Monsters Among Us (Deception Series Book 1)

by Margaret Afseth

  It took all his effort for the man to proceed on his own, let alone, help the woman with him. Gem could easily have run away, but where was there to go? Now, she was curious as to the purpose of the trip, so followed after, docilely.

  Wonder where this leads? And...why is he so doggedly determined to take me there? What is at the other end?

  After a long valiant struggle down the sloped passage, they finally reached a granite ledge. Here, as was Galar's habit, he began to warn himself.

  "Watch out now, we don't want to go over the edge. It drops down hundreds more feet to the pit of Hades, where the Hydra lives. We feed him the remains of the dead, so he won't come up, and eat the rest of us, see?"

  Gemma scoffed, nearly laughing.

  Hydra! Bet that's just a silly story, told to frighten the men from going down here.

  A long time ago, in what seemed like a lifetime past, she had done research on the Greek legend. The Hydra was a many headed, snake-like dragon, purposed to guard the gates of Hell.

  Surely, there is no such thing...

  If there was...

  Now, wouldn't that just fit right into the conditions that exist in this place?

  They moved on, sideways to the right, along the precarious shelf, for many yards; then, came to a metal ladder leading upward. Beginning the climb, Galar slung his crutch by a loop, around his neck, and over his back. Gem found the going easier than he.

  The rungs of the ladder were dry, and the rust came away in a red powder on your hands. But, moisture hung in the air; the fresh smell of water up above...light, dim at first, yet gradually increasing in brightness.

  With each step, Gemma felt stronger, was aware of more, heard better. Her mind was expanding, opening up. It felt good.

  Could it be, her powers were awakening; returning? At last!

  ****

  About an hour behind them, Loni had reached the junction leading into the sewer going up into the slaughter house. The over powering stench that emanated from the hole drew him up short.

  He shuddered, not wishing to enter that horrible nightmare of a place. He had never actually gone in before, but he'd seen from other vantage points, what went on in there.

  Loni had not even previously gone this far into the drainage tunnel.

  The ledge upon which he stood was dangerously slippery, but he only had inches to go to enter the culvert that led up to where he needed to go, the cattle pens.

  In there is the love of my life. I'll not be a coward. I will go through whatever it takes to get her back!

  Yet, as he stood there, something else made him hesitate. His senses were recording not just the gagging vapors of the sewer beneath him.

  Galar has been here...and not too recently, either...about an hour ago...going along this ridge...

  And...there was a subtle scent just underneath his...the fragrance of a woman.

  Gem! My Gem!

  She is with him!

  Abruptly, Loni changed direction, going down instead of up.

  ****

  In the sausage plant, Scar had finished his work. All the while he had labored alone, he had mulled sullenly over the situation.

  Scar had come to the conclusion, Galar meant to remove the female from his reach, to keep her for himself, alone. They were abandoning him, and that made Scar angry.

  Galar said we would share her!

  The more the man dwelt on the circumstances, the more wrathful it made him, until at last, Scar threw down his tool, and stomped after his brother into the sewer.

  Once in the tunnel, he knew only the path to the ledge, and lacking the olfactory senses of one such as Loni, or the stored knowledge of the planners, he was decidedly disadvantaged. Instead of going in the right direction, he turned the opposite way, and though he searched many a side tunnel for the next few hours, he soon found himself desperately confused, and hopelessly lost.

  ****

  Galar and Gem climbed higher and higher. As they rose top ward, each foot, yard, and mile, brought from above, the most pleasant life-giving atmosphere imaginable. The feeling of well being increased, and Gem grew stronger, more alert, with a broader vision, and understanding.

  Is this the way out that I've longed to find for so long? Is the surface above us? Can I finally escape, and go home?

  Hope made her two hearts pound in anticipation, but when they finally stepped out on the second ledge, Gem dropped to her knees in both awe, and consternation.

  Beyond, in the distance, stretched a landscape so vast, the valley went on for miles. But, it was definitely not the surface she had anticipated. Above them, the sky held a double moon, and the stars spread out like the rings of Saturn; the constellations unrecognizable.

  The trees below, and beyond the stone shelf, were so thick they seem to touch, making a pathway off across, and over this world. Like a canopy of up-side-down umbrellas, inverted by the wind, made useless for keeping off the rain, the branches were like roots reaching upward, the leaves on them of a pink-gold shade. The trunks were a dark brown.

  Unquestionably, not the trees of Earth!

  Across to the nearest tree, someone had built an iron-girder, slat-type bridge with a wooden plank floor, and in the tree across, a small metal and canvas, dome-shaped, housing unit. Suddenly, seeing this, Gemma realized Galar's intent.

  Not only was she trapped on another world, never to see her home again, but he planned to take her out alone, into the building yonder, and ravish her in private, uninterrupted.

  It was too much!

  Never!

  In rebellion, Gemma lay down flat upon the stone ledge, refusing to be dragged an inch farther.

  She wouldn't let this filthy being touch her like that!

  When Galar reached down to pull her up, Gem had gathered just enough psychic energy to raise her shield. The resulting force, zapped him so hard, it sent him flying, and the woman went down mentally, into a physical faint, from the effort.

  Chapter 27

  Gem came to reality, trembling, and unbearably weak; it had taken all her reserve to send that warning voltage.

  Distantly, a faint, desperate voice called out for help, in panic.

  Vaguely, in a fog of mental confusion, Gem surveyed her surroundings, wondering where she was.

  Rock on two sides; the sweet smell and sound of fresh rain, and beneath that the unpleasant odor of a reeking, unwashed body; her own. Her face was wet from the raindrops; the gravelly clay beneath her, made slippery by puddles formed in a downpour.

  She lay there confused.

  The urgent voice turned to a scream, calling to her to give it aid. It was not simply a tone of sound, but a mental anguish she could sense and feel, shouting loud and clearly in her head.

  Galar? Where is he?

  She rolled to her side, toward the distressed sounds; her vision cleared, showing her the drop down ledge nearby, and beyond that, the scenic landscape. Now, Gemma recalled her previous clarification, what it meant to her situation, and what had happened just prior to her passing out.

  Again, she heard Galar's desperate pleas for help. They were coming from beneath the edge of the nearby stone cliff.

  Her vision seemed to split, as if she were in two heads at once. In the one, she clearly saw, with her own eyes, the stone edge, and one set of fingers, clawing to raise a suspended body.

  From the mind of the other, she looked back and down, down, down; to the pit below, so deep the bottom could not be seen. Galar had lost his crutch, and his other arm waved toward the abyss, as if he were seeking to recapture what he had lost.

  The shadows beneath him moved, wavy and unrecognizable.

  Something is down there!

  She felt the terrified panic of the man. He thought, the Hydra was beneath, rising to get him.

  But, this isn't the same ledge. It can't be the Hydra.

  Besides, it was just a story. Unless the abyss connected to the sewer drop, no predator could slip into this valley.

  Could it?<
br />
  Anyway...the Hydra isn't real.

  Yet this was not her human world...anything was possible.

  His fear spread to her, and drove her to instant action. No matter what he was, or what he had done, he didn't deserve to die like this!

  Gem crawled forward, her hand extended. Grabbing the groping fingers, she gave them a leverage. He clutched at the offered assistance, as a man desperate for his last breath of air, his grip like a steel vise...and nearly pulled her over with him.

  She had no support. Fearful for her own safety, she eased back, leaving him clawing at the air, but fortunate for him, he got purchase with his second hand.

  I need something to use to tie myself to...

  Vines climbed along the outer stone, near the edge. With one of these, she tied her legs, then, with a second trailing end, she went forward again, allowing one of his seeking fists to get purchase on the rope-like branch. With her other hand, she reached out to clasp the hand against the ledge.

  Slowly, inch by inch, his head, then his shoulders, came above the cliff. He was almost over, and then...

  Behind him rose the most gruesome apparition: a horned, snake-like head of purple and green, eyes glowing red, jaws open, and dripping saliva. A second beside the first, and a third waving behind the others.

  Gemma screamed; at the same time, so did Galar. But he was the nearer, and the first monster jaws...took his head.

  Whether she reasoned out what she did, cannot be determined; that Galar was already dead with the first bite, would have been evident.

  Gemma let go, at the same time as reflex released Galar's fist from the vine. His body flew back with the force of the two-fold liberation, tumbling into the abyss behind. The Hydra heads dived after it, anxious for the whole meal...forgetful of the second tasty morsel on the ledge.

  Gemma slunk away to the farther most corner, behind a large rock, hugging herself, the faintest mewling sound escaping her, like a lost kitten fearful and lost.

  And then, Loni was there; enfolding her in his arms; holding her, comforting her. Yet, Gemma believed it was part of her dream; a nightmare to torment her. Madness came close, haunting her, and finally, she escaped into oblivion.

  Chapter 28

  Loni was almost at the top of the ladder, when he heard the dreadful screams. It sounded like both Gemma and Galar were screaming at each other. When he popped his head above the hole into open air, all was ominously silent, except for a plaintive moaning from something hidden behind a huge rock in a far corner.

  As Loni crawled out into the open, his eyes opened wide in disbelief, spying the rocky ledge, and the vision of the world beyond it; a place he had heard of only in his mother's stories: two moons on the horizon, the stars of the night sky in the shape of gigantic rings; trees with up-side-down roots, reaching upward, as if in supplication to a god that had forgotten them, and even in the distance, reptiles...not seen since prehistoric times; that should have been long extinct.

  Those that had gone into the domes for shelter, a long time ago, had declared the surface unlivable, the atmosphere poisonous, but as Loni tested the air, he detected nothing deadly. All he smelled was the sweet scent of fresh rain; saw only the misting of moisture covering all within sight with a wet film.

  He stepped out on to the slippery surface, fully expecting attack; awaiting Galar to speedily fall upon him, but all that his senses found, was the faint whimpering from behind the far sheltering rock in the corner.

  Where is Galar? What did he do with Gem?

  Cautiously, Loni approached the shelter, from behind which came the pitiful sound. Even before he saw her, his nose was assaulted by the most horrendous stench, evidencing her presence.

  Who...what is this ugly creature? This cannot be...Gem!

  She reeked like the sewer; her hair matted, and litterly moving with vermin. Lice!

  The coveralls she wore were stiff with dried blood, fecal matter, and small scraps from animal kills. Her feet were bare, but unrecognizable as those belonging to a female, so covered in sewer slime, and caked dirt, were they.

  She had curled away toward the wall, in a fetal position, her dirty, scratched, bare arms, wrapped across her almost non-existent chest; her raised knees covering, and near hiding, the swollen abdomen. But, Loni saw, anyway.

  Oh, man! She is pregnant!

  Loni shivered, fearing the worst. Galar had taken advantage.

  He knew, this hapless woman could only be his Gem. Her skin coloring was not the tanned brown of the other race; it was white-blue like his own; the result of the introduction of his DNA match. If he doubted, even the slightest, there was her eyes, and even though, at this moment, they stared dark, and vacant, the whites shone in the half-light, as did his, and the centers were that beautiful turquoise blue...like his mother's.

  When Loni crouched down beside her, Gem flinched in fear. Despite what that implied, Loni felt relief. It gave him confidence, she had not let Galar have his way with her...at least not easily.

  She tried to crawl away, but there was nowhere to go. Cringing at the touch of her, the man pulled his loved one against him, determined to minister to her no matter how offensive her physical condition was. Loni gathered Gem close, holding her tightly, until the trembling lessened.

  He quickly realized, there had never been any intimacy with Galar.

  How long has it been since she has been touched in a gentle way? Even a baby dies for lack of fond caress; a woman shrivels with such neglect.

  And indeed, Gem had shriveled...to nothingness...both physically and mentally.

  Loni's hand slid over her belly, caressing, easing...but mostly, to see if the baby still lived. It did not move.

  Barely alive. And...the child is too far along even to be Galar's. He is not the father. This child is mine!

  Loni invaded Gem's mind, searching for what had transpired in the interval she had been lost to him. And came away shocked, both by the fact that her psychic abilities had been kept deficient, and were almost nil, even now; and at the appalling dealings at the hands of Galar and Scar...but most of all, at the horrific happenings of the past few hours.

  Loni was almost relieved at the death of Galar...almost, but not quite, joyous at the freedom so hideously gained. Even he agreed, he wouldn't wish such a death on his worst enemy.

  Yes, at times, I wanted to kill the man, but it was merely anger speaking. Never...like this!

  Loni shivered at the memory he'd read.

  Will she ever, again, be the same happy Gem I once knew?

  ****

  Once she had passed into a fitful dream sleep, limp and unconscious, Loni raised his unresisting burden, and slung her across one shoulder. He started down the ladder, on the long journey home. He had little choice, but to return to the inner dome. Loni knew nothing of the valley below the ledge, of the surface, and inside, all was familiar. There, he could help Gem, tend to her needs, maybe even, heal her psyche.

  He would not take her through the slaughter house, but he would have to pass by there, to get through to the rainwater drain grate.

  ****

  Scar was so lost, he had sat down, and given up, yet if he had only realized it; he was right next to the main drain tunnel. In his mind, it was okay if he died in here.

  It is better than being alone.

  He felt as if he, and Galar, had been torn apart, forever; more so than at any other time. He had sensed the rip a short while before; like suddenly Galar was no longer there...had ceased to exist.

  Scar didn't know the meaning of dead, but that is what he remotely reasoned had taken place.

  Maybe, Flaw killed Galar; that's why I can't feel him..

  Just as he was thinking of the blue-skinned man, Scar heard a grunt, and felt the wall next to him vibrate, as if someone carrying a heavy burden had slipped, and hit the rock behind.

  Scar lifted his head, abruptly alert. His thoughts went immediately to his own needs.

  Maybe, whoever it is, can lead me out
of here?

  He peered around the corner cautiously; the man was moving slowly away, a body slung over his back.

  That's Flaw!

  At first, Scar thought the body the man carried was his brother, but he quickly realized it was that of a woman.

  He has our female...or...does it belong to Flaw, again?

  No matter. Maybe it is better not to have her. Galar and I can be together again, this way.

  He drew back, once more, until the man was near out of sight. Then, Scar followed after, at a safe distance.

  ****

  The first place that Loni went, was to the showers.

  When he had touched her stomach, Loni had realized much more about Gem than her simple pregnancy. She had gone through periods of violent vomiting, sever lack of appetite, and at times, bouts of ravenous hunger. At some point, Galar had force fed her raw, or half-cooked rancid meat. Because of this, her belly was infested with worms, which constantly competed for the nourishment both she, and the small one needed. That was why Gem was nothing but skin and bones.

  Loni knew how to purge her; he'd watched the physicians do it many times. And this was the perfect time. While she was unconscious, she wouldn't feel a thing.

  Or so he thought...

  As he set the mask over her face, and watched while the machine pumped out the contents of her stomach, Loni couldn't help but marvel, how the physicians never seemed affected by the patient's discomfort.

  He sensed every upheaval, and elimination, and was feeling quite ill by the time the lower bowel also had been emptied. And the treatment to prevent further infestation, was no better. Near the end, Loni was gagging in reflex.

  It seemed impossible, even though Gemma was listless, and barely aware, that she did not feel his cruel ministrations. Yet, he knew, it was all necessary, for her future well being...and that of the infant she carried. Neither would survive, if this were not done.