by Scott, Zack
They paused before turning a bend, peering around a hill at a restaurant. Neptune’s Retreat. The morning grew warmer. “I don’t feel hungry.” Kale grabbed his stomach. “Do we ever eat?”
He felt Cloak’s answer. They only had one thing to worry about now: obeying the Eradicator.
Kale wondered if leaving Nicole so vulnerable was the best choice. They’d likely need her for their encounter with Jeff. A good way to mess with his mind. But that didn’t matter now, for they had a sister to save.
They snuck to the side of the restaurant. Voices. A girl was screaming at a guy. Stupid Neanderthals. A large tan man with blond hair flowing to his back stepped on the front porch, holding an Uzi. Kale wanted to gut him across the highway. But Cloak forced the young Embracer to wait. Around the corner, on the back patio, covered by a flowing tarp, was a Spanish woman tied to a chair. My sister of death.
Two other surfer bros paced around, poking her, teasing her. She shifted uneasily back and forth. Why doesn’t she rip their heads off?
Kale was ready to pounce, but once again, Cloak forced him to stay put. And as he watched the imbeciles get to work on the Spanish woman, a striking force of light shot in his head. He grabbed his skull and slid to the dirt, twitching in agony. Cloak paid him no attention. The light was worse than any darkness that had struck him before. His legs trembled. His feet kicked. He dropped over, grabbing his temples, shivering on the ground as pain rose to his chest. His mind teleported to a vision of a plane of white and black. Light burned his flesh from above, and dark fought to heal him from below. At the end of the spectrum, those eyes stared with flashing heat, craving to melt every last piece of skin off Kale’s bones. ALEC?
It all vanished upon Cloak’s touch.
Heavy breaths escaped Kale’s lips as he choked on the dirt. Cloak gripped his shoulder tighter. The old Embracer seemed concerned.
“I’m fine,” breathed Kale.
Cloak rose, reaching under his black robe and pulling out a steel shaft. A metallic click and it expanded to a spear. The Embracer nodded at the restaurant.
A time for killing has arrived.
SADIE
A male chauvinist stands before me. Carlin deserves better.
They’d spent days together, getting close, and Sadie viewed Carlin as a friend.
Loyalty between friends was most important to Sadie. Real friends protect one another. Sadie was ready to do what needed to be done to ensure the safety of her friends.
In the corner of the restaurant, Carlin was cowering as her ‘boyfriend’ Declan ranted and raved.
“You agreed we would see other people!” he screamed. “And you complain at a time like this? While the world dies, you care if I flirt with some wetback?”
I want to break his spine.
Declan’s hand clenched, inching for Carlin’s face.
The noble boy-next-door, Timmy, stepped in. “Dec, relax, okay?”
Declan’s fist launched at Timmy’s head. The boy fell over and Sadie ran to him.
“You’re an asshole,” she said to Declan.
“Don’t talk to me, you gothic cuh—”
Carlin swung a plate at Declan’s face, but he swiftly dodged, grabbed her wrist and yanked it away. “You want to hit me?” He let her go. “Go ahead.”
“Why are you doing this?” cried Carlin.
“Is this about me?” Sofia stood in the doorway next to the back patio. “I should really go.”
“No.” The hairless Kai slithered behind her. “We’re about to party.”
Declan’s bare chest heaved. “That we are.”
Sofia looked at Carlin then Sadie. “You two okay?”
Sitting on the ground, holding Timmy, Sadie did not speak or move.
“Boys.” Sofia reached behind her, grabbing Kai’s belt, draped her free arm around Declan’s neck. “How about the three of us go out back?”
Both pigs smiled. Declan glanced at his brother, the Baron Von Gnar-Gnar, and said, “You watch these three, shoot them if they try and leave.”
Standing by the main entrance, the Baron only stared.
Carlin lowered to the ground with Timmy and Sadie. “I’m sorry. He’s usually not like this. He really is a good—”
“Don’t defend him,” said Sadie. She let Timmy’s head go and stood. “You two keep down here, okay?”
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure they don’t hurt anyone.” Sadie went for the kitchen, the Baron’s eyes following her every move.
She wondered where that worthless Oderly was napping.
Inside the kitchen, she grabbed two long knives, tucked one in her black leggings. The other she decided to wield openly. She turned back for the restaurant.
The Baron held the Uzi, aiming it directly at her.
“Your idiot brother will hurt her. I have to stop them,” she said.
The Baron lowered the gun slightly. “I’m not really Declan’s brother. We grew up together, but that’s it.”
“Why do you hang out with him?”
“We’ve shared too many waves for me to abandon him.”
Of course. “Listen.” She stepped closer. “No need to get messy. Just let me get Sofia, and we’ll leave.”
“Why do you care what happens to her?”
“Why don’t you?” She stood right under the Baron’s nose. Her hand touched the Uzi, lowering it farther.
“I want us all to be safe,” said the Baron, his guard gone.
“So let me get her out of here, and we will be.” She made her move to pass him, but he grabbed her neck before she even saw his hand.
A striking pain shot through her skull as her head slammed against a wall. The knife fell, along with her limp body. She rolled over, searching for the blade. The handle. Her fingers lifted right above it. I’ll gut him if—
The kitchen spun. She was thrown, flailing against cupboards. Pots and pans crashed down on her. The taste of blood filled her mouth as she struggled to lift her head.
“Why?” Her hand slid for her legging.
The other knife.
“I have to protect the group. Knocking some sense into you will do you good.” The Baron stepped closer. “I won’t hurt you further, as long as you kill those irrational ideas.”
Irrational. She hated the word’s misuse. “How is trying to save someone irrational?”
Before the Baron answered, Timmy and Carlin came in behind him. “What the hell are you doing, Gnar-Gnar?”
“She threatens us with stupidity.” He reached down for her again but he yelped and grabbed his arm. A line of blood ran down his tan flesh.
Carlin held a red knife. “Get away from her.”
“You cut me? Why did you cut me?” He tucked the Uzi in his shorts and grabbed the gash. “It really hurts, sheesh.” He stormed from the kitchen, muttering under his breath.
Carlin dropped to check on Sadie. “You okay?”
“He’s insane.”
“He’s high,” she responded.
“They all are. They’ve changed dramatically since this all started, and so quickly too.” Timmy stood over them. “Let’s leave.”
Sadie and Carlin smiled at the idea.
Outside on the patio, Sofia had been tied to a chair. Sadie stayed by the doors, keeping her presence hidden from the scoundrels.
Declan grabbed Sofia’s knees and forced them apart. She seemed calm. How?
Sadie’s fingers wrapped tightly around the knife, while Carlin and Timmy stood behind her. The Baron had disappeared.
“What do we do?” Timmy nervously whispered.
“We strike,” said Sadie with a calm voice. She put her hand on the patio door, preparing to attack.
Kai was behind Sofia, running his dirty hands across her shoulders. His fingers slid under her tank top, over her tits. He had the largest, nastiest smile.
Sadie hoped he had the same smile in hell.
A whistling steel spear plunged into Kai’s back, bursting out his c
hest. He stepped to the side, eyes wide, mouth locked open in surprise. “Whaaaaa—” he whined, falling to his knees.
Declan fumbled for the sawed-off shotgun on the plastic table behind him. He spun and fired past Kai.
“I can’t feel anything,” the impaled surfer murmured, slumping over, still reaching for Declan.
Left to die alone.
Declan forced into the restaurant, knocking Sadie over with the swinging door. “Something is out there! Gnar, get your gun!”
Carlin helped Sadie off the floor.
Timmy peered out to that cursed, dreadful patio. “Holy shit!”
A black cloaked figure darted inside, grabbing the boy’s throat before he could move. Fingers dug in his flesh. The Baron unleashed his Uzi. Timmy was tossed into the bathroom hall as bullets ripped the cloak open. No cries or shrieks of pain as it vanished back outside.
A rushing force flashed behind the Baron. A dagger ripped out the Baron’s upper shoulder. He launched an elbow back, nailing whatever was behind him. He ducked out of the way, grabbing his wound, revealing the dark presence to Sadie’s eyes.
Kale?
Kale regained his footing, arcing the blade jutting from his arm. He slashed for the crawling Baron, just as Oderly swung the broken Moonjava at his head.
Kale hissed and spun, slashing Oderly’s stomach open.
Odes!
Carlin and Sadie ran for the bathroom as the cloaked attacker struck again. It grabbed Carlin’s arm, but a blast from Declan’s shotgun released her.
“Run!” Declan yelled at them.
They grabbed Timmy and fled into a bathroom. Sadie locked the door and the three of them huddled together.
More shots outside. More screams. A heavy slam against the bathroom door.
They held one another in the corner, Sadie pointing the knife at the fight outside.
Another slam forced the door open. Kale stood in the doorway, blood flooding off his mutated arm. “Hello, kiddies.”
Timmy shoved off the wall, grabbed Sadie’s knife, and charged. Kale’s blade parried Timmy’s strike. He swiped and missed. Timmy struck again, but Kale’s blade snapped the boy’s shoulder open. Timmy cried as Kale forced him down.
“Tim!” Carlin screamed, tried to stand but Sadie pulled her back.
“Kale, wait!” Sadie crawled to him as he raised the blade over Timmy’s head. And she saw them, those dark-engulfed eyes staring right at her.
Is it...my Dark Dragon? “Kale—what happened to you?”
He tilted his head as if confused. “Sadie?” His veins flooded with black, with beauty, with the Dragon.
She crawled to him, pausing on her knees. “It consumes you.”
Kale stepped closer.
“He grants you the gift.” She intertwined her fingers and knelt before him, adopting a pose of prayer, looked up at him with hopeful eyes. I always knew He was real. I always knew. “You grace me, Dark Dragon. You save me.”
Kale grinned, touching Sadie’s cheek with his blade.
Those still alive were forced out to the highway. Sadie and Carlin were both on their knees. Wounded, Timmy and Oderly were slumped over. Kale paced in front of them, eyes dark as night, blood pure as dark fire. He will spare us.
My Dark Dragon will grant us freedom.
Carlin trembled next to her.
Earlier, on their way out from the bathroom, Sadie had seen the Baron Von Gnar Gnar’s shredded corpse. Dozens of red lines crossed his chest. Declan had somehow escaped. Kale’s cloaked companion was out looking for him, Sadie assumed. Meanwhile, Sofia observed them from the front steps of Neptune’s Retreat.
“My Dark Dragon, you grace me.” Sadie bowed her head as Kale passed her.
Carlin grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”
Kale kicked at her wrist and growled, “Your dragon demands sacrifices.” He grabbed Oderly’s frizzy bush of red and grey hair. “He will do.”
Sadie clenched her lips. “Please, spare my friends. Spare them and I’ll find you a new sacrifice.”
“It’s okay, Sadie,” breathed Oderly, “I’m ready to see my wife again. I’m ready to be with a fixed Moon—”
Kale’s blade struck through Oderly’s forehead. “He talks too much.”
Carlin screamed, tried to stand but Kale grabbed her hair and yanked her back to the ground. Her cheek broke across the cement, but she found the strength to lift her head. Her watering eyes stared at Sadie.
I can save her. There must be a way. There must.
“Now,” said Kale, as if lecturing children. “The dragon only needs one more sacrifice. I let you pick, my child.” His fingers grazed Sadie’s chin and she felt his dark warmth flush down her body. He stared at Carlin. “Do you let your pretty blonde friend live?” He then skipped over to Timmy and grabbed the boy’s neck. “Or this cute little thing?”
Timmy’s bloodshot eyes twitched to Sadie. “This is your dragon?”
“Remember what I told you about Him. Remember and He’ll keep you safe.”
Kale tilted his head. “So you pick the boy to live?”
How can I choose such a thing?
I barely know either of them, but Carlin I feel closer to.
Timmy is a good kid, though.
Kale hissed. “You have ten seconds. Ten.”
Who do I pick?
“Nine.”
I like them both. They both deserve to live. What the fuck do I do?
“Seven.”
Timmy, sweet Timmy. She stared at him as Kale kept his hand around the boy’s neck.
And Sadie said, “His fire will send you somewhere warm, somewhere safe. Do you trust me?”
“Five.”
Tears running down his cheeks, Timmy trembled. “I don’t want to die.”
“Three.”
Sadie grabbed Carlin’s hand as she forced herself to look at the boy she was about to have killed.
“Take him.”
Carlin and Sadie returned to the beach after the massacre at the restaurant, hid in the alcove where they’d first met. Curled next to each other, they sought comfort, and mourned.
Carlin sobbed against Sadie’s shoulder. “They’re all gone. Timmy, and Gnar, and I know he was bad, but Declan...”
I hope he gets chewed apart. Sadie grabbed Carlin’s hand. “We made it though.”
The Dark Dragon spared us.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“What’s with all that dragon stuff?”
Sadie sat straight, hovering over Carlin. “Are you a Christian?”
“I’d say so.”
“I saw more proof of my beliefs today than I ever did when I was forced to follow your idea of God.”
“But what does this dragon do?”
Sadie stood, helped Carlin to her feet, and they stared at the orange horizon, the sun lowering before their eyes. “He protects us.”
“But he killed the others. He—”
“Let us live, Carlin. Don’t you see? He wants us to live.”
“But Tim and Oderly were innocent.”
True, they were. I’m sickened by their deaths. Yet the Dragon could have killed us all. His justice is mysterious, yes, but He is real. And now I know it with all the flames in my heart.
Carlin wrapped her hands plaintively around Sadie’s arm. “What about us? What do we do?”
“With Him watching over,”—their hands tightened under the fire-kissed sky—“we survive.”
SCOT
Since Jeff and Addison were on his left side, he was forced closer to Kelsey inside the helicopter. Not that he minded, but they’d yet to fully show their love, and his desire for her increased every passing second. Sex. Yes, sex at a time like this.
Evans, Slinger, and Malone were across from them.
Jeff, with assistance from Evans, convinced the pilot to head for the clinic where Alec, Nicole, Jimmy and Dylan were.
It will be good to see Alec again. Scot had always felt clos
est to him, at least in high school, perhaps because they both were in serious relationships at the time, while Jeff and Kale tried to live out their heroic fantasies. Funny enough, Kale had been Scot’s dearest friend through elementary and middle school. But all things change.
His fingers wrapped around Kelsey’s hand, her head lowered to his shoulder, and he kissed her blonde hair. He wanted her. Needed her. Focus. The stirring in his jeans would enlarge and become most embarrassing. Focus. But her warmth, her smell, her touch, he longed for it. Focus.
“Scot,” said Jeff.
Scot wiped under his eye. He’d ditched his contacts back at the cabin. After his resurrection, his sight became clearer than ever. Perfect vision. Focus. Even the word resurrection made him think of his own erection he desired to give Kelsey. FOCUS.
“Scot,” Jeff said again.
Awkward. “Sup?”
“I have a lot to catch you up on.”
“Like?”
“Like where we’ve been and what’s happened. And who it happened to.”
Being so physically close to each other, Scot felt uncomfortable talking to Jeff, especially in his current state. He was unable to make direct eye contact. So he stared at the dusty floor of the helicopter as they talked. “Who to the what, now?”
“Kale.”
“Oh.” He snorted. “No explanation needed.”
“Please, listen. He was taken from us.”
Scot’s eyebrows clenched. “Taken?”
Jeff whispered, “Yes, by the Embracer, you know from—”
“How could I forget?”
“He’s in real danger, Scot. We have to save him. Help me convince Alec to join us. You know he won’t leave Nicole.”
“What makes you think I’ll leave Kelsey?”
“I’ll help find Kale,” she said next to them.
Scot faced her and grabbed her hand. “You magnificently brave clover, the hearing you have.”
She shoved him playfully. “You’re a dork.”
“Only for you.”
“Shut up.”
“As you wish.”
“Look,” Jeff interrupted. “Forget it.”
Scot kept his hand with Kelsey but faced his friend. “Homer, I love you, bro. You want my help to find Kale? I’ll help. But Kelsey and I go together. Always.”