Mane of Redemption

by Aaron D Brinker

  Mane of Redemption

  Written by:

  Aaron D Brinker

  In Memory of Mertin.

  Thanks for the memories.

  As his footsteps echoed against the dark pavement, Jude Crenshaw’s thoughts were focused on his job. He had earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business, from Purdue University, and received a job on the East Coast, shortly before graduation. Trudging ahead, he contemplated upcoming meetings, paper work needing to be completed, and phone calls that had to be made. A scream pierced through his thoughts and the stillness of the night. “Help me!” Jude realized the scream came from the alley he was approaching. Sprinting toward the alley, he listened for more sounds of duress. Rounding the corner of the alley he found a woman lying on the ground with her attacker on top of her. While still clothed, the man toyed with his victim.

  The man began to turn as Jude threw his entire body weight into him. The momentum threw the man off of his victim which left him and Jude, for a split second, in a heap on the ground.

  Jude and the man rose to their feet to square off. Jude had taken a few self-defense classes when he was younger, and now he would be tested on how much he remembered. This was the first opportunity Jude had to size up his opponent. The man was huge, which meant Jude had his work cut out for him, if the victim and he were going to walk out of the alley. Jude glanced to where the victim had been lying. Not seeing the woman on the ground, he looked up towards the street just in time to see the victim disappear around the corner. As he turned back to face the man, a fist filled his vision. He turned his head to match the momentum of the blow. His left knee buckled slightly, but he held his ground, regained his footing, and rose back to almost his full height of five-foot-eight. The man seemed to be six-foot-five.

  Jude settled into a steadier stance, with his knees bent outward and his weight shifted slightly forward. He waited for the assailant to make the first move. The man wore a ski mask to hide his face. Fortunately for Jude, he remembered that, all he needed to read his enemies actions were his eyes and mouth. The man’s eyes glanced to the left side of Jude’s face, and his mouth thinned as it tightened. Jude’s reaction was already set, as the man started a right hook. Jude ducked under the blow and utilized his advantage. Moving forward, he placed himself closer to the man. As he did so, he connected with a right uppercut to the exposed lower ribcage.

  The man grunted and fell back a step. Jude glanced quickly down to see the man’s right knee was locked, and quickly kicked below the knee using the side of his foot. His opponent yelled and collapsed on the ground. Jude stood in awe, surprised that he remembered enough to defeat a person much larger than himself. His momentary pause allowed the man time to get back to his feet, while favoring his right leg.

  Jude failed to notice, the man place his left hand in his pocket and reemerge wearing brass knuckles. Before Jude could read the attack, the man connected with a left hook to Jude’s cheek. Jude lost consciousness instantly. Luckily, before anything else could happen, the man fled before a police cruiser blocked off the entrance to the alley.

  *

  Adam Campbell stepped through the doorway and closed the office door behind him. He threw his suit coat over one of two chairs in front of his desk, walking around the other side of his desk, sat down, and removed a bottle of bourbon and a glass from the desk drawer. He set the glass down on the desk top. He paused, one hand holding the bottle and the other on the cap. As he stared at the refracted light from his glass illuminating the desk top, his mind drifting. His thoughts wandered through the events of his life and everything the bottle in his hand had cost him.

  Adam, distractedly unscrewed the cap and poured until the glass was almost full. He replaced the cap on the bottle, placed the bottle in the drawer, and closed it. As he looked back to the glass of bourbon, a shadow shifted in the chair across from him. He looked up to see a clean cut man in his early 40s.

  Not really caring that someone was in his office, he grabbed his glass and took a drink. “Who let you in?”

  A smooth baritone voice answered, “I let myself in.”

  Adam lifted his hand, glass still held firmly in his grasp, and gestured towards the door. “Get out.”

  “Mr. Campbell, I have a proposition for you.” Adam lowered his arm, leaning back into his office chair. The man stood from the chair, walked around the desk, opened the drawer, removed the bottle of bourbon, and returned to his chair after closing the drawer. “I can give you anything you want, money, women, power, you can have it all.” Adam looked longingly at the picture of his family on the desk. His wife had taken the kids, leaving him when his drinking began to become a problem. The stranger leaned closer. “That offer includes your family.” Adam looked up into the man’s eyes. He had not noticed before, but the man’s eyes were a swirling pool of crimson red and black. Adam clenched his jaw to keep it from going slack. The man sat back and took a draught from the bottle.

  With his voice slightly louder, Adam said, “What do you want from me?”

  The man spread his arms, bottle still in hand. “Just your time and dedication.”

  Adam’s brow furrowed. “Who are you?”

  “I’m either going to be your best friend or your worst enemy. And, believe me, there is no greater enemy than me.”

  “Who are you?”

  The man lowered the bottle from his lips and stretched out his hand. “I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Adam reached out cautiously, shaking the man’s hand. “Lucius Caliban.” An energy rose through Adam’s arm.

  “What is it that you’re needing from me?”

  “I need you to be available when called. If you do that, then I can arrange your requests. What is it, that you’re wanting?”

  “I want my family back and to be happy again.”

  Lucius sat back. “Done. Is there anything else?”

  “Yeah, I also want all my bills paid and to not have to pay taxes ever again.”

  Lucius smiled and nodded. “Fair enough. Is there anything else?”

  Adam shook his head. “Not really, no.”

  “Good. Have a great day. I will be in touch.” Adam watched, speechless, as a hole formed at the center of Lucius’ chest and consumed him in an instant.

  *

  Jude opened his eyes to a dimly lit area. There was no smell or feel to the place. He looked around, and realized that he couldn’t see where the room ended. From beyond the reach of Jude’s eye, a figure stepped into view from the shadows. The figure’s hands were crossed, each placed in the opposite sleeve, and its face hidden within the shadows of the hood. “Hello Jude.” The voice was neutral, sounding neither male nor female.

  “Who are you?”

  “Who I am, is not important. Whose message I carry is another matter entirely.”

  Jude’s brow furrowed, and he shook his head, as if trying to shake clear a mirage. “And, who might that be?”

  “You’ll know in time.” The person removed smooth white hands from its sleeves. The hands lowered the hood to reveal a beautiful face indecipherable of gender. The forms face, like its hands, had an opalescent glow. Jude was breathless. “You’re recent actions, have drawn some attention.”

  Jude’s eyes narrowed. “What actions are you talking about?”

  “Actually,” the figure paused looking deep into Jude’s eyes “we’ve been watching you for some time.” The figure stepped closer and stopped within arm’s reach. “The incident to which I am referring is your scuffle in the alley.” Jude looked down towards the floor, nodding his head and then looked back at the figure. “Your character and concern for others, though you don’t often show it, is remarkable. When the need arises you choose others above yourself.” Jude nodded. “That is the
reason, and your sacrifice in the alley, I’m speaking with you.”

  Jude gasped, “Sacrifice? Am I dead?”

  The figure chuckled. “No. You’ve just been sleeping. The assailant did a lot of damage.” Jude’s mouth dropped and his brow furrowed. “Not to worry. You will heal soon enough.”

  “‘A lot of damage’ usually takes a long time to heal.”

  “Broken bones, in humans, take a considerable amount of time to heal.” The figure paused with a distant look in its eyes. “Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Michael.”

  “Don’t you have a last name?”

  “No. Angels do not require last names. Especially, Angels in my standing.”

  “Your standing?” Jude burst out laughing “You actually want me to believe that you’re an Angel?” He sputtered between gasps of breath.

  “Yes.” Michael said sternly and began removing his cloak to reveal a suit of armor and a sword. He then gracefully removed the rest of his cloak revealing a glowing, white wings and a shield tucked beneath them. Jude stared in awe for a brief second. Michael tossed his cloak down to his side. “I am the Archangel Michael. With this known, you probably know who’s message I carry.”

  Jude nodded. “You bring a message from God.”

  “His message is that you have been bestowed with a gift.”

  Jude’s brow furrowed. “A gift?”

  Michael continued. “You have been granted the ability to change shape. With this power your healing time is much faster than an average human being’s.”

  “Change shape? You mean to look like another person, or is it more like a werewolf?”

  Michael thundered a boisterous laugh. “Not to a werewolf, but similar. You will not change during a full moon, and the form you will take is that of a lion.”

  “What is it that God is wanting me to do with this ability?”

  “You are to fight the most wicked forms of evil imaginable. There is an evil coming that you are destined, by God, to face. I will be in contact as the time draws nearer to that confrontation. Until then you will start out small, to learn the limits of your power.”

  “Is this enemy someone I already know?”

  “Yes, but you must not change your demeanor around others. Your enemy will make themselves known in due time. Now you must awake. You will be in a lot of pain, but it will pass. I will be back periodically to check in with you. If you need anything, all you need to do is call.”

  “Thank you. I will learn as much as I can before our next meeting.” Michael nodded once more.

  *

  At Midnight, Adam slid his key into the lock of his apartment door. Entering his apartment, he dropped the keys into the dish sitting on the entrance table.

  He removed his overcoat and placed it on the coat rack next to the door. Adam walked through the kitchen and grabbed a beer on his way to the living room. After long days at the office, he liked to sit in the quiet darkness of his apartment to calm his mind. As he sat down, the smell of sulfur stung his nose and a pair of red irises flashed into view in the seat across from him. The lamp to his left clicked on, illuminating the room and the occupant of the chair.

  Lucius sat quietly with one leg crossing the other. His hands rested on his shin. “Hello Adam.”

  Adam nodded. “Lucius.” He tilted the bottle to his mouth.

  “It’s time. Have you thought about what you desire most?” He grinned a smile with pointed teeth.

  “Yeah. I want my family back.” He took another drink.

  “Done.”

  “Now, what is it you want from me?”

  Lucius leaned forward and grinned. “All I want you to do is to wreak havoc. Due to fear, it should come natural enough the first few times. After that, you’ll be more in control.”

  Adam leaned forward. “In control of what?”

  Lucius gave one last grin and disappeared.

  Adam’s surroundings instantly changed, and he found himself in an alley. He knew the surroundings well. The alley was a few blocks away from his apartment building.

  The pain came in an instant. He could not move his arms away from his sides, and his feet felt like they were joined at the ankles. From his shoulders down, his body expanded to five times its normal girth, and it lengthened to a length of fifty feet. Adam screamed as his head lengthened and expanded to 10 times its normal size. His screaming turned to hissing.

  Adam felt the mass of his body moving forward. He paused, when he saw an odd reflection in a darkened window. A red and gold marble eye stared back at him, and set in a massive, scaled turquoise face. He gasped in disbelief. This can’t be!

  A familiar voice echoed from behind him. “It is, and will continue to be until I have no more use for you.” Adam turned his head to find Lucius standing in the middle of the alley. He was grinning. “This was the cost for you to have your family back.” He gestured at the length of Adams new form. Adam looked at the length his transformed body for the first time. Lucius began laughing. Adam swiveled his head to look at him once again. The laugh, and Lucius’ appearance, began to change. His laugh became deep and guttural. Lucius’ form took on the appearance of a reddish black, nine foot tall gargoyle. He wrapped his wings around his body and locked them together using his bat-like thumbs as a clasp. The wings draped his massive form like a cloak.

  Out of anger, Adam hissed and coiled his body around Lucius. He felt the searing pain before he heard the hiss of his scales and flesh burning. Lucius’ body was as hot as lava. Lucius laughed even louder as Adam uncoiled his body and retreated a safe distance. Lucius spoke in a deep growl, “You have chosen this path. There is no going back.”

  Adam shook his head and started toward the street. Fear and disgust were the emotions that drove him most, as he emerged from the alley. His anger began to grow, and the terrified screams of the public fueled those emotions. Adam picked up a car with his tail and threw it, killing two bystanders. Lucius said from the alley, “He will be a great asset to my cause.”

  *

  Three months had passed since Jude’s meeting with Michael. He had changed form a few times since their meeting. The transformation scared him at first, but with each change, he became more accustomed to the pain and actually began to enjoy it. He had also learned how to change at will.

  As usual, Jude walked home from the office. Since divined the ability to change, his walks had become brainstorming sessions, consisting of “what if” scenarios, questioning possible unforeseen threats that lay just beyond the horizon.

  The abilities had also enhanced his senses while in human form. Taste, vision, touch, smell, and hearing. Since leaving work, he had smelled and listened to the five guys following him. The man from the alley walked among the other four. Jude could hear the group’s excited breathing, and could smell the adrenaline laced sweat seeping from their pores.

  As Jude turned left and walked into the next alley, he heard heavy footsteps at an increased speed. He sprinted a few strides, stopped, and turned to face his attackers. All five men ran up and surrounded him. The person who put him in the hospital stood face to face with Jude.

  The man said with a baritone voice, “Remember me?”

  “Yes I do. I am not afraid of you now, and I wasn’t then. There are two options. The first, you and your goons can turn around and leave, and have that be the end of it. Or, you can leave this alley worse off than you left me at our first encounter.”

  The man looked at his accomplices. They all laughed. “What could you have learned in a few months that would best you against the five of us?”

  The lights in the alley all blacked out. Only enough light remained from a few scattered windows to create a dance of shadows. “It’s not what I’ve learned,” Jude’s voice bellowed so deep the men could feel vibrations in their chests and through their feet. “…but what I’ve been given.”

  The four to Judes sides and back moved closer. The punches started tickling his back, stomach, and sides. Jude lowered h
is head and shook it from side to side. “What is it with me voluntarily walking into alleys knowing that no good will come of it?” A punch connected above his eyes. He spun and smashed each paw into a face sending the two men tumbling deeper into the alley. The two men on either side of him, he picked up at the torso. His claws pierced their flesh as he lifted them from the ground. Jude threw them to where the others had landed. Their screams silenced to whimpers as they landed.

  Jude turned and faced his familiar foe. The man in front of him was a fraction of the man he portrayed himself to be at their first meeting. Jude could smell the man’s sweat, rank with fear. He could hear and see his falling tears splatter on his shirt.The scent of urine filled Judes nostrils. The man began sobbing and pleading, “Please don’t kill me!” Jude wrapped a padded hand around the man’s throat. “I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for attacking the woman, hurting you, and for anything else I’ve done wrong in my life. I just want to live!”

  Jude lifted him by the throat and brought the man’s face closer to his. His breath could be seen through the man’s flittering strands of hair. “Are you saying this to keep on living, or are you being completely sincere?”

  “I’m being sincere! I want to live!”

  “Then from here on, you will help those in need. Even if it is the smallest action. If you do not live out this promise, I will know and I will find you. You will suffer greatly if you are lying to me now. Do you understand this?”

  The man said, “Yes, thank you!” Jude raised his other hand in front of the man’s face. His claws began to glow bright yellow. Jude’s face was visible to the man in the glow of his protruding talons. The man began screaming. Jude slashed the man across the face. The lacerations seared shut instantly from the heat emitted from Jude’s claws.

  “Now,” Jude waited for the man to quiet down. “This will be your reminder.” Jude released his grip on the man’s throat dropping him back on the ground. “Every time you fail to fulfill your promise, this mark will burn as it does now. Do you understand this?”