As we tore through the darkness I suddenly felt myself fall away from their reach as a weightless sensation moved over me. It was bright from where I was that I was blinded, and as time ticked on so did the realization that I wasn’t on the ground any more kick in. Someone must have teleported us into the sky, sitting us above the clouds as the wind broke beneath me and gravity had me plummeting down to the earth. The spiral of my downfall was blurred against the tears that pinched from my eyes, the whipping wind relentless as it tossed me about like some loose kite. One by one each Goon broke from the pack, separating in their different ways and teleporting their Reapers away from free falling. Teresa and Elliot were taken to safety as well.
All except for two. Raix and one other Goon, a bat type creature, were falling to the earth in a weird tangled embrace. The Bat had the vial in its clawed wing, and despite its scratching Raix was clinging onto the creature with all his might trying to retrieve the flask back. Neither Goon was teleporting, sending all remaining Reapers downwards towards the hard earth beneath. What could possibly happen, we’re dead already right?
Apart of me knew it wasn’t death I should be fearing, just as I could feel every bruise throb beneath my skin I know I was facing an explosion of pain if I were to hit the earth. Death would have been a better option, at least then I could escape my body but with my Reaper curse I was stuck inside myself despite my injuries.
“Oh no! No, no, no, no!” The dull brown earth was rising up to meet me faster than I could suck breath into my lungs. Raix remained oblivious to our downfall, knowing he’ll just continue to fall through the earth but the wind had my hood whipped back and I couldn’t keep the magic to cover me. I could see a cluster of houses form into sight, but the tears kept me mostly blinded as I continued to flip head over heels. I was going to be sick and I was going to fly right into my own vomit.
The Goons were above us that every rotation I could see them battling. Suddenly the blurred shadow of First teleported on top of the Bat in a boom of smoke at the same time as Elliot moved in as well, synchronizing their attack so the Bat would release the vial as First bit down and Elliot was there to catch it. With only moments to spare the bat hissed in defeat and vanished, taking away its’ plummeting Reaper with it. I was still spinning out of control as I hit the tree top branches and the panicked screams of the people watching me dive towards the concrete force me to inhale a sharp breath. Sensing that he was no longer threatened Raix followed First into another jump, saving me from hitting the ground within meters from impact.
We came to a tumbling stop among an empty field, the break of morning day light telling us we had leapt far from Whitehaven.
“Are you okay?” Elliot crawled towards me and inspected my face.
I was panting heavily that my throat had dried up and the tears ran streaks across my forehead. I had gotten so close to becoming a pancake… I clutched Elliot’s arm with a tight squeeze.
“I am now, a huge thanks to you and Teresa for saving me back there. Argh!” As I tried to sit up a sharp pain knotted within my hip where a scratch had ripped through my clothes and skin. Something must have caught my side as we were fighting. It had look like a claw mark, a Goon no doubt.
“You’ve been cut, pretty badly too. Getting scratched from a Goon leaves a type of poison in your system, not fatal but only cure is rest and time I’m afraid,” He took the vial from First before handing it over to me.
“Thanks. How do the Reapers even get this thing?” I inspected the vial over, “And how many are there? Seems dangerous for anyone to be able to access it.”
“Just one vial for each Reaper, but they refill them with the lanterns every time they are used up. If they run low, they use the last droplet to destroy you. The vials are stored away in the Hunter’s circle, but usually only under supervision Reapers are allowed to take them. If the vial is empty without getting permission first from a Hunter there is an investigation put out.”
“They can’t just put a guard there?”
“Oh, there are guards but it’s easy to avoid them. These vials are just pieces from the main supply, the lanterns that are kept strictly under the Royal’s watchful eye. Up there.” Elliot motioned to the skies, indicating heaven. I looked over the tube that harboured my soul before popping the top and inhaling it.
“What are you doing?” Elliot leapt over me to try and stop my hand.
“It’s mine isn’t it? Now they can’t use it against me anymore.” I tossed the empty test tube aside and patted my chest down to help ease the heart burn. The pain in my hip ached so I applied pressure to the wound with my free hand. “Why don’t we just steal our own? That way no one can control us with it.”
“No, you can’t do that. If the Hunters see it’s empty they keep refilling it, if you run out you’re going to be destroyed. It’s a bad thing to have no vials left.”
“I guess I have to go get my lantern back before they can kill me with it,” I pondered aloud.
“You’re… insane,” Elliot shook his head laughing before sitting back down, “But not as insane as the moment Teresa appeared at my front door, she literally dragged at me out of the lounge room by my throat to save your sorry behind.”
I smiled warmly at the thought, “Maybe she doesn’t hate me as much as I had thought.”
“Let’s not read too much into this, I just didn’t want you sulking around like a mindless drone like Christophe, that’s all.” Teresa appeared from behind the hills before taking the seat opposite us. “At least those guys won’t be harassing you anymore”.
“I don’t think this is over, they know about Evan and I think they are going to try and hurt him.”
“Reapers can’t cause Death among the living; it’s the Goon who strips the bodies of their souls so unless the person is dead they are not in danger.” Elliot informed.
“What’s to stop them from pushing him over a balcony? Or into traffic? No one can see them coming, no one except us.”
“I see your point. How about Teresa and I patrol the boarders to make sure no Reaper cross without our knowledge? I’ll keep an eye on the house to make sure none go after your family and Teresa; you’ll keep your eye out at his school. Jordon you lay low for a bit, they are going to be hunting you and you don’t want to lead them straight to your family.”
“Like I haven’t got anything better to do…” Teresa retorted but rolled her eyes at Elliot’s stern glance, “Okay fine, I’ll do it.” I nodded my head, but the knot of uncertainty didn’t loosen its grip on me. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Teresa and Elliot; they had just made it clear where their loyalties were, but I felt useless not being able to look after my own family. Only for a few days right? Soon I should be able to move just as normal and patrol my own household.
“I have to ask…” Elliot mumbled as he glanced between Teresa and myself. Teresa pursed her lips, almost knowing the question.
“Why was I with the Mask Reapers?” She sighed and lowered her head, “Protection. I’m not proud of myself; I joined them so they wouldn’t target me. I never really… I’ll stop hanging out with them from now on.”
“I think you’ve made yourself clear that you’re intention wasn’t with them when you went and got Elliot.” I said, “But thank you for helping me.”
“I needed an excuse to leave their silly group anyway.” She teased back. We teleported back to the old barn shed where Elliot had been nursed back to health. I couldn’t sleep for most nights, the anxiety keeping me awake more than the pain in my side. After a few days of mind melting boredom, I finally was exhausted enough to shut the worried voice up inside my head. I don’t know how long I slept for; it could have minutes, hours or days even. I had been woken by someone grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. Elliot was leaning over my bed, violently rattling me out of the sheets.
“Get up! I think something is wrong.”
“What is it? A Reaper?” I pounced up from my bed and felt my knees wobble. The wound wasn’t comple
tely healed, but it was enough that I could walk without limping.
“No, not a Reaper, something worse” Elliot motioned to his face where his right eye was twisted with the colours of red and black, a sign that only occurs when death was coming.
“Are you sure it’s from my house?”
“I’m sure – I’m sorry I got here as fast as I could.” I summoned Raix in a hoarse shout before teleporting into Whitehaven, dropping myself at the trees right outside my house.
Chapter Fifteen:
I couldn’t stop myself as I crashed to the ground on my landing. When I lifted my head my home stood in front of me like an old memory, some distant friend that I hadn’t seen for over a life time. I picked myself back up and tossed my hood off from my face. It was silent. Not a single peep was coming from within the walls, and as I walked closer the house felt cold and vacant from human touch. I placed my hand on the door knob and twisted the handle but it had been locked. Both the back door and front door were left secured and there wasn’t a single light on in the entire household. The house looked like it had been left vacant for some time. I touched the side of my face, feeling the tattoo under my skin but it did not burn with the presence of death.
To be sure, I slipped under my cloak and stepped into the house anyway. Once inside I moved quickly up the stairs and into everyone’s room. No one was there and the cold air only confirmed the house was empty. Ange hated the cold; she always had to have the heater on to warm up the house for her return from shopping. I checked the fridge. Some of the food had expired, the milk had curdled and the left over ham smelt foul. I closed the door and rubbed at my head.
“It’s deserted. Did they go on vacation or something?” I headed back upstairs to my old room and inspected inside. Did Elliot make a mistake? I turned on my heel to leave just as I heard the softest bump of something being shifted. I stopped immediately and strained my ears to catch the noise again. Within the same moment a sensation moved across my face as I felt the itch of death dig into my right eye. I turned abruptly at the pull of its origin and how it directed me towards the attic steps. Someone is inside the attic…
I ran forward and got to the attic door but it was locked as well. Whoever is inside is locked in. I threw the hood over my head before charging through the door. The vulgar smell was what hit me first as I lent my head away, it was as if someone had been living up here for weeks. I definitely could sense the vibrations of death and it was a slow death as well. A death of starvation and of a body shutting down.
When I saw Evan’s depleting body my world stopped. The silence stunned me. My breath knotted in my chest like a clenched fist. The surprise that shot through me had me paralysed to the floorboards and set my body trembling. Evan was just skin and bones, his school clothes were covered in sweat and dirt and hung off him as he had been a prisoner inside his own rags. He was sitting in the middle of the floor, the old portable c.d player placed in-between his legs and the soft noise of a piano recording humming through. I fell backwards and clasped my hand to my mouth; the horror of Evan’s fading health was fire held to my opened eyes. He was dying and I could smell the stench of it all over the room. How he got locked up in here in the first place had my rage almost fuming out of my nostrils. I ran to him but my hands fell through his body as I attempted to clutch him to me.
“Don’t worry Evan! I’m here now; I’m going to save you.” I shouted though he couldn’t hear me. I couldn’t carry him out while I had my hood on but I couldn’t get through the door with my hood off. His life was fading fast. I had to find a way to unlock the door first then I could take Evan to the hospital. Without knowing where the key to unlock the attic door was I bolted through the house and ran down to stairs at full speed. Raix was patrolling the halls, sniffing out Evan and licking his lips ready to snare his next meal. I barked at Raix to stay away and stepped out of my reaping state to stop Raix from pursuing him. As long as I was under the cloak Raix would start hunting.
I threw my body through the back door and rounded the corner to where we had a tool shed locked up at the back. I kicked the door down easily, snatched the closest thing I could see which was a crow bar and ran back into the house. I ran with such velocity that I was hitting the walls and rebounding, screaming at Evan to just hold on. I reached the door with my arm held back before slashing the metal into the wood around the door knob. Repeatedly I swang downwards into the wood frame before prying the door open with the curled tip of the crowbar. Just as I threw the door open I tossed the crowbar to the side and bolted in, arriving just in time to watch Evan’s head hit the ground. It was a heavy thump that left him limp on impact; his body had fallen from the stack of boxes he had set up trying to reach the small window near the roof.
In my horror I let out a stretched yell and dropped to my knees where I stood. He was dead. I could smell it; I could sense it in the vibrations of my nerves race through me like electricity. His blue spirit started to lift upwards but I couldn’t bring myself to watch, when a sudden change occurred and a putrid smell hit my nostrils. I cringed at the odour that fumed around the room as I recognised it instantly. It was the stench of the Banished.
“What? No! No!!” I scrambled back onto my feet, eyes wide as I watched Evan’s soft blue body sharpened under black smoke. No! How?? Why??
White skin moulded over his form like paint as the dark taint smeared ash over his eyes and dyed his hair black. As his body built upwards Evan snapped his eyes open revealing the strong pair of green Banished eyes, the flare of them forcing me to shield my face.
“Evan…? No, this can’t be happening!”
Raix leapt up from the corner of my eye and caught Evan’s foot in between his jaws. The attack was fast, Raix was obviously prepared as Evan shrieked before he started kicking Raix off of him with his free boot. Blind instincts took over me as I jumped on top of Raix and punched the wolf as hard as I could. I got him by the throat and strangled him where he wheezed and unhinged his jaw from around Evan’s ankle. Raix’s skin was like bare coal but despite the blistering heat I kept my grip tightly around him. The canine shoved me off with an easy thrust, already leaping up to bite Evan again when I rammed my body into his side and knocked him into the wall.
“No Raix! Down!” I screamed at him filled with a strong desperate rage.
Raix was quick to turn on me, lowering his head and butting the crown of his skull right into my chest. The impact threw me out the door before I skidded to a stop on my back. I rolled over at Evan’s frantic whines trying to evade Raix’s attempts to capture him. Evan’s black spirit tore past me in a cluster of smoke so fast I barely had time to turn my head. Raix turned and chased after him but I quickly jumped in front of his path and charged into him head on like opposing Rugby teams. By the mere size of him Raix should have flattened me out like a rolling pin, but something within the wolf abruptly changed just as I challenged him, he tipped and crashed onto his back.
I don’t know what I did, or how I did it, but I had somehow took the wind out of Raix’s body and had him pinned exhausted on the floor.
“Stay back,” I demanded and obediently he sank into the floor boards. I didn’t have time to ponder over what had just happened with Raix as I returned back towards the hall where Evan’s ghost had dashed down madly. It was a quiet as a whisper now as I ran my hands along the walls, trying to somehow figure out where he was hiding. I completed laps around the house, touching every piece of furniture that might give me some indication if it had a spirit attached to it and I called his name like he were some lost pet. I marched back into Evan’s room and ran my hands along his bed sheets but then withdrew back as I noticed the disarray of his posters torn from his walls. Had he done this? The strong twist of guilt and failure moved into my throat, and before I could catch myself I fell back to my knees and cupped my head in my hands. How did this happen? Where were my parents? Why was he locked up in the attic and left to die? I pulled over Evan’s school bag where it had hit the floor and exp
loded with paper, thumbing through the music sheets that caused the guilt to feel heavier inside my chest. I bit into my cry before punching out into the floorboards.
I had failed him. The anger churned within me as a bitter spark poured through my veins. How could my parents leave him here to die? Why would they lock him in the attic to starve? I had known Evan had troubles with Nathan, but I had never even imagined any of them would go as far as locking him in a room. What happened over these past few months that that caused my family to shatter like this? Nothing is making sense anymore; none of this makes sense. I felt my fist ramming the floor boards but the pain felt numb, once, twice, three times I punched the ground and grinded my teeth together to stop myself from cursing till my lungs went dry.
“Jordon, what on earth is going on?” Elliot was at the bedroom door. He titled his head up, trying to catch whiff of the air. “I can’t sense death anymore.”
I couldn’t bring myself to even lift my head. “I was too late.” I placed my hand over my mouth, unable to swallow the heavy words that felt like dead weight on my tongue. My knuckles were bleeding between the joints. He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead.
I rolled the words over my mind again and again, but it didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be real. What was far worse than his death was the sight of his body change under the thick black smoke. He’s dead and had become a banished spirit. A demonic ghost.
“Why do the dead become banished?”
“It’s a punishment for taking a life. Usually murder or suicide.” Elliot answered me softly, “But I didn’t smell a banished here, you shouldn’t be worried…”
My Demonic Ghost Book two (The Reapers 2) Page 14
