Journey to a darker world

by Christian Mathis

  The carriage stopped suddenly, and my head was thrown forward almost hitting the seat in front of me.

  “We might have cover we’re short on long range weapons, only things I can think of would be my sand blast and if James could make a spear of some sort…”

  DOOM, DOOM, DOOM TSSSS. The carriage was already starting to take blast from the cardinals’ guns. The seven of us were all huddled together behind the turned over carriage. Sweat was pouring down my forehead and stinging my eyes. With each hit from the blasters the carriage grew hotter and hotter as the metal started to melt.

  “Now or never, Agatha give me your hand!”

  I reached over and laid my hand barely on top of hers. We stood up and she blasted poisoned sand into the first row of outlaws. The blast of sand was so powerful it would knock the soldiers back while bruising and cutting their skin until the poison killed them.

  James cut himself and was about to form a weapon when Toni shouted. “James the Spears of the Native American tribe the Tohono O’odham were small enough so you could make several while also having distance of a spear.!” Toni shouted. James got to work hardening his blood and making more Spears.

  “Willard take Toni and Reuben and try to flank them, the rest of us will stay here and lay down cover fire.” I said.

  By that time the army of mercenaries was only a few feet away and Agatha and I were growing tired and exhausted. Agatha collapsed and slumped down next to Zadok, I reached down to place my finger on her neck as I checked for a pulse.

  “Give up Catalyst while you still have some dignity, or you will all die here and now as no ones in this shitty field “said Harsh.

  “No Harsh I think it’s you who should surrender before you all die, you think you have us surrounded it’s the other way around. Guys now!” I screamed

  James threw a small spear into the man standing next to Harsh and he feel dead.

  “Catalyst is right Harsh no one else has to die, tell your men to drop their weapons and well keep you all as prisoners.” Said James

  Harsh turned around fast enough to let off a single shoot before diving to the floor.

  “Fuck! That was my good arm!” James screamed as he too passed out from shock. The thermal blast has taken out a decent sized chunk of his good arm. Willard attempted to douse the ground in acid to melt the sand enough to capture some of Harsh’s men without killing them.

  “Hello dumbass they have no problem killing us so why not kill them first!” Zadok screamed. His legs wobbled as he struggled to stand, using the melted metal from the carriage as support.

  Click click click. I heard the familiar sound of guns reloading as the army got ready to charge.

  “You had your chance Catalyst now your blood will be ours as well as the death of millions being your fault. “said Harsh. He drew his familiar red sword before raising it into the air. He took two steps forward before yelling “Charge!” Some of his men drew their swords while others drew a second gun. They began to jog and then run towards us screaming with their weapons raised in the air.

  “You won’t take my blood this time Ehud! “Reuben screamed. He ran forward surprising the outlaws and threw his hands into the dirt at their feet.

  “No one will ever take my blood again!” Reuben screamed as he turned the sand into liquid sand and the Cardinals began to sink deep into the liquid sand.

  “Reuben this is not you and they are not Ehud you do not have to do this these are not monsters these are men, if you do this then you will be a monster” I said.

  “I already am”

  He bent down and touched the liquefied sand again turning it back into a solid.

  “Aaaa what the fuck!”

  I heard the loudest screams I have ever heard in my entire like. I heard the crushing of chest, snapping of bones and the loud exhale as every ounce of air and life was forced out of their bodies. Some men killed themselves if they feared a slow death.

  Reuben walked over to the few men whose bodies were crushed with their chest above the sand and grabbed a sword before walking away as if nothing happened.

  “If they were here, they must have a ship nearby we should find it and then head to New York.” Said Reuben

  My eyes locked onto Willard’s and we exchanged wide eyes troubled glances. The returned to where we stood, they walked across the field of various lifeless body parts jutting out from the sand like stalagmites on a cave floor.

  I helped Agatha to her feet while James hardened the bloody hole in this arm while coagulating the wound. I tore off my jacket is and fastened a sling for James’s arm. We started to walk

  “Reuben that wasn’t ok you had them trapped you did not have to kill them; we could have gotten important statistics on battle tactics and how many soldiers they have!” I said.

  “Catalyst that sounds hypocritical when we were on the cardinal’s ship you killed several men that you didn’t have to because you felt betrayed.” Said Agatha.

  I opened my mouth to speak when Zadok stepped up next to Agatha and got into my face once more.

  “Reuben was seriously psychologically messed up so messed up he didn’t speak. Harsh uttered the same line Ehud said every day when he ripped blood from our flesh. I would have done the same thing and you know what I think you’re mad there’s no one left to tell you where your girlfriend is.” Said Zadok

  “You know it’s not like that I think we should try to be heroes again if we really want to save the world. “I said.

  “Well guess what Catalyst we’ve been through all of this before because we have powers does not make us heroes.”

  I swung and my fist connected with Zadok’s jaw he turned and tried to shove me.

  “ENOUGH let’s go search for the ship, Catalyst maybe the problem is you we were getting along while building the carriage in your absence. Perhaps we should all walk in silence for a while.” Said Willard

  That was exactly what we did, we walked in silence for over an hour. We combed through what woods remained around Niagara Falls until we came across an empty clearing. I picked up a rock and chucked it into the center of the clearing. THUD. The rock appeared to float above the ground by a dozen feet or so.

  “guessing this is some sort of cloaked plane or ship.” I said

  “Well if it’s cloaked how are we supposed to board or fly it?” Asked James. Before anyone could answer Agatha has started to blast the area under the rock with sand. The sand gave us an idea of how big the plane was, it appeared to be an armored and weaponized commercial jet.

  Willard stepped forward and placed his hand flat against invisible ship. Black acid began to ooze from his hand and run down the wall of sand and dropped to the floor with a sizzling hiss.

  “Reuben May I have the ring? There seems to be some sort of shielding on it and my acid is not strong enough to burn through it. Maybe with the ring it will boost my powers enough to get us through, said Willard.

  Reuben walked over to where Willard and Agatha were standing and curled his fingers around his ringed fingers and plunged it into his pocket.

  “No, you do not need the ring, the ring is mine.”

  Reuben pushed his hands through the wall of sand until the metal shook and bubbles before falling to the floor in a puddle of metal and sand. He only melted the wall closet to us so that the rest of the ship was still whole and cloaked. It appeared to be a window into a ship in the middle of an empty field. We all began to step forward and into the ship one at a time. Surprisingly there was only two guards about Reuben has one foot in the door when Zadok places his hand upon his shoulder and whispered

  “Thanks for the help I really am going to need that ring back bud.”

  Reuben tried to twist out of Zadok’s grasp Zadok dug his fingers into his shoulders even tighter.

  He tried to pull and tug on Reuben’s arm and hand, Reuben turned and shoved his hand into Zadok’s chest.

  The old man tumbled out of the door and into the sand.

  “Uh Zadok I’m
sorry”

  He attempted to put his hand out to help Zadok to his feet Zadok slapped his hand away.

  “Whatever forget about it give me the damn ring ass hole.”

  Reuben have him the dirtiest look I have ever seen someone give to another person and he dropped the ring unto Zadok’s chest with a metallic plink.

  Zadok stood to his feet and pushed the ring back into the amulet.

  We began to explore the jet there was not much to it. A cockpit with the pilot and copilot seat along with the controls, two rows of dozens of seats, and the back of the plane made up a giant prison cell. As far as weapons go, the Cardinal’s jet has a gun turret mounted to each side of the plane and a middle launcher built into the nose.

  Toni and I walked toward the front of the ship while the others took seats in various parts of the main cabin. Instead of being a unified team like we needed to be we were a group of people who happened to share a common hatred and a need for survival. I once thought we could make a great family right now, I can’t even see us being friends.

  “Hey Toni, can you even fly this kind of plane?”

  “Yes, sir I can fly almost any plane or helicopter, let’s not forgotten I even kind of flew that escape pod.”

  “Oh, that’s right I forgot you were in the military, which branch was it again?”

  “Catalyst I am one of the only people to be in every branch of the military, at one point or another I even served in about every special op team there ever was, want to be my copilot?”

  I jumped into the copilot seat and glanced over every ton, switch, and lever.

  “Toni I would love to, as long as you make sure I know how to fly this kind of jet haha.”

  Reuben reached out of the plane and dipped his fingers into the liquefied metal. The metal hardened into solid steel once again. We set a course for New York City and began the small flight.

  Chapter twenty-three

  For the first hour of the flight the only noise we heard was the low hum of the jet’s engines. The plane was still relatively quiet, no one Said or did anything except awkwardly stare at each other. I started to return to the cabin when I heard noises coming from behind me.

  Click, Click Dum Dum dum. I heard a heavy machine gun firing and reloading again and again.

  “Who the hell is trying to let every bad guy in New York know we are coming!” I screamed

  The door to the turret opened and I saw Agatha step out.

  “Agatha what the hell are you thinking besides hurting innocent people you’re going to alert everyone in the city!”

  “Well guess what Catalyst, were in fucking New York where your psycho ass Girlfriend is trying to enslave the world, so she probably knows where here. Hello, she is damn puppet master. She can literally help make certain things happen I’m sure we are only here because she wants us to be.” Said Agatha.

  “Agatha while I understand what you’re saying I really do think we should hold off on the signal flares ok “

  “Fine”

  “Hey Catalyst, I think you better get up here!” Said Toni from the cockpit.

  I hesitantly entered the cockpit knowing that we were all about to be in a bad way once again. As if me trying to avoid it would make it not happen.

  Ksssssh pop hiss. The radio began to crackle and hiss before breaking in and out. It was then I heard a familiar sound that was once comforting has become eerie. The radio became clear and the only sound that could be heard was the scribbling of a pen feverishly flying across a page. the pen screeched to a halt followed by the pucker of a wax seal.

  “Once again my love, your fate has been written and sealed.” Said Annabelle over the radio.

  Click. The radio went dead once again, and the jet grew silent. Toni and I exchanged worried glances.

  “Catalyst, what are we supposed to do? how do we prepare for something we don’t know? We have to go tell the others.”

  “Toni we can’t be ready because I think we won’t have to wait long to find out. Fine I’ll go tell them right now.”

  I stood up to find James and the others and to update them on Annabelle’s chilling penman ship. However, before I could exit the cabin Agatha cane running in screaming.

  “Guys there is smoke coming from the tail end of the plane and the one of the engine has caught on fire .What the hell are we supposed to do and what’s going to stop Annabelle from writing someone else if we get out of this .?” Agatha asked.

  I stared into Agatha’s face for a moment before answering then I glanced out the window at the trail of grey smoke we were now leaving. I ran my hands through my crusty and sand filled hair to focus harder and come up with a somewhat decent plan. I pushed the door open so the others sitting in the cabin heard me.

  “Stop me if I’m wrong guys from what I understand about Annabelle’s powers, besides having to be written by her in her book. She can only help things that could happen otherwise she would have had us kill ourselves or each other,” I said.

  “Catalyst thanks for that keen observation time to talk is done we need to act before we spin out of control.” Said Zadok

  I watched the radio altimeter as our altitude dropped.

  “That’s it! Agatha if we get to the right altitude where the cabin pressure is equal to the surrounding air, we can open the emergency door and you can put the fire out with sand.” I said

  “That’s the stupidest idea I have ever heard the chances of that are slim to none, I say we crash land and if we survive walk the rest of the way. “Yelled Zadok.

  We all found our seats and buckled up. Agatha began to blast the emergency door with sand with bigger and bigger blast until the door busted open. I grabbed unto Agatha waist and held her tight and she attempted to lean out of a moving plane. She attempted to coat the fire with a thick layer of sand, yet the fire would not extinguish.

  I heard the air begin to be sucked from the cabin as the plane started into a barrel roll. At first Agatha and I were pulled out into the air as I frantically latched o. To a dangling seat belt. I felt my heart pounding through my chest and on the side of my head. When we thought we were ok the plane barrel rolled again and we were thrown into the far wall of the plane.

  “Cut the engines Toni the fires will stop because the fuel source will be gone, maybe we can glide into the city.” I screamed while being thrown around the plane.

  Toni steadied the plane one last time and cut the engines. After a few moments the smoke lessened, and we began to glide. I pulled myself and Agatha into the seats nearest to us before buckling us in.

  We glided for a few minutes before we entered the forbidden New York City airspace and we noticed something was wrong. When we had left the City was still in its beautiful former glory. Now it resembled a post-apocalyptic waste land. Every building was completely missing its top half or complete gone except for the United Nations headquarters. That building was bigger and more armored than ever before. It closely resembled a castle, Ehud’s castle. The other major difference was that the sky was grey along with everything else. The city had become dark and colorless like the planet we were banished to. Annabelle truly was trying to make this a darker world and she was using everything from the other planet to do so. After we had entered the city’s air space, we had to finally make use of the planes weapons and Agatha finally got to use her turret to blast several robotic drones out of the sky.

  We had passed over UN building and had continued gliding we had lost most of our altitude to the point that we were almost at building level.

  “Toni if you come close to where those to buildings meet, I can see the Remnants of an old cable bridge perhaps we can land the plane the way the use to land planes on those old school aircraft carriers. By flying low enough to snag that cable with the plane and getting snagged to a halt. “said Willard.

  “Hell, it’s worth and shot, if it fails, we’ll be to dead to care.” Said Toni.

  Toni pulled back on the wheel as far as he could which barely increased our a
ltitude by a few feet.

  The plane flew incredibly close to the narrow bride before it attempted to grab the cable continued to fly before the plane jerked to a stop. My head slammed the back of the seat and I heard an incredible metallic Thwack like when an archer releases his bow. The plane was pulled back behind the bride until the nose of the plane gridded against the bridge. While the t of the plane was pushed backwards and tore up hundreds of pounds of concrete and asphalt as it digs into the ground. Miraculously and with what seemed like sheer coincidence the plane stopped moving.

  I felt lightheaded and I realized I had been holding my breath for who knows how long. I released my lock knees and pried my fingers off the seat in front of me before letting out a long deep breath of relief.

  “We are going to need a base, and this isn’t it, preferably one where we can see Annabelle’s building,” I said.

  “Perhaps we could hide and travel in the sewers, storm water system” Toni said as he stroked his beard.

  “I haven’t been to earth in almost a hundred years, obviously a lot and happened especially in the last few years perhaps the ancient subway tunnels would be a good way of moving throughout the city with little detection.” Whispered Zadok.

  “Alright that sounds like a good plan we need to do whatever it takes to get that book away from Annabelle because if we don’t, we will have no chance of victory” I said

  We took one last look inside the plane for supplies or anything else that could be useful. We were about to step out when I noticed a small hatch in the floor.

  James created a blood sword and sliced clean through the hinges. When he lifted the hatch, it revealed several of the thermal blaster pistols, a few red swords, also there was a few weapons we had not seen before. The new weapons included a Gatling gun type gun like the thermal guns, several melee weapons that appeared to be made from a material close to Willard’s claws. An acid thrower. The last weapon was confused is at first then we realized it was a cannon that worked like slivers powers it had a big drum on top of the barrel where you loaded any material until it was able to turn it into slivers and bits of the material until it could blast them out of the barrel. We grabbed as many weapons as we could carry and exited the ship to hunt for the tunnels.