My Demonic Ghost #3: Hunters and Creators (19 page)

Chapter Thirty-Two:

He lead me out as fast as he possibly could, holding me close to his chest so I was kept out of sight. The explosions and shrills of battle were left behind as Gargoyle lead me back into the tunnels, rushing me off towards his room where he barred both of us inside. Not skipping a heartbeat, he ushered me to the bed and forced me to sit. He stood over me and tilted my chin up, leaning down so he could check my pupils.

“Rachael? Rachael can you hear me?” His voice was distant, blurred by the ringing caused by the loud bangs.

“Yes, barely. What’s going on?”

He sighed in relief before pulling my head to his chest. “I thought we had lost you.” He let go and knelt down so we were eye to eye. “When Chō went through, he ripped a hole in the barrier. The Hunters and their helping Reapers are taking this chance to strike before the Blue Spirit can rebuild.”

“This is my fault?”

“No, no of course not.” Gargoyle soothed. “If anything, the whole reason why you and Chō are even together is my fault. I was so obsessed with pleasing Miira that I put your life in jeopardy… again. I promise, I’ll make this better. I promise I won’t let Chō complete the bond with you.”

I shook my head a little, “What are you talking about? What bond?” I could still hear the battle rage through the walls, the overhead lights flickering while the stampede of feet and hooves fought above. Gargoyle gently took my hands, drawing my gaze back to his face.

“Extreme emotional distress can trigger the bond. This cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to happen. If it does then you really will be a walking time bomb. With every sneeze, you’ll be able to uproot houses. Every time you feel a little upset, you might bring hurricanes or devastating storms. As long as two are separated, we’re safe. Chō is a spirit of reaction and emotions. On its own it’s dangerous, but if you tie it to a human it’s even more unstable. It amplifies your emotions to extreme measures. That’s why Creators are not meant for this world. The spirit world can withstand the force of the merge.  But in this world the bonding only causes destruction.”

I nodded my head vigorously, “Is that why I was blacking out?”

“It’s getting too close” Gargoyle checked my eyes again, and glanced down along my neck where the burning pain seared my skin. His white washed face and black and red hair seemed to fall a little flat; no doubt, it was the Banished mark moving over him. His one red eye now shown with blazing colour and his other golden iris shot through with flecks of amber. I knew I was mad at him before, and I still held onto the resentment, but seeing him fade pulled at my heart strings.

Gargoyle must’ve noticed my softening eyes, and he lifted his hand and ran it along my cheek. “I know you want to help, but it’s very important that you don’t get involved in this fight. We’ll be okay; we can handle anything they throw at us.” I smiled a little. There was a knock on the door and it burst open. We both whipped our heads around and gasped.

“Damage?” Gargoyle eased to a stand as Damage walked inside. She had her hair pinned in a high pony tail, her static white clothes marked with a symbol of a blue cross. She didn’t smile at us; she didn’t even bat an eyelash upon seeing Gargoyle in his mid-transformation state. “How are you here?”

She walked within inches from him before she delivered a hard and sharp hit to his head rendering him unconscious. I bolted up to catch him before he could hit the floor.

“Damage?” I shouted but she grabbed me by the collar, and picked me up in her steel grip.

“I warned you not to betray us.”

“I’m… urgh… not…” I thrashed in her hold, trying to create enough distance for me to breathe. Behind her, a female Banished lurked. I reached out to try and get her attention, but she seemed just as unfazed as Damage.

“You’ve corrupted my brothers! Their deaths are on your head, Rachael.”

“Why?” I gurgled.

“They must be destroyed. Gargoyle would never have wanted to live as this abomination.”

“You…. Don’t know…”She shook me again just as the other Banished stepped up, pulling her arm back.

“That’s not part of the plan. He is waiting.” 

“Fine, do it quickly.” Damaged dropped me and stepped aside, allowing the Banished to take her place. The Banished dug her florescent eyes into my mind, applying pressure that felt like a blossoming headache.
Tell the Creator not to fight me.
I nodded my head and the Banished stepped up and touched both my wrists and neck, forming chains around my joints. I could feel Chō start to murmur with unease, but I calmed him with gentle shushing.

“It’s okay Chō, don’t worry I’m fine.” I felt numb at her invasion; the Banished splintered and entered my body. I shook violently as a wave of darkness engulfed the room. When I finally opened my eyes, I was in a bathroom, standing in front of a mirror with my hands grasping the basin. There was blood smeared along the porcelain bowl, what appeared to be scissors, and an empty medicine cup tipped over onto the floor. I brought my eyes up to the mirror, feeling weightless and detached from the room around me.
Is this a dream?

I looked at myself and saw I had been crying, blood running down my wrists and tears streaking through my mascara. A loud sob whipped my head to the side. A girl sat there, cradling the toilet bowl like she was about to vomit. Her hand covered her mouth trying to keep the pills from climbing up her throat. Her phone rang beside her, its screen flickering with messages detailing a series of harsh insults. I knelt to comfort her when a voice snarled at me to step back. I turned to see the Banished, dressed in the same clothes, but with darkened hair. She glared at me furiously, her eyes a smouldering target of pink rage.

“Don’t help her.” She ordered. Her voice was ghostly faint.

“Is this you?” I asked, turning my head between the two girls.  She didn’t answer me and the girl tipped over onto her side, her body convulsing and frothing at the mouth. There were a series of loud impatient knocks on the door, an older female’s voice shouting through.

She screamed, “You can’t hide in there forever. If I find out all those rumours are true, then you are dead! Do you hear me Melissa? Open the damn door!” The bathroom started to fade as the girl’s eyes fluttered closed. Darkness grew again; only to place me back in my room at the bunker. Except this time I stood awkwardly, like my back was too straight and my shoulder blades pinched together.

“Does she know?” Damaged asked. My eye started to twitch as a tickle moved along my scalp.

“No, she hasn’t seen the Blue spirit.” My voice answered.

“Okay, I’ll go looking for it. You take her to him.” Damage instructed. I started to walk. Confusion swelled inside me at the simple movement. I did not tell my legs to move, they just moved. I tried to scream, but my teeth clenched together, physically holding my mouth shut.
Don’t bother fighting me.
The Banished’s voice spoke inside my head, making me open the door and head down towards the corridor.

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Where are you taking me?
I demanded as she led me down unfamiliar corridors. 

Outside. Where we can reach you.
She forced me to run. The noise from inside the main hall was as loud as brawling bears caught in the middle of an avalanche. With two steps forward, I rushed through the entrance, bypassing the seal that had originally trapped me, before slowing into a jog upon reaching the prison halls.

Why are you doing this? We’re on your side!
I asked the spirit as she turned my head left and right, searching for someone.

Shut up, I’m trying to concentrate.

Just let me go.
She ran my shoulder into a wall causing me to yelp. Without another word, I ran down the hall, pushing off the walls to go faster, until eventually she slowed me down once I neared the open exercise yard in the centre of the prison. It was just going on dusk, and most of the inmates and guards now in the dining area having their meals. The Banished checked the skies for a figure before walking me out into the centre of the yard. It was so quiet. I felt tiny in such a large open space. The prison was shaped like a donut where in the centre of the cells and wards were open courts.

“Welcome, Rachael,” I spun around at a male’s voice. Smugly, Hunter Nathan opened his arms in greeting with a menacing smirk.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

“Just obeying the will of the higher power.” He reached me and I took two steps back, tossing my head over my shoulder trying to pinpoint an exit. I felt the Banished apply pressure into my calves, making it impossible for me to move. “You’re working too slowly. I’m here to help.”

“With what?”

“With the bonding, of course.” Three Reapers stepped into the perimeter of the yard, while three Goons stalked in after them. Their eyes and mouths glistening lights amongst the dim shadows. Each heavily panting smoke that reeked of hunger and death. There was the tiger Goon, a type of giant mole next to it, and a bat like creature that crawled forward on its wings. I felt my heart begin to race. “You’ve been holding back for too long, Rachael, it’s time that you fully embraced the power that a Creator can bring you.”

“I don’t want it.” I shouted, which only caused Nathan to laugh. Then I changed my tone, “Why are you doing this, Nathan? I thought you said that we’re family!”

“Family hasn’t always been my strong point.” He shrugged. “Plus, I didn’t pick you. The Creator did while searching for the Blue Spirit.”

“I’ve met your brothers, Jordon and Evan…” I informed and Nathan snorted.

“Jordon and I will meet soon enough, and all I can say for little baby Evan is this.” He spat on the ground.  “I’m glad he still suffers, even in death.”

“You’re a monster!”

“No, no, no. You’re the one who likes hanging around with monsters. What type of twisted girl are you? Even with their sob stories, only an idiot would willingly help them. They’re the monsters, not me. Speaking of which…” Nathan stepped backwards, signalling the Reapers to come closer. “I’ll like to introduce to you some of my new toys. I don’t like wasting time, so I’m going to get you and that little bug of yours to bond as fast as I possibly can. What can trigger intense emotions faster than fear, hmm?” The banished Melissa jumped out of my body, snapping the chains and taking her leave into the open sky above. I finally found myself stumbling backwards, drowsy in her absence.

“What is the point of all this? Why do you want me to bond with the Creator?”

Nathan shrugged carelessly, “So it will destroy the world. Down here there’s nothing but disappointment and corruption. I am here to cleanse it.”

Within moments of my freedom, the tiger Goon charged, its monstrous roar enough to freeze me to the spot. As it leapt, jaws open ready to bite down, I managed to scramble out of reach, tripping over my own feet and dodging its powerful bite. Nathan’s laughter sounded over the top of their barking, as the mole swiped its claw at me, hitting my stomach and throwing me across the pitch. I felt every blow as I bounced along the concrete, before eventually hitting the brick wall.

Taking advantage of my disorientation, the Tiger rammed it head into my stomach. My ribs pressed against my lungs, forcing my breath out of me as I tumbled to the ground. Dots clouded my vision as I rolled onto my side, cradling my chest. All I could see were its two paws positioned near my head and the vast warmth of its body standing over the top. A tingle hit me as power surged through my body. I rolled onto my back as the Tiger lunged. I managed to slap its face away before it made contact.

“Good! Good Rachael!” Nathan cheered. I could feel the fear streak through my nervous system and the fire burn into my neck again.

“Go away!” I bellowed and catapulted the tiger across the yard with my flat palms.  As soon as the tiger was off the bat swooped down, hooking its clawed feet around my stomach and hoisting me up. I squirmed in its grip pathetically as its ginormous bat wings whipped the air past my ears with every flap. Chō snared my leg from underneath and tried tugging me back down.  The mole then swung at him, knocking him to the side. In panic and frustration, Chō leapt onto its snout before hammering two fists into its head. Chō’s tiny hands caved in its skull, but it raised its claws attempted to frantically slap Chō off. The Reaper howled before teleporting to the Goon’s side. He took a hold of it and they disappeared. Without missing a beat, Chō turned to the bat, ripping me away from its claws and pain shot through my entire torso.

“Come on Rachael, embrace the power. Use it to protect yourself!”

With the tiger attacking Chō from one side and the bat on the other, I managed slip beneath their radar and ran. I had barely gotten five meters away when the bat landed in front and slashed across my chest with its wing. I flipped and hit the ground just as a wave of dark magic spiralled down on top of it causing the bat to retreat. A shadow appeared in front on me, and swung a punch outwards; his body twisted like a pretzel before he cut through the bat’s torso with a whip of dark matter.

The Goons stopped advancing and Evan appeared, power radiated from his broad shoulders and confident stance. “Back off, Nathan!” 

More amused than surprised, Nathan approached him. “Ah, do my eyes deceive me or is this really you, baby brother?” Nathan laughed as Evan’s knuckles tightened. “What kind of joke are you playing now? Pretending to be a man when you’re a mere boy? Do you really think you’re fooling anyone?” He shoved both palms into Evan’s chest causing him to stumble backwards. “The unloved boy. The forgotten boy.” Nathan kept advancing, shoving Evan with every step, “Did you at least enjoy your last moments of life alone?”

“You can’t bully me anymore! You are nothing!” Evan roared.

“You’ve always been so pathetic.” Nathan laughed, “Now that big brother Jordon isn’t here to protect you, what are you going to do? Huh? Are you going to stop me?”

“I’m not scared of you!”

“Nothing has changed. I’m stronger than you are. I always have been and I always will be. Now be a good boy, and step down.” When Evan refused to budge, Nathan kept his fists coming until he finally caught Evan under the chin and knocked him to the ground. I blinked twice to clear my eyes. Evan’s tall and lean body had flickered for moment into that of a boy, a young teenager still dressed in his school uniform. It happened in the split second, Nathan landed his blow. Nathan stepped up to Evan and drove his foot down into his torso; and like a faulty hologram, Evan’s body shifted between the two bodies again.

“Stop it! Stop it!” I scrambled up, only to have Nathan shove me back down.

“You and I both know deep down inside that hollow cold heart of yours that you’ll never be good enough. Why do you even bother to get back up?”

“Don’t listen to him, Evan!” I shouted. Evan curled in on himself, protecting his face from every one of Nathan’s verbal and physical blows. “Just leave him alone!”

“Shut up,” Nathan snapped, throwing another punch in my direction. Evan growled and kicked upwards, swinging his fist forward and Nathan caught it without falter; twisted his arm, so Evan buckled before backhanding Evan across the face. The final blow caused Evan to switch to the body of the young boy again, who struggled to breath in the painful arm lock. He kept his head bowed and his shoulders slumped, the look of a defeated fighter lying down to die. A foggy memory pressed against my mind. It was of Evan, young Evan, and he was falling. His body was small and weak, starved to the point of collapse. My heart went out to him, his meadow green eyes fluttered wildly; toasted brown hair dampened with sweat caressed his face till he hit the ground with a loud crack. I jerked my head away from the image. That was how he died. My eyes sank down to Evan who laid on the ground. He looked so small, just a mere kid who had been pushed too many times into the dirt.

“Let him go! I’ll do what you want; just leave him alone!” I screamed. A hot draft spiralled around me in a raging tornado and the fatigue kicked back in. Nathan raised his eyebrows.

“If you want to save him so badly, come and get him!”

Panic hit my chest like a punch. Nathan shoved Evan onto his back, took out a blade from his pocket and towered over him. Noise faded until there was nothing but my raspy breathing, the scrunch of my shoes scrambling up from the ground, and my pulse pounding loudly in my ears. In a snap, my consciousness faded.