Remnant Tails

by Fey Truet

  I wondered if this was death. My own personal purgatory. It was no less than I deserved.

  “No. You’re wrong,” Mother began, squeezing me too tight. “You deserve a lot worse, Emare. Or have your lies become immaterial in the wake of each and every one of your many sins? ”

  My heart fell to hollow pieces that would crumble upon a mere touch.

  “Mother?” I choked.

  “Have you forgotten all that I sacrificed for you, Emare? I had dreams before you, and a life I wanted to realize after you. I gave it all up for you. Both of us did, your Father and I. And what for? A soulless ingrate? The Devil’s Servant? Where is your brother now, Emare? Is he following in your footsteps! Oh, how I toss in my eternal sleep. You’ve broken your mother’s heart, Emare. Don’t fret, however. You can help to fix it. ”

  I felt a little leap in my heart.

  “I…can?” I tried to say, but it was so weak coming from a broken heart.

  Wait…?!

  “Mm-hm,” she agreed.

  She rubbed her cold face against mine, and it was wrong.

  Mother had never been so cold before.

  I blinked, and in a far-off image, I saw a girl.

  She stared at me covered in filth, with a rather cross expression. Behind her was another child, younger, covered from head to toe in the same filth with the same expression. Then another child appeared, him raising an accusing finger my way. Then more and more children appeared as if from nowhere, all pointing at…

  “Emare? To fix Mother’s broken heart, you must—”

  My mother squeezed me very tightly and I couldn’t move.

  It wasn’t just my heart that was breaking, I realized.

  “—die!” she whispered, and she squeezed and squeezed until I screamed from sheer agony.

  This isn’t right! I thought frantically.

  Then I recognized the truth.

  “I shouldn’t die! I did everything I could!” I yelled with all my might. “I did! I did!”

  “You lied to me!” Mother squeezed me. “You lie!”

  Pohlin appeared before me and held my struggling limbs down. “You failed me!”

  Father grabbed my chin. “You forgot my words!”

  They all sounded like demons now.

  “I didn’t! I didn’t! I did the best I could! I gave everything I could! If that isn’t enough then nothing is! Don’t pervert the love I have for you all!”

  I could see them all so clearly now.

  The children.

  They glowed bright and glorious.

  They pointed not at me but behind me. I turned around and it wasn’t my mother who clinched me. Blackness and shadows oozed around me, and a faceless head screamed and gnashed at all parts of me.

  I squirmed around, no longer human, but my soul-self, even so, the gloom snuffed the life out of me. It was all so fruitless. Like trying to escape fear itself.

  Then I stopped.

  What were those words?

  That, which is without form is a being inconsequential to fear, I concentrated.

  That was my battle cry into the void. They brought me here.

  I believed those words, and if they were true then Heath was nothing.

  I felt that feeling burn within me and saturate my soul-self. The jewel on my tail glowed green, and I felt myself fall to the ground below. This time when the monster wailed, it was a sound no more emaciated than a whelps whimper.

  No longer was I in the void, but a grotto formed from the bones of the dead and decay.

  I looked around for the creature. He hid well.

  What I did find were the children who led me out of the dark.

  Their bones were scattered everywhere, lying about as if they weren’t precious.

  I charged forward, following the creatures cries. That’s when I found him.

  In the distance, I could see a goopy human form crawling towards a figure on the ground.

  A pale figure crawled into a tiny ball, sucking his thumb. Certainly not the same figure who innocently grabbed me only a few days ago, mistaking me for a cat.

  No! I shouted.

  As I hurtled myself onto the monster, I felt my soul-self grow ravenous. It wanted nothing more than to eat.

  Eat the gloom! Every last part of it.

  And that’s what my soul-self did!

  The gloom had no matter, but I could taste its soul and it was nearly as good as the ambrosia. I lost myself in the taste and couldn’t stop.

  Couldn’t stop.

  Can’t stop!

  I ate until all that was left was the misshapen head that seemed to plead with me.

  My soul-self wanted to finish its meal.

  The hunger.

  I swallowed hard. I shook with the need to finish it.

  Heath was done for, though. His time as a gloom was done. To finish him, put him out of his misery was my right!

  Finish it! my soul-self ordered.

  I looked at what remained of Heath.

  He may not have had a face for expression, but he did express fear. Created to sow destruction, he did have a soul. He felt pain, misery, and fear, just as much as he spread it. Which brought him glee I could still taste.

  I wanted to devour him. I trembled with the need. But I also realized that it wasn’t my place.

  Devour him! My soul-self shouted.

  No! I screamed back.

  Heath was no longer a threat.

  I was a Remnant, not a Glutton.

  It’s not our job to finish it! I’m not a Glutton!

  I turned away from Heath. The moment he gathered that he was spared he fled, and the grotto shook. An orange glow illuminated the grotto, warming us.

  I went over to Kyle who now had the strength to sit up.

  I mewed at him and crawled into his arms with my ears flattened so as not to scare him.

  “Kitty,” he said absently, then fainted.

  Bright light after bright light shot upwards from the grotto. I couldn’t begin to express my terror, but when I looked, I saw child after child smile and wave before bounding away. The last one skipped around gleefully as she pirouetted like a dancer after waving. Then she too leapt away.

  The next thing I knew, I was back at the bottom of the well with Kyle.

  “Holy Smokes!” I heard dog-boy cry from above.

  Collin! I cried from below. Collin, can you hear me?

  A moment later Collin’s head popped around the ring of the well.

  “Holy smokes! Cat! Is that you? What the heck happened! The gloom just appeared out of nowhere! It didn’t put up much of a fight, though! I took out the gloom. Me. Can you believe it?”

  There’s a boy down here with me! I don’t think a rope will be enough! I told him.

  “A boy?!” he asked outraged. “Geez! What the heck did you do down there, Cat? I’ll be down in a moment! Is he okay?”

  That question stopped my heart.

  Kyle was passed out, but he was breathing.

  I think so! I don’t know!

  I hope he was.

  Collin climbed down his rope and carried Kyle and me back to the surface. Around the well, all the life had died just as it was supposed to be. It was too cold in this season for life to be so vibrant. Too cold in this area.

  When Collin confirmed that Kyle was just sleeping and was okay, I relaxed.

  “C’mon, Cat,” Collin barked, carrying Kyle. “It’s late. The two of you can stay at my place tonight. Tomorrow we can track down his parents. For now, let’s rest. It’s been a long… week.”

  Yeah, I agreed, looking up at him.

  He began walking, and I tiredly trotted behind him.

  I thought about it and decided to give him something I was too rude to give him before. Something he probably didn’t care about now.

  Emare, I told him.

  “Hm? What about your tails?” he asked.

  I growled.

  No! Emare! It’s my name! My name is Emare!

  Collin stare
d down at me for a moment before looking straight ahead. Then he shrugged.

  “So. I still don’t like you, and if that’s an offer to be friends than screw it, Emare.”

  I shrugged as well.

  Okay!

  “You’re not supposed to say ‘Okay,’ stupid Cat!” he said, trying to kick me.

  I dodged and ran ahead of him.

  Whatever, I laughed. I don’t expect a lot from you, I lied.

  Blendon Sharon

  “Hi, Kitty,” a little girl smiled at me as I ran past.

  I merely glanced at her with what hurry I was in.

  Okay!

  This was the opening.

  I looked up and spotted the broken window covered with puffy plastic. I jumped on the jumbo dumpster and onto a roof. Then I bunched the muscles in my leg and wriggled until I got the positioning just right, and jumped into the plastic, going through it as it tangled around me.

  The homeowners would be deaf to not have heard that.

  I unwrapped myself and looked for the teddy bear Kyle asked for. This was the plan and it had better work or I’d suffer this time.

  I sighed.

  This room was too big for me, and Kyle wasn’t much bigger. I wonder how he found things.

  “Agh!” a woman, Kyle’s mother, screamed when she spotted me in her son’s room.

  Her ringed eyes quickly narrowed to rage-induced slits and I decided to make haste. She grabbed the first thing she could reach, a thick, colorful storybook, and threw it at me.

  I jumped on the bed and found what I was looking for.

  Hi, Teddy!

  “No! You beast!” the woman screamed at me as I grabbed the teddy.

  “Must you take everything from me, Demon! You won’t take all that I have left of my son!” she screamed, even as I darted between her legs.

  “What’s going on!” her husband barked with a long gun in his hands.

  I blew past him sloppily with Teddy.

  When his senses returned to him after momentary shock, he shot, the bullet whizzing several feet ahead of me into a seat cushion that exploded filling.

  Okay! This is getting dangerous!

  I got their attention though. That’s what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, I had to keep it.

  I set the teddy bear down for a moment as I took a moment to unlock a window, then I grabbed the teddy bear and jumped out into the opening.

  The husband aimed the gun at me but stopped when he noticed the strange girl in the bright pink jacket still smiling.

  “Move, Girl!” he shouted as his wife came to meet me outside.

  The girl just smiled and waved. The husband cursed and left the window to follow his wife.

  When she was as close as I needed her, I ran, not so fast as to lose her, just fast enough so she wouldn’t catch me.

  “Somebody! Stop that creature! It stole my son!” she shouted for help.

  It was unfortunate for her that I didn’t give anyone that chance. By the time any one person got over the initial shock of her unorthodox cry, I was already past anybody who could stop me.

  When the woman stopped out of breath on the street, I turned around and went back to her. This would only work if she followed me to the end. Even when I came back she sat there. I got as close to her as a friend, and she lunged at me, my quick senses and fast reflexes carrying me back too far for her to grab me.

  “Why! Why are you torturing me! I’m sorry, alright! I’m sorry I was hurried to injure you! But Kyle means the world to me! He is my son! I’d do anything to protect him. Anything!” she cried.

  I chirped in agreement, getting her attention, then chirped again, teasing her with the bear.

  Then I ran forward a few feet.

  C’mon! You’re so close!

  When she just sat there I put the bear down and barked at her. I only picked it up again when she stood and walked towards me. I ran a few feet ahead of her and stopped, goading her to follow, then I turned into an ally, meeting Kyle.

  “Kitty!” he excited as I ran to him with his bear. “Teddy!” he snatched it from me hugging it.

  I rubbed against him as a goodbye and ran further back to meet Collin.

  Did you get them? he asked.

  He raised his muzzle to the air, trying to catch a scent.

  You’ll see, I told him.

  A heartbeat later, Kyle’s mother came around the corner and froze when she saw her son.

  “Mommy!” he cried, running to his mother who ran up to meet him.

  She pulled him into her arms. “Kyle! Oh, Kyle!” she exclaimed, wrought with emotions.

  I would’ve relished the moment, but I caught a scent.

  It raised my hackles and set me on edge.

  “Come on, Kyle! Let’s go home!” the woman said picking up her son and carrying him.

  “Bye, Puppy! Bye, Kitty!” Kyle waved at us, his mother turning back momentarily to look.

  She started again when she didn’t spot a thing.

  Both Collin and I raised our paws to wave goodbye. A human gesture that looked strange from two familiars.

  What’s wrong? Collin asked when I growled.

  Involuntary as it was, it was honest.

  Something was here. Something I can only describe as, as…

  Destruction, I told him.

  He huffed at me. You just saved a child and gave him back to his parents. In what way is that destructive? he asked. You’re too serious for your own good. Lighten up, Cat.

  Even as he said that the smell clashed itself. Dust and ash, burning buildings and vicious storms, droughts and floods. The smell of death and torment. The smell of pure souls and rotting flesh. The smell of Collin’s and my deaths.

  I growled and snapped again.

  Can you not smell that?

  I smell your fear. All these people. Why? What do you smell? he asked.

  Don’t move! I snapped at him because the smell shifted.

  As if it was moving.

  The shadows in this alley changed slightly. Shifted.

  It was here.

  Watching us.

  There is something here. Something very bad watching us. It wants us dead, Collin.

  Collin ignored my warning.

  He looked around and huffed.

  Right!

  I turned quickly when he got up and walked to the end of the ally and froze where I stood.

  This is Cross’ town and we are his familiars. Nothing is so bold as to directly attack us. The gloom is gone now, which means that there are few things here that could hurt me. And if something that bad were here I’m sure I’d have sensed it before you. And just about everything wants you dead, Emare. But you’re with me so you’re safe.

  “You are absolutely wrong, Drogue,” a voice said from all around.

  A form appeared in front of Collin, and all I heard was his subdued yelp.

  “I want her dead. But I still have need of you,” the woman cooed, even as I leapt on her.

  I scratched and bit and released my terror and fury on her.

  She merely laughed, grabbing a handful of me and tossing me past Collin.

  I got up, and horror be me, I saw Collin.

  Several spikes glowing abysmally black crossed into his belly as he quivered and shook with the need to survive and escape.

  A pallid, gray woman with large violet eyes and wispy smoke for hair appeared and lounged on Collin as if he were a chaise. Stroking his fur, she stared at me.

  I spit at her a hiss she should fear.

  She smiled and her blood red lips moved.

  “So you’re Cross’ new Glutton? How unfortunate. Gluttons are so rare these days. I’m going to have to kill you, you know? It’s so personal too. What a bother.”

  I growled at her and she sighed. She turned her body on Collin so she sat on him with her arms resting on the spikes. A red dress that seemed to be made of glowing red blood flowed around her legs.

  “Are you too stupid to even care? Are you that sta
rved? I’ve been watching you since you arrived here. You should be honored. I consider you, a lowly Glutton, a threat.”

  I dared look away at her and concentrated on Collin. His eyes that were once gold were now black and hollow, and his quivering was slowing down. Whatever was happening to him, he seemed to be giving up. If I was going to help it had to happen soon.

  “Oh, what? Him? Oh, how Precious, Human. Glutton. You shouldn’t even worry about him. You should be more worried about yourself. Ah, I suppose since you’re going to die anyways there’s no harm in telling you.”

  I took a careful step back as she stood up off of Collin and put a hand to her chin.

  “I’m not going to kill him. Being a ‘Mother’ and not a ‘Father,’ I cannot birth such splendid creatures as these ‘familiars.’ But I can steal their loyalties and make them my own. They are much more useful than the children I deliver, and I can keep them under my reign for all eternity.”

  She turned back and stroked Collin’s fur once more.

  “Ah, yes. This one is fine. I haven’t had a Drogue for well over a millennium. I find them mostly useless, you see. But not this one. This one will do me well. Oh, that reminds me.”

  The woman turned back to me.

  “This is for my son,” she said, casually pointing a finger at me.

  My soul-self flinched, and I jumped, avoiding the black nail that extended and tried to impale me. When I landed, she smiled at the place I once was, then turned to me.

  “He was still useful to me. And you cost me dearly. Oh, Dear Son. If only he hadn’t ignored my orders to end you. Instead, he got greedy and went for your girl-child instead. I guess it’s my fault for imparting in him such greed, but it is by your tooth he was slain. My Treasured Heath.”

  Heath?

  I stood there unable to believe it. What was it that Cross said?

  “Heath, Child of Blendon Sharon.”

  And this woman claimed to be his mother.

  Blendon Sharon!

  The woman narrowed her eyes.

  “How dare you speak that name as if you were an equal! You are despised by all around you, an iniquity that must be destroyed. You caused me my Tree of Life, and now I must find another source of ambrosia. You destroyed what was justly mine, my poor, pitiful Heath, who I had not forgiven for his sins, and never will now because of you!”