There are Hollywood yarns, spun for our entertainment, stories of vampires and werewolves, but this is DIFFERENT. These creatures don’t sparkle, they don’t shine, and a crucifix is something they admire for its simple elegance. A silver bullet might hurt them if you fire a hundred.

These are creatures from The Dark World, and this tale is one that will leave you asking, “Who’s going to save us from this terror?!”

October 31, 2007

Shannon could feel the weight of her eyelids as they slowly lifted, the ache in her back, and the warm blood dripping down her neck. Her lips quivered as she tried speaking, her long dark hair moving as her head tilted to the side. Pain near her throat radiated down her arm as she winced.

“You’ve been bitten.” The voice was calming, soothing to her, beautiful and horrid all at once.

“Lu…” she tried to speak. “Lucius…”

He emerged from the other side of the doorway, tall, older, a once handsome man. Now, a weakened, embattled undead, yearning for new life. Relief from the hard time was clearly on his mind.

Normally, Shannon would be enraged, reaching behind her back and under her black leather jacket for her dagger, her .45 full auto, or whatever the hell she could find to stab the demon vampyre right through the heart.

But there was no dagger.

Her hands were not bound.

The weight of her .45 on her black leather pants wasn’t there.

“And you have no desire to hurt me,” Lucius said, “Do you?”

She searched her heart, probed her thoughts, and looked around the room. Nothing, no instincts or reactions that she’d trained for over the years. Everything the Order taught her about dealing these creatures of the night…

“Suppressed,” Lucius slowly began walking around her, “Gone but not forgotten.” He stopped in front of her. “When we turn a Knight of the holy warriors, it’s not a move born of fear.”

He stopped near her feet, knelt down, and placed his pale, weathered hands on her thighs. “It’s one of desire, my dear. You see, the vampyre have a deep reservoir of desire. Not from a Godly…”

He stopped, as though the words made his tongue ache. There was a moment to regain his composure.

“…No. Not from that place in the hearts and minds of men. We vampyre make decisions so that our kind might operate in freedom and…safety, to be quite honest.”

He leaned forward, his old nose nearing Shannon’s face. “Knights of the Order, Regulators, Separatists, and any men that saw fit to raise arms against us have sought our destruction from the moment they laid eyes on one of us taking a donor. From the moment a willing human shared their lifeforce, other men, women, and even children have longed for our utter destruction.”

“I…I can’t…”

“Oh my dear,” the vampire gently pushed on her thighs, helping himself stand as he stepped away. “You can…and you will…”

Shannon could feel her chest tightening, and she slowly leaned back in the chair, her mind feeling heavy and her thoughts flooding with a terrifying voice…

“Cammie will come for you.”

“No…” Shannon said, “Charles…Charles and the Knights…I know they got her. I know they drove a stake through her damn heart…”

“Cammie will come for you.”

“Oh, they got her,” Lucius said. “Your friend Charles is the first person to kill one of her kind in a thousand years. And THAT is the problem.”

“Cammie will come for you…”

The sound of sure-footed, quick-stepping heels slowly began echoing toward the door connecting to the hallway. Shannon willed her eyes open, turned her head towards the door, and saw her. The demoness hurried through the door and into the room, her glowing red eyes trailing a hue that covered her sultry body with a devilish glow.

“Lillith…” Shannon managed to say.

“You’ve heard the legends.” Lucius said, “And now you will feel her wrath.”

The demoness stopped at Shannon’s feet, grabbed the Knight’s chin and raised her face, ensuring her gaze was looking deep into her dark red glowing eyes.

“Your friend,” Lillith began, “Where is he?”

Shannon slowly shook her head, “No one knows.”

A growl came from the other side of the room, and Lillith smiled.

“Maximus failed me,” she said. “But Tiberius…that’s a whole other animal.”

Shannon turned toward the growl and saw the large man standing there, his long dark hair tied back tightly, his eyes intense and his gaze dead set on her. The Knight shook her head, finally feeling an appropriate emotion.

Fear.

“And now,” Lucius smiled at her, his face and body having reversed in age, young, strong, and sinister. “The game begins. Charles will come for you…and we will be ready...”

Several miles away, at an empty supermarket

Detective Wallis reluctantly opened the driver’s side door of his unmarked unit and set his feet down on the asphalt, his dress shoes making a light tap. He took a deep breath, his burgeoning beer gut making labored breaths. His hand crept to his face, as he wished he could keep his eyes on the parking lot, but relax with a soothing caress over his forehead.

Jesus, he thought, what have I seen?

Vampires, menacing beasts that could only be a werewolf, and warriors. Fighters dressed in black leather attack suits drove motorcycles from an underground fortress beneath the church on Sara Road.

He didn’t believe it, none of the events.

Wallis didn’t want to.

Weeks had passed since the terrible disappearances, murders, and mayhem exploded into the small suburbs, and yet he was in denial. Which he hated, because he knew better. None of this was going to get any better, and the detective had no idea what he’d do to stop it.

I need to go to the church, Wallis thought, talk with Father Rodriguez. He’ll share some insight. If not, I’ll arrest his ass…

The howl echoed from the other side of the parking lot, a frightening tone from a feral beast. Wallis had heard it before. He’d seen what one of those monsters could do and knew the menace they posed.

“Oh, Christ,” he stood and reached for his weapon, watching as the huge, manlike and muscular werewolf emerged from the shadows on the other side of the parking lot. It was sprinting toward him…

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What is Thanksgiving to you, man? For me, it became a nightmare! I mean, let’s be honest here, Big Daddy, try being the main course on the second-largest holiday in a place where everyone has weapons! Ladies, I wasn’t tryin’ to call you “daddy”, though, some have called me that! Excuse me, excuse me, couldn’t help myself, but what I’m trying to say…

Wait…you hear that? It sounded like a damn mob is coming for me! Uh huh, trust me, I’d know…

Ok, before things get cruel, let me tell you what happened, man. I gotta go back as far as I can remember, and the furthest I get is being in a cage at a zoo, or a barn or somethin’, man. There was a little girl looking suspicious at me through the chicken wire fence. I was thinking, “Love me tender,” cuz she was eyein’ me like a peanut butter and banana sandwich!

But she had this crazy lookin’ stick in her hand. Twisted and kinda’ rough, she was flickin that thing toward me…I dunno, what happened next throw me for a loop! The end of that crazy little wand of hers lit up, striking me like I was back in the Army bootcamp and the instructor smacked me and said, “Private P! Get away from those ladies and shut your pie hole!”

Damn, man, I was just talking to them. Anyway, man, that’s besides the point. That wand of the little girls’ did somethin’ to me, ya know? Next thing I knew, I was four feet tall, whining like a hound dog, and everyone was pointing and staring! How’d that happen, man?

Well, I made tracks, cuz those people started wailing! They came after me like I owed them somethin’ like we were in Vegas. So I ran, knowing I was going to have to fix my ‘do, but it didn’t matter. They had knives and pitchforks and…forks, man! The first place I was able to find a little relief was somewhere you’d never guess. A grocery store, man!

But that didn’t last long. I nabbed a jersey from one of the promotional racks and tried to make sense of it all, man. You know? Try to find my way on a cold Chicago morning, when his mother cried…I like that song, don’t you? OH HEY, that’s when they came after me again! A whole mob of them. Barely got outta there with a karate chop, man…

I ran outta there, tried to fly, but it was no good! I was getting…I don’t wanna say it…I was getting plumper by the minute and needed to find a ride, man! A good one, too, cuz there’s no room to rhumba in a sports car, you know what I’m sayin’ man? The ladies love that jam…but no! I was in a real bind, and tell me, where do we go from here?

There was nowhere to run to man, no where to hide!

“That’s why I came here, Mr. President,” the Turkey said, “I’m, you know, tryin’ to get pardoned for my crimes, man.”

The president looked back at him, leaning back in the chair at the Oval Office, “My good man,” he said, “I have news for you. These are trying times. Tough times for sure, and your request is warranted. I see the worry in your eyes, but your request must be denied…”

“Uh huh,” the turkey said, “Don’t be cruel…”

Happy Thanksgiving, man!

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Hello, my lovelies! This tale of terror might not be as unruly as you might imagine. Not when you consider the fright fest that was the last werewolf tale! You did read that story, didn’t you? If not, hopefully it WON’T call your name! In fact, hearing your name in the middle of the night is fuel for someone’s fall into the abyss that is the horror realm.

In short, if you hear them, they see YOU, and the creatures coming from the depths won’t be taking prisoners. If they even know what prisoners are.

Now, the woman in this story, Gina, has no idea how terrible her evening has REALLY become. That’s not to say she wasn’t already wishing the morning would arrive, oh no. This is the tale of a woman on the edge, a night threatening to never end, and a creature that finds pleasure in the macabre. My lovelies, NOT tonight…

Albuquerque, New Mexico

If it weren’t for that son of a bitch who just cheated on her, Gina might not have unrelenting thoughts of ripping his face off. He was the kind of guy who’d been bad from the very start. He might’ve done everything right, but deep down, she always knew he was a piece of shit. When she walked in on him cheating with her best friend, it only confirmed what she’d feared.

Gina picked up her stride and pushed her fists deeper into the leather bomber jacket she’d taken from his place. She’d stormed out in the heat of her rage, headed into the downtown district, not caring where she’d end up. It wasn’t like he’d tried to stop her. Not even for a moment. The bastard must’ve let go of a hundred more of those jackets over the years. Who knows, maybe more.

She looked up at the dark alleyway, wondering how a person lets themselves be so terrible. How do they do horrendous things to other people and still sleep at night? How, damn it?!

And yet the man she’d been with for several months had lied to her every step of the way. He’d told her things that were never any more true than the day he invented them in his mind. She took a deep breath, “I need to kill the son of a bitch…”

She looked up at a flickering lightbulb from a broken street lamp and stopped walking.

The horrible sound of steam escaping from a breaking pipe beneath the storm drain came from the concrete where the road met the ancient drain opening. Gina nearly leapt out of her shoes, falling into the wall. She managed to catch herself. Her chest heaved as she drew in labored breaths and felt the sting of icy air fill her lungs. It wasn’t that cold out, was it?

No, Gina knew better. It wasn’t that cold. She began chuckling to herself, “And what, you’ve summoned the gates of hell simply by mentioning a little hint of murder?” She continued laughing to herself, noticing a break in the concrete connector next to the asphalt. Was that crack there before?

The monster began rising from the bottom of the sewery depths, having heard the murderous words. Death and mayhem were its specialty, and hearing a call to action couldn’t be unheeded. Its steel claws clamped onto the brick walls as it hauled itself up. Blue, glowing eyes lit the way as its slender form with jagged skin slid along the asphalt.

“Oh no, Gina.” It’s gruff, raspy voice echoed through the underbelly of the street, “Those cracks weren’t there before. And I will help you…”

*

She heard the terrible voice plain as day and began moving away from that awful hole in the street, where steam began to rise.

“No…” Gina said, “No! What have I done?!”

She ran.

“Oh, Gina,” the Chid hurried up the side of the sewer, bursting through the hole, emitting sparks from the brick walls. Its dangerous blue eyes immediately spotted her. A green wave came from its oddly shaped head, waving through the air like a phantom tractor beam locking onto her, stopping Gina in her tracks.

“Come to me, Gina,” the Chid crawled toward her slowly, “it’s time to chat.”

Gina felt herself falling for a brief moment, her body hovering in what felt like a perpetual nothingness. She opened her eyes, looking at a beautiful, flowery meadow on a gorgeous, sunny summer day. She was surrounded by tall, lush dandelions. She wore a soft, loosely knit sweater. Her hair was free in golden curls, falling near her eyes. She could feel a happy smile on her face.

“This is glorious,” she said aloud. There was something about her voice, something she could sense but wasn’t able to identify. There were birds chirping nearby, she could hear them as the wind gently brushed across the flowers.

“This is…”

“Home.”

She heard his voice and slowly stood, turning around. He stood several feet away, good looking as ever. Gina felt her breath leave and her heart skip a beat. She opened her mouth to say his name. The man she thought would never do her wrong.

“It coulda been like this,” a mysterious voice said to her.

Gina knew that tone, that terrible pitch from another place. The man before her was the one she’d loved. But the voice behind her was the truth.

“It WAS gonna be like this…but HE killed it. He killed your dream. Now…KILL him!”

Gina felt her spirit drop, looking up at the beautiful sky. She wanted the warm, flowery meadow to be…REAL.

Gina blinked, and she was back in the dark city, running from the Chid, who was climbing on the walls, hot on her trail. She could see the green beam close to her face as she ran faster.

“Come on, Gina,” she heard the Chid say, “Come to ME.”

No, she thought, he cheated on me, but. NO! I don’t want this!! Gina stopped, facing the nightmarish creature coming for her, its blue, frightening eyes filled with rage.

“Gina!” The Chid fell to the ground, unable to hold onto the walls. It sank slowly into the asphalt, “Noooo, Gina…”

Damn, I really hoped we would have finished the tale with a happy ending. Death and dismemberment. All’s well, I suppose. If only every Chid could be a little more persuasive, the world would be a much… tidier place.

Until next time, my lovelies!

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So it was a dark and stormy night...

October 29, 2007

Timmy was sitting on the edge of his bed, which looked like it hadn’t been made in weeks, mind you. He was such a strange looking teenager under normal circumstances, but that evening, he was extra. If that’s even a word. The way his eyes grew very wide, and the way his mouth hung open, clearly enthralled with my story.

“So yeah,” I said. “That was it. I heard some THING run off, so I walked to your house as quickly as I could.”

Timmy scooted back on the bed, ran a hand through his long, greasy Pearl Jam hair, and looked away for a moment. He shook his head, “I dunno, Sarah. Are you sure you’re not tripping?”

“Oh, come on!” He KNOWS I don’t do drugs. He’s tried to get ME to try marijuana about fifty times, and the answer was always no.

“I’m serious, Sarah! Maybe someone slipped you something.”

“No, no, no. That’s not it.”

“So you’re telling me you were perfectly sober when you saw this…thing?” Timmy looked at me so suspiciously. We might as well be in an interrogation room.

“Ugh, you know, maybe I should’ve told someone else,” I stood, upset, “Someone who’d give a sh…”

“Ok, damn it!” Timmy grabbed my arm and sat me back down, “Relax a fuc#@!$ minute, I’m just trying to get a clear picture of what happened.”

I huffed and relaxed a little, slumping in my seat, “And remember, I didn’t actually SEE it. I was being paced.”

He looked confused.

“Followed. Tracked. The animal was on my tail. I was…”

“Yeah, ok, I got it.” Timmy took a deep breath while I glanced into his bedside mirror. We’d known each other for a long time, and I couldn’t care less if my looks fetched his attention until just a few minutes ago. For some mysterious reason. If you asked why that was, I couldn’t tell you. But I cared what I looked like to him all of a sudden.

Weird.

I would’ve paid a little more attention to my curly brown locks and added a few more dabs from the compact if I knew he was going to see me that evening. Oh well. My hair was still a wet mess anyway.

“Have you ever had that feeling?” I began, “in the woods or somewhere. You’re minding your business, but something is there, watching you? You can’t see what, but you can feel it?”

He nodded, “And that’s how you felt at the corner of Unser and Northern?”

“Yep. I looked up at the traffic light…And there was some kind of…beast holding onto the pole.”

“Wait,” Timmy paused, “You said you didn’t see it. Right??”

I know the way I looked up at him made Timmy worry, and I get why. It probably felt like the story was changing. But it made sense in my head.

“Timmy,” I looked at him, unable to hide my worried expression, “I was scared out of my mind…”

A few hours earlier…

I was walking home from the library, where, for some reason, I still did all of my studying. Most resources are online now, and taking note of various web addresses can be done anywhere. BUT I liked the library atmosphere. Besides, it was a dark and stormy night, and I’d forgotten my raincoat. Actually, I wasn’t wearing a coat at all.

Normally, I liked that sorta thing and would be going out. Even if it were just the library.

I wasn’t terribly far from the library when I heard the most frightening sound ever. It was like a deep, guttural howl coming several meters away, from the darkest part of a dimly lit street. I know that sounds cliché and somewhat unbelievable, which is exactly how I felt! Once I realized there was no good way to duplicate or fake a noise like that, it was convincing that I was dealing with the real thing.

Whatever that might be.

It wasn’t five seconds later, and I could hear the damn thing charging me from the shadows. It sounded like a godda#@! raging bull! Grunting, its huge clawed paws pounding the concrete with its powerful stride. I didn’t wait to see what would reveal itself, I mean, I was GONE! Ran for the hills! Only…that was pointless. Cuz the thing not only caught up to me, but passed me from the other side of the road.

Very easily, I might add.

The beast tore ahead and leapt onto a light pole, revealing itself to me. It bared its teeth, snarling as spittle and drool fell from its terrible, menacing, sharp-toothed, wolf-like face. And the scariest part: it wore tattered clothes! Like it had once been…human.

“My God in heaven,” was all I managed to say to myself. Didn’t have an escape plan. Didn’t know how I’d fight the creature off. None of that. All I knew was, I had to get out of there, and it allowed me to bail.

I sprinted away while it remained at the light post, howling into the night…

“Ok,” Timmy held up his hands, palms facing me, “Hold up. There are plot gaps all over the place.”

“I know what you’re going to say!” I wasn’t upset, knowing how terrible and unbelievable my story sounded. “But the thing is true! I can’t make this sh@! up.”

“You don’t have to. This is like every other werewolf story ever, Sarah! The frightening howl, the chase, and the remaining clothes on the body of the feral beast. This might as well be an episode of our favorite campy Saturday evening show!”

“But it’s not,” I insisted, “this is REAL.”

“Then why didn’t it finish you off??”

I shook my head, “If I knew what I was telling you, I could finish the story for you. But, I’m telling the truth, I…I…”

There was a strange sensation falling over my body…an odd heat that felt…unnatural…

*

Timmy looked at Sarah, confusion and fear in his eyes. His expression was a combination of concern and abrupt dread. He leaned closer to Sarah as her body seemed to freeze. Her hand was raised in front of her chest as she’d been explaining something, and then, she simply paused. Her expression was somewhere between apprehension and fright.

Like she was looking into the face of doom.

Timmy turned and looked behind him, almost expecting to see the monster she’d described standing in the doorway, clawed hands extended as it prepared to attack. Nothing. A Papa Roach rock poster taped to a busted door shut tight. Locked too.

“You know,” Timmy turned back to face Sarah, “Sometimes…”

He paused, his face dropping as terror fell over him. Sarah looked back at him, her eyes glowing green, her face contorted, lips drawn back over a hideous row of razor-sharp teeth. Timmy scrambled across the bed, pushing himself back toward the wall as far as possible. A terrible rumble emerged from Sarah’s gut as she quickly moved toward him, her entire body unnaturally animated.

“Meeker,” she growled, “Meeeeeeker!!!”

Sarah lunged, grabbing Timmy by the collar. He yelped, staring at the exposed parts of her body, fur pushing through her heated skin, which was beginning to drip sweat, spilling over onto the bed. Her jawline began moving forward, lengthening as her face formed the shape of a snout.

Sarah shoved him back. Timmy smacked into the wall.

“Oh, GOD!” Timmy shouted.

She cupped her hands over her ears. He looked at her, an injured expression on her fur-covered face.

“Jesus,” Timmy watched as Sarah cried in pain, dropping closer to the bed sheets, “CHRIST…”

Sarah moved her head back, raising her open mouth, her chest heaving as she howled…

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Read more AM Darkness!

Good morning, my lovelies, I just woke and realized it’s been a while since I’ve entertained you with a tale of terror, a story of woe, or a yarn spun to make you wonder, “Is this true, or am I being strung along?”

Well, this morning, I have an entry that we might expound upon later. Let’s see how this tale of desperation and despair catches your eye. Or your heart?… Enjoy!

December 20, 2012

The Eternal Forest

The older man walked hurriedly through the forest, searching desperately among the trees. Snow was falling from the tree tops, knocked loose by the frigid winds whipping his aching face, his old, tired eyes barely open. His backpack was filled with a heavy coat, but he was too rushed to stop and put it on.

“Where?” the man began.

“Where? Is…She??” he continued, panic in his shaky voice.

His light, weatherproof jacket might’ve kept him warm enough during the day, but as the sun set beyond the other side of the mountain, it was doing little. The man’s limp was getting worse, his head bobbing as he progressed, his legs heavy, his breathing difficult.

“My love!” he shouted, “Watashi no ai!” No ai…”

The trees grew taller and the bushes thicker, along what had once been a trail and now became nowhere at all. Only more dense forest before him.

The man fell to one knee, his hand dropping to the forest floor, cold grasping his wrist and quickly creeping up his forearm. Tears fell near his fingers, despair in his heavy eyes as he lifted his head, lips shaking.

“Where is she? And who am I?”

There was a walking stick lying next to him, which must’ve been his to begin with. He picked it up, using it as a brace to rise from the ground and proceed. The man felt his weak leg muscles struggle. He lifted his old ball cap and ran a hand over his thinning hair.

Visions of the decades before filled his mind’s eye. When he’d been a pilot, diligently serving his country and his emperor. His hairline used to be much fuller when the Great War began.

“It was an order,” the man struggled to speak. “The emperor commanded it, so we went…”

*

1944

The war rages…

The young pilot hobbled through the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service military infirmary halls as fast as his brutalized legs would allow, using his wheeled intravenous drip as a makeshift cane. The rooms were crowded, filled with young men torn to bits, bandaged and broken. They worried how quickly they’d recover, heal, and return to combat.

He did his best to keep his eyes forward so he wouldn’t have to speak with any of them.

War changes a person, and he didn’t want to talk about it. The young man knew he’d be sent back to the front lines. He fought while inside a fighter plane, but that didn’t make his efforts any less perilous. And after he’d taken fire and his injuries barely allowed him to make it home, he just wanted to get out alive.

He saw a congregation of young warriors surrounding a large radio at the end of the hallway. The young pilot nearly tripped, finding a spot near several of his fellow squadren members. They smiled at him, chuckling slightly as he leaned into several of them.

“How’s the raid progressing?” he asked.

“Our pilots are smashing their vessels,” one of his comrades answered. “This is going well!”

The updates were announced over a radio signal coming from the Pacific theater, where all the Japanese naval battles had taken place.

The Kamakazis were wreaking havoc, destroying many allied vessels. It was bittersweet. Many great pilots were sacrificing themselves. Many of them younger than he. Having skipped their final years of Koko school, they postponed the completion of their education to fight for the Emperor.

His smile didn’t last very long.

The radio announcer indicated nearly a dozen allied vessels had been hit as they moved closer to the mainland, preparing to strike Japan’s remaining infrastructure, further debilitating their ability to wage war against the West.

He’d lost so many of his friends, his fellow warriors. The idea of more conflict left him torn. He and his comrades took deep breaths, hoping this battle would be a victory, although at a heavy cost, enough to turn the tide of the Great War.

“Another hit,” the announcer said. “But the allied forces remained. They’re still advancing.”

The young warrior bit onto his fist, the tension boiling over as he grasped his buddy’s shoulder.

There was the sound of an explosion near the back of the hospital, only it was in his mind, the announcer indicating there was another strike in the Pacific.

The man turned to the imaginary explosion and closed his eyes, envisioning the heat of the blast as the fluorescent light fell over his eyelids. It wasn’t real, it was a daydream…The old man opened his eyes, looking around the forest, which was quiet with December cold.

“Where are you? My love.”

He continued stepping forward, abandoning his backpack as he kept one foot moving in front of the other. His walking stick was feeling heavy. He’d soon leave that behind as well.

“You,” he closed his eyes. “My love…”

1945
The war ends in unconditional surrender.

The young pilot opened his eyes, feeling his aching body sinking into the hard infirmery bed. Sunlight made him blink several times before his vision cleared. A young, beautiful nurse was before him, smiling as she gently blotted the moisture from his forehead. Her gorgeous green eyes bring him calm, the pain of his wounds much less than when he first woke.

“Do you remember…” she began, “In the summer. When all of us were children, and we’d go to the trees to run around? Spend time with one another?”

“I…” he tried speaking.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean you and I,” she refreshed the hand towel with warm water from a bowl at his bedside and returned it to his forehead, laying it near his bruised eyes.

“I meant the kids we knew.” She looked at him, “When you were young.”

He didn’t want to shake his aching head. “I’m not…I can’t…”

She placed a single finger over his lips, “My name is Aiko.”

The man smiled, “My name is…” There was a pause. “I can’t remember…”

The pilot vividly recalled the moments before his plane went down. He recalled the impact on the water. And he recalled floating on top of his seat cushion for days. He remembered seeing the Japanese fishing vessel and the man calling for him from the port side.

“My name is…”

The man was ripped from the memory by a strong groaning sound. The woman’s beautiful image faded, and the sound of the cooling trees became overpowering. The groan and the creaking of the timber overwhelmed him as he looked into the forest once again…

“No…No! Where is she? I know she’s my wife. Where is she?”

He moved faster, his old legs unable to keep a healthy pace as he used his hands to pull himself forward. The forest felt like it was moving with him, in a perpetual treadmill.

“Where are you?…Watashi no ai…”

*

The man moved quickly, still confused about everything. Suddenly, he heard something in the distance, only a few meters away. The man moved in that direction, praying there’s something there or someone who can give him answers.

He doesn’t need an extensive explanation, just something kinder than his imagination.

There was a chime coming from above, high in the tree tops. The man looked up, watching as the edges of the enormous pines began to glow. A gentle green lit the forest, leaving a pleasant glow over the tops of the brush. As if the light is coming directly from the heavens…

Sierara Nevada’s California, 1976

The man looked down at his wife, who’d tumbled from a steep ravine just a few hours earlier. He’d helped her get out of the pit, and they’d managed to get back to town, where he called the hospital and informed them that they were on their way.

His wife knew she had a broken leg. Once they arrived, the nurses were fantastic about the diagnosis.

He’d broken every possible law driving her to the hospital, and now he held her tight as she lay in the hospital bed, prepped for surgery.

“She’s developed a hematoma and some hemorrhaging,” the doctors told them. “We’re going to relieve the pressure so the bleeding will stop.”

He turned to his wife, and she explained what was going to happen. In Japanese.

He nodded, “Ok.”

“Our children will be there when we return home,” Aiko said. “When we go home, they’ll be waiting for us.”

She smiled, the biggest, warmest smile he’d ever seen. The man placed his hand on her forehead and smiled back.

The trees continued groaning as he trudged forward, the green embers collecting at his feet, making his journey slower.

“Kiyoshi,” her voice was coming from the trees. “They will be there.”

He struggled, his feet feeling weighty, difficult to move.

“Kiyoshi,” Aiko said. “One day, our children will be with us. But not today. You’re with me, sweet husband. They will join us someday.”

The man smiled, walking toward the largest tree, which glowed brightly.

“Aiko,” he said, smiling lovingly. “I found you…”

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- from Part One

One of the massive dire leaped and tackled Angela, grabbing onto her pack as Hera nipped at the animal. Darrius used a large branch as a club, knocking the wolf aside. The large dire regained and growled at Darrius. The monstrous wolf’s orange eyes are piercing as his lids narrowed and the skin above his brows moved forward, forcing a maniacal glare.

The animal snarled, spittle flying.

“Suddenly,” Darrius said, “I feel slightly foolish.”

Fur on the wolf’s back stood straight up as the animal began shaking with rage. The other dires watched as the big one squared off against Darrius, its eyes fixated on the man.

Hera snapped her jaws, snarling as she stepped between the big dire and Darrius. Her snout dropped, letting the other wolves see her eyes. They hesitate, watching as the impressive display gives them pause.

*
Digital Energy and Quantifiable Science laboratory, DEQS.
Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Karen sat at a lab desk, facing the computer. She’d been working with an open file including data from several subjects, which Angela and Darrius had never seen. She took a bite of her bologna sandwich and glanced at the GPS trackers. She turned toward several pictures featuring a short synopsis of each animal and their data.

Hera: the animal nearest to the canine genetic code. Intelligent and friendly to humans. Makes sense that she would get along with all the members in the lab. Karen thought.

Apollo: designed to be more appealing to Hera. They would be most likely to pair-bond and breed in the future.

Adonis: nothing special, save for the incredible cognitive potential. Very intelligent animal.

Mars: the wolf of war. Ready to battle at any moment, and can rally the troops. Second in charge to the pack leader.

and Zeus: 30% larger and more cunning than the other members. A frightening specimen. Clearly the Alpha. Jet black hair and menacing.

Karen watched each animal’s GPS location on the screen. They were huddled in the same proximity, all closing in on Darrius and Angela’s location via GPS on their phones. All except for one.

Zeus was rushing toward the entire group…

1

Karen was sitting before the computer at the large desk, typing furiously and monitoring locations and other vital data. The animals had microchips powered by bio-energetic batteries, submitting a constant feed of heart rate, internal temperatures, epinephrine levels, and a few more elements. She also watched video from the AI-driven drones flying overhead. They were moderately sized units, dedicated to observation. None featured offensive capabilities.

“How are things?”

Karen nearly jumped in her seat, grasping her chest as her heart threatened to leap from her throat. Her glasses almost fell from her face as she looked back. Captain Davis was nearly over her shoulder, looking down.

“For Christ’s sake!” she nearly screamed. “You scared the holy hell out of me!”

“My apologies,” the older Captain stepped by her side, his full dress uniform making her uneasy. The labs were typically casual settings, and his attire put her on elevated alert. Captain Davis was responsible for all operational oversight and their funding.

No pressure.

“Do we need a team?” he caught and maintained eye contact.

“No,” she returned her attention to the computer terminal. “No, I think we’re alright.”

Karen’s chair creaked as she tilted forward. It took a brief second to dismiss the idea that she needed to get back on the weight loss drugs. She breathed deeply and looked over data from the large male Dire wolves.

“They’re all doing well,” she reassured Captain Davis. “Hera is keeping up with them, and Zeus has slowed down. He killed two of the hunters, but he’s maintaining his distance…For the most part.”

Karen began to sweat. If the operation fell into dissaray and a team is activated, everything would be lost. The funding, the program itself, and worst of all, the animals. They’d all be destroyed. She just hoped Angela, Darrius, and Buck could maintain the situation.

“We don’t need a team,” Karen replied. “Angela and Darrius are at the Golf Course near the La Luz trailhead, and Buck has also followed.”

“But it’s 0200 and they must be tired,” Davis replied. “We could have a team there in less than five minutes.”

“Give Angela a chance, Sir,” Karen said. “She’s good. And Buck is still around. They’re not a well-oiled team, but they’ve made it this far.”

2
Buck was kneeling just before a sand trap. He’d laid a gutted duck in the center, near the seventh hole. He stood and quickly moved to the other end, where he found cover beyond the slope, which rose nearly four feet from the low end of the trap.

He knelt and looked up at the full moon, breathing deeply. He was glad to have the light. Buck was less enthusiastic about the exposure, knowing the wolves shared the visual advantage. Speed, endurance, agility, and stealth were theirs also.

Buck loaded a round in the chamber of his assault rifle.

There was one thing the wolves didn’t have. Innovation. Skill. Being the underdog. When you’re at the top of the spectrum, you only have one direction to move. But when at a disadvantage, there’s plenty of reason to work hard and make things happen.

This was never more true than in the forest, only a few hours earlier.

“I owe them one,” Buck said to himself. “For my brothers…”

He recalled the ambush by the large Dire wolves. They’d boxed all three of them in, keeping them entrangled until the big one showed up. That black furred monster that finished Sean and Chap off. Jesus, they’d been a menacing team. Sean and Chap didn’t stand a chance, and Buck couldn’t get to his weapon for a clean shot.

“I owe them one.” his gaze narrowed, looking toward the sand trap. “Every fucking one of them.”

Angela and Darrius were on the other side of the course, watching over hole seven, keeping a close eye on Buck. After the big wolf, Zeus had intervened earlier, they’d briefly lost track of him. They assumed he’d regrouped to determine his retaliation. It hadn’t been difficult to tail Zeus to the golf course, where they assumed he’d lay a trap.

Darrius moved his medium-length hair aside, noticing how much he needed a shower after such a rough day in the woods. Falling down a hillside, getting into a scrape with the latest genetically bred Dire wolves from a lab that everyone in the area despised. Things couldn’t have been much more terrible. He looked over at Angela, who was scratching the back of Hera’s neck, stroking the female Dire wolf’s gorgeous white coat.

“You know,” Darrius said, “If we don’t return with at least one of these creatures captured from the wild, they’ll send a team?”

Angela nodded. “Yeah,” she looked over at him. “I suspected as much.”

Hera looked toward both of them, making a serious expression, as though she understood their situation. It was as if the animal knew their outcome was directly linked to the contribution they’d ALL make.

Darrius stroked the back of Hera’s neck, caressing her thick coat as the Dire wolf looked up at him. “We’re counting on you, girl.”

Darrius fished a small whistle out of his coat pocket, took a deep breath, and gently blew into it. Angela motioned toward the sand trap where Hera could see the duck. They were taking a chance that Buck wouldn’t be trigger happy. But they couldn’t risk using radios to talk with him. The hunter indicated instances where short-wave radio seemed detectable by the wolves.

Hera slowly walked toward the center of the sandtrap, scanning the area…

Captain Davis watched the lower-resolution video from the drone above the Golf Course. Karen ensured the device didn’t get too close and risk chasing the wolves away. There was a lot of noise in the city, even on the outskirts near the mountain, but still. The Dires were damn smart.

“Zeus is right there,” Karen said.

“Not visible,” Captain Davis added. “But near.”

“Gentle, Hera. Be mindful.”

Buck watched as the white wolf moved closer to the trap. He gnashed his teeth, looking intensely toward the animal, the one who’d come directly from the lab.

“They can all die…” he said, gripping the handle of his weapon tightly. “If you ask me…”

They all heard a howl from the brush. Yellow eye shine appeared near one of the large trees.

“Jesus…”

“Dear God,” Angela’s eyes grew wide.

Darrius looked toward the trees, squinting as he saw the eyes near the side of the trunk. “Christ almighty…”

Zeus bolted, a dark flash in the night as he sprinted away. Hera went after him…

Hera entered the small shopping center near the gas station, calmly looking both ways before crossing the path to the main entrance. Zeus had taken a turn somewhere before the parking lot and managed to lose her. She was having trouble zeroing in on his scent. The area was much more crowded than she was used to.

Hera noticed several sets of eyeshine from beyond the shadows near one of the gas pumps on the other side of the station. The other Dire wolves. Hera stopped and slowly moved her head toward their focus. She noticed a group of men sitting in an SUV nearby. They all smelled like that man in the woods, the one who was in distress. They all have shifty eyes and don’t engage well.

Hera growled.

It would be no love lost as she trotted away, toward the shadows on the other side of the shopping center. Several people notice her making her way, stopping and pointing as they gasp. Meanwhile, no one seems to notice the weapons handling taking place in the SUV. Or the occupants snorting drugs.

“Hurry up!” Angela whisper yelled back at Darrius. She turned forward, mindful of her steps as they ran through the brush, hot on Buck’s tail. They rushed to the far side of the shopping center, watching as Buck made a beeline for a position opposite where the eye shine was settled in the bushes.

“No,” Darrius grasped her jacket and gently pulled her back, “No, something is wrong.”

They stopped near the side of the building and kept watching the gas pump, noticing the men in the SUV.

“Who sits in their vehicle like that?” Angela asked.

“People getting gas.”

She shook her head. “Yeah, no. Something is up. Look.”

Angela pointed to the other side, near the street, as they watched Buck crouch into a kneeling position, readying his weapon. They watched as he remained relaxed, moving his eye closer to the scope.

Hera pushed through the bushes, slowly walking toward Buck as he moved his muzzle in her direction.

“Oh God!” Angela said.

The low growl coming from Hera was more prominent, and she snapped toward Buck.

Darrius smiled, “Hounds to the hunted.”

“What?”

“She’s being competitive with the males…”

There were howls as the males leapt from behind the brush, rushing toward Buck, who stood quickly and sprinted toward the SUV as Hera bolted the other direction.

“It was a set up!” Angela yelled.

“Yeah,” Darrius said. “Now we have several humans we need to bail out.” They both stood and hurried toward the SUV as the large males surrounded it, snapping their jaws at Buck as he stood on the top of the vehicle. He reached for his .45 auto and aimed it toward the wolves.

“No!” Angela yelled.

Buck looked her direction and scoffed, “You idiot,” he said, “We’re not the only ones hunting them!”

Karen stared at the computer terminal as it went blank. The ones next to her blacked out as well.

“What happened?” Captain Davis asked.

“I, I,” she stammered, looking up at him, “I don’t know. It’s like we’re offline.”

“Well, can you get back…Oh, forget it,” Davis reached for his phone and woke it, scrolling through his contacts.

“I can get this back,” Karen said, “I can.”

The SUV doors opened, and a tablet screen was visible. Angela recognized the D.E.Q.S dashboard on the large screen. She also saw a rifle muzzle peeking out of the SUV door.

“Oh, Christ…”

Good morning, my lovelies! It was a teaser, my apologies, but a gripping tale in the works, nonetheless. So, what might happen to our cast of characters? Will the Captain send in a team? Will Karen get the system back online? The SUV filled with baddies, what might come of them? And will Hera intervene? I guess you’ll have to stick around and find out! If you missed part one, here it is 👀.

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Sandia Mountain Range
October 3, 2028

Cherish stopped and looked at her Garmin watch, noting that she was approaching 10,000 feet in elevation. She reached for the mouthpiece at the end of the drinking tube fed by a three-liter water bladder in her pack and drank. She smiled.

“Thought I’d be more winded than this.” She moved her long, dirty blonde bangs away from her blue eyes. “Really thought I was gonna be coughing up a lung. Takes months to build up a good wind, and you lose it in like three days. Bullshit.”

There was a howl in the distance. “Damn,” she said, “That’s a big wolf.”

She unzipped the snack pocket in the satchel over her chest and grabbed a package of granola mix. Cherish found a seat on a log near the trail. A deep growl came from the other side of a bush close to her head. Cherish felt her hands shaking as she slowly turned. An orange hue from a pair of powerful eyes peered at her from the other side of the bush.

Cherish stared at the frightening animal, “Geezus…”

*

Buck was on a similar section of the mountain face when he heard terrible screaming. He removed his wool beanie. Buck wiped the remains of a snack from his medium-length white beard, putting his beanie in one of his old coat pockets. Intense screams aren’t heard in the forest unless there’s a serious situation. Problem was, a single scream wouldn’t help him find the person in trouble. He’d need another vocalization.

Unless they were already done for.

He looked down at the small spring before him as he knelt and dipped his water filter bladder into the tiny pool. He’d cycle the water through the filter and into his drinking supply shortly.

A wolf’s howl slowly began and carried through that part of the forest. Buck grumbled and reached for his radio. He clicked it on and switched to his emergency channel, waiting for a moment.

“This is the Forest Department, Search and Rescue,” a crackling voice said on the other end. “Go ahead.”

“This is Buck. I’m on the northeastern face of the La Luz trail,” he began. “Someone’s been attacked, and Imma need help...”

*

Forest Ranger Donaldson finished with the State Police and walked toward his green service truck, where several hunters were congregating. He could feel his hip beginning to complain as the cold aggravated the joint.

Getting old sucks, he thought.

The ambulance was leaving, and one of the state police would follow in his patrol car. Cherish was stable, but chewed up. Donaldson stopped before the hunters, “Fella’s,” he greeted them. “Gotta ask a few questions.”

The men all had similar expressions of being inconvenienced. One of them leaned against the truck. The other two crossed their arms over their chest.

“I apologize about this ordeal,” Donaldson moved his hat further up his brow. He didn’t need glasses…yet, but the night strained his eyes.

“Alright, now, Buck,” he looked at the eldest gentleman. “You encountered the young woman first, correct?”

“That’s correct,” Buck kept his arms crossed over his chest. He was a solemn person with a no-nonsense stare. Donaldson appreciated that, sensing the other two hunters were more relaxed. Those were the toughest folks to interview. They often had too many wisecracking remarks.

“And you said you heard a scream initially?” Donaldson continued, “And that’s what prompted the search?”

“Yes, sir,” Buck replied, “Heard a scream, then a howl, which gave me a good idea where she was located.”

“And you radioed your buddies?”

Buck nodded. “Radioed the Forest folks first.”

“Now, Sean and Chap.”

The other two hunters directed their attention to Donaldson. They were younger than Buck and had a reckless demeanor about them.

“After getting the call from Buck,” Donaldson continued, “You were nearby and able to render aid?”

They both nodded.

“Yeah, boss,” Chap said, “We weren’t fifty yards from Buck. Got there in no time.”

“A good thing too,” Donaldson made a few more notes, “Wolves are becoming more prominent in the area. But the big cats are around and…”

“They’re competing,” Sean added, “We see a lot of sign. These animals are vying for territory, and they’re honory about it.”

“That is certain,” Donaldson added. “You boys are scouting for the bow-hunt in November, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Buck quickly answered.

“Should be a good one,” Donaldson nodded.

“There’s a HUGE deer in there,” Chap pointed to the interior of the La Luz area. “In a few weeks, he’s mine!”

He and Sean chuckled as Buck remained stoic.

Donaldson smiled, “I wish you all the luck. Alright, when you found the young hiker…There were wolves present?”

“Yes, sir,” Sean replied.

Chap nodded.

“ONE was visible,” Buck said. “Big som-bitch. White too. Not light grey, but white.”

Donaldson looked him dead in the eye, “White?”

Buck nodded, “Two hundred plus pounds.”

“Damn,” Donaldson’s eyes were wide, “That is a big bastard. Your boys able to corroborate?”

Buck slowly shook his head, and Sean and Chap became quiet. Donaldson made a quick note.

“They didn’t see it,” Buck said. “But, I know what I see.”

“I trust that,” Donaldson confirmed.

“This was different,” Buck continued, “These weren’t friendly neighborhood Mexican Grey Wolves.”

Donaldson looked up from the clipboard, “There was an emergency declared in Catron County only a few…”

“I’m not waiting for an emergency declaration,” Buck said, “I see the same thing during the hunt, I’m considering it a threat. Exercising my right to self-preservation.”

Donaldson nodded, “Can’t argue with self-preservation. Now…two hundred pounds you said?”

Buck nodded slowly, reaching for the phone in his pocket. He woke it and opened his photo gallery, showing Donaldson a picture of a wolf paw, next to a small pair of binoculars.

“Christ almighty, that’s huge!” Donaldson made a few more notes. “Would you mind sending me that picture?”

“I would if it weren’t a government phone,” Buck replied, “I’ll send it to a private number.”

“Can’t do that,” Donaldson said, “But you reserve the right to refuse. There’s no evidence of a crime. But, what a pic!”

Buck returned his phone to his back pocket, “I dunno what that animal was,” he said, “But Imma find out. And I’m also gonna find out how many more there were. Wolves don’t travel alone…”

Two weeks later

Digital Energy and Quantifiable Science laboratory, DEQS.
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
0700

Angela was sitting behind the large desk, reviewing several reports from the ‘Dire Wolf Cloning Project.’ She brushed her long maroon hair over her shoulder and took a heavy breath. A whimper echoed in the lab, and she turned and looked. A gorgeous white Dire wolf, Hera, was sitting in the cage, looking at Angela. Hera’s thick coat rose as she leaned forward. Angela met the wolf’s orange eyes with her own green eyes.

The two paused.

Hera’s ears jetted back as her face came low, her whimper transforming into a subtle growl.

Angela set the report down, maintaining eye contact and shifting her body toward the cage. She lowered her head also.

Hera began baring her teeth, her eyelids and brow dropped aggressively. Angela raised her hands into a playful set of claws and growled back. Hera snapped and leapt at the cage.

“Ha! Silly lady,” Angela said.

Hera snorted and whined, gently clawing at the cage door. She panted.

“Someone wants out so they can enjoy a few snacks, don’t they?”

Angela walked to the cage and opened the door, and the hundred and fifty-pound dire wolf clone exited. Hera gently leaped onto Angela, resting her massive front limbs on the scientist’s shoulders.

“Aww,” Angela reached into her lab coat pocket and grabbed a bacon treat, putting it into her mouth and leaning forward so Hera could gently retrieve it.

“That animal is as impressive as she is dangerous.” Karen Weller, who was watching over them, had a look of discontent. Angela had grown used to Karen’s schoolmarm mannerisms.

“Oh, come on,” Angela said, “She’s harmless.”

Karen gave her a fiery glare. “After the incident two weeks ago, you still hold that opinion?”

Angela rolled her eyes, letting Hera return her paws to the floor, “You know what’s going on, Karen, and it has nothing to do with our first batch. Besides, considering this lab’s past…I’d say Hera is the least of our worries.”

“It is what it is,” Karen continued, focusing on her screen. “You know things could be better.”

“Not an untrue statement,” Angela stroked the thick coat on the back of Hera’s neck. The wolf looked back at her appreciatively, silently, patiently signaling for another snack.

“The Sandia outpost was a mistake,” Karen said, “Frankly, so is letting these animals roam freely in our lab.”

Angela snorted a tiny laugh, “Come on now, these are social creatures!” She knelt and gave Hera more attention, caressing the large animal’s side. The wolf closed its eyes, adoring the scratches.

Karen shook her head, “Make no mistake, they’re dangerous.”

Angela smiled at Hera and whispered, “Dangerous as a bag of kittens.”

“Oh, much more dangerous than that.” The male voice traveled through the lab, and they turned their attention to the front where Darrius Humphries stood. He was a little over six feet tall, with a handsome face and gorgeous hair, rugged good looks, and a wolf expert—also a great ass, which Angela mildly appreciated.

He approached them and pointed at Hera, “You mind, girl?” Asking the wolf for permission. The large animal approached him, leaning her flank into Darrius, who knelt and began petting her.

“That easy, huh?” Angela said.

Darrius smiled, “For some.”

“Christ,” Karen stood from her chair, “I need a snack.”

She left for the break room.

Darrius waited until she was out of the room. “That’s debatable.”

Angela smacked his shoulder, “That’s enough!”

Darrius looked surprised, “Professor! That’s assault.”

Angela shook her head. “You’re being rude. Any criminal judge on the planet would’ve acquitted me. And why are you here anyway?”

“We’re leaving for an expedition shortly, and you’re leery of me building a little more rapport before we depart?”

“Yes.”

Hera gave Darrius a doubtful look. He shook his head, “And you’ve turned our prized pupil against me, too?” His criticism was playful.

Karen returned with a package of peanut M&M’s, plopping down in her lab chair as she bit the package open, “I printed up a set of helpful parameters for the trip,” she said, “According to the report taken by the forest ranger, there was much territoriality expressed by several of our wolves…”

*

A few hours later

Darrius and Angela walked up the trail. Hera was alongside them, looking around, wide-eyed with her tongue hanging out, excited to be in the woods. Angela looked up into the canopy of the Sandia’s 10-K region. It featured a luscious assortment of evergreens, Aspen trees, and Ponderosa pines. They were green and full from back-to-back robust monsoon seasons.

“It rained a lot up here yesterday,” Darrius said.

“You can tell,” Angela said, pointing to the damp forest floor, rife with glistening pine needles. “It’s beautiful this time of year.”

“Precarious,” Darrius said, “Weather changes so quickly.”

“When do you think we’ll get snow?”

“Below 12,000 feet? Hard to say,” he pointed to the Aspens’ yellow leaves. “They’ve begun shedding their water. A good sign it’s going to cool.”

“I know these things, you know?” Angela looked at him, “I might be a molecular biologist, but I have a general knowledge of nature stuff.”

He chuckled, “That was a jab, wasn’t it?”

“Clearly.”

“Felt good.” He smiled at her.

Angela stopped, and Hera halted also, looking up at both of them.

“Ok,” Angela started, “Let’s clear this ALL up. I am a professional and will NOT be flirting with you. Or participating in any other toxic masculine male shit, ok?”

“Whoa, whoa,” Darrius held his hands up, “Why the hostility? I am charming and harmless! The barbs can come down.”

“Ok, listen to yourself…”

They both stopped as a desheveled man, meandered toward them, nearly collapsing. He was shirtless and barefoot, with long hair that was full of brush. His skin was filthy.

Hera growled.

Darrius was tending to the man, who looked to be around thirty years old, as they retrieved spare garments from their packs and dressed him. The man’s temperature rose, and he began shivering.

“He’s going to become more sensitive as his body temperature elevates,” Darrius said, retrieving some trail mix from his pack for him. “As it rises, his body will feel like it’s cooling rather than getting more comfortable.”

“And the cool blood from his arms returning to his heart will exasorbate that,” Angela added.

“Yeah.”

Angela unscrewed the cap on a spare water bottle and offered it to the man. He took it slowly, his hands shaking as he held it in a weak grip. She assisted him while he drank and ate some of the trail mix.

“Let’s return to the trailhead,” Darrius suggested. “We should have time to get him help, then get back into the mountain before it gets dark.”

“How did he get into this predicament?” Angela wondered. The man indicated he was done, and Angela took the bottle, refilling it from her water bladder. “Seems like he has much he wants to tell us, but…”

Hera growled, and Angela pulled her close.

“Oh, he’s been through it.” Another man’s voice came from just beyond the trail. Darrius and Angela turned and saw a couple of hunters standing there, rifles slung over their shoulders. They both wore camouflage and were gruff, like they belonged in a survival show.

“Hey,” Angela waved, “Do you know this gentleman?”

“I can tell you his predicament,” one of them stepped forward.

They could be brothers, she thought.

“He’s a really, really terrible person.” The other one said.

The other man spoke, “A pile of shit.”

Darrius frowned, hoping the guys might’ve helped. His hopes were quickly being dashed.

“Your wolf looks like she doesn’t approve of us,” one of the hunters said.

Darrius walked toward them, offering his hand for a shake. The two of them didn’t oblige. “We don’t shake,” one replied, “Too many cooties.”

His buddy got a good chuckle. “Gotta be socially distant these days.”

“Well, we are Darrius and Angela,” Darrius made the introductions. “We work at the labs.”

“I’m Chap,” one of them said, “That’s my brother, Sean. The labs, you say? Then you can explain. Maybe tell us more about your wolf there.” He nodded toward Hera.

She was beginning to growl as the men moved closer.

“Guess she doesn’t like that,” Sean said.

Darrius was surprised Chap guessed Hera’s gender, but then again, it might simply be a guess.

“Don’t worry about her.” Darrius glanced at the injured man, who was looking more lively. The food and heat were helping.

“You said the labs?” Chap asked. He stepped to the side as Hera tracked his movements carefully. “You wouldn’t be responsible for all the work with woodland creatures lately, now, would you? That’s some scary stuff, you know.”

“That would be us,” Angela noticed the disheveled man was paying close attention.

Chap and Sean looked at each other and chuckled, “Old Buck’s gonna love this,” Chap said. “Well, alright, we know who we can refer questions to. By the way, you’ll be letting Erik loose.”

Darrius gave them a concerned look, “This gentleman here?” He pointed to the man. “His name is Erik?”

“It is,” Sean answered.

“We’ve just got the man fed. He needs medical attention.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Chap said. “Drug dealers can rot. In fact…”

They all stopped and turned toward Hera, a terrible growl emanating. She was quiet and looking for the source, also. Darrius noticed a small embankment with several bushes next to a large pine. The brush moved, and a huge head emerged.

“Jesus,” Chap exclaimed as he unslung his weapon.

The massive male Dire wolf stepped from beyond the brush, legs flexed, its muscular body close to the ground as it approached the group. Its orange eyes sized them up, one at a time. The brush continued rustling, and several more wolves became visible.

Darrius gulped, “Run!”

They all scattered as the wolves lunged for Erik, taking the disheveled man down by his limbs. The wolves attacked, and his terrified screams made no difference. Darrius hurried toward the opposite side of the trail, which sloped aggressively toward a switchback. He tripped and began rolling and tumbling for what seemed like forever. He smacked his head on something, and the lights went out.

Angela hurried up the trail. One of the large Dire wolves chased after Chap and Sean, herding them in the opposite direction. Angela hurried into the brush, feeling tree limbs grabbing at her. One of the big wolves was gaining, and she picked up the pace.

“Oh dear God,” she ran faster, “God don’t let them…”

*

Darrius felt something warm and wet on his face. It was Hera, licking him. He opened his eyes, immediately feeling his throbbing head. Darrius blinked rapidly, picking himself up. He rubbed the dust from the corner of his eyelids and looked around. Hera was looking up the hill.

“Jesus, I must have taken a fall. How long have I been out?” Darrius knocked the dust off his pants and remembered his pack was still on his back. He took it off, feeling his muscles ache as he stretched. Hera moved closer to him, sensing his pain as she nuzzled his lower leg.

“I’m alright, girl,” Darrius quickly inspected his pack. Satisfied it wasn’t damaged, he set it down. “Where’s Angela?”

Hera and Darrius both looked toward the top of the hill. “Ugh, I’m never gonna make it up that.”

He spotted a flat boulder and took a seat, wiping as much of the dust off his face and body as he could. Hera whined slightly. She glanced toward the brush and hurried away.

Darrius thought about yelling for her to return, but he knew it was useless and would only make his headache worse.

“Well…I know we’re about three miles from the trailhead,” Darrius said, “I could get out of here.”

There was a rustling behind him, and Darrius quickly glanced. Hera was standing nearby, a dead rabbit in her jaws. Relief fell over him.

“I’m guessing you’d like your meal cooked,” Darrius said. “Bougee, even for a handcrafted creature.”

Hera set the rabbit down and looked at him.

“Getting that meal for me? Since I’m such a shitty hunter?” Darrius took a moment to contemplate his predicament, “Well, it’s actually an excellent idea to cook right now. Send smoke signals to the others. Alright, Hera, you have a deal.”

Darrius built a small fire and fashioned a spit to cook the meat. Several branches cracked nearby, and they saw another hunter appear from the tree line. He was older and dressed in vintage camo.

“I guess Angela and I are the only ones unarmed,” Darrius waved to the man. The hunter returned the gesture with a stoic gaze. Hera watched like a hawk. This hunter is different. He had a much wiser way about him.

“Have you been here all along?” Darrius asked, introducing himself.

“I have,” the hunter took a seat nearby, “Buck’s the name.”

Darrius nodded, “Shouldn’t you stick together?”

“Not when you’re scouting. Where’s the lady you were hiking with?”

“Separated somehow. I think she got turned around when the wolves attacked.”

“Don’t like her that much, do you?”

“That’s not pertinent. If you catch my drift.”

“You know, brother,” Buck began, “You might think of me as a dumb hick, but the fact is I’m intelligent enough to not be in the woods, without a firearm or a clue, means something. And I didn’t lose my lady. My tally says I have a few up on you. So, it might do you good to be less of an asshole.”

Angela ran for a while, unsure if she’d vacated the wolves’ territory. But she wasn’t going any further. Exhausted, she walked to the cliffside and looked toward the city. Car horns, motors, and other city noises were very audible.

She left the cliffside and found a shady spot. Angela was uncertain about everything at the moment, but knew she needed food. She took a drink from her water bladder and tucked the mouthpiece in her pack strap, which she removed and set next to a tree. Angela began collecting small pieces of firewood, tossing them toward a group of rocks she’d use to fashion a small fire pit.

Most of the wood was mildly damp, which was less than encouraging. She’d need a lot of kindling to dry the firewood. Pine needles should do the trick because that’s all she had.

“At least I can make smoke signals,” she said. “And that ass Darrius can find me.”

Angela spotted pinecones on the forest floor, especially as she walked deeper into the woods. She grabbed several and returned to the stones.

She set everything down and took one of the pinecones, slowly breaking it open and removing the pine nuts. The flat, protein rich seeds would make a great snack. She popped several in her mouth, relishing in the fatty flavor.

Darrius broke off a piece of the rabbit for Hera and another for himself. It was much greasier than chicken, and he was upset there was no salt. On the other hand, he was glad Buck had taken off. He was also grateful that Hera provided meat in the first place. She rested the flank atop a flat piece of rock directly in front of her and ate.

“You know,” Darrius said through a mouthful of rabbit, “you are one damn intelligent animal. Your natural platter sure beats getting dirt on a damn fine meal. Smart.”

Hera looked up at him, chewing with satisfaction. Suddenly, she stopped and looked over his head. Darrius quickly turned and saw a puff of smoke rising from roughly a quarter mile away.

“Angela,” Darrius packed the remaining rabbit into a silicone container he’d used for an earlier meal. He secured the container into the mesh on his pack and tossed it over his shoulders. Hera quickly finished the rabbit and trotted toward the trail. Darrius let her lead.

*

Angela was holding a group of branches she’d secured together with a strip of rope from her pack. She waited about fifteen seconds before holding the branches over the smoke to create a small plume, which she released, creating another signal.

Darrius would spot them…if he was still alive. The hunters might see it too, but she wasn’t confident they’d come to her aid. They were there for the dires, and she was glad they’d found them.

She looked at her watch, noting that she’d been making signals for a little more than twenty minutes. Angela heard a low grumbling sound coming from the forest. It was getting more distinct, and from multiple directions.

“Oh shit…”

The big dire wolf entered her view from behind a large group of trees, its orange eyes zeroing in on Angela. She stepped behind the fire. Another two dires joined the first wolf and began boxing her in.

This has to be a predatory posture, she thought.

A mechanical clicking sound echoed nearby. “Don’t worry, little lady,” Buck said, raising his weapon and aiming it at the big dire. “They’re powerful and intense. But you can get a step ahead of all of them.”

Buck pulled the butt of his rifle tight at his shoulder and cinched one eye shut, placing the massive dire in his sight.

“No!” Angela contested, “No, you don’t have to.”

“I wouldn’t,” Darrius approached from the other side of a few trees, “Take a look around.”

The other wolves had shifted their focus to Buck.

He relaxed his aim, “Well shit. That’s unsettling.”

There was a thud near the big dire, and it looked down, noticing a pineapple shaped object near its paws.

“Get down!” Darrius yelled. He knew Sean and Buck were close.

The big dire bolted, the others following as the percussion grenade exploded. It was immensely disorienting for the wolves, and they scattered. Darrius kept his hands over his ears, hoping the ringing would stop. The dires charged back as Sean and Chap tossed a couple more percussion grenades.

Buck pulled a tranquilizer weapon from his holster and aimed, but it was too late. The big dire tackled Buck, knocking the wind out of him. It pinned Buck to the ground, its intense, frightening snarl dripping saliva from its massive teeth. The beast snapped its jaws, spittle flying.

Sean rushed to his brother’s aid, grabbing the wolf by the neck and putting it into a headlock.

Angela assessed just how massive the animal was as it wrestled with the hunter, “Christ.”

Sean was attacked from behind by another Dire, taking him down. Chap jumped into the mix as the wolves attacked all three.

Darrius helped Angela up as Hera joined their side.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m ok,” Angela’s eyes were wide, as they ran off, heading back down the trail. “You came just in time.”

“Hera deserves the credit,” Darrius smiled, “She saw the signals.”

Hera sprinted past them as two massive figures were pacing them on the opposite side of the trail.

“Jesus,” Angela exclaimed, “They’re going to get us!”

“Let’s head to that clearing.” Darrius pointed, “They’ll hesitate to follow. No cover for them.”

One of the massive dire leaped and tackled Angela, grabbing onto her pack. Hera nipped at the animal. Darrius wielded a large branch like a club, knocking the wolf aside. The large dire regained and growled at Darrius. The wolf’s eyes were piercing as his lids narrowed, and the skin above his brows moved forward into a maniacal glare. The animal snarled.

“Suddenly,” Darrius said, “I feel slightly foolish.”

Fur on the wolf’s back stood straight up as the animal began shaking with rage. The other dires joined the big one as it squared off against Darrius, its eyes fixated on the man.

Hera snapped her jaws, snarling as she stepped between the big dire and Darrius. Her snout dropped, letting the other wolves see her anger. They hesitated as the impressive display gave them pause…

*
Digital Energy and Quantifiable Science laboratory, DEQS.
Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Karen sat at a lab desk, facing the computer. She was viewing several data files that Angela and Darrius had never seen. She took a bite of her bologna sandwich and glanced at the GPS trackers, each featuring a picture and brief synopsis.

Hera: the animal nearest the ‘canine’ genetic code. Intelligent and friendly to humans.

Makes sense that she would get along with all the members in the lab, Karen thought.

Apollo: designed to be most appealing to Hera. They would likely pair-bond and breed in the future.

Adonis: nothing unique, save for incredible cognitive potential.

Mars: the wolf of war. Ready to battle at any moment, and can rally the troops. Second in charge to the pack leader.

and Zeus: 30% larger and more cunning than the other members. A frightening specimen. Clearly the Alpha. Jet black hair and menacing.

Karen watched as each animal’s GPS locations were highlighted on screen. They were huddled in the same proximity, all closing in on Darrius and Angela’s location via their phones’ GPS. All except for one.

Zeus was in the woods, rushing toward the entire group…

Ohhh, and that’s all the time we have today, my lovelies! Sad face…But not to worry, the rest of the tale takes things to another domain. The urban jungle, where Darrius and Angela are faced with challenging decisions… See you soon!

Read The Dire - Part Two now!

“Good morning, my lovelies! Today’s tale is one from the future. And what an incredible future it shall…Oh, I mean, it COULD be! Wink, wink, please, enjoy and be sure to tell others of what you’ve read…”

The Game by Gabriel Maestas

Preface

December 23, 2035
9:37 AM
Albuquerque, New Mexico
“Exit light, enter night…” – Lyrics from Enter Sandman by Metallica.

The crowded streets were filled with people hurrying about their business. They wore earbuds and were listening to podcasts, bingeable shows like Darkness in Bermuda, where contestants had to survive an island assault. Or they might’ve been listening to rowdy music. None of them gave two shits about the bounty hunt happening. Dutch, the bounty hunter, moved his long coat aside, revealing his large weapon and removing it from the harness. He quickly hugged the stock to his shoulder and switched to ‘stun.’

Dutch closed one of his bright blue eyes, scrunched his forty-something face as his salt and pepper beard moved under his heavy breath.

The perp looked back, eyes wide, as Dutch aimed, “Shit bag.”

Dutch squeezed the trigger, and a 2000-volt stun slammed into the perp, dropping him before a group of onlookers. They’d finally taken an interest.

The bounty hunter walked to the perp convulsing on the ground. Dutch grabbed the man’s wrist, quickly attaching a set of rigid plastic cuffs, and rolled him over, reaching for his opposite arm.

“Be still, shithead,” Dutch grumbled.

“I…I…I…”

“Can’t talk. That’s why I said don’t move,” Dutch secured the perp’s other hand. The bounty hunter’s phone rang.

Sonia, his A.I. assistant, relayed, “Captain Teri is calling you, Dutch.”

Dutch dragged the perp by his arm and begrudgingly answered the call, “Teri…what the fuck? I’m in the middle of an apprehension.”

“Oh, I don’t give a shit,” the Captain’s sultry voice was agitating. “Got another job for you.”

Dutch shoved people aside as he dragged the perp to his transport vehicle, which self-drove to his location. The dark grey vehicle stopped several meters in front of him, and the driver’s side passenger door opened.

“Who’s the client, Teri?”

“There are four clients. All exceptionally dangerous.”

Dutch tossed the perp into the back seat. “When do I start?”

He grabbed a small pill case from his back pocket and buried his knee into the man’s neck. The perp yelped, his mouth gaping open as Dutch dropped the pill inside. He shoved the man’s mouth shut and pinched his nose, “Swallow it.”

“You pick up your partner from the labs,” the Captain said, “And begin.

The bounty hunter could feel the man’s muscles becoming less rigid as the sedative was absorbed. The perp grew still, and Dutch got off of him and slammed the door shut. “Why a partner?”

He opened the driver’s side door and got in, resting his weapon in his lap.

“You’re old, Dutch.”

The bounty hunter deactivated his weapon, and it powered down as he removed the ammunition clip.

“A butcher doesn’t need anyone up his ass to help opperate the meat grinder. The agency needs to leave me be.”

The Captain paused.

“Sonia,” Dutch clicked the ‘Memory Cache Clear’ button on his weapon, “Take me to The Agency headquarters on Stadium Drive.” His weapon chimed, indicating it was ready to reload.

“Sure thing, Dutch,” Sonia replied, “Anything else…”

“Stay that destination, Sonia,” Teri interjected, “Redirect to 643 Quantum Rd. in Rio Rancho.”

“Skid row?” Dutch’s vehicle sped away, accelerating toward the street. “That’s where all the labs are located. Among all the spitters and shitters.”

“Nothing escapes you, Dutch,” Teri confirmed. The vehicle maneuvered tightly around the masses of people on the streets. Many of them were homeless or destitute, as unemployment topped an ungodly 41%.

“What’s the catch, Teri?”

“Aside from having four clients to apprehend?”

“Yeah, other than that.” The vehicle accelerated from the side streets to the off-ramp and the highway.

“I think that’s all. Have fun, Dutch.” Teri hung up.

Dutch shut his eyelids, clenching them tight, “Oh, I’m gonna hate this…”

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Digital Energy and Quantifiable Science laboratory. (DEQS)
Located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a suburb of Albuquerque

The body-sized, oval-shaped cryochamber opened and slowly cleared an icy mist. Its female occupant lay naked inside, her trim, athletic body quickly regaining a vibrant color as the temperature rapidly approached 98.6 degrees. Silz opened her drowsy eyes, looking around as a mechanical arm moved forward, gently sliding behind her body. It lifted her forward, allowing her to sit up.

Silz erked as her stiff back briefly ached.

“Good morning,” the female AI said. “Hope you feel rested.”

“What year is it?” Silz asked.

“It will be Christmas of 2035 in two days!” the AI replied, “Hope you’ve been a good little girl.”

Silz rubbed her eyelids. “That’s just creepy,” she gripped the edge of the chamber and swung her legs over the side, hopping down and standing on wobbly legs. They quickly regained strength.

“What’s the assignment?”

The robotic arm swung toward her, herding Silz to the side of an exam table nearby, “Please stand beneath the scanner. It will run a few quick tests. Your doctor should arrive shortly.”

“Gezus, you wake me from the fridge on your OWN timetable…and I have to wait? Same old bullshit.”

Silz remained, and a sleek, tubular scanner descended from above, sliding over her body with a quiet hum, its green light blinking steadily. A bright green light at the top of the machine lit up, followed by a pleasant chime.

The scanner returned, “Ready for your upcoming mission.”

Silz finished rubbing her eyelids and looked around the room, quickly noticing she was naked.

“Hey, shitbag, how about some pants?” Silz was getting upset.

“There are some clothes on your right,” the AI said, “Apologies if you got cold.”

“I got a damn draft,” Silz mumbled.

Sliz grabbed the jet black pants and ran a leg into one side. The door to the room opened, and an older man with a clipboard and messy hair walked in. He wore a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck. He had messy hair. Silz put on the other pant leg and pulled them up.

“Morning,” he said, sitting on a stool beside the exam table, “How was your awakening?”

“Fucked…” Silz grabbed the matching light jacket and began putting it on.

“Good, good. A few questions. Do you remember the sheriff’s office?”

Silz looked at the old man, “The fuck?”

“Do you remember the incident at the event center?”

“Get bent.”

“Do you?”

Silz zipped up the jacket, “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

She lied.

“Good, good,” the man retrieved his stethoscope. “Alright, let’s have a listen. Check up on those lungs.”

Chapter 1

December 23, 2035
10:49 AM
Albuquerque, New Mexico
“Seek and destroy.” – Lyrics from the song by Metallica

The four mercenaries were in the back of the small electric van, quietly focusing on preparing their weapons. Their driver followed the GPS device on the dashboard, racing past other vehicles on I-25 as they headed downtown. Dale looked toward the twins, who were tying their hair up in cute ponytails. He smiled at them, a scar on his right cheek creasing his face as his eye lit up. Neither of them smiled, and they turned away.

“Assholes,” he mumbled. Dale turned to Ronni, who was sitting across from him. She was gorgeous, her short, dark hair falling over her eyes as she leaned forward.

“Hey,” Dale said, “We’ve got about ten minutes before we’re on top of the damn thing.”

“Seven minutes,” the driver relayed.

Ronni loaded the clip into her weapon. “Roger that.” She looked back at Dale, “Anything else?”

“Yeah, you think these twins are alright? Or should we unload them the first chance we get?”

They stopped, simultaneously glaring back.

“Your levity is shallow,” they both replied, a harmonious echo from their combined voices. “Poorly timed.”

“Yeah, but I’m a gooooood-looking bastard.”

The van hit a pothole and jostled them around. The driver looked back apologetically.

“Question,” Ronni slowly pulled her short hair into a tight bun.

“Yes…?” Dale didn’t think the twins were as attractive as her, but they were damn cute. He smiled like an excited teenager who couldn’t help it. He leaned his head back against the sidewall.

“These political parties,” Ronni asked, “They’re constantly jockeying for position, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Dale answered.

“And they’re going to extreme measures. Kidnapping members of the opposition, right?”

“Yep.”

“And now, there’s some kind of ‘mechanical animal’ on the loose killing members of the opposite side?”

“Yep.”

“And when we capture this…thing, we bring it back to the other party so they can reprogram it?”

“That’s it…” Dale held the muzzle of his weapon in front of him, moving it like a gyro as the ride became rougher.

“Does anyone else think this mission sounds ridiculous??” Ronnie asked.

The twins exchanged glances, shaking their heads subtly.

Dale snickered, “Yeah, I’m a little worried about it. I’d prefer we kill more clients today. But that doesn’t look that way.”

Ronni turned away, “Twisted fucker.”

Dale just smiled at her.

Dutch was waiting in the vehicle, parked in front of the DEQS Laboratory, when Captain Teri called. He pressed the answer button on his ear pod, rubbing his temples, “The hell is it?”

“You received the photo of the four mercs?” Teri asked.

Dutch looked at his phone, and Sonia’s predictive AI projected the pic from his messaging. “Two twins, one lady in charge and a psycho shitbag? Yeah, I see it.”

“We need to apprehend them immediately.”

“Do my best.”

“And Dutch, don’t forget, this mission includes a subsidy from the Federal Support Department. But they’d prefer you not ask why.”

“Don’t give a shit anyway. As long as the check clears.”

“Alright, good luck. Take ‘em down.” Teri hung up, and Dutch put his phone away.

He turned toward the lab’s entrance and saw a beautiful woman wearing a skin-tight, leather tactical body suit exit. She had very light colored, feathered hair, partially covering her gorgeous green eyes, which gazed back at him intensely. He breathed deeply, “I’d better survive this mission.”

The woman stopped at the passenger door, opened it, sat down, and shut the door. She sat silently, no greeting or small talk, and Dutch drove away. There was something about her. It left him uneasy as hell.

“Where you from?” Dutch sped onto the freeway and smashed the vehicle’s accelerator.

“The Army.”

“That on a map?”

“Iraq…From what I remember.”

“Don’t you want to know my background?”

“Who cares?”

“Got a name?”

She turned and looked at him, “Silz.”

Well, this is a lovely start. “I’m Dutch.”

Silz looked away as Dutch drove to downtown Albuquerque. His phone buzzed, and he looked at his smart watch. He received a GPS file of the four mercs’ last location. Teri also sent a text message, which Sonia read aloud, “We have the team Low-Jacked and can access their individual locations when needed. Watch your ass! The primary merc, Dale, is a real nutbuster. Ronni is a terror when it hits the fan. The twins are well-trained, but you should be able to apprehend them quickly.”

Downtown Albuquerque

Dale took aim and fired a stun round at the creature—a grotesque amalgamation of metal plates and sinewy flesh—that leapt from its perch on the corner of the building. It drifted over the mass of people near the strip mall. Several looked up as its bulbous shadow fell toward the group, making its way toward the ground. The animal was mostly mechanical, resembling a wildebeest. It featured a natural set of jagged teeth protruding from its short snout.

The animal landed on top of an unsuspecting shopper, smashing the man’s body into a crimson puddle on the sidewalk. It lowered its head, looking down at the mass of flesh and blood with glowing orange eyes. It ripped a chunk of entrails and torso, chewing methodically as it looked back at the four mercs on its tail. The animal hurried off, replenishing its energy as it leaped onto the side of a building.

The animal began climbing.

“Twins!” Dale spoke into the radio, “Let’s box it in at the top of the building.”

“Roger that,” the twins said simultaneously.

Dale looked back, watching as they ran in unison, hurrying to catch the animal. He shook his head, nudging Ronni’s elbow with his own, “Shit’s creepy.”

“Yeah,” she shrugged, “but the twins are good shots.” She smirked.

Ronni and Dale separated, running toward opposite sides of the building. Ronni hurried toward the stairs as the animal smashed through a random window and grabbed an office employee. The victim’s screams echoed throughout the entire building as it fed.

“Dale,” Ronni spoke into the radio, “The damn thing is ravenous!”

“The creature feeds on nutrient-rich tissues in preparation for the assault on one of the party’s targets,” the twins said.

Ronni smiled, knowing their unison was part of coding from the agency, “Oh, we figured.”

“Just intercept the damn thing!” Dale grunted. “The building is only eight levels.”

Dutch stopped the car, and Silz hurried out, watching the animal scale the side of the building. Dutch exited the vehicle, weapon in hand, “We need to get to the…”

Silz looked up and zeroed in on the animal. She leapt toward the building nearby, flying through the air as she reached out and grabbed the bricks. Silz began scaling it, hand over fist, as she rose toward the top.

Dutch remained by the car, watching as he reached into his coat pocket and grabbed a stick of gum. He popped it in his mouth, “Alright.”

He ran to the building the animal was scaling, hurried inside, and quickly boarded an elevator. A little girl was already in there, chewing on bubble gum.

“Great,” Dutch pushed the button for the top floor, “this just gets better and better…”

Silz looked toward the other building, locating the animal as it neared the roof. She relaxed her grip and flexed her legs, grunting as she pushed off the wall, flying through the air at breakneck speed.

The animal saw her and ripped a limb off its meal, holding onto the wall with its hind legs and chucking it at Silz. The bloody part came tumbling toward her, smashing into her back as she still managed to tumble onto the opposite side of the roof. Silz crashed into a steel structure near the air conditioning unit.

“Damn, that’s upsetting,” she complained, “When someone else is doing it.”

She watched as the animal reached the top of the building, crawling over the side, and stopped. It began finishing the rest of its meal, tearing at the flesh and robotically chewing as it watched Silz.

Chapter 2

December 23, 2035
11:03 AM
Albuquerque, New Mexico
“Living under loaded gun…” Lyrics from the song by Zebulon Raphael

Silz reached for her sidearm as Ronni and Dale burst through the other access door, their faces tense. The twins also arrived, entering from another door, and aimed at her. Silz smiled, sprinting away, as they began squeezing off rounds. One of the bullets caught her in the shoulder, tearing part of her jacket away.

“Seriously?” Silz complained, “Ugh! These jackets are damn expensive!”

Dutch burst through the opposite rooftop access doors and began blasting with his big weapon. Dale, Ronni, and the twins sought cover behind several large transformers. Dale emptied his clip wildly and exchanged it for a new one. Dutch returned fire, herding them back as Ronni opened a steel access door, using it as a shield.

Silz watched the animal as it headed away from them. She leaped toward it as the animal ran between a collection of heating units and transformers. She kept her firearm in front, listening to a steady sound…air passing through something. Breathing. She continued stepping forward, listening to a deep guttural noise coming from the other side of a massive air conditioning unit. A growl.

Dutch aimed and fired toward Ronni and the twins, watching as Dale emerged from the other side of a transformer unit.

“Oh, this is going to be good,” Dutch lunged behind a 25,000-pound heating unit and heard dozens of bullets ricocheting off the steel unit. He moved to the opposite side and found a small opening. Dutch raised his weapon and aimed at Dale, squeezing the trigger, sending an armour-piercing round through Dale and into the electric unit. A shower of sparks erupted as the electric current surged through the man.

Dale bellowed in pain.

The twins were stunned as their leader was electrocuted to death. How did he leave himself so open? They hurried toward the exit, as Ronni yelled, “Let’s get out of here!”

Silz moved toward the massive AC unit, tiptoeing as she steadied her weapon. I can hear the damn thing.

She stopped, grabbing hold of the unit with her left hand. Silz ripped it from its support brackets, shoving it aside.

There was an air pressurizing unit for the building’s filtration system, making all the noise. “Damn it!”

The animal was nowhere to be seen.

“Did you get it?!” She heard Dutch yelling from the other side of the roof.

“Eat shit,” Silz says quietly to herself.

Silz and Dutch walked through the lobby as Dutch got his keys.

“What about the mercs?” Silz asked as they passed through the front doors and approached the vehicle.

“Three of them vacated,” Dutch said.

Silz stared at him, “You shot one?”

“Their main guy, yeah.”

“We’re supposed to apprehend these people…as in ALIVE.” Silz watched him unlock the passenger side door, open it, then walk to the driver’s side door.

“Yeah, well, the meat wagon will be taking HIM IN,” Dutch said. “Guy was a fucking lunatic. We’re much safer with him out of the picture.”

Silz shook her head and sat down in the passenger seat. Dutch got in and shut the door. Police sirens began approaching as Dutch drove away, and Silz held her shoulder. He looked briefly, watching the slightly damaged tissues rapidly recover. The agitated skin returned to its usual color. He’d never seen anything like it.

“How are we going to track this animal?” Silz asked.

Dutch drove the car onto the freeway and looked back at her, “I…Dunno. But we’ll figure something out.”

Silz put her rounded hand on her chin, tilting her head to the side, cracking her neck softly, then repeated the move to the other side and looked out the window.

“We have to talk about something,” Dutch began. “Your shoulder, regale me with the tale.”

Silz turned to him and shook her head.

Dutch parked the car in front of the motel room he’d rented on Central Avenue, and they exited. He used the old card reader to unlock the bolt, and they entered the room. There was a queen-sized bed, and a tasteful loveseat and armchair where she sat down. He placed his big weapon on the dresser top and turned to face Silz.

She looked back at him and winked.

Dutch sighed. “So, there’s more to YOU than they told ME—that makes you more dangerous, and more valuable.”

Silz lay back in the chair, “Might’ve been a combination of both. But, yes, my capabilities should be useful.”

Dutch stopped and caressed his bearded chin with his fingertips, leaning into the dresser, “Ok. How does one become someone with abilities like yours?”

Silz smiled, looking at the side of the chair and gently pulling on a loose thread from the cushioning. She looked back at him, grinning. Mischeiveious.

“We don’t have much longer before this thing hunts us…spill it,” Dutch said grimmly.

Silz smiled, “I know what worries you. But fair enough…”

It all began in 1991, when Silz was stationed in the Middle East. Her unit came under heavy attack while they were transporting from one area to another, and she’d been badly injured. In the year 2024, she’d been part of a civilian/military initiative to reconstitute damaged tissue, and she’d figured out a way, once reconstituted, to amplify her capabilities. These included strength and recovery.

“You know,” Silz began, “the soldier whom I dealt with in ‘24, he was….a lot like you. Cold, calculated, heroic. He had that same detached intensity.”

“I’m no hero,” Dutch turned away, looking out the window. “I just want the money.”

“So did he.”

Dutch looked back at her. Silz was staring at him. He looked away.

“There’s something else,” she began. “The first part of the experiment wasn’t successful. I had problems...”

“He brought you in?”

She looked at him, a playful smile on her face.

Dutch shook his head, “Oh no. You don’t understand. I’m the last person you want to…get with.”

“I don’t want to get CLOSE to you.”

“It’s a no.”

“I just want you to say yes…for a few minutes.”

“Agency assets don’t get involved.”

“I don’t want involvement! I just want an interface.”

Dutch moved to the front door, and Silz quickly got up to intercept him. He sighed and looked back at her, “It’s not happening.”

Dutch moved her aside and exited the room. He stopped outside, near the door.

Silz balled her fist and gently bit down on her fingers. She surprised herself, “I should be more upset…”

Chapter 3

December 24, 2035
6:08 AM
Albuquerque, New Mexico
“We belong together…” Lyrics from the song by Zebulon Raphael

Silz opened her eyes and looked toward the window, stretching as the sunlight entered the room. She nearly remembered how great a sunrise could be. Silz clicked the bedside lamp on and looked around. Dutch was in the middle of the floor, passed out, a bottle in his hand.

“Where are your goddamn clothes?” Silz rolled her eyes. “Fux sake.”

Silz tossed the sheets off and got out of bed, stark naked, and walked to her clothes strewn on the luggage rack. She began putting her pants on first. “Hey, wake the fuck up!”

Dutch grumbled.

“Get your shit together,” Silz put her jacket on. “We need to begin.”

“What time is it?”

“Six AM,” Silz kicked his leg. “Get up. There’s a speech at the convention center in a couple of hours. The mercs are gonna make their move. Teri sent a message.”

Dutch opened his eyes, sat up and looked down, realizing he was naked. “Did we?”

“No, you tipsy dickhead. You began drinking immedeately and bitched about life. Such a turn-off. So I took a cold shower and went to bed. Alone. Get your pants on already.”

Dutch rubbed his dry face with a chapped hand, “I don’t need you, Silz.”

“You don’t have a choice,” She tossed his pants over his waist.

Dutch got dressed and began loading their things into the vehicle. He sat in the driver’s seat and queried the convention center. His text message notification chimed, and he checked it.

The rally begins at 8 AM at the convention center – Teri

“Let’s hurry!” Dutch yelled, “We’ll need to find a good position.”

Silz walked to the car and sat down in the passenger seat. “The animal won’t care how prepared WE are.”

Dutch sped off, not bothering to check out of the room. Silz hadn’t even closed the door behind her. He swerved onto the highway as they sped downtown.

“Can I ask you something, Silz?”

“What?”

“Were you planning on taking advantage of me?”

“Focus on the mission, will you?” Silz glared at him.

“It matters,” Dutch said, “Think about it.”

“Trying to forget,” the image of his naked body was appealing. “You know. The problem with you is booze. You passed me up and dove in.”

“Hey, just because I was being cautious.”

“It’s not just that. You’re distracted, and now I know what it is.”

Dutch humphed.

Silz looked at him again. “How far is the convention center?”

“Just a few more minutes.”

“Thankfully,” Silz looked away.

They arrived at the convention center, and Silz jumped out of the car before it came to a full stop. Dutch parked quickly, exited, and got his security badge from his coat pocket. He ran to the entrance as Silz was stopped by security. He flashed the pass, and the guards let him in. The pass, a small perk from the agency, granted access to nearly any destination on the planet.

They entered, and Silz pointed to the opposite side of the convention area. There were security details everywhere, concentrated near the elevated platform where the podium was located.

“You think they’ll be a problem?” Silz nodded at the officers.

Dutch shook his head. “I have a plan. Leave them distracted.”

“Yeah?”

“Trust me,” he smiled.

Silz scoffed and walked away, leaving Dutch to his devices. She found her place on the other side of the crowd. Several young people were near, preparing to protest, their banners in hand. She overheard ‘this leader is a fascist’ rhetoric and ‘things are terrible now.’

Dutch was approaching a similar group. Silz watched as he said something to them, and it was clearly agitating.

*

“This should be tricky,” Ronni told the twins as they entered the convention center. “She’ll be coming out soon. Make her way straight to the podium. The animal will pounce, and we’ll be set.”

“What about the other mercs?” the twins spoke in unison.

Ronni loaded her weapon and rolled the hammer back, chambering a round, “Take ‘em down.”

“It’s very crowded here.”

“Nothing escapes you two. Just be quick about it.”

*

Dutch and Silz watched from opposite sides of the center. Music began playing, and the politician stepped onto the stage, waving toward the crowd, smiling from ear to ear. Looking like a supermodel was helping her cause. Voters had become intensely demanding over the past several decades.

The politician approached the podium, “Thank you for joining us today! I know things have been tough. The austerity measures are never easy. But better times are on the horizon!”

Silz watched as Dutch continued stoking the protestors, clearly getting them agitated.

“I commend your resolve!” the politician said. “Soon, you’ll be able to get more than five thousand dollars from the ATM at one time. Think of that! Being able to purchase more than a few bags of groceries each week?!”

Half of the crowd erupted in applause, while the other half booed. The protesters rushed the stage, forcing the security detail to act.

Silz watched as the animal came into view. It was near the back ceiling, slowly crawling down the back wall nearest the stage. Dutch saw it also, activating his weapon. It charged up.

Ronni and the twins steadied their weapons.

Dutch raised his weapon and aimed.

The animal struck, leaping down and falling directly onto the politician, crushing her instantly. Dutch turned and shot Ronni and the twins with a stun. Silz leaped from the center of the room, tackling the animal. Dutch rushed to Ronni, who was struggling to breathe.

Chapter 4

“What the hell are you doing, Dutch?” Ronni shuddered.

“Sorry,” he grabbed her, rolling Ronni aside to get her phone. He placed it before her face, unlocking the screen. Dutch shoved her aside and quickly lifted codes from her ‘Animal’ app.

“Dutch…”

He slammed his knee into her face, pressing her into the ground. He entered the codes into his phone’s ‘Animal’ app. The recovering twins stood, shaking off the stunning voltage. Dutch turned, firing at both of them, grinning as the bullets tore them apart.

Silz was trading blows with the animal as the crowd scattered. Its face was painted with the politician’s splattered blood. The animal swiped her legs, knocking her down. Silz fired several shots from the floor, the bullets striking its lower limbs. The animal barely flinched.

“Gonna have to do this the ole’ fashioned way,” Silz tackled the animal, tossing it over her shoulder as she smashed its face to the floor. The animal rumbled, emitting a terrible mechanical growl.

She grabbed it by its massive teeth and slammed it down on the stage, forcing the rest of the crowd to concede. A random lady recognized this was In Real Life and screamed, triggering a mad evacuation.

Dutch whistled as Silz turned toward him.

“Take it down!” she shouted. “Shoot it!”

Dutch smiled and raised his weapon, aiming. His phone rang and he answered with his ear pod, “Yeah?”

“I know you’re not gonna shoot Silz?” Captain Teri demanded, “Not before completing the mission?”

“Well…You’re half right.” Dutch fired and hit Silz square in the chest with a non-lethal dummy round.

“That’s cold,” Ronni sat up, holding her aching face.

“Oh, right…” Dutch activated the Animal app and took a snapshot of Ronni, “Setting the new quarry as…YOU. Ahh, heartbreak and betrayal.”

He walked away, and Ronni turned toward the animal. It glared at her, eyes glowing deep orange as its eyelids narrowed. She scrambled to her feet, running for the exit as the animal tore through the place, chasing after her.

Dutch stepped before Silz, looking down as she was recovering. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, “You could’ve taken that thing down,” she moaned, “Just one blast from your cannon. But you wanted to control it.”

“The agency can’t pay what the other side can,” Dutch told her.

“Bastard.”

“I can still hear you, Dutch,” the Captain said.

“Seriously,” Dutch smirked, “Who gives a shit?”

“They’re gonna hire me to come after you.” Silz said, “You know that, right?”

“Frankly, my dear,” Dutch said, “Who gives a fuck?”

He kicked her square in the jaw, triggering her knockout mechanism.

Dutch casually walked out of the convention center, making his way outside. Crowds had assembled and were waiting for the authorities.

“Dutch,” Captain Teri was still on the phone, “I can’t believe you double-crossed me.”

“You should be used to it by now.”

“Yes, but not from you. You’ve been loyal.”

“I’ve worked long enough for you fuckers. It’s time to get paid.”

“And what are you going to do next?”

“Imma keep playing the game, Teri. Just making sure the check clears.”

“Oh, there’s no chance for that!” the Captain raised her voice, “That check is no good.”

“Not yours…”

Don't miss The Double Blind universe!

Good morning, my lovelies! What a day it shall be. May I tell you, one of my favorite beings in the whole world is known as ‘The Guardian.’ And she is quite a lady. Imagine someone so powerful they can control time, space, reality, and, of course, her child’s bedtime. Ha, that’s humorous when you think of what her child is capable of.

Speaking of things happening, The Guardian spends much of her time manipulating dreams of lesser beings. What does that look like? Well, the other morning while wandering through the castle, I found a story from a twisted reality and can’t wait to share it with you! Hold on, this one has a life all its own…

“I don’t like what I see most of the time,” The Guardian said while in her hostile domain. “Most of what I hear bores me. I’d much prefer to bring destruction than endure any more. My idea of a good time is simple and equitable. I invite chaos to refresh the world.”

She slowly walked forward, her gaze piercing, “I’ve found someone who’s brought something on himself, a scenario that may quickly become a nightmare. Maybe something worse. Douglas has provoked a new reality, and I won’t let him escape. Maybe this will bring a smile to my face.”

The guardian rotated her hourglass and watched the sand begin falling. “I can’t wait to see what time has in store for him…”

April 1, 1955

Douglas was driving home from work in his new sedan. It had been a wonderful day. The boss informed him that sales figures were some of the best in the company, and he’d earned a modest raise.

“You could sell ice to Eskimos,” his boss boasted.

Douglas leaned forward, reaching for the AM radio and turning the dial. He stumbled upon a popular song by Rosemary Clooney, “Swell!” he said, increasing the volume. “What a hip song,” Douglas sang along.

“Hey there

You with the stars in your eyes

Love never made a fool of you

You used to be too wise.”

He grinned, remembering his date with Janine the night before. They’d shared a burger and a shake at the hop. What a fantastic time it had been.

“But you know,” he said aloud, “The time with Gloria wasn’t terrible either. Too bad she was no fun.”

They were both good looking gals, but Douglas was more excited about having fun. Gloria was pretty, but there was something about her.

“Better forget him

Him with his nose in the air

He has you dancin’ on a string.”

Douglas turned the big steering wheel as the sedan hugged the curved hillside road.

“There’s nothing could rain on my parade.”

He missed the rear-view mirror as fate sped behind him in a big maroon four-door.

April 2, 2026 - 5:13 PM Pasadena, California

Douglas opened his eyes, looking up at the high ceiling, which featured a massive lighting system hanging from aluminum rafters. It reminded him of an airplane hangar at the World’s Fair. Douglas lowered his head to view everything, his eyes growing wide.

A crowd clamored in the aisle, filling their shopping carts with bulging boxes, food pictured on the side. Kids ran wildly, holding flat, rectangular objects that emitted music or odd noises he didn’t recognize. Everyone had very odd expressions, as if their minds were noisy. That was about the only way to describe it.

“Nice suit, buddy,” an older gentleman with thinning white hair and a blue sweater swatted Douglas’s elbow, “You think you might wanna get out of the way?”

Douglas looked down at his single-breasted, navy blue coat with matching slacks. Well, why isn’t everyone else mildly presentable? he asked himself. After all, we’re in a public place.

His brown fedora hat fell from his head, tumbling before him as he tried to catch it. The hat hit the tile floor. He bent forward and grabbed it as one of the outrageously sized shopping carts was slammed into his backside.

Douglas fell forward and hit the ground. He looked back, noticing the middle-aged woman glaring at him, holding the cart handles with a white knuckle grip.

“Move your ass! Jerk!” she yelled, “Who does that?”

He scrambled to get up and move out of the way, running into another random person as they turned the corner.

This is a supermarket! An absurd, outrageously constructed, and over-the-top supermarket filled with shoppers!

Douglas moved aside, hugging a food shelf. He couldn’t make sense of the odd rectangular objects everyone held within their clawed hand. It was flat and had a screen they stared at.

Those are some kind of device! I…I need food.

A sudden, powerful hunger swept over him like he’d just completed an exhausting journey and needed energy. He looked at the random items on the shelves, failing to recognize anything.

Jesus.

He peered around the end of the aisle, looking at the highway of customers charging through the main walkway. Douglas saw an opening and took it, moving quickly to the next aisle. A relieved smile came to his worried face.

“Bread!”

Douglas searched the countless options. The most recognizable was a loaf of white bread labeled ‘Iron Kids.’ It reminded him of the Donald Duck packaged bread he bought for his nephew. He grabbed one and looked behind him, noticing a large shelf with jars of jam and canisters of peanut butter.

He grabbed some of those also.

Now, I saw many shoppers headed toward the front of the building, where they’re clearly making their purchases.

Douglas followed the crowd, realizing food was only a fraction of the store’s stock. There was an endless assortment of goods as far as he could see.

“A department store?” he asked himself, “This is the maddest creation I’ve ever see.”

“Move, jack-wagon!”

Douglas turned sharply, glaring at a teenage boy with an agitated gaze. The child wore unmatched clothing, and his hair was shabby, ‘painted’ an odd purple color.

“Young man, you don’t speak to elders like that!” Douglas snapped.

“Eat shit,” the boy hurried around him, “The 40s called, and they want their hat back!”

Douglas groaned, realizing people lacked many things wherever and whenever he was—manners, for one.

Now, shoppers are stopping in front of those odd little square stations where they swipe items over glass. That electronic chime must count items or something.

They placed their items in flimsy plastic bags on the side of the station.

“They negotiate the purchase of their own items.” he was floored, “Who the hell works in this massive place? How does it operate?”

Something struck him.

“How am I going to pay?” Douglas juggled his items into one arm and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a single ten dollar bill. It looked much sillier than the bills he’d used the day before.

“At least I have several days’ worth of wages in my pocket,” he reassured himself. “I have to figure out what’s going on.”

He found the end of the line feeding the check-out and stepped into it. It only took a few moments for the line to move, and Douglas hurried to an open machine. He began unsuccessfully swiping his items until he finally heard a chime. He repeated for every item.

There was a total indicator at the bottom of the screen.

$14.12

“My God in heaven…”

April 2, 1955 - 8:13 AM A hospital in Pasadena, California

Douglas opened his eyes, blinking as the sunlight bled through blinds covering a large window in the center of the wall. He looked up at the IV fluid bottle as it dripped into the line feeding his arm.

Oh, thank goodness. It was a dream!

He looked at the railing on his bed and raised his left arm to move it down. His arm didn’t move. It just lay there. He attempted to lift his head but there was no response.

A nurse entered the room and smiled at him. She was wearing a white dress, with numerous items in her pockets and a stethoscope around her neck.

“Oh good, you’re awake!” she placed her hands on her hips, “I bet you’re starving.”

Douglas wanted to speak, but his lips wouldn’t move. He was unresponsive…except for his eyes.

This can’t be.

“Well, let’s get you started on some gelatin. No one complains about that, now do they?”

The nurse wheeled a tray holder to his bedside and stopped. She stood next to him, reaching for a small bowl containing a large cube of red gelatin. He looked at it unimpressed and looked back at her, eyes drooping.

“Oh, come on now,” the nurse said, “Don’t make a sour puss at me!”

She picked up a spoon from the tray to scoop a small piece. She fed it to him, “There, that’s not bad at all.”

This can’t be right. It’s no injury I’ve ever heard of. Maybe a doctor will visit to relay some information that will make sense.

The nurse served him another bite, and Douglas took it, chewing with great apprehension.

April 2, 2026 - 9:11 AM

There was a faint buzzing sound, forcing Douglas’ eyes open. He looked around, blinking rapidly as a drowsy feeling slowly departed.

“Hey!” a random voice said behind him.

Douglas turned and saw someone standing near the entrance of his cubicle.

“Those calls aren’t going to answer themselves!” The man was chubby, with a thinning hairline, and something was off. He was a portly man, but his face was turning grey, almost like his features were sinking into themselves. It was subtle, but still, it was alarming.

Douglas snapped to and looked around the desk where he sat. There was a plastic-looking ‘typewriter keyboard.’ It was flat and lay before a screen similar to the ones at the supermarket. There was a wide array of boxes and blinking lights.

This chaos makes no sense to me.

Douglas could feel his chest heaving as he looked away from the overwhelming screen.

“What was wrong with the supervisor’s face?” Douglas asked himself.

“Shall we get started?”

Douglas was startled, nearly falling from his chair.

“Douglas,” It was a female voice. “Your supervisor just asked if you could get back to work.”

He looked at the desk, noticing a small plastic box that had very miniature mesh-covered ‘speakers’ inside.

“Ready to begin?” the voice was coming from that box…from the speakers.

“Yes,” Douglas replied, slowly wheeling back toward the center of his desk.

“Ok. Type ‘Begin’ and use the mouse to move the arrow and click on Module One. It’s on the right of the keyboard.”

He looked, noticing an odd, small plastic object near the keyboard.

“How did you…”

“Know where the mouse was? It’s my job to know.”

“Who are you?” Douglas wrapped his hand around the mouse and saw the little arrow on the screen begin moving. He typed ‘Begin,’ and maneuvered the arrow to the ‘Module One’ window.”

“Click on it with the left side of the mouse. My name is Mrs. Jeeves, by the way. I’m an A.I. assistant.”

Douglas hesitated, “A.I.?”

“Oh boy, I have explaining to do, don’t I?”

Several Hours Later…

Douglas hurried out of the building, looking back as he watched one of his coworkers leap from the top story. The man fell freely toward the concrete below, his clothing whipping around as he plummeted. A mechanized net extended from the side of the building and caught the man, pulling him back inside. Douglas breathed deeply and put the ‘earbuds’ in his ear, just as Mrs. Jeeves had instructed.

“What was that?” Douglas asked.

“They’re safety nets.” Mrs Jeeves replied, “In case someone wants to ‘clock out’ before their shift ends.”

Douglas hurried away from the building and walked up the street. “That man wasn’t getting away from anything! He leaped to his doom.”

“It’s the same result,” Mrs. Jeeves said, “If he leaves his job or falls to a permanent vacation, the union would tag him and take away his credits.”

“You do realize this is insanity?” Douglas saw golden arches a block away and began jogging. “At least some things remain the same. I love those cheeseburgers!”

He could almost smell the burgers.

“The cost might have increased,” Mrs. Jeeves commented, “But yes, the food itself hasn’t changed.”

He arrived at the restaurant, walked inside, and saw several large rectangular kiosks. They were in front of a counter in the back of the lobby and dining area. He saw employees cooking in the kitchen.

“I’m craving a milkshake and fries like you wouldn’t believe,” Douglas approached the kiosk. “This is like the station at the supermarket, I’m assuming. Funny, there’s an image of a person looking back at me. But.”

“Talk to her,” Mrs. Jeeves said, “And then use your card.”

“Card?”

“The small plastic slip in your pocket. Or you can tap your phone to the screen.”

“My phone?”

“Hey, asshole!”

A man was standing behind him. Douglas turned and apologized, stepping out of the way. The man just glared at him, his eyes looking like they were sinking into his skull, his skin growing more ashy. He turned and practically yelled at the kiosk.

“What’s happening to everyone?” Douglas asked.

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Mrs. Jeeves said.

“But.”

“Please, Douglas, let’s just get something to eat. Your phone is in your pocket, and your wallet will wake as you touch its screen.”

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and Douglas turned around. There were three men dressed in old clothes, their skin also turning grey. They looked like they must be indigent and were visibly upset.

“Hey buddy,” one said, “It’s time to pay up.”

“What have I done?” Douglas asks.

One of them shoved him, “You’re not the only hungry one!”

The food terminal lit up, an unrealistic voice asking, “If you’re in trouble, we can alert the authorities. Wait time: two days.”

April 2, 1955 – 6:37 PM
Pasadena, California

Douglas opened his eyes and looked at the pretty woman wearing glasses and dressed in a long red skirt sitting by his bedside, feeding him gelatin. How did I wake at the EXACT place? In this daydream? In this nightmare? Wherever or WHENever this is...at work…or this DAMN HOSPITAL!

“Oh goodness!” the lady exclaimed, “You have a tear rolling down your cheek.”

She reached for a towel and wiped his cheek, blotting near his eyelid, “Wouldn’t want that delicate skin to get chapped, now would we?”

Douglas continued chewing as she looked concerned.

“Well, there’s another. Are you alright, Douglas?”

I just don’t know what the hell is going on.

The lady fed him another bite, and he continued chewing, thinking how good a burger and shake would taste. The lady had another spoonful waiting for him. She raised it to his lips.

“They told me to be careful after the accident,” the lady said, “‘Gloria, don’t go to the hospital,’ they said. ‘Just leave him be. Let him recover.’”

I know this woman from somewhere.

She fixed him another spoonful. “You know Douglas,” Gloria smiled, her glasses reflecting his image in the hospital bed, “This is kind of…nice. Having you here like this, NEEDING me. It’s sort of comforting.”

April 2, 2026 – 7:41 PM

Douglas opened his eyes and looked around the homeless shelter, confused as he sat on a rickety old cot. The place is filled with people who look like they’ve just arrived from work.

If they have jobs, how are they at a homeless shelter? And how did I get here?

“Mrs. Jeeves,” he asked, “What am I doing here? What should I do next?”

“Just a moment.”

Douglas faced forward, his eyes wide as he noticed a little girl sitting in the cot across from him. He tried not to look stunned, but the child was a worrisome sight. Like other random people, her skin was remarkably ashy, and her face was sunken in. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. Goodness, she can’t be more than ten years old.

“Hello,” Douglas managed to say.

“Hey,” the little girl smiled, “I’m Sheila.”

“Douglas,” his face must’ve looked worried, “How are you this morning?”

“It’s the evening, Douglas,” the little girl chuckled, “Didn’t you work today?”

“I…I think so.”

“How do you NOT know so?” She shrugged. Douglas worried as her face stayed remarkably still, except for her lips.

“Do you have a job?” Douglas decided to ask, “Where do you work?”

“The fulfillment center,” Shiela tore open a package of candy coated chocolates and offered him some.

Douglas slowly extended his hand, grateful, “These are my absolute favorite!”

“Good!” She ate several chocolates and raised the package. “Would you like more?”

Douglas shook his head no.

“Can I ask you something?” he started. “Why is everyone sickly looking? I noticed yesterday, but now, it’s much more obvious.”

“Every time you wonder why things are like this, your clothes age. They get a little more wrinkled and a little more grey.”

“But what about people’s faces? Their skin? Their eyes? It appears they,” he stopped.

The little girl looked confused. Her head tilted to the side, and she observed several others in the shelter. They were getting more and more disheveled with each passing moment. Almost as if their life force were being drained.

The little girl began smiling again. “It’s just our clothes,” she raised her hand reassuringly, “But we’re fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Douglas’s shoulders slumped as he frowned. He closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Well, I…” he looked up and opened his eyes.

The homeless shelter slowly faded away, revealing a terrible, barren land, a wind-whipped, desolate environment, littered with concrete steps in every direction. There was a pair of very tall, metallic towers in the distance. It felt like he was outside, but the winds were eerie— a continual drone of nothingness and random whispering.

“We all make choices, Douglas.”

The voice came from a woman standing near the center of the strange place.

She was draped in a long robe, with a hood over her head as she held an hourglass and looked toward him, her expression unchanging.

“Can’t you recall?” She removed her hood, revealing a hairless, grey head that unsettled him.

It’s as if her life energy has been drained. Am I next?? Oh, this is a nightmare!

“I am nothing like what you’re thinking,” she said. “Don’t forget, our reality is the product of our choices.”

“What have we chosen?” Douglas slapped his hands on his head in distress, “I’ve not chosen anything. I was in a car accident, and now, THIS.”

Douglas suddenly remembered. I was driving home from work, I can recall clearly, but then…I was rear-ended. And I saw her. A woman I can barely remember.

“Gloria,” he said aloud.

“This was inevitable,” she looked directly at him, her bare head emitting a faint glow, “As Guardian, I have the burden of ensuring our worlds can survive.”

“But what is this? The future, or the past, or is it another place?”

The Guardian turned to him, revealing the hourglass, “This represents people’s greatest fears. The unknown, the future, and the past all moving in the same direction.”

“This is confusing!” Douglas felt tears falling down his cheeks as he turned away. His chest pounded anxiously. Douglas shook his head and turned away. He could hear something coming from the towers. It was a menacing sound, filling him with the same dread from childhood nightmares—monsters in the closet.

“I have a life,” he said, “There’s a woman there.”

“There are TWO women there,” the Guardian raised her hand, revealing her bony fingers. She rolled her last two within her fist and covered them with her thumb, “Two.”

Douglas hesitated, finally answering, “I should’ve known.”

“I have to keep the dreams in alignment, Douglas. People can never fully understand. They can’t know everything.”

He turned and stared at her, slamming his hands on his hips, “Why not?!”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t return,” the Guardian approached him slowly, her arm reaching for his shoulder, “If people knew then what you know now, everything would unravel.”

She gripped his shoulder, wrapping her icy fingers and squeezing, “You must return to work. And let the safety nets catch you.”

“But how could anyone live like this?”

The Guardian glared at him, “We must…”

April 3, 1955 – 7:32 AM
Pasadena, California

Douglas opened his eyes, immediately recognizing the familiar hospital and the kind nurse. He recalled the Guardian’s words.

“If people knew then what you know now. Everything would unravel.”

He felt his chest rise and fall as he sighed. The nurse smiled warmly, walking toward him with a bowl of gelatin and a spoon.

“You look better,” the nurse said. “You must’ve had an intense dream! My word, if only you could share. You know, I have a cousin who works for a technology company, and they are working on something called a computer. Of course, we’ve seen them in large rooms at universities and everything.”

She fed him a spoonful of gelatin.

“But my cousin told me scientists, in the future, of course, could shrink them down into something that would fit on our desk and, eventually, even in our pockets! Can you imagine that? All the computing power of one of those massive, room-filling super thinking machines, everywhere you go. They could help you with everything you needed to do. And make it so you don’t have to THINK about what you’d do next??”

Meanwhile, Gloria was approaching with a knife in her hand. She raised it over the nurse’s head.

“How great would that be??”

The Guardian watched the events unfold, looking intently at the hourglass as she smiled.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt emotional about anything,” she said, “But I like THIS.”

A menacing sound came from within the towers and filled the barren land, its terrifying sound resonating everywhere all at once. Metal being dragged, followed by a terrible clanging sound, echoed from castle to castle.

“Be patient, my child,” the Guardian turned toward the towers. “The time will come. It always does. They are nearly ready...”

From the mind of Gabriel Maestas comes one of the best places for twisted, horrifying, and intense tales...from the darkness!!!...With a good moral of course 🤓 Free publication coming soon!

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