by John Hansen
The Darkons lived under a strict code of secrecy. They were not to tell anyone who they were for the human’s own protection. But on rare occasion a Darkon would marry a human out of love and so they could gain the immunities that humans have from the giant white sun. However, such a marriage was only done with express permission from the Darkon Council.
The Darkon Council had many such strict rules about feasting on human blood and changing full blood humans to Darkon. Such a thing was only done in times of war with the boser’traum. The human must volunteer of their free will and must never be completely drained. The human also had the choice to be made a Darkon when it was over, because the humans on their planet were theirs to protect not to exploit.
But Wilhelm was not like most humans. He in fact was not human at all. He never was. Although he did not know it, Wilhelm had latent Darkon blood, but never transmuted as most latent Darkons do when they become adolescents. The council of Darkons instructed Louisa to change Wilhelm on their wedding night.
Wilhelm did not know any of this. All he knew was that his marriage to Louisa had been decided when he was but a small boy, and that he spent most of his childhood getting to know her. Even though the Council felt sure that Wilhelm was not just a latent Darkon but was also the one that was promised to ride the races of the boser’traum. Louisa and her family were still forbidden from telling him who they were. The council wanted to see if he would transmute on his own, but when he didn’t Louisa was given sanction to change him after they were married. Once Louisa had changed him she was supposed to explain everything and then bring him to the Council, but Wilhelm fled before she had the chance.
Gottlieb needed Wilhelm to come back, not only could he hear his daughter Louisa’s crystalline heart shattering, but all the people on this planet needed him. Gottlieb knew that Wilhelm was the one that had been chosen to stop the boser’traum. The boser’traum are an evil race of shape shifting soul takers, who only used humans to fulfill their lustful need for life essence that they get by consuming the dreams of humans, and then in a most violent manner kills the human by drain them of blood.
This fight between the boser’traum and the other three races had been foreseen many centuries ago. Gottlieb knew in his own crystalline heart that Wilhelm was the one foretold to stop the boser’traum.
“Strong human soul not knowing his crystalline heart will have the strength to free races three: Human, Darkon, Mond’tier from death in dreams.” Gottlieb muttered the prophecy to himself as he started to race through the wood after his von’ehe son. Wilhelm must choose to embrace his Darkon blood and follow his now crystalline heart so he can save the three races from death in dreams.
Gottlieb felt fear stab at him when he heard Wilhelm cry out in pain that he would not kill. He knew what this meant. Wilhelm now felt the hunger of a newly transmuted Darkon.
Gottlieb began to run harder, he had to reach Wilhelm before his von’ehe son’s hunger took over and Wilhelm hurt or killed a human. He heard Wilhelm cry out in pain again and he picked up his pace to the point that if one could see him it would appear that he was flying across the ground.
The Darkon man could feel his crystal heart slam against his ribs as he ran but not from the physical exertion but from fear. He hoped that that Wilhelm had not harmed anyone. If he had the Council would not be very forgiving and might order Wilhelm’s exile or even his death. He could not let this happen; Gottlieb knew deep in his soul that Wilhelm was the one.
He stopped short at the smell of a fresh kill. He looked wildly around him for the victim and found the large forest cat lying lifeless at his feet. He heaved a sigh of relief, but his relief was short lived as his sensitive hearing clearly picked up the sounds of a struggle as well as the sound of a boser’traum changing shape.
Gottlieb began to run again, fear propelling him forward. Now his fear was for the safety of his von’ehe son. He had to get there to help Wilhelm. Only a few Darkons have ever taken on a boser’traum alone and lived to tell about it.
***
The scene that Wilhelm came upon was horrifying. The boser’traum had a small girl child by the shoulders, and was slowly changing shape. Wilhelm could hear a disgusting stretching and sucking sound as its ears were elongating and its face began to take on the look of a muzzle.
If Wilhelm didn’t know any different he would have thought that it was a Mond’tier that was attacking the child. But the clouds covered both moons, Mond’tier didn’t attack human children and he could also see the dark light that emanated from the creature. He could see the creature begin to suck the pure light essence from the child through its hands.
“Come with me Aalina, it is alright.” It said with a voice that sounded soothing and feminine.
“No, you are not my mother.” Aalina screamed.
“Of course I am, Aalina my madchen.” It said trying to calm the child so it could feed.
“No you are not.” She cried, “Help me.” Aalina begged as she spotted Wilhelm’s rapid approach.
Without a word Wilhelm plowed straight into the vile creature, yanking it away from the child. The sheer force of Wilhelm’s attack lifted the boser’traum off its feet as Wilhelm slammed it against a tree.
“What are you?” The creature gasped in pain, having been taken by surprise. “Your body is Darkon but your soul tastes human.”
“You will keep your filthy hands off me and off that child.” Wilhelm told it, ignoring the boser’traum’s question.
“I guess it doesn’t matter what you are, your soul is strong and sweet. I will drink your soul, whatever you are boy. And then I will drink up her little wild soul, and fest on her lovely blood.” The boser’traum hissed in its multi-toned voice as it arms and legs quickly elongated and coiled around Wilhelm beginning to crush him like a giant serpent. The boser’traum them placed its hands on Wilhelm’s back trying to suck the dreams from his still human soul.
“I said keep your filthy hands off from me.” Wilhelm gasped as he struggled for air, while the creature shifted its muscle and bones to become more serpent-like, trying to crush him.
“Oh but your soul tastes so sweet. Once I drink up your soul then I will feast on your fragrant blood.” It taunted him with glee. “Then once I have cast your worthless empty corpse aside. I will take my time drinking up all that child has to offer.”
At hearing this Wilhelm felt a burning ignite in his newly crystal heart. He could not let this thing harm that child, and he struggled with all his might trying to free his arms as his fangs descended from his jaw. Wilhelm quickly sank his sharp crystal fangs into the creatures shoulder causing it to scream in pain and loosen its grip on Wilhelm just enough.
Wilhelm took advantage of its loosened grip and hurriedly pushed his hands up between himself and the creature. Then spun around putting his back to the tree and shoved it with all his might dislodging the creature from him.
The boser’traum was not able to stop Wilhelm from pushing it off but was able to anticipate the fall to the ground and quickly rearrange it frame so it could land harmlessly on the ground in a cat like form. It then swiftly pounced at the young man with a feral growl.
Wilhelm did his best to fend off the now cat like creature that knocked him into the tree. It took all his strength as a Darkon to keep the beasts snapping jaws and clawing hands away from him.
“Wilhelm the only way to paralyze it is to puncture the gland at the base of its skull. That is the only place that they are truly vulnerable.” Gottlieb called to his von’ehe son as he quickly approached the fighting pair.
“Father…I can’t.” He gasped as he struggled with the vile creature trying to keep it from ripping him to shreds.
“Yes you can my von’ehe son; you are so much more than you know. You must embrace the strength in your new heart.” Gottlieb said as he rushed to the crying child, to see if she was all right.
“That’s right boy,” The boser’traum hisses as its voice becoming deeper and its body changing sh
ape once again, becoming bigger and shoving him with great strength against the tree at his back. “You can’t fight me, you can’t fight any of us. I am happy your von’ehe father is here, his insignificant soul is hardly worth taking but his Darkon blood will make me strong.”
Wilhelm struggled with the beasts shifting shape. He tried to keep it from pinning his arm. His instinct was to push the boser’traum away from him, but he reached for the strength in is crystal heart and let it flow into his whole being. “I will not let you take my soul or anyone else’s.” Wilhelm vowed as he reached out and startled the boser’traum by pulling the creature to him and wrapped his arms crushingly around it.
This took it by surprise as it was still changing shape. The boser’traum expected Wilhelm to push it away, but Wilhelm managed to pin its arms down so it could not move as it intended to.
Wilhelm saw this and took advantage of this moment of weakness and stretched his neck as far as he could so he could sink his fangs into the base of its skull like Gottlieb advised him. He could taste the vile fluids spill from the punctured gland and spat it out as the boser’traum squealed in pain, “I can’t breathe, I can’t move.”
Wilhelm let go of the creature and it fell to the ground heaving and panting weakened and unable to shift its appearance, “What are you?” It cried.
“He is the Darkon One.” Gottlieb answered it as he swung the small girl child into his arms, “You only have short time to live before your shifting gland is completely empty and you are utterly paralyzed, you best go while you can and tell your people to get off my planet. Tell them that the foretold Darkon One is here and he will destroy you all if you hurt anyone else on our planet or the Mond’tier planet.” Gottlieb warned as the now pathetic looking creature whimper and slowly got to its feet and slunk away into the trees.
“Father, I am what?” Wilhelm asked as he wiped the remainder of the shifting fluid from his mouth.
“You are the one that was prophesied centuries ago, a human soul and a Darkon heart that will save all the races from death in dreams.” Gottlieb explained to him. “Your instinct was to protect and to save both me and this child.”
“I could not let that thing take a human child’s life. I only did what anyone on this planet would have done.”
“Wilhelm, my son. Take a closer look at this child.” Gottlieb advised him.
Obediently Wilhelm crossed the short distance to where Gottlieb stood protectively holding the child. He looked closely and saw a beautiful little face with creamy skin and a head of glossy black hair, and then looked into her eyes and gasped. “She is a Mond’tier.”
“Yes son, this fulfills the prophecy. You will protect and save us all.” He told Wilhelm with confidence.
“But who does she belong to? What do we do with her?” Wilhelm asked trying to grasp the idea that he was the promised savior of the three races.
“Ask her.” Gottlieb told him simply.
“What is your name child?” Wilhelm asked her.
“My name is Aalina.” She answered him.
“Where is your family Aalina?”
“It killed them, I tried to run but it caught me.” She told Wilhelm as tears began to fall from her yellow almond shaped eyes. “I kept hoping that one of the moons would show so I could shift into a wolf and fight it off and save my family but there was no moon. I thought it was going to kill me too but you came and saved me.”
Wilhelm reached out to wipe the tears from her sweet little face. “We will protect you until we can find your family and get you back to your planet.”
“That thing killed all my family,” The child cried. “I don’t have any left.”
“Then you will be my madchen.” Gottlieb spoke up and hugged the child close. “Wilhelm will be your von’ehe brother. We will all be your family and we will protect you.”
Aalina began to cry with relief and hugged Gottlieb back, he looked over her head and addressed Wilhelm, “Come, let’s get her back to the house so she can rest, you need to see your wife and I need to speak to the Council.”
At the mention of his wife, Wilhelm felt his new crystal hear leap painfully in his chest. “I left her, will she forgive me?” He asked with painful worry in his voice.
“I cannot speak for my daughter but we shall see, let’s go.” Gottlieb said as he took off running with his new Mond’tier daughter held securely in his arms.
Wilhelm only stood for a moment trying to absorb everything that had happened this night, and then began to run. The only thing that mattered to him as he ran was getting back to the woman he loves. Louisa and her family had kept this secret from him but he no longer cared. It didn’t matter to him. He knew that when he ran out on her. He hoped she would forgive him as he rapidly approached the house. And without a word to Gottlieb he gracefully jumped and landed on the window ledge that he so recently escaped from.
“Louisa,” He called as he entered the room looking for her.
The soft sound of her weeping caught his ear but he did not see her. “Louisa where are you?” He asked as he searched the room for her, finally finding her huddled on the floor between the wall and the bed still wearing her traditional blue wedding gown.
“You left me.” She said her voice filled with pain.
“I know I am sorry.” He said as he knelt down beside her. “I didn’t know. I didn’t understand who I was.”
“I was going to tell you, but you didn’t give me a chance.” She said accusingly as she looked up at him.
“I am so sorry Louisa. I can only hope that you will forgive me.” He said as he gently put his arms around her. “But something happened to me when I was out there tonight, and I understand who I am now.”
“You do?” she asked with hope in her eyes.
“Yes, but what matters to me right now is whether or not you will forgive me for leaving you, and hope that you still love me.”
Louisa reached up and wrapped her arms lovingly around his neck. “I do.” She said.
Wilhelm sighed with relief as he hugged her tightly. He then leaned down and gently kissed his wife, finally beginning the sweetness of his wedding night.
Breakdown
by
Bonnie Bernard
It was easy to see her hair, so that’s what he noticed first. Cobalt blue strands, flashing against the scorching sun and catching the desert breeze. Then he got closer and saw her hat. Oversized and cowboy. The boots caught his gaze next. White and sexy against those tight, black pants. But the cropped t-shirt got him most. Red, with black letters:
667…One Step Beyond Ordinary Evil.
She stood alone in the sizzling center of Nevada-nowhere, a purple backpack propped against her knee and her hitching thumb extended. He slowed. Then he stopped. That’s when he saw the red gem glistening in her belly button, and the matching one in her nose. There was eyebrow jewelry too, and tattoos. An angel on her left bicep and a devil on the right. From a distance, the ink-work had looked like mud, or maybe car grease. She stood by a red, 1964 International truck with its hood popped, so the grease would have made sense, but upon seeing her up close, the tattoos did too.
He shut down the Harley’s engine, motioned toward the International. “Your old beast broke down, huh?”
She raised the pierced eyebrow, making its red gem twinkle against late afternoon sunlight. “No, my spaceship caught fire and crash-landed about a mile from here.”
He looked down at his gas tank, hoping the red on his face could be blamed on sunburn.
She stuffed the backpack over her left shoulder. “So, you gonna give me a ride, or not?”
“I don’t have an extra helmet.”
She shrugged.
“Want mine?” he pointed at it.
She shrugged again. He took it off and gave it to her, hoping the cops would spare him a ticket when he relayed the Good Samaritan story.
“Sorry about the sticker,” he pointed to the helmet’s left side. “It’s supposed to be funny, but mos
t girls don’t see it that way.”
She read it, smirked. “Good one.” Then she put on the helmet. He grinned, because it was always nice to meet up with one of the few girls who got the joke.
“I’m Ryan.” He offered his hand for her to shake. She smirked again and straddled the bike.
“I’m hungry. Know any place that has Chinese?”
“I know we’re about fifteen miles out of a place that probably does.” He started the engine and off they went; two perfect strangers riding into the sunset at the end of a scorching summer day. He was exhausted from riding and she was cute as hell in the helmet that read: 10% of women are battered, but I still like to eat mine plain.
They wound up at a dive motel behind the town’s only Chinese restaurant. Every time they opened the room’s door, stale air blew in, and so did the stink of rancid frying oil and sweltering asphalt. After a romp in the bed between sheets that felt like sandpaper, he took his phone and walked to the Chinese place for a number 3 and broccoli beef. While he was gone, she showered and slipped into a short black skirt with a matching skinny camisole. By the time he returned from his errand, the contents of her backpack were scattered about the motel room floor. He observed several changes of clothes, all of them stimulating. She didn’t seem to own a stitch of underwear.
They ate with chopsticks, watched an old WWII movie and she asked questions he couldn’t answer like, “What was Hitler’s middle name?” She leaned against the headboard and watched the TV with an intensity he’d never seen before in a woman when it came to war movies.
Dessert was fortune cookies and another romp, but this time it was on the dresser. He decided it was maybe a good idea to never again set down his burger and fries on motel furniture.
“Prepare for tomorrow, today.” She chuckled. “What’s your fortune say?”
“A change of head begins with a change of heart.” He smiled at her and winked.
She smiled back. “Ready for round three?”
***
Spikes of morning sunlight pushed through an opening between the curtains. He groaned, stretched, and pushed the sheets down with his feet. Her itty-bitty clothes, big cowboy hat, and purple backpack were gone. He’d never been with a blue-haired girl before and figured he never would again, so for a moment, melancholy crept into his consciousness. But by the time he smacked the key-card on the dresser and shut the door behind him, his thoughts were on what to do next. He’d only lied a little bit. The bike didn’t break down and he wasn’t two hundred miles from home, which meant he had an hour to kill before riding home to his wife in Reno. He’d never done this before, was unlikely to ever do it again, and decided admitting to it would cause irreparable damage to an otherwise stable marriage. So he relaxed in the sticky, beige vinyl seat at the “Pancake House and BBQ Grill”, slurping black coffee and shoveling in scrambled eggs with bacon. Outside the plate glass window, a truck from “A and B Towing” crawled by. A red, 64 International was chained under the front bumper, like a fish on a hook. Good, he thought. She’s got it under control. Though he knew nothing about her, including her last name (her first name was Shawna…or was it Samantha?) he thought those deviant tattoos and unexpected piercings covered over a real sweet girl. Lucky for her she’d met up with him. Nevada wasn’t generally known for its savory types. He set down the coffee cup and rubbed his temples. His head ached a bit, even though there had barely been any alcohol involved last night.