Gauntlet Rite of Ascension (5 page)

“I don’t know. I was thinking of maybe going overseas for a while, visit Paris, Madrid, Rome, you know all the big art meccas. My dad’s been pushing me to go to Penn State in the fall. They have a pretty good art program, but my dream is to go New York. The in state tuition at Penn is a major magnet for my dad.” She said.

“Wow, New York huh? That’s big time. I didn’t know you were into art that much. I mean I’ve seen some of your drawings, and they are great, but I didn’t know you loved it that much.” I said, truly intrigued.

“Yeah well, it’s still kinda out of reach. I don’t know how I can pull it off without my dad’s help.” She said.

A look of thoughtfulness came over her.

“What?” I said.

“Nothing.”

“No, tell me. You were thinking something, what is it?” I asked.

I could tell she was trying to come to a decision. She looked at me and I could see she had made up her mind. A look of uncertain openness spread over her as she said with trepidation, “I’ve been thinking of maybe having an art auction. I know a bunch of people who have some really awesome pieces and have a hard time getting any show time. My dad just bought a small space that he’s renovating to sell. I was thinking about seeing if I could borrow it for a week, work on it and see if I can sell some pieces. Maybe earn some money to help my case to go to New York.”

“It’s silly, I know. What do I know about selling art?” She said, having had this mental conversation dozens of times.

“Are you kidding me? That’s a great idea. You absolutely have to do it. I’d love to help. I can paint, or clean. Whatever you need, I’m in, if you want.” I said.

She smiled appreciatively and quickly leaned over the table and kissed me. A quick, but devastating kiss that left me stunned.

I shook my head to clear it. She saw me and laughed, it was wonderful. A smile spread on my face. I grinned like a fool.

“Thanks.” She said.

Our waitress came back over and had our food. She served me lasagna and Sara her calzone. We ate with the hunger of youth and it was the best meal I have ever had. It must have had something to do with the company.

We finished and decided to head to the party, I payed the bill and walked her out. As I opened the door for her I looked up and saw in the sky the biggest most beautiful full moon I have ever seen. A feeling of excitement and energy filled me as the scent of Sara’s perfume and natural odor hit me in a wave. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of desire as she walked to the car.

I helped her get in and went to the driver’s side. Trying to shake the need to feel her warm skin under my hand, the desire to push her down and take her right here right now hit me and almost dragged me under. I fought it and barely got control.

“Are you alright?” She asked, concern evident in her voice.

“Yeah, I’m good.” I said.

As we drove I could hear Sara talking but it seemed as if she was far away. The words and their meanings were hard to grasp as I started to feel detached. Somehow, I managed to nod at all the right times and even added a word here or there.

We turned right at an intersection that would lead us to Fred’s house when I saw the moon again. This time the presence of the moon pulled on me in a way I couldn’t describe.

I pulled over to the side of the road and doubled over as pain began to build in my stomach and radiated outward in waves that matched my heartbeat.

My awareness began to dwindle as my sense of self shrank and I was drawn inward. My senses evaporated and the pain slowly began to recede.

I opened my eyes and all I could see was emptiness, a deep and dark vast blackness.

This must have been what the universe was like before there was light. This unfathomable abyss of nothingness tugged at me, devoid of sight, sound, smell and touch I began to feel unmade as the sheer power of the emptiness engulfed me.

A feeling came to me, slight at first, then more solid. I felt the presence of someone nearby, like when you’re in line at the store and someone is standing close behind you. You may not have even seen them but you feel them none the less.

There was someone or something in the darkness with me and their presence was a cool balm to the scathing nothingness that surrounded me.

I slowly started feeling my body. I was aware of my limbs and I eventually lost that disembodied feeling. I was still in darkness, but it was more like being in a closet with the lights turned off than an out of body experience.

I would get flashes of other feelings, smells would assault me that were more vivid and complex than I have ever experienced, sounds that seemed to hold more depth than I have ever known. I would have momentary bouts of pain as a sense of my bones being broken and remade came to me in waves of agony that would peak, then wash away. I could hear screaming and smell a deep scent that I could only describe as terror.

I sat and endured this strange state of being for what seemed like hours. Time was unknowable in this place and I had no idea if the span of events had taken days or seconds.

Out of the vast darkness a feeling of
something
coming from the same door that was unlocked after the wolf’s bite rushed over me.

I felt another presence among the emptiness. It sent off waves of unbridled aggression. A wild energy radiated from it that beat at me like waves on a shore. I felt it as it stalked the vastness in search of prey. It was hunting, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was hunting for me.

I tried to keep small. I did everything I could to reduce my presence from the Beast. I crouched into a ball and slowed my breathing. I was aware of my heartbeat as it blasted a rhythm against my ears. I was afraid the Beast could easily find me from my thumping heart as it threatened to burst from my chest.

I felt when the Beast stalked near. It searched everywhere, looking for me. It reached out with its senses to locate me. A mind-splitting howl of frustration erupted from the Beast as its anger at not finding me boiled over.

Finally, a bestial voice, filled with a deep primordial energy growled, “I know you are here pup. I will find you. It is rare that one of your youth has been able to hide from me, but you will fall eventually. Soon, you will be found and I will take you. It is inevitable.”

I stayed in a crouch and tried to keep invisible.

“I have time, more time than you can imagine. I have been with you since creation and have eternity to hunt. I will draw you out as sure as a rabbit is drawn from the brush. Although I may not be able to find you for now, you will see. You will see what happens when you deny your nature and reject your true self.” The Beast finished.

Among the inky blackness, two bright orbs erupted. Deep yellow, they encompassed what would be considered the sky in this realm.

They became the sure, piercing eyes of a wolf and through them I began to see an image, just one at first, Sara sat in the passenger’s seat of my mom’s car and was screaming. She seemed to be in slow motion. Her movements were sluggish, almost so slow as to be unmoving.

I began to be drawn into the eyes and other feelings and senses returned to me. I could feel my arms and legs; they felt different, longer, stronger and covered in deep brown fur. I could smell her; in this tiny space, her scent was maddening.

Fear radiated off her, under I could discern her perfume and her natural body odor. Her screaming was harsh to my sensitive ears, but they signaled a feeling of rightness. She should be afraid of me. I am the Beast unchained, the Hunter unleashed, let her be afraid.

I realized I was riding shotgun to the Beast. I was in my body, but it wasn’t the same.

I had been transformed into a savage creature, whose form and spirit was pure animal. There was little left of the civilized human. All that was here was a desire for the hunt and the kill. This woman-child would have to be a good start.

I could do nothing to stop this, if I exposed myself I knew the Beast would turn on me. Its raw strength would devour me. It would consume me.

I felt like a coward. I watched in abject horror as Sara got her door open and fled out of the car and into the tree line that followed the road.

If she would only have ran the other way she would have went towards the party and maybe people who could help. In her panic she just wanted to get as far away from this monster as fast as possible. She ran blindly into the dark woods.

“Awww.” The Beast said in an almost orgasmic manner.

“So it begins, it is fitting that it is your bitch first.”

The Beast burst forth from the enclosed space, ripping the door off as it went with little regard for the metal that held it on.

The strength needed to absently rip the door from its hinges was astounding. The Beast easily followed the fleeing prey into the woods. Her path was as obvious as if she had lighted the way. The Beasts senses were so attuned to the hunt. Her scent came in an almost colored haze that hung in the air where she had went, slowly being swayed as the wind tugged at her trail.

The sound of her frantic breathing as panic made her gasp for air in fits came to the Beast’s sensitive ears. The noise her clumsy movements created targeted her. The Beast easily closed the distance and its sharp preternatural eyes found its prey as she chanced a look back.

Panic and fear marred her features, turning her beauty into ugliness as the terror took hold.

A wordless scream tried to come forth as she watched the Beast close the distance between them.

The horror of what came was too much for her as her composure broke and she froze, screaming a soundless shriek that would never be heard.

The Beast leapt for her and brought her to the ground, it lunged out and found her beautiful exposed throat and bite down with unimaginable strength and ripped her head from her shoulders in a gory, bloody mess. The Beast fed.

Blood.

Eat.

Feed.

Hunt.

Yes.

Abject horror washed over me as I broke down. The trauma of the events hit me and I lost track of time.

I could feel the Beast feeding and the waves of its emotions flowed over me. I was unable to stop them. They were repulsive and at the same time inviting.

The primal needs and urges tugged at me in a way that I never thought possible. The fact that I was even remotely intrigued by them made me even more sick and I sat in shock.

I closed my eyes and thankfully the scene before me was shut off. I could still hear the Beast feed and I could smell what it smelled but I was saved from what it saw.

I was deep in shock and full of anguish as the Beast stood up and turned its head to the sky, it howled at the full moon and the ritual was complete. The Beast slowly turned from the corpse and stalked off in hunt of more prey.

Despair threatened to drag me down. Sara’s face burned into my brain. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Her dreams, her aspirations. All gone. All taken by a Beast from hell. I could do nothing.

I had no power over this thing. I had nothing to fight it with.

The subtle comforting sensation that I wasn’t alone came back. It was stronger this time. It was still elusive and fleeting, but it gave me a spark of hope. I don’t know why, but the idea that I might not be by myself in this prison comforted me.

“It’s okay, he cannot hear you here.” I heard a familiar, yet at the same time unknown, voice say.

I turned in a circle, looking for the owner of the voice.

“Who’s there?” I said, tentatively.

“A friend. Someone who can help.” He said.

“How? What can you do?” I asked.

“When you are ready, I can help. The choice will be yours. Do not despair. There is always hope, as long as you stay true to yourself there will be hope.”

“The Beast comes, I have to go.” He said.

“No! Wait!” I pleaded.

The feeling of another faded but never left. It became a small thing but I could feel it out there like the gentle hand of a parent as they run alongside their child who is learning to ride a bicycle for the first time.

I felt the ominous presence of the Beast as it came near, its closeness stifling in its power.

“Still hiding? I have to say, I’m impressed.” It growled. “Your woman was sweet. Not much of a hunt, but still, so few really are.”

I couldn’t contain the anger that rose in me.

“You bastard!” I screamed.

“So, it has a voice. Good, I thought you would stay silent until your death. I do have to say I’m amazed that you are still able to hide from me, but this realm is tricky. You will soon be mine.” It said.

I controlled myself again, retreating into silence. Hoping my outburst would not lead the Beast to me, afraid of exposing myself to it.

“You know I have hunted for eternity. I have brought down more prey and feasted more times than even I can count. Your defiance is a nice respite from the usual outcome from my release. So be it, I will continue to destroy what is yours until you show yourself and allow the inevitable to happen.” It said.

Another frustrated growl bubbled forth from the Beast as it turned away.