Torment

by R. S. Broadhead

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Something was coming toward me. The longer I stood there, the closer it became. I flung my hand up, hitting the switch, and dropped to the ground, cowering from it.

  “Hello there,” a man above me said. His face seemed familiar. It was handsome no doubt, but still, I was scared of him. His dark skin was covered in scars, his short chestnut hair doing nothing to hide them. A grunt reverberated around the room. He turned, showing me a monster behind him. The beast pulled out something silver from the clothes he wore. The dull metal oscillated as he held it out for me to see. The dog tags. I glanced down at the curved claws stemming from his feet, the source of the tapping. The man focused his attention back on me, taking a step in my direction. I pushed back, feeling the wall digging into my bones.

  “Wh – What do yo – you want from me?” I asked as I buried my head under my arms, leaving enough of a gap to peek through.

  He stopped. “What do I want from you?” This seemed to amuse him as he dissolved into laughter, showcasing his sculpted cheekbones when his mouth turned up. He dropped to his knees, mere inches from me, his eyes wild, breathing hard, as if he were about to lose it. “Why would I want anything from you?” I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing they would go away.

  “You don’t have to deal with them,” she said, breaking into my terror. “This could all go away if you’d let me take control.” I opened my eyes. Both the man and creature were frozen as she sauntered in front of the beast, the heels of her stilettos clicking against the marble floor. She touched its chest, running her hand across it seductively, looking up at its face, before dropping her hand to her own chest. She ran it down the side of a low-cut black dress that dragged the floor, a train made of at least five foot of lace following behind her. She pursed her blood red lips in my direction, pausing to adjust the crown on her head. “Face it, you’re not strong enough to face anyone or anything. You’re even scared out here.” She waved her hand and the scenery changed. I could see my body lying against the piece of wood, fast asleep. “What do you think you’re going to do out here all alone? You don’t even know where you’re going or what’s waiting for you when you get there. Starving to death, searching for the unknown.” She leaned down to my sleeping form, her hand cupping my chin. “So naïve and frail, practically knocking on Death’s door wanting in. You could be more than this. You could have power. All I need is for you to let go. Stop fighting me.”

  Her words made everything sound so easy. All I had to do was let go and this would all be over. I wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore. Wouldn’t that be better? I was so stressed out, so scared. I just wanted it to go away. “I want to let go …” She stood, a joker-like grin spreading. “But I can’t.” Her face contoured, twisting as the anger raged her into a high-pitched shrill scream. Her arms flung to the sides, sending a black mist toward me, as dark lines radiated through her ivory skin tone. “You will give in to me,” she screamed. The mist hit me, so strong my skin pulled away from my face. I tried to shield it with my arm, but could barely hold it up against the momentum. “Or you will die.” A flash of light blinded me and everything stopped.

  I gasped for air as I jolted up from the log. I blinked away dark spots that encroached the perimeter of my vision. It was getting harder to resist her. I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to hold out. I pushed against the log, standing to my feet. I had to keep moving. The place I had to find was going to help me. It had to, or … well, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I pushed past some limbs, ducking to avoid the leaves. The last thing I needed was some type of parasite burrowing in this mangy mop on my head. The sun was shining, making it a bright day, which should have helped my mood, but it didn’t. At least it wasn’t too hot or cold. It was actually a nice temperature. I wandered around a turn that led to a leafy, wooded valley. The deeper I dredged forward, the chiller the air became. The ground was now damp, and boggy. Stealthily, I managed to stick to the dry areas. Thick patches of grass, up to my knees, slowed my progress. I found a broken limb to poke through it before I stepped, trying to avoid snakes or anything else that may be lurking there.

  It was nightfall when I came to a brook blocking my path. The wilderness was becoming more alive around me. The hunters were starting to come out of hiding. Luckily enough, I found a tree, not too far off my path, and scampered up. Being this close to the water amplified the amount of insects. The damp air brought their hungry mouths buzzing around my head, making it a miserable night. I swatted, and buried my face in the rough fabric of the cloak. It smelled awful, but it was better than getting eaten alive.

  Snap!

  My head jerked up, before slowly turning to peer between two limbs. Something big, and black was just below. Its head was down, fervently sniffing at the ground. It pawed, digging, then stopped, and then sniffed again. What was it? It looked liked a panther, but much bigger than I would have dreamed one to be. It was definitely built like one, but the size of a grizzly. It abruptly paused, and angled its neck up toward the tree. Without making a sound, I shifted out of sight. It was too big for me to fight with the blade I had. I would have no hope. White flashes popped out of nowhere. I could hear the rain before I felt it. Huge, bubblegum drops pelted me in the forehead, soothing the itchy whelps. A bolt of lightening hit the ground just to my right. Great, just great. I looked down, to see it bare. At least the storm had ran that thing off, now nothing to do but get soaked. I closed my eyes, tired, but unable to go to sleep. The wind rocked me, while chilling me to the bone. I locked my jaw, clenching my teeth to keep them from chattering. It didn’t work. I shuffled closer to the tree, under thicker branches, hoping to shield off most of the storm.

  It stopped in the wee hours of morning. The sun perched behind some sleepy clouds still drifting in the sky. Halos of light dotted the ground below. My eyes burned like someone poured acid in my sockets. No sleep again. I stretched, ready to get moving, but first my one meal. I opened the little bag it was in. It was soggy now, at least that was better than hard like before. I nibbled on it, taking my time. It was the last time I would eat unless I managed to kill something out here.

  After I was done, I lost the bag, and climbed down. I took a deep breath, stretching everything out before I started walking again. First thing, I had to find someway across this brook. The current was too strong for me to swim, especially since I was drained. I trotted a little ways down stream, to see if something was lying across that I could walk over. After some time, I realized I wouldn’t find anything. Tears burned at my eyes as the bottled up frustration threatened to take over. I had come this far; there was no way I could just give up because of some stupid water. I went to the edge. It was much deeper here than back where I started. The dirt broke under my foot, causing it to slip out from under me. I hit the ground with a grunt of displeasure, and flopped back. I punched the ground beside me a few times, making my hand ache.

  I looked up and saw a thick vine dangling just low enough for me to reach if I jumped and grabbed it. Maybe that could work. I scuttled to my feet and jumped, my fingers barely touching it. I can’t get discouraged. I took a few short deep drags of air before attempting it again. This time I felt it in my palm and snatched down until it stopped. It seemed to be secure enough. I tugged on it several times to test it. It was wrapped around this tree and another across the brook. If this didn’t work, I would definitely be swimming.

  I went back a few steps and ran. At the edge, I kicked off and soared. I couldn’t help but to let out a howl in mid-air. I was totally queen of the jungle in this bitch. I hit the ground on the other side feeling flushed and free. My heart raced, making everything tingle. I let go of the vine after talking myself out of going back across just to do it again. I didn’t want to press my luck.

  Off I went again. The ground was soaked from last night’s torrential down pour. It didn’t matter. I was already wet. I cut between a group of trees, digging my feet in as I started going down a steep hill. Th
ere was sound in front of me, and it was getting louder the closer I got. The trail opened up to a waterfall. I inwardly groaned. Not again. I stepped over some stones, careful not to slip on the algae. This should be pretty easy to climb. It had enough rocks on the side that I could use. Inch-by-inch I went up, never looking down, until I was at the top. I wiped the mist from my face, which left my skin sticky.

  I needed to find food before the sun went down. That had to be my mission now. I sat down and pulled my blade out, testing its sharpness for peace of mind. Now for the waiting game.

  I wasn’t sure how long I’d sat there, but my knees started to ache. I heard something move. Like a cat hunting, I moved to a better position. I perched beside a bush, watching the black squirrel as it searched through fauna. It dug and stopped, looking around for predators. They were fast, so this would have to be flawless, or I would have to waste time finding another one. My stomach already felt as though it was feeding on itself, so that couldn’t be an option. Without a sound, I pulled the knife back, preparing to throw. Suddenly, it stood still. Deadly still. It darted toward a near-by tree. I could not lose this thing. I didn’t think I had it in me to wait for food. I hurled the blade and caught it just before it jumped onto the trunk.

  I wanted to jump up and down I was so thrilled, but my body protested, so I mentally celebrated. It sucked being so drained all the time. I barely felt like I had energy to do anything. I hauled myself across the vegetation anyway, ignoring my lack of motivation. The squirrel was dead when I reached it. It was a perfect throw, killing it instantly. My heart hurt having to kill an innocent creature, but I had to survive. I pulled the knife from it body, tucked it away, and held up the squirrel. It was a good size, probably enough to eat on a few times. A twig snapped in the distance. I stood frozen, my breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t willing to risk even the smallest of sound. That’s how I could end up dead, in the belly of something out here. It was big. I could tell by the way the steps sounded.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  They were coming from different directions. It was hard to locate exactly where this thing was, unless there was more than one. My eyes raked through the area for the best hiding spot. The tree the squirrel was aiming for didn’t have any limbs low enough to grab onto. I was running out of time. The footsteps were getting closer. My only options were to hide in a bush or run until I saw a tree I could climb. Before I could decide, something ripped through the tall bushes to my right, left, and directly in front of me. I was surrounded. Three werewolves stared at me. Their eyes burned for me much like I had the squirrel moments before. They seemed hungry and I was on the menu.

  Chapter Eleven

  Reese

  I hunched low as the three giant werewolves pawed at the ground, snarling. Their lips curled, showing sharp teeth while saliva dripped. I wanted to pull out my blade, but I didn’t want to give them any reason to attack. Their glowing purple eyes screamed death and hatred. The powerful hind legs and claws dug into the ground. This was what I saw last night. It had to be. Had they hunted me? One took a step forward, lowering its head to the ground, surrendering to me. The other two followed the first. My mouth dropped as I eased up, but my fingers still remained tightly wrapped around my weapon. It wasn’t registering that these were werewolves. Actual freaking werewolves in front of me! It didn’t make sense. These things weren’t supposed to exist. One whimpered, its eyes flickering up to me. With my knees threatening to buckle, I took a cautious step toward them. I paused, waiting to see if they would attack. None of them moved. After a few minutes, I released my knife and walked over to them. I was so close to the one in the middle, the biggest, it breathed on my feet. I stood in awe at these three malicious beasts bowing down to me. I reached out to touch its head when a voice startled me. My hand retreated to my side, seeming to agitate the beasts in front of me.

  My eyes narrowed at the oncoming visitor, trying to locate him. My hand was an inch away from the blade on my thigh. “Put your hands where we can see them!” A voice came from above me. I heard a soft thud as someone’s feet hit the ground followed by three more sets. Four figures emerged from behind the trees and joined the werewolves.

  “What’s up with your flea bags, Harley? They haven’t ever done that before,” the tallest one said. His wavy black hair was half tied up, and I couldn’t help but notice the dragon tattoos running up both his arms.

  “Just don’t, Hollywood,” a guy with shoulder length goldish blond hair said. “Show yourself,” he commanded as he averted his attention back to me. I really didn’t want to pull my hood back. Who was he to demand I show myself to them? I didn’t know them. Still, I was severely outnumbered. Reluctantly, I reached up, took hold of the hood of my cloak, and pulled it back. Slowly, I lifted my head.

  Hollywood’s eyebrows pulled down into a deep frown. “You! I can’t believe it. Did Fuzz send you?” he asked. Harley didn’t say a word. He dropped to his knees, and stared at me. His facial expression was hard to read. It wasn’t the cold, emotionless stare from earlier. He looked relieved, like he’d been waiting on me his entire life.

  “Fuzz? I don’t know any Fuzz,” I said.

  A look of frustration crossed Hollywood’s face. “Well, how do you explain showing up here?” he asked. His voice turned to almost a growl as he reached for me. I threw back the cloak and snatched the blade off my thigh. Within seconds, blue fire ignited from the tattoo and covered the weapon. Holy shit! This was the first time I had been able to use the fire without her taking over. His mouth dropped as he stared at me. “May I?” His voice turned a little more gently.

  “May you what?” I asked breathlessly. My heart pounded in my ears, using the fire drained me. I grew weaker the longer it burned. If only I knew how to control it.

  “Look at the tattoos,” he said. I dropped the weapon to my side, smothering the fire.

  “How—” I choked, blinking back tears. Finally, someone that might help me figure all this out. I took a deep breath before continuing. “How did you know about the tattoos?” He turned and looked at the others in confusion. He got a shrug from each of them in response.

  “You don’t know what they are?” he asked. I shook my head and looked at the ground. I tilted my wrist in, stealing a glance at the symbol.

  “I’m not comfortable showing you,” I replied, daring him to challenge me. He nodded and backed off.

  “Well, at least we know why the werewolves acted that way,” Hollywood said.

  “Glad you got here okay, Reese.” A tall, skinny one said. His hairstyle, a mullet Mohawk, made me cringe.

  “Do I know you?” I tried not to let my growing panic show. Obviously, they thought they knew me, but I had never seen any of them a day in my life. They looked at each other.

  “What do you mean? You don’t remember us? We saved your ass a few times back in Jackson,” Hollywood said.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know any of you, I don’t know where this Jackson is that you’re talking about, and I don’t know who Reese is. Maybe you have me mistaken for someone else.” Hollywood frowned, but didn’t reply. He turned to the others as if silently begging for some help with his failed attempt.

  “Why don’t you just come with us, and we’ll help you figure all this out,” the fourth one said. He was almost as tall as Hollywood, but he had light brown hair. His face was covered in freckles only to be accented with a few facial piercings. Everything in me wanted to turn and run. The hysteria I had masked was starting to eat away at my front. I didn’t trust them, but obviously they knew the reason I was heading to this particular location. I had no idea why I was led here, so I needed answers. There was no other option. I nodded. “Harley, we’ll go up ahead and make sure the area is clear for her to come through. By the time you guys reach us, we’ll have a camp set up for the night.” At least that would be one good thing about being with them. I didn’t have to worry about where I was going to sleep. However, if one of them tried to touch me, it was off with
their dick.

  “Sounds good. Be careful. Those things are deadly out here,” he said. Three of the four jogged off in front of me following the werewolves, leaving me alone with Harley. What could he be talking about? I had been out here for a few days. Sure things that lived in nature were lethal, especially ones hard to see until it was too late, but nothing to merit that type of warning. What were they hunting?

  “So you really don’t remember anything?” he asked, breaking the silence as we walked. “Not even a ride on the back of my motorcycle?” He cocked his head as one side of his mouth curved in a smile. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face.

  “No. Sorry,” I said. A familiar tingling surged my body. I thought the flames were going to erupt again, so I shoved my hands inside the cloak. But this was something different. This was nerves. He pulled a bag over his shoulder and made a clucking noise with his tongue.

  “That blows. I guess we’ll have to make new memories then.” I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as my cheeks burned. I looked away, trying not to let him see how his words affected me. Maybe he was someone special to this Reese person. I could easily see how he might be. Despite his good looks and obvious charm, I still didn’t trust him. “You can follow me. I’ll get you to where you need to be.” He walked a few steps in front and turned back. “By the way, my name is Harley.”

  “So, where are you taking me, Harley?” His name sounded familiar on my lips. I repeated it several times silently, each time with a different spin on it.

  “To the place you’ve been coming all this way for. It’s the place where you’ll finish your training.” Training? What in the world could I be training for? Sure, she knew how to fight, but she was the darkness. I expected a little ass-kickery from her, but me? Nah. I didn’t know the first thing about how to fight. I followed several miles without saying another word. Up ahead, I could hear water pounding. He pushed away some hanging thick green vines to reveal an opening—an opening to nothing but a drop off. To our right was a huge waterfall, dwarfing the one I had climbed earlier, pouring into a pool of the clearest aqua blue water.