Divinity: The Gathering: Book One

by Susan Reid

  I breathed a sigh of relief, “Okay; I’m gonna go get a flashlight. I pressed the button so Erin or someone should be here soon.” I soothed. Ms. Hawthorne still didn’t seem convinced. The expression on her small, wrinkled face boldly held terror. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.” I told her with a pat as I adjusted the blankets around her. “No, don’t leave me chil’…please!” she whined with genuine fear. I couldn’t leave her alone. I understood her fears. What if the power had gone out again and I couldn’t find my way back to her in time?

  “Okay, I’ll wait with you, until…” Just as I had begun to say it, someone knocked, and then opened the door. I was so relieved to see Erin or anyone else for that matter, as I sighed and gave a weak smile to mask my own momentary unease. “We’re okay. I’m gonna go get a flashlight,” I told her as I walked past her and towards the door. She nodded, but she didn’t answer.

  I headed back down the hall in a slow jog and made my way to the front desk where Lenell had set out two rows of industrial mag light flashlights. The rain continued to pound down on the roof harder, and thunder even boomed louder than it had sounded earlier. No one was at the front desk, but I heard Lenell’s voice from behind the supply closet door, which was wide open, talking to probably Rodney or maintenance but when I saw Erin emerge from the stairway of the second floor—I paled, feeling my stomach fall to the floor.

  I hadn’t seen her pass me back down the hallway just now, and I just left Ms. Hawthorne’s room when she walked in. Come to think of it…Erin didn’t even comment on hearing Ms. Hawthorne speak. I know she had to have heard her yelling. I was dumbstruck for a moment as I watched Erin head down the opposite hallway with a flashlight, and then I turned back to glance down the corridor where I had just come from Ms. Hawthorne’s room. I don’t know why it even took me this long to make the connection and realize that what I was seeing didn’t add up. Why was I wasting time even trying to make sense of it? I wasn’t hallucinating; I had pretty close to twenty-twenty vision, so why wouldn’t my feet move? Because I was petrified that’s why. I didn’t know what was back there, and I didn’t want to see it let alone face it. I didn’t know what to do, but I couldn’t leave her by herself, especially after what just happened and now…oh shit!

  I grabbed a flashlight and wasted no more time with thoughts or fear at least for my own well-being anyway. I turned and dashed back down the corridor towards Ms. Hawthorne’s room.

  The power clicked out again, and darkness fell instantly, leaving both odd and menacing shadows all along the walls. It slowed me down to a near stop, just as I had reached her door and practically slid past with my shoes squeaking against the tiles.

  My heart thundered in my chest, muscles over-wrought with tension but adrenaline pushed me on.

  I heard Ms. Hawthorne squealing in terror, pleading and praying— I couldn’t waste any more time. I slammed against the door, pushing against it with my shoulder and then standing back to take a running kick at it repeatedly, until it finally flew open on impact. Why had it been so difficult to open at all?

  I was met with more darkness and a foul odor that slammed into me like a brick wall, as something solid with glowing red eyes shoved and knocked me backwards, hard. One minute I was in the doorway and the next; I smashed full force into the opposite wall of the corridor, feeling something pop in my neck and my back. I winced at the sharp jolt of pain, gasping for the breath that had been knocked out of me, my legs going limp on their own. I strained to see into the pitch blackness that was barely illuminated by random flashes of lightning, and then the brief flash outlined what rendered me almost mute with horror.

  It was a hulking beast of a shadow, with broad shoulders and glowing red eyes. It looked more solid black than the darkness around it, and I could feel the foul heat and energy emanating from the dense form it took, bearing down over me like a heavy wall of negative energy. I was going to throw up as it towered above me, reaching out to grab me by my shirt and lift me up as if I were nothing more than a rag doll, my feet no longer touching the floor.

  A flash of de`ja`vu entered my thoughts just then— my dream last night. I was in the exact position as in the dream only this was a shadow demon— not a dark angel. Regardless the threat and fear remained the same in my mind, and this no longer felt like a dream. In my fear and panic, I didn’t even think; I simply reacted with a surprising burst of survival and rage hearing Ms. Hawthorne crying in the background.

  I slammed the flashlight into the shadows' face, feeling it instantly connect but not without jarring my wrist and elbow from the impact. I bit my lip to stifle a scream. This shadow demon was real; firm enough for me to hurt myself from the recoil. It didn’t even flinch so I doubted my efforts did any good or damage, but it definitely ticked him off. I didn’t even see its fist raise up, and surely wasn’t expecting the excruciating, nearly blinding explosion of pain that rocked my entire face and head…making my teeth rattle. I went literally flying…skidding down the slick floor of the corridor like a skee-ball, on my back towards the direction of the living area near the front desk.

  Despite the unexpected assault and my momentum, I managed to force myself into a sideways roll to gain some sort of leverage, in order to stop myself. I tasted bile in the back of my throat, and the coppery sweet tang of blood began to fill my mouth. I saw stars, the pain in my face and my head was so intense, I was wavering on the edge of unconsciousness. I coughed, winced and groaned trying to regain my senses, as I spat out a glob of blood and gagged with an automatic urge to heave and vomit. There was a bright flash of light. Lightning? I wasn’t sure. Suddenly the oncoming shadow was gone. Now where the hell was everyone else?

  “Don’t you fuck this up!” I heard a low inhuman hiss from the other side of me. I couldn’t see who or where the voice was coming from. My stomach twisted and churned, not only from the blow to my face, but because the smell of decay and sulphur was so rank, it burned my nose. I looked up as another flash of lightning lit up the corridor. Two more shadow demons were coming at me swiftly. The closer it got, the more I could make out that it was a completely different one from the first. This demon had eyes that glowed orange, and it bore the head of a boar mounted on a bulging body resembling 'Thing' from the Marvel Comics. There was another smaller one beside him, taking on the physical shape of a female with stringy, floating hair. “Quickly and do not strike her!” She hissed.

  No! Where were they trying to take me? When was I gonna wake up from yet another incredibly realistic dream? I began to half crab-walk; half slide backwards as the boar headed one grabbed my foot, and began to drag me across the floor. I was forcefully being pulled across the hall, and back towards the front entrance doors. I screamed and kicked my legs, arms outstretched in the opposite direction with my palms to the floor, wishing I could grab onto something, but I couldn’t see a damned thing— even if I had long nails there was nothing to dig into.

  I prayed and prayed for the lights to come back on, soon. Just then, the front doors burst open on their own, the rain fell in the background against the darkness, like a millions of needles, lit up into fragments by the random lightning.

  “Keep it up and I’ll simply break it!” The boar headed one jeered in a bass leveled voice, as he struggled with my attempts to break free from his hold.

  “No blood! Pick her up, you moron!” The female one fussed sharply. I continued to struggle, actually man-aging to wiggle my foot part way out of my black-and-white, all-star Chuck Taylor’s.

  My teeth pierced through my already throbbing and swollen lip, in my attempt to suppress the sharp scream that burned in the back of my throat. Instead, it came out as more of a muffled whine.

  I kicked even harder despite the pain, in survival mode now; feeling my shoe begin to loosen, and finally my foot painfully slid out of it. My ankle throbbed angrily, and once I was free… I wasted no time rolling over prone and crawling military style back towards the living area as fast as I could move.

 
I felt the diabolical hands around my ankles once more, and I automatically kicked furiously, ignoring the intense pain from my already twisted ankle as I was dragged across the slick floor again; choking on more blood, trying to scream this time. In the next instant, something else happened, and I felt the demon’s grip spontaneously fall, causing my leg to come down hard and making me cry out.

  A white, serpentine light wrapped around its entire black form, illuminating it as well as the female, and within seconds, they both cursed as they dissipated in puffs of foul wisps, as if they had never been there to begin with. What?

  What had just happened and why haven’t I woken up yet? Whatever it was, I was grateful and relieved though fragments of shock, and fear remained chilled my veins. I felt faint despite my still rapidly thumping heart, and both my face and head throbbed excruciatingly. I groggily got to my feet, wincing at the pain in my ankle and feeling dizzy when I stood on it.

  I felt blindly for the wall in order to guide myself back towards the front desk, stunbling as if I were drunk.

  “Star? Star! Where are you, is that you baby? Are you alright? Rodney, get that front door closed!” I heard footsteps and two beams of lights were cutting through the darkness from the opposite end of the hallway, bouncing wildly and quickly approaching my direction. Within the next moment, the power suddenly and conveniently flickered back on. I gasped seeing swirls, drops, smears and long trails of red…of what was my blood all over the soft cream colored tiles and carpet.

  “Oh Lord Jesus!” Lenell exclaimed as both she and Rodney ran over to me in shock. “Get the medical supply kit hurry!” Lenell ordered two other nurses on staff that were also jogging towards us quickly to help.

  “What in the world happened to you honey?” Lenell asked with furrowed brows as she looked me over and fussed like a mother hen while helping me up.

  “Check on Ms. Hawthorne…” I whispered, tasting the irony aftertaste of blood still fresh in my mouth.

  “I’m checking on you first. Come on,” She said putting a thick arm around me as I leaned into her and let her lead me, limping to the office behind the front desk.

  “I’m okay,” I whispered.

  “No you’re not, you see all this? What in the world and where is your shoe?” She replied waving a hand over the patches and trails of blood smears and then looking at my bare socked foot.

  “I’m--I’m gonna be sick…” I hiccupped trying to choke back the warm rising bile. I gagged, dry heaved and my stomach cramped up— and with that…I threw up.

  A cool cloth was pressed against my forehead. I must have finally fainted at some point, and now I was lying down on the couch in the administration office behind the front desk. My stomach felt sour and empty, and I felt drained and tired.

  Okay… it hadn’t been a dream after all.

  My entire face and head ached; my lip felt dry, tender, swollen and stung angrily when I tried to lick them. My ankle wasn’t hurting as much at the moment, just a slight twinge of soreness, but then again, I wasn’t standing on it yet either. I inhaled and winced as I raised my head to look down at myself.

  My shirt was bloody, and both of my shoes were off though the pair now sat on the floor at the opposite end of the couch neatly, which told me they found the other one.

  It had all been real. So, where the hell had everyone else been during all of that? Why hadn’t anyone seen or heard me or Ms. Hawthorne screaming or anything at all for that matter? Why hadn’t anyone seen the bright flashes of light or the demons?

  I heard a shuffle of footsteps, and the office door opened slowly. Lenell’s pretty brown face peered in before she entered the office followed by Rodney and Erin not far behind. She held a new shirt and a cup of something in her hands.

  “Are you feeling better baby?” She soothed as she set the cup down on the desk. I cleared my throat. It still burned from having thrown up earlier. I needed mouthwash to rinse away the gross bitter after taste in my mouth too.

  “Um, I think so,” I whispered.

  “Here, I brought you a new shirt and some ibuprofen,” She said as she offered them to me. I struggled to sit up, feeling dizzy as I did and wincing at the dull ache, in still angrily throbbing in my head, face, neck and back.

  “Thanks. Is Ms. Hawthorne okay?” I asked.

  “She’s okay; she seemed really upset, but we got her to sleep. Terrie is with her now.” Erin added in a calming voice.

  “I was reading to her. She was okay until the lights went out.” I replied not wanting to say anything more about what happened.

  “I know. I told you that she doesn’t like the dark and definitely not being left alone in the dark It wasn’t anything you did or your fault honey; she’s alright.” Lenell soothed. Lenell handed me the water, and I wasted no time downing the pills.

  She waited for me to finish before taking the cup, “So what happened hon? Did you trip and fall or something?” She then asked. They really didn’t see or hear anything. I was freaking screaming, how had they not heard me? I kept saying that to myself to understand how that could have been possible.

  I decided that since that was apparently the case, then it wasn’t a good idea to tell them the truth without sounding…crazy. I was still trying to wrap my own brain around it myself. “I must have.” I replied feigning embarrassment to add to the lie.

  “Are you sure? That looks like a hard hit. You had to have been running awfully fast, but even if you hit the wall or the floor full on, it wouldn’t have looked like that.” Rodney said from the door while studying my face with concern.

  “I know. It looks raw too, like a burn almost,” Erin added, looking over my mouth and chin with concern.

  “Do I look that bad?” I asked them all.

  Lenell smiled showing her dimples. “You could never look bad honey, but that is a nasty bruise and cut on your lip. I think I should call the paramedics just to be sure.” She then said with a sincere motherly look of worry.

  “I don’t need an ambulance. I’m okay. What about my teeth? I still have them all, right?” I told her and then asked as I cheesed and brought my fingers to my teeth to feel and wincing at the sting in my lip and corner of my mouth.

  I was shocked to find how much more swollen it had become since I had woken up just now. I ran my tongue slowly across my upper and lower bridge, still tasting the coppery sweet hint of blood near my gums. I grimaced taking another long swig of water to wash the taste away. It didn’t really help.

  Lenell chuckled, her bosom bouncing heartily, “Girl you are so silly. I’m gonna have to fill out an accident report for you so ambulance or no ambulance, don’t be surprised if you get a call from risk management and HR anyway,” She cackled with laughter as she rubbed my shoulders lovingly.

  “You guys really didn’t hear or see anything at all?” I asked all of them in wonder with my brows furrowed just to make sure.

  Erin shook her head no and so did Rodney.

  “We heard you screaming but it was too dark to find where you were and what was wrong,” Lenell said.

  I shook my head incredulous. Maybe I had run into something and knocked myself out.

  No, I know what I saw, I know what I smelled, and I know what I hit. My pain and injuries were definitely real and there was still soreness in my wrist and elbow from the jarring impact of slamming the flashlight into the shadow things' solid face.

  So, if they had been real though—what happened and where had they all gone?

  Rodney straightened, having been leaning against the doorjamb and turned his head to his right past the open office door. He was talking to someone out of my sight range. There was another voice, low sounding but deep, rich and smooth, and I wondered who it had been. “Yeah, it was unexpected. One injury but she’s okay; she’s a tough one.” He chuckled turning back to me with a wink.

  “Who are you talking to?” Erin asked Rodney as she peered around him and out the door. “Oh… Hello officer.” She said slowly as if whoever it was had st
ruck her with pleasant surprise, and then she smiled really big.

  I sat up too, though dizzy, and tried to stand only to be forced to remain seated and relaxed by mother Lenell, which was a good thing because my ankle instantly protested and I stifled my abrupt gasp, so I wouldn’t let them know it was injured. Rodney stepped aside to make way for the officer who was coming into the office.

  “Does she need an ambulance?” The deep, rich voice asked, and then the officer whom the voice had belonged to, stepped into the office-- having to duck slightly into the doorway. Now I know why Erin seemed so…awestricken. At first glance, it was his height that made my jaw…as well as Lenell’s drop. He was decked out clean and sharp in a perfectly pressed, all black IMPD uniform. It was complete and decorated with weapons belt, gun, shiny silver handcuffs, black leather gloves, impressive medals and buttons to match the silver badge on his wet jacket as well as the one on his cap. Not only was he really freaking tall and smooth cut, but he was incredibly… gorgeous— as in gladiator, Greek God gorgeous.

  Standing next to Rodney, who was six feet himself, he looked like a giant, towering at least a foot over him. He was shoulders were broad; his muscular build was sculpted into a classic ‘V’ shape by his lean, narrow waist. From what I could see, his had a full mouth and a strong, defined square jaw line. I hoped I wasn’t gawking; I mean everyone else was. His eyes were a bit shadowed under the patent brim of his cap, so it was hard to see them. The little bit of his hair peeping out from his perfectly edged hair line was dark. My mind strangely went to…male stripper at a bachelorette party or something to that effect, because he was that damned sexy in his uniform and jacket, which still held silvery beads of water and dark spots of rain.