Deceased Dora

by Claire Chilton

  Dora gasped when she looked down to see the farm disappearing below them.The air was cold as they rocketed into the sky at high speed.

  She gripped the horse with her thighs as she peered back to try to see Kieron, but he was below her line of vision.

  “Kieron, are you okay?”

  “It’s disgusting. I’ve got dirty unicorn ass in my face,” he cried. “Eww!”

  “Carissa, how do you feel about warlocks?” Dora heard Lucian ask behind her.

  She rolled her eyes, suspecting it was going to lead to more bickering.

  “I don’t think about them at all.” Carissa gripped the unicorn’s mane, turning back to face him and Dora

  “Really? You don’t fancy one as your master then?” Lucian said.

  Dora gripped the unicorn with her thighs before turning and shooting him a warning glance.

  “What? I need a dog, and we just picked up a stray from a farm. She looks cute and adorable. Why shouldn’t I give her a good home?”

  “What did you just fucking say?” Carissa lunged across the unicorn’s back to try to gouge out Lucian’s eyes, judging by her clawed hands.

  Dora tried to fend off the angry wolf-girl and keep her balance as the steed dropped in the sky and turned sideways.

  “Fuck! I can’t hold it,” Kieron cried beneath them as the unicorn slanted sideways in a downward spiral towards the forest.

  “Shit!” Dora yelped, holding onto the mangy mane of the creature, so she didn’t fall off.

  “Lucian, you prick!” She managed before they crashed through the trees. Sharp branches scratched across her skin, and the unicorn let out a whining sound as it neared the ground.

  “Oh this is just great,” Pooey said, clinging to Dora’s back with sharp, little bear claws. “I’m going to die on something that smells worse than a rotting corpse.”

  “No one’s going to di—oof!” Kieron’s words abruptly cut off.

  Dora spun around on the horse to see Kieron several feet behind them, crushed behind a thick branch. He must have flown straight into it.

  “Kieron!” she cried, but the words became lost as the unicorn crashed into the forest floor.

  She jolted upon impact and was thrown off the steed before being catapulted into a thorny bush.

  “Ohh, that hurt,” she muttered as she untangled her arms and legs from the viciously sharp shrub. She scrambled out of it and rolled onto the leafy forest floor.

  “You think that hurt. Try this bullshit.” Pooey’s muffled voice came from above her.

  She glanced up to see Pooey hanging by one arm from a branch ten feet above her. He appeared to have a beehive on his head.

  “Oh crap! Are there bees in there?” She shouted up at him.

  “Not anymore.” He shouted back.

  “Let go, and I’ll catch you.”

  “How far down is it?” The beehive moved as if trying to look down.

  “A couple of feet.” She lied, knowing he wouldn’t let go if he knew how far the drop was.

  “Okay then.” He released the branch and dropped down towards her.

  She moved to catch him, never taking her eyes off him. He fell safely into her arms, knocking her over with the force of his weight when he landed.

  She fell onto her back and peered up to find Pooey sitting on her chest.

  Pooey pulled the beehive off his head and tossed it into the forest. Then he glanced up. “A couple of fucking feet?”

  “You had a soft landing,” she muttered as she pushed him off her and sat up.

  “Yeah, only if I’d landed on your head,” he grumbled.

  “Hey!” Kieron’s voice came from far away.

  She glanced in the direction he had been and saw he was still pinned behind a thick branch. One of his wings was caught up in a tangle of branches.

  “We’re coming!” She jumped to her feet and raced over to Kieron.

  She climbed the tree to where he was pinned and ripped away at the branches trapping his wing.

  “You need any help?” Pooey asked.

  “No, help Carissa and Lucian,” she said without turning around.

  “What about the stinky unicorn?” he asked.

  “What about it?” She turned back to see him standing beside the unicorn.

  The mount was wedged into a hole in the forest floor, face-first with its ass sticking in the air. By the looks of it, Peggy had tried to use her face to stop herself and created a ravine in the mud with it instead.

  “Er, is she alive?”

  He lifted the unicorn’s head. She snorted in his face, making his fur ruffle.

  “Yeah, I think she’s just resting.”

  “Okay, then find Lucian and Carissa.”

  She turned back to Kieron and removed the remaining branches around his peppered wings.

  She helped him down out of the tree and eyed the scratches on his tawny chest. “We really need to get you a shirt.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her, shooting her a devilish grin. “Do we?”

  She bit the inside of her cheek as his words caused her pulse to race. “It depends on how many things you plan to crash into.”

  He reached out to pull a leaf out of her hair. “Will I be crashing into them with you?”

  She took a step towards him, staring into his aqua eyes. “I could happe—”

  “Hey, angel-defiler, you wanna help a guy out here?” Lucian’s voice interrupted.

  She turned left to see Lucian hanging upside down from some thick vines. The tree he was hanging against was particularly leafy, and the leaves were covering most of his face.

  He blew sideways and some of the leaves rustled out of his eyes before twanging back into his line of vision.

  She put her hands on her hips and scowled up at him.

  “Come on! All the blood is rushing to my head, and not the good one.” Lucian wriggled to try to free his feet from the vines, but he remained tangled up in them.

  “Much as I’d enjoy dropping you on your head, how exactly am I supposed to get up there?” She pointed to where his feet were tangled twenty-feet above her.

  “I’ll do it,” Kieron said cheerfully. Then he quickly launched into the sky and flew up to Lucian’s ankles. With a knowing smile on his face, he ripped off the vines and dropped Lucian on his head.

  “Oww, you son of bitch.” Lucian growled as he rolled onto his back, rubbing his head.

  “What? You asked for it.” Kieron grinned.

  “You’re asking for it.” The warlock narrowed his eyes.

  “Help!” A faint female voice cried in the distance.

  Dora turned towards the voice and set off running. She heard the sound of running water as she dashed through the trees towards Carissa’s voice.

  Leaves crunched loudly behind her as Kieron and Lucian’s footsteps crashed through the forest in her wake.

  She came to an abrupt halt when the trees cleared to reveal a fifty-foot drop into a lake below.

  She frowned at the rushing waterfall. Something was hanging from the top of it. She widened her eyes when she realised it was an arm.

  She stared at the dark figure under the spray of water and gasped. It was Carissa.

  “What?” Kieron asked as he caught up to her.

  “Carissa.” She pointed to the struggling figure hanging from a waterfall.

  “I’ll get her.” Dora’s hair blew in her face as a rush of air swept up from behind her, and she saw Kieron launch into the air.

  He spread his wings and glided over to Carissa, sweeping beneath her through the waterfall and scooping her up in his arms.

  “My hero.” Lucian mocked behind her.

  Dora scowled, ignoring him and keeping her eyes on Kieron.

  “That’s the problem with angels. They save every girl they see.”

  She narrowed her eyes as Kieron glided over the lake towards them carrying Carissa. The petit werewolf fitted perfectly in his muscled arms.

  Lucian’s face appeared in her line o
f vision as he leaned over to look at her. “A demon like you can do better than that.”

  She turned away from him and folded her arms.

  “Angels don’t stay with demons, honey. Trust me, I know.”

  “I’m not a demon.” She ground out the words.

  “Yeah, sure you’re not. That blush around your cheeks isn’t hellfire. It’s just embarrassment.”

  “Bite me.”

  “All you had to do was ask.” He flashed his teeth.

  “Fu—” She stopped when she was hit by a whoosh of air as Kieron landed beside them. He released a dripping Carissa from his grasp, and she staggered a little before standing up straight.

  “Everything okay?” Kieron asked.

  She nodded, but something in her expression must have given away her feelings because he frowned at Lucian before putting an arm around her waist and leading her back to the forest.

  She glanced back at Lucian. He was grinning.

  She wanted to slap the grin off his face, but a part of her realised he was right. What chance did a demon and an angel really have?

  She shook her head as they walked back into the forest towards where they had left Pooey and Peggy.

  The woods darkened as daylight faded from the sky. A howl echoed through the trees, and she shivered. The wolves could be anywhere, and this was their natural hunting ground.

  “About bloody time,” Pooey grumbled. He was sitting on Peggy’s back and brushing mud off her mane. “Skanky and I were getting bored.”

  “What did you just call Peggy?” Lucian widened his eyes in horror.

  “She likes Skanky more,” Pooey said.

  “She does not!”

  “Skanky, take me to that tree,” Pooey said to the unicorn while pointing at the old oak ahead of them.

  The unicorn nodded her head and cantered towards the tree in front of her.

  “Get your mangy mongrel off my unicorn.” Lucian spun to face Dora with thunder in his eyes.

  Dora shrugged and flashed him a grin. “I think Skanky should choose her own name.”

  “She’s not calle—” A howl nearby silenced Lucian, and he glanced around the forest.

  “We need to get out of the forest,” Dora said.

  “And go where?” Kieron asked.

  She thought about it for a moment. The vampires were chasing her, so were the werewolves. She stared into the forest.

  “Terrance’s cabin.” She nodded. Morty wouldn’t mind visitors, and it was a safe place for them to figure out what to do next.

  “Come on. It’s this way.” She rushed through the trees with the troop of strange beings following her.

  The howling seemed to resonate from all around them as they raced through the trees. She hoped she was heading in the right direction and breathed a sigh when she recognised the clearing ahead of her as the large cabin came into view.

  Another howl made her increase her speed as she neared the trees around the clearing.

  We’re going to make it!

  She jolted to a halt when she saw headlights from a car outside of the cabin. She ducked behind a bush, waving for everyone to hide as she stared at Terrance’s cabin.

  It was swarming with men in suits. There were several cars parked outside. Men in dark suits and sunglasses wandered around the grounds, searching for something.

  “What kind of dick wears sunglasses at night?” Lucian asked as he knelt beside her.

  “What kind of dick wears a cone on his head?” Pooey asked on the other side of her.

  She turned to face the front of the cabin and widened her eyes as a short man wearing a black papal crown and a dark suit left the cabin.

  “It can’t be,” she muttered.

  “The Black Bishop.” Carissa confirmed in a dark tone, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Kieron asked.

  “I think he came to get me,” Dora said as she slumped her shoulders.

  Where are we going to go now?

  Several howls echoed in the distance, and she frowned.

  “Where the fuck do we go now?” Pooey asked.

  She knew there was only one place left. She sighed and shook her head.

  “My place,” she said. “We need to go home.

  Sharp branches poked through Dora’s sleeve as she crept through the thick forest away from Terrance’s cabin.

  She winced every time she heard a twig snap underfoot.

  She glanced behind her at the group. Kieron was close behind, ducking under low branches. Carissa and Lucian followed him. Lucian held Peggy’s reins while Pooey was perched on the unicorn’s back, scanning the forest with narrowed eyes.

  She glanced back at the cabin through the gaps in the trees.

  Once we get back to the clearing, we’ll be free and clear.

  A loud howl from a wolf echoed in the distance.

  She froze, trying to work out the direction it had come from.

  Free and clear of PISS anyway.

  Peggy snorted loudly, and Dora heard a yelp from Pooey.

  She spun around to see Pooey fall from the mount as she reared up onto her back legs.

  Lucian fought with her reins, trying to silence her, but the unicorn was clearly spooked.

  “Make her shut up,” Dora hissed.

  “Sure, have you got a horse-shaped gag on you?” Lucian snapped back as Peggy kicked her front legs in the air in front of him.

  “They’re going to hear us,” Carissa whispered urgently.

  “Too late,” Pooey said, pointing through the trees.

  Dora stared between the thick leaves towards the cabin.

  “Shit.”

  The agents of PISS were all staring in their direction.

  A shiver of fear shot down her spine when she heard a deep growl behind her. She slowly turned towards the source and saw three wolves snarling at them a few feet away.

  Fighting to control the panic that was bubbling in the back of her throat, she turned to her companions.

  “Run!”

  Kieron scooped up Pooey and grabbed her arm with his other hand as he set off running through the trees, pulling her after him.

  Lucian and Carissa weren’t far behind. Even Peggy seemed to understand the threat and galloped past them all at high speed, ripping her way through the thick trees.

  Dora jumped when a loud bang filled the air.

  Was that a gunshot?

  She glanced back to see agents of PISS breaking through the barrier of trees behind them and being attacked by angry wolves.

  Hopefully, they’ll slow each other down.

  She turned to face the forest and raced through the trees, trying to put as much distance between them.

  “Do we even know where we’re going?” She called out to Lucian, who had overtaken the group while trying to catch Peggy.

  “Yeah.” He glanced back. “I know these woods like the back on my hand.”

  Another howl echoed through the trees. It didn’t seem very far away.

  “I hope he knows the back of his hand better than he knows how to handle unicorns,” Pooey muttered.

  “I heard that,” Lucian shouted.

  “The werewolves heard that,” Pooey said.

  “Just shut up and run.” Dora told them, feeling a moment of relief when she saw a clearing ahead that appeared to be leading out of the woods.

  We’re going to make it.

  They raced into a suburban street near the edge of town.

  She frowned. It seemed familiar.

  Kieron tugged on her hand, but she froze on the spot.

  “Come on. It’s this way.” Kieron turned to face her, pausing when he saw the expression on her face.

  “What?”

  “This street looks a lot like the one the vampire’s live on,” she muttered. She wasn’t sure. This wasn’t a part of town she’d visited much, but the houses all looked the same.

  She glanced at the roofs and gasped when she saw the spires of vampir
e castle a few streets away. “We can’t go that way. It’ll lead us straight to their lair.”

  “It’s the only way back into town,” Lucian said. “We have to go this way.”

  “It’s worth the risk,” Carissa said.

  “I dunno. It’s dange—” Dora didn’t finish as there was a loud hiss behind her.

  She spun around just in time to sidestep an angry vampire who launched at her with his fangs bared.

  He flopped onto the pavement and knocked his head on the hard concrete

  “Aww shit, is there anything not chasing us?” Pooey put his hands on his furry hips and shook his head.

  “Run again?” Lucian asked.

  “There’s only one,” Carissa said.

  Dora glanced at her and noticed her eyes glowing yellow.

  Another howl came from within the forest.

  “Screw it. Run as fast as you can,” Dora said.

  Lucian walked over to the vampire and peered down at him. “Let’s just silence fang-boy first, shall we?”

  “How? He’ll chew through a gag.” Kieron frowned at the warlock.

  Lucian scowled at Kieron. “Seriously, that’s what you would silence someone with? Fucking angels, man, you’re all so—”

  “Don’t even start.” Dora interrupted. “Just tie him up or something, and then we can get out of here.”

  The vampire sprang to his feet and hunched low. His black leather coat hung open to reveal an argyle sweater concealed beneath it.

  Lucian shook his head at the creature. “You know someone should have staked you for crimes against fashion long ago.”

  The vampire scowled and launched at Lucian with clawed hands and bared fangs, but he never reached his target as Peggy neighed and butted into his body knocking him sideways several feet.

  “There’s my girl.” Lucian patted Peggy on the back, and she neighed again.

  The vampire scowled up from the road before he stood up, brushing gravel and dust off his leather coat.

  He appeared to be sizing up the group for a moment before he grinned and pulled something out of his pocket.

  Dora frowned at the device.

  Is that a mobile phone?

  He flipped it open and began pressing buttons.

  “Stop him,” she cried, realising that he was calling for back up.

  A streak of lightning shot from the sky and hit the phone. The vampire’s teeth chattered as volts of electricity shot through him, and his hair spiked out in all directions.