by Robert Essig
It came out like some mass of constant movement, as if its parts were made up of several small entities gathered together as one. It stepped gently across the field without breaking a single skull as it approached Acronos.
“Focus!” came Dagana’s disjointed voice through the ethers.
As the monstrous thing came closer, Acronos could see that it was indeed compiled of many forms to create one large being. It towered to the height of the mausoleum in a humanoid form that was in a constant motion from mottled head to malformed foot.
Acronos felt suddenly human again and it felt, in that moment, as if his bizarre form was weighing down flesh and bone buried deep within the grisly mass that he had become. That human feeling was fear and it weighed on his shoulders like lead. His eyes remained open and he once again focused by shedding the extreme stress of the incredible situation.
As the thing came closer it was fairly clear that its composition was that of many small thits that had come together to create a large menacing monster that seemed to glide across the skull path, giving the appearance of something gentle, however Acronos knew it meant him harm.
The cabin came back into focus, Dagana standing outside in her human form. Acronos couldn’t read the look on her face. That was the least of his worries. This was his first test as an ethereal being, and he would be damned if he wasn’t going to manage his way back to Earth.
The thit beast was close and so was the cabin, but when would he be out of danger? It was as if he’d become lost between the realms. He knew how easy it was to lose focus, something which would dissolve his visions of Earth and return him to the thits’ hunting ground that was the In Between.
Fear tickled his brain causing a deep resentment that turned into anger. He had been under the impression that his becoming would grant him power that would render his new form indestructible. It was foolish for him to think that anything in the universe is without a predator, but he’d been a fool and now he was something beyond human that could sustain agony on that very threshold between the In Between and Hell. Survival was the key, but Acronos couldn’t find the lock.
A huge hand lined with fingers that screamed with gaping hollows of a thousand tumultuous souls reached for Acronos. The souls bared broken shards of teeth prepared to grab their pray with a thousand bites when the In Between suddenly disappeared leaving Acronos standing before Jeanie and the cabin. Wind blew through the fragrant pines and oak trees, rustling dried leaves and pine needles on the dirt ground.
Reluctantly, Acronos turned to assure himself that the thit creature was indeed left behind in the In Between. He wasn’t sure if he was holding his breath or if he was breathing at all. Perhaps he didn’t breath after his becoming. He couldn’t remember noticing whether Jeanie breathed or not.
“That was close,” said Jeanie. “Too close. You need to practice going back and forth. It should be second nature to you or you’re going to find yourself in a hell of a situation eventually, pun intended. I’m not always going to be there to bail you out.”
After regarding the mutation that had once been a man called Rich, Dagana said, “Now lets get you into a human form and give you a human name. We’ve got land to tread and it’s almost time to eat. Those guys in there,” she pointed to the cabin, “aren’t fresh any longer. After what you’ve been through I’m guessing you’ll want some fresh meat.”
18
It was shocking, quite frankly, that Audrey not only listened intently to Austin’s story, but believed him enough to forgive him for his abandoning her at the hotel. He thought for sure that she would raise her eyebrows in disgust and leave him sitting there weeping sorrow into his cocktail. It wouldn’t have been the first time, and he’d be a fool to believe it would be the last, but sometimes life surprised him. Lately Austin didn’t know what to think. Life had taken a more unusual turn than his normal sordid existence pertained to, and on top of it all, he had this beautiful woman by his side that wasn’t put off by his madness. He only hoped her attitude would remain, because things were going to get very strange before returning to what served as normal for Austin.
“So you’re saying you saw something happen in San Diego in an alley, something demonic, and you followed it here?”
It was so difficult to recite the tale without it sounding fallacious. The look on her face alluded to her disbelief. He’d told her everything, though he purposely concealed the fact that he’d witnessed a murder in San Diego. That was the kind of thing that would probably send her running. He’d said there was an incident and that he called the police afterward, which was entirely based on the truth.
“Something latched onto me, into my body. It led me here. It was leading me away from the hotel when you called after me and I couldn’t do anything but follow its lead. There was intense pain. It had complete control, and then it took me here,” they stood in front of the Whiskey, “where I saw the woman from the night before. She saw me too. The parasite was hers.”
The Whiskey was quiet compared to last night. A few local acts were playing and didn’t have much of a following. Austin had hoped they could find something out by returning to the last place he’d seen the one Garaam Baz called Dagana.
“You think maybe she hangs out here,” said Audrey.
“I think she could be anywhere. I’m just looking here because this is the last place I saw her.”
There were the usual suspects that could be seen hanging on any corner in Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard. The types who looked like they might have been something once, and if you were to strike up a conversation they wouldn’t hesitate to go into detail about their fifteen minutes even if it was just a couple of shitty commercials for hard-on pills and air fresheners. This city was brimming with burnouts, wannabes, and has-beens. It could be quite difficult to find someone when everybody knew no one and everyone.
“Who’s playing tonight,” asked Audrey of a man who didn’t look altogether unscrupulous.
He puffed a lengthy drag from his cigarette, eyeing her as if he was something special and she should be honored to be in his presence, and then he exhaled and said, “The Faggots, Headcheese, and Big Johnson and the Numb Nuts.”
Audrey wore a look on her face as if she wasn’t sure whether he was pulling her leg or not. “Some real winners, huh?”
The man took another drag from his smoke. Austin wasn’t sure where this was going, but he was glad to find that Audrey was looking for clues. When she had asked him about the finer details of his bizarre predicament he suspected she would split at any moment, but he was now beginning to feel that she was going to stick with him.
“I manage the Numb Nuts,” said the ostentatious man. “Big Johnson’s a real prick. I think the Numb Nuts could go it alone and leave that dick in the dirt, ya know?”
Now both Austin and Audrey wondered if the guy was messing with them. He acted as if he hadn’t just made two puns on purpose. This time it was Austin’s turn to ask a question.
“Who played last night?”
Again with the cigarette. It was like the guy couldn’t answer a question without the dramatic pause that a choke on his smoke provided.
“Death Fraud. Big show, man. Not sure who opened. I coulda got the Numb Nuts the opening spot, but that goddamn Big Johnson really fucked up the deal. He manages himself and really sticks his head into everything, fucking up half the gigs I’m trying to score for the Numb Nuts. If the guy would just shut the fuck up and let me deal with it—hell, if he would let me represent him I could get those guys on a real tour, man. Get them the fuck outta Hollywood, ya know.”
“Were you here last night?” asked Austin.
“Naw. We had a show across town at the Outhouse. Some biker bar. A real ugly scene, man, but the show went off pretty good. I’m trying to get them into the Troubadour, but—”
Austin put his hand up to silence the man. He couldn’t listen to anymore of his blather. “Thanks, but we’ve got to go. We’re running late.”
“That’s right,” Audrey piped in. “We’ve got a dinner date to get to.”
Austin shot her what he hoped would look like a casual glance, but in that glance he dropped his guard. Was she asking him out to dinner in a sort of offbeat way? Perhaps.
“All right, man,” said the Numb Nuts’ manager. “Make sure and see the show. It’s gonna be a good one, I guarantee it.”
Austin nodded. “Maybe we’ll do that.” In actuality, they would have nothing to do with the show, unless, of course, Dagana had something to do with the show, and Austin was quite sure she didn’t.
Taking the lead, Austin walked back in the direction of the Wheeler hotel with Audrey at his side. He’d been considering his next move while Mr. Numb Nuts talked their collective ears off. He figured having a late dinner with this eager yet complex woman was better than anything was at this moment. It would be better than tracking down the demon-bitch Dagana, not that he wanted Baz to know that.
“Let’s get a bite to eat,” said Austin. “You know a good place?”
She gave him a glance with her beautiful blue-green eyes and a raise of her brow that said are you kidding me? “Ever heard of the starving artist?” Austin nodded. “Well that goes for underpaid and over worked actors as well. I imagine you know of a better place than I do.”
Austin smiled and nodded. “Well, just because I’m the heir of a successful hotel chain doesn’t mean I bleed gourmet food and high class. You know of the Rainbow, right?”
“Sure, that rock n’ roll bar up the street?”
“That’s the one. Decent food, real dark, and people generally leave you alone after they figure out that you’re ‘nobody’.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The duo took to the nearest crosswalk and proceeded to head in the direction they had come. It was quite a walk, but in that walk they talked about idle things that had nothing to do with the search for Dagana. Austin found out that Audrey was the middle child with two other sisters, the older one a lawyer in New York, and the younger one just out of high school and ready to pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian and running her own veterinary hospital. Audrey was a bit of a black sheep, which often happens to the middle child, however she didn’t become what her father told her she would when she moved to Hollywood to chase a dream.
“My father told me the next time he saw me I would be drug addicted and working in porno.”
“Jesus.” Austin knew parents could be bad, but even on the level of allowing someone else to raise their children they had deep feelings and love and wouldn’t say such a thing, not his own folks at least. “What did you say to that?”
Audrey laughed and gave another one of her trademark looks. “I never got along with my father so well. He didn’t ever, you know, do anything to me. It wasn’t like that. We just didn’t mesh. I was always a little too wild for him. Diane was so disciplined and easy to raise, and I was more of a tomboy when I was young. Then I discovered boys, and from there I became a bit of a rebel.” Audrey paused as they walked, both of them thinking rather than paying mind to the people they waded through on their way to the Rainbow. “I told him I hoped he didn’t find out by seeing me in action. He knew I was being sarcastic, but he really believed that was how I’d turn out.”
“But you’re a defiant one, right? Maybe he knew he could say that to put the seed into your brain that would make you defy his radical expectations. You two may not get along, but he is your father, and I’m sure he wants what’s best for you.”
“I suppose you’re right. My sister set the bar real high becoming a lawyer. I couldn’t compete with that, and my dad was always talking about how great Diane is, how smart she is, how fucking perfect she is. Try to compete with that. No thanks. Poor Steph’ll have enough of that for the both of us. If she goes to college and makes something of herself that’ll just make me even blacker a sheep, and that’s just fine with me. I visit for Christmas every year and that’s about as much as I can handle.”
They made it to the Rainbow and scored a small, dark booth in the back. The people who were already there eyed them carefully as they walked in, the way they eyed everyone who walked in hoping to see someone famous or “connected.” When they realized that the two faces were neither familiar nor influential, they returned to their cocktails and appetizers, most of them drowned in their own sorrow. Many of them had briefcases or folders with screenplays and songs. You know, just in case.
The place was dark and ominous like a seedy bar where the patrons like their privacy and their whiskey on the rocks. The walls were covered with autographed pictures of rock n roll stars, musical instruments, and enough memorabilia to gaze over for hours on end. This place had history and it was immortalized from baseboard to ceiling.
A waitress came by and they both ordered cocktails—a vodka tonic for Austin and a margarita for Audrey. She was a bit on the ditzy side, the waitress, but pleasant enough and eager to serve. Cocktails before dinner equals a good tip.
“So,” said Audrey, “what’s the next move?”
“To tell you the truth, I have no idea. You know what’s really messed up about that?” Austin sipped his drink; Audrey shook her head. “It puts me in a dangerous place, and it would be selfish of me to allow you to go any further down this path with me. I know we just met yesterday, but I like you, Audrey, and I don’t want to put you in any danger.”
Audrey smiled. “You sound like James Bond, you know that?”
Smirking he said, “Wheeler, Austin Wheeler.”
Audrey grinned. Austin had fallen deeply for her. He would have liked nothing more than to have her by his side, but he was dabbling in something he didn’t understand, something evil, and even as they spoke and he tried to ward her off for her own protection, he found himself grinning coyly and making wise cracks.
“You know, back at the bar when you told me about your predicament, I wasn’t sure what to think. Even now, I’m not sure what to think, but there’s something about you that rings true. Have you ever heard that before, you know, that the truth has a ring to it and you’ll know it when you hear it?”
Austin nodded.
“With you, everything rings true. I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself that you’re a good man and that the crazy story you told me is true or what, but . . . well, I’m beginning to believe something I would have scoffed at had it come from anyone else’s mouth.”
“I didn’t expect you to believe me—I don’t expect you to believe me. It’s all so crazy; I hardly believe it myself. And I don’t know what to expect next. Hell, I’m kind of afraid to go back to my hotel room. What if Baz is there waiting for me, hoping I have a lead? What am I going to tell him?”
“Didn’t you say he would be watching you? Maybe he’s here. Maybe he’s been following us the whole time. The guy could be a private investigator.”
“I’m not even sure he’s a guy. Probably an it.”
Audrey’s gaze never left Austin’s eyes. “My point it that it’s very likely that he knows who I am and that I’ve been looking for this Dagana with you. That means I’m already in this whether you like it or not.”
Austin killed his drink. He wanted another. He’d had quite a few of them over the span of the day, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Drinking from breakfast through dinner was as natural for Austin as sniffing ass was for dogs.
“You’re a tough cookie, you know that,” said Austin. “I like that in a woman.”
Audrey polished off her drink as well. “So enough of the talk about my welfare and the possible danger. This town seethes danger. I’m kind of used to it.”
“Very well. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“No need to. I expect the unexpected.”
“You’re a smart woman.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. “Now where’s the waitress? I need a refill.”
As they drank and ate deep fried appetizers, Austin couldn’t help but glance at the other patrons and the people w
ho came into the place. He appeared just like everyone else sitting there gawking the front door for their break, only he was looking for a demon by the name of Baz. He was fairly sure the guy was watching one way or the other, perhaps from another realm. He was also sure that although Audrey believed what he told her about his peculiar situation, she also thought he was blowing things out of proportion. Take the demon parasite that had ridden in his body from San Diego. She hinted at the idea that it was a hallucination, much like the uncanny form the woman took in the alley. She was trying to convince him he’d seen mere hallucinations, which was a relief. That could be as bad as listening to a Born Again preach. She went with it, and thus far was proving to be quite supportive. But things have been calm, the unseen danger only displayed in warnings and stories.
Things wouldn’t remain that way for long.
19
Two creatures huddled together in the soft mist and darkness of the listless night. The female beast transformed herself into a human quite easily, though she no longer resembled the slutty whore who accompanied Death Fraud to the cabin. Now she had shoulder length blonde hair, stunning blue eyes, and a modest frame dressed very casual in slacks and a blouse.
She talked the other beast, the male one who now addressed himself as Acronos, into discovering his talents and powers. There was no need to rush now that they were back on Earth where the thits couldn’t get to them. But this time Acronos was a natural, and as he closed his eyes and envisioned a new image, he changed as if he was born with the ability to do so.
He opened his eyes as a tall, skinny man with a perfectly cropped haircut parted on the side. He was dressed in black jeans and a long sleeved solid navy blue flannel shirt.
