Out of Luck

by Dean Floyd

  Something lay just at the edge of the puddle. I reached down and picked up a wet large feather, black and frayed. But I knew instantly that it was the same feather that came from the Sluagh. My lips curled back and I dropped the feather letting it flutter to the ground.

  I rose slowly clenching my jaw and my fists. I couldn't let this happen again. Which way did it go? I thought about where I was in Vallejo in relation to the chiropractor's office where I'd first seen the monster. I turned my body so that I was facing the same direction that the bird had flown last time when it had flown West into the Highway 37 marshes. Tain moved several steps that direction ahead of me down the alleyway and sure enough, he was able to spot small drops of blood amidst the speckled colors of the asphalt. I picked up the pace stepping quicker and we jogged to the end of the alley until I came out from between the buildings and onto the sidewalk. Sure enough more blood drops.

  “Do you think the person was eaten?” asked Rob. He had resumed his orange tabby cat form.

  “I don’t think so. Based on my research it captures more than it kills. The thing always flies back West. It must have some kind of haven in the marshes. And apparently it took somebody with it.”

  Tain was sniffing a jacket lying in the gutter across the street. I crossed quickly and picked up the torn jacket examining it. There was talon slashes through the jacket that looked awfully similar to my own. If the person wasn't dead when they left this alley they were probably dead now. I knew that the human body could lose gallons of blood before it was fatal, but then to be carried in those sharp talons over streets of asphalt, sidewalks of cement and past the Mare Island shipyard, there is almost no chance they'd survive now.

  This could've been me, I thought. An image came to my head of a mama bird bringing a worm back to the nest to feed the young chicks. Goosebumps arose in the back of my neck and I shuddered. I hope there weren't little Sluaghs learning how to fly. But I shook my head. Don’t freak out Sean. Until you find proof only assume there is one. No sense stressing about extra monsters. I had to bring this thing down, clip its wings.

  “Wait,” I said to Rob and Tain. “It’s close I feel it again.”

  We all got back to my car and I fired up the engine. The Mustang roared to life and we took off down the street following the Sluagh.

  “I don’t want to face it again,” whimpered Rob. “It feels so wrong Sean. You can’t sense it like I do.”

  I was afraid too. “There’s going to be people in trouble, lives at stake,” I said. But the words didn’t calm my fear. Instead I turned up the music again and let Hatebreed pump me up. The Sluagh was flying away from us faster yet and I mashed on the gas pedal.

  Chapter 8

  Abandoned Mill

  Inky talons gleamed in the moonlight, wings stretched against the night sky in a defiant flight. It soared right over us moving South West, towards the city waterfront. Like any waterfront Vallejo had a nice walkway along the water’s edge so that people could spend their leisure enjoying the fresh air. In this case the devil bird was going to enjoy fresh pickins.

  Even though I was expecting to see it, the Sluagh still baffled me. "This thing is huge. Like Rescuers Down Under huge," I said.

  We were driving past the Ferry building now. The parking lot was half full of cars that owners had left overnight as they took the ferry into San Francisco. There were a few cars driving on the cross streets, but other than that this side of Vallejo was pretty dead right now which was great. The less people involved the better.

  “Can you roll up the windows? It’s cold,” said Rob.

  “Nope. Sorry,” I shook my head. “Might need to shoot out of the car.”

  The street was now empty, except for a lone jogger. There’s always one guy, rain or shine, snow or lightning that is outside daring mother nature to kill him as he jogs. Got to lose that weight and get that runner’s high no matter what.

  “Oh crap,” I said as the massive bird dove from the sky. It’s talons reached ahead, wings spread back, slowing it’s descent. The jogger didn’t even stand a chance with his earbuds in. The talons of the great bird latched onto his shoulders and took him higher than any running could produce. Even with the wind in my face I could still hear his screams.

  The bird flapped its massive wings and soared higher. Tain barked furiously.

  “Bring it down,” yelled Rob.

  "We’re too far away," I said. "I might accidentally shoot him."

  I accelerated, keeping the bird and its catch in sight as the street winded around the natural edge of the rocky city waterfront. The street I was on turned back East, perpendicular and away from the direction I wanted to go.

  “You’re losing it,” said Rob who had climbed onto my lap now and had his front paws on my open window.

  Up ahead I hooked a right turn and kept following the bird down Sonoma Blvd. The bird was staying close to the waterfront, and the jogger was but a dark flailing speck in the night sky now. Unfortunately Sonoma Blvd was removed from the actual water’s edge because a huge auto yard owned property all the way up to the water. I’d have to drive past the auto yard and find another street that could bring me closer to the water.

  Driving past the graveyard of rusted and wrecked automobiles, I was approaching train tracks. The tracks cut right through town and if I turned right onto them I’d be heading the exact direction I wanted to go.

  “Turn, turn, turn,” said Rob.

  “No more back seat driving,” I yelled.

  I drifted across the two sets of tracks and landed on the third. I tried to keep my tires in between the rails but no matter what I did it was going to be a bumpy ride.

  “I’m not in the back seat,” said Rob.

  I grabbed him by the extra fur behind his cat neck and tossed him in the back.

  “Careful with the fur,” he hissed.

  The Sluagh came into view and I sped up, trying to keep my teeth from rattling too hard. The train track led right up to the old Kellogg’s cereal mill which had been abandoned for years and was the perfect place for the bird to enjoy it’s catch in solitude.

  I drove through the weathered truck yard of the mill. Massive weeds had pushed their way through cracks in the truck yard making it look like a scene from I Am Legend. The Sluagh hovered around the building until it landed on a roof. The mill had several odd building components which seemed to be of various random heights. The bird chose to land on a portion of the building that was two stories high.

  I drove around the parking lot until I found what I was looking for; a rusty staircase leading to the second floor from the outside. I jumped out of the car and told Tain, “Stay!” Ripping off my jacket, I strapped the shotgun holster to my shoulders and clipped the lanyard onto the Mossberg. Then I had Rob mount the sheathed sword on my back, slipping it through the straps. Cold air whipped through my hair and sent goosebumps along my exposed arms. Why did I put on a T-shirt?

  I eyed the staircase. No turning back now. I took a deep breath and ran up the stairs taking it three steps at a time. At the top I found a few handholds via pipes that ran vertically along the exterior of the building and made my way to the roof. Rob cleared the edge of the roof with me. I eyed him. “I thought you were afraid of this thing.”

  “You didn’t tell me to stay. If not for the life debt I wouldn’t be here,” said Rob.

  The Sluagh hadn’t noticed us yet and the jogger’s cries had stopped. I removed the shotgun from the holster and pumped it. “Alright Rob the Hob,” I said, “you got a battle-cat mode? Now’s the time to use it.”

  Without waiting for a reply I advanced on the massive bird.

  The sight we met wasn't pretty. The jogger lay on his back already dead. The big bird wasted no time and already dug into its catch. Beak dripping scarlet, entrails galore, it lifted its beak to the night sky bobbing its head swallowing. My stomach got very queasy and I resisted the urge to throw up. The Sluagh's back was turned to us still we had the element of surprise on our
side.

  I hefted the shotgun and took steady steps towards the beast, so as not to startle it. I was about twenty feet away from it when Tain started barking like crazy. The big bird twitched its head in several directions rapidly trying to find the source of the barking. It turned and spotted me with its disturbingly humanoid eyes. Instantly its feathers ruffled as it let out a mighty squawk that sent chills up my spine. I suddenly became reminded of the pain in my left shoulder from the talons that had grasped me last night. The Sluagh spread its wings out and tried taking off, presumably so it could divebomb Rob and I. "Oh no you don't," I yelled and fired off a shot.

  The birds motion was too quick for me though and my aim was a bit off. A few feathers went flying but other than that the bird was still in the air. Flapping its wings, it moved higher out of range until it came back around swooping down at us. It's talons reached out ready to rip me to shreds. I stood my ground and raised the gun pumping it again.

  "Wait Sean," I said to myself.

  “What are you doing?” said Rob, spinning in circles. “Shoot it! Shoot it!”

  "Wait." It was getting dreadfully close now.

  “Pull the trigger,” said Rob, a Hobgoblin once more, hovering in my face.

  I waited until it was within ten feet of me before firing the gun. I did my best to duck out of the way as it collided with the roof. All of its weight came crashing down causing the roof beneath me to shake. It smashed into a ventilation box and bent several pipes before coming to a halt. I raised my gun and ran up to it.

  “Great shot! I knew you could do it,” said Rob. “Finish it off!”

  But I got too close and it batted me with one of its wings. I stumbled back and tripped over a pipe. With the gun in my hand I wasn't able to stop myself from falling off the edge of the building.

  Chapter 9

  Flight or Fight

  I fell backwards over the edge and turned in the air like a cat till I was falling feet first.

  Rob’s little Hob hands wrapped around my wrist and he tried to stop me from falling to my death. I weighed a lot more than the little Hob. He could easily zip through the air by himself, but with my extra mass we both fell. He grunted, gnashing his teeth and lifted with all his might. We weren’t flying, or even levitating, but he did slow my fall. Still I was slipping from his grasp.

  As luck would have it I had fallen off a section of the building that had an overhang above a warehouse dock door. I fell feet first onto the overhang and managed to duck into a sideways roll. The sheath pushed into my back and I grunted in pain, but it was better than shattering my feet.

  “Whew,” I exclaimed. But it wasn’t over yet.

  The Sluagh screeched, it's angry cry echoing off the abandoned building into the night. I looked up as it perched on the edge of the building looking down at me, rage in its humanoid eyes. It ducked its head and dove.

  "Oh shoot," I said, and moved to the edge of the overhang and had just enough time to sling the gun over my shoulder and grab the edge with my hands. I hung from the edge then let go. The slanted dock beneath lessened the impact of my fall. I hit the dock with another sideways somersault that sent my shotgun flying away from me, then leapt to my feet running.

  I felt a gust of wind as the winged beast landed behind me. Facing the demon fowl, I saw my shotgun underneath its talons. It launched its head at me snapping its beak at my face repeatedly. I ducked and dodged to and fro all while trying to keep my fear suppressed. I might have bitten off more than I can chew. I started consciously trying to move the fight towards my car.

  At the same time I unleashed the Luck Magic that I felt growing within me once again. My left hand started glowing green and the Celtic knots began to swirl. Yes! It’s working. I cocked my fist back ready to deal a magical blow when a flash of fur and fangs leapt onto the giant bird. "Tain!" I yelled with pride as my dog latched on to the bird's neck.

  The two animals began to wrestle on the ground but my dog was clearly outmatched just by the sheer size of the bird. Still, he managed to rip a few chunks out of the Sluagh's neck. But then the bird beast began plucking pieces of my dog’s coat with its hooked beak.

  I needed to even the playing field but my shotgun was behind the Sluagh. My car was just a sprint away now. I spotted Rob shivering. “Swellfellow! Help Tain,” I commanded, then raced back to my car. I hopped in the driver seat, flooring the gas pedal. Smoke billowed around my tires as I spun the car around to face the beast. I flipped on my high beams and lay on the horn. My dog was getting thrashed and Rob was still where I left him, frozen like a popsicle. Why isn’t Rob helping?

  Tain knew what the horn and lights meant. But the bird didn't.

  As I neared the beast to do battle, my dog managed to scamper away from the bird. The Sluagh turned to look my car dead in the headlights. We collided hard and my tires caught traction on the feathered fowl. My Mustang trampled the bird underfoot as I went up and over it like a massive, winged speed bump. Then I slammed on the brakes coming to a smoking full stop.

  I unsheathed my katana as I got out of the car. I had to give it to the bird, this beast was hard to put down. It was struggling to get up but it was rising nonetheless. There was dark, inky blood on the ground beneath the bird and I knew this thing was mortal. The knowledge gave me confidence and the confidence fueled my power. Both of my hands began glowing this time in the swirling Celtic knots extended not just to my hands but to my katana as well. Soon my blade and hands were glowing together and I brought the blade back for the kill stroke.

  With the quickness I didn't know it still had left, the monster arose and snatched Tain in its talons. It beat its giant wings and began to rise into the night sky. "No," I shouted. And without thinking I stood my ground and slashed my sword in the direction of the Sluagh. The energy stored in the blade flew at the beast, a visible emerald soaring slice. The Lucky slash flew through the Sluagh severing it in two halves. The dead bird and my dog fell to the ground.

  I ran over to see if Tain was all right. He had landed on top of the half of the bird that had talons. Green smoke and steam rose from the corpse and the smell that reached my nostrils was atrocious, causing me to hack and cough. The talons of the bird still had my dog in its death grip and I had to pry them open to get Tain out.

  I got him free and fell on my back exhausted. Tain licked my face with gratitude.

  "We did it boy, we defeated the monster."

  THE THREE OF US RODE back to my place in relative silence.

  I kept waiting for Rob to apologize. When he remained quiet I spoke up. “What happened back there?”

  The silence hanging in the air was almost as thick as the shame.

  He grunted, “I’m sorry Sean.”

  I shot a glare at him. “Sorry doesn’t cut it. My dog could have died and you were just watching.”

  Rob shrank into his chair looking at the floor.

  “Do you owe me a life debt or not? I thought you got my back. And that means my dog’s back too.”

  Rob nodded slowly.

  “Do you know how much Tain means to my mom? He was a stray. My mom took him in after my dad...” I sighed, unable to finish. “He’s part of the family okay.”

  “Okay,” he mumbled.

  I nodded. “Good.” I saw a tear run down his face. I looked away, pretending not to notice. Immortal but not impenetrable, I thought. I sighed. I just layed it on pretty thick. He froze. That’s what some people do Sean. Fight, flight, or freeze.

  I leaned over and gave him playful slug on the shoulder. “Don’t be so glum, chum. Just come through for me next time.”

  He nodded but kept quiet.

  “When we get home, I need you to wash Tain and tend to his wounds. Do that and we’re cool.”

  Chapter 10

  Justin

  "Hello?" said Charisse. Her voice sounded lovely even on the phone.

  "Hey, yeah, um... it's me Sean."

  "I know that silly."

  "So about canceling the da
te earlier. I lied, I'm totally still available tonight. I'm hoping you are too?"

  I was back at the apartment. Despite being mad at Rob, I had just killed my second monster ever. My heart was doing fist pumps, but my hands had dialed Charice’s number.

  She giggled then said, "Um yeah. Except now I'm at my brother’s house. Would you be able to pick me up here instead?"

  "Of course."

  "He's kind of overprotective of me.”

  I was already picking out a nice plaid button up and a newer pair of jeans.

  "That's cool I get it."

  She spoke slowly as if she didn't quite know how to say this. "And he's kind of a gang banger, for real."

  My stomach felt weird. "Okay," I said. My mind conjured an image of a tatted and man with swollen muscles. "Not sure how to take that. I don't really have any affiliations with any gangs, so it should be cool right?"

  "We'll see," she said. "My brother can be very particular about who I'm interested in."

  "Who am I taking out on a date? You or him?" I said as I laid my clothes on my bed, then moved to the bathroom with a fresh towel. Rob was in the bathroom trying to dry off Tain after a bath, but not before Tain shook himself furiously. The Hobgoblin wiped the dog-water from his grimacing face. I stifled a laugh, but on the phone Charice took it the wrong way.

  "I'm just warning you Sean. You can't say I didn't give you a heads up. I love him but he can be kind of a jerk."

  If he was a real gang banger being a jerk was probably the least of his issues. "So is he an actual gang banger or does he just think he is? Like Malibu's most wanted."

  "Malibu who?"

  "Early 2000's movie reference. Nevermind."

  "Anyways,” she continued. “He's done stuff that could get him put in prison, but he's never been caught."

  Great, I thought, just great. Sluagh, Hobgoblins, and gang bangers. My kinda Friday night.

  "Okay, I said, "I'll pick you up in an hour. Text me the address please."