Purpose - The Shaggy Dog Part II

Though he feels a tinge of hunger, he ate well last night and thoughts of perhaps finding a treat or a snack are enough to motivate tonight’s journey. And the city smells pleasant tonight. Just like last time.

Emerging from the alleys the shaggy dog spies the young boy across the street. His upside-down empty hat replaced with a guitar case full of coins and paper, his quivering hands now creating a wonderful sound from the instrument he plays. His voice once a mutter now booms out into the world, and it makes the shaggy dog happy to see how much he’s grown. He wags his tail and plods on.

Leaning against the wall of spray-painted brick is the man with the kind eyes. He stares intently at his phone, fingers working furiously against the screen as the shaggy dog greets him. The man stops and returns the greeting, though his hair is now silver and his face houses a few wrinkles, his age is contrasted in the youthfulness of his smile.

“You’re looking a little plump these days,” the man laughs as he kneels down and pats his head. “I’m glad you’re doing well, take care out there okay?”

The shaggy dog smiles and licks the man’s hands, who pulls them back and wipes them on his pants, laughing. The shaggy dog wags his tail and plods on.

He sniffs the air, searching for a particular scent. Finding it, he wags his tail and breaks out into a run, careful to avoid bumping into anyone, and savvy enough to stay away from the fast-moving things on the street. He stops outside the restaurant window and looks in. Though the food smells wonderful, its the smile of the woman he was searching for, and his tail wags as he sees it. Some time ago she would come and eat alone. Now she sits with another man across from her, and a baby in a high chair in between them. They laugh and share food, trying to keep the small baby from making too much of a mess. Their happiness is his favourite smell. He wags his tail and plods on.

He begins to return home, satisfied with the knowledge that his people are doing well tonight. He turns into his alley and prepares for an early night.

His head whips around, a vile smell assaulting his nose. The shaggy dog lets out a whine, he’s never smelled anything so foul before. Tense and ready, the shaggy dog follows the smell back out onto the street, scanning for its source. He finds it immediately.

It’s not the smell of medicine coming from the man, he’s smelled that before. It’s not even the smell of the sickness he carries or the treatments he has to take that have caused his body to lose its muscle and his hair to fall. Unfortunately, he’s smelled those before too.

It’s the horrible creature whose claws dig into the man’s shoulders, pressing its weight down onto him. It’s the horrible creature whose jaw rests upon the man’s head, whose body billows out like a hideous cloak making it impossible to see the street behind.

The shaggy dog cocks his head as the man approaches, his movements slow and gentle.

“Hey buddy,” the man says, holding out his hand. “Where’d you come from?”

Cautiously, the shaggy dog approaches and sniffs the man’s hand. Underneath the smell of the creature is the scent of a gentle man, one that reminds him of the man with the kind eyes. He smells a man who wants to be happy. Most of all he smells the scent of someone who needs his help.

“You don’t have a collar or anything,” the man says, kneeling down and giving him a scratch behind the ear. “Maybe you’ve got a chip?”

Let’s go, Mr. Shadow spits. It’s just a wretched stray, and besides, you don’t have the time to dote on something other than yourself.

The man pulls his hand back and mulls over the creature’s words for a moment. As he begins to stand the shaggy dog barks.

No!

Mr. Shadow recoils and glares at him. How dare you. He’s already mine, find another!

You’re wrong, the Shaggy Dog says, matching the creature stare for stare. You don’t get to have him, you don’t get to have anyone. Not ever. Not while I’m here.

Look at you all big and brave. Mr. Shadow snipes. Those are bold words for a mongrel, what makes you think you have the right to interfere with me?

Because it’s who I am, the Shaggy Dog fires back. It’s my job. I help people. 

Mr. Shadow’s claws loosen their grip in the man’s shoulders. It’s a fleeting movement but the Shaggy Dog notices.

Don’t be so presumptuous, Mr. Shadow sneers. Do you really think you can help him?  You can smell it can’t you? He’s already gone. There’s nothing you can do about what’s to come.
Maybe, maybe not, the Shaggy Dog responds, his eyes fierce with determination. But I’ve seen people in this city overcome this and more. And while I may not be able to save his body from disease, believe me when I say I can save his soul from you!

The man runs his hands through the Shaggy Dog’s fur, it’s a pleasant feeling. Mr. Shadow’s body shrinks just slightly at first but enough to reveal some of the street behind him.

Who the hell do you think you are? Mr. Shadow rumbles, his voice an inky blackness, but the Shaggy Dog can hear the fear.

I’m Purpose, The Shaggy Dog replies simply. I’m a guardian, a protector, a lifeline, a friend and a family. I’m everything you’re not. And that’s why you’re afraid.

The horrible smell is vanishing now as Mr. Shadow’s claws lift themselves from the man’s shoulders, his grip tenuous. His billowing body shrinks and fades, revealing the rest of the street behind him.

This doesn’t change anything, Mr. Shadow growls. And you certainly haven't won. I’ll fade for a time perhaps, but I’ll always be here, always waiting. I’ll be strong again. I promise.

I’ll always be here too, the Shaggy Dog says. And I’m always strong. I’ll beat you every time. That’s my promise.
 
“Would you like to come home with me?” the man asks, scratching his fur. “We can see if you have a chip tomorrow mourning and if not you can stay with me. We’ll get you a bath and there’s a soft bed you can sleep on, and lot’s of food.”

The shaggy dog smiles and wags his tail. The man stands and together they begin to walk, the shaggy dog looking up at him as the man moves with an ease he didn’t have before. Together they come to a small house with a beaten old door and an unlit porch light.

The man jingles his keys in the lock and holds the door open. “After you,” he says with a smile. The shaggy dog bounds inside, anxious to take in all the new smells and explore his new home.

The man closes the door behind them, and the light on the porch flickers on.

Mr. Shadow

Its name was Mr. Shadow. Or at least, that's what he had always called it. Whether it had a true name or not wasn't really important to him. It was simply Mr. Shadow.

Mr. Shadow; whose claws dug into his shoulders, whose jaw rested atop his head and whose body billowed behind him like some kind of nightmarish cape. Mr. Shadow had always been there, small at first, but as he got older Mr, Shadow got bigger, putting more and more weight on his shoulders, its claws sinking deeper and its body growing ever more consuming, eclipsing more of the light from the outside world.

It was sunset when he left, locking the rough old door behind him and leaving the flickering porch light on, as he always did. His walk had taken him well into the night, the street lights and the sound of his footsteps invading the otherwise quiet solace. Every now and again he'd round a corner, cross a street, or otherwise alter his course but the truth was that he wasn't giving any thought to his direction or destination. He figured he'd simply enjoy the walk while he still could.

Because today had been a very bad day, at the end of a bad month, in the latest of a bad year.

And this time it wasn't Mr. Shadow's fault.

He'd become accustomed to being sick. That wasn't new to him. However it was only now, only today when the doctors began using words like metastasized, inoperable, and a host of others that his mind had tuned out, that he understood just how truly sick he was. The end of a terrible day, at the end of a terrible month, in the last terrible year of his life.

This is what you wanted. Mr. Shadow said, its voice dripping with an ichor that coated his insides black. The choice was taken away from you, now you don't need to find the courage anymore.

"Shut up," he spat. "This was never what I wanted don't be ridiculous."

Of course it was, Mr. Shadow sneered. Maybe not like this particularly, but you were always searching for a way out. Now you get an escape without any of the guilt of escaping.

"That's...that's not true. I never wanted to escape like that. Not like what you mean. I just wanted things to be better, that's all. I just didn't want to have to fight anymore."

No, no of course not. Except I've been here your whole life, long before you got sick. What about all the nights you laid awake with me, listening to me, talking to me. If I'm wrong, then why am I here in the first place? Why have I always been here?

"Because I'm sick, and because I'm tired. I'm always so tired."

Because you have no hope. And don't lie to me, I'll know, I always do.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?"

Mr. Shadow laughed, malice and apathy given sound. I can't leave. You know I can't. I can't because you've never done what's necessary.

"Stop saying that!" He snapped, his voice booming against the cold night sky. Startled by his own outburst, he put his head down and quickened his pace. "I keep telling you that's not what I want...not really."

No no, not really. All the thoughts of pills, or drugs, or a gun, or a razor, just thoughts right? All harmless.

"No... I could never do that... there are too many people that...."

 And that is exactly the point I was trying to make. You've just been given the greatest gift you could have received. See the silver lining, like I do. You've just been given permission to die.

"...You...you're a monster..."

And you're in denial. Accept the powerlessness you've always longed for. Accept the gift that no one will curse your death as selfish, as a weapon meant to harm someone else, as incomprehensible or any other some such reason. Accept that fate has made the decision for you. You get to die like you've always wanted. But now you get to be surrounded by friends and family who never have to know the truth of your mind. Cancer gets to be the villain, not you. And ultimately, that's what has always stopped you. 

Mr. Shadow gripped its claws deeper into his shoulders, its face the abject horror of a smile. He could feel the darkness of the creature growing ever larger, enveloping more and more of the area around him. He had never felt it like this before, the largest and most powerful Mr. Shadow had ever been and it knew it.

You and I, we get what we want. To be free. And all you have to do is accept. Accept, and when the time comes, all that will be required of you is to sleep.

"I...you're wrong I..." His voice was hollow, and he could feel Mr. Shadow's ichor now coming from his own mouth, choking any further attempt at protest.

Mr. Shadow's smile widened. Sleep. And when you do, I won't be there. You'll be alone at last, just like you've always wanted. I will be gone.

He was staring at his own front door now. He wasn't sure exactly how his path had brought him home, or for how long he had been back, but in this moment the beaten old door and flickering porch light had never looked so welcoming.

He stood silent for some time, staring at the light with Mr. Shadow's weight pressing ever stronger on his body, its wretched claws gripping tightly into his flesh, his bones.

"Maybe that...." he said softly as he placed his key in the lock. "Maybe that doesn't sound so bad, in the end."

He closed the door behind him. The light on the porch flickered once, twice, and went out.

One Last Ride

Nights like these, where the air is warm and clean and a faint smell of moisture lingers in the air, these were the nights he liked take it all in. The sounds of a city sleeping floated gently through the open window of his car, and a cigarette hung loosely from his lips as he watched whatever the city displayed from the empty parking lot.

The sound of his passenger door being opened shocked him out of his reverie as a small woman slipped into the seat, a gun in hand.

"Drive," she said, her voice soft but he could feel its chill contrasting with the warm night air.

Where the hell did she come from?

She noticed his hesitation and her eyes flickered towards the pistol. "Please."

Don't start the car, just get out and run.

He felt the engine rumble to life.

Okay now just run.

He shifted the car into gear and pulled onto the road.

What the hell is wrong with you?

"Thank you," she said.

He flicked his cigarette out the window and tried to find his voice.

"Where are we going?" He asked tentatively, the first words he'd had to speak in hours.

She looked puzzled for a second before saying, "Just...around, I guess. Hey can I bum a smoke?"

Tell her to go to hell.

"Sure," he said, handing her his pack, crumpled from his jacket pocket.

Seriously what is wrong with you?

He knew every inch of this city, especially at night. As he drove he flicked his eyes to his uninvited passenger, every time picking out another little detail.

She wasn't much younger than he was, a couple years maybe, and tall. Her hair was cut short and dyed a ridiculous orange colour. Her jacket was heavy and mostly consisted of patches sewn into the fabric. Her boots were well worn and dirty, and a layer of dust covered what could be some very cute freckles on her small face.

Stop that right now.

He noticed the gun, resting on her lap, her hands folded neatly over-top.

She hasn't touched the trigger once.

Her eyes were gazing out the window, focused on the city lights.

Grab the gun, slam on the breaks, punch her in the head, dive roll out of the car, do something!

"I like the billboards in this city," she said softly the chill in her voice now gone, replaced by the warm night air. "They have a kind of artistic vibe to them you know? They feel more like graffiti than corporate advertising."

"Yeah I'd noticed that too," he said.

The worst part is that you actually have.

"You haven't told me where we're going."

"Far away," she said, the icy edge in her voice hinting at a return.

"You're running from something huh?"

"Someone."

Just like you should have run from her.

"Oh."

"I kept noticing him," she said. "First out on the street, then at shops I was at, bars, until finally it got...really bad."

Jesus.

"So far away then." He said.

"Yeah..."

And when you get her there...?

"Are you going to kill me?"

Subtle.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered.

Perfect.

They drove together for some time, the street lights flashing above them. Every so often he would look over and catch her smiling wistfully out the window.

Finally she motioned towards an intersection.

"Take a right here," she said.

"You sure?" He asked. "That'll take us onto the highway."

She knows.

"I know."

Told you.

He did as he was told, making the turn as the city began to get darker and darker, until finally they were out of reach of its gentle light.

All alone now.

"Where are we going?" He asked again. "There's nothing out here for miles."

"I'm not sure," she said. I'll know it when I see it though."

This is bad.

"Um...okay."

I bet there's a grave pre-dug somewhere.

Finally she pointed to a lone tree, growing several yards off the side of the road.

"There," she said. "That's perfect."

She's going to kill you!

"Should I pull over?" He asked, trying to keep the voice from being heard.

"Please."

He pulled the car over and she looked over to him.

"Thanks for the ride," she said with a half smile. "I'm okay from here."

Oh. I understand now.

"What, what do you mean? It's dangerous out here by yourself. At least let me drop you off at a service station or something."

No she got where she's going.

"That's okay, under that tree is perfect," she said getting out of the car. "You should head back. Thanks you again, and I'm sorry about all this."

"I don't understand," he said watching her walk toward the tree, illuminated by the headlights.

Yes you do.

She sat down under that tree and gave it the weight of the world from her shoulders.

Turn around, it's time to go home.

He turned the car around, slowly. A glance in the rear-view mirror saw her bring her hands underneath her chin.

She had this planned out from the start.

A flash of light and deafening bang chased away the night for the briefest of moments, and he saw her slump to the ground.

Her last ride away from it all. She just needed someone to take her there in peace. Sorry it had to be you.

"I'm not," he muttered softly. He felt tears on his face for the orange haired girl covered in dirt. He let them linger for awhile before wiping them away and focusing on the road back to the city.

She Noticed Me

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew? Like just knew? That's what happened to me when I saw her for the first time. She was tall and awkward, which made others withdraw but made me enamored. She looked at me and smiled a small smile before her eyes went back to her phone. She noticed me.

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew? Like just knew? That's what happened to me the second time I saw her. It wasn't long after our eyes met. She was out with friends, a birthday party? I wasn't sure. She was drinking and dancing, her body moving with all that endearing awkwardness but she was smiling and that made me happy. I asked her to dance but she didn't seem interested. Just here with friends she said. I watched her the rest of the night. She noticed me.

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew? Like just knew? That's what happened the third time I saw her. It was after she was done work. I asked her if she needed a ride home. It was late. She jumped a foot off the ground. I told her I didn't mean to scare her. I asked if she remembered me, she said to get away. I said it can be dangerous out here this late. She said she'd be fine and left, her steps hurried, her long legs moving quickly. That was smart, she should get home quickly. I followed her to make sure. She noticed me.

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew? Like just knew? That's what happened the fourth time I saw her. She was just getting home. I saw her kick off her shoes and let her hair down. She poured herself a glass of wine and fell into her couch with a sigh. I wanted to ask her about her day. Was it hard? Were they making you stay late again? Were you getting enough rest? You look tired. Do you need anything? Her eyes started to flutter. She set the glass down and allowed them to close completely. I should just let her sleep. I slipped quietly out the back door. She noticed me.

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew? Like just knew? That's what happened the fifth time I saw her. She was staying at a friend's. He was tall like her, and big. She seemed upset. He was making her upset. Why was she there and not at home? Her eyes were tearing as she spoke, her voice shaking. I couldn't make out what they were talking about, the window wasn't open. But she was upset. He was making her upset. I'd speak to him after she fell asleep. She slept in his bed, he slept on the couch. The glass smashed as I let myself in. I spoke to him. She noticed me.

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew? Like just knew? That's what happened the last time I saw her. She had moved away almost overnight. She had quit her job. I found her a little while later. She was a long way from home. I was concerned. She shouldn't just leave without telling me. We had a connection. She must have forgot to tell me where she was going. She's been under a lot of stress lately. It's bad for her health. She needed my help. Her breathing was ragged, her body tossing and turning as she slept. A nightmare. I whispered in her ear that everything was going to be alright. I would keep her safe. She wouldn't need to leave again. Her eyes fluttered open. She noticed me.

Jen (Seperation and Reclamation Part IV)

Jen’s favourite bar wasn’t exactly my scene but when it came to nightlife my opinions were usually entirely ignored in favour of Jen and Ryan’s more enthusiastic venues. The three of us had been friends all through high school and time had done little to change that. Still I sometimes wondered how we ever got along at all.

This was one of those times.

Jen was a bar star. Ryan too, and they were definitely proving it tonight. While they drank and danced and generally looked like the whitest kids in the world, I hung back near the bar and tried not to let the lights and the music get to me too much. Being a designated driver meant I couldn’t be nearly drunk enough to enjoy the atmosphere, however I had drawn the short straw so here we were.

“Brad!” Jen shouted, coming over and tugging on my arm. “Come dance with us! This girl from my work is here I want you to meet her!”

I sighed, knowing full well that resistance was futile and allowed myself to be assimilated into the collective that was the dance floor.

“Sarah!” Jen shouted, waving at another girl dancing near Ryan. “This is Brad, the one I was telling you about!”

“Hi,” I said, trying not to yell but quickly realizing that was a ridiculous notion. “It’s nice to meet you!” I said, a little louder this time.

“Jen talks about you guys all the time!” Sarah said smiling. “It’s good to put faces to the names!”

“Hey come outside for a smoke!” Ryan shouted and Jen nodded. Sarah shrugged and followed us outside into the crisp night air.

Without the flashing lights I got my first real good look at Sarah and was surprised by how closely she and Jen resembled each other. Each with similar styles of dress and hair, and each with a wide smile that was proving infectious.

Ryan and Jen each lit up a cigarette while Sarah and I made small talk.

“So how do you guys all know each other?” Sarah asked.

“We all went to high school together,” Ryan said.

“Ryan and I dated on and off,” Jens said, “And he and Brad were good friends. Now we all hang out.

Brad makes sure we don’t do anything too stupid, and we try and get him to have fun once in a while. I think we balance out nicely.”

Sarah laughed, “I can see that, you do look like the big brother type.”

“I guess,” I muttered. “I’ve never thought of it that way though.”

“The people in those kinds of roles never do,” she said. “So does this mean you’re looking out for me now?”

“Um...” I stammered, “Well I...”

“Stop teasing him,” Jen scolded, interjecting with a huff. “He’s too simple when it comes to that kind of stuff.”

“Wait simple?” I said, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Before Jen could answer Ryan let out a very exaggerated sigh.

“Oh my god no one cares,” he groaned. “We’re going back inside now.”

Sarah laughed, “Aw you guys are fun, Jen we need to hang out more often.”

She shrugged, “Sure why not, Brad’s your big brother now anyway.”

“Perfect,” Sarah grinned as they went back inside.

I stood on the sidewalk for a moment longer, scratching the back of my head.

“The hell just happened?” I muttered, before following them back inside.

Absence (Seperation and Reclamation Part III)

I grit my teeth and cursed under my breath. I wasn’t really interested in stopping for anything but if I didn’t gas up my bike soon, I’d be walking the rest of the way. A sign I passed earlier said there was a rest stop just a few kilometers away, which would have to do, and a break was probably the smart thing considering I had been tearing down the highway since noon, and the sun had long since set.
 
I pulled in and killed the engine, then stepped off to fill up the bike that was by now running on fumes. As I did so I took out my phone and flipped to the picture I had received earlier that day It looked like it was taken as soon as they had arrived at Ryan’s cabin, but it was tough to be sure. Tristan, Ryan, Sarah, Jen, Dana. They were looking like they were having a great time as they posed for the camera.
 
Normally, I’d have been happy to have received a picture of them having a great time, but the circumstances were anything but normal.

It had been three months since I heard from any of them. Much too long.  I spoke to Ryan’s parents about it, and they said they had got a message from him saying he was going to be out of range of cell service as they continued backpacking and that they were going to be a little longer than they thought, and not to worry. Jen’s sister got a similar message, as did Sarah’s mom. Tristan wasn’t from our city originally so I didn’t know how to get in touch with his family, and Dana had lived alone for a long time now. Still, the people that would worry had all been reassured.
 
Except me. It wasn’t that I was lonely, or that I was regretting not being able to go with them. It was that the messages I heard all sounded very similar. Similar wording, little real personality, it sounded to me like they were reading a script. Not only that but they knew I would worry most. They would have called me, texted me, anything. But they hadn’t, and for three months is was like they just disappeared. Until today. Today I got my first real piece of evidence that they had at least made it to the lake safely.

At first I kept telling myself that they were just having fun somewhere, that they had forgotten to call me or whatever. Even being forgotten by them would be better than something having happened. But I knew more and more with each passing day that I was fooling myself.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

Those past three months were a blur. I wasn’t able to focus on anything, I was so worried. But today, today offered a brief glimmer of hope that maybe I could find them, and find out what had happened. When my phone rang and that picture came through, I immediately quit my job, withdrew a chunk of change from my savings, packed up and took off, intending to start my search at the lake, and hopefully find some answers.
 
Finally my motorcycle was full, and I quickly paid before hopping back on and taking off. I was determined to find out what had happened to them, so determined that I told myself I would do whatever it took to get the answers I needed.

It wouldn’t be the first time I had done something awful to protect them. It wouldn’t be the last.

Sarah (Seperation and Reclaimation Part II)

“You don’t like him do you?” Sarah asked me after a brief silence. She was leaning heavily on me, gripping my arm tightly as we made our way back to her car, the alcohol keeping her from moving too quickly, or gracefully for that matter.

“I never said that,” I said, trying not to laugh at her current state. Sarah wasn’t nearly as much of a partier as Jen or Ryan, so it wasn’t often that she ever needed a ride home, let alone someone to cling to lest she fall over.

“But you barely said anything to him all night,” she said with a pout. “I really like him so you should too.”

“You know we have this exact same conversation every time you get a new boyfriend right?”

“We do not!” She exclaimed, a little too loudly for 2:30am but we were hardly the only people filtering out of the club so I supposed it didn’t matter.

“We do,” I replied. “Every time you worry about what the others are going to think of whoever you may be dating, but I’m the only one that you actually pull aside and ask for an opinion.”

“Well that’s because I know if you like them, then they must be a pretty good person,” she grinned at me. “Everyone knows you’re hardest one to impress with this kind of stuff.”

“What? I am not, no one thinks that.”

“You’re the fun police.”

“I am not the fun police,” I grumbled as we rounded a corner, her car just up ahead.

“You are, and you were out in full force tonight.”

“No one thinks I’m the fun police.”

“Everyone thinks you’re the fun police. I’m going to get you a badge to prove it. You can flash it in people’s faces when they get too fun.  You can walk up to them and say excuse me sir, this is the fun police, you’re going to have to take it down a notch, the amount of fun is exceeding the legal limit, please bring it down to within the previously accepted levels of fun in accordance with city law.”

I sighed, heavily. “I just don’t have an opinion on him yet that’s all.” I said, trying to compromise. “You deserve the best, you really do. We’re all going to make sure you get it.”

“That’s sweet,” she giggled, causing her to stumble a bit. “But the others aren’t nearly as judgmental.”

“Oh come on, I am not judgmental.”

“Okay maybe that’s the wrong word, but whatever, he’s been really nice so far, so you should like him.”

“We’ll see.”

“You’ll like him,” she said, seemingly convinced she had won this round. “He has a really cool job.”

“He’s a musician,” I muttered. “You met him in a bar.”

“Fun police!” she shouted with a punch to my arm. “Told you!”

“Ugh, fine fine,” I said, rubbing my shoulder as we made it to her car. I took out her keys and unlocked her door, helping her get settled.

She smiled at me as I walked around the car and hopped in. “What was his name again?” I asked as I started the engine.

“You’re a dick,” she chuckled, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. “It’s Tristan.”

“Right, well he seems alright so far I guess.”

“Maybe I’ll marry him one day, then you’ll feel silly. For standing in the way of true love.”

“You’re drunk Sarah,” I laughed.

“Very,” she agreed. “Hey,” She said, suddenly serious. “Thanks, for always looking out for me.”

I looked over at her, barely keeping her eyes open and her blonde hair a mess from dancing with Jen.

“Always,” I said, giving her hand a squeeze as she closed her eyes and let herself sleep.

Seperation and Reclaimation

“You could help you know,” Ryan grumbled to me as he loaded another cooler filled with what I could only assume was more alcohol into his RV.

 I looked up at him from my cushy lawn chair, parked in Ryan's rather spacious front yard and took another sip of my drink.

“With what?” I asked, unable to keep the smirk from creeping onto my face.

“Oh that’s cute Brad,” he said, wiping the sweat from his face as he went to grab another cooler from the seemingly endless supply of coolers that were stacked in the driveway. “You’re just gonna sit here on my lawn, drink my booze, and watch me bust my ass packing in the burning sun? That’s harsh my friend, real harsh”

“I guess it is, yes. But then how would you learn not to pack so much crap?”

“I am a slow learner, that's true,” he grinned. “I can't really blame you though, seeing as how you’re going to be here all by yourself working like a dog, while we are going to be having the whole lake as our own personal playground.” 

“Not just the lake,” Jennifer said, skipping out of the house with her suitcase dragging behind her. It was the first real piece of luggage I had seen go into the RV since I got here. “ This is a whole cross country road trip and I can’t believe you’re going to miss it.”

I sighed, her reminder hardly necessary. “It’s not like I didn’t try to get the time off Jen, seriously, but this summer is looking pretty busy.”

“You should just quit,” Ryan quipped.

“I don’t have loaded parents or a trust fund to pay for my degree, so no sorry man but I can’t just quit. Landscaping is good money.”

“You mean the degree you’ve been working on for the last like what...six years? Seriously by the time you get it you’re going to be going through a mid life crisis.”

“Don’t you have another cooler to load up jackass?”

Ryan laughed and went back to it; while Jen gave me the look she gives all of us when she wants to get her way. It works more often than not too, but unfortunately this was one of those ‘not’ times.

“For the last time, I can’t go,” I said, cutting off the puppy-dog eyes before they really got going.

“Fine,” she huffed. “We’ll send you pictures everywhere we go, just so you can see how much fun you’re missing.”

“Oh good,” I groaned. “Please do that. So where are the others?”

“They went to the store,” Ryan said, “They should be coming back soon though, they left just before you got here.”

“The store? Because you guys need more alcohol and Twinkies?”

“Brad Brad Brad, you’ve forgotten how to party.”

“Whatever,” I sighed and went back to my drink.

Jen and Ryan had been two of my closest friends since high school, which for us was about six years ago now. Along with Sarah, her boyfriend Tristan, and Dana, all of whom were at the store buying more junk apparently, the six of us had been pretty much inseparable. Ryan was kind of the ringleader, always making the plans and making sure everyone had a good time, but otherwise we were just happy to enjoy each other’s company.

This summer was a big deal for everyone though, and so Ryan had really outdone himself planning this trip. Jen had just finished a degree in education, and was likely going to be leaving for a teaching position next year, so this was our last big blowout together.

And I was stuck working.

“Hey,” Jen said, dropping down on the lawn beside me and helping herself to my drink. “Have you patched things up with Dana yet?”

I groaned. That was the other reason why I was in a bad mood today. “No, not yet.”

“Kind of cutting it a little close don’t you think?” She asked. “Once we leave it’s going to be tough to keep in touch.”

“I know I know,” I sighed. “I’ll talk to her when she gets here, I promise.”

Jen smiled. She and Dana had been best friends for a year or so now. An interesting development since they had met by getting into a brawl and trashing a houseparty but sometimes things work themselves out in strange ways. Jen had been pushing for us to get together for a while now, and while I had always been all for it, Dana was a more complicated matter, and this fight we had the other night had only made things between us more difficult.  

I thought about what I would say to her for a little while longer while Jen and Ryan loaded up the last of their luggage. Not long after I saw the others coming on their way back, their arms loaded with yet more food and booze.

“Brad!” Tristan shouted,  quickly dropping his stuff in the RV and pulling me out of my chair. “What the hell man? Work? This is it, this is the biggest thing we’ve ever done, and you’re at work?”

I smiled despite myself. With the exception of Dana, Tristan was the newcomer, so to speak. We were already pretty established when he started dating Sarah three years ago, but he had just fit right in. More mellow than Ryan, more spontaneous than me, he had a balancing effect on the group, as well as a way of speaking that made everything seem way better than it was. Except for my situation, it would seem.

“Sorry Tristan, you’re just going to have to drink my share.”

He sighed, then pulled me close. “I'll do my best, but listen, remember what we talked about the other day?”

I nodded; it wasn’t a conversation I was going to forget anytime soon.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, which looked like it must have cost a fair bit considering how fancy it was.

“I’ve decided I’m going to go for it,” he said with a grin. “I’m going to propose on this trip. No one else knows but hopefully when we get back, we’ll be engaged.”

“That’s awesome Tristan,” I said, trying to hide my smile from the others.

“Hey,” he said, suddenly serious. “Thanks a lot for helping me figure this out. I probably wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”

“Of course you would,” I replied quickly. “ But you’re welcome. I know she’ll say yes, I’m really happy for you.”

“Say yes to what?”

Tristan froze, and jammed the little box back into his pocket faster than I could blink.

“Say yes to what?” Sarah asked again, all smiles and energy, as always. Sarah was our cheerleader, so to speak. Always making people feel good and keeping things upbeat. It was something she did very well.

“Tristan was gonna ask you if he could listen to your IPod on the trip,” I said, letting him catch his breath. “He forgot his.”

“Aw of course, actually I just put the latest Sebastian Jericho album on there,  and wow it is so good you guys...”

A collective groan from both of us cut her off, and she responded with a none too appropriate gesture of her own.

Nothing divided the group like Sebastian Jericho. The men hated him, the women loved him, and the battles were cruel and unforgiving. 

Tristan had recovered from his near heart attack as Sarah dragged him to the van to help with her luggage, chattering on about her new album.

“Brad, do you have a sec?”

I turned, and my heart fell. Dana. I was going to miss her most, and this was my last chance to make sure we parted on good terms.

“I realize everyone else has probably made you feel bad enough about not coming, but I really wish you’d reconsider.”

“Yeah?” I asked, surprised. “Even after the other night?”

She bristled at that. “I’m sorry I flipped on you,” she said. “I know things have been kind of weird between us lately and I guess I just got fed up with it.”

“I’m sorry too,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “You know you’re more to me than just some girl that needs fixing. I’ve never thought of you that way, it’s just...you’re right, things have been weird lately, and I guess I got a little fed up as well.”

She smiled at that. “It’s okay.”

I sighed, one weight lifted off my shoulders at least.

“So are you sure you can’t come with us?” She asked, already knowing the answer

“I’m sorry Dana,” I said. Saying no to her was always so much harder than the others.
    
“Always the responsible one,” she said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, I’ll send you lots of pictures, and when I get back...” She trailed off, then said, “When I get back I want to talk to you, I want to finish the conversation we were having the other night, just without the yelling this time, so...”
    
I smiled, though I’m sure mine didn’t reach my eyes either. “I’m looking forward to it, I’ll be waiting right here,” I said.
    
“Good, I’ll hurry back.”
    
She leaned in gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Innocent enough but it still made my heart skip a beat.
    
“Hurry up Dana!” Ryan called, breaking us out of our little world. “We’re all packed, and there’s even room for people in here!”
    
I laughed and we walked to the RV. I took a good look at the group I would be doing without for the next month or so for the first time in six years.
    
“Hey,” I found myself calling. “Let me get a picture of all you guys first.”
    
They laughed and obliged me, shuffling into some sort of pose in front of the RV and I held up my phone. Everyone’s personality was shining through; everything I loved about each of them had never been more obvious as I took that picture.    

We all said one last good bye as I watched them pile into the RV.
  
I watched them drive away, and despite the pit that was forming in my stomach, I kept telling myself that it was only a month.    

I really believed that. I had no idea at the time how long I would be without them.
   
I had no idea what I would have to go through to get them back.

The Shaggy Dog

Rain water trickles down the stone buildings and pools at his feet, the night air crisp and fresh now that the storm is over. The shaggy dog takes a quick drink from the puddle and plods on, his tail wagging behind him.

He is hungry, but he is usually hungry and tonight is no exception. At least there is plenty of water to drink as he plods on, and the city smells pleasant tonight as he scrounges for supper.

Emerging from the alleys the shaggy dog spies a young boy across the street, slumped on the ground with a hat held upside down in an outstretched, quivering hand. The shaggy dog tilts his head and whines, and the boy mutters something as everyone walks by.

The shaggy dog runs across the street and sits beside the boy. I notice you, the shaggy dog says, and receives a scratch behind the ear for his efforts. He wags his tail and plods on.

Leaning against a wall of brick spray painted with vibrant colors and symbols is a man with kind eyes talking on a cell phone. The shaggy dog sniffs the man's hand and smells a family, waiting for their father to arrive home from work.

"You're a tough little thing aren't you," the man says, his call on hold for now. "You look hungry. I'm sorry, I wish I had my arm to spare."

I understand, the shaggy dog says. He wags his tail and plods on.

The aroma of fresh baking catches his nose and the shaggy dog follows its scent to a pleasant little restaurant. Through the window he spies a large woman dressed in a fancy gown. She's at a table for one and the waiter brings her a glass of red wine. She smiles and thanks him, her happiness the best smelling thing in the restaurant. It makes him smile. He wags his tail and plods on.

The shaggy dog stops at a nearby puddle, taking a drink before he continues. He sees a woman holding hands with her daughter, the little girl pulling and tugging as she tries to leap from puddle to puddle, her laughter musical in its innocence. "Mommy!" she shouts and points to the shaggy dog, "A puppy!"

The shaggy dog smiles happily, he likes kids, they pat him on the head and tug on his fur. "He's hungry," the little girl says, "Can he come home with us mommy please?"

The woman looks at the shaggy dog and says, "Well little guy? Would you like that?"

The shaggy dog looks at the woman and her little girl. No thank you, he says. My home is out here. The little girl looks sad but the woman seems to understand. He thanks them both. He wags his tail and plods on.

He returns to his home, a den of newspaper and cardboard in a dingy little alleyway. Its late now as he circles a few times and then lays down, still hungry. The shaggy dog thinks for a while as his eyes get heavy. He didn't find any food tonight, but he met a lot of nice people. Maybe he will find food tomorrow he thinks as his eyes close and he drifts off to sleep. Until tomorrow, when he will wag his tail and plod on.

Dawn

They had been driving for a few days now, stopping only every now and again. April’s eyes focused on the highway while Cam and Sharla sat in the back. Cam had been quite most of the trip, even more so than usual and Sharla couldn’t help but feel a tension in the air. Something was coming, and she suspected she was the only one who didn’t know exactly what it was. Her mind drifted back to the conversation they had when she returned to Spooky Burger.

“How is he?” She asked immediately.
 
April looked up, the pair had barely moved from where she had left them.
 
“He’s fine,” April said, “He’s healing quickly. He’s at his best here, this place protects him, it won’t let him go.”
 
“What about your wounds?” Sharla asked. “You took a few bad hits as well.”
 
April shook her head, “They’ll be fine, forget about me. What about you? What happened out there?”
 
“It’s over.” Sharla said, motioning to the sword and shotgun she still held. “I killed her.”
 
April smiled, a weight seemingly lifting from her shoulders. “You really are Cam’s successor then. He’s gonna be so proud.”
 
“What do you mean by that?” Sharla asked, her eyes narrowing. “I’m Cam’s partner, once he heals up things will be back to normal.”
 
April nodded, suddenly looking very sad. “You’re right, sorry. Listen we need to be gone by the time this place opens in the morning.”
 
“Agreed, we have an apartment not far from here, we can go there.”
 
“No!” Cam shouted, his voice causing them both to jump. Struggling to pull himself up, he said, “No, April, it’s time. You know where we need to go.”
 
Sharla rushed to his side, taking his weight as he leaned against her. “No we are going to the apartment so you can rest,” she growled at him. “It’s over now, the Girl is dead and we can relax.”
 
“No Sharla,” he said, meeting her eyes. “It’s not over yet. There’s one thing left, and then I will rest, I promise.”
 
Sharla stared at him for a moment, but she knew he wasn’t going to budge. She sighed and looked at April who only nodded.
 
“I’ll drive you,” she said.

It was going to be morning soon, and Cam’s wounds had since closed. He was walking on his own with little problem but he still wouldn’t be fighting for a while. Still the whole trip had Sharla on edge. April looked near tears the whole time, and Cam had seemed almost content. Every now and then she would catch him looking at her, his eyes bright with something she had never seen in them before. A thought had crept its way into her mind and she had forced it out at first, but now as the trip went on it she was having more and more difficulty ignoring it. Though it hurt her in more ways than she could count, she was forced to entertain her suspicions as to the purpose of this trip.

April took a sudden right turn onto a dirt road, eventually coming to a large patch of pavement on the outskirts of a large forest. “We’re here,” she said, turning off the engine and stepping outside. Cam took a deep breath and followed, and Sharla had to fight back tears as she too stepped out of the car.

Sharla could see the ruins of what was once a large building just off the highway, and realized they were standing in what was once a parking lot. The forest had reclaimed most of it and to Sharla it looked like just another abandoned building, but Cam and April looked at it fondly.

“Can you give us a minute Sharla?” Cam asked with a smile.

Sharla nodded, suddenly feeling very numb as she wandered towards the building, giving the two their space. She saw him hug April tightly, saw him whisper something in her ear, and saw her start to cry.

“Make sure you tell Ben and Cherry the same thing,” she heard him say and April nodded, hugging him again before stepping back. Cam nodded back and made his way over to her.

“I want to show you something,” he said, holding out his hand.

Nodding, Sharla steeled herself and took it, letting him lead her into the forest.

“There’s a town nearby,” Cam said as he walked with her. “It’s where I grew up. And that building is one of the first Spooky Burger’s ever built. It’s where I first started working, where I learned about everything that’s out there in the night, and it’s where I died.”

“Cam...” she started but he squeezed her hand and cut her off.

“Please...I want to tell you this, while I still have the courage.”

She grit her teeth, wanting to shout at him, wanting to scream that he didn’t have to do what she was now certain he was going to do, but she couldn’t. She loved him, and she had never seen him happier than he was now.

“I died fighting a werewolf. It was completely berserk and I was too young, too arrogant. I thought I could handle it. There were other factors that contributed but that’s the important part. April might still have a letter I left explaining the details. That was fifteen years ago now.

I’m a revenant. A soul with a body that’s long dead, and a powerful spirit that acts as the glue holding it all together. That spirit is the spirit of one of the first ever hunters, one of the first to fight against monsters like we do. That spirit and I worked together to continue our duty. For whatever reason, that spirit seemed to be entwined with Spooky Burger. It made me my strongest when I was there, and when I got too hurt or even took enough damage to kill a normal person, which happened a few times, the spirit would bring me back because we still had a job to do.”

Sharla took all this in as they walked deeper into the forest. Despite being too dark to see anything further than her hand in front of her face, Cam seemed to know exactly where he was going, and guided her expertly through the trees.

“Spooky Burger attracts those touched by the darkness, like you were attracted to it when you found me. It conspires to bring together people that have a grudge against those creatures that would prey on them. This one brought Ben, our cook, Cherry, our cashier, and April our delivery driver. We formed a team, and I trained them in hunting in the night. I taught them how they’d never need to be victims again. After a few years, another person came for the same reason. His name was Lyndsy.”

Cam smiled at the name. Sharla remembered hearing it before, when he and April were at each others throats before the Girl with The Dead Eyes had attacked.

“He was so young,” he said. “So naive; he was barely out of high school, working to save some money to pay for university. But somewhere along the way something had happened that brought him to us. So I taught him what I taught the others. What they shared the night with, how to see them, how to find them, and how to kill them. We all loved that kid, and for that reason I should have sent him home. But we thought we could handle it, that together we could handle anything that came at us.

But we couldn’t. Lyndsey died. He died because I was arrogant, because I over estimated our abilities. I never forgave myself for that. His death tore us apart, and we all went our separate ways after that. We crossed paths every now and again and April and the others would team up if there was something they couldn’t handle alone, but I never joined them. I never joined anyone. I swore I would work alone from now on, so no one else would get hurt.”

They stopped walking suddenly, and Cam took her hands, catching her eyes with his.

“When you first found me, sitting alone in a Spooky Burger in some dark city, I was terrified. You were exactly like him. You were just as young, just as determined, and I was just as sure I would get you killed too. To this day I still have no idea what made me take you on as an apprentice. But I’m glad I did.”

“Cam...” she said, but he cut her off again.

“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me Sharla,” he said. “You are the hunter I should have been, you took the best I had to teach and made it better. I have never been more proud of anyone. You killed the Girl with The Dead Eyes, the single worst thing to walk the night when I couldn’t come anywhere close. And most of all, you were the girl who taught me what it meant to love again.”

Sharla gasped, unable to believe what she had just heard. “You...” she started, waiting for him to cut her off again but this time he let her speak. “You love me?”

He smiled and nodded. “I thought you'd want to know.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You know how I feel about you...”

“Because it would have made what has to happen now that much harder.”

Tears slipped from her eyes as she asked, despite knowing the answer, “What comes now?”

Cam motioned behind him and Sharla finally noticed where they were, and why they had stopped.
They were standing on a grave; another laying nearby, each marked by a simple wooden cross.

“That one is Lyndsy’s,” he said, pointing to the nearby cross. “And the one we are standing on is mine.”

Sharla stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. “You can’t... you can’t expect me too...”

“It has to be you,” he said. “You’re the only one who can. You’ve succeeded me in every way. I don’t need to be here anymore. My time is long overdue. Please, Sharla, there’s one last creature of the night you need to kill.”

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I still need you...”

“No you don’t.” He said, his eyes threatening to give way to the same tears that fell from hers. “That sword you carry proves it.”

The Inquisitor’s blade. She had forgotten about it until now, slung at her side.

“That sword will be enough. It will keep me from coming back. Please Sharla, this is how it has to end.”

He was right, she knew that. He had been dead for a long time, and he had earned his rest. She had watched him fight so many horrible things; go through so much pain, because he had to. Now she could set him free. Then why was this so hard? Why couldn’t she stop crying when Cam seemed so happy?

She took a long look into his eyes. She had never seen him cry before. She doubted anyone had. But he was happy, smiling at her as she stepped into his arms.

She let him hold her there for a long time as she cried into his chest. He stroked her hair, and whispered that it would be okay, that she was strong enough now, that she would never have to be afraid again.

“I love you,” he said softly, and she looked up at him.

“I love you too,” she whispered back as she captured his lips in hers, taking the kiss she had wanted for so long.

And then she thrust the Inquisitor’s sword through his heart.

He stumbled backwards out of her embrace and fell to his knees, staring up at her with such love in his eyes that it made her weep as the white fire began to consume his body.

He didn’t flinch or show pain, he simply closed his eyes as the fire spread, until finally Cam was gone, the smoke and embers blowing in the wind.     

Sharla picked up the sword and stared at the grave until the sun began to rise, until she had cried her tears for the man that had given her so much.

“I’ll come back and see you I promise. Goodbye...Cam.”

Drying her tears, she headed back to where April was waiting, the dawn making it easy to retrace her steps.

Emerging from the forest, she saw April waiting, her expression mirroring Sharla’s own.

“You made him happier than I ever saw him.” April said softly. “I’m glad he’s resting now.”

“Thanks for doing this April,” Sharla said. “Helping us in the fight, bringing us here, all of it.”

April smiled. “Forget it,” she replied quickly.  “I need to tell Ben and Cherry what happened, and I think they really need to meet you. Want to come with me?”

Sharla thought for a moment as she took one last look at the forest where Cam now slept, and at the life she had lived alongside him. She loved him, but she would be okay. Finally she turned back to April with a smile.

“Sure,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Nightmare's End

Though the rain was coming down strong enough to actually cause pain, Sharla’s attention was instead focused on the small shotgun she now held in her hands. She wasn’t aware that she had taken Cam’s weapon when she left Spooky Burger, but now that she had it she felt a little better about her chances. She wasn’t sure why exactly; after all she was on the trail of the worst monster to ever walk the earth, but having something of Cam’s with her seemed to help.

Cam... there was a whole other issue. What was he? A monster just like the ones they had hunted together? No, she refused to believe that. Cam was a lot of things, not the least of which was apparently being dead for the last however many years, but he was no monster. All Sharla knew for sure was that he was the best thing that ever happened to her, he was the source of her strength, and the reason she had left to pursue her target alone.

Well not exactly alone.

It had only been a few hours since she had left Cam in April’s arms to recover his strength and left Spooky Burger, but in that time she had gotten in touch with Wesley and asked him to have his contacts dig up what they could on any funny business with the local supernatural population. He got back to her within the hour, informing her that the word was out to stay the hell away from an old cemetery on the outskirts of town. A man was seen searching through the area and a pack of werewolves which claimed the graveyard as territory had turned up dead only a few hours ago.

If the Girl With the Dead Eyes had killed those werewolves, then Sharla knew there was only one person who would be hunting around that cemetery. The Inquisitor, the man she had seen in the park several nights ago, and a hunter without equal. His presence there and the timeline of the werewolves’ deaths all pointed to one thing.

The Girl With the Dead Eyes was hiding in the cemetery. The same cemetery Sharla now stood before, thick with the same inky blackness the Girl had oozed back in Spooky Burger. Sharla shuddered at the memory, recalling how the blackness had nearly devoured her, the feelings of hopelessness and despair still fresh but forced them to the back of her mind. She couldn’t afford to let her fear take her. She was the hunter here, and the Girl was prey.

A little clichéd, she thought, trying to focus on the scene in front of her, but I guess if she needed to lay low to heal up it makes sense. Either way it doesn't matter, wherever the Girl would have gone, I would have found her, and I will make sure it ends tonight. For Cam’s sake, and for mine.

Gripping Cam’s gun tightly in one hand and one of her own in the other, Sharla strode into the darkness, her eyes searching for her target, but finding only worn tombstones and crypts reclaimed by nature. It was obvious no one had tended to this place in a very long time. Yet that was the least of Sharla’s concerns. The further she walked, the more she could feel that this place was wrong. The Girl With the Dead Eyes had tainted this place, turned it into something far from natural.

Coming to a small clearing amidst the graves, she stopped and tried to look past the darkness, to listen past the deafening pounding of the rain, her senses on full alert, and trying to ignore the hammering of her heart. And then she leapt to the side, tucking into a brisk roll that saw her on her feet and firing her weapon within the blink of an eye.

The bullets slammed into the Inquisitor, and he stumbled in surprise for a split second before regaining his composure, seemingly unhurt by her attack.

“No human has ever sensed me coming when I was on the hunt,” he said, “Let alone been able to strike me. Who are you?”

Sharla kept her gun trained on the man, dressed in a ball cap and denim jacket, his jeans tucked into high cowboy boots. She couldn’t help but wonder why the monster that other monster’s feared would dress like a trucker. But despite his appearance however, Sharla was certain he wasn’t human, or anything close to it. Being near him was making her dizzy, and an inkling of doubt began to creep into her heart as she realized the rain wasn’t touching him. The droplets of water seemed to land everywhere but on him, and it took her a few moments to realize that the storm was on his side. It was one of his weapons. Now she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was right smack in the middle of a battle between two very powerful, very different monsters.

“Girl,” he spoke again, his eyes narrowing. “If you stay here you will die, that’s a promise. I will give you one chance to run as fast as you can. You have no place here.”

This time Sharla replied, filling her voice with as much courage as she could muster.

“First of all, my name is Sharla, and second, I do have a place here,” she said, “And it’s standing above the Girl with the Dead Eye’s corpse. And yours too, if necessary.”

The Inquisitor stared at her a moment, his mouth slightly agape then threw back his head and laughed.

“Not only are you the first person to ever dodge an attack of mine, you are the first to strike me, the first to threaten me, and the first to be so foolish as to hunt the Nightmare. I can see myself liking you.”

“The Nightmare?” Sharla asked. “What do you mean?”

“Who you call the Girl with the Dead Eyes, we call the Final Nightmare. It is what she became when she drank the source of her power.”

“And what was that?”

The Inquisitor frowned in disgust. “The blood of one of us.”

Sharla’s eyes widened as she tried to process this. “That’s...the blood of an Inqusitor is what made her?”

He shook his head, “No, it is what made her so powerful, but before that she was a vampire, a vampire of exceptional origin but a vampire nonetheless. Fate conspired to bring about her transformation into the Final Nightmare, and since then I have hunted her. Tonight that hunt is at an end. She is wounded, somehow her power is fading. Now more than ever she is vulnerable.”

“Cam’s blood,” she said. “The Girl drank it and it was like poison to her.”

The Inquisitor raised an eyebrow at her. “The Revenant? The Hunter Spirit’s vessel? Yes his blood would be anathema to a creature like her. So you must be his protégé then?”

“Um...Cam trained me yeah,” she said, “But what’s this about a Revenant? Or Hunter Spirit?”

“Ask him yourself girl, if he even knows the power which anchors him here. We are content to leave him be, so long as he does not forget his place.”

“His place,” she spat suddenly annoyed with the Inquisitor’s attitude, “Is killing monsters that prey on people. It’s my place too and that’s why I’m here, or did you forget already? And what about your place? What role do you play here? When the Girl is dead, will that be the last we ever hear of Inquisitors?”

He seemed thoughtful for a moment, before answering, “Until the next Nightmare comes along I suppose. But I wouldn’t worry about that just yet,” he said, his eyes drifting upwards, and Sharla followed his gaze before letting out a gasp.

The moon, the stars, the entire sky had been blocked out by the darkness.

“This Nightmare is already here,” he said, as a bolt of lightning seared through the darkness, deafening in its intensity as it slammed into the ground and illuminated the Girl with the Dead Eyes.

“Inquisitors and their storms,” she sang, as she revealed herself, her arms held loosely at her sides as she swayed back and forth. “Do you think you can wash me away? The last Inquisitor I met tried that, and I killed him and drank his blood. Before that I devoured my sire, and then I devoured the aspect of fate that created me. I wrote my own destiny. I am absolute. I am the end. I am everything, and I am nothing.”

She paused, her gaze running up and down Sharla, then said, “Oh and one other thing...after devouring your poisonous boyfriend, I am seriously pissed off!”

And then the darkness came alive and attacked, just as it had done in Spooky Burger. Sharla fired her weapon as the Girl flew towards her with claws and fangs bared. The bullets struck true and the Girl faltered just enough for Sharla to leap out of the way. More darkness flew at her, intent on impaling her as it did Cam, but this time the Inquisitor’s lightning intercepted the attacks, initiating a titanic battle of the most primal forces. Amidst the clash of light and dark, Sharla and the Inqusitor found themselves side by side as the Girl attacked again, a raging demon intent on Sharla’s life but met the Inquisitor instead as he too attacked, the two colliding in mid air.

The Inquisitor proved every bit as ferocious a fighter as the Girl, and for a moment Sharla was paralyzed by the sight before her. Watching the clash of claws and teeth, the lightning crashing into the darkness as both tried to strike their targets, she was certain she didn’t belong here.

Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she focused instead on something else she was certain of. While the Girl was able to match the Inquisitor blow for blow, she was nowhere near the level she had been at Spooky Burger. At Spooky Burger there had been an overwhelming sense of hopelessness, of loss.

What did the Girl say earlier? That she was an Absolute? She thought. Yeah, that’s what was at Spooky Burger, but that’s not what’s here now. Cam’s blood is still running through you bitch, and it’s making you weak.

The Inquisitor raised his hand to the sky and lightning answered his call, this time striking his outstretched hand and taking shape, becoming a brilliant sword that the Inquisitor used to deflect a blow from the Girl before countering, the slash leaving an arc of white fire in the air.

The Girl leapt back, only suffering a glancing blow that was already healing as she and the Inquisitor clashed again, his sword lighting the darkness as the two battled. Unfortunately even with his blade, The Girl was proving stronger, and her attacks were keeping the Inquisitor on the defensive.

Seeing an opening, Sharla fired her weapon for all it was worth, pausing only briefly when she heard the gun click empty to reload, and in a flash she was firing again, all the while moving towards the Girl and giving the Inquisitor time to recover. She knew her bullets wouldn’t do any real damage, but Cam’s gun was different. The gun had seriously injured the Girl back in Spooky Burger, and from the moment she first took it she knew it was more than just a gun, but a bane of monsters, and the longer she held it, the more certain she was that it was her best chance of winning this fight. Trying to get close enough so Cam’s shotgun could do some real damage, Sharla continued firing, forcing the Girl to stumble back. Finally close enough, Sharla drew Cam’s shotgun and fired. The gun seemed to glow in her hand as the bullets tore a hole through the Girl’s chest and knocked her to the ground.

The Inquisitor took that moment to charge, thrusting his sword toward the prone Girl with murder in his eyes. Sharla knew he smelled the kill, just as she did.

And then she saw the Girl grin.

“Wait!” she screamed, but the Inquisitor was already committed to his attack.

Before Sharla could blink the Girl had struck, playing possum and luring the Inquisitor to her as leapt to her feet, deflecting his attack as her fist slammed through the Inquisitor’s chest and out his back, his heart clutched in her hand.

Sharla could only watch in horror as the Inquisitor eyes widened, his sword dropping to the ground beneath him as he went limp around the Girl’s arm.

The Girl’s grin became a wide smile as she opened her mouth, her fangs seeking the neck of her prey, but the Inquisitor jerked up, and with fire in his eyes, he raised his hand to the sky.

“You won’t have another of us!” he snarled, “Not ever again!”

The lightning crashed into them both and the Girl howled with pain as she and the Inquisitor burned. When the lightning receded the Inquisitor was gone, reduced to ash by his own attack, leaving the Girl badly burnt, but alive. Her eyes focused on Sharla now, her rage overflowing but her strength fading.

Her wounds aren’t healing anymore, Sharla thought as the Girl staggered towards her. And the moonlight is breaching the darkness; her control over it is slipping. She can’t keep this up. Between Cam’s blood and the Inquisitor, she can barely stand.

“His blood would have washed away the poison inside me,” she muttered, still staggering towards Sharla. “And then I would have had my way with you, for everything you have done to me. After that I would have gone back to that restaurant and slaughtered your boyfriend and that other bimbo, and anyone else even remotely connected to any of you.”

The Girl stumbled towards her, “This shouldn’t be happening to me. Me! I am absolute! A Demon among Demons, I am above angles, an all consuming entity! But most of all I am immortal, and I will not be killed by a little girl like you!”

The Girl shot forward, her speed belying the severity of her wounds as her claws reached for Sharla, but Sharla was faster. Ducking the attack Sharla pushed forward into a roll, gripping the Inquisitor’s blade in her hand as she passed over it and stood, whirling around as the Girl raced at her again. Time seemed to slow and for a moment, Sharla saw with startling clarity. With a strength born of a conviction she never knew she possessed, Sharla plunged the sword deep into the Girl’s heart.

The blade burned brightly with white fire as it found its mark and the Girl’s eyes widened in shock as the flames began to engulf her. 

“You were a little girl once too,” Sharla said, her voice soft as she aimed Cam’s shotgun. “I hope that little girl finds some peace.”

The blast scattered the Girl’s head into pieces as she fell backwards to the ground; the white fire continuing to burn unfettered by the rain until at last, the fire had consumed all of the Girl With the Dead Eyes.

Only when the fire had consumed the entirety of the Girl did it burn out and only when Sharla was certain there was nothing left did she allow herself to look away and towards the sky. The Girl’s darkness was gone, and the moon and stars had never shined so bright.

And then, finally, the rain stopped.

Sharla fell to the ground, staring up at the night sky. And then she laughed, letting all the terror and all the hopelessness and despair leave her. Not just the feelings brought on by the Girl With the Dead Eyes, but brought on by that first vampire that had tried to turn her in her kitchen all those years ago on prom night, by all the other monsters she had seen since joining Cam.

She had just killed the worst monster the world had ever known. As Sharla laughed she realized she would never have to be afraid again.

Finally, she felt herself able to stand back up, and with the Inquisitor’s sword in one hand and Cam’s gun in the other, she turned and headed back to Spooky Burger, and back to Cam, her Nightmare finally over.