Cry For Tomorrow

by Dianna Hunter

  “Come on, let’s try slipping along the side of this building,” whispered Jake. “With a little bit of luck we can slide out of here and make it into the tombs without being noticed.”

  Keeping one hand on the dog’s collar, I rose to a crouch and took a step to follow him. Dusty suddenly stiffened and jerked back against the grip on her collar. “What’s up girl?” I whispered as I tried to see what had frightened her. Her bright eyes were locked on something in the dark street beyond the gathering of freaks.

  “Jake! Wait, something’s wrong!” I hauled back on his shirt-tail to stop him.

  “What—” Jake dropped back under the cover of a heap of old furniture where he could survey the area for the danger without being seen. Surviving in the streets meant paying attention to every possibility—even a warning from a stray dog.

  “Over there,” I whispered and nudged him with my elbow, pointing at a swelling and shifting in the dark distance of the street.

  We both strained to focus our eyes and ears, but before we were able to separate and identify the images moving toward us, the park and intersection were flooded with the harsh glare of a dozen spotlights, all aimed at the gathering. The night air was shattered by the harsh rumble and hiss of what could only be chopper engines.

  The raw roar of the unfiltered engines spooked the phantoms still fluttering between the freaks and sent the humans scrambling for shelter. Unfortunately, only a few were able to reach the sanctuary of the dark buildings behind them before they were cut-off by the giant metal beasts erupting from the shadows all around them.

  “Damn! The bikers must have been there all along, just waiting for their buddies to arrive,” swore Jake as we watched the hover-cycles screaming through the streets, circling the park.

  To my surprise the freaks trapped out in the open did not panic or scatter and run off, shrieking in terror. They gathered together, back-to-back, so that at all times there was someone facing the antagonists and the remaining children were protected at the center.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here,” hissed Jake as he started moving in the direction of the sheltering shadows of the alleyway.

  I nodded my head in reluctant agreement and was getting to my feet when I was driven to the ground, gasping in pain. Jake hit the pavement only seconds after me, his head clasped in his hands, moaning in pain.

  “Awww! Damn! Halie, close your mind,” Jake gasped as he dragged me under cover.

  I was aware of Jake’s hands on me and I could hear his voice, I even knew what I needed to do, but for the moment all I could manage was huddling in the shadows with my arms wrapped around my head to keep it from exploding. It took almost more will power than I thought I had, but I finally forced my lungs to take several shuddering breaths and I shut my mind against the crushing pain. On some level, I was aware that this attack had not been aimed at us. It was the backlash of a blast of psi energy being directed at the bikers by the freaks. They had obviously resorted to using their most effective weapon in hopes of driving away the threat.

  “I-I’m okay now,” I moaned. With my mental barriers in place I was able to block out most of the waves of telepathic energy emanating from the cluster of freaks trapped in the open. I slid closer to Jake so I could watch the confrontation between the bikers and freaks.

  I was pleased to see that there was considerable confusion in the ranks of the bikers now. Some had lost control of their bikes and had tumbled to the ground, causing others to crash when they hit them. Others were walking or weaving their cycles erratically between those who had fallen, not sure what they should do next.

  Warned by the whining of the dog crouched at my side, I slapped my hands to my ears, struggling to shut out an irritating high-frequency buzzing that was tearing at the barriers in my mind. “Damn! What is that sound? It’s got to be coming from some kind of electronic device.”

  Fighting the waves of pain, I tried to focus my attention on the disoriented group of bikers, looking for the source until my attention was drawn by the deep rumble of a man’s voice rising above the sound of the engines, calling orders to the bikers. His arrival, and the steady rise in the frequency of the electronic emission, seemed to give the bikers the encouragement they needed.

  As they regained control of their cycles, the bikers began to circle the cluster of freaks, chanting threats and obscenities to the blank-eyed men and women trapped between them. When one of their own would succumb to the telepathic attack, rolling his eyes up into his head and fall over, jerking spasmodically, they would just go around him, tightening their circle.

  “Hey, where’d all the ghosts go?” I whispered in surprise. The phantoms were the epitome of curiosity and seemed fascinated by any gathering of the humans. It was not characteristic for them to leave.

  “Into hiding, I’m afraid, and if I’m right, that buzzing we’re hearing at the back of our minds means that someone out there is using an electronic mind-warp to disrupt the freaks’ defense. Even the ghosts don’t like it,” Jake whispered back. “I don’t like the looks of this. I’m afraid this isn’t just a raid.” He grabbed my hand and tugged at it, trying to get me to follow him. “Halie! Come on, we really need to get out of here, ‘cause things are about to get really nasty.”

  I managed to nod my head, and I really did try to follow him, but I couldn’t seem to make my feet move—and then it was too late to run without being spotted.

  “Oh damn, I was afraid of something like this. Get down!” Jake jerked me and the snarling dog down behind the barrier of trash cans.

  “They’ve brought in a Reaper!” Jake gasped.

  I didn’t need Jake’s warning, I could feel the hair on my arms and at the back of my neck prickling and the throbbing pain at my temple that told me what was riding the hover-cycle bearing down on us long before my eyes could confirm it. With every fiber of my being, I wanted to run away, but I could only stare, mesmerized, at the big, black cycle swooping into the light of the bonfire.

  The hover-cycle spun to a stop that left the rider’s back turned to us, but it was easy to see that he was huge. Dropping his feet to the ground on either side of the cycle, the rider turned so that the firelight reflected against the black leather clothing he wore, but the dull, platinum-grey of his helmet and matte-black visor shrouding his face seemed to swallow the light.

  “He must be seven feet and weigh-in at an easy four hundred pounds,” Jake whispered faintly, “and I’ve never seen anything like that sword strapped across his back.”

  Still straddling the rumbling machine, the giant reached up with both hands and jerked the helmet off his head. Shaking back the mane of thick, raven-black hair that had tumbled from the helmet in ebony waves, he slowly turned his head and surveyed the cluster of freaks trapped within the circle of bikes.

  The biker to the giant’s right leaned over and spoke to him in a hushed voice. When the biker stopped speaking, the giant removed his dark glasses and turned his head so that his face was exposed to the light of the bonfire, revealing a visage more horrible than the worst nightmare I’d ever had. Dominated by large, bulbous eyes with bright red irises outlined in bruises of purple and green, his face was heavy-boned with a square jaw, hollow cheeks and a complexion as ashen as a corpse.

  “We really need to get out of here,” Jake whispered in a quivering voice, “that thing’s not even human!” He dropped back into the shadows and tried to draw me with him, but I couldn’t move.

  Some part of my mind was shrieking at me for having been foolish enough to look into the black depths of the giant’s bloody eyes. I wanted so very much to break that horrible contact.

  “Halie!” Jake jerked insistently on my arm until I finally blinked and focused my eyes on him. “Are you okay?” he demanded anxiously.

  “Y-yeah, I guess.” I nodded uncertainly, but I couldn’t seem to stop shaking. I’d never been this close to one of the dreaded assassins before.

  Almost as if he’d heard my thoughts, the reaper’s h
ead swung in our direction and his evil gaze focused on our alleyway. Still shaking from my first eye contact with the ghoul and terrified that we’d been seen, I gave in to my fear. Jerking my arm from Jake’s grip, I stumbled to my feet and tried to run— and tripped on the dog suddenly pressing against my knees. Unable to catch my balance, I fell to the ground, frantically trying to free myself from the tangle of feet and furry animal. I’d nearly escaped when Jake’s surprisingly strong arms tightened around me.

  “Easy Halie, he didn’t see us. We’re okay.” His whisper was urgent and breathless as he struggled to keep me from running. When I finally stopped fighting his greater strength, Jake dared to loosen his grip, but he kept his arms around me, holding me down and out of sight.

  “Th-thanks,” I stuttered when I’d regained enough control to keep my voice from shaking. Tightening my arms around the dog, I leaned against her and whispered, “You too, Dusty,” into the soft fur. The dog panted in acknowledgement and we both returned our attention to the drama being enacted before us.

  It was obvious that the aura of doom projected by the reaper had penetrated the detached minds of even the most distant of the mind-warped, for there were murmurs and soft cries of despair when the giant dismounted and walked toward the circle. Even from where I was watching, I could see the tell-tale shaking of hands and knees, the frightened blinking of eyes that were focused upon the thing approaching them—and the deadly sword clasped loosely in his hands.

  When the reaper came to a stop at the outer fringe of the cycles, a biker, not as big or imposing but nearly as savage to look upon with his scraggly orange hair, black sun-shades and death’s head face, strode forward to stand at the reaper’s right-hand side.

  “You freaks have been warned! This block is now, officially, part of the Red Demon’s domain, and we don’t want to see your skanky hides around here no more!” He kicked the nearest man in the gut with his heavy black boot, making him double over, gasping in pain.

  As if that were the signal they’d been waiting for, the bikers charged the cluster of freaks, riding their bikes into their midst, swinging billie-clubs against heads and kicking boots into faces.

  My fingers were white where I was gripping the side of the trash bin we were hiding behind, and my whole body was shaking with rage and helplessness. This was more than my mind could comprehend. It was not possible for anyone even vaguely human to behave so brutally toward another creature. Even as my stricken mind reminded me that the reaper did not seem truly human, I realized that he had not made a move yet. My stomach heaved in rebellion, but I forced my eyes back to the giant where he stood, perfectly still, like a hawk waiting to strike—and he moved.

  Like the dark hand of death, he struck without warning, and six men and women lay convulsing on the ground, blood and guts oozing from their torn bodies.

  The pure brutality of the reaper’s attack sent the freaks scrambling in every direction, trying to escape into the night. Those whose mental ability allowed them to think beyond their own need tried to reach the children, who were too frightened or young or damaged to scramble to safety.

  As if fueled by their fear and pain, the reaper showed no pity as he strode on into the churning mass of humanity, the bloody sword he wielded swinging to and fro, slashing through throats or unprotected bodies. Relentlessly, he pursued these damaged young people and with the swift stroke of his blade took their heads and their lives, laughing evilly with each that he took.

  Helpless to stop the slaughter and afraid of drawing attention to ourselves, Jake and I could only huddle together, staring in horrified silence. A lone woman with three small children clinging to her skirts suddenly surged way from the confusion and toward the shadows of the alleyway that we were hiding in. As she drew closer we saw an awareness and consciousness unusual for a freak in the woman’s eyes as she desperately tried to drag the children to safety.

  Jake and I hurriedly pushed the trash cans aside to make way for the woman. It seemed that her frantically churning legs were moving in slow motion and the distance seemed to grow with each labored step. She was finally drawing close, only a few yards more, when the agonized scream of a dying man echoed off the wall of the building we were hiding beside, filling the alley with his pain.

  The reaper’s head snapped about and this time his attention was focused on the dark mouth of our refuge. I could see the flames of hell shimmering in his eyes when they locked onto the woman and children scurrying away from him. Swinging the sword in a menacing figure-eight he took a stride after her, but a man garbed in rags of bright red and yellow leapt to block the reaper’s path. A single sweep of the great, serrated blade left the man’s torn body twitching on the ground.

  The woman stopped in mid-stride, a look of total devastation washing over her face, unable to move on, failing to take advantage of the distraction his sacrifice was meant to gain her. Helpless, the terrified children could only cling to her skirts, trembling as the reaper stepped over the man’s bleeding body and strode purposefully toward them. His intent was plain in the harsh lines of his face.

  “No! You must not do this terrible thing!” sobbed the woman as she bravely raised her head and faced the monster bearing down on her.

  He was there, looming over her, faster than the eye could track or the mind could believe. The ghoul paused and his bloodless lips drew back in a mirthless grin of pure evil as if he was savoring these moments of his victim’s terror. Something that might have been laughter, cold and harsh, made all that heard it cringe as the reaper slowly drew his sword arm back to strike.

  “Oh Gods! No!” I couldn’t let him do this. Twisting away from the hand gripping my arm, I lurched to my feet and took a step toward the reaper. “Stop!”

  “Oh, damn! Now you did it!” hissed Jake as he too, came to his feet, ready to make a run for it before the reaper or his minions could react.

  Startled by our sudden appearance, the reaper paused. It took only a moment for him to decide that we were of no consequence and turn back to his task, but in that moment two of the male freaks swooped in, grabbed the children and woman, and were making a hasty retreat in the opposite direction.

  The reaper’s roar of fury brought three of the bikers rushing to his side.

  “Kill them!” he growled, and pointed with one gloved hand.

  Without question, the trio of bikers leaped to obey, striding on silent feet toward the alley.

  “Run for it!” Jake was already dancing away from me to give the bikers a more difficult target.

  I didn’t need to be warned twice. Shrugging my backpack to my shoulders, I tightened my grip on the thick piece of wood I was holding. I could feel the dog tight against my side and heard her soft snarl as we began backing away into the shadows of the alley.

  The first biker to reach the alley set eyes on Jake and moved after him, slapping the billy-club he was carrying against the side of his leg. “What are you doing out here, boy,” he growled. “You getting your jollies watchin’ the freakies, now are you?”

  Jake dodged nimbly out of reach and darted onto the debris-mined sidewalk. The big, over-weight biker immediately gave chase. I saw the second biker pause a moment, as if deciding which of us would cause the most trouble before following the first biker, but he only made it as far as the corner of the first building before a large, red and black blur of a man smashed into him. The two men hit the ground and disappeared into the deep shadows and piles of debris.

  The dog’s growl of warning brought my attention back to the third biker, who was slowly stalking towards me. I felt the icy fingers of fear crawl across my skin as I tried to decide what to do. There was no way I could outrun him, even in the alley with all its obstacles. My hands twitched and my nails dug into the soft wood of the stick I still gripped. I fought for control of the pain that was throbbing against my skull as I gathered the energy I would need to stop this man.

  “Hey there, little girl, guess what I’ve got for you,” the biker leered as
he tried to corner me against the pile of old furniture. “Maybe you and me, we’ll have us a nice little party before we eat your damn little doggie for dinner!” he growled as he dodged out of reach of Dusty’s snapping teeth.

  That small moment of distraction was all I needed. I swung my stick as hard as I could and was rewarded with the resounding crack of wood against bone as it connected with his shins before I darted deeper into the alley. I didn’t dare look back until I was safe behind the rusted hulk of an old car.

  “Yeah, and maybe my cute little dog will just bite that nasty thing off for you!” I jeered.

  Cussing and limping on his injured leg, the biker lunged around the side of the car, reaching for me again, but I swung my stick, managing to smack him across the shoulder this time before ducking behind some more trash. Dusty sank her teeth into his hand before running after me.

  “Son-of-a-bitch! You are soo going to pay for this!” Totally enraged, he leapt over the top of the rusted-out freezer that lay between us and grabbed my arm.

  Frightened, I released the full charge of electrical energy that I’d been gathering.

  The biker screamed and convulsed as sparks jumped from his hair, hands and even the bottoms of his boots. His whole body was alive with sparks of light before I was able to shake him off me.

  “Damn, girl, you didn’t have to fry the poor bastard to take him out.” Jake laughed as he carefully took my arm. He tried to lead me away, but I twisted in his grip and kicked the twitching body in the rib-cage again.

  “Yeah, poor bastard my ass! He really scared me, you know.” Still shaking in reaction, I bent down to stroke the dog clinging to my side. I hadn’t meant to expel so much energy, I might need it again before the night was over. With a final shiver of reaction, I allowed Jake to lead me away and into the cover of another abandoned auto.

  The harsh hoots of the bikers calling for their missing companions sent us ducking deeper into the shadows. The voices grew closer, and footsteps echoed from the end of our alleyway but stopped short of exploration, and when there was still no answer, the pack moved off without their missing comrades.