by Josh Roberts
Without a sound, the Imugi swooped down, grabbing Porter in its mouth and Logan with its huge talons and carried them off, its immense frame outlined by the light streaking across the sky all around it. Logan’s scream rose above the peels of thunder as he, the sheriff, and the beast disappeared into the night.
“No!” she shrieked futilely. But it didn’t matter; they were already gone.
For minutes she just stood there, terrified at what had just happened and ready for the Imugi to come back to break her because she wasn’t worth her salt. Consuming her wouldn’t give it the power of the Mireu; she was too weak. No, it would dispose of her just like it did Melissa.
But as time stretched on and the Imugi didn’t return, she began to wonder if she was wrong. Her thoughts shifted to the climbing death toll and how the blood was now on her hands—the townspeople, the officers Jack sent to the lake because of her, and now Jack and Logan. It had to end—she had to end it. So if the dragon wasn’t coming back, she would climb.
Propelled by the burning desire to stop the killing, she once again began to hike the final stretch of the trail. Thunder and lightning bombarded the forest around her, creating a fitting picture for her final scene. Her chest heaved as she fought to make it to the top without collapsing. Her head was on the precipice of another blaring migraine, and every muscle in her body was taut with tension and fear.
With the image of Logan and the sheriff being ushered to their deaths still in the forefront of her mind, she wondered if she’d made the right decision in coming. But she still felt so strongly the draw to move up the trail—specifically to get to the halved boulder on which Mia had died. She knew there was no other option.
As she reached the peak and turned to the conclusive length of path that would spill her out of the woods, Lissy felt very much like a ragdoll, weak and void of a soul. More than that, she felt ready to put the past two weeks—her entire life, for that matter—into the ground.
She stepped into the clearing.
28
August 30, 2019
Pouring rain, flashing lightning, roaring thunder—it all took a back seat when Lissy laid eyes on the broken boulder where David had found her sister eleven years earlier, torn apart and left to die. Questions streamed through her mind like a ticker tape as she approached the rock, barely managing to keep herself upright. If Mia had gone to the Imugi of her own free will, why had it mauled her? Was that part of its sick rite? Or had her big sister failed the beast in some way by not being what it actually wanted in the end? Would she fail it too? Had she already failed?
All of these things plagued her mind as she reached the rock and collapsed onto its hard surface, unable to stand any longer after the strenuous hike. She felt dead already. Lying there, expecting to be taken by Yunjin’s fear monster—consumed by it—she realized that this had been her life. She’d always been afraid; every waking moment she’d been scared of being alone, being left, or simply not being worth staying for. She’d heard people say, Everything will be okay in the end, but that didn’t apply to her. Everything she’d ever cared about was taken from her in the end—torn like meat from the bone until all that remained were tattered scraps. Even her decision to deliver herself to the Imugi was driven by fear: fear she’d never see Mia again, fear that more people she cared about would die, and fear that if she didn’t end it, her life would continue on as it had been—void of passion and drained of hope. That, she decided, was why she was lying on that rock—because at least this time when the fear took her, it would be the last. And with finality came freedom. Why keep fighting through life as if eventually it could get better—should get better—if all it was ever going to give her in return was more of the same?
She heard the whooshing of wings and turned to face it, her head still resting on the boulder as she now felt too spent and exhausted to lift it—not even for the dragon.
Yunjin’s evil Imugi—the Leviathan—walked toward her, its immense form easily visible through the storm. It looked exactly as it had in her visions—a huge snake-like being with the head and wings of a dragon but the legs of a giant cougar. From each foot extended three long claws. In addition, the two front wrists each had an eight-inch scythe protruding from it.
In a single, fluid movement, the Imugi arched upward, pinned its wings to its back, tucked its four limbs into its underbelly, and stood twenty feet tall on its coiled tail in the same way a cobra might. Lissy instinctively recoiled into herself, although in her weakened state the movement was barely more than the sliding of her arms up to her chest and curling her legs into a fetal position. Then the dragon spoke.
The loud boom of its voice was accompanied by gusts of putrid breath that rivaled even those of the storm in ferocity. “This is how you come to me?” Its voice was even more horrifying in real life than in the dream and visions. The gravely bass was laced with a shrill, high-pitched, rasp that tinged the end of each word, making it sound almost anarchical. It was as if it could come unhinged at any point. Lissy didn’t respond, unsure what to say and too terrified to speak even if she knew.
The dragon dropped to its belly and slithered around the boulder, its tail still visible in front as it raised itself up and loomed over her limp body from behind. She could hear the thrum of electricity inside the Imugi as it stretched over her back, hooked its body in an unnatural twist, and faced her. Its eyes alone must have been seven inches in diameter.
Although it hovered more than a yard above her frame, its enormity made her feel claustrophobic as it said, “You show up here weak, already defeated?” Lissy pulled back as, with each breath, the dragon sent forth tiny electrical sparks that burned her skin. It was as if its spittle had run across an open circuit before leaving its mouth.
Lissy responded weakly. “I-You could have killed me on the—”
“Don’t!” The word exploded from the Imugi at a volume unparalleled by anything she’d ever heard, and small bolts of lightning shot from its tongue to the roof of its mouth. Lissy realized now that the storms that seemed to accompany the monster were actually being created by it, the energy emanating from its entire being. “Don’t proceed to tell me what I could have done.”
Lissy was barely whispering now, but the Imugi had no trouble hearing her. “Just kill me then. End it now if I’m not good enough.”
“Mmm,” the dragon’s voice hummed, the sound shaking the rock she lay on as its serpentine body arched high and came back down on the ground in front of her. It occurred to her that its movements seemed like an attempt at intimidation, which was odd for a being that clearly held the power to crush any human at will. “I’ll decide when this is over, Elisabeth Oullette.” Its face hovered feet from hers, scanning her, as if it hadn’t quite discerned what to do with her yet.
“I-I’ll do whatever you need—whatever you want,” she responded, the words barely audible to even her own ears.
“Good,” the dragon said tersely. Then, extending its legs out from its body again, it began walking around her, like a prowling lion seeking that which it might devour. Its twenty-foot tail almost looked like a separate entity as it dragged behind, sparking in the rain and swaying back and forth across the muddy grass. She just couldn’t figure out what it was waiting for. The Imugi had cleared the way—eliminated the sheriff and Logan, who had attempted to stop her from reaching the clearing. It had summoned her, pulling at her ever since she’d found Melissa’s body. And it had shown up at the cliff when it could have stayed in Mitchum, killing at will. So why, now that she lay wide open before it, did it not just kill her? Something was off.
After its third loop around the boulder, it finally spoke. “Elisabeth. I’ve been waiting.”
“I know. I tried, but I wrecked my car. I-I’m here now.” She spoke the last phrase with hesitation, questioning if offering herself was the right decision after all. Would it really stop the killings? Would she really be with her sister in some kind of eternal afterlife? Or would she just be dead and covered in
claw marks?
“I can feel the conflict within you. You are not fully persuaded.” As it spoke, the sky actually seemed to grow darker. “Would you like to see Mia again?”
Lissy’s mind swam, wandering back and forth from the dragon in front of her to thoughts of Mia and their childhood. She questioned if her and her sister’s love for the bluff had ever been genuine or if the Imugi had always lurked, subtly calling them.
“She is waiting for you. Missing you,” it screeched. Lissy’s eyes snapped open and couldn’t help but lock onto those of the evil Imugi. She hadn’t even realized she had been about to pass out. Looking deep into the eyes of the dragon, all the questions began to fade. She needed to bow to it, to give herself fully to this creature so that there was no more Lissy, only this being of such massive power. Even her eleven-year-old desire to understand what happened to her sister was actually slipping away into its pitch-black eyes. Those deep pools beckoned to her—offered her a way out.
“Yes,” it said, its head slowly moving from side to side, eyes still locked on hers. “I see you, Elisabeth Oullette, now let me hold you.”
Allured by the idea of ending the pain, she began to push herself up.
“That’s it. Let me take the hurt.”
Lissy was so incredibly weak that she slipped on the rock, losing eye contact with the beast and landing back on her side. A glimpse of Neil flitted through her mind. Was she making the right—
“Are you so weak?” The Imugi’s voice blasted her, even slid her body half an inch backward on the smooth surface of the boulder. Her eyes snapped up to meet it, once again locking in on its gaze. The doubt she’d just felt was gone. She fought even harder to sit up now. She had to finish it.
“Remember who you are without me,” said the dragon as it began to encircle her, leaving no room for escape—just as it had in her visions. “Alone and afraid. Always afraid. You don’t want to go back to that. Only I can extricate you from the pain.” She didn’t want to run. This was no longer a sacrifice; it was a release. This being would give her freedom from everything that plagued her. She was filled with an overwhelming sense of finality. This was the only way to save herself.
Lissy—kneeling on that rock, rain washing over her, surrounded by the most horrifying and revolting creature she’d ever encountered—said, “I’m ready,” then lowered her head in the ultimate surrender. She would no longer fight the fear; instead, she would let it in.
“This is a good end. Mia will be proud.” She felt the sensation of electrocution begin, causing her muscles to spasm as the Imugi tightened its coil. It accomplished this slowly, as if savoring every millimeter that its body came closer to hers. “Forget the world, Elisabeth. Give yourself to me without relent, and you will be freed.” The Imugi’s words confirmed the very thoughts she was already thinking, and instead of disgusting her, its tone now soothed her. Every word felt like a soft caress; every syllable pulled her closer to its evil embrace. Even her headache was gone. She felt only his warmth and the pulsing of each volt lurching from the dragon’s body into hers.
From some distant place, a million miles away, Lissy heard a detracting voice. It was faint, almost completely drowned out by the storm and the purring hum of the monster’s body. She attempted to ignore it, to give herself completely to her end, but it came again, each time pulling her ever so slightly back from the darkness.
“Lissy.” It was a whisper amid a symphony of sound, but she couldn’t ignore it—it was stronger than the lure of the beast. Somehow, that barely audible word began to amplify louder than everything surrounding her. “Lissy!” It wasn’t the voice calling her name that was drawing her back. It wasn’t even that she knew who was shouting—she didn’t. It was the intention behind the call—the love—that jerked her back from her trance. Whoever was shouting her name was doing more than speaking a simple word. They were piercing the veil that the Imugi had shrouded her in, the veil that cast shadows over every part of her reality.
Sensing the distraction, the beast roared, instantly loosening its coil and whipping its head around to face the intruder. Lissy dropped onto the rock, not even having realized the dragon had lifted her several feet off the ground. The pain in her head exploded back to life as, out the corner of her eye, she saw a body flying through the air, the beast having slapped it away with its head when it turned.
With all her might, she willed herself not to black out—to defy the pain. Because at the edge of the woods lay Neil, clambering to his feet after being thrown into a tree. He was screaming at her still, even after colliding with the fir. “Lissy! Get up! Run!”
“Neil, go!” she shouted, her voice cracking midway. He was confused, glancing back and forth between them as he stood.
She forced herself into a sitting position, every muscle and bone screaming at her to lie back down, but she had to get to Neil. Then the world caught on fire. Lightning detonated across the sky in every direction, like a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree electrical storm had been shoved into a dome in which their location was the center. The Imugi was angry.
“Where?” Neil shouted, clearly not able to see the dragon with his own eyes but recognizing its presence. Why couldn’t he see it? The creature shot at Neil from the side, arching above him at the very last second and coming back down on the other side. Neil flinched, feeling and maybe hearing the beast, but he still could not see it.
“Don’t touch him!” Lissy shouted defiantly. “I’m here! I’m giving you what you want. Now leave him alone!” She spoke the final words with authority. Her fear trumped by the intense connection she felt to Neil in that instant. Any sense of betrothal to the beast melted away as she watched the horrendous thing toy with her best friend. She had been deceived, and Neil had barely stopped the situation culminating in her death.
The beast’s head whipped back toward her as Neil spoke. “Lissy”—he looked straight through the dragon—“I don’t see it!”
Electric sparks shot like solar flares from the monster’s mouth as it spoke over Neil, its voice now even more intensely evil. “He can’t see me. You’re still alone!” Thunder crashed as if to put a point on its words. “You have disappointed me,” the Imugi said, propping itself up on its tail and looming over Neil.
“I can feel it!” Neil shouted. “Take me! Lissy doesn’t—”
“No! I’m here!” Lissy pleaded. “Leave him—”
“You won’t leave him,” the Imugi’s roaring voice cut in. The colossal serpent swooped down, bringing its face within an inch of hers, sparks from its breath burning her skin. Rage shone in its eyes like a wounded lover as it said, “It is because of you that he dies now.”
At those words, Lissy’s mind flew back to her visions. Neil had been standing, unable to see the beast, and she was helpless to get him to run away. In the visions, the beast was always in control, and this time was no different. The Imugi would kill Neil.
Thunder crashed and lightning blazed in the sky as the dragon’s wings burst forth from its back, then it thrust itself into the sky with one massive, powerful pump.
Neil’s voice cut through the rain as the dragon soared upward. “It’s not your fault! Mia’s not dead because of you!” His words stabbed like a knife into her heart. The guilt she’d felt all those years was so strong. Guilt that spoke lies that somehow she should have protected her sister. Hearing those words from Neil brought tears to her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to go to Neil, to hold him.
“It ends now!” the beast boomed from above.
Lissy screamed, “Run!”
Terror filled Neil’s eyes and he ran. Only, instead of running away—down the path—he ran straight toward Lissy. She couldn’t fathom it. He would die just like the others, and it would be in the act of trying to save her life.
The Imugi continued high into the sky until it was nothing more than a pinprick in the electrical storm backdrop. Her mind was racing as Neil reached her. “Lis!” He yanked her to her feet and slid her arm around
his shoulder, supporting her weight almost completely. “Let’s go,” he said, just as the beast dropped out of the sky like a missile descending directly upon them.
As they began to move slowly forward, Yunjin’s words sprung to the forefront of her mind and she froze mid-step. Fear will always put on a grand display; it’s up to you to accept or deny it. Neil had denied it, risking his life by coming to the lake in the first place, and then again when she’d told him to run and he’d ran to her side instead of away. That’s what the visions had been showing her all along, but she’d been too blind to see it. Someone was trying to teach her to look beyond the monster looming overhead—to refuse its power over her.
The beast pumped its wings one last time and pinned them to its back, propelling it through the rain quicker than Lissy would have thought possible. But now, with Neil at her side, having defied his fear to try to save her, she stared at the onslaught coming their way and felt an overwhelming sense of rage at the fact she’d never—not once in her whole life—even considered fighting the thing that was so obviously hindering her from really living. She’d always focused on the monster. Not this time. If it was the very last thing she ever did, she would take a stand and rail against the fear that had robbed her of so much.
As if it were happening in slow motion, Lissy shoved Neil away, stepping toward the oncoming dragon as her legs almost buckled beneath her, and she screamed. She screamed not only at the beast she’d known for a week, but she let loose a torrent of vocal energy aimed at every fear she’d ever felt. In one word, she spoke to the loss of her father, her sister, to the terror of being alone, and above all else, to fear itself.
“STOP!”
Lissy couldn’t believe her eyes. At that one word, the Imugi’s trajectory altered on a dime. The beast looked as though it had struck an impenetrable wall in the sky. It ricocheted backward and dropped down into the dense forest below, the ground shaking as it landed.