Oculus

by S. E. Akers

  My solemn stare trailed the sweeping staircase all the way up to the second-floor landing. Will he EVER see anything else but a little girl? Could he?

  Officially down in the dumps, I averted my low-hanging head and moped my way towards the concealed secret entrance. My gaze lifted when I reached the grand triptych. Silas had whisked it up and away so quickly, way before I’d gotten a decent look, but I had ample opportunity to absorb its composition now. Each of the three panels depicted entirely different scenes. The largest one in the center featured a picturesque landscape one could only imagine had been plucked straight from an artist’s dream. A chain of misty, snow-capped purple mountains hugged a beautiful field of azure blue, gracefully soaring and dipping across the cloudless sky. My eyes were immediately drawn to a vibrantly beaming sun that lay within its heavenly stretch. It had been painted in such a bold palette of fiery hues that you could honestly feel the heat streaming from its tactile rays, warming the entire scene. A monochromatic sea of green rested below the blazing beauty, and the heavily treed forest was exploding with a medley of botanical and animal life. Colorful flowers dotted the lush meadows rolling throughout the landscape like a parade of thick confetti. My eyes scaled one of the mountains up to the edge of a magnificent waterfall. The glassy stream plunged down the side of the cliff and then flowed into the most enchanting, rock-speckled river. Even the ripples riding the current glistened like diamonds as it made its way downstream. The entire scene looked too perfect to be real, too flawless to exist without the help of one’s imagination. I took a step back to fully absorb its splendor. Quite simply, it was an idealized paradise in vivid detail.

  The other two panels presented completely contrasting scenes. The one on the left portrayed a garden venue. Regal-looking tents surrounded a lively setting that was teeming with flocks of people, all from various walks of life. Each of the smiling figures were engaged in some form of daily pleasure — basking peacefully in the sun, chatting and laughing with others, or simply frolicking about. Everyone looked as happy & healthy as they could be while partaking in their choice of fun. Though it wasn’t exactly the blissful nirvana illustrated in the other scene, the piece did project a feeling of contentment nonetheless. Now, the last panel—however—was a scathing clash of the other two. The dusky hues possessed a range of dismal shades and the jagged brush strokes were so edgy, I could feel their harsh lines carving my retinas. That was nothing compared to its subject matter — death, plain & pure. Brutality and destruction reigned amidst a grim panorama of fire and ash with an unsettling degree of carnage that littered every inch of the arrangement, top to bottom and side to side. And there were creatures, lots and lots of creatures. Vicious monsters were depicted reeking sheer havoc over the land, torturing souls in a vile state of bedlam and savagely devouring their slain victims at every turn. My final assessment: one big bloodbath of butchery gore.

  I quickly waved my hand to open the entrance after staring too long at a corpse getting his gut cleaned out by some gruesome-looking, fanged and hairy beast. I darted inside with a shake once the panels had lifted enough for me to pass and then scolded myself with a few chastising shakes. After my run-in with the imp earlier, that scene hit a little too close to home.

  Sweet dreams, I grumbled as I headed down the stairs. I doubted I would catch the first wink. Far be it for me to question Mr. Worldly’s taste in art, but I wouldn’t pride myself in hanging that piece so openly.

  Some things you just can’t un-see.

  A surprise was waiting for me when I arrived back to my room — a silver jar, along with a folded slip of paper. I bent down and opened the note first. I recognized my mentor’s hand immediately.

  He could have left THAT out. One good twist and the lid popped right off. I prepared my nostrils and took a whiff. Ugh… Just as bad as before.

  I rose to my feet as sharply as my eyes circled their sockets. I knew it. My drill sergeant was back in true form and raring to go.

  Everything fell to a hush in one stirring instant. I stared at the barrier with a breathless ache. This was what I’d wanted. Here was my perfect chance to see if there truly was something blossoming between the two of us. Though even with the unexpected shift in our physical distance and my anxious need-to-know, my insecurities kept me helplessly immobile. So did my behavior earlier. And frankly, my road-kill appearance didn’t help. I turned towards my room to spy the amethyst pendant swinging back and forth on the knob. The soft graze of its chain scraping against the metal was calling for action almost like the timely riffs of a pendulum clock. Its hypnotic sway tugged with such an unstoppable force that the powerful purple stone was securely around my neck and dangling above my beating heart before I realized what I’d done.

  He’s seen me a heck of a lot worse, I shrugged.

  With my golden veil now lowered, I rushed towards Tanner’s door, but an abrupt “clanking” rising from somewhere below halted my hand before its first strike. I peered down into the rocky stairwell and scoured the darkness. The only thing discernible within the murky depths turned out to be random specks of yellow that were flickering like stars in the blackest of skies. My eyes flared when they noticed one of the fiery lights descending at a fluid pace. One split-second later, a cluster of torches hanging on the cavern walls provided me with all the confirmation I needed — my mentor’s handsome frame.

  I crept down the stairs without a second to lose, but the speed of my approach waned the further I trekked. There were an endless number of levels that seemed to branch off into a multitude of passageways — all leading east, west, and crooked. A staunch sense of determination may have been fueling my gait, but between marveling at the earthy labyrinth with all its vast twist and turns and trying not to make a sound, I inevitably lost sight of Tanner’s torch. Possibly eight or nine levels down? When I reached what I’d thought was the floor in question, all I found was an empty, rugged hall. I followed the hushed path to a niche that simply dead-ended. No doors… No nothing really, except some elaborate designs carved into the framed arch and an elemental water symbol fashioned in glistening tiles on the floor. Though I didn’t see or feel any charms, I gave the stone wall a few stout presses anyway to make sure there wasn’t a hidden door. Nothing happened. I double-backed to check the stairwell. There wasn’t the slightest sound coming from above or below, and certainly not any more on-the-move flaming markers to serve as my guide. Tanner was nowhere to be found.

  Well, that bites…

  I suppressed an urge to call out to him, chalking it up to fate — my always-got-your-back-buddy. Then again, it could have been the mental scolding reality smacked me with, my other sidekick that was equally willing to lend a helping hand. Once my bubbling expectations had been bottled and officially capped, I headed back up the trail of bumpy steps with my disappointment leading the way.

  I’d only made it up three levels when a muffled noise alerted my ears. The sound was emanating from one of the halls I’d just passed. The corners of my lips rose and instinctively, I grasped my newfound breadcrumb and charted a more promising course.

  The solitary sounds of my echoing footsteps stalked me down the hollow corridor. I couldn’t help noticing that it was much larger than the others. A coal truck would have more than enough clearance driving down this passageway. There was just something about its look that made it seem more important, or possibly more frequented. At least it made me feel like I was on the right track.

  It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon a massive silver door covered in what looked like a hodgepodge of symbols. I pressed my ear against the cold slab. No one was stirring inside. Suddenly the same muffled racket I’d heard moments ago rustled the air again. I whipped around, trailing the dwindling clatter to their source. Another silver door lay several yards down and across the hall. I hurried to it before the sounds completely stopped, but found myself smack on the ground in a belly-busting “THUD”. I’d tripped over a bulky turn-wheel sticking out of the floor — of all places.
It looked like a hatch you would find on a submarine. Maybe a valve, of some sort? I mean there was a tub and toilet in my room. Surely there had to be more plumbing down here. Before my brain could rally any other guesses, my determined eyes caught the hint of an amethyst-hued light streaking under the threshold of the door.

  Tanner…

  I sprang up, dusted myself off, and strutted triumphantly towards my finish line. With a firm grasp on the weighty ring handle, I threw open the metal door and charged inside. I’d entered so quickly I didn’t realize until I glanced back that I’d passed through another free-flowing mass of purple light. Another spell… My nostrils flared. A smoldering stench floated in the air like a suffocating cloud. I panned the murky chamber. It reminded me of the cave under Shiloh Ridge, except there wasn’t any coal, just gritty rock and dirt lying at my feet. I bent down and ran my hand across the black grains. They felt more like powdery ash than soil. Needing more light, I extended the diamond wand. My makeshift magical flashlight served its purpose, illuminating well over half of the eerie space. The spell obviously wasn’t designed to keep anything out since I’d entered so effortlessly, so what was it for? The next thing I knew, my peripherals were sending a swift message to my brain, booming along my synapses to the tune of “not good”.

  I stayed as still as a deer, eyes alert and rightfully bugging like one too. Something was moving amid the ominous sea of ombré grays lying outside the diamond’s helpful ray. Considering the day’s earlier harrowing events, I was simply comforted by the fact that my weapon was in my hand and ready. As I tightened my grip on the hilt, my eyes crinkled with every anxious squeeze. Now, it was only a matter of time.

  Knowing that patience had never been a strong suit of mine, I flicked a rock into the air with the tip of my blade and then batted it close to a spot I’d seen shifting. It landed on the ground and sat idle for what felt like a gnawing eternity. I wasn’t in the mood to be toyed with — even if this turned out to be my mentor playing one seriously messed up prank.

  “Tanner?” I called out, without any reply. Hoping I was doubly wrong, I questioned louder, “SILAS?” One heck of a bad feeling and a few more silent seconds shored up a tried & true credo that had never served this gal from the hills wrong.

  I’m gonna get, while the gettin’s still good…

  I’d barely started my pivot when I heard a leaden noise eerily rising from the ground. My vigilant stance torqued into overdrive as soon as I spotted a large serpent slithering towards me. It wasn’t the biggest I’d crossed paths with, roughly a little larger than the one I’d stabbed with my heel not that long ago, but still nowhere near the size of Ms. Lá Léo’s pet python. Though I had to admit, Tiny looked a heck of a lot friendlier in hindsight compared to this fangy foe. A spine-chilling “hiss-s-s-s-s-s” scored the air like a thousand nails running down a chalkboard. I clutched my weapon with both hands at the sight of its flapping forked-tongue. Despite how keen I was on taking a crack at it, my only reservation about tangling with this thing stemmed from the fact that my serpentine was back in my room and the possibility of this being a supernatural snake that could not die.

  See the troubles that come when you try to chase down a daggone guy. I’d no sooner shaken off the sear of my quick mental scold when the serpent attempted its first strike. It missed, but so did I. Back and forth we went for several rounds, two opponents desperately attempting to both strike and evade each other like our blows had been choreographed by a professional dance troop. Seeing how speedy this thing was left no doubt in my mind: this slippery critter wasn’t about to go bye-bye without puttin’ up a good fight.

  The crafty serpent upped its game and started darting in and out of the darkness. It came at me so quick and changed its track with every strike. For a brief moment, I felt like I was dodging twenty snakes instead of one. Knowing my luck was bound to run out, I stepped back and drove my diamond into the soft ground with a curt thrust. I needed to brush up on my air-maneuvers anyway. Once I had a firm lock on the powers the golden topaz now granted me, I gave my wrist a stout flick and conjured up a modest tornado-like stream. When the snake jutted out of the shadows, it soon found itself writhing within my blustery grip and unable to break free. A brazen rush of delight goaded me into hurling its hide across the earthy room. And I did. And that’s when I discovered how heavy it was to lift… And what the heck that snake was actually attached to… And that karma was unfailingly at the ready to give “cocky” a courteous bitch-slap.

  My mouth dropped to the ground as fast as my whirling vortex fizzled. The sight of an enormous animal-like creature sailing over my head had seen to that. It crashed into the wall, angrily. I could tell by the roars bellowing from its heads. Not just one. There were TWO. The one to my left jarred my eyes with every smack of its lips. Though its mug resembled a lion’s, I seriously doubted that any whip-cracking trainers or hunters on safari had ever crossed paths with a freakish beast like this. The span of its mouth could easily slide over my head like a hat, and the savory glare throbbing in its eyes let me know it intended on taking a stab at just that. Even worse, the canines dripping from its mouth were as long and pointy as railroad spikes. The other head was just as fearsome, even with it looking more like a cross between a lizard and a goat (I thought). I was even willing to bet those two dagger-like horns atop its head planned on poking me in-between ole Simba’s savage chomps. Its taut ’n toned wooly body stretched the length of my car and was supported by a pair of scathing claw-clad paws, along with a couple of rowdy hooves to its rear. Now those, I felt certain, would be loads of gut-kicking fun. I sucked in a quick breath and froze when its wings extended in one feisty “smack”.

  Does every-freaking-thing FLY around here? And that’s what dismally stood in the way of me and my only exit — two growling, snarling heads crying out for revenge, plus the snake one that turned out to be the monster’s daggone tail.

  Business in the front and party in the back, I groaned as I yanked my wand out of the ground, giving fate its due. But me, ending up here… This is ALL Tanner’s fault!

  The creature charged on foot with breakneck speed, snorting a path straight for me. Standing my ground, I strengthened the death-grip lock I had around the hilt. I started to swing at the lion’s head but ended up flinching into a duck when a wicked streak of red flames shot out of its mouth. Then without a second to lose, I scrambled to divert the blaze with enough of a breeze. The flames may have successfully faded just as the creature swooped into the air, but its rear hooves managed to serve up one hell of a whack to the back of my head as it took off.

  Two starry twirls and I was down for the count. My two bulging eyes were the only things I could move. I’d never been kicked or hit THAT HARD, but at least I still had a decent hold on my wand. My right hand was stinging something awful. Two bloody, dime-sized puncture wounds that were seeping a foul green ooze confirmed I had the mother of all snakebites. The pounding aftershocks from my head urged me to my feet, but not nearly quick enough. I’d barely gotten up when the other ghastly head gored me like a mad bull from out of nowhere. My ass was reeling in agony, but the bump had actually thrown me much closer to the spelled door. Now, my only problem was getting to it because my body was starting to go limp. I traced the sluggish sensation back to the bite on my hand. The poison had a lock on my muscles that I couldn’t seem to break. The ground vibrated underneath me while I lay there pleading with my moonstone, and its pace was starting to escalate at an alarming rate. I struggled to grasp my amethyst, not knowing if the venom was putting me to sleep or would inevitably send me off to a more final bed. Even if it didn’t, the beast charging towards me like a freight train would certainly tuck me in.

  I’d just gotten an adequate lock on my supernatural 911 line when something grabbed both my legs and dragged me swiftly towards the door. I rolled over and onto my back once I’d cleared the containment spell. The monster’s heads crashed into the glistening essence in a rocking “thwack”, but the magic re
straining the invisible boundary held true…and it knew there was no getting through. Resigned to temporary defeat, the infuriated creature grumbled out a roar and then slipped back into the darkness as the silver door came to a close. The gleam I’d caught whirling in its harsh yellow eyes forced a tremble through my body that my lethargic muscles couldn’t release. Oh, it was s-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y ticked, with a big fat capital T. Poison aside, now I really felt sick.