153.
Clarissa approached the DSA van cautiously. She had her bow strung up on her back with some arrows, and she had taken to using a modified revolver much like Gilbert used to, though she preferred a .357 over what Gilbert used it was easier to manage. She had the pistol out with a flash light in her off hand. The Van looked intact without obvious damage, the doors were locked and Clarissa didn't really feel like forcing them open. It was in front of the address that had in theory sent the help message. Clarissa had sent a message saying she was there, but no one had returned it.
Clarissa moved beyond the van, she didn't want to get arrested for messing with government property, and she knew whatever was the problem, wouldn't be there. The house's front door had been kicked in, there was light coming from the inside but it was flickering either through damage or by whatever the DSA was there to kill/remove. Clarissa was torn between announcing she was coming inside, or just entering and hoping that if someone from the DSA was alive they wouldn't fire on a human, it was a calculated risk.
The inside of the house was where the war was fought, bullets, magic residue, all kinds of things were scattered and splattered. Whatever got the DSA agents they had fought back with a variety of things at their disposal. Clarissa didn't see any bodies, though she saw a laptop still open to a messaging program with her information inside it.
"Shit." Trap was the most obvious conclusion, but who had laid it, and why or what? Clarissa didn't like the situation. She didn't know enough and she had blundered into it, hubris was the most dangerous of problems. Clarissa tried to slowly back out, to avoid the fate of whatever hit the DSA, but she sensed it was too late, the creature was already there.
"Foolish." One word foolish. The door slammed behind her, she could feel the sizzle from the magic that did it. Like passing too near a car. Clarissa had learned some new things post being Gilbert's assistant. She pulled a packet of fairy dust from a pouch on her belt and threw it up in the air, the dust smelled like a spring meadow, but more importantly it would coat anything magical that was hiding with an irritating burning powder. The creature was at her back and it howled as the dust coated it. Clarissa jumped back and fired a shot from the .357. The first round she packed was a hellfire bullet, it was normally able to at least stop most creatures if not outright kill them. This large mass seemed to not be affected by it too much.
It moved on her, one long arm smashed her backwards and into a wall. She fired three more times, each bullet a new secret sauce of monster killing, each one didn't seem to do shit to the powder covered creature. She was down to her last two bullets, the ones that she had loaded as a "just in case shit has gone wrong" way, and feared they too would do nothing. The dark shape was advancing on her, menacing in a way she hadn't felt in the new world. First of the last chance bullets hurt, but didn't stop it, with a prayer to whoever Clarissa fired her last bullet. The creature looked to keep advancing at first, and then it caught up to it, the being came more into view as some large imp looking thing and then crashed into the floor boards. Clarissa breathed a sigh of relief, and then she heard the sirens.
"Great just what I needed today."
Friday, December 27, 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019
What Can Be Broken, Can Be Fixed
152.
Things weren't ok immediately. Going to war against the supernatural and invading hell tends to fuck things up. Clarissa knew everyone would calm down. She and Demurra helped where they could, but for the most part the world did what it always does, it recovered. Cities got rebuilt, government recovered, and a year later even Clarissa was back to just working as an exterminator. She had more calls than before, but the work was pretty much as it was before minus Gilbert and Doris.
Clarissa was working solo now. Demurra broke up with her shortly after she got back from hell, something about how she couldn't deal with Clarissa and the work she did. It made sense at the time, but the wound was fresh everytime Clarissa felt herself alone and picking at old wounds. Just like she woke up in Gilbert's house and kept hoping to hear his voice. She lived with all the ghosts now. She did change the name of the business to CS Exterminators. She didn't have the tag line like Gilbert, but she couldn't bear to see his name as much anymore.
On the majority of days Clarissa was just in the office, cooling her heels waiting for the phone or email to show up. It had been busy post the world almost ending. Most of the time Clarissa was just cleaning up after the new "Department of Supernatural Affairs", who did the best they could with all the problems in the country, but Clarissa felt they focused a little too hard on what effected rich people, and not enough on the regular folks. It was a snowy wednesday morning when she got the email, it simply listed an address and "help" ordinarily this wouldn't have been enough for Clarissa, but the sadness at the office felt cloying and so she replied "on the way" without a second thought.
The Van was gone now, Clarissa drove a pick up truck, something she'd been gifted by the government. She liked how it was less bulky than the van, and it was a reward for something she'd done and not something Gilbert had used, so it felt more hers. The truck also had better gas mileage and since Clarissa was doing the books now that was important to her as well.
Roads were taking longer to repair than a lot of other things. The drive out anywhere often needed more off roading than Clarissa liked, but she accepted road construction in the rural areas she worked were lagged behind repairing cities and power infrastructure. It did make travel estimates a pain to manage. She assumed it would take a few hours to make her way near Vancouver, but it took the better part of a day, by the time she arrived at the address it was already night.
It was a residential neighborhood, rows and rows of similar looking houses lined the streets. Clarissa took a bit to even find the specific address she was looking for. Once there she could see a DSA van out front, blaring from its speakers was a warning for others to stay in doors. Clarissa was confused, usually she didn't overlap with the DSA, they had their methods and she had hers and never the two met. When she got out of her truck one of the neighbors ran up to meet her.
"Should we remain inside?"
"You don't know?"
"I don't, that van showed up here like five hours ago, I haven't seen shit." Clarissa cursed under her breath.
"Yeah stay inside then."
"Are you going to do something?"
"Oh yeah I'll do something." The man walked away and Clarissa muttered under her breath "Don't know what I'll fucking do, but it'll be something."
Things weren't ok immediately. Going to war against the supernatural and invading hell tends to fuck things up. Clarissa knew everyone would calm down. She and Demurra helped where they could, but for the most part the world did what it always does, it recovered. Cities got rebuilt, government recovered, and a year later even Clarissa was back to just working as an exterminator. She had more calls than before, but the work was pretty much as it was before minus Gilbert and Doris.
Clarissa was working solo now. Demurra broke up with her shortly after she got back from hell, something about how she couldn't deal with Clarissa and the work she did. It made sense at the time, but the wound was fresh everytime Clarissa felt herself alone and picking at old wounds. Just like she woke up in Gilbert's house and kept hoping to hear his voice. She lived with all the ghosts now. She did change the name of the business to CS Exterminators. She didn't have the tag line like Gilbert, but she couldn't bear to see his name as much anymore.
On the majority of days Clarissa was just in the office, cooling her heels waiting for the phone or email to show up. It had been busy post the world almost ending. Most of the time Clarissa was just cleaning up after the new "Department of Supernatural Affairs", who did the best they could with all the problems in the country, but Clarissa felt they focused a little too hard on what effected rich people, and not enough on the regular folks. It was a snowy wednesday morning when she got the email, it simply listed an address and "help" ordinarily this wouldn't have been enough for Clarissa, but the sadness at the office felt cloying and so she replied "on the way" without a second thought.
The Van was gone now, Clarissa drove a pick up truck, something she'd been gifted by the government. She liked how it was less bulky than the van, and it was a reward for something she'd done and not something Gilbert had used, so it felt more hers. The truck also had better gas mileage and since Clarissa was doing the books now that was important to her as well.
Roads were taking longer to repair than a lot of other things. The drive out anywhere often needed more off roading than Clarissa liked, but she accepted road construction in the rural areas she worked were lagged behind repairing cities and power infrastructure. It did make travel estimates a pain to manage. She assumed it would take a few hours to make her way near Vancouver, but it took the better part of a day, by the time she arrived at the address it was already night.
It was a residential neighborhood, rows and rows of similar looking houses lined the streets. Clarissa took a bit to even find the specific address she was looking for. Once there she could see a DSA van out front, blaring from its speakers was a warning for others to stay in doors. Clarissa was confused, usually she didn't overlap with the DSA, they had their methods and she had hers and never the two met. When she got out of her truck one of the neighbors ran up to meet her.
"Should we remain inside?"
"You don't know?"
"I don't, that van showed up here like five hours ago, I haven't seen shit." Clarissa cursed under her breath.
"Yeah stay inside then."
"Are you going to do something?"
"Oh yeah I'll do something." The man walked away and Clarissa muttered under her breath "Don't know what I'll fucking do, but it'll be something."
Friday, December 13, 2019
Let Me Toss a Coin
151.
"It'll probably work."
"You say probably in a way my parents used to say we'll see, in that it doesn't make me think this is a good outcome." Trezlan had laid out a blood ritual in a language that Clarissa couldn't even begin to understand.
"You just need to trust the madness Clarissa."
"I think that's what got me stuck in hell in the first place Trezlan, I'd rather the madness stop personally." Trezlan sliced open his hand and threw some blood onto his ritual.
"If only we had a coin, then we can see which odd is more likely."
"What does that mean..." The world became a blur for Clarissa afterword. One minute she was next to Trezlan in a formless hell, the next she was in a horrific warzone. Military bodies lay strewn everywhere, creatures of a more traditional "hell" nature lay next to them, Clarissa could hear gun fire and screams all around her.
"Well this worked out better than I expected." Trezlan was there, because Clarissa figured Hell wouldn't accept him anywhere else.
"I don't want to know what you expected."
"We have to hurry now, Gilbert is close, and I fear he's about to get what none of us want."
"How do you?" But there wasn't any time to question Trezlan, or his knowledge. Clarissa could hear the battle getting more pitched, and she needed to be there for the conclusion. Something had driven her here, and she wanted to see it through to its horrible conclusion. Trezlan and her made their way past the carnage to its zenith. Clarissa could see Gilbert among a bunch of fighting and dying soldiers, he was approaching some glowing object she couldn't discern but she figured was the source of this conflict.
"GILBERT!"She called out to him and he spotted her, his look was that of pain and disappointment especially with Trezlan standing next to her. Trezlan didn't wait or hesitate, he threw his sword at the object Gilbert was trying to acquire, but he was too slow, Gilbert effortlessly batted away the blade and grabbed the object. The fighting stopped, everything seemed far too slow for Clarissa, Gilbert turned toward Trezlan and just made him disappear. He then turned towards Clarissa.
"Don't follow his path Clarissa."
"Gilbert this is wrong!"
"You don't even know what this is." He was glowing now, he descended from the place he was in, walking towards Clarissa glowing with power. "You don't know what this object does, you are pushed forward by forces you don't understand to do their bidding, but you won't Clarissa because you know I'm right."
"I don't even know what that is." Gilbert was closer to her, he was radiating heat, Clarissa felt uncomfortable being near him.
"With this we can be gods, no longer content to let indifferent to our existence dominate the world, with this power I CAN FIX EVERYTHING!" Clarissa heard Gilbert's words but saw the death and destruction around her, and knew what he was thinking was not what would become.
"All you've done is destroy everything Gilbert." He was close now, within grabbing range. He was reaching out to her, a mentor, a father in the absence of hers giving a shit, a friend, and she killed him. She didn't know it would work, feared the power he had now made him invulnerable, but the blade she drew struck true in his neck and with a look of shock and sadness Gilbert died at her feet. The object fell to the ground. Clarissa found a dead man near her with a belt of grenades, she wrapped the object in them and pulled the pin sprinting away with tears in her eyes. She didn't know if the explosion would destroy the object, but it seemed to do the job, when she turned around it was no more.
"Time to go." Satan threw her out of hell, literally, he hurled her through the door she'd come through and she slammed into the ground near Clyde's feet.
"It's done then?" Clarissa could do nothing else, but cry, the finality of the door closing behind her felt more than just one door was shut forever.
****
Trezlan felt the shoe hitting him several times. He remembered seeing the man Gilbert point in his direction and then nothing. He was surprised to be awakened, and surprised still it was Nidget doing it.
"Get up you sad sack."
"Nidget you won't believe where I've been!"
"Asleep? Yeah and we're in real trouble, get your shit." Trezlan sighed, he was back in his own world again and already in demand, such was the life of someone such as himself. He wondered for a moment what happened to Clarissa and Gilbert, but knew that his part in their story however limited it had been was over, and it was time to resume his own life once again.
"First why? Second why and third WHY??!??!" Things were going to be back to the way they were, Trezlan knew it, for ill or for good, mostly for Ill.
"It'll probably work."
"You say probably in a way my parents used to say we'll see, in that it doesn't make me think this is a good outcome." Trezlan had laid out a blood ritual in a language that Clarissa couldn't even begin to understand.
"You just need to trust the madness Clarissa."
"I think that's what got me stuck in hell in the first place Trezlan, I'd rather the madness stop personally." Trezlan sliced open his hand and threw some blood onto his ritual.
"If only we had a coin, then we can see which odd is more likely."
"What does that mean..." The world became a blur for Clarissa afterword. One minute she was next to Trezlan in a formless hell, the next she was in a horrific warzone. Military bodies lay strewn everywhere, creatures of a more traditional "hell" nature lay next to them, Clarissa could hear gun fire and screams all around her.
"Well this worked out better than I expected." Trezlan was there, because Clarissa figured Hell wouldn't accept him anywhere else.
"I don't want to know what you expected."
"We have to hurry now, Gilbert is close, and I fear he's about to get what none of us want."
"How do you?" But there wasn't any time to question Trezlan, or his knowledge. Clarissa could hear the battle getting more pitched, and she needed to be there for the conclusion. Something had driven her here, and she wanted to see it through to its horrible conclusion. Trezlan and her made their way past the carnage to its zenith. Clarissa could see Gilbert among a bunch of fighting and dying soldiers, he was approaching some glowing object she couldn't discern but she figured was the source of this conflict.
"GILBERT!"She called out to him and he spotted her, his look was that of pain and disappointment especially with Trezlan standing next to her. Trezlan didn't wait or hesitate, he threw his sword at the object Gilbert was trying to acquire, but he was too slow, Gilbert effortlessly batted away the blade and grabbed the object. The fighting stopped, everything seemed far too slow for Clarissa, Gilbert turned toward Trezlan and just made him disappear. He then turned towards Clarissa.
"Don't follow his path Clarissa."
"Gilbert this is wrong!"
"You don't even know what this is." He was glowing now, he descended from the place he was in, walking towards Clarissa glowing with power. "You don't know what this object does, you are pushed forward by forces you don't understand to do their bidding, but you won't Clarissa because you know I'm right."
"I don't even know what that is." Gilbert was closer to her, he was radiating heat, Clarissa felt uncomfortable being near him.
"With this we can be gods, no longer content to let indifferent to our existence dominate the world, with this power I CAN FIX EVERYTHING!" Clarissa heard Gilbert's words but saw the death and destruction around her, and knew what he was thinking was not what would become.
"All you've done is destroy everything Gilbert." He was close now, within grabbing range. He was reaching out to her, a mentor, a father in the absence of hers giving a shit, a friend, and she killed him. She didn't know it would work, feared the power he had now made him invulnerable, but the blade she drew struck true in his neck and with a look of shock and sadness Gilbert died at her feet. The object fell to the ground. Clarissa found a dead man near her with a belt of grenades, she wrapped the object in them and pulled the pin sprinting away with tears in her eyes. She didn't know if the explosion would destroy the object, but it seemed to do the job, when she turned around it was no more.
"Time to go." Satan threw her out of hell, literally, he hurled her through the door she'd come through and she slammed into the ground near Clyde's feet.
"It's done then?" Clarissa could do nothing else, but cry, the finality of the door closing behind her felt more than just one door was shut forever.
****
Trezlan felt the shoe hitting him several times. He remembered seeing the man Gilbert point in his direction and then nothing. He was surprised to be awakened, and surprised still it was Nidget doing it.
"Get up you sad sack."
"Nidget you won't believe where I've been!"
"Asleep? Yeah and we're in real trouble, get your shit." Trezlan sighed, he was back in his own world again and already in demand, such was the life of someone such as himself. He wondered for a moment what happened to Clarissa and Gilbert, but knew that his part in their story however limited it had been was over, and it was time to resume his own life once again.
"First why? Second why and third WHY??!??!" Things were going to be back to the way they were, Trezlan knew it, for ill or for good, mostly for Ill.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Good Intentions, Bad Follow Through
150.
The smell was the first thing that got to her, or rather the absence of one. Hell smelled like nothing, she couldn't really hear anything either. The landscape itself was a dull boring grey, beyond the door it was just a featureless, smellless, soundless nightmare of nothing. Hell was the absence of everything it appeared. At first it felt like utter madness to Clarissa, that she had simply just lost her mind and now was stuck in this weird cell of insanity, but she could definitely tell she was in a physical place, she could tell she was actually moving, even if it felt like she hadn't been.
Clarissa didn't even know what she was doing there really. She was to save the world, but against what? With what? She had some arrows and some other random things she thought to salvage from the office, but against Gilbert and the Army? She didn't have anything they wouldn't have and then some. She felt the doubt creeping up in her as she went in the blank nothingness of hell, and then it hit her. This was her own personal hell.
It should have been obvious at first, the absence of things, the self doubt, the absence of everything, her fear of being alone. All things that kept her up late at night, now made manifest all around her. At this revelation she heard clapping. A man in a red suit done up like an conductor was there from no where.
"Bravo, most people always assume hell is a specific thing, but you, you understand its catered to you, we aim to please."
"Are you a demon?"
"Pah a demon? Nothing so low I am satan himself, or I should say one of them as you have met clyde the former satan." Clarissa was already lost.
"There are mutliple satans?"
"Yes, Lucifer was the first but not the only, you humans assuming management wouldn't change hands is hilarious, we have a culture down here too you know."
"So you're here to torture me too for what Gilbert did to you?"
"Hardly, no I'm returning this to you, seems he's more out of place than you are." Clarissa was startled when Trezlan Lorention appeared out of thin air. Literally he hung in the air for a minute and the collided with the ground. Satan disappeared himself, leaving Clarissa with Trezlan and even more questions.
"How did you wind up in hell?"
"Oh is that where this is? Gods damned translocation spells. That's the last time I trust a wood spirit." Trezlan straightened himself out, looked around for a moment and laughed. "Well this is certainly better than all the fire and misery I was just in."
"Trezlan I don't have time for your bullshit, I have to save the world."
"My bullshit? Save the world? Well then you certainly need my help, I've saved the world several times over, well my world, I think its mine you know its one of those..."
"Trezlan!"
"What? Oh right we're in your hell and you need to save the world, so how are we going to do that?"
"I have no idea."
"Something else I have excellent expertise in!"
The smell was the first thing that got to her, or rather the absence of one. Hell smelled like nothing, she couldn't really hear anything either. The landscape itself was a dull boring grey, beyond the door it was just a featureless, smellless, soundless nightmare of nothing. Hell was the absence of everything it appeared. At first it felt like utter madness to Clarissa, that she had simply just lost her mind and now was stuck in this weird cell of insanity, but she could definitely tell she was in a physical place, she could tell she was actually moving, even if it felt like she hadn't been.
Clarissa didn't even know what she was doing there really. She was to save the world, but against what? With what? She had some arrows and some other random things she thought to salvage from the office, but against Gilbert and the Army? She didn't have anything they wouldn't have and then some. She felt the doubt creeping up in her as she went in the blank nothingness of hell, and then it hit her. This was her own personal hell.
It should have been obvious at first, the absence of things, the self doubt, the absence of everything, her fear of being alone. All things that kept her up late at night, now made manifest all around her. At this revelation she heard clapping. A man in a red suit done up like an conductor was there from no where.
"Bravo, most people always assume hell is a specific thing, but you, you understand its catered to you, we aim to please."
"Are you a demon?"
"Pah a demon? Nothing so low I am satan himself, or I should say one of them as you have met clyde the former satan." Clarissa was already lost.
"There are mutliple satans?"
"Yes, Lucifer was the first but not the only, you humans assuming management wouldn't change hands is hilarious, we have a culture down here too you know."
"So you're here to torture me too for what Gilbert did to you?"
"Hardly, no I'm returning this to you, seems he's more out of place than you are." Clarissa was startled when Trezlan Lorention appeared out of thin air. Literally he hung in the air for a minute and the collided with the ground. Satan disappeared himself, leaving Clarissa with Trezlan and even more questions.
"How did you wind up in hell?"
"Oh is that where this is? Gods damned translocation spells. That's the last time I trust a wood spirit." Trezlan straightened himself out, looked around for a moment and laughed. "Well this is certainly better than all the fire and misery I was just in."
"Trezlan I don't have time for your bullshit, I have to save the world."
"My bullshit? Save the world? Well then you certainly need my help, I've saved the world several times over, well my world, I think its mine you know its one of those..."
"Trezlan!"
"What? Oh right we're in your hell and you need to save the world, so how are we going to do that?"
"I have no idea."
"Something else I have excellent expertise in!"
Friday, November 29, 2019
Long Hard Road Into Hell
149.
Clyde his name was Clyde, and he was apparently the devil, or a Devil, or had been the devil? Clarissa wasn't clear on that point yet. Demurra had managed to get inside and upon hearing the plan immediately wasn't a fan.
"You can't break into hell."
"Yes I can, I used to run the place I can easily get back in, its not hard, hell its probably easier to get in than get out, something I'm sure you're aware of." Clyde had thankfully calmed down his incessant chatter.
"No Clarissa you can't let this creature take you there, its not a place anyone should go to." Demurra seemed visibly afraid at the mere mention of hell.
"She's just concerned because she can't come with you."
"Wait you can't come with me Demurra?" Clarissa felt the twinge of fear through her entire being.
"When a demon stops being a demon they break their bond to hell, she can't return lest she become a demon again, where as you as a human you're connected to both heaven and hell so no worry of you becoming a demon." Clyde sounded so upbeat in his horrible news.
"Don't do this Clarissa please I'm begging you."
"If she doesn't do this creature then the world will forever be lost, you know this, someone has to do it, and so we bid you adieu." Clarissa didn't want to go to hell, let alone in the company of a devil the devil whoever Clyde was, but he was right. And so she gave a big hug and kiss to Demurra and descended further into the bowels of the night club.
The stairs changed gradually, from human construction to some kind of stone formed, the walls too. By the time they reached a door simply labeled "hell" the walls looked to be made of flesh. Clyde stopped at the door for a bit, he pulled out a comically large key ring with over a hundred keys and tried several before finding the one that worked. It was almost laughable to Clarissa the absurdity of hell being in a night club locked behind a door. Clyde held the door open, but it was apparent he was not coming with her.
"You're not coming either?"
"Took me a long time to get out of hell, I am not one to just go back inside, but don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine."
"By myself."
"By yourself, against the US army, your former boss, and the denizens of hell."
"Oh no pressure there."
"None whatsover, I mean if you fail you'll only be trapped in hell while the world ends." Clyde slammed the door behind her and Clarissa thought for just a moment how only a few years ago she was a college student looking for work. Oh the places you end up.
Clyde his name was Clyde, and he was apparently the devil, or a Devil, or had been the devil? Clarissa wasn't clear on that point yet. Demurra had managed to get inside and upon hearing the plan immediately wasn't a fan.
"You can't break into hell."
"Yes I can, I used to run the place I can easily get back in, its not hard, hell its probably easier to get in than get out, something I'm sure you're aware of." Clyde had thankfully calmed down his incessant chatter.
"No Clarissa you can't let this creature take you there, its not a place anyone should go to." Demurra seemed visibly afraid at the mere mention of hell.
"She's just concerned because she can't come with you."
"Wait you can't come with me Demurra?" Clarissa felt the twinge of fear through her entire being.
"When a demon stops being a demon they break their bond to hell, she can't return lest she become a demon again, where as you as a human you're connected to both heaven and hell so no worry of you becoming a demon." Clyde sounded so upbeat in his horrible news.
"Don't do this Clarissa please I'm begging you."
"If she doesn't do this creature then the world will forever be lost, you know this, someone has to do it, and so we bid you adieu." Clarissa didn't want to go to hell, let alone in the company of a devil the devil whoever Clyde was, but he was right. And so she gave a big hug and kiss to Demurra and descended further into the bowels of the night club.
The stairs changed gradually, from human construction to some kind of stone formed, the walls too. By the time they reached a door simply labeled "hell" the walls looked to be made of flesh. Clyde stopped at the door for a bit, he pulled out a comically large key ring with over a hundred keys and tried several before finding the one that worked. It was almost laughable to Clarissa the absurdity of hell being in a night club locked behind a door. Clyde held the door open, but it was apparent he was not coming with her.
"You're not coming either?"
"Took me a long time to get out of hell, I am not one to just go back inside, but don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine."
"By myself."
"By yourself, against the US army, your former boss, and the denizens of hell."
"Oh no pressure there."
"None whatsover, I mean if you fail you'll only be trapped in hell while the world ends." Clyde slammed the door behind her and Clarissa thought for just a moment how only a few years ago she was a college student looking for work. Oh the places you end up.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Knock Two Times If It's A Trap
148.
It was the only building standing in a town that had burnt to the ground. Demurra said she felt nothing from the location, not a person, not a thing, completely blank, it scared her a bit. Clarissa had her bow out for what good it would do. The building itself looked like a former nightclub or current the sign in front was still flashing despite no way for power to actually get to it.
"Satan's Alley." The sign said, seemed a little on the nose for a trap. The door was made of what looked like Onyx, just a full black glass look with no door handle, or obvious door bell. Clarissa walked cautiously up to it and knocked. Clarissa wondered for a moment if the sound had even carried until the door was thrown open and a short man in a tweed suit was there.
"Who are you? Why are you knocking, who sent you, why didn't you answer my question, are you with the government, did the president send you, did anyone send you, why aren't you answering?" Clarissa had barely been able to process his statements before he grabbed her arm and yanked her inside the door slamming shut behind her separating her from Demurra.
****
"Colonel Dunkley." It was hard to get used to the new title, he had never gotten that high prior, but he liked hearing it.
"Yes Lieutenant?" The young man had felt like a new assistant, he was certainly more amenable than Clarissa had been, and less traitorous to his country like she had been.
"We have breached the plane."
"As I said we could excellent Lieutenant inform the General I'll assemble our unit and we'll prepare for descent."
"Right away sir." Gilbert knew once they accomplished their goal everyone would understand why he did what he did. He was sad that Doris was dead, but what he could accomplish would be better for everyone eventually, eventually. They just had to do one more tiny thing, break into hell.
****
"You're a very rude person you know that." Clarissa had barely been able to get in a word edge wise to the man who was named Clive or Clyde, he said his name so fast she couldn't make it out.
"I haven't been able to."
"I mean I'm trying to help you, and you just aren't listening or letting me talk." They had traveled past the closed nightclub part of "Satan's alley" and now were making their way to the back. Clarissa didn't even know why she kept following Clive or Clyde when all he did was insult her.
"Help me what you've only drug me around through this weird nightclub."
"Help you break into hell."
"I uhh what why?"
"TO SAVE THE WORLD STOP INTERRUPTING!"
It was the only building standing in a town that had burnt to the ground. Demurra said she felt nothing from the location, not a person, not a thing, completely blank, it scared her a bit. Clarissa had her bow out for what good it would do. The building itself looked like a former nightclub or current the sign in front was still flashing despite no way for power to actually get to it.
"Satan's Alley." The sign said, seemed a little on the nose for a trap. The door was made of what looked like Onyx, just a full black glass look with no door handle, or obvious door bell. Clarissa walked cautiously up to it and knocked. Clarissa wondered for a moment if the sound had even carried until the door was thrown open and a short man in a tweed suit was there.
"Who are you? Why are you knocking, who sent you, why didn't you answer my question, are you with the government, did the president send you, did anyone send you, why aren't you answering?" Clarissa had barely been able to process his statements before he grabbed her arm and yanked her inside the door slamming shut behind her separating her from Demurra.
****
"Colonel Dunkley." It was hard to get used to the new title, he had never gotten that high prior, but he liked hearing it.
"Yes Lieutenant?" The young man had felt like a new assistant, he was certainly more amenable than Clarissa had been, and less traitorous to his country like she had been.
"We have breached the plane."
"As I said we could excellent Lieutenant inform the General I'll assemble our unit and we'll prepare for descent."
"Right away sir." Gilbert knew once they accomplished their goal everyone would understand why he did what he did. He was sad that Doris was dead, but what he could accomplish would be better for everyone eventually, eventually. They just had to do one more tiny thing, break into hell.
****
"You're a very rude person you know that." Clarissa had barely been able to get in a word edge wise to the man who was named Clive or Clyde, he said his name so fast she couldn't make it out.
"I haven't been able to."
"I mean I'm trying to help you, and you just aren't listening or letting me talk." They had traveled past the closed nightclub part of "Satan's alley" and now were making their way to the back. Clarissa didn't even know why she kept following Clive or Clyde when all he did was insult her.
"Help me what you've only drug me around through this weird nightclub."
"Help you break into hell."
"I uhh what why?"
"TO SAVE THE WORLD STOP INTERRUPTING!"
Friday, November 15, 2019
Everyone Needs Someone, Sometimes
147.
The family was thankful they wouldn't be eaten. Clarissa and Demurra had helped them on their way with Demurra telling them the most likely place they could get to that wouldn't get them killed. Clarissa kept wondering where the military is in all of this. They started this war and now people were getting hurt and they were no where to be found. Demurra and Clarissa moved on from the family and back to Ellensburgh. Clarissa just wanted to gather some things to help them going forward. Demurra assured her Gilbert had basically given up his home and office no longer caring about what happened in our world, he had become consumed by his hunt in the Fey.
Ellensburgh had become a war zone. Buildings were on fire, creatures were roaming the streets and country side. Demurra was able to get them in and out of most areas without trouble, but everywhere around her Clarissa felt like the world had lost its damn mind. There were no police or military anywhere. People had been left to fend against literal monsters and hadn't done at all ok.
"The whole world is like this?"
"Yes and worse people are turning on each other now that the facade of society has been cast aside." They had gotten to the Exterminators office, it looked like the army had ransacked it for things Gilbert wanted, but they had left a lot of things Clarissa could use behind. The wards that protected the building kept the monsters at bay for the most part.
"We're not coming out of this are we?"
"You as a species or you and me? Because you and me are fine." Demurra gave her a hug and a kiss on the nose and Clarissa blushed.
"I mean humanity."
"Yeah you're fucked."
"Cla rissssssaaaa Shipley." Santinni would choose to arrive in the middle of the apocalypse. His suit and hat were uniform white today.
"Demon." Demurra had her fist alight with fire, Santinni seemed amused by it.
"A for mer de mon? Hooooowwwww delightful, but I am not here for you, here for Cla risssssa."
"I didn't start this Santinni."
"Natttttt urally, but your sponsor did, and thus here I am." Clarissa tensed up, she knew the Warden had the power to literally trap the Devil and she was far below that level of anything.
"So what do you want me to do?" Santinni smiled, his teeth were black and the smile creeped her out.
"Obvi ous llllllllly stop it."
"Stop what? The world's gone mad Santinni."
"It's gooooooing mad, but if someone was capable of doing something, it can be..... stopped. If you just had a little..... nudge." He presented a card and put it on Doris's former desk. And then he was gone. Demurra spit as he left.
"I hate that guy."
"What the hell is this?" Clarissa had the card up and on it was just an address.
"A trap most likely, but yes we're leaving I don't have to read your mind to know the answer."
The family was thankful they wouldn't be eaten. Clarissa and Demurra had helped them on their way with Demurra telling them the most likely place they could get to that wouldn't get them killed. Clarissa kept wondering where the military is in all of this. They started this war and now people were getting hurt and they were no where to be found. Demurra and Clarissa moved on from the family and back to Ellensburgh. Clarissa just wanted to gather some things to help them going forward. Demurra assured her Gilbert had basically given up his home and office no longer caring about what happened in our world, he had become consumed by his hunt in the Fey.
Ellensburgh had become a war zone. Buildings were on fire, creatures were roaming the streets and country side. Demurra was able to get them in and out of most areas without trouble, but everywhere around her Clarissa felt like the world had lost its damn mind. There were no police or military anywhere. People had been left to fend against literal monsters and hadn't done at all ok.
"The whole world is like this?"
"Yes and worse people are turning on each other now that the facade of society has been cast aside." They had gotten to the Exterminators office, it looked like the army had ransacked it for things Gilbert wanted, but they had left a lot of things Clarissa could use behind. The wards that protected the building kept the monsters at bay for the most part.
"We're not coming out of this are we?"
"You as a species or you and me? Because you and me are fine." Demurra gave her a hug and a kiss on the nose and Clarissa blushed.
"I mean humanity."
"Yeah you're fucked."
"Cla rissssssaaaa Shipley." Santinni would choose to arrive in the middle of the apocalypse. His suit and hat were uniform white today.
"Demon." Demurra had her fist alight with fire, Santinni seemed amused by it.
"A for mer de mon? Hooooowwwww delightful, but I am not here for you, here for Cla risssssa."
"I didn't start this Santinni."
"Natttttt urally, but your sponsor did, and thus here I am." Clarissa tensed up, she knew the Warden had the power to literally trap the Devil and she was far below that level of anything.
"So what do you want me to do?" Santinni smiled, his teeth were black and the smile creeped her out.
"Obvi ous llllllllly stop it."
"Stop what? The world's gone mad Santinni."
"It's gooooooing mad, but if someone was capable of doing something, it can be..... stopped. If you just had a little..... nudge." He presented a card and put it on Doris's former desk. And then he was gone. Demurra spit as he left.
"I hate that guy."
"What the hell is this?" Clarissa had the card up and on it was just an address.
"A trap most likely, but yes we're leaving I don't have to read your mind to know the answer."
Friday, November 8, 2019
The New World
146.
"Nothing remains in one place for long." Demurra had been looking for Clarissa for a week, to find out she'd been in the Fey with Gilbert and the US military scared her.
"Is this a result of what's going on in the Fey?"
"Among other things, Gilbert didn't just betray you, he betrayed the whole community, he's taken extermination to its logical conclusion I guess, wipe us all out. They came for me, but sadly for them I didn't go quietly." Demurra held Clarissa's hand while she drove, places they passed looked like a war zone.
"So supernatural creatures are striking back I take it?"
"Yes the polite fiction of humanity only being an issue when something steps out of line is over. Humanity broke the unwritten truce and now all hell and heaven is breaking loose the world over." Clarissa shook her head, it was like a bad dream come to life.
"So what do we do now?"
"Fight I guess, who or what I haven't a clue, I've been trying to make it on my own while looking for you, but beyond that I haven't an idea Clarissa, I haven't felt this lost since I wasn't a demon anymore." Clarissa didn't need to be able to read minds or emotions to know that her and Demurra were lost. The new world was a horrifying place, where the only people they could rely on were each other, but for how long? How long until Gilbert and the government would come for them too.
"At least we have each other right?" Demurra smiled at that, and almost smashed her car into a person in the middle of the road screaming for help. Demurra wanted to drive around him, but she could see Clarissa already out of the car.
"What's going on?"
"Monsters horrifying monsters are attacking my family." Demurra got out and brought up a fist of flame and smashed the man right in the face. Clarissa was horrified at first, thinking her girlfriend had lost her mind, but the man's face melted away like a shell and whatever was underneath was revealed.
"Or you're the monster and you're trying to trick passerby's into your nest."
"How many more of them?"
"Five, they have some poor family trapped there and before you say it yes we'll help, Clarissa its cute you forget I can read your mind, but even if I couldn't I could tell by your face you want to help them, its who you are."
"It used to be who Gilbert was too."
"Maybe, but I think the man you think he is, and the man he actually was are vastly different people." Clarissa didn't push the issue, she wanted to save the family, it was the one thing that could make her feel normal, in a world that felt like it was going insane, and that would be enough.
"Nothing remains in one place for long." Demurra had been looking for Clarissa for a week, to find out she'd been in the Fey with Gilbert and the US military scared her.
"Is this a result of what's going on in the Fey?"
"Among other things, Gilbert didn't just betray you, he betrayed the whole community, he's taken extermination to its logical conclusion I guess, wipe us all out. They came for me, but sadly for them I didn't go quietly." Demurra held Clarissa's hand while she drove, places they passed looked like a war zone.
"So supernatural creatures are striking back I take it?"
"Yes the polite fiction of humanity only being an issue when something steps out of line is over. Humanity broke the unwritten truce and now all hell and heaven is breaking loose the world over." Clarissa shook her head, it was like a bad dream come to life.
"So what do we do now?"
"Fight I guess, who or what I haven't a clue, I've been trying to make it on my own while looking for you, but beyond that I haven't an idea Clarissa, I haven't felt this lost since I wasn't a demon anymore." Clarissa didn't need to be able to read minds or emotions to know that her and Demurra were lost. The new world was a horrifying place, where the only people they could rely on were each other, but for how long? How long until Gilbert and the government would come for them too.
"At least we have each other right?" Demurra smiled at that, and almost smashed her car into a person in the middle of the road screaming for help. Demurra wanted to drive around him, but she could see Clarissa already out of the car.
"What's going on?"
"Monsters horrifying monsters are attacking my family." Demurra got out and brought up a fist of flame and smashed the man right in the face. Clarissa was horrified at first, thinking her girlfriend had lost her mind, but the man's face melted away like a shell and whatever was underneath was revealed.
"Or you're the monster and you're trying to trick passerby's into your nest."
"How many more of them?"
"Five, they have some poor family trapped there and before you say it yes we'll help, Clarissa its cute you forget I can read your mind, but even if I couldn't I could tell by your face you want to help them, its who you are."
"It used to be who Gilbert was too."
"Maybe, but I think the man you think he is, and the man he actually was are vastly different people." Clarissa didn't push the issue, she wanted to save the family, it was the one thing that could make her feel normal, in a world that felt like it was going insane, and that would be enough.
Friday, November 1, 2019
Betrayal Most Foul
145.
When bad things start happening they always feel like it comes faster then you can process. Gilbert wasn't back with the US military long before things steam rolled out of control. Doris was arrested, brought to the fey and executed. Clarissa didn't know how or why this happened. She had escaped with the elves herself and was living in seclusion when the news came. She didn't want to believe it at first, but the elves were allowed to recover her body. The claim was she had attempted to escape and was killed, but Clarissa didn't buy that, and her heart hurt from the loss of Doris and Gilbert. Clarissa felt like she was losing the only family she had. All the while things were getting worse and worse for the fey and the elves.
Day by day lead by Gilbert the US military was able to digger deeper and deeper into the fey. Changes were immediate, wildlife started to become wilder more untamed and uncontrollable. The seasons also seemingly rotated at will. One day a hundred degrees, the next flash frozen. The Shaleche informed Clarissa this was a sign of the damage man was doing to the Fey. The elves weren't reacting well to the random weather and wildlife. Since Clarissa had been with them, she'd seen their forces down by half, and things were looking pretty dire.
"We can't fight the US military, we can't stay here." Clarissa was trying desperately to get the elves to leave, it felt like her comments were falling on deaf ears.
"This is our home Clarissa, I will not be chased out by men from my home."
"Then you will die Shaleche as will your family and friends, they are dying." The elf leader looked at Clarissa with a bit of sadness and anger.
"You can always leave."
"Then I will, I will not throw my life away on a pointless quest against a superior force, there is nothing to be gained from this." Clarissa left the Shaleche's tent, Rolf was there waiting for her, but she pushed him off.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from here Rolf, I will not die with your people." He ran after her.
"We aren't going to die Clarissa, there has to be a way."
"Well I hope you find it, I'm leaving while its still an opportunity."
"You're just like the rest of your people then Clarissa, we will remember this!" Clarissa left the elf encampment. She knew it wouldn't matter if they remembered it, they would all be dead soon enough. Clarissa made her way out of the fey. The elves had shown her how earlier as a last resort, and she felt at this point things were pretty far into the last resort.
Clarissa emerged somewhere back in what she considered "The real" world. But everything felt off, she was in a field of twisted thorn vines, like she'd seen in the fey, and when she looked to the sky that too looked like the fey. She thought for a moment she hadn't actually gotten out of the fey, except she had cell service again. Clarissa called Demurra in a panic.
"What's going on here?"
"The world has gone nuts Clarissa, I'll be buy soon to get you." Clarissa hung up her phone and fell to the ground, things had gone bad in the fey, and now they would only get worse everywhere else. And in the back of her mind she felt she'd failed to stop it.
When bad things start happening they always feel like it comes faster then you can process. Gilbert wasn't back with the US military long before things steam rolled out of control. Doris was arrested, brought to the fey and executed. Clarissa didn't know how or why this happened. She had escaped with the elves herself and was living in seclusion when the news came. She didn't want to believe it at first, but the elves were allowed to recover her body. The claim was she had attempted to escape and was killed, but Clarissa didn't buy that, and her heart hurt from the loss of Doris and Gilbert. Clarissa felt like she was losing the only family she had. All the while things were getting worse and worse for the fey and the elves.
Day by day lead by Gilbert the US military was able to digger deeper and deeper into the fey. Changes were immediate, wildlife started to become wilder more untamed and uncontrollable. The seasons also seemingly rotated at will. One day a hundred degrees, the next flash frozen. The Shaleche informed Clarissa this was a sign of the damage man was doing to the Fey. The elves weren't reacting well to the random weather and wildlife. Since Clarissa had been with them, she'd seen their forces down by half, and things were looking pretty dire.
"We can't fight the US military, we can't stay here." Clarissa was trying desperately to get the elves to leave, it felt like her comments were falling on deaf ears.
"This is our home Clarissa, I will not be chased out by men from my home."
"Then you will die Shaleche as will your family and friends, they are dying." The elf leader looked at Clarissa with a bit of sadness and anger.
"You can always leave."
"Then I will, I will not throw my life away on a pointless quest against a superior force, there is nothing to be gained from this." Clarissa left the Shaleche's tent, Rolf was there waiting for her, but she pushed him off.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from here Rolf, I will not die with your people." He ran after her.
"We aren't going to die Clarissa, there has to be a way."
"Well I hope you find it, I'm leaving while its still an opportunity."
"You're just like the rest of your people then Clarissa, we will remember this!" Clarissa left the elf encampment. She knew it wouldn't matter if they remembered it, they would all be dead soon enough. Clarissa made her way out of the fey. The elves had shown her how earlier as a last resort, and she felt at this point things were pretty far into the last resort.
Clarissa emerged somewhere back in what she considered "The real" world. But everything felt off, she was in a field of twisted thorn vines, like she'd seen in the fey, and when she looked to the sky that too looked like the fey. She thought for a moment she hadn't actually gotten out of the fey, except she had cell service again. Clarissa called Demurra in a panic.
"What's going on here?"
"The world has gone nuts Clarissa, I'll be buy soon to get you." Clarissa hung up her phone and fell to the ground, things had gone bad in the fey, and now they would only get worse everywhere else. And in the back of her mind she felt she'd failed to stop it.
Friday, October 25, 2019
The Lesson that Needs to be Learned
144.
It was a small group that Elia the leader had chosen. Rolf was among them though Clarissa felt he was a bit of a bumbler, apparently he had some kind of skill in distraction that would be helpful. Outside of that there were two others, a brother and a sister, one adept at a bow, one adept at a blade. Their job was get Clarissa into the army base, get Gilbert out, and hopefully convince the Army to leave the fey. Not a real plan, but Clarissa figured she could make something up along the way.
Rolf had gone ahead and drawn the ire of the base. Clarissa figured it was simply walking up to the gate and saying hello, his aggravating nature did the rest. Clarissa slipped past the fence, with the other elves remaining behind to help her to escape should it come to that. They didn't want to hurt people if they could avoid it, or Clarissa didn't. She figured she could put on an army uniform, find Gilbert, and get out. It seemed like a stupid plan, but she'd seen stupider succeed with Gilbert.
Once on the base it was really easy to move around, she managed to find the barracks and get in uniform with ease. There were also other military members walking around with bows, so she didn't even look out of place. Clarissa started her search in the prison, but she didn't find Gilbert or anyone there. She moved on to interrogation, but still wasn't finding anyone. She was getting desperate worried Gilbert may have been moved off base, or worse out of the Fey entirely. Almost on accident she walked by a room where Gilbert was. He wasn't in chains, or even looking like he was hurt. He was dressed in a uniform preparing what looked like a presentation.
"Gilbert thank god I found you." Clarissa came into the room and pushed a chair towards the door handles to prevent someone else from getting in.
"Clarissa been looking for you, why are you in a uniform?"
"I had to hide to get in here and rescue you."
"Rescue me? What do you think I'm doing here Clarissa?" Clarissa felt like she had missed something critical. Gilbert was working with the army now, she had wanted to not believe it at first, but clearly looking at the room he was now a willing participant.
"The elves got you all fucked up thinking you're doing the right thing, but you aren't believe me, they have held on to this power for too long, and its about time we take it for ourselves." Gilbert was near her now, and he had a pistol out, there was a banging at the door and mps burst it soon after.
"What are you doing Gilbert?"
"Got to show you what you aren't seeing Clarissa." They lead her away in chains soon after, Clarissa was crying on the way.
****
"So that could have gone better." Rolf was in the prison waiting for her, he had a bloodied face, whoever had chased after him had not liked the struggle.
"You're telling me."
"So did you find Gilbert?"
"He's willingly a part of this now." Rolf cursed under his breath.
"I was worried about that, humans tend to stick with humans."
"Gilbert isn't like that!" Clarissa didn't believe her own words either."
"Well you aren't like that Clarissa, it doesn't mean your boss isn't."
"I don't know what we do now Rolf." Rolf smiled and produced a lock pick.
"We escape Clarissa, we escape."
It was a small group that Elia the leader had chosen. Rolf was among them though Clarissa felt he was a bit of a bumbler, apparently he had some kind of skill in distraction that would be helpful. Outside of that there were two others, a brother and a sister, one adept at a bow, one adept at a blade. Their job was get Clarissa into the army base, get Gilbert out, and hopefully convince the Army to leave the fey. Not a real plan, but Clarissa figured she could make something up along the way.
Rolf had gone ahead and drawn the ire of the base. Clarissa figured it was simply walking up to the gate and saying hello, his aggravating nature did the rest. Clarissa slipped past the fence, with the other elves remaining behind to help her to escape should it come to that. They didn't want to hurt people if they could avoid it, or Clarissa didn't. She figured she could put on an army uniform, find Gilbert, and get out. It seemed like a stupid plan, but she'd seen stupider succeed with Gilbert.
Once on the base it was really easy to move around, she managed to find the barracks and get in uniform with ease. There were also other military members walking around with bows, so she didn't even look out of place. Clarissa started her search in the prison, but she didn't find Gilbert or anyone there. She moved on to interrogation, but still wasn't finding anyone. She was getting desperate worried Gilbert may have been moved off base, or worse out of the Fey entirely. Almost on accident she walked by a room where Gilbert was. He wasn't in chains, or even looking like he was hurt. He was dressed in a uniform preparing what looked like a presentation.
"Gilbert thank god I found you." Clarissa came into the room and pushed a chair towards the door handles to prevent someone else from getting in.
"Clarissa been looking for you, why are you in a uniform?"
"I had to hide to get in here and rescue you."
"Rescue me? What do you think I'm doing here Clarissa?" Clarissa felt like she had missed something critical. Gilbert was working with the army now, she had wanted to not believe it at first, but clearly looking at the room he was now a willing participant.
"The elves got you all fucked up thinking you're doing the right thing, but you aren't believe me, they have held on to this power for too long, and its about time we take it for ourselves." Gilbert was near her now, and he had a pistol out, there was a banging at the door and mps burst it soon after.
"What are you doing Gilbert?"
"Got to show you what you aren't seeing Clarissa." They lead her away in chains soon after, Clarissa was crying on the way.
****
"So that could have gone better." Rolf was in the prison waiting for her, he had a bloodied face, whoever had chased after him had not liked the struggle.
"You're telling me."
"So did you find Gilbert?"
"He's willingly a part of this now." Rolf cursed under his breath.
"I was worried about that, humans tend to stick with humans."
"Gilbert isn't like that!" Clarissa didn't believe her own words either."
"Well you aren't like that Clarissa, it doesn't mean your boss isn't."
"I don't know what we do now Rolf." Rolf smiled and produced a lock pick.
"We escape Clarissa, we escape."
Friday, October 18, 2019
Fey'd Up
143.
The journey to Rolf's resistance group crossed path's with the US military multiple times. There were check points and patrols to avoid, and the evidence of conflict was apparent all over the fey with craters and trees pock marked with gun fire. Clarissa didn't ask what was going on, it was apparent from the journey, the US had invaded the fey.
"This is the other one sire." Rolf had bowed to their leader a woman in a gleaming set of armor who was armed with multiple swords. She looked bigger than every other elf around, Clarissa figured she was probably the war leader in times like this.
"You may leave Rolf." It wasn't exactly a throne room, more of a nicer dirt hut that had been hastily constructed, but there was a lot of fancy things around the room. The leader left Clarissa her weapons, so little she feared of the young exterminator.
"Where's Gilbert?"
"No hello, no who are you or what is your position, or thank you for allowing me into your camp, just straight to business."
"Oh I'm sorry your majesty, I apologize for crudely expecting us to get to the part of what's going on instead of keeping up pomp and circumstance."
"Humans such impatient creatures, always rushing off to die, if you want it so badly girl I can end you right here and now."
"If it would save me from the internminble bullshit of the elves go right ahead." The elf leader drew her sword and advanced on Clarissa and then stopped with a big smile on her face.
"You've got fire in you human, more so than most of your kind faced with a Shaleche of the Elves."
"What's a Shaleche?"
"In your words closest would be executioner, but I'm also the war leader and just flatly right now leader leader after your peoples incursion."
"Why are they here why did they take Gilbert?"
"They are here for power, an ancient power that someone foolishly told them was in the fey, as to why they took Gilbert? I assume they believe he can lead them to that power."
"And do you think he can do that?" The leader smiled.
"No, for one its not actually in the fey, and for two your boss does not know where it actually is or how it can be found."
"What can I do?"
"Join us in rescuing your boss, and with hope convincing the general leading this foolish assault on my lands and peoples why this is a very a bad idea."
"Deal." Clarissa didn't exactly know what she'd signed up for, but she and Gilbert had come to the fey to figure out why they were stealing souls, and now they were having to solve a new conflict some idiot started. Just another day in the life recently.
The journey to Rolf's resistance group crossed path's with the US military multiple times. There were check points and patrols to avoid, and the evidence of conflict was apparent all over the fey with craters and trees pock marked with gun fire. Clarissa didn't ask what was going on, it was apparent from the journey, the US had invaded the fey.
"This is the other one sire." Rolf had bowed to their leader a woman in a gleaming set of armor who was armed with multiple swords. She looked bigger than every other elf around, Clarissa figured she was probably the war leader in times like this.
"You may leave Rolf." It wasn't exactly a throne room, more of a nicer dirt hut that had been hastily constructed, but there was a lot of fancy things around the room. The leader left Clarissa her weapons, so little she feared of the young exterminator.
"Where's Gilbert?"
"No hello, no who are you or what is your position, or thank you for allowing me into your camp, just straight to business."
"Oh I'm sorry your majesty, I apologize for crudely expecting us to get to the part of what's going on instead of keeping up pomp and circumstance."
"Humans such impatient creatures, always rushing off to die, if you want it so badly girl I can end you right here and now."
"If it would save me from the internminble bullshit of the elves go right ahead." The elf leader drew her sword and advanced on Clarissa and then stopped with a big smile on her face.
"You've got fire in you human, more so than most of your kind faced with a Shaleche of the Elves."
"What's a Shaleche?"
"In your words closest would be executioner, but I'm also the war leader and just flatly right now leader leader after your peoples incursion."
"Why are they here why did they take Gilbert?"
"They are here for power, an ancient power that someone foolishly told them was in the fey, as to why they took Gilbert? I assume they believe he can lead them to that power."
"And do you think he can do that?" The leader smiled.
"No, for one its not actually in the fey, and for two your boss does not know where it actually is or how it can be found."
"What can I do?"
"Join us in rescuing your boss, and with hope convincing the general leading this foolish assault on my lands and peoples why this is a very a bad idea."
"Deal." Clarissa didn't exactly know what she'd signed up for, but she and Gilbert had come to the fey to figure out why they were stealing souls, and now they were having to solve a new conflict some idiot started. Just another day in the life recently.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Interloping
142.
The meadow looked otherworldy to Clarissa, like a perfect story book meadow only missing the singing animals. She knew of course the danger in the place now, but she was still drawn to its allure, the beauty of a place that was real and still incredibly dangerous. Like a real unicorn, it was the stuff of her adolescent trapper keeper dreams. Gilbert was missing, or somewhere else. He warned her this too could happen, but she had expected like his other warnings this was just like a rare chance. She didn't even really know what they were after or were set to do, and now without Gilbert she had to just wing it.
Clarissa did at least know this was hostile territory, and though she hadn't needed the survival skills she'd learned in the jungle she still had them. She made a quick check of her gear and then made her way into the foliage, not wanting to be out exposed in open terrain for whatever might come by. Almost as if summoned by her moving aside a rumbling column of US soldiers smashed through the meadow Clarissa had just been in.
They looked surreal in the fey, men in flack jackets carrying rifles and escorting tanks, but there they were. Clarissa watched silently hoping to not be noticed out of fear they'd kill her on the spot as a spy or something else. As she watched the army column roll through she felt a presence behind her, humanoid from how it moved. Clarissa remained still, but drew one of her daggers. She waited for it to draw close and then swung around with the weapon directed at where she assumed it's neck would be.
"Whoa whoa lets keep things calm." He was an elf, his outfit looked a little ragged and the stubble on his face spoke to being without toiletries for a while.
"Right keep calm to the person sneaking up on me." They spoke in whispers, the army columns tanks were loud, but they didn't want one of the soldiers escorting them to hear.
"Sneaking is such an ugly word for a pretty woman."
"Flattery will get your throat cut."
"Right right ok, look I didn't know if you were with the soldiers or not, clearly you aren't though you clearly shouldn't be here either." The column of military people passed by, the last of their vanguard walking to where ever they were going. Clarissa kept the knife up but pulled it back a bit.
"How do you know I'm not with them."
"You're literally wearing an exterminators outfit." Clarissa could feel her cheeks blush.
"Also I was sent to find you, Gilbert has been taken."
"Why didn't you lead with that?"
"You had a knife at my throat, cut me some slack."
"Well come on, take me to my boss."
"My name is Rolf by the way." Clarissa shrugged and Rolf sheepishly put his hand back from the hand shake that wasn't coming. "On to the resistance!"
The meadow looked otherworldy to Clarissa, like a perfect story book meadow only missing the singing animals. She knew of course the danger in the place now, but she was still drawn to its allure, the beauty of a place that was real and still incredibly dangerous. Like a real unicorn, it was the stuff of her adolescent trapper keeper dreams. Gilbert was missing, or somewhere else. He warned her this too could happen, but she had expected like his other warnings this was just like a rare chance. She didn't even really know what they were after or were set to do, and now without Gilbert she had to just wing it.
Clarissa did at least know this was hostile territory, and though she hadn't needed the survival skills she'd learned in the jungle she still had them. She made a quick check of her gear and then made her way into the foliage, not wanting to be out exposed in open terrain for whatever might come by. Almost as if summoned by her moving aside a rumbling column of US soldiers smashed through the meadow Clarissa had just been in.
They looked surreal in the fey, men in flack jackets carrying rifles and escorting tanks, but there they were. Clarissa watched silently hoping to not be noticed out of fear they'd kill her on the spot as a spy or something else. As she watched the army column roll through she felt a presence behind her, humanoid from how it moved. Clarissa remained still, but drew one of her daggers. She waited for it to draw close and then swung around with the weapon directed at where she assumed it's neck would be.
"Whoa whoa lets keep things calm." He was an elf, his outfit looked a little ragged and the stubble on his face spoke to being without toiletries for a while.
"Right keep calm to the person sneaking up on me." They spoke in whispers, the army columns tanks were loud, but they didn't want one of the soldiers escorting them to hear.
"Sneaking is such an ugly word for a pretty woman."
"Flattery will get your throat cut."
"Right right ok, look I didn't know if you were with the soldiers or not, clearly you aren't though you clearly shouldn't be here either." The column of military people passed by, the last of their vanguard walking to where ever they were going. Clarissa kept the knife up but pulled it back a bit.
"How do you know I'm not with them."
"You're literally wearing an exterminators outfit." Clarissa could feel her cheeks blush.
"Also I was sent to find you, Gilbert has been taken."
"Why didn't you lead with that?"
"You had a knife at my throat, cut me some slack."
"Well come on, take me to my boss."
"My name is Rolf by the way." Clarissa shrugged and Rolf sheepishly put his hand back from the hand shake that wasn't coming. "On to the resistance!"
Friday, October 4, 2019
Morgan of the Fey
141.
"Picking on a poor troll like that, beneath you Gilbert."
"No it isn't Morgan, and you know that." The fairy waved a ridiculous butterfly wing of a fan on herself and yawned as if to show her boredom with the conversation.
"So what help can I not help you with today Dunkley?"
"Why is the Fey attacking souls?" Morgan yawned again.
"The what in the what? I'm sorry exterminator your kind if so specific and I'm just not that kind of girl."
"Cut the bullshit Morgan, you know god damn well what I'm here for." The meadow shifted, Morgan transformed in front of Gilbert and Clarissa, she went from being an overly large fairy to a thin incredibly pale woman with sharp features. Gone was the normal fairy outfit, replacing it was a nice suit. The glade itself became an office, very spartan and a display of power.
"You take the fun out of theatrics."
"I don't have time for theatrics."
"So you said, power Dunkley power, the fey want it and souls offer it."
"Power for what?"
"For the war you idiot, what do you think is going out there in the world? There's a war brewing and the creatures of the Fey will not sit idly by while your people plunge into our realms with reckless abandon."
"My people?"
"I've said what I'm going to say, you can leave now." Gilbert wanted to ask more, but he figured he'd already pushed his luck enough with Morgan. Clarissa wanted to say something to Morgan, but figured she too wouldn't want to push her luck.
***
"So her name is Morgan and she's of the fey? So she's literally Morgan La Fey?"
"Thank god you didn't say that to her in person she'd have killed you where you stood." Gilbert and Clarissa were already down the road.
"Seriously?"
"She once threatened to cut my balls off when I asked her if she knew Arthur."
"Yikers."
"That is not a word please stop using it."
"So what's our play from here."
"Our play is the worst one."
"We're going into the fey lands."
"We're going into the fey lands."
"Picking on a poor troll like that, beneath you Gilbert."
"No it isn't Morgan, and you know that." The fairy waved a ridiculous butterfly wing of a fan on herself and yawned as if to show her boredom with the conversation.
"So what help can I not help you with today Dunkley?"
"Why is the Fey attacking souls?" Morgan yawned again.
"The what in the what? I'm sorry exterminator your kind if so specific and I'm just not that kind of girl."
"Cut the bullshit Morgan, you know god damn well what I'm here for." The meadow shifted, Morgan transformed in front of Gilbert and Clarissa, she went from being an overly large fairy to a thin incredibly pale woman with sharp features. Gone was the normal fairy outfit, replacing it was a nice suit. The glade itself became an office, very spartan and a display of power.
"You take the fun out of theatrics."
"I don't have time for theatrics."
"So you said, power Dunkley power, the fey want it and souls offer it."
"Power for what?"
"For the war you idiot, what do you think is going out there in the world? There's a war brewing and the creatures of the Fey will not sit idly by while your people plunge into our realms with reckless abandon."
"My people?"
"I've said what I'm going to say, you can leave now." Gilbert wanted to ask more, but he figured he'd already pushed his luck enough with Morgan. Clarissa wanted to say something to Morgan, but figured she too wouldn't want to push her luck.
***
"So her name is Morgan and she's of the fey? So she's literally Morgan La Fey?"
"Thank god you didn't say that to her in person she'd have killed you where you stood." Gilbert and Clarissa were already down the road.
"Seriously?"
"She once threatened to cut my balls off when I asked her if she knew Arthur."
"Yikers."
"That is not a word please stop using it."
"So what's our play from here."
"Our play is the worst one."
"We're going into the fey lands."
"We're going into the fey lands."
Friday, September 27, 2019
A Soul War
140.
"Fruitless conjecture Mr. Dunkley." Duffy had taken them back to his office for a celebratory drink and their payment. Gilbert did not like how tidy this had been considering how it started.
"It wasn't just one lost fey creature Mr. Duffy."
"It was, and you killed it, and now you'll be paid and be on your way." Before Gilbert could say anything else they were in front of the building. It caught both Clarissa and Gilbert by surprise.
"Rude of him."
"And stupid, he's in trouble and he's throwing us out? Well that won't stop me." Gilbert put his gear away in the back of the van, Clarissa followed suit and hurried to her seat Gilbert seemed in a hurry.
"Where are we headed."
"The other side in this conflict."
****
"She will not see you." It was a strip mall in Des Moines Iowa, the sign out front promised palm reading Clarissa felt her skin crawl just being inside. The receptionist was an overweight man who smelled of alcohol.
"I thought it was just the summer court that hated me right now."
"It's all of the fey Dunkley, and you know that." Gilbert took a set in one of the three chairs in the lobby. Clarissa did as well. "She won't see you even if you wait."
"We'll see about that, go ahead and do whatever you're going to do troll." The man at the front desk snorted and went back to whatever he was doing prior to them entering.
"Kind of rude to call him a troll for just telling us how things are Gilbert."
"He's literally a troll, he's just got an illusion to not look like it, its the smell that gives them away."
"I just thought he drank his breakfast."
"Well that too."
"I can hear the both of you you racist judgmental assholes." Everyone stayed quiet for a moment, than a phone rang at the front desk and the Troll answered. Gilbert couldn't make out the full conversation but by the Troll's anger at its resolution he knew he got what he wanted.
"She'll see you, but you watch it pal if you so much as breathe improperly in her direction."
"Right I'll make sure to be on my best behavior." Clarissa had no idea what to expect as they went down the narrow hallway into the room beyond, but she didn't expect a blooming fountain garden, with a rather large fairy sitting in a fountain staring back at them.
"Morgan."
"Dunkley." The door shut behind him and not for the first time Gilbert wondered if he should have just let things go.
"Fruitless conjecture Mr. Dunkley." Duffy had taken them back to his office for a celebratory drink and their payment. Gilbert did not like how tidy this had been considering how it started.
"It wasn't just one lost fey creature Mr. Duffy."
"It was, and you killed it, and now you'll be paid and be on your way." Before Gilbert could say anything else they were in front of the building. It caught both Clarissa and Gilbert by surprise.
"Rude of him."
"And stupid, he's in trouble and he's throwing us out? Well that won't stop me." Gilbert put his gear away in the back of the van, Clarissa followed suit and hurried to her seat Gilbert seemed in a hurry.
"Where are we headed."
"The other side in this conflict."
****
"She will not see you." It was a strip mall in Des Moines Iowa, the sign out front promised palm reading Clarissa felt her skin crawl just being inside. The receptionist was an overweight man who smelled of alcohol.
"I thought it was just the summer court that hated me right now."
"It's all of the fey Dunkley, and you know that." Gilbert took a set in one of the three chairs in the lobby. Clarissa did as well. "She won't see you even if you wait."
"We'll see about that, go ahead and do whatever you're going to do troll." The man at the front desk snorted and went back to whatever he was doing prior to them entering.
"Kind of rude to call him a troll for just telling us how things are Gilbert."
"He's literally a troll, he's just got an illusion to not look like it, its the smell that gives them away."
"I just thought he drank his breakfast."
"Well that too."
"I can hear the both of you you racist judgmental assholes." Everyone stayed quiet for a moment, than a phone rang at the front desk and the Troll answered. Gilbert couldn't make out the full conversation but by the Troll's anger at its resolution he knew he got what he wanted.
"She'll see you, but you watch it pal if you so much as breathe improperly in her direction."
"Right I'll make sure to be on my best behavior." Clarissa had no idea what to expect as they went down the narrow hallway into the room beyond, but she didn't expect a blooming fountain garden, with a rather large fairy sitting in a fountain staring back at them.
"Morgan."
"Dunkley." The door shut behind him and not for the first time Gilbert wondered if he should have just let things go.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Cut Off
139.
It was fruitless to go back, they had tried to retrace their steps and had found there were no steps to retrace. Gilbert blamed himself not thinking about their safety and remaining gear before charging ahead. He'd gotten too interested in the mystery and not enough in the making sure things were ok and now they were lost in some kind of spirit purgatory with a teleporting bull creature.
"So what is that thing?"
"Not a clue, but I imagine we can kill it or it would have stuck around, its as afraid of us as we could be of it."
"Yeah except I can't teleport and I'm not the size of a small car."
"You never know about your hidden strengths Clarissa maybe you can teleport."
"Really?"
"No you can't teleport, that's just nonesense to make you feel better." Clarissa lightly hit Gilbert on the shoulder and he smiled. They still had some of the salt and had at least set up a new safe zone for what good it could do against the creature Gilbert wasn't sure.
"So what's the plan?"
"Iron, it's good against fairies, and this creature looks like something of the fey, and attacking souls definitely is a fey kind of thing to do."
"So iron?"
"Yeah they hate it, something about being connected to the earth, I dunno creatures of the Fey are assholes and Iron kills them if applied properly its all you need to know."
"Is this why Doris hates regular silverware?"
"No that's just Doris thinking she's better than regular people." Clarissa laughed, it broke up the tension of being potentially stuck in the world of lost souls. They did still have the question of how to get the bull fey to attack them, but Gilbert figured if they just stepped beyond the salt it might do that on its own. Gilbert made the first step outside of the protection of the salt, he didn't figure his first step outside would cause the creature to charge them, but fey creatures were weird like that and it just might have. Gilbert was able to step out without issue and Clarissa joined him, they didn't want to travel too far from safety because they didn't have anything anchoring them to it and the building had already changed on them once.
The bull fay charged almost immediately. Gilbert heard the hoof beat first before he turned and fired. Three shots landed home and the creature came screeching to a halt. Clarissa took up an arrow and fired two shots into the head to be sure. The bull fay was at least as Gilbert surmised killable.
"Now how the hell do we get out of here?" Just then the elevator seemingly materialized out of nowhere appeared behind them.
"All done?" He had a smirk on that told Gilbert he knew more than he was letting on, and that this job was just getting started.
It was fruitless to go back, they had tried to retrace their steps and had found there were no steps to retrace. Gilbert blamed himself not thinking about their safety and remaining gear before charging ahead. He'd gotten too interested in the mystery and not enough in the making sure things were ok and now they were lost in some kind of spirit purgatory with a teleporting bull creature.
"So what is that thing?"
"Not a clue, but I imagine we can kill it or it would have stuck around, its as afraid of us as we could be of it."
"Yeah except I can't teleport and I'm not the size of a small car."
"You never know about your hidden strengths Clarissa maybe you can teleport."
"Really?"
"No you can't teleport, that's just nonesense to make you feel better." Clarissa lightly hit Gilbert on the shoulder and he smiled. They still had some of the salt and had at least set up a new safe zone for what good it could do against the creature Gilbert wasn't sure.
"So what's the plan?"
"Iron, it's good against fairies, and this creature looks like something of the fey, and attacking souls definitely is a fey kind of thing to do."
"So iron?"
"Yeah they hate it, something about being connected to the earth, I dunno creatures of the Fey are assholes and Iron kills them if applied properly its all you need to know."
"Is this why Doris hates regular silverware?"
"No that's just Doris thinking she's better than regular people." Clarissa laughed, it broke up the tension of being potentially stuck in the world of lost souls. They did still have the question of how to get the bull fey to attack them, but Gilbert figured if they just stepped beyond the salt it might do that on its own. Gilbert made the first step outside of the protection of the salt, he didn't figure his first step outside would cause the creature to charge them, but fey creatures were weird like that and it just might have. Gilbert was able to step out without issue and Clarissa joined him, they didn't want to travel too far from safety because they didn't have anything anchoring them to it and the building had already changed on them once.
The bull fay charged almost immediately. Gilbert heard the hoof beat first before he turned and fired. Three shots landed home and the creature came screeching to a halt. Clarissa took up an arrow and fired two shots into the head to be sure. The bull fay was at least as Gilbert surmised killable.
"Now how the hell do we get out of here?" Just then the elevator seemingly materialized out of nowhere appeared behind them.
"All done?" He had a smirk on that told Gilbert he knew more than he was letting on, and that this job was just getting started.
Friday, September 13, 2019
The Safe and the Unsafe
138.
"First we must establish a zone of safety." Gilbert was pouring salt in one direction while directing Clarissa to the do the same in the other direction.
"I guess if something attacks us it will be assaulted." Clarissa laughed at her joke but Gilbert did not.
"Next we'll have to pick out directions to scout from, this isn't a real building or a place, so the location will probably change, think Hansel and Gretel."
"You have some bread crumbs to leave behind Gilbert?"
"Nope we'll use climbers rope, its a bit safer than hoping mice don't eat your bread crumbs." Gilbert anchored the rope in his protection area, and then handed Clarissa a harness to and line to attach to.
"Do you have any idea what can kill spirits?"
"Well these aren't exactly spirits, these are souls, it sounds like a distinction without a difference but think of these as more raw energy with faces, and less angry people. So its less something killing them and more something siphoning that energy. I can think of a couple things and neither of them are something I hope is here, stay close." Clarissa felt a little silly attached to a climbing rope moving through a broken hallway, but having known how quickly things can go from ok to not ok, she would deal with the silliness. They weren't really talking as they went, both seemingly convinced whatever was hunting the souls could hear them even though there was no proof of that. The further they got from their "safe" zone the worse the damage looked, walls were ripped out, signs of struggle were apparent, but no "bodies" or any kind of remains of a victim.
"Maybe its just really big spirit rats?" Clarissa speaking kind of startled Gilbert.
"Spirit rats?"
"Yeah I mean rats have spirits right?"
"You know never thought of it like that, but maybe?" Just then there was a snort like that of a large bull. Gilbert took out his pistol, Clarissa readied an arrow. They crept up on the noise and found nothing, not a trace of a creature or even a foot print.
"That's just fucking weird right?"
"Could be the spirit world has a lot of residual shi... GET DOWN!" The creature appeared behind Clarissa ready for a full on charge. Gilbert only saw it for an instant before she ducked underneath its gore, but it certainly didn't look like anything he'd seen before. After dodging it the creature disappeared in a puff of black residue, aside from the lingering smell Gilbert and Clarissa could find no sign of it.
"Well that was scary."
"Quite, but at least we saw the beast." Clarissa nodded and then she looked down in a panic, while she had successfully dodged the bull creature, it had severed their climbing rope, they were now untethered and the way they had come definitely looked like it had changed.
"Gilbert we have a problem."
"First we must establish a zone of safety." Gilbert was pouring salt in one direction while directing Clarissa to the do the same in the other direction.
"I guess if something attacks us it will be assaulted." Clarissa laughed at her joke but Gilbert did not.
"Next we'll have to pick out directions to scout from, this isn't a real building or a place, so the location will probably change, think Hansel and Gretel."
"You have some bread crumbs to leave behind Gilbert?"
"Nope we'll use climbers rope, its a bit safer than hoping mice don't eat your bread crumbs." Gilbert anchored the rope in his protection area, and then handed Clarissa a harness to and line to attach to.
"Do you have any idea what can kill spirits?"
"Well these aren't exactly spirits, these are souls, it sounds like a distinction without a difference but think of these as more raw energy with faces, and less angry people. So its less something killing them and more something siphoning that energy. I can think of a couple things and neither of them are something I hope is here, stay close." Clarissa felt a little silly attached to a climbing rope moving through a broken hallway, but having known how quickly things can go from ok to not ok, she would deal with the silliness. They weren't really talking as they went, both seemingly convinced whatever was hunting the souls could hear them even though there was no proof of that. The further they got from their "safe" zone the worse the damage looked, walls were ripped out, signs of struggle were apparent, but no "bodies" or any kind of remains of a victim.
"Maybe its just really big spirit rats?" Clarissa speaking kind of startled Gilbert.
"Spirit rats?"
"Yeah I mean rats have spirits right?"
"You know never thought of it like that, but maybe?" Just then there was a snort like that of a large bull. Gilbert took out his pistol, Clarissa readied an arrow. They crept up on the noise and found nothing, not a trace of a creature or even a foot print.
"That's just fucking weird right?"
"Could be the spirit world has a lot of residual shi... GET DOWN!" The creature appeared behind Clarissa ready for a full on charge. Gilbert only saw it for an instant before she ducked underneath its gore, but it certainly didn't look like anything he'd seen before. After dodging it the creature disappeared in a puff of black residue, aside from the lingering smell Gilbert and Clarissa could find no sign of it.
"Well that was scary."
"Quite, but at least we saw the beast." Clarissa nodded and then she looked down in a panic, while she had successfully dodged the bull creature, it had severed their climbing rope, they were now untethered and the way they had come definitely looked like it had changed.
"Gilbert we have a problem."
Friday, September 6, 2019
Hello Mr. Duffy
137.
"Come in out of the cold, no need to be standing there in the doorway." The concierge was that level of upper class servant polite rudeness. Gilbert was put off on him immediately.
"What is this place?" Clarissa said it with a level of awe that had Gilbert be suspicious the building was affecting her.
"What is a pedestrian question, where or why is a more important one, but we'll get to that, first you must meet Mr. Duffy in his office and he must discuss our situation with you, come along." The concierge showed them to an elevator, and inside was an old timey looking elevator operator complete with a silly hat.
"To Mr. Duffy's office." The concierge informed the operator and he nodded, but did not speak himself. Gilbert was beyond questioning the weirdness, so when the elevator closed one second and opened to an office with no hallway in between he just accepted it.
"Mr. Dunkley do come in." Mr. Duffy looked like a shady used car salesman, from the tacky suit to the slicked back hair and unnaturally tanned skin. His every word was a sales pitch you didn't want.
"What is going on here Mr. Duffy."
"Do call me Quin, its short for Quinlin, and sit please." The chairs were big leather recliners, sitting in them Gilbert and Clarissa felt small.
"Mr. Duffy please."
"Fine, we're not ghosts, we're not demons, this place isn't in your head, it's a," His eyes went up in his head for a moment as if he was trying to find the right words, "A hostel of sorts for the dead who don't want to admit they are dead, originally the native americans had this land as sacred so as to not disturb the spirits on their journey, of course the white man had to throw a damn building on top of it, but we managed just fine."
"So you're a ghost."
"No I specifically said I'm not a ghost, I'm a caretaker of sorts, and I need your companies help, you deal with monsters correct?" Gilbert didn't like the way he phrased monsters.
"What kind of monster can harm ghosts?"
"That is the question I'd like for you to answer, bell hop!" Duffy signaled the elevator operator and shooed both Gilbert and Clarissa inside with himself. He nodded at the operator and the elevator arrived somewhere else, though when the doors opened it was on a black corridor that looked like a murder or a war had been fought there. Lighting fixtures, and even whole walls were damaged and barely hanging on.
"What's going on here?"
"That Mr. Dunkley is what you are hired to find out." Gilbert didn't even notice he and Clarissa had been moved off the elevator until the door closed behind him and left him in Clarissa in the busted hallway.
"Well at least we're prepared right?" Gilbert looked at Clarissa sternly for a moment and smiled.
"Yeah at least we're prepared." As if in response something screamed in the darkness and the mood of happiness was instantly gone.
"Come in out of the cold, no need to be standing there in the doorway." The concierge was that level of upper class servant polite rudeness. Gilbert was put off on him immediately.
"What is this place?" Clarissa said it with a level of awe that had Gilbert be suspicious the building was affecting her.
"What is a pedestrian question, where or why is a more important one, but we'll get to that, first you must meet Mr. Duffy in his office and he must discuss our situation with you, come along." The concierge showed them to an elevator, and inside was an old timey looking elevator operator complete with a silly hat.
"To Mr. Duffy's office." The concierge informed the operator and he nodded, but did not speak himself. Gilbert was beyond questioning the weirdness, so when the elevator closed one second and opened to an office with no hallway in between he just accepted it.
"Mr. Dunkley do come in." Mr. Duffy looked like a shady used car salesman, from the tacky suit to the slicked back hair and unnaturally tanned skin. His every word was a sales pitch you didn't want.
"What is going on here Mr. Duffy."
"Do call me Quin, its short for Quinlin, and sit please." The chairs were big leather recliners, sitting in them Gilbert and Clarissa felt small.
"Mr. Duffy please."
"Fine, we're not ghosts, we're not demons, this place isn't in your head, it's a," His eyes went up in his head for a moment as if he was trying to find the right words, "A hostel of sorts for the dead who don't want to admit they are dead, originally the native americans had this land as sacred so as to not disturb the spirits on their journey, of course the white man had to throw a damn building on top of it, but we managed just fine."
"So you're a ghost."
"No I specifically said I'm not a ghost, I'm a caretaker of sorts, and I need your companies help, you deal with monsters correct?" Gilbert didn't like the way he phrased monsters.
"What kind of monster can harm ghosts?"
"That is the question I'd like for you to answer, bell hop!" Duffy signaled the elevator operator and shooed both Gilbert and Clarissa inside with himself. He nodded at the operator and the elevator arrived somewhere else, though when the doors opened it was on a black corridor that looked like a murder or a war had been fought there. Lighting fixtures, and even whole walls were damaged and barely hanging on.
"What's going on here?"
"That Mr. Dunkley is what you are hired to find out." Gilbert didn't even notice he and Clarissa had been moved off the elevator until the door closed behind him and left him in Clarissa in the busted hallway.
"Well at least we're prepared right?" Gilbert looked at Clarissa sternly for a moment and smiled.
"Yeah at least we're prepared." As if in response something screamed in the darkness and the mood of happiness was instantly gone.
Friday, August 30, 2019
When You Have a Doubt There is No Doubt
136.
"Something stinks of bullshit."
"I swear Gilbert I washed the van." Gilbert chuckled.
"No not that, this whole job is rotten. Wanda is the kind of busy body who would know someone named Duffy owning a building in her neighborhood, let alone this building, and the job we were called in for are Vorbos, not exactly a difficult pest, the kind of thing you'd bring something minimally for." Clarissa felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"So screw the job?"
"Nah we're doing it, but its not the job we were hired to do I can tell you that." Gilbert gathered up a variety of supplies from the van, and handed Clarissa a couple different quivers of arrows. "We're just not going in there un prepared."
"Unlike the last couple jobs."
"Exactly unlike the last couple jobs, but that's how this job goes, you over prepare, you under prepare, you proper prepare, just a lot of preparing, now that word doesn't make sense anymore." Gilbert walked up the steps to the entrance and paused. He could just turn around and ignore the job.
"Want to just walk away?"
"Kind of, but not really, I'm remembering when I was a kid there was this old broken down house near where I lived, plenty of stories from other kids about evil things there."
"Was it haunted or something?"
"Don't really know, I left the area when I was twelve, and when I came back with more knowledge about the way the world really is, the house was gone and some luxury condos were there."
"Haunted condos!"
"Only by the spirits of gentrification, the real monster." Gilbert ascended the steps and opened the door inside. It looked like a run down building, no furniture, carpets or any proof those things ever existed inside. It didn't look any scarier than run down properties everywhere. Clarissa shrugged and stepped inside with Gilbert and the whole room changed. Immediately they were in a fancy lobby with a concierge up front smiling at them.
"Ghosts?" Clarissa looked back to the still open door and wanted to leave.
"Nah ghosts feels different than this, this is something else."
"Do come in if you're the exterminator we called for you're right on time." The way the concierge said time sent a shiver up Gilbert's back, he went to go out the door, but it slammed shut on him.
"Shit."
"Something stinks of bullshit."
"I swear Gilbert I washed the van." Gilbert chuckled.
"No not that, this whole job is rotten. Wanda is the kind of busy body who would know someone named Duffy owning a building in her neighborhood, let alone this building, and the job we were called in for are Vorbos, not exactly a difficult pest, the kind of thing you'd bring something minimally for." Clarissa felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"So screw the job?"
"Nah we're doing it, but its not the job we were hired to do I can tell you that." Gilbert gathered up a variety of supplies from the van, and handed Clarissa a couple different quivers of arrows. "We're just not going in there un prepared."
"Unlike the last couple jobs."
"Exactly unlike the last couple jobs, but that's how this job goes, you over prepare, you under prepare, you proper prepare, just a lot of preparing, now that word doesn't make sense anymore." Gilbert walked up the steps to the entrance and paused. He could just turn around and ignore the job.
"Want to just walk away?"
"Kind of, but not really, I'm remembering when I was a kid there was this old broken down house near where I lived, plenty of stories from other kids about evil things there."
"Was it haunted or something?"
"Don't really know, I left the area when I was twelve, and when I came back with more knowledge about the way the world really is, the house was gone and some luxury condos were there."
"Haunted condos!"
"Only by the spirits of gentrification, the real monster." Gilbert ascended the steps and opened the door inside. It looked like a run down building, no furniture, carpets or any proof those things ever existed inside. It didn't look any scarier than run down properties everywhere. Clarissa shrugged and stepped inside with Gilbert and the whole room changed. Immediately they were in a fancy lobby with a concierge up front smiling at them.
"Ghosts?" Clarissa looked back to the still open door and wanted to leave.
"Nah ghosts feels different than this, this is something else."
"Do come in if you're the exterminator we called for you're right on time." The way the concierge said time sent a shiver up Gilbert's back, he went to go out the door, but it slammed shut on him.
"Shit."
Friday, August 23, 2019
Fear of the Known
135.
"I'm just glad you're feeling better." Clarissa had taken a couple days of sleeping and vomitting, but she seemed mostly on the mend. Gilbert felt better about that immediately.
"We deal with lots of ugly awful things Gilbert, but I'm pretty sure this was just the flu."
"I mean I saw alien, shit haunted me Clarissa."
"'Gilbert nothing's going to burst out of me." They were on their way to a simple extermination in Detroit. Some kind of minor imp infestation that the owner was worried was a signal of something worse. Gilbert's main concern was the van getting booted in Detroit, he couldn't remember if he paid all his parking tickets.
"Well all the same stay away from spaghetti for a bit."
"GILBERT!" Clarissa didn't like the implication Gilbert thought something was growing inside of her. She felt fine, other than obviously having to deal with Gilbert for another long car ride.
"So what's Detroit like?"
"Been years since I've been there, it was pretty bad last time I was in town, but I heard it got better, or got worse, you know how it is shit sucks everywhere."
"Well that's charming."
"I will tell you one thing I'm really worried about."
"What's that?"
"Meter maids." Clarissa laughed.
"I'm serious there is a lady named Wanda, last time I was there she tagged the van with so many violations I think it almost wiped out the money I made on the job, I think we might still owe fines, so if you see one coming watch out."
"Sure sure, whatever Gilbert."
****
Gilbert made sure the van was in a proper space, he even took a ruler out to verify distance from the curb. Clarissa found it funny up until Wanda showed up. She couldn't believe Wanda was real, let alone as horrifying as Gilbert had said.
"Mr. Dunkley."
"Officer Wanda, its a pleasure to see you today." Gilbert could feel the sweat already forming.
"Don't you Officer Wanda me Mr. Dunkley I remember you, I see you still drive the same beat up Van, you do have a new worker with you, other guy retire."
"Yes M'am he wanted to work a ranch."
"Uh huh, and what are you doing in my fine city of Detroit."
"Business M'am got a work order from a Mr. Duffy to clear out this building." The building was a long abandoned apartment building though it still looked to be in decent shape despite no one living there. When Wanda looked at it she paused for a second.
"Duffy, I don't know no Duffy." She tapped one overly long fingernail on her clip board, and then walked around the van to make sure things were on the up and up.
"Wanda do you have an apb out on me or something, you showed up awfully fast."
"I live in this neighborhood Mr. Dunkley, when I saw your van again I knew I had to check to make sure you were doing," She paused for a moment lost in a thought, she was looking at the building again, "Right."
Gilbert noticed Wanda was kind of just standing there now tranfixed. "Wanda?"
"You know I've always seen this building and never been in, funny I don't recall anyone ever living here in fifty years, but its been here this whole time, not aging, just looking scary, but not too scary, the kind of place you'd invite someone into on a dare." Wanda was walking up the steps, Gilbert and Clarissa hurried after her. "I wonder what its like inside..." Gilbert grabbed her arm and she shocked out of her thought ready to shout at him, but then her face went pale when she saw how close she was to walking inside. She stumbled down the steps and got in her car and left Clarissa and Gilbert to stare after her as she drove off.
"So that happened." Clarissa broke the silence and Gilbert chuckled.
"Yeah that happened, come on lets get our stuff and get out of here before she comes to her senses and finds my tires are not properly stiped or something."
"I'm just glad you're feeling better." Clarissa had taken a couple days of sleeping and vomitting, but she seemed mostly on the mend. Gilbert felt better about that immediately.
"We deal with lots of ugly awful things Gilbert, but I'm pretty sure this was just the flu."
"I mean I saw alien, shit haunted me Clarissa."
"'Gilbert nothing's going to burst out of me." They were on their way to a simple extermination in Detroit. Some kind of minor imp infestation that the owner was worried was a signal of something worse. Gilbert's main concern was the van getting booted in Detroit, he couldn't remember if he paid all his parking tickets.
"Well all the same stay away from spaghetti for a bit."
"GILBERT!" Clarissa didn't like the implication Gilbert thought something was growing inside of her. She felt fine, other than obviously having to deal with Gilbert for another long car ride.
"So what's Detroit like?"
"Been years since I've been there, it was pretty bad last time I was in town, but I heard it got better, or got worse, you know how it is shit sucks everywhere."
"Well that's charming."
"I will tell you one thing I'm really worried about."
"What's that?"
"Meter maids." Clarissa laughed.
"I'm serious there is a lady named Wanda, last time I was there she tagged the van with so many violations I think it almost wiped out the money I made on the job, I think we might still owe fines, so if you see one coming watch out."
"Sure sure, whatever Gilbert."
****
Gilbert made sure the van was in a proper space, he even took a ruler out to verify distance from the curb. Clarissa found it funny up until Wanda showed up. She couldn't believe Wanda was real, let alone as horrifying as Gilbert had said.
"Mr. Dunkley."
"Officer Wanda, its a pleasure to see you today." Gilbert could feel the sweat already forming.
"Don't you Officer Wanda me Mr. Dunkley I remember you, I see you still drive the same beat up Van, you do have a new worker with you, other guy retire."
"Yes M'am he wanted to work a ranch."
"Uh huh, and what are you doing in my fine city of Detroit."
"Business M'am got a work order from a Mr. Duffy to clear out this building." The building was a long abandoned apartment building though it still looked to be in decent shape despite no one living there. When Wanda looked at it she paused for a second.
"Duffy, I don't know no Duffy." She tapped one overly long fingernail on her clip board, and then walked around the van to make sure things were on the up and up.
"Wanda do you have an apb out on me or something, you showed up awfully fast."
"I live in this neighborhood Mr. Dunkley, when I saw your van again I knew I had to check to make sure you were doing," She paused for a moment lost in a thought, she was looking at the building again, "Right."
Gilbert noticed Wanda was kind of just standing there now tranfixed. "Wanda?"
"You know I've always seen this building and never been in, funny I don't recall anyone ever living here in fifty years, but its been here this whole time, not aging, just looking scary, but not too scary, the kind of place you'd invite someone into on a dare." Wanda was walking up the steps, Gilbert and Clarissa hurried after her. "I wonder what its like inside..." Gilbert grabbed her arm and she shocked out of her thought ready to shout at him, but then her face went pale when she saw how close she was to walking inside. She stumbled down the steps and got in her car and left Clarissa and Gilbert to stare after her as she drove off.
"So that happened." Clarissa broke the silence and Gilbert chuckled.
"Yeah that happened, come on lets get our stuff and get out of here before she comes to her senses and finds my tires are not properly stiped or something."
Friday, August 16, 2019
Nothing Good Comes From You
134.
"I should have known this was your fault Trezlan." Gilbert had mostly been caught up to speed, his stomach still hurt with hunger, but everyone had decided it was best to leave city limits and rejoin the world first.
"That's a fine way of trying to blame this all on me because that creature and me are from the same place."
"Isn't that enough?" Clarissa was sleeping in the back, she'd been tired since almost becoming one with the bugs, Gilbert worried something might be growing in her that he didn't see, but he was waiting till later to make that determination.
"I don't blame everything that happens on wherever you're from Gilbert! This is planetism."
"Not a word Trezlan."
"Where I'm from it totally is."
"I'm sure the land of bullshitia is really missing you right now."
"You are such a hateful person Gilbert, and as a fellow black man..."
"Stop that shit right here, A. You may share the same skin color as me, but you aren't my fellow fucking anything, and B. Fuck you."
"Hateful old man, I'll happily outlive you."
"With your stupidity I'm surprised you lived as long as you have, what was even going on in Bend to begin with?"
"Oh now that my mind is clear I can recall I found a summoning circle in a basement right before that thing screwed with my mind. I guess some people who don't like you thought they'd bring something down to kill you should those walker skins fail, and then they ended up becoming bug food because you shouldn't summon shit you don't know."
"Right like playing with Necromancy."
"Cheap shot Gilbert, aren't you worried about your assistant?"
Gilbert looked back briefly at Clarissa as she slept, "Terribly so."
"You know I can."
"Do fucking nothing, I'll figure it out."
"Touchy touchy."
"Trezlan when I drop you off I don't want to hear from you for a very very long time."
"Well the feeling is mutal Gilbert, feeling is mutual."
****
Gilbert pulled away from the shop and I felt my anger rising, I made sure to write in my journal he was such a dick. It's weird writing in english but such is the way things are until I can get home, eventually. Still the girl is probably sick or worse, and he'll need my help, the only issue of course is how to get him to accept it without him trying to kill me. And why is this always an issue for me?
"I should have known this was your fault Trezlan." Gilbert had mostly been caught up to speed, his stomach still hurt with hunger, but everyone had decided it was best to leave city limits and rejoin the world first.
"That's a fine way of trying to blame this all on me because that creature and me are from the same place."
"Isn't that enough?" Clarissa was sleeping in the back, she'd been tired since almost becoming one with the bugs, Gilbert worried something might be growing in her that he didn't see, but he was waiting till later to make that determination.
"I don't blame everything that happens on wherever you're from Gilbert! This is planetism."
"Not a word Trezlan."
"Where I'm from it totally is."
"I'm sure the land of bullshitia is really missing you right now."
"You are such a hateful person Gilbert, and as a fellow black man..."
"Stop that shit right here, A. You may share the same skin color as me, but you aren't my fellow fucking anything, and B. Fuck you."
"Hateful old man, I'll happily outlive you."
"With your stupidity I'm surprised you lived as long as you have, what was even going on in Bend to begin with?"
"Oh now that my mind is clear I can recall I found a summoning circle in a basement right before that thing screwed with my mind. I guess some people who don't like you thought they'd bring something down to kill you should those walker skins fail, and then they ended up becoming bug food because you shouldn't summon shit you don't know."
"Right like playing with Necromancy."
"Cheap shot Gilbert, aren't you worried about your assistant?"
Gilbert looked back briefly at Clarissa as she slept, "Terribly so."
"You know I can."
"Do fucking nothing, I'll figure it out."
"Touchy touchy."
"Trezlan when I drop you off I don't want to hear from you for a very very long time."
"Well the feeling is mutal Gilbert, feeling is mutual."
****
Gilbert pulled away from the shop and I felt my anger rising, I made sure to write in my journal he was such a dick. It's weird writing in english but such is the way things are until I can get home, eventually. Still the girl is probably sick or worse, and he'll need my help, the only issue of course is how to get him to accept it without him trying to kill me. And why is this always an issue for me?
Friday, August 9, 2019
I Thought My Parents Sucked
133.
"God it feels like we've been arguing for days." Trezlan's voice was hoarse, his body weak. Gilbert didn't even seem to be listening to him anymore. He did notice there were multiple empty bottles of water at his feet, he didn't bring them, but he didn't notice Clarissa there either.
"If you'd just listen to me Trezlan." But Trezlan wasn't listening to Gilbert anymore, the pain of standing hit him all at once. Trezlan collapsed in the dirt.
"What the hell happened to us Gilbert?"
"Some kind of your nonesense." Gilbert seemed unaffected by the time advancement. Trezlan figured whatever had gotten him stuck there would keep working, but Trezlan had caught up with things and it was high time to sort out what in the five fires was going on. Trezlan didn't trust driving back, and so he walked back to town, once there he saw the pest people creatures. They were still banging on the door from when Clarissa had been run off.
"Well not the first time I've seen shit like this." Was his thought as he brought up some fire, burning always worked on bugs, they made a nice crackle when you cooked them. The first four went down without too much trouble aside from the smell, it was a horrible smell. That only summoned more of the creatures. Trezlan was caught wondering how he'd missed them his first time through, he admitted to himself but wouldn't to anyone else he might have been a bit sloppy in checking.
He figured the ones banging on the door must have been doing it because of Clarissa having gone into the building, so he followed after her. Unfortunately she'd locked the door from the other side, but Trezlan had fire magic, he cooked the hinges and knocked the door down, since he was confident if more of the bug people came he could cook their asses too. The smell was rotten as he climbed the steps, each foot fall made him want to retreat, but he knew Clarissa had come up there and so he had to follow. At the top he saw it, a large bug creature it had wrapped a tentacle around Clarissa, a larva of its near by ready to be attached.
"INTERLOPER!!!" The thought hit him in the head with a scathing pain.
"I knew just fucking knew that something like you would cross over."
"Necromancer, your mind is not unknown to us, but know that if you harm me the girl dies she is one with the family now."
"Unlikely, not until you fully attach one of your rotten spawn, which won't be happening." Trezlan had fought one of these creatures before, smaller and less entrenched, but still the same disgusting smell. Being able to trap people's minds was new, but maybe that was something it had learned since arriving on earth.
"You won't be doing anything." He felt a pain in his head, shooting at first and then spreading from there. And then Trezlan felt a sudden need to argue with Gilbert back at the van. He was mildly surprised Gilbert was actually right next to him and carrying some kind of grenade. He threw it towards the center of the room and Trezlan was shaken from the mind control immediately, the screaming of the mother creature caught Trezlan, Clarissa, and Gilbert off guard it was an intense stabbing pain. Gilbert ran to free Clarissa from the mother parasite, its rapid thrashing was quickly destroying the room they were in, plus the fire from Gilbert's grenade. They ran down the stairs the death throes of the creature in their heads. Once again in the light of day did they finally relax.
"So nice of you two to wander off with out me." Gilbert's words brought both Clarissa and Trezlan to give him a stink eye.
"God it feels like we've been arguing for days." Trezlan's voice was hoarse, his body weak. Gilbert didn't even seem to be listening to him anymore. He did notice there were multiple empty bottles of water at his feet, he didn't bring them, but he didn't notice Clarissa there either.
"If you'd just listen to me Trezlan." But Trezlan wasn't listening to Gilbert anymore, the pain of standing hit him all at once. Trezlan collapsed in the dirt.
"What the hell happened to us Gilbert?"
"Some kind of your nonesense." Gilbert seemed unaffected by the time advancement. Trezlan figured whatever had gotten him stuck there would keep working, but Trezlan had caught up with things and it was high time to sort out what in the five fires was going on. Trezlan didn't trust driving back, and so he walked back to town, once there he saw the pest people creatures. They were still banging on the door from when Clarissa had been run off.
"Well not the first time I've seen shit like this." Was his thought as he brought up some fire, burning always worked on bugs, they made a nice crackle when you cooked them. The first four went down without too much trouble aside from the smell, it was a horrible smell. That only summoned more of the creatures. Trezlan was caught wondering how he'd missed them his first time through, he admitted to himself but wouldn't to anyone else he might have been a bit sloppy in checking.
He figured the ones banging on the door must have been doing it because of Clarissa having gone into the building, so he followed after her. Unfortunately she'd locked the door from the other side, but Trezlan had fire magic, he cooked the hinges and knocked the door down, since he was confident if more of the bug people came he could cook their asses too. The smell was rotten as he climbed the steps, each foot fall made him want to retreat, but he knew Clarissa had come up there and so he had to follow. At the top he saw it, a large bug creature it had wrapped a tentacle around Clarissa, a larva of its near by ready to be attached.
"INTERLOPER!!!" The thought hit him in the head with a scathing pain.
"I knew just fucking knew that something like you would cross over."
"Necromancer, your mind is not unknown to us, but know that if you harm me the girl dies she is one with the family now."
"Unlikely, not until you fully attach one of your rotten spawn, which won't be happening." Trezlan had fought one of these creatures before, smaller and less entrenched, but still the same disgusting smell. Being able to trap people's minds was new, but maybe that was something it had learned since arriving on earth.
"You won't be doing anything." He felt a pain in his head, shooting at first and then spreading from there. And then Trezlan felt a sudden need to argue with Gilbert back at the van. He was mildly surprised Gilbert was actually right next to him and carrying some kind of grenade. He threw it towards the center of the room and Trezlan was shaken from the mind control immediately, the screaming of the mother creature caught Trezlan, Clarissa, and Gilbert off guard it was an intense stabbing pain. Gilbert ran to free Clarissa from the mother parasite, its rapid thrashing was quickly destroying the room they were in, plus the fire from Gilbert's grenade. They ran down the stairs the death throes of the creature in their heads. Once again in the light of day did they finally relax.
"So nice of you two to wander off with out me." Gilbert's words brought both Clarissa and Trezlan to give him a stink eye.
Friday, August 2, 2019
A Most Ingenious Trap
132.
Clarissa just didn't understand how the two idiots couldn't understand how they had been repeating each other over and over again for two whole days, their bodies already showing the time their minds did not recognize. She worried she too was losing her mind, and her assumption that they couldn't see it was also just a replay of the events. But she'd been able to do things, effect things, she had marked on a sign the days they'd been there just to tell herself time was advancing.
"You can't save them." The voice caused Clarissa to jump. She had been so lost in her own fears and thoughts she didn't even notice the ragged looking woman in front of her. Her clothes were torn, her skin showed signs of self harm, the eyes a crazy gleam.
"Who are you?"
"You're all dead, it wants you here, it trapped all of us for you and now its got you!" She pulled a knife and sliced her throat in front of Clarissa. Clarissa didn't even react, the woman killed herself in a horror of blood and all Clarissa could do was shrug and think "God today sucks" she'd become so desensitized to the work as an exterminator watching someone kill themselves was just another day. It did alert Clarissa there was definitely something causing this, and potentially other crazy people in the town of bend she might have to deal with. She made a journey back to the van where Trezlan and Gilbert were playing out their road show, made sure to give them both water again as she'd been doing the last few days, and loaded up on weapons and ointments to take down whatever was in town.
Trezlan had claimed he'd used a lot of rituals in town and Clarissa could see the results of them. Just weird blood writing scrolled on to everything. She assumed that was Trezlan and not the creature. She had hoped Trezlan failed because he couldn't see the creature, and less the creature was too powerful. Clarissa had made it back to the center of town when she saw them. They looked almost to be human at first, just shambling towards her. It wasn't until she could make out the insect like creatures attached to their heads she witnessed the full horror approaching her.
There were five of them at first, and then more as Clarissa stood there in horror. The woman killing herself wasn't an issue. Some kind of parasite moving people against their will? This was true terror. She put some arrows in the nearest ones and they went down without too much trouble. The remaining alive released a high pitch scream that hurt her ears at a distance. With the screaming the shambling corpses picked up their pace at approaching her. Clarissa made for the nearest building she could find, which had the door mercifully open. She got inside and slammed it shut locking the door behind her. The parasites slammed on the door over and over trying to get in, but it was a hard metal security door she felt safe at least.
Clarissa had shut herself into a two story building, she cursed herself for not fully exploring the town prior. Hoping at the time to fix Gilbert and Trezlan she didn't bother to find out anything about Bend much to her detriment. She now had the parasites and whatever was controlling them to contend with. As she hesitantly walked up the stairs, she could smell something in the building that had her neck hairs stand up. When she got to the top of the stairs the smell was almost overwhelming and she could see why.
At the top were more parasites latched on to people, draining them. They were connected to the former walls of the building like some grotesque alien like nightmare. Clarissa almost screamed, but was afraid that would alert the creatures. In the center of the loft like second floor was what Clarissa assumed was the "mother" of the creatures, a bloated bile spewing creature that was giving birth and decorating at the same time.
"Welcome child." The voice was in her head, the creature looked at her it's several hundred eyes. "Welcome to the family."
Clarissa just didn't understand how the two idiots couldn't understand how they had been repeating each other over and over again for two whole days, their bodies already showing the time their minds did not recognize. She worried she too was losing her mind, and her assumption that they couldn't see it was also just a replay of the events. But she'd been able to do things, effect things, she had marked on a sign the days they'd been there just to tell herself time was advancing.
"You can't save them." The voice caused Clarissa to jump. She had been so lost in her own fears and thoughts she didn't even notice the ragged looking woman in front of her. Her clothes were torn, her skin showed signs of self harm, the eyes a crazy gleam.
"Who are you?"
"You're all dead, it wants you here, it trapped all of us for you and now its got you!" She pulled a knife and sliced her throat in front of Clarissa. Clarissa didn't even react, the woman killed herself in a horror of blood and all Clarissa could do was shrug and think "God today sucks" she'd become so desensitized to the work as an exterminator watching someone kill themselves was just another day. It did alert Clarissa there was definitely something causing this, and potentially other crazy people in the town of bend she might have to deal with. She made a journey back to the van where Trezlan and Gilbert were playing out their road show, made sure to give them both water again as she'd been doing the last few days, and loaded up on weapons and ointments to take down whatever was in town.
Trezlan had claimed he'd used a lot of rituals in town and Clarissa could see the results of them. Just weird blood writing scrolled on to everything. She assumed that was Trezlan and not the creature. She had hoped Trezlan failed because he couldn't see the creature, and less the creature was too powerful. Clarissa had made it back to the center of town when she saw them. They looked almost to be human at first, just shambling towards her. It wasn't until she could make out the insect like creatures attached to their heads she witnessed the full horror approaching her.
There were five of them at first, and then more as Clarissa stood there in horror. The woman killing herself wasn't an issue. Some kind of parasite moving people against their will? This was true terror. She put some arrows in the nearest ones and they went down without too much trouble. The remaining alive released a high pitch scream that hurt her ears at a distance. With the screaming the shambling corpses picked up their pace at approaching her. Clarissa made for the nearest building she could find, which had the door mercifully open. She got inside and slammed it shut locking the door behind her. The parasites slammed on the door over and over trying to get in, but it was a hard metal security door she felt safe at least.
Clarissa had shut herself into a two story building, she cursed herself for not fully exploring the town prior. Hoping at the time to fix Gilbert and Trezlan she didn't bother to find out anything about Bend much to her detriment. She now had the parasites and whatever was controlling them to contend with. As she hesitantly walked up the stairs, she could smell something in the building that had her neck hairs stand up. When she got to the top of the stairs the smell was almost overwhelming and she could see why.
At the top were more parasites latched on to people, draining them. They were connected to the former walls of the building like some grotesque alien like nightmare. Clarissa almost screamed, but was afraid that would alert the creatures. In the center of the loft like second floor was what Clarissa assumed was the "mother" of the creatures, a bloated bile spewing creature that was giving birth and decorating at the same time.
"Welcome child." The voice was in her head, the creature looked at her it's several hundred eyes. "Welcome to the family."
Friday, July 26, 2019
Bend it Like Oregon
131.
"The universe hates me, there can be no other explanation of this." The city of Bend was empty, or translocated or not on this world as it existed. Trezlan didn't know for sure, he only knew his own dumbassery had once again screwed him. He'd been wandering around down town for what felt like a day and nothing had changed. Everything was empty, everyone was gone, and there was no way of leaving. Anytime Trezlan attempted to leave he'd return back to the town like he'd never attempted to escape. Bend was also immensely boring. The kind of place you accidentally stop in on the way to somewhere more interesting and woe be to you for stopping. Several rituals, lots of bloodletting, and even attempting to just burn the town down had failed to illicit a response. Trezlan was 100% stuck there, and now he had to hope for the one thing he didn't want initially, Gilbert to show up.
****
"Absolutely nothing in Bend."
"Well there has to be a town or something."
"I mean beyond that, no clubs, no activities, just some rando town in Oregon." Clarissa had looked it up on her phone. Gilbert figured there would be nothing, and he was proven right, just like most things in Oregon. The road to Bend was deserted. Just one long empty highway, this worried Gilbert more and more as they approached. He stopped when the GPS said they were twenty miles out.
"No traffic, either direction, its fucking spooky its midday."
"Well it is eastern Oregon."
"No this is unusual even for this part of a state. There should be someone coming or going, though I fear I noticed this too late, whatever is here has already gotten us. Look to the horizon and notice there is a vague fog in the distance? We're stuck here now."
"Shit."
"Don't worry this would happen eventually, this kind of shit tends to just exist in my life."
"Well its somewhat new to me Gilbert." Just then a car came speeding at them, Gilbert wondered if it had just been a slow day and they weren't trapped. Until the car stopped and Trezlan got out.
"OH THANK THE GODS YOU'RE HERE!"
****
"So that's where I'm at with all of this Gilbert." Trezlan had recounted everything he'd figured out up until that point.
"Impressive you've been here for hours and found out nothing Trezlan."
"Words hurt Gilbert."
"Would you two stop christ we've been here two days and you're still arguing." Clarissa's comment shook Trezlan and Gilbert, it had only be a few hours or so they thought.
"Clarissa what are you on about, we've been here less than an hour."
"Yeah I'd certainly remember arguing for two days."
"WE'VE LITERALLY HAD THIS CONVERSATION THE LAST TWO DAYS! LOOK AT YOURSELVES YOU'RE UNCLEAN SHAVEN!"
"There is no need to sh..." Clarissa yelled to the air and walked off, this conversation had played itself out several times over and it was driving her insane. Gilbert and Trezlan like a broken record went right back to what they'd been saying.
"The universe hates me, there can be no other explanation of this." The city of Bend was empty, or translocated or not on this world as it existed. Trezlan didn't know for sure, he only knew his own dumbassery had once again screwed him. He'd been wandering around down town for what felt like a day and nothing had changed. Everything was empty, everyone was gone, and there was no way of leaving. Anytime Trezlan attempted to leave he'd return back to the town like he'd never attempted to escape. Bend was also immensely boring. The kind of place you accidentally stop in on the way to somewhere more interesting and woe be to you for stopping. Several rituals, lots of bloodletting, and even attempting to just burn the town down had failed to illicit a response. Trezlan was 100% stuck there, and now he had to hope for the one thing he didn't want initially, Gilbert to show up.
****
"Absolutely nothing in Bend."
"Well there has to be a town or something."
"I mean beyond that, no clubs, no activities, just some rando town in Oregon." Clarissa had looked it up on her phone. Gilbert figured there would be nothing, and he was proven right, just like most things in Oregon. The road to Bend was deserted. Just one long empty highway, this worried Gilbert more and more as they approached. He stopped when the GPS said they were twenty miles out.
"No traffic, either direction, its fucking spooky its midday."
"Well it is eastern Oregon."
"No this is unusual even for this part of a state. There should be someone coming or going, though I fear I noticed this too late, whatever is here has already gotten us. Look to the horizon and notice there is a vague fog in the distance? We're stuck here now."
"Shit."
"Don't worry this would happen eventually, this kind of shit tends to just exist in my life."
"Well its somewhat new to me Gilbert." Just then a car came speeding at them, Gilbert wondered if it had just been a slow day and they weren't trapped. Until the car stopped and Trezlan got out.
"OH THANK THE GODS YOU'RE HERE!"
****
"So that's where I'm at with all of this Gilbert." Trezlan had recounted everything he'd figured out up until that point.
"Impressive you've been here for hours and found out nothing Trezlan."
"Words hurt Gilbert."
"Would you two stop christ we've been here two days and you're still arguing." Clarissa's comment shook Trezlan and Gilbert, it had only be a few hours or so they thought.
"Clarissa what are you on about, we've been here less than an hour."
"Yeah I'd certainly remember arguing for two days."
"WE'VE LITERALLY HAD THIS CONVERSATION THE LAST TWO DAYS! LOOK AT YOURSELVES YOU'RE UNCLEAN SHAVEN!"
"There is no need to sh..." Clarissa yelled to the air and walked off, this conversation had played itself out several times over and it was driving her insane. Gilbert and Trezlan like a broken record went right back to what they'd been saying.
Friday, July 19, 2019
Concern Noted
130.
"You're not worried at all about what he did?" Gilbert and Clarissa were back in the van, Trezlan said he'd get an uber back up north. The missing person's group were cleaning up the the skin walkers. Gilbert felt very successful, yet not at all satisfied with the outcome.
"I mean my arm feels tingly, but I'm sure it'll be fine, I'm more concerned Trezlan Lorentino isn't just a liar like I'd thought of for years, that's going to hurt my ego."
"Gilbert I'm serious he used hard M magic on you."
"I'll be fine Clarissa really, its not even the first time I've been healed with weird shit, believe me, if anything that was one of the least intrusive versions of it."
"Fine be all Gilbert about it."
"What does being all Gilbert about something mean?"
"It's just that..." Clarissa was interrupted by Gilbert's phone was ringing, he figured it was probably Doris wondering when they'd be back, but he could see it was coming from Trezlan and he wanted to hang up.
"What?"
"Sorry to bother you I was on the way home with this lovely carriage driver when I was hit by a specific blend of memories from the walker skins, I won't go into why I have their memories, but I do. Anyway long story short those weren't the only things after you."
"Telling me shit I already know Trezlan."
"Well look at you Mr. Everyone wants to kill me, fine fine. Just stay out of Bend Oregon." Trezlan hung up at that. Gilbert looked at Clarissa who looked back equally bewildered.
"What's in Bend Oregon?" They both wondered as they drove into the night.
****
"I wouldn't worry about the dumb shit Trezlan says, he one time told me that I should watch out for an arms dealer named Hanlon and I looked the name up and aside from the name of a character in a western it was a nothing, on your left." It had been two days since Trezlan's warning, Clarissa and Gilbert were in a ware house exterminating "dire rats" which were rats the size of small dogs.
"But why warn you about bend, wouldn't that encourage you to visit bend?" Clarissa fired an arrow through one of the rats and skewered it head to tail.
"Why would I visit Oregon? I mean if I want to watch people confused by pumping gas I can watch videos on youtube."
"You just can't get over that can you?"
"Nope, and I never will." Dire rats were not much of an issue, almost the kind of thing you could call a regular exterminator for, if not for the hell portal they normally came from. You needed a real professional for that.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Close the hell portal."
"Well obviously, but beyond that?"
"Sleep? I don't care about Bend Oregon, and Trezlan's warning might as well be 'Don't visit the moon'."
"Fair enough when we wind up in Oregon don't say I didn't warn you."
****
Gilbert drove past the welcome to Oregon sign and Clarissa made a slight laugh.
"Don't say a fucking thing."
"You're not worried at all about what he did?" Gilbert and Clarissa were back in the van, Trezlan said he'd get an uber back up north. The missing person's group were cleaning up the the skin walkers. Gilbert felt very successful, yet not at all satisfied with the outcome.
"I mean my arm feels tingly, but I'm sure it'll be fine, I'm more concerned Trezlan Lorentino isn't just a liar like I'd thought of for years, that's going to hurt my ego."
"Gilbert I'm serious he used hard M magic on you."
"I'll be fine Clarissa really, its not even the first time I've been healed with weird shit, believe me, if anything that was one of the least intrusive versions of it."
"Fine be all Gilbert about it."
"What does being all Gilbert about something mean?"
"It's just that..." Clarissa was interrupted by Gilbert's phone was ringing, he figured it was probably Doris wondering when they'd be back, but he could see it was coming from Trezlan and he wanted to hang up.
"What?"
"Sorry to bother you I was on the way home with this lovely carriage driver when I was hit by a specific blend of memories from the walker skins, I won't go into why I have their memories, but I do. Anyway long story short those weren't the only things after you."
"Telling me shit I already know Trezlan."
"Well look at you Mr. Everyone wants to kill me, fine fine. Just stay out of Bend Oregon." Trezlan hung up at that. Gilbert looked at Clarissa who looked back equally bewildered.
"What's in Bend Oregon?" They both wondered as they drove into the night.
****
"I wouldn't worry about the dumb shit Trezlan says, he one time told me that I should watch out for an arms dealer named Hanlon and I looked the name up and aside from the name of a character in a western it was a nothing, on your left." It had been two days since Trezlan's warning, Clarissa and Gilbert were in a ware house exterminating "dire rats" which were rats the size of small dogs.
"But why warn you about bend, wouldn't that encourage you to visit bend?" Clarissa fired an arrow through one of the rats and skewered it head to tail.
"Why would I visit Oregon? I mean if I want to watch people confused by pumping gas I can watch videos on youtube."
"You just can't get over that can you?"
"Nope, and I never will." Dire rats were not much of an issue, almost the kind of thing you could call a regular exterminator for, if not for the hell portal they normally came from. You needed a real professional for that.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Close the hell portal."
"Well obviously, but beyond that?"
"Sleep? I don't care about Bend Oregon, and Trezlan's warning might as well be 'Don't visit the moon'."
"Fair enough when we wind up in Oregon don't say I didn't warn you."
****
Gilbert drove past the welcome to Oregon sign and Clarissa made a slight laugh.
"Don't say a fucking thing."
Friday, July 12, 2019
The Usefulness of the Useless
129.
"I'm still at a loss as to why I was punished with you." Gilbert and Trezlan had been paired up, Clarissa would go with the two missing person's detectives in a move Gilbert was still wondering how he agreed to it.
"You brought me, clearly they felt I should remain with you, well that and I don't do well with authority."
"You don't say."
"I do say, very often, so why are we in the woods looking for these walker skins?" Gilbert sighed, his arm was feeling numb from the injury earlier he was getting worried it was worse than he thought.
"Skin Walkers, and this is where they wanted us before, so..."
"So you think the best way to stop a trap is to walk right into it? Bold move, stupid but bold, though I guess you could be one of these walker skins things and just leading me into a trap, in which case that's stupid and stupid."
"Stupider than you just bringing that sword and none of the things you sold me that kill them?" Trezlan laughed, compared to how everyone else was dressed, his suit and light coat with the sword did seem out of place. The detectives had actually questioned what he was doing there.
"There is very little in this world my magic and this sword can't kill, Trust me Mr Dunkley I'm not using a stake like some kind of lesser person." Gilbert was about to ask what the lesser person crack meant when he heard an odd yowling. Trezlan heard it too, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Well we know they know we're here."
"I hope you've got something actually planned Mr. Dunkley we're alone in the woods in a trap you specifically said they set for us."
"Was hoping I could just turn you over to them honestly."
"Ha that was my plan Mr. Dunkley." There were four of the skin walkers. They had emerged from the woods in partial human coyote form, their skin glistened unnaturally in the moon light. Gilbert guessed this was the extent of the pack after he and Clarissa had killed one earlier, which meant Trezlan and he would have to take on the rest of the pack.
"Give us Dunkley, and we'll let you live." The voice sounded gutteral and too high pitched, like the imitation of human speech Skin Walkers were known for.
"Sorry he's a paying customer, and you're a walker skin." Trezlan took up a posture with his sword, Gilbert took out the elk horn stake in his good hand and prepared for what he didn't know. He felt like this whole thing had gotten out of his hand and now he had to rely on either Clarissa and the detectives finding him or worse Trezlan not being a complete idiot. Gilbert feared death was certain. The four skin walkers spread out, surrounding Gilbert and Trezlan, and then slinked back into the forest temporarily. Gilbert and Trezlan both knew it was to attack where they couldn't see them.
"I'm open to ideas Trezlan."
"Is that you asking for my help?"
"Well you're here they are going to eat you too."
"Too true, these walker skins are kind of dumb though, who leaves a necromancer by himself before an attack?" Trezlan pulled the sword up into his hand and pulled it once slicing it open. Gilbert was going to ask what that would do, but then Trezlan spun around them in a circle and the blood seemed to float from his hand to the trees and ground around them in some form of magic circle. The walkers ran through his circle for what good it did, Trezlan did not seem at all concerned.
"Fool you think your attempt at magic can harm us?"
"Think? No, know? Yes." Gilbert feared he had trusted Trezlan to do something in the exact way that he'd get killed by an idiot, but the skin walkers didn't advance. They didn't move, they were stuck in place as if something was holding them there. "Go ahead Mr. Dunkley use your little stake on these creatures they can not move."
"What did you do to them?"
"A blood curse, they crossed the circle uninvited and were detained." Gilbert moved from one of the skin walkers to the other with ease killing them with a shove of the stake. When he got to the last one Trezlan held his hand.
"Trezlan I don't know if your blood curse will keep them here forever."
"It won't, but one moment." Trezlan put his hand on the creature and then touched Gilbert, the pain in Gilbert shoulder got intense, like a searing burning pain, and then it was gone, his shoulder was fixed. The creature shriveled like an Indiana Jones villain, turning to dust as it fell.
"What was that?"
"Something you probably don't want to know about, but your shoulder is fixed you're welcome." Gilbert didn't like what he did, but he couldn't argue with the results.
"So you have a use after all Trezlan."
"Shhh don't tell anyone or I'll be so hassled on this world I'll have to go to another one."
"I'm still at a loss as to why I was punished with you." Gilbert and Trezlan had been paired up, Clarissa would go with the two missing person's detectives in a move Gilbert was still wondering how he agreed to it.
"You brought me, clearly they felt I should remain with you, well that and I don't do well with authority."
"You don't say."
"I do say, very often, so why are we in the woods looking for these walker skins?" Gilbert sighed, his arm was feeling numb from the injury earlier he was getting worried it was worse than he thought.
"Skin Walkers, and this is where they wanted us before, so..."
"So you think the best way to stop a trap is to walk right into it? Bold move, stupid but bold, though I guess you could be one of these walker skins things and just leading me into a trap, in which case that's stupid and stupid."
"Stupider than you just bringing that sword and none of the things you sold me that kill them?" Trezlan laughed, compared to how everyone else was dressed, his suit and light coat with the sword did seem out of place. The detectives had actually questioned what he was doing there.
"There is very little in this world my magic and this sword can't kill, Trust me Mr Dunkley I'm not using a stake like some kind of lesser person." Gilbert was about to ask what the lesser person crack meant when he heard an odd yowling. Trezlan heard it too, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Well we know they know we're here."
"I hope you've got something actually planned Mr. Dunkley we're alone in the woods in a trap you specifically said they set for us."
"Was hoping I could just turn you over to them honestly."
"Ha that was my plan Mr. Dunkley." There were four of the skin walkers. They had emerged from the woods in partial human coyote form, their skin glistened unnaturally in the moon light. Gilbert guessed this was the extent of the pack after he and Clarissa had killed one earlier, which meant Trezlan and he would have to take on the rest of the pack.
"Give us Dunkley, and we'll let you live." The voice sounded gutteral and too high pitched, like the imitation of human speech Skin Walkers were known for.
"Sorry he's a paying customer, and you're a walker skin." Trezlan took up a posture with his sword, Gilbert took out the elk horn stake in his good hand and prepared for what he didn't know. He felt like this whole thing had gotten out of his hand and now he had to rely on either Clarissa and the detectives finding him or worse Trezlan not being a complete idiot. Gilbert feared death was certain. The four skin walkers spread out, surrounding Gilbert and Trezlan, and then slinked back into the forest temporarily. Gilbert and Trezlan both knew it was to attack where they couldn't see them.
"I'm open to ideas Trezlan."
"Is that you asking for my help?"
"Well you're here they are going to eat you too."
"Too true, these walker skins are kind of dumb though, who leaves a necromancer by himself before an attack?" Trezlan pulled the sword up into his hand and pulled it once slicing it open. Gilbert was going to ask what that would do, but then Trezlan spun around them in a circle and the blood seemed to float from his hand to the trees and ground around them in some form of magic circle. The walkers ran through his circle for what good it did, Trezlan did not seem at all concerned.
"Fool you think your attempt at magic can harm us?"
"Think? No, know? Yes." Gilbert feared he had trusted Trezlan to do something in the exact way that he'd get killed by an idiot, but the skin walkers didn't advance. They didn't move, they were stuck in place as if something was holding them there. "Go ahead Mr. Dunkley use your little stake on these creatures they can not move."
"What did you do to them?"
"A blood curse, they crossed the circle uninvited and were detained." Gilbert moved from one of the skin walkers to the other with ease killing them with a shove of the stake. When he got to the last one Trezlan held his hand.
"Trezlan I don't know if your blood curse will keep them here forever."
"It won't, but one moment." Trezlan put his hand on the creature and then touched Gilbert, the pain in Gilbert shoulder got intense, like a searing burning pain, and then it was gone, his shoulder was fixed. The creature shriveled like an Indiana Jones villain, turning to dust as it fell.
"What was that?"
"Something you probably don't want to know about, but your shoulder is fixed you're welcome." Gilbert didn't like what he did, but he couldn't argue with the results.
"So you have a use after all Trezlan."
"Shhh don't tell anyone or I'll be so hassled on this world I'll have to go to another one."
Friday, July 5, 2019
The Worst Help From the Worst Person
128.
"This van smells bad."
"No one invited you!" Clarissa and Gilbert said it in unison. They'd been driving for thirty minutes and twenty nine of those minutes was Trezlan complaining.
"Rude of both of you to attack me like that when I'm providing my extensive experience in aiding you on this adventure."
"You bribed your way onto this adventure Trezlan." Gilbert thought to himself he should never have agreed. A thought that kept repeating itself to him.
"What even are you anyway?" Gilbert wanted to tell Clarissa what she just asked was the worst question to ask, but it was too late, he could hear the inhale of breath from Trezlan.
"Well since you asked unlike your rude employer. I come from a land your gutteral tongue can't pronounce so I shall not try. I arrived here mostly on accident, I had been adventuring myself in a cave when a portal opened and deposited me here several hundred years ago." Clarissa looked to Gilbert who shook his head in a 'this guy is full of shit' sort of way.
"So you're hundreds of years old?"
"Several hundreds of years, I'm a necromancer, I keep my life force going by taking from others."
"Just to let you know Clarissa he's some kind of something, but between his bullshit and lies I haven't been able to tell specifically what he is other than stupid and dangerous."
"You're contributions to my story is appreciated Gilbert, I really enjoy these allegations from you."
"Glad I could help Trezlan."
"Anyway, I take life from others to keep my own going, I was very thankful even though this world seems to lack the magic of my world, my magic still works here, mostly. It's just a lot harder to do stuff like conjure fire."
"Conjure fire?"
"Yeah like this." Trezlan had a fire ball manifest in his hand for a brief moment before it disappeared. It surprised Clarissa to see like actual real magic.
"It's a parlor trick, you can see people on the vegas strip do the same thing."
"I highly doubt that Gilbert, people on the Vegas strip can't engulf their whole bodies in flame, well not do that and live for long after I should say."
"So are you unique where you come from? Or is it a planet full of necromancers?" Trezlan shivered at the thought of a planet of necromancers.
"No its just me, and one other person I hope to kill one day when I get back."
"Oh well good talk." Clarissa could see why Gilbert didn't like Trezlan. Gilbert could see in her face she had come to the correct position Trezlan was stupid and dangerous.
"Look he totally earned it ok, like if you knew Morley like I know Morley. Ok nevermind just drive on."
****
"And who's this asshole now?"
"Don't like start Garcia."
"Trezlan Lorentino I can explain my presence here..."
"This van smells bad."
"No one invited you!" Clarissa and Gilbert said it in unison. They'd been driving for thirty minutes and twenty nine of those minutes was Trezlan complaining.
"Rude of both of you to attack me like that when I'm providing my extensive experience in aiding you on this adventure."
"You bribed your way onto this adventure Trezlan." Gilbert thought to himself he should never have agreed. A thought that kept repeating itself to him.
"What even are you anyway?" Gilbert wanted to tell Clarissa what she just asked was the worst question to ask, but it was too late, he could hear the inhale of breath from Trezlan.
"Well since you asked unlike your rude employer. I come from a land your gutteral tongue can't pronounce so I shall not try. I arrived here mostly on accident, I had been adventuring myself in a cave when a portal opened and deposited me here several hundred years ago." Clarissa looked to Gilbert who shook his head in a 'this guy is full of shit' sort of way.
"So you're hundreds of years old?"
"Several hundreds of years, I'm a necromancer, I keep my life force going by taking from others."
"Just to let you know Clarissa he's some kind of something, but between his bullshit and lies I haven't been able to tell specifically what he is other than stupid and dangerous."
"You're contributions to my story is appreciated Gilbert, I really enjoy these allegations from you."
"Glad I could help Trezlan."
"Anyway, I take life from others to keep my own going, I was very thankful even though this world seems to lack the magic of my world, my magic still works here, mostly. It's just a lot harder to do stuff like conjure fire."
"Conjure fire?"
"Yeah like this." Trezlan had a fire ball manifest in his hand for a brief moment before it disappeared. It surprised Clarissa to see like actual real magic.
"It's a parlor trick, you can see people on the vegas strip do the same thing."
"I highly doubt that Gilbert, people on the Vegas strip can't engulf their whole bodies in flame, well not do that and live for long after I should say."
"So are you unique where you come from? Or is it a planet full of necromancers?" Trezlan shivered at the thought of a planet of necromancers.
"No its just me, and one other person I hope to kill one day when I get back."
"Oh well good talk." Clarissa could see why Gilbert didn't like Trezlan. Gilbert could see in her face she had come to the correct position Trezlan was stupid and dangerous.
"Look he totally earned it ok, like if you knew Morley like I know Morley. Ok nevermind just drive on."
****
"And who's this asshole now?"
"Don't like start Garcia."
"Trezlan Lorentino I can explain my presence here..."
Friday, June 28, 2019
Trans Dimensional Liar Thank You
127.
"Trezlan this is no time for your bullshit." Gilbert could feel the injury with each step, but he still wouldn't put up with Trezlan no matter how hurt he was.
"My bullshit? Ha this from a monster exterminator who doesn't even carry a sword. But since you have a younger companion with you an apprentice of some sort perhaps I'll be kinder, today one time only I'll allow you to bother me with your demands." Trezlan talked almost too fast for Clarissa, like a conman well aware you aren't buying into the con.
"You're too kind."
"It's my worst character trait I admit, since I've been stuck in your world I've grown weaker, its exposure to you people, like a virus I feel infected to be kind, I can not return fast enough."
"Wait you're not from this world?" Clarissa was surprised by this even after everything she'd seen.
"So he claims, but Trezlan also claims to be hundreds of years old, he's the kind of liar you run into if you're unlucky once in a lifetime."
"And Gilbert is one of those uninteresting dullards who does not believe you even when the local natives have stories of you that date back to before this land was settled!"
"Yeah the natives also have a name for you too Trezlan, I can't get the sounds right, but it translates to 'bald man who lies'." Trezlan frowned.
"After everything I've done for them some of it even they asked for, just goes to show you no gratitude for the helpful, speaking of which we're done here out of my shop so paying customers can arrive." Gilbert turned around and looked at the no one in the store.
"I am a paying customer Trezlan, if you let me tell you what I want." Trezlan glowered, but didn't leave his place at the front of the store.
"Well what do you want?"
"Living Elk Horn."
"I don't sell animals here." Trezlan smiled, Gilbert was not having it.
"You know what I want."
"I do, but making people miserable is my favorite thing."
"Mission accomplished, now the Elk horn."
"Popular item that Elk horn, had a park ranger type in here the other day looking for some." Gilbert felt a twinge of pain go through his shoulder at the mention of the park ranger. Clarissa tensed up herself.
"Did you? Last guy I talked to that said that turned out to be one of the things we're hunting."
"I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG!" Trezlan was triumphant like a child, which assured Gilbert he wasn't most likely a Skin Walker, but he wouldn't put it past them to try and trick him either. "I mean anytime someone said Roy Smith recommended me, ha not in this life time, so what are they some kind of changeling?"
"Yeah skin walkers, they can look like people, but they ain't."
"Ooh skin walkers let me write that one down." Trezlan produced a fairly large book and pen and started to write. Gilbert went to say something and Trezlan shushed him. Clarissa found the whole scene funny.
"So do you have the horn or not Trezlan?"
"I do, but you can only have it one condition." Gilbert sighed he knew what was coming, but also knew he needed the horn.
"What is the condition?"
"You have to take me with you!"
"Trezlan this is no time for your bullshit." Gilbert could feel the injury with each step, but he still wouldn't put up with Trezlan no matter how hurt he was.
"My bullshit? Ha this from a monster exterminator who doesn't even carry a sword. But since you have a younger companion with you an apprentice of some sort perhaps I'll be kinder, today one time only I'll allow you to bother me with your demands." Trezlan talked almost too fast for Clarissa, like a conman well aware you aren't buying into the con.
"You're too kind."
"It's my worst character trait I admit, since I've been stuck in your world I've grown weaker, its exposure to you people, like a virus I feel infected to be kind, I can not return fast enough."
"Wait you're not from this world?" Clarissa was surprised by this even after everything she'd seen.
"So he claims, but Trezlan also claims to be hundreds of years old, he's the kind of liar you run into if you're unlucky once in a lifetime."
"And Gilbert is one of those uninteresting dullards who does not believe you even when the local natives have stories of you that date back to before this land was settled!"
"Yeah the natives also have a name for you too Trezlan, I can't get the sounds right, but it translates to 'bald man who lies'." Trezlan frowned.
"After everything I've done for them some of it even they asked for, just goes to show you no gratitude for the helpful, speaking of which we're done here out of my shop so paying customers can arrive." Gilbert turned around and looked at the no one in the store.
"I am a paying customer Trezlan, if you let me tell you what I want." Trezlan glowered, but didn't leave his place at the front of the store.
"Well what do you want?"
"Living Elk Horn."
"I don't sell animals here." Trezlan smiled, Gilbert was not having it.
"You know what I want."
"I do, but making people miserable is my favorite thing."
"Mission accomplished, now the Elk horn."
"Popular item that Elk horn, had a park ranger type in here the other day looking for some." Gilbert felt a twinge of pain go through his shoulder at the mention of the park ranger. Clarissa tensed up herself.
"Did you? Last guy I talked to that said that turned out to be one of the things we're hunting."
"I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG!" Trezlan was triumphant like a child, which assured Gilbert he wasn't most likely a Skin Walker, but he wouldn't put it past them to try and trick him either. "I mean anytime someone said Roy Smith recommended me, ha not in this life time, so what are they some kind of changeling?"
"Yeah skin walkers, they can look like people, but they ain't."
"Ooh skin walkers let me write that one down." Trezlan produced a fairly large book and pen and started to write. Gilbert went to say something and Trezlan shushed him. Clarissa found the whole scene funny.
"So do you have the horn or not Trezlan?"
"I do, but you can only have it one condition." Gilbert sighed he knew what was coming, but also knew he needed the horn.
"What is the condition?"
"You have to take me with you!"
Friday, June 21, 2019
Every Good Trap
126.
"Shit you want isn't cheap Gilbert." Roy Smith was Gilbert's native american artifact supplier. He was an elder in the Duwamish tribe or so he told Gilbert despite his very anglicized name.
"Come on Roy you can't have that much of a need for living elk horn." This was the dance he always did with Roy. It was a tiring endless parade of this thing you want is too expensive, I guess I could see myself letting it go for blah blah, it tired Gilbert, but he felt under the gun and the dance was obnoxious.
"Actually I'm fresh out, a park ranger bought all the stock I had." Gilbert felt that chill run down his spine, the trap being set by the skin walkers was expanding.
"A park ranger named Simmons?"
"I can't remember for sure, something like that."
"You don't remember for sure? You've got video right? Lets just check that out." Roy tried to say no, but Gilbert had already barreled past him into the office with Clarissa trailing after. The office itself looked like a fight had taken place there, papers and office furniture smashed about. The video player itself lay in pieces. Roy attacked Gilbert with large claws from his hand. Gilbert dodged to the left and ran into part of the wooden desk in the small office, his side burned from banging into it, and then the claws got him on his left shoulder, digging deep in.
Clarissa didn't have her bow with her, it wasn't supposed to be that kind of trip. She did have one of her knives though and she buried it into the skin walker's shoulder. The blade couldn't kill the creature, but it sure did harm it, the creature which was looking less like Roy Smith and more like some a hairless bear turned its attention to Clarissa. She backed out of the office and it followed after her. She tried to look around the shop for something to use against it, but it was all baubles and native american tourism stuff.
"You fucked up now girl, after I eat you, I'll go back for your friend." The skin Walker pulled her knife out and threw it into the wall, the blade went all the way through showing the strength of the creature.
"You'll struggle to do that with my fist in your god damn face." Clarissa just attacked the skin walker, she didn't know why or for what good, but with the options of fight or flee, she took fight. She landed a solid right on the skin walkers jaw which surprised it briefly, but it recovered quickly and snatched her by the throat. With minimal effort it flung her towards the wall and she went through it landing next to Gilbert. Everything hurt for Clarissa, even though the wall wasn't wood she was pretty sure she smashed hard into something.
The Skin Walker advanced on her, it looked bigger than it had before. Clarissa heard something behind her, it sounded like Gilbert. He passed something to her hard and sharp and she knew what it was. The Skin Walker lunged on top of her and she stuck the elk horn hard in its chest, she didn't know if the heart was in the same place as a person, or even where a heart normally was. But she aimed and stabbed. With the aid of the creatures own leap the elk horn stake went through all the way to her hand. The formerly aggressive creature went limp on top of her an almost crushing amount of extra weight.
"Can you like move?" Gilbert who was trapped behind her and in pain from the mauling he'd gotten just wanted to be free.
"I'm trying, but he's heavy and I got thrown through a wall Gilbert."
"Yeah well... can you move?" Clarissa wanted to smack Gilbert, but felt he was probably in worse shape than she was. With a lot of exertion of her legs and some whimpers from Gilbert when she leaned into him, she got the corpse of the skin walker off of her and got Gilbert free. His shoulder looked really bad to her untrained eyes, just too much blood and skin being loose.
"I'll be fine, but this isn't the only skin walker, they are pack hunters and we need to get out of here before others show up."
"Where will we go?" Clarissa didn't like that they only had a couple of the elk stakes to use, and the one she'd used already looked pretty worse for wear.
"We need to get more living elk, I know another guy but I'm so loathe to use him, but he's our only hope here, you'll have to drive, I'll do my best to patch up." Clarissa agreed even if she felt she should be driving him to a hospital.
****
The sign said TL Antiquities, Clarissa wondered why they'd come to an antique dealer for what they were after, but Gilbert insisted they were at the right place. Gilbert himself looked worse for wear, but he insisted they go inside together. The shop looked like a regular antique shop to Clarissa, if a bit extravagant for the rural area of Bellingham it was located in. The proprietor was a tall thin black man with a red goatee but a bald head.
"The answer is no, now leave my shop." And it only got worse from there.
"Shit you want isn't cheap Gilbert." Roy Smith was Gilbert's native american artifact supplier. He was an elder in the Duwamish tribe or so he told Gilbert despite his very anglicized name.
"Come on Roy you can't have that much of a need for living elk horn." This was the dance he always did with Roy. It was a tiring endless parade of this thing you want is too expensive, I guess I could see myself letting it go for blah blah, it tired Gilbert, but he felt under the gun and the dance was obnoxious.
"Actually I'm fresh out, a park ranger bought all the stock I had." Gilbert felt that chill run down his spine, the trap being set by the skin walkers was expanding.
"A park ranger named Simmons?"
"I can't remember for sure, something like that."
"You don't remember for sure? You've got video right? Lets just check that out." Roy tried to say no, but Gilbert had already barreled past him into the office with Clarissa trailing after. The office itself looked like a fight had taken place there, papers and office furniture smashed about. The video player itself lay in pieces. Roy attacked Gilbert with large claws from his hand. Gilbert dodged to the left and ran into part of the wooden desk in the small office, his side burned from banging into it, and then the claws got him on his left shoulder, digging deep in.
Clarissa didn't have her bow with her, it wasn't supposed to be that kind of trip. She did have one of her knives though and she buried it into the skin walker's shoulder. The blade couldn't kill the creature, but it sure did harm it, the creature which was looking less like Roy Smith and more like some a hairless bear turned its attention to Clarissa. She backed out of the office and it followed after her. She tried to look around the shop for something to use against it, but it was all baubles and native american tourism stuff.
"You fucked up now girl, after I eat you, I'll go back for your friend." The skin Walker pulled her knife out and threw it into the wall, the blade went all the way through showing the strength of the creature.
"You'll struggle to do that with my fist in your god damn face." Clarissa just attacked the skin walker, she didn't know why or for what good, but with the options of fight or flee, she took fight. She landed a solid right on the skin walkers jaw which surprised it briefly, but it recovered quickly and snatched her by the throat. With minimal effort it flung her towards the wall and she went through it landing next to Gilbert. Everything hurt for Clarissa, even though the wall wasn't wood she was pretty sure she smashed hard into something.
The Skin Walker advanced on her, it looked bigger than it had before. Clarissa heard something behind her, it sounded like Gilbert. He passed something to her hard and sharp and she knew what it was. The Skin Walker lunged on top of her and she stuck the elk horn hard in its chest, she didn't know if the heart was in the same place as a person, or even where a heart normally was. But she aimed and stabbed. With the aid of the creatures own leap the elk horn stake went through all the way to her hand. The formerly aggressive creature went limp on top of her an almost crushing amount of extra weight.
"Can you like move?" Gilbert who was trapped behind her and in pain from the mauling he'd gotten just wanted to be free.
"I'm trying, but he's heavy and I got thrown through a wall Gilbert."
"Yeah well... can you move?" Clarissa wanted to smack Gilbert, but felt he was probably in worse shape than she was. With a lot of exertion of her legs and some whimpers from Gilbert when she leaned into him, she got the corpse of the skin walker off of her and got Gilbert free. His shoulder looked really bad to her untrained eyes, just too much blood and skin being loose.
"I'll be fine, but this isn't the only skin walker, they are pack hunters and we need to get out of here before others show up."
"Where will we go?" Clarissa didn't like that they only had a couple of the elk stakes to use, and the one she'd used already looked pretty worse for wear.
"We need to get more living elk, I know another guy but I'm so loathe to use him, but he's our only hope here, you'll have to drive, I'll do my best to patch up." Clarissa agreed even if she felt she should be driving him to a hospital.
****
The sign said TL Antiquities, Clarissa wondered why they'd come to an antique dealer for what they were after, but Gilbert insisted they were at the right place. Gilbert himself looked worse for wear, but he insisted they go inside together. The shop looked like a regular antique shop to Clarissa, if a bit extravagant for the rural area of Bellingham it was located in. The proprietor was a tall thin black man with a red goatee but a bald head.
"The answer is no, now leave my shop." And it only got worse from there.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Shape Shifting Assholes
125.
"Shape shifting assholes." Clarissa and Gilbert had mostly been quiet since they got the cheap hotel room. Both had seen the other in various forms of naked for a while now so neither were bothered by taking showers in the presence of the other. Gilbert was the first one to really speak as he was drying his hair.
"What are?"
"Skin walkers, you hadn't asked, but I figured you would eventually. They are a native american demon, or at least natives ran across them first. They tend to hide as a lot of different animals, even people, but really they are just shape shifting assholes." Gilbert still didn't like what had happened, and unsprung trap is scary, it shows intent but not follow through.
"So what do they want normally?"
"To torture people mentally and physically and then kill and eat them. They are like an evil shape changing cat, usually pack hunters too." Clarissa shivered the air felt too cold all at once.
"So how do we kill them?"
"Elk horn of a living elk right to the heart."
"Living Elk?"
"Means you can't have killed it, not that we have to like get an elk to ram one through the chest, though I admit the idea of tricking a pack of skin walkers into a pack of elk is amusing."
"So do you have some of this elk stuff available?"
"I have one knife, but I know where I can get more, and we'll need more, this pack of skin walkers are not just some monster hiding in the forest, they have a plan here and that's worrying to me, come on lets get to Missing Persons, Garcia and Micheals won't wait all day.
****
Missing Persons was in the sub basement of the sub basement. It wasn't even the official branch of the missing person's department, that was upstairs in the regular department areas. Where Micheals and Garcia worked was next to a bunch of things that wouldn't have looked out of place in the X-Files. Officially the Seattle Police Department did not believe in monsters, nor sending officers to chase them, unofficially if you pissed off the right people you wound up in "missing persons". Tasked with chasing down every bump in the night and every dumb kook in the city who claimed they saw a bigfoot. Micheals actually had some wins since she got busted down from Lieutenant due to a nebulous personnel complaint. She had Gilbert to thank for those when she called him up on a whim when reading the back of some Cryptozoological magazine.
"Christ every time I come here it looks sadder than the last time." Gilbert laughed at the two desk set up and the "wanted bigfoot" poster on big display between them.
"Nothing quite as sad as your sense of humor Gilbert, what took you two so long?"
"Imp juice soaks your skin, you have to scrub for a few minutes." Clarissa ever the haggard old hand at killing monsters spoke for Gilbert.
"I was trying to balance cheap and won't get a disease from being in the room when selecting my motel." Gilbert still didn't like how much he had to pay, but he made due with at least the shower was hot.
"Well while you two were dinking around we found out shit, Simmons the ranger, and the two joggers are now missing, so the trap was sprung." Garcia got up and put the pictures of the three missing people on the board underneath big foot. Gilbert shook his head, that didn't make sense, why kill people after you'd lured them to a location. He paced for a second, no one said anything, and then he stopped and slapped Micheals desk.
"Yeah they are missing, but not the ones you met."
"You're not making sense Gilbert." Micheals was confused, but Gilbert generally did that to her.
"The trap, it wasn't to catch some joggers or a park ranger. If you're a predator you know that you aren't the only one out there, you know that there are other predators, so you set up a trap and see who comes." It dawned on Garcia and Micheals at the same time, the weird awkward nature of Simmons and him being confused missing persons was there.
"Shit they were looking for us." Garcia sat in his chair slightly worried about his interaction with Simmons and the Joggers.
"But what they didn't see was us." Clarissa could feel confidence creeping into her thoughts.
"Right, they saw you two, but I didn't see a park ranger or joggers when I pulled up, so they got your scent but not mine, and the imp guts would have made the actual scent worse. Which makes you two bait for our own trap."
"I don't like this plan at all."
"Sure you don't Micheals, but you'll love it when we catch these shape shifting assholes."
"Or I'll be dead and eaten and not have an opinion on it."
"Try and stay positive Micheals, they might just capture us and torture us." Garcia didn't like the plan either, but he also didn't have plans for the weekend anyway.
"Shape shifting assholes." Clarissa and Gilbert had mostly been quiet since they got the cheap hotel room. Both had seen the other in various forms of naked for a while now so neither were bothered by taking showers in the presence of the other. Gilbert was the first one to really speak as he was drying his hair.
"What are?"
"Skin walkers, you hadn't asked, but I figured you would eventually. They are a native american demon, or at least natives ran across them first. They tend to hide as a lot of different animals, even people, but really they are just shape shifting assholes." Gilbert still didn't like what had happened, and unsprung trap is scary, it shows intent but not follow through.
"So what do they want normally?"
"To torture people mentally and physically and then kill and eat them. They are like an evil shape changing cat, usually pack hunters too." Clarissa shivered the air felt too cold all at once.
"So how do we kill them?"
"Elk horn of a living elk right to the heart."
"Living Elk?"
"Means you can't have killed it, not that we have to like get an elk to ram one through the chest, though I admit the idea of tricking a pack of skin walkers into a pack of elk is amusing."
"So do you have some of this elk stuff available?"
"I have one knife, but I know where I can get more, and we'll need more, this pack of skin walkers are not just some monster hiding in the forest, they have a plan here and that's worrying to me, come on lets get to Missing Persons, Garcia and Micheals won't wait all day.
****
Missing Persons was in the sub basement of the sub basement. It wasn't even the official branch of the missing person's department, that was upstairs in the regular department areas. Where Micheals and Garcia worked was next to a bunch of things that wouldn't have looked out of place in the X-Files. Officially the Seattle Police Department did not believe in monsters, nor sending officers to chase them, unofficially if you pissed off the right people you wound up in "missing persons". Tasked with chasing down every bump in the night and every dumb kook in the city who claimed they saw a bigfoot. Micheals actually had some wins since she got busted down from Lieutenant due to a nebulous personnel complaint. She had Gilbert to thank for those when she called him up on a whim when reading the back of some Cryptozoological magazine.
"Christ every time I come here it looks sadder than the last time." Gilbert laughed at the two desk set up and the "wanted bigfoot" poster on big display between them.
"Nothing quite as sad as your sense of humor Gilbert, what took you two so long?"
"Imp juice soaks your skin, you have to scrub for a few minutes." Clarissa ever the haggard old hand at killing monsters spoke for Gilbert.
"I was trying to balance cheap and won't get a disease from being in the room when selecting my motel." Gilbert still didn't like how much he had to pay, but he made due with at least the shower was hot.
"Well while you two were dinking around we found out shit, Simmons the ranger, and the two joggers are now missing, so the trap was sprung." Garcia got up and put the pictures of the three missing people on the board underneath big foot. Gilbert shook his head, that didn't make sense, why kill people after you'd lured them to a location. He paced for a second, no one said anything, and then he stopped and slapped Micheals desk.
"Yeah they are missing, but not the ones you met."
"You're not making sense Gilbert." Micheals was confused, but Gilbert generally did that to her.
"The trap, it wasn't to catch some joggers or a park ranger. If you're a predator you know that you aren't the only one out there, you know that there are other predators, so you set up a trap and see who comes." It dawned on Garcia and Micheals at the same time, the weird awkward nature of Simmons and him being confused missing persons was there.
"Shit they were looking for us." Garcia sat in his chair slightly worried about his interaction with Simmons and the Joggers.
"But what they didn't see was us." Clarissa could feel confidence creeping into her thoughts.
"Right, they saw you two, but I didn't see a park ranger or joggers when I pulled up, so they got your scent but not mine, and the imp guts would have made the actual scent worse. Which makes you two bait for our own trap."
"I don't like this plan at all."
"Sure you don't Micheals, but you'll love it when we catch these shape shifting assholes."
"Or I'll be dead and eaten and not have an opinion on it."
"Try and stay positive Micheals, they might just capture us and torture us." Garcia didn't like the plan either, but he also didn't have plans for the weekend anyway.
Friday, June 7, 2019
Missing Persons
124.
"I'm just at a loss as to why you guys were called in." The Park Ranger's tag read Simmons.
"You ever piss of your leadership Simmons?" The woman talking was dressed in a relaxed business suit, she had her badge on her hip.
"Yes? uhh a couple times?"
"He ever assign you a shit job until he likes you again?"
"Uhhh she and I guess? I still don't..."
"That's why me and Garcia are here."
"Speak for yourself Micheals, I asked for this job." Garcia was taller and wider than Micheals, his suit was also more rumpled. Both looked like extra's on an episode of law and order standing in the middle of the woods looking up at the remains of something in a tree, the blood ran all the way up the trunk.
"I just don't know why missing persons was called out."
"You called the sheriff's office with an animal attack, sheriff's called SPD and they called us."
"No one is missing?"
"Something is up that tree, most likely human, most likely reported missing, hence missing persons." Micheals tired of Simmons and his questions. Garcia instinctively knew his partners lack of patience and had Simmons moved off to ask questions that didn't matter but would leave Micheals in peace. Micheals saw the claw marks in the tree, they were deep enough only two creature she was aware of could make them, and neither were good news. She pulled out her cell and made the call.
"GD Exterminators we're currently running a special on Imps." Micheals chortled at the thought of Imps, the only time she'd seen something like that was in a video game.
"Delores this is Lisa Micheals with the SPD."
"How can we help you Detective Micheals."
"Tell Gilbert we might have a skin walker, and we're going to need him to confirm."
"Just a moment."
****
Gilbert and Clarissa showed up to the woodland trail an hour later. The coroner finally had arrived as well. Simmons the park ranger had been sent on his way. Gilbert and Clarissa were coated in some kind of green slime from a nearby job.
"Is that the remains of an Imp?" Micheals had to stifle a laugh at their appearance.
"Yeah, damn things are in season for some reason, we're running a special."
"So I heard. this your new partner? She looks a little young Gilbert."
"Lisa Micheals, Clarissa Shipley, and yeah she's my new assistant, don't let her age fool you, she's got ice water in her veins." Clarissa didn't hold out her hand to shake, they hadn't been able to wash them from the imps and felt it was impolite to spread the imp guts.
"I can't remember if I was partnered with Larry the last time we had business."
"Nah your partner was a husky fellow Dumbo something." Micheals and Garcia both laughed.
"Doobro, but yeah Dumbo sounds about right for that dumb ass."
"Big fan of your work Mr. Dunkley, though not of the smell of you two." Garcia had smelled the two coming before he'd ever seen them, the imp slime was very fragrant.
"Didn't have time to change, especially if it's a skin walker."
"It's either that or a Wendigo, I know my claws Gilbert."
"Not doubting, just you might have jumped the gun could have been a cougar, you never know." Micheals stuck her tongue out, but she lead Gilbert to where the coroner's office was attempting to get what they could of the remains from the tree. The coroners gave him a wide berth because of the smell, Gilbert kind of chuckled that people who were busy picking up body parts thought he smelled bad. The claw marks in the tree were deep, he looked there, looked up at the body parts the coroners office was collecting and then came back to Micheals.
"Skinwalker."
"You sound so sure." Micheals wasn't surprised he said skin walker, just that he seemed to say it definitively.
"Wendigo's eat people they don't distribute them up trees, cougars also would have left more of a corpse, what's weird is this is a trap that wasn't sprung, joggers found the body and then got out alive?"
"Yeah found the body and called it in, hell ranger station had people come out before we got here." Garcia chimed in looking at his notes. Gilbert shook his head.
"I don't like it, Skinwalkers are smart murderous bastards, but they usually don't play the long game, something else is fucked up here."
"So what do you want to do?"
"Lets go back to your office, Clarissa and I will get a room and clean up, we'll meet you in a couple hours, something is wrong, and we need to put it right." They all agreed, especially with the cleaning part.
"I'm just at a loss as to why you guys were called in." The Park Ranger's tag read Simmons.
"You ever piss of your leadership Simmons?" The woman talking was dressed in a relaxed business suit, she had her badge on her hip.
"Yes? uhh a couple times?"
"He ever assign you a shit job until he likes you again?"
"Uhhh she and I guess? I still don't..."
"That's why me and Garcia are here."
"Speak for yourself Micheals, I asked for this job." Garcia was taller and wider than Micheals, his suit was also more rumpled. Both looked like extra's on an episode of law and order standing in the middle of the woods looking up at the remains of something in a tree, the blood ran all the way up the trunk.
"I just don't know why missing persons was called out."
"You called the sheriff's office with an animal attack, sheriff's called SPD and they called us."
"No one is missing?"
"Something is up that tree, most likely human, most likely reported missing, hence missing persons." Micheals tired of Simmons and his questions. Garcia instinctively knew his partners lack of patience and had Simmons moved off to ask questions that didn't matter but would leave Micheals in peace. Micheals saw the claw marks in the tree, they were deep enough only two creature she was aware of could make them, and neither were good news. She pulled out her cell and made the call.
"GD Exterminators we're currently running a special on Imps." Micheals chortled at the thought of Imps, the only time she'd seen something like that was in a video game.
"Delores this is Lisa Micheals with the SPD."
"How can we help you Detective Micheals."
"Tell Gilbert we might have a skin walker, and we're going to need him to confirm."
"Just a moment."
****
Gilbert and Clarissa showed up to the woodland trail an hour later. The coroner finally had arrived as well. Simmons the park ranger had been sent on his way. Gilbert and Clarissa were coated in some kind of green slime from a nearby job.
"Is that the remains of an Imp?" Micheals had to stifle a laugh at their appearance.
"Yeah, damn things are in season for some reason, we're running a special."
"So I heard. this your new partner? She looks a little young Gilbert."
"Lisa Micheals, Clarissa Shipley, and yeah she's my new assistant, don't let her age fool you, she's got ice water in her veins." Clarissa didn't hold out her hand to shake, they hadn't been able to wash them from the imps and felt it was impolite to spread the imp guts.
"I can't remember if I was partnered with Larry the last time we had business."
"Nah your partner was a husky fellow Dumbo something." Micheals and Garcia both laughed.
"Doobro, but yeah Dumbo sounds about right for that dumb ass."
"Big fan of your work Mr. Dunkley, though not of the smell of you two." Garcia had smelled the two coming before he'd ever seen them, the imp slime was very fragrant.
"Didn't have time to change, especially if it's a skin walker."
"It's either that or a Wendigo, I know my claws Gilbert."
"Not doubting, just you might have jumped the gun could have been a cougar, you never know." Micheals stuck her tongue out, but she lead Gilbert to where the coroner's office was attempting to get what they could of the remains from the tree. The coroners gave him a wide berth because of the smell, Gilbert kind of chuckled that people who were busy picking up body parts thought he smelled bad. The claw marks in the tree were deep, he looked there, looked up at the body parts the coroners office was collecting and then came back to Micheals.
"Skinwalker."
"You sound so sure." Micheals wasn't surprised he said skin walker, just that he seemed to say it definitively.
"Wendigo's eat people they don't distribute them up trees, cougars also would have left more of a corpse, what's weird is this is a trap that wasn't sprung, joggers found the body and then got out alive?"
"Yeah found the body and called it in, hell ranger station had people come out before we got here." Garcia chimed in looking at his notes. Gilbert shook his head.
"I don't like it, Skinwalkers are smart murderous bastards, but they usually don't play the long game, something else is fucked up here."
"So what do you want to do?"
"Lets go back to your office, Clarissa and I will get a room and clean up, we'll meet you in a couple hours, something is wrong, and we need to put it right." They all agreed, especially with the cleaning part.
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