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Post by osnafrank on Dec 19, 2023 16:53:18 GMT
Here it is, The Ka-tet Playground's 2023 Christmas Present Story. HZDFTes-0014 skuzmuilie_xttmas_579
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Post by osnafrank on Dec 19, 2023 17:00:47 GMT
The Ka-tet Playground’s 2023 Christmas Present Story!
Presented by :
🐸
OsnafrankPublishing
LTD.
“As The Crow Flies”
By :
docpain2
darkharbinger
edwardjohn
and
Tanith
Editing and coordinating :Editing and posting - edwardjohn Scheduling - Cap docpain2 Writing order - JB darkharbinger Themes lists - Tanith Chapter One bydocpain2 Chapter 1
The scarecrow sat in the field for several years, untouched; Galen had more than once thought about taking it down and cleaning it up, but he always thought that its beat-up look was part of its charm.
Galen and his wife Amara ran a local store where they sold their homegrown produce, fresh meats, and the occasional holiday pie. They lived a good life, never letting on that they had a secret. As Galen once told him wife: “We’re basically in witness protection for wayward Elves ... nobody would ever believe it.”
Wanda Sims was a local teacher; nobody could quite remember when she came to town, but she had been teaching at the summit lane elementary school for several years and enjoyed her time at local community groups. Always, just like Galen and Amara, she was ready to help out the community when she was needed.
Wanda had a secret. Many years gone by, she had helped Galen and Amara escape from their home; this led to her own banishment, though hers was self-imposed.
Late October was a busy season for everyone. Once the crops were up, Galen took care of all his field chores and concentrated on the store. Amara set her attention to those “occasional” holiday pies and of course Wanda had a full schedule of crafts and holiday festivities with her students.
Always in the back of their collective minds was the scarecrow, which was there standing watch, serving as a beacon for Galen, Amara, and Wanda. Thankfully, the beacon was never lit ... at least up until now.
Halloween came and went with its usual flurry of ghosts, goblins and superheroes, it was not until a few days after that Amara noticed that the scarecrow had been moved. Not really moved, but re-positioned; yes, that is the better word.
The scarecrow, which had been placed in the field, facing west, many years ago, was now facing east. The reason it is so odd is because it was planted with two stakes to prevent it blowing in the wind and spinning; and, of course, any danger to our trio would be coming from the west.
Kids, Amara thought.
Going into the house, Amara decided to call Galen to at least let him know; after which, he insisted on having Wanda come out to the farm to see if she could “see” anything.
Early that evening, the three were together at the farm.
“Sorry, I’m just being paranoid,” Amara said.
“Well, like Stephen King said: ‘Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness’” Wanda replied.
All three chuckled at that, then they went outside into the field. The scarecrow, sometimes called “the blue man” by local kids, mainly because of its denim attire, sat still, facing west. Galen started by looking at the anchor keeping the old guy in his place
“There’s no way this guy moved from the wind, probably kids screwing around” he said.
Wanda, who had been a practitioner of white magic for decades, had another thought: “No there’s more to it ... I’m sensing another Elven and human presence here. Let’s go into the house and talk ... think about what may be happening.”
The three reconvened in the living room of the house; Amara was the first to speak: “I’ve been pretty good about watching the town, there are only two new families that have moved in this year. There are the McBride’s, an older couple ... adult kids who live out of state ... and the Cohen’s. Wanda, their son, is in the sixth grade, I think.”
“Yes, I know him. Okay, so who bought the metal shop on the old East Road?” Wanda asked.
Galen spoke up: “Nobody knows, I was at the planning commission meeting last week and it was approved to be rezoned .. but only a lawyer from Morgan City was there on the owner’s behalf ... Oh, and another thing: I've been told that whomever the owner is ... he has pretty deep pockets.”
“Wanda, what is it?' Amara asked. 'You seem worried ...”
While our trio was talking: many, many miles away, another trio was meeting do discuss our wayward friends.
“It’s them I tell you; I felt the witch ... She’s teaching human children now.”
“That’s impossible, how could they have been there this whole and none of our scouts ... or scans ... picked them up?”
These were what would be called in human term’s: bounty hunters. But the bounty they hunted was the souls of the innocent. Of course, the occasional near immortal soul of an escaped Elf or two was always worth a pretty penny!
“So, what’s the plan ... stan?” Belphor asked.
Kasin cleared his throat: “I think the scarecrow can be our vessel ... the town has a lot of kids ... and a ton of events. If we can inhabit the scarecrow, then I think we can kill a few birds with one stone! The biggest issue is the witch ... but her powers aren't what they used to be. She didn’t even sense me in the field ... watching her and those two pals of hers. We might have to deal with them, also.”
“Korfy, can you put eyes on that stuffy guy for us?” Belphor asked.
“I can put eyes anywhere we need." Korfy responded. 'If the witch is in fact weak enough, I may be able to get in the house, too.”
Belphor thought for a few minutes, but decided against being in the house. “No, let’s stay in the field where we belong. Kasin ... we need a spell, something for our scarecrow friend; I think he needs to ... be taken off the hook ... for a bit.”
“I’ll head over there now; you guys follow in a few days ...” Kasin said. “We have a work location and there are already several humans on the payroll. It’s amazing what they do for cash ... By the time you get there, we’ll be set up.”
“What are you gonna use on it Kasin’? Korfy asked.
“My friend, It’s been decades since I reanimated an object that wasn’t once alive. I need to practice and study a bit. That’s why I’m going ahead ... Also, the white witch could be a problem ... weak powers or not ... if she discovers what we’re planning. We should also remember those two friends of hers ... This could be all over before it ever starts. And that would suck ...”
“I think this could be good for us,” Belphor said. “Two fugitive elves ... a witch ... and a scarecrow. This might make really big news up in section 8!”
“Section 8? Are you kidding me?” Korfy asked. "I mean, we heard the stories, but they’d never look at us. That’s only for royalty ... which we are not.”
“Trust me on this,” Belphor said. “I hear that occasionally they pick their members from the hunter team. This could be our golden ticket!”
Kasin chortled at that “Sure Bel, tell us who ... can you name anyone? Cause I can’t.”
With their talk done, the three of them went about the business of getting ready for the hunt. Kasin, who packed fast and was already gone, headed down the lost road that humans never see; and if ... when they did ... it was usually the last thing they’d ever see.
Back at the farm, Galen was setting up a camera system. The system was not just looking at the scarecrow, but rather: covering the entire property.
Wanda, who was feeling a bit lost, was heading back into town. She knew the drill in these situations. It was time to circle the wagons. Even if the scarecrow was moved by the wind, which was unlikely, or by kids, which was most likely, it was always better to be safe rather than sorry.
Amara was back at the store, talking to a few of her employees. She nonchalantly mentioned that she wasn’t feeling well; by tomorrow it would blossom into full blown COVID. This would give cover to Galen and Wanda, since the three were always together.
Amara knew that her two managers could run the store without her. They were both hard workers and very trustworthy.
Galen and Wanda, now back at the farm, checked their food supplies, fuel, and the generator ... just in case.
Wanda spoke up: “Galen do you really think we need all ... well ... this?”
“It may be nothing." He replied. “And it may be something. Until we get your spidey senses back online, we can’t take the chance.”
Back at what was once the ‘Eastland Metal Works’, the fresh paint was drying, and the new floor was setting. The two human employees hired to take care of the place were just putting the finishing touches on what would be the boss’ office.
“Hey Sal, you got any idea of what we’re actually doing here?” Mark the employee asked.
Sal responded: “No, and I don’t care, and neither should you ... These guys hired us right out of prison and are taking pretty good care of us ... As far as I’m concerned ... they say jump, I say how high. That’s it.”
Mark looked at him for a moment, thinking, and finally said: “Yeah, you’re right. This is way better than I thought it would be on the outside.”
With that conversation concluded, the phone rang.
Sal and Mark looked at each other, kind of daring each other to answer the phone ... |
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Post by osnafrank on Dec 20, 2023 14:39:24 GMT
Chapter 2 from darkharbinger
Brains are the only things worth having in this world, no matter whether one is a crow or a man.
L. Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
“That phone ain’t gonna answer itself,” Sal said to Mark, almost as if to deliberately contradict him. The phone did answering the call itself via the answering machine.
“I will assume the reason no one picked up the phone is because you gentlemen are hard at work,” Kasin said, his voice like silk. “Or, more than likely; you two are looking at the phone like two confused apes. Either way, I will be there shortly.”
There was something about the way the voice said "shortly" that caused the two men to regret accepting this job.
“And when I get there: the great work will begin. We have much to do and little time to do it in, but listen and listen carefully … there are somethings that I need …”
The two men listened as the voice of Kasin told them what it required. All in all, it wasn’t so bad, then men had done worse in their time, and now they were being paid.
I…I see. I live.
“Is it working?” Belphor asked.
“Of course it's working,” Kasin said with a sigh. “Didn’t you see it open its eyes?”
After such a slumber, I awake to see only fools. Where am I?
“Why isn’t it saying anything?” Korfy asked.
“Because the spell isn’t done,” Kasin said, then he went back to reciting ancient words once known, now forgotten.
Theirs is a simple magic, these elves. They do it so clumsily. Animating that which was not alive, how foolish are they? I was alive once, after all, was not my straw originally lush hay? Was not the torn, weather-worn fabric that clothed me once cotton? I lived once, and I shall live again.
“This better work,” Belphor said with a grumble. “We’ve already committed a lot of resources to this project, and if that white witch finds out …”
“It was your idea to use their scarecrow for this,” Korfy said.
“Who says it isn’t working?” Kasin demanded. “I’d be done now if you two would shut up and let me finish!”
“I didn’t say anything,” Korfy commented, sulkily.
“Be quiet!” Kasin yelled. “This is old magic I am using!”
Old magic indeed. I think even these elves forget how old the magic is. All scarecrows are one, you see. We were a gift to the mud dwellers along the Nile from Ra Himself, a gift to save their puny lives from the birds that ate their grain. And while their stone statues looked on obliviously, the first of my kind watched over the fields and waited for the harvesting.
Is that why am I awake? I smell the air ... it's long past harvesting time, so why are they playing such games? Or is there something else they want from me?
“Do we need more blood?” Belphor asked.
“There is no more blood,” Korfy told him. “Which is rather amazing considering the size of those two women…”
“For the last time,” Kasin hissed. “Be quiet! If you can't do that simple of a thing, then go back with the mortals and clean up …”
“They already cleaned up,” Korfy interrupted. “This isn’t their first time.”
So, these fools have been trying to bring me to life for some time, have they? The elves must be desperate to expose themselves so openly. How many mortal lives have they taken so far? It doesn’t really matter in the end…
“This getting messy,” Belphor remarked. “It has to work this time.”
“It will work this time,” Kasin said. “If you would just shut up!”
Life fills me, life stolen from others. I, who never really died, live again. Praise Ra and all the old gods for giving me movement once again. Soon the hunt will begin, soon, the harvesting will commence.
“It's moving again,” Korfy exclaimed.
“I can see that,” Kasin said. “Stand back.”
The elves are right to fear me. They do not know what they have brought back. I who guard also take.
“Slave,” Kasin said, his voice rough. “You are here for a purpose!”
“I hunger.”
“You cannot hunger,” Kasin said. “Your only craving is to do our will.”
“I HUNGER.”
“What…what do you hunger for?”
“Brains.”
“Did you screw something up?” Belphor demanded.
“No,” Kasin answered, sounding unsure. “This can work to our advantage.”
“How?” Kofy asked.
“Feed me brains. I hunger for brains.”
“In time,” Kasin said.
“NOW.”
“Where are we supposed to get this thing brains at this hour?” Belphor asked.
“Oh, I think I have an idea,” Kasin said with a smile.
Back in the main storage room, Sal and Mark were sitting at a table with four purses of different shapes and sizes in front of them. They had once belonged to the women whose blood had been harvested by the bosses for tonight’s attempt, now their contents belonged to Mark and Sal. They would search them for valuables and then discard what was left. A stack of discarded purses in a lonely corner of the room was evidence of their previous harvests.
Sal was interested in only the money he could find in wallets and side pockets of the bags, but Mark, a voyeur at heart, liked the glimpse he got into the ladies’ lives. You could learn a lot about a woman from the contents of her purse.
“Look here,” he said, holding up two tickets. “She was going to a concert…”
Sal snatched them out of Mark’s hands and looked at them. “You get all hot and bothered over country music?”
“No,” Mark muttered. What got him hot and bothered were the pictures. He knew it was stupid to keep the pictures of missing women, but what Sal and the bosses didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
Those little snippets of life the pictures revealed belonged to the women they had picked up here and there in an ever-greater circle, never in the same place twice. The bosses hadn’t specifically asked for female victims, but the two men had personal reasons for exploiting the loophole. Bars, clubs, parking lots, lonely streets, even the occasional park and playground…the hunting had been good. Almost too good.
“Think it will work this time?” Sal asked.
Mark didn’t want it to ever end. “I don’t know.”
“What is that?” Sal asked. He was suspicious of his comrade, always suspecting him of not sharing all the money found in the purses. He snatched a piece of paper out of Mark’s hands. “Oh, it’s just a layaway receipt.” He tossed it back on the table.
Mark picked it up and read it slowly. “Looks like some kid is getting a lot of dolls.”
Sal considered this. “Not anymore.”
The doors to the bosses’ work area slammed open as the scarecrow rushed in with all the speed of well-deserved karma. It grabbed Mark and Sal by their heads and banged them together several times. Once this was done, it opened its mouth, revealing a long tongue…
Kasin walked into the room and watched his creation feast. “These two didn’t have many brains to begin with, but they will do,” the elf said. “And we’ve only just begun…”
The two other elves walked in at that moment. “Great,” Korfy said. “Who is going to clean this up now?”
“Make the scarecrow do it,” Belphor suggested.
“It has other work,” Kasin remarked. “You two clean up this mess. Burn everything.”
The scarecrow looked up. “If I only had more brains…”
Elsewhere, Wanda went outside and tasted the air. Magic, stronger than any she had tasted for a long time, tingled her nose and burnt her lungs. Something was wrong, something close.
She walked out into the fields, trying to remember the young girl she had once been and the land she came from. It was all so long ago…but there had still been fields like this. Endless fields under a golden sun… so long ago.
Wanda crested a hill, knowing what she would see before she saw it. The blue man was gone.
“Damn it,” she whispered, her voice almost lost in the wind. The blue man had been a warning sign, an ancient totem. That it was gone meant that someone…something…had nefarious plans, plans that involved her and her friends. A plan that was personal.
“So be it,” she said to no one in particular. The magic was strong, but so was she. And if there was a burning to come, then her fire would burn the hottest.
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Post by osnafrank on Dec 21, 2023 13:25:19 GMT
Chapter 3 by Tanith
The coming battle would require mental clarity. Wanda pointed her elderly Buick’s nose towards Bounty of the County, the store run by her friends. In addition to fresh produce and meat, Wanda knew she could find some fresh ginger root among their spice display. The store would be closed this late in the evening, but she had a key and the trust of Galen and Amara. In fact, Wanda thought as she pulled into the store’s little parking lot, a pot of fresh ginger tea would bring them all up to full psychic strength.
There was a surprise awaiting her, though. Bounty of the County’s small lot was in the middle of the last block in town, but beyond the corner Wanda could see the flashing blue lights of more than one police car. It was rare to see more than one law enforcement car active in their little town; perhaps there had been a wreck? Wanda lingered by her open car door, squinting through the dusk. She could see nothing, but a man’s agitated voice soon came from the scene. Even without ginger tea to sharpen her senses, Wanda sensed terror and pain. Best that she quickly finish her errand and be on her way.
A witch of Wanda’s power and training could have found what she needed in the darkened store unaided, but Galen and Amara had installed motion-activated lights three years ago. The moment Wanda let herself in, they sprang to glaring life. Stifling a curse, she picked up just enough ginger root for a pot of tea and put it into her purse. Wanda knew she would be seeing her friends shortly, but on principle she stopped at the counter just long enough to scribble out an “invoice” and tucked ten dollars by the corner of the register. She felt like a spotlight was following her everywhere—damn these “smart” lights—but she had no way of shutting them off. They’d switch off on their own once she left, she supposed, and it was past time she did so.
Locking up behind her, Wanda couldn’t resist another peek down the street. The police lights were still there, and now she could see figures in their blue flashes. Whatever was going on, it was attracting a crowd. She could no longer hear the agitated cries of the man from earlier. It was time to ditch this scene…it was now fully dark, and her feeling of foreboding was growing by the minute. She was just about to slide behind her steering wheel when a voice stopped her.
“Hey, Wanda, you got a minute?”
Turning, she saw the diminutive figure of Megan O’Dell, the county sheriff. Like the community she served Megan was small, but unique. More than one drunken brawler had mistaken her size and gender for weakness, and had spent the night in a jail cell nursing a dislocated elbow. She’d trained in a number of martial arts and was fast, graceful, and utterly without fear. Wanda’s business was urgent, but she liked the little sheriff and was proud to have her as the face of the law here in her adopted hometown. Thrusting aside her unease, Wanda put on her friendliest smile.
“Hi, Megan, you seem to be having a busy evening,” she said, nodding a the scintillating lights.
“Yes, and I was hoping you could help. Do you know the Cohen family?”
The vague foreboding sharpened into a sliver of fear that began to slide up Wanda’s spine. “Yes, their son Jack is one of my students ...”
“Joanne Cohen seems to be missing. Her husband picked Jack up from school today and they returned home to find the house empty. No sign of violence or forced entry, but the breakfast dishes are still in the drainer and their cat was yowling because he hadn’t been fed. We can’t find her purse although her car is still in the garage. It’s as if she went out for a quick errand nearby and never came back. Have you seen her today?”
“No,” said Wanda, steadying herself on her car door as a quick succession of emotions swept through her. Bewilderment, panic, fear, and anger.
Megan studied her. “You seem rattled by this.”
Wanda may have been a great witch, but she was no actress and her emotions showed clearly. “Of course I’m rattled! A child is missing his mother tonight!”
And will never see her again, she thought miserably.
Now she understood at least part of the foreboding in her heart. Death was stalking her new neighbors. Innocents who had welcomed herself, Galen, and Amara as one of their own.
The sheriff, who was no fool, was taking in her reaction with great interest. “Yes,” she replied slowly. “And a husband just had to be taken to the ER for treatment of shock. Little Jack is going to stay with his aunt until we get all this sorted out. But I have to ask you, Wanda…has he said anything to you indicating that his mom might be in trouble? I don’t know the Cohen's as well as some of the other families in town since they’re new. This might be a voluntary disappearance, and it might not be. I need a place to start, and fast. Her life might be in danger.”
Her life is beyond your reach or mine, Wanda thought unhappily. But she could hardly tell the hard-nosed sheriff that. She felt it, however, and she felt something else…fury. Cold fury that someone or something would target these harmless mortals just to get at the three not-quite-mortals that lived among them. The tea she’d planned to make was forgotten. She had plenty of clarity now.
“Wanda?” prompted the sheriff. She swept her long, auburn ponytail over her left shoulder and looked keenly at her.
“No, Jack seemed fine,” replied Wanda. It was true; the child had seemed as cheerful as ever today.
“Okay,” replied Megan. “I’ve got to get back for another sweep of the house. Here is my card—” a business card with Megan’s contact info was tucked into Wanda’s hand. “Call me if you think of anything, or remember something Jack may have said. And Wanda?”
Wanda turned back to see Megan’s face grim expression. “I'm no fan of mysteries in my town. I’m going to find out the truth.”
Caught up in the sheriff’s fierce determination, Wanda nodded. “We will find it—I will help you.”
“Good.” Megan turned on her heel and walked rapidly back up the street.
Wanda was about to go into her driver’s seat when she felt the lightest of psychic touches on her brain, like the questing paw of a cat. Looking around, she saw a tall man leaning nonchalantly against the wall of her friends’ store. Bounty of the County’s interior lights were still on and they illuminated a predatory smile and great eyes. Seeing that he’d caught her attention, Kasin waved her over.
“I have some truth for you to find, Wise Woman,” he told her in his raspy voice. “Come on around behind this amusing little emporium here ... in the shadows. You’re used to the shadows, aren't you?” With a chuckle, he faded into those very shadows.
Wanda had not survived this long by walking knowingly into traps, but neither had she survived by succumbing to fear. Calling up all her powers of concentration, she prepared to follow Kasin.
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Post by osnafrank on Dec 22, 2023 15:11:22 GMT
Chapter 4 by Edwardjohn
The President of the United States of America stared through the doors and windows at the back of his Oval Office desk, admiring the splendorous collection of trees, flowers and plants that made up the White House Rose Garden. He had walked the Rose Garden with many a foreign leader and domestic politician, debating decisions that would chart the America of the future; such talks had decided the fate of numerous jobs, industries, and, on occasion, the very existence of countries. But such things were not on The President’s mind as he stared on from the Oval Office; his sole concern, at that moment in time, was his next appointment. No advisor, Chief of Staff, or cabinet official would be present for the forthcoming meeting. Meetings with this man and his predecessors, and the branch of intelligence that he represented, had always been attended to at the White House by The President himself and no other, going all the way back to the days of George Washington.
‘Mr President? Sir? Sir?’ The President turned, waiting for him by the main entrance of the Oval Office, several Secret Service agents mulling around in the background, was his chief secretary Janice Rand. ‘Sir,’ Rand went on, ‘The Director is here.’
‘Oh … apologies, Janice, I was a million miles away. Please, send him in.’
Janice smiled before ushering The Director into the Oval Office, making sure to shut the door after The Director had taken a seat on the opposite end of The President’s desk.
The Director was garbed in a fine suit, had a briefcase, and spoke with an immensely bland American accent; The President would have thought him simply another of the thousands of government officials that made up Washington D.C. had he not known otherwise.
‘Mr President,’ The Director said.
‘The Director,’ The President said with a smile, always finding it funny that he did not know the name of the man before him, hence his The Director title. ‘So … Director …’ The President went on, ‘you have a report for me, I assume?’
‘Yes, sir,’ The Director said, ‘directly from the Special Taskforce’s central office.’
The President laughed. ‘The Director … Special Taskforce … like a bad episode of Mission Impossible, wouldn’t you say?’
The Director smiled. ‘Sir, I would trade being the director of the Special Taskforce for the fictional Impossible Mission Force in a minute. The problems they had to deal with in those movies and that tv show are like a walk in the park compared to what we have to deal with, sir.’
‘Ain’t that the truth,’ The President said.
‘Well,’ The Director said, unlocking his briefcase, taking the files within out, and putting them on The President’s desk, ‘this is last month’s detailed report. But I’ll give you a summary, if you so wish?’
‘Yes, please.’
‘There were basically no incidents until the final week of the month, no major Elven or magic related going ons to report. But then … well … there was a bunch of unusual activity from one of the portals in Texas … Fort Worth, to be precise. There was a massive influx of energy … our team there filed a detailed report about it. Also, there were numerous complaints in Fort Worth itself to the local electricity and water services of their services going weird, which is in keeping with other incidents’ of portal skullduggery in the past. We reached out to the Elven leaders on the other side of the Fort Worth portal, but they didn’t have anything to report. Not believing them, we reached out to the High Council, but they simply repeated what the local officials on the other side told us. Now, this is where thing’s get really weird …’
‘Go on,’ The President simply said in response.
‘After the unusualness in Fort Worth … kidnapping and missing persons reports in the vicinity jumped up massively. We checked the local towns and cities, and we found a trail. The trail of missing persons reports and kidnappings led us to Morgan City, Louisiana … but that’s where everything regarding the trail stopped … until now, that is.’The Director reached into the grouping of files that had been placed on The President’s desk and found a photograph, which he promptly gave over to the Commander in Chief. ‘This,’ said The Director as The President studied the image, which was a shot of a beige Toyota Yarus, ‘was taken by a traffic cam this morning. It was brought to our attention because it was reported stolen to Fort Worth police the same day that there was unusual activity coming from the portal there … We didn’t initially think anything of it … but then one of the guys we had going through traffic footage in Lafayette found images of the same car and plate passing through several days ago…’
‘Let me guess,’ said The President, ‘they coincide with local missing persons reports there, which have jumped up in numbers after what happened in Fort Worth?’
‘Totally right, sir,’ said The Director.
‘You think its Elves? Or witches?’
‘Not sure, sir, but I know it isn’t good.’
‘You’re scowering the area for the car, I’m guessing?’
‘Yes, Mr President, as soon as we have a hit on its current location, we’ll move in.’
The President returned the image to the files on his desk and went silent, considering all he had been told. ‘Elves,’ he muttered after a bit. ‘You know, I got into politics to do good. I know a lot of folks get cynical when I say that … but its true … If you told me that Elves, Goblins, Witches and … God knows what else … were real and that they travelled to our world via portals … and that there was a whole government organization, a secret organization, charged with dealing with them, reporting directly to the president … then I’d have called you insane!’
The Director was about to respond, but then his phone in his pocket suddenly went off. ‘Excuse me, sir,’ he said, ‘I have to take this.’ He answered his phone. ‘Yeah … yeah … send it to me.’ Then The Director put the call on speaker and proceeded to check his text messages. His most recent message was a photo attachment; clicking on it, the image was the following: a beige Toyota Yarus, a man in the driver’s seat, a woman in the passenger seat, and they were parked in front of a store with a sign above it that said:
BOUNTY OF THE COUNTRY! LOCAL PRODUCE YOU CAN TRUST!
‘Sir,’ said the voice on the other end of The Director’s call, ‘how would you like us to proceed?’
‘Get a team together … I can be at Dulles International in fifteen minutes … Keep track of the car, don’t move in until I get there …’
‘To hell with that,’ The President said, ‘I’m going to make some calls; you can use Air Force One.’
‘Sir,’ said The Director, now turning to the Commander and Chief, ‘please, really, its …’
‘Nonsense, son,’ said The President, ‘its not campaign season, so what the hell am I going to do with it?’
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘Thank me by getting the bastard or bastards that thought they could mess with out world.’
Kasin smiled as he disconnected his psychic communication with Wanda. ‘Well, well, well,’ he said, now turning to Joanne Cohen, who was standing to his left, by Bounty of the Country, immensely terrified, ‘wait until she finds out I brought you! Oh, man, what a hoot this is …’
‘Please … please … let me go.’ Joanne said.
‘Let you go?’ Kasin said, impressed that he had been able to keep the presence of Joanne from Wanda.
‘Why would I do that? You’re part of the show … You’re what I’m going to use to make that bitch … and her two stooges … know their place. You and all the people of this silly little town.’ Kasin proceeded to take a small revolver out from his coat pocket. ‘You know, I’m not the biggest fan of your species … but these toys of yours … Man, they are pretty cool.’
Kasin’s phone suddenly went; reaching into another of his pockets, Kasin answered. ‘Yeah …?’
‘Kasin, its me … Korfy. Its all done, all the evidence is gone … you want us to join you? Give you some back-up in dealing with the bitch? She might bring her friends along, you know?’
‘Nah,’ said Kasin, staring into the trees beyond the carpark adjacent to the Bounty of the County, ‘I’ve got all the back-up an Elf could ask for …’
As Kasin said this, a sudden roar came from the aforementioned trees. Joanne Cohen took several steps backwards, but she did not go running, knowing that Kasin would shoot her. ‘What was that?’ She asked.
Kasin replied with the following:
You won’t find this mannequin
In a field of cattle herds
Instead he’ll be in a cornfield
Keeping away the birds … |
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Post by osnafrank on Dec 23, 2023 17:10:18 GMT
Chapter 5 by tanith
“The dead travel fast.”—Bram Stoker
“No matter what goes wrong, there is always someone who knew it would.”—Murphy’s Law
“So, Wise Woman,” Kasin began, unlinking their minds the moment he saw her. “You’ve led us on quite the chase, but it ends now. These rustics cannot shield you. However, I can find many uses for them.”
To illustrate his point, he raised a hand and the helpless Joanne was stung by unseen needles along the back of her neck. Her cry of pain and terror brought Wanda out of hiding at once. In her shock and fear, Wanda hardly noticed. “Joanne!”
“Wanda, who is this? What does he mean? Jack …?”
Very carefully, Wanda said, “Jack is fine, Joanne. He’s waiting for you.” It would not do to give Kasin more leverage in the form of a vulnerable child. “This gentleman has…made a mistake, that’s all.”
Kasin raised a sardonic eyebrow. “Have I? I think you will find that it is you who have erred, Wise Woman. You knew the Order would come for you one day. Yet you and your little friends chose to hide among these … lesser beings, these mortals. Did you honestly think that would protect you?”
Before Wanda could reply, Joanne, galvanized by Kasin’s scornful tone, stepped forward. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Kasin was astonished, as was Wanda. She started to whisper a warning, but Joanne whirled furiously on Kasin. “You son of a bitch! You walk into my house like you own it and put the whammy on me, then haul me off. I didn’t even get to feed the cat, for God’s sake! Now my husband and child are panicking because Mom’s not there to keep the house running, and you’re standing here talking about ‘lesser beings’ like you’re some sort of superman! You’ve ruined our family bowling night, do you know that? And we were going to go pick out a Christmas tree afterwards! You, sir, can get bent!” There was a sharp crack as she slapped Kasin.
Slapped him.
Centuries of humans shivering fearfully at his approach had fed Kasin’s arrogance until he wore it almost like a second glamour on top of the one that shielded his true nature from human eyes. He’d come to view them as little more than cattle, though without them and their dreams he and his kind would be nothing. The slap hurt him not at all, but the anger that drove it shattered his haughty facade. Five minutes ago, this woman had been begging for her life; now, she burned with wrath and spoke of “whammies” and “getting bent”, concepts he didn’t understand. He stared at Joanne in bewilderment, his concentration broken.
The fury of the transplanted New Yorker was something even Wendy hadn’t counted upon, but the break in Kasin’s spell enabled her to focus on what was troubling her. The noises from the woods could no longer be heard, as if whatever made them had moved away.
Kasin seemed to realize this at the same time. Attempting to recover his control of the situation, he raised his head and shut his eyes in concentration, his nostrils flaring. “Silence, both of you,” he commanded.
Joanne started to issue a command of her own, involving a large pile of sand and a hammer, but Wanda waved her to silence. Tonight’s macabre dance was set in more than one location, and it was important that she knew where all the dancers were if she were to save her friends. Unobtrusively, she switched on her mobile phone.
Kasin’s cell went as he mutter phrases in ancient languages. With an irritated grunt, he answered it. “What?”
The caller was Korfy, who seemed to be running and shouting at the same time. “Boss—”
“What do you want?” barked Kasin. “I’m busy here—”
“Boss! The stuffy guy is here, and he’s coming after us! What do we do?” In the background police sirens wailed.
“DAMNATION!” roared Kasin. The hunter’s anger was tangible, as was the growing sense of chaos and terror. Someone had introduced elements into the mortal world they should not have, thought Wanda.
“Stay there!” ordered Kasin, and broke the connection over the hysterical protests of Korfy. He turned to his two captives, thinking to send them to sleep. However, Wanda stopped him with three words.
“You need me.”
Kasin stared at her. “What?”
“You need me, necromancer. You’re in over your head, and you’re about to become a very famous man indeed. Wait until the worthies in this town realize you are not a ‘man’ at all.”
Fighting to control his fury, Kasin gestured at Wanda. “You’re with me, Wise Woman. And don’t get clever … I have unfinished business with you and your friends.”
“You certainly do,” said Wanda without a trace of irony. She hit a speed-dial number, and when Galen answered she simply said, “Meet me at Eastland Metal Works. Bring everything you’ve got.”
Wanda’s old Buick went out of Bounty of the County’s parking lot less than a minute later. The federal agent watching from a roof across the street trained his binoculars on them, watching with great interest. Inside the store, the “smart” lights finally switched themselves off.
***
Sheriff Megan, as she was generally known to the townsfolk, stood at the entrance to Eastland Metal Works, gazing at the inflatable Christmas decorations on a lawn across the street. Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, and the other characters were not inflated at this time. As a result, it looked as if some unspeakable Christmas massacre had taken place in the family’s front yard. Her reverie was interrupted by the sounds of a snarl, a crash, and a scream coming from the disused metal shop.
Megan stifled an oath. She could hear sirens approaching, but it was clear she couldn’t wait for backup. The 911 call they’d gotten was not specific, just that there was “trouble”. Rather than waste time navigating the long narrow drive in her cruiser she started up the drive on foot.
Before even a minute passed, Megan heard someone approaching from the facility. The sounds of running footsteps and ragged breathing told her someone had been running and was now exhausted. As Megan loosened her revolver in its holster, she could make out a man limping into the light of the street lamp and gasping, taking no notice of her.
“Placid County Sheriff’s Department!” called Megan, shouting over the rising sirens. “Are you the gentleman who called us? What’s going on up there?” She could still hear crashes and cries.
The man suddenly looked up at Megan, and she took a startled step backward. Korfy’s glamor had been decimated, and his true elven form was showing in multiple places. Megan saw only a slender man who seemed to be hanging onto sanity by a thread. One too-large hand clutched a wound in his side, from which blood slowly dripped. He stared about in panic, and after a moment Megan noticed something strange. His eyes had no whites.
Must be a trick of the light, thought Megan. This dude’s on drugs and his eyes are dilated. She stepped forward and reached out. “Sir, have you been …?”
She got no further. “He took too much!” screamed Korfy. It’s out of control! Get out of here!” And he suited action to word, taking to his heels.
Whoever he was, he was healthier than he looked, thought Megan. What next?
The answer to that was a roar as the propane tank that serviced Eastland Metal Works exploded, a ball of flame rising into the sky. With it rose a cry that no human throat could produce, a scream not of terror, but of triumph. In the flames, Megan could make out a figure standing with its arms outstretched, like a man warming himself before a fireplace. But this figure could not be human … it stood ten feet tall and as it roared again Megan could see that it had a second set of arms below the first.
The sheriff’s radio squawked something about the fire department, and Megan answered “Here.” She could not stop staring at the weird, four-armed figure outlined by the flames. From somewhere beyond came the sound of more screams, rhythmic and rising in volume. Whatever was happening up there was getting bad fast.
Glancing at the road, Megan was bemused to see that the string of emergency vehicles was not led by the senior deputy but by Wanda, who was driving her elderly Buick hellbent for leather, slamming into potholes and over humps. She appeared to be arguing with an unfamiliar man in her passenger seat … but it was the passenger in the back seat that got Megan’s attention. It was Joanne Cohen, the missing woman. Behind Wanda were Galen and Amara in their jeep. They both looked terrified. Following them was the senior deputy, looking as bewildered as Megan felt.
What the hell was going on here?
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Post by osnafrank on Dec 24, 2023 16:26:39 GMT
Chapter Six by darkharbinger
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Percy Bysshe Shelley
They are coming for me. I can see them ... despite the fire. Yes, so much fire. I should be afraid, for I am made of stitching and straw. And yet I find it lovely, so bright in the night sky. Others flee from the flames … humans, elves, spirits…they are all cowards. What do they know? What could they know? They are a reckless, blasphemous lot… things that I could perhaps forgive if I knew how. But cowardice? That is only for lions …
Perhaps not all humans were cowards. A human woman wearing a gun and badge of honor was coming towards me. “I don’t know who or what you are,” he said. “But I want you to get down right now!”
Such audacity. Perhaps she was emboldened by the others near here. I swatted her away, my focus on the elves and the witch. Two of the elves are standing just ahead of me, dimly illuminated by the burning fires. “We made you!” The one named Korfy screamed. His voice was like the screeching of crows in my head. He had to die.
“I need brains,” I said. “You will supply them.”
It was simple, really. I was superior.
“You won’t get much from him,” Belphor commented. Perhaps he thought he was being amusing; perhaps the elf named Korfy didn't have brains; I didn’t know.
“You are here to punish the renegades, not try to kill us!” Korfy whined. “When Kasin sees what you've done … do you know how much that building cost?”
I didn’t, nor did I care. Money meant nothing to me, nor did the cost of buildings. I needed brains; being alive was hungry business. “I don’t think talk is going to settle this,” Belphor said, his voice oddly toneless for an elf. “I think our friend has reached the limits of his negotiations.”
“I am not your friend,” I said. “I do not negotiate.”
“Noted,” Belphor said, nodding. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. “I hate human tools, but they are useful at certain times.” He pressed a button on the device and then threw it at me. It exploded when it struck me, immolating me in a ball of liquid flame.
The world became black, then yellow, then dark again. My body, mostly ashes now, started to reform. I sat up and saw another elf had joined them. “You fool,” Kasin, the one who summoned me into being, remarked. “That won’t stop him!”
He was right.
***
“Megan!” Wanda cried, making a mad dash. She reached the stricken sheriff’s side. The woman was breathing, a minor miracle considering how hard the scarecrow’s hit had been. In the distance, a burning figure stood up before the elves. They could not handle what they had made.
The others were getting too close. “We have to get the people away from here,” Wanda told the senior deputy.
“Ma’am, I have no idea what’s going on here, but …”
Wanda sighed and used her magic to charm the senior deputy. “Get Megan out of here and make a corridor so that no one else gets any closer.”
The senior deputy did as told, getting Mega’s unconscious body into the Buick. That bit done, Wanda turned and saw that the elves were not able to contain the scarecrow.
“We control you!” One said.
“You are supposed to do what we say!” Another remarked.
The elf she had met earlier simply shook his head. “It is too late for that, you fools,” he said. “We have to send it back!”
The scarecrow didn’t like the sound of that. It rushed at the elves, scattering them like bowling pins, then turned to look at Wanda. She felt everything go cold in spite of the heat.
“Are you … a good witch or a bad witch?”
“What did you just say?” Wanda asked.
“Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”
Wanda clenched her teeth. “There are no such distinctions. Morality is, at best, a human construct.”
“I am bound by no such constructs,” the scarecrow remarked, coming towards her. Wanda summoned all of the protective spells she could manage, but the thing was simply too strong. Just what had those foolish elves released? This was not a simple animation …
The scarecrow tried to strike her, but she was too fast for that. Nimble as a leaf in the breeze, Wanda avoided the scarecrow’s attacks. The elves, knowing that they had to deal with this, resumed their attacks, both physical and magical. Nothing seemed to work. The magic that had made this thing had been simply too strong. Only the agency of higher beings could stop this now.
Belphor tried another grenade, but the scarecrow was ready this time. It ripped the arm holding the bomb off and then pulled the screaming elf toward its maw. It bit into his head and then pulled out a large chunk of grey matter.
“Brains,” it said hungrily.
The scarecrow ate the brain. Wanda watched this horror, her mind going numb. To see such a thing … at that moment, she forgot the elf, the fire, and the amount of danger she was in. Luckily for her, Galen and Amara floored their jeep and slammed it right into the scarecrow before it could attack again.
“Get out of here!” Wanda cried. “It is beyond you!”
The scarecrow was beyond all of them. In a fit of anger, it kicked the Jeep, sending it, Galen and Amara flying. At the same time, it also attacked Korfy and Kasin. Apparently, the elves had run out of tricks and were now in a death struggle. For immortal beings, that was a terrifying thought.
There was another roaring explosion that sent Wanda a good distance backward. Just what had been stored at the Eastland Metal Works? Wanda imagined it didn’t matter what now; whatever it had been was now just flammable elements in the air. As she tried to regain her feet a cold wind, colder than the coldest of nights, blew in from the north. The massive fire that was still consuming the Eastland Metal Works flickered for a moment and almost died out. “Time has not been kind to you, elf,” a grim voice said behind her. “What is this madness?”
Wanda knew that voice. How could she not? Visions of another life rushed into her mind, of working in a faraway land of ice and snow, of building toys and making clothes for the children … it was always for the children; that was why she wanted to become a teacher …
“Well?” The voice demanded.
“This … this is more your doing than mine,” she managed to say. “Your bounty-hunting elves came here and caused all of this madness and misery!”
“Speak carefully when you speak to me,” the voice said sternly. “I judge who is naughty and who is nice, not you, exile.”
Wanda turned toward the source of the voice. The generations of children who had waited for this being would not have recognized him. This was not some jolly man in red and white robes who was vaguely Germanic-looking; it was a tall, lanky figure dressed in dreary red and green jerkins. The only connection to the old poem was that the figure’s eyes twinkled, or at least the one remaining one. The other was covered with an eye patch.
“Your bounty hunters animated a scarecrow using the old runes,” Wanda said. “The magic was too powerful, and now…”
“And now mortals are dying,” the being once known as the Alföðr finished. “This cannot be. The mortals of this Midgard know too much. This must be dealt with ... and then I will deal with you, exile.”
The figure moved on towards the fire, where, presumably, the remaining elves were still fighting the scarecrow. Wanda considered cutting her losses and going back to find Galen and Amara, but she simply couldn’t. Summoning her courage, she followed the figure towards the fire.
It didn’t take long to find the scarecrow. Its paths of carnage were getting ever larger, ever closer to the barricade that the senior deputy had formed. Wanda couldn’t see where the elves or Galen and Amara had gone. There was nothing she could do about that right now, for the game nor the burning was over.
Before her, the two beings stood gazing deeply at each other. “Do I call you Father Christmas, Father Yule, or…Odin?” The Scarecrow asked.
The grim figure observed the scarecrow for a few moments before answering. “You may call me nothing, aberration. There are unhappy children this night, and I will…”
Wanda tried to hear what was said, but it was lost in the drum of several army helicopters approaching …
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Post by wolf on Dec 25, 2023 17:16:08 GMT
Chapter 7
By Cap docpain2
The Director was in the lead helicopter with a team of very well-trained, armored, armed, special forces soldiers, viewing the carnage, looking for a landing zone.
The Director, who had a somewhat shady past himself (multiple stints with the CIA, NSA, the State Department, US backed foreign militias), checked his gear one more time before the pilot told him that he had found a place where they could land. Then, The Director said the following to his team, Alpha Team: “Once we’re on the ground, I’ll coordinate with the locals. You guys will scout ahead. But don’t engage unless there is a direct threat. You got that?”
''Yes, sir!'' The soldiers replied.
As that was happening, Amara and Galen were working their way out of the now mostly destroyed Jeep. Galen grabbed not solely his bag, but the bag that Wanda had left with him for safe keeping decades ago.
“Wanda!” Amara called.
With that, Wanda and the unknown stranger turned and walked towards them.
Galen noted that the stranger had a familiar look but could not put his finger on why. Amara saw him and for some reason thought about her childhood.
“Galen ... Amara ... are you ready”? Wanda asked.
Galen responded with: “As ready as we will ever be ... and it looks like now or never regardless.” The stranger now looking a bit sheepish spoke up; “whatever you elves have planned, do it quickly,. If you can get him down, I can keep him there.”
Galen and Amara looked at each other as if giving a signal, then Galen got down on both knees as Amara walked towards the beast.
Wanda and her unknown friend seemed to huddle in deep thought and discussion.
Amara now started weaving a spell that she hoped would at least for a short while fool the beast into thinking that hundreds of warriors surrounded him. While she did this, Galen was summoning the energy to shapeshift into his own version of the beast, this was a very old and demanding spell.
Back at the landing zone, The Director had contacted the senior deputy, who was useless. Fortunately, Megan had started to come around; she told The Director everything that had gone on.
“What the hell was that thing?' Megan asked. 'And why is the government involved?”
''Great questions, deputy. But questions you'll never get an answer for.' The Director said. 'But for now, we've got business to take care of.”
With that, The Director rallied Alpha team, and they all headed towards the fire.
Amara had minor success with her spell, the beast reeled in the confusion of now suddenly seeing a multitude of warriors forming against him.
Kasin, Korfy and several others joined in once they saw what Amara's plan was.
Wanda said the following to her old acquaintance: “What energy did they use to reanimate your toy? I know you know!?”
“Brains, they used live human brains!” He said. “And it needs to feed often.”
Wanda was incredulous. “Brains, no? You would never!”
“Yeah, well, I did. I was supposed to be a relatively simple spell ... and short acting. Kasin and his team put way too much gusto into this thing.''
Wanda looked at him, “After this is over, we’ll talk, but it’s not going to be they way you’re hoping for.” You better hope this is my last stand.” She said as she walked away.
All this time, Joanne Cohen watched in horror, only thinking about getting home. To her, it looked like Kasin had all but forgotten about her. As she finally gathered the nerve to get out of Wanda's car, she realized that she was somehow bound to the back seat. She felt around, unable to find the source of her captivity.
Finally, Amara broke, too weak to continue the fight. Galen, now fully changed, ambled towards the beast. Korfy and Kasin in almost perfect unison directed the other elves to at least for now discontinue their assault, so as not to confuse Galen and the beast.
The Director and his team were now on scene, and they bore witness to the fight between the beast and Galen. Although Galen landed several decisive blows, the actual beast was too strong. Galen was able to throw the beast well into the raging fire, but this was of no consequence.
Suddenly, the beast, possibly sensing more real foes on the battlefield, retreated. As he did, The Director spoke up: ''We need a plan. What the hell is that thing?”
The Director and his team knew all about going after the odd, rogue elf or witch, but this creature was something totally different.
At this, Wanda turned to The Director and said: “You're human; this is way too powerful for you.”
The Director responded with a sigh. “Yeah, maybe. But you all started this. This is what me and men are paid to do.”
With that, the stranger appeared out of the crowd. As soon as The Director saw him, he got flustered. “You ... I ... had no idea you would be here ...”
The stranger spoke to him in a friendlier way than he’d spoken to Wanda, Galen, and Amara. “My fault, sorry ... but once I got the word on what was going on, I had to move fast. I assumed we’d run into one another.”
Megan came out of the crown of Elves, back on her feet and ready to fight.
She spoke to The Director, “Okay, who is in charge here now?”
The stranger once again spoke. “Sir, I believe that that would actually be me. Since it was my, uh employees who started this.”
“You sure have some interesting looking employees, mister?”
“To make it easier, everyone call me Chris. That would be for the best.
In the back of the group, laughter erupted and a voice said: “Okay, Chris, whatever you say.”
It was Korfy regaling in the chance to call the boss by his first name.
“Hmm, I know that voice.” Chris said.
With this, Galen started to speak. “Everyone, while we have time ... let’s check ourselves and our weapons.”
“Chris,” Megan said, “what do I tell my officers? Right now, they have a perimeter set up, but have no idea what is going on.”
To that, The Director responded: “Don’t worry. HQ should be getting a call from the governor’s office shortly declare this a hazmat incident and order a no-fly zone over the town. If Washington doesn't hear from me or my team in the next thirty minutes, then it will be the president's duty to fire a tactical nuke and wipe everything in the vicinity out. Regardless as to how this battle goes here today, this creature doesn't leave this town.''
Megan knew that something was not right about The Director and his commando team.
Two elves came running towards the group, stating that they tracked the beast to the old quarry. These were welcome words, but it looked like the creature was carrying someone.
With that, fear struck Kasin. “Oh, no, Joanne!”
Kasin ran back to the car to confirm that she was gone.
Kasin started reviewing in his mind how bad this was. First off, it was a not sanctioned ritual that he used in his quest to bring in three renegades; second, humans are ‘technically’ off limits; and third, the boss is here.
Chris spoke, obviously confused, asking: “Kasin, who is this person? And how is she involved?”
Kasin sputtered his response; “Un, she was going to be bait, to bring the renegades to us.” “The plan was for him to take her to the quarry, so at least that worked right?” He said with a timid smile.
Chris, looking at Wanda; “Now we need each other, you are your kin there. Do you know the quarry well?” Galen answered. Sure, we know it well. The bigger problem will be the old sulfur mine that’s there, it may be volatile.”
After about thirty minutes, the group was rested and repaired, all ready to go on to the Quarry. The Director's men were out in front, about two hundred yards ahead of the main group when, suddenly, they stopped; they indicated that they had reached the quarry.
Amara, Galen, Wanda, and Chris walked up, while Kasin and Korfy organized the rest of the force. Having the soldiers there was great, and guns may have helped, but not very much, or at least not in a sustained way.
Now, Megan headed back to the perimeter; Wanda and Chris told her exactly what to tell the responders. She regretted leaving, but she knew that everyone had a job to do in this to save Joanne ... and maybe the town.
Back at the quarry, the group was shocked to see not one, but now three of these figures; they were smaller now, but still larger than a man. Through night-vision they could see Joanne, she looked like she was possibly tied down. They also saw something even more unnerving. It appeared that she was in a noose and any wrong move would drop her to a lower level of the quarry.
Chris and The Director started giving out orders. “Kasin ... Korfy ... you’re both in charge of the human woman. Once everything starts, you need to get her and get her out.”
“Amara, Galen, you two grab a few of the remaining elves and head to the far side of the quarry.'' Chris said. ''I’ll take the rest down this way with me.''
Kasin said the following to the group: “All you elves, once you see us get close enough ... lay every glamour you have on these stuffy guys; we’ll need as much help as we can get.”
Wanda looked at Chris. “What about me?”
“You’re with us, and I want you to use every ounce of magic you have, daughter.”
They moved forward.
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Post by osnafrank on Dec 28, 2023 20:23:13 GMT
Chapter 8
Part 1
By edwardjohn
Three hours ago …
Master Sargeant Jorge Garcia sat on a bench in one of the terminals facing the labyrinth of runways, roads, and planes that made up the grounds of Dulles International Airport, which was about twenty-six miles west of Washington D.C. The weather was very good, unusually so for this part of the country at this time of year; Garcia smiled, the great weather reminding him of his childhood back in Pereira, Columbia, spending lazy afternoons out with his brothers. But he wasn’t smiling for long, remembering his mother who still lived in Columbia; his mother and numerous other family members were still there, doing what they could to stay away from the gang violence that had engulfed that part of his homeland in recent years. The first time Garcia had aimed a gun at someone had occurred when he had been a child in Columbia, fooled into joining what he thought was a gang looking out for his community, but it turned out all they had cared about was a communist revolution in Columbia, and they didn’t care how many people they had to be put up against a wall and shoot to make that so.
‘You’re going to live with your uncle in America.’ That was what Jorge’s mother had said once one of his brothers had pulled him out of that gang, brought him home, and told mama what had happened.
And go off to America he did; his family could solely afford one plane ticket, otherwise his brothers would have gone with him; he had begged mama to send one of his brothers instead, but she hadn’t heeded him, nor had his brothers, wanting their little brother to grow up far away from the life of gangs, drugs, militias, etc.
Things hadn’t been quite as simple in America as mama had said they would be. He joined the military after college, wanting to give something back to the land of freedom and opportunity. But growing up in a small town in Indiana had been good for him; of course, when he grew up, he wanted to live somewhere a bit like the homeland, so Miami was where he currently called home.
But strangely, his family’s worries all seemed so pedestrian compared to what he was now involved in.
‘Master Sargeant Garcia.’
The voice came to his left; Garcia leapt up to his feet, knowing the voice, turned, and saluted.
‘Sir!’
Several of the airports’ patrons turned to Garcia and the man he was saluting for a moment, wondering what all the commotion was about before going about their business.
‘At ease, sergeant, at ease.’
Garcia did not know a lot about the man he saluted, but he knew this: His name was Patwoski, he was a captain, and he led their team. Of course, Garcia knew that there was much more to him than that; solely him and the other members of their unit could call him Patwoski, and solely when no one else was around. When others were around, non-government types, he was simply to be called captain or sir; but when government types did address him, his name was The Director.
Garcia knew that because of what they were involved in, secrecy was paramount; so, he got why things were done very differently than what was done in the regular army (or any other armed forces’ branch, for that matter). They were dealing with elves, witches, and the general supernatural. Garcia smiled as he thought of this, knowing how damn insane it was, but also how true it was at the same time. Garcia knew that him, his team, and Patwoski were not really military, they had far more in common with the CIA than they did the Navy Seals, for example. So, suffice to say, things were pretty unusual being a part of the Special Taskforce, or that was what Patwoski said they were a part of (it wasn’t like him or any of the other team members knew otherwise; so long as they knew they were doing good, serving their country, and getting paid, all was good).
‘Is the plane ready for take-off, captain?’ Garcia asked.
‘Yes,’ said The Director, all fuelled up and ready to go; the others are making their way there now as we speak.’
‘Lead the way, sir.’
The Director nodded, turned, then headed toward a door by the airport’s security desk; past that door was a set of stairs, which they took. ‘We’re being joined by someone new,’ said The Director to Garcia as they made their way.
‘Really? I’m surprised … I’ve got to have done dozens of missions with you and the boys, sir, and … well, there hasn’t been a new guy.’
‘Well, I’m not getting any younger … and I think the higher ups want to push me out in the next several years, bring in someone new to lead the team.’
Garcia cursed in Spanish before saying in English: ‘That’s a helluva thank you from Uncle Sam for all of your years of service, captain.’
‘Yeah … well, it’s all politics … I had a successor in mind, someone from the unit, but those that really make the decisions want someone from the intelligence world, not military. It does make sense, I guess.’
‘Ain’t no one gonna replace you, captain.’
The Director smiled before asking: ‘How’s your mother, Garcia?’
‘Yeah … she’s fine. As are my brothers. I’ve been thinking about going and visiting them back home … but … ah, you know?’
‘Yeah, I get it,’ said The Director, ‘duty calls. And that means more here, with what we’re involved in, than in any other branch of the military.’
‘You got it, sir.’
‘That’s why we don’t get wives, girlfriends, kids … any of that stuff, Garcia: because we’re what makes it possible for others to get all of that.’
They turned left, then followed several more corridors before they got to another door, which led them into a large aircraft hangar. Piling into a private jet, built for swiftness more than anything, was the rest of their unit. After confirming some security questions with several of the officials by the door of the hanger, The Director and Garcia headed over to the private jet.
‘So, captain,’ said Garcia as they made their way over to the aircraft, ‘what’s the mission?’
‘Multiple escaped elves in Texas … driving toward Louisiana … more details on the flight over. You know, just a usual Tuesday?’
As they approached the aircraft, Garcia suddenly said. ‘Wait a minute … this isn’t any private jet … this is Air Force One!?’
The Director smiled. ‘A friend of mine said I could use it.’
Waiting at the door of Air Force One was the new guy, garbed in full tactical and armed like others. ‘Garcia,’ said The Director, ‘this is Abrams. Captain Abrams. He’s my deputy for this mission.’
‘Sir,’ said Garcia to Abrams.
‘Nice to meet you, Garcia,’ said Abrams; now, Abrams turned back to The Director. ‘Sir, we’ve got a lock on where they are. All the others are onboard, ready to go.’
‘Excellent.’
Abrams turned and got onboard. Garcia was about to follow him before The Director said: ‘Garcia.’
Garcia stopped on the stairs leading up toward Air Force One and turned. ‘Yes, sir?’
‘Despite what I said earlier … I’m going to make sure you get the chance to go back home, alright? Everyone’s coming back from that mission, I promise you … and the team … that.’
Garcia smiled. ‘Thanks.’
‘Alright, sargeant, let’s go.’
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Post by wolf on Jan 1, 2024 21:51:25 GMT
Chapter 8
Part 2
by : edwardjohn
Kasin turned to Korfy as they were about to follow a path by the hill to the left of the quarry, which would take them around to a back entrance to the massive building, leading them to Joanne. ‘Well, my friend, we’ve made a right mess of this, haven’t we?’
Korfy considered. ‘Hmmm. Let’s review, briefly, shall we?’
Kasin sighed. ‘This place is going to be nuked very soon, Korfy, but I guess if you won’t shut the hell up …’
‘So … we broke out of our ethereal enclave, stole a human car, picked up a bunch of humas psychopaths, murdered a bunch of folks …’ Korfy suddenly turned to The Director, Chris and Wanda, who weren’t very impressed by all this. ‘Honestly, it was those human’s that did most of the murdering, you gotta believe me?’
‘Its true,’ said Kasin, ‘those human’s scared even us a lot of the time …’
‘Oh, yeah, most certainly …’ Korfy said, turning back to his friend. ‘Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes! So … we came here … found Wanda, Galen and Chris … and, well, created a creepy scarecrow to hopefully capture or murder them … and bring them back to the boss … who we now found out is Chris …’
‘Don’t forget we kidnapped Joanne,’ said Kasin said.
‘Oh, yeah … and we’re also going to get this lovely little town nuked … and that scarecrow is probably going to murder everyone on this damn planet …’
‘Yes, not exactly the stuff of legends, is it?’ Kasin asked.
‘Oh … most certainly not … and there’s a crap ton of other stuff I’ve forgotten about as well …’ Korfy said as he smiled. ‘But I will say, it was incredible fun, wasn’t it?’
Kasin took a moment before laughing. ‘Oh, yeah! Incredible, incredible fun! What a … what do these humans say? A joyride? Yeah, a hell of a joyride …’
Wanda turned to Chris as Kasin and Korfy laughed some more. ‘These are your people, huh? Now … I’m guessing you know why I left?’
Chris sighed. ‘Hmmm. Well, you’ve got a point.’
The Director brought about his assault rifle and fired at Korfy’s knee, utterly destroying it. The elf crashed to the ground. ‘What the hell!?’ Kasin roared at The Director; Korfy was fine, though, he was already getting back to his feet as his partner roared.
‘Its alright … its alright …’ Korfy said, turning to The Director. ‘Its just a human bullet … all is good.’
‘We’re going to talk about this when all this is over … Director …’ Kasin said.
‘No, you won’t …’ Chris said. ‘You and your idiot friend,’ he said to Kasin, ‘are going to go and save the woman that you kidnapped and used as bait … then you’re going to come back to the realm I lead … and we’re going to talk, you got that?’
Kasin nodded.
The Director turned to Garcia and a half dozen of his men, who were standing to his left. ‘Guys, I want you to go with them, make sure we get the woman the hell out of here.’
‘No way, captain!’ Abrams exclaimed, who was also amongst this group, ‘we’re going with you and the others to take on this f*cking scarecrow!’
‘I don’t think bullets are going to be much use against the scarecrow … judging on how my shooting of him,’ The Director said, gesturing to Korfy, ‘… went. Usually, elves aren’t as tough as these guys …’
‘Trust me,’ said Chris, ‘these aren’t normal elves …’
‘Alright, captain,’ said Garcia, ‘we’ll go with the psychopath elves … but we’ve got a bunch of frag grenades if they decide to make a run for it and not save this Joanne woman …’
The Director smiled. ‘I like that, Garcia … I like that a lot.’
Wanda cleared her throat. ‘Uhm … guys … we should really get going. You know, demonic scarecrow and all?’
‘Yeah,’ said Galan, ‘what Wanda said …’
‘Alright,’ said The Director, ‘the men to my left … like I said: with the weird elves … the men to my right … fall back, meet up with Megan … the sheriff … I’ve got a feeling that her, her department … and the town aren’t out of the woods yet.’
A soldier to the right of The Director said: ‘Yes, captain!’ Then, him and the rest of the soldiers there turned around and went forward.
‘Okay,’ said Chris, now turning to Amara, The Director, Galen and Wanda, ‘let’s go hunt ourselves a scarecrow.’
‘And we’ll go save Joanne,’ said Kasin. With that said, Kasin, Korfy and some of The Director’s men set off for the path that would take them to Joanne, while the others headed in the opposite direction, following Joanne, who said she had a psychic track on the scarecrow.
But before Garcia set off after him the others, The Director said the following: ‘Garcia, you remember what I said back at the airport … you’re going to meet up with your mother and the rest of your family in Columbia, you got that?’
‘Yeah, captain, I got it,’ said Garcia with a smile before setting off after the others.
The Quarry was totally abandoned, and it was very scary to Amara, Chris, Galen, Wanda and The Director as they traversed its upper echelons. Wanda took the lead, of course, knowing which way to go.
‘Are you sure this is the scarecrow we’re chasing, Wanda?’ Chris asked as he followed.
‘Yeah, pretty sure,’ said Wanda, ‘why do you ask?’
‘No reason … just … this scarecrow … its old, old magic … we don’t know a lot about this, you know?’
‘Well, we still gotta take care of this thing.’ Wanda said.
Kasin, Korfy and the others came across Joanne in a large, hall like structure to the left of the quarry. She was tied to a chair at the back of this hall.
‘Well, there she is,’ said Korfy, ‘let’s get her.’
‘Stay where you are, Korfy,’ said Kasin, ‘there’s magic here … ancient … ancient … magic …’
‘Well, the scarecrow passed through here, didn’t he?’ Garcia asked them.
‘Well, yes,’ said Kasin, ‘but … over there!’
Something moved in the rafters above the hall like a phantom. ‘Oh, God …’ Abrams muttered.
‘That’s … that’s the scarecrow …’ Kasin muttered.
Garcia cursed in Spanish before saying in English: ‘I don’t know what the hell it is that the others are going after … but its not the scarecrow …’
‘Fire! Fire! Fire!’ Abrams roared.
Abrams, Garcia and the other soldiers fired at the man moving in the rafters. Soon, the creature tumbled to the floor, to the left of Joanne, and the soldiers continued firing. The soldiers were rapidly out of bullets and a pause ensued, wondering if the creature had been dealt with.
But soon the scarecrow got to its feet and roared. ‘Kasin, Korfy,’ Abrams roared, ‘get Joanne!’ Then, the soldiers slammed a new magazine into their assault rifles’ and continued firing at the scarecrow. The scarecrow flew backward, but it was still okay because it was simple human bullets that were being fired.
‘Alright,’ said Korfy to Kasin, ‘time to go get Joanne.’
‘Uhm … Korfy … that’s scarecrow is coming toward us …’
‘Then let’s go!’
Wanda suddenly stopped going forward. ‘There’s something …’
Chris asked: ‘What is it?’
Amara said: ‘Wanda … I think I knew what you … Oh, God!’
Coming from the ground, rapidly and suddenly, were monster workers; evidently, the men that had built the quarry had returned, brought back by the ancient magic of the scarecrow.
The group cast their spells (The Director fired his assault rifle) and sent many of the workers flying backward, but there were so many of them. ‘Wanda!’ Chris roared. ‘Where’s the scarecrow!? I fear this is a diversion!’
‘I don’t know! Let’s just deal with these quarry workers! Let’s hope Kasin, Korfy and the others have found Joanne and got her the heck out of here!’
Joanne roared as she came around. ‘You guys!’
‘Yes, Joanne, its us,’ said Korfy, ‘its tome to go … that damn demon is here, and we have to go!’
‘Guys,’ said Garcia, ‘switch to the frag grenades … there isn’t a ton of ammo …’
‘Okay,’ said Abrams as he went to get his grenade (several other soldiers did the same).
But as they did, the scarecrow suddenly surged forward. Kasin, realizing that the scarecrow was about to leap for the soldiers, left Korfy with Joanne and charged into the scarecrow, knocking it backward.
A lot of the soldiers had already let their grenades go fly; Kasin took the scarecrow by the arms and kept the beast where it was. The grenades detonated and a massive explosion ensued.
Korfy roared: ‘KASIN!’
Garcia ran to Korfy and Joanne and had them join their group.
‘Alright, we should go,’ said Abrams, ‘those grenades aren’t going to deal with the scarecrow … let’s get out of here … Find the others and get the hell out of here …’
But by then, the scarecrow was up and chasing after them.
Megan and her other officers organized a blockade at one of the main roads to coordinate the evacuation of the town, and she was very happy when some of The Director’s men returned to coordinate the evacuation. But soon it became very apparent that something was not right, shouts and gunshots began to ensue from the parts of town that she had sent her officers and the soldiers to go evacuate the others. Then, her barricade was soon approached by an army of demonic creatures, seemingly having come from the ground. Her officers fired, but there were so many of them.
‘Wanda!’ Chris roared as the battle with the creatures was waged, ‘find the creature … stop him!’
‘I’m not sure … I … thought I was following the creature … but I wasn’t …’
‘We’ll deal with the creatures! You find that creature and put him in a trance of some kind! You don’t have to take him out, simply put him in a kind of trance … trap him … you can do it, Wanda …’
‘We’ll make sure the creatures don’t get to you, Wanda!’ Amara roared.
Korfy, the soldiers and Joanna backed up the path they had taken, continuing to fire at the following scarecrow. ‘Goddamn scarecrow!’ Garcia roared as his rifle continued firing.
‘Not a lot of ammo, Garcia,’ said Abrams.
‘Where the hell are the others!?’ Korfy asked.
Joanne simply stared on, immensely fearful of the demonic beast following them all.
‘All your ammo! All your ammo! Give it to me …’ Garcia roared.
‘What?’ Abrams asked. ‘Give me the ammo … I’ll keep the scarecrow here … and you guys make a run for it … find the others …’
‘Garcia … you’ll be left with this thing …?’
Garcia smiled. ‘More like its left here with me … Now, come on … ammo now … and get the woman out of here …’
Abrams took a moment before he sighed and said, ‘alright, everyone … ammo to Garcia … and let’s get the hell out of here. We’re coming back for you, Garcia, don’t you worry about that …’
Soon, the soldiers gave Garcia their ammo, and he was left with the creature, the others having fled up the path, hoping to find Wanda, Chris, The Director and the others.
‘This was, best! This way!’ Garcia shot all his brothers’ ammo at the scarecrow, but still it was standing and approaching. All the Columbian born man had on him was his pistol; he brought the pistol around and aimed at the scarecrow before firing.
He knew that the scarecrow was going to end him, but then it suddenly halted for a moment, and then it crashed to the floor. Garcia took a moment, utterly amazed, then he laughed, amazed that the scarecrow had suddenly halted.
Wanda sighed. ‘Its done … its out of action …’
As she said this, all the creatures around them suddenly crashed to the floor gone.
‘They’re … they’re floored …’ Amara muttered.
‘The spell that the scarecrow used …’ Chris said. ‘It must have … I don’t know … gone … when he went into the trance.’
‘Well …’ Galen said. ‘I guess … we just had to contain it … not destroy it …’
Wanda cleared her throat and turned to Chris. ‘You’re made of that magic, Chris … or whatever the heck you are … you’re the same magic as that scarecrow.’
‘Yeah, that is true …’ He sighed. ‘It’s a very old magic …’
‘I want you to take Korfy, Kasin … and leave … and don’t come back.’
‘You’re coming with me, Wanda, there’s things you’ve to address …’
‘No,’ said Galen, ‘she is staying here … this is her home now.’
Amara said: ‘Yeah, what Galen said …’
‘Well … my elves did bring a damn demon here … so … alright … you can stay here, Wanda. But I will return.’
‘No,’ said The Director, ‘you won’t …’
With that said, suddenly Chris, Korfy (who was with the soldiers at the top of the hill) and the remnants of Kasin seemingly evaporated.
Soon, Wanda, Galen and Amara met up with the soldiers, who thankfully was rejoined a bit later by Garcia. They all headed to the police barricade, all of which, especially Megan, were very happy that the monsters approaching them had tumbled to the ground as the scarecrow had been contained.
‘What about the scarecrow?’ Wanda asked of The Director after he had made the call to not fire the nuke.
‘Garcia told me where it is … more of my men will soon be here; don’t worry … we’ll contain it. And I promise you that you and your friends will be okay here; no government men are going to come and tell you to leave.’
‘Thank you,’ said Wanda before going over to Glan and Amara. ‘Well, guys … seems like we’re all good …’
‘This has been … yeah … this has been something …’ Galen said.
‘But,’ said Amara, ‘we’re here, together, that’s what matters.’
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