"We're outta time," Jake says with a bit of a crack in his voice. "You need to get into your car now and go, fast."
He then turns around to see where the monster is, he is too close for Jake to defend himself in time; the bull man slams his horned head into Jake, sending him flying backward. The force of the blow and the energy used, causes Jake to slam into a car windshield, a loud sound is made as the glass is shattered. There are not many people on campus, but those who hear it turn to look, and see nothing but crystal shards falling to the ground. Everyone is dumbfounded, they see Mandolyn's car leaving the parking lot as fast as she can, but the exit is on the opposite side of the lot, she could not have done this.
The Minotaur is giving chase even though no one can see him but Mandolyn herself; and Jake who is now climbing off of the car. The owner of the vehicle has now shown up and stands in front of his car freaking out over the damage. He drops to his knee and comes face to face with Jake who is on the ground, but he cannot even see him. "What the hell happened to my car?" the student says on the verge of tears. Jake just stands up and extends his wings; he then takes to the sky after Mandolyn and the Minotaur.
Being that it's the busy holiday season, the streets are packed with cars full of weekend Christmas shoppers who have no clue a woman is being pursued by a beast from the spirit world. When they glance over to her, all they can see is a woman looking frazzled and acting panicky. Some people may even mutter 'Leave earlier next time lady' thinking that she is just someone who is running behind schedule. As Mandolyn begins to make her way onto the freeway she zooms past other cars while still in a panic. One little boy in the back of his parents car is holding onto his toy long horn bull that his parents got him on a trip to Texas. He peers out his window and can see what others cannot, the clairvoyance of the child can see straight into the 2nd Realm and directly at the Minotaur. He looks back at his toy, then once more out the window. The dark spirit gazes through the back passenger window at the boy, and then begins to pick up speed to chase his prey.
The car in front of the boy and his parents' moves off to the right for a freeway exit, now the father is able to pick up speed. When the boy and his parents get further up in the long line of metal casings full of people, he can once again see the man that looks like his toy. He can now see the blonde haired, blue eyed woman that rushed past them a ways back, and it seems that this is who the bull is after, the look on her face in no longer of strain, but fear. Just as the demonic bull lands on the hood of the blonde woman's vehicle, the boy can see someone new. A winged soldier comes from behind Mandolyn's car and slams right into the beast of a bull, thrusting them both several car lengths ahead. "Wow," the little boy says as he is getting to his knees and looks out the front window. He stares at it as if it is his wide screen television and these are his Saturday morning cartoons.
He looks back over to the blonde lady and sees she is looking back at him, this time with shock on her face. It is because she knows the boy is seeing exactly what she sees. The boy looks back to the front window to see the two men battling in front of the family's car. There is an 18 wheeler hauling a load of freshly cut logs for milling; atop the logs, the soldier and Minotaur are in the middle of their fight.
"Colton, sit back in your seat properly," the mother prompts her child.
The boy sits back in his seat just in time to see the fight move to the car in the first lane on the right as the two combatants fade into the car, still fighting. The driver of the car is completely unaware of what is going on in his back seat. The soldier grabs the bull by the horns and tosses him over the boy's car and right into Mandolyn's. The kid looks over to her and sees her mouth the words "Oh spit". The young one looks around with his eyes wide as full size diner plates, and notices that neither his parents nor anyone else on the freeway can see what he can. Knowing the bad guy is in the lady's car, he looks for the hero and finds him already there fighting this dark bull. The brawl causes the blonde woman to weave out of control a little, now mom and dad finally look over to her.
"What is this lady's problem?" Dad says as he can see the woman acting crazy.
"Probably on drugs," mom says, "battling her own inner demons." She has no clue just how close she is with that statement.
When the Minotaur begins to slowly force the soldier's head through the closed car door, the boy's large smile begins to fade. He is thinking the bad guy is about to win. The soldier uses the momentum to pull both of them out of the car. The boy, his family, and the rest of traffic drive away from the tumbling fighters. The little boy is no longer able to see the show.
When Jake and the Minotaur come to a stop, the beast gets to his feet and tries to fly off after his target. Jake stops him by grabbing onto one of the bull's hooves and pulls himself onto the monster's back with a sword drawn. He drives it into his enemy, and then drops down to the pavement on a pile of white ash while cars speed by him. He then takes to the sky after Mandolyn, knowing there will be future attempts to retrieve the key fragment.
♦♦♦♦♦
Hours later; the Minotaur returns from the white ash to the freeway where he was run through; he looks around to see cars whizzing by him and thinks he is under attack. Realizing he is not, he calms down and remembers, although he failed to get the fragment; the horned beast gives a devilish look of pride knowing where the final fragment is located; it is with the archaeologist, Mandolyn Rogers. He must now take this sought after piece of information to his master back at Sutton Hoo.
Chapter 9
Getting Acquainted
It has been about six weeks since Charlotte's arrival in the 2nd realm and she has become more powerful due to her daily training. She has developed her skills to perfection and decides it's time for her to make herself some wings and let her outward appearance match her personality. She becomes a Hindu goddess. This will be a surprise to Jake whom she has been getting more familiar with. The two have been training together every chance they can get and Charlotte has become love-struck with her handsome trainer. They have been getting to know each other quite well and Jake has been especially attentive to the beautiful new student. Today they plan to just spend a little time together and she is excited to show him her new look. As she gracefully soars in to meet the angelic soldier he is grinning from ear to ear.
"I always said you were beautiful but this look of yours takes my breath away," Jake says as he embraces Charlotte with a long hug as if he doesn't want to let go.
"I was hoping you'd like it."
"Well let's put your new wings in action because I want to take you somewhere special today."
They fly off together hand in hand, playfully soaring about; as they come closer to the destination, Charlotte sees a young boy about the age of thirteen that is tending to the family shack that they live in. He is humming a tune while he lays new braches for a roof as his little sister plays with her handmade doll. Their mom comes out from the tiny shanty, wearing an apron and holding a spatula. She lets her two children know that lunch is ready. Charlotte realizes this place has special meaning for the soldier.
"I've never brought anyone here before," Jake says as he gazes at the family going about their daily activities, "I come here every year on this day to remember why I'm here and to relish in the joy that this young man is still alive."
Charlotte listens as the man she is falling in love with tells his story. It was ten years ago today that the soldier was on duty in the fields. They came upon a village that the enemy was attempting to destroy. A man was trying to protect his young wife and two small children. He was taken out with enemy fire, blasting holes through his body as he dropped dead in front of his loved ones. They were closing in on the little boy when Jake intervened and took the bullet meant for the child. Thankfully the rest of his troops were able to defeat the enemy and they retreated.
"Wouldn't the boys' father be here?" asks Charlotte.
"Vlad the Impaler was also there, this was back when he had one of the wea
pons from this realm, and he turned him to black ash so he's now in the void."
"That's just twisted of Vlad but I guess that's what you'd expect coming from a tyrant like him," Charlotte says as she looks at the former battle field.
"That's why I felt a connection with you when I first laid eyes upon your beautiful face and knew that you also gave your life for someone defenseless. I guess it was love at first sight."
Charlotte looks straight into his deep green eyes that are pooling with emotion and then leans in to passionately kiss her man. The couple's wings intermingle and a beautiful pink and blue love aura engulfs them in a special connection of mind and spirit. A group of fairies pass by and see this spiritual form of love making and are mesmerized by the magnificent glow surrounding the couple as the two become one.
As the pink and blue glow surrounding the duo starts to diminish, Jake says to Charlotte, "Now this place has even more meaning to me." He takes her hand and the two fly off to enjoy the rest of their date.
The tough soldier has planned a trip to an amusement park. They had previously talked about their love of roller coasters and candy apples. Even though they can't enjoy the rides or delicious foods, it can be a joy to watch others have fun. They take a seat on an empty bleacher and watch a circus act, enjoying the elephants, tigers and bicycle riding monkeys. They aren't the only spirits taking in the sights. Across the circus tent are a feline woman, k-9 man and even a couple centaurs. "Hey, I've seen her before," says Charlotte; recognizing one of them. Jake informs her that her name is Rohanna and she is quite a lovely person. There is also a group of vampires and a creature from the black lagoon. Everyone is enjoying the show as the tight rope walkers have begun to enter the stage. The crowd roars and Charlotte notices a young boy sitting in the front row, clapping his hands and smiling.
She looks over at Jake and says, "That's what I really miss, the laughter and smiles of a child."
There is one more place I want to show you. I think this will bring a grin to your lovely face."
The couple excitedly leave hand in hand while the other spirits look on, admiring the affection between Charlotte and Jake. The strong soldier has a soft side and they can see this woman whose hand he is holding means a great deal to him. They soar about laughing and feeling good about the wonderful time they are having together. They start to come in closer to the place Jake wanted to show her. There is a three story tall concrete building that must have a hundred or more rooms stationed on the side of a grassy hill, overlooking an amusement park.
"That's the orphanage," says Jake, "The children are taken care of here by a wonderful woman named, Flora. There she is!" This beautiful lady with the magnificent peacock wings is holding a small child in her arms as she softly sings a lullaby. "She created this whole place herself. It's a real testament to her power."
"You were right, this is a beautiful sight," Charlotte says with a huge smile and then is quickly distracted by a marionette puppet of a clown. "What kind of spirit is that?"
"He's called the puppet master," Jake continues, "Both Nick and Flora have been dealing with the likes of that pedophile for god knows how long."
"That's just sick," Charlotte says with a look of disdain, and then asks, "By the way, what is Nick's story?"
Jake tells Nick's account of how he ended up in the 2nd Realm. It was about fifteen years ago. Nick had been married for a couple of years to a woman named Gina and was hoping to start a family with his beautiful wife. There never seemed to be any arguments between the two, except for the times she would become intoxicated and flirt with any man in sight. She had promised that she wouldn't get so carried away with her drinking and things appeared to be blissful for the couple; until the day Nick came home early from work and found her new lover in their bed. She was drunk and acting like a fool, screaming at him and saying it's entirely his fault. The situation got heated and in all the commotion, she reached for the gun from the nightstand. A struggle ensued and shots rang out, killing both Nick and his wife; both of them ending up in the 2nd Realm. Nick keeps his distance from her while she frequents the bar scene, longing for that drink and one night stand.
As Jake is telling the story, they are interrupted from a message on the holo-image. They both look at the mental picture before them; it is Nick. He informs the new couple that Lizzy is causing havoc in the Bordon house and they need to get there quick.
Chapter 10
Trouble at the Bordon Home
In a Massachusetts house a paranormal investigation is taking place. It is the famous Lizzy Bordon Inn where ghost hunters, daring individuals and history buffs come to spend the night. Father Bordon and his wife like to come here to relax as they would call it. Lizzy knows that a team of ghost detectives will be there this evening and she has been watching as they set up their equipment. The crew has their van parked outside with their monitoring camera system and technology. There are two men and two women inside setting up the cameras and microphones for EVP s. The young ladies are joking back and forth as they head upstairs to the parents' bedroom. The two men, one a big brute of a guy and the other, a tall, lanky gentleman are in the living room where the dad was murdered.
The big guy begins to taunt Lizzy, swinging the axe he brought and chanting: Lizzy Bordon took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks, when she saw what she had done; she gave her father forty-one
"Come on you murderer, show us what you've got!" he screams out to her. Lizzy just laughs as she knows they have it all wrong. She actually used a hatchet and the number of whacks in that little chant was twice as many as she gave; but the little song needs to rhyme. The devious spinster gives them what they want and begins tormenting her father seated on the sofa.
"This is my home old man; take your whore of a wife and get the hell outta here, you greedy son of a bitch!" she yells at him and when she gets closer to the defenseless old man with hatchet in hand she devilishly says, "Are you ready for another round?"
As she passes by the meek gangly ghost detective, she brushes up against his shoulder, causing him to say, "I think I've been touched!" She closes in on her father; lunging at him waving her hatchet; knocking a picture off the wall. She chops at his face and he turns to white ash. Lizzy now makes her way upstairs.
"Did you here that?" asks the big guy.
"Sounded like footsteps going up the stairs," says the other man.
The two girls are trying to get some response from their questions. They are standing in the dark with a camera that lights up strapped around their head.
"We're not here to harm you," one of the girls says.
"Why did you do it?" asks the other.
Lizzy knows her stepmom is in her bedroom and she wants to give her a piece of mind. As she approaches the woman who she despises, she is barraged with a verbal attack.
"Stay away from me. You're a bad seed and always have been. I told your father you were no good from day one. I don't know why he didn't kick you out and let you survive on your own, you old spinster!"
This angers Lizzy who already has a hatred for this woman. She becomes so enraged that her energy is at a heightened level. The bedspread is moved about as she grazes over the bed towards her stepmom, knocking over a lamp.
One of the girls screams when she sees this with her own eyes. The two men come running upstairs to check out the commotion, knowing that the footsteps they heard earlier were the famous old maid making her way upstairs and that the girls could be in trouble.
"Are you alright?" asks the big guy
"We're ok now that you're here. I know we must have gotten some good footage because it was active here," says the braver of the two girls.
While the crew is talking and believe they have got enough proof; Lizzy ferociously lunges with hatchet in hand and such force, one swift blow to her stepmother's head, and she is turned to white ash. She is still so full of rage and wants to show the ghost finders her power. As they are picking up their camera equipment, she goes in for the cord
and causes it to spark a flame and sizzle in front of the already frightened group.
Jake, Charlotte and Nick come in just in time. Lizzy was almost getting through to the 1st and the smoldering camera cord was all the proof the three needed to take her in. Lizzy knows that she is outnumbered and flees the scene, while her parents finally awaken from the ash and are urged to find somewhere else to spend the night. Lizzy might come back and the old couple doesn't need to take that risk. While they are talking, they see a bright light off in the distance and it can only mean disaster.
"The light seems to be coming from the direction of Brian's home," says Nick, "We need to go, quickly!"
The three soar off, fearing the worst and when they arrive at the home of their good friend and fellow agent, their fear is realized; Brian's wife is dead. Their colleague is sitting on the front porch with his head in his hands, sobbing. He stands up and says, "Take me in, I've committed the most atrocious act and don't deserve to live."
Chapter 11
The Trial of Brian
The four arrive before The Council. This is the first time Charlotte has witnessed a judicial decision by such a mystical looking group of superiors. The solemn look on everyone's face as they enter before the committee is proof to the sentence makers; they have a weighty decision before them. Charlotte looks over at Nick and Jake to see the seriousness in their demeanor. They walk down the extensive hall that leads to the glorious chamber where the nine council members are seated in their entire splendor. At the head of the table, adorned in full Egyptian array is the beautiful goddess, Phoenix. She can tell by the stature of Brian that this was an act of love, and this man is not a criminal. Her cobra looking headdress of gold and royal blue gives her a stately appearance; normally her eyes are intent; this time they are empathetic.
"Brian, it is with upmost sorrow that we have to meet under these circumstances," says Phoenix, feeling his pain. She continues to motion him forward, "Please take a seat at the defendant's chair.
The 2nd Realm Book One (The 2nd Realm Trilogy 1) Page 5