Dark Incarnate Chapter 4 Book 2
By Mr. Black
Wendigo
Kelly knew it was something she had to do.
All of her own dabbling into the unseen world was deep culture for Red
Hawk. The day was beautiful and the sun
high and hot. It had been weeks or even
a month since the map dot known as Spencer had seen any rain. The trees weren't all pines on this side of
the mountain. Maples, Oaks, Locust, and
the occasional dogwood populated the thinning pines. The slick pine needles were tough to
traverse, but the other leaves were dry and anyone could be heard for miles
around. The dry leaves also meant she
could hear anything as well. The old man
was right at first she felt the task was daunting and scary, but the forest was
warm and inviting never failing to amaze her with simply joys and beauty. The squirrels ran through the branches
curious at her noisy passage, and birds chirped announcing her presence. Just after she lost sight of the house she
came to a natural spring in a rocky holler.
The water bubbled up out of the ground even in the drought. She paused to take a drink enjoying the
purest spring water she had ever tasted before continuing on. The spring had taken a turn into a nasty
bunch of briars but she could still hear it in the distance when she paused. Sunlight shone though the dense forest canopy
in spectacular rays. And the
leaves! The whole earth smelled of faint
sap and dry leaves. Nothing had ever
felt so right as taking this walk home.
It had been so long since she slept last, but the day seemed to lend its
energy to her.
Red Hawk sat back in his rocker high up on the mountain called
Weather-top. His ancestors had named it
ages ago. Scouts were always posted at
Weather-top during the early spring and late fall. The cold Canadian winds or warm rains from
the Gulf and weather could be seen and felt here first. Staying ahead of the weather or being in the
right spot was vital to the early hunter gatherers. Now Red Hawk sat and pondered a new kind of
wind. The dark arrowheads lay out on the
rail in front of him. They were jagged
and sharp, yet smooth as glass, and the sun did not reflect as he would
expect. These were indeed evil stones. He had to rid them of their evil spirit so
the rock could rest in peace until the rain washed them into the ocean. The darkness hovered around them like a ghost
cloud. With each breath he began to
growl at them like a bear.
Brian came in the front door, "Dad?" He had been sitting on the back porch
listening to the murmur of conversation both curious about their talk, and
embarrassed for giving credence to the girl.
Red Hawk hissed through his nostrils as Brian came onto the porch. "Dad..." The old man scowled at his son, a look that
should have put him in his place, but Brian didn't believe in such things. "Dad, where'd she go?" He went to check the house again but was
stopped.
"She has gone."
"Gone? Gone where, Dad?"
Brian walked and picked up an arrowhead.
"The forest needs her."
"THE FOREST ! You let her walk off alone?"
"There was... no other way." his face a pained expression of
helplessness.
"This isn't like when you were a boy, times are different! I drove her up here! What if something happens to her, or she gets
lost!" He scanned the hillside,
there was no way he could find her alone.
"I can't believe you! I’ve
got to go get the Sheriff and a search party." He stormed back into the house headed for the
front door. Red Hawk felt an old friend,
a surge of anger as he let a tomahawk fly through the air. The dull hammer of the ax knocked Brian cold
to the floor. Red Hawk grunted and went
back to collect the stones. They needed
tending before dark.
His breath was taken when he stepped back into the open air. A dark storm cloud was forming in the North
West; the icy Canadian jet stream was bringing a cold front in and hard and
fast. The wind blew suddenly hard
against his house nearly knocking him over as he held the banister for support. Too hard.
"Don't like the sunlight do ya?"
Red Hawk chuckled a madman's laugh and swept the stones into a burlap
bag. He didn't like them being together;
their time was near which made them more dangerous. Three stones were unaccounted for. One Red Hawk tossed off the porch, and two
more Billy was holding when Kelly left him that morning.
Billy was squirming in his seat waiting on the bell to let him out of 3rd
period class. He was becoming attuned to
coming dread, and felt the storm building.
A storm of worry built in his heart.
One of the two arrowheads slipped out of his back pocked and clattered
to the tile floor without his notice. A
girl behind him did notice and picked it up.
She had no love for Billy Mason, and found the curious artifact
interesting and chose to keep it herself.
Red Hawk lashed together a quick funeral pyre. A simple platform rose on weak stilts to hold
the stones a few feet off the ground.
Underneath seasoned hands built small fire and began piling green Fat
Pine boughs on. The acrid smoke was
thick and white and the fire slowly crackled to life under the greenery. The Fat Pine sap burnt like fuel, and soon
the small clearing was filled with heavy smoke being blown by angry winds. The violent wind made him uneasy so he backed
up to the safety of the cabin porch.
Feathers were flying off the Dream Catchers and the talismans whipped
wildly. The fire was rising and the
smoke was incredible.
The storm was building, blowing and sucking wind. The smoke thrashed like a bull tossing his
head or a starving wolf ripping meat from a kill. The fire licked the bottom of the platform
and the stones began to warm. Day turned
night as the heavy clouds blanketed the sky.
He had no idea the true power of the stones, just a taste of their
spirit. As the rocks were liberated that
spirit would be released. He began a
chant a passing chant to guide spirits.
He had never heard it outside a burial ground, but today had been a day
of many firsts. He went deeper into the
house and came back to the open doorway with the ancient Talking Stick. It had been passed down since his earliest
ancestors migrated to the area from the northwest. It was ornate and crude; a symbol of respect
and power. A raccoon skull was attached
to the end connecting the wood branch to a great stage horn and from the antler
tips hung many stones and feathers. When
it was held all eyes were on the speaker and all mouths quiet. His voice slow and calm the resonance of his
chant grew louder and impacted the air like waves in a still pond. Great thunder shook the ground, but the old
man never wavered or seemed to notice.
He was proud and true, a force of nature’s harmony to be reckoned with
like the trees that stand tall and strong or the vines that cover or water
erodes, Red Hawk was the last of his kind.
Equally he was an actor on a stage unable to turn from his destiny like
his coward son, whom he now stooped over to protect.
Another shock of thunder threatened to deafen his ears. Red Hawk knew the thunder did not come from
lighting but was the second step of the Wendigo of his understanding stepping
into this world. His eyes fixed on the
whipping smoke he saw ashen horns thick and twisted throwing the smoke, not the
wind. His song of passing never
hesitated but he began to tap the talking staff against the wood. The first tap buffeted the smoke back
revealing the sharp stag horn tips. More
and more the smoked was pushed back until the malnourished nose of a caribou
could be seen, then the face, equally starving.
Weak thin ashen grey skin draped over a rotting skull gave way to a
boney neck made of straining tendons and vertebra. Long gangly man arms of the beast waved
trying to bring the smoke back but the fire was dying and the old mans staff
tapped out a rhythm forcing the beast into the open. It's eyes were sunken pits of yellow
loathing. They looked tired and
uncaring, but hell-bent. There would
never be reason to this beast, only blood, only hunger and hate.
At last the smoked faded and the Wendigo's tail lashed like a whip. One hoof stepped forward and dug into the
ground until it met rock and scraped in hard as it lunged forward at the
house. It's horns caught the roof and
plowed through like it was made of twigs.
Red Hawk never moved or stopped his chant. The chant of passing wasn't for the beast's spirit,
It's end was already written, but for his.
Huge timbers and chunks of roof debris flow into the surrounding forest
as the bull cleared away the annoying shelter.
A giant boney hand tipped with bear claws snatched Red Hawk. The beast savored the blood bag as it
squeezed him in it's grip until the spine popped apart in and It bit the old
mans head off. The Wendigo's teeth
scratched the flesh off and gnawed at the skull until the smoky beast lost form
and became smoke in the wind as the last parts of Red Hawks body fell to the
ground. Then the rain began.
When Kelly heard the first crack of thunder it made her jump, but the day
hadn't looked anything like rain. Why
had she expected the trip to be easy?
She spread her fingers and held them up to the sky like Red Hawk had
shown her, just over an hour to the river.
After that she had no idea how far town would be. She had done enough walking to know a quick
trip in car was a hell'ova long walk.
The thunder didn't make any sense; the sun still shone bright rays
though the trees, but she couldn't see enough of the sky to be sure. A quick rain might feel great though. The day was already hot and moving though the
woods made it worse. In the thickest
parts the wind never seemed to blow and her hot sticky sweat just beaded
up. The South is known for a humid heat
vs. the dry desert and arid regions where low humidity allowed the body's
cooling system to work. Her perspiration
wouldn't evaporate making it feel much worse.
She had to pause and take a break; briars blocked her path forward and
she would need to find a way around. The
second clap of thunder made the storm sound right on her. It was so close to the first and yet sky
didn't show any signs of darkening. If
only she was back in the cabin at the top of the mountain again. Any remaining deodorant was overwhelmed by
the heat. Kelly could smell her staunch
body odor, but she didn't have a nose of the pheromones. She had forgot about the face paint as
well. Thousands of years in practice the
Native American face paint left the pores open and able to breathe, the
pigments soaked into the skin to create a lasting stain. She had wiped her brow countless times and
never seen any sign of smear.
The winds sent the trees swaying to life and though the air was hot and
felt like breath it was a relief. Her
hair was blown back off her neck and shoulders.
The strong air forced it's way into her clothing kissing the sweaty
perspiration and replacing the hot moist air.
The idea of rain was a welcomed one.
She wished she would have watched the news to know just what kind of
storms were on the map. Afternoon
thunderstorms were common and usually only lasted half an hour or so. She could have never guessed the speed or
ferocity of the storm to come. The
clouds raced overhead and blanketed the area in a dark shadow. Kelly got moving again, the clouds were so
dark she questioned the time she just took.
The last thing she wanted was to be out after dark.
Near the peak
of Weather Top , the lone
black arrowhead had landed in a small clearing.
As the others faded, Evil paid this one more attention. Black bubbles of oil simmered on its surface
in the sunlight, it couldn't fight the light.
Soon enough the storm raced in and blocked out the sun. Larger and larger bubbles boiled and burst
spraying the ground with black droplets.
It was a sickening sight. Faster
and faster it raged covering the grassy clearing in a growing black tar pit. Kelly would have cried at the sight of the
tortured Nargle, and Red Hawk had just given his life to free the others. The stones were intimately connected to the
Darkness. The nameless evil had once
been killed by the arrowheads. The
melted tips were evidence of the warriors doubt. Had his doubt been stronger than faith the
weapons would have been useless. Eternal
darkness had been transferred into the stones and they acted as eyes and
portals for the beast now. The physical
creature meditated focusing all it's will on the stones. The black film covered the clearing like a tar
pit and from the portal a Nargle was puppeted to life. Slowly a thing stepped out of the film into
the physical world. One long hairy
segmented leg birthed from tar searching for a solid hold, then two and
four. The creature spread the goop like
paint and fought to stand as if in sinking sand, but further and further it emerged
until black talon fangs tasted the air and It's eyes emerged to see the cloudy
sky. Still fighting for a hold against
gravity, the spider was the size of a car with a leg span far greater. Totally focused on piloting the creature,
Darkness was silent and still deep underground in a damp place where water
dripped and no wind blew. Just before
the rain began the wind brought Kelly's scent to the creature, she was downwind
and the spider began its mission.
Darkness liked this body, fast, agile and strong. The tiny hairs covering the tarantula’s body
allowed it to feel even the slightest wind or movement. Why had it never used such a creature
before? Finally out of the sinking black,
the spider bounced testing its power and leaped halfway up a tree. The Massive Oak had never taken such strain
and the wood cracked and groaned.
Kelly heard the sheets of rain racing up to her from the valley
below. The smell was fresh, ozone. Soon the leaves and trees were under the
weight of the downpour. To her it was a
cleansing rain. She smiled and held her arms
out to meet the cool droplets. The month
leading up to this rain, the days, seemed to grow heavier and heavier with
pollen, dust, and dread. The droplets
were cold and her skin quickly turned to gooseflesh as she became soaked. Her clothes felt tight and stuck to her skin
but all the air was being washed clean.
Thunder snapped like a cracking whip in the distance and the heavens
boomed like a bowling alley. The sound
was clear and real; her place here in time was truly amazing. And she set off again. Her handy sundial (pun intended) would be no
use in the clouds but she was about halfway and no matter if she kept downhill
she would eventually come to the river.
She sided the mountain not making much downward progress just trying to
escape the briars.
The rain and wind battered the trees sending leaves and twigs down against
her. She was making good progress
finally coming to a clearing where she saw the true storm. Intense sheets of rain made the way forward
harder to see even in the open. The past
months of rain had been withheld until this storm and moment. Seeing ahead more than a hundred feet was impossible,
she would have to rely on the old mans word that the river would take her
home. Hopefully the river went into
town, not just near it, or she would pass it up altogether. She couldn't remember a river in town
though... The train tracks yes, but never
a river. Suddenly it dawned on her the
tracks ran over a river near her house.
She had crossed the very railroad trestle! It was a small world after all. The idea even popped up that she might walk
back up to see the old man again, but the trip uphill would be much more
challenging.
Kelly was filled with a new vigor yet again, and took a large step into
the open deluge. The clearing was much
flatter, but she didn't know how long it would last. She was about to lose sight of the forest
behind. The idea of going in circles in
a big field didn't sound fun, there would be no point of reference until the
rain let up. It was hard to tell, but an
hour since her last stop felt about right and that should mean the river was
close. One last glace back and Kelly
noticed a tree's upper canopy swinging wildly as if in a gale, but the others
around it were still. Then the next
shook under a great weight like a wrecking ball hit it. She wasn't alone, she knew it.
Her shoes and socks were soaked and sloshed when she walked, but her feet
turned to run like feathers. The way
ahead was an empty wall of rain but she ran with everything she had into the
unknown. Her body and muscles were tired;
she had burnt her reserves very quickly.
She shouldn't have embarked on such a quest without sleep. Gravity seemed to press down on her and each
lunging step seemed heavier and slower under the pounding rain. Her hands scooped the air as if she could
pull herself along. In rain so thick
swimming wasn't such a bad thought. All
she could hear was the rain and she hoped it stayed that way. Tall grass was all around and her lungs
sucked rain and air together keeping her mouth wet with fresh water. The river had to be near, the land was too
flat. She hadn't seen anything but
shaking trees, maybe it was the wind, maybe her mind was playing more tricks on
her, but she felt if she reached the river she would be safe.
A shadow zoomed over her head.
Kelly immediately recognized it as a Nargle, but it could have been a
low flying UFO. She didn't really see it
until it was in front of her. One long
spider leg reached out to touch the ground like an anchor. The leg dug into the open field pulling
through the earth like a plow bringing the larger body to a thundering halt
that shook the ground. Kelly skidded to
a stop and her wet sneakers slid on the slick grass and went down. She couldn't believe what she had seen, but
then again she knew it was real. All
around her was the sound of rain, a crib of tall grass, and the grey sky. Her exhausted chest hammered like a cornered
mouse. The bed of grass felt comfortable
and invited her to stay but below that the earth trembled with the creature’s
mad approach. Kelly tried to scramble
back but the spider raced in while her legs kicked pushing herself back mere
inches. The colossus was on her in an
instant, but seeing Kelly for the first time the spirit beast recoiled at her
face mask. It was a symbol of a strong
and dominating people. The hesitation
saved her. The spider hissed back and
held its four front legs up in a defensive posture but still ready to
strike. Kelly saw the next move before
it happened, and the beast rose up to slam it's fangs down into her soft
flesh. She kicked her leg up into its
falling face. Its long fangs sank into
the heel of her rubber tennis shoe narrowly missing her heel. The monster was confused by the unexpected
attack and lurched back dragging Kelly with it.
It was scared and didn't understand the strange pursuit. Kelly was drug further and further on her
back. Her arms flailed over the lumps of
heavy grass and the occasional rock. Her
head bumped along too until she was nearly unconscious. The spider finally stopped retreating and rose
up pulling Kelly dangling into the air when her shoe finally came off and she
fell to the ground. Freed of the weight,
the spider calmed and tried to shake the cork on its fangs. Kelly was directly under the beast. The intricate and overlapping chitinous
plating of the spider’s underbelly waved in front of her eyes while she tried
to adjust and bring the world back to focus.
This was her chance, she fumbled with a weak hand at the quartz knife
undoing the snag and bringing the blade up like a dagger, her thumb over the
bottom hilt. All the rage and hate for
the evil ran in her veins. She slashed
at the belly in an upper cut and then stabbed deep slowly twisting and
pulling. Strange fluid of brown blood
and organs dropped down onto her coating her chest and face. The spider screeched and leapt away, but as
it crunched down for the jump it sent the knife deep into its innards. She heard it crash yards away, but then the
world went silent again. Only the static
of heavy rain all around could be heard.
Kelly lay on her back for a moment savoring the pause. But the rain blinded her and she rolled to
the side coughing. The adrenaline kept
her from noticing, but her weak arms and tired shoulders were bare. Rain washed down her back rinsing the
irritating scratches. Her backpack had
been the first to come off, but a rock had ripped her shirt and snagged her bra
off as well.
In the afterglow of battle Kelly began to feel cold and shiver. She stood noticing her open breasts covered
in vile goo. She didn't care, this time
she had won! Kelly was an awesome sight
to behold, with war paint on her face and covered in the gore of victory she
stood angry and tall walking to the dead corpse. It twitched and rolled onto its back legs
curled up with the shoe stuck to its face.
Kelly confidently pushed two hairy legs aside. The rain made the armor look shiny black, the
tiny hairs seemed to grow out of this and she didn't think they were hairs, at
least not any type she knew. With a
small jump up she climbed onto its stomach and sunk her arm into the open
gash. It was gruesome but leaving the
knife was out of the question. It had to
be done. After fishing though sloshing
blood and strange solids she grabbed the leather wrapped handle and pulled it
free.
It was her moment of triumph; she carefully stood on the corpse like a car
hood and held the knife high for all to see.
Fear was the key to the evil and it needed to fear her! Dunk on blood lust, she moved to the odd tennis
shoe cork crouching on the spiders belly on all fours. Seeing no place to set her knife she stabbed
it into the beast like a cutting board and pulled at her shoe. The fangs were strong enough to drag her
through a field. Her firm breasts
jiggled as she stabbed the knife into the spiders face cutting the fangs out
for a trophy.
Kelly's anger calmed slowly washed away by the cleansing rain. The fangs were stuck deep in the rubber and
she chose to take her other shoe off and go barefoot. The torrential downpour was making the ground
slushy with standing water. If not for
the giant monster spider and war paint, the field would have had a backwoods
water park feel. Visibility was still
incredibly low with sheets of grey white rain and driving wind. Rain forced the grass down but she was able
to follow the path of the attack. She
came across her brassier first. The two
white cups and lazy straps stood out against the picturesque field. The metal clasps were torn from the fabric
and she tossed the useless item. She had
really liked that bra. Her shirt and
backpack were more important anyway, especially the backpack and precious
stones. She still held the knife
unwilling to hide it in the sheath. The
shirt and book bag were almost together.
The monstrous size of the demon said a few things, all of which worried
her. Number one, she knew it was a
twisted Nargle; so that's what they feared.
Number two, it wasn't the darkness itself, so it had the ability to
control or create minions, and that giant hadn't grown naturally either. If it had there wouldn't be a spot of wildlife
for ten miles. The ecosystem couldn't
support such a monster. Her shirt was
sticky wet and after a short struggle she got it on and frowned at how her
breasts shone through the wet fabric as if it were bare skin. She wanted to talk to Red Hawk again, and
bad. He hadn't made any of these things
sound possible. Had the old man
purposely been vague? Not that he could
have warned her about the spider, but he made it sound like the Wendigo was her
only problem. The spirit was her only problem, only it wasn't a
spirit anymore, it had taken a physical form.
But if IT had the knowledge and power to distort one such creature what
else had just joined her reality?
Suddenly Kelly felt very alone and vulnerable. She crouched to put the shoes in the bag pausing
to toss out a soaked and ruined sketch book and novel she was suppose to read
for school. Sliding the straps on, she
held them together to cover her indecent nipples and began a light run. Her bare feet splashed out a smooth rhythm as
she pressed forward. The spider had
tracked her. Yet more blind knowing, the
nameless evil didn't posses all knowing power anymore, it had entered the
mortal world. She would cross the river
and hopefully throw off any other pursuit.
The other side may not be safe, but at least she could cut two hours of
trail off behind her. Her trail was easy
to follow and she arrived at the black monstrosity. The spider had been fast, incredibly fast for
its size, if anything else was following seeing the dead creature would give
them pause. She had to hope but in her
heart she knew the twisted Nargles didn't fear death, rather they might invite
it given the right chance. Curious about
the spiders body Kelly wanted to investigate more, but she knew time was short
and pressed on.
A steady roar began to rise in the distance above the rain. The steep mountains and hills channeled five
square miles of rainfall into the Snake River.
In the dry spell the banks had shrunk to only a few feet only fed by
natural springs, but the river swelled to over twenty feet wide and scary deep
and fast. What was normally clean clear
spring water, ran dark with red mud and debris.
Kelly hopped up on a huge rock that made its new bank. The rain was still coming down like mad and
she knew the river was getting worse by the minute but trying to cross by
anything less than a bridge was suicide.
Just a few inches of white water could pull full grown man’s feet out
from under him. The current was strong
and swift. A small tree drifted past with
surprising speed and momentum.
Kelly looked back, who was she kidding? She had been lucky, very lucky, with the
spider and couldn’t afford anymore close calls.
The rain still came down incredibly heavy and hid anything beyond a
stones throw. She had to cross. If that spider was the biggest, fastest, and
strongest others might be along soon.
The old Man made it sound like the forest needed to know there was hope
as if a dark blanket of evil had been laid over it. One spider had been her testament but she
wasn't here to fight; it was time to run.
She glanced at the rivers flow and reluctantly dropped the knife into
the bag; she couldn't risk losing it in the river, and threw it to the far
bank. Flash flood waters were eroding
the far bank and cold reddish brown waves began to reach her feet on the
boulder. Her bag was at the foot of a
dogwood tree higher up but the bank was being undermined, she could already see
the tree's farthest roots being washed clean.
She had a plan, a weak one, but it was the best chance she had.
Suddenly the rain stopped. An eerie
quiet seemed louder than the roaring river.
Her plain face looked up at the sky while her jaw dropped in shock. Everything was still except the river. She glanced back to see the forests edge a
couple hundred yards away. No signs of
new spiders but her trail was painfully obvious. Kelly's hands shot to unbutton her pants and
yank them down. The clothing would only
hamper her swimming, but even better she tied the ankles together to make a
float. The denim was already wet and
would hold air for a short time. Taking
a few steps back she took a deep breath and made a running leap into the
rushing water.
The flood waters were icy cold and felt semi-solid water against her bare
feet and smooth thighs. Brutal currents
carried all sorts of sticks and rock.
She held the blue jeans down and her makeshift floatation device shot up
two air filled pant legs like bunny ears.
She didn't feel any bottom to the river which was good and bad. She was being swept away fast from her
dogwood tree. Kelly kicked her legs
trying for the far side but her insignificant propulsion was nothing compared
to the tumultuous flood waters. She was
making little progress. Her legs felt
all manner of unknowable debris but she ignored it all focusing on the far
bank. The river took a turn and slung
her close to the bank swirling in a whirlpool.
The sharp turn was battering the bank extra hard but just beyond the
worst of the current Kelly caught a twisted root sticking out of the mud. The bank was steep and failing but she
couldn't see her dogwood and couldn't risk being caught in the current
again. It was now or never. Her pants were half filled with water and
when she tried to sling them onto the bank the current ripped them from her
grasp. She didn't have time to miss
them, a fresh surge of strength roared against her and almost pulled her in
too. She held the root for dear
life. Her body was pulled and tossed
like a streamer in the wind but her hand held. She would never flush a goldfish or bug down
the toilet again! The rush passed but
the water was rising and fast. Her free
hand slapped into the red clay mud. Clay
mud held better against the water than crumbling dirt, but her fingers dug into
it like putty and found no purchase. She
scrambled for other roots but it was useless until she got her feet into the
muddy underwater wall and began to climb.
Her toes curled and tried to hold, the mud would hold for a second or
two before her feet pushed it into the water out from under her. A few short jumps was enough to get her chest
out of the water. Her shirt had created
the worst drag. It was still a struggle
to hold but at least she wasn't straining for dear life. Her foot stood on the root that had first
saved her. The bank had caved in and the
exposed earth was soft and her hands dug fruitlessly in the muck. With her other foot she tried for a step. Her white panties had become the color of the
water and tiny specks of mica looked like glitter on her butt. Again and again the soft mud slid and
fell. With a hopeless laugh Kelly
thought she would just dig the bank out into a wheelchair ramp. She continued to work hoping to find more
roots or a rock, anything to make a hold so she could get out of the
river. That's when something hit her
back and stuck.
In gloomy quiet dark, the Wendigo didn't stir when the spider was
killed. It was luck, but the girl
wouldn't be so lucky this time. Or maybe
she would once, twice or even three times, but her luck couldn't hold out
forever.
Rain spattered on the oily portal washing a dark slick down the mountain
like a bleeding wound. Something moved
in the tar. Two wings slowly rose and
dropped then two more joined in alternating piston slowly picking up speed
freeing themselves from the stick.
Slowly a body emerged lifted by the wings as it fought the fresh
gravity. Two feet away more wings slowly
cranked up, and more until the whole clearing was alive. Each creature was it's own tortured Nargle
operated by a hive mind in the cave. Six
long insectile legs and a long carapace resembled a fat bloated dragonfly. The first Bloatfly struggled to hover. The rain battered the overlarge insect to the
ground. Darkness pulled the plug on the
rainstorm. The clouds would stay to
block out the sun, but the rain had done it's job. The girl might see the swarm coming but what
could she do? The first recovered and
zoomed though the sky to the last known location; it's sickeningly swollen
abdomen filled with sinister purpose.
Alone the creature was all but helpless but the others would be along
soon. The insect arrived just in time to
see the odd looking denim bunny ears floating down the river. Not seeing any signs of the girl, it followed
the curious sight. Soon it saw the weak
girl clamoring to the riverbank trying to escape. It waited to lead the others to the prey, but
the girl looked drained and helpless.
Kelly's panties had been washed half off in the flood and the gentle
rounds of bare buttocks and dimples in the small of her back were an image
imprinted into the bugs mind. Like a dog
humping a chair or a wolf racing to a crying rabbit, the insect flew into
action unable to deny it's genetic programming.
Kelly thought a small child had been washed away and grabbed her, or a
raccoon, but the water was just over the tops of her feet. The jolt sent her scrambling for a hold
again. The creature was indifferent to
her struggles and its long tail stretched like a slow flexing muscle to reveal
an odd organ. A small red fleshy
prehensile funnel emerged as a disgusting erection. Kelly hugged the muddy bank so close she
couldn't get a look at the insect legs wrapped her waist or even discourage the
creature with a nudge. She had all but
lost her root pedestal and her searching right foot found a patch of mud that
held but it left her legs splayed. Maybe
there was a rock underneath or thick clay that hadn't been softened yet. She relaxed her arms slowly trusting her legs
new hold and balance. The tail stabbed
blindly at Kelly's sex missing by a mile.
Her panties covered half her butt and important gusset. The tail was off target and obscenely bent
double the soft conical tip writhed at her lower back.
Kelly froze contemplating the new devilry and fearing some secret poison,
but realized the simple creature was confused.
A thought flashed through her mind but she didn't have time to consider
it. She was sure the spider had been
meant to kill her, so why wouldn't this?
The tail gave up and rose to retry with slightly better aim. It hit the top crevice of her butt were the
panties had slid. The prehensile cone
was satisfied finally sandwiched in warm flesh.
On the tip an orifice waved and slowly opened. The creature tightened its grip and went
stiff. Kelly's hands felt the hard
sticklike legs that clenched belly to hold its body so tight. A bubble emerged from the tail and spread her
butt cheeks before dropping into her panties, then another and another. She had to lean totally on the bank smearing
her chest and face in red mud to use her hands.
A splash to her right warned the rising flow would soon wash out the
precarious hold. The monster wasn't
having any luck and seemed to be satisfied for the moment. Her loose panties needed correcting to
prevent any future luck. She cursed
letting her pants go so easy, but wanted at least one layer of snug clothes
between her and the thing. Her face
rested on the cold mud as she gently pulled her panties up tight. The ovipositor tail was covered by them and
pulled the pingpong ball spheres against her precious body. One slimy round nudged her sensitive clitoris
but her violent pull shoved another into the slit of her labia holding her open
gently resting outside her precious entrance.
Her body shivered at the perverse thing.
If something hit her or she sat down while it was there... The tail pushed more in at a steady rate but
they fell out of her over stuffed underwear.
She snaked a hand around front to pull her panties aside and let the
others fall out, but a huge cave in just downstream stopped her cold. Larger chunks of dry earth crumpled into the
river as the bank widened a full yard.
Her right foot hold was weakening but below the clay was rock she was
sure of it. The slide revealed a mass of
granite just out of reach.
The choice was a matter of priorities and survival foremost in her
mind. Kelly bent her knees to jump
horrified that she spread more over the nasty ball as if opening herself to it. The root that had first pulled her to safety
held strong as she kicked off. The bug
didn't seem to mind and felt like an iron backpack. The hard clay mud under her right foot had
been slowly weakening and under the fresh weight crumbled into the river. Kelly went under. The insect came alive and burst out of the
water spraying a find mist from it whizzing wings. Her panties were loaded with the spheres and
the strong water rushed in like a loose bag on a windy day. The slide had revealed a hidden rocky bank,
but the boulders were huge and stuck far out into the flow. The water had undermined the stone and flowed
freely under. Kelly was swept under and
down fast. She kicked wildly realizing
the true danger of white water and flash floods: being wedged under a tree or
bridge with the incredible weight of water pressing down on the helpless
victim. Her feet felt the rough boulder
and kicked it away. Her eyes were held
tight when the harsh current slammed her into the rock. At least she wasn't going down, but she was
held tight to the rock face. Most of the
little balls had escaped her panties as they were pulled down to her knees by
the current. Kelly was still underwater
and had no idea how far the surface was but if she made it back up she had to
have her panties. Her legs bent into the
oncoming current to hold them at her knees and a hand grabbed the hem and yanked
them back up, scraping and ripping against the rock until they were snug
again. Her knees and elbows got the
worst of it but she forced her self up until her ears heard the open air again. Her eyes were filled with muddy water and
stung as she blinked them clear.
The crushing force of water made it hard to breath, but she didn't have to
struggle to hold on, plus the rock looked easy to climb if she could find the strength. She didn't have much left but managed to pull
her chest onto the haven. Most of the
current pulled down, so her legs floated easily in the top inches. The bank was still steep and she had a very
long journey still ahead of her. All she
could think of was getting back to her book bag, and just hoping it was still
there when she felt something. A lump
was still in her panties. Reaching back
she felt the round bump from the outside.
Pressing it against her soft butt she cringed. Kelly fished the small ball out and brought
it up to look at it. The egg was covered
by a thin membrane, very thin, almost paper thin. It wasn't pretty and round, rather a brown
and shifting red cancerous tumor. One
large lumpy vein dominated the ball.
Other smaller lumps and bumps seemed to move and shift inside. Holding the thing made her feel sick. She couldn't stand to see it live and placed
it on the sharp rock and smashed it with her palm. A strange slimy fluid gushed and coated her
hand like snails slime and three small larva struggled in the open air. It must have been another twisted Bee, but
what other sorts of perversions were making their way through the
ecosystem. Was her world becoming the
Demon's? All because she didn't have the
strength to kill it when she had the chance!
She had to get back to her bag and quick.
First, getting her arms under her and then her weak legs she slowly stood
and felt true exhaustion. The day’s
events were wearing on her weakened body and mind. She felt dizzy and her eyes fought to focus
through a blackening fog. Utterly spent she
stumbled forward leaving the worms to their blind search. The shirt and panties hung loose, stretched
and tore, the wet cling her saving grace.
Fighting the river had taken its heavy toll. With each weighted step she wanted to
collapse and rest but she had to get to the bag. Slowly and painfully Kelly placed her steps focusing
on following the bank. She had no idea
how far she had been carried downstream.
Strength didn't come from her limbs but from determination to just keep
moving. Coming to an uphill climb her
delirious eyes lazily looked at the river trying to remember the place but it
was all a blur. It was no more than a
flight of stairs but the bottom called to her to just stop and rest in relative
safty. Ignoring the Sirens call she took
an ambitious step onto the grassy knoll and her foot slipped and fell. The weak grass gave way to mud as if it were
nothing but paint. Kelly fell Flat on
her face and darkness beckoned. Gritting
her teeth with anger her lungs filled with a second wind she forced her way up
the weakened bank in a soldier crawl.
She was a soldier, but had never understood the depths of determination until
now. She continued by sheer force of
will.
Slowly cresting the grassy knoll Kelly learned a lesson
she wouldn't forget. Had she walked up
or even ran the Bloatfly's would have swarmed her. A small army of the creatures were camped out
around her bag. The dogwood tree still
stood but most of the bank was washed out and it listed heavily toward the
rivers flow. The branches weren't large
enough but two fly's clung to it anyway bouncing on the spindly tree. To Kelly it appeared they were trying to push
the tree in, but how could simple insects be so cunning?
Time was short and seeing the monsters was like being
dunked in the icy river again. Her mind
focused, hyper aware, and her body prepared for the test to come. The catlike fluidity and speed she'd felt
growing was her only hope. She had to
get to that bag no matter how well guarded.
Her body would cut through the air like a smooth stone skips across the
water.
Her shirt was heavy and wet and for a moment she almost
slid out of it without a second thought.
But she stopped. Doubt and
indecision lead to fear. Her heart raced
with newfound courage, but in an instant the foul memory of the beasts
intentions stopped her cold. The wet
shirt was the least of her problems.
With a shaking hand she felt the shabby panties that would be her only
defense if she was caught. The spandex
was stretched and torn worst around the legs, she had jerked them up too hard
one too many times. Her finger probed
the gusset which lay lazily against her buttock. Without even brushing them aside her finger
felt bare flesh. The sensitive folds of
her body were exposed. What if one of
them had landed on her back... Drunk on
astonishment she pushed her finger forward and it dipped in with ease. Warm wet lips accepted the intrusion without
hesitation or resistance. Her heart
raced as fear converged on the sensation.
Her mind saw the twisted egg and almost retched. The finger slid out. Her body was so beautiful and pure, smooth
and sweet, how could she face such horrors?
Kelly clenched her eyes and shook the thoughts from her
head. The decision had been made. Salvation, not for herself but for this
reality, lie in her determination to kill the beast. At least in this battle she knew what she was
up against. Her silhouette disappeared
from view back down the hill a few inches to slide the shirt off. Another idea came, likely useless but she
could use all the help she could get.
She grabbed fistfuls of mud and sod rubbing them onto her skin and
tossing lobs of muck onto her back. The
ruse wouldn't last for long but maybe it would be the second she needed.
Slowly like a prowling cat Kelly inched up the hill and
into view, her chest barely above the ground.
Grass tickled her bare breasts and watery mud rolled down from her hair
into her face but she moved smooth and slow.
The Bloatfly's knew how to hunt for her, but they weren't very
observant. Three or four insects flew
and hovered over the scene, twice that number were in the surrounding woods,
and two were still struggling with the tree.
Clumps of sod had slid off Kelly's right side exposing bare ribs and
another rolled off her panties from the angle and left a long streak of thigh
shining. It wasn't much but one of the
aerial fly's noticed and recognized the girl's body. It rolled into a nose dive. The others hadn't noticed the form yet, but
they would soon.
Kelly heard the unnaturally large wings just before it
hit and dodged to the side just as the bug slammed into the mucky with loud
splat. She had planned for this. The insect expected to grab her but had only
landed in a painful belly flop. Kelly
leapt onto the creatures back like a crazed warrior. Her legs hugged insect while her fists bashed
at it's head. The head was mildly armor
plated and she was fearful of a poisonous bite, but in only a few seconds she
had ripped it's head off. The several
other fly's had taken notice of the disturbance and watched glossy eyed and
still judging their prey.
As soon as the head was off Kelly leapt up and ran for
the tree. The two had taken flight and she
fought the temptation to plan an attack, rather she stayed clear like a coiled
spring waiting for their move. Unlike
the her, they lined up their attack and flew at the stupid female. Soon their job would be done.
The second was a few meters behind the first, their six
insectile legs outstretched and ready to latch onto her any way they
could. It was hard to judge the
increasing speed and Kelly barely missed the first as she dropped and rolled
forward. A gust of wind brushed her back
as she rolled. She came up in a perfect
crouch just in time and leapt into the air to attack the second. She was airborn with nothing but her bare
hands to kill the creature. She wanted
to grab it's head, the other came off with surprising ease, but the fly dropped
below the attack. Kelly landed with a
crash, but came up with handfuls of crackling wing. At least it was crippled. The first would be back for a second pass,
and she had no idea how many there really were or where. She was right at the foot of the tree and her
bag was just on the far side. The ground
below felt uneasy and rumbled with the rivers flow. A whirr of wings was growing closer behind,
another joined and they became hard to tell apart. She lunged for the bag. They were weak, but only when she had the
advantage. A heavy crash hit behind
where she had been just a heartbeat before.
Rolling to her side the grabbed the children's backpack. An insect leg pinched her trailing foot as
the angry bug crawled for her. The
panties had fallen loose again and though her legs were together her peach was
exposed. The insect went insane seeing
her sweet spot and doubled it's speed and anger pinching it's way up. It was on top of her when she finally grabbed
the zipper. The apex of it's abdomen was
pushed against the cleft of her bubble butt when it went ridged. The soft fleshy tip unfurled against
her. Kelly's mind was on getting the
knife but when the insects funnel slid inside just as her finger had done. She kicked streight as a board and rolled. A micro-second later and the cone would have
locked to her. Four sickly eggs spilled
onto the mushy ground in an instance as the bug spilled onto it's side. The tip retracted and it's wings buffeted her
with wind as it rose into the air clearly not finished.
Kelly's heart rate reached dangerous levels and the fight
or flight response was overriding her mind.
Her vision was blurry close up and at distance, she was only able to
focus three to six feet in front of her.
The body drains blood from the extremities to fight and left her
fumbeling with the zipper. The injured
fly was trying to take flight but only managed to hop forward clawing at the
ground, while the other retreated. Four
more circled the sky watching and waiting.
Kelly clutched the bag to her chest and resigned to ripping at seam
hoping she could escape. A fleeting
thought entered her mind, it was a last resort but maybe she could jump in the
river with the bag.
The injured fly was at her feet her and it's legs were
angry strong pushing them apart and it climbed into position. She tried to fight but it was too strong and
well balanced to roll. It held low to
her body rubbing it's underside against her spread crotch as it moved up. Kelly slung the bag for an insignificant
blow, but noticed a hole where the zipper had come apart. Clearly confident the hideous insect lifted
it's body and stretched the sickly ovipositor out while putting all of it's
weight and strength into pinning her knees wide. She tore into the bag ripping though wet
papers trying to find the shard as it came down shoving against the raggedy
cloth. The Bloatfly stabbed again and
again humping her weak form trying to find the warm tunnel. Her body was bounced and bumped back as she
tried to find the knife. Her hand felt
the leather wrapped handle as the tentacle finally slid inside.
Kelly's body went stiff as it exploded inside her almost
instantly. A machine gun of corrupted
eggs burped out. The position allowed
the creature unlimited access to her body and she cried out as they were
deposited deeper and deeper inside. It
stopped almost as soon as it began, but it was finished. Kelly was face to face with the monster. She had the knife, the power, and brought it
down into the insects head but that last moment of pure ecstasy and exaltation
was more than she could take. The bug
slumped off and slid out. She didn't
know it, but a countdown had begun as soon as the eggs entered her body. The thin membrane was being attacked by her body’s
immune system and would soon breakdown.
As designed the eggs would burst with a flood of fluid to change the ph
balance to create a suitable climate for the larva. It was only a matter of time. Adrenaline numbed the pain, but the pressure
was there. Kelly's hands went to her
stomach as an involuntary shiver spit three eggs out. Her panties held them for a moment before
letting them gently roll to the ground.
Her breath was short and sudden before she held it to push a few more
out.
More bugs landed around her, satisfied she was
defeated. The look of pure release and
rapture told her the others would never stop using her until they were all
finished. Slowly another moved between
her legs to replace the spilled eggs and more.
Kelly found the knife was still in her hand and sliced a deadly gnash
across it's face. The others stirred,
agitated. The weight and displacement
was still in her depths as Kelly rolled over onto her hands, legs limply
trailing, to face the others. They
immediately took flight hovering close but capable of a quick escape. One lighted on her blind side, but as it
stretched the searching tentacle into the crack of her butt she made short work
of it.
The Bloatfly's seemed to know they were now outmatched
and made their way to the tree line. Up
stream the bank gave way and a ton of solid rock rolled into the raging
river. Kelly didn't kid herself it would
only take a moment of weakness for them to return. She grabbed her bag standing on shaking legs
to move away from the river bank herself.
After only a few steps she was overcome with sickness and dropped to her
knees struggeling to push two more eggs out.
She felt another with a probing finger but her body was too tight to let
it out easily. She did better, the
pressure was gone, but she knew there was at least one more. Dusk was approaching and she wanted her shirt.
The wet shirt made her shiver, but it wasn't just because
she was cold. RedHawk had said the train
tracks would be near and she needed to find them before dark. She was more than exhausted, she was
used. The warning not to close her eyes
replayed over and over in her head.
There was no way she could sleep out here. She had to make it home before she collapsed.
The walk was torture.
After only a few minutes she became sure there was more than one still
inside. She could feel them rubbing as
she walked. It had been almost an hour
and she couldn't see much. The train
tracks still eluded her but going into the treeline just a little bit might
cause her to lose the river and she'd be lost all night. Several times as she walked she felt the egg
at her entrance and stopped squatting as if to pee, but it still wouldn't come
out. The others had filled her so much
that this one happily stayed in the vacuum.
It was fully dark when she came to a railroad trestle. Climbing a small rocky bank onto the tracks
she realized it was the very one she crossed the day before. Though she couldn't exactly remember which
day it was...
She picked up the pace despite the sensual internal
rubbing and made good time to her house.
Billy could always be trusted to keep the lights on. It was just after nine pm when she came in
the back door. Billy was asleep on the
couch.
Kelly finally relaxed and felt safe enough to let her guard down. Her muscles were tense and with deep breaths
she slowly let the tension out.
Clutching the nearest chair for support, she stumbled. There was still one more grueling task before
she could close her eyes for the night.
She felt it in the pit of her stomach.
As she let go and calmed, the misshapen lumps she carried felt clearer
than ever. It was still early but with
the TV on Billy's slumber would be hard to disturb.
Pushing forward careless of the muddy wet prints her bare feet left on the
tile, she carried all the days strife with each step into the clean
shelter. The wet shirt stuck like a
second skin, and her panties were nothing but a rag barely clinging to stay on
her hips. The unnatural indoor light
shone against her oddly. She was a
character out of place in the home.
Caught somewhere between a zombie and an injured soldier, she made her
way up the stairs. Each step higher ate
away at her mind. Unlike before, she was
in control and had to deal with the consequences personally. The decision to wait, to leave them in, to
get home where it was safe weighed against her.
Since she realized she wasn't lost back at the railroad trestle her body
had been ready to push one out. Coated
with mucus, the egg was ready to slide out on it's own as she neared the
top. Kelly raised her leg for the last
step when the egg began to breech the tight orifice and fall to the floor. For a reason not totally known to her Kelly
stopped it. The egg seemed alive and
throbbing as her finger held it inside.
She was brought to her knees nearly overcome by the battle. Billy was just below; it wasn't time and she
pushed it back inside. She had a reason
of course, but her clouded mind fought to stay sane. If it came out now she would have to carry
it, and she wasn't sure she could.
With the worst gone, Kelly stood again and pushed on, not to the bathroom,
or her bed, but to the studio. The door
closed a bit too loud behind, but she didn't care. In front of the naked canvas she
collapsed. It was still on the floor. She stared at it blankly for a moment only
inches away. What had become so
effortless vexed her. Then an evil thing
happened. Something popped inside
her. Like a balloon underwater, the egg
burst. Her eyes went instantly wide and
fresh blood rushed to her brain and muscles.
She thrust forward into the sterile white world of the canvas.
Something mildly thick and incredibly slick coated her inner thighs, and
something else was very alive. Inside,
just beneath the soft pink labia that held her closed strong minnow like larva
swam against the pressure of her body.
She had seen one of the eggs smashed but somehow her mind never made the
connection. Her breath jumped and her
body clenched and shivered driven by the unseen force. One of the muscled larva found the tiny
entrance to her womb and tried to force inside.
Kelly was thrown back in agony whimpering softly, but there were no
sympathetic ears to hear. The first larva
had gone off course, but another felt her cervix and tried. She jumped and appeared to be thrown by the
sensation but she forced her mind to calm and slowly became still. Knees together and face contorted, Kelly's
hand covered the gap between her legs feeling them inside. There was another egg and she knew time was
short but her hand covered her vulnerability like a new wound, though it
provided no comfort. Her insides were
swimming, terribly alive but her calm was forced like a solider whose stepped
on a land mine. She had to focus to
prepare herself. She felt them, not just
the report of her bodies nerve endings, but they were Nargels; tortured Nargles
and in this place she could confront them.
Kelly's heart cried out to them begging for it to stop.
The Nargles were nothing but a blind set of instructions, like a worker
ant. The others she had met reciprocated
her compassion like a puppy, but these had been robbed of empathy and
love. Their new physical bodies able to
interact with the world but for a purpose not their own. She felt their inner spirits, all the same
yet different, like a handful of marbles.
Anger built in her heart now. The
spirits behind the zombie creatures, the drone insects, were a consciousness
unable to interact or control themselves.
Tormented and used by the evil they wished for death though their bodies
couldn't respond. Kelly felt a rush, a
surge of rage against the evil. The
Nargles may not be human now but their spirits, given time and the magical gift
of creation and a corporeal body, would be!
A power she hadn't learned to control rushed down her arm like a whiplash
stopping at her fingertips. The larva
inside froze commanded as metal is controlled by a magnet. Kelly held the slimy things. A poison to her world. Her raw power encapsulated them like a
tractor beam. They didn't belong here
and only her knowledge of the dimensional flux and unnatural melding could pick
them out as invaders. She pulled them
from her body without any more fight.
Her fingertips were glowing sending forth an unseen spiders web that
held them in the air. Nothing in her
world was this grotesque, vile, or evil.
The larva were small and eel-like and looked mutated and diseased. She could only imagine they came from a world
full of toxic chemicals and radiation; a harsh place were life only survived with
luck and numbers. Her mind struggled to
exist in the same time and place as these things. And while the bloatflies had raped her,
looking at them now she only began to understand the true nature of evil. Kelly's hand snapped closed and the prisoners
were set free winking out of existence.
She had more poison to extract.
Not once did Kelly pause to consider how to do this or more importantly,
doubt. The egg tested her tight body,
but still slimy it slid out with a sickening pleasure of expulsion she could
not deny.
She was finally free and safe. The
day had been one of the longest in her life, filled with triumph and
defeat. But finally in her most secret
of places she let out a long sigh of relief.
Tomorrow was Friday, the last day of school this week and she had no
plans to go. She could have called up
her bed, but back in the real world Billy would be worried sick if he couldn't
find her. She owed it to him. Not so much an explanation, but he had
expectations and limitations. He had
been pushed so far and hard this past week.
Kelly pondered her new power, but she knew Billy felt truly powerless
and without any answers what-so-ever.
The answer hit her as if it was the most simple thing, yet she
resisted. She wanted to make it up to
him, show Billy he was appreciated and give him what he wanted most even though
that would make him even more insufferable.
The idea of sleeping alone in her bed; however, was even more
frightening. Especially tonight.
Standing was a battle but going to her room for a change of clothes was a
war. The insistent slime was near
impossible to clean off. Sleep
deprivation was akin to drunkenness and even lead to hallucination. She hadn't started to hallucinate yet, but
every step was a stumble, and her clothes could have only been adorned by a
drunk. Billy was asleep, or at least
pretending to be asleep, when as she came down the stairs.
The living room was tranquil and quiet.
It was hers, but with Billy piled up on the couch she couldn't help but
feel it was like a sleep over. The dim
light and night still almost had her sleeping on her feet. She had an odd feeling Billy was awake though
he gave no signs. She threw the quilt
back and saw his sock covered feet. She
had tried to bleach his socks at first, but the dark stained soles were
impossible to clean. She nearly turned
back but with half lidded eyes, she joined him.
No sooner than her eyes closed and she tucked a throw cushion under her
head she was dead to the world.
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