“It really doesn’t matter to you guys? I have some property up by Kaylee also. It is perfect for the full moon, plus no one is around to see me.” Something bad must have happened to him to make him think that other shifters would view him differently.
“There are things that are way worse out there than us, and one of them has Kaylee. Now if you don’t mind, get in the motor home and help with getting stuff ready, so we can be on our way. Brad will fill you in on anything else you would like to know.” He got into the motorhome and shut the door to the one he was in and watched them get into the other one in front of them. “Ok guys time to get busy. Everyone had the balloons and straws to pour the salt into the balloons with. Most of them had a lot of salt and just two dozen had salt and helium he didn’t think it would work, but he wanted to cover his basis. They had to let half the helium out still holding it so the rest didn’t escape then someone poured salt into it with the straw. Then a couple of people put salt and water together just in case the ones with helium didn’t work. They were not going to have time for a test run to see if they worked, so they backed it up.
The other group was taking out the squirt guns and filling them. Once the guns were filled, they were put into the backpacks that they would be using. Between the guns and the balloons the backpacks were full. Then they all opened the energy drinks and raised the tiny bottle up in good luck and downed the contents. To him the flavor tasted like cough syrup but if it worked it was worth it. Nothing like a bunch of hyper pissed off animals running loose.
They pulled into a dirt parking area where the trailhead to the Boy Scout trail started. They each grabbed a backpack on the way out of the motor home and the key was stashed on the back under the wheel cover. The same was done on the other one. Then they hit the trail moving at a decent speed until Clayton felt something cold slide against his skin. “Stop! Something is in this area. Let’s test one of the helium balloons. At the very least they don’t pop that well and we just litter the ground with them then they pop during the fight. I see just a win win situation.” Brad was reaching into the backpack in front of him while Clayton had been talking.
Then he threw the balloon out towards the ground. It floated for a little while and when it came close to landing a gust of wind picked it back up carrying it up higher. When it got high enough it touched one of the needles on the redwood tree and popped spraying the air with salt which fell slowly to the ground. He could almost hear one of the spirits scream as the salt fell to the ground hitting everything in its path.
Well, it didn’t quite work the way it was intended but it still came through in the end. When this was all over he was going to have Dagda come out here and clean it up as salt was bad for the plants. At least now they knew it would work in a roundabout way, however they had pissed off whatever spirits had been in the area. The spirits would be up ahead waiting for another chance at them. “What should we use next? You know they are going to come at us again, and this time they may draw blood.”
“Why don’t we just get a little head start and use the bird shifters with the salt balloons. Just to see how those work. We can back it up with the salt water ones if it doesn’t work,” Gavin suggested. He already had one of each in his hand. Right next to him was a red-tailed hawk waiting for its prize. At least it seemed that way to him. The hawk flew up ahead and was out of the line of sight for just a little while before it came back and shifted back into one of the girls.
“Again it worked but not as good as we would want. It was a direct hit to one area. Good if we are in a fight, but bad for area disbursement. I believe the salt water will have the same effect.” They kept walking until the found the area that the balloon had landed and saw what she had been talking about. The other thing that was odd, there were no little animals or birds. A hush had fallen over the forest area where they were. Something big was in this area, but what they didn’t know. He had a bad feeling they were going to find out though.
It could just be a large mass of spirits that had gathered together, in fact, that is probably what it was. He six sense was driving him crazy and he needed to listen to it. “Ok guys, we need to make a large circle with the blessed water. It has to be big enough for all of us to fit in. Something major is in the area. I want to say they are ghosts, but it doesn’t feel the same. Is anyone else picking up on anything?”
Hopefully he wasn’t the only one that could feel it. Coreen stepped forward. “There is something else out there and it is very dark and full of rage, but I can’t see what it is. It’s not a quite ghost but part of one. The other part is twisted and smells. I have smelled the scent before, but I can’t remember what it is. That’s all I got, sorry.” That was more than he had gotten. Too bad she couldn’t remember what the smell was.
Hold on Hel, Hell, Hades, was the damn thing a demon ghost mix? Hel would be able to control a complete demon, but could she control a mix. That would be just like her. He looked at James, for once, he didn’t have the answers that he needed to fight what was in front of them. He had a feeling that James did. “James, here is a hypothetical question how would you fight a demon ghost?”
“That’s it, that’s what the smell was, sulfur!” Coreen piped in. she was so excited that she remembered then it hit her that it was not a good thing up ahead. Her smile went to a drop jaw as she realized what was said to James coupled by what she remembered. Clayton didn’t think that it helped that everyone was staring at the three of them.
“Well, to keep them at bay holy water will work. Blessed salt works which is why it moved further away from us. The salt that was in the balloon probably burned it. Some of the angels names will make them leave the area, but there are many angles. It’s not like Gabriel or Raphael would just come down and tell us either.”
As James had been talking, he reached into one of the packs and took out a balloon and taking his dagger he made a hole in it and moved the balloon around his body making sure the salt was everywhere on him. The others had been watching him and started to do the same thing. The only bad thing was they might end up itching later from the salt. As he looked over the group it looked like everyone had a severe case of dandruff. “It’s worth a shot. If nothing else the thing is going to get a nice burn and that will make me happy.” Moving his hand up on the strap he adjusted it for a better fit.
Clayton continued down the trail. As they were walking he realized that this trail was made for the enjoyment of nature not dreading what was up around the next corner. The area was beautiful and should be taken in, not dismissed. He knew nothing about this area. He didn’t know what he could and could not eat if he got lost. Kaylee had a lot to teach him, so neither of them could die.
Lost in his own thoughts he didn’t notice the disturbance until he was right in front of it. It knocked him to the ground then was gone. It almost had a high pitched screaming that grated against the wind. Almost like fingernails on a chalkboard, only at a level that animals could hear. The thing could manipulate the particles around it to create enough mass to knock him on his ass. At least he had burned it a little bit.
“It shouldn’t be able to cross running water if you can find any that is.” James stated as he looked down at him with an extended hand to help him up from the ground.
“At the end of this trail there is a water fall and a small creek if that is enough running water.” Brad said as he walked up to them. “That thing has got more than it bargained for! He busted some of the balloons in the pack. The outside of it is all wet and muddy.” That was not what Clayton wanted to hear right know.
“How long will it take at a flat run till we get there? This thing is not done playing with us and I think it has more tricks up its sleeve than its letting us see right now.” He wanted to find out if running water was going to help or not. This thing was going to be a bitch to get rid of, that much he already knew. He had heard that iron would hurt both ghosts and demons but did not know for sure.
He reached around and tightened the w
aist strap on the backpack and looked around to see that everyone else had started to do the same thing. He figured it would lessen the bumping of the pack as he was running. He needed his hands free in case he fell or had to fight. When it looked like everyone was ready to go he gave the thumbs up to go.
His legs were pounding into the ground as he ran he could feel his heart rate picking up. It had been too long since he had taken a long run of any kind. It felt good. His arms and legs moving in unison, he went to that place when he was working out. It was almost like meditating. He just kept running not realizing that he was faster than the rest of the group until he ran into what felt like a brick wall. He had never knew anything like flat out running with nothing in front of him then slamming into wall that was not there. He did a mental check before he moved. He did not break anything which was amazing at how hard he hit. His whole body was going to be bruised and sore.
As the group came around the corner they skidded to a stop. Some of them barely stopping in time, others hit the person in front of them. They found Clayton pushing on nothing, his muscles were strained but they couldn’t see anything there. They walked up beside him and put their hands in front of them and felt the invisible barrier. They could not figure out where it ended. They kept moving their hands up until they were on their tip toes then down to the dirt but they did not feel a break in the barrier. They moved outwards from the center.
The barrier kept going out then started to curve in an arch. They kept following it splitting into two different groups as it curved around. Then they met again on the other side. So the thing formed a circle. What was in the center? Was it protecting or hiding something? “Can one of you bird shifters fly up and see what’s in there if anything?” He watched the girl, he couldn’t remember her name but he believed it was Tamera, change into an eagle. She few up and over the tops of the redwoods to the other side of the barrier then back. He knew that whatever had made that couldn’t make it go over the trees. The outside world could never really know what actually was real and what was not. When she came back down and changed she looked at him and said “Kaylee is in there and I don’t know how you are going to get her out.”
“I was afraid of that.” Looking around there were trees and bushes but nothing that he could climb and go over to get to her and bring her back over. Besides it was a trap and he knew it. They didn’t have any rope so even if the birds could carry it that option was out. He decided to walk around the thing again. He kept his hand on it the whole time. He was hoping that he had missed something the first time. Then as he came around the opposite side that he had not been on when they went different directions he felt some raised lines. “Guys I think I found something over here.”
He was still tracing the lines when they came around the corner. The lines were at different angles. Moving to the side he motioned for the others to feel them. When James felt them he pulled his hands back quickly and sprayed the blessed water on the marking then the barrier cracked. “How did you know to do that?” What he had just done had given them something to work with.
“I don’t know why it just seemed right. Sometimes I just know what to do, it’s weird I know.” He then spayed a circle around the area they were standing in. They all started to pull the barrier further apart. They were hoping to see Kaylee through the crack soon. They all started to yell her name then pause to wait for a response. They heard something but didn’t know what it was.
A gust of wind came through the crack and it smelled like rotten eggs. “Grab some of the salt water balloons and start hitting the crack high and low and everything in between. I want this area covered.” They were pulling balloons out of the pack on the person next to them for easier access. Clayton started to throw high and work his way down. Then he saw the bird shifters right next to him each waiting for a balloon. He held the ball of the balloon in his hand with the tied end for them to grasp with their talons.
He watched the birds go up and then over towards the other side of the barrier and watched as they dropped it. When they had dropped them they came back for another. As he watched he noticed that they were dropping the balloons in the center and were making a trail towards the crack. That just might work. If Kaylee had a safe trail towards the crack they may be able to get her out of there. When the birds started to drop the balloons on the opposite side of the barrier he noticed that the crack widened. When he looked in he saw Kaylee tied up to a piece of bent metal bar that had been pounded into the ground. In her mouth was a bandana that was tied behind her head.
He had a bad feeling about going in to get her. It just seemed too easy. If he was going in he was taking as much ammunition with him as he could carry. He hoped that James and Gavin would make it in there with him but he wasn’t counting on that happening. “Let’s get the backpacks loaded then I will go in followed by James and then Gavin. I don’t know how many of us will make it in however, I want some of you to stay out here. Brad I want you in charge of the group on the outside. Let’s go see if we can get her out of there.”
He went through the crack which was wide enough to allow one person at a time. He made it through then James. The barrier started to close after James so Gavin could not make it through. At least he had one more person than he expected. He kept his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary to pop out at him. He kept waiting for the Tasmanian devil to show up. There was no way he was not going to be a part of this.
As he was walking over towards Kaylee something tripped him. He was able to call for his dagger as he lay on the ground. James came up beside him to help him up. Just as he got Clayton up they were both knocked backwards. “Ok let’s try using the squirt guns. Use them to spray in front of us. Also let go of a couple of the air salt balloons maybe that will help. We have got get to Kaylee.”
They let go of several air balloons into the air then went to grab the squirt guns and were knocked back down. So while they were on the ground they got the guns out and started to spray around them. Then they got up and started to go back to Kaylee. When they got to her he took the dagger and cut through the binds. Then as fast and gently as he could he took the gag out of her mouth as she rubbed her limbs trying to get circulation back into them. Knowing that she probably had cottonmouth from having the gag in her mouth he squirted some water from the gun into her mouth.
“Ok enough that tastes like plastic. Yuck. Thanks for coming to get me, but you know this is a trap so we need to get out of here.” She started off towards the crack. It wasn’t big enough for anyone to get through anymore.
“We know that, but if you think we were just going to leave you here your crazy. Wait till I get my hands on that son of a bitch. I am going to make sure he does not come back this time.” He could feel some of the knots that his body had start to release now that he had her back. Now they just had to get out of this place. Taking out the squirt guns they started to spray the area were they crack was except this time nothing happened. Great, he thought, now what were they going to do?
“Ideas are welcome.” Saying as he glanced at the other two. The looks on their face stopped him in his tracks. The hair on the back of his neck was standing at full attention. Where was he, he wondered. He slowly looked around taking in everything around the area. When he looked behind him he saw the Tasmanian devil with a semi sold ghost demon. Taking out the squirt gun he started spaying the ground around them. “Start throwing the balloons on the ground around us. Hopefully that will help.”
As salt water balloons started hitting the ground the ghost demon started to get mad there was not real way to get to them. He could hear James reciting a prayer but he didn’t know which one. Whatever he was saying had some effect on the thing. That left him the tasmanian to deal with. It had been too easy the first time he didn’t think it would be this time. If he knew Hel she spiced him up with some sort of extra powers, the question was which ones. Then the tasmanian and the demon ghost split into different directions. This was not good.
&nbs
p; “Protect Kaylee and keep the demon ghost thing occupied. I am going after the tasmanian. Do not leave the area that we just soaked with the balloons that’s what it wants.” Then he took off after the tasmanian running away from the crack. He ran past the place where Kaylee had been tied up as he came to the opposite side of the he saw him leaning against the wall. He stopped and looked at the area in front of him. Trying to find the trap or anything that could hurt him he made sure to look before he took a step. He took one step and stopped. Something was not right. It wasn’t anything that he could see, it was intuition.
He tried to take a step back and couldn’t, then he tried to go towards the sides and was stopped that way too. He was stuck going forward. He reached for his sword tattoo and called for his sword. Using the sword he pushed the leaves back with the tip of the blade. It is not what the sword was made for, but due to the circumstances it would work for him. Moving forward a step at a time made for slow moving. The fact the tasmanian was not moving did not bode well for him and he knew it.
When he was finally right in front of the Tasmanian he realized it was like a hologram. What was going on? Turning in a full circle he looked around. Nothing had changed so he just went forward and through where the barrier should have been but it had become a long hallway. The further he walked it the grayer it became. The area was like a place of nothingness. He could not even see the trees. The smell that had been part of the forest was gone. No taste, no smell, no color, no sound, the only thing he had was his feelings. What was he doing here? Why had the Tasmanian brought him here? When he reached out with his hands at first he realized that there were no longer barriers preventing him from moving around in different directions to the side however, he could not go back the way he had come. What was the advantage that this place had? Then something hit him from behind and when he turned there was nothing there. Then whatever it was it kept hitting him it different places on his body. Like a battering ram.
Clayton's Jade (Runes Stone Series) Page 14