by Rashaad Bell
A person stepped from the stairwell into the hallway, gun in hand.
“Ethan.” I hissed.
“Bullseye.” He declared.
Girard appeared beside me, her speed was just as fast as a Vampire. I went for Ethan, but he jumped, crashing out the window next to stairwell. We were three floors up. Ethan Blackwood landed on the roof of a car in the parking lot, crushing the windshield. He looked up at me and then saluted before sprinting off.
“Madison!”
I know that voice. I spun around and saw them. Graul. Amastacia. The Marauders had found us.
“Who are they?” Girard asked.
“Get Aiden to the car.” I demanded. “I’ll take care of this.”
Staci went to grab Aiden but he wouldn’t move. He was in a state of shock. He just sat there cradling Abigail’s lifeless body.
“Come on.” Girard pleaded. “We have to go.”
“We can’t leave her.” Aiden cried. “I can’t. I won’t.”
“Then take them both.” I began walking towards the Marauders, the Blade of Osiris flaring to life in my grasp. “Just get them the hell out of here.”
“The Blade of Osiris.” Amastacia stated. She took a step back then pressed the device in her in her ear. “Bodyslide by one.”
Incoming teleportation frequency detected…
Amastacia faded into nothingness.
“Your buddy there skipped out.” I announced. “Looks like your all alone now.”
He didn’t even flinch. “She was just the distraction.”
A woman landed on my back, her claws raking at throat. “Hello pretty.”
I went to reach for her but she pushed off my shoulders, landing on the lockers, yet she didn’t slide off. Her fingers dug into the metal, as did her feet as she scuttled along the row of lockers. From there she jumped to the ceiling, crawling across that, moving above my head, dropping down next to Graul.
“Nice one, Komchot.” Congratulated Graul.
I’ve never set eyes on this woman before. She was an Asian, though the specifics behind her exact linage, I was uncertain. She sported a cerulean, avant-garde, cybernetic glove and boot interface on each hand and foot, some form of interconnected, monofilament lattice, interlaced together with synthetically reinforced, electromechanical hard-light, that was straight-razor sharp at the tips. She was attractive; I’ll give her that, the Translucent Man evidently harvesting his Marauders based on calculated warfare proficiency as well as alluring bodily characteristics. Her hair cropped short, just above the shoulders and as she surveyed at me, she licked the tips of her hard-light sheathed fingers, savoring my lifeblood that was spilt upon them.
Normally a wound like that would have torn my throat out, but it barely even left a scratch. I dived towards Komchot, but she vanished just as Amastacia did. Graul fired his weapon and it seemed as if I was able to track it, bringing up the Blade of Osiris up to deflect the bullet. Out of instinct, I kicked behind me and struck Amastacia in the chest as she teleported in behind me.
Her body flew down the length of the hallway then vanished just before she hit the back wall.
“Ambrosia.” Graul exclaimed. “The World Mind injected you with it.” Amastacia and Komchot blinked into reality next to him.
I pointed the Blade of Osiris at them. “How do you know that?”
“You think you were the first person to ever wield that weapon before?” He said.
Attempting to isolate teleportation frequency…
Graul disappeared along with Amastacia. Komchot rushed me, ducking beneath the Blade as I swung, hitting me twice in the chest, then attempting a spin kick meant for my head. I brought my arm up and blocked it, then swung the Blade of Osiris towards her, but she vanished just as I drove it through her chest.
Amastacia appeared at my side, punching me in the face. I swung a haymaker, but then she vanished, Graul appearing on the opposite side of my punch, grabbing my arm and twisting, using my own momentum against me, knocking me to the ground.
Teleportation frequency identified.
Komchot landed on my back, swiping at the back of my head with her hard-light claws. I pushed up off the floor and fell backwards against the lockers, yet she disappeared just as I crashed into them, teleporting in front of me, firing a shotgun directly into my chest. The force of the blast pushed me inside of the locker. She disappeared and Amastacia teleported in, grabbing me by my hair, pulling me out the locker, flinging me across the hallway. Graul popped into reality, close lining me across the throat, knocking me to the ground before he vanished.
I struggled to rise my knees. Komchot teleported beside me, kicking me in the stomach, her hard-light talon feet, digging deep into my stomach, sending me summersaulting into the air. Graul appeared on top of me, the combined weight of us together dropping me straight down into the floor; face first, his knee in my back.
Obstructing teleportation frequency…
“Something’s wrong.” Komchot declared.
“Hey!”
Graul turned just as Girard punched him. He staggered back and she hit him again, knocking him through the lockers and into the classroom behind it. I pulled myself up and fired the Gunblade, Komchot diving up, gripping the ceiling to avoid the blast. I fired again and she launched herself onto the lockers, then to the ground, then to the lockers on the other side of the hallway, then out a window into the courtyard.
Staci looked around. “I thought I heard three of them?”
“I shut down their teleportation device.” I stated. “The other one hadn’t teleported back when it happened.”
Girard gave me a hand to my feet. “I thought I told you to leave.” I said.
She was walking through the hole in the wall that Graul's body created, stepping into the classroom. “And let you have all the fun? Bitch please.” She hoisted Graul’s unconscious body in the air. “What do you want to do with this?”
“Bring him with us.” I said.
Staci dragged his body across the floor behind her as we made our way towards the stairwell. She glanced down at the steps, then looked out the window. She hoisted Graul’s body up and chucked him out the window. “It’s quicker this way.” She explained. She hopped out the window after him. I followed her. We dragged Graul's body to my dad’s car and unlocked the trunk, tossing him inside. Aiden was in the backseat with Abigail, rocking her body back and forth, whispering in her ear as he cried nonstop.
I decided to drive.
“Who were those people?” Girard asked.
“The Marauders.” I answered.
“They work for the Translucent Man.” Staci said.
“Who is a Celestial.” I corrected.
“The Translucent Man is a Celestial?” Asked Girard. “Damn…”
“How can you two talk about that?” Aiden cried. “Abigail is dead and you two are acting like nothing happened. It’s business as usual for you two, you’re having a conversation like she wasn’t shot in the head by your fucking boyfriend.”
“I’m sorry Aiden.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“Go to hell Madison!” Aiden was screaming, his face red. “This is all your fault. Everything that’s happened, it’s all your fault!”
Deep in my heart, I knew he was right.
I pulled up in the driveway, myself and Girard hoping out immediately. It was a struggle to get Aiden and Abigail into the house, he fought us all the whole way. When we opened the door, Dakota and Frankie jumped up. Girard gently placed Abigail’s body on the couch.
“What happened?” Frankie ran over and checked Abigail’s pulse.
“Ethan.” Aided cried. “Madison’s boyfriend shot her.”
“Is she…” Dakota’s voice trailed off.
Frankie stood up shaking his head. “She’s gone.”
Aiden dropped to his knees next to the couch, cradling Abigail’s head in his arms. She looked so still.
“Come back to me.” Aiden was rocking back and forth. “Comeback
comebackcomeback….”
Abigail’s hand twitched, then she sat up quickly. Everyone jumped, Aiden stumbling over the coffee table and falling backward. Abigail began to cough uncontrollably and wasn’t able to stop. All at once, a bullet fell out of her mouth and landed on her lap.
She turned to look at us.
“Fuck me.” Girard whispered.
“Is she alive?” Frankie asked.
“I think so.” I said.
“How is…” Frankie rubbed his temples. “…how is she alive?”
“Abigail?” Aiden moved closer to her. “Abigail, is that you?”
“Is she a zombie?” Dakota asked. “Isn’t this how zombies are made?”
“She’s not a zombie.” I replied. “At least I think she’s not a zombie.”
“I thought…” Frankie stumbled and then caught himself. “I...thought she had a…”
“Abigail?” Aiden went to reach for her, but she pulled away, frightened.
Girard looked at Frankie. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah…I just…” Frankie closed his eyes then opened them. “I…fine, I…”
“You don’t look all that good.” She continued.
“Yeah…I don’t…I don’t feel…so hot.” Frankie collapsed to the ground.
Girard ran over to him, checking his pulse. “He’s not breathing.” She started to do CPR.
I watched her in horror, watched her do the chest compressions, watched as she breathed in his mouth. All I could do was watch. Even with all my power, there was nothing else I could do. Nothing but watch another family member die. Yet the worst part of it was, I’d seen this happen before.
I grabbed Aiden up by his shirt, hoisting him up in the air. “You did this.” I was yelling. I could feel people trying to pull him free but they couldn’t.
“I…” Aiden was mumbling, trying to search for words. “It wasn’t…I mean I didn’t…”
“You did this to Terry!” I screamed. “The night of the car crash. Whatever the hell it is you just did to Abigail, you did it to me and then Terry died.”
“Abigail…” He said. “I just…she was dead Madison, I just…”
“And now Frankie is dead.” I hissed. “Is that how it works? A life for a life?”
He didn’t say anything.
I grabbed him by the throat. “Tell me!”
“Madison stop!” Dakota yelled.
“Tell me or so help me God…” I screamed.
“Yeah.” He said. “That’s…that’s how it works.” He burst into to tears. “She was dead. I couldn’t…I just couldn’t…”
“Did you know this was going to happen?” I demanded.
Abigail turned to look at him.
“Abigail…” He whispered. “You’re okay…you’re okay now.”
“Don’t look at her.” I yelled. “Look at me. Did you know which one of us was gonna die?”
“No.” He finally admitted. “It doesn’t work like that, I don’t know who it’s going to be, I just know that there has to be a tradeoff, a balance of the scales. Someone comes back, someone goes.”
I dropped him to the ground and stormed out the house. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he had the power to bring her back to life and he knew it would cost someone his or her life in the process. The night we had the accident, did he know it then? They said I was dead for fifteen minutes and somehow I came back to life. Now I realize that Terry died in my place. Did Aiden know what he was doing then? If it was me, would I have acted any different?
I headed towards the trunk of the car. Graul was unconscious inside and he could have information that…
~BLAM~
~BLAM~
~BLAM~
I jumped back. Three gunshots from the inside of the trunk. I wiped a streak of blood from my forehead where one of the bullets grazed me. He almost shot me in the head. Girard appeared next to me. She was getting better with her movements, faster. I wonder what other things she can do now?”
“I heard gunfire.” She said.
I stepped back from the trunk. “He has a gun.”
“How?” Girard backed away as well. “There wasn’t one on him when I put him in there, I checked.”
“Damn it.” I said. “There’s a gun in the trunk.”
“Do I even want to ask?”
“It’s from when I first met Connor. Someone tried to kidnap me. They had a gun and Connor took it from him. We put it in the trunk. I was supposed to take it out but…”
Staci turned towards the car. “Look. You want out the trunk and we want you out of the trunk.” She was taking slow steps towards the back of the car. “So let’s work together, okay? Nobody has to get hurt. We can…”
~BLAM~
~BLAM~
Girard jumped back. “He almost shot me.” She said to herself. “Oh, we don’t have time for this shit.”
“What are you gonna…” But she was already gone.
She reappeared next to the trunk with the gas can for the lawnmower. She was pouring gasoline through the bullet holes in the trunk. When the can emptied, she backed away again.
“You smell that?” She asked. “That’s gasoline. I really don’t think that discharging a weapon within a small, confined space filled with gasoline is a good idea, do you? Something might spark. Something might go boom. So here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m going to open the trunk and you’re going to toss the gun out and if you don’t, I’m going to light a book of matches and drop them down one of those bullet holes and…well you can figure out the rest yourself.”
Nothing but silence.
“Go ahead Madison, open the trunk.” Urged Girard.
“Why do I have to do it?” I asked. “It’s your plan.”
“Well I’m not the one with that nifty little Power Ranger attachment stuck to her arm.” She pointed to my volcanic hand. “Plus, it’s like you said, it’s my plan, which means I need to supervise, supervising being the most important.”
Slowly, I walked over to the trunk and unlocked it. It rose up a bit and the gun dropped to the driveway. Soon after that, Graul climbed out, saturated in gasoline. Girard came over and punched him once in the side of the head and he collapsed, unconscious.
“Asshole.” She exclaimed.
We dragged his body into the house, moving the sofas out of the way and sitting him on a chair in the heart of the living room. Aiden had taken Abigail up to his room and hadn’t come back. Staci moved Frankie’s body to the kitchen, while Dakota ransacked the garage and brought all the metal bicycle locks and chains she could find. It wasn’t long before we had him tied up pretty good. Dakota sat down on one of the couches, her book bag in her lap intent to watch whatever happened next. We splashed water into Graul’s face to get him to come around.
“Well look who’s all grown up.” He said, looking at the both of us. “Got your big girl panties on and everything.”
“Where did Osiris take Connor?” I asked.
“Has it started yet?” Graul inquired.
“Where is Connor?” I demanded.
He just laughed. “Guess not then.”
“What are you talking about?” Girard asked.
“You’ll see.” He replied.
“Why are you creating Post Humans?” I questioned. “What does Osiris want with them?”
“Have you seen it suck in a soul yet?” He asked.
I didn’t say anything.
“I wonder what that does to it?” Graul tried to move and found out he strapped in tight. “I wonder what that’s going to do to you?”
“He’s going to need some motivation to talk.” Staci declared.
“Well he’s talking an awful lot, just not about the right things.” I stated.
“Waterboard him.” Dakota said suddenly.
“Out of the mouths of babes.” He laughed.
Staci thought about it for a moment. “I’ve never waterboarded anybody before.”
“Me neither.” I said. “I’ve heard abo
ut it, but I don’t really know how it’s done.”
Dakota raised her hand. “I’ll do it.” She said. “I know how to do it.” She ran off into the kitchen and started filling up a bucket with water. Girard looked at me skeptically. I just shrugged my shoulders. Abigail and Aiden came downstairs, making their way over to us.
“How’s she doing?” I asked.
Abigail sat down on the couch across from Graul, staring at him.
“She still hasn’t spoken yet.” Aiden said. “But it might take a while. Being resurrected has to be…jarring right?”
“Tell me about it.” Girard said. “Try having your heart ripped out of your chest while you watch.”
Abigail very calmly reached into Dakota’s bag, pulled out the gun that was inside and shot Graul twice in the chest. “That’s for cousin Frankie.” She whispered, her voice cracked and hoarse.
We all were dumbstruck.
Dakota ran back in the living room then stopped. “Oh. He’s dead already?”
Girard’s head perked up. I could tell she was hearing something that I couldn’t. She made a beeline towards the window, looking out down the street. “That’s the least of our worries.”
I made my way to the window and what I saw, even I couldn’t imagine a creature such as what I beheld. It was composed of all rock, as if someone had taken an inhospitable mountain and cast it down into humanoid form. Its hide was the hue of obscure black and white stonework and it stood at seven feet and weighed at least a metric ton easily. Its eyes were soulless dark orbs, yet behind it, one could feel a wicked intelligence burning. In one of its colossal hands was a shining battle-axe that rested on its shoulder as it sauntered towards us. The closer it came, the more the earth began to shake with every footfall.
“What in the hell is that?” I whispered to myself.
“That is a Golem.” Girard said.
“Like Lord of the Rings?” I asked.
Staci turned to me slowly. “No. Not like Lord of the Rings.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What’s it doing?”
The Golem grasped the back of a Lincoln Navigator, its fingers digging into the metal as if it was nothing. It hoisted the rear of the Navigator off the ground, pulling the SUV from its parking spot against the curb, jerking it out into the street in front of him. With both hands, it gripped the battle-axe above its head and then swung it towards the Navigator.
