Devrie Spaulding's Blog, page 10

A Pawn of the Devil Part 7

The city loomed before Sarah as she drove. It took the rest of the day to get close enough to see the lights of tall buildings and signs. Her chest began to tighten. Breathing became difficult. She pulled onto the shoulder of the road and slammed on her brakes.



Thoughts swirled in her head. Just interacting with one person nearly caused her to kill him. What would happen with an entire city? Not all of them were like the man she nearly ended, but enough were. Would he want to kill innocent people, too? Sarah began hyperventilating. That damn Xaphan did this to her. He tortured her and made her want to kill. She had heard of abuse before, but was this normal? Did the victim turn out like she had?



She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Just because he did what he did, doesn’t mean he can have control of what she does now. Finally, Sarah began to breathe normal. Her heart stopped trying to break free. Test or no test, she would show Xaphan that he couldn’t control her.



Putting the truck back into drive, she pulled onto the road again. Another hour had her entering the city limits. Cars zoomed everywhere. Lights blinked, people strolled along sidewalks, horns honked, and music played from some store briefly as she drove by. It was almost too much for her senses. Looking at all the people walking and chatting with each other didn’t seem to raise any red flags yet. Sarah wasn’t seeing red when a car dashed around her for going too slow, either. Maybe that man was just a one-time thing.



Sarah found a mostly empty parking lot just outside of a bar. She pulled in and parked in a spot farthest away from any other cars. Parking here was probably not a good idea. Drunk people were usually very annoying, and that was before Xaphan flayed open her skin repeatedly, but if she didn’t want to get caught for stealing the truck, this was a good place to leave it. The man seemed like he would visit bars a lot. She took a few moments to rummage through the glove compartment and under the bench seats. Just as suspected, he had both a gun and a knife. He also had a rather large wad of cash in the glove box. It was strange, but who was she to question.



Taking the knife and money, Sarah exited the truck. There was no way she would even touch the gun. It was too easy to shoot someone if she saw red again. With a knife, she might be able to stop herself before killing. The cash was an added benefit since there was nowhere she could stay, and no one she knew in this city. Maybe coming here was a mistake. Going back home would have given her a support group of friends and doctors, but Sarah couldn’t risk hurting loved ones. This had to be the better choice.



She walked a while down the semi-crowded street. Bits and pieces of conversations drifted in her ears. They all seemed pretty happy. Lucky people. None of these pedestrians had to endure what Sarah did. None of them had to now live with being so dramatically changed. They could laugh and joke. They could interact with each other without worrying about hurting each other. Sarah used to be like them. She used to be normal. Even if this was some hallucination test, she would never be normal again.



A drunk man bumped into Sarah and splashed his beer down her arm. He grabbed her shirt, “Watch where you are going bitch! You made me spill my beer!”



Sarah tightened her grip on the small knife. It wouldn’t do much damage with one stab but repeated ones could. For such a big man, she was shocked at how small the blade was. This man, however, was about to test how many stabs it took to get to the center of an idiot. Her vision began to grow darker, filled the edges with red. Sarah stepped into his face but didn’t speak.



“Whoa, whoa! Let’s not fight you two.” A petite brunette pulled him back away from Sarah. When he was far enough away, the woman pleadingly looked at Sarah. “He’s an idiot. I’m so sorry.” She pulled out some wet wipes from her small black purse. “Here, let me help get that cleaned up.”



Sarah jerked away just before the woman could touch her. “No. It’s ok. I… I have to go.” Sarah took off running as hard as she could. She wove in and out of the crowds trying to not touch a single person. As she ran, she looked for somewhere she could lay low for a while. None of the higher end hotels would take cash so she stopped at sketchy looking motel. The rooms lined a parking lot behind the check in building creating a horse shoe pattern.



After checking in, she went all the way down to the back row. Several rooms had their occupants sitting outside on lawn furniture smoking cigars or marijuana. Other people stood drinking beer. This would be a true test of her self-control for sure. Eyes followed Sarah the whole way until she finally opened her door and bolted it from inside. This could definitely be a major mistake.



Her stomach growled loudly. Sharp pains shot through her body. As hungry as she was, there was no way she would attempt going back outside right now. When the other tenants where asleep in the daytime, she would go get food. Until then, sleep seemed the best idea. What would happen when she did, though? Would she wake up back in the cave? The thought of that happening chased away any tiredness.



Sarah crawled up on the bed, bringing her knees to her chest. She rocked forward and back as tears streamed down her face. What would she do now? What was she supposed to do? She didn’t have a job or any friends here. That was a double-edged sword. On one side, she wouldn’t hurt anyone, but on the other side, she would soon run out of money and starve or have to live on the streets with no walls to separate her from others. She would eventually end up in jail or an institution. Maybe that would be for the best.



Sometime during the night, her exhaustion, both emotionally and physically, caused her to fall asleep. Only when streams of sunshine hit her face did she wake up screaming. It took quite a bit to realize where she was. There was sun and a soft bed. It wasn’t the cave after all. She relaxed fully letting her body finally enjoy the safety of her small motel room.

A Mystery Deep Below Part 5

Lar and I raced back as fast as we could. We only took a small moment to drink another meal. Lar was silent the whole time, making me worry even more. Crime wasn’t anything new in our world. It happened occasionally, but with Torchal always listening and watching, not much got past his sight. We would still hold a hearing to determine the severity of each crime, but Torchal always knew. This time, he did not.

 

As we drank our nourishment, I tapped Lar’s shoulder. I wasn’t sure how I had accomplished it before, but I couldn’t speak to her mind now. All I could do was plead with my eyes.

 

“Shhh, now child. I am communicating with Torchal. He is panicked. I must sooth him somehow. I will reassure him that we shall find whoever did this and bring them before him for judgment.” Her look of amusement must have meant she could read my expression. “You did not need to speak. Your face said it all. Now. I must focus. Let us continue.”

 

With that, we rushed on. How she could calm Torchal while we were both clearly scared and worried, I would not know. Far in the back of my mind, I could feel a different panic. Not mine. Mine was towards the front. This must have been Torchal. There were no words, just feeling. It made my heart break for him.

 

As soon as we entered the spines, Lar took off her sphere. I did as well, but we never paused to place them back in our packs. Now able to speak, my voice rose to reach Lar, who was several paces ahead of me. For an old woman, she could really hustle. “Where are we headed? Where did this happen?”

 

She paused briefly to look at me. Worry etched her features.  “It was a youngling. We are headed to where you live.”

 

My breath caught in my chest. My vision swirled. A youngling? Who would dare? They are the most precious gift we have. Not many are born, so when they are, we gather them with our care takers.

 

We passed Lar’s hut and set our packs inside. Lar-Naneth went beyond her kitchen to grab a small seaweed pack filled with items to help investigate. A feeling of urgency clutched at my chest. Before I could say a word, Lar latched onto my hand and drug me with her.

 

“Now that Torchal has welcomed you into his mind, you shall aid me in this investigation.”

 

“Yes, Lar.” It was all I could think of to say. Visions of each youngling face swam in my head. I couldn’t part with any of them.

 

The large enclosure loomed before us now. It was the largest in our community. I helped Madame in the evenings after my lessons with my mother. Taking care of the younglings felt right. Before we could enter, Madame rushed out. Her face was full of sorrow and anguish.

 

“Lar-Naneth! I am so glad to see you. I assume Torchal told you of the occurrence?”

 

“Yes, Madame. It was a youngling then?”

 

“Yes, it was.”  Madame seemed to finally notice my presence. “Limmeg. I assume, if you are here, then your task went well. I am so sorry this interrupted such a joyous event.”

 

I bowed my head respectfully. “Think nothing of it, Madame. You know how much the younglings mean to me.”

 

Madame also bowed her head. It was the first time she ever did. “You will make a fine Lar when it is your time.” She held back the seaweed curtain for us to enter.

 

Lar pushed forward. She was all business now. Not a single emotion played across her face. She turned back towards Madame after we all entered. “Show me, please.”

 

Madame nodded. “We have her in the back where the others will not see her.” She brushed past us, leading down the long, dark hallway. On each side, an opening would appear for a youngling’s room. In the back was the dining area and kitchen.

 

Reaching the kitchen, Madame led us to a further room. It was mostly storage but inside stood a long table. A white sheet covered something small. I couldn’t breathe. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes. Lar looked at me and spoke in my mind. “Get ahold of yourself, child. This will be your job in the future. You can not let emotions override the logic needed to figure this out.” Her eyes softened a little. “I know you love them. Use that to punish the one responsible.”

 

She was right. I had to find the one who did this. Only pure evil could harm a youngling. With a new resolve. I stepped into the room.

  

A Mystery Down Below Part 5

Lar and I raced back as fast as we could. We only took a small moment to drink another meal. Lar was silent the whole time, making me worry even more. Crime wasn’t anything new in our world. It happened occasionally, but with Torchal always listening and watching, not much got past his sight. We would still hold a hearing to determine the severity of each crime, but Torchal always knew. This time, he did not.

 

As we drank our nourishment, I tapped Lar’s shoulder. I wasn’t sure how I had accomplished it before, but I couldn’t speak to her mind now. All I could do was plead with my eyes.

 

“Shhh, now child. I am communicating with Torchal. He is panicked. I must sooth him somehow. I will reassure him that we shall find whoever did this and bring them before him for judgment.” Her look of amusement must have meant she could read my expression. “You did not need to speak. Your face said it all. Now. I must focus. Let us continue.”

 

With that, we rushed on. How she could calm Torchal while we were both clearly scared and worried, I would not know. Far in the back of my mind, I could feel a different panic. Not mine. Mine was towards the front. This must have been Torchal. There were no words, just feeling. It made my heart break for him.

 

As soon as we entered the spines, Lar took off her sphere. I did as well, but we never paused to place them back in our packs. Now able to speak, my voice rose to reach Lar, who was several paces ahead of me. For an old woman, she could really hustle. “Where are we headed? Where did this happen?”

 

She paused briefly to look at me. Worry etched her features.  “It was a youngling. We are headed to where you live.”

 

My breath caught in my chest. My vision swirled. A youngling? Who would dare? They are the most precious gift we have. Not many are born, so when they are, we gather them with our care takers.

 

We passed Lar’s hut and set our packs inside. Lar-Naneth went beyond her kitchen to grab a small seaweed pack filled with items to help investigate. A feeling of urgency clutched at my chest. Before I could say a word, Lar latched onto my hand and drug me with her.

 

“Now that Torchal has welcomed you into his mind, you shall aid me in this investigation.”

 

“Yes, Lar.” It was all I could think of to say. Visions of each youngling face swam in my head. I couldn’t part with any of them.

 

The large enclosure loomed before us now. It was the largest in our community. I helped Madame in the evenings after my lessons with my mother. Taking care of the younglings felt right. Before we could enter, Madame rushed out. Her face was full of sorrow and anguish.

 

“Lar-Naneth! I am so glad to see you. I assume Torchal told you of the occurrence?”

 

“Yes, Madame. It was a youngling then?”

 

“Yes, it was.”  Madame seemed to finally notice my presence. “Limmeg. I assume, if you are here, then your task went well. I am so sorry this interrupted such a joyous event.”

 

I bowed my head respectfully. “Think nothing of it, Madame. You know how much the younglings mean to me.”

 

Madame also bowed her head. It was the first time she ever did. “You will make a fine Lar when it is your time.” She held back the seaweed curtain for us to enter.

 

Lar pushed forward. She was all business now. Not a single emotion played across her face. She turned back towards Madame after we all entered. “Show me, please.”

 

Madame nodded. “We have her in the back where the others will not see her.” She brushed past us, leading down the long, dark hallway. On each side, an opening would appear for a youngling’s room. In the back was the dining area and kitchen.

 

Reaching the kitchen, Madame led us to a further room. It was mostly storage but inside stood a long table. A white sheet covered something small. I couldn’t breathe. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes. Lar looked at me and spoke in my mind. “Get ahold of yourself, child. This will be your job in the future. You can not let emotions override the logic needed to figure this out.” Her eyes softened a little. “I know you love them. Use that to punish the one responsible.”

 

She was right. I had to find the one who did this. Only pure evil could harm a youngling. With a new resolve. I stepped into the room.

  

A Pawn of the Devil Part 6

Sarah sat as close as she could to the door while tucking her hand under one leg. The malformed one was still hidden under the long sleeve flannel. She closed her eyes, trying to get her mind right. Visions of killing this man swam through her head. Each time, she tightened her eyes, trying to push them away. He was rude, but so far, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Sarah used to cherish all forms of life. It was not up to her to decide who lived or died.

 

“Where ya headed sweet heart?” He took one hand off the steering wheel and sat it on the bench seat. It wasn’t close to Sarah, but it still made her uncomfortable.

 

“Nearest town in this direction, I guess.” She kept her eyes closed but positioned her head to make it look like she was staring out the window.

 

“Hey. Are you ok? Why are your eyes closed? Got a headache?”

 

Crap, he noticed. “Yeah. Yeah, I have a bad headache.”

 

The man reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder. Sarah stiffened under the contact, but he didn’t remove it. This was getting way too difficult. She hadn’t wanted to walk, but controlling her urge was almost beyond her ability.

 

“Please, don’t touch me.” She tried to make her voice as kind as possible, but it was not working. She opened her eyes and looked over at him.

 

He smiled but it wasn’t a nice one. “You know what they say is good for a headache, right? I could help with that.” He chuckled and went to move his hand to her leg. 

 

This time, Sarah didn’t even try to sound nice. Instead, her voice came out almost demonic. “I said, don’t touch me.”

 

“Oh, come on, honey. I’m giving you a ride after all.” His hand now rested on her upper thigh.

 

That was all it took. Sarah’s mind didn’t seem to be her own now. She slammed her left elbow into the man’s nose and then exposed her right claw, using it to grab his throat. He tried to scream, but she squeezed tighter. The truck veered left and right, crossing both lanes many times. The tires screeched as he slammed on the breaks. Sarah shifted the truck into park as soon as they came to a full stop.

 

The man’s breathing came out in wheezes. He didn’t dare move his head. The claw has razor-sharp edges, and it already cause blood to flow down onto his wife beater shirt. His eyes bulged as they swiveled to look over at her.

 

Her face contorted with the rage flowing in her veins. It would be so easy to snip off his head or cut off other parts now, knowing how sharp the claw was.  She could just give in and do it.  Xaphan’s maniacal face appeared in her thoughts. Instead of encouraging her on, it caused her to stop. She closed her eyes again and took deep breaths. When she opened them again, she was better in control.

 

“You are a pig. I should end you now, but I won’t be a pawn. Get out of the truck. I’m taking it, and you won’t be calling it in for at least a day. If I find out you did or that you told the police about me, I will find you and finish what I should have done.” She inched her face closer to his. Something in her eyes terrified him. He lost control of his bladder, beer tainted pee quickly soaking his jeans. “Do you understand?”

 

The man ever so slightly nodded his head. He wasn’t about to try and move it anymore than that. He even had the good graces to keep eye contact.

 

“Good. Now get out!” Sarah let go of his neck and moved a little bit away to give him room.

 

He fumbled with the door handle but finally got it open. As soon as he did, he fell out and crawled to the grass. The man brought his knees up to his chest. Sarah could hear him crying from inside the truck.

 

She looked at the seat he had just vacated. It was still damp from his urine. The thought of sitting there made her gag. A quick look through the cabin produced some wet wipes. Sarah sighed in relief. She pulled out a handful and quickly wiped down the area, including the steering wheel and then her claw. There was no point leaving his blood on her anywhere.

 

After adjusting the seat and mirrors, Sarah put the truck into drive and pressed on the accelerator. She was still confused as to if this was real or not, but for now, she would treat it like it was. There is no point being sloppy or getting arrested. Was her home in this direction? Was it the other way? She didn’t know but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t go back to her life if this was reality. She didn’t know what she was going to do. There was no telling when this would end if it was another one of Xaphan’s tests. Driving on was her only option.

  

A Mystery Deep Below Part 4

I gasped at the sight before me. Now that we were unobstructed by Torchal’s spines, the wide-open water was breathtaking. Hughes of light blue and dark swirled together. Schools of bright silver fish flocked backward and forwards. One such school swam too close to Torchal. Lar grasped my shoulder to hold on, and we braced our feet. His head moved, jarring us almost to falling. I looked over the side and saw a massive jaw opening. The suction drew in countless fish. We were ready when he closed his mouth again. This time, we stood steady.



Lar looked over at me. “We do not need to travel too far forward. To go to the end of his mouth would be suicide.” Her voice did not come from her mouth, though. How could it with the sphere over our heads. Instead, I heard her in my mind. All I could do was nod. I didn’t even know we could communicate in the way of Torchal.



It was very cold out in the open. We walked for a very long time. Lar had us stop to eat, and I had no idea how that would even work until she brought out containers with long hollow tubes inserted in them. She handed one to me. I continue to watch her for instructions. Lar pushed the tube through her sphere, and it opened just enough for the tube to go through, then closed around it. With that done, Lar simply drank from it. The idea of nourishment being taken in such a way was startling. I followed along as she had done even though it seemed ridiculous. To my surprise, it was very satisfying.



We continued on for longer than I thought would be possible. Eventually, a slight dip showed itself before us. On either side of the pathway, the terrain rose up a little. Those rises moved, causing me to jump. Lar laughed in my mind. “Silly girl. Those are Torchal’s eyes. Do you not think he needs to scout his domain?”



My cheeks reddened. How was I supposed to know what to expect? This was the first time I traveled forward.



“We are here. Just a little way down between his eyes is a setting for the pearl. You must be the one to place it there.” Lar gently shoved me in that direction and then sat down. She extended one hand to receive my pack.



I gave it to her after removing the pearl. Holding it tightly in both hands, I moved down the pathway. It only took several steps to see what Lar was talking about. A coral setting sat affixed to Torchal’s hide. Nothing occupied the space right now, but a tugging in my chest caused me to hurry over and set the pearl inside. As soon as I did, the four prongs moved inwards to clasp around it. The pearl began to shine ever so slightly. In my mind, I heard a rhythmic purring of satisfaction. My heart swelled with joy.

I smiled within my sphere. Making my way back to Lar, I fell down when Torchal jerked suddenly. He jerked again and again. I had to hold onto one of his eye lids to keep from being shot out into the water. Lar came running towards me to help. I looked up into her fear filled eyes. “What is it, Lar? What is happening? Did I do something wrong?”



Lar sat down next to me. We held each other as we braced through his fit. “No. You did nothing wrong. There has been an unscheduled death. A violent one. One that even Torchal cannot see who is at fault. We must get back and find the crime. The murderer must be brought before Torchal.”

A Pawn of the Devil Part 5

Time meant nothing to Sarah now. She passed out when the pain became too much and woke up when Xaphan would splash water on her to do it all again. She never knew if her food was poisoned or not. Sometimes, it was fine, and others she would vomit until collapsing again. Most of the attention he gave her was torture and pain. However, there were times of tenderness where he would give her things like clothes and a blanket. Sarah’s mind couldn’t take the back and forth or the not knowing what to expect. Eventually, it snapped, and anything he did to her only made her laugh uncontrollably. All Sarah really wanted was to die. That was the one thing he would never give her. So, her attention went to an all-consuming need for his death.



After an exceedingly long torture session where he flayed her skin open yet again. This time, he cut her right arm off just below the elbow, replacing it with some kind of metal claw type weapon. This was too much for her, and she passed out again. It was a tentative sleep. Sarah waited and waited for the cold splash of water, but it never came. Out of pure exhaustion, she fell into a deep sleep filled with nightmares of more screaming and pain. She woke up screaming and placing her hands over her face to shield it from Xaphan’s blade. The metal appendage hitting hard against her cheek. The nightmare faded as she sat there breathing heavily. Some kind of hard particles covered her one hand and were now on her face. Come to think of it, the feel of her platform was different.



Sarah slowly lowered her arms and opened her eyes. This had to still be her dream. This couldn’t be real. The forest outside her prison cave surrounded her. Grass and dirt covered her clothes and hand. No, this wasn’t real. It was another of his tortures. Soon, the cave would come back into focus. She didn’t dare hope that the wind blowing across her damp skin was legit. Birds sang in the trees now. A squirrel scampered from one tree to another, pausing briefly to glare at Sarah. Could Xaphan create such a realistic illusion? She didn’t know the extent of his abilities, but it could be.



A backpack sat beside her. It looked so familiar. Glancing down, she saw different clothes as well. Were these the same clothes she wore when entering the cave? “No no no no no….. not real. NOT REAL!” Sarah shook her head violently. Her mind was still broken. At least that part he couldn’t take away. Her sandy blonde hair was also still knotted. The tight pony tail from before long gone. Unfortunately, the claw was there as well.



“Well, he won’t end this falsehood until I run the course. So, may as well get to it.” Sarah wasn’t normally one to talk to herself, but now, she didn’t even feel like Sarah. She stood up, brushing away the grass and dirt, then swinging her backpack onto one shoulder. She wobbled a bit so braced herself on a nearby tree. “Feels so real.”



Pushing herself from tree to tree, Sarah made her way back in the direction she had come long ago. “You could have at least made me stronger, you asshole!… And what’s up with the damn claw?” She looked around, hoping to see him somewhere and prove this was another sick and twisted game of his. She didn’t find him. “Whatever!”



Rage rose inside of her. The desire to hurt and kill was her only desire. As she walked, she tried to think straight. Her thoughts were jumbled and out of order. The only thing she could think of was stabbing him and seeing his blood, whatever the color, running down onto the cave floor. The rage filled her even more, so she used the clawed hand to hit a tree. It splintered where she connected with it and the tree fell. Sarah stood stunned. “Now I know this isn’t real.”



Not able to even care, Sarah continued walking. This time, she was able to do it without the help of any trees. Eventually, the sounds of cars on a road floated back to her ears. “How long is this going to go on for?” She looked down at the claw, realizing if the imaginary people saw it, that might cause her to fail whatever test this was. She removed her pack and opened it. Inside was a flannel long sleeved shirt, several sizes too large. It would do fine to hide the atrocious design.



Finally, covered and ready to appear from within the trees, she stepped out and onto the road’s shoulder. Which way did she need to go? She couldn’t remember. Turning right, Sarah continued on. Almost half an hour later, a white truck pulled up alongside her. An older man with stained teeth and dark eyes rolled down his window. “Need a ride, sweet cheeks?”



Sarah now knew why they say a bull sees red. Her vision nearly turned red. The rage became unbearable. She could almost see the blood flowing through this man’s veins, and it screamed to be released. Shaking her head to clear it, Sarah looked up but could only nod.



“Which is it, honey? Yes or no? I don’t have all day.”



Sarah formed a smile and got in the truck.

A Mystery Deep Below Part 3

“Mother! I heard him!” My eyes were wide, and I jumped up and down, simply unable to contain my joy.



“What have I told you, child? While you are learning, you will address me as Lar-Naneth.” She came through the curtain holding two cups of Luin tea. “And I heard as well. Do you think he would leave it to you for telling me what his choice was?” Lar shook her head. She handed me one of the cups. Its sweet smell made my stomach growl. “Did you not eat with the younglings?”



“No, Lar. I did not wish to be later than I already was.”



“That just will not do. Come, sit with me, and we shall fix that error.” Lar ushered me into her small kitchen. Everything we had was made from fallen spines. We would never pull or cut them from Torchal’s body. It was absolutely forbidden to cause him any kind of pain. Such an act was the worst of crimes and never needed any kind of trial.



I sat at the much smaller table while Lar fussed over her stove. In respect, I did not speak. That was done during the meal. So, as soon as she placed my plate of fish and algae down, I asked what was on my mind. “So now that I have clearly heard him, what comes next?”



Lar slowly cut her fish, taking her time to saver the flavor. After what seemed like forever, she looked up at me. “We take him what he asked for, silly girl.”



If my eyes were wide before when I finally heard Torchal’s voice in my mind, now they were huge. “We are going further forward? What about our air we breathe while between his spines?”



She shook her head at me, looking down. “Just when I think you are growing wiser, you ask such a question as that. Do you not know how the cleaners move above our air to groom Torchal?”



Lowering my gaze as well, I answered. “Yes, Lar. They harvest the air, making solid spheres to place over their heads. This keeps them with enough air to last through each grooming.”



A cool hand grasped mine. Lar squeezed every so slightly. “Yes, my child. That is how we will travel forward.”



When I raised my eyes to meet hers, they were full of pride. We finished our meal in silence before packing for the journey. This would be quite the experience. Lar did not live far from Torchal’s mind, but it was far enough to cause me to wonder if one sphere would take us the whole way. I would pack two just in case. I looked over at Lar and saw her doing the same. I may live with the younglings most of the time, but the majority of my belongings were still here with my mother.



When our packing was complete, we slung our packs on and headed out her front curtain. Looking up at Torchal’s spines, how they swept backward, we started forward. Lar’s pack was much larger than mine, but she was stronger than most Firen. Even as thin and small as she was, she could take on our strongest males. She was everything I wanted to be.



Cresting Torchal’s neck towards his head, the spines ended mere feet before us. Lar called a stop and pulled out her first sphere. I took her lead and retrieved mine as well. They were solid from one side to the next, top to bottom, but they slid right over our heads without seeming to create an opening. It was a trade I knew nothing of.



The way forward was much darker than any spot within his spines. I could see open water ahead. My heart lurched. If Lar was not here, then I doubt I could make this trip. Seeming to know my fear, Lar reached over and took my hand. I smiled at her in response. Together, we both stepped out of the spines.

A Pawn of the Devil Part 4

Sarah sat on the cold, hard rock. Her ankles finally stopped bleeding. She didn’t understand what this man had meant by magic making her wounds from before healed so perfectly. If it truly happened, there should have been cuts or stitches. Her mind just couldn’t wrap itself around it. And there was no way she could have died and came back. That was just pure fiction.



Foot steps sounded from across the cave. Sarah stiffened at the sound. What could possibly be next? Scooting as far back as she could against the rock wall, she braced herself.



“How are you doing, my dear?” Xaphan seemed to materialize out of the darkness. He wore clothes this time. A fancy looking suit in grey tones and stood straight with no indication of the previous curving of his back. How he came by this outfit was anyone’s guess. The last time she saw him, he was completely naked.



“Stop calling me that. It means nothing to you.” Sarah spat out the words. Her rage was overtaking her fear.



“On the contrary, I do. I care deeply about your role to play. The process must be done precisely.” He strode forward with the usual food offering. This time he also had a cup of water made from the same stone. “Here, eat. You will need your strength.”



She took the items reluctantly. He was right about one thing. She would need her strength. If an opportunity ever presented itself to her, she would try to escape. Not that she could see how it could happen, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try. Everything he planned to do to her, she would fight it the whole way.



Within minutes of eating the bread and drinking the water, sharp pains emanated from her stomach. Sarah doubled over in pain. When she could raise her head, Xaphan smiled broadly. “What have you done to me?”





Xaphan scrunched his face. “Me? Why, I have done nothing. You chose to eat the food and drink the water. You have done this to yourself.”



Sarah threw the plate at him. To her horror, it passed right through him. “What the hell are you?” She couldn’t straighten her body out. The pain continued to increase with each passing second.



“Hell…” He tilted his head sideways. “That is what you mortals have named where I am from, I believe. Then, yes, I am from there. I descended with the first.” Now his face changed to pure rage. “His precious little projects! So perfect to Him. We become nothing in His eyes. I will show Him how fragile you all are. How imperfect.”



“That’s not possible. You can’t be….” Tears ran down Sarah’s face again. This time, from the impossibility of what he said. It couldn’t be true. He couldn’t be a demon or devil or whatever. Those things are not real.



“Oh, it is more real than you can imagine. We are always there even when you can not see us.”



Sarah began to vomit now. Her body contorted as her stomach expelled the poisoned food. She couldn’t seem to stop either. It just kept coming, even more than the measly amount of bread. If there was any kind of object near her, she would have probably killed herself right there and then. There wasn’t, though. So, she had to endure the poison running through her system and causing her body to try and remove it. When she felt she couldn’t take it anymore, it finally stopped. Sarah collapsed on her side.



Xaphan approached even closer. “Now, we progress.” He pulled her by one leg towards the edge of the platform. She tried to fight but was far too weak. With a wave of his hand, short brackets rose from the stone. He quickly tied her to each one.



He produced a thin, long blade from behind his back. The metal was gold colored and etched with symbols Sarah did not recognize. It cured like a fish carving knife would. The handle glowed bright white. He held it just above her stomach but did not stab downward. Instead, Xaphan slowly lowered it to barely touching her skin. It wouldn’t cut, but she could feel it. It glided along her skin from her stomach to her legs and then her arms. She kept waiting for the plunge but it didn’t come. The whole time, he hummed that same tune. He traced her face next, this time cutting in just enough to make her scream.



Sarah wanted so badly to pass out again, but for some reason, it wouldn’t happen. Each cut brought her closer, but the demon, entity, would pause long enough for her to recover. This time, she could feel her wounds closing almost as soon as he made them. This had to be a bad dream. She needed to wake up. None of this could be real. Deep down, she knew it was…

A Mystery Deep Below Part 2

On my way to Lar-Naneth for my tutoring, I passed many other Firen going about their daily routines. Younglings headed off to their separate tutors. The way of trades was our way of life. Reading and writing were born into us. We did not know any other way of life. Riding on the back of Torchal through the deep dark waters, life was simple.

We were one of four towns. Ours was closest to Torchal’s head. It made sense since Lar-Naneth lived here. She could speak mind to mind with him. He was an endless source for knowledge and wisdom. Torchal, through Lar-Naneth, was judge to any crime. Those found guilty were exiled off his back to float till death.

This day was the same as any other. I passed our fishers, casting lines up above into the waters. It was our main source of food. This with some algae crops formed on Torchal’s spines gave our bodies all we needed. This cycle seemed to be a good one. Hal-mant had many apprentices. Each one was assigned to a seasoned fisher. Hal-mant called out to me. “Running late, I see. Lar-Naneth will tan your hide.” He threw a small blue fish over. “Here. This may save you a little of her wrath.”

“Thank you, Hal-mant. You always know how to appease Lar-Naneth. I shall come later to help gut your catch.” I caught the flavorful small fish easily, happy to have a peace offering.

Finally, at Lar-Naneth’s hut, I shook the shells hanging from her sea weed curtain door. “Lar-Naneth, I have arrived.

“You are late! I should have you fetch a fallen spine to whip you with.” Lar-Naneth poked her pointed nose through the curtain. White hair stood on end. She was nearly a foot shorter than me and thin as a fish bone, but no one dared test her strength.

“Please, Lar, please. The younglings I reside with needed morning meal and Madame was out at market. I brought you a Luin for your tea.” I held out the palm sized fish.

Lar-Naneth scrunched her eyes while glaring at the fish. “Hmmm. You may have saved your backside yet again. Come. Bring it over and start your lessons.”

“Yes Lar.” I entered her hut after her. Furniture made from fallen spines lines both sides of the entrance room. A single person chair to the left and a double person chair to the right. A large, round table took up the center. Sitting upon that table was my task for the day. There was a green coral, white pearl, and red rock.

Lar-Naneth disappeared behind another curtain to make her tea. From there, she yelled at me, “This time, get it right! No guessing!”

“Yes, Lar.” Standing before the table, I closed my eyes. My open hand hovered over each item for seconds at a time before moving on to the next. Clearing my mind was the hardest part. It just wouldn’t shut up. I tried visualizing the dark water around us or focusing on Torchal’s movements. Before I knew it, I was thinking of all sorts of things instead of silence.

I shook out my hands and took a deep breath. Connecting to Torchal was the hardest task I have ever had to accomplish so far. I could hear his murmurs but never the exact words. Focus was definitely not my strong point. You would think, being Lar-Naneth’s daughter would make this easier, but it didn’t. 

Swaying to Torchal’s swimming, my mind finally emptied. A peace fell over me. My heart filled with love. One simple word gonged in my mind, “Pearl!”

 

 

A Pawn of the Devil Part 3

Sharp pain woke Sarah up. It seemed to be coming from every part of her body. She tried to move her arms and find where it was coming from but she was tightly bound with her own rope. Wiggling her feet let her know that her legs were also tied. Movement to her left caught Sarah’s attention and she tried to see what was making the sound. Everything was still blurry but a humanoid shape hovered over her midsection.

 

Pain flared again. A stabbing sensation just above her navel spread upward. Warm liquid that could only be blood pooled up and ran down both sides of her waist. She screamed as loud as her vocal chords would let her. Deep in her numbing mind she knew no one could hear her or, much less, save her. Whatever, whoever, was doing this to her would get away with it. How she could think of this while the object tore deeply into her skin, raking across each rib bone was beyond her.

 

Sarah screened until her throat was raw and no sound would continue to come out. Yet, she still tried. Each slice went deeper and deeper. The one doing all the torture never went above Sarah’s shoulders. They did touch everywhere else. It must have been a man because he started humming some unknown tune in a clearly male voice as if he was not skinning her alive.

 

Hours, minutes or days flew by as the cutting continued. Eventually, she felt herself slipping away. Did she really want to die? Yes, she did. Whatever came after this had to be better. There was no hope. There was no other end. Sarah welcomed the blissful darkness as it enveloped her. As she lost consciousness, she smiled.

 

Ice cold water splashed across her body jarring her awake. With a loud groan, she realized she was still alive. “Well, crap.” Her voice came out as a croak. Her sight was clear now and Sarah realized she lay on the same platform she had passed searching for an exit. Chains shackled her to the stone wall behind her. Thick cuffs cut into her ankles, blood dripping down her feet, even after being splashed with water. Other than the restraints, she was completely naked.

 

Holding a bucket in front of Sarah stood a man. His nearly seven-foot-tall frame barely contained any fat or muscle. His back hunched over slightly. A maniacal smile nearly cut is face in half, but these things weren’t what startled Sarah. It was the fiery glow in his eyes, the needle-sharp teeth showing through cracked lips and a darker than black aura encircling him.

 

All that had happened before waking up drenched in icy water came flooding back. Sarah gasped quickly searching her body. Her hands ran over smooth skin, clearly untouched by any kind of weapon. The only blood still dripped around her ankles. This wasn’t possible. She vividly remembered the pain and screaming. Her mind tried to snap. It must have been the smell causing her to hallucinate or maybe a terrible nightmare. “Who are you? What is happening here?”

The man laughed sending chills over her skin not caused from the cold. “You are now my student. I am now your god. I am called Xaphan.”

 

“Student? I don’t want to be your damn student. Let me go! Now!” Sarah pulled at her chains. They wouldn’t give but she still tried. It only made him laugh harder. Seeing that there was no point, she finally gave up. “Why are you doing this?”

 

Xaphan seemed to float instead of walk closer. He dropped his bucket causing it to roll back towards the lake. “It must be done. Culling the herd must happen and you, my dear, must be my weapon.”

 

“No. I don’t want to be your weapon. Please, let me go.”

 

“Want? What you want is not important. This shall happen. I must mold you.” One boney hand reached towards Sarah. The smell of rotten eggs wafting in the air. She recoiled instinctively. Long talon like nails caught her long sandy blonde hair. With all the tangles and knots, his nails caught in them keeping her in place.

 

“Tsk tsk tsk. You must be hungry, my dear.” Letting go of her hair, he walked around the platform and out of sight. When he returned, he handed her a stone plate. On it was a single chunk of bread. Her stomach betrayed her by growling loudly. “See? Hungry. Eat. Then we shall begin.”

 

“Did earlier happen for real?” Sarah indicated towards her body.

 

“Why yes, yes it did. You take pain very well. I must say, I expected more screaming.” Xaphan chuckled, clearly impressed with himself.

 

“I don’t understand. My body isn’t cut. I don’t have any wounds at all, no blood.” She felt her mind trying to snap again but shook her head. She was stronger than this.

 

“Magic, my sweet. Magic. You died and I brought you back whole. That had to happen for this process to work. I do so enjoy my craft.” With that, he strolled off into the darkness, humming the same toon as before.