Misery Saves the Night

by Brittany Allen

  Trey, now as the mammoth golem he was born as, trudged through a sea of people to reach his little sister. Trying to go up the staircase was impossible and Trey did not give up easily when it came to family. On the third floor he stood in front of one of the four elevators, pushed in the doors, and grabbed a hold of the ladder attached to the wall. With each grab of the ladder and each foot step, Trey shook the entire central building.

  “Ha, ha, ha.” If he could laugh at anything, it would be that one moment where most people would be embarrassed for shaking an entire building with their body mass.

  He could sense Recarie’s energy as it was part of their family’s signature. Trey had always made sure that as a Hunter under the employment of the NSSH that when it came to his family he would always put them first. Even as he chased Recarie all over Disten, Trey never actually put much effort into it. Not many people outside his family knew that he may be heavy, but he could run just as fast as any professional track star. Just one of his many talents the NSSH was not aware of.

  Temthaw could feel the small tremors in the building getting stronger and closer to his office. “Where the hell are my enforcers?!” He hurled a phone at the window, sending it right through the class.

  The people trapped in the office were starting to wonder if that one man and everything he stood for was worth risking their lives over. They looked at him questionably and then went about their duties, although there was not much more they could do at that point.

  Cirri placed his last charge. It had taken him a bit longer than he had hoped. He was ambushed by half a dozen security personnel. By the time he had sorted them out it was already time to meet up with the rest of his gang.

  Tory was limping on the ground. The woman lashed at him over and over again with her whips. It was the one thing he had overlooked. With her anger elevating so did her power. There was not much more his body could take and he could no longer block her attacks. This was it for him.

  “I’m sorry.” He whispered through his busted lips while staring up at the moon. “At least I can die knowing Recarie will be safe.”

  “Ugh!” A familiar female’s voice shrieked through the air followed by a thump.

  The woman did not get her final attack off on Tory. A beautiful young girl with snow white hair and tan skin had run her blade through his opponents legs. She did not kill the woman, but the blood loss was enough to ensure that she would not be waking up in a long time.

  “You ought to be more careful, Tory.” This girl’s hair was cut short to just under her ears in the front and tied in a ponytail in the back. Her tight pink and blue shorts ended just above her knees and her white baby doll top waved in the night’s air. She sheathed her twenty four inch blade on her back and held out a hand to help Tory up.

  He did not take her hand and she bent down to him on the ground. “Who are you?” The woman looked like a warrior angel sent from the heavens to save him.

  This mystery woman leaned in close to his face and kissed him with a smile on her face. Sparks of gold energy transferred from her lips to his. She pressed Tory against the tree he was leaning against and ran her right hand over the left side of his body. Tory did not know what to do in the situation. Instead of sitting there shocked, he decided to return the kiss she was giving him. Before he could react, the girl was already standing in front of him.

  “You can get up now, Tory.” She watched the boy blink as he examined his body. The injuries were gone. “Yeah, don’t think that little make out session was because I like you or something.”

  “Who…” There were no other words that came to mind as he stood.

  “And as I am no longer your boss that does not count as sexual harassment.” She giggled.

  “Caleth. Oh crap!” He trudged through the snow and wrapped her thick waist in his exposed arms. “Dang!” Tory did not want to let her go.

  Caleth gave in to the moment and hugged him closely, even going so far as to lay her head on his shoulder. “Nice to see you too.” They stayed in the same position until a wolf’s howl broke the mood and Caleth broke away from the boy. “So!” She sniffled wiping a tear from her eye and then slapping Tory on his newly healed shoulder. “What kind of guardian needs someone else to come and bail his butt out, huh?”

  “Um?” Tory was still unsure of what was happening. “What? What are you doing here and what’s with the get up?”

  “You don’t like it?” She turned her back to him. “Well too bad. This is me. Not that I am not the girl you used to know. No, that was only part of me.” Caleth grabbed his hand and started walking in the direction he had been headed in before that woman attacked. “I am also part of a secret society that goes back decades and now works to defeat the NSSH and restore the natural order of Disten.”

  “And what about her?” Tory looked over his shoulder to still see the woman lying on the ground and bleeding from the wounds she had sustained in battle with him and Caleth.

  “Sigh. So many questions from you tonight.” She pushed him playfully. “But if you must know, the cold will stop her bleeding and she’ll live. Her abilities will kick in and warm her up. See, she is not going to die. Maybe she will even take something enlightening away from the whole experience and change her way of life and do something positive and productive.” Without any warning she grabbed Tory’s face and kissed him again. “Ah! That’s what I wanted.”

  “Not that I am not liking this, which I am…” Tory brought his face from hers. “So this means, what? You like me or something?”

  “You really know how to ruin a mood, you know.” She slid her right hand down his left arm and wrapped her fingers between his. “But yeah, and I am pretty sure you have always known that. From the first day we met to that one where I had to leave you and return to my family, it has been something I always wanted to say to you.”

  “Every time our eyes met or when we passed each other in the hall and avoided eachothers gaze.” They continued walking. “All of that.” Tory looked at her hand that held his.

  “All of that and I am now here to make sure you make it through your job safely.” The whole scene was something magical and the pair felt like the moon was smiling down on them.

  At the main FPA, plain clothed Disten tourists were entering the building with Disten soldiers. From one point of view it looked like the NSSH planned on overthrowing the FPA government, and in a way they were, but not yet. This group of people were there to talk to the head of government and bring him news of the tragedy in Disten.

  “Sir!” The soldier who also doubled as their receptionist barged through the recently appointed head of FPA, Helina Carol, office doors. “There are a group of NSSH representatives with news of the happenings in Disten.

  “So?” She raised a brow taking a break from her paper work. Helina was working on using some of the large amounts of revenue to improve their public school system. There was no need for her to get into the affairs of other nations when it did not involve her country.

  “They also have some evidence that several people from the same group attacking the NSSH offices are headed this way!” He stepped aside as the NSSH soldiers burst into Helina’s office.

  “Sorry sir!” One of the soldiers apologized for her group. “But you must see this.” She placed a small disk in the computer sitting on the side of Helina’s desk.

  What played was ten minutes of footage from the three previous raids on the NSSH office buildings. It showed dozens of men and women, actually just the various disguises of Trey and Rheanne, destroying the buildings and killing all those in it. Helina sank back into her chair and gasped. She could not believe what she was seeing.

  “And now some of these people are headed your way.” The same soldier told the shocked Helina.

  “Well don’t you have men out there on the streets to take care of these people and prevent them from entering my building?” She summoned her own staff to take care of the threat. “Because as you can see, I have all of these fine
folks at my disposal.”

  “We did!” The same soldier speaking for the entire group slammed their fist on her desk. “Here.” Helina was handed five photographs of the assassin Temthaw had hired in a battle with Tory.

  “I know this forest…” She thought of what needed to be done. This evidence was pretty strong and it was not like she could ignore what was being brought on her on soil. “Okay. This is what I need to happen.”

  Inside of Temthaw Vene’s office, he was getting word that the coup in Farous was going as planned. They had already planted the idea that Disten was a good place, both in their morals and character. Phase two was in place. It was now time to persuade the FPA that they were in danger of a massive invasion and have all of their forces split between protecting themselves and have the rest sent to Disten. After all, the two continents that had stopped all contact with each other for over half a century, were now bonded allies.

  Temthaw knew the forces from Farous would not make it to Disten in time, but at least they would not be able to protect their boss. He was sure that he would be there to watch Farous fall and have it added to the NSSH government where he would then have the people enslaved and made into soulless puppets like his soldiers. If only he could get his hands back on Recarie they could subtract her powers source, now that it was at its lowest level and being suppressed. He wanted to copy her power and clone it so he could infuse it to his soon to be soldiers in Farous. But he figured one out of two was not so bad.

  Ian was being led further and further away from the girl so helplessly left in the elevator shaft. “The heck with this.”

  He used the same emotion of anger and longing that he discovered on his trip to the country side to freeze the hoard of people. Climbing over their heads and shoulders, Ian crawled to the nearest floor and used his power to push the people out of the hallway so he could have a clear crack at the elevator. The people started moving again and Ian realized he was only on the second floor, but that did not matter.

  Now that the elevators were locked and the power off, Ian was free to travel the elevator shaft as he pleased. He pushed the doors back and found a rusted metal ladder on the inside of the shaft. Running up the ladder faster than he could think, Ian could feel his heart leading him in the right direction.

  Clinque! Clinque! Clinque! An imaginary bell rang aloud, but this was not in his head. Its sound flooded the building and Ian knew he was going in the right direction. He saw an elevator stopped somewhere between the fourth and fifth floor.

  “She did not get far.” Ian commented as his mind pictured the half dead being who knew his name even though he had never once seen her in his life. He knew he had to reach her. Something in the bells ring told him that he could save her and she could save the world.

  All the commotion outside started to die down as more and more people made it outside or were beaten by Yasire into an unrecognizable mess. Closer and closer, Ian felt his heart beat faster and his palms sweat. He was perspiring to the point he had to wipe his hands on his pants every time he grabbed another ring of the ladder.

  On top of the elevator Ian was making his way to Recarie who laid on its dusty top. She would have coughed the dust from her lungs, but there just wasn’t enough strength left for her to do much of anything. The one thing she could do was watch the light at the top of the elevator shaft continue to dim.

  “Sorry that I was not able to save you, but at least in my death no one can use me for any further evil.” Recarie lost all feelings in her hands as she took the energy to speak. “I loved this earth and all of the beauty it contains. I will miss my family and watching the sunrise from the top of soft, grassy hills. No longer will I be able to feel the autumn breeze or smell the sweet wild flowers.” Her head rolled to the side as she fainted for a moment before coming back to life. “I have out lived my lives and the one thing I will miss is being able to see his face. It will also be one of the things I will regret the most. In all our time together, I never spoke much or even made it look like I paid you much attention. But I want you to know that every day from the first time I met you in that hospital till today that I never stopped thinking about you. Our time in Farous together was the happiest time in my life. With this last breath.” She finally was able to cough. “I want to say that I love you Ian and I will never forget you.” A single tear fell from her right eye and down her cold dead cheek.

  Ian flung his body on top of the elevator. He had only heard the last couple of sentences, but somehow he had always known how the girl felt about him. When he was safely atop the elevator, Ian searched for the girl, but he was too late. Her body was a pale moon blue and her eyes were lifeless. His hand lifted her hair as his fingers slid though the soft mauve hair.

  “Mumph.” His voice quivered as he tried not to cry. Ian searched her open eyes for blue moons he remembered from his dreams. There was nothing there.

  With his body shaking, Ian laid his chest against hers as he embraced her as he had so longed to do. Her skin was ice cold and he wanted to call out her name, but he did not know it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the girl and it caused his stomach to tighten as he could not remember it. Bringing her body to lie peacefully back onto the ground, Ian wished he could trade places with her. He would give up his life so that she may live. If only he could do such a thing.

  This girl looked like a princess waiting on her prince to wake her from her slumber with his kiss. Ian leaned over her body and closed in on her face. He was going to kiss her when a spark from her blue lips zapped his lips.

  “Dude, what the heck?” Trey was on the ladder behind Ian watching him about to kiss the Hunters baby sister.

  In his deep emotional state, Ian had failed to notice the building shaking as he sat next to Recarie’s body. “Who?” He muttered before he watched Recarie’s body turn from blue to an acceptable peach.

  She sprang from the dust, grabbed Ian’s face and kissed his neck. Recarie looked like a vampire sucking the blood from a willing victim. As for Ian, he had no time to react. The girl was sucking his energy straight out of the core of his heart. Her pupils were dilated and Trey knew that Recarie had no clue what she was doing.

  As much as Trey did not like watching his youngest sister sucking some guy’s neck, a man twice her age as it was, he had to make sure she did not take too much from Ian. “That girl sure has more lives than a dang cat!” He slapped his knee as he chuckled. “At least she did not go through another Reboot. That might have killed us all.”

  Ian had not noticed anything. Unknowingly, Recarie had put him in a paralyzed trance like state. His mind had stopped working and he could only see the darkness of the elevator shaft the way it was before Recarie attacked him. He was in no pain or felt any emotion of any kind.

  Recarie needed a great portion of Ian’s energy. After having been near death and brought back to life more than a few times, her atoms had become split and unstable. She needed more life force than Ian had, and would have to do with what she could get.

  Gillian was resting against the doors inside one of the laboratories on the fifth floor. She had sprained an ankle and dislocated her right shoulder. She only had enough time to take a short break and start on the sixth floor. When all of that was done, she would meet up with Trey and the others to go after Temthaw.

  “Crud!” She dug her finger into a gash on her leg. “What kind of laboratory does not have a frigging first aid kit!”

  “Hm?” Someone had heard Gillian’s voice from the hallway.

  Inside the room, Gillian dragged her body against one of the cabinets that held all sorts of vials, beakers, and everything else you needed to conduct the most abominable research on the planet.

  “Everything but some band aids.” She observed.

  “Hello?” The woman standing in the door way looked around the room. “Hm…” She entered the room quietly and the slammed behind her.

  It almost seemed to Gillian that the unknown woman at the door had left. If it wer
e not for the heat the woman was giving off, Gillian would have believed she was gone. She could hear the woman get closer as she shuffled through chairs and making her way through desks. Without another thump or stumble the room was silent. Gillian was able to sigh in relief.

  “Hi!” The woman popped out from around the other side of the cabinet.

  With no warning, Gillian slung a clip board at the other woman’s face.

  “Damn it Gillian!” Now the voice was recognizable. “Here I come to check on you and you attack me?” Cirri rubbed his forehead.

  “Oops! Oh, so sorry!” She begged Trey’s father forgiveness. “Please don’t tell Trey about this.”

  “Ha, ha, ha. No problem. It’s quite all right.” Cirri pushed the glasses up on his nose. “But it looks like you got yourself in quite a jam.” He grabbed her leg and checked out her other injuries. “Aren’t you fortunate that I always carry bandages and antiseptic with me?”

  She smiled weakly and went to grab the supplies from Cirri.

  “I am a certified nurse. Now let me tend to these gapping wounds.” He teased his patient. The injuries were not as bad as he made them seem and with a little talent, Cirri had patched the woman up. “Good as new.”

  Her shoulder had been popped back in place, ankle compressed, all cuts cleaned, and the gash on her leg was stitched back up. Cirri did the most outstanding job treating her wounds. Even she could not tell where he had stitched up her leg.

  “You think that is impressive?” He helped Gillian up. “I have three children and a wild wife. Those cuts and scrapes you have there are nothing compared to what they would come home with.” She fell into a wide leather chair. “Rest up, but make sure you clear the sixth floor soon, okay?”

  “Sure.” Gillian nodded and Cirri waved as he left to join the battle. “Um wait, I have just one question I have been meaning to ask…” She reached out to grab Cirri’s shoulder.