by Tate, Sennah
They slid to the southeast corner of the map.
“There,” she pointed.
“Okay, so we have Isabel’s vote, all in favor?”
The area was completely devoid of red dots; in fact, it was almost not even on the map. It was nowhere near the warehouse.
No one said anything.
After an awkward moment of silence, Carson cleared his throat.
“Um, right. Well, I think we’re better focusing our energies where there’s the most activity,” he said.
“I agree,” Aaron said without pause.
Izzy’s hazel eyes burned with her annoyance.
“I’m telling you, you’re picking the wrong place,” Izzy said.
“What makes you so certain?” asked Gemma, trying to keep tempers from boiling over.
She threw her hands up into the air and groaned.
“I don’t know! Okay? I have no freaking clue why I’m so sure of it, but I am!”
Gemma frowned, torn between her loyalties.
“I think we should listen to Isabel,” a small voice squeaked from the end of the table.
“You do?” Dez asked Alina.
“I do. I trust Isabel. She was there for me when I was forgotten.”
Izzy gave the redhead a sad smile and a nod of thanks.
“Really? We’re doing this again? Making our plans on “feelings” and “trust” instead of facts and data?” raved Aaron.
Carson shot him a sharp glance.
“Aaron, don’t.”
“It’s worth consideration,” Gemma tried.
“Okay, considered. Rejected,” said Trick, folding his arms. He kicked his feet up on the table, not terribly invested in another argument that was more about personal feelings than actual issues.
“Maybe we could do some recon in the area to see if there’s any need for us,” said Carson.
Gemma rewarded him with a grateful smile and he felt a little better about the compromise. At least they’d kept everyone from blowing up.
“That reminds me,” Ty said, pulling a bundle of fabric out of his backpack.
He unrolled the long length of fabric to reveal half a dozen knives safely stowed in it.
“I don’t know if these will work or not, but I did my best,” he said, handing them out to his friends.
Izzy frowned, “Why don’t we get them?” she asked, gesturing to the other girls.
“Because you’re not going to be fighting shadow monsters,” Aaron said with a warning tone.
“Well why not? I’m just as capable as you!”
“Oh? You are? I must have missed the memo about your tours.”
Izzy clamped her jaw shut.
“I’d really appreciate if you hung out with me,” Gemma said, hoping that would end Izzy’s objections.
“Fine, you’re better company anyway,” she answered.
Aaron unsheathed his knife and inspected the silver tip, pricking his finger in the process.
“Not bad, four eyes,” he said.
Ty bristled at the nickname but he didn’t want to breech the tentative peace they had right now.
“Thanks; the internet is a magical place.”
<<<>>>
Hours passed without word from the men. Gemma checked on Carson every fifteen minutes, just trying to busy herself.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” said Alina.
Gemma nodded. She didn’t even notice her hand moving toward her mouth. As she paced back and forth chewing her nails, she imagined all of the different scenarios for why they hadn’t reported in. Her teeth tugged at the frayed skin around her fingers; she should check on Carson again.
“Hey, come sit down with us, would you?” Izzy said with a yawn.
The sharp tang of blood flooded Gemma’s mouth when she ripped another nail from her finger. She finally realized that she was doing it and quickly pulled her hand from her mouth. It was a habit she gave up years ago when she was a teenager. For her to revert back to it now spoke to her level of anxiety.
“Yeah, I know I worry too much. It just seems like every time they go out like this… It’s always such a close call,” she said.
“I know, but they’re all armed now. They’ll be fine,” Izzy reminded.
Gemma nodded and sank onto the couch with the other two women.
“I just wish someone would call… or something,” Gemma said, her fingers finding their way into her mouth again. She smacked her own hand away.
It was getting later. Or earlier depending on how you looked at it. Sun rise was still hours away and Gemma wouldn’t be able to relax until the sun was up and everyone was back to the clubhouse.
“I’m just going to go check on Carson again,” she said.
Izzy grabbed her by the arm and held her in place.
“Sit. We’re going to watch a movie and try not to think about all the crazy shit happening out there,” she said.
The muscles in Gemma’s forearm tensed as she debated fighting her friend off. Izzy was right though; there was no point in worrying about something they could do nothing about for the time being. The boys had relegated them to clean-up so they just sat and waited.
“Okay, fine,” she said.
Satisfied, Izzy flipped the huge TV on and the girls set about finding a movie they could all agree on.
They settled on Pretty Woman, a classic that promised to deliver on happy endings and avoided any unexpected tragedies. They were all on edge and predictable seemed comforting.
Julia was only just getting shunned by the snooty Beverly Hills shops when Gemma heard Izzy’s soft snores to her right.
Maybe some sleep would do her good; she seemed exhausted lately.
<<<>>>
“Holy Hell!” Trick exclaimed as they rounded another corner.
Immediately upon arriving, they all knew that Izzy had been right. The area was overrun with shadows, with creatures like the wolves and with frenzied people, struggling for their next fix.
“It never ends,” said Aaron. The thick shadows blocked the street lamps, choked their lungs and made it difficult to think of anything but primal fear.
“Well, let’s stop wasting time then,” said Dez. The dagger in his hand looked as dainty as a pencil in his meaty fist.
Carson growled in agreement and trotted into the shadows, teeth bared.
“Really? No plans, no stopping to regroup? We’re just gonna jump right in?” said Aaron.
A grotesque creature formed in front of them. It’s shape seemed undefined — gaping holes that appeared to be mouths formed and disappeared within the writhing mass as if they were boiling to the surface. There was no discernible front or back to the creature and no clear weak spots.
Thick tentacles shot out and whipped in their direction. One wrapped around Ty’s wrist, searing his skin.
He cried out, his knife clattering to the sidewalk.
Trick charged it.
Dozens of mouths opened on the creature. It vomited a constant stream of fetid black fog.
The force of the monster’s expulsion sent Trick flying back on his ass.
“Uh… guys?” Ty cried as the tentacle snaked further up his arm, drawing him nearer to the monster’s revolting maw.
The smell of burning flesh stung Aaron’s nostrils as Ty’s skin sizzled. He wasn’t there anymore. His feet were frozen. He was in another time.
Another time when he was frozen.
<<<>>>
They must have planned the ambush long in advance.
The truck driver was only collateral damage.
With all the children running around in panic it was almost impossible to see him.
He couldn’t have been more than twelve. He was clean — too clean — the other children were all dusty and bloody.
He was walking into the rubble. Everyone else was running away from it.
“Get out of there NOW,” Aaron heard himself say.
His sights were already trained on the boy. His finger rested again
st the trigger.
His finger twitched but… what was that? The boy reemerged from the crumbling schoolhouse with a little girl in tow. He shooed her across the street.
Aaron let out a sigh and relaxed his finger.
“False alarm,” he said.
Then it happened.
<<<>>>
“Aaron!” Ty cried again.
“Jesus,” Aaron cried, jumping into action finally.
He sliced through the tentacle and the many-mouthed monster screeched and withdrew its grip on Ty.
The youngest member of the group stumbled back, the flesh on his arm charred and angry.
Adrenaline started to give way to shock; he wavered on his feet and his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Shit!” Aaron dove to steady Ty as Dez took his place with the monster.
Wielding Ty’s as well as his own knife, Dez went at the creature like a Tasmanian Devil.
Aaron supported most of Ty’s weight as he dragged him to the vehicle that seemed more and more to serve as their personal ambulance.
Trick was back on his feet. He watched Dez for a moment, seriously impressed with how quickly a guy with his bulk could move.
The fog reformed and circled around Dez, cutting off his exit route.
“Don’t worry! I got your back!” Trick called, hacking his way into Dez’s circle.
Trick slashed and swiped at the errant tendrils that reached out for them while Dez focused his attention on the monster itself.
The creature hissed and shrieked like a balloon slowly losing air. Its surface bubbled and it tried to regain its shape, but Dez was relentless.
The monster became on giant mouth; a long pointed tongue slithered along the ground, wrapping around both of their ankles.
Aaron assessed the situation; he had to get Ty to Gemma as soon as possible. But the rest of his group didn’t seem to be doing too well either. He remembered Gemma’s warning about not leaving a man behind. There was no option here that didn’t leave someone behind. Ty’s skin was cold and clammy. There wasn’t much time at all.
<<<>>>
Darkness was everywhere. As much as she strained her eyes, Izzy couldn’t see anything.
She fumbled her way forward, her feet found the ground to be soft and pliant.
“Hello?” she called, but there was no sound.
She opened her mouth again; horrified, her hands flew to cover it. It was gone.
She clasped the smooth skin where her mouth should have been and tried to scream.
Her toe caught on something and she fell forward. She caught herself but on what?
She felt around blindly and jumped back when she realized what it was: the ground was made of bodies.
As much as she tried to scream, she had no mouth, no voice. Pressure built behind her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t come.
She had no eyes.
Her lungs struggled for air. How could she breathe? How could she exist?
Then, a spark of light.
She was happy to see it; her eyes were working!
The light grew and grew and Izzy welcomed it.
It seared her skin and she watched her skin char and disappear. Her muscles sizzled all the way to the bone.
But still the light grew brighter.
Her bones turned to dust and she disintegrated into the wind.
<<<>>>
The commotion woke her.
“Bring him over here!” Gemma said, clearing off the table for Aaron.
“Where’s everyone else? Where’s Carson?” she asked, her heart racing, a hint of hysteria creeping into her voice.
“No time right now,” Aaron said, laying Ty on the table.
He drifted in and out of consciousness and his teeth chattered with the shivers that wracked his body.
“What happened?” Gemma asked, her hands hovering just over Ty’s mutilated arm.
“Monster,” said Aaron, gathering all the blankets he could find to cover up Ty.
Izzy stared at the scene, bleary-eyed, trying to remember her dream.
“A monster?” she asked, joining them to inspect Ty’s wounds.
“Yeah, a fucking monster,” said Aaron, “Or are you going to try to tell me something else happened?”
Izzy’s jaw dropped and she struggled for words, “I wasn’t… I was just… I mean…”
“Could you two not, right now?” Gemma said, her voice weak and her face pale.
Alina hurried to her side, “You’re doing too much!”
Gemma looked at Ty’s arm, still covered with angry red burns branded into his flesh.
“I’m fine,” she argued.
Alina took her hand, “I don’t know if I have any left to give, but I offer my magic.”
Gemma felt strength coming from Alina’s grip. It flowed through her, pumped through her heart, reinvigorating her, before traveling down the opposite arm to her fingertips. Her healing touch repaired most of Ty’s wounds, but she still struggled.
“Izzy,” Alina said, reaching for her hand.
“But I’m not… I don’t…” Izzy stammered.
“Gemma needs us all,” Alina said, “you too, Aaron.”
It wasn’t often that Alina spoke and when she did, people had a tendency to listen to her.
They all joined hands and a surge of energy coursed through them all.
Aaron’s hand felt melded to Izzy’s. The moment they locked together it was like two powerful magnets meeting.
Izzy’s insides quivered as she focused on his touch. Butterflies erupted in her stomach and fluttered wildly. The heat from his grasp filled her like a deep breath. She exhaled and sent it through to Alina.
Alina couldn’t suppress her smile; theory confirmed.
Gemma’s hands trembled, but she forwarded everyone’s contribution to him.
“I think that’s all we can do,” she said, feeling a push-back from Ty. He wasn’t completely healed, but the color was returning to his face and his breathing became regular again.
Aaron sighed with relief. He was going to be okay.
“Now, how about you tell me where my boyfriend is,” Gemma said, hands on her hips.
Chapter Six
“Well, that was certainly eventful,” Ty said, flexing the stiff new skin stretched over his sore arm. He still didn’t feel quite like himself, but a little nausea wasn’t going to keep him down.
“You’re telling me,” said Trick as Gemma worked on assessing the damage he’d sustained.
“I can’t believe Aaron just left you guys there,” Ty said, feeling guilty.
“I’m glad he did,” said Carson.
“Me too,” Ty admitted.
“Besides, we made out all right, right big guy?” Trick said, nudging Dez with his elbow.
Dez grunted and nodded.
“How did you guys get out of that? It didn’t look too good when I left,” asked Aaron.
“Well,” Trick said, cracking his knuckles and leaning back. Gemma determined that other than one particularly nasty cut, his injuries weren’t worth healing. “It’s all about waiting out your opponent. Finding that perfect window. Waiting until they give you the opportunity and then you strike!” he embellished his story with exaggerating facial expressions and a bit of pantomime.
Carson rolled his eyes, “Dez whistled and I came running. I was enough of a distraction for him to finish it.”
Trick pouted; “I was there, too.”
“Oh, yes. How could I forget? Trick contributed by crying that his ankle was broken,” said Carson.
“I stabbed it, too!”
“Your ankle is fine,” Gemma said, lifting up the end of his pant leg.
“Yeah, well… it hurt,” Trick muttered.
“Well, I never thought that whistle would actually be useful,” Aaron joked.
Dez’s father was a big-time football coach and when Desmond was younger he went to practices with his old man. He could whistle before he could talk and it had only gotten louder a
nd more annoying as he’d gotten older. He particularly enjoyed whistling in someone’s ear after they passed out drunk.
Not that Aaron knew that from experience.
“I have to say, Iz, that was a really great suggestion,” Carson said.
“Yes, somehow, that area has flown completely under our radar,” said Ty, “we’ll have to return there. There’s still so much to do.”
“See? Compromise works,” said Gemma.
Carson smiled and slipped an arm around Gemma’s waist, pulling her close.
“You were right,” he conceded.
“I’m just glad that you’ve given up all of that kiss nonsense,” he added.
Gemma cringed.
Izzy’s smile slipped straight from her face.
“Wait, what? After all of this, you’re going to bring that up again?”
Carson didn’t see what he’d said wrong.
“I… I just meant… Come on, we all know it didn’t happen. It was starting to get a little ridiculous,” he said, feeling backed into a corner.
“Oh… why?” Gemma muttered, hiding her face from what was sure to be another giant blow-out.
“Are you SERIOUS? You have no idea what’s really going on here and you’re going to pass judgment on me? I really thought maybe you’d changed, Carson,” see seemed more disappointed than angry now. For a brief moment everyone was happy and getting along. Why did he have to ruin it by reminding her of her embarrassment?
“Isabel, come on!” Carson called after her as she turned to leave.
“I hope you’re happy,” she said to Aaron as she walked past him, “you win. I give up.”
Aaron’s mouth hung open. He didn’t even say anything! How was she angry at him?
Carson’s expression was a mirror image of Aaron’s.
“What did I say?” he asked Gemma.
She rolled her eyes and sighed, “We were so close to having everyone happy.”
“What did I say?” Carson cried as his girlfriend stormed off annoyed with him, too.
Aaron scoffed. He’d tried to put it behind him. He tried to face his demons. He tried to do everything right to show her.
