by Lee Taylor
The Angel's trap stopped tearing through my flesh. Slowly I felt myself begin to change, my skin thickened into its chrysalis counterpart. Kaitlyn, who appeared to be intrigued, casually strolled over to me. She had the audacity to pat me on the head; her pupils dilated. Her knuckles clicked in her hands, and a slow trickle of blood came out of her left nostril. Her eye contact did not falter. Damon scampered to her, pulling a rag from his pocket and swabbed the blood with a tissue which he then re-secured in his pocket.
“Well aren't you a barrel of surprises...”
I could feel my skin's hard-shell begin to crack, rupturing with the strain of the wire, I felt like I was beginning to bloat. There was no more room for me to grow, and the wire was holding me together. Still I felt my body increase with the heat burning from within.
“You should quit while you’re ahead...” Kaitlyn jested.
I shook wildly in response and spat at her, unable to pull together thoughts clear enough to put into a sentence. Rolling her eyes she turned to Tristan and clicked her fingers, with a guttural scream the wire collapsed into him, contracting in one quick spinning motion shredding his body to a bloody pulp, his face morbidly contorted with the pain, blood pooled around where the coil of wire had been. She laughed as the Angel's trap disintegrated into the ground, leaving a fleshy pile where he was a moment before.
“Now do you understand, boy. Join me or watch your dear friend Lycaon meet the same end, although I hope more slowly.” Lycaon's eyes swelled with his tears, looking on at where his friend had been, hanging his head with sorrow and hopeless dread. Tristan's Angel trap re-appeared and wrapped itself around me. I froze in my place, the scent of his sweat and blood swirled into my nostrils as the wire dug into my newly brandished fur, ripping gouges out of my torso.
Sadistically Kaitlyn released an eerie chuckle and perched herself on a nearby bed. Damon began scooping parts of Tristan into a rubble sack, dragging and hoisting it into his beaten car. Neither me nor Lycaon spoke; I think we had both just forgotten how to. So this is how we were going to die? It's funny what goes through your mind when you’re on the precipice of your own mortality. For me there were some flashes of memories, but what stays with you, what really haunts you is when you know what's going to kill you, and you are powerless to stop it. Just waiting for the moment your heart stops beating. Kaitlyn's practical jeering caught my attention.
“As I am in a charitable mood, Ursine; you have ten seconds until I make the decision for you...” She twisted and turned her athame; it glinted in the evenings light. “One...Two...Three...”
“Si, don’t listen to this foul witch or Tristan’s death and mine will all be for naught. Die with pride—” His voice became strangulated as Kaitlyn darkly grinned. The wire tightened around his throat. Blood began to seep from where they had cut.
“Seven…Eight... Nine...” Kaitlyn carried on, relishing in the countdown to my death.
Chapter 9
A breeze coasted in from the open door, carrying with it a familiar smell. Instantly Kaitlyn was up from the bed, furiously turned to the doorway. Her concentration seemed to waiver as she called out for Damon. He didn’t reply. The hairs on the back of my neck began to rise. I was beginning to sense another malevolent presence near me. My gut told me that it was coming from the corner of the room, but my head disagreed. I couldn’t see anything there other than Kaitlyn’s shadow. That was until the shadow began to move and spread across the room. Kaitlyn was still dormant, frozen in the doorway until the lights in the room flickered, igniting then exploding in a shower of sparks and glass.
Kaitlyn spun to see the shadow reach towards her. I could hear her curse and begin to draw energy into her hands; it was like watching purple wax float from the floor and coalesce in her palms. It was different from the runic symbols I had seen before from her. It must have taken a lot of concentration, because for a moment, the spools of wire entangling me slackened just enough that I could wriggle.
The room itself seemed like it was alive as it creaked and shuddered with the gathering energy.
Kaitlyn scowled, tracing a shape in the air, which left a purple smudge of energy floating for a second before firing into the adjacent wall. It exploded in a shower of debris, brought with it a shriek of pain. Tessa staggered forward, falling limply to the floor.
Her charcoal top was torn, and I could see that her back was covered in burns and cuts similar to the ones she had obtained, thanks to Lycaon and his bag of magic dust. Kaitlyn's cold, collected smile returned.
“You really should have thought better than to sneak up on a witch,” Kaitlyn said, with a sigh.
Kaitlyn was big with gloating. She actually turned to me, playfully nodding over at Tessa, as if to say 'can you believe this guy?!' I looked down at Tessa and felt a wash of emotions… She had come to help even after Lycaon attempted to murder her, and I was powerless to help. I could only stand and watch at what Kaitlyn would do to her… I couldn’t let that happen. I began to transform in part. After wriggling an arm out of my living barbed wire bodice, I knew it would only be a matter of time before Kaitlyn focused on me again, and I was too encumbered to move. I looked desperately toward Lycaon to help, but his head was limp on his shoulders. I didn’t think that he was dead, but he had more than likely passed out from his injuries… I was on my own.
“Let me guess, she is a friend of yours?” Kaitlyn sneered, rolling Tessa over onto her back so she could see her face. It was unscathed. Lycaon was right, she did heal. Kaitlyn acknowledged the Sigil on Tessa’s stomach and tutted. Turning back to speak to me she had noticed Lycaon and his lack of consciousness.
“A lesser demon... Who would send a lesser demon against me? I have more power than—” She was interrupted.
“A fucking Duracell bunny?” Tessa said, “Please.”
Kaitlyn froze; a look of disbelief screeched across her face. If I was in my human form I would totally have snapped a picture. The wire slackened again slightly, seizing the opportunity as Kaitlyn turned to confront Tessa. I swiped at my body with my free claw, much like swatting away a bug, and my claw sliced the angels trap into segments, falling to the floor. They writhed and twitched as the power faded from their tendrils. Spools of the wires dissolved back into the ground from whence it came... I always wanted to say something cool like that. Padding toward Kaitlyn, I had my chance, and I sure as hell was going to take it. Kaitlyn was occupied with her exchange with Tessa, nothing really of substance, just a few friendly choice words.
“You stupid bitch... Oops, sorry, I meant witch... You got a lucky shot off; good for you. Now come here and let me return the favour.” Tessa bowed her head cordially and Kaitlyn didn’t hesitate as she drew two daggers, one of them an athame, and the other a slender blade which she threw at the bowing demon.
Tessa dodged it with ease, and Kaitlyn darted forward to meet her. She was too involved in her skirmish with the demon to see that I had broken free.
Trying to move in the motel room was a lot like me trying to fit in my four year old cousin's tea house. I swung my heavy hand towards her, the look of shock on her face said that she had not been expecting me to break free of my two restraints so easily. Rage engulfed me, and I could feel Tristan in my blood. His thoughts and memories had become a part of me. The moment I paused to register my thoughts, and I was shoved to the side; my dark passenger had gotten hold of my mind.
The last possible moment my arm was rejected with a countering force, a blur of motion crashed me into the wall, making another impact crater from the ricochet.
What the hell was that?
No matter, my dark passenger wasn’t in the mood for stopping, nor was I for that matter. My passenger was baying for blood, for retribution. This cowardly, violent form had taken hold... Everything and everyone was becoming fair game. I released a deathly roar, fighting with myself for me to at least choose a right target; I didn’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions, not when it had been begging me to submit minutes e
arlier. Kaitlyn swung her hand toward me; she was now more than aware of my presence. At first I thought she missed, unfortunately, she hadn't.
Kaitlyn had cast another spell. Before I could react any further, a torrent of purple, blistering energy sent me smashing though the wall and the entrance of the motel's room sent a drink machine wheeling into the side of Damon's car. The brawl going on now should have attracted a lot of unwanted attention, but for some reason, there was no one around. Fortunately, her blow didn't seem to hurt me that much, sure I tingled, and I could probably pierce my nipples with a pool cue and not feel a thing. But all things considered, physically, I was okay. Mentally, well now I was fighting to regain control so I could help Tessa as opposed to dry humping or shredding... If it wasn't for her, Kaitlyn's attention wouldn't have wavered, and right now Lycaon and I would be in the same place as Tristan... I still couldn’t believe what I had seen... A feeling of sickness was trying to wrestle over for control now, too. Images of the tomato fighting in Bunyol were springing to mind.
A figure appeared from the doorway, cracking his joints as he approached me. He was shrouded in a cloud of dust.
“What the hell did you go and wreck my baby for? I thought we were getting on fine.” Damon's voice was unmistakable. I thought Tessa had got him. My body didn't give him a chance to advance any further. The dark passenger charged him in blind fury; I couldn’t hold myself back. Growing a sadistic personality made things really quite disturbing. Horror echoed across his face as he saw my massive form swirl through the cemented cloud. He ducked and leapt into the air slashing at my eyes, all in under a second. Searing, white heat gripped me as my vision disappeared. I was blind. The last image was his razor sharp, fingernails ploughing towards my face. He was freaking fast, and I didn't even have a chance to blink.
My outspread arms caught nothing but the air, and I crashed into the motel wall. A window above me broke, showering me with its sharp debris. The smell of stagnant blood raced into my nostrils. It was sobering. I thought that my “dark passenger” would be demanding blood, excited from the smell. Instead, he seemed to fade back, allowing me to re-take control. It felt like a fight that took hours, but on the exterior, it seemed less than a few seconds. I inhaled the scents from the room and could distinguish the old blood, the sweat and Kaitlyn's bittersweet scent marking where she had been. My sniffing was put on hold when I heard Tessa call out in anguish. Great, she did need my help. My best guess, Lycaon was still lying on the ground, dying gradually from blood loss while I was getting torn to pieces a bit at a time. Another cry stopped my childish train of thought.
Tessa needed me.
The aroma of bodies mixed in with the Damon's. He smelled off, like spoiled meat that had been glazed in honey. “Damon… what is up with that smell? You never hear of personal hygiene?”
I could hear Damon's low chuckle. Each tap of his boots as he stalked towards me sent spills of anxiety flooding through.
“I am shocked that you didn't pick it up before, prodigy boy. I'm a ghoul. Do you want to see what else I can do? I eat meat, and your friend Tessa smells delectable.” He sucked on his lip, slowly pacing toward me. My heart felt strained, furiously scratching at my face, my eyes burned with an unbearable itch.
Si… can you hear me? Lycaon's weak voice echoed in my skull. I shook my head blindly.
I'm speaking to you on our pack's wave, we're linked now, you and I. Don't talk, just listen. I will direct just follow my words exactly. If you can hear me, pat the ground. You have to catch him off guard.
I patted my left paw on the ground, and Damon chuckled, assuming it was in anguish. “I'm not supposed to kill you, you know, as Kaitlyn still wants your pathetic self, but I don't fancy giving my rightful position to you. So I think you're going to have a terrible accident... this is just between you and me of course.” He was standing only a few paces from me, and his rancid stink was making me want to heave. I didn’t think it was possible, but he smelled ten times worse than the rotting bodies in the motel room.
I still couldn’t see, and I had to try and catch him off guard… So I had to make a quick decision. I could hear his footsteps trudging along, and it wouldn’t be long before he attacked so I had to piss him off enough so that he would make a mistake. “Hey, you think Kaitlyn has a thing for me, then? I guess you must fall to pieces in the bedroom, right? Or maybe she can’t stand your stench… I don’t blame her. I would pick me, too, and then there's your car…” I said, chuckling lightly. He ran the last few steps kicking me in the ribs. I could barely feel the impact. Never the less, I winced crying out in pain. My endorphins flooding through my system made it feel like a child’s kick.
“I mean isn't that like a hairdressers car anyway? If anything, you making me blind did me a favour. Thanks, man—” I taunted Damon more; he wasn’t impressed. I could tell this as he jumped on me, tearing out strips with his claws.
“I wasn’t going to make your death too painful… Now… Now I am going to tear you to pieces one chunk at a—”
I grabbed a hold of him with my left paw and squeezed his head until it popped like a zit. Throwing his body to the side, I pulled myself to my feet. My vision still hadn’t returned. Damon had really pulled a number on me. I couldn’t believe the feeling of calm satisfaction I felt, when he stood close enough to grab. I didn’t even think about it; I just grabbed and squeezed… Thinking about it now made me sick. Something was wrong with me… I didn’t know if it was my dark passenger or if it was me that attacked, but I didn’t care, and that was what scared me the most. I just didn’t give a damn about taking a life.
Feel better now? Lycaon whispered. He was getting weaker by the moment. I said those claws are handy... Lycaon sent, and I didn’t realize how handy they were up until that point.
The dusky air washed through me as I padded forward. I was still getting used to walking on four limbs. Having the extra appendages touching the ground didn't stop me staggering around like a drunk. I followed my nose to the motel room as waves of energy rippled through the air. The burning was subsiding in my eyes, and I was beginning to be able to see. I couldn't quite define shapes but hey, thirty seconds ago I was as blind as a bat.
A jolt of movement caught my attention, and I could hear footsteps scuffing on the floor beside me. Various crashes and bangs went on inside the room. Furniture was being destroyed. My guess Tessa had closed the gap on Kaitlyn, and they were wrestling... Figures, two beautiful girls fighting over me, and I couldn't see it... I was so going to have to get the details from Lycaon if we lived through this. Another odd sound came from beside me. It sounded like the sound of contorting metal. Lycaon fell silent from his inconsolable muttering; it was like he was taking in a deep breath, inflating his lungs to scream. I was too distracted with what was transpiring in the room to notice Damon snuck up on me. That was until the foul smell caught my attention; I turned to see a blur smack me for six, before pinning me to the wall with a skewer.
A rich taste of nickel filled my mouth, choking me with its volume; it was warm and thick, burning my throat. I swallowed a load, and some dribbled from my nose and mouth as I passed out from the unrelenting pain. I had no idea how long I was out. It felt like an eternity, and the initial adrenaline that had driven my dark passenger into a blood-thirsty fury had passed. Now I felt all my joints aching, my ribs in particular. I attempted to slump forward, but was unable to free myself with the freaking spike nailing me to the wall.
“Ursine! Ursine! Wake up! You can’t die yet! Not here, not now.” Lycaon's voice was barely audible. I tried to flail around, but stars still shrouded my view. Red stars... Oh wait. I wiped my paw across my brows ridge, my face still seemed so alien to me. But I didn't have time to touch myself; I could do that later without an audience. Again, something to look forward to if I lived. That was looking even less likely than before. My vision was still hazy at best, but I could make out a figure that had launched itself at Tessa taking her unexpectedly to the floor. It was tear
ing great strips and gouges of skin out of her back. She was still enduring the pain... Muffled screams were breaking out from her, and Lycaon was still lying helplessly on the floor with the spools of wire entwining him. I tried to move forward again, but the pain still held me in place. Something overcame me, and it wasn’t the woe that I was expecting... My dark passenger hastily departed from my consciousness as I felt such an intolerable rage fill me. It swirled around my nervous system, like tendrils engorging my soul with unadulterated malice. I felt even angrier at the realization of how comfortable I was with it. My therapy bills were going to cost a small fortune.
I began to shake, shuddering while still being suspended. I bit down on my tongue so hard, stifling a long stream of profanities. The pain only added fuel to the fire burning within. If they wanted me... they were going to get all of me…
I have not, before this time, ever felt like a victim. Sure, I have been upset on a lesser scale, but to be suspended mere feet away while my friends were slowly and horribly defiled and murdered, was a new experience, and not one I would ever forget if I got out from there.
“I hope you taste as good as you smell!” Damon cheered. He was tearing strips of skin out of Tessa’s back, exposing muscled and sinew beneath. “That's the annoying thing with hosting in a living body, eh? Your human is paralyzed from my toxins.” Damon snorted as he sunk his teeth in her shoulder. I could hear Kaitlyn somewhere in the room, collecting her breath. Tessa had taken a lot out of her, and apparently that was all for naught. Now she was recouping her energy.
I couldn’t make out exactly what was happening to Tessa, but as I hung there, suspended with the rod through my heart, every single squelch and slurp was driving me insane with rage. Before I knew it, my body spontaneously erupted into flames. It burned the fur from my body. Leaving me back in my human form, the beast had gone. Now I felt something different entirely. The spike that had been pinning me burst into flames, and like the fuse on a firework, it whittled down and melted into molten droplets, setting the floor aflame. My wound healed instantly. I pinched my eyes together, waiting for the sensation of the flames to burn me. It didn’t happen; when I opened my eyes they were back to normal. The flames had receded, cleaning me of all ailments. My body was tingling with anticipation. My skin felt like it was humming a low vibrato. Kaitlyn looked up at me; her pupils were still dilated, and she was standing in awe. I kept on surprising her... If I liked her, I might have given a damn.