Brick: An Urban Paranormal

by Natavia

  “I hope you survive this, Casha. All we want is what belongs to us. Your kind can survive without the water, but we need it,” he said.

  “We need it for the trees, and food!” I replied.

  “Jonelius needs to stop being a lazy punk. He can go out and search for food, and so can the rest of you. The shit ends now,” Brick said.

  “I hope they kill you,” I replied.

  “No you don’t,” he laughed.

  “The king should be alone, and the soldiers should be in the dungeon. We can go in now,” Brick said. He picked me up and flew into the hall window of my brother’s kingdom. The halls were clear, and quiet. I tried to scream, but Brick covered my mouth. He led, Neoth, Eagle and Odega down the hall to Jonelius’s room. Jonelius sat at his throne eating fish. He stood up and clapped his hands when we entered the room.

  “I was waiting for you all. I had a feeling you were going to come on the day I plan to attack planet Epallon. I sent a soldier to Epallon last night, and the gargoyles were gone. You always seem to amaze me, Midas. Always thinking ahead to get nowhere,” Jonelius said. A few gargoyles were camouflaged on the wall behind my brother. They were protecting Jonelius.

  “We can see the gargoyles camouflaging behind you,” Brick laughed at my brother.

  “Nice to see you, Casha. Our father died for us, and you repay him by sleeping with the enemy,” Jonelius said. Neoth stepped in front of us, and my brother gasped.

  “I enjoyed crunching your father’s neck, and I will do the same to you. Keep your planet, but we want our soldiers, and the water,” Neoth said.

  “How did you? When did you? You can’t survive in ice,” Jonelius said.

  “I guess I made a fool out of you,” Neoth said. Two gargoyles charged towards Brick. He caught them by their throats and broke their necks. They fell to my feet and shattered like glass.

  “ATTACK!” Jonelius yelled.

  More came into the room, and Brick slaughtered them all.

  “I will go to the dungeon to warn others,” Odega said and flew away. My husband came into the room with a long, gold spear. He was dressed like a soldier. He looked at me with sadness in his eyes, and I looked away. Irin wasn’t bad, but I didn’t love him the way he loved me.

  “Take the water, and leave!” Irin said to Brick.

  “Kill him!” Jonelius ordered his soldiers to kill Irin.

  A gargoyle flew to Irin, but his spear flew through the monster’s mouth, and came out the back of his head.

  “We have been at war for long enough. We have lost a lot of families! Give them their water, and their soldiers. This is our only planet, and they will destroy it. My family has a kingdom on this planet too. I can’t let you do this anymore!” Irin said.

  “You are a traitor!” Jonelius replied.

  “Irin, watch out!” I yelled, but I was too late. A gargoyle sank his teeth into Irin’s throat, and pulled a chunk out. I covered my mouth to keep from screaming as I watched Irin fall to the floor. His blood formed a puddle underneath him. I looked around the king’s room, and it was a massacre. It was the peots against the gargoyles. The gargoyles tore them into shreds, while others tried to throw spears at them. My brother hid behind his chair, and covered his ears from the sound of death. Neoth and Brick were killing the gargoyles who were against them. Peots from Irin’s Kingdom flew into the king’s room, and the massacre worsened. I pulled Irin’s body in the corner behind a pillar. He moved my hair out my face, and touched my lips.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  I should’ve loved the one who loved me in return. His handsome light face was covered in blood. His pink lips turned blue, and his blue eyes rolled to the back of his head. The king’s room began to collapse because Brick slammed a gargoyle into a pillar. I kissed Irin’s lips before I ran out the room. I ran down the hall, and a huge group of peots from Irin’s kingdom marched down the hall. Word had gotten back to his kingdom about Jonelius being responsible for his death, and they wanted his blood. I ran down the opposite side of the hall, and slipped on a puddle of blood. A spear flew over my head, and I ducked. I couldn’t fly, and I was trapped.

  “Kill her!” someone yelled.

  A group of peots ran towards me, but Odega flew over my head. He swung a large tree at the group, and it crushed them. The tree caused the walls in the hallway to crack. The kingdom was falling, and I had to make it out alive. A piece of the ceiling fell in front of me. Eagle flew around the kingdom with a massive rock at the bottom of a chain. The rock had sharp spikes which was sharp enough to split a peot in half. Eagle landed in the hall, and smashed the rock against a gargoyle’s chest. I made it to the other side of the hall where the escape door was at, but I was pulled back into the shadow of a pillar. A hand covered my mouth to keep from screaming.

  “Shut up! There is a boat by the lake waiting for me. There is a hideaway spot on the other side of the waterfall. We will go to the village where the retired gargoyles live,” Jonelius whispered in my ear. He uncovered my mouth, and I pushed him.

  “The gargoyles are against us!” I whispered.

  “The free ones will not be free anymore. They will come to fight. They need their water, and Midas is trying to take it. Their families will suffer if they don’t kill Midas and Neoth,” he said.

  “Let it go, brother. Let them live in peace, and we live somewhere else. You are turning them against each other. Your men are getting slaughtered, and you still haven’t surrendered. You don’t care about anyone, but yourself,” I replied.

  “And you are the same way! They killed our father!” he yelled at me.

  “Our father was stealing from them! He killed himself,” I said.

  Jonelius punched me in the face, and banged my head against the wall. The monsters didn’t treat me that way when they held me hostage. They never laid a hand on me except for Keeja who threw a spear at me, but Brick healed my wound. I realized we were the real monsters. I slapped my brother, and he wrapped his hand around my throat.

  “You choose them over me,” he gritted. I clawed at his arms. I grabbed a piece of stone and struck him in the eye with it. I charged into him, and clawed at his eyes. A few of his men pulled me away from Jonelius.

  “Take the bitch to the boat, and I will meet you all there,” Jonelius said. I knew what he wanted. He didn’t want to leave without my father’s shield. My father’s shield meant a lot to him. He would risk his life for it. The two men escorted me down a long stairwell.

  “I always liked you,” one of the creeps said to me. His breath smelled horrible, and he looked like a musk. The other one slid his hand up my skirt. I smacked his hand away, and he slapped me into the wall. I screamed as they ripped away my garments. I tried to fight them off, but they were too strong. I closed my eyes to let my mind wander. They were going to have me against my will. I heard a loud thud followed by a hissing sound. When I opened my eyes, they were at the bottom of the stairs dead. Brick’s medallion burned my eyes, and he placed his hand over it.

  “You saw with your own eyes who the monsters really are,” Brick said, and I nodded my head.

  “I just want to leave. I don’t want to die here. Please just let me go,” I begged.

  “Leave, but my father may not spare your life. Stay out of sight,” he said. I kissed his cheek, and he smirked.

  “Be safe,” he said. I thanked him for sparing my life. We went our separate ways, and it was for good. I ran down the cave, and into the forest. I ran and ran to get far away from my kingdom. I heard a loud boom, and I turned around; half of the kingdom collapsed. I hoped Brick made it out safely.

  “You thought I was going to let you get away?” a voice said from behind me. Keeja was staring at me when I turned around. She slammed her spear into my throat, and twisted it. She yanked the spear out my throat, and smiled at me as she watched me die. I struggled to breathe, and a tear slid out of my eye.

  “Your brother had my father killed. My father meant a lot to me! You will die for his
sins!” Keeja yelled. She slammed her sharp spear in my face, and left it for me to die a horrible death.

  Brick

  “G et the gargoyles together, and load the trees up with our water. Make sure you clog the ends of the trees with huge rocks, so it doesn’t spill. Hurry up,” I said to Odega. The kingdom was falling, and most of the peots were dead. I regretted killing the gargoyles who sided with Jonelius, but we couldn’t save them all.

  “The kingdom is ready to collapse. Hurry up!” Eagle said to me.

  “I will meet you in the forest. Jonelius has to die, bro. I got to kill him,” I replied. The only way he could be stopped was through death.

  “Hurry up!” Eagle said. He flew away, and my father stood next to me.

  “I’ll meet you in the forest,” I said to him.

  “We won son. Some things should be left alone,” Neoth said.

  “This can’t be left alone,” I replied.

  “Your soul mate is waiting on your return, and so is your offspring,” he said.

  “I will meet you in the forest. This has to end! He will target the retired gargoyles next and their families. He’s a manipulator, and you should know. I’m sorry father,” I replied. I sent a bolt of lightning to his shoulder, and it sent him out of the kingdom. The rest of the ceiling collapsed which made it hard for him to break through in time. I knew where Jonelius was headed. I flew through the falling debris as I headed for the dungeon. There was a secret escape which led to the lake. I flew down the stairs, and Jonelius held up his shield. The radiation from the metal he had in his hand made me dizzy.

  “My father used this to fight your father. Years later, I use it to defeat the mighty king’s son. History is repeating itself,” he said. My wing swatted at him, and knocked him into the wall. My nose began to bleed, and it angered me.

  “What’s the matter gray giant? Scared of a little plate?” he asked. Jonelius threw it at me, and it burned my arm. He wore a glove over his hand to control the shield. I crouched down on all fours, and my nails sharpened. I was a monster, but I kept it hidden; Jonelius was the only enemy who seen the face of him. I had a form like a dragon, but I wasn’t a dragon. My wings dragged behind me as I walked to him. He dropped his shield, and his body shook in fear. I leaped on him, and sank my teeth into his skull. He screamed, as my jaws crushed his skull like a grape. I threw his limp body into the wall, and it cracked his back. The kingdom rumbled as the rest of it collapsed. I flew up the stairs, and pieces of the heavy debris covered the door. I moved some of it out the way, but it was coming too fast. The other end of the stairs by the exit was blocked. I was trapped in a box with nowhere to go.

  Sorry, Nabila. I failed you, I thought.

  A big mass of stones fell on my back, and knocked me face down on the rest of the debris. I closed my eyes, and heavy cement continued to fall on me. Blood poured from my mouth, and a heavy piece of stone smashed me. I gasped for the last breath of air…

  Nabila

  “T hey are here,” Tundra said to me. I left out of the tower to meet Brick in the forest. I saw Neoth, Eagle, and Odega. I didn’t know the other gargoyles who followed them home. Odega looked at me with tear-filled eyes, and Eagle couldn’t look at me. Neoth held his head down in shame.

  “Where is Brick?” I asked Odega.

  “He ummm. He didn’t make it, Nabila. The kingdom collapsed on top of him. The stones are too heavy and piled high. We don’t know where he is in the pile. The pile is over a hundred feet tall,” Eagle replied. My stomach turned, and I began to feel lightheaded. I puked up the breakfast I had that morning.

  “He struck me out of the kingdom. I tried to stop him, but it wasn’t good enough. I should’ve stayed where I was. It was a mistake coming back home,” Neoth said. He walked away, and headed to Urane’s cave.

  “Show me where Vada is, and I will look for him myself!” I yelled at Eagle.

  “You are pregnant, Nabila. There isn’t anything you can do!” Eagle said. Odega sat on a rock with his face buried in his hands.

  “He’s dead, man! He’s fucking dead!” Odega said.

  “We fought for peace, brother. Brick wanted us to have peace, and we got it. I’m heartbroken too, but he died for us. We should honor him,” Eagle said.

  “I’m not honoring shit! Fuck you!” Odega said. He pushed Eagle into a tree, and stormed out of the forest. I went back to the room in the tower where we spent our last night together. I collapsed on the floor; it wasn’t supposed to end that way. I burst into tears, and screamed at the top of my lungs. It took me back to when my parents were killed. The pain was unbearable, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worse enemy. Tundra came into the room and sat next to me. She wrapped her arms around me as she cried with me.

  “Sometimes, a God will sacrifice his life for better greatness. The gargoyles are free from Vada. We can rebuild our planets again,” Tundra said.

  “At the cost of Brick’s death. I don’t want to hear anything about Vada. I loved him. I spent nights with him, and we created a life. Nobody understands that!” I said.

  “I don’t because I never been in love, but I watched my sister mourn over her son and soul mate for years. I watched her slowly die because she didn’t want to live anymore. She was all I had, so I know how you feel. Midas will always be with you in spirit,” she replied.

  “I guess it was all too good to be true. I’m a single parent now,” I said.

  “He left a piece of him behind,” Tundra said. I looked down at my stomach, and it was a little bigger than the day before.

  “I know,” I replied.

  “Get some rest. I will take care of you,” Tundra said. She left out the room, and I wept.

  A few days later…

  I laid in the room without food or water. I lost my appetite, and my eyes were swollen from tears. The gargoyles celebrated Brick’s death by flying in the air, and doing tricks with their wings. A few of them blew horns, and lit fires around the forest. They had a festival in the forest, and I wanted to burn them all for it. Someone knocked on the door, and I told them to go away.

  “I need to speak with you!” Odega shouted back from the other side of the door. I sat up and wiped my eyes.

  “Come in,” I said. He pushed the heavy doors in, and he walked in with a fish and water. He sat across from me, and I pushed the food away.

  “You have to eat,” he said.

  “I don’t want to eat. I’m mourning, and I feel drained,” I replied.

  “I want to see you eat before I go back to Earth. Brick wanted me to complete a few projects for him, and I must do it. I’m not coming back here. Brick was like a father to me when I was a young offspring. My father died in a battle, and my mother was killed. Jonelius took me from my planet and forced me to help expand his kingdom. He wouldn’t allow me to drink water while I worked around his kingdom. Brick gave me his water, and picked up the extra work I had. I’ll never celebrate his death,” Odega said.

  “Thank you,” I replied.

  “Eat for me, or try. Your offspring needs energy. I will see you when you come back to Earth. The offspring will be able to leave a few days after she’s born. I’ll see you at Brick’s domain on Earth,” Odega said. He kissed my forehead and stood up to leave. I called out to him before he left out the room.

  “Tell Risha I will be home shortly.”

  “Who said I was going to see the special human?” he asked.

  “I know you are. You can’t hide it. Treat her good or else we will have to jump you,” I said.

  “I will,” he replied.

  I went to sleep after I finished my meal. I tossed and turned because I wasn’t comfortable. Brick kept me warm when we laid next to each other. I left out the tower for the fresh air. The planet looked different. The trees were starting to bloom, and I could hear the sounds of a waterfall. Eagle sat on a rock while feeding Keeja pieces of musk meat. I walked past them, and Eagle called out to me, but I kept walking. Keeja told him to let me be, and I wanted to rip
her throat out. I came across a mountain size rock. I flew on top to look over the land. The scenery would’ve looked great in a magazine for vacation islands. I thought about how hard it’ll be to raise an immortal child on Earth. I figured home schooling would cost. I couldn’t risk her being in society until she was old enough to understand her immortality. A white flower grew on a rock, and it sparkled. It was magic because flowers couldn’t grow from a rock. I picked it up and placed it behind my ear. The magic came from my baby.

  “You are just like your grandmother.” My stomach glowed, and her wings fluttered. I was thinking about nick naming her, Tinkerbell. A big shadow flew over my head, and I almost fainted when I looked up. The symbols in its wings lit up the sky, and its eyes were menacing. It landed in front of me, and I was too scared to move. It turned into Neoth before I could blink. He stood in front of me dressed in a white wrap.