Quest SMASH

by Joseph Lallo

Mara lowered her head and wrapped her arms around her torso. Samuel moved closer to the entrance, where silent movement caught his eye.

  “The alpha male is calling me out. He must sense the end of the reversion drawing closer.”

  “I’ll come with you. I’ll fight, too.”

  Samuel smiled at Mara and nodded, knowing she would do so regardless of what he said.

  The water running down the walls of the cave intensified, but silently. Samuel turned and paced the edge of the walls, his eyes searching for anything that could be of use. Mara watched and then did the same, starting at one end of the main cavern until she worked her way back to Samuel. Neither gathered anything useful.

  “Think, Samuel. Can you reopen the portal in a different locality than the last one?”

  Samuel closed his eyes and let the nothingness encompass his inner vision. He waited without hope, knowing the knowledge to open a portal was escaping him, like the old horror movies when the car wouldn’t start no matter how many times the ignition was turned.

  “It’s there, but I can’t access it. I can’t say if I could open something, and if I could, I’m not sure where we’d land.”

  Mara looked toward the entrance, where several of the hunters joined the alpha male in his pacing, accentuated with growls.

  “Maybe this is not our last stand. They don’t seem to want to enter here, the wolves or the horde. Maybe we push through the cavern and go deeper into the mountain.”

  She wrinkled her nose in disgust and shook her head back and forth. “I’d almost rather have my throat ripped apart by the wolves.”

  Samuel nodded in understanding. “It could come to that anyway. Let’s try to avoid it, but we may have a last stand.”

  Before Mara could answer, the alpha male crossed the threshold with a yelp. His cry broke the silence of the reversion like the crack of a whip. The other hunters followed, all enduring the hurt caused from crossing over into the cave. The horde came next, slagging forward and oblivious. They shuffled in single-file, arms dangling and heads cocked to the side as if held to their shoulder by an impenetrable force.

  “C’mon,” Samuel said.

  He ran into the labyrinth of tunnels that led deeper into the mountain, hoping to avoid the dead ends. He heard Mara’s breathing and her feet slapping against the dry powder on the cavern floor. The growling of the wolves came too, reverberating through the cave not far behind.

  Samuel dashed left and then right until the tunnel narrowed. He felt it drop downward as gravity helped propel him forward. Samuel reached out and steadied his gait by using both hands to guide himself deeper into the cave. Several times, he felt the scree from Mara’s feet hit the back of his legs, which propelled him faster.

  The cavern twisted and turned, the tunnel clamping down on the two refugees like a slowly closing iris. The utter darkness kept Samuel from lunging forward faster than he would have liked.

  “Wait.”

  He stopped, surprised words still carried through the dying air of the locality. Samuel felt the icy touch of Mara’s fingers on his back as she came up behind him.

  “Listen.”

  They stood in the black silence, hearing nothing but their own exaggerated breathing.

  “Maybe we lost—”

  Before Samuel could finish, a howl penetrated the air and rang in his head with the force of a thunderous church bell. He knew it was the alpha male and the pack was closing the distance.

  Mara pushed him, and Samuel picked up the pace. He felt an aching in his lower back from running in a crouched position and wondered how long it would take for the muscle cramps to drop him to the ground in agony. The chasm continued ever downward and became more of a pipe than a tunnel. Samuel bounced his head off the cavern’s ceiling of the rock above, and he was forced to draw his arms in closer to his body as the walls crept inward. He felt Mara behind him, and he also felt her impatience. Samuel imagined her thin frame navigating through the space faster than his, and the frustration she must be feeling as their pursuers would come upon her first. He pushed on as the jagged edges of the rock drew blood from his battered knuckles. Samuel led them down another passage that widened enough to allow him to run again, but—still crouched. He heard Mara breathing hard a few feet behind.

  The tunnel dumped them into another open cavern, although it wasn’t as expansive as the one inside the entrance to the cave. Samuel ran to the center and spun in time to see the tunnel toss Mara out. She scrambled and stopped next to him, the space illuminated by an eerie glow coming from the walls. Samuel thought he could feel the stone lowering in an attempt to snuff him and Mara from the locality.

  The alpha male’s cry came again, this time closer. Samuel swept Mara behind himself with one arm as he readied for the onrush of attackers.

  Now we finish and He releases us from our duty.

  The alpha male picked through the passage until his head appeared in the darkness, like a newborn entering the world. The rest of the animal came next, along with three more wolves. Samuel could not see the horde, but figured they were on their way as well.

  “I don’t know what you want from me,” Samuel said.

  Mara craned her neck forward, unsure if he was talking to her or not. When she saw the alpha male and Samuel’s gaze directed at the wolf, she stepped back and listened.

  But you do. We are hunters, and you are our prey.

  “And the horde? What role does the undead play in your hunt?”

  Samuel felt a mental chuckle come from the leader of the pack.

  Beacons. Markers of our prey. They follow the misery and consume what is left behind by the hunters. The horde will fight for the scraps.

  The alpha male stood seven feet from Samuel, his hunters forming a semicircle, blocking the passage leading back toward the surface. Samuel looked over his shoulder and saw two tunnels on the opposite wall.

  You may enter those, but we will find you.

  “The reversion is coming and it will destroy you, too.”

  There is nothing the sky will bring that will cause us more pain.

  “Back in the cabin, you attacked. . .”

  Samuel let his words hang, unsure whether or not it was a question the alpha male could answer.

  It only delayed this meeting.

  “So you expect us to lie down while you tear out our throats?” He felt Mara’s hands on his hips as she moved closer to him.

  No, but it shall come to that.

  Samuel shifted, his muscles tensing and adrenaline flooding his system.

  What have you done with the scarface?

  Samuel smiled, sensing what could be a slight crack in the wolf’s stone will. “Banished. Opened a portal and sent him through it.”

  He will return. He has unfinished business with you as well.

  “Not without me, he won’t.”

  You will go to him, whether you desire it or not.

  Samuel caught motion beyond the wolves. He looked at the black velvet curtain of darkness and saw a humanoid shape breaking through. The first of the horde appeared, one arm missing and another dangling by a strand of ligament. The creature’s head sat askew, with the top portion missing as if one of the pack had torn it away.

  Mara came closer. Samuel could feel her nervous fingers gripping the back of his shirt.

  I am sure you are not.

  “Let’s go,” he said, turning and pulling Mara with him.

  They sprinted for the tunnel on the left and dashed through the darkness.

  You will tire.

  Samuel ignored the alpha male and pushed through the passage until it narrowed to a place where he was forced to drop to his knees. He imagined the pack coming upon them, lunging with full force while they supplicated.

  “What did he say?” Mara asked.

  “More of the same,” Samuel said.

  The passage emptied into another natural space. This one, however, appeared to be circular,
without another corridor or passage springing from it. Mara and Samuel stood, his back creaking with the motion. They spun all the way around until they realized there was no way out. The alpha male padded around several smaller rocks and stopped, waiting for the rest of the hunters to flank him again.

  Now?

  Samuel shook and balled his fists at his sides. Mara walked backward until she felt the frigid stone on her back like the breath of the dead.

  Within moments, the first members of the horde entered the space and remained behind the alpha male and his hunters. The subterranean tunnels continued to glow with an ambient light that allowed Samuel and Mara to see the shapes, but it dimmed significantly from the aura cast closer to the surface.

  “I would rather try to slip anywhere than let you taste our blood.”

  Go ahead.

  Samuel closed his eyes, unsure what mental capacities he used to open the portal for Major. He felt the frustration mount as if he were a diligent pupil disappointing his teacher. Mara began to cry softly, holding the sobs to her chest with both arms.

  The alpha male turned his nose to the ceiling and barked at the hunters. They stepped forward and pressed closer to Samuel and Mara.

  Enough. It is time to finish.

  Samuel bent at the waist and crouched, his feet and shoulders spread. He raised his fists into position and stepped toward the alpha male. The two warriors moved to the center of the space while the rest watched.

  “Wait,” Mara said, stepping from the wall. “Wait, Samuel.”

  He turned to face her and the alpha male cocked his head sideways.

  “Come here.”

  She extended her hand, palm up. Samuel looked at the alpha male, the hunters and the horde. He looked back at her and saw the conviction in her eyes.

  “Please, Samuel. Come here.”

  He reached out and felt the power pulse through his body as their hands locked.

  Chapter 15

  “Another round?”

  Samuel blinked and looked down at his folded hands on the polished, mahogany bar. He blinked again at Mara sitting next to him on the stool. She wore her hair bundled on top of her head, curls dangling on her cheek like onyx earrings. The dark mascara accentuated her eyes. Her red lipstick could hypnotize any man. Samuel looked at her foundation, delicately applied to her porcelain skin in a way that defined gothic beauty. He felt satisfaction, contentment, even a peaceful calm emanating from her.

  “Where are we?” he asked.

  Mara winked and turned to the burly bartender standing before a wall of mirrors and bottled spirits. She ignored Samuel’s question and answered the bartender’s.

  “Yes. For both of us,” she said.

  With a swift swipe of his rag, the bartender smiled and cleared the condensation left by the previous round. He turned to toil and clang bottles together while ice clinked in the bottom of the glasses. A thin layer of sweet tobacco smoke hung just below an intricately carved ceiling. Ornate posts straddled the bar as patrons moved about.

  “Don’t know the name of the place, but it’s really old. They built the bar before prohibition and then opened it up again afterward. Most of it has been restored. Even the ghosts that haunt it have come back.”

  Mara winked, catching the light in her eyes with a dazzling smile. Her brilliant teeth shone between ruby lips. Samuel felt mesmerized by her beauty, and yet a deep sadness seemed to reside below the surface, one that hurt like an ache in his chest.

  “You look stunning,” Samuel said. He felt as though he was gawking at his sister dolled up for prom.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Samuel looked down at her bare shoulders sitting atop a tight, black dress. Mara wore ankle bracelets and toe rings that glistened in the light.

  “Are we still in the cave?” he asked.

  “This is it, Samuel. Our first and last date, if you want to call it that.”

  Samuel felt his face blush from that awkward feeling again.

  “The wolves, they—”

  Mara cut him off with the wave of a hand. Before she could reply, the bartender returned with two glasses filled to the brim with sparkling ice cubes suspended in a clear, amber sea.

  “To us. Our time together and, sadly, our goodbyes.”

  Mara held her glass up. Samuel lifted his to the toast and watched her lips caress the glass. She siphoned half of the drink on the first sip before setting it back down. People moved about, navigating through the bodies clumped near the bar. Samuel looked at them looking at him.

  “Goodbye?”

  “Of course. The wolves, the horde. Shit, the reversion. It’s all coming to a head. You know that, right?”

  Samuel shook his head and rubbed a hand across his chin.

  “We can still say goodbye,” Mara said. “I’ve always liked this place, and I’ve always wanted a special little black dress. Shame I’m only getting it now.”

  “We have to fight our way out of the cave.”

  Mara snickered and held her hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter, as if trying not to embarrass Samuel. “You will. You still have work to do. But me, Samuel, I’m finished. There isn’t anything left for me.”

  “But the portal, a slip, I could—”

  “No. No, you can’t. I’m not leaving the cavern, Samuel. I won’t be able to slip with you and try my luck in another locality. This is it for me.”

  Samuel looked around again, feeling as though everyone in the bar was about to yell “surprise” as party hats appeared in the room. He felt the tension of secrecy and the pain of being left out of it.

  “How do you know that?” he asked.

  “I got word. I know. I’ve done what was asked of me, and now I’m out. That’s how it works. You’ll see.” Mara drew another sip of liquor over her glistening lips and winked. “Forget it, Samuel,” she said. “I can’t explain it to you and, even if I could, you wouldn’t understand.”

  “I’m done,” he said, a serrated edge to the words. “The date is over, and this entire bar can fuck off. Put me back in the cave with the wolves and the undead.”

  “Done with what?” Mara asked. “That’s one thing about us Americans, right? We want everything tied up perfectly, no loose ends. We want all the answers and logical reasons for everything.”

  He sat back as Mara’s eyes began to shed tears from each corner.

  “We demand a happy ending and for shit to make sense. Well, let me tell you something. It ain’t like that. Sometimes you don’t get to find out why. Sometimes shit doesn’t belong to you.”

  Mara slammed the glass down on the bar. Samuel looked around and noticed the place was now empty. Even the bartender had disappeared.

  “I didn’t mean to—”

  “I know what you meant to do,” she said. “I know what your intentions were. But that doesn’t matter, either. You know what they say about the path to hell and how it’s paved. And if you don’t, you know now.”

  When Samuel looked up at her face, he saw the healthy shine of her hair degenerate into the filthy, sweaty strands lying on her forehead. The eye make-up disappeared, as did the layer of foundation that accentuated her smooth skin. The sexy, black dress morphed into the rags that hung from her emaciated frame.

  “Wait, Mara. I don’t understand what you want from me.”

  The mirrored walls slid downward into the pools of mineral water gathering at the base of the cave wall. Ornate columns and brass poles turned into teeth of rock hanging from the unseen ceiling of the cavern.

  “Nothing, Samuel. I don’t want anything from you. It’s about what you’re willing to give, not what is demanded of you.”

  ***

  He blinked once, and the cavern snapped back into view. Mara stood by him with tears in her eyes and his hand in hers. The alpha male crouched low, his hunters surrounding him, with the horde continuing to march into the space until enough appeared that Samuel could begin to smell thei
r rotting flesh.

  If you give me your neck, I will make it pass quickly.

  Samuel shrugged and shook his head at the alpha male.

  “I don’t know what it is,” he said while casting a confused look at Mara, “but I know I can’t lie down for you. If you want me, you’ll have to fight.”

  The hunters growled and snapped their long teeth into the air. Mara let go of Samuel’s hand and stepped backward until she felt the wall behind her.

  Without warning, the alpha male lunged at Samuel. The hunters stepped closer while the horde remained in place, swaying even in the absence of wind. Samuel spun and raised his hands into a defensive position, using his fingers to grab the alpha male’s coat while turning to the right. The movement took advantage of the wolf’s momentum and allowed Samuel to toss him to the side. The alpha male yelped as he crashed into the stone wall. Samuel reached a hand to the empty sheath still attached to his leg and cursed the reversion—Samuel could not remember losing the knife, yet it was gone.

  Mara stepped to the side, and the other hunters stayed with her. Samuel struck at the alpha male with his foot. The kick connected with bony ribs, which elicited another cry from the wolf.

  You are not leaving this cave.

  Samuel felt the pain in the wolf’s telepathic communication. He shook his head and lunged forward. This time, the alpha male anticipated the kick, dodged to the side and locked his jaws around Samuel’s ankle. The wolf snapped its head back and forth while ripping Samuel’s pants below the knee.

  Mara cried, and Samuel turned in time to see the three hunters on top of her. He saw her legs kicking and arms flailing as the beasts attacked.

  “No,” Samuel yelled, dragging the alpha male across the floor toward Mara.

  The alpha male released his grip on Samuel’s ankle, which brought an immediate wave of relief followed by the cold burn of torn flesh exposed to the air. Samuel felt blood pooling in his shoe and fell to the ground when his leg would not obey the signals sent by his brain.

  I must leave you both to Him.

  Samuel sat up, his left hand clamping around the pant leg now saturated with his own blood, looking at the shuffling horde.