by Con Template
Kimmi bit her trembling lips, finally looking up at me with a heartbroken expression. “Ashtray was busy with the others. I-I didn’t want to bother you, Gracie. You were studying . . .”
I let out another weary sigh. Although I was guilt-stricken by her reply, it could not be denied that I was enjoying her misery all too much. It was at times like these that I truly wished I had my entire soul back. Only someone inhuman could find entertainment in seeing a child miserable. I hated that this person was me.
You will be better when you get your entire soul back, a hopeful voice assured me, momentarily placating my guilt.
“Okay, okay,” I whispered, quelling her fears with a soothing voice. “We’ll find it.”
For a second, I considered running to find Eclipse and letting him know that Kimmi and Sony were safe with me. However, when I noticed that it was getting mistier and the crowd going into the maze was dwindling, I decided that we had to get in and out of the maze as quickly as possible. It looked like it was going to start pouring rain soon and I didn’t want us to be caught in the storm.
I stared hesitantly at the maze that now appeared more sinister under the cloak of darkness.
With an uneasy breath lodged in my chest, I held their hands and ran into the fog-filled maze for the second time in what was going to be a very long night.
“The blood of the moon shall come with him.”
33: Dark Dynasty
The pathway through the cornfield felt very different at night.
There was an eerie feeling that hung over the maze as we meandered along the dirt trail. The man-made fog and decorative skulls that were once so cool looked ominous under the night’s shadows. Besides a few dim pathway lamps and blue laser lights that streaked into the sky every so often, the maze was as dark as the night sky above.
As we continued to follow the raucous crowd that accompanied us in the cornfield, the kids and I began to retrace our steps to find Kimmi’s necklace. We made a conscious effort to keep close to the masses during our search. It took us roughly twenty minutes, but after pointing our flashlights in every direction possible, we finally spotted a teal and pink beaded necklace on the ground. It winked at us from beneath the cornstalks.
Overjoyed that she found her necklace, Kimmi hugged me tightly, thanking me profusely for my help. She did the same with Sony, whose smile was uncontrollable when he saw that Kimmi was happy again.
“Yay, Kimmi!” he cheered with a clap of his hands.
I shared their excitement, crouching down to help clasp the necklace around her neck. “Let’s put this back on you before we lose it again.”
After ensuring that the necklace was secure around Kimmi’s neck and telling her that she had to be careful next time, we swiftly ran after the crowd to make sure we weren’t left behind. Whilst falling into step with the rowdy college students, I could see that Kimmi was growing tired. We had already spent hours walking in this corn maze earlier in the day. I knew these extra twenty minutes had done a number on her small body. It was time for her to sleep.
“Kimmi, are you sleepy?” I asked delicately, stroking her soft pigtails when the hood of her jacket slipped off from the strong wind. I lifted it up and placed it back over her head.
“No,” she murmured under her breath. She peered up at me, her droopy eyes contradicting her words. “I’m okay.”
I could tell that she wasn’t, and I wasn’t going to let her overexert herself. Making up my mind, I picked her up and held her small body against mine.
“I’m not sleepy though, Gracie,” she mumbled in my ear, her voice completely drowsy. She fastened her tiny arms around my neck, making it easier for me to hold her with one arm now that she was helping to carry her own weight. I could feel her chipmunk cheek position itself over my shoulder. Even unknowingly, she was starting to get comfortable for a nap.
“Well, I’ll hold you just in case you are, okay?” I said faintly, knowing that it was only a matter of time before she fell asleep.
“Okay . . .”
And just like that, she drifted off and was snoozing in my arms. Once she was asleep, I looked down at Sony. He had taken possession of Kimmi’s flashlight to help guide us.
“How about you?” I inquired, putting my hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay, Sony?”
“I’m okay, Gracie,” he assured, walking closely beside me. He flashed the two flashlights for us as we continued to trail after the crowd.
With Kimmi now asleep in my arms, I recalled Sony’s mood from earlier in the day. Though he appeared to be in good spirits now, I felt the responsibility to make sure he was actually fine. If I was so keen on being human, then it was time to start acting like one, regardless of how uncomfortable it was for me.
“How are you doing since this afternoon?” I asked as we trekked over the damp dirt path. “I noticed that you were looking a bit down. Are you doing better now?”
He smiled, looking up at me. A layer of misty rain glowed on his face under the gleam of the moonlight. “I’m doing better now, Gracie.”
“Yeah?”
He bounced his head in confirmation. His smile broadened. “Eclipse made me feel better.”
“Yeah?” I readjusted Kimmi to get a better grip on her. We stepped through the fog and made another turn. I didn’t expect to hear that answer from Sony. “How so?”
Sony’s face grew excited. Cheerfully, he said, “He asked me to tell him my stories and show him my drawings!”
A sense of warmth filled my typically cold heart. Sony had a propensity for storytelling in the most interesting way. Every time I visited Sanctuary, he would always have new drawings to show me. In addition to the drawings, he would tell me the stories that came along with his sketches. He was always so passionate about his work. I had to give credit to Eclipse for figuring out how to get into Sony’s heart. Nothing cheered Sony up more than talking about his beloved stories.
“What story did you tell him?” I asked curiously.
“The one about Jen playing with four-leaf clovers next to the ocean.”
I laughed, recalling him showing me drawings of his favorite red butterfly. It made me happy that Sony loved and trusted Eclipse enough to share those drawings with him.
“I really like him, Gracie,” Sony said seconds later, his eyes gazing approvingly at me. He then added something that caused my cheeks to light up with fire. “He really likes you, Gracie.”
I concealed a bashful smile. Maintaining a mask of indifference, I casually asked, “He told you that?”
Sony shook his head. “I’m smart. I can tell.” Another smile lit his face before he boldly added, “I know you like him too, Gracie.”
This made me laugh. I was about to respond with my denial when an extremely dense fog started to stream in, leaving me so blinded that I could no longer see the crowd ahead of us.
I looked at the man-made fog beneath us and assessed the new fog that just rolled in; the new one looked denser and more authentic. The misting rain had increased as well, triggering my nerves to come alive in vigilance.
Staring straight ahead with a gnawing feeling inside me, I held Kimmi closer and grabbed Sony’s hand. I hurried us through the fog, desperate to catch up with the crowd. My plan to find the crowd proved to be tougher than I thought. The more our legs picked up speed, the more I realized that the rambunctious voices were getting further and further away from us.
“Let’s hurry, Sony,” I uttered, attempting to keep my voice even. I did not want to scare Sony, but I could tell by the coldness of his hand that he was terrified.
My heart drummed uncontrollably. A slew of paranoid thoughts came deluging into my mind as I navigated around the maze.
Did a Demon or Angel find me? Am I going to die tonight? I made a sharp left into another pathway within the maze. I continued to hold the kids tightly against me, my face becoming damp from the misting rain.
No, it couldn’t be possible, I assured myself. There is still a veil over me. I�
�m fine. I’m just being stupid and paranoid. I’m absolutely fine.
My internal assurance may have been calm, but my physical actions personified utter hysteria. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching us—or me in particular.
I continued to barrel through the thick fog, hoping to bump into a group of people—any group of people—soon. Unfortunately, no matter how fast we walked, it appeared as if we were getting further away from civilization.
What was happening? Where was everyone?
Soon, the voices dimmed out completely and all that surrounded us were the cornstalks and the dense fog that seemed to be getting colder by the second. My insides clenched as the strange sensation of someone watching me became more potent. This . . . was not good.
“Gracie,” Sony started, his voice trembling while he walked closer to me. His face was chalk-white. “I’m scared.”
“It’s okay,” I lied to him, tightening my grip on his hand. I was scared shitless, but I had to act brave in front of Sony. “Just keep close to me. We’ll be out of here in no time.”
But we weren’t out of the maze in no time.
The more Sony and I walked, the more lost and disoriented we became. The fog became so thick that I could scarcely see my own hands. The distant sound of demonic laughter on loop caused panic to reverberate through me like an earthquake. Where was everyone else? Where on earth was the exit?
“Gracie,” Sony called again. His voice was quiet as the fog started to pile in like stacks of smoke. He rubbed his eyes to keep awake. He seemed different and completely out of it. “I’m . . . I’m getting tired. I’m r-really sleep—”
Before he could finish his words, his eyes abruptly closed.
He fell forward, his small body heading towards the fog-canvassed ground.
“Sony!” I cried, instinctively bending down to catch him before he hit the ground. I had no idea how I gathered the strength, but with my free hand, I picked him up and held him against me. With both sleeping kids in my arms, I stepped over the flashlights that Sony dropped and started to run through the smoky haze.
A nasty chill crawled down my spine. The terrifying feeling of someone watching me—and now following me—rolled over me like waves, triggering me to quicken my pace. As I maneuvered around the cornstalks, the looming fog within the maze continued to chase after me.
“Ahhh!”
I screamed when I could’ve sworn I saw ghostly pale hands reach out from the shadows to grab me. In my fit of amplified hysteria, my mind wandered back to Eclipse. The last thing I wanted to become was a damsel in distress, but with all the menacing things he warned me about, I couldn’t help but wish Eclipse was here with me.
Get a hold of yourself and run, the voice within me scolded.
The fog thickened, and though my paranoia did not cease, I did as my instincts instructed: I stopped wallowing in self-pity, picked up the pace, and ran. I clumsily sprinted through the cornstalks, fear pounding relentlessly within my veins. Turning, twisting, pivoting . . . I felt like a rodent lost in a labyrinth that had no exit. My arms were burning from holding Sony and Kimmi, but I couldn’t bear to put them down and leave them behind. In desperation, I took a sharp left turn, going into an area I presumed would bring us closer to the exit. When I stepped forward, I found myself standing in a circular area that was completely free of cornstalks.
The center of the maze.
The strange thing was that there was no fog inhabiting this circular part of the maze. It was as though the fog had a mind of its own and wanted no part in this ghostly spot. I wanted no part of it either. Determined to get out, I whipped around, burst into the fog, and kept moving forward towards the cornstalks, my feet anxious to get away from the center of the maze. I made a right turn, my mind recalling all the steps to take to avoid going back into that circle. To my horror, when I made that final right turn, I found myself in the exact spot I was trying so desperately to avoid.
“Damn it!” I shouted, furious that I was back in this godforsaken area.
On pure survival instincts, I turned around, ready to make my second attempt of escape when a voice chilled my entire being.
“So you’re the new hotshot.”
I whipped my head around at breakneck speed, my eyes following the direction of the disembodied feminine voice. I held Kimmi and Sony tightly, both of whom were still sleeping. As though on cue, the dense fog within the cornstalks started to dissipate slightly, giving me an unobstructed view of the silhouette standing in front of me.
“Wh–who’s there?” I stammered, trying to regulate the rising fear in my voice.
Akin to burning incense, the fog rose above me, only stopping to suspend over the maze and block out the entire night sky. Soon, there was only fog present within the cornstalks and the air above me.
I peered into the direction of the voice once more. I held my breath and waited for the mysterious woman to make her appearance. Even then, I knew it was futile to run.
After what felt like forever, the woman finally stepped forward and revealed herself.
My eyes widened when I was graced with the sight of one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Dressed in a form-fitting black dress, she was the embodiment of female perfection. She was tall, about 5’10, and had a thin, proportionate body that was perfect in all the right places. Her A-line haircut resembled the likeness of jet black silk as it danced in the calm wind and framed her porcelain face, which looked like it had been painted to perfection.
Standing at a meager 5’2, I had never felt more inadequate beside another woman. I concluded right then and there that she wasn’t human. No human girl could look this deathly perfect and beautiful—it just wasn’t possible.
Of course, no human girl could control fog like this either.
I was definitely dealing with a supernatural entity.
With this realization in mind, the rest of the conclusions came easily. She wasn’t human, and that meant she was an enormous threat to me.
“What do you want?” I questioned, holding onto Kimmi and Sony with care. I was getting tired of holding them, but her presence made me feel more protective. Despite the ache, I refused to put them down.
I put on a mask of courage and watched her vigilantly.
The mysterious woman smirked at my false bravado. She silently approached me, walking in a slow circle around me once she was close enough. Her face pulsed with amusement while her cold gray eyes assessed me from head to toe.
“If you’re worried about me killing you for your heart, then there is no need to fear, Source,” she finally announced. “Not everyone is looking to make a meal out of you.”
My eyes enlarged exponentially. I was stunned that she knew I was a Source. From what Eclipse told me, it was extremely difficult to detect a Source. Not only because of the veil, but also because my blood had to be free-flowing for her to detect anything. I took inventory of myself. No part of my body was bleeding, so it made no sense that she knew my true identity.
The puzzlement swelled inside me. “How did you kno—?”
“Let’s just say that I am powerful,” she dismissed loftily, not interested in going off topic. Her voice maintained its stoic tone. “I know what you are and the only assurance you need is that your existence is meaningless to me. I didn’t come here with any intentions to harm you.”
My gaze on her remained inflexible. “Why should I believe you?”
“You shouldn’t,” she told me arrogantly, unfazed by my hostility. Fog continued to percolate above us. “But what other choice do you have in this situation?”
In lieu of answering, I stole a second to look at Kimmi and Sony. It hit me how unusually quiet they were. They were sleeping soundly—too soundly for my taste. Something was off. Kimmi and Sony shouldn’t be this oblivious to what was happening around them.
The mysterious woman flashed a haughty smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “They’ll be fine,” she assured, reading my concerned thoughts.
“They’re merely under a small sleeping spell. It’ll wear off soon.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but abruptly closed it when a strong breeze sped past us, blowing her hair backwards and revealing the full features of her face. A gasp escaped me when her imperfection was revealed. On her left cheek, from top to bottom, the entire skin was disfigured with a big silver scar. The knife scar wasn’t enough to take away from her unearthly beauty, but it was enough to distract one from it. I was thunderstruck by its appearance. How did she get a knife scar like that?
“What, human girl?” she sneered, noticing my line of sight. A shadow crossed her face. “You act like you’ve never seen a scar before.”
I swallowed tightly, briefly feeling rude for staring at her scar. I redirected my focus to readjust my hold on the kids. My insides twisted uneasily. The fear I harbored against her was increasing by the second. I found it harder to conceal how afraid I felt.
“W-who are you?” I stammered, wishing that all of this was just some horrible dream.
She grinned coldly, still walking in a slow circle around me. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“What do you want?” I asked again, my voice firmer this time. Fear for my safety aside, my sadistic personality was becoming impatient. I was getting irritated with her haughty attitude. “If you don’t want to eat my heart or drink my blood, then why are you here?”
“To see what the fuss is all about,” she answered all too casually, her supercilious eyes scrutinizing me. “When news leaked that you killed your family, Hell was in wonder and awe. Every Demon wanted to convert you and everyone wanted to own your soul. They were so awed by your sadistic soul that many failed to realize that there was a possible Source in existence.”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“I knew there was something more to the six-year-old murderer, especially when the Elders down below placed a veil over you. Elders rarely get involved in the acquisition of human souls, no matter how coveted, and even more seldom do the Dark Majesties rally together. The mere fact that they all came to an agreement to place a veil over you is a big deal. I had a hunch that you were a Source and voila! With your body reeking like a barbequed pork last night, I knew that I was right.”
