by Justin Sloan
“Please don’t let him catch us,” Rohan said, sinking into his seat and covering his face.
“It was this or our lives,” Nora said.
“What?”
She turned down a side-street and Rohan looked to see they were going into a less crowded area that led to a part of town with churches and trees in the distance.
“We needed a car,” Nora said. “It was this or let the society get us, kill us, and do who knows what with the tablet.”
“I get it,” he said. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it. Damn, that poor woman.”
“Judging from what I saw, she stays happy.”
“What?” It took a moment for the joke to sit in, and then he laughed. “I can’t believe that guy went chasing after us in his birthday suit.”
“Only half,” she said, chuckling.
“Well, now that that insanities over….”
“Maccu Pitchu?” she glanced over at him. “Are we ready for that?”
“We don’t have a choice.”
Chapter 14
Finding the train station to get to Maccu Pichu wasn’t hard, but it was crowded. More so than Rohan would have thought, but then again, he hadn’t been much into the tourist scene lately.
“Do they let people up the
Rohan and Nora worked their way up the trail. They could’ve worn warmer clothes, that was for sure.
SCENE: Inca Trail
Beautiful mountain trail. Cold. [need to do some research and watch some YT videos on what it looks like]. Rohan and Nora start on the trail, working their way up. They have some conversation, struggle as the trail gets steeper and steeper.
As they’re climbing up, they encounter a bear cub that is prouncing along one of the terraced fields. They think it’s cute at first. As they keep going, they encounter the mother---a spectacled black bear, an endangered species. The mother roars at them and they prepare to run, but then a dark soul drifts into the bear’s body. It starts going crazy and attacks them. It’s an “oh shit” kind of battle because it shows what kind of new power Altemus has. Bear is frantic, running all over the place, fucking all kinds of shit up. Rohan and Nora eventually expel the dark soul from the bear, and the bear runs away afraid. Rohan and Nora are terrified and look up the hill where Macchu Picchu is, and worry that there’s a huge fight ahead.
-- remember they have to be in a hurry, but not get there until almost sunrise. Maybe edit earlier stuff to make this work?
Scene: Macchu Pichu
Rohan and Nora arrive at Macchu Picchu late, late in the night, and they head for the Sun altar [need to do research here before we write this so it’s geographically correct]. A hotel glimmers in the dark, and they hear people enjoying themselves in the distance, drinking and such. The ruins are dark, but there are guards patrolling and Rohan and Nora hide, avoiding one as he passes.
(***)
Then one of the figures turned and, in the bright moonlight, Rohan saw a face he hadn’t expected to show up here—Tess! And beside her, Beverly!
“Wha—what are you doing here?” he asked.
The voice that came out of Beverly was not hers at all. It was him—Altemus.
“Call it security,” Atelmus said through Beverly.
“One wrong move, and we destroy their bodies,” Tess now spoke, but it was Anne’s voice, full of malice. “Give us the tablet.”
Nora looked like she was about to fight, but Rohan couldn’t let his sister be hurt, and he felt he owed Tess for getting her wrapped up in this mess.
“Just give it to them,” Rohan said, defeated. “They’ve won.”
“We can’t,” Nora said, horrified.
Altemus and Anne, in Tess and Beverly’s bodies, were already searching them, and Nora didn’t resist. Altemus pulled out the tablet and smiled wickedly—a very weird sight on Rohan’s own sister’s face.
“Just promise you won’t hurt them,” Rohan said.
“You have my word,” Altemus said, holding the tablet in one hand, the orb in its box in the other. Anne motioned to a far hill, and together the two of them walked arm-in-arm. Again, it was a weird sight, considering the bodies they were occupying. But Rohan had to push that from his mind—this wasn’t his sister and the woman she’d set him up with, or it was, but their actions weren’t their own.
“This is too weidrd,” he said to Nora as they slowly followed from a safe distance to see what Altemus would do.
“I recognize the one from my house, but the other?” Nora asked.
“My sister.”
Nora gave him a horrified look, then continued on in silence.
They all passed by the barriers, where they were not supposed to pass and signs showed warnings. Maccu Pichu was made up of ruins spread along many hills, and here it was clear why the area was separated—the drop-offs were steep, the footing uneven.
At least twice, Rohan had to brace himself and help Nora to not fall. When he almost lost his footing and she pulled him back by the collar of his shirt, he fell into her and paused in a moment at the longing in her eyes. Had he noticed that before? But it was gone before he’d even had time to think about it, replaced with the terror her felt pounding in his chest.
“Keep moving,” she whispered.
Soon Altemus came to a stop at a hill past the main ruins, somewhere clearly never visited by tourists. Above, the sky was turning to dark blue with purple at its edges, the slightest hint of pink on the clouds at past the hills. There was a small hole in the ground, like a cave for a rabbit or a fox, but Altemus kicked the earth around it and some gave way, revealing a larger opening.
“This is it,” he said with a wide, smile that seemed to say he’d won. It looked so wrong on Tess’s face. “Clear the way.”
Rohan had no choice but to oblige. And, he had to admit, he was damn curious. Each kick knocked away more loose dirt, until finally there was a walk-way wide and tall enough for them to fit, though they had to duck. Altemus let Rohan take the lead, in case of traps, he said, but Rohan was glad to find there were none.
What he did find, however, caused him to freeze in awe. A raised dais of pure gold, decorated with gems the likes of which he’d only seen on his visits to the Natural History Museum in D.C. when he was a teen. The others gasped in awe, and then Rohan turned with confusion as Altemus slammed against a nearby wall. Tess’s body, which he still occupied, was not going to be in the best condition if Rohan ever succeeded in expelling Altemus.
“What’re you doing?” Anne asked from Beverly’s body.
“Clearing the path for the light.”
She frowned, and he sighed, exasperated. “This direction is the east, and if the sun doesn’t have a path by sunrise, all of this was for nothing.”
Beverly’s face lit up, and now Anne threw Beverly’s body as well against the wall. Once more, both of them hit it as one, and it give. First a low groan, and then stones started to fall outward. Beverly was still pressed against it as the wall gave, and as stones gave way to the cold of early dawn, the ruins barely visible as the sky pinked. Then Beverly began to fall.
Rohan darted over and grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back to him. She kicked him away and laughed.
“You’re pathetic,” Anne’s voice said from Beverly’s lips. “Even though it’d help your situation considerably to have me gone, you still save me.”
“It’s not you I saved.”
Beverly’s eyes sparkled black, but then turned back to him with sudden clarity and sorrow.
“Rohan, it’s me!” she said, falling forward to her knees. For a moment, the silvery wisp of Anne’s spirit appeared behind Beverly, but with an utterance from Altemus, she was back and the look in Beverly’s eye returned to one of spite and contempt.
“Bev!” Rohan shouted, kneeling before her. “Stay with me…. Come back… please.”
But Anne’s laughter filled the room, and then she said, “Never again,” before pushing Rohan away.
“You can’t do this!” Roha
n shouted, looking around desperately for any option.
Light angled in from outside, nearly at the dais. Altemus’s eyes lit up with an excitement unlike anything Rohan had ever seen from the old man.
“Watch me,” Altemus said. He paused, breathed deep like he’d waited his entire life for this moment, and then brought the orb down on the tablet, placing both on the golden dais.
The light no longer shone just on that spot, but sprang to life all around them, then exploded outward back toward the ruins. Where at one moment there had been ruins, now the light was forming walls, columns, and domes over their heads.
“Oh my god,” Nora said, taking a step toward Rohan and grasping his hand in hers. Her eyes sparkled with excitement while creasing with incredible terror. Rohan knew the feeling.
There was movement out there. At first it was distant, like a faint light’s glow in the fog, but then they were walking about them, clear as Nora at Rohan’s side, only they were bright gold, and they were people, the residents of Maccu Pichu, Rohan guessed.
None seemed to notice them at first, until Atlemus and Anne walked out among them, ho.ding the orb and tablet before him as if he were a priest and this his holy object. Then they all turned on him, their faces transforming from confused to horrified, and then surged on him—pulled against their will. Altemus was shouting a chant, and as the golden forms collided in one massive ball of light, the golden buildings seemed to flip and the whole world rocked in its place. Where gold had once been, walls of black rose all around them.
The golden spirits had fallen to the ground, scattered bodies all around the heaving form of Altemus, and when he stood and looked around at them, they too stood. As they did, the gold vanished, replaced by an evil red.
Demons.
All the demons turned on Rohan and Nora as one, and then attacked.
Chapter 15
The surge of demons appeared like an explosion of fire, and all Nora and Rohan could do was stand there, holding each other and shielding their faces. He felt her energy pushing back against the demons, and put his entire being into focusing on his own powers.
If they didn’t survive this, nobody would survive the next few days. Altemus would turn the whole world on its head, if only to ensure he never lost his Anne again.
Something had to be done, and now. Their power, it seemed tied to emotions, if only there was a way…. It hit him.
He knew what he had to do, and as horrible as he knew the timing was, as insane as the idea probably was, it was better than cowering here in fear like this.
Spinning Nora to face him, fighting the momentary pain of the demon fire and what felt like claws digging in to his flesh, and doing his best to convince himself this would work and Nora would be okay with it, he pressed his lips firmly against hers and closed his eyes, focusing on the moment.
Nothing else mattered. Her lips were warm against his. Her soft hands held his face, and he could almost hear her heartbeat, pounding, pounding, POUNDING… and then their eyes were open and both were staring at each other in surprise—less so about the kiss as the power they now felt.
Let’s do this, her thoughts said, and while they were linked like this, he heard them clearly. He smiled, hand still locked in hers and together they turned, to see a wall of demons and faire, curving around them. When they looked up, it was the same. Horrible faces scratching at the invisible barrier, screaming but no sound came.
And then Rohan pushed out—the energy was like nothing he had ever felt. Not tingling like before, but a flowing river of warmth coursing through his limps, connected with Nora’s, to throw the demons back and send a wave of purple light across the ruins.
The demons vanished and, half-way back up one of the hills they’d descended upon to reach this spot, Altemus and Anne were knocked back so that they fell back down the hill.
Altemus sprung up, immediately searching for the tablet and orb, but Rohan didn’t give him time. He was already charging, fist drawn back, so that when he arrived at Altemus’s side he brought that fist down hard across the old man’s jaw with a CRACK!
Nora was next to him and tackled Anne, giving Rohan time to spin and search for the items. He had to get them before Altemus.
A warmth came over Rohan and he realized it was blood, flowing down his side, and only then did he see the arm holding the knife that was in his side. Altemus had recovered, and stabbed him. Now the pain came, shooting up from the knife and threatening to take over Rohan’s sanity.
Rohan tried to focus on his powers, but nothing happened.
“Already tried,” Altemus said, his lips pulled back to a snarl. “You saw to the spirits being gone from this place, when you slaughtered them.”
“No, not me,” Rohan said, stumbling to the side of the hill, where he collapsed, hand on the knife blade. His surroundings were spinning. What was the move here? Pull the blade free, use it to kill Altemus… if he could even stand? And what would happen to Tess and Beverly. Was it best to think of them as already gone, or was there a chance he could do something to help them.
“Back off,” Nora said. Rohan turned to her, excited to see she had the tablet in one hand, the orb in the other, and her foot pressed up against the back of Beverly’s body, who knelt at the side of a drop-off.
“You wouldn’t do it,” Altemus said, a cautious glance toward Rohan to confirm his doubts.
“To save the world, she might have to,” Rohan said, and watched with concern as indeed Nora prepared to kick. With all his heart, he hoped she didn’t actually have to. But once you’ve seen the evils of the afterlife bring their terror to our world, there’s not much you wouldn’t do to avoid that again.
Altemus laughed and took a step toward Nora. “Does it really matter, anyway?” He gestured toward Tess’s body, which he inhabited. “I could douse myself in flames right now, and it wouldn’t matter. There are plenty of absent-minded people whose bodies readily await my possession.”
He was probably right. But instead of debating a retort, Rohan took advantage of the distraction. He’d seen Altemus put Anne back into Beverly’s body, so there had to be a way to get her out.
“As long as you’re not in Tess and Bev’s bodies,” Rohan said. He leapt up and placed both hands on Beverly’s forehead. Focusing his energy on the spirit leaving, he imagined a massive wave of positive energy flowing in to take her place.
Anne screamed bloody murder, but could do nothing to resist, and by the time Altemus caught on, Nora had followed Rohan’s lead and was casting him from Tess’s body.
Altemus and Anne’s spirits circled Rohan and Nora as the bodies of Tess and Beverly dropped to the ground, unconscious. Rohan pulled Beverly away from the dropoff, eyes on the spirits of Anne and Altemus with a spiritual push to keep them away.
“You can’t stop us, this has already begun!” Altemus said.
The two spirits swirled together and dived for the tablet, which Nora had dropped when catching Tess. Where was the orb? Rohan spun searching, and then leaped. He fell upon it as the wave of the spirits’ energy swept over him.
He rolled over to see the spirits flying into the air, the tablet flashing in the rising sun as it spun off into the distance.
“They… took the tablet,” Nora said in disbelief. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not important,” Rohan said, he took her hand in his and watched them vanish from sight into the orange and pink sky. “We’ll find them, somehow.”
“Or they’ll find us,” she said.
“Either way, we’ll be ready.”
A cough drew their attention to the ground. Beverly was sitting up, holding her head. A groan from nearby told them that Tess was waking up too.
Rohan wondered if they had any memory of what had just happened. If they thought it a dream—what a nightmare. But it turned out they remembered all of it, just like Rohan had when Altemus and Anne had taken over his body.
They had made it back to the local town, Rohan helping his Beverly to wa
lk, Nora helping Tess. It would have been a bit awkward either way in that regard—him helping the woman he’d brought up to his place on a date, or the woman he was now… what? He wasn’t sure what they were, but he knew they had kissed. And judging by the power of that kiss, it meant something. Something real.
And after everything he’d been through, he finally was okay with that. He knew Senna would be too, and that made all the difference.
“What… now?” Beverly asked, holding herself tight, as if she were cold in spite of the increasingly hot and humid morning.
They had reached the train station and, after Rohan bought four tickets, were waiting for the next train that would get them out of there.
“We go home,” Rohan said. “Try to live normal lives.” He shared an awkward look with Tess, and then said, “I’m truly sorry about all this. Neither of you should have been mixed up in all this.”
“And you?” Beverly asked.
“I don’t really have a choice,” Rohan said. “I’m the only one with the power to stop them.”
“Well….” Tess glanced at Nora with a raised eyebrow.
“She has a point,” Nora said, smiling at Tess. “I mean, yes, you have more spiritual power than I do, that’s obvious. But before I came around, did you think you were the only one?”
“Well, no,” he said, catching on. “There was the temple, and the old man, Ahmed.”
“You see?” Nora glanced around at the other passengers waiting at the train station. “Any one of these people could at least be Kahin, if not…” she leaned in, lowering her voice, “full-on necromancers.”
“I don’t like that title,” Rohan said, a shudder running through him.
“Yet, it’s what you are. Maybe now… that our powers merged back there, what we are.”
