Mark of the Bear (Hades' Carnival)

by N. J. Walters

  But it was also a romance, so she knew she’d get some sexy scenes and was guaranteed a happy ending. She liked it that way. Reality was hard enough without reading about it in books. She liked to be entertained in her reading, but she also liked knowing the good guys would win and there would be a happily ever after at the finish.

  She really wanted to start her new book, but knew she’d regret it if she did. There was no way to stop reading one of her favorite author’s books once she started. If she opened the cover, she’d never be able to tear herself away from it and make herself work.

  “Script first.” Reluctantly, she shoved the book back on the small shelf and grabbed the sheaf of papers. Stuffing her pillows behind her back, she settled in to read. The script enthralled her from the opening scene, even though it was a simple enough plot—a woman alone at a seemingly fun carnival that was secretly being run by Hades’ minions. Woman comes across a carousel with most of the animals missing. Only three remained—a wolf, a bear and a lion. But they weren’t really carved carousel animals, rather warriors of some ancient goddess, long forgotten—the Lady of the Beasts.

  Kellsie lost herself in the script until it came to an abrupt halt. “What the heck?” She was just at the part where the heroine, who would be her, finds the carousel and is ready to release one of the warriors. How that happens was still a mystery as there was nothing else left to read.

  “Great,” she muttered, shoving the pages aside. “They didn’t send the entire script. Just a partial.” Which, she supposed, made sense, if the writers were still making adjustments. She’d have to check with Brittany to see if she could get her hands on a complete script. She wanted to read the thing in its entirety before they started shooting.

  Most folks didn’t realize that movies weren’t shot in order. They might film the middle or ending first, depending on what was needed. Although, with this script they might be shooting in a fairly linear fashion, at least at the beginning.

  Grabbing her netbook, Kellsie turned it on and prayed she’d get some kind of connection. She’d gotten so wrapped up in exploring the carnival she’d forgotten to ask anyone about the Internet connection up here. She had glimpsed some sort of satellite truck on set. Maybe that would be enough.

  She hit a few buttons and crowed in delight when she was connected. She really hadn’t expected it to work. She pulled up her email and sent a quick message to Maury, letting him know she’d arrived safe and sound. Then she Googled the Lady of the Beasts. Surprisingly, there was very little.

  “Ancient goddess who was patron of the animals.” That made sense if she was supposed to have shape-shifting warriors at her side. She clicked on a link for a website dedicated to this particular goddess. “Want to know the real Lady of the Beasts?” she read aloud. “That sounds exactly like what I’m looking for.” She clicked on the link and started reading. There was some basic information resembling what was in the script enough to make her think this was where the screenwriter had gotten his idea.

  She scrolled down and found the Curse of the Lady of the Beasts. Kellsie read it, frowning as she went. The scriptwriter had plagiarized the damn thing. Unless they had permission from the owner of the website they were looking at a lawsuit down the road. Of course, they must have gotten permission. The legal department wouldn’t have let the movie go ahead without it. Probably paid the owner of the website for it.

  Another click revealed that the website was owned and operated by a woman named Aimee Horner and some guy who went by the name of Roric. There was an icon of a gorgeous white tiger. Before she could click on it, the connection died.

  “Great.” Frustration filled her and then she laughed. “You wanted to get away from the city,” she reminded herself. Dropped cell-phone service and loss of Internet was bound to happen in and around the forest and mountain region, even with a satellite truck nearby.

  She closed her netbook and stowed it safely away. She’d try again later.

  Feeling restless, Kellsie glanced at her watch and was shocked to find out how late it was. She’d lost all sense of time while studying the script and doing her research.

  She looked out the window and was met by darkness and flickering lights from the set. Dinner had come and gone several hours ago. Not that she was hungry, but she’d hoped to socialize a little more. Get to know a few more members of the cast and crew.

  “Damn.” Rolling off the bed, she stretched and yawned. Maybe some fresh air and a walk would help her revive her.

  It would be much cooler with the sun gone down, so she grabbed a quilted brown jacket and pulled it over her long-sleeved shirt. Grabbing an apple from the pint-sized refrigerator, she left the trailer, stepped down the two metal stairs to the ground and pulled the door shut behind her.

  It was much quieter now with the generators turned off for the night and the rides at a standstill. The music had also been silenced. An owl hooted in the distance. A shiver raced down Kellsie’s spine. “Talk about atmosphere.”

  She took a bite of her apple and decided to take a turn around the carnival rides. It would be safe enough. On a set this size there were always people about.

  As she strolled and munched, she gazed up at the night sky. It was like black velvet studded with diamonds. With the lights of L.A. she didn’t get to see stars like this.

  It was so quiet she could hear the scrunch of her sneakers against the dry, brittle grass that had been trampled underfoot by all the cast and crew. It suddenly seemed like a crime to have all these people and equipment here. It was a beautiful, unspoiled landscape that should remain that way.

  She passed a trash barrel and tossed in the remains of her apple, what little appetite she had gone. Her thoughts went back to the old man she’d met yesterday at the roadside stop. Her fingers went to her neck and she fingered the leather thong, letting her fingers slide down the thin cord until it hit the bear claw at the bottom. She rubbed it absently as she walked.

  What had the old guy meant? She would be facing darkness? Probably nothing. That was the kind of mystical hooey some people spouted. Everybody faced hardships.

  Still, there was something so serious, so noble about the man she couldn’t just laugh off his words. She caught a shuffling sound off to her left and ducked behind a concession stand, not quite ready to mix and mingle yet, even though she knew she needed to be sociable. She just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts, at least for a few more minutes.

  “Holy shit,” she whispered under her breath.

  The creature that trudged by was about six and a half feet tall with scaly skin and two short horns protruding from its head. It lumbered more than walked, swiveling its head from side to side. It growled once, showing two lines of very sharp teeth.

  Damn, the costume and makeup department was first class on this film. She’d never seen anything so realistic. Of course, the dark lighting helped. There were only a few security lights flickering around the rides to push back the night. Still, if it looked as good on camera as it did now there might be some awards in their future.

  The guy in the suit moved slowly, giving Kellsie time to study him. That must be a heavy costume. No wonder he wanted to practice walking in it. They’d probably made some last minute adjustments in the demon suit they wanted to check out before shooting.

  Kellsie watched until the demon disappeared, leaving her once again alone. “Freaky,” she muttered and continued her walk. The sideshow tents had been closed this afternoon, but she was dying to have a peek inside. Everything else about the carnival was so authentic she imagined the shows would be the same.

  A placard with faded red and yellow paint was propped up outside the large maze of connecting tents. It boasted that they had a contortionist, a man who swallowed fire and swords, a knife thrower, a fortuneteller, a magician and more. It also announced the price of admission, which she didn’t have or didn’t need in any case.

  This was the tent where her character was supposed to find the carousel with the m
ystical warrior. She really wanted to see what it looked like. From the description in the partial script she’d read it should be a work of art. Everything on this set seemed to be top quality, totally perfect for the mood of the film. Why should the carousel be any different?

  Kellsie glanced over her shoulder. She was still alone. What would it hurt for her to take a quick peek? If there were no lights inside, she’d have to leave it until tomorrow. Just a quick look, she promised herself.

  She inched toward the tent, half-expecting a security guard to yell at her to stop at any second. But no one appeared and she peeled back the tent flap. A dim light spilled outside onto the ground at her feet.

  “Awesome.” She slipped inside and let the flap close behind her. She’d just take a quick look before she headed back to her trailer for the night.

  She passed the first opening on her left and saw some seemingly sharp knives set carefully on a rack. This would be the knife thrower. She couldn’t imagine trusting someone enough to let him fling sharp knives at her. With a shudder, she moved on.

  It was slightly warmer inside the tent and she unzipped her jacket. Her sneakers made a slight scuffing sound on the canvas floor. She looked to the right but couldn’t see much of anything in the gloom. The security lights weren’t giving off enough illumination to penetrate the far corners of each divided area.

  No matter. Kellsie wasn’t about to give up yet. “The carousel has to be here somewhere.” She spoke aloud to push aside the eerie feeling creeping over her. It felt as though there was someone watching her. “Is anyone here?”

  Nothing. Total silence.

  Her heart picked up and began to race. Sweat beaded her temple. “This is ridiculous.” She’d been in a ton of horror movies. She’d survived the foster-care system. She’d walked the streets of Los Angeles at night by herself, for God’s sake. Nothing frightened her.

  Squaring her shoulders, she headed farther into the tent. She was going to see the carousel before she left this place.

  A few more steps brought her next to a small wooden sign proclaiming this was the fortuneteller’s area. Kellsie could make out a small table with a black covering studded with gold stars. A crystal ball and a stack of cards rested there. She assumed they were tarot cards of some kind.

  The end of the tent was close, but short corridors veered off to the right and the left. Kellsie instinctively went left. There was less light that way but her eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to see the sides of the walls as she hurried to the opening at the end.

  Was it her imagination or was there more light down there?

  She sincerely hoped so. She was beginning to get seriously spooked by this place. Not even the wind penetrated the thick canvas walls. It was too quiet for Kellsie’s peace of mind. The only sound she could hear was that of her ragged breath.

  She grabbed the flap and, at the last second, kept herself from flinging it back. There could be someone in there and she probably shouldn’t be wandering around here at night. Not that she’d get in trouble or anything, but she didn’t want to piss off the set designer.

  Easing the flap aside, Kellsie peered inside. A bright spotlight shone on the center of the room. She stepped inside, no longer caring if there was someone already in there. The carousel stood in solitary splendor. It had to be a replica of an antique because it was like something from a bygone era. The base and the top were heavily carved with curlicues and spirals. It was fanciful and beautiful, exactly what a carousel should be.

  She knew there would be space for seven animals on the ride, but four were missing, leaving gaps of several feet and the metal bolts that had once anchored them to the base. Only three animals remained.

  Kellsie moved closer, studying the chipped white and red paint and gold gilding that was fading at the top and base. The animals themselves were in perfect condition and even more beautiful than she’d expected.

  Whoever had carved the wolf had caught him in mid-stride. His muscles rippled beneath his fur, his jaws open on a snarl, revealing his sharp white teeth. He looked fierce and gorgeous.

  She reached out her hand and ran it over his flanks. If she closed her eyes, she could easily imagine she was touching fur. “Wow. This is spectacular,” she breathed. “You’re one tough creature.” It was all too easy to picture the wolf racing through the woods in search of prey.

  There was an empty space beside the wolf. A small metal label was bolted next to it and it read Serpent. Next to that was another space with a label that read Jaguar. Too bad the script called for them to be missing. She would have loved to have seen the artist’s rendition of both. She imagined the jaguar would be sleek and deadly with sharp teeth and a powerful jaw. The serpent, she wasn’t so certain about. Would it be snake-like or more of a dragon?

  Her breath caught in her throat as she studied the next animal. A huge brown bear stared back at her through dark, expressive eyes. The effect was so real, Kellsie would almost swear the creature was actually alive and watching her.

  “Amazing.” She stroked the fur covering his massive body, which had been painted a combination of varying shades of brown with a hint of black. Powerful and commanding, this was the king of the forest. The claw on her necklace seemed to pulse against her skin. She reached over her shoulder and absently rubbed her tattoo. There was no mistaking the sheer brute strength of this animal.

  She tore herself away from the bear and forced herself to examine the rest of the carousel. There was another empty space. The label on this one seemed slightly scorched, which was a brilliant touch considering it was supposed to have housed a phoenix. She could picture a great beast painted in shades of red and gold, like fire.

  Next came the lion. He was a formidable beast with a huge mane. Muscles rippled beneath his tawny skin and his jaws were open on a silent roar.

  Beside him was another empty space. The plaque on this one read White Tiger. She didn’t think he’d have been totally white, but would have had dark stripes down his body.

  She wished they were all here for her to see, but the movie was on a budget and the other animals weren’t necessary. They’d obviously hired a skilled craftsman to create the animals that were here. There was no way they were antique. They’d have cost a fortune. She also couldn’t imagine anyone owning one of these carousel animals and parting with them.

  She rounded the carousel again and the bear drew her to him. He really was quite an incredible thing to look at. Massive. That was the best way to describe him. Even standing on all fours, he was almost as tall as she was. Thick muscles were covered with a heavy coat of fur. Long, lethal claws tipped his paws. His jaw was wide, his nose a velvety black.

  Reaching out, Kellsie stroked his nose. She jerked her hand back and cradled it against her chest. It had felt cool and moist. Impossible. “Boy, this thing is real enough to play on the imagination.”

  Chewing on her bottom lip, she studied his wide back. There were no painted-on saddles like on most carousel animals, just the creature’s broad body, which could easily hold her. Heck, her feet wouldn’t even come near the ground.

  She put out her hand again and was surprised to see it was quivering. A combination of nerves and excitement, she supposed. She hoped she’d have to sit on him for the movie shoot for at least one of the scenes. The part of the script she’d read hadn’t specified which creature was supposed to come to life. Maybe she’d have to sit on all of them. Of course, there was always the off chance she wouldn’t have to actually ride any of them at all. Maybe her character released the mythical warrior in some other way.

  If that was the case, she might never get another opportunity to be this close to the bear again. “You won’t hurt anything,” she promised herself. “Sitting on him won’t damage the paint job.”

  Kellsie touched the bear’s flank. Shit, it really felt like fur. This was crazy. She should just go back to her trailer and get a good night’s sleep. The director would probably be back tomorrow, if he hadn’t already
shown up while she was holed up in her trailer, and she’d have to get down to work.

  And she really should hunt down Brittany and see about getting a complete script. There would be fourteen to eighteen-hour days of nonstop work for the next three to four weeks and she needed to be ready.

  “I need to be rested if I’m going to run lines with Mordecai,” she muttered. She didn’t even know the guy’s last name. Something she’d have to remedy before the start of the shoot. She’d ask Brittany, while making the younger woman well aware of the fact that Kellsie had no interest in him beyond his acting abilities. No way was she getting involved in some sort of romantic triangle.

  A low growl had her jumping back and slapping a hand over her pounding heart. She almost fell but managed to keep upright. “Great. Now I’m hearing things.”

  She glanced around the tent, but only the carousel was spotlighted. Anyone could be standing in the shadows watching her. “Is anyone there?”

  She listened but heard only silence. Maybe her stomach had growled in complaint of the junk food she’d stuffed in there earlier today. She made another turn of the carousel. The lion and wolf were quite spectacular, but nothing compared to the bear.

  Returning to the creature’s side, she reached out slowly and placed her hand on his back. It was slightly warm, but no more than it should be when sitting under a spotlight. “Nothing but painted, carved wood.”

  Why that made her so sad, she couldn’t say. But her heart ached at the thought this creature would be frozen in time forever. She wouldn’t want to really meet a bear this size. He’d eat her for lunch.

  “You wouldn’t hurt me though, would you?” She stroked down his powerful right flank. Maybe when the movie was over she could talk the director into letting her buy the bear. She’d sell her kitchen table if she had to in order to make room for him in her tiny apartment.

  “Would you like to come home with me when this is all done?” For some reason, she didn’t feel silly talking to the creature, which could, of course, mean she seriously needed therapy.