Hybrid

by Ballan, Greg

  Erik heard parents and children shrieking in raving terror and panic. He prepared himself for another onslaught. The creature stood up from the ground, but very slowly.

  The creature seemed to shake off the powerful impact and gathered itself for another attack. It charged again. Erik waited as the thing closed the gap between them. At the last moment, he leapt into the air, spinning his body and propelling his back leg forward with the motion of his upper torso. Erik roared like a lion as he utilized his enhanced strength, his rear leg shot forward as he finished his rotation and his foot collided with the creature's face. The impact was like a giant whip cracking. Erik fell back and landed on the soft sand. The force of his blow knocked the creature off of its feet, driving it several feet backward.

  Erik looked over at his fallen adversary and saw bright blue fluid flowing from its face. It slowly began to pick itself up again, hissing angrily. Erik shook his head and began to rise as well. He suddenly felt a wave of pain shoot through his leg and knew he'd strained his hamstring with that last maneuver. Erik knew his body was already overworked and stressed. He could feel his body aching from their earlier encounter. He was limping now, favoring his good leg.

  The creature made its way over to a section of broken chain link fence. It grabbed a steel post that had been placed into the ground, and with a primal screech, the thing ripped the post from the earth and held the eight-foot steel pillar like a club.

  Erik retreated slowly, freeing the Ruger auto pistol as he withdrew. He took careful aim at the creature's head, waiting for it to take another step forward.

  “C'mon, you bastard, show me those eyes so I can park a bullet in each one of ‘em,” he whispered, locking the pistol's sights on the creature's head.

  Erik spotted the other giant creature as it drop from the trees. Again, he heard loud shrieks and screams from the mothers and children behind him. It appeared that the cloak of invisibility was finally lifted. Both of the monsters started to stalk him. Erik could see other spectators beyond the creature that could catch a stray bullet if he missed his targets. Erik adjusted his aim and fired a warning shot at the foot of the red-eyed creature. The sand in front of it exploded as the metal-jacketed slug impacted with the playground sand. The creatures paused, the larger one sniffed at the crater caused by the bullet's impact.

  The larger creature stepped forward aggressively. Erik responded by emptying half of his clip into the creature. The beast roared in agony and pain as the bullets tore into its hide. Erik quickly surmised that this creature didn't have the armor plating that the smaller one did. The larger creature stepped backward slowly, dripping a bright purple ichor where the bullets had embedded. It growled and hissed at him angrily, and then destroyed a nearby steel slide with one swipe of its massive paw, but ceased its advance.

  Erik could hear the whimpering of the children and mothers behind him. He knew that he would eventually lose this encounter. There was no possible way he could defeat both of these creatures by himself. Oddly, he felt no fear; his body was calm, and his thoughts extremely acute. His mind was calculating different tactics based on his remaining ammunition, potential vulnerable points and hand-to-hand techniques that could be applied in this no-win situation. He also tried to formulate some kind of strategy that would allow most of the children to escape.

  The sound of sirens caused the three combatants to pause. Erik stared at the creatures; he knew they could hear the sounds, whether or not they knew the significance of sirens remained to be seen.

  “Here comes the cavalry!” he shouted to the creatures as he continued pointing the barrel of his weapon at his inhuman adversaries.

  Erik glanced quickly toward the street and saw several officers heading toward the area from the parked squad cars. The smaller creature adjusted its hold on the steel post and hurled it toward him like a speeding missile. Erik knew he couldn't simply duck the object because it could easily kill someone behind him. The detective dropped his gun and quickly side-stepped the speeding post. Before the steel and concrete missile could speed by him and strike a mother or child, he reached out and grabbed it with both his hands. The friction from grabbing the speeding object burned his palms. Erik leaned into the object and deflected it into the ground. He winced in pain from the friction burn as the searing heat shocked his body.

  He quickly retrieved his weapon, and again looked at his inhuman adversaries. The creature stared at him long and hard, Erik felt its hostility and hatred. He knew, somehow, deep down, that this battle just became personal; his opponent was bigger than him, stronger than he was, and nearly unstoppable. Erik knew that he should be afraid, but for some reason, as he looked into himself, he found no fear. He knew he'd meet these things again, and he also knew, somehow, that he was a part of something much older than himself or his species.

  With a sudden icy gale, the two creatures dissipated into nothingness, being absorbed by the blackness that brought them to the park. The police closed in on the area, weapons drawn. Erik quickly holstered his weapon. He turned and saw Shanda and Brianna. His child was huddling inside her arms. Erik could see the tear streaks running down her face, ruining her makeup. She ran into her father's arms, weeping. Erik caught her, ignoring the pain in his leg while he held his daughter tight.

  “It's okay, Munchkin, it's okay; they're gone now,” he whispered into his daughter's ear as he held her tight, rocking her body as she continued to cry.

  Erik looked over at Shanda, he could feel the tears flowing from his eyes, and could see her crying as well. Erik gently lifted Brianna, again ignoring the pain in his leg and walked over to Shanda. He gave the child one more hug, grateful that they all pulled through unscathed. Shanda looked up at him, her own eyes wet with tears.

  “You were absolutely incredible.” She wrapped her arms around them both. “I've never been so scared in all my life,” she whispered.

  Before Shanda could say another word, grateful parents and children surrounded them. Erik accepted all the platitudes from the mothers and children, but wanted to get out of the park and to the relative security of his small apartment.

  “Hey, hero! We need a statement,” a familiar voice called out.

  Erik turned and saw Steve making his way past the party guests. “Let's say that this was round two,” Erik replied moodily as he shifted his daughter's weight to his other arm.

  “Same thing as yesterday?” Steve asked.

  “Yeah,” Erik replied.

  “How can you be so sure?” Steve pressed.

  “One was tall, black armored flesh, bad attitude; the other was big, cat-like with green eyes,” he replied. “I think that you've met the pair.” Erik stared at the officer.

  Steve nodded as he wrote things down in his notepad. “I just had to follow procedure, no need to get huffy.”

  “Those fucking things came for my daughter!” he swore angrily. “You'll excuse me if I take it a little personal and get a little pissed off!” Erik shot back in a voice seething with anger.

  Shanda gently rubbed Erik's back, while he and Steve continued to stare at each other.

  “I'm sorry, Steve,” Erik apologized. “I shouldn't be snapping at you. This one just hit a little too close to home.”

  “There's no need for an apology, my poor attempt at humor notwithstanding,” Steve replied. “There's more to this, isn't there, Erik?” Steve probed. “They're not confining themselves simply to the woodlands. You were speculating earlier; I'm betting that you already have a working theory.”

  Erik wasn't in the mood for questions. “Breakfast tomorrow at Madame's; you buy for all of us, and maybe we'll talk. Nelson will be back from New York in a day or two and we can plan our next step. I'd really like to know what they saw.” Erik gestured toward the other mothers and children talking to the police.

  “We've gotten several different stories, but they all have the same things in common: darkness, a large cat-like dragon, and you fighting another man shrouded in black clothing.” Steve p
aused. “The children, however, added something totally different, and their stories are all the same. They saw two monsters with glowing eyes coming out of the darkness coming to take them, and then you and one of the monsters squaring off in a fistfight and you shooting the larger thing.” Steve paused. “With the exception of the feelings regarding abduction, parents and children generally all say the same thing; it gives them a great deal of credibility.”

  “And what did you see?” Erik pressed the officer.

  “Dissipating darkness, with two dark forms in the center. I'm afraid we arrived too late. Thank God one of the mothers had a cell phone. We were right on the next block.”

  “Amen to that,” Erik replied. “There wasn't much more I could have done, Steve. You got here just in time.”

  “Don't sell yourself short, Erik. You saved a lot of people today, including your own daughter. We're a team; nobody I know is keeping score, that's not why we both do what we do.”

  Erik gently put Brianna down. “You're right about that. We'll talk tomorrow. Right now we're going home,” Erik said as he put his arms around his daughter and Shanda, and painfully limped toward his truck.

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  * * *

  Chapter 7

  Friday evening, 7:15 p.m.

  Erik, Brianna, and Shanda sat quietly in his booth at Madame's. Brianna sat between the two adults. There were lingering traces of fear in her eyes. Shanda could see that Erik was also disturbed. She sensed that he wanted to talk, but not in front of Brianna. She also noticed that the young waitress that had brought her to Erik's apartment the other night was carefully watching them from behind the cash counter. Shanda met her stare, and the young girl simply smiled and turned back to her job at the counter.

  She looked back over at Erik; he was slowly flexing his left hand. She noticed the big blister that had formed on his palm.

  “Are you all right?” she whispered to Erik.

  “Yeah, I'm just in some pain. I'm in no condition to go back into those woods. I personally don't think that anyone should go there anymore until we know what we're up against,” he said moodily as he sipped a glass of water.

  “I think you're right.”

  “The ironic thing is that the answers are up there; eventually, one has to go where the answers are. We can't keep floundering around reacting to these things. A way must be found to stop them.” He rubbed the glass of ice water against the burn on his hand.

  The dish of ice cream in front of Brianna had turned into a soupy mess. She had been quiet since the events of the party. She continually leaned against her father's shoulder, and Erik would give her an assuring pat or hug.

  “Erik, why don't we go back to your apartment? You look like you need to unwind.”

  Erik nodded as he and Brianna slid out of the booth. Erik was limping badly and Shanda saw blood soaking through his shirt. She knew that he had re-opened his other wounds during his confrontation. As they headed out the door to his apartment, Shanda noticed that the young waitress was again watching Erik as he made his way out the door.

  * * * *

  Erik sat himself on his couch, Brianna next to him. Shanda sat on the remaining small chair directly across from them. Brianna began asking her father several questions concerning the things that she saw. Erik was having a great deal of difficulty answering his daughter's questions.

  “I really don't know, Munchkin,” he began. “I really can't say what they were. I do think that they live up in the mountain somewhere. I'm sure that the authorities will take care of it. I don't think that they'll be popping up in the park anymore.”

  “Especially after the beating you gave it, Daddy,” she said, her innocent voice beaming with pride.

  “Nobody monkeys around with Daddy's little girl,” he said lightly as he kissed the top of her head. However, the look he gave Shanda was not nearly as convincing as his voice.

  The three spent the evening playing several board games while watching Erik's small television. By the time the evening had come to a close and Erik had put Brianna to sleep in his room, she seemed to have recovered from her ordeal. It was important for her to keep repeating that her father stopped the monsters.

  “I hope she doesn't have any nightmares about that party, I know that I will,” Erik said as he closed the door to his bedroom and sat back down on the couch.

  “I still can't believe that things such as that actually exist.” Shanda moved over to the couch next to him. She gently lifted his shirt off his body to examine the cuts on his chest.

  “We have to clean and redress these wounds before you get an infection.” She helped him up and escorted him into the bathroom. She gathered some body's wrap that Erik had in his medicine cabinet and some alcohol. “Run yourself a hot tub and soak for awhile; you need to stretch your muscles.”

  Erik started the tub and grabbed a clean pair of sweat pants from a laundry bin. He walked back into the bathroom, which was filling with steam. Shanda had gathered bandages and burn cream and placed them on the small counter. Erik walked in behind her and kissed her gently on the cheek. She melted against him, resting her head back on his shoulder.

  “I have never been so scared in all my life,” she whispered as she held his arms tighter in her arms.

  Erik looked down at her and smiled. “I'll let you in on a little secret, so was I.”

  “Yes, but you fought it to a stand-still and saved ten children including your own. You saved my life as well. I don't know how I can repay you for that. That's the second time you've saved my bacon from the frying pan.”

  “You're here with me now, that's all the payment I need,” he whispered as he kissed her deeply.

  * * * *

  Shanda sat in Erik's living room watching television. Erik had been soaking in the tub for almost twenty minutes. She knew that soaking in the hot water was the best thing for him. She too was tired, emotionally drained from the afternoon. She had seen something truly horrible and her mind was having difficulty accepting it. She recalled how calm Erik had seemed; she remembered him addressing the darkness in a defiant tone.

  You can't have my daughter!

  She remembered Brianna whispering a continuous mantra as she held her.

  It wants me, it wants me, it wants me.

  She had repeated those words over and over, while her body convulsed with tremors of stark terror.

  Erik emerged from the bathroom looking refreshed. He had re-wrapped his chest, and had another wrap around his right arm covering the large burn on his palm.

  “Well.” Erik seated himself on the sofa. “I almost feel human again.” He looked at Shanda and adopted a serious expression. “Well, now you know what we faced up in the mountainside.” He adjusted the tie on his black sweatpants.

  “I'm still trying to get over the creepies,” she responded with an involuntary shudder. “I don't know what to say, or even think. I wouldn't have believed that things like that even exist. I've heard some of my customers talk about things like that existing ages ago, but I thought they were reading too many fairy tales.”

  “What worries me,” Erik responded, “are there any more of these creatures up there? We can barely deal with the two we have now. Say there were four or six of those things running around up there. What if there are more of these things scattered around the countryside? We could be facing some real danger to the general populace.” Erik leaned forward and reached inside a drawer on the small table at his side. He produced a small topographic map and unfolded it on the table surface. He was intently studying the Hopedale Mountain and surrounding areas.

  “What are you looking for?” Shanda asked as she studied the map's details alongside him.

  “A pattern, a clue—anything that might give me some rhyme or reason as to what triggered these things. I'm convinced that something happened high up in the mountain. Something had to change to draw these things down; the questions are what, why, and how. Anybody foolish enough to attempt going ba
ck up there will need to know the answers to those questions.”

  Before Shanda could reply, the telephone rang. Erik walked over to the phone in his kitchen and answered. Shanda tried not to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to overhear the conversation in his small apartment. She could tell by his half of the dialogue that the caller was his ex-wife. Shanda knew that word of what had occurred must have made its way to her; she could imagine the woman's panic over not seeing her daughter, not knowing that she was safe.

  “No, Margaret, that's not necessary; she's fast asleep now,” Erik answered.

  “Tell Richard not to come over here,” Erik said forcefully.

  “I'm not angry, I'm just tired. Look, she's sleeping; picking her up now is crazy. Sleep is the best thing for her. I'm not going to wake her up.” Erik paused.

  “I don't know what they were. I'm working on that with the police. No, I'm not mad at you for suggesting the party. It's not your fault, Margaret, so don't go there. No one could possibly foresee something like this.” Erik was silent for a few moments, grunting in agreement periodically. He looked over at Shanda and shrugged his shoulders. “Fine, I'll see you in the morning, about nine-thirty is fine. Good enough, goodbye.” Erik hung up the phone and walked back to the couch and the map he was studying.

  “She just heard from one of the mothers at the party,” Erik explained.

  “I'm sure she was probably freaking out,” Shanda replied.

  “She blames herself for not being there,” Erik said, studying the map intently.

  “What could she have done if she were there?” Shanda asked.

  Erik looked at her, his eyes burning with intensity. “Probably die, along with everyone else, but I couldn't tell her that. I can't tell her that this thing wanted our daughter for God only knows what. I've been lucky, twice, so far dealing with those things. If the police hadn't shown up when they did we'd probably all be dead anyway, at least I would have.” Erik looked up at her, and she saw a flash of fear in his expression. “I can't watch over her twenty-four hours a day. If they come for her again and I'm not there.... “Erik hedged. “I don't know if lady luck will smile upon the same fool three times.”