Oculus

by S. E. Akers

  It sure made my soul sing.

  I stroked my hand across the top of the now shorter and more intimate table. “You know how I like things in twos,” I said. “Two sections and two chairs.”

  Silas simply cleaned up the mess without the first grumble and returned to the kitchen to fix breakfast, again. I did happen to catch a slight curl to his lip before he’d left. It wasn’t the cherry-topper my sundae was hoping for, but all things considered, it was enough to chalk up my bitch-slap as a shining success.

  Consider yourself “served”, I nodded.

  I was honestly surprised he hadn’t poofed-up any replacements by the time lunch rolled around. He didn’t even demand I put everything back in its place. Then again, I couldn’t see him shelving his self-respect over a childish revenge-prank. And then there was Tanner’s reaction to consider. He seemed genuinely pleased by the modification and even thanked Silas for it. I truly hoped his smile stemmed from our much cozier proximity and not because we didn’t have to shout anymore. But regardless of my mentor’s reason, I doubted Silas would want to rub his employer the wrong way.

  Not his dear, “Professor Grey”, I mocked in the house steward’s hoity-toity tone.

  Of course my sneaky one-upping didn’t go unpunished. I’d just returned to my room after a tiresome tussle with the imp later that afternoon. My skin was riddled with enough gashes I looked like I’d been run through a shredder (clothes too). The little winged-creature had inflicted the worst of its wrath on my wrists — both of them hacked almost down to the bone. So needless to say, I was hurting for some salve and a salt-soak in a major way. And then what did I find when I stepped inside my bathroom? The entire jar of imp-blood miracle cure that normally sat on the second shelf of the étagère was gone. A dainty crystal dish was resting in its place that held two of the tiniest dabs I’d ever seen. There wasn’t enough of the healing concoction for my wrists, let alone the rest of my sliced & diced frame. Talk about lowdown and dirty. Then I turned towards the copper tub to discover that he’d swiped both the faucet knobs too — no “H” and no “C”. All that remained were two threaded valve stems poking out of the wall along with a note that read,

  Bastard. As mad as I was, ratting him out to Tanner was out of the question. He’d fully embraced my stunt with the seating arrangements, so I was obligated to do the same. Far be it for me to go against the “prankster code”, and I’d never been big on tattling anyway. Plus, I had to respect someone who covered all their bases — even if they were being a ruthless jerk. I leaned over the tub, mounting my apologies to my throbbing wrists. The pain from trying to get a simple grip on the damn stems was e-x-c-r-u-c-i-a-t-i-n-g. I figured it would be, but I hardly expected to feel it all the way in my daggone teeth.

  I wasn’t about to hold my breath. I was NEVER getting those damn things back.

  Blackened earth swept the barren terrain like a gritty sea at my feet. My steps scraped against the silence wafting all around, lending the air an unavoidable battery of eerie “crunches”. Their irksome grate eventually halted my movements. There weren’t any other noises to be heard coming from anywhere within the darkness. I watched my breaths drift from my lips like billowy clouds, only for the shadows to gobble them up right before my eyes. I quickly panned the gloomy panorama. Of all the chambers I’d encountered, this one was by far the most chilling. Clusters of dense thickets strangled the ground with their grasp, weaving a thorny tapestry of suffering all around. Leafless trees towered over me that bore bark so scorched their limbs would crumble at the slightest graze. I slowly followed their withered reach to the sky. It was even drearier. The field spanning the scene above looked to have been doused in jet-black ink purposely, drowning out any luminary aid. I sure couldn’t find a single bright speck to serve as my guide, nor thought for a second that a celestial beam would miraculously rain down from any glowing balls to swaddle my worries. A distressing vibe swelled in my gut. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. Nothing could live here. This was the place where even one’s hopes went to lay down and die.

  From out of nowhere, a shrill “squawk” pierced my ears. I whirled around and scanned the landscape wildly, fearing what had made it. The wretched noise scored the night again. I peered into the blackness, my eyes locked in a tense squint to locate its source. More noises cried out from all directions, tying my nerves into even more knots with their rattling “squawks” and drawn out “screeches”. The persistent racket clawed a path to my head and pummeled it with fierce pounds. I threw my hands over my ears as I buckled to the ground, desperate to drown out the madness. Just when I thought I couldn’t take them anymore, the air fell abruptly still. I lowered my hands as I cautiously rose from the ground. As relieved as I was that the racket had come to an end, the bone-chilling void hadn’t quashed an ounce of the foreboding feeling that was steadily pulsing in my chest. Their originators were out there somewhere—watching me and my every move—while I, on the other hand, remained shrouded in darkness and consumed with dread…and feeling very much alone.

  Suddenly a freak chill engulfed my shaky frame. Its frigid touch started trickling down my spine, pricking my bones like the hairy steps of a spider. I smacked at my back feverishly. It sure felt like something more than a nagging tingle was inching down it. My jitters held true even after the sensation had ceased, though I seriously doubted anything could abate them in Death’s backyard.

  Whether it was warrior-instinct or simply my anxiety’s need for a security blanket, I reached for the leather holster strapped to my thigh. That’s when I realized my hilt was missing, and by all accounts it should have been in there, snugly waiting on me. I remembered locking it in place…at least, I thought I had. A fog now clouded my brain, making it hard to recall much of anything at all. I immediately searched for Tanner. He had to be here somewhere amid the darkness. He wouldn’t let me fly solo in a place like this. At least I didn’t think he would.

  “Tanner?” I called out, only to have the blackness whisper my voice straight back to me in a wretched wail. The unnerving cry had come from directly behind me, merely inches from the hairs standing erect on the nape of my neck.

  I whipped around and locked into a defensive stance. Though I didn’t see anything visible standing there, alarm rocketed through me when I felt the weight of a distinct presence lurking thick in the air.

  And it was undeniably savage.

  My eyes remained vigilant as I edged backward, arms cocked and muscles stretched as tight as a rubber band. Without any warning, the ferocious feeling barreled straight into my chest and then shot out my back, literally knocking me off my feet. I landed hard on my backside, twisting on the ground with the queasiest of feelings. I’d never encountered something so harrowing before, like something insanely sinister had just passed through me and given my soul a long, icy-wet lick.

  Panicked, I sprang to my feet and started running as fast as I could. I weaved my way through the groping arms of the jagged black forest, praying I’d left whatever was back there in the dust. It wasn’t long before I came to an arm waving halt at the mouth of a bleak valley. A bank of charcoal-colored mist choked the surrounding grounds roughly a few feet from me. There wasn’t a break in its path to be found, not for as far as my eyes could see. My only choices were to trudge through the murky unknown or head back the way I’d come. Flipping a coin was pointless. “Tails” was the predictable outcome. Mine.

  A pungent smell struck my nostrils. My eyes flared with heed, fueled by poignant recollections. It was sulfur — the Onyx’s signature calling-card. But what was it doing here?

  I bent down towards the pool of mist, hand stretched and holding warily. It didn’t seem like the same haze that had preempted any of the Onyx’s past strikes. I trawled my hand slowly through the murky vapor. Luckily it flowed freely without the first twinge of searing pain. I pulled out my hand to find my skin coated with a coarse, powdery film. It smelled like something burnt, and the stench of the soot was just as unmistakable.


  Charred bones and flesh. My mind recalled the distinct scent from the smoldering remains left at the cemetery in New Orleans, courtesy of the Ruby Talisman and her fiery wrath. I was about to wipe off my hand when something abruptly exploded out of the mist and seized my wrist, throwing my chest into a heart-thumping fit. I muzzled my scream as best I could while I tried tugging it loose. A human-looking hand reeking with decay was clamped around my wrist, wrenching it right back. What little of its whitish skin that hadn’t wasted away stretched across its bones like a gaping web. I yanked even harder, but no matter how much strength I used or how decrepit it looked, the damn thing’s hold remained ox-strong. Suddenly something snatched my left ankle beneath the mist with the same amount of force and then another twisting clamp captured my right one not a second later. I thrashed back and forth in a violent fit trying to get free, but I couldn’t. These grisly things were determined to claim me wholly as their spoils.

  The ground began giving way as the hands tugged me further down. The haze was devouring me like quicksand as more and more of the meathooks latched onto my sinking frame, swarming me from all directions. There were so many I could barely move anymore, piling up like a pyramid around my legs. The sound of snapping knuckles battered my ears with a rapid stream of chilling “cracks” and “clicks”. It was almost as tormenting as the bite of their pinches. My frame was steadily dropping, now waist-deep. Erratic gasps exploded from my lungs. I rallied some extra strength and snapped a few of the hands loose only to have more clamber to take their place, hungry for their piece.

  The horde of ravenous hands had already reached my shoulders and were swiftly patting and snatching their way up to my head. I stretched my neck back and screamed out, terrified of what would come once I was completely submerged. An abrupt flash of light lit up the sky, illuminating the scary scene. A gruesome field of rot rolled around me, and I was its heaving belly’s fresh feast.

  The last hand to smack my head grabbed hold of my hair and then yanked me under the mist, just as a boom of thunder rumbled above. The force behind its roar was so dynamic, it shook straight down into the ground and rattled my body loose from the mauling mob and their relentless hold.

  With no time to waste, I plowed my way upwards through the limbs. No sooner than I’d surfaced, I found myself shooting straight up in my bed and my hands smacking at nothing but fresh air. My eyes scoured the familiar surroundings in a skittish frenzy. I clenched the satin band on the edge of the frilly covers like an outreached hand from some faceless rescuer. Then I yanked the blanket over my shaky frame and all the way up to my neck, attempting to tame the wild gasps booming from my chest. I’d never been so relieved to be caressed by cotton in my entire life.

  It was only a dream…ONLY A DREAM, I assured my frazzled head as I rocked back and forth. Once my lungs had settled back into their fluid rhythm, I leaned over to the bedside table and flicked on the light. I still had another hour before my scheduled rise, but I wasn’t about to risk closing my eyes just so my nightmare could pick up right where it had left off. I’m sure the cosmos had a sequel all cued up and ready to hit “PLAY”. It couldn’t fool me. I knew its game — painfully well.

  The longer I sat in bed, the more anxious I grew. The comforting covers I’d craved now grazed my skin with the scrape of sandpaper. Even the beautiful canopy sweeping overhead suddenly seemed so smothering. I couldn’t stomach the thought of sitting here wide-awake either, not feeling this mentally-marred, frightened, and knowing I was still very much alone.

  I sprang out of bed and turned on every light as I rushed to the bathroom. A part of me wanted to serve myself up a good smack. I’d never been this spooked by a dream before, including the ones induced from any of Katie’s all-night slasher-marathons — and I truly hated those! I rubbed my arms briskly as I paced the cold marble tiles. Even the reoccurring dream I’d had on occasion about five year-old me being chased down by the Onyx couldn’t hold a candle to this one, and that had actually happened. I stopped in front of the mirror hanging above the pedestal sink. My eyes were pulsing with worry, and the circles around them served as shadowy reminders of the terrifying ordeal. A nasty shudder rolled down my spine. What I really needed was a shower to wash all the taint away.

  I turned on the water, pitched my clothes wherever, and hurried into the stall. The steamy streams felt soothing enough. They did what they could, considering I’d been sinking into a pawing pit of corpse-like hands less than ten minutes ago. Of course, it wasn’t long before my watery sanctuary betrayed me with a clobbering thought — which I was quick to start dismissing.

  It had to have been a nightmare, I rationalized, plain and simple. It couldn’t have been a vision from the diamond. It’s linked to Adamas’ memories, and facts are facts — HE WASN’T THERE! As wretchedly alone as what I’d been and how scary the scene, I would have welcomed the drop-in. With that ruling mentally stamped & sealed as official, the only thing left vexing me now was what had triggered it in the first place. I was kind of rooting for a hearty mix of guilt and karma’s warped way of adjusting my attitude. I’d been waiting on pins and needles for my cosmic payback since yesterday morning. Moving the buffet was a bit much. I could have stopped at the table and chairs, but oh no. I’d seen the haughty house steward’s robotic routine enough to know how comfortable he was with his surroundings and had taken full advantage of it. Retaliating was one thing, but being vindictive was quite another. It wasn’t in my nature to be that mean-spirited. I knew it, and the universe was well aware of it too.

  That’s what is was, I nodded and squirted a dollop of shampoo into my palm. My fingers scrubbed my scalp vigorously, almost like I was forcing my decree to sink in on some level. It simply had to be a karma-delivered reality-check because if I was wrong, then there was only one other reason it could be: these monsters had worked their way into my head and were trying to tear me down.

  I couldn’t afford to have that on top of everything else, not with what all destiny held around the bend. Shiloh Wallace… Diamond Talisman and basket-case fraidy-cat. Ugh. I could literally see the daggone T-shirts.

  It didn’t take me hardly any time to get ready. Nothing like a good fright to light a fire under your tail to get you up & out the door. I gave the covers on my bed a careless fling up to the headboard in lieu of a proper showroom-making. Hanging around the sullied scene to fluff out a duvet was the last thing I wanted. And despite the lavish bedding’s loveliness, perfectly-positioning fifteen freaking throw pillows and shams every morning had got seriously old.

  I charged out my room to find Tanner propped beside his bedroom door waiting for me. Considering my nerves were sparking like live wires, naturally I freaked a little.

  I grabbed my chest with a gasp. “You startled me,” I said, attempting to laugh it off. Tanner didn’t flinch the least little bit. I remembered the warning bells sounding in my head when I was toweling off in the bathroom, so his rigid stance left me wondering exactly how long he’d been out here. It sure hinted at more than a few time-flying minutes.

  “Sorry about that,” he said coolly. “So how are you feeling this morning?”

  I’d driven over potholes smoother than the ruts plowed across his forehead. That wasn’t good.

  “Fine,” I fibbed. The simplicity of my reply flared the bloodhound’s snout further. Damn. Fear was a tough bugger to mask. This was undoubtedly going to take more than a run-for-cover mental dash to my happy-place. I needed a crap-covered trail to throw him off my scent.

  “You’re up early,” I countered, changing the subject.

  “Yes. The thunder woke me up almost an hour ago,” he revealed.

  My gaze fell to the floor. That was the same time I’d snapped out of my dream. Maybe that’s what did it?

  Tanner stepped closer, his hazel stunners scrutinizing me intensely. “Talk about something startling.”

  I nodded, somewhat uncomfortably. “Storms can do that.”

  “They can . . . especially whe
n they’re out of the blue,” he remarked. “The news forecasted clear skies for the next few days. Not a drop of rain. Not even an afternoon thundershower.”

  I didn’t like the direction in which his weathervane was pointing. “Well, they do get it wrong occasionally.”

  Tanner humored me with a nod. “Too bad I’m not a water elemental who can sense how much moisture is in the atmosphere.”

  My eyes remained as fixed as my grin. Yeah, I grumbled quietly. Too bad… I didn’t want him knowing anything about my nightmare, not after his “thunder” admission. He’d definitely think these creatures were doing a number on my head. I hadn’t banished the first beast. I didn’t want him adding “wussie” to my list of reasons why I hadn’t. I needed to end this interrogation real quick.

  “So who’s my lucky contestant today?” I asked with my perkiest of smiles engaged. My mentor’s last suspect gaze came to halt as soon as he spotted the fresh bandages wrapped around my wrists. I winced when he lifted one up and began unwinding the gauze strip.

  “Judging from your appearance, the balegore,” he remarked, his eyes crinkling at my open wound, “and I’m curious why that is?”

  “I didn’t have enough salve,” I lied, partially.

  “You should have,” he insisted and removed the bandage protecting the other one. His expression took a foul turn for the worse.

  I averted my stare. “Well, I didn’t.” Even now, I still couldn’t rat the house bastard out.

  “I see,” Tanner hummed while his eyes glinting their doubts.