“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Aerin nodded. “If something’s up, they would know.”
“Right then, Shadowcrest it is.”
John pushed the pedal to the floor. With no other cars on the highway for as far as the eye could see, he pushed the Charger to its limits. The engine roared loudly as it gave every horse it could muster. John guided the car up the mountainside with ease, completing the last leg of the journey in half the time it would normally take. Towards the end, the road had gradually gotten smaller, shrinking down to a small two lane road that wound around the steep cliff sides of the mountain pass slowly. It twisted and curved as it climbed up and over the large rocky formations, bringing the Charger ever so closer to its destination.
The winding road forced John to ease back on the accelerator. He had to break around corners before hitting the gas, only to do it all over again. What had just felt like a quick ride up the mountain now felt like it was taking forever. Aerin was content to sit quietly beside John as he drove, watching the rocks go by outside her window, at first; but as their slow methodical climb continued on she began to show signs of impatience. She tapped her nails slowly against the trim on the door, glanced back and forth from the road to the clock on the console, and let out silent yet somehow exasperated sighs. After a while, she could take it no longer.
“Are we there yet?” She asked, trying her best not to come off as too annoying.
Though her impatience, a mixture of unease and agitation, was plain to see, John didn’t mind. In fact, he welcomed the conversation as he had been slowly growing restless himself.
“Almost.” He assured her.
In the distance he spied a familiar mountain peak, one that stood high above the town of Shadowcrest. As the Charger began its final ascent up the last steep straightaway, John pushed the gas pedal down as far as it would go. The Charger roared at his command and sped quickly up the road.
“Shadowcrest should be just on the other side of this ridge.” John explained, to which Aerin seemed to respond to with relief. “Once we get into town we can head up to the monastery.” He began to reiterate their plan in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension that he felt. “We’ll ask the Monks if they’ve-“
The Charger made it to the top of the hill quickly and began to coast down as John took his foot off of the accelerator. In the distance, where Shadowcrest should have been there to greet them, nothing remained. No small buildings full of shops and diners from an era gone by, no rough streets paved half a century ago, no quaint little town at all. Nothing. The only thing waiting at the bottom of the hill was the burned out husk of the town they once knew. Only destruction wrapped in the heat of fire remained. Seeing this, John’s mind snapped back to what he had seen back in Los Angeles. As the Charger rolled down the hill slowly, his heart sank even faster.
“Oh my… God.” The words almost silently left Aerin’s mouth as she stared down at the wreckage before her.
John guided the Charger carefully into town as both he and Aerin took in the sight around them. The place was a complete wreck. Burned out cars littered the streets and sidewalks, their doors still hanging open as if the occupants had scrambled to get out quickly. Power lines lay melted on the ground and the transformers they were once connected to rained sparks down onto whatever had the misfortune to reside below. What few structures still remained were only burning skeletons of what once had been, fully engulfed in flames that released horrible black smoke high into the sky above.
“What the hell happened here…?” John muttered in disbelief.
This was something else, not even Los Angeles had looked this bad. Shadowcrest was unrecognizable. Whatever had happened, it had fundamentally changed the shape of the town around them, warping the streets and tossing the buildings around like paper. John weaved the Charger around the debris as he pressed further. He was finding it hard to get his bearings when Aerin suddenly spoke up.
“Where’s the church?!”
The change in her tone had startled John and caused his heartbeat to increase. He looked around frantically, searching for signs of the old stone building.
“It should be just around…”
He turned the car right at what appeared to be the next intersection. Where the church used to sit was a scene even worse than the rest of the town. A crater filled with molten slag was all that remained of the church John had seen not two months ago. The stained glass that had shown a brilliant array of colors in the evening sun was gone, the steeple that stood high above the rest of the rooftops was shattered, and everything that stood testament of a church having stood here had been destroyed. It was as if a bomb had gone off within the center of the building, before all the debris had been gathered together and melted down into the crater.
“What the… What happened..?” The words barely left John’s lips.
“John!” Aerin snapped out of her daze and nearly shouted as she turned, tears forming in her eyes. “The monastery!”
Aerin’s words filled John’s heart with a sense of urgency and so he wasted no time at all. He stomped down on the gas, spinning the tires with a loud squeal as the Charger spun around. He turned the wheel hard and shifted gears, tearing out of the town. He raced around remains of cars and chunks of debris on his way towards the path up the mountainside ahead. Once they were clear of what remained of Shadowcrest, John gunned it hard, shooting rooster tails of gravel and dirt up behind them as the engine roared loudly, reverberating throughout the forest. Strangely, the woods around town didn’t seem to be affected by the raging fires below. This left John with a sense of hope that there would be answers for them at the top of the mountain. But that wouldn’t be the case.
The scene at the monastery was much like the one down below. The roof had been smashed in, like a great hammer had come down upon it multiple times. All of the beautiful stain glass windows that had run its length were busted, their shards of glass all over the ground outside. The Charger slowed down as they approached, but before that Aerin had already opened her door and ran outside. She made a beeline for the doors to the monastery, but stopped as soon as she reached them. John moved to say something, to tell her to stop, wait, or maybe not to even go at all, but something inside of him made him hold his tongue. He shut off the car and watched as Aerin silently made her way inside.
She stepped carefully over the wooden doors that once sealed the entranceway to the building. They had been torn from their hinges and now lay in pieces on the stone floor. The light of the evening sun shone through the open ceiling. Large chunks of stone had fallen, crushing some of the old wooden pews that had once filled the main hall. Aerin made her way over to the easternmost wall and ran her hands along what was left of it. Her hands moved slowly, feeling every bump and imperfection along the wall. She used it to keep herself upright as she took in the whole scene before her. From where John stood, he could see that she was hurting.
He followed Aerin inside without making a sound. He wanted desperately to approach her to see how she was handling this or maybe to help her, but his body wouldn’t move forward. He watched as she slowly made her way towards the stone well that adorned the center of the room. She stopped, unsure if she should proceed before taking a long deep breath. With enough courage she stepped into the fountain. Her brilliant white wings suddenly appeared behind her and she stretched them out toward the evening sky above. She took one last breath and closed her eyes, waiting for the Cypher to appear beneath her. For a moment, she held her breath in anticipation, but nothing happened. Slowly, the realization began to come to her, and it killed her inside.
“They’re…” John could barely hear her voice from where he stood beside the wall. Her body trembled slightly as she turned to face him. “They’re gone.”
Her face was flushed red and her normally glowing yellow eyes were dull from the tears that filled them. She was doing her best to hold it in, but it was only a matter of time. Every inhibition inside of John immediately released at
the sight. He rushed forward as his body cried out for him to move, stepping into the well and taking her into his arms. The act of affection tore down any walls Aerin had built up around herself, causing her to completely break down. She buried her face into John’s chest and began to cry. He held onto her tightly as her body convulsed with each heavy sob. As his shirt began to dampen with her tears, he rubbed Aerin’s back gently in an effort to calm her. The girl that had lost so much had just lost a little more.
However, sometimes things aren’t always as they seem. Aerin’s tears stained both of their shirts, but one eventually found its way loose. It broke free of its cohesion and fell between them, colliding with the barren stone fountain below. A fountain devoid of water for so long had finally tasted another drop; the key had been turned. A blue glow emanated within the fountain, taking both John and Aerin by surprise. Aerin took a deep breath and held back her tears as something began to form. A Cypher appeared below them that ran the length of the fountain just as it had all those weeks ago. They both glanced at each other and took a step back as something rose up from the blue disk. It was a figure of a man wrapped in a cloak and covered with a hood. It was a Monk, and not just any, John recognized him as the one who had appeared to be the leader of the group.
“If you’re seeing this then you’ve finally made it home, both of you.” Aerin’s face lit up at the man’s words, but John could tell something wasn’t right. “Thank you, Slayer.” The man turned to face John. “I knew you would keep her safe. And as much as I hate to admit it, I knew Meredith would come through. You should be a fully realized Slayer now. I’m sure you two will make a wonderful team.” The Monk smiled before looking down towards the floor. He slowly lifted his gaze toward Aerin. “Unfortunately, this also means we’re gone.” The words hit Aerin hard, but she managed to keep her composure with a little help from John. “Our binding runes have been destroyed by something, and so we’ve lost our physical tether to this world.” The Monk took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’ve used the last bit of power to leave you this-“ Something happened. The Monk seemed to flicker in and out. His mouth moved but no sound escaped it. “Something terrible has come… You mustn’t- Call her if you can. Whatever happens please, keep her safe.”
Silence filled the room as the blue glow of the Cypher slowly faded away, leaving the room a dull gray once more. Aerin wiped her eyes on her shirt, which was already stained nearly as bad as John’s. John reached over and ran his hand over the top of her head one more time and Aerin looked up into his eyes. She had him to thank for, were it not for him she would’ve been a crumpled mess on the floor. She smiled weakly up at him, showing a small sign that she would be alright. John hugged her gently and she returned the gesture. Together they took one last look at the Monastery before returning to the Charger. They climbed inside and the engine roared with a newfound purpose. Something was out there. They both knew where they had to go, what they had to do, and neither said anything of it. Station was just on the other side of the mountain.
Chapter Twenty Six
The roar of the engine reverberated throughout the valley like rolling thunder. With the smoldering ruins of Shadowcrest behind them and the uncertain state of Station ahead, John did his best to close the distance as fast as possible. The shortest route between two points was a straight line and the closest thing to that were the train tracks that ran between them. John held his foot to the floor as the Charger raced down the gravel road that ran beside the tracks. It took them through the mountain, across large sweeping plateaus that brought them ever closer to Station.
For a while they drove, the distant mountaintops growing ever closer with each passing minute. Suddenly something came into view far along the road. It was rectangular and metallic, reflecting the evening sun toward John’s eyes. As they drew closer, they saw that it was a train; most likely the same one John and Aerin had ridden on just a few months prior. At first glance, it appeared to be moving toward them and John’s heart skipped a beat, but as they drew closer they saw that it sat perfectly still on the tracks.
John pulled the car up about thirty feet behind the train, a reasonably cautious distance. Something wasn’t right, but that was a given. With thoughts of what he had seen earlier filling his mind, John could only assume the worst. Though, the undamaged state of the train did alleviate some worry; still, he couldn’t completely clear his mind. He looked over to Aerin to examine her expressions; she seemed to be full of concern as well, which did little to lift his unease. There were too many variables floating around in his head, too many unknowns, he had to see for himself.
Slowly he opened his door and stepped out as Aerin did the same. There wasn’t a single sound to be heard. No birds singing, no crickets chirping, not even the wind was blowing; only the sound of their light footsteps crunching the gravel below them. The valley was completely silent, almost as if it had died. John pressed forward and tried for a door on the caboose; but to no avail, the door was locked tight. He moved down the line to the next one, it was locked up tight as well. He tried each and every door as he made his way down the train. Finally, one slid open.
He reached behind and pulled the pistol from his belt before motioning Aerin to stand back. If there was anyone inside, a gun would be far easier to explain away than a magical sword, he thought. The slide pulled back easily, chambering a bullet as John climbed up into the train. It was hot, so the train must’ve been sitting without power for some time. The tinted windows allowed in less sunlight than one would imagine, forcing John’s eyes to squint as he focused on the dim light in the cab. The car was empty, no signs of life anywhere. It appeared to have not been used at all, which wasn’t entirely too surprising. Shadowcrest had been a small town with only a few thousand people at most. The trains never carried many passengers to begin with.
Moving cautiously, John proceeded to the next cab and attempted to peer through the door’s small window. There was something covering it from the other side that kept him from seeing in. He could hear something on the other side though, and so he lowered his gun and pressed his ear to the door. There was something there, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It was a low drone, one that never seemed to end. John pulled his head away from the door and tried the handle, but it was jammed just like the rest. He gave it another tug, but this time the door seemed to budge a little. With one last great heft, he managed to force the door free.
A terrible black mass came swirling out of the room at him with a loud drone. It came upon him so fast that he barely had time to react as he stumbled backward. His first instinct kicked in and he raised the pistol toward the swirling form. The gun rang out as three rounds tore into the creature’s center of mass, which unfortunately had little to no effect. The bullets flew right through the darkness and out the other side, punching three small holes in the roof of the cab. As the monstrosity drew closer it scattered and swirled about, allowing John to see the thing for what it really was - a dense swarm of flies. They buzzed around him harmlessly as they made their way for the exit.
“Shit…” John muttered under his breath as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He holstered the pistol back in its place and collected himself. Aerin would surely come running after hearing the sound of gunfire. John shook his head as a thought crept in, at least no one from Gemini had been around to see his poor display of trigger discipline, but that was the least of his worries. As his eyesight focused once more on the cab that lay ahead, he was greeted with a truly terrible sight.
“John!” Aerin shouted as she rushed into the room. She was nearly broadsided by him in the darkness as he ran past her. Holding his mouth and not looking back, he made a beeline for the door. “What is it?!” She yelled back toward him, but received no reply.
She stepped around the corner and glanced out of the train to see that John was on his knees dry heaving into the dirt. She turned back towards the cab he had run from and decided to leave him be for a moment. What
ever lay on the other side of the door couldn’t have been too harmful, otherwise John would be inside confronting it, and so she proceeded without charging a spell. The stench of death and decay hit her like a kick in the lungs and she understood why John was in the shape he was. She pulled her collar up over her nose and kept going into the cab. There, she saw the source of the repulsion.
Bodies, dozens of them all neatly sitting in their chairs; men, women, and children alike. Most were bloated from the heat of the cab; some had already burst and were writhing with flies and their young. Whatever the case, each body had one startling thing in common, none had a head. Behind each body dried plumes of blood covered the windows, blotting out the light of the setting sun. It looked like massive pressure had built up inside of each body, only finding release inside the head. Aerin backed out of the room slowly before the sight affected her more than it already had. Something horrible had happened here.
John had recovered by the time Aerin stepped out of the train. He sat atop the hood of the Charger and stared toward the ground. The pistol was firmly held in his hands and he bounced it up and down slightly at regular intervals. He was shaken, and Aerin could sense it. She walked over to the car and sat down beside him before leaning over and gently rubbing his back. She hoped the motion would soothe whatever he was feeling, and to partially help her forget the images she had seen inside.
"What happened here?" He asked without taking his eyes off of the dirt road below him.
"I don’t know." Aerin stared down at the gravel below as she moved her hand in small circles across John’s back. "It’s like… their souls were torn right out of them..."
"We need to get home." John said as he stood.
Slayer: A Demon Hunter's Tale Page 47
