The Savior Rises

by Christopher C. Payne

  Collin sprung from the table, as nimble as the ancient Yoda from the old Star Wars movies. He bounced like a jack rabbit, grabbed a sword from the umbrella stand, and lopped off one of the guy’s heads who stood at the back door before anyone else had a chance to react.

  Jason didn’t take long to recover as he vaulted over the ensuing battle, flipped his own sword out, and jammed it directly into Daniel’s heart. As he twisted his body around in a 180 turn, he leveled his swing, lopping off Daniel’s head as his mouth still hung open in surprise.

  It really wasn’t fair how every male companion abandoned Stefani just when she was getting to know them. As Collin cut the legs out from under the second guy standing at the back entryway, Stefani de-armed another one of the front-door entrants. He dropped to his knees in shock, screaming out as he fell, seconds away from moving on to the next life.

  Jason flipped over the table like a football player, twisting in mid-air, ripping his sword down Collin’s back.

  Collin was a little too fast for him, even in his old age. As Jason’s sword rolled up Collin’s spine, but still doing little damage. Collin thrust his own sword in the air, catching Jason’s head, skewering him through his left eye. Jason screamed in protest as he fell to the ground, spasmodically slithering like a snake that had just lost the upper three inches of its body.

  The one guy left standing bolted, retreating back in the direction from which he had just come. He didn’t want to share his leader’s fate. As he ran, a dog snatched him by his left arm and threw him in the air. When he reached the pinnacle of his arch, he fell back towards the earth screaming, right into the waiting beast’s mouth. The dog bit him in half.

  The other two dogs flanking their companion dove on the carcass, and all three consumed the carcass. Within minutes there was no evidence he’d ever existed. How odd to have your entire being eliminated from the face of the planet in the amount of time it might take to toast a piece of bread.

  Stefani leapt from the floor, dove through the door, and rolled on her side. She slid on her back under the middle dog, dragging her sword across the belly of the beast and cutting a two-foot gash into its flesh. It howled in pain as it fell flat, barely giving her time to slither out from underneath it.

  Seeing their comrade fall, the other two animals launched themselves on top of it, beginning to feast on the flesh of their own. This was a much larger meal than the man, and they both tore and swallowed as fast as their crunching jaws would allow.

  Stefani saw her opening and, using the sword as a vault, catapulted herself onto one dog’s back, impaling his skull as she drove her sword down with all her strength. The dog squealed in protest, backed up, and fell on its haunches, shaking its head furiously. Stefani used her sword as a brace while the dog did its best to dislodge her.

  Taking a last few breaths and feeling its life rhythmically ebb away. The ferocious animal slowly lost energy and lay down on its side. The third dog turned and ran when it saw its companion struggle, having enough instinct to avoid the confrontation entirely.

  Stefani slid down the slippery skin of the horse-like creature. She landed on her feet, pulling her sword out as she did so. Seeing the last of the creatures flee, she walked around to the front door and assessed the latest damage caused by the darker side of human nature.

  “You have a lot of pent up anger in you, my child. While it does serve a purpose at times, you’ll find it can consume you if left unchecked,” Collin said. “There are those who would be harmed by your power unless you find a way to harness it. Anger and hatred are never easy emotions to control.”

  Stefani walked over to the old man, sat down, and stared. She was tired of receiving advice. Nobody ever seemed to really help her. Everyone wanted to talk, to counsel her on how the damage she’d endured could be overcome. What if she didn’t want to overcome the damage? What if all she cared about was making sure the people who had inflicted this damage paid the same price she had?

  “I’m afraid you can only find the answers you seek in Stonehenge. It’s a sacred place, full of powers you cannot imagine. It’s there, in the Circle of Power, you will meet your darkness, and that alone will decide your fate. You must remember, hatred and anger are not easy to control. If you let them beat you, you will lose. The greatness of the pain you have suffered is of no matter.”

  Stefani took her sword and sliced it sideways, carving two inches into the old man’s throat. He grabbed his neck with both hands as the blood squirted through his fingers. He fell to his knees as his eyes stared at her, questioning, why.

  His voice cracked as he tried to finish speaking, desperately attempting to say a few final words. But he lacked the ability. His mouth squirted blood, and he then fell flat on his chest, burying his face in the dirt and grass.

  “I’m really getting tired of people telling me how bad my anger is and how I should control it. How does that feel? And, for the record old man, I am really pissed off. Have a nice day.”

  Stefani got in the car and made her way to the nearest hotel. It was a little four-unit place where the rooms sat on top of the bar underneath. She only had one more day until her birthday. Everything she’d lived for was all coming to a climax in a few short hours.

  She cleaned up, took a shower, and headed downstairs for some food and a few drinks. She began to enjoy the feeling of euphoria associated with too much drinking. Nothing like escaping to the unknown land of fantasy and make believe.

  “Tomorrow is my birthday,” she announced to the bartender and the seven other people crammed into the tiny hovel. “Line up the drinks. I’m paying.”

  “Well, now, lassie, that’s a mighty fine thing for you to do,” said a guy from across the bar as he sauntered over to the stool and sat down next to her. “Are you ready for your big day? Are you ready to make your daddy happy?”

  “You have no idea how ready I am, you blimey shit,” she responded. “I’ve thought about nothing else since the first time I understood what kind of creatures men really are. I’m ready, and trust me, everyone will find out just how pissed off I am.”

  “Excellent!” he responded, as he backed away, retreating to his table. “Oh, yah, happy birthday, by the way. It’s one day early, but happy birthday nonetheless.”

  “Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeee! Happy Birthday to me!”

  Everyone in the bar left Stefani alone when she sang quietly to herself. She sat on the stool, drinking one glass after another of whatever the bartender gave her. There are some people you just shouldn’t bother. They’re better off left alone.

  “She is one crazy lass there, mate,” said an old man sitting at one of the tables to his drinking partner of the last 40 years.

  “Yes, she might be at that,” his partner replied, “But, then again, aren’t we all a little crazy on some level? Aren’t we all living with one foot over the edge?”

  Stonehenge

  “Stefani…Stefani, it’s time to wake up, honey. Stefani, you need to wake up so you can take your medicine.”

  “She always has such a hard time getting up in the mornings,” Staci said to Lori. “You would think she was still a teen-ager.”

  “Well, I can sympathize with her completely,” Lori said, “and I’m not anywhere near being a teen-ager. Getting out of bed in the morning is way overrated. I would lie in bed all day if I had the opportunity.”

  “Please don’t say that out loud,” Staci looked sternly in Lori’s direction. “The last thing we want is anyone in here believing that staying in bed is better than facing what might confront them each day. They’ve had a hard enough life as it is.

  “Stefani, you have to sit up, dear. I really have to move on, and you have to take your medication this morning.”

  Stefani lifted her head and opened her mouth. She did this every morning. But this morning was different, and she knew it. Every bone in her body screamed that today would be a new day. It would be the first day to the start of her new
life. She wasn’t going to begin it in this Hell hole. Give me the pills, I’ll swallow them and have a grand ‘ole time, she thought to herself.

  She took her pills as instructed, swallowed her glass of water in one gulp, and rolled over on her side, closing her eyes again.

  “We’ll be back to pick you up in about 30 minutes,” Staci said. “Did you hear me, honey? Stefani?”

  “Yes,” Stefani finally answered. “Jesus, I’ll be ready, but please leave me alone for now, and let me go back to sleep.”

  * * *

  Stefani stretched her arms out, pushing the pillows in all directions. As she did so, the down comforter on her bed was piled up in a mound, rising above her like a mountain of fluff. She loved the sponginess of a down comforter, especially a white one. Something about it was so homey.

  The sun peaked through the curtains she had drawn last night, so she knew it was well into morning. Today was a special day. She was 21 years old today. Today would be the day she would finally come face-to-face with her destiny. She was 21 today. Man, she could actually drink legally now. She’d been through so much she didn’t even consider the particular milestone to be that big of a deal anymore.

  She wondered how many people her age celebrated their special day with a drink in their hands. What a different life that would be! It seemed alien to her that she might sit next to a swimming pool, sipping a colorful glass of alcohol, glistening with ice cold freshness through a twisted straw. It seemed like Stefani would never participate in a life so serene.

  She lifted herself from her nighttime slumber. No time to wallow in self- pity. Time for the big show, she thought to herself. She might not have had the perfect childhood, but this was the time in her life to face Greg and make him pay for what he’d done to her mother. He would suffer before he finally was allowed to die, or maybe he would kill her first. Either way, who really cared?

  She suddenly felt nauseated and ran to the restroom. It had been a few days since she felt this sick. Maybe the nausea signaled her final transformation was close. Perhaps today was the day when she would officially become a gargoyle. Would she be a protector of what was wholesome and good? How had some of these creatures turned their backs on their own heritage?

  She went downstairs and found a seat at a corner table and ate breakfast. A TV hung in the corner above the bar: and, of all things, it played The Price is Right with Drew Carey. Stefani had no idea The Price is Right was even broadcast in England. She really didn’t care for it herself, but she did have memories of watching the game show with her grandmother when Bob Barker hosted.

  Her life’s dream at the time was to be a Barker Beauty. She’d wave her hand in front of the prizes, looking all hot and fancy. She hadn’t even been able to reach those lofty heights. How pathetic was she, anyway?

  “What can I get you?” the buck-toothed waitress asked, while she flipped her pen in an annoying spastic beat.

  “Eggs over easy, some toast and some juice, please,” Stefani responded.

  If the waitress didn’t keep her pen still, Stefani felt she would jab the tip in the side of her skull. Stefani was already on edge. The last thing she wanted to deal with was a nutty waitress.

  When the waitress returned with her meal, Stefani screamed, “WHAT, NO FREAKING SILVER DOLLAR PANCAKES?”

  Not knowing what to do, the scared young girl placed the plate on the table and backed away, not responding at all.

  Stefani took her time eating, and when she was done, she walked outside and hiked up to the top of a nearby hill. There was a solitary tree at the peak. It stood majestically all by itself. The grass hadn’t been cut in a while, so it wafted with the breeze as the sun began its long climb into the sky.

  She lay down, gazed at the clouds, and admired how gracefully they flew through the air. Maybe I could’ve been a ballerina under the right circumstances, she thought. Ballerinas are beautiful and graceful. She really did love dancing. It was probably too late for that, though. Didn’t you have to start training at a very young age to be a professional dancer?

  Stefani closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She felt so calm and relaxed. She hadn’t felt like this in so long – longer than she could remember. She wanted so much to be normal. Why was it she wasn’t like all the other little kids? How come she was picked out of the crowd and given the special privileges? She didn’t want to be special.

  * * *

  “Stefani, time to wake up. Stefanie, it’s time now. Stefani, I’ve been waiting, dear. Don’t keep your daddy waiting any longer; it isn’t polite.”

  Stefani slowly opened her eyes and tried to rub the sleep away. Her arms and legs were tied. Somehow it was dark now. The moon was already well into the sky, and her back hurt. She was lying flat on some kind of marble slab, and there were several huge erect stones surrounding her in a circle.

  She was naked, as well. Why was she naked? Who had taken her clothes? She felt so exposed, so vulnerable. Why was she so open to the world?

  She was in the middle of Stonehenge, and she was tied up on some kind of flat altar in the middle. Gargoyles were perched on top of each erect monument that circled around her slab of marble. There was a ring of stones within the stones, and they all had a gargoyle squatting at the top, looking down at her. They stared at her with sad eyes, hoping they were wrong about what might happen next.

  Matt stood next to her. He was naked, as was she. She felt so cold, so vulnerable. Why was Matt naked? Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? Matt was dead, wasn’t he? “Matt,” she whispered. “What’s going on? Are you here to protect me?”

  Matt stared back at her and didn’t speak. She didn’t recognize the other gargoyles. Not that Matt was a gargoyle. Actually, she couldn’t remember whether he was a gargoyle. He was her brother, though. She’d forgotten she had a brother. All that time growing up, and she’d forgotten she had a brother.

  She wondered how he’d possibly gotten so big. She remembered him as a little boy. Well, she’d grown up, as well. She really hoped he was ok. As she thought of him, she burst into tears. It wasn’t his fault. He was just a boy. He’d done what he could to help her.

  For some reason there were cameras set up everywhere. Stefani didn’t like having her picture taken. She hated the movies, too.

  “STOP!” she screamed. “Don’t take my picture. I don’t like it.”

  But nobody answered her. There was nobody around her. She couldn’t see anything.

  “Hello, Stefani,” Greg said from behind the top of her head. “How’s my little girl feeling? Are you ready to be a big girl and make daddy proud?”

  “Please stop. Please. It doesn’t feel good,” Stefani cried uncontrollably. She couldn’t get a grip on herself. All she wanted to do was make it go away. The gargoyles were supposed to help. They were her protectors. Why weren’t they doing anything? They just sat there like stone statues. They stared at her from the shelves. They weren’t doing anything to help her. Why weren’t they helping her?

  Smack. Greg threw the back of his hand across her face.

  “I really don’t have time for this crap,” he said. “You really need to shut up, you sniveling little shit.”

  Stefani looked around at the stones. They were massive. There were posters hanging on some of the larger sides. One poster was of England. She could see Stonehenge in the background, and there was one of Bath. She really did love the little city of Bath. It was so quaint, with all the shops and old buildings. The other poster was of Italy’s coastline. She couldn’t make out the name of the city, but she felt like she’d been there before, perhaps recently.

  There was a newer poster, as well. It looked like Mexico, probably Tijuana. That was the only city in Mexico Stefani could remember. She’d never been to Mexico, or had she? Her memory was hard to control. She tried to remember things. Everyone kept telling her she would feel better if she could remember things and confront her demons. She just didn’t know if she had the strength.

  “Ugh!” she sai
d out loud. God, the pain was unbearable. Her stomach imploded, and she felt as if she were going to be sick.

  “I told you to shut up, didn’t I?” Greg drove the knife deep into her stomach. He lifted it up and stabbed her again. She knew she wouldn’t die, even though she wanted to. Her gargoyle blood gave her supernatural powers even when she didn’t want them.

  He just kept lifting his knife up and down. It was splitting her gut in half. It hurt so badly.

  “Please, don’t stab Matt,” she heard herself mutter in a mouse-like voice. Part of her wanted Greg to stab Matt, so he would stop stabbing her. But she knew that was wrong.

  She saw him plant the knife in Matt’s backside as he bent over. Matt cried. Matt was older than she was, or was he younger? She couldn’t remember. She didn’t want to remember – she just wanted the pain to stop. The pain in her stomach was overwhelming. It wasn’t fair. Where was her mom?

  “Mom!” she cried out. Her scream was cut short when Greg – was he really her dad? – smacked her across the face again. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain when he stabbed her. She hated his knife. She hated all men and their putrid knives.

  “You really want your mother?” he shouted. “Your mother is a whore. I’m the person who rules this house. Do you understand that?”

  He left the room, finally. Matt bled in the corner, standing by one of the stones. The gargoyles sure weren’t doing a very good job protecting her tonight. They really looked more like rocks than supernatural creatures sent here to watch over her.

  “Here is your worthless excuse for a mother,” he said, dragging Stefani’s mom by her hair, pulling her into the room. “Do you have anything to say to them, Jade?”

  He smacked Jade in the head with his fist as he held her hair with his other hand. “Jade, I can’t hear you…,” he said, mockingly.