Secrets

The WC is the only place you can read the first 6 chapters of A Hunters Evolution.

Chapter 3

Secrets

During a hunting spree in the South Dakota Black Hills, the brothers ran across a Wayward Demon. It couldn’t hold against their gentle persuasion. The hacking of big and small appendages brought a surprising flow of useful information- The Summerland Center sixty miles outside of Phoenix.

This old vast insane asylum building had been converted to a do-it-yourself recovery home boasting the philosophy, ‘the further you are from civilization, the less temptations to be had’. It attracted desperate addicts serious about keeping clean and in hopes of returning to society.

A few days later, the Simon brothers admitted themselves into the center. Mick planned to lay low, scout the area and set-up an ambush for Rayzon. The one-level cream stucco building with an open rolling hills courtyard across the back was an easy patrol for two people. He couldn’t have asked for a better arrangement but there was one flaw in the landscape, a deep grove of tall pine trees and thick patches of Whitethorn Acacia just beyond the winding rocky path’s edge lining the courtyard. The flaw  pricked at Mick like the thorns of the Acacia trees showing off full blooms of buttery yellow puffball flowers. It hid too much.

Inside, the V-shape main hallway glowed with natural Arizona sunrays filtering through many skylights. Twenty resident rooms opened into the spacious but deadly hallway on each leg of the V. In the center, at the tip of the V, was the heart of the recovery center. A massive open media entertainment sitting room painted tastefully with the muted colors of a desert sunset. It brimmed with overstuffed chairs clustered in groups around different flat-screen TVs.

Across the hallway from the media room were two doors, to the far right and left, giving access to yet a bigger room used for the cafeteria or meeting-room.  Inside this room swinging doors to the side lead to the kitchen and double doors centered on the back wall opened to the courtyard.

 

Out back in the courtyard, Sam and Samantha strolled down the meandering path. Tiny pebbles crunched under their boots as a nice breeze cooled them from the August heat and caressed their noses with a light fragrance of the little yellow ball flowers.

Since no one was around, Sam decided to push for a little more information. “Sammie…can you tell me more about what happened…in Mexico?” 

Pausing at a wooden bench, Samantha turned and eased down. She knew eventually she would have to tell them.

Resting her hands in her lap, she closed her eyes and tilted her head up to absorb the sunrays. A chill worked its way across her skin and it wasn’t from the breeze. “I was supposed to die with Mom and Dad… There was a point I wish I had.” She could handle a beating anytime and not break, but Rayzon took more than her pain.

The brief pause hung in the air before she continued. “Rayzon has a way of holding you still, without touching you. I created some problems with his special talent…so I was to be victim number one. He had to touch me to slice my ankle with his strange looking hooked hand knife…I remember the wide blade had intrigued me with strange symbols etched on it…”

Ok I’m stalling again. I’m not being fair to him, patience with me like always, waiting for me to find my way. “He cut me and something happened that stopped him. His body seemed to ripple like…when you throw a stone in water, as he touched me or my blood…I’m not sure which. He said something about me being ‘to unique’ to let go of just yet.”

While keeping her eyes closed, a white-knuckle grip on the front edge of the seat anchored her from the urge to run. She dropped her head down along with her voice. Ok, here it goes. “He decided he wanted to experiment with my blood. Somehow he could consume my energy, making it hard stay awake after the strange draining…Later it escalated to…a…more…”

Extreme difficulty hit her in finishing the sentence, fueling her twisting desire to flee. Oh God come on you can do it! As the chill penetrated down into her bones while thinking about it, a tight heavy sensation crushed her chest like an elephant planted its butt there. Damn it! I am not a victim anymore!

She struggled to push the last words out in a whisper, “intimate physical assault.” She still couldn’t say the ugly word. There you finally did it! 

Embarrassed weaved through every fiber of her being in telling him how truly weak, in her opinion, she was but it was finally over. Worry ate at her on what he thought after knowing her dark dirty secret.

Realizing she was holding her breath, she made a conscious effort to breathe normal. “I seemed to be his personal human battery with a hell of a charge for him. Towards the end…I could swear…I could hear a voltage hum coming from him.”

Surprised at how good she felt after the confession, she had the courage to peek to the side at him. There it was. The look she dreaded and hoped not to see…pity.

 

A sour nauseated feeling filled Sam’s stomach and clawed at his throat as the horror twisted in him. Jesus, she had to endure this all on her own. “God Sammie, I’m…”

She wasn’t going to let him start down the pity path and interrupted him. “No Sam. This is not some tragic story. This is the story where the heroine comes back and kicks a*s, by the way in a great new pair of boots.”

Her feet popped up to show off the fresh, soft, rich brown leather, “and the world becomes a better place and lost lives are revenged.” Dropping her feet, she poked him hard in the chest, holding a stern look. “Don’t you dare treat me with kid gloves.”

Walking up to the back of the bench, Mick caught the tail end of their conversation. “Who needs kid gloves around here? That has to be Sam because you definitely don’t need them.”

Samantha flashed a deceiving grin. “That’s right.”

Sam closely studied her. “Sammie was telling me about this strange rippling effect that Rayzon’s body does.”

Apprehension caught her breath as she waited. How far is he going to take this? I don’t think I can take the pity look from him too.  She exhaled in relief as Sam didn’t continue.

Mick’s eyebrow climbed an inch on his forehead. “Really, what else can you tell us?”

She briefly peeked at Sam. “I was having some…focusing issues at the time. With Mom and Dad…I remember the cutting of their ankles.”

Mick interrupted. “Like yours were?”

“Yes…Their blood was used to connect all the symbols in the circle. Then the symbols glowed…” She detached from the surrounding reality and rode the memory wave. “He had a way of holding you in place without touching you. I think he somehow broke Mom and Dad’s spine…Thank God they didn’t feel the pain of the mutilation.”

A quick glance flickered between the brothers. They had something to go on with the bone crushing of their father.

“I think I missed a few days in there…but I remember him cutting their wrists and saturating the ground with their blood. This caused a slight glowing dome over them.” Her distant look disappeared as her face twisted and disgusted filled her voice. “He seemed very pleased with himself.”

A heavy sigh followed. “On the last day…all I can remember was the cave pulsing with a glow. Everything seemed to vibrate with a loud voltage sounding hum…There were voices…then you two.”

She paused for a moment to shake of the doom and gloom feeling creeping over her. “Later, after I left, I found some people to talk to and picked up a serious accessory for my wardrobe that you have to see.” Shrugging her shoulders, “That’s it in a nutshell.”

In the distance, Alice drifted closer behind Mick and Samantha saw a perfect opportunity to pick on him and change the subject. “I met Alice. She is a sweet little thing...” A teasing grin stretched across her face “…and looky, here she comes now.” Sam looked as if he swallowed a bug as he tried to control his contorted facial expressions and not laugh.

The bench shook slightly when Mick grabbed the back of it and tensed up. Oh hell not her again! “This place is way too small.” He hissed under his breath. “Come back inside. Let’s go! Move it! Move it! Geez you guys move like zombies!”

Mick quickly herded both his Sam’s down the path, opposite of Alice’s direction.