Trouble's Always Watching Volume 1: Volume 1 (The Trouble Series)

by Courtney Smith

  “Where is the infidel!” shouted one of the men.

  Several trucks toppled over with numerous arms stretching their from beneath the vehicles. Innumerable hooves created large clouds of sands as the glints of many blades rushed toward the loner like debris in a storm, but he avoided the blades with ease by twisting his body with blinding speed and flexibility like rubber.

  He leapt fifty-feet into the air. AK-47s, AR-15s, M-16s were fired at the air, but they immediately glanced around with bulged eyes and chattering teeth. Some of the men shuddered as others clutched their rifles much harder before they saw a few of their associates pinned underneath an eight-hundred-pound tiger. Grimaldi bore his teeth half an inch from his captives’ faces at the men beneath his paws as they glared up at him with wide eyes, sweaty faces, and clicking teeth. Some of the other men fired at the beast and forgot about their adolescent nemesis. Bullets streamed past Grimaldi like a raging river without even grazing him.

  His heightened perception allowed him to view the projectiles as though they were leaves falling from a tree. Grimaldi moved with such great speed; the men could only see stripped blurs. Horses whined with their riders partially buried in sand after riders flew from the saddles. Crimson pools replaced legs and hooves where they stood, previously. Turbans and thawbs flailed behind galloping horses and speeding vehicles as leaving the loner within sandy clouds. The vigilante watched the remaining men trail off into the sunset as he dematerialized into his spiritual form.

  Tenesha’s jaws as he eyes observed the events. The young woman would not know what to say even if she could speak. She stared at the adolescent and his tiger as though the sun just imploded into a black hole and absorbed them. A few utterances escaped from her throat before a full sentence could be heard.

  “Where did you learn to fight like that?” gasped Tenesha. The mysterious teenager glanced at her playfully and answered, “My mama.” Ordinarily, Tenesha would have been inclined to make a smart remark, but she remained quiet recalling how fiercely they fought. The watchful adolescent grabbed the slender, voluptuous teenager by her waist, placed her upon the tiger, and jumped upon the beast in a single motion. Grimaldi started to change into his spiritual form when his abdomen trembled.

  The young woman and the mysterious adolescent remained on the tiger’s back despite him still being flesh. The tiger leapt toward the gasping horses lying in crimson pools of their blood. Tenesha watched as Grimaldi’s claws stretched and lips curled to reveal teeth before Tenesha leaned toward the mysterious boy.

  “Grimaldi’s been hungry all day, and he has not had chance to eat. You may want to look at something else if you have a sensitive stomach because Grimaldi is not a very big on manners or very neat.”

  Grimaldi licked his lips as his crimson head rose from the opening in the dead horse. Tenesha’s abdomen started contracting painfully as the back of her throat retained fluid upon hearing the loud sound of jaws crushing bones and flesh being torn although she chose not to watch the event, earlier. Grimaldi physical body to slowly began to fade until it was clear to his companions and invisible to human eyes.

  “What is really ironic is he seems so kind and gentle when he is around people with the exception of fighting your enemies,” observed Tenesha.

  “You never played with your food when you were younger, and you’re trying to tell me that you don’t do it at all,” responded an unknown voice.

  “Where did that come from?” demanded a very startled Tenesha.

  “Grimaldi can understand every word you are saying, and he can speak telepathically,” informed the mysterious guide.

  “You know: you might want to warn someone, sometimes!”

  “Tenesha, believe it or not: you are more of a threat to me than I will ever be to you. Do you know that game hunters hunt tigers for their coats?”

  “Yeah, but I do not have a rifle, and I do not have the strength to kill a tiger as easily as one can kill me.”

  “It is not that si—” started Grimaldi before being interrupted.

  “We can debate about wildlife conservation, later! Now, we have other things to worry about!” interrupted the mysterious adolescent. Grimaldi slowly rose and shot through the air. Tenesha glanced downward to notice the ground became further out of view until there was nothing in sight but clouds. They passed through the thick cloud. Tenesha's pupils suddenly expanded without warning. Darkness met their eyes when they exited the cloud. It felt like ropes and chains… I wonder-

  “Don’t even think here; keep your mind blank, or you will attract a lot of unwanted visitors!” whispered the mysterious guide. Tenesha trembled as she felt fear permeate her skin, hair, eyes, and mind. Closing her eyes frightened her more than opening them, especially since one state was identical to the other. What could be here in this darkness that could possibly be a threat to us? Two beams quickly pierced the darkness with their bands emanating from two, flaming, and amber eyes.

  “Look what you have done now!” shouted the mysterious teenager in a very hostile tone.

  “How was I suppose to know that thinking is dangerous in this place that you brought me to, and what are we doing here, anyway?” asked Tenesha.

  “Because I told you that before we arrived, and there is a perfectly good reason for everything!” shouted the adolescent, angrily. The orbs became brighter, revealing two, large, black holes like caves next to each other. The orbs illuminated a plain of black, shiny scales that seemed to stretch for miles. A warm gust came from a gigantic opening like a current filled with large, pointy, pure-white rows of objects with a large, tan, course, fleshy surface in the center.

  Grimaldi roared and flames completely illuminated the area. Grimaldi, Tenesha, and the unknown individual got a really clear view of what they were seeing: a very large serpent. Tenesha’s mind raced, and it considered the matter because too much fear dominated her ability to practice inhibition: The boy still has not told me why it is dangerous to think here. A voice shaking caused everything around it to vibrate as it answered the question:

  “Unlike the world you occupy, it easy for spiritual beings and creatures in higher planes to read thoughts like pages in a book. When creatures hunt each other in your world, they rely heavily on the sense of smell, sight, and hearing. However, in a plane such as this one, the thought patterns of other creatures is what allows larger creatures such as myself to hunt smaller ones. The boy was trying to tell you to keep your mind clear because this is the best way to pass through this realm undetected. It is obvious you are new to this place, but you seem like a very smart girl. However, that will not matter if you are destroyed before you have a chance to develop your potential,” informed the dragon.

  “Would we be the type of prey that a large creature like you would consider coming after?” asked Tenesha with her voice trembling.

  “Yes, but being prey in your world is not the same as being prey in this world.”

  “That’s a relief,” exhaled Tenesha.

  “It is much worse: an animal can experience a little pain, perish, and have its flesh torn in your world if eaten by a predator, but it will still have a spiritual existence to look forward to. Once it is consumed here, their soul is literally torn apart and perpetual insanity occurs because their consciousness is literally scattered infinitely throughout existence. There is no hope of their consciousness ever being reunited; furthermore, fragments of their mind are consumed by other creatures to increase the power of their consciousness.”

  “Oh! That is spectacular, astonishing, and scary. So, why are you telling me this?” swallowed Tenesha.

  “I like to sample my food before I eat it,” laughed the raspy voice, wickedly. Tenesha turned her head in numerous directions and noticed rows of long pointed objects surrounding them with a massive, pink object beneath their feet covered in bubbling foam. The amber beams of the creature's eyes illuminated the whole area. Tenesha suddenly focused on a pink object dangling in the back of the enclosure. The adolescent felt as
if her mind was being scattered and torn. She fought to keep her head together, but she endured invisible forces tearing it apart and noticed her awareness slowly fading. Her vision became dimmer and dimmer. Finally, she slipped into an even deeper state of darkness than she endured, previously.

  Tenesha felt moisture enveloping her legs, back, and arms as her awareness slowly returned. Wow! I am still whole and alive! I think! Why am I still here? Shouldn’t fragments of my mind be littering existence with my sanity being stretched from infinity to infinity? Her mind wandered before her thoughts were interrupted by a bright light flashing in her eyes. The light subsided to reveal a shiny, black object floating by her. She stared into the darkness to see several similar objects floating past her. The bewildered adolescent grasped one of them to view, more closely. She stroked it very slowly to notice its solid texture. Her eyes perused the object when she felt a gentle bump on the back of her head.

  Tenesha's hands trembled when she turned around to see something large, white, and pointed. Her eyes fixed upon the anomaly as though she were in a trance, which grazed her when several different glimmers flashed into her eyes. She also noticed numerous other similar, white objects floating in the void before seeing a row of them seated in a large, curved structure. She realized this must have been the jaws of the serpent, which attempted to consume her earlier. Those black objects I saw suspended aimlessly must have been the creature’s scales which were destroyed earlier. I am glad to still be around, but how did this happen?

  The young, forlorn adolescent glanced down at her feet to see where she stood. Her eyes widened with every attempt to walk, but her feet were not standing on anything. She gasped before placing her hand over her mouth. Her eyes stared further down before several amber beams shone upon her. Tenesha looked up to see several pairs of fiery eyes surrounding her in the darkness.

  The lights circled her as sharks and became closer with each pass. Miles of black scales, claws, and teeth nearly grazed her face. Tenesha closed her eyes. I am in my spiritual form, and I am still about to die! Deafening silence filled her ears before the expected approach of darkness engulfed her. Tenesha clenched her teeth and fists with the worst expectations.

  Shrill, high-pitched squeals filled the void like rain. The young woman slowly opened her eyes. One of the creatures thrashed wildly with the frenzy of a decapitated snake. It throbbed until it collided with other serpents and ruined the formations of those which were together. This gargantuan lizard is obviously in great pain and agitation, but what is causing its misery? Crimson fluid erupted from the side of the creature’s neck with the fury of a water geyser as Tenesha’s mind formed the thought.

  Her whole body completely paused as she observed the occurrence. Tenesha’s eyes squinted to notice a familiar shape emerging from the red fluid. She saw the mysterious guide ascending like a rocket with a sword in his hand. The passive observer figured he must have killed the serpent that was consuming her mind, explaining why she regained consciousness. Several reptiles larger than the one that tried to eat them earlier were flying toward them.

  The gargantuan creatures moved through the atmosphere like jet planes despite their large sizes. However, the mysterious warrior ran along one of the serpents’ spines like a sprinter on a racing track with unimaginable speed. The creature attempted to drive its teeth into the enigmatic individual, but he was too agile; he jumped from one part of the reptile’s back to the other. The creature literally tangled itself in its effort to catch the young anomaly. The young woman wondered why nothing was trying to eat her, but she remembered what the first creature arrogantly explained and allowed her mind to remain calm, tranquil, and (more importantly) empty.

  Tenesha slowly turned her head and followed movements of another of the creatures. It moved very vibrantly, but something was different about this creature’s activity. It was not focused on the boy. What could possibly hold another creature’s attention so closely besides that odd guide? Her eyes tracked the creature’s movements to see it chasing something orange and striped that appeared small because of distance. Then, she heard a fierce, bellowing growl from the object. Then, she realized the object was Grimaldi. The tiger missed being eaten by one dragon before a strong, abysmal force pulled it unwillingly toward a large, black hole. The jungle cat attempted to avoid its insurmountable force, but its strength was not enough to resist the massive anomaly.

  Grimaldi clawed voraciously and fought by clinging to the sides of the structure, but the tiger was pulled to the back of it. When it was no longer in sight, Tenesha noticed numerous, white objects surrounding the abyss. A loud, powerful screech erupted from its center before the hole suddenly snapped shut. A pair of amber eyes shone brightly above the closed structure. That was not an abyss; that was another serpent’s mouth opening to eat Grimaldi! Oh my God! That boy loves that tiger! He is going to lose it when he finds out? Tenesha shuddered suddenly when she heard a mild chuckle behind her, and she immediately turned her body in the small laughter’s direction to see her mysterious guide.

  “If Grimaldi could be killed that easily, he would have been dead a long time ago,” interjected the mysterious guide as he winked in her direction. Tenesha glanced back at the serpent, and it voraciously attempted to chew the feline within its jaws by moving them at the speed of a crocodile’s bite. However, the powerful tiger ripped through the top of the creature’s head like a gunshot through paper, leaving the massive lizard floating in completely inanimate suspension. Scales and teeth flew everywhere in a manner resembling volcanic ash after erupting. The mysterious individual immediately grabbed Tenesha with one arm, and white flaming arrows flew from the bow he held with the other arm, extremely rapidly. Several pairs of skyscraper-sized fangs headed toward the duo, but the boy greeted them with volleys of arrows tearing through their bodies and saturating them like rain. White flames scattered throughout their torsos, while they spent their final moment of existence writhing wildly in pain.

  The mysterious teenager saw a blur from the corner of his left eye. He lifted his right arm with the bow retracted until he identified it as Grimaldi. He lowered his weapon after seeing his friend in the line of fire. The atmosphere became silent and serene with the overwhelming darkness quickly following their triumphant battle. Tenesha just gasped and allowed her mind to remain quiet. Several pairs of amber orbs began to glow with a bright and glaring presence. The adolescent suddenly felt several dragons passing through her, but none of them were touching her.

  “The spiritual realm has planes that operate on different frequencies; some are much more subtle than others. We are on a plane that is too subtle for even the serpents to enter and function, and it is alright for you to think here; this plane is too subtle for them to detect our thoughts. But, this plane may be more dangerous than the one with the serpents and other demonic creatures,” informed the mysterious guide.

  “That’s reassuring!” interjected Tenesha with a sharp tone and furrowed eye brows. A hot flash of red light streaked past Tenesha’s face and blinded her for half a second. A blue light streaked by her leg, leaving a feeling like an Arctic breeze. She attempted to move only to have her body remain as still as stone. Oh no! I am spiritually crippled! The red and blue lights converged, a bright, indigo explosion occurred with several, bright streaks racing from the center. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet light streaks multiplied numerous times and left the center like fireworks.

  Tenesha wanted to cover her eyes, but her limp body reminded her of its immobility. A bright, amber light struck her in the face before she could react. All of the lights suddenly surrounded her and formed a bright tunnel with a similar shape to a tornado. It lowered itself upon the young lady in one lightning-swift motion. They came closer until their brilliance blinded her, and her sight left her.

  The brilliance of the light began to wear off as Tenesha’s vision became clearer. She blinked a couple of times to quicken her visual recovery. The illumination of the whole area seeme
d to hover above them. Tenesha thought about moving her head to see them. She suddenly found herself gazing at the lights above her. All of the shafts of color, which invaded her space earlier, seemed to form one, large, bright, and multifaceted abyss throughout the whole sky.

  Tenesha maintained her stare intently in the direction of the strange lights. She suddenly saw brilliant, white spots flying around and through each other. The young woman concentrated on the event so assiduously; she took no notice of floating upward. The observer saw the stars were becoming brighter, but something else was in store for her. Her eyes suddenly squinted upon getting closer to the stars.

  The teenager blinked because of something peculiar: the shifted and streaked through the atmosphere like comets. The lights she initially thought were stars were beginning to have another shape. A shiny object fell in her direction. It had a shimmering radiance like nothing she had ever seen before. She was mesmerized by its gorgeous display of color without knowing what it was. What is that and why is it so pretty?

  The object was several feet above her when she felt an unseen force pull her out of the object’s path very quickly. What is happening! Am I about to die! She turned her head to the right to see the mysterious boy standing beside her.

  “No, but you would have if you allowed this to strike you,” said the young man as he vertically grasped an eight-foot spear with a shiny blade at its tip. Tenesha’s mouth stretched open as her hand grazed the spear. She redirected her glance to her guide.

  “Thank you. I had no idea, but what is a spear doing here?”

  “Different spiritual planes can be very deceitful. Some of the most seemingly harmless things can actually be very deadly. Why wouldn’t a weapon be on a battlefield?”

  “What! We are in the middle of a battle? Who is fighting against whom, and what are they fighting about?”

  “Look more closely at the objects you think are stars!” Tenesha lifted her head and floated upward before she felt a gentle tug pulling her back down.