Awaken

by Bryan, Michelle

  The city is still as quiet and calm as when we first entered it but I know now that there are indeed eyes watching our progress, and it weren’t no ghosts. We walk single file, me at point, Finn and Tater following with Winnie and the horses and Jax bringing up the rear. We cain’t see them but occasionally Cat would catch a scent and raise her head and snarl at the darkened building husks. They were there all right, following us, just waiting for their chance. I keep my shooter in my hand, ready and waiting for the slightest movement. Sometimes we walk for a bit and Cat don’t seem to sense them no more and I think they have finally given up. But then I hear the faint laughter coming out of the dark ruins or a low singsong ‘lovely ducky’ and I know they are torturing us. It’s like some game to them and I cain’t help but wonder how many other poor souls had been stalked through this place of death, frightened and terrified. I grip my shooter tighter and keep walking, trying to see into the ever growing shadows. I don’t want to think about what would happen if we were trapped in here after dark. Those crazy bastards knew this city like the back of their hand, I reckon. They would truly have the advantage over us in the darkness.

  We walk ‘til the sun is nuthin but a red glow settling over the city but still we ain’t through it. My worst fears are coming true...we’re going to be in here after dark. I peer ahead, trying to see if there is any end to this stretch of road but all I see is a seemingly endless line of iron skeletons, hiding places for our pursuers. I stop walking and Finn brings up short behind me. He is quickly joined by Tater and Jax. Jax don’t take his ever searching eyes off of the ruins ‘round us but his question is directed at me.

  “Why are you stopping? What’s wrong?”

  “We ain’t gonna make it through before dark,” I say. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to be traveling this road after nightfall. We’re too exposed. Maybe we should take shelter in one of the ruins...you know get some walls ‘round us so they cain’t jump us unawares.”

  He still don’t look at me but he shakes his head, disagreeing with me.

  “No we can’t risk it. There isn’t anywhere we can hide that they won’t find us.”

  “I don’t think they’re following us no more Jax,” says Finn. “I ain’t heard ‘em for a while now and Cat she ain’t been growling...I think they gave up. And sides I think Cat needs to rest...she’s limping real bad.”

  “No we aren’t stopping Finn...now keep moving!” Jax snapping at Finn just reminds me that I had already done so earlier in the day and it adds to my agitation.

  “That wasn’t called for Jax, there ain’t no need to yell at the boy...besides, I agree with him. And who made you boss anyways? Nobody asked for you to follow us and get involved in this! We were doing fine on our own.....we didn’t need your help!” I say.

  “You didn’t need my help? You didn’t need....?” he breaks off like his surprise is too much to even express. “Well excuse me for saving your miserable hides back there! If it weren’t for me you’d all be carved up like roasted hogs right about now,” he says, finally looking at me, even if it was just a stone cold glare. I shake my head in disbelief at his words. That’s what he thinks? He actually thinks he saved us?

  “If it weren’t for you we wouldn’t be in this predicament in the first place!” I say angrily.” You were the one who dragged us off to your gods forsaken village and then drove us out to travel unprepared through this awful place!”

  “Ahem…actually Tara it was you who insisted we go through…”

  “Shut up Tater!” I snap at the half man but I don’t bother to look his way, my anger stays focused on Jax.

  “And what the hell you doing following us anyways? You wanted us as far away from your precious villagers and yourself as soon as possible but then you followed us! You ask me I think you’re as bat shite crazy as the rest of ‘em here!” I know I’m yelling and it probably wasn’t the smartest thing, but I cain’t help myself.

  “Er...perhaps this is not the appropriate time for this conversation…” Tater interjects again nervously but Jax merely brushes past him, almost knocking him over, to come stare down his nose at me. But he don’t scare me none with his frosty glare.

  “I followed you because as much as it irks me to admit it, I am in your debt. Since I always repay my debts I have decided to make sure you make it safely to Littlepass...all of you. Then I will no longer owe you anything and what you decide after that is up to you. You can all run off and get yourselves captured by the Army or killed by the Prezedant or whatever, but I, at least will have a clear conscience.”

  Shizen...I cain’t believe he just said that! He really don’t give a damn what happens to any of us! His only reason for following after us was so he could have a clear conscience? He truly was a mule turd of the worst kind. All the anger and bitterness I’ve been feeling ever since he kicked us out of Gray Valley comes bubbling up.

  “We don’t need your help Jax!” I say coldly. “And if there’s any imagined debt you think you owe me then as of this moment I release you from it. You don’t owe me nuthin, so get! Go! We don’t need or want you with us!”

  “Tara!” Finn objects to my words and I can tell I’m scaring him but I don’t care.

  “We don’t need him Finn....we’re fine on our own! ’Sides we ain’t had nuthin but trouble ever since we met him!” I say to the boy but my eyes don’t leave the object of my anger.

  “Stop your squabbling, the both of you!” I ain’t ever heard Tater so angry and to hear that booming voice come out of that little body is real surprising. Whatever Jax was about to say dies on his lips as we both turn to the little man in astonishment.

  “What the hell is wrong with you two? Don’t you think we have much more pressing matters than your exasperation with each other! In case you two halfwits haven’t noticed the sun has gone down...we are standing in the middle of the road in pitch black and you two have been making so much noise that a herd of elephants could sneak up on us and we would never hear them. Now I for one do not wish to be captured again by that foul smelling, putrid little gang of degenerates so make a decision! What are we doing? Moving on or making camp but decide at least!”

  As much as I wanted to yell more at the moron standing in front of me, Tater was right. And I hadn’t even noticed the sun had finally set. This was not good. We needed to make a decision...and fast! We ain’t given a chance to decide though before that maniacal laughter starts up again sending chills down my spine. We had dropped our guard and no doubt the crazies had taken advantage to sneak up on us. Stupid! Stupid! Angry at myself for being distracted, I make a call.

  “Head for that building on the right....if we can get....”

  Thunk! At first I cain’t tell where the noise has come from and I spin ‘round frantically. What was that? Then I see Jax’s wide eyed look of stunned confusion as blood starts seeping from the side of his head. He raises his hand and touches his temple where the rock had hit him, wobbles a bit then falls hard to his knees. He loses his grip on his shooter as he needs both hands to hold himself up from sprawling in the dirt. A whizzing sound past my right ear warns me that I am pretty close to meeting Jax’s fate, so I duck. They were attacking us with rocks? What the hell?

  “Finn, Tater, get behind that wall now!” I yell heading for Jax, who by now has lost his battle with consciousness and is out cold on the ground. Grabbing his arms I start dragging him but don’t get no more than two paces when I hear Finns panicked cry of “Let me go!”

  My heart leaps into my throat as I see the boy kicking and struggling against Beanie who has him pulled tight to his chest with one arm, trying to drag him off. Cat makes a run for the boy, her growling louder than the boys screaming but from out of nowhere it seems two more of the creatures appear holding long, wickedly sharp pointed weapons. She tries to get past them but they’re quick and one of them manages to jab her in her side. She howls in pain but don’t give up...she goes after the boy again, but they block her at every turn.

 
“Sorry Jax,” I mutter as I drop him back in the dirt, abandoning him for now. I frantically pull my shooter knowing it’s the only hope of saving Finn, but by now the horses and mule are panicked and running in front of me, blocking my view! Where are they? I can still hear his screaming but I cain’t see him! I dodge between the animals just in time to see the Beanie creature dragging him into one of the ruins. My panic is almost overwhelming. I have to get to him ‘cause I somehow know if Beanie manages to get him deep into that maze of ruins I won’t stand a chance in hell of finding him again!

  I run, so intent on getting to them I don’t even see the Talbert creature tackling me from the side. He rams into me with the force of a rock slide taking me completely off my feet before we come crashing down into the unforgiving hard ground. I land on my back, my breath knocked clean out of me, and the weight of the creature pressing down on my chest. His hate filled face hovers above mine and I can smell the rotted meat stench of his breath causing the bile to rise in the back of my throat.

  My clawed hands reach for his eyes ready to tear his festering skin from its bones but he is stronger then I think and he quickly pins both my hands above my head.

  “Did ya really think ya was gonna beat me at my own game now ducky? Wot? Ya think ya’s smarter then ol Talbert? Ducky none and Talbert one...tra la la la la.”

  His black lips stretch wide in a smiling grimace and I realize at that moment I was staring into the face of true madness.

  “Aarrgh!” The scream that bursts out of me is just pure frustration! I need to get to Finn! I need to get this crazy bastard off of me! Lifting my head I smack it hard into his face causing a ringing to reverberate in my ears. Blood spurts from his damaged nose but he don’t loosen his grip on me...he don’t even stop smiling! That grinning skull above me... Finn’s cries for help....it infuriates me! Almost with relief I feel the hot fire starting to flow through my veins and the buzzing starting in my ears. It was happening! The chi overtakes me rapidly, and with ease now I pull my arms out of Talbert’s grasp, plant them firmly on his chest and push. He flies off of me and the look of pure astonishment on his face is almost funny. I don’t recall getting to my feet but I find myself looming over the now crouching creature, shooter aimed straight for his temple. The anger is replaced by the dead calm and I know what I should do now. Just squeeze that trigger....take care of the problem. But then his words somehow make it through the noise of the buzzing, into my head and I hesitate. I realize he is pleading with me. But it wasn’t just the pleading...the words he is saying, they stop me from scattering his brains all over the road.

  “Forgive me mistress of light...forgive me! I did not know wot you was! ‘Ave mercy mistress new blood!”

  He falls at my feet, cowering like a child. I can still hear the others tangling with Cat and Finn’s cries getting fainter and fainter.

  “Call them off!” I demand urgently, my shooter still at his temple. “Tell him to bring the boy back!”

  “Stop! Stop in the name of the light!” His voice rings out loud and clear and just like that all sounds of battle cease. “Beanie bring back the boy....the mistress of light ‘as decreed it so!”

  I cain’t understand why he is talking like that but I watch in relief as Beanie comes back into view and at seeing Talbert on the ground at my feet, he releases the boy. Finn turns and aims a hard kick at Beanie’s shin making him bend over in pain, before he runs to my side. I do a quick scan....Tater is helping a woozy Jax to his feet and Cat comes slinking to Finn, blood oozing out of a couple of nicks on her side but nuthin too major don’t look like. But it’s the diseased creatures that hold my attention. There are more now than before, all creeping out of the darkness ‘round us.

  I hadn’t realized there were so many of them. Even through the gloom I can see all their pale faces....feel their eyes silently staring.

  “Get up,” I say to the one kneeling at my feet. He does as I ask but I hold my shooter on him, still not trusting him. The look of hatred I had seen on his face earlier when he had been atop of me, it was gone now, replaced by ...well, I ain’t sure what. An over head break in the clouds provides a bit of moon light and I can now see a peculiar shine to the creature’s eyes. It takes a moment for it to register, but I suddenly realize it is tears. He is crying!

  “By all that is ‘oly I’d never thought I’d live to see the day when the light would shine again! It’s a miracle that’s wot it is! A miracle.”

  “Stop talking like that!” I say, his words irritating me for some reason. Having all their eyes on me, staring like that, it was making me a mite touchy. Beanie walks up to me slowly and reaches out to me. I flinch, ready to defend myself, but he merely touches my hair and I notice that in the struggle I had lost my wrapper and my hair was hanging in tangles ‘round my shoulders.

  “Did ya see it Beanie? Tis the light no doubt. A true new blood! Someone run an’ tell the others the light ‘as come!”

  Talbert is still staring in awe but his words, they set the others all to murmuring. It quickly turns into an echoing chant.

  “The light! The light!”

  It spooks me something fierce. I wave my shooter at Talbert.

  “Tell ‘em to shut up!”

  “You ‘eard the mistress....shut yer traps!” and just like that they fall silent. What the hell new kinda craziness was this? Tater and Jax finally reach my side but Jax is still holding onto the little man like he was going to topple over any second.

  “You all right?” I ask. As much as I hate to admit it the flow of blood down his face has me worried some. He nods at me but his attention, like mine, is on the creatures in front of us. They were all standing motionless....still....like they were awaiting some command. Why were they acting so strangely? It weren’t like they were scared or nuthin, just ....awed is the only thing that comes to mind. Jax looks at me with glazed, questioning eyes but I can only shrug. I ain’t got no idea what’s going on.

  “You!” I say to the Talbert one and he steps forward eagerly. I pull my shooter up expecting another attack but he just smiles his ugly black smile at me.

  “What’s happening? Why ain’t they attacking no more?” I say.

  “Attackin’? No no, beggin’ forgiveness fer that mistress. Was a misunderstandin’ that was. We saw yer shooters an’ thought ya’s to be Army. We woulda never ‘armed an ‘air on yer ‘ead if we ‘ad known,” he says.

  “Known what?” I ask but I already know the answer. I just don’t understand why it was so important to them.

  “That ya were a new blood! Yer a mistress of the light....we ain’t seen one of yer kind fer years now.....we ‘ad lost faith,” he says, still smiling that horrible smile.

  “Faith? Faith in what?” I say, rubbing my forehead. It was throbbin’ something fierce from smashing it into Talbert’s face earlier and his confusing words right now wasn’t making it any better.

  Talbert looks at me like he cain’t even believe I’m asking such a thing.

  “Why the prophecy of course. Ain’t ya ‘eard of the prophecy?”

  “Humor me,” I say, still trying to get to the bottom of this.

  “The prophecy mistress,” Beanie says stepping forward and talking louder like if he raised his voice it would help me understand better.

  “Everybody knows of the prophecy. It is said that one day the new bloods would return and reclaim the earth and heal all that has been broken and purify all that has been touched by the darkness. It is foretold.”

  Talbert elbows Beanie out of the way angrily.

  “I was gonna tell ‘er that Beanie! She weren’t askin’ you! ‘Ow many times I gotta tell ya ‘bout interruptin’ me eh?”

  Yup....bat shite crazy....all of ‘em. And what the hell was this prophecy talk? This was just getting stranger and stranger.

  “Let me get this straight,” I say shaking my head as if it would clarify the situation. “You stopped wanting to kill us ‘cause you think I’m a new blood and I’m supposed to heal and
purify...something?”

  “Aye that is so,” says Talbert still shooting Beanie a dirty look as if daring him to answer me again.

  None of this makes a lick of sense. I look at Tater hoping that he at least can make some reason out of this.

  “Tater what are they talking ‘bout? Have you ever heard of this so called prophecy? And why are they all staring at me like that?” I whisper.

  Tater studies them for a bit before he answers back in a hushed tone so as they cain’t overhear.

  “If I would have to guess girl I would say they are looking at you in reverence. Every clan, every pocket of humanity has amassed their own doctrines over time. This group has obviously built a belief system on the basis of new blood stories, passed down through the years no doubt. I for one have not heard of this prophecy per say, but new bloods have long been associated with healing properties as well as their great strength…that much I do know. These simple...people have probably taken those stories and expanded on them over time so that your kind have been elevated in status. In other words my dear, to them you are as near to the gods as they will ever get.”

  Unbelievable! These creatures thought I was some sort of what.....healer? God? What the hell was I exactly supposed to be? Why would they ever come to believe such a thing? As much as I didn’t want to I was going to have to look into to this new blood thing...find out what exactly they thought me to be. And why were they calling me the light? I needed answers.

  “A suspected new blood in our midst and this is how you treat her! Imbeciles...all of you!”

  This new voice blasts out of the darkness and we ain’t the only ones to be startled. Talbert and Beanie shrink visibly as the owner of the voice walks into view from the shadows. Well, hobbles were probably a better word. She was old....older then gra’da or anybody else I’d ever seen, so shrunken and wrinkled and bony she looked like a long dead carcass that had been left to dry out in the sun. Her sparse gray hair is woven tightly into a bun atop of her head and her dress hangs loosely about her withered frame.