My Demonic Ghost #3: Hunters and Creators

by Maree, Jacinta

  “What are you doing?” I clutched at my throat.

  “Giving us both freedom.”

  “Don’t…” He turned abruptly and made his way out, “Evan don’t just walk away.”

  “This is better… for the both of us.” He then disappeared into smoke.

  Chapter Thirty-One:

  I fell upon my bed, exhausted. Chō sat next to me, playing with my hair. I had been alone for hours. I had just lain there, looking up at the ceiling, anchored to the mattress by these confusing emotions. I craned my head backwards to where Chō crouched on the bed behind me, picking through my hair. His blazing eyes dampened with moisture, his eyebrows were pinched and his lips contorted in a frown. I lifted my hand and gently stroked his cheek. Without needing words, Chō nudged his face into my palm and released a quivering breath. It was like I was watching myself in a strange mirror. He really understood me. In return, Chō gently caressed my cheek in mimic behaviour. He then shifted so we were lying next to each other, our heads meeting in the middle as our legs pointed away. His white hair seemed to glow softly, as I brushed it out of his eyes. The scales on his face bloomed with colour.

  “Don’t cry, Chō” I whispered. Chō smiled at me gently, his eyes shone with genuine joy. He extended his hand and pointed it at his heart, emitting a series of purrs. I coughed out a laugh; he was just so adorable. I softly inhaled a long breath through my nose, “Everyone keeps warning me that you are some sort of dangerous creature, but you’re the only one who has yet to hurt me.”

  Chō leant closer, his eyes holding mine with his hypnotic gaze. The colours became muted and swirled together like a brush through wet paint. I wasn’t scared at all, even though the world was morphing into clouds of grey. Where are you taking me Chō?

  Away. Chō’s voice answered sweetly. I felt my eyes flutter shut. My head rolled to the side. My mouth opened as my entire face relaxed. I will protect. Always, Blue spirit.

  I jerked my head upwards, breaking the link between us. Chō blinked back, confused. “Did you just call me Blue Spirit?”

  A loud bang rattled the walls, rocked my body and caused Chō to switch into his butterfly form. I sat up abruptly and looked around. Bang, another hit as the walls rattled again and a chorus of voices ran past my door. I got up and checked the corridor, watching the ashy remains of a couple of Banished flee upstairs. A group of Reapers flickered into sight for just a moment, but not long enough for me to grab their attention.

  “What the hell is going on?” I looked at Chō who had hidden himself in my hair. I followed the noise up the stairs and into the main hall, only to be greeted by a swarm of Reapers rushing ahead of me, who kicked off into the air and sent their Goons out to fight. I stumbled to a stop and quickly took cover, barely avoiding a wild missile of dark magic spiralling towards me. The frenzy of colours was disorienting, and the spontaneous teleporting between Hunters, Banished and Reapers had the entire room sprinkled in light and dark dust. I quickly determined that Hunters had managed to break in, sending everyone into defensive lockdown. Through the chaos, I managed to spot Evan fighting off to one side. He dropped to the ground, spun his leg out, and struck the Hunter in the knee causing him to tip backwards. Once down, Evan created a black magic lasso around the Hunter’s throat and he pulled hard enough to drag the Hunter across the ground.

  Another Hunter saw his comrade struggling and grabbed Evan from behind, lifting him off his feet before mercilessly throwing him to the floor. Evan rolled and the Hunter jumped on him, delivering a series of punches that knocked Evan’s face right and left. I jumped up and ran at them, but a hand suddenly snared my wrist. I was yanked back and both my feet left the ground. I landed on my spine, managing to knock the breath out of me. It was another Reaper, obviously one that wasn’t on our side, and he raised a fist and delivered a blow.

  I pulled my hands up to block the punch and Chō jumped onto the Reaper’s back, effortlessly throwing him to the other end of the room. Reaper’s lizard Goon charged Chō, its size gigantic enough to crush him underneath one padded foot, yet Chō managed to knock the creature off. As fast as he appeared, Chō morphed back into his butterfly body.

  “Evan!” I called, rolling over and got back to my feet. I grew fatigued, but I shook it off and kept running. Another arm grabbed me, and without looking to see who grabbed me, I swung around and punched him with all my might; hard enough that the Reaper lost his grip and was knocked unconscious. I was horrified when I realised that this Reaper was Elliot.

  “Ell-Elliot?” I tried to run to him, but Teresa swooped to my side, pulling me off course.

  “What are you doing here?” She hissed.

  “I think I just knocked out Elliot!”

  “Get out before you blow everything up!” A series of bullet sized shards were fired at us, Teresa quickly pulled me to her so she took the full brunt of the attack. Hook, her Vulture, swooped onto the attacking Hunter, slashing with its claws, when the bird suddenly fell.

  “No!” Teresa ran forward as Hook became entwined with a long leash. Whatever properties the leash held, it managed to drain Hook’s power enough that the giant bird was incapable of flight. It limped along the ground, squawking in pain. Teresa clutched at her chest, feeling every shock that flowed through the leash and into her Goon. I passed Teresa, who crumpled to the ground before reaching Hook. I grabbed at the leather only to have it sharply zap my fingertips. I yelped and pulled back.

  “Chō” I called, before reaching to the collar again; this time able to tear it apart and unravel Hook from its bonds. My body swayed as exhaustion hit me again; I almost lost my balance when a pair of arms caught me. More angered than grateful, Teresa pulled me back.

  “Stop calling on the Creator!” She ordered.

  “I think you meant to say, thank you.”

  Jordon ran up to us, accompanied by two others covering his flank. He urged us to move closer to the wall, concealing us from the battle above. “You can’t be here, Rachael!” He shouted, “Go back to your room!”

  A tickle moved up my arm, maybe my heart was pumping too hard and my nerves were too frazzled, but the gentle touch caused me to whip around and tear the floor up. With a chunk of the floor now floating in the air, all the Reapers quickly backed away from me. I noticed the platform, took a step back, and accidently hurled it across the room, bowling over some Goons.

  “I didn’t … Did I do that? I didn’t mean to?” I began to panic.

  “Just get her out of here!” Jordon tried to hurry me out, but I was at my wit’s end. With his touch, I curled my hands into fists and threw a concussive wave at him, throwing him to the ground. My fatigue was growing, but instead of sapping the unusual energy, I was unleashing powerful uncontrolled concussive blasts. I moved without thinking. My body acted on its own, as if the communication between my brain and my body had been severed. Above all else, I could feel something burning me, searing into my neck and I couldn’t slap it off.

  Gargoyle hastily pulled me to him. He cupped my cheeks with both palms, physically holding my face and burned his eyes into mine. He used such focus that I felt like I was going to melt into the floor. His voice filled me and I felt my own conscious break apart. Rachael. It’s time that we leave.

  “I think we should leave.” I muttered dully.

  Chapter Thirty-Two:

  He lead me out as fast as he possibly could, holding me close to his chest so I was kept out of sight. The explosions and shrills of battle were left behind as Gargoyle lead me back into the tunnels, rushing me off towards his room where he barred both of us inside. Not skipping a heartbeat, he ushered me to the bed and forced me to sit. He stood over me and tilted my chin up, leaning down so he could check my pupils.

  “Rachael? Rachael can you hear me?” His voice was distant, blurred by the ringing caused by the loud bangs.

  “Yes, barely. What’s going on?”

  He sighed in relief before pulling my head to his chest. “I thought we had lost you.” He l
et go and knelt down so we were eye to eye. “When Chō went through, he ripped a hole in the barrier. The Hunters and their helping Reapers are taking this chance to strike before the Blue Spirit can rebuild.”

  “This is my fault?”

  “No, no of course not.” Gargoyle soothed. “If anything, the whole reason why you and Chō are even together is my fault. I was so obsessed with pleasing Miira that I put your life in jeopardy… again. I promise, I’ll make this better. I promise I won’t let Chō complete the bond with you.”

  I shook my head a little, “What are you talking about? What bond?” I could still hear the battle rage through the walls, the overhead lights flickering while the stampede of feet and hooves fought above. Gargoyle gently took my hands, drawing my gaze back to his face.

  “Extreme emotional distress can trigger the bond. This cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to happen. If it does then you really will be a walking time bomb. With every sneeze, you’ll be able to uproot houses. Every time you feel a little upset, you might bring hurricanes or devastating storms. As long as two are separated, we’re safe. Chō is a spirit of reaction and emotions. On its own it’s dangerous, but if you tie it to a human it’s even more unstable. It amplifies your emotions to extreme measures. That’s why Creators are not meant for this world. The spirit world can withstand the force of the merge. But in this world the bonding only causes destruction.”

  I nodded my head vigorously, “Is that why I was blacking out?”

  “It’s getting too close” Gargoyle checked my eyes again, and glanced down along my neck where the burning pain seared my skin. His white washed face and black and red hair seemed to fall a little flat; no doubt, it was the Banished mark moving over him. His one red eye now shown with blazing colour and his other golden iris shot through with flecks of amber. I knew I was mad at him before, and I still held onto the resentment, but seeing him fade pulled at my heart strings.

  Gargoyle must’ve noticed my softening eyes, and he lifted his hand and ran it along my cheek. “I know you want to help, but it’s very important that you don’t get involved in this fight. We’ll be okay; we can handle anything they throw at us.” I smiled a little. There was a knock on the door and it burst open. We both whipped our heads around and gasped.

  “Damage?” Gargoyle eased to a stand as Damage walked inside. She had her hair pinned in a high pony tail, her static white clothes marked with a symbol of a blue cross. She didn’t smile at us; she didn’t even bat an eyelash upon seeing Gargoyle in his mid-transformation state. “How are you here?”

  She walked within inches from him before she delivered a hard and sharp hit to his head rendering him unconscious. I bolted up to catch him before he could hit the floor.

  “Damage?” I shouted but she grabbed me by the collar, and picked me up in her steel grip.

  “I warned you not to betray us.”

  “I’m… urgh… not…” I thrashed in her hold, trying to create enough distance for me to breathe. Behind her, a female Banished lurked. I reached out to try and get her attention, but she seemed just as unfazed as Damage.

  “You’ve corrupted my brothers! Their deaths are on your head, Rachael.”

  “Why?” I gurgled.

  “They must be destroyed. Gargoyle would never have wanted to live as this abomination.”

  “You…. Don’t know…”She shook me again just as the other Banished stepped up, pulling her arm back.

  “That’s not part of the plan. He is waiting.”

  “Fine, do it quickly.” Damaged dropped me and stepped aside, allowing the Banished to take her place. The Banished dug her florescent eyes into my mind, applying pressure that felt like a blossoming headache. Tell the Creator not to fight me. I nodded my head and the Banished stepped up and touched both my wrists and neck, forming chains around my joints. I could feel Chō start to murmur with unease, but I calmed him with gentle shushing.

  “It’s okay Chō, don’t worry I’m fine.” I felt numb at her invasion; the Banished splintered and entered my body. I shook violently as a wave of darkness engulfed the room. When I finally opened my eyes, I was in a bathroom, standing in front of a mirror with my hands grasping the basin. There was blood smeared along the porcelain bowl, what appeared to be scissors, and an empty medicine cup tipped over onto the floor. I brought my eyes up to the mirror, feeling weightless and detached from the room around me. Is this a dream?

  I looked at myself and saw I had been crying, blood running down my wrists and tears streaking through my mascara. A loud sob whipped my head to the side. A girl sat there, cradling the toilet bowl like she was about to vomit. Her hand covered her mouth trying to keep the pills from climbing up her throat. Her phone rang beside her, its screen flickering with messages detailing a series of harsh insults. I knelt to comfort her when a voice snarled at me to step back. I turned to see the Banished, dressed in the same clothes, but with darkened hair. She glared at me furiously, her eyes a smouldering target of pink rage.

  “Don’t help her.” She ordered. Her voice was ghostly faint.

  “Is this you?” I asked, turning my head between the two girls. She didn’t answer me and the girl tipped over onto her side, her body convulsing and frothing at the mouth. There were a series of loud impatient knocks on the door, an older female’s voice shouting through.

  She screamed, “You can’t hide in there forever. If I find out all those rumours are true, then you are dead! Do you hear me Melissa? Open the damn door!” The bathroom started to fade as the girl’s eyes fluttered closed. Darkness grew again; only to place me back in my room at the bunker. Except this time I stood awkwardly, like my back was too straight and my shoulder blades pinched together.

  “Does she know?” Damaged asked. My eye started to twitch as a tickle moved along my scalp.

  “No, she hasn’t seen the Blue spirit.” My voice answered.

  “Okay, I’ll go looking for it. You take her to him.” Damage instructed. I started to walk. Confusion swelled inside me at the simple movement. I did not tell my legs to move, they just moved. I tried to scream, but my teeth clenched together, physically holding my mouth shut. Don’t bother fighting me. The Banished’s voice spoke inside my head, making me open the door and head down towards the corridor.

  Chapter Thirty-Three:

  Where are you taking me? I demanded as she led me down unfamiliar corridors.

  Outside. Where we can reach you. She forced me to run. The noise from inside the main hall was as loud as brawling bears caught in the middle of an avalanche. With two steps forward, I rushed through the entrance, bypassing the seal that had originally trapped me, before slowing into a jog upon reaching the prison halls.

  Why are you doing this? We’re on your side! I asked the spirit as she turned my head left and right, searching for someone.

  Shut up, I’m trying to concentrate.

  Just let me go. She ran my shoulder into a wall causing me to yelp. Without another word, I ran down the hall, pushing off the walls to go faster, until eventually she slowed me down once I neared the open exercise yard in the centre of the prison. It was just going on dusk, and most of the inmates and guards now in the dining area having their meals. The Banished checked the skies for a figure before walking me out into the centre of the yard. It was so quiet. I felt tiny in such a large open space. The prison was shaped like a donut where in the centre of the cells and wards were open courts.

  “Welcome, Rachael,” I spun around at a male’s voice. Smugly, Hunter Nathan opened his arms in greeting with a menacing smirk.

  “What do you want?” I demanded.

  “Just obeying the will of the higher power.” He reached me and I took two steps back, tossing my head over my shoulder trying to pinpoint an exit. I felt the Banished apply pressure into my calves, making it impossible for me to move. “You’re working too slowly. I’m here to help.”

  “With what?”

  “With the bonding, of course.” Three Reapers stepped into th
e perimeter of the yard, while three Goons stalked in after them. Their eyes and mouths glistening lights amongst the dim shadows. Each heavily panting smoke that reeked of hunger and death. There was the tiger Goon, a type of giant mole next to it, and a bat like creature that crawled forward on its wings. I felt my heart begin to race. “You’ve been holding back for too long, Rachael, it’s time that you fully embraced the power that a Creator can bring you.”

  “I don’t want it.” I shouted, which only caused Nathan to laugh. Then I changed my tone, “Why are you doing this, Nathan? I thought you said that we’re family!”

  “Family hasn’t always been my strong point.” He shrugged. “Plus, I didn’t pick you. The Creator did while searching for the Blue Spirit.”

  “I’ve met your brothers, Jordon and Evan…” I informed and Nathan snorted.

  “Jordon and I will meet soon enough, and all I can say for little baby Evan is this.” He spat on the ground. “I’m glad he still suffers, even in death.”

  “You’re a monster!”

  “No, no, no. You’re the one who likes hanging around with monsters. What type of twisted girl are you? Even with their sob stories, only an idiot would willingly help them. They’re the monsters, not me. Speaking of which…” Nathan stepped backwards, signalling the Reapers to come closer. “I’ll like to introduce to you some of my new toys. I don’t like wasting time, so I’m going to get you and that little bug of yours to bond as fast as I possibly can. What can trigger intense emotions faster than fear, hmm?” The banished Melissa jumped out of my body, snapping the chains and taking her leave into the open sky above. I finally found myself stumbling backwards, drowsy in her absence.

  “What is the point of all this? Why do you want me to bond with the Creator?”

  Nathan shrugged carelessly, “So it will destroy the world. Down here there’s nothing but disappointment and corruption. I am here to cleanse it.”