Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

“No mortal can keep a secret.  If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.” �" Sigmund Freud

Ronnie

Aside from the prerecorded laughter and terrified screams here and there, it was quiet in the beginning of the trail.  Quiet and pitch black.  I could smell the smoke the participants used, mixed with the muskiness of the damp ground.  A light breeze had started, rustling the leaves on the trees enough so I couldn’t tell the difference between them and someone else walking through the woods.  Normally, walking through the woods with nothing coming up after a few minutes would seem kind of boring, but the unidentifiable source of the moving leaves and the feeling of suspense building up were enough to make me feel as jumpy as ever.

Someone jumped out from the trees and yelled, getting within just a couple inches from my face.  I jumped and pressed into Ace, whose body was as tense as a board, but he was also chuckling a little bit.  He pulled me tight into his side and made us stop walking for a moment.  I had my arms wrapped around one of his and watched the guy that was in front of us closely.  His face was painted with red and black, a dark hood shadowing any major characteristics.  His eyes darted between the two of us as he started walking nearer, trying to get between our arms.  In response, Ace just stepped sideways, putting himself directly face to face with the guy in front of us before stepping around him and pulling me with him.

Ahead, the smoke became extremely thick and, if I looked up, I couldn’t even see the branches overhead or hardly even Ace’s face.  Strobe lights started flashing and the laughter got louder, followed by screams of agony.  I looked to the sides of the path and, with the help from some red and green flashing lights, I could see figures tied to trees, looking mutilated, some still calling for help.  The smoke started to thin just enough for me to be able to see things.  On the ground, there were makeshift spider webs with spiders spread out every few steps, and with the strobe lights, they looked like they were moving.  Up along the tree branches the makeshift webs were spread as well, along with some dolls hanging by nooses, made to look like suicide victims.  I just about had a heart attack when something grabbed my ankle and started tugging at it.  A tiny screech left my throat and I jumped, hugging Ace’s arm tighter and feeling his other arm reach around to hold onto me.  I looked down and saw the bloodied hand retracting back into the cover of the smoke just in time for someone to drop in front of me, hanging from the tree with rope around their neck.  With a gauge along the side of her face and a ratty, torn white dress on, she looked ghostly pale, her blood red eyes standing out.  She was hanging just for a few seconds when she started reaching for me, a quiet, disturbing moaning coming from her strangled throat.

“Save me,” her raspy voice hissed.  Her clawed nails grazed my shirt when I hurried to step around her and then she just started laughing a goosebump raising sound.  I glanced back at where she was, but she was gone.  Ace was looking left and right calmly although the rest of him was still as tense as ever.  His skin was hotter than usual but it was actually rather comforting: feeling someone with me.  I’d probably not survive the woods if I was alone.

Yes, I’m a slayer and I deal with fighting demons that sometimes jump out of nowhere.  That doesn’t scare me, because that’s what I was raised around.  But when it comes to me having to deal with mutilated people, especially on my own, I start getting nervous.  Even if it’s just a fake set up.  We slayers are raised and kept together for a reason: it’s safe.  It’s comforting.  It reminds us where our humanity lies.  Some slayers aren’t quite as…attached to the idea of having someone with them, so they can handle being alone in any situation, no matter how much humanity is lacking.  Yet, there are some who depend on having someone close to them in those situations, not necessarily for protection, but just as a reminder that they aren’t alone and someone that can provide comfort and keep our humanity in check.  I’m one of the slayers that just need to be reminded that, even though there may not be humanity around, I’m not going to be alone.  When we fight demons, I have several slayers around me, not right next to me, but close enough, and that’s all I need.  That’s why fighting demons is such a piece of cake.  I can still see, hear, and even smell easier.  However, when going through something like the woods, where all my senses are tampered with, when I can’t tell one thing from another, then I get nervous because I’m left completely defenseless.

All the sounds and lights stopped, leaving me and Ace in complete silence and darkness.  I could still smell the smoke in the air around us, but that’s not what unsettled me.  Now I couldn’t see a single thing.  Not even Ace.  His arm was still in mine, so at least he was still with me.  We didn’t stop walking but we did slow down quite a bit.  There was a hissing sound coming from somewhere nearby but its exact direction I couldn’t figure out.

“Little jumpy now are we?” Ace chuckled and in one swift motion, pulled me tight into him, pulled his arm from my hold, and snaked it around my waist.  His touch sent shivers shooting down my spine and I could feel butterflies in my stomach.  I smiled and looked up at him, and even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was looking down at me.  I could feel his eyes on me.  I opened my mouth to say something, but at that instant, the lights and laughter started again all at once and someone grabbed me, pulling me out of Ace’s hold.

The person was cold and strong.  There was no heat to them, and I don’t know what it was that made them feel cold, but it creeped me out more.  It could’ve been because I went from Ace’s heat to theirs but I didn’t really want to figure it out.  All I wanted to do was get out of their hold.

Don’t beat them up.

I had to tell myself that the second they pulled me completely out of Ace’s touch and as they continued to pull me back.  I could see Ace’s hand coming towards me so I reached out.  His hand closed around mine and with ease he pulled me back into him.  He was laughing, and at first I wasn’t, but then I relaxed when he made us turn and continue walking, keeping his arm around me.

“Oh s**t,” he sighed.

“A little jumpy now are we?” I mocked.  He looked down at me and my eyes caught the lights gleaming off his brow piercing.

The screams continued, filling with more and more agony.  Almost bloodcurdling and bone chilling.  The smoke was clearer on the pathway and thicker in the trees.  There were ‘victims’ laying on tables and on the ground being disemboweled and some being dismembered.  They were screaming while the ones doing the torturing were laughing.  The prerecording sounds of snapping bones and tearing ligaments sent chills down my spine.  Then there was the sound of a baby crying in pain.  I looked around at every angle I could and I couldn’t see it.  There was no visible doll or anything, but the sound was tormenting me.

Then Ace was gone.

Ace

It was difficult to ignore Ronnie’s discomfort when the sounds of screaming infants sounded over head, although it was easy to understand why; not just because she likes kids, but because chances were very high that the screams weren’t recordings.  I’d bet money that some demons actually hunted down and stole real infants just for tonight.  For some reason, just the thought of that made my stomach knot up, which has been happening a lot lately.  I haven’t really even been in the mood for hunting because the thought of mutilating someone was less than appealing.  I guess it won’t be long before my instincts start to force me to hunt…the longer I put it off the faster it’ll happen.  Now, had I participated this year, I’d be snacking and scaring at the same time.  However, then I wouldn’t be here with Ronnie.  I wouldn’t be learning about what made her uneasy.  When she was mocking me about being jumpy…I wasn’t worried for myself, mainly because I can take anyone down in the blink of an eye.  That and I honestly wasn’t even startled by the things they’ve thrown out so far.  What I was a little tense about was, first, all these demons being around a single slayer…who’s my job to get information from, which meant that I’d have to protect her if anything happened.  If a fight were to occur between the two of us and other demons, I don’t know how I’d fight them off without giving anything away about myself.  Then there was the quick situation when someone pulled her away from me after the lights and sound came back.  In the short time it took for me to grab her, a surprising, small surge of concern flooded through me.  I don’t know if it was because of the possibility of another demon getting a hold of her or because she was removed from my hold without me knowing.  Whatever the reason, I was glad to have reached her and gotten her back, and it wasn’t until after she was with me that I realized the person that grabbed her was only human.  There was no need for me to be concerned but, at the same time, I was.

“How we doin’ so far?” Vince and Rye were holding onto my shoulders, barely even allowing me to turn and face them.  Their hoods were down and I noticed their faces returning to human features.  So, they’ve had their demon assets out for the night.

“I’m missin’ out on quite a party tonight, aren’t I?” I felt like I was being left out of all the fun but at the same time, I didn’t care.  For once, I didn’t really want to be involved in killing people, let alone eating them.

“Yeah, you are.  We’re collecting tonight and takin’ everyone we gather down to the caverns for a huge feast.” Vince didn’t sound exceptionally excited about it, but he did seem like he was looking forward to it a little bit.

“Special occasion I forgot about or somethin’?”

“Dude…it’s Zona’s party…she throws one every couple decades, remember?  It’s the only night she’s willing to do all of us.” Rye, on the other hand, sounded thrilled about the upcoming event.  Of course he was.  There’s never an instant where he’d turn down a buffet or sleeping with Zona.  Put those two together and it’s like…the Superbowl for humans with unlimited amount of beer and no women around.

“When isn’t she willing to do everyone?” I rolled my eyes and winced when I caught a glare from the strobe lights.  It was enough for me to see that the two demons standing with me had red eyes instead of their human ones.  They wanted to return to hunting.

“You should join us dude.” Vince almost sounded like he would’ve been having more fun if I was working with them, and that the party would be better with me there.  As true as that may have been, the thought of joining them never crossed my mind, and when they brought it up, it wasn’t very appealing to me.

“Ace!” Ronnie’s voice instantly made me turn around and start searching for her.  She sounded more worried than scared, but I was able to detect some fear.  My first instinct was to find her, and I knew just where she was at this moment, but I had to be careful.  I couldn’t come across anxious or concerned in any way when trying to get away from these two.

“Excuse me, Miss?” A quiet voice caught my attention and made me stop and look back at Vince.  He just grinned. “I know a shortcut to get out of the woods.  Come with me.” At that second, Vince winked at me at the same time I figured out that that’s how they were getting their humans.  They were using a lesser demon disguised as a little kid in the maze to drag them away from everyone else.

“Oh, no that’s okay.” Ronnie’s voice.  They were hunting her, and my guess is that it wasn’t for the feast.  She was going to be a trophy for them.

“Call them off of her,” I warned.  I grabbed Vince and Rye and pinned them against two trees right next to each other.  In the reflection of their black eyes, I saw mine and realized my irises were gold. “I told you guys she’s my job and that I will handle her.” I let go of them and turned my back to them, making my way back to Ronnie.

She was standing there, looking down at the demon standing in front of her, not even realizing it wasn’t human.  It didn’t even make a cute kid, in my opinion anyways.  I snaked my arm around Ronnie’s waist and stared down at the pest that was now standing in front of me.  One look at me and it flinched, ducked its head, and stalked off.  The little b*****d knew who I was from the second he caught whiff of me nearby and he was still willing to lure her away?  The next time I see him he’s being fed to the hounds.

“C’mon, let’s get goin’.” I grinned when Ronnie sighed in relief and pulled her along with me.  Her heart was racing beneath her ribs but was slowly starting to relax now that she was with me.  She was coiled like a snake ready to strike when I first got back to her, but as soon as we’ve started walking she’s started to calm down a little bit.  Yes, she still jumped when things popped out at her, and when the fog became thicker she held on tighter so she wouldn’t lose me again.

We got out about twenty minutes later and it was the first time I’ve ever been thankful for fresh, cool air.  I was even glad to be seeing other people, complete strangers to me, coming out behind us.  Whatever my new found issue was about the hunting that the other demons have been doing…I wasn’t sure how much I liked it.  I haven’t eaten anyone in the longest time and honestly, I don’t really want to.  Yes, I miss how some of them taste, but I just don’t want to go back to doing it.  Not anymore.

“You were terrified,” I teased, bumping her with my elbow.  She turned to face me and lightly pushed my shoulder as she laughed and tried denying it.  I moved away from her as she pushed closer to me, trying to get me to stop picking on her.  Her laugh made me smile, but when her hand pushed on me again I started laughing.

“Stop laughing,” she laughed. “I wasn’t scared.” She crossed her arms and turned away from me, sticking her nose in the air.  We both knew that if she looked at me she’d start laughing even harder.  Which I liked the sound of, so I stepped closer to her and put my hand on her shoulder.

“Alright…I know you were scared but I won’t tell anyone.  It’ll be our little secret.” I casually started to turn away from her as if I were giving up, but as soon as I did that, she jumped on my back, wrapping her arms around my neck, causing me to almost lose my balance.  Her cheek was pressed against my ear as she laughed as her fisted hands relaxed against my chest.

“I kill demons for a living and that doesn’t scare me, so there’s no way the haunted woods are gonna scare me.”

“Then why did you scream?” I reached around my back and grabbed hold of her legs, securing them to my sides.  Before, just by looking at them, I haven’t really noticed just how fit she was exactly.  Feeling them, on the other hand, I was able to understand just how muscular they were, even if they weren’t tensed.  If she was any other girl, a regular human, I’d be taking her back to my apartment and we’d be having sex.  Then maybe I’d eat her…

“Um…” Ronnie rested her chin on my shoulder and sighed.  “It would be incredibly stupid of me to tell you in public.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because a demon could always hear me and then I’m screwed in our upcoming am-” Her body tensed when she quickly stopped herself and gently shook her head.  I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and saw that she was looking ahead of where we were just standing. “Hey, isn’t that your friend from the beach?” Her hand left my chest as she gestured forward.  I looked up and noticed who she was pointing at.  Rye was walking towards us with a sly grin on his face and his arms crossed over his blood-stained shirt, eyes focused on Ronnie.  Blood red eyes.

“Yeah…” I slowly, and very cautiously let Ronnie down from my back and half turned to her, placing my hand on her lower abdomen.  Her entire body jolted and shuddered as I heard her breath catch and heart speed up. “Let’s get outta here.  We can go get a drink or something.”

Rye started walking faster, his grin starting to turn into a snarl.  I stepped in front of Ronnie completely, pulling her into my back.  She kept trying to peer over my shoulder, but I shrugged each time so she couldn’t see.  Keeping eye contact with Rye, I watched as his expression twisted into discomfort, and then into agony as he dropped to his knees.  Thanks to my acute sense of hearing, I could hear his bones snapping under my glare.  It was my first time going to that extent on a fellow demon, but I felt like I needed to do so if I wanted to keep him away from Ronnie.  Especially since it isn’t easy to stop a demon on the hunt, which is what interests me about slayers.

“Alright, let’s go.” She patted my back as she tried to push away from me.  I blinked a few times until I felt the tension behind my eyes, which comes with my eyes turning gold, leave.  I quickly turned to Ronnie and gently guided her away from the spot, turning my back on Rye.

Once we got out of the fair and through the parking lot, I felt Ronnie’s fingers slip through mine.  They were slim and fit between mine perfectly, her skin comfortably cool.  She may have waited until we were out of Rye’s sight, but we weren’t quite out of anyone else’s sight yet.  I could sense others around, and I knew I shouldn’t have been holding her hand but I didn’t care.  I could easily explain to Accursius if he found out and he would more than likely understand my motives.  Zona, on the other hand, would be more…difficult.  Actually, she would cause a lot of trouble if she saw me holding Ronnie’s hand.