Twisted Mirrors (A Dark Fantasy Horror): The Edge of Reflection Book 1

by Carver Pike

  Then he pushed his hands forward like a ball player shoving a basketball at a teammate. A gigantic ball of flame shot out from the palms of his hands and headed straight for the train.

  “Go!” Sergio warned them.

  Language grabbed Dozier’s hand and yanked him through the door that separated their car from the next. Sergio and T-Nate dove off the train to the left. Gabe grabbed Lisa and pulled her off the train to the right.

  Nic Nac ran straight towards the ball of flames. He dropped to the ground in time for it to fly over his head and then just as quickly, was back on his feet. He swung his blades around, criss-crossing them in a show of might.

  “Back off, Singe! Cutter’s mine!” Nic Nac yelled.

  Singe crossed his arms in front of his chest and confidently waited for his attacker to grow closer.

  “Only one of us is walking away with this bounty,” Singe barked.

  Language and Dozier ran as quickly as they could through the next car. Behind them, Singe’s fireball smashed through the train. It decimated the car they’d been in only moments before.

  The fireball continued hunting them down. Language reached the door at the end of the car and pulled Dozier through it. They dove off the train as the door exploded. Fire licked at their heels. They rolled across the ground and frantically patted out the flames that ignited their clothing.

  “You’s a tough ol’ gal, ain’tcha?” Dozier said as he collapsed on the ground and stared up at the sky, his clothes still smoking. Language laughed and sighed with relief.

  Gabe covered Lisa with his body and grunted through the pain of fiery splinters of wood showering down around him. He squinted and watched through the thick cloud of smoke as Nic Nac approached Singe.

  Lisa scurried out from under him and pulled him to his feet. They took off alongside the train, towards the front car. Sergio and T-Nate ran along the opposite side of the train. When Gabe and Lisa reached Dozier and Language, they helped them get to their feet and then they all ran.

  Nic Nac finally reached Singe, who didn’t look the least bit concerned about him. Nic Nac rushed at him and raised his blades high above his head, bringing them down right at Singe’s shoulders.

  Singe blocked the attack with his metal arm guards. Sparks flew as the metal collided. Singe ducked down, swung his right hand and a red fiery fist shot up and sent Nic Nac flying backwards through the air with a face full of fire.

  The group raced towards the front of the train. As they neared it, Conductor hopped out of the train to survey the damage. He stood with his hands on his hips, his long red beard blowing in the wind. He glared at Gabe as if he was solely responsible for the damage, and held out an open palm, pointing at the damage.

  “Whatna hellsa matta wit you fokes?” he asked.

  Dozier angrily grabbed the man by his shoulders, turned him around and shoved him towards the train.

  “Get in the daggum train and drive!” he ordered.

  Conductor shook free of Dozier’s grasp and stomped his feet. He threw his hands at the destroyed train and laughed in disbelief.

  “Y’aint goin’ noowheres less ye deesconnect ‘em busted up cars. Wees be draggin’ ‘em if’n ya don’t!” he yelled.

  “What?” T-Nate asked. “I can’t understand a fuckin’ word this guy…”

  “The damaged cars!” Gabe announced. “We gotta disconnect ‘em!”

  Conductor nodded his head excitedly. Gabe glanced behind him where Singe and Nic Nac were still battling it out.

  “Everyone get inside. Me and T-Nate will take care of it,” Gabe said.

  “I’d help, but my leg. I’ll slow you down,” Dozier said.

  “You think I can borrow that axe of yours?” T-Nate asked.

  Dozier handed his axe over to T-Nate.

  “Make it quick,” he added. “One of those dudes is gonna win soon and God help us if we ain’t outta here by the time he does.”

  Language helped Dozier climb into the train. Gabe tried to pull his hand away from Lisa, but she wouldn’t let go. He looked back and saw the concerned look on her face, so he winked at her.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  “Let someone else go,” she pleaded.

  “It’s no big deal. I’ll be right back,” he assured her.

  She scrunched up her mouth and said, “Be careful.”

  Gabe followed T-Nate towards the damaged cars. Lisa watched them as they ran off, and probably would have stayed there until they returned if Sergio hadn’t grabbed her arm and pulled her into the train.

  Gabe and T-Nate raced towards the smashed up cars at the rear of the train. They reached the last fully functional car and saw that two huge metal hooks and three large metal chains held each car to the next.

  No more than fifty yards away, the two maniacs were going head to head, striking at each other with heated blows. Gabe watched them for a moment, in awe at how close the deadly battle was to them. He turned to T-Nate.

  “Try to lift the hooks,” Gabe recommended.

  He grabbed one hook while T-Nate grabbed the other. They gripped their hooks and pulled upwards at the same time. They were heavy, but surprisingly they disconnected easily, and they dropped their hooks to the ground and reached for the chains.

  Each chain was connected to the train by an odd-looking combination lock. Gabe glanced over his shoulder to see the two men still going at it. Singe grabbed Nic Nac by his shoulders and threw him to the ground, where Nic Nac rolled and staggered to his feet.

  “This fight’s not gonna last much longer,” Gabe informed his friend.

  “Combination locks. Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” T-Nate swore. He didn’t look back at all, as if seeing the two killers behind them would psyche him out.

  “Oh, come on,” Gabe swore.

  “What the fuck? Why didn’t Conductor tell us the combination?”

  “You wanna go ask him?” Gabe asked sarcastically.

  “We ain’t got time for that shit!” T-Nate barked. He raised the battle-axe high above his head and brought it down hard, shattering the lock.

  Gabe looked back and saw Nic Nac and Singe standing face to face, hunched over, each hesitant to make the next move. Finally, with a loud howl, Nic Nac attacked. His blades sliced Singe’s belly twice and then swung upwards and cut his face from cheek to cheek.

  “Come on. Come on. Hurry up, man,” Gabe ordered as he kept his eyes glued on the action unfolding behind them.

  Singe fell to his knees and let his gaze fall down to his mangled stomach. One of the tubes that connected the oxygen tank to his mask had been cut in half. He held the severed tube in his hands, checking it for damage as he fell onto his side.

  Gabe turned his attention back to T-Nate and watched as the strong athlete swung the axe down and smashed the second lock. Gabe urged him on and then looked back to see Nic Nac angrily stalking towards them.

  “Time’s up!” Gabe announced.

  T-Nate raised the axe and swung it down at the third lock. It shattered.

  “Hold this,” T-Nate said as he handed the axe over to Gabe. He reached down to remove the broken locks from the chains.

  Gabe held the battle axe in a warrior’s stance. Having never used an axe before, other than to chop firewood, and even that he wasn’t so good at, Gabe used his free hand to reach for his gun. Nic Nac was only about twenty feet from them when Gabe saw Singe sit up in the distance.

  The burned man clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously, as if planning to make his final fireball a triumphant one.

  “Let’s get out of here!” T-Nate yelled as he finally turned to see for himself what was going on.

  Gabe turned to look at T-Nate, and the orange glow in his eye was just enough warning.

  Gabe turned around in time to see the fireball slam into Nic Nac’s back, sending him flying straight at them.

  Gabe stepped to the side and swung the heavy axe like a baseball bat. He hit Nic Nac in the stomach and cut him wide ope
n. T-Nate fell back against the train in shock as Gabe yanked the axe back and let Nic Nac’s lifeless body fall to the ground.

  T-Nate leapt forward and tackled Gabe to the ground in time to miss the next fireball, which sailed by only a foot above them. Singe leaned on one arm and with little strength continued to throw fireballs until he collapsed.

  T-Nate and Gabe ran towards the front of the train, where Sergio was hanging half way out, waiting for them.

  “Tell Conductor to start the train!” Gabe yelled.

  Sergio ducked inside. Gabe and T-Nate hopped onto the train as it started to take off. Within seconds the train was picking up incredible speed. Singe was left dying in the dust. He threw one last fireball, but it lazily fell to the ground. He was finished.

  Gabe leaned against the wall and closed his eyes in relief. They’d made it safely onto the train. Lisa ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. She shoved her lips against his hard. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but more of a “Thank God you’re alive” one.

  Whatever the reason, it surprised Gabe and he pulled away from her. He looked into her eyes and saw that she knew exactly what she was doing. He pulled her in for another kiss and savored the moment, their first kiss, as he breathed heavily from the running and she breathed heavily from nerves.

  Next to them, T-Nate jumped up and down excitedly while snapping his fingers.

  “Holy shit! That was close! That motherfucker almost fried both of us!” he yelled.

  “I told you I’d be back,” Gabe said with a wink.

  Lisa beamed and hugged him once more.

  Across from them, Language held onto Dozier’s hand and rubbed at it gently. Gabe smiled at them, amused by the fact that Language looked concerned about Dozier. Lisa saw that he was distracted and turned to see what had stolen his attention.

  “I thought images had no feelings,” Lisa whispered.

  “Me too,” Gabe replied.

  Sergio sat alone, looking distraught. Gabe walked over and kicked his shoe gently.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Sergio looked up at him and nodded.

  “It’s just, I should be used to seeing people get killed by now, but Ty, he was a good man,” Sergio said.

  “He was,” Gabe agreed.

  Sergio massaged his own temples and closed his eyes. “At least he got to leave the dark side of the mirror.”

  TO BE CONTINUED in Figments of Fear, The Edge of Reflection book 2

  Thank you so much for reading my book! The others in the series are on their way.

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