by Lynn Landes
Bugs leap away from her as her legs push through thick brush. Elina focuses on the house, desperate for shelter and hopeful that she will find it here.
Hunter’s home comes into view and it is a shell of what it once was. The windows that aren’t boarded up, are broken and dirty. Graffiti is sprayed across the damaged, dirty, door. The roof has caved in on itself, leaving gaping holes. Sighing deeply she knows she can’t stay here. It is time to go home.
Chapter 3
Montana. It has been her home since she was twelve years old. Teleporting requires a great deal of energy and Elina is almost depleted. Her first need is water, then shelter and sleep. After she rests she will figure this out. The sun is setting as Elina opens her eyes.
She once again finds herself on an overgrown road. This drive leads to the home she shared with her adopted family. With hope in her heart, she starts to run through the brush. Her heart begins to beat in anticipation of feeling her Mothers’ arms around her once more.
As she gets closer to the house, Elina can just make out the roof, but something else catches her eye. By the tree in the front yard, stands a cross. She skids to a stop and moves closer. It is not just an ordinary cross, but a giant blackened cross standing at least ten feet tall.
She moves closer and to her disgust she sees the skeleton of a body, but something is not right. The cross is upside down, and the body was crucified that way. Its mouth still hangs open in an eternal scream. Elina becomes unaware of her surroundings as she steps closer to investigate. Human bones are scattered around the base of the cross. True shock filters through Elina’s mind once she gets a closer look. What she thought was a human, has decomposed wings!
“An angel!” she whispers repulsed by such cruelty.
“Not an angel, a demon.” A voice says from behind her. Elina turns slowly to find six people staring with various weapons pointed at her.
“Mrs. Francis?” Elina asks stunned to see her childhood teacher. “What is going on here?”
“Not here, Elina. It is not safe, obviously. You can follow us.” The older woman leads her group silently back into the thick brush, towards the woods.
“I need to see my family!” Elina states turning back to the house.
“Your family?” Janet Francis stares at Elina with a contemptuous look on her face. She turns to the others and gestures for them to leave.
“Elina, I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing, but I will not be a part of it. Your family died ten years ago, thanks to you.”
Janet turns away walking slowly to the cross and ignores the gasp of outrage from Elina. She strokes the wasted wing of the demon which crumbles like a dried up leaf.
“They came in waves killing as many as they could capture. Those who were strong enough hid or found a way to survive. We lost everything and some lost everyone. You are not welcome here, Keeper!” she sneers at her.
“That’s not possible! I was just with them this morning…” Elina snarls with tears rolling down her cheeks.
She turns and runs to the house, she called home and finds it in total disrepair. Windows are broken out, and the wood is rotted. In a hurry she runs up the porch and steps through the broken door. The house has been stripped of everything valuable. What is left is broken and covered in dust and debris. Elina kicks through trash and finds a broken picture, she squats down and picks it up.
“No,” she whispers as she dusts off the broken picture of her family. Elina is trembling in shock. Ten years! It can’t be, she thinks as she looks around. Could Malach have pushed her ten years into the future?
“The rest of humanity has had to fight tooth and nail to survive, where were you?” Janet demands. “You were supposed to be the key to our protection.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Janet. I am struggling to understand, none of this makes sense. How many of you survived?” Elina implores, dropping her picture and standing up to face her.
“Why would I tell you that? You couldn’t even protect your own family. I will not allow you to kill the rest of us. They hunt for humans, and watchers are a special treat. You can stay one night. I want you gone by morning.” She steps closer, not bothering to hide her hatred for Elina. “Give me a reason to let them know where you are, and I won’t hesitate.” She leans close and whispers, “I may even stay to watch what they do to you.” With a nasty smile on her face she turns and walks out.
Elina hurries to follow her out of the house, feeling she has no other choice. As she passes by the demon she glances one last time at it before she continues.
“Why are you staying here on our property?” Elina asks Janet as she follows along into the woods.
“The caves protect us, for now. We move from place to place. Some of us are watchers and some are not.” She pauses and turns to look at Elina. “You will not tell them you are the Keeper. I don’t want them to think you are special.” Janet snaps at her.
Now staring into the wrinkled face of her aged teacher, she states, “You never treated me like I was anything but a bug. Why is that, Janet? Why should I trust you?” Elina asks, beginning to let her own anger grow.
“Well you proved me right, didn’t you? What good did it do our people to trust in the false prophecy of the Keeper?” Janet laughs and Elina realizes she may be walking into a trap. The older woman steps close and whispers low, “Your village trusted in you to protect them, and so did your adopted family. Where are they now? Dead, that’s where!”
Elina looks in dismay at Janet. It’s true! They are all dead. And what of Malach? Ten years! Panic begins to fill her heart and she begins to hyperventilate. “No! No! I can fix this, I can!” Her voice begins to grow louder and her power begins to hum.
Janet steps closer in alarm and grabs Elina’s arm, “Shut-up girl! You will draw them to us!”
Elina turns and draws her breath to scream for Malach, as pain explodes in the back of her head and the ground rushes up to meet her.
Chapter 4
Floating on a sea of pain, Elina hears the sound of dripping water and smells food. Her stomach grumbles in response and she struggles to open her eyes. Her head is throbbing and she tries to lift her hand, only to discover that she can’t move her arms. She’s tied down! Heart beating fast, her eyes snap open.
She looks around and even the smallest movement of her eyes causes pain to flash through her temples. A cave, she is in a cave. A small fire is lit for heat and something is brewing, filling the stone room with a delicious aroma.
“Oh, good. You’re awake.” A voice says.
Elina watches a female walk towards her, holding a tin cup.
“My name is Dana. I am your nurse and chef. You have been asleep for about six hours. How are you feeling?” Dana asks as she touches Elina’s forehead.
Dana looks to be in her late twenties with dark brown hair, cut pixie short. Her chocolate brown eyes show compassion and Elina feels no threat from her.
“I would feel better if I could move my hands, Dana.” Elina tells her honestly.
“I will let Janet know you are awake and we will see to your freedom. My suggestion to you, is to tread carefully. Strangers are a threat to our safety and that won’t be allowed. Give me a few minutes and I will get you some clean clothes.”
Elina closes her eyes and relaxes, conserving her energy in case she will need it. She hears the sound of voices and decides to try to call for Malach once more. Only silence greets her silent call, she can’t feel him. She knows what the demons will do to him, she can only pray that doesn’t happen. What of her family? “This can’t be real.” Elina whispers as a tear slips free and sinks into her dirty hair.
“It is real and the sooner you accept it, the better,” the voice of condemnation snaps. Elina turns her head and her turquoise eyes pierce Janet.
“I would like some answers, Janet. You will give them to me, one way or another.” Elina’s power is humming along with her frustration, pain and confusion. It rolls off her s
pirit in waves and Janet is aware that she is pushing it.
“Cut her free, Dana. Give her some food and clean her up. She leaves in the morning.” Janet turns and stomps out of the cave. Dana steps past her and finds Elina wrists are already free. Elina ignores the offered help up, gasping in pain as her head pounds and she struggles not to vomit.
After the room stops spinning Dana pushes a hot cup into Elina’s hand. “Broth. It will help you recover quickly.” She moves behind Elina to check her head. She prods gently and finds a knot but no broken skin, satisfied she steps back.
Elina sighs as the hot salty broth explodes in her mouth. “Thank you, Dana. This is amazing. What did she hit me with, a brick?” Elina asks as she prays for the pounding to stop soon.
“This should help,” Dana says and hands her two aspirin. She watches as Elina swallows the pills. “Here are some clean clothes for you. I hope they fit. It’s the best we could do.”
Elina accepts the clothes gratefully and asks, “Where are we?” swallowing the rest of the broth.
“We are in a cave on the property. There are multiple caves and we have managed to remain hidden because we never stay in them very long.” Dana moves away, “There is a hot spring further down this cave, if you feel up to it I will take you to it, so you can clean up.”
“Lead the way.” Elina says as she follows Dana slowly through the tunnel. A torch lights the way and Elina asks, “How long have you lived like this?”
Dana stops walking, “Since the battles began. I was home from nursing school for the holidays. It started so softly. At first, I thought it was an earthquake, but it didn’t stop. My parents had taken us ice skating, my ten year old sister and me. We do it every year….” Dana’s voice stops for a moment and she becomes lost in the memory.
She starts walking slowly and Elina follows,
“The minute the screaming started, I didn’t know what to make of it. You know all the usual stuff, kids playing a joke, but the screams grew louder and people started to panic. I could see my parents protecting my sister across the rink. It was instant chaos, people were screaming and running in every direction. The wave of people pushed me back and I couldn’t get to them. I watched as the demons dropped from the sky. My parents were lifted up and taken, while others were slaughtered like animals. The blood rained down and made the ice slippery.”
Dana stops walking to duck down and pass through a narrow tunnel. She leads the way into the hot cavern. Steam fills the cavern and Elina watches as she lights a lantern and sets it near the pool.
“It is slippery, so be careful. Soap is on a stone nearby. I will return for you in about fifteen minutes.”
Before Dana leaves, Elina stops her. “What happened to your sister?” she asks.
“Two of them took her. The demons pulled her apart. I could see her eyes pleading with me to help her, but I couldn’t. I still hear her pleading for me to save her.”
Dana shudders and takes a deep breath, turning a fierce gaze upon Elina. “Janet saved me. She found me wandering the streets and took me to safety. We are all damaged, don’t judge her too harshly. There are twenty-three of us that have been rescued because of her. Now, twenty-four, counting you.” She slips gently away as Elina watches and considers all that she has been told.
Elina sinks into the hot water with a sigh and gives a prayer of thanks for the moment of serenity. Using the bar of soap, she scrubs her head and body quickly before rinsing off. Then grabs her dirty clothes, and gives them a quick scrub. After rinsing them clean, she climbs out, rings the clothes dry and stretches them out on a rock.
Next she pulls on an oversized pair of black jeans, and turtleneck. She places her shoes upside down to dry and slips on the clean socks and large combat boots, Dana left for her. In a hurry to talk to Janet, she towels her hair dry and braids it securing it with a string ripped from the towel.
The sound of hushed voices floats to her, and she knows they are returning. Elina feels a hundred percent better, now time to get some more questions answered from her old teacher.
Dana returns carrying a small black bag. “Janet wants to see you now.”
“Okay, lead the way.” Elina feels like a school girl again, who is about to be sent to the principal’s office. They return through the tunnel quickly and Elina finds Janet waiting. A small table and chair is in the corner with a teapot and some biscuits.
“The biscuits should give you some energy, but eat slowly. The stomach can react badly if it has been a while since you have eaten anything.” Dana tells her.
“Thank you, I will be careful.” Elina replies, not taking her eyes off Janet as Dana leaves
Janet glares at the young woman who destroyed her world. She tries not to feel hate, but finds it is impossible. “You should eat before you go, Elina.”
“First, I would like to apologize for panicking earlier, though I am sure you enjoyed striking me. It has been a truly bad few days and I am still trying to piece things together.” Elina states as she walks to the table to eat.
She sits quietly as Janet watches her.
“You should know what has happened. As watchers we have been preparing for the return of the Keeper. I never believed it was a good idea to put all our hopes in one individual, especially a traumatized child. When you came, Ruby told me how special you were, but I didn’t believe it. I am glad I didn’t listen to her.”
“Why would my mother tell you anything about me? She knew how I felt about you and especially, how you treated me!” Elina snaps swallowing some tea and trying to keep calm. ‘Still your body and control the anger,’ Elina she reminds herself.
“Your adopted parents were forgiving people. They understood that my anger was towards the situation! Not all of us believed it was wise to wait on a savior. They spent years training you and sheltering you and for what! So when the time came you could fail us? What if you were killed in a car accident, or caught a disease and died. I believed it was stupid then, and I know now that I was right.” Janet begins to pace as she speaks.
Elina stands up and faces her old enemy.
“I spent years training and honing my gifts. I stocked caves with supplies in case we would need them. I trained any who would listen and prayed that I was doing the right thing, hoping it would never be needed. When the first wave came, I was at school with our youngest. I protected as many as I could, but my powers are nothing compared to a demon. Where were you?” Janet screams at Elina with tears streaming down her face.
“I, I was fighting, we were surrounded by fallen. They betrayed us and took him, he pushed me away, using the last of his powers to protect me! I couldn’t leave him… so he forced me away!! Yesterday, I was with my family,” Elina whispers back.
Janet’s face shows her shock. “He pushed you through time?” she demands.
“Yes, No, I don’t know what is happening. Yesterday, I fell into the river and after I got back to the house everyone was gone. It happened so fast, Janet! I ported to the reservation and the demons attacked me. I decided to go home! I was praying that this was just a nightmare.”
“Okay, keep your voice down. You ported here? To the ranch? Damn! They trace us through our powers, every time there is a surge they find us.” Janet grabs the black bag from the cot and hands it to Elina. “This bag has emergency rations inside of it. Medicine, a knife, lighter, etc. We do not have much time, they will be here soon. You have to go!” Janet says, pulling Elina and pushing her towards the exit.
“Wait! I can help you, Janet. Let me help you.” Elina snaps in frustration and jerks away from her.
“No! We are capable of protecting ourselves, but you are the ultimate prize. They will bring an army to capture you! When you leave, they will follow and that will buy us the time to escape.” Janet yells at her.
Dana returns alarmed by the fear she is reading from Janet. “Get everyone ready to move, now!” Janet barks at Dana. She runs out of the room and Janet pulls Elina along through a shaft that leads up.<
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“Listen to me, there is a resistance growing. The leader is on the East Coast. You should go to them and ask for the Hammer! Picture his thread, golden like yours, in your mind. You will find it. He glows brighter than most.”
“Now you believe in golden threads?” Elina asks struggling to keep up with her. Stepping out onto the ledge, Elina takes a deep breath of fresh air. With tears in her eyes, she looks into the eyes of her adversary.
“Thank you, Janet. I will fix this if I can.” Elina promises.
“Just get to the Hammer, he will know what to do!” Janet replies and disappears back through the tunnel.
Elina watches for a moment, then starts to search in her mind for the threads of humanity. What once was a universe of bright silver threads floating on an endless sea, now is a black endless sky with random threads flashing and blinking. Elina searches for the golden thread and begins to move through the sky in her mind, looking for this “Hammer.” She spies something, there it is! Excited by the radiance she drops back to her body, now with a destination in mind.
A rumbling beneath her feet tells her they are too late. If she leaves, they will die, if she stays she might be able to save some. Unsure what to do Elina hesitates until she hears Janet’s voice yelling, “Go Keeper!”
With tears of frustration she leaves just at the mountain collapses, and all of the voices below her are silenced in one instant. Moving through space towards the golden thread, Elina knows she has failed them once again.
Chapter 5
This time the moment her feet touch the grassy earth, Elina is prepared to fight. She does not know where she is, only that she is being hunted by human and fallen alike. Unseen eyes are boring into her back, but Elina is determined not to use her gifts again. A wind blows through the green trees. It is cold with the sun setting and Elina realizes she is in the mountains.
