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

by Courtney Smith

  The glint of a metallic breastplate reflected swords, spears, and axes plunging into the corpse. Blood dripped from the weapons and shields of those wearing bronzed armor over cardinal tunics. They raised their right arms in allegiance to a lavender canopy with intricate, golden embroidery. The glistening decorum blinded spectators with reflected sunlight being redirected toward their eyes. Bangles shimmered brightly from the arms of women adorned in cerise, plush tunics as they poured wine into vessels upon the tables. Senators laughed and drank with some soldiers drumming their fingers on the hilts of their swords while others clutched their spears.

  Magistrates sat around women with white togas accentuating their small waists, loaf-sized busts, and curvaceous hips. Green feathers nearly grazed the white, polished stone of the emperor's podium as the slaves fanned its occupant. The emperor's plush, purple toga draped his arms. The visions suddenly rippled with tall, shadowy figures circling around numerous people's heads. A loud, guttural scream echoed throughout the coliseum and grasped Trouble's attention. A closer view revealed the dark figures were whispering suggestions into the ruler’s head without his awareness of their presence.

  The emperor stood up and spoke in a language the involuntary observer could not understand initially, but it suddenly became clearer because of his exposure to the spiritual realm and his spiritual gift. Wide eyes, stark expressions, and severe trembling described the people in the arena. Women with torn clothing were seen attempting to scale walls as children shook and held onto their parents’ trembling legs. A few soldiers turned Huge, wooden cranks with chains lifting a thick, wooden, gate. A feminine arm stretched up toward the barrier before nail-sized incisors plunged into it, and blood exploded from the limb. Amber eyes with black, vertical pupils stared into her face before she lost consciousness, permanently.

  Clear versions of the dying people rose from the corpses before the lions completely dismembered and disemboweled them during consumption. I need to run out there and help them!! Trouble felt no arms or legs. That's right!! Nevermind!! Besides, this happened years before I was born, so it was too late before I ever saw it!! His sight became hazy until darkness replaced the light he had previously seen.

  * * *

  The familiar, dank smell of rotten wood flooded his mind before the sight of his former home appeared. Pitchforks, guns, and hoes swung angrily in the hands of men in white hoods. A small, woman trembled from behind the door as her husband aimed his rifle into the hostile crowd. Trouble’s blood would be boiling if he could still feel his body. Several glances at the numerous torches revealed shadows slithering around the cabin. The shapeless forms crept on the sides of the hooded men and leaned towards their heads.

  Several, small sparks flashed from numerous rifles and pistols as Trouble's father fell backwards into a crimson pool along with two hooded men. Some masked men stampeded into the wooden shack while others with knives, hoes, and pitchforks plunged them into the bleeding corpse. Trouble glimpsed a familiar figure leaping through the window. The smaller woman receded before smoke, light, and various noises filled the cabin. I cannot believe I am reliving this, again!! A tall, shadowy figure appeared near the center of the room. It appeared as though it influenced the men to act in the manner they were behaving.

  Does this mean wicked, spiritual forces really do influence men to do evil things? The small woman and her son were both tied and carried outside to the large tree. The disgruntled adolescent heard the voice, again.

  “I believe you know what happens after this point. So, you were never going to ever defeat me because I have done this way too long. I orchestrated your death. My master was interested in the souls of your parents, but they were carried off into the light of Paradise much too quickly for me to get them. You, however, knew why you were left behind. You knew you were not worthy of going to the same place they were allowed to dwell, but you escaped Hell once! However, you will never have that opportunity, again: I will make sure of it! You will not survive Anathema!”

  * * *

  A ruby haze filled his vision as he opened his eyes upon seeing the tent. A breeze cooled the atmosphere, but his skin somehow felt as though it were burning. I have a head, neck, arms, and back, again! Thank God! Wait! Why am I still burning?! He felt himself suspended, but his body was dangling from Anathema's hand. A glance above him revealed tornado-sized, amber, flaming tunnels spiraling above him. I am not going back! The dark figure held the curved blade upon the teenager’s neck with a smile as she pushed it, slightly.

  The livid captive looked up at the gothic figure and asked a question: “I know I was bad, and I deserved to be taken away by you, but what did you want with the souls of my parents?”

  “I could care less! I did not want them! I report to an Evil who is greater than I, and he was very interested in them. He was extremely upset because I did not deliver your parents to him. I do not know what he wanted with them. His reasons are his own. It is a good thing you got to say goodbye to your parents while you were away in Paradise because that was the last time you will ever see them.”

  “I have a question!” snarled a rough, agitated voice, telepathically. Anathema slowly turned without releasing Trouble to see an emaciated tiger.

  “I already know you would like to die, anyway. However, you have to wait your turn. But, trust me, I eventually get to everybody.”

  “I am not worried or curious about that. I would like to know if you were present at time my mother and my children’s mother were killed. I am also curious about whether or not you were present with the hunters when my children were separated and killed.”

  “I am always present when some human or animal is about to lose its life. I may not always be seen, but I am always present. You can rest assuredly I am somewhere nearby when life for one creature or another is ending.”

  “It seems you are not just responsible for being present while people and animals alike are losing their lives. I think you actually end their lives before it is their time. It seems very unlikely Trouble would be given a chance to escape from the pits of Hell by Heaven if everything you did was according to the Almighty. I believe you know what I am talking about. You reap souls against the will of the Almighty as well as take those He allows into your custody.

  This is why Trouble was given a chance despite his justifiable condemnation at the time. You also mentioned you were present when my children were killed along with other tigers in that region.”

  “And?!"

  The tiger raised one of his paws to show the dark transient it was covered in the same type of blood Trouble smeared upon his sword, earlier. Anathema leapt into the air toward the fiery abyss. However, the woman’s body struck the ground with three-hundred pounds of feline fury upon her chest. The woman cringed and sent the tiger flying to the other side of the tent with a loud slap.

  “I hope you are not trying to rescue your family; they are already pelts!”

  “No, but turning you into a pelt for the collection works for me!”

  “You are going to wish cats had nine lives when I get through with you!”

  “I just need one send you to Hell! If this is all I accomplish, I’m good!”

  Anathema grabbed the tiger and tossed it in one swift motion before standing to her feet.

  “Come and get—” started the entity before an interruption by a vicious blow to the face. Amber flames surrounded the tent, turned black, and rose eighty feet. The tiger leapt toward Anathema. Pebbles and dust filled the air before the tiger landed where its nemesis stood, mere seconds ago. A massive blade grazed its leg, splitting it open. The tiger leapt backward at blinding speed and crouched, painfully. The burning roof of the collapsing tent was falling fast before Trouble leapt and cut his way out.

  Hard clay, brown rocks, and dirt flew up like swarms of locusts as Anathema's blade ripped through the soil. A strong wind blew the collapsed tent twenty feet away from them before settling upon the ground like a deflated balloon. Both Trouble and the t
iger dodged the wooden beams flying past them. The agile beast moved like a ricocheting bullet. The ferocious feline attempted to strike Anathema before her alabaster hand threw him into the darkness.

  The depraved, supernatural presence glanced at them with a frown and a smile before laughing, nearly uncontrollably. Anathema paused upon feeling her skin tingling before images of her feline nemesis consumed her thought. Black flames scattered and rose even higher and nearly singed Trouble, but a rapid movement ripped through the fiery wall with blue flames surrounding its body. The flames flickered when the object stopped moving. The dying flames revealed a striped, muscular feline poised in a crouching position.

  Anathema released a banner-sized blade, and soil flew like paper as the blade cut it. However, the creature twisted, spiraled, and maneuvered around the destructive blade with the ease of walking. Blonde locks bounced with fury as their owner hurled two blades at the feline. One blade suddenly split the tiger’s leg open as the other removed some fur from the leaping feline. The tiger limped painfully toward the wicked woman with a trail of blood.

  Anathema's body dissolved into thick, black smoke before several black lions leapt from the fumes. The lions quickly attempted to surround the tiger, but the striped feline's paws drove them back. One lion jumped upon his back, but the tiger threw it off and flung another in its mouth with the same motion. Hair and blood saturated the tent as the cats fought. The whole pride attempted to pounce upon him, but he was gone before they landed.

  Two of the jungle cats fell over with their throats missing as the tiger stood over them with bloody paws. The remaining pride formed lines to surround him. The wise tiger moved to make sure nothing was behind it. The vindictive feline crouched with its claws fully extended before it paused, instantly. One of the lions placed their fully extended black paw upon the unconscious teenager’s throat. The tiger stood up and fully retracted its claws. A loud, feral moan filled the atmosphere when the black lion's claw flew across the pride bleeding.

  The fully conscious teenager stood with blood dripping from his sword. The lions pounced on him at once, but he literally cut most of them out of the air like paper. The felines fell upon the ground with dismembered limbs. Other lions’ crimson eyes glowed with several snarls, and they sped toward the teenager with the speed of bullets. However, Trouble deflected their attacks with his sword spinning faster than visibility.

  They immediately regrouped and the wounded pride leapt into each other. Anathema rose from the pile with a sneer and orange, glowing eyes. She saw a tiger crouched with fully extended claws standing beside a frowning teenager poised with a crimson saber and torn overalls. Anathema released a scream piercing the remaining portions of a few surrounding tents and replicated into two, separate versions of herself.

  One of the aggressive blondes charged the teenager while the other leapt upon the tiger. Swords and claws swung before realizing they just struck air. The juvenile and the tiger glanced at each other in a thoughtless expression. Both the teenager and the feline stood with their backs facing each other. The area began to shake like an earthquake. The tiger crouched and dug its claws into the ground, and Trouble drove his sword into it until the hilt was the only visible part and held onto it.

  Anathema reappeared beneath a massive, black tornado. She waved her right arm with the tornado charging the duo. Dust, rocks, clay, sticks, and branches nearly tore the teenager's face off before he raised his hand over it. The teenager’s eyes were partially closed as he attempted to maintain some type of visual awareness of the environment. The tiger continuously clawed its way through flying rocks, branches, soil, and lumber before it sighted Trouble. The adolescent saw the familiar feline shape flying toward him. Then, the adolescent’s partner turned to look at his fourteen-year-old comrade.

  “Our best chance of surviving this attack is—,”

  “By making our way to the eye of the storm,” finished the observant fighter. The two sprinted at blinding speeds toward the spinning anomaly with the wind and debris pelting their faces. The two jumped through the massive, spinning cloud and soared through the air. The adolescent and the tiger carefully eased along the base of the whirlwind after fighting their way to the center as though they were swimming. We are going to need something to keep us together for some type of stability...rope!

  Trouble swiftly wrapped a dirty-yellow, intertwined cord around his waist and hurled the other end toward his feline companion. The tiger resembled a seal snapping fish as it clenched the course fibers within its jaws. The wind spun much too quickly for them to get outside of the whirling mass. They were carried into the air like a rocket. The adolescent looked beneath him to see the ground becoming farther away with each passing second.

  The shimmering lights of different cities resembled disco lights as they spun like a blender's contents. Trouble nearly flew outside of the swirling, black funnel before he felt a strong force pull him by the waist. He glanced to his right to see a tiger constantly jerking the rope. He smiled before the tiger was blown outside of the funnel. It fell before feeling itself being yanked toward the adolescent. The tiger returned the grateful nod.

  The duo soared upward until a clearing appeared near the mouth of the black tornado. Two unpleasantly familiar blondes hovering above the mouth suddenly hurled multiple blades like rain toward the tiger and the adolescent. The numerous blades surpassed ricocheting bullets as Trouble repelled them with his sword. Anathema's raised a blade toward the feline before her arm flew off into the whirlwind below. The wicked blonde glanced upward to see a red, glowing teenager with ruby eyes hurtling towards her with his sword ahead of him.

  Anathema struck the teenager backward into the sky's expanse before the feline jerked his partner toward him. The current became more powerful and the rope began to sever. The duo glanced at the tearing cord and each other with worried expressions. He glanced at the revolving mass below him as the two blondes flew toward them. He jerked the rope in one swift motion until the tiger soared fifty feet above him. This is as good a time as any to test my bow!

  The bow appeared in Trouble's hand before two alabaster faces with tufts of blonde hair were inches away from his own. They are too close! I can't fire the weapon, now! Anathema plunged her fist into the adolescent's abdomen, sending him twenty feet above her. That really hurts, but that is just what I needed! He released the arrow into the center of the spinning tornado. The wicked blondes were sucked into the whirling black mass without warning before the whole funnel erupted into flames. That reminds me of the tunnel I went through before I saw Hell!

  The tiger slammed into Trouble toward the burning tunnel before intense heat grazed their cheeks. Feminine screams pierced the adolescent's ears before the flaming whirlwind exploded, sending them hurtling into the great expanse.

  “We may have won the battle, but we’ll be dead before we can celebrate. In case you have not noticed we are still several hundred feet in the air!”conveyed the tiger.

  “I have a plan, but you have to trust me.”

  “I would say ‘lead the way, but I don’t think I have a choice but to ‘fall in.’”

  They stopped moving upward for half a second before descending. Trouble placed both hands upon his sword with his eyes closed.

  “What are you going to do with that, cut the air?” ridiculed the worried tiger. Trouble disregarded the feline's sarcasm as he reflected upon his angelic training. Suddenly, both the tiger and the boy gently hovered in the midst of a smaller whirlwind. He reflected upon the power of the last whirlwind and controlled the currents of the present one. The determined fighter continued to allow the current to cradle them to the earth’s surface with ease and safety. The tiger hovered uneasily with its abdominals quivering, uncomfortably.

  “I appreciate the save, but these currents are making me air sick,” said the tiger before a mustard-colored fluid hurled from its mouth. The teenager saw flashing red and blue lights heading into the general area. The companions suddenly fell befo
re their bodies slammed into the ground with a mouth full of soil. The disgruntled tiger glanced at Trouble with a frown.

  “The next time you say ‘trust me,’ I am going to turn my back to you, raise my tail, and show you what I think of your plan!”

  “Good, that looks better than the rest of you.”

  The feline prepared to respond Trouble's comment before he stood completely still. The intuitive juvenile responded, accordingly. The cadence of footsteps gradually became louder until an unpleasantly familiar face emerged from the thrashing branches and shrubbery. Trouble scowled upon watching the man.

  “Why are you skulking through the bushes like that? Do you think you are in Special Forces?” The tiger telepathically scoffed,

  “I do not know about an elite military, training unit, but he is definitely special.”

  “So, you are still here. The police would like to have a word with you,” informed Mr. Hutchins. He looked at the tiger.

  “How did you manage to survive that barrage of bullets?”

  “You probably just need to work on your aim! Why worry about telling us, anyway? I am sure you told them more fairy tales than Mother Goose!”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “What do you think I mean? You are a liar! I did not sneak into a tiger’s cage and go to sleep. I bet you put something in the water you gave me and put me there yourself when I was unconscious!”

  “It’s not my fault that you sleepwalk!” replied the man, indifferently.

  Trouble had Hutchins in his arms before he could blink. The red-haired man struggled as helplessly as a newborn kitten in the juvenile’s arms. Hutchins attempted shake and free himself, but his movements simulated a newborn in a swaddling cloth. A small pouch fell on the ground with Hutchins’ struggle. Trouble’s sclera flushed magenta, muscles expanded, and small white shards flew from his mouth before a small yelp grasped his attention.