What the hell had just happened? she wondered, as she got a leg beneath her and sat herself up.
A deep bass growl and the dull thuds of something big stalking towards her broke through the fog of pain and confusion. Amanda looked up and straight into the face of a nightmare.
Silhouetted against the comparatively bright main street, a huge black figure, easily twice the height of an ordinary man, stepped nimbly towards her. It looked human in basic shape, except enormous, and… furry?
Thinking her eyes were deceiving her, Amanda blinked, but the horrific vision didn’t go away. The creature looked like it was made of muscle—layers and layers of it—beneath pitch-black skin covered in patches of matted sable hair. But that wasn’t the worst of it. As it stepped into a weak light cast by the glow of a lone, bare light bulb hanging over a back entrance to one of the shops along the alley, the thing’s inhuman face came into view.
It looked bat-like with its enormous ears, but that’s where the similarity ended. Two huge tusks sprouted from its wide, drooling maw and a long, cancerous-looking horn jutted from its forehead.
Amanda’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates and she scrambled back along the ground, trying to get away from it, only to hit the wall. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real. It was impossible.
‘Where are you going, Witch?’ The thing rumbled. Its voice was like thunder.
‘What? What the fuck… shite, what do you want?’ Amanda stammered as panic rose up within her. There was no way she could be calm and logical about this. Being attacked by a man was one thing, being assaulted by an impossible creature that shouldn’t exist was something else entirely. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest, like it was about to burst forth and make a run for it. This had to be a nightmare of some kind. It was the only explanation. Things like this just didn’t exist.
“Amanda!” called a voice from the street as Stuart sprinted around the corner. The creature turned and looked. It was as if Stuart didn’t quite register what was stood before him—like his brain couldn’t quite comprehend what it was as he ran towards her, only to come to a skidding stop right next to it as he realised the size of the thing.
“Holy shit!” Stuart called as he looked up at the creature and stepped back from it. With a lazy movement of its colossal arm, the thing slapped Stuart backwards into the wall. Amanda heard the crack of bone as his head hit the concrete.
“Stuart,” Amanda called. “Run!”
Stuart looked up at her and touched his fingers to the back of his head. They came away a glistening crimson.
“Stuart,” Amanda called again, only for the creature to pull back its fist, and as Stuart looked up at it, the thing punched him.
The creature’s fist was as big as Stuart and ended up buried a few feet into the now-ruined concrete ground and wall of the building, with Amanda’s friend crushed beneath it. The beast withdrew its fist from the rubble. Amanda noted the bloodstain that covered it as more debris fell on top of whatever remained of Stuart.
“You won’t best me again, Witch. This time, you will pay,” the thing growled at her. Amanda had no idea what it was talking about, and honestly, wasn’t paying much attention. Instead, a single thought ran through her mind, over and over.
I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die…
The creature lowered itself into a more threatening pose, its claws held wide as it looked at her.
Panic and fear filled her up and bubbled over as she took in the scene, followed swiftly by rage. A wave of growing anger passed over her as she looked at the rubble that covered Stuart's body.
The fear she had been feeling was washed away by a growing white-hot fury as she thought about the events of the past few months. Her life was pretty shitty.
She’d come to America as a stowaway looking for a new life. Looking for hope. She’d convinced herself that her life and her future were here. Instead, she’d ended up on the street—cold, hungry, and alone. Even the pity of strangers hadn’t saved her, and before long, she was turning tricks in the alleyways of Manhattan, dodging the cops and the gangs as she tried to make a life for herself, however meagre it may be.
She might tell anyone who asked that she liked her work, but the brutally honest truth of it was that she hated it. It made her feel used and abused. She was a thing, a sex object, and frankly, it was shit.
The money helped, but this wasn’t the life she wanted, this wasn’t the life she’d hoped for. But what else was there? She was stuck.
Her life sucked and if that wasn’t enough, now fate was taking her friends from her as well. Georgina’s illness, and now this thing from one of the darkest corners of Hell had just killed Stuart.
She clenched her fists over and over again as her breathing sped up, riding the wave of hot fury inside her. She wanted to lash out. She wanted to kill it. To tear it apart limb from limb, screaming in defiance at the hand she’d been dealt.
Her rage built to a crescendo as the creature lunged, rushing forward with its sword-like claws slicing at her. Amanda held her arms out in front of her, palms facing the creature, fingertips pointing to the sky in a futile effort to protect herself and screamed with all her might, releasing that rage and throwing it at the creature.
It felt like a wave of energy exploded out of her, rushing along her arms and out of her palms. An almighty crash and explosion rocked the alley, and even though her eyes were closed, she could make out a flare of white light beyond her eyelids.
The anticipated feeling of ten-inch claws ripping into her flesh never happened, and as the sense of rippling energy continued to flow over her arms, accompanied by hissing, banging, and flashes of light, Amanda opened her eyes.
Electrical energy in the form of huge arcs of blinding light flowed down her arms and shot out at the beast that stood before her, blasting it in the chest. The energy leapt about in great electrical arcs with branches slamming into walls and puddles, evaporating them with an explosion of steam. The rush of air kicked up papers and trash that were burnt by the energy as they wheeled about before her.
The creature staggered, struggling to keep its balance as Amanda gazed in awe at the power that was flowing out of her. Was there golden mist hanging in the air around her, as well? As she watched, her concern grew, accompanied by a healthy dose of doubt. To her dismay, as her doubts increased, the energy weakened.
As she watched, the intensity of the lightning faded. The creature found its balance again and brought its head forward to look right back at her with its beady red eyes. The monster was fighting back, recovering from the effects.
As those beast-like eyes focused on her and bored into her soul, it took a menacing step forward. Fear and anger flooded right back in as she let the doubts slip away. She would not die today.
“No!” she yelled.
Summoning up all her strength once more, Amanda dug deep, finding reservoirs of anger and frustration and she threw it all at the beast.
The energy more than doubled in ferocity, and with a final scream of unadulterated rage, Amanda let loose entirely.
With an ear-rattling boom, the creature was blasted against the wall with a final, powerful flare of lightning. As her last reserves of anger rushed out of her body and the energy faded away, she found herself alone in the alley.
The creature was gone, obliterated, and only a vaguely humanoid scorch mark on the wall remained.
Having risen to her knees for that final push, Amanda sat back down, nearly collapsing from the strain of what she’d just done. After taking a few moments to catch her breath, she looked at her hands as the last spluttering vestiges of energy sparked between her fingers and then disappeared.
What the hell had just happened? she wondered, as she turned her hands over, inspecting them for marks or burns. But there were none.
Looking around, the last few bits of burnt and blackened paper rippled to the ground, as the last vestiges of the golden mist that hung in the air faded from view.
Had she been attacked by a monster or a demon? But such things shouldn’t exist. They were impossible. Monsters weren’t real. Dragons and Vampires were myth and legend. It was one of those truths you learnt as a child along with there being no Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. There were no such things as werewolves or zombies. They were old myths, stories, and not real. And yet, here she was, sitting on the wet concrete of a Manhattan alley, cold and damp, having just been attacked by one. But not only that, she’d somehow thrown lightning bolts at it and killed it.
The world had gone mad, she thought as her eyes drifted over to the pile of bricks and rubble beneath which Stuart was buried. As she looked, she spotted a foot and a hand sticking out of the debris. She recognised the pristine white sneakers that Stuart had been wearing.
Amanda’s heart sank. There was little trace of the Magic or the beast, but the aftermath of the confrontation was all too real.
Picking herself up out of the puddle, Amanda stood, the cold water dripping from her as she stepped over to the remains of her protector and friend. She went to reach for his hand but pulled back before she touched it. She couldn’t bring herself to take it in hers.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to him. “You didn’t deserve to die like this.”
As she stood there, the sound of police sirens rose up from the background noise until Amanda suddenly registered their approach.
“Ah, crap.”
***
The figure stood on top of the apartment block in the shadows of the building’s water tank. She watched Amanda in the alley below, wobbling like a new-born fawn on her high heels, before she turned and ran as the sirens of the approaching police wailed.
The figure smiled. Finally, the moment she had been waiting on for all these centuries had come. Amanda had been through her Epiphany. But now, the real fun began. The next few years would be tough, and there was always a chance that things could go horribly wrong. The plans had been put in place, though, and everyone was ready to play their part.
Amanda had run out of sight now, so the figure stepped back, concentrated, and with a rush of Magical energy, disappeared.
- Internal missive within the Disciples of the Cross.
To: Grand Inquisitor Mary Damask
From: Grand High Inquisitor Valerio Rossi
Subject: Demon Sighting in New York
Inquisitor Damask,
I believe you have a man in New York currently?
We have had a credible sighting of a demon in Manhattan and a description of the witch who summoned it.
Notify your asset we will be monitoring the area. He needs to be ready to move as quickly as possible.
Please see the attachment for details and a description of the witch.
Updates to follow.
V.R.
The Inquisitor
JFK Airport
Amanda picked up her bag from the table and smiled meekly at the security guard who was standing on the other side, watching her.
“Thanks,” she said.
The man nodded and turned to look at the other travellers behind her. Placing her roller bag on the floor and extending the handle, she walked away from the security checkpoint with a long, slow exhale. She concentrated on her breathing and did her best to calm herself down as she moved into the departure lounge.
Getting through check-in and security with her fake passport had been her biggest fear. Everything had gone through just fine, but she’d been terrified that she would get arrested at some point as she moved through the airport. Standing at that check-in desk, asking for an earlier flight as they scanned her passport, had been a moment of pure terror.
What if they’d found out she was living here illegally? She’d be deported eventually, sure, but that could take months, and Georgina had weeks or less to live.
She’d kept herself under control, though, and stood there smiling at the attendant as if this was the most normal thing in the world for her.
“Thank you, uh, Ms White,” the attendant had said as she’d passed her documents back to her. She had no idea why the forger had used Alice White on the passport, but Amanda liked it.
Luckily, they’d found her a seat on an earlier flight, and she would be boarding her plane within the hour.
When the lady at the desk had said she could go through security into the departure lounge, part of her had been convinced it was part of some kind of elaborate trap. That the security teams were waiting for her and would detain her as she passed through, but there had been no problems at all. Her bag had been scanned, she’d walked through the metal detector, and everyone had treated her just like any other passenger.
A short walk later, Amanda sat herself down in one of the seats scattered around the departure lounge and did her best to relax. It wasn’t that easy, however, and even though the worst part—and frankly, the riskiest part—was over, she found herself watching the airport security guards like a hawk. Keeping an eye out for any hint that they might be heading her way because her passport had been flagged somewhere.
So far, no one had approached her, and as the minutes passed, she started to breathe a little easier.
Looking around, she spotted a man sitting opposite her who was peering at her over his paper. He saw her notice him and looked away, focusing back on the newspaper he was reading. He was sat with a woman who was reading a novel.
Was he eyeing her up because she had a short, black and white tartan skirt on that showed off her legs? Or was he an undercover security guard getting info on her through a hidden earpiece? She started to feel nervous again and looked around at the other people in the lounge. A couple more people met her gaze, and suddenly she was feeling very uncomfortable. She felt sure it was merely coincidence and that she wasn’t being watched, but her mind just wouldn’t let the idea go.
She looked back at the man opposite her as she shifted her position and crossed her legs the other way. He was looking at her again, staring at her legs as she moved them.
He was probably just being a typical man, but the worry wouldn’t slip away just yet.
The lady sitting next to the man looked up at him, followed his gaze, and looked at Amanda. She looked back at the woman, but she’d seen Amanda looking at her travelling companion. The woman turned to the man, who looked up from Amanda’s legs and back at the woman. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Grow up, you perv. How old are you?” she muttered as the man went back to his paper, his cheeks burning scarlet.
Amanda smiled to herself. He was just admiring her, it seemed.
She’d been attacked only hours ago and every time she closed her eyes, her mind went straight back to that alleyway and the beast. Looking back at it now, surrounded by ordinary people in a busy airport, she wondered if it had all been a dream, or, more accurately, a nightmare.
Monsters didn’t exist, and people couldn’t throw lightning around, so what the hell had happened? Was she having a psychotic break? Was she hallucinating? Was Stuart actually dead?
Amanda’s lips quivered and her eyes flooded as that thought hit her and then was quickly followed up with the thought that Georgina might not be long for this world either. Forcing herself to breathe, she pushed those emotions back down and blinked away her tears. She didn’t want to start crying at the airport. She didn’t want a fuss. She just wanted to get on the plane and go see her friend.
That’s all that mattered. She’d think about the attack later. But not now.
A short time later, Amanda checked the departure board and spotted that the gate number had appeared next to her flight.
She stood and glanced at the couple sitting across from her again. The man looked up, his eyes drawn to her movements. Amanda smiled and winked at him. The man flushed and quickly looked back down at something in his paper that had suddenly become terribly interesting. Amanda walked away, smiling to herself, enjoying the moment.
Walking through the departure lounge to the gate, she felt relieved that she’d soo
n be in the air and away from the city. She’d always been a dreamer with an overactive imagination, which was usually a great thing to have, but there were times like this when she only saw threats around every corner. As usual, though, she’d imagined it and what she’d thought was an undercover agent was actually just a frustrated man who was enjoying the view.
She’d had plenty of experience with frustrated married men during her time on the streets of New York. They weren’t getting what they desired from their relationship at home, so they came out to find it with people like Amanda and her friends. It always amused her when they tried to hide their wedding rings. She couldn’t care less if they were married. She, like any working girl, was only interested in the contents of their wallet.
“Amanda?” said a male voice just behind her.
Turning, she looked at the man who’d said her name. He was tall with swarthy skin and a wiry frame. He looked like he’d lived his life out in the world and although his face was weathered, Amanda guessed he was probably in his thirties somewhere.
“Yes?” Amanda said, without really thinking about it.
The man smiled. “Excellent, would you come with me, please?”
Amanda frowned with consternation, wondering if she should have lied. He wasn’t dressed in an airport uniform. Instead, he wore relatively dull, boring trousers, a dress shirt, and a long raincoat over the top. Was he a detective or something? she wondered.
“Who are you?” Amanda asked.
“I’m with airport security. If you’d like to follow me, please?” he said, moving to her side and putting his hand to the small of her back, urging her back the way she’d come.
“What’s this about?” Amanda asked, resisting his attempts to move her.
“We just need to run some additional security checks, ma’am, it’s nothing serious. You’ll be on your way soon enough,” he said.
Amanda narrowed her eyes at him. Something about this felt off. Even though she’d thought this might happen, convinced almost, something about this man didn’t seem right. He had a strong Italian accent and wore a gold cross around his neck. Despite her doubts, Amanda started to walk in the direction he was guiding her. She could see a doorway up ahead that said Staff Only on it and guessed that must be where they were heading.
Magi Legend Page 2