The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  You could say that if there was ever going to be a chair made for Hell’s gatekeeper, then this fit the man down to the very last grasping finger of a damned soul.

  “Her name?” I shot a look at Jared, who was firing this question at the bubbly Smidge, whose name I still didn’t get.

  “She told me it was Cathy, but she lied and not very convincingly.” She shot me a smirk and I tried to shrink down in my seat to make myself smaller.

  “No, I expect not, I could smell her pure soul even with a field of Gorgon shit between us, no mistaking one the Gods themselves take an interest in.” He turned to look at me and I was thankful, at that moment, I had to direct my attention from his questioning gaze to take my drink from a tray.

  “Look at me, girl!” The order made me spill my drink over the rim, as I jumped. I did as I was told and met his eyes with a pair of frightened ones of my own. I waited for him to speak and when he didn’t I inhaled a premature breath of relief, only to let it all out again in a whoosh, as I was plucked from my seat.

  “What are you…?”

  “Be silent!” I decided to do as I was told, considering I was now being set in his lap, surrounded by muscle. He put me sideways so that his arm held me behind my back. My booted legs hung like limp noodles over the side of the black carved Hell of his chair and when I tried to move, his free hand held me down by resting his weight on my lap.

  “Now, time to watch the show.” He nodded towards the stage where another act was stepping into the centre. The Ringmaster was now back, but his once smart costume was now somewhat lacking, thanks to the obvious fun he had found with the girl he carted off stage. He was now missing his shirt but his ruffled tie was still in place. His trousers were on but he hadn’t bothered to do up the button and if the bulge was anything to go by, he was definitely ready for another round with the tutu girl. You could even see her waiting at the side of the stage for his return, wearing a now ripped tutu, only one breast covered in the strip of black tape, and the Steampunk goggles on top of her head, that had once been on the Ringmaster’s now missing hat.

  He swung his massive stick in the air around his head and brought it crashing down to create a loud boom, silencing the room.

  “Now, now you scummy bastards and listen to my words, it is time for the next show to begin, so I suggest you watch out for the birds. It’s time to smell the roses and three cheers for freak acts galore, when the acid trip hits and Russian doll man dies, be sure to tip at the door!” He swung round his spiked stick towards the edge of the stage and the room burst into applause as the acts made their way through.

  The Ringmaster jumped down and landed in front of his claimed girl. He then ripped off the remaining black tape, exposing the girl’s other breast, before whipping his scarf around her body to use it to pull her nipple to his eager mouth. She let out a squeal before he pushed her backwards out of sight, all the while still latched on to her breast.

  “Now, that is one randy bastard!” Marcus said as he stepped up to the seating area shaking his head. He stopped short and scanned up my body, which had no other option than to be sprawled out across his master’s lap, in a dominating display.

  “I’m glad to see you finding pleasure in the company of our new spunky human, Cerberus.” He commented with a sly smirk, making Smidge giggle. He winked down at her and then snapped a short,

  “Up!” Smidge rolled her eyes, before getting up and giving Marcus her seat. She was just about to sulk off when the smirking jester grabbed her around the waist and hauled her to his lap, mimicking Jared.

  “Hey!”

  “I thought I would give it a try, after all it looks so comfortable.” He nodded to me and then hummed as his hands started to roam over her shoulders and down her bare arms.

  “And with your delicious curves Smidgy, it feels, so fucking good!”

  “Jared!” She shouted in outrage and I think I was the only one who heard him groan beneath me.

  “Marcus, stop scratching at her scales for fuck sake, before she bites you and I have to patch your ass up again!” Marcus’ hands flew up and he shouted,

  “Fine!” And let a struggling Smidge go, only to swear in pain as she stamped down a booted heel on his foot.

  “Asshole!” She snapped, but before she could move away quickly enough the loud crack from her behind getting slapped even made me jump. She whirled round with a pointed finger and he started laughing like the joker he looked.

  “Sorry Smidgy, I just couldn’t help myself, that big beautiful bum of yours is too much temptation for one man to bear!”

  “Grrr! Jared I swear to the Devil, he will die by my hands one of these days… I don’t give a shit if he is your best friend!” Jared laughed and I was dumbstruck gobsmacked when she walked past him and smacked him upside the head, making him laugh harder.

  “Jackasses! The both of you!” Was her parting line, as she stormed off into the back. I couldn’t believe, after all I had heard about this guy and his famous fury, that he was acting this way. It was like a group of mates all hanging out together and laughing over beers.

  “You know, one of these days, she is right and will tear you a new hole if you keep teasing her.” Jared warned, turning his neck to shoot a warning look at his friend, one I had mistaken for his minion.

  “That is a fight I look forward to J, you know that.” He said laughing and swiping a bottle from the tray the waitress held out to him.

  “Anyway, where is ‘Conan the Black’ tonight?” Marcus asked still full of humour.

  “Laugh it up asswipe, but that is another of my council, who won’t bother with tearing you a new hole, but will just go straight for that jolly fucking head of yours, if he catches you calling him that again.” Jared warned, making his friend laugh harder.

  “Like to see him try, besides, what’s he got…a date or something?” I looked up just in time to see the evil grin that Jared stamped down into a serious face, before giving his friend an answer.

  “Not sure, but I think Smidge wouldn’t mind a bit of Conan action.” At this Marcus choked back on his swallowed beer and shot from his seat.

  “The fuck she does!” Now this was the face of a very different jester, lost and dead was all the easy going amusement that oozed from his every word. No, now a mixture of rage and hurt was left in the wake of his face splitting grin that had turned into a harsh line.

  “I will ring her bloody neck!” He started to walk back and to, as though he didn’t know where to begin.

  “And him?” Jared asked over his shoulder, as if he wasn’t taking his threats seriously.

  “Fuck him in the eye my friend, fuck him in the eye!” He said before swigging back the remainder of his beer and then smashing it on the floor before storming away. Jared burst into raucous laughter, making me bounce up and down.

  “That wasn’t very nice.” I said in a quiet voice, which quickly brought his laughter under control. He gave me a bad boy grin and then flicked me at the end of my nose.

  “No, but it was damned entertaining… besides, my friend needs a push in the right direction every now and again.”

  “And if it gets someone dead?” I couldn’t stop myself from pointing out the obvious.

  “Concerned for my people… Cathy?” He laughed when a frown was my only response.

  “Must be that pure soul of yours…” He pulled my body closer to his and lowered his head to whisper in my ear,

  “So let me set your pretty little head and locked mind at ease…this is what will happen… he will storm into Smidge’s quarters, thinking of catching the two in the act and make a fool out of himself in the process, when he demands to know who she is seeing. Smidge will find the whole thing hilarious and therefore have her revenge, thanking me in the aftermath.”

  “And if he sees this Conan guy along the way and gets his head ripped off?” I challenged.

  “His name is Orthrus and although he does not see the appeal of having someone like Marcus as a friend, he w
ould not kill him, hurt him yes, but not kill him.”

  “And you know this because he works for you?” I said feeling braver with my questions, but this was probably down to the soothing play of his fingers on my side, where his hand still rested.

  “He works with me and no, I know this not because he is my council member, but because he is my brother…now, you are missing the show.” He said shocking me with this bit of information. I instantly wondered that if Jared refused to help me, would his brother be able to?

  I was shook out of my thoughts as Jared physically turned my head to face the show.

  “You think too much.” He hummed along my neck before laying a lingering kiss there. My whole body tensed in his hold after that kiss and only relaxed again when his lips left my neck.

  “I thought… you… didn’t like humans.” I asked cautiously, hoping to remind him that by rights he should be finding me repulsive. His fingers crept up my torso and only stopped moving when they held the full length of my neck in one large hand. He placed his fingers at my pulse point and tapped twice.

  “I don’t, but you are something more.”

  “What do you mean? I…I am human.” It didn’t sound convincing, coming from my flustered whispers.

  “I can feel you girl, and your words fool no one. I can scent it here…” He held my head out to the side and took another deep breath before continuing to prove the weakness in my denial.

  “…I can taste it here…” He licked at my skin, making me shudder, then tapped once again on my pounding pulse.

  “…I can feel it here… and…” His hold left my neck and pushed his flat palm down until it lay in-between my breasts, over my heart.

  “…I can hear it in here.” He then moved himself back to rest his arm over my lap, as he had proved his point.

  “Now, watch the fucking show.” My head shot back round to the stage, just to get away from the closeness he was creating by whispering into my neck. I found myself trying to calm the torrent of emotions that were crashing like waves into my battered senses. There was only one word that tamed the storm my mind was getting lost in.

  Draven.

  It worked. My heart ceased its pounding and I wiped my sweaty palms down my skirt. I knew Jared was taking in my every move, but I was thankful when he didn’t comment. Instead, we both took his advice or more like demand, and watched the show. Although, if he thought that watching what was now happening on the stage would help me relax, then he was damn crazy!

  The creepy fairground music started back up as demon clowns started to ride little bikes, which looked to be made from small animal bones, around the stage. I recognised the music to be ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’, only when it got halfway through, it changed from the high pitched whistle into a rock version, when the band started to play. This happened simultaneously to when all the hellish clowns stopped and started to squirt water from their flowers, at the crowd. The screams that filled the room coming from the smoking front row quickly told me that it wasn’t water at all, but… acid!

  I had to turn away from the disgusting sight of skin melting into raw flesh and the only place I had to go was into Jared’s chest. I felt his rumbling chuckle but felt somewhat comforted by the hand at the base of my skull that held me to him.

  “Not to your sweet taste, my pet?” I ignored his question and held onto his jacket in a steely grip. His hand slid down to my back and he patted me gently before assuring me softly,

  “They have gone now.” I lifted my head and looked up into the palest silver eyes, which for the first time, had a beautiful softness to them. He winked at me and then nodded back to the stage. I mumbled a small,

  “I hate clowns,” as I turned back and I felt his laughter once again. The next act was coming out and I almost tried to find home in Jared’s chest again, only he held me still before I could get there.

  “Just wait, they won’t scare you…see, they are not part of the act.” He said pointing at the two macabre harlequin clowns, who were carrying out a small girl who looked like a living doll. Her head was bent over at an angle and they used her outstretched arms as a way to move her into position. They set her down gently and floated around her like ghosts, dancing upon the grave. Their muted faces were frozen in shocked expressions, thanks to the masks they wore.

  One broke away from the feather like dance and made a silent request that the audience be silent. His gloved hands went to her back and started to turn a large key, like one you would find on a giant windup toy. It was situated just above her massive skirt that flared out and stood rigid as if she had something hidden under the fabric.

  As soon as the winding was finished the girl’s small limbs started to twitch as if coming alive. Then, the clowns ripped off their masks, to show the same faces underneath, only this time painted with their own blood that oozed from their sliced throats. Well, at least we knew now why they were silent, as the cuts were so deep they no longer could use their diced vocal chords.

  Just as the girl was waking fully, they both made a quick dash off the stage. She spun round on one foot like a petite ballerina and when her face came up, I saw the cutest features; a head full of curls pinned back into two pigtails and large brown eyes shone under the oil lamps, dotted around the huge space. She looked like a living cartoon character. The girl started to dance around the room, to the sweet lullaby that was playing and the innocent sight was leading me into a false sense of security that I knew I should not be falling for. This was of course proven with her next few steps.

  The spinning in the centre of the stage was getting impossibly fast and just at the right moment, she unsnapped the material from her skirt. A sea of red silk flared out and hid the gruesome part of this dancing doll for seconds, before it floated away like a cloud. Her lower body was covered in an oversized bird cage that she was stood in the middle of. It was filled with a least fifteen scruffy black birds that had all pecked away at the skin of her bare legs!

  Once again, I was left feeling sick at the sight and it was only when I heard the hushed tones behind me that I knew I was struggling to get away from the horror.

  “Calm yourself and watch what happens next.” I shook my head over and over wishing he would just let me be, but when I felt his merciless grip on my chin, I knew he wouldn’t let me go without watching it to the revolting end.

  The girl was soon joined by the rest of the acts and a large muscular woman, dressed like the earlier strongmen from the first act, came to her aid. She knelt down and used her strength to bend the bars open, releasing a black swarm to come flying out. The birds moved as one like a fog clogging the air. However, they didn’t get very far. Another one of the acts came out and the heavily pierced man removed the blades that were embedded under his skin and they whizzed through the air, all hitting a bird each. The power of each throw propelled the little black bodies backwards and they landed in the centre of a round bullseye that someone was wearing on their chest.

  The crowd cheered and the girl kissed her hands, throwing her invisible kisses into the audience which obviously adored her and her act.

  “See how her legs have already started to grow back the skin. She doesn’t feel the pain like you would think.” Jared told me and I had to say it did ease some of the tension that seeing such an act caused. After that, things got a little crazier, if that was even possible! The acts all performed as one, moving into the centre when the music hit a chorus. The fire eater first blew on the sides of the stage and let out a stream of orange creating a line of dancing girls made up of large flames. The next stream out of his mouth created a flaming ringmaster, complete with tailed jacket, top hat, stick and dickey bow.

  Other acts came and went in a flourish of the unbelievable. Jugglers that used surgical tools instead of balls, gymnasts that used the bodies of their partners as swings and the most nauseating of all was the living Russian doll. A man came out that was at least seven feet tall. He first opened his jacket and then dug large nails into
his own flesh to open his own chest cavity. He cracked back his rib cage, creaking like opening a rusty cabinet door.

  “I’m going to be sick!” I shouted before scrambling to get up from his lap. Thankfully he let me and I flew into the direction of where the ladies’ room was. I had to pass the stage and did the stupidest thing in this situation, I looked at its centre. There a smaller version of the man popped out of his chest and rolled to his feet with his blood covering his costume. Then he did exactly the same thing as his taller brother had by opening up his own chest to then let another smaller man come rolling out. That was when I ran faster and threw my whole body into the door. I threw up, thankfully making it to the bowl just in time.

  By the time I had finished my stomach hurt, my throat felt like I had drunk acid and my mouth tasted of churned bile. As I made my way from the toilets, I saw two guards stationed either side of the door, dressed in black combat gear. They didn’t speak and neither did I. Instead, I just followed them back to the amused Jared, who only lost his cocky smile when he saw how pale I must have looked. He rolled his eyes and mumbled something I didn’t catch.

  He motioned for the two guards to leave and walked over to me. He groaned out of what seemed like frustration, as he bent to pick me up.

  “I can walk.”

  “You look close to passing out pet, so now is not the time to argue.” He sat back down with me and placed me in-between his legs, this time facing forward. An arm came round my front and passed me a bottle of water, even going as far as opening the cap for me. I didn’t speak. I just took what was offered and downed the water, taking away the taste that was left, thanks to my weak stomach.

  His actions kept surprising me. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in his mind to stop him viewing me as the enemy? When he had described how he could feel it, what exactly had he meant by that? In the silence of the room and the stillness behind me I knew I needed to take advantage of this moment and talk to Jared. I needed to get answers and in return give him some of my reasons. He needed to know that I had come here solely to seek him out. So with this cemented in my mind, I started to turn to face the only being that could help me get into Hell. But that turned out to be the exact moment that the time had come for my own little slice of Hell on earth.