, but they are not bound by the same laws. That’s why she has them do most of her dirty work. Now keep in mind those laws apply here, in the human realm.”
I looked at him. He gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white, but kept his gaze on the road. “What does that mean?”
“It means all the gloves come off if you’re in hell. She doesn’t have to rely on temptation. Hell…hell is a completely different place. People imagine it as fire pits filled with demons and damned souls.”
“If it’s not that, what is it?” I looked back out at the city as we passed through the outskirts of houses.
Nothing but silence answered me. I glanced at him. “Have you been there?”
He gave a subtle nod and guilt hit me that I had asked the question so casually. After a moment he took a shuddering breath. “It’s filled with your worst fears and overwhelms you with dread. It gives the Devil a look at how to break you and torture you to get whatever she wants out of you.”
“How did you end up there?”
He shook his head. “That’s not something you need to know about. Not right now.” He pressed harder on the gas, the transmission shifted and we sped down the highway. The conversation was over and it didn’t sit well with me. I shouldn’t have brought it up, but then again, he’d been the one who had mentioned how the rules or laws were different in hell than the human realm.
The city finally gave way to peach trees and cornfields, but they didn’t seem right. Limp brown branches hung heavy on the trees. Shriveled black and brown leaves clung to the stems on the rotting branches. “Kaleb, I think we have your answer.” I whispered.
He pulled off on the next exit and parked the truck on the side of the road. We got out and looked over the fields. The corn stalks drooped, their leaves crisp and cracking and the ears falling off in black globs that in no way resembled the sweet corn that should have been growing. I stepped closer and looked at a stalk, tiny dark waves of legs and antennas moved over the leaves as the bugs tried to devour what was left of the dead plant.
I stepped back and wrinkled my nose. “If this is happening to the plants, I’d hate to imagine what is happening to the animals.”
Kaleb motioned back to the truck. “Let’s keep exploring and find out. A friend of mine has a small ranch not far from here. I’ll text him and let him know that we’re coming.”
He pulled out his phone and sent a text. I put a hand on his arm. “Wait, let’s go down the road to the house. I can see a barn on the property, maybe we can check it out.” My stomach was sinking as a number swirled in my head. Four. Four deaths, four souls that were being collected or had been collected in the area.
“Are you sure?”
“I think something is wrong. Please? Let’s check out the house?” I begged.
His gaze searched my face and he nodded. “Okay Little Death, you’ve got it.”
I frowned at the nickname, but pulled my hand away from him and remained silent. My heart ached at the thought of what we might find at the house, but I wanted to convince myself that it was nothing. We’d drive up, knock and a farmer would answer and wonder why two college students were out here on a Monday. We’d get a good laugh and then we’d head home, empty handed, but we’d know that the farmer and their family were alive. And even as the Daughter of Death, that’s all I wanted.
Kaleb pulled up to the gate that blocked the driveway of the house. The smell of decay burnt my nostrils. “The crops didn’t have this same smell.”
“No, that is the smell of decaying flesh.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tossed it to me. He produced another one and held it over his mouth and nose. I did the same and found it barely masked the smell, but at least bile wasn’t rising in my throat any more. We both got out of the truck. The cattle gate was secured with a padlock and chain. I glanced at Pete and he climbed over it. I followed, my feet landing with a thud on the other side. I waited for a big dog or the sound of a shotgun to be cocked, but silence settled over the farm.
I put my hand back over my mouth and nose, breathing through the material of the handkerchief. Dread sank my stomach as my gaze went over the farm. A beat up rusty truck sat further back on the side of the house, a lump sat next to it. Patches of clumped fur was all I could make out from our distance. Through the crack of curtains, I could see a television flickering.
“Maybe someone is home?” I offered and Kaleb motioned for me to lead the way. I really hoped I wasn’t going to get shot for trespassing, but the state of the crops and the lack of noise as we approached put some of that fear to rest.
The wood deck creaked under my feet as I approached the door and knocked. I put my ear to the door and heard the television, but the noise lacked the shuffling of feet or voices calling out that they were coming to the door. I knocked again and still no response.
Kaleb reached around me and tried the doorknob, the door swung in and I glared at him. “We can’t just walk in.”
“We can if the door is open and no one answered. Something’s not right here and I don’t want to just turn around without finding out what it is.”
I nodded and kept moving. My stomach churned as the smell became worse with each shaking step I took. We’d entered at the kitchen with an open dining room leading into the living room. The back of the couch separated the dining area and the living area.
An arm hung off the side of the couch. I took a few more steps closer and noticed that black and cracking skin led up the arm showing patches of white. The limb had started to swell from death bloating. My stomach lurched and I dry heaved into the handkerchief and turned away from the scene. Kaleb moved past me and to the front of the couch, he closed his eyes and turned away.
“That’s one body.” He muttered.
“There are four deaths here.” I whispered. “I’ve seen enough. We need to call CDC and get these bodies taken care of. I’m sure any animals here have also been infected and were killed.” I started out of the house, but paused when I saw a hallway. Kaleb’s voice was the only noise as he made th
e phone call and I walked down the hall. The floor squeaked under the pressure of my feet, reminding me that this was an old farmhouse. I pushed open the door at the end of the hall and found two small bodies. The girls couldn’t have been more than ten, but the black of the plague covered their corpses and death bloated the bodies to the point of not being recognizable.
My stomach lurched and I threw up breakfast, turning away from the corpses and into a corner. Tears stung my eyes as I thought about the two young lives cut short by a horrible disease.
Kaleb came rushing to me and put a hand on my shoulder. “I found the mother too. CDC is on the way. We’re going to have to be quarantined until they can confirm we haven’t been infected.” Because two people were going to make a difference. “So we need to wait for them here.”
I nodded and straightened up. “Sorry, I just…”
“Young death is hard to handle, especially when it’s something like this. There’s no need to apologize. The good news is, we’ve gotten the answers that I needed. The plague and the famine aren’t just hoaxes at this point. War is next to come.”
The apocalypse was going to happen in less than six months. The death toll was going to rise and we were nowhere near close to putting a stop to it. “How long are we going to be in quarantine?”
“Twenty-four hours. With the way this is moving, we’ll be dead by then if we’re infected. Luckily for us, we can’t be.” Kaleb ran a hand through his hair and walked out of the room. I followed him and we walked out of the house and sat on the deck.
“So what do we tell the college? I’ll be missing two classes tomorrow.” I stretched my legs out in front of me. “You think this is the worst of it?”
He shook his head. “I think we’re going to find a lot more cases like this. It’ll start rural and then move into the cities more. The famine will only push further. People will start getting violent over food. We won’t have to worry about Texas turning on the country, but we’ll have to worry about war over food. Who kills who for a loaf of bread or a pound of meat?”
Children of the Apocalypse Complete Trilogy Page 12
