"Darkness Within" Chapter 15

15

Tyler replied: “Quite a few, actually. Mostly used for hunting. We keep them in a Steel Safe down in the basement.”

“I suggest that you break them out. We’re probably going to need them before the night is through.”

“From what you described I think I would feel safer with an automatic.”

Lanny looked at him. “Do you know where to get one?”

“Nick has a couple, actually.”

“Maybe you should give him a call.” Lanny suggested.

This agreed; Tyler headed back to the cabin. Jason and Brandon followed, still blazing on EMT, the world around them seeming like a carnival. It was decided that it would be easier to tow Lanny to the shallows, then up to the cabin, rather than walking the distance.

x-x

Jessie felt the slight change of pressure around his legs in the water; the sensation came right before the strike. It was very subtle. Then he was crying out in agony as he felt talons rake his flesh. He turned reflexively, and Lanny was knocked loose as Jessie went into throes of splashing. Instinct, for Lanny, took over.

Her mind and her hands suddenly sought out the neck of the fiend attacking Jessie. For the most part, the creature was beneath the young man, tearing at his legs, feet, ankles. Lanny saw blood filtering away from open wounds as she submerged to confront the adversary, thin streams of crimson rose to the surface.

Lanny, ignoring all the pain that she was able—and suddenly she found that it was a lot more than she thought she could—tried to grab onto the throat of the beast. Instead her hands found its eyes. She pushed her thumbs into its sockets—even as she avoided its teeth—and felt them yield under her force.

There was a flash of green light that illuminated the water, originating from Lanny’s right hand. A corona of brilliance surrounded her, growing increasingly brighter between her hands. The monster’s face ignited in a phosphorescent fire that could burn beneath the water.

The creature jerked spasmodically, trying to break free of Lanny’s grasp, but she persisted, even while her lungs were burning for air, she remained adamant. She wanted to give the folks at the cabin more proof of her experience.

x-x

“Eeewwwww…gross,” Katsumi declared, looking down at the corpse in the dirt. Lanny and Jessie went inside the cabin to receive first-aid from Debra. Brandon and Jason stayed outside for commentary on the fiend. And Tyler was just barely able to save his steaks on the grill before they turned black on one side. Not that anyone felt like eating at the moment. Marilyn was going strong with the Fight Song:

I’m not a slave
To a god that doesn’t exist…
I’m not a slave
To a world that doesn’t give a shit…

“Is it human?” Tina asked, looking at the face that was burned away on one side, exposing the inner tissue.

Before anyone could stop him, Jason knelt down and separated the lips on the corpse, revealing its fangs and needle teeth.

“I don’t think so,”

—“Don’t touch it!” Katsumi warned.

“It looks like some kind of vampire,” Tina pointed out.

“One would suppose that any humanoid with fangs is going to resemble a vampire.”—) Ian said.

—“How many humanoids have you seen recently?” Tina said flatly.

(—“But what’s up with the barbed tongue?” Ian replied, ignoring Tina’s comment.

“I have no idea,” Jason answered.

“Whatever it is,” Brandon stated. “There’s more of them. According to what Lanny and Jessie said—much more.”

At that moment the lips of the ghoul compressed against Jason’s fingers, and with instinct, laced with panic, he pulled them away.

With slow deliberation the entire face began to collapse upon itself, appearing to melt as it did so.

“What’s happening to it?” Katsumi wanted to know.

“It…it looks like it’s…dissolving.”

The degeneration process continued, as if acid had been poured upon the devil. Its ribs pushed in on itself, even as its legs deflated. Within moments it was flush with the dirt, looking not unlike a ghastly, wrinkled pancake filled with ooze. A moment after that, and it filtered away entirely, leaving no evidence of its existence.

“Well, there goes any chance of involving the X-Files.” Brandon commented.

“Why would you want to bring the authorities in on this, anyway?” Tyler said, stepping away from his steaks for a moment. He had since changed his clothes, and now wore a black tee-shirt with a pentacle on it, along with blue jeans.

“What do you mean?” Brandon countered. “Of course we want to involve the authorities. I’m not planning on going back into that cave.”

“Think about it, Brand. We involve the authorities, and suppose—just suppose, they believe enough of our story to determine the cave is worth investigating. What do you think is going to happen to us? The next thing you know—“)

“Oh—Jed’s a millionaire…” Jason sang.

(—“this place is crawling with scientists. And they take us away to some out of the way military base where they perform all kinds of tests on us. They will try to rip the jewel from Lanny’s hand so that they can examine it and find out what makes it tick; if they decide that what they find can’t be compromised, they’ll kill us, simple as that.”

There was silence for a long moment.

Finally Ian said, “Tyler, don’t you think that you’re being just a little paranoid?”

“No.” Tyler said matter-of-factly, and went back to his steaks.
x-x

Shannon had given Lanny an ice-pack for her knee, and a Percogesic for the pain, while Debra cleaned and dressed Jessie’s wounds. She wrapped layers of gauze around his legs, from feet to knees. Miraculously, no arteries had been hit. Still the slashes were considerably deep, and he would have to see the doctor for stitches. Debra agreed to drive Jessie to the nearest hospital.

“What is happening here?” Shannon said, sounding hapless.

“It would appear that we have side-stepped into the Twilight Zone.” Lanny replied, lying on one of the couches.

“And why is Tyler so anal with the steaks?”

Lanny shrugged. “It’s just a guess, but I would say that it’s a stress-reaction. That’s his way of keeping a grip on reality.”

“I need a couple of men to put Jessie in the truck,” Debra said

“I’ll get Ian and Thomas to help you with him.” Shannon told her. She walked across the living room to the front door and stepped outside, as soon as she was gone, Lanny pulled on the pink lace that held the front of her swimsuit together at the breasts, exposing them.

“Hey Jessie, look over here.”

Jessie did so, and his heart skipped. Inwardly he admitted that every opportunity to see Lanny’s boobs was a treat.

“Very very nice,” Jessie commented with slightly erratic breath.

“Does it help the pain?”

“Definitely.”

Lanny smiled. “I hope so.” She tucked her luscious jewels away. Then she looked at her right hand, gazing at her palm and the multi-faceted gem within. “I wish I knew what this damn thing was supposed to do. It set the demon’s face on fire. I wonder if I could do it again.”

Jessie didn’t know what to say. Everything was happening too fast, and with a dream-like quality. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he had awoken to find himself safely in his own bed. But for now his rationale was telling him that everything that he was experiencing—from the pain in his legs, to Lanny’s voluminous melons—was real.

“Gate of Seria…” Lanny said suddenly, if barely above a whisper. “Fear the dark…”

“What did you say, Lanny?”

But the answer would have to wait. Ian and Thomas came through the door. Between the two of them they were able to load Jessie into the back seat of the SUV. Debra followed them out and got behind the wheel of the truck. She ignored the gazes of fascination that were fastened on the disintegrating creature by the pond.

Appetites were slow to return. But eventually they did. Before the sun was fully set, the gang was eating a dinner of steaks, potatoes, and salad, and talking very little between gulps of beer.

It was difficult to accept what it was they were facing, in spite of the proof that they had. Because it was so unreal, unprecedented, and unfeasible. However no matter how hard they might try to rationalize the reality away, the facts spoke for themselves and would not be persuaded otherwise. It wasn’t everyday that you encountered a gateway to another realm in your backyard, filled with monsters. And it wasn’t everyday that your friend lay on the couch across from you with a jewel from that realm embedded in their hand.

But here it was now. Right before your eyes. And the only thing you had to do seemed like the most impossible; and that was to simply_ accept it._

Shannon spoke: “Lanny, you said something right before Jessie left; something about a…gate.”

Lanny shrugged and cut her steak. “”Gate of Seria”,” she replied. “”Fear the dark…” That’s what’s inscribed outside the cave on the wall.”

“I thought you weren’t able to fully interpret what was on the wall.” Shannon said pointedly.

“I wasn’t. Not entirely. But I know now.”

“How?”

“_That_ I don’t know.”

Glances were exchanged among the group. After awhile Tyler said, “Thomas, after dinner, I would like you to go downstairs with me, and get some guns out of the game room.”

“Righty-oh,”
x-x

Thomas followed Tyler down the wooden stairway that led into the basement. The area was well insulated and had been turned into a game room and bar, with pool-table, a table that was turned into a diorama, for playing Rendered Realities, there was a dart board, and a classic Balley pinball machine. Up against the east wall stood a tall, steel-inlaid cabinet that functioned as a safe. Lining up the proper combination sequence, Tyler opened the cabinet to reveal a small array of firearms. Respectively there were three pump action .22 caliber rifles—two with scopes, two pump-action shotguns; and in a case beneath the gun rack there were two pistols; a 44. Magnum and a Glock. Tyler took down a holster and belt that hung on a hook on the inside of the cabinet door, he placed the Magnum in the holster and hung it over his shoulder; he did the same with the Glock, hanging the gun and holster over his other shoulder. Following this, he put his arms out in front of him, slightly curved.

“Okay, load me up with the .22s, and you grab the shotguns.”

Thomas did as he was instructed, and briefly Tyler struggled under the weight of the firearms. “Pussy,” Thomas said with a sideways smile. Then he grabbed the shotguns in either hand and followed him back up the stairs.

The guns were put on the kitchen table. Then the two men returned to the game room to retrieve ammunition. Back upstairs Tyler began counting rounds.

To those that were listening, he said, “I gave a call to Nick Steis. He’ll be bringing some more guns to us in a couple of hours.”

“What for?” Ian asked. He didn’t care much for Nick, he didn’t like the way that he talked and looked at Katsumi during conversation. He was always left with the impression that Nick was sizing her up for something later on. Like he had plans to… Kat on the other hand wasn’t bothered by Nick; he exhibited the type of mannerisms that she had come to expect from a Death-Metal band member. It was decided by the rest of the group that Ian felt jealousy toward Nick, especially when he was around Katsumi.

“For target practice,” Tyler said cynically. “For our protection,” he clarified. “What do you think?”

“What are we thinking about this for? Why don’t we just bug out of here?”

Katsumi looked at her boyfriend, uncertain that she heard him correctly.

“If we do that,” Kat said. “We take the chance of letting more of those ghouls filter in from out of the cave.”

“She’s right,” Tyler said in agreement. “It would be like walking away from the leak in the dam, when you can do something about it.”

“Don’t talk to me about sins of omission; I don’t believe in God, remember?”

“Fine, Ian.” Tyler said flatly. He began to load the weapons—to Thomas he said: “Give me a hand here; you load the shotguns. Make sure the safety’s on.” To Ian he finished with: “We’ll call you a cab; and you can get your ass out of here before things get too serious.”

“It’s not just my ass that I’m thinking about…” Ian looked at Katsumi.

“No,” Kat said, looking at her boyfriend in proviso. “This is where I draw the line. I don’t leave my friends behind.”

“Kat,” Ian began in what he thought would be a viable explanation and justification. “One of those things could have killed Jessie—he got lucky. What’re we going to do if a dozen of those things come after us?”

Katsumi looked at the weapons laid out on the kitchen table. “We fight,” she said simply. “Do you know how to use a gun?”

“I fired a few in my time, sure.”

“Then you can’t walk away from this. You take the Magnum, I’ll take the Glock.”

“I don’t want you hurt, Kat.”

“You sure as hell don’t want to be using me as a smokescreen.”

“I-I’m not,” Ian insisted.

“Good. Because I’m staying here. The discussion on this matter is over.”

“Dammit Kat—“
“The discussion is over; you will not have me choose between you and my friends and what I believe in.”

“I thought you believed in me.”

“And I thought you believed in _me_” Katsumi countered.

“We’re going to have to rig the perimeter.” Tyler said. “And take turns standing watch.”

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Tags:

adventure, demone, devil, horror, intense, magic, monster, suspense and water