Ancient Fire

by Judi Calhoun

The arid hot sun on my head added to the fun, as I cut a path through the ocean of tall, yellow grass, hearing my name, Shoooonnna! I was five again, giggling from the thrill of the game…running away from my mother.

  In the shadow of the tall trees, my eyes caught sight of him. A fancy harlequin man holding a cute monkey, dressed in a bright green-striped vest, colorful red jacket, and elegant silk top hat over his thick, blond hair. I slowed to a stop, fascinated by the dancing monkey. A minute later, I regretted staring, because it was not a monkey at all. It had changed into a hideous, hairless creature with pointed ears, sharp, long fangs, and silver claws. The man began to morph, also. I glimpsed fur and teeth. He whispered to me. I screamed, turned, and crashed headlong into mom’s blue skirt. I glanced back in fear. They had vanished. I will never forget his words…ever. They have haunted me all these years. “When you’re not looking, Little Bee, I shall kill both your mommy and daddy.”

  My legs kicked my blankets off in a wild frenzy. I scrambled out of bed. Mom’s screams ringing fresh inside my head. I tore open the bedroom door, knowing I had just had another prophetic dream. Fear raked at my insides, like an animal clawing to escape. I was weak, yet strong with rage. The rage was good because it kept me moving.

  The lights were on in the kitchen, and the front door was wide open.

  “Mom” I yelled, in the hallway, kitchen, and outside into the darkness. “MOM!” My voice cracked. “Where are you?” A sinking deserted feeling consumed me with panic. I was all alone, utterly and completely alone, my family taken, as promised by the evil Harlequin man.

  Then I saw the blood, mom’s blood, sprayed across the walls of the entryway, on the rug, even on the ceiling. I swayed dizzy with fear. Frantically I reached for my cell and dialed Jake, before collapsing on the floor, weeping.

  There are things you learn about yourself, when you think you’re losing your mind. Fear and remorse seem to hang close to the surface, but I no longer fought to push them down. You hear things, too, like the Harlequin man laughing and a distant voice calling. I had no strength or desire to answer.

  Suddenly Jake’s strong arms folded around me. He held me tight against the hardness of his chest. My hand grabbed onto his shirt and I sobbed. After a while, I forced myself to let go of the material as he gently placed me onto a chair.

  I couldn’t just sit and do nothing. I had to get my mother back. I was on my feet searching with blurry eyes for the keys to the Jeep.

  Jake frowned, hovering close. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to the cemetery,” I said between sobs. “I’m going to kill Ian and get my mother back.”

  “No!” He snatched the keys from my hand. “I’m not going to let you go off and kill yourself. I’ll work out a plan. We’ll get her back I promise. Just trust me, please! Will you trust me?

  The tears started again as I collapsed in his arms. “Yes.” I whispered, “I trust you Jake.”

  Very, very slowly the tears had stopped, and a dull numbness settled over me. I heard Jake talking to someone official. I wasn’t sure I could trust my ears.

  “Did you see what happened?” A police officer was asking. My eyes met his gaze, and I realized he had spoken to me and wanted answers.

  “I…I...was sleeping,” I said. Really, wasn’t I watching Ian stab my mom? I tried to say nothing, because every word felt like a lie. I shifted to sit up straighter. “I came downstairs and found...” As I pointed to the blood, the rest of my words dissolved into tears.

  Men in white lab coats were busy taking blood samples from the carpet. A gloved hand placed a business card on the table next to me. I stared at the card never really reading it.

  I don’t remember the police leaving the house. I don’t even remember Jake carrying me upstairs and putting me in bed, until I noticed him hovering. “Don’t leave!” I whispered, begged, actually.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” He kicked off his shoes and lay next to me on top of my blanket, wrapping his arms around me.

  It must have been sometime in the early hours that I dozed off and my dreams were filled with painful, upsetting images. Only the warmth of Jake’s body kept me rational.

  I woke up again, wide-eyed in the darkness, listening to the rhythm of Jake’s breathing next to me, knowing he was also awake.

  “Do you think he killed her?”

  “No,” he said, his voice thick sounding, “He wants you to come after her.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “We know what they’re like, you and I, ” said Jake. “They play games; mess with your head, Belial wants you. Your mother is the bait. It’s that simple.”

  “I said some hateful things to her. If she dies before I have a chance to...I cannot live, Jake, not with all this guilt. I fought the tears that threatened to fall again.

  Jake’s fingers brushed strains of my tangled, wet hair from my face. ”You’re much stronger than you think.” He kissed my forehead. “Go to sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

  I cuddled myself down on the pillow, pulling the blankets up to my neck and lay there for a moment thinking of Rick. I wanted to fix things, but I didn’t know how.

  “Jake?” I said softly.

  “What?”

  “About Rick... I know I did the wrong thing. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “Let’s talk about that later, okay? Just sleep for now.”

  For one fraction of a second when I opened my eyes, I’d forgotten the horrible events that had happened only a few short hours ago. The merciless pain in my chest returned, heavy with sadness. I could barely breathe it hurt so badly.

  I tried not to think about what he might have done to her. I would not allow my thoughts to take me to those dark places, or else I’d go completely mad. I was relying on Jake to keep me stable. I heard him lightly snoring next to me. I needed a shower. Careful not to disturb him, I slipped out from under the blankets, grabbed clean clothes, and moved stealthily into the bathroom and into the hot running water.

  So many regrets came crashing down; mistakes and missed opportunities. Why hadn’t I killed Ian when I had the chance? Sure, evil forces were keeping him from my sword. I could have taken him out so many times. I mentally shook myself. It did no good to think this way. I needed to stay strong, because I had to save mom.

  It’s odd how doing simple every-day things seems so unimportant, almost ludicrous, yet we do them anyway. Like mom was always nagging me, after my shower, to make sure the soap dish was clean. I found the rag and cleaning fluid under the sink, and started to scrub the soap dish and shower tiles shined. I stood back, admired my work, and cried. I cried harder than yesterday. I tried to turn off my thoughts, control them, as Ariel would say. I took a deep breath and washed the tears away. There would be no more crying.

  Jake was still lightly snoring as I headed downstairs, longing without real hope that Mom would be waiting. We would have coffee together. I could feel her presence, the heart of our home, deep down in my bones. Her having been taken away from me was just so wrong.

  The house phone rang and rang as I hunted for it. Eventually I found the receiver tucked into the cushions of the sofa. “Hello,” I said breathlessly.

  “Ms. Wells? This is Police Detective Wood. We got the blood samples back from the crime lab.” The phone started beeping in my ear because the battery was dying.

  Jake came downstairs, carrying his Nikes in one hand, and smoothing back his hair with the other.

  “You and your aunt need to come down to the station as soon as possible.” Beep.

  “Why?” my voice sounding strained. Beep. “Is it my mother’s blood?”

  “I can’t tell you that,” he said. Beep. “Is your aunt home with you?” Beep.

  “No. She’s not,” I said. Beep. “She’ll be back later.” I wasn’t really sure where aunt Linda was. In fact, I’d been wondering if they had gone home. I tried Peter’s cell and sent him a text message. I didn’t think he needed the phone. I was sure his
gifts, had already sent the warning about mom and what I was suffering. Now I started to worry about Peter and Aunt Linda, had they been abducted too? Yet, I didn’t tell this guy any of that.

  Beep. “Ms. Wells tell your aunt to come down to the station…” Beep. “Ask for Detective Wood in Homicide.”

  The line went dead, as did the phone.

  “Who was that?” Jake asked.

  “The police. They want to talk with my aunt about mom; a complete waste of time. I know Ian took her and I’m going after him.”

  “You said you’d trust me,” said Jake, putting on his Nikes. “Are you going to keep your word?”

  I nodded, reluctantly.

  “Good,” said Jake. “I’ve an idea. Can I use your cell? Mine’s at home.”

  We were wasting precious minutes. Yet, I didn’t argue the point. Instead, I headed for the kitchen searching for my phone. A trace of mom’s sweet, floral fragrance seemed to linger, next to her briefcase. The hole in my damaged heart opened a little wider. I eventually found my bag and phone on the hallway floor. I still had half a battery left. I tossed Jake my phone and sank down on the sofa, burying my face in my hands. Jake made several calls, speaking with Gauge, his father, and Nate Cross.

  The doorbell rang.

  I got up to answer it as Jake ended his last call.

  “Wait a minute,” he raised one hand to stop me. He peeked through the curtain then relaxed. “It’s Peter.”

  I swung open the door and threw my arms around my cousin. “I’m so glad you’re here, ” I said. “Where have you been? When did you and your mom leave?”

  “I would’ve been here sooner, but mom insisted I finish my work. I caught a ride from a neighbor. In answer to your first question, the night you had the fight with your mother, she told us she was upset and she’d decided to postpone the wedding and thought it best if we go home. I tried to talk her out of it. Mom really wanted to go, so we left the next morning. I was hoping I would see you, but you never came home. I was feeling all of this crazy emotional whirlwind from you. I begged mom to let me stay. To talk with you…” He stopped suddenly, noticing the bloody walls. “Aunt Terry?”

  “He took her. I don’t know if she is dead. I...I hope not. This is her blood; even if the police won’t tell me, I know it is.”

  “Police? Why’d you call them?” asked Peter. “We know Ian took her.”

  “I had to call them,” said Jake. “My dad’s got a scanner. The neighbors called the police about a disturbance. If I hadn’t called them, they might have suspected Shonna was guilty or hiding something.”

  “You do know that this is just to scare you,” said Peter, waving his finger at the blood splattered wall.

  “Well, it’s working.“ I sank down on the sofa next to Jake.

  “If only we knew exactly where he cut her,” said Peter, measuring the blood on the wall with his finger, as if it were a ruler. “Small cuts on the forehead sometimes can produce a great deal of blood, especially if he slightly nicked an artery, in which case, it might only require a few stitches. Judging by the amount and velocity of the blood spurts, she was scared. Her heart was pumping fast. Look at this splatter. I would say this was planted here. She was not bleeding that bad. My guess is, she’s alive.” He pointed to a spot near the front door. “Look at the string pattern. He half-dragged her outside, but she was still on her feet.”

  I felt hope rise inside of me as I gawked at Peter. “Are you sure? How do you know all this stuff? Don’t tell me home school.”

  Peter smiled. “I did reports on forensic science. I’m no crime lab chemist, but I’d sure like to be, someday, maybe. Look, the way I see it, it’s all about drama. He’s baiting you. He wants you to come after him.”

  “That’s what I told her,” Jake agreed.

  I started feeling a little better. I was hoping my Genius cousin was right. He’d been right about so many other things. I wanted to believe him. I wanted mom to be alive.

  “So then? What’s our plan?” asked Peter.

  “We need help. I’m rounding up Slayers,” said Jake, “from our school and Pinehurst…everyone I know who carries a Sword.”

  “I have some friends too,” said Peter sitting down in the green chair and leaning forward on his elbows. “They’ll come. I can get loads of people.”

  “Good. We’re going to need an army.”

  “Where do you think he took her?” Peter asked.

  “The logical place is the cemetery. The portal into the Underworld Labyrinth.”

  “It makes sense,” I said, catatonically. “Everything seems to return to the same place.”

  “We should meet in the woods, the later at night the better, so no chance of running into people. This time we come in from the other side. We might be able to surprise them. What do you guys think about baiting?” Jake asked. “We could use someone, maybe my friend Joey. We hide. Let them think he is alone. When they come out, we attack. The element of surprise would be on our side. We’ll capture Ian and bargain for your mom.”


  “No. Not Joey. Anyone but him.” I said.

  “I’ll do it,” said Peter, standing up fast. “Make me the victim. It’ll be great fun.”

  “Ian won’t come out for anyone else but me. You both know that. You already said it, Jake. He wants me. I have to be the bait.”

  Jake dropped his eyes and turned his head. “You’re the logical choice, but right now you're so… vulnerable.” I could tell he had more to say but held it back.

  “I can do this,” I promised.

  Jake reached for my hand, his warm fingers folding around mine, and yet he didn’t look directly at me. “Timing is key. Ian’s spies are good, and we haven’t been able to fool them yet.” He turned to look at me I saw the worry in his eyes. “You’ve got to convince them you’re alone. I’m not sure this is going to work. We’ll do everything we can to save your mom, together.” He emphasized the last word. I knew he was fretting about me wondering if I would go rogue, taking on Ian alone. He was right to worry, because that was exactly what I planned to do.

  * * *

  Chapter 24