Shadow & Flame - Part Two: The Collective - Season One, Episode 9

by Elias Raven

  “Don’t fear him,” my uncle said. “Study him. See him. Even those who walk in the shadows may eventually find light.”

  I didn’t understand. What the fuck was he talking about? Why had he brought this man to me?

  Panic overrode my instincts. I was in the café again with Misty when she had spoken to him only briefly. My skin was crawling as he stepped forward and stuck out his hand.

  “P…p…pleased to m…meet you. I’m K…Kevin,” he stated.

  I kept back peddling. My uncle watched closely. I reached down and grabbed my knife from my boot and faced Kevin or whatever it was.

  “Come closer and I’ll cut you ear to ear.” I threatened, looking menacingly at Kevin.

  “Don-n’t you, you know kn-kniv-knives are-e dan dan-ger-ous!” he said, reaching a finger out.

  The man held a hand out as if wanting me to shake it. I slashed at the hand and heard a loud expletive as Kevin grabbed his hand. Blood started coming out, and he looked at me with a wounded expression on his face.

  “Wa…wa…why did you do that?” he asked.

  He looked confused and possibly sad.

  “I know you ran into a Skinwalker, Rhi. Remember the stories I told you about them? They are members of my tribe and others that have crossed over, giving blood relatives as payment to live and work their evil. They weave lies to cover their tracks; they kill to keep the horrible secret of what they have become. Their humanity has been stripped from them,” he said gravely.

  I looked at the blood oozing from Kevin’s hand. I tore my shirt and wrapped it around his hand. I kept whispering I’m sorry.

  “So they exist in two worlds?” I asked.

  “Yes,” my uncle answered.

  “So, the last one I faced was a Skinwalker? Then what’s going on back home?”

  “You have someone or something that knows you can see, yet what you have seen is clouded by their magic. Sometimes, the walkers will project themselves onto others to throw off their pursuers,” he replied.

  “So the murders I saw on television, is that a Walker?” I asked.

  My uncle didn’t get the chance to answer.

  “Wha…wha…why did you c…c…cut me?” Kevin asked.

  “Why did you cut me?” came a strange raspy voice, like that of an old lady.

  “Why did you do that?” repeated another voice, this one sounding like a man in a great deal of pain.

  “Why did you do that?” came a third voice.

  “WHY DID YOU FUCKING DO THAT?!” this one sounded like a young boy.

  My uncle looked up at the sky and began turning in all directions as if searching for the source of the voices. Kevin didn’t budge. He remained there with his hand outstretched, blood seeping from it, and I suddenly felt guilty for cutting him. I reached out to touch his hand and lightning shot from the sky, hitting the ground behind him. Dirt kicked up with a shower of sparks.

  In the spot where the lightning had touched down, a wooden cross now stood, and on it was a young boy. His hands were nailed to the planks and his dirty feet dangled down at the bottom, below black slacks. His blue shirt rippled in the wind. He couldn’t have been older than eleven or twelve. His hair nearly covered his dark eyes, black pools of evil.

  “You must go,” my uncle yelled at me. “Go now.”

  “FUCKING GO!” the young boy yelled and from his mouth blew a gust for rotten wind.

  The stench of it caused me to take a step back.

  “Leave it alone!” came a voice to my right. “Or I’ll rip apart your soul and fuck your rotting corpse.”

  Her face was no farther than a foot from mine. She had no teeth but soft, decaying gums in their place and she smiled a wicked grin. A crown of razor wire dug into her head.

  The sound of teeth chomping at my left ear made me fall back onto my ass. A demon of sorts jumped at me, chomping his jagged, broken teeth an inch from my face.

  “Stay away!” he screamed.

  I didn’t have to look behind me to know another presence was there, waiting for me to turn around. I refused.

  “Uncle,” I said.

  My uncle smiled at me.

  “Go!” he yelled, and for the first time, I saw fear on his face. “Your dreams are part of the circle, but the answer is not there. Come to the reservation, Rhianna that is where you will find your answers. Now, run!”

  Suddenly, the air started to shimmer and lighten. The circle of light around the fire started to expand.

  “Run Rhi! They know you are here! Remember, they can take your life here or in the real world!” he yelled.

  “What about you?” I replied, reaching for his hand.

  “They will catch you if you pull an old fox along, hurry!” he yelled.

  My uncle waved his staff and Kevin faded. I sprinted for the fence, leaping into the air and kicking the gate open, before running down the tunnel. I heard the sound of footsteps again coming behind me. I didn’t look back. I leaned forward and ran harder. I saw the pile of ashes I had landed in before looming in front of me. The inky blackness beyond was waiting. The sound of pursuit, the sound of panting, they were drawing closer and closer. I could see the shadows from the flame light the walls.

  I didn’t know what was ahead but I jumped onto the pile and threw myself forward as I felt something grabbing me again. It was like before; I free fell in the blackness and saw my body lying in the bed rushing up to greet me. It wasn’t a merging, more like slamming into a door or wall as my eyes fluttered open and waves of pain flooded across me. I was back in my bed. I looked up at the skylight and could see the faint tendrils of sunlight teasing the edges of the glass. I reached over and felt Misty next to me. I wrapped myself around her body and inhaled her scent. It was sweet and full of sex. I felt her push back against me. It felt so good to hold her. She was my safe place. I was going to have to process this dream for a minute. There was so much to take in. I was afraid to look at my back again.

  If Misty saw it she would freak. Luckily Royston was in the spare room, when we got up I would tell them both what had happened. For now, I needed to catch my breath and process it all like my uncle had taught me. I held onto Misty tightly until my breathing had returned to normal. I watched the sun slowly rise. She would be up soon. She always was.

  Chapter 10

  ~The Dry Savages~

  There is no end, but addition: the trailing

  Consequence of further days and hours,

  While emotion takes to itself the emotionless

  Years of living among the breakage

  Of what was believed in as the most reliable-

  And therefore the fittest for renunciation.

  There is the final addition, the failing

  Pride or resentment at failing powers,

  The unattached devotion which might

  pass for devotion less,

  In a drifting boat with a slow leakage,

  The silent listening to the undeniable

  Clamour of the bell of the last annunciation.

  Excerpt from Four Quartets by T.S. Elliot

  Royston~ The alarm went off on the phone. The sound of Big Ben rang throughout the room. I reached over and tapped the snooze button, wanting more rest, but as is always the case, my mind was like a blender being turned on for the morning smoothie. Once the clock chimed, it was off to the races I’m afraid. I rolled onto my back and stared up into the skylight. Mulling over the last few days. I still didn’t have an answer as to who paid the boys for the prank, but I didn’t want to upset Rhi and Misty anymore.

  The back-to-back shows were a welcome distraction and having our friends here had really helped buoy Rhianna’s spirit. I would have to talk with Abel and Elias and see if they would want to release any of the tapes. I had saved a rough mix off of the sound board and also used a HD recorder to record a live mix from the show at Red’s. Maybe we could do a Jimmy Page with the Black Crowes kind of thing?

  I knew our fans; there would be bootlegs of the show out.
Better to get higher quality recordings out then those. I hadn’t heard from Reid or Mac lately? I hadn’t really even had time to watch the news to see if there were any further developments on the Simple Simon case. I rolled out of bed and checked my phone. It was a bloody business and the blighter always used the pie ingredients in the bodies.

  There were some similarities to the case in England. Maybe it was a copycat crime, but some of the specifics of the murders were too similar. The police at the time had omitted certain facts that had been given to the press, yet in reviewing the autopsy reports that Mac had given me, I had found correlations with my Father's old case. They weren’t perfect though; leading me to believe it was a copycat or someone that was familiar with the details.

  I rubbed my chin and eyes. Of course it could just be a coincidence; it wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. Most serial killers were smart men and women. They had to be to cover their tracks so effectively. My father has always said;

  “Don’t make the facts fit the theory; you go where the facts take you. If they deviate then they deviate. A good detective gathers all and sorts through the business, as he is gathering clues. No matter what the similarities, never assume two cases are related until proven otherwise by the facts of the case. More than one case had gone to ribbons based on suppositions and police incompetence.”

  The McMartin Preschool case in California came to mind immediately.

  We had the winery show tonight. I would have to ask Rhianna which songs she wanted to do for the set. The crowd was going to be upscale and highbrow, not that we hadn’t played at private parties, but I knew that Derek was probably going to have some specific selections for the good doctor. I pulled up the text message and reviewed “Damian Cellars Winery” and everything I could find out about our host on my phone.

  Private vineyard, there was some information discussed on the play boards online, but not much. When Derek had said invite only, I think silence was part of the invite. At the very least a need for discretion from the guests not to share Forests business or sexual predilections or the goings on at the residence were all requirements. The man knew how to cover his tracks. I wondered what bit of snooping he would have me do regarding the sex traffickers. They were a nasty lot, quick to pull the trigger and leave bodies lying about so that others would know not to meddle in their affairs.

  They were not averse to murdering the civil authorities if they got to close to their business. I was going to have to tread lightly when it came to this bit of hacking. I threw on a set of bicycle shorts and a AC/DC t-shirt and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. I was sure a whistling teapot would rouse Rhianna and we could go over some of the show details while I made breakfast. Hopefully, her pantry was stocked and I could whip up a quiche or something favorable for everyone.

  Being a good cook never hurt and I was one of the few men that Rhianna allowed kitchen privileges too. I wanted to go by Eva’s place to check in with her and Laura, maybe I would text Mac and Reid later, but our schedule today was full even if Napa was only an hour away, we would need time to get prepared. Derek had messaged me that Forest had made all the arrangements for the sound and lighting for us and the other bands and taken our suggestions at face value and everything was done. I called our costume shop and made arrangements for Tilly to have some special accessories ready for Rhianna’s show tonight. I would stop by in the bus to pick them up round back. It was our standard arrangement.

  I filled the red teapot and flipped on the burner on the Wolfe stove. I washed the few dishes that were in the sink and checked my email while waiting for the water to boil. The pot started to whistle and I let it run for about 30 seconds before removing the pot. That should be enough to wake the house. I pulled down some cups and saucers and poured my cup and set a tea thimble filled with earl grey into the boiling water watching the water cloud as the tea was absorbed releasing the tasty ingredients. I heard a door open and footsteps from the bedroom area. I looked at my watch as Rhianna came padding into the kitchen wearing pajama bottoms and a loose fitting Nirvana T-Shirt. I gave her a smile.

  “Good Morning my dear! I thought the whistling pot would rouse you from your slumbers.” I said then carefully handed her the cup of tea.

  “Morning Royston.” She mumbled back taking the cup. She set it on the counter and gave me a tight hug. “I had another dream last night.” She told me.

  My ears perked up at the word dream and the sleepy look on her face.

  “Did you sleep at all? Was it a nightmare?” I asked back casually.

  “It was another freaky dream, but my uncle was in it and so was that Whistler Asshole as well!” She said gruffly.

  “Let’s go to the dining room and have a chat then.” I told her.

  Rhianna nodded and we walked into the dining room and I sat down with her. She stretched and then rubbed her eyes. I knew from past experience to be patient. The words would come when she was ready. I just sipped my tea and waited.

  “So you remember that first dream I had…” was how she started. I nodded my head leaning forward as she recalled the first dream and reminded me about her back. Then she told me about last night’s dream recalling everything in vivid detail. There were similarities, but this time there were others involved. One point did stand out though.

  “Did you say you got pushed?” I asked.

  Rhianna nodded.

  “It felt like it!” She replied.

  “Let me see your back and shoulders, keep your front covered” I replied.

  She stood and turned her back to me. I carefully lifted her shirt and looked at the soft skin. There on the top right was a handprint or something along with scratch marks.

  “Don’t move!” I commanded her. I pulled out my phone and took pictures.

  “What did you find?” She asked.

  “Be honest, was this from last night with you and Misty?” I asked.

  Rhianna started laughing. “No we didn’t scratch each other although I bit her ass Royston!” She said giggling.

  I gave her a smile and showed her the pictures. She kind of shivered. I watched as the skin cleared just like before. I took more pictures recording the process until the marks were gone.

  “You said your uncle said to come see him right?” I asked her.

  “Yes! Just before they came for me. That was the first time we had ever dreamed together. Let me get my phone and see if he did call last night.” She told me. She ran into the master bedroom and returned shortly.

  “Ok this is weird. There were two calls from him last night.” She said. “I remembered answering the phone like I told you”.

  I asked to see her phone and saw two messages as well. I looked at the time stamp right after each call. Rhianna saw the messages and grabbed her arms.

  “I told you what happened. I don’t know what to think!” she said.

  I hit the play icon and listened to the first message. It was silence and static like in her dream.

  I went down to the second message and hit the play button. This time I could hear music. There was no mistaking the tune. It sounded just like what was on the tape recorder. We listened a few more times and then stopped.

  “The call came from your uncle’s phone though?” I asked.

  “That’s what it looks like Royston!” Rhi replied looking perturbed.

  I rubbed my chin. I forwarded the message to my phone and took pictures of the time stamp when the call came in and any other information I could find regarding the call.

  “Your grandmother has friends on the reservation. Has she heard anything regarding your uncle?” I asked.

  “No he has been reported missing by the tribal council. The police are looking for him.” She replied.

  “While the authorities are looking for him, we have a show tomorrow, and then our schedule is open. Why don’t we go to the reservation with Misty and maybe Detective Logan if the tribal police don’t turn up anything?” I asked quietly.

  “Sounds l
ike a plan,” Rhianna’s quick reply.

  Misty came out of the bedroom and joined us. I got up and started the Keurig coffee machine. I knew she wouldn’t be drinking tea. According to Misty tea was for lightweight’s that couldn’t handle their caffeine. After a few minutes, the ready light came on. I stepped out of the kitchen and smiled at her.

  “Machine is ready for whatever your pleasure is this morning.” I said to her cheerily.

  Misty gave me the eye and grinned.

  “What I don’t get coffee served to me Royston?” She asked and put her hands on her hips. Laughter filled the room.

  “How about some Kona black?” she stated.

  I smiled and went back in and made her a cup. I couldn’t stand the stuff, it was foul. There was nothing like a good hot cup of tea, but I couldn’t make Misty see that.

  I set the steaming hot cup down on a coaster in front of her and rejoined them at the table.

  “I was planning on making a quiche for breakfast for everyone that is if you’re agreeable, then we can meet up with Abel and his family and drive down to Napa. The show starts mid afternoon into early evening and we could get setup.

  “Sounds like a plan Royston. Just do me a favor, I want lots of hot sauce on my quiche.” She told me.

  I wrinkled my nose at her.

  “Must you wreck a perfectly good quiche by dousing it in Tabasco Sauce?” I inquired.

  “Fuck yes! That’s the only way to eat any kind of egg!” She replied.

  I just shook my head. We heard the guest bedroom door creak open and Elias and Genevieve came out.

  “Did we wake you?” I inquired.

  “Naw, we both wanted coffee and heard Rhi’s teapot whistling. We figured everyone was up!” Elias said.

  I clapped my hands together.

  “Well then, I shall whip up some breakfast and you can all relax.” I told them.

  I went into the kitchen and set to work. Misty joined me after a few minutes and started cutting up fruit.