The Savior Rises

by Christopher C. Payne

  “AAAGGGHHH!” he screamed in pain as Frank drove his knife deep into the man’s chest, watching him fall lifelessly to the floor.

  He opened the back door, shoved Stefani through the opening, and yelled, “Meet me at the Monaco Hotel.”

  “Yes, room 254,” Stefani cut him off. “Of course, why not? Odds are there’s a taxi waiting for me right outside.”

  Frank just stared at her as she slammed the door in his face and casually walked over and picked up her bag. Her Raggedy Ann doll mindlessly stared back at her, flaunting its ability to let time and sanity pass by the wayside. What does it matter if you’re a rag doll and insane, Stefani thought to herself.

  She hailed the cab, shoving aside a guy who made a valiant attempt to jump in front of her. He was about to open his mouth, but she shoved her fist into the left side of his face, feeling his cheekbone crack, yelling, “Don’t even say it jerk. I am not in the mood.”

  “Where to, miss?” the driver asked hesitantly. Not sure of what to expect from his newly found violent passenger.

  “Golden Gate Bridge, please,” she said, not even blinking an eye. Maybe her luck was finally going to change. It sure couldn’t get any worse.

  When they got to the far side of the bridge, she asked the driver to pull over and park. She got out, handed him a $100 dollar bill, and said, “Keep the change.”

  Then, she slammed the door.

  The driver sat and stared at her as she walked back toward the bridge, wondering what his strange passenger could possibly be doing. She was an oddity to say the least. He wondered what had happened to have broken her so completely and totally. Some people just don’t have good luck, he thought to himself. Then he put his car in reverse and headed off to find his next buck.

  Stefani sat on the edge of the parking lot, looking at the bridge and the San Francisco skyline. It was beautiful, really. It was amazing how architecture and construction could co-mingle in a way to create such majestic buildings, even the bridge itself. How do people build these things?

  There were a couple of sailboats floating around the harbor. She could see their flashing lights, warning other boats not to come too close. They were almost like beacons giving a warning. Please don’t hurt me or us, they must be saying. We’re right here; please don’t hit us. Please don’t hurt us. We didn’t do anything wrong.

  Stefani felt herself breaking apart, remembering her childhood. Sometimes memories crashed back into her thoughts no matter how hard she tried to block them out. She didn’t like memories. There was nothing good about who she was or where she came from. Death, pain, loss – those were the feelings she’d grown so accustomed to embracing.

  The only thing in her life she ever felt fondly toward was her Raggedy Ann doll, and even that, in the end, had betrayed her. It just sat there, watching her from the chair, letting it all happen. It watched her with those eyes, almost as if it were mocking her. Telling her that everything would be all right when Stefani knew that was far from the truth. Nothing in her life would ever be all right.

  She finally did feel the power coursing through her veins. She walked over to the bridge and climbed over the fence. It must be against the rules to walk on it at night, she thought. She wondered to herself what the hours must be.

  It seemed like there should’ve been a guard standing watch. Somebody should’ve been there to protect the innocent, but nobody was there. Stefani as always was on her own.

  She scaled the barrier separating her from the edge. It was put there to protect, but in her mind, it was only trying to impede the inevitable. She was a gargoyle, after all. She could fly, maybe not now, but soon. She was almost indestructible, but she could still be hurt.

  She wondered if this was how Superman felt. He could fly through the air, save the world on countless occasions, only to end up back in his Fortress of Solitude, contemplating his inevitable death all alone. Who could possibly love a man made out of steel? It just didn’t add up.

  Who could possibly love her? She was nothing more than a shell. But she was a shell that could fly.

  She spread her Raggedy Ann doll’s arms and threw it over the edge, yelling “Fly!” as the doll floated toward her peacefulness. It wasn’t fair that lifeless stuffing found tranquility before she did, but if she didn’t help her along there would be nobody else left to push. She thought about doing it together, but she no longer wanted to do anything with anyone.

  Her doll needed to find its own peace. Raggedy Ann would have to live with her own inability to help, to foster change, to do the right thing. Her doll had seen it all and been witness to everything that happened all of those years. Her doll that was supposed to protect her now found its own way home.

  Stefani spread her arms and kicked herself off the ledge. It seemed too inappropriate to just fall. What is the purpose of jumping if you don’t actually jump?

  She felt the cold salty mist against her face as she careened toward the frothy surface of home. She really did feel like she was heading home. She felt as though she were on her way to meet her mother.

  What will I say to my mother? she thought. Her mother had left her. She was now dead and gone. Her mother was buried when Stefani was only 10 years old. Greg had hurt her mother, and Stefani had made him pay. She was strong; she knew that for a fact. She was going to make a difference in this world.

  Gargoyles love the water. Their primary goal is to protect the foundation, squirting the water far enough away from a building so it can’t erode the dirt protecting the very structure itself.

  In reality, they became so much more than that. They became the protectors of peace, fighting off demons from the other world, keeping the inhabitants safe from harm.

  Gargoyles were saviors in a way, and that meant Stefani was a savior, as well. She really did love the water. It was the only place where she felt at home.

  Goodbye, Mother

  “Stefani, wake up, sweetie. Stefani, you have to get up, honey. It’s time to take your medicine. Stefani, honey, it’s time to get up.”

  Staci kept prodding Stefani until she finally opened her eyes. It was too bright. The sun shone through the window like a heat-seeking missile headed directly to her eyes.

  “Stefani, can you sit up, sweetie? You need to take these pills, and then you can lie back down for a while. The Price is Right will be on soon. You know how much you love that Drew Carey.”

  Stefani sat up and opened her mouth as instructed, graciously swallowing the water as it swirled around her throat, launching the pills like several little life rafts. The pills did make her feel better. She wasn’t sure what they were, but now she didn’t even care. As long as everything went away, that was all that mattered.

  “You did a good job, Stefani,” Staci said. “I’ll be back in 30 minutes or so to take you to the TV room. Would you like to eat breakfast first or watch TV? They’re having the little pancakes. You love the silver dollar pancakes.

  “Ok, you sit and think about it, and we can decide when I come back. We’re in no rush. You have all day,” Staci chuckled the last line as she closed the door, locking it behind her.

  Stefani did have all day. That was the truth. Honestly, that girl would probably be a resident here until she died. Staci wondered how a distorted, depressed girl like this was ever related to a man like Greg. He was an amazing chap.

  Stefani lay in her bed, waiting for the room to spin. She wanted the room to begin its circular track. She hated the feeling in the beginning, but now it seemed as good an escape as any other. What did it matter really? Nothing mattered.

  “Stefani!”

  She heard her name, but she didn’t see anyone in the room. Was she now hearing voices? Jesus, after her life, hearing voices was probably a step up. The things she imagined she saw or did she see them? Who knew what was real, though?

  “Hahahahahahahahaha,” she laughed out loud. How could she have ever seen wild dogs or gargoyles? She must be answering her own question. She definitely was crazy. Oh, m
y God, did she actually ask herself the question?

  The room was finally starting to spin. It had little trails of light as it circled around the ceiling. She wondered why it always moved in the same direction. It was always clockwise. Round and round, it just kept going. It was beautiful.

  “Stefani!”

  “Christ, who’s saying that? Come out, come out wherever you are,” she laughed again. Then, she heard a metal key chain rattling. Somebody was having a hard time getting the lock to work.

  The door opened a few minutes later. It had sounded like somebody had tried several times before finding the correct one. What is it with these new people? Jesus, she was talking like she had been here for years. The only people she really dealt with were her roommates, or whatever they were.

  “Honey, I’ve missed you.”

  When Stefani saw the face, she couldn’t help it. She burst out crying. Tears flowed faster than the saliva fell from her useless lips.

  “Mommy? Is that you, Mommy? Why are you here? Where have you been? Mommy, can you help me? Please, help me, mommy! They’re trying to hurt me. He hurts me all the time. Please make it stop, please. Can you please stop him from hurting me, Mommy?” Stefani lost all control at this point.

  “You have to listen to me, Stefani. Please, just listen. They’re playing tricks on you. They have been for years. They’re trying to break you. You can’t let them break you. Please, no matter what, you have to stay strong…”

  “Mommy!” Stefani screamed one last time as the door opened again. Greg stood before her.

  “I was pretty clear about your not coming into this room, Jade. You just can’t seem to listen now, can you? You understand what that means right?”

  “I’m sorry, Greg. I messed up. Please don’t…”

  Jade was never able to finish the sentence. A knife appeared in Greg’s hand; and before she was able to say another word, he casually drove it into her stomach.

  Jade stood there, looking at Greg. Then, she turned her head to Stefani. She dropped to her knees as her pants became wet with the blood quickly soaking them through. She tried to say something as her hand reached in Stefani’s direction, but no words came out. She fell face-forward onto the floor, bouncing a couple of times before her body came to a final rest.

  This was the second time in her life Stefani had seen her mother die. A child should never be in a situation to see their parent get murdered once, let alone twice. It’s just not natural.

  “Mom!” she screamed. “Please, mom, not again. I can’t take it. I can’t take it again. You can’t die again.”

  She couldn’t stop screaming as the tears poured out of her eyes.

  Staci appeared in the doorway with a wheelchair and quickly strapped Stefani inside. She felt like a vegetable. What was to be gained from all of this? How could any of this matter? Where was her Raggedy Ann doll? Was it sitting in the bay, floating on the water, where Stefani should be, as well?

  Nobody looked at her when they wheeled her to the TV room, stopping her in the same spot she’d sat in yesterday or the day before that. What was the last day she’d been here? This was only the second time she’d been in this room; she didn’t care what any of them said. Jesus, how many times did her mother have to die? How can any of this make sense?

  She stared straight ahead, watching The Price is Right with Drew Carey.

  “DREW, MORON, CAREY PEOPLE!” she screamed as loud as she could. Still nobody would look at her. It was almost like they were all scared of her. They should all be afraid of me, she thought. She would kill all of these people. They would all be dead at some point. Why not now? Their worthless, pathetic existence was a blip on the timeline of life.

  “Be careful,” the guy sitting next to her said. “Remember, most of these people haven’t done you any harm. They’re victims in this just as you are. Be careful who you hate.”

  “And who are you, shit for brains?” Spit flew from her mouth as she formed the words.

  “Please, don’t look at me when you speak. They’re watching you. I’m nobody to them. But you, they watch you all the time. Your precious doll has always been a tool for them. It held the ring. They knew it held the ring. All of this has been a game. It’s all been a trick to get you to do what they want. It’s you they need. Not some stupid ring. You are the ring.”

  “Oh, my God, do you really think I even give a shit anymore? I have no idea what’s going on. I’m done. Ring, no ring, I could care less. Let them have the worthless ring!”

  Stefani ripped the necklace from around her neck and threw it at the TV. Drew Carey almost looked like he ducked as it ricocheted back towards her feet. It seemed as though it were fighting to come home.

  The room was eerily silent for a minute. Nobody talked, nobody moved. Everyone was frozen in place as the round heirloom came to rest nearly splitting the distance between Stefani and the TV. Everyone just stared. It rolled to a stop, after spinning in circles for a few seconds, and then the place erupted.

  At least 50 percent of the residents changed into gargoyles. Some transformations happened quicker than others, but everyone who could change did so. The staff was the first to completely turn. Once they had transformed, they all went after the ring.

  The guy sitting next to her had changed, as well. He grabbed the ring first and threw it back in Stefani’s direction.

  “Put it back on, for Christ’s sake, NOW!” he screamed as the guard closest to him launched his body like a rocket at her neighbor’s head.

  They collided and crashed into the TV, smashing the front screen into hundreds of tiny glass particles. Another guard also flung himself in the same direction and the three of them began pummeling each other with their fists. It didn’t seem like anyone was on any side.

  Stefani turned her head and looked around at the ensuing brawl. Everyone was fighting everyone. Anyone who could stand up and throw a punch fought whoever happened to be standing next to them. Suddenly, a room full of patients in wheel chairs had turned into a testosterone-laden battleground.

  Stefani tried to stand, but she landed on the ground in a heap of arms and legs on her first attempt. Her next try found her using the chair next to her as a crutch, as her appendages gained strength. It somehow felt like somebody injected her with energy. The ring glowed around her neck, infusing her with strength.

  The sword flew over her head an instant too late as she ducked. She hit her would-be assailant in the gut, knocking the air out of him. Her muscles found their strength in the nick of time. The sword clattered to the ground; and as she rolled over top of it, she picked it up and thrust it forward into the gargoyle’s back.

  “Too bad for you I’m pissed off today, buddy. I was actually beginning to like The Price is Right, and you guys have now screwed that up for me.”

  She hadn’t finished her sentence before she whirled around, lopped his head off, and watched it roll across the floor.

  It landed at the foot of her neighbor who wasn’t fairing as well as she was. One of the guard gargoyles held his grey, leathery arms while another one beat him in the face. Right, then left, then left, left, right. It was like some kind of boxing sequence gone mad.

  “Hey, Mike Tyson!” she yelled as she arched the sword in a semi-circle, slicing it through his neck. Then, she stabbed him in the back, piercing all the way through to his waiting heart.

  “Buddy, let my friend go or you’ll go down just like Chomper here.”

  What would Mr. Tyson do with these massive pointy ears? she thought. It would be like Christmas for him.

  The second guard threw her neighbor at her like a tinker toy. She easily side-stepped, lifting her sword as she did. She brought it down with all of her strength, splitting the gargoyle’s head in half.

  “WOW, now we didn’t manage to cut it off, but two heads are definitely not prettier than one.”

  She laughed as she pierced her sword through his chest, doing the same to his quickly fading organ.

  “Bruiser, sh
ould we head out,” Stefani said.

  “Daniel is my name; and yes, let’s vacate.”

  He grabbed her around her waist and stretched his wings, flying through the windows overlooking the parking lot. He flew straight up into the clouds. They were only a few minutes from being free when the shots went off.

  “Shit, you just can’t buy love these days, can you?” Greg asked as he raised the shotgun to his shoulder and fired again. He only used silver buckshot for ammunition. Gargoyles did hate silver with a passion. That was one of the legends that was true.

  Both shots had found their way home, and Daniel plummeted back to the ground at 10 times the speed he had elevated. He lost his grip on Stefani, and she fell a few feet away from him, head first, directly into a grove of trees.

  They both went through limbs, knocking off branches. The trunk of one tree impaled Daniel’s stomach as he rolled to a stop.

  Stefani fared much better, but her left arm was completely turned backwards. It looked more like a pretzel than it did the appendage of a human being. She ran over to Daniel, crying as she moved. She cradled his head in her arm as he did his best to speak.

  “Pull the tree out of my stomach. Hurry, they’ll be here quickly. We must heal as much as we can before they arrive.”

  Heal, she thought. They were lucky not to be dead.

  As the thoughts formed in her mind, she could already see her left arm moving on its own, notching itself back in place.

  “What the, now that is some cool stuff,” she said as she ripped the tree limb out of Daniel’s stomach.

  He screamed in protest and fell back to the ground, his arms flailing. But they had nothing to hold onto.

  “Do you see the sword?” he gasped. “Find the sword, you’ll need it. The ring is allowing you to heal quickly. Find the sword, and we might live.”

  She saw it like a beacon of hope, a few rows of trees away and sprinted for it, watching her left arm begin to function again as she ran.