by Greg Dragon
There was a large bonfire with demons swaying rhythmically around it. A tall, beautiful, brown-skinned girl was bound and levitating near the fire; she looked extremely frightened but seemed unable to get free of her binds. She wore a purple dress and there were dark stains of blood spattered on it. She floated around the fire—as if being swung by an invisible line from the heavens—and the demons kept dancing as if she wasn’t there.
“We need to stop this!” Tracy whispered, and James nodded his head at her.
Suddenly the flames exploded, and the demons were consumed in its fire. Tracy, James and Donald were forced to shield their eyes as the explosion produced a blindingly bright light. When it was finished, the campsite was dark so they put on their night vision goggles to see the aftermath of the explosion. There were demon corpses all over the ground along with the girl in the purple dress who looked as if she had been drained of all color.
Tracy didn’t know what to think about the entire ritual but she was too focused to try and apply logic. Above the corpse of the girl floated a shadowy figure. This silhouette held a blackness that was incredibly dense. Even with the goggles, the only thing she could see was a slightly feminine shape to it along with two angry, glowing eyes.
“I think we found our answer,” Donald said as he stared at the apparition in disbelief.
The shadow scooped up some of the flesh from the demons and consumed it. It continued doing this for the next half hour and by the time it was done, it had taken on the form of an actual human being.
The form was that of the girl they sacrificed and she reached down, removed the clothes from the corpse, dressed herself, and adjusted her hair. The shadows around her were dense and moved unnaturally and the three warriors who witnessed this ritual stayed frozen as they saw the demon disguise itself as one of them. When the girl was dressed and ready, she made to leave but then looked suddenly at the area where James and company stood.
She opened her mouth and emitted an ear-piercing scream that was painful to hear and then the shadows moved towards them, like a living creature that no longer needed a host to survive. Tracy saw it coming and started to shoot at it, but it was a shadow and her bullets simply passed through it, some hitting the demon woman behind it.
The screaming intensified and when the shadow reached their party, James, Donald and Tracy added their own screams as the ice-cold chill that came from the shadow’s touch made them drop their weapons involuntarily. It was colder than anything any of them had ever felt and as they stood there, paralyzed by its touch, the woman walked over and began to tear Donald apart with her bare hands. It was hard for Tracy to watch it happen and even harder to hear his screams as she sat there helpless, frozen by the dark.
The torturing of Donald went on for a time and when he was dead, it moved on to James, slashing and clawing at him like a frenzied beast. The big man fought back as much as he could but the damage was too much and his legs buckled from beneath him. Tracy fought against the cold when she saw this and grabbed her phone to call Alysia. If she would be dying along with the men, she wanted people to know where they were so they could get some payback.
When the demon saw the phone, it swatted it out of her hands and pushed her back as if annoyed. What followed next was a bit of a standoff as Tracy stared down the demon and its glowing eyes as it stopped and stared back at her.
It was as if it were looking deep within her soul for vulnerability, but Tracy had no weakness in this instance. She was still the tough cowgirl whose father had taught her how to shoot from the time she was able to walk, and no shadow, no mysterious demon conjured up from the bodies of fallen men, would get the better of her.
James lay on the ground, his wounds too much to bear. The cold made them feel like the least of his problems; the most he could do was look on. Tracy was all fire with her fists balled up and her face grim, and she stared at the screaming demon as if she didn’t care what it had in store for her. As soon as the demon made to get close to her, she swung a right cross into its jaw and the demon woman backed up, holding her cheek. The chilling darkness followed her as she retreated, surprised at Tracy’s actions, and seemingly hurt by the punch.
Tracy then pulled a pistol that was in a holster by her leg and began to shoot at the fleeing demon who now backed up and disappeared into the trees. She kept the gun high, waiting to see if the demon would reemerge but after a while when it stayed hidden, she assumed that it had given up and holstered her weapon to pick up her phone.
She sent a text message to Alysia, asking her to send help. She sent a GPS beacon with the message and hoped that Alysia would receive it and be able to send a rescue party their way.
She thought about the ritual and the way it felt when her fist connected with the jaw of the demon woman. It felt no different than a human’s jaw—having punched out her share of bad guys on the job—and she remembered that when she stared at the demon, it looked very much like a woman with the only difference being that slight glow to her eyes. She let the thought pass and then knelt down to check on James since he was laughing hysterically, and she wondered if he was going through a bit of psychosis during the last hours of his life.
“Jimmy, are you okay? How you doing? Can you move?” she asked and James looked up at her nodded.
“I think I just need to catch my breath, Tracy,” he said, as he rolled to one side and tried to move his legs, happy when he realized that he actually could.
“Sometimes it takes a good ass kicking to remember just how old you are,” he joked, then looked over at Donald and shook his head “I feel so bad for what happened just now,” he said. “Donald didn’t deserve to die like that. The man fought for his country, several tours actually, and did many good things when he came back. Man like that is supposed to be honored in his death, people are supposed to cry over him. But look at this.” And he motioned to his friend’s corpse with his open hand. “You know, I’ve always told CeeCee that life ain’t fair, but when it comes to stuff like this, it just seems like life likes to pick the wrong sides a whole hell of a lot.”
“Well I’m glad you’re alive,” Tracy said. “When I saw how that thing tore Donald apart, the only thing I could think about was that we need to do something or she’s going to tear us apart the same way. He got the short end of the stick when she attacked, and not even his fast reflexes could have helped him against that. It could’ve been any of us, and I think we need to make sure we kill that thing, not only for Donald, but for the people that she intends to hurt.”
James nodded at her and pulled up his legs. “If you don’t mind, Tracy, I need to stay here for a while. I just feel … tired, and it’s not so much because she attacked me, but well, as you know, we haven’t slept in about thirty six hours.”
Tracy knew James was right. When she saw the darkness moving, she had thought she was hallucinating from lack of sleep, but when the men saw the same thing she knew it was real. Until now, there had been no moment when they could afford to be sleepy. They had been fighting all night against the rushing demons, trying to keep them away from the bunker.
The three of them had forgone the luxury of going back to their bunker beds to fall asleep. Alysia’s revelation about the demon’s ritual was a top priority for them. So, they had set out to catch the demons in the act and here they were, reeling from the aftermath. It wasn’t as if they had much of a plan coming out there, but at the same time, they needed to see what the demons were doing. Tracy’s thoughts moved towards the bigger picture.
What could the demons do with a form that looked as human as the one that attacked us? So now, we have giants, flying creatures, kreples, demons, and now a version in the form of a beautiful woman. In this last thought, her mind took her to a scenario where the demon managed to get into the bunker. She thought about how most of the people would accept and defend her because they had not seen a demon like her before.
What if she could stop her eyes from glowing? What if she could speak their languag
e? Who would be there to show the others she wasn’t real? On top of that, she thought, what if there were already demons within the bunker, within the government, and within the military, making key decisions? How do you combat that?
She looked over at her friend and it suddenly dawned on her that he wasn’t wearing his helmet.
“James, your mask is off!” Tracy exclaimed, as the old Seal sat up and made himself more comfortable in the grass. The clearing seemed eerily serene and there was a light mist settling in around them. It felt strange having to wear a mask as if she was on another planet.
She looked down at Donald with the memory of his death fresh in her mind. That could have easily been me, she thought and then she looked over at James, who had suffered a portion of the shadow’s attack himself. The creature had shredded his mask and suit, and she could see the dark red wounds on his body that bled freely from the cuts.
Tracy removed her helmet and gloves, determined to suffer the same fate as her friend. She inhaled the stench of sulfur and death that was all around her, then turned her phone on, took a photo of herself with a forced smile, and sent it to Alysia, asking for an update. She wondered at the so-called chemicals in the air. Had they even deployed them to kill off the creatures?
“What do you think, Jimmy? This whole ‘bombing the creatures to save the country.’ Is it a crock of crap or what?” she asked and James looked over at her with the same expressionless glance he always had.
“Of course it is. There’s nothing in the air save for demon stink. Whoever was on that broadcast wasn’t the President. I’m starting to question everything about this operation too. The missing troops, giants popping in whenever they want. Now we have this foolishness. It’s like we’re in a horror movie now. Screaming ghosts?”
“You know, the whole premise of random monsters storming the coast with minimal military personnel to fight back is a little strange. Have you tried calling out to anyone beyond state lines?” Tracy asked.
“No, I don’t really know anybody that ain’t here. A few war buddies, and Kendra has some family in Florida, but I haven’t tried.”
“Kendra. Is that your wife’s name?”
“Yep, that is her name. I keep thinking she was the lucky one in that attack. She was a good, God-fearing woman. Not the way you’re thinking, bopping people over the head with her bible or throwing around scripture to trump out arguments, but really a genuinely good woman.
For her to see the world turn into this, despite who or what is behind it … I don’t know, Tracy, this nonsense is enough to make someone lose their religion. I know how much her faith meant to her, so maybe she was spared all of this for a reason.” He chuckled and looked off to the side, and Tracy saw emotion come across his face for the first time since she met him. He looked as if he would cry but he dug deep and steeled himself against it.
“Are you not a Christian, Jimmy?” Tracy asked, since his words were hard to take from someone who actually believed. Raised in the church, Tracy still believed very much in the kingdom of heaven, but James sounded like a cynic, so she wondered where he was spiritually.
“I’m an old war dog that has witnessed and committed acts that would make any god cringe, Tracy. It’s not for everybody – religion, I mean. I’ve seen guys with their guts on the floor, crying for their mothers to help them instead of their god, and before all of that they could recite the whole damn bible. We fool ourselves with stories of make-believe. Nobody wants to hear that when you die you just take an extended sleep that you don’t wake up from. They want white, cloudy highways, an eternal father to be proud of them, and someone to forgive them when they behave badly as human beings.” He smiled when he said this last part, as if he was proud of himself for the speech.
“Okay,” Tracy said. “You still haven’t answered my question. Are you a Christian?”
James looked at her with ice in his dark brown eyes, and she could tell by his posture that he was getting weak from the blood loss. “I’ve been baptized, Trace. Let’s just leave it at that.”
So, I’m Trace now, Tracy thought and it pleased her to have James drop his formality with her, even if it was just a name. She got up to administer aid for his wounds and she found that most of them were treatable, even with what they had there. Her phone came to life and Alysia’s name was on it, so she stopped wrapping James’ leg to answer it.
“Alysia, did you get my messages?” Tracy asked, hoping the reply would be something along the lines of “yes, actually we’re on our way to you.” What she got instead was a long pause, and she could hear shuffling in the background as if she was moving.
“I’m coming to help you.” Alysia said, and Tracy didn’t like the singularity in her promise.
“So, none of the others are willing to come out here to get us?” Tracy asked, her voice cracking with the disappointment she felt in the people of the bunker.
“No, it’s not that, Tracy, see … well, we took all of the suits. I turned mine in with Jaime when we got back but now those are missing too. Some soldiers went out to go look for their missing team. I’m pretty capable, so don’t think you’re going to be alone. They called in for help from the neighboring bunker, but you guys sounded desperate, so I’m coming out to help. Please don’t argue against me doing it.”
Tracy understood what Alysia meant, and so she didn’t object to her risking it. She had been in the wilderness longer than most. She had been a prisoner of the demons, had fought them up close, and even faced a giant or two. Alysia Knight was a barrel full of bravery rolled up into a small woman’s body, so who was she to tell her not to come out to rescue her father?
“Bring medical supplies if you can and hurry CeeCee,” Tracy said.
“Are you hurt? How is my Dad? Can I talk to him?”
Tracy handed James the phone and resumed her wrapping of his leg to cover the wound. She looked around for the demon, thinking it was at times like this when an ambush was likely. She pulled the rifle close and saw that James hadn’t released his. If anything tried to get the jump on them he would get a few rounds off, and this reassured her that he was doing better than he looked.
“Dad, how are you feeling?” Alysia asked.
“Better, loads better. Your voice helps, but a shot of Jack would do the trick.”
“I’m not bringing you liquor, Dad, but it’s good to hear you joking despite what I saw in that photograph.”
Tracy hadn’t realized that the photo she took of her face had also caught the mangled body of Donald on the ground. When Alysia had seen it she panicked, thinking it was her father and that she needed to act immediately. It prompted her to rush out of the bunker without asking for anybody’s help. The suits were indeed gone and many people would not risk their health to step out without one, but the rash action of Alysia did not afford them that choice. She had snuck out and ran to the barracks, but forced herself to slow down to call Tracy for a better idea on their situation.
“Sit tight and I will be there soon,” she said to her father and then hung up the phone and looked around for supplies.
~ * ~ * ~
The moon was out. Alysia could still make out the bodies of the demons and soldiers, scattered around the entrance to the bunker. She gripped the handgun firmly and then looked behind her to make sure that nobody was following her. What are you doing CeeCee? This is crazy, she thought as she briskly walked towards the trees. They loomed like slim giants daring her to come at them, and the wind that made their limbs sway like mocking hands only added to the illusion.
The GPS on her phone led her to where her father was, but she felt foolish for coming out there alone. She thought about doubling back to get Jaime and Debdan, but she was too far now, so she pushed her fear as far to the side as she could and then slipped into the forest, trying her best to stay quiet.
Alysia wore all black clothes but there was no armor or mask to protect her. All she had on was a dress with a pair of combat boots and the gun that Jaime had given he
r when they first met.
She cat-walked past the damp trunks of the shadowy maple trees, but the wet mud through which she sloshed made enough noise to warn anyone she was coming. She wished she could take them off and sneak along with her bare feet, but the fear of stepping on something sharp and crippling made her reconsider it.
Without a mask to filter it, the air smelled like rotten eggs. It was that same distinct odor of sulfur that the demons emitted, and it made her skin crawl at the thought of being captured again. She was a few minutes into her trek when she thought she heard a noise coming from behind her. She walked a few more steps and then spun with her gun out, pointing back at the source of the sound.
All she could see was blackness, and the eerie silence was only broken by the sounds of crickets. She resumed her march until she heard it again, but this time she was quite sure that something was behind her. Is it walking in cadence with my steps in order to mask its approach?
She pulled out her phone and activated the flashlight, then stepped and spun while simultaneously bringing it up. This time her pursuer was revealed; four demons stood in front of her, covering their eyes from the blinding light. When Alysia saw them, she panicked and took off running. She could take on one demon if that was what was following her, but what she saw was a group and that meant she would be captured.
The GPS chimed, letting her know she was close, and she cursed herself for not setting it to silent. She held it up, wondering if the direction she sprinted had taken her off course. Does it really matter? The hellions were coming, and she couldn’t afford to get caught.
When she came upon a campsite, she slowed her sprint without looking behind her. In front of her and kneeling with her rifle aimed directly at Alysia was Tracy, and behind her was James—her father, lying on his back but still holding his rifle.
Tracy’s shot whizzed past Alysia’s face and the first demon got it in the chest and fell down screaming. This prompted Alysia to dive and roll past the dead embers of the bonfire, and she shuffled to the area where her father lay. She saw the mangled body of Donald, and at his head were the rifle and sword he always kept with him.
