by Robert Essig
“Never liked him,” said Demonicus, “but I hate you.”
Dagana chuckled. Her pleasure seethed, which could very well be her weak spot. She had only taken out two of the sentinels and yet she was too cocky for her own good.
Yrictus had eyes on the ground as well as on Dagana, searching for what was left of Baz. If only Demonicus could use his powers to resurrect Baz, they would be unstoppable. There was no way Dagana and her freak show could take three of them.
Though time had no bearing, it sometimes seemed to stretch on forever in a moment. Silence had a way of pushing the boundaries even on Earth, every moment in a tense situation a lifetime buried in an eternity.
Anger fueled aggression, hearts beat double-time, mouths drooled with the expectation of a fight, and the fear of the unknown, for the black pit was the only thing in their world that was unknown to them, the consequences immeasurable, yet the very possibility if being thrown in to that pit filled them with something like adrenalin laced with speed.
Chops flew circles mimicking the shape of the pit. The pit itself seemed to froth just a bit more, as if in anticipation, or perhaps acknowledging good cheer in regards to the offering of Xanxan. Who knew? The pit takes no sides.
Then it happened. No one expected it, because deep down in the most remote places of all their hearts they were too afraid to start the fight. One false move and they would be the ones discovering the secrets of the black pit. There was a sound like something snapping, and then, from a strange bough, a flying creature that looked like a scaled buzzard took to the sky with a piercing squawk. At the squawk, the battle ensued.
Chops was the quickest, and he went after the one he felt was the biggest threat to the safety of his majesty: Decimator.
It happened so fast, but Decimator was a streamlined muscle. Chops flew into him like torpedo. Decimator tightened up. As the assault pounded him, he stood as tough as steel. He faltered a bit, but not much, and his return was as vicious as one could imagine. He grabbed a fleshy patch of Chops’ body, having trouble gripping the gelatinous form as Chops simultaneously attempted to drive his talons into Decimator’s flesh. Decimator’s flesh was like silken, impenetrable steel. Chops couldn’t get the grip he needed to properly subdue his victim, which caused his talons to slip like a lizard trying to crawl out of a bathtub.
Reefer leapt for Demonicus, slamming his rough, coral-like body into the sentinel causing a series of gashes across his body. Demonicus gritted his teeth, grabbed Reefer’s head, and twisted. He snapped Reefer’s neck, but this wasn’t Earth. A broken neck was a merely an irritant. Reefer, new to the experience, stepped back in shock, and then he laughed as his head twisted back around to face his enemy.
Dagana and Yrictus held a deep, locked stare, both of them realizing that a fight between them was futile. They were equals. The only solution would be when one of them fell into the black pit, and it seemed as if Dagana was waiting for her minions to destroy Yrictus’ so she could gang up on him for the kill.
Realizing this, Yrictus broke away to assist Decimator. Reaching his arm out, claw-tipped fingers splayed, he grabbed one of Chops’ leathery wings and yanked the maggoty bastard off of Decimator. Chops was quick, and his injured wing did little to slow him down. He bared his teeth, averting his attention to Yrictus, swooping around him and diving in to slash him quickly before taking to air again. Each slash of his claw-tipped wings inflicted minute gashes all over Yrictus’ body.
Now freed, Decimator rushed Dagana, but she was prepared for him. She grabbed his neck with her massive hands and lifted him into the air. His girth was as large as hers, but she was far more skilled a killer, and her grip on his neck was like a pit bull’s clenched jaw. He screamed and flailed, but was no match for Dagana. In one swift thrust, she threw him into the black pit where he was swallowed in its nameless depths.
Dagana grinned, blood on her hands, ready for battle.
Chops continued inflicting wounds upon Yrictus’ body darting in and swooping away so quickly that Yrictus couldn’t grab the attacker. He was so frustrated at the wiliness of Chops that he was taken aback when Dagana’s hands clamped around his throat, squeezing until his vision blurred.
“Rip off his head!” Dagana commanded Chops. “I wanna shit down his throat!”
Demonicus used his massive fists and pounded Reefer repeatedly, ripping his knuckles to shreds on the sharp coral of the creature’s body. He paid no mind to the pain and the blood. He punched and punched, causing Reefer to begin his retreat, not so much from fear as from sheer power.
***
Austin and Audrey watched in horror as a battle of monstrous proportions escalated before them. Being as out of place as they were in the In Between, they were only vaguely certain who their silent support was for. Yrictus seemed to be on their side, and Austin knew damn well that Dagana was Enemy number one. They had to watch carefully when it concerned the others. They all looked like such outlandish beasts that it was hard to consider than any of them had a semblance of good within them, and really none of them did. Some were just worse than others.
“What do we do?” asked Audrey.
“Nothing. There’s nothing we can do. We just have to sit tight and hope for the best.”
“What’s the best?”
Austin shook his head. “I have no fucking idea.”
As they watched the battle, fearing that the flying maggot would indeed pull Yrictus’ head clean off his body, something crawled from the underbrush. It was small, the size of a bullfrog, and just as ugly. Austin had half a mind to swat the thing away, but he didn’t want to do anything to rouse attention From Dagana and her crew.
And then the ugly bugger spoke.
“You have to help me,” it said, but not in the form of a question, but a demand. It was a disturbing little voice that jogged the faintest bit of Austin’s recognition.
“You rotten son-of-a-bitch,” it said. “You want to get back to Earth, don’t you?”
Austin’s expression changed from wonder to shock and awe. He wanted to laugh, but that was uncalled for. Nothing was funny, even the diminutive form of Baz asking—begging!—for his help.
Austin looked at Audrey. Her pain was all due to this little shit stain’s actions.
“Why should I do anything for you? Yrictus can get us back to Earth.”
“I wouldn’t count on that if I were you. Only Dagana and I can go between the realms, and she sure ain’t gonna help you.”
Audrey had been staring at the little beast, but it was hard to tell whether she remembered what he had done to her. It had become clear to Austin that she either banished the memories of the brutality that occurred at the crossroads or was suffering from some sort of trauma-induced amnesia.
“And we’re supposed to believe that you’ll help us,” said Audrey. She looked down in shame, though she really couldn’t be shamed by something she didn’t choose. “All you’ve done is hurt me.”
So she does remember, thought Austin. A part of his mind cracked in that moment and another part of him appreciated her just that much more. The fact that she could carry on the way she has was phenomenal.
Fury shadowed Austin, driving him into a rage. He grabbed the tiny form and squeezed. His intentions were to squeeze the life out of him, but Baz had intentions of his own, and a strong means for survival. Baz made a guttural squeal and then held his breath. His little head began to inflate like a balloon, and then spikes began to protrude from his flesh, digging into Austin’s hand. Austin yelped and dropped Baz. He looked up at the battle near the black pit, afraid that someone heard his yelp, but they were far too engrossed to notice anything.
All it took was a glance, and Baz was crawling up Austin’s legs like some crazed rodent. Before Austin could grab him, Baz ripped into one of Austin’s bite wounds that itched so badly and gained entrance into his body. This time Austin couldn’t stifle his screams. He’d had this happen before. It was what started him on this strange and loathsome trip i
n the first place. But this time it was different. He knew what Baz was capable of and it chilled him to the core that the little bastard entered his body like this.
Dagana was the first to see Austin in the brush, and then Demonicus and Chops also became aware of them. While attentions were diverted, Yrictus maneuvered out of Dagana’s chokehold.
Audrey scrambled backward, fear in her eyes. Austin became incoherent, his voice shaking and spurting strange vocalizations, his jaw opening and clenching spastically.
He could feel Baz in his blood stream, could feel the demon coursing through his body and into his guts, his muscles, his veins . . . his brain. He wanted to grasp his head, wanted to squeeze as if he could create enough pressure to squirt Baz out of his ears, but that wasn’t an option. He was no longer in control of his limbs, or even his body, but he wasn’t going to give up.
The bite marks itched even worse, but he couldn’t scratch them, and then the spasms traveled from his jaw into his neck and through his whole body. The wounds opened up, bleeding freely. Cracks appeared intermittently across his flesh where large muscles emerged, threatening to rip his skin to shreds or shed it like a snake. Spikes grew from his bones and pushed through the flesh. His body tripled in size and his face contorted into something that was part Baz and part Austin; a true hybrid of the two that quite literally represented the struggle that they felt within.
Austin screamed at Baz to stop it, but his pleas were futile. Realizing this, he decided that it was in his best interest to try to gain as much leeway in the power struggle as he could. It was clear that Baz was going to war, and Austin would de damned if he was going to allow that rotten son-of-a-bitch to get him thrown into the black pit.
Don’t interfere, little man, said Baz within the head Austin now shared with him. You’ll get us both thrown into the pit.
And for a moment, Austin considered the thought. Just then, Baz struck, knocking Austin’s consciousness into a mental lock, rendering him useless within his own distorted and mutating body.
But he wasn’t knocked out. He could see from his eyes, yet couldn’t function on any other level, which was quite possibly the most frightening thing Austin had ever experienced in his life. He’d always been a great passenger in cars. Had to be, the way he lived, but this was something no one could possibly endure without mental shock. And that did nothing more than create a smashing headache. It wasn’t as if Austin wanted to pass out of consciousness—he didn’t; but there was indeed a part of him that considered that easy exit to what was quickly growing into a grave situation.
The Austin-beast had grown twice its size and was beginning to take on many of Baz’s characteristics.
Dagana’s mouth dropped.
It was Baz. Austin was so far gone that there was no more fitting title than that.
“Baz,” said Dagana in a faint whisper that couldn’t be heard over the massive roiling of the black pit. The pit was becoming angry, or perhaps excited with the anticipation of another damned soul to feed upon. All it took was a stumble or thrust and the pit would be victorious yet again.
There were virtually no loyalties after the clan broke apart, changing the unwritten laws of the In Between, further shunning the weak to the shadows and invigorating the strong. Now Baz was stronger than ever, his stature the size of two men, and by the look on his face, he couldn’t have been happier. That image scared Demonicus.While Yrictus seemed to believe that there was something within Baz that would cause him to take a side. And that side would not be Dagana’s.
For the first time in a long while, Dagana looked terrified. Her time had come, and so soon after she began developing her army. She had foolishly thought she could outsmart Baz and reign over the In Between without him, the way they had originally planned things to progress after they disbanded the sentinels.
Baz stepped forward, slowly, relishing in the fear that oozed from Dagana. He towered over her, his shadow eclipsing her, and then he stopped. The grin in his face was absurdly sadistic. Had he the ability to stretch it from one ear to the other, he would have done so.
“We can have everything, Baz, you know that,” said Dagana. Was there a hint of desperation hiding in her voice?
Baz merely shifted his head from left to right, slow enough to milk her fear. He wanted to drain her emotionally, leave her wasted and forlorn. She deserved it. She left him that way, after all.
“Don’t you see?” said Dagana. She looked over her shoulder to Yrictus and Demonicus. “They are nothing compared to us. Nothing compared to—”
“Compared to me,” said Baz. His booming voice came as a shock even to him. “You are all nothing compared to what I have become. You want to join with me again to dominate the In Between?”
Dagana nodded eagerly. She cowered in his shadow like a peasant before king.
Austin watched, wanting to address Baz. He didn’t want any of this. His body wasn’t Baz’s body. And what would become of Audrey?
Where was Audrey?
There was no time to consider Audrey’s whereabouts, not that Austin could have done so. He had to hope that she was tucked into the foliage enough not to be seen. He also had to hope that there wasn’t anything out there that would harm her—another surprise like Baz.
More words were exchanged between Baz and Dagana, But Austin had shifted his mind away from Baz’s for the sake of trying to regain power.
But he couldn’t. No matter how he struggled and strived, it was as if he was in a coma and someone else was in control of his body.
“Do you know where this pit leads?” asked Baz. “Do you?”
Dagana shook her head from left to right, and then she spoke up a bit more than before. Perhaps the shock had begun to wear off, or maybe she realized that the end was near and cowering would do nothing but prolong that process.
“Of course I don’t. I haven’t seen as much as you have. Tell me. What did you see?”
“You want to know?” Baz stepped closer, further shrouding Dagana in his massive shadow. “Do you really want to know? Do you? Because I can show you.” Baz leaned in, breathing heavily through his nose. “I will show you.”
He then palmed Dagana’s face and squeezed until she screamed. Though there was no way she could overcome the massive dominance of Baz, she attempted to grab him and pull his crushing hand from her face. Her screams were caught in his palm, her teeth gnashing into his flesh. He couldn’t feel her bite, nor did he care. Dagana was going to meet her maker soon enough. She would find out just what the pit was all about.
“You threw me in there, bitch. Mercilessly, you threw me in there, not knowing where it led. Do you want to know?” She continued squirming, but couldn’t break free of his grip.
Chops took flight high into the sky before making a 180 and barreling down toward Baz. Expecting the onslaught, Baz waited for the right moment before striking his free arm out, catching Chops from the air then flinging the oversized maggot into the black pit. Chops may have flown into the pit earlier and made it out alive, but he had momentum then. Now he was ripped and torn from Baz’s grip, rendering him useless to the pull of the tumultuous black waters. Chops screeched as he sunk into the eerie depths, and then all was silent . . . except for Dagana’s muffled cries.
Yrictus and Demonicus remained at bay. They had no reason to defend themselves—not yet at least. Reefer, however, was not quite so reserved. He was fairly new to the In Between, new in his strange form, and perhaps that was why he felt so invigorated as he rushed Baz, who towered at least three feet taller, lunging with his fingers poised to grab and rip him to shreds, but that would never happen. This time Baz thrust Dagana it into Reefer’s rigid coral skin, ripping open the back of her head and crushing her skull. Her brain mashed, splattering chunky gore into the air. The force knocked Reefer to the ground, but not into the pit. He was on his feet just as quick as he had fallen, poised to attack. This time Baz dropped Dagana to the ground before grabbing her legs and swinging her body into Reefer’s, knoc
king him into the black pit.
“You still want to see what’s in the pit?” asked Baz as he dropped Dagana’s corpse to the ground. Her brain was pulped, but she still had life in her.
Gritting her teeth, breathing heavily, she pushed her torso up but was unable to muster the strength to stand. Using her elbows, she braced herself. She couldn’t find her voice. Her jaw was crooked, the back of her head opened up like a shotgun wound. Finally, she tried to speak, after spitting out several teeth, but all she could get out were a series of grunts and unintelligible words.
“It’s everything we ran from,” said Baz. “Everything we chose to be sentinels to escape . . . but worse. It’s a torture a thousand In Betweens couldn’t fathom. It’s a wall of tortured souls waiting to inflict the horrors of their worst nightmares, time and time again. It never ends. Never. What we have here is something of a kingdom, but it’s not for you alone. They know, the souls of the black pit. They knew, and that’s why the waters are so disturbed.”
Dagana shook her head from side to side, mumbling something that was most likely a plea for her miserable life. The grin that was formerly displayed on Baz’s face was replaced with a look of scorn, anger, fury!
“I made a deal with them. They reduced me to a little piece of nothing. In fact, there’s a piece of me in that pit, and piece that will never come out. A piece that is waiting for you. I made a deal for a mere vestige of my life, and now I must deliver. The black pit is a doorway to the worst part of Hell. You have disobeyed the order of things, and so you have been selected to an eternity of shame and torture.”
The black, tar-like waters began to swirl into a maelstrom, anticipating the offering of Dagana. A low growling rumble could be heard within the popping of gray bubbles that floated into the air. In those growling bubbles, Dagana’s name could be heard in multiplicity, over and over, each and every rotten soul calling for Baz’s offering.
Baz had been staring into Dagana’s pitiful eyes. He now turned to Yrictus and Demonicus. The look he gave them was one that they had difficulty reading. The anger in which he regarded Dagana with was absent. He looked to them with hope, or what stood for hope in the In Between. It was an evil kind of hope, but hope nonetheless.
