Cursed City, Cursed Bloodline
Book 1: Gargoyle
Lotu Tangaroa
Copright © 2016 Lotu Tangaroa
© 2016 Lotu Tangaroa
All rights reserved.
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Similarities to real people, places or events are purely coincidental
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: The Commissioner
CHAPTER 2: The Flying Man
CHAPTER 3: The Source
CHAPTER 4: Paths and Regrets
CHAPTER 5: A Struggle in the Sky
CHAPTER 6: Falling Action
CHAPTER 7: Dark Transformation
CHAPTER 8: Into the Night Sky
CHAPTER 9: The Cathedral
CHAPTER 10: The Giant Gargoyle
CHAPTER 11: The Final Battle
CONCLUSION
Introduction
This is the tale of an average modern city that slowly descends into madness when monsters start popping up in different parts of the city. The monsters are drawn to the city through some mysterious means, and the invasion is seen through the eyes of the various main characters of the story. They are connected in some mysterious way, and may even hold the key to stopping the bursts of monster incidents in the city. But what happens when some of them actually fall in love with the creatures that are ravaging the city? What will be the implications of these? Read the stories and find out!
Book One: Gargoyle is the tale of Jack Scryer, a freelance writer who finds himself at the center of a gargoyle attack on his home city. When gargoyles start to mysteriously pop out of nowhere all over the city, it sparks a lot of speculation and the gargoyles become an overnight sensation. However, when they start kidnapping children, Jack finds himself compelled to investigate the gargoyles and hopefully find a way to stop them. The city is caught in the grip of terror as the gargoyles continue to kidnap its young citizens. Things start to really become intense when Jack tries to directly stop one of them from kidnapping a child. This will lead to a series of events that will change Jack's life forever.
Chapter 1: The Commissioner
I never really believed the stories that were going around. I would like to think that I was a lot like most people in the city, before it all seemed to go to hell. I was just trying to get by, and make ends meet. That was until I saw the creature for the first time.
It was just an average night for me. When you're a writer by profession like myself, the nights often blend into each other with reliable repetition and monotony. The night skies are often as black as the cups of coffee I take to stay awake and slave at my laptop. Need a story, any story? Contact me. How about some articles for a website, or a coffee table book? I'm your guy. Jack Scryer, or you can call me by my often used pen name, “The Commissioner.” Silly? Maybe, but hey, it works.
With a job like mine (which some people don't even consider a real job), sleeping is a luxury and your best friends are a cup of coffee and chocolates. It's no wonder that I keep the coffee shops and the all-nighters in business. As long as you've got a fast Wi-Fi connection, and your coffee's good, expect The Commissioner to drop by soon.
It was that kind of night for me, the usual night of staying awake, and sipping a cup of coffee while I slaved away at my laptop. I was typing furiously churning out some articles and a story for a few clients, while nursing a slight headache. It was probably the start of a brain aneurysm or something, but I actually took comfort in its familiar slight throbbing sensation on my forehead. It was almost like having a familiar friend with you at work. I know, I live a very solitary life that one of my few friends is a headache. Go figure.
“Want another cup, Commissioner?”
The female barista had long brown hair that was tied up in a ponytail. She had some tiny glasses and a friendly smile. She held a pitcher of the hot stuff and offered some to me. The coffee shop had a promo for coffee at 2 in the morning. I would take what I could get. After all, I had deadlines to meet.
“Sure thing, Sally. Thanks!”
Sally poured some of the coffee in my cup. I had frequented the Saturn's Best Coffee Shop for some time now. It was one of my favorites for reliable service, and great coffee. In all that time, I had memorized Sally's face, as she was a regular barista and Sally being just a little hot didn't hurt, as well.
“Working on another masterpiece, Commish?”
I smiled at Sally. I knew she was trained to be friendly. It was all part of a canned spiel, but I would take the friendliness where I could get it.
“A masterpiece that'll pay the bills.” I said.
“Is it tough being a writer? I mean what's your favorite genre to write?”
My eyes widened as Sally asked some questions. Sally was never this friendly. I always thought she was pretty attractive, but I never really followed through on anything. I've never been a pick-up artist or a friendly guy. As a writer, I choose to just keep to myself. But now she was asking about my work. Could she actually be attracted to me? Would I actually allow myself to get even a little closer to a girl again, even after all my disastrous past relationships?
“Horror. I love to write horror.”
I didn't even hesitate to answer. Sally looked right at me and smiled. I don't know who was going to speak next, me or her. Neither of us got the chance to speak as a shrill scream suddenly pierced the night air.
Chapter 2: The Flying Man
Everyone was startled at the chilling scream that came from outside. Heads turned, while some actually stepped outside to see what the commotion was about. Being a writer, and always eager to write about something for someone, I joined the latter.
“What the hell was that?” Sally said.
“I don't know, but it came from outside. I'll go check it out.” I said.
“Be careful! It sounded..”
Sally trailed off but I heard her from behind me as I streaked out of the cafe.
“..alien.”
When I went outside, a whole group of people had already gathered and were eagerly pointing to the sky. Their voices were a babble of fear, tension, and wonder.
“Look Up there!”
“What the hell is it?”
“My God! It's judgment day! A demon!”
I looked up to the sky and my own eyes widened with both awe and horror. Normally, the night sky would have made seeing the thing difficult to near impossible. But the full moon was out tonight and unusually bright. Its light illuminated the creature's form and made it all too clear. It was unmistakable. There was a huge humanoid form in the sky. And it was flying on its own power.
The creature looked so tiny from where we were below. It must have been flying considerably high. It seemed to have a humanoid body with arms and legs. But it had huge wings that seemed to triple its own length and width. It was a true thing of both horror and beauty.
I fumbled for my cellphone in my pocket. In my awe, I almost forgot to film it. But I managed to take my phone and video the creature as it kept flying in the air. Despite all the commotion, I managed to record a solid seven minute video of the creature.
After seeing it aloft for several minutes, it finally disappeared into the night sky.
I ambled back into the coffee shop as bewildered and confused as everyone. I still couldn't believe what I had witnessed.
I sat back down beside the table. The coffee was a bit colder now, but I could still take it in. Sally was going around the cafe, passing complementary drinks. When she saw me return, she came back to me.
“What did you see outside?”
“You'll never believe it. Hell, I don't believe it. Just take a look for yourself.” I said.
I handed Sally my phone and played the video. Sally 'oohhed' and 'aahhed' as I expected. It was not every day that you see a flying man in the sky.
“Holy shit. What do you think it is?” Sally asked.
“I don't know. I really don't know.” I said.
I didn't know it then, but the following days would give me a much clearer idea of what the flying man was.
Chapter 3: The Source
Although I had the video in my possession, I never uploaded it on I-Tubes. I figured that the net was already crawling with a lot of videos on the mysterious “gargoyle.” That was the name that they had given the creature and it was a suitable name as any.
The night of the sighting came and went. It had been only a few days since I saw the gargoyle, but the memory of what I saw was still fresh. After all, you don't easily forget something like that. Still, I had already begun to move on. I accepted offers from various clients as I always did, and I began to bury myself in my work again.
The gargoyle himself was also pretty busy in the days that followed. With every check of my laptop, I noticed that there had been a new uploaded video of the gargoyle. He was becoming more and more visible during the nights, and gargoyle sightings had reached an all-time high.
It was just another average night when I casually checked out the uploaded videos of the gargoyle online. I took a sip of some green tea, as I checked the material online. It was a brew that was recommended by Sally recently. Said that I should try it, after all it's a lot healthier that coffee or so Sally said. Nice tongue twister too. Well, since Sally recommended it, I went ahead and bought some tea bags for myself.
I took another sip. There was just no kick. And the tea tasted like wood. I just didn't want to hurt Sally's recommendation, but it just sucked. Coffee was still the best, no matter what.
“Goddamn tea just doesn't have any punch to it! Still so damn sleepy.” I said.
My head was spinning, and it was getting harder to keep my eyes open. I regretted working at home for a change. This was why I never did my assignments in my apartment. The urge to sleep was often just too strong to resist.
I decided not to write my usual stuff and just watch some videos of the mysterious gargoyle. I observed them and compared them to my own video. I still could not get over it. The gargoyle was so mysterious and amazing. I wondered what it really was, and where it came from.
“What are you?” I asked aloud.
Then it happened. My eyes popped out when a chat box suddenly appeared from out of nowhere on my screen. A message was typed in the box. It read;
“It is a gargoyle. And you must track it down.”
I almost jumped out of my bed and dropped my laptop.
“Holy shit!” I yelled.
I had no app that allowed for chatting. And as far as I knew, my IP address was safe from hackers. At least, I thought so. But this is a strange and modern world that we lived in. Maybe someone was hacking my computer. There was an option to reply to the sender of the message. For the longest time, I didn't.
“Please. I mean you no harm. I need your help. Your whole world needs you now.” it typed.
For the longest time, I just stared and did not type anything in return. I was too freaked out to do anything!
“This is not a hack. I am not a hacker, nor do I mean you any harm. The world needs you to track down the gargoyle. You must find the gargoyle.” it read.
His lines finally got my attention. Against my better judgment, I replied through the message box.
“Who are you?” I typed.
“A concerned friend who wants to help you and your planet.”
“How do you know that our planet is in danger?”
“Because I come from the same place that the gargoyles did.” it typed.
Now, whoever this was really got my attention. Whoever this person was, claimed that he was neighbors with the gargoyles, with an “s.” He referred to them in the plural tense.
“There's more than one gargoyle?” I typed.
“Yes. And they are all out to take over this realm of reality starting with this small city of yours.”
“What are you saying? That they're a kind of invasion force?”
“Yes. And the gargoyles are only the beginning.”
I wasn't completely sold on this mysterious “message-man in a chat box.” After all, the gargoyles were just oddities, at best. Creatures that were suddenly popping out of nowhere and capturing the imagination of people everywhere. The same could be said of Bigfoot, and the loch ness monster and they never really harmed anyone. The same could be said of the gargoyles. They were just flying around, but they had never really harmed anyone.
I didn't type a reply. I wasn't convinced at all.
“You're not convinced, are you?”
I still didn't reply.
“Please listen to me. They will not remain docile forever. They will make their move very soon. You have to track down the gargoyle that you caught on your phone before it strikes.”
I was creeped out by the messages and all that he seemed to know about me. I finally closed my laptop. I decided to have some tech geek install more security systems and a tougher firewall in my system to avoid more creepy messages like that, a decision I would later regret.
Chapter 4: Paths And Regrets
Kaylee Fabien was walking home from school on a Friday afternoon. By all accounts there was nothing special about that Friday. The sun was up, there were clear blue skies all around, and traffic was at its modest worst as usual. Kaylee didn't even glance up to the sky, that Friday.
Perhaps if she did, she would have seen the terrible fate that was coming for her from up above. But then again, what could she have truly done to change it? There was nothing anyone could have done, and in many ways, young Kaylee's fate was inevitable.
Before Kaylee could do anything, a huge taloned creature swooped down from the sky and grabbed her by her shoulders. I imagine the claws of the thing must have clamped down firmly and took a terrible hold on her shoulders, that moment. Kaylee squirmed and struggled as terrified onlookers watched on but it was futile.
The creature that suddenly grabbed Kaylee out of nowhere had huge wings, pale yellow skin, and was reed thin. It had a humanoid face but it's eyes glared with pure savagery and it opened its mouth baring razor sharp fangs. Its arms and entire body seemed to be composed of a few bags of flesh strung up by hard bone, but it was surprisingly strong. In one motion, it hoisted Kaylee up and flapped its huge wings. The people all around could do nothing as Kaylee was strung up and the creature flew away with her.
These were all patches of eyewitness accounts later gathered at the scene. Kaylee had not been seen or heard from since the creature abducted her. It all seemed like a terrifying isolated incident. But it wasn't. There had been earlier reports of winged creatures snatching children just like Kaylee. Creatures that looked just like the gargoyle that I had filmed. The police and other authorities were baffled by the abductions and were seemingly powerless to stop the gargoyles from kidnapping kids with impunity.
In my mind, I recalled the mysterious messages I had received on my laptop. I remembered their cryptic warnings. I wanted to hit myself on the head for being so stupid. Whoever that person was, he had already warned me that something like this would happen. And in my hubris, I had ignored him. Now Kaylee, and so many other children were missing, kidnapped by these strange winged
creatures. And I was partially responsible for it.
I had left my laptop open non-stop since the kidnappings had begun but my mysterious “friend” did not send me any more messages. I banged my hand on the table. My coffee almost spilled onto my laptop, but I didn't care. If only I wasn’t' so stubborn back then. If only I had heeded his warning, then I could have possibly averted all of this.
“Hey Jack, you okay?”
It was Sally. She was making her late night rounds at the coffee shop as usual. The patrons in the cafe seemed oblivious to all the strange kidnappings and the other goings-on. It was almost as if time stood still in the coffee shop. But time couldn't stop for me. I was responsible for what happened to those kids. I could have stopped the madness from happening, but I didn't.
“I'm fine, Sally.” I said, as I tried to put my best smile forward.
“Sure don't look like it, hotshot.” Sally said.
I clutched my head and raised my eyes to the ceiling. I was awful at hiding what was eating at me from the inside. I decided not to hide it anymore. It was already too heavy for me, as it was. A simple nod of encouragement, even from a casual acquaintance like Sally would really go a long way.
“So I'm that bad at hiding what I feel?” I said.
“Kinda.”
“Fine. Heard about the sudden rash of winged creatures kidnapping kids off the street?”
“Who wouldn't know? I think it's the hottest thing on the news and for a good reason. No one's ever seen anything like this at all.”
“Yeah, well I could have stopped it all from happening.”
Sally paused and chuckled at me.
“You? How could you do that? Look, no offense Jack but how would you go about stopping winged creatures of myth from kidnapping helpless kids on the street? Sorry Jack, but flowery words and a cute face can only go so far.” she said.
“It's not what you would imagine and it's actually pretty hard to believe.”
“Try me. We've only got all night.”
A cute face? Only got all night? Was it me, or was Sally actually into me? Maybe I still hadn't lost it, even in my thirties.
“Fine. But it's a crazy story.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.
“Well, let's just say that I had a source who warned me about the kidnappings.” I said.
Cursed City Series : Book 1 - Gargoyle Page 1