by Tia Wilson
The bear looked down the alley and sniffed the air. Stale tobacco flooded its snout. The bear ran down the alley way its huge paws kicking up sprays of water as it ran through puddles of dirty water. It turned the corner and the other man was up ahead. He hadn’t got very far and was getting slower. The bear increased its speed.
The mans lungs were burning, tears streamed down his cheeks and his head felt like it was on fire. What kind of demon did he see back there, his fevered brain thought as he tried to get away as fast as possible. He heard the sound of something splashing through a puddle behind him and he glanced back. A black bear was barrelling towards him, its tongue lolling out of its blood stained mouth.
The mans stomach felt like it dropped twenty floors in an elevator as his legs gave him a burst of speed. The bear swiped at him and knocked his legs out from under him. The man fell hard, his jaws clacking shut on his tongue as he hit the pavement. Blood filled his mouth as he crawled on his stomach trying to get away.
The bear slammed a paw into the mans back and he screamed in pain as the claws dug into his back. His back arched painfully as he tried feebly to push the bear off him. The bear looked at the squirming man pinned to the ground. The bear opened its jaws wide and snapped down on the back of the mans neck. The bones crunched as the bear gave the mans body a shake. The life was already leaving the mans body as the bear turned him over to feast on his entrails.
Twenty minutes later the girl walked out of the alley with the over turned dumpster. She was wearing the gold toothed mans jacket zipped up and had taken his pants and shoes. As she walked away from the torn apart body she tossed something up in the air that glinted and then caught it. She smiled and put the gold tooth into her pocket. She pulled the drawstring tight on the pants and headed in the direction of home.
Graces head snapped back and hit the back of the chair. Her whole body felt like it was burning up and she could feel a sensation like a thousand insects crawling over her. She could taste the metallic twinge of blood in her mouth. Everything was a blur around her and she turned and retched. I can still taste the raw flesh she thought as her guts churned. Her stomach dry heaved a couple more times and she wiped her mouth. She could still smell the dampness of the alleyway, the stink of tobacco and fear. “Help me,” she said her voice coming out broken and frail.
“I told you it was her,” a voice said sounding like it was floating up from the bottom of a lake.
Another voice said, “We can increase the dosage the next time.”
“What did you see?” a voice said to her through the fog of confusion. Her head lolled to the side as she tried to focus on anything around her, everything was awash in pulsing colours, the world a water colour painting. “What did you see?” the voice said louder and the blurred world around Grace seemed to shimmer and shift as the sound waves moved outwards from the man.
Grace tried to talk and her mouth felt like it was stuffed with dirty rags, her tongue didn’t want to move as her head rolled over on her shoulder. I’m made of glass her fevered brain thought, if I move I’m going to shatter into a million pieces.
Someone slapped her hard against the face and her head slammed back into the chair, a sound like a stick of dynamite exploded in her head and she moaned. The world around her began to clear and solidify. Coloured smears began to coalesce into the figures of three men watching her intently. Images of the alleyway, the men, the bear and the carnage faded away as the world came back into focus and she remembered where she was.
“Water,” she said through dry cracked lips.
The doctor approached and held her head back and poured some water from a bottle into her mouth. She swallowed and images of crimson blood spraying into her open mouth filled her mind. Grace coughed and spluttered and the doctor stopped. She looked at the three men watching her as the pain slowly left her body.
“What did you do to me?” she asked, her voice sounded broken and scratchy.
Tulimak looked at her with a smile, obviously pleased with what he had witnessed. “You just had your first very weak dose of bile. If you are who we think you are, you will be able to handle a lot stronger dose. If not,” and he shrugged his shoulders, “so be it.”
“What did you see?” the Doctor asked. Slattery was standing across the room in the far corner taking notes again. Anne’s face was turned to Grace and her eyes were closed and her eyes were twitching behind her dark blue and almost bruised looking eyelids.
“I don’t know,” Grace said and she wasn't lying. Everything was out of sequence in her mind, images, tastes, sounds all mixed up together. If she tried to picture what had happened it would slide out of grasp and she would be left with only a faint after image of the events. “I could smell burning. I was at a zoo I think. People screaming. Animals running wild. I don’t know please, I cant see what happened,” she said as her voice began to shake and before she knew it she was crying, her whole body shaking. If she wasn’t strapped to the chair she would have slid off it onto the ground and curled up into a ball. I don’t know what’s happening she thought to herself as her chest heaved painfully as she cried.
“She’s of no use to use now,” the doctor said, “her brain needs to process what just happened. Piece it back together like a jigsaw.”
“How long before we can dose her again,” Tulimak said sounding impatient.
“Twenty four hours and she should be strong enough for a double strength dose. Let her rest until then,” the doctor said.
“She has twelve, and then we try again,” Tulimak said.
“She needs at least twenty four hours,” the doctor said and Tulimak turned to him, no trace of a smile on his face.
“She’s lucky I’m benevolent enough to give her twelve. You’re slipping Doctor. You always let yourself get too involved with these specimens. Remember what happened last time?” Tulimak said.
“Twelve hours it is. Can I move them to the room next door with the cots. The more proper rest she gets the better she can withstand the effects of the bile,” the doctor said.
“Slattery, prepare the room next door. Make it comfortable for our guests. Doctors orders,” he said looking at the doctor with a scowl.
Tulimak kneeled down in front of Grace and held her head by the chin, his fingers dug painfully into her flesh and he said, “I’ll be seeing you soon. Save your strength. You get to go on another joyride first thing tomorrow morning.”
Grace stared into his eyes and all she saw was hatred and anger towards her and she felt a chill run through her body. He held her gaze and gave one more powerful squeeze of her face before getting up and walking out of the room, Slattery and the doctor following him.
She felt a wave of relief when they left the room, being close to Tulimak made her feel like she was standing beside a rabid animal, at any moment he was about to turn around and snap and bite at her. He had made Grace feel like a tiny scared animal, his beast nature seemed to bubble directly under the surface of his humanity. He felt unpredictable, dangerous and she had tensed any time he got close to her. He looked like a human, but she could barely feel any kind of real humanity coming from him. Being in his presence felt different to Grace than when she was around members of the black bear clan.
“You’re alive,” Anne said in a strained voice startling Grace.
Grace looked at her friend and tried to smile and it wouldn't come. “I feel like I’ve been thrown down ten flights of stairs,” she said wincing.
“The bile will do that to you. Grace most people don't survive. I thought I lost you earlier,” Anne said though gritted teeth.
“I couldn’t stand it, I had given up, I wanted to die, the pain was so immense. I don’t think I can go through that again. I was begging to die as it felt like it was ripping me apart,” Grace said and shuddered at the memory of the searing pain.
“Did you see anything when you were under?” Anne said in a low voice.
“I don’t know. I’m still trying to piece it together. I have fr
agments. Scents and sensations that are all scrambled up in a mess. My brain hurts trying to think about it,” Grace said.
“Its use has been banned in the black bear clan now for close to a hundred years,” Anne said.
“Do shifters take it as well,” Grace said trying to stretch as much as possible against her restraints. Her shoulders and knees popped with the effort and her whole body felt bruised.
“It’s even more dangerous and unpredictable if we take it. Legends tell of shifters going crazy on their first dose, rambling constantly and repeating phrases again and again, nothing can be done to help the poor souls. Others die painful and protracted deaths, the kind of horrific way of going that you don’t want to ever have to think of. Others get hooked on it like it’s the most powerful narcotic ever designed. The unluckiest ones who take it go into a state of flux. They can’t control their human or animal side and they keep transforming randomly. Arms will shred and the flesh falls away as it shifts into the bear state, while the rest of the body stays human, it can’t be controlled and over a couple of days the shifters body will eventually tear itself apart from hundreds of full or partial transformations coming in rapid succession. It is the most horrifying way for a shifter to go. If they are lucky someone will put them down before the worst of it starts,” Anne said closing her eyes tight in pain as she winced.
“Rest,” Grace said, “you need your strength.”
“Talking keeps my mind off the pain,” she said opening her eyes and giving a weak smile to Grace. “This stuff is dangerous. Our clan tries to not even talk about the stuff as its use comes from a dark period in our clans history. We still don't even fully know what its effects are on shifters or humans. There have been rumours that some members of the white clan started up large scale trials during world war two. They had access to a steady stream of subjects in the camps and conducted one of the biggest tests of bile on humans. The white bear clan might understand the substances effects more than we could ever know. These are dangerous times if they have started using bile again. We need to get out and warn the rest of the clan somehow,” Anne said.
“Can you move with that thing sticking out of your side?” Grace said.
“If I can get it out and I have enough energy left I should be able to heal the wound enough to be able to move,” she said and sniffed the air. “We are on a farm of some kind. I think it might be a cattle farm. I can smell the faint scent of livestock, but it smells like it hasn't been used as a working farm for a long time. Did you see any of the place when they brought us in?” Anne asked.
“I was out cold when they brought me in. I’ve only seen this room the whole time,” Grace said feeling the hopelessness of their situation weighing down on her.
“We can try,” Anne started to say and was interrupted when Slattery entered the tiled room.
“Ladies,” he said with a sweeping hand gesture, “we are moving you to better quarters. Somewhere a little more comfortable so you can both rest for your big day tomorrow.” He clicked his fingers and two guards dressed in all black combat gear came in. They had automatic rifles slung on their shoulders and thick utility belts with a club on one side and a matt black can of pepper spray in the other holster. “Take her to the prepared room,” Slattery said pointing at Anne. “If she makes any kind of move take out her eyes with your pepper spray. Make sure you get a few blasts of it in her open wound. That should keep her in her place,” he said and the guards returned curt nods. The two guards wheeled out Anne on the metal table and she glanced back in Graces direction as she was pushed through the heavy fronds of plastic hanging over the door frame. Her eyes were wide with fear as she passed out of view.
Slattery paced back and forth across the centre of the room and ran his fingers through his slicked back blonde hair. He watched Grace as he walked with a look of wariness. “You chose the wrong side, lady,” Slattery said with barely hidden disgust. “How could you let yourself get mixed up with the black bear clan? They are rotten from the inside, lying to themselves for centuries now about their true natures. The secrets they have tried to bury so they can look like a bunch of peaceful weaklings. If you only knew half of their history you would run away screaming from them and straight to our clan. We are honest with ourselves, we embrace our animal nature, welcome the advantages it gives us over the humans. If you believe in that,” Slattery said pointing up the heavens, “we are only doing what was given to us by a higher power. We aren’t meant to be second class citizens in this world. The humans have had their chance, now its the shifters time to step into the light,” he said grinning at her.
“Is that what this is all about? World domination. How are you any different than the humans you look down on?” Grace said with utter hate in her voice.
Slattery laughed at her as if she was nothing more than a small child who couldn’t understand a complicated issue. “Trust a human to think in such black and white terms. It’s not about domination, we want to bring about change, real change. You all had your chance at the prize it’s time for a regime change.”
Grace said nothing and watched Slattery pace back and forth across the room. He looks like a puffed up peacock Grace thought, I’d love to see the smug grin wiped off his pretty boy face. Slattery looked like he was about to start into another rant when the two guards returned. He took out his notebook and jotted something down and said to the guards, “Careful with her she looks like she might still have some fight in her. Break every finger on her right hand if she tries anything.” He gave Grace one last smarmy look and then left the tiled room.
“Take it nice and easy,” the bigger of the two guards said in a heavily accented voice. Was it Russian, or maybe German, Grace wasn't sure. His right ear had a chunk taken out of it. The ragged edges looking like pink putty.
When the straps were opened Grace couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. She rubbed her aching wrists and gently massaged the frayed and raw skin of her wrists. The guard poked her in the shoulder and she got up from the chair on wobbly legs. They lead her out of the tiled room into a concrete floored corridor. Bare bulbs hung at intervals casting a dim yellow light. The guard in front of her looked pale and diseased under the weak lights. The corridor tilted at a sickening angle and Grace leaned against the walls trying to hold on. The guard behind her poked the butt of his gun into the base of her spine. “Keep moving,” he said in a flat tone. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she tried to straighten up and walk without stumbling. A smell of bleach and harsh disinfectant filled her nose making her stomach churn as she walked on. Grace doubled over and then fell to her knees and vomited out the water she had just drank. The smell of stale tobacco had filled her nostrils and for an instant she had seen streaks of blood and chunks of flesh slide down the walls of the corridor.
The guard behind her pushed Grace with his boot. “You stop again. I break your thumb,” he said. Grace got up and went on. The scent of tobacco was overpowering and she held her stomach as it spasmed painfully. They passed by doors with symbols on them that Grace didn’t know until they turned the corner and walked to the door at the end. The first guard opened the heavy metal door and Grace was pushed hard from behind. She sprawled onto the floor and her knees throbbed in agony at the blow. The door slammed shut behind her and she rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling while panting hard.
14
Tulimak
“They can’t be trusted,” Tulimak said as he stood at the large window that overlooked the compound. Fifty years ago this place had been the centre for beef slaughter for the county. After an incident involving Tulimak that had to be hushed up, the business had to be eventually shut down, leaving the slaughter house and the work sheds that dotted the huge ranch to fall into disrepair.
“They can barely conceal their hatred towards us, they are nothing more than twisted freaks,” Slattery said pouring himself a sizeable measure of bourbon from the drinks cart.
“You have eyes on them while they are at the
compound?” Tulimak said with his back to Slattery.
“Two groups of hidden guards, each pair positioned with views across any exit routes. They won’t be going anywhere without us knowing,” Slattery said downing half the tumbler and joining Tulimak by his side.
“What about a tracker?” Tulimak asked.
“One of our men slipped it into Nasaks pocket when we patted them down. The tracker is designed to look like a coin. Once they leave the compound we will have eyes on them constantly.”
Tulimak closed his eyes for a few seconds and then opened them and continued to stare out across the compound. Slattery knew to never expect praise for a job well done.
“I can still smell him here. It’s like he is standing right behind me and judging everything that I do,” Tulimak said. He looked around at the office that was once his fathers and said, “Can you remember the last time we were here?”
“How can I forget. It was the night with Redmond and Hitchley,” Slattery said swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “I think that was the first time I saw your father ever really lose control. If it wasn’t for you he would of killed me,” he said tipping his head towards Tulimak.
A thick layer of dust flew into the air as Tulimak threw the heavy cloth off the large oak desk that dominated the centre of the room. He ran his fingers over the concentric circles of the rings of the tree that the desk was made out of. “Anything for a friend,” he said in a flat tone. “Look at us now, how things have changed in those years. What were you back then? An errand boy for my father?” Tulimak said relishing seeing Slattery squirm as he was reminded of his lowly beginnings.
