by JN Moon
I was lost in thought as we walked along, but gradually I sensed the growing excitement of the shadow creatures. The sky once again was growing dark and the beautiful hues of orange gold surrounded inky black clouds. Despite the increasing excitement, part of me was sad as I continued to enjoy the scenery around me. The emptiness of this land weighed heavily on my heart. As I thought this, the crows and the shadow creatures grew louder and their footsteps and beating of their wings became more frenzied. I looked up to see a mirror.
The forest was almost completely dark and was so dense that the mirror was partially hidden, covered with bracken and golden leaves. In front of it lay a sprinkling of fairy ring mushrooms. The last of the sun hit the glass so a thin slither of light shone out. The edge was gold leaf, thick and arched. It was surreal to see this in the middle of a wood.
As everyone arrived at the mirror, all the shadow creatures surrounded it and silence fell. I gulped and my mouth went dry as I knew they were all depending on me. I sat down on the leaf littered ground to gather some courage and calm my racing thoughts.
“Well, vampire, what now?” The bird’s voice was urgent with fear.
“Lucius told me we have to build up the energy with a strong intention of where we want to go. I can feel this place is enchanted, can you?” There was a silence as all tried to tap into the magic here. It was strong to be sure.
We were all gathered around the mirror, some stuck to the trees, others crouched or sat near me by the mirror. The birds nestled on the low branches above us as night crept in on us. We were at an edge of the forest, an edge that had been lost long ago. Behind a small iron gate, a scattering of trees led away to what looked like fields in the dimming light. The mirror leaned against the gate.
“But who’ll go first?” one of the shadow people asked, his voice slightly strangled in worry.
“You can, if you wish. I will make sure that you’re all safely through. I don’t know where you have all come from. If it’s Earth, you could all concentrate on that, feel like we are already there, link hands and go together. You birds could perch on our shoulders? But...we have to concentrate, all of us on the same thing at the same time. As those passing through, we cannot afford fear to break our focus, otherwise we could all be lost, separated and end up God knows where! So if you want to do that, we need to take a little time to ready ourselves. There may be no going back, and this could be our only chance. That is the best suggestion I can think of.”
Again they murmured amongst themselves and I could feel their anticipation, it was almost tangible. I sat there imagining being home, but I thought it better to just imagine being in Bath, lest we all spill forth into my little house!
At length when the last of light had almost gone, one came forward. “We are agreed, although we don’t all know where each of us comes from. We shall imagine and feel being there and concentrate on that alone. Either way, we will have tried. Linking hands sounds the best idea. But we think it better to start as the sun rises, and not when it sinks.”
I smiled. That sounded a good plan. Although I find nature quite impatient, it would be easier for all of us to have none waiting alone in the dark in that beautiful and haunting place.
“Are we sure we have left none behind?” I suddenly had a terrible feeling that others could be lost here. For some reason I felt terribly protective about leaving any others behind.
“We see all that have come through, and except under worlders, we know them all. This is all of us.” His words were kind and sounded genuine.
With his words, I nodded and felt some relief. I looked around and noticed many of the creatures bedding down under the trees, building a fire to share while the birds nested in the trees. For the first time since I got there, happiness filled the air and some even laughed, tentatively. I supposed that they had lived in fear and isolation for so long and never believed they could access this portal.
“Have none of you ever tried to use this portal before?”
“Of course, many, many times, but all have failed. We didn’t know what you told us. We were brought here by demons, necromancers, witches. Most were in shock, stolen from our beds or plucked from the sky, and when that shock wore off, there was no one to ask or spy on to discover how to use the portals. We still wonder why you help us.”
“I’m sorry that you wonder that. I may be a vampire, perhaps because I am new, I still remember my humanity, my compassion. Over time, I have heard, once you’ve seen all your friends and family die, over time we can become detached. I strive not to be that.”
The creature looked thoughtful.
Now I ventured to ask, “Do you mind me asking, who are you? What’s your name?” I couldn’t tell if the being was male or female. Its eyes, like my own had no colour in the irises. Its appearance was almost transparent. It looked forlorn with that question and I was about to reach out in comfort, but I thought better of it.
“I’m so sorry if I’ve upset you. If we’re successful, I will try and help you. All of you.”
It looked at me, eyes heavy with so much pain, as one does when you believed for so long that there was no hope. No hope. I cannot imagine the dread of that.
To my surprise, the creature answered, “I cannot really remember who I was, and I still find it hard to believe that you would help us. I thank you.” It got up and sat with the others and I crawled closer to the fire and fell asleep. I hadn’t slept at night for so long.
Dawn broke and the sunrise was unlike anything on Earth. Brilliant golden orange filled the sky and the cool air woke me. Everyone was awake and looking to me to begin. Sadness once again gripped me to leave this place, but I got up and brushed myself down. Inhaling the pure sweet air, I knew it was now or never. Words weren’t needed and one by one everyone gathered in a line before the mirror. A brilliant light caught the glass and shone like a beacon of hope on all of us as we stood before it. But it seemed there was some fear about who shall go first. That last step, filled with trepidation.
“I’ll go last, to ensure everyone is through and safe. Who feels the strongest, the most desire to go through?”
Silence. Then the one who I spoke to the night before stepped forward. “I will go first, but where shall I think of? I cannot remember where I am from.”
The others nodded and agreed and the birds squawked.
“I’ll give you an image. Think of a park, green and lush surrounded by shrubs and trees. Hear the birds in the pale blue sky and the soft white clouds. Now think of the sounds of buzzing insects underfoot and people enjoying this place. See the flowers in your mind, reds, blues, greens, and smell their fragrance.
“At the entrance of this park is a huge stone obelisk with three stone lions lying down at its base, the whole monument surrounded by a balustrade, or small stone wall. Hold that vision, feel as if you’re there, feel it in every part of your being. Hold onto that, however afraid, however unsettling. Just focus.”
And then with the birds on our shoulders, our hands linked tightly, the energy peaked. The glass on the mirror melted and swam like liquid metal, that enchanted energy had come alive. As the first of the shadow people put his hand to the mirror, it moved like thick liquid, then we stepped through.
As the first one disappeared through, gasps came from my gossamer friends. Just before I stepped through I looked behind me, one last glance at that ethereal place where I had killed a demon and freed people. I would visit again, I knew in my heart. Then I focused on the monument, on the stone lions in the park and I stepped through.
As before, nothing seemed real, but this time I kept my eyes open. Whirling winds, like flying down a vertical tunnel and rainbow flashes of lights whizzed past me. I realized I was holding my breath, and then relaxed a little. It was fun, fast, and knowing where and when I wanted to arrive I had a sudden jolt of confidence.
Quicker than I could anticipate, I tumbled out onto the ground on one of the lawns of the park. I had managed to get them back to Bath. They had see
n the park as I had wanted them to. All of us disoriented, none of us landed on our feet. Luckily, I think we arrived at night. They were just over a dozen.
Panic set in with most. Again I had to get into leader mode. Some were shaking, others were crying, some were calling hysterically. Their faces, eyes, and mouths were wide, open in shock and fear.
I raised my voice a little, to be heard over their commotion. “It is all right, we are here, in my home town. It’s night time, that’s all. Tomorrow the dawn will come and what you imagined will be real.”
But now we’d arrived, new problems popped up. Were we in the right time? I didn’t want to dwell on that. One of them protested, “But we don’t know where we belong, or where we can go. Are we safe here?” Their faces were contorted with angst and they huddled like beasts afraid of the wolves. I would have to take all of them to my home. I hadn’t really thought that through, but I had thought that I would ask Acacius as he would know and was compassionate enough to help.
“You can stay at my home. It is small and not too far and it’s safe. We can...” I was about to say walk, but that was obvious anyway. Even in the park with limited lighting, my immortal eyes could see that they were more solid than before, but they seemed to shimmer from diaphanous to solid. The crows flew around, looking almost like they should now.
One of the crows came to me. “We will stay here for the night, but first we shall follow you so that we know how to find you.”
I realised then, now back in my time that it didn’t speak my language, rather that I understood. It’s odd what we wish for. All my life I had wanted to communicate with animals. I got my wish but the circumstances were beyond anything I could’ve imagined.
Rachel Disappears
Anthony
I’d spent time away from Rachel’s home, and now she wasn’t answering her phone which went straight to voice mail. I had a spare key so I went with Marcus to see if she was alright. I knew she was still angry at me, but I was worried. I had a really bad gut feeling and I needed to check she was alright, whatever the consequences.
As I walked into her home the stillness struck me, it felt oddly empty in a way I’d never experienced before. A sense of dread hung heavy. Looking at Marcus, his face said it all. Frowning, his preternatural eyes scanned everything.
Everything looked normal, but it didn’t feel it. I rang her phone again and nothing. Pounding upstairs to see if she was hurt, but she wasn’t there. As I walked into her bedroom, dizziness overcame me and I reached out to the wall to keep my balance. Blinking fast, my body went colder still, my vision blurred and I stumbled towards the bed to sit down, a presence, like a soft blanket wrapped around me.
As I sat, I heard a cracking and something beneath me splintered. Pulling it out, it was an old hand mirror, oval with a long ornate handle. It was white with tiny faded red roses and gilded on the edge with gold. I’d never seen this before. What was odd was that the glass was dark, like obsidian. It looked like an antique. I stared into it, my dizziness subsiding and vision clearing, but all I saw was my reflection, cloudy in the dark mirror.
As Marcus came in I handed it to him. “What do you make of this? I’ve never seen it. Why is the glass dark?”
He paused as if looking for the words. “Ah, this is no ordinary mirror.” Placing it down carefully, he said, “You won’t find her here. This is a mirror used for portals. She’s in a portal, somewhere.” He looked a bit white, his face unchanged, wide eyed and shaking his head.
“What, a portal in space? Seriously? What does that even mean?” My body tightened. I knew he was withholding something. I guessed Lucius had taken her. Panic and a light sweat broke over me. How could I find her, help her? How do I get in there? Picking up the mirror, I looked dumbfounded at it.
“You can’t. Even I can’t. It’s an old magic far stronger than myself. And that could be the entrance to many portals. She could be anywhere. One thing’s for sure, Lucius won’t harm her. If he’s taken her, then he’s serious about her. Demons don’t take those they’ve little interest in into their secret places. No doubt she is well. She may not be happy, but she’ll be safe at least. And don’t bother searching the internet for portals. You’ll get a ton of information, but you won’t get anything useful. Real magic is protected. They don’t put it out for just anyone to find.”
“Have you ever been into a portal? What are they like?”
“No, I haven’t. It’s beyond my knowledge. I’ve never heard of a nephilim that can do portal magic. The others may know more. You must be strong and know she’ll be alright. As I said, if he felt nothing for her, he wouldn’t have taken her through one. As for that...” He pointed to the mirror. “That is a gateway. You could bring it; Acacius might know more. But when they return they may come through it. I don’t think it being cracked will hinder that, but I’m not sure. I can feel the magic in here; it still feels active.”
I felt deflated, I’d failed her. My selfishness had failed her, again. If I hadn’t left, if only I’d been here.
Marcus interrupted my thoughts, “You couldn’t have helped. You can’t change what you don’t understand.”
I needed to be alone. I hugged the mirror to my chest and slowly rose from the bed. I followed Marcus out the door and down the stairs. We left to head home and I went back to my flat, and despite what Marcus said I did research portals. And what I did find, although not helpful for finding her, was disturbing.
I could use a mobile phone to open one. But none of the information was leading me to find her. The thought that I may never see her again made me sick. Anger boiled inside of me. Anger at myself for putting Nathaniel before her and livid at Lucius for taking her.
This supernatural world was more perilous to immortals than to mortals. I had made a mistake changing her. Had I left her mortal maybe she would have survived, but now... A bloody sweat broke over me and my heart wanted to stop beating. I knew it was futile but I kept thinking, if only I’d left her mortal. My mind ran over and over this, but eventually I fell into a restless sleep as I sat on my bed staring into nothing.
I dreamt he had changed her into some hideous creature. Pure white face, taut skin with black holes for eyes, and a mouth like a large circle, screaming relentlessly. A thing, a thing without a soul like a zombie.
When I woke I was wet with sweat and breathing hard. Catching my breath, I lay there and welcomed the daylight that poured through my window. Rainbow hues splattered across the room, sunlight mixed with the light rain that fell.
My mind was confused with vivid dreams but when I woke up I had the sense of relief that what I had seen, was a dream. Then and there I vowed to find her. I would never leave her again. I had to remember I was not the same creature myself now.
I looked at the mirror beside my bed. Maybe I could use my instinct to enter it. Maybe not. I tried to ascertain some semblance, to feel her through the glass in whatever place she was now. As I closed my eyes and concentrated on her beauty, her laughter, her kindness and the soul I loved, I remembered something that had eluded me; The bad feeling I had before she had gone—what was that? I sat up and thought about those feelings I’d been getting.
Colours streamed through the windows as the sun outside caught the splinters of rain and cast rainbow shadows across the room. I spied tiny white orbs out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked they were gone. I must be tired still. But they started to flicker more, and one appeared in a burst in front of me. Once, twice. It seemed to be growing bigger. I rubbed my eyes, but again it appeared. I longed to be at Marcus’s island right now. Just away from all this paranormal craziness. I’d go back to sleep but after that nightmare, that was shot. I lay down anyway. Go away!
Why did Marcus have to do that? Why did he have to drain that vampire?
“Marcus has always been wayward. We warned them to keep an eye on him, but they didn’t listen and now every creature in Hell is loose in your tiny city, and we have to help clear up his mess. He should be ki
lled.”
I looked up as this unfamiliar, strained, high pitched voice came from seemingly nowhere. Maybe it was my subconscious. Maybe I had gone insane.
The orb was there, flickering, bigger, brighter. The tiniest face appeared suddenly, as white as snow with small dark eyes, quite nondescript except its eyelashes were so long and white they protruded right out. It looked androgynous whatever it was. It also felt noxious. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared. What the hell was that? I actually rolled over and buried my head in my pillow. No more! Then a thought came to me. Maybe it could tell me where she is. I sat up and waited. And waited. Again, the burst of light, like a cloudy bubble appeared and before the tiny face could speak, I asked, “Where’s Rachel? Can you help me find her?”
The thing stared right into my eyes and it drew up closer. It laughed and disappeared. I needed to speak to Acacius and Halina. I knew they would know what this was. I didn’t think I’d tell Marcus though; I’d need to keep those thoughts out of my mind for the time being.
Vengeance
Anthony
In the tiny city of Bath, I was surprised so many nephilim came to gorge themselves on the few vampires that had escaped discovery. There were many of these and unsurprisingly many vampires sought neighbouring cities and towns to escape the ravages of these beasts. But some of them actually sought each other out... I wondered why at first, why would a vampire willingly allow a nephilim to drink from it, but the thought occurred to me that when an act is most deviant, and once that thought is planted in the mind, then it grows and becomes alluring and even the strongest must succumb to its sin. Many will fall when temptation calls, and the consequences aren’t thought of until it is too late. I knew this from experience but now as I watched, nephilim and vampire were pairing up.
With no Elite to govern them, though Nathaniel had amusingly wanted to allocate this role to himself and failed, this odd union became more prevalent. They were out together, mostly in small groups and the changes in the nephilim, their appearance was exotically different from when they arrived and they all now started hunting together.