by E R Landron
“My world is being destroyed since I met you.”, I feel a crack in my voice.
“Your sister is safe now.”
“My sister...!”, I snap.
“Could have been dead. And she isn't.”
“Did you bit her?”
A long silence met with us. The paused seem to last forever. I’m anxious.
“Did you bit my sister?” I scream.
“I’m just a beggar... looking for God's forgiveness.”
“Did you...”
“You know the answer to that.”
My lips pressed and my finger is battling going backward to pull the trigger. What is wrong with me?
“The answers to your questions are more important than your anger. The Priest told you already... it would you expand your mind?
“I want to kill you!” I shout. Sadness is taking over me as well.
“What you have learned through your training and branches and whatnot, is nothing for what you are about to see. This isn't a rabbit's whole. There's no blue or red pill. You are part of it now.”
“Shut up! Shut up! You, crazy person!”
“You called me crazy?”
“All that comes out of your mouth does not make any freaking sense!”
His eyebrow went up as he pointed his finger to the temple of his head. The son of a bitch reads minds! Can it be true? This man will surely know it, and it was getting harder to be in front of him. Some things he said did not make any sense, and some were like talking to some shrink. A weird one. I didn't imagine it! He was talking to me telepathically! He looks spooked.
“What?!”, I shout.
“Do you have other guns?”
My right eyebrow rose at the question. I have many guns I can unload on you!
“The ones that did this are close by, do you have...”
“Yeah, I ...”
“Quickly let's go.”
Without any hesitation, the homeless man ran past me stepping outside the burned church. My gun pointed to him the whole time. Why am I hesitating? Stupid gut feeling. I am going to shoot you sooner or later!
Night - Alley, 8:01 PM
We arrive close to the alley where Martinez… disappeared? We made a pit stop first on my car. I put the Kevlar on just in case. Shotgun in hand, gun on holster a mini machine gun on the other side and some extendable batons. I’ll probably look like I’m going to war. I’m not dying tonight. A bunch of ash blows our way. We continue moving forward with precaution. Blood clots, some discomposing bodies, ash-covered clothing are all scattered through the floor. This would be a terror/horror film anywhere. The director just has to say action, and it would have been perfect. The smell is horrendous. Decomposing flesh and old meat on a warm refrigerator that stayed too long. A cat is standing still at the end of the alley, but at the moment we do not give it that much attention. What the hell happened? I swallow at sight. He seems pretty much normal walking around. He is not bothered by any of this.
“I gotta call back up.”, I say.
“No. They own it. You know that already.” He doesn’t turn.
“They? Who are they?”, I frowned trying to decipher all the theories running through my mind.
“You are getting an idea that you don’t want to admit.”
“And this?”
“Part of your new world.”, he turns to me and sings that sentence.
We continue searching the area. The scenery looks grotesque. So much ash. Yet there’s nothing here that indicates larceny. What the f...
“Who were...?”, I ask.
“Cats... all cats.”, He interrupts me.
“One can you stop interrupting me and two, make sense.”, I press my lips in anger. I’m using all strength to not scream at him
“Uh, yeah sure. Transformers.”
“What?”
“Changelings?”
My head hurts from the annoyance and confusion. He sighs frustrated and grabs his face. He proceeds to fix his ponytail as he starts speaking and arrange a bit his trench coat.
“You know when something is one thing and changes to another thing...? This is what this is. They look like me, but they turn into cats.”
What… did… he… said? I continue watching the bodies until I see the cat once more. It’s not moving. At all. I point out to it.
“And that cat?”
“I don't know I can't read it?”, He frowns and twists his head.
“You can read cats?”, I open my eyes.
“What? No. Cats miau, these cats think.”
How does he know? How can he read minds? Medium? Psychic? It’s frustrating. When he speaks, it makes no sense. Other things he says I don’t even bother because he is weirdly stating the obvious...
“I read minds, I have constant voices in my head of everybody, of nobody, is annoying, but I have to deal with it. You in the other hand are thinking you entered a bloody swamp with God knows what below the water and are cautious not to step on a snake or crocodile or something.”, he says contributing to what I’m thinking.
“Psychic?”
“Nope… no. I read minds. You know for a good cop like I see in your head you don't follow what I'm saying that good. By the way Kokolite, Mieke, Mieke Kokolite nice to make your acquaintance and not get shot.”
“What kind of name is Kokolite?”
“What kind of name is Mee-kah? What kind of name is Achilles?”
He had a point on the name thing, yet what did he say? I get closer to the cat. That cat keeps on a trans like state. Not moving, not flinching. Weird cat. Usually, they start looking curious at new things and or scram at somebody getting closer. Kokolite lifts a jacket: "Tiger, oh Tiger, what in God's name happened?" He moved his head abruptly. He dropped what I guess is Tiger's jacket.
“What?”
“Do you hear that?” he asks.
“Hear what?”
“Yelling? Is getting closer.”
I look around. Everything is still. Whom is getting closer? The cat hisses making me flinch almost dropping the shotgun. The cat jumps over me and runs towards Kokolite in haste. He evades the cat, but it jumps back towards him in a swift motion landing in top of him and making him fall. It seems the cat weighted more than it looks. As I run towards Kokolite, I stop. The cat starts transforming in what appears to be a human that now is trying to hit Kokolite. Limbs are growing, hairy legs, hair, breasts, back, neck. A young woman? A cat transformed into a young woman? I freeze for a moment trying to analyze… trying to make… sense!
“Get off me hairball!”, screams Kokolite.
“Grrr... You... crazy son of a ...grr miau…”, the feline girl yells back.
“Can you finish changing before attacking me... what is with you girls today?”
The girl sees me pointing the shotgun at them but with no intentions to fire. She turns back to Kokolite, now him striking her. She falls to her back, and he rolls back and gets up. She continues attacking Kokolite he dodging her easily. While dodging her, he tries talking to her.
“Little... girl... hormone... person... cat person... can... we... talk... I ... know what... you... are going ... to do...”
He finally grabs her arms and raises her a bit. She is still kicking and screaming, what it looks like is a parent holding a toddler that is out of control. He’s like five elevenish; she is like five three. She looks a bit taller because of her curly Mohawk. Between anger, frustration she starts sobbing.
“My family... you! Because of you... you! They are dead... they are dead, they are dead!”, she whines.
Her kicks start to slow down, and just a deep crying starts. He puts her down and hugs her hard. She is resisting, but he presses harder to keep safe from another attack and looks at me.
“Get me her clothing please.”
I’m still baffled. Kokolite mentally talks to me. “Mieke! Pssst, Mieke! Get me her clothes were the cat used to be.”
My eyes wi
dened again. I swear somebody fucking drugged me and I'm on induced coma or something. Finally, I snap from statue mode and run towards the clothing. I grab it and run quickly towards both of them. I hand the clothing to the girl, she grabs it and starts dressing up still sobbing.
“I know what you think of, but I did not send those monsters towards you... I know better than to stay away from Cat Alley.”, he says to the girl.
The half-naked teen adult gets dressed, and Kokolite cleans his trench coat as if everything is normal. Like nothing has happened. It is not normal. Whaaaa…
“So she changes into a cat?”, I ask.
“And I read minds...”
“You know, is not normal right?!”, I scream.
“I can't believe you are hanging out with this piece of shit.”, she says.
“Excuse me?” I raise the shotgun.
Kokolite raises his hands.
“Wait, wait, she means me ... piece of shit... although that is offensive young lady.”
“I’m not young!”, she says.
“You are three years old, so you are young.”
“What?”, I ask.
Kokolite snaps his fingers towards me.
“Meeks you gotta keep up.”
“Don’t call me Meeks.”, now I felt the fire in my eyes.
Kokolite's eyes grow big and surprised. He takes a deep breath and starts using his hands to try and explain to me.
“We are children of the night. Different but the same. Now I'm trying to comfort Hannah mentally and being in two conversations at once is a little difficult.”
“You gotta be joking...”
“Not really, I could do jokes if you want to though. What we need to know is who send the ninjas, and something about an orb. Unless that guy over there knows something.”
Hannah and me turn to see a dark man standing looking to the alley. This day can’t get any worse. I get my badge and lower the shotgun. I flash the badge to the man.
“Sorry, sir you cannot be here. We are the police. We have an ongoing investigation, you gotta move or you will be trespassing.”
The man did not move. Both Hannah and Kokolite are getting upward straight trying to read the situation with the man.
“Not human cop!”, yells Hannah.
“I’m not on the mood for another surprise!”, I say.
I raise the shotgun nervously. Not human… The man continues walking very slowly.
“‘Ayn hu aljarm alssamawi?”, says the man in a deep voice.
“Can you speak normal English man!?”, yells Hannah.
“It’s Arab... orb? My Arab is a little rusty.”, I say.
“Oh good another orb guy.”, cries Hannah.
The man moves a little revealing his stature and composition. His damaged clothing only reveals some wraps around him. Old sneakers. Ripped jeans. Another hobo like Kokolite? His physic and demeanor look intimidating. Tall black man, built, looks like he goes to the gym.
“I can't read his mind.”, Kokolite says.
“Weren't you...?”, I ask.
“He must be old or very mentally strong for that.”
“Elder old?”, Hannah asks.
“Dust old.”
“What are you talking about?”, I ask.
“kan aljarm alssamawi huna. hal tamtalukh? 'aw yanbaghi li'an 'aetabir dhlk?”
His voice makes me uncomfortable. I bet the others too. Kokolite speaks to me: “Watch out.” My hands begin to shake a bit. I grip the shotgun harder.
“The orb was ...here. Do you have it? Or do I need ...to take it? I think he said.” I say stuttering.
“Orb asking guys are up to no good!”, yells Kokolite.
“Hey man, we don't have shit!”, yells Hannah.
On a blink of an eye, the man jumps right in front of me palmed the shotgun upwards. The barrel hits my face. I squint as my face stings. I pulled the trigger reacting too late. The shotgun fires to the sky and flies from my hand. The hit of the shotgun hurts and the sound made my ears muted, and a firm beep continued to echo through. I felt a fast sting in my stomach as well. I flew various feet in the air only to see the man’s hand closing from another palm strike. My vision blurs as my body is accommodating into the humid, dirty floor. Kokolite runs towards him and tries to attack, but he evades and back fist him sending Kokolite to a wall. The man looks at me. As he is speaking, I’m trying to catch my breath. All my pain nerves are awakening.
“Kunt albashri. Alnnawe alkhass la ymkn 'an yadurr li hatta law 'aradt.”
“You are human. Your kind can't harm me even if you wanted.”, I mouthed to myself.
I try to stay in control of my body. I want to be here. What is going on? I keep trembling. The fear is catching up to me, but my curiosity is winning. I just witnessed a man that I thought had inhuman like abilities, tossed out without a sweat. Metal scratches the floor. Hannah picks some chains. She rushes towards the stranger and he waits till the last second to evade her. She continues swinging the chain trying to land a hit on him. Only the fast swings of the chains are heard, as both of them are moving very fast and not making any extra sounds. The man smirks. He stops and the chain hits him. The impact was so strong that a cut of an open wound appeared on his face. As Hannah smiles that she landed a hard hit on him, his cut heals in no time. Hannah’s smile disappears in an instant and changes into one of terror.
“la 'astatie 'an yataearraduu lil'adhaa!”
“I can't be harmed...”
He strikes Hannah with an open palm sending her flying a few feet before landing in her back on the floor. C'mon Mieke, move! This a combat situation. I get up and draw a handgun and shoot at him. He moves through the bullets except for one that hits him in the chest. As blood splatters, the bullet wound heals quickly. He appears in front of me. He slaps the gun from my hands and smiles. No way! How was he so fast? I feel a bit of air entering my eyes as I open them widely. A staff swings close by. It hits the man in the head with tremendous force.
“Dodge this!”, yells Kokolite.
The man flies and lands on a wall and Hannah goes back to attack him and so does Kokolite. I feel like a chicken without a head. What do I do? What the fuck do I do? Whats… that? Are those? A pile of clothing with ash on the floor with some grenades. Grenades! I sprint towards it. I hear the commotion all around me. The man is fighting off Kokolite and Hannah. He grabs Kokolite's staff removes it from his hands and hits Kokolite like he was playing baseball and right after he swings hitting Hannah too. In a very rusty English, he speaks.
“I’m done playing! The orb! Give it to me!”
I throw the grenade towards him and without watching he catches the grenade and turns to me.
“This is not the orb!”
“Duck!” I shout.
I throw myself to the floor and a tremendous BOOM! sounds off as the grenade explodes on his hand. Shrapnel and smoke consume the area. I get up after a while just to see Hannah still covering her ears and Kokolite against a wall with his feet in the air. My ears are still recovering from the bang but I remembered being ambush too many times on the army that I recovered in no time. I run to the stranger. He’s kneeling with most of his skin burned, bloodied and with shrapnel pieces stuck to it. He looks at me upset.
“You can't harm me!”, he yells.
The wounds heal rapidly. I take the mini machine gun, cocks it and unload it on the son of a bitch. He tries to stand.
“Argghhhhhh!!!!”, I scream.
The magazine unloads fast. The bullets go through his hand, chest, thighs, stomach. Bullets stop. I take out another magazine. I aim. Kokolite is walking towards me and so is Hannah as I pan out to different steps. The man’s wounds are not healing that fast now. Kokolite and Hannah are standing behind me.
“Can’t believe a pig saved my life.”, Hannah says.
“Hush newborn. At least be grateful.”, Kokolite says grunting.
“I have nothing to be grateful!
Because of you, my family is dead!”
Hannah hisses to Kokolite and walks away checking the bodies. Kokolite pats me on the shoulder. I’m still not moving my gun from this guy. My breathing is heavy and I’m shaking but ready to fire if I need to. The black man is also breathing heavily as he is holding his stomach and chest area that is full of bullet holes. Kokolite looks at me. I nod. I got this. I take one hand out of the gun just to wipe some of the blood I feel in my lips. I touch my right eye and squint. A sting of pain. That’s going to swell up probably.
“Can you talk?”, asks Kokolite.
“I'm wounded Seelish... not dead.”
Kokolite pauses and opens his eyes wide astonished.
“It’s been long since I heard that name. You are looking for the orb... why are others looking for the orb?”, Kokolite continues.
The man laughs. Kokolite looks at me. Maybe if you hit him he’ll talk? Kokolite looks at the man, sighs, then punches him in the face. Kokolite turns his head sideways and raises his brows.
“Just that you know... she made me do it.”
“Kokoyou!”, I scream.
“Koh-koh-light... What? Geez. So you are old and not letting me enter your mind.”, he turns to the man.
Kokolite takes his fingers that are out from his gloves and wipes blood from him and puts it on his tongue.
“So with his blood, you can see what he knows?”, I ask.
Kokolite looks confused and watches the man like I’m crazy.
“Where do you get that?”
“Movies or something?”, I say.
Kokolite rolls his eyes and moves right in front of the man. He makes eye contact and puts his hands on his head. I can't believe all that is going on. These two say they are children of the night or whatever and I have to believe that? Real vampires? I bet the third one is as well. I don't watch TV that much but is no secret about movies, about...what am I’m talking about? It is absurd, they move incredibly fast, I have seen them withstand damage to kill an average person, and yet before me, one just survived a grenade blast and a full machine gun magazine. My handgun is on the floor. I bend and pick it up. It goes back into my holster.
Kokolite smiles to the stranger.
“Did you…?”, I wonder.
