No Geek Rapture for Me_I'm Old School

by Jonelle Renald

  Staring into Mia’s eyes, the Sarrabu said, “Ah, I see you have not made a final decision, and there are fires of anger burning inside you which have not been brought to the water yet. How about I help finalize that decision for you, girlie! I’ve got plenty of room for you in the rivers of burning lava below, Daughter of Adam who has done unspeakable evil. It’s no trouble to dump you in still alive. No trouble at all.” The Guardian roared with an evil laugh. “For me anyway!”

  Mia closed her eyes and bowed her head, waiting to be grabbed up in that huge black fist. No running away for her, still hobbled with zip ties and rope — she couldn’t even stand up. And in any case, the Guardian was telling the truth. She had done evil. She did deserve what it said she had coming. Nothing could stop it from dragging her down inside the chasm to begin an eternity of torment. Even though it might be futile and impossible, she silently prayed for an escape or a rescue, anything to stop the Sarrabu from dragging her away to the depths of Tartarus.

  The Sarrabu made a grab for her but missed, blocked by the pack of monsters that had kidnapped her when they flew over to get between her and its clawed hand. Chase pulled her out of harm’s way, then turned and dashed for the stairs they had just descended, Mia tucked under his arm. One of the gargolyes made a dash for the stone eshik, but the Guardian managed to grab him before he entered and began dragging him back screaming toward the fiery gash in the landscape. The other two attacked the Sarrabu, struggling with it at the edge of the chasm. They were able to get the black devil to release the guard-goyle it had captured, and all three reptilian monsters tried to push it back down to the place it had climbed out of. The group struggled at the edge of the chasm, but the Sarrabu escaped from their grasp, buried its claws in the thigh of another of the guards, and then dove with him down into the fiery abyss. Mia closed her eyes as she listened to him shrieking all the way down. The pair of remaining guards stood looking down after him for a moment, and then turned and ran for the stairway, following Chase back up the stairs to the subway platform.

  22 | Air

  During the entire climb out of the depths of the earth, not stopping even after their arrival back up to the subway platform (the body of the dead reptilian guard waiting for them), the two gargoyles continued to air the argument that had been going on the entire run back up the long, long stairs.

  “How could you let that happen?”

  “Me? You’re blaming me for what went wrong? Not my fault! You should have had Bithnur’s back!”

  “So you’re saying it’s my fault? That’s gratitude for you. I got you away from the Sarrabu Guardian.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Should be you roasting alive back there. Not Bithnur.”

  “Ingrate! I’ll teach you not to disrespect me!”

  “You’d have to know something to teach me something!”

  “You — you should go jump in and take a scorching along with him if you miss him so much. Nobody’d miss you being gone!”

  “Keep it up, and I’ll knock you all the way back down these stairs to Itimah Kittsum. Get ready, Sarrabu! Got another soul for your oven.”

  “Don’t you threaten me!”

  Chase turned to face the squabbling reptilians, and suspended by a rope in the middle of Chase’s back, Mia could no longer see them. But she could hear the sound of growling, hissing, fists landing on reptilian hide, and clawed feet scuffling back and forth on the concrete platform. Her ears ringing, she grimaced when the giant roared at them, “Knock it off!”

  “Touch me again, and you’ll see. I will rip your arm off and beat you stupid with it!”

  Chase slammed Mia down onto the subway platform. More quietly this time, he said, “Nahu mah nisme, hassu sakkiru! Adarukmeh, elemeh mah lugal parasudth. Doubt it not, you’ve given me reason enough! Both of you. Khuum — Pomukh! I don’t want to hear another sound out of either one of you. None of that is important now!”

  The other two shuffled their feet, but stopped yelling and bickering. While they continued to silently shove, poke at, and pinch each other, one said quietly and respectfully, “Semu, semu daim, Koru Elenu.”

  “Mimma, urukah,” Chase replied.

  “Where do we go now, O Mighty Behlum Seltu?”

  The tallest beast with the bull’s head (Talmai as the others called him) said, “There’s only one place I can think of — Kuan Ina Makkatu, the gateway above Mount Graham. It’s not ideal, and we’re liable to be spotted, but we’ll be able to find shelter in the mountain until the pursuit lets up. And we can keep an eye on the gateway from there, see if any one is following us. And as you know, the gateway opening on that end would prove to be a little problematic for any human trying to follow us. So who knows. Maybe a crash landing will be the answer to all our problems. All in all, it’s the best location for the situation we are in. And cut out the fake obsequity. From now on you two had better do your best to convince me you’ll obey my every word.”

  Mia caught her breath. She had never heard of Mount Graham, had no idea where it was, but it sounded like they were going back to Earth! They were taking her back home to Earth! This was great news for her. She could find a way to escape, find someone to help her once she was back on Earth. This nightmare was coming to an end — she could feel it. She would get away once she was back on Earth.

  The two remaining guard-goyles growled but didn’t openly complain. One picked her up by the rope tying her wrists and ankles together and slung her over his back. This time her head was high enough that she could see over the top of his shoulder. She was especially glad the black bag had been left behind in the escape from Itimah Kittsum so her head was no longer covered. The group jumped down, crossed the tracks, then jumped up on the subway platform on the other side and opened one of the green doors there.

  This gateway was different than the others Mia had seen. Instead of a different landscape or stairs, this door opened into a black void. Mia would have hung back had she been walking under her own power, since it looked to her like an elevator shaft without the elevator. But these three all moved forward without hesitation and stepped into the inky nothingness. There was no floor visible, but there was a surface to stand on. However, Mia could tell that the floor of the invisible container they were in wasn’t flat. It was like being inside a large slippery ball. Side by side, arms touching no matter what they did, the angry group was forced to stand too close together, even though they kept trying to step away from each other. Draped over the back of one of these angry demons, Mia stayed absolutely still, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. No telling what outburst would result, and she didn’t want to become the target of their rage.

  Suddenly the ball they were in dropped straight down. There were no visible cues to verify the descent, but Mia’s stomach suddenly started doing flip-flops inside her, and her ears popped without warning. In another instant, she went from being confined in a sphere in the middle of inky blackness to being surrounded in all directions by the bright blue of a sun-lit day. And before her eyes had time to adjust to the bright light, the invisible sphere dissolved, and they were free falling through the air toward the ground as if they had parachuted out of a plane. Without parachutes.

  Chase and the other gargoyle spread their wings and began gliding toward the ground below, but the one carrying Mia was having trouble. The claw at the top of his right wing was tangled in the stretchy fabric of the arm of her body suit, and as a result, its wing couldn’t unfurl. Its left wing was fully extended but was of no use by itself. As a result, Mia and the reptilian monster were in a spin, tumbling out of control toward the ground. Mia could feel it struggling to get the claw free from where it was snagged, and she tried to help release the claw from the stretchy fabric, but it was difficult because the gargoyle continued to try to open its wing while grabbing at her to throw her off his back, because of the spin they were in, because her hands were useless, ti
ed to her ankles, but at last she was able to work the claw free from the fabric. The gargoyle spread open both wings with a snap and a jolt as he stopped the flat spin they had been in.

  Death averted, no longer falling, she smiled, happy that once again she was back on Earth. She looked down at the earth below them. She had a chance now, a real chance to escape these monsters. The guard-goyle was safely gliding toward the ground like the others above them. Non-mechanized flight was a wonderful experience for Mia, in spite of the horrible circumstances of being tied up and carried like a bundle of dirty laundry. Looking over his shoulder, she could see the ground below, no longer rushing up to meet them. She even enjoyed the speed of the wind rushing past her face. Below was the gray, brown, and tan desert with a scattering of scraggly bushes, like the arid landscape she had seen before landing at the airport in Palm Springs. The only green she could see was at the top of the chain of mountains they were headed toward, green spruce forests in the upper elevations. The nearest mountain had a few large buildings made of concrete and metal near the summit, one a cube with huge doors that swung open revealing satellite dishes inside, and nearby, an observatory with giant telescopes for searching outer space inside a tower covered by a sectioned metal dome. Between the ridges and the outcroppings on the near side of the mountain, there were a few gravel roads, a single blacktop road winding from the buildings at the summit to the base of the mountain.

  Now lower than the summit of the nearest mountain, the three monsters made a curving turn toward the east side of the mountain, away from the observatories. On one of the ridges on this side, Mia could see a road entering a fenced off property, with a locked gate barring access, but they were much too far away for her to make out the identifying sign. Now angling downward for a landing, the guard-goyle carrying her was the first to glide onto a flat stretch of highway near the base at the east side of the mountain, no cars in sight in any direction.

  Landing on planet Earth again, her feet (almost) back on the familiar ground, plus the enchantment of flying, actually flying, made her forget her circumstances for a minute in the excitement and wonder of it. But this distraction came to an abrupt end when she was slammed to the ground more violently than ever before — and the gargoyles had never been careful with her. The creature who had been carrying her started kicking her, venting his rage while screaming at her. “Asisu kassapi mah asiptah! Ilati xul im mah saru! You. Nearly. Got. Me. KILLED, Kassapi!” Ankles and wrists tied together, she had no way to defend herself or escape the assault. Confronted with the sudden mayhem, she curled up into as tight a ball as she could and hoped she wouldn’t be stomped to death like a spider.

  23 | Land

  Gliding just above the ground, Chase picked up the gargoyle attacking Mia by the neck and flung him away. Then he wheeled around in the air to land next to Mia while shouting at her attacker. “Dinnamu idiot! What is wrong with you? You can’t damage the merchandise! You’re safe on the ground, so stop kicking her! For now, this kelba spistah is worth more than you are.”

  Pulling Mia up to a sitting position, Chase morphed back into his human form and removed the braided dynamic rope binding her wrists and ankles together, cut loose the zip ties from her hands and ankles, and began to stroke her hair, as if he was comforting her. “Mia, Mia, Mia. What a terrible thing to experience! Are you hurt anywhere? Here, let me help you. You’ve been so brave. I’m so proud of you.”

  Focused on her attacker who was watching Chase fuss over her, she could see he was getting even more angry than he’d been while he was kicking her. But then it registered what Chase was saying to her, and she frowned and glanced up at him. Just then, Chase glanced over at the one he’d called the dinnamu idiot and blew him an air kiss. Mia rolled her eyes and said to herself, “He’s doing all this to make him jealous!”

  Chase sniffed her all over, then said to her, “Maria Marwitz, you’re no fun at all. You see too much, and I don’t appreciate it in the least. And you’re welcome.”

  He rolled up the climbing rope, put it in his pocket, and threw the pieces of the zip ties under a nearby ocotillo. Then he went over to the guard he’d called the dinnamu and started dancing around him. “Admit it, I got you. I got you good.”

  After a brief hesitation, the one called a dinnamu also morphed back into his human appearance, then chest bumped Chase, who grabbed him and gave him a bear hug. For a second, Mia thought Chase was going to break his spine, but instead, he loosened his grip and licked the ear of the other one, who bellowed “Get off me!” and shoved him away.

  Now that they all had morphed back to their human form, Mia could see that it was Dale Flannery and Blaise Duvier who had survived the trip so far. It must have been Jason Bittner who was dragged into the chasm of Hell, Gregor Hannai killed on the subway platform.

  Duvier had a complaint. “Why’d we land so far from where we’re going? It’s going to be one anzillu of a hike, up and down and all around the mountain!”

  “During daylight, there can’t be flying creatures coming down out of the sky anywhere near the observatories on Mount Graham. If we don’t want to be seen — and we don’t — this is where we land.”

  “Who would come out here in the middle of nowhere just to see a telescope?” Duvier asked.

  “They have plenty of visitors who come see to the world’s largest binocular telescope in action. It’s a big deal because it can capture more detail looking at stars and planets throughout the galaxy than the Hubble telescope can from its location in orbit. Now quit bothering me, and shut up!”

  Stiff and sore, still on the ground, Mia took her time, massaging leg muscles that were cramped and knotted from being tied up for such a long time before even thinking about standing up. She was considering her chances for escape. Were there people nearby who could help? The landscape around here looked completely empty. And on the green and white highway sign they had landed near the listing of nearby towns (Safford 9, Snowflake 65, Route 666 Devil’s Highway 106) and the distances between them weren’t offering much hope either. Chase shouted, “Stop dawdling! Come on! Let’s go! The eyes around here are mostly friendly, but we need to get going and get under cover!”

  The two security guards started down the shoulder of the highway at a run. Before Mia could even think about rising, a huge six-fingered hand wrapped around her neck and pinned her down, pressing her face into the dirt, then dragged her to her feet. Black eyes glowing, Chase shoved his nose into her face. “Keep in mind that we are watching you! No funny business! Now, follow those two. And keep up!” Then he turned and ran after the two guards.

  Goaded by the abuse, Mia became angry. Not caring about potential consequences, she shouted, “You wait! I don’t have any shoes. I’m not running up the side of a mountain in the desert without shoes!”

  Chase looked back at her, calculating what to do. “Well, none of us want to carry you anymore. Flannery, you’ve got the smallest feet. Give her your boots.”

  Grumbling, the guard undid the laces on his high top nubuck hiking boots, and one at a time, threw them at Mia. Then he morphed just his feet back into their reptilian form.

  The boots were sizes too big but were better than nothing. As she tried to make them work, lacing them up as tightly as she could, Chase stood next to her, scowling, keeping an eye on what she was doing. Once she finished with the boots, he grabbed her elbow and yanked her to her feet.

  “So you think you can’t run without shoes, do you? Now that you have something on your feet, you probably think you will be able to run away from us. That is not acceptable.” He unwound the rope he’d stowed in his pocket and tied it around her wrists and neck in such a way that a tug would both control and choke her. Stepping behind Mia, he gave the elastic rope a strong jerk to show what torture was in store for her. Then he laughed and shouted, “Giddyap!” which made the two other monsters laugh as well.

  As they started
out running along the side of the highway skirting Mount Graham, it took her some time to get her legs working properly again after being carried suspended by wrists and ankles, not to mention running in boots that were several sizes too big. So she stumbled quite often, which resulted in a choking tug on the rope each and every time.

  After running north along the paved highway for a thousand feet, the group plunged down to the left, leaving the paved road for the rough ground crossing over and around the side of the mountain. On the smooth surface of the highway, Mia had been struggling to keep up, but now in the heat and over the uneven terrain, she wasn’t sure how long she could keep running, let alone keep up, but she knew she had to try. Even though what she was being asked to do was impossible, she refused to complain. Because she knew it wouldn’t do any good. All she’d get in response would be an even harder jerk on the rope for being a bother. And then be laughed at. So she struggled to keep pace with the two security guards in the lead as they cut across the shoulder of the mountain, running up and down the ridges at a very fast pace.

  After a difficult climb, they paused for a breather on top of a ridge. Mia collapsed to the ground, glad for the rest and for the view that offered a better perspective on the land surrounding them. Desert with cactus and sage brush below and mountains with spruce- and fir-tree covered summits above. She was disappointed there wasn’t any sign of human habitation nearby other than the big block buildings on the top of the mountain — no place to even look to for help or rescue. She was starting to lose hope that there would be a chance for her to get away from these monsters. Yes, she was back on Earth, but she was as much in their control now as she had been ever since they had first grabbed her and had no chance for eluding her captors. But she promised herself she’d stay alert, keep looking for a chance to get away.