Without reason, the sensation shifted to freezing. Mike tried to fight through the magnetic field and get to the biggest boulder as his body was tossed back and forth.
Then he felt the presence and sniffed the smell of spoiled meat. He spun around, and an invisible magnetic force grabbed him and launched him into the Northern Boulder. Kyle, who had somehow avoided the supernatural storm, ran over to Mike.
With Kyle’s help, Mike got back on his feet. Mike intended to tell Kyle to put his back against the boulder but his words were stolen by fear. It didn’t matter, because Kyle stood with his broad shoulders against the Boulder and took seven paces toward the center of the Circle.
The magical force died down, and Mike fought his way into the middle. The two men commenced digging. They both feverishly tore into the soft soil and flung it left and right without regard. They tried to dig a wide hole as fast as they could.
Mike kept hoping to hit something, but each shovel only brought up more dirt. An echoing growl haunted Mike’s ears, and he stopped in his tracks. His feet were freezing yet his head poured perspiration, and a sudden dizziness set in.
The woozy sensation had Mike drop to one knee. He tried to correct his breathing, and he could hear Kyle’s distorted voice, yelling at him to get up.
Mike used the shovel to prop himself up to his feet only to fall again. Something unidentifiable prevented him from performing a menial task, the digging, and the only culprit he could come up with was cancer. He made it back to his feet and grabbed the shovel.
The moon and stars lit up the open area enough so that flashlights weren’t necessary. Mike scooped out two more full shovels of dirt, and almost soiled himself when he laid eyes on the beast inside the Circle.
Mike dropped the shovel and stared at the snarling, gruesome creature that looked like a Sasquatch in a Victorian-style suit and long dress coat with a tapered tail. It was the same face and teeth he had seen in the mirror at his house. The malodorous legend crept toward them.
Mike could only kick Kyle in the good knee to get his attention as he backed away, but Kyle kept digging. The beast stood taller than Kyle and seemed undaunted as he continued getting closer. Kyle looked up at the last second and swatted the beast across the mouth.
The crunch of an iron shovel against skull and teeth preceded the yelp of an injured animal. The beast fell to the ground.
Mike screamed, “Dude, let’s get outta here. Come on.” He continued to back away from the center of the Circle.
Kyle yelled back, “Fuck that. I’m taking this bastard out and getting our money.”
Kyle wound up for a wild overhand swing to surprise the beast before he could get back up. George’s arm, covered with a gray suit jacket, shot into the air and grabbed the shaft of the shovel to stop it. George ripped the shovel from Kyle and whipped it against one of the boulders.
The beast growled as he made it to his feet and rushed Kyle, who stepped to the side and tossed him down. Kyle rushed in and booted George in the side of his head. Mike watched the fight as the magnetic force came back.
As Mike watched, Kyle punched George three more times. He started to think his best friend might win. Kyle came down with an overhand right as George was trying to get to his feet and knocked out one of his long fangs.
A blood curdling growl started to build from within the beast. George sprang to his feet just as Kyle’s fist was about to make contact. A mouth full of gnarly, jagged teeth opened at the last second and gobbled up Kyle’s entire hand up to the wrist.
An unnerving chomping sound followed, and Mike threw up in front of the Northern Boulder. Kyle belted out a desperate scream the likes of which Mike had never heard in fourteen years of friendship with the young man.
Mike could barely look at the blood spurting from Kyle’s hand. George threw a quick head-butt into Kyle’s mouth, and the sound of busted tooth roots caused Mike to cringe. Kyle spit a mouthful of bloody teeth in the face of the beast.
The growl had reached a fever pitch as Kyle threw a straight left fist that George caught in his hairy palm. The agile beast deftly dropped to one knee and yanked Kyle’s arm down, smashing Kyle’s elbow over his shoulder.
The audio effects caused Mike to throw up again as he witnessed his best friend’s bone bust through his skin. The moonlight glimmered off the bone and blood.
George pushed Kyle to the ground and pounced on top of him, sinking his remaining fang into the giant man’s shoulder.
Mike didn’t know what to do. He wanted to help Kyle, but it appeared that ship had already sailed. He turned and ran like a coward once his best friend had gone motionless. He made it outside the Circle and could breathe again. The hideous smells remained as he scrambled to get out of Houlihan’s Square.
If he traveled in the correct direction, he needed to make it about a mile. George’s growl tickled his spine as Mike tried to walk on air to keep silent. When he figured he couldn’t do that successfully, he broke out into a dead sprint as he blindly ran through the woods, bouncing between small bushes and low hanging branches.
The flashlight fell, but Mike couldn’t stop now.
Another rumbling growl seemed to be within feet as Mike continued his frantic escape. A strange feeling around Mike’s neck suddenly shifted inside his body. A bony hand reached through his skin, layer by layer, and wrapped an index finger around his larynx.
A slight squeeze cut off Mike’s air and made him slow to a walk. The pressure ceased, but he could still feel the hand inside his neck. He took ten more steps and the finger constricted. Mike fell flat on his face. Shallow wisps and gasps tried to capture some elusive air. No success.
The growing bass of the beast’s grunting felt like it would shatter his eardrums. The finger tensed around his windpipe again, and Mike started to accept death. He could sense George was closing in on him.
Chapter 12
A SONG BROKE OUT IN the deserted forest. Mike’s mom hummed a tune of inspiration for his ears only. The soothing tones woke up his soul. Time to fight back. Her humming stopped.
Mike scratched at the ground, scrambling to get to his feet. He didn’t have the courage to turn around yet. He built up his speed again, trying to stay on the narrow path. The resounding soundwaves of a harsh growl rattled his nerves. Not slowing any, Mike peered over both shoulders. Nothing.
After a few seconds, he slowed down to catch his breath. The air tasted harsh, rushing out before his lungs could fully appreciate it. His sore bones screamed at him to stop and give in to the pain shooting through his body.
The rumbling call of the beast sharpened his senses and filled his lungs with oxygen. In a few moments, Mike was on his way again. Aimlessly running through the haunted forest of Houlihan’s Square, Mike jerked his head left and right, expecting to find the predator. The beast was nowhere to be seen.
A half hour went by, and Mike worried that he was heading in the wrong direction. He stopped for a moment, lungs burning and trepidation thumping in his chest. Suddenly, the alien feeling invaded his chest and brought him to his knees. Four fingertips were tapping on his heart. A harsh squeeze caused Mike to see streaming stars of every color. He fell on his face in the dirt.
The pressure increased, and Mike placed his right palm over his chest. The world started spinning out of control. He wanted to pass out as the swirling bright colors fought with each other to gain his attention. Scattered scenes from his life started to flash in between them.
All the colors meshed into one. Purple. The only color he could see was a burning amethyst. The killer grip on his heart unraveled finger by finger, until the blood flow returned to his head. Limbs shaky, Mike pushed himself up and got to his feet.
He felt incredibly refreshed as a purple streak in the forest appeared, only to vanish a few seconds later. Slower than before, he continued running away from George. The growling gradually faded away, and Mike saw the open field ahead. A stupid smile lifted his face as he walked up to the truck. Kyle’s truck. The s
mile disappeared.
Mike didn’t have Kyle’s keys or the skill to hotwire the vehicle. He was about twelve miles from his house and didn’t know what to do.
In desperation, he ripped his phone from his pocket and called Emily, checking it frantically as it rang to make sure he’d dialed the correct number.
She finally answered, and Mike smiled on the inside until he realized that he was listening to her Missed Call message.
“Emily. It’s Mike. Look, shit got messed up tonight. Kyle’s dead and I’m stuck out here by Houlihan’s Square. I really need a ride. You gotta call me back. George is after me.”
Mike hung up and walked up Millhouse Avenue heading north, periodically checking his back for George. He stuck to the main roads and avoided any dark side streets. The invisible hand was gone but terror still clutched at his heart.
Mike’s legs were burning by the time he reached his street. He had walked for hours and called Emily six more times along the way, with no answer. He still hadn’t fully processed the entire situation. Kyle’s death seemed like a small blur mixed into a collage of horror.
Mike was trying to figure out how a hand could get inside his body when he finally made it home. He hesitantly opened the door to his apartment and listened. He wiggled his nose, and a sweet smell rushed in. Vanilla.
The smell of hairspray and perfume invaded his nose.
He grabbed the knife from his kitchen counter and clutched it in his right hand.
“Whoever’s in here better get out now.”
A soft voice came from under his kitchen table. “You should know by now that I’m not leaving you alone.” Alayna emerged from under the table in her purple dress. Mike noticed sweat running from her temples and down her cheeks.
“What the hell are you doing down there?”
She answered, “Trying not to scare you, silly. I know you’ve had a hell of a night.”
“I don’t think you know.”
She looked in to his eyes. “Mike, I was there. I pried those fingers from your heart so you could get away. You greatly underestimated George’s power as a warlock.”
“I didn’t even know he was a warlock. I thought he was just a crazy murderer. Now he’s a crazy murderer with magic powers.” Mike collapsed onto one of his kitchen table chairs.
Alayna patted him on the shoulder. “I can help you defeat George.”
“I don’t want to defeat him anymore. I don’t want to ever see him again.”
She revealed, “Unfortunately it’s your destiny. It’s up to you to rid this town of George once and for all. If you don’t do it, he will terrorize this place for all of eternity. With power, comes great burden and responsibility. Something your current lifestyle can’t teach you.”
“That thing just killed my best friend, and Kyle’s much bigger than me. He ate his fucking hand like it was a Slim Jim. I can’t beat that guy.”
Alayna pointed to her temple. “You have all the power right here. I know that sounds strange right now but we can fill that head with knowledge. Then I can teach you all the techniques to unleash your magic.”
Mike squinted at her. “Even if I have the blood of an old wizard, aren’t there smarter people out there that would be better for this stuff?”
Alayna stuck her hands on her hips. “Micheal, self-doubt is not a sexy feature. I know life hasn’t gone the way you would have liked up until this point. You’re just a late bloomer. This is crazy. I’ve never had to convince someone to take the training. Why are you so hesitant?”
“’Cause I’m about to die. Alright? That’s why, and you know it’s true.”
Alayna shook her head. “I’ve already told you I can help you take care of that for no cost at all. You don’t have to worry about money anymore.”
Mike laughed. “You always gotta worry about money round here. I barely got shit in this world and I gotta worry about money. Why you think I’m digging stuff up in Houlihan’s Circle?”
Her voice became stern. “Because you are a fool. A fool on the hill of Prince’s Mountain, it should seem.” Her smile faded when she realized Mike didn’t get the Beatles reference. “I kept you alive tonight. It’s your one get-out-of-jail-free card. From here, you are on your own. Best of luck, bucco.”
“So you’re gonna finally quit botherin’ me?”
Alayna grabbed a few of her items off the table. “Yep. Good luck. You are going to need it. How do I get to the Multon County Prison from here?”
“Why are you going to the prison?” Mike asked, instantly angry and examining her mousy face.
A devilish smile spread over her lips. “What I should have done in the first place. I am going to make the same offer to your father in exchange for getting him out of prison.”
Mike scoffed. “How you gonna get him outta prison? That piece of shit’s still got about thirty years left on his sentence.”
She stared at him with a serious face and furrowed brow. “With the utmost ease, actually. Remember when I knocked you on your ass the other day? I’ll use those same principles of magic in a different form. It’ll be simple.”
A fire raged inside Mike that couldn’t be extinguished. He hated his father more than anything in the world. He didn’t want to become a wizard but he’d be damned if he’d step aside and allow his father to get out of jail early.
“If I was to do this training—how long does it last?”
She smiled. “The rest of your life. You will always be adding knowledge and more spells to your repertoire. And you will learn the most important factor, being able to sense the magic of others and gauge its strength.”
Mike’s Adam’s apple rippled as he swallowed and thought for a moment. “When do we start?”
Her lips curled up even more in the corners, and her brilliant eyes joined in the smile. “Tomorrow. I should have started with the threat about your father. We will also work on getting rid of some of that hate and resentment.”
Mike argued, “Don’t waste your time with any of that. I’m never gonna change my mind about that deadbeat. He’s dead to me.”
“What if there is a time you need him and you can use him like he did you?”
Mike let his anger show in his fiery eyes. “Nope. I’d end up killing him first. You ever had cigarettes put out on your arm before?”
A warm gaze of concern met his glassy eyes. She said, “Mike, I know he put you through some awful things after your mother passed away.”
Tears streamed down Mike’s face. “Wrong. He did that shit before she died. She was the only one who loved me. That piece of shit didn’t care about me unless I could get him a tax refund.”
Alayna took two steps closer and sidled up to Mike. She slowly wrapped her arms around Mike’s waist, letting his falling tears hit the top of her head. He felt the love in her arms and body as she pressed against his midsection.
It was exactly what he needed—the love of a mother that he had been yearning for. He placed his trembling hand on her back and subconsciously pulled her in closer. A waterfall of sorrow continued to pour from Mike’s red eyes.
“She loves you, Mike. She’ll always love you even though she didn’t get to tell you one last time before she was taken. She will always be your guardian angel.”
“I miss her so much.” Mike barely managed to get out the words through the bawling.
“I know you do, sweet child. I’m here to help you out.” Alayna pulled over a chair so she could stand next to Mike and gently stroke his hair. She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and wiped the tears from her purple lips. She lay her head on Mike’s chest. “We’re going to turn you into a man that your mother would be proud of. She will always look down on you with her amazing grace and honor.”
“You know it was George, right?”
“I do.” She confirmed and continued in a soothing tone. “I know you want to do this so that you can avenge her death. I can give you the skill set to defeat that dark wizard. Without my help, you are certain to follow her
footsteps into the grave.”
“How you gonna cure my cancer?”
She immediately responded, “We won’t be able to give you proper treatment until after you defeat George. Then I will take you to a place that has more knowledge than every doctor on earth combined. My people can cure you but it is a long process.”
“My bones hurt.”
She thumbed his hair and said calmly, “I know they do, sweet child. We’re going to take care of that.”
Mike sniffled. “My mom used to call me sweet child when she would read to me before bed.”
“I know she did. And I know you need to hear it occasionally. Let it all out, Micheal.” She patted him on the back.
Mike smiled through the sadness. “She called me Micheal, too. She said she spelled it differently because I was different than all the other Mikes. She’s the only one that called me by my full name without making it sound stupid. It stopped right after she died. No one called me Micheal after that unless they were trying to make fun of me.”
His pocket buzzed, and Alayna backed away so Mike could get his phone out. Emily was calling. He quickly brushed away the tears and composed himself. He grabbed a loose napkin next to the sink and blew his nose, and used the collar of his T-shirt to sop up the tears on his cheeks. He took a few deep breaths, then answered.
“Hello?”
“Mike, what the fuck happened?” Emily asked in a bitchy tone.
“It got crazy. Kyle’s dead and George is real.” Mike hoped that would calm her down.
She sounded unfazed and emotionless. “Did you get the broken amulet?”
Mike paused for a moment. Emily hadn’t shown the slightest bit of concern for his best friend’s death. Sure, she had barely known Kyle, but maybe a touch of sympathy for the guy would have been appropriate. Mike would have settled for, ‘I’m so sorry for your loss.’
He snapped back, “No, we didn’t get the amulet. That animal attacked us when we were digging.”
Bloodline Awakened Supernatural Thriller Series: Books 1-3 Page 46
